Thursday, February 24, 2011

Body Ecology Diet / Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet

The Body Ecology Diet (BED) and the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet (GAPS) are popular with some parents – especially those whose children suffer with mental disorders and intestinal issues.  Since these two diets are gaining in popularity, I have reviewed their Web sites and dietary suggestions.

BED

To improve health and well being BED focuses on adding cultured foods to the diet, changing the quality of fats and oils one consumes, drastically reducing the intake of carbohydrates and sugars, and taking a whole host of supplements.  The emphasis is on curing gut issues.  Seemingly, curing gut issues is their answer to curing nearly ALL chronic diseases.

In my opinion the first and fourth choices are totally unnecessary and the later two choices are laudable – only if properly executed.  Unfortunately, BED's menus indicate the sponsors do not understand as much as they should about food.  In other words their food choices may address some gut issues, but they will not fully accomplish their stated goals!  In fact, many of BED's food selections will actually cause all the many chronic diseases Americans battle.  Over all, it is slightly better than typical daily American fare, but it is a feeble effort compared to The Real Diet of Man.

Some BED recipes call for over-ripe bananas, raisins, oats, buckwheat, organic peanut butter, organic sugar, organic eggs, organic butter (as if the word “organic” makes horrible stuff good), spelt, olive oil, rice milk, and the list of horrible foods goes on and on.  These foods have highly skewed balances (high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids and low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids) of the critically important essential fatty acids (EFAs) and/or are high glycemic.  In some cases they are universally contaminated with fungi and molds!

Amazingly BED strongly recommends amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa!  They call them seeds instead of grain.  I guess they do not know that all grains are seeds of annual grass plants.  (Even corn is a grass.)  Right, the chemical composition of seeds differs greatly from the green leaf.  And amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa seeds have fatty acids profiles that are worse than many conventional grains.  Check them out in my GI, GL, Fat Ratio, and Inflammation Web page and you’ll see what I mean.

My conclusion is that if you eat foods recommenced by BED you must purchase the many supplements, probiotics, and other stuff they sell to hopefully offset the damage.  I seriously doubt that even with the supplements you will be able to properly balance the crucial EFAs.

GAP

GAP is better than BED.  It focuses mostly on meat and veggies.  But once again, as with BED, the GAP folks believe the organic label cures all sins.  A discussion on organic, natural, and other worthless food terms will follow in a future post.  Until then, keep in mind that the natural chemicals making up foods themselves have far an away more impact on a body than do any other unnatural contaminants introduced by man.  In other words, it’s the nutrients, or lack of them, in the more popular foods that has the greatest impact on human health.  High glycemic is still high glycemic.  Low Omega-3 is still low Omega-3, etc.

For instance, high glycemic foods cause fungal infestations within one's body to spew out mycotoxins.  Fungi and their mycotoxins are 100% organic and everyone has a fungal infestation within their body.  And for a fact, mycotoxins are the biggest chemical contaminant in our foods.  If all foods were organic, unless people changed to The Real Diet of Man, the incidences of chronic disease would be exactly the same as it is today without organic foods.  Therefore organic is basically meaningless in terms of food safety and nutrition!

The GAP folks do not differentiate between grain-fed meats and grass-fed meats.  They think chicken is a healthy meat even if it is grain-fed from conception.  Surprisingly they recommend animal fats.  But what good are animal fats if the animals eat grain?  Once again the GAP diet does not recognize that in nearly all cases an organic egg is nutritionally identical to the cheapest grain-fed eggs all stores sell.  They do not understand that free range, brown eggs, and/or cage-free are meaningless terms when it comes to nutritional characteristics.  Obviously they do not know that some eggs are Omega-3 eggs, therefore far healthier eggs.

GAP recommends avocados.  It recommends pancakes made with organic nut butter (almond, walnut, peanut).  It recommends breads made with nuts and salad dressings made with olive oil mixed with sunflower and/or sesame and/or pumpkin seeds.  GAP also recommends pineapple, mangoes, and “more” honey.

Avocados, olive oil, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts are exceptionally high Omega-6 sources.  Of course peanuts are a legume seed, not a nut, and they are very dense sources of Omega-6.  Pineapple, mangoes, and honey are high glycemic.  Honey is nearly off the top of the glycemic chart!  These foods are body killers!

