The podcast series examines popular diets and their impact on health, with host Jonathan Wolfe and Professor Christopher Gardner from Stanford University.
In episode two, they focus on removing a major food group from the plate in favor of a starchy lunch.
Low-fat diets typically involve reducing fat intake to around 30-25 percent, focusing on cutting out saturated fats found in whole fat dairy, fatty meats, and ice cream.
The demonization of fat by the American Heart Association in the 1960s led to the cultural ingraining of low-fat diets, despite newer research showing not all fats are bad.
Cutting out fats often leads to increased consumption of refined carbohydrates, which can cause insulin spikes and lead to fat storage in the body, posing risks for diabetes and fatty liver disease.
A healthy low-fat diet can be achieved by focusing on whole grains, beans, and vegetables for slow absorption of glucose, as opposed to relying on refined carbs like white bread, pasta, and rice.
The key idea is to lower saturated fat, primarily from animal foods, and increase healthy carbohydrates, but carefully choosing whole foods like beans and vegetables.
Avoid packaged foods labeled as low fat, as they are often artificial and ultra-processed.
A low-fat diet with plenty of unsaturated fat and healthy carbs from whole foods can be beneficial, but it's important to be cautious about reducing fat intake too drastically, as it may lead to consuming more refined grains and added sugar.
Professor Christopher Gardner emphasizes the importance of unsaturated fats in the diet, as they are converted to hormone-like substances that regulate metabolism.
He expresses his disapproval of low-fat diets, highlighting the exclusion of healthy fats found in avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, which make food more enjoyable.
The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode on the paleo diet and a disclaimer that the content is for general informational purposes only.