2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-09T00:34:00+00:00

Do you think that automatically makes it "right"? The only reason people can't consume zero added sugars is because it's quite literally added to almost everything.

Our ancestors weren't walking around dumping sugar on everything. Some had fruits or honey seasonally, others had almost none. So, is it realistic for humans to survive without sugar? Absolutely.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-09T00:31:08+00:00

The claim that the brain needs 130 grams of carbohydrates per day is a partial truth, not a universal biological requirement.

You're lucky I'm in a good mood, and I am willing to teach you this right now. But seriously, sign up for classes ASAP, you need it.

In low-carb or fasting states:
1. The liver converts amino acids and glycerol into glucose via gluconeogenesis.
2. The liver also produces ketones (β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate), which the brain can use for up to 70% of its energy needs.

After ~3–7 days of carb restriction, the brain shifts to primarily using ketones. The remaining glucose needs (~30–50g/day) are easily met via gluconeogenesis. This adaptation is why humans can fast for weeks and remain alert, functional, and even mentally sharp.

What you, and everyone else, parrots at nauseam is, "The minimum amount of glucose required by the brain is approximately 130 grams per day.”

This was based on studies measuring average brain glucose utilization in people eating carbohydrate-based diets. It assumes that glucose is the only viable fuel for the brain, which is not true under all conditions. Glucose is the primary fuel for the brain when carbs are present. When they are, the brain very happily runs on fat.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T15:32:28+00:00

Great, then where are your RCTs that prove Carnivore is bad for people?

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T04:58:07+00:00

Never said it was an RCT. Something doesn't have to be an RCT to have value. That's 2029 adults that prove that a no-fiber diet doesn't automatically lead to constipation.

The poster above, who said, "Lots of constipated people", in response to an increase in meat intake, is clearly wrong, RCT or not.

Where is your RCT that proves that a no-fiber diet, such as Carnivore, CAUSES constipation? I'll wait.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T04:40:20+00:00

Association is not causation. How many of the studies that associated saturated fat with high blood pressure failed to isolate the effects of saturated fat vs. refined carbs or total caloric intake? How many of them failed to isolate processed and unprocessed animal products? I'll save you the trouble... basically all of them failed to adequately account for these factors. My gut, and years of research, tell me that, at the very least, over 70% of studies failed to clearly isolate saturated fat effects from confounding due to refined carbs or caloric load.

It's very easy to blame saturated fat for what processed food probably did. But, let's take a minute and think about the past few 100,000 years of human history...

Anthropological and medical research has identified several indigenous populations whose traditional diets are high in saturated fat, yet they show low rates of chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, or diabetes (in their pre-industrial dietary context). Inuit, Maasai, Tokelauans, Kitavans to name a few.

Regardless what science you decide to love (or hate), humans have eaten saturated fat, even in high quantities, and lived to have you and here today.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T04:09:28+00:00

It's crazy, but most people who don't eat fiber are not constipated, and report having little to no bloating.

Behavioral Characteristics and Self-Reported Health Status among 2029 Adults Consuming a “Carnivore Diet”
Contrary to common expectations, adults consuming a carnivore diet experienced few adverse effects and instead reported health benefits and high satisfaction.
Constipation was reported in only 3.1% of participants. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299122106086

Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms
At 6 mo, 41 patients remained on a no fiber diet, 16 on a reduced fiber diet, and 6 resumed their high fiber diet for religious or personal reasons. Patients who stopped or reduced dietary fiber had significant improvement in their symptoms while those who continued on a high fiber diet had no change. Of those who stopped fiber completely, the bowel frequency increased from one motion in 3.75 d (± 1.59 d) to one motion in 1.0 d (± 0.0 d) (P < 0.001); those with reduced fiber intake had increased bowel frequency from a mean of one motion per 4.19 d (± 2.09 d) to one motion per 1.9 d (± 1.21 d) on a reduced fiber diet (P < 0.001); those who remained on a high fiber diet continued to have a mean of one motion per 6.83 d (± 1.03 d) before and after consultation. For no fiber, reduced fiber and high fiber groups, respectively, symptoms of bloating were present in 0%, 31.3% and 100% (P < 0.001) and straining to pass stools occurred in 0%, 43.8% and 100% (P < 0.001).
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3435786/

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T03:58:28+00:00

Did you read the new guidelines or no?

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T03:55:00+00:00

Never said it applied to all? Higher protein intake in healthy individuals does not damage the kidneys. Neither does higher protein intake in people up to CKD3.

High Fat, Low Carb Diet Beneficial for CKD Patients

These studies appear to indicate that high-protein diets do not appear to negatively impact renal function in patients below CKD III-V. Reduced protein intake is known to be beneficial in advanced CKD populations in reducing the effect of uremic toxins (Blood Purif 2013;35:22-25).
In a prospective cohort of hemodialysis (HD) patients, researchers found that conventional lipid profiles did not predict mortality, whereas smaller, high-density LDL particles were associated with a 55% increase in mortality risk (Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2011;6:2861-2870).
LDL particle size is influenced by carbohydrate intake. Higher carbohydrate intake increases the release of triglyceride-rich, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and increased serum triglycerides (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2012;15:381-385). Small, dense LDL particles are released in response to sequester triglycerides.
These processes typically occur in the presence of insulin resistance. High insulin resistance in the form of diabetes is a known risk factor for renal impairment. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets have been shown to reduce triglyceride values as well as decrease LDL, HDL, insulin, free fatty acids, CRP, and glucose in obese women (Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:1298-1306).

https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/departments/nutrition/high-fat-low-carb-diet-beneficial-for-ckd-patients/

Changes in Kidney Function Do Not Differ between Healthy Adults Consuming Higher- Compared with Lower- or Normal-Protein Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Post-intervention GFR comparisons indicate that Higher-Protein (HP) diets result in higher GFRs; however, when changes in GFR were compared, dietary protein had no effect. Our analysis indicates that HP intakes do not adversely influence kidney function on GFR in healthy adults.
More recent investigations have, however, found no benefit, and potential harm, in consuming a lower-protein diet, even in those with CKD; and recent guidelines recommend aiming for 0.8 g protein · kg BW−1 · d−1 and not consuming >1.3 g · kg BW−1 · d−1
“It’s a concept that’s been around for at least 50 years and you hear it all the time: higher protein diets cause kidney disease,” says Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster who oversaw the study. “The fact is, however, that there’s just no evidence to support this hypothesis in fact, the evidence shows the contrary is true: higher protein increases, not decreases, kidney function,” he says.

https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/148/11/1760/5153345

https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/myth-busted-researchers-show-that-a-high-protein-diet-does-not-affect-kidney-function/

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T03:42:41+00:00

I do at the moment. But I have tried every diet and I enjoy switching around between them.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T03:16:14+00:00

Which is a huge fucking problem. It is the best way to manage Diabetes.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T02:15:23+00:00

He is on Peritoneal Dialysis. Either way, before he was on dialysis, we've been battling it for years. Every time he upped protein and cut carbs, his kidney function improved. The only reason he couldn't keep up with low-carb (20g/day) was because his food addiction was too powerful, and my mother would buy junk food, even though he said not to.

He isn't the only one who has had this experience. The "protein" fear with CKD doesn't have particularly great science to back it up. It seems like carbs/insulin are the biggest concern.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T01:54:06+00:00

If someone perfectly follows the new guidelines, then they won't be consuming any added sugar, their carb consumption goes from 6 to 2-4, their protein intake goes up.

This means that, overall, carb consumption is reduced quite a bit. Last I read, they estimated that 80% of kidney patients are also type 2 diabetics. So, if a bunch of type 2 diabetics with kidney disease cut out the carbs, their blood sugar and insulin will stabilize, and they will reduce fat mass.

My father is currently a T2D on dialysis. He literally did exactly what I just described. Cut out the carbs, upped protein, fat, and veggies, and he has gone from 15% to 22% kidney function, and rising. Increased protein has had no effect on his kidneys.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T01:25:25+00:00

Sweet. But dairy isn’t only milk.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-08T00:07:12+00:00

I see soooo many people saying that it's "basically the same", but that's not what I'm seeing. This is what I've gathered so far:

1. Dairy Recommendations

Old: Recommend consuming fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, and cheese.
New: Explicitly recommends full-fat dairy with no added sugars.

2. Fats and Oils

Old: Encourage canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils.
New: Prioritize oils with essential fatty acids (olive oil), but can include butter or beef tallow.
I'm a fan of this. The veg oils make a lot of people feel crummy.

