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This is the second newsletter on Nutrition trends. If you missed part one, you can check it out here.
Restrictions, restrictions…
Nutrition dogma tends to find one “enemy” food type or group, and focuses on restricting the consumption of that enemy. Keto, Vegan, and Paleo all follow this specific pattern. These are all extremely popular - so I’ll keep the descriptions short.
Keto
The main goal is to cut carbohydrates from your diet as much as possible and replace these calories with fat or proteins. Reducing carbs as much as possible shifts your body into a metabolic state called Ketosis.
In Ketosis, your body is starved of its usual source of energy, carbohydrates. After 3-4 days of low/no carbs, your body shifts into ketosis. This forces it to become incredibly efficient at burning fat, which can result in impressively fast weight loss. Keto also causes significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, which if you remember from part one, are both correlated to a variety of health problems. Research has shown that Keto can help those who suffer from metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Vegan
Better for the environment (this is contended), no animal cruelty, and statistically you will live longer! While humans did evolve to eat meat, and meat is good for you - one notable health benefit vegans experience is not eating dairy. Dairy has been shown to cause inflammation, contribute to acne, and cause bloating - especially in the 70% of the population who are lactose intolerant.
Paleo
The central tenant of the Paleo diet is that humans evolved to digest certain types of food that modern farming does not produce. Paleo followers limit their diet to foods that could have been obtained through hunter gathering 10,000 years ago - lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Paleo followers don’t eat grains, dairy products, or legumes. The belief is that the rapid change from high protein and fat diets that we evolved with, to the modern (10,000 years ago) diets of grains and dairy products is believed to contribute to the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease today.
Bonus - Carnivore
Pretty simple, you only eat meat or eggs! It’s basically a more extreme version of Keto, high in fat and proteins, and basically zero carbs. It helps with blood sugar, insulin levels, and can induce ketosis and rapid weight loss. I actually tried this for fun for about a month. My anecdotal evidence?
Pro’s: I lost about 10lbs in a month.
Steak and eggs taste really good.
Surprisingly was not hungry! Protein really fills you up.
Con’s: Working out on this diet sucked, and sometimes felt impossible. You’re eating almost zero carbs - so basically zero energy after a certain point in the workout.
Quick Links:
China’s propaganda network dedicated to denying Uyghur abuses.
A great primer on decentralized finance from a16z’s new media site future.com.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, let me know what you guys thought. If you liked it, share it with a friend. Have a great week!
-Matt
P.S. - Have an area of expertise and want to write for this newsletter? Email me your idea mattfoster@substack.com (or reply to this email) and lets get you featured!