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SPECIAL REPORT
CARB
CONTROVERSY:
THE PROS AND CONS
OF A LOW CARB DIET.
1
CARB CONTROVERSY:
The pros and cons of a low carb diet.
By Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD
In the past few years, I’ll bet you’ve heard (or thought) at least one of
the following:
• Carbs spike your blood sugar and insulin, which slathers on the
body fat.
• Carbs, especially sugar and grains, cause inflammation.
• Carbs are not an essential part of the diet like fat and protein.
No.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
(Insulin’s actually a satiety hormone — in other words, it makes you
feel full — so the idea that on its own it leads to fat gain doesn’t make
sense.)
Are carbs less important than protein, fat, and the many
micronutrients that contribute to our health?
Of course it can.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
The problem with not eating carbs
As a weight loss strategy, cutting carbs (while reducing the total
number of calories) clearly works pretty well for some people. If it
didn’t, then Atkins would have never been popular in the first place.
If you’re sedentary, your carb needs are lower. So you might be able
to get away with more restriction.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
In other words: Your metabolism might slow, your stress hormones go
up and your muscle-building hormones go down.
You feel lousy, spaced-out, sluggish, cranky… and maybe even sick.
Most vexing of all: You probably don’t even lose that much weight in
the long term.
If you’re interested in the details and some research, read on. If you
just want to know what to do, skip to the end.
Decreased thyroid
In order to function properly and to maintain an appropriate
metabolism, our body produces an important hormone called T3. T3 is
the most active thyroid hormone and is incredibly important for blood
glucose management and proper metabolic function.
Getting enough carbs can lower reverse T3. Not eating enough
carbs will increase it, thus blocking the important work of T3.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
The Vermont Study is far from alone. Other research confirms
that ketogenic (ultra-low carb) diets reduce T3 levels as rapidly as
starvation.
Additional studies show that when calories are held constant (in this
case at 2100 calories), reducing carbohydrates from 409 g to 202 g
and then to 104 g significantly reduced serum T3 levels (from 91 to 86
to 69 ng/dL respectively).
T3 levels were equal on the normal and high carb diets (ranging from
163.3 to 169.5 ng/100 mL). However, on the low carb diet they fell to
148.6 ng/100 mL on average. And of course, rT3 correspondingly rose
on the low carb diet, but not on the standard or high carb diets.
Thyroid hormones are important for more than just weight loss; they
also have profound effects on our overall health and energy levels.
Thus, when you don’t eat enough, and/or eat enough carbs while
training:
• T3 goes down
• Reverse T3 goes up, further blocking T3
• You feel like crap, and eventually your training sucks
If you’re active, you need adequate energy and carb intakes for a
healthy thyroid.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Cortisol up; testosterone down
Research consistently shows that people who exercise regularly need
to eat enough carbs or their testosterone will fall while their cortisol
levels rise. This is a sure-fire recipe for losing muscle and gaining fat.
A few years later, another study took this research a step further. This
time the subjects included men and women who exercised regularly.
And in addition to considering the effect of their diet on hormones,
researchers put them through some performance tests.
Once again, when the subjects ate a low carb diet, their
testosterone (and other anabolic hormones) went down, while their
cortisol went up.
And, after following a low carb diet for just three days, only two of the
six participants were able to complete the cycling test! Meanwhile,
when following the higher carb diet for three days, all six participants
were able to complete the test.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Thus:
Our hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which sit in the brain, are
exquisitely sensitive to things like energy availability and stress (which
can include life stress and exercise stress).
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
This means disrupted hormones and stopped — or irregular — periods
because of the HPA’s response to perceived starvation and stress.
With all this said, here’s the takeaway message: Many women try to
eat low-carb, wanting to be healthier.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
• anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues;
• chronic inflammation and worse chronic pain;
• chronic fatigue and disrupted sleep; and
• a host of other chronic problems…
…ironically, this is the exact opposite of what they wanted in the first
place.
Muscle loss
When we think about building muscle, we usually think of protein. But
research shows that lowering carb intake can affect your muscle mass
even if protein remained constant.
All diets had the same total calories and the same amount of protein
— 15%. (Yes, a little low, but more or less adequate.)
• T3 levels and reverse T3 levels stayed the same with high and
moderate carbohydrate intake.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
• T3 levels and reverse T3 went down on the low-carb diet.
But here’s the interesting wrinkle. In this study, the researchers also
measured urinary nitrogen excretion to see how the diets affected
protein breakdown.
In this case, the low carb diet increased muscle breakdown, because
severely low carbs lowered insulin levels.
When you get enough carbs to meet your needs, you replenish
muscle glycogen and create an anabolic (building-up) hormonal
environment. You get strong and buff. That’s good.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
But wait a minute.
Even if all of this is true, aren’t low carb diets better for fat loss?
The logic seems so clear and appealing: High carbs lead to insulin
which leads to fat storage. Low carbs keep insulin low, which should
get you effortlessly lean while you enjoy chicken wings, salmon, eggs,
and butter.
Indeed, many people who try low-carb dieting are initially pleased by
an immediate weight loss… which is mostly water and glycogen. So, in
the short term, it seems like low-carb diets are superior.
Research says no. Over the long haul, any differences between low-
carb and other diets even out.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
up” to digest it (you’ll know this if you’ve ever gotten the “meat
sweats” after a big steak);
• protein makes people feel fuller, longer; and
• protein helps people retain lean mass.
In other words, the big “secret” might be a high protein diet rather
than a low carb diet.
So let’s play fair and look at a study where protein was matched. In
this study, subjects who ate a moderate carb diet (40% calories from
carbs) reported significantly better mood, and lost about the same
amount of weight as those on a ketogenic low-carb diet (5% calories
from carbs).
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Makes you wonder why low carb gets so much hype, doesn’t it?
Still, it would be great to understand more about what makes low carb
diets “work” at all. One recent study asked: Do low carb diets work
because they restrict carbs or because they tend to increase protein?
Over the course of one year, the researchers compared four different
conditions:
Interestingly, the two groups eating the high protein lost the most
weight.
And the real kicker? Varying the levels of fats and carbs seemed to
make no difference to body composition.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Who needs carbs? Who doesn’t?
As our name implies, at Precision Nutrition we don’t believe in one-
size-fits-all dietary recommendations.
• About 70% of you will do really well with PN’s standard hand-
size portion guidelines. (See our Calorie Control Guide for
more.)
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
A few people do best with high carbs.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
fat, low-carb intake — at least after athletes became adapted to it —
individual responses to this diet did vary enormously.
Two of the five participants got tired sooner when eating low-
carb (taking 48 and 51 minutes to conk out, respectively). But one
participant actually got better by 84 minutes on the low carb diet.
The data are clear: Each athlete — each person — is unique when it
comes to carbohydrate requirements.
While on average the performance of the cyclists did not vary whether
they were eating high carb or high fat diets, there was one interesting
difference, highlighted by the study authors in a review study done
twenty-one years later.
