Download Obesity and the Paleo Diet

OBESITY AND
THE PALEO DIET
By Brian Kelsey
The “SAD” Diet

Consists primarily of:
 Fast
Food
 Processed Food/Pre-prepared Meals
 Low Fat Meals/Snacks
 High Carbohydrate
 Processed Oils and Transfats
 Sugar, Sugar, Sugar
This diet is literally killing us!
You can thank the 80’s

The 80’s brought us:
 Terrible
music
 Even worse fashion (parachute pants were cool)
 The war on fat and cholesterol

USDA creates the food pyramid
 Advocates
decreased consumption of fat/sugar
 Increased consumption of carbohydrates

Rise of the processed food and diet industries
We are the Government,
would we lie to you?
The Food Pyramid
It’s Offspring
The Obesity Epidemic




We are now the third fattest nation on earth
behind Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are
obese.
Since the 1980’s, rates of obesity, diabetes and
heart/cardiovascular disease have tripled.
We are not only fatter, we are sicker:

Estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S.
was $147 billion in 2008; the medical costs for
people who are obese were $1,429 higher than
those of normal weight
The Obesity Epidemic

Obesity-related conditions include:
-Heart disease
 -Stroke
 -Type 2 diabetes
 -High blood pressure
 -Orthopedic problems
 -Sleep apnea
 -Depression
 -Kidney disease
 -Hyperlipidemia (High levels of fat in blood)
 -Certain types of cancer

It’s just business, nothing
personal

The food industry is no different than the
tobacco or fuel companies:
 Lobby government agencies (such as USDA
and FDA)
 Backed by “Food Scientists”
 Supported by government subsidies
 Focused on profits despite negative health
consequences to the public
We are literally high on food


Food acts on the reward pathway in the brain
Causes release of Dopamine and Endorphins



Reinforces eating behaviors
Sugar has been found to more addicting than
cocaine and heroin
Certain grains (especially wheat) contain
“morphine like” compounds
Prehistoric hormones in a
modern world


Our sense of taste was originally designed to find
nutritious foods to ensure survival.
Thanks to food science, we have crap like:






Transfats/Margarines
Corn Syrup/High Fructose Corn Syrup
Artificial Sweeteners
Preservatives
Variations of Salt additives
Food is scientifically designed to:



Taste good
Cause overconsumption
Increase sales
I ate it so I have to burn it
right?


All calories are not equal.
Each macronutrient (protein, fat,
carbohydrate) elicits a specific hormonal
response.
 This

is the key to health!
During digestion:
 Protein
converted to amino acids
 Fats to fatty acids, stored as triglycerides
 Carbohydrates to glucose
 Unused glucose converted to fatty acids
Hormones Involved in Diet





Insulin
Glucagon
Leptin
Cortisol
Dietary hormones are either:
 Anabolic
or Catabolic (build or breakdown)
 Lipogenic or Lipolytic (fat building or fat burning)
Insulin-The Fat Maker



Insulin is the “energy” or fat storage hormone.
 Anabolic, lipogenic
Insulin tells the body to:
 Store glucose in the muscles and liver for
energy
 Store the rest as fat
 Transports amino acids into muscle cells to
build and repair
Fiber and fat in food slow the release of
insulin.
Insulin

Constant elevated blood levels of insulin
cause:
 Hypertension
 Cardiovascular disease
 Coronary artery disease
 Obesity
 Chronic inflammation
 Diabetes
 Decreased testosterone production in
men
Insulin


Glucose will always be used as fuel when
insulin is present.
 Fat will stay
Insulin resistance- cells no longer respond
appropriately to insulin's signal
 Forces pancreas to release more insulin
 Insulin signal eventually is no longer
recieved
Leptin




LeptinSatiety Hormone (fullness)
Decreases lipogenesis
Made and released by fat cells




More fat, more leptin
Tells us we have eaten enough/stored enough
fat (energy needs are satisfied)
High insulin levels block the leptin signal.
Leptin resistance- the leptin signal no longer is
properly noticed in the brain.
Cortisol




Cortisol- stress ( or anti-stress ) hormone
 Lipogenic
 Catabolic
Released in response to physical/mental stress and
inflammation
Stores Fat, blocks insulin
Increases :
 Blood pressure
 Heart rate
 Appetite
 Blood sugar
Cortisol

Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can lead
to:
 Depression
 Poor sleep
 Fatigue
 Food craving (especially calorie dense salty
and sweet foods)
 Overeating
 Obesity
 Insulin resistance
Glucagon

Produced and released by pancreas
 Released
in response to low blood sugar or a high
protein/low carb meal


Catabolic, Lipolytic
Opposes insulin
 Increases blood


sugar
Can convert amino acids into glucose for fuel
High protein in diet will blunt catabolic effects
Constant State of Flux

Hormones follow Circadian Rhythm
 Searching




for Homeostasis
Leptin low in am, cortisol high
As day progresses leptin will increase, cortisol will
decrease
Insulin and glucagon will fluctuate with food intake
Increased insulin at night blocks growth hormone
release
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Glycemic Index:
 Measure
of increase of blood sugar after the
consumption and breakdown of carbohydrate

Glycemic Load:
 Amount
of insulin released in response to blood
glucose levels

Beets, rutabagas and carrots are examples of
foods with a rather high glycemic index but
low glycemic load
You’re fat on the inside too!

