The Fallacy of the Balanced Diet

People seem to be obsessed with balancing things.

As we all know, the word 'balanced' means stable, equal, correct, proportional.

We like balance.

Balance is especially good when it comes to car tires, the use of a see-saw, walking a tightrope or your stereo speakers.

But sometimes when we have an agenda or are stuck in a particular "paradigm paralysis," balance can be misguided. Or just dead wrong.

You always hear the nutritional experts saying you have to have a balanced diet. My doctor just said this to me yesterday at my yearly physical. This assumes that the diet the experts proclaim is in fact a balanced diet is, well, balanced.

But what if it's not?

Take a look at the USRDA food pyramid:

The experts (ADA, NIH, RDA) claim that the pyramid represents a balanced diet -- balanced for optimal health supposedly.

The very bottom of the pyramid represents what we should eat the most of yet it is a food group that humans don't need to eat at all. This is indisputable.

So, what IS a 'balanced' diet? Perhaps a balanced diet is eating the types of foods we need to eat and in the right quantities. So what do we need?

We need fat. We need protein. We do not need carbohydrate, at all. I challenge any and all comers to debate me on this issue. But be careful -- make sure you are using science as your candle in the dark and not government dogma.

Here is what one scientist who is on the board that governs what the USRDA bases its recommendations on had to say when asked why the USRDA still recommends we eat little saturated fat (when all of the science shows that saturated fat is not bad for us):

"Oh, you see, when we disagree, we vote, and there is still a majority in the committee who think that saturated fat is bad."

OMG.

Comments

[blaize]

In all respect Mr. Hahn, you keep saying there is science that backs up your theories however the longest living groups seem to consume lesser amounts of meat. The Japanese Okinawins, the Sardinians and some group of Latter Day Saints in California who live somewhat of a vegetarian diet. What is the longevity rate of the Eskimo population compared to these groups?
I agree that we need to eat no refined carbs but your ideas are as extreme as most mainstream suggestions to losing weight. It seems desperate and controlled and you seem to be bullying with the concept of "science" that backs up your ideas. We can bend studies to shape a foundation for our arguments, (the pharmaceutical companies do this all the time) however it does not make your point correct. I noticed you did not have an answer for Catothemuchyounger. I believe that we all know what works for our bodies by listening to them. Some will buy your books out of desperation though I believe we all have the ability to pay attention for ourselves and see what works for our own bodies.

[isovegas]

I'll say it again. If you don't like what Fred's proposing, then go do something else.

This is why most diet books are failures. Rather than test the proposed protocol of the author, most people spend more time trying to research the parts of the protocol which are foreign to their understanding. This is a function of not wanting to introduce change in a lifestyle which has made us the fattest nation in the history of civilization.

There is nothing desparate or bullying with Fred's thoughts. They are based on science and history. Are you trying to refute that fat cannot be stored in the absence of alpha glycerol phosphate molecules (coming only from carbs and converted protein)? If you are, please say so, but don't skew the discussion with examples about Japanese and LDS in Cali. The chemistry of fat metabolism and storage has been know for more than three decades.

And BTW, Fred did answer Catothemuchyounger's question. You just chose to miss it.

Cheers,


GK

[blaize]

You are obviously missing the science in regards to life expectancy. So be a fanatic and keep turning your head away from the real "science".
The research also shows that most people can't stick with this type of diet. Why? Because it is unnatural to delete whole food groups out of one's diet. So the people who follow this diet and naturally fail, feel down on themselves because they weren't disciplined enough. There is also research that shows that complex carbs strengthens neurological synapses and creates more endorphin and serotonin in the brain. Cutting out carbs all together can lead to depression. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to the high rise in alcoholism in countries like Greenland as well as in the Inuit/ Eskimo culture, groups that lack the intake of fruits and vegetables.

I think many know that excercise, along with being informed and forgetting the extreme quick fixes is what will ultimately make us happy, healthy individuals.

I'm sorry if the truth hurts you but these distortions can be harmful and hurtful to those who are trying to be informed. And Isovegas, your attempt at science-babble is quite immature and silly. Perhaps you wouldn't be as emotional if your diet was more "balanced"..... Also Fred did not answer the second question posted by Catothemuchyounger at the time of my post, so your accusation is off and trite.
Let go and have joy, Blaize

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Blaize,

All I can say is your statements do not reflect the research on the subjects. You are making wild generalizations born out of of popular information. Eskimos lived for generations in great health. Read Stephansson's books.

I'm mot saying you can't eat any way you wish. Please do. My books do not offer information for the desperate.They offer sound, scientific information for the typical human being.

I don't understand your emotional stance. Read the books. Seek out the research. Educate yourself before becoming intolerant.

