How Gluten Makes 1 in 10 People Sick

June 26, 2010

How gluten makes 1 in 10 sick

Dr Rodney Ford, Associate Professor at Christchurch School of Medicine and a Paediatric Gastroenterologist and allergy specialist has been investigating the relationship between food and health for over 25 years.

In this time he has treated thousands of unwell children, and discovered that many of them are sick due to gluten sensitivity. He has seen many people, both children and adults cured from a huge range of chronic ailments by cutting gluten from their diet. His research shows that around 10% of the population are gluten sensitive and are suffering needlessly, not realising that gluten is making them chronically sick and unwell.

Gluten is everywhere in our diet – it is the protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It is used extensively by the food industry and added to many processed foods.

Gluten is a very difficult to digest protein. Proteins are long strings of amino acids linked together. Each different protein is a specific sequence of amino acids. During digestion all proteins are broken down into their individual amino acids, so you can use them to rebuild and repair all your cells. Think of long lines of Lego blocks of different colours all locked together – the enzymes in our gut literally pull them all apart, so we can reassemble them to make proteins for building and repairing our entire body.

The problem is that at least 1 in 10 people lack the enzymes to pull apart gluten during digestion. The amino acids in gluten are arranged in a sequence that is difficult to pull apart. The gluten protein is damages the cells that line the gut, and gaps open up between the cells allowing partially broken down food and particles from bacteria through. Normally cells are glued tightly together, so only fully digested food can pass through the cells into the bloodstream. The gluten protein fragment called a peptide (5 – 7 amino acids long) can enter the bloodstream through the gaps and starts causing problems. Gluten peptides can be toxic to some cells, and can also cause an auto-immune reaction where the body starts attacking itself. Most general medical practitioners are simply not aware of the extent of gluten sensitivity and do not investigate gluten sensitivity as a cause if niggling ailments. Note that celiac disease – a full blown gut disorder of severe gluten intolerance affects 1 in 100 people, however gluten sensitivity while not life threatening like celiac disease affects another 10 in 100 people. Some doctors and nutritionists put this figure higher and some think all people are affected to some degree by gluten.

How do you know if you might be gluten sensitive?

Here is a list of problems that gluten sensitive people often suffer from:

Always tired, low energy
Gut problems – bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, discomfort, IBS, in fact any gut / bowel disorder
Reflux or heartburn
Headaches or migraine
Child not growing well, small or thin for age
Skin problems, adult acne, eczema, bad skin
Infertility or recurrent miscarriages
Chronic iron deficiency
Poor immunity, recurrent infections
Runny nose and sinus problems
Depressed, moody or grumpy
Foggy brain, hard to think clearly or concentrate
Osteoporosis or growing pains
Aches and pains and joint inflammation
Menstrual problems, pain, PMS, bloating, bad menopausal symptoms
ADHD, hyperactive, cranky, irritable, prone to tantrums
Mental health problems, autism

You may also be a gluten addict- gluten acts as a morphine like substance (gluteomorphine) and many people are literally addicted to their next fix, so are constantly eating bread and other wheat products.

If you have any of these health issues Dr Ford recommends you get tested for gluten sensitivity. This is not the same as the celiac test for gluten intolerance and some doctors may question the validity of the test. However this test is essential to confirm gluten sensitivity. It is called the IgG-gliadin antibody test. If the test result is more than 10 it shows that your body is making antibodies to gluten, that is – it is reacting to gluten as though it is a foreign invader. You only react to gluten peptides if you don’t digest them properly and they are going into your bloodstream.

Why is gluten such a big problem for many people?

Grains are a relatively recent addition to our diet, only in the last 10,000 years have we settled and grown grains. Previous to this people ate what they could hunt or gather. Growing and eating grains has especially increased over the last few 100 years. Many of us do not have the appropriate gut enzymes to break down gluten. As well, the current food pyramid and its emphasis on grains has encouraged us all to eat more.

How does gluten cause so many problems?

Gluten affects the gut from the stomach all the way through, and it appears to affect the nerve system controlling the gut. This causes reflux and indigestion in the stomach, and bloating, discomfort, and diarrhoea or constipation lower down. It can cause inflammation, damage the gut lining, and result in poor nutrient absorption.

Gluten can damage nerves

Gluten also appears to affect the brain and nervous system. Studies on people with celiac disease show many have neuromuscular problems, including peripheral neuropathy and ataxia (difficulty with movement co-ordination). It appears that antibodies made in reaction to gluten can also cause inflammation and damage to some nerve and brain cells.

If you have any neuromuscular problems, Dr Ford urges you to get tested for gluten sensitivity, or try a gluten free diet.

In the book the The Gluten Effect, Doctors treating people with fibromyalgia say they “have witnessed over and over again the resolution of the classic muscle aches and tender points in response to gluten elimination. Adrenal fatigue, poor blood sugar control and hidden infections round out the most frequent causes of this condition that we find. Among our patients who have enjoyed this response, there is no question as to the link between fibromyalgia and gluten sensitivity.”

Gluten also appears to affect the brain in many people causing foggy thinking, depression and ADHD symptoms. In children with autism, many parents have anecdotally seen improvements in their children by eliminating all gluten.

