Author Archives: Matt Poteet, Pharm.D.

About Matt Poteet, Pharm.D.

Matt Poteet graduated with a B.S. in Biological Science from Lee University in 1998, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University in Atlanta in 2004. Professionally he has been fortunate to hold positions on staff at two of the leading private, academic teaching hospitals in the southeast; Emory University in Atlanta and Vanderbilt University in Nashville.  - Read more about Matt Poteet, Pharm.D.  

Whole30 Meal Plan: Rules And Tips To A Successful 30 Days On The Whole30 Plan

June 27th, 2019
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Whole30 Meal Plan: Rules And Tips To A Successful 20 Days On The Whole30 Plan

The Whole30 diet is a diet created for healthy people, by healthy people. These individuals once found themselves exercising with no results. They were eating healthy but still had no energy and had other skin, digestive, and allergy issues as well. Now with the Whole30 diet they can truly eat healthy and see the results they deserve.

inflammatory foodsSome healthy foods such as grains, dairy, and legumes can have negative impacts on the body. The only way to actually get the results you want from your diet is by ridding your body of these foods completely. In 30 days, this meal plan will help you to eliminate all the blood-sugar disrupting, gut-damaging, inflammatory food groups from your body. After removing these foods from your diet your body can heal and recover from their various side effects. This helps individuals reset their bodies and reset their lives, and change their relationship with food completely.

How Does It Work?

One of the characteristics of the Whole30 diet that you won’t find with many other diets is you still get to eat food – real food. Keep in mind that the fewer ingredients the better. Or if a food has no additional ingredients because it is a whole food, add that to the keep pile. Individuals follow the rules of the Whole30 diet for 30 days. Their bodies, mindsets, and their relationship with food will be completely transformed after those 30 days.

Who Developed It And Why?

Co-founder Melisa Hartwig developed the Whole30 meal plan. The goal was to change individuals’ lives, specifically by changing the way they think about food. The Whole30 diet changes your tastebuds, cravings, and overall relationship with food. Thirty days on the diet rewires your mouth and your mindset to eat whole and healthy, permanently. Hartwig herself tried the diet, as well as millions of others. They can say with confidence that the Whole30 diet has permanent, life-changing effects.

What Results Should You Expect?

First and foremost, you should expect to eat good food every day, for 30 days. If you are strict to the diet for 30 days, without one bite of pizza, or lick of ice cream, the changes are permanent. You won’t face another uncontrollable craving or have another inner battle about which meal tastes better. Your tastebuds will transform over the course of 30 days.

whole foodsYou should not, however, expect to step on the scale or track body measurements every day. The main focus of the Whole30 plan is not weight loss, though weight loss will most likely occur. Rather, it is about increasing healthy eating habits and decreasing the amount of body fat a person gains. The Whole30 plan recommends taking your body weight before starting the program and after 30 days to see the overall impact eating Whole30 has on the body.

Foods To Avoid

At its foundation, the Whole30 program is an elimination diet. This means it is all about the foods individuals avoid. The diet is not about eating all organic, or local, or pasteurized, it is simply about avoiding the bad stuff – even if you didn’t know it was bad. These are the most important foods to avoid for 30 days.

  • Sugar, real or artificial: This includes maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, date syrup, stevia, Splenda, Equal, NutraSweet, xylitol, etc. It is important to read labels because sugar may be in products in ways you don’t immediately recognize.
  • Alcohol: This means any alcohol, including cooking wine and other cooking alcohols. In addition, you should avoid tobacco.
  • Grains: This means all grains including wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. You should also avoid adding wheat, corn, and rice into foods in the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on. If you are unsure, read the label.
  • Legumes: Also known as beans, you should avoid black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. That means peanut butter too. This rule also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and any way that that soy may have snuck into prepared food as an ingredient (like lecithin).
  • Dairy: If it comes from a cow, don’t eat/drink it – or if it comes from a goat or sheep either. This includes milk products, like milk, cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, or frozen yogurt.
  • Carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites: When these ingredients appear in any form on the label of processed foods or beverages, it is not acceptable for the Whole30.
  • Baked goods, junk food, or treats: This rule can be tricky. Some specific foods that fall under this rule include: pancakes, waffles, bread, tortillas, biscuits, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pizza crust, alternative flour pastas, cereal, or ice cream. Avoid commercially-prepared chips (potato, tortilla, plantain, etc.) and french fries as well. The issue with buying or baking these treats, even with compliant ingredients, is they totally miss the point of Whole30. In the end even a pancake made with coconut flour will compromise your life-changing eating habits. A good rule of thumb is ‘when in doubt, leave it out.’

The Exceptions

Of course, like any good diet, there are exceptions. These foods are acceptable in the Whole30 program, even if other diets have identified them as ‘unhealthy.’

  • Ghee or clarified butter: Ghee is the only source of dairy you’ll get with Whole30. This does not include plain old butter, which has milk proteins that could impact the results of your program.
  • Fruit juice: If products or recipes include fruit juice as a stand-alone ingredient or natural sweetener, this is fine for the purposes of the Whole30.
  • Certain legumes: Maybe not all legumes are bad for you, especially ones that are green and have more pod than bean. Whole30 allows green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas.
  • Vinegar: Whole30 program allows almost all forms of vinegar, including white, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, and rice. However, you should avoid malt vinegar which, contains gluten.
  • Coconut aminos: All brands of coconut aminos are acceptable. This includes products with the words “coconut nectar” or “coconut syrup” in their ingredient list.
  • Salt: All iodized table salt contains sugar, which makes it difficult to stick to the no sugar rule. Since most restaurants and pre-packaged foods contain salt, this is the exception to the no sugar rule.

All it takes is 30 days. At first glance, these lists may seem like a significant change, but in the end, it’s what’s good for you.

Tough Love And Mantra Of The Whole30 Program

Black Coffee

For individuals stepping into the Whole30 program, they may not be able to speak with Hartwig herself, but this is her and the Whole30 program mantra: “This is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.” This tough love stance is what it takes to form new habits and change a life. Anyone can do it.

A Typical Day Of Eating On The Whole30 Diet

Eating on the Whole30 Diet is more enjoyable than most people think. A typical day of eating may include one or two Whole30 meal plans. With the Plan A meal, every recipe is 100 percent compliant, with a wide variety of different fat, protein, and carbohydrate sources to choose from. You will eat Plan B meals after your initial 30 days is up. You will continue eating real, nutrient dense foods but begin experimenting with reintroducing some foods during this time period.

