It Starts With Food
It Starts With Food
By Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
By Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
This book is great. I have tried to capture some of the key concepts and themes so that I can understand the program and keep myself motivated in my commitment to it.
The book opens with a note from the authors about how this version (second to the original version) is slightly different. The creators have adjusted some of the program rules. They have made potatoes of all kinds and salt of all kind permissible. The exception to the potato rule is french fries and chips. To this point, the author says something important. "Why don't we just remind you that fries and chips aren't really in the spirit of the Whole30?" (p.5). This helps me understand that Whole30 is not just a list of do-eat and don't-eat. It is a commitment to personal health and personal control over food.
Also regarding the potato rule, Hartwig says, "This may come in handy especially if you're very active and need to include more carbohydrate in your daily diet" (p.5). This is helpful as I consider myself active and coach athletes who are active people. The diet should be held in relation to the demands of your lifestyle. You can be a wise and informed eater.
The Foreword is written by Dr. Luc Readinger who was working at an integrative family medical practice and employed the Whole30 routine with his patients. He knew that dietary changes would make a big difference with his patients, but he also knew that it would be hard to get people to follow through. The key for him was making it as easy as possible for people to get on board.
To his joy, people did. He reports lost weight and improved energy and mood among patients. People were also able to stop certain medications.
He says this, "Not only does the food we eat have a substantial impact on our health - a fact vastly underrated in today's conventional medical community - it is the very cornerstone of good health. Out of all the tools in my medical arsenal, the Whole30 is by far the most powerful and the most applicable across a wide range of ills. It is a potent antidote tot he chronic diseases of modern society and can be used both as prevention and treatment" (p.8).
The Preface opens with a quote from Dallas and Melissa Hartwig from "Nutrition in 60 Seconds". There are a few comments I captured:
"...we are careful about where our meat, seafood, and eggs come from, and we buy organic, local produce as often as possible..."
"...we eat as much as we need to maintain strength, energy, and a healthy body weight..."
"We get all the carbohydrates we need from vegetables and fruits, while healthy fats like avocado, coconut and olive oil provide us with another excellent source of energy"
"Use this book as a means to make permanent changes to your diet and lifestyle and jump-start your journey to optimal health... whatever you are seeking - improvement in energy, mood, focus, sleep, athletic performance, symptoms, medical conditions, body composition, or quality of life... It starts with food" (p.10).
The basic theory is this:
The food you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy. Those are your options.
It's not as simple as just only eating foods that make you healthy because making choices about the food we eat is much more complicated that we might realize:
Food is highly emotional
Food is sneaky, affecting you in subtle ways you would never connect to your diet
And... today's modern food landscape is enormously confusing
The Whole30 program will "teach you how to turn yourself into a scientific experiment... so you can figure out for yourself, once and for all, whether the foods you're eating are making you more healthy or less healthy... You'll be able to make educated, informed food choices for the rest of your life" (p.13).
Dallas and Melissa then share their own stories of their relationship with food. Neither of them were overweight or "unhealthy" by most standards, but they saw an opportunity for improvement. They had also heard that "you need at least thirty days of dedication to make a real difference" (p.15). So they committed.
Melissa says:
"energy level skyrocketed - and stabilized"
"started losing body fat without even trying"
"performance in the gym, which had plateaued, suddenly started improving again"
"I was falling asleep easier, staying asleep longer, and waking up without an alarm clock"
"But the most remarkable thing was how this thirty-day adventure completely changed my relationship with food and eating" (p.16)
For Dallas, the 30 day experiment "brought to light the impact of removing all of the potentially harmful foods and beverages in his diet for an extended period of time" (p.16).
When they shared their experience in their blog and outlined the rules, other people got on board too. And their results were equally as amazing.
The Hartwig's give credit to Robb Wolf, the creator of the Paleo diet, for much of the framework behind Whole30. "As a result, the basics of our food recommendations look a lot like the fundamental tenets of the Paleo diet" (p.18). The Paleo theory is based on the premise that, as humans, we are genetically adapted to the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors.
The Hartwig's take time to "demystify" the Paleo diet, which I am thankful for. They say, "we agree that foods advocated by the Paleo diet are the healthiest choices in today's modern age," and they are convinced on the results of the research of Paleo proponents. Most helpful and important is their statement that, "We are far more concerned with health than we are with history... We care about what is making us, here and now, more or less healthy" (p.19). They even address the theory from the perspective of a Creationist. I'm thankful for this, not only because I am a Creationist, but because it reveals their balanced and sensible approach understanding health.
I believe I can fully embrace the Whole30 theory as a Creationist. I believe I can even fully embrace the Paleo theory as a Creationist. I just have to reconcile it with my worldview. If God created life and made provision for its sustenance through naturally occurring means such as plants and animals, then I believe that the best diet is the most whole and natural diet - as close as possible to that which God has designed.
Keeping with their balanced and sensible approach, the Hartwig's seek to reconcile the often confusing and conflicting claims of all the food research that is swirling around. All too often, research will promote one thing one day, and then promote the opposite thing another day. The conclusion that the Hartwig's embrace is a combination of...
