Health Alert 148
“Cereals are bad for you.” With so much positive press for cereals, this statement shocks my patients. They sometimes stare in disbelief waiting for me to admit that I’m only joking; but it’s no joke. Cereals will make you fat. They’re not good for your heart. They won’t lower your cholesterol.
For several decades, ads touting cereal as Mother Nature’s wholesome solution for obesity and heart disease were very effective. Recently though, more people have started to view foods made from grains as I do. They are not the solution but a big part of the problem. This has spurred 2 new trends in cereals and the ads that sell them – one of them good and one bad.
Your breakfast is your most important meal of the day. I’ll show you what these cereal trends will mean for your health. And, I’ll give you my recommendations on the bottom line – what to eat for a healthy breakfast.
* Trend 1 – Low Fat Advice Gets Worse *
What do you do when low-carb dieting cutting into cereal sales? You convince those still eating cereal to eat more of it. It’s no surprise that cereal marketers are now urging you to eat it as a breakfast bar, as an in-between-meal snack and worse yet, as 2 meals a day.
Marketers tells you that you are getting cereal and milk in the “to go” bars. These bars are even less nutritious than the cereal. The number one ingredient making up the “milk filling” is sugar. They’ve also added enough trans fats to fill you with 2 to 3 grams of this plaque building hydrogenated oil with each bar.1
How can cereal ads claim reductions in cholesterol? You produce cholesterol in response to calories. If you set up a study that by switching to oatmeal or Cheerios you reduce calories, you can “starve down” cholesterol.
The reason people loose weight eating 2 bowls of Special K is because they set up the study to have fewer calories in that group. But this starch and sugar mix stimulates over secretion of insulin. If you eat little enough with high insulin, you can still lose weight but you will lose muscle and try to build more fat if you later consume the calories required. And, you tend to feel hungry soon after – setting you up for bigger meals at night. Heavy meals at night cause more fat building.
* Trend 2 – Lower Carb, Higher Protein Cereals *
Since 2000, a number of companies have started to produce higher protein cereals. Most of these brands use honey or molasses instead of sugar giving them a lower glycemic index. They can have a variety of whole grains. Some have added soy protein.
If you can’t kick the cereal habit, then at least choose a high protein variety. You may not find these at your regular supermarket yet. You may have to make a trip to your local health food store:
Keto Cereals
Original sweet crunchy classic taste. Three (3) grams of effective carbs, total carbs 8g, 17 grams protein, and 1g sugar. Allergy info: contains soy, wheat.2
http://www.jamdynamixz.com/kte12.html
Protidiet Plain Oatmeal
Regular oatmeal has very little protein. Their oatmeal has almost the identical taste and texture of regular oatmeal, but has 15 grams of protein and 90 Calories.3
http://www.i-shophere.biz/hotandcolhig1.html
Atkin’s Morning Start Cereals
Atkin’s offers a variety of flavors. Total Carbs 8-11g, Net Carbs 3-5g, Sugars 1g, Protein 12g-15g.4
http://www.jamdynamixz.com/atk01.html
All cereals are a recent dietary experiment. Cereal can’t substitute for a natural diet high in protein. Your healthiest breakfast is our traditional breakfast of meat and eggs. The high protein tradition for breakfast had an evolved wisdom. It suppresses insulin and charges your metabolism for the day.
This breakfast became less healthy recently because the food industry adulterated the meat and eggs. The best solution is to return to free range, hormone and pesticide free eggs and meat. Eggs are the most complete source of protein available. Instead of bread or pancakes, have them with a green vegetable. I often eat fish with my eggs in the morning to get my Omega-3s. Sometimes I switch up and have a grass fed steak, a great natural source of CoQ10.
Al Sears, MD
1. Liebman, B. and Hurley, J. “Cereal Trends: Not Your Mother’s Rice Krispies” Nutrition Action Healthletter, November 2003: 12-15.
2. Keto Cereals. http://www.jamdynamixz.com/kte12.html
3. Protidiet Products. http://www.i-shophere.biz/hotandcolhig1.html
4. Atkin’s Cereals. http://www.jamdynamixz.com/atk01.html