Mr. Taubes reminds us of the importance of critically examining ALL of the controlling variables in scientific research. So often correlations are made without recognizing exactly what variables affected the outcome. With this in mind, Mr. Taubes examines the following questions in his most recent blog post: “Is it the total calories consumed that is the variable determining weight loss? And, by the same token, is it the calories consumed (or expended) that determines how much weight we gain?”
Continue reading to see how researchers can lead you astray by overlooking or not reporting key variables that affect reported outcomes:
Fads fade with time, but this has not been the case with the Paleo Diet. As Dr. Cordain states in his revised edition of the Paleo Diet, the popularity of Paleo Diet has exploded since it was originally published in 2002. Why? It has a lot to do with “the masses” following Robb Wolf’s Paleo recommendations as the “once upon a time” nutrition guru of CrossFit. Dr. Cordain also states in his new book that “electronic interconnectedness” has exploded in the last decade making information that is relevant to our lives easily accessible through emails, websites, and blogs. But the main reason the Paleo Diet has grown in popularity within Crossfit and the electronic community is because it actually works.
Not only will you lose weight, but you will also prevent (and reverse) future disease. Future diseases that are mistakenly believed to be an inevitable part of the aging process: getting heavier – the proverbial “spare tire around the middle”, abnormal blood sugar levels leading to Diabetes II, abnormal blood lipids leading to high triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. It doesn’t have to be this way, folks. I’ve not only read the research myself, but I have also applied the paleo principles in my own life with very positive results:
Being healthy and losing weight is not about counting calories or measuring food. As Dr. Cordain lectured this Thursday evening, it’s about eating in accordance with our evolutionary ancestral diet. We evolved for millions of years on a diet of nutritious minimally-processed wild plants and animals. Since the onset of the agriculture revolution some 15,000 years ago, we have increasingly displaced this nutritious diet with highly-processed, refined foods. Researchers are now beginning to recognize a strong correlation exists between our modern diet (the highly coveted USDA Food Pyramid), metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune disease. What we typically eat on a daily basis is making us very sick. Scary.
How do you stay healthy? Not by counting calories, but by avoidingall varieties of grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc), grain-fed meats, legumes (including soy and peanuts), dairy products, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, salt and processed foods. What’s left? A diet of natural foods: lean meats that are grass-fed, wild-caught fish, vegetables, fruits and the “good fats”. It’s that easy. This is how you can take control of your own life and prevent (and in most cases reverse) chronic inflammation, metabolic derangement, acne, acid reflux, asthma, etc. You can also prevent hundreds of auto-immune diseases that may develop over time due to Leaky Gut Syndrome (see “Got Leaky Gut?”). Leaky Gut Syndrome has been implicated in auto-immune disease and is believed to be caused by grain, legume, dairy and nightshade vegetable consumption.
Special thanks to Dr. Ken Ford of the IHMC and the many sponsors involved in bringing Dr. Cordain to Ocala so that others may benefit from his work. It was wonderful to have an opportunity to express our gratitude for the personal successes we have each experienced by applying his life’s research in our own lives.
Chef Al Rosas of Rosas Farm and Dr. Cordain
Erin Rosas adding the finishing touches to a beautiful table!
In additional, a heartfelt thank you to Al and Erin Rosa of Rosas Farm for creating a truly enchanting gourmet paleo event in their home following the lecture. Based on our experience with them that evening, with much anticipation I’m hoping they will soon publish a gourmet paleo cookbook so that we may all re-create Al’s paleo gourmet magic in our own homes! In the meantime, please visit the Rosas Country Market which is well stocked with organic and completely grass-fed beef, pork, poultry, eggs and wild-caught sea food. They also offer their own line of organic seasonings and the best organic barbecue sauce I have ever tasted (and the only one I’ve ever seen that does not list “corn syrup” on the label)!
Dr. Cordain, Dr. Montes, Cheryl Polack, and Dr. Wartels arriving in the Rosas Home
An evening of incredible food and great conversation!
I don’t like keeping track of how much I’ve eaten, I don’t like obsessing over how many grams of a particular nutrient I’ve eaten, and I don’t like worrying that I ate too much/little and the end of the day. Not only do I hate counting calories, but I know that calories are really only half of the battle, as they’re not all created equal – 400 calories of Doritos do NOT affect your body in the same way as 400 calories of high-quality vegetables and chicken.