Each meal plan has decadent meal options, here’s what a typical day of eating the Whole30 diet may include:

Breakfast

  • (Plan A) Green Shakshuka with shaved Brussels sprouts
  • (Plan B) Smoked Salmon Breakfast Stacks, Skillet Roasted Breakfast Veggies, One Pan Chicken Apple Squash, Brussels, Bacon, & Chicken Skillet with Ranch
  • Paleo Pizza Potato Skins

Lunch

  • (Plan A) Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
  • (Plan B) Cauliflower Rice Meatballs, Creamy Coconut Milk Meatballs, Halibut Nicosia Salad, Mango Chicken with Cauliflower Rice, Sweet Potato Noodles with Beef Bolognese

Dinner

  • (Plan A) Crispy to the Root Chicken Thighs
  • (Plan B) Paleo Sloppy Joes, Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles, Lamb Burgers with Rosemary Pesto Sauce, Easy Whole30 Chili

Meal Prep

On the Whole30 diet, being successful can mean the difference between being prepared or not. A well-written shopping list and preparing food for the third week are two helpful tips for staying on track. A Whole30 shopping list should contain proteins, veggies, pantry staples, nuts, seeds, and oils. When it comes to preparing food it is best to write out the menu for each meal, each day. These simple preparation tips make failure seem impossible.

Support

Another way to succeed on the Whole30 diet is with all the support possible. As with any diet or exercise system, the buddy system makes the hardest goals seem attainable. With the Whole30 diet, try getting friends and family members on board. This diet is beneficial for everyone, not just those who want to diet and lose weight.

The Whole30 is about improving the entire lifestyle to live a more healthful life, everyone needs a little of that. With a few diet buddies on board, you can share meal plans and share success stories. Even without buddies on board, share success stories across social media, with others, spread the word about accomplishments and it helps make the journey seem shorter and more worthwhile.

Whole30 Diet Yes No

 

Whole30 Vs. Paleo

Many individuals have never heard of the Whole30 diet, but they have heard of Paleo. The two diets are very similar, but there are several important differences. The idea behind the Paleo diet is to eat as our Paleolithic ancestors once did. This includes eating plant-based meals with quality proteins and fats.

The Whole30 diet is stricter and is an elimination diet. The idea is to reboot the body and after the 30 days, mindfully add certain foods back in. This marks yet another difference between Paleo and Whole30; Paleo is a long-term diet, Whole30 is not. Whole30 is only for 30 days, with the intention that after the body will only seek and prefer certain foods. Lastly, sugar plays an important role in each diet; in one you can have sugar, in the other you cannot. For example, cinnamon almonds are okay on the Paleo diet, but not for Whole30.

What To Do When The 30 Days Are Over

After the 30 days are over, the reintroduction phase begins. The reintroduction portion of the Whole30 is critical to the learning experience. Within ten days, individuals will slowly, carefully, and systematically reintroduce some of the off-plan foods they were excluding. The idea is to evaluate how they make each individual feel in the context of a healthier relationship with food, metabolism, digestive tract, and the immune system.

Today diets and individualized meal plans are everywhere. Some advertise as being fast, cheap, easy, and prove the best results. The Whole30 diet is wholesome. There are no gimmicks, no subscriptions, the purpose is to change eating habits permanently, not to make money. If you feel that the Whole30 diet is right for you, learn more about individualized meal plans.

TAGS: Meal PlanWhole30 Plan

Why Parents Are Killing Their Kids With Fast Food

April 25th, 2019
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Why Parents Are Killing Their Kids With Fast Food

In today’s dog eat dog, running behind and never catch-up world, our children suffer the most because we do not have time to cook, let alone cook a healthy meal. More and more kids nowadays are eating fast food and we, their parents, are not always giving them the healthy food choices that are now available. A 2016 study found that 91% of parents had fed their children fast food, up from 79% in 2010. The same study also showed that although nearly all parents responded positively to healthier options for their kids, only about half of them were giving them a healthier option in their kids meal.

Risks of Fast Food

Obesity is just one of many health issues for which children will be at risk with the more frequent  consumption of fast food. Fast food has mostly empty calories and no nutritional value, leaving the body hungry for vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients necessary for a growing child. On top of that, fast food is loaded with more fat, sugar and sodium than children need, and eating this kind of unhealthy food can have negative health consequences over time, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues.

When the norm for children is to eat fast food about 2-3 times a week, they run the risk of rhinitis, asthma and eczema, and, later as teens, acne. And that’s not from fats, but the empty calories and white flour products. The risk for asthma is about 25% for younger children and goes up to 40% for teenagers.

If a child is eating fast food 4-6 times a week on a regular basis, the risk for memory and concentration issues increases. Research suggests that the high saturated fats found in fast food is what may negatively impact brain function and memory, including memory speed and flexibility and prospective memory (remembering to do something). This will lead to problems at school with learning and retention and, of course later in life, on the job.

There’s More

The 2016 study also mentioned that over one third of the parents who fed their children fast food, gave them regular size meals, instead of the kids meals. Each meal is about 1500 calories – nearly the entire caloric allowance for an adult for the day!

Other health issues that eating fast food brings on (and not only to children, but adults as well) include constipation, bloating and tooth decay. And excess sodium in the food can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, including arrhythmia, stroke and heart attacks later in life. Also the risk of kidney stones and kidney disease.

Because fast food has all those empty calories, it can keep a child from participating in extracurricular activities. Fast food does not provide adequate nutrients for physical activity. Nutrients you would get from eating fresh fruit and vegetables. And the lack of physical activity not only keeps children out of peer groups but also impairs physical and mental health. Lack of physical activity contributes to obesity and children will also suffer from depression, low body image and low self-esteem.

Lifestyle Changes

Since Ray Kroc first marketed the golden arches and McDonald’s, our food preferences and lifestyles have changed and with each successive generation, it has gotten worse. We have become a society of single parent and dual parent/dual income households, in which we are more inclined to take the easy way out for dinner choices. It used to be that going to get a hamburger at the local diner was a reserved for the weekend. Nowadays, it’s Monday through Friday at the local fast food place, because there’s no time to cook, and weekends are now reserved for the special home-cooked family dinner, if at all.

A generation ago, more than three-quarters of the money spent on food was spent on ingredients to cook at home. Today more than half of money spent on food is spent on food eaten outside the home. Government surveys from 1977-78, 1988-91 and 1994-96 reveal the alarming trend: more and more Americans eat fast food and junk food with each subsequent survey. This is what has lead us to obesity, heart disease and diabetes, and our children are the ones that are suffering the most.

