The Premise

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic

5 RULES OF THUMB:

1.Its okay to eat fat with a good protein source because this is generally (with a few exceptions in fruits such as olives and avocados)how they occur in nature. However be mindful of a healthy fatty acids intake: roughly 5%-10% sat 15% mono/omega and 15% polyunsaturated fatty acids and an average of 30- 40%  of calories in total.

2. Eat fibre with carbs. NO EXTRACTED SUGARS OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.

3. Break the rule once or twice a week/special occasions if you must, with a small snack size treat eg desert straight after Sunday roast dinner and/or glass of wine or 2, twice a week, preferably taken with a well- balanced meal which helps the  liver to metabolise it more efficiently .

4. Fast for 18-24hrs once or  twice a week in whichever manner you can manage to cut your calorie intake by 2/3eg a 600 calorie supper as the only meal that day).

5. Maintain an active lifestyle (eg moving on your feet for most of the day as opposed to sedentary activity.
Match intensive exercise sessions to occupation eg a sedentary occupation requires more than the statuary 3 times a week for half an hour of doubling your resting heart rate whereas a manual labourer may not require  any supplimentary exercise to maintain a strong heart and lungs.

These rules may help weight loss and subsequent maintenance as part of a reduced portion healthy  diet plan for life as per the studies into the health benefits of caloric restriction. They may also have self regulating ways of  controlling weight according the well documented bulking effect of fibre and the satiating and sustaining effects of low GI (slow gradual energy release from energy sources) . The easiest most straight forward way of making this happen is to eat whole foods, nothing added or taken away except for inedible bitter and humanly indigestible cellulose such as husks and banana skins etc. This incidentally results in maximisation of nutrient intake from foods and the hence revitalisation and slowing down of the aging process.

Refines foods contain many empty calories, and most vitamins are contained just under the skin of plant foods. Additionally there is the undoubted benefit to control of type 2 diabetes, improved bowl function and prevention of a myriad of diet related diseases including several types of cancer...to name but a few pluses.

My premise for this diet plan is that nature has designed food in such a way that there are clear pointers on how to eat food stuffs that occur in nature and obvious signs of the inedible. If we keep insisting on isolating substances that should be eaten together with the rest of the food source, dietary imbalances will occur.

This essentially  means no added extracted sugars or extracted fats, unless a minimal amount is used for the frying stage of cooking. In this case some very low carb veg which also have negligible fat eg greens, spinach, cucumbers, mushrooms etc served alongside the meal will compensate for refined carbohydrates like white rice and lean cuts of meat can compensate for added extracted oils. Scientific data confirms these GI lowering stratergies to be effective.  Even honey should be eaten with the honey comb to lower its GI.

My current thinking is in a dynamic state of ongoing literature research and self experimentation. However my ideas are hopefully based on a pretty solid scientific background, since I have an MSc in Nutrition from Kings College London and have been keeping abreast of the latest and well renowned  peer reviewed studies, which hopefully I will be able to site on this blog, when I go into more detail.

However, I admit to somewhat going out on a whim here, and if I have overlooked any important facts, scientific studies etc or if you have any personal testimonies or practical ideas on weaning ourselves off the sweet tooth and extracted fat/oil thirst that is ingrained in our culture eg delicious wholesome recipes, natural substitutes etc, I would be delighted if you could share these , and enguage in some healthy discussion/debate on this forum. Who knows where this could go or what it could lead to.

Bon voyage!