paleo / primal lifestyle 101

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• Paleo approach• Paleo/Primal Diet• What’s wrong with carbs and

grains?• How much to eat?• Good & Bad Fats, Cholesterol• Veg-Paleo• Paleo Fitness• Paleo Lifestyle• Author Mark Sisson

Agenda

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• Science of evolution– Homo erectus (2M years ago)

• Increase animal diet vs. strict plants

• Exponential increase in brain size– Homo sapiens (200k years)

• Modern human• Pinnacle of humans: 10k years

ago– Agriculture (10k years ago…)

• Start of the Human De-Evolution…

Paleo Approach (I)

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• Epigenetics = study of changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype, caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence (i.e. environmental factors)

• Hormones influence gene expression– Turn “on” or “off” your gene

expression with the food you eat, the exercise you do, sunlight you get, social interactions you have, thoughts, etc…

Paleo Approach (II)

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• Agriculture = What we eat, how we live– Much higher carbohydrate intakes– Traded healthy fats for omega-6– Sedentary lifestyle

• Advanced medical science– Flawed approach to diabetes, heart

disease and other ailments treatment– Longevity explained by medical

treatment instead of proper nutrition, lifestyle and exercise

Paleo Approach (III)

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• Eat Plants and Animals– Focus on quality sources of animal

protein (local, pasture raised or organic sources of meat, fish, fowl and eggs)• Free of hormone, pesticide, antibiotics• USDA certified organic• 100% grass or vegetable fed

– Select locally grown, in season organic vegetables• Avocado, beets, broccoli, brussels

sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, garlic, kale, onion, red bell pepper, spinach, yellow squash

Paleo Dieting Principles (I) – Large amounts

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• Eat Plants (cont’d)– Nuts & seeds (lesser amounts)

• Beware high omega-6 nuts (such as peanuts)

• Best balanced nuts are macadamia, walnuts– Coconut based products

• Oil, milk, butter, water, and flakes• Hard to find medium-chain fatty acids

– Fruits (fructose sugar)• Beware high glycemic fruits (triglycerides in

blood) & pesticides• Keep fruits as a “treat”: berries are best,

cherries, apple, peach, pear, figs, grapefruit, kiwis, apricots

Paleo Dieting Principles (II) – Lesser amounts

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• Moderation foods– Coffee & tea

• 1 cup a day goes a long way• Trade sugar for heavy cream

– High-Fat Dairy Products (lactose)• Organic, pasture-raised, grass fed• Raw, fermented, unpasteurized,

unsweetened, non homogenized milk• Hard (aged) high quality cheese

– Approved Fats and Oils• Cooking: Butter, ghee, lard, bacon grease• Seasoning: olive oil (first cold pressed)• Omega-3 rich cold water fish oil

Paleo Dieting Principles (III) - Moderation

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• High carbohydrate consumption– Sugar in the blood is poisonous– Insulin is released to regulate blood

sugar: • Stores excess glycogen in fat cells which

leads to weight gain• Prevents use of fat cells as primary source

of energy– Create those “Sugar Highs” followed

a lethargic “Insulin Crash” state– Leads to Metabolic Syndrome or

Insulin resistance• Type 2 diabetes, hypertension,

atherosclerosis

What’s wrong with carbs?

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• Your worst enemy– So ubiquitous:

• Wheat, rice, corn, pasta, cereal, and derivative products such as bread, chips, crackers, muffins, pancakes, tortillas, waffles. Cooking grains such as barley, millet, rye, and amaranth;

– So touted• Healthy cereals, the “staff” of life• Powerful agrobusiness

– So poisonous• Phytates, vit D interference, gluten,

lectin (inflammations, leaky gut, autoimmune syndrome, celiac disease)

What’s wrong with grains (& legumes)?

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• The Primal Carb Curve– 0-50 g / day

• Ketosis• Intermittent Fasting

– 50-100g / day• Weight Loss Sweet Spot

– 100-150g / day• Weight Maintenance

– 150-300g / day• Weight gain

– 300g+ / day• Danger zone (Standard American

Diet)– Carbs/Protein/Fat calories

intake proportions• Standard Diet: 60/30/10• Paleo Diet: 20/30/50

How much is too much carbs?

