The Food Pyramid Myth

If you are like me, you grew up thinking that the food pyramid was the most healthy diet. So you packed on the carbs and sugar, just like big business wanted you to. Of course, big companies also paid the government to push this unhealthy diet to doctors, nutritionists, and consumers. But, as my generation got older, we noticed that we had health problems in more abundance than our forefathers. This is surprising since our forefathers were forced to eat the scraps from the master’s table or the leftover parts of the animal that no one wanted. Things like fatback, chitterlings, lard, butter, etc., all the things the government said were bad for us.  

No one ever stopped to think that; although we grew up on fried chicken and Crisco, sugar, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high triglycerides, and cholesterol rarely impacted us as a people. But, as we started eating more processed foods full of sugar, carbohydrates (more sugar), and high fructose corn syrup, our health problems began. Many of the people I grew up with and I are now exercising like crazy, hooked on processed foods, eating low fat, no fat, diet foods, and getting bigger and bigger. We are counting calories and paying a fortune to try to maintain our weight. If you don’t believe me check out the movie “What the Health” on Netflix.

I am starting a new health journey, and I will take you with me. Last week I started my low carb, high fat, low sugar diet that includes intermittent fasting. My blood sugar is pre-diabetic A1C 6.1 teetering on diabetic which is 6.5 and above. I have high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and am about 50 pounds overweight and my blood glucose level was 117 last Friday. This is important because many African American women and men are suffering from the same health issues. They are counting calories, watching what they eat, and exercising like maniacs. Some have even gone as far as going to get electric shock treatments and paying an arm and a leg to a plastic surgeon to perfect their bodies. Unfortunately, some didn’t have the money and spent money on a quack to help give them a bigger butt and injected with concrete or some other crazy substance and died.  

With that being said, this podcast's objective is to focus on health and being satisfied with what God gave you. In a world where looks seem to be everything, this can be extremely hard. So I will share my story with you, and some of you may be able to relate.  

I grew up dancing; I loved to dance. In fact, I thought that I was going to become a professional dancer on Broadway. That is until I met a dancer from Broadway, and she told me how the average dancer lived. I was not built for that kind of poverty, so I decided against being a dancer as a career. Although I decided against that career, I continued to dance and was very body-conscious.  

I was never anorexic because I could put down a lot of food and needed to consume large amounts because of the number of calories I burned every day. I was at my smallest weight when I exited college, weighing 98 pounds. However, I would eat pancakes, bacon, eggs, and juice for breakfast. Lunch might be a hamburger, fries, and a soda with chips, and dinner might be fried chicken, a vegetable, potatoes or mac and cheese, soda, and a piece of cake. Finally, around midnight, I might eat a sub, chips, and drink some more soda. So as you can see, I did not have an eating disorder, but I did like my flat stomach. I did not realize I was below weight until I came home for a physical. My doctor started asking me if I thought I was fat, and I said no, but then bragged about only having 3% body fat. That conversation changed how I ate. This, combined with the sedentary nature of an office job, began my weight gain and weight struggles.

I didn’t really start having weight problems until I had my second child. That is when it became tough to take the baby weight off. I had to work out twice a day just to get my weight to come down. I never thought it could be my diet working against me. This battle continued for the next 20 years, with my weight going up and down and everything in between.  

Then last year, I went to the doctor, and my whole body seemed to break down all at once. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and my sugar were high. Not to mention the fact that I put on 50 pounds in three months, and no matter what I did, the weight would not go anywhere. So I got on high blood pressure medication. The doctor put me on a diet to combat cholesterol, sugar, and triglycerides. (Note: quinoa is not a substitute for rice, despite what my doctor said.) After doing a lot of research, it appears that a high fat, low-carb, low-sugar diet is the way to go (Keto). So I will embark on that journey starting today and combine it with intermittent fasting, which means that I will eat no later than 8 pm and not eat before 12 pm the next day. No counting calories or worrying about fat. In fact, in this scenario, fat is your friend. 

Every week I will come back and do a short podcast on what I am doing and my results. You can try it too, but make sure that you do it under the supervision of your doctor. Especially if you have sugar diabetes or are on any type of medication like I am. By the way, I invested in a Peloton; it is the best decision I ever made. If you decide to get one, you can use my referral code, KKSKGA; if you use it, you will get $100 towards the purchase of accessories, and I get it too. I have been eating by government standards and have not lost a pound. However, since working out on the Peloton, I feel stronger, and I have more energy. I have also lost inches on my entire body. So for me, it is worth the investment. The badges keep me motivated to keep doing the workouts. Don’t worry, I am not trying to sell you on a Peloton. There are plenty of cheaper options that will help you get in shape. LOL. Until next time!

My Diet

Pretty much a clean KETO diet:  

No processed foods

I can eat all the veggies, meat, and fish I want  

No carbs (bread, pasta, rice, etc.). If it comes in a box or a bag, don’t eat it.   

No sugar, 

No high fructose corn syrup. If you read the label and it ends in -ose, don’t eat it (-ose is just another sugar no matter what name they give it). Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, no fruit juice.  

Limit your fruit intake. (Stick to berries and watermelon in small quantities and maybe only 2 times per week to start. ) 

After you start losing weight, you can play with the portions of fruit to see your tolerance for the sugar.  

Intermittent fasting for 16 hours per day.  

Update: I have been on this plan for a week. Currently, my fasting blood glucose is 103, and I have lost 8 lbs in 7 days. These results are consistent with my research. I will post a health episode every other week to update you on my progress and share any additional health tips.

Good luck.