Me and Gail started talking yesterday about diet and specifically about animal products vs other protein sources and cholesterol. The Coronary Health Improvement Project, known as CHIP, is a diet which is mostly plant based. This is great as I highly recommend a majority of what you eat should be plant based foods. But the issue I have with this diet is where it’s protein source is from legumes mainly, a vegan diet. The evidence from this diet comes from a study known as the “China Study” and a book by Dr. Campbell leader of the study. If you have any science background at all you know that you must first start with a hypothesis, then your job as a scientist is try to find evidence to disprove your idea, not confirm it. And if you find an instance where it’s disproved, then that’s it, it’s disproved, you can’t find excuses to make reason of it. This is exactly what Gary Taubes in “Good Calories, Bad Calories” when he makes a detailed and compelling case that refined carbohydrates are the primary cause of weight gain and “diseases of civilization” such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. In my view, any honest and opened-minded scientist would have to largely agree with him. There are societies who’s main source of food is an almost 100% meat diet with no history of coronary disease in these populations. This would completely discredit the mainly vegan diet that the CHIP diet advocates. Unfortunately Taube’s book is a difficult read and not one that is done quickly. For a more concise read, read In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto byMichael Pollan. An interesting blog post argues “What Was Our First Protein Source?”. There are plenty of other reasons others then meat that make the western Diet a unhealthy diet! Sugar  – Bad! Fat & Oils are usually corn based and saturated – Bad! Eat more vegetables and you’ll get more fiber true! What are your thoughts on this?

What's on Your Plate?

The typical Western diet, says Hans Diehl, MD, is the
source of many diseases. The Coronary Health Improvement
Project (CHIP) optimal diet reduces daily amounts of
fats, sugars and cholesterol in order to lower the risk
of disease.

                      Western Diet      CHIP Optimal Diet

Fats & Oils       35-40 percent of          15 percent of
              total calorie intake   total calorie intake
Sugar                  35 tsp./day      Under 10 tsp./day
Cholesterol             400 mg/day        Under 50 mg/day
Salt               12-15 grams/day      Under 5 grams/day
Fiber                 10 grams/day           40 grams/day

Source: CHIP: Getting Started, Hans A. Diehl, Lifestyle
Medicine Institute, 2001.

WOD:

• Level III -
  • Row 500 meters
  • 115/75 pound Push press, 21 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 115/75 pound Push press, 18 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 115/75 pound Push press, 15 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 115/75 pound Push press, 12 reps
• Level II -
  • Row 500 meters
  • 95/55 pound Push press, 21 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 95/55 pound Push press, 18 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 95/55 pound Push press, 15 reps
  • Row 500 meters
  • 95/55 pound Push press, 12 reps
• Level I -
  • Row 250 meters
  • 65/35 pound Push press, 15 reps
  • Row 250 meters
  • 65/35pound Push press, 12 reps
  • Row 250 meters
  • 65/35 pound Push press, 9 reps
  • Row 250 meters
  • 65/35 pound Push press, 6 reps