It's not you. It's us.
We're doing a check-in today (instead of tomorrow) so I could draw your attention to the CrossFit 603 site, and our Dairy Manifesto. Dallas summarized his rationale against consuming dairy products in a concise, not-too-science-y three part format. Interestingly enough, the often cited "lactose intolerance" reason doesn't even make his list. (By the way - everything I learned about diet and nutrition, I learned from Dallas first. His thoughts are my thoughts, which is why I asked him to help me out with this topic.)
One word of caution... there is a LOT of information out there. Some of it doesn't seem to fit together very well - and some of it is straight-up conflicting. It's easy to become confused, frustrated, paralyzed with information overload. So, again, I caution you to use your heads. Educate yourself. Gather information from sources you trust. Process that information against your own experiences. And then make up your own damn mind. How do you do that? BY TAKING ACTION. Is dairy a good thing or a bad thing for your health, wellness and performance? Despite his vast personal experience, all his years of formal and informal education and the many clients and patients through which he's drawn his conclusions, Dallas can't decide that for you. So figure it out for yourself. Stop eating dairy for a while (like you're doing now). Then, reintroduce it and see how you feel. That's the only way to know for sure, right?
At some points along your health, wellness and fitness path, it's okay to do stuff just because someone you trust tells you to. But there comes a time when you need to take a stand, based on your own experience. And that is part of what you are doing here. So read our Dairy Manifesto,
and post questions, thoughts or your own experience to the 603 site.
103 comments:
Day 4
Headaches are gone for now, had a slight one yesterday.
My problem right now is the smells that are all around me. I live in new york city and walking down Madison during lunch time just about killed me.
Slept like a log last night after my 4 mile run.
Still feeling a bit sluggish, i guess i may have to up my protein.
Thank you for this blog!
I really do miss the dairy...I had 'spaghetti' last night using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. I don't miss the noodles, but damn I miss my parmesan cheese...
Also baked 'Lemon Squares' for a pot luck at work today and had no desire to taste them. Hopefully this reflects on my commitment to the 30 days rather than my cooking...
Cow's milk was designed by nature to turn a 200 lb. newborn calf into a 1200 lb. fully grown cow in 6 months. Understanding that before ingesting anything made with cow's milk is key!
Question....relates to the sluggishness with a longer run.
Any good ideas for quick carb "sugar" during a long run? (used to carry jelly beans). After about 45 minutes I hit a wall and need a little pick me up (water and lytes don't do enough).
Thanks :)
Kat
Kat, try dates, raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, etc. They are concentrated and should give you what you need.
This week has been a breeze. No headaches, no fatigue, no hunger. The next three are where thing will get tough since I've been on a 6/1 clean:dirty eating cycle. Saturday would be my dirty day and thats gone for now.
Okay, so I've been pondering something. I know the point of this is to take all of the "not-so-good" stuff out of our diets and then reintroduce if we want to and see how we feel and how our bodies react. And I'm feeling pretty good right now, by the way. No stomach issues, which for me is pretty big!
My question is, to any of you out there who've actually done this 30 day thing, who has gone back to milk, or legumes, or even a small bit of sugar? Am I faced with a life without grits AND baked beans? (I'm from NC...LOL)
Just wondering how people handle reintroducing things back into their diets or if they even did.
I'm starting day 2 today since I just joined in yesterday!
I am well prepared at the office with some banana nut bites (http://www.sonofgrok.com/2009/03/recipe-caveman-bnbs-banana-nut-bites/), jerky, and nuts at my desk!
What I'm really worried about is my best friends wedding in Mexico July 18th! But I already talked to her and there will be plenty of meat and veggie options to choose from... :)
Now, I need to get my workouts back on track... I got derailed from working out for the past couple of weeks. My diet was so crappy I felt lethargic all the time. I'm hoping my cleaned up diet will get me motivated to start up again.
Very informative post by Dallas. . . i will be sharing! =)
Ronneshia,
With the Friday cheat days (anything goes) they have been self limiting in that my body seems to be so used to the good stuff that it shuts down the pleasurable response to the bad stuff fairly quickly. So I can have some junk here or there on that day, like some Ben and Jerry's, but going whole hog as I did on July 3rd made me miserable for 2 days. The conclusion for me is, you can likely add some things back, but you will quickly find the amount is much smaller that you are used to because the body just revolts. In this case, negative feedback is your friend
So... I kicked dairy to the curb approximately 6 weeks ago... VERY reluctantly. Actual quote: "How can one glass of milk and one 2% string cheese stick affect my body that much? I don't believe it."
I. was. wrong.
Three days after killing the dairy, I lost 2 lbs. and three weeks after killing the dairy, almost 6 inches and 1% body fat were gone.
The final nail in the coffin? On my vacation, I ate a cheeseburger, and the damn thing was a cinderblock in my guts for, like, 12 hours.
Yeah, I'll probably eat cheese again sometime. There's a lovely brick of feta out there somewhere that will woo me, for sure. But daily life without daily is way, WAY better than with it.
Today I start day 8 of strict paleo. The excitement of the benefits of strict paleo helped me stay on track/cut out cold turkey cheese, geek yogurt, chocolate, wine and my PB&J sandwich. This first week I felt fine, I don’t think my WODs suffered. However, I was somewhat cranky on day 3 and have been feeling lethargic mid-day. What I really miss is my red wine…but I’m happy to report that I don’t have grains/sugar/dairy cravings!!
MOTHERF-ER!!!
I have a 1.5-hour team meeting right now, in a room the size of a broom closet, and some DUMBASS brought two boxes of doughnuts. The smell is making me completely nuts.
Send strength, fellow warriors.
Melicious,
Doughnuts: Fried, loaded with trans fats, lots of sugar, white flour, no fiber, vitamins or minerals...No, Thank You!
Hadn't had any headaches, but yesterday after about a week of this little adventure my body FREAKED out. I think I was going to high on fats and not high enough on ruffage and proteins. Ended up taking it easy, eating some light fruits, fizzy water, and not much else through the evening, and I'm feeling like I'm back in action today. Thankfully it's my rest day, so I didn't have to worry about feeling craptastic after a workout due to not eating enough last night!
