The world of health and wellness can be overwhelming, with countless theories and approaches to improving our overall wellbeing. One approach that has gained prominence in recent years is bioenergetics – the study of the flow and transformation of energy within living systems. And when it comes to bioenergetics, few names are as revered as Dr. Ray Peat. With a career spanning several decades, Dr. Ray Peat has become a leading figure in the world of bioenergetic health. In this blog post, we’ll dive into Dr. Ray Peat’s bioenergetic viewpoint on health and why it’s worth understanding.

Dr. Peat’s Philosophy

Dr. Ray Peat’s philosophy revolves around optimizing the body’s energy production and utilization to achieve optimal health. He argues that many health problems arise due to a lack of energy within the body, which can manifest in a variety of ways such as chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic dysfunction. By understanding how energy is produced and utilized within the body, Dr. Ray Peat advocates for a diet and lifestyle that supports optimal bioenergetics.

Thyroid Health

One of the key components of Dr. Ray Peat’s bioenergetic approach is promoting healthy thyroid function. The thyroid gland plays a crucial role in our body’s energy regulation, and many people suffer from suboptimal thyroid function without even realizing it. According to Dr. Ray Peat, consuming a diet rich in certain nutrients such as iodine, selenium, and coconut oil can help support optimal thyroid function, leading to increased energy levels and improved overall health.

Stress

Another important factor in Dr. Ray Peat’s bioenergetic viewpoint is the role of stress on our health. Chronic stress can be incredibly damaging to our bioenergetic systems, leading to hormonal imbalances and metabolic dysfunction. To combat this, Dr. Ray Peat advocates for lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, stress management techniques, and ensuring adequate relaxation time.

Nutrient Dense Foods

Dr. Ray Peat also advocates for a diet that is rich in nutrient-dense whole foods, low in processed foods, and free of inflammatory compounds such as vegetable oils. He also promotes a high intake of specific nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E, which are important for optimal bioenergetic function. Ray Peat has put together an assortment of foods that he recommends to maximize cellular energy production by providing your body with lots of energy and all the nutrients it needs to be able to properly use these calories to create structure. These foods include, but are not limited to:

  • Saturated Fats (like coconut oil)
  • Fruits and Fruit Juices (especially orange juice)
  • Ruminant Meat
  • Bone Broth
  • Gelatin
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Liver
  • Raw Honey

To Conclude:

Understanding Dr. Ray Peat’s bioenergetic viewpoint on health can provide valuable insights into how we can optimize our energy production. By focusing on promoting healthy thyroid function, reducing stress, consuming a nutrient-dense diet, and individualizing our approach to health, we can support our bioenergetic systems and unlock our full health potential. Here is a recent interview with Jay Feldman regarding the pro-metabolic view on health. I also have interviewed Georgi Dinkov and Danny Roddy as well if you want to explore more! Have a great day!

There is a lot of conflicting information out there when it comes to whether or not fruit is good for you. Some people say that you should avoid fruit because it is high in sugar particularly fructose (ie. Robert Lustig), while others claim that fruit is an essential part of a healthy diet (i.e. Jay Feldman). So, what is the truth?

Generally speaking, fruit is a healthy food that can provide you with a range of important nutrients. However, it is also true that some fruits are higher in sugar than others. In general, fresh fruits are healthier than processed or canned fruits. This is because fresh fruits contain more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The health benefits of fructose

Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in many fruits and vegetables. It is also the main sugar used to sweeten processed foods and beverages. Although fructose has received some negative publicity in recent years, it is actually a bioenergetic nutrient that can have some health benefits when consumed in moderation. For instance, fructose can help to replenish glycogen stores and promote muscle recovery after exercise. In addition, fructose has been shown to decrease inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity. Therefore, while fructose should not be consumed in excess, it can actually have some health benefits when consumed in moderation as part of a healthy diet. I am experimenting with adding fruit to my diet as a way to increase my carb/calorie consumption.

