Summary: In this episode, which is part two of three on How to Get Fit, I do a review of the three most popular diets and give you my five tips to sticking to the diet I recommend, along with a link to download the best diet to help you keep you healthy and fit. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates From Wikipedia Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician, and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the father of western medicine in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine. Hippocrates is credited with being the first person to believe that diseases were caused naturally, not because of superstition and gods. Hippocrates was credited by the disciples of Pythagoras of allying philosophy and medicine. He separated the discipline of medicine from religion, believing and arguing that disease was not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits. Leading Causes of Death in 2010 Heart disease: 597,689 Cancer: 574,743 Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080 Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476 Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859 Alzheimer's disease: 83,494 Diabetes: 69,071 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476 (diseases and failure of kidneys) Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097 Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364 (source: Centers for Disease Control) 4 of the top 10 causes of death are directly related to diet and there is evidence that some of the others can also impacted by poor nutrition. But prior to the year 1900, there was almost no heart disease to speak of. The only heart problems were related to congenital birth defects and were a small percentage of the heart disease we see today. So what's changed in the last 113 years? Sedentary lifestyle - Prior to 1900, people primarily work in manual labor jobs and on farms. Today we work in offices and travel in cars and buses. Processed Foods - In the 1800s food went from farms into the home in 48 hours or less because most people didn't have refrigeration or the space to store food. Today we buy processed food or eat fast food that has little to no nutritional value. Refined Sugars and Carbohydrates - Previous generations regarded sugar as a luxury and it was unrefined. Today almost every snack food and drink is high in sugar or a corn based sugar substitute. In the year 1830, the average consumption of sugar per year was 15 pounds per person. In the year 2012 that number has gone up more than ten times to 180 pounds per year. In 1910, the risk of acquiring Type II diabetes was 1 in 30. In 2010 the risk increased to 1 in 3. 3 Most Popular Diets Let's take a look at the 3 most popular diets today and see if there is one that helps with the Sugar Addiction Cycle Low Calorie - Simple math, you eat less calories than you burn on a daily basis. Low Fat - This diet encourages you to eat low fat foods or low fat alternatives to foods that you currently eat. Unfortunately, some low fat alternatives are higher in sugar. Low Carb, like Atkins and Paleo - Based on the principle that refined sugars, simple carbs, and processed foods negatively impact your blood sugar, insulin and hormone levels. This is the type diet I recommend and you can download my version of it in the resources section below. (more details in the podcast) 5 Tips to Help You Stick to a Diet Prepare your meals in advance Eat 4 meals a day instead of 3 Try and eat the same thing for the same meal every day Keep a snack on hand at all time. baby carrots, Macadamia Nuts and Almonds - Soaking almonds in water for 1 hour makes them tender and removes toxins Portion sizes: 1 fist for protein, 2 fists for veggies Finally, here's a look at a Paleo Food Pyramid from Mark's Daily Apple. Resources
