Who We Are

Welcome to the LanCo Whole Health Group Blog! We started as a few employees at CNH interested in learning more about nutrition and general well-being. Since our first meeting in January of 2011 our membership has increasingly grown within our local company offices as well as to a number of friends and family outside of our area. We invite you to become a member as well!

For everyone else, check in often! A weekly email blast is created and sent to our members with Nutrition News, Tips, Workouts, Inspiration, Ideas, and more.

Disclaimer: We are in no way, shape, form, or manner officially associated, branded, supported, or encouraged by CNH America, LLC or any of its' various corporate attachments. We're a group of people dedicated to seeking better health - and we want you to join our family.

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28 February 2011

Nutrition - 28 Feb 2011 - Stress! And a diet review...

Good evening, Team!

Many of you will receive this in the morning - which is a good thing as you should be home by now spending quality time with your families! Thanks to Neseth for taking charge and sending out a quick invite to everyone to come in and watch "The Big Fat Truth about Low Fat Foods." This is a topic with a lot of interest in our group and the opportunity to get together and hear another's journey, research and perspective (not Paleo or Primal) is really a good thing. I highly recommend you taking the time to watch it this week. And just remember - don't be afraid to eat healthy, natural, saturated fats. We've hit this point before but...as long as you are keeping your insulin levels low then your body cannot store it. Eat your fats with a balanced meal or with protein only and you will effectively use it for energy or excrete it - not store it. Let's get used to the fact that eating fats will not make you fat. But eating lots of excess carbs - WILL!

As you know I am traveling this week. As you also know travel is a very stressful situation for most people. This morning was no different. This is the subject of today's...

NUTRITION TIP OF THE DAY: Be chill. Stress is a killer. It is also a stimulant. As well as a fat making machine! Anyone remember hearing mention over the last few weeks about cortisol? Let's re-introduce you. Meet Cortisol - your stress hormone. Cortisol is responsible for many functions that affect you every day. It is what charges up your fight or flight response. It also increases muscle tension. She shuts down digestion, yet can increase available energy. Is that enough to get started?

Here's one. Have you ever felt extremely tired in the morning yet you can't shut down at night? Ah, the old night owl. Yup - your cortisol levels are to blame. And really that's the issue. A proper cortisol level chart would show high levels of the hormone at wake up. You should awake naturally with eyes popped open, instantly alert and ready to charge the day. Many of you may have experienced this at times over the years. You wake up to find yourself three steps from the bed and WIDE AWAKE at 3 am. Perfect. That's what SHOULD happen. As your day goes on, your cortisol levels will drop at a constant rate hitting your low at approximately your body's needed bedtime - about 14 to 17 hours later. Usually there is a small crash and bump up of the levels around the mid-day when most people experience the post-lunch lull. By the way, naps are natural. Try to get one every so often. Back to your levels. That low level at night allows your serotonin and melatonin levels to kick in and gently wash your body to sleep for several hours of restoration.

So why can I not get out of bed yet can't get to sleep? Good question. Your cortisol levels are completely out of whack! For starters, the night-time relax in front of a flickering screen with intense images and sounds that require massive brain energy to absorb doesn't help. Neither does the extremely bright (think mid-day summer sun) lights we bathe our homes in once the sun goes down. These are all stressful to to body so it starts to dump cortisol back into the system - shutting down melatonin production and keeping you awake. Of course, that scoop of ice cream and bowl of pasta didn't help much. By the time you do wind down enough - who's laid in bed for HOURS waiting to fall asleep - the body only has a few short hours before you force yourself awake through a screaming alarm clock and another cortisol bath to negate the melatonin in the bloodstream. This takes some time so you feel groggy for quite a while. Want something more effective? Slam your hand in the bedroom door a few times - that'll at least get some adrenaline flowing to help!

Okay - back to seriousness. Listen, do you see where the problem is? What I'm hearing now is - but why is it a fat-making machine? Best question yet. Remember that our body has many ways to get glucose into our system - but only one way to get it out. Lately we've talked about insulin resistance. You should know all about that now. This is where your body will not respond to the insulin that is in your system to remove the glucose in your blood. The cells will no longer open their doors for the insulin to drop off its' precious cargo and the body must then store it. Well, when your body is used to running on carbs almost exclusively the cells do burn through the glucose in their storage vacuoles and call for replacement - especially the brain. BUT WAIT! We're resistant to insulin so now we can't even get the glucose that is already in the system. So here's what the body does: IT MAKES MORE! The brain is screaming for more energy. Since the brain being low on energy is a STRESSFUL EVENT (low energy means death to the brain) it releases CORTISOL by the gallon and the body responds by the next easiest thing it knows how to make glucose from. Gluconeogenesis. It breaks down your precious muscle tissue to make more glucose that it then dumps into the blood stream which is already overfull with glucose that can't go anywhere so it builds up in the liver where it is then added to a glycerol and some fatty acids and sent down the line to be stored for later use. Yeah - you just broke down muscle tissue to make fat. Because you were "stressed." Oh boy. And on top of it - ever notice how you are always eating when stressed? This is due to the dump off of glucose into the system, which is turning down your leptin production. Leptin is our "fed" hormone so we are no longer shutting off the hunger message from the brain which is causing us to - EAT MORE. So here you are, snacking on high-carb snacks because you are craving them due to the brain's need for energy when there is already a ton of energy in the system plus it's making more from your muscles and continuously bathing the system with Cortisol which is furthermore spiking your adrenaline levels and shutting down melatonin production causing you to stay up at night and be tired in the morning. Whew...

So what do we do? Well, eating right is a good start. Let's get the food stuff under control. Don't eat anything two hours before bed if you can help it. Pick a bedtime and stick to it! Shut down the lights and tv an hour before head-down time and read, write, or converse quietly in a gentle light such as a candle. When you wake up - GET UP! If it is 2 AM, so what. Get up do some light activity (make lunch for the day - without turning on the crazy bright kitchen lights!) then drift back to sleep. Biphasic sleep sessions are normal and should be embraced. Have a solid breakfast of protein and fats (8 oz of salmon and a handful of nuts is great here!). Practice deep breathing control several times a day. Lay back at any time and just let the mind drift. Don't meditate or control it in any way - just let it go. A gentle touch from a partner or loved one helps release tension. Do not get mad at traffic or the gate attendant. There will be other flights. Yes, the boss might be upset but they'll get over it. Just let things go. Maybe these other people need to learn how to de-stress too. Teach them. Love deeply. Forgive resolutely. Learn these phrases and repeat them often - "It is what it is." "It is sometimes better to know what not to do." Smile.

You can do it. I know you can. Even I did a pretty good job. I left for Baltimore with 4 hours to spare. And barely made the gate by ten minutes. But I made it. And I will sleep like a champ tonight.

WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Warm-up - 2 rounds of 15 reps, Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat Work-out: 30-25-20-15-10 Rep rounds of Pushups, Mountain Climbers, and Leg Lifts.

A diet review is included below. It was sent along by a nutrition tracker I use called "FitDay." Interesting to note that she thinks this type of eating hasn't been studied much. Lean meats, healthy fats, no processed foods? Sounds almost perfectly Paleo. (she does fall a bit short on the 100% whole grain, beans and legumes) Maybe someone should email the author and get them in the loop?

"Always do right. This will amaze some people and will astound the rest. - Mark Twain"

Mind, Body, and Souls - Healthy,
Mike.


http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/the-anti-inflammatory-diet-what-does-it-mean-should-i-do-it.html

The "Anti-Inflammatory" Diet: What Does It Mean? Should I Do It?

Inflammation is the normal and natural response to body injury; however, unnecessary and chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on the body and promote illness. Many times chronic inflammation goes unnoticed for years but eventually may lead to serious illness including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, sleep and mood disorders, arthritis and Alzheimer's. Due to the increase in chronic disease, the anti-inflammatory diet has gained popularity and media attention. In general, the anti-inflammatory diet is similar to the Mediterranean style of eating and is designed to reduce risk of age-related disease and improve overall health.

Dietary Factors Contributing to Inflammation
One of the largest players in the fight against chronic inflammation is excess body weight. The inflammatory state is a vicious cycle starting with infection or illness that produces inflammation, then insulin resistance followed by weight gain and more inflammation. When an individual starts to gain weight, it can become difficult to get the body out of this constant inflammatory pathway. Typically drastic nutrition and exercise changes are needed. The modern diet contributes to inflammation through a variety of body mechanisms that are not completely understood. Eating too many fried foods, processed foods, omega-6 fats, saturated fat, refined sugar and trans fats have all been linked to increased pro-inflammatory chemicals and hormones that cause cell damage.

Foods to Eat
The anti-inflammatory diet promotes well-balanced eating, but for true success it must be a lifestyle change and not a temporary fix. Due to the anti-inflammatory effects, omega-3 fatty acids such as fresh oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed and fortified eggs are the staples. The primary source of fat is extra virgin olive oil. Only lean meats and vegetable proteins (soybeans, tofu, and soy milk) are allowed. With high levels of antioxidants, a colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are strongly encouraged along with a variety of nuts, 100% whole grains, beans and legumes. Herbs and spices such as garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, red pepper, cayenne, basil, oregano, paprika and chili peppers play a key role in flavoring foods. An emphasis is placed on organic produce if feasible. As far as beverages, 2-4 servings of green, white and/or oolong tea are recommended and red wine is allowed in moderate amounts (1-2 glasses daily).

Foods to Avoid
The first step in following the anti-inflammatory diet is to eliminate refined, white sugar found in most breads, white potatoes, crackers, chips and other snack foods and sugary beverages. All fast food should be avoided. Label reading should be practiced in order to limit high fructose corn syrup. Foods high in pro-inflammatory fats such as margarine, fatty meats, processed meats, fried foods, regular cheese, vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The plan does suggest avoiding all dairy products thus be sure to obtain calcium from other sources or supplements. Sugar and derivatives are not recommended but agave nectar and stevia products are allowed.

