Exercise Alone Isn't Enough

Below is an article from the NYTimes by Gina Kolata.  Gina is a health reporter for the Times.  Sometimes I agree with her and sometimes I don't.  She has it right in this article IMHO.  I have thought for some time that we overestimate the value of exercise. Some people use exercise as a panacea. They exercise regularly and use this is an excuse to eat poorly. While exercise is an important part of a great lifestyle, excellent nutrition is the cornerstone for health.  I always like to give the example of Jim Fixx, a running guru and marathoner, who died while running of serious heart disease.  Exercise is great, but it must be combined with an excellent diet and stress management to achieve optimal health.

Does Exercise Really Keep Us Healthy?

By GINA KOLATA

In Brief:

While exercise can boost mood, its health benefits have been oversold.

Moderate exercise can reduce the risk of diabetes in people at risk. Exercise may reduce the risk of heart disease and breast and colon cancers.

Though the evidence is mixed, exercise may also provide benefits for people with osteoporosis.

Physical activity alone will not lead to sustained weight loss or reduce blood pressure or cholesterol.

Exercise has long been touted as the panacea for everything that ails you. For better health, simply walk for 20 or 30 minutes a day, boosters say — and you don’t even have to do it all at once. Count a few minutes here and a few there, and just add them up. Or wear a pedometer and keep track of your steps. However you manage it, you will lose weight, get your blood pressure under control and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

If only it were so simple. While exercise has undeniable benefits, many, if not most, of its powers have been oversold. Sure, it can be fun. It can make you feel energized. And it may lift your mood. But before you turn to a fitness program as the solution to your particular health or weight concern, consider what science has found.

Moderate exercise, such as walking, can reduce the risk of diabetes in obese and sedentary people whose blood sugar is starting to rise. That outcome was shown in a large federal study in which participants were randomly assigned either to an exercise and diet program, to take a diabetes drug or to serve as controls. Despite trying hard, those who dieted and worked out lost very little weight. But they did manage to maintain a regular walking program, and fewer of them went on to develop diabetes.

Exercise also may reduce the risk of heart disease, though the evidence is surprisingly mixed. There seems to be a threshold effect: Most of the heart protection appears to be realized by people who go from being sedentary to being moderately active, usually by walking regularly. More intense exercise has been shown to provide only slightly greater benefits. Yet the data from several large studies have not always been clear, because those who exercise tend to be very different from those who do not.

Active people are much less likely to smoke; they’re thinner and they eat differently than their sedentary peers. They also tend to be more educated, and education is one of the strongest predictors of good health in general and a longer life. As a result, it is impossible to know with confidence whether exercise prevents heart disease or whether people who are less likely to get heart disease are also more likely to be exercising.

Scientists have much the same problem evaluating exercise and cancer. The same sort of studies that were done for heart disease find that people who exercised had lower rates of colon and breast cancer. But whether that result is cause or effect is not well established.

Exercise is often said to stave off osteoporosis. Yet even weight-bearing activities like walking, running or lifting weights has not been shown to have that effect. Still, in rigorous studies in which elderly people were randomly assigned either to exercise or maintain their normal routine, the exercisers were less likely to fall, perhaps because they got stronger or developed better balance. Since falls can lead to fractures in people with osteoporosis, exercise may prevent broken bones — but only indirectly.

And what about weight loss? Lifting weights builds muscles but will not make you burn more calories. The muscle you gain is minuscule compared with the total amount of skeletal muscle in the body. And muscle has a very low metabolic rate when it’s at rest. (You can’t flex your biceps all the time.)


Jack Wilmore, an exercise physiologist at Texas A & M University, calculated that the average amount of muscle that men gained after a serious 12-week weight-lifting program was 2 kilograms, or 4.4 pounds. That added muscle would increase the metabolic rate by only 24 calories a day.
Exercise alone, in the absence of weight loss, has not been shown to reduce blood pressure. Nor does it make much difference in cholesterol levels. Weight loss can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but if you want to lose weight, you have to diet as well as exercise. Exercise alone has not been shown to bring sustained weight loss.Just ask Steven Blair, an exercise researcher at the University of South Carolina. He runs every day and even runs marathons. But, he adds, “I was short, fat and bald when I started running, and I’m still short, fat and bald. Weight control is difficult for me. I fight the losing battle.”
The difficulty, Dr. Blair says, is that it’s much easier to eat 1,000 calories than to burn off 1,000 calories with exercise. As he relates, “An old football coach used to say, ‘I have all my assistants running five miles a day, but they eat 10 miles a day.’”

More on Plant Based Diets and Cycling: Protein

There is extensive research that shows that too much protein is a major problem with the standard American diet. I would add that protein deficiency is very rare. When is the last time anyone observed a case of protein deficiency? Our problem is too much protein, not too little.

Follow this link to on Dr. McDougall's website to see lots of good information about protein.  

The meat and dairy industries (and the makers of sports bars and protein powders) would love to have us think that we need to eat lots of protein. They make athletes a prime target of their advertising. Although endurance and strength athletes might need a little more protein, the amounts of protein advertised by the protein marketers is way too much.

