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Restoring the Temple – A Low Fat Diet

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Why a Diet Low in Fat and Cholesterol Can Help You

Heart and blood vessel problems, such as angina and hypertension, disorders such as diabetes and hypoglycemia, which involve the body’s ability to handle sugar, and other ailments as well, are beginning to be recognized as primarily due to the diet we consume. The diet eaten in advanced countries such as the United States has a total fat content of 40 to 50 percent of calories consumed. It is also very high in refined carbohydrates. Scientific investigators have found that in poorer countries, where the people eat a diet, usually fewer than 20 percent of calories in fat, consisting mainly of unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, these diseases are almost never found. The more fat and refined carbohydrates eaten, the more degenerative disease problems are found.

Scientists have studied the effects of our typical diet in laboratories and clinics and have confirmed the suspicions that the large amounts of fat and refined carbohydrates consumed in this country can bring on these degenerative diseases. A diet in which fat and refined carbohydrates are sharply curtailed can cause these disease symptoms to lessen and even to disappear completely.

The kind of fat does not seem to matter. The fats may be those from dairy products, such as those found in whole milk, butter, and cheese; or in the form of vegetable fats as found in the oil of nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and vegetable oil spreads such as margarine or nut butters; or fat as found in animal foods. It is the total amount of fat of all kinds that is consumed that matters—the more fat, the more disease symptoms.

Cholesterol

In addition to the fat contained, animal muscle tissue of all kinds—beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, shellfish, but especially organ tissue (liver, brains, kidneys) and eggs (chicken eggs, fish roe)—introduce still another harmful substance into our body—cholesterol. While the body needs some cholesterol, it produces all that it requires. If additional cholesterol is added to the diet, it becomes stored in the blood and tissues, since the body is unable to excrete it. In the presence of blood that has a high concentration of fat, the excess-stored cholesterol, in time, causes lesions called plaques to form inside the blood vessels. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.

On our usual high fat diet, these plaques begin to form even in the very young, gradually building up over a period of time and narrowing the channels in the blood vessels. This narrowing of the blood vessels reduces the amount of blood flow to the tissues served by these vessels, and in time, the heart compensates by elevating the blood pressure more and more, producing high blood pressure or hypertension.

If the blood vessels that serve the heart (coronary vessels) become sufficiently clogged by plaques, any circumstance that further reduces the already diminished oxygen sup-ply to the heart muscle will cause the heart to “cry out” in pain—the terrible pain of angina. A slight exertion such as running a short distance, an emotional episode, or even a single fat meal, can bring on an angina attack. In one experiment, the angina patient subjects did nothing but drink a glass of cream. Even though they were at complete rest, all of them suffered angina attacks.

Oxygen Deprivation

A fatty meal reduces the oxygen supply to all of the body tissues, not only to the vessels serving the heart. This will happen even if plaques do not clog your arteries—though few adults are so lucky, unless they have been on a lifelong low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Even in a baby, fat steals oxygen from the body cells. It steals oxygen from the tissues just as carbon monoxide does when taken in by smoking. In the case of fat, this happens because of several mechanisms. When the digested fat is broken down, it forms tiny fat balls, which tend to clump together in the bloodstream. These aggregate with solid elements in the blood and block the blood flow in the tiniest arteries, thus depriving the cells in the tissues fed by those arteries of needed oxygen nourishment. The tiny fat balls also coat these solid elements in the blood. As a result, the red blood cells that are the body’s oxygen carriers become stuck together in formations resembling rows of coins. The clumping of the red blood cells further slows the circulation, depriving the tissues of even more oxygen. When the clumped red blood cells reach the lungs, where they should take up oxygen from the air breathed in, being clumped together, much of their surface area is not free to pick up oxygen. In this way, much less oxygen is carried back into the tissues, which are still further deprived of oxygen.

