All of you men and women out there in the Baby Boomer generation face similar
challenges in the maintenance of an ideal body weight and body fat
percentage. You have already survived the worst 50 years of health and nutrition advice perhaps in the history of human-kind, so if anyone is up for the task...you are! The most current
research out there shows that this is really a game of hormone balancing and
re-education. Most of what we once
thought was good practice has turned out to be completely wrong!! The next generation of research is also
focusing on the role of our brain
chemistry in the surge of obesity that has swept the globe in the past half
century. Here are some of the
factors and introductions to some of the solutions.
1) Supermarket and
fast –food domination really begins in the 1950’s and explodes throughout the
rest of the century. Suddenly,
people are given the choice to eat whatever they want, whenever they want. Processed foods start to consume
shelf space and appear on dinner tables more and more often.
·
Joining
the “slow food” movement and shopping more at farmer’s markets and around the
periphery of the grocery store where the fresh(er) food is sold is one way to
get yourself off on the right start.
·
Learning
to read and understand food labels is also a vital skill on the war on
weight. As a general rule, I tell
my clients to try to stick with serving sizes which deliver no more than 15-25
grams of carbs (depending on the size of the individual) per meal.
·
Carbs
should also be as high in fiber as possible and should only ever be eaten with
protein or a protein/healthy fat mix.
This helps avoid fat storing insulin spikes.
2) Baby Boomers, even if they were/are always health conscious, were/are the victims
of being misinformed to an absurd
and even lethal degree. When this generation was entering into their
30’s and 40’s, they were led to believe that the “low fat” and “ high carb” food pyramid was the key to
health! There is also now an
unprecedented level of estrogenic and other hormone-manipulating chemicals in
our food, food packaging, and cosmetics that promote belly fat.
·
Avoiding
certain chemicals and excess estrogen may not seem like it would be an
important part of an effective diet plan for baby boomers, but it is. Not being mindful of these things will
cause most of us to continue to have less than ideal hormone profiles for our
age and sex. This in turn will
render most nutrition and exercise programs exponentially less effective. Rules
are slightly different for post-menopausal women, but they are very similar.
·
In
addition to being mindful of our hormone levels, people need to realize that
FAT is not the enemy. Overconsumption
of carbohydrates, including compounds like HFCS, and overconsumption of
calories in general is pushing people towards insulin de-sensitivity and weight
gain. What happens in the
body after we eat is crucial in determining whether we will be successful on
any diet plan or not.
3) Baby Boomers have
been taught to trust in prescription drugs alone as effective ways to solve their heath problems. This has created a movement away from
changing the habits that caused the problems to begin with. Most doctors offer little or no
accurate or effective advice on exercise and nutrition. Most of what REALLY should be done,
particularly by people in the boomer generation is completely counterintuitive
to them, due to the fact that they’ve been misled for so long. “Diet and Exercise” has become a
practically useless recommendation
·
Certain
prescriptions such as Metformin and Orlistat (Xenical), when taken in
conjunction with other supplements and with a progressive exercise and eating
plan, are extremely effective in helping people lose weight. This is particularly true of the baby
boomer generation due to the fact that they have an unprecedented level of
obesity often related to conditions such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Overall, a good approach that I’d recommend for
any individual over the age of 40 is a combination of a “diet” called The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana
Schwarzbein, M.D., and another called Belly Fat Free by Josh Bezoni. They are easy to follow and address
most of the common issues that cause individuals to gain weight.
Here are 7
general rules:
1) Eat 5-7 times per day and eat 20g or less of
net carbs per meal.
2) NEVER eat carbs alone... Eat with Protein
and if possible, healthy fats
3) Eat Fresh.. Leafy Greens and Cruciferous
Veggies are free foods. Eat up!
4) Try to eat carbs that are high in fiber and
aim to reach 30 grams per day
5) Drink WATER!!!
6) Eat yogurt, and /or fermented foods, or
drink kefir for the probiotics.
7) Avoid “Obesity Additives” such as artificial
sweeteners, preservatives, and HFCS.
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