Myths & Truths About Nutrition

Myth: Heart disease in is caused by consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products.

Truth: During the period of rapid increase in heart disease (1920-1960), Consumption of animal fats declined but consumption of hydrogenated and industrially processed vegetable fats increased dramatically.

Myth: Saturated fat clogs arteries.

Truth: The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. 

Myth: Vegetarianism is healthy.

Truth: The annual all-cause death rate of vegetarian men is slightly more than that of non-vegetarian men (.93% vs .89%); the annual death rate of vegetarian women is significantly more than that of non-vegetarian women (.86% vs .54%) 

Myth: Vitamin B₁₂ can be obtained from certain plant sources such as blue-green algae and soy products.

Truth: Vitamin B₁₂ is not absorbed from plant sources. Modern soy products increase the body's need for B₁₂. 

Myth: For good health, serum cholesterol should be less than 180 mg/dl.

Truth: The all-cause death rate is higher in individuals with cholesterol levels lower than 180 mg/dl. 

Myth: Animal fats cause cancer and heart disease.

Truth: Animal fats contain many nutrients that protect against cancer and heart disease; elevated rates of cancer and heart disease are associated with consumption of large amounts of vegetable oils. 

Myth: Children benefit from a low-fat diet.

Truth: Children on low-fat diets suffer from growth problems, failure to thrive & learning disabilities. 

Myth: A low-fat diet will make you "feel better . . . and increase your joy of living."

Truth: Low-fat diets are associated with increased rates of depression, psychological problems, fatigue, violence and suicide. 

Myth: To avoid heart disease, we should use margarine instead of butter.

Truth: Margarine eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter eaters. 

Myth: We do not consume enough essential fatty acids.

Truth: We consume far too much of one kind of EFA (omega-6 EFAs found in most polyunsaturated vegetable oils) but not enough of another kind of EFA (omega-3 EFAs found in fish, fish oils, eggs from properly fed chickens, dark green vegetables and herbs, and oils from certain seeds such as flax and chia, nuts such as walnuts and in small amounts in all whole grains.) 

Myth: A vegetarian diet will protect you against atherosclerosis.

Truth: The International Atherosclerosis Project found that vegetarians had just as much atherosclerosis as meat eaters. 

Myth: Low-fat diets prevent breast cancer.

Truth: A recent study found that women on very low-fat diets (less than 20%) had the same rate of breast cancer as women who consumed large amounts of fat. 

Myth: The "cave man diet" was low in fat.

Truth: Throughout the world, primitive peoples sought out and consumed fat from fish and shellfish, water fowl, sea mammals, land birds, insects, reptiles, rodents, bears, dogs, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, game, eggs, nuts and milk products. (Abrams, Food & Evolution 1987)

Myth: Coconut oil causes heart disease.

Truth: When coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls, and no difference compared to patents treated with corn or safflower oils. Populations that consume coconut oil have low rates of heart disease. Coconut oil may also be one of the most useful oils to prevent heart disease because of its antiviral and antimicrobial characteristics. 

Myth: Saturated fats inhibit production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.

Truth: Saturated fats actually improve the production of all prostaglandins by facilitating the conversion of essential fatty acids. 

Myth: Arachidonic acid in foods like liver, butter and egg yolks causes production of "bad" inflammatory prostaglandins.

Truth: Series 2 prostaglandins that the body makes from arachidonic acid both encourage and inhibit inflammation under appropriate circumstances. Arachidonic acid is vital for the function of the brain and nervous system. 

Myth: Beef causes colon cancer

Truth: Argentina, with higher beef consumption, has lower rates of colon cancer than the US. Mormons have lower rates of colon cancer than vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists 

Hi everyone 

Welcome to our three, five minute workouts, that include a beginners, intermediate and advanced one.

The first video film is all about what is the  best type of exercise for weight loss.

Below is the Petecohen.tv Five Minute Workout for Beginners.

If you have not exercised for a while or are injured then we recomend that you consult your GP before doing this programme.

Below is the Petecohen.tv Five Minute Workout for Intermediates.

 If you have not exercised for a while or are injured then we recomend that you consult your GP before doing this programme. 

Below is the Petecohen.tv Five Minute Advanced Workout 

If you have not exercised for a while or are injured then we recomend that you consult your GP before doing this programme.

 Live online course with Pete

NEXT 8-WEEK LIVE ONLINE WITH PETE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 09!

Now it’s possible to go one step further and for you to be coached in person, by me, over the internet in real time!

Technological advancements now make this possible and anyone with a broadband Internet connection and a browser can log onto the Internet and take part in my LIVE eight week weight loss coaching programme.

Next year these courses will cost £250. But for only £100, you can join me on the first of these courses, starting on:

Tuesday 29th September at 8.pm

In terms of getting set up, all you’ll need is a Web Cam so that you can be part of the experience. If you haven’t got one, you’ll need to get one. They are easy to find and you can pick one up fairly cheaply. The software we will be using will allow you to ask questions in real time and will let me respond to these during the session.

As many of you know, I have run weight loss groups for years and helped many people get slimmer, fitter and healthier.

I loved doing these but they were always limited to people who lived near venues and were inaccessible to people from different parts of the country and world.

