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Dr.-Sears-Weight-Loss-and-Resolvins-Blog

Weight Loss: The Real Reason You Should Want to Lose Weight

We continually hear about the health reasons why you should lose weight. But what are the molecular reasons? Now we have a clue; increased production of resolvins. Resolvins are a group of molecules derived from omega-3 fatty acids that help resolve inflammation.  In a recent paper, it was demonstrated that losing a moderate amount of weight (about 11 pounds in 12 weeks) resulted in a dramatic increase in certain resolvins (1). As I discuss in my newest book, The Resolution Zone, resolvins are among the key players in the body’s internal Resolution Response that allows you to heal from inflammatory damage, especially diet-induced inflammation (2).

            Not all resolvins increased in that study. The only resolvin that increased was RvE1, which increased by 600 percent! This increase is critical since RvE1 promotes increased bone formation, decreased atherosclerosis, decreased diabetes, decreased neurological problems, and improved tumor clearance in animal models (3-9). The same benefits are also observed in humans who lose weight, suggesting that increased production of RvE1 may be a primary reason for the clinical benefits of weight loss.

            What is the best way to lose weight and keep it off to gain all of these benefits of increased RvE1 production? It remains the Zone diet (10). Here are the basic rules for permanent weight loss by following the Zone diet.

Zone Diet Rules

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#1. You have to reduce calories

The only way to lose weight by the diet is to reduce calories. There is no mystical new way. Ketogenic diets have no “metabolic advantage” compared to the Zone diet (11), and intermittent fasting is no better than continuous calorie restriction (12,13). A calorie is a calorie. That is why calorie restriction is the foundation of the Zone diet. However, the secret is to reduce calories without hunger or fatigue, which leads to the next rules for following the Zone diet.

Dr.-Sears-Weight-Loss-and-Resolvins-Blog-02#2 Consume adequate protein at each meal

You will need at least 25 grams of protein at every meal to induce hormonal signals (such as PYY and GLP-1) that come from the gut and go directly to your brain to stop hunger.

Dr.-Sears-Weight-Loss-and-Resolvins-Blog-003#3 Hormonal control in the blood is key

The level of protein at each meal must be balanced by the appropriate glycemic load. This achieves a stable balance of insulin and glucagon in the blood after each meal to stabilize blood sugar levels. The balance of these opposing hormones stabilizes blood glucose levels to prevent hunger and mental fatigue for the next four to five hours. Consistent blood sugar control comes from maintaining the appropriate protein-to-glycemic-load at each meal, which is another critical feature of the Zone diet.

Dr.-Sears-Weight-Loss-and-Resolvins-Blog-04#4 Reduce the glycemic load by eating primarily non-starchy vegetables as your carbohydrates

The easiest way to reduce the glycemic load is to increase your intake of non-starchy vegetables while moderating fruits and significantly reducing your consumption of grains and starches. The reason is that non-starchy vegetables have the highest amount of fermentable fiber with the least amount of carbohydrates. Fermentable fiber is used by the microbes in your gut to generate the formation of short-chain fatty acids that enhance the satiety effects of PYY and GLP-1.

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#5 Dramatically reduce your intake of saturated and omega-6 fatty acids

The Zone diet is a diet that is low in total fat. However, the fat it contains is rich in monounsaturated fats (which are non-inflammatory) and highly restricted in saturated fats and omega-6 fats (which are pro-inflammatory).

Zone Diet Tips

Here are some simple dietary tricks to get started and make compliance easier.

#1. Eat your protein first before you consume your carbohydrates

It takes more time for protein to enter the blood than does carbohydrates. By eating your protein at a meal first you will achieve a better hormonal balance (14,15).

#2 Calorie density per meal is important

Consuming too many calories, even if they are perfectly balanced, can cause inflammation in the hypothalamus, which disrupts the appetite control center in the brain (16). The Zone diet recommends about 400 calories per meal to prevent such hypothalamic inflammation caused by consuming too many calories in a meal.

#3 Time restriction for eating should be based on your circadian rhythms, not your watch.

A recent study indicates that the more calories consumed at night induced more fat accumulation compared to the same number of calories consumed during daylight hours (17). Furthermore, the same study demonstrated the importance of eating breakfast to be in alignment with the circadian regulation of your metabolic pathways.  This spreading of your calorie intake to be in alignment with circadian rhythms also relates to calorie density. The more you restrict your feeding duration, the higher the calorie density during that shortened eating period, and thus the higher likelihood of hypothalamic inflammation (16). A good rule to follow is to eat within one hour after waking up and stop eating no later than 12 hours after waking up. This timing might be considered to be a “12-12” feeding cycle to minimize fat accumulation and prevent hypothalamic inflammation since you are reducing the calorie density through your eating window.

