Candy for Breakfast?

Here's is an article by a man I respect greatly; Dr. Al Sears:

Which would you call more fattening - a chocolate and caramel Snickers bar or a bowl of whole-grain Grape-Nuts cereal? If you guessed the Snickers bar, you'd be wrong. They both have about the same number of calories but the glycemic index of the Snickers bar is 41, while Grape-Nuts is 75.

[Ed. Note: We've talked about the glycemic index before in ETR. To refresh your memory, it ranks foods that contain carbohydrates according to how much they raise blood sugar levels in the body.]

Does that really translate into being more fattening? I say it does. Here's why:

Their glycemic indices show that the Grape-Nuts produce nearly twice as much blood sugar as the Snickers bar. This, in turn, will trigger the production of more insulin. Higher insulin will signal your body to convert a higher percentage of calories consumed into stored body fat. Since the calories are the same, you will build more fat from the Grape-Nuts.

Did I slant the playing field and choose an unusually low-glycemic candy bar? Not really. In fact, if you add more fat or more chocolate, or substitute almonds or walnuts for the peanuts in the candy bar, its glycemic index gets even lower. Are Grape-Nuts unusually fattening for a cereal?
Actually, it's one of the less glycemic. Total, much touted as healthy, scores 76, Rice Chex scores 89, and corn flakes is a whopping 92.

So am I telling you to eat more candy bars? No. I'm saying that unless you are going to burn lots of calories soon after eating cereal, consider it to be an indulgence like candy. It is definitely not your staple breakfast for good health as so many have claimed.

Is there an easier way to get lean?

In the previous text you read how the glycemic index can surprise you. Some foods that are touted as "healthy" - like some cereals - can be worse for you than candy bars. That's because the glycemic index measures the blood sugar produced by different foods, and some cereals produce much more blood sugar than some candy bars.

Here's an even bigger surprise: Nearly everyone reporting on this important measurement has misinterpreted it, introduced bias, come to a wrong conclusion, and ignored the real lesson.

How can that happen? "Glycemic" means "sweet" - and the glycemic index can't seem to shake this association with sweetness. Yet real data show very little connection between the sweetness of a food and its glycemic index. Some of the sweetest foods have a very low glycemic index - cherries, for instance, measure 22. Potatoes and cornbread are not sweet but top the index at 100, because starchy foods release much more sugar into your blood.

So the glycemic index is not about sweetness but starchiness. Still, you can hardly read about the glycemic index without running up against the advice to "eat low-glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains." Even the USDA's new Food Pyramid makes this nonsensical recommendation. (Have you ever seen a non-starchy grain?)

So forget the misinterpretation and bad advice. If you choose naturally occurring foods, you can indulge your sweet tooth. The most reliable way to lose fat is to eat foods with a glycemic index below 40 until you achieve your desired leanness. To avoid the common bias, my Wellness Research Foundation and I developed our own glycemic index for our patients. You can get your free copy here.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The Doctor's Heart Cure, is a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness, and heart health.]

2 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Start Burning Fat

Recently I had a conversation with a woman at a dinner party who shared with me the difficulty she is having losing body fat. She said that she has not always been overweight, but he gained about 40 pounds in the last several years when her career and lifestyle became more sedentary. She explained how frustrated she had become because, as she said, she was "doing everything right" but the fat just wouldn't come off.

This is what she meant by "doing everything right":

• She was eating a lot less.
• She was eating less frequently.
• She was eating a "low-fat" diet.

In other words, she was sabotaging her efforts to lose weight by slowing down her metabolism.

If you want to maximize your fat-burning potential, you've got to really crank up your metabolism. Here are two time tested ways to do it:

1. Don't starve yourself. Cutting too many calories is a sure way to slow down your metabolic rate. It will also ensure that you are more likely to lose muscle rather than fat. Instead, focus on eating MORE foods that are protein-rich and nutrient-dense.
2. Eat more frequently. By eating five to seven small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day, you will ramp up your metabolism and be less likely to overeat. This will also help to maintain stable blood sugar levels, which also contributes to fat loss.

The Indespensible Macronutrients in your Diet: Part 3 - Fats

The right fats can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases. And they can even help you lose weight.

At City of Hope Medical Center in California, researchers studied two groups of men. One group consumed a high-fat, low-calorie diet. The other group followed a low-fat diet with the same number of calories. The men on the high-fat diet lost 63% more weight.

So, what are the RIGHT fats? Animal fats are very healthy ... if the animals are raised on their natural diet. For example, grain-fed beef can have 500% more saturated fat than grass-fed beef. (Saturated fat is healthy in small, naturally occurring amounts, but too much can be harmful.) I hope you will make it one of your goals to improve your health by choosing to eat healthy fats. These include not only fats from naturally raised animal products, but also fish oil, olive oil, coconut oil, walnut and macadamia nut oils, avocados, and nuts. At the same time, limit your intake of processed vegetable oils (like corn and soybean oils), which are in almost all processed foods. And completely avoid any product with the word "hydrogenated" on the label.

Lord bless you,
Steve

The Indespensible Macronutrients in Your Diet

The Indespensible Macronutrients in Your Diet, Part 2: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have been vilified over the past few years. While carbs are not inherently bad, it is important to choose the right ones. The key is to avoid those that cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to rise rapidly.

That means you should AVOID: sugar, flour, baked goods, white pasta, soft drinks, fruit juices, refined grains, corn, and starches (including white potatoes). Your carbs should come primarily from whole fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and berries. If you enjoy potatoes, stick with yams or sweet potatoes. They have more nutritional value, and they won't spike your blood sugar as much. If you simply must have bread and pasta, choose products made from whole grains. But a word of warning: If you are overweight or diabetic, it's best to avoid ALL grains.

If you currently eat a lot of sweets, sugar-added drinks, bread, and pasta, cutting out these foods will not be easy. They put your emotions and your metabolism on an up-and-down rollercoaster that is similar in many ways to the effect of an addictive drug. But after a few weeks or a month, you'll feel like a new person. The pounds will slip away, your hunger will become more regular and less pronounced, and you will undoubtedly notice an improvement in your energy levels, concentration, and mood.

If you haven't done so already, I urge you to make this change in your diet. You'll be glad you did.

God Bless,
Steve