Dear Member,
The American lifestyle may be a threat to your health. A new report from New York City’s health department revealed some surprising facts.1
When foreign-born residents first arrive in New York, they are generally in better health than US born residents. But the longer they stay, the more unhealthy they become.
And that says a lot, considering that foreign-born adults have restricted access to health care services and are less likely to have routine checks like blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer screenings and pap tests.2
So what is it about the United States that makes us fat and tired? You might think that lack of exercise and easy access to fast food would explain it all. And certainly these are major contributors.
But scratch below the surface and you’ll find an even deeper problem. Our diet isn’t natural. Many of the foods we eat are processed beyond all recognition. Other foods contain high levels of sugar, refined carbohydrates and other additives that you would never find in nature.
If you want to live a longer, healthier and happier life, eat all the natural foods you love, including steak, omelets, salmon and lobster. Yes, you can become lean and healthy – and improve your cholesterol profile, lower your blood pressure, reverse your diabetes and lower your heart attack risk – while eating these fabulous foods.
My basic philosophy of eating – as I describe in The Doctor’s Heart Cure – is this: Eat foods that you enjoy in their natural, unadulterated forms. You can eat red meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, most vegetables, most fruits, berries and nuts.
But for a healthy heart, avoid such man-made foods as Twinkies, French fries, artificial cheese spread, processed meats and Wonder bread. It’s just that easy.
Get Back to Your Natural Diet with the Real Food Groups
Remember those four basic food groups from grade school health class? If you’ve forgotten them, don’t worry about it, they don’t tell you anything about your natural diet. They were a nutritionist’s attempt to make sense of a very contrived, artificial diet based on grains and other processed foods.
It’s simpler and much more consequential to think about your food according to the macronutrients they contain. A macronutrient is a nutrient that you burn for energy. There are three basic types: Proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
This is true if you’re talking about the diet of modern Americans, ancient cave dwellers or space station astronauts. Macronutrients are different chemically and structurally – and each has different function and a different hormonal response. The type of macronutrients you eat affects your metabolism, regardless of the number of calories you consume.
When you eat protein, your body produces growth hormones that build muscles. When you eat carbohydrates, your body secretes insulin to digest carbohydrates and build fat. And the effect of eating protein and carbohydrate has a “compounding” effect over time.
The body muscle or body fat that you build in response to protein or carbohydrate in your diet then further affects your metabolism. For instance, muscle stimulates testosterone and energy use, while fat stimulates estrogen and energy conservation.
Creating a lean physique at the same time you sidestep this modern epidemic of heart disease is easier than you think. You create both a lean body and a healthy heart by choosing the right quantity and quality of proteins and carbohydrates.
If you’re currently eating the “typical American diet,” this means increasing protein, decreasing carbohydrates and replacing bad fats with healthy fats.
Simply return to the mix of these macronutrients in your natural diet. This approach will lay the foundation for you to establish the weight and health you were born to enjoy. You will also enhance your energy and strength while losing body fat. Once you try this approach to eating, you’ll agree that it’s more enjoyable and easier to follow than the American Heart Association’s “low-fat” approach.
My 3 Easy Principles for Healthy Eating
You don’t have to count calories or record fat grams to achieve your ideal weight and maintain optimal cardiovascular health. All you have to do is eat the same ratio and quality of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that our ancient ancestors did.
- Principle #1: Eat protein at every meal.
- Principle #2: Limit carbohydrate intake.
- Principle #3: Eat natural fats.
The more you follow these three basic principles, the faster you’ll achieve the health and weight you want.
To Your Good Health,Al Sears, MD
P.S. – Start losing that extra fat today! Get all the details of my heart-healthy eating plan in The Doctor’s Heart Cure.
P.P.S. – Stay tuned… On Thursday, I’ll show you one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your natural fats!
1 Health Day News. Immigrants healthier than native New Yorkers. July 21, 2006.