Does it Work?
While the anti-inflammatory diet has not been studied extensively, many aspects of the diet have been associated with better health. Research has shown cultures who eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and healthy oils do have lower rates of chronic disease. Keep in mind that the overall pattern of eating, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active are the three most important factors in reducing inflammation. The inclusion or elimination of certain foods and nutrients are important but improvement will be blunted if you do not look at the big picture!

Laura N. Kenny is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian in the state of Indiana. She received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and completed her dietetic internship at Purdue University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree from Central Michigan University. Laura works for the Indiana Obesity Center PC under the supervision of Dr. Keith McEwen. She specializes in both surgical and non-surgical weight loss including nutritional adherence, meal planning, and macro/micro nutrient status. Kenny also promotes healthy eating through various speaking engagements throughout Indianapolis and teaches indoor cycling and Pilates classes in her free time. Since staring her dietetics career, she has worked with a variety of populations and chronic diseases. Each summer Laura volunteers at Camp John Warvel, a camp for children with diabetes. She also enjoys writing, sports, exercise, and reading "hot topics" in nutrition. Laura has a true passion for guiding people to choose healthy nutritional choices for each and every individual lifestyle. To contact Laura, email her at lkenny@ecommunity.com

25 February 2011

Nutrition - 25 Feb 2011 - Casual Class Friday, Short and Sweet!

Happy Friday, Team!
It's a great day to be a duck! Primal Law # 7: Play! Let's get out there and hit up the puddles. Splash around and just be kids again. Grab the hand of your partner and get funky! Dance, sing, kiss. Enjoy Paris in Lancaster.
Yesterday's post turned into quite the lengthy email! I had no idea what I was to write and that's just what came out. Of course since then I've had a lot of time to contemplate and came up with far more information to share and questions to ask.
You will not see that here! This is all you get today. Short and sweet.
Remember, I am off campus for the next ten days and will not be holding an official meeting - but I encourage you all to get together - whether in small groups at your location or a large one at Building 43. Send me an update with your questions and discussions. I look forward to hearing what the group is collectively accomplishing in this time.
Nutrition Tip of the Day: Does email have a filter? Here's the article. Read on... You're welcome.
Workout of the Day: Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 - 4 point lunge stretch (front, sides, back), Walking lunge 15 steps, Samson Stretch, Squat Workout: One round for time - Run 1 mile, 100 sit-ups, 50 split jumps (from a lunge jump up and switch leg position - hehehe, this one is great!)
Have a spectacular weekend!
Mike.

24 February 2011

Nutrition - 24 Feb 2011 - Feedback, Tips, and a Workout

Good morning, team!

A fantastic Thursday is among us and many of you have news to share! How did your weigh-in go? I am very anxious to hear of how you are doing and to receive those updated measurements! For anyone who has not taken measurements and sent them to me yet - please do so. I will continue to use them for purposes of tracking your progress (many times you will see a change in the tape rather than the scale - which is a GREAT thing!) as well as to inform you of your current body composition as well as daily caloric needs. This will help define such areas as portion control. So...get them to me when possible. If you do not have a tape, I will leave mine with Greg Beall in Building 43 and he can help you get them recorded - he's a master at it!

There has been a lot of great dialogue in the last couple days about conventional wisdom as well as a couple articles I sent out that contained possible conflicted information. This feedback is EXACTLY what I am asking for from you. So, my thanks to those who have spoken up.

Let's start with Conventional Wisdom.

Conventional wisdom tells us to eat 3 times a day. It tells us that we need 8 hours of unbroken sleep. It tells us that if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. It tells us cigarettes are bad. Okay - they're right on the last one. :-) Have you ever wondered where "conventional wisdom" came from? Was it something that evolved naturally and became second nature? Or did someone get on the news, in the paper, on the internet and tell you this is the way to do it? Study after study suggest that you should do this - just to be refuted by another study that says just the opposite. So what to believe? I can't help you here. It really is up to you to decide. However, I can say that most conventional wisdom should probably be taken with a grain of sea salt - iodized of course!

Are there days you only feel hungry once or twice that day? Or, maybe you're hungry all day long? How about killing yourself on a treadmill for 60 minutes a day, every day - yet not losing a pound? Do you get your 8 glasses a day - and not have to spend half of it running to the washroom? This "conventional wisdom" seems rather flawed to me. Here's why. When I eat - I eat when I'm hungry. I only eat until I'm full. Some days that's once. Other's it's five times. With all the water in fruits and veggies - especially fresh - well I generally do not ever feel thirsty. Thirst is your bodies mechanism for telling you it needs fluid. So it causes me to ask - why don't I feel thirsty? Answer - my diet is providing me with all of my daily fluid needs. I LIKE to drink coffee and tea. Very rarely do I feel that I NEED to do so. The more fluid you put in, the more your body must then remove - with it water soluble vitamins and minerals. The reason for the SAD (standard American diet) recommendation of 8 glasses a day? A series of studies in the 40's suggested that 1 ml of water was needed per calorie consumed for proper digestion. 2000 calories = 64 ounces of water. Eight 8 ounce glasses. What people forgot was to subtract the amount of water already present in the food they were eating. (And our over abundance of grain consumption - which has almost no water - required supplementation) Did you know that you can die from too much water intake? It's called hyponatremia. And then there's cerebral edema. That sounds fun. So why did everyone start carrying around water bottles and buying Dasani? Cup holders. And marketing. Really. How many of you remember stopping at 7-11 back in the 80's to get a bottle of water. When did Pepsi start selling Dasani? When did they start putting 15 thousand cup holders in cars? Yup - you're getting it now. I still have no idea how parachute pants became popular.

Here's a study on the 8 glasses a day thing.

What this all comes down to is that I only ask you to be open with your thinking. Humans did not go around drinking gallons of water a day - carrying it around with them - for the last 2 million years. Our thirst told us when to drink. We didn't die immediately when it came. We also didn't go around trimming every piece of fat off of the sabre-tooth tiger we just killed. Nah - we ate the whole thing - meat, fat, bones, brain... Yes, a lot of this information is completely opposite of what you've heard over most of your life. Let's explore each topic together and make personal decisions based upon the facts and reasonable deduction - not simply accepting what others have told us. That's why I ask you to keep challenging me. I learn, you learn. We become healthier together.

Our second concern came with the 12 step list from PaNu founder Dr. Harris. At the very bottom of the second page he states that if you like potatoes or rice, eat them. Which is good advice, right? But Mike! You told us not to eat potatoes or grains! Here's the deal - you are right, I did. And he is right too. Eating white potatoes (hash browns, mmm...) is not a bad thing. They do not contain any Neolithic agents (disease causing) so there is not much cause for concern. But for those who are trying to LOSE WEIGHT - they are extremely starchy (non-fiber, polysaccharide = MANY sugars) and thus are carbohydrate heavy resulting in an easy over-consumption of carbs as well as the subsequent blood glucose spike which drives up your insulin level which turns down your Leptin (hunger shut-off) hormone which causes you to continue eating which drives up your blood glucose... In the end, you eat more than you should and end up storing the excess as (anybody remember from yesterday's article?) SATURATED fat. It's a vicious cycle. So yes, every so often white potatoes are fine. A little more often - sweet potatoes (white or orange - Louisiana yams) are a better choice due to the higher fiber (non-digestible) content. Still portion control is key - unless you just ran a marathon, then have your fill!

And the rice? White rice only. Milled and polished to remove the germ and bran (the toxin and anti-nutrient containing components) or true wild rice. No brown rice. And 1/4 cup cooked is 1 block (serving) - just like 1/2 slice bread or 1 cup blueberries or 4 cups broccoli.

Make sense? Let me know if you need more information! I'll be happy to oblige!

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Eat Local. You do far more than just support the local community. You support your health by eating fresher foods, ones that you know where they came from and how they were raised. You keep down such events as transportation and ripening by fumigation. And myriad other benefits. For me, it's the fresh factor. Here's a suggestion - Farmer's Markets. Lancaster County is 68% farmland. There is no excuse for not having access to fresh produce. I drive by at least 10 stands every day on my 10 mile commute to CNH. And my other favorite - Community Supported Agriculture. See Amber Karnes article about CSA's. I am a member of the Buckhill Farms (Lititz) CSA and love it. A big bag of food every week. Always something different. It's fun to have to figure out what to do with what you got! Plus I support my local farmers as well as the food bank when I'm traveling and can't pick it up. It also saves me money. The initial outlay is tough, but I spend at least 50 bucks a week on veggies. Multiply that by 4.3 (weeks in a month) by 5 (months in a normal CSA harvest year) and you get a savings of over 400 bucks. Sorry Giant - I love you too.

Workout of the Day: (Yes, these will not take very long. Buck Conventional Wisdom. Do them at high intensity and you'll get the effect.) Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps - Jumping Jacks, Shoulder stretches, Push-ups (5 reps ea rnd), Samson Stretch (hold 10 secs ea leg), Squat (hold bottom of last rep for 10 secs). Workout - Run 400 m THEN with a countdown of 8 minutes do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of - 15 squats and 10 push-ups. THEN run 400m again. If you can't measure distance run 2 minutes each one.

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." - Booker T. Washington

Attached is the article on CSA's. You can find information on the one at Buckhill Farms here. If you know of others in the area please reply all and let the group know where to find them.

Fresher is tastier!

Mike.

23 February 2011

Nutrition - 23 Feb 2011 - Class Review, Tips, and a Workout!

Team; a brilliant Wednesday to you all!

And how brilliant it is! A solid cold front scrubbed all of the clouds out of our area and this morning brought us a truly crisp sunrise. For those of you who missed it at 6 this morning…feel free to join me for more early morning tests as we anxiously complete our cold weather testing! The clean gradient of blues from light sky to deep midnight kissed by a touch of burnt amber along the fray served to lift the spirits of anyone who caught it. Have you made it out to greet the dawn lately? It is but a simple, yet wonderful gesture to the powers that bring every day to bear.

Yesterday's meeting brought a very pleasant surprise – 4 new attendees, 2 fully new members! Welcome Jesika, Nick, Stanley, and Mark! We had a very good discussion along with 4 of our other members on the very scratch surface of every class over the last four weeks. Topics ranged from the basic food prescription to leptin and insulin resistance. Grains to modern diets. Talk of the food pyramids and Zone proportioning. Success stories from hard trails and easy times. It was a great review for many and hopefully a tasty introduction for all. Which reminds me – Michelle graciously provided the group with a collection of Hobnobs and Fudge from the Primal-Blueprint Reader-Created Coconut Recipe Cookbook sent out early last week. They were amazing.

Very quickly it was noted that there is a lot of information retained within our group members – new and old. It is exciting to hear you all able to answer questions about lectins and glycerols, proteins and metabolic. I am proud to know that you are taking such an active interest in your health as you read and review these emails and class notes in your spare time. So today, I am assigning your first homework assignment: Using the links provided in an earlier email, or at a new site all of your own finding, or even a book if you have picked one up – pick one single topic that is the most interesting to you, one that you feel strongly about, or one really tasty recipe. Write me a reader's digest condensed report on it and send the link my way! I'm anxious to know what interesting tidbits you have all been digging up over the last month. Due to me between 2 March and 6 March. Yes – it's optional, but just think how cool it would be to see your information sent out to everyone! We have 23 active list members (!) so that will be a tremendous amount of information that we can share with the group! I'll take what you send me and put it into a form that can be easily digested – pun intended. J

Nutrition Tip of the Day: It's okay to go against conventional wisdom. Eating FAT will not make you FAT! A super quick email yesterday after the meeting brought up the topic of Saturated Fats. The basis started in my very brief explanation of the Seven Countries Study by Ancel Keys in which he condemned Saturated Fat as the reason behind our country's increasing Heart Disease rate in the 1940's. Below is a link to Mark Sisson's Definitive Guide to Saturated Fats in which he does a very good job of addressing the study as well as other points of this debate. Personally I like the line where he states – "Saturated fat is also a fantastic source of energy, at least if you trust your body to make the right decision – otherwise, why else would we store excess carbohydrates as saturated body fat?" There are three things you can do with fat once it is in your body – burn it (through ketosis), excrete it (no explanation needed), or store it (through the direction of any extra insulin you have floating around due to excess carb intake). Keep your insulin levels down and there goes the storage factor! Also check out the Wikipedia article for a viewpoint from the supporters of Keys' study.

Reminder: There is no official class meeting on Friday the 25th, Tuesday the 1st, Friday the 4th, or Tuesday the 8th. During this time I encourage you to continue your journey with your fellow Nutrition Group members with lunchtime fellowship, continuing to meet on those dates (Neseth has a really great video to watch on the dietary fat topic), and even going out to the NH restaurant or Palmero's (walking there, of course!) to practice how to order out. I will continue to send out emails and provide you with email and phone support. Feel free to give me a call anytime! (717-413-9040) I will be traveling for CNH business so you won't be interrupting any personal time. J

Workout of the Day: Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps – Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Stretch (10 secs each hold), Push-ups (only 5 reps), Samson Stretch (10 secs each leg), Squat (hold bottom on last for 10 secs). Workout: 2 rounds for time – 25 push-ups, 250 jumping jacks or 350 single jump-rope-jumps, 150 flutter kicks.

Grab a few minutes in the sun today. Feel great tomorrow!

Mike.

The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fat

bacon 1It's probably the one thing that prevents people from fully buying into the Primal Blueprint. Almost anyone can agree with the basic tenets – eating more vegetables, choosing only clean, organic meats, and getting plenty of sleepand exercise is fairly acceptable to the mainstream notion of good nutrition. The concept of Grok and a lifestyle based on evolutionary biology can be a harder sell, but anyone who's familiar with (and accepts) the basics of human evolution tends to agree (whether they follow through and adopt the lifestyle is another question), at least intellectually. But saturated fat? People have this weird conditioned response to the very phrase.

22 February 2011

Nutrition - 22 Feb 2011 - Inspiration, Tips, and a Workout!

Good Morning, Crew!

Another beautiful winter's morning beckoned with the sun's early rays – "Come, come! And get in a great workout - shoveling, shoveling!" J Hopefully you all made it to where you needed to go this morning without issue.

Without further ado, let us welcome our newest member to the email club – Jeremiah!

It came to my attention that yesterday I neglected to link the story of Unconquerable Dave. So there you go. I think it's the pictures more than anything that are the most inspiring.

Just last night, I got in an inspiring email. My mother – who we've been working on for months to weed out some of the SAD (standard American diet) staples in her eating – has taken a huge leap forward. The best part was the picture! I love you, Mom; and Bonnie and I are extremely proud of you. Email copied here for the good of our group. (I know I didn't ask first but…forgive me?):

Moms_pantry.jpg---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bonnie Kizis
Date: Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 8:53 PM
Subject: Fwd: Pantry
To: michael kizis <coachmkcfc@gmail.com>

AND they are eating almond butter regularly and they bought almond meal (although I don't know if they used it yet...)

We rock :)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barbara Kizis
Date: Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 8:47 PM
Subject: Pantry
To: Bonnie Kizis

You would be so proud! Just threw out 3 bags of stuff that was outdated or too processed.....cake mixes, crackers, noodle mixes, snacks, pasta.....plus some that had those little worms in it - oough! Not much left besides nuts, raisins, dates, oatmeal, vinegar and oil. :-)

Okay, I took the liberty of highlighting that little number. Extra protein? ;-) Thanks, but I'm happy with my lean meat, fresh veggies, some fruit, nuts, seeds, and oils.

Does anyone else have an inspiring story to share? Hit reply - we'd love to hear it!

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Take it one step at a time if you have to. Today's attachment is from Dr. Kurt Harris of PaleoNu.com. He's put together a very simple list of how you can transition into a more healthy lifestyle one step at a time. Start at the top and work your way down. It's that simple! The only caveat is that he advocates no measuring, weighing, or counting of food. I have prescribed that for you to do for a reason. Keep at it. Eventually you too will be able to no longer do so. See the preview below.

Workout of the Day: A new feature – for those who need some ideas! Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps each – keep moving until finished, Jumping Jacks, Pushups, Samson Stretch (15 secs each leg), Squat (hold at the bottom of last rep for 10 seconds) Workout: 3 Rounds for Time: 50 Steps of Walking Lunge, 50 Bicycle Crunches, 20 Leg Lifts. Good form trumps speed. Kiss the ground with your trailing knee and drive back up through the heel. Keep your core tight throughout. Lift from 6 inches to 24 inches – do not rest on the ground or in straight up if you can help it.

We have a meeting today! I look forward to seeing everyone who can attend at noon in the Building 43 conference room.

To laughing when everyone else is steaming…

Mike.

P.S. Did anyone pick up on the fact that I like pictures? J

PaNu's 12 Steps

Here is a 12- step list of what to do. Go as far down the list as you can in whatever time frame you can manage. The further along the list you stop, the healthier you are likely to be. There is no counting, measuring, or weighing. You are not required to purchase anything specific from me or anyone else. There are no special supplements, drugs or testing required.*

1. Eliminate sugar (including fruit juices and sports drinks that contain HFCS) and all foods that contain flour.

2. Start eating proper fats - Use healthy animal fats or coconut fat to substitute fat calories for calories that formerly came from sugar and flour. Drink whole cream or coconut milk.

3. Eliminate gluten grains. Limit grains like corn and rice, which are nutritionally poor.

Open the attachment to read the rest!

21 February 2011

Nutrition - 21 Feb 2011 - Tips and Inspiration

Happy Monday, Crew!

What an interesting surprise to head out for work this morning to find the Jeep covered in snow. I had spent the weekend in shorts! Ah, the changing of the seasons…

What seasons of change are you working through? Have you recently backslid or decided to cut out one more thing you had not quite given up? How many of you have convinced your family to just give it a try? "Really – it's not cardboard." Funny how when you say to someone that you don't eat grains and they immediately assume that all of your food now has no taste…I always ask them what bread and pasta tastes like. Exactly – the sauce it was cooked in. Hmm.

Below is a link to Paleo Pepper's story. She converted from Vegetarianism to Paleo back in March. Lives without a kitchen (yes, it's possible – I've done it for 3.5 years). And puts an interesting spin on just about everything she has written. Like the story of Unconquerable Dave, it is inspirational of its' own accord.

I'm not attaching the class notes from the grain class today. Only two people were able to attend so I plan on re-teaching the class tomorrow or Friday.

Let's get those numbers turned in! I'll be updating your charts and looking forward to celebrating your success with you.

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Plan out your meals. Yes, we've talked about it before. Pre-planning your week does a lot for you. First, it becomes a fun family activity as everyone pours through websites and cookbooks to come up with something they'd like to try. Second, it cuts down on excess spending (time and money) at the grocery as you will have a list that can easily be used to get what you need only. Walking aimlessly through the store increases spending by 28%! (okay, I made up that number but I know for sure that is a low number when I go shopping without a plan) Remember, you'll be sticking to the outside of the store so if you need shampoo or paper products (the only reason to go into the aisles) make sure to put them on the list. Third, it will easily de-stress meal times. You'll know what to make, what you need, and how to make it. Here is how one healthy family does it – the Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary. Scroll down to the post on 15 February 2011.

Meeting tomorrow. Same bat-time, Same bat-place! See you then!

Mike.

My Paleo Journey

Perhaps a good way to start out with my blog is to share my past. This should demonstrate why Paleo eating and living is so important to me. And perhaps, if you're new to all of this, it will convince you to give it a shot, too. That would be wonderful. I'd be happy to help you get started.

