Weight Loss

The Paleo Diet Cannot Be Low Carb

Paleo Diet Low Carb?

It has been a while now since the low carb craze hit the United States. Yet, here we are many years later still talking about it. There must have been something to the ideas of Dr. Atkins. Indeed there was. He knew that an abundance of carbohydrates was not ideal for normal human function and that decreasing their intake could lead to weight loss. As weight loss is always a hot topic, the low-fat-fad grew. A few other popularly named diets even followed, all with same basic premise of cutting back the carbs in the diet. Included in this category is the Paleo Diet. However, I am here to proclaim this as a fallacy by those that do not eat Paleo.

Why Do We Need Carbohydrates

The Paleo Diet cannot be low carbohydrate. The whole premise that we should eat low carbohydrates goes completely against the way that our body functions. There are two very simple reasons that we should be eating carbohydrates. Foremost, our body’s primary energy source is carbohydrate and second, most of the diet should come from plants, which are denser in carbohydrate.

We Need Balance

We have to eat carbohydrates. Even those individuals that subscribe to the low carbohydrate diets know this. The key, as is often understated, is that the body needs balance. Too many carbohydrates are a problem, but so are too little. As is typical of human behavior, we go to the extremes, leaving rational thought behind. However, let’s take a simple look at the need for carbohydrates. Your body burns glucose for energy. If glucose is not available, protein and fat are used for energy, the latter being preferential. However, their use is precipitated by the conversion to glucose. The need for glucose is extremely high in the brain as it is the only macronutrient that allows proper function.

Cortisol

Moreover, when glucose is absent in sufficient quantities, the hormone cortisol is produced to maintain adequate blood levels. Cortisol is produced at the expense of other hormones. Add to this that many of us are already suffering from low cortisol levels due to chronic stress. Bottom line is that as this scenario plays out, hypoglycemia / low blood sugar functional can set in with accompanying hormone dysfunction. Do you have the mid afternoon lull in energy, get irritable when you don’t eat and get headaches or brain fog sometimes? You may already be headed down this path and don’t even realize it.

Plants Are Carbohydrates

Apart from any of this, most of your diet as a Paleo eater should be plants. Plants are carbohydrates. Granted, not all plants are the same. Nuts are higher in fat and protein, and beans / legumes have a reasonable amount of incomplete protein. That aside, the rest of the plants that you should be eating are carbohydrates. The carbohydrates differ in quantity and composition, but nonetheless, they are carbohydrates. Yams and butternut squash are higher in carbohydrates than say broccoli and asparagus. However, the makeup of both is a carbohydrate. When you consume a balanced diet of both carbohydrate dense and sparse plants, your total carbohydrate consumption is likely to look far more balanced than if you were to consume a diet higher in grains. Grains are of course carbohydrate laden.

So as you can see, the Paleo Diet cannot be a low carbohydrate diet by its nature when implemented correctly in a balanced fashion. Can you eat low carbohydrate on the Paleo Diet? Sure you can. I would even argue that there are times that “low carb” is the best approach. But this is not the premise of the Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet is about eating real foods as you would find them in nature, including those that have more carbohydrates such as starchy vegetables and fruits. For Paleo success, the answer is not no / low carb, it is balanced carbs.

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An Effective Detox Begins with The Paleo Diet

What is “Detox”?

Detoxification has become a buzzword in healthcare.  Unquestionably when performed correctly it works. Otherwise, so many people would not be interested in detoxification programs.  But detoxification also comes with a stigma.  Many hear detoxification and shun the idea because they associated it with frequent trips to the restroom and feeling poor.  If this is what you experience with detoxification, you are not undergoing an adequate detoxification process.  In fact, you may be doing your body more harm than good.

Do You Know Why You Should Detox

Detoxification is an important concept in today’s world.  We are inundated with toxic chemicals and substances from nearly every direction.  As we become a more industrialized society, chemicals that did not exist 50 years ago now saturate our environment.  Those that we deemed toxic decades ago remain because they don’t breakdown efficiently.  This is a real problem as bodies have the same burden.  While we have effective means to breakdown some toxicants, not all are so easily transformed and released from our system.  Thus our body needs support.  Add to this picture the fact that we produce our own toxins that have to be equally eliminated.  As you can see the load of toxins can become burdensome rather quickly.  With this toxic burden often come many common symptoms.  These include fatigue, weight loss, allergies, and gastrointestinal dysfunction just to name a few.

