The Progressing Pilgrim

Insights for developing a healthy body, mind and spirit

My Ketogenic Diet Journey Part 1: Keto Is Red Hot! Here’s Why

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PURE studyI’ve been on a ketogenic diet for about eight months, and I’m absolutely amazed at the results. So far, I’ve lost 4 inches off my waist, I’m full of energy and I haven’t lost any muscle mass or strength.

Now throw into the mix that I’m never hungry and it sounds like the perfect diet, doesn’t it? Well, no diet is perfect because we are all individuals with different needs. But if you need to lose weight, want to heal from a particular illness, or are an athlete looking to fuel your body in a more efficient way, the keto diet might be for you.

In this series of posts, I’ll tell you why I’m following a keto diet and how I’m doing it. [Read more…]

Why Evolution Shouldn’t Be Used To Support Dietary Theory

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On my journey from the Standard American Diet to my present ketogenic diet, I went through several diet phases. In order, these consisted of a gluten-free diet, intensive juicing, paleo, low-carb healthy-fat diet (LCHF), and finally a very low-carb ketogenic diet.

While moving through each phase, I became progressively healthier. Thus, experience told me that the diets were helping to heal the chronic fatigue syndrome and inflammation that had plagued my body for nearly 30 years.

As I became more familiar with the science behind an LCHF diet, the more I realized that it was a metabolically superior diet. The hours I spent studying the research done by brilliant scientists like Phinney, Volek, D’Agostino, Rosedale, and Feinman have convinced me that the empirical data confirms that an LCHF diet is the healthiest diet not only for me but also for millions of others.

However, I’m dismayed when good scientists appeal to non-empirical evidence for the diet’s efficacy.

Many if not most LCHF experts continually rely on macroevolution as a reason for the success of an LCHF diet. “It’s the way we were evolved to eat,” they say.

I disagree. Evolution had nothing to do with the way we eat because macroevolution doesn’t exist. And it’s time good scientists stop appealing to bad science to strengthen their theories.

In this post, I’ll show how many LCHF scientists use evolution to bolster their argument for an LCHF diet and why it’s bad science to do so. Then I’ll reveal one of the dirty little secrets evolutionists don’t want you to know. This secret should destroy anyone’s faith in evolution.

[Read more…]

How to Recompose Your Dad Bod in Less Than a Year (Even if You’re in Your 50s)

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How to Recompose Your Dad Bod in Less Than a Year

Okay, guys. You’ve put your kids through school. Your mortgage is almost paid. Your job… well, we won’t dwell on that. It could always be better, right?

You’ve come to that place in life where you can finally start to think about living the dream.

But then you start to notice little things about yourself. You’re a little (I’m being kind here) larger around the waist.

And you’re not really comfortable in a bathing suit because of your moobs and all.

You can’t bound up a flight of steps like you once did. And you hope none of your friends asks you to help him move because you know your back won’t stand the strain.

Then the reality of mortality really sets in. You visit your doctor, and he says to you, “Your cholesterol and blood pressure are a little high.” And, then he drops the final hammer, “Your blood sugar is high as well.

He doesn’t give you any medicine this time, but he tells you that if you don’t lose weight and your numbers don’t come down, he’ll have to give you a prescription for ___________ (you fill in the blank) at your next visit.

What do you do? If you gain weight or even keep the status quo, you’ll probably end up on a statin, BP meds, or a diabetes med for the rest of your life. And, remember, those meds don’t come without some adverse reactions.

And even if those meds reduce some symptoms, chronic disease will eventually take its toll.

Fortunately, you can pursue another course of action.

You can take control of your health and in the process transform that dreadful dad bod into a lean, metabolically healthy machine, similar to the one you had years ago or (if you’re like me) into one you never had. [Read more…]

Why I Needed To Recompose My Body At 60-Years Old: The Skinny-Fat Problem

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When I started strength training three and a half years ago, my main goal was to regain some of the muscle I had lost from years of inactivity due to chronic fatigue syndrome.

After my initial two and a half years of barbell training, I accomplished that goal and more. Not only had I improved my muscle mass, but I had become stronger than I’d been in the previous 27 years.

However, what I had failed to do was eliminate 40 years of excess fat around my abdomen and chest.

Here’s something I learned after three years of lifting. If you’re in my age range, you won’t lose significant pounds by simply weight training.

If you’re a serious lifter or doing a lot of high-intensity training you might induce weight loss if you’re burning huge amounts of calories.

But if you’re an older guy you won’t lose weight. Sorry, exercise doesn’t produce significant weight loss.

Now here was my specific problem. The excess fat I was carrying around posed a significant health risk.