After a week of adaptation to the low-carb diet, most cyclists felt that
they could more or less perform normally… except for their sprint
capacity, which never seemed to recover while restricting carbs.
But before we get too carried away in the opposite direction and
start carb loading, let’s remember this basic truth: Most of us are not
elite athletes.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
What this means for you
Sometimes, we get so caught up in fad diets that we forget to look at
the evidence. But fad diets are mostly bad diets.
For many years, we thought the secret to maintaining our weight was
to eat lots of carbs and reduce our fat intake. Just think of the old
Food Guide Pyramid with grains at the bottom and oils at the top.
Low-fat, high-carb didn’t work for most of us. People felt deprived
and hungry; they “cheated” with “fat-free”, high-sugar treats; and they
ended up eating a lot of rice cakes.
Then the pendulum swung, people hopped on the low carb, high
fat bandwagon, and it was party time with almond butter, bacon, and
heavy cream.
Unfortunately for most of us, low carb doesn’t work so well, either.
If your eating plan isn’t working for you, it’s tempting to make it more
restrictive. You might assume that if you aren’t losing fat going kinda
low-carb, you should go full ketogenic.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Most of us need some carbs
Most of us will look, feel, and perform our best when we balance a
reasonable amount of lean protein, quality carbs, and healthy fats.
Portions for women. (See our Calorie Control Guide for details.)
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Portions for men. (See our Calorie Control Guide for details.)
Don’t like beef for your lean protein? How about eggs?
Need more carbs to support your athletic performance? Cool. Add
another few servings and see how it goes.
Curious about balancing your blood sugar by dialing back the carbs
just a little bit? Great — give it a go, monitor your glucose levels, and
see how you feel.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Your individual carb requirements depend on your:
Keep it simple
Don’t overly restrict; don’t over-think it; don’t waste time with “carb
math”.
Decide what to do based on the data you collect about yourself, not
on what you think you “should” do.
The only “rules” come from your zbody and your experience. Don’t
follow a dietary prescription for anyone else’s body.
And above all, for most active people, carbs are your friend!
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
Discover how to help anyone eat better—
starting now.
If you want to take your nutrition game to the next level, check out
the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. It’s the most respected
nutrition education program in the world—and the next group kicks
off soon.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | Carb controversy: The pros and cons of a low carb diet. precisionnutrition.com
LOW CARB DIET
SPECIAL REPORT
THE
KETOGENIC DIET:
DOES IT LIVE UP
TO THE HYPE?
2
THE KETOGENIC DIET:
DOES IT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE?
The pros, the cons, and the facts about
this not-so-new diet craze.
By Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D. and Helen Kollias, Ph.D
“I’m doing this for my health,” you could purr virtuously, as you topped
your delectably marbled, medium-rare steak with a fried egg.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
If you want to change your body and/or health:
• You don’t need to know every detail. Just get the general idea.
• Check out our advice at the end.
Aside from being an incredibly helpful and friendly voice on the other
end of the phone, Lindsay is also a tireless advocate for a health
condition that has shaped her life in many ways: epilepsy.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
man who had seizures for five days. On the sixth day, he noted, as the
patient “abstained from everything, both gruel and drink, there were
no further seizures.”
About 1,400 years later, in 1000 CE, the famous Persian physician
Avicenna — who coined the term “epilepsy”, from the ancient Greek
verb epilambanein (to seize or attack, as the neurological condition
caused seizures), speculated that “overfeeding” might be a risk factor
for epilepsy.
In other words:
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Could there be “fasting without fasting”?
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
First the brain, then the body.
The ketogenic diet seemed like a magic bullet: a way to eat butter,
bacon and cream, and still get abs.
The answer?
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
• what this means for you.
It might be hard to translate “low carb, high fat” into everyday foods.
To give you a better idea of the ketogenic diet in real life, here’s a
comparison:
And here’s what that might look like translated into meals.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Notice a few things.
Protein
For the first three meals, protein is more or less the same, with a little
variation.
The Paleo plate may contain slightly fewer carbohydrates (early human
diets often had plenty of them), but eliminates the grains and beans /
legumes.
The “low carb” plate will have fewer carbohydrates than the first two,
but still have a small amount, likely from vegetables.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
The Paleo and low-carb plates may be roughly similar, with a little
variation. We might call all three of these “moderate fat”. Indeed, some
indigenous diets (aka variations on the “Paleo” concept) are often
quite low in fat, especially saturated fat.
Highly restrictive
A ketogenic diet is the most restrictive and limited of all four of these
styles of eating. Here’s what you can eat on a ketogenic diet:
• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Avocado
• Coconut and coconut milk or oil
• Olive oil and any other oil
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
• Nuts and nut butters
• Bacon
• Egg yolks
• Butter
• Cheese
• Leafy greens
• Brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage
• Asparagus
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Zucchini
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
• Slightly-sweet vegetables such as winter squash, beets, or
carrots
• Most processed foods (with the notable exception of pork rinds)
Ketogenic menus:
To understand why this is true, let’s look at how ketosis actually works.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
What is ketosis?
The role of ketones
Put very simply, when the conditions are right (for instance, during
starvation or fasting, or when our carb intake is very low):
• Our body releases fatty acids from our stored body fat.
• These fatty acids enter other cells.
• Fatty acids are combined with co-enzyme A to form acetyl-CoA
chains.
• These chains move into the mitochondria (our cells’ energy
factories).
• The chains are broken down into acetyl-CoA units by a
sequence of reactions known as β-oxidation.
• Chemical magic happens.
• Acetyl-CoA forms your friends the ketones: acetoacetate and
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
β-hydroxybutyrate, along with acetone (the same smelly stuff in
your nail polish remover).
• Ketones are released by the liver into the blood.
• Almost any cell that needs energy can grab it from these
circulating ketones. Again, our brain will be the greediest for
these nummy little molecules.
Shape and orientation matter to molecules and their actions, just like
having right-handed and left-handed gloves or shoes matters.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
This difference also matters for ketone supplementation (see below).
Ketosis happens when blood ketones are higher than normal either
through dietary changes (which lead to very low blood glucose)
or through supplementation (independent of blood glucose
concentrations).
That’s technically true, but the alcohol in booze (aka ethanol) can
also be used for energy. Just because we can metabolize something
doesn’t always mean we should.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
blood levels of CO2, absorbing hydrogen ions, or telling the kidneys to
excrete more dihydrogen phosphate and ammonium ions.
However, if for some reason our body can’t compensate, and blood pH
drops below about 7.35 (in other words, becoming more acidic), we’re
in trouble.
For the average healthy person, dietary ketosis or even brief fasting
is generally safe.
We can make our own ketone bodies naturally, through the process of
ketogenesis.
Our ancestors kicked off ketogenesis the good old fashioned way: by
starving. About 72 hours into starvation, ketogenesis is happening and
you’re in ketosis. Congratulations!
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Let’s take an even deeper look
Interestingly, how quickly ketosis happens varies by age and species.
Babies, on the other hand, go into ketosis within a few hours of not
eating.
