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Principles 3,4 & 5

I think we will include more than one principle per article in the next couple of weeks. The reason is, they are important but simple to understand. I don’t want to waste your time or insult your intelligence so I will group a few together. Although this newsletter is focused on blood sugar, it’s important to demystify the principles of food and diets. You can’t talk about diets, blood sugar, energy, and health, without first looking at what makes up a traditional diet.

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Keeping with our guide to traditional diets, we arrive at Principle Number 3: Eating Nutrient-Dense Foods. This principle might seem straightforward, but its implications are profound and often overlooked in the modern diet landscape.

Nutrient-dense foods are not just about counting calories. They're about maximizing the nutritional value we get from each bite. This approach aligns closely with traditional eating practices, where the quality and nutritional content of food are paramount. In traditional diets, foods were selected for their nutrient richness, and this often led to choices quite different from what we see in contemporary diets.

Take organ meats, for example. While modern diets often favor muscle meats, traditional diets revered organ meats for their nutrient concentration. Although the idea of incorporating organ meats into your diet might seem daunting, they are powerhouses of nutrition. Rich in vitamins and minerals, they provide a level of nourishment that is hard to match with other food sources.

This principle extends beyond organ meats. It encompasses a wide range of naturally nutrient-rich foods - from leafy greens and root vegetables to fermented foods and bone broths. Traditional diets embraced these foods not only for their flavor but for their life-sustaining properties.

Understanding and embracing the concept of nutrient density can revolutionize the way we view our food choices. It shifts the focus from merely eating to eat to eating to nourish our bodies deeply and wholly. As we delve further into this principle, we'll explore how to incorporate these nutrient powerhouses into our daily diets seamlessly, honoring the wisdom of traditional diets and nurturing our health in the process.

Next, let's dive into Principle Number 4, which explores a fascinating aspect of traditional diets: the balance between cooked and raw foods. While these cultures universally cooked some or most of their food, particularly plant foods like grains and vegetables, they also consumed a portion of their animal foods raw. This principle reflects a deep understanding of the nutritional and health impacts of cooking.

Cooking vegetables serves several purposes, one of which is reducing anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are compounds that can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. Cooking helps to break these down, making the nutrients in vegetables more bioavailable. For instance, cooking grains and legumes reduces phytic acid, which can bind minerals and reduce their absorption.

However, it’s important to strike a balance. While there's a school of thought advocating raw vegetables for detoxification, lightly cooked vegetables are often better for nourishment. Take the case of raw spinach, popularly added to smoothies. It's not as benign as it seems. Raw spinach contains oxalates, which can impede thyroid function. This effect is more pronounced in individuals with thyroid issues, though it can affect anyone. Cooking spinach significantly reduces these oxalates, making it a safer choice.

When it comes to animal products, the tradition of including some raw foods is rooted in the understanding of preserving certain nutrients. You don't have to go as far as eating steak tartare, but incorporating some raw animal foods into your diet can be beneficial. A classic example is whole milk. In its raw state, it's a nutrient-rich health food. However, processes like pasteurization and homogenization alter its nutritional profile and digestibility. Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria and enzymes that are lost during pasteurization, while homogenization affects the fat structure of the milk.

This principle of traditional diets underscores the importance of understanding how cooking methods and food processing impact the nutritional value of our food. By looking to the past, we can learn how to optimize our diets for better health, embracing the wisdom of our ancestors in our modern culinary practices.

The last principle we'll explore today is Principle Number 5, which focuses on the vital role of Fermented Foods in traditional diets. Primitive and traditional cultures understood the importance of fermentation long before the science of microbiology explained it. Their diets were rich in food enzymes and beneficial bacteria, derived from a variety of lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, dairy products, meats, and condiments. This diversity in fermented foods goes far beyond the commonly known yogurt.

Speaking of yogurt, it's important to note that not all store-bought yogurts are created equal. Many commercial yogurts undergo short fermentation processes and are pasteurized post-fermentation, which significantly reduces their probiotic content. By making your own yogurt with a longer fermentation time, you can drastically increase its beneficial bacteria count. People with lactose problems can often eat yogurt that has been cooked for such a long time. All of the lactose should have been broken down by then. However, some people who think they are lactose intolerant are casein intolerant and they will still have difficulty digesting the long-cooked yogurt.

The significance of fermented foods lies in their impact on our gut microbiome, a complex community of microorganisms in our digestive system. This microbiome is crucial for our overall health, influencing everything from our immune system and mood to our energy levels and food cravings. In fact, the number of bacteria in our bodies surpasses the number of our red blood cells! This highlights why nurturing our gut health through fermented foods is not just beneficial, but essential.

While taking probiotics can be helpful, relying solely on supplements is not enough. For example, I had a patient who experienced digestive issues whenever she stopped taking probiotics. This was because, although she was consuming high-quality probiotics, her gut environment wasn't conducive for these beneficial bacteria to thrive. A balanced gut microbiome requires the right pH and a steady supply of prebiotics, which are essentially fibers that feed these bacteria. Herein lies a challenge with modern, highly processed foods: they are often devoid of the necessary fibers, enzymes, and nutrients, leaving us with empty calories that offer little in return.