Importance of honey and other carbohydrates in human evolution and the Hadza’s diet

The Hadza, an indigenous group in Tanzania, are one of the few remaining hunter-gatherer societies in the world. Their diet is largely based on what they can scavenge or hunt, and honey is a key part of their nutrient intake. In fact, honey provides more than just carbohydrates – it also contains essential vitamins and minerals that are vital for human health.

Honey has been part of the human diet for thousands of years, and it is thought to have played a role in human evolution. The ability to process honey – which is high in fructose – may have helped our ancestors to survive during periods of food scarcity. Today, honey is still an important part of the Hadza diet, and it provides them with the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Protective Effects of Honey against Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition that is characterized by a cluster of risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Recently, there has been growing interest in the potential role of honey in preventing or managing metabolic syndrome. Several studies have shown that honey can help to lower blood sugar and LDL cholesterol levels, as well as improve blood pressure and body weight. Additionally, honey has been shown to reduce inflammation, which is a key driver of metabolic syndrome. While more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms involved, there is growing evidence that honey may be a promising natural therapy for metabolic syndrome.

Fructose enhances mineral retention

Minerals are essential nutrients that our body needs for various functions. They can be found in many different foods, but some minerals are more easily absorbed than others. Fructose is a type of sugar that is found in fruits and honey. It has been shown to enhance the absorption of minerals, especially iron. This is because fructose helps to increase the amount of time that minerals stay in the intestine. As a result, fructose can help to ensure that our body gets the minerals it needs for good health.

Fructose can protect against endotoxin damage

Endotoxin is a toxin that can cause damage to the endothelial cells lining blood vessels. This damage can lead to inflammation, thrombosis, and endothelial dysfunction. Fructose has been shown to protect against endotoxin damage by reducing the production of endothelial cell-derived cytokines and chemokines. In addition, fructose inhibits the endothelial cell-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species. These findings suggest that fructose may have potential therapeutic benefits in the treatment of endotoxin-related diseases.

Fruits could be a great addition to your diet especially if you are looking to add some healthy carbohydrates to your day. They are less toxic, and easier on the gut than eating some plants so it might be worth self experimenting with them and seeing how you feel!

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We have all felt food cravings throughout our lives. Chocolate/Peanut butter is mine??

So it is completely normal to have them. But do they control us/manipulate us on a daily basis?

What are your most common food cravings?

Some people have intense food cravings for sugar (probably the most common). However, salty foods, chocolate, junk food/carbs (pizza) are also common food cravings.

Are you a carboholic? (not sure if that is even a word but you know what I mean)

What I?ve realized is that eating a little of a tasty dessert or a little pasta or bread fails to satisfy me. Rather it ignites a fierce craving for more, to eat it all and then some.

I find it easier to avoid sugar, grains and starches entirely, rather than to try to eat them in moderation. The question is why?

The conventional thinking is that obesity is caused by caloric excess.

But as members of?The Get Lean Club, we know that obesity is actually a hormonal regulatory disorder, and the hormone that dominates this process is insulin.

Even a bite or a taste of carbohydrate-rich foods can stimulate insulin and create a craving ? for even more carbohydrates.

Elevate insulin levels even a little and the body switches over from burning fat for fuel to burning carbohydrates.

Since insulin levels after meals are determined largely by the carbs we eat ?

  • particularly easily digestible grains and starches (i.e. rice/pasta/bread), known as high glycemic index carbs.
  • As well as sugars like sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup ?

So having a lifestyle plan based specifically on avoiding these carbs to avoid insulin spikes makes sense??

So how can we avoid these cravings altogether?

Eating lots of healthful fats?? it?s the one macronutrient that doesn?t stimulate insulin secretion. (i.e. avocado, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, fatty fish ? tuna, salmon, trout, MCT oil, Ghee to name a few)

Avoid the trigger totally?? clean up our home environment and avoid situations where sugar and other treats are easily available

Intermittent fasting?is obvious???Restrictions on food do not increase food cravings, but consistently decrease them. If you eat constantly, you are more likely to feed those cravings. If you fast, those cravings will shrivel away.

Identify, plan for, and avoid situations?that weaken resolve or increase cravings. If you know that at 2 p.m. you always are tempted to go to the vending machine just make sure you have a healthy snack (perhaps healthy fats) on hand that won?t trigger a binge.

