Nutritionist Answers Diet Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Summary

In this Nutrition Support video, Dr. David Katz addresses various dietary questions from the internet. He emphasizes a plant-based diet for health and longevity, warns against excessive protein intake, and critiques the ketogenic diet's brain-starving effects. Katz debunks myths about carbohydrates and metabolism, advocates for organic food due to its nutrient density, and advises against unnecessary gluten-free diets. He also discusses the importance of pre- and post-workout nutrition, the limitations of BMI, and the transition from the food pyramid to the plate model for balanced eating.

Takeaways

• 🌿 'Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.' This is the common theme from the Blue Zones, where people tend to live longer and healthier lives.
• 🥩 'You can have too much protein. Excess protein can lead to acidosis and is stored as fat since the body cannot store it like carbohydrates or fat.'
• 🧠 'The ketogenic diet originated from attempts to treat intractable epilepsy by starving the brain of carbohydrates, which is not recommended for healthy individuals.'
• 🍚 'The belief that all carbohydrates are bad is a myth. Wholesome plant-based carbs are beneficial, unlike refined grains and added sugars.'
• 💪 'You can change your metabolism by adding muscle through resistance training, which increases calorie burn even at rest.'
• 🔄 'Not all calories are equal. Wholesome, unprocessed foods tend to be more filling and nutritious compared to ultra-processed foods.'
• 📏 'Waist circumference is a more reliable indicator of health risks than BMI, with different thresholds for men and women.'
• 🥗 'A true paleo diet is challenging to follow in modern times and would exclude processed foods, dairy, and most meats, focusing on game and high-fiber foods.'
• 🥤 'Cutting out soda, which is high in empty calories and sugar, is a simple dietary improvement that can be easily replaced with healthier options.'
• 🌾 'Gluten-free diets are unnecessary for most people unless they have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.'
• 🥦 'A plant-based or vegan diet can provide all the necessary nutrients, including protein and micronutrients, with careful selection of foods.'

Q & A

What is Dr. David Katz's opinion on the best diet for health and longevity?

Dr. Katz suggests that the best diet is not one specific diet but a theme: 'eat food, not too much, mostly plants.' This advice is supported by the dietary habits observed in the blue zones, where people tend to live longer and healthier lives.

Can you consume too much protein according to Dr. Katz?

Yes, Dr. Katz states that most Americans consume about twice the recommended amount of protein, which can be harmful as the body cannot store excess protein and converts it into fat.

What is the origin of the ketogenic diet as explained by Dr. Katz?

The ketogenic diet originated from the observation that restricting carbohydrates could help treat intractable epilepsy by starving the brain of its usual fuel, thereby reducing seizures.

What are some of the biggest nutrition, exercise, and health myths Dr. Katz mentions?

Dr. Katz mentions that one of the biggest myths is the belief that carbohydrates are bad. He clarifies that all plant foods are carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are created equal; it's the refined grains, added sugars, and ultra-processed junk foods that are problematic.

How can one change their metabolism according to Dr. Katz?

Dr. Katz suggests that one can change their metabolism by adding muscle to their body through resistance training. This increases the number of calories burned 24/7, which can lead to weight loss if one's diet remains the same.

Does Dr. Katz believe that all calories are created equal?

No, Dr. Katz explains that not all calories are equal. Foods direct from nature tend to fill you up on fewer calories compared to ultra-processed foods, which are often designed to stimulate appetite and lead to overeating.

What does Dr. Katz suggest as a more reliable measure of health than BMI?

Dr. Katz recommends waist circumference as a more reliable measure of health than BMI. He suggests that a waist measurement over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men can indicate increased health risks.

Is the paleo diet practical in the modern world according to Dr. Katz?

Dr. Katz points out that a true paleo diet is difficult to achieve in the modern world as it involves avoiding all processed foods, dairy, and consuming only wild game meats, which are quite different from the meats commonly available today.

What is Dr. Katz's view on the legitimacy of intermittent fasting?

