From Fatness to Fitness with Fiber

This is in part the result of experimentation I have done on myself in losing weight. Fiber and water have no calories. Soluble fiber fights against colon cancer and is also good for your heart. It absorbs cholesterol and eliminates it from your digestive system. Psyllium, which is available as a supplement, is soluble. Citrucel, or methylcellulose, is another soluble fiber supplement. Pectin is soluble fiber found in fruits, including the apple. Oat bran is also soluble fiber.

Sugar

Sugar is a bad guy. It raises your cholesterol and causes your cells to eat because of the release of insulin. It has almost no nutrients. It has almost no fiber. Sugar is also a problem for diabetics because they can pass out if their blood sugar gets too high.

Fat

Fat is another bad guy. It has 9 calories per gram. Protein has only 4 calories per gram. Animal fat is considered bad for the prostate and the heart. Nuts and seeds are high in fat, although these are considered beneficial fats. Plant fats contain no cholesterol and fewer saturated fats than animal fats.

Atypical "Antipsychotics"

Unfortunately these drugs have very bad side effects including weight gain. On the other hand, some psychiatric drugs such as Celexa, a SSRI, can cause gastritis. The gastritis can cause weight loss, but you don't want to lose weight that way.

The Vegan Diet

The vegan diet is rich in fiber. This is a very healthy diet as compared to the omnivorous diet. The vegan diet is all plant foods. The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet allow dairy products and eggs. However, dairy products and eggs have bad fats including a lot of cholesterol.

The vegan diet fights against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. People with lactose intolerance are allergic to milk. The vegan diet is good for them.

Orthomolecular Theory

Ref. 1 gives information on orthomolecular nutrition. There are theories about nutrition and mental health (2, 3). There are theories about nutrition and cancer. Certain foods are considered to fight against cancer (4). These are plant foods including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Whole wheat bread has more fiber than white bread. Brown rice has more fiber than white rice. Fiber slows the increase of blood sugar after eating.

Conclusions

Orthomolecular nutrition favors the use of micronutrients, which have no calories. It also favors the use of certain macronutrients, but it is against sugar.

"Vitamin C is a specific antagonist of chemical and bacterial toxins." William McCormick, M. D.
1880-1968

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought."
- Albert Szent-Györgyi 1893-1986

"When in doubt, try nutrition first." Roger Williams, Ph. D. 1893-1988

Refs. 5 & 6 are books with a good deal of information about nutrition.

References

1. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml

2. Hoffer A, Osmond H & Smythies J (1954) Schizophrenia: a new approach. II. Results of a year's research. J Ment Science 100(418):29-45.

3. Hoffer A, Osmond H, Callbeck MJ & Kahan I (1957) Treatment of schizophrenia with nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. J Clin Exper Psychopathol 18: 131-158.

4. Hoffer A. Pauling Dr. Linus: Healing Cancer: Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments. CCNM Press (July 1, 2004).

5. Pfeiffer, Carl C. (1987) Nutrition and Mental Illness: An Orthomolecular Approach to Balancing Body Chemistry. ISBN 0-89281-226-5 Healing Arts Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767, The Princeton Brain Bio Center, 862 Route 518, Skillman, NJ 08558, Tel. 609-924-8607.

6. Braverman, ER and Pfeiffer, Carl C (1987) The Healing Nutrients. Keats Publishing Inc, New Canaan , Connecticut .