It’s Not Just the Calorie Count that Counts
After spending the last four months traveling around the US lecturing and sampling Fit 365® to weight loss patients, we have seen and heard an overwhelming similarity how patients evaluate food. Dietitians and Surgeons have taught Bariatric patients to look first at the number of grams of protein for a high number, than at the number of grams of sugar for a low number, followed by the number of calories.
Once a food or product has passed this initial inspection, the patients move on to the most important determining factor, “How does it taste?” This is why we spent 1 ½ years on product formulation with Fit 365 so that it tastes so good that patients who dislike protein shakes will be shocked.
Now only focusing on keeping your calories low, your protein high, and your sugar low works for weight loss based on the law of thermodynamics, but weight loss should NOT be the ultimate goal of success for a Bariatric patient. The ultimate goal for a Bariatric patient should be to lose the body fat and retain as much lean muscle as possible while dramatically improving their health and vitality.
According to the world’s leading expert on Paleolithic (Stone Age) nutrition Dr. Loren Cordain, “Many modern foods are at odds with our genetic makeup- which, basically is the same as that of our Paleolithic ancestors- and this is the cause of many of our modern diseases. By restoring the food types that we are genetically programmed to eat, we can not only lose weight, but also restore our health and well-being.”
What Dr. Cordain addresses is that our DNA has changed less than 0.02% in the last 40,000 years. As Dr. Cordain puts it, “Built into our genes is a blueprint for optimal nutrition- a plan that spells out the foods that make us healthy, lean, and fit.” Because gastric bypass reduces stomach volume, the quality of the nutrients a Bariatric patient ingests and absorbs is paramount to successful weight management and optimal health.
PROTEIN: Your Body’s Building Blocks
Protein deficiency is the most common dietary deficit after gastric bypass surgery. Protein is vital for wound healing and building and preserving lean muscle mass. It also helps your body to repair and strengthen cells, build new cells, and prevent or lessen hair loss.
It’s important to note that not all calories are created equal. Protein speeds up your metabolism and slows down your appetite. It has twice the “thermogenic effect” of fat or carbohydrates—meaning it causes your body to burn more calories than if you ate an equal caloric serving of fat or carbohydrate. Moreover, protein has a much higher satiety index (ability to keep you full and satisfied) than either fat or carbohydrates.
Not all proteins are created equal. Soy Protein, Rice Protein, Milk Protein Isolate and Concentrate, and Casein Powders are all genetically modified, highly allergenic, and have a very low Biological Value (BV). BV refers to how well and how quickly your body can actually use the protein you consume. According to Dr. David Williams (April, 2005) values based on the “latest research” taken from FAO study #24 (1970): Whey protein is the new standard score of 100, Egg scores 93.7, Milk protein scores an 84.5, Soy protein scores a 72.8, and Rice protein scores a 64.0.
When formulating Fit 365®, we used only Hormone-Free Pesticide Free Whey Protein Concentrate, Isolate, and Egg White with only the highest quality protein on the planet.
Not only do many protein sources have a low BV score, many of these protein sources were not part of the Paleolithic Diet and were not meant to be part of ours, either.
The Dangers of Soy Protein:
The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes such as lentils because the soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or “antinutrients”. Soybeans also contain goitrogens – substances that depress thyroid function. The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of hormones involved in regulating metabolism, bodyweight and oxygen requirements, as well as normal growth and development during childhood. I do not recommend any soy protein whatsoever as part of your diet. The only soy that is not terrible is fermented soy: Miso, tempeh, and tamari for example in very small amounts as starch not protein. Nonfermented soy that you should not ingest includes soy protein isolate or concentrate found in many protein shakes, tofu, tofurkey, soy chips, and soy milk for example. I tell patients if they can hunt down a soy cow and milk it then they can have soy milk.
II. CARBOHYDRATES
Fiber Deficiency is rampant amongst Bariatric patients. When the doctor tells you to eat more fiber, we immediately think eat more oatmeal or a high fiber cereal. Calorie to calorie, fruits average almost twice the fiber of whole grains and non-starchy vegetables have almost 8 times the fiber. Fiber deficiency has been linked to the following diseases or health conditions: constipation, diverticulitis, colon cancer, irritable bowl syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and many other health conditions.