OK. Seriously. The box is now open. There are chocolate-frosted with colored sprinkles -- my favorite kind. I know! I'm eight years old.
I'm not gonna eat one 'cause I know I don't really want to.
But I'm not too proud to tell you: my skin is crawling and it's making me cranky.
I'll let y'all in on another ugly little secret: one of the things keeping me from eating even one bite is that if I don't, I get to feel smug about it all day.
That's not nice ;-)
Mel just remember the TOUGH LOVE ...... ' it's not effin worth it ! ;)
stay strong sista
Oops - typo in my last comment.
Mel - I just sent you a text message of support. I gave the donuts my official Moxy-Boss finger. You can be smug on the inside and that's okay.
People, in general - please remember the "Paleo Prescription". Eat meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, SOME FRUIT, little starch, no sugar. I sense a lot of you are OD'ing on dried fruit treats. In MODERATION, dried fruit is A-OK. But remember what we are trying to do here - change the way you think about food, and the way your body processes food for energy. We want to start using fat for energy, not cheap and dirty carbs. So replacing, say, the candy you used to eat with a ton of dried fruit may be healthier (it is), but it doesn't serve our bigger purpose. It may not be as helpful (or quick) in our efforts to regain insulin sensitivity, and it may not rewire your brain from craving the sweet stuff.
Dried fruits and Larabars should not make up the bulk of your daily carbs. Vegetables, people. Lots and lots of leafy greens. Fill your plate, eat as much as you want, have some with every meal. Yes?
Melicious-Stay strong!! You only have one more hour to go! I secretly get smug too when I see bad food all around me. When I go to the grocery store, I like to look at what everyone else is buying. It's a little sad and horrifying, but i can't help it...
There is a doughnut shop near my affiliate, and on certain days, the smell of freshly baked doughnuts permeates the gym! Good thing i actually don't like eating doughnuts! But i can enjoy the smell :)
Thank you! Donut crisis has passed. The smell has faded and one of my co-workers -- bless her heart -- finally shut the box.
A word on veg (Way to go, Moxy-Boss!): I've started throwing a 1/2 cup to a cup of defrosted, chopped frozen spinach into my breakfast and lunch. It's delicious, filling, loaded with vitamins and fiber, and it has the added bonus of making me feel virtuous. I am SO motivated by internal feelings of being "good."
To make getting veg easy, I get bags of chopped frozen spinach and broccoli, empty them into a big plastic container, and put them in the fridge. By the time I'm ready to cook, they're defrosted and ready to be sauteed.
I also chop fresh cauliflower into rice-sized pieces and microwave for, like, 3 minutes. that's also in the fridge and ready-to-go. Much easier to eat veggies if you don't have to prep them everytime it's time to eat -- 'cause it's, like, ALWAYS time to eat around here.
Some ideas for y'all trying to incorporate more veggies:
- put a pile of chopped spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, or spaghetti squash under whatever else you're eating -- yummy under beanless chili or a stir-fry
- breakfast: scrambled egg+whites, a little meat or salmon, chopped spinach and/or broccoli. Avocado on the side is super-yum.
- snack slaw: shredded cabbage, chopped chicken, olive oil, and lime juice with a little chili powder
- salad: chopped cucumber, grilled chicken, avocado, olive oil, lime juice
I haven't sworn off green peppers or tomatoes, so I eat those for snacks, too. Pepper strips and cucumber slices with turkey/grilled meat/poultry sausge is really yummy and very portable. Good at room temperature.
(I just watched one of my co-workers eat a second donut. Ew.)
Day three, and I woke up with a ferocious headache- right-sided, especially behind the eye. And I got more than eight hours of sleep last night, too! Ugh. Drinking some mate right now to try to kick it. ow. ow.
To add to some vegetable ideas... I've been roasting any and every kind of vegetables for over a year now. It makes everything taste better.
Preheat oven at around 400, spread cauliflowers, broccolis, green beans, brussels sprouts, asparagus, squash, etc on a cookie sheet(with or without oil... I usually add evoo afterward.) You can take frozen vegetables and stick them in the oven too.
Things like cauliflowers, squash (big chunky pieces or "harder" vegetables) take about 45 min to an hour. If roasting zucchini, vegetables cut in small pieces, or frozen veg, i'd check on it at around 20 min...
if you don't roast often, i'd keep close eyes on your veg for the first few times. pretty soon, you'll figure out how much time is needed for different types of vegetables.
Melis,
how bad is the 1 scoop of whey?
I am having issues with PW meal.
It takes me a bit to get home from the gym, and i know you want this meal fairly quickly after a workout.
I know the banana is a good choice PW, what else you suggest? I had the 1 scoop of whey in water with 3-4 pieces of pineapple. . . can i get away with this? =) =)
A question about fish oil... Someone recommended 0.5 gram per 10lb of body weight. I weigh 130lb so I'm going to have 6 grams of fish oil per day.
I'm using the Costco fish oil brand and here are the specs on it:
"Fish Oil Concentrate 1200 mg, Omega 3 EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)(as ethyl esters) 410 mg, Omega 3 DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid (as ethyl esters) 274 mg."
So am I looking at the grams of fish oil, EPA, OR DHA?
Thanks!
>>Victoria Nordgren said...
>>Cow's milk was designed by nature to turn a 200 lb. newborn calf into a 1200 lb. fully grown cow in 6 months.
That's my favorite quote about the subject. It's also the reason that most guys interested in getting big and strong drink the hell out of it.
Insulin can work for you in some cases. For me, it's the tradeoff of 20 extra pounds on my press or visible abZ.
Carla,
You are looking at the total amount of EPA+DHA. In this case, 684 milligrams or 0.684 grams. You will need to take 9 capsules a day in order to reach 6 grams.
