Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts Here
According to the promoters of Paleo and other bad diets, people should avoid eating grains because they increase inflammation and cause disease.
“Whole grains” includes foods like whole wheat, oats, brown, basmati, and jasmine rice, rye, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, corn, farro, kamut, millet, and spelt. Whole grains do not include bagels, pastry, cookies, white flour pasta, croissants, pretzels, and cereals like Lucky Charms. While this seems simple – whole natural foods vs highly processed junk foods, there is considerable misunderstanding about this issue. “Grain bashers” like William Davis (author of Wheat Belly) claim that their patients are sick because they eat grain-based products like Wonder Bread, Trix, Fruit Loops, HoHo’s, Oreos, Vienna Fingers and Fettuccini Alfredo. They apparently do not understand the difference between eating highly processed products and foods like wheat berries and millet loaf.
Those who advise against eating grains claim, among other things, that eating grains increases inflammation levels. While this might be true when consuming highly processed foods like cookies, the opposite appears to be the case for whole grain foods, which have been shown to reduce inflammation.
A very well-designed study involving 81 participants showed clearly both the benefits of consuming whole grains and the difference between diets based on refined vs whole grain products. For the first two weeks, subjects maintained their typical Western-style and weight-maintaining diet. For the next 6 weeks, 40 subjects stayed on this diet, while the other 41 were switched to a diet which included whole grain foods. Both diets were similar in calories, fat, the number of servings of fruit and vegetables, and the percentage of protein. The meals were prepared by trained staff and designed to make sure that the participants would not lose weight. These strategies were implemented to isolate the effects of whole grain consumption since factors like eating more fruits and vegetables and weight loss have also been shown to lower inflammation levels.
Those subjects eating whole grains had favorable changes in their gut microbiomes including a decrease in pro-inflammatory bacteria. They also showed small but statistically significant and favorable changes in plasma markers for inflammation and improvement in immune function. [1]
In another study, Iranian researchers looked at the impact of grain consumption for 44 overweight or obese girls between the ages of 8 and 15. The girls were randomized to two groups, one that consumed whole grains and a control group. Girls in the whole grain group were give a list of whole grains and asked to make sure that half of their grain intake was from whole grains daily for 6 weeks, while the girls in the control group were given the same list and told to avoid whole grain foods.
Whole grain girls then entered a 4-week washout period after which they crossed over to the other arm for an additional 6 weeks.
Eating whole grains did not affect weight or BMI, but the girls eating whole grains did experience positive changes in inflammatory markers during the 6-week intervention period. These included a 22% decrease C-reactive protein, and a 28% reduction in soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1. The girls in the control group had increases of 12% and 6% respectively during the same period.[ii]
Overweight people have higher levels of inflammation, but these overweight girls still showed lower levels of inflammatory markers even though their weight did not change. The girls did not convert to a program of dietary excellence; in fact, they were permitted to continue to consume half of their grains in refined and processed form. And the rapidity of effect – only 6 weeks – was notable.
A more recent study included 60 Danish adults who were considered high-risk for developing metabolic syndrome. In a randomized crossover trial, subjects were assigned to two 8-week dietary intervention periods during which they consumed either a whole grain diet or a refined grain diet. The first 8 weeks were followed by a 6-week washout period, after which the subjects switched diets.
Not surprisingly, the whole grain diet resulted in fewer calories consumed and more weight loss than the refined grain diet. But in addition, the whole grain diet reduced markers of inflammation such as interleukin-6 and c-reactive protein.[iii]
Other studies have shown not only that whole grain intake lowers inflammation, but that it also improves glucose metabolism and increases weight loss.[iv] Higher whole grain intake is also associated with decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and obesity; and decreased fasting glucose.[v] [vi]
It’s important to be clear about the objective of this article. It is not to promote the idea that eating whole grains is the solution to our epidemic of disease. In fact, we have advised for many years that there are no magical foods and nutrients, and it is important to focus on adopting a health-promoting dietary pattern. People who eat whole grains as part of an optimal, low-fat, high-fiber plant-centered diet experience much better results than those shown in these studies. But even when the only variable is whole grain intake, the results are better. People who advise against whole grain consumption are giving incorrect advice which is not supported by evidence.