Summary

Many of the clinical benefits of weight loss may be attributed to increased resolvin production. The most clinically-validated way to achieve and maintain weight loss is the Zone diet as long as you follow the rules. Of course, if you follow the Zone diet to reduce inflammation, you also want to take omega-3 fatty acids to resolve inflammation and add adequate levels of polyphenols to repair the damage caused by inflammation. The combination of the Zone Diet coupled with high-purity omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenol supplementation is what I term Pro-Resolution Nutrition. Pro-Resolution Nutrition is also the best way to optimize your healthspan (2).

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References

  1. Barden A et al. “Effect of weight loss on neutrophil resolvins in the metabolic syndrome.” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids 148 25-29- (2019)
  2. Sears B. The Resolution Zone. Zone Press. Palm City, FL (2019)
  3. El Kholy K et al. “Resolvin E1 promotes bone preservation under inflammatory conditions.”

Front Immunol 9: 1300 (2018)

  1. Sima C et al. “Function of pro-resolving lipid mediator resolvin E1 in type 2 diabetes.

Crit Rev Immunol 38: 343-365 (2018)

  1. Sulciner ML et al. “Resolvins suppress tumor growth and enhance cancer therapy.

J Exp Med 215: 115-140 (2018)

  1. Carracedo M et al. “The resolution of inflammation through omega-3 fatty acids in atherosclerosis, intimal hyperplasia, and vascular calcification.” Semin Immunopathol 41: 757-766 (2019)
  2. Siddiquee A et al. Effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on resolvin (RvE1)-mediated suppression of inflammation in a mouse model of asthma. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 41: 250-257 (2019)
  3. Freire MO et al. “Neutrophil resolvin E1 receptor expression and function in type 2 diabetes.” J Immunol 198: 718-728 (2017)
  4. Hasturk H et al. “Resolvin E1 (RvE1) attenuates atherosclerotic plaque formation in diet and inflammation-induced atherogenesis.” Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 35: 1123-33 (2015)
  5. Sears B. The Zone. Regan Books.   New York, NY (1995)
  6. Johnston CS et al. “Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets.” Am J Clin Nutr 83: 1055-61 (2006)
  7. Trepanowski JF et al. “Effect of alternate-day fasting on weight loss, weight maintenance, and cardioprotection among metabolically healthy obese adults.” JAMA Intern Med 177: 930-938 (2017)
  8. Schubel R et al. “Effects of intermittent and continuous calorie restriction on body weight and metabolism over 50 wk: a randomized controlled trial.” Am J Clin Nutr 108: 933-945 (2018)
  9. Shukla AP et al.   “Food order has a significant impact on postprandial glucose and insulin levels.” Diabetes Care 38: e98–e99 (2015)
  10. Shukla AP et al. “Carbohydrate-last meal pattern lowers postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in type 2 diabetes.” BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care 5: e000440 (2017)
  11. Cai D. “Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in overnutrition-induced diseases.”Trends Endocrinol Metab 24: 40–47 (2013)
  1. Kelly KP et al. “Eating breakfast and avoiding late-evening snacking sustains lipid oxidation.” PLoS Biol 18: e3000622 (2020)