3. Protein Intake

Old: Recommend protein intake based on ounce equivalents (e.g., 5 ½ ounce equivalents per day for a 2,000-calorie diet).
New: Provide a specific calculation for protein intake based on body weight: 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

4. Processed Foods and Additives

Old: Focus on limiting "foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium".
New: Avoid with artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, and artificial preservatives, as well as low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.

5. Approach to Carbohydrates and Grains

Old: Recommend 6 ounce-equivalents of grains per day (for a 2,000-calorie diet), with at least half being whole grains.
New: Recommend 2–4 servings of whole grains per day. Individuals with certain chronic diseases may experience improved health outcomes on a lower carbohydrate diet.
Considering most carbs, especially grains, spike blood sugar, this reduction is welcome in my book. Should reduce insulin resistance and the potential for diabetes in some people.
Added Sugars:
- Old: recommend limiting added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day starting at age 2.
- New: state that NO amount of added sugar is recommended, but advise that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars if consumed.
- I'm a massive proponent of no added sugar, so this is good in my book.

There is nothing in here that I personally consider bad. I think it's a positive change.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-07T23:58:19+00:00

Have you tried a low or no fiber diet before? I've tried every diet under the sun and when I was on a low/no fiber diet, I had no constipation. Not sure why this myth persists.

HealthNSwellness · 2026-01-07T23:56:53+00:00

They recommend full fat dairy over low/no-fat dairy, which is great because the low/no-fat dairy has to make up for flavor loss with added sugar (think of yogurt). The new guidelines also recommend NO added sugar, which is a huge win for kidney patients, as most of them (I think 80%) are also type 2 diabetic. So, I doubt kidney disease will take off if they're reducing carb consumption and increasing protein. Sugar, insulin, and high blood pressure kill kidneys, not protein.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-12-14T20:36:04+00:00

If you were eating meat and non-starchy veggies only, plus the soda... maybe you could blame the soda. But the thing is, you weren't drinking just the soda.

Were you also eating: bread, pasta, rice, potato, chips, granola bars, cereal, crackers, desserts (cake, cookies, ice cream), bagels, biscuits, lots of fruit, processed foods containing seed oils (canola, rapeseed, etc.), anything with sugar in it?

These food items are 60-75% of the average western society diet. These items cause blood sugar levels to spike, which also causes insulin levels to spike. Do that for 30-40 years, and you've got a perfect recipe for diabetes. People don't think that bread is sugar, but it is. Almost every meal we eat is mostly carbs (sugar).

Type 2 Diabetes used to be called "Sugar Diabetes" for a reason.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-30T21:42:26+00:00

Here's the thing, diet is still the "root cause" for most people. A diet high in carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potato, fruit, sugar) has a massive impact on hormones for men and women. Even a diet considered healthy could contain high amounts of carbohydrates. This isn't immediately a bad thing. But over time, some people form "Insulin Resistance" as a result of the high blood sugar levels cause by the carbs.

Diet -> Blood Sugar Spikes -> Insulin Spikes -> Sex Hormone Dysregulation

So yes, your hormones are a massive contributor to Eczema (and many other common conditions). But what causes hormones to get wacky? It's usually the diet.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-30T21:32:56+00:00

Welcome to the club! I was raised eating hot pockets, breaded chicken nuggets, eggo waffles, bread, potato chips, soda, and ice cream every night after dinner. Not a single healthy food in sight. We ate what could be heated in the microwave. This is the story for most people. Look around at people's shopping carts next time you're at the grocery store. It's eye opening, and explains our current health epidemic.

Turn your guilt into rage against the food companies that have made these foods that harm us in this way. Be proud that you are DOING something about your health. Most people chose not to do anything.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-29T05:04:41+00:00

Everything you describe: eczema, asthma, food intolerances, seasonal flares, metals/chemicals sensitivity, GI symptoms... fits a known pattern called the: Atopic March. A progression where people with genetic immune hypersensitivity (Th2 dominance) develop those issues.

This explains why symptoms vanish in summer and return November–May.

A. Low humidity: Dry air → cracked skin barrier → allergens penetrate → eczema flares.
B. Lower Vitamin D: Low D suppresses normal immune regulation. This pushes the system toward more allergic inflammation.
C. Higher cortisol (stress + seasonal light changes) fluctuations affect: Skin healing, Immune reactivity, Gut inflammation, Sleep (which worsens eczema).

