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November
13
7 Healthy Sins, The “Bad” Things That Are Actually Good for You
Filed under More Than Raw Foods by Frederic Patenaude
23
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Everything popular is wrong. Or so said Oscar Wilde.
You’ve been told by your friends and the media that certain things are bad for us, and the bashing is so common that many people are afraid to do the very things that would bring them one step closer to health. Yet, overwhelming evidence goes against this “common sense” knowledge.
Here is a list of 7 common things people think are bad for you, but are actually good for you, in no particular order.
1- Skipping Breakfast
We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. “Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and have dinner like a pauper” is an old saying.
The truth is, for most of human history, people of all cultures have typically only eaten two meals a day: lunch and dinner, or sometimes breakfast and lunch, with a light dinner. The ancient Romans ate an early breakfast, a very light lunch, and a large dinner.
In all examples you can find in history, people only had two large meals a day, and sometimes skipped the third one entirely.
The word “breakfast” in French (déjeuner) also means “breaking the fast,” but actually means the lunch meal, because that’s when people had their first meal of the day (breaking the fast). Eventually, as French people got wealthier, they started having something in the morning, and came up with the term “little breakfast” (petit déjeuner) to describe that morning meal.
Having regular meals is important, but skipping breakfast or any other meal occasionally does not have the terrible consequences that are expected.
A healthy person, with a healthy blood sugar, can easily skip breakfast without the terrible “blood sugar crash” that people expect when they don’t eat anything in the morning. In fact, if you can’t skip breakfast without feeling bad, it typically reflects the poor state of your health and your reliance on stimulants like coffee and sugar.
A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology showed that working out on an empty stomach has tremendous health benefits
(http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/)
Having a big breakfast before a workout, or in general, is especially bad for you. If you have a big breakfast, you should only do so after working out. Researchers found:
”The men who ate breakfast before exercising gained weight, too, although only about half as much as the control group. Like those sedentary big eaters, however, they had become more insulin-resistant and were storing a greater amount of fat in their muscles.
Only the group that exercised before breakfast gained almost no weight and showed no signs of insulin resistance. They also burned the fat they were taking in more efficiently. “Our current data,” the study’s authors wrote, “indicate that exercise training in the fasted state is more effective than exercise in the carbohydrate-fed state to stimulate glucose tolerance despite a hypercaloric high-fat diet.”
Another reason people may not eat breakfast, or have only a coffee in the morning, is because they eat late at night or snack after dinner. Skip this. It’s much better to eat during the day and burn off the energy, than to eat at night when you’re sedentary and then go to bed.
2- White Potatoes
White potatoes have been accused of being one of the worst “junk foods” you can eat. Some people swear by the “don’t eat anything white philosophy,” and avoid white flour, white rice, white sugar, and of course… white potatoes. It’s common knowledge that white potatoes turn into sugar, create a spike in blood sugar, and sugar makes you fat. Or is it?
Potatoes are one of the staples of civilization. Eating white potatoes is actually one of the healthiest choices you can make for your health. They cannot be classified along with white flour and white flour because white potatoes are a whole foods. They contain:
- Fiber (lots of it!)
- Vitamins and minerals
- Water
Did you know that white potatoes contain as much potassium as bananas?
Recently the executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission got mad because of all the bad rap that potatoes get. So he decided to live for 60 days on potatoes only! His diet consistent of almost 20 potatoes a day, and about 2 Tbs. of oil. (http://20potatoesaday.com/)
In this diet that almost everybody would think is bad for you, he:
- Lost 22 pounds
- Lowered his blood sugar
- Dropped his cholesterol from 214 to 147
- Dropped his triglycerides from 135 to 75
Potatoes are far from being bad for health. Entire cultures have lived on potatoes — white potatoes — and stayed in perfect health. It’s not potatoes that are bad, it’s all the stuff people add on them, like butter, cheese, bacon, and sour cream.
3- Carbs in General
Not only are white potatoes getting bad rap, but also all carbs in general, including fruit. Don’t eat carbs, we are told, they make you fat because sugar is converted into fat!
It should be noted that the healthiest and fittest cultures in the world live on very high-carb diets. I noticed it myself when traveling around the world, that the people eating the most fruit and the most rice (like the Thai and Filipinos), where the also the healthiest. Even in those cultures, the people that got fat were the people that ate OTHER foods like animal products and refined sugars typical of a Western Diet.
Physiologically, it is much easier for the body to store fat than to take sugar, convert it into fat, and then store that. Fat is useable immediately and can be stored by the body, without any effort.
People think that eating carbs and fruit raises blood sugar too much and this in turns lead to health problems. In reality, high carb, low-fat diets are a proven way to LOWER blood sugar to stable levels. See the work of Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. McDougall, Dr. Barnard, Dr. Ornish, and many others.
Excess fat in the blood stream lowers insulin sensitivity and this in turns contribute to high blood sugar levels, and eventually diabetes. Carbohydrates that contain fiber (like fruit) have a positive effect on blood sugar.
I have yet to see someone eating at least 75% carbohydrates and less than 10% of calories coming from fat not lose weight, improve their blood sugar and get healthier. Think about your friends and family that are telling you that carbs are bad for you. Are they healthy and fit? I didn’t think so.
Follow the diet that works and notice that healthy cultures, athletes and people living today all follow a high-carb lifestyle. I’m talking about the people that STAY fit and healthy for life, not those that follow a diet temporarily to lose weight, but then gain it back in a few months or years.
ALL the longest lived cultures with the most centenarians living today follow a high-carb, plant based diet (http://www.bluezones.com/) These include:
- The Okinawan
- The Island of Sardinia
- The 7th Day Adventists in the USA
- The Costa Ricans living in the Nicoya Peninsula
4- Overeating
Overeating is bad, but only if you eat high-caloric density foods. In other words, if you eat foods that have a lot of calories per WEIGHT, then yes, overeating is bad for you. Those foods include:
- Butter
- ALL oils
- Bread and pastries
- Nuts and Seeds
- Animal Products
However, if you eat foods with a low-caloric density and high water content, you can eat as much as you want, and NOT gained weight. The lowest calorie density foods are in order:
- Green vegetables (100 calories/lb)
- Fruit (250 calories/lb)
- Whole Grains and Root Vegetables (450 calories/lb)
- Beans (550 calories/lb)
On the other hand, the caloric density of white bread is 1500 calories/lb, and oil is 4000 calories/lb!
Overeating on low calorie foods is just not possible, because they take so much bulk and volume, with their high water and fiber content. Therefore, if you eat those foods alone, you will not gain weight, no matter what! And you will probably lose weight.
5- Pacing and Fidgeting
I’ve been told all my life that I pace and fidget too much. When I talk on the phone, I have trouble siting down and tend to pace frantically in the house! I also tend to move my feet and fingers constantly. I move a lot during my sleep. I’ve also never been overweight.
It may sound silly, but some studies have shown that fidgeting individuals have a higher metabolism and burn more calories per hours than “non-fidgeters” because of this “spontaneous activity.”
The point is not to develop new ticks you didn’t have, but instead to get your body moving as much as possible. Standing will burn more calories than sitting down. Just don’t sit still… you can do that when you’re dead.
6- Sunshine
Too much sunshine can cause DNA damage and age your skin. People are so frightened of skin cancer that they avoid sunshine entirely. That’s not a good idea.
Getting sunshine not only improves your mood and helps you make essential vitamin D, and has a surprisingly beneficial effect on overall health. A new study even came to the conclusion that exposure to sunshine has so many benefits that it outweighs the risks for skin cancer (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3320822/Sunshine-vitamin-D-and-heart-disease-protection-included.html)
Of course, many health seekers and raw foodists take this to the extreme and spend too much time in the sun, aging their skin and damaging it considerably.
I personally try to protect my face and am extremely careful in tropical environments, where sunshine can be brutal and unforgiving. No one enjoys having the lobster look!
7- Running
A lot of people seem to think that running is bad for you. When I tell people I like to run, they tell me, “Oh but you know it’s bad for your knees!” And then they remind me that all those marathon runners are not truly healthy.
Running, of course, is not a magical exercise. Running will not improve your strength training, and in itself, it’s not a truly complete fitness program. Running will also not cancel the benefits of a bad diet.
Yet, the remarkable thing about human beings is that we are truly designed for running. Human beings are natural-born runners. It’s the physical activity that takes us apart from other apes. (see: http://www.physorg.com/news95954919.html)
Some animals, like cheetahs, are built for speed, not endurance. Even your dog can easily outrun you with much less efforts. But don’t ask your dog or your cheetah pet to come join you on your next marathon!
Humans are built for endurance. Our waist is thinner and more flexible than other primates, and we cool off much faster (lack of fur). We can run in the heat, in the rain, and over very long distances. The experience of ultra-marathon runners has certainly proved that!
Most animals develop heat stroke after running just 10 kilometers, but not humans. This probably enabled early humans to chase down some animals, like some tribes in Africa do, in order to survive. The practice is even called “persistence hunting.”
As for running being bad for joints, newer research proves that it’s not the case at all (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1948208,00.html)
A study tracked over 1000 runners (quoted in the Time article) for 21 years.
When the Stanford team tabulated the data, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008, it found that the runners’ knees were no more or less healthy than the nonrunners’ knees. And It didn’t seem to matter how much the runners ran. “We have runners who average 200 miles a year and others who average 2,000 miles a year. Their joints are the same,” says James Fries, a professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford and the leader of the research group. The study also found that runners experienced less physical disability and had a 39% lower mortality rate than the nonrunners.
Of course, there are some risks to running. Running with bad form, or while eating a Standard American Diet (which may increase your risk of developing arthritis) will take its toll on the body.
If you enjoy running, there’s no reason to avoid it because some lazy, inactive people tell you that it will “ruin your joints.” Research clearly debunks that myth, and the fact that the human being is a natural runner explains why running is so popular. I highly recommend getting some coaching from a trainer who can advise you on how to have proper running posture for better agility and to prevent injury. (Check out www.joyinmovement.com) Almost every person I see running on the trails have terrible posture and are actually straining themselves by running incorrectly.
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Do you find it hard to eat raw during the day, but difficult at night?
Do you find that when dinner arrives, you crave something more savory than a simple fruit meal or a smoothie?
Do you find that literally all of your cravings for cooked and/or unhealthy junk food occur after 5 p.m.?
Our “Savory Raw Dinner Recipes” DVD set is available for pre-orders:
http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/savory
23 Responses to “7 Healthy Sins, The “Bad” Things That Are Actually Good for You”
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I really enjoy your blog. Ive been looking around alot for some quality information, but I always seem to find junk. I I found yours on Google and I’ll surely be back soon. Thanks alot for all the info.
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Filippa says:
GREAT article!!! Interesting stuff about the potatoes and running. Thank u.
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Thanks for this! I wonder if the folks at 30 bananas a day know about the guy who lived on 20 potatoes a day!!
Very interesting that this guy’s blood work seemed to reflect my own when I went LFRV after a few months. I was eating raw greens and fruits (with some raw nuts, seeds, and oil), and tgis guy was eatink cooked potatoes! I wish I could learn more about his energy levels and if he had to take any supplements.
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Geri says:
Thank You Frederic for this article it is Right On..Keep up the excellent work.
I got thru chewing some Raw food Guru out here ( a week of so ago) about knocking grains..Hmm.. let me see, the bible mentions grains that r good 4 us…along come some men on the planet and make all these judgments about something which they are Clueless.
Anyway thank you for all that you do.
Hugs,
Geri
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I like your article a lot. Especially the part on White Potatoes. The potato was instrumental in helping alleviate poverty in Europe a few hundred years ago as it was a “high calorie per acre” crop and the enemy could not destroy their food supply as it was under ground. One way to fight world hunger is to start promoting local gardening and include lots of greens (Kale, collard greens, swiss chard, etc.) and potatoes. Just my opinion.
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Nancy says:
I always enjoy your information. I am really looking forward to the book and DVD’s that I ordered. It is my Christmas present but I am going to open it early so I can make some of the yummy food for Christmas.
Nancy -
I’m always grateful to read something that isn’t trying to be extreme or fad-like. The potato controversy is a lot like the Egg debate – people don’t really think deeply about what this great food really is – it’s easier for people to lump it into a ‘carb’, ‘starch’, or ‘white foods’ category.
The neat thing about potatoes and other ‘whole foods’ (like the whole egg) is that they might be more dense than, say, leafy greens, but you are full much longer! If I have a salad for dinner at 6 – by 9 I’m desperately looking for something to snack on. If I have a nice boiled or baked potato with the meal I’ll find myself content for the rest of the evening. Moreover – if you’re snacking late at night it isn’t on leafy greens! It’s on crackers or junk food more often than not.
Re: Petit déj… all the French meals are ‘petit’ in comparison with Western meals! The French families I’ve lived with have been very reasonable with breakfast – and even the rich baked goods that were sold in the streets and shops where I lived were miniscule compared to American donuts, bear claws, Starbucks 800-calorie muffins… etc. We’d eat a banana and a small natural yogurt, maybe granola with yogurt, etc. If I treated myself to a Tartine – it consisted of just a few small bites – not half a pie’s worth in one sitting.
I am quite horrified that ‘Mc Do’ has done so well in France – a culture with such incredible balance, variety, and mastery of their foods. It just goes to show you that quick-and-cheap is just too easy to pass up in any society.
Keep up the great posts!
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juan says:
Great article Frederic. Thank you
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Excellent article Fred! I agree with all of them for sure.
