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Post by shades on May 16, 2019 5:20:09 GMT
Let's hear about your microbiome and your LCHF lifestyle and....and anything about healthy living... This thread has no "best before" or "expiry date"
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Post by Bean on May 16, 2019 7:02:46 GMT
Oooh I like it!
I'm very interested in why some countries have so many auto immune diseases and others don't, and from a personal perspective, I like the idea that I'm living in a way which will give me a good chance of decent health, both now and as I get older.
I'm finding all the research on the microbiome fascinating (and that's affected not just by what we eat, but how active we are, our quality of sleep and what we're exposed to in our environment etc).
Yesterday's episode (sorry to anyone who's squeamish!) was about the research into faecal transplants. In people who have had a persistant C-difficile infection (horrendous diarrhoea, pain and nausea, sometimes for months), which is resistant to antibiotics, having an enema with the poo from a healthy person has cured it almost immediately in about 85% of people. It seems to be a pretty effective treatment in people who have ulcerative colitis too, a condition which often ends up with people having to have part of their digestive tract removed.
They're well up on screening for any health problems at all in donors now, but this wasn't always quite as tight, and also some people have elected to do it themselves (it's not available in all areas). And they've also found that people in receipt of faecal transplants, as well as benefiting in massive ways, can also develop other conditions the donor had - like mood disorders or a tendency to put on weight. It changes the whole way we think about why these conditions occur in the first place (which should be the focus, not thinking we can just abuse our bodies and then occasionally pinch the poo of someone who doesn't!).
I thought of you yesterday, Shades, as in the series I'm watching now, there's been a bit of stuff about your pet project - how avoiding dramatic spikes in blood sugars and reducing your body's need to churn out insulin can really boost health. It was more about avoiding sugar and choosing wholegrain carbs, whereas yours goes a bit further doesn't it?
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Post by shades on May 17, 2019 2:47:26 GMT
"Choosing wholegrain carbs".....hmmm.... Wholegrains are recognised as being "better" for you than refined grains like rice. However, all grains are naturally high in carbs whilst some grains have fewer carbs than others usually due to their fibre content. So in terms of LCHF and keeping your insulin levels stable & low, grains are typically off the menu. With low carb eating, it's not one size fits all. Some people are really strict and have 20g or less grams of carbs a day. Moderate levels are 20-50g, and fairly loose LCHF is up to 100g a day. I probably swing between the moderate and loose levels. I doubt if I ever go over a hundred. Let's consider oatmeal: it's one of the lower carb grains. But one cup still has around 25g including 4g fibre. So even though it's a large chunk of my daily allowance, I like to eat it now and then for breakfast, and can stay low by watching the other things I eat that day. Luckily, because of its relatively high fibre content, oatmeal is digested more slowly, and doesn't spike insulin as dramatically as other grains like rice. But it's still not a food I can eat every day. Here's a link to a trusted source explaining " a low-carb diet for beginners"
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Post by Bean on May 17, 2019 7:10:39 GMT
They talk about a lot on there about how easy it is to lose weight on that diet - I really don't want to do that! I understand what you're saying about how they all effect blood sugar levels though, which can bring health benefits. It seems that there is no one ideal diet, and that while there are some foods which bring very little (or no) nutritional benefit to anyone, different things work well for different countries, societies and individuals. What makes one person feel great can leave another feeling deplete (I would be very sad without bananas....!). I had a look at a few recipes and am intrigued by the pizza using an egg base. I've bookmarked it to try, as with not eating wheat, it's hard to find a pizza base that isn't highly processed. I'm sure the almond pie crust would be worth trying, but although I can eat some almonds, the amount I'd need to make a pie crust would not have favourable digestive effects on me! So what's an average day of meals for you, Shades? And is it a diet you could easily do if you were vegetarian or vegan?
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Post by bazookagoof on May 17, 2019 13:34:14 GMT
I don't think I could do a low-carb diet. I would have to radically alter my feeding habits (juice, fruit, bagels, rice, potatoes) I already have a somewhat restricted menu as it is due to avoiding kideystones.
Lately I've been trying to eat a little less, especially in the evenings. I've also started to go back to doing cardio 3 times a week, using the Nintendo Wii for various exercises. I've only been at it for about two weeks, so we'll see how things go.
I just got back from getting a physical yesterday and although they're still doing blood tests, I basically got a clean bill of health. I weigh 185 pounds, and wouldn't mind losing just a small amount.
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Post by 3piggles on May 18, 2019 0:01:29 GMT
I need to eat fewer sweets. They are my downfall, and they are all processed, so double downfall. As for the rice, though, we eat black rice, which is low on the glycemic index. It's nutty tasting. If I don't have that, we have wild rice/brown rice. No white rice, and I rarely even have Basmati or the other regular rices.
We also eat Farro and Quinoa instead of rice, as I can make a nice pilaf with either of them. Both are preferred foods for diabetics, and I think have much more taste than rice.
Basically, carbs need to be considered along with dietary fiber, so a food with 45g of carbs, and 12g of dietary fiber, is considered to have 33g of carbs. High fiber foods help counter the hit from the high carb foods. Unfortunately, hubby loves pasta, potatoes and bread, and would live on it, if I didn't stop him. He totally doesn't understand why I put chia seeds on his toast and jam, or put them and ground flax seed in our smoothies. There are so many ways to eat well, for whatever problem we might have. We just have to get our brains around it, and be willing to change (like me not eating so many sweets!).
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Post by Bean on May 18, 2019 7:55:45 GMT
I've just read the autobiography of Nicola Adams, the two time Olympic boxing gold medalist. Her diet is very controlled a lot of the time, but she talks quite a bit about loving McDonald's and drinking Red Bull and coffee too! I feel awful having that stuff (and don't like it either), but she's certainly in far, far better shape than I am haha!
I think people can give up just about anything if they experience how much better they feel without it. But for some making the same change won't make a noticeable difference, whereas for others it can be life altering.
Good luck with the exercise, Baz! I've just bought a new pair of trainers (I've had the last ones for years, and they were pretty cheapo in the first place) as with playing badminton regularly now, I feel like I need a bit more cushioning for when I make sudden lunges. (I'm not thinking about the couch to 10k yet though, Shades!)
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Post by bazookagoof on May 18, 2019 17:59:21 GMT
I've just read the autobiography of Nicola Adams, the two time Olympic boxing gold medalist. Her diet is very controlled a lot of the time, but she talks quite a bit about loving McDonald's and drinking Red Bull and coffee too! I feel awful having that stuff (and don't like it either), but she's certainly in far, far better shape than I am haha! Good luck with the exercise, Baz! Lord, I detest Red Bull- it's as thick as syrup, and way too sweet for my taste.
For cardio, I do like using the Nintendo "Just Dance" game, as it allows you to either just pick your own songs from their selection or go according to a set routine (with small variances). I have three different volumes, and my one complaint is that the majority of the music is geared towards the younger crowds.
True, you will find some Elvis and some other 60's music in the rotation, but I've studied the playlists for later versions and there's a lot more Rihanna (God help us) than 80's pop.
It's sometimes so annoying that when I'm using the pre-set routines and they use some tunes I find abhorrent, I lower the volume and just follow the dancers onscreen. Odd, but it's much more pleasant on these old ears.
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Post by 3piggles on May 18, 2019 20:36:26 GMT
I've only tasted Red Bull once, some with some of those energy drinks in the tiny bottles. Foul stuff. I have no idea how anyone drinks it. I love coffee, but have had one cup of decaf per morning for decades, now. That usually suffices, though I sometimes make extra for iced coffee later in the day, during the summer heat. Mostly we drink water. I'm retaining water again, so need to start adding some lemon juice to my water.
I think the physically driven body is different from the normal body. I've heard that female athletes in hard sports stop having their menstrual cycles, as do long distance runner, those who can't seem to stop running. Male athletes in driven sports probably have some physical changes, too. While I can't imagine Red Bull as an option for anything, perhaps their bodies respond to it very differently than ours would?
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Post by bazookagoof on May 18, 2019 21:25:29 GMT
I think the physically driven body is different from the normal body. I've heard that female athletes in hard sports stop having their menstrual cycles, as do long distance runner, those who can't seem to stop running. Male athletes in driven sports probably have some physical changes, too. While I can't imagine Red Bull as an option for anything, perhaps their bodies respond to it very differently than ours would? The real hilarious point for me is that anyone I know that actually drinks Red Bull is the farthest thing from an athlete!
It reminds me of those weightlifter pants in the early 90's- baggy but with elastic waistbands and ankles and loud patterns- every guy I knew that wore them never lifted any sort of weight other than their butts and pumped no iron but pumped lots of aluminum, LOL!
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Post by Bean on May 19, 2019 7:48:55 GMT
Ha! Is that around the same time that loads of non-cyclist women were wearing lycra cycling shorts?! I remember that period well - it's not a look that many people can pull off...!
We don't have a Wii anymore (I have a one console limit and let the others pick, but that's the one I'd keep if it were just for me) but I used to really enjoy Just Dance - it's a fun way to exercise! As you say, there's a load of rubbish music on there, especially on newer editions, but there are definitely some good tunes too.
I've never tried Red Bull, but I'm sure I wouldn't like it! When we went to Scotland we bought a can of Irn Bru (another really sugary drink which is almost luminous in colour) to try - you can buy it here too, but we'd never felt inclined until we went to its homeland. Anyway, there were four of us but we couldn't finish a single can between us - it's potent stuff!
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Post by 3piggles on May 19, 2019 19:38:44 GMT
Have to love the fashion fads, lol I remember both of those. We had one where women were all wearing slouchy sox, the kind worn by dancers in Fame and music videos. Also the leg warmers. None of the women danced or even exercised, but they dressed the part I think that's one issue I have with exercise fads, and there have been many. People tend to buy the gear, but not do the exercising. Because of that, the gear becomes fashion to make people look as if they exercise, instead of exercising becoming the fashion, regardless of what we wear. On the healthy food front, President Obama/through Michelle Obama's healthy eating and exercise initiative, passed a law require school lunches to be healthy(by a set of standards). I have a Facebook friend who is a lunch lady in a school, and she posts pictures of what they're serving. Lots of really healthy foods, and a lot of effort goes into making healthy foods the kids will eat, and even want to eat. So, of course, Pres. Dumpster just stopped that law, so schools didn't have to spend money on healthy foods for kids to eat. We have a terrible child obesity problem in the US, not to mention the adult obesity problem. Teach the kids to eat right, and they will ask for those foods at home, helping the adults to eat right. Nah, that's not important. Kids health isn't important. Not spending money on something that doesn't benefit the pres is what's important It was such a great program, that many school districts are sticking with it. At least some educators realize the importance of a healthy lunch, and aren't going to cheap out on the students health.
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Post by Bean on May 20, 2019 7:19:00 GMT
Tracksuits and trainers are very popular over here - the word 'chav' (which is rather a derogatory term implying antisocial behaviour) typically describes someone who hangs about wearing sportswear but has no intention of ever doing any sport!
That's terrible that Trump is undoing all the great work the Obamas did in relation to health, but especially kids' health.
I think that fast food places should be completely banned from places like schools and hospitals - they're the people who most need nutritious food, and junk food has no place there. Whatever you're given to eat as you're growing up, you get used to, and it's so hard to make the transition from convenient junk to fresh foods and cooking. And if your loved one is ill and you have to spend a lot of time at a hospital, you need decent fuel to help your body cope with all the extra pressure, it's not a time to take advantage of people's vulnerability and sell them utter crud.
I think we're going to have to get to a point where we almost make ourselves extinct through self-inflