About to embark on a 30-day trial of meat and water

[PyramidHead]

Day 14.

The intestinal symptoms are completely gone. Good riddance and hello energy.

Lately, I've incorporated some smoked and/or cured meats into my diet, especially salmon, salami, and prosciutto. There may be some sugar involved in the curing process, but so little makes its way into the final product that I have no reason to concern myself with it. Some people make a lot of noise about nitrates and various additives that may be in processed meat, but as long as I'm not subsisting primarily on them I very much doubt there will be any issues.

I love pan-searing. Let steak come to room temp, add some salt to a scalding hot cast iron pan, sear for 4 minutes on one side, 3 on the other. Perfect every time, unless the steak is too thick, but I don't mind it raw in the center as long as the outside is nicely browned. The only problem is how smoky the entire downstairs gets, despite the range hood sucking it up.

And that's pretty much it. I don't have much to update other than I'm feeling fine and still losing weight around my face and waist. The second half of the month will thus not be eventful enough for regular updates unless something unexpected happens.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

If my husband tried this diet, he'd end up hospitalized from the gout pain that resulted.

Yes. I know people who suffer gout. They have to largely abstain from meat and I'm not sure what else. When they do their symptoms go away, and they can stop taking something that sounds like allopurinol.

I know I sound like a broken record but it's important to remember that we're all different. I have to abstain from the regular consumption of certain foods because I am histamine intolerant. Meat is no problem, however, in terms of sensitivity, unlike nightshade or peanuts or allium, among others. But there are enough other healthy choices that I'm fine. If those other choices were not available I'd be a wreck.

 

[PyramidHead]

If my husband tried this diet, he'd end up hospitalized from the gout pain that resulted.

Yes. I know people who suffer gout. They have to largely abstain from meat and I'm not sure what else. When they do their symptoms go away, and they can stop taking something that sounds like allopurinol.

I know I sound like a broken record but it's important to remember that we're all different. I have to abstain from the regular consumption of certain foods because I am histamine intolerant. Meat is no problem, however, in terms of sensitivity, unlike nightshade or peanuts or allium, among others. But there are enough other healthy choices that I'm fine. If those other choices were not available I'd be a wreck.

I've read that the uric acid buildup that is a problem for gout sufferers has not been proven to be a consequence of triglyceride consumption, but may be related to insulin in the bloodstream, and fructose is especially implicated as an exacerbator. Of course, the purines in e.g. organ meat may be too high regardless of diet for someone with gout.

By the 1990s, Gerald Reaven, among others, was reporting that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia raised uric acid levels, apparently by decreasing uric acid excretion by the kidney, just as they raised blood pressure by decreasing sodium excretion. “It appears that modulation of serum uric concentration by insulin resistance is exerted at the level of the kidney,” Reaven wrote, “the more insulin-resistant an individual, the higher the serum uric acid concentration.”(15)

These observations would suggest that anything that raised insulin levels would in turn raise uric acid levels and might cause gout, which would implicate any high carbohydrate diet with sufficient calories. But this neglects the unique contribution of fructose. The evidence arguing for sugar or fructose as the primary cause of gout is two-fold. First, the distribution of gout in western populations has paralleled the availability of sugar for centuries, and not all refined carbohydrates in this case. It was in the mid-17th century, that gout went from being exclusively a disease of the rich and the nobility to spread downward and outward through British society, reaching near epidemic proportions by the 18th century. Historians refer to this as the “gout wave,”(16) and it coincides precisely with the birth and explosive growth of the British sugar industry(17) and the transformation of sugar, in the words of the anthropologist Sydney Mintz, from “a luxury of kings into the kingly luxury of commoners.”(18) British per capita sugar consumption in the 17th century was remarkably low by modern standards, a few pounds per capita per year at the turn of the century, but the change in consumption over the next century and a half was unprecedented: between 1650 and 1800, following the British acquisition of Barbados, Jamaica and other “sugar islands”, total sugar consumption in England and Wales increased 20- to 25-fold.(19)

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I've read that the uric acid buildup that is a problem for gout sufferers has not been proven to be a consequence of triglyceride consumption, but may be related to insulin in the bloodstream, and fructose is especially implicated as an exacerbator. Of course, the purines in e.g. organ meat may be too high regardless of diet for someone with gout.

