I do not like Green Eggs and Ham, but wait....they are low carb!?

We read many Dr. Seuss books around here, and when I came across this book while cleaning up one night this past week, I paused and thought...did Sam I Am have it right, should we all be eating eggs and ham.....ahem....following the low carb lifestyle? I always told myself I would never be able to give up my carbs. Breads and pasta are problematic for most people, but I was hooked on cereal (in particular cheerios) and granola bars. I love those Luna bars, Special K bars, and all those other highly processed but yummy protein/snack bars. So when our health and fitness accountability team decided to host a 5-day Free Carboholics Anonymous Group last week I figured I would give this low carb thing a try. Our group offered a plethora of creative and low carb recipes that certainly could help anyone wanting to do this. A slight feeling of dread came over me about this undertaking, yet the thrill of the challenge excited me at the same time!

Challenge though it may be, I also was so curious to see how a low carb diet made me feel. I have read and heard accounts from friends, family, and co-workers over and over about how a low carb lifestyle is so effective! Yet, I have to say I had been thoroughly and nutritionally confused after reading two very different nutrition books these past couple of months. I recently finished an astonishing book entitled The China Study by Colin Caldwell. The author is an expert biochemist and specialized in nutrition on long-term health; however, this expert was also heavily criticized for his conclusions regarding long-term health and diet. Colin ascertained, based on his extended years of scientific research, that we should all be eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. Yep, you got it. Become a vegan! NO animal products at all!

I didn’t really know quite what to expect with this book, but by the 3^rd Chapter, I was like “Ok, I got it….eat a whole foods, plant-based diet or essentially expect to die from cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type II diabetes, muscular sclerosis, renal failure…. and/or suffer from Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, kidney stones, and the list goes on. Caldwell was able to link almost all diseases he coins as “diseases of affluence” to eating a diet comprised of animal-based foods. Developing countries that eat a primarily plant-based diet with very little animal protein suffer from diseases related to improper hygiene, infectious diseases, and malnutrition. He makes a substantial arguement that very little people in those countries suffer from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Caldwell first begins the China Study referring to his early research career where he discovered in rodent experiments that when given a carcinogen in their diet (he studied the carcinogen aflatoxin) that liver cancer, which is induced by aflatoxins, could be turned on and off by diet. In these studies they worked with the main protein found in milk known as casein. In rats fed a higher percentage of casein, they were significantly more likely to develop liver cancer when exposed to aflatoxin. In contrast, rats fed a much lower amount of casein did not. He also took rats and fed them the aflatoxin to try to induce the liver cancer; he then fed them casein for a while and noticed the “genes” for cancer induction “turned on”. When they lowered the casein consumption to a minimal level, the cancer induction genes were essentially “turned off”. So his theory was that casein, or potentially all animal based proteins, had the ability to turn on and off cancer genes. Meaning if you have a certain genetic profile that predisposes you to a certain cancer, like breast cancer for instance, whether you develop it or not largely depends on the type of diet you consume.

Throughout the rest of the book, Caldwell hits on certain diseases that are essentially turned on and off by animal-based food. He also claims that diseases can be prevented, reduced in severity, or even completely reversed by eating an entirely whole foods, plant-based. He provides a significant amount of research data that was published in many nationally and internationally, peer-reviewed, scientific journals. There are many charts, graphs, and statistics in the book to illustrate the significant differences in health and disease development between diet composition and disease incidence. Although interesting and pretty much almost had me swear to never eat another hamburger or slice of cheese again, I couldn't help but think, "Is this quakery?". Are animal products really the culprit linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer, and pretty much every other disease known to man that is not caused by an infectious agent. I am not convinced (but that is for another blog post).

And then I started reading The China Study 's arch-nemesis "It Starts with Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, a book promoting the WHOLE30 diet which completely eliminates all grains, pasta, bread, beans, nuts, sugar, and dairy products. It dives into the full spill of how we are aching and breaking because of our consumption of not only highly processed foods but everything else that is not a meat, egg, or vegetable product. They do advocate that fruit is ok, but only certain ones and in very small amounts.

The first part of the book is devoted to the "science-y" side of things. The authors describe in simplified, layman's language the role of our metabolism and hormones. I did think they did a great job of explaining the biologic mechanisms of our hormones like insulin, glucagon, and leptin, and how they work to maintain metabolic homeostasis (or balance). They especially drive home the argument about how the imbalance in our hormones is due to the consumption and/or over-consumption of pro-inflammatory grains, legumes, and dairy products. Yet, they also creatively explain why we crave "super-normally stimulating foods". These super-normal stimulating foods would include chips, cookies, ice cream, pizza, cheese, cake....you get the idea! The foods that super-normally stimulate our feel good senses and make us want more without offering any nutritional benefit whatsoever. These "unhealthy" foods are the key sources of inflammation and contribute to our propensity to become obese. While I don't argue the theory that obesity is potentially a result of chronic inflammation, I do have to wonder if it really means eliminating all sources of grains, beans, legumes, dairy, etc?

So by mid-day on Day 3, after the only carbs I had allowed myself to eat was a 1/2 banana, apple, and 1/2 sweet potato, I was starting to get the dreary wearies. I admit I am not a big meat eater, so I knew this would be quite a challenge for me. In fact the first night, I consumed mostly vegetables in the form of kabobs with bell peppers, onions, and shrimp with a side of asparagus and half of a sweet potato. I don't particularly love steak, pork, roast! Well, really the home-cooking kind of stuff.... .."soul-food" has never been my thing. Yes, my poor husband! He has been a sport and has tried things I never thought he would! I leave the soul-food cooking to him, and he is so much better at it than me anyways. On that 3rd day of low carbs,  I met up with a colleague for daily mass at Christ the King on LSU campus. I was starting to feel very hungry, and horrified to admit I couldn't wait to receive communion! I couldn't wait to taste the bread and wine! I know that sounds horrible, please don't think I am being sacrilegious. But our brains require glucose to function, and I think my brain was suffering from glucose withdrawals for me to think such absurd, imprious, flesh-centered thoughts! Believe me, I said the Our Father and 3 Hail Mary's afterward as penance as any good Catholic girl would do!

Well Sam-I-am, I don't think I like just green eggs and ham! Throw me a slice of whole wheat toast or oatmeal and I will happily eat them in a box or with a fox. I work at LSU with a molecular nutritionist on several research projects. From what I have learned while investigating resistant starch (prebiotic starch that feeds the "good" bacteria in our gut), is that consuming whole-grain. resistant starch leads to a leaner body condition and better insulin sensitivity (less likely to develop diabetes). Complex, whole-grain carbohydrates when eaten in moderate amounts are essential to gut health, and in my opinion should be incorporated into a balanced, whole-food diet. I think we are better when we balance the consumption of plant- and animal- based foods.

Whole wheat toast with pumkin butter!

So as disciplined and determined as I can make myself in some ways; I was listening to my body on this one, and it said YOU need carbs! I know you are probably thinking....a week! You only gave it a week.....yes you are right. I admit I am weak in this area, I suppose I am not alone, right!? However, unless a physician tells me I need to do low carb dieting for the long run, for now it was enough that my body and my brain told me "Nope you need whole-grain, healthy carbs in moderate amounts....now stop kidding yourself!"

Gratefully,
Diana