Real Talk, Whole Life

Ep. 286: How Many Vegetables Part 2: Lectins & Oxalates In this episode, we're talking vegetables again! Specifically, we're talking about lectins and oxalates! Click here to listen in iTunes or download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player below If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes!   The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 286: How Many Vegetables Part 2: Lectins & Oxalates Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Thank you to our listeners who have made it through all 286 episodes of our podcast, bad jokes, puns and all! Sarah shares her current favorite pun. Matt and Stacy's son Cole would be rolling his eyes. The gap between what parents and kids think Youtube is for and how they use it. Sarah's been breaking out "when I was a kid" a lot lately to her daughters. We got amazing positive response from the vegetable podcast last month. We love that our listeners love learning and gaining information! Thanks for tagging us in your photos and letting us know we're helping you to eat more veggies! If you haven't listened to the first veggie podcast yet, it lays the groundwork for today's episode. Listener Questions (12:50) LECTINS: Bits and pieces from questions by listeners Sarah and Rita regarding the The Plant Paradox diet, which an very anti-lectin diet and involves eliminating grains, legumes, nightshades, as well as large number of vegetables and fruits with a higher lectin content, such as most things with skin and seeds. Listener Sarah would love to hear Sarah's take on lectins and any other information on the recommendations in this book. Lectins are a broad class of carbohydrate-binding proteins. There are many different ones, and they are highly specific for specific types of sugar. Many are found in our bodies and some have vital roles in our health. There are lectins in every form of life. The original branding of the Paleo diet as anti-lectin is somewhat misleading. Paleo aims to eliminate prolamines and agglutinins, which are most problematic for our intestines and hard for our bodies to break down. A recent studied showed that even in healthy people, gliadin fragments were shown to trick the gut cells into bringing them into the body, where then bind with receptors in the liver and fat cells and turn on signals to gain weight. This could help explain the connection between gluten consumption and obesity. It is important for us to be more specific in describing the two classes of lectins we aim to avoid. A frame work that generalizes all lectins and advocates omitting all of them from the diet is misunderstanding the science. Nightshades have agglutinins, which are toxic lectins, and problematic. Nightshades are a different botanical group with most being toxic to humans. Anti-nutrients do tend to be concentrated in the peels of fruits and vegetables. The peels are often also where higher antioxidant content is as well. The only fruits and vegetables to arguably eliminate because of toxic lectin content are those in the Nightshade family (which are technically fruit). Common Nightshades are: tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant, tomatill0s, goji berries. Sarah has a comprehensive list of nightshades on her website. Stacy doesn't eat most nightshades, here is an archive of nightshade-free recipes. The big picture is that every food may have positives and negatives, for example: dairy and coffee. It is easy to to take part of the information and focus on just the bad. We try to take a more holistic approach when we're talking about foods and our individual needs. Everyone is different, so you have to test what works for you. Seeing zucchini on the list of veggies to avoid made Stacy laugh because it is one of the most mild vegetables and isn't on any many other "no" lists; it is tolerated well by most people. Listener Sarah was curious how to explain the testimonies of all the people being helped by The Plant Paradox diet. This diet also eliminates a lot of other things that are problematic for a lot of people. Something like the Paleo Diet or Autoimmune Protocol are two options much more founded in science, that recognize bio-individuality, and endorse self-experimentation to figure out what works for each person. In Paleo Principles, Sarah aimed to be extremely clear about the current boundries of human knowledge regarding food. Many foods are not black and white, having both pros and cons. Sarah doesn't subscribe to a dogmatic approach, even regarding gluten. There are over 1400 references in Paleo Principles, and is based on a much more sophisticated ground than simply "all lectins are bad." OXALATES: Listener Rita wants to know about oxalates and the recommendation to avoid them. Oxalate is in a similar category as phytate because it binds to minerals and