Obesity Explained by The Feast-Famine Cycle and Sleep Pattern

Our body is not designed for excessive eating and prolonged sedentary life!

The survival of the early human species was dependent on the constant search for food which necessitates regular physical activity. Unlike today, food supply was never consistent. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had cycles of feast and famine, physical activity and rest. "Thrifty genes" evolved to ensure efficient intake and utilization of fuel (food). This ancient genome has not changed for the past 10,000 years and certainly has not changed over the past 40-100 years when electricity, refrigerator and convenient stores came into existence. Although the absolute caloric intake of the modern man is less compared to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, the modern man has a positive caloric balance due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Our current situation of continuous food abundance and physical inactivity has caused chaos in our evolutionarily programmed biochemical cycles and ultimately resulting in metabolic derangement such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Therefore it is postulated that a certain threshold of physical activity is needed to ensure that that this cycling of metabolic processes continues. Manu V. Chakravarthy and Frank W Booth. Eating, exercise, and "thrifty" genotypes: connecting the dots toward an evolutionary understanding of modern chronic diseases. Journal of Applied Physiology.2004 96;3-10

You have to be "Metabolicaly Flexible" if you want to lose weight and stay healthy. God has gifted us with 4 different metabolic pathways for energy production. Our cells can produce energy from Carbohydrate, Fats, Ketone bodies and Proteins. Unfortunately, our society has been priming our bodies with predominately carbohydrate as the main source of energy. Being metabolically flexible or resilient means our body can switch to other alternative source of energy namely Fats and Ketone bodies. We do not want to cause our body to use proteins from our muscles as the source of energy because that literally means we are 'digesting' ourselves and this happens during severe famine or sickness.

EATING FATS WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT! EATING EXCESSIVE CARBS WILL MAKE YOU FAT. 

• CARBOHYDRATES INCREASES BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL, RESULTING IN INCREASED INSULIN SECRETION FROM THE PANCREAS. 
• INSULIN WILL THEN INCREASES SECRETION OF LIPOPROTEIN LIPASE WHICH WILL INCREASE ABSORPTION OF FATS FROM YOUR BLOODSTREAM INTO FATS IN YOUR BODY CELLS. 

THEREFORE, EATING CARBOHYDRATES WILL CAUSE CONVERSION OF DIETARY CALORIES INTO FAT!

So a good strategy of loosing weight healthily would be:

1. Re-awaken fat burning (beta-oxidation) capacity
2. Use ketones as fuel
3. Avoid breaking down muscle tissues
4. Reset endocrine system
5. Maintain/regain normal weight
6. Reduce inflammation
7. Become metabolically more resilient

SO HOW DOES SLEEP AFFECT YOUR BODY FATS?

• Sleep deprivation will cause your cortisol hormone to increase. High cortisol level in blood will increase insulin secretion. Insulin will increase conversion of dietary calories into fat.
• People who slept more lost more fat than those who slept less. Yes, we literally burn fat during slept.
• Sleep deprivation cause the body to preserve body fats at the expense of the muscles (60% more muscles were lost by sleeping less).
• Those who slept for fewer hours had produced more of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin. They woke up hungrier!
• We may think that we burn more calories by staying awake longer, but that is not true at all! Less sleep causes our body to down-regulate metabolism to preserve energy to cope with the increased energy demand of staying awake.
• Bottom Line: If you want to burn fat, preserve muscle and wake up less hungry when you are dieting, sleep more...8.5 hours a night to be exact.

Click here to read the study

EAT A RAINBOW EVERY DAY

CONSUME FOODS WHICH REPRESENTS ALL 6 COLOUR GROUPS OF THE 'PHYTONUTRIENT SPECTRUM' EACH AND EVERY DAY!

RED FOODS

Beans (adzuki, kidney, red), Beetroot, Red peppers, Blood oranges, Cranberries, Cherries, Goji berries, Grapefruit (pink), Red apples, Red grapes, Red onions, Red plums, Pomegranate, Potatoes (red skin), Radiccho, Red cabbage, Red leaf lettuce, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Sweet red peppers, Rhubarb, Rooibos tea, Tomato, Watermelon

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, gastrointestinal health, heart health, hormone balance, liver health

ORANGE FOODS

Appricots, Bell peppers (orange), Carrots, Grapefruit, Mango, Nectarine, Orange, Papaya, Pumpkin, Squash (Butternut/Acorn/Winter), Sweet potato, Tangerines, Turmeric root, Yams

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, immune health, cell protection, reduced all-cause mortality, immune health, reproductive health, skin health, source of pro-vitamin A

YELLOW FOODS

Apple, Banana, Bell peppers (yellow), Sweetcorn, Corn-on-the-cob, Chickpeas,Ginger root, Lemon, Millet, Pineapple

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognition, skin health, eye health, heart/vascular health

GREEN FOODS

Apples (green), Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Bamboo shoots, Bean sprouts, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage (beet leaves, chard, dandelion leaves, kale, lettuce, mustard leaves, spinach, rocket, etc.), Celery, Cucumbers, Edemame (soybeans), Beans, Peas (e.g. green, mangetout), Green tea, Lettuce, Limes, Okra, Olives (green), Rosemary, Spinach, Watercress

BENEFITS

Healthy inflammatory response, brain health, cell protection, skin health, hormone balance, heart health, liver health

WHITE/TAN/BROWN FOODS

Apples, Beans (butter, cannellini, etc), Cauliflower, Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Cocoa, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed, Garlic, Ginger, Hummus, Lentils, Peanuts, etc), Mushrooms, Nuts (almonds, cashew, macadamias, pecans, walnuts), Onions, Pears, Seeds (flax, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, etc), Shallots, Tahini, Tea (black, white), Whole grains (amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, montina, oats, quinoa, rice,sorghum, teff- all naturally free of gluten)

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, anti-microbial, cell protection, gastrointestinal health, heart health, liver health, hormone balance

BLUE/PURPLE/BLACK FOODS

Aubergine, Berries (blue/black), Cabbage (purple), Carrots (purple), Cauliflower (purple), Figs, Grapes (purple), Kale (purple), Olives (black), Plums, Potatoes (purple), Prunes, Raisins, Rice (black/purple)

BENEFITS

Cancer protective, healthy inflammatory response, cell protection, cognitive health, heart health, liver health

Acknowledgement:

We would like to acknowledge the Institute for Functional Medicine (www.functionalmedicine.org) as the primary source of the above information on the 'phytonutrient spectrum'.

FOOD FOR HEALTH GUIDELINES

6 FOOD GROUPS EVERY DAY

(for adults and children over 6)

1. 40% VEGETABLES (UNPROCESSED)
2. 10% FRUITS (UNPROCESSED)
3. 10% GRAINS (GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE GRAINS)
4. 10% HIGH 'HEALTHY FAT' FOODS
5. 25% PROTEIN-RICH FOODS
6. 5% CONCENTRATED NUTRIENTS (E.G. NON-IRRADIATED HERBS, SPICES, TEAS, FOOD SUPPLEMENTS)

10 KEY POINTERS

1. Macronutrient composition by energy contribution (kcal or kJ) should be approximately 20% protein (4 kcal/g), 30% carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) and 50% fats (9 kcal/g)
2. Minimise consumption of highly processed food
3. Consume plenty of fresh, raw foods
4. Avoid high-temperature cooking methods (frying, grilling), unless brief. Minimise heat-damage to proteins, fats, vegetables, starches, and other carbs by using slow cooking methods
5. Healthy fats for cooking include extra virgin coconut oil, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil and butter (the latter assuming no lactose intolerance)
6. Consume plenty of fresh herbs and non-irradiated, preferably organic, spices
7. Avoid snacking and try to maintain 5 or more hours between meals
8. Consume at least 1.5 litres of spring or filtered water daily (more if exercising intensively), between meals
9. Avoid all foods which trigger intolerance or allergy (concentrated sources of nutrients)
10. Seek advice from a qualified and experienced health professional on the most appropriate supplements (concentrated sources of nutrients)

8 FOOD GROUPS FOR KIDS

EVERY DAY

(for young children aged 1-6)

1. 25% NON-STARCHY MULTI-COLOURED VEGETABLES
2. 5% STARCHY ROOT VEGETABLES
3. 10% FRUIT
4. 10% GRAINS (GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE GRAIN)
5. 15% HIGH 'HEALTHY FAT' FOODS
6. 25% HIGH PROTEIN FOODS
7. 7% DAIRY FOOD AND DRINK (OPTIONAL)
8. 3% CONCENTRATED NUTRIENTS

10 KEY POINTERS

1. Macronutrient composition by energy contribution (kJ or kcal) should be approximately 10% protein, 35% carbohydrates and 55% fats by energy contribution daily
2. Eat a 'rainbow' of different coloured vegetables and fruit every day
3. Avoid/minimize 'free' (added) sugars
4. Drink water, not soft drinks or fruit juices
5. Avoid drinks sweetened using non-nutritive sweeteners
6. Avoid all ultra-processed and refined foods
7. All whole grains should be gluten-free
8. Check for dairy intolerance and avoid dairy if intolerant
9. Avoid over-cooking or charring foods
10. Include supplements (concentrated nutrients) daily

You think you don't have enough varieties of food? Remember...

NATURE'S FOOD TROVE

(Source: Vietmeyer,N. 1990. The New Crops Era)

• 10,000 species of grasses (wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, rye, oats)
• 3,000 species of tropical fruits (banana, mango, pineapple, papaya)
• 18,000 species of legumes (peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, alfalfa, clover)
• 1,500 species of edible nuts
• 1,500 species of edible mushrooms
• 60,000 species of medicinal plants

Acknowlegement:

We would like to acknowledge the Alliance for Natural Health International (www.anhinternational.org) as the primary source of the above information on 'Food4Health and Food4Kids Guidelines'.