Robb Wolf at New Paltz = Ancestral Health = Movement Important component

Great lecture by Robb Wolf at New Paltz State University in New York , His presentation skills/presence have improved a ton since I saw him in Chico at this time last year and he was pretty solid then !

A little more 'sciencey' then other talks so this isn't for everyone but definitely got me thinking on a few new angles on how to explain and think about this evolutionary perspective of health, nutrition and life.

Big Take Aways for me:


Check out the Talk Here:
http://mediasite.suny.edu/mediasite/SilverlightPlayer/Default.aspx?peid=36d261682e3f4bd19d2c2e4978eddf261d



1) Is New always Bad ?
      - No not necessarily BUT maybe worth avoiding depending on how it influences the individual

2) Ancestors largely free of disease/Illness ... see increase or occurrence once tradition to agriculturist lifestyle
   - this doesn't prove anything but certainly does not provide argument for consuming foods different from past

3) Ancestors were quite active
      - specifically we changed gene expression favorably ... this is contrasted to not expending energy and the affects on gene expression.
   - While Data may not be largely supporting exercise influencing obesity it DOES IMPROVE HEALTH
    - Ancestors may die early from accident / infection but very lean and healthy until death
    - the enlarged heart we call 'athlete's heart' is actually a normal heart but the norm is a small heart

4) Ancestral Diet
  - basically no legumes, grains, dairy
   - based on lean, wild meat + seasonal, local veggies/fruits, seeds/nuts as possible
   - dynamic/seasonal key here
   - optimal foraging strategy (ie. spinach costs more to find/gather then what it gives vs. wild game)

5) Using Anthropology + Clinical Observation + Establishing a Mechanism

6) Katavans - a tribe consuming 60% carbohydrate and 20-25% fat
         - not low carb but no metabolic derangement or diabetes
           - high fat from saturated fat but no cancer
             - take away that quality make huge difference and so do exclusion of problematic foods
                 - Humans can survive on wide array of macro-nutrient percentages and foods

7) Basic Tenants of Evolutionary Perspective
        - foods consumed during a species main evolution
         - plants have protective elements to defend against consumption BUT lectins not always bad and many lectins are eliminated in cooking
         - Leptin resistance highly correlated with western diet but not non-western diet
         - Paleo diet vs. cereal based (Mediterranean diet) on lower c-reactive protein, higher insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure and markers of auto-immune (in pigs)
         - Paleo diet improves glucose tolerance better than Mediterranean diet
                ** note that Mediterranean diet had minimal affect on markers of diabetes

8) Lectins - may not be culprits due to cooking eliminating them but same foods previously thought problematic are problematic as possess problematic proteins (prolamines)
        - grains / seeds / legumes especially
          - Prolamines (ie. Gliadin / Gluten ) are 'wrapped' quite tight and so hard to digest / break down
         - these proteins provide ability for undigested proteins to remain intact and interact with receptor on gut wall ... potentially allowing for 'leaky gut'
   - Gluten is such a big issue because the disrupted cell membrane and problems of proteins remaining intact can cause an autoimmune response on many (most?) areas of the body including the Pancreas (diabetes) Thyroid (and Small Intestine (Celiac Disease).
        - Normal Vitamin D levels seem to be associated with normal immune response
         - Gluten has been shown to have pharmacological activity, it can adjust hormones and has addictive affects not unlike a drug.

9) Inflammation is a large part of all of the equation with the illnessess/ conditions
   - gluten, omega 6



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