Gut Health, Calorie Restriction, Fasting and Protein Restriction

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 Here is another great recipe for Sunshine Chickpea Burgers - beans are MAGIC: 

https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/recipes/sunshine-chickpea-burgers

 Do not miss the recap of what we learned about nutrition last year with Dr. Roxie Becker and Chuck Carroll. Here is the link for the Exam Room Podcast: 

latest episode of The Exam Room Podcast 

In his book, How Not to Age, Dr. Greger lists the "anti-aging 8" and #4 are Xenohormesis and microRNA manipulation.  WOW, that is a lot, but the entire chapter shows the power of plants in protecting us, and they can extend not only the length but the quality of our lives. Fruits and vegetables are highlighted as the best protectors due to substances called "geroprotectors". It is so important to know that pills - supplements - do not work in the same way for us. To highlight the significance of eating fruits and vegetables, if we add up deaths due to cancers, strokes and other deaths that could have been prevented by eating more fruits and veggies, it is almost 450,000 in the US alone. Plantify your plates today to live longer and live stronger! 

Prebiotics are what we feed probiotics, the good bacteria that work all of the magic in our gut microbiome, and postbiotics are what our good bacteria produce. These are the fifth anti-aging wonders, critical to our health, that are discussed in How Not to Age. And the key to changing our gut microbiome is what we eat, and we change it for good, or for bad by what we consume. Fiber is what fuels it best, and fiber deficiency, along with salt, protein, antibiotics, and food additives is what damages it most, causing a "leaky gut" where toxins leak out of our gut into our bloodstream - the cause of systemic inflammation and therefore all chronic diseases. How COOL that there is a way to fix it! Stay tuned to learn more and have a wonderful Wednesday! 

Yesterday we talked about leaky gut and how it is the cause of inflammation, which is the cause of all chronic diseases. The key to gut health is eating plants, and avoiding alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen (they damage the gut within five minutes) and animal products. Yesterday we mentioned antibiotics, and most people do not realize that a single serving of beef, chicken, and pork, one and a half servings of fish, or two eggs exceed safe levels of antibiotics. Salt and artificial sweeteners also wreck our gut. There's great news that good gut bacteria can be restored within weeks of ending their consumption. More tomorrow on good gut health as we dig into the anti-aging 8! 

We have talked before about TMAO (trimethylamine oxide) and how high levels are associated with a significantly higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death in general. It is also associated with psoriatic arthritis, PCOS, cancers, dementia, diabetes, and kidney failure. Eating the wrong foods fosters the growth of bad bacteria in our gut that create toxins like TMAO. What are the wrong foods? Those high in choline, which is concentrated in eggs, and carnitine, found in meat and some energy drinks. Within hours of eating these products, TMAO levels increase, wipe out our gut flora, and set us up for disease. Minimize these foods to live longer and live stronger on this fantastic Friday! 

Dr. Greger's "anti-aging 8" list from numerous research studies focuses heavily on prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Probiotic supplements have become a multibillion-dollar industry but there is little or no scientific evidence for their claimed benefits. The FDA does not regulate the supplement industry either. It’s a lot of "biotics," but prebiotics boost growth of probiotics which then create Postbiotics that are so beneficial! They make their way to every part of our bodies, and the magic comes from fiber-sourced short-chain fatty acids, the rock stars of living longer. Those who eat more fiber crank up all of these "biotics" to work in the way they should, to reduce inflammation that is SO underestimated! Inflammation leads to us dying sooner than we should. More fiber means more successful aging – less disability and chronic diseases. It improves blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and cholesterol, and remember…ALL PLANTS have fiber and ONLY PLANTS have fiber! Meatless Monday can mean more fiber, more health, energy, and joy! 

Yesterday we talked about the power of fiber in maintaining the critically important gut microbiome and the fiber all-stars are whole grains and legumes like beans and lentils. Please note it is WHOLE grains. Fruits and veggies are great in so many ways, but they have less than a third of the fiber of these all-stars. Fiber is not the only prebiotic though – another rock-star for our gut is resistant starch, and beans and lentils hit home runs there as well! Within 3 weeks after eating two servings of beans a day, our microbiomes can be restored. One single serving a day can reduce colon cancer by 20%. My last comment about the power of pre-, pro, and postbiotics is the power of pomegranates and walnuts. Add them to your shopping list with those beans and lentils and plantify those plates! 

Caloric restriction, including fasting, is one of the "anti-aging 8" found in the research to help us live better, longer lives. During fasting, our cells leap into protection mode and interestingly there is reduced free radical damage and inflammation. There are many examples of this in history.  During the Great Depression, there was tremendous hunger, yet the average lifespan increased. During World War II, a 20% drop in calories in Norway resulted in a 30% drop in death rate. Part of this is due to autophagy – cleaning out damaged cell structures and other internal spring cleaning. We all want a faster metabolism, but it turns out that a slower one results in longer lives. Improvements in health can be seen with minimal calorie restriction or fasting – like 300 calories a day, most beneficially coming from reducing fat intake. More tomorrow on fasting to live longer and live stronger! 

Reducing caloric intake each day is one of the "anti-aging 8" – indicating that one thing you can do to live longer is to eat less, but it is calories, not quantity. It is much easier to do if you can eat more food with less calories – by switching to healthier foods! Intermittent fasting has been popular for many years but is it a healthy way to reduce calories? Time-restricted eating, where you fast for between 12 and 24 hours has shown extraordinary benefits to reducing blood pressure. Studies show that longer nightly fasting can decrease cancer risk and recurrence.  In the Blue Zones where people live best and longest, their daily "no eating for 12 hours after dinner" may be a reason for their good health. Consider the health benefits of daily fasting, while exchanging high-calorie foods for nutrient-dense lower-calorie foods to live longer and live stronger! 

Yesterday we talked about calorie restriction for better health and today it is about protein restriction! Yes, the studies show that less protein means better health and longevity, when we put such an emphasis on getting enough protein! We actually get twice the amount we should, and the source is harmful: animal products. The optimal ratio of protein to carbohydrates is about 1 to 10, meaning 10% of your intake is from protein. In Okinawa, they eat 50% less protein than we do and 20% less calories.  They ramp up the carbs and live better and longer than any others. Keto diets and high protein diets can result in weight loss but with harmful consequences. Plantify your plates, eat more volume, and live WELL!