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell provides powerful evidence that populations that limit their intake of protein, especially animal and dairy protein, have far fewer incidences of heart disease and cancer. Populations that work hard, and live on mostly a plant based diet live on average longer that populations living on diets rich in animal proteins.

I, and a number of people I know, who are dedicated to a plant based diet, consume roughly in the range of 40 - 80 grams of protein per day. I am only an experiment of one. I average about 7-8,000 miles per year on my bike. Since converting to a plant based diet, my energy level and endurance has never been higher. I get all my protein from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans/legumes, raw nuts/seeds.

I periodically use a software program, CRON-o-Meter to measure my nutrient intake. In October of this year, my daily average protein intake from these sources was 63 grams. That's .38 grams per pound of body weight. The guidelines given to athletes preach protein intakes of from 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. I know other people on a similar diet who have roughly the same protein intake as mine. There is no protein deficiency, no weak muscles, no lack of endurance or strength. There are many successful vegan bodybuilders and ultra distance athletes.

Sometimes people who transition to a lower protein diet initially feel weaker as their bodies adjust.

I feel pretty comfortable in saying that most of us can thrive on 40-80 grams of protein per day. I also believe that loading up with protein, especially protein from animals and from processed foods (bars, powders, etc.) is not good for our health.

One of the myths (fears) that keeps many people from adopting a healthy plant based diet is that they will become protein deficient. Not only do we need lots less protein we are told by the food marketers, but eating a variety of plant foods give us all the healthy protein we need.

Plant Based Diet and Cycling

When I transitioned to a high nutrition plant based diet 2 1/2 years ago I wondered how such an eating style would support my cycling. Cycling has been a passion of mine for several years. My performance level is clearly 'middle of the pack,' nevertheless, I train around 200-250 miles per week. That much training requires lots of calories to keep me going. What would I eat to keep me from bonking during rides? Would a diet based primarily on vegetables, fruits (fresh and dried), beans/legumes, whole unprocessed grains, and raw nuts/seeds be substantial enough? How would I replace electrolytes lost during long hard rides in hot weather? These were some of my questions as I embarked upon this new eating style adventure.

I needn't have worried. My energy level has never been higher and, due in part to the 35 pounds or so that I've lost, my cycling has never been better.

But, there were some adjustments. The transition to the eating style was easier for me than most people because I had been a lacto/ova vegetarian for the past 25 or so years. That diet did not keep my weight at an ideal level because, although I avoided meat, I ate some dairy, lots of processed vegetarian foods like veggie dogs and veggie burgers, ice cream, and lots of processed oils, safflower, olive, canola, etc. Giving up these foods was easy (well, maybe except for the ice cream). My wife had to learn how to adjust her cooking to eliminate especially dairy and oils. She did so good naturedly.

So, people often ask, "What do you eat?" Before answering specifically, I can say without reservation that I have never enjoyed eating as much in my life. Once my taste buds eliminated the craving for foods heavily laden with fat, salt and processed sugar, I started to really enjoy the tastes of whole natural foods. When I crave something sweet, fresh or dried fruit always does the trick. When I want some fat, nuts, seeds or avocados do the job just fine. When I crave salt (not often) I might eat a couple of olives, which I soak in water to eliminate the excess salt on the surface. Not only is my energy level high and my weight at a near ideal level; being able to eat without worrying about weight gain or adverse health consequences is liberating. I am committed to a whole foods plant based diet for the rest of my life. It is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I want to repeat, once you adjust to a diet of entirely natural foods they taste great.

So, "What do I eat?" to keep my energy levels high for cycling. Not a problem, as it turns out. I eat none of the common sports energy enhancers like Clif Bars, Power Bars, Gels, Gatorade, Powerade, etc. I have gone cold turkey off those things. My fellow cyclists have warned about cramping, but that has not happened. For the past year, my sodium intake has been less than 1.000 mg per day because I add no salt to anything, do not eat processed foods, buy low salt canned beans, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce etc. The average American probably consumes 5,000 - 6.000 mg of salt per day. I don't know the nutritional explanation, but cramping has not been a problem. On the bike I take along bananas, raw trail mix (nuts, seeds, dates, raisins), and sometimes oranges. I fill my water bottles with 1/3 organic apple juice, 1/3 organic blueberry juice and 1/3 water with some ice. This satisfies me, sits well on my stomach during long rides and often can be purchased at convenience stores.

Prior to training, or a long organized Century ride, I often eat a large bowl of cooked oatmeal with chopped bananas, dates, ground flax seeds, almond milk and cinnamon. This breakfast together with what I take along on the bike nourishes me without a problem. Sometimes I leave for a training ride in the morning only having eaten a banana.

