This is my inaugural blog (Web log, an acronym I’ve learned.)
My blog will be a monthly (approximately) potpourri of health and nutrition statements and discussions, and with my best efforts, factually presented and evidence-based.
There will be surprises to keep your interest(I hope) like “cholesterol is not really cholesterol”. “ saturated fat has no causative relationship to cardiovascular disease.”
I’m angry about being misled all my life about food… much of the nutrition nonsense we continue to be fed by corporate food, the federal government, our medical profession and pharmaceutical companies is infuriating, wrong, misleading and suspiciously collusive. (eg) it would not be good for western farmer’s futures if canola oil was found to be better for lubricating their machinery than for feeding fellow Canadians.
My blog series will discuss Canada’s Food Guide, the North American epidemic of obesity, dieting, oral health, Type II diabetes, medical myths in nutrition, exercise, climate change, real food and some of my pet peeves…my venting. (they’ll be familiar peeves and often shared by readers).
Canada’s New Food Guide (such as it is)…
The Online opening page window of Canada’s Food Guide says, “Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits”…“ Whole-grain foods”’. . . “And protein foods that come mostly from plants”.
Actually those recommendations are mostly carbohydrate foods. . .why do the GUIDE GURUS emphasize Carbs????? Where are the fats? There are only 2 essential macronutrients for human life and carbohydrate ingestion is NOT one of them. The essential macronutrients for survival are protein and fat. Carbohydrates are additive and important only if not enough protein and fat are eaten to provide a fully nutritive diet.
The guide goes on to suggest, “ choose foods with healthy fats instead of saturated fats”. WELL… who has proven that saturated fats are unhealthy? Just the opposite is probably true. AND. . . In fact, ANY food that contains any fat contains saturated fat and ANY food that contains saturated fat contains monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat along with saturated fat. All three fats exist in all fatty foods. (except lard and coconut oil which are fully saturated). How then are we to eat fat, the essential macronutrient, and avoid saturated fat? Please GUIDE GURUS explain that.
What Do The Food Guide Gurus Beleive To Be Healthy Fats?
Do they know that saturated fats supply us with the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K?
NB: Canadians in the 40’s who cooked with lard, suet and butter were not obese.
Seems that trans fats are the only culprit fats.
HOW COME It’s hard to find any dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) in any of the CANADA FOOD GUIDE recommendations or photos?
NB**Do the FOOD GUIDE GURUS know that there is not even ONE peer-reviewed study that shows a causative relationship of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease? Do they know that a sirloin steak is only 7% fat? That an egg is almost a perfect food?
Do the FOOD GUIDE GURUS not realize that the obesity epidemic in Canada has a direct correlation to the introduction and ingestion of hydrogenated and highly processed vegetable oils? Margarine, Crisco (invented by Proctor and Gamble along with Tide, Pampers and founded by candle and soap makers), canola oil (most canola oils are partially hydrogenated and contain trans fats, are genetically modified and herbicide-tolerant) and sugar-laden salad dressings for example.
It is nearly impossible to avoid hydrogenated oils in restaurant food. Canadians ingest these highly processed “foods” which are often high in added sugar, preservatives and chemicals. “Foods” such as processed peanut butter, sweetened yogurt, boxed cereals, white flour, biscuits, chips, sweeteners, colas, diet drinks, other boxed foods, canned foods, mayonnaise, condiments, sports drinks and caloric non-nutritive grains. (White flour and water make a pretty good wallpaper glue.)
High carbohydrate eating (The Canadian Normal), is far more likely to produce a fat Canadian than is a high-fat diet. AND many fat baby boomers and even younger Canadians are Type II diabetes patients and/or in waiting.
Carbohydrates and sugar are killing more Canadians than protein or fat!
Vegetable oils had their origin lubricating machinery and they still do.
AND they are not actually vegetable oils, are they? Mostly they are very highly processed seed and nut residue. Not from broccoli, asparagus or carrots. The hydrogenation process has to change nut and seed sludge to a cosmetic spreadable fat. ( resembling butter ) Remember butter only requires whole milk to be churned). Can you guess which one of the sludge or butter is healthy? Did you know that 35% whipping cream is sugar-free? Yup, no lactose even.
We need to get back to lard, suet and butter for cooking. Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy are wonderfully healthy and nutritious foods and a part of our healthy eating heritage.
Olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are healthy choices.
Our new Canada Food Guide has been overly influenced, in my view, by vegetarian and vegan attitudes. These philosophies of eating are to be respected but should not dominate a Canadian’s guide to healthy eating.
I’ll have more to say about plant-based vs animal-based nutrition in coming discussions.
The plant-based zealots have much to explain about the world’s forests being laid to waste for soy farming and enclosing animals and feeding them grain for meat production is a travesty.
Another time. . .
Dr. Derek MJ Turner