And Another Thing

If the film ‘Super-Size Me’ didn’t scare us, it should have. Granted, we don’t normally eat fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner like Morgan Spurlock did for 30 days, but it brings the unhealthiness of fast food to light. After 3 weeks, even his doctors were begging him to quit, because he was already showing signs of heart related problems along with severe malnutrition. At the end of his month-long experiment, he had gained 24 lb, a 13% body mass increase, increased his cholesterol to 230 mg/dL, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. (It took him 14 months to regain his health on a vegan diet.)

We, thankfully, do not eat like that on a regular basis, but even eating just 3-4 times a week can have serious health consequences to us adults. Our children deserve so much better from us. And yet, we keep doing it. We are, quite literally, killing our children. Slowly, painfully, with obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Healthy options

Our children learn from us, not necessarily what we say, but what we do. Our actions speak volumes and our children are keen observers. If we parents change how we eat, or at least what we eat when we go out, and give our children the healthy options available (though they are hardly advertised well), they will learn to eat healthy and carry that over into adulthood and their own children. Healthy options can include ordering the fruit instead of fries or water instead of soda for that hamburger meal, or it could be eating at a healthier restaurant. Our jobs, our lifestyles mostly preclude our ability to eat a sit-down home-cooked meal all the time, but when we can, eating healthy should not be the exception, but the rule.

Does this mean no more milkshakes? No fries? No hamburgers? All that greasy goodness, dripping with cheesy emptiness? No, it means relegate it to the occasional family outing (Read: monthly or  biweekly). Because we can’t say never. Fast food should be a treat. A  quick bite between baseball practice and piano recital, when too much is going on and there’s not enough hours in the day. And when you do go, add the healthy alternatives, rather than greasy french fries or calorie rich milkshakes. Make the healthy choice for your kids, so they can, in the immortal words of Spock, live long and prosper.

TAGS: ChildhoodFast Food

Show Your Heart Some Love This Year with 10 Heart-Healthy Foods

March 22nd, 2019
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Show Your Heart Some Love This Year with 10 Heart-Healthy Foods

Heart disease continues to hold the top spot as the leading cause of death for Americans, accounting for about one in every four deaths each year in the United States*. So consider adding a few heart-healthy foods to your regular diet to help curb your risk of developing heart disease.

The Value of Eating Well

Value of Eating WellEating healthier is much easier than most people realize. Sometimes, simply making a few small changes to your everyday eating routine can have tremendous results in a relatively short time.

Heart disease happens for a number of reasons. Some people inherit genetic markers from their parents that predispose them to these conditions, while others simply fail to maintain appropriate eating habits and inevitably damage the health of their hearts. Adding a few of the following heart-healthy foods can make a major difference in your overall health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Salmon

Fresh fish is one of the best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient for a healthy heart. Fatty fish like salmon has exceptionally high Omega-3 concentration, so consider adding fresh fish to your eating routine at least once or twice per week.

Avocados

One of the most popular “super foods” available, avocados contain a healthy balance of monounsaturated, saturated, and polyunsaturated fats that help absorb fat-soluble vitamins. They also contain vitamins B, E, and potassium, another essential nutrient for optimal heart function.

Walnuts

Walnuts and other nuts are a great source of healthy fats and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in antioxidants, help promote healthy blood pressure, and decrease inflammation. Walnuts are easy to add to salads for an enjoyable crunch or eaten on their own as a snack.

Berries

Fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Raspberries in particular have high concentrations of polyphenols that lower the risk of heart disease as well as fiber, vitamin C, and manganese, another essential nutrient missing from most Americans’ diets.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Vegetables should ideally comprise the bulk of anyone’s diet, but dark, leafy greens are particularly beneficial. Kale, collard greens, spinach, and cabbage are just a few of the best options for adding veggies to your diet. These vegetables not only promote better digestion but also contain other essential vitamins and minerals that can improve heart function and lower the risk of heart disease.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be a delicious breakfast option that also provides fantastic benefits for your heart. Oatmeal is rich in beta-glucan, a type of fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol can eventually cause blockages in the blood vessels of the heart, and it’s easy to add fruits, low-fat yogurt, fortified plant-based milks, and nuts to your morning oatmeal for a satisfying and nutritious breakfast.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a sweet and delicious way to add more antioxidants to your diet. Dark chocolate helps break down LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol, the “good” type of cholesterol. Consider reaching for dark chocolate treats as sweet and healthy snacks, or incorporate them into other foods. Small chunks of dark chocolate in your morning oatmeal can be a delicious and healthy way to start the day.

Olive Oil

An abundance of olive oil in the Mediterranean diet may explain why people hailing from this region generally face a lower risk of heart disease than Americans. Extra virgin olive oil is the purest form available, so consider using it to cook or adding it to salads as a way to prevent LDL cholesterol accumulation, strengthen the walls of your blood vessels, reduce blood pressure, and prevent severe blood clotting.

Almond Butter

Peanut butter is probably one of the most popular foods in the country, and while it certainly contains many health benefits like high protein density and a good amount of monounsaturated fats, unsalted almond butter offers even more health benefits. A serving of almond butter contains about 25% more monounsaturated fats than an equivalent serving of peanut butter, making it an ideal choice for improving blood sugar levels and fighting heart disease.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes get their red color from lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant that promotes healthy cholesterol levels. Tomatoes are also a fantastic source of vitamin C and potassium, two more essential nutrients for a health heart.

Start Making Changes to Your Diet Today

Many Americans struggle to eat better, but completely changing your diet overnight is usually a bad idea. Make the transition to healthier eating easier on yourself by adding heart-healthy foods to your diet. Think of new ways to approach your morning routine with heart-healthy additions to your usual fare and find new snacking options that can help promote better heart function and lower your risk of heart disease.

Try These Heart-Healthy Diet Recipes Today

TAGS: Heart Healthy

4 Healthy Food Trends You’ll Be Seeing Everywhere in 2019

March 8th, 2019
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4 Healthy Food Trends You'll Be Seeing Everywhere in 2019

Every year new fad diets and fat-burning techniques gain popularity, but more often than not fizzle out very quickly. The next trend invariably takes its place or dieters notice adverse effects that can come with trendy but unhealthy diets. This year, keep an eye out for the following four healthy food trends that can be positively life-altering. By making a few easy changes to your dietary routine, you can experience surprising results beyond weight loss.

