Why are most people in the Western World Unhealthy?
Warren Matthews

I’m going to attempt to shed some shed some light as to why the majority of the population is overweight and in less than optimum health. I won’t bore you with a whole lot of facts as you have probably heard most of them before, particularly those relating to obesity.

Observe the Evidence:

I am sure that you have observed the evidence of the extent of general poor health yourself…first hand. If
you haven’t already done so, next time you are in a shopping mall sit down for 10 minutes and consciously observe the outward health of the people passing by you.

Look at whether they are overweight, observe their skin for clarity and firmness, take note of the way they
move…are their movements effortless and appear to have energy to spare, or are they sluggish as if they are
carrying a burden? Also look at their eyes… are they bright, clear and alert?

I think that you know what the results of a personal survey such as this will reveal! It will show that the MAJORITY of the people that pass by you will either be overweight or have other outward signs of less than optimal health.

I am not being judgmental of these people because many of them are in this condition primarily as a result of
being fed misinformation through the media by either misguided authorities or commercial interests. Before
I expand on this I should mention that a certain number of these people are nevertheless 100% to blame for
their condition.

They know they are doing harmful things to their body and health.

But, what about the rest of the unhealthy group who are in this condition primarily due to being fed a constant stream of misinformation!

These can be placed into just a few general categories:

1. Psychological.

There is a constant barrage of ‘pill’ advertising which we are subjected to every day. Consider the influence
that this has on the general population. If you were to believe the advertismentss and ignore the side effect warnings it would be quite easy to get the impression that there is a ‘Magic pill’ solution for most ailments.

Added to this are the constant news releases that talk about new medical discoveries such as being able to
grow replacement organs when your own wear out, and don’t forget about the ‘promising’ research for other
new ‘miracle’ drugs just over the horizon.

All these influences combined with a ‘busy’ society looking for a quick and easy ‘fix’, it is no wonder that so many people are quite ‘slack’ when it comes to taking care of their
bodies…particularly on the inside.

2. Dietary Advice.

The food pyramid that is recommended people adhere to, haslargely been discredited scientifically but continues to be pushed. Also, an obsession has developed in which people
are constantly advised to reduce their fat intake.

The ‘official’ line is that saturated animal fats are bad for you and you should avoid butter etc, etc… People believe that if you eat saturated fat you will become fat, or if you eat foods containing cholesterol such as eggs you will raise your cholesterol levels, and so on.

The reality is quite different but I do not have the space to examine this further right now. But just as a quick
illustration take cholesterol. 80% of your blood cholesterol is manufactured by your liver. In other words only 20% is from dietary sources. So, if you reduced your intake of cholesterol by 25% it would only impact on your overall cholesterol by 5%.

By people accepting the ‘official’ no fat line they turn to alternatives such as margarine and other vegetable
oil substitutes. What they are not aware of is that most of these substitutes, which are derived from vegetable oils, are in fact hydrogenated because otherwise they would be liquid at room temperature.

This involves treating the oils and the resulting substance is much, much more harmful than butter could ever be. A
future article will discuss the subject of oils and fats.

The official dietary guidelines virtually ignore the incredibly harmful impact of processed foods and sugar on
the human body. They also ignore the fact that the normal western diet is seriously lacking in essential nutrients, which translate to imbalances and poor health.

3. Mystery.

We all know that the human body is an amazingly complex ‘vehicle’. No one fully understands all the interactions
that are taking place within it every second throughout your lifetime.

This includes the medical profession along with the pharmaceutical industry, evidenced by the ongoing removal
from the market of drugs which have been approved and considered to be safe and afterwards found not to be.

Nonetheless, many people place far too much reliance on the medical profession. Apart from using the medical profession for important tests to find out the internal health of your body so you can make corrections in your lifestyle habits if required, you should never have to visit a physician.

Now, I understand and appreciate that this is not the case for the vast majority of people. I just want to
make the point that other than routine check ups if you need to visit the Doctor it means you have damaged your
body in some way and are seeking a repair.

