Category Archives: carbs

Food shape: Get into shape using food!?

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Today’s post delves further on Tuesday’s post, Get healthy to lose weight or lose weight to get healthy?

Lately, I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about an over-consumption of calories to bring the body back into (or maintain) homeostasis/a high metabolic rate. The concept is rather overly-simple: eat… a lot… pretty much over-eating… focusing on carbohydrates as a larger portion of the calories because cells use sugar (specifically, glucose) as their main source of energy… and by doing that on a daily basis with consistency it can provide the body with the right energy environment to eventually produce the right living environment. Simple, yah?

An energy environment requires a Production/Production Capability Balance (thanks, Covey). Ability, efficiency, timing, execution, and consistency all play a role in the P/PC Balance. I know that I sound like a warehouse management course because that’s the point – it’s good to sometimes think of your body as a machine (or mechanism) that can very well break-down one not-so-distant day (or perhaps it already shows signs of dis-ease or is dis-eased) if you don’t provide it with the necessary fuels and tools (environment, energy) to get the job done time and time and time and time and time and time and time again (and not just a few times until it craps out on you). Production deals with the end result – the product, the end, a working body, a healthy body. Production Capability deals with the ability/platform to consistently produce desired results - the process, the means, fuel, maintenance, diet, hydration, sleep, etc.

So, Food Shape is like whipping your metabolic rate into working condition by putting it through a diet training camp. The idea is that a high metabolic rate, as a result from proper nutrition (energy environment), can translate into a highly-efficient living environment due to its ability to produce the right product at the right time with consistency. When I was in high school, my soccer team had 3 weeks of training camp to prepare us for the upcoming season. The goal of this camp was to a) weed out the scrappers, b) take those who were out-of-shape from zero to hero in a short time frame, c) develop a higher production capability environment through ability, efficiency, timing, execution and consistency, and d) set the standard for fitness, stamina, endurance and skill level (product) for the season-to-come. Take that training approach, transpose it to food/diet and you have the basics for getting into food shape.

Now, the questions are… Does this shit work? Doesn’t over-eating make you fat? How long do you over-eat? I thought carbohydrates make you fat? I thought sugar is bad for you? Are you mental?

It’s a perspective, an approach, and a pretty intuitive idea in my book. To me, it makes sense because of a two pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good reasons (and don’t worry, I’m a guinea pig so I’ll let ya know how it goes as time… goes).

  • Energy = Calories. The body needs energy to produce energy. Insufficient energy supplies (aka not eating enough calories on a daily basis just for the body’s pre-programed activities – breathing, moving, digesting, regulating body temp, eliminating, hormone producing, etc.) will cause the body to down-regulate and poorly operate. What happens to a battery-powered music-making toy if its batteries are on their last leg? It moves and makes music but it’s slow-moving and the music sounds like a Talk Boy.. but it still “works.” So, the body NEEDS energy to produce energy and in a consistent energy-deficient state, the metabolic rate will slow down and normal bodily functions no longer run at optimal speeds. Consistently put a set of new, premium batteries into your toy and it runs like new… like it should. Increased calories + increased carbohydrates = Increased metabolic rate. 
  • The body is made up of cells. Since the body is a system of systems and things can get complicated very easily due to cause and effect, think of the body on a cellular level and what helps or hinders cell health. Every single cell in the body primarily uses Glucose (SUGAR) for fuel and energy-production. Yes, cells not only use energy but they produce energy as well (muy importante!) When a cell is deprived of its go-to fuel, it must find other ways to become energized – this can be done by converting dietary or tissue-stored fats and proteins into sugars. This process actually uses 3x as much energy as cells use when running on Glucose, which means its a very inefficient and wasteful means of energy. Inefficient fuel causes the body to switch to survival mode, stress hormones are continuously released to make up for the lack of energy and inefficient energy conversion, and normal bodily functions (once again) are down-regulated and poorly operate due to the survival state. Give the body energy/calories/carbohydrates – give the body what it needs to survive, perform, run, and work normally.

Maybe I am mental, but I think it’s something to truly consider. Carbohydrates are certainly not the major epidemic that our modern medical society has made them out to be. In my book, they’re a major factor that can bring us out of daily dis-ease and chronic illness. However, the carbohydrate source, portion, timing, and the rest of the diet/lifestyle all play a factor, as well.

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Inflammation: Grains, Nuts, Seeds, & Omega 6 Fats

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I bet you can guess that this post will tell you that some of your favorite foods/snacks are unhealthy. To an extent, yes… but my main point is to give you some perspective as to why these health foods aren’t so healthy after all…

Let’s start with Phytic Acid… one unhealthy property of Grains, Nuts, and Seeds. P.A. is a natural outer coating, which protects the nut and the germ/bran portion of a grain. This layer exists to ward off passer-by animals to avoid consumption because it will certainly cause digestive issues, thus allowing the plant to fully thrive/grow. What kind of digestive issues? Malabsorption (causing nutrient deficiency) and inflammation (food intolerance, food allergy, bloating, cramps, gas, fatigue, etc.). When consumed, the acid can actually bind to certain trace minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, or Magnesium and prevent the digest system from absorbing these (and other) nutrients. So, while you may be eating a healthy food, the digestive system actually cannot break down nor absorb any of the food’s healthy properties. Soaking (8-12 hours) or Sprouting (3-4 days) Grains, Nuts, and Seeds prior to consumption can help release most of the Phytic Acid, but trace amounts may still remain.

Gluten is another malabsorption and inflammatory property, and it is found only in Grains (with the exceptions of Corn and Rice). Gluten is a Wheat Protein. The body’s digestive organs are lined with a protective mucosa layer. This layer prevents bacteria, fungus, parasites, and you-name-it from entering the body and wreaking havoc. Gluten yields antibody properties that can break down this mucosa layer and penetrate the body’s immune system. Gluten can actually create holes in the intestines and undigested food can pass freely into the bloodstream (called Leaky Gut Syndrome) – holy immune system freak out, Batman! Gluten and its anti-digestive properties can be attributed to many health and mental diseases found all over this country (and world). It makes sense because the American diet is FULL of Gluten-based foods: Bread, Pizza, Flour, Beer, Oatmeal, Cereal, Snacks and the list goes on! Now, I believe that everyone has a Gluten Sensitivity, it just depends on how sensitive a person is and how long they can tolerate its intake before health problems become prominent (a person can even have issues and not even be aware of those issues because they don’t know any different).

Omega -6 Fats, also known as Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs), are also prevalent in American diet with their presence in Grains, Nuts, Seeds, Above Ground Vegetables, and Beans (we’ll stick to Grains, Nuts, and Seeds for now). According to most Doctors, Hospital Journals, and the U.S. Government, Omega -6′s are healthy and anti-inflammatory. I call Bullshit! Why? Because a Omega -6′s molecular structure is highly unstable and are rapidly oxidized (rancid/spoil) at moderate temperatures and at moderate pressures – not only in cooking, heating, or food processing, but also in the heat and pressure of a 98 degree human digestive system. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids are called Poly-’s because they have more than one double bond (extra flimsy). Monounsaturated Fatty Acids have one double bond (flimsy) and Saturated Fatty Acids yield no bonds (strong like bull!). If these Omega -6 Fats aren’t damaged prior to consumption from food processing, packaging, and transportation, they can certainly be damaged, turn rancid, and cause inflammation when consumed. Now, different Grains have different amounts of Poly’s, as well as different Nuts and different Seeds so it’s a matter of choosing a less-inflammatory one over the other, but is it really worth it in the end if they still cause inflammation to some degree?

We covered how Grains contain THREE anti-digestive/inflammatory properties, while Nuts and Seeds contain TWO anti-digestive properties. These properties can encourage acne, eczema, rash, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue, brain fog, dehydration, constipation, weight gain, weight loss, erectile dysfunction, lack of libido, bipolar, mood swings, estrogen dominance (stress, emotional imbalance), dysbiosis, candida overgrowth, chronic infections, low immune system response, thyroid dysfunction, insulin-resistance, sugar sensitivity, dairy intolerance, food allergy, poor sleeping patterns, and you get the point. 

  • Grains to avoid: Wheat, Rye, Barley, Spelt, Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Corn (take note that most alcohol is derived from grains/contain gluten)
  • Grains that are Ok: Rice, Gluten-free (still contains some gluten)
  • Nuts to avoid: Cashew (toxic properties), Walnut
  • Nuts that are Ok: [Soaked, Raw, Sprouted] Almond, Peanut, Brazil Nut, Macadamia Nut, Hazelnut, Chestnut, Pecan
  • Seeds to avoid: Flaxseed [Oil], Linseed [Oil], Hempseed [Oil], Cottonseed [Oil], Chia Seed, Sesame Seed [Oil]
  • Seeds that are Ok: [Soaked, Raw, Sprouted] Sunflower Seed, Pumpkin Seed

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You Are What You Digest & Absorb

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Eating healthy doesn’t mean much at the end of the day if the digestive system is not working properly to digest and absorb the nutrients in the first place.

Chew food thoroughly until it is liquified so your stomach doesn’t have to break down chunks of food

Lay off the drinks during meals because it dilutes stomach acid

Consume a high quality Sea Salt that increases hydrochloric acid production within your stomach 

Eat a balanced/varied diet of cooked, living, and raw foods

Eat a balanced/varied diet full of good quality fats, good quality proteins, and good quality carbohydrates

Check that what’s coming out the other end is healthy and not a surprise

Listen to your body to tell you what you need, not what you want

Research, read, listen, learn, and take everything into perspective to use as your own

The truth about saturated fats:

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gwinning:

  • Found in animal fats and tropical oils
  • Do not normally go rancid, even when heated for cooking
  • Made in our bodies from carbohydrates
  • Constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes; they give cells stiffness and integrity
  • Needed for calcium to be effectively incorporated into skeletal system
  • Protect liver from alcohol and other toxins
  • Enhance immune system
  • Needed for proper use of EFAs (essential fatty acids)


boom.

Roasted.