About this episode
We have a true powerhouse on the show today—Brian Sanders. As you will hear, Brian has got his finger into everything—he’s almost like a superhuman performer because he has done so much, like this incredible documentary Food Lies that you will hear about, which he has been working on for the last five or six years. The intro for the film (linked in the show notes) is truly the most sensational piece of filmmaking I have seen in a long time. This stunning film is so well-done, and it will wet your appetite for his forthcoming six-part series, expected to air on Netflix, which goes through the history of diet controversies and diet wars, human evolution and the ancestral diet—it’s an amazing piece of work, and Brian is also doing great work through his podcast, Peak Human, which is how I was first exposed to him. In this deep-thinking, lengthy, hard-hitting show, you will hear about how Brian’s background helps him look at things from a problem solving lens, what the entry point was to his obsession with health and what prompted him to quit job and change his career, and the events that led to his deep immersement in filmmaking and ancestral health. As you will hear, Brian sadly lost both of his parents when he was young, and because he grew up in such a “health conscious” family, they didn’t realize the dangers of following conventional wisdom—at least, until it was too late. As tragic as this was, losing both his parents at such a young age is what gave Brian the motivation and passion to follow his heart and create this incredible project. You will also hear about the protein to energy ratio, the distinction between processed carbohydrates and natural, whole–food carbs, and a little bit about our mutual awakening to the Energy Balance concept. Brian also has a wonderful website, NosetoTail.org, where you can order sustainably raised beef and get yourself in the highest category of nutrition. Brian Sanders is the filmmaker behind the Food Lies documentary, host of the podcast Peak Huma n, and an international speaker. A UCLA graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Brian works as a Health Coach at Evolve Healthcare and co-founded the health education company Sapien. He also works to spread the awareness of regenerative agriculture and increase access to well-raised animal products through his company Nose to Tail. TIMESTAMPS: Brad and his guest are going to talk about the distinction between processed carbohydrates and natural nutritious carbs as well as the protein to energy ratio. [01:09] Many athletes can power through things and almost force yourself to be in decent shape despite your bad diet. For Brian, the Food Pyramid didn’t work. [05:17] Brian was in his 30s when he changed his outlook on nutrition. [13:33] How does Brian blend his two skills of engineering and film-making? [20:22] It is difficult to sort through all the “experts” in order to get the correct information. [23:52] Brian’s athletic experience includes football, track (pole vault), basketball, and a multi-event competition while he fasted. Would he do that event again having fasted? [28:26] What is the difference in carbs? All carbs are not evil. [35:09] If you simply eliminate processed foods and eat only wholesome, nutritious, natural foods, you can't get fat. [39:40] Your body wants nutrients and it needs energy to get through the day, but it doesn’t need more than that energy to get through the day. [42:35] People can try to do calorie restricted diets and just restrict the same low nutrient density foods, the same processed foods with a low nutrient energy score. But it's not gonna work long term. [50:42] If satiety matches the calories, you will naturally arrive at your correct body composition. [53:28] Restrictive diets and fasting turn on stress hormones. [59:24] Trying to figure out what the ancestors ate, one has to recognize that they lived in different areas. They weren’t all exposed to the same sources. [01:01:26] A person who sits in an office all day, cannot follow a diet like Michael Phelps. You need to earn your carbs. [01:09:29] Brian’s system of scoring is all animal foods are plus one, all processed foods are negative one, and plant foods are just neutral. [01:11:20] How does one defend these strong convictions when you run into people who challenge? [01:17:31] The real enemy is the highly processed foods. Seventy-one percent of the modern diet comes from entirely non-human, non-paleolithic foods. [01:25:09] LINKS: Brad Kearns.com Brad’s Shopping page Peak Human Podcast NoseToTail.org Food Lies The Primal Blueprint Metabolical Ted Naiman PE DIet Eat Like the Animals Why we should be eating more meat, not less Join Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1 Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphigh Twitter: @bradleykearns YouTube: @BradKearns TikTok: @bradkearns We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com . If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you! Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, Brad won’t promote anything he doesn’t absolutely love and use in daily life. Butcher Box: Convenient, affordable home delivery - free shipping! - of the highest quality meat, poultry, and seafood with customizable box design. Click here for special promotion. 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