Detoxification Does Not have to be Confusing

Detoxification can seem like a confusing term.  Much of this has originated from the idea of detoxification being confused with colon cleansing, or as it should more accurately be stated colon purging.  When I speak of detoxification, we are referring to a completely different process.  Detoxification, or as the research community calls it detoxification, is a true bodily process.  It is something that your body performs on a daily basis.  Without it you would accumulate numerous internal toxins that would damage the body.  When we speak of physiologic detoxification, we are actually referring to the process of transforming a harmful substance into one that is less damaging to the body and eliminating it through the liver and ultimately the bowels.  For this to happen, purging to the bowels is not required, and further not recommended.

The Benefits of Detoxification

Detoxification has numerous benefits, the most profound of which is the reduction of chemical substances that promote inflammation and degeneration of our bodily systems.  As these systems degenerate, the body becomes less efficient as it is becoming toxic.  The human body can deal with some toxic burden, but the system cannot handle an accumulation of toxins, whether environmental or produced from within.  When our inherent detoxification systems are functioning appropriately, many of the common symptoms noted above become less significant.  If the body is not focused on dealing with the strain of toxins, it can increase the resources needed for energy production, promoting a healthy immune system and optimizing bowel function.

 

The Paleo Diet Accelerates Detoxification

Since detoxification is founded in good health that instinctively means that the Paleo Diet must be a part of it.  The Paleo Diet has some true advantages when it comes to daily maintenance of detoxification or application of a detoxification program.  Foremost, the Paleo Diet provides adequate protein.  Protein is essential to maintaining good liver function and without it, the liver lacks the resources to efficiently clear toxins through the second of its two stages.  Additionally, the diet emphasizes the incorporation of vegetables and fruits.  These have 2 key advantages, fiber and antioxidantsFiber is necessary as it provides a binding site for toxins so that they can be eliminated.  Antioxidants are needed to reduce the inflammatory load that can present as toxins are being eliminated.  These same foods also provide the nutrients needed to support the phase one of two that is a part of detoxification by the liver.

How to Have Detox Success Using the Paleo Diet

A successful detox begins with the Paleo Diet.  When using the Paleo Diet, you are incorporating foods that are naturally nourishing to the body, provide the essential nutrients needed to support the body’s detox process, and avoiding the consumption of foods that are themselves toxic to the body.  If you are serious about detoxification, you must follow through on the Paleo Diet.  The best part is you will get to enjoy tasty, nutritious food while supporting your health at the same time.

Strict Vegetarian Diet Improves Gut Function in Metabolically Challenged People

It’s All About the Science, Not Mantra

Foremost, you may find it odd that the Paleo Doctor, who so strongly advocates the Paleo Diet, is getting behind the benefits of a strict vegetarian diet. To that point, ideology is not important, but the facts derived from science are. As it relates to gut function, science suggests that vegetarians have a hand up on the typical Paleo Diet mantra of high protein and high fat. While often applied as high protein and high fat, the Paleo diet is not in fact meant to be high protein or high fat. Rather it is a diet founded in the consumption of unrefined foods that remain in their natural living forms with high nutrient density.

vegetables

What the Vegetarian Can Teach the Paleo Diet Person

Let me be clear from the outset here, I am not recommending a vegetarian diet. However, there are some things that people that follow, or that are just learning to follow, the Paleo Diet,could take away from a proper vegetarian diet that is high in living plant based foods. When consumed as it was intended, a vegetarian diet supplies high quantities of the food group that should predominately be the diet. Vegetarians have it right by consuming vegetables and fruits. These should be the greatest percentage of the diet. However, where they have it wrong is that it should not be the only part of the diet. Key micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (protein) are absent from the diet.