After the ride, I am usually not hungry for an hour or two. Then I will mix up in my Vitamix a 'green smoothie' with spinach, dates, other fresh fruits, and various other fruits or vegetables. This is an excellent recovery drink. For dinner after a long ride, whole wheat pasta with a low salt tomato sauce (not olive oil) is my favorite meal. Alternatively, I might make a large salad with several ounces of lettuce and spinach plus a mixture of beans and corn on top. I make a special salad dressing made up of low salt spaghetti sauce, cashew butter and a flavored vinegar like Black Fig vinegar. Every day I balance my food intake with lots of vegetables, lots of fruit, at least a cup of beans (often much more), 1-2 ounces of raw nuts/seeds, and some whole unprocessed grains. I make salads the center of most meals, sometimes including breakfast.

I keep track of my diet with a software program, CRON-o-METER, which assures me that my nutrient intake is high. My average calories per day is around 2400, my fat intake as a percentage of total calories is around 21% and on average my vitamin and mineral intake is much higher than the RDA recommendations. The only exceptions are calcium and vitamin B5, which are at about 100% of RDA. I take some supplements, a low dose multivitamin (GentleCare), LDL Protect and DHA Purity purchased at www.drfuhrman.com, plus saw palmetto and cranberry extract.

Since my nutrient level is high, I seem to need fewer calories to maintain my high energy output. Thus far, it has not seemed necessary to supplement with electrolytes while on the bike because my electrolyte levels seem to remain very high and I get added benefits from the fresh fruits I eat before, during and after the ride. I seem to sweat a lot less while working out that before I started this diet.

I have not ridden more than a 100 miles or so in a day since starting this eating style, so I don't know yet how I would fare on ultra long distances. My assumption is that by continuing to eat fresh fruit, nuts/seeds on the bike I could ride as long as I want.

In sum, a whole foods plant based diet has enhanced, rather than detracted from, my cycling. I am no longer dependent on artificial processed 'energy' foods to keep my output high. A lesson I have learned is that the best way to feel good on the bike is to maintain an excellent eating style off the bike. If I start the ride with high levels of nutrition in my body, what I eat during the ride is of less consequence.

I predict that increasingly athletes will adopt this eating style for high levels of performance, even if they don't do it for health reasons. My 'experiment of one' thus far has been a great success.

Does Being a Vegetarian Shrink Your Brain?

This article appeared a year or so ago on Newsmax.com:

Being Vegetarian Shrinks Brain

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:15 AM By: Sylvia Booth Hubbard Article Font Size

Becoming a vegetarian could be good for the planet, but it’s bad for your brain. Scientists at Oxford University in England have found that vegetarians are six times more likely to have brain shrinkage than those who include meats in their diets. The cause could be a lack of vitamins. Vegetarians are more likely than meat-eaters to be deficient in vitamin B12, which is mainly found in meats, and a B12 deficiency is known to cause anemia and inflammation of the nervous system. Oxford researchers examined 107 people between the age of 61 and 87 using physical exams, memory tests and brain scans. When the same volunteers were retested five years later, those with the lowest amounts of B12 had the most brain atrophy. Swedish researchers found that being overweight is also linked to brain loss. Women with a BMI (body mass index) that averaged 27 showed brain shrinkage. (A BMI of 25 or over is “overweight” and a BMI of 30 or higher is “obese.”) For every additional point in BMI, brain loss increased by 13 to 16 percent. My comment is: The theme of this article is that scientists suspect that vegetarians are at risk for brain shrinkage. Whether that is true or not, it is true that being vegetarian or vegan is not necessarily healthy. Avoiding meat and dairy is a good idea, but doing so does not guarantee health. Vitamin B12 and D deficiencies are potential issues with vegetarians/vegans. The article cited above says B12 deficiency may be a factor in neurological damage. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to other problems. While this is controversial, it is a good idea for people who avoid meat to take B12 supplement. If you don't go out in the sun a lot, Vitamin D supplementation is also wise. Most other vitamins and minerals are found in more abundance (per 100 calories) in plant foods than in animal foods. A healthy vegan diet is high in nutrition and low in calories. Vegans who eat lots of processed foods, high in sugar, salt and fat have an unhealthy diet. Being a "french fry" vegetarian is not a good idea. So I don't even like to use the term 'vegan' or 'vegetarian.' An excellent diet is one that is very high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Such a diet is primarily plant based and centered around whole foods -- vegetables, fruit, beans/legumes, whole grains, nuts/seeds. Processed foods, oils(yes, olive oil too), meat and dairy are to be avoided or severely restricted. Many vegans do not eat a diet remotely similar to this. In fact, I don't like to go to vegan/vegetarian restaurants because although there is no meat, the food is typically high in vegetable oils, salt and sugar. Vegetarian restaurants also often have their meals centered around 'fake meats', like veggie dogs, hamburgs, etc., which are high in processed soy and oils...they are better than real hot dogs and hamburgs, but not much. I doubt whether a whole foods plant based diet will shrink your brain.

Good Cholesterol?

I have been struggling with an intestinal bug, gastritis, I think, contracted while on a trip to Boston last weekend. I suffered for several days and finally sought help from Dr. Fuhrman, who suggested I go in to get a stool culture, which I did this morning.

The bug should take care of itself in a few days, but while in the doctor's office I, on the spur of the moment decided to have a blood lipid profile and a vitamin D test done. The office was able to do the lipid profile while I waited, so I carried home the results.

