Human vs Food

As you may know our body can run on three different fuel, namely Carbs (glucose), Protein (amino acids) and Fat (fatty acids). The body decides its fuel based on the food we eat. However, let’s see which is the most preferred fuel for the humans.

Until the agriculture era, humans (hunter-gatherers community) do not know to store or preserve food and mostly depended on the meat by hunting (fat and protein) for their energy needs. Also limited amount of carb’s thru roots, nuts and berries.  

Hunter-gatherers community were constantly in search of food, (the only reason they were spread all over the globe, by crossing the continent’s) they were not having the privilege like us to have 3 times food plus 2 tea break! They were lived in a condition where, always uncertainty of the food existed. (they were celebrated their hunt, by singing and dancing. because, they weren’t sure about the next food). Therefore, they were habituated to feast following the fast. They fulfilled their (majority) calorie needs from fat, NOT from carb’s.

Since the Hunter-gatherers society occupying at least 95% of the human history, where their genes were fully evolved, developed and adopted to the feast / fast cycle with high fat and low carb life style.  We also have the same genes of hunter-gatherers! (note: a small change in gene structure may take several millions of years. mosquito gene may takes around 1000 years to adopt to something. Human gene is “much more” complex than mosquito)

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If we plot the entire human history in 24 hours scale for the sake of convenience, we (according to our genes) stared eating grains and cereals (high carb’s) just 10 min ago!  Our gene may need at least a day (in time scale) to evolve further to the present high carb environment. (again, it’s not mandatory)

Click on the image to enlarge

Click on the image to enlarge

Since Hunter-gatherers community don’t have knowledge, to store or preserve food, their body evolved or equipped to store the fuel inside the body in the form of glycogen (for short term) and triglyceride (for long term) to support in times of starvation. Thanks to the hormones Insulin (to trigger the storage or support the feast) and Glucagon (to support the starvation / fast)

Bear in mind, though they consumed roots, nuts and berries, they were seasonal (not available, throughout the year or in large quantities) whereas meat being available (by hunting) irrespective of season. In other words, their carb’s consumption is naturally restricted.

Even after the Agriculture era, Farming done by the families using organic farming techniques without machinery's. Hence, the yield of carb’s (cereals, grains) were minimal and consumed without any further modification or refining process. 

But over the past 100 years, farming shifted from farmers to corporate's and it became an industry. Particular crop grown in hundreds and thousands of acres with modern techniques and machinery's to obtain the maximum yield, GMO seeds can ensure the yield throughout the year (no seasons) and further processed for its by-products to maximize the profit. (note: hunter gatherers community must haven’t seen groups of apple / banana trees together or acres of paddy or wheat grown)

We humans were evolved with our own internal storage to subdue starvation (don’t know to store the food) But today, we have a technology to store food externally and everywhere. Food available in our kitchen, super markets shelves, restaurants, food courts and joints, fast food chains etc. food even available on the go, mid-air !

Since from 19^th century on-wards we started to over consume the high carb’s food, more than our body need and continuously increase our internal storage limit. Now you must be having a clue as to why we gain weight and become obese.

Our body is designed to handle about 50g of carb per day. But we have been overloading with 250 – 300g more than its capacity and eventually become obese, diabetic, hypertensive....etc.

Let us see now, how high carb’s triggers the storage mechanism. When we eat high carb food, is broken down into glucose by carbohydrate metabolism and absorbed by blood stream. Immediately your blood sugar “spikes” beyond the normal range. (note: when there is a spike, “crash” can’t be avoided. will see in a detail later) 

High blood sugar is toxic and beta cells of the pancreases secrete the hormone insulin to bring down the blood sugar level to normal range, by “pushing” the glucose into cells to produce energy. (cell metabolism) and the excess sugar converted into glycogen to be stored in the liver (to support starvation)

Insulin triggers the conversion of fatty acids into triglyceride and stored in the fatty acid (to support starvation). Also prevent the fatty acids (fats) to use as fuel. (note: Insulin also have several other function, Will see in a detail later post)

During starvation, the blood sugar level hits the lower normal (no or minimal insulin levels) the hormone glucagon release by the alpha cells of the  pancreas and covert the stored glycogen back into glucose and brings the blood sugar into normal range. Note: In this process there is no blood sugar SPIKE or CRASH. Hence, there is to insulin need.

Also, glucagon trigger the breaking down process of triglyceride and use the fatty acids to meet the energy requirements. This is how the hunter gatherers were balancing their energy needs. By controlling the carb’s. they never spike/crash the blood sugar or over dose the insulin in the system.

Today, we are having by 3 high carb meal per day (about 300 – 350 g of carb’s/day) and creating the blood sugar spike / crash 3 times a day. Thus by forcing the insulin also to spike 3 times a day. This is the mere misuse of the pancreas / insulin. (note: Calories from carb cannot give satiety and we forced to eat 3 meal and between snacks. Whereas, calories from fat provides complete satiety. Hence, we don’t feel hunger)

Our pancreas is not designed or capable to produce “so much” of insulin per day. Over the period it will “give-up” and when that happen, you become diabetic (will discuss in detail later in diabetic post)

Since you keep spiking the insulin throughout the day, you keep storing fat (without spending) Over the period you become obese. Our body is not habituated (organs are not compatible) for high carb diet. Eating high carbohydrates is not physiological nature. Consuming high carb’s along with fat put us in even the worst situation.

Eating saturated fat like, butter, coconut oil, red meat, eggs, full fat cheese along with low carb’s is a healthy life style (which is close to our gene and more physiological in nature) But, our system will crash if you do the reverse. Cardio vascular and coronary artery disease are not because of fat or cholesterol, but of carbohydrates (will discuss in detail later in diabetic post)

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Though we claim to be a part of ultra-modern human society, but our genes are still remains as a hunter gatherers society.

Further readings on Human history:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248414001778

http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/reference/ages.htm

http://www.essential-humanities.net/history-overview/stone-bronze-iron-ages/

https://www.bighistoryproject.com/chapters/4#intro

http://history-world.org/agriculture.htm

http://biochemical-pathways.com/#/map/1

BMI

I am sure you all must have come across the term BMI. Yes, it’s a scale to measure weight range from underweight to Obese. You may even have BMI app in your smart phone. I mentioned in my last post, that BMI is a flawed concept. It doesn’t reflect the degree of obesity of an individual.

Body Mass Index is based on the height and weight of a person.  It does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, race and sex differences.

Here is the BMI equation:  BMI = weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

BMI equation or formula was derived in the early 19th century by a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician (NOT a physician) called Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, to provide a statistical data to a government, by an quick and easy way to measure the degree of obesity of the general population.

Quetelet derived this quick tool, for general population only NOT applicable to an individual. In other words, Quetelet derived BMI formula for government statistical needs, NOT for Physiology. 

Quetelet, didn’t provide a valid physiological reason to square a person's height and left behind the waist measurement, which is a key factor to define the degree of obesity. Abdominal fat affects organs like the kidney, liver and the waist circumference is the clear indication of abdominal fat levels.

BMI formula goes awry for a person with person with strong bones, lean muscle and low fat will have a high BMI or obese!! Also, BMI hyperbolizes thinness in short people and fatness in tall people.

It’s totally unacceptable to have very sharp boundaries (just a decimal place) to distinguish the obesity level underweight (Below 18.5), ideal (18.5 – 24.9), overweight (25.0 – 29.9) and obese (30.0 and above).

Let’s be honest to ourselves,  Its not a Medical or Engineering entrance cutoff mark to have a decimal place accuracy. Physiological limits cannot up to a decimal precise.

Studies have proven that, Waist size linked to risk of diabetes, CAD, CVD, regardless of BMI. Waist-to-height ratio is a better indicator to measure the degree of obesity than BMI.

Then why the medical associations around the world, continue to practice this 200-year-old hack? Because medical insurance /Food/ fitness industries lobbies the medical associations to continue the BMI, in order to keep their business alive. (Medical insurance companies charge higher premium for high BMI, to sell more breakfast cereals, Fitness club and gym membership and buying of fitness equipment)

The flawed BMI formula, puts several millions of Americans into overweight or obese category but, the fact is they are “perfectly healthy.” The more dangerous is that it also puts millions of people, whose BMIs in the “normal” range, but are actually considered “unhealthy” based on their other physiological markers. Below is the published article for your ready reference.

BMI puts most of the Olympic sprinter (Swimmers and Athletes) or Wrestlers (who are build, lean and toned muscles) into Overweight to Obese range!  Because, muscle weighs more than fat.  Example, 182 cm (6ft) tall Olympic 100 meter sprinter weighing 90kg may have the same BMI (26) of a sedentary person's waist of 96 cm (38'') of the same height and weight.

So, what is the correct way to measure? There are couple of equations available online, which include the waist size, sex, race etc. but, the simple screening tool that I follow is waist to height ratio. I.e. waist circumference should be less than half of your height.  

                                        

                                             Waist circumference      =     <Half of Height

Example,  182 cm (6ft) tall should have a waist circumference of  91 cm (36") or less.

So, don’t focus on reduction of weight, rather focus more on reducing the waist size, in order to live healthy. The HFLC diet ensures the considerable reduction on the waist size, as a brownie point for you lose the weight as well.