Tag Archives: food

Food and nutrition labels

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Happy Monday students,

Four week ago I discussed generic health advice and how it’s a one-size-fits-all health advice crap sandwich. You know, the kind of advice that says we should consume a specific amount of calories each day, that we must weigh a specific amount in relation to our height, that we must drink a specific (copious) amount of water each day, or that we need to avoid or consume specific foods all to be “healthy.” Today’s post stems off of that – off of the blind advice we’re told on a daily basis by health professionals – by highlighting some of the marketing campaigns said professionals swear by. And I cannot help to wonder if they really know what they’re talking about: Have they done their research? Research as in not just Google-ing a few articles that all support the same claim. Research as in understanding the physiology of the body, it’s mechanisms, and how it acts or reacts. Research as in understanding the food, it’s properties, and how it acts or reacts within the body.

  • Improves digestion
  • Boosts metabolism
  • Supports immune system
  • Detoxifies
  • Heart healthy
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • Improved mental clarity
  • Increased sexual stamina

The first marketing campaign that comes to mind is “Cheerio’s can lower cholesterol in two weeks.” Does anyone know what that actually means? Does anyone actually understand the mechanism by which Cheerios – a cereal made out of genetically modified oats and corn, and synthetic vitamins – can lower cholesterol? Do most people understand what cholesterol is and its purpose in the body? Do people most people understand how food affects cholesterol levels? Or are most people on the level that high cholesterol is bad, low cholesterol is good, and to avoid food with cholesterol because too much is bad? Oh, then there’s my favorite campaign, “part of a heart-healthy diet.” What the HELL does heart-healthy mean?! System of systems. One food does not benefit only one part of the body. System. Of. Systems.

I would really like to see the studies that allude to such claims. I would really like to see all of the stipulations that go into a claim, too, because of a little thing called subjectivity: Who was the study done on? Male? Female? Child? Animal? What age? Other current health factors? Exercise program? Genetic factors? General diet? And, probably the biggest factor, who funded the study?

I want to open some perspectives on what we become numb to and sheepishly believe. Before you go reading food labels as scripture and devouring every last morsel to boost, support, lower, or improve something within your physical self, take a moment to gain perspective with your all-encompassing non-physical self as to who is making the decisions here… your better judgement or the company’s fancy label. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve overheard two women of college age in a local coffee shop conversing about beauty products and superfoods, exclaiming how said factors can do wonders for the skin and metabolism and yadda, yadda, yadda. Ok, maybe I’ve heard it only twice BUT THOSE TWO TIMES were significant enough to stick and make me think… I can’t tell if they actually know what they’re talking about or if they’re really good at memorizing labels.

 

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One-size-fits-all health advice crap sandwich

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Happy monday cadets,

I am taking a stand against universal health recommendations; specifically, diet recommendations. Because health is subjective. Health is individualized. Health is not a math equation. Health is an internal feeling that projects outwardly, not the other way around. I’m guilty of it, both heeding and suggesting and having my perspectives skewed by all the jargon that’s out there. It’s hard not to when it’s nice to be “right,” to have a positive influence on others, to feel like I have purpose. It’s hard not to with years of ingrained “health facts” that are touted as scripture… yet… they… are… constantly… changing. I wish the solution was easy as encouraging people to not take everything so literally, to try before they buy and formulate an unbiased opinion, but we live in a quick-fix world that focuses on symptoms, of which hold generic numbers and unrealistic deadlines as guidelines or goals. With that approach it just may take a little more time for people to reach their true selves rather than the continuous yo-yo plight for image. And that’s ok. I just don’t agree with it anymore and this blog, in recent weeks, has become more of a figure-out-what-makes-you-happy-and-do-it-regardless-of-what-the-masses-say approach rather than hey-listen-to-me-I-read-some-cool-and-different-shit-that-may-help.