Dr. Katz acknowledges that intermittent fasting can be a valid tactic for some people, but he also notes that studies have shown no discernible difference in outcomes when compared to calorie restriction with no time restrictions.

How does Dr. Katz feel about the ketogenic diet for long-term health?

Dr. Katz does not recommend the ketogenic diet for long-term health as it restricts many nutritious foods and can lead to negative side effects such as exhaustion, brain fog, and constipation.

What is Dr. Katz's advice for someone who is plant-based or vegan and concerned about getting proper nutrition?

Dr. Katz, who identifies as primarily vegan, advises that plant-based diets can provide adequate nutrition, including protein and minerals. He mentions that B12 supplementation might be necessary, and uses examples like horses, gorillas, and oxen to illustrate that plant-based diets can support substantial muscle development.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Optimal Diet for Health and Longevity

Dr. David Katz addresses the question about the best diet for health and longevity by emphasizing a plant-based diet, inspired by the dietary patterns of the world's 'blue zones' where people often live to be 100 years old without chronic diseases. He suggests consuming a variety of real foods, predominantly plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, while also recommending plain water as the primary beverage. Dr. Katz also discusses the potential harms of excessive protein intake, the origins of the ketogenic diet, and dispels common nutrition and health myths, such as the demonization of carbohydrates and the misconceptions around metabolism and calorie sources.

05:02

🔍 Debunking Diet Myths and Discussing Health Metrics

This segment tackles various nutrition and health-related myths. Dr. Katz explains the limitations of BMI as a health metric, advocating for waist circumference as a more reliable indicator of health risks. He also addresses the legitimacy of the paleo diet, highlighting the difficulties of adhering to it in modern times and the significant differences between the diet of our ancestors and what is typically consumed today. The discussion continues with the idea of 'girl dinner' and how making healthier choices can improve overall nutrition without sacrificing convenience. Lastly, Dr. Katz differentiates between macro and micronutrients, emphasizing the importance of both for a balanced diet.

10:04

🍽 Navigating Nutritional Choices and Workout Nutrition

In the final paragraph, Dr. Katz discusses the importance of making informed dietary choices, such as cutting out soda for healthier alternatives like water or seltzer. He clarifies that a gluten-free diet is only necessary for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease, and not for the general population. For those following a plant-based or vegan diet, he assures that it is possible to get all necessary nutrients, including protein and micronutrients, from plant sources. Dr. Katz also comments on the outdated food pyramid, suggesting a plate model with a focus on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. He advises on pre- and post-workout nutrition, recommending complex carbohydrates before exercise and a focus on protein and antioxidants after for optimal muscle recovery and health.

Keywords

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process by which the body obtains and utilizes food substances for growth, maintenance, and energy. In the video, nutrition is central to the discussion on health and longevity, with Dr. Katz advocating for a diet rich in plant-based foods. The video emphasizes the importance of consuming real food, mostly plants, as observed in the blue zones where people tend to live longer and healthier lives.

💡Longevity

Longevity is the state of living a long, healthy life. The video discusses longevity in the context of dietary habits, suggesting that certain diets, such as those rich in plant foods, can contribute to living longer without chronic diseases or dementia. Dr. Katz mentions the blue zones, where people often live to be 100 years old, as examples of populations that have longevity.

💡Protein

Protein is a macronutrient essential for the body's growth, maintenance, and repair. In the video, Dr. Katz addresses the question of excessive protein intake, noting that Americans typically consume twice the recommended amount. Excess protein, being unable to be stored like carbohydrates and fats, can be converted into fat if not utilized by the body, thus linking protein intake to health and body composition.

💡Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that aims to shift the body's metabolism from glucose to fat burning. Dr. Katz explains that while the diet originated as a treatment for intractable epilepsy, it is not necessarily beneficial for healthy individuals as it deprives the brain of a key nutrient, potentially leading to a decrease in brain activity.

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a major class of macronutrients that the body uses for energy. The video dispels the myth that all carbohydrates are bad, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between complex carbohydrates found in plant foods, which are beneficial, and refined carbohydrates, which can be detrimental to health.

