Obesity: A One-Two Punch from Obsolete Hard Wiring

Punch #1: Bigger is Better

Studies have shown that, when given a choice, birds will preferentially sit on the bigger of two eggs. Why? Bigger eggs have more nutrients to nurture the embryo so, when it hatches, it is more mature – and is more likely to survive. Makes perfect sense – unless you introduce an egg that is outside of their evolutionary reality: Give them a giant egg (i.e., of another species) and they will ignore their offspring to sit on it. Obviously, in this case, their hardwiring produces the wrong response. For good nutritional reasons, we are conditioned to seek out bigger fruits, plumper prey, rounder melons, and brighter colors.

Supersize Me

In study after study we find that people will chose larger portions (in some studies, up to 90% of us will) and will eat more, if given a choice between ‘regular’ and ‘super-sized’. Even if we don’t eat all of a larger portion, we eat a minimum of 30% more just by virtue of being offered a larger portion. Other studies show that, even before deciding to eat, larger is more appealing: we salivate more, pay more attention to and are willing to work harder for ‘big’ things – including cups, plates and packages – even bigger pictures get us more excited.

Punch #2: Too Much Is Never Enough

All higher order animals have some type of built-in mechanism that regulates caloric intake relative to activity and other energy needs. However, in some cases, our evolutionary reality never provided an opportunity for “too much” of some nutrients. There simply was no need to hard wire an upper limit on things like salt, sugar and fat – because the foods available to us (or the energy required to get them) meant that, in practical terms, we could never get enough.

The Land of Plenty

It is estimated that, during most of our 200,000 year developmental history, we expended significantly more than 2/3rds of our resources on feeding ourselves. At the time of the Civil War it still took 80% of the population to feed us. Today less that 3% of us are actively involved in primary food production.

On the other hand, the 3% of us that are farming allow us all to consume over 1/3 lb of pure fat, per person, per DAY (soybean, corn and animal) – and the demand has jumped 15% in the last 15 years.

At the time of Caesar, salt was scarce enough to be used as a currency (the English words salt and salary both come from the Latin root sal, or salt.) Today it is estimated that we have enough readily available salt around and under the Great Lakes to allow unbridled consumption for at least the next 70 million years.

Before Columbus introduced Europeans to sugar, normal foods simply were not sweet.  Even at that, ‘sweet’ was the exclusive parlance of the aristocracy, who would sometimes consume up to 4 lbs. of sugar in a year. It was considered a ‘fine spice’ and used sparingly. For American settlers, ‘sweet’ came from apples and sweet potatoes. Honey was the only ‘sweetener’ for most of our history. Fast forward: Last year (USDA) we consumed 156 lbs. of sugar per person.

Obsolete Hard Wiring 

Until relatively recently, it was virtually impossible to get too much fat, salt or sugar. Our brains developed ways to motivate us to find these scarce nutrients (dopamine) and enjoy them (endorphins), but had no reason to develop a mechanism for stopping us.

Combine our innate drive to find as much fat, salt and sweet as possible with our conditioned preference for bigger – with the fact that all three are cheap and incredibly available – AND with the realization that we have never before needed an ‘off’ switch - it is no wonder that the hardwiring that served us so well has not only up and left us flat – it has left us fat.

Bike-ride Eateries: Three places worth some pedal-pushing.

With the warm weather, out come our bikes – which are primarily used as transportation to and from great places to eat. This spring we’ve landed at three that are definitely worth some pedal-pushing:

Tilia 43rd St. in Linden Hills
http://www.tiliampls.com/
Opened in March, Tilia (Latin for ‘linden) is a nice cross between neighborhood tap and funky-foodie place. They maintain a nice rotation of 21 interesting draught beers and have my personal favorite – a $3 PBR Tall-boy can. Great wine-list too – not too heavy on the California’s, which I think is a plus. Good clean menu items that are nicely conceived, executed and presented - but definitely not over the top. The crowd is cool and varied – young, old, and from goth, to aging punksters, to white-bread SoMpls-ites. The main guy, Steve, plays the laid back owner-schmoozer part to a tee. It’s always crowded, even on Mondays, and they don’t take ressies.

For your bike ride: Just up the hill from the Lake Harriet band shell and take either Queen or Linden Hills Blvd a block or two south.


Yum where Mtka Blvd splits off from Lake St. on the south edge of Tyrol Hills
http://www.yumkitchen.com/
If I didn’t know better, I’d say the old Lincoln Del was reincarnated a block away as a cafeteria – and I hate cafeterias, but this one is different. Open and airy with a clean floor-plan that includes a gleaming kitchen and central bakery setup – it just feels like quality. The food is not fancy and has a deli orientation. But - it is definitely not deep-fried or Sysco-inspired. It’s all house-from-scratch and authentic - and incredibly good. Crowd is upscale: mahjong ladies, neighborhood princesses and meet-dad-after-soccer families.