The Importance of the Gastrointestinal Tract

The gastrointestinal tract is the fundamental system of the body. Through it we are able to begin to turn food into the necessary components that our body needs to stay functional. Likewise it also acts a regulator of the immune system, helps manage cholesterol and glucose to help control body weight and fat, and helps control inflammation. Most of this is done through the action of the beneficial bacteria of the gut, the probiotics. When probiotic colonies are supported they flourish and keep chronic low-grade inflammation suppressed. However, when they do not get the nutrition that they need, glucose is not as well controlled, cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase and inflammation goes up, just to name a few things.

Vegetarian Diet Keeps Gastrointestinal Tract Healthy

The key to keeping the probiotics of the gastrointestinal tract functional and viable is related to the type of food consumed. This is where we champion the vegetarian diet. According to Environmental Microbiology Reports (2013 Oct;5(5):765-75), a strict vegetarian diet improves the risk factors associated with metabolic disease by altering the microorganisms in the gut and lowering intestinal inflammation. The reason that the vegetarian diet excels in this function is that it is full of high fiber foods. The higher the fiber content of the diet, the greater the availability of short chain fatty acids, the fuel source of the probiotics. The probiotics in turn grow and positive change is made in the intestinal environment. As the probiotics increase their colonies to support our health, they reduce the growth of bad bacteria that harm our health.

How to Support Gut Function, the Vegetarian Way

Not to be redundant, but because it is important enough to repeat, the Paleo Diet when properly applied should borrow some key concepts from a strict vegetarian diet. The strict vegetarian diet provides ample quantities of plants, most notably fruits and vegetables. These foods offer benefits unparalleled by other food groups that affect the health of the probiotics in the intestines. If the probiotics are growing and producing healthy populations, our bodies will be healthy and at less risk of chronic disease. Therefore as a Paleo Diet eater, you still want to maintain a diet that is mostly plant based focusing on vegetables and fruits.

 

 

 

 

Will A Paleo Diet Work For Athletes?

Being an Athlete

Athletes are a unique subset of the population. The demands placed on their bodies can sometimes be staggering, especially when compared to the average person. Athletes tend to have higher requirements than most. The need to support higher metabolic rates and intense training schedules can present a challenge when trying to match the appropriate diet to the athlete.

Athlete

Diet Myths

In general, athletes strive to be healthy individuals on many levels, including their food selection. Dietary myths for the athlete such as carbohydrate loading and excessively high protein diets have seemingly permeated the culture. Yet, in this present day, we realize that better options are available. One such option is the Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet provides a diversity of nutrients, is inherently anti-inflammatory, and provides the necessary components to support recovery. These are all crucial for enhanced athletic performance.

Understanding that the diet of the athlete is highly critical for success, a closer look is required for the athletic population. Add to this that not all athletes are the same in their requirements. Some athletes, such as endurance athletes, have to be able to derive energy over a long time frame. On the opposite end of the spectrum, strength athletes often go for only a very short duration of time, but need a diet that can support muscle development to move large amounts of weight quickly. For most however, somewhere in the middle is ideal. But is the Paleo Diet flexible, but yet useful enough to support both extremes and those in the middle.

Enough Calories?

The advantages of the Paleo Diet are many, especially for the athlete. However, one of the limitations that has been presented against the Paleo Diet is that it does not supply enough calories to support the metabolic needs of the athlete. There are many confounding problems with this viewpoint, the first of which is the assumption that calories are the primary concern where the athletic diet stands. This is a fallacy. Yes different athletes will require different amounts of calories, but the true importance of the Paleo Diet as it relates to the athlete is the hormonal stage that it sets. The diet of the athlete must be such that it promotes an anabolic state. This is regardless of the type of athletic activity.

What is an anabolic state?

An anabolic state is required for healing and recovery. It is necessary to prevent excess muscle breakdown. When the diet is low in inflammatory foods such as refined foods and grains, the ability to repair tissue is enhanced. The time needed to recover from a high intensity workout is decreased. Ultimately, a quicker recovery time and an improved recovery make for enhanced athletic performance.

Carbohydrates

The Paleo Diet has more than adequate amounts of carbohydrates to fuel the average athlete. For those that are working out longer periods, this just means that some of the less attractive foods like potatoes may need to be brought into the diet. By doing so, you continue to maintain the tenets of the Paleo Diet, eating real foods that are not processed. Accompanying the intake of carbohydrates will certainly be adequate protein and fat, for which the Paleo Diet has not been accused of under-delivering.