If you suspect you may be gluten sensitive I recommend this excellent book by Dr Rodney Ford: “Full of it! The shocking truth about gluten, The grain brain connection” And have a look at his website http://www.drrodneyford.com. Another book “The Gluten Effect”, by Drs. Vikki and Richard Petersen http://www.thegluteneffect.com/ also explains how this common and curable problem affects health in so many ways.

You could also try a completely gluten free diet, very easy to do using Paleo diet principles.

Simply eat food like a hunter and gatherer. Lean protein (meat, eggs, fish, seafood, and protein powders). Vegetables and fruit – especially those with colour. Fresh nuts, cold pressed oils, avocado and olives for good fat. Cut out all gluten grains including wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut and triticale.

You need to cut out every source of gluten – and it can be found everywhere, in many foods that have been factory processed.

After 3 – 4 weeks you can try a gluten food to see if it affects you, note that some people have a delayed effect where symptoms are experienced 3- 4 days after eating gluten.

More reading:
Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You Dr Mark Hyman
Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease is the tip of the Iceberg, Stephan Guyenet, PhD

Gluten Intolerance NZ web site
Gluten Free Kiwi

Dr Rodney Ford, Gastroenterologist, Gluten and Allergy Specialist, books and website
Must read books if you think you might be gluten sensitive
Website, Gluten FAQ’s

Carbs against Cardio: More Evidence that Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart

Julianne

June 25, 2010

From Scientific American
“Eat less saturated fat: that has been the take-home message from the U.S. government for the past 30 years. But while Americans have dutifully reduced the percentage of daily calories from saturated fat since 1970, the obesity rate during that time has more than doubled, diabetes has tripled, and heart disease is still the country’s biggest killer. Now a spate of new research, including a meta-analysis of nearly two dozen studies, suggests a reason why: investigators may have picked the wrong culprit. Processed carbohydrates, which many Americans eat today in place of fat, may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease more than fat does—a finding that has serious implications for new dietary guidelines expected this year.

In March the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a meta-analysis—which combines data from several studies—that compared the reported daily food intake of nearly 350,000 people against their risk of developing cardiovascular disease over a period of five to 23 years. The analysis, overseen by Ronald M. Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, found no association between the amount of saturated fat consumed and the risk of heart disease.”

See this link for the rest of the article
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=carbs-against-cardio

August 2011 – Update:

An interesting one person study of the effect of adding 100 grams of saturated fat to the diet for 100 day, and measuring it’s effect on cholesterol

http://comprehensivefitness.blogspot.com/2011/08/effects-of-15-days-of-100-grams-of.html

CrossFit, Why I love this intense anti-aging exercise programme

Julianne

June 24, 2010

I was introduced to CrossFit Auckland in May 2009 when they opened in Albany on Auckland’s North Shore. I was to be working with CrossFit Clients teaching Zone and Paleo Nutrition principles.
It would be rather crazy for me not to be training the same way as my clients. So with a little trepidation – I had looked at the website and saw hard out exercise done by what looked like crazy fit and sporty young people. I was neither young, fit, nor sporty. No athletic gene had been passed on to me. And as much as I told myself I should do a lot of exercise, my trips to the gym were very infrequent, and my fitness had seriously lapsed.
Alex at CrossFit Auckland assured me that every workout was scaled in weights and numbers of repetitions to suit the fitness and strength level of each participant.

I did my first workout, “Filthy Fifty” 50 repetitions of 10 different exercises, except mine was scaled down to 30 of each. I huffed and puffed my way through finishing the same times as the others who did the full workout. For the next 2 days I felt exhilarated, and a little sore. Twice a week I pushed my body through a huge range of different exercises and workouts. Some were weight focused, some included gymnastic movements like ring dips and pull-ups, some had running interspersed with weights or other exercises. Never boring, always changing and challenging. Hard work, yet fun with a small group, looked after by an eagle eyed trainer, always correcting movements and pushing me just enough.

I got stronger, fitter, and discovered a whole lot of new muscles.

Why do I call it an anti-aging programme?

First it is short workout, often 20 – 30 minutes. When you exercise past an hour you send out increasing amounts of cortisol and stress hormones. These hormones are aging.
Second when you lift weights and do intense anaerobic work you trigger the release of growth hormone. Drops in growth hormone are part of the aging process, and this leads to loss of muscle mass, thinner skin and fat gain, especially around the abdomen. When you trigger growth hormone your metabolic rate rises and stays up for some time, burning fat and building muscle.

This is indeed what happened, together with eating a paleo diet, my weight barely changed, yet my measurements went down – especially around my trunk (classic weight gain when older). My muscles firmed up and grew so much stronger.

The beauty of CrossFit is that the exercise equips you well for the real world, building strength in the trunk especially, weakness here leads to bad backs. Most gyms focus on training single or a small set of muscle groups, fixing the rest of the body in order to work on those muscles. These exercises come from body building, and while they make muscles more defined and stronger in one particular pattern of movement, this does not fully equip you to cope with the complex movements in the real world like picking up a heavy bag of compost from the boot of your car – a whole body movement.

I can lift heavy boxes, sprint after my kids, hike up a hill, and feel equipped to handle many more physical challenges that come my way.
That’s not typical as people age – normally we see weakened muscles, declining trunk muscle strength, bad backs, saggy arms, flabby thighs and tummy.

