Setting Matters Straight: Diet Trends

Insulin Resistance, Low Carb, Palleo and Banting Diets

Did you know? Tim Noakes\’ eating plan is not new at all! It was first prescribed in 1861 by a Harley Street surgeon Mr William Harvey, with great success, to an obese London undertaker, Mr William Banting, therefore it is more appropriately named the Harvey-Banting diet. The diet also relates to the Paleo diet (paleolythic diet of our free roaming and cave dwelling, hunter-gatherer ancestors). The abbreviation LCHF stands for low carb, high fat in Banting terminology. Dr Arien & Anri\’s recommendation is also LCHF meaning low carb (complex carbs), healthy fats (plant oils such as coconut, extra virgin olive, hemp, avocado and grape seed oil).

The Weight Control Clinic eating plan has been based somewhat (according to healthy guidelines) on this diet as well as restoring insulin sensitivity in those with insulin resistance, and blood sugar levels (no/low GI carbs!) since 1974 when Dr Gauche started the Clinic! This way of eating (in a balanced way of course!) is old news in natural and healthy weight management circles! Now it’s once again being popularised by Tim Noakes – however, it has to be adapted to personal needs and requirements – not everybody likes to eat full cream and animal fat!

The Paleo and Banting diets typically consist of fresh fish, meat from grass and pasture fed animals, eggs, vegetables, some fruit (Paleo), mushrooms, roots, nuts. It excludes what are perceived to be agricultural products: grains, legumes, dairy, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Dr Arien’s comments: This whole dramatic story is so open to both confusion and logical debate! For example, if you can eat the meat of grass fed cattle, why can’t you drink the milk from grass fed cows? Broccoli is very healthy, but is also an agricultural product, so are beans and legumes! During caveman times, these actually did grow wild in nature! In my humble opinion, common sense and really listening to your body’s needs, enjoying and tasting what you choose to eat, rather than the guilt and mental confusion of your left brain, will provide better guidance for this conundrum!

\’Banting\’ was the standard treatment for weight loss in all the major European and North American medical schools for nearly 100 years until it suddenly went out of fashion after 1959, when it was deleted from all the major medical and nutritional textbooks, to be replaced with its opposite, the low fat, high carbohydrate, \’heart healthy\’ diet.

Dr Robert Atkins re-discovered ‘banting’ in 1974 and his name is now incorrectly used as if he was the first to describe this eating plan.

Ten ‘rules’ of Banting (or ’Paleoing’) – most of it common sense!

1. This is not a high protein diet as such, but more a high fat, medium protein, low carb way of eating

2. Choose real foods that look like what they are, and cook them from scratch. This includes a variety of vegetables using the rainbow guideline of various colours and textures included on a daily basis, as well as nuts and seeds

3. Fat is not the enemy. Enjoy it in moderation!

4. Eat only when you are hungry, eat until you are satisfied – then stop

5. Don\’t eat when you\’re not hungry. You won\’t die if you occasionally skip a meal you don\’t feel like eating. A day’s fasting can be wonderful as a physical detox and digestive break!

6. Stop snacking. You won\’t need to – it\’s just a habit. A few hours between meals will also increase your insulin sensitivity when you do eat

7. No refined sugar. Refined sugar is an addiction – probably best to simply stop, but if you need to do it gradually, substitute with natural stevia or agave based sugar substitutes, NO aspartame or artificial sweeteners!

8. Very limited quantities of any grains.

9. No (or very little) fruit.

10. Eggs are healthy, satisfying and very good for you.

As Dr Arien always says: Let common sense prevail!

Note to our followers:

It’s important to remember that (for our Weight Control Clinic In-house program) we add the essential weekly support and ongoing motivation, the InBody body composition that calculates total body water, protein, fat, skeletal muscle and bone mass, with the heart age assessment, to measure your progress and assess your personal, individual needs, with courses to address negative self talk, underlying distress, emotional reasons for eating and food addictions. It is extremely important to understand and release the subconscious reasons for protection that body fat provides!

We now also have the Weight Control Clinic online program for your convenience, where you can access the program, effective supplements and email support, wherever you live! Motivation and support is still given via weekly emails with our weight control nurse.