Delicious Paleo Recipes: August 2018

Thursday, 30 August 2018

The Miracle Green: Hemp, CBD, and the Future of Medicine

A version of this article originally appeared in the December 2017 print issue of Paleo Magazine. Hemp grows fast—very fast. The average red maple tree takes anywhere from 10 to 15 years to reach maturity, growing at a rate of just a foot or two per year; hemp, a variety of Cannabis sativa, can reach as high as 20 feet in 12 to 14 weeks. Perhaps this is why legend holds…

source https://paleomagonline.com/hemp/

Wednesday, 29 August 2018

Chris Kresser to Debate Vegan Doctor Joel Kahn on the Joe Rogan Experience

According to an upcoming-guests listing at JRELibrary.com, Joe Rogan will be hosting a Paleo vs. vegan debate on September 27.

Chris Kresser, a good friend of and regular contributor to Paleo Magazine, will be facing off against vegan cardiologist Joel Kahn in the highly anticipated episode.

Rogan’s podcasts are usually streamed live on YouTube, so be sure to tune in on September 27.

The post Chris Kresser to Debate Vegan Doctor Joel Kahn on the Joe Rogan Experience appeared first on Paleo Magazine.

source https://paleomagonline.com/chris-kresser-to-debate-vegan-doctor-joel-kahn-on-the-joe-rogan-experience/

Shredded Chicken Chili

If kitchen prep and meal planning are part of your Paleo lifestyle and shredded chicken is always in your fridge...

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source https://paleoleap.com/shredded-chicken-chili/

Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Cucumber-Avocado Salad with Mustard Seeds

This is a gorgeously green, ultra-refreshing salad with a variety of interesting textures. The mustard seeds are an indispensable ingredient, adding an earthy flavor and satisfying crunch. Ingredients: 1 TBSP black or brown mustard seeds 1/4 tsp sea salt 2 ripe avocados, pitted and diced 5 Persian cucumbers, cut into half-moons 1 scallion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Juice of 1 small lemon Additional sea salt, to taste Directions:…

source https://paleomagonline.com/cucumber-avocado-salad-with-mustard-seeds/

PMR #226: Exploring Plant-Based Keto With Ketotarian Author Dr. Will Cole

On this week’s episode we welcome Dr. Will Cole, senior director of the Functional Medicine Clinic and author of the book Ketotarian: The (Mostly) Plant-Based Plan to Burn Fat, Boost Your Energy, Crush Your Cravings, and Calm Inflammation. Now, if you’re thinking keto seems restrictive enough and that “if you take away my meat, I’m literally just eating an avocado with some spinach leaves on top,” you’re not alone, because that’s…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-226-exploring-plant-based-keto-with-ketotarian-author-dr-will-cole/

PMR #223: The Accidental Paleo with Lauren Lobley

On this week’s episode, we welcome Lauren Lobley of Delectable You, author of The Accidental Paleo. Lauren is here to tell us all about her vegetarian and mostly plant-based approach to the Paleo diet and unpack some of the contents of her book and dietary philosophy. In our discussion, we look back on Lauren’s history with food and how she decided on the title The Accidental Paleo. We then go on…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-223-the-accidental-paleo-with-lauren-lobley/

PMR #225: How NFL Running Back Tim Hightower Used Paleo to Overcome Injury.

We are delighted to welcome NFL player Tim Hightower to talk to us about his Paleo journey to recovery from a serious, career-threatening injury. Like many other young players in the NFL, Tim’s diet was not very well thought out, consisting of lots of fast food and whatever else was available. It was only after he sustained an injury that would put him out of action for almost four seasons…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-225-how-nfl-running-back-tim-hightower-used-paleo-to-overcome-injury/

PMR #224: Seek Food Teaches Us About the Nutrition, Sustainability, and Deliciousness of Cricket Protein

Have you ever eaten insects? Would you ever eat insects? Are you immediately grossed out by the idea? Or are you kind of interested? Like it or not, a massive portion of the world already eats insects, and some insects are pound for pound a cleaner, more sustainable, and overall more economical source of protein than any other animal protein you’re currently consuming. At the end of the day, it…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-224-seek-food-teaches-us-about-the-nutrition-sustainability-and-deliciousness-of-cricket-protein/

