Chapter 3: Your Body Prefers Burning Fats Over Carbs

Question 1

How did the introduction of grains humans to abandon their hunter-gatherer ways in favor of civilization?

Answer 1

Because grains are easy to grow, store, and prepare, they enabled humans to live in one place, specialize labor, and escalate technological progress.

Question 2

True or False:

The introduction of carbohydrates from grains into the human diet was a serious affront to our genes.

Answer 2

True

We evolved over millions of years to prefer hunter-gatherer fare, which is by comparison extremely low in carbohydrates

Question 3

True or False

Excess ingested carbohydrates are transported by glycogen into the muscle and liver cells for storage.

Answer 3

False

They are transported by insulin.

Question 4

True or False

We have unlimited ability to store glycogen without storing additional fat.

Answer 4

False

When glycogen storage is maxed out, the remainder of those ingested calories head into fat cells for storage.

Question 5

Describe what happens when ingested carbohydrates trigger an insulin surge.

Answer 5

The insulin surge triggers a decline in available energy in the bloodstream, thereby activating an appetite for more quick energy carbs.

Question 6

True or False

Our genetic preference is to burn fat over carbohydrates.

Answer 6

True

Question 7

According to Gary Taubes, why does a high-carb diet cause our cells to be starved for energy?

Answer 7

As Gary Taubes details in his book Why We Get Fat, a high-carbohydrate, high insulin-producing diet will cause energy to be trapped in storage depots that are inaccessible thanks to excess insulin in the bloodstream.

Question 8

How does being carb-dependent trigger the fight-or-flight response?

Answer 8

Your body perceives the lack of available energy in the bloodstream as a life-threatening situation.

Question 9

What is “gluconeogenesis?”

Answer 9

A process by which lean muscle tissue is converted into glucose to provide for your immediate energy needs after an insulin-induced crash.

Question 10

What are the results of trying to balance energy and maintain ideal body composition with carbohydrate as the primary fuel source?

Answer 10

1. Burnout (chronic and abusive stimulation of the fight-or-flight response),
2. Lifelong weight gain (can’t burn stored body fat efficiently), and
3. Disease patterns (excess glucose and insulin promote oxidation and inflammation) that are epidemic in modern life.

Question 11

True or False
In the context of a high-carb diet, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, along with strategic snacks and regular meals throughout the day to maintain optimal blood sugar levels.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

What is “hyperinsulinemia?”

Answer 12

Chronically elevated blood insulin levels

Question 13

Carb-dependent, regimented eating patterns can trigger what negative consequences?

Answer 13

Depression, anxiety, overeating, general discomfort, and the development of an unhealthy obsession with eating and dietary habits.

Question 14

True or False

Even if one is not carb-dependent, our hormones drive cravings for immediate caloric energy.

Answer 14

False
When we become dependent on fragile external resources to meet our energy needs, inevitable declines in blood glucose on the roller coaster pattern of excess carb intake/insulin production can create legitimate, hormonally-driven cravings for immediate caloric energy, as the brain and bloodstream are literally starved for energy.

Question 15

True or False
Due to imbalances of hormones, frequent hunger, fluctuating energy and chronic fat storage are the inevitable resuts of a high-carb diet.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

True or False
Willpower and devoted exercise regimens are the only way to counteract the roller-coaster of excess carb intake/insulin production.

Answer 16

False

Willpower is largely ineffective and devoted exercise regimens lead to burnout.

Question 17

What is “fuel partitioning?”

Answer 17

It is the mix of fatty acids, protein (amino acids), glucose (from carbohydrate), and ketones that our bodies burn at any given time.

Question 18

True or False

Our genes have little influence over how our bodies partition fuel.

Answer 18

False
The levels we burn at any given time depend on our metabolic efficiency and gene expression preferences, our dietary habits (particularly our level of insulin production), and our exercise habits.

Question 19

True or False

High carb intake down-regulates enzyme pathways involved in glucose burning.

Answer 19

False
High carbohydrate intake and high insulin production down-regulate the genes involved in fat metabolism and up-regulate the enzyme systems and pathways involved in glucose burning, as well as the conversion and storage of excess ingested calories in the fat cells.