Fortunately, if you can expand your horizons and remove certain types of food from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories FOREVER (sorry, the Count – ah ah ah). About fifteen months ago, I stumbled across a particular type of eating that doesn’t require counting a single calorie AND allows you to eat as much as you want (I’m serious – I explain later). Oh, and it will help you lose weight, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life.
I know, that sounds like an ad for some really shady supplement or diet book that you’d see on TV at 4 AM.
Putting aside the marketing mumbo-jumbo, it’s a diet – it’s actually a lifestyle, but we’ll stick with diet for now – that actually works. How do I know? Because I’ve been following this type of diet for the past month, and despite my best efforts to force feed myself as often as possible to gain weight, I’ve actually managed to lose a few pounds.
image credit to www.womentowomen from www.balancedbites.com
“I’m not giving up bread!”
This is often the first response you’ll hear when explaining that grains are not eaten when following The Paleo Diet. For a few seconds I’m usually speechless – my mind awhirl with so many reasons one should avoid grains altogether. For one – eating more than a couple of tablespoons of bread, including whole wheat bread, will not only cause your blood glucose levels to spike but it will also keep your blood glucose levels elevated for an extended period of time . It’s a vicious chain of events – high blood sugar levels stimulate your pancreas to produce more insulin. Constant high blood glucose and insulin levels (also known as hyperinsulinemia) can be detrimental to your health. Hyperinsulinemia leads to a plethora of problems: inflammation, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Type II, Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome, weight gain, infertility, cancer, etc. Google the term ‘Hyperinsulinemia’ along with any one of these health issues and you’ll be surprised by what you’ll learn! To be fit, healthy and happy for the long haul, you’ll need to consistently maintain normal blood glucose levels. That’s one good reason to avoid bread altogether, whether white or whole wheat.
Yet when it comes to eating bread, or grains in general, there’s a little more to the story. How would you feel knowing that grains can not only lead to hyperinsulinism, but they can also make your gut leak. Yep, you too may have already acquired “Leaky Gut Syndrome”. Leaky gut comes in varying degrees from tolerant, to gluten sensitive, to full blown Celiac disease.
Not going to give an anatomy lesson here, but think about your mouth, stomach, intestines, etc. from beginning to end. It’s one very long tube. When your intestinal barrier is working correctly, it breaks down nutrients your body needs while keeping out harmful substances. But what happens if this barrier begins to breaks down? You’ll leak – basically leaking the contents of your intestines into your bloodstream. When the microvilli lining of the intestinal wall is destroyed, gate “tight-junctions” loosen and it becomes “open sesame” to bacteria, yeast, viruses and larger food molecules that don’t belong inside your body. Continue reading
The long awaited, much anticipated, highly coveted book promised by (or coerced out of) Robb Wolf is finally available! Robb Wolf’s new book The Paleo Solution “...unearths the story of the original human diet by uniting the anthropological knowledge of our hunter-gatherer past with the latest, cutting edge discoveries from genetics, biochemistry, immunology, and life extension research.”
Not only does he have a new book, but he has also recently updated his website with easy to find links to his blog (very informative), podcast (I’m behind again), live events (hope I get to go again soon), tools (paleo man can never can have too many), etc. Everything is there to help you better understand and implement The Paleo Solution.
Just when I think I’m up to date, Robb Wolf and Andy Deas post yet another episode of theThe Paleolithic Solution. I’m currently listening to Episode 38, but already behind as they have recorded and posted Episode 39. For me, the “last podcast” is ever elusive, but in all honesty that’s actually a good thing. Besides presenting an incredible amount of applicable paleo “pseudo science” each week, these two guys are also very funny. I look forward to walking my dogs and laughing out loud in the middle of the street. Although the bio-chemistry of nutrition and fitness can be tedious and boring, Robb and Andy actually make the learning process fun. To quote one of their classic podcast comments - “It should be more like a birthday party than physics class” .
In Episode 26 of The Paleolithic Solution Robb and Andy were joined by Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig of the Whole9. Melissa and Dallas are on top of their game when it comes to nutrition, health and fitness (check out their Whole9 blog). During this interview Melissa shared her “fresh, natural foods your great grandmother would recognize” elevator “Paleo Pitch”. She responds with this “Paleo Pitch” when asked “what do you eat”? Robb comments that Melissa’s elevator pitch would need to be in a very tall building, like a [skyscraper] in Dubai. It may be a little long because she does do a very good job of explaining what one would eat when following The Paleo Diet.
Melissa and Dallas also have also developed the “Whole30″ and “Whole30 Version 2.0″, a program that will “change your life in 30 days” (links provided below). Melissa and Dallas give you all of the information and tools you’ll need to get started eating “paleo”. The testimonials have been incredible with many Continue reading
Government Food Pyramid making us sicker? Today’s modern diet is mostly made up of processed foods – whole wheat bread, brown rice, cereals, granola bars, etc. Little do folks realize that these type of foods, especially the ones listed as “low fat” can increase your risk of heart disease (see recent blog post titled “Processed Carbs – Not Dietary Fat – Increase Your Risk of Type II Diabetes, Heart Disease and Obesity”).
Ancel Keys- where it all began and where it all went wrong!
Found a follow-up article to my previous post on Total Cholesterol not being a good indicator of Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD).
For years, we have been led to believe that dietary fat is evil. Walk down any grocery store aisle and observe shelves stocked with low-fat products or count the numerous health related books that recommend a low-fat diet. You’ll even witness physicians, nutritionists and even personal trainers advising their clients to reduce dietary fat to improve over-all health. Little did we know that these low-fat recommendations were actually making us sick!
Slowly, but surely, mainstream America is beginning to recognizing the role refined carbs, not dietary fat, plays in increasing your risk of many diseases – Type II Diabetes, CVD and obesity.
Follow the link below to read the Scientific American recent report on:
“…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…”
Especially of late I’ve been getting a lot of questions on “how to go paleo”. I will often respond with the standard CrossFit nutrition statement : eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starches and no sugar. This statement is usually followed by a lengthy, possibly overwhelming, detailed-oriented conversation on paleo nutrition specifics:
There is a moment of silence as they realize I’ve just described what most folks eat on a regular basis. Slowly a look of shock and disbelief spreads across their faces as they realize they should not be eating whole wheat toast at breakfast, chicken pasta with veggies for lunch, and even the sacred brown rice for dinner. Before they can justify their dietary habits with the usual response of “everything in moderation”, I begin to explain the science behind foods not permitted on The Paleo Diet: hyperinsulinism, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, skewed omega 3 to omega 6 ratios, lipid profiles, ph acid – base balance, phytates, lectins, gluten, leaky gut, metabolic syndrome, silent inflammation, CVD, auto-immune issues, diseases of modern civilization, etc.
I summarize by explaining that The Paleo diet is the oldest diet around. For millions of years we were hunter- gatherers eating what nature provided. Our bodies evolved to process these natural foods, unlike the foods that were first introduced 15,000 to 20,000 years ago during the agricultural revolution. So, how do you go paleo? What can you eat? Paleo friendly foods include:
grass-fed meats
wild caught fish and seafood
organic fowl
eggs high in omega 3’s
a variety of veggies
a variety of fruits
a variety of nuts and seeds
a variety of good fats (olive, coconut, almond, walnut, etc)
avocados
coconut milk
and coffee is allowed (yep, I drink mine black)
At each meal (and snack) I’m combining a protein, some veggies (sometimes a little fruit) and a healthy fat. It’s that easy. Yet, it’s important to understand that there is a “method to the madness” – there is science and research (and my own personal experiences) that link this diet to a healthier body. To help you jump start your journey into paleo nutrition, I’ve added a new “Paleo Tools” resource tab. Click on the ‘Paleo Tools” tab at the top of this page to find:
Videos on Paleo Nutrition
Paleo Shopping List and Guides
The BEST Paleo Cookbook
Leading Paleo Nutrition Experts
Paleo Reading Recommendations
Free Paleo Recipes
Additional Paleo Resources and Blogs I Follow
One last thing. Don’t believe everything I write or say. I’m not a dietitian providing nutrition counseling or nutrition management programs. Doubt me. I’m a skeptic by heart myself. I never accept what others say, especially those practicing and preaching conventional wisdom with little results. I’m interested in not only how fit you appear to be on the outside, but also how fit you are on the inside with excellent bio-markers of health. I search for the latest, cutting-edge information and research. I spend a great deal of time reading and reviewing abstracts, books, and other websites. I suggest you begin this journey by doing the same. Do your own research, find your own answers, become your own expert. In addition to the resources listed in the “Paleo Tools” tab, I also use the following unbiased internet resources on a daily basis:
PubMed is a free database accessing online medical literature (citations, abstracts and some full text articles)
Google scholar allows you to search scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources, including theses, books, abstracts and articles
Google Books is a collection of digitized books which allows you to view limited previews portions of most books as well as do “text searches” within the book to locate specific information.
Consult with a physician before beginning in new exercise or fitness program
Below is an email I recently sent to Robb Wolf expressing my gratitude and appreciation for unselfishly sharing “pseudo science” in order to help others improve their performance in the gym, over all healthy and more importantly quality of life.
Robb –
It was absolutely wonderful to once again hear you lecture in person out in San Diego. Although I’m always impressed with your ability to explain complicated science to the masses, I must admit I’m most impressed to actually see accompanying client pre/post blood work panels and before/after photos backing up your claims. The seminar out in CA was my third in person “Robb Wolf Nutrition Experience” – first having heard you lecture in Baltimore at a CrossFit Level One Certification, followed by your CrossFit Nutrition Certification held in Atlanta. Recently I was also presented with a unique opportunity to once again hear Dr. Cordain lecture, this time in Orlando. Why, you may ask, am I traveling all over the country to hear what you and Dr. Cordain have to say? Because I know from personal experience the information you’re prescribing works!
Cheryl giving a talk on Paleo Nutrition to nurses and medical practice administrators
Upon hearing you lecture for the second time and further investigation on my own, I created a much shorter, watered-down, power-point presentation highlighting information and research presented in your Nutrition Seminar. I can be obsessively evangelistic when I find a program that works for me. I’ve shared this presentation numerous times with many in my small world: in my home, on my laptop in Starbucks, my child’s school, group of nurses in my husband’s Surgery Center, etc. The results for those adopting the Paleo Diet have been amazing and consistent:
After implementing the diet in our home, my husband has consistently shown improved bio markers of health each time he is asked to submit blood work for insurance purposes. Wanting to understand more, he attended your Nutrition Seminar. As a physician he was equally impressed with the science and research presented during your lecture. Because of his time with you, his own personal success and continued study, he now recommends The Paleo Diet to his patients. These patients are often overweight (Metabolic Syndrome) or have symptoms indicative of an autoimmune disorder.
A nutritionist/personal trainer/avid cyclist friend reluctantly agreed to attend one of my nutrition lectures at his wife’s request. His wife, who is also a nutritionist/personal trainer, had attended this same lecture in my living room earlier that month. Although she had already implemented the diet in their home, she felt he would be more supportive if he heard “the science supporting the diet” (as a cyclist he was not sure this diet would support his long weekend rides). During the nutrition lecture he shared with a group of nurses he too had been surprised to see changes in his blood work from a recent doctor’s visit. Both he and his wife have been on the Paleo Diet for several months now and have never looked better.
My retired neighbor was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Within three weeks of following The Paleo Diet his physician took him off of his “sugar medications” and reduced his cholesterol medications. His active wife was surprised to lose 8 pounds and has become an avid supporter of The Paleo Diet. She recently returned from a two-week cruise and shared that she found it easy to follow the diet while traveling.
An employee reported her husband had also recently been Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. She shared with me that by monitoring his blood glucose levels daily they had watched his blood sugars return to normal within weeks of implementing the Paleo Diet in their home.
A friend reported that from further investigation and through testing he was formally diagnosed as gluten sensitive. He was surprised to learn gluten sensitivities can lead to auto immune issues, such as Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease, which he had. His sister had already been diagnosed with celiac disease.