makes them less absorbable by our bodies and are considered by some to be "anti-nutrients." The minerals can be liberated by our gut bacteria. Our bodies also produce oxalates, as a product of metabolism. Many high oxalate foods like kale, collards, spinach, chard, most berries and nuts, sweet potatoes, chocolate, cruciferous veggies, beets, cassava, rhubarb, etc can still be part of a healthy Paleo diet. To remove all these foods would be very limiting. There is no medical definition for oxalate sensitivity like there is for other types of sensitivities. The mechanism is not well-understood. It usually refers to people who are prone to kidney stones or muscle and joint pain when they eat high-oxalate foods. Some people produce a lot of oxalates, which they have a hard time eliminating, causing calcium-oxalate crystals in the kidneys, which develop into stones. If oxalate concentrations become too high in the blood, they can build up in the joints causing oxalate arthritis. 1 in 3 million people are genetically pre-disposed to these conditions. People with absorption disorders (like Crohn's disease) are more prone also. Dietary oxalates don't proportionately increase urinary oxalates. We have a variety of biologically mechanisms to control our oxalate levels. Certain gut bacteria work to degrade oxalates and reduce absorption. This why someone with a gut disorder might be more prone to problems with oxalates. You can increase these type of bacteria by eating more oxalates. Feed them! Dehydration is the number one cause of oxalate stones and crystals. Calcium supplementation and deficiency increase risk of stones. To avoid this, eat plenty of dietary Calcium. The arguments against eating oxalates are only valid for a limited specific number of people. It is a myth that eating oxalates or phytates will suck nutrients from your body. They are by definition already bound to minerals and therefore can't bind with anything else. Our gut bacteria can liberate the minerals. The minerals in the vegetable might be harder for us to absorb because of the reliance on gut health. These vegetables aren't full of things that are going to sop up all the minerals in our bodies and make us deficient in minerals. These foods feed beneficial bacteria and by that mechanism can actually help reduce risk of stones and encourage oxalate homeostasis. There is a lot of overlap between oxalate, histamine, and salicylate food lists. When oxalate sensitivity is based only on symptoms, it could be misunderstanding. The symptoms of these intolerances are all similar. It could be beneficial to investigate further into which sensitivity you are actually dealing with. There isn't a compelling reason to eliminate high oxalate food for most people. Stacy used to partly cook spinach and be careful about eating it with other foods to avoid absorption issues. Sarah says, "it's not a thing!" Eating raw spinach with other foods isn't going to inhibit absorption of nutrients from other food. The presence of a compound bound with a mineral doesn't mean other nutrients will not be absorbed. It means the mineral it is bound to requires being unbound before you can absorb it. Eat spinach. Spinach is great! Eat it however you like it. There are tests you can do through your doctor to determine oxalate levels or oxalate sensitivity. This should not be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. Test for it if you suspect it. Oxalate sensitivity is a very low frequency sensitivity. "It's the candida of food sensitivities." Very frequently diagnosed by symptoms and often not actually candida. Plug for functional medicine- they actually test and have knowledgeable ways of dealing with things. If you have more vegetable related questions, reach out through the contact forms on our websites or social media. Real Everything The Paleo Mom If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Stacy will have a Self-Love post new on the blog, based on a talk she is giving soon! Thanks for listening, we'll be back next week! Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 285: Stacy and Sarah Practice Self-CareIn this episode, we recap what we've been doing and how we've been keeping our health!Click here to listen in iTunesIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 285: Stacy and Sarah Practice Self-Care Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Stacy is home from her trip- she took a red eye home last week from the West coast. She was able to sleep on the plane and is feeling human again after only a couple days. Sarah remembers her last red eye flight- it was awful and she got sick when returning home after book tour. Stacy is catching up on her day job work and her "Passion Projects" after being gone. Sarah loves what she does so much, that it doesn't feel like "work," so she finds herself "working" a