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• Legumes (see grains)– Alfalfa, beans, lentils, peanuts,

peas, soy products• Lots of carbs, little benefits• Upset stomach, gases

• Processed foods– Sugar

• High fructose corn syrup (More lipogenic)

• Be careful with honey and agave• Ban artificial sweeteners (rather use a

small teaspoon of the real stuff, your taste buds will feel the sweetness)

What else to avoid?

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• 1 bagel– 50-70 g carbs!

• 1 cup rice (after cooking)– 40 g carbs

• 1 slice of bread– 23 g carbs

How much carbs in…?

• 1 can of soda– 44 g carbs

• 1 banana– 50 g carbs

• 1 Smoothie King – Smoothie King Hulk Strawberry 40oz

boasts 290g carbs

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• 3 oz of leafy greens (~ 1 serving)– 1.5 g (1,500 milligrams, = almost

nothing)

• 6 stalks of asparagus– 3 g carbs

• 2 cups of broccoli– 12 g carbs– 6 g protein

And now how much carbs in…?

• Beets (1 beet)– 8 g carbs

• Red Bell Pepper (1 cup)– 9 g carbs

• Yellow squash (1 cup)– 4 g carbs

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• Healthy Fat really?– Omega-3 is best. Beware non omega-3

PUFA (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids such as canola, corn, sunflower oil)• Omega-3 romotes healthy cardiovascular, brain,

skin, immune functions• Reduces overall inflammation

– Also…• Fat makes food actually tastes yammy• Makes you feel “full” faster and longer• Eat fat to burn fat!• Will need less carbs to fell full and thus limit insulin

production– Keep Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio around 5 or

below• Standard diet runs it 20 to 50…

What’s so good about those healthy fats?

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• No direct correlation established between dietary cholesterol (the stuff you eat), and LDL-B blood levels– Cholesterol is needed by the brain, produced in

the liver (1,400 mg per day whatever is eaten)– Precursor for testosterone, estrogen, DHEA,

cortisol, pregnenolone– Required to produce gastric acid– Interact with the sun for Vitamin D production (Vit

D is not vitamin but a secosteroid)

• Cholesterol is seen as the culprit for heart disease– Triglycerides caused by high carb diet are

causing LDL-B production due to triglycerides in the blood not dietary cholesterol

What’s up with cholesterol?

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• Recommended foods– http://whole9life.com/2012/03/paleo-nutrition-fo

r-vegetarians/

Paleo Diet for Vegan

• Upcoming book– The South Asian Solution– Dr Ronesh Sinha (Palo Alto, CA)

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• 80% of your body composition is what you eat…

• Zone 2 Cardio (2h – 5h per week)– Endurance, fat-burning zone up to

150-160 BPM

• Body Weight Exercises– Primal movements– Full body (compound)

• Sprint once in a while– 10-20 min all out exercises such

as sprinting– Triggers fat, hormone metabolism

Paleo Fitness!

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• Beware of “Chronic Cardio”– 12h or more per week

above75-80% is detrimental (leads to inflammation, joint injuries, burnouts, depressed immune system)

– Makes you “carb hungry”

• Paleo cardio: Low intensity aerobic movements– Walking, jogging, trekking,

cycling, gardening, housekeeping activities…

Paleo Cardio (Move frequently at slow pace)

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• Upper body– Pull ups– Push ups– Planks

• Lower body– Squats

• For more:– Cross Fit– 5X5 Program

• Compounds 5 sets of 5 reps• 3 times / week

Paleo Weight Lifting

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• Be careful with sprint running (needs build up for your joints, feet, muscles)

• Promotes fat burning, lean muscle building, hormone flow

• Happy Feet– Reconnect with your natural

gait with barefoot running– Vibram 5 Fingers– Zero drop

Paleo Sprint!

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• Sun• Sleep • Squat to eliminate• Touch the earth• Cold water

Reconnect with Yourself, Others and Nature

• Play• Socialize• Unplug• Use your brain• Build your tribe

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• Author – Mark Sisson– Grew up as endurance athlete– Entered the US Olympic Marathon

qualifiers (1980)– Experienced negative side effects,

injuries, illnesses, burnouts caused by “Chronic Cardio”

– Researched for 20+ years how to achieve great health with minimum effort and optimal gene expression

– Author of many books on the Paleo / Primal diet and way of life

– Books disclaimers!

The Primal Blueprint – Mark Sisson