If you are an athlete, look deeper into the Paleo Diet and the idea of eating real, unprocessed foods. Like others, you might be surprised how your performance actually increases when properly applied.

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Gut Bacteria and Paleo Diet Lead to Weight Loss

 Gut Bacteria

We find microorganisms everywhere in our environment. If you leave a piece of produce out on the counter, in just a few days it will have bacteria or fungus on it. This just emphasizes that these “micro-bugs” are a part of our world. We don’t think of bacteria being a good thing, often considering it a forerunner to becoming sick. However, bacteria are an essential part of our environment, especially the microenvironment of the gut. They work to keep us healthy and support the immune system. Their effect is so strong that they are able to alter our body composition, influencing whether or not we are able to stay lean, or if we put on a few extra pounds.

newspaper

Proven Research

The composition of the bacteria in the gut creates a state that either helps maintain lean body mass or promotes fat deposition. Originating from studies on mice, it was noticed that the makeup of the bacteria in lean mice was different from that of obese mice. Interestingly enough, to drive home the impact of these microorganisms, when the gut bacteria between lean and obese mice populations was interchanged, lean mice became obese and obese mice became lean. From this research, we can clearly see the impact of having different strains of bacteria in the gut.

The idea of having an altered bacterial profile as part of the metabolic syndrome presentation gave rise to the adiposity index, a measure of the different categories of bacteria in relation to each other. Compromised of two groups of bacteria, this ratio is highly influenced by the forms of foods that one consumes. The diet is not only an energy source for the microorganisms of the gut, but also has the ability to shift the balance of bacteria, possibly leading to fat loss.

The Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet has a significant influence over shifting the bacterial colonies more towards those that promote fat loss and a leaner body composition. At this point, you may be asking yourself how food can have such a significant impact over bacteria. It is not just any food, but the food that makes up the Paleo Diet. A key point to consider is that the Paleo Diet focuses on real, unrefined foods that have the potential to rot or spoil due to their living nature. The part of the Paleo Diet that offers the most direct impact are the colorful constituents of the diet, particularly those from produce. The compounds that provide color are known as polyphenols and they are potent antioxidants and antimicrobials. Fortunately for the person eating a Paleo Diet that concentrates on adequate intake of vibrant colored vegetables and fruits, their balance of bacteria will favor fat and weight loss.

The gastrointestinal tract is the foundational system of the body. It holds influence over every other bodily system. Therefore, why would we expect that it would not have an impact on our body composition? Creating an intestinal environment that makes weight and fat loss easier is all about making the right food selections. A balanced diet like the Paleo Diet centered on the intake of colorful plant based foods is the foundation to not only improving your body composition, but overall good health.

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Trouble with the “wheat belly”

What is”Wheat belly”

You’re probably wondering what a wheat belly is; it’s a belly on a person who consumes gluten and has a rather large belly from it. It doesn’t happen with everyone but it’s a common issue for most. Not many people know why they can’t lose their belly fat.

Gluten-free is actually the way to be to get rid of this stubborn belly fat. You may not know if this lifestyle is for you, but 30 days of your time will tell you. You may be wondering why gluten free would be the way to go. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. It can leave you with that big wheat belly. If you were to try the gluten-free lifestyle for 30 days, that would be enough time to tell if this is the right option for you.

The Paleo Diet.

Having a larger belly can not only cause you discomfort, it can lead to health problems. One of the most leading causes of heart disease is belly fat. There is an eating plan that you could easily acquire yourself too. The Paleo diet is a great way to cut wheat out of your diet. With this diet, you will be grain free, dairy free, and free of refined foods; it’s simply the best option for someone who is trying to eliminate gluten.

The 30 Day challenge

Often times people will go to their doctor trying to tell them that no matter what they do, they can’t lose weight. Usually a doctor will tell you a certain amount of calories to eat and tell you to exercise; then you will be on your way. I’m sure that can be quite frustrating. You leave the doctor’s office and feel like they didn’t even listen when you said you tried everything.