Plaques

It is because of this process of depriving the body cells of oxygen that fats enable cholesterol to form the atherosclerotic plaques. The artery walls become more easily penetrated by fats and cholesterol when the blood that bathes them is deficient in oxygen, thus encouraging the plaques to form. On a high-fat diet, the process of plaque formation goes on hour after hour, day after day, in all of the arterial vessels throughout the body. In the course of many years, the constant narrowing of these vessel channels by the ever-growing plaque formations causes many symptoms. High blood pressure and angina are two of the common symptoms. Other symptoms include a gradual deterioration in hearing and vision, and even senility and impotency.

Low-fat Diet Advantages

In many studies, it has been shown that by going on a diet in which fat and cholesterol intake are sharply reduced, the plaque-forming process can be reversed and the symptoms produced by the artery damage lessened or even eliminated. Refined carbohydrates and added salt have been found to contribute significantly to the development of heart and blood vessel problems. On a low-fat diet, the plaques or sores that are narrowing the arteries should gradually begin to disappear so that near-normal circulation will be restored.

This same diet has proved successful in reversing diabetes and hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a pre-diabetic stage, caused by similar abnormal conditions in the blood. Diabetes and hypoglycemia appear under circumstances that occur when the concentration of fats in the blood is very high. By lowering the blood fats by a diet low in fats of all kinds and low in simple carbohydrates like sugar, honey, and molasses, a Canadian investigator, Dr. I. M. Rabinowitch, treating 1,000 diabetics over a five-year period, had a high rate of success. Even insulin-dependent diabetics no longer required insulin or other drugs in 25 percent of the cases. Had the diet been even lower in fat content, Dr. Rabinowitch would have obtained an even higher reversal rate, based on the experiences of others.

High blood fats bring about a situation where the insulin from the pancreas is unable to effectively act upon blood sugar. Studies have been done where perfectly normal young men were made diabetic in a period of days or even hours, depending upon how fast fats were introduced into their blood. When fats were introduced rapidly, by injection into the bloodstream instead of by diet, they became diabetic in two hours. The scientists who did this study were also able to reverse diabetes by chemically lowering the blood fats.

If you would lower your blood fats by a gradual and permanent means by your diet, the fast results you could obtain would surprise you, if you adhered to the diet closely.

Certain kinds of arthritis also respond well to a diet by which blood fats are reduced. High blood fat levels cause the watery part of the blood (plasma) to seep out of the tiniest arteries (capillaries) at an abnormally high rate, due to the pressure built up in the capillaries when the circulation becomes slowed. The resultant swelling or edema produced in the tissues pro-vides the environment conducive to the development of arthritic symptoms. When the edema and slowed circulation in the capillaries are improved, marked relief and recovery can occur. Other diseases also have shown an improvement on this type of diet, such as colitis, gallbladder disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and obesity.

Restoring the Temple – Condiments and Fats

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Under the head of stimulants and narcotics is classed a great variety of articles that, altogether, used as food or drink, irritate the stomach, poison the blood, and excite the nerves. Their use is a positive evil. Men seek the excitement of stimulants, because, for the time, the results are agreeable. But there is always a reaction. The use of unnatural stimulants always tends to excess, and it is an active agent in promoting physical degeneration and decay.

“In this fast age, the less exciting the food, the better. Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character, irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and impure. The inflamed condition of the drunkard’s stomach is often pictured as illustrating the effect of alcoholic liquors. A similarly inflamed condition is produced by the use of irritating condiments. Soon ordinary food does not satisfy the appetite. The system feels a want, a craving, for something more stimulating. . . .

Spices Irritate the Stomach and Cause Unnatural Cravings

“Our tables should bear only the most wholesome food, free from every irritating substance. The appetite for liquor is encouraged by the preparation of food with condiments and spices. These cause a feverish state of the system, and drink is demanded to allay the irritation. . . . Food should be prepared in as simple a manner as possible, free from condiments and spices, and even from an undue amount of salt. . . .

“You have perhaps seen a picture of the stomach of one who is addicted to strong drink. A similar condition is produced under the irritating influence of fiery spices. With the stomach in such a state, there is a craving for something more to meet the demands of the appetite, something stronger, and still stronger. . . .

Their Use a Cause of Faintness

“Spices at first irritate the tender coating of the stomach, but finally destroy the natural sensitiveness of this delicate membrane. The blood becomes fevered, the animal propensities are aroused, while the moral and intellectual powers are weakened, and become servants to the baser passions. The mother should study to set a simple yet nutritious diet before her family. . . .

“With all the precious light that has continually been given to us in the health publications, we cannot afford to live careless, heedless lives, eating and drinking as we please, and indulging in the use of stimulants, narcotics, and condiments. Let us take into consideration the fact that we have souls to save or to lose, and that it is of vital consequence how we relate ourselves to the question of temperance. It is of great importance that individually we act well our part, and have an intelligent understanding of what we should eat and drink, and how we should live to preserve health. All are being proved to see whether we will accept the principles of health reform or follow a course of self-indulgence. . . .

Soda and Baking Powder

“The use of soda or baking powder in breadmaking is harmful and unnecessary. Soda causes inflammation of the stomach, and often poisons the entire system.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 339–342.

Salt

“Do not eat largely of salt, avoid the use of pickles and spiced foods, eat an abundance of fruit, and the irritation that calls for so much drink at mealtime will largely disappear.

“Food should be prepared in such a way that it will be appetizing as well as nourishing. It should not be robbed of that which the system needs. . . .

“I use some salt, and always have, because from the light given me by God, this article, in the place of being deleterious, is actually essential for the blood. The whys and wherefores of this I know not, but I give you the instruction as it is given me.” Ibid., 344.

Pickles and Vinegar

“The blood-making organs cannot convert spices, mince pies, pickles, and diseased flesh meats into good blood. . . .

“The salads are prepared with oil and vinegar, fermentation takes place in the stomach, and the food does not digest, but decays or putrefies; as a consequence, the blood is not nourished, but becomes filled with impurities, and liver and kidney difficulties appear.” Ibid., 345.

Butter

“Let the diet reform be progressive. Let the people be taught how to prepare food without the use of milk or butter. Tell them that the time will soon come when there will be no safety in using eggs, milk, cream, or butter, because disease in animals is increasing in proportion to the increase of wickedness among men. The time is near when, because of the iniquity of the fallen race, the whole animal creation will groan under the diseases that curse our earth.

“God will give His people ability and tact to prepare wholesome food without these things. Let our people discard all unwholesome recipes.

“Butter is less harmful when eaten on cold bread than when used in cooking; but, as a rule, it is better to dispense with it altogether.

Replacing With Olives and Nuts

“Olives may be so prepared as to be eaten with good results at every meal. The advantages sought by the use of butter may be obtained by the eating of properly prepared olives. The oil in the olives relieves constipation, and for consumptives, and for those who have inflamed, irritated stomachs, it is better than any drug. As a food it is better than any oil coming secondhand from animals.” Ibid., 349.

Allow Others Their Convictions

“The time has not come to say that the use of milk and eggs should be wholly discarded. There are poor families whose diet consists largely of bread and milk. They have little fruit, and cannot afford to purchase the nut foods. In teaching health reform, as in all other gospel work, we are to meet the people where they are. Until we can teach them how to prepare health reform foods that are palatable, nourishing, and yet inexpensive, we are not at liberty to present the most advanced propositions regarding health reform diet.

“We must remember that there are a great many different minds in the world, and we cannot expect every one to see exactly as we do in regard to all questions of diet. Minds do not run in exactly the same channel. I do not eat butter, but there are members of my family who do. It is not placed on my table; but I make no disturbance because some members of my family choose to eat it occasionally. . . .

“Those who love and serve God should be allowed to follow their own convictions. We may not feel justified in doing as they do, but we should not allow differences of opinion to create disunion.” Ibid., 351, 352.

Restoring the Temple – What is a Good Diet

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Choosing a good diet can be very confusing. Much too often we encounter this person promoting one type of diet, another person another diet, this magazine heralding this weight loss diet plan, that researcher proclaiming his diet is the best, one diet plan calling for only protein and fat, another telling you to only drink shakes. So what should we really eat? With so many contradictions, what is really the best diet? That is exactly what we are going to consider.

