Been There, Done That. I've Tried Every Diet Out There and I'm EXHAUSTED. Give Me Something That Works!!! Part 1

Would an end to calorie counting, fat gram tracking, and feelings of deprivation be a welcome change in your life? Would you like to see the number on your bathroom scale decrease without eventually rebounding with zest the other way?  Would you like to adopt a lifestyle that not only promotes a healthy weight but also prevents health issues? Then give me three weeks and test drive a new lifestyle. What do you have to lose other than unwanted pounds?

Despite what it might seem like, our bodies are not riddled with flaws. Our bones were not intended to disintegrate before we were done using them, our hearts were not meant to give out before we were ready, and we certainly weren't designed to lug around enormous amounts of excess weight because we're unable to control our appetites. Unfortunately, we have become too successful for our own good. Let me explain.

In search of answers, researchers began to analyze civilizations across the globe and over time. When they divided nations into two broad categories, underdeveloped and developed, they found two very distinct patterns of disease.

Underdeveloped nations tend to battle diseases of poverty, largely due to poor sanitation and nutritional inadequacy. These diseases include pneumonia, intestinal obstruction, pulmonary tuberculosis and parasitic disease.

When they analyzed developed nations, they were surprised to find an entirely different set of issues plaguing its citizens. Later, they would determine these maladies were a result of nutritional extravagance. They were termed diseases of affluence and include heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer and obesity.

The great news is that the lifestyle that promotes healthy and permanent weight loss also prevents, resolves, and fights the other diseases of affluence. We don't have to worry, as we do with some diet regimens, that in order to lose weight we may be harming our kidneys, encouraging the formation of kidney stones, and promoting osteoporosis and even cancer.

Our bodies truly are works of art. We were meant to eat until we are full and satisfied (not stuffed, but full) and still maintain a healthy weight. The enormous burden placed on our mobility and on our organs from obesity is not what nature intended. Our stomachs contain very astute sensors of weight and stretch. They are very accurate at determining when we've consumed enough food when we eat natural, whole foods. Processed food has been manipulated. During the manufacturing process, not only are nutrients removed but also water and fiber.  The end result is calorie dense food that causes us to consume more than we should before our stomachs signal satiety.

Diets built on deprivation are doomed to fail. Our survival mechanism is too strong and cannot be overcome in the long run. It needs to be that way in order for us to survive as a species. You are not a failure when you binge after following calorie restrictive diets, after consuming diet shakes in place of meals, or after purposely eliminating carbohydrates from your plate. You've simply tripped one of your biological safety mechanisms.

Speaking of carbohydrates, researchers have determined that human beings obtain the greatest satiety from carbohydrates, most notably potatoes. We are hard wired that way. We have taste buds that respond to carbohydrates, not to high protein/high fat foods. Our preferred primary source of fuel is carbohydrates.  Our brains burn 20 percent of the calories that we consume. Our brains also prefer carbohydrates as a source of fuel and only as a last ditch effort to keep us alive will it burn fatty acids. Our red blood cells and certain kidney cells absolutely must have carbohydrates for nourishment. They will not survive on anything else.

A lifestyle that works in concert with our biology and not against it sets us up for success and a lifetime of feeling great. In my next blog, find out how to put what researchers have found into action for you.

I am a Plant-Based Nutrition Counselor, a graduate of Cornell University's plant-based nutrition program, the only collegiate program in the country which focuses on the medical benefits of a low-fat, plant-based lifestyle, and am board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  I help people to achieve their wellness goals by providing them with the tools that they need to gain control over their health.  I hope you enjoy my blogs.  If you would prefer individualized assistance with your weight, with a chronic, degenerative disease, with other health and wellness aspirations, or if you would like me to speak to a group, please email me at traceyeakin@gmail.com or give me a call at 724.469.0693 to arrange a time.

I can personally attest to this lifestyle.  The results are nothing short of dramatic.  I had been a vegetarian for 20 years when 4 years ago I adopted an entirely plant-based lifestyle.  Since that time, I have lost over 50 pounds and have kept it off and resolved an autoimmune condition known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP.  My body was attacking and destroying my platelets.  I could have faced platelet transfusions or the removal of my spleen.  A low-fat, plant-based lifestyle changed everything for me.  My goal is to help as many people as possible to make similar positive changes in their lives.