Why Are These Trends Valuable?

The beginning of a new year typically encourages people to make important changes that set them up for success in the coming year. Gym memberships spike in January as many Americans decide to start working out, but this trend often loses steam within a few weeks to a few months. This cycle starts again with a new round of New Year’s Resolutions the following year.

What many people fail to realize is that exercise is only one part of the process in losing weight and staying healthy. Proper diet is much more important. In fact, it’s possible to lose weight and become healthier just by changing eating habits, with little to no need to work out extensively. A few dietary changes and light exercise can lead to tremendous results; all it takes is discipline.

Alternatives to Dairy Milk

Alternatives to Dairy Milk Dairy milk alternatives like soymilk, almond milk, and oat milk are some of the most popular choices for people who struggle with lactose intolerance. But these dairy alternatives also offer some unique health benefits over regular dairy milk. Most alternative milks like oat milk and almond milk come fortified with calcium and vitamin D, the essential nutrients most people absorb by drinking dairy products.

Alternative milks can be a great option, even for those individuals who do not struggle with lactose intolerance. An unsweetened and fortified plant-based milk can offer better vitamin density and more well-rounded nutrition than regular dairy milk, with only has a fraction of the fat. These alternative milks only taste slightly different than dairy milk, and there are sweetened, unsweetened, and even flavored varieties.

More Plant-Based Options

The vegetarian and vegan lifestyles may not be for everyone, and many Americans enjoy eating meat on a regular basis. However, some significant health issues arise with overconsumption of red meat and other animal proteins. Many Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, and plant-based alternatives to foods like bread, tortillas, and even macaroni and cheese are helping people get their daily servings of fruits and veggies.

Some examples to look for in your local grocery store include:

  • Plant-based alternatives to potato chips, such as vegetable crisps, sweet potato or beet chips, and kale chips
  • Healthy snacks like roasted chickpeas instead of pretzels or other fatty snacks
  • Banana puree ice cream in lieu of fatty dairy-based ice cream
  • Shredded jackfruit instead of pulled pork; this odd fruit contains a high vitamin density and tastes exactly like pulled pork when prepared correctly
  • Infused breads, such as whole-grain breads baked with sun-dried tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables.

Food marketers have learned that labeling some foods as “vegetarian” or “vegan” does not appeal to most consumers. Americans who do not follow vegetarian or vegan lifestyles tend to automatically dismiss such foods as unappealing. About 50 percent of U.S. consumers report that these plant-based food products need to offer more variety and more appetizing flavor choices. Marketers have started to change the way they advertise these foods, hopefully encouraging some Americans to add plant-based foods and snacks into their daily routines.

Learning to Love Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most important nutrients, but the typical American diet does not usually include the foods with the densest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. The best natural source of these vital nutrients is fish, and most Americans do not eat fish as part of their regular diets.

Luckily, fish food product manufacturers have started offering more accessible and varied canned and pouched options, such as tuna lunch kits that come with seasonings and whole grain crackers and even infused salmon. Anyone thinking of incorporating fresh fish into his or her diet should take time to research a few recipes and try to learn new ways to prepare fish in appetizing ways. If fish is not for you, there are some plant-based food options rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as:

  • Some vegetable oils like canola oil, soybean oil, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil
  • Hemp hearts and ground flaxseed; easy additions to yogurt, oatmeal, and even salads
  • Ground flaxseed as a substitute for butter when cooking
  • Walnuts
  • Edamame

Plenty of dietary supplements contain Omega-3 fatty acids, but beware: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that on average, an individual should consume no more than three grams of Omega-3 fatty acids per day. Any more may result in gastrointestinal discomfort or even bleeding in people who take anticoagulants for certain medical conditions.

Foods Infused with Cannabis

Cannabis laws have changed dramatically throughout the United States in the last decade, with most states having legalized medical marijuana and even recreational marijuana for adults in some. Other states are less liberal with their cannabis laws and restrict which cannabis-based substances are acceptable for sale and consumption. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the active compounds in cannabis that does not cause psychoactive effects but does offer relief from many types of pain.

Cannabis-infused foods aren’t solely for medical marijuana patients; CBD oil is a great health supplement for just about anyone. CBD can aid sleep, improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and ease symptoms of anxiety. Most CBD-infused foods are gummies, candies, and sodas that may not be the healthiest options, but CBD-infused coffee could be a healthy addition to anyone’s morning routine.

These are just a few of the health trends gaining popularity right now. Ultimately, making better eating decisions is a personal choice. Consider these health trends and start thinking of ways to make positive changes in your diet that work for you.

Get a Personalized Diet with Maximum Benefits for 2019

TAGS: Food TrendsHealthy Living

Why Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Food Stop Cancer And Where To Find Them

January 31st, 2019
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Why Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Food Stop Cancer And Where To Find Them

Angiogenesis is the medical term for the growth of new blood vessels. This may sound harmless or even positive at first, but when new blood vessels grow and supply blood flow to cancerous tumor cells, it can hasten tumor growth and encourage the spread of some cancers throughout the body. Small capillary blood vessels near cancerous cells can cause those cells to multiply much more quickly, thanks to the ready supply of healthy blood.

When a person has a cancerous tumor, limiting blood flow to the area may seem impossible, but proper diet can help prevent angiogenesis and reduce the amount of blood flow a tumor receives. When cancerous cells have access to a rich blood supply, they can multiply and proliferate more easily, eventually leading to rapid cancer growth in nearby parts of the body. Excessive angiogenesis also increases the risk of many other medical conditions, so developing an antiangiogenic diet early in life can help prevent a multitude of medical complications later on.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors

While certain prescription medications can inhibit angiogenesis, these substances bond signaling molecules on the surface of healthy cells. This essentially blocks cancer cells from interfering with normal cell function. There are many types of angiogenesis inhibiting medications. Some restrict blood flow, some change the ways tumors grow, some help normalize a tumor’s vasculature to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs.

However, these medications treat preexisting cancers and can come with unpleasant side effects such as nosebleeds, high blood pressure, headaches, rectal hemorrhaging, back pain, and peeling of the skin. Some increase one’s risk for blood clots, heart attack and stroke. In light of these risks, many people who have an increased risk for or who have already developed early stage cancer are turning to antiangiogenic diets, focusing on prevention in hopes of avoiding the need for treatment.

