Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published on December 31, 2023.
The interview above showcases Ashley Armstrong, an expert in producing healthy food and understanding how the body utilizes it, based on the principles of bioenergetic medicine by the late biologist and thyroid expert, Ray Peat. Armstrong is also a certified personal trainer with a Ph.D., MS, and BS in engineering.
Armstrong experimented with low-carb diets, fasting, keto, and carnivore diets in the past, but found that they did not provide long-term benefits. This led her to explore Peat’s principles, which she credits with improving her health significantly.
Armstrong emphasizes the importance of measuring body temperature as a key indicator of metabolic health. She highlights the impact of energy production on overall health and explains how optimizing energy levels can enhance various bodily functions.
She also discusses the negative effects of low-carb and keto diets on glucose metabolism and thyroid function. Armstrong suggests that reducing intake of omega-6 fats, particularly linoleic acid, can be beneficial for health.
In conclusion, Armstrong underscores the importance of energy production for overall health and recommends strategies for enhancing mitochondrial function. She explains how reducing stress hormones and optimizing energy sources can improve energy production and overall well-being. Muscle and your heart both use fat for fuel, so it’s important to understand that not all fats are bad. Different fats have different effects on your body, so it’s crucial to consume the right fats. Armstrong explains that the structure of fatty acid molecules impacts your body’s internal environment and energy production. Saturating your tissues with fats can improve your internal environment.
When reducing packaged foods high in vegetable oil and linoleic acid, you may resaturate your tissues. However, animal fat diets can still contain polyunsaturated fats and linoleic acid depending on what the animals were fed. It’s essential to consider the amount of each macronutrient you’re consuming as it can greatly impact your energy production.
Armstrong believes that ripe fruits, particularly watermelon, are the ideal carbohydrates. Watermelon contains citrulline, which converts into arginine, a precursor for nitric oxide. It’s important to get your nutrients from real food rather than relying on drugs or synthetic amino acids to increase nitric oxide levels.
Frozen fruits, particularly strawberries, blueberries, and peaches, are staples for Armstrong in Michigan. Juices, like cold-pressed, pulp-free orange juice, can also be a good carbohydrate source. Pulp-free juice is recommended for those with an unhealthy gut microbiome to avoid increasing endotoxin production.
Allowing chickens to forage for insects can improve the quality of their eggs. The feed given to chickens greatly impacts the nutritional content of eggs, with Armstrong’s feed recipe resulting in eggs with significantly less linoleic acid than conventional eggs. Organically grown soybeans have the same amount of linoleic acid as conventionally grown soybeans, so it’s crucial to feed chickens a diet low in omega-6 PUFA foods. Properly fed chickens may produce eggs that are less allergenic for some people compared to conventionally raised eggs. The diet of the chicken is the reason behind this issue. If you experience allergic reactions or have problems with eggs, consider finding a different source where the chickens are not fed soy. Some people may also have allergies to corn, which can pass through the egg. However, soy seems to be the main culprit. Be cautious of corn and soy-free feeds that contain high-PUFA ingredients like sunflower, flax, fish oil, vegetable oil, and safflower oil. It is important to know what the chickens are eating to avoid allergenicity in eggs.
LA-rich animal feed is now impacting human energy production and health. It is crucial to ensure that chickens are well-fed with a diet low in LA and high in healthy fats and nutrients. The types of fat a chicken consumes can impact the types of fat inside us, affecting our health and energy production. Avoid high-PUFA diets as they can shut down metabolism and lead to undernourishment.
It is essential to monitor PUFA consumption and aim to keep it as low as possible. Foods rich in linoleic acid should be limited to ensure optimal health. Odd-chain saturated fats found in dairy are essential for boosting energy production and improving overall body function. A balanced diet with essential fats like OCFAs is crucial for optimal health.
What your food eats matters, as animals like pigs and chickens can pass on harmful PUFAs if their diet is high in them. Choosing sources of food with low PUFA content is important for maintaining good health and avoiding the negative impacts of high-PUFA diets. Con el sistema agrícola actual, saber de dónde proviene tu comida es vital. Angel Acres Egg Co. se especializa en huevos bajos en PUFA. Hablamos de la importancia de los huevos bajos en PUFA en una entrevista anterior, incrustada arriba para tu conveniencia.
Angel Acres Egg Co. envía huevos bajos en PUFA a los 50 estados, pero actualmente hay una lista de espera mientras aumenta lentamente el número de pollos en la red para satisfacer la demanda. Únete a la lista de espera para cajas de huevos bajos en PUFA aquí.
Armstrong también cofundó Nourish Cooperative, que envía la mejor carne de cerdo, carne de res, queso y lácteos A2 bajos en PUFA, y pan de masa fermentada tradicional a los 50 estados. También están cerca de aceptar nuevos miembros en la cooperativa agrícola. Únete a la lista de espera aquí: nourishcooperative.com.
En el segmento de video anterior, Ashley reflexiona sobre la línea de tiempo de su decisión de invertir su tiempo libre en la agricultura regenerativa, considerando cómo hace solo unos años, su salud estaba lejos de ser ideal. Tuvo problemas con la producción de energía mitocondrial y su cuerpo estaba en un estado de tiroides bajo. Tu cuerpo prioriza la energía para tareas esenciales, y la toma de decisiones requiere una cantidad significativa de energía.
Tu cerebro consume alrededor del 20% de la energía de tu cuerpo a pesar de ser solo el 2% de su peso. Ashley simplemente no habría tenido suficiente energía celular para suministrar a su cerebro para tomar una decisión como la que tomó a menos que mejorara su salud. Factores como el ácido linoleico en exceso, el estrógeno y las endotoxinas estaban agotando su energía celular, que es crucial para tomar decisiones que requieren mucha energía.
Su transformación subraya el poder de nutrir tu salud para obtener la energía necesaria para hacer cambios significativos en la vida. Evitar trampas dietéticas como los aceites de semillas jugó un papel clave en este viaje, permitiéndole aprovechar una nueva capacidad para tomar decisiones valientes, un testimonio del impacto profundo de recuperar la energía celular en su capacidad para navegar por las decisiones de la vida.
Es mi sincero deseo y esperanza que consideres su viaje para inspirarte y empoderarte a tomar decisiones similares en tu propia vida y recuperar la alegría que te mereces. Imagina experimentar la alegría casi ilimitada que Ashley tiene con sus 1,000 pollos y cuatro perros guardianes de ganado abajo.