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH + CLINICAL EXPERIENCE + SELF-EXPERIMENTATION
"Grounded in science, based on thousands of observations and proven results, and anchored with a thirty-day structured self-experiment. Win-win-win" (p.21).
The Hartwig's establish four, nonnegotiable "Good Food Standards". They will not recommend any food that does not meet these four criteria.
The foods that we eat should:
Promote a healthy psychological response
Promote a healthy hormonal response
Support a healthy gut
Support immune function and minimize inflammation
"What is food?" is the question asked before getting into any more details about the Good Food Standards. Food is complex and "all whole, unprocessed food is a rich, complex blend of nutrients. We broadly organize these components into two major classifications: micronutrients and macronutrients" (p.25).
MICRONUTRIENT: an essential compound needed only in relatively small amounts. Micronutrients serve in a wide variety of biological functions. Examples of micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Foods with the right amounts and wide varieties of micronutrients are essential to health.
MACRONUTRIENT: a group of chemical compounds consumed in large amounts and necessary for normal growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions. In humans, the three macronutrients are carbohydrate, protein, and fat.
CARBS: all carbs break down in the body into simple sugars for energy. Some are complex and some are simple.
PROTEINS: composed of long chains of amino acids, protein is necessary for building, maintaining and repairing almost all structures in your body.
FATS: come in free form or built into complexes. They belong to one of three families: saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated. Fats help absorb and transport nutrients, they are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system, and provide slow-burning energy.
CALORIES: are the measurement for how much energy is contained in each type of macronutrient. Carbs and proteins contain 4 calories per gram, while fats contain 9.
Weight loss is not as simple as just reducing calories. The Good Food Standards include all the dynamics at play in healthy eating (which includes weight management). A good diet will adhere to the four Good Food Standards.
Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 will address each Good Food Standard.
"Surprised that we're leading off with psychology and not calories, energy or metabolism?... we think the psychological effects of your food choices are perhaps the most important factors to consider during your healthy-eating transformation" (p.28).
The reason many people fail to overcome unhealthy eating habits is because they don't deal with the psychological effects of food. In many ways this is the root issue because your attitude, or your "mind" about food will govern your decisions about food. Renewing your mind will transform your patterns.
The other sneaky trick that many unhealthy foods play on us is that "They are designed to mess with your brain. They are built to make you crave them. They make it hard for you to give them up" (p.29).
"We are going to help you understand why you crave the foods you do and explain how these unhealthy foods trick you into eating them..." (p.29).
Personal Note:
The way that the Hartwig's describe food cravings parallel that of the spiritual battle with sin and temptation. "Cravings aren't merely about your behavior related to the food in question - they're about your emotional motivation and the conditioning (habit) that is created with repeated satisfaction... In addition, your capacity to visualize the food and imagine its taste are strongly correlated with craving strength - so the more you fantasize about indulging, the less likely you are to resist... [they leave us] stuck in a cycle of relentless urges, short-term satisfaction, and long-term guilt, shame, anxiety, and weight gain..." (p.30).
Discipline and self-control is a characteristic of spiritual health and strength. I am finding a direct relationship between dietary purity and self-control and spiritual purity and self-control. This has absolutely been the best part of my Whole30 journey, and a part that I didn't even expect.
What's happening behind out cravings, habits, and patterns? "It all starts with biology and nature" (p.30). Foods signal a pleasure and reward sequence when consumed. Modern engineered foods replicate this sequence, but it is deceiving. "Food scientist caught on to the fact that our brains respond strongly to specific flavors (such as the aforementioned sweet, fatty, and salty), and, armed with this knowledge, they began to modify our whole foods... All of this with the specific intention of inducing cravings, overconsumption, and bigger profits for food manufacturers" (p.31).
This leads to a cycle of craving foods that leave us malnourished. The Hartwig's call this "food with no brakes". "The idea of food brakes can be explained by satiety and satiation...
Satiety - When you've digested and absorbed enough calories and nutrients to satisfy your body's needs, hormones signal to your brain that "I am well nourished now," which decreases your desire for food (p.32).
Satiation - As you eat, you perceive various sensations... all of which send your brain status updates to help you determine whether you still want more (p.33).
"Food with no brakes"/"supernormally stimulating without adequate nutrition" are designed to be craved, but do not produce the response of satiety or satiation, so we keep eating them. This is a violation of the first Good Food Standard, the promotion of a healthy psychological response. They have the power to rewire our brain and keep us coming back for more and more.
Stress makes the cycle worse.
Can you identify the foods in your life that have this emotional and psychological response?
"Reconnecting delicious, rewarding food with the nutrition and satiety that nature intended is the key to changing these habits" (p.38).
"Our second Good Food standard states that the food you eat should produce a healthy hormonal response in the body" (p.39).
HORMONES: Chemical messengers that are usually transported in the bloodstream. They have many roles, but one essential function is to keep things in balance.
Eating and digesting food causes a hormonal response in the body. "These hormonal responses control the use, storage, and availability of nutrients" (p.40).
While there are many hormonal players, the book will focus on four.
Insulin / Leptin / Glucagon / Cortisol
"These four hormones (along with many others) form a complex, elegant - but not indestructible - web of feedback loops that influence all body systems" (p.40).
An anabolic ("building, storing") hormone directly controlling or influencing energy storage, cell growth and repair, reproductive function, and blood sugar levels. Insulin responds to the "ingestion of energy, most notably from carbohydrate".
When we ingest carbohydrates, they are broken down into simple sugars and absorbed into the bloodstream causing a rise in blood sugar (glucose). In order to regulate blood sugar levels, insulin is secreted by the pancreas into the bloodstream and bring things back to normal.
Insulin signals cells in the body to pull glucose out of the bloodstream and move it into storage. Insulin sensitivity is the term used to describe healthy operation of insulin in the body. When you have proper insulin sensitivity, your body is communicating just how much energy and nutrients you need, and how much is stored to keep blood sugar levels at a normal level.
Chronically high levels of blood sugar (hyperglycemia) are harmful to the body, so managing blood sugar is critical for long-term health.
Glucose that is taken out of the bloodstream is used for energy, or stored for future use in two places - the liver and muscles. It is stored as a complex carb called glycogen. The liver can release glycogen back into the bloodstream if needed for energy. Glycogen stored in muscle cells stays there to provide energy for your muscles.
Glycogen in your liver and muscles is like the fuel tank of your body.
Overconsumption of carbohydrates:
Prevents the burning of fat for energy in the metabolic process because of excess sugars.
Causes the "fuel tank" (liver and muscles) to fill up and reject glucose, which then results in the creation of triglycerides in the blood.
This causes another out-of-balance response of another hormone in the body, leptin...
"An 'energy balance' hormone that is secreted primarily by fat cells and is released in proportion to the amount of fat stored. Leptin tells the brain how much body fat is stored and regulates both energy and intake and energy expenditure to keep body fat levels in balance. Overconsumption of nutrient-poor, supernormally stimulating carbohydrates leads to chronically elevated triglycerides and blood sugar levels, which promotes leptin resistance and an increase in fat storage, accompanied by greater insulin resistance" (p.43).
Sometimes referred to as a "satiety hormone", Leptin helps to communicate when your hungry and when your full. High leptin levels tell you you're full, while low leptin levels tell you you're hungry. Leptin also has a protective function where it will communicate to the body the need to store fat for longer term energy for survival in the event of food shortage (which I have never once felt the treat of, praise God).
Fat cells secret leptin to tell your brain how fat you are, and whether you need to seek more food or less food, or more activity or less activity to maintain good balance.
As with insulin, when you chronically overconsume "food-with-no-brakes" your system is flooded with glucose and triglycerides build up in the liver and bloodstream. This begins to impair your brain from "hearing" leptin's message, a condition called leptin resistance.
Your brain doesn't know your actually fat levels and may tell you to eat more and move less when you really need to eat less and move more.
Melissa says "a hallmark of leptin resistance is uncontrollable cravings after dinner." Your brain and leptin are not communicating correctly.
Leptin resistance leads to insulin resistance in a vicious cycle.
"Over-carb-sumption" is the word the Hartwig's use to describe over-consumption of supernormally stimulating carb-heavy food-with-no-brakes.
This leads to chronically elevated triglyceride and blood sugar levels, which impairs your brain's sensitivity to leptin's message, aka leptin resistance.
You become metabolically reliant on sugar for energy and accumulate fat in the body and liver with excess glucose and triglycerides in the blood stream.
The body attempts to store excess glucose in cells, but they resist - becoming insulin resistant.
Cells are damaged as the body "force-feeds" glucose into the cells by increasing insulin levels. The pancreas is working overtime to produce insulin, but the cells are working overtime to resist.
At this point, cells will respond by producing "free radicals" causing cellular damage. Your immune system responds by releasing inflammatory chemicals and immune cells. This immune response is termed systemic inflammation.
Chronically high levels of blood sugar is called hyperglycemia. This often leads to Type 2 Diabetes, which is a condition where your body is no longer able to produce enough insulin to keep your blood sugar within healthy parameters. Hyperinsulinemia (chronically high levels of insulin) can lead to all sorts of other health problems as well.
"A catabolic ("energy access") hormone secreted from the alpha calls of the pancreas in response to the demand for energy, either as a result of activity or after several hours without eating ("fasting"). Glucagon unlocks the one-way door out of storage cells (like liver and fat cells) and allows you to access the energy you've previously stored. Chronic stress, protein intake, and low blood sugar levels stimulate glucagon release. Glucagon's function is inhibited by elevated insulin and free fatty acids in the blood" (p.49).
Glucose - one form of sugar found in food and is also the type of sugar circulating in the bloodstream.
Glycogen - the stored form of glucose, found in the liver and muscles.
Glucagon - the energy access hormone, which triggers the conversion of glycogen in the liver back into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream for use as energy.
Glucagon prevents blood sugar levels from falling too low, a condition called "hypoglycemia". It does this by telling the body to break down stored fat and convert stored liver glycogen into glucose. High insulin levels in the blood interfere with glucagon's signal. High-carb diets keep insulin levels high and overwhelm glucagon's signal.
"Glucagon can't help us stabilize blood sugar and access fat for energy if insulin levels are chronically elevated" (p.51).