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062524---Keto-Blog

Ketogenic Diets and Aging

Chances are, you or someone you know has tried the keto diet at some point in time. This high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan appeals to many due to its promise of rapid weight loss. In this blog, Dr. Sears explores some of the latest scientific findings on ketogenic diets and provides caution before hopping on this trend. What is a Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan. This significant reduction in carbohydrates to induce a metabolic state is called ketosis. This only occurs when there is not enough carbohydrates in your liver to completely convert fatty acids to carbon dioxide and water. The normal conversion generates the chemical energy (ATP) that keeps us alive. In the absence of ketosis, each fatty acid generates 108 molecules of ATP when oxidized in the mitochondria. Ketone bodies make less ATP when they are metabolized by mitochondria. How much less? About five times less. This is like switching the gasoline in your car from high-octane fuel to low octane fuel as ketone bodies increase in the blood. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, ketones are not an ideal energy source for the brain, as glucose remains the preferred fuel for ATP production in brain cells. Lack of blood glucose is a highly stressful situation for the brain. This is why the body secretes the stress hormone cortisol from the adrenal glands during ketosis to breakdown protein and convert the amino acids into glucose for the brain. This explains why even under complete starvation for 38 days, the blood glucose levels never dropped below 68 mg/dL. This is still considered as a normal blood sugar level. Where did this blood glucose come from if there was none in the diet for 38 days? The answer is neo-glucogenesis primarily using lean body mass. Ketogenic Diets Pros and Cons Interest in ketogenic diets rises and falls about every 20 years. They’re very low-carbohydrate diets that claim that carbohydrates make you fat and keep you fat. This is simply not true. It is not carbohydrates per se but a disrupted metabolism that makes you fat. To be more specific, it is the inhibition of AMPK, the master regulator of your metabolism that makes you fat. Why? As AMPK activity increases, you burn stored fat faster. Frankly, I’ve always been amazed by the re-emergence of ketogenic diets. Eighteen years ago, I published the premier clinical study demonstrating that, under equal calorie intake in which all the food was provided to the subjects for six weeks, the Zone Diet was better than a ketogenic diet in reducing total weight, excess body fat, and inflammation. Now, a recent study revealed some more very concerning findings about the long-term effects of ketogenic diets. This new study indicated that following a keto diet causes a rise in senescent cells, popularly known as “zombie cells.” Zombie Cells are damaged cells that no longer divide but don't die. That’s bad enough, but zombie cells continue spreading inflammation throughout the body. As the number of zombie cells increases in your body, they become a living nightmare. Why? Zombie cells accelerate aging because they cause the earlier development of many chronic diseases. In this study they found that zombie cells in the animals began to appear while they were on a ketogenic diet. The zombie cells then disappeared when researchers changed the diet to a “non-ketogenic diet” (i.e., the Zone diet). And when the animals were given a Keto diet again, the zombie cells reappeared. Notice a trend? If you want to hear more about this study you can listen to our recent podcast at Dr.Sears.com. Based on earlier blogs, this adds to the list of downsides for following a ketogenic diet versus the Zone Diet. PROS Rapid initial weight loss: This is primarily due to the loss of retained water from the glycogen stores in the liver, which is rapidly used up to maintain blood sugar levels. Since these glycogen stores in the liver contain significant levels of retained water, much of the initial weight loss is water rather than stored body fat. If your main goal is loss retained water, this can be seen as a benefit. Of course, going to a sauna would also work. Reduced hunger: Ketogenic diets are rich in protein. Any increase in protein intake can help reduce hunger. CONS Production of acetone: One of the ketone bodies produced during ketosis is acetone, which is also the main chemical in nail polish. Increased calcium loss: A ketogenic diet can lead to higher calcium loss from bones. Limited fat utilization: High levels of dietary fat reduce the likelihood of using stored body fat for energy unless you also significantly restrict calories. Reduced energy levels: The lack of ATP production on a ketogenic diet can lead to easier fatigue during mild exercise. Damage from cheat meals: After seven days on a keto diet, a single high-carb cheat meal can damage blood vessels. Lack of polyphenols: This makes it difficult to activate genes that optimize metabolism by improving mitochondrial efficiency in converting fat into ATP. No long-term weight loss advantage: Long-term studies show no difference in weight loss between a ketogenic diet and a low-fat, high-carb diet. No short-term metabolic advantage: Careful studies demonstrate that fat loss on a ketogenic diet is the same as on a low-fat, high-carb diet with the same caloric intake. Compromised gut health: A lack of fermentable fiber from carbohydrates can lead to poor gut health and an increased risk of developing a leaky gut, which can cause significant inflammation. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the metabolic product of fermentable fiber. These SCFA are powerful epigenetic signaling agents that enhance gene transcription. Ketosis generates a different type of hydroxylated short fatty acid (3-hydroxyl butyrate, that has no effect on gene transcription. In addition, the lack of SCFA has significant negative consequences on the gut-brain axis. Cortisol build-up: To produce glucose for the brain, cortisol levels increase to breakdown protein to make sufficient glucose via neoglucogenesis. Excess cortisol can lead to insulin resistance that cause regain of some of initially loss body fat. In addition, increased cortisol levels cause a depressed immune system as well as destruction of memory cells in the hippocampus. The initial benefits of following the ketogenic diet result in some initial weight loss (primarily water weight rather than fat loss), long-term studies show no significant differences in overall weight loss. Now new findings show a ketogenic diet may lead to significant adverse health consequences by accelerating the formation of zombie cells. Call me crazy, but I feel the key to longevity and wellness comes down to better metabolic control instead of living in a constant state of ketosis. Following Metabolic Engineering® for a lifetime provides that pathway of losing body fat without ketosis. References 1. Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, and Sears B. “Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets.” Am J Clin Nutr 2006 83:1055-61. 2. White AM, Johnston CS, Swan PD, Tjonn SL, and Sears B. “Blood ketones are directly related to fatigue and perceived effort during exercise in overweight adults adhering to low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss: a pilot study.” J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 107:1792-1796. 3. Sung-Jen Wei, Joseph R Schell, E Sandra Chocron, Mahboubeh Varmazyad, Guogang Xu, Wan Hsi Chen, Gloria M Martinez, Felix F Dong, Prethish Sreenivas, Rolando Trevino Jr , Haiyan Jiang, Yan Du, Afaf Saliba, Wei Qian, Brandon Lorenzana, Alia Nazarullah, Jenny Chang, Kumar Sharma, Erin Munkácsy, Nobuo Horikoshi, David Gius. Ketogenic diet induces p53-dependent cellular senescence in multiple organs. Sci Adv. 2024 May 17;10(20):eado1463. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ado1463. 4. Owen OE, Felig P, Morgan AP, Wahren J, Cahill GF Jr. Liver and kidney metabolism during prolonged starvation. J Clin Invest. 1969 Mar;48(3):574-83. doi: 10.1172/JCI106016. 5. Chriett, S., Dąbek, A., Wojtala, M. et al. Prominent action of butyrate over β-hydroxybutyrate as histone deacetylase inhibitor, transcriptional modulator and anti-inflammatory molecule. Sci Rep 9, 742 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36941-9. 6. Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Jan 31;11:25. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00025. 

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050824---Tofu-Blog

Tofu: Tips and Recipes Ideas

I have been eating tofu for a very long time, much longer than the 30 or so years I have been following the Zone Diet. Back then many of my favorite recipes came from the Tassajara cookbooks by Edward Espe Brown, the celebrated chef from the kitchen at California’s famous Zen Mountain Center, and cookbooks by Louise Hagler, a.k.a. Wendy Louise, a well-known authority on vegetarian cooking who is associated with a community in Tennessee known as The Farm. Those books are still among the best resources for tofu recipes. My mantra has always been if you don’t like something, don’t eat it. Keep this in mind if you’re new to tofu, start slowly by combining it with flavors and foods you like.    Tips and Suggestions    Firm-sprouted tofu is my preference for the Zone Diet. Unlike traditional tofu, which contains significant amounts of both protein and carbohydrate, sprouted has almost no carbohydrates. It’s lighter tasting, refreshing, and very filling.   Freezing tofu results in a chewy, sponge-like texture. I don’t recommend freezing, but some people prefer it when using tofu to substitute for meat in a recipe.    Baked tofu comes in a variety of flavors and makes an excellent quick meal with some vegetables and fruit added. It’s also great in salads.     Tofu made it into the book “The Top 100 Zone Foods” by Barry Sears.    Some recipes call for draining the tofu first. I find that usually isn’t necessary.   Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever is added to it.    Add nutritional yeast flakes to give a cheesy flavor to vegan tofu scrambles and dips. It’s also rich in protein and vitamin B12.   Cherry Vanilla Tofu “Ice Cream”   Tip: This doesn’t freeze or store well, so prepare only the amount you plan to serve immediately.   Using an immersion blender or a food processor blend equal parts of frozen dark cherries and firm tofu, plus some vanilla extract (preferably alcohol-free for best flavor). Serve immediately.  Tofu Scramble  This is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and we’ve even brought it on long day hikes for a snack.   Crumble some firm tofu and stir in a generous amount of seasonings, taking care not to overdo it with the salt. Heat in a well-seasoned or nonstick skillet with a little Zone-friendly oil to the desired doneness.    Optional: If time allows, sauté some chopped onion in the skillet before adding the tofu and seasonings.    My favorite seasoning combination for this dish at my house is onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, some oregano or thyme, nutritional yeast flakes, salt, and ground black pepper. The yellow color of the turmeric makes it somewhat like scrambled eggs.   Tofu Veggie Almond Pasta Salad   Dressing: Thin some smooth almond butter by stirring in some water, a little vinegar, and either soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (an unfermented soy sauce found in the health food section of most grocery stores).    Toss together cooked Dr. Sears’ Zone PastaRx Fusilli, tofu cut into cubes, matchstick cut red bell pepper, chopped green parts of scallions (a.k.a. green onions), and the almond butter dressing. Serve immediately or chill to serve later. It will keep well in the fridge for two or three days.   Use your imagination and see what you can come up with.  Experiment and have fun with it. Try using tofu to make cheesecakes, whipped desserts, tofu chocolate pudding, tofu “cream” based soups, tofu pot pie (think chicken pot pie), tofu burgers, tofu burritos, Buffalo tofu (like Buffalo wings), layered Mediterranean dips, tofu “meatballs”, grilled tofu, and more.    Enjoy! 

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