Low Carbohydrate

Question: People trying to lose weight on a low carbohydrate vs a conventional carbohydrate diet ? Why do they do better at losing weight using the low carbohydrate diet from a biochemical standpoint.

Answer: First check out what is your blood group and what diet is good for your health . Basically there are 3 types of Diet + ----- HIGHLY BENEFICIAL, FOOD ACTS LIKE MEDICINE O ----- NEUTRAL FOOD X ----- AVOID, FOOD ACTS LIKE A POISON Check out what diet helps lose or gain weight and what diet is really good to be healthy based on your blood group . -Blood group O is for Old.- Type O. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Sweetcorn Kidney beans Cabbage Brussel sprout Cauliflower "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Sea food Iodized salt Liver Red meat Spinach Broccoli -Blood group A is for Agrarian.-__ Type A. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Meat Dairy foods Kidney beans Lima beans Wheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Vegetable oils Soya foods Vegetables Pineapple -Blood group B is for Balance.-__ Type B. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Lentils Sweetcorn Peanuts Sesame seeds Buckwheat Wheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Green vege Meat Lamb Liver Eggs __ Blood group Type AB. http://www.diskovery.co.in/how_to_loose_weight__how_to_gain_weight "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT GAIN" Red meat Kidney beans Seeds Sweetcorn Buckwheat "FOODS ENCOURAGE WEIGHT LOSS" Liv 52 Tofu Seafood Green vege Dairy products Alkaline fruits Pineapples

Question: I have been on a low carbohydrate diet for a while. How do I get back on regular diet? I have been on a low carbohydrate diet for a while and had some amazing results. Now I need to know what is the safest way to get back on a regular carb diet. I am worried that I gain fat in that transition. Thank you

Answer: Low carb diets are not healthy over the long term so it is great you have decided to change. No food group is the culprit in weight gain, it is just that people eat way too much of all foods. If you have been eating no carbs, then add some slowly like steamed veggies and salad. Then choose high fiber breads, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, beans, and brown rice as excellent sources of carbohydrates.

Question: HELP! Which type of bread has the lowest carbohydrate level? Other low carbohydrate recipies? I am doing an assessment and have to produce a low carbohydrate for a triathlete completing a carbohydrate loading program. However, i want to include bread in the diet. Which bread form has the lowest carbohydrate level? Would also appreciate any other recipies for meals or snacks that have low carbohydrate levels, providing energy from fats and proteins.

Answer: I use weight watchers bread because I am diabetic and also have a ton of low carb recipes . Spaghetti w /creamy tomatoe pepper sauce 2 tblsp olive oil 1 sm onion chopped 2 tblsp minced garlic 1 lrg bell pepper chopped 2 lrg tomatoes 1/4 c fat free half and half 1/2 c grated 2% parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp black pepper 8 c whole wheat spaghetti Hear oil in large skillet over med low heat. add onion and garlic. cook over med heat 5 min or untill onion is soft,stirring constantly . Add bell pepper cook 4 min or untill pepper is crisp tender. stir in tomatoes . 2. Remove from heat let cool 2 minutes. return skillet to heat . gradually stir in half and half,cheese and black pepper.reduce heat to low,cook 5 minutes or until heated through. serve over spaghetti.

Question: low carbohydrate ...? For the last few days I have practically cut out carbs such as bread pastas, cakes, pasties, chocolate. I love chocolate and could quite easily demolish two very large bars of cadburys wholenut no problem. I have put on about 1stone in the last 2 months, probably because I am content in a new relationship too and I have eaten alot of things I wouldnt have before such as high calorie foods like chinese, indian, plus the chocolate!! So now I am cutting down. I love making my own stir fries with broccoli, spinach, onions, garlic and adding protein such as chicken and fish. The last three days ive eaten a breakfast of boiled eggs then for lunch and eveing meal ive rustled up a vegatable dish with chicken, tofu or fish. I have also combined this with one hour evening walks. Today I have a headache and im dying for a bag of crisps and chocolate..is this my body weaning itself from sweets/carbs or am I not eating enough of the right stuff? I am 9st 7lbs and want to lose 8/lbs.