By the 1990s, Gerald Reaven, among others, was reporting that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia raised uric acid levels, apparently by decreasing uric acid excretion by the kidney, just as they raised blood pressure by decreasing sodium excretion. “It appears that modulation of serum uric concentration by insulin resistance is exerted at the level of the kidney,” Reaven wrote, “the more insulin-resistant an individual, the higher the serum uric acid concentration.”(15)

These observations would suggest that anything that raised insulin levels would in turn raise uric acid levels and might cause gout, which would implicate any high carbohydrate diet with sufficient calories. But this neglects the unique contribution of fructose. The evidence arguing for sugar or fructose as the primary cause of gout is two-fold. First, the distribution of gout in western populations has paralleled the availability of sugar for centuries, and not all refined carbohydrates in this case. It was in the mid-17th century, that gout went from being exclusively a disease of the rich and the nobility to spread downward and outward through British society, reaching near epidemic proportions by the 18th century. Historians refer to this as the “gout wave,”(16) and it coincides precisely with the birth and explosive growth of the British sugar industry(17) and the transformation of sugar, in the words of the anthropologist Sydney Mintz, from “a luxury of kings into the kingly luxury of commoners.”(18) British per capita sugar consumption in the 17th century was remarkably low by modern standards, a few pounds per capita per year at the turn of the century, but the change in consumption over the next century and a half was unprecedented: between 1650 and 1800, following the British acquisition of Barbados, Jamaica and other “sugar islands”, total sugar consumption in England and Wales increased 20- to 25-fold.(19)

Yes, the point is that what may work for one person may not work for another person. It's best to begin with what works for most people and then go from there. I found that to be true with my histamine intolerance. It at least led me to investigate and learn by trial and error.

 

[PyramidHead]

Day 36.

My diet has become both more specific in terms of the meats I prefer and more lenient in terms of the occasional non-meats I allow.

My staple food is steak. Every night, I pan-sear two New York strips from the supermarket so the outside is crusty while the inside is purple-rare. One of these I eat for dinner, the other gets sliced and put in a tupperware container in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. Steak for lunch every day is delicious and filling. Usually I eat it at room temperature, but occasionally I'll nuke it for about 15 seconds to get some of the texture back. For breakfast, I'll usually have a couple of eggs and some kind of breakfast meat like sausage or bacon. About once a week I'll cook up some chicken livers in butter and hot sauce. For snacks, I've been enjoying Genoa salami and these magnificent creations. They are labeled as chicharrones but are different from your average pork rinds in that they include the pork fat in each piece. Just delicious. I eat some hard cheese occasionally, like some local raw milk cheddar, but only sparingly.

Now that the month is over, I'm venturing into having an alcoholic beverage every now and again. Usually either gin or scotch, no more than two in a sitting, no more than twice a week. Haven't noticed any negative effects beyond getting buzzed with less volume, which saves me a lot of money.

In the past week, I've had a couple of pieces of fruit: a honey dew apple and a ruby tangerine. The apple gave me a little bit of gas, but otherwise both were tolerable to my gut. I felt a huge spike in energy, different from what I had been getting from fat, which was nice in a way but also almost exhausting. The taste, too, was pleasant but very strong. I've eaten less sugar in the past month than I would previously eat in a single snack, so I nearly forgot what it was like. If I can treat fruit as a once-in-a-while indulgence, the way some people treat candy, I don't see there being any problems. I feel the same way about dill pickles, which I've always loved. Harmless in moderation.

I haven't had any free time to get down to a clinic for a blood test, but it's something I'm hoping to do in the near future. My waist has shrunk by a couple of inches and I've got more energy now that my GI tract is retaining everything long enough to absorb all the fat. I sometimes miss stuff like pizza, beer, and cupcakes, but I've gotten so used to being satiated on juicy steaks that any cravings are easily manageable. Nothing tastes as good as bacon, after all.

I kind of want to stick with this diet now that the trial period is over. Especially with the warm weather around the corner and the possibilities of grilling a few days' worth of food to perfection. Having this wonderful absence of sensation where there used to be persistent bloating and pain is something I could get very used to, along with being generally satisfied with my appearance and how my clothes fit. The adaptation was a little rough at times, but now that it's behind me I'm getting nothing but positives from this way of eating.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

I did something like you have done when I was18. I too felt better though it was years before I understood why. In my case it was a wheat/milk intolerance which wasn't being triggered.

I would like to see you including some colourful vegies for the long term. Silverbeet, capsicum, carrots, snowpeas, cabbage, you know the sort of thing. You can steam them to avoid additions you might not want. Eat them raw.Blanch them to get the best of both worlds.

You can eat these sources of fibre and micro nutrition and still remain within the ketotic range but I think it is necessary to round out the nutrition. Proteins alone don't quite do it for extended periods.

It's been interesting to watch, it must have taught you a lot about your body to do it?

 

[Underseer]

Uh, if you live on a meat-only diet, don't you have to eat the organs and bones and fur and crap like real carnivores?

No thanks. Getting those other nutrients from veggies sounds like a much better deal to me.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I did something like you have done when I was18. I too felt better though it was years before I understood why. In my case it was a wheat/milk intolerance which wasn't being triggered.

I would like to see you including some colourful vegies for the long term. Silverbeet, capsicum, carrots, snowpeas, cabbage, you know the sort of thing. You can steam them to avoid additions you might not want. Eat them raw.Blanch them to get the best of both worlds.

You can eat these sources of fibre and micro nutrition and still remain within the ketotic range but I think it is necessary to round out the nutrition. Proteins alone don't quite do it for extended periods.

It's been interesting to watch, it must have taught you a lot about your body to do it?

Exactly--I strongly suspect some undiagnosed food intolerance.

 

[PyramidHead]

Uh, if you live on a meat-only diet, don't you have to eat the organs and bones and fur and crap like real carnivores?

No thanks. Getting those other nutrients from veggies sounds like a much better deal to me.

There are no essential nutrients that can't be found in ordinary cuts of beef from muscle meat, so long as it isn't overcooked.

I would like to see you including some colourful vegies for the long term. Silverbeet, capsicum, carrots, snowpeas, cabbage, you know the sort of thing. You can steam them to avoid additions you might not want. Eat them raw.Blanch them to get the best of both worlds.

You can eat these sources of fibre and micro nutrition and still remain within the ketotic range but I think it is necessary to round out the nutrition. Proteins alone don't quite do it for extended periods.

Do you have any evidence to support that plant matter is necessary for human health and longevity? Preferably any studies that actually isolated the variable in question and compared a diet that contained it to one that did not?

 

[Learner]

Eskimos are known (or used to) for survivng mainly on meat during particular periods throughout the year although I think dried fruit and grain may have been included depending on the various world cultures like eskimos during long winters. Worth looking up.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I did something like you have done when I was18. I too felt better though it was years before I understood why. In my case it was a wheat/milk intolerance which wasn't being triggered.

I would like to see you including some colourful vegies for the long term. Silverbeet, capsicum, carrots, snowpeas, cabbage, you know the sort of thing. You can steam them to avoid additions you might not want. Eat them raw.Blanch them to get the best of both worlds.

You can eat these sources of fibre and micro nutrition and still remain within the ketotic range but I think it is necessary to round out the nutrition. Proteins alone don't quite do it for extended periods.

It's been interesting to watch, it must have taught you a lot about your body to do it?

Exactly--I strongly suspect some undiagnosed food intolerance.

If I eat salmon from a can it's okay. Sear it in peanut oil and it's indigestion city. If I eat yogurt without additives I'm great. Have some with added pectin - because the pectin is from lemon and grapefruit - and I'm grabbing for charcoal to eliminate the painful gas and bloating.

I think most people have unrecognized food sensitivities which become more pronounced with age. It may explain why we're a nation addicted to prilosec type meds.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

Uh, if you live on a meat-only diet, don't you have to eat the organs and bones and fur and crap like real carnivores?

No thanks. Getting those other nutrients from veggies sounds like a much better deal to me.

There are no essential nutrients that can't be found in ordinary cuts of beef from muscle meat, so long as it isn't overcooked.

I would like to see you including some colourful vegies for the long term. Silverbeet, capsicum, carrots, snowpeas, cabbage, you know the sort of thing. You can steam them to avoid additions you might not want. Eat them raw.Blanch them to get the best of both worlds.

