All the diet rules you need...

In trying out all kinds of diet and exercise plans over the last few years, I’ve come to the very shocking revelation: they’re all based on the same set of general principles.

We get bound up in leptin vs. insulin, cheat days vs. fast days, supplements vs. real food, calories vs. movement, and we lose sight of the real core of the process: eat well, move every day, and try to stay positive.

I’m no Mr. Universe by any stretch, but I’m not obese and have no heart condition (that I know of). I like food, yes, but there’s a limit to how much crap I can and will eat, and I think it’s important for everyone to know their limits in this regard. I haven’t been drunk in almost fifteen years, and it still shocks me how many people think that’s strange. It’s a decision I’ve made. I don’t preach abstinence from alcohol by any means...although by the same token not being drunk makes some parties a bit more annoying, when it’s clear the objective of everyone else is to be as excessive as possible.

Soapbox aside, I also know what damage alcohol does to you, so I elect to avoid it in those quantities. That should be a good enough reason, and at 37 years old I think I can just flat out say, “no, I choose not to drink,” and have that respected at face value.

Anyway, my point is that healthy living is not difficult and it doesn’t require a lot of sacrifice.

“But Steve,” I can hear you whining, “I’m [insert ethnicity here]! You can’t really expect me to live without [insert flower-based and/or gravy- and/or sugar-laden ethnic dish here]!”

Yeah, I do. Because chances are the only reason that food is so endemic to your ethnicity is that at some point your ancestors were impoverished and bulking up on white flour was the only way to stave off hunger. And now that we know that a cup of spaghetti has the same nutrient profile as a can of Coke, maybe it’s time to recognize it for what it is.

Am I saying stop eating spaghetti or perogies? No. I love them too. I’m saying stop serving pasta as a meal on its own, and observe a little common sense.

And yes, you can live without it. You’re human. I’ve gone a year without eating pasta, and so far the only adverse effect has been losing weight. So...your choice.

OK, here are the rules to live by, based on a culmination of pretty well everything there is to read online and off that’s become available in the last 20 years:

1. If it’s white, or was white, or could become white, don’t eat it. The exceptions are cauliflower and eggs. I personally also exclude milk from this list, but still substitute almond milk in my coffee.
2. If you must eat grains, do it in the morning when your cells need (and are primed to use) the fuel.
3. Eat meat and vegetables.
4. If a thing has more than three ingredients on the label that you can’t buy elsewhere in the store, don’t eat it. You won’t be able to break it apart. For example, if you see a sauce that’s made up of twelve ingredients, and one of those ingredients is guar gum, don’t eat it. If there’s no aisle in the store that shelves “guar gum,” why would you eat it?
5. Break a sweat every day. Preferably while lifting something. Preferably something other than yourself. Walking doesn’t count -- you should be doing that anyway.

That’s it. Five rules: Avoid sugar and starch; eat grains in the morning, tapering off by lunch; focus on vegetables and protein; don’t eat overly processed foods; get off your ass. Even if you just start with this, chances are you’ll find you have more energy and might even start to see some pounds dropping off. Don’t worry about calories. Don’t worry about which exercise is best for whatever. Pick up some dumbbells and put down the Ding Dongs. It will work.

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What Really Causes Heart Disease?

Medical professionals are starting to come to grips with some startling facts regarding what really causes heart disease; and those facts are beginning to shake up not only the health industry, but the whole world of nutritional science.

In a recent article, Sott.net presented an astonishing confession by renowned cardiologist, Dr. Dwight Lundell. In it, Lundell boldly states what many professionals have come to suspect through purely empirical observation:

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working! 

The fact that it's not working is precisely what has prompted this movement towards more careful scientific scrutiny of previously-held beliefs about diet and fitness. After all, as Lundell points out, all the statin drugs and reduced fat dieting in the world have not stemmed the tide of heart disease. In fact, with 25% of the US adult population taking statin drugs, more will die this year from heart attack and stroke than ever before. And even worse are the overall numbers: 75 million Americans currently have heart disease. 20 million have diabetes, and another 57 million have pre-diabetes. And these conditions affect younger and younger segments of the population each year.

Lundell's testimony is damning. It is, in fact, not working...[read more]

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The Latest on Aspirin and Heart Disease

Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified health practitioner. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If this information is of interest to you, please consult your physician or qualified health care professional before implementing any advice contained herein.


The Canadian Cardiovascular Society has released a report geared toward clearing up some of the confusion surrounding the use of ASA (Aspirin) in the control of heart disease. ASA works as a blood thinner, keeping blood moving freely and preventing clots and clogging that could lead to heart attacks. In cases where people have suffered heart attack or stroke, ASA therapy may reduce the risk of a second occurrence by as much as 25%. However, the CCS also notes that many people make the mistake of taking ASA who really don't need to.