Answer: I have been doing low carb for about 4 years now and it works well for me. I think i remember craving bread and pasta at first, but then i saw the weight loss and it went away. I dont think your getting a good breakfast though, i have plain yogurt (low fat) with strawberrys and low fat granola sprinkled on top (not much). It keeps me full till lunch and gives me plenty of energy. Make sure you include fruit, like a banana to give you energy, i know there a carbs in that but its the good ones. Dont deprive yourself either, maybe once or twice a week have a carb, but in moderation and make sure its brown rice or wholemeal pasta or wholegrain bread etc. I am the same and love my chocolate, that is never ever going to stay out of my diet! i think a few squares now and again wont do you any harm, i sometimes have quite alot in one night, but then wont have any for ages after, but i think thats ok to do when you are at your goal weight

Question: Need help with a low carbohydrate diet for a vegetarian? I'm an 18 year old, female, vegetarian (I do not consume any fish or meat) currently living in the UK. My diet right now is full of carbohydrates and I know this is becoming detrimental to my health and I'm having a really hard time trying to lose weight. Can anybody please help me work out a low carbohydrate diet to help improve my health and help aid weight loss? Thanks.

Answer: Fat won't make you fat, but low fat, high carb diet sure will. It's very hard to maintain weight on a vegetarian diet unless it's extremely low calories. It's almost impossible to lose weight even with low calories. Excess fat accumulation is a symptom of a hormonal problem caused by excess carbs triggering excess insulin. The blood stream needs to be free of insulin before fat will be released. I'm not trying to convert anyone to being a meat eater only health conscious. Starches, sugar, fruit do not promote weight loss, they do promote weight gain. As a vegetarian you need to be vigilant to meeting your protein requirements. I have major concerns about soy products effecting thyroid health. If you could add eggs to your diet, that would solve a multitude of problems. I would suggest you convert your diet to more of a fat based (mainly coconut oil & olive oil) diet with much more low glycemic vegetables. Stay vigilant about meeting your protein requirements but try to keep your carbs <9grams per hour. I would suggest not eating many starches that don't significantly contribute to protein requirements. Significantly increase your consumption of nuts (peanuts are a legume not a nut - peanuts are fine, just realize the difference), flax seeds, chia seeds, spirulina. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice & beans) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase muscle mass with high HGH levels. You have chosen a way of eating that needs you to know a great deal about nutrition and how the body processes foods. I wouldn't try to dissuade you but encourage you to educate yourself fully. Weight gain is a symptom of a problem, not the problem. I would highly suggest chia seeds - 3.5 oz is nearly 500 calories, half calories from fat (high in Omega3 fatty acids) & 16grams of COMPLETE protein for 6grams carbs & 63% DV Calcium - 95% Phosphorus - 23% Zinc - 9% Copper - 108% Manganese. Spirulina & chlorella are also good complete vegetarian protein sources. During the first 2 weeks, you can have several cups of salads. Jicama, cucumber, celery & radish marinated in sesame oil & hot pepper flakes with rice wine vinegar & artificial sweetener. Make a stir fry with Bok Choy, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, celery, mushrooms, shirataki noodles. Ground flax seed (2-3 Tbsp) 1/4 cup of water, cinnamon, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle and nuke for 1.5 min. for hot cereal or 2 min. for more of a muffin type thing. Great low carb, high fiber treat. After the 2 week induction, you add 5 grams of carbs per day every week and add a much greater variety of non starchy vegetables. Change your mindset - eat what you like to eat, just adapt it to low carb - replace bread with lettuce replace pasta with cabbage replace rice with cauliflower replace potatoes with brocolli I eat all my favorite Chinese, Italian, even Mexican foods with low carb foods. Cabbage makes an excellent pasta substitute (for me) Make a lasagna with blanched cabbage leaves & thinly fried eggplant instead of noodles. Sugar free pasta sauce over fried cabbage. I add greens & flaxseed or chia seed for body. Alfredo sauce is also low carb. I don't cook often but I have gone into the forums for recipes (especially when I first started low carb) I was shocked that fried "rice" made with grated cauliflower tasted just like it's name sake. Shirataki noodles are traditional in Japanese sukiyaki and low carb. I've heard faux mashed "taters" made with cauliflower & cream cheese can fool non low carbers. "potato" salad using cauliflower instead. Chia seeds sound so expensive but 1# will make 10# food Faux tapioca - 1 cup of water & add cup of chia seeds, after they have started to absorb the water, add in 4 cans of coconut milk & artificial sweetener if you like and mix it all in. Can be eaten after an hour but will be better tomorrow. Cream a pkg. of cream cheese into a can of pumpkin and add to the faux tapioca for an even more nutritious pumpkin pie pudding. (berries are lowest glycemic) Cheesecake - strawberry ice cream (frozen berries, cream, a stick blender) avocado/mayo/cayenne dip - olives Pumpkin soup * 1/2 cup onion, minced * 1 garlic clove, minced * 1 tablespoon italian seasoning * 1-2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped * 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin * 4 cups broth * 1/2 cup heavy cream * 1/2 cup water Directions 1.add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning a

Question: if im on a no carbohydrate or really really low carbohydrate.? if im on a no carbohydrate or really really low carbohydrate. can i still eat a whole egg? please help because im on the atkins diet and i heard that i can eat it.

