Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Another Good Reason to Try the No Starch DIet!

Not just for yourself, but for the entire family!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/20...ps-failing.html

just my opinion on some of the ideas in the article by Taubes

what he gets right
- saturated fats are not a major contributor to heart disease or obesity
- added sugar hasn't historically received enough attention as a contributor to obesity and other diseases
- exercise is not a magic bullet for weight loss (though it is generally effective as part of a weight loss strategy)
- excessive intake of fructose can lead to hyperinsulemia.
- focussing on food choices can be more effective than trying to micromanage calories in and calories out.

where he starts to go wrong
- the idea that carbohydrates are uniquely fattening compared to other calorie sources. this has been well studied and is not true.
- the idea that insulin is the most important regulator of body fat. other hormones such as leptin are far more important.
- the idea that increased carbohydrate intake is a better explanation for the obesity epidemic than increased calorie intake.

here is the USDA data on macronutrient intake as percentage of total calories


and here is total calorie intake per capita


for anyone interested in reading further, the topic was covered in detail on this blog and his popular book 'Good Calories Bad Calories' was reviewed in the academic journal Obesity Reviews - click for pdf

Interesting article, Inkyfingers.

Inkyfingers, this is a very interesting article, but other than the title of your thread, I do not understand why it was moved into the no starch diet area. This topic of obesity and healthy eating belongs in the main forum, as these are two very important subjects for all of us living with AS, let alone living with any form of inflammatory arthritis, indeed living at all.

Refined grains and sugars in combination are killers. I don't know the science involved, but I do understand that if people were eating whole grains, rather than white flour, and less potatoes, we would be healthier. It's the types of grains, the types of sugars involved, and what happens to those grains and sugars in the refining process. The reason the 'lowly cheeseburger' is so fattening is, well, the white bread bun it is on, the high fat content beef that is so often used and, oh, wait, the high fat cheese. Also, the amounts of them consumed by some people.

Speaking only for myself, I lost 15lbs in a month when I went off wheat 10 years ago. You might think this is a coincidence, and it very well could be, except that I've been back on wheat these last six weeks because I'm being tested for coeliac disease again and I want a proper result, not one skewed by the fact that I eat a gluten-free diet in the main. In the six weeks since I started eating wheat and refined flours again, I've developed a roll of belly fat that I never used to have. I also feel like hell in every way, including the burning in my thoracic area that is directly related to my wheat intake and the fact that my guts are in a knot all the time. I know that after Monday, when I've had my blood test, I can go off wheat again, and by, oh, the end of June, I'll be back or closer to normal. So, that's my own little experiment, and it's one I encourage everyone to try. Go off wheat (or at least go off refined wheat and limit your intake), limit potatoes, make any grains you eat whole grains, and see what happens. You have nothing to lose and could gain unforeseen benefits. And yes, I`m aware of the intrinsic puns in that last sentence.

So, why does this topic belong in the main forum? Because being overweight is not only bad for our hearts (which can be affected by AS) and our ability to breathe properly and expand our ribs to keep our lung power (which can be affected by AS), but for every 10lbs of extra weight you carry, you are putting an extra 150lbs of load on your knees and other joints. When you can`t exercise as much as you`d like or should due to the pain of your arthritis and you`re eating refined grains and sugars in excess and not eating leafy veggies and other healthier foods, this topic is important and could foment the type of diet-based debate and discussion that might help people not only with their AS, but with their overall health.

Warm hugs,

Hiya Kat,

I thought long and hard about whether to post in the NSD forum or the main forum, and decided for all the reasons you cite that it was better off in the main forum, to encourage *everybody* - AS or no AS, NSD or not NSD to think about diet and obesity...

Oh well - I tried!

Louise - Hows about re-jigging the title and posting in the main forum. Like AS and Obesity - or summat like that. Or, AS and Heart Disease. Hmmmmm: AS and Being Overweight. Being AS 'and' Overweight. DDx AS? / Then Don't be Overweight... One could go on and on, but you get me drift

Agree with everyone, it is going to get lost in the NSD forum!

Louise, thanks for clarifying that. I wasn't sure who moved it, but it just didn't make sense to me. Thanks for trying. Perhaps the powers that be could be prevailed upon to move it back if you change the title?? I have a feeling you were being a tad sarcastic with it, but given the recent to do over no starch discussions, I guess someone was trying to accomodate or something.

This really is too important a discussion to lose over here. Especially given that it is not actually, or specifically, about the NSD/LSD.

Warm hugs,

I don't think there is any problem with having this thread in the main forum. if some people aren't interested then its not hard to just ignore it. i think it is an important and interesting topic. kat is right that obesity is relevant to AS. two studies have reported a higher rate of metabolic syndrome in AS patients.
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19473571
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16933103

if the main takeaway message people get from reading Taubes is that it is beneficial to cut back on refined grains and sugar then i think that is a good message. the idea that refined grains and sugar are best kept to a minimum is not controversial. even the USDA guidelines recommend cutting back on added sugar and refined grains.

one of the problems with Taubes's carbohydrates->insulin->obesity hypothesis (apart from being completely wrong) is that it lumps nutritious whole foods like potatoes in with refined grains due to the carbohydrate content. the big difference is that potatoes are off the charts in terms of the satiety index. they were by far the most satiating food per calorie out of all 38 foods tested. they are also an excellent source of nutrients. they have such a good nutritional profile that it is possible (but not advisable) to live off almost nothing but potatoes for extended periods.

some of the latest obesity research into areas such as food reward and the role gut bacteria is quite interesting.

Louise, re-jig the title and put in brackets - (Not LSD/LSD) and repost in main forum. How's zat?

Metabolic Syndrome in AS (Not LSD/NSD) - there ya go.
Thanks to jroc - good links jroc.