Can We Compare the American Diet to the European Diet?

One of my readers posed this question for a blog:

“I just got back from Greece and noticed the locals are passionate about their bread, rice pasta and potatoes.  They have been eating these foods for over 5000 years.  Your recommendations are that these foods be minimized.  To be fair, many of the Greeks are obese.  Your recommendations seem to go against that history – please help!”

For years I’ve always wondered why my clients go to Europe and lose weight.  I thought it was due to all the walking and activity one does on a European vacation but over the last several years I changed my mind.

When I go to Europe I am able to eat bread, and more carbs than my body could ever handle at home in the United States.  How can this be?  The food supply in Europe is worlds apart from ours.  Not only do they have fresher food but the food supply has fewer additives, preservatives and processing than the US.  In addition, their animals are fed differently which affects how our bodies accept and process the meats, cheese, eggs, etc.

When genetically modified foods came out in the US, they were in Europe for a short time.  However, when studies showing the dangers of GMO foods were released, Europe did away with GMO’s in ONE week!

Europeans shop for their food on the way home from work, and usually for only one or two days only which is why they have small refrigerators.  Fresh unprocessed food is readily accepted and used by the body – causing less disease, weight issues and health concerns.

So in answer to the question our diet cannot be compared to the European diet. I believe many cases of food intolerances, carbohydrate sensitivity and insulin resistance are not only due to our genetics but our food supply.  If our foods were fresh and less processed my recommendations might be much different.

Next time you travel to Europe think about the food you are served, look at food if you happen to find yourself in the grocery store.  Notice how many fresh open air markets they have to pick up food on your travels.  The US may be advanced in many ways but hopefully food is on the way back to its roots – real, fresh and whole without alterations.

What Oil Do I Use?

One of the questions I hear most frequently in lectures and with my clients is “which oil should I be cooking with?”  This question turns out to be more complicated than you would think.  Years ago, most of the population ate butter. Then, experts reported that vegetable oils were a much healthier alternative, and many people switched to corn or vegetable oils.  This advice did not turn out to be true since weight, heart disease and diabetes have been rapidly increasingly.  The good news is that research on which oils are healthy has become clearer during the last year.  Choosing which oil to buy depends on the purpose – i.e. cooking versus using in salad dressing or baking. 

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that is useful in making salad dressing and marinating vegetables and meats.  If you are cooking with olive oil, only use it in recipes where the smoke point is between 200 to less than 400 degrees.  The best olive oil is cold-pressed, extra virgin since it contains both the good monounsaturated fat and powerful antioxidants known as Polyphenols.  This type of olive oil means the olives are processed within 24 hours of picking, which aids in retaining a higher quality product.  It is slightly cloudy due to the small particles of olive flesh in the oil.  Olive oil which is clear still contains the monounsaturated fat but is devoid of the Polyphenols.  “Lite” olive oil is a marketing gimmick that just refers to a milder flavor, rather than less fat and calories.

Coconut oil is a safe oil to cook with at high temperatures since it is saturated and the molecules cannot be damaged.  Organic coconut oil is best since it is free of pesticides.  Avoid high omega-6 oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oil. 

Canola oil, although high in omega-3 fatty acids, has a high sulfur content and can quickly become rancid.  It has been reported that baked goods made with canola oil can quickly develop mold. Due to the high level of rancidity, canola oil must be deodorized, and this process can increase the amount of trans fatty acids in canola oil, which negates the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids that are present.  In addition, since canola is the result of irradiated seeds from the oilseed rape, 80-85 percent of canola is GMO (genetically modified organism) and best to avoid.

The best oils to buy are cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, organic coconut oil, and to a lesser extent flax seed oil and other nut oils such as walnut, peanut or grapeseed.

Eating Non-GMO?

Last night I heard a lecture on: Is Our Food Safe: The Real Story About Genetically Engineered Food. Jeffrey Smith, one of the word’s experts on non-GMO eating, gave a very informative but disturbing lecture on the health risks of GMO foods.

What does it mean to eat non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods? The Center for Food Safety calls genetically modifying foods a “laboratory process of artificially inserting genes into the DNA of food crops or animals...GMO’s can be engineered with genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans.”

Why avoid GMO foods? Simply put, changing the DNA of a food crop will ultimately change the way the food acts in our bodies. This could wipe out the food’s health properties, almost replacing nature.

If a food product is labeled “certified organic” you can be assured there are no GMO products in it. Otherwise, it is necessary to check the labels for ingredients listed. What types of foods contain GMO components? The “Big Four” ingredients in processed foods are:

Corn – corn flour, meal, starch, gluten and syrup, and sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose
Soy – soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, isoflavone, vegetable oil, and vegetable protein
Canola – canola oil
Sugar – anything not listed as 100% cane sugar

The complete guide to eating non-GMO food can be food on the Center for Food Safety's website.

They have a handy shopping guide that shows which food manufacturers use only non-GMO products in addition to food products that contain GMO products. The process of eating clean now has to include non-GMO foods. It may require some effort but the health rewards are well worth it.