Nutrition for Performance

The Importance of Meat Credit: Deep Nutrition

Grass Fed, Free Range Meat #1: Grass-fed beef has fewer calories #2: Grass-fed beef helps support healthy blood sugar levels #3: Grass-fed beef contains electrolytes #4: Grass-fed beef helps fight cancer #5: Grass-fed beef contains more healthy fats #6: Grass-fed beef contains less bacteria #7: Eating grass-fed beef can decrease your risk of heart disease

Grass Fed, Free Range Meat  Grass-fed beef is an incredibly nutrient-dense protein that can be worked into almost any healthy diet. Grass- fed beef contains:  Two times the amount of lutein and beta-carotene compared to grain-fed.  500–800 mg of CLA, which is up to three times the amount over grain-fed beef.  Up to 3.5 grams of omega–3 fats in grass-fed beef (maximum for grain-fed is 1 gram).  In just one grass-fed strip steak (214 grams) you’ll receive: 49 g protein 1.5 mg (21% DV) 45 mg omega–3 Pantothenic Acid 118 mg Sodium (5% fatty acids (15% mg) DV) 0.3 mg Riboflavin 139 mg Choline 7.7 mg Zinc (52% (16% DV) 16.3 mg Betaine DV) 14.3 mg Niacin 19 mg Calcium (2% 45 mcg Selenium (72% DV) DV) (64% DV) 1.4 mg Vitamin B6 4 mg Iron (22% DV) (70% DV) 49 mg Magnesium 28 mcg Folate (7% (12% DV) DV) 454 mg Phosphorus 2.7 mcg Vitamin (45% DV) B12 (2.7% mcg) 732 mg Potassium

DO NOT OVERCOOK  When food is exposed to Credit: Deep Nutrition unnecessarily high temperatures, the structure is sacrificed. Once the structure is affected, the wholesome, nutritious contents quickly fade.  Overcooked meat is tough because its fat, protein, and sugar molecules have gotten tangled and fused together during a wild, heat-crazed chemical battle. The result is a kind of tissue polymer that requires more work to cut with a knife and more chewing, as well as more time to digest. The worst part is that so many of the nutrients we need are ruined.  Cooking in a crockpot is the safest and most efficient way to prepare meat products.

Cholesterol  Cholesterol reduces the likelihood of brain disease and increases longevity.  Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamins, steroid hormones, and fuels neurons.  We rely on cholesterol through the bloodstream via low density lipoproteins (LDL). When the diet is high in sugar, sugar attaches to the LDL proteins and change the shape and function.

Cholesterol  Carbohydrates, not fat increase cholesterol. Only when a high carbohydrate and high fat diet are both present is when fat becomes harmful.  The body actually manufactures 75-85% of cholesterol.  The body wants us to eat cholesterol so it doesn’t have to work overdrive to produce it.

Cholesterol and Testosterone  Cholesterol produces anabolic hormones, such as testosterone.  Low fat diet = low testosterone = low sexual drive  Cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) disable cholesterol production. This is done by reduces LDL particles, which decreases LDL flow in the bloodstream.  Low LDL levels are correlated with a higher risk of death.  A 1994 study on cholesterol levels concluded those with higher cholesterol had a 48% less chance of dying.

Testosterone

Human Growth Hormone  Human growth hormone has a ton of great effects on the body.  They include:  Stimulate protein synthesis  Increase fat oxidation  Increase cartilage & bone growth  Improved healing  Decreased risk for cardiovascular disease  Increased mood & cognitive function  Better sleep  Hair growth  Increased metabolism



Benefits of Fats Provide Provide building blocks for cell membranes, hormones, and hormone-like substances Aid Aid mineral absorption, such as calcium Function Function as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K Support Support conversion of carotene into vitamin A Help Help to lower cholesterol levels Act Act as antiviral agent Provide Provide optimal fuel for your brain and heart Increase Increase satiety Modulate Modulate genetic regulation and help prevent cancer

Signs of Fat Deficiency  Mental fog  Memory  Depression problems  Weight gain  Brittle  Dry hair fingernails  Dry skin  Allergies  Arthritis  Lack of concentration  Fatigue  Poor quality of sleep







What Is Gluten?  Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, grain, rye, bread, barley, pasta, cereal, beer, cakes, cookies and pastries  Gluten contains two main proteins: gliadin and glutenin.  Gliadin is responsible for most health problems.  Gluten maintains the shape and provides the glue like substance found in these foods.

Why Should You Stay Away From Gluten? Celiac disease: This is the most severe gluten intolerance. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body sees gluten as a foreign invader and attacks the substance. This leads to a laundry list of problems. Although only 1% of the population is affected by Celiac disease, as many as 30% of the population may be sensitive to gluten. This sensitivity can relate to any number of problems from dementia to ADHD, skin disorders, joint pain, neuropathy, headaches and even depression. Gluten and high carbohydrate diets are the most prominent stimulators of inflammatory pathways that reach the brain.

Why Should You Stay Away From Gluten?  Modern gluten containing products are more addicting than ever before.  This is because they are enriched with a morphine-like compound called exorphins. Exorphins are polypeptides that are capable of crossing the blood to brain barrier. Once they cross, they create a sensorial high, just as opiate drugs such as heroin do.  This becomes extremely addicting. Therefore, big businesses stuff their products with gluten. They want you coming back and getting them rich off of their products. Now you know why it is so satisfying to eat a piece of bread.

How Does  One of the most powerful connections between the gut microbiome and the other major systems of the body lies in the Gluten Affect microbiome’s ability to regulate systemic inflammation. Inflammation is at the root of most of the debilitating chronic neurological conditions we face today. The Gut? Gut?  Increased intestinal permeability after gliadin exposure occurs in all individuals. Following gliadin exposure, both patients with gluten sensitivity and those with active celiac disease demonstrate a greater increase in intestinal permeability.  Gliadin induces the mobilization of another protein, zonulin, and how zonulin then goes on to increase the permeability of the bowel. It is this increase in permeability that is playing a pivotal role in challenging the immune system, leading to inflammation and autoimmunity.

Side Effects Of Gluten  Stomach pain  Diarrhea  Gas  Fatigue  Headaches  Bloating  Depression  Skin Problems  Anemia  Joint & Muscle Pain  Anxiety  Brain Fog  Leg or Arm Numbness  Alzheimer’s Disease  Heart Disease

Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals Oxidative Stress is a normal part of life, yet is like biological rusting. It is the imbalance of reactive oxygen molecules and the ability to detoxify them. The process of oxidation happens as our bodies metabolize and process the oxygen that we breathe and our cells produce energy from it. Excess oxidation occurs when there is a lot of breakdown and there is not enough antioxidants present in the body to repair the damage. Catastrophic problems can occur when there is too much oxidation in the body.

Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals  Having too much free radicals is a very dangerous process, as the free radicals cause serious harm by searching for an electron to pair with.  While in search for the missing electron, free radicals can attach to DNA or cell membranes. This can cause a great deal of inflammation, cause the cell to dysfunction, or even die.

Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals Credit: Deep Nutrition

Signs of Excess Oxidative Stress  Fatigue  Susceptibility to infections  Memory loss and/or brain  Low immune fog health  Muscle  Digestive and/or joint issues pain  Acne Wrinkles and  grey hair  Depression  Decreased  Irritability eye sight  Allergies  Headaches  Sensitivity to noise

Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals  To reduce the excess oxidation, decrease systemic inflammation. This is done through clean eating, including foods that are full of antioxidants. Vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants which donate electrons to the free radicals, alleviating the problem. Antioxidants help to decrease the damage done.  Protecting yourself from oxidative stress is as simple as protecting your cells by providing what your body needs and avoiding what it doesn’t need.

Collagen  Collagen makes up a huge part of the body, about 15% of the bodies dry weight. Collagen has a list full of benefits, which include the skin, joints, bone, hair, muscle, digestion and most importantly, cellular wall lining. Credit: Deep Nutrition

Collagen  Collagen acts as a protective layer on the cellular walls. A strong collagen layer will prevent unstable plaque and drastically decrease the likelihood of heart attack or stroke. Credit: Deep Nutrition

P:E DIET

3 Pillars of the P:E Diet Approach

1. Increase Protein Percentage.  How much you eat is completely dependent on WHAT you eat.  Intentionally eating higher protein foods will automatically make you tend to eat less.

2. Decrease Carbohydrate Frequency.  Reducing the frequency with which you eat carbohydrates forces your body to become more “fat adapted”, or able to function using only stored body fat, without a constant influx of dietary carbohydrates.  This is a form of metabolic exercise. If you strengthen this, you will experience the stability of blood sugar and mood and reap the rewards of being much less tied to frequent eating.

3. Avoid High Carbohydrate + High Fat  Foods that are simultaneously high in carbohydrates and fat have a high energy density.  They are rarely found in nature and are highly palatable and addictive.  These foods completely hijack our satiety and mercilessly drive overeating.  Studies show that you can feed a high carb, high fat, and high energy density diet (picture a candy bar) to any omnivore mammal and most of them will overeat by around 30-40% of calories.

SAID Principle  Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands  Want to get better at burning fat instead of sugar? Eat fewer carbs, and your body will have to adapt to this demand.  Want to add muscle? You have to communicate to your body that it has no choice but to add muscle—adapt or die.  Humans are amazingly adaptable and we can live in any environment, on any sort of diet.  Take advantage of this adaptability—this is how we improve our physical health.  This usually involves some level of discomfort, so get used to pushing yourself way out of your comfort zone.