And finally, please, as always, take everything I have to say with a NorCal ™ margarita full of salt. I try my best to be fair and to make sense of life. But that's a giant challenge we all struggle with, so use your judgment as best you can.

———————————————————————————————–

My story began in adolescence. I was…not quite fit. Perhaps 30 pounds overweight. Cute enough. Clean enough. Happy enough. And certainly productive enough. But I loathed myself. I loathed my body, and I loathed it even more because I should have been able to control it, but I couldn't. What I lacked, I thought, was willpower. I ate as healthfully as absolutely possible (with the occasional binge thrown in) but it didn't make a difference. Special K cereal in the morning with skim milk, grapes and yogurt and a bagel for lunch, and salad or pasta for dinner. Seemed like a good idea at the time. But I was always grazing, never satisfied, and perpetually deprived. I hated myself for eating that much. Clearly, I lacked the control necessary to be truly beautiful.

Click here to continue reading…

18 February 2011

Nutrition - 18 Feb 2011 - Meeting today, Tips, and a Recipe!

Good Morning, All!

We're heavy in the middle of testing out here in the foreign land of Building 43 – so I have to keep this one short. Hopefully, you all have read and (mostly) understand the information on digestion and the fed states. Today's meeting will focus solely on grains and their affect on the body. As always, I will send out the class notes and more (over 20 pages worth) on grains next week. It might be overkill but if this is what it takes to get you off of the wheat then so be it.

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Sleep! No really. It is that important. Below are a few teasers to the articles contained in the file attached. There is a lot of information out there on this topic so I've only included a couple from my favorite go-to guys Mark Sisson and Robb Wolf.

Yesterday I got a great question about something I termed "metabolic failure" in regards to your fitness regimen's. My original response and explanation was rather poor so I have prepared a new one which I will be bringing to the group on Tuesday. If you really want to drive change and burn more fat – try to attend. I'll not only explain the energy pathways and how to get there but demonstrate the difference. This will probably be YouTube worthy!

Back to the testing. See you all at noon!

Mike.

P.S. Everyone has homework this weekend (yes, even those of you who are only on the email list). Get those measurements and pictures taken! Send me the measurements as soon as you get them.

P.P.S. I will be off-campus from the 28th to the 6th attending the Custom Harvesters convention in Grand Island. I'll continue to have daily emails sent out as well as homework for you. Getting together on Tuesday and Friday will be optional but I highly recommend it! It's a great time to talk as a group and share your questions and knowledge.

Posted by Robb Wolf on Jan 2, 2008 in Intermittent Fasting, Sleep | 35 comments

Well…today is the first day back in the gym training folks in almost 2 weeks. We took the past 11 days off due to the holidays and upwards of 50% of my time off was spent sleeping! Left to my own devices I will sleep for 9hrs per night and Read more…

Posted by Julien Smith on Dec 31, 2010 in Sleep | 19 comments

You would think being qualified to talk about sleep is a good thing. Often, it's not. Just like Robb learned to be strict with gluten much quicker than most, it tends to be those who have the worst problems are who know the most about it. When it comes to Read more…

The Definitive Guide to Sleep

Sleep 1Sleep Awareness Week (as sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation) technically ended March 13th, but somehow I'm guessing there are just as many sleep deprived folks milling about this week as there were a few days ago – just like our good reader Monday. Maybe a few of us feel better adjusted to the time change these days, but probably just as many stayed up late to watch the NCAA games this weekend. Or maybe it was a late St. Paddy's Day party. Somehow it's always somethin', isn't it?

Kitchen Equipment and Today's Lunch

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Sarah

http://everydaypaleo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_08941-1024x682.jpg

Today's Lunch

I often mention kitchen essentials that make paleo cooking a heck of a lot easier; such as a food processor, pressure cooker, and the oh so important slow cooker. Check out this fun site for even more fun kitchen equipment! My favorite suggestion is the fire extinguisher. Now that's some serious cooking!!

I would like to share with you today's super easy lunch which includes my new favorite way to enjoy winter squash.

Today's Lunch

Just some good ol' grass fed beef

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

1/2 red onion, diced

5 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

splash of balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the coconut oil until translucent. Add the ground beef and brown. Add the spices and the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is cooked down and tender.

Roasted Winter Squash

1 butternut squash

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400. Remove the skin from the squash with a potato peeler. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice the squash into very thin slices. Toss with the coconut oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes. Check our Rowan in the pics below trying the squash raw! He liked it much better when it was out of the oven…

Roasted Romanesco

I received a beautiful romanesco in my CSA share this week and I roasted it exactly like the squash, first cutting it into florets and then baking for 25 minutes. I cannot even describe the incredible taste of this veggie, a mild mix of broccoli and cauliflower. Jaden called it, "The Best Thing Ever!!" I have never seen romanesco in the grocery stores but roasting broccoli or cauliflower is just as tasty!

Enjoy!!

17 February 2011

Nutrition - 17 Feb 2011 - Class Notes and Tips

Happy Thursday, All!

This morning, our friendly Mr. Outlook decided that it would quit on me every time that I would have your email ready for delivery! Fingers crossed that this time it all goes through.

As we get started, as is the tradition, let us welcome our newest member to our followers – Sharon!

The calendar beacon has started to flash to tell me that yesterday was your four week weigh-in! I'm excited to hear how you have done! If you are following our basic principles: Eat whole, natural foods; proper portions; be active; sleep; and relax! then I am absolutely certain that you are continuing to see your overall numbers declining. Bring your successes to share on Friday! If you can't make it then hit "reply all" and celebrate your news!

This 4 week mark also means that it is time to retake your measurements as well as your pictures. For any of you who did not take measurements or pictures before – this is a very important part of our journey. Take the following measurements – Height, Weight, Age, Hips (widest point), Waist (widest point – use umbilicus as reference point), Wrist on dominant hand. Take the following pictures – full body (frontal, back, side), face (frontal, profile). The fewer clothes the better. Make any clothing form-fitting. These will not be posted anywhere so don't hold back for fear. I'm not even asking to see them right now. Though I know that without a doubt you will want to share your "before" and "after" pictures in six months! I did! (caution: I'm not wearing much in that post – you've been forewarned guys.) And please get these numbers done by next Monday – I need them for my records and to update your numbers!

Today I am attaching several files. The first are the speaker notes from Tuesday's class. They involve the states of being "fed" and what is occurring in the body. Please read through them and bring your questions to class tomorrow (or email them to me). It is really important that you pay attention to the role LEPTIN has within the states. Leptin tells the body we are "fed" or "full." It is vitally important (more so than even insulin!) and we need to know what affects its' operation. Since tomorrow is the first planned class on a specific food group (grains) where we will be introducing LECTINS it is even more important to not mix them up. Leptin helps us. Lectin hurts us.

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Yes, intermittent fasting is good for you. Give it a try! The second file is the entire post of the "teaser" below. It is on Intermittent Fasting. Lately, I've been experiencing decreased hunger in myself. This seems to be due to the weather warming up and my body turning the engine up to burn off the adipose tissue that it had put on for the colder weather. As the adipose tissue (brown fat) is converted into ketones and burned for fuel, LEPTIN is released telling my body that I am fed and in no more need of extra energy – thus blunting any signs of hunger. I'm down to two meals a day – simply because my body doesn't need any more than that right now. The coolest thing are all the benefits I am gaining from this natural hunger cycle. Again, the king of posting-information-right-as-I-need-it, Mark Sisson, wrote this article for his blog just yesterday. How does he do that? J

To your health!

Mike.

The Myriad Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

intermittentfasting

Calorie restriction is all the rage in anti-aging circles. A few mice and worm studies seem to show that drastic reductions in food intake over a long period of time have the effect of prolonging life – although I'm not sure I'd call it living. For one, these animals are actually restricted. There's no ad libitum access to food. They'd prefer to eat more, but are prevented from doing so. I guarantee you they're unhappy and, if they could put (cartoonish high-pitched) voice to physiological state, would say they're starving.

Keep reading…

A little more on all this:

Slaying the fasting myth

· January 31st, 2011 2:29 pm MT

Legend has it that fasting or skipping meals will suppress your metabolism and cause you to store fat and burn muscle. This is a myth; in fact, science shows that short-term fasting (up to 48 hours) increases fat metabolism while protecting lean muscle.

Humans evolved as hunters during the ice ages. They ate only when the hunt succeeded and fasted otherwise. In the nineteenth century, native hunter-gatherers typically ate meals only once or twice daily. Although they often fasted more than 18 hours between meals, they had lean, muscular bodies and superior fitness.

At any point in time your body is either fed or fasting. When fed, it burns fuels derived from food; only when fasting does it burn body fat.

To burn fat, you must have normal blood sugar and low blood insulin. Meals can raise blood sugar well above 120 mg/dL (the diabetic level) and insulin will rise to control it; this stops your cells from burning fat. Fasting lowers both sugar and insulin to healthy levels that allow rapid fat metabolism.

Fasting dramatically increases growth hormone levels, which increases fat burning, stimulates muscle growth, and rejuvenates tissues. At the end of a 24-hour fast, you will have a slightly elevated metabolic rate due to increased adrenaline levels. In prehistoric times, this adrenaline helped your ancestors have energy to go hunting on an empty stomach.

If the human metabolism went awry upon missing a meal or fasting a day, we would never have survived the ice ages. Evolution built you to thrive on brief high intensity activity, infrequent feeding, and intermittent fasting. You can have a lean, fit future by incorporating ancestral practices like intermittent fasting into your lifestyle.



Continue reading on Examiner.com: Slaying the fasting myth - Phoenix Low-Carb Lifestyle | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/low-carb-lifestyle-in-phoenix/slaying-the-fasting-myth#ixzz1DUbbGDue

http://www.examiner.com/low-carb-lifestyle-in-phoenix/slaying-the-fasting-myth

16 February 2011

Nutrition - 16 Feb 2011 - Tips, Links, and a Recipe for Pizza!

