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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Micro-nutrients, fermented foods, and...Beer!

I believe that the lack of "micro-nutrients" in the diet is hugely important to our health, and insofar as the mainstream health system would have it: micro-nutrients are not even on their radar.


By micro-nutrients I mean those nutrients within food that are not even tracked- miniscule parts of nutrition that no one values, no one knows about...  tiny little "benefits" that are discounted by the "powers-that-be", simply because they have never been studied, looked at, or...anything.


There are tons of micro-nutrients in virtually all natural foods.  We thrive on categorizing macro-nutrients- there is just something about the analytical, left side of our brains that wants to "pigeon hole" everything...  if we "pigeon hole" something, says our left brain, then we are all done with that, and can move on to something else!

To "pigeon hole"...

Let's go right brain here:  the BIG PICTURE!

Real food is, ultimately, a mystery!  It has big, macro-nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fat.


But that hardly scratches the surface, really- there are so many compounds, enzymes, minerals, and unknown co-factors that we are actually laughably ignorant when it comes to actually knowing what is contained within a food. actually any real food!

For instance: fermented foods- sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, kefir, kambucha- anything that is fermented- there is so much in these foods that isn't really tracked by the mainstream- but there is so much good to be gained by including them in the diet.  The pro-biotic advantages alone are legion- the micro-organisms that are introduced and nourished in our intestines by these foods are huge in terms of our health- and all of it is virtually untracked by standard nutrition analysis!


Likewise with the enzymes in raw foods- these are "untracked" in how crucial they are in advancing our health nutritionally, much as the king in old books is credited with "saving" his people, with no credit being given to the foot soldier who actually did the real work of fighting off the enemy!  


Just a brief aside:  With a Paleo Smoothie you are including enzymes and every other micro-nutrient know (and unknown ) to man!


The King here is the Macro-nutrient- the actual fighter is the micro-nutrient- the fermented food-
Which is really more important??

Aren't they ALL CRUCIAL??

And then there's beer...

WHY does beer get such a bad rap, in Paleo circles?  Sure, it's made from grains, but...

It's Fermented!  Ta-DA!!

This makes a huge difference- when grains are mashed,  and then fermented, particularly if those grains are corn (or rice), as is the case in modern America, then the grain-based anti-nutrients are pretty much neutralized- kaput- zip-zero-nada!

The insulin spike from beer?(or other alcohol?)  

Nonexistant.

The only downside I can see to moderate beer consumption is that it will retard fat burning upon being drunk:  until the alcohol from the beer is "burned", there will be a pause in fat burning.

But it is only a "pause".

As soon as the alcohol is burnt up, the body will go back to fat burning, if so acclimated through Paleo living...

My bottom line?  

Beer (and it's near-twin, wine) are non-issues when it comes to Paleo living...

and should not be viewed as "deal breakers" in those considering a Paleo Lifestyle!

If needs be, you can envision yourself as a CAVEMAN, cradling a Martini glass, a beer mug, or a wine glass, preparatory to slaying a mastodon- 

There really is no contradiction therein.

J



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A catchphrase form medical school holds that if you take extra vitamins and minerals, what you get is expensive urine. That's because the kidneys filter excess water-soluble Micronutrients from the bloodstream, treating them as waste, and elsewhere your cells take the vitamins and minerals

PaleoJay said...

Maria, just because it is a "catchphrase" doesn't mean it's necessarily true!
Our modern diets are sadly lacking in micronutrients, and loaded up with sugars, trans fats and bad starches like grains.

Unknown said...

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micronutrients