You can eat these sources of fibre and micro nutrition and still remain within the ketotic range but I think it is necessary to round out the nutrition. Proteins alone don't quite do it for extended periods.

Do you have any evidence to support that plant matter is necessary for human health and longevity? Preferably any studies that actually isolated the variable in question and compared a diet that contained it to one that did not?

I'm not so concerned with you missing out on minerals, most of which can be obtained from meats. I have some concern unless you make sure of calcium, because it is depleted by excess protein consumption.

My major concern is in the really micro nutrients the lack of which don't give you malnutrition, per se, but which seem to be present in the diets of all the long lived groups.

A lot of these have been researched and have found noticable effects. I haven't the spare time to chase it up, but in your situation I would be eating at least one brightly coloured vegie meal a week, to be sure, to be sure.

This is a lot of compounds to exclude from your diet if your body is expecting to see them for any reason>

Terpenoids (isoprenoids)
Carotenoids (tetraterpenoids)
Carotenes

orange pigments

α-Carotene – to vitamin A carrots, pumpkins, maize, tangerine, orange.
β-Carotene – to vitamin A dark, leafy greens, red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.
γ-Carotene - to vitamin A,
δ-Carotene
ε-carotene
Lycopene Vietnam Gac, tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, guava, apricots, carrots, autumn olive.
Neurosporene
Phytofluene star fruit, sweet potato, orange.
Phytoene sweet potato, orange.

Xanthophylls

yellow pigments

Canthaxanthin paprika.
Cryptoxanthin to vitamin A mango, tangerine, orange, papaya, peaches, avocado, pea, grapefruit, kiwi.
Zeaxanthin wolfberry, spinach, kale, turnip greens, maize, eggs, red pepper, pumpkin, orange.
Astaxanthin microalgae, yeast, krill, shrimp, salmon, lobsters, and some crabs.
Lutein spinach, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, eggs, red pepper, pumpkin, mango, papaya, oranges, kiwi, peaches, squash, brassicas, prunes, sweet potatoes, honeydew melon, rhubarb, plum, avocado, pear, cilantro.
Rubixanthin rose hip.

Triterpenoid

Saponins soybeans, beans, other legumes, maize, alfalfa.
Oleanolic acid American pokeweed, honey mesquite, garlic, java apple, cloves, and many other Syzygium species.
Ursolic acid apples, basil, bilberries, cranberries, elder flower, peppermint, lavender, oregano, thyme, hawthorn, prunes.
Betulinic acid Ber tree, white birch, tropical carnivorous plants Triphyophyllum peltatum, Ancistrocladus heyneanus, Diospyros leucomelas a member of the persimmon family, Tetracera boiviniana, the jambul (Syzygium formosanum), chaga, and many other Syzygium species.
Moronic acid Rhus javanica (a sumac), mistletoe

Diterpenes

Cafestol

Monoterpenes

Limonene oils of citrus, cherries, spearmint, dill, garlic, celery, maize, rosemary, ginger, basil.
Perillyl alcohol citrus oils, caraway, mints.

Steroids

Phytosterols almonds, cashews, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, whole wheat, maize, soybeans, many vegetable oils.
Campesterol buckwheat.
beta Sitosterol avocado, rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, fennel, peanuts, soybeans, hawthorn, basil, buckwheat.
gamma sitosterol
Stigmasterol buckwheat.
Tocopherols (vitamin E)

Phenolic compounds
Natural monophenols

Apiole parsley, celery leaf.
Carnosol rosemary, sage.
Carvacrol oregano, thyme, pepperwort, wild bergamot.
Dillapiole dill, fennel root.
Rosemarinol rosemary.