PMR #222: Healing Autoimmunity, Sustainable Harvesting, and Saving the Bees, with Beekeepers Naturals Founder Carly Stein

On this week’s episode, we welcome Carly Stein. Once referred to as “that weird bee girl,“ today Carly is the founder of Beekeeper’s Naturals, an incredible company that makes healthy, honey-related products in the most sustainable, ethical, and thoroughly-tested way. In this episode, we learn what it takes to sustainably harvest these products, why it‘s so important to be selective about where your honey is coming from, and why supporting…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-222-healing-autoimmunity-sustainable-harvesting-and-saving-the-bees-with-beekeepers-naturals-founder-carly-stein/

PMR #221: Fueling for a Fight—How UFC Mixed Martial Artist TJ Dillashaw Eats

Today on the show, we welcome arguably one of the best athletes on the planet. His name is TJ Dillashaw, and he is one of the most hardworking MMA professionals out there today. He is a two-time bantamweight champion, business owner, and game hunter hobbyist. TJ is currently training for a fight taking place on August 4 in LA, and his prep involves an intense multiple-month training camp. In this episode,…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-221-fueling-for-a-fight-how-ufc-mixed-martial-artist-tj-dillashaw-eats/

PMR #227: What Does a Paleo Vacation Look Like? Talking With the Founder of Prime Retreats, Ryan Carroll

On this week’s episode, we welcome Ryan Carroll, the founder of Prime Retreats. His company specializes in unique, natural, and healthy getaways for the discerning vacationer. We’ve all had the experience of going on holiday and feeling less than relaxed and revitalized. That’s where Ryan and his team come in, providing a supportive and immersive, but not overwhelming, space for you to unwind, exercise, commune, and rest amongst like-minded people. In…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-227-what-does-a-paleo-vacation-look-like-talking-with-the-founder-of-prime-retreats-ryan-carroll/

PMR #228: Dietary Minerals 101: What You Need to Know with Joy Stephenson-Laws

On this week’s show we host Joy Stephenson-Laws, author of Minerals: The Forgotten Nutrient. Joy also works at Proactive Health Labs and is here to help us understand the important role minerals play in our nutrition and general health. A lot of focus is often given to vitamins and macronutrients, but as you will see from our chat, the micronutrients of minerals, both in whole foods and as supplements, are…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-228-dietary-minerals-101-what-you-need-to-know-with-joy-stephenson-laws/

PMR #229: Always Start with the Thyroid, with Elle Russ

Today we have the wonderful Elle Russ on the show to tell us all about her new book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution. Elle has worn many hats in her life, with writing, acting, and coaching making up the bulk of her current work. She has also been working with another PMR favorite for quite some time: Mark Sisson. Elle’s book is based partly on her own experiences and troubles with hypothyroidism…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-229-always-start-with-the-thyroid-with-elle-russ/

PMR #220: Digestive Health with Real Food — A Conversation with Aglaée Jacob

This week, we’re talking about digestive health with an expert who has had more than her fair share of digestive health challenges. Aglaée Jacob is a registered dietician and nutritionist with more than 12 years’ experience. She is the author of Digestive Health With Real Food, and she has suffered from IBS, CEBO, and PCOS. In addition to that, she overcame nearly two decades of disordered eating, poor body image…

source https://paleomagonline.com/pmr-220-digestive-health-with-real-food-a-conversation-with-aglae-jacob/

Carbs and Inflammation: What to Know about Inflammation on a Low-Carb Paleo Diet

If you need a quick intro to what inflammation is and why it’s bad, check out this post, then come...

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source https://paleoleap.com/carbs-inflammation-low-carb-paleo-diet/

Monday, 27 August 2018

Do Low-Carb Diets Actually Decrease Life Expectancy?

Low-carbohydrate diets have increased in popularity, and there is good evidence to show that they result in short-term weight loss. But there is less data available with respect to their long-term health effects.