Success Stories of Antiangiogenic Diets

Angiogenesis inhibitor medications only effectively treat preexisting cancers but do not do much in the way of preventing cancer. Additionally, these medications typically come at significant expense and side effects that can range in severity from unpleasant to life-threatening. For this reason, many cancer experts recommend including angiogenesis inhibitors in food as part of a healthy diet.

The story of Kathy Bero caught the attention of Harvard University cancer researchers after she claimed to defeat inflammatory breast cancer with an angiogenesis inhibitor diet and holistic therapies like reiki. Bero received a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 41 and started to experience kidney and liver failure when she did not respond to conventional treatments.

After she suffered heart and lung damage as a side effect of chemotherapy, she resigned herself to stopping chemotherapy and letting her illness take its course so she could enjoy her remaining days without suffering the negative side effects of ineffective chemotherapy. She began a holistic home treatment regimen that included an antiangiogenic diet and reiki, a form of touch-based holistic therapy revolving around the concept of channeling energy. Twelve years later, Bero is cancer-free, and her story continues to baffle and intrigue cancer researchers all over the country.

What Food Stops Cancer? Example Meals with Angiogenesis Inhibitors

Antiangiogenic food stops cancer cell growth. In addition, they can also help prevent the development of other medical conditions: obesity, diabetic ulcers, age-related blindness, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Some of the best anti-angiogenic foods include:

  • Purple potatoes
  • Leeks
  • Garlic
  • Green tea
  • Kale
  • Strawberries
  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries
  • Walnuts
  • Citrus fruits
  • Pineapple
  • Pumpkin
  • Bok choy
  • Artichokes
  • Tomatoes
  • Red onions
  • Turmeric
  • Lavender
  • Ginseng
  • Red wine, in moderation
  • Olive oil
  • Tuna
  • Dark chocolate

However, this is not an exhaustive list and most foods rich in antioxidants also have antiangiogenic properties. These foods can help prevent cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary embolism, blindness, ovarian cysts, and obesity.

There are many ways to craft a meal with antiangiogenic foods. For breakfast, granola with nuts, seeds, and berries is a great option to start the day with proteins and angiogenesis inhibitors. Add a mix of fruits and vegetables for lunch, such as a salad with dark, leafy greens and citrus fruit like orange slices or lime.

Strawberries and dark chocolate make for a delicious and decadent snack or dessert packed with antiangiogenic properties. For dinner, fish like tuna steak, grass-fed beef, or liver offers a fantastic balance of nutrients with antiangiogenic properties. Have a glass of red wine with a side of leafy greens and antiangiogenic vegetables to further boost the antiangiogenic properties of your meal.

Foods to Avoid

Avoid packaged, processed, and frozen foods as they contain many artificial ingredients, preservatives, and other potentially harmful substances. Processed foods, fast food, and foods made with artificial ingredients do not offer the nutritional value of whole foods. These are the types of foods that can actually increase the risk of developing countless negative health conditions. When buying animal products look for organic, grass-fed meats and dairy products made without hormones and antibiotics.

How Can Dietary Rehab Help?

Dietary Rehab is a best-in-class resource for nutritional support, dietary advice, and specific dietary tips for individual health conditions. Our services include dietary support to restore and preserve health. Maintaining wellness is our priority for every one of our clients. Visit Dietary Rehab online and contact us to learn more about how we can help you bring angiogenesis to the forefront of your diet.

TAGS: CancerHealthy LivingPrevention

Don’t give up yet! Why New Year Diet Resolutions Fall Flat After January?

January 21st, 2019
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Don’t give up yet! Why New Year Diet Resolutions Fall Flat After January

Diet-related goals top the list of America’s most popular resolutions every year. Whether it’s losing weight, cutting out all sources of sugar, or toning up at the gym, many Americans resolve to lose weight, follow a healthier lifestyle, or otherwise make modifications to their diets. However, a 2017 Marist poll shows that a least 33% of these people’s resolutions will fall flat after January.

Discovering why we fail to adhere to new diet plans requires an understanding of the psychology of resolution-making itself. Find out why your New Year diet resolution might fail – and how you can make sustainable changes that last all year.

Why Do We Make New Year Resolutions?

New Year resolutions, as we know them today, began in ancient Rome after Julius Caesar established Janus as the first month of the year. A two-faced deity of doorways and arches, the New Year was symbolically an opportunity to look back into the previous year and forward into the coming months, and think about improvements in their conduct. While many of the first New Year’s resolutions had religious implications, we still equate the beginning of the year as an opportunity to make improvements.

Why Do Our Resolutions Fail?

Unfortunately, according to some experts, this is also the reason why so many resolutions fail. Three-hundred and sixty-five days is a long time – a period of time that makes it difficult to establish accountability or create resolutions that have sustainability. For example, saying “I’m going to lose weight and be healthier this year!” lacks the specificity and time frame required to achieve a goal.

Instead, many health experts favor a weekly goal approach – instead of one New Year’s resolution, take advantage of the natural 52 breaks in the year. This allows for more time for reflection and plenty of opportunities to make modifications to your lifestyle.

Your Resolutions Aren’t “Smart”

Grand, sweeping resolutions to alter your life’s course aren’t sustainable and make it more likely that your resolutions will fall flat in the first thirty days. To make changes that last, make your goal-setting SMART:

  • Specific – for example, instead of saying “I’m going to eat healthier this year,” try “I am going to incorporate more leafy greens into my diet.”
  • Measurable – now, take it a step further so you can track your success “ I will incorporate a leafy green into each dinner.”
  • Achievable – to begin, limit a goal to a certain meal instead of, “I am going to increase my vegetable consumption at every meal, every day.”
  • Relevant – keep your health goals in line with your other life efforts, whether that’s to lower your blood pressure, lose weight, or effectively manage chronic health conditions related to your current diet.
  • Time-Phased – this allows you to make modifications that keep you on track. To begin, “I am going to incorporate a leafy green vegetable into my dinners for one week.”

You Listen To Your Inner Critic

Why New Year Diet Resolutions Fall Flat After JanuaryYou might be surprised to learn that you can derail your health efforts based on your inner monologue. Mistakes are an inevitable part of the shaping process – it’s how we learn. The way you handle missteps could make the difference between a resolution diet fail and successfully making a behavior change. The following are examples of how your inner critic could be sabotaging you:

  • “I don’t know why I even try. This will never be a success.”
  • “I’m not getting the results I want. I should quit while I’m ahead.”
  • “Today is already a bust. I might as well keep cheating.”

