Each year I get an increased number of calls in January, February, and March from those who, when questioned, noticed the onset of their symptoms develop shortly after "overdoing it" during one or more of the prime holiday celebrations from Oct 31 forward.
Sugar, alcohol, nuts, chips, canola oil (in most prepackaged sauces), fried foods (rancid fats or trans fats), along with the combination of sweets and fats (desserts) are prime causes of this decline in health during holiday celebrations.
I have listened to symptoms caused by "a good healthy diet" almost every day from thousands of clients now, so the following insights are coming from my clients, my research, and my own journey through the carnivorous stage, and several other dietary fads over the last 45 years of a quest for greater levels of health.
The solution requires an understanding of the beneficial roles of both sugars and fats in the body, and how much you really need of each to create an ideal state of health.
Moderation in all things is central to success.
The remaining answers, and the following science, will certainly surprise those who are new to this information.
Hard to digest foods like flesh foods, dairy, eggs, along with nuts and seeds, as well as their nut and seed butters, especially when consumed in volume, place additional burdens on the digestive powers of the body with their constipating and acid-promoting properties, thus increasing the chances of developing a "cleansing crisis" (also known as a "cold or flu").
In short, when the passage of food from the body gets backed up, toxins and pathogens increase. What we typically call "pathogens" are simply the natural response of the body to eliminate excesses, undigested food, along with chemical and metal toxins.
The body tries to eliminate these threats to your health through a cleansing crisis – mucus buildup, sinus congestion, lung congestion, increased snoring, swollen lymph glands, possible diarrhea, inflamed joints, skin rashes or dryness, fatigue, brain fog, shingles, etc.
Lethargy is simply the way the body gets you to slow down so as to conserve energy for detoxification, digestion, and healing.
When the above high fat foods are consumed with sweets (like jam or dessert), the health problems are further compounded due to this food combining mistake.
The common food and drink choices associated with holiday celebrations epitomize the struggle we face in the dietary world between sugars and fats.
The primary effect of typical food combinations of 1) flesh foods, dairy fats, or liquid oils with 2) simple sugars (concentrated sweeteners), result in a series of alternating highs and lows in blood sugar levels for several hours following these snacks or meals.
Blood sugar dysregulation is a primary contributing influence behind physical health complaints and mood disorders.
What causes this dysregulation? Certain foods and food combining practices that have an effect on glucose assimilation at the cellular level.
An overload of fatty acids within the cells themselves are at the center of this dysregulation event.
The primary cause of blood sugar imbalance is the saturation of muscle and organ cells with an excess of lipids. (Lipids are various forms of fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.)
An excess of lipids then prevent the proper utilization of carb-related glucose for normal energy production within the cells (glucose fuels the process that makes ATP, the energy molecule). Even fats have to be converted to glucose to be utilized by the cells.
Here is a brief 5 minute video that portrays exactly how excessive fats/oils in the diet interfere with sugar assimilation at the cellular level:
On the other hand, the consumption of complex vegetable carbs increases insulin sensitivity which helps to regulate sugar levels naturally over time.
In studies performed as early as the 1930s, scientists have noted a connection between diet and insulin intolerance. In one study, healthy young men were split into two groups. Half of the participants were put on a fat-rich diet, and the other half were put on a carb-rich diet. The high-fat group ate olive oil, butter, mayonnaise, and cream. The high-carb group ate pastries, sugar, candy, bread, baked potatoes, syrup, rice, and oatmeal.
Within two days, tests showed that the glucose intolerance had skyrocketed in the group eating the high-fat diet. This group had twice the blood sugar levels than the high-carb group. The test results showed that the higher the fat content of the diet, the higher the blood sugar levels would be.
The primary reason for this conflict is due to the way the combination of fats and sugars promotes insulin resistance naturally followed by fungal/yeast/bacterial overgrowth designed to reduce or process this buildup of excessive sugar and lipids in the blood and digestive tract.
The purpose of these pathogens is, in part, to eat down the excessive levels of sugar and fat in the blood, liver, and bowels.
Physical discomforts, colds and flus, inflammation, and numerous other conditions become possible as a result of this series of metabolic events in the blood, the intestines, the organs of detoxification (liver, lymph, spleen, kidneys, bladder, lungs, skin), and at the cellular level.
We have.
This fundamental physiological fact is the primary reason for the popularity of Paleo & Keto Diets, Dr. Graham's 80-10-10 Program, Dr. McDougall's high carb/low fat approach, the Medical Medium's high fruit/low fat program, and others like them.
Not that I agree entirely with all of them, but these diets exist due to the conflict between sweets and fats when sweets are consumed, especially in quantity, or in close enough proximity, prior to the complete removal of undigested fats in the bloodstream and in the cells.
Complex carbs (starchy carbs) combined with fats are proven safer and more easily tolerated by the body than simple carbs and fats together (with a few exceptions, and always in moderation). Yet, fats are essential to ideal levels of health.
So your choice is to either limit carbs (keto) or limit fats (low fat diet) in order to preserve your health—yet each extreme approach can have unforeseen side effects if a proper balance is not discovered, and a few surprising restrictions implemented.
Each one of the above dietary programs do work as advertised. Numerous studies document the benefits of each one in the short term. Yet, each one also has drawbacks that cause additional side effects not mentioned by these studies.
Thus, the main reason for publishing this article.
At the same time, it is important to note that moderation and common sense, not complete abstinence, is critical to observe.
Nature has placed both fats and sugars within vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and beans. So there is a way to combine starches with fats if moderation is observed, but it will be better to consume whole food sources (avocados, olives, whole seeds, etc.) rather than their concentrated oils, unless deliberate moderation is observed.
In this way you will be far less likely to overstep your bounds in the consumption of more fat or sugar than your body really needs.
Under normal conditions, sugar in the blood is not only good, it is absolutely essential to good health, brain power, and a long life.
Sugar, as glucose, is essential to the development of ATP, the energy molecule, for the cells of your body. This is your most immediate source of energy. Glucose can be derived from fruits, starches, and fatty acids alike.
Glucose is also the energy-rich product of plant photosynthesis, "a universal food for life." It is the primary form in which your bloodstream delivers energy to every cell in your body.
Plant-based chlorophyll in sea vegetables and garden vegetables, herbs, and superfoods is central to the creation of energy in the form of glucose for the brain, muscles, and cellular activity.
Glucose is the primary source of energy for cellular respiration. Its breakdown through glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain ultimately leads to the production of ATP molecules that provide energy for physical movement, brain action, and cellular activity.
Your muscles run on glucose, as does your brain. ATP is commonly referred to as the "energy currency" of the cell.
Glucose levels are intimately tied to brain functions such as thinking, learning, and memory. Glucose is the brain's main source of fuel.
Muscle cells and organ cells use glucose, along with amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and fats, for energy.
Nerve cells and neurotransmitters need glucose to help them process information.
Your liver stores glucose in the form of glycogen to be converted into glucose when the glucose stores are used up, like between meals, at night while you are asleep, and during intense workouts.
Animal fats, nut and seed fats, liquid oils, and the natural fats in fruits and vegetables can also be converted to glucose, given the right dietary circumstances—and proper bile production (required to pre-digest the fats before entering the bloodstream). Moderation, however, is essential with fats in general to prevent pathogen overgrowth.
Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in grains and starchy vegetables take longer to digest than simple sugars, providing steadier blood sugar levels and sustained energy.
Sugar concentrates, on the other hand, especially in combination with oils and fats, lead to several serious health problems including:
The over-production of pancreatic and adrenal hormones in an effort to balance the sugar surges produced by concentrated sweeteners such as granulated cane and coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, concentrated versions of stevia extract—white powder and liquid drops, licorice liquid extract, and the alcohol extracts xylitol and erythritol (which are know to increase cardiovascular events), etc.).
Artificial sweeteners of all kinds contain chemical toxins that cause the very problems they are advertised to prevent, plus a number of additional serious health complaints.
Sugar concentrates (along with caffeine and alcohol) also diminish essential spleen functions necessary for energy, immune response, mucus reduction, bile production, proper iron levels, nutrient assimilation, and numerous other functions within the body.