Good Morning, Team!

A very happy Wednesday to you all. Welcome two more members to our email list! Do you know someone that would benefit? Send their email address my way and I'll be sure to put them on!

It's going to be another perfect day to get outside and soak in that Vitamin D as well as some fresh air. Take advantage of the weather and go for a brisk walk after your lunch today! See how it makes you feel by the end of the workday. Are you more energized? Less hungry? The same? It is always a great idea to try something new for a few days and report any changes, positive or negative, in your nutrition log. In that way you can build your own study of what works and doesn't work for you. If you recall, we've stated many times that this is an individual journey that we take together. There are some of us who are more sensitive to certain foods than others – for example, dairy or tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. What a great topic for another day! Nightshades. Look for it!

Or…you can research it for yourself. This is one of the coolest things we can do nowadays. In seconds, you can easily access volumes of information on anything that you're interested in. I do like to hear your questions as it gives me fodder for future classes and emails, but if you just can't wait there is a huge community out there that will provide the support you need to be successful in this journey. Whether it be recipes, the science behind the biochemistry, inspirational stories, or questions on specific topics – I am sure that you can find this information readily available. The more you educate yourself, the better your chances for success as well as the more likely you will continue along towards your extremely-long-term goal (outliving the skeptics and being able to take care of yourself well into old age – yes I chose these for you, but who really wants to have to be wheeled around, fed poor food, and wiped thrice a day?).

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Sign-up for a daily email or blog feed. Research indicates that those who receive and read a daily email (from a blog, news source, even friends) in regards to something they are interested in (nutrition, anyone?) will be more likely to continue to educate themselves and become more involved in that area. Has anyone wondered yet why I take the time to send you an email a day? It keeps me on track too! J

Here are some favorites of mine and Bonnie of TheNakedKitchen.net:

The oracle of everything whole, healthy, and natural (and quite a bit else – really, if you can't find it here he's sure to be posting about it in a day or so!) – Mark Sisson's MarksDailyApple.com

Robb Wolf's Blog

Sarah Fragaso's Everyday Paleo

The Keatley's Health-Bent

KristenW's Food Renegade

Dr. Kurt Harris' PaNu

Chris Kreeser's The Healthy Skeptic

Don Matesz Primal Wisdom

Andrew Badenoch's Evolvify

The Food Lovers' Primal Palate

CFSCC EAT THIS!

Doug Robb's Health Habits

CF KOP Nutrition

The Foodee Blog

The Nourished Kitchen – minus the grains of course!

The Weston A Price Foundation – again, great information, minus the grains!

Casey and Karen's Purely Primal

You can check out my fitness blog and training facility as well as checking out what Bonnie has eaten every day this year!

I could go on and on feeding you more web rolls than you could possibly read in a day. But get on these sites and start to dig through them. The articles are informative, the information solid, the recipes delicious, and the time well-spent. Click the links. Check out what they're reading too! It's an amazing community that would love to have you as a member. And be sure to pass any sites you find along the way back to me! I'll send out an updated list in a month or so.

Disclaimer: For those of you who don't know – Bonnie is my little sister, who all on her own, decided to cut out grains for health reasons. Then it was beans. Lately – dairy. Almost 40 pounds lost this year and doing a great job motivating her co-workers and our family to eat more nourishing foods every day.

And now for the good stuff! Pizza. Take this recipe and make it your own. I use only cheeses, meats, veggies, and oils – no tomato sauce. And I always make the crust and put it in the oven for 12 to 18 minutes, then top it, and re-stick it in the oven until it's all melted gooey deliciousness. Mmmm. Enjoy!

Soaking up the rays!

Mike.

Perfectly Paleo Pizza

Today's recipe is a pretty good pizza substitute, if I say so myself. It's based on a recipe in the book Grain-Free Gourment by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass (the book's website is here).

Ingredients (for one pizza "crust")

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp olive oil or other oil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • large pinch salt
  • (optional) 1/4 tsp garlic powder, if you like that sort of thing (I do)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until it forms a thick, sticky batter.
  3. Spoon the dough onto a piece of parchment paper that's been lightly oiled (this will prevent it from sticking to the paper) on a cookie sheet.
  4. Pat the dough into a thin circle, about 20cm/8in in diameter (I use a piece of plastic wrap so my hand doesn't get sticky).
  5. Spoon some tomato paste on top and spread it out to use as the "sauce".
  6. Put whatever you want on your pizza (I like sliced tomatoes and sliced grilled chicken), and cover with grated cheese.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the oven up to "broil" for the last couple of minutes to brown the cheese slightly.

You may not be able to pick it up and eat it with your hands like traditional pizza, but it's good nonetheless!

15 February 2011

Nutrition - 15 Feb 2011 - Meeting today!

Good Morning, All!

We're six weeks into the new year and it is a perfect time to revisit those goals, hopes, and aspirations that we all so excitedly scribble down at the beginning of the year. How many of them are you still on track for? Do you need to modify any? How can you get back on track to complete ones that have fallen by the wayside? Take some time this week to re-assess, celebrate successes, and commit to the next step in the achievement of your goals!

Why do I bring this up? For starters – because we all need a reminder from time to time! Mostly though, it is because I know that 4 weeks in to any new lifestyle change we all start to "slip-up." This is okay as long as we don't go too far and start to backtrack. It is best to recognize what has occurred, admit the fault, and reconnect with what it is you really want. You will all start seeing over the next four weeks many of the teams you are competing against will start to have zero's and even positive numbers on the scale. Obviously, this is not what anyone wants! Fortunately for you – you have a secret weapon! As long as you continue to eat well – lean proteins, vegetables, some fruit, nuts, seeds, oils, little starch, no added sugar, water, coffee, tea – you will continue your march towards optimal health and weight management! That being said, it's also time to (in a nod to Emeril) turn it up a notch!

Fitness. Functional Fitness. High Intensity Functional Fitness. Constantly Varied, Functional Movements, performed at a High Intensity. Let's pull out the stops and pull away from those other teams. You are ready!

Check your schedules and let me know when would work best for this. Basically what I want to do is meet with you all (in small groups is fine) for one hour after work one day in the next two weeks (I will be traveling from the 28th to the 6th). I will teach you some very foundational movements and then show you how to get in a workout that will increase your fat metabolism and decrease the amount of time you spend actually working out. I am available Mon through Thurs starting at 4:30. Of course, you are all welcome to stop in at my training facility in Lancaster and get the same instruction there as well. Let me know what works for you!

Today we have a meeting at noon in Building 43. I have a special treat for you all baked by the newest member of our email community – Michelle. I've already taken a taste and it is delicious! Our topic of the day will be about the states of satiety. Take a quick look over the notes from Friday so that you understand what Leptin is and what it does in regards to our hunger. This is a really interesting topic that will help you understand how you can continue to feel hunger even after eating 5 pounds of popcorn! We'll start to tackle the specific foods next. Does anyone have a request? Do I hear…grains?!

Nutrition Tip of the Day: High protein content foods (think lean meats not fatty meats or nuts) provide the highest satiety values and will keep you fuller, longer. Try to choose protein such as turkey breasts, all seafood, chicken breasts, game meats, and very lean beef cuts. My favorite – bacon – is really just fat with some protein (23% protein to 77% fat content). This is the next step in learning how to make good food choices! Of course continuing to stay away from grains and the like doesn't hurt. Today's reading material is an extensive nutritional study that compares the satiety values of the Paleolithic Diet with those of the accepted (not native) Mediterranean diet. Can you guess who came out on top? You! J

Bring your comments and questions. See you at noon!

Mike.

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/7/1/85

A paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischemic heart disease

Tommy Jönsson1 email, Yvonne Granfeldt2 email, Charlotte Erlanson-Albertsson3 email, Bo Ahrén1 email and Staffan Lindeberg1 email

1 Department of Clinical Science, B11 BMC, University of Lund, SE-221 84 Lund, Sweden

2 Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Nutrition, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

3 Section of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/bmcimages/article/email.gif author emailhttp://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/bmcimages/article/email-ca.gif corresponding author email

Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:85doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-85

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at:http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/7/1/85

Received:

24 May 2010

Accepted:

30 November 2010

Published:

30 November 2010

© 2010 Jönsson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (<url>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0</url>), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background

We found marked improvement of glucose tolerance and lower dietary energy intake in ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients after advice to follow a Paleolithic diet, as compared to a Mediterranean-like diet. We now report findings on subjective ratings of satiety at meals and data on the satiety hormone leptin and the soluble leptin receptor from the same study.

Methods

Twenty-nine male IHD patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes type 2, and waist circumference > 94 cm, were randomized toad libitum consumption of a Paleolithic diet (n = 14) based on lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs, and nuts, or a Mediterranean-like diet (n = 15) based on whole grains, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruit, fish, and oils and margarines during 12 weeks. In parallel with a four day weighed food record the participants recorded their subjective rating of satiety. Satiety Quotients were calculated, as the intra-meal quotient of change in satiety during meal and consumed energy or weight of food and drink for that specific meal. Leptin and leptin receptor was measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks. Free leptin index was calculated as the ratio leptin/leptin receptor.

Results

The Paleolithic group were as satiated as the Mediterranean group but consumed less energy per day (5.8 MJ/day vs. 7.6 MJ/day, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.04). Consequently, the quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink were higher in the Paleolithic group (p = 0.03). Also, there was a strong trend for greater Satiety Quotient for energy in the Paleolithic group (p = 0.057). Leptin decreased by 31% in the Paleolithic group and by 18% in the Mediterranean group with a trend for greater relative decrease of leptin in the Paleolithic group. Relative changes in leptin and changes in weight and waist circumference correlated significantly in the Paleolithic group (p < 0.001) but not in the Mediterranean group. Changes in leptin receptor and free leptin index were not significant.

