Stupid diet tricks

Tyro said:
My current doctor is of the opinion that cholesterol is more a factor of genetics than diet. He looks at other numbers, promotes reasonable exercise, not smoking, imbibing in moderation.... are about the best we can do to keep ourselves healthy. So much is out of our control. He's pretty laid back.
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donheff said:
The nice thing about an N=1 study like Ha is doing is that you control the adherence to the protocol and you are testing the approach in the real target environment - your own body. To the extent that the results of some of these approaches vary among individuals you will find out how it works for you. Readily available blood testing makes this fairly easy.
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Even though anecdotes are lousy evidence, my person experience is consistent with a genetic explanation. I weigh 105 pounds. I exercise a lot. I spent a couple of years experimenting with what to eat. Left untreated my bad cholesterol is way, way too high and my good too low. It has been this way for more than 30 years, whether I am fat or thin. My levels do not seem to be effected much by what I eat, though I can improve the numbers a little bit with an extremely low fat diet. But such a diet is so unpalatable to me that I can't stick with it. A high fat/low carb diet did not seem to have any positive or negative effect as compared to a "balanced" diet.

I reviewed the research, and given that I have no evidence of harm from taking statins and I have a large number of risk factors for heart disease, I take the statins and hope they provide some protection. No evidence of heart disease yet, which is positive given my mother died at 39 of heart disease and my father had his first heart attack at 43 and died of heart disease at 63. My skinny baby brother has a stent. My cousin just had a bypass. Not a pretty picture.
 
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Martha, you don't need me to agree with you, but I do. A study that shows no or minimal effect of an intervention may be not very meaningful for some of those individuals, even some of them who were subjects in the study. It comes down to Bayesian reasoning. To know where you stand, you have to know what class you fall into. Something like statins can help some people a lot, save their lives. Other people will live on, with or without statins. And some will get serious illnesses from taking the drug.

You may be a very clear case of where it is much better to take the drug. Unfortunately the world is full of true believers. Everyone should take this drug! Put it in the water! Then others will say, it kills, and those it doesn't kill didn't get any good from it anyway!

All a form of craziness, albeit a common form.

Ha
 
Chuckanut said:
Mr. Naughton is a comedian, is he not? Why should we take medical advice from a comedian? I don't mean to be a wise guy. I really want to know what qualifies him to speak on medical issues.
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(I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved in this conversation.)

Yikes! I don't even know how to begin to respond but will (not being that bright) attempt to do so anyway. First, Tom is not offering medical advice. He is merely analyzing what the people who should know are saying. In any event, I was unaware that Comedians were somehow lacking in intelligence and could not be trusted to provide us with insight. I had, until now, thought the opposite.

If you are listening to the current authorities on nutritional information, let me suggest that Tom is not the "comedian" here. For instance, how can the USDA -- whose only purpose is to promote the sale of agricultural products -- be allowed to determine the "perfect" diet (read the food pyamid... or that comedic replacement the "Plate.") Hegemony? And don't you sometimes wonder how the American Diabetic Association continues to get by recommending treatment for Diabetes 2 food that has been proven to cause early death in those that suffer from the affliction? Obesity epidemic? Yeah. Why didn't we have such a thing before the Government got involved in our "health." Before you attack those folks who have worked hard to earn a good reputation in this field, you should do your homework. Perhaps you could start with: Art & Science of Low Carb Living AND (note emphasis) Why We Get Fat. That should get you started but if not, I can provide much more fodder to your groundwork.
 
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Tyro said:
My current doctor is of the opinion that cholesterol is more a factor of genetics than diet. He looks at other numbers, promotes reasonable exercise, not smoking, imbibing in moderation.... are about the best we can do to keep ourselves healthy. So much is out of our control. He's pretty laid back.
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The whole notion that high cholesterol causes heart disease is false. Do your own research, but here is one place to start: Heart Disease / Cholesterol . Over half the people that die of heart attacks have so-called "normal" blood cholesterol levels.

