The Paleo Diet

A friend had mentioned to me that he was on the Paleo Diet. I usually groan and change the subject when the topic of a trendy, new diet comes up, being that I've tried many of these, none with lasting results. However, after learning more about the Paleo or Caveman Diet, I realized that I was already eating something very close to it. I recommend learning more about it and that you consider trying it.

The purpose of the Paleo Diet is to take eaters back to the natural diet of our ancestors before grains, added sugar, artificial preservatives and sweeteners, pesticides, and genetically-modified organisms were loaded into or onto our foods, and gluten and dairy intolerances were nonexistent.

 Here are the main components:

Eat:

Organic fruits, vegetables, and tubers like sweet potatoes. These foods should make up your carbohydrate nutrition.

Grass-fed and organic meat and poultry, along with wild fish, should be the main protein sources.

Nuts, seeds, and oils are to be eaten in moderation.

Avoid:

Processed foods, which are loaded with added sugar, sodium, fat, and other dangerous food additives.

 

All grains and legumes. These contain phytic acid, which binds to nutrients in food and prevents absorption, meaning you are not getting the nutrients you think you are. 

Dairy. It is not natural for a human being to drink the milk of another animal, particularly into adulthood.

I hope you give it a try for at least a month and see how much your energy increases. If you shoot for 40% of your calories from both carbs and protein, it can also help you lose weight.

A Letter From An Allergy Mom

As a parent of a child with allergies, I can certainly relate to this article. Someone's allergies are never to be underestimated. Some nut allergies can be triggered through the air without even ingesting the food. Direct your frustration at those companies growing and selling GMO products, not at the kid with allergies. We've used sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter for years and the kids love it.

http://www.fillingupmycup.com/2012/10/a-letter-from-annoying-peanut-allergy.html?spref=fb

The Penalty For Eating Healthy

There is a downside to eating healthy. It is more expensive. There are a lot of reasons for the cost differential between organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables and more so from organic to processed/packaged foods. They range from the need for crop rotation, more labor, natural fertilizers, and organic certification costs.

 

Perhaps the most frustrating reason, though, is that the government subsidizes unhealthy, chemical-laden foods while it penalizes organic foods. It all comes down to the approval and certification processes that are currently in place. When a chemical company or food manufacturer wants to bring a new chemical or food additive to market, the process is grossly in favor of the petitioning company. The majority of food additives in our food, which reduce nutritional value and lower the costs of making such food, are added to the food supply through a self-approval process known as GRAS, which stands for generally recognized as safe.

 

Herein lies the problem. A company can use public or private research to determine the safety of a chemical and whether or not it qualifies as GRAS. If it does pass, the FDA doesn't even have to be notified. It's a voluntary program. So basically the company who will profit from the sale of the chemical or food item is the one who stamps it as safe and they don't even have to report it. As you can see, it is very cheap and easy to bring new additives to market. Unfortunately, this has led to the rise in use of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and dyes as well as untested preservatives and other chemicals.

 

On the other hand, in order for a farm or food manufacturer to use the government's USDA Organic label, it must pass inspection. The onus and cost is on the organic farmer to prove that his/her product is legitimately organic, which makes sense. My issue with the whole process is the dichotomy. Why are food additives and their chemistry labs not held to the same standard? Why are they allowed to approve their own chemicals? It's absurd. And we are all at risk because of it.

 

Some may think petitioning the government for change is the best course of action. Pushing legislation is a possibility, however, the process is the way it is because of the powerful food industry and their influence on the government. The only power we have in our hands is how we choose to spend our money.  


 

The best option we have to rectify this situation is to eat healthier, which will give organic farms the ability to leverage their fixed costs and expand their operations. This will lower overall costs and reduce retail prices. If we purchase less refined and processed foods, the opposite will happen. Profitability will decline for these products. For most companies, this is the only message they will understand. The power is in our hands to force change. We just need to utilize it.

 

How To Boost Your Metabolism

This is a slight deviation from my typical post, but I wanted to share some key things you can do to boost your metabolism if you want to lose weight.


Eat more lean protein. Shoot for 1g per pound of body weight.