1. While I don’t that you should make a point to skip a morning meal if you are unable to stomach enough calories into two meals (a fruit based diet is difficult enough for some people to adjust to!) I don’t buy into saying that skipping it is terrible for you. I recently started eating two meals a day and can easily do so while still getting enough calories in. I know Doug Graham and others follow the same 2 meals a day program.
2. While I don’t eat potatoes anymore (sweet just tastes better than starch!) white potatoes are most certainly not what is causing rampant cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. It’s all the oil and animal products people dump on them! They turn into helpless vehicles transporting fat and flesh!
6. This is one that is spread all too often. Sunshine is absolutely essential for good health, including the cleansing it does on our blood and lymphatic fluid. Best to expose sunlight to as much of your body as possible, but only how much you can handle relative to how dark your tan is. Any more is just harmful.
Loved this article Fred, keep ‘em coming!
Chris Randall
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For some reason, people keep referring to the diet of the Okinawa’s as a “plant based diet”, failing to let people know that they do of course eat fish (they live on an island). I’m not sure how much fish, reports seem to vary from “a little” to 11% ( http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/wl/2001/wlFeatured0901.html ) , which is quite significant.
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Thanks for the article Frédéric, I enjoyed reading it.
One clarification please regarding white potatoes: I generally avoid them and opt for the sweet potatoes or yam because my understanding was that white potatoes have a high glycemic index.
Can you comment on that?
Thanks again.
Christine -
Is Savory Raw Dinner Receipes going to be available as just an ebook that we can purchase by itself?
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Hi Frederic,
since about six months I’ve been following your posts, and every time you convince me that there is e lot of nonsense going on in the raw food world. Your posts seem sane to me and make sense. I am especially glad with your comment about white potatoes. I have been eating raw food for a while now, but never 100 percent, simply because I am still too addicted to some cooked foods. I do however eat breakfast (smoothie) and lunch raw, and only for tea and dinner take more cooked foods (these days when it’s cold outside I eat mostly cooked dinners). But often I choose for a salad for dinner, to which I add some cooked white potatoes, and sometimes some string beans as well (can’t eat them raw, not me). That is really my most satisfying meal. So thanks for your post which tells me that it’s right that I feel better on such a meal. Somehow I seem to need outside confirmation about how I feel about what I eat… -
Jerome says:
Hi Fred!
Good article!!
Just one thing though, you say: “if you eat those foods alone (low caloric density foods, which means fruits and vegetables), you will not gain weight, no matter what”I believe that you absolutely can gain weight, healthy muscle mass, if you want to and train for it!
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Nice post! My complements! Can you write an article about surviving with healthy whole foods in the winter in cold climates
I am thinking about adding potatoes and beans to my diet (fruit and vegetables are getting expensive 60 Euro per week and rising to meet my calorie requirements) -
Marina says:
Great as always. Thanks!!!!
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Frederic Patenaude says:
I meant to say “You will not gain EXCESS weight”…
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The glycemic index is nothing to worry about, in a nutshell. People eating some foods that are “higher” on the glycemic index like dates and potatoes do not have elevated blood sugar levels. What matters is your insulin sensitivity. I could do an article about this but for now the usefulness of the glycemic index is extremely limited.
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It’s true that Okinawans eat fish. It’s still a plant-based diet though. And keep in mind that people living to ages beyond 100 also grew up in a time when animal products were extremely limited, and when most calories in their diet came from sweet potatoes (at some point up to 85%).
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I really agree with all of these. So many people think you have to eat breakfast, avoid all breads and carbs, and eat a high protein (read meat) diet to be healthy, which is simply untrue. I also fidget constantly, and agree with the petit déjeuner is an invention of our wealth and food abundance – I enjoy a large meal for either breakfast or lunch then taper off for the remainder of the day. Typically either breakfast or dinner is a green smoothie, so I really only have two meals per day. I know of some people who eat eight meals a day, and I used to be one of those people, but now I just don’t have the energy to eat that much, it is too much work! I also get sick of hearing how bad white potatoes are for you. I mean, come on, its a potato! Its not like you are funneling sugar or something. I can’t have too much gluten because it makes me ill so things like potatoes are really a lifesaver
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Rae says:
About the potatoes, do you mean they’re all right just as a transition food or as a permanent staple food? I’ve been reading Arnold Ehret’s book Rational Fasting, and he says cooked potatoes are mucus forming, but I think grains are much more so.
BTW, apparently some people think his death wasn’t really accidental since his own superb health and his teachings about diet were perceived as a threat to the medical establishment. Some things never change!