Question 20

What are the results of moderating carb intake in favor of a comparatively high-fat diet?

Answer 20

Up-regulate the genes involved in burning both stored and ingested fat, and also normalize appetite and hunger patterns.

Question 21

What is Leptin?

Answer 21

The hormone that controls satiety and whether your body burns or stores fat

Question 22

What is CCK?

Answer 22

Cholecystokinin is the hormone that mediates the rate of digestion in the small intestine

Question 23

What is Ghrelin?

Answer 23

Ghrelin is the hormone that stimulates hunger

Question 24

True or False

The satiety influence of ghrelin can act as an effective counter to leptin.

Answer 24

False

Ghrelin can act as a counter to the satiety influence of leptin.

Question 25

What is Lipase?

Answer 25

Lipase is a hormone that influences fat metabolism.

Question 26

True or False

Even a Primal-aligned eater will trigger the fight or flight response when missing a meal.

Answer 26

False
A Primal-adapted eater who misses a meal will simply up-regulate fat and ketone burning in the absence of ingested calories.

Question 27

True or False

Overeating carbs leads to leptin resistance. and a tendency to overeat.

Answer 27

True
When you overeat carbs, you overproduce insulin, which leads to leptin resistance, and fail to suppress ghrelin, which stimulates appetite. This leads to excessive caloric intake, among other things.

Question 28

What are some of the hormonal results of overeating carbs?

Answer 28

1. You overproduce insulin
2. You overproduce leptin and can become leptin-resistant;
3. You fail to to suppress ghrelin, thereby stimulating appetite

Question 29

What is meant by being Primal-, keto- and fat-adapted?

Answer 29

This describes a state in which fat- and ketone-burning genes are up-regulated as a consequence of Primal eating habits, particularly the restriction of excess carbohydrates to enable efficient burning of stored body fat as a primary energy source, and the production of ketone bodies as an alternative fuel source.

Question 30

How long does it take to become keto- and fat-adapted if you have sustained metabolic damage from prolonged, excessive carbohydrate intake?

Answer 30

Transformation may take longer than 21 days in those who have a history of gene mismanagement and have sustained metabolic damage from prolonged, excessive carbohydrate intake and insulin production.

Question 31

What is the daily limit to maintain a fat- and keto-adapted Primal lifestyle?

Answer 31

Consuming a daily average of 150 grams of carbohydrates (or less) from nutrient-rich vegetables, along with a sensible intake of seasonal fruit, nuts, and other foods, and enables lifelong weight management and protection from disease risks.

Question 32

What is glucose?

Answer 32

Glucose is a simple sugar that is an energy source for muscles, brain, and red blood cells; it is derived from dietary carbohydrate or, via gluconeogenesis, the conversion of amino acids into glucose.

Question 33

True or False

Both glycogen and trigycerides are produced by and stored in the liver.

Answer 33

True

Question 34

True or False

The liver can store between 350-500 grams of glycogen.

Answer 34

False

The liver can store around 100 grams of glycogen, while the muscle tissue can store another 350-500 grams.

Question 35

What happens to all forms of ingested carbohydrate?

Answer 35

They are converted into glucose by the liver, where they are either burned for fuel immediately, stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, or converted into triglyceride and stored in the fat cells.

Question 36

What is Glycogen?

Answer 36

The body’s storage form of glucose

Question 37

True or False
Glycogen is more space efficient and less oxidative than glucose and can be stored in unlimited amounts in muscle tissue.

Answer 37

False

While glycogen is indeed more space efficient and less oxidative than glucose itself, its storage capacity is limited.

Question 38

True or False

Though limited, our muscles’ ability to store glycogen can be trained.

Answer 38

True

This is known as “trainability,” as athletes can train muscles to increase storage capacity.

Question 39

True or False

Glycogen is the preferred fuel for the brain and muscles exercising at medium to high intensity.

Answer 39

False
Glucose is the preferred fuel for muscles exercising at medium to high intensity, and the brain relies primarily on glucose to function.