lot. Stacy wanted to go on this particular trip, even though it wasn't the best timing, because it was something that would allow her to affect change. Stacy is learning to focus more on doing the things that bring her joy, that make a difference, and that also financially support her family. Type A people who also have autoimmune issues have to be extra careful about policing themselves and avoiding too much stress. There is a link between Type A personality and chronic illness. It's a challenge to prioritize self-care. Sarah recommends thinking about self-care needs as part of her job and as something just as important as anything else on her to-do list. On that note, the show this week is just a check-in because Stacy has been traveling and Sarah is in the middle of her AIP Lecture Series. The AIP Lecture Series has been so much fun Sarah, its one of her "Passion Projects." It has allowed her to explain the material in a more in-depth way and in a different way than in writing. The feedback Sarah is getting has been overwhelmingly positive. Sarah tries to bridge the entire range of needs, from someone who just got a diagnosis or even suspects they have an autoimmune condition, or has never made any dietary changes, to the person who has been doing AIP for years and just needs refining... and everything in between. It's very rewarding and fun to hear stories of how people are healing, and feeling better than ever because of this series- the level of connection she has with people through this course makes this possible. Sarah feels like she has found her element in this course- she plans to do another! The course contains 16 hours of lectures, plus videos in the private Facebook group, along with guides, printables, and action steps. The complete scientific foundation for the autoimmune protocol: diet, lifestyle, practical how-tos. Think of it as a community college course for your health. All of the "why's" with practical "how to do this" wrapped in it. The next session starts March 18th, 2018 - reserve your spot now here! Stacy was exposed to the flu three different times on her trip and didn't catch it! Knock on wood! "Souping" is probably what did amazing things for Stacy's immune system and saved her. Even after having nightshades and alcohol before traveling, her body felt great. She had bone broth, dried mango (vitamin C!) and lots of veggies all weekend at her conference. Stacy took some essential oils with as well, to help protect her from all the yuk. Sarah's pulling back the curtain on Stacy- she actually is a positive ball of energy, though she sometimes pretends she's not! Sarah confirms that you can hug her and she'll even hug you back! We'll be back again next week, and we've got some awesome shows lined up for the next couple weeks! Thanks everyone for listening! Outro (25:46) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars- thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 284: Coconut: Superfood or Gut Irritant In this episode, we talk about coconuts and how awesome they are in so many ways! But we also talk about how some people, particularly people on the AIP, find that they don't work well for them. Click here to listen in iTunes or download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player below If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes!   The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 284: Coconut: Superfood or Gut Irritant Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Stacy and Sarah are celebrating 284 episodes as podcast co-hosts. The Paleo View is approaching 5 million downloads- thank you! Stacy celebrated herself (self-care) this week by buying new pajamas. The old ones were nearly disintegrated. She picked out exactly what she wanted, they arrived, and they're wonderful. Sarah was once in an ambulance and was grateful she was wearing underwear without holes, as her mother had always told her do because of this very situation. It's been chilly weather in Georgia for Sarah Sarah's girls have had many of "snow days." Sarah got to build a snowman, snow fort, and snow angels! Primal Kitchen Chocolate Collagen Fuel makes the most amazing hot chocolate! Stacy served it to the boys for their recent snow day, and even the neighbor kids liked it. Science with Sarah (10:42) What's the deal with coconut? Why are so many treats made with coconut, and is it good or bad for us? Annalise asks: "What exactly is it in coconut that many people on the Autoimmune diet seem to be reactive to? Is it salicylates, the fact that its on the FODMAP list, or something else? It's frustrating to have so many AIP treats out of reach, and I'd love to understand more. PS: great meeting you on book tour Sarah." Coconut is a unique ingredient. People new to the Paleo diet can find it overwhelming because there are so many things made with