Waist Size Affects the Brain

Larger waist measurement can put you at risk for dementia later in life. A recent study reported in Neurology, showed that participants with excess weight around the waist area were nearly 3 times as likely to develop dementia in later life. Dementia is a deterioration of mental faculties. The study found that the bigger the belly, the higher the risk. Another good reason to “tighten the belt.”

Evolution of the Human Diet

You’ve heard me say, “Eat like our cavemen ancestors ate.” Well, how exactly did our ancestors, within the past million years, eat?

Early Man (from the Pleistocene Era) ate: 40% Protein from herbivores (Plant eating animals) – 10% Plant and animal fats – 50% Leaf & fruit-based carbohydrates (no grains).

Hunter-Gatherers (150,000 years ago) ate: 40% Protein from herbivores and vegetables (but no legumes) – 10% Plant and animal fats – 50% Leaf and fruit based carbohydrates (no grains).

Agricultural Revolution (10,000 years ago) ate: 30% Protein from legumes and grazing animals – 25% Animal fats – 25% Whole and stone-ground grains – 20% Vegetables, tubers and roots, dried and occasional fresh fruits.

Modern Era (from 1900 to Today) eat: 15% Processed foods – 25% Protein from animals fed grain and legumes – 30% Animal fats and grain based oils – 25% Refined carbohydrates and sugars, fruit and fruit juice – 5% Vegetables.

Wow! So, starting 10,000 years ago, man changed his eating habits, quite dramatically.
If you stop to think about it, we evolved as a being eating mostly fruits and vegetables at 50%, 40% protein from plant eating animals and 10% plant and animal fats.

Down through the ages, our diets have increased in caloric density and decreased in micronutrients, leaving us in the condition we now experience. Let’s learn a lesson from our ancestors! Eat more like a caveman!

gwykiqa45f

gwykiqa45f

Fast But Unhealthy Food

Last night I watched a television program called “I didn’t know I was pregnant.” It just so happened that some of the women were morbidly obese (over 300#). It showed their daily struggle and pain living day to day. My heart went out to them.

One gal, pregnant and diagnosed with gestational diabetes, struggled with her desire to loose the weight and stop the diabetes. Even though her desire was strong and she knew she shouldn’t, she still stopped for a drive through fast food breakfast. Her comment was, “I just don’t have time in the morning to fix breakfast before leaving for work.”

I think this is a common excuse which acts as a smoke screen covering the real reasons:

>> The lure of tasty salt, fat and sugar is hard to resist.

>> The morning HABIT of this deadly convenience over powers unplanned and unpracticed willpower.

>> Is there a lack of knowledge of the healthy alternatives that could be implemented? (Knowledge is Power!)

>> Change is hard to do!