When Michael Wood M.S., M.P.H. went to the dentist back in 2014 he got the surprising question “What do you eat?” He ate by the USDA Guidelines, so what could possibly be the problem with his diet? But, since he had some health problem it did make him question his diet. That later led him to a low-carb diet. This is Michael’s story:
In mid-2014, my dentist told me my gums bled too much when he cleaned my teeth. “What do you eat?” he asked. “What is your HbA1c? What is your blood pressure?”
My blood glucose was pre-diabetic; my blood pressure was a bit too high. I ate by the USDA Guidelines.
I have degrees in health and physical education from two Big Ten universities. For eight years I’d worked in public health and nine years I ran my own wellness company; for 20 years I’d consulted with large health plans and employers.
And in 2014, learned I got nutrition all wrong — the entire time.
My master’s degree in health education research taught me epidemiology, research design and statistics. My master’s degree in public health taught me how to change health behavior. But nobody taught me how to critically evaluate the science of nutrition, which is based primarily on observational data, not experiments.
I had learned about nutrition during my career by reading journal articles and attending conferences where I was universally told that sugar was harmless and that we should follow a low-fat diet, eat lots of carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and use margarine or polyunsaturated oils for cooking and dressings. I was also told — and believed — that high cholesterol causes heart disease.
I didn’t question any of it. After all, the research conducted over the past 60 years was peer-reviewed and seemed conclusive and infallible. Famous nutrition low-fat researchers like Fredrick Stare, Jean Mayer, Ancel Keyes, Nathan Pritikin, Kenneth Cooper, William Kannel, William Castelli, Dean Ornish and Jeremiah Stamler were gods to me.
But NOT NOW.
Now I know that they were blinded by their near-religious belief that saturated fats are bad for health, polyunsaturated fats are healthy and that grains—especially whole grains — are good. They deliberately ignored evidence to the contrary.
The US government continues to ignore scientific evidence that saturated fats really aren’t a problem and that grains and added sugars (in 74 percent of our food products) are not healthy for anyone with carbohydrate intolerance or insulin resistance.
After my wake-up call at the dentist, I became absorbed by all of Taubes’ work. Soon I began studying nutrition science in earnest, and I haven’t stopped. I’ve also read books by Teicholz, Ludwig, Westman/Volek/Phinney and DiNicolantonio, as well as hundreds of articles and watched lectures across the nutrition spectrum (including vegan and vegetarian researchers).
All this research has convinced me that low-carb eating is the best approach for nearly all human beings currently eating a Standard American Diet all around the world.
For almost four decades I ate a low-fat, whole-grain diet that included margarine and PUFAs. I ate lots of fruits and vegetables. I ran 15 miles per week for 30 years. And look where it got me: When I switched to a low-carb way of eating, I lost 30 pounds (13 kilos) of fat, lowered my HbA1c from 6.3 to 5.8, lost three inches (8 cm) off my waist, cut my triglycerides in half and reduced my blood pressure from 140/90 to 110/70. My high coronary artery calcium score of 514 was caused by following those established dietary guidelines for 40 years. A score greater than 100 is associated with at least mild atherosclerosis.
Since 2014 I have learned the following, all of which are discussed in more detail on Diet Doctor and in the work of other low-carb pioneers like Taubes, Teicholz, Westman, Phinney and Volek:
The USDA “low fat” nutritional guidelines have been wrong since 1980, corresponding exactly to the increasing epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
Reducing carbohydrate intake is vital for most people and moreover, a growing body of high-quality research evidence shows it is safe and effective.
We should all cut the most highly processed foods from our diet. Eating saturated fat is healthy, but highly-refined industrial seed oils are not.
Protein and fat from animal-sourced products are nutrient dense and healthy, too.
Sugar is a dose-related toxin.
Many people cannot tolerate grains, even whole grains.
Eggs are a near perfect food, leafy green vegetables are just fine, but fruit can make blood sugar soar.
Calculating Calories-In-Calories-Out (CICO) doesn’t work as a weight loss method — it actually causes people to become fat and not be able to lose weight over the long run.
Chronically high insulin from high carbohydrate intake and the resulting insulin resistance are at the core of our metabolic health/obesity problems.
I admit now I was just plain wrong, and I apologize to my colleagues, clients, family and friends. I’m afraid that I contributed to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. I have relatives and friends who’ve died prematurely from metabolic diseases. My sister has diabetes, as did my late father.
I was dogmatically wed, as are most people in medicine and public health today, to a set of misleading, weak and falsified data influenced by sugar and soft drink companies, seed oil companies, the NIH and other “expert” organizations, often funded by pharmaceutical and processed food companies.
This low-fat dogma has made strange bedfellows of the food and pharmaceutical industries, governments and health organizations, religion-based nutritionists (influenced by the Seventh-Day Adventist church) and passionate, albeit misguided and misinformed, vegans trying to do the right thing.
