Eat With Intention

Fat is the human body’s most concentrated form of energy, providing more than twice as much potential energy as the other fuel sources. The ability to store fat is a feature, not a flaw.

The human body can produce energy from three primary macronutrients: fat, carbohydrates and protein. The body prefers to utilize carbohydrates and fat as its primary source of fuel. In extreme conditions the body can also catabolize protein to produce energy if necessary. People have been told to consume calories every couple of hours to keep their body energized through the day. Staying in the fed state has some benefits, but it is also leading to chronic overeating. A lot of this overconsumption is coming from processed foods that are high in carbohydrates and laced with sugar. The world is filled with manufactured foods that were created by food scientists in a laboratory. The food system includes the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and allows for inhumane livestock practices enabling for the mass production of meats. These combined elements have created a perfect storm for the onset of metabolic dysfunction and auto-immune disorders.

The world of nutrition is filled with general advice. For decades, fat has been viewed as the villain and is said to be a leading cause of heart disease. As alluded to earlier, fat is the body’s most concentrated form of energy. Do we really believe that we should be avoiding this potent source of fuel? The focus needs to shift from putting all fats in a “bad” bucket, to selectively consuming healthy fats. Healthy fats are referred to as saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. The unhealthy fats are omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs. PUFAs in molecular structure contain multiple double carbon bonds. The double bonds are very quick to react with oxygen. For visualization purposes, think of the double bond as a firecracker, and the reactive oxygen as an open flame. When the two elements react – KABOOM! This reaction is called lipid peroxidation, which is a cascading process that generates highly toxic compounds such as aldehydes that can mutate DNA and oxidize low-density lipoproteins (the first step of atherosclerosis). Common PUFAs that should be avoided are the seed oils: canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, vegetable, rice bran, and safflower.

As we shift the dialogue to carbohydrates, let’s begin with another general statement: Carbohydrates are the body’s most vital source of energy. While this statement does have some truth to it, further dissection is required. We eat for one purpose, and that purpose is to obtain glucose. When carbohydrates are consumed, they get digested by the stomach and broken down into glucose molecules by the process of glycolysis. The glucose can then be absorbed into the blood stream and used to produce energy. Physiologically, this is the path of least resistance to create energy. However, it is important to know that the body has an alternate mechanism to manufacture glucose when dietary carbohydrates are inadequate to keep up with energy demand. This process is known as gluconeogenesis, and it enables the body to convert stored energy in the form of triglycerides, glycogen and muscle, into a usable form of energy such as glucose. This process is much more metabolically intensive than glycolysis so when dietary carbohydrates are available, the body will prefer to take the path of least resistance.

The human metabolism is a remarkable piece of machinery that is handling over 100,000 biological processes at any given moment. This metabolic machine was built to last, however it has not been able to withstand the deteriorating effects of the modern diet. The constant processing of calories and the destructive forces of oxidative stress from consuming processed foods that are filled with PUFAs, is kicking our metabolism’s ass and it is leading to all types of metabolic issues including obesity, thyroid disorders, leaky gut syndrome, etc.

A lot of people might refer to these feelings as “getting old” and just accept that as we age, this is how it will be. However, this is so far from the truth. Our approach to nutrition is less focused on following general health statements and all about fixing and improving ones metabolic health. The human body is a fat burning machine, and it’s ability to store and burn fat has allowed our species to thrive for over 200,000 years. Proteins are the building blocks of the body, carbohydrates are helpful for athletic performance and recovery and fat is the most sustainable source of fuel for the body.