"The 'stress hormone' secreted from the adrenal glands to help the body recover from an acute fight-or-flight stress response. It is secreted in response to low blood sugar, physical or psychological stress, intense and prolonged exercise, and sleep deprivation. Cortisol plays a key role in salt metabolism, blood pressure, immune function, and energy regulation. It raises blood sugar by stimulating glycogen breakdown. Chronically elevated cortisol promotes insulin resistance and tends to elevate leptin levels" (p.51).
"Cortisol has a circadian rhythm that is controlled by the light-dark cycle" (p.51). It helps your wake-up and wind-down rhythm every day. Artificial light, such as that from TV, phone, computer, can deceive your body into thinking daytime and upset your hormonal rhythm (like melatonin secretion).
Cortisol works with glucagon to keep blood sugar levels (energy) at a healthy level. This often happens in response to stress, such as lack of sleep, overexercising, psychological stress, fasting, and eating too little (excessive calorie restriction). These signals tell you body to preserve body fat as a safety procedure.
"Stress, which causes chronically elevated cortisol levels, increases blood sugar levels and contributes to insulin resistance" (p.53). Stress-induced overeating is a result of elevated cortisol levels. It also affects thyroid function, leading to metabolic slowdown.
Next Melissa will describe a "good day" and a "bad day" in terms of eating and the corresponding hormone response (pages 54-58). She then helps us understand what a lifestyle of "bad day" eating and hormone function could do over a longer period of time, say three years (p.58-59).
Hormonal disruption is a huge factor in your relationship with food and cause your body to develop addictions to certain eating patterns. "Remember that hormones create and perpetuate these dysfunctions. And the single largest factor in the balance and function of these hormones is food" (p.60).
"The good news is that even after decades of poor eating habits and hormonal dysfunction, all the way through leptin resistance, insulin resistance, and, in many cases, a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, your health condition is highly reversible" (p.61).
"Our third Good Food standard evaluates the effect of certain foods on the digestive tract. We believe you should consume only foods (and drinks) that support normal, healthy digestive function..." (p.63).
Melissa will first discuss what normal gut function looks like. "The purpose of your digestive tract (or gut) is to absorb nutrients from food, but it is also a prominent part of the immune system" (p.63). The digestive and immune functions of the gut are inextricably intertwined.
Your digestive system has three major components: the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. On page 64 and 65, Melissa provides a "food road trip" that described the journey of food from your mouth, through the stomach, small intestine and large intestine, and the processes that are happening. She includes the important function of the liver and gallbladder as well.
The small intestine is the key to a healthy digestive tract. It's most important job is to effectively absorb nutrients - keeping bad stuff out and getting good stuff in. 70 to 80 percent of your entire immune system is stationed in your gut. That's why immune function is such a big part of gut health as well.
"Keeping the right stuff in and the wrong stuff out is critical to a healthy gut." (p.66)
"Leaky gut syndrome" is a condition where the intestinal lining is too permeable and therefore isn't functioning properly. Toxins will get in and trigger an immune reaction in the body.
The integrity of your intestinal lining critical for good health.
Your body has a special relationship with bacteria - trillions of them. Most of them these bacteria are in your gut. They help regulate immune activity. Balance is the key.
Bad stuff will get into your body when your gut lining is weak and permeable or compromised. And Melissa says, "Poor food choices are to blame. Poor food choices flood your gut with bad guys, overwhelming your immune system" (p.70).
"The importance of your gut as a healthy, intact barrier cannot be overstated" (p.71). It has a lot to do with everything - immune health, visceral fat deposition, intestinal inflammatory conditions...
Thankfully, Melissa tells us again that this condition is reversible by doing this one simple thing: Change the food you put on your plate.
"Our final Good Food standard, clearly linked to the third standard, states that your food choices should support immune function and minimize inflammation" (p.73).
Chronic systemic inflammation - excessive, ongoing, damaging immune activity that can be a result of the food you put in your body.
"Inflammation, put simply, is the immune system doing its job... [it] indicates a mobilization of your immune system" (p.74).
Inflammation is good, but it can become bad when it persists too long (duration) or it spreads too far (location). Acute inflammation is your body's initial, short-response to damage. It decreases as your body heals. Chronic inflammation stretches the inflammatory response over a long period of time and inhibits the healthy rebuilding of normal tissue. Localized inflammation is targeted at the point of damage and no further. Systemic inflammation means "full body" where the immune response spreads through the blood stream and goes everywhere.
Your immune system works by detecting what is "self" and what is "non-self". Harmful, non-self intruders can get into your system and cause problems. "Your fork is the easiest vehicle for them to hitch a ride on" (p.75).
Certain foods can cause immune chaos, causing your immune cells to "create antibodies to fight what would normally be perfectly healthy and good" (p.76).. This can lead to food sensitivities or allergies, systemic inflammation, and possibly an autoimmune condition.
"Today, while there are still multiple theories... we've learned that systemic inflammation contributes directly to insulin resistance and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, chronic inflammatory diseases (like IBS and asthma), bone and joint disease (like osteoporosis and arthritis), neurological conditions (like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), and most certainly weight gain" (p.79). Inflammation also contributes to allergies, acne, eczema and other skin conditions, depression, ADHD, and mood swings.