The health problems from this excess of sugar is then made even worse when a high fat meal causes undigested fat to enter the bloodstream, then fills the organ and muscles cells with lipids, which in-turn prevent proper assimilation of sugars.
Sugar is easily derived from starches, vegetables, fruits, and grains. Sweet potatoes are a prime example (though an excess of sweet potatoes will also act like a concentrated sugar). As long as the fibers are consumed with these as well (as Nature designed them) there are fewer limits on the amounts of these foods that can be consumed.
The actual limits are based on how much isolated fats or oils are being consumed on a regular basis, since an excess of lipids will interfere with the quantity of sugar that can be assimilated at the cellular level.
The more fat you have consumed, the less sugar your body will be able to tolerate.
Once a sweet vegetable, like a carrot, or a fruit of any kind (except a lemon or lime) is juiced, it then becomes a sugar concentrate and can present the same kind of challenge as any granulated or liquid sugar concentrate.
The more fat you have in your diet, even fruits will have to be reduced, eliminated, or separated by a distance of hours from fats so as to prevent a sugar metabolism conflict.
In the vegetarian world, even the consumption of more than just a few nuts, seeds, their butters, a small number of avocados, durians, and liquid oils can easily push you over the threshold of tolerance.
Inflammation, fuzzy brain, cold extremities, gas, bloat, and chronic fatigue are common side effects of the vegetarian/vegan high fat diets, largely due to the quantity of fruits consumed with nuts.
All of this will be explained in more detail as we cover more of the true benefits of fats in the diet, and the health problems caused by their excess.
In addition to dietary modifications, corrective measures include herbs that:
help reduce sugar cravings
Improve insulin sensitivity
activate pancreatic digestive enzyme production
improve stomach acids
increase bile flow to improve the emulsification of fats
regulate blood sugar levels naturally
Key formulas for this are:
Beneficial sweeteners with health benefits when consumed in moderation:
Ceylon Cinnamon (not the common Cassia versions)
Unconcentrated raw cane sugar juice from non-GMO sugar cane
Unconcentrated raw maple syrup directly from the tree tap
In addition to herbal support to restore balance within, moderation in the consumption of both sugars and fats is the key.
Why? Because both sugars and fats are essential to high levels of health, yet health can only be maintained through moderation and balance.
"Fats" are a short way of referring to the entire class of lipids, which include a wide variation of molecules that generally do not mix in water (hydrophobic), with the exception of phospholipids (which help blend oil and water without separation).
All lipids are composed of fatty acids (like omega 3, 6, 9, etc.). These lipids are easily obtainable from fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, rice, and other grains.
Animal flesh, dairy, eggs, and nut sources of these lipids also exist, yet they come with a price if consumed in volume, especially if the body is already prone to be acidic—thus limiting the amount of fats that can be predigested with bile fluids.
The three main types of lipids include:
Triglycerides that form your basic cellulite and support energy production
Phospholipids that form the structural membranes of cells
Steroids that form the foundation of cholesterol-based hormones
Triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids clearly provide several important functions that are foundational to high levels of health.
Fats in the diet need to supply the lipids required to perform the following functions, among others, yet not exceed this amount in order to avoid the problematic loading of cells with an excess of lipids, as discussed previously.
Here are 10 benefits of placing a moderate level of fats in the diet:
Triglycerides are the most common lipids in human biology. Within this group is found a subgroup called "fats" (stored in fat cells) and another called "cholesterol".
Cholesterol and other triglycerides are formed by your liver as a by-product of the breakdown of vegetable and animal fats.
Cholesterol is essential in the making of vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Triglycerides can also be converted to glucose. When glucose stores are depleted, triglycerides are broken down by the body into fatty acids and glycerol. Glycerol is then converted into glucose for brain and cellular energy purposes. (This is the foundational mechanism of the Keto Diet – getting glucose from fats.)
Steroids are a family of hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, etc.). Cholesterol is the primary component of steroidal hormones. Steroids are made by the liver, adrenals, and reproductive glands.