This is the first lipid profile I have had in a couple of years. Since my eating style, exercise program and other lifestyle factors are excellent, my approach has been to avoid tests under the theory that I am doing everything I can to stay healthy. The tests add nothing. Nevertheless, my curiosity got the best of me and the test was done. Here are the before and after results, i.e., before beginning my current eating program two years ago. I did have a total cholesterol done several weeks after starting the eating program, but this didn't include the breakdown of cholesterol into its components.

Total Cholesterol Before (220) After (154)

HDL Before (48) After (40)

LDL Before (149) After (92)

Triglycerides Before (116) After (107)

I was pleased with these results because they provide evidence of the benefits of my eating style....30% drop in total cholesterol and 38% drop in LDL. But, my good cholesterol also dropped by 17%. I went back to one of Dr. McDougall's newsletters on cholesterol to refresh my memory. My memory was correct, Dr. McDougall says that HDL is not a relevant indicator in heart health. He says, "When total cholesterol is lowered, all fractions of cholesterol are reduced, including HDL-cholesterol."

Studies have apparently shown that when subjects reduce their total cholesterol, HDL drops too and according to Dr. McDougall, that is okay. At the end of my visit my doctor said, "Your numbers look great, but your HDL maybe should be a bit higher." Dr. McDougall claims that most doctors are confused about the HDL, good cholesterol, issue sometimes to the point of suggesting to patients that they eat more meat to get their HDL up.

Total cholesterol is the meaningful number and I am very pleased that mine has dropped to a healthy level.

Lessons from my Dog

In my article on health reform, I propose that health consumers and providers can save lots of money by making more conservative use of the health system.

Let me illustrate by using my dog as an example. Poor 12-year-old (84 human years) Bandit has been limping around and looking awfully uncomfortable. My family and I recently went on a three day vacation and when I took Bandit to the Vet for boarding I asked her to check out his legs. The next day my cell phone rang and the Vet's assistant told me that they wanted to do some tests. My 'knee-jerk' response was, "Okay."

Upon our return, when I fetched Bandit from boarding, the nice lady behind the counter handed me a bill for over $600, including $300 for x-rays and $185 for lab tests. I asked "why the lab tests?" "That's routine," was the reply. I wasn't quite sure about the x-rays either since we knew that Bandit didn't have any broken bones. "You don't want your dog to suffer, do you?" was the guilt-inducing response.

At any rate, I paid the bill and was given a prescription for an anti-inflammatory that Bandit needed to take for the rest of his life costing $79 per month. I asked about the drug and was told that it was a drug similar to the one that humans take for arthritis and joint inflammation. I asked whether it was like Vioxx, the drug taken off the market by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "Yes, this drug is similar to Vioxx," was the response. "Well wasn't Vioxx found to increase the incident of heart attack and stroke in humans?" I inquired. "Yes," was the response. "But, no studies have found this drug to increase those risks in dogs, except there is a higher risk of certain organ diseases."

I then said that I was uncomfortable giving this expensive and dangerous drug to Bandit, and proposed that I give him exercise therapy in our swimming pool to heal his joints, and put him on a lower calorie diet so he could lose some weight, thus taking stress off his joints. The Vet said, "Yes, that is a good approach and may solve, or at least relieve, Bandit's symptoms without medication." I thought to myself, "Hmmmm...why didn't you propose that in the first place?"

For the past two weeks Bandit has done his swimming exercises, rested in the house more, and eaten less food. He is walking much better without any drugs.

We could substitute any of us for Bandit in this story and replace the Vet with any of our physicians who instinctively reach for the prescription pad when a problem is presented. Prescribing drugs is easy and it gets the patient out of the office quickly without the time-consuming, and often frustrating, chore of discussing diet and exercise.

To save billions of dollars in annual national health expenses and thousands of dollars in personal annual out-of-pocket costs, let's establish national standards for the use of drugs and procedures; and educate health consumers to use the health system safely and conservatively. Let's also reward providers for helping patients adopt healthier lifestyles and for using drugs and medical procedures wisely and effectively.

Salt and/or Electrolyte Supplements for Endurance Sports

I have been doing lots of long distance rides this summer. I have been wondering whether I would suffer from not drinking Gatorade-like drinks or taking salt tablets in very hot weather. Yesterday, I asked Dr. Fuhrman (http://www.drfuhrman.com/), one of my main sources of health information, about a low salt eating style and whether it poses special challenges for endurance sports. Here is my question and his response?

My Question: "I have been following ETL (plant-based) diet for over a year, including no added salt. My salt intake is well under 1000 mg per day (as measured by Cron-o-Meter). I was worried about cramping on my long distance bike rides. I have done many rides in very hot weather this summer, including three 100 mile events. I do not take electrolyte supplements. On the bike I drink water mixed with organic apple juice (50/50) and add regular apple juice at convenience stores when I replenish. I carry homemade trail mix (oats, raw nuts/seeds, dates, raisins) and bananas on the bike. I'll eat clean fresh fruit at rest stops or convenience stores, if available.