A recent meta-analysis aimed to analyze the correlation between carbohydrate intake and mortality, or risk of death. You’ve probably heard about it, and you’ve probably heard that, based on this study, low-carb diets decrease life span. But what does the study actually show?

The authors analyzed a study of 15,428 adults aged 45 to 64 years, from four different U.S. communities. The subjects completed a dietary questionnaire between the years of 1987 and 1989 and were then followed for a mean of 25 years. The authors also used a meta-analysis to compare this study to seven other similar studies.

The authors found a U-shaped curve such that mortality rates were higher below 40 percent of calories from carbohydrate and above 70 percent from carbohydrate. They found the lowest risk of mortality to lie at 50 to 55 percent of calories from carbohydrate.

The authors went deeper and also analyzed mortality risk for different types of low-carbohydrate diets. They found that, for those who ate most of their calories from animal sources, mortality rate was, in fact, higher. Those on low-carbohydrate diets who hate most of their calories from vegetable sources, however, actually had a lower mortality rate. Thus, it seems that carbohydrate percentage isn’t linked with mortality at all. The real factor is the type of foods consumed.

Remember: those who ate low-carbohydrate diets high in animal proteins and fats did have an increased risk of mortality. But the authors found that these subjects were actually more likely to be overweight or obese, exercise less, smoke cigarettes, and have diabetes. Any of these alone could be the cause of their increased risk of mortality, let alone the whole group of risk factors. This is known as the “healthy user bias” and is a common problem in research. If people are more likely to eat meat, they are more likely to have unhealthy lifestyles, because of the long-term vilification of meat. It is thus impossible to separate out the consequence of meat versus that of their unhealthy lifestyle.

So this article can’t really say anything about the mortality risk of a low-carbohydrate diet that includes animal protein in the context of a healthy lifestyle.

Further, the quality of a low-carb diet is important, and the study was not able to analyze the quality of the animal fats and proteins consumed. On a low-carb diet, vegetables and fiber are important and healthful, and they were not necessarily consumed by the subjects in the study.Thus, a low-carbohydrate diet has not been shown to increase risk of death. An appropriate low-carbohydrate diet will include quality fats and protein (from both plants and animals), minimal processed foods, ample vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fiber, and a complete nutrient intake.

The post Do Low-Carb Diets Actually Decrease Life Expectancy? appeared first on Paleo Magazine.

source https://paleomagonline.com/do-low-carb-diets-actually-decrease-life-expectancy/

Saturday, 25 August 2018

23 Paleo Nightshade-Free Recipes

Whether you’re unable to eat nightshades because of an intolerance or because you are following the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP),...

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source https://paleoleap.com/23-paleo-nightshade-free-recipes/

Easy Fish Curry

While this easy fish curry is not nearly as surprising as fish curry with bananas, it does hold its own...

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source https://paleoleap.com/easy-fish-curry/

Thursday, 23 August 2018

Eating Out on Paleo Diet

Eating out on Paleo can feel like a minefield: everything is cooked in mystery oil, soy sauce is everywhere, and...

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source https://paleoleap.com/eating-out-on-paleo-diet/

Wednesday, 22 August 2018

Jamaican Jerk Whole Chicken

How to cook a delicious, juicy, whole chicken on the grill? To achieve an amazing result, you are going to...

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source https://paleoleap.com/jamaican-jerk-whole-chicken/

Summer Basil Soup

This refreshing, easy-to-prepare soup is perfect for a warm summer day, Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: -0- minutes Ingredients 4 cups basil leaves, washed and stems removed 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup raw cashews 1 large avocado 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice 3 1/2 cups coconut water 1 tsp roasted red chili paste Sea salt and black pepper, to taste Ground…

source https://paleomagonline.com/summer-basil-soup/

Tuesday, 21 August 2018

5 Things to Know About Keto Rash (Prurigo Pigmentosa)

Got a rash when you started keto? Or are you worried about getting one and not sure how to prevent...

