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My Alternative 16 Dietary Guidelines as a GP with 29 years experience

 

Remember you have a choice about what to believe and how to act.

 

  • There are no essential carbohydrates (sugars and starches), so no matter who you are or what you weigh, you can cut them out if you want to but, discuss with your GP first if you are on medication as this may need to be adjusted. For example, people often need less BP medication or anti diabetic medication. If you cut carbohydrate out suddenly you may experience low carbohydrate flu so read about it before you do it, so you know how to manage it. Resources are available on many sites and books. One example is www.iquitsugar.com

 

 

  • Saturated fats are most probably harmless and certainly no worse than polyunsaturated fats. We didn’t always think this, but several meta analyses have suggested it is so. Decide for yourself. Here is the link www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3978 If you agree- eat real butter, cheese and milk and meat and do not fear the fat. You may also wish to think about seed oils, which have some link to inflammatory disease and avoid them if you agree.

 

  • The 5 a day concept was invented by the Fruit and Vegetable industry and so I am not going to make any specific recommendation about numbers. Fruit is sweet and root vegetables are sweet, so if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, autoimmune disease or diabetes, or struggle to keep your weight down, then it would be better for you to avoid the sweet fruit and sweet vegetables as much as possible. Once your weight is normal, you could have a small amount of low sugar fruit like berries every day if you wish. Have as many above ground vegetables as you wish every day unless you are unable to tolerate them for some reason.

 

  • People who are gluten intolerant are often advised to buy or get gluten free substitute foods on prescription. I do not recommend this. I recommend a naturally gluten free diet such as that available free on www.drperlmutter.com or on this site under the heading of Dr Perlmutter

 

  • If think you are intolerant or allergic to something avoid it completely. Discuss with your GP if you should be tested formally in relation to it.

 

 

We are each of us unique with our own genetic code; our singular response to the food and drink environment around us; food choices according to our preferences, allergies and intolerances. For this reason there should be no single guideline for all. This guideline attempts to cover common themes with several groups of people, but remember to work out what is suitable for you as an individual and re-evaluate if what you first try does not work.

 

  • Newborn babies thrive on breast milk and if that is not possible, then on the best available baby milk substitute. This should contain saturated fat just like breast milk. Babies need a normal fat food. If your baby needs a special alternative be guided by your GP or dietitian.

 

  • Children thrive on normal fat real food. This means I advise you to buy and prepare real food that has not been processed and to relax about the fat in milk, cheese, eggs, and meat because it is normal and healthy for children. Children do worse on processed food as it is high is starches and sugars. Remember that a child does not need these. There are no essential carbohydrates.

 

  • The rest of this guideline applies to adults. All people do better on real food that has not been processed. If it has a label with a list of ingredients or is advertised it is processed. If it has been made in a bakery it has been processed. If you make it yourself with flour, butter, eggs and sugar it has also been processed. I am advising you to be aware of this and eat processed food as little as possible.

 

  • If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes, autoimmune disease or struggle to keep your weight down, then it would be better for you to avoid carbohydrates (sugars and starches) as far as possible. The reason for this is that your weight, or your high blood sugar suggests you have difficulty processing carbohydrate. If you eat foods containing starches and/or sugars, they may make you overweight, or keep you overweight. This means avoiding bread, cereals, pasta, pastries, and any sugary food, or drink and alcohol as far as you want to, and are able to. www.lowcarbdiabetic is a good guide, as well as www.dietdoctor.com. If you do this you will probably reduce your weight and your blood pressure and your blood sugar and HBA1c. If it does not work you will need to re evaluate your methods with the aid of you healthcare professional. 

 

Please read and evaluate these guidelines, which are my personal creation, and decide how you wish to proceed in your unique case. Let me know if you would like me to cover an extra area.

 

It is your choice, so decide and enjoy 

 

Dr Joanne McCormack MBCHB

 

www.healthylivingsite.me

 

 

  • If you are vegetarian or vegan try to stick to buying and cooking your own real foods .In this you will be avoiding foods with added sugar, especially if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or diabetes, or struggle to keep your weight down. There any many resources in books and online for whole food vegans and vegetarians. When you are cooking, try to stick to the lower sugar recipes and do not cook with sugar substitutes such as honey or maple syrup, especially if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, autoimmune disease or diabetes, or struggle to keep your weight down. If you are vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons that is all I need to tell you. If you are vegan or vegetarian for health reasons, and have no ethical objection to animal protein, it could be easier to keep your health in check with some animal protein as per the list on www.dietdoctor.com. I am not saying you should, just suggesting that it is a possibility.

 

  • Fruit juices are not a health food; they are full of fructose and often convert in your body to liver fat. Better to eat whole fresh fruit than fruit juice and no more than a piece a day for adults, less if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or diabetes, autoimmune disease or struggle to keep your weight down.

 

  • I do not recommend diet foods and diet drinks as they have been processed and have been shown to not help people achieve a normal weight. There are many reasons for this.

 

 

  • Alcohol and sugary drinks are foods. They can cause liver fat. They can contribute to inflammation in the body. So if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or diabetes, have an autoimmune disease or struggle to keep your weight down bear this in mind and decide how you wish to go. You could cut them out until you have achieved the results you are aiming for and then introduce them at a lower level or cut them down to a minimum permanently.

 

 

 

 

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