The Greek Doctor´s Diet

By Fedon Alexander Lindberg

Simple, delicious, slow carb, Mediterranean approach to eating healthily and designed to keep you naturally slim and help you to prevent and treat: DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, INSULIN RESISTANCE AND SYNDROME X

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fedon Alexander Lindberg
• Release date: Mar 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386687924

Fedon Alexander Lindberg

Dr. Fedon Lindberg is a specialist in internal medicine and endocrine disorders. He was born and raised in Greece. Persued a postdoctorate fellowship at the University of California, La Jolla and now runs four highly successful clinics in Norway. A household name in Scandinavia, Dr. Lindberg is also an enthusiastic cook and food writer and has published more than 14 books in 21 languages.

Book preview

The GREEK DOCTOR’S Diet

A SIMPLE, DELICIOUS, SLOW-CARB, MEDITERRANEAN APPROACH TO EATING AND EXERCISE DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU NATURALLY SLIM AND HELP YOU TO AVOID:

•  DIABETES

•  HEART DISEASE

•  INSULIN RESISTANCE

•  SYNDROME X

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DR. FEDON ALEXANDER LINDBERG, Spec. Internal Medicine

Introduction

I was born in Greece at the beginning of the 1960s. There I learned to appreciate the simple things in life - the sunlight, the blue sea and Greek food. I watched and learned while my grandmother prepared one great dish after another. She was a fantastic cook, and she was also quite overweight. When she was in her fifties, she was diagnosed with type II diabetes, often known as ‘adult-onset’ diabetes. Her blood pressure was high, too. My grandmother liked good food, but did not eat large amounts. My grandfather ate exactly the same food, yet he was always slim. Neither of them was particularly physically active, and neither exercised on a regular basis. Why was only my grandmother overweight? Why did she develop diabetes and high blood pressure?

Before long my father also was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. Just like grandmother, he was in his early fifties and had gained 13kg (2st) in a relatively short period of time; almost all of this excess weight was concentrated around his waist. Later, even my mother, who has always been of normal weight and exercised regularly, developed mild diabetes when she was 70.

Grandmother suffered her first stroke at the age of 65. Another soon followed. It was a tragedy for the whole family. I watched as the health of a person dear to me gradually deteriorated. It didn’t take long before her heart began to fail, and she died before she was 70. Why did this happen? Could she have done something to prevent it? Many members of my family are doctors, including my father and three of my siblings. I studied medicine and developed an early interest in diabetes and obesity. After all, it is well known that both disorders are genetically determined. If you have one parent with type II diabetes, you have a 40 per cent chance of developing the disease yourself at some point in life. I wondered whether I could do anything to prevent this from happening to me.

Both in Norway, where I moved to in the early 1980s, and in the United States, where I lived for two years, I carried out research in the field of diabetes and insulin resistance (the underlying cause behind type II diabetes and a major contributing cause of obesity). In 1987, after undergoing an euglycemic clamp test, I was diagnosed with moderate insulin resistance- (The euglycemic clamp test is used in medical research to quantify the degree of insulin resistance. Due to its complexity, it is not used as a routine test in clinical practice.) I wasn’t overweight, but I was predisposed to developing type II diabetes. The message was clear: I had to find out what I could do to prevent this.

I have always enjoyed good food and have a sweet tooth. Although I have never been significantly overweight, I have always monitored my weight carefully. I knew it wouldn’t take much before the scales shifted upwards and my waistline increased. Did I have a lower metabolism than other people? Or could it be that some foods did not agree with my body chemistry?

Through my medical specialization, I gained a better insight into obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. This left me increasingly frustrated about how little doctors have done to inform the public about preventing these conditions.

We know that disorders such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are genetically inherited, but lifestyle is what determines who will become ill and when. I have seen many diabetics whose health has gradually deteriorated prior to diagnosis; they then go through a period of so- called dietary management. Almost without exception, the disease will progress and will require treatment with oral medications and, later, even insulin injections, unless a significant change in lifestyle takes place. Until a few years ago, the only medicines available increased the body’s production of insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels, which is already high in the early stages of type II diabetes and in most cases of obesity). These medicines do improve the control of blood sugar levels, but almost without exception they lead to weight gain (80 per cent of type II diabetics are overweight or obese to begin with), increased blood pressure and increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood. Eventually, insulin-injection treatment becomes inevitable, resulting in even further weight gain and metabolic disorder. The obvious conclusion: too much insulin makes us fat!

What affects our insulin levels? The answer is very simple: the food we eat - not so much the quantity we eat, but what we eat.