The post 5 Things to Know About Keto Rash (Prurigo Pigmentosa) appeared first on Paleo Leap | Paleo diet Recipes & Tips.

source https://paleoleap.com/5-about-keto-rash-prurigo-pigmentosa/

Monday, 20 August 2018

Grilled Zucchini Skewers

Grilling is the absolute best way to enjoy summer cooking! Vegetables are slightly charred, very much tender and flavorful as...

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source https://paleoleap.com/grilled-zucchini-skewers/

Intermittent Fasting: The Default Eating Pattern for Paleo Dieters?

Intermittent fasting (IF), a nutritional strategy that involves fasting for various time intervals, is all the rage these days. Over the past decade, more and more people have jumped on the IF bandwagon, and entire websites, books, and articles devoted to this time-restricted way of eating have proliferated. IF has certainly sparked a lot of debate. While some people are highly skeptical about this nutritional strategy and maintain that it’s…

source https://paleomagonline.com/intermittent-fasting-the-default-eating-pattern-for-paleo-dieters/

Sunday, 19 August 2018

20 Paleo Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

You’ve probably seen Instant Pot reviews and recipes popping up all over the place, so it’s only natural that we...

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source https://paleoleap.com/20-instant-pot-dinner-recipes/

Keto Oven-Baked Margherita Chicken

Before you even begin to think about how to make the chicken margherita, you’ll want to spend a little time...

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source https://paleoleap.com/keto-oven-baked-margherita-chicken/

Saturday, 18 August 2018

Cucumber And Mango Salad

Cucumber and mango is a classic combination of unexpected proportions. These healthful and wonderful ingredients can be paired in a...

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source https://paleoleap.com/cucumber-mango-salad/

Friday, 17 August 2018

Stocking Your Paleo Pantry

Ready to start cooking Paleo meals at home? Don’t let your time get sucked up by constant trips to the...

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source https://paleoleap.com/stocking-your-paleo-pantry/

Thursday, 16 August 2018

Taking Back Human: How to Master Your Body in Modern Culture

Just like any participant in the dance of nature, humans tend toward the path of least resistance, and our culture has cleverly begun abandoning the necessity for robust movement as a means of survival. Modern-day hunting and gathering has transformed into sitting and staring—a devolution that has our biology confused. Physical movement is as crucial to assimilating nutrients as chewing—the expansive movements utilized to climb a tree to snag an…

source https://paleomagonline.com/taking-back-human-how-to-master-your-body-in-modern-culture/

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

Hawaiian-Style Chicken Skewers

Pineapple is a lovely mass of individual berries which have coalesced into a larger fruit… Whether you call it a...

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source https://paleoleap.com/hawaiian-style-chicken-skewers/

Cracked Spice Steak with Fig, Pignolia & Kalamata Olive Salad

This deceptively simple yet decadent dinner shines with natural flavors and textures to please even the most jaded of palates. Cracked spices lend a fragrant air to a high-quality, perfectly cooked steak, while the minimalist salad delivers maximum flavor with just four key ingredients. Serves 2 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients For the Steaks: 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 grass-fed sirloin steaks,…

source https://paleomagonline.com/cracked-spice-steak-with-fig-pignolia-kalamata-olive-salad/

Paleo Skincare: Fats and Oils Edition

If you’re eating Paleo, you’re already picky about the oils you put in your mouth. Yes on olive, coconut, and...

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source https://paleoleap.com/paleo-skincare-fats-oils-edition/

Monday, 13 August 2018

Acne Vulgaris: A Modern Disease with an Ancient Solution

Acne vulgaris, the chronic skin disease affecting up to 50 million Americans alone, is today so common that it’s by many considered a natural part of human life—likely because, at some point or another, the vast majority of people in industrialized societies get affected with acne. Whereas some only get the occasional blemish during their teenage years, others outbreak with severe cysts that leave deep, lifelong, and life-ruining scars. I’ve…

source https://paleomagonline.com/acne-vulgaris-a-modern-disease-with-an-ancient-solution/

Sunday, 12 August 2018

Keto Kafta Burgers

The kafta is like a mini-burger, or a flattened meatball, using both ground lamb and beef to form the base,...