Popular Diets are Horrible Diets


These two diets are "prescribed" primarily for sick people -- those with mental disorders and gut issues -- not everyone.  But gut issues and mental disorders are just a few of the many disorders that fall under the category of chronic disease.  Chronic diseases are body failures.  Nearly all body failures are due to the food people eat.  Therefore why not have a diet that is for everyone.  That's what The True Diet of Man is -- a diet for everyone.  It's for people with health issues and those who want to avoid health issues in the future.  For me, that is the only answer to eating properly.  Therefore the diet I follow is for sick people and healthy people.  That's because we all need the same, exact basic nutrients for optimal body function across the board.

Just about all popular diets are similar to BED and GAP primarily because they only rearrange the chairs on the Titanic.  In other words, they try to replicate the traditional foods with different ingredients – unfortunately their different choices do not differ nutritionally!  For instance, spelt is an old wheat variety that is actually worse in nutrient composition than many of the newer varieties most commonly used today.  That is also true of the nutrient compositions of amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.

The only way to create change is to change.  That means one must reject most modern-day traditional foods and learn to appreciate different foods and food combinations.  That’s what The Real Diet of Man does.  It is a complete rejection of the modern-day, traditional, grain-based food system.  It’s focus is on grass-fed meats, veggies, low glycemic foods, only some fruits sparingly, and nuts rarely.  No dairy, raw or not.

Now that is change because all grain or seeds, grain-based foods, grain-fed livestock, and high glycemic foods are out.  It’s such a huge change true Paleo eaters have a very difficult time finding something to eat when they go to a restaurant, a dinner function, or a friend’s house.  They quickly discover they are no longer in the social loop!  Therefore it takes real determination and discipline to eat correctly in our society.

For optimal body function the objective of one’s diet is to have the essential fatty acids (EFAs) in perfect balance, get the whole spectrum of other required nutrients in perfect balance, to eat enough energy and protein to fully sustain one’s lifestyle, and to eat foods that subdue fungal infestations.  That can only be achieved with The Real Diet of Man without any backsliding.  This is the only way to strengthened the immune system, improve brain and all other aspects of body function, and lower mycotoxin loads to sustainable levels.  Anything less leaves the body vulnerable to body failure and . . . all chronic diseases are body failures.

Important links relating to this commentary.
Food Analysis:  GI, GL, Fat Ratio, and Inflammation
It All Began in the Sea . . .
Man Is an Extension of the Leafy, Green Plant
The Real Diet of Man is Very Simple
Brain Function is Unequivocally Food Dependent
Autism and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
BED
GAP

13 comments:

  1. Great articles. Hope you keep this blog going.

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  2. It will be interesting to see how effective this blog concept is as a communications tool. Time will tell I'm sure. As mentioned in the BED and GAPS article, there will be more articles and, I can assure you, some will be very controversial. lol I can see that the blog is starting to gain some "friends" and of course that is critical to its success. Thank you all.

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  3. About the dairy, are certain cheeses "ok" in your opinion? Just curious since you have a listing for them in the store. Hope to see more articles soon.

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  4. I look at cheeses and butter (grass-fed of course) as flavorings, toppings, and such. For instance the butter is great for greasing a skillet. A little cheese is okay with me on a "bunless" hamburger. (Right, I eat my hamburger with a knife and fork.) For sure I do not consider dairy products to be a food. I certainly would not purchase milk, raw or not. Drink water and save the money for real food. As long as the modest quantities of various dairy products consumed come from grass-fed critters they certainly can't alter the results of the over all Real Diet of Man. IMO, as they say. lol I hope you've become a member in order to get this answer. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how this blog thing works. So far so good. :-)

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  5. I am wondering where you found that honey was high GI? I just looked it up and it seemed pretty moderate compared to other sugars.

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  6. Thanks for the answer Ted! That makes perfect sense and aligns with my thoughts as well. I have really enjoyed reading your articles on your website, and enjoyed the meat we have purchased from you even more. Looking forward to more good stuff here. :-)

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  7. That's a good point to bring up.

    Glycemic measurements vary with the quantity of a serving. So let's take a miniscule quantity of honey and see how it stands up.

