VERNER Wheelock, of Glusburn, is a food scientist, and is the joint author of the book, “Healthy Eating: The Big Mistake. How modern medicine has got it wrong about diabetes, cholesterol, cancer, Alzheimer’s and obesity'. He is the founder of Low Carb Skipton, a voluntary group that meets once a month to explore low carb/high fats eating, new recipes and the latest developments in food research and impacts on health. Here, he shares his views on the benefits of a low carb diet.

 

IF you decide to go on a low carb diet, then it follows that you will have to increase the intake of the fats to replace the carbohydrates that are no longer consumed.

Many people find this difficult because it has been drummed into us that “fats are bad”. This message from the authorities is reinforced by the plethora of “low fat” foods, which are heavily promoted as “healthy” by huge marketing budgets.

There are several different types of fat. Some are essential requirements for the body to function properly. Some are important in the diet because they are an excellent source of energy. Finally, there are those fats that are potentially toxic, especially if consumed in excess.

We have fats which are solid at room temperature, such as lard, beef fat (dripping), and coconut oil. In addition, there are those which are liquid at room temperature, referred to as “oils” which include olive oil and the vegetable oils.

There is widespread confusion and misperceptions about the health implications of consuming fats. Because all fats are a concentrated source of calories, people who wish to reduce their body weight are advised to lower the intake of all fats. The reality is that this does not work! Most of those who succeed in losing weight initially, rapidly re-gain that weight and may finish up even heavier than before they started the weigh-loss diet. This is because the fat is inevitably replaced with carbohydrates, which results in weight gain.

By contrast, a diet that is low in carbs and high in fat (LCHF) is a proven way of successfully achieving long-term weight loss, as many members of our Low Carb Skipton can testify from their own personal experience (see case study of Kenny Allen). It may come as a surprise to many that a diet which has a high content of fat is associated with weight loss, not to mention the outstanding improvement in general health and well-being.

So, which fats should we include in our diets? We have been conditioned to believe that the fats present in animal-based foods such as meat and milk are to be avoided because they have a high proportion of saturated fats (SFAs) in them. However, this advice is based entirely on the belief that the SFAs raise blood cholesterol. This “Cholesterol Theory” has been debunked and therefore there is not a shred of valid evidence to justify this approach. The reality is that the SFAs do not present any hazards and should be regarded as a valuable source of dietary energy.

It is interesting to note that the intake of the SFAs has decreased by over 25 per cent in the past 50 years, which corresponds almost exactly with the enormous increase in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

There is no reason to be worried about the SFAs such as lard, beef fat and coconut fat.These have been available for generations and there is no reliable evidence that they present any danger.

We can all happily enjoy our butter, cheese, and full fat milk without any worry about heart disease or anything else. Even better, we can cook our fish and chips in dripping.

By contrast, there are genuine concerns about the oils prepared from vegetables and seeds.

Craven resident, Kenny Allen, 66, says he has always eaten the recommended diet and exercised.

"However, in 2010, although nothing had changed, I began to gain weight rapidly - I could no longer exercise the way I had been doing. In 2019, I was diagnosed as diabetic: I switched to a Low Carb diet. I am now five stone lighter. My waist size has dropped by eight inches. I eat meat, fish, eggs, above ground vegetables, and dairy. No starchy or sugary food. I limit my carbohydrates to about 20 or 25 grams a day – the equivalent of one apple.

My health has improved and I’ve been playing for Skipton Walking Football Club for the last two years. My blood pressure is down, my blood glucose is normal, and my cholesterol is where it was. The diabetes is in remission. I’ve never been hungry. Low Carb doesn’t depend on restricting calories, so you don’t have to starve."

Anyone interested in these topics is welcome to attend to the meetings of Low Carb Skipton, which are normally held on the first Monday of the month in Hotel Rendezvous, Skipton, at 7pm.

Details on the website at https://lowcarbskipton.com/