All grains have nutritional deficiencies. Moreover, as we eat more and more grain products we tend to eliminate meats, fruits, and vegetables. Grains also contain “anti-nutrients”- chemicals that prevent your body from absorbing key nutrients.
In Fit 365® we used 4 grams of plant based fiber per serving to keep patients full for hours unlike typical protein shakes that have you hungry after an hour.
III. FATS
Unfortunately, the english used the word to refer to both dietary fat abdn body fat. In actuality, some dietary fats burn body fat improves your health.
It’s not how much fat you ingest that raises your blood cholesterol levels and increases your risk for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, it’s the type of dietary fat you eat.
You want a healthy Omega 6 to Omega 3 fat ratio. Omega 3’s can be found in wild game meat that our ancestors ate, the ratio was 3 to 2 while in cereals we eat today the ratio is 22 to 1. We recommend adding in Omega 3’s to any healthy diet.
IV. Calorie free: Helpful vs. Hharmful Artificial Ingredients
Artificial ingredients, flavors, and sweeteners – these include Sucralose, Aspartame, and other sweeteners and ingredients that our bodies were not meant to ingest. Artificial sweeteners’ negative health effects can be worse than the sugars they are replacing.
Sucralose:
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “As of 2005, only six human trials have been conducted on Splenda (sucralose). Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects. 36 people sure doesn’t sound like many, but wait, it gets worse, only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing and here is the real killer: The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance.”
Results of studies of Sucralose tolerance on rats:
Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage)
Enlarged liver and kidneys
Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
Reduced growth rate
Decreased red blood cell count
Extension of the pregnancy period
Aborted pregnancy
Diarrhea
Aspartame:
According to Food Safety Expert Mary Nash Stoddard, in the original lab tests, aspartame caused 4 kinds of tumors & death:
Brain Tumors / Breast Tumors / Pancreatic Tumors / Uterine Tumors
When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees Fahrenheit (body temperature is 98.6 degrees), the 10% methanol (wood alcohol) in Aspartame (AKA NutraSweet/Equal) converts to formaldehyde (embalming fluid) and then to formic acid (the toxin found in ant sting venom).
FIT 365 Sweeteners:
Xylitol – A naturally and beneficial sweetener found in many fruits and vegetables. It has a very low glycemic index of 7– which means it does not disrupt blood sugar levels nor does it cause the storage of fat. Unlike other sweeteners, xylitol also supports the health of teeth and gums, does not cause cavities, and does not deplete immune response.
Luo Han Guo Fruit Extract – An incredibly rare fruit that grows only in a few remote mountain regions in the Guangxi province of southern China. Lo Han Guo is an excellent antioxidant and immune system builder. It is high in Vitamin C content, and many minerals such as calcium and potassium. While pleasantly sweet, Lo Han Guo is low-glycemic and calorie free.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES:
Digestion vs. absorption and why need digestive enzymes
It’s not what you digest that matters it is what you absorb. So for example, if you take in 30 grams of a low quality protein shake with no digestive enzymes, you could only be utilizing half of those grams. The other nutrients are completely wasted and as a Bariatric Patient you have no room for wasted calories or space in your stomach.
Taking Stone Age Nutrition in the modern era:
Food quality is critical to health, weight management, and performance. But with our busy lifestyles and need for convenience, food quality has diminished and obesity has
risen. Meal replacement shakes should be a perfect way to supplement your daily requirements of quality protein, carbohydrates and fat. But they fail.
1. Protein powders are single source proteins lacking healthy carbohydrates and fats
2. Most protein powders and meal replacements contain unhealthy & artificial ingredients
3. Most protein powders and meal replacements taste so bad that they never get used
This is why we created Fit 365® . Fit 365® is made with all-natural and organic ingredients. It has 21g of the highest quality protein per serving, 4 grams of plant-based fiber, and only 2 grams of natural sugar. Besides the protein, carbs, and fat, Fit 365® has nutrients like borage seed oil for anti-inflammation, organic cocoa, which has 2 ½ times the antioxidants of red wine or green tea, and a full spectrum digestive enzyme blend as well as other nutrients that have your health in mind.
In summation, you truly are what you eat and the goal is to as hypocrates says, “let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” Thank you for your time take control of your health.
