Dr. Kantor recently cleared up common misconceptions about fat, carbs and nutrition labels for the Chicago Tribune.
Eating fat makes you fat, and saturated fat clogs your arteries.
Contrary to mainstream media and some health professionals beliefs, there’s not a strong amount of fundamental evidence that saturated fat or cholesterol is to blame for heart disease or obesity rates that we’ve seen rise over the past few decades. In fact, there have been a number of well-controlled studies pitting lower-fat against lower-carb and higher fat diets that prove to not only better health outcomes and chronic disease management (e.g. improved blood lipid profiles, reduced waist circumference, reduced blood sugar fluctuations, and improved blood pressure but better overall body fat loss from consuming higher dietary fat daily.
Eating a diet full of processed fats in conjunction with processed carbohydrates will NOT promote weight loss, it will in fact cause excessive weight gain and increase ones risk of developing chronic diseases and symptoms of those diseases.
Source- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19364995
Cutting back on carbs is just a fad.
Fads are typically novelties that wear off quickly. In the nutrition world fads come and go, the ones that fade are typically not backed up by scientific research or long term results. The first “low-carb” diet guidelines and interventions were actually published in 1863, and some form of carbohydrate restriction has been used within medical dietary intervention or consumer strategy ever since.
Reducing carbohydrates, in the form of sugar is the defining layer of almost every popular diet book. Every time you’re instructed to reduce sugar consumption and increase fiber consumption in the form of vegetables – as in the new Weight Watchers program, South Beach Diet, Mediterranean Diet, American Diabetes Association Diet, American Heart Association Diet or DASH Diet (to name a few) – you’re most likely following a lower or reduced carbohydrate dietary lifestyle by default. Reducing carbohydrates to improve blood sugar regulation and manage a chronic disease (in comparison to a traditional American Diet) is a foundational strategy, certainly not a fad. Excessive carbohydrate consumption daily will cause fluctuations in insulin levels reducing one’s ability burn fat causing weight gain over time.
Believing everything you read on a food package.
The healthiest foods at the supermarket, fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry do not have health claims on the package, in fact they may not even be found in a package. Filling your cart with products plugging any number of health benefits/claims, including low in sugar, low in carbohydrates, low in fat, gluten-free, heart healthy, contains whole grains, 100% juice, contains one serving of vegetables, cholesterol-free, etc. Most of these products, are anything but healthy, since they’re typically processed foods, a gluten free, high fructose corn syrup free cookie is still a cookie and still processed.
The best foods are those that never advertise health claims – fresh vegetables, some fruit, meat, fish, poultry, hard cheese, nuts, seeds, water, coffee, and tea. It is common sense, these are the most nutritious, highest-quality foods you’ll find at the store. If a catchy box with witty slogans try to tell you it’s healthy, for the most part, leave it on the shelf. Companies have million dollar marketing budgets for reasons other than your health and well-being.
This is a preview to an article that will be featured in the Chicago Tribune. Check back for the full article.
Dr. Kantor’s greatly anticipated new children’s book, The Green Box League of Nutritious Justice, is now available. Be sure to order this highly reviewed book, filled with healthy living tips for the whole family. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.