The Joy of Losing 300 Pounds

Jerome, age 47, is a few pounds short of his goal of losing 300 pounds. When he reaches his goal weight he plans on getting certified as a personal trainer. Check out his blog and story at Watch Me Lose 300 Pounds.

Success with Determination

David has lost an astounding 230 pounds. He used to weigh over 420 and now weighs about 180. He started his determined weight loss journey in March 2008. It's been a lot of exercise and a big change in eating habits. See his story at This Little Piggy Went to the Gym.

Just Do It - Another Very Inspiring Story

Aren't these amazing before and after pics? Lindsay has lost 117 pounds. She peaked out at 289 pounds after giving birth to her third child. It took her 2 years to lose the weight. She plateaued for a few years after that but is now determined to lose another 15 pounds. Check out her very inspiring story here.

Ishi: America's Last Known Hunter-Gatherer

by Patrick Baker

Imagine being the last of your kind and entering a world that is nothing like the world your grandparents knew. What if you could no longer live in the homeland that had sustained your ancestors for centuries? This is exactly what happened nearly a century ago for a Native American man known to the modern world as "Ishi."

Ishi ("man" in his native Yana language) was believed to be the last of the Yahi people, and is believed to be the last Native American to have lived the majority of his life outside of American culture as it existed in 1911. Ishi was the name given to the last known hunter-gatherer in America by Alfred Kroeber, an anthropologist at the University of California at Berkeley in 1911.

Ishi shown with anthropologist A.L. Kroeber in 1911¹

Dr. Cordain has been researching Ishi intensely for the past six months, having been first introduced to Ishi by his father at about 11 years of age. Dr. Cordain stated that "I now believe I have an answer to Ishi's final two to three years of existence" in his ancestral home on Deer Creek, located east of present day Los Molinos, California - before his appearance in October, 1911 at a slaughter house in Oroville, California.

Kroeber stumbled into Ishi's life following his "death walk" from his hunter-gatherer home on Deer Creek to the slaughter house near Oroville. Kroeber wrote of and exploited this Native American's life and culture before Ishi’s death in 1916 from tuberculosis.

Cordain states that "sleuthing via Google Earth and the early records of Dr. Kroeber in the academic literature has given me insight into the exact location of his final 'village' of residence, and how he spent the last two to three years of his life with his paralyzed mother at another location on Deer Creek." Historically, this site was known only to the long-dead Kroeber and his colleagues. Cordain states that "modern anthropologic and forensic examination of this site would help to clarify and demystify the legend of Ishi."

Dr. Cordain believes that eventual carbon dating of this site - once verified and reexamined - will reveal the missing two to three years of Ishi’s life before he became known to the world of 20th century America. Cordain has compiled his information and will contact the appropriate members of the California Anthropological community before deciding how to proceed.

Cordain’s research and writings indicate that a contemporary diet that precisely mimics hunter-gatherer diets is "obviously impossible, as most of us don’t have unlimited access to wild game and plant foods." However, Cordain’s studies indicate that "our health, well being and mental state improve, and we can emulate Ishi's personality, psychological state and health" by consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and seafood, as documented in his book The Paleo Diet. Dr. Cordain’s dietary recommendations in The Paleo Diet include avoiding processed foods, grains, refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, and salted foods.

Dr. Cordain goes on to say that "Ishi's story is heart-wrenching, sad, warm, but human above all else. His spirit, optimism and love of life - despite the awful events which sealed his fate - represent a truly remarkable and final tale" of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle as it was once practiced by Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, much of Ishi's life will remain undocumented and unknown, and, according to Dr. Cordain, "the available historical, archaeological and forensic evidence about his final days on Deer Creek as America’s last known hunter-gatherer are vaguely understood and highly speculative."

For many of our readers, the story of Ishi may be unknown, and lost in the fog of a long forgotten history our great-grandparents knew - particularly those among us who lived with Native American inhabitants of this continent, after the American population of European descent had settled in the American West.