For your bike ride: Peel off from the Cedar Lake bike path onto Sunset Blvd and turn left on Glenhurst.


Sea Salt on the Grand Rounds at Minnehaha Falls
http://www.seasalteatery.com/
In the old park refectory building, Sea Salt is sort of fish shack meets the state fair. It has great outdoor seating and a ‘20s park-pavilion feel. Food offerings range from oysters on the half shell to deep fried fish’n chips-type choices – with tacos and red beans and rice in between. Good quality and FRESH (Coastal Seafood) – but no chefs here! The only real down-side: You need to wait in a (often long) line to place your order and then wait again for the food-runner to call your name. For sure, though - a really enjoyable place to soak in the afternoon sun and have a beer while watching the tourists give Hiawatha’s sculpture and the falls a look-see.

For your bike ride: Just follow the signs to the falls. I can’t even imagine driving to Sea Salt. It’s the perfect bike destination!

So, in the words of Queen: "Get on your bikes and ride..."

Lactose Intolerant? Which Dairy Products Contain Lactose? How Much?

Milk, the starting point for all dairy products, basically has four components.

Two components that don't mix with water:
     • Casein – the protein used to make cheese.
     • Fat - the butter (Cheese is basically fat and casein)
Two components that do dissolve in water:
     • Whey Protein – the protein found in whey, the by-product from making cheese. (Remember Little Miss Muffet? Curds (cheese) and Whey.)
     • Lactose – the sugar in milk (from the Greek: lact=milk, ose=Sugar)

The amount of lactose in any given dairy product has to do with which and how much of these components is present. In order from the most lactose to the least:

1. Whey – 76%
     Remove the cheese (fat and casein) and you’re left w/ mostly lactose and some whey protein.
2. American (process) Cheese – 10%
     While cheese is low in lactose, process cheese often has lactose added back in as filler.
3. Whey Protein Powder – 7%
     The concentrated proteins for this product are actually made by removing lactose.
4. Soft Serve Ice cream – 7%
     Based on skim milk, which has more lactose.
5. Skim Milk – 5.8%
     Removing the fat doesn’t create any lactose, but lactose does become a higher percentage of the total as a result.
6. 2% Milk – 4.9%
     Same as skim, just less fat is removed, so lactose is a slightly less, as a percentage.
7. Buttermilk – 4.5%
     Butter milk is cream with the fat removed (the fat becomes butter) – so, as a result, the lactose level is higher than cream.
8. Whole Milk – 4%
     Less lactose as a percentage than 2% or skim because, in effect, the lactose is diluted down by the fat.
9. Yogurt – 4%
     Generally made with skim milk.
10. Ice Cream – 3.5%
     In general, the better the ice cream (i.e, higher fat content), the less lactose.
11. Half-and-Half – 3.3%
     The way to get cream is to take out the proteins and lactose (leaving the fat). The higher the fat content, the more lactose has been removed.
12. Cottage Cheese – 3.3%
13. Sour Cream – 3.3%
14. Cheese – 2.5%
     Most of the lactose goes with the whey, so cheese is low in lactose.
15. Cream – 2.5%
     Same idea as for half-and-half – just more extreme.
16. Whipped Cream – 2%
     Same as for cream, except the added sugar (sucrose in this case) reduces the % lactose.
17. Premium Ice Cream – 2%
     Recurring theme: more fat, less room for lactose.
18. Milk Chocolate – 1.5%
19. Aged or Sharp Cheese – 1%
     As cheese ages, the bacteria that give it the ‘sharp’ flavor do that by ‘eating’ the remaining lactose. Aged, strong, sharp, hard cheeses hardly contain any lactose.
20. Ranch Dressing – 1%
21. Dark Chocolate – near 0%
22. Butter – near 0%
     Butter is nearly all fat (plus a little water and a tiny bit of protein).
23. Eggs – 0%

Unlike allergies, which are not very dependent on amounts (what you are allergic to is either there, or it isn't), lactose intolerance has to do with your ability to digest lactose – so how much is a big factor. (You can be allergic to milk, but, in that case, it is the milk proteins that are of concern.)

Evolution: Your Handy Guide to Nutrition

In the process of ‘evolving’, we developed capabilities and relationships that gave us a continuously improving competitive edge. So, we stood up and walked, got opposing thumbs and a big cortex. We also developed an inscrutable set of nutritional complexities. However, complex as they are, when viewed through the lens of evolution, we get some great insights into what we should eat.

