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Thin Means Healthy, Fat Means Lazy…Plus Other Logical Fallacies

"I am skinny and therefore healthy. You are fat and therefore a lazy overeater," says the thin, but poorly informed man in the hat.

Social psychologists use fundamental attribution error to describe how people attribute success or failure differently to themselves than to others. For example, “I stopped to help the old lady change her tire because I am a good person. That other person drove by because he is a bad person.” Meanwhile, the person who drove by thinks: “I am not stopping because I am late. My situation prevents me from helping.” This idea applies in many ways, and we’ll take a look at its use in health.

“I am thin because I make good food choices and exercise. My friend must be overweight because she makes poor choices.” Thin people as a group are notorious for this mistake, and it is not only wrong, but it leads to a poor understanding and over-simplification of weight regulation.

The first problem is that the thin person assumes she is healthy, which reaffirms her choices. In fact, she might not be healthy or be making good choices. About 20% of type two diabetics will be thin. An exercise addict running fifty miles per week will also be thin, but neither is person is likely to be in optimal healthy. In fact, their diets could be leading them down a dangerous path.

The second problem is that society assumes an overweight person makes poor choices. In reality, it could be a problem of food insecurity, or of following low-fat advice, which I believe has lead many people to obesity and diabetes. Even following the beloved USDA Food Pyramid (and its heavy reliance on grains) will cause overweight in some.

When we apply fundamental attribution error we are left with little reason to appropriately investigate the problem. After all, why research weight regulation thoroughly when we know overweight people simply need to eat less and exercise more? We have been collectively asking ourselves that question for a while now and it has gotten us nowhere (except maybe more diabetic). Instead it is time to drop the preconception and focus on physiology. Biologists know an incredible amount about the human body and anthropologists can teach us about human evolution. It is time for the discipline of nutrition to return to its scientific roots. We must collectively drop this mindset, at least with regards to weight, so we can get on to properly researching and understanding obesity.

Carbs and Cholesterol

Cholesterol is poorly understood by the general populous. In fact, for years it has been  misunderstood by the medical community as well. Finally we are starting to get somewhere on this topic, but it seems to be moving slowly. Let’s start out with a few simple biochemical truths:

1. About 3/4ths of our body’s cholesterol is endogenously synthesized (made inside the body). The remaining 1/4th comes from the diet. The body can synthesize all necessary cholesterol if none is eaten.
2. The main factors that increase cholesterol synthesis are low cholesterol levels and the hormone insulin.
3. Insulin is secreted mainly in response to dietary carbohydrate.

The cholesterol raising abilities of saturated fats has been covered to death over the past 25 or so years. In reality, certain saturated fatty acids (probably the long-chain ones) do seem to elevate serum LDL cholesterol. Historically, human intake of saturated fats was between 10 and 15% (1), which is probably an appropriate level. Excessive intake of dairy, especially cheese, and grain-fed beef (higher in saturated fat than grass-fed (2)) has pushed many people above this level, which likely increases their LDL cholesterol, and that is not a good thing.

As we are beginning to learn, however, not all saturated fatty acids have this ability. Stearic acid, for example, the main saturated fat found in beef, does not seem to have these LDL elevating characteristics. In fact, it seems that stearic acid has no different affect on cholesterol than carbohydrates or oleic acid, the monounsaturated fatty acid found in olive oil (3). Soon the broad generalizations involving saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats will be no more. Instead, we will be discussing specific fatty acids, so get used to names like myristic acid, palmitic acid and arachidonic acid.

My intention here, though, is to remind folks that insulin is massively important in cholesterol homeostasis. Specifically, when insulin is elevated, cholesterol synthesis increases. Certainly other factors play in, but insulin is clearly recognized to play this role. In other words, this is not controversial.

As mentioned, carbohydrates are the main regulator of insulin levels. When we eat carbohydrates, our blood sugar increases, which causes a release of insulin in order to bring blood sugar back down to a safe level. Refined carbohydrates, like white bread or rice, cookies or soda, cause this elevation of blood sugar and insulin to happen very rapidly. Repeatedly spiking insulin levels (e.g. cereal for breakfast, soda all day and spaghetti every night) can lead to permanently elevated insulin levels, which is associated with almost every chronic illness known to man (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and I am willing to bet also erectile dysfunction). One reason chronically elevated insulin relates to these problems is its stimulatory effect on cholesterol synthesis.

In terms of a physiological mechanism, the connection between refined carbohydrates and elevated LDL cholesterol is incredibly simple compared to the effects of saturated fats on cholesterol. Next time an “authority” on health is scaring you about saturated fats, take a second and remind yourself of the incredible danger of your beloved carbohydrates.

1 – Saturated fat consumption in ancestral human diets: Implications for contemporary intake

2- Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease

3 - Effects of stearic acid on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in humans

Fructose and Metabolic Syndrome

 

Fructose Molecule

The more we study fructose, the more it emerges as a nasty disregulator of metabolism. Is it heresy for me to place such harsh blame upon a common sugar found in fruit? Review the scientific literature and you might reach the same frightening conclusion. To clarify, I am not condemning fruit in quantities under five servings per day. Anyone attempting to lean out, though, should greatly limit fruit intake.

Warning – this post contains scientific babble about biochemical processes and how they’re (negatively) affected by fructose. Proceed with caution.

Fructose consumption has indeed increased in the US in the last hundred years. Changing from 37g/day in 1977-1978 (which is probably a little more than we consumed in 1900) to 55g/day in 1988-1994¹ and on to between 70 and 100g/day today². As of 2005, Americans consumed 64kg of added sugars (any kind), which represents an increase of nearly 20% since 1970³. A large part of this increase would be fructose, given that High Fructose Corn Syrup came to popularity after 1970 and that fructose represents 50% of sucrose, a common added sugar. Along with this large increase in fructose intake has come an epidemic of diabetes, obesity and other symptoms related to metabolic syndrome, and there is considerable agreement among the scientific community that fructose contributes heavily to these disorders of metabolism³.

The question has been studied extensively in animals and humans, though the evidence isn’t as certain in humans. This is likely due to the difficult nature of controlling the human diet, even in a clinical setting. The major associations with the metabolic syndrome are: hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, visceral adiposity, low HDL cholesterol and elevated blood glucose. Three of the five of these must be present for a medical diagnosis of the disorder. In addition, fructose seems to also be related to kidney stones, gout and chronic kidney disease⁴. The most consistent finding in the literature is the ability of fructose to elevate triglycerides in animals and humans. De novo lipogenesis (the creation of new fat) in the liver is stimulated with fructose feeding, likely due to the fact that fructose skips several points of regulation in glycolysis, the most important being the enzyme phosphofructokinase. As a result, considerable acetyl-CoA can be made from fructose, which is a substrate for lipid synthesis^5,6.

Interestingly, fructose seems to be able to upregulate its own receptors and enzymes via positive feedback⁷ (an interesting capability considering positive feedback is not used very widely in the body). In the short term, fructose appears to lower blood sugar levels, but in the long term there is consistent evidence that it induces insulin resistance, which leads to hyperglycemia. This is partially attributed to the accumulation of triglycerides in cells (of the liver, the muscle, etc), but also appears related to the creation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increase in inflammatory signals like tumor necrosis factor alpha and nuclear factor-kB^5,7 in addition to other cellular stress.

Fructose has a well-documented ability to increase uric acid concentration in the blood. Aside from obvious implications with gout, uric acid level has been shown to be a predictor of hypertension in 15 out of 16 studies even independent of other conditions^2,4,8. Fructose directly, however, has not been found to cause hypertension in all studies⁹. Though fructose appears to increase LDL, oxLDL and smLDL cholesterol levels (suggesting elevated risk for cardiovascular disease), affect on HDL seems less clear³. Elevated triglycerides and cortisol provide legitimate means of increasing intraabdominal fat deposition, but this has not been definitely answered by the literature⁶.

Overall, the evidence is overwhelming that increased fructose intake, especially over 50g/day, leads to increased incidences of the metabolic syndrome with only one of thirteen included studies largely in disagreement¹². It is noteworthy that a fructose manufacturer funded the dissenting study.

Sources

1. Bantle, J. P. “Dietary Fructose and Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes.” Journal of Nutrition 139.6 (2009): 1263S-268S. Web.

2. Segal, Mark S. “Is the Fructose Index More Relevant With Regards to Cardiovascular Disease than the Glycemic Index?” European Journal of Nutrition 46 (2007): 406-17. Web.

3. Hofmann, Susanna M., and Matthias H. Tschöp. “Dietary Sugars: a Fat Difference.” Journal of Clinical Investigation 119.5 (2009): 1089-092. Web.

4. Choi, M. E. “The Not-so-Sweet Side of Fructose.” Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 20.3 (2009): 457-59. Web.

5. Ferder, Leon, Marcelo D. Ferder, and Felipe Inserra. “The Role of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Metabolic Syndrome and Hypertension.” Current Hypertension Reports 12 (2010): 105-12. Web.

6. Senesi, Silvia, Balazs Legeza, Zoltan Balazs, and Miklos Csala. “Contribution of Fructose-6-Phosphate to Glucocorticoid Activation in the Endoplasmic Reticulum: Possible Implication in the Metabolic Syndrome.” Endocrinology 151.10 (2010): 4830-839. Web

7. Lê, Kim-Anne, and Luc Tappy. “Metabolic Effects of Fructose.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 9.4 (2006): 469-75. Web.

8. Johnson, R. J., S. E. Perez-Pozo, Y. Y. Sautin, J. Manitius, L. G. Sanchez-Lozada, D. I. Feig, M. Shafiu, M. Segal, R. J. Glassock, M. Shimada, C. Roncal, and T. Nakagawa. “Hypothesis: Could Excessive Fructose Intake and Uric Acid Cause Type 2 Diabetes?”Endocrine Reviews 30.1 (2008): 96-116. Web.

9. Axelsen, Lene N., Jacob B. Lademann, and Jorgen Petersen. “Cardiac and Metabolic Changes in Long-term High Fructose-fat Fed Rats with Severe Obesity and Extensive Intramyocardial Lipid Accumulation.” American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology 298 (2010): R1560-1570. Web.

10. Roncal, Carlos A., Sirirat Reungjui, Laura Gabriela Sánchez-Lozada, Wei Mu, Yuri Y. Sautin, Takahiko Nakagawa, and Richard J. Johnson. “Combination of Captopril and Allopurinol Retards Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome.” American Journal of Nephrology 30.5 (2009): 399-404. Web.

11. Elliott, Sharon S., Nancy L. Keim, Judith S. Stern, Karen Teff, and Peter J. Havel. “Fructose, Weight Gain, and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76 (2002): 911-22. Web.

12. Livesey, Geoffrey, and Richard Taylor. “Fructose Consumption and Consequences for Glycation, Plasma Triacyglycerol, and Body Weight: Meta-analyses and Meta-regression Models of Intervention Studies.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88 (2008): 1419-437. Web.

13. De Moura, Rodrigo Ferreira, Carla Ribeiro, Juliana Aparecida De Oliveira, Eliane Stevanato, and Maria Alice Rostom De Mello. “Metabolic Syndrome Signs in Wistar Rats Submitted to Different High-fructose Ingestion Protocols.” British Journal of Nutrition101.08 (2009): 1178. Web.

Coffee Part 2 (Cafestol and Cholesterol)

Coffee from woodfireroasted.com

Caffeine is a drug that many people rely on. The liver metabolizes it as a drug in order to rid it from the system. There seems to be a beneficial dose of perhaps one or two cups per day, but beyond that the downsides increase. Granted, studies exist connecting consumption of 8+ cups per day with reduced colon cancer. This may be true, but the chronic stimulation of the central nervous system (CNS) with that much caffeine and the increased work load on the liver and bloodflow to the kidneys is likely damaging in other ways. It may be wise to schedule detox days or weeks fairly regularly to remind your body that caffeination is not a constant state. Doing so will likely increase your sensitivity to caffeine, whereby reducing your requirement.