Stay hydrated. Drink 1oz per pound of body weight. Ice water is an added kicker.

Eat small, frequent meals. Target 5-7 per day, preferably all with some protein. I also recommend eating breakfast within an hour of waking up and with a good amount of protein.

Eat whole foods while avoiding refined/processed products to avoid chemicals, and the typical unhealthy trio of sugar, fat, and salt that often come with process foods.  

In terms of exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for cardio is much better for metabolism than long, slow and low-intensity training. Weight lifting will have a huge impact as well. A good workout can boost your metabolism for up to 48 hours.

Get proper rest. You won't eat healthy or exercise if you're tired.

 

Eat healthy fats and consider spicy foods, if you like. Cinnamon is also known to boost metabolism.


Good luck!

Natural vs. Added Sugar

I've read a lot about nutrition over the years and have tried a variety of diets, including Atkins and other low-carb varieties. I'm not going to asses any particular weight loss strategy, but what I want to do is highlight a popular misconception that low carb dieters have, one that is often also shared by the  typical healthy eater: avoid fruit. They do this because of the sugar content. Unfortunately, health and consumer advocates have pounded home the anti-sugar message while failing to distinguish between good (natural) sugar and bad (added). The same thing has happened with the anti-fat message. Their are a variety of essential, healthy fats that our bodies need that the no-fat and low-fat food craze come up short on.

Back to sugar. Avoiding all sugar, particularly from fruit, is a poor health choice. There appears to be a distinct difference in how the body metabolizes the sugar in fruit versus added sugar in a processed food or drink, like a candy bar, cereal, or soda. Fruit does not spike blood sugar like added sugar does while it contains more vitamins per calorie than any other food. Most fruit also has a high water content, which is good for hydration, and is high in fiber, which is important for good digestive health and makes you feel fuller, so you eat less than you would with the same amount of sugar from processed foods.

I recommend eating at least five pieces of fruit per day, ranging in colors to benefit from the diverse vitamin and antioxidant content of different fruits.

Satire and the FDA

I love The Onion. If you're not familiar with the newspaper/website, they make up ridiculous news stories. They are usually hysterical. This one was right up my alley. It's funny, but also not that far off from the ridiculousness of what goes on in the food industry.




http://www.theonion.com/articles/fda-recommends-at-least-3-servings-of-foods-with-w,36699/

Convenience Vs. Health

I was just at the grocery store picking up a few items, thinking about what to write about next when the woman in the checkout aisle next to mine spoon fed me this topic, so to speak. As she was unpacking her cart (loaded with processed foods), she pre-emptively states to everyone within earshot, "Don't judge me," as she unloads four boxes of frozen pizza. She proceeds to tell the woman behind her how busy she is with kids and how the pizza is a quick, cheap meal. I get it. I have two active kids myself and eating healthy is expensive.




This encounter highlighted to me how real the tradeoff is between cost/convenience and eating healthy. It's made every day in every grocery store. However, the cost/convenience choice is flawed and shortsighted- it's the choice of least resistance, but it's a poor one at best. The problem does not lie with an occasional convenience meal or a dinner out, but when these choices become the norm.


Eating healthier, organic foods is more costly, at least while checking out at the grocery store. But what about the long-term health benefits they provide? How do you put a price on that? People invest for college and retirement. Why don't people invest for longevity and wellness? People buy life insurance. Why not consider organic food expenditures as insurance against illness and debilitating conditions that could hinder your lifestyle later in life? Conversely, I would ask, is childhood obesity convenient? Is diabetes cheap?




I would also argue that eating organic fruits, vegetables, and lean protein would help with energy levels. Refined and processed foods are not only loaded with dangerous chemicals, they also carry little nutrition. I assure you that athletes, who need more energy than anyone (except maybe parents), don't eat food stuffed with saturated fats, sugar/sweeteners, and sodium with few vitamins and minerals.




If you want more energy now and a healthier, more active lifestyle later in life, there is only one choice. A few extra bucks saved at the grocery store or the time saved by microwaving a frozen pizza as opposed to cooking a whole food meal is not worth the tradeoff.