What amazed me is that these results happened for me in just 2 sessions per week. Never in any other programme could have achieved so much in so little time exercising. For me this is perfect. Cardio vascular fitness, strong and toned muscles everywhere, and triggering anti-aging growth hormone. What more could I ask for?

Check it out!

(There are a number if CrossFit Gyms now in New Zealand – a search will find the one closest to you)

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? Most people are deficient.

Julianne

June 24, 2010

You could be seriously deficient in this very important pro-hormone and not realise how it is impacting your health.

Recently I have been asking clients to get a vitamin D3 blood test, as research shows that most people may be either deficient or have less than ideal levels. I have yet to see a client with vitamin D levels in the ideal range to give maximum protection from a host of serious diseases including cancer and insulin resistance.

Ask yourself the following:

-Do you get sun on at least your arms and legs for 10 minutes per day (no block)?

-If not, do you take a Vitamin D supplement of at least 2000iu per day?

-Have you had a vitamin D3 blood test?

-Did it come back at over 80 nmol/L, or even better at 120 – 150nmol/L? (If your vitamin D test fell in the ideal range – please let me know!)

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is technically not a vitamin at all but a pro-hormone. It is made in the skin in response to UVB light. It takes part in the process of new cells being made in the body, and absorption and use of calcium.

Here are just a few of the important roles that vitamin D play in the body:

– You need vitamin D to absorb calcium from the gut, and to get it into cells, without adequate vitamin D you cannot maintain healthy strong bones, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.

– It protects against 17 types of cancer, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer

– It protects against developing auto-immune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes, Crohn’s disease and Rheumatoid arthritis

Here is an excellent graph mapping vitamin D levels and its ability to protect against a number of diseases.

Note that these units are the American measurements of ng/ml. 50ng/ ml = 125nmol/L, 80ng/ml = 200nmol/L

http://www.grassrootshealth.net/media/download/disease_incidence_prev_chart_032310.pdf

– It increases your immunity – it helps you fight viral (colds and flu), bacterial and fungal infections.

– Levels under 50nmol/L give an increased risk insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is the cause of the “deadly quartet”: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and high insulin levels. If you have these you are at much greater risk of developing heart disease. In this New Zealand Study insulin resistance decreased when Vitamin D levels reached 80 – 119nmol/L

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19781131

– Low vitamin D levels impair muscle power, and can cause muscle pain similar to fibromyalgia. It has been suggested that the Russians used sunlamps decades ago to improve their performances. Read this fascinating article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/phys-ed-can-vitamin-d-improve-your-athletic-performance/

– A recent study by the University of Minnesota, US, linked increased intakes of vitamin D to improved weight loss in overweight men and women following a kilojoule-restricted diet.

In fact the number of issues related to vitamin D deficiency is astounding:

A lack contributes to depression, decreased brain function, heart disease, high blood pressure, autism, asthma, pregnancy problems, muscle weakness, birth defects, skin and other cancers, and auto-immune diseases.

Dr Holick a scientist specialising in Vitamin D research states that even if you don’t suffer from the above-mentioned conditions, getting more D may still be what the doctor ordered. “Many of my patients report a dramatic improvement in their feeling of overall wellbeing after they increase their vitamin D levels,”. http://www.vitamindhealth.org/ http://www.uvadvantage.org/

How much vitamin D do you need to take?

That depends! You do need to get your vitamin D levels checked and then supplement to keep them in the 125 – 150 nmol/L range. This might mean supplementing anything from 1000iu per day up to 10,000iu per day. Typically 2000 – 5000iu per day will work for most people. (The least expensive Vitamin D supplement I’ve found is Source Naturals Vitamin D 200 tabs, $22.50 http://www.zonediet.co.nz/shop/viewproduct.aspx?ID=117 )

If you find your levels are very low – your Doctor will prescribe cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) 1.25mg (50,000iu per tab) to rapidly increase your vitamin D levels.

What about cod liver oil?

Although cod liver oil has high levels of vitamin D it has even higher levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A blocks vitamin D, so cod liver oil is not a good way to get your vitamin D. By the time you get the amount of vitamin D and Omega 3 you need, you might be overdosing on Vitamin A. Pregnant women should not take cod liver oil as excess vitamin A can damage the foetus.

Can you get vitamin D from the sun alone?

Possibly – age, skin colour and time spent in the sun will determine how much vitamin D you make. If you are light skinned 6 – 9 minutes per day of sun on arms and legs (or on face, hands & arms) at 10am or 2pm in the summer is all you need (Don’t go out between 10am and 2pm). In winter you need 24 minutes in Auckland and 40 minutes in Christchurch at 12.00 midday. If your skin is darker you will need more – from 5 times more sun for the darkest skin, to make enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is stored in fat tissue and used later, so if you can’t get out in the sun at work, make sure you get exposure during days off.

Vitamin D has co-factors that the body needs in order to utilize vitamin D properly. They are:

* magnesium

* zinc

* vitamin K2

* boron

* genestein

* a tiny amount of vitamin A

Of these magnesium is the most important and can be found in nuts and seeds. Deficiency symptoms include muscle cramps and twitches, and poor sleep and headaches.