To answer the question “Should I eat it?” ask yourself “Did I evolve eating it?” You’ll get a "yes" to fruits, vegetables, meat and fish (yes, even the fats). You’ll get a resounding "no" to hydrogenated oils, high fructose and flavorings (even ‘natural’ ones). There might also be some surprises: A little dirt, bacteria and pollen might go a long way – and where would we have eaten ‘low-fat’ 10,000 years ago? You can even use this idea to ask “What combination of foods should I eat?” We evolved eating a lot of plants - and were only able to supplement our diets with hard to catch animals.

There is no altruism in nature. The plants and animals that provide the calories and nutrients we require always get something in return. The apple makes fruit as a way to drop its seeds further from the tree. Who needs the anti-oxidants (CHONS CaFe: Antioxidants) in blueberries more: us, to ward off cancer? - or the blueberry so it can stay brightly colored? Once we learned to care for and feed cows – and then started milking them before eating them - we eventually developed an ability to metabolize the sugar in their milk (CHONS CaFe: Lactose Intolerance).

We are also opportunistic. We ‘learned’ to use building materials from the things readily available for eating. Ever wonder what the ‘Essential Amino Acids” are? They are the nine protein building blocks that we can’t make ourselves – so we have to eat them. It's not that we couldn't make them, we just never needed to - so we didn't waste evolutionary resources developing that particular ability. Here’s another interesting one: We never bothered to produce Vitamin ‘C’ because we could eat it. Chickens, on the other hand can produce vitamin ‘C’, because it typically wasn't found in the foods that where readily available to them.

There is even a school of thought that says marijuana ‘learned’ to make humans feel good in return for propagation of its genetic material. This “cultivation evolutionary strategy” has put cows, goats, weed, corn and soybeans on the top of the ‘successful species’ list.

This all adds up to a time-tested symbiotic relationship that, even if we can’t unravel it enough to understand it, gives us great insights into what foods we need.

Next time you’re wondering if you should eat it, let your inner-caveman provide the answer.

Five Must-Visit Restaurants

We've been asked for our 'list' so often, we thought it'd be a good idea to start publishing our picks on CHONS CaFe. Our top five were posted last month (see Blog Archive in the right-hand column).

Here's a list of the five restaurants that we believe put Minneapolis on the culinary 'map'. All of these are inspired, chef driven, foodie-worthy eateries that can hold their own along side any restaurant on the planet.

If for no other reason than to say you've been there, these need to be on your bucket list.

Five Must-Visit Restaurants

Heartland (Meers Park)
A new incarnation of the restaurant near Macalester College, the ‘new’ Heartland is in a cavernous old warehouse, not accidentally across from St. Paul’s farmers market. Chef Lenny Russo has evolved from his start at the MN Horse and Hunt Club (which maybe explains things like Boar everything and other ‘wild’ offerings) to a true ‘local-vore’ master.

We found the recycled industrial motif to be a bit cold – but ‘eco-chic’ is in, right? Chef was very visible, involved, and approachable the night we visited. The menu was fantastically ambitious, but we found that, while many items sounded exotic (Mangalitsa Ribs or Duck Prosciutto), some of the items were pretty ordinary once they showed up.

The highlights: A phenomenal cheese plate and, especially, the home-made vermouth the mixologist used for our martinis (worth the trip alone).

Meritage (Downtown St Paul)
St. Paul’s best restaurant, by far. Although it’s pretty traditional French Brasserie stuff (not my favorite), the execution makes it happen. – And, now that they have a nice big new bar, we don’t have to sit at those little marble tables!

To be honest, we had a pretty bad experience with the service on about our fifth visit. (We accidentally went out on Valentine’s Day, which didn’t help.) The next day we got a personal e-mail from Chef Kline, who made good by personally cooking for us the next week “sans menu” – our own personal chef for a night – he even picked up the tab.

I also like the pedestrian feel of that part of St. Paul. Make the St. Paul Hotel your home base for the week-end and you’re within blocks of the Ordway and at least a dozen great restaurants, bars and other music/theater venues.

Le Belle Vie (Loring Park)
Here, more than any of our other 4 picks, it’s all about the food. ’09 James Beard winner Tim McKee’s Mediterranean creations are phenomenally well thought out, meticulously presented and breathtakingly great tasting! This is the one place I would definitely spring for the chef’s tasting menu.

We actually like the bar area better than the dining room, which seems pretty formal, stuffy and full of ‘old’ people. (It really requires the use of your best ‘inside voice’.) The bar area, on the other hand, has a warm Ralph Lauren/club feel - with some nice sitting areas and a big fireplace. It’s an expensive place to eat, but the two of you can do just fine for under $125 by working your way through the small plates, splitting an entrée and enjoying the very nice wine-by-the-glass list.

Alma (U of M area)
Probably on more “best” lists that any other local restaurant; the most telling is chef/owner Alex Roberts 2010 James Beard Award. Alex is a true Minneapolitan – but with a genuine New York pedigree.

The menu rotates often, so it is limited. (Actually, it’s often hard to find things that appeal to both of us.) The décor is sparse but not cold. There’s a perfect spot ‘upstairs’ for a group of 8-12 people.

Vincent (Downtown Mpls)
There actually is a ‘Vincent’ in the kitchen – and he’s a for-real French guy. From France. Go figure! (He followed his wife here when she went to work for NWA.) The food is definitely French, but not the pretentious kind. It’s of the very solid/savory variety, like a burger, steak, scallops - even a Hebrew National at the bar – and all definitely ‘award winning’.

The best place to go before or after Orchestra Hall: Before - for the very-reasonably-priced happy hour – the best steak tartar anywhere (capers and worcestershire) or the burger stuffed with short ribs and smoked gouda. Or, after - to see who comes in after the show and to enjoy some of the best food in Minneapolis.

Waisted Gray Matter: Slim Your Way To A Bigger Brain!

I recently had a very interesting discussion with a Chemical Engineering buddy on delivering oxygen to the brain. (Admittedly, 30 years ago, we would have typically been working on the opposite process – especially in the course of a deep conversation.) As a medical device industry professional, Peter Horwich currently works in the area of tissue perfusion and oxygenation systems used in cardiopulmonary bypass procedures with companies like Guidant, Medtronic and small medical technology start-ups. Peter’s niche is in commercializing novel medical technologies in order to improve patient care.

According to Peter, "If you are like most people, the month of January usually begins the new year with a recommitment to exercise. Seems like every year, the amount of body weight to burn off is just a little bit more than previous. However, the importance of aerobic exercise has the potential to provide more than just a smaller waist line. Recent research suggests that regular exercise improves brain health and boosts memory capacity via the growth of grey matter (known as neurogenesis). Think of it like this: By running, you bring more oxygen to your tissues that result in burning your mid-line fat while also bolstering your memory.”

Peter believes the following article by Tamara Cohen of the Daily Mail does a credible job of summing up the current thinking:

We all know running is good for your body. But it can also do wonders for the mind, according to Cambridge University scientists. A regular jog leads to the growth of new cells in the area of the brain which boosts your memory, a study has found.

It is not clear why aerobic exercise triggers the growth of grey matter (known as neurogenesis) but it may be linked to increased blood flow or higher levels of hormones that are released while exercising.

Timothy Bussey, a behavioural neuroscientist at Cambridge and a senior author on the study said the team studied two groups of mice, one which had unlimited access to a running wheel while the other did not. After a few days left alone, they put both groups of mice through a series of memory tests on a computer screen. It displayed two identical squares side by side, and if they nudged the one on the left with their nose they received a sugar pellet reward, while the one on the right yielded nothing. The mice who had been running were almost twice as successful as those in the control group at picking the correct square. At the start of the test, the squares were 30cm apart, but got closer and closer together until they were almost touching. This part of the experiment was designed to test how good the mice were at separating two very similar memories. The human equivalent could be remembering what a person had for dinner yesterday and the day before, or where they parked on different trips to the supermarket. The greatest improvement was seen in the later stages of the experiment, when the two squares were so close they nearly touched, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The sedentary mice got steadily worse at the test because their memories became too similar to separate.

Dr. Bussey told the Guardian: 'At this stage of the experiment, the two memories the mice are forming of the squares are very similar. It is when they have to distinguish between the two that these new brain cells really make a difference.' He added: 'We know exercise can be good for healthy brain function, but this work provides us with a mechanism for the effect.'

The scientists also tried to wrongfoot the mice by switching the square that produced a food reward but the running mice were quicker to catch on when scientists changed them around.

Brain tissue taken from the rodents showed that the running mice had grown fresh grey matter during the experiment. Tissue samples from the dentate gyrus part of the brain, one of the few regions of the adult brain which can grow new cells, revealed on average 6,000 new brain cells had been created.

Previous studies on people with depression have found their symptoms can improve if they exercise regularly. Some antidepressant drugs work by encouraging the growth of new brain cells. It is also thought exercise might also reduce stress, which inhibits new brain cells through a hormone called cortisol.

The Cambridge researchers joined forces with colleagues at the US National Institute on Ageing in Maryland to investigate the effect of running. A few days of running led to the growth of hundreds of thousands of new brain cells that improved the ability to recall memories without confusing them, a skill that is crucial for learning and other cognitive tasks, researchers said.

Something to think about... but I'm still an ardent subscriber to Cliff Clavin's "Buffalo Theory" on brain function:

“Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. So when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

The human brain works that way too. It only operates as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. So, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

Now THAT'S what I call solid science!