Inflammation is probably the major cause of heart disease, and there are many things you can do to reduce inflammation in your body (eat the right foods, reduce stress, etc). More info. on that here: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-might-inflammation-cause-heart-disease/
 
RAE said:
Inflammation is probably the major cause of heart disease, and there are many things you can do to reduce inflammation in your body (eat the right foods, reduce stress, etc). More info. on that here: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-might-inflammation-cause-heart-disease/
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See also: The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.How to reduce inflammation with food

BTW, a Blog that should provide a lot of motivation to those looking to lose weight is found here:http://www.awlr.org/blog.html
 
Well, I was drifting up... You know, getting lazy. That food addict brain kicks in: "Just this one doughnut, just this one Snickers, just this one <insert crap here>".

Found myself up 15 pounds. DW and I were both off the wagon, so we embarked on Phase 1 South Beach first time in 2 years. It is just two weeks. Going to shock the system and then get back to just good balanced healthy eating. Got to nip this in the bud. Although I'm up 15 from my good weight, I'm still down from my all time high by 35, so better to stop now that get back in that range.

The thing I like about Ph1 SB is it gives you a mental boost (even if it is water, or whatever), but it really, really kills those snickers cravings.

As for statins... Well, everyone on my mom's side either died from a heart attack or survived one. Everyone on my dad's side had "high chol", but never had heart disease. So what did I inherit? Not sure, but I'm taking a low dose of one of the classic (generic) statins for now. I go back and forth on this all the time because my triglycerides are naturally low, and my CRP (that inflammation thing) is very good.
 
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JoeWras said:
[...]The thing I like about Ph1 SB is it gives you a mental boost (even if it is water, or whatever), but it really, really kills those snickers cravings.
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I loved snickers as a child, but due to my ever-present need to lose weight, haven't had one for probably 50 years. That's another way to kill the snickers cravings - - no snickers cravings left at all after a half century. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Martha said:
I reviewed the research, and given that I have no evidence of harm from taking statins and I have a large number of risk factors for heart disease, I take the statins and hope they provide some protection.
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All medications involve the equation of benefit vs. risk, and since we're all different, and respond differently to each & every medication, it has to be an individual case by case basis and choice. You have overriding factors that could be life/death. Many people are perfectly healthy with low risk, are prescribed statins on a "blanket" basis, and experience longterm or permanent side effects whose risk out weighs the any potential benefit.

Reviewing the research, assessing individual risk, and side effects seem to be the major criteria for patients to make this choice with their doctor's assistance (expertise). Unfortunately many doctors' expertise is what is spoon-fed them by Big Pharma.
 
W2R said:
I loved snickers as a child, but due to my ever-present need to lose weight, haven't had one for probably 50 years. That's another way to kill the snickers cravings - - no snickers cravings left at all after a half century. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
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It is a classic. Maybe looked something like this when you last ate one. :)
History-of-Snickers-Candy-Bar.jpg


Gotta say, I grew up in Chicago and as a child we occasionally drove by the factory. Aroma memories are strong!
 
Diabetes Study Ends Early With a Surprising Result

A large federal study of whether diet and weight loss can prevent heart attacks and strokes in overweight and obese people with Type 2 diabetes has ended two years ahead of schedule because the intensive program did not help.

The study randomly assigned 5,145 overweight or obese people with Type 2 diabetes to either a rigorous diet and exercise regimen or to sessions in which they got general health information. The diet involved 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for those weighing less than 250 pounds and 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day for those weighing more. The exercise program was at least 175 minutes a week of moderate exercise.

But 11 years after the study began, researchers concluded it was futile to continue — the two groups had nearly identical rates of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths.
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See also: Big Diet and Exercise Study Fails to Find Benefit

If researchers understood what causes major health problems, they would be able to invent treatments with big benefits. That the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is given year after year to work that makes no progress on major health problems is another sign of the lack of understanding reflected in the failure of this study.
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This may be because of biological reality, one would have to see the specifics from the paper. (Was there even a paper?)