Zone Bone Support contains highly bio-available magnesium citrate and aspartate, calcium, boron, vitamin K and a little Vitamin D

http://www.zonediet.co.nz/shop/viewproduct.aspx?ID=82

More reading on vitamin D

http://www.grassrootshealth.net/

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

http://www.uvadvantage.org/

All about Omegas 3, 6 and 9

Julianne

June 24, 2010

All about Omega 3, 6 and 9

Omega 3, omega 6, omega 9, flax oil, chia seeds, fish oil – what’s the difference and what should we be taking?

What are omega 3, 6 and 9 fats?

Firstly omega 3, 6 and 9 are NOT saturated fats.

Saturated fats have hydrogen molecules linked to carbon molecules at every possible point along the fatty acid chain, hence all carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen atoms. The fat molecules are therefore straight and pack together easily to form a solid fat, like butter.

Omega 3, 6 and 9 are UN-saturated fats, which means that they have carbon atoms that do not have a hydrogen atom attached to them, and instead the carbon atom forms a double bond with the neighbouring carbon atom. The double bonds make a bend in the fatty acid molecule so they can’t pack as closely together, the fat stays liquid making it an oil.

The 3, 6 or 9 number refers to the position along the chain of carbon atoms that the first double bond falls.

There are two different types of unsaturated fats – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Poly = many, so a polyunsaturated fat has more than one double bond along its length. Both omega 6 and omega 3 fats are polyunsaturated. Mono = 1, so a mono-unsaturated fat has just one double bond. Omega 9 fats are monounsaturated.

Monounsaturated fats are found in high amounts in olive oil, avocados and most nuts. The most common omega 9 oil is called oleic acid (look on labels and you may see this listed). Monounsaturated fats are healthy because they lower cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated fats – omega 3 and 6 have an important role in the body because they are the building blocks of eicosanoid hormones. Eicosanoids have many regulatory functions in the body. One function is regulating the inflammatory response, one hormone will increase and one will decrease inflammation. Eicosanoids that are synthesized from omega 3 fats (EPA) tend to be anti-inflammatory whereas eicosanoids derived from omega 6 fats (arachidonic acid) can promote inflammation.

The typical western diet has become extremely unbalanced and we have far too much omega 6 and far too little omega 3. This promotes a chronic state of low grade inflammation. Low grade inflammation may not be felt (called silent inflammation) however it promotes many health problems and diseases such as cardio vascular disease. We now have a ratio of around 10 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3. Healthy anti-inflammatory diets have a ratio of 2 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3.

To get an ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 in our diet we need to decrease the amount of omega 6 and increase the amount of omega 3 we eat.
How do you remove excess omega 6?

Omega 6 is the predominant polyunsaturated fatty acid in vegetable and seed oils that you buy at the supermarket. In order to find out how much omega 6 is in an oil – have a look at the label on the back – go to the amounts per 100mls. Look down the label until you get to polyunsaturated oil amount. You will see on some oils this amount is very high – for example on sunflower oil – there is 66grams per 100 mls, whereas in olive oil it is about 15 grams per 100mls. Take out all fats and oils which have these high levels of polyunsaturated fat / omega 6 in them like vegetable, soy, safflower and sunflower oils. Replace them with oils high in omega 9 such as olive oil and avocado. Check the label again – you will see they have a high percentage of monounsaturated fat. Nuts are also good but have slightly higher levels of omega 6, best nuts are almonds and macadamia nuts – use in moderation. Remove all other vegetable oils, limit the amount of seeds like sunflower and pumpkin also as they have a higher omega 6 amount than nuts. Another alternative is to use coconut oil, a “good” saturated fat which is heat stable and has no Omega 6.

Omega 6 fats are used extensively in the food industry, as they are cheap and abundant, so avoid commercial foods where possible.

The difference between flax and fish oil omega 3.

There are two main types of omega 3. One is plant omega 3 and is the type found in flax and chia and other plant seeds. It is called ALA and is a short chain omega 3, the fatty acid is 18 carbons long. The other type of omega 3 is EPA and DHA and is found in fish oil. They are long chain omega 3, being 20 and 22 carbon atoms long.

Only EPA can be directly used by the body to make eicosanoid hormones and DHA is used by the brain and nerve cells. ALA must be elongated from 18 carbons to 20 carbons before it is able to be used. This is a very inefficient process in our body and only 6% of ALA is converted to EPA, even less to DHA.

Flax or chia seed or other plant oils therefore are not a good source of usable omega 3.

EPA and DHA is found in fish oil, and this is the omega 3 recommended. In choosing a fish oil supplement, ensure it is of good quality, ideally concentrated and purified and has been tested to ensure it has no contaminants or oxidation.

How much Omega 3 do you need?
Unless you eat oily fish daily (salmon, sardines, mackerel) you will not be getting enough omega 3 to provide at least a 1 to 4 ratio between omega 3 and 6, in order to keep us in best health and reduce silent inflammation.

Barry Sears found in blood tests that most people need to supplement their diets with 2500mg EPA + DHA to reach the optimal balance of omega 3 to 6.

Other studies show that you need to take 1000mg per day to get adequate omega 3 to reduce your risk of heart disease.

People with inflammatory issues or mental health disorders may need up to 10,000mg EPA + DHA.

How to work out how much Omega 3 is in your supplement

First look at the Nutrition label.
It should say something like ‘each capsule provides:’
Or it might say ‘serving size 2 capsules provides:’
Look at the amount of EPA and then add to this the amount of DHA.

