• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

ANH latest dietary advice

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
That was an interesting article. To focus on one point, I find it infuriating that so many of us were brainwashed by the medical advice to shun eating fat and favor carbs, instead, to lose weight and help our hearts. As I remember in the U.S., this shockingly bad advice started in the 80s.

I bought it hook, line, and sinker. I threw away egg yolks because they had fat and ate things like preservative-ridden, sugary, low-fat cookies. Sugar was fine: It wasn't fat, after all, so it was blessed by doctors and dieticians. It was almost as though low-fat eating became conflated with moral virtue.

It wasn't until I started reading Diana Schwarzbein that I figured out a healthier way to eat. I don't agree with everything she promotes, but the idea of eating balanced meals with plenty of protein; healthy fats, including saturated fat; lots of non-starchy vegetables; and measured amounts of good carbs such as sweet potatoes and avocados has made me feel so much better than the low-fat, high-carb diet so heavily promoted for decades.

I think it did untold harm, and it's so frustrating that it was based on a few flawed studies.

One of my doctors met Dr. Schwarzbein at a conference. She's an endocrinologist who used to spread the same harmful dietary advice that was so widely accepted. Seeing that her patients who followed these guidelines got sicker and sicker made her reevaluate the core wisdom.

I still struggle with carbs sometimes. Why must they be so tasty? My favorites are things like popcorn, pizza, and potato chips with dip. I do indulge occasionally, but am much happier when I'm eating healthy.

Corn is a hard one for me because here in TX, Mexican food is king. I could easily eat my weight in tortilla chips and salsa. They are both wonderful here. However, every time I eat corn, I gain weight, so that's a good motivation for only eating it occasionally.

Actually, barbeque is king here, too, but I don't like it. I don't say that aloud in TX, though, because the few times I did, there was definite a chill in the air. I also don't like fried chicken and iced tea, but don't talk about that when I'm in Mississippi or Louisiana.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
That was an interesting article. To focus on one point, I find it infuriating that so many of us were brainwashed by the medical advice to shun eating fat and favor carbs, instead, to lose weight and help our hearts. As I remember in the U.S., this shockingly bad advice started in the 80s.

I bought it hook, line, and sinker. I threw away egg yolks because they had fat and ate things like preservative-ridden, sugary, low-fat cookies. Sugar was fine: It wasn't fat, after all, so it was blessed by doctors and dieticians. It was almost as though low-fat eating became conflated with moral virtue.

It wasn't until I started reading Diana Schwarzbein that I figured out a healthier way to eat. I don't agree with everything she promotes, but the idea of eating balanced meals with plenty of protein; healthy fats, including saturated fat; lots of non-starchy vegetables; and measured amounts of good carbs such as sweet potatoes and avocados has made me feel so much better than the low-fat, high-carb diet so heavily promoted for decades.

I think it did untold harm, and it's so frustrating that it was based on a few flawed studies.

One of my doctors met Dr. Schwarzbein at a conference. She's an endocrinologist who used to spread the same harmful dietary advice that was so widely accepted. Seeing that her patients who followed these guidelines got sicker and sicker made her reevaluate the core wisdom.

I still struggle with carbs sometimes. Why must they be so tasty? My favorites are things like popcorn, pizza, and potato chips with dip. I do indulge occasionally, but am much happier when I'm eating healthy.

Corn is a hard one for me because here in TX, Mexican food is king. I could easily eat my weight in tortilla chips and salsa. They are both wonderful here. However, every time I eat corn, I gain weight, so that's a good motivation for only eating it occasionally.

Actually, barbeque is king here, too, but I don't like it. I don't say that aloud in TX, though, because the few times I did, there was definite a chill in the air. I also don't like fried chicken and iced tea, but don't talk about that when I'm in Mississippi or Louisiana.

I bought the low-fat crap too - back in the 70s, I think. My diet as a child was carb-heavy too. I also bought the 'saturated fat bad, polyunsaturates, including omega-6 :eek: good' crap.

I only learned of my errors in the last few years. All those years causing myself damage. Mind you, I wasn't exactly a clean-living person, but I had thought that at least my diet was healthy - how wrong I was.

I think I'm OK with corn in moderation - but am intolerant of gluten. When I went gluten-free I was searching hard for things I could eat, and assumed that traditional-type South American/Central American food would be fine, and was pleased to see it in UK supermarkets. Or so I thought. Despite the traditional-sounding brand name of 'Old El Paso', and traditional-looking packaging, the stuff is made with WHEAT. o_O
 

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
Something I didn't understand about fat in those years is how important it is for satiety. With low-fat eating, I'd consume mass quantities just to get full. Luckily, in those days, I stayed rail thin no matter what I ate. (In my area, we call that being a string bean.)

I enjoy fat so much. Things like eggs scrambled in coconut oil or Irish butter are so satisfying. I also love to make pureed soups such as cauliflower or sweet potato and finish them with a dollop of creme fraiche.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Something I didn't understand about fat in those years is how important it is for satiety. With low-fat eating, I'd consume mass quantities just to get full. Luckily, in those days, I stayed rail thin no matter what I ate. (In my area, we call that being a string bean.)

I enjoy fat so much. Things like eggs scrambled in coconut oil or Irish butter are so satisfying. I also love to make pureed soups such as cauliflower or sweet potato and finish them with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Yes - I found it so easy to lose excess fat when I reduced carbs and increased fat - no hunger! At various times in my life I have fluctuated between putting on weight easily and staying thin despite eating lots, and drinking a lot of alcohol. My male friends used to marvel at how much I could eat and drink!

At other times I have been constantly hungry and unable to keep the weight off. It wasn't helped by being unhappy and lacking in confidence - I did a lot of comfort-eating.