Learning the power of positive self-talk is an art, but it’s well worth the effort. A simple rephrasing of mistakes can lead to marked changes in outcomes: “I enjoyed that piece of cake. It will feel good to have a leafy green vegetable with dinner later.”

You Try It All On Your Own

Behavior change is a difficult thing to accomplish – in fact, it’s in its own branch of study. We continually learn about the best way to make sustainable life changes. Attempting to make sweeping alterations to your diet on your own can be a recipe for failure. In order to create diets that work all year, it’s best to refer to outside help. An evidence-based approach to diet and healthy eating can help you stay on track and make changes that make you feel good about yourself – inside and out!

Dietary Rehab stays at the forefront of health knowledge and delivers counseling initiatives that help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. Whether you want to make changes to manage chronic health conditions, lose weight, or even enhance athletic performance, we can help. Talk to us about our services and learn more about how we can help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions – or better yet, turn them into lifelong changes.

TAGS: Healthy Living

Understanding The Risks Of Fad Diets

January 10th, 2019
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The Good, Bad, And Scary Fad Diets We All Fall For

Medicine and dietary science have evolved tremendously over the past century. However, some of the worst diets in history gained traction due to misconceptions about human biology, consumerism, and general misinformation. Looking back at some of the scary fad diets that have taken root in recent history allows us to appreciate how far medical science has advanced, helping us learn from the mistakes of previous generations.

The Evolution Of Dieting

In the early 1900s, medical science was fairly limited. Many Americans faced a relatively low life expectancy.  Recovery after injuries and illnesses was difficult then compared to what we can easily treat today. Additionally, the general public was primarily blue-collar workers in rural or small urban areas that relied upon the major news networks to keep them informed about the latest health news.  Advertising also became a major industry in the early 1900s as communication technology improved. Some companies started using celebrities to advertise their products and encourage fad diets that had disastrous health consequences for many Americans.

Fad Diets In American History

Understanding The Risks Of Fad DietsIn 1925, cigarette company Lucky Strike started a new campaign with the slogan “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet!” This ad aimed to tout nicotine’s appetite-suppressing properties as a way to slim down. During this time, medical researchers still believed that cigarettes offered health benefits and had not linked cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Lucky Strike essentially promoted lung disease as an alternative to gaining weight, and the public was none the wiser.

The birth of “the Hollywood Diet” occurred in the 1930s, a diet that called for eating low-calorie grapefruit with every meal. Stars reported staying in shape for the big screen thanks to the grapefruit-centric diet but largely continued many other negative practices like excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.

In the 1950s, the cabbage soup diet promised ten to fifteen pounds of weight loss in a single week by sticking to a very restricted diet and eating cabbage soup every day. The 1950s also saw one of the most shocking dietary techniques: opera singer Maria Callas lost 65 pounds thanks to a tapeworm after swallowing a pill packed with parasites.

The year of 1963 saw the founding of Weight Watchers, one of the most popular dieting programs in America that still exists today. The Weight Watchers program revolves around assigning “points” to different foods and sticking within a certain point range per day to lose weight. Weight Watchers is essentially a structured form of portion control.

In 1975, the next big Hollywood diet took root: the Cookie Diet promised weight loss by eating cookies baked with a special blend of amino acids, and many stars touted the plan as a resounding success. A few years later in 1977, Slim Fast hit store shelves for the first time and it continues to be one of the most popular meal replacement products to date.

By 1979, the first major diet pill, Dexatrim, hit American store shelves. This diet pill contained phenylpropanolamine, a compound later discovered in 2000 to increase stroke risk leading to Dexatrim’s formula alteration. In 1985, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond developed their Fit for Life diet plan that prohibited eating protein and complex carbohydrates in the same meal.

In 1992, Robert C. Atkins, M.D. published his Atkins Diet, a diet plan that focused on high protein and low carbohydrate intake that grew immensely popular across the United States. In 1994, new legislation through the Guide to Nutrition Labeling and Education Act required food manufacturers to list all of their ingredients and nutritional information on all food packaging. In 1995, the Zone Diet became the next big Hollywood craze that required eating specific portions of different types of foods. 2003 saw the next iteration of the Atkins Diet in the form of the South Beach Diet, a protein-rich and low-carb diet that was a bit less restrictive than the Atkins Diet.

Success Stories Throughout The Years

The best diets through the years involve portion control; overeating is one of the most common causes of extra weight and obesity. Most people eat too much in a single sitting. Weight Watchers is arguably one of the best diet plans and has more than 50 years of success stories behind it. Singer Jennifer Hudson shocked fans after showing her 80-pound loss thanks to Weight Watchers.

Despite the fact that portion control diets like Weight Watchers have been tremendously successful, one of the most important aspects of nutrition that many Americans overlook is the concept of eating for your age, or adapting your diet as you grow and your body changes.

Eating An Age-Appropriate Diet

During your 20s, it is vital to eat foods rich in iron, calcium, potassium, and folate that encourage healthy adult development and a strong immune response. In your 30s, choline and monounsaturated fats are important for maintaining healthy metabolism and high energy levels. In your 40s, protein and vitamins A and C are crucial to protect your muscle mass and bone density and help ease joints that start to ache. However, there is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for everyone; every person has unique medical concerns that require individual solutions.

In addition to eating for your age, it is also important to develop healthy habits outside of diet. This means incorporating a reasonable amount of exercise into your daily routine and avoiding bad habits like excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.  Ultimately, the best diet is one uniquely tailored to your individual health concerns and medical risks.

Dietary Rehab Can Help with Your Nutritional Efforts

If you have tried fad diets in the past and have been unsuccessful or failed at portion control and cutting out bad foods, sometimes a professional hand can offer the push needed to develop the perfect diet plan that offers balanced nutrition. Dietary Rehab is a top notch resource for anyone in need of nutrition advice, diet planning, and individualized wellness tips for specific risk factors and medical conditions. Visit our consulting page to learn more about the services available from Dietary Rehab and start developing your wellness goals today.

TAGS: AtkinsDietFad DietsKetoPaleo DietWeight Watchers

Is Farmed Fish Beneficial or Harmful to Health?

December 7th, 2018
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Is Farmed Fish Beneficial or Harmful to Health?

The debate of farm-raised fish vs. wild-caught fish has persisted since the dawn of the aquaculture industry. Many fish farms have appeared in recent years to meet the world’s increasing demand for fish, but there are distinct differences in the nutritional value of fresh-caught fish and farm-raised fish.

