By: Anthony Campo
Many individuals seeking a healthier diet have decided to become a vegetarian or vegan in the hopes that cutting out meat will help them lose weight, lower their blood pressure, and improve their cholesterol. Animal fats have been improperly demonized in the past, which has led many individuals to fear animal fats. These improper fears along with many others have helped to contribute to the obesity and diabetes epidemic that continues to plague the United States. Much of the information that has led people to these fears and turn to a vegan or vegetarian diet was based on poorly misinterpreted and faulty research studies decade ago. I could go on and on picking apart everything that was wrong these old outdated research studies, but this has already been done in depth by modern researchers and scientists. The problem is that for some reason the new information is not reaching and impacting the general population in the magnitude needed to create positive changes nationwide. With the majority of people still gripping to old misinformed nutritional ideology, it is no coincidence that problems like obesity and diabetes have skyrocketed in the past 30 years when much of this nutritional misinformation first became popularized. It has become pop culture to believe that eating a diet that primarily consists of meat and animal fats is “bad” for you. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and not only can these foods be great for you, but many of the substitutions that have been sold to us as “healthier” choices are actually detrimental to our health.
Which one of these following fad statements is false?
Saturated and trans fats are bad and unsaturated fats are good
Eggs will raise you cholesterol
Eating a lot of whole grain products is better for you
Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup are nutritionally the same
Artificial sweeteners give you cancer
In order to lose weight all you have to do is reduce your fat intake, and reduce you calories
You may be surprised to hear that they ALL are false, and just more examples of how these old studies have corrupted many people’s brains. Many of these research findings of the 70s and 80s have been driven into the brains of many people seeking to improve their health. One of the biggest challenges I face is trying to provide and in some cases convince people of the actual science of nutrition. We know so much more in today’s world than we knew back then. We have reached unbelievable milestones in Astronomy, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Math and so on, however, for some reason when it comes to nutrition we are still living in the Stone Age. Because we as a society are not using our advanced knowledge of science to improve the nutrition of the general population, problems like obesity and diabetes are continuing to get worse. Your average person is deathly afraid or sodium, does not have a fundamental understanding of the different types of fats or carbohydrates, and thinks too much protein will destroy your kidneys. I have written many blogs in the past explaining basic nutritional science, and debunking many of these illegitimate fears. You can find much more information about this information in the book Do This, Eat That available at www.CampoTrained.com and the Riverwalk Athletic Club. Hope fully health professionals can start improving and communicating proper knowledge of nutritional science because if we do not start making some serious changes, it could very well contribute to a socioeconomic downfall.
“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~ ”
― Thomas A. Edison