💡Metabolism

Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life. Dr. Katz discusses how one can improve their metabolism by adding muscle through resistance training, which increases the body's calorie-burning capacity at rest, thus influencing weight management.

💡Macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients that the body needs in large amounts, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The video explains that these nutrients are abundant and visible, forming the bulk of our diet. Dr. Katz emphasizes the importance of consuming macronutrients from whole, unprocessed foods for optimal health.

💡Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements needed by the body in small quantities. Unlike macronutrients, micronutrients are not the primary sources of energy but are essential for various bodily functions. The video suggests that organic foods tend to have higher concentrations of micronutrients, which can contribute to better health.

💡Organic Food

Organic food is produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics. In the video, Dr. Katz suggests that organic food may be more beneficial for human health due to the absence of these chemicals and potentially higher nutrient content. He recommends choosing organic for foods where the skin is consumed, like berries and lettuce.

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. Dr. Katz acknowledges that while it may not be superior to calorie restriction, it can be an effective strategy for some individuals to manage their weight by reducing overall calorie intake through structured eating windows.

💡Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet primarily consists of foods derived from plants, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Dr. Katz, who identifies as primarily vegan, discusses the nutritional adequacy of a plant-based diet, highlighting that it can provide all essential nutrients, including proteins and micronutrients, and is associated with health benefits.

Highlights

The best diet for health and longevity involves eating real food, mostly plants.

People in blue zones live longer by adhering to a plant-based diet with minimal processed foods.

Excess protein consumption can lead to acidosis and is stored as fat since the body cannot store excess protein.

The ketogenic diet originated from treating intractable epilepsy by starving the brain of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are essential for a healthy diet, with the exception of refined grains and added sugars.

Metabolism can be improved by adding muscle through resistance training, leading to increased calorie burn.

Calories from whole, unprocessed foods tend to be more filling and nutritious than those from ultra-processed foods.

Waist circumference is a more reliable indicator of health risks than BMI or weight alone.

A true paleo diet is challenging to follow in the modern world and excludes processed foods and dairy.

The paleolithic diet should consist of high fiber intake similar to that of our Stone Age ancestors.

Girl dinner can be made healthier by choosing whole grains, beans, and avoiding processed meats.

Macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, which are visible and make up the bulk of food.

Micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, are essential but require a microscope to see.

Organic food may offer more micronutrients and avoids exposure to herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotics.

Intermittent fasting can be a useful strategy for some people, but it's not inherently superior to calorie restriction.

The ketogenic diet can lead to negative side effects such as exhaustion, brain fog, and constipation.

Soda is an example of an empty calorie source that should be cut out for better nutrition.

Going gluten-free is unnecessary for most people and can exclude nutritious whole grains.

A plant-based or vegan diet can provide all necessary nutrients, including protein and micronutrients.

The food pyramid has been replaced by the MyPlate model, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Reading nutritional labels should focus on recognizing whole food ingredients and avoiding processed sugars.

Pre-workout nutrition should include carbohydrates to fuel exercise, while post-workout should focus on protein and antioxidants for recovery.

Transcripts

- I'm Dr. David Katz.

Let's answer some questions from the internet.

This is Nutrition Support.

[upbeat music]

@curtismwhitaker, "In your opinion,

"what is the best diet for health and longevity?"

It's a theme.

It's not one specific diet.

Seven words: eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

And that comes to us courtesy of the blue zones,

five populations around the world in Ikaria, Greece,

Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Loma Linda, California,

and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica,

where people most often live to be 100 years old,

don't get chronic disease or dementia.

They all adhere to that same basic theme,

real food, mostly plants.

Lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils,

nuts and seeds, mostly plain water when thirsty.

Aim to love the food that loves you back.

If that's the foundation of your diet,

you can't go too far wrong.

@JayHartmann24 asks, "Can you have too much protein?"

Yes, you can eat too much protein.

