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:
This weekend I had the honor of sharing information on The Paleo Diet at Dave and Shae Tozzo’s gym, CrossFit Zoo. We had an excellent turnout and I was excited to see so many folks eager to improve their health, performance and body composition via paleo-nutrition-concepts. It was especially moving to hear a surprise testimony from Jay, a law enforcement officer, who shared that he had lost over 47 pounds in 10 weeks (without exercise). He totally reversed his blood work from that of an overweight old man to that of a fit 18 year old. His doctor was amazed (and proud). It was very moving to hear him speak – hoping he’ll post his story for us soon!
For those who were able to attend the “Paleo Talk”, you should now:
• Understand the Importance of Balancing Critical Hormones
• Understand Digestion and the Critical Importance of Gut Health
• Recognize and Understand the effects of Neolithic Foods
• Understand How to “Go Paleo”
• Recognize Blood Panels that Predict Present and Long Term
As promised, so that it would not be necessary to take copious notes during the lecture, I’m posting a few resources to jump-start your own paleo adventure. Good luck to everyone and please keep me posted on your success!
For a while now I’ve wanted to blog about some of my favorite Paleo Nutrition reads but simply have had little time to sit in front of my computer. When I find something worthy of sharing, I know it’s gonna take several hours of research and writing to do it justice. Mark Sisson’s body of work is a perfect example of this. His book, The Primal Blueprint, is one I often recommend to folks when they are interested in understanding Paleo Nutrition. He’s in great shape, and is just as informative as he is funny.
He also has a fantastic blog, Mark’s Daily Apple which is full of helpful resources for understanding the science behind the diet. One of the big questions I get often is “What do I eat for breakfast?”.To illustrate how helpful Mark’s daily blog can be, Mark took the time to answer this question in depth on his website (and in his book):
Intrigued? If so, check out Mark’s “About” page which completely summarizes the content on his website. There’s some good stuff here – all well-organized and easy to find!
Well said Nell! This is exactly why my family surprised me with this website last year. I’m a zealot when it comes to spreading Paleo Nutrition. Why? Because I know from personal experience that it works (and is still working):
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!
Basically just finished pouring through, page by page, the long awaited Revised Edition of The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, PhD. Not sure if it’s because I’ve been doing this a while or recently finished a fantastic webinar with Matt Lalonde (the Bill Nye of Nutrition) – but this was a much easier read than Dr. Cordain’s first book written in 2002! The revised edition is definitely “new and improved”: it’s informative, provides thorough explanations of the science behind the diet, and cites numerous studies as they apply to the Paleo Diet.
I strongly encourage those who are interested in better understanding the science and research behind the Paleo Diet to order this book. His presentation is convincing. By following the Paleo Diet you will not only lose weight, but also prevent future disease. Sounds like a great Christmas gift for someone you love!
A couple of highlights from the revised edition include:
Mark Sisson would be proud to read Dr. Cordain’s revisions on “recommended oils” – he now puts canola oil on the “foods to avoid list”. Allowed oils are basically culled down to four: olive, flaxseed, avocado and walnut oils.
Dr. Cordain has “softened his stance” on saturated fat. Based on the latest research he now believes the original view of “artery-clogging saturated fat” is incorrect even though he states saturated fat, specifically lauric acid, myristic acid and plamatic acid (but not stearic acid), elevates blood cholesterol. New research points to the role inflammation plays in artery-clogging plaques and heart disease. Unless your immune system is chronically inflamed, atherosclerosis from saturated fats “will not likely kill us from either heart attacks or strokes”. He continues to drive home the point that by following the principles of The Paleo Diet, you will be protected from dangerous low-level inflammation that has been shown to occur from eating a diet of grains, vegetable oils, sugar, legumes, dairy products , salt and/or processed foods (Neolithic or Modern Foods).
Dr. Cordain discusses the connection between anti-nutrients found in modern foods (grains, legumes, dairy products, and nightshade vegetables) and the role they may play in auto-immune disease. Referring to the numerous mysterious autoimmune diseases that have baffled researchers in the past, Dr. Cordain shares that through new research we can now better understand how following the Paleo Diet can “protect us from these one hundred or more illnesses.”
Dr Cordain also discusses at length the mechanisms that contribute to the development of Metabolic Syndrome and concludes time and time again that by following the Paleo Diet you can halt and in many cases reverse the progression of Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Dyslipidemia.
As a woman, I especially enjoyed his in-depth discussion of the role high carbohydrate diets may play in breast, colon and prostate cancers. A high carb diet results in high insulin levels which increase IGF- 1 (a powerful growth hormone) and decreases IGFBP-3 (which regulates out-of-control cell growth). In other words, high insulin levels can promote the unregulated growth of cancer cells.
And the most exciting meaningful part of the book to ME? Wine is now “allowed” in moderation citing health benefits that may result from an occasional glass of wine. But don’t go overboard; we’re talking a 4oz glass on date night! If you have an auto-immune issue of any sort, alcohol is NOT permitted. Alcohol has been known to increase gut permeability.
My brother-in-law recently sent me a link to “Fooducate” – a new iphone app created by “a team of parents, dietitians, and techies”. You use “Fooducate” while shopping to scan product labels in order to help you make better nutritional choices. Yikes - their “see how it works” slide show offered “B+” rated breakfast cereals as “better options” for a “C” rated cereal. Obviously this is not a team of paleo parents, dietitians and techies!
I emailed my brother-in-law back an explained it’s pretty easy to find “paleo foods” in a local grocery store by only shopping the perimeter of the store (organic fruits and vegetables, wild-caught fish and grassed beef and poultry). Yet being a paleo newbie himself, he insisted it would be helpful if there were a way to determine if a product was paleo-friendly. Even”gluten free” products often list ingredients (corn, potato, soy, kidney beans, vegetable oils, etc) that are not eaten when following The Paleo Diet.
Come to find out, my brother-in-law is not alone. In one of my early morning paleo-google searches, I came across “Paleo Approved“. Karen Pendergrass and Kimberly Eyer have founded Paleo Approved, Inc. in order to help consumers identify foods that meet the standards of The Paleo Diet. Qualifying paleo foods (see “Get Paleo Approved“) will be labeled to help consumers figure out which foods are safe to eat. Check out their informative website and very funny video!
In my very last minute search for Thanksgiving Paleo recipes, I came across Naturally Engineered’s helpful blog post. Thankfully, Naturally Engineered did the research for us and has combined several Paleo Thanksgiving resources in one post!
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.
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, I hope this message finds you well. I think we all at one point had an aha moment about why we do the things we love to do. When I first came upon CrossFit I knew that my world would be turned upside down. I’ve learned so much and am so grateful for the people like you that make my fitness journey such an exciting one. I honestly do what I do and strive to become better at what I do because of genuine people like yourself. Take pride and be passionate about what you do and how you do it. Get comfortable with uncomfortable is a theme we’ve chosen here at OPT, because we believe that getting into this uncomfortable zone unfolds many life lessons. Here’s hoping you teach others about this, make it happen, all the best.
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.
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, I hope this message finds you well. I think we all at one point had an aha moment about why we do the things we love to do. When I first came upon CrossFit I knew that my world would be turned upside down. I’ve learned so much and am so grateful for the people like you that make my fitness journey such an exciting one. I honestly do what I do and strive to become better at what I do because of genuine people like yourself. Take pride and be passionate about what you do and how you do it. Get comfortable with uncomfortable is a theme we’ve chosen here at OPT, because we believe that getting into this uncomfortable zone unfolds many life lessons. Here’s hoping you teach others about this, make it happen, all the best.
Cheryl,