The three key recommendations in the clarification report are:

• A lifetime low dose of ASA is recommended for all people who have suffered a heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease.
• ASA is not recommended as a preventative treatment for people who have not suffered some form of heart disease or other vascular disease, even in the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes.
• Anti-inflamatory drugs, such as Ibuprophen, are not recommended for people using ASA treatment, as the anti-inflamatory character of these pain killers can interfere with the function of ASA.

Not mentioned in this report, but worth mentioning here, is the further recommendation that while Ibuprophen can interfere with the anti-clotting properties of ASA, other treatments, such as Warfarin, krill oil and alcohol consumption can make these properties more dangerous. With anti-coagulant properties multiplied, minor cuts can take much longer to heal, and more significant injuries can become severely problematic.

With this in mind, however, let's take a quick note of some of the other therapies and what they do, just for the sake of interest:

Warfarin: This is a commonly-prescribed anti-coagulant, particularly for people with clotting issues already. Warfarin is a major blood thinner, and should not be taken without close medical supervision. To give you a sense of this, it's important to bear in mind that this stuff is used as rat and mouse poison. It acts by causing massive internal bleeding in the rodent, so they literally bleed to death as their organs disintegrate. That doesn't happen with people, but you shouldn't opt for this one for any sort of self-treatment.

Alcohol: I don't know anyone who treats alcohol as a treatment for anything, although significant research into the "shot-a-day" home remedy, as well as the antioxidant effects of red wine, is an ongoing field of study. Alcohol thins the blood, but you know all the other stuff it does that might not be considered medically useful, so approach this one carefully as well. Excess alcohol consumption (which literally means two beers a day) can interfere with fat transport, cause damage to the liver, and kill brain cells. When you note that eating red grapes (with seeds), or even just some blueberries, provides the same anti-oxidant protection as that glass of red wine, the benefits dwindle sharply.

Krill Oil: This is the new kid on the EFA block. Krill oil is being sold as a healthy alternative to fish oils for Omega-3 supplementation for three key reasons. First, its ORAC values (measuring antioxidant activity) are off the charts; way beyond any of the standard antioxidant treatments. At the same time, it has shown significantly more impact on pain and stiffness in arthritis studies, greatly improved cholesterol and blood glucose levels compared with standard fish oil, and is a powerful blood thinner that also prevents clotting. Second, it is farmed only for this purpose, so while fish oil supplements are usually "leftovers" from other processes (which can produce a lack of freshness, or even rancid products), the krill that is caught is really only applied to this and a few select purposes. The other advantage of this is that the source is so far down the food chain that it hasn't accumulated the toxins that predator fish (like cod and halibut, the main fish oil sources) accumulate through levels of feeding. Third, it's a highly sustainable source. Krill is only really consumed by large mammals like whales. It has little other commercial value, and so is not in danger of being wiped out by over-fishing. Human activity and catch limits have barely even dented this population. That's not to say they won't some day, but with careful management this is one of the most plentiful nutrient sources on the planet, and a far more ecologically sound option than fish oils. (See a more comprehensive outline of these benefits HERE.)

Ginkgo Biloba: This isn't a blood thinner. Ginkgo's popularity as a supplement for "brain function" may be a little misplaced...there's not as much clinical evidence to support its memory-enhancing properties as was once thought. However, where that assumption is derived from is worth noting. Ginkgo is a vascular dilator. This means it relaxes your veins and arteries, allowing a more relaxed flow of blood throughout the body. This in turn aids in oxygen uptake; and therein lies the theory behind its power to enhance mental function. In low doses, it can cause a slight headache (increase bloodflow will do that), but only for the first few days.

Ginkgo's property of enhancing blood flow does have other advantages, however. As a part of workout supplementation, this increased flow also enhances oxygen uptake to improve VO2 max levels for increased cardiovascular endurance and conditioning. It also creates a more open flow of blood to the muscles, which in strength training can have a beneficial impact on the transport of nutrients and oxygen to recovering muscles. And, for those who are concerned about sexual function (in both men and women), it functions in exactly the same way as prescription Viagra (note the side effect of the headache is the same), unless combined with a blood thinner. There are properties of fluid dynamics that may make thinner blood and relaxed vessels less effective for maintaining erection (thus the infamous "whiskey dick" when one consumes too much alcohol). It can also make cuts flow more freely, which is a bit of a risk as well. However, under normal healthy conditions ginkgo can make a beneficial addition to a natural supplementation program.

Remember, if you're looking at increasing blood flow any of these options should be discussed with your physician or cardiologist (or even urologist) under all circumstances. This is especially true if you plan on combining any of these. Know the benefits, but stay wary of the risks, and keep your doctor involved.

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