When we eat normally, our brain gets enough energy from glucose
that can easily pass the blood-brain barrier.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
within 2-3 days (faster if we’re active), and have to find some other fuel
source.
As with starvation, it usually takes some time to get into ketosis once
we stop eating carbs.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Over time, our body’s excretion of ketones can change, even if we’re
still in ketosis. Therefore, you may see different readings on the Ketostix,
regardless of what is actually happening in your body.
If ketones are what we want, why not just take them instead of making
our own by fasting or cutting out carbohydrates?
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Is ketone supplementation effective?
The buzz is that ketone supplements can make you thin and cure
whatever ails you. But what you read about in the media or on the
interwebs isn’t always what scientists actually found in the lab.
Weight loss
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Epilepsy
Cancer
That being said, here are some interesting and promising new
avenues for ketosis… as well as some “don’t bother” examples.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
We don’t know for sure yet whether this is because of ketosis or some
other mechanism (such as programmed cell death, aka apoptosis).
Verdict: Could help in some cases, but should be done with a clear
purpose and carefully monitored. Not a long-term “cure-all” for most
people.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Oxidation is a natural part of cellular metabolism, but too much oxidation,
too fast, without the balance of antioxidants, contributes to many
metabolic and other diseases.
We know ketosis for epilepsy is a win — can ketosis help other types
of brain illnesses and injuries?
Still, based on what we’ve seen with epilepsy and rat studies, chances
are good that ketones may be a low-risk treatment — and perhaps
even a preventive strategy — to improve brain health. See above
about getting medical supervision from someone other than Dr.
Google.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Verdict: Probably can’t hurt, might help people with
neurodegeneration and/or mild to moderate brain injury.
But right now, we don’t know if ketosis works the same way.
Plus, without a control group (say, your identical twin who lives exactly
the same lifestyle as you, in the exact same environment, with only
your diets being different), it’s hard to know for sure whether your
100th birthday was due to ketosis or something else.
For now, any longevity benefits would be mostly speculative. And your
100th birthday cake would have to be a block of butter.
Verdict: You could try this one and get your next of kin to report
back… but most people wouldn’t want to.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Could we possibly enable people to tap into their stored body fat
more effectively, and require less re-fueling from stuff like sugary
energy gels?
Ketosis lets you avoid glycogen depletion (aka bonking, hitting the
wall), because you aren’t using glycogen as your energy source, so
you don’t need to take in carbs as you compete. Instead you’re using
fat and ketone bodies.
You increase fat oxidation, spare glycogen, produce less lactate and
use less oxygen at submaximal rates.
All this sounds great, but the exercise physiologists’ consensus is that
while all these adaptations are true, the problem is that with fat and
ketone bodies as fuel, you’re not going to go as fast as you can when
using with glucose and carbohydrates.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Cutting Edge Research:
Carb + Ketone Supplementation Improve
Aerobic Performance
A recent study compared the effect of drinking just carbs to drinking
carbs + ketones in male and female elite cyclists.
After not eating overnight (about 16 hours) the cyclists came to the lab
and drank either a carb drink or a carb + ketone (c + k) drink.
Carb drink:
• 40% dextrose
• 40% fructose
• 20% maltodextrin
C + k drink
• 60% dextrose
• 40% ketone ((R)-hydroxybutyl (R) -3-hydroxybutyrate ketone ester).
Total amount of substrate in both drinks were 573 mg/kg body weight.
The cyclists drank half of their drink, rode for 1 hour at 75% of their max
power output. Then they drank the other half of their drink and biked as
far as they could in 30 minutes.
After a week, the cyclist repeated the experiment with the opposite
drink.
Results
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
(400 meters) farther longer over the 30 minutes.
There were some metabolic differences to note in with the c+k drink:
• less lactate
• more fatty acids in the blood
• more D- ?- hydroxybutyrate
Oh, insulin, you naughty monkey! You have been getting yourself in so
much trouble lately!
Low-carb advocates in the late 1990s and early 2000s thought maybe
they had stumbled on the key to fighting flab: insulin. Insulin is mainly a
storage hormone: Its job is basically to help nutrients get into cells.
For one thing, it got some of us unhooked from processed sugary and
starchy treats, and thinking more about fiber content and healthy fats.
Unfortunately, insulin is not the only player. There’s never only one
player in the team sport and complex system that is your body.
Nor does insulin act alone. Energy storage is governed largely by our
brain, not a single hormone.
The other upside to the low-carb approach was that people often ate
more protein and more fat. When we eat protein and fat, we release
satiety hormones, particularly CCK, which is one of the main hormones
that tells us we’re full.
More protein and fat means we’re often less hungry. Which means we
eat less. Which means we lose fat. It’s the “eating less” part (not the
insulin part) that actually matters.
Yet being in ketosis doesn’t seem to have any special advantage for
losing body fat (rather than just weight), especially if we consider the
lifestyle and behavior aspect to this.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
You may find it easy to eat less when all you can eat is protein and
fat. But after a while, you may grow tired of bringing your own whole
salmon to parties, and wonder what the other 95% of the grocery
store is up to. You may start to have fantasies about a threesome: you,
Oreos, and chocolate sauce. Not only that, you may be getting some
serious scurvy and other nutrient deficiencies.
Women’s bodies go on high alert faster when they sense less energy
and fewer nutrients coming in. Many women have found that the low-
carb diet that worked great for their husband not only didn’t work for
them, but it knocked out their menstrual cycle on the way out the door.
With this dietary change, insulin went down while fatty acids and ketone
bodies went up. Basal metabolism (energy expenditure) went up by
about 100 kcal per day.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Figuring out what this actually means is complicated.
The authors of the study think that differences found in other studies
comparing high and low-carb diets are because of differences in protein
intake rather than carbohydrate intake in those studies.
Protein promotes satiety and takes the most energy to digest and
absorb, so differences in weight loss may be net calories absorbed,
rather than decreases in insulin or increases in metabolism.
For the most part, we need insulin — along with other hormones, such
as growth hormone and testosterone — to create an anabolic, muscle-
building environment. Trying to build muscle while in ketosis is like
stepping on the gas and the brake at the same time.
Enjoy reading about ketosis if you like. Try it, if you’re curious. But
you can be perfectly fit, lean, and healthy without it.
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. (Except this article,
of course.) Remember that the plural of “personal anecdote” is not
“scientific data”. Be a critical reader and consumer.
If you’re an athlete:
Know your body and the demands of your sport. Unless you’re
an ultra-endurance athlete, becoming fat-adapted or adopting a
ketogenic diet probably won’t improve your performance.
Don’t add stress. Training is a good stress, but still a stressor. Fasting
and restricting energy (i.e. calories) or a particular nutrient are also
stressors. Stress adds up. Don’t add nutritional stress from a stringent
diet to the mix, particularly if you’re female.
Refer out: If you think a client might benefit from a ketogenic diet or
ketone supplementation for a health condition, work with their doctor
to support things like meal planning and keeping a food journal that
looks for correlations between diet and how they feel.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Carefully monitor and track any dietary modifications. First, you want
to stay safe; second, you want to know if what you’re doing is having
any effect. So decide how you’ll know if your dietary changes are
“working”, and track those indicators closely.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
Discover how to help anyone eat better—
starting now.
