3/23/14
04
JUST EAT REAL FOOD
Eat Like your Ancestors
“The birthright of all living things is health.
This law is true for soil, plant, animal, and
man: the health of these four is one connected
chain. Any weakness or defect in the health of
any earlier link in the chain is carried on to the
next and succeeding links, until it reaches the
last, namely man.”
- Sir Albert Howard
Droppin’ Truth Bombs
•  American’s spend a smaller
percentage of their disposable income
on food than any society in the history
of the world.
•  The expense of organic food is not the
fault of organic farmers or the markets
that sell the foods, but of the
government’s farm bill.
The Wheel of Life
Droppin’ Truth Bombs
•  Nature’s intention is that we follow the
Wheel of Life, in which healthy soil
produces healthy plants and animals for
humans to consume.
•  Real food from healthy soil provides the
building blocks for life.
•  The unsuitable diets fed to the
commercially-raised animals alter their
nutritional value and fatty acid profile,
thus promoting disease, inflammation,
and obesity.
Just Eat Real Food
•  Eat like your ancestors
•  Convenience, cost, and calorie count
have led to dramatic changes in
quality and content and accessibility
to ‘real food’
From Soil to the Cell
•  For optimal function, our cells (over 50
trillion of them!) need:
–  Protein, Fats, Carbohydrates, Vitamins,
Minerals, Enzymes, Water
•  Without them – our cells run less efficiently
leading to systemic dysfunction, subclinical
symptoms, and degenerative disease
•  Our modern food supply has been
stripped barren of these nutrients
–  Irradiation, nutrification, sterilization,
transportations, etc.
1

Keeping it Real (Food)
•  Real food is:
–  Whole, unprocessed, unrefined
–  Pasture raised and wild
–  Local, seasonal, and organic
»  Chris Kresser
•  The Wheel of Life affirms “you are as
healthy as the animals and plants you
consume”
•  “You can’t get health from a sick animal
(or plant)”
»  Paul Chek
Fool’s Gold
•  Over last half century, the food
revolution has brought to our food
supply:
–  Pesticides
–  Synthetic fertilizers
–  Hormones
–  Antibiotics
–  Genetic engineering
•  Everything looks the same, but
nutrient composition has changed
Real Meat
•  Healthy (real) cows eat grass, drink
fresh water, roam from paddock to
paddock
–  Will have a good n-6 ratio, and will be
abundant in Omega 3 fatty acids,
vitamins A and E, and conjugated linoleic
acid (CLA)
•  Sick cows eat grain, don’t roam, are
given antibiotics to stay healthy, and
hormones to grow faster
3/23/14
Inflammation Nation
•  Animals we consume are not causing
disease – instead it is the way they
are raised that is the problem
–  Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio (n-6 ratio)
•  Optimal is 1:1
•  Excess Omega-6 = inflammation
–  Increase risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer,
and obesity among others
•  In hunter-gatherer days n-6 ratio was 1:1 in
animals
•  Now, closer to 10:1 or 20:1 with animals
raised on corn and soy!
Real Poultry
•  Real chickens are omnivores and eat
worms, bugs, grass and corn. They
roam freely outside
–  Higher in Omega-3 FAs, along with
vitamins and minerals
•  Sick (factory) chickens live in crowded
bins, eat antibiotics to stay healthy
along with meat by products (including
chicken) and arsenic laced feed!
–  Arsenic is passed along to consumer in
meat!
2

Real Pork
•  Real pigs are omnivores, foraging for
corn, grass, acorns, nuts, and fruit.
–  High in Omega-3 FAs, and vitamin E
•  Sick pigs live in small cages, and are
fed antibiotics to stay healthy
Real Eggs
•  Real eggs come from real chickens
–  Better n-6 ratio
•  Sick eggs come from sick chickens
Real Produce
•  Real produce is organic, in-season,
and preferably local
–  No chemical residue, and from healthy
soil
•  Conventional produce is grown with
pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and
chemical growth enhancers to
increase yield
3/23/14
Real Fish
•  Real fish are wild!
–  High in Omega-3 FAs
•  Sick fish are farm raised, fed corn, fish
meal, and growth promoting
antibiotics
–  High environmental pollution from fish
farms due to high feces, pesticide, and
antibiotic run-off
–  Farmed fish significantly higher in toxins
PCB, and dioxin compared to wild fish
Real Dairy
•  Real milk comes from real cows
–  It is whole, raw, unpasteurized and not
homogenized
•  Also full of healthy bacteria that boosts
immune function and digestive health
–  Sick dairy come from sick cows
•  Are given rBGH to increase milk production
•  rGBH also increases insulin-like growth
factor (IGF-1)
–  Linked to several cancers
Real Fats and Oils
•  Real fats and oils remain stable in
high heat and do not trigger oxidation
and inflammation in the body
–  Mostly saturated fats – coconut, palm,
lard, duck, butter, ghee, cold-pressed
extra virgin olive oil
•  Unsaturated fats (soy, corn, canola,
safflower) are easily oxidized and
become rancid
–  High heat leads to free radical and trans-
fat production
3

Real Nuts and Seeds
•  Real nuts and seeds are raw, soaked,
and sprouted before eaten
–  This makes them easier to digest
–  An overnight soak in salt water will
neutralize the enzyme inhibitors in nuts
To Grain or Not to Grain?
•  Phytates in grains bind vitamins and
minerals
–  Make them harder to absorb
–  May leach them from body
•  Lectins may ‘poke holes’ in your
intestines
•  Gluten, in most grains, causes health
problems in 1 in 7 individuas
To Grain or Not to Grain?
•  If grains will be eaten
–  Take time to soak overnight before
consumption
•  Neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors
•  Hybridization of grains has increased
gluten content
•  Read - “These aren’t the same grains” blog
•  Listen - “Wheat Belly with William Davis” UW radio
broadcast
3/23/14
To Grain or Not to Grain?
•  Blasphemy Alert: I think the world would be
much better off without grains. (Sean Croxton)
•  Dietary shift to grains 10,000 years
ago brought with it dental cavities,
bone malformation, increased rates of
infant mortality, infectious disease,
shorter stature, and reduced life span
To Grain or Not to Grain?
•  If removal of grains is not an option –
gluten free are an alternative
–  Rice, millet, gluten-free oats, and corn
–  Quinoa and buckwheat are also gluten
free
•  Quinoa contains saponins, which may ‘punch
holes’ in the gut.
•  Wash quinoa thoroughly before cooking to
remove saponins
4

Spilling the Beans
•  Beans or legumes
–  Gluten free
–  High in starch, fiber and protein
–  High amounts of phytic acid and
saponins
•  Lengthy process to remove them
Alcohol
•  Typically high in sugar and throws
blood sugar and insulin out of balance
•  Can impair liver function
•  May lead to leaky gut
Caffeine
•  May increase cortisol, blood sugar
and worsen insulin resistance
•  Avoid caffeine after noon to prevent
sleep disturbances
•  Consider WHY you consume caffeine
to begin with
3/23/14
Foods of Commerce
•  Traditionally, white flour, white sugar,
table salt, and pasteurized milk
•  Now – endless list of ‘non-foods’
•  Eating REAL FOOD means not eating
proceed foods!
Aspartame
•  Aspartame – aka Equal or NutraSweet
–  50% phenylalanine & 40% aspartic acid
•  Can have a neurotoxic effect!
–  10% methanol (wood alcohol)
•  A toxin!
•  One can of diet soda contains double the safe
limit suggested by the EPA
–  Animal studies show nervous system toxicity
–  Human side effects
•  Headaches, migraines, depression, rash,
memory loss, and abdominal cramoing
Genetically Modified Foods
•  Top 5 GMO crops
–  Soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sugar
beets
•  Animal studies have shown infertility,
immune problems, accelerated aging,
impaired insulin regulation, and changes
in the major organs and GI tract
–  NO labeling for GMO containing foods!
•  Avoid them!
•  Listen –”seeds of Deception” UW Podcast
•  Download – Non-GMO shopping guide
5

High Fructose Corn Syrup
•  Excess high fructose corn syrup
consumption can lead to:
–  Uric acid, high blood pressure, fatty liver,
heart disease, insulin and leptin
resistance, and an up-regulation of fat
storing enzymes
•  Listen – “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” Dr. Lustig
(YouTube)
•  Listen – UW Synopsis of above video (YouTube)
•  Listen – Dr. Lustig on UW Radio
Nasty Protein Powders
•  Many contain MSG as well as a
multitude of other non-real food
ingredients!
–  Look for those with less than 5
ingredients
Splenda
•  Splenda – aka sucralose
–  Classified as a chlorocarbon or
organochlorine
•  Products usually seen in pesticides
•  Fat soluble (stored in fat cells) and toxicity
affect heart, lungs, and brain
3/23/14
Monosodium Glutamate
•  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
–  Similar effects as aspartame
–  Hidden forms
•  Calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate,
autoyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed gelatin
•  Visit www.truthlabeling.com for complete list
Soy
•  Unfermented soy contains phytates and trypsin
inhibitors
–  Trypsin inhibitors impede ability to break down and
digest protein
•  Soy is also goitrogenic – it slows down thyroid
activity
•  90% of available soy is GMO
•  Avoid all soy except fermented products
–  Fermentation eliminates the ‘antinutrients’
–  Tempeh, miso, natto, and high-quality wheat-free
tamari
•  Listen – “The Whole Soy Story” Kaayla T. Daniel
(UW Radio)
6