Thu, 11 Oct 2007
Today's Breakfast
A variation today for breakfast. The sweet potatoes were cooked
a couple days ago and kept in the fridge. This morning I sliced them
thin and fried them lightly in olive oil. Also had some left
over salmon. The greens are avocado and baby spinach. On the right
is some sliced mango. The drinks are some hot Chinese green tea
and a glass of water. Supplements are 2g of vitamin C, 1g Lysine, and
1g of fish oil.
I wanted to respond to my cycling friend Rudy who had commented in my vitamin D post that he just eats a good diet and avoids processed food. This is certainly a good strategy but in my opinion is not enough. For one thing, what is a good diet? Lots of ideas and differing opinions out there. I have cast my lot with the Paleolithic diet advocates. Rudy also gives a clue by suggesting avoidance of processed foods. Well, almost all grains (except corn I guess) are not digestible by humans without being processed. So do you throw grains out too? I do. Not that I am phobic about eating a good slice of bread once in a while (or cake or pie for that matter), but I throw out the base of the FDA food pyramid knowing that grains have anti nutrients in them and are not much different than eating candy. Whole grains actually inhibit vitamin D metabolism and the de-pigmentation of northern Europeans is due to the selective pressure of whole grains constituting a large portion of the diet of early agricultural human societies.
Now consider the omega 3 fatty acids. Since around 1950, the mass production animal husbandry techniques have employed feeding livestock a heavy grain based diet instead of allowing them to graze on an open range. This results in the meat that you buy at the local market to have much less omega 3 fatty acid content. The same is true of farm raised fish. Farm raised Salmon, Telapia, and Cod has very little of the health promoting and important omega 3 fatty acids. Because of this, fish oil supplementation is extremely significant. I take 3g of fish oil a day. Paleo diet advocates have suggested an omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio of 2 to 1 or even 1 to 1 among pre-agricultural humans. But modern diets have a ratio of around 10 to 1.
The vitamin C argument is made by considering other animals. Humans and primates are some of the very few animals who do not make vitamin C within their own bodies. Other animals make vitamin C in their liver or kidneys and produce a constant flow of ascorbate in their blood stream, even increasing this amount when encountering stress. Humans and primates have lost this ability due to a gene which does not function correctly. There is evidence to suggest that supplementing vitamin C throughout the day can provide the same results as it does to other animals.
That's all for now. Questions, comments, complaints?
Thu, 05 Jul 2007
Mango Salsa
This mango based Salsa dish was in a recent Paleo Diet newsletter.
I made it tonight for dinner along with some baked Tilapia. The
Salsa has red onion, cilantro, two diced and skinned mangoes,
some hot pepper (jalapeno is ok, I used hot yellow pepper),
and a couple of slices of lemon. Wow it is really good!
And no sugar or salt. It's important to get fresh ripe mango.
My wife is quite good at selecting these of course (being
from the Philippines). But the main thing is they should be
yellow or red and soft to the touch. If they are green they
will be very tart.
Fri, 22 Jun 2007
Yes but how do you feel?
Last weekend I gave a brief overview of the Paleo Diet to a friend who was over for lunch and
this was his question. The thing to realize here is that good nutrition is not necessarily like
a drug. It will not give you any kind of euphoria, lite headedness, or any other kind of drug like
buzz. But the effects will be cumulative. You will notice perhaps a little more energy, less sickness,
greater resistance to fatigue and when you do get sick, you will tend to recover faster. And these
things get stronger the longer you can maintain good habits.
So far, the people who express some skepticism over the Paleo diet principles either have a religious objection since the concept tends to go against the account of human origins in the book of Genesis or they think it's another kind of extra evolutionary derived thing (like the selfish gene) where the theory of evolution is being overly extended. Both of these reasons are kind of related in that they are objecting to a controversial theory or it's misapplication. This is why I think Cordain tends to over emphasize Evolution in his books. If we just focus on the empirical science involved, we get strong support. And there are a couple of things to consider in this respect:
- Emphasis on balancing the omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio.
- Increasing the amount of protein in your diet slightly.
- Decreasing foods that are acid loading (with the exception of meats, this largely points to processed foods).
So to the skeptics I guess what I am saying is, first look at the empirical data before you get too wrapped up into discrediting the theories behind the data. I haven't answered all the questions I have about human origins and how the bible matches the scientific account of human origins but I do see some strong evidence for these principles of dieting.
Thu, 07 Jun 2007
Art's Paleo Meal Examples
Art Devany who I have mentioned before is an Economics expert but also
a Paleo Diet advocate. His blog has a meals section which is simply a collection of photos of
different meals that he makes in accordance with Paleo Diet principles. These
are quite nice to look at and inspiring if you are trying to eat healthy.
Mon, 23 Apr 2007
Breakfast Sweets
I have mentioned this before but it's worth repeating. If you need more
calories in the morning before a workout, I like sweet potatoes. These
are a suitable high glycemic load food and they taste great along with my
bowl of fruits, nuts, and leafy greens (with some meet or eggs on the side),
I like to lightly bake a few of the sweet potatoes ahead of time, then slice
them thin and fry them up in some olive oil in the morning when I am going to
ride my bike to work. There are plenty of other ways to add more energy
density. Other foods to consider are bananas and avocados which I also enjoy
for breakfast.
The advantage of these foods over cereal is of course, no acid loading. Sweet potatoes provide energy density but do not result in the leaching of calcium from our bones which the acid loading indicates. In a recent newsletter, Loran Cordain mentioned that, although acid loading is one of the less proven aspects of the paleo diet emphasis, more and more research is confirming this hypothesis. For example, Here is an essay by one of Cordain's colleagues which appeared in the AJCN.
Tue, 26 Dec 2006
| 2, 8-ounce salmon steaks | 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper |
| 2 tsp curry powder | 1 cup chicken stock (salt free) |
| 1 tsp turmeric | 4 tsp white wine |
Curried Shrimp
Another gem from the Paleo Diet book:
| 4 T Olive Oil | 1/2 tsp Coriander |
| 2 cloves garlic, minced | 1/2 tsp turmeric |
| 1 medium onion, finely chopped | 8 oz medium or large shrimp. |
| 4 fresh tomatoes, pureed. | 2 T lime juice |
| 1/2 tsp cumin |
Tue, 19 Dec 2006
Diet Notes, Health News Tidbits
The more I see that headline on the right, "A Diet Solution Based on Evolution" (linked to this article) the more I am concerned as to how my Christian friends will receive it. I actually think about this a lot. On the one hand, I still have serious questions on how Darwin's theory could explain the diversity of life on this planet and on the other hand this diet which I believe is based on solid ideas. How can this be? Well, perhaps the answer is quite simple. Instead of the word Evolution, think common design. When Cordain talks about a diet based on evolution, think diet based on common design. This simply sidesteps the more troubling issues of randomness and common descent that some Christians object to. So we can say that those animals who are most similar in design to humans, the great apes, chimps, and the various pre-human hominins, can give us a good framework of what should constitute a healthy diet. That is the premise of the Paleo Diet and the main nutritional arguments flow from this premise.
- So one item to consider is milk. Not only do the animals similar in design to us stop drinking it past childhood, there is no mammal that I know of that drinks it past childhood. Cordain's books contain several more substantial reasons to avoid dairy products. Now in the most recent newsletter (PDF), he goes into great detail on how milk could make people more susceptible to many forms of cancer due to a great increase in the betacellulin hormone.
- The most recent Vitamin D Council Newsletter mentions a study by a scientist here at the Wash U. Med school concerning low vitamin D levels and depression in the elderly.
