Nutrition Seminar Notes

The USDA Food Guide Pyramid

• Grain based nutrition
• Limits fats of all types
• Promotes a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet
• The bulk of the calories come from foods our bodies have not evolved to eat

The Paleolithic Food Pyramid

· Protein based nutrition

· Limits or eliminates foods unavailable before the industrial age

· Promotes a “true” balanced diet containing moderate amounts of protein, fat, and natural carbohydrates

Paleo vs. Grain Based Nutrition

Paleo type diets have a lower glycemic load

· Lower glycemic load reduces fasting blood glucose levels and decrease risk of developing type two diabetes

· Lower glycemic load reduces inflammation (CRP), a risk factor for heart disease, gum disease, gout, and other diseases of civilization

I’ve Tried Low Carb Diets and Have No Energy!

· Paleo IS NOT low carb!

· Root vegetables and fruits provide the bulk of the carbohydrate in the diet

· Higher amounts of protein and fat stabilize blood sugar, reducing energy swings and hunger

But Aren’t They High in Saturated Fat?

· Yes and that’s a good thing

· Dietary saturated fat has never been shown to increase the risk of heart disease!

· Diets high in saturated fat raise HDL, or good cholesterol and increase LDL particle size, both of which reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event

· Saturated fat can reverse fatty liver disease

For more information on saturated fat and heart disease, please consult the following websites:

http://kuzorafitness.blogspot.com/2010/09/was-everything-i-leaned-in-school-wrong.html

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/01/does-dietary-saturated-fat-increase.html

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/12/dirty-little-secret-of-diet-heart.html

I Need to Lose Weight

· Eat a Paleo base

· Reduce or eliminate root vegetables and fruit until desired body-fat levels are reached

· Consider supplementing with coconut oil, fish oil, and fenugreek

I Need to Gain Weight

· Paleo base

· Add dairy if you are lactose tolerant

· Increase consumption of nuts, root vegetables, and fruits

· Consider supplementing with added protein and fish oil

A Sample Paleo Day

Breakfast

Three egg omelet with sautéed onions, peppers, and turkey

½ grapefruit

½ cup macadamia nuts

OPTIONAL: ½ T fish oil, 1 gram vitamin C, 2000 iu vitamin D3

Lunch

6-8 oz. poached salmon

Spinach salad with hard boiled eggs, onions, cranberries, and sesame seeds

Olive oil and vinegar dressing

Dinner

6-8 oz. grilled sirloin steak with sautéed mushrooms

Grilled asparagus

Sweet potato

OPTIONAL: ½ T fish oil, 1 gram vitamin C, 2000 iu vitamin D3

*** No snacks are listed not because you are not allowed to snack but because most people find a significant decrease in appetite shortly after adopting a diet of natural, unprocessed foods

Nutrients vs. Food

"Nutritional science has advanced rapidly, and the evidence now demonstrates the major limitations of nutrient-based metrics for prevention of chronic disease. The proportion of total energy from fat appears largely unrelated to risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or obesity. Saturated fat—targeted by nearly all nutrition-related professional organizations and governmental agencies—has little relation to heart disease within most prevailing dietary patterns. Typical recommendations to consume at least half of total energy as carbohydrate, a nutrient for which humans have no absolute requirement, conflate foods with widely divergent physiologic effects (eg, brown rice, white bread, apples). Foods are grouped based on protein content (chicken, fish, beans, nuts) despite demonstrably different health effects. With few exceptions (eg, omega-3 fats, trans fat, salt), individual compounds in isolation have small effects on chronic diseases. Thus, little of the information found on food labels’ “nutrition facts” panels provides useful guidance for selecting healthier foods to prevent chronic disease.

In contrast with discrete nutrients, specific foods and dietary patterns substantially affect chronic disease risk, as shown by controlled trials of risk factors and prospective cohorts of disease end points

Although this approach may seem radical, it actually represents a return to more traditional, time-tested ways of eating. Healthier food-based dietary patterns have existed for generations among some populations."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20699461

Healthy Eating So Easy A Caveman Could Do It!

Please join me for a FREE nutrition seminar this Saturday at 1 PM. This event will be held at eh Pendergrass Academy of Martial Arts located at 12339 Wake Union Church Road in Wake Forest (near Brigg's). I will be discussing how to look, feel, and perform at peak levels through a Paleolithic approach to eating.