Popular diets like the carnivore diet, keto diet, low-fat vegan diet, and calorie counting are found to be highly restrictive. Restrictive diets, particularly those high in animal fats and low in fiber, are difficult to maintain and can negatively impact health. Diets high in added sugar and refined grains are also considered harmful due to excess calories and poor metabolic effects. Consensus exists among various diets to reduce added sugar and refined grains for heart health. Diets such as keto, paleo, and Atkins rank the lowest in terms of heart-healthy guidelines according to a published American Heart Association overview. Making significant changes in diet can lead to noticeable health improvements within four to eight weeks, including changes in cholesterol, blood glucose, inflammatory markers, and the microbiome. However, sustaining drastic changes in the long term can be challenging. A gradual approach, such as removing a few unhealthy habits and adopting more beneficial ones, is recommended for long-term success in maintaining health and weight loss.
From fads to fallacies, misconceptions have permeated diet narratives for decades. So, we dig in and demystify to forge a personalized path toward sustainable well-being.
In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Prof. Christopher Gardner and podcast regular Dr. Sarah Berry. Christopher is a professor of medicine at Stanford University and the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Sarah is an associate professor in nutrition at King’s College London and chief scientist at ZOE.
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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
01:00 Quick fire questions
02:30 Why do people go on diets?
05:07 Is it too late to change your diet?
06:28 How to adopt a better diet lifestyle in the long term
11:06 What are the worst diets for our health?
16:47 Why is there such a big gap between the scientific evidence and what we see on the shelves?
19:49 What should we do to improve our diet?
25:40 Do whole foods make us feel more full?
31:14 What does plant based mean and how does it tie in with the mediterranean diet?
32:14 Why is fiber so good for us?
35:50 Is it healthy to have fat in your diet?
37:03 Are reduced fat foods in supermarkets as good as they claim to be?
39:33 Low carb vs low fat study
45:07 What dietry revalations can we expect to see this year?
52:15 Summary
57:39 Goodbyes/Outro
Mentioned in today’s episode:
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Episode transcripts are available here.