By Bob Weaver

A big, important revolution in diet and health has occurred during the last few years. Rebecca, a nurse at the Life Care Center and

I have tried to learn more from the internet, books and articles about this great happening.

The bad boy on this page is Ancel Keys. He thought that fat caused heart disease, so he wrote a hypothesis that had two statements: saturated fat causes cholesterol and that cholesterol causes heart disease.

Each of these statements is untrue. The food guidelines based on this hypothesis were a disaster. Millions of people throughout the world died prematurely, and there are many harmful, expensive diseases in addition. Some of those food guidelines are still being used by many people. If you asked several people, at random, what they think of fat and cholesterol, they will think they are bad.

A carbohydrate enters the body, turns to sugar and goes directly to the pancreas. The pancreas then turns out insulin, the fat hormone. Insulin travels through the body, placing fat on the belly and hips.

Fat entering the body, however, bypasses the pancreas, and goes directly to the liver, which is activated and sends a substance which removes fat from the belly and hips and burns it for energy. This process loses weight from the body. The more carbs, the more weight. The more fat, the less weight.

Losing weight is not the only good feature about fat. Nearly all of us are way low on our fat consumption. Fat is necessary for many bodily functions. Good health is maintained by good fat. Eat more fat. Good fats are from animals, avocado oil, coconut oil and olive oil. The bad fats are from canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil and cottonseed oil. The bad oils cause corrosion and inflammation in the arteries.

Another function in the body that is being researched is the estimated 10 trillion pieces of bacteria in the colon. Scientists believe that this large amount probably regulates our functions about as much as our DNA. The bacteria eats certain things. Read up on maintaining the proper “gut flora” to learn more. This bacteria will keep you healthy and happy.

Weaver lives in Friday Harbor.

Google inquiries:

•“Sugar: The Bitter Truth”

•“Tips and tricks for starting a low-carb diet”

•“Mark’s Daily Apple”

•“The Facts: Real Meal Revolution”

•“Resistance Starts 101”

•“Everything you need to know”

•“Milk-based Kefir”

Books to read:

•“The Big Fat Surprise”

•“Good Calories, Bad Calories”

•“Grain Brain”

•“Brain Makers”

•“Eat Fat, Get Thin”

•“Pure, White and Deadly”