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CHAPTER 1

Our Health Is the Sum of Many Small Parts

What is wrong with our health today? Is fructose to blame? Is sugar to blame? Is processed food to blame? Or is fat to blame? The answer is none of the above. You see, nothing to do with our health, food, or nutrition is ever that black and white. We need to stop trying to point the finger at one single thing, because it just does not work that way. Our health is the sum of many small parts. Nobody develops obesity, arthritis, or leaky-gut syndrome overnight. These conditions happen gradually and are an end-product of the choices an individual has made regarding his or her food intake and lifestyle.

So, what are some of the things that are negatively impacting our health today?

• Over-processed foods.

• Inactive lifestyles.

• Monumental increases in stress.

• City living.

• Disconnection from the community.

• Disconnection from nature.

• Sleep deprivation.

• Disconnection from our food and farming.

• Wanting a quick and easy solution (pill fix) to current health issues.

• Too much technology.

• A 24-hour lifestyle.

In the Western world, we have the highest rates of obesity, allergies, disease, and ill health that we have ever seen. Something has to give, and it is obvious that the current "answers" to looking after our health are not working. Who wants to keep popping pills and going on yo-yo diets in order to feel healthy? Being on countless medications and slimming shakes should not be the norm. Our quality of life seems to be slipping further and further toward ill health.

The World Health Organization defines health as "... a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." This means we have a large percentage of the population out there walking around stressed, sick, and unhealthy. Just because you do not have a disease does not mean you are healthy. And it is not just a single one of those elements I mentioned previously that is doing the most damage to our health. It is a cumulative effect of all of them. I am sure you could also add more elements to this list.

When we look at health, all aspects of our life need to be considered. It is not just about what food you put in your mouth. If you want to be the healthiest version of you and have optimum health, you need to address all the areas in your life.

So, how do you obtain good health?

You start to turn the tables by incorporating small changes into your life that positively impact your health. As author Alvin Toffler writes, "You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction."

In order to do this, you first need to understand and recognize how your food choices and your lifestyle affect your health. You then need to be prepared to make some changes (possibly difficult ones to begin with) in order to better your health. You also need to understand that some of these changes may seem small and insignificant but, trust me, they will improve your health.

It's important that you take responsibility for your health and value it. Don't just expect it to take care of itself or try to fix it only after it has broken (although if it is already broken, you're in the right place to fix it), and certainly don't put your health in the hands of others to look after. A good holistic general practitioner, nutritionist, or naturopath can offer you knowledge and guidance, and give you the tools to get started on the road to good health but, ultimately, the control still lies with you. It is your job to make the changes and figure out what is right for you, and a good practitioner will encourage this process. Everyone can make some changes to better their health, including me! It's always a work in progress. It's about continually reviewing this process and seeing where you are at, as an individual. You are responsible for your health, so start making some changes now so you are on track to adding up your "sum of small parts" to good health.

Is That Food or a Bunch of Chemicals?

Adopting a Paleo eating plan is not just about identifying what "is" or "is not" Paleo. It is also about acknowledging that what we eat plays a very important part in our health and that a lot of "health foods" out there are not necessarily good for our health. An example is the amount of gluten-free products now available in supermarkets. Just because it is gluten-free doesn't mean it is good for you. Most of that stuff is still over processed and full of sugar, hydrogenated fats, preservatives, and additives.

What we call food has changed a lot during the past 50 years. You only need to take a walk through a supermarket and see what goes in the shopping cart of a family for their average weekly grocery shopping. How much of the food in their cart would go moldy in a few days? Not much! The majority of it would most likely have expiration dates of six months or longer. I'm sorry, but real food does not last! It decomposes and goes moldy — a sign that something may be worthy of eating. Living, natural foods contain enzymes, and it is these enzymes that cause the breakdown of foods through oxidation, browning, and ripening. Packaged foods are filled with preservatives and additives to prevent spoilage, and it is these guys you want to avoid in your food. I cover more about additives and preservatives in the next chapter.

So, what is food?

Now this is one of the few times you should believe Wikipedia! If you type in "define food" you get this from the almighty oracle:

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering, and agriculture. Today, most of the food energy consumed by the world population is supplied by the food industry.

Hmm ... so today we get most of our "food" from the "food industry"? And it is that "food" that is loading you up with empty, nutrient-lacking calories (energy)! I would hedge my bets that this is where most of our current "lifestyle" health issues begin too. We are not eating real food anymore. We are eating processed "food-like substances" made and packaged by the "food industry," and we are paying the price. So, what is wrong with having a diet primarily based on these "food-like substances"? I am going to have to pick a few key points to explain this, as I could write an entire book about this subject alone!

Inflammation and omega-6 fatty acids

I want to flag something here: inflammation. We have a whole chapter coming up on this, but for now just know that a lot of the health conditions prevalent in society today stem from chronic inflammation. You see, when your body is inflamed, it is like having a constant low-grade infection, like your body is always trying to fight off something. So it makes sense that if you are always in this state, you are more susceptible to other immune-related conditions, such as asthma or allergies. You know what you feel like if you've had a long hard day at work and then a lousy night's sleep? Do you perform well the next day? Of course not! Well, imagine that is your immune system, and you never give it a day off. It is tired and overworked, which equals you being more susceptible to illness — makes sense?

So, now that we understand that, where does a lot of this inflammation come from? Excess omega-6!

Omega-3 and omega-6 are fatty acids, meaning they have a head (carboxylic acid) and a tail of various lengths made up of carbon links; they are essentially fats. These guys are generally known as essential fatty acids because the body cannot make them so they need to be obtained through food. However, looking at all omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in this way is a little simplistic, because there are different forms of omega-3 and omega-6. You see, they both come in short and long chains. This is not Biochemistry 101, so I will try to keep this as simple as possible, but I just want you to know that they are not all the same — as is the story with saturated fats, they too are not all the same.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid chains come in different lengths. They are found in plants and animals (mostly meats and oils) and we need them for normal body metabolism and good health. On page 21 you'll find a table outlining the various forms of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and the foods that contain them.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are needed for good health, but we need them in the correct balance as both fats compete for space in our bodies and it is this balance that has changed drastically over the years. Generally speaking, omega-3 fatty acids are considered anti-inflammatory (the good guys) and omega-6 fatty acids are considered pro-inflammatory (sometimes the bad guys).

To maintain good health, the correct ratio when eating these fatty acids should be about 1 to 2 omega-6s for every 1 omega-3. It is estimated that in today's society we have ratios of around 15 to 17 omega-6s to every 1 omega 3, and that's being conservative. I am sure there are even higher omega-6 levels being consumed out there! From a dietary perspective, this imbalance is caused by the over-consumption of grains, seed and vegetable oils, processed foods, baked goods, and snacks — all of which are high in short-chain omega-6 fatty acids.

Let's use soybean oil as an example. I have chosen the soybean because it is one of the most highly processed and widely used crops to provide oil and proteins. In 2004, world soybean production reached 223 million metric tons! Soybeans are used (as an emulsification agent or binder) to make everything from baked goods, flours, and meat products, to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They even have industrial applications and are used in roof coatings and car-engine protectants. You just can't get away from the stuff! And the thing is, it has a horrible omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (soybean oil has about 51 percent omega-6 to 7 percent omega-3) and contains some of the most highly allergenic proteins.

Following is a table listing some of the processed products made from soybean oil (and processed oils are far more widespread in your processed-food diet than you may think).

Excess omega-6 causes more prolonged inflammation, constricts the airways and blood vessels, increases blood clotting, reduces circulation, and increases pain sensitivity. Excess omega-6 consumption is associated with many lifestyle conditions such as increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, joint pain, asthma, allergies, metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X), and other metabolic conditions — the list goes on!

I will cover more about omega-6 and its implications with the inflammatory pathways in the body in Chapter 7, but I want you to start being aware of the amounts of omega-6 in your diet and where it is coming from.

Allergies

The World Health Organization ranks allergies (generally food allergies, eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis) as the fourth most common global chronic disease, with the highest rates in developed countries (including the big four: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The interesting thing is, as developing countries adopt a more "Westernized lifestyle" including more processed "Western foods," so too are their rates escalating.

Young children are the people most commonly affected by food allergies, and many allergies that were once seen as "childhood allergies" that the child would eventually grow out of are now persisting through to adulthood. Also, a natural progression from food-related allergies to respiratory allergies (such as asthma), known as the "allergic march," is becoming more prominent. Although children suffer the highest rates of allergies, it has also been shown that allergies can run in the family. New research is showing that, over several generations, changes in gene expression is occurring due to environmental pressures, which may amplify heritable disease risk. That is, children may be becoming more susceptible to allergies because their genes have been weakened by the toxins that have been passed down from previous generations.

The big-ticket food triggers still seem to be wheat, cow's milk, soy, peanuts, corn, and eggs. The issue with these foods is that, due to our industrialized food processing, they are in everything! Even if they are not actually listed in the product itself, how often do you see "may contain traces of nuts" on its packaging? It's because whatever you were eating was manufactured in the same place that millions of other products are made.

The other issue is with food development itself and, again, I will use the soybean as an example, but similarities can be seen in wheat, corn, and dairy processing. Since the 1960s, soy has been used to create a variety of "food-like substances," but it is also one of the most allergenic substances out there. You can get soy flour, soy flakes, soy grits, soy protein concentrate, and soy proteinisolate (a highly concentrated refined protein made from soy). It is also used in the emulsification, foaming, and binding of food products and is added to everything from baby formula, cookies, pizza, and meat products, to ice cream, soups, sauces, noodles, and breakfast cereals — the list goes on. It is also added to animal feed.

So the challenging thing is, if you are eating all these sorts of foods and you have allergies, how would you even know where to start to try to establish exactly what you are allergic to? Keep in mind that we have not even touched on the environmental ways you can come in contact with soy. It is used in hair and skin products and even auto-care and building materials.

What about adults who develop a food allergy, or adults and children with food intolerance?

True food allergies and food intolerances are very different; it's a complex subject. A true food allergy is an immune response and can have very sudden and severe symptoms, such as anaphylaxis. A food intolerance can be delayed and very subtle, and is caused by reactions to food additives or natural chemicals in foods. Reactions can manifest as skin disorders, headaches, sleep disturbances, behavioral problems, and intestinal upset (such as bloating, flatulence, and cramps).

Food intolerances and allergies are also on the increase due to a decline in microbial exposure and an increased pro-inflammatory diet. A perfect example of how to develop increased intestinal permeability! (See Chapter 6 to find out all about that.)

Excess salt in the diet

I always like to say to people that it is not the salt that you put on your food you should be worried about. That is not the issue when we are talking about excess salt in the diet. It is the hidden salt in processed food products that does the harm. Salt (sodium chloride) is one of the most widely used additives in food manufacturing and processing because of its low cost and myriad uses. It is used as a preservative, to "hold" water in meat products, as an antimicrobial agent, and as a flavor enhancer.

The average intake of salt by adults in developed countries is around 7 grams per day, which, for example, is triple the FDA recommendation of 2.3 grams. Your body does need salt — it needs a delicate balance of sodium (salt) and potassium to regulate blood pressure via the kidneys, but an excess of salt throws off this balance. Excess salt causes the kidneys to retain more water which, in turn, increases total blood volume causing your blood pressure to go up (hypertension). Hypertension is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. On top of this, some people react to sodium with symptoms such as headaches, asthma, and skin irritations.

Additives and preservatives

This one is another Pandora's box of potential issues. Food additives and preservatives have come under a lot of scrutiny over the years, and I wish they would come under fire more often.

Additives are added to food to enhance flavor or color (mainly for aesthetic appeal), as these "food-like substances" would otherwise be undesirable to eat according to a study by Berzas et al. Nice! Does that sound like something that would be good for you? I think not. Franken-food, anyone?

Food additives are mainly used to provide a "technological function" — to improve the color, taste, texture, or appearance of food, as well as to preserve and to prevent rancidity. So, in essence, they are there to make the product last longer on the supermarket shelf and to appear more attractive to the buyer.

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Excerpted from "Optimum Health the Paleo Way"
by .
Copyright © 2014 Claire Yates.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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