Sure, some people can do OK eating a vegetarian diet. But as they age, and their metabolism slows with the toll of 60 to 80 percent of their diets being carbs, I fear their pancreas may eventually burn out, liver fat accumulate, blood pressure rise secondary to inflammation and pre-diabetes/diabetes develop. I’ve known several long-time vegetarians who’ve had heart attacks and bypasses. They eat Trader Joe’s oat cereal “O’s” with almond milk, orange juice, whole wheat toast and “healthy” margarine. And they have heart attacks, nevertheless.
The preponderance of evidence, my personal experience and the experience of thousands of others has led me to the conclusion that restricting carbohydrates to one’s individual tolerance is healthy; and that meat, seafood, high-fat dairy, low-carb vegetables and fruit oils (avocado, coconut and olive) are health-promoting, affordable and environmentally sustainable ways of eating. See Allan Savory’s work on “regenerative agriculture” and Diet Doctor’s three-part Green Keto Eater Series:
Individuals, families, employers, schools, health care institutions, and the government could achieve better health and spend far less on health care, including prescription drugs, if we all ate in a low-carb way, individualized for each of us; even people with diabetes under a physician’s supervision can put their disease into remission.
One of the ways I decided to “pay it forward” was to instigate Low Carb Seattle, through the help of LowCarbUSA, May 3-5, 2019. Many of my heroes will be speaking, including Eric Westman, Ted Naiman, Gary Taubes, Megan Ramos and David Diamond. I hope to see your there!
Michael Wood, M.S., M.P.H., advises early stage, consumer health companies & organizations. His 40-year career includes co-inventing the first 24-hour nurse-advice line/decision support service, and consulting with Fortune 500 companies on health & wellness for their employees. He is the president & CEO of Michael Wood Health Consulting, Inc.
Comment
Thank you for your story Michael. I agree that most people would likely have better health if they restricted processed carbs and sugar intake. Whether everyone would benefit from a low-carb lifestyle beyond that, even if they do not have diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity or similar conditions, is less certain. But it could most likely be a better option than a Standard American Diet.
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I'm very impressed with this article, I had the exact same problem. Growing up I was overweight and my parents forced me on a vegetarian diet, but it didn't stop my growing wasteline, and from my teens on it was a nightmare of diets. In my adulthood following the pyramid didn't help now I have diabetes and put on a low carb diet. It's the only one were I wasn't starving and worked.
So what you are saying is that the research that the people did in the past years is all a bunch of lies but your research that you did now is the honest truth so what makes you so much better than them
This article is 100% correct. It happened to me being vegan for a long time. I gained wait and metrics looked worse over time. I am wrester training six times a week. SUGAR is poison. And we have been mislead for decades to consume high fructose corn syrup which is virtually in everything today in the US.
I'm morbidly obese with uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver and so on. I have read a large variety of nutritional information and I believe everything in this blog to be true. I'm currently working on changing my way of eating and convinced that I will lose the weight and be healthy for the first time when I succeed.
Yup, this works. I wasn't a terrible eater, i would refuse desert at least 9/10 times. High cholesterol and high triglycerides run in my family. Tried vegan and vegetarian diets. Tried keto and in 6 months, with lots of cheat days, my triglycerides which were 636 fell to 324 (still too high but way better). My total chol dropped and my LDL (bad chol which couldn't be calculated with the high Triglicerides, were able to be calculated. I think, because of avoiding prepackaged "food", my bp has been lower & my kidney function had improved. It also fixed my "bad stomach" which used to have me running to the bathroom a zillion times a day.
A heart doctor put me on this no carb diet in 1975. I lost weight and felt wonderfull. When I eat carbs
,I feel bad, slow brain and put on a lot of soft fat. Daily I eat eggs,cabbage,tuna and Greek Yourht. Being 79years old ,taking no Rx and enjoying life.
Look around, Mike. We elected an in your face liar and crook for president. Good people gave us this particular disaster out in the open. This guy actually showed us in bright lights who he is. You don’t think masses of people wouldn’t believe more subtle lies shoveled to you by economic and power interests in the corporate and medical side who are little concerned with your health? Do you think we would EVER even see the back side of a real study funded by Coke that proved once and for all its damage to humans. Like the tobacco industry-They just hide it and pay off “researchers”. These are the real death panels and they have chosen to continue to make $ on your, shall I say, blindness.
Excellent article! The author does a great job of expressing the shame that I too felt as a university professor when I realized that I had been teaching nutritional dogma that was more like religion than science. All we can do is to try to teach how wrong we were by showing the science. It's a great talking point about how poorly conducted science can influence public policy and lead to a health disaster.
Hi Mike, give it a try. If it works for you,won’t that be great?
I know that I feel so much better than I have in years. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything but I have gained more energy and a clearer mind and improved health.
So what you are saying is that the research that the people did in the past years is all a bunch of lies but your research that you did now is the honest truth so what makes you so much better than them
Not an everyday fan of President Trump, but what does he have to do with this? Surely you could counter Mike’s argument -which is exactly what crossed my mind while reading, btw - without being so emotional. A response like #11 will do more to convince someone to keep and open mind.