Systemic inflammation also inhibits your bodies ability to recover from exercise and training. "Giving your body enough time and resources to repair damage and build new tissue is critical to becoming stronger, faster, and healthier" (p.81). You may be more likely to get injured and overtrain because of systemic inflammation.
Melissa says, "if you are eating any of the foods we're about to discuss in the next section, there's a pretty good chance that you have some chronic systemic inflammation. These foods elicit inflammation both directly and indirectly, and their effects are largely universal" (p.81).
"Your genetic makeup certainly plays a role in everything... But even more important that the genes in your DNA sequence is which of those genes get turned on" (p.83).
Epigenetics is the intersection of your genes and your environment.
"Environmental inputs" affect gene expression. This can be almost anything, but the food we eat is one of the biggest environmental triggers.
"This is where we talk about all of the food groups that don't pass our four Good Food standards" (p.87).
My purpose is to understand why these foods don't pass the standards and make this a sort of quick reference guide. I love this statement: "At some point, you will have to weigh the fleeting pleasure of a slice of pizza, pint of beer, or frozen yogurt..." (p.89). Such a great principle for discipline.
Taste/reward sensation is so stimulating in become addictive.
Hormone imbalance - primarily leptin resistance - results from blood sugar spikes, and excess carbs turning in to triglycerides. And elevated cortisol levels promote stress-related cravings that make you reach for more sweet foods.
Refined sugars feed bad bacteria in your gut (dysbiosis).
Overconsumption and dysbiosis cause an inflammatory response.
Fruit has sugar in it, but fruit is also a nutrient dense natural food. Fruit contains a lot more than just sugar. But still, sugar intake should be limited.
Alcohol is addictive and inhibits your inhibitory mechanisms.
Alcohol interferes with glucose function and regulatory hormones like insulin and glucagon. It increases insulin secretion. Alcohol also inhibits testosterone production.
Alcohol directly promotes gut permeability and overgrowth of gut bacteria. It impairs cellular immunity.
Alcohol is pro-oxidative, contributing to oxidation in the body - reducing antioxidant levels by increasing free radicals, contributing to chronic systemic inflammation.
Alcohol is also neurotoxic. It alters normal nervous system activity and can cause damage to nervous tissue and kill neurons. Not good for athletes.
Seed oils violate the fourth Good Food standard.
They contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and a large amount of omega-6 fatty acids. "Diets high in these types of fats - specifically when derived from seed oils - have been shown to directly promote systemic inflammation" (p.97).
PUFA's like omega-6 and omega-3 are essential for health and must be obtained through the food we eat. But too much can cause inflammation.
"Almost every restaurant cooks with them" (p.98). And they are contained in a lot of different processed foods.
Melissa shares three violations of industrialized seed oils:
Oxidation (going rancid) because of the removal of antioxidants from the oils during processing. This increases the presence of free radicals and can become toxic in the body.
Fats build and maintain our cell membranes. When too much PUFA-rich seed oil is ingested, it makes up a larger proportion of our cell membranes and makes our cells vulnerable.
Too much omega-6 and not much omega-3 in seed oils throws our body's fatty acids out of balance.
"The smartest choice is to avoid all seed oils" (p.101).
"We suspect that this is one topic quite likely to spur controversy. See, our general nutritional recommendations don't include grains of any kind - no breads, cereals, pasta, rice, not even gluten-free grains or pseudo-cereals like quinoa. No, not even whole grains" (p.103).
"We make no apologies, however, because all the people who have been selling you whole grains for health all these years have just been plain wrong" (p.103).
"Grains are seeds of plants in the grass family. This includes wheat, oats, barley, rye, millet, corn (maize), rice (including wild rice), sorghum, teff, triticale, spelt, kamut, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa" (p.104).
The refining process removes most of the original nutrients in the whole grain kernel, but still leaves almost all of the calories. The flour from refined grains forms the foundation for most junk food.
"It should come as no surprise, as practically everyone agrees that refined grains, and the products made from white flour, do not make you healthier" (p.106).
There is little regulation on what can be labeled "Whole Grain". Don't trust everything.
"Whole grains" maintain all parts of the grain kernel (bran, germ, endosperm).
"The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical scale used to quantify how fast fifty grams of carbohydrate from a particular food can raise blood glucose level. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a higher GI..." (p.107).
"The glycemic index is largely irrelevant to making Good Food choices" (p.108).
"Grains are not (we repeat, not) nutrient-dense when compared with vegetable and fruit" (p.108). You're not missing out if you don't eat grains. "There is not a single health-promoting substance present in grains that you can't also get from vegetables and fruit" (p.110).
There are also protein structures in grains that have been found to create transient increases in gut permeability (p.113). This is a violation of the third Good Food Standard and increases the inflammation response, which is a violation of the fourth Good Food Standard. Gluten, for example, is one such protein. It is resistant to digestion and causes localized inflammation in the gut. Celiac disease (CD) and gluten sensitivity (GS) are both forms of a hyper-reactive immune response to gluten.
Prolamins (protein structures) exist in grains of all kinds and call all have undesirable health effects.