it. What are the good and bad about coconut? Even though it has "nut" in the name, it is not a nut. It's a "drupe." Coconuts do not have the same reactive properties of tree nuts. Always check with your allergist if you have a tree nut allergy before eating coconut. The nutrient make up of coconut is unique and unlike any other food. Coconut is high in MCT oil, which doesn't require bile salts to be absorbed into the small intestine. MCTs can be passively absorbed because they are small molecules. MCTs are converted rapidly in the liver into ketone bodies, which can be used as energy. Coconut has many other great nutrients: vitamins C and E, most Bs, high fiber, and phytosterols- which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Coconut also contains copper, iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Coconut oil has potent anti-microbial properties. MCTs are a special fat because they are known to reduce inflammatory mediators, increase mucous production in the gut, and increase the secretion of IgA antibodies in the gut (which can be good and bad). For Stacy, coconut oil doesn't work well for her internally or externally. Digestion has been better since eliminating it. Skin is improved after not cleansing with it or using deodorants with coconut oil. Listen to your body and don't try to "push through" and use something just because it works for everyone else or it is generally regarded as healthy. Coconut is a high FODMAP food, specifically containing a high amount of inulin. Inulin is highly-fermentable, which can cause problems for someone with bacterial overgrowth. Coconut Flour Coconut flour is high in inulin, which can be problematic for some people. Until Otto's Cassava Flour came along, coconut flour was the only flour for AIP baking. Stacy doesn't care for recipes with large amounts of coconut flour; Sarah finds it to be very dry. Coconut Oil The more refined the coconut oil is, the less it smells like a tropical beach. Sarah uses Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil for cooking and as a makeup remover. Sarah cooks with coconut oil, as well as a myriad of other fats; she likes to mix it up! Coconut Aminos Coconut aminos is a fantastic soy sauce substitute. It is made from coconut nectar/sugar. Coconut Sugar Sarah is myth busting on coconut sugar! Coconut sugar still contains sugar, there are mixed studies on its glycemic index. Coconut sugar isn't necessarily better than any other refined granulated sugar. Stacy's general takeaway about sugars is that if something is sweet, there's a reason for it. Pick your poison, and know that its a poison. Coconut nectar, sugar, and aminos are all made from the sap, obtained from the flowering stems of the tree. This is controversial because of sustainability issues. Sarah's understanding is that the companies they buy from are practicing sustainable, regenerative farming practices, but it isn't a guarantee. Taking a deeper look a brands and their practices is something Stacy likes to do, especially for palm and coconut products, chocolate, and bananas. Coconut Milk & Coconut Cream Full fat coconut milk and coconut cream are some of Sarah's favorite things! It has a creamy, lovely texture- Sarah likes it on fresh fruit as a treat! It often has emulsifiers, which Sarah has written in-depth about here. Brands to look for: Natural Value, Trader Joes's, Savoy, Aroy-D Natural Value Coconut Milk also uses BPA-free cans. Coconut Milk Powder is a wonderful, versatile ingredient! Because of its nature, coconut milk powder often has anti-caking agents added. This Anothony's Coconut Milk Powder has a tapioca based additive, not corn-based, and is the one that Stacy prefers to use. Coconut water is high in minerals and electrolytes. Stacy finds coconut water repulsive. Sarah describes it as coconuts wearing sweaty socks. Some brands are better than others, and it is better when chilled. Sarah can tell she is low in electrolytes (like after a workout) when coconut water doesn't taste terrible. Coconut water is a fantastic "sports drink" because of its lower sugar and high nutrient content. It is also used to make coconut vinegar. If you enjoy the podcast, please share it with someone you think would enjoy it too, or leave us a review on itunes. Using the links in this post and on our blogs helps support our podcast. Social media algorithms have changed and you might not see much of our content there anymore. The best way to connect with us is to receive our weekly newsletter. Sign up for Stacy's newsletter here. Sign up for Sarah's newsletter here. Thanks everyone for listening! Outro (56:48) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 283: Handling Critics, Conflicts and VegansIn this episode, we talk about conflicts with people, especially vegans, about the paleo diet and how to defend your choices.Click here to listen in iTunesIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 283: Handling Critics, Conflicts and Vegans News and Views (0:41) Wow! It's been 5 and a half years of podcasting! We've really evolved over these years! Reminder about Sarah's AIP Lecture series! We're in the season where you'll encounter well meaning people who want to challenge your diet choices and there's a ton of new vegan propaganda documentaries out there. Sarah's takedown of What the Health is here. Sarah thinks that Stacy, a reformed vegetarian, might have insight on how to handle social situations Monique says (10:09), "Hi Stacy and Sarah! Thanks for your amazing work in promoting health and wellness. I am not new to Paleo and have been a fan of you both for a while but only recently started listening to your podcasts on my daily walks. So, my question is this: how do you approach vegetarians, vegans, or pro-plant based people in a social setting who talk smack about the Paleo diet and claim that meat eaters are unhealthy, sluggish, ignorant, selfish, etc? I usually either get mad and start going off about how they overload on grains and don't actually eat a lot of vegetables compared to Paleo, say nothing, or talk about how a diet based in vegetables, fruits, and animal protein has drastically changed my life for the better. I don't necessarily have a problem with vegetarianism/veganism (I have a couple of meatless meals per week), but it's not a lifestyle that's sustainable and healthiest for me full time - a Paleo template is. What is your way of approaching these situations?" If someone is aggressive and trolly at you, don't engage! It won't turn out well. And sometimes you have to agree to disagree. If someone is vegetarian for religious reasons, we don't think it's appropriate to question it. Stacy is reminded of eating with Matt as a vegetarian and being repulsed by his rare burger. They eventually changed their views due to intellectual exploration. There is common ground on animal welfare between paleo and vegans. We both want animals to live as close to natural lives as possible and to live cruelty-free lives. Also, growing corn, soy and wheat is hard on the planet. Beef is better than chicken, too. You take fewer lives per meal and its better for you. Sarah points out that eating nose to tail is more respectful, less wasteful and better for your health Sarah considers paleo to be a plant based diet and is shocked that some paleo people think you only need meat. The evidence is very strong that we are omnivores! Stacy is reminded of her brother, the twinkie vegan. He's only interested in not eating animals, not in health benefits. Break down what's most important to the other person and address it from their concerns. Listen to what they have to say! Please Rate and review us! Outro (42:46) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 282: Joint Health, Arthritis, and Why We Eat All the Soup, Broth, and CollagenIn this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss joint health and rheumatoid arthritis and why they recommend collagen for all joint issues!Click here to listen in iTunesIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 282: Joint Health, Arthritis, and Why We Eat All the Soup, Broth, and Collagen News and Views (0:41) Looks like a ton of you are Souping! Thanks for sharing on social media! Stacy's IgA Deficiency post is here Stacy is into broth and collagen because shes concerned with her joint health. Her grandmother had Arthritis and her joint pain and joint cracking started very young. Rheumatoid Arthritis affects 1.5 million adults and it's one of the most common autoimmune diseases. Sarah was diagnosed with it at 28. They said "It won't be debilitating for ten years!" Joints and spines don't have a lot of blood flow, so they heal very slowly. Arthritis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the joints and they stiffen up Collagen and gelatin are good for joints because they are high in glycine, the amino acid important in forming bones, skin, and cartilage. You can incorporate broth into anything! If it simmers away then the nutrients are staying! See Stacy's Souping post for lots of recipes plus our Broth and Stock and Bones Tutorial for how to make it right!. Also, we love these Hot Chocolate Squares from Real Food RN. Sarah recommends Avocado as well. Especially in pudding form. She uses the Practical Paleo recipe as well as the PaleOMG recipe Sarah says the Real Life Paleo Phased Approach is really good for transition. And if your vitamin deficient, you might want to supplement, particularly Vitamin D. But don't overdo it! In terms of lifestyle factors, first quit smoking! Less sleep makes you more sensitive to pain and sleeping more decreases symptoms of arthritis! So get to bed! Stacy recommends that you not drink caffeine in the afternoon at all for sleep quality. Stacy's back injury recovery. Vital Proteins not only has Type II Collagen pills, but also great collagen and gelatin supplements! Please Rate and review us! Outro (42:46) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 280: How Many Vegetables?!In this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss the health benefits of vegetables and how many you should be eating.Click here to listen in iTunesIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 281: How Many Vegetables?! News and Views (0:41) Happy New Year! Stacy is doing a "souping" routine. Follow her in her Facebook group for more! Paleo Mom Importance of Vegetables Veggiephobia: Why limiting your vegetable intake might be slowing down healing You'd be best served by up to 8 servings of vegetables, but a serving isn't as big as you think! Please Rate and review us! Outro (50:50) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 280: Just BLEEPing Love YourselfIn this episode, Stacy and Sarah discuss the health ramifications of an on-again, off-again approach to healthy eatingClick here to listen in iTunesIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 280: Just BLEEPing Love Yourself News and Views (0:41) Stacy's heard a lot of talk about "yo-yo" Paleo; doing 30-day challenges then eating all the pizza She wants to talk about loving our bodies instead! It's especially prevalent this time of year, whether it's keto, a cleanse, etc. Science! Sarah says remembering that stress is both physical and mental is helpful. Many changes create a stress on our bodies. Stochastic change, or an element of randomness, is helpful in some areas of health according to research, like working out at different time, occasionally varying calorie intake, could be good stressors. Big switches in macronutrient ratios create stress on the body, and swinging back and forth creates too much stress. Our bodies get used to producing certain amounts of digestive enzymes, and big shifts can create imbalances, and imbalances in gut bacteria (usually bad bacteria grow rapidly). These, in turn, produce neuroactive compounds, which can cause not only GI symptoms but mood swings. That doesn't even take into account how many inflammatory compounds you're eating, challenge to our metabolisms and lack of nutrient diversity we're facing. Stacy points out that if we're loving ourselves, we don't NEED these big changes. Sarah says it's okay to make the conscientious choice to choose what's not best for you once in a while, you're challenging your body with a little stochastic randomness that might actually be beneficial Stacy says it's important to focus on your long-term goals. When Sarah has a craving, she indulges—but she also asks herself if lifestyle factors like sleep or stress are causing that craving and adjusts accordingly. Mindset shifts are helpful. What can you do with gusto that will achieve the same result? Sarah likes body scan meditations. Happy New Year and thank you for listening, we're approaching 5 million downloads (a lot from our 6 listeners!). Please Rate and review us! Outro (50:50) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 279: Sarah and the TonsillectomyIn this episode, Sarah talks about her decision to proceed with a tonsillectomy for her daughter.Click here to listen in iTunesor download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player belowIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 279: Sarah and the Tonsillectomy News and Views (0:41) Stacy thanks you for your well wishes on the anniversary of her brother Andrew's death Sarah's daughter recently had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy after a long struggle to get her tonsils back to normal. Sarah and her family have a history of having inflamed tonsils. While there is a small role for tonsils, possibly as a early warning system for the immune system, you can easily live without them. Sarah had a lot of antibiotics for strep because of tonsils and wonders how that affected her health. Her daughter also had a lot of strep as well despite a healthy lifestyle. Recently, that had increased in frequency as well. This summer, the tonsils had swollen and wouldn't go back down to the point of affecting her sleep. They had to come out. She had the surgery and also had her adenoids out at the same time. Sarah has been giving her recovery foods, but feels guilty that they are juice and popsicles. DON'T WORRY about such things! You are getting her through a tough time! Remember: make the best decisions you can for your kids and don't dwell on what could have been. And medicine is not the enemy! It will save your life! Please Rate and review us! Outro (35:52) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 278: Diana RodgersIn this episode, Diana Rodgers comes on to talk about Kale Vs. CowClick