In Omega Science each capsule contains:
EPA 300mg and DHA 200mg. Add these together – Total is 500mg Omega 3 per capsule

So to get 1000mg of omega 3 you would need to take 2 capsules per day.

What about omega 6 and 9 supplements?

As we already get far too much omega 6 in our diet – it is not needed as a supplement, the supplements that give you omega 3 and 6 typically tend to be flax oil. Omega 9 is found in large amounts in healthy monounsaturated oils such as olive oil, so again a supplement is not necessary.

More Reading:
The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.
Simopoulos AP.

Zone products omega 3 is both concentrated and highly purified
OmegaRx from Dr Barry Sears
Omega Science, high concentrate, high purity and great value for quality

Paleo (and Zone) Diet Confusions

Julianne

June 23, 2010

People ask me crazy questions sometimes – there is just so much misinformation or misunderstanding about diets, I guess it’s not surprising.

So here are answers to questions I’ve heard coming out of the confusions.

So where do you get your carbohydrates from?

I heard this one from an interviewer on TV. If you don’t eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or sugar, how can one get carbohydrates? Answer: From fruit and vegetables of course. A cup portion of sweet potato has about 30 grams of carbohydrates. All carbohydrates get converted to glucose during digestion and your body won’t know if it came from a sugar, a piece of sweet potato or a slice of bread. The beauty of getting your carbohydrates from fruit and vegetables is that they are choc full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and beneficial fibre. You won’t find much of these in white rice, bread and pasta, and of course there are none in sugar.

Is this like the Atkins Diet?

No – the Paleo diet does not recommend large amounts of meat, just what you need. Fatty and processed meats are not recommended, as the fat in farm animals, unless wild or free-range and totally grass fed is not that healthy. Neither are all the salt and nitrites in processed meat. Cordain does not recommend high levels of saturated fat either.

The Paleo diet is not necessarily low carbohydrate, however it isn’t high carbohydrate, and it doesn’t have a high glycemic load like the average American diet. You need the colourful fruit and vegetables both for the nutrients and fibre and because they are alkaline.

Okay, so the only similarity to the Atkins is that for many people it is lower carbohydrate than the standard diet. And for many people restricting carbohydrates works – it helps with weight loss, and improves health issues like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Athletes following the Paleo diet eat the carbohydrates they need to fuel their workouts and replace lost glycogen.

Isn’t the Paleo diet high in protein and low in calcium which promotes osteoporosis?

This from Cordain: “In the U.S. calcium intake is one of the highest in the world, yet paradoxically we also have one of the highest rates of bone de-mineralization (osteoporosis). Bone mineral content is dependent not just upon calcium intake but upon net calcium balance (calcium intake minus calcium excretion). Most nutritionists focus upon the calcium intake side of the calcium balance equation, however few realize that the calcium excretion side of the equation is just as important.

Bone health is substantially dependent on dietary acid/base balance. All foods upon digestion ultimately must report to the kidney as either acid or base. When the diet yields a net acid load (such as low-carb fad diets that restrict consumption of fruits and vegetables), the acid must be buffered by the alkaline stores of base in the body. Calcium salts in the bones represent the largest store of alkaline base in the body and are depleted and eliminated in the urine when the diet produces a net acid load. The highest acid-producing foods are hard cheeses, cereal grains, salted foods, meats, and legumes, whereas the only alkaline, base-producing foods are fruits and vegetables. Because the average American diet is overloaded with grains, cheeses, salted processed foods, and fatty meats at the expense of fruits and vegetables, it produces a net acid load and promotes bone de-mineralization. By replacing hard cheeses, cereal grains, and processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance which brings us also back into calcium balance.

The Paleo Diet recommends an appropriate balance of acidic and basic (alkaline) foods (i.e., lean meats, fish and seafood, fruits, and vegetables) and will not cause osteoporosis in otherwise healthy individuals. Indeed, The Paleo Diet promotes bone health.”

(Paleo diet acid base balance)

If you don’t eat grains where do you get your B vitamins, fibre and minerals?

Again from Cordain “On a calorie-by-calorie basis, whole grains are lousy sources of fiber, minerals, and B vitamins when compared to the lean meats, seafood, and fresh fruit and veggies that dominate The Paleo Diet. For example, a 1,000-calorie serving of fresh fruits and vegetables has between two and seven times as much fiber as does a comparable serving of whole grains. In fruits and veggies most of the fiber is heart-healthy, soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol levels — the same cannot be said for the insoluble fiber that is predominant in most whole grains. A 1,000-calorie serving of whole grain cereal contains 15 times less calcium, three times less magnesium, 12 times less potassium, six times less iron, and two times less copper than a comparable serving of fresh vegetables. Moreover, whole grains contain a substance called phytate that almost entirely prevents the absorption of any calcium, iron, or zinc that is found in whole grains, whereas the type of iron, zinc, and copper found in lean meats and seafood is in a form that is highly absorbed.

Compared to fruits and veggies, cereal grains are B-vitamin lightweights. An average 1,000 calorie serving of mixed vegetables contain 19 times more folate, five times more vitamin B6, six times more vitamin B2 and two times more vitamin B1 than a comparable serving of eight mixed whole grains. On a calorie-by-calorie basis, the niacin content of lean meat and seafood is four times greater than that found in whole grains.”

