The Doctors Weight Loss Diet: Your Medically Approved Low-Carb Solution for Total Health

CHAPTER 1

Why the Standard American Diet Is Making Us Overweight

An estimated 160 million Americans are either overweight or obese. Of these 160 million people, almost 75 percent of American males and over 60 percent of females fall into these overweight and obese categories. An added concern is that almost 30 percent of male and female adolescents under the age of twenty are also either overweight or obese—this figure has risen from 19 percent in 1980.¹ In addition, roughly 50 percent of all American adults have one or more chronic diseases, often related to poor nutrition. During a time of various medical breakthroughs and advancements, we must start questioning why our nation’s health is on the decline. A driving factor of the dismal state of our wellbeing is the reality that after decades of adjustments and modifications to our dietary recommendations, we are still being told to eat the wrong things.

The USDA MyPlate has made some small improvements when compared to 1992’s famous (and faulty) Food Pyramid which suggested eating six to eleven servings of high-glycemic grains per day, as well as very little fat, despite how beneficial healthy fats are. However, many of the dietary guidelines for Americans still reek of monetary interests as opposed to the interests of the health of our public. Below is an example day of food which meets the USDA MyPlate’s dietary recommendations for a 2,000-calorie diet.

USDA MyPlate Daily Recommended Foods and Servings (2,000-calorie diet)

3 cups of nonfat or low-fat milk

2 pieces of bread

1 cup of cereal

1 cup of pasta

1 cup of orange juice

1 cup of sliced bananas

1 cup of sweet potatoes

1 cup of broccoli

½ cup of carrots

4 ounces of chicken

1 egg

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

One may look at these recommendations and nod at the fact that they seem normal for today’s standards and yes, they are normal; however, they are extremely faulty and actually contribute to serious medical conditions that run rampant in today’s population, such as excessive weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Let’s take this recommended daily intake of food and break it down into macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat), as well as sugar so we can get a better understanding of the implications of these suggested foods.

As you can see, this suggested example of one day of healthy food results in 108 grams of sugar, as well as an abundance of high-glycemic carbohydrates, many of which come from processed foods. To put it into perspective, this amount of sugar and carbohydrates is equivalent to eating almost eleven glazed donuts in one day! One may say that sugars from the above-listed foods are different than refined sugar; unfortunately, your body is negatively affected by too much sugar, regardless of whether it is from a natural source or from a donut. Another possible argument is that these foods do offer a variety of nutritional benefits (unlike eleven glazed donuts), thus justifying the sugar and carbohydrate intake. We will explain in later chapters how to get twice the nutrients that this typical plan offers, while consuming less than half the sugar, and no high-glycemic, processed carbohydrates (your carbs will come from healthier sources)!

Why is it so important that we reduce sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrate intake? According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 30 million Americans (around 10 percent) are afflicted with diabetes and 90 to 95 percent of these people have type 2 diabetes, which is often caused by diets that include too much sugar. Type 2 diabetes is also on the rise in groups where it used to be uncommon, such as in children and adolescents.²

If you are unaware of how type 2 diabetes develops, your pancreas makes the hormone insulin, and insulin is the regulating component that lets blood sugar into the cells to be used for energy. In the presence of type 2 diabetes, the insulin cannot make the cells respond, which results in insulin resistance. The pancreas reacts by creating more insulin but will not be able to keep up, resulting in rising blood sugar, which then establishes an environment for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels that are too high are associated with a plethora of health issues including, but not limited to, excessive weight gain, heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss. Fortunately, millions of these blood sugar–related ailments can be prevented or even managed with proper nutrition. Unfortunately, the current USDA nutrition recommendations that are provided to the public may actually cause these conditions—not prevent them!

You may be wondering, Why are we told, by trusted governmental sources, to eat these foods if they may lead us down a path of type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and heart disease? The United States Department of Agriculture plays a heavy role in determining these recommendations and then these same guidelines are incorporated in nutrition education curriculum which is taught to nutritionists, as well as some doctors. Essentially, as opposed to being based on scientific research and evidence, these recommendations are influenced by food producers, manufacturers, and special interest groups. One of the USDA’s largest priorities is to strengthen and support food, agriculture, and farming industries, so these guidelines may be disproportionately based on profit as opposed to the health of the general population.³

Every year, the food industry donates millions of dollars to politicians who are in charge of making decisions regarding food regulation. This results in the industry’s ability to market foods that are laden with sugar, salt, calories, and unhealthy fats. For example, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the USDA, vetoed their own expert panel’s suggestions to reduce processed meat and sugary beverage consumption in their 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines, despite substantial evidence that those items are harmful to public health.⁴ Through this orchestration of campaign funding and lobbying, the food industry has effectively squashed and avoided evidence‐based guidelines and taxation. Therefore, the industry has been somewhat allowed to market, formulate, and sell foods that are proven to be detrimental to health when consumed in excess.

In addition to our own regulatory agencies, which should be protecting our health by providing accurate information regarding nutrition, we have product powerhouses such as Coca-Cola who have donated millions of dollars to researchers whose intentions are to downplay the effects of sugary beverages on weight gain. Of course, we may expect this sort of underhanded activity when it comes to a large corporation that is trying to market its products, but we don’t necessarily expect it from Harvard scientists. Back in the 1960s, Harvard scientists were paid by the sugar industry to minimize the link between heart disease and sugar. They had to name a new supposed culprit to take sugar’s place— and the scapegoat was fat.⁵ Unfortunately this faulty, money-based science has been the foundation for a variety of nutrition guidelines throughout the past five decades and has led the masses down a path of falsehoods when considering sugar, carbohydrate, and fat intake in their daily nutrition regimens.

The Doctors Weight Loss Diet will help you transition to a lower-carbohydrate lifestyle and free yourself from sugar addiction, all while enjoying delicious foods that will fend off cravings. After seeing the advice that is offered through our governmental agencies, online, in several literary sources, and even in nutritionists’ and doctors’ offices, it’s no wonder that millions of people are suffering from diet-related conditions despite the fact that they are, most likely, following mainstream nutrition advice. In coming chapters, you will find progressive and unbiased nutrition information that will be sure to put you on the right track for weight loss, toning, and impeccable health.

CHAPTER 2

If You’re Addicted to Sugar, You’re Not Alone

There is a two-pronged culprit contributing to the deteriorating health of our country—one being excessive carbohydrate intake, and the other sugar addiction. The average American currently consumes 57 pounds of added sugar in one year, which is roughly 17 teaspoons per day. Compare this sugar intake to an average consumption of two pounds per year, two hundred years ago. Our bodies are simply not built to have the ability to synthesize the amount of sugar that is commonly used today, resulting in a surge of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

You may be thinking it’s extreme to state that the average person consumes the equivalent of three desserts per day. While candies, cakes, cookies, and ice cream are obvious examples of sugar culprits, sweeteners are also added to the majority of our packaged foods, fueling the sugar industry’s ability to exceed 100 billion dollars in recent years.⁶ The industry is so profitable they must defend and downplay the effects of sugar, as illustrated by statements on their own website such as, Sugar is simple, amazingly functional, and it’s part of a balanced diet.⁷ And yes, sugar can be consumed in true moderation but when you have a 100-billion dollar industry whose primary interest is profits, our food supply ends up being plagued with a highly unbalanced proportion of sweetened products, making it virtually impossible to escape its presence. It’s no surprise our society’s health is on the decline when this money-fueled product is the primary culprit for a host of preventable diseases, and since sugar triggers the same responses in the body as some narcotics, it puts us at high risk for long-term addiction.⁸

To give you more clarity about how big this sugar business is, manufacturers add sugar to 74 percent of all of our packaged foods.⁹ So even if you tend to skip the traditional dessert foods, you are still (likely) getting far more than the recommended daily intake. As an added concern, our society labels many of these sugar-laden foods as healthy, which leads the masses down a path of weight gain and sugar-related diseases. How many times have you seen the heart-healthy selections on a restaurant menu or the fit breakfast at a hotel? Let’s examine one of these typical meals, which many of us choose in an attempt to start the day off on the right foot.

Heart-Healthy Fit Breakfast Menu

Small plain croissant

Small yogurt parfait with fruit and granola

Orange juice

Heart-healthy breakfasts are typically classified by one characteristic: Being low in fat, meaning less than three grams of fat per 100 calories. No other considerations are taken into account, so we end up with recommended healthy fare that has exponential amounts of sugar, and that sugar, if not burned, will turn into fat. Let’s break down this breakfast in terms of all macronutrients and sugars.

This one 490-calorie breakfast is packed with 55 grams of sugar, which far exceeds the daily recommended intake of 37 grams of added sugar per day for men and 25 for women. The concern is the majority of people would think this is a healthy choice due to the fact that it is low in fat and devoid of items such as butter and egg yolks. Now add in food and beverages for the remainder of the day, and you can easily see how we are consuming several pounds of sugar per year.

When we as a society classify unhealthy sugar-laden meals like this as a good choice, it’s no wonder people are confused about what to eat for weight loss and optimal wellness. Seventy-four percent of our packaged foods have added sugars, and because the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate terms such as natural, superfood, or premium, we may falsely perceive many of these processed foods as conducive to weight loss and health. Several variations of the following supposed health food items tend to have the highest amounts of sugars despite the fact they are usually touted as being healthy, so it is important to always check the label for nutrition information, ingredients, and sugar content.

Flavored Yogurts

Some yogurts can be incorporated into your low-carb plan, but you must have a good look at the nutrition and ingredients label to ensure you’re not packing in the same amount of sugar (or sometimes more) as you would with a bowl of ice cream. Flavored and low- or nonfat yogurts tend to be the biggest offenders, with upward of 47 grams of sugar per cup, which exceeds the limit of daily sugar intake for men and women in just one serving. It is best to choose full-fat, plain yogurt and be sure to check the label to make sure there is no added sugar by way of high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners.

Protein Bars

Just like yogurt, some protein bars are formulated to meet low-carb standards, but the majority are not. Many contain as much as 30 grams of sugar per bar, which is equivalent to eating a standard candy bar. If you do enjoy snacking on a protein bar, check the label to ensure that it is high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and low in sugar.

Granola

Granola tends to be classified as a nutritious health food, but most commercial brands include a variety of sweeteners in one package. Cane sugar, brown rice syrup, and tapioca syrup are found in popular commercial selections of granola. Unfortunately, it is commonplace to top flavored yogurt with these sweetened grain mixtures, resulting in a small meal that contains as much as 63 grams of sugar. If you’re a granola fan, there are many low-carb renditions that include ingredients such as nuts, seeds, cinnamon, coconut, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, rather than the standard puffed rice, rolled oats, brown sugar, and raisins.

Kombucha

Kombucha is ancient, fermented tea and provides a host of benefits through its probiotic content, however, some brands have as much as 20 grams of sugar per serving, which is almost comparable to the sugar content of soda. If you’re looking for the gut and microbiome benefits that kombucha can provide, choose unflavored selections which have less than four grams of sugar per serving.

Cereal Bars

Like cereal, cereal bars are touted as heart-healthy yet are packed with added sugars and highly processed ingredients. The nutritional value of the processed ingredients is so low that most cereal bars are fortified with fake synthetic nutrients as the processing kills many of the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.

Premade Soups

Soups are a wonderful part of the low-carb nutrition plan when using ingredients such as coconut milk, avocado, vegetables, and proteins, however, if you’re looking for a quick low-carbohydrate and low-sugar soup found in a can, you will really have to inspect the nutrition label. For example, one can of Campbell’s classic tomato soup has 20 grams of sugar—the same as two glazed donuts! Not all canned soups are sugar culprits so with some label checking, you may be able to find some convenient premade options, and remember to choose low-sodium variations if available.

Vitamin Water

Vitamin water is marketed as healthy because it contains a variety of added synthetic nutrients (some of which can be hard to absorb). Another addition to these drinks is sugar—one bottle has as much as 32 grams which is comparable to the amount of sugar found in soda. It’s best to stick to water or unsweetened sparkling water on your low-carb nutrition plan.

Canned Baked Beans

Beans and legumes aren’t regularly consumed in the low-carb world, however, if you’re on point with measuring your carbohydrate intake, you may be able to squeeze