Ep 161: Keys to Beating Low Energy (Without Sleeping More!)

Dr. Steven R. Gundry, author of The Energy Paradox and The Plant
Paradox, gives us insight into what the science says is slowing
us all down, fogging up our brains, and making us look downright
lazy. Surprisingly, the answer isn’t simply to get more sleep.


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Full show notes


It feels like these days, we’re all a little more tired than we’d
like to be! We pour ourselves an extra cup of coffee in the
afternoon, feed our kids nutritious meals to give them a boost,
and declare an early bedtime...but none of it seems to help! You
and your kids might feel bogged down by 3 PM, or struggle to
finish a basic to-do list. We’re trying to take care of
ourselves, so why are we feeling so exhausted?


Turns out, the answer is a lot more complicated than you might
think–and it’s based in sophisticated nutrition science. Your
body’s natural processes have been interrupted by our society’s
agricultural and medical practices, and it might be causing you
to have a fraction of the energy you once had! The chemicals in
your food and the prescriptions you’re taking may be doing more
harm than good when it comes to creating a happier, healthier
life for yourself and your kids.


To shine some light on this energy deficiency, we’re sitting down
with Dr. Steven Gundry! He’s a former cardiac surgeon and the
author of several successful books on nutritional science,
including his new book: The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your
Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone. In this week’s episode, we’re
diving into the mechanisms at play in our body’s digestion and
immune systems–and what we’re doing that’s causing those
mechanisms to get all kinds of messed up.


Ever heard of a microbiome? We’re talking all about how this home
for trillions of microorganisms inside your gut serves as the
center of your body’s functions….and how our practices are
rendering it ineffective. Plus, we’re getting into the real truth
about fiber, and unpacking the nuances of metabolic flexibility
to explain why we just can’t seem to stay energized.


How We Mistreat Our Microbiome


Did you know that you have trillions of little organisms inside
your belly that regulate a huge number of your body’s processes?
This is called your microbiome, and it’s an essential part of
digestion, immunity, and brain function. Steven explains that we
weren’t aware of these microorganisms until recently. Through a
fascinating scientific study known as the Human Microbiome
Project, we’ve discovered just how much we use the microbial
organisms in our gut–and how many issues our diet and medicine
are causing!


One of the ways we defile this essential system is with
antibiotics, says Steven. When we started prescribing them left
and right, we didn’t realize that they were actively killing off
the contents of our microbiome. It was only with the cutting edge
research conducted by the Human Microbiome Project that we
learned our mistake–and it’s only just now that we have to come
to terms with the damage that’s been done, Steven explains. Plus,
we feed antibiotics to all the animals we eat...meaning that
those antibiotics are inside us too!


Another culprit of this microbiome mistreatment is a chemical
compound glyphosine, often referred to as “round up”, explains
Steven. Glyphosine is used on most conventional crops to make
them easier to harvest–even the products marked non-GMO! Doctors
and researchers have found enormous amounts of this chemical
compound in young people’s blood, simply from eating crops that
have been exposed to it.


According to Steven, Glyphosine changes our microbiome to create
a syndrome sometimes referred to as “leaky gut” in which toxins
“leak” though the lining of our bellies and into the bloodstream,
causing inflammation. Plus, Glyphosine blocks the effects of
Vitamin D and the adrenal hormone, causing us to be drained and
fatigued!


There are certain things that are good for our microbiome–and
fiber is one of the most important. However, due to
misinformation, you may be feeding your family the wrong type of
fiber, causing harm to microorganisms instead!


Finding the Right Fiber


Although we may not realize it, there are actually two different
kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is the kind
our microbiome likes….while insoluble causes serious damage! Even
though we might think of grain or bran muffins as being full of
healthy fiber, the insoluble fiber they contain actually makes
them quite harmful to our microbiomes, as they can’t be broken
down and absorbed. Even though we think we’re helping our kids
stay healthy, we might not be giving them the fuel to power their
bodies, Steven says.


As Steven explains in the episode, a lot of the processed food we
eat today is broken into simple sugars, protein and fats. This is
in stark contrast to our grandparents’ diet of whole foods.
Instead of sitting down to consume a potato or an apple, we’re
far too often provided with candy, chips, or microwavable dinners
which are, as Steven says, stripped of all fiber. Instead, they
contain false flavorings to trick your body into thinking there
is any fiber at all! Steven suggests reaching for asparagus, yam,
artichoke, or avocado instead.


Steven quips in the episode that we eat the foods we love, but
the food doesn’t love us back! He explains that the food with the
most fiber is often bitter food...in other words, bitter is
better. In the episode, we go over some recipes from his popular
title, The Plant Paradox Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes to Help
You Lose Weight, Heal Your Gut, and Live Lectin-Free, that can
make bitter food more enticing...and get you and your family the
fiber they need.


If we’re talking about digestion, it's important to discuss
metabolic flexibility, says Steven. This is another area where
our practices are causing some problems with our energy flow!


Our Digestion is Damaged...And How It’s Hurting
Us


In the episode, Steven and I discuss a process known as metabolic
flexibility–or the way our bodies digest food gradually. The
mitochondria, which can be found in our body’s cells, processes
the food we eat, and typically sorts through sugars, proteins,
and carbohydrates separately, Now, unfortunately, with our
consumption of over processed foods, these components are all
rushing to our mitochondria at the same time, causing it to get
jammed and move about as smoothly as rush hour traffic! This
clogged system is another reason why our energy may not be as
high as we’d like, Steven explains.


In the past, our body would transmit food to glucose, and then
start running through the body’s stored fat for fuel. Because of
the frequent consumption of processed foods, many of our bodies
no longer have the capacity to do this! That’s why when people
try to go without juice cleanses or try a keto diet, they find
themselves starving. Their body can’t go more than two hours
without eating food and adding new fuel to their system.


Instead of regular snacking–which Steven says is certain to
shorten your lifespan and make you more fatigued than ever, he
suggests compressing your eating windows to last between six to
eight hours. What does this mean exactly? We talk more in the
episode about that! Here’s a hint: it’s much better than ou...