[Gwen86]

OK, I am with you on the cutting out the bread thing. Bread and grain were only consumed by human beings in the past 5-10 thousand years or so, and it doesn't seem that we have adapted to it all that well. And yes, I also agree that humans CAN survive without fruits and vegetables; otherwise some eskimos and other groups of peoples would not exist. But, just because we can survive off of a 90%+ meat diet, does not mean that it is advisable to do so. I could probably survive for quite a while off of mac n' cheese and diet soda for quite a while, but that doesn't mean I should.

The fact is, humans evolved from primates; primates which got the vast majority of their calories from plant matter. The average hunter-gatherer society still active today gets about 80% of their calories from gathered plant foods, and about 20% from hunting. Granted, there are plenty of exceptions, but for most of human history, getting the majority of calories from gathered fruits, vegetables, and nuts was the norm. If you look at our teeth, intestines, weak fingernails, etc, it is quite evident that we are designed to eat a diet mostly comprised of plants, with some meat.

If you still don't believe me, I challenge you to eat a diet of 90% meat for two weeks. Then see how easy it is to poop (no taking fiber supplements either). The colon never lies.

[Vickster]

Most human societies evolved in temperate zones where it was the norm to eat a diet that consisted mostly of meat for half of the year, with fruits, nuts and vegetables providing a significant portion of the diet during the summer and fall.

[isovegas]

I'm sorry. At what point do you recall Fred recommending that we eat a diet of 90% meat? Did you read the same article I did?

Having said this, if you read any credible book on Paleolithic nutrition, you will see that our ancestors consumed approximately 70% lean animal protein, and 30% everything else.

BTW, if you actually tried a diet of 90% meat, took a few mutlivites, green drink and psyllium seed husk and one ounce of water per pound of lean body weight daily, I would bet that you would experience the best results of your life.

Go try it before you knock it.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Gwen -

I appreciate your comment however much of what you said just isn't true.

For one, it is not a fact that we evolved from primates. We certainly have evolved (I'm not a creationist) but humans are humans and always have been as far as we can tell from DNA tests. We were never Cro-magnon man or Neanderthal woman.

And records indicate that most of what early man ate was meat not fruits and vegetables. As you said above, not all apes eat mostly plants. Chimps don't. But your point goes astray with such an example. We are not apes. Perhaps apes are apes because they don't eat primarily meat. In fact, the increase in meat consumption is the main reason we humans became so smart.

I do eat a diet that is 90% meat, fish and eggs and I poop just fine thank you. Dietary fiber is entirely unneeded. Our digestive tracks are almost identical to the wolf or bear not an herbivore. I think you need to look into the subject a bit more deeply.

[historymatters]

"We do not need carbohydrate, at all."

That really, really depends on what your definition of NEED is.

:-)

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

I define need as ingesting all of the needed micro and macronutrients nutrients for optimal health.

[Vivb]

This article is so timely for me. I recently read Nina Planck's Real Food as well as Michael Pollan's second book. For a good twenty years I had been eating what I thought was a "healthy" diet: little meat and dairy (except lots of cheese), lots and lots of carbos like bread and pasta, and lots of veggies. I am in the process of seriously changing what I eat and my 5 year-old daughter too. However, things at any extreme never work for me (no sardine smoothie for me thanks) so I have to find a balance and not kill myself micromanaging my diet. I'd also love to see more articles on Huffpo by you, especially concerning kids' health and diet.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Vivb - I will indeed post more blogs about kids and diet. I don't know if you know this but I wrote a book on the subject called Strong Kids Healthy Kids. www.strongkidshealthykids.com

Nina's book is great. She and I have met and she's a wonderful person to boot.

[olivine]

What about research behind the book "The China Report"...that meat-eaters are the ones that die early?Who to believe?

[Vickster]

The China Study has some serious flaws, including the fact that it overlooked government statistics and claims made in the surveys taken by the researchers concerning the amount of meat that was eaten yearly by the people were included in the study.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Right - the China Study did not reveal that meat eaters die earlier. The book is terribly flawed in it's reasoning and is heavily biased. A very misleading book.

[odyssey58]

Finally, some sensible nutrition information based on science.

I tried following the food pyramid and I was fat, tired, and hungry. The inept people who developed it apparently forget what they learned in physiology class about insulin. I know I did. Fortunately, I kept my textbook and was able to base my diet on science. I'm thinner, more energetic and not so hungry all of the time/

Regarding saturated fats, you need to know that coronary artery disease (CAD) was unknown before the 20th century. Back when people got their fat from grass fed animals in the form of lard, cream and butter, CAD was unknown. The incidence of CAD increased with the increased consumption of refined grains and sugars, and and as hydrogenated fats replaced naturally saturated fats. Feeding animals grains may also contribute to CAD. It makes no scientific sense to blame rising rates of CAD on a food (saturated animal fat) whose rate of consumption was decreasing.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

You are spot on correct odyssey!