Question 40

If glucose is the primary fuel for the brain, what’s wrong with eating a high-carb diet to provide a steady stream of glucose?

Answer 40

Glucose supplies are burned through quickly (making it easy to over-consume glucose and store the excess as fat), and a pattern of excess glucose intake beyond our genetic expectations promotes systemic inflammation and disease.

Question 41

What is meant by ROSs?

Answer 41

Reactive Oxygen Species in cells are “free radicals” that contain oxygen molecules.

Question 42

How are ROSs created?

Answer 42

Chronically high levels of glucose in the bloodstream promote their production of reactive oxygen species

Question 43

True or False
Longer-lasting cells of the body, including those of the skin, pancreas, brain, eyes, kidneys and cardiovascular system are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of ROSs.

Answer 43

True

Question 44

True or False

Relying on glucose as a primary energy source can result in compromised health via oxidation.

Answer 44

True

Question 45

True or False
2.5 million years of selection pressure have shaped our genes to create optimal health with minimal amounts of carbohydrate in our diets.

Answer 45

True
The evolutionary health premise suggests that the problems associated with a carbohydrate-dependent diet result because our genes have not adapted to this relatively recent and severe dietary alteration caused by civilization and modern food production.

Question 46

True or False

Not even the strictest Primal-aligned diet can equal the anti-inflammatory effect of certain pharmaceuticals.

Answer 46

False
According to Dr. Stephen Phinney, in contrast to the pro-inflammatory effects of excess carbohydrate consumption, a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet has a potent anti-inflammatory effect stronger than that of any known drug.

Question 47

How much glucose do the brain and other organs require to sustain basic function?

Answer 47

Approximately 150 grams from all sources

Question 48

True or False

You must ingest a certain amount of carbohydrate to satisfy the body’s minimum basic glucose requirements.

Answer 48

False

The body can manufacture glucose or ketones when dietary carbohydrate intake is low.

Question 49

How much glucose can the liver manufacture each day?

Answer 49

Up to 150 grams

Question 50

True or False

Muscles exercising at medium to high intensity will always be predominantly require glucose.

Answer 50

False
Becoming Primal-adapted can even reduce the glucose needs of muscles exercising at medium to high intensity, as you reprogram your genes to burn fat and ketones more efficiently both at rest and during low to moderately paced exercise.

Question 51

How much glucose is typically dissolved in the bloodstream of a healthy, non-diabetic at any given time?

Answer 51

Five grams.

Question 52

What is characterized as the most egregious and dangerous genetic disconnect in modern life?

Answer 52

Evolutionary health advocates suggest that the advent of a grain-based diet 10,000 years ago, and the extreme acceleration of consumption of processed carbohydrates in the recent decades of industrialized food production, is the most egregious and dangerous genetic disconnect in modern life.

Question 53

True or False
Because blood levels of glucose require delicate balancing, our genes have effectively “outsourced” this balancing to external mechanisms such as diet.

Answer 53

False

Maintaining such a delicate balance has been handled primarily by internal mechanisms throughout human history.

Question 54

What is glycation?

Answer 54

Glycation is the binding of excess glucose molecules in the bloodstream to protein molecules, which damages assorted structural components of organs and tissues in the body at the DNA level.

Question 55

What is a primary driver of glycation?

Answer 55

The process of glycation is driven strongly by the consumption of excess carbohydrates in the Standard American Diet.

Question 56

True or False

Though glucose is necessary for the functioning of the brain, glucose is actually toxic in the bloodstream.

Answer 56

True

Question 57

True or False
Glycation takes place because “sticky” glucose molecules bind with protein molecules throughout the body and impede normal function.

Answer 57

True

Question 58

Name some of the conditions triggered by glycation.

Answer 58

1. Wrinkled skin commonly associated with aging,
2. The oxidation and inflammation process of heart disease,
3. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles reveal damage caused by glycation), and
4. The frequency of kidney and vision problems among diabetics.

Question 59

Aside from the consumption of excess carbs, what other factors can contribute to glycation?