Problematic proteins trigger inflammation in the gut, which can cascade into systematic inflammation in your body. "[T]he inflammatory consequences are virtually unlimited" (p.115). This is not limited only to gluten, so gluten-free stuff is still not a great health choice.
"Next up is another plant family that has a lot in common with grains: legumes. Legumes include all types of beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts... Like cereal grains, plants in this family have similarities in the way they behave and what chemical constituents they contain, which impacts us when we eat them" (p.117)
The part of the legume that we eat (beans, peas, soy...) is the seed. It is high in carbohydrate. They are not milled like grains often are so they are essentially the same composition as a whole grain.
Like whole grains, legumes include phytates, which bind nutrients and make them unavailable to our bodies. They simply aren't that nutritious.
Sugars in legumes aren't properly absorbed in the small intestine and become food for bacteria. The fermentation of these sugars by the bacteria cause gas and boating. They can also feed bad bacteria in your gut.
FODMAP's are fermentable carbohydrates that cause gastric distress because they are poorly absorbed and feed gut bacteria.
Soy is a legume that is high in protein, but soybeans contain compounds called isoflavones, which are types of phytoestrogens (female sex hormone from plants). Our bodies recognize this as estrogen in our systems and can cause a hormonal response.
Peanuts contain uniquely disruptive proteins. "All legumes contain protein structures that can be harmful to humans" (p.120). One specific protein is lectin. Lectin is resistant to digestion and will cause an immune response.
The discussion on dairy is somewhat complicated. "There are many functional components of dairy that, depending on the source and the individual consuming it, can be highly problematic, generally benign, or even beneficial" (p.123).
"Milk is an energy-dense hormone delivery system." It is designed for growing infants. "In this context, milk is the perfect food" (p.124).
Once weaned however, "the growth and immunological messages from mother's milk are no longer needed, nor appropriate." All the important nutrients that a weaned child or teenager needs can be obtained from whole foods that are age-specific, and come without the potential medical conditions linked with dairy consumption.
Milk proteins can be divided into these to categories: casein and whey. Again, they are building blocks for baby cows. There are compounds in milk that have a physiological function special to the mother-child relationship. "The effects of these potently bioactive 'food hormones' from another species on human adults is largely unknown" (p.126).
"Cheese is most commonly made from concentrated casein that has been blended with enzymes that partly digest the casein molecules, liberating some of these morphine-like compounds (casomorphins)... Casein, especially when it comes from aged cheese, also causes a specific type of immune system reaction called a histamine response in many people" (p.126).
"Whey is a blend of multiple types of smaller proteins and hormones..." All designed as a powerful growth promoter. "For this reason, milk is a highly insulinogenic food..." (p.127) Which means it releases very large amounts of insulin when consumed.
"Frequent insulin spikes from regular consumption of whey protein could be harmful in a manner similar to chronic over-carbsumption and the resulting hyperinsulinism in those with metabolic syndrome... Casein protein supplements, while not highly insulinogenic, are poorly tolerated by most people... In general, opt for nutrient-dense meat, seafood, and eggs instead of nutrient-poor processed dairy proteins after exercise" (p.127-128).
"There is more to this story that just the protein fractions of milk - the carbohydrate components can also cause problems... lactose." If lactose cannot be properly digested, it will cause bloating and gastrointestinal upset, and can potentially contribute to an imbalance of gut bacteria.
You can get all the health benefits of dairy (including calcium!) from other, healthier sources without all the baggage. Calcium from vegetable sources may prove more bioavailable anyway.
[For an in-depth explanation of your body's relationship to calcium, see pages 129-131]
*Healthy bones and bone density are always part of the calcium conversation. Melissa debunks some myths and explains the bodily processes that contribute to this. She also suggests regular resistance training/weight lifting as a critical way to maintain and improve healthy bone density.
The food mentioned in the last four chapters are rarely eaten in isolation. "We eat them all together" (p.136). Therefore, Melissa adds, "The effects of these foods on our bodies and our brains are cumulative."
This is a condition where your own immune cells get confused and attack your own body, causing damage. "Food may play the most significant role of all" in triggering autoimmune diseases (p.137).
The cause of this is believed to begin in your gut - where 70 to 80 percent of your immune system is stationed. A "leaky gut" or increased intestinal permeability, allows things in the body that don't belong there, triggering an immune response. "In theory, leaky gut can become a confused immune system, which can become an autoimmune disease... The good news is that most of these cumulative effects... are, in most cases, highly reversible" (p.139). It starts with food!
So, what should you eat??? "Let's talk about the foods that meet all four of our Good Food standards - the foods that should be on your plate... each of these food groups also has specific properties that have positive effects on your health" (p.141).
The Hartwig's encourage you to include "some high-quality, nutrient-dense protein with each meal" (p.142). And balance your protein with plenty of plant matter (fruits and veggies) and healthy fats.
Healthy sources of fat provide energy and keep your metabolism humming.
Protein is necessary for "growth and repair of skin, hair, tendons, ligaments, and muscles; helps you recover from general activity and exercise; and is used to produce hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies" (p.142).