References:

1. Heizer, Robert F. (Editor), Kroeber, Theodora (Editor). Ishi the Last Yahi: A Documentary History. University of California Press, 1981.
2. Kroeber, Theodora. Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America. Deluxe Edition. University of California Press, 2004.
3. Starn, Orin. Ishi's Brain: In Search of America's Last "Wild" Indian. W.W. Norton & Co., 2005.
4. DVD Documentary. The Last Yahi (2002). Linda Hunt (Vocals), Jed Riffe (Director), Pamela Roberts (Director)

Diet Recipes: An iPhone App (Free)

There's a new app in Apple's iPhone store which features some of the best videos on easy weight loss recipes. It focuses on whole foods, including how to make tasty raw salads, how to make quick fish dishes, easy bean dish recipes and other yummy healthy foods like chicken salad, brown rice salad, hummus, fried tofu, etc. These meals are filling, very healthy and promote weight loss. It's free. Check it out: Diet Recipes [iTunes link].

Losing Sixty Pounds by Jogging

James has lost over 60 pounds in seven months by training for a half marathon. He says;

Over seven months ago, my wife made a suggestion: that we get in shape by training for a half marathon. I believe I laughed out loud at the suggestion. I've never been a runner, nor any type of athlete for that matter. The last time I ran over a mile at one time was during middle school..."

James used to weigh over 250 pounds. Now he's in great shape. Check out his blog and story here.

Making your own Natural Herbal Cosmetics

In earlier time women made good use of natural products like fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals etc., to care there skin and beauty. Nowadays, tremendous range of cosmetics is available in the market. However, these chemical based beauty products are loosing there charm among women. Today’s tendency is moving towards natural and herbal therapies. Rather you can easily find these natural resources to make your own cosmetics and can begin with your kitchen’s stuff only.



Homemade beauty products only requires proper recipe, few ingredients and to know fix ratio of mixing it well. Homemade preparations beautify your skin and stay for long without causing harm to your skin and beauty. Homemade beauty products are free from preservatives; however, you cannot store it for long except some of it, which you can refrigerate. Therefore, preparing these products in small quantities is always preferable. Nevertheless, it is your benefit to save your skin from unwanted preservatives and to get fresh product for your skin.



How to make your own cosmetics?



Making your own cosmetics is a very simple process and anyone can do it with an ease. You can have great luxurious products that suites your skin very well if you make it at your own.



Along with these homemade cosmetics, you can nourish your skin by regular exercising and massaging your skin. All this can make you skin beautiful and young forever.



Basic structure of any cream is a mixture of water with oily substances, waxes and fragrances in different proportion for different skin type. Making any cream depends of the proportion of ingredients mix within.



Basic measurement to keep in mind while preparing any cream or lotion is as follows:

60 Drops	1 Teaspoon	5ml
3 Teaspoons	1 Tablespoon
2 Teaspoons	1/8 Cup
4 Tablespoons	¼ Cup
8 Tablespoons	½ Cup
16 Tablespoons	1 Cup
1,000 milliliter	1 Liter
1 Liter	1.75 pints
1 pints	20 Fl oz	0.56 liter
15.4 grains	1 gram
28.3 grams	1 ounce
16 ounces	0.45 Kg
1 Kilogram	2.20 Lbs

Follow my next post. I shall start posting methods to make cosmetics at home. Here I am finished with the glossary and measurement sections.

Audio Interviews with Dr. Cordain

Dear Readers,

A collection of audio interviews with Dr. Cordain (MP3 format), including his March 30, 2010 guest appearance on Seattle's The Soul's Edge radio program, have been published on our web site. Visit our web site to download the recordings.

Walking to Health and Happiness

Kerry has lost 150 pounds in 14 months. He's done this by walking. His only cost was a good pair of walking shoes. Kerry, age 54, used to weigh 335 at six feet tall. He now weighs an ideal 185 pounds. He says the walking has given him wonderful energy and has been such a great stress reliever.

He says "That 150-pound barbell I was carrying around all day is gone."
See his story here.

Paleo Diet Q & A - Whey Protein

Q: Could you please provide some details on the benefits/detriments of whey protein supplementation? I am a weight trainer/powerlifter and supplement with whey protein, which is currently touted as the best/most health-conscious choice there is. I have read in your newsletter about the inflammatory aspects of dairy products - is whey protein included in this? Is it better or worse than other dairy products?

Many people interested in the Paleo Diet who are also into strength training and fitness would be interested in your thoughts on this. Any pointers re: inflammation and supplementation of protein would be very well received. Thank you, in advance.

Best regards,
Karl

A: Dear Karl,

Unfortunately, at this point, most of the research has focused on the beneficial effects of whey. It basically revolves around whey's high BCAA content, its use as a post-workout recovery drink ingredient, and its capacity – due to cysteine – to increase Glutathione, a powerful endogenous antioxidant enzyme.

Nevertheless, we believe that whey protein can have some potential adverse effects, because it greatly elevates insulinemia - although it can be therapeutic for diabetics in the short term. We suspect that whey protein could be detrimental long term, as hyperinsulinemia can down-regulate the insulin receptor and lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance underlies the Metabolic Syndrome, and is implicated in various other diseases, such as Acne, Alzheimer, various cancers, Coronary Heart Disease, Myopia, PCOS, etc.).

But to be completely sure, we would need intervention studies with whey protein with a relatively long duration in people genetically prone to insulin resistance, or who are in fact insulin resistant.

Also, there is the matter of hormones in milk: estrogens, DHT precursors, Insulin, IGF-1 and the hormone Betacellulin (BTC), which Dr. Cordain has discussed in a previous edition of this newsletter. These are some of the possible mechanisms for which there is repeated epidemiological evidence associating milk consumption with some cancers - especially Prostate Cancer.

We know that these hormones are present in milk and - in the case of BTC - it is present in whey too. Nevertheless, the real content of all these hormones in commercial milk-derived products is an open question that deserves proper and urgent study. So while we don’t know for sure, and since and we have alternatives, I would follow the old saying: do no harm!

Finally, if you have an auto-immune disease or allergy to Beta Lacto Globulin (protein that exists in bovine milk, but nonexistent in human milk) I would stay away from whey. Whey contains not only Beta Lacto Globulin, but also Bovine Serum Albumin. Some peptides from this protein have structural homology with peptides from our own tissues, and BSA has been implicated in Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Type 1 Diabetes.

In conclusion, I would follow the evolutionary template until all these issues are resolved. which states that recently introduced foods may have potential adverse effects to humans, especially long term. Non-human milk was only introduced in the human diet ~10,000 years ago. Therefore, given the potential health hazards of milk that science is revealing, I would use another protein source. Lean meat and seafood are very good sources of BCAA. If you want a protein drink immediately after strength training to speed recovery and increase muscle mass, I would suggest ~9 grams of essential amino acids, along with a banana.

I hope this helps.

Cordially,
Pedro Bastos

Editor's note: the following blog posts also discuss whey protein:

• Q: I started the program and I was wondering if Whey Protein or protein powder in general is against the diet?


• Q: I like drinking protein shakes in the morning, but I noticed some of the protein sources in my protein shake are made from milk or dairy products. Is there an alternative that is available in the market place?


• Q: I am just trying to figure out your feelings and thoughts on protein powders.

Additional reading: Hyperinsulinemic diseases: more than just Syndrome X.

Calcium in a Vegan Diet

One question asked by people when becoming Vegan is, will they get enough calcium without supplementation? Yes they will, as calcium is found in most veggies, fruit, nuts, cereals and seeds. Plus the fact that plant protein does not cause calcium loss from bones, unlike animal protein. Research has shown that people who live in countries where the diet is typically plant based have little osteoporosis, even when calcium intake is lower than that in dairy consuming countries. 