Metabolically speaking, there is a lot going on with coffee, some of which we still don’t understand. This study found that caffeine increased insulin levels (elevated insulin is a huge existing problem related to hypertension, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and more), reduced insulin sensitivity (which will encourage the pancreas to secrete even more insulin), and in some people also elevated cortisol, the stress hormone.

Cafestol

Interestingly, caffeine is not the only substance in coffee that affects metabolism. Cafestol is a compound found in significant quantities in unfiltered coffee (french press, espresso, Turkish – anything without a paper filter). Research on cafestol has yielded some interesting results. Daily consumption of 10 micrograms of cafestol, the equivalent of four cups of french press coffee, can raise LDL cholestero nearly 10% and triglycerides 15-20%. In an age where metabolic syndrome is rampant, this is very significant. The pathways for increasing LDL has been deciphered, but it isn’t for the faint at heart:

1. Cafestol binds to the nuclear hormone receptor FXR in the intestine and acts as an agonist ligand (normally bile acids would bind to this receptor to signal the presence of sufficient bile acids)
2. This slows the breakdown of cholesterol into bile acids
3. Cholesterol then backs up, resulting in increased levels

The mechanism by which cafestol seems to increase triglycerides is not yet understood. Normal functioning of the FXR receptor will reduce triglyceride and fatty acid synthesis. Thus, cafestol must be acting via another pathway to accomplish this dangerous metabolic change.

Lastly, stimulating the FXR receptor can increase blood glucose by upregulating PEPCK, the rate limiting enzyme for gluconeogenesis. In the study cited above, a caffeine tablet did not alter blood glucose levels. It is possible, though, that cafestol could.

Fortunately, these problems can be easily avoided by simply consuming limited amounts of unfiltered coffee. Again, it is when we reach the level of 3-4 servings per day that significant metabolic disruption has been recognized. Cafestol does make its way into filtered coffee brews, but in quantities small enough to be seemingly unimportant.

When taking this all into account, I reach the same conclusion I reach on most foods, especially things I might consider “vices.” If you want coffee, drink some good quality coffee. Find some that was grown, processed, roasted and brewed with care. To me, coffee is not meant to be used to help us make it through the day, but rather an indulgence. Occasionally we might rely on its stimulating effect, but an over-reliance would be a mistake because the metabolic cascade can be damaging to the point of health deterioration.

Cafestol Study

Coffee: Antioxidants, Cholesterol and More

Coffee from Wood-Fire Roasted Coffee

The wonderful liquid most of us drink every morning can prevent damage to the cells in our body. It can wake us up and improve focus. It can also significantly raise our triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Let’s take a quick look at the ups and downs of drinking “mud”.

First, the good stuff. To me, when coffee is done right, it tastes great. Granted I am biased – I work for a coffee roaster. Give me a perfectly pulled espresso, a pour-over brewed unique single-origin, or even an occasional cappuccino and I am in heaven and mentally focused.

Possibly the widest reported health benefit of coffee is its antioxidative properties. Compounds like catechol, TRIG, CQA’s, caffeic acid and other molecules are capable of reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage, and more. This study evaluates the varying antioxidative abilities of coffees from varying origins and at different roast levels. The conclusions is that roast level is the most important determinant of antioxidative molecules, but in effect the total antioxidative potential doesn’t really change with roasting, rather the relative proportions of particular compounds vary. According to the authors, most coffee will have similar antioxidative properties, and one roast or origin can’t be hailed as being the best source.

An ergogenic aid is anything that increases one’s potential to do work (this could be running, lifting heavy things, etc.). Caffeing has been used for this purpose for years, and there is some evidence for its effectiveness. Benefits are best shown in endurance athletics, specifically in people who generally consume little caffeine. Thus, here are a few guidelines on the ergogenic use of coffee:

• If you drink several cups per day, don’t expect a benefit from a cup before heading to the gym.
• Lifting heavy weights for 45 minutes is not the type of exercise that is likely to benfit.
• If you drink a cup or day or less, expect some benefit to consuming caffeing before a 5k run, or other similar, long event.
• Consider, however, that caffeine is a diuretic, which could interfere with athletic performance.

Lastly, caffeine appears to have the ability to stimulate the release of fatty acids from the adipose tissue for oxidation (burning). Freeing and burning fatty acids previously stored in the adipose is the only way to reduce fat stores, so this is certainly applicable to those interested in fat loss. There are many negative metabolic effects of caffeine, and we’ll get into these in part 2 soon. For now, enjoy some coffee before I tell you some of the down sides to that americano in your hand!

What is Paleo?

The Evolution of Man

 

The Paleolithic diet can be described as one that mimics the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It aims to eat the way we evolved to eat. Our evolution has taken place over millions of years, the last few hundred thousand of which we even existed in our current form (H. sapiens). Biologically speaking, it was during this time that evolution largely determined our genome. By and large, our genes were selected while we ate a hunter-gatherer diet, and inn reality, it is the diet humans have followed for longer than any other diet. In fact, we followed it for at least 20 times longer than we followed our current more grain-based diet.

Hunter-gatherers ate anything they could hunt (meat and fish) or gather (seasonal fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds and possibly tubers). This diet clearly provides all necessary nutrients, because it sustained us for so long throughout history and it would certainly sustain us today. Today, we suffer from different diseases than hunter-gatherers faced, and this is not simply due to life expectancy. Cancer, diabetes and obesity are essentially unheard of when studying hunter-gatherers, and this includes modern day tribes that have been studied extensively (one example is the !kung bushmen of Africa). One largely held belief among the “paleo” community is that humans are not well adapted to eating grains, which we introduced into our diet 8000-10,000 years ago (very recently in terms of evolution. Evidence in favor of this is compounds like lectins, which can damage the gut, or anti-nutrients in grains, which bind-to and prevent the absorption of certain minerals. Overall the promoted benefits of the paleo diet are a return to our lean, healthy, strong nature.

Generally high quality food sources are emphasized in paleo diets. For example, it is recommended to source meats from farms feeding animals their native diets. For example, grass fed beef would be highly recommended because the nutrient breakdown is much better than modern grain fed beef. Similar principles are used in sourcing eggs, poultry and fish.

The main difference between paleo eating and the USDA recommendations are reduced carbohydrate intake and increased fat intake. A likely macronutrient breakdown would look something like this: 50-60% fat, 20-25%% protein and 15-25% carbohydrate. The notable difference comes in the lack of grains of all form in the paleo diet. Instead, one would consume more vegetables, meats and fruits. Interestingly, since vegetables are so nutritionally dense per calorie, a paleo diet could very well provide higher amounts of many vitamins and minerals. Grains themselves are not particularly dense in nutrients, but rather are just a source of carbohydrates, fiber and some micronutrients (the fiber and micronutrients are provided plentifully in fruits and vegetables). Thus at first glance, a paleo dieter might be thought to be at risk of deficiency because of a lack of whole grains, but a My Pyramid style diet analysis would show a solid micronutrient intake.

The paleo idea is represented by many different people, and many include physical activity, but not all. Often times, physical activity similar to that of our hunger-gatherer ancestors is recommended. For example, Mark Sisson (author of The Primal Blueprint and marksdailyapple.com) recommends frequent, slow movement, coupled with short duration, high intensity exercise. This might mimic the foraging and hunting of our ancestors. Frequent access to sunshine and high quality sleep are also often highly regarded in paleo lifestyle.

The anecdotal evidence behind such diets (or lifestyles, really) is abundant. One needn’t look hard to find hundreds of success stories from following this plan. A surprising number of scientific data exists as well. This despite the fact that nothing can really be sold on this plan. Thus, pharmaceutical companies have no incentive to fund research that will ultimately just tell people to eat high quality vegetables, meats and fruits, exercise often, sleep very well and get access to sunshine. This will make people healthy, but it won’t, make anyone rich (rich in healthy maybe…). In looking through scientific literature I was surprised to find essentially no studies countering the paleo eating plan. The only studies I found that would disagree were ones arguing against a high meat or a high-fat diet, but even these aren’t very valid counter-arguments because a paleo high-fat diet is wildly different from a high-fat standard American diet (SAD).