If you want to take your nutrition game to the next level, check out
the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. It’s the most respected
nutrition education program in the world—and the next group kicks
off soon.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? precisionnutrition.com
LOW CARB DIET
SPECIAL REPORT
THE PALEO
PROBLEM:
EXAMINING THE PROS
AND CONS OF THE
PALEO DIET.
3
THE PALEO PROBLEM:
Examining the pros and cons
of the Paleo Diet.
By Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD
First:
• We’ll define just what “Paleo” refers to.
• We’ll explain what’s so special about hunter-gatherers.
• We’ll review how and what ancestral-style eaters actually do.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
“Paleo” defined
The Paleo, or primal, diet is based on two central ideas.
We adapted to eat particular kinds of foods.
To stay healthy, strong, and fit — and avoid the chronic diseases of
modernity — we need to eat like our ancestors.
Our oldest cousins, the earliest primates, lived more than 60 million
years ago. And, just like most primates today, they subsisted mainly on
fruit, leaves, and insects.
About 2.6 million years ago, at the dawn of the Paleolithic era, things
began to change.
Our early human ancestors started rockin’ the opposable thumb and
big brain adaptations. They started using stone tools and fire, and, as
a result, slowly changed their diet.
By the time truly modern humans came on the scene about 50,000
years ago, our ancestors were eating an omnivorous hunter-gatherer
diet.
Yet the 10,000-year time frame since the dawn of the Neolithic period
represents only about 1% of the time that we humans have been on
earth.
Many people believe that the change from a hunting and gathering
diet (rich in wild fruits and vegetables) to an agricultural diet (rich
in cereal grains) gave rise to our modern chronic diseases such as
obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
This is a fundamental tenet of the Paleo Diet, and a big reason why
proponents say we should return to the meat and produce-based diet
of our past.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
How do “ancestral eaters” fare?
Of course, while we have extensive skeletal remains, cooking sites,
and other types of evidence, we don’t have detailed medical records
of our hunter-gatherer hominid ancestors.
However, we do have real live sample populations that we can look at.
These foraging diets are diverse and probably reflect the widely
varying diets of our prehistoric ancestors, simply because what people
ate depended on where they lived: mostly plant-based (in the tropics),
mostly animal-based (in the Arctic), and everything in between.
However varied their diets across the globe, most Paleolithic humans
likely consumed about three times more produce than the typical
American.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Image source: Jen Christiansen (Scientific American)
A modern example
The residents of Kitava Island, off Papua, New Guinea, are probably
the most famously researched modern hunter-gatherer population.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
According to Dr. Staffan Lindeberg, who’s extensively studied their
habits, Kitavans live exclusively on:
• starchy root vegetables (yam, sweet potato, taro,
tapioca);
• fruit (banana, papaya, pineapple, mango, guava,
watermelon, pumpkin);
• vegetables;
• fish and seafood; and
• coconuts.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
• Modern hunter-gatherers are healthy, and their health declines
when they switch to a modern diet.
Over the last century — a period that is undoubtedly far too short for
significant genetic adaptation — industrialization and technology have
radically changed the way we eat and live.
Consider: The top six calorie sources in the U.S. diet today are grain-
based desserts (cake, cookies, etc.), yeast breads, chicken-based
dishes (and you know that doesn’t mean roast chicken), sweetened
beverages, pizza, and alcoholic drinks.
These are not ancestral foods. Nor foods that any nutrition expert,
regardless of dietary persuasion, would ever recommend.
So when proponents of the Paleo diet claim that our modern Western
diet isn’t healthy for us, they are absolutely correct.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
But is the Paleo diet really Paleo?
Remember: There’s no single “Paleo diet”.
Our ancestors lived pretty much all over the world, in incredibly
diverse environments, eating incredibly diverse diets.
Maybe so… but not necessarily for the reasons that Paleo proponents
recommend.
First of all, most modern fruits and vegetables are not like the ones
our ancestors ate.
Early fruits and vegetables were often bitter, much smaller, tougher to
harvest, and sometimes even toxic.
Over time, we’ve bred plants with the most preferable and enticing
traits — the biggest fruits, prettiest colors, sweetest flesh, fewest
natural toxins, and largest yields.
Beef steak (even if grass-fed) is not the same as bison steak or deer
meat. And so on.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
This doesn’t make modern produce or modern meat inherently good
or bad. It’s just different from nearly anything available in Paleolithic
times.
So the claim that we should eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and
meats because we are evolved to eat precisely those foods is a little
bit suspect. The ones we eat today didn’t even exist in Paleolithic
times!
Proponents of the Paleo diet argue that our ancestors’ diets could
not have included a lot of grains, legumes, or dairy foods. And they
contend that the past 10,000 years of agriculture isn’t enough time to
adapt to these “new” foods.
In other words, the idea that Paleolithic humans never ate grains and
cereals appears to be a bit of an exaggeration.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Are beans really bad for you?
Grains are not the only plant type that the Paleo diet typically limits.
However, the idea that legumes were not widely available or widely
consumed in Paleolithic times — like the argument that humans didn’t
eat grains in the Paleolithic era — is false.
In fact, a 2009 review revealed that not only did our Paleolithic
ancestors eat legumes, these were actually an important part of
their diet! (Even our primate cousins, including chimpanzees, got into
the bean-eating act.)
Legumes have been found at Paleolithic sites all over the world, and
in some cases were determined to be the dominant type of plant
food available. In fact, the evidence for wild legume consumption by
Paleolithic humans is as strong as it is for any plant food.
Okay. Maybe our ancient ancestors did eat a little bit of grain and
some legumes — so the argument from history doesn’t really hold.
But Paleo proponents also offer another reason to avoid these foods:
Their high concentration of anti-nutrients, which supposedly reduces
their nutritional value to zilch.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
their anti-nutrient content, especially in light of the fact that cooking
eliminates most anti-nutrient effects.
Phytic acid
Not necessarily.
While phytic acid can be toxic if we eat too much of it, in more
reasonable amounts it actually offers benefits.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
And, in a mixed diet composed of other nutrient-dense whole foods,
phytic acid is unlikely to cause problems.
Green tea and red wine contain tannins, another anti-nutrient that
inhibits zinc and iron absorption.
And so on.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Grains and inflammation
Another argument for a Paleo diet is that eating grains can lead to
inflammation and related health problems.
While this can be true for people with celiac disease (about 1% of the
population) and for those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (estimated
to be about 10% of the population, if it even truly exists), on the whole,
the research does not support this argument any more than it supports
the argument about anti-nutrients.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Evolution of the human GI tract
In Paleo circles, it’s sometimes said that while the world has changed
in innumerable ways in the last 10,000 years, our genes have changed
very little. And further, that we really only thrive in a world with similar
conditions to the Paleolithic era.
For example, over the past 8,000 years or so, about forty per cent of
us have developed the capacity to consume dairy for a lifetime. As a
species, we’re evolving a mutation whereby we continue to produce
the lactase enzyme to break down lactose for far longer periods than
our ancestors ever could. True, not everyone can digest lactose well,
but more of us can do so than ever before.
And studies have shown that even people who don’t digest lactose
well are capable of consuming moderate amounts of dairy, tolerating
an average 12 grams of lactose at a time (the amount of lactose in one
cup of milk) with few to no symptoms.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Gut knowledge
Thank the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut. These friendly critters
interact with our food in many ways, helping us break down tough
plant fibers, releasing bound phytonutrients and anti-oxidants, and
assisting us to assimilate many important compounds.
That’s because bacteria evolve and adapt at a rate much faster than
our slow human genes. And for us, that’s a good thing.
It helps to explain why, even if the ancient human diet didn’t include
grains, legumes, dairy, and other relatively modern agricultural
products, we still might thrive on such a diet today – at least, with a
little help from our bacterial friends.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
The magical microbiome
In fact, the total genetic makeup of these little creatures is at least 100
times greater than our own! (Essentially, we’re only 1% human. Think
about that.)
This vast genetic diversity ensures that our GI tracts can adapt rapidly
to changes in diet and lifestyle.
A single meal can change the type of bacteria that populate your
gut. And as little as several days on a new diet can lead to dramatic
changes in the bacterial populations in your GI tract.
Many of us can break down the more “modern” food compounds that
Paleo advocates claim we do not tolerate well — simply because our
intestines harbor bacteria that have evolved to do that job.
For instance, some Japanese people host unique bacteria that can
help them digest seaweed.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
So even if you don’t naturally break down lactose well, it’s possible,
through the right combination of foods and/or probiotic supplements,
to persuade the bacteria in your gut to do this job on your behalf.
What’s more, the same strategy could also address gluten intolerance.
But that doesn’t mean that the diet itself is necessarily bad.
Maybe it’s a good diet for completely different reasons than they say.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
heart disease and placed them on one of two diets:
After 12 weeks, the Mediterranean group lost body fat and saw an
improvement in markers of diabetes. Four of the nine participants with
diabetic blood sugar levels at the beginning of the study had normal
levels by the end. That’s a very good result and must have made the
participants happy.
They lost 70 percent more body fat than the Mediterranean group
and also normalized their blood sugars. In fact, all ten participants with
diabetic blood sugar levels at the beginning of the study reached non-
diabetic levels by the end of the study.
The Paleo group ate a lot more protein, compared to the other diet
groups. Plenty of protein helps keep our lean mass dense and strong,
stay lean, and feel satisfied by our meals.
So, we’re not just comparing apples to oranges when protein intakes
are different; this is more like comparing grains to goat meat. Literally.
The Paleo diet may indeed be the best plan, but it’s hard to know
for sure without direct comparisons that match macronutrients and
calories.
Despite the faulty evolutionary theory it’s based on, in the end, the
Paleo diet likely gets more right than it gets wrong.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
However, we need more rigorous (and carefully matched) trials before
we can reach any definitive conclusions.
Despite its obvious benefits over the typical Western diet, the Paleo
diet has some flaws.
This may explain why we are seeing the Paleo diet itself evolve.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
It’s evolution, baby
These additions make life much more pleasant. They make healthy
eating more attractive and achievable.
In fact, this new “leniency” may partly explain why the Paleo diet
continues to gain traction in mainstream nutrition circles.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
What to do today
Consider the good things about ancestral lifestyles. This includes
fresh food, fresh air, lots of movement, good sleep, and a strong social
network. How could you get just a little bit of these in your life today?
Think about how you could move along the spectrum — from
processed 21st century life and food — to choices that are a little more
in tune with what your ancient body needs and loves.
Keep it simple and sane. Doing a few good things pretty well (like
getting a little extra sleep or fresh veggies) is much better than trying
to get a lot of things “perfect”.
Help your old body (and your trillions of little buddies) do their jobs.
Our bodies are resilient. We didn’t get to be one of the dominant
species on the planet by being fussy, delicate flowers. Nevertheless,
think about how you can nourish your body optimally in order to give
your body and microbiome the best chance of surviving and thriving.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
Discover how to help anyone eat better—
starting now.
If you want to take your nutrition game to the next level, check out
the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. It’s the most respected
nutrition education program in the world—and the next group kicks
off soon.
Low Carb Diet Special Report | The Paleo Problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet. precisionnutrition.com
LOW CARB DIET
SPECIAL REPORT
CARBOHYDRATE
CONFESSIONS:
STORIES (AND DATA)
FROM A LOW CARB
CONVERT.
4
CARBOHYDRATE
CONFESSIONS:
Stories (and data) from a low carb convert.
By Dr. Spencer Nadolsky
Have you ever been forced to change your mind? Even about
something you thought was absolutely true? Well, that’s what
happened to Dr. Spencer Nadolsky. A long-time low carb advocate,
this high carb experiment rocked his world.
Like many recreational exercisers, or people who know at least a little
about nutrition, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky was certain that his low carb diet
was the secret to staying lean and healthy. Until he tried a high carb
experiment… and the results astonished him.
In this article, we’ll share the results of his experiment. Even more, we’ll
talk about how our assumptions can be challenged when we become
our own guinea pigs, and follow the evidence of our experience.
Self-experimentation:
Where nutritional rules get broken (maybe)
We all love being right. It feels good when the universe has clear rules.
Like Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, you might also have researched it. You
might have trusted that nutritional wisdom so much that, like Spencer,
you even recommended that everyone try it!
At one time, Spencer was so convinced of low carb diets’ value that
he became a low carb promoter, appearing on podcasts and writing a
popular blog to sing the praises of low carb eating.
Then he took up a new sport, and his coach persuaded him to try a
higher carb diet.
The surprising result? His weight and health remained stable, while
performance and energy skyrocketed.
But this article isn’t just about one guy’s journey. Or what’s “true”.
(That’s right, we’re not going to give you another “nutritional rule” to
replace the “rule” that Spencer just apparently broke).
You might also find this article valuable if you coach or educate others
— for instance, if you’re a coach or fitness professional who might be
advising clients on how to eat.
Without further ado, here’s Spencer’s story, as told by the good doctor
himself.
For me, bigger was better. And I ate big to stay big.
But in 2007, I retired from the ring and decided it was time to get
leaner and healthier.
So I did what a lot of people might have done at the time: low calorie,
low carb.
In the few short months before I entered medical school, I lost about
Low Carb Diet Special Report
Carbohydrate Confessions: Stories (and data) from a low carb convert. precisionnutrition.com
25-30 pounds. What’s more, I felt fantastic on my relatively low
carbohydrate eating plan.
Before and after: Spencer dropped the carbs to go from 265 to 235 lbs.
Throughout the next six years, I ate an average of less than 150 grams
Low Carb Diet Special Report
Carbohydrate Confessions: Stories (and data) from a low carb convert. precisionnutrition.com
of carbs per day — or roughly around 15% of my total calories.