Answer 59

Overcooking food, and smoking cigarettes.

Question 60

What are AGEs?

Answer 60

Advanced Glycation End-products, aka Advanced Glycosylation End-products or glycotoxins, are created by a chain of chemical reactions that follow the initial glycation reaction between glucose and protein molecules.

Question 61

True or False

Whether created internally or externally, all AGEs can be equally harmful.

Answer 61

False
While high-fat animal products and nuts have higher levels of AGEs than common carbohydrate foods do, most ingested AGEs are excreted in the urine and contribute very little to AGEs in the body.

Question 62

True or False

Eating a lot of fruit can contribute significantly to the formation of AGEs in the body.

Answer 62

True

Fructose in particular promotes the formation of AGEs.

Question 63

True or False
Excess consumption of carbs in combination with saturated fat is the driving factor in the production of AGEs in the body.

Answer 63

It is the excess consumption of carbohydrates ONLY that results in chronically elevated blood glucose levels that is the driving factor in the production of AGEs in the body.

Question 64

True or False

Your HbA1C level is an excellent indicator of your glycation risk.

Answer 64

True

Question 65

What do AGEs do in the body?

Answer 65

AGEs cause cellular damage, promote oxidation and inflammation in the bloodstream, and are believed to be one of the primary contributors to accelerated aging. AGEs also deplete our internal antioxidants, such as glutathione, super oxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase.

Question 66

What are RAGEs?

Answer 66

Receptors for Advanced Glycation End-products

Question 67

Where can RAGEs be found?

Answer 67

RAGEs are present in cardiac, skin, brain, retinal, renal, etc. cells and are susceptible to damage from glycation.

Question 68

How do RAGEs contribute to the heart disease process?

Answer 68

Plaque formation in the arteries occurs when macrophages containing RAGEs create scar tissue as a side effect of trying to manage inflammation in the area.

Question 69

What is gluconeogenesis?

Answer 69

Gluconeogenesis is the conversion of amino acids into glucose by the liver (Latin for “sugar-new-make”).

Question 70

What is the role of gluconeogenesis in the “fight or flight” response?

Answer 70

Gluconeogenesis delivers an immediate burst of glucose energy into the bloodstream to help counter a life or death threat.

Question 71

True or False
Because it is essentially an anabolic process, gluconeogenesis relies exclusively upon lean muscle tissue to convert into glucose.

Answer 71

False
Gluconeogenesis can either utilize ingested amino acids for conversion into glucose, or use lean muscle tissue to convert into glucose. The latter is indicative of a catabolic (break down) process that compromises long-term health in the interest of immediate survival.

Question 72

Explain the difference between gluconeogenesis on a carb-dependent vs Primal-aligned diet.

Answer 72

Blood sugar levels are more regulated when eating Primally, so gluconeogenesis is called upon less frequently and at a milder, non-emergency level.

On a carbohydrate-dependent diet, gluconeogenesis can often be catabolic, because declines in blood glucose are frequent (due to the excess carb intake/insulin production roller coaster), perceived as stressful events by the body, and the tissues aren’t good at burning fat or ketones as a substitute.

In a Primal-aligned diet, gluconeogenesis can be an elegant way to “top off the tank” for your body’s glucose requirements by converting ingested amino acids into glucose and sparing lean muscle tissue.

Question 73

True or False
Fat has been the primary fuel source for humans for 2.5 million years, both from storage and as the predominant macronutrient in the human diet.

Answer 73

True

Question 74

What are fats and what forms do they take in the body?

Answer 74

Fats are compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that exist in chains of varying lengths, shapes, and orders. They are present in the body in two different molecular forms. Free fatty acids are the molecules that flow in the bloodstream and are available to burn for fuel. Triglycerides are the storage form of fat in the fat cells comprised of three fatty acid molecules bound together by a glycerol molecule.

Question 75

True or False

Triglycerides are able to move freely across the membrane between fat cells and the bloodstream.

Answer 75

False

Triglycerides are too large to exit the membrane that surrounds the fat cells.