[i] Vanegas SM, Meydani M, Barnett JB et al. “Substituting whole grains for refined grains in a 6-wk randomized trial has a modest effect on gut microbiota and immune and inflammatory markers of healthy adults.” Am J Clin Nutr 2017 Feb;105(3):635-650
[ii] Hajihashemi P, Azadbakht L, Hashemipor M, Kelishadi R, Esmaillzadeh A. “Whole grain intake favorably affects markers of systemic inflammation in obese children: A randomized controlled crossover clinical trial.” Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014 Jun;58(6):1301-8.
[iii] Roager HM, Vogt JK, Kristensen M et al. “Whole grain-rich diet reduces body weight and systemic low-grade inflammation without inducing major changes in the gut microbiome: a randomized cross-over trial.” Gut Published Online First: 01 November 2017. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2017-314786
[iv] Montonen J, Boeing H, Fritsche A et al. “Consumption of red meat and whole grain bread in relation to biomarkers of obesity, inflammation, glucose metabolism, and oxidative stress.” Eur J Nutr 2013 Feb;52(1):337-345
[v] Tang G, Wang D, Long J, Yang F, Si L. “Meta-analysis of the association between whole grain intake and coronary heart disease risk.” Am J Cardiol 2015 Mar;115(5):625-629
[vi] Lutsey PL, Jacobs DR Jr, Kori S et al. “whole grain intake and its cross-sectional association with obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, diabetes, and subclinical CVD: The MESA Study.” Br. J Nutr 2007 Aug;98(2):397-405
Pam Popper, Wellness Forum Health
We talk about habits often in our classes. We all have habits, good and bad, especially when it comes to our diet and lifestyle. Why is a bad habit so difficult to change? It is common to struggle to replace those bad habits with good habits. Change is difficult because we don't have the right tools. And... we don't like change.
Our Emotional Eating and Forming & Maintaining Optimal Habits classes help us to look at our state of mind and emotional state. Habits are reward based, and resistance is subconscious. We place our own obstacles in our way without even knowing it. We resist change because we are focusing on what we are giving up instead of what we have to gain.
"For example, we all get a dopamine hit when we eat. That is a survival mechanism. Signals to the brain encourage us to eat. But sometimes eating bad foods makes us feel better and we repeat this behavior because we want that "reward" of feeling better and relieve our anxiety, because what gets rewarded gets repeated. So now a good habit (eating for survival and energy) turns into a habit that is self-destructive." This is the process that produces discouragement. We know what to do but we can't do it.
So how do we start? First, examine what your goals are, keeping in mind that reaching that goal is never a straight line from A to B. Make a decision to change one thing at a time, have a vision, write down what you want to accomplish, examine that goal honestly, formulate a plan (that's where attending classes comes in). Start new. "Starting new is not starting over. Starting over implies returning to where you were. Starting new means stepping into something that has never existed before.: (Graham Cooke) Most importantly, be consistent. James Clear says that "consistency enlarges ability." Imagine that every day that you are consistent in your goal towards a healthier lifestyle, the greater your ability will be to accomplish it. And THIS is what makes you resilient. The definition of resilience is "the ability of a system (or person) to respond to or recover readily from a crisis, disruptive process, etc."
Pam Popper from Wellness Forum Health says it best "If you really want to change your life and your health, the best comparator to use is “optimal.” How do your diet and lifestyle habits compare to habits that are optimal? Two important clarifications are needed here; one is that “optimal” does not mean “perfect” and the other is that optimal habits are defined as those that lead to high quality of life and longevity."
Practicing mental resilience in order to live "optimal" healthy diet and lifestyle is a way to show compassion towards yourself. You will start to learn when your body is saying no to the things that do not serve it in a healthy way. You will start to discover what frustrates and exhausts you and walk away from those things. You will know that you do not need to go beyond your ability. You will start to dig deeper in being intentional on creating the vision of what you want to accomplish.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
Wellness Forum Health
For a very long time, doctors have mistakenly told patients that higher HDL cholesterol levels are a marker for better health, and that the ratio of HDL to LDL was an important metric to monitor. Many doctors have furthermore insisted that lower HDL levels are markers of poor health. None of this is true. Lower LDL AND HDL cholesterol levels should be the goal, and higher HDL levels are not only not protective, but are a risk factor for coronary artery disease and other health issues.
Some Basics
A primary role of HDL cholesterol is reverse transport, the mechanism by which the body takes excess cholesterol from the peripheral tissues and bloodstream and delivers it to the liver for removal by the gall bladder. Generally, HDL levels can be expected to rise in response to higher plasma LDL levels. With few exceptions, higher plasma LDL levels result from consuming a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which are concentrated in animal foods. The more LDL and saturated fat consumed, the more cholesterol produced by the liver. Another way of looking at this is that there would be no need for higher HDL levels if a person were not consuming so much food containing LDL cholesterol and saturated fat.
Quality is Better Than Quantity
The measurement of plasma cholesterol that is most related to the prevention of atherosclerosis and coronary events is HDL efflux capacity – the ability of HDL to remove bad, or LDL cholesterol from macrophages.[1] Macrophages are immune cells that become pro-inflammatory foam cells when they engulf LDL cholesterol. This explains why some people with high plasma HDL cholesterol develop coronary artery disease, while others with lower plasma HDL do not.
To illustrate this point, HDL efflux capacity was measured in almost 1000 subjects;
442 of them had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, 351 had not been diagnosed coronary artery disease, and 203 healthy volunteers.
The researchers reported that:
· Subjects with high HDL efflux capacity had lower levels of atherosclerosis and obstructive coronary artery disease, while those with low HDL efflux capacity had higher levels of atherosclerosis and obstructive coronary artery disease.· Statins were not effective for raising HDL efflux capacity.· There was no relationship between blood levels of HDL and efflux capacity.· Habits influenced efflux capacity: smokers had low HDL efflux capacity even if they had higher plasma HDL levels, for example.· There was a significant relationship between HDL efflux capacity and carotid artery thickening (a marker for atherosclerosis), and this relationship persisted regardless of plasma levels. In other words, higher plasma cholesterol was not protective, while lower plasma levels with higher efflux capacity was.· The proportion of patients with coronary artery disease decreased consistently with increases in HDL efflux capacity.[2]
The bottom line:
Measuring plasma levels of HDL to determine health status is futile. Additionally, attempts to increase HDL levels using drugs and supplements has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular events and death.[3] [4]
Furthermore, higher HDL levels are indicators for risk of macular degeneration,[5] fractures,[6] and dementia. Data from a longitudinal study that included 18,668 healthy participants showed that those with HDL levels of 80 mg/dLor higher had a 27% higher risk of dementia than subjects with HDL levels of lower of 60 mg/dL.[7] The diet that protects the cardiovascular system also protects the brain.
Conclusions:
A plant-centered diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol is the best diet for humans. The incidence of coronary artery disease is very low in cultures that consistently consume a plant-based diet. These include the Tarahumara Indians[8], The Papua New Guinea highlanders[9], and rural Chinese.[10] In some rural areas of China, hundreds of thousands of people go for years without a single myocardial infarction.
[1] Khera AV, Cuchel M, de la Llera-Moya M et al. “Cholesterol efflux capacity, high-density lipoprotein function, and atherosclerosis.” NEJM 2011 Jan;364(2):127-135
[2] IBID
[3] Keene D, Price C, Shun-Shin MJ, Francis DP. "Effect on cardiovascular risk of high-density lipoprotein targeted treatments niacin, fibrates, and CETP inhibitors: meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials including 117 411 patients." BMJ 2014; 349:g4379
[4] Michael O'Riordon "No Clinical Benefit to Raising HDL With Existing Therapies, Meta-Analysis Shows" July 23, 2014 www.heartwire.com
[5] Colijm JAM, den Hollander AI, Demirkan A et al. “Increased High-Density Lipoprotein Levels Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Evidence from the EYE_RISK and European Eye Epidemiology Consortia.” Ophthalmology 2019 Mar;126(3):393-406
[6] Hussain SM, Ebeling PR, Barker A, Neilin LJ, Tonkin AM, McNeil JJ. “Association of Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level With Risk of Fractures in Healthy Older Adults.” JAMA Cardiol 2023 Mar;8(3):268-272
[7] Hussain SM, Robb C, Tonkin AM et al. “Association of plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level with risk of incident dementia: a cohort study of healthy older adults.” Lancet Regional Health 2023 Nov: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100963
[8] Connor WE, Cerqueira MT, Connor RW, et al. “The plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and diet of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.” Am J Clin Nutr 1978 Jul;31(7):1131-42
[9] Sinnett PF, Whyte HM. “Epidemiological studies in a total highland population, Tukisenta, New Guinea. Cardiovascular disease and relevant clinical, electrocardiographic, radiological and biochemical findings.” J Chron Diseases 1973 May; 26(5):265-290
[10] Campbell TC, Parpia B, Chen J. “Diet, lifestyle, and the etiology of coronary artery disease: The Cornell China Study.” Am J Card 1998 Nov;82(10B):18T-21T.