    For one ounce (28g) of honey, the glycemic load (GL) is 14. That is according to http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5568/2

    For one tablespoon (21g) of honey the GL is 10 and the glycemic index (GI) is 50 to 60, depending. Potato Chips have a lower GI and GL according to http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

    It does not take very much "sugar" intake to ignite fungal infestations. Folks who have skin rashes, arthritis, and intestinal issues can attest to the fact that just a little honey can cause some pretty harsh reactions. Sometimes those reactions can occur in a matter of minutes!

    GIs above 40 are getting a little high. GLs of 10 or more are high. That's my read on it. My statement in BED and GAPS may be a little strong, but it depends on just how much honey a child uses at one sitting. When I was a kid, one tablespoon never satisfied me. I "needed" more! lol

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  8. I'm kind of confused as to where you received your information concerning BED and GAP diets. If you've ever read the book, you would have found out that BED never promotes eating any fruit, especially bananas. A lot of things that you mentioned are incorrect. It seems to me that you have probably looked at recipes which were designed to improve the way SAD society eats, but does not describe BED, phase 1 of the diet. The BED articles also breaks down the difference between organic meets and grass fed meats and gives you info about what to look for.  If a diet heals "sick people" don't you think "healthy" people would benefit as well. I think you need to do more research before you put out wrong information.
     

     
     

     

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  9. Well, I went to http://bodyecology.com again and looked at their recipes. For one they recommended turkey without a thought as to what the birds ate. They recommended many grains (such as rice) and seeds (millet) that are huge Omega-6 hits and are high glycemic too. When it came to meats they talked about Aviator X, a myth.

    Then there is this quote: "Many people feel best when they include animal proteins because the have a 'grounding' and 'strengthening' quality. Of course, these foods must also be properly prepared (never overcooked), and digested completely. If they are not digested completely they become another toxin. As they reach your digestive tract they can even over time create serious health problems like inflammation, colitis and even cancer. High quality enzymes like the strongly recommended Assist and fermented drinks and foods help ensure digestion of animal protein meals and should be included at every meal. Animal protein meals are best consumed between 11:00am and 2:00pm."

    Wow! What garbage.

    No wonder they recommend a competitor because I call a spade a spade and don't fall for their clap trap.

    Furthermore, they recommend fruits too. They do emphasize sour fruits (which is very good), but not all of their choices were that sour -- especially if the quantities are very high.

    The BED folks have an agenda and it's not selling real food. They sell potions. Oh, before I go here is another quote:

    "Meat does provide essential nutrients and valuable proteins. Keep in mind the 80/20 rule when you plan your meals. No more than 20% of your meal should be animal protein, but even that small amount will provide you with essential fatty acids, iron, and amino acids. How can you continue to enjoy meat and reap the health benefits without the dangerous additives?

    "Organic meats, poultry and dairy products are the best sources for healthy animal protein"

    The emphasis on organic is one of the greatest falsehoods in the food scam game. Organic means nothing in in terms of food safety or nutrition. But who cares if it cons folks with feel good talk. That's acceptable?

    Please, I do not need to read further. But thank you for reinforcing my previous take on BED.

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  10. Hello Ted,

    Your articles are really interesting but there is something I disagree with.... It is about your position on COCONUT.
    It seems to me that you do not see the benefits of this fruit when you speak about it on your omega 3/6 article, when all paleo followers use it in aboundance for its great health properties
    Can you comment your position?

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  11. Oh, so you think that without coconut early man would not have made it? Come on now. For sure the properties of coconut in no way replicate a green leaf.

    Just for fun, go to http://www.nutritiondata.com and compare coconut with kale as far as providing a good balance of EFAs in addition to all the other nutrients required by man to have optimal health. After a quick study I think you will agree with me that coconut is like a desert as kale is like the Garden of Eden. Coconut has some anti-fugal properties and those are helpful. But as a food staple, no way. By the way, there are all kinds of Paleo Diet variations out there. Many of them do not follow the Paleo concept properly and are actually damaging to one's health. Therefore I'm not impressed when one says "all Paleo followers" meaning that I must fall in line.

    I will use Coconut oil very sparingly in some situations as a cooking oil. But that's it.

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  12. Wow...you seem to have no clue about BED or GAP. I don't even know why you would write such rubbish...guess it got you more hits on your website tho.

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  13. Obviously, you did not understand a word of what I wrote. My suggestion is that you should hit the books and educate yourself before making additional posts. You can start with the Science Links and Omega-3 Essay links off this blog.

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