There aren’t any significant precautions that should be considered, with the exception of an adaptation period to the diet. During the transition to paleo, the body converts from a carbohydrate heavy diet (like that recommended by the USDA) to a more fat based diet. The body can certainly handle this and eventually thrive, but adaptation is required. Gene expression changes, metabolic pathways are ramped up, or down, and a few weeks might be needed for energy levels to dip, return to normal, and then likely exceed previous levels. Some people might restrict carbohydrates to under 130g/day (the RDA, but this is certain not a requirement on this diet. In fact, carbohydrate can be consumed rather significantly with paleo eating. Instead of grains, this carbohydrate will come from vegetables (including starchy sweet potatoes, squash and the like), and fruits. Some people might be in a state of ketosis on a paleo diet, but it is unlikely anyone would reach ketoacidosis, the dangerous metabolic condition often confused for ketosis.

In my opinion, the bottom line is that this diet can be recommended to essentially anyone. Removing all processed foods, while healthy, makes adherence to the diet difficult, given our near addiction to processed sugar and fat based snacks. Adaptation is certainly required, but great benefits are to be had.

Book Resources:

The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf

The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain

Websites:

marksdailyapple.com

hunter-gatherer.com

robbwolf.com

Scientific References:

Cardiovascular disease resulting from a diet and lifestyle at odds with our Paleolithic genome: how to become a 21st-century hunter-gatherer – “Until 500 generations ago, all humans consumed only wild and unprocessed food foraged and hunted from their environment. These circumstances provided a diet high in lean protein, polyunsaturated fats (especially omega-3 [omega-3] fatty acids), monounsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial phytochemicals. Historical and anthropological studies show hunter-gatherers generally to be healthy, fit, and largely free of the degenerative cardiovascular diseases common in modern societies.” Loren Cordain is a top expert in the research in this field. He has published a lot of terrific studies.

A Paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischemic heart disease – “A Paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like diet.” Increased satiety (the feeling of being full and not hungry) is almost universally experienced on a paleo diet. This frequently leads to decreased food intake, which is just fine for people interested in becoming leaner.

The paradoxical nature of hunter-gatherer diets: meat-based, yet non-atherogenic – “Although fat intake (28-58% energy) would have been similar to or higher than that found in Western diets, it is likely that important qualitative differences in fat intake, including relatively high levels of [monounsaturated fatty acids] and [polyunsaturated fatty acids] and a lower omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio, would have served to inhibit the development of [cardiovascular disease].” The bottom line here is that the types of fat eaten on a paleo diet are excellent sources of energy and clearly promote good health.

Evolutionary health promotion: a consideration of common counterarguments

 

Food Cost – A Case of Mixed Priorities

Taken at the Evanston, IL farmer's market

As a society, we have gone from spending over a third of our income on food (1930), and devoting significant energy into growing and raising our own food, to only spending 10% or less of our income on food and only going into the backyard to mow the lawn or spray Round Up*. It seems that we only have three requirements for our food: cheap, cheap and cheap. At what point did it become socially acceptable, or even required, to pay $100 a month on cable, $75 a month on a cell phone, $350 a month on a car, $50 a month on a gym membership and $15 a movie delivery service, all the while eating from the McDonald’s Dollar Menu and spending just $150 a month on groceries at the local Eat-N-Save?

We can’t forget that the money and time saved at Eat-N-Save are more than made up for in health complications such as overweight, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and antibiotic resistant infection. These conditions are almost inextricably linked to the food system thanks to confined feeding operations (antibiotic resistant microbes), grain feeding of animals that don’t naturally eat grain (incorrect ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids), a plethora of refined grain, fat and sugar products everywhere you look (diabetes, heart disease, obesity and more), and of course a complete disconnect with the natural, food producing world (poor nutritional choices, frequent illness, depression and anxiety).

Before I make you depressed, there are many reasons to be optimistic:

• Farmer’s Markets are exploding! People enjoy them and I think it is because they crave a stronger connection to their food.
• The number of US households that garden was recently projected to increase by 19% in one year.**
• There is significant discussion about reforming the practice of adding antibiotics directly into animal feed (Louise Slaughter’s legislation).
• Healthcare reform – as Michael Pollan wisely noted in the New York Times, if near universal healthcare exists, preventive medicine for all becomes very good business for insurance companies. Diet is always at the forefront of preventative medicine.
• Slow Food membership is constantly growing and chapters are popping up in new cities and at Universities all the time.

