High Fat/Low Carbohydrate OR Low Fat/High
Carbohydrates???
Getting Ready
Read your chapter on Lipids and watch the lectures and videos for the week.
We are not going to focus on this topic in terms of diets for weight loss because
1. We do not get to cover all of the necessary information in this course to really dive into the topic.
2. These diets and the research behind them vary widely due to study design/flaws, practically, genetics of humans, the confusion as to whether these diets are “good” or “bad” for us because we often ignore the clear evidence around who are these diets may be good for or bad for, what the reason for following the diet may be, and what is the timeframe someone would follow one of these diets and find success or have negative health outcomes.
3. Many people recommend one of these diets or talk about them but are not actually following the diet as laid out. Most people who claim to be on a keto diet are not actually on a keto diet, they are just on a diet that has more fat than the recommended 20-35% of total kcals.
4. Diet quality is hardly talked about or considered and sometimes not even in the research studies examining them.
5. There are two parts to every diet that many people forget, is this a diet for weight loss or is this a diet for health, and those two concepts are not always one and the same.
You really want to think about these concepts when you are looking at a diet plan and our discussion will help us to think more deeply about how these macronutrients work in our body and how we may want to view them and move forward in our lifelong healthy eating plan.
Now that we have learned more about carbohydrates and lipids we are going to talk about how these two macronutrients interact in our bodies and how we live in a world where people villainize both macronutrients.
I want you to consider how we see big advocates for a plant-based diet or a vegan diet (plant-based and vegan are not the same) at the same time as high-fat diets or keto diets (high fat and keto are not the same).
By Thursday
1. How could the conflicting messages on these diet plans impact individuals and their health?
OR
1. Sometimes someone else posted pretty much what you wanted to so realize you can discuss something else that flows with this discussion, such as diet culture in general.
2. Now that you have learned more about carbohydrates and fat, what do you feel you can “myth bust” about what you see, hear, and/or read about these types of diets?
OR
2. What are you still unsure of?
** Notes: If you are a strong advocate for one way of eating over the other and you want to share that, please also share a reference that supports your opinion as well as one that opposes your opinion. It is important to not only look for information that supports our beliefs. In order to grow and move forward, we need to look at the complete picture with an open mind, which can mean going out of your comfort zone and challenging your own beliefs!
Remember it is OK to disagree. Just be respectful and mindful. There is a difference between going through the motions and getting something out of this. Learn from your peers, engage, and think critically!
By Sunday
1. Read your peers’ initial posts.
2. Respond to at least two peers with thoughtful responses with a minimum of 50 words.