Polyphenols
Flavonoids

Anthrocyanins red, blue, purple pigments

Flavonols
Quercetin red and yellow onions, tea, wine, apples, cranberries, buckwheat, beans, lovage.
Kaempferol tea, strawberries, gooseberries, cranberries, grapefruit, apples, peas, brassicates (broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage), chives, spinach, endive, leek, tomatoes.
Myricetin grapes, red wine, berries, walnuts.
Fisetin strawberries, cucumbers.
Rutin citrus fruits, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, berries, peaches, apples, pagoda tree fruits, asparagus, buckwheat, parsley, tomatoes, apricots, rhubarb, tea.
Isorhamnetin red turnip, goldenrod, mustard leaf, ginkgo biloba.
Flavanones
Hesperidin citrus fruits.
Naringenin citrus fruits.
Silybin milk thistle.
Eriodictyol
Flavones
Acacetin Robinia pseudoacacia, Turnera diffusa.
Apigenin chamomile, celery, parsley.
Chrysin Passiflora caerulea, Pleurotus ostreatus, Oroxylum indicum.
Diosmetin Vicia.
Tangeritin tangerine and other citrus peels.
Luteolin beets, artichokes, celery, carrots, celeriac, rutabaga, parsley, mint, chamomile, lemongrass, chrysanthemum.
Flavan-3-ols (flavanols)
Catechins white tea, green tea, black tea, grapes, wine, apple juice, cocoa, lentils, black-eyed peas.
(+)-Catechin
(+)-Gallocatechin
(−)-Epicatechin
(−)-Epigallocatechin
(−)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) green tea.
(−)-Epicatechin 3-gallate
Theaflavin black tea.
Theaflavin-3-gallate black tea.
Thearubigins
Proanthocyanidins
Flavanonols
Anthocyanidins (flavonals) and Anthocyanins red wine, many red, purple or blue fruits and vegetables.
Pelargonidin bilberry, raspberry, strawberry.
Peonidin bilberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peach.
Cyanidin red apple & pear, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peach, plum, hawthorn, loganberry, cocoa.
Delphinidin bilberry, blueberry, eggplant.
Malvidin malve, bilberry, blueberry.
Petunidin

Isoflavonoids

Isoflavones (phytoestrogens) use the 3-phenylchromen-4-one skeleton (with no hydroxyl group substitution on carbon at position 2).
Daidzein (formononetin) soy, alfalfa sprouts, red clover, chickpeas, peanuts, kudzu, other legumes.
Genistein (biochanin A) soy, alfalfa sprouts, red clover, chickpeas, peanuts, other legumes.
Glycitein soy.
Isoflavanes
Isoflavandiols
Isoflavenes
Pterocarpans or Coumestans (phytoestrogens)
Coumestrol red clover, alfalfa sprouts, soy, peas, brussels sprouts.

Aurones
Chalconoids
Flavonolignans

Silymarin artichokes, milk thistle.

Lignans

Phytoestrogens seeds (flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy), whole grains (rye, oats, barley), bran (wheat, oat, rye), fruits (particularly berries) and vegetables.[2]

Matairesinol flax seed, sesame seed, rye bran and meal, oat bran, poppy seed, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli.
Secoisolariciresinol flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, zucchini, blackcurrant, carrots.
Pinoresinol and lariciresinol [3] sesame seed, Brassica vegetables.

Stilbenoids

Resveratrol grape (skins and seeds, grape wine), nuts, peanuts, Japanese Knotweed root.
Pterostilbene grapes, blueberries.
Piceatannol grapes.
Pinosylvin

Curcuminoids

Curcumin (Oxidizes to vanillin) turmeric, mustard.

Tannins
Hydrolyzable tannins

Ellagitannins
Punicalagins tea, berries.
Castalagins
Vescalagins
Castalins
Casuarictins
Grandinins
Punicalins
Roburin As
Tellimagrandin IIs
Terflavin Bs
Gallotannins
Digalloyl glucose
1,3,6-Trigalloyl glucose

Condensed tannins

Proanthocyanidins horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum, cranberry juice, peanut skin.
Polyflavonoid tannins
Catechol-type tannins
Pyrocatecollic type tannins
Flavolans

Phlorotannins

extracted from brown alga species (Ecklonia cava, Sargassum mcclurei), sea oak (Eisenia bicyclis, Fucus vesiculosus).
Flavono-ellagitannin

extracted from Mongolian Oak (Quercus mongolica).
Aromatic acid
Phenolic acids

Salicylic acid peppermint, licorice, peanut, wheat.
Vanillin and Vanillic acid açaí oil, vanilla beans, cloves.
Gallic acid tea, mango, strawberries, rhubarb, soy.
Ellagic acid walnuts, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, guava, grapes.
Tannic acid nettles, tea, berries.