(Grains – The Paleo diet website)

Its a FAD diet

A diet that cuts out a whole food group is considered a fad diet in some definitions.

Here are the food groups listed under the US food pyramid:

# grains

# vegetables

# fruits

# fats and oils

# milk and dairy products

# meat, beans, fish, and nuts

At University this food group list is taught as a “you must have all of these different food groups every day to get a complete range of nutrients”

The groups are rather arbitrary in my view. Grains, vegetables and fruits are all carbohydrates.We’ve already answered the question about grains above.

Milk and dairy contain both carbohydrate, protein and fat, and are only considered important because of the calcium content. (See section above on calcium and osteoporosis)

Meat, beans, fish and nuts contain protein. Because of the placement of nuts and beans in this group people mistakenly think that they are good sources of protein. They are not. They do not contain the complete range of amino acids. Beans and legumes are 70 – 80% carbohydrate, and nuts contain more fat than protein. Beans are really carbohydrates and nuts are really fats.

Meat, seafood and eggs are all excellent sources of protein with the full range of essential amino acids.

Fats and oils are all fats. But the fat type you eat is critical to health.

So lets see, if we follow Paleo food principles we are cutting out entire food groups – true

Does this mean that Hunters and Gatherers are also following a fad diet?

However the real question is – by cutting out these food groups do we suffer any nutritional imbalances or deficiencies? The answer to this is a resounding NO.

Do you have any other questions about the Paleo diet?

Feel free to ask in the comments below or look at The Paleo diet website FAQ’s

To Zone or not to Zone (Why the Zone diet may not be perfect and how to tweak it)

Julianne

June 15, 2010

My passion for nutrition started with the Zone Diet, and since 1997 I’ve worked with hundreds of people putting this in practice. Mostly people got results and great results, I got great results, but as I’ve written about before my niggling health issues did not disappear until I used Paleo food choices (no grains, legumes or dairy)

Here are my observations with regards to the Zone diet, why it isn’t perfect for many people and how to adjust it.

1. The Zone is too high in carbohydrates for many people
Firstly in my opinion it is too high in carbohydrates for a many people. I figured this for myself some years ago, the only way I could consistently control hunger, and not put on weight was to cut down the amount of carbs in a meal by at least a block, and add a little more fat. How did I know I had too many carbs? Firstly the weight would sneak back on, secondly I still got some rebound low blood sugar around 2 hours after I had eaten. That is, my blood sugar went up too high, insulin was sent out and my blood sugar dropped too low, meaning I’d sent out too much insulin in response to the carbs I ate. When I cut carbs and added fat, I didn’t get hungry and I felt more even blood sugar control, my mind stayed sharp. This in fact is what Barry Sears calls being in the Zone. And each person needs to find the balance that will keep them in the Zone.
How do you know you might do better with less carbohydrates?
– You are having trouble losing weight
– You tend to be apple shaped, your waist is too big (more than 1/2 your height)
– You still have blood sugar problems and get hungry around 2 hours after eating
– Your blood pressure is too high
– Your triglycerides (from your cholesterol blood test) are over 1. Ideally they should be around 0.5mmol/L
– You get fluid retention
If this sounds like you – try cutting your carbohydrates, stick to mainly non-starch veggies, little if any fruit, perhaps a few berries, and increase your good fats a little- About 2-3 blocks for every carbohydrate block dropped.

2. The Zone diet does not cut out problem foods
Although Sears stresses that grains were not in our diets as humans, and for that reason tells us to eat them in small amounts as a condiment, my own experience and that of others who have cut out grains – especially gluten grains completely, has convinced me that pretty much everyone will do better without them. Dr Rodney Ford a gastroenterologist has found that 1 in 10 people have anti-bodies to gliadin (gluten)
Loren Cordain has written extensively on the problems with grains and legumes. I highly recommend you wade through this article
Cereal Grains: Humanities Double Edged Sword
I have seen time and time again people following the Zone diet, or the current healthy food pyramid and doing nothing else but cut grains and legumes from their diet and report a number of improvements to health including:
-Gut issues like bloating and indigestion clearing up
-Brain fog clearing, thinking is clear headed and sharp
-Weight loss, especially in the trunk with little effort
-Menstrual irregularities disappearing
-Inflammation reduced
-Auto-immune issues reduce in severity

3. Some people feel better with or need more protein
If you work your protein prescription for Zone diet out as .5 – 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass, I’ve found this may not be enough for some people to get good hunger control. I’ve found that basing your protein allowance closer to 1 gram per lb of lean body mass means better compliance as you get better hunger control.
To maximise muscle gain, this amount or slightly higher (1 gram per lb of ideal body weight) is a better figure to work from.
For example my lean body mass is about 90 lbs. Protein amount 90 grams. Taking into account each 30 grams of meat contains 7 grams of pure protein (the rest is water and fat)- this is one Zone block of protein. I could have 3 meals each with 120 grams of meat (4 blocks protein). Also I cut carbs as I feel better with less, each meal has 2 blocks carbohydrate. And to get extra calories I add some extra fat blocks to each meal. So my day would look more like this:
3 meals – each meal has: protein 4 blocks, 2 carb blocks, 6 fat blocks
This is what I feel good on, my weight is far easier to control, I’m not hungry and my mind is sharp.
So listen to your body, experiment with meals and find what works best for you.

4. Some people go crazy if they have to weigh and measure
People who in the past have had food issues, or an eating disorder may be at risk here, although not necessarily. Personally I liked the accuracy of weighing and measuring food, and I liked that I could make up my own meals as long as I stuck to the block amounts. For some, going to un-weighed, unmeasured paleo food choices is a far easier and flexible way to eat, and it still get results. If you can see this method might work better for you – try it. Start off with roughly palm size of protein for a meal, lots of veggies, maybe a little fruit and some good fat. Eat if you are hungry, don’t eat if you’re not.
If you have a tendency to put on weight really easily, or if you are aiming to lose it, stick to non-starch vegetable choices, cut out fruit except for a small amount of berries and don’t snack on handfuls of nuts (too high in calories and omega 6 fats).

5. Athletes may need more carbohydrates around workouts
Depending on the length, intensity and frequency of training extra carbohydrates might be needed pre, during or post workout. Loren Cordain covers this topic thoroughly in “The Paleo Diet for Athletes”. I recommend you get this book if you want to get your carbohydrates and food right to support your training.

What Works about the Zone Diet
1. The Zone diet includes protein at every meal and snack
This works because eating protein at a meal, even better at the beginning of a meal improves hunger control, increasing hormones that make you feel more satisfied.

2. It controls portion size and calories.
You work out precisely how much protein you need to eat to maintain lean body mass. You balance this with a limited amount of carbohydrate and good fat. If you choose the right types of protein, carbohydrates and fats you will limit calories yet get maximum nutrients, the best way to decrease aging and control inflammation

3. It allows flexibility of choice, as long as you keep meals portion controlled and balanced you can choose the foods you want.

If you have been following the Zone Diet to the letter and not getting the results you want, experiment a little, listen to your body and tweak the balance accordingly.

10 Ways our diet today differs radically from the diet that best suits our genes

Julianne

June 7, 2010

Our genetic heritage and nutrition
We evolved as hunter gatherers and genetically our bodies run optimally when we eat in line with our genes. Would you feed a rabbit meat, or a lion grains? Many of today’s illnesses exist purely as a result of the mismatch between what we are designed to eat and how we actually eat.

Here are 10 key ways the standard diet today is dramatically different from that of Paleo / Hunter & Gatherer diets, how this affects our health and how we can correct each so that we eat in line with our genes to maximise health.

1. The Glycemic Load of today’s diet is far too high

The glycemic load of a meal is the blood glucose load from digested carbohydrates of that meal. Imagine you’ve just consumed 2 cups of rice – which when digested gets converted into 20 teaspoons of pure glucose. This floods your blood stream minutes after you eat it. Your blood sugar levels are now high (you literally have sweet blood). In order to reduce blood sugar and send it to the cells you release a gush of insulin. Neither high blood sugar – which damages the delicate lining of blood vessels and increases oxidative stress, nor high insulin – which causes inflammation and fat storage, are healthy.

Today’s diet is abundant in processed grains, sugars, starches and sweet fruits that simply did not exist in our past. A high glycemic load diet promotes hunger, cravings and overeating, and increases the risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, and acne.

By eating mainly non starch vegetables and fruit with minimal starchy food and no sugar, we dramatically lower blood sugar load. By including lean protein and good fats with each meal we get further blood sugar control.

2. The Fatty Acid Balance- our diets are now very high in Omega 6 and low in Omega 3, plus we have added chemically altered fats

Wild meats and plants have a much higher ratio of omega 3 fats (which are anti-inflammatory) to omega 6 fats (which increase inflammation) than farm raised, grain fed animals and poultry. Wild animal meat is also lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated fat. Today’s diet also contains an abundance of chemically extracted vegetable oils that are high in omega 6, and other chemically altered fats that increase heart disease. These fats are used widely in the food industry.

Paleo diets had a ratio of 2:1 omega 6 to Omega 3. Our diets today are around 10:1 or higher. Consequently we are producing an abundance of hormones that increase inflammation, especially silent inflammation, that cannot be felt, but over time increases risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. Omega 3 deficiency is also linked with mental health disease including ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression and hostility.

To mimic the fatty acid intake from wild meats we need to eat lean meat and add primarily monounsaturated oils to our diet (olive oil, raw nuts, avocado). A small amount of good saturated fat such as coconut oil may be used. Most people, unless eating a lot of oily fish will not get adequate omega 3 without taking a supplement. I recommend buying omega 3 that has guaranteed purity.

Avoid chemically extracted vegetable oils which are too high in polyunsaturated omega 6. Totally cut out trans fats – a chemically altered fat found in fast food, commercial baking, deep fried food and peanut butter. Also cut out margarine as it contains the chemically altered interesterified fat, linked to increased insulin resistance. Don’t eat excess saturated fat especially from meat and dairy, as these increase LDL “bad” cholesterol.

3. The Macronutrient Balance-the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat has changed

Dr Cordain and his researchers have analysed the balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the diets of many different hunter and gatherer races, and found that protein was 19 – 35% calories, carbohydrate 22- 40% calories and fat 28 – 47% calories. Dr Barry Sears designed the Zone diet using an average ratio of 30% calories from protein, 40% from carbohydrates and 30% from fat. The typical US diet contains protein, 15.5%, carbohydrates, 49% and fat 34%.

By increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrate we decrease the risk of disease associated with high blood sugar, plus we get better appetite control and increased metabolic rate so weight loss is far easier.

By roughly following Zone diet ratios you will easily hit this balance. Another way to hit this ratio is to have a palm size of protein at each meal, plus a lot of non starch veggies, a piece of fruit, and a little olive oil, avocado or nuts.

4. Trace Nutrient Density – the amount of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in the food we eat today is very poor
In today’s world we are well fed yet undernourished. This is because the nutrient content of our most commonly eaten foods is extremely poor per calorie. White rice, bread, pasta and sugar are low or devoid of vitamins and minerals. Eating foods which mimic paleo choices mean that every calorie you eat is choc full of nutrients. Today’s dietary advice to eat lots of whole grains to get B vitamins is misplaced. When analysed and compared to fruits and veggies, cereal grains are B-vitamin lightweights. An average 1,000 calorie serving of mixed vegetables contain 19 times more folate, five times more vitamin B6, six times more vitamin B2 and two times more vitamin B1 than a comparable serving of eight mixed whole grains. On a calorie-by-calorie basis, the niacin content of lean meat and seafood is four times higher. By choosing lean meats, seafood, fruit and veggies, nuts and seeds, you will get a stack of minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants that far exceeds the recommended daily intake.

5. The Acid/Base Balance -every food reports to the kidneys as either acid or base, we now have a high acid load diet

Once digested foods either report to the kidney as acid or alkaline. Foods that increase acidity are protein, grains and salt laden foods. Fruit and vegetables are alkaline foods. When you have a high acid load diet, calcium is pulled from the bones to buffer it – leading to osteoporosis. It can also raise blood pressure and aggravate asthma. The average New Zealand diet today is predominantly acid forming, with inadequate alkaline forming fruit and veggies.

As protein is an essential nutrient, important for muscle repair and blood sugar control, you can’t reduce this. However you should avoid processed meat and cheese which contain large amounts of salt and increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Instead of choosing grain based carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice, choose vegetables and fruit. By using the Zone balance and getting 30 – 40 % of your calories from fruit and veggies you will get a net alkaline load. See this link for a chart of acid / alkaline foods. http://thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/acid.shtml

6. The Sodium/Potassium Balance – We eat far too much sodium and too little potassium

The imbalance in today’s diet of high sodium and low potassium promotes or aggravates diseases due to acid-base balance, as salt increases the net acid load to the kidneys. These diseases include high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, asthma, stroke, and certain forms of cancer. Excess salt in the diet also impairs sleep. A low salt diet can help you sleep better.

By cutting out processed & commercial foods and added salt, and eating potassium rich fruit and vegetables, this imbalance is corrected.

7. The Fibre Content – we eat a fibre poor diet

Fibre is absolutely essential to health and at least 13 illnesses can result when you don’t get enough fibre in your diet. The Paleo diet is naturally high in fibre because of it’s abundance of fruits and vegetables. In fact it is 3 – 5 times higher than a typical American diet. Non starch vegetables contain 8 times more fibre calorie for calorie as whole grains. Common digestive problems typically disappear using Paleo food choices: constipation, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, and gallbladder problems.

8. The addition of large amounts of Neolithic / gut irritant foods that did not exist in our diets in Paleo times

Grains, legumes (includes soy and peanuts), and dairy foods were not part of the ancestral diet and have a number of problems, they irritate the gut, interfere with digestion of food and absorption of minerals. 1 in 10 people are known to be sensitive to gluten and most don’t know it, they have sub optimal health such as brain fog, depression, bloating and indigestion. Cereal grains, legumes and dairy are suspected in auto-immune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Try cutting out these foods completely for a month to see if this makes a difference to your health.

9. We eat a chemical cocktail of additives

Today’s food – especially processed food has a plethora of chemical additives that did not exist even 200 years ago. Synthetic flavours, sweeteners, preservatives, colours, not to mention chlorine and other chemicals in water, and the leaching of plastics from packaging. These chemicals are being linked with a vast array of health issues like behaviour problems in children and decreased sperm count in men. Eat fresh, organic, in season, non packaged, non processed food wherever possible. If you use protein powders for convenience use pure whey or egg white, and if sweetened, use a brand such as Red8 that uses stevia (a natural herb) to sweeten.

9. We eat too much food

When humans had to chase down animals and forage far and wide for edible plant foods, there was no place for gluttony as procuring food consumed much time and energy. Today food is far too easy to come by and we are surrounded by it. Most of us use little time and energy to get the calories we need for fuel.

Obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, increased oxidative stress, inflammation, declining health and early death result from overeating.

By using the Zone protein prescription of .7 – 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass (this gives you the right amount of protein for muscle growth and repair) and balancing this with approximately 30% calories from fat and 40% from carbohydrates from nutrient rich food types, we reduce calories while providing a nutrient dense diet. In every animal tested from mice to chimpanzees calorie restriction plus nutrient density increases life span, but more importantly it decreases the slow decline of health – it keeps body and mind young and sprightly into very old age.

Bibliography

Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet. John Wiley& Sons, 2002

Sears, Barry. Enter The Zone. Regan Books, 1995

www.thepaleodiet.com

www.drsears.com.

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