So I hope these tips help get you on track and avoid those cravings that can control you throughout the day!

Have a great day and weekend!!

Brian

P.S. Do you have more questions about?Getting Lean and Eating Clean? Many do and that?s why we now offer private coaching. If you?d like to schedule a private coaching session to customize your program, simply send me an message. I look forward to helping you on your journey??

Testimonial for the Simple Intermittent Fasting Journal?

This was a text string yesterday from a client who bought the journal and received coaching??

?Thanks to Brian Gryn I?ve been fasting with the Simple Intermittent Fasting Journal as my guide for a couple months now. Definitely lost weight (about 8lbs) and got my body back to the way it used to look in my 20s. People are noticing and I have more energy too! Thanks Brian!?

And make sure your dog doesn?t either!

My dog?Louie?found and ingested?rat poison?and I had to take him to the ER. In a case like this they make him?throw up?and then give him?activated charcoal?to absorb the rest of the poison. It was scary but Louie should be?fine??

What?s the lesson from all of this?

1. Make sure you have rat poison traps that are locked correctly
2. Scan your whole backyard and double check everything (which I thought I did)
3. Even if poison tastes good don?t eat it

I thought since we are on the poison theme and it?s the end of the year I would list?my top 8 foods to AVOID! (no particular order and could probably find more)

8. Processed Table Salt?? not all salt is created equal ??avoid processed table salt?because it causes your body to retain fluids and most table ?salt? is?iodized?and puts people at risk for abnormally large thyroid gland and cause?thyroid-related autoimmune disorders.?Excess iodine in the diet can also lead to nausea, headaches and unhealthy hormone levels.?Use either Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt

7. Margarine ? the?vegetable oils?used to make regular margarine?s today have a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats and the process of hardening those oils to create the more solid structure of margarine, known as hydrogenation, generates artificial trans fats. (that?s not good)?Use grass-fed Butter or Ghee

6. Kids Cereal?? i won?t get all sciencey (made up word :)) sugar, lots of processing, and artificial flavoring ??Try Go Raw Cereal Sprouted Granola

5. Microwave Popcorn ? The?bag?itself contains chemicals and with ingredients such as partially hydrogenated soybean oil, palm oil, salt and?TBHQ? stands for ?Tertiary Butylhydroquinone.? It?s a dead giveaway that you?shouldn?t be eating this, if food companies have to use an acronym for a long chemical name on the ingredient label.?Make your own?

popcorn ? here are the ingredients to one ? (Food Babe?s Super-food popcorn)

4. Fancy Coffee Drinks?? Now that the holidays are around the corner we see even more of these fancy drinks. What we don?t see is the?50 grams of sugarin them. These can be addicting because of the sugar and caffeine.?Just stick to the basic drinks and celebrate the holidays another way??

3. Factory Farmed Meat (and fish)?You are what?they?eat, and if the livestock or fish that you?re grilling up for dinner is fed hormones, drugs and anunnatural diet?grown using?chemical pesticides and fertilizers, that?s not good news for you!!?Eat grass fed meat and wild fish

2. White Flour (i.e. bagels, most breads, muffins and pastries) I know it?s tempting but once you stop eating it you will find that you won?t be tempted as much. White flour is really nothing more than?refined carbohydrates?and can contribute to weight gain. Enriched white flour causes your body to scream through the ride of a sugar high roller coaster. ??Use Ezekial bread, sourdough bread or bread you can see the grains.?

(or just avoid it all together??

1. Soft Drinks or Diet Drinks?? We all know this by now???Sugar, artificial flavoring?blah, blah, blah?Drink water, tea or black coffee

I could go on and on with this list but it?s all about taking?small steps?and eliminating these foods/drinks that can set you?off trackto reach your goals.

If you have a soft drink a?few times a year there is nothing wrong with thatjust make sure it is not a daily or weekly occurrence.

Bottom Line:?Don?t poison yourself or your dog??

Have a great weekend!

Brian

I have never looked at calories when reading labels.

Why? Because they mean nothing to me. Your body doesn?t really care that much either. Every client I work with I never bring up calories. It?s too tedious to count them anyway??

Some professionals believe that total daily caloric intake matters to weight gain.

Does the body have some mechanism to count calories? Does the body have sensors to detect calories??No and No??

Your body doesn?t give a hoot about calories.

Consider two foods of equal caloric value. On the one hand, you have a sugar cookie, and on the other is a plate of lettuce.?Calories are identical.?OK. So what? When you eat those two foods, does your body somehow measure these calories? No.

The metabolic effect of those two foods is?completely different.

  • The sugar cookie will stimulate insulin and no other satiety hormone
  • Lettuce will not stimulate insulin much and you will feel fuller.

To understand weight loss, we need to understand what our body??cares??about.

  • The answer is clearly not ?calories. The answer is??hormones?, predominantly?insulin.

Hormones run everything in our body

Our?body gains or loses fat?according to detailed hormonal instructions from our brain.

The rise and fall of insulin is the main stimulus to?weight gain.

So, foods that stimulate insulin are typically more fattening?(cookies). Those that do not?(broccoli)?are typically not fattening at all.

Since our body is?not likely to learn the language of ?calories?, we need to?learn the language of ?insulin?, by translating foods into insulin effect instead of calories.

We need to start using the common language of the body ??Insulin.

Have a great weekend!!

Let me know if you have any questions??

Brian

Is breakfast really that important? ?It?depends?who you talk to?

Mainstream media and big cereal companies (e.g., Kellogg) have always stressed that breakfast is the most?important?meal of the day.

I would beg to differ.

Breakfast is the most?marketed?meal of the day. Why?

Because any company that convinces you to eat their cereal, bagel, or Pop Tart owns your breakfast, as most people eat the same breakfast daily.

nutrition | breakfast | fasting | Brian Gryn

Studies?show that due to our stringent breakfast routines, consumers have strong brand loyalty to certain cereals.

How about those?Tony the Tiger?ads that got tens of thousands of children to eat Frosted Flakes every morning for years?!

(I actually was one of those kids! Before I got into health.??)

Most breakfast cereals rank just behind cookies, candy, ice cream, and sugary drinks as a source of?dietary sugar.

Also, instant oatmeal and/or instant cream of wheat is highly processed as well.

So two questions:

1. Should we eat breakfast at all?

That is up to you? If you are eating something?processed?(bagel, muffin, pancakes, donuts, or pastries) or with large amounts of?sugar?(most yogurts or anything with??instant??in front of it) ? I would?avoid?breakfast, and have black coffee or green tea or?what I have.??

You can break your fast with a?healthy lunch?and save time in the morning.

Also, by skipping breakfast, you?balance?out your fasting and feeding times.

The human body is?designed?to go periods without food.

Most people think that eating first thing in the A.M. will give you the fuel to start the day, but your body has?plenty of left over fuel and?glycogen (when that runs out ? fat) stored inside of you.

Glycogen?is your most easily accessible energy source and can last for days.

If we?start eating?the minute we roll out of bed and do not stop until we go to sleep, we spend almost all of our time in a?fed state.

2. What do we eat for breakfast if you are going to have it?

Eggs?are a good choice, and you can get creative with how you make them (scrambled, omelette, sunny side up, etc.) and what you put in them (veggies, cheese, avocado, etc.).

Most importantly, avoid?anything processed or that you would throw in your?microwave. So no?bagel, muffin, or pastry with the eggs.

So the?bottom line?is that marketers and big corps want you to think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, when it actually is just?another meal.

For a while, I was?convinced?as well, but after researching and skipping breakfast myself, I realized it wasn?t a big deal.

I had even more energy to work out and/or go to work all in a?fasted state.

Also, short-term fasting leads to?several changes?in the body that make fat burning easier. This includes?reduced insulin, increased?growth hormone, enhanced?epinephrine?signaling (adrenaline), and a small boost in metabolism.??

So figure out if?breakfast?is that important for you, and you will see that it?s not all it?s hyped up to be.

Have a great day!

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