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Fad Diets, Foodsmith Plans, and You!
• Jamie Smith

Fad Diets, Foodsmith Plans, and You!

As many of you have heard, we are in the process of developing new menus to roll out this month, including a Ketogenic Diet menu, and a kids menu. Last night I was asked on Facebook about a new diet product called the Bulletproof Diet, and what I thought about it. It can somewhat be categorized in the Fad Diet realm, but it's the whole concept of specific "Diets" that I take the greatest issue with. A "diet" is what any animal (or human) consumes, period. It's not a design, not a daily spreadsheet, and there are no 'Miracle Foods", "Superfoods", or "Brain Octane Oil", a product sold by the creator and marketer of the Bulletproof Diet. A human can subsist on a diet of just bananas like this guy in Australia I once read about, or mostly fish and fat, like Aleuts and Eskimos. In general, our bodies just "figure it out" and have the tools and metabolic processes in place to extract calories and nutrients, as well as cleanse us of waste and toxins all the way down to the cellular level. It's when we trick our bodies into thinking something different is happening (like with Keto) or even worse, we consume copious amounts of "food like substances" (processed foods) and modified foods, that are manipulated at the cellular level, that we can get into a bit of trouble. 
Now I know what you're thinking- why are we offering a Keto Meal Plan and saying it can have benefits, but also get us into "trouble"? Well, there are several answers, but the simplest one is that you need to avoid the foods and habits that exacerbated the problems that you hope to cure from a Keto diet. Except in the case of Keto being prescribed for epilepsy treatment, and for folks suffering from cancer, and post Chemo treatment, Keto has become a somewhat "Fad Diet" for dramatic weight loss, and it usually works. So why are we going to do it? Because it usually works, BUT.... we are going to have a Chef Jamie Rule (pinky promise!) that folks follow the Keto plan for no more than three months, then return to a Paleo or Vegan plan. The reason is that a diet of clean unprocessed foods that is rich in fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) is the best way to eat, lose weight, maintain weight, stay healthy and disease free, reduce inflammation, feel great, and the best way to LIVE! Period! What I do not like most about popular versions of Paleo and Keto is the prominence of fatty meats like pork shoulder, and Bacon. There is sort of an unwritten rule in trendy online Paleo and Keto plans, that when in doubt, add bacon. Bad cholesterol, salty, sugary and fatty foods like bacon (don't get me wrong, I LOVE bacon) are not healthy. That's the formula behind all processed foods- Fat, Salt, and Sugar. So here at Foodsmith, when we do Paleo, and when we do Keto, it will be in a healthy way, with properly portioned lean hormone and antibiotic free, humanely raised meats and sustainable seafood, and lots of farm fresh local organic produce and healthy fats like olive oil, and some coconut oil. And all our sauces and vinaigrettes are made from puréed vegetables and occasional fruits. That's why we are taking our time developing our Keto menu, because we have a commitment to your long term health, not short term results.
Back to the Bulletproof Diet. This diet is a Fad diet, and is a marketing ploy to market their supplemental products. It is a copycat of the Ketogenic Diet principles except that you are encouraged to skip breakfast and consume their "special" brand of proprietary coffee each morning with a scoop of Ghee or butter, and a spoonful of their proprietary MCT "Brain Octane Oil". Which is basically a type of coconut oil, of primarily Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). True, fat is linked to cognitive function and coconut oil has shown positive effects on brain function. But it's no new thing, nor is it going to give a 20 point increase in your IQ as the founder of Bulletproof claims. Our bodies are what we were born with, and what we make of them, and how we fuel them. Here's an article from a R.D. who is not so keen on Bulletproof https://abbylangernutrition.com/bulletproof-diet-review-long-on-fat-short-on-proof/.