Eat Foods You Love and Get More Fiber!

There are other foods many people love that also contain fiber, and it all adds up. Coffee is an example. An 8-oz cup may contain 1.5 grams of protein. If you drink more than one cup of coffee a day, that adds up. Studies show that most people benefit from small amounts coffee, unless you are particularly sensitive to it.

 100 grams of dark chocolate (70-85% cacao) has 11 grams of fiber. And cocoa has 4 grams per two tablespoons of powder.

 Fruits like raspberries are a delicious way to get more fiber and summer and Fall are the perfect times to top up your fiber needs.

 One-quarter cup of almonds has 4 grams of fiber. Of course, raw is always better than roasted when it comes to the health benefits of nuts.

 An avocado has 14 grams of fiber; so one half has 7 grams. I have been making a simple guacamole lately, to add to lettuce-wrap sandwiches. Just add lime juice, salt, red pepper flakes, and your favorite pepper sauce to taste. This works as a dip, sandwich spread, or can be added to hard-boiled egg yolk for a special twist on deviled eggs.

 Chia seeds are another source and can be mixed with almond milk for a fiber-rich pudding. With 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon, chia seeds can be added to smoothies, yogurt, pancakes, or other baked goods, and used as a thickener in recipes.

 For a summer treat puree a package of fresh strawberries with 2 cups of almond milk and ¼ cup of honey. Mix with ½ cup of chia seeds. The mixture will thicken to a pudding texture. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and store in the refrigerator.

 All whole fruits and vegetables have fiber. More fiber means less cholesterol so if you have cholesterol concerns here is a non-drug approach. Whole grains contain fiber, as well as vitamins lost when grains are milled or processed. Here is a link to my new favorite bread, organic whole rye, from Germany. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCWFX9K?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_ypp_rep_k4_1_3&amp&crid=2Y65RNPWQYU8C&amp&sprefix=ryeOne slice of this bread and you know you have eaten something good. Yes, rye has gluten, but this bread has far more nutrition than gluten-free options, and I don’t get the tiredness I feel when I eat commercial wheat products.

 Who knew that feeding your good bugs was one of the most effective ways to feed yourself? Those tiny critters are making B vitamins, hormones, and compounds like  Urolithin A that energize the engines of the cells called mitochondria. It is possible that we will be able to harness the gut microbe to make therapeutic agents that will handle diseases that drugs only suppress or manage. Those cute little bugs in our gut-biome may turn out to be our best intervention to create, maintain, and revitalize the body functions that give us vitality, energy, and longevity.

 So, let’s be very extremely cautious about the overuse of antibiotics that destroy the helpful microbes along with the bad guys. I can always help with building a strong immune system to avoid antibiotic use. And increasing fiber is one of the greatest changes you can make for your immune system, and support hormones and brain/cognitive health. There have been some reports that fiber can really help with weight loss, too. Fiber itself has no calories, because we don’t eat it-our microbes do!

Is the Keto Diet Right For You?

Keto stands for Ketogenic which is the formation of Ketones to use for energy/fuel in the body.  The Keto Diet is a way of eating that restricts carbohydrates (sugar, breads, pastries, and other grains) so that the body starts using fat for energy.

The body can “burn” or utilize either sugar (glucose) or ketones for energy. Ketones are made by the liver and are formed when sugar-glucose is not readily available either because of fasting or a carb-restricted diet.

Fat burning has some significant advantages. The metabolism of sugars and starches produces more inflammatory compounds than the metabolism of fats. So, people who have inflammation and pain may benefit from switching their dietary choices from high-sugar to low sugar/high fat.

Reducing sugar and starch from the diet, forgoing candies, pastries, breads, and pasta, is generally a positive and healthy change. The high incidence of obesity in the Western world is primarily from eating too many of these highly processed foods that taste good, are addictive, but have low nutrient value and too many calories.

It is not just that these foods provide excessive calories and make us fat. The most serious diseases that confront us today are from disrupted metabolism. Dis-metabolism is what gives wide swings in the sugar/insulin balance that maintains brain and nervous system function, and is vital for every other organ and system in the body. Ever suffer from a blood sugar crash? That is a breach of the delicate blood sugar balance.