  • No one needs a specific amount of calories; i.e. 2,000 calories
  • No one needs a specific ratio of fat, protein, or carbohydrates at a given meal, as a dietary requirement, or as a daily culmination; i.e. 50-50-50, 10-50-40, 50-30-10, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to gain muscle
  • No one needs a specific amount of water; i.e. one gallon/day, 25% upon waking
  • No one needs to eat a specific food to lose weight; i.e. grains, omega -3′s, protein powder, skim milk, health bars, caffeine
  • No one needs to avoid a specific food to lose weight; i.e. saturated fat, sugar, dairy, white flour, salt
  • No one needs to exercise to be healthy
  • No one needs to lose weight to be healthy

You get the jist? I know that actual “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods exist. But, who’s to say what is right or wrong, especially on a universal scale? Most we can agree on: Drink water, eat food, sleep, laugh, be happy. It gets stupid when we place specifics or requirements upon health and happiness: Have sex this many times a week, drink this much wine, if you’re this height then you should be this weight, and yadda… yadda… yadda. We are human and experience a similar physical reality while our mentality, thoughts, and emotions are a) completely subjective and b) have an equal, if not greater, influence on our health as our physical realities do. We hear stories about people smoking daily into their 90′s, eating bacon daily into their 90′s, or drinking alcohol daily into their 90′s. We label them as the exception because how could any of that be healthy? If it makes them truly happy, how could it not be healthy?

 

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No one is ever “unhealthy”

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Let’s throw out any preconceived notion of what “unhealthy” means. Naturally, people tend to correlate being unhealthy with being overweight (I’ll take Superficial for 200, Alex) so we’ll try to stick to that for simplicity’s sake. Weight gain isn’t unhealthy, nor is any other sort of disorder, dis-ease, or cancer once you understand the body’ s mechanism for survival (and what it takes for them to develop).

Those whom we may deem unhealthy are actually the perfect manifestation of an organism that is adapting to its environment and surviving despite internal or external conditions. Have you ever heard of the term “superbug”? You know, the bacteria strains or insects that literally become resistant from generation to generation to any medications or chemical treatments – they evolve and maintain life simply by adapting to their environment. Humans are much like that, too, only we tend to complicate things so much more with our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, BUT the autonomic instinctual adaptive mechasnisms will always be there to save us [from ourselves].

When an imbalance occurs the body will do whatever the heck it takes to survive. Those who are overweight, are diabetic, are hypothyroid, are anorexic, et cetera, et cetera, are surviving as best as they can. Given that’s really not a pleasant way to go through life – by trying to exist rather than existing – but that’s how our bodies are designed. It’s quite the most miraculous thing, really. To see an “unhealthy” person walking down the street is a true miracle of life. Their body is literally adapting to every single thing that’s thrown at it, cutting corners any way it can, and still has the energy to wake up the next morning.

Something important to note: adaptation involves energy, and in an “unhealthy” person’s case it is usually created through round-about, impractical ways and, thus, ends up using more energy than necessary. That same process of doing whatever the heck it takes to survive can become a daunting task if the problem is chronic and/or builds upon itself due to the amount of energy the body is able to create and maintain through diet and lifestyle.

If you or a loved one is “unhealthy,” first take some time to appreciate what the body is doing to maintain life. Second, verse yourself in the body’s “protective” and “defense” mechanisms that produce the “unhealthy” (survival) results. Third, research how diet and lifestyle choices affect the body on a hormonal level. And, fourth, bring the body and its hormones back into balance (homeostasis) through a new perspective. If there were a fifth: do your research, do your research, and do some more research.

 

 

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Sunday wrap up august 5th

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Miss any posts this week?

Check out the blog archives for all posts!

If you’d like to discuss these perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Recommendation: The metabolic blueprint cookbook

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Today, I’m plugging a newly-released Cookbook, which its recipes are largely based off of the dietary recommendations of Dr. Ray Peat. This is a different kind of cookbook because it also provides physiological explanations as to why specific recipes, foods and their respective nutrients are beneficial to/work synergistically with the body. The book is part of East West Healing’s Metabolic Blueprint Program. The program offers enthusiasts a basic platform to (whole)isitically understand the body, the metabolism, the metabolic mechanisms/reactions, and their relation to healthy/unhealthy biological activities.

Here are some words about the cookbook…

The Metabolic Blueprint Cookbook is one of a kind, must-read – 100+ page packed with factual information – from the basics on macro nutrients to defining what foods were designed for human consumption, to understanding how foods can heal your metabolism. More than ever before, people around the world are becoming increasingly health-minded – conscientious of the foods they eat and focusing on establishing a proper dietary regimen. However, nutritional myths currently flood the information super highway.