[Phoebe917]

there is a lot of research out there that pretty much says the same thing. i would say, though, we need vegetables and while they have a low-glycemic impact, they are still carbs. certain fruits are also very healthy and also have a low-glycemic impact but they are high in anti-oxidents. we need to eat good carbs. we certainly do not need potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. they just make you fat.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

We don't need fruits or vegetable. Again this is just dogma. We can eat them and derive nutrients from them but we don't need them if we eat a wide range of fatty meats, fish, etc. If we needed them, the Eskimo and several other human cultures that eat virtually no plant matter could never have survived - and thrived.

[Vickster]

I think most of us need fruit and vegetables unless we're willing to eat the raw adrenal glands of large game animals (the highest source of Vitamin C) like the Inuit do or nick the necks of cattle and lap up the fresh blood like the Masai. That said, I do agree with you where animal foods are concerned.

[Weirdwriter]

Many journalists have reported on these issues, Mr. Hahn. But they're not usually members of the "mainstream" news media, that relies on hasty news-gathering (and an over-reliance on "authoritative" government sources) to meet daily deadlines.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Agreed. And I've always wondered why...

[xtina8o4]

Thank you for this article, I fully agree. Carb myths, saturated fat myths, ludicrous commercials supporting high fructose corn syrup.. it is all very disheartening. We rely so much on science, yet discount any information the mainstreem dissents, if we're daring enough to test the converse in the first place. I hope that people are receptive to your views. I look forward to reading more articles from you.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you Xtina - I plan on doing just that. Thanks for your kind words.

[timezone]

Thought-provoking, Mr. Hahn, and this brief article did make some interesting points. While I was not surprised that at least some doctors seem to go along with the herd and I know many (certainly not all) doctors are not well-schooled in nutrition or alternative medicine or any of those other pesky challenges to the belief of the medical community, I was also wondering about your credentials. I did read your bio. Could you give us an example of one day of at least near-perfect eating and what you use to back that up other than your association with some of the people listed in your bio? It seems like there have always been debates, supposedly scientific ones, about what is or isn't "good" for us (for instance, now red wine or reservatrol and dark chocolate have been showing up on top ten lists of things good for you). Before I embrace changes, I would certainly like to hear more about your opinions, sources and see your daily meal plan and how easy it is to follow. Opinions abound, but I always seek what seems most scientifically plausible. What you're saying SOUNDS good, but would like to hear more.

[isovegas]

I love it when people ask for scientific evidence that something new actually works. I get a bigger chuckle when someone asks how easy it is to follow.

If science or doctors were the answer to the obesity problem, would we be the fattest nation in the history of civilization? They have helped very little, and have done more to obstruct the truth on the whole than to promote it. Everything we need to know about the mechanisms of fat metabolism have been known since the early 1970s. It's as simple as low calories and low carbs. Period!

Stop looking for proof or validation from other people. Fred has been very clear on his dietary recommendations for more than six years since his first book. He co-authored it with two medical doctors.

You are the Captain of your own ship. Instead of looking for proof of how easy and effective a new diet is, go try it yourself. My guess is that if you follow his recommendations, you won't be disappointed.

BTW, nothing involving meaningful change ever avoids discomfort. If this is one of your criteria, you might be better holding off until this changes.

[timezone]

I think you missed my point, iso. I said I thought it sounded like it made sense, but then there are no theories coming down the pike every day, sometimes two. Wanting to know more than is written in a few paragraphs is hardly searching for proof, in fact, "PROOF" seems to be very subjective these days. Drug companies can "prove" a drug is safe, and we find years later, when attorneys are doing a class action against the same drug, might not have been so safe. I have a scientific, rational mind and I believe in checking out for myself BEFORE I switch over to anything. If with a little more info, I find it plausible, I follow it (which is why I asked what a regular day of eating was like). I asked how easy it was, quite honestly, because some diet gurus (not remotely implying Mr. Hahn is one) put out diets that have so many expensive ingredients (some of which you get through their website) it is nearly impossible for the average person to follow. I meant no disrespect, just wanted more info.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

I assure you my words are scientifically sound. But you are right - why trust me? You shouldn't. The evidence behind my blog can be best found in one fell swoop at the Nutrition and Metabolism Society www.nmsociety.org. You can also read several books on paleolithic man and what she ate. Think about it - if we all of a sudden were 200,000 years in the past what WOULD we eat? Pancakes? Bread? Scones? Not likely. Fruits and veggies only in season, if at all.