The Ketogenic Diet has been shown to help several medical conditions. These include epilepsy, which is excessive electrical brain activity causing seizures, polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by multiple cysts in the ovaries causing hormone imbalances, some cancer tumors, which may feed off sugar, Diabetes, Autism, and obesity. Blood pressure and cholesterol may improve on a high fat/low carb approach. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-conditions-benefit-ketogenic-diet#section1

Fat distribution on the body is a sign of disrupted metabolism. Abdominal fat deposits and fat that invades skeletal muscle and the liver are considered general health risks for Diabetes Type II and Cardiovascular/Heart disease. Cognitive decline in the form of Parkinson’s, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s are also thought to be risks of our high sugar and starch diets.

There is also growing evidence that heart disease is actually a disease of inflammation, not a disease of cholesterol in the arteries. The blood vessels may become more brittle on a high carb diet. This is called atherosclerosis. Reducing carbs is of great benefit to the cardiovascular system. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124430.ht

So, is the Keto Diet right for you? If you suffer from any of the above conditions, the Keto approach may help. Keto Diet enthusiasts point out that people eating our American diet consisting of massive amounts of sugars and starches (from bread, pasta, and pastries) are destroying their bodies’ blood sugar balance.  Sugar and starches stimulate insulin to secrete into the blood. Insulin is the hormone messenger that opens the cell wall so that glucose is transported through the cell membrane into the cells. Eventually, the cells start to resist the insulin message, and that is the start of Diabetes Type II, or insulin resistance.

People do often lose weight and feel better because healthy fats are less inflammatory than sugary and starchy foods.

But the answer is not a one-size-fits-all. According to animal studies, it may depend on what kind of diet the individual was raised on. High sugar and high-fat diets in the formative years both may yield a lack of flexibility in how fat and sugar are later metabolized.

Beware if you have any symptoms of liver/gall bladder congestion such as bloating, gas, gall bladder cramping or pain, pale-colored stool, or difficulties with digesting fats, and get help before you launch.

In my experience with patients, I have seen that individuals who have gall bladder issues, such as stones or congestion from thickened or decreased liver bile, suffer when they switch to a high-fat diet. I have seen people who only had mild gall bladder symptoms turn on a firestorm with a sudden increase in dietary fat.

One of bile’s functions is to promote the emulsification of dietary fat, allowing it to be broken down and mixed with other fluids so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This can be imagined as similar to the way dish soap breaks down oil and fat on dishes so that the fat can be washed away.

The addition of Lecithin or bile salts supplementation may improve and assist bile formation.

Supporting the liver and gall bladder with natural remedies or cleanses may be enough. Or you may want to opt for a higher protein/moderate fat regime like Paleo or Mediterranean diets.

There are other risks to be aware of. If the high dietary fat can be metabolized correctly because the bile and enzymes are present, the biggest risk of the Keto Diet is nutrient deficiencies. Minerals and vitamins are not present in large quantities in fats, except for Vitamins A, D, and F. Animal tissue and organs and plant foods are the dietary sources of vitamins and minerals. Supplementation cannot be provided sufficiently over a long period of time but can serve to assist short term. https://perfectketo.com/keto-micronutrients

The Keto Diet is high fat/moderate protein. Protein breaks down to amino acids and peptides, which are used for every process in the body. Sufficient protein is important on Keto regimens to maintain muscle mass. Muscles burn more calories than fat so eating protein is part of building and maintaining a strong, lean body. Calculating fat/protein ratios to be successful at Keto for weight loss and general health depends on your current body mass and activity level. Protein is measured in grams, and are listed here https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/All-You-Need-to-Know-About-Protein-on-a-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet

People who follow Keto need to be aware of their protein/fat ratio. Too much protein can slow ketogenesis (the formation of ketones for cell fuel). The body uses glucose first, protein second, and fats last. Restricting carbs without sufficient protein may cause a breakdown of muscle tissue. And don’t forget that the heart is a muscle! There are formulas for determining the correct ratio of protein to fat. Click here for help calculating the ratio. https://perfectketo.com/keto-macro-calculator/

We can learn a lot about human dietary needs from studying native diets for people who lived off the land and had to survive on what Nature provided in their local habitats. The Inuit and Eskimos of the far North ate few vegetables due to the short growing season but escaped all modern diseases. The muscle and organ meats of fish and animals provided their vitamins and minerals.