Absolutely no cramping and my energy level is very high. I feel better at the end of long, hot rides than I have ever felt before following this regimen. Yesterday, at the end of the ride many of my Gatorade and salt table consuming fellow riders didn't fare as well.

This is an 'experiment of one', but am I correct in concluding that all the marketing around the need for electrolyte replacement drinks for athletes is a myth? And, is no salt better than salt and electrolyte supplementation for long distance athletes? I also assume that it is the entire package that works best....ETL plus low salt. Correct?"

Dr. Fuhrman's Answer: "Right. and because you have acclimated yourself to a low salt program, your body learns to be efficient and excretes less sodium in the sweat and urine, so the losses are less.

A person eating conventionally and taking salt, will pour out much more salt in their urine and sweat.

The problem arises when a person who is taking in lots of sodium suddenly stops, but their urine and sweat is still pouring out a lot. Then their performance could suffer and they could feel fatique.

I certainly think what you are doing is the healthiest way to go."

Health Reform Should Focus on Health

We can engage in complicated studies and endless debate about the shape of national health reform, but until our nation commits to the tough and politically unpopular actions needed to improve the health of the American people, the effort will be wasted.

Politicians, journalists, and health policy experts talk on and on about the huge costs of health reform, raising taxes, a public option to compete with private insurers, reducing administrative costs, introducing electronic medical records, conducting more research to compare treatment outcomes, etc.

While each of these topics is important, the current discourse misses an essential point - it is the responsibility of everyone to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors that will improve personal health. It is within the power of each American to help reduce costs and thus make health insurance affordable.

Exhibit I (Click to view) tells a grim story. Not only did health spending average $7868 per person in 2008, but additional data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that family health insurance premiums have nearly doubled from 2000 to 2008. The average family health insurance policy now costs in excess of $12,500 per year. Not only does the U.S. spend twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care, U.S. citizens are in overall worse health than those of most other nations. In the U.S., many families spend more on health care than they do on housing or food. In 2008, 17% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was spent on medical care. Even so, about 45.7 million people are without health coverage and millions more are inadequately covered. Illness is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leading illnesses that drive these costs are heart disease (#1 killer), cancer (#2 killer), stroke (#3 killer) and diabetes (#6 killer). Each of these diseases can be substantially reduced with major lifestyle improvements.

Without a focus on prevention, any health reform we adopt will fail to get costs under control. President Obama understands this. In his recent speech to the American Medical Association he said:

"The second step that we can all agree on is to invest more in preventive care so that we can avoid illness and disease in the first place. That starts with each of us taking more responsibility for our health and the health of our children."

The President doesn't go far enough. Here are some of the ingredients that should be included in national health reform:

An aggressive public education program that communicates, especially to our children, the substantial health risks of a poor diet, inadequate sleep, too much stress, and lack of exercise. Just as the government adopted an anti-smoking initiative that has substantially reduced smoking in the U.S., we should now turn our attention to the health risks of unhealthy food and beverages. After all, a poor diet is actually a worse health risk than smoking.

A rewards program that provides reductions in health insurance premiums for those who adopt healthy lifestyles and whose main health risk indicators remain positive - Not only will people save on health insurance, but physicians who work with their patients to improve their lifestyles and their health will receive bonuses. Schools that improve lunch programs will receive additional financial support and businesses that promote healthy behavior among their employees will see substantial reductions in their employee health benefits costs.

A reorientation of physician education and medical practice that provides incentives for medical students to pursue careers in primary care - Medical schools will be given financial incentives to introduce lifestyle training (including nutrition training) into medical education. Physicians will be trained to use drugs and surgery only as a last resort after more conservative non-invasive (often lifestyle) approaches have been tried. Medical practice will evolve to a point where physicians will only use treatments with proven beneficial health outcomes.

An aggressive national food policy - As politically unpopular as it will be, government farm subsidy programs will be reoriented to reward farmers and food distributors based upon the health benefits of their products. Incentives will be provided to supply only healthy food choices to our school lunch programs. Incentives will be given to produce and distribute healthy food locally, not only improving health, but also reducing the environment costs of factory farming and long distance food distribution.

This is only a partial list. Each of us needs to do our part by taking our own health seriously. We can vote to reduce personal and national costs and improve our health with our knives and forks, our walking shoes, our sleep habits, and a more conservative use of the health care system.

Processed oils are junk food

People ask me why I have eliminated all processed oils. Typically, someone will say something like, "I know oils are high in fat, but isn't olive oil good for you? Isn't olive oil a 'good oil'?

I have never given a very good answer to this question, except to say that oil is pure fat, and has little or no nutritive value. Some fats when found in natural foods and combined with other healthy nutrients are healthy, nuts, seeds and avocado are good examples. But, even these should be consumed carefully because they are very high in calories.

Today I was browsing through the Discussion Board on Dr. McDougall's website and found an excellent answer to the question, why eliminate processed oils from your diet? In response to the question, Jeff Novick, Nutritionist, says:

"Due to very effective marketing and advertising, we have become convinced that oil is not only a food, but a health food. This is crazy. To be a food, something must be able to support healthy life and be of some benefit.