Dr. Pam Popper, President, Wellness Forum Health
This salad is one of my favorites for a quick protein packed lunch.
Ingredients:
1 block super firm organic tofu, drained well. I wrap it in paper towels and let sit with in a strainer, squeezing the excess water out
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 - 4 scallions, thinly sliced (depending on how you like onions
2-4 dill pickle spears or 1 whole pickle, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, sliced
1 -2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons Tahini
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Place well drained tofu block (you can break it up a bit) and the chickpeas in a food processor. Pulse about 20 seconds as you don't want it too mushy. If you do not have a food processor, place the tofu and chickpeas in a bowl and mash with a fork.
Scrap mixture into a large bowl and add all other ingredients. Stir and taste. Add more mustard or tahini to your taste if desired.
Serve in a wrap or a whole grain bread with lettuce or sprouts for a nutrient dense sandwich. You can also add it on top of a salad for a filling meal.
Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts Here
Some of the worst dietary advice is given to athletes of all ages. The misinformation starts in middle and high school, when well-meaning but misinformed coaches often instruct student athletes to eat more protein, use sports drinks for hydration, and consume dairy products for strong bones. Supplements are almost always recommended by trainers for body builders and other adult athletes with the promise that they contribute to more rapid muscle development and better performance. Diet and supplement recommendations are delivered with the implication that results are virtually assured and usually without any explanation of the potential risks. Furthermore, other dietary patterns, such as more plant-based diets are almost never discussed, except to dismiss them as not adequate for helping athletes to train and perform.
Supplements, in particular, are a concern, and the results of a new study should encourage even more people to avoid them. This study included 356 men between the ages of 18 and 55 who had had testicular cancer and 513 controls. Researchers looked at many factors, including exercise, smoking, drinking, family history, and the use of supplements for building muscle. The researchers concluded that muscle-building supplements, particularly those that contained both creatine (which is a hot topic right now) and protein, and those with testosterone-boosting androstenedione, significantly increased the risk of testicular germ cell cancer. Lead researcher Tongzhang Zheng said, “The observed relationship was strong. If you used them at an earlier age, you had a higher risk. If you used them longer, you had a higher risk. If you used multiple types, you had a higher risk.”
The researchers also noted that many supplements contain unknown ingredients that can increase the risk of cancer, citing a study that showed that 15% of supplements that did not include hormones on the labels contained anabolic androgenic steroids which have been associated with testicular cancer in animal studies.
The incidence of testicular germ cell cancer is rising in both the U.S. and Europe, and is the most common malignancy in men between the ages of 15-39 years of age. While many other factors are most certainly contributors, including poor diet, supplements to boost sports performance increase the risk even more, and should be avoided.
Athletes should be informed that optimal performance can be achieved without high-protein diets and supplements; in fact more and more athletes are finding that sports performance is enhanced by eating a more plant-based diet. Athletes do not need to choose between optimal performance or optimal diet. In fact optimal diet leads to optimal performance.
Li N, Hauser R, Holford T et al. “Muscle-building supplement use and increased risk of testicular germ cell cancer in men from Connecticut and Massachusetts.” British J Cancer March 31 2015;112:1247-1250
Niamh Michall “Muscle-building supplements linked to testicular cancer risk.”
Nutraingredients-usa.com April 14 2015
Wellness Forum Health