But the details of what was done, how it was done, and who were the subjects might tell a very different story.

Here is more information, from one of the principle investigators.

Medscape: Medscape Access

Ha
 
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haha said:
(Was there even a paper?)
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Good question. I guess I will have to wait a week or so for some more people to weigh in... or to be vetted further from vested interests other than those already mentioned in the article
 
RonBoyd said:
See also: Big Diet and Exercise Study Fails to Find Benefit
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I wonder if you are familiar with that Seth Roberts site? I ran across this statement, which I would like to get more information about, but I can't seem to find a search function, or to find a further mention of olive oil in this context using Google.

"The “fat” breakfast in this study was 25% soybean oil (high in omega-6), 25% palm oil (high in saturated fats) and 50% cream (high in saturated fats). I have not compared omega-6 to nothing but I suspect it would produce worse results, given that olive oil appears worse than nothing. "

This intrigues me, but I am coming up empty.

Ha
 
haha said:
I wonder if you are familiar with that Seth Roberts site? I ran across this statement, which I would like to get more information about, but I can't seem to find a search function, or to find a further mention of olive oil in this context using Google.

"The “fat” breakfast in this study was 25% soybean oil (high in omega-6), 25% palm oil (high in saturated fats) and 50% cream (high in saturated fats). I have not compared omega-6 to nothing but I suspect it would produce worse results, given that olive oil appears worse than nothing. "

This intrigues me, but I am coming up empty.

Ha
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I am unsure of the question. I have followed Seth Roberts for at least 6/7 years -- I purchased his book "The Shangi-La Diet," read it and decided it was hog-wash. (At the same time, I decided the same thing about "Good Calories, Bad Calories.") However, I eventually came around and realized that the hogwash didn't come from this direction but from those speaking the loudest -- health organizations, the US government, the medical community, and the food industry.

I believe that Olive Oil is one of only two vegetable oils that are safe. The other being from the Palm/Coconut plant. There are some nut oils that may be acceptable but I cannot be sure. Certainly Soy, in any of it's varieties should be avoided -- except those that are fermented (Soy Sause, Tofu, Miso, etc.). I would even be forward enough to consider it a poisonous element in the human diet.

Well... I did ramble a bit there. What is the question again?
 
RonBoyd said:
I am unsure of the question. <> What is the question again?
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Only that Seth throws this out with reference to olive oil: " given that olive oil appears worse than nothing. "

So assuming this is based on something, I would like to know what. But I can't find a search functon, or any mention of olive oil in his listing of topics

I just wondered if you might know how to proceed.

Ha
 
haha said:
I just wondered if you might know how to proceed.
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Oh! I apologize. It was an optical illusion... or old age. I was so used to seeing quotes in their own block that I misread the statement as being your own. I couldn't comprehend because it was (to me) so out of context. Anyway, I found your reference and it still didn't make sense -- I am with you on this point. Anyway, I simply asked Seth to clarify. We will wait and see what he has to say.
 
RonBoyd said:
Oh! I apologize. It was an optical illusion... or old age. I was so used to seeing quotes in their own block that I misread the statement as being your own. I couldn't comprehend because it was (to me) so out of context. Anyway, I found your reference and it still didn't make sense -- I am with you on this point. Anyway, I simply asked Seth to clarify. We will wait and see what he has to say.
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Thanks much. Be sure to let me know his answer.

BTW, I edited my original post commenting on this study. Did you see the link to one of the study's principal investigators?

Ha
 
haha said:
BTW, I edited my original post commenting on this study. Did you see the link to one of the study's principal investigators?
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No. Was it the one to Palm Oil? Yeah, that was a typo on my part. I know that Palm & Coconut oils are not the same thing... other than the similar chemical makeup. BTW, Avocado Oil would also fit in that group.
 
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