Oil is a highly refined processed and extracted food "product". It has no protein or essential amino acids (which we need), it has no carbohydrates, or sugars (which we need), it has no fiber (which we need), it has no minerals (which we need) and has virtually no vitamins (which we need) except for a small amount of Vit E and some phytosterols.

But, on the other hand, it is pure fat and the most calorie dense food on the planet. While all oils have a mixture of mono, poly and saturated fat, most oils are very low in the essential fat omega 3 (which some of us may need more of), very high in the omega 6 (which most of us need to lower) and most oils also have high ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 (which most all of us need to lower).

So, basically you are getting lots of calories (oils has almost 2.5 x more calorie per TB than sugar). lots of omega 6s, some saturated fat (depending on the oil) and virtually no nutrients.

The definition of a junk food is a food that is high in calories (and/or fat, sugar, salt) and has little if any nutrient value at all.

IMHO (and by definition), Oil, is more of a junk food than sugar. And, I hope that in a few years, we will all come to understand it and see it, as such.


I conclude that oil will significantly increase the calorie density and significantly decrease the "overall" nutrient density of any diet it is added to, which are the exact opposite goals most people are working towards.

Diets with increased calorie density can lead to obesity and obesity does increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and many others.

Some oils, depending on the percent saturated fat they contain may directly increase cholesterol levels.

Here is something to think about... right now the typical American diet is 10-12% saturated fat. Olive oil is around 14% saturated fat. The AHA is now recommending that Americans reduce the percentage of saturated fat in their diet to below 10%, if not below 7% (for those at risk, which is just about everyone is America). I think below 5% is optimal.

So, Olive oil = 14%
American Diet = 12%
AHA = 7-10%
Optimal = < 5%

How much of something 14% Saturated fat, can you add to something that is already 12% saturated fat to get the total saturated fat below 10%? let alone below 7%, let alone below 5%?

By, the way, guess how many oils have a saturated fat level below 10%? let alone below 7%, let alone below 5%?


We should treat oil for what it really is (junk food) and the same way we treat other foods in the same category.

Oil is junk food. Pure and simple. Treat it like the junk food it really is.

If you choose to include a small amount of junk food in your diet, that is up to you. I am sure most people, if they otherwise have an optimal diet, could get away with around 5% of their calories from junk food and not be harmed by it.

However, you would probably want to choose the junk food that is going to do the least harm and has the best overall picture But, I am not going to recommend one, or try to figure out which is the best junk food for you.

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD

PS, OK, I will. The only oil, that comes close to the criteria I mentioned is canola oil. It is the lowest in saturated fat, one of the highest in omega 3s and the only one with a ratio of omega 6: omega 3 that is less than 4:1. Now, to be clear, I am not recommending you consume canola oil, but in comparison to all other oils, I think it has the best overall picture."

For the complete discussion follow this link.

Vegetarian, Vegan....what are we?

This post is to ramble a bit about the terms vegetarian and vegan as well as the other terms we use to characterize the way we eat.

There are lots of labels around. In addition to these two two there are omnivore, fruitarian, raw foodist, natural hygienist, and a host of others. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. has coined the term nutritarian, which probably best represents my eating style. A nutritarian eats foods that are nutrient dense and low in calories, for the most part. The primary focus is health and flooding our cells each day with the most nutritious foods and avoiding the foods that compromise our immune systems and our overall health.

But let me elaborate. The problem with the terms vegetarian and vegan is that they often mislead people in to thinking that healthful eating equates to simply avoiding animal foods, especially foods from animal flesh. The reality is that many foods that are not derived from animals are also not healthy. Examples of offending vegan foods are refined sugar, processed oils (yes, even vegetable oils), isolated soy protein found in veggie dogs and veggie burgers, overly salted foods like pretzels and potato chips, candy bars, many alcoholic beverages, soft drinks made from either refined sugar or artificial sweetners, and many other unhealthy or foods that are not nutrient dense.

For over 25 years, I considered myself a vegetarian. I ate cheese and other dairy products, including ice cream, but no other animal foods. I consumed lots of vegetable oils, including olive oil, and ate fake meat most every day....veggie dogs and burgers. My weight remained at 20-30 pounds above the ideal even though I am a cyclist and frequently exercised long and hard every week. Both my weight and my blood cholesterol stubbornly remained above 200, although I generally had no health problems. My health was okay, but not ideal.

Over the past two years, I have become convinced that a whole foods plant-based eating style was the healthiest. Reading T. Colin Campbell's The China Study was the turning point for me. This book reports on many years of epidemiological research about the eating styles of healthy populations. Dr. Campbell concludes that a whole foods plant based diet is the healthiest. My own eating style has been continually refined since reading The China Study after my introductions to Joel Fuhrman, M.D. and John McDougall, M.D. They have taught me much about a healthy plant-based diet. For two years I have avoided all animal foods, processed foods, including vegetarian processed foods, refined sugar, processed oils, including olive oil, and most foods high in fat. My diet consists of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, whole grains, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds. During the past two years my weight has stabilized 30 pounds lower that during my 'vegetarian' stage. My energy level is consistently higher and my overall health is excellent. I am convinced that this way of eating will greatly increase my odds of leading a longer and healthier life.