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source https://paleoleap.com/keto-kafta-burgers/

Friday, 10 August 2018

7 Extra-Dietary Ways to Improve Your Microbiota

The importance of maintaining a healthy gut-microbe ecosystem cannot be understated. From regulating mood to boosting our immune system, the balance of this internal flora is a cornerstone of good health—a fact which prompts us to always be on the hunt for foods and supplements that nourish and protect our precious insides. Unsurprisingly, during discussions about improving gut health, items like fermented foods, resistant starch, and probiotics often come to…

source https://paleomagonline.com/7-extra-dietary-ways-to-improve-your-microbiota/

5-Minute Spicy Shrimp

Seafood is fast food, and a spicy dish of delicious shrimp is about as quick, easy and flavorful as it...

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source https://paleoleap.com/5-minute-spicy-shrimp/

Wednesday, 8 August 2018

Keto Leek And Bacon Omelet

As you become Paleo, the sweet pancake breakfasts become fewer and fewer until you eliminate all glutenous grains, but they...

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source https://paleoleap.com/keto-leek-bacon-omelet/

Avocado Egg Salad

This easy egg salad makes a great lunch; it’s flavorful, creamy, and packed with protein and healthy fat! Prep Time: 5 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 2 avocados, pits removed 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp garlic powder Sea salt, to taste 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 1/3 cup sliced black olives 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles 1/4 cup diced onion Romaine lettuce hearts,…

source https://paleomagonline.com/avocado-egg-salad/

Tuesday, 7 August 2018

Cajun-Style Steak With Spicy Mango Glaze

When our appetites are aching for spicy and exciting Cajun flavors, we have the tendency to indulge in a large...

The post Cajun-Style Steak With Spicy Mango Glaze appeared first on Paleo Leap | Paleo diet Recipes & Tips.

source https://paleoleap.com/cajun-steak-spicy-mango-glaze/

Monday, 6 August 2018

The Many Benefits of Outdoor Exercise

Are you a gym junkie, spending hour upon hour at a fitness center every week? I was, five to seven years ago. Back then, I was obsessed with strength training, and I hit the gym at least three times per week (usually more). I immersed myself in bodybuilding-type training: a high-volume, reps-to-failure lifting scheme. Hence, I typically had little energy left in the tank when I finished my workout. Since…

source https://paleomagonline.com/the-many-benefits-of-outdoor-exercise/

Keto and Paleo Macros: 5 Different Macronutrient Ratio Options to Consider

“What should my macros look like on Paleo?” – it’s a common question and it’s sometimes frustrating to hear that...

The post Keto and Paleo Macros: 5 Different Macronutrient Ratio Options to Consider appeared first on Paleo Leap | Paleo diet Recipes & Tips.

source https://paleoleap.com/keto-paleo-5-macronutrient-ratio-options/

Slow Cooker Kung-Pao Chicken

Kung Pao, or Kung Po, chicken may appear frequently on Chinese takeout menus, and you may even have a dark...

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source https://paleoleap.com/slow-cooker-kung-pao-chicken/

Friday, 3 August 2018

USDA Announces Investments in Pollinator Health Research

This news is about a month old, but it just came across our radar this week and we thought it worth sharing: The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced $10 million dollars worth of grants intended to support research to help sustain healthy populations of pollinators. Why is this important? Well, from the USDA’s press release: “One-third of all U.S. crop production requires pollination by animals—primarily honey…

source https://paleomagonline.com/usda-announces-investments-in-pollinator-health-research/

Lemon-Garlic Baked Salmon

When there is an opportunity to bake an entire meal on a single sheet, we are going to take it...

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source https://paleoleap.com/lemon-garlic-baked-salmon/

Thursday, 2 August 2018

Two Recipes for National Watermelon Day

Happy National Watermelon Day! We’d like to celebrate by giving our readers two awesome watermelon recipes. Each of these recipes is also available in print, on newsstands now, so be sure to get your hands on our August/September issue, as well as our Summer Recipe Special Issue, for more delicious summer-inspired recipes. Watermelon Chillers Serves 16 Ingredients 6 lb seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into cubes 2 cups coconut water…

source https://paleomagonline.com/two-recipes-for-national-watermelon-day/

Paleo Vegetable Burrito Bowls

All you want is a burrito and you want it now. Wait, stop for a moment and imagine that maybe...