Calcium is not only required for bone health it is necessary for the teeth, blood clotting, metabolising iron, the transmission of nerve impulses, the regulation of the heart's rhythm and it alleviates insomnia. It is a major mineral in our bodies and is approximately 2% of our body weight. 

Some examples calcium content of plant food :

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses 200mg

1 cup broccoli 170mg

1 med baked potato 26mg

1 cup cubed acorn squash 90mg

1 med avocado 30mg

1 cup cubed papaya 50mg

6 dry figs 100mg

1/2 cup golden raisins 43mg

1 cup boiled white beans 150mg

2 tablespoons almonds  50mg

2 tablespoons Brazil nuts 80mg

2 tablespoons sesame seeds 170mg

1 cup quinoa 80mg

1 cup hummus 120mg

1 glass Alpro Soya Milk  240mg

8oz soy yogurt 150 to 300mg

Daily allowances (RDA's) vary by country but basically they state under 8 years - 200 to 800mg, 9 to 12 years 800 - 100mg, 13 to adult 1200mg, adult 1000mg, seniors 1200mg,  Which with a balanced Vegan diet is easily achievable. Vitamin D either obtained by sitting in the sunshine for around half an hour per day or by supplementation will aid with absorption and use of calcium. If you feel the need to take calcium supplementation note that it is best taken in the evening before bed. Note that other causes of calcium loss from the body, other than animal protein, are high sodium intake, caffeine, and smoking. Some medications also affect calcium absorption and calcium loss so check with the pharmacist when filling a script.

On the other side of the coin, the well-known author and supporter of the raw-Vegan lifestyle, David Wolfe  states "Calcium does not build bones. This is one of the biggest misconceptions ever." He believes that silicon and magnesium are the keys to increasing bone density and we should stop taking calcium and start taking them to increase our bone density.  Read  Use Tips from David Wolfe to Increase Bone Density. and decide for yourself. 

******************

Toasted Quinoa Salad

From Chet Day   by Karen Railey        

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup minced parsley or cilantro

2 sliced green onions

juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime (or 1 - 2 tablespoons of each)

1-1/2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

2 cloves minced or pressed garlic

1 teaspoon chili sauce (tobasco) (or use a pinch of cayenne, a few red pepper flakes, etc.)

Rinse quinoa and drain. Put in a pot and dry toast until a few grains begin to pop. Add 1-1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool. Mix carrot, red pepper, parsley and green onion in large bowl. Add cold quinoa and toss to combine, Whisk together lemon and lime juices, tamari, garlic and chili sauce. Pour over salad and combine well. Chill until serving time. This recipe can be fun. Try throwing in a few fresh raw peas, some fresh raw corn, fresh sliced raw green beans, etc.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Calcium-Rich Foods (lifescript.com)

Paleo Links

Dear Readers,

In addition to our paleo nutrition links on the right-hand side of the blog (scroll down if not visible), here are useful links for fitness, Paleo Diet, and paleo nutrition-related web sites and blogs.

• Nell Stephenson Fitness and Nutrition
• Robb Wolf - Intermittent Fasting, Fitness, & Paleolithic Nutrition
  
• Hunter-Gatherer - Health and human nature from an evolutionary perspective
  

Paleo Diet Q & A - Sprouted Legumes

Q: Hi, the Paleo Diet makes a lot of sense to me and I very much appreciate the research that's gone into it. However, am I right in thinking that any diet we are adapted to may nevertheless not be an ideal diet? We adapted to a diet that enabled us to be healthy enough to live long enough to reproduce healthy enough offspring.

If I understand correctly, couldn't certain foods could make that basic diet even healthier? For example, I have The Paleo Diet for Atheletes out from the library right now and I see that you believe that the life of an athlete requires departure from a strict paleolithic diet. Couldn't properly treated grains and legumes be beneficial additions to the diet? (i.e. soaked/sprouted to reduce/eliminate anti-nutrients?)