Although vegetarian and vegan diets can be healthy, often they are not. A diet that eliminates meat, but loads up on sugar, vegetable oils and high fat/salt processed foods is not healthy. I agree with vegans about the negative environmental and ethical effects of modern animal factory farming, which is one of the reasons I eat no meat/dairy. Drs. Campbell and Fuhrman teach that eating small amounts of meat, less than 10% of total calories, has not been shown to be detrimental to health. The research into populations that are generally healthier and longer-lived than Americans supports the consumption of small amounts of animal food. Even small amounts are not acceptable to me, not only because I do not crave meat/dairy, but because of the ethical and environmental costs of modern factory farming. Also, if animal foods are mostly not healthy, why eat even small amounts?

At a party the other night, the hostess informed me that I was the only 'vegan' she knew that was not either a teenager or a young adult. She had apparently never met a 67 year old vegan. I have met a few other older adults who consume a whole foods, plant-based diet, but not many. The reality is that our society reinforces unhealthy eating, even among vegetarians and vegans. Healthful eating is both simple and very difficult all at the same time. The concept is simple - concentrate on fresh vegetables and fruits, beans/legumes, whole grains, and raw nuts/seeds. The implementation is difficult because it forces us to move away from fast and processed foods, which are mostly inexpensive and very convenient. It leads us also away from some cultural doctrines about eating that are mostly myths, including we need lots of animal protein to build muscle, we need lots of dairy for strong bones, etc. Rather than truths, these are marketing pitches from the food processing industry, but they have become ingrained. Running against society's eating norms is not easy, but the rewards in good health in doing so are enormous.

My hope is that we reach the point where healthy eating is the norm, rather than the exception, and that terms like vegan and vegetarian become obsolete as larger and larger percentages of the population transition into truly healthy (as well as animal and environment friendly) eating.

Vegetarian Diet and Weak Bones – from John McDougall, M.D.

I received this email message from Dr. McDougall today and am printing it verbatim here. There is lots of confusion about the impact of vegetarian and vegan diets on bone strength. This provides some clarification. Note, as Dr. McDougall points out that the the 'meta-analysis' is actually advertising passed off as research, since it was sponsored by a company that promotes dairy products. -------Vegetarian Diet "Weakens Bones" (Worldwide headlines July 2, 2009)------ A joint Australian-Vietnamese meta-analysis of 9 observational studies of 2,749 people found that vegetarians had bones five percent less dense than meat-eaters and vegans were six percent weaker. However, the results were of such little significance that the authors ended their paper by saying: "In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that there is a modest effect of vegetarian diets, particularly a vegan diet, on BMD, but the effect size is unlikely to result in a clinically important increase in fracture risk." This article, released ahead of scheduled publication, which gives the public the perception that the news was so important that it could not wait, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition was by the same authors as the vegan-osteoporosis article I discussed in my June 2009 newsletter. The article I reported on received little press worldwide and showed results very favorable for a vegan diet and bone health. Published in the April 2009 issue of the journal Osteoporosis International, the same researchers directly examined 105 postmenopausal Mahayana Buddhist nuns, and compared them to 105 omnivorous women and found, "…although vegans have much lower intakes of dietary calcium and protein than omnivores, veganism does not have (an) adverse effect on bone mineral density (BMD) and does not alter body composition." The highly publicized study showing negative effects of a vegan diet was a meta-analysis—a selected compilation of similar studies. This kind of analysis is notorious for showing bias and is easily manipulated by the choice of studies included or excluded in the research paper. Because of the ease of exploitation, meta-analysis has been referred to as an exercise in "mega-silliness." Their original research found 922 studies, but after applying exclusion criteria there were only 9 studies left, which included 2749 individuals; 5 studies were of Asians, populations where osteoporosis-related fractures are much lower because of their healthier diet and greater physical activity, than Westerners. This analysis found no correlation between dietary calcium intake or protein intake and BMD. The results comparing diets of vegetarians and omnivores with BMD were considered clinically insignificant by the authors. Furthermore, BMD is a poor predictor of future fracture risk. The criticisms could go on, making this one of the worst studies ever published in a respected journal. So why did this article condemning eating a vegan diet get so much attention? This flawed research telling people worldwide that vegan diets are bad for the bones was funded by the AMBeR alliance incorporated in Malaysia, which owns Amber F&B Nutrition Sdn Bhd, a dairy products producer and wholesaler. This company's business is the "manufacturing of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and dairy products." Once a study is published then the public relations department of the industry takes over and sends "Press Releases" to the media worldwide. Because people love to hear "good news about their bad habits (eating beefsteaks, fried chicken, cheese, and ice cream)," the press and the public revel in this good news, even when the conclusions are untrue as in this case. You might think there would be at least one curious reporter who would read the research before spreading the lie. You can write the authors at: tuan.nguyen@unsw.edu.au and ask your questions about the two studies and why the one funded by a dairy industry showing no relevance to a person's choice of a vegan diet and the risk of fracture received so much worldwide attention.

