New Research Proves Obesity is Related to…

The Humble Crockpot
The crockpot is a ‘set it and forget it’ cooking tool. In fact, when placed on the “high” setting, food is often cooked overnight, and ready the next morning.

Excess Food Consumption.

Big surprise, eh?

Yeah.

NOT!

Seriously, there is only ONE time-tested way to lose weight.

It has two, very simple steps.

They are:

1.) Eat Less, and;

2.) Exercise More.

Or if you prefer, Step #1 can also be considered a form of exercise – Push Aways.

Push Away from the table.

Now that we have the levity out of the way… let’s look at the news.

Some have promoted various forms of diet as an adjunct to weight loss. Many of the more successful models have revolved around variations upon a theme, that being increased protein intake in conjunction with decreased carbohydrate intake, also more popularly known as the “Atkins Diet.”

To give Dr. Atkins his due, dietary researchers, dieticians, clinicians and other health and health-related professionals have known for quite some time that diabetics who maintain watchful eye over their dietary intake are allowed to eat more protein without too much concern. That is, on most, if not all of the so-called “diabetic diets,” calories are not the primary item of concern. But rather, carbohydrates and starches (a form of carbohydrate) are the enemy of blood sugar to diabetics. Those items are in the form of simple or highly refined sugars, which are often found in breads, rice, cookies and other grains and baked goods, including potatoes, and a few other vegetables, such as corn. And to clarify, some mistakenly categorize beans as protein, when they are exceedingly carbohydrate. The protein:carbohydrate ratio tells the story. The bean with the highest protein content is the soy bean.

The body needs protein precisely for repair, regeneration, and for muscle building. One need only examine the clinical diet used for hospitalized patients whom may be healing from various wounds – they are given increased protein intake. As well, athletes of all types, and particularly body builder/weight lifter types have known for many years that protein is an integral part of their training. The athlete’s “training table” is high calorie, but it’s equally high protein.

Again, carbohydrate counting is of primary concern to diabetics, because their bodies do not have the ability to properly regulate blood glucose levels with the hormone insulin. Non-diabetics bodies do properly regulate blood glucose levels. Thus, “spiking,” or the sudden elevation of blood glucose levels, rarely occurs with non-diabetics, no matter the food eaten.

To illustrate the example, years ago in the early 1920’s, the late Russel Wilder of the Mayo Clinic developed a diet high in fat and protein, and low in carbohydrate, specifically to manage the symptoms of children suffering from intractable seizure disorder. That was before the development of medications to treat such disorders. However, there are still cases today in which medications remain ineffective. In those cases, the Ketogenic Diet – sometimes also called the Stanford Keto Kid Diet – has demonstrated efficacy (usefulness) in ameliorating symptoms.

We know also that diabetes in an unregulated state produces a state of metabolic being called ketosis, which is the elimination of ketone bodies in the urine. It’s typically a hallmark and characteristic of uncontrolled diabetes. Left untreated, it can develop into ketoacidosis.

However, when the normal, non-diabetic body does not receive enough dietary carbohydrate intake, the same condition occurs – ketosis. The reason why, is that carbohydrates are the body’s first source of energy, because they’re able to be metabolized much more rapidly than either proteins or fats. So, when the body only receives proteins and fats in dietary intake, the body turns to stored fats as a source of energy. That is called lipolysis, the Greek work for the destruction or beakdown (catabolism) of fats into energy. The brain is the organ which can rapidly be seriously damaged by a lack of glucose – as well as the heart – thereby affecting every body entire system. But again however, while low glucose levels can become a health emergency in the diabetic, in the healthy individual, ketone bodies are able to be utilized by the brain and heart as a source of energy.

Now that we’ve taken that side-track… let’s again move toward this news item.

Recently, researchers from the U.S., Tanzania, and the U.K. embarked upon a study to examine obesity. Their comparative study examined Westerners and the Hadza tribe of people, who reside in northern Tanzania, and still maintain a hunter gatherer existence. The approximately 1,000 member tribe still hunts animals using only bows and arrows or spears, walks about to forage for berries, roots and fruit using small axes, and sticks to dig. They do not use modern tools or guns.

Those with some passing familiarity with various dietary regimens will immediately recognize the basis of the so-called “Paleo Diet.” Also known as the “Paleolithic  Diet,” it is one of the numerous faddish variations upon the high-protein/low-carbohyrate theme which is the Atkins Diet.

What makes this research fascinating is that the findings showed the Western subjects and the Hadza subjects both had the same metabolic rate… but the Hadza subjects were not obese.

Even when activity levels were accounted for and considered, it was found that the key ingredient – that is, the primary reason Westerners were obese was because….

THEY ATE TOO MUCH!

Duh!

Some may also recollect the so-called “French Paradox,” which is the question ‘Why do the French eat high-fat, full-calorie foods and not get fat, or have heart disease?’

Number one, portion control.

Number two, if it’s worth eating (which bespeaks quality, not quantity – recall the American “100 calorie” cookie packs which encourages volume, not quality), it’s worth sitting down to enjoy it in a civil and humane fashion.

The research – “Hunter-Gatherer Energetics and Human Obesity” – may be found at the link.

The news item – “Hunter gatherer clue to obesity” – is here.

With that being said…

Cooking and eating at home has, for centuries, been a way, means and method for people to socialize, and build friendships and relationships, which first begins in the family. When we abandon that time-tested and successful model, we do so to our social and physiological detriment.

Here are some cooking blogs which I highly recommend:

Budget Cooking Blog, by Dan McCullough – Easy, Delicious and Inexpensive Recipes and Cost Cutting Tips from a Professional Chef.
– On Twitter as @danmc929 – Dan McCullough is an award-winning journalist and a classically trained chef. He lives with his wife and two dogs on the South Side of Chicago.

Milk and Honey, by Jennifer Rodda – I love food and I love to cook. I live in Victoria, Australia with my husband and our two young boys. They are the people who inspire me to cook the food you see and read about here. I don’t claim to be an expert on anything. I’m an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who still has lots of things to learn. But I have an irresistible urge to share my love of food, and that includes photographing everything I cook and bake. There’s nothing for it, I’m a hopeless case.
– On Flickr as MilkAndHoney2012
– On Twitter as @milk_honey – I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat… almost.

The Kitchen Finesse, by Veronika Studer – Veronika grew up in the Western part of Hungary. Since her early childhood she had a great interest in fine-arts. She fell in love with photography, more specifically with food photography a few years ago. She combines her two great passions in her work, food preparation and photographing.
– On Flickr as StuderV
– On Twitter as @finessekitchen – Freelance food, still life photographer, new born Mom, an eternal optimist, an enthusiastic cook and a blogger just to mention a few.

Bon apetit!

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