Limit your Exposure to Food Processing for a Longer & Leaner Life

Limit your Exposure to Food Processing for a Longer & Leaner Life.

Food processing includes any additives or technique that extends shelf life, therefore increasing profit margins for food companies.  Unfortunately, not much research is done into the long term effects on human health of these techniques.  Examples of the worst offenders include: sugar, refined flour and Trans fatty acids, which have all been implicated in several long term health challenges. Therefore, to optimize our health we must do our best to limit our exposure to them.

Food processing techniques are so widely used now that it is next to impossible to avoid them!  Many of these put us at risk for long term heath complications including overweight/obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, depression, cognitive decline, etc…)

Most of our genes have been theorized to have evolved during the hunter-gatherer time frame. Therefore, let’s structure our diet as we did back then. Let’s look at a simplified breakdown.

1)      Vegetables & Fruits

-          One consistent finding over the years has been that people who eat adequate vegetables & fruits per day live longer and healthier than those who don’t.

-          Aim for 10 (of your) fists of vegetables & fruits daily!!! Remember if you are attempting to lose fat, then be sure that about 6-8 of those fists are low carb vegetables and the other 2-4 are fruits and/or cooked starchy vegetables.

-          As Canadians we have a few choices for the best quality vegetables and fruits.

o   1) Fresh vegetables and fruits - You can enjoy locally grown fresh produce, so TAKE ADVANTAGE.  You can even join a local CSA program (http://csafarms.ca/index.html).

o   2) Frozen vegetables and fruits – a good second option, most of the nutrition is still present.

2)      Meats, Poultry, Fish and Eggs

-          The best choices are grass fed meats and free range poultry and eggs as these provide good levels of omega 3 fats, which are essential and are anti-inflammatory in nature.

-          A good second choice is to choose the leanest cuts of regular farmed/mass-produced meats and poultry that you can.  Also omega 3 eggs are a good second option to free range eggs.

-          Wild caught fish and seafood are the best options.

3)      Nuts & Seeds

-          Use raw nuts & seeds whenever possible.

-          If you experience digestive upset with raw nuts, soak in water for 1-3 hours before eating.

-          If you are attempting to lose weight, limit your portions of nuts & seeds as these can easily lead to high calorie intakes.

-          Grinding nuts & seeds yourself can create very tasty & healthy nut butters that are excellent for spreading or dipping.

4)      Grain products

-          Technically, all grain products are processed.  Therefore, if you can’t live without these, then be sure to choose the least processed forms of grains that you can.

-          Choose “whole grain” whenever possible (legally only “whole grain” in the ingredients list means anything).

-          If you are getting your 10 fists of vegetables & fruits then you don’t need grain products, despite what you might read/hear.

5)      Dairy products

-          We don’t really need these products either, if we are getting enough quality animal proteins, oils & dark green vegetables.

-          If you consume dairy, choose certified organic or <2% products.

6)      Water

-          Drink 2 cups before each meal & in between.

-          Remove chlorine from water before drinking – using a filter system (e.g. Brita) is usually good enough.

7)      Supplements

-          The only two supplements that we most likely need are:

• A) Vitamin D – if we don’t get access to adequate sunlight.
•  Ideally we get 10-15 minutes of unprotected (no sunscreen) sun exposure a few times per week.
•  Discuss supplementation with your health care provider (often doses of 2000 IU are used).

•  B) Omega 3 (DHA + EPA) – on days when we don’t consume high omega 3 fish or other animal products.
• Usually 1-4 g per day of DHA+EPA total are prescribed to optimize liver metabolism.

8)      Physical Activity

-          Daily activity and consistency is key.  There’s no better time to start than right now!

-          Once to twice per week – lift heavy things!

-          Once per week – move really fast!

-          The rest of the time move slower but move & very often!!!

Vitamin D. The good. The bad. The ugly.

Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D molecule (http://www.vitaguide.org)

Vitamin D:  Steroid hormone vitamin;

Five forms of vitamin D discovered - D₁-₅.

Two forms matter most to humans: Vitamins D₂ (ergocalciferol) and D₃ (cholecalciferol).

The active form of vitamin D in the body is called Calcitriol (1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol).
Calcitriol: promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food in the gut and reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys - this increases the flow of calcium in the bloodstream. This subsequently increases bone formation and healthy mineralization.  This prevents hypocalcemic tetany à low calcium condition in which patients have overactive neurological reflexes, spasms of the hands and feet, cramps and spasms of the voice box (larynx). Calcitriol also plays a key role in the maintenance of many organ systems.

The Good.

Vitamin D had been implicated in the following.

·         Calcium & Phosphorous absorption and metabolism.

·         Immune system regulator.

·         Maintains healthy bone mass, teeth and hair.

·         May reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis.