How is Food Created?  Plants store solar energy as the high energy carbon bonds in carbs and fats. Plants absorb nitrogen for protein, as well as other minerals, from soil. Animals must ingest other living organisms in order to receive both this chemical energy and these proteins and minerals.  In very simple terms, all your carb and fat energy comes from the sun, while all of your nitrogen and minerals for protein comes from the earth.  Problems arise when we extract pure energy from plants; which is seen in the form of refined carbs processed foods.  This dilutes protein and minerals throughout the human food supply, leading to a protein and mineral nutrient hunger—we literally must eat more energy just to satisfy our nutrient needs.

What is Eating?  Plants are ‘autotrophs’. That means they make their own food.  They use carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (from air and water) plus the energy from sunlight, to make all the food they need.  They get nitrogen, required for protein—along with a few dozen other necessary elements— from the soil (in mineral form).  Humans are ‘heterotrophs’. That means that all humans are only alive because they constantly eat other living organisms.

Human Protein: Energy Ration  Much like a diet, your body also has a protein versus energy ratio.  The higher the better. You will be lower if you are overweight and/or under-muscled.

The Process of Lost Evolution  Humans have been hunter-gatherers for at least 2.5 million years, but believe it or not, agriculture was only invented about 10,000 years ago.  Prior to the domestication of plants and animals, we only ate that which we could hunt and gather.  Post-agricultural humans had shorter stature, smaller brains, and poorer bone and dental health compared to hunter-gatherers. This was a direct result of the drop in dietary quality with the advent of agriculture: more energy, but less protein and minerals.

What Has Cultivation Done to Us?  We have carefully cultivated all our plants to have the very highest energy yield possible.  Take corn for example. Corn used to be the tiny seed head of grasses, maybe the size of modern wheat today. We crossbred this until corn is a huge carbon-laden monstrosity—such a high-energy food that you can simply squeeze it and make both corn syrup and corn oil.

What Has Cultivation Done to Us?  Humans took things one step too far. We invented the industrial revolution, with the bulk refining and transport of sugar flour and oil.  Dumping these foods into the food supply resulted in a huge amount of protein dilution. The protein to energy ratio of our diets dropped enormously.

What Has Cultivation Done to Us?

Protein Prioritization  Humans and many other animal species exhibit protein prioritization, meaning that they will eat and eat until they have eaten an adequate absolute quantity of protein—even if they must significantly overeat carb and fat non-protein energy in order to get there.  If the protein percentage of your diet is high, you will tend to automatically eat less energy.

Two Compartment System  You have two separate energy sources in your body: Carbohydrates and Fat.  Carbohydrates are water soluble while fat is not water soluble. This means they effect metabolism in completely different ways.  Carbohydrates can be converted to energy 6 times faster than fat.  (Glycogen is fully hydrated (carbohydrate) which contributes to weight.)  At the same time, fat is 6 times lighter than carbohydrates.  For these reasons, the body prefers to store much more fat than carbohydrates.

Two Compartment System  High carb diets can increase carbohydrate oxidation 10x and decrease fat oxidation 10x at the same time.  If you want your body to be better at burning fat, you only have to do one thing: eat fewer carbohydrates.

Energy Toxicity  Every chronic ailment has one common underlying association. That is chronically high insulin.  Metabolic Syndrome  Also known as ‘insulin resistance’, or ‘hyperinsulinemia’  Defined by these 5 points:  1. Abdominal obesity (abdominal fat storage, or increased waist circumference).  2. High triglycerides.  3. Low HDL (or “good”) cholesterol.  4. High blood pressure.  5. High fasting glucose.

Insulin Resistance  Metabolic syndrome is caused by overfilling your energy storage capacity.  Once adipocytes fill up with fat and grow to their max size, they begin to refuse glucose and triglycerides in, causing them to remain in the bloodstream.  This stresses insulin even more because it is already working at full- capacity.

Insulin Resistance  Once visceral fat (abs, waist, chest, thighs) fills up, your body begins throwing fat anywhere it can. This includes organs (fatty liver disease) and blood vessels (atherosclerosis).  When your body’s genetic ceiling for fat is reached, you become diabetic.  Diabetes can occur at different points depending on a person’s genetic fat threshold. Some people reach that even while being skinny fat while others do not reach that until gaining hundreds of pounds.

Insulin Resistance



Nature Versus The Man-Made Food Revolution  Food in nature is almost always either high in fat or carbohydrate content.  In very few instances, There are a couple foods which are high in both. These were design to fatten up mammals in times of need (breast milk, some nuts).  By processing foods, we’ve created constant access to a surplus of energy, which is ultimately leading to the obesity epidemic.

How Do We Stop The Obesity Epidemic?  We must focus on eating food high in protein and either fat OR carbohydrates.  Whole foods, which originate in nature back to our paleolithic times most often provides the macronutrient profile we need.  It is hard to overeat protein. But it is easy to overeat carbs + fat because these foods are so rewarding!