To truly support your gut health, it's crucial to include a variety of fermented foods in your diet. Beyond yogurt, consider incorporating sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and fermented vegetables. These foods not only provide a rich source of probiotics but also enhance the flavor and nutritional value of meals. By embracing this principle of traditional diets, you can make a profound impact on your health, one fermented bite at a time.

In summary, these principles of a traditional diet – focusing on nutrient-dense foods, balancing cooked and raw animal products, and incorporating a variety of fermented foods – provide a holistic approach to eating that is both nourishing and sustainable. By embracing these practices, we connect with the wisdom of our ancestors, whose diets were not just about sustenance but about thriving. This journey back to the basics of traditional eating is not just a step towards better physical health; it's a pathway to rediscovering a harmonious relationship with our food and our environment. As we implement these principles in our daily lives, we enable ourselves to make choices that are not only healthier but also more intuitive and fulfilling. Let this be an invitation to explore, experiment, and experience the profound benefits that come from eating as our ancestors did – with mindfulness, respect, and appreciation for the natural bounty of our world.

I often get asked, “Do I need to take vitamins? Which ones?” If you’ve expected a simple answer from me in the past, you know by now why it’s not so straightforward. We’ve been conditioned to believe certain things about health that aren’t necessarily true. The reality is that many vitamins on the market contain no real vitamins at all. They are isolates - mere fractions of the vitamin complex. Your food contains complete vitamin complexes, not these isolates. It's cheaper to produce isolates than to grow real food. But you cannot recreate life or a complete vitamin complex in a test tube. This results in a convenient but misleading product labeled as a vitamin.

The truth is, most people do not get all they need from food. Even an all-organic diet can fall short. Factors like poor sleep, increased toxic load, stress, and poor digestion all alter our nutritional needs and our ability to digest food efficiently. Take acid reflux, a common issue, as an example. Often, it’s a sign of weak acid, and using antacids can exacerbate the problem. This not only hampers digestion but also impacts the gut biome, potentially leading to a cascade of health issues. A typical example is seen in seniors, many of whom suffer from a B12 deficiency, leading to fatigue and mental fog. Simply taking B12 supplements might not help, especially if they don’t include the intrinsic factor necessary for its absorption.

So, what should you take? In my dispensary, I categorize some products as “basic supplements.” These include a quality multivitamin, mineral supplements, and B12 for those over 40. I also recommend magnesium, as most adults are deficient. Berberine is another key supplement for gut health and blood sugar management. It’s often more effective than Metformin, a commonly prescribed drug for blood sugar regulation, and has additional weight management benefits. For digestive support, I recommend a specific aid, although pricier, because it improves your body's own HCl production and assists with intestinal motility.

I also strongly advocate for turmeric, particularly a blend I’ve chosen that’s mixed with fenugreek for enhanced bioavailability. Turmeric is crucial in combating “inflammaging,” a term describing the inflammation associated with aging. Reducing inflammation is key to health and longevity and is more effective and safer than using NSAIDs, which can impede the body’s healing process.

I have one more recommendation: cod liver oil. It’s a complex subject, deserving a more in-depth discussion, so I’ve shared a link to an article that delves deeper into its benefits. Remember, these recommendations are backed by years of research and practice, mirroring the wisdom of many healthcare professionals. By taking these supplements, you’re not just following my advice; you’re joining a community committed to proactive health management. This approach aligns with the latest understandings in nutrition science, ensuring that you’re not left behind in the evolving landscape of health and wellness.

I am going to borrow a quote from one of my teachers. He said it best and it’s my standard answer when someone says “but its too many vitamins to take!” My reply is… I don’t care how you get it in, but get it in. You can eat the foods or take the supplements. Both are great.

There is a reason I use supplements made from food. It’s how you were designed to function. Some nutrients are difficult to get all you need from the diet,, some are easy. Its not one size fits all. A quality multi vitamin, a digestive support supplement, and trace minerals B12 may be all you need. How you get the other nutrients in, is up to you. When I am eating exceptionally well, I take less supplements. When I am more stressed or its cold and flu season, I may take more. I would prefer you got all your nutrients from your diet, but for many of us, for a variety of reasons, that is not possible. Supplements can fill in the gaps, but they need to be supplements your body can use.

If you don’t already have an account, follow the link and set one up. the catalog is huge and your account has a built in 10% discount just for following my newsletter. In the not too distant future, I will set up a facebook group to supplement this newsletter. I have a telgram acct already set up. The goal of the facebook group will be to answer questions weekly or monthly (depending on need) so you feel like you have all the info you need to make decisions that are right for you. Thanks for reading! Next week we will do principles 6-11. enjoy your week and eat great food!

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