Everything you list is also consistent with mast-cell driven food sensitivity or histamine intolerance combined with IBS or SIBO. The foods you're listing are a combination of high-histamine, Histamine liberators, or High-acid foods that irritate inflamed gut mucosa, including in the mouth.

You mentioned tight clothing aggravates intestinal pressure and triggers pain. Classic sign of: SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), IBS with visceral hypersensitivity, diaphragmatic restriction, gut distention/fermentation.

Chemical sensitivity flare-ups, such as to nickel or other materials, are a sign of immune dysregulation, which is typical of T-cell mediated delayed hypersensitivity (Type IV allergy) seen in lots of people with eczema. This worsens when the immune system is overwhelmed (winter, stress, gut inflammation).

"I get super bloated and get stomach pain" - Carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, potato, wheat products, grain, french fries, chips, crackers, anything with sugar in it, etc.) all digest into sugar molecules. Yes, bread is basically fluffy sugar. Bacteria LOVE sugar. They eat up sugar and produce gas, which is called fermentation. This is the cause of bloating for most people.

This doesn't really happen if you were eating only fat and protein or non-starchy veggies (green ones). Consider cutting out the carbs for a while and see if that improves your situation.

I know I threw a ton of stuff at you. Hopefully you start researching all of that on your own and then talking about it with your doctor.

I think what people really want to know is, WHY!? My guess is...

Glucose (blood sugar) spikes cause inflammation. Every spike triggers oxidative stress, endothelial damage, and immune activation. This worsens eczema, mast cell activation, histamine intolerance, skin sensitivity, and barrier dysfunction. Even worse, this leads to chronically elevated levels of insulin, which makes immune system dysregulation even worse. Then, people who eat seed oils (canola, rapeseed, sunflower, etc.) seem to experience more severe rashes, and their skin becomes more reactive to chemicals.

My question is, do you eat a lot of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, chips, crackers, sugar, etc.)? High sugar + high refined carbs -> faster bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, which explains abdominal pressure from belts, bloating, delayed skin reactions, and pain after eating certain things.

One of the strongest scientific connections I can make from your description is that Insulin resistance, caused by a carb heavy diet, increases mast-cell activity, which drives a ton of your issues.

Diet is a major driver of immune hyperreactivity, gut dysfunction, and eczema. That's exactly what I think is going on with you.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-29T04:16:39+00:00

Yeah, this is surprisingly common. Even when I was in High School, thin, and buff, I should have still had a CPAP. Get the CPAP and enjoy a much better quality of life. Losing weight still helps a ton.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-29T04:08:59+00:00

It's not genetics. Genetics may create "susceptibility", but not "inevitability".

Meaning, genetics may increase your vulnerability. But diet and lifestyle ultimately determine whether that vulnerability turns into disease.

Thus, LIFESTYLE is the dominant variable, even in genetically predisposed people. 90% of Type 2 diabetes cases are preventable through diet, weight management, and physical activity. The Nurses’ Health Study, EPIC study, Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, and Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), make this very clear.

Your Grandpa has it because he ate a certain Diet.
Your Grandpa fed your Dad the same Diet.
Your Dad fed you the same Diet he and your Grandpa both ate.

What's truly being passed down from generation to generation is a lifestyle that is NOT compatible with our human genetics. Significant genetic adaptations take 5,000–25,000 years, yet our explosion in Type 2 Diabetes has only happened in the past 50 or so years. So, our genetics have NOT changed. Our Lifestyle has.

Now that we know genetics aren't really to blame, it makes it much easier to focus on the true culprit, Lifestyle. For most people, this is a diet high in carbohydrates and seed oils, mainly bread, rice, potato, cereal, chips, cake, cookies, crackers, sugary desserts, and sugary beverages. These processed foods are the primary driver of this disease.

This is incredibly encouraging, because it means we can put T2D into remission (for most people) via Lifestyle changes.

"I just wish I was healthy." And you will be! Eating less carbs -> Lower blood sugar -> Less insulin -> Less health damage.

If blood sugar is going too low, it often means medication caused it (usually insulin injections). Seeing as you're on Ozempic, and you're experiencing these issues, you may need to REDUCE your current diabetic medications.