Visceral Fat
Located around the abdomen, muscles and digestive organs

Driven by elevated insulin levels

Most dangerous of type of fat!
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Drives inflammation
Insulin resistance
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
When you lose weight, visceral fat is the first to go
Large waist size is usually an indicator of visceral
fat
The Skinny on Fat


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Important for cellular function
Great source of energy
Need balance of Omega-6’s and Omega3’s


Suggested ratio is 2:1
Omega 6 fats found in



Processed food
Vegetable/seed oils
Non-pastured (grain fed) animal proteins and eggs



Pastured (grass fed) animals are much lower in omega 6’s
and higher in omega 3’s
Too much Omega 6 causes inflammation
We are getting approximately 20:1 in our diets
The Hunter-Gatherer Diet

The Paleo Diet consists of:
 Meats
(preferably grassfed)
 Fish
 Seafood
 Fresh
fruits and Vegetables
 Limited Nuts and Seeds
 Healthy Oils and Fats such as olive and coconut
oil

Food was limited and opportunistic
The Hunter-Gatherer Diet

The Paleo Diet does not include:
Grains of any kind, this includes wheat, bread, pasta,
rice, corn (it’s technically a grain), oats and barley
 Dairy which includes milk, cream, butter, cheese,
yogurt and sour cream
 Legumes which includes beans of any kind, peas,
soy, lentils and peanuts (yes they are a legume)
 No Alcohol, sorry
 No White Potatoes (sweet potatoes and yams are ok)

The Benefits of a Paleo
Lifestyle

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Burning stored fat for energy
Dietary hormonal balance
Balanced energy and reduced fatigue
More efficient athletic performance
Stable blood sugar
Reduced allergies
Improved sleep patterns
Improved digestive health
Paleo and the Auto-Immune
Connection


Auto-immune disease- immune system loses
the capacity to discriminate our “self” from
“non-self”
Auto-immune diseases include:
Rheumatoid arthritis
 Ulcerative colitis
 Chrons
 Celiac disease
 Multiple sclerosis
 Lupus
 Psoriasis
 Alzhiemers

The “Leaky Gut Theory”

Leaky Gut Syndrome (also called increased
intestinal permeability):

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
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Damage the intestinal lining creating openings and
allowing foreign substances to directly enter the
blood stream
Due to the ingestion and improperly digested
food components most commonly found in
grains, dairy and legumes.
Bacteria, toxins, incompletely digested proteins
and fats may "leak" out of the intestines into the
blood stream.
Triggers autoimmune reactions
Why no Grains?



GMO’s
Phytates- binds to certain vitamins/minerals and
inhibits there absorption
Lectins- toxins developed by plants as a defense


Lectins enter the blood stream and causing immune
reaction and inflammation
Gluten- protein found in wheat, rye and barely

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Improperly digested
Causes gas, bloating, upset stomach
Causes celiac disease
Associated with other auto-immune disorders
Why no Grains?

High Glycemic
 Whole
sugar

Grains are converted to glucose
 Excess

wheat bread has higher GI than table
glucose stored as fat
High levels of triglycerides from carbs in
blood leads to:
 Systemic
inflammation
 Cardiovascular disease
 Heart disease
Why no Legumes?

Legumes
Similar to grains
 Hard to digest
 Cause GI distress
 Contain GMO’s


Weren’t consumed by the paleo hunter-gatherer

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Saponins

They also contain phytates and lectins as
mentioned with grains
Damaging to the intestinal lining and eventually
enter the blood stream causing an immune reaction
Soy is in many processed foods
What about fiber?

Fiber containing
veggies Greens
(kale,
collard, turnip)
 Mushrooms
 Pumpkin
 Peas
 Peppers
 Spinach
 Sweet Potatoes

Fiber containing
fruit Apples
 Avocados
 Bananas
 Berries
 Kiwi
 Oranges
 Pears
 Prunes
Why no Dairy?

Full of hormones

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Intended to make young animals grow rapidly and
strengthen their immune systems
Contains lactose



Especially estrogen
Form of sugar
Causes increased blood sugar and insulin release
Lactose is digested in the gut by an enzyme called
lactase

Approximately 65% of the worlds population have
not inherited the enzyme lactase

Lactose Intolerance
Why no Dairy?

“What about Calcium and Vitamin D”?
 Milk is not a good source of vitamin D
 Has
to be fortified
 Vitamin
 Go
 You
D synthesized by sunlight
outside!
can get plenty of calcium from fresh
vegetables/fruits Greens
 Cabbage
 Broccoli
 Spinach
Carrots
Artichoke
Celery
Pears
Berries
Figs
Grapefruit Pineapple
Banana
Oranges
Mango
Control the inflammation

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Inflammation comes from stress, exercise and diet
 Actual cause of heart and cardiovascular disease
Fish Oil-Consists of 2 very important Omega-3 fatty acids:
 EPA = eicosapentaenoic acid
 DHA = docosahexaenoic acid
 Reduces inflammation
 Improves cognitive function
Recommended 1000-5000mg of high quality Omega-3 per
day depending upon health needs, dietary intake or
athletic regimen
Sleep! (7 to 9 hours per night depending on needs)
Drink plenty of H2O