Nutrition for Performance

How Do We Stop The Obesity Epidemic?  Through providing our bodies with the appropriate nutrients, we avoid overeating and meet the nutrient density desires our bodies innately have.  Nutrient hunger from protein dilution and the addictive nature of carbs and fats together both drive obesity.  All successful diets either reduce carbohydrate quantity, reduce fat quantity, increase protein percentage, or some combination of all three.

Calories Are NOT The Same  There are two basic approaches to dieting: WHAT to eat, and HOW MUCH to eat.  When humans eat wild, uncultivated plants and animals, we are typically eating a diet that is about three times higher in protein than the standard American diet.  All food is in a CELLULAR form, so you automatically get a nice balance of cell wall membrane fats, proteins from cellular organelles, and minerals—in direct contrast to ACELLULAR foods like sugar and oil. This is why no wild animal on earth, eating the foods it is SUPPOSED to eat, has to worry about HOW MUCH to eat.

Falling Glucose → Hunger  Carbs offer a lot of satiety acutely, for a couple of hours, but unlike protein and fat, that satiety wears off with a vengeance, followed by an increase in hunger that is often worse than if you had never eaten in the first place.  The hangry response you feel on a high carbohydrate diet will dissipate once you become less dependent on carbohydrates.

Fat Adapted  If we decrease our carbohydrate intake, we force our bodies to adapt. We automatically upregulate our fat oxidation pathways and slowly and gradually become less dependent on dietary glucose.  Once you become ‘fat adapted’ it will start to feel like a superpower. You are much less ‘tied’ to food and eating.

Fat Adapted  Methods to become fat adapted:  Low carbohydrate diets  Eating a low carb diet improves the body’s ability to utilize fat for energy rather than glucose.  Exercise  High-intensity exercise depletes glucose and glycogen rapidly, forcing the body to switch over and utilize more fat for fuel. Exercise also improves insulin sensitivity.  Caloric restriction  Eating fewer calories also equals less glucose available for fuel, so the body is more frequently forced to rely on stored body fat for fuel. Satiety is CRUCIAL, and that means targeting a high nutrient density diet.  Intermittent fasting  This gives the body more ‘practice’ at burning fat.

Carbohydrate Quantity & Frequency  Pay attention not only to the QUANTITY of carbohydrate you eat, but also to the FREQUENCY with which they are eaten.  Under 100 grams of carbs a day is probably one of the simplest fat loss plans on earth. (Preferably at night to activate parasympathetic nervous system and make it easier to fall asleep)  If you only ate carbs once a day, you will trigger the fasted state of ketosis daily even if you eat a fairly large quantity of carbohydrates at your single carbohydrate event.  It is quite likely that most of the benefits of intermittent fasting are due to the reduced frequency of eating carbohydrates and the expanded period of the day during which your body is forced to oxidize fat instead.

Metabolic Flexibility  More muscle equals more metabolic flexibility, which is the ability to deal with dietary carbs or fats.  Metabolic flexibility improves with leanness, high-intensity exercise and the fat-adaptation of periods of time without carbohydrate.

Metabolic Exercise  Spending time in the fasted state is a form of exercise—a METABOLIC WORKOUT.  Exercise does all the following great things:  Decreases blood glucose.  Decreases insulin level.  Increases insulin sensitivity.  Increases lipolysis and free fatty acid mobilization.  Increases cellular fat oxidation.  Increases glucagon (the opposite of insulin).  Increases growth hormone (the opposite of insulin).  Intermittent fasting and spending more of your day in the 'fasted' state (and less time in the 'fed' state) is also a great form of metabolic 'exercise'

Cellular Vs. Acellular Carbohydrates  ‘Cellular’ carbs, from unprocessed whole foods, always offer more satiety than ‘acellular’ processed carbs, such as sugar and flour.  Pick foods with as much water, fiber, and protein as possible. These foods will provide the highest satiety for the lowest actual carbohydrate content.

P:E Ratio • A good target might be 1.0, which is roughly equal grams of protein and non-protein energy. • You want to increase your current protein to energy ratio in order to increase the protein to energy ratio of your body. • The average hunter-gatherer on earth eats a diet that is 33% protein by calories, compared to 12.5% by calories here in America.

P:E Ratio

P:E Ratio

Fed Vs Fasting  You are more likely to burn stored body fat while in the fasted state, and you are more likely to store body fat while in the fed state.

Less Feeding, More Fasting  Train yourself to eat two meals a day (and eliminate snacking).  No breakfast, lighter lunch, and larger dinner also maximizes the body's natural shifts between sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system tone, with higher alertness and activation from sympathetic tone during the day while under-eating, and higher parasympathetic resting tone in the evening during the fed state.  The fed state starts when you begin eating and for the next three to five hours your body digests and absorbs the food you just ate.  This is known as the post– absorptive state, during which the components of the last meal are still in the circulation.  The post–absorptive state lasts until 8 to 12 hours after your last meal. It typically takes 12 hours after your last meal to fully enter the fasted state. Once you enter the fasted state, your body can get the fat oxidation that it couldn’t while you were in the fed state.