Per M@ yesterday add the 410mg + 274mg for a total of 684mg. You need 6.5 grams based on the calculation so you need between 10 and 11 capsules
Dang M@, you're quick. :)
Brandon,
I have hard-boiled eggs. They are easy to carry to the gym.
should have written "between 9 and 10"
Hey Mel,
My colleague brought shipleys donuts and kolaches for bfast this morning!! I walked into the kitchen and was like "are u effin kiddin me?" There was even a bright pink one that looked very pretty haha, but then the thought of eating that crap made my tummy turn, I didn't even want it because I KNOW how bad it is for me!! I was surprised and relieved that I wasn't tempted or bitter about not bein able to eat a donut. I was happy that I know whats good and bad for my body and that most ppl dont realize how bad that crap really is for them (call me smug hehe). So my trick is to really think about how I'll feel both mentally and physically after I eat something unhealthy. It's just not worth it. I am so proud of you for resisting!! I know its tough, but I bet you feel absolutely FABULOUS right now!!! Stay strong and f*** it.. feel smug!!!! =)
luv ya girl!
Hey M@, you dropped some knowledge about fish oil making you bulletproof. If you don't mind, can you provide a pointer to the reading material on that? I'd love to look at it.
Thanks
JP
FISH OIL - is that Costco Brand good stuff? Good quality? I thought i read somewhere it was, and for a great price cause can buy in bulk.
anyone got the magic deals on FO?
Hey all,
if anyone is lookin for types of fish oil....
I take country life fish oil: http://www.healthsuperstore.com/p-country-life-omega3-fish-body-oils-1000mg.htm
it has No: Yeast, wheat, soy, gluten, milk, salt, sugar, starch, preservatives or artificial color.
Also, if yall dont mind me asking for some help...I am about 128lbs, can someone help me figure out how many softgels I should take per day? it's 1000mg omega-3 fatty acids per softgel. one of my goals is weight loss.
thanks!!!!
Today at the work potluck lunch somebody insisted that I try the Tiramisu. So I did. I went "Mmmm!" and then I spit it out into the trash can. Freaked them all out. -I- thought it was hilarious...
Mindy,
M@ said "You are looking at the total amount of EPA+DHA. In this case, 684 milligrams or 0.684 grams. You will need to take 9 capsules a day in order to reach 6 grams."
Take 128/10 = 12.8 and multiply that number by 0.5gs to get you 6.4grams of fish oil needed. Take 6.4 grams, convert to milligrams to get 6400 milligrams needed. Divide 6400 by the number of milligrams of EPA and DHA in each capsule to get the total number of capsules required. If the different brands all have around 700mg combined DHA and EPA, you need around 9-10 capsules.
Chelsea! I just fell in love with you. THAT'S AWESOME!
WOW Jason.. THANK YOU!!! I felt silly for asking, but I just got confused with the whole EPA and DHA thing because the label doesn't specify how much DHA vs. EPA it has. I'll check again though. For now, I'll go with 9 capsules a day.
Oh and the reason I said one of my goals is weight loss is b/c someone posted the other day that if you're having trouble losin stubborn fat to multiple your weight by 1gs instead of .5gs. Any thoughts about this?
MANY MANY THANKS!!!
and Chelsea... you just made my day!!! LOL
Are you guys taking these pills all at once? I know at the NorthShore Crossfit Nutrition Seminar, they went over just taking them all at once does the same, being it takes like 48 hrs to get into you. So i was taking mine before bed at night, last thing i do before bed. Also cause sometimes was burping, and that fish burp is NAsty!
Mindy, I can't speak to that other than to say, take baby steps with anything new. I'd start slow and add so your body has time to adjust. I am just winging it with that one, but it seems to make sense. I am going to resupply tomorrow and go with the 0.5 g to start with. I really don't want to get "squishy" inside by taking too much too soon
Jason,
Thank you so much! You have really helped me a lot!
-Min
Min, no need for thanks, :).
One of my favorite bits of movie dialog:
Gordon: I never said thank you.
Batman: [turns around to look at Gordon] And you'll never have to.
Corny yes, but its a good sentiment in our community.
BTW, I like your Randy Pausch quote...
Brandon,
I am going with the liquid...no capsules for me...
Interesting article from Dallas. I am kind of nervous about reintroducing dairy. Maybe I won't because I'm liking what's going on without it.
I'm on day nine today and my last two WODS (Randy on Tuesday and Badger yesterday) felt like I had been loaned someone else's body (and I don't want to give it back!). I had way more energy and I just didn't slow down after each round. It was SO much fun. I've never done either so I wasn't sure what time to expect but I'm usually middle of the pack. I had the top time in our box for women for both workouts. That's NEVER happened, let alone two days in a row.
Hey--John Velandra showed me your blog & I love it! :) This dairy post is right on for me right now. I stopped all cow milk back in May but it's slowly been creeping back into my life, so now I've got the motivation to tell it to back off! I'm not 100% Paleo yet--still eating almond milk--I guess that's not too bad then!
M@ & Jason - Thanks for your help!
Brandon - I just looked at the details for the Costco brand and I'm not sure I'm going to use it anymore... There is soy in the ingredient list! :( Here is the link for the product info: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11248464. I will probably finish the bottle and then just switch to the liquid fish oil that M@ mentioned in a previous post:
"Nordic Naturals omega 3 liquid is a way better option because it has 1.725 grams of EPA/DHA per teaspoon"
oy! i second the message board comment! so much good info here! i'm lactose intolerant, so this is one area where i don't need much convincing. one less battle i suppose.
thanks for the paleokit suggestion, that's a cool site.
The "take it out of your system for a while" then reintroduce it to see how you feel line always makes me sort of angry. I'm pretty sure it's not the only way to know for sure, unless you were feeling crappy at the start and it cleared up when you got rid of it.
The reason it makes me angry is that if you rid yourself of anything for a while and then reintroduce it you'll probably have an adverse reaction. Vegetarians? Feel sick when they start eating meat. Does that mean meat is adversial to vegetarians? Of course not.