Conclusions

A Paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like diet.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00419497

Background

We found marked improvement of glucose tolerance in ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes type 2 after advice to follow a Paleolithic diet, as compared to a Mediterranean-like diet [1]. To our knowledge, this was the first randomized, controlled study on the health effects of a Paleolithic diet. The Paleolithic diet was based on lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs and nuts. Control subjects, who were advised to follow a Mediterranean-like diet based on whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, fruit and vegetables, did not significantly improve their glucose tolerance despite significant decreases of weight and waist circumference. The main differences in food consumption, as reported in four day weighed food records, were a much lower intake of cereals and dairy products, a higher intake of fruit and nuts and a trend for higher intake of vegetables in the Paleolithic group compared to the Mediterranean group [1]. After publication of our study, a systematic review on the evidence of a causal link between Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease found strong evidence for a protective effect of vegetables, nuts and monounsaturated fat on coronary heart disease, whereas the evidence for whole grain was moderate and for milk products weak [2]. This review, together with the differences we found between Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet, is further evidence for a specific role of the Paleolithic diet on protection of the heart. The more pronounced improvement of glucose tolerance in the Paleolithic group was independent of similar weight loss in both groups (-5.0 kg vs. -3.8 kg, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean) and a greater decrease in waist circumference (-5.6 cm and -2.9 cm, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean) and lower reported energy intake in the Paleolithic group (5.6 MJ/day vs. 7.5 MJ/day, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean) [1].

Thus, the individuals in the Paleolithic group reportedly consumed less energy compared to the Mediterranean group, but were they as satiated? The lower energy intake in the Paleolithic group could be due to either of two scenarios when it comes to satiety. In the first scenario, there would be a difference in subjective satiety between the groups, such that the subjects in the Paleolithic group were hungrier but for some reason chose not to eat more, despite that no restrictions on energy intake were given (to either group). This could indicate dieting with a conscious intent to eat fewer calories on the Paleolithic diet, or perhaps the Paleolithic diet was simply perceived as less palatable and the subjects chose to go a bit hungrier rather than eating more. In the second scenario, there would be no difference in subjective satiety between groups, suggesting that the Paleolithic diet was more satiating per energy unit than the Mediterranean-like diet. This would be an important finding, since a diet which satiates more per energy unit could be helpful in preventing or treating overweight and obesity and associated diseases. Having thus demonstrated a greater satiating capacity of a Paleolithic diet, what could the dietary components be that account for this capacity? It has been suggested that a Paleolithic diet could be more satiating due to macronutrient composition and fiber content [3,4]. Another possible explanation is that dietary components specific to an agricultural diet cause leptin resistance with ensuing disturbance of appetite regulation [5]. To address these questions on satiety and its dietary mechanisms, we now report further findings on subjective ratings of satiety and data on the satiety hormone leptin and the soluble leptin receptor from the same population and material described in our study above [1].

The concept of satiation and its determinants

Foods differ in their satiating capacity, partly due to their nutritional composition [6,7]. The impact of foods on subjectively perceived measures of motivation to eat (e.g. hunger, fullness) can be quantified by fixed point (category) scales and visual analogue scales [6,8]. Participants in a trial assess their motivation to eat and mark this on a graded scale. Subjective ratings of appetite usually show positive correlations with the amount of food consumed, and can be considered a valid indicator of the strength of appetite [6-8]. The satiating effect of different foods has been frequently assessed by the Satiety Quotient, which gives a measure of the extent to which the food eaten reduces subjective appetite per unit of intake (e.g., per kg or MJ) for that specific meal and is predictive of energy intake [6]. The Satiety Quotient is calculated by the following formula:

Math

Leptin, the leptin receptor and free leptin index

Leptin is a peptide hormone, mainly secreted from adipose tissue, which influences appetite, reproduction, hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, blood pressure, bone mass, energy homeostasis, and immune and neuroendocrine function (for review see [9]). Circulating leptin levels signal to the brain how much energy is stored and how much food has been consumed [10], and an increased leptin level in rodents and humans results in decreased food intake and increased energy expenditure [11]. Since obese humans show elevated levels of circulating leptin, and obtain limited weight loss from leptin treatment, many researchers consider obese humans to be leptin resistant [9,11]. The homeostatic response to involuntary overfeeding suggests that leptin resistance could be a cause rather than a consequence of obesity[12]. Leptin circulates in both free and protein-bound forms, and the soluble leptin receptor (SLR) is the major binding component of leptin in plasma and crucial for leptin action [13,14]. Leptin correlates significantly with body mass index, while SLR is inversely correlated with body mass index[15]. In lean subjects, there is a molar equivalence of free leptin to SLR, whereas in morbidly obese subjects a 25-fold excess of free leptin has been reported [15,16]. It has been suggested that hyperleptinemia, low SLR levels and a low fraction of leptin bound to SLR are all markers of leptin resistance and associated with the metabolic syndrome [17-19]. Free leptin index is calculated as the ratio between levels of circulating leptin and SLR [20], and correlates in healthy humans positively with body fat mass, plasma insulin and masked hypertension, and negatively with waist-hip ratio [21-23].

Methods

Population

The study was a 12-week controlled dietary intervention trial in 29 (out of 38 eligible) male IHD patients with waist circumference >94 cm and increased blood glucose at screening oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with capillary blood glucose measured fasting and at 2 hours, or known diabetes type 2, recruited from the Coronary Care Unit at Lund University Hospital, Sweden. Standard methods were used for glucose testing and definitions of glucose tolerance [1]. We included patients with any of the following conditions: an ongoing acute coronary syndrome, a history of myocardial infarction diagnosed by creatinine kinase MB isoenzyme or troponin elevation, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery or angiographically diagnosed coronary stenosis ≥30%. Exclusion criteria were body mass index (BMI) <20 kg/m2, serum creatinine >130 μmol/L, poor general condition, dementia, unwillingness/inability to prepare food at home, participation in another medical trial, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes and drug treatment with hypoglycemic agents, warfarin or oral steroids. Other drugs were not restricted, and treatment with statins and beta blockers were usually initiated and/or changed during the trial. In addition to the 29 patients who completed the trial, nine randomized subjects were excluded for the following reasons: worsening general condition (two in each group), non-willingness to continue (n = 3, all in the Paleolithic group) or missing OGTT data (one in each group). Approval of the study was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee at Lund University, and all individuals gave written informed consent to participate in the study.

Intervention

All eligible subjects were informed of the intention to compare two diets and that it was unknown if any of them would be superior to the other with regard to weight reduction and improved glucose metabolism. Subjects were randomized to one of two diets: a Mediterranean-like diet (n = 15) or a Paleolithic diet (n = 14). All subjects were informed individually (by SL or one of two registered nurses with special nutrition education (the same in the two groups)) during two one-hour sessions and were given written dietary advice and many food recipes. The Mediterranean-like diet was based on whole-grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, potatoes, legumes, vegetables, fruit, fatty fish, and refined fats rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid. Only subjects in the Mediterranean group were informed of the possible benefits of Mediterranean-like diets rich in whole grains and about the Lyon Diet Heart Study [24]. The Mediterranean group was also educated by use of a dietary questionnaire for nutrition counseling ('20 questions') used in a successful health promotion program, 'Live For Life', which led to lowered cardiovascular and total mortality in the Habo municipality, Sweden [25]. For details on questionnaire, see [1].

Only subjects in the Paleolithic group were educated in the concept of evolutionary health promotion [26] and the potential benefits of a Paleolithic diet. They were advised to increase their intake of lean meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and to avoid all kinds of dairy products, cereals (including rice), beans, sugar, bakery products, soft drinks and beer. The following items were accepted in limited amounts for the Paleolithic group: eggs (one or fewer per day), nuts (preferentially walnuts), potatoes (two or fewer medium-sized per day), rapeseed or olive oil (one or fewer tablespoons per day). The intake of other foods was not restricted and no advice was given with regard to proportions of food categories (e.g. animal vs. plant foods). The type of dietary advice given to Mediterranean subjects was similar to the established program at the coronary care unit. Since the required increase in education intensity in order to match the Paleolithic group was rather small, no 'usual care' control group was considered necessary. Advice about regular physical activity was given equally to the two groups. Both groups were advised not to consume more than one glass of wine per day.

Outcome measures

A four day weighed food record on four consecutive days, including one weekend day, was recorded by the participants, starting 15 ± 5 days after initiating the dietary change. Participants weighed each food item on a digital weighing scale (that could be set to zero) lent by the study. In our previous report from this study, we calculated dietary nutrients using Matsedel dietary analysis software (Kost och Näringsdata AB, Bromma, Sweden) [1]. To obtain more information on dietary nutrients, and to obtain similar information as in our latest study on Paleolithic diet in subjects with diabetes [27], YG recalculated nutrient compositions in this study using data from The Swedish Food Database of the National Food Administration in Sweden. GL and GI for the two diets were calculated. The underlying concept of dietary GL and dietary GI is food GI, introduced by Jenkins et al [28], reflecting the postprandial glucose response after a specific food rich in carbohydrate, and expressing the quality of the carbohydrates. Wolever and Jenkins also suggested the possibility of ranking diets based on dietary GI calculated from the proportional GI contribution of the included foods containing carbohydrate [29]. To include also the quantity of carbohydrates consumed GL was introduced by Salmerón et al expressing the glycemic effect of the diet [30]. While dietary GI is expressing the quality of the carbohydrates consumed GL represent both the quantity and the quality of the carbohydrates consumed. Thus, dietary GL in this study was calculated as the result from multiplying available carbohydrate (g) for the food reported by the subjects during the 4-day weighed food record with the specific food's GI divided by 100. Available carbohydrate was based on total carbohydrate minus dietary fibre. The food's GI values (using glucose as reference) were taken from the compilation by Foster-Powell et al[31]. Dietary GI was calculated as 100 multiplied with dietary GL divided by the amount of available carbohydrate (g) in the diet. In parallel with this four day weighed food record the participants also recorded the time for each meal including snacks. They also recorded their subjective rating of satiation at meal initiation and 30 minutes after meal initiation on a 7-point equal interval, bipolar scale of hunger/fullness modified after Holt et al 1992 (Figure 1) [32]. This scale was anchored at -3 ("Very Hungry") with a midpoint at 0 ("No particular feeling") through + 3 ("Very Full"). The scale yields numeric results in units termed Rating Scale units (RS). The participants were encouraged to record their subjective rating of satiation between marked intervals if necessary, and this way of recording was common. The recorded subjective satiation was then assessed by TJ to the first decimal. For example, a recorded subjective satiation halfway between "Satisfied" and "Very Full" would yield the result 2.5 Rating Scale units. This scale was used since it had been assessed as reasonably sensitive and reliable compared to similar scales, and the measurement at thirty minutes was chosen for convenience of the study subjects, since this had been assessed as being as predictive of the satiety value of a given food as a sixty minutes testing period[8]. Change in satiety during meal was calculated as change in satiety between meal initiation and 30 minutes after meal initiation. Quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy or weight of food and drink per meal were calculated. Also, Satiety Quotients were calculated, as the intra-meal quotient of change in satiety during meal and consumed energy or weight of food and drink for that specific meal. Fasting plasma samples were taken before 9.00 a.m. at baseline and after 6 weeks and 12 weeks, and were analyzed for leptin and leptin receptor. Serum leptin analysis was measured by a commercially available RIA (Human Leptin RIA kit, Linco Research Inc., St. Charles, MO), and serum leptin receptor was measured by a commercially available ELISA (RD194002100 BioVendor Laboratory Medicine, Inc., Brno, Czech Republic). The free leptin index was calculated as the ratio of leptin to leptin receptor. Body weight, waist circumference and serum lipids were measured by use of standard methods as described in [1].

thumbnailFigure 1. Rating scale used to assess subjective satiety (modified from Holt et al 1992). In parallel with a four day weighed food record the participants also recorded their subjective rating of satiation at meal initiation and 30 minutes after meal initiation on a 7-point equal interval, bipolar scale of hunger/fullness modified after Holt et al 1992. This scale was anchored at -3 ("Very Hungry") with a midpoint at 0 ("No particular feeling") through + 3 ("Very Full"). The scale yields numeric results in units termed Rating Scale units (RS). The participants were encouraged to record their subjective rating of satiation between marked intervals if necessary, and this way of recording was common. The recorded subjective satiation was then assessed by TJ to the first decimal. For example, a recorded subjective satiation halfway between "Satisfied" and "Very Full" would yield the result 2.5 Rating Scale units.

Statistical analysis

Assignment of patients to the two groups was made by use of minimization, a restricted randomization procedure which lowers the risk of group differences at baseline [33], using capillary blood glucose levels at screening (Diabetes: No/Yes) and BMI (below or above 27) as restricting variables. A two-way paired t test was used to analyze within-subject changes in absolute and relative values, while a two-way unpaired t test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to analyze between-subject differences in these changes. Bivariate correlation and linear regression was used for post hoc analysis. Continuous variables showed reasonable normal distribution in normal plots. P < 0.05 was chosen for statistical significance. Data and results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation.

Results

The two groups differed at baseline only with regard to age being higher (p = 0.01) in the Paleolithic group [1]. There was no relationship between age and any of the outcome variables at study start. Our previously reported marked improvement of glucose tolerance in the Paleolithic group was not correlated to changes in levels of satiety, leptin, leptin receptor or free leptin index. There was no significant difference between groups in measures of subjective satiety at meal initiation and 30 minutes after meal initiation or in change in satiety during meal (Table 1). There was also no difference between groups in length of time between meals or number of meals per day (Table1). Recalculation of food nutrient composition confirmed our previous finding that the Paleolithic group consumed significantly less energy per day than the Mediterranean group (5.8 ± 2.6 MJ/day vs. 7.6 ± 1.2 MJ/day, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.04, Table 1) with no difference between groups in consumption of food in terms of weight per day (1493 ± 607 g/day vs. 1649 ± 273 g/day, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.4, Table 1). Consequently, there was a trend for consuming food with significantly lower energy density in the Paleolithic group (4.5 ± 1.4 kJ/g vs. 5.4 ± 1.0 kJ/g, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.07, Table 2). Also, the quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink were higher in the Paleolithic group (2.5 ± 1.3 RS/MJ vs. 1.6 ± 0.5 RS/MJ, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.03, Table 1), and there was a strong trend for greater Satiety Quotient for energy in the Paleolithic group (2.7 ± 1.4 RS/MJ vs. 1.8 ± 0.7 RS/MJ, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.057, Table 1). There was no difference between groups in quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed weight from food and drink or in Satiety Quotient for weight (Table 1). One individual in the Paleolithic group was an outlier in terms of change in satiety during meal, with values more than two standard deviations below both the Paleolithic and Mediterranean group mean. Without the outlier, the strong trend for higher Satiety Quotient for energy in the Paleolithic group becomes significant (2.8 ± 1.3 RS/MJ vs. 1.8 ± 0.7 RS/MJ, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.02). Excluding the outlier does not change any other group comparisons in satiety.

Table 1. Effect of Paleolithic diet compared to Mediterranean diet on individual mean measures of satiety (group mean ± SD)

Table 2. Average food eaten per day during the Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet (mean ± SD)

During the 12-week dietary intervention leptin decreased significantly by 31% in the Paleolithic group (p = 0.0006) and by 18% in the Mediterranean group (p = 0.03) (Table 3). There was a trend for greater relative decrease of leptin in the Paleolithic group compared to the Mediterranean group (p = 0.15, Table 3). After 12 weeks, leptin receptor concentration had increased by 17% in the Paleolithic group and by 33% in the Mediterranean group with no significant difference between groups (Table 3). Free leptin index decreased by 28% in the Paleolithic group and by 30% in the Mediterranean group with no significant difference between groups after 12 weeks (Table 3). Comparisons between groups in absolute and relative changes of leptin, the leptin receptor and free leptin index were also non-significant in repeated measurements ANOVA (data not shown).

Table 3. Effect of Paleolithic diet compared to Mediterranean diet on levels of leptin, leptin receptor and free leptin index (mean ± SD)

In post hoc analysis, the strongest correlation between relative change in leptin after 12 weeks and dietary variables was with intake of cereals excluding rice (Pearson correlation 0.50, p = 0.008, Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5). Furthermore, one subject in the Paleolithic group consumed 183 g cereals without rice per day, which was well within the variation for the Mediterranean group (257 ± 88 g/day, mean ± SD), but more than three standard deviations above the Paleolithic group (21 ± 50 g/day, mean ± SD). The Paleolithic individual is thus clearly an outlier in terms of cereal consumption for the Paleolithic group, but normal in terms of cereal consumption for the Mediterranean group. When this Paleolithic outlier is excluded, the trend for difference between groups in relative leptin change during the study becomes significant (-35 ± 21% vs. -18 ± 22%, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.04, Table 3).

thumbnailFigure 2. Individual values of relative change in leptin versus dietary intake of carbohydrates daily. The figure show individual values of relative change in leptin after 12 weeks versus dietary intake of carbohydrates daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 3. Individual values of relative change in leptin versus dietary intake of cereals without rice daily. The figure show individual values of relative change in leptin after 12 weeks versus dietary intake of cereals without rice daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 4. Individual values of relative change in leptin versus change in weight. The figure show individual values of relative change in leptin after 12 weeks versus change in weight. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 5. Individual values of relative change in leptin versus change in waist circumference. The figure show individual values of relative change in leptin after 12 weeks versus change in waist circumference. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

After 12 weeks, relative changes in leptin correlated significantly with changes in weight and waist circumference (p < 0.001 for both) in the Paleolithic group, but there was no such correlation in the Mediterranean group (Figure 4 and 5). After 12 weeks, relative changes in free leptin index also correlated significantly with changes in waist circumference (p = 0.04) but not with changes in weight in the Paleolithic group, and there was no correlation with either in the Mediterranean group. The correlation between cereal intake without rice and relative change in leptin remained significant when changes in weight were controlled for, but not when changes in waist were controlled for (data not shown).

Reported food consumption differed between the two groups such that subjects in the Paleolithic group had a much lower intake of cereals and milk, and a higher intake of fruit, nuts and meat and also a trend for higher intake of vegetables (Table 2). Absolute intake of protein did not differ between groups, but relative intake of protein (as a percentage of total macronutrient energy intake [E%]) was higher in the Paleolithic group (27 ± 6 E% vs. 20 ± 3 E%, Paleolithic vs. Mediterranean, p = 0.002) (Table 2). The Paleolithic group consumed less carbohydrate in comparisons of both absolute and relative values, and consumed a diet with lower glycemic load and less saturated fatty acids (Table 2). In terms of micronutrients, the Paleolithic group consumed less retinol (but not retinolequivalents), calcium and sodium (Table 2).

In post hoc analysis, quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink did not correlate with any of the group dietary differences (intake of energy, protein, carbohydrates, GL, saturated fatty acid, fatty acid C14:0, vitamin A, calcium, sodium, fruits, nuts, meat, cereals without rice, rice, milk/milk products) except for fatty acid C4:0-10.0 (Pearson correlation 0.44, p = 0.03) and fatty acid C12 (Pearson correlation 0.43, p = 0.03), and also did not correlate with fiber, energy density, water or beverages (Figure 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10). Among the group dietary differences there was a correlation between Satiety Quotient for energy and intake of energy (Pearson correlation 0.54, p = 0.004), absolute intake of carbohydrates (Pearson correlation 0.50, p = 0.007), GL (Pearson correlation 0.50, p = 0.007), saturated fatty acids (Pearson correlation 0.41, p = 0.03) and sodium (Pearson correlation 0.51, p = 0.007).

thumbnailFigure 6. Individual values of satiety per calorie versus dietary fiber intake daily. The figure show individual values of quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink versus dietary fiber intake daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 7. Individual values of satiety per calorie versus energy density of diet. The figure show individual values of quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink versus energy density of diet. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 8. Individual values of satiety per calorie versus dietary intake of protein daily. The figure show individual values of quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink versus dietary intake of protein daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 9. Individual values of satiety per calorie versus dietary intake of carbohydrates daily. The figure show individual values of quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink versus dietary intake of carbohydrates daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

thumbnailFigure 10. Individual values of satiety per calorie versus dietary intake of cereals without rice daily. The figure show individual values of quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink versus dietary intake of cereals without rice daily. Individuals from the Paleolithic group are depicted with open circles () and individuals from the Mediterranean group with closed circles (●).

Discussion

Key findings

After recalculating the nutrient composition reportedly consumed by both groups, we have corroborated our previously reported differences between the groups, including the finding that the individuals in the Paleolithic group consumed less energy compared to the Mediterranean group. We also found that there was no difference in subjectively assessed satiation between the groups. Consequently, the quotients of mean change in satiety during meal and mean consumed energy from food and drink were higher in the Paleolithic group. Also, there was a strong trend for greater Satiety Quotient for energy in the Paleolithic group. Thus, the Paleolithic diet was apparently more satiating per calorie than the Mediterranean. Leptin levels decreased significantly in both groups, with a weak trend for greater relative decrease in the Paleolithic group, which becomes significant if a Paleolithic outlier in terms of cereal intake is excluded. Leptin receptor increased in both groups, and free leptin index decreased in both groups, with no differences between groups. Relative changes in leptin and changes in weight and waist circumference correlated significantly in the Paleolithic group but not in the Mediterranean group. Our previously reported marked improvement of glucose tolerance from this study was not correlated to new data reported here on satiety, leptin, leptin receptor or free leptin index.

Possible mechanism and explanations

The Paleolithic diet was more satiating per calorie despite no group difference in supposedly satiating fiber intake [34], which also did not correlate with measures of satiety per calorie. This greater satiating capacity may instead have been caused by the trend for lower energy density of the Paleolithic diet [7,35], although energy density did not correlate with measures of satiety per calorie either. Water incorporated into a food increases its satiating capacity through reduced energy density [36], but we found no difference between groups in calculated water content of respective diets or any correlation with measures of satiety per calorie. Differences in beverage intake could also have affected satiety [37], but we found no such differences between the groups or correlation with measures of satiety per calorie. Another possible explanation of the Paleolithic diets greater satiating capacity is the significantly higher relative intake of protein in the Paleolithic group, 27 ± 6% of dietary energy, compared to 20.5 ± 3.6% in the Mediterranean group, which would be consistent with reported reductions in appetite and ad libitum caloric intake by high-protein diets [38-40]. However, there was no correlation between relative protein intake and measures of satiety per calorie. Also, since there was no difference in absolute intake of protein, the difference in relative protein intake is probably an effect rather than a cause of the Paleolithic diets greater satiating capacity. Instead, the significantly lower carbohydrate intake in both absolute and relative terms, paired with the greater relative protein intake, could cause the greater satiating capacity of the Paleolithic diet. The Paleolithic diet in this study plays out as a low-carbohydrate diet, and the short-term effects on weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets suggesting greater satiety could be the controlling factor behind the greater satiating effect of the Paleolithic diet in this study [41]. Many studies show that a carbohydrate-restricted diet produce greater short-term (6 months) weight loss than low-fat, calorie-restricted diets, suggesting a greater satiating capacity, although longer-term (1 to 2 years) results are mixed [42]. There was a correlation between the Satiety Quotient for energy and absolute intake of carbohydrate and GL but not for the relative intake of carbohydrates. In a previous long-term study on effects of macronutrients in isocaloric meals on self-reported appetite, Beasley et al found reduced pre-meal appetite from a protein-rich diet compared to a carbohydrate-rich diet [40]. Results from single-meal studies are more ambiguous ranging from no effect on satiety after varying carbohydrate intake from breakfast meals [43,44] to suppressed hunger after a carbohydrate-rich breakfast compared to a fat-rich breakfast [45,46].

Another possible effect of carbohydrates on satiety could be the group difference in type of carbohydrate consumed. The major source of carbohydrate in the Mediterranean group were cereals, which, according to Holt et al [7], are less satiating than fruit, the major source of carbohydrate in the Paleolithic group. However, cereal and fruit intake did not correlate with measures of satiety per calorie. Yet another conceivable cause of the differences in satiating capacity is the significantly lower salt intake in the Paleolithic group, approximately 3.8 gram salt daily, compared to approximately 8.0 gram salt daily in the Mediterranean group (estimated from sodium intake in Table 2), which could affect palatability [47]. There was a correlation between the Satiety Quotient for energy and sodium intake. Also, since bread and milk products are often considered palatable, the much higher intake of these food items in the Mediterranean group could block satiety signals [48]. The relevance of the significantly lower intake of saturated fatty acids in the Paleolithic group in appetite regulation is equivocal [49], although there was a correlation between the Satiety Quotient for energy and intake of saturated fatty acids.

A trend for greater relative decrease of leptin levels in the Paleolithic group could indicate greater increase in leptin sensitivity [19]. This would hypothetically induce effects equivalent to those reported from rats injected with leptin, where energy intake per meal decreased[50], an effect which closely resembles the results from our study. Previous studies indicate that the difference in carbohydrate intake could explain the trend for greater relative decrease of leptin levels in the Paleolithic group [40,44]. In post hoc analysis, the strongest correlation between relative change in leptin and dietary variables was with intake of cereals excluding rice. Rice could be calculated separately from other cereals since rice was reported separately from other cereals by the study participants in the weighed food records. This correlation could indicate that dietary components in cereals cause leptin resistance with ensuing disturbance of appetite regulation, which would explain our observed differences in satiating capacity between diets in this study [4]. The correlation also indicates that there is a qualitative difference between rice and other cereals. Furthermore, our finding that relative changes in leptin and changes in weight and waist circumference correlated significantly in the Paleolithic group but not in the Mediterranean group could indicate a disturbed appetite regulation caused by the Mediterranean diet.

Comparison with findings from other studies

This is the first study to report effects of a Paleolithic diet on subjective satiety and leptin, leptin receptor and free leptin index. In a recent study on forty-one obese healthy subjects, Hermsdorff et al found that eight weeks on a hypocaloric diet based on a Mediterranean dietary pattern lowered leptin from 27.8 ± 4.1 ng/ml to 23.9 ± 3.6 ng/ml, a 14% reduction, which is slightly lower than the 19% and 18% reduction seen in this study at 6 weeks and 12 weeks on a Mediterranean-like diet [51]. Previously, de Luis et al had reported on a study on 65 obese, non-diabetic out-patients where three months on a lifestyle modification program (Mediterranean hypocaloric diet and exercise) lowered leptin levels around 10-14% [52]. The macronutrient and fatty acid composition of the Paleolithic diet in this study is close to a recent estimate of an East African Paleolithic diet [53]. However, depending on the wide range of possible underlying foraging models in this and previous estimates, the possible ranges for both macronutrient and fatty acid composition for a presumably healthy Paleolithic diet are quite large [53].

Clinical and research implications

Our findings suggest that a Paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like diet. This aspect of a Paleolithic diet is vital to any diet intended to facilitate weight-loss in obese patients and thereby mitigate effects of associated diseases, such as ischemic heart disease and diabetes type 2. Further research into possible mechanisms causing this satiating effect of a Paleolithic diet is clearly warranted.

Total protein intake in g per day did not differ between the diets, but, as a result of the difference in total energy intake, the energy percentage (E%) from dietary protein on the Paleolithic diet (27 E%) exceeded US and European recommendations for people with diabetes (<20 E%) [54,55]. The debatable disadvantage for long-term kidney function [56,57] should be weighed against the benefits of attenuated postprandial glycemia when protein replaces starch or glucose [58].

Calcium intake did not meet recommendations for any of the diets, and it was particularly low in the Paleolithic diet. Recent calcium balance studies indicate that human calcium requirements are lower than previously thought [59], and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials suggest that the effect of calcium supplementation for bone strength is limited [60,61]. It has been suggested that absorption and excretion of calcium are more important than calcium intake for whole-body calcium balance [62]. In this context, the lower content of calcium-binding phytate and the lower dietary acid load from a Paleolithic diet may hypothetically compensate for the low amount of calcium [63]. Supporting this view are the findings of Frassetto et al, where calcium intake remained unchanged and urine calcium decreased after a Paleolithic diet compared to baseline [64].

As has been discussed, there may be a challenge to implement and adopt the Paleolithic diet on a worldwide scale in subjects with type 2 diabetes. However, this aspect is beyond the objective of this paper and requires more research.

Conclusions

A Paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a Mediterranean-like diet.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests and sponsors have had no influence on this report.

Authors' contributions

TJ participated in the design of the study, participated in statistical analysis, and conceived of and wrote the article. YG participated in the design of the article as well as revising it for important intellectual content. CEA participated in the design of the study and participated in the design of the article as well as revising it for important intellectual content. BA participated in the design of the study, carried out the analysis of leptin and leptin receptor, and participated in the design of the article as well as revising it for important intellectual content. SL conceived of and participated in the design, coordination and execution of the study, participated in statistical analysis, conceived of and participated in the design of the article as well as revising it for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Lilian Bengtsson and Jun Su for technical assistance. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (6834 and 4499), Swedish Diabetes Association, Albert Påhlsson Foundation, Novo Nordic Foundation, Färs & Frosta savings bank foundation, Region Skåne and the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University.

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