“The industrialization of food has degraded the actual materials that are available, but it’s still possible, with a cookbook such as this, to have a healthful, varied and enjoyable diet.”

-Ray Peat PhD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. The Basics: Understanding Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats, Coconut Oil, Gelatin, Salt, Calcium, Dairy and Food List
  2. Staple recipes: Coconut mayonnaise, roasted garlic, homemade sweetened condensed milk….and much more!
  3. Gelatin/Jello/Custard recipes
  4. Drinks, Shakes and Smoothy recipes
  5. Egg recipes
  6. Vegetables/Salads/Snack recipes
  7. Marrows and Broth recipes
  8. Shellfish/Fish recipes
  9. Meat recipes
  10. Deserts and Treat recipes
  11. Home-made Ice Cream recipes
If you are intrigued by the research/work of Ray Peat, Broda Barnes, Hans Selye, Gilbert Ling, Francis Pottenger, Weston Price, Josh Rubin, Chris Dillon, Danny Roddy, and Matt Stone, then this cookbook is right up your alley.

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Think of and use food as a supplement

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I think one of the biggest hurdles in encouraging people to eat healthy is that they lose their power to choose. Think about it: to choose what you’re going to eat, not going to eat, how much, how little, and how often is one of your only forms of control in this life. Yes, people choose to go on diets to “get healthy,” but they don’t necessarily choose the foods they’re eating or choose what falls within the diet’s guidelines. Diets suggest restriction and place limits or boundaries. They have no staying power because 1) they’re extreme and 2) they revoke our gosh-darn-god-given free right to choose! How many do you know someone who has gone “on a diet” and gone off in the not-so-distant future only to come back again… and then off… and on… and off? How many do you know someone who has gone Paleo or Low-Carb to see them really progress and then completely plateau, regress, or go sugar-crazy? And so the yo-yo saga continues.

I’m going to throw this out there: instead of completely changing your diet in the name of all-things-healthy, which usually ends up as all-things-the-hell-with-this-shit-I-want-some-damn-ice-cream, try viewing and using food as a supplement. I highlighted food because, in my experience, people will pop vitamins, toss back protein shakes, run miles upon miles, and guzzle bottles of water just so they can “balance” their I-eat-like-a-5-year-old diet and I-get-drunk-every-weekend lifestyle with an I’m-trying-to-be-somewhat-healthy-with-a-few-what-are-considered-to-be-healthy-choices approach and COMPLETELY NEGATE any possibility of simply choosing healthier food (now, the definition of healthier food is absolutely different for everyone so we won’t get into that). Food as a supplement involves exactly that – eating food – and it involves an awareness of a) what foods are healthy and b) what type, how much, and how often you need said healthy food in accordance to your lifestyle. For instance, the health-enthusiast word is rather programmed to drink a post work-out protein shake after every session to do all sorts of magically healthy things, but the main reason is to supplement energy, calories, and nutrients to an energy-calorie-and-nutrient-depleted body. Now, take this concept – to provide your body with the appropriate individualized ratio, quality, and timing of food to meet and/or replenish your unique energy demands – and transpose it to every day life!

Healthy eating doesn’t really have to be a daunting task or a complete lifestyle change as long as you are aware of the benefits it can provide compared to the choices and consequences which occur when “unhealthy eating” takes precedent. What seems to be the greatest hurdle, yet quite a simple “fix,” is actually eating any type of food to meet the demands and stress of the body and not necessarily eating poorly. The concept of supplementing food takes on a whole new dietary-approach because it gives a less-complex means to an all-encompassing end. Supplementing food provides your body with what it needs at the appropriate time and in the appropriate ratios through a cycle of experience, consequence, awareness, adaptation, preparation, and wisdom.

 

 

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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jdperryhealth@gmail.com

How often do you poop?

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As the Hippo-crates, the greats, put it, “all diseases begin in the gut.” So, in terms that you may better understand… when you ain’t poopin’, you ain’t bein’ all healthy and shit. 