This is why I developed petecohen.tv – as it was the next best thing. It continues to be such a joy for me to be a part of people’s continued success. If you haven’t seen out latest before-and-after videos then click herehttp://www.weightlossguru.com/index.cfm/2009/7/1/Petecohentv-Before-and-Afters/

 Click here to sign up

Our new service

In January we will be launching a new PCTV programme where we will be running eight-week courses on-line for a select number of people. These courses will run in real time and will deliver a personal touch by offering group coaching. 
  
These courses will cost £250. We do, however, have a one time only exclusive offer for you. For just £100, you can join me on the first of these courses, starting on Tuesday 29th September at 8.pm. This offer is only available until the end of August, so sign up soon. This will be a larger group and will run for one hour each week for eight weeks. It will start the week after the Exceptional Weight Loss Athlete Challenge finishes.

What will you get out of this?

It’s a great opportunity to be coached by me in person and for you to receive a real personal touch. It’s a great chance for your specific needs to be addressed and resolved over the 8 weeks. There will be a focus on breaking the habits that have held you back and helping you create ones that not only help you lose weight but, more importantly, keep it off.
 
There will also be new tools and techniques for you to use as well as opportunities for you to get to know others and develop a stronger supportive network.

What do I need?

Hardware (audio)

If you don't have an inbuilt microphone on your computer then you might want to consider getting a headset to ensure a better quality experience.  USB sets provide the best audio quality (especially Plantronics and Logitech). We recommend USB headsets rather than analogue as they can interfere with sound cards but also have 2 jacks which can cause confusion for end users. Whilst a good quality headset is recommended there are other things that can be adjusted to ensure their full performance. You can pick any of these up fairly cheaply. 
 

Hardware (Video)

If you don't have an inbuilt camera on your computer then we suggest a web camera.
 
Recommended:
Web Cameras
1) Logitech Quick Cam Deluxe for Notebooks 
2) Logitech Quick Cam Pro 9000 for Notebooks 
3) Microsoft LiveCam NX-3000 
4) Philips SPC625 NC 
5) Advent 1.3MP Webcam 
6) Creative Live Cam Video IM 
7) Creative Live Cam Optia Pro, with headset 
 
Headsets
1) Logitech Premium Notebook Headset or any Plantronics model.
2) Advent PC Headset

 Click here to sign up

Hi everyone 

I have special pod-cast for you to listen to with Health and Fitness Professional, Susan Cass. I have known  Susan for some time as we write articles for a fitness magazine called UltraFit.

In this pod-cast we discuss the best type of exercise for weight loss. 

To find out more about Susan please visit her website by clicking here.

Take care and please make a comment if you find this pod-cast usefu.l

Pete

Hi everyone

Photo by oskay | Flickr

Hi everyone 

I have another great pod-cast for you to listen to with the inspirational, Health and Fitness Professional, Colin Deans.

Here we discuss the subject of FATS and the best types for us to eat, to be healthy and slim.

Take care and please let us know what you think of this pod-cast and if you find it useful.

Pete

Hi everyone,

I have another great pod-cast for you to listen to. Here I'm interviewing, Personal Trainer, Ben Davis.  We discuss weight loss and the best type of exercise for it.

Hope you enjoy, and please let us know what you think by clicking here and adding a comment.

Take care,
Pete 

Did you know that each one of us is made up of roughly:

63% water
22% protein
13% fat, and
2% minerals and vitamins

And, did you realise that every single molecule in our body comes from the food we eat and the water we drink. So eating the highest quality food in the right quantities helps us achieve our greatest potential for health and vitality.

Yet among the big news stories of the new millennium was this: the number of starving people in the world is now roughly equal to the number of clinically obese people. But the irony is that many people in the developed world are actually eating less than they used to, so what’s going on?

I have seen, over the last twenty years or so, that the quality of food we’re eating has got worse and there is now more focus on highly processed foods. The people I see in my one-to-one clinics and in workshops and seminars seem to be more stressed and very inactive. It appears that we are more obsessed with how we look rather than what we eat.

The sum total of this behavior is that we are gradually eating ourselves to death and, believe it or not, many people who are overweight are actually suffering from the same condition as people who are starving. Yes, MALNUTRITION, The reason being that the processed packaged food is often so heavily refined that it’s lacking in the vitamins and minerals we need for our bodies to work well.

Just as the quality and type of fuel used in your car influences both the performance and longevity of the engine, so the quality and type of food you eat influences the health, performance and longevity of your body.

If your diet contains lots of packaged and processed foods then chances are you are missing out on vital nutrients - so it’s time to cleanse your body. Every  single process that takes place in your body - including digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking - requires vitamins and minerals.

When you eat fresh, natural foods, your stock of vitamins and minerals gets topped up: quite simply, when you eat well, your body works well.

As we lose touch with real ‘live’ food, it becomes harder to form the association with the vitamins and minerals in food and the realisation that we are alive because of them. Our body requires them to survive, so if we keep eating food that is lacking in them, our body’s stocks of these nutrients become depleted so we will start to malfunction and it will become increasingly harder to concentrate and process information. The  body will have less energy and it will find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. That’s why junk foods are often called ‘anti-nutrients.’ They literally attack your stores of nutrients and damage your health.

So commit to giving your body what it needs, including good food and plenty of activity, and I will help you along the way, giving you encouragement, support and guidance.

Until next time