Most Americans get about twice

the recommended amount of protein.

Excess protein is acidic.

Excess protein can't be used by the body,

doesn't turn into big, strong muscles.

The body can store carbohydrate and it can store fat.

It cannot store protein.

Our carbohydrate store is called glycogen,

generally about 1,200 to 1,800 calories worth.

Protein does not get stored,

so what the body does is convert it into something

it can store.

And since glycogen is already capped out,

all surplus protein the body doesn't need

and can't use now it stores as fat.

@xobabydoll9 asks, "Where does keto science

"and nutrition come from?

"How does anyone believe that eating zero carbs

"and almost all fat could be good for you?

"It doesn't make sense to me."

So where does it come from? Is there a science?

Yes, actually.

So the origins of the ketogenic diet were

it was discovered that if you restricted fuel to the brain

you could sometimes treat seizures

that nothing else would treat, intractable epilepsy.

Their seizures sometimes would stop

if you starved the brain of carbohydrate.

Sometimes, especially in children,

if the typical drugs to treat seizures are not working,

sometimes a ketogenic diet is used.

But that should give everybody else pause.

The calling card of this particular diet

is that it starves the brain of a key nutrient

and quiets brain activity.

Is that really what a healthy person wants their diet to do?

I would say no.

@Outdoctrination asks, "What are some of the biggest

"nutrition, exercise, health myths you can think of?"

So the prevailing view these days

seems to be that carbohydrate is bad.

Everything from lentils to lollipops are carbohydrate.

In fact, all plant foods

along with most processed foods are carbohydrate.

So vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes,

all carbohydrate, and all of the best diets for humans

tend to be rich in carbohydrate, but good carbohydrate.

Is there bad carbohydrate?

Refined grains, added sugar, ultra-processed junk food,

yeah, that's bad.

@IdontknOwmyself asks, "How do you change your metabolism?

"How? Mine is my worst enemy, I hate it."

Good news. You actually can change yours.

Add muscle to your body.

Do resistance training three times a week.

When you add ounces or pounds of muscle to your body,

you're burning more calories 24/7.

So if you kept your current eating the same

and worked out doing resistance training three times a week,

you would start to lose weight

if your current calorie intake was maintaining your weight

because you would need more for those muscles to survive.

@AllisonMcKeany asks,

"Are all calories really created equal?"

I think what you're really asking is,

does it matter what the source of the calorie is?

And obviously foods are not all created equal.

One of the critical considerations

is that if you eat a wide variety of really wholesome foods,

foods direct from nature, they fill you up on fewer calories

than if you eat ultra-processed foods.

Here is something you may not know.

Non-food components added in with the food.

Now you've got an ultra-processed food.

Those foods are manipulated in all sorts of ways

to extend their shelf life

and to stimulate your appetite center and make you overeat.

So ultra-processing is bad.

@stephanieb789 asks, "What is a completely healthy weight?

"'Cause BMI is BS and so is the weight number."

Body mass index does not tell you if you're healthy.

It does tell you if, on average,

your weight is what it should be

for somebody who is your height.

Weight is not a measure of health.

One thing that's more reliable than BMI or weight

to get at specific health issues is waist circumference.

More than 35 inches puts a woman at increased risk.

For a man, it's a little higher.

It's about 40 inches.

The fat that tends to accumulate in the lower extremities,

for example, the legs, the buttocks,

much less metabolically active.

Fat around the middle has a nasty habit

of getting into the liver.

It disrupts normal liver function.

It impairs our ability to manage lipids in our blood

and it tends to make us insulin resistant.

You don't make enough insulin to manage your blood sugar

and you wind up with type 2 diabetes.

We cannot pretend that accumulating

excess body fat doesn't matter.

But you're absolutely right, BMI is not a measure of health.

@paleoplus asks, "How legit is the paleo diet?"

A true paleo diet is really difficult to achieve

in the modern world.

The paleo diet or paleolithic diet

is about how did humans eat during the Stone Age?

First of all, you can't eat any processed foods.

You can't eat any dairy.

If you eat any meat, it has to be game.

Wild animals exclusively.

The kind of meat our ancestors had access to

was a lot like antelope.

About 7% of the calories in an antelope steak come from fat.

Almost none of that fat is saturated.

Quite a lot of it is omega-3.

Compare that to beef.

35% of the calories come from fat,

most of that fat is saturated, and none of it's omega-3.

Night and day.

Our Stone Age ancestors didn't eat that.

Our Stone Age ancestors got about 100 grams

of fiber every day.

Now the recommendation here in the U.S. for adults

is about 25 grams a day.

But 100 grams a day probably means more time in the bathroom

than your schedule would allow.

@cgwa85 asks, "I've come to accept that girl dinner

"is the main thing holding me back in life.

"Like, why can't I nutrition properly?"

I'm relatively new to girl dinner,

but I've done some searching

and I understand it's something like this.

It's basically a quick assembly of foods

that you can easily get your hands on.

The basic concept I think emphasizes convenience.

We've got some processed meat,

but we don't really need that.

We could have an alternative to that,

if you wanted to take out some of the least healthful foods.

But why can't the dip, for example, be a bean dip or hummus?

Crackers as opposed to chips that are made from whole grains

with a very short list of ingredients?

There is cheese.

If you're gonna keep the cheese, grapes go well with cheese.

Some dried fruits go great with cheese.

But when you have milk chocolate

and add in a lot of saturated fat and a lot more calories,

typically more sugar comes along for the ride too.

But if you traded this up to pure dark chocolate,

60% cocoa or higher, it's delicious,

it's rich, it's rewarding.

And because it's bittersweet rather than purely sweet,

it actually fills you up on fewer calories,

and now you're having the indulgence,

but you're also improving overall nutrition.

So I don't think it would be that much work

to overhaul this.

Stick with the girl dinner, trade up the nutrition,

and then girl dinner won't be holding you back.

@fleggpe asks, "Explain the major difference

"between macro and micronutrients?"

Macro is something you can see with the naked eye.

So there are three macronutrients

that make up the bulk of food.

They are abundant enough to be visible,

protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Micro is something for which you need a microscope.

Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, antioxidants

that are still very important.

Many of them are essential nutrients,

but they're too small to see.

@JohnPetersonFW asked, "I'd really like to know,

"from someone that actually knows,

"if buying organic food for double the price

"is actually worth it/better for you?"

A great question.

We really can't say for sure

that it's better for human health,

but we have reason to think so.

Herbicides should not be part of the human diet.

Pesticides should not be part of the human diet.

Antibiotics dosed to animals

should not be part of the human diet.

And if you eat organic, you're avoiding all of those things.

Produce grown organically seems to be on average

as much as 20% more concentrated

in a wide array of micronutrients

than its non-organically grown counterparts.

So that would mean 20% more vitamins, 20% more minerals,

and 20% more antioxidants, for example.

If I look at these foods here,

you think about when would it be more important

to buy organic.

I like it for the lettuces.

We've got radicchio here.

I like it for the carrots.

I really like it for these berries.

So whenever you're not taking a surface off of food

and you're eating it whole,

buying organic tends to matter more.

@CARTIERANG3L asks, "Intermittent fasting is BS.

"It's literally just skipping breakfast with a fancy name."

It's bit more than that, but you're not entirely wrong.

There have been randomized control trials

putting them head to head,

intermittent fasting to limit your calories

and no time restriction but portion control.

And you wind up with the same number of calories,

the same foods just distributed differently

with intermittent fasting being the difference.

Guess the results.

No discernible difference.

But that doesn't mean intermittent fasting

isn't a valid tactic.

For some people it just works better

than thinking about portion control all the time.

I mean, if you start your day at lunch

and have dinner and then you stop, you're right,

that pretty much involves just skipping breakfast.

And the idea is you're poking a hole

in your daily intake of calories,

so you wind up eating fewer calories,

and that tends to help people

with weight loss and weight control.