This is a (whole)istic blog. We are not about – and by “we are” I mean, “me are” – we’re not about telling you to run a few daily miles, drink 8 glasses of water, eat a lot of green vegetables, and cut back on sugar! Quite the complete opposite if you haven’t caught on yet AND we’re (me’re) going to continue to talk about how often and how well you poop, pee, fart, smell, taste, hear, feel, walk, talk, think, sleep, experience, love, hate, give, take, want, need, breathe, believe, and be!

Ranting aside, pooping is a necessary DAILY function to aid in the all-sought-after “total health & well-being.” Holy shit I cannot stress DAILY… DAILY… DAIL-EE function more than enough. WebMD (which is supposedly the go-to-mecca when the question begs “what’s wrong with me?!”) is out of their mother-freakin’ minds stating that “most people pass stools anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. If your stools are soft and pass easily, you are not constipated.” What kind of back-asswards logic is that? Telling people they’re not constipated when they have perhaps FOUR DAYS worth of rotting fecal matter constantly creating toxic gases, enabling a breeding ground for bad bacteria, and recirculating toxic water into the bloodstream!

I’m not trying to scare you – I’m trying to bring some bright awareness lighting into your foyer. If you’re not pooping on a daily basis – ideally 1-3 times depending on your body’s natural way doing things – then there should be a ring-a-ding-ding in your brain saying that there’s something wrong… not, “meh, I’ll deal with it later.” The poop isn’t really to blame in this situation – it’s just trying to be poop. The problem(s) lie within the digestive system (really every system is involved/affected but we’ll keep it simple), the amount of digestive enzymes and fluids produced, the ratio/type of bacteria present, the amount and frequency of hormones produced, the quality/amount of calories/nutrients/food/water that energizes said amounts, ratio/type, and systems, and… the power of choice.

Now, there could be a number of causes which prevent poop from getting the heck out…

  • Inflammation of the intestines – a swollen intestinal wall creates a smaller passage for poop to get out, thus creating a blockage
  • Increased production of estrogen, prolactin, parathyroid, serotonin, cortisol, and adrenaline hormones – when these are made in excess (due to a natural stress response) they become pro-stress, pro-inflammatory, pro-degradation of normal bodily functions and energies – it is wise to note that many situations can create these hormones in excess
  • Imbalance of intestinal flora which can create an overdose of bacterial toxins which are reabsorbed into the bloodstream – good bacteria create a better “living environment” for poop to pass while toxins can burden the body’s functions
  • Food intolerances and food allergies – the body can only do so much with food it literally cannot digest or handle – either the food burden’s the body from doing its job or it literally stays undigested
  • Dehydration via over-hydration, under-hydration, lack of dietary salt/potassium/magnesium, water-retention, over-activity, excess stress, nutrient-void food - when dehydrated the body will often pull water from from your poop through the intestinal wall, thus leaving it hard to pass
  • Not sleeping enough – You, betcha! The body rebuilds, recovers, and regenerates its energy reserves for the next day’s fun-a-palooza. If it doesn’t have enough rest to create said reserves to function as it’s supposed to then some corners will be cut.

These are just some of the possible causes, but, again, these “causes” are really just symptoms, too. Bring the body back into homeostasis – aka everything working in order with a holistic balance of the good and the not-so-good – and you’ll be smooth sailing. Keep that awareness up and take some time to put your poop (or the lack thereof) into perspective.

If you’d like to discuss this perspective along with other health-related insights, please contact me for a FREE Conversation.

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Are microwaves healthy?

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No, it’s not that you’re lazy or that you don’t have time to make food or that you’re always in a rush. A lot of people simply do not know that much about microwaves or their possible affect on health aside from “don’t stand too close” to the thing because of the radiation exposure… but the food your about to consume is allowed to be smack in the middle of the thing without question? Hmmmm.

