Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint from its original publication date of December 31, 2023.
The interview above highlights Ashley Armstrong, an expert in producing healthy food and understanding how the body uses it based on Ray Peat’s principles of bioenergetic medicine. Armstrong is also a certified personal trainer with a Ph.D., MS, and BS in engineering.
Armstrong experimented with various diets like low-carb, fasting, keto, and carnivore but found that they only provided temporary improvements. This led her to explore Peat’s principles, which she credits with saving her life and improving her overall health.
Armstrong emphasizes the importance of energy production for optimal health. She explains that the body needs a sufficient energy source to maintain all its functions. When energy production is low, the body prioritizes vital functions like heart rate over others like reproductive function and digestion.
She recommends measuring body temperature as a way to assess energy production. A high waking body temperature indicates elevated stress hormones, while a rise in temperature after breakfast shows improved energy production. Armstrong also highlights the negative impact of consuming linoleic acid on energy production and overall health.
In conclusion, Armstrong stresses the importance of providing the body with adequate energy through nourishing food rather than relying on fasting to boost energy production. She explains how reducing factors like endotoxin, estrogen, and stress hormones can enhance mitochondrial function and energy production within the body. Fat is not inherently bad, but it is essential to understand that different fats can impact the body in various ways. It is crucial to consume the right fats to optimize health. Armstrong explains that the structure of fatty acids can significantly affect the internal environment and energy production within the body. Saturating tissues with the right fats can improve the internal environment.
When switching to a low-carb diet, reducing the intake of packaged foods high in vegetable oils and linoleic acid can help resaturate tissues. It is important to be mindful of the types and amounts of macronutrients consumed, as this can have a profound impact on energy production.
Consuming fresh, ripe fruits like watermelon can provide beneficial nutrients like citrulline, which converts to arginine, a precursor for nitric oxide. It is important to avoid synthetic amino acids and drugs that artificially increase nitric oxide levels.
Frozen fruits and juices can also be healthy options, with pulp-free orange juice being a good choice for those with an unhealthy microbiome. Transitioning to whole fruits and berries as the microbiome improves is recommended.
Armstrong’s farm produces high-quality eggs, with a feed recipe that results in eggs with lower linoleic acid content. Allowing chickens to forage for insects can further improve the quality of eggs.
The feed given to animals can dramatically impact the nutritional quality of animal products like eggs. Eggs from chickens fed an ideal diet are highly nutritious, while conventional eggs may contain high levels of linoleic acid. It is important to consider the source of the feed when choosing animal products to avoid allergenic reactions. Some individuals may have allergies to corn, which can be passed through eggs as well, but soy is often the main culprit. It is important to be cautious of corn and soy-free feeds, as they may contain high-PUFA ingredients like sunflower, flax, fish oil, vegetable oil, and safflower oil. The source of the chicken’s food is crucial in determining the allergenicity of the eggs.
Ensuring that chickens have a balanced diet with low LA and high healthy saturated fats is essential for their health. It is important to provide them with enough food to thrive and boost their metabolic rate. The types of fat in their diet impact the types of fat in their bodies, similar to humans.
High-PUFA diets can have negative effects on metabolism and energy production. Limiting PUFA consumption is recommended to avoid downregulating metabolism. It is crucial to track PUFA intake and focus on consuming essential fats like odd-chain saturated fats found in dairy products.
Angel Acres Egg Co. focuses on providing low-PUFA eggs, emphasizing the importance of knowing where your food comes from to avoid harmful fats. By returning to traditional methods of food production with appropriate fat sources, both humans and livestock can benefit from improved health and energy production. Hablamos de la importancia de los huevos bajos en PUFA en una entrevista anterior, incrustada arriba para su comodidad.
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. Luchó 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 aproximadamente el 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 exceso de ácido linoleico, estrógeno y endotoxinas estaban agotando su energía celular, que es crucial para tomar decisiones que requieren mucha energía.
Su transformación subraya el poder de cuidar tu salud para obtener la energía necesaria para realizar cambios significativos en la vida. Evitar errores dietéticos como los aceites de semillas jugó un papel clave en este viaje, lo que le permitió 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 reclamar la alegría que te mereces. Imagina experimentar la alegría casi ilimitada que Ashley tiene con sus 1,000 pollos y sus cuatro perros guardias de ganado abajo.