Thank you, Amanda, for your input. It puts some of us in difficult situations when we’re supposed to teach one way, but we convinced of the positive impact of another.
Hi guys, new guy, I am 58, just started this lifestyle of clean eating, 40 days ago, of Low carbs, 20g per day or less. Are you ready?
Stats, 455 lbs, High BP, Bad Hip, Pre- Diabetic. On Metformin. Cannot get my hip replaced ( limping and in pain every day) until I get my BMI to 40. Forced to WAKE UP. Was an athlete, never a square jaw but fit, strong ( power lifter), Construction Contractor, despite being fat.
Program: Lifestyle
Striving for less Consumption across the board, TV, Food, News. Eating two times a day. sometimes one now. As I do not feel the need to eat as much as I did in the beginning, during the Feed hours of the 16-20 hour fasting state. ( Disciplined BTW) , not much GYM time yet. Just floor and body weight stuff because of the lack of mobility from the hip.
I have struggled with being overweight my entire life, lost 150 twice already, BTW, both times, low carb but never to this degree. Always went back to balanced eating of the prescribed guidelines.
Now, Keto adaptation is proving itself to be fantastic for me. I am more alert, sleep better, and have no more constant bowel movements , and IBS.
Wow. Keep you posted. today, weighed 430.8. But for me it has been about how I feel. So much better. Motivated.
Will take it as it comes. No race. Life.
Great Article, and yes, sad that we had all been given bad information, from Science, Coaches.
My Great Grandmother had it right all along. Hilarious. No Bread. Just meat, veggies.
Grateful to be able to read all the input from others.
Sorry for being windy.
This list needs looking at again, more carefully. Without checking, I'm sure Ancel Keyes should not be here - he promoted the Med diet (early Pioppi Diet) which is the low-carb, high fat diet we all believe in... And aren't Pritikin & Ornish both plant-based diet people ?
"....Famous nutrition low-fat researchers like Fredrick Stare, Jean Mayer, Ancel Keyes, Nathan Pritikin, Kenneth Cooper, William Kannel, William Castelli, Dean Ornish and Jeremiah Stamler were gods to me...."
Mike @ comment #2. What is out there today is REAL research-based facts. What you were fed for all those years by others was hypothesis and supposition fueled by the processed-food industry and ignorance. Dig in and find the facts. This is not sandbox play. This is real and it affects scores of people. Unfortunately it is too late for many. But maybe not too late for you. We do need to be "much better than" we were before....much smarter, more skeptical (real research stands up to scrutiny) and with that, we will be much healthier. That is a fact.
Mike, I had the very same questions you do. It is completely valid to question LCHF since it is contrary to everything we have been taught and all standard medical advice. The thing that changed my mind was reading "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz. She is an investigative journalist who came with an open mind, read all the studies, interviewed all the researchers, and was shocked by what she discovered. The book was published in 2014 and since then there has been a great deal of public interest in LCHF and increasing research in support of it.
,I feel bad, slow brain and put on a lot of soft fat. Daily I eat eggs,cabbage,tuna and Greek Yourht. Being 79years old ,taking no Rx and enjoying life.
I know that I feel so much better than I have in years. I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything but I have gained more energy and a clearer mind and improved health.
Stats, 455 lbs, High BP, Bad Hip, Pre- Diabetic. On Metformin. Cannot get my hip replaced ( limping and in pain every day) until I get my BMI to 40. Forced to WAKE UP. Was an athlete, never a square jaw but fit, strong ( power lifter), Construction Contractor, despite being fat.
Program: Lifestyle
Striving for less Consumption across the board, TV, Food, News. Eating two times a day. sometimes one now. As I do not feel the need to eat as much as I did in the beginning, during the Feed hours of the 16-20 hour fasting state. ( Disciplined BTW) , not much GYM time yet. Just floor and body weight stuff because of the lack of mobility from the hip.
I have struggled with being overweight my entire life, lost 150 twice already, BTW, both times, low carb but never to this degree. Always went back to balanced eating of the prescribed guidelines.
Now, Keto adaptation is proving itself to be fantastic for me. I am more alert, sleep better, and have no more constant bowel movements , and IBS.
Wow. Keep you posted. today, weighed 430.8. But for me it has been about how I feel. So much better. Motivated.
Will take it as it comes. No race. Life.
Great Article, and yes, sad that we had all been given bad information, from Science, Coaches.
My Great Grandmother had it right all along. Hilarious. No Bread. Just meat, veggies.
Grateful to be able to read all the input from others.
Sorry for being windy.
John
"....Famous nutrition low-fat researchers like Fredrick Stare, Jean Mayer, Ancel Keyes, Nathan Pritikin, Kenneth Cooper, William Kannel, William Castelli, Dean Ornish and Jeremiah Stamler were gods to me...."