Answer: The white of the egg is protein and the yolk is made up of fat. There is ONE g of carbs in an egg, and it doesn't come from a starch or a sugar. Eat away!...but little to none of the yolk, though

Question: What is a low carbohydrate diet? I need to go on a low carbohydrate diet does anyone have a good one or know where I can get information on it?

Answer: Hi there, I highly recommend the diet that Diabetic are on ! I am a type 2 diabetic and I am on insulin,and a shot for lowering my blood sugar also a pill. I have lost 40 lbs by sticking to this diet.

Question: why do triglycerides decrease on a low carbohydrate high fat and protein diet? you would think the opposite would be true. What do simple carbohydrates do with triglycerides to make them increase or decrease? I was worried about my tri levels because I have been low carb lifestyle with great success so far and I was reading a little Dr. Atkins and he said that triglyceride levels drop on a low carb diet but didn't say why or how. thank you YA!!! : )

Answer: Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease. Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008) Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion. There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. Carbohydrates trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day). U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians. Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat Gary Taubes who wrote "Good Calories, Bad Calories" spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly. His main points are: 1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease. 2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis. 3. Sugars - sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically - are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs. 4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's & other diseases. 5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating. 6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter. 7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism. Fat synthesis & storage exceed the mobilization of fat from adipose tissue & its subsequent oxidation. 8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue. 9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat. 10. By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger & decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism & physical activity.

Question: What is considered to be a low carbohydrate count? I have been trying to lose weight and one of the things I'm trying to do is limit carbs. I read the nutrition labels on everything. I know what is a low amount of grams for fat and sugars, but I really don't know where the line is between low carbs and high carbs. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Thank you. I'm not necessarily on a no carb diet, I just want to change to a lifetime healthy eating plan. I don't know what is considered to be a healthy carb intake for each day or each meal.

Answer: Your main sources of carbs are dairy, bread, pasta, pototoes, beans, corn, rice and other cereal grains. Eliminate these from your diet and you will be eating low carb. IMO anything below 50g of carbs/day would qualify as low.

Question: What foods can you eat on a low carbohydrate diet? I am particularly interested in fruits and vegetables because I think that most fruit contains a lot of sugar and some vegetables are also high in sugar. Can you recommend some that would be even low to medium in sugar? Thank you for your help