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source https://paleoleap.com/paleo-vegetable-burrito-bowls/

Wednesday, 1 August 2018

Obesity: A Cause or a Consequence of Physical Inactivity?

Physical inactivity makes you fat, right? Most people on the street would probably agree with this supposition; popular science contends that lack of exercise means lower caloric expenditure, which translates to weight gain unless we reduce caloric intake. If we then inquire about why obese individuals tend to exercise less (on average) than leaner folks, many respondents would attribute the difference to laziness, lack of willpower, and less discipline among the former.

These answers all align with a deeply ingrained conventional wisdom regarding exercise and obesity; they rest upon the assumption that Physical Activity Levels (PALs) exist in a unidirectional relationship with the development of obesity: physical inactivity as cause of obesity, not an effect/consequence.

But is this actually true?

A Chicken-and-Egg Situation

Some studies clearly associate obesity with physical inactivity. Many people thus assume that physical inactivity causes weight gain and obesity, a seemingly logical conclusion.

A critical caveat, however, is that these studies don’t establish a cause-effect relationship; they only correlate two variables. In other words, physical inactivity might be an effect of obesity, not a cause, or perhaps it is both cause and effect. It could also be that confounding variables skew the relationship, creating a false appearance of causality. Since there are so many factors to consider, it’s important to be cautious when we interpret results of any such studies.

That said, physical activity and body-fat regulation are connected. Indeed, there is solid evidence to show that physical inactivity can contribute to weight gain, though it alone is insufficient to induce obesity. Combined with other factors such as a highly processed diet and disordered sleep, it can certainly contribute to a body mass index that exceeds 30, the AMA-established definition of obesity.

The weight of the evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggests that exercise alone doesn’t produce a lot of weight loss (though people respond variably). This isn’t necessarily surprising, given that many exercisers compensate for their exertions by eating more and/or being more sedentary outside the exercise period.

However, exercise is still highly beneficial, metabolically. Regular exercise can help improve leptin and insulin sensitivity, increase lean muscle mass, improve appetite regulation, and elevate resting energy expenditure, among other effects. It is therefore unsurprising that several studies have found exercise helpful in the prevention of obesity.

A Case of Reverse Causality?

As explained above, evidence indicates that physical inactivity can factor into weight gain. However, it can proceed in the other direction as well; physical inactivity can actually derive from the accumulation of excess body fat.

This may seem counterintuitive to many people. Common public perception holds that some people exercise more than others simply because they possess more willpower and self-discipline, and that it is unrelated to their physiology.

This simplistic belief has caused many overweight and inactive people much suffering, since they may assign their inactivity to some imagined laziness or weak-mindedness. This self-labeling can then feed into poor self-confidence and depression, particularly if they hear other (often leaner) people criticizing their perceived lassitude.

Let’s be clear: willpower and self-discipline are fundamental to long-term adherence to an active lifestyle. However, a truth that eludes many folks is that these qualities aren’t fixed traits determined by genetic lottery; they can be learned and strengthened.

Furthermore, the human ability and desire to be active, as well as the enjoyment we derive from it, are governed by biological as well as psychological factors. I have learned that a key reason many obese people find exercise overly difficult and strenuous is that they are often chronically inflamed, with compromised immunity and metabolism.

Chronic Fatigue, Physical Inactivity, Suboptimal Physical Performance: Is Inflammation the Culprit?

Obesity is partly characterized by elevated levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines, a state of chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation. Obesity is recognized as one cause of this inflammatory state, given that fat tissue releases many inflammatory mediators.

However, this internal fire can also be a cause of obesity. Inflammation and disruption of microbial balance—resulting from factors such as antibiotic use, a highly processed diet, and translocation of bacterial endotoxins from the gut into the bloodstream—may themselves cause insulin and leptin resistance, impaired appetite regulation, cravings for unhealthy foods, overeating, and fat accumulation. It’s a vicious cycle in which a perturbation of gut flora and immune homeostasis leads to excessive caloric intake and fat gain, which then further exacerbate the inflammatory process.

