Low Carb Dietitian
  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles

Putting an "Optimal Diet" In Perspective

12/4/2011

13 Comments

 
I'm a voracious reader. I read a lot of blogs and articles online in addition to books, newspapers, and other printed materials. My favorite posts are those that are written honestly and openly about personal thoughts, beliefs, and experiences, and I have seen a lot of these in recent days.

In that spirit,  I'm going to be honest here as well.  I'm so happy to have this website and very appreciative  of my small but growing readership. I'm absolutely committed to following and promoting a low-carb, whole foods, ancestral  lifestyle, but also feeling a bit conflicted these days. As some of you may know, I have a full-time position as an outpatient dietitian and certified diabetes educator at a large veterans hospital.  This job is unquestionably  the best one I've ever had. The vets I counsel have been through unimaginable horrors to serve our country, and many are now dealing with their own personal hell of chronic disease, mental health issues, and financial uncertainty. The vast majority are kind and appreciative for any advice on eating to improve their blood sugar, weight, cholesterol, and other conditions.

Carbohydrate restriction is clearly the way to manage diabetes, obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia, and that is always my first recommendation. Unprocessed foods are right up there as well. But what about Paleo/Primal eating?  Consuming grass-fed beef, organic poultry and dairy, pastured eggs, and organic fruits and vegetables is undeniably healthy, but for people who are barely getting by financially, it's almost impossible to do. This lifestyle is extremely expensive if practiced on a regular basis. In addition to veterans, there are thousands  of people who are unemployed or underemployed, have lost their homes, or are otherwise struggling to make ends meet. I've spoken to veterans who have to decide between taking medications and purchasing food, and it's well known that many senior citizens face this dilemma as well. Perhaps even a few people reading have some misgivings about spending so much on food at this time.

By all means, purchase the healthiest foods you can comfortably afford to. I buy organic, grass-fed, and/or pastured  almost exclusively.  But  if doing so was stretching us financially,  I'd definitely cut back on the pricier items  while continuing to eat low carb. A fast food burger, no bun, and a side salad is a perfectly accceptable meal for someone with limited funds. All eggs supply protein of the highest biological value, along with the B vitamin choline and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthine. Poultry and beef raised conventionally are nutritional powerhouses and a pretty good value. Are these foods "optimal" for health?  No, but they're still beneficial and far superior to what many are currently eating, such as a large bowl of cereal with nonfat milk and orange juice for breakfast.

Some people may not agree with this, arguing that organic, sustainably raised food should be the number one priority and that other things should be sacrificed instead.  I understand this position, since I've devoted my career to showing people just how important good nutrition is. But I haven't walked in the shoes of these veterans, and I can't pretend to know what their day-to-day struggles are like. If they can follow a low-carb diet and keep their blood sugar under decent  control, they'll reduce their risk for nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, and heart disease without furthering their financial burden.  I'm so grateful to these men for putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. Helping them improve their chances to avoid complications by following a way of eating that works for them is the least I can do in return.
13 Comments
Eric Schmitz link
12/4/2011 01:22:09 am

Your article is an excellent statement of a very important principle: do the best you can with the resources you have, and don't give up on the whole concept just because you can't do it "perfectly" (whatever that means). It does nobody any service to insist that they *must* eat grass-fed, organic, pastured, etc. or else it's not worth doing at all. No, the improvement one gets by simply restricting carbs and getting the right macronutrient balance, even those fats and proteins are from conventional "standard grocery-store" sources, will be enormous and absolutely worth it. That is first and foremost. From there, we can make further improvements to the best of our ability.

If it's okay to share a link, my wife wrote on this subject last February: http://holdthetoast.com/content/why-im-not-purist This really is such an important point that it is well worth reinforcing, early and often. These two articles go hand in hand (I think), and I would love to have references to others like them, if anyone has any to share.

Reply
Franziska
12/4/2011 12:01:04 pm

Thanks so much, Eric! I appreciate your comments and fully agree with your sentiments. The right balance of carbs, protein, and fats is the foundation for good health. Just read Dana's article -- I think it's wonderful! Thanks for sharing it.

Reply
Gerri
12/4/2011 03:09:00 pm

Excellent post that honestly examines an important issue. I wish I could afford & had availability of more organic & pasture raised food for health, environmental & humane reasons. I'd be eating only broccoli & carrots if I relied on solely organic produce. Financial resources are a huge consideration, also is living where healthy alternatives are quite limited.

Those who claim that costly food be the priority are the fortunate minority who've never had to worry about funds. Rather elitist attitude.

A sanctimonious view of food isn't a path to living a balanced life.

Reply
Steve Parker, M.D. link
12/4/2011 09:36:52 pm

I don't worry too much about my patients foregoing organic food, grass-fed beef, free-range chickens, etc. We don't know yet if those items truly reduce chronic disease risk and enhance longevity.

BTW, I just subscribed to your RSS feed - don't know how I overlooked it until now.

-Steve

Reply
Franziska
12/4/2011 11:44:31 pm

Thanks, Gerri! You make some excellent points. My hope it that sustainably raised food will someday be more affordable and available to everyone. I look forward to that day.

Reply
Franziska
12/4/2011 11:55:28 pm

Thank you so much, Steve. You're right about the lack of evidence, but I prefer that animals be raised humanely on a diet and in conditions more natural to them.

I really enjoy your website too. Your Mediterranean Low Carbohydrate Diet is my favorite in terms of healthfulness, satiety, palatability, and convenience.

Reply
Heather Dreith
12/5/2011 03:07:00 am

Very sensible post...thank you!

Reply
Natalie
12/5/2011 11:32:10 am

Thanks, I need to hear this every once in a while. I think the stress of trying to get the most nourishment out of my food dollar is probably so detrimental that it negates the benefit of the organic/grassfed food I am able to afford to feed my family of six!

Reply
Franziska
12/5/2011 09:34:08 pm

Wonderful insight, Natalie!

Reply
Amy Dungan link
12/6/2011 05:54:56 am

Fantastic post! I fully believe in just doing the best you can, where you are at. Perfection isn't the goal - the goal is better health. Even small changes can do big things to improve our health/weight. As someone on a very tight budget, with two growing teens, grass fed beef isn't in our price range. If I had something to give up to make up for that, I surely would. But there is nohting else to give up. We have to make it work with what we have and we are doing just fine. :)

Reply
Franziska
12/6/2011 10:06:37 am

Thanks so much, Amy! Great attitude and website :)

Reply
Sheryl
5/19/2018 11:55:47 am

Thank you so much for posting this. A lot of us are on a budget, and I’m tired of the grass fed, organic snobbery the low carb culture is often surrounded with. And sometimes I wonder, if I could afford grass fed, organic stuff exclusively, would I actually buy it or give that extra money to charity? We all have our choices, but I would give it to St. Jude’s hospital for the children, for sure. So glad low carb is really doable for everyone. Even the 99 cent stores now carry ground meat, veggies and cheeses!

Reply
Franziska link
5/20/2018 07:33:41 am

Great points, Sheryl! Thank you.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author 

    Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

    Categories

    All
    Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics
    American Diabetes Association
    Answers.com Articles
    Authority Nutrition Articles
    Bone-health
    Bpa
    Calories
    Cardiovascular Disease
    Dairy
    Diabetes
    Dietetic Associations
    Fiber
    High Fat
    Hyperinsulinemia
    Inflammation
    Insulin Resistance
    Introduction
    Ketogenic Diets
    Low Carb
    Muscle Mass
    Net Carbs
    Paleo
    PCOS
    Primal
    Protein
    Quick Low Carb Treats
    Quick Low-Carb Treats
    Recommended Reading
    Restaurants
    Reviews
    Saturated Fat
    Seafood
    Sugar Addiction
    Thanksgiving
    Thyroid
    Veganism
    Weight Management
    Weston A. Price Foundation

    Archives

    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Research
  • Links
  • My Diet Doctor articles