According to Harold Draper, a biochemist and expert in Eskimo nutrition, there are no essential foods—only essential nutrients. And humans can get those nutrients from diverse and eye-opening sources. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-inuit-paradox

Check out Dietdoctor.com for recipes and videos about high fat/low carb diets.

Regardless, corralling your sweet tooth, and passing up the sweets and snacks, is the only way to travel the road to health. There is a reason sugar and junk food is so hard to give up. The lack of nutrients triggers biochemical reactions so that the body starts to crave more and more Frankenstein foods. So darn unfair but there it is.

The key is to be wise about your own body. If you are struggling to lose weight the Keto Diet may help. Assess your nutrients and be sure you don’t become deficient. I do not recommend the Keto Diet as a life-long regimen, unless you are handling a medical condition like epilepsy or cancer. Ancestral nutrition teaches us that human diets have rarely been so restrictive, and then only when the environment demanded it.

Humans are basically Omnivores, which means that we eat protein from plants and animals, fat from plants and animals, grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diversity has allowed humans to thrive from the desserts to the Arctic.

It is only in very recent history that we became Snackivores and Sugar Addicts. We would be wise to fall in love with real food again. All we have to lose is obesity, heart disease, cancer, and senility. Hmmmm.

What We Learned From Cats

In the 1950’s a medical doctor named Francis Pottenger, Jr. was conducting research into the endocrine (hormonal) systems of cats in an attempt to standardize dosages of hormones needed to sustain their lives.

The cats in the study were being fed a seemingly healthy diet of raw milk, cod liver oil, and cooked meat scraps of liver, muscle, and other organs.  Organ meat contains the highest quality nutrition. Cats are strict carnivores (meat eaters) so this diet was considered to be the best for them. However, the cats were not thriving and more cats had to be added to the research, straining the food budget. Dr. Pottenger ordered raw scraps of meat from a local meat plant.

The raw scraps were fed to one of the animal groups. In very short order Dr. Pottenger and his research assistants noticed that the kittens born to the mother cats being fed the raw meat were friskier and better formed than the cooked meat group.

The teeth, skeletal formation, and tone of the musculature of the raw meat group were superior to the cooked meat group. Dr. Pottenger became so interested in the evidence of nutritional superiority of the raw meat group that he began to document his findings and his famous “Cat Study” was begun.

Although Dr. Pottenger never said that cats were exactly like humans, the evidence of the importance of the quality of nutrients in physical health is too startling to be ignored. The vitamins, minerals, and protein quality of the raw meat were clearly of much greater benefit than the cooked meat.

What this says for human health is that paying attention to the source of the nutrients may be vitally important. It is pretty easy to figure out that a well-done hamburger from a fast-food chain might be of inferior nutritional quality to a hamburger from a higher end restaurant. But how about a hamburger from a fully grass-fed cow cooked rare or even served raw? Restaurants used to serve raw meat as “Steak tartare” often.  The Tatars were a warring tribe and legend has it that they did not stop to cook their meat, but preserved it under their saddles as they rode. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/60315/original-steak-tartare/

Some of the healthiest cultures in the world have eaten raw animal products. Sushi is a prime example. African tribes have been known to drink the blood of their herd animals for a meal. Native Americans cut the hearts from animals killed in hunts and served them up to the warriors of the tribes.

Perhaps one of the reasons red meat has gotten a bad rap is because we so often eat it cooked to the point of protein-death, and eat far too much at a time to be able to digest it.

If you do indulge in raw animal foods, you may have a higher number of parasites, since little critters like sushi, too. Strong stomach acid, herbal preparations, and avoiding sugar and processed foods can all help keep down the population of hitch-hikers, but everyone has some in their body. You just want to keep them from getting out of control. So, cleanses, probiotics, and herbal preparations should be part of your regular health regimen. You change the oil in your car, and doing a cleanse is just as important.

