Matt Metzgar

Refined Carbs and Diabetes II

One of the things I found amazing about the refined carbs study is how high carbohydrate consumption has been in the U.S.  For example, the study shows that in 1909, the average carb consumption was 500 grams per day.  And what was the rate of diabetes and obesity back then?  Very low.  The paper goes on to show that this was because the carbohydrates that were consumed were mostly unrefined.

This evidence shows that a diet high in unrefined carbs combined with a high activity level avoids at least avoids two major health problems, obesity and diabetes.  Whether such a diet is optimal for total health, including cancer risk and other issues, is subject to debate.  But the idea that low-carb diets are necessary for avoiding obesity and diabetes is simply not true based on historical evidence.   

Ancestral Diets II

Back in the 1960s, when "Man the Hunter" was published, researchers thought a Paleo diet was 65% plant food and 35% animal food.  When Cordain did his analysis in 2000, the proportions were flipped to 35% plant food and 65% animal food.  As science improves, there will likely be more refinement to the estimates of what hunter-gatherers ate. 

But in the meantime, this research should be more of a guide than a bible.  The idea is to find a diet that works and improves health, not create one that meets a theoretical standard.  Basically, any combination of fruits, vegetables, and meats is superior to the modern crop of diets.  The exact balance between these food groups is less important the overall concept.  Individual experimentation is key in designing a personal diet after understanding the general Paleo framework.

Fake Sugar

This story has been covered at other websites, but it is worth mentioning here.  This article discusses a new study that connects diet soda with the metabolic syndrome.

If you just looked at diet sodas strictly from a calorie basis, you would think they were a winner due to their low calorie content.  But the key is the secondary effects of consuming this "fake" sugar.  The sugar substitutes still raise blood glucose, which causes an insulin release, which over time will lead to more calories in than out, which results in weight gain.

In the article, the lead researcher asks, "“Why is it happening? Is it some kind of chemical in the diet soda?"  It's not a chemical that's the problem, it's the body's exaggerated hormonal response to sugar, whether that sugar is real or artificial.

Permanent Feast

I think I've figured out something regarding the six-meals-a-day eating pattern.  The people who usually recommend this are also often exercising at a high frequency.  In this way, I think they've set up a "permanent feast" pattern of sorts. 

For example, after resistance exercise the body's muscle-building processes are in overdrive.  In these next 24 hours or so, nutrients can help build new muscle.  So if somebody is working out five or six days a week, then they are almost always in the post-workout window.  From this prospective, the heavy eating they do via six meals day may be the best method of turning food into muscle during this continual post-workout window.

For a practical example, I read where actor Mark Wahlberg works out five days a week.  And if you've seen the movie, "The Departed", you know he can carry some muscle.  I don't know if he eats six meals a day, but I guarantee he's putting down a good amount of food each day to maintain his muscle mass.

This eating pattern bothers me somewhat because it deviates from the "natural" pattern of humans.  It is highly doubtful that hunter-gatherers "hit the jackpot" five to six days per week, and engaged in this type of continual feast pattern on a daily basis.  It is more likely that the pattern was spread over a few days.  Maybe things were tight food-wise for a day or two, and then they scored some game and feasted for a day or two.  It's just hard for me to imagine that they were that proficient at food procurement, such that they were able to hunt(exercise) and have this consistently produce food that was available at constant intervals (six meals a day).

Protein Synthesis

Here's a great article about protein synthesis after eating and exercising (you might have to register for free to read it).  It points out that skeletal muscle is really just the storage of amino acids, a process that is always in flux.

The author also looks at the role of protein (amino acids), energy surplus, and insulin (via carbohydrates) in the post-exercise state:

Movement Frequency II

I went back and looked over the study that compared 3 days verus 1 day per week of equal volume resistance training.  The 3 day group actually performed the same exercises all three days of training.

It didn't seem to hurt them, as the 3 day group gained roughly 10 pounds of muscle while the 1 day per week group gained 2 pounds.  This at least shows there is a research precendent for repeating the same movements each workout.

Playing the Martyr

It's strange how sometimes living conditions are not related to daily happiness at all.  I meet a number of people in work or in personal life who are "playing the martyr".  Though they seem to have the basic elements of a good life in place, they are always unhappy about something.  Stress at work, stress with the kids, financial stress, etc.  But you know, often it's really what you make of the situation, not the supposedly dire nature of the situation itself.

Conversely, I sometimes meet people who appear to have very little - little money, little prospects, bad health - though they seem to be happy and keep chugging along.  And honestly, I'd rather hang out with someone who is happy but "unsuccessful" than the reverse.  Shouldn't happiness count as "success"?

As for the martyrs, I just don't have time for that scene.  If somebody wants to be all doom and gloom, go for it, but don't sign me up for that ship.  Life's too short.

Refined Carbs and Diabetes

I can't remember if I've put this up before, but here is a great paper(pdf) on the relationship between refined carbs and diabetes.  It shows that surprisingly, carb consumption was already quite high in the US before diabetes rates started to skyrocket.  It points the finger at refined carbs, mostly in the form of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and processed grains.

Movement Frequency

This year I have been doing a simple weightlifting routine, lifting twice a week with a Workout A and a Workout B.  This means that there is a week's time between each particular workout.

Yesterday, I started on the Workout B routine, but it didn't feel all the way right.  I felt I had "lost the feel" for the exercises, and started to wonder if a week between specific movements is too long (at least while trying to build strength/muscle).  So halfway through, I switched and went back to Workout A from a few days ago.

It felt fine, and in fact, it seemed pretty obvious to me the muscles had adequately recovered.  So I continued to load up the weights and had a good workout.  Now I'm thinking about just doing the same routine with the same exercises twice a week and see if that yields better results.

Ancestral Diets

Here's a short summary(pdf) of what researchers currently know about ancestral diets.  It was presented by Boyd Eaton (author of The Paleolithic Prescription) a few years back.

It's interesting to note that he estimates carbohydrate intake to be about 35% of total calories.  Paleo diets weren't necessarily low-carb diets.