Even though I wasn’t terribly overweight my waist was approaching obese territory. And it was out of proportion to my legs and hips. Also, I was carrying around a disproportionate amount of fat to muscle.

This is called a skinny-fat body type and is considered by health professionals to be metabolically unhealthy.

With that in mind, my goal now was not only to continue to get stronger but also to become leaner and healthier.

In part 1 of this series, I’ll discuss the problems associated with a high waist measurement and excess body fat.

In part two I’ll explain how I was able to increase my strength and lose body fat and significant inches off my waist.

[Read more…]

My Cholesterol Level Part 2: Examining My Need For Statins

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My Cholesterol Level Part 2: Examining My Need For StatinsIn my last post, I examined the efficacy and safety of statins. They’re the cholesterol-lowering drugs that tens of millions of Americans are currently taking.

The genesis of that post was my refusal of statins from my doctor.

After reviewing my lipid panel, my doctor said I needed statins because my cholesterol was high, especially my LDL-C. He believed this increased my risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

He assured me, “Statins will lower my LDL-C and my risk of CVD.”

I subsequently refused his offer and gave him three reasons why.

I told him I believed that statins are often ineffective in lowering CVD risk, they’re dangerous, and I don’t need them.

Further, I explained that basing my CVD risk primarily on LDL-C levels was not in accordance with current scientific research.

Ooooh… I got such a look. [Read more…]

My Cholesterol Levels Part 1: Why I Rejected Statins

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I’ve now been on a low-carbohydrate healthy-fat (LCHF) diet for about nine months.

Outwardly, the results have been amazing. I’ve lost about 25 pounds (currently 168 lbs.), my BMI is 23.43, and my waistline is down to 35”. Also, my energy levels and weightlifting totals have not suffered.

However, I wanted to know how my LCHF diet was affecting my body on the inside. So I decided to see my M.D. for some baseline blood tests. 

The tests I was most curious about were my cholesterol levels, especially my LDL-C. [Read more…]

My Friend Jerry’s Fight With Diabetes And Obesity: Part 2 Winning The Battle

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A few weeks back, I wrote about my friend Jerry’s (name changed) ongoing battle with heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. See part 1 here. He’s been out of the hospital for about six weeks.

I spoke to him today, and he says he’s lost about 30 pounds, his blood glucose is under control, and he feels great.  

While Jerry is not currently dieting, he has started to adopt a new way of eating. He’s laying off the refined carbs as much as possible. He knows that indulging in bread, pasta, and potatoes aren’t going to help his cause. [Read more…]

Wrongly Feeding Jesus’ Sheep: Obesity In The Church

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It’s a given that the Church is supposed to be responsible for its members’ spiritual needs. In a sense, the church feeds the sheep.

To be sure, the church also is to show concern for the physical needs of its members. 

Churches have deacon funds that help its members with financial hardships. They have food pantries that supply food to the hungry. And church leaders often also anoint, pray, and care for the sick.

But what about the physical health of the church members before they get sick? Does the church have a responsibility to warn its member of unhealthy physical activities that lead to physical illness? [Read more…]

My Friend Jerry’s Fight With Diabetes And Obesity: Part 1

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Recently, I went to the hospital to visit my friend Jerry (name changed). He was recovering from heart failure. He’s also obese, a type 2 diabetic taking insulin and a slew of other meds for various conditions.

As I entered his room, he was in the middle of eating his lunch. I was shocked at what his medical team thought was a healthy meal. Now, remember, he’s a type 2 diabetic with heart disease, and he’s in a controlled setting (a hospital).

On his plate was a small piece of fish. It was a little dried out, but after all, it’s hospital food. Great so far.

But next to the fish was an ice-cream-scoop-size portion of rice and a medium sized hard roll. To wash down the meal, he was given some fruit juice. There was a little salad on the side too.

I was wondering when the dessert tray was going to be brought in.

Seriously, though, seeing Jerry’s lunch, I couldn’t help thinking, “Are they trying to heal him and kill him at the same time?” [Read more…]

10 Ways Walking Can Improve Your Body And Mind – Weekly Workout

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Everyone loves to tout the benefits of their own exercise program. Whether it’s high-intensity interval training or strength training or some form of aerobic exercise, their program is guaranteed to make you healthier.

There is, however, one program that has stood the test of time. It was recommended by Thomas Jefferson over 230 years ago. He said,

If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is best. I have known some great walkers and had particular accounts of many more; and I never knew or heard of one who was not healthy and long lived.

Now, I don’t know if walking is the best health protocol for both body and mind, but from my own experience and according to the scientific data, it’s certainly one of the best. Let’s see why. [Read more…]