·         May maintain later life healthy brain function.

·         May help maintenance of healthy weight.

·         May help in losing visceral fat mass.

·         Reduce severity and frequency of asthma.

·         Reduces inflammation and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

·         May protect against low level radiation.

·         Somehow reduces risk of various cancers (i.e. breast, prostrate, and others).

.    and more...

The Bad.

Various forms of vitamin D

We know about 5 forms of vitamin D, of which vitamins D₂ and D₃ are the major forms as far as humans are concerned. They are known collectively as calciferol.

·         Vitamin D₂, ergocalciferol (made from ergosterol).
It is produced by invertebrates (animals without a spine, vertebral column), fungus and plants in response to sunlight (UV irradiation). Humans and other vertebrates do not produce vitamin D₂. We don't know much about what vitamin D₂ does in invertebrates. We know that ergosterol is a good absorber of ultraviolet radiation which can damage DNA, RNA and protein; consequently many scientists believe it may serve as sunscreen that protects organisms from sunlight damage.

Vitamin D Metabolism (http://2.bp.blogspot.com)

·         Vitamin D₃, cholecalciferol (made from 7-dehydrocholesterol).
Vitamin D₃ is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light at 270-300 nm wavelengths - peak vitamin D₃ production occurs between 295-297 nm. It is only when the UV index is greater than 3 that these UVB wavelengths are present.

A UV index of more than 3 occurs every day in the tropics. In Canada, we have this mainly during some of spring, all of summer, and parts of autumn.  The number of days of the year when the UV index is greater than 3 decrease the further you move away from the tropics.

A human requires ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week on the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen with a greater than 3 UV index for adequate amounts of vitamin D₃. Longer exposure results in the extra vitamin supply being degraded as fast as it is generated.

Which is more important for humans, vitamins D₂ or D₃?

Both D₂ and D₃ are used in human nutritional supplements. Pharmaceutical forms include calcitriol (1alpha, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), doxercalciferol and calcipotriene. The majority of scientists state that D₂ and D₃ are equally effective in our bloodstream. It is believed that D₃ is more effective for humans.

The Ugly.

Sunlight and vitamin D requirements.

For maximum Vitamin D creation during the summer months it is recommended that we expose unprotected skin to two sessions of 15 minutes of sunlight each week.  Our body will naturally produce adequate amounts of vitamin D. The following factors may reduce your body's vitamin D synthesis:

·         Cloud cover

·         Smog

·         Sunscreens

If you can’t produce enough vitamin D due to insufficient sunlight exposure you will need to obtain it in foods and perhaps supplements.

Of course the recommendation for 15 mins of unprotected sun exposure does increase a persons' risk for skin cancer.  Therefore, you have to use your judgement and make an educated choice for yourself.  For instance, my goal is to have 10-15 mins of unprotected sun exposure on my face, arms and neck (occasionally chest or back) during the summer months, not during peak sun hours (i.e. 1300 - 1700) twice per week in order to get adequate.  The rest of the time in the sun, PROTECTION (i.e. sunscreen or clothing).  I am hoping to get my vitamin D levels measured just before summer and then again after summer to see the effect.  Unfortunately, at this time in Canada, Vitamin D blood work is not covered by OHIP, so I'll have to pay the $40 or so (x 2).

Well worth it though, seeing as how prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency are widespread in temperate areas.  The NHANES survey (USA) found that 9% (7.6 million) of children, were vitamin D deficient (defined as less than 15 ng/mL of blood), while another 61 percent, or 50.8 million, were vitamin D insufficient (15 to 29 ng/mL). This finding was shocking to health professionals across the US.

Those at high risk of vitamin D deficiency should consume 25 μg (1000 IU) of vitamin D each day to insure a good level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the bloodstream. Elderly people, as well as those with dark skin should consume extra vitamin D for good health.

How much vitamin D do I need?

According to the Food Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, which created the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), people should be getting the following amounts of vitamin D if nothing is being synthesized (inadequate sunlight exposure):

• Infants 0-1 y - 400 IU
• Children 1 - 8 y - 600 IU
• Children, Adolescents and Adults 9 - 70 y - 600 IU
• Adults > 70 y - 800 IU
• Pregnancy and Lactation - 600 IU

(http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php)

Therefore, Best Sources of Vitamin D.

1)      Sunlight (10 – 15 mins unprotect exposure twice per week).

2)      Oily fish (i.e. Salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, trout, mollusks and fish liver oils).

3)      Beef liver, cheese and egg yolks (optimally from organic, free range, naturally pastured animals).

4)      Discuss supplements with your MD or Pharmacist.
5)   Vegetarian source: Certified Organic Shitake Mushrooms (dried even higher) D₂ form.
6)    Fortified foods (dairy, dairy alternatives and grains).