Nutrition

Ok, that’s perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but recent research points to a connection between low B-12 levels and an increased risk of senile dementia. In a study from Oxford and the University of Oslo (1), researchers found elderly people who had lower B-12 had a greater decrease in brain volume over the course of the 5 year prospective study. The decrease in brain volume is thought to reflect brain atrophy suggesting maintaining optimal B-12 levels can slow the onset of brain atrophy and dementia.

We’re now somewhere on the perimeter of the low carb nucleus. The results we experienced did not last, but the fear of carbs is still very real and justifiably so.

My point here is that the food pyramid of 1992 was skewed by telling only one side of the story. What I propose is that natural unprocessed carbs are necessary for optimal performance and health; they fuel our activity and have huge range of health benefits from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease to reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Back in 1992 the food pyramid was introduced, and then in 2005 it was updated. This became the bench mark that was to be followed and advised for nutritional health. Maybe the intentions were good but both pyramids are greatly flawed and misconceptions were formed. The 1992 pyramid encouraged low fat and high carbohydrates. To greatly summarize, what happened is that saturated fat was linked to the risk of heart disease and other ailments, the pyramid therefore instructed us to reduce the fat in our diet.

FITNESS, PERFORMANCE AND CARBOHYDRATES

If you want to shed body fat, then watching your carbohydrate intake is a good idea and one that works. To exercise regularly does require fuel in the tank however; and for those of you who seek athletic performance, then carbohydrates are not only your friends, but your savior.

Carbohydrates are stored in the liver, muscle and in your blood - to perform optimally you need to replenish those stores before, in some cases during, and after your training or competitive session.

For Sedentary people and those who exercise little, the limit to carbohydrates they consume is a good thing. As we have already discussed, Carbohydrates are used for energy and are stored for future energy, but for those who don’t dip into those stores too much then it might be a good idea to restrict their daily amount of carbohydrates. Otherwise, sugar (glycogen in the body) builds up and causes the hormonal problems associated with insulin and a number of health issues we are surrounded by today.

Hopefully, I think we are about at the end of the ‘No Carb’ diet fad. It first appeared decades ago and then returned to knock us off our feet in more recent years. The steakhouses loved it ! The pizza parlors were not so impressed.

I think it’s a shame that only overweight people read the Atkins’ Diet Revolution book because the lessons apply to a much wider audience. Take for instance all the kids on adderall for ADD or ADHD. Most of them do not have anything wrong with them other than hypoglycemia due to unhealthy eating habits. As Dr. Atkins pointed out, an unsteady blood sugar level can lead to a wide variety of symptoms including difficulty concentrating, poor memory, emotional outbursts and moodiness, boredom, fatigue, headaches, slow starting in the morning, even antisocial behavior.

Here's another study confirming why I recommend everyone take omega-3 fish oils daily. In a recent study involving 27 women with type 2 diabetes supplementation with 2 grams of fish oil daily reduced the amount of abdominal fat these women were carrying around in only two months and, in addition, reduced some indicators of atherosclerosis (cholesterol buildup in the arteries). Interestingly, this study confirms what many, including me, feel-that is, consuming healthy fats does not lead to weight gain-quite the opposite!taking fish oils-fats-lead to a reduction in body fat!