Question 76

How do triglycerides move out of fat cells into the bloodstream?

Answer 76

In order for triglycerides (stored fat) to be released from storage and deposited into the bloodstream for use as energy, triglycerides must be broken down into their component molecules; in other words, “freed” from triglyceride into free fatty acids.

Question 77

What is the hormone that regulates whether fatty acids are available in the bloodstream for burning or stored inside fat cells as triglycerides?

Answer 77

Insulin

Question 78

Explain how the bloodstream can be starved for energy despite adequate caloric intake.

Answer 78

A high insulin-producing diet causes excess ingested carbs to be converted into triglycerides, as well as ingested fats to be converted into triglycerides. In this example, the bloodstream is starved for energy because ingested carbohydrate and fat calories are quickly ushered out of the bloodstream by insulin and locked away in fat cells as triglycerides.

Question 79

True or False

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature because they contain a blend of different types of fat molecules.

Answer 79

False
Dietary fats are commonly distinguished by whether they are solid at room temperature (known as “saturated”) or liquid (known as “unsaturated”).

Question 80

True or False

Olive oil is uniquely healthful because it is composed of 100% monounsaturated fat.

Answer 80

False
Olive oil is commonly characterized as a monounsaturated fat because it contains 78 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, but it is also comprised of 14 percent saturated fatty acids, and 8 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Question 81

True or False

Saturated fats have no known adverse health effects.

Answer 81

True
As Gary Taubes asserts in Why We Get Fat, there has never been a single scientific study showing that saturated fats, by themselves, are unhealthy.

Question 82

True or False

No matter what else your diet consists of, you can’t get enough healthy saturated fats.

Answer 82

False
When saturated fats are consumed in the presence of excessive carbohydrates, such as with the Standard American Diet, can they be potentially troublesome.

Question 83

What metabolic functions do saturated fats contribute to in the body?

Answer 83

Saturated fats contribute to enhanced nutrient absorption, immune function, hormone production and protection against oxidative damage.

Question 84

True or False
Saturated fats from animal foods are superior choices for cooking over those derived from tropical oils such as coconut and palm.

Answer 84

False
All saturated fats are extremely temperature stable and thus resistant to oxidative damage when they are exposed to heat, light, or oxygen.

Question 85

True or False

Though monounsaturated fats are somewhat temperature stable, they should never be used for high-heat cooking.

Answer 85

True

They are less temperature stable than saturated fats and thus should not be used for high-temperature cooking.

Question 86

What accounts for polyunsaturated fats being fluid even when refrigerated?

Answer 86

These fats contain more than one double bond in their fatty acid chain. The more double bonds a fatty acid contains, the more fluid it is. Hence, these oils retain their liquid form at room temperature and even when refrigerated.

Question 87

True or False
Though cooking is particularly damaging to PUFAs, they are generally stable from routine exposure to light, heat and oxygen.

Answer 87

False
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are highly susceptible to damage from even routine exposure to light, heat, and oxygen

Question 88

Name some of the most common PUFAs in today’s diet.

Answer 88

Canola, corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower. Other high PUFA foods include butter-like spreads, salad dressings, and assorted packaged and processed snack foods made with these offensive oils.

Question 89

True or False

Hormone and immune functions are highly sensitive to the ingestion of oxidized PUFA.

Answer 89

True

Question 90

Name the two categories of essential fatty acids.

Answer 90

Omega-6 and Omega-3

Question 91

True or False

Omega 6 fatty acids can be manufactured internally, but Omega 3s must be ingested.

Answer 91

False

Both are “essential,” meaning we cannot manufacture them internally and must obtain from the diet.

Question 92

True or False

Omega 3s are generally regarded as healthy and anti-inflammatory while Omega 6s are pro-inflammatory.

Answer 92

False
The main concern is insufficient intake of omega-3s, which are widely regarded as healthful and anti-inflammatory, coupled with an excess intake of omega-6s, which are widely regarded as pro-inflammatory.

Breaking research suggests that, in fact, both omega-6 and omega-3 have anti-inflammatory properties. However, omega-3s have a stronger anti-inflammatory effect.

Question 93

True or False

Excess consumption of the Omega 6 linoleic acid inhibits the conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA.

Answer 93

True

These conversions happen on the same enzymatic pathways, so they are competing for limited access to our cells.

Question 94

How can an imbalance between Omega 3 and 6 be addressed?

Answer 94

Direct consumption of foods or supplements high in EPA and DHA, such as oily, coldwater fish, pasture-raised animals and eggs, or high quality fish oil supplements.

Question 95

When does inflammation become a problem?

Answer 95

When it becomes chronic.

Question 96

Where are the highest concentrations of Omega-3s to be found?

Answer 96

Oily, coldwater fish (SMASH hits of salmon, mackerel, anchovy, sardines, herring). Pasture-raised eggs and animal meats are also good sources of omega-3s, as are leafy greens.

Question 97

What are healthy sources of Omega-6s?

Answer 97

Nuts and seeds. Vegetable oils high in Omega-6s are NOT regarded as healthy.

Question 98

What is hydrogenation?

Answer 98

Hydrogenation is a process by which an unsaturated fat (typically a vegetable oil) is heated to a high temperature under extreme pressure and mixed with toxic metallic solvents to saturate the carbon bonds with hydrogen and render the fat solid at room temperature.

Question 99

True or False

Trans fats should be avoided in all cases.

Answer 99

False
Trans fats also occur naturally in certain foods such as cow’s milk and meat, in trace amounts. In their natural form, they are known as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or vaccenic acid. These natural trans fats are healthy to consume.

Question 100

True or False

All partially hydrogenated fats are trans fats but not all trans fats are hydrogenated fats.

Answer 100

True

Question 101

How do chemically altered trans fats contribute to the disease process?

Answer 101

These chemically altered trans fats are unable to be metabolized normally by the body, but your body is fooled into incorporating these agents into fat-based cell membranes. Incorporating dysfunctional synthetic fat molecules into your cell membranes contributes directly to inflammation, aging, cancer, and heart disease.

Question 102

True or False
Eating a simple order of French fries causes an immediate disruption in the normal dilation of arteries that can last for up to 24 hours.

Answer 102

True

Question 103

True or False

Interesterified fats were created to provide a proven, healthy alternative to the hydrogenation process.

Answer 103

False
A new category of fat called interesterified fats has been introduced into the marketplace to avoid the now-notorious trans fat labeling. These fats are also created through a type of hydrogenation process. It’s all marketing!

Question 104

What are ketones?

Answer 104

Ketones, aka ketone bodies, are by-products of fat metabolism in the liver when blood glucose and blood insulin levels are low.

Question 105

How are ketones produced?

Answer 105

Ketone production starts with the absorption of ingested fats in the small intestine, where glycerol molecules separate from fatty acid molecules. After absorption, some glycerol travels to the liver, where it undergoes gluconeogenesis and is converted to glucose again, in the absence of glucose in the bloodstream. Most fatty acids travel to the liver too, where they are broken down into ketones.

Question 106

True or False

The amount of glucose in the bloodstream determines how much fat is converted into ketones in the liver.

Answer 106

True

Question 107

What hormone controls the oxidation of fatty acids into ketones?

Answer 107

FGF21

Question 108

True or False

The ingestion of a single high-carb snack or meal is enough to completely shut down the process of producing ketones.

Answer 108

True

The body will burn the ingested carbohydrates as glucose.

Question 109

True or False

Brain, cardiac and skeletal muscle cells can run well on ketones, but their preferred fuel remains glucose.

Answer 109

False

They can run just as effectively on ketones as they can on glucose, and may even prefer using ketones for fuel.

Question 110

True or False

Ketones can be generated by most cells of the body to satisfy their energy needs.

Answer 110

False
While ketones are mostly generated in the liver, the astrocytes in the brain can also generate ketones for use by neurons.

Question 111

What is the brain’s minimum baseline glucose requirement?

Answer 111

Between 20-50 grams per day.

Question 112

Other than ingesting glucose, how else can the body satisfy the brain’s daily glucose requirement?

Answer 112

Through gluconeogenesis, or from glycerol. While the absolute glucose requirement in the brain is relevant, glucose doesn’t have to come from dietary carbohydrates.

Question 113

What is Ketosis?

Answer 113

Ketosis literally means that the body is accumulating ketones in the bloodstream faster than they are being burned.

Question 114

True or False

Contrary to popular belief, ketoacidosis is no more dangerous than ketosis.

Answer 114

False

A state of ketosis is not at all dangerous or unhealthy, however, ketoacidosis is a dangerous health condition.

Question 115

What blood ketone level indicates a state of nutritional ketosis?

Answer 115

A range of 0.5 to 3.0 mg/dL

s can also be rendered inaccurate due to excessive hydration. Finally, the ketostix only measure one of the ketone bodies, acetoacetate. The other ketone body, beta-Hydroxybutyric acid, is actually the predominant ketone body that is burned for energy in the bloodstream, once an individual is keto-adapted.

Question 116

Name the two types of ketone bodies.

Answer 116

Acetoacetate and beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Question 117

True or False

Acetoacetate is the predominant ketone body that is burned for energy in the bloodstream.

Answer 117

False

beta-Hydroxybutyric acid is the predominant ketone body burned for fuel.

Question 118

What is Ketoacidosis?

Answer 118

A pathological state in which ketone production is wildly excessive and uncontrollable, leading to dangerous acidity levels in the bloodstream. This condition is usually experienced by type 1 diabetics or alcoholics with damaged livers, and populations that are unable to produce insulin normally and are thus at risk of developing dangerous blood acidity levels. Ketoacidosis is reflected by blood levels exceeding 15 mg/dL.

Question 119

Who is primarily at risk for Ketoacidosis?

Answer 119

Type I diabetics at risk of ketoacidosis might produce and accumulate ketones at 10 times or greater a level than keto-adapted eaters might experience due to the dysfunction of diabetic insulin mechanisms.

Question 120

What is the role of insulin in ketosis?

Answer 120

When ketone bodies accumulate in the bloodstream, insulin is released to moderate them to safe levels, and excess levels are excreted in the urine before they dangerously impact the acid-alkaline balance in the bloodstream.

Question 121

What is meant by the term keto-adapted?

Answer 121

Indicates the ability to burn ketones efficiently, thanks to up-regulation of keto- and fat-burning genes. Being keto-adapted enables you to spare muscle protein from being stripped via gluconeogenesis, as it might be by someone who suddenly restricts carbs or total calories on a crash diet and is not yet keto- or fat-adapted.

Question 122

Where does the minimum daily glucose requirement come from in a keto-adapted individual?

Answer 122

The comparatively minimal glucose requirements of a fat- and keto-adapted eater will be supplied by gluconeogenesis, which typically converts ingested amino acids into glucose instead of stripping lean muscle tissue.

Question 123

True or False
Carb-dependent athletes need to consume ample amounts of carbohydrates to boost performance during sustained efforts and to restock muscles quickly after exercise in order to avoid loss of lean tissue via gluconeogenesis.

Answer 123

True
A carb-dependent athlete will indeed burn through significant glycogen during a medium-to-difficult intensity sustained workout, and need to immediately refuel afterwards to promote recovery and prevent muscle catabolism.

Question 124

What are some of the effects of chronic exercise?

Answer 124

A diet of predominantly carbohydrates; possible excess body fat despite a rigorous training regimen; a state of chronic inflammation; and an overstress/burnout condition.

Question 125

True or False
Overall caloric intake will increase as your body adapts to processing internal fuel sources such as stored body fat, glycogen, ketones and glucose.

Answer 125

False
Overall caloric intake can decline as you efficiently process internal fuel sources such as stored body fat, stored muscle and liver glycogen, ketones, and glucose made through gluconeogenesis.

Question 126

What are some benefits of improved caloric efficiency?

Answer 126

1. Slows the rate of cell division,
2. Enhances cellular repair,
3. Optimizes the flow of adaptive hormones such as testosterone and human growth hormone in the bloodstream, and
4. Improves immune function.

Question 127

True or False

Excess calorie consumption speeds cell growth and cell division.

Answer 127

True

Question 128

True or False

Speeding up metabolism is a healthy and reasonable goal of eating and exercising diligently.

Answer 128

False
The goal should be to become more adept at fuel partitioning (choosing stored body fat and internally manufactured ketones as the primary energy sources, rather than ingested calories; and furthermore, being able to efficiently burn a variety of fuels, including the occasional big hit of ingested carbs, for example).

Question 129

What are mitochondria?

Answer 129

Mitochondria are the cellular “power plants,” and are responsible for producing energy inside cells in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). They are also responsible for a variety of other functions relating to cell growth, cell death, and respiration.

Question 130

What is ATP?

Answer 130

ATP is a continually resupplied intracellular fuel source that is in high demand by the body and is a central element of the Krebs Cycle, aka the Citric Acid Cycle or the Tricarboxylic (TCA) Cycle.

Question 131

Describe the Krebs cycle.

Answer 131

One of the fundamental principles of science, the Krebs Cycle is a series of chemical reactions that occur in all oxygen-breathing organisms as a way to generate energy through the oxidation of ingested fuel. Consequently, we have evolved numerous ways to manufacture ATP from the raw material of fatty acids, glucose, and ketone bodies. Production of ATP is a critical component of the Krebs Cycle.

Question 132

What is the role of oxygen in fat metabolism?

Answer 132

Mitochondria require oxygen to produce their energy, and thus play a central role in fat metabolism in the body, since fat requires oxygen in order to be metabolized. The amount of mitochondria increase when you become fat-adapted, increasing the efficiency of oxygen processing throughout the body.

Question 133

How does glucose metabolism differ from fat metabolism?

Answer 133

Fat requires oxygen to be metabolized whereas glucose metabolism can occur with (aerobically) or without (anaerobically) oxygen.

Question 134

True or False

Red blood cells lack mitochondria and thus must metabolize glucose anaerobically.

Answer 134

True

Question 135

What is mitochondrial biogenesis?

Answer 135

The process by which new mitochondria are created in response to dietary or exercise signals.

Question 136

True or False
Mitochondrial biogenesis is promoted by aerobic and anaerobic exericse, as well as by low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein eating and intermittent fasting.

Answer 136

True

Question 137

Describe the ideal Primal diet.

Answer 137

The Primal Blueprint recommends a highly varied diet based mainly on personal preference within the guidelines of the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid:

1. Animal foods (meat, fish, fowl, and eggs) comprise the bulk of dietary calories.
2. egetables are recommended in abundance, comprising the bulk of emphasis on your plate.
3. Healthy fats (macadamia nuts, coconut products, avocado, olives/olive oil) are another featured category.
4. Moderation categories include other nuts, seeds, and nut butters, seasonal fruits, high-fat dairy products, and supplemental carbs in the form of starchy tubers, quinoa, and wild rice for high-calorie burners.

Question 138

What is the recommended Primal daily protein intake?

Answer 138

The Primal Blueprint recommends obtaining an average daily intake of around .5 grams of protein per pound (1.1 grams per kilo) of lean body mass.

Question 139

What is the recommended Primal daily carbohydrate intake?

Answer 139

No more than an average of 150 grams or less per day. Those wishing to reduce excess body fat should limit carbohydrate intake to 100 grams per day or less in order to stimulate the burning of excess body fat for energy.

Question 140

What is the recommended Primaly daily fat intake?

Answer 140

Fat is the predominant macronutrient in the diet and the main variable in obtaining dietary satisfaction. Recommended fat intake is generally not an absolute number, but instead should align with obtaining dietary satisfaction at every meal.

Question 141

What are the main advantages of a high-fat diet?

Answer 141

High-fat foods have a high satiety factor and do not stimulate an insulin response. By eating what amounts to a high-fat diet in comparison to the SAD, one can stabilize appetite and energy levels, and shed excess body fat without having to face the traditional struggles of deprivation and restriction.