Brandview / 

Modern diet has made us sick and fat, says Utah scientist

Modern diet has made us sick and fat, says Utah scientist

(Shutterstock)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

People are getting sicker and fatter. And according to Utah professor and metabolic scientist Benjamin Bikman, Ph.D., it's really not their fault.

From the time that the U.S. government first set dietary guidelines in 1977, the food industry has completely shifted the types of foods they produce, mostly to our overall detriment. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the weight of the average adult American has skyrocketed since that time - a weight increase of nearly 30 pounds.

"For the first time in history, we had a government telling us what to eat," said Bikman. "And our weight and health have only suffered for it."

The truth about the Standard American Diet (SAD)

For a variety of reasons, the government had been on the search for a way to "fix" diet for some time. With the support of one dubious study, they determined that the culprit was dietary fat and later introduced the infamous "food pyramid" that vilified natural healthy fats in favor of an increase in the consumption of refined unhealthy carbs. The results on the nation's health and weight couldn't have been worse.

"Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the least necessary for the average adult and the most problematic for those struggling with metabolic problems," said Bikman. "The health and weight challenges we're seeing today are mostly because of that misguided shift in diet."

Modern diet has made us sick and fat, says Utah scientist
Photo: Shutterstock

The 'fat' secret

In fact, Bikman says that increasing the consumption of healthy fats may be the most important change you can make, supporting metabolic health, brain health and more.

"Our ancestors knew that fats were the most nutrient-dense substances they could eat," said Bikman. "They provide you with needed nutrition, help you feel satisfied, curb your desire for sweets, and even help train your body to burn excess body fat."

Bikman emphasizes that not all fats are created equal. Processed seed oils from soy, corn and canola are particularly harmful, while fats from olives, coconuts, cocoa butter, ghee and more are uniquely beneficial.

"It's important to get a wide spectrum of healthy fats, from short-, medium- and long-chain sources," said Bikman. "It's not about taking a shot of MCT oil or a big pat of butter and calling it a day."

Power of protein

Bikman is also surprised at the confusion over protein. Some people advocate for very little, others consume it to excess, while others simply make poor protein choices.

"You have competing mindsets on protein, with very little legitimate science behind the arguments," said Bikman. "Protein is essential, especially as you age, but it needs to be consumed in conjunction with fat, just as is found in nature."

Bikman is equally concerned with the plant-based protein trend, which he emphasizes is not based on good science, but clever marketing.

"This isn't meant to be provocative, but unless you have a real allergy, you should NOT be consuming plant protein," said Bikman. "You get very little nutritional benefit from plant protein due to the anti-nutrients and incomplete amino acid profile, plus concentrating the incredible amount of plant matter to isolate the small amounts of protein also concentrates unhealthy levels of heavy metals, which can devastate your health."

The best types of protein, according to Bikman, are whey, egg whites and collagen. He emphasizes that those have the highest biological value, offer the most complete essential amino acid profile, and support lean and toned muscle, healthy joints, cartilage and bone health.

Modern diet has made us sick and fat, says Utah scientist
Photo: HLTH Code

The essential boost to your diet

Even with all of the information that Bikman shares in his speeches and interviews, he is constantly asked by people around the world what they should do for their health.

"Ideally, we all would have the knowledge, time, discipline and budget to plan, purchase and prepare perfect meals," said Bikman. "But it simply doesn't happen; people get busy, they get stressed and they make unhealthy choices that derail their health goals."

It became apparent to Bikman that he could be part of the solution to help people achieve their best health more quickly, and especially to assist those that don't always have the time, knowledge or discipline to eat healthy. In response, Bikman and his co-founding team of nutrition and industry experts recently created HLTH Code Complete Meal.

Bikman says these carefully formulated meal shakes are designed to promote healthy weight management, gut health, brain health, even hair, skin and nail health. HLTH Code Complete Meal features an optimized, science-backed blend of protein, collagen, healthy fats, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, fiber, vitamins and minerals—with no added sugar or any artificial ingredients.

"HLTH Code Complete Meal is based on research, not fads," said Bikman. "An incredible amount of work went into making this nutritionally balanced and optimized, yet we knew that if it didn't taste good, no one would use them consistently."

Solving hunger pangs the right way

When it comes to eating, Bikman says it's easy to consume plenty of calories and still feel hungry. This is because the calories consumed are not the right types of calories to provide essential nutrition. He refers to this as "mis-nourishment" and he says it's ruining many people's health.

"Each HLTH Code Complete Meal shake is packed with optimized amounts of these ingredients to leave you feeling full and energized for hours," said Bikman. "Yet it's more convenient and affordable than virtually any meal you could make or buy."

Bikman says the shakes are quick and easy to make: Just add two scoops of Creamy Vanilla or Chocolate Macadamia Complete Meal Powder to 8 oz. of cold water and shake or blend. For general wellness, he recommends replacing one meal daily. To reset your health or for weight loss, replace up to two meals per day.

"I have more energy and mental clarity throughout the day, and I'm not hungry for about four hours after each shake," said one reviewer.

Does HLTH Code make weight loss easy?

According to Bikman, the best health starts with the right blend of nutrition. Increased energy; feeling more vibrant; a stronger immune system; a clearer mind; improved gut health; and an improved appearance are some of the benefits from improving one's nutrition.

"The comprehensive benefits of HLTH Code Complete Meal are especially helpful if you're trying to lose weight," said Bikman. "Weight loss is rarely easy. There has to be the right changes in both hormones and caloric balance to signal to the body that it's time to start burning, not storing, fat."

Bikman adds that based on the best available studies on human metabolism, HLTH Code Complete Meal helps people lose weight without the need for counting every calorie.

Satisfaction guaranteed

If you're nervous about trying something new and making changes to your nutrition plan, don't be. Bikman stands by his HLTH Code Meal Replacement products and is willing to guarantee your satisfaction.

"You have nothing to lose (except those extra pounds) and everything to gain—in terms of wellness and confidence," said Bikman.

Indeed, if you've been looking for improved wellness and healthy weight management, then HLTH Code Meal Replacement could well be your answer. For exclusive savings on your first order, visit getHLTH.com and enter the discount code KSL at checkout.

Related topics

Brandview
HLTH Code

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast