Category Archives: protein

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

Question: Thoughts on the Engine 2 Diet?

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I’m not too well-versed in details of the diet, but from your short explanation and a quick read-through I gather that it’s purely plant based: no animals products whatsoever, furthermore it is a “cholesterol lowing diet” as it contains zero cholesterol-yielding foods.

I do not back this diet, nor do I back any diet that completely eliminates animal products. The Engine 2 diet “works” (as do other fad diets) but it absolutely does not promote health and longevity because it does not provide the body with essential nutrients; specifically cholesterol, saturated fat, animal proteins, and vitamins.

Shall we?

The body needs cholesterol to survive. We must supplement cholesterol through the diet (found only in saturated fat/animal sources), but our liver also produces cholesterol on a daily basis (about 70%). Cholesterol is necessary for cell structure and stability (is makes up about 80% of the cell wall). Cholesterol acts as a natural “band aid” within the immune system since it works with Vitamin D and the sun. Without enough cholesterol then the body will not absorb a proper amount of vitamin D from the sun. It is THE pre-cursor to ALL steroid hormone activity within the body – that means if there isn’t enough cholesterol present in the diet or within the body then the body does not produce enough testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, aldosterone, and progesterone. No sexy time for you. Hence why an overwhelming male population can’t get it up every day and women would rather be asexual. For the sake of a short list, lastly, cholesterol aids in the product of bile salts, which are necessary for digestion.

So, plant based diets are void of cholesterol. Years ago, biased studies were done on rats to prove that a low-fat diet lowers cholesterol (they were funded by drug companies that sold cholesterol lowering medication, by the way). The rats were fed fat-free foods and, naturally, their cholesterol levels were lowered. This is the body’s (rats AND Humans) reaction to keep itself alive – it’s a natural compensation process because not enough calories/nutrients are being consumed so it must down-regulate all other processes within the body. Cholesterol-lowering medication (called Statins) are actually killing patients.

A plant-based diet may work in the interim because it is certainly a much better alternative to the processed, gluten-filled, nutrient-void foods that are the basis of the American diet. But in no way does a plant-based diet have any sort of staying power because it still lacks a great amount of nutrients that one can ONLY receive through the consumption of animal products – saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, abundant/whole amino acid ratio proteins, and high doses of Vitamins A, B, D, E, and K.

Pop quiz, hotshot – Vitamins A, D, E, and K are PURELY FAT SOLUBLE. That means that if there isn’t a high amount of quality fat in the diet then the body cannot absorb these essential nutrients! This turns into a vitamin deficiency!

Lower cholesterol numbers look great on paper, but doctors (nor the hypnotized patients) don’t consider the side effects in the long run – vitamin deficiencies, low libido/sex drive, skin cancer, poor blood/oxygen circulation, digestive issues, food intolerances, chronic fatigue/low energy, anxiety, poor focus(a.d.d.)/mental fog, and the list goes on.

Essentially, a person on a plant-based diet is “killing” themselves slowly while the body is sent on a whirlwind of over-compensation until it cannot survive anymore. A lot of vegetarians and vegans are at opposite ends of the spectrum: they’re extremely skinny from malnourishment OR they’re very overweight ALSO from malnourishment… everyone’s body reacts differently in a time of survival based on our genetics and diet. Yes, it may be “more humane” to avoid animal products and that’s why I strongly suggest to purchase organic, pastured-raised, naturally fed animal products as their living conditions/standards far exceed anything that one will find for commercial animals (not to mention the QUALITY of the product is at least 60% more nutritious). You can choose to save an animal or to save yourself. I believe there are healthier ways to be vegetarian or vegan, but I do not believe that most know truly know how those diets and diet chooses are effecting their body’s on a physiological level.

I hope this answered your question and then some. Thanks!

QUALITY before QUANTITY

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I’m watching TV and a Kashi Cereal commercial comes on. Their sales pitch is this: One serving of Kashi has the same amount of protein as an Egg! Essentially, they’re saying that I don’t have to eat eggs anymore; I can eat cereal instead of eggs and I will receive the same amount of nutrients (because that’s what protein is: a nutrient).

No two nutrients are created equal nor do they affect the body in the same manner when ingested; i.e. this cereal example, 10 grams of soy protein =/= 10 grams of egg protein. The protein present in Kashi is soy-based. It doesn’t matter if it’s Organic or Fair-Trade or Local; it’s still SOY and not an EGG. Are people really THAT gullible or is the American public just that uneducated about their diet? I am stereotyping that both are true. The food industry is well aware of this fact and they capitalize on it with money as their goal, not a healthier public. 

There are several factors that come into play on a biological/physiological level when choosing the “right” nutrient…

1) Nutrient Source (Quality) – Animal vs Plant 

2) Nutrient Ratio (Quantity) – Fats : Carbohydrates : Proteins

3) Nutrient Type – Fats, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins, Minerals

4) Bioavailability – The body’s physical ability to use 3’s

5) Digestibility – Issues? Intolerance? Insensitivity? Dehydrating? Constipating?