When the body is systemically inflamed, it doesn’t prioritize reproduction or peak physical fitness; rather, it allocates resources to damage control. It doesn’t “want” to run, lift heavy things, or perform other musculoskeletally demanding activities; it prefers rest, so it has a chance to recuperate. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is tightly linked with chronic fatigue and many other conditions that impair our physical performance and exercise tolerance.

Unfortunately, with obesity, the inflammatory cascade never stops. Fat tissue keeps pumping out TNF-alpha and other cytokines, and lipopolysaccharide continues to leak from the gut into the bloodstream, unless we undertake dietary changes and rebalance the microbiome. Until we address the inflammation, physical activity will continue to be low-priority—and gym time may continue to feel like purgatory.

Another caveat: although many lines of evidence implicate the inflammatory processes described above, other yet-unidentified factors and mechanisms may be involved. Regardless, many obese people—and non-obese people with chronic inflammation—have great difficulty getting active.

Exercise Shouldn’t Feel Like Torture

I was a strength coach and personal trainer at a commercial gym for several years. During this period I spent quite a bit of time observing how people exercise, as well as their body language and the feelings they expressed when they were lifting weights, running, or otherwise engaging their muscles. I noticed that high levels of adiposity seemed to make exercise much harder for some people.

For some, a session on the treadmill looks like pure torture. Of course, this might be due partly to the discomfort of carrying excess weight; however, I think the aforementioned processes of inflammation and hormonal disturbance are the real culprits.

Keep in mind that chronic, systemic inflammation doesn’t only affect obese people. Actually, this condition is rampant in our society today, and is at the root of many chronic diseases and health conditions. Even lean people, if inflamed, may be exercise-intolerant. Personally, my urge to exercise, as well as my physical performance, seem to vary with the levels of inflammation in my body.

A New Understanding of an Old Problem

Many studies have investigated the relationship between PALs and obesity; again, though, many fail to prove that one variable precedes the other. However, some researchers have been able to connect the two in a causal way.

One example is a study out of the University of California, Los Angeles that was published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. In the study, 32 female rats were allowed ad libitum access to unrefined rodent chow or a purified low-fat diet. After six months, the rats on the purified low-fat diet, which was rich in sugar and highly processed, had gained significantly more weight than the rats on the diet of unrefined rodent chow.

The researchers tested the rats’ performance by requiring them to press a lever to receive a food or water reward; they found that the rats on the junk-food diet demonstrated impaired performance, taking substantially longer breaks than the lean rats before returning to the task. During a 30-minute session, the overweight rats took breaks nearly twice as long as those taken by the lean animals.

Lead researcher Aaron Blaisdell, in a press statement, framed the study results as follows:

““Overweight people often get stigmatized as lazy and lacking discipline,” Blaisdell said. “We interpret our results as suggesting that the idea commonly portrayed in the media that people become fat because they are lazy is wrong. Our data suggest that diet-induced obesity is a cause, rather than an effect, of laziness. Either the highly processed diet causes fatigue or the diet causes obesity, which causes fatigue.”

Blaisdell believes the findings are very likely to apply to humans, whose physiological systems are similar to rats’.”

Key Points

Obesity can be both a cause and a consequence of physical inactivity. Physical inactivity can contribute to weight gain; combined with other factors, it can create obesity, as it down-regulates the sensitivity of metabolic and satiety-related hormones, sacrifices lean tissue, and reduces energy expenditure, among other effects. Physical inactivity can also be an effect of obesity, if accompanying inflammation and metabolic disruption lead to chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, impaired physical performance, and poor exercise tolerance.

It’s a vicious cycle: physical inactivity contributing to fat accumulation, leading to (possibly) excess body weight and secretion of inflammatory cytokines, both of which may drive further reduction in physical activity levels.

The next time you encounter an obese person who seems to find exercise difficult and unpleasant, avoid judging them. They may be fighting a decidedly uphill battle, with their biochemistry stacked against them.

Reference

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