Paleo In a Nutshell

 

Watch these informative videos on:

Nutrition

Exercise

The Primal Blueprint

The Primal Blueprint is a lifetyle that will help you to live a long and healthy life.  Read Mark's Daily Apple to learn more.

Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart

Well, it's about time that the mainstream media sheds the truth on an old lie ... that saturated fats make you fat and cause heart disease.

Although there have been many people over the last 30 years who have tried to tell us the truth (Barry Sears, Gary Taubes, Loren Cordain) the government dietary guidelines have continued pushing the "eat less fat and more grains" message.  That is the same message that most nutritionists advocate to all those seeking to lose weight and eat healthy.

That may change soon (finally).   This article in Scientific American confirms that the government may finally admit that they pushed the wrong message and that overconsumption of processed carbohydrates is what is killing us!

However, don't be surprised if the government stalls this advice in the new dietary guidelines.  There are many big companies who stand to lose a fortune if we stop consuming their products and they are lobbying hard to supress the studies that prove their products are poison to us.  Anyone remember how hard the tobacco industry fought against the studies that showed smoking caused cancer? 

Do your own research.   Read the authors noted above and decide for yourself.  Here's an article posted by Gary Taubes in 2002.

It may take a while, but future laws may dictate that you will not be permitted to eat a donut within 9 meters of a building entrance.  ;)

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is one of the oldest hormones, having been produced by life forms for over 750 million years. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, and most plants and animals that are exposed to sunlight have the capacity to make vitamin D. In humans, vitamin D is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body, from birth until death.

97 percent of Canadians are vitamin D deficient at some point in the year‚ according to University of Calgary research. Worldwide‚ an estimated 1 billion people don’t get enough of "the sunshine vitamin".   Deficiency in vitamin D increases the risk of a host of illnesses including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic low back pain, and more.

As we do not get enough exposure to the sun, supplementing with a good quality vitamin D3 supplement is highly recommended.  The best form is D3 (not D2), in gel form (not tablet) and the recommended dosage is much higher than it used to be ... anywhere between 2,000 IU and 6,000 IU per day!

Read the following articles for more information:

• Benefits of Vitamin D
• Vitamin D Supplementation
• Vitamin D3, Higher Doses Reduce Risk of Common Health Concerns
• Getting Vitamin D Right

World Diabetes Day

Diabetes affects 250 million people worldwide.  It has become such a major health issue that it is an official United Nations Day!  The above caption reads "Celebrated every year ...", but really ... what's to celebrate?  The fact that so many people are being afflicted with a disease that is totally preventable?

About 41,000 Canadians die each year as a result of Diabetes, generally from a stroke or heart disease.  By next year, about 3,000,000 Canadians will have Diabetes, draining $15.6 billion from the health care system annually.  What is even more alarming is the number of children developing Diabetes.

There are two types of Diabetes.  Type I, which is genetic, is the type that people are born with.  Unfortunately there is nothing to be done to prevent this type.  Type II, however, is not genetic and is the type that most people develop as a result of insulin resistance.  Type II Diabetes makes up 95% of all cases of Diabetes!

That means that, of the 3,000,000 Canadians who have Diabetes, 2,850,000 people could have avoided this disease and the resulting complications.  How, you ask?  Diet!  Insulin resistance is a result of poor nutritional choices, particularly over consumption of highly glycemic carbohydrates such as grains, starches and sugars (processed foods).

If you would rather not develop Diabetes, or you would rather not see a member of your family develop this disease, then it is imperative that you understand how the avoidance of poor nutritional choices is the key.  Being overweight is a warning to you that your insulin levels have been elevated for an extended period of time.  This applies to children as well as adults.  Do nothing about that condition and you risk developing heart disease, Diabetes, and even many forms of cancer.

Although exercise is good, and is what many people believe will help lose weight, it will not affect your insulin levels.  Continue to make the same poor food choices and all the exercise in the world isn't going to help.

Food is a drug!  It affects us at a hormonal level, and our hormones are the triggers for either good health or disease.  The choice is yours.  Your health is in your own hands!

Recommended reading.

Healthy Fat

Contrary to popular belief, fat does not make you fat!

There are bad fats - saturated fats and trans fats can cause increases in bad cholesterol and decreases in good cholesterol, which will lead to heart disease.  Trans fats are the worst, as they are chemically manufactured and used in most processed foods.

However, our bodies need healthy fats to function properly.  Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats will increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.

Monounsaturated fats include olives and olive oil, avacados, and nuts.  Eating more of these fats will not only be healthy for you, but will help you lose fat!

Polyunsaturated fats include Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.  We get way too many Omega 6 fatty acids in our diet compared to Omega 3 fatty acids, so you should be supplementing with Omega 3's.  (See my post on Fish Oil).

A simple Google search on "good fat" will give you plenty of information regarding this important nutrient.

Go Fishing!

Fish contains an essential fatty acid known as Omega-3. The best sources are Salmon, Tuna, Halibut, Sardines and Mackerel.

Unless you have been living in a cave, you have probably been hearing more and more about the benefits of Omega-3, and how food manufacturers have been advertising that their products have added Omega-3.

The benefits of Omega-3 are many!

• Reduces inflammation, thus possibly warding of heart disease, asthma, arthritis, macular degeneration, and a host of other maladies
• Decreases levels of body fat through increased insulin sensitivity and increased metabolism. This increased insulin sensitivity may also prevent Type II diabetes
• Reduces the risk of many types of cancer, including colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer
  
• Reduces the risk of (and can help treat) many brain related maladies such as Alzheimers, ADHD and depression

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food.

Many of our current maladies are a result of an increased consumption of Omega-6 (found in vegetable oils) and a reduced consumption of Omega-3. Although we should be getting a ratio of 3:1, the current (average) ratio is 30:1! Omega-6 is PRO inflammatory, whereas Omega-3 is ANTI inflammatory. Inflammation = Sick!

Conclusion .... Go Fishing! Get off the vegetable oils and start getting more fish oil. If you don't like eating fish, then there are many fish oil supplements available on the market. If your health is valuable to you, then you should look for a high quality fish oil. Do your research. This is not an area where you should go for the least expensive. After all, you're worth it! :)

Evolution?

Will this be the course of evolution?

All Carbs are not created equal!

If you want to lose weight and be healthy, then following a "low carb" diet is what you need to do. However, carbs come in very distinct forms and have far different effects on the body.

Good Carbs


Rich in color, flavor and nutrients. These carbs have a low Glycemic index, which means they have only a minor effect on insulin levels.
You can eat as many of these carbs as you like and still lose weight.


These carbs will make you healthy!

Bad Carbs

Lacking color, flavor and nutrients (other than artificial). These carbs have a high Glycemic index, and have a major effect on insulin levels.
Eating these carbs will cause weight gain.


Over consumption of these carbs will make you sick!

The worst carbs of all .... SUGAR.
Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (sugar substitute) have the most detrimental effect on insulin levels.
You may be surprised to discover how much sugar is in your food.

These carbs may be killing you!

Elevated levels of insulin in the blood is the root cause of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. The ability to live a long, healthy, disease free life is within your control. The "secret" is to eat natural, unprocessed foods.

To learn more, I recommend reading any of these books.

The Paleo Diet

For 2.5 million years, humans lived as “hunter-gatherers”. They hunted lean meat and gathered vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. This diet was complete in nutritional requirements and the Paleolithic human was strong, healthy and lacking in disease. Longevity (or lack thereof) was based on other factors like exposure to the elements, life threatening injuries, and saber tooth tigers! The Paleo Diet is what we are genetically adapted to eat.

The Agricultural Revolution and the adoption of grains as staple foods allowed us to abandon our hunter-gatherer lifestyle and develop into the vast industrial-technological society in which we live today. This change started just 10,000 years ago and since then, it is well documented that humans have experienced more and more health problems. The reason ... our bodies have not had the time to genetically adapt to this agricultural diet and it’s lack of required nutrients.

The truth is the "Food Guide", with it's recommended 6 - 8 servings of grains daily, is partially responsible for the increase in health problems (obesity, diabetes, cancer) in the last 30 years! Your diet could be slowly killing you!

Nutrition is the foundation for health and fitness. If you are serious about your health, and the health of your loved ones, then you need to learn how and why food can effect you.

Recommended Reading

It's time to get real!

"I realize that most of you probably don’t think you need a lecture. You may not need any further motivation. You’re eating good, whole foods, getting daily exercise, and things are going well. For the most part, Grok gazes upon you with twinkling, approving eyes. But what of newcomers? What of the average doughy citizen happily bumbling along in blissful ignorance, unaware that his or her dietary habits and devotion to Conventional Wisdom might actually be counterproductive to those goals implicit in all forms of life, great or small? Survival, contentedness, and prosperity. Surely he deserves a harsh check of reality."

Read the full article here.

Nutrition

Is your goal to get serious about exercising and getting fit? Is it losing some weight? Is it increasing your levels of energy and ability to perform in all your activities?

You may be surprised to hear that nutrition is the key! Nutrition is the most important foundation for health, fitness, and weight management. With out a solid nutritional base, you could spend hours working out or running on a treadmill and not lose a single pound or gain the level of fitness you are seeking. You may also be missing the "fuel" that you need to power your activities.

Food is like a drug. It is a very powerful drug that affects us at a hormonal level. Like any other drug, if food is misused it can have serious consequences and side effects. Many of today's health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many forms of cancer are a direct result of poor nutritional choices.

Get on the right track. Learn to make the right nutritional choices so you can live a healthier, longer, and more productive life. Learn how to reach your ideal body weight and enhance your training results.

I recommend reading:
"The Paleo Solution" - by Robb Wolf
"Good Calories, Bad Calories" - by Gary Taubes
"The Paleo Diet" - by Lauren Cordain

These books can change (even save) your life!

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