Cholesterol is also a component of bile fluids produced by the liver to predigest your fats and oils leaving the stomach.
Phospholipids form the major structural component within a cell membrane and are involved in the delivery of fats, sugars, minerals, and nutrients through the cell wall. One side of a phospholipid molecule repels water, and the other side welcomes water-soluble nutrients.
This property of phospholipids allows oils to emulsify (blend) into water rather than separate into layers. Lecithin is an example of a phospholipid. Eggs contain phospholipids, as do most seeds. each of these can be utilized to blend water and oil.
Phospholipids are also used by the body to lubricate the lungs and joints.
Phospholipids act like a gatekeeper to protect the cell from excesses of glucose, sodium, potassium, etc., yet easily pass lipids, like fatty acids, through the cell wall.
Herein lies the difficulty when it comes to consuming large volumes of fatty foods in the diet.
Ingested in proper quantities lipids work miracles within the body.
We can all appreciate that. However, when fatty foods are consumed in excess, especially in combination with an excess of sugars, they can :
over-fill the cells with lipids and thereby interfere with the normal amount of glucose entering the cells, in an effort to provide energy (resulting in insulin resistance)
overburden the liver with the need to convert the excess fat or store it
dilute liver bile (needed to break down fats and oils) by stimulating a constant need for bile, preventing its concentration in the gallbladder (a normal concentration is 5-20 times its original strength from the liver)
Increase gas and bloating (a sign of a food combining mistake)
diminish blood circulation (due to the thick undigested fat in the blood making it difficult for blood to pass through the capillaries)
prompt insulin excesses needed to store the high volume of fats, thus wearing down the pancreas.
This biological fact is the true underlying cause of diabetes and numerous other health problems.
The key is moderation.
The answer is to consume both sugars and fats in proportion to your body's true needs.
The more active one is, the more sugar and fat one is able to tolerate before causing health problems, since these will be burned up during exercise.
The less active, like the typical office worker at a desk job, or convalescent recovering from illness, will require less.
How will you know what is the right balance for you?
By first learning what the symptoms are of both fat and sugar excesses, then raise or lower your intake, while observing wise food combining practices, to the level that eliminates or prevents the potential dangers to your health.
As a general rule of thumb, the indigenous cultures with the lowest incidence of chronic health conditions (typically zero) include no more than 10-15% of fat by calories in their diet.
Since fruits, vegetables, and grains contain an average of 0.5% fat and fatty acids by weight, this leaves room for fat from other dietary sources, like seeds, nuts, avocado, and oils.
However, just how much of these higher fat foods can be consumed without flooding the cells with excess fats (which would then set the stage for a variety health problems characteristic of today's industrial world)?
The following guides will help provide a general overview.
The Recommended Daily Intake of calories is 2,000 to 2500 calories per day, which would vary based on one's size. I will use 2400 to help make the following numbers easier to understand.
5% of daily calories from fat will come to about 120 calories.
10% of daily calories from fat will come to about 240 calories.
15% of daily calories from fat will come to about 360 calories.
Clearly we will not be deriving all of our fat requirements from a single food or food group. Vegetables and fruit are light in fats, while nuts, seeds, avocados, dairy, fish, and meat are obviously more dense in fats.
The important thing to keep in mind, is to balance your fats with your carbs and prevent your cells from being overloaded with the fats.
For comparison's sake, one tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil or other pure oils is typically 120 calories from 14 grams of fat.
An oil is 100% fat, therefore 5% of daily calories will come to about 14 grams (which is about about 1 tablespoon/15 ml) of the oil.
Most fruits and vegetables are less than 0.5% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in vegetables (apart from olives, avocados, and durians) will come to about 2800 grams (about 6 lbs.), less any oils used in preparation.
For this reason, a balanced diet will include more than just low fat fruits and vegetables.
Avocados, olives, durians, seeds, and nuts can easily fill in any gaps for the vegetarians, with a few considerations.
Carnivores and dairy consumers will need to watch the volume of fats in their diets compared to the fruits, starches, and sugars due to the food combining conflicts already discussed.
Moderation and balance are key.