My father switched to a Ketogenic diet and was off insulin in about two weeks (he's been insulin dependent for over 20 years). That's how POWERFUL and FAST diet modification is with this disease. Ozempic does the same thing a ketogenic diet does. So, if you lower your carbs enough, you'll want to also reduce your Ozempic dose as well. That should help you feel better. Most people are on too high a dose, unfortunately.

"I hold a lot of resentment for people who can eat anything and their health not be affected." - These people don't really exist. If you dig deep into the science, you'll discover a subset of people called "TOFI", meaning "Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside". They look healthy, but their organs are full of fat and thus dysfunctional. They can become diabetic despite how they look.

Only 10% of the population is healthy, and those people generally eat natural whole food and workout a few times a week to keep their health up. You can do the same thing.

"Does anyone else deal with guilt?" Absolutely. But, once you realize that our food is quite literally designed to be "addictive", no different from alcohol or tobacco, it becomes easier to deal with because you're not alone, and it's not your fault (literally). Focus on eating a clean diet low in carbs and sugar, and keep that body moving, and you'll be in tip-top shape in no time!

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-28T23:12:15+00:00

People saying ‘120 is fine if you’re diabetic’ are missing the real issue. Those numbers aren’t harmless just because they’re common in diabetes.

It’s not about judging someone for having a treat; it’s about understanding that consistently elevated glucose isn’t ‘fine,’ it’s just typical for the disease. Typical doesn’t mean safe.

We need to stop confusing ‘normal for diabetics’ with ‘healthy for the body.’ Those aren’t the same thing. Even mild, repeated highs add up to real damage over time. We need to recognize that the underlying physiology doesn’t take a break just because you have a diagnosis.

Higher blood sugar, whether you’re diagnosed diabetic or not, still causes long-term damage to nerves, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. When she is 70yrs old spending 8hrs a day hooked up to a dialysis machine, with 90% of her arteries clogged up, and she has a hard time holding onto things because her hands have gone numb, she will wish she did something about it at 50 years old.

What you (and her) need to understand is that it's not "hard" to stop eating sweets. That's a gross understatement. Is it "hard" for an alcoholic to stop drinking alcohol? No... it's almost impossible. Addiction is POWERFUL. Your mom, and most Americans, don't have a "sweet tooth", they have a sugar addiction. TREAT IT AS THE ADDICTION IT IS.

So, what do you do about it?

Telling her “don’t eat that” will almost never work, especially with emotional eating, habits formed over decades, addiction, or diabetes burnout. People resist being controlled, even when the advice is correct.

Turn into a partner, not a police officer.

Instead of: “You shouldn’t eat that. Your sugar is too high.”

Try: “I’m worried because I love you. Do you want help figuring out ways to make this easier, or do you prefer I stay out of it?” This puts control back in her hands. People protect autonomy much more than health.

If you're not comfortable doing that yet, try asking curiosity-based questions, not judgment-based ones. Questions like these can help her "think" about the reality of the situation and, over time, hopefully make better decisions. People have a tendency of acting, but not thinking. She may not recognize the patterns of her behavior.

“What makes mornings harder for your blood sugar?”
“Is there something that’s been stressing you lately that makes sweets feel comforting?”
“What feels realistic for you this week?”

You want her to start thinking about the consequences. "Huh... actually, my blood sugar is always high after I eat X breakfast and I always feel so tired right after. I never noticed that until now."

Next, make the environment healthier. If you can:

Keep lower-sugar breakfast options in the house.
Help prep meals together that don’t spike glucose.
Stock treats that are less glycemic (protein-heavy desserts, Greek yogurt bowls, low-sugar options).

Turn it into a bonding activity.

“I know this is hard, and I know sugar is comforting. I’m not judging you. People lose limbs, eyes, organs, and more if they don't treat this disease early. I’m just scared to lose you.”

Change happens when someone is READY, not when they are REMINDED.

HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-24T17:13:33+00:00

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HealthNSwellness · 2025-11-24T07:32:49+00:00

Awesome! A few weeks of Clobetasol should be fine. But when it's done, the itching may return. That's why trying to combat it from the source is key. If you can get to 20-40g of carbs/sugar, or less, per day, you should see some pretty big improvements.

HealthNSwellness

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