If this is the case with you, then you need to try to cut out gluten. If every other option has failed, this could be the cause. You may wonder why gluten free would help; this is because when the body has even the slightest reaction to gluten, it can cause it to swell up and give other symptoms.

The best way to find out if you have a gluten intolerance would be the 30 day challenge. It’s healthy, especially if you go with the Paleo diet. Eating lean meat, healthy fats, and not having any wheat, dairy, and refined foods will do your body well and you should notice your belly should start to go down from all the bloating. It can be a hard battle to conquer but with a diet like Paleo, you won’t feel starved or limited to what you can eat. You can only set yourself up for success and a healthy lifestyle with Paleo.

Even if you go through the 30 days and your belly didn’t go down, it’s not like you did it for nothing. Gluten is actually not good for anyone. However, it affects people in different ways. You may even decide to stay with this lifestyle.

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The Benefits of Bodyweight At Home Workouts – No Equipment Required

Bodyweight Training

Have you been looking for some at home workouts that you can do that don’t take a whole lot of time and there’s no equipment required? If so, you’ll be happy to know that bodyweight training is always an option. Unfortunately, bodyweight training doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. However, anyone that knows anything about fitness will tell you that bodyweight training is extremely beneficial. As a matter of fact, many people would rather do push-ups than doing bar bell presses.

A lot of “experts” say that you can’t become toned from bodyweight training. This is a common misconception about bodyweight training; because it can help you get toned, lose weight and get in excellent shape. Plus, it’s one of the easiest forms of at home workouts that you can do! It takes a short amount of time and you won’t have to splurge on a ton of equipment to do it. Your body isn’t going to know the difference as to whether or not you’re pushing on a bar or if you’re pushing against your own bodyweight

 Fewer injuries and more results.

This is one of the many benefits to doing bodyweight workouts. If you’re one of those people that want to get in great shape and you go to the gym often, there’s a high chance that you’ve experienced some workout-related injuries. For instance, you could feel some pain in your shoulders after doing bench presses. You may even experience some lower-back pain after performing squats in the gym or your knees could be killing you. After doing tri cep extensions, your elbows are probably not feeling to good either.

All of these injuries mean that you will be spending less time in the gym. This is bad news if you’re trying to get toned like the guys on the cover of Men’s Fitness. A person that doesn’t sustain as many injuries is going to workout much more often and he’s going to be in much better shape than the guy that only gets to workout here and there, because he has to take time off for injuries.

If you do bodyweight workouts, you’ll stand a much better chance at getting toned up versus someone that goes to the gym and uses equipment all day long. Gym equipment has a very limited range of motion, which leads to gym-related injuries. However, bodyweight workouts will give you a much more natural range of motion. Therefore, there’s going to be less stress on the joints of your body.

 Accomplish cardio and strength training all in one easy workout.

This is another major benefit to bodyweight workouts. If you’re pressed for time, you need a workout that’s going to be fast, easy and give you results. You’ll be happy to know that you can combine strength and cardio training all into one single bodyweight workout. In other words, you could save yourself a ton of time. For instance, you could do a minute of burpees and then switch to jumping jacks. Rinse and repeat this workout and you’ll be able to get that heart pumping in no time. This at home workout will also burn calories, build muscle, and increase your overall level of fitness.

 At home bodyweight workouts help you burn fat quickly.

So, you want to shed some pounds, but you want to do it quickly? With only a few minutes of a bodyweight workout, you can get your heart pumping and burn fat in no time. Below, you’ll find one of my personal favorite bodyweight circuits to do that will get you in shape and looking good in no time.

  • Squats – 25 Reps
  • Run in Place – 30 Seconds
  • Push Ups – 25 Reps
  • Run in Place – 30 Seconds

Repeat three times or until failure.

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High Intensity Fat Burning At Home Workouts You Can Do

If your short on time you can still get a good workout in!

High Intensity Interval

This is a workout that is going to take you less than 20-minutes to complete, but it’s going to work for you. This high intensity interval workout is going to get your heart pumping in no time. In other words, it’s a great way to get in shape and to get your body toned. If you want to see maximum results while only putting in a minimal amount of time, this at home workout has been designed for you.