There are valid arguments on both sides of this debate. On one side, farmed fish helps meet the demand for fish at a lower cost than fresh-caught fish, while also preventing the destruction caused by commercial fishing. Wild-caught fish typically offer better nutritional value, but commercial fishing has already damaged the world’s ocean ecosystems to staggering levels.

Benefits of Farm-Raised Fish

Farmed fish generally subsist on a cheap diet of corn and soy. While this offers little in nutritional value, it does help keep prices manageable. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of farmed fish far outweigh the perceived benefits.

Potential Drawbacks of Farmed Fish

Supporters of fish farming primarily claim that fish farms reduce the need for commercial fishing operations that damage different fishes’ natural habitats and wild fish populations. However, fish farms have the potential to cause serious ecological damage. Fish kept in farms typically spend their lives in very tightly packed pens, making it easy for sickness, diseases, and parasites to spread in farm populations.

Sickness and parasites from farmed fish can also affect the surrounding wild fish populations. For example, a sea lice infestation recently wiped out roughly 80% of the pink salmon population off the coast of Western Canada*. This contamination could easily affect local wild fish populations which will then harm the predatory species that depend on those fish as food sources, such as birds, bears, and killer whales.

Some predatory farmed fish like salmon also require enormous amounts of feeder fish like mackerel and anchovies. For example, it can take as much as two pounds of feeder fish for every pound of farm-raised salmon. This puts incredible strain on the anchovy and other feeder fish populations, which have faced overfishing nearly to the brink of extinction. Ultimately, fish farming is one of the least sustainable forms of fishing and poses significant risks to the environment and consumer health.

Imported Fish Risks

Another serious risk of eating farmed fish arises with foreign-sourced fish. For example, there are no health and safety inspectors overseeing the fishing industry in China, and some Chinese fish farm workers have reported appalling conditions at many Chinese fish farms**. Some workers have reported sewage in fish pens, rampant disease, filthy working conditions, and dyes used to conceal contaminated fish.

Why Go for Fresh-Caught?

Unless you buy fish directly from a fish farm and have confidence they use safe and healthy practices, there is simply no way to tell where the farmed fish in your grocery store came from. Many farmed fish can be some of the most toxic food in the average store, depending on its source. It’s ultimately better to choose wild-caught fish whenever possible. It may be more expensive, but it is healthier than farmed fish and discourages the fish farming industry from persisting.

Better, Natural Nutrition

Wild-caught fish survive on a natural diet, which can include smaller prey fish, ocean-based plants, algae, and other natural foods. This leads to healthier development, and fish in the wild may roam and move as they please rather than contending with the hyper-confinement of a pen at a fish farm. Penned fish generally experience severe stress during their entire lives, increasing the chances of infections and other health issues and diminishing their nutritional value.

Devastating Struggling Ecosystems

Fish is a highly sought-after food due to its perceived nutritional value, but wild-caught fish offer significant nutritional benefits over farmed fish. For example, one of the most commonly farmed fishes in the world is tilapia, one of the most farmed fish in the world. Many people avoid tilapia due to its generally unsavory reputation and potential health risks, but choosing wild-caught salmon puts strain on the wild salmon population.

Tilapia nutrition is a far cry from the dietary value of wild-caught salmon, and wild-caught salmon is harder to procure. Naturally, the salmon will cost much more. This creates incentive for commercial fishing operations to capitalize on fish in high demand, but they in turn devastate existing wild fish populations. This approach may not be as harmful as fish farming, but it isn’t sustainable either.

Finding Out Which Fish Is Right For You

If your main concern is nutritional value then avoiding farmed fish is your best option. This may be more expensive, but take the time to shop around your area to see the types of fresh fish available. This will be more difficult in some areas than others due to distance from the ocean and shipping issues.

Some fish provide more health benefits than others, and some people may benefit from different types of fish. For example, some wild fish have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids while others have higher protein content.

Schedule Your Nutritional Assessment Today

If you are unsure about your fish options, the Dietary Rehab team can help. The best way to approach nutrition is with an individualized breakdown of your unique nutritional needs. Preexisting medical conditions, allergies, and food sensitivities are important considerations when developing a diet plan.

A nutritional assessment can help you with your dietary and weight loss goals. If you’re looking for ways to improve your overall health or boost your immune system, an assessment can help with that as well. Learn more about the dietary counseling services that we offer at DietaryRehab.com.

TAGS: FoodsNutritionNutritious Ingredients

Is the Whole 30 Diet Healthy for the Long Term?

November 30th, 2018
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Is the Whole 30 Diet Healthy for the Long Term

One of the most popular new diets is the “Whole 30” diet, a program that entails extensive dietary restrictions with the promise of “resetting” the body’s many systems. Although many people have reported positive results and the program developer has boasted about over 100,000 satisfied customers since 2009, many dietary researchers and other experts claim the diet could be dangerous or ineffective for many people.

If you’re curious about trying the Whole 30 diet it’s vital to prepare for the restrictions you’ll face. Unlike other diets, the Whole 30 diet functions on a 30-day framework. Following such a restrictive diet beyond the intended 30 days may have negative results.

How the Whole 30 Diet Plan Works

The developers of the program claim that many foods, even seemingly healthy foods, can have adverse effects on various parts of the body that many people may not even realize, which is the basic reasoning behind the Whole 30 diet. The Whole 30 diet, then, aims to remove these potentially harmful foods from the body so the body can repair whatever damage has occurred and the person can make more informed choices about his or her nutrition and diet.

After the 30 days of the dieting period are over, a person on the Whole 30 diet should start gradually reintroducing previously restricted foods by food group and see if any of their health issues return. For example, a person who experiences sleep problems and digestive trouble may notice these symptoms fade during the Whole 30 diet. After reintroducing milk into his or her diet, the person notices those symptoms return. This could be a sign that he or she may have a mild lactose sensitivity that previously went unnoticed.