Answer: The first 2 weeks eat several cups a day of (mostly) lettuce & celery, cucumbers, radishes, mushrooms, peppers & more variety of vegetables thereafter - add 5 grams per day additional every week (20 grams day first 2 weeks, 25grams 3rd week, 30grams 4th week etc) til you gain weight, then subtract 10grams. That will be your personal carb level (everyone is different & depends on how active you are.) The Atkins site listed below shows all the acceptable vegetables, the first 2 weeks in ketosis requires a very low level of carbs, so it's more restrictive, but a greater variety is allowed thereafter. Berries are allowed after 6 weeks, other fruits are allowed after 8 weeks. You can lose more body fat eating protein & fat (don't eat protein alone) than not eating AT ALL. To lose weight fast, eat all you want, but nothing but meat, eggs, healthy oils, mayo, butter & half an avocado a day (for added potassium). Keep the calories high & the fat percentage high, at least 65% of calories. Green vegetables & some cheese will continue weight loss but at a slower pace. The first week is just water weight but fat is lost thereafter if you keep your calories high enough. Otherwise the body will strip it's own lean tissue for nutrition. Although that may look great on a scale it will make it MUCH easier to accumulate fat in the future (since all that pesky lean tissue burning up calories will be gone). The body won't release fat stores if you lower calories below what it needs. It will slow metabolism to compensate & store every spare ounce as fat. If you continue lowering calories, it will continue lowering the set point, til it can survive off nothing & store fat on anything. The body will only release it's fat stores if it knows there is plenty of nutritious food. Eating carbs while trying to lose body fat is terribly inefficient. When in glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) you have to lower your calories (which slows your metabolism) & exercise heavily to deplete your glycogen stores before burning body fat. The core of Atkins program is converting the body from glycolysis (burning glucose as fuel) to ketosis (burning fat as fuel). Dietary fat levels need to be at >65% of total calories, if not, the body will still remain in glycolysis by converting 58% of excess protein into glucose (via gluconeogenesis). It takes minimum of 3 days to convert a body to ketosis, (but only one bite to convert back to glycolysis). People feel sluggish the first week but most feel better than ever thereafter. Simple carbohydrates (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) trigger insulin which can store the calories eaten into fat. The more protein the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. Simple carbs are addictive & can be disastrous to health. The best way to break the addiction is NO carbs for 3 days. Make a huge batch of deviled eggs, eat one every time you want "something" - have huge omelets with bacon, sausage, peppers, mushrooms & cheese. Pork chops smothered with peppers, mushrooms & cheese - pork rinds & dip or tuna/chicken/turkey/egg salad - steaks - a huge sugar free cheese cake. Eat so much you won't feel deprived of anything. By the 4th day, the addiction will be gone & you can start making healthy choices. High insulin levels promote inflammation, weight gain, hunger & unbalance other hormones. Controlling insulin levels will balance out other hormones & allow human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced naturally so lean muscle will be gained even without exercise. Any exercise will greatly increase muscle mass with high HGH levels. Ground flax seed (2 Tbsp) 1/4 cup water, artificial sweetener, mix in a raw egg - let sit 10 min. to absorb liquid, put some cream cheese in the middle & nuke 2 minutes. Suggested for daily fiber needs. Start with meat, fats & salads for 2 weeks and then slowly add in more green veg, wk4 fresh cheeses, wk5 nuts & seeds, wk6 berries, wk7 legumes, wk8 other fruits, wk9 starchy veg, wk10 whole grains. You will learn how your body reacts to different foods. As long as you have <9grams carbs per hour, you will maintain insulin control & shouldn't gain weight, no matter the calories. Many people gain weight on high carb, do low carb to lose weight & then are shocked when they return to high carb & gain weight. Many people can return to moderate carb levels but very few can really eat all they want of sugar & maintain weight or health.

Question: What is the priority? Low fat? Low carbohydrate? Low calorie? Or low sugar? I am on a diet at the moment. I went supermarket, but I don't know what I should buy. Should I only eat cauliflower and not rice? Because I know rice have more carbohydrate than cauliflower that will turn into sugar and fat. What is the priority when I shop at the supermarket? Should I first look at Low fat? Low carbohydrate? Low calorie? Or low sugar? Corn flake has low fat but many carbohydrate. i am looking to lose weight

Answer: You should decide how many calories you want in your diet, and then I would recomend looking for items that are low calorie, but also low fat, but it all depends on what you are doing for your diet. The main thing for a diet to work is just to consume fewer calories than what you are burning, so lower calorie is best. But the thing about just lower calorie is that you don't want to get something that is lower calorie, but still has a ton of fat, and you don't want to get something that is low calorie but with a ton of sugar. Just look at the labels and you need to figure out what fits into YOUR diet.

Question: What is the impact of high and low carbohydrate in our body? Does Rice contain lot of carbohydrate?

Answer: Rice does contain a lot of carbohydrate. The result of low carbohydrate intake is lacking in energy, low concentration, and if it continues, blood vessel damage and heart disease. The result of too high is that the excess is converted to fat. The correct amount is 3 portions a day, ideally wholegrains. A portion is equal to 2 slices of bread, 50g of rice, cous cous or pasta or a large jacket potato. Believe it or not it's actually worst for your body to go below the recomended amount than above it. X

Question: How would a low carbohydrate diet affect cellular respiration? could you provide a link with the answer please? i need to cite a bibliography thanks!

Answer: Carbohydrates are essentially sugar. With less sugar, there is less cellular respiration because sugar is needed in this process A page on carbohydrates is found: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002469.htm

Question: Do you think it is possible to maintain a low carbohydrate lifestyle long term? I consistently have specific negative health problems related to carb intake (not just refined carbs but all carbs). Is there anyone who can truthfully say that they have maintained a low carb lifestyle for a significant duration (ie. more than five years)?