There are four basic guidelines or principles of a good, healthy diet. These guidelines outline a nutritious maintenance diet which will promote health for the rest of our lives, as well as form the basis of a therapeutic diet for those who are battling with health problems. These are the guidelines for a good diet:

  1. a diet high in complex carbohydrates,
  2. a diet high in fiber,
  3. a diet low in protein, and
  4. a diet low in fat.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are very long chains of various sugar molecules. This should not be confused with the sugar used in candies, cakes, pies, cookies, and virtually all other sweet, dessert-type foods. Those sugar molecules are very short and affect the body very differently than the long sugar molecules found in complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are very important for the body because they are used as fuel for the muscles and the brain. If the body does not have sufficient fuel (glucose) from complex carbohydrates, it has to try and get fuel elsewhere, which is not nearly as efficient as getting fuel from where it is supposed to get it—complex carbohydrates.

Thus, we need an abundance of complex carbohydrates to fuel our various daily mental and physical activities. Athletes and other people who are very active need a predominance of complex carbohydrates for fuel for their muscles.

Complex carbohydrates should make up approximately 70 percent of our caloric intake. Complex carbohydrates are found in whole wheat bread, brown rice, beans, and in all plant foods in varying amounts. So the next time you feel tired and hungry, look for complex carbohydrates in natural plant foods (not a candy bar, a steak, or coffee) to refuel your body’s energy.

Fiber

Fiber is simply indigestible or partially indigestible plant parts. Thus, the only place you will find fiber is in food from plants. Fiber is very important for optimum health because it sweeps the colon clean. Just as in our homes, if we do not clean them often, we find a lot of dust and dirt and grime in them. If we do not eat sufficient fiber, our colons will become clogged with waste, and worse yet the waste will be absorbed into the body and open the door for various major health problems. Fiber is also very helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Fiber is especially found in unrefined plant foods such as whole grains, legumes (beans), and various vegetables and fruits. Refined plant foods have much of the fiber taken out, as well as many of the vitamins and minerals that are so essential for optimum health, and then you do not get the full benefit of the plant food. Examples of refined foods are white bread, white rice, and many prepackaged food items. When a person is on an unrefined plant diet, he or she will usually get sufficient fiber.

Protein

Protein provides the building blocks for body structure (muscles and tissues) and many body processes (hormones and enzymes). But protein is not a good source of fuel (energy) for the body. Actually, most people eat twice as much protein as they should, and it usually comes in such form as bacon, eggs, cheese, chicken, pork, fish, and milk. The problem is that protein from these sources generally alters the blood chemistry and causes calcium to be leached from the bones and promotes its excretion through the kidneys. This produces a prime environment for osteoporosis and other health problems.

We do not need a whole lot of protein because the body recycles much of what it already has. As cells get old and die, they are broken down, and many of the components are reused, including the protein. All we need is approximately 10 percent of our calories as protein. If you follow the first two basic guidelines and you eat a good variety of foods with sufficient caloric intake, you do not need to worry about getting sufficient protein.

Plant foods are wonderful sources of protein without the problems mentioned above. Plant foods especially high in protein include tofu, soybeans, spinach, beans, lentils, and broccoli.

Fat

Most people already know that too much fat contributes to or causes many health complications. These problems include heart attacks, strokes, deposits in the arteries, obesity, diabetes, and many other health issues. Therefore it is ideal if fat consumption constitutes only about 20 percent of our caloric intake. The easiest way¾and virtually the only way¾to do this is to concentrate on unrefined plant foods.

The best kind of fat is mono-unsaturated fat, which comes primarily from vegetable sources. Olive oil and canola oil are especially high in mono-unsaturated fat. While it is important to have some fat in the diet, fat is not a good primary source of energy. Excess fat hinders proper blood circulation, thus depriving the tissues of needed oxygen and nutrients.

All long-lived, virtually disease-free societies follow the above four principles of a good diet, along with the other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. Let us learn a lesson from them and use more unrefined plant foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts (including legumes).

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.