While I was in the United States, I came across two terms in particular that have had a great impact not only on me personally but also on many people around the world: Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL). The Glycaemic Index is a scientific method that can help you choose the right carbohydrates; Glycaemic Load relates the GI to the amount of carbohydrate eaten in a normal serving, or in 100 grams, making comparison between foods possible. The right carbohydrates, coupled with the right quality and quantity of proteins and beneficial fats, will allow your body to reach a healthy balance. I soon realized that this was one of the most important milestones in modern nutrition. Used correctly, this nutritional principle can prevent obesity and help overweight and obese people achieve gradual weight loss and better health. Diabetics can stabilize their insulin and blood-sugar levels, at the same time as losing weight and feeling great. Using the GI and GL principles can help to control blood pressure or even eliminate high blood pressure completely, and prevent cardiovascular disease. And eating foods that have a low GL can increase metabolic rate and improve overall performance - endurance performance, or stamina, in particular.

During recent years scientists have conducted a great deal of research on the Glycaemic Index and Glycaemic Load and how food affects our blood sugar, our hormones and, through them, our health. There is substantial evidence that even chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and rheumatic conditions, as well as cancer, immune disorders and female infertility, have a great deal to do with the kind of food we eat. It almost goes without saying that we are what we eat - but it is perhaps less obvious that we are also what our predecessors have eaten throughout the evolution of our species. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that food can prevent and treat disease - FOOD IS MEDICINE!

In 1999, I set up the first clinic in Norway specializing in the prevention and treatment of lifestyle disorders such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other degenerative conditions. The clinic is called ‘In Balance’ and it offers multidisciplinary treatment through patient education in nutrition and cooking, organized exercise sessions to improve metabolism, support in managing lifestyle modification and, if necessary, the use of dietary supplements and/or medications. For more information, visit www.drlindbergs.com

As you read this book, you will learn how you can eat your way to better health, lower weight and higher performance by correctly applying the best medicine we know of: food. You can eat great-tasting food that just happens to be healthy, without counting calories or feeling deprived, and you can eat as much as you want to feel comfortably satisfied - if you choose the right foods and combine them appropriately.

CHAPTER 1

WHAT THIS BOOK CAN DO FOR YOU

Do you enjoy great-tasting food? Of course you do. Anything else would be unnatural. A positive attitude towards food is of the utmost importance, even if you are overweight or have diabetes, and this positive relationship with food is characteristic of the way people around the Mediterranean have traditionally eaten. The traditional Mediterranean diet, especially the Greek diet (typically high in olive oil, fish, vegetables, beans, lentils and fruit, and low in potatoes, red meat and dairy foods), has been known for the past 40 years to be particularly healthy, and is the starting point for this book.

Our bodies are literally made of the food we eat, and we need the right type of food and in adequate quantities in order to be healthy. This book will teach you to make the right choices from the many types of food available. By making better choices, you will reach a hormonal balance and enjoy better health. Remember, your future health depends on the choices you make today.

Are you overweight?

This book is especially suitable for anyone who has a tendency to put on weight easily or who is already overweight or obese. Maybe you have other family members with the same problem. Or perhaps you eat the same food as your partner or your siblings, but only your weight is increasing. Do you tend to put on weight around your waist in particular, while your arms and legs are thinner in comparison? Your doctor may have told you that you should lose weight, eat less and exercise more. You may have tried countless diets and slimming products, or joined weight-loss support groups. Well, yes, you always managed to lose weight to begin with, and maybe some diets were more effective than others. But it didn’t last long. Maybe you couldn’t stand the monotony of restricting the types of foods you ate, or the endless calculations of calories, carbs or points, and went back to what you used to eat before you started dieting. Regardless, you ended up weighing as much as or more than you did before the diet. Is your willpower as tired as you are? Do not despair. It is not your fault. This book will grant you diet amnesty. You do not necessarily gain weight because you eat too much, but mainly because you eat the wrong food. By choosing the right food - and with a little bit of planning - you can lose weight permanently while eating well and becoming healthier with every bite.

This is not a quick-fix diet but a nutritional concept you can and should follow for the rest of your life. You should not expect to lose more than l-1.5kg (2-3lb) per week if you are overweight; if you lose more than this it will affect your fat-free (muscle) mass, which is not good, because it is muscle that keeps your metabolism active. This level of weight loss may seem slow to some, but by following these guidelines you will experience increased feelings of well-being and vitality that will stimulate you to continue.

Are you predisposed to heart disease?

If you have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or triglyceride (blood lipid) levels, or have already developed angina or had a heart attack or stroke, it is more than likely that food has contributed to your problems, due to a series of hormonal disturbances. Along with quitting smoking, mastering stress and leading a physically more active life, a balanced diet will have an enormous impact on your health. Not only will you feel better, but your blood pressure will improve and - with the agreement of your doctor - you may even require fewer medications. In addition, arteriosclerosis can be reversed, and nearly-blocked arteries can open up again. Our body has a fantastic ability to heal itself, if only it is given the chance.

Are you predisposed to diabetes?

If you have diabetes in your immediate family, this book can greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease yourself. If you are one of the 130 million people in the world with type II diabetes (adult-onset diabetes), you can achieve better control of your blood-sugar levels and prevent a series of complications related to this disease (the damage it causes to blood vessels and nerves can result in blindness, amputation, impotence, kidney disease, heart disease and stroke). As an added bonus, you will gradually lose excess body fat if you are overweight. You may experience reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels and your blood pressure will improve. You may even manage without oral medications or insulin injections, need lower dosages than you used to, or be able to switch from insulin injections to the new medications that improve insulin action rather than increase insulin levels. I have had many type II diabetic patients who no longer require insulin injections, even though they have undergone many years of such treatment. It is well known that insulin and medications that increase insulin production lead to weight gain, higher blood lipids, high blood pressure and an increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease.

If you have type I diabetes, you will find you have steadier, more predictable blood sugar and the need for insulin will be reduced, but you will still be dependent on insulin shots; you will also avoid developing complications linked to the disease. A diet based on the principles of the Glycaemic Load and a few modifications to your lifestyle can give you a new and better life.

Can you avoid syndrome X?

Some of you will be wondering what this is and if it is something you should be worried about. Syndrome X is a hormonal disorder that accounts for more than half of all deaths in developed countries every year. Syndrome X puts you at increased risk of type II diabetes, obesity, heart attack, stroke and several forms of cancer, as well as inflammatory diseases such as asthma, allergies, psoriasis, migraine, rheumatic diseases, muscular and skeletal pain, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irregular menstruation, infertility and pre-eclampsia.

The terms syndrome X, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are used interchangeably, however it is important to note that many people have some degree of insulin resistance but do not have full-blown insulin resistance or syndrome X. How can you tell if you have insulin resistance? The easiest way is simply to look at yourself in the mirror. If your belly is bulging even though the rest of your body looks normal, then you are probably predisposed to hyperinsulinemia (increased production of insulin) and you may have already developed insulin resistance (the body’s defense mechanism against increased insulin). If you are very overweight or obese, you almost certainly are insulin- resistant. The same is true if you have type II diabetes or if your doctor has tested your cholesterol levels and found you have increased triglycerides and reduced HDL cholesterol. High blood pressure is another likely indicator.

Even if you are of a normal weight and shape, you may have insulin resistance; in the developed world around 10 per cent of the population have insulin resistance without any other health or weight problems.

Some of us have a genetic predisposition to becoming insulin-resistant, but our eating and exercise habits determine whether or not we actually develop the syndrome, so the answer is clear - change your habits and change your life.

Stressed out?

Warning: stress can seriously damage your health. In nature, stress is a necessary survival reaction, but the stresses of modern life have nothing to do with real danger - you can’t run away from them! So the hormones that nature intended to help us deal with stress remain in the bloodstream, causing chronic stress, with symptoms such as weight gain, low libido, difficulty in concentrating and poor memory, as well as more serious problems, including heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, skin conditions and inflammatory bowel disease.

Stress often affects the way we eat: we skip meals, or turn to ‘comfort food’. But the high-carb, high-fat foods we generally choose as ‘comfort’ send our blood sugar soaring then plummeting. Unfortunately, the body interprets rapidly falling blood sugar levels (which also occur when we skip meals) as a stressful situation and secretes even more stress hormones. This vicious circle of chronic stress is something we all need to deal with urgently, and we can start by eating the right foods.

Always tired and sluggish, even depressed?

Have you been feeling abnormally tired and sluggish for a long time? Do you lack concentration and feel irritable? This may be due to a hormonal imbalance caused by your diet and lifestyle. Today’s foods are a far cry from what we are genetically designed to eat, and some individuals tolerate a modern diet better than others. If you have symptoms that suggest low blood sugar an hour or two after eating a meal high in sugar, potatoes, white bread or pasta, you may suffer from what is called ‘postprandial reactive, or rebound, hypoglycaemia’. Foods that cause a rapid increase in blood sugar cause a corresponding sharp increase in insulin (the hormone that controls blood sugar levels), followed by a rapid drop in blood sugar. When this happens, you will probably feel tired, irritable, hungry and lacking in concentration. In this situation, grabbing a cup of coffee to wake yourself up is not a good idea: the caffeine in coffee increases the secretion of the stress hormone adrenalin, which raises your pulse rate and blood pressure and can have a negative effect on your heart, as well as contributing to your stress levels.

The answer is to eat differently. You will enjoy increased mental alertness if you choose more natural whole foods, such as vegetables and fruit, and increase your intake of foods containing omega-3 fats: the latter have been shown to lift depression and elevate mood.

Are your cravings out of control?

Are you one of those people who craves sweets, or bread, potatoes or other types of starchy food? When you start eating something sweet, or a savory snack like potato crisps, do you find you must finish the whole pack? Do you experience mood swings and varying performance levels during the day? After lunch you feel tired, even lethargic, your concentration is poor and you may become irritable. You grab some chocolate, or maybe a sweet drink, feel better quite quickly, and have more energy, but an hour or two later you feel tired and hungry again. This pattern is repeated after dinner, which is often a big meal and eaten quite late. Maybe you even wake up during the night and raid the fridge. If all that rings a bell, it is possible that you are a carbohydrate addict.

Sugar addicts and anyone who is stressed or depressed is likely to