Your body is not like a car when it comes to repair issues. When you try to repair your body through the use of
pharmaceutical drugs you run a serious risk of starting a cascade effect which will bring on other health problems
in the short or longer term.

In Summary

If you want to live a life of vibrant health and energy take a close look at your attitude to health and consider
honestly if you are working towards removing as much as possible the mystery of how your body works. Realize that there is no quick and easy medical ‘fix’ for most ailments as a single ailment is often merely one small symptom of other underlying problems that cannot be effectively dealt with in isolation…in the long term.

Try to eliminate as much as possible, your intake of manufactured and processed foods and avoid drinking sodas, and tap water. If you are overweight be particularly vigilant about avoiding sugars in any form…they are much more damaging to your weight objectives than fat.

In good health,

Warren Matthews
Editor In Chief
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Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

Youll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and dont make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, youll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans.

Its a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You cant always rely on low carb labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and dont have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.

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Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

Youll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and dont make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, youll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating meal plans.

Its a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You cant always rely on low carb labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and dont have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.

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When you first start on the Atkins program, you may be tempted to take advantage of many of the low carbohydrate products on the market today. There are a wide variety of packaged items that are specifically manufactured to be low-carb. These include low-carb snacks, low-carb baking products and low-carb substitutes (like pasta or bread). While it may be enticing to fill your shopping cart with all of these goodies, its best for your diet and for your health to use them sparingly.

One of the key things to remember about the Atkins diet is its focus on raw, unprocessed foods. The center of diet, as shown by the Atkins diet food pyramid, is fresh vegetables and fresh meats. Added into the mix are natural cheeses, a selection of fruits and, eventually, whole unprocessed grains. There arent any packaged meats, canned vegetables or instant anything.

There is a reason that the Atkins food pyramid shows these foods in their raw states. There are great health benefits in minimally processed foods. Raw, whole foods retain more vitamins and nutrients than foods that have been through chemical and industrial processing. Manufactured foods are more likely to be tainted with chemical additives that can cause a whole host of problems.

Raw, fresh food ingredients provide the best basis for a healthy diet. Many dieters rely on foods that are technically allowed on the plan, but not good for health. One example is bacon. Many people on the Atkins diet consume lots of bacon. In fact, many use it as a daily part of their protein foods. However, bacon contains high amounts of sodium nitrite, an ingredient that is known to cause cancer. The more bacon they eat, the more they expose themselves to this chemical and many others.

The Atkins pyramid, and the Atkins diet books, recommends unprocessed, unrefined and non-manufactured foods for a reason. If people follow these recommendations, they will lose weight and experience health transformations. By eating fresh and natural foods youll be providing your body with the nutrients that you need to have optimum health.

Back to those packaged and processed low-carb foods. Technically, they are part of the low-carb program. They can be used in moderation as substitutes for your favorite carbohydrate heavy foods. In a pinch, low-carb bread and baked goods can help you get over cravings and add variety to your Atkins diet plan. However, one look at the labels of these products shows how chemically processed these items can be.

It is recommended that you use these products sparingly. In some individuals, low-carb packaged items cause carbohydrate cravings. This can make staying on the diet even more difficult. If you find that low-carb processed foods make you want to binge on carb-heavy foods, then its best that you stay away from these products. These products may also have hidden carb counts that will increase your daily carbohydrate level without you realizing it.

If you are experiencing a stall in your weight loss on the Atkins plan, re-evaluate your commitment to unprocessed and unrefined foods. If youve been eating too many low-carb processed foods, you may be consuming hidden carbs and eating more than necessary. Try eliminating these products and refocusing your diet on unprocessed and unrefined foods, like those seen on the Atkins diet pyramid. When you go grocery shopping, spend time along the outer rim of the store where the fresh, unprocessed foods are. This will help you avoid the temptation of packaged foods that can lead your diet astray.

You may need to rely on packaged meats, vegetables and fruits from time to time. We lead busy lives and convenience foods are part of life. Its understandable that you may need to use some canned soup, bacon or canned vegetables in your daily life. However, make an effort to concentrate your dietary efforts on a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods. Your health and weight loss efforts will be greatly rewarded.

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