- As I mentioned recently, I've been taking 2k IU of Vitamin D daily since the beginning of October. This week we have two sick kids and I have had lots of sinus pressure and some congestion. In addition to vitamin C, I've upped the vit D to another 2k IU to help fight any viruses. Gargling with sodium ascorbate water as well as drops of sodium ascorbate water in the nostrils helps.
Fri, 27 Oct 2006
Breakfast Modifications
When I commute to work or schedule a hard trainer workout in
the morning, I tend to need more calories with my breakfast. In the
past I would eat a bowl of oatmeal but this is problematic
due to the acid loading of grains (which I have discussed before). One easy
way to add some calories is with sweet potatoes. I like to bake a couple
of these before hand, cut some slices in the morning and fry them up in some
olive oil. This along with an avocado can provide enough
to get me through a good workout and it's not canary food
at all.
Fri, 29 Sep 2006
CTS Takes Successful Athlete off Paleo Diet
The Trainright Nutrition newsletter from Carmichael Training Systems
went out yesterday. I have taken issue with these mainstream dietitians
and nutritionists in the past but this particular article is quite interesting.
The main item I am referring to is here. Give it a read (don't
worry, I will wait for you).
Now first off, notice that this guy (Dean Karnazes) appears to be a pretty successful endurance athlete. The author (or authors) expresses marvel at his diet which is essentially a paleolithic approach which avoids grains completely and utilizes all fresh fruits and vegetables along with fish. They note that the high amount of omega 3 fatty acids are very possibly preventing injury. As is typical of these guys, there is no reference given for their recommendation of having a body fat percentage above 7 percent. I would be interested in knowing where they get this. But really, apart from any reference here, I have to ask why change what is apparently working well for this guy? Ok, they do mention what appears to be a logistical problem with the event that he will be doing. But that's really not the thrust of what they are trying to say here.
Back to the fatty acids and grains. They are encouraging the guy to eat more grains to get his fat percentage higher. But they say nothing about what the possible implications could be of adding this to his diet. My concern would be that he will experience a change (possibly quite large) in the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids by eating more grains. Estimates of this ratio among paleo hunter/gatherers is around 2/1 or even 1/1. For most modern humans eating a typical western diet it is up around 10/1. What are the possible implications of this? Increased upper respiratory ailments, increased injury. Also, loss of bone and muscle mass. The grains will create an acid load to the kidneys and this will in turn effect bone and muscle mass.
The two concepts of omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and acid loading are pillars of the paleolithic dieting approach. These nutrition "experts" might have gotten a clue from observing this guy's diet that perhaps there is something beneficial to it. But instead, they had to apply their expertise. It will be interesting to watch how this guy performs as he adopts this change.
There is no email or contact info given for the two dietitians listed at the top of the article. I wish I could send them a copy (or a link) to one of Cordain's books. Karnazez diet may be unique to them but it is certainly not unheard of.
If you have not read this yet, this paper by Cordain is a good overview of Cereal grains: Cereal Grains: Humanity's Double Edged Sword (PDF).
Fri, 19 May 2006
Breakfast?
This is my typical breakfast these days. A bowl of fruit and nuts containing
wallnuts, raisins, spinach, chopped apple and some berries (love blueberries
when they are available, otherwise strawberries) with some flax oil poured over
it. Some chicken breast covered in spices (on the side dish) and some avocado
as well. Some hot green tea and a glass of water to wash down the vitamins.
Speaking of paleolithic nutrition (which is what this breakfast is attempting to duplicate), the latest newsletter from Dr. Cordain came out today. Some incredible stuff related to vitamin D and whole grains. Turns out whole grains inhibit vitamin D. Also, more info on why beans and legumes are not so good.
Fri, 05 May 2006
Cordain's new book: The Dietary Cure for Acne
So I don't have trouble with Acne. But there are some things
to take note of in this new book by Dr. Cordain (author of The Paleo Diet
and The Paleo Diet for Athletes). Here's the intro at the
website:
If you suffer from acne you're probably tired of all the hype - the creams, lotions, and scrubs that only provide minor improvement, the expensive prescription drugs with their side effects and only marginally better results, and the books by so-called "experts" that make big promises but have little science to back them up.