Nature does not demand that foods be cooked or processed to be nutritional. Our modern diet of processed and chemical foods is too far from a natural state to maintain the kind of robust health that makes life fun and a body disease-resistant.

Even if the idea of raw meat does not appeal, take a cue from Dr. Pottenger’s kitties and include raw foods every day. Vegetables and fruits, unrefined oils, and raw cheese are all good choices. Even raw honey has benefits, as long as it is used in moderation because of the natural sugar.

Live cells need living food. In Nature, big cats are always sleek and svelte. It is only when domesticated cats eat commercial food that they get chubby and develop Diabetes.  So we can learn something from our feline friends. Play a lot, sleep a lot, and eat plenty of raw foods. Purrrrfect!

How To Tell if Your Food is Real

Well, of course, your food is real if it is not packaged processed chemicals. Fruits and vegetables are hard to fake. Finding good organic sources might be a bit tougher, but at least you can’t (yet)make cardboard look like a banana.

But how about your fish and meat? How can you be sure that the expensive fish you are eating is really the type you ordered? According to Larry Olmsted, author of, “Real Food, Fake Food”, there are many scams being run on those willing to pay top dollar for highest quality food.

Olmsted claims that there is rarely real lobster in Lobster Bisque. Langostino is substituted, which is a type of crayfish, but not a type of lobster. And he says that there is almost no genuine red snapper, salmon or tuna used in Sushi restaurants.

Although beef labeled “grass-fed” may come from cows raised on grass, much of the time the cows are “finished” on grain to fatten them and increase weight before slaughter. (Note to anyone wanting to lose weight that it is grain that is used to fatten up farm animals.)

So, just when you are trying to do the smart thing nutritionally, and you are willing to pay top dollar, you find out that the gourmet food industry is also corrupt. You need to be educated and aware to weed out the pretenders.

Don’t go to the cheapest sushi restaurants. Real fish is expensive. Talk to the staff and see if they know the menu. Use your eyes and nose. How does the fish look and smell? Are there a lot of sauces and rolls using mayo and cream cheese and other non-traditional ingredients to cover up the fish itself? For more tips on good sushi go to www.thrilllist.com/eat/nation/bad-sushi-crappy-sushi-joints.

For real fish you can buy online from Vital Choice www.vitalchoice.com and Copper River Seafoods for salmon, cod and halibut www.copperriverseafoods.com. Never buy farmed fish, but only wild-caught.  Tilapia is always farmed and salmon is often farmed. These fish are raised in pens, not allowed to swim free. They are fed soy and chicken waste, as well as pesticides and chemicals. http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/10/8-foods-even-the-experts-wont-eat.html

Most shrimp sold in the U.S. is from other countries, and is unregulated. Beware of farmed shrimp, like that sold at Costco. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/4-things-never-to-buy-at-costco/  Trader Joe’s may be a better choice due to their pledge to supply only sustainable seafood.

Farmer’s Markets are good choices for poultry, meat and fish. Knowing the small local vendors and developing a relationship may provide peace of mind and value for your dollar. Burbank Farmer’s Market now sells beef from Autonomy Farms that is either grass or grain “finished”, with the grass-finished at a slightly higher price. This means that the cows are fed grass up until the time they are slaughtered. The steak from Autonomy Farms is some of the best I have ever eaten anywhere. They also offer ground beef with ground beef heart added. Native American Indians fed deer or buffalo heart to the warriors and hunters only so they could stay strong enough to feed and defend the whole tribe. The inferior muscle meat was given to the women and children. Autonomy Farms also offers chicken and lamb, as well as homemade sausage with ground kidney added. These organ meats are super nutrition.

So, now we have a new definition of real food as food that is all it is promoted to be. And even if you are willing to pay a premium for higher quality, you still have to be an educated, savvy consumer. Since nutrition is the major avenue for building and maintaining a sound, healthy body, eating well is the only option for our loved ones and ourselves. The other benefit to eating the “realest” food is that it is the most flavorful. Ground beef mixed with heart is an exotic tease for your taste buds, and just might bring out the hidden warrior you need to be for your own tribe.