Hydroxycinnamic acids

Caffeic acid burdock, hawthorn, artichoke, pear, basil, thyme, oregano, apple, olive oil.
Chlorogenic acid echinacea, strawberries, pineapple, coffee, sunflower, blueberries.
Cinnamic acid cinnamon, aloe.
Ferulic acid oats, rice, artichoke, orange, pineapple, apple, peanut, açaí oil.
Coumarin citrus fruits, maize.

Phenylethanoids

Tyrosol olive oil.
Hydroxytyrosol olive oil.
Oleocanthal olive oil.
Oleuropein olive oil.

Others

Capsaicin chilli peppers.
Gingerol ginger.
Alkylresorcinols wholegrain wheat, rye and barley.

Glucosinolates
The precursor to isothiocyanates

Sinigrin (the precursor to allyl isothiocyanate) broccoli family, brussels sprouts, black mustard.
Glucotropaeolin (the precursor to benzyl isothiocyanate)
Gluconasturtiin (the precursor to phenethyl isothiocyanate)
Glucoraphanin (the precursor to sulforaphane) brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbages.

Aglycone derivatives

Dithiolthiones (isothiocyanates)
Sulforaphane brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbages.
Allyl isothiocyanate
Phenethyl Isothiocyanate
Benzyl Isothiocyanate
Oxazolidine-2-thiones
Nitriles
Thiocyanates

Organosulfides/ Organosulfur compounds

Polysulfides (allium compounds)
Allyl methyl trisulfide garlic, onions, leeks, chives, shallots.
Sulfides
Diallyl disulfide garlic, onions, leeks, chives, shallots.

Indoles

Indole-3-carbinol cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, rutabaga, mustard greens, broccoli.
3,3'-Diindolylmethane or DIM broccoli family, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale.
Allicin garlic.
Alliin garlic.
Allyl isothiocyanate horseradish, mustard, wasabi.
Piperine black pepper.
Syn-propanethial-S-oxide cut onions.

Betalains

Betacyanins beets, chard, Amaranthus tricolor.
betanin
isobetanin
probetanin
neobetanin
Betaxanthins (non glycosidic versions)
Indicaxanthin beets, sicilian prickly pear.
Vulgaxanthin beets.

Chlorophylls

Chlorophyllin

Other organic acids

Saturated cyclic acids
Phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate) cereals, nuts, sesame seeds, soybeans, wheat, pumpkin, beans, almonds.
Quinic acid
Oxalic acid orange, spinach, rhubarb, tea and coffee, banana, ginger, almond, sweet potato, bell pepper.
Tartaric acid apricots, apples, sunflower, avocado, grapes, tamarind.
Anacardic acid cashews, mangoes.
Malic acid apples.
Caftaric acid
Coutaric acid
Fertaric acid

Amines

Betaine beetroot.

Carbohydrates
Monosaccharides

Hexose wheat, barley.
Pentose rye, oat.

Polysaccharides

Beta-glucan
Chitin fungi includes other edible mushrooms.
Lentinan fruit body of shiitake (Lentinula edodes mycelium (LEM)) and other edible mushrooms.
Fructan
Inulins diverse plants, e.g. topinambour, chicory.
Lignin stones of fruits, vegetables (filaments of the garden bean), cereals.
Pectins the fruit skin (mainly apples, quinces), vegetables.

Protease inhibitors

Protease inhibitors soybean, seeds, legumes, potatoes, eggs, cereals.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

A lot of these have been researched and have found noticeable effects. I haven't the spare time to chase it up, but in your situation I would be eating at least one brightly coloured veggie meal a week, to be sure, to be sure.

Wheat berries, diced and nuked butternut squash, peas, corn, capers, kalamata olives, black beans, diced and nuked celery. Mixed up a big bowl and placed into individual containers to grab as lunches for the week, about two cups per meal. Took a bit of time to prepare but it's done and ready to go. Also goes well over chopped Romaine lettuce.

Snacks: Rolled oat flour, honey, ground walnuts, almond butter, ground flax, ground coconut - blended and pressed into a tupperware, cut into one-inch squares.

Apples

Avocado on toasted whole wheat brushed with olive oil.

Healthy eating needs to be made convenient and delicious or we'll eat the junk instead.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Exactly--I strongly suspect some undiagnosed food intolerance.

If I eat salmon from a can it's okay. Sear it in peanut oil and it's indigestion city. If I eat yogurt without additives I'm great. Have some with added pectin - because the pectin is from lemon and grapefruit - and I'm grabbing for charcoal to eliminate the painful gas and bloating.

I think most people have unrecognized food sensitivities which become more pronounced with age. It may explain why we're a nation addicted to prilosec type meds.

And this is why so many of them are so hard to diagnose--it's not the ingredients you're aware of that are the problem.

Twice now I have found myself sensitive to such manufacturing impurities in very tiny quantities. I have no idea what the actual offending ingredient was--all I know is the ingredients list contained nothing that could have been the cause. In one case there was ~100mg of material, the other there was ~3mg--no idea what the tolerable level of impurities was. (When it's food grade stuff they're pretty casual about impurities that are harmless to eat.)

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Exactly--I strongly suspect some undiagnosed food intolerance.

If I eat salmon from a can it's okay. Sear it in peanut oil and it's indigestion city. If I eat yogurt without additives I'm great. Have some with added pectin - because the pectin is from lemon and grapefruit - and I'm grabbing for charcoal to eliminate the painful gas and bloating.

I think most people have unrecognized food sensitivities which become more pronounced with age. It may explain why we're a nation addicted to prilosec type meds.

And this is why so many of them are so hard to diagnose--it's not the ingredients you're aware of that are the problem.

Twice now I have found myself sensitive to such manufacturing impurities in very tiny quantities. I have no idea what the actual offending ingredient was--all I know is the ingredients list contained nothing that could have been the cause. In one case there was ~100mg of material, the other there was ~3mg--no idea what the tolerable level of impurities was. (When it's food grade stuff they're pretty casual about impurities that are harmless to eat.)

Two additives that eat me alive are carrageenan and annatto. The first is from seaweed and is used as a thickener. It is in boatloads of stuff. The second is from seeds from a tropical plant and is used as a yellow food dye. Carrageenan is actually used to induce inflammation in laboratory animals, and it does exactly that with me. The annatto acts similarly.

 

[PyramidHead]

There are no essential nutrients that can't be found in ordinary cuts of beef from muscle meat, so long as it isn't overcooked.

Do you have any evidence to support that plant matter is necessary for human health and longevity? Preferably any studies that actually isolated the variable in question and compared a diet that contained it to one that did not?

I'm not so concerned with you missing out on minerals, most of which can be obtained from meats. I have some concern unless you make sure of calcium, because it is depleted by excess protein consumption.

My major concern is in the really micro nutrients the lack of which don't give you malnutrition, per se, but which seem to be present in the diets of all the long lived groups.

A lot of these have been researched and have found noticable effects. I haven't the spare time to chase it up, but in your situation I would be eating at least one brightly coloured vegie meal a week, to be sure, to be sure.

[long list of micronutrients]

I'm sure there may be some effects, perhaps beneficial, to including some of those compounds in one's diet. However, I don't believe it has ever been demonstrated that those effects can only be obtained from those specific compounds. They have to be weighed against the negatives, and plant matter is not without negatives. Anti-nutrients abound in many of the foods you listed. Some mess with your hunger signals, causing your brain to think you're hungry even when you have enough calories. They bind up vitamins and minerals, making them less available to your body. They can inhibit digestive enzymes and damage the lining of your gut by penetrating the epithelium. There are a host of factors that stimulate autoimmunity in many plants. And of course, carbohydrates are nearly all plant-based. Compared to meat, it's a nutritional crapshoot. For any item on your list, I'm sure there have been millions who never encountered it and lived long, healthy lives. The same is true of meat products! I'm not saying everyone has to eat just meat, just that nothing necessary for health and life is missing in the diet of those who do.

That said, I don't want to be religious about this so I won't intentionally avoid a plant if I want to eat one, unless I have reason to think it will harm me in some way that isn't outweighed by the enjoyment of eating it. In other words, plants are fine for occasional snacks as long as I still get the bulk of my nutrition from animal sources. Fruit is just candy that grows on trees and vines. I'll let myself have some if I feel like eating something sweet for a change, but I won't oblige myself to do so.

 

[PyramidHead]

Day 477.

This diet has become my new normal. All of the unevenness has worked itself out energy-wise, my digestion has fully adapted, and I'm continually finding new ways to prepare delicious meals for myself. My weight has stabilized and is at a healthy BMI for the first time in decades (I lost 45 pounds overall). My sleep has improved. My anxiety and depression are gone. My heartburn, gone. IBS and related issues, gone.

Whenever I decide to cheat and allow myself a sweet snack, which is rare, I feel it for the next day or so: lethargic, bloated, mind in a haze, stomach unpredictable. I'm now realizing that's simply how I used to feel basically all the time. Eating in this way is self-policing in that sense, and makes the occasional temptation seem not worth the trouble 95% of the time.

So what do I eat, now that I've settled into a rhythm? Well, I tend towards beef that has been sustainably raised and preferably grass-fed, followed by eggs and sometimes cheese. I prefer the fatty cuts, and fry everything in high-quality ghee in a cast iron pan to get a nice sear; the inside is usually very rare, as it preserves the nutrients and tastes amazing. For ground beef, I use a sous vide immersion circulator to get burger patties to a temperature of 140F and kill any bacteria while still leaving it moist and flavorful, then quickly sear the top and bottom and eat with eggs and a slice of cheese. I can eat delicious burgers and eggs every single meal for weeks and live incredibly cheaply, but I haven't needed to cut back to that degree. It's just good to know that I can, in case I ever need to.

My solution for incorporating organ-derived nutrients has been to get liverwurst every couple of weeks. It's actually kind of addictive, and the higher quality stuff also includes some kidney, heart, and other offal mixed in. Of course the processing tends to break down some of the nutrients, so I still fry up some chicken livers once in a while. The problem with those is that they make everything I fry in that pan taste like liver for days. I could also just take cod liver oil and get basically the same benefits.

I'm also trying to get better at eating canned fish or even just pan-fried salmon filets more often. There's a brand of smoked herring that's really tasty and super cheap for what they give you, so sometimes I pick up like a dozen cans at the supermarket. I've backed off on the deli meats, and cut down my intake of hard cheese, as neither was really doing me any good.

My only plant consumption is in the form of black coffee and hard liquor, neither of which contain any carbohydrates (or at any rate, not enough to affect my metabolism).

The only thing left to do, I guess, is get a blood test at some point. I mean, there's less and less consensus every day on how to actually interpret the results of a lipid panel, so I'm not expecting anything super informative. My prediction is that my overall cholesterol will be high, but my ratio will be favorable. This is the pattern that many people on this diet observe, and it's similar to what they have found in the so-called Mediterranean diet and others that include a high proportion of healthy fats. I'm more interested in the vitamin and mineral composition. Contrary to the second post in this thread last year, I do not have scurvy, and I have not consumed any fruit for long enough that I would have noticed it by now if that was going to be an issue.

I'll return with another update once I get my bloodwork.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Deli meats are very unhealthy, particularly when compared to whole meats so I understand not eating those. Can't remember the last time I ate any.

Do the hard cheeses not agree with you? They give me indigestion, but white cheddar is okay. It's the really hard cheeses that make life difficult and ones with coloring added.

 

[Treedbear]

Day 477.

This diet has become my new normal. ...

I'll return with another update once I get my bloodwork.

That's really amazing. Keep us posted. But I can't see how it would be less expensive than my omnivorous diet. Sounds like you buy mostly quality meats. When I buy protein I have to settle for the cheapest available. But if this diet works it may convince me to spring for the good stuff.

 

[PyramidHead]

Day 477.

This diet has become my new normal. ...

I'll return with another update once I get my bloodwork.

That's really amazing. Keep us posted. But I can't see how it would be less expensive than my omnivorous diet. Sounds like you buy mostly quality meats. When I buy protein I have to settle for the cheapest available. But if this diet works it may convince me to spring for the good stuff.

The cost of better quality meat is offset by a few factors:

1. No snacks
2. No beer
3. No desserts
4. No leftovers
5. Almost no restaurant meals (they aren't worth the hassle, usually)

And with all the benefits I'm getting, I'm okay with maybe spending a little more on food than the average person.