I am waiting to receive The Paleo Diet from the library (I'm on a long waiting list, which is good news I guess!) so maybe you address this issue in the book, in which case, I apologize. But if not, I would appreciate knowing your views on soaking/sprouting grains and legumes, and the reasons behind those views.

Thanks so much,
Zena

A: Dear Zena, first of all - thanks for supporting our work.

Lectins, one of the known antinutrients in cereal grains and legumes¹, have been demonstrated to exert several deleterious effects upon human physiology¹, (especially for those with autoimmune diseases) by increasing intestinal permeability². Their function is to protect the plant against attacks by plant-eating animals by using several toxic substances, such as lectins³. There is a growing body of evidence showing that both the root and the sprout of wheat kernels have significant amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), one of the most studied lectins. Indeed, WGA originates in the wheat kernel, especially during germination and growth⁴, and the highest concentrations are found in young plant roots, seeds, and sprouts.

Lectins are resistant to digestive enzymes, and are found intact in peripheral circulation, as shown by Wang et al (1998)⁵. Furthermore, they are deposited in the internal organs⁶.

As stated by Pusztai et al⁷, lectins are heat stable, and normal cooking does not completely eliminate these toxic compounds unless they are pressure cooked^8-11. The best way to reduce lectins' adverse health effects is to limit their intake.

In addition, saponins - another type of toxic/antinutritive compound - exist in legume sprouts. Saponins have been shown to affect the gut barrier and by extension immune system function¹². They may also increase the risk of autoimmune diseases in genetically susceptible individuals¹³. Soaking, sprouting or cooking legumes, does not reduce their saponin content^{14, 15}.

In addition, a peptide fraction from gluten proteins called gliadin is found in wheat. Gliadin is resistant to digestive enzyme degradation¹⁶, arrives intact when it comes into contact with intestinal epithelial cells¹⁷, and increases intestinal permeability. Increased intestinal permeability may be at the root of autoimmune diseases such as Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes¹³.

Phytate, the main form of phosphorus storage in many plants (especially bran and seeds) is classified as an antinutrient because is a chelator of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc¹. Phytate ingestion inhibits the intestinal absorption of those minerals. Phosphorus from phytate is unavailable to humans, as we do not produce the phytase enzyme necessary to break down phytate - unlike ruminants, who do produce phytase, and are able to digest phytate¹⁸. Yeast fermentation in bread reduces phytate content¹⁹. Furthermore, addition of ascorbic acid counteracts the inhibitory effects of phytate upon iron absorption²⁰. Soaking and fermentation reduces the phytate content of grains and legumes as indicated in several studies^{21, 22, 23, 24}.

Having said that, Dr. Cordain in his first book talks about the 85:15 rule, where he explains that 85% of caloric intake from modern paleolithic-like foods is still more healthy than the typical western diet, where more than 70% of caloric intake comes from foods introduced in the human food chain after the agricultural revolution²⁵.

The bottom line is that our metabolism is perfectly adapted to the nutrition that shaped our genome during million of years of evolution. Therefore, any nutrient introduced after the agricultural revolution may not be compatible with our ancient genome. We believe that anyone engaged in athletic activities could do very well on a diet based on 85% paleolithic nutrients, which are preferable to the nutrients found in the typical western diet.

I hope this is helpful.
Maelán Fontes

References:

1. Cordain L. Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword. World Rev Nutr Diet. Basel, Karger,
   1999, vol 84, pp 19–73.
2. Cordain L. et al. Modulation of immune function by dietary lectins in rheumatoid arthritis. British
   Journal of Nutrition (2000), 83, 207–217.
3. Chrispeels, M.J. & Raikel, N.V. (1991) Lectins, lectin genes, and their role in plant defense. Plant Cell 3, 1-9.
4. Miller, R., & Bowles, D. (1982). A comparative study of the localization of wheat-germ agglutinin
   and its potential receptors in wheat grains. Biochem. J., 206, 571-576.
5. Wang Q, Yu LG, Campbell BJ, Milton JD, Rhodes, JM. Identification of intact peanut lectin in peripheral
   venous blood. Lancet 1998;352:1831-32.
6. Caron, M. & Steve, A.P. (2000) Lectins and Pathology, Taylor & Francis, London.
7. Pusztai A and Grant G. Assessment of lectin inactivation by heat and digestion. From Methods
   in Molecular Medicine. Vol 9 Lectin methods and protocols. Edited by J M Rhodes and J D Milton Humana
   Press Inc. Totowa, NJ.
8. Grant G, More LJ, McKenzie NH, Pusztai A. The effect of heating on the haemagglutinating activity
   and nutritional properties of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds. J Sci Food Agric 1982;33: 1324-1326.
9. Boufassa C, Lafont J, Rouanet J M, Besancon P 1986 Thermal inactivation of lectins (PHA)isolated
   from Phaseolus vulgaris. Food Chem 20 295-304.
10. Buera M P, Pilosof A M R, Bartholomai G B 1984 Kinetics of trypsin inhibitory activity loss in
    heated flour from bean Phaseolus vulgaris. J Food Sci 49 124-126.
11. Collins J L, Beaty B F 1980 Heat inactivation of trypsin inhibitor in fresh green soybeans and
    physiological responses of rats fed the beans. J Food Sci 45 542-546.
12. Patel B, Rober S, Sporns P, et al. potato glycoalkaloid adversely affect intestinal permeability
    and aggravate inflammatory bowel disease.
13. Visser J, Rozing J, Sapone A et al. Tight junctions, Intestinal permeability and Autoimmunity.
    Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1165: 195-205 (2009).
14. Ruiz RG, Price K, Rose M, Rhodes M, Fenwick R. A preliminary study on the effect of germination
    on saponin content and composition of lentils and chickpeas. Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 1996;203:366-369.
15. Ruiz RG, Price KR, Arthur AE, Rose ME, Rhodes MJ, Fenwick RG. Effect of soaking and cooking on
    the saponin content and composition of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) and lentils (Lens culinaris).
    J Agric Food Chem 1996;44:1526-1530.
16. Shan L, Qiao SW, Arentz-Hansen H, et al. Identification and Analysis of Multivalent Proteolytically
    Resistant Peptides from Gluten: Implications for Celiac Sprue. J Proteome Res. 2005 ; 4(5): 1732–1741.
17. Drago S, Asmar R, Di Pierro M, et al. Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac
    intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology,
    2006; 41:408/419.
18. Klopfenstein, TJ et al. "Animal Diet Modification to Decrease the Potential for Nitrogen and
    Phosphorus Pollution". Council for Agricultural Science and Technology 21.
19. Reinhold JG. Phytate destruction by yeast fermentation in whole wheat meals. J Am Diet Assoc 1975;66:38-41.
20. Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L. Iron absorption in man: ascorbic acid and dose-dependent inhibition
    by phytate. Am J Clin Nutr 1989;49:140-4.
21. Chen LH, Pan SH. Decrease of phytates during germination of pea seeds (Pisium Sativa). Nutr Rept Int.
    1977;16: 125-131.
22. Walker KA. Changes in phytic acid and phytase during early development of phaseoleus vulgaris beans.
    Planta 1974;116:91-98
23. Bain, J. M., Murcer, F. V.: Changes in phytic acid and acid-soluble phosphorus in maturing pinto beans.
    J. Sci. Fd. Agric. 20, 82–84 (1966).
24. Jennings, A. C., Morton, R. K.: Changes in nucleic acids and other phosphorus-containing compounds of
    developing wheat grain. Aust. J. Biol Sci. 16, 332–341 (1963b).
25. Cordain L, Eaton SB, Sebastian A, et al. Origins and evolution of the western diet: health implications
    for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:341–54.

The Joy of Sports

Here's an inspirational video on the joy of outdoor sports.



If you have an iPhone or iTouch, check out 17 more free videos about the joy of sports (running, soccer, basketball, martial arts, tennis, football, etc) [The Joy of Sports iTunes link]