© 2009 John McDougall All Rights Reserved McDougall Wellness Center P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 http://www.drmcdougall.com

2009 Workout 108 - Cartersville Century 97 miles MTD 702 YTD 2974

This was the second Century ride this month and my time was a bit better. I averaged 14 mph on a hilly ride from Cartersville, GA. Total time was 7:13 and ride time was 6:53.

I was the only recumbent rider in a large field of riders that probably totaled close to 400 riders. The countryside was beautiful. The first part of the ride and the last part were rolling hills and the middle part was more hilly with more steep climbs. Total climbing was about 5800 feet. I felt strong all the way, but the heat hit close to 100 degrees at about noon, so I had to tough it out in very hot weather for the last 3 hours or so.

Great ride. I really enjoyed it.

2009 Workout 107 - Stone Mountain Park 24 miles MTD 605 YTD 2877

I did the most challenging 19 loop at Stone Mountain to get some good climbing in. I did a 19 mile loop taking in some of the Park's toughest climbs and then finished with an easier 5 mile loop.

2009 Workout 106 - White 45 miles MTD 581 YTD 2853

On the drive to White for this ride, it started to rain heavily but when I arrived the sky was clear and it was very hot and humid. So, I started out on a 45 mile ride, which proceeded uneventfully for the first 20 miles or so. Then the thunder and lightning started and the rain clouds started to build in the sky. But, luck was with me. Just as it started to rain I passed Glade Church, which has a covered picnic area. So I hovered under the cover for about 1/2 hour until the rain stopped. The ride back to the truck was routine and I finished the ride in good spirits.

Nutrition for Endurance Training

I haven't posted on nutrition for awhile, so this post is to discuss the tweaks I have made to my eating style in that I am in the midst of cycling training season. I completed one Century (100 mile) ride on Sunday, June 7th and have two more Century rides planned this summer.

My program involves between 200-250 miles per week of training. The energy expenditure is estimated to be between 9,000 and 12,000 calories per week. My training is not all that intense. Although I cover the miles, I train really hard only sparingly and usually when I ride with others who want to go faster.

My daily routine, which I occasionally vary, is to wake around 7-8 am and start the day with a little fruit. My hunger begins to pick up around 10:30 am. My typical breakfast is a large bowl of oatmeal/fruit and a green smoothie. Here are typical recipes:

High Energy Oatmeal:

1 cup of oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 medium banana sliced
1/2 cup of raisins or 5-6 chopped dates
1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries
3/4 cup almond milk
1 cup water

Put the banana, raisins/dates in the bottom of a large cereal bowl
Add the oats and sprinkle on the cinnamon
Add the mixed berries
pour on the almond milk and water and mix

Put in microwave for 3-4 minutes until the oats are moist and 'fluffy'.
Let stand for 5 minutes before eating.
Sprinkle on 1-2 tbsp of ground flax seeds
Pour on a little more almond milk, if desired.

Green Smoothie:

Two medium oranges peeled
3-4 dates
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana
5-8 ounces of frozen spinach and/or kale
1 ml DHA Purity

Blend in a VitaMix or high powered blender until smooth and creamy

I eat the oatmeal with 1/2 glass of the green smoothie and daily supplements (Plus cranberry gel caps)

I put the remainder of the green smoothie in a thermos and take it in my cooler for drinking after the bike ride.

Nutrition on the bike:

Water bottles with 50% water and 50% organic apple juice
Bananas and oranges
Trail mix (oats, dates, raw nuts/seeds)
After the ride I finish the green smoothie, eat some more trail mix and an orange and/or banana.

I have stuck with this bike nutrition for several weeks and it works great. The green smoothie is a good recovery drink after the ride.

For dinner I usually have a salad and a starch based dish (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, brown rice, or whole wheat pasta. The starch dish always has lots of fresh vegetables.

This regimen has worked well and my energy level is consistently high. My diet overall is very low in salt. I take no electrolytes and even though it has been very hot, so far no cramping problems.

2009 Workout 105 - White 45 miles MTD 536 YTD 2808

I didn't get started until about 12:30 pm and it was VERY hot. I drove to White to do my usual 45 mile training ride. I varied the route because I had to double back to my truck and get some money (which I forgot) in case I needed to stop for water.

The temperature jumped over 100 degrees but I felt pretty good until the last few miles when I began to wilt. About 2o miles into the ride I helped another rider who had a mechanical problem. Luckily I had my toolkit and could help.

I am getting stronger and really enjoyed this ride.

2009 Workout 104 - Silver Comet Trail 46 miles MTD 491 YTD 2763

I didn't get started until late and ended up on the Silver Comet Trail for a 46 mile ride. It was very hot and I was dragging at the end. It was a beautiful day and I stopped at the 1/2 way point for a rest and a snack.

2009 Workout 103 - White 45 miles MTD 445 YTD 2717

Drove with a friend out to White and did a pretty hard 45 miles. We had to stop twice to fix his rear tire, but when we go going after that we maintained a pretty good pace. Average speed was about 15 mph, which wasn't bad, given the terrain.