004 Dr Gary Fettke – Controlling Insulin is Key - Unstress with Dr Ron Ehrlich

According to the World Health Organisation over 70% of all diseases in our modern world are preventable……I actually think that figure is conservative. I believe it is even higher than that!

Whether you’re talking about the Food Pyramid, which was launched in the Western world in 1992. The ‘pyramid’ then morphed into My Food Plate, in the 2000s….and in Australia is now the Australian Healthy Eating Guidelines, the advice has been pretty standard. The foundation of a ‘healthy diet’ is grain/carbohydrate based and 'most importantly' low fat, particularly demonising saturated fats from animals and of course, cholesterol.

Dr Gary Fettke’s advice is different; low carbohydrate and healthy fats. He has an interesting insight into how this all came about and what he refers to as ‘medical evangelism'.
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Insulin plays a key role in our health, across all diseases, and the lower the better. Now, given the epidemic of these preventable chronic degenerative diseases, and given that most carbohydrates break down quickly to sugars, causing spikes in insulin, it would seem that we have a big problem.

How did this come about and what should we do about it?

This is a subject that affects us all.
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Dr. Ron Ehrlich:                   Hello and welcome to Unstress. My name is Dr. Ron Ehrlich. My guest today is Dr. Gary Fettke, he's an orthopaedic surgeon who has both a personal, he contracted cancer 17 years ago, and a professional interest in nutrition as he's also seen first-hand from his patients, the ravages of diabetes. Now whether you're talking about the food pyramid, which was first launched on the Western world in 1992 and then morphed into the MyPlate in the 2000's. In Australia now, we have the Australian Healthy Eating guidelines. The advice has been pretty standard. Grains and carbs form the base of the pyramid, of the plan and low-fat is still the key, particularly demonizing saturated fats from animals and of course, the demon of all demons, cholesterol, which we've done programs on already.

Well, Gary's advice is different. Low carb and healthy fats, and he has an interesting insight in how this mess we're in today of preventable diseases came about. What he refers to as “medical evangelism”. Now, given the epidemic of those preventable chronic degenerative diseases, given that carbohydrates breakdown quickly to sugars, which cause spikes in insulin, and given the key role that insulin plays in so many of those preventable diseases, this is a subject that affects us all. I hope you enjoy the conversation I had with Dr. Gary Fettke.

Welcome to the show, Gary.

Dr. Gary Fettke:                   Good morning, Ron.

Dr. Ron Ehrlich:                   Gary, you have a talk, which is called The Role of Nutrition in Everything and that's something that's very appealing to me. But you've got a story, personally and professionally that's a pretty powerful one and I was wondering if you'd mind sharing some of that with our listeners.

Dr. Gary Fettke:                   I can try and simplify it then.

Dr. Ron Ehrlich:                   Let's not go back to childbirth. I'll take the-

Dr. Gary Fettke:                   We'll move onto childhood. I was a fat kid.

Dr. Ron Ehrlich:                   Okay.

Dr. Gary Fettke:                   I think I was on multiple fad diets that my mother put me on, probably as young as I can remember. I wasn't obese as per almost the standard Australian child now, but certainly by looking at old class photos, I was definitely the fat child in the classroom, in the swimming school photos and that sort of thing. The good thing about it is now days I'm actually normal weight now, so I'm actually in a minority group.

Dr. Ron Ehrlich:                   You've moved the goal post.

Dr. Gary Fettke:                   Yeah, well if you're overweight a bit or obese,