Sure, once in awhile I’d get more — at celebration times, dinners out,
and so on. But most of the time, I kept my carbs lower.
Since I’m a doctor and love to geek out on this stuff, I did some very
advanced blood testing to ensure my metabolic health wasn’t being
hindered. According to those markers, everything looked terrific.
I felt great. I looked great. Best of all, I got to eat delicious food! All in
all, my low carb diet seemed perfect for me.
The way I saw it, low carb eating promoted health and improved
body composition for everyone.
He believed that the extra carbs would provide me with a little boost
to maximize my workouts when my calories started to get low.
(The first chart represents my typical low carb diet. The second
represents my new high carb diet).
Quite a change.
Specifically, they argued that a higher carb diet would cause my low-
density lipoprotein particle numbers (aka LDL-P) to skyrocket.
According to this theory, eating a higher carb diet could actually put
me at greater risk for heart disease.
It’s just that those changes were not the ones they’d predicted.
First and most obvious were the “pumps” I started getting in the
gym. This didn’t surprise me a whole lot; most fitness enthusiasts
understand that fueling with carbs can provide a boost in performance.
A little more surprising, but still within the realm of what I’d anticipated,
was my newfound ability to perform a set or two extra of the same
exercise at the same intensity/weight.
For quite some time, I’d struggled to do this beyond the eight rep
mark. Generally, I could go for four or five reps and then I would have
to quit or cut back. So this was something new.
Recall — at this point, I was pretty well known as a fan of low carb
diets. And I’d gone on record, more than once, to argue for their
benefits.
So within an hour, both low carb enthusiasts and pro carb enthusiasts
began to speculate about what had happened.
The low carb promoters insisted that I must have lost muscle. After
all, I couldn’t have lost fat with added carbohydrates! Especially
since most people who increase carbs gain water weight due to the
increased glycogen. Losing fat was an impossibility! (Except it wasn’t.
Not according to the measurements.)
In the end, I think my baseline (around 2,700 calories per day) was
on the lower end of what was normal for me (between 2,500 and
3,500 calories per day). So ultimately, it didn’t matter that I switched
those calories from fats and protein to carbohydrates; as long as I
maintained activity levels, I was going to lose weight regardless.
Every day I weighed myself and tracked exactly what I was eating.
Gradually, I increased my carbohydrate intake to around 400 grams
of carbohydrates daily. And over the next four months, my weight
steadily climbed.
As you can see in the chart below, after a few months of my high carb
diet, I ended up at the same body weight. However, I had less body fat
and more lean mass.
Right before the start of the weight loss phase, I underwent another
set of advanced blood tests.
LDL Particle
1574 nmol/L 889 nmol/L 1421 nmol/L
Number
(If you want to see all the numbers and track my contest preparation,
visit my blog).
But if you think about it for a minute, it’s obvious why I gained
unwanted fat.
I suspect that a lot of people who try, and fail, with a higher carb
diet, may be making the same mistake that I made in the past.
And for low carb eaters, the same is true too. Bacon, avocado, nuts,
and butter are delicious. And easy to over-eat.
Don’t make yourself crazy with it. But do make yourself more aware.
Later, once you have a fairly good idea of what a portion looks like,
you can estimate using the PN method.
In fact, most of my new patients still get the low carb prescription.
Why? Because if you’re inactive and overweight, it’s much easier to
get your blood sugar and blood pressure controlled on a lower carb
diet.
But while low carb diets have their place, I no longer think they’re
necessarily the right choice, or the only choice, for everyone. In fact,
many of us might benefit from adding some healthy carbs to our diet.
The fact is, restriction almost never works well over the long term. And
most of us feel, look, and perform our best with a balanced diet that
includes some lean protein, healthy fats, and quality carbs.
And don’t just speculate on what you think you might need. Actually
try it. Get some evidence.
• Don’t overly restrict; don’t over-think it; don’t waste time with
detailed “carb math.”
• The only “rules” come from your body and your experience.
Don’t follow a dietary prescription for anyone else’s body.
And above all, for most active people, carbs are your friend.
PALEO, VEGAN,
INTERMITTENT
FASTING…
HERE’S HOW TO
CHOOSE THE ABSOLUTE
BEST DIET FOR YOU.
5
PALEO, VEGAN,
INTERMITTENT FASTING…
Here’s how to choose the
absolute best diet for you.
By John Berardi, Ph.D.
For a natural introvert like me, it was exhausting. But as the co-founder
of a company whose mission is to help men and women improve
their eating and lifestyle habits in practical, sustainable ways, I always
appreciate an opportunity to help even more people.
While the journalist’s questions ranged from health and weight loss to
sports nutrition, one particular theme kept emerging. They wanted to
know which “nutrition camp” I belong to.
“I’ve visited your website and I’m still not sure: do you guys believe in
‘paleo’? Or do you believe in the standard ‘RD stuff’?”
“Your coaching program sounds great. But, if I were to sign up for it,
would I have to cut out all my carbs?”
“I have a friend who’s vegan and she’s super healthy. I’m thinking of
trying it…what do you think?”
In that one day I received at least a dozen questions like this, all of
which essentially ask the same thing:
I simply don’t fall into a single “diet camp”. And that confuses the hell
out of people, since the human brain likes easy categorization.
“But … but … I need to fit you into one of these nice little nutrition
boxes.”
If I could help people stick me and Precision Nutrition into the right
nutrition box, I would. Believe me, it’d make things a lot easier.
Think about this: Our coaching program has been tested with nearly
50,000 clients in 100 different countries.
• Body type: Some clients come to us tall and thin. Others come
short and stocky.
• Time: Some clients come to us with lots of free time for a health
and fitness project. Others come with very little time to devote
to health and fitness.
There’s simply no way we’d be able to help all those folks make
incremental improvements in their eating if we were militant about a
single nutrition paradigm.
“I know you have a super-low budget for food. But if you sell your
vehicle, or maybe one of your children, you’ll be able to afford the
Low Carb Diet Special Report
Paleo, vegan, intermittent fasting… How to choose the absolute best diet for you. precisionnutrition.com
organic and free-range whole foods we recommend in our program.
That’s the only way to get healthy and fit.”
“Carbs? You’re not alone. We all like ‘em. But this program is all about
cutting way back. Low carb is what works, period. Insulin is the enemy.
So say goodbye to pasta. Potatoes too. And rice. And sugar …”
“Sure, I understand the moral and ethical obligation you feel. But
eating animal foods … that’s how we do it. You need the protein and
the fat. And it’s how our ancestors ate. So suck it up, throw a steak on
the grill, and let’s get this party started.”
While these responses are a little extreme, they’re not that far from
what I hear every day in the gym or read on Facebook. And it’s a
shame because …
But to suggest that because it worked for you, at one point in your life,
under a particular set of circumstances, now everyone else should
follow the same program isn’t just narcissistic. It’s the antithesis of
good coaching.
• And the Tokelau near New Zealand eat traditional diets that are
very high in saturated fats.
Crazy differences here… yet all traditional diet eaters are relatively
healthy people with minimal incidences of cardiovascular disease,
stroke, diabetes, inflammatory obesity, etc.
When you work with actual human beings, you must be a nutritional
agnostic.
Here’s another example: our Precision Nutrition staff. With close to 100
team members, PN is like a nutritional United Nations convention.
• Some eat high carb diets. Others eat low carb diets.
We respect each other’s choices and get along just fine. We’re more
interested in exploring what works than we are in being right.
Most effective nutrition programs are more similar than different. (Yes,
even Paleo and plant-based eating.)
When done properly, Paleo diets, plant-based diets, high carb diets,
Low Carb Diet Special Report
Paleo, vegan, intermittent fasting… How to choose the absolute best diet for you. precisionnutrition.com
low carb diets, eating small meals frequently, eating larger meals
infrequently, etc. all accomplish the following:
I know, everyone wants to talk about the food itself — the proteins,
carbs, and fats. What to eat more of and what to avoid.
Paleo and low carb advocates want you to eat more natural, free-
range animal-based foods that are higher in protein, higher in fat, and
are minimally processed.
Vegan and high carb advocates want you to eat more natural, plant-
based foods that are higher in fiber, antioxidants, and are minimally
processed.
In keeping with the last point, the best nutritional advocates help
us shift away from highly processed foods, which are often low in
nutrients because they’ve been stripped out during processing, and
toward more whole, minimally processed foods, which often have their
nutrients intact.
This is huge. We often look, feel, and perform terribly when we’re
deficient in important nutrients. But within a few weeks of correcting
these deficiencies, we feel totally rejuvenated. (And because the
transformation is so dramatic, that’s often when we become diet
zealots.)
When we’re more aware of what we’re eating, choose more satisfying,
higher quality foods, and eliminate nutrient deficiencies, we almost
always end up eating less total food. We feel more satisfied. We lose
fat, gain lean muscle, and perform better.
Notice that you don’t need calorie counting here. Focusing on food
awareness and food quality is usually enough for people to tune into
their own hunger and appetite. And that means calorie control without
When people start paying attention to their eating, they usually start
thinking about physical activity too. In fact, many of the diet camps
recommend regular exercise. (Which is a good idea, since focusing
on diet alone may actually interfere with establishing a consistent
exercise routine.)
When a person exercises regularly, with a mix of high and low intensity
activity, they dramatically improve their ability to turn the food they eat
– whatever food that is – into functional tissue (instead of extra fat).
Which is why …
Of course, this is a big win for my clients: They get in shape doing
more of the things they actually like. And a win for me: I get to help
more people.
Most popular diets — when done with care, attention, and a little
coaching — help control appetite, improve food quality, promote
exercise, and raise nutritional awareness.
In the last 10 years, our coaching programs have helped nearly 50,000
clients lose more than a million pounds of body fat and develop a new
relationship with food.
We can also help out if you’re vegan, prefer to eat more carbs (or less),
are on a tight budget, or only eat organic / free range artisan foods.
But, really, what I’d like you to follow is what I call “precision nutrition”.
Let me listen to your needs. What you want to accomplish. How you
live. What’s really important to you. Then let me help you create the
right dietary approach for you; one that’s specific to your goals and
your lifestyle.
Diet gurus are in this game to get attention, make a scene, and get
on TV. That’s why they try to force people into following strict and
largely unnecessary nutrition rules — demonizing some foods, deifying
others.
Sure, it sells books. It gives good TV. But we all know how things turn
out when real people try to follow these rules in real life.
The best coaches, on the other hand, are actually responsible for (and
accountable to) their clients. They’re paid to get results. This totally
changes the game.
One that helps clients find the best diet for them. One that takes
into account their small (but still important) physical and biochemical
differences. And one that takes into account their lifestyle differences,
including:
• family
• life demands
• stress level
• work situation
• income level
• climate
• environmental pollutants
• food availability
• cooking experience and knowledge
• time availability for fitness
• physical activity
• and so on …
No, it’s not as clean and clear as “avoid meat” or “eat like a caveman”.
It also happens to be the only approach that actually works in the long
run.
HOW TO FIX
A BROKEN DIET:
3 WAYS TO GET YOUR
EATING ON TRACK.
6
HOW TO FIX A BROKEN DIET:
3 ways to get your eating on track.
By John Berardi, Ph.D.
In this article I’ll share the 3 main strategies I use to help clients
fix a “broken diet” and start eating better. I’ll also share how we
troubleshoot eating plans when they’ve “just stopped working”
and you don’t know what else to try. And, finally, I’ll show you how
to use these powerful and purposeful strategies to improve your
own eating. Or to help others do the same.
Buzzwords and slogans
Nutrition “advice” often comes in buzzwords and slogans. We’ve all
heard at least one of these gems:
You see, when you’re an actual nutrition coach who works with real
humans in the real world, slogans don’t get the job done.
Here’s why: Every diet system is going to stop working at some point.
No matter how great it seems initially, that diet will break.
So, in this article, I’ll help you figure out how to get started when your
diet feels broken. I’ll also share exactly how we troubleshoot nutrition
plans when “they’ve just stopped working”.
First, though, a disclaimer. I’m not going to give you a set of rules to
follow. Or even share a specific diet philosophy.
This way, if you follow a Paleo diet, you can learn to Paleo better. If
you’re a vegan, you can learn to do that better too. And, if you’re just
getting started with eating healthier, you can start out right, without
wasting time and energy.
“I have to cut out sugar… and dairy… and carbs… and saturated fat.
Plus I have to eat more protein… more healthy fats… and more
vegetables.
Not a lot of fruit, though.
I have to start drinking lots of water too.
And exercise… maybe a 6 am boot camp… yeah.”
I don’t know about you, but I get exhausted just thinking about changing
all this, all at once. Let’s call it the “Mission Impossible” approach.
After coaching nearly 50,000 clients in the last few years, I’ve come
to realize that the Mission Impossible approach isn’t just difficult; it’s
misguided.
Often, people struggle with how they look and feel because their
physiology doesn’t work the way it should.
Dietary deficiencies, therefore, are the first red flag that something’s
wrong.
Low Carb Diet Special Report
How to fix a broken diet: Three ways to get your eating back on track precisionnutrition.com
Just how common are dietary deficiencies?
This study analyzed 70 athlete diets. Every single diet was deficient
in at least three nutrients. Some diets were missing up to fifteen
nutrients! The most common deficiencies?
• iodine
• vitamin D
• zinc
• vitamin B7
• vitamin D
• vitamin E
• chromium
• iodine
• Molybdenum
Shockingly, less than 10% met the minimum standards for a “complete,
balanced diet”. Like the other studies, these folks were missing such
nutrients as:
• zinc
• magnesium
• vitamin D
• omega 3 fatty acids
• protein
Low Carb Diet Special Report
How to fix a broken diet: Three ways to get your eating back on track precisionnutrition.com
Bottom line: Dietary deficiencies are very common. Chances are,
you’ve got one, no matter how good you think your diet is.
That’s why you can eat “clean”, go Paleo, avoid meat, lower your
carbs, or count calories – you can do “everything right” nutritionally –
and still feel lousy.
You need to identify your red flags from the very beginning and start
eliminating them, one by one.
Here are the most common deficiencies we see with new clients:
To find out where you stand, you could get your diet analyzed by a
dietitian (this typically costs between $100 and $150).
Here’s just one example (of many): Research in the British Journal
of Psychiatry shows that providing fish oil and a multivitamin to
prison inmates reduces aggressive and violent behavior by 35% and
decreases antisocial behavior by 26%.
You see, while we know that total food (calorie) intake matters, we’re
just not fans of counting calories.
To begin with, calorie counting does nothing to help us tune into our
own powerful hunger and appetite cues. By learning how to listen to
our own bodies, we have better long-term success in healthy eating.
(Of course, not everyone knows how to do this from the start. It takes a
little coaching and some practice.)
Nor does calorie counting help us balance our health goals with our
natural human enjoyment of food. In the short term, anyone can turn
eating into a numerical and robotic exercise. But, in the long run, this
strategy falls apart.
(Just ask anyone who “used to” count calories. You shouldn’t have a
hard time finding them.)
Bottom line: even if you’re the world’s best calorie counter (and you
don’t mind the soul-sucking boredom that comes along with it) the
math just doesn’t add up.
The process begins, first, by helping see what this looks like. Like, in
real life. On a plate.
• Men who want to add mass fast get 2 palms of protein dense
Low Carb Diet Special Report
How to fix a broken diet: Three ways to get your eating back on track precisionnutrition.com
foods at every meal, and — what the heck — throw in another
thumb of fat or cupped handful of carbs.
• But men in who want to lose fat might scale down to 1-2 palms
of protein, 1 thumb of fat, and 1 cupped handful of carbs, eaten
slowly and mindfully to “80% full”.
You can’t know exactly how your body will respond in advance. So
stay flexible and “steer dynamically”. Adjust your portions based on
your hunger, fullness, overall activity level, and progress towards your
goals.
Start with the basic template and then adjust your portions at any time
using outcome-based decision-making, aka: “How’s that working for
you?”
Again, for more on this idea, including photo examples, check out
our calorie control guides for men and women in this article and
this infographic.
Most people can simply eliminate nutrient deficiencies and get food
portions and quality right, and stop there.
Small adjustments in those two areas – and nothing more – will make
a huge difference in how 90% of folks look and feel. Simple. Easy.
However, for those who want to go further – because they have more
advanced goals or because they’re already doing the first two and still
• I types (ectomorphs),
• V types (mesomorphs), and
• O types (endomorphs).
I types (ectomorphs) are thin, with smaller bone structures and thinner
limbs. Think of a typical endurance athlete. And they have a few key
features that affect their response to food.
A nutrient distribution for this body type might be around 55% carbs,
25% protein, and 20% fat. (But don’t drive yourself crazy with the math.
Just think “higher carbs and lower fat.”)
Here’s what that might look like using our portion control guide.
Here’s what that might look like using our portion control guide.
A nutrient distribution for this body type might be around 25% carbs,
35% protein, and 40% fat. Again, no math gymnastics. Just think higher
fats and protein, lower carbs.
Here’s what that might look like using our portion control guide.
What’s left?
Meal frequency
For years dietitians and nutritionists (myself included) thought that the
best approach to splitting up your daily food intake was to eat small
meals frequently throughout the day.
What this means is that as long as we eat the right foods in the right
amounts, meal frequency is a matter of personal preference.
You can eat lots of small meals each day (i.e. every few hours). Or you
can eat a few big meals each day (i.e. with bigger time gaps between
them).
If you’re covering all your other bases and your current meal
frequency isn’t “workin’ for ya”, try switching it up. Experiment with
fewer meals if you eat more frequently. And more meals if you eat less
frequently.
Because either approach is valid, you’re free to find the approach that
works best for you.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, see your abs, or get
back in shape, carb and calorie cycling can make a real difference.
(I know I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but it’s worth
repeating. Please make sure deficiencies are eliminated, calories are
controlled, and macronutrients are aligned appropriately – and that
you’re doing all of this consistently before considering any of these
fine-tuning strategies.)
While it may have a fancy name, carb cycling is simply eating more
carbohydrates on some days – usually on high volume or high
intensity days – and eating fewer carbohydrates on other days –
usually low volume, low intensity, or off days.
The carb and calorie cycling approach is pretty simple, and based on
your activity.
And that’s pretty much it. No need to measure grams or count calories.
Just follow a baseline diet on lower carb days. And add carbs on
higher carb days.
Workout nutrition
What should you have before, during, and after your workout?
That’s a valid question. But it really doesn’t matter for anyone but
an elite athlete training specifically for maximal muscle adaptation,
and/or training with high volume and intensity (potentially multiple
times every day).
If that’s you, then yes, eating an appropriate meal about 1-2 hours
• eliminated deficiencies;
And — might I gently remind you — done all the above consistently.
Yes, every day. Over and over and over.
Remember:
3 STEPS TO FIX
A BROKEN DIET
IDENTIFY AND REMOVE
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES
STEP 1
Dietary deficiencies are more common than you think.
ATHLETES STUDENTS PEOPLE ON POPULAR DIETS
Vitamin B7
Iodine Zinc Vitamin D
Vitamin D Magnesium Vitamin E
Zinc Vitamin D Chromium
Vitamin E Omega 3s Iodine
Calcium Protein Molybdenum
Selenium 15%
Phosphorus 21%
Riboflavin 22%
Niacin 24%
Thiamin 28% Percentage of U.S. Population
Vitamin B12 30% NOT meeting the RDA
Copper 31%
Iron 34%
Vitamin B6 35%
Zinc 42%
Vitamin C 48%
Vitamin A 55%
Magnesium 68%
Calcium 73%
Folate 75%
Vitamin E 86%
E B12 EPA
Ca DHA
WATER VITAMINS PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FATS
(low-level MINERALS (particularly in women (95% of the population
dehydration) and in men with low is deficient)
appetites)
DRINK MORE EAT MORE FOODS RICH EAT MORE FOODS TAKE IN MORE
HYDRATING FLUIDS IN VITAMINS AND RICH IN PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FATS
MINERALS (fish, fish oil, algae oil,
etc.)
2 fists of 1 fist of
vegetables vegetables
3 cupped 2 cupped
handfuls of carb handfuls of carb
dense foods dense foods
2 fists of 1 fist of
vegetables vegetables
2 cupped 1 cupped
handfuls of carb handful of carb
dense foods dense foods
2 fists of 1 fist of
vegetables vegetables
PORTION The following portion guide assumes 3-4 meals a day. Notice that, instead of counting calories,
you can use your own hand as a portable portion guide. Your palm measures protein, your fist
SIZES for veggies, your cupped hand for carbs, and your thumb for fats.
DURING
Have water, a branched chain
or essential amino acid drink
(5-15g in 1L of water), or a
protein+carbohydrate drink.