Here is a typical nutritional Fred Hahn day (all organic, grass fed, free range or cold water):

Morning
2, 16oz glasses of water upon awakening
3-4 eggs and.or a can of sardines (or two) in olive oil
decaf coffee with heavy cream

Mid-morning
Can of Alaskan Salmon or two
1/2 teaspoon of coconut meat/butter

Lunch
Some sort of fatty meat
small salad or no salad
water

Mid-afternoon
Can of sardines in olive oil or a protein shake with fish oil and glutamine

Dinner
Fatty meat of some kind
small salad or no salad
glass of red wine or two

I almost never eat grain. If I do I'm being bad. It's an easy way to eat and quite satisfying.

[Vickster]

I tend to eat a local and seasonal diet, although I'm no purist. (I do enjoy a morning cup of coffee and a few cups of Darjeeling tea during the day, nor am I above buying produce from California if I crave a salad in February.) That said, my summer diet tends to consist of vegetables from my garden, lots of goat cheese (I raise dairy goats) and fish (freshwater as a rule since I live in Michigan) and the occasional piece of meat. In the winter I tend to eat bean soup, frozen vegetables and winter squash from my summer garden, goat cheese and lots of meat with the occasional piece of lake perch, walleye or white fish.

[timezone]

I thank you for taking the time to share info, particularly about a daily diet, which is what really kind of sums up your eating plan. There are many things in your plan I already eat (with the exception of meat, I am not vegan, I eat eggs, dairy, even seafood, just not meat, my own personal philosophical thing). While I do eat salmon and try to eat sardines when I can, I'm afraid you lost me with the sardine "smoothie".. You're a stronger person than I, gastronomically-speaking :-) I have switched (most of the time) from coffee to MATCHA (familiar with it?) as it gives me more sustained energy and I do make smoothies with that, as well as just shaking it with some oj. I do believe we eat far, far too many carbs of all kinds and while I haven't given up all carbs all the time, I do focus on protein, fruits, nuts, vegetables, lots of water, and Matcha has become a small (about a tsp or two) addition to almost every day's meal plan. Thanks again for sharing and I meant no respect in my questions.

[AZBunny]

I don't know WHERE I've been, but I hadn't ever seen or maybe just never noticed that pyramid before.
The foods they suggest you eat the most of are the ones guaranteed to make you FAT. I thought we were trying to battle obesity NOT create more of it.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Right on AZBunny!

[Pavel Somov, Ph.D. - Huffpost Blogger]

Eating changes both body and mind, the total of who we are. What we eat and how much we eat changes who we are physiologically. Why we eat and how we eat changes who we are psychologically.

Rethink the Food Pyramid: mindfulness is the missing ingredient of psychologically balanced eating

http://www.intent.com/blog/2009/02/14/rethinking-food-pyramid-mindfulness-missing-ingredient

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of EATING THE MOMENT: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time (New Harbinger, 2008)

www.eatingthemoment.com

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Pavel - I appreciate the comment but I don't appreciate the self promotion. Please keep your comments to the subject and not self serving promo. Thanks.

[Catothemuchyounger]

You need the carbs to replenish the chemicals in your muscles that you consume when you workout. Otherwise, your body will break up muscle tissue for it, which is exactly what you don't want. You want more muscle, not less.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

If you are eating sufficient fat and protein, the process called gluconeogenesis will be more than sufficient to supply enough glucose to spare muscle and allow it to grow via resistance training.

[Catothemuchyounger]

But when, though? The fastest way to get it going is to eat some quick acting carbs before, during, or right after your workout. That is key, in my understanding, to holding off the consumption of muscle tissue.

By the way, I recognize you will build back some of that muscle that goes to glucose, But when you are trying like heck to add muscle, every bit is precious. Not everybody who exercises is a chubby guy trying to lose fat.

[Matt51]

An excellent article.

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you.

[Sunshine1970]

I agree fully with you. I try to stick to a low-carb diet as often as I can (although I do have a weakness for pizza and Chipotle's burritos..) and find I feel better and have been able to keep the 50 lbs I lost going on 7 years ago now.

I also do not eat any sugar, or high fruitcose corn syrup at all. Ever. I check labels for that stuff and avoid it like the plague. Because of this vigilance, I have almost no cravings any more (well, except the pizza and Chipotle's burritos...), and my bouts of mild depression have subsided, as well as my horrid cramps I used to get with my period once a month (They're still there, but they're bearable even without Advil now).

[Fred Hahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Good for you Sunshine! Keep it up.