Dairy? I stopped with that for a few weeks, then became all Farty Marty when I drank some milk again. (don't do much dairy anymore, but I wouldn't be against it) Was never all farty before, so I don't think dairy hurt me that much. (to be fair I haven't read the manifesto on dairy yet, I will be doing that as soon as I'm done with this comment, promise!)
Holy cow that Nordic Naturals stuff is expensive! There's gotta be a cheaper way.
Hi all! So, this is Day 8. I hope you are buckled in because I think this is going to be some roller coaster ride. I've been feeling great up until this morning. I woke up all depressed, emotional and teary (not PMS). Now I am finding myself cranky and snapping at my (somewhat) innocent co-workers. I hope this is just a temporary blip and doesn't last long. Grrr.
I was under the impression that Robb Wolf was a big proponent of the Costco Kirkland brand fish oil. If so, that seems like the best deal.
A 16 ounce liquid only bottle on Amazon is $39. My dose works out to be 0.36 ounces per day so one 16 ounce bottle will last about 44 days. At less than a dollar a day, that is one of the cheapest 'supplements' around. Just sayin'
(1 ounce = 28.3 grams)
Slowandsteady,
Great job for making it to day 8!! Sorry to hear that you are feeling crappy though. What have you been eating? Are you getting enough fat in your diet? I tend to feel crappier when I cut out carbs and don't supplement with enough fat.
I'll check Robb's blog to see what he says. There is some soy in the product but maybe the amount is so minuscule that it doesn't matter. Kind of like how the small amount of sugar added to Sun Butter doesn't affect the nutritional amount THAT much.
I'll do some more research and get back to you!
Slowandsteady - Well you are right that Robb Wolf DOES recommend Costco fish oil for the EPA/DHA amounts you get for the price. The soy is probably not that significant. I am not going to worry about it! Here is the link I found on this topic:
http://robbwolf.com/?p=466
Sorry, my numbers are off above. I keep forgetting that the Omega 3 are only a fraction of the total volume. For me I will get around 16days out of a 16 ounce bottle, whereas most of you will get closer to 24 days since you are 50-60% of my dosage. So for most folks is around $1.62 per day. Still cheaper than a latte, and much much better for you.
Feeling a little run down today..more lack of sleep than anything...my biggest challenge is to keep enough meat cooked,marinating and on deck to go....it's not cheap! But then again, neither are 10 diff 'scrps 20 years from now if I'm not healthy...I have a few clients in their 50's who are on 3 or more diff meds to keep them on the mortal coil...sad, complicated, dangerous and $$$$. This is a life changing moment for all of us. While it's important to live day to day...planning for your future healthwise is probably the best thing you could do, short of not investing in GM. I'm making my Pieless Pumpkin Pie again tonight..anyone who wants the recipe..peep my blog.(shameless plug)
Robbie -- I'm definitely trying out your pieless pumpkin pie. I've got a 'Paleo Potluck' coming up in a couple of weeks, and I was thinking it looked perfect.
Thanks for the encouragement Carla! Yes, I am sure I am getting enough fat. Probably too much in fact. I think my body is super insulin resistant in which case I might consider cutting out fruit for awhile. But not today, I would probably curl up into fetal position and cry myself to sleep.
Jason, this may be a super dumb question, but how do you ingest the liquid form of fish oil? Do you mix it with something, put it on a salad, just shoot it or what? Sorry if this was already discussed.
Jeez. I seem to be hungrier than normal. I usually eat about three satisfying meals a day and rarely snack. Yet the last few days I'm hungry mid-morning and mid-afternoon. I've pulled out the almond stash to get through this, but was wondering what's going on.
Then it dawned on me. Cream.
I normally have cream in my coffee at work. I think the morning cream held me over until lunch time. I'd eat lunch a bit later and that satisfied until dinner.
Anyway, it's a theory.
So I saw Robbie's awesome pumpkin pie recipe and it got me craving pumpkin the other night, but I didn't feel like cookin so I literally just mixed the pumpkin from the can with some cinnamon and vanilla extract and some other "pumpkin pie" like spices and I guess since I'm not a picky eater, I actually liked it! So I was wondering... does anyone know how much pumpkin is TOO much? If following zone rules, I calculated that about 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin is 3 blocks. Its also an "unfavorable" carb, i think. So... is pumpkin something to eat in moderation or can it be eaten more frequently? any thoughts?! thanks!
Slo,
Its got a lemon flavor so I just take it via teaspoon. Its more tolerable than even olive oil that way. I haven't had aftertaste problems or fish burps as Brandon mentioned.
Also here is the breakdown between the 16 oz Nordic Naturals liquid vs the Costco brand
NN-
g/serving: 1.725g
servings: 96
total grams: 165.6g
cost: $39
cost/gram: $0.24
Costco-
g/serving: 0.684g
servings: 180
total grams: 123.12g
cost: $16
cost/gram: $0.13
Jason,
The scientific literature on the health benefits of fish oil supplementation is expansive. Below you'll find the abstracts of research papers I personally thought were interesting. And all of these were published in 2009. Like I said, expansive. I apologize for the massive post
1. Fish oil and the management of hypertriglyceridemia. Mattar, Melanie; Obeid, Omar. Nutrition and Health (2009), 20(1), 41-49.
Abstract
A review. Hypertriglyceridemia, regarded as one of the independent clin. markers of metabolic syndrome, is a frequently obsd. disorder that has been shown to be common in the Arab region. Epidemiol. and clin. trials demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids have the potential to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD); one of the mechanisms by which this effect is achieved is through reducing plasma triglyceride levels. There is strong scientific evidence from human trials that omega-3 fatty acids from either fish or fish oil supplements significantly reduce blood triglyceride levels and these benefits appear to be dose-dependent. The active ingredients of fish oils include the long chain fatty acids EPA and DHA. The ideal amt. of omega-3 fatty acid that should be incorporated into the diet without provoking detrimental effects on other lipid components such as decreasing HDL-C and/or increasing LDL-C has not yet been elucidated. Presently, a prescription form of omega-3 fatty acid has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as an adjunct to the diet for the treatment of very high triglyceride levels ( 500 mg/dL) in adults. Patients with hypertriglyceridemia have been shown to respond well to the use of omega-3 fatty acids even when used in conjunction with statins where greater improvements in the lipid profile were found as compared to treatment with statins alone. A determinant of the responsiveness to fish oil could be attributed to the ApoE genotype of individuals.
Hey! Where did all the info go? I had like 6 abstracts pasted in my previous email. Moxy, is there a space limit on the comments? That's a lot of work down the drain : (
Mindy I'm not a zone guy, I work on my feet, bike everywhere, chase my kids and train like a mad man, so I couldn't speak to it's rules.I eat when I need to and stop when I'm starting to feel full. I eat the pumpkin only about three times a week and mostly before a workout (or as dessert for my wee ones)..though it is fairly glycemic...the added fat, protein and fiber from the flax and nuts will help slow down the sugar rush! 1 1/2 cups does seem to be alot though, my portion is usually 3/4 cup and that includes all the yummers I stuff into the pot. I would say stick to a variety of fruits and veg and you should be juuuuust fine.
M@
jpiotter@vt.edu
when you have time. Thanks man.
JP
Alright, here is take 2.
2. Fish oil and argan oil intake differently modulate insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in a rat model of dietary-induced obesity. Samane, Samira; Christon, Raymond; Dombrowski, Luce; Turcotte, Stephane; Charrouf, Zoubida; Lavigne, Charles; Levy, Emile; Bachelard, Helene; Amarouch, Hamid; Marette, Andre; Haddad, Pierre Selim. Metabolism, Clinical and Experimental (2009), 58(7), 909-919.
Abstract
We investigated the potential metabolic benefits of fish oil (FO) or vegetable argan oil (AO) intake in a dietary model of obesity-linked insulin resistance. Rats were fed a std. chow diet (controls), a high-fat/high-sucrose (HFHS) diet, or an HFHS diet in which 6% of the fat was replaced by either FO or AO feeding, resp. The HFHS diet increased adipose tissue wt. and insulin resistance as revealed by increased fasting glucose and exaggerated glycemic and insulin responses to a glucose tolerance test (i.p. glucose tolerance test). Fish oil feeding prevented fat accretion, reduced fasting glycemia, and normalized glycemic or insulin responses to i.p. glucose tolerance test as compared with HFHS diet. Unlike FO consumption, AO intake failed to prevent obesity, yet restored fasting glycemia back to chow-fed control values. Insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt and Erk in adipose tissues, skeletal muscles, and liver was greatly attenuated in HFHS rats as compared with chow-fed controls. High-fat/high-sucrose diet-induced insulin resistance was also confirmed in isolated hepatocytes. Fish oil intake prevented insulin resistance by improving or fully restoring insulin signaling responses in all tissues and isolated hepatocytes. Argan oil intake also improved insulin-dependent phosphorylations of Akt and Erk; and in adipose tissue, these responses were increased even beyond values obsd. in chow-fed controls. Taken together, these results strongly support the beneficial action of FO on diet-induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, an effect likely explained by the ability of FO to prevent HFHS-induced adiposity. Our data also show for the first time that AO can improve some of the metabolic and insulin signaling abnormalities assocd. with HFHS feeding.
Oh I see how it is, I'll just insert them one at a time
3.Biological Mechanism of Antidepressant Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids: How Does Fish Oil Act as a Mind-Body Interface'? Su, Kuan-Pin. Neurosignals (2009), 17(2), 144-152.
Abstract
A review. The unsatisfactory results of monoamine-based antidepressant therapy and the high occurrence of somatic symptoms and phys. illness in patients with depression imply that the serotonin hypothesis is insufficient to approach the etiol. of depression. Depressive disorders with somatic presentation are the most common form of depression. Somatization, the bodily symptoms without org. explanation, is similar to cytokine-induced sickness behavior. Based on recent evidence, omega-3 polyunsatd. fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs, or n-3 fatty acids) are enlightening a promising path to discover the unsolved of depression, sickness behavior and to link the connection of mind and body. The PUFAs are classified into n-3 (or omega-3) and n-6 (or omega-6) groups. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, the major bioactive components of n-3 PUFAs, are not efficiently synthesized in humans and should therefore be obtained directly from the diet, particularly by consuming fish. Docosahexaenoic acid deficiency is assocd. with dysfunctions of neuronal membrane stability and transmission of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, which might connect to the etiol. of mood and cognitive dysfunction of depression. Likewise, eicosapentaenoic acid is important in balancing the immune function and phys. health by reducing membrane arachidonic acid (an n-6 PUFA) and prostaglandin E2 synthesis, which might be linked to the somatic manifestations and phys. comorbidity in depression. The role of n-3 PUFAs in immunity and mood function supports the promising hypothesis of psychoneuroimmunol. of depression and provides an excellent interface between mind' and body'. This review is to provide an overview of the evidence about the role of n-3 PUFAs in depression and its common comorbid phys. conditions and to propose mechanisms by which they may modulate mol. and cellular functions.
4.Rescue treatment of infants with intestinal failure and parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) using a parenteral fish-oil-based lipid. Cheung, Hon M.; Lam, Hugh S.; Tam, Yuk H.; Lee, Kim H.; Ng, Pak C. Clinical Nutrition (2009), 28(2), 209-212.
Abstract
Summary: Four preterm infants with intestinal failure and severe parenteral nutrition-assocd. cholestasis (PNAC) received fish-oil-based parenteral lipid as rescue treatment in substitution for the std. soybean-based lipid prepn. The progression of liver disease was halted in 3 infants and they recovered with complete resoln. of PNAC. The condition in two of these infants would almost certainly have progressed to end-stage hepatic failure if they had continued to receive long-term parenteral nutrition and <30% of total nutrition enterally. The remaining infant with residual inflamed bowel, protracted feeding intolerance and repeated episodes of sepsis did not respond. Our findings suggest that fish-oil-based parenteral lipid emulsion may contribute to effective treatment of PNAC in selected patients, which should be further evaluated in randomized controlled trials.
5.Dietary supplementation with a specific combination of high protein, leucine, and fish oil improves muscle function and daily activity in tumour-bearing cachectic mice. van Norren, K.; Kegler, D.; Argiles, J. M.; Luiking, Y.; Gorselink, M.; Laviano, A.; Arts, K.; Faber, J.; Jansen, H.; van der Beek, E. M.; van Helvoort, A. British Journal of Cancer (2009), 100(5), 713-722.
Abstract
Cancer cachexia is characterized by metabolic alterations leading to loss of adipose tissue and lean body mass and directly compromises phys. performance and the quality of life of cancer patients. In a murine cancer cachectic model, the effects of dietary supplementation with a specific combination of high protein, leucine and fish oil on wt. loss, muscle function and phys. activity were investigated. Male CD2F1 mice, 6-7 wk old, were divided into body wt.-matched groups: (1) control, (2) tumor-bearing, and (3) tumor-bearing receiving exptl. diets. Tumors were induced by s.c. inoculation with murine colon adenocarcinoma (C26) cells. Food intake, body mass, tumor size and 24 h-activity were monitored. Then, 20 days after tumor/vehicle inoculation, the animals were killed and muscle function was tested ex vivo. Tumor-bearing mice showed reduced carcass, muscle and fat mass compared with controls. EDL muscle performance and total daily activity were impaired in the tumor-bearing mice. Addn. of single nutrients resulted in no or modest effects. However, supplementation of the diet with the all-in combination of high protein, leucine and fish oil significantly reduced loss of carcass, muscle and fat mass (loss in mass 45, 52 and 65% of TB-con, resp. (P<0.02)) and improved muscle performance (loss of max force reduced to 55-64% of TB-con (P<0.05)). Moreover, total daily activity normalized after intervention with the specific nutritional combination (50% of the redn. in activity of TB-con (P<0.05)). In conclusion, a nutritional combination of high protein, leucine and fish oil reduced cachectic symptoms and improved functional performance in cancer cachectic mice. Comparison of the nutritional combination with its individual modules revealed additive effects of the single components provided.
6.Effect of fish oil on learning and memory ability in children. Hu, Chunsheng; Hu, Yuming; Zhang, Yingying. Shiyong Yufang Yixue (2008), 15(1), 75-77.
Abstract
Effect of fish oil on learning and memory function among children was obsd. Clin. Memory Scale (CMS) was applied to exam the learning and memory ability of students aged between 11 to 14 years. Fish oil significantly increased the scores of picture free recall test, portrait characteristic relationship recall test and the memory quotient (MQ). Fish oil could improve the learning and memory capability in children.
Thank you Robbie!!!
Just read this recipe in Runner's World and thought I'd share. It sounds awesome! I'm making it tomorrow night for dinner.
Zucchini with Almonds
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of salt
juice of a lemon
1 lb. zucchini
2 tbl EVOO
2 tbl lemon juice
1 tbl almond oil
2 tsp minced shallots
1 packed cup of mixed whole herbs: parsley, chervil, dill, mint
salt & pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Mix first 6 ingredients. Spread on baking sheet; roast for 8 minutes until light brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch semicircles and saute in EVOO for two minutes over medium-high heat. Remove to a bowl and let cool a little.
3. Add almonds, lemon juice, almond oil, and shallots. Season with salt & pepper. Wait 5 minutes, then toss with fresh herbs.
Things are going well...amazingly the headaches are minimal.
I wonder why that is? In previous Paleo experiments I've always had dairy.
Maybe the no dairy rule does the trick for me?
Awesome job from everyone! It's inspiring to see.
Today is officially day 8 for me and it's going well! A whole week without eating crap...definitely a new PR. :)
I've found that preparation is definitely the key for me. Cook up a ton of meat on the weekends, keep veggies chopped and ready for consumption / cooking that way I can't make any excuses.
What I am nervous about is that tomorrow I'm planning on heading out with friends to watch the fights. I know that I'll be nursing water all night but will have to stay super strong to avoid all the non-paleo bar fare. (crossing fingers and shoring up willpower now)
feeling great but really craving a cocktail. MIght even skip a few events to be safe.
I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about blood pressure. I've always had borderline high BP which has been lower since doing zone and crossfit but yesterday and today I'm getting consistent readings of about 105/75. That 105 seems really low. Is that healthy? I'm used to readings of 125/85!
Day 8 for me. Had some intestinal issues this morning but that may have been from too many larabars the last two days. Feeling pretty good but did Murph yesterday and was 4 min. slower than my last attempt. However, I did hit a +10 power clean PR today. (I've also lost a pound or two).
For those who have experienced fatigue, how long has it taken to subside? I'm feeling absolutely wiped out in the mornings after 8.5-9 hours of sleep.
Relatedly, has anyone who experienced fatigue experimented with adding extra cals (esp fat) before bed? I'm thinking that may be a solution.
Luckily for me, this experiment has coincided with an off week from WODs, because I'm not sure I could've done them, at least not at very high intensity, in the first few days. . .
@Johnny
105/75 BP is excellent! Mine is usually 98-102/60ish!
Angie
PS-The key lime pie Larabar is excellent! I eat them only in moderation though when I need a sweet treat.
I am loving the 'Apple Pie' Larabars...I've been eating them with jerky as an afternoon pre-workout snack. I also eat fruit at breakfast. Is that 'SOME FRUIT' or too much fruit? :)
Found a super tasty-looking recipe that would only need tiny modifications to be paleo-friendly: was thinking you could sub almonds for the peanuts, almond butter or sunbutter for the peanut butter, and coconut milk for the buttermilk...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/health/nutrition/01recipehealth.html
Starting day 3 today!