Answer: I'm almost 40 and have been following a low carb diet my entire life. I typically only get about 30% of my daily calories from carbs

Question: How can I make a low-carbohydrate pizza?

Answer: No Crust Low Carb Pizza Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground beef bowned and drained dash of salt dash of pepper 1 TBS minced onions 2 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1 TBS parmesan cheese ¼ cup Ragu Light Spaghetti Sauce (No Sugar Added) 4 oz. mozzarella cheese 15 Turkey pepperoni (can use pork) 2 oz. canned mushrooms (can use fresh) chopped onions and bell peppers to your liking 1 TBS basil (fresh is the best) How To Prepare: 1. In a bowl, mix the lean ground beef, dash of salt & pepper, minced onions, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. 2. Press meat mixture into a 1o in pie plate. Be sure to spray the pie plate with non-stick spray. 3. Spread the pizza sauce and top with mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. 4. Sprinkle the basil on top. 5 Cook for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. 6. Remove from oven and drain off drippings from the pie pan. 7. Place pizza back in oven at 425 degree and bake until golden brown. The worst part of a regular pizza is the crust and the sugars in the spaghetti sauce. when i was on a low carb diet i would just microwave some pepperoni and canadian bacon with mozarella cheese on top and call that my pizza...

Question: Which of the following will likely NOT occur when a person follows a low carbohydrate diet to loose weight? A) Proportions of protein and fat increases within the diet. B) The individual may experience diarrhea due to increased fiber content. C) Initially there is a fast weight loss. This is partly due to the loss of glycogen stores and associated water weight. D) This individual may be at a greater risk of heart disease due to an increase in fats, especially saturated fat and cholesterol.

Answer: *THE* answer is (D) but I bet they want you to answer (B) FINALLY they admit - no difference in the risk of heart disease even with highest intake of saturated fat & eggs are a superfood & have no effect on cholesterol http://blogs.webmd.com/heart-disease/2010/03/low-fat-diet-trojan-horse-of-heart.html http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2010/01/15/two-major-studies-conclude-that-saturated-fat-does-not-cause-heart-disease/ There was a myth that the fat found in arteries that clogged them was from saturated fats because they looked like saturated fats but there was no scientific proof - it just seemed logical. Unfortunately, it's just not true & research has found that it is refined CARBS that create the VLDL cholesterol that clogs arteries. The link between saturated fats and heart health was based on faulty science & has been disproven. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease, or any other chronic disease of civilization. Through their direct effects on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. Plaque build up in the arteries are more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque, glycation - the precursors to a heart attack and heart disease. study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008) Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion. http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-eating-effects-carbohydrates-vs.html SEVEN REASONS TO EAT MORE SATURATED FAT - 1) Improved cardiovascular risk factors Saturated fat in the diet reduces the levels of lipoprotein (a) abbreviated Lp(a)—that correlates strongly with risk for heart disease. The only dietary means of lowering Lp(a) is eating saturated fat. Eating fats raises the level of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol. 2) Stronger bones Saturated fat is required for calcium to be incorporated into bone - According to expert in human health, Mary Enig, Ph.D., as much as 50 percent of the fats in the diet should be saturated fats. 3) Improved liver health Studies show that saturated fat encourages the liver cells to dump fat content. Saturated fat has been shown to protect the liver from the toxic insults of alcohol & medications and even to reverse the damage. 4) Healthy lungs For proper function, the airspaces of the lungs have to be coated with a thin layer of lung surfactant. The fat content of lung surfactant is 100 percent saturated fatty acids. Replacement of these critical fats by other types of fat makes faulty surfactant & potentially causes breathing difficulties, collapse of the airspaces & respiratory distress. 5) Healthy brain Your brain is mainly made of fat & cholesterol. Though highly unsaturated essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish (EPA & DHA) are important for brain & nerve function, most of the fatty acids in the brain are actually saturated. The brain needs saturated fats to function optimally. 6) Proper nerve signaling Certain saturated fats, found in butter, lard, coconut oil, & palm oil, function directly as signaling messengers that influence the metabolism. Without the correct signals to tell the organs & glands what to do, the job gets done improperly. 7) Strong immune system Saturated fats found in butter & coconut oil (myristic acid & lauric acid) play key roles in immune health. Loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize & destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, & fungi. Myristic & lauric acid have potent germ-killing ability. We need dietary replenishment of them to keep the immune system vigilant against the development of cancerous cells & infectious invaders. http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/06/06/saturated-fat/