Avocados will average 15% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in an avocado will come to about 90 grams (about 3 ounces) of an avocado. This equates to about 1/3 of a medium sized avocado. Therefore, a whole medium sized avocado will provide the full 15% of calories from fat considered to be a maximum on an average based on this model.
Olives will average 1.5% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in olives will come to about 935 grams (about 2 lbs.) of olives. Clearly not necessary in volume, but added to salads and meals they provide valuable benefits.
Durians will average 5% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in a durian will come to about 280 grams (about 10 ounces) of a durian.
Nuts will range from 51% (pistachios) to 88% (macadamia) fat by weight, with an average of 70%, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in nuts or seeds will come to about 20 grams (about 0.7 ounce) of whole nuts. This is about 10-15 cashews, for example. (This is one reason why it is too easy to go overboard with nuts. Can you really just eat "a few nuts?" The second reason is in the note below.)
Seeds like flax, sesame, hemp, and chia will average 40% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in seeds will come to about 35 grams (1.25 ounces) of whole seeds. This is about one rounded tablespoon (22 ml) of chia or flax.
Keep this in mind if you are adding 1 tablespoon of several different kinds of seeds to your morning green drink.
Note: Because nuts and seeds contain L-arginine (which is a known pathogen feeder) you will want to minimize their intake, so as to prevent herpes, shingles, and EBV outbreaks.
Moderation in the consumption of nuts and seeds is important for high levels of health to be maintained.
Eggs are about 8% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in eggs will come to about 175 grams (about 3 eggs) plus any oils used to cook the egg in.
Cheese (preferably raw cheese, since pasteurized dairy lacks the beneficial enzymes and probiotics necessary to properly digest the dairy and contributes to a weaker immune system and many health problems) ranges from 21 to 33% fat by weight, with an average of 25%, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in cheese will come to about 56 grams (about 2 ounces) of cheese.
Butter (preferably raw butter) is about 86% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in butter will come to about 16 grams (a little more than a tablespoon).
Whole Milk (preferably raw milk) is about 3% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in whole milk will come to about 400 grams (about 1.66 cups).
Plain Yogurt (preferably raw milk yogurt) is about 1.5% fat by weight, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in plain yogurt will come to about 560 grams (about 1.66 cups).
Whole Kefir (preferably from raw milk) is about 0.033% fat by weight (and loaded with far more beneficial bacteria than yogurt), therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in whole kefir will come to about 3,700 grams (about 150 cups). Evidently the Kefir probiotics digest most of the fat in milk as they multiply.
Fish ranges from 0.5 to 18% fat by weight, with an average of 5.5%, therefore 5% of daily calories from the fat in fish will come to about 250 grams (about 9 ounces) of fish.
Meats range from 2 to 33% fat by weight, with an average of 14%, therefore 5% of daily calories will come to about 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of meat.
In most cases, meat and dairy consumers are already past the proven safe level of 10-15% by calories (which translates to 2-3 tablespoons of actual fat or oil within a food source).
This reality explains the more rapid aging and increasing health complaints among the meat and dairy group as they age.
The same can be said of the vegetarians and vegans that consume a high fat veggie diet (commonly loaded with nuts).
One simple test to tell if your fat levels are too high, is to determine if you snore when you sleep or if you have sleep apnea. If so, this is commonly a sign that your body is struggling with the quantity of fats in your diet, which in turn is causing mucus congestion, or swollen sinuses, and diminished air passage.
My recommendations here are actually inspired by the three healthiest cultures in the world who have virtually no chronic conditions among their group.
Yet, a proper ratio may still vary from person to person based on lifestyle and body type, and will change over time. Listen to your body.
Now that you know some of the symptoms of lipid excess, you will more easily be able to draw a line under the right amount for your body, and leave the rest alone.
Corrective measures for the excess intake of both sweets and fats include herbs that:
help reduce sugar cravings
Improve insulin sensitivity
activate pancreatic digestive enzyme production
improve stomach acids
increase bile flow to improve the emulsification of fats
regulate blood sugar levels naturally
Key formulas for this are:
Many blessings of health and success.
Enjoy the many gifts from Nature.
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