How it works

There are going to be six exercises listed below. You should commit 60 seconds to each workout and then you will need to complete 20 seconds of jogging in place between each exercise. Use the 20 seconds of jogging as somewhat of a rest period. The goal isn’t to jog at an intense pace, but you do need to keep your body moving during the rest periods, so that’s why I’m suggesting that you jog in place.

These at home workouts / exercises are not going to require you to have access to any equipment. Instead, it’s all bodyweight workouts. If at any point you feel like you can’t complete one of the exercises for the full 60 seconds, you can take a bit of a rest, but you should start exercising again as soon as you catch your breath. If you commit to performing this workout on a regular basis, you’ll begin to see results in no time. Your stamina and overall fitness level will begin to increase dramatically.

Below, you will find a list of the exercises you need to do and in which order. Also, there will be a little bit of information as to why they are the suggested exercises for this particular at home workout.

  1. 1.       Jumping JacksJumping jacks

There’s a reason that you had to perform jumping jacks in P.E. class. Jumping jacks are a classic exercise that is great for getting your heart pumping. You will expend a ton of energy by performing jumping jacks and you’ll be a lot of calories.

 

  1. 2.       Lateral Jumps                                                                                                                 Lateral jumps

Lateral jumps will help you build strength in your knees, ankles and hips. Lateral jumps will also help build your core.

 

  1. 3.       Jumping Oblique TwistJumping oblique twist

This is an excellent exercise when you want to shed some pounds and fit into that old pair of jeans. This exercise will

help you burn a ton of calories and also targets the muscles in the midsection.

 

  1. 4.       Burpees

This is one of those exercises that everybody hates, but you still love to do them. Burpees are great for burning calories and increasing your fitness.

Burpees

Pendulum Exercise

  1. 5.       Pendulum Swings

Pendulum swings are a great at home workout that you can do to increase your heart rate. They’re also great for working your thighs.

 

  1. 6.       High Knees

This may look like an easy exercise at first, but once you start performing them, you’re going to quickly realize that they’re much harder than you thought.

high knees 2

At Home Interval Workout – No Equipment Required

At home workout-That works

Do you not have enough time to go out to the gym and get your daily workout in? I hear this in my practice a lot. If so, you’re probably looking for some at home workouts that you can do. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, you’re going to be happy to know that this article has you covered. This easy at home workout is going to get you sweating and in great shape in no time. This at home workout isn’t going to require any equipment and it’s been designed for people that want to lose weight very quickly, but they also do not want to spend any money on going to a gym or gym equipment.

Easy Workout Schedule

All you need in order to complete the workout plan below is your own body and just a little bit of time. In total, this at home workout should only take you 15-minutes or less per day to complete. Also, this isn’t one of those at home workout that you need to do every single day to be successful. Instead, you should do these workouts on the following days:

Monday
Wednesday
Friday

Overall, you’re going to be performing 6 different exercises and a grand total of 15 minutes or less or until failure. Follow the list below to complete the total workout. Do the exercises in the order that has been specified. There should be no rest between each exercise, unless otherwise specified. As soon as you’re finished with one, you should hop directly into the next exercise.

If the interval below is too difficult for you to complete, you could add a 10-20 second break between each exercise. As you continue going, you will notice that your endurance and overall fitness level is beginning to increase quite substantially. If you find that the interval below is too easy for you or becomes too easy, you could try resting for a couple minutes after completing the whole interval and then doing it again.

Squats – 2 minutes or until failure.
Lunges – 2 minutes or until failure.
Jumping jacks – 2 minutes or until failure.
2- minute rest period.
Pushups – 2 minutes or until failure.
Mountain Climbers – 2 minutes or until failure.
Dips – 2 minutes or until failure.
1-minute cool-down period. Don’t sit down.

Easier than you think!

This workout is designed to give you a full at home bodyweight workout. In other words, you’re going to be targeting a ton of different muscles in your body. Even though this at home workout doesn’t require weights, although you can add some if you wish, you’re going to get quite a workout after doing this interval. This interval definitely is not going to be an easy one to complete, even though you may think the opposite.

One of the best things about this at home workout is the fact that you can start doing it today. You don’t have to go to a gym and it isn’t going to take much time to do. Therefore, you shouldn’t have any excuses.

 

 

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