So you can see that Cordain is kind of taking aim at the drug industry as well as promoting good health and stopping disease through good nutrition and diet. Helping kids deal with a very troubling problem is a way to get them on the right track with nutrition. You can also see from this description that studies of societies in remote areas living hunter gatherer lifestyles form the basis of the research and conclusions. It's another item in the case against grain based diets.
Although Cordain's books are very readable, you don't have to purchase one to obtain the basic ideas of this approach or understand the issues. All of his research is available at the website. If you are doubting the effects of grains, be sure to read, "Cereal grains: humanity's double edged sword." But the books make the information more accessible for non-scientists like myself of course.
Mon, 24 Apr 2006
Vitamin Protocol
My vitamin regimen has evolved a bit since last year. Here's
the details:
In the morning with breakfast:
| Multi | Nature's Way multi |
| Vitamin E (gamma toco) | 200 iu |
| Co-enzyme Q 10 | 30 mg |
| Vitamin C | 2 grams |
| Lysine and Vit B6 | 1000 mg, 10 mg B6 |
At Lunch
| Vitamin C | 1000 mg |
| Lysine with Vit B6 | 1000 mg, 10 mg B6 |
| Co-enzyme Q10 | 30 mg |
At dinner
| Multi | Nature's Way |
| Proline | 1000 mg |
| Lysine with Vit B6 | 1000 mg, 10 mg B6 |
| Vitamin E (gamma toco) | 200 iu |
| Co-enzyme Q10 | 30 mg |
| Vitamin C | 2 grams |
Notes:
- Up to 5 g of vitamin C is added between meals.
- I use several different forms of Vitamin C. For morning and evening I will mix 2 g of vit C powder into some lemon water. The lemon makes it test better as the powder is a little tart tasting. I also have time release pills and Ester C pills which I use in between meals. Or sometimes in the morning I will have a cup of green tea. In this case I use the time release pills.
- The extra vitamin E was added because most of the Multi-vitamins out there use the form called D alpha tocopheril. This is thought to be not as good as Gamma tocopheril. Jim, my chiropractor advised me to go for the Gamma. So I end up taking 800 iu of vit E every day. Not problems there, some people take up to 1200 iu with no side effects.
- Co-enzyme Q10 is good for the heart. more info...
- Lysine, proline, and vit C make up the Linus Pauling treatment for heart disease. The amounts that I am taking are a maintenance dose, not for any problems that I have, just for prevention. This also appears to have good prostrate cancer prevention charactoristics.
- The Lysine that I am taking has extra vitamin B6. This is not required and I actually didn't know it had it in it when I purchased it. I will replace this with just Lysine next time. Vitamin B is water soluble so any extra is not held in the body too long so this is no problem.
- The Nature's Way multi has no iron. This is a good choice for men over 40 especially as iron tends to accumulate and become a problem at this age. This multi is also a two a day for the proper dosage. This is good as it spreads the nutrients out through the day as opposed to one shot in the morning or evening. I also rotate the Purity Products multi in occasionally. I was advised by Jim not to take this one all the time due to the herbal content. Herbs are better used for specific and targeted problems. Constant use can lead to accumulation.
Paleo Diet Distinctives
As my friend Bret briefly described in our little discussion earlier, the
thrust of the Paleo Diet is that humans have evolved to use a specific diet
over millions of years and adhering to such a diet is the best way
to optimize our health and nutrition needs. As Dr. Cordain describes in
his most recent
newsletter, this gives a unifying theme to nutrition. A
theme which has not existed up to this time.