"Protein is made of amino acids. There are twenty-one amino acids, nine of which are 'essential' (cannot be synthesized by the human body) and must be obtained from food. A complete protein is a protein source that contains all of the essential amino acids. All animal protein sources are complete, while most plant-based protein sources are incomplete" (p.143).
Protein is the most satiating of all nutrients.
Not all meats are equal. There are two questions to ask when selecting meats:
How was the animal raised?
What food was it fed?
It is best to select meats that come from animals that are raised as close to "natural" as possible. Words that help to identify if the meat is naturally raised (vs. factory farmed) are:
grass-finished
grass-fed
pastured
certified organic
hormone- and antibiotic-free
wild-caught
Meat from industrial, factory-farmed animals contains contaminants, most of which are fat-soluble. So trim the fat on your meat if it's factory-farmed. If its naturally raised, fat is ok.
Try to keep a high variety of animal protein in your meal routine.
Cholesterol
The Hartwig's help quell some of the confusion about cholesterol, which is found in high doses in eggs. High cholesterol levels in your blood can be harmful, leading to heart disease and stroke, but the vast majority of blood cholesterol comes not from your diet but is produced by your own body. "So what would make your body produce abnormally high amounts of cholesterol? Overcarbsumption and systemic inflammation, that's what" (p.148).
The effect of high or low cholesterol in your body must be understood in its specific context, but one of the most reliable ways to determine your risk for hart disease is to divide your triglycerides by your HDL-C. A ratio of 2 or less is ideal, 4 is considered high, and 6 is dangerous.
Vegetables are good for you. Here's why.
They are a nutrient-dense source of carbohydrate. "Choosing vegetables as your primary source of carbs is a great way to get all the energy you need in a micronutrient-dense package" (p.153).
Vegetables are anti-inflammatory and they provide the richest source of antioxidants that fight against the effects of free radicals. Strenuous exercise (like that of student-athletes) increases production of free radicals in the body. To combat the resulting inflammation, student-athletes and those who are highly active need a good daily dose of veggies.
Vegetables and fruits have the highest natural concentration of antioxidants.
The Hartwig's suggest eating a wide variety of vegetables and they provide a "Vegetable Top 20" list on page 155.
Fruit is also good for you. Here's why.
Fruit is a nutrient-dense source of carbohydrate. They also help reduce the risk of systemic inflammation. For a "Fruit Top 10" list, see page 158.
Good fats are good because:
they are an excellent source of energy
they are critical to any metabolic process
they are critical building blocks for organs, cells and hormones
they provide satisfaction and satiety
they provide good calories to maintain a healthy body weight and activity level
A diet that concentrates mostly on animal protein, fruit and vegetables will be low in calories compared to a diet comprised of calorie-dense carbs like grains, legumes, sugars and processed foods. Good fats will fill the gap and provide the calories that you need. Fat has twice the gram-for-gram calories as carbohydrate and protein.
Fat in our bodies will provide energy for "low-intensity activity". Glycogen is used for short-term (max 90 minutes), high-intensity activity. Being "fat-adapted" means your body is able to efficiently utilize fat as energy.
Carbs are needed for those high-intensity activities, and fat is used for life's lower-intensity activities (which are the majority of your activities in a 24 hour day).
There are three different categories of fats: monounsaturated, saturated, and polyunsaturated.
MUFAs are the most popular. They are found in a variety of plant foods and oils as well as animal products. Avocados and olives (and their oils) are good sources of MUFAs. Macadamia and hazelnuts are the top nut choices.
SFAs in natural foods are not bad for you. The Hartwig's bust some Sat-Fat myths on pages 168 through 170. They also give some advice for selecting good quality animal fats, which are good sources of SFAs (and MUFAs too).
Coconut is a great non-animal source of SFAs and also contains healthy meduim-chain triglycerides (MCTs).
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are two common PUFAs. "You want some omega-3 in your diet to help reduce inflammation, but you don't want too much of either omega-3 or omega-6, lest that lead to more inflammation" (p.174). Melissa recommends:
Significantly reduce the amount of omega-6 and total PUFAs in your diet.
Eat some naturally occurring omega-3.
Nuts and seeds, if consumed in excess, could provide too much omega-6 and total PUFAs in your diet. Raw forms, or as raw as possible are the better route because they maintain their natural antioxidants. The best choices for nuts are cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamias.
Nuts can be over-consumed and have an effect that might violate the first Good Food Standard. Because of their PUFA and caloric content, consider keeping them as an "occasional" snack.
Eating good quality meats from animals raised in their natural environment is a great way to get healthy omega-3s.
Melissa makes three very important points to wrap up the section:
Focus on meat, seafood and eggs from animals raised in their natural environment. "In our opinion the potential downsides of industrially raised meat, seafood, and eggs are far more harmful than the residue left on produce (non-organic)" (p.177).
Conventional vegetables and fruit are better than no vegetables and fruit. Source is important, but not as important as simply getting your greens.
Do the best you can with what you've got. Don't get so stressed about the quality of your food that you no longer enjoy eating.
The Hartwig's give some great principles for your daily eating routine. They won't tell you how much to eat. They trust that your body will tell you that. I figured a bullet-point list would be sufficient to capture the important points from this chapter.