There’s a lot of research that says microwaves are bad, that they create carcinogens (agents that bind to DNA and affect the structure, thus causing further mutations and possibly cancer), that they affect the nutritional value of the food… but there’s a lot of research backing microwaves, claiming they’re safe, that they’re harmless, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I’m going to throw some perspectives out there to let you decide for yourself…

  • What would happen if a medical journal or well-respected doctor stood up and spoke out against microwaves – what would happen to the big corporations and investors that have a great deal of money buried in the predicted sales of microwaves?
  • Any type of high-heat cooking can create carcinogens within food. A quick, extremely high-heat exposure can destroy enzymes and nutrients in food, specifically fats and proteins, altering their structures, thus making them indigestible/unrecognizable for the human body. Flash-frying in a pan, deep-frying, and microwaves are all on the same level of heat-exposure; however the type of heat-energy makes a difference.
  • It is slowly catching on that unsaturated oils are not ideal for cooking (or for any heat or light exposure) because of their ability to oxidize, spoil, and create free radicals, and they’re just as unstable when cooked in microwaves.
  • What do most people microwave their food in? Plastic containers. BPA-free or not, it’s very likely for that plastic or colorings to melt and become part of your once-healthy meal. Glass is a much safer alternative.
  • Microwaved food just isn’t the same as stove-top, toaster-oven, or conventional-oven cooked food. What’s with the soggy pizza, man?

So, those are some perspectives from a few different angles. Hopefully I got ya thinking.

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Sunday wrap up july 15th

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Digestive cocktails all around

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In a not-too-distant past, I was asked what I would consider to be the ultimate superfood. My first inclination was Coconut Oil because, well, coconut oil is awesome. To name a few awesome reasons, it…

  • Is a saturated fat that is very stable at high temperatures and pressures (meaning it doesn’t spoil or turn rancid like many unsaturated fatty acids in said circumstance)
  • Increases metabolic rate by encouraging the body to raise its temperature to break down/digest the fat molecules
  • Aids the liver in detoxification
  • Helps regulate blood sugar by encouraging the liver to store glycogen more efficiently and functionally
  • Provides an optimal environment for the liver to convert T4 to T3 in a timely and functional manner (an essential metabolic hormone conversion)
  • Is naturally anti-bacterial/microbial/parasitic/fungal which helps balance intestinal bacteria to homeostatic ratios
  • Lowers the requirement for vitamin E (meaning it makes the body more efficient at using and storing the stuff)
  • Reduces the oxidation rate of unsaturated fat molecules when consumed simultaneously or when released as free-fatty acids due to hormonal stress,
  • Rebuilds and reinforces the lining of the intestinal tract.

Again, just a few reasons and I could go on and on, but that’ll get boring and redundant and lame and repetitive.

But, coconut oil can only do so much on its own. What about a combination of superfood’s that can do the same super things but different super things in their own super right all-the-while creating a healthier internal super environment which will translate into a healthier external super environment?! I, then, realized that the very thing that I eat every single day that has helped me greatly (amongst many other metabolic and digestive reconstruction workers) is just the superfood of superfood’s answer I was looking for!

The Carrot Salad via Dr. Ray Peat

  • 1-2 medium-sized carrots (peeled and diced)
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/3 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste

I use 1 tablespoon of each oil and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar because I don’t really mind the “oily” taste or texture, but I think the above is a good recipe for those just getting into the swing of things. Consume the salad on a daily basis: mid-morning, between 10 am and 12 pm, preferably after breakfast and before lunch. I like to consider the carrot salad as more of a dietary supplement rather than a snack because that’s the role it essentially takes on.

To further coconut oil’s awesomeness, the carrot salad…

  • Helps improve the ratio of Progesterone (pro-metabolic) to Estrogen and Cortisol (pro-stress) within the intestinal tract
  • Pushes out excess Estrogens formed within the intestines due to a pro-stress environment (processed diet, high polyunsaturated fat diet, food intolerances, food allergens, imbalance of gut flora, low blood sugar, excess physical, emotional, and mental stressors, etc.).
  • Balances intestinal bacteria that much more via the carrot fibers “carrying” the oils into the small intestine
  • Stimulates bile production within the gallbladder and liver to break down fats and decrease pathogens within the digest tract

As I elaborated in Thursday’s post, stress can cause a slew of uncommon, unaware, uncontrollable, and shit-I-never-used-to-be-like-this-what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-me problems within a person’s internal AND external environment. When a person’s digestive tract is functioning at optimal speed, output, and the right ratios of hormones are spitting out like its their job, then it will translate into the greater good of the body – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. If your body is out-of-balance in any way, shape, or form then I highly recommend this daily salad. And if your body is a-ok, in-shape, and strong-like-bull then I highly recommend this daily salad. Boom.

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