7/9 Food:
Breakfast: green tea, 2 banana/nut/coconut/egg squares, beef jerky
Lunch: blackened catfish, broccoli, carrots, watermelon
Snack: green tea, 2 banana/nut/coconut/egg squares, beef jerky
Dinner: grilled chicken, steamed broccoli
Day 5, feelin' fine.
I treated myself to a venti black iced coffee this morning - and boy do I regret it. I feel as though my skin is crawling and I'm on the edge of an anxiety attack. Maybe it's all in my head, but I think my body may be more sensitive than usual. Phew, boy.
****I know it has been posted, but I can't find it anywhere! can someone point me in the direction of that banana/coconut/nut/egg square recipe? it sounds delicious, and I need to figure out how to get more coconut into my diet.
Bennie - Here you go!
http://www.sonofgrok.com/2009/03/recipe-caveman-bnbs-banana-nut-bites/
Lily,
You can do it!! Be strong! I’m already mentally preparing myself for a wedding I’m going to next weekend. Take some nuts with you if you think you will get hungry.
Chelsea,
I think it depends on the type of fruit you are eating. If you compare the amount of carbs/fiber between raspberries and grapes you can see that you would be much better off eating the raspberries. Berries in general have lower sugar and more fiber. Hope that helps! :)
1 cup fresh raspberries:
60 cal
1g fat
14g carb
8g fiber
1g pro
1 cup grapes:
114 cal
1g fat
28g carb
2g fiber
1g pro
Bennie,
Here's the nutritional analysis for the BNB's if you cut them into 16 squares...
1 square:
141 cal
11g fat
8g carb
3g fiber
5g pro
Thanks Carla!
Carla - Thanks! I didn't realize that! I'll try to dial in my breakfast to berries from now on.
Thanks Carla! Good idea on the emergency nuts!
@Johnny - yep, 105/75 is beautiful! per my nursing friends the cutoff for docs worrying about hypertension/pre-hypertension used to be 120/80 but in the past few years or so has been lowered to 110/80 or 110/70.
so you're BP is definitely NOT too low from a nubmers perspective. and it's great that you're BP is going down!
part of me is cynical and says that the cutoffs were lowered to help support the pharm industry by getting more people on statins / other pressure meds.
quick question about fish oil again .. lol.. is there particular times of the day that they are recommended to be taken (i.e., bfast, dinner)? Right now I am taking six 1000mg (omega-3) softgels/day; 3 with bfast and 3 at dinner.
Thanks!
Day 5....going strong!
Yesterday I got stuck on a military base in a meeting and the only option I had was 'Murder' King...yuck! I wouldn't choose that even if I wasn't doing Paleo:) But I had to eat so I just opted for a a grilled chicken salad with some squeezed lemon. Not the greatest but still Paleo!
Btw, Lara Bars ROCK and I'm totally loving the dates rolled in cococut from Whole Foods.
Thank for all the ideas and input.
Happy Paleo:)
From the PaleoDiet.com newsletter...
Ten Ways To Get More Veg!- by Nell Stephenson
Generally speaking, I find most of my clients have an easier time eating fruit throughout the day, and have more of a challenge eating their veggies. This is partly due to being conditioned, as most of us Americans are, to think that breakfast foods don't include vegetables, and just feature a host of grain and dairy-based processed items.
Your body doesn't care if it's 7 a.m. or 5 p.m., so there's never a bad time for broccoli! Well, except, perhaps, if you're just about to engage in a bout of strenuous exercise, but you get the point.
Try these tips to incorporate more veggies into your, and your family's, daily diet:
- Throw some spinach into the morning's scrambled eggs.
- If you have a juicer, use it to focus on juicing veggies, rather than just fruit. (Keep in mind, I'm NOT suggesting to juice ALL your veggies, as that would result in missing out on all the fiber that vegetables have to offer.
- This is just something to use as 'food for thought.' You'll find that a juice made predominantly of green veggies and with a hint of fruit, like apple for sweetness, will create a tasty juice that even picky eaters enjoy. It's a great alternative to sugary orange juice!
- Add easy-to-eat veggies (think COLOR), like carrot and celery sticks and sliced bell pepper (unless you're following the autoimmune plan), to your kids and spouse's lunch, as well as your own.
- Serve lunch entrees on a bed of leafy dark green veggies that you've sautéed, and let the veggies take the place of bread in a sandwich!
- Bake thinly sliced veggies, such as eggplant, zucchini or carrot at a low temperature to dehydrate them (or use a dehydrator) in lieu of crackers or chips, and enjoy this with homemade salsa or guacamole.
- Remember that while cooking does remove SOME of the nutrients from food, eating some veggies in this form is still far better than snacking on potato chips, as long as your eating fresh, raw veggies at other times.
- Use different types of veggies as a base for healthy sauces you might've used on pasta in the past, such as a cheese-free pesto (basil, pine-nuts, walnuts, olive oil, lemon and pepper), a homemade marinara (tomatoes are great if you're not following the autoimmune plan) or good old olive oil and garlic. This works great on spaghetti-squash, or finely chopped leafy greens.
- Keep steamed, ready to eat veggies on hand in the fridge at all times so that when you're cooking dinner, or the kids are feeling snacky or you want something easy to re-heat as a part of a meal, you won't have long to wait. I often have a large bowl of steamed broccoli ready in the fridge, for example.
- Use vegetables as edible serving containers. Remember stuffed bell peppers? If you're not following the autoimmune plan, sauté lean ground turkey with your favorite spices and place into a bell pepper. Heat (or not) and let the family enjoy eating the veggie dish! Another example is using Bibb or butter lettuce in lieu of a grain-based tortilla or wrap, served with shredded chicken breast and an Asian themed ginger, sesame, garlic sauce.
- Add your favorite veggies to a salad. Remember, the more color and variety you include, the better nutritionally balanced a meal will be.
- Finally, don't over think it. Keep it simple, and just eat veggies, any time. You can eat a greater volume of veggies and get fewer calories than in many other snacks. See how many ways you can incorporate eating veggies at different times of the day!
Great article Melicious!! Thanks!
