• Anyone taking medication or with a health problem should obtain medical
advice and supervision when changing their diet.
• Nutrition is an important Building Block of Health, especially cardiovascular
health.
• The typical American diet is not healthy. It contains too much saturated fat,
meat (especially red and processed meat), refined grains (white bread, white
rice), sodium (salt), added sugars, highly processed food, and too many
calories.
• The typical American diet contributes to high total cholesterol and high LDL
cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and obesity—unhealthy conditions that
increase the risk of leading causes of illness and death: heart disease, cancer,
stroke, and diabetes.
• Nutrition experts generally agree that a healthy diet eliminates all trans-fats,
minimizes saturated fats and is low in sodium, added sugars and products made
from refined grains; and it includes high levels of whole, unprocessed
plant-based foods: legumes, whole grains, fruits, beans, and vegetables, all
foods that are high in unrefined carbohydrates and fiber.
• Many nutrition experts consider that consumption of non-fat dairy, seafood,
nuts, healthy oils (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils), and, possibly,
limited amounts of lean meat and alcohol can also be considered to be
components of healthy nutrition.
• Other nutrition experts make the case that an optimal diet is whole-food,
plant-based and eliminates trans fats, saturated fats, almost all oils, all meat,
all seafood, most dairy, and added sugars, and is extremely low in fat with no
more than 15% or better yet 10% of total calories coming from fats.
• All weight-loss diets work by limiting calories, and all diets that limit calories
improve health biomarkers, but only healthy diets should be considered for
long-term nutrition.
• Sustained maintenance of normal weight is much more likely among people
who both have healthy diets and are physically active.
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in this blog or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Your Health with a Lifestyle Checklist (available in print or downloaded at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble and elsewhere). Copyright 2021 by J. Joseph Speidel.
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