We have to be patient and make good food choices – namely locally grown, raised and caught foods purchased as directly as possible from farmers using organic methods (being certified organic is less important). This may cost a bit more, and if necessary, reduce your cable bill, or better yet, cancel it. Use the time and money you save to visit a farm or farmer’s market. Reorganizing a culture’s priorities starts with individuals. The result will be stronger communities and healthier, happier people. I can think of nothing more important than health and happiness, so act now.

* Source 1, source 2

**Source 3

Book Review – The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

Click here to find at a library near you!

Eat like a caveman. Or, if you prefer, like a member of the !Kung, a hunter-gatherer tribe of sub-Saharan Africa. This may sound like a joke, but Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet is as serious as a heart attack – perhaps as serious as the heart attack or cardiovascular disease you are likely to endure if you continue on a grain heavy western diet.

The Paleo diet (lifestyle is a better descriptor) mimics the eating and living patterns of our paleolithic ancestors. This diet was employed over a few million years by various ancestors (Homo habilis and Homo erectus) and at least 150,000 years by us, Homo sapiens. Coincidentally this is the period during which natural selection pressures shaped our modern day genes. Yes, our genes were almost entirely determined while we lived as hunter-gatherers eating things you can forage (seasonal vegetables and fruits), things you can kill (meat, fish, poultry) and some nuts, seeds and tubers. Indeed, if you believe in evolution, it is nearly impossible to refute the merits of a modern paleolithic lifestyle. This type of eating is feasible in the modern world, and even though it eschews grains and dairy (the horror!), the high intake of vegetables and wild game and fish will yield a thoroughly nutritious diet.

As the book explains, the lifestyle also focuses heavily on sleep and reducing the types of chronic, modern stresses we never evolved to deal with (cavement didn’t pay rent or sit in daily traffic jams). According to Robb, “Having more [things]…does not make you happier…it makes you unhappy and whittles away at your life and causes you stress” (140).

As you can see, modern paleo living aims for a simpler, more fulfilling and healthy life. Afterall, “the [hunter-gatherer] lifeway is often referred to as the ‘original affluent lifestyle’” (120).

Wolf’s fluctuation between serious science and off-handed jokes and remarks may be annoying to some, but others will find it to be useful comic relief. Regardless, this book flat out delivers. It contains considerable science for those interested, a great exercise guide, a month long meal plan, and a clear, concise writing style. I recommend not only Robb’s book The Paleo Solution, but also the paleolithic lifestyle. I’d venture to guess that once you try it, you’ll never “rejoin” civilization.

Irrigation in California Continued…

In reading Foodfight: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill by Daniel Imhoff, I came across this great quote that supports my recent post on the state of irritation in California agriculture:

“In the Klamath Basin, which spans the border between southwest Oregon and northwestern California, the fight over water for irrigation and in-stream flow for dwindling fish populations has escalated to a boiling point. Farmers are clinging tenaciously to historical water rights and subsidy programs to keep their operations going. So far, they are winning. In the mean time, native fish – including steelhead, green sturgeon, five species of salmon, the Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker, and two species of mullet – are on their last gasps. Without extensive government supports, farming in the Klamath basin would be unfeasible. The regions chief crops – onions, potatoes, and grains – are in oversupply. They’re even sometimes plowed under when prices fall too low.”

It is infuriating to think we would draw so much water away from these waterways just in order to grow commodities that could be grown elsewhere. The nutritional value of grains, potatoes and onions is nothing compared to that of the types of fresh, wild fish we have been eating for millions of years.

A link can clearly be drawn between government subsidies on grains and damaged ecosystems as we see in this case. In order to cash in, farmers elect to grow corn or other grains instead of whatever their local foodshed best provides (fish, in this case). As a result, grain piles up in silos and largely ends up in processed food products, while native fish die off as the water level of their habitat dwindles.

It is problems like this that lead us down the path of damaged humans (obesity, diabetes, insufficient omega-3 fat intake, etc.) and damaged environments.