What an awesome site! I know you've already started your 30 days, but I would like to join late if I can. What a relief to read some of your posts and know that I'm not the only one who has these thoughts and off the wall cravings like I've had in the past. I never did successfully get through them so it's just been the never ending diet cycle for me. But with this website hopefully it will be the motivation I need to get through it. Just a few questions for whoever might know the answer.... I know that with the amount of vegetables and fruits that you eat on this diet that it can become pretty costly. Does anyone have some suggestions on food that they use frequently that is able to make this somewhat affordable? Also, I discovered a container of organic coconut oil in my pantry today...it seems paleo but I don't typically hear of people using it. Would that be considered unhealthy or good?
I can already tell this is going to be a tough weekend.
Must stay strong!
Carla, do you have a recipe for the bars you listed in your meals? I'm shredding fast and I think I'm in a calorie deficit and it's causing me to lose some lean....I'm down 5 pounds of overall weight in a week, though some could be water lost due to waaay less sodium.
Ooooh...Found another gooder of a fish oil research article. This one is all about gene expression and inflammation.
Effect of Dietary Fatty Acids on Inflammatory Gene Expression in Healthy Humans*
Kelly L. Weaver‡§, Priscilla Ivester§1, Michael Seeds‡, L. Douglas Case¶, Jonathan P. Arm , and Floyd H. Chilton§ J. Biol. Chem. 2009, 284, 15400–15407.
Abstract: Over the past 100 years, changes in the food supply in Western nations have resulted in alterations in dietary fatty acid consumption, leading to a dramatic increase in the ratio of omega-6 (ω6) to ω 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in circulation and in tissues. Increased ω6/ω3 ratios are hypothesized toincrease inflammatory mediator production, leading to higher incidence of inflammatory diseases, and may impact inflammatory gene expression. To determine the effect of reducing the ω6/ω3 ratio on expression of inflammatory pathway genes in mononuclear cells, healthy humans were placed on a controlled diet for 1 week, then given fish oil and borage oil for an additional 4 weeks. Serum and neutrophil fatty acid composition and ex vivo leukotriene B4 production from stimulated neutrophils were measured at the start and end of the supplementation period and after a 2-week washout. RNA was isolated from mononuclear cells and expression of PI3K, Akt, NF B, and inflammatory cytokines was measured by real-time PCR. A marked increase was seen in serum and neutrophil levels of long-chain ω3 PUFA concomitant with a reduction in the ω6/ω3 PUFA ratio (40%). The ex vivo capacity of stimulated neutrophils to produce leukotriene B4 was decreased by 31%. Expression of PI3K and PI3K and the quantity of PI3K protein in mononuclear cells was reduced after supplementation, as was the expression of several proinflammatory cytokines. These data reveal that PUFA may exert their clinical effects via their capacity to regulate the expression of signal transduction genes and genes for proinflammatory cytokines.
It sounds like I might be alone, but I feel like my recovery is terrible at this point. I'm on my 5th day. I've been eating pretty clean for a year or so, but this is the first time I've cut out dairy and been so starkly gluten-free. If anything I'm eating more than in my old zone days--more nuts and fruits now that I'm not paying much attention to blocks.
Problem is that I've been working out like normal--mostly mainsite crossfit WODs--but I'm WAY more sore than I think I should be. More tired too, so I've been sleeping at least 8 hours a night.
Fluke? Or does dairy somehow help with recovery?
I'm only on paleo for performance gains, so this soreness is a pretty big problem.
@Jess - Welcome! People can "start" any time. This isn't about getting through 30 days together (and then going back to your old dietary ways). This is about taking a chance that eating this way will make your whole life BETTER! So jump on board. And coconut oil is FANTASTIC. Totally Paleo, a great source of fat and delicious to boot. Cook with it, spread a thin layer on a Larabar for extra fat (my favorite)or use it as a topper (instead of butter) on warm vegetables.
@Katie, I suspect you may need a little more time to adjust to the diet. Five days isn't that long... it took me about two weeks to get really, truly ROCKIN' in the performance department. Once it started clicking, though, I was PR'ing all over the place. In the meantime, make sure you are eating enough fat (I don't care about the fruit... fat is where it's at), and if you aren't already... FISH OIL. M@ has posted a year's worth of articles about how and why fish oil is a straight-up miracle for recovery. Get some and start taking a bunch immediately.
@Mindy, There is no one "better" time to take fish oil, in my opinion. I split my dose up into three portions during the day, and take it just before my first bite of food. The food on top of the fish oil seems to help keep it down well.
Robbie - Here is the link for the recipe:
http://www.sonofgrok.com/2009/03/recipe-caveman-bnbs-banana-nut-bites/
And here's the nutritional analysis for the BNB's if you cut them into 16 squares...
1 square:
141 cal
11g fat
8g carb
3g fiber
5g pro
These are great for me because like a lot of chicken and veggies and find I'm not getting enough fat in my diet. They are very filling with all the nuts!
Melicious, thanks for the zucchini and almond recipe! I can't wait to try it :)
Oh, I forgot... Brian, and anyone else feeling fatigued, I was just reading Robb Wolf's blog and he linked up an interesting journal article that relates to this phenomena: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/1/1/2
I just finished reading the whole article and it seems like it may just be a process of adaptation. Perhaps resting a bit more until the feeling passes will help? Also, you could save your fruits for when you're feeling tired but need energy - or even do as he often recommends and eat a lot of carbs PWO? Read the current post on his blog for more info on that: http://robbwolf.com/?p=634
when i said "a lot of carbs" I didn't mean bad carbs :)
ok i'll stop spamming your comments now MB.
WTF!!!!
My Comments say saved, then when i come back, NOTHING!!! GGGRRRR
http://fitday.com/fitness/PublicJournals.html?Owner=Adrenalnejnky
2 Days entered. So click to previous. Yesterday was good. 50/30/20 approx, was my ratios.
Calories were slightly lower. Up'd the fat, lower carbs and protein a bit. Felt pretty good yesterday during my workout also...
I do need to start getting some more variety...
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