Building a Butter You

Coming in the wake of Wisconsin's new ban on grass-fed butter, is the release of Dr. William Davis' new book "Undoctored: Why Health Care Has Failed You and How You Can Become Smarter Than Your Doctor." Since butter and ghee (clarified butter) are powerful weapons in the fight for good health, it is ironic that Wisconsin politicians care more for the dairy special interest groups than the health of their constituents. In another twist, Dr. Davis, author of the "Wheat Belly Diet" practices in Wauwatosa, WI.

Besides corrupt politicians, another roadblock continues to be the outdated fear of saturated fats. Our bodies can handle saturated fats as long as you don't fry your food in them. You can Google more on the topic. This article in "The BMJ" (formerly "The British Medical Journal") summarizes this well:

        Conclusions Saturated fats are not associated with all cause mortality, CVD, CHD, ischemic stroke, or type 2 diabetes, but the evidence is heterogeneous with methodological limitations.Trans fats are associated with all cause mortality, total CHD, and CHD mortality, probably because of higher levels of intake of industrial trans fats than ruminant trans fats. Dietary guidelines must carefully consider the health effects of recommendations for alternative macronutrients to replace trans fats and saturated fats.

I point this out in the part of my PowerPoint presentation on nutrition called "Fats:The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." The bad include trans and fried fats. The good include coconut, olive, and avocado oils, and fish/krill oils. The saturated animal fats fall somewhere between the good and the ugly because while the good have actually been shown to improve cardiovascular health the same has not been shown with the animal fats.

The release date for "Undoctored" is May 9th but you can pre-order it now at the link above.

LECTINS AND RESISTANT STARCH

I will give it to you straight: the concepts of lectins and resistant starches in our diets are new to me. I ran across them and their effects on our health at Bulletproof Coffee. I think overall, Dave Asprey's dietary recommendations are worthy but the diet itself is impossible to follow for any length of time. The following are my explanations of the two terms and my own recommendations.

1. Lectins

Lectins are proteins that are found in most edible plants and even some animal-based foods. Plants produce them as natural insecticides and fungicides. In fact, they are such powerful "antibiotics" that agricultural scientists have found ways to increase lectin levels in some GMO foods by inserting certain genes. Which is another reason to question genetically engineered foods since lectins are not good for human health.

Lectins bind to certain cells in the body such as the lining of our intestines and joint cartilage, effectively destroying them and/or their ability to communicate with other cells. In joints, they cause inflammation and many people find pain relief on a low-lectin diet. Yes, there is such a thing.

Most grains are high in lectins. Whole grains are the worst offenders. Which is one reason I try to follow the Wheat Belly Diet since I really don't have a problem with gluten. Dr. William Davis doesn't address lectins in his book which is why you will find differences between the Wheat Belly and Bulletproof diets. I have been sorting through these (and Tim Ferriss' 4-Hour Body) and trying to devise my own tasty, nutritious, grain-free, low-lectin eating guidelines. And low-cost too, since I empathize with those on limited budgets.

2. Resistant Starchess
All plants contain starches, whether "simple" like sugars, "complex" as in low glycemic index food, or "resistant." It is difficult to find fruits and veggies that have naturally occurring resistant starches but they can be produced at home and there is even a flour called "Hi-Maize" which you can buy at Amazon.

There are several advantages to consuming resistant starches. As the name implies, they are resistant to breakdown in the upper gastrointestinal tract and essentially arrive in the small intestine intact where they act as probiotics. The good bacteria in our guts use these starches as a source of fuel and metabolic products of this action include beneficial acids such as butyric acid.

They are also good for diabetics and pre-diabetics since they don't elevate blood sugar levels. And they act as a natural fiber, so much so that some scientists consider resistant starches as another type of fiber, besides soluble and insoluble.

Six "miracle drugs" with major side-effects

This is an interesting article on six medications that have major side-effects. Although the side-effects differ, all six have one thing in common: they were all heavily promoted by the pharmaceutical industry. The article headline calls them "miracle drugs" which is partly true. For example, I would die without my beta blocker. It is as simple as that. I have a heart arrhythmia which left uncontrolled by metoprolol would be fatal. Therefore, I have chosen to live with the side-effects in favor of life.

But some of the other medications may not be miraculous. Tylenol for example. The proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) like Nexium have reduced mortality from peptic ulcer disease but they were marketed for gastroesophogeal reflux disease, too. Simple heartburn. I did instruct my patients to take them only as needed, not chronically.

Always learn as much as you can about your medications and discuss any concerns with your physician. Research ways you can achieve the same results with non-medical interventions such as behavior modifications and supplements. Before stopping any medication you are currently taking, discuss it with your doc first.