here to listen in iTunesor download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player belowIf you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 278: Diana Rodgers News and Views (0:41) Our guest this week is Diana Rodgers from Sustainable Dish! Diana is a nutritionist/dietician and runs her own farm! Diana is starting a film project called Kale Vs. Cow to combat the vegan propaganda films, focusing on why cows are great to eat Go to her Generosity page to help fund the project! Please Rate and review us! Outro (52:06) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 277: Epigenetics, Adoption, and Turning Genes On and Off In this episode, Stacy and Sarah talk about epigenetics and how gene expression can be affected by different lifestyle stresses and factors. Click here to listen in iTunes   If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes! The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 277: Epigenetics, Adoption, and Turning Genes On and Off News and Views (0:41) This is a topic that made Sarah really excited! This is fascinating science stuff! Last year, Stacy's mom, who is adopted, tracked down her family using genetic tests from 23andMe and Ancestry.com She found her father, two full sisters and four half siblings! So crazy! Unfortunately, Stacy and her mom also found that cancer runs very prevalent in her family. And Stacy's mom found that her full sisters were really similar to her, even in minor things like interests and hobbies and laughter. Stacy was fascinated by this article about epigenetics and adoption and gave it to Sarah. Epigenetics is the system where the body turns on or off or alters genes without actually changing DNA. There are a variety of ways that this can happen like stress, trauma, lifestyle, diet, environment, etc. And it's also heritable. Discover magazine article: "Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes" These epigenetic signals control a variety of things like inflammation, insulin sensitivity, neurotransmitter regulation. The emotional experiences around adoption can cause epigenetic changes in the brain. Discovery came out of experiments on nature vs. nuture. They found that rats that were groomed more by their mothers were more resilient to stress. But then they found that this was caused by epigenetic changes in cortisol pathways. They then tested the theory by switching mothers and found that the epigenetics changed for the inattentive mothers' babies. It's not nature vs. nuture; It's nature affects nuture affects nature! The theory goes now that the stress of being adopted affects epigenetics, but the new nuturing environment could reverse any damage. Adoptive parents would best be served by taking that into account and be sure of providing nuturing touch and love. Thousands of epigenetic changes are made in childhood that could affect the adult life Some companies are working on developing a epigenetic "clean slate" to reset epigenetic markers for people adversely affected by epigenetic problems. This might be harmful for some, but also could help people affected by depression, addiction, phobias and other severe challenges. Epigenetic changes could affect three generations thanks to epigenetics: stress to the mother affects the fetus, who's eggs are also developing, affecting the grandchild! Evolutionarily, these epigenetic changes make sense: they provide very quick change to genetic presentation without waiting generations for natural selection to select. We know that certain things are bad for epigenetic control: overeating, nutrient deficiency, stress, famine, etc. Stacy has noticed that snuggling her children is very good for them and her. The three generation inheritance means that grandchildren of holocaust survivors are still affected by the holocaust! They have found that it is definitely in childhood that makes the most epigenetic difference: you are much more affected by poor socioeconomic status in childhood than adulthood, for example. Some epigenetic controls are inherited, but some are wiped clean between generations. Sarah's NOVA special on Epigenetics. Two types of chemicals are epigenetic controls: Methyl groups turn off genes, Acetyl groups turn them on. So how is this affected in people with MTHFR mutations? This whole field of study is going to be explored more and more in the coming years and we'll know so much more about how to control all this stuff! Stacy is often wondering how her lifestyle might have affected Cole when she was pregnant with him during a more chaotic time in her life. Sarah says these discoveries are evidence that we need to FUND MORE BASIC SCIENCE EXPLORATION! Next week: An exciting guest! Please Rate and review us! Outro (52:06) Support us by shopping through links on our sidebars, please! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices