Category: Motivational

Fasting-Mimicking-Diet 

My brother gave me a great book for Christmas.

I’ve been reading about the benefits of periodic 5-day cycles of an FMD, Fasting-Mimicking-Diet, low in calories, protein, sugar but high in unsaturated fats.

In a clinical trial FASTING-MIMICKING DIET AND MARKERS/RISK FACTORS FOR AGING, DIABETES, CANCER, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE 5-day cycles in human subjects were found to produce positive health results including reduction of visceral fat, with no serious adverse effects reported by healthy individuals.

  • FMD’s rejuvenate the immune system and reduces cancer incidence in C57BL/6 mice
  • FMD’s promote hippocampal neurogenesis and improves cognitive performance and metabolism in mice
  • FMD’s cause beneficial changes in risk factors of age-related diseases in humans

Excellent FMD audio podcast available here with cardiologist Joel Kahn.

At Quantified Bob’s blog I found this:

Fasting Mimicking Diet Nutrient Guidelines:
  • Low protein and low carbohydrate, with no or minimal animal-derived products
  • High macronutrient content (30-50% of recommended daily intake of vitamins minerals, and essential fatty acids, with 50% of them coming from natural sources)
  • Proteins from plant-based sources
  • Carbohydrates ideally from complex carbohydrate plant sources
  • Fats primarily from “healthy” oils (coconut oil, olive oil) and nuts (almonds, walnuts)
  • Less than 30g of sugars on day 1, and less than 20g of sugars on days 2-5

At DrAxe.com I found an FMD list:

Foods to Eat:

  • nuts
  • olives
  • veggie soups
  • broth
  • rice cakes
  • nut bars
  • tea
  • raw veggies/fruit

Foods to Limit:

  • animals (don’t eat your pets!)
  • starchy plant carbs (miss them!)
  • coffee (no more than 1 cup/day)

Prohibited Foods:

  • Alcohol

At foreverfreefrom.com you can click on “Google Sheets FMD Do-It-yourself file” and click on “Food” on top of page to see a spreadsheet listing a 5-day menu.

Lazy? You can go with a boxed version of this 5-day program, Prolon FMD, meticulously measured and developed by the USC research group.

And here is a nice list of homemade FMD recipes. The blogger, Josh Mittledorf, recommends

  • 3 of these meals on day 1
  • 2 per day for days 2 thru 5

Here is Mittledorf’s review of the 5-day program.

Another sample menu is available here.

Okay, well you know I’m not going to add a bunch of processed fats (oil) to my diet, but I’m going to try a loose adaptation of FMD by essentially

  • reducing portion sizes
  • slightly increasing avocados/nuts
  • eliminating most processed carbs

for 5 consecutive days. Research suggests that adhering to a 5-day FMD 3 or 4 times per year is sufficient to produce positive health results.

Dr. Longo’s research reportedly used treadmills to avoid loss of muscle tissue during 5-day FMD’s. I will continue my daily weight lifting (with slightly reduced weights), and do a light jog for at least 30 minutes per day on my mini-trampoline.

I’m very nonchalant about this, I’m not going to take measurements, I’m not going to do medical tests, I’m just going to play with it for the next 5 days. And when/if I get hungry before it ends – I’ll eat! Join me? As always, if you’re under the care of physicians check with them first. 👍

UPDATE AFTER DAY 1:

EXERCISE:
* Standing desk 4 hrs
* Mini-trampoline jog 30 min

WATER:
(3) × (25.4) = 76.2 oz

EATS:
FASTING-MIMICKING-DIET: Day 1 of 5
* green tea w/ lemon
* sliced apple
* soup (veggie broth with half a small potato, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, chicory, lemon, little Ethiopian seasoning)
* more of same soup w/ half an XL-avocado on side

… SUN HAS SET …

Comments:

I’ve only completed day 1, and a lot of the hunger is psychological at this point. I’m keeping busy with math stuff, reading, jogging on my mini-trampoline while watching the Science channel on TV! I’m drinking massive amounts of water, some tea and veggie broth, so I’m peeing all the time. I think knowing that it’s only going to last 5-days will make it bearable. I’ll update here after day 2.

UPDATE AFTER DAY 2:

EXERCISE:
* Lift rockbottom
* Standing desk 7 hrs
* Mini-trampoline jog 30 min

WATER:
(3) × (25.4) = 76.2 oz

EATS:
FASTING-MIMICKING-DIET: Day 2 of 5
* rolled oats, water, fresh blueberries, sliced XL-almonds
* African stew (whole wheat couscous, sweet potato, chickpeas, tomatoes, XL-peanut butter, lots of veggies)
* small green salad (w/ broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, chicory & rice vinegar)

… SUN HAS SET …

* soup (veggie broth w/ broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, chicory, lemon, pico de gallo and an XL-avocado on side)
* two XL-almonds in shell

Comments:

I wasn’t very happy with day 2. I had to work hard to discipline myself not to fantasize about food. I developed a slight headache. Not sure if its physical or psychological, but I read on Mittledorf’s review (linked above) that headaches are not uncommon for day 2. It probably doesn’t help to be around the lovely scent of various off-limit foods while my family lives life as usual. My energy level is not bad. I lifted lower-body at the gym and only decreased the weights slightly. The mini-trampoline jog/bounce is fun, a pleasant distraction from my standing desk math work. I’m doing 10 minute rounds whenever I need a change in scenery. I am grateful to have found Mittledorf’s recipes (linked above). I’ll be trying some of those on day 3.

UPDATE AFTER DAY 3:

EXERCISE:
* Lift lunch sisters
* Standing desk 8 hrs
* Mini-trampoline jog 60 min (done in 10 min intervals interspersed throughout the day)

WATER:
(3) × (25.4) = 76.2 oz

EATS:
FASTING-MIMICKING-DIET: Day 3 of 5
* green tea
* 1 rice cake w/ ground XL-almond (butter)
* stir fry (red peppers, green peppers, onion, broccoli slaw, kale, ginger, garlic, 1/4 package rice noodles) sauteed in low salt veggie broth, low salt soy sauce, rice vinegar, few drops of XL-sweet teriyaki sauce
* raw radishes & half an XL-avocado on side
* one mini energy nugget (dates, sesame & sunflower seeds, soy powder (GMO-FREE), cocoa powder, almonds, cocoa XL-butter, evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin emulsifier, vanilla)
* rolled oats, water, shaved XL-almonds & blueberries

… SUN HAS SET …

Comments:

I feel great today after day 3! No headaches, lots of energy. I feel that my food was satisfying. I ate it slower, and enjoyed it much more. I was able to lift upper-body at the gym with only a small decrease in weight… not because I was tired, I was just conserving energy. I completed oodles of paperwork at my standing desk, and did 6 rounds of 10-minute jogs on the mini-trampoline. Deep in my mind I suspect the joy I was feeling today was in knowing that I’ve passed the halfway mark. Only two more days to go. Now I am sure I will finish this thing! Bring it on…

UPDATE AFTER DAY 4:

EXERCISE:
* Micro-needle face & back of hands
* Facial cream massage w/ negative ion / red light photo / deep vibration therapy
* jog on mini-trampoline 30 min

WATER:
(3) × (25.4) = 76.2 oz

EATS:
FASTING-MIMICKING-DIET: Day 4 of 5
* 1 rice cake w/ ground XL-almond (butter)
* fresh blueberries
* green tea
* one mini energy nugget
* soy curl stir-fry (Butler’s soy curls, onion, garlic, ginger, broccoli slaw, shredded brussel sprouts, coconut, spices) served over wild rice/lentil mix

… SUN HAS SET …

* leftover stir-fry and rice combined
* raw radishes

Comments:

I felt a little guilty yesterday on day 4 simply because the food was so delicious! I don’t think it was calorically dense, soy curls only provided 100 calories for lunch and 100 for supper, and approximately the same for each bed of rice/lentils. I’m not really counting that closely, but soy curls and rice prepared the way I did were stick-to-your-ribs great! The guilt might also have been due to the fact that I ate after sunset. That’s easy to do since days are so short in winter. Although I went to sleep with an unusually full belly, my fingers are not bloated this morning. (That’s how I gauge whether I ate too late, ate too much salt or gassy food.) But I’m not hungry this 5th morning of my FMD. I think I’ll just have some green tea and wait until lunch time to eat my new favorite quick breakfast – almond butter on rice cake with fresh blueberries. By the way, I grind my own almond butter in my market’s bulk food section… so there’s no added ANYTHING! Okay, here we go with the last day of the fast! 👍👍👍

UPDATE AFTER DAY 5:

EXERCISE:
* Rest

WATER:
(3) × (25.4) = 76.2 oz

EATS:
FASTING-MIMICKING-DIET: Day 5 of 5
* green tea w/ lemon
* 2 rice cakes w/ ground XL-almond (butter)
* fresh blueberries
* 2 bowls of veggie tortilla soup (w/ water, low sodium vegetable broth, low sodium pico de gallo, drained red beans, fresh chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, vegan soup flavoring, shredded brussel sprouts, broccoli slaw, chopped kale) serve with baked corn tortilla strips & XL-avocado

… SUN HAS SET …

Comments:

Okay, five days done… I feel like Wonder Woman! Looking back I can see it wasn’t much different than my regular Project Waistline program. It was much more disciplined though! The main thing was I had no bread, no sugar and I adhered to strictly restricted portions. Doesn’t that say something positive about Project Waistline? If we’re already fundamentally doing the FMD we should be in pretty good shape! Some people suggest that you do the 5-day fast once a month. Others insist that every 3 or 4 months is sufficient. I think it’s an excellent psychological tune-up. After completing it I am encouraged to be more conscious of the details in my regular daily diet. As I exited the gym this morning I told a woman who was leaving at the same time, “This is the best part of my workout!” She wholeheartedly agreed. Just finishing something as challenging as a workout, or a five-day FMD, is a significant victory. My last bit of advice:

  • Sip on lemon water/green tea
  • Have fun, make it a game
  • Distract yourself, get a hobby
  • Constantly remind yourself it’s only 5 days
  • Celebrate your victory when it’s done!

QUICK-FIX COLD/FLU BOMB

Here’s something to consider this flu season. Check with your pharmacist to verify it won’t interact with your meds.

(Drink 1, 2, 3 or even 4 times/day)

1 clove minced garlic (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral)

1/4 tsp grated ginger (anti-inflammatory)

Juice of 1 lemon (vitamin C)

1 tsp honey (antiseptic, antibacterial)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (opens sinuses)

1/4 cup hot water (universal solvent)

1/4 cup room temperature water

*************************

(If nauseated either take with toast/ biscuit, or add water to make it a tea)

Gladiators: Barley Men

Some quotes (see article link below)

In the November/December ’08 issue of Archeology magazine, author Andrew Currey covered the recent findings by paleo-pathologist Karl Grossschmidt of Vienna, concerning the diet of ancient Roman gladiators. Grossschmidt and his colleague, Fabian Kanz, examined the bones of gladiators from a site in Western Turkey. Currey wrote:

But the biggest revelation to come out of the Ephesus cemetery is what kept the gladiators alive–a vegetarian diet rich in carbohydrates, with the occasional calcium supplement. Contemporary accounts of gladiator life sometimes refer to the warriors as hordearii–literally, “barley men.” Grossschmidt and collaborator Fabian Kanz subjected bits of the bone to isotopic analysis, a technique that measures trace chemical elements such as calcium, strontium, and zinc, to see if they could find out why. They turned up some surprising results. Compared to the average inhabitant of Ephesus, gladiators ate more plants and very little animal protein.

But the writers drew an odd conclusion:

Gladiators, it seems, were fat.

Their strange analysis is repudiated in part because:

Grossschmidt’s assertion that gladiators purposely “packed on the pounds” with a carb-heavy diet poses several problems. […]

The condemnation of excess bodyfat can also be seen in the late Roman writer Vegetius’s Epitoma Rei Militaris(Epitome of Military Science). Vegetius wrote specifically about ideal army recruits, but his requirements apply to fighting men in general:

So let the adolescent who is to be selected for martial activity have alert eyes, straight neck, broad chest, muscular shoulders, strong arms, long fingers, let him be small in the stomach, slender in the buttocks, and have calves and feet which are not swollen by surplus fat but firm with hard muscle. When you see these points in a recruit, you need not greatly regret the absence of tall stature. It is more useful that soldiers be strong than big.

Okay… so bring on those UNPROCESSED carbs in 2018!

https://wp.me/pMwtA-L

Homeless in Paradise

https://youtu.be/CnFaWB2wce8

Yes, I realize this is not the normal fare for project waistline. This is my “home”. This touches me in a personal way. It is not the result of one particular party, it is an ever-increasing problem that crosses party lines. What are we going to do about it? Here are some ideas:

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-homeless-story-gallery-storygallery.html

Starving in Venezuela

I cannot sleep. I am reading a N.Y. Times story about babies dying of malnutrition in oil-rich Venezuela.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/17/world/americas/venezuela-children-starving.html

The stories frustrate me because the parents/caregivers are feeding them crap. At these ages (up to 3 years old) children should be breastfed, fat & sassy. The extreme poverty in Venezuela has affected the health of some mothers rendering them incapable of producing sufcicient amounts of milk, I get that, but I see the families dependent upon government to provide processed garbage food when traditional (unprocessed) high starch diets based on beans, rice, potatoes (supplemented w/ garden grown greens) would keep them healthier… along with a re-education about the nutritional superiority of breast milk for infants.

When I read that hospitals blame a shortage of (inferior) baby formula, and troops must keep crowds from stealing (inferior) processed carbs from bakeries, I know there is a lack of knowledge. There may also be a lingering relationship to the 1970s popularity of baby formula highly (and falsely) promoted as “superior” infant nutrition by American food corporations.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6/#the-baby-killer-blew-the-lid-off-the-formula-industry-in-1974-1

I’ve always suspected that the reason a plant-based diet has recently garnered wider acceptance is because governments are beginning to realize that a meat based diet is not sustainable on a worldwide basis. As nations like India & China have acquired wealth (and more so due to the social impact of multimedia) everyone seems to want to bathe in the excess of gasoline vehicles & rich western diets. On a large scale such opulence will destroy the Earth, as it already IS destroying the health of Western society.

Ironically, it is a return to the simplicity of our ancient ancestors – a life dominated by unprocessed food, intermittent fasting & a good degree of manual labor – that will make us strong.

In “food deserts” in the US (low-income areas that are dominated by fast food, with rarely a fresh green to be found) we are immersed in a sub-society of its own sort of opulence… the foodborne disease of Western excess. In poverty our people are dying as young adults from overnutrition. It seems most modern ethnic food has deteriorated and is now dominated by processed foods (animal fat, oil, flour, salt & sugar). It is reflected in our waistlines and in our ailing health on a cultural scale. Even meat can be viewed as (inferior) processed food because the animals eat the plant-based nutrients that we need, and we eat them. But it is not our genes, it is not our heritage, it is not our history! We once knew how to thrive.

Here’s an interesting read on the subject:

https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2013nl/feb/travis.htm

Okay… I’m going to crawl back under the covers and get some sleep. I’ll work on solving the world’s problems tomorrow. 😢

Las Vegas man cured of cancer after going vegan | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5181059/Father-two-CURED-cancer-going-vegan.html

  • Rob Mooberry, now 43, was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in 2012
  • He’d had a healthy diet and exercised when he was hospitalized with a perforated colon
  • The Las Vegas bartender underwent surgery, chemo and radiation therapy, and was downgraded to stage 3A
  • But he decided to take a break before his next bout to ‘detox’ with a raw vegan diet similar to Tom Brady’s alkaline diet
  • By the time of his next scan in early 2013, his cancer had reduced 80%
  • He declined further treatment and is now celebrating five years cancer-free