Restrictions

One of the biggest issues with the Whole 30 diet, for many people, is how restrictive it is. This 30-day diet plan requires a complete refrain from several types of foods, including:

  • Grains. While on the Whole 30 diet you won’t be able to eat bread, cereal, rice, noodles, oats, or even quinoa.
  • Dairy. You can eat no dairy or drink any milk products during the Whole 30 diet. This includes yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and cream.
  • Legumes. Soybeans, peanuts, peanut butter, beans, lentils, and all other legumes are another Whole 30 restriction.
  • Sugar. You must avoid all refined and unrefined sugars during the Whole 30 diet, and this includes artificial sweeteners like stevia and Splenda. You must also avoid maple syrup, agave syrup, honey, coconut sugar, and all other “alternative” sweeteners.
  • Alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and some may also have high sugar content. Removing alcohol from your diet for 30 days can also help identify issues that alcohol may be causing in other aspects of life.

Dieting Beyond 30 Days

The Whole 30 diet recommends avoiding checking weight and counting calories during the 30 days. The developers of the program instead recommend focusing on making healthier dietary choices and paying close attention to the effects of reintroducing different foods after the 30 days are over.

Once the 30 days are over, a person on the Whole 30 may notice that certain foods cause problems that bothered them before starting the diet. Now he or she knows to avoid or limit those foods in the future while enjoying other previously restricted foods.

Potential Problems With the Whole 30 Diet

One of the major criticisms of the Whole 30 diet is that it deprives a person of some very important nutrients from the restricted food groups. Legumes are a fantastic source of plant-based protein. Grains provide fiber for easier digestion, and dairy is a very important source of vitamin D and calcium. Some health researchers suggest that the harm of 30 days of deprivation of these vital nutrients eclipses the potential good the diet may do.

Some dietitians also criticize the diet for promoting meat consumption, which many health experts agree is a generally bad decision, and most people should limit meat consumption. The diet also encourages you to eat healthy diet foods including seafood, vegetables, some fruits, nuts, seeds, and foods with minimal ingredients.

Working a Whole 30 Regimen Into Your Regular Diet

The Whole 30 diet may not be ideal for a long-term meal plan, but as a 30-day diet meal plan it may have positive results for some people. Before starting any diet it’s important to consult a physician about potential health risks, preexisting conditions, food sensitivities or any other issues that may complicate the diet. It’s also a good idea to develop a healthy diet plan that incorporates a wide range of the available foods you can eat.

Whole 30 Tips

The Whole 30 diet plan may be restrictive, but it could also provide the opportunity to try new foods or new twists on old favorites. Results can vary, and 30 days is a relatively short time to give a new diet a try, so with some proper planning and a few new recipes to try, the Whole 30 diet may offer relief from symptoms that have bothered you for a while.

The Whole 30 diet may offer some quick weight loss and help you identify problems in your current diet, but it’s important to plan and execute any new diet safely. At Dietary Rehab, we know how challenging it can be to stick to a new diet, especially one that is as restrictive as the Whole 30 diet.

A nutritional assessment can help you improve your overall health. Learn more about the dietary counseling services that we offer.

TAGS: DietFoodsHealthy LivingNutrition

Is the Mediterranean Diet Really All That Healthy?

September 18th, 2018
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Mediterranean Diet Study Not As Healthy As Advertised - Dietary Rehab
If you are like many people who are looking to get healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease, you have probably considered, or already abide by, the Mediterranean diet.

Originally, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine stated that people in a test group who followed the Mediterranean diet had fewer incidents of heart attack or stroke than those who were simply told which fats to eat or avoid. The conclusion was that the Mediterranean diet is actually a way to decrease the risks associated with cardiovascular disease.

The study was touted as a blind study with a control group and two test groups that were randomly chosen. There were a number of study locations that people could visit to sign up and participate. These participants were given either olive oil, nuts or instructed to avoid certain types of fats. The results did show that those given olive oil or nuts had a lesser incidence of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke.

Flaws in the Original Mediterranean Diet Study

Unfortunately, many of the claims this study made were recently retracted due to a number of exaggerated details that were found in a later review of the original research. The review found a potential error in the randomization process.

When researchers reviewed the study, they found that one of the study locations had enrolled each patient that went to the same clinic on the same exact diet plan, rather than randomly assigning a plan. This meant 467 patients were using the same diet plan all at the same location.

Another issue had to do with households that contained more than one study participant. These participants were immediately placed on the same diet the other member of their household was following. A more accurate way to test the effectiveness of the diet would have been to assign each participating member of the household to a different plan. Although, one could see why they placed them on the same plan, since most households cook and eat together.

Another issue with the original study had to do with the selection process in general. Most, if not all, of the study participants were selected from largely homogeneous genetic communities in the Mediterranean region. This can affect the results in a negative way, as people with the same genetic qualities and living in the same communities often have the same types of health risks.

Therefore, the study only focused on a select group of individuals rather than a widespread and diverse panel of participants.

Important Distinction

Because of the initial study results, the media touted the findings as showing a benefit for anyone who is at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases or incidents. While eating healthfully will always have a number of benefits, claiming that one diet can benefit anyone in general can be very misleading.

The revised study now says that it is unsure if the diet would have any such benefits in people with a lower risk of heart problems or from different regions of the world.

Should the Diet Be Ignored Now?

With the retraction of the initial results following a review of the original study, many people have begun to question whether the diet is really as healthy as originally advertised. While the randomization and selection process may change the results of this particular study, it doesn’t mean the diet is not healthy or that those looking to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease shouldn’t try it.

The key factor to look at when deciding if a nutrition plan is healthy or if it will have the benefits you desire is whether it is a sustainable diet. With the multitude of fad diets that come and go each year, many people are skeptical of trying anything called a diet.

It’s More Than a Diet

The Mediterranean diet is not so much a diet as it is a conscientious lifestyle change for those who follow it properly. By avoiding certain foods and adding more of others, you begin to rethink the reasons you eat what you eat each day. If you stick with the lifestyle change, you will see the results that your body is capable of.

It is also important to know what your own body is capable of achieving when adopting a diet. While you may see the models on the covers of magazines and think, “I can do that if they can,” you may be overlooking whether your body type is even capable of looking that way.

Consider your bone structure and muscle structure when setting goals for what you want to achieve. This is important no matter which diet plan you choose to follow.

Feel Free to Stick with the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is more than a fad. It is a total lifestyle change in the way you prepare and eat food. It works by focusing on healthy fats, lean protein, fruits and vegetables. (Lean protein includes fish and chicken while avoiding red meat, which can be higher in unhealthy fat.)

If you are interested in more information on health, diets, recipes and overall lifestyle changes, enter your email address above to subscribe to our blog. Also, click below to learn more about the specifics of the Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean Diet: Foods to Focus On

TAGS: Healthy LivingHeart DiseaseMediterranean Diet