Work to establish healthy built-in hormonal regulatory mechanisms to inform you how much to eat. So you can listen to your body and it won't lie to you.
The same goes for a normal blood sugar range.
It is important to have a great composition of macro and micronutrients in your diet.
Find joy in the natural routine of eating good foods.
Ultimately, IT'S UP TO YOU.
Eat meals at the table, with minimal distractions, where you chew thoroughly.
This of eating as a nourishing experience.
Eat three meals a day. [Unless you have an exceptionally high metabolism. Then you might consider four meals a day.]
Don't snack, if you can help it. Allowing time between meals gives your hormones a chance to do what their supposed to do.
Stop eating a few hours before bedtime.
It's "biologically appropriate" to eat first thing in the morning. So eat your first meal within an hour of waking. (See notes from Chapter 21 about how to eat if you're working out first thing in the morning.
Coffee is fine, but if you're dependent on it that means your cortisol levels are not as healthy as they should be. Eat meal 1 before you have coffee.
Meal 1 should focus on protein, fat and nutrient-dense veggies. Limit fruit.
You shouldn't have to snack if M1, M2 and M3 are good.
Snacking (grazing) disrupts your normal functioning of leptin, insulin, and glucagon.
If you're hungry between meals, eat more next time.
If you must snack, focus on satiating proteins and fats.
Eating before bed can impede growth hormone release, which is critical for tissue regeneration and grown and repair of many cells in the body.
PROTEIN:
Protein is the priority on your plate.
One to two "palm-size" servings.
You can afford to overindulge in M1.
Go by your size and your activity level.
VEGGIES:
Fill the rest of your plate with veggies.
Shoot for at least two different types per meal.
FRUIT:
One to two servings per day.
One serving is about the size of your fist.
Eat small servings of fruit throughout the day. Fructose (fruit sugar) must be processed by the liver. Don't overburden your liver with a huge fruit serving all at once.
FATS:
Choose one or more fat sources per meal.
Melissa gives some suggestions on page 194 (oils, clarified butter, olives, nuts and seeds, avocado, coconut...)
"Feel free to add more than our recommended quantities, but never add less" (p.195).
Melissa says it might take a while before your body gets back to normal in terms of hormone function and your relationship with food. Be patient. But also listen to your body as you go along. If you're still hungry after a good meal, eat more next time. If you're still struggling with cravings, or an afternoon crash, reevaluate your meal composition. Ultimately, you must become the master of your own plan and your own body.
To determine the difference between "hunger" and "craving", Melissa says "as yourself, Am I hungry enough to eat steamed fish and broccoli?" If the answer is yes, then you are still hungry, so you should eat something. If the answer is no, you're simply dealing with a craving.
The goal is to get to the point where you can trust the signals your body is sending you.
"And if you're hungry or brain-foggy between meals, your energy is flagging or your performance in the gym or playing sports is starting to slip, then you can surmise that you're not eating enough. So what do you do? You start making each meal a little bigger!" (p.198). I've been capturing statements like these because I feel like this is most often my issue. I'm pretty active, have a high metabolism, I'm usually hungry and I find I can eat massive meals.
These chapters get into the details of the program. Instead of making my own notes, I have included a link to the Whole30 website where you can find the program guidelines:
After your Whole30 is complete, you can begin to reintroduce "less healthy" foods into your diet systematically. "Think about it like a scientific trial, in which your Whole30 is the 'control' and the one food group you are trying to evaluate is the 'experimental group'" (p.219).
Here's what the Hartwig's suggest:
Day 1: reintroduce and evaluate legumes.
Day 4: reintroduce and evaluate non-gluten grains.
Day 7: reintroduce and evaluate dairy.
Day 10: reintroduce and evaluate gluten-containing grains.
Pay attention to what your body is telling you as it responds to these foods.
I want to capture some details about what the Hartwig's recommend for "Active Individuals" because those are the people I'm interacting with and coaching.
"If you exercise regularly or play a sport, you'll need to support that activity with extra nutrition and calories. Remember, you energy stores function like gas in your car. The more you drive, the quicker you'll use up the gas in your tank... You will need to include more carbohydrate in your daily meals than the average (less-active) person to maintain adequate glycogen stores" (p.241).
"Purposefully include some carb-dense veggies like potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, beets, pumpkin, or parsnips; don't be afraid of fruit; and perhaps bump up your protein and fat and/or add an extra meal" (p.241).
Pre-workout: "Focus on protein and fat and avoid lots of fruit or carb-dense veggies... If you exercise first thing in the morning, a little something is better than nothing" (p.242).
Post-workout: A post-workout meal is not optional. You're body, its muscles and connective tissue need protein, and your glycogen stores need replenishing. Eat as soon as possible - ideally within 15 to 30 minutes after training. Focus on digestible protein and a carb-dense starchy vegetable, such as potatoes or a dense squash. Eat a normal meal about 60 or 90 minutes after your post-workout meal.
This chapter includes some information about supplements and vitamins. The Hartwig's do recommend a multi-vitamin because it is likely that even if you have a great diet you may be missing out on some valuable nutrients. They recommend Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 with vitamin K.
The appendices include some cooking ideas, recipes, conversions, ideas, cookbooks, websites, etc.