The most moving experience involved one of my recent CrossFit clients who is not only a close friend, but also a well respected Neurologist in the medical community. After hearing the nutrition lecture in my home, his only comment later via email was an expressed doubt about a dietary connection between lectins and MS. I challenged him to a private experiment of our own: read the The Paleo Diet book, commit to eating “strict paleo” for 5 weeks, and do a CF WOD together at least once a week. It was a very emotional experience for both of us when he called to share the results of his post blood work. In 5 short weeks not only had he lost 10 pounds, his post blood work indicated:
Reversal of previous indication for metabolic syndrome/ insulin resistance evaluation
LDL Size moved from Pattern B to Patten A
Triglycerides levels from 192 lowered to 89
C-Reactive Protein down
Insulin levels down from 11 to 5
Slight decrease in HbA1c levels
In an email he wrote he entered the program “a skeptic” and exited “a believer”. During our experiment, he went on to explain that he was able to share with a young family member that her recent serious medical condition may be a result of her diet. He recommended a book on the Metabolic Syndrome for the family to read. Further, because he has a large MS patient population and is frequently asked to lecture to other medical practitioners, students and support groups he became re- interested in Dr. Cordain research involving MS. After viewing Dr. Cordain’s online lecture “Pre-agricultural Diets in the Prevention and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis” and doing further research, he contacted Dr. Cordain directly. Several emails later, I’m excited to report he is now using Dr. Cordains’ slides and research in his own MS presentations!
This weekend he stopped me while we were out one evening to thank me once again. He explained because of our time together, he was able to reach a lifelong goal to be in great shape on his 50th birthday, and more importantly he has changed the way in which he now approaches treatment with many of his patients. Although I’m appreciative of his compliments, the true recognition goes to you, Robb. You have committed your time, skill and expertise to help others reach often unreachable, but desired goals and lifelong dreams. You have made a profound difference in my life and the lives of my family, friends and clients. This is the result of your body of work. From my heart, thank you for sharing your insight and nutritional guidance through your seminars and blog. You are effecting change in the lives of many in a very powerful way.
I am glad to find that you have your website up, and that you continue to take your knowledge, training and overall expertise to yet another level.
During the 6 weeks that I worked with you last summer, I lost 14 pounds and improved my diet and lifestyle as well as my ability to adequately perform different exercise routines. My fasting insulin decreased by half. For the first time in 2 years my lipid profile normalized - even increased the HDL without the need for statin therapy!
I am now using much of your advice and your recommendations with my patients.
Thanks so much. I am looking forward to working with you again soon.
Jose A Gaudier, MD, Neurologist
It says here that Cheryl has a new blog. I say, it's about damn time. Cheryl has been accumulating knowledge and experience about the serious side of exercise for a while now, and I can't think of a better ambassador for barbell training to women who typically refuse to consider its benefits. One look at Cheryl dispells any apprehensions they may have regarding the aesthetic effects, and she is quite capable of explaining the health and fitness advantages to this group of folks in desparate need of a better way to approach their exercise prescription.
I met Cheryl at a level 1 CrossFit cert I was coaching several years ago. Then I saw her at another Level 1. Then a CrossFit Nutrition cert...on the other side of the country! Then another! Cheryl has a a seemingly insatiable desire to learn. This curiosity, as powerful as it is takes a back seat to perhaps one thing however and that is Cheryl's desire and capacity to HELP. I think one of the most profound things any of us can do is leave a legacy of helping. I was very excited to hear about her forthcoming blog and will be reading it every day.
Cheryl,
It says here that Cheryl has a new blog. I say, it's about damn time. Cheryl has been accumulating knowledge and experience about the serious side of exercise for a while now, and I can't think of a better ambassador for barbell training to women who typically refuse to consider its benefits. One look at Cheryl dispells any apprehensions they may have regarding the aesthetic effects, and she is quite capable of explaining the health and fitness advantages to this group of folks in desparate need of a better way to approach their exercise prescription.
I met Cheryl at a level 1 CrossFit cert I was coaching several years ago. Then I saw her at another Level 1. Then a CrossFit Nutrition cert...on the other side of the country! Then another! Cheryl has a a seemingly insatiable desire to learn. This curiosity, as powerful as it is takes a back seat to perhaps one thing however and that is Cheryl's desire and capacity to HELP. I think one of the most profound things any of us can do is leave a legacy of helping. I was very excited to hear about her forthcoming blog and will be reading it every day.