Fasting Myths  “Your metabolism slows down when you are fasting.”  Studies have proven that in fasting up to 72 hours, metabolism does not slow down at all and in fact might speed up slightly thanks to the release of catecholamines (epinephrine or adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine) and activation of the sympathetic nervous system.  “If I don’t eat, I will get low blood sugar [hypoglycemia].  Studies have shown that healthy persons who have no underlying medical conditions, who are not taking any diabetes medications, can fast for extremely long periods of time without suffering from any hypoglycemia. Almost all sensations of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar (in non-diabetics) results from eating a very high glycemic index carbohydrate food a few hours prior (blood sugar spikes, then insulin spikes, then blood sugar drops rapidly).

Fasting Myths  “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”  The VERY WORST would be to eat a high carbohydrate breakfast, spiking insulin and glucose as high as possible  “Eat small frequent meals.”  We have been told to eat frequently to “keep your metabolism going” and “don’t let your body enter starvation mode”. This is all the exact opposite of the truth: in order to burn fat, you want to spend more time in the fasted state and get very efficient at living on stored body fat rather than caloric intake from constant eating.  “Fasting leads to burning muscle instead of fat.”  Growth hormone might as well be called “fasting hormone”, as it rises by as much as 2,000% after 24 hours of fasting. Growth hormone prevents muscle breakdown and is used in combination with testosterone by bodybuilders who want to simultaneously build as much muscle and burn as much fat as possible. Growth hormone elevates in fasting to help preserve muscle in times of fasting and can even grow if you are doing resistance training. People experience an increased level of focus and alertness during intermittent fasting because the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine.

The Three Hungers  We typically eat for some combination of three reasons. First, we need nutrients. Secondly, we need energy. Lastly, eating is enjoyable!  Nutrient hunger  Energy hunger  Hedonic hunger

Nutrient Hunger  Every second, there are trillions of chemical reactions taking place in your body.  For all of this to function, you need a lot of things which all come directly from your diet.  You need dozens of vitamins and minerals and essential amino acids and essential fats from your diet, and if you don’t get these, things are going to stop working properly.

Energy Hunger  The best strategy is targeting nutrients, by eating protein and other nutrient- dense foods first and foremost.  Once you have consumed adequate protein and minerals, and your nutrient hunger is satisfied, then you will be in a much better position to properly interpret energy hunger.  If someone has plenty of extra fat to burn, they find that after eating protein and minerals they really don’t have any energy hunger.  Every meal should start with lean protein and low carb vegetables if possible. Energy can be added in if you still have leftover ‘energy hunger’.

Hedonic Hunger  Eating high energy density carbs and fats together is extremely rewarding and addictive.  Your best strategy is understanding what is going on with your biology when it comes to these foods.  Try to eat these after a nutritious meal of protein and veggies, so your nutrient hunger is taken care of and the danger factor is lower. You will likely eat less of the bad stuff.





• This low carb carnivorous food pyramid would be an excellent template for most people. • If your average person replaced some of their carbohydrates with protein, they would improve body composition immediately.



What Happens With Heat?  Humans are ‘cucinivores’, which means that we literally evolved eating cooked food.  Cooking meat (and some plant foods) allows for higher digestibility and nutrient extraction, while destroying some parasites and anti- nutrients.  Cooking and otherwise ‘processing’ food literally made us human.

The Amoeba Diet  The name of ‘The Amoeba Diet’ is just a joke, but the general idea is solid: if you focus on eating plants and animals in their entirety, rather than just taking the highest energy parts of plants and animal.



Ideal Food Pyramid • This low carb carnivorous food pyramid would be an excellent template for most people. • If your average person replaced some of their carbohydrates with protein, they would improve body composition immediately.



Energy Density and Satiety  Energy density is the amount of energy calories per gram of food.  Humans eat about 3-4 pounds of food every single day. You want to eat food that weighs the most but contains the least amount of carbs and fat.  If you are losing weight on a low protein diet, half the “weight” you lose will actually be lean mass!



Credit: Dr.Axe

Ketosis  Ketosis is a process where your body uses ketones as the primary source of fuel. Ketones are produced in the liver from fat. This process occurs when there is not enough glucose in the blood, and therefore, cannot be used as fuel  Ketosis is a very effective weight loss diet because since there is a shortage of glucose, your body oxidizes fat through a process called lipolysis. This means that your body searches for fat storage and breaks it down in the liver and then uses the end product (ketones) as fuel.

Ketosis  A ketosis diet consists of primarily fat, followed by protein and then carbohydrates.  Staying away from high amounts of carbohydrates is what your body prefers. The suggested total carbohydrate intake per day to achieve ketosis is between 20-50 grams.  Evolution has selected fat, rather than glycogen, as its primary energy storage medium.

Lose weight Improve mental Reverse diabetes focus (decreases insulin secretion & resistance) Health Increase physical Decrease Normalize blood Benefits endurance stomach issues pressure of Ketosis Decrease acne Less heartburn Fewer migraines Less headaches Treat Cancer. Alzheimer's, and Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s Disease and Ketosis  Neurological diseases could be positively influenced by dietary means.  This concept behind neurological conditions are linked pathophysiologically to energy dysregulation provides a common research and experimental therapeutics platform.  Ketone bodies have been shown to possess neuroprotective properties such as raising ATP levels, decreasing oxidation of reactive oxygen species, and stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, which stabilizes synaptic function.  High levels of glucose create inflammation, thereby affecting nerve function through decreasing neurotoxicity.

Parkinson’s Disease and Ketosis •5 subjects with Parkinson’s Disease volunteered for a 28 day ketogenic diet. •Improvements were tracked through United Parkisons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). This scale tracks mood, motor function, and daily activity. All subjects experienced drastic improvements by lowering their UPDRS scores.

Credit: Theperfectketo.com

Intermittent Fasting  Intermittent fasting is also great for stimulating ketosis.  Fasting is not starving. Today’s society is nowhere near starvation. Fasting is a voluntary, not an involuntary.  In simplistic terms, fasting gives your body the opportunity to burn off excess fat. If we do not eat, your body will get energy from fat storage.  Study done by Gotthardt, et al. examined changes in rats after 4 weeks of intermittent fasting.  Intermittent fasting with a high fat diet lead to a 13% decrease in body weight.  This includes a 12-13% increase in lean muscle mass and a 40-52% decrease in fat mass.

Intermittent Fasting  Although there is no right or perfect way to fast, here are some common fasting time frames that I’ve found.  Types of fasting:  16:8 (16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating.)  20:4 (20 hours of fasting: 4 hours of eating.)  24 hour fasts (ex: dinner to dinner)  5:2 fast (eat normal 5 days, fast 2 days (500 calories still allowed))  36 hour fast  As long as you’d like (some religions have practiced fasting for multiple days.)

Credit: Dr. Axe

The Natural Body Cycles  12pm-8pm: Appropriation (eating & digestion)  8pm-4am: Assimilation (absorption & use)  4am-12pm: Elimination (of body wastes & food debris)

The Natural Body Cycles: Elimination  It is important to stick to the most hydrating foods because this is a time when our body is attempting to shed toxins. Therefore, you often wake up feeling tired, sweaty, having a headache, or bad breath.  People often claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We get confused and assume that this is a time for the biggest meal of the day. That is not the case. This is the most important meal of the day because we need foods that require minimal digestion and support the body’s cleansing responsibilities.  Foods such as fruits or green juices would be a great choice.

The Natural Body Cycles: Appropriation  It is in this time frame that we are most awake, and active. Therefore, we are most efficient at digesting, metabolizing, and burning through most heavily concentrated foods.  Eat only when hungry and don’t overeat.  You want your body to be able to focus on tasks outside of just digesting food.

The Natural Body Cycles: Assimilation  During this time, you are most likely relaxed or sleeping.  This is the perfect opportunity for the body to absorb all nutrients and minerals from your food.  This is when the contents get transported to your organs, bones, and cells through the bloodstream. This is when rebuilding, renewing, and healing takes place.

Credit: Dave Asprey

Food Combining  The digestion of food requires more energy than any other function. This even includes activities such as swimming, running, and bike riding. Hence why you often feel sleepy after a meal.  This energy is crucial for the detoxification of the body. The cornerstone of weight loss and a balanced metabolism is detoxification, which is dependent on energy.  For optimal digestion, do not mix grains and starches with protein.  The body is not designed to digest more than one concentrated food at a time. High water content vegetables are neutral this can be eaten with proteins.

Food Combining 01 02 03 Eating complex This is because proteins Food should pass easily carbohydrates and require acid juice to be though the intestines and proteins in the same meal broken down and starches cause no irritation, prevents proper digestion require alkaline juices. If bloating, heartburn, or and makes the process these are eaten together, gas. much longer than it should the juices will be be. neutralized and prolong the digestion process.



Food When foods are combined and the Combining digestion process is lengthened, your body faces more issues. If the protein is in the stomach for too long, they become putrefied. If the starches are in the stomach for too long, they become fermented. The changes that the protein and starches go through make their nutrients unable to be incorporated into a healthy cell structure because putrefied and fermented foods generate toxic acids in the body along with gas, heartburn, and acid indigestion.