As I briefly mentioned in the prior discussion, this idea can be problematic to some Christians (especially the young earth types who think that humans have not existed longer than 10k years) and might cause them to scoff at this approach. The way I view this is that I pretty much accept the estimates of age, both of the universe (including earth, moon, etc..) and life on this earth. From my understanding, the earliest humans are estimated to be in the range of 3 to 6 million years. We also understand that humans have been agricultural for only the last 10k years. So right there you have an interesting dietary discrepancy and so I believe it is relevant to ask what humans were eating for the majority of their existence and what kind of health they experienced.
But apart from this major theme, there are some important sub themes that, while being guided by the idea of human evolution, are not necessarily tied to evolution and have some good science behind them (as far as I can tell from my limited understanding). The science part comes from studying modern hunter/gatherers as well as written accounts of early encounters between new world and old world explorers and also the study of corprolites (petrified stool). So here are some of these themes as I understand them:
- Ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids is markedly different with modern man (that is, modern man takes in very little omega 3s while Paleo hunter/gatherers took in a whole lot more). This is due to several things. Large amounts of processed and agro based foods, industrialized meat products where the animals used feed on grains so that their omega 3 content is greatly reduced (even farm raised fish are feed grain pellets, reducing their omega 3 content). Optimizing Omega 3 intake has a number of benefits which most people are aware of. Heart disease, joint problems, and even exercise induced asthma are a few areas where Omega 3s help out and that I am aware of.
- A diet which produces a much greater acid load to the kidneys. Our body and specifically our blood, must be maintained at a specific PH. All foods other than fruits and vegetables present an acid load to the kidneys and this must be balanced by leaching out minerals. The largest source being calcium from our bones. Salt and dairy products are biggies here as they present some of the biggest acid loads. Although salt is basic in it's common form, when sodium chloride is metabolized in the body, it produces a large acid load. Dairy products such as cheese, milk, and ice cream also contain a lot of salt. This makes sense particularly in view of the fact that Americans have greater calcium intake than most other peoples of the world yet bone density problems are common. Most doctors and dietitians suggest taking calcium supplements or drinking more milk but this does not seem to be helping. A better way is to simply remove salt and dairy products as well as eat more fruit and vegetables. Spinach and raisins have some of the largest alkaline loads (see the list for a comprehensive view).
- Saturated fat intake. This is somewhat controversial as I believe there are some Paleo diet advocates who think that saturated fat is not a problem. Cordain however suggests that it is best to avoid it. Trim meat of all visible fat before cooking. Wild animals, even large ones like Bears and Woolly Mammoths had low saturated fat when considering the whole percentage of body mass. Some however suggest that hunters who ate these animals would have been ingesting lots of saturated fat and that studies are inconclusive on any problems with saturated fat. I'm still leaning with Cordain on this one and trying to avoid it. Trans fats are also a product of modern technology and are problematic. Unfortunately, cooking oils which are processed contain large amounts of trans fats. Cordain suggests using Canola oil for cooking but even here, care must be taken to get the kind that is not overly processed (check Whole Foods market or other health store grocers). See Cordain's Fats page for more info.
- Meal time habits. For me the big one here was breakfast. I am a big breakfast eater and I had been eating a bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast all of my life. One of the biggest changes I made was to get off of the breakfast cereal and start eating a bowl of fruit and nuts and some meet or eggs on the side. But in the latest newsletter, Cordain is wondering if three meals a day has any basis in good nutrition at all. It seems that most hunter gatherers would have one or two meals a day. This would lead to reduced caloric intake which (as Cordain mentioned) is understood to be directly tied to lifespan. This theme does not appear to be fully flushed out yet though.
At any rate, I hope that you can see that there are some useful things to consider here and the evidence is compelling to me so, although I am not completely Paleo in my dieting, I do strive to achieve and move toward these themes as a general rule.
And for some of my other church friends, just because I strive to follow these ideas does not mean I don't leave some room to have an enjoyable meal on occasion. You can't geek out on this all the time, it's just not healthy!
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