@ajrendon96 asks, "Ketosis? How does that feel?"

The ketogenic diet is trying to avoid overt starvation

but mimic its effects.

When people go into a state of starvation

they have this sense of euphoria.

Some people report mental clarity,

some people report feeling very energetic.

And people who are trying to stay

on a ketogenic diet experience some of what people

in an extended experience of starvation feel,

which is exhaustion, brain fog, constipation,

and a whole host of other ills.

So when we're starving,

we actually start to break down our own tissues.

We use up our glycogen,

and once that's gone we don't have carbohydrates,

so we can't make sugar, so we start burning our body fat.

From my point of view,

the ketogenic diet is not a recommended approach

for long-term.

It restricts many of the most nutritious foods,

the very foods we know are associated

with both longevity and vitality.

@asp1reluna asks, "What food/drinks

"should I cut out of my diet?"

I'm gonna go with soda, source of empty calories,

source of a lot of the excess sugar most Americans eat.

Easily replaceable with much better stuff.

Water would be ideal,

but any kind of seltzer would be a good intermediate step.

We're just gonna cut one thing out of a diet,

let's cut out soda.

@swissbusiness asks, "Is going gluten-free

"good for everyone?"

No, gluten is a component of some really nutritious foods

like whole wheat, whole barley, other grains.

Avoiding gluten is only important

if you're gluten sensitive.

That means you either have celiac disease,

where you actually make antibodies

and you absolutely have to avoid gluten

and then it's very important,

or you just don't feel well

when you eat foods that contain gluten.

In those instances, you should avoid it.

For everybody else, there's no advantage

in avoiding foods that contain gluten.

@ineyeseaohelee asks, "Are you plant-based/vegan

"and finding it difficult to get the proper nutrition,

"protein, minerals, micro, macronutrients?"

Now, first of all, I'm primarily vegan.

You get many more vitamins and minerals from plants

than from animal foods.

There are a couple of exceptions like B12,

and so a supplement's not an unreasonable idea.

Protein is not deficient in plant foods.

All plant foods contain all essential amino acids.

And if you find it hard to believe

that you can build big, strong muscles

from eating just plants, take a look at a horse.

Take a look at a gorilla.

Take a look at an ox.

@poeticdweller asks, "Is the food pyramid still real?

"Like, are you guys actually eating

"all these servings every day?

"This just feels like a lot."

This is what we're talking about here.

It's not still in use.

It's actually been replaced.

It's been replaced by a plate.

So if your plate is taken up 3/4 by vegetables, fruits,

whole grains on average over the course of the day,

you're gonna be doing pretty well.

@Bull_Spear says, "Honestly, I don't know why I bother

"reading nutritional labels.

"I don't know what the [beep] niacin is

"or why one Nutri-Grain bar has 10% DV of it."

Okay, our problem used to be micronutrient deficiencies.

Our problem today is much more about macronutrient excess,

just eating too much of all the wrong foods.

I would say look at an ingredient list

and look for things you recognize as food.

If you're having a Nutri-Grain bar,

you'd really like to make sure

that the first ingredient is a grain

and ideally a whole grain, and that would be a good thing.

If the first ingredient in a grain product

is anything other than a grain, like sugar, for example,

you could do better.

@mintpoid asks, "What do I eat pre-workout

"versus post-workout macros wise?"

In general, you wanna preload for a workout

with carbohydrate that's gonna help you fill

your glycogen stores.

That's the fuel you're going to be running on

during an extended period of exercise,

a long bike ride, a long hike, a long run, a marathon.

Complex carbohydrates, that would be whole grains.

It would be fruit.

For recovery afterwards, you've used your muscle,

you've broken down muscle if you've worked out intensely,

high quality protein.

And the other thing that would be really important

post-workout would be antioxidants.

Antioxidant compounds actually help protect the cells

as they go through that process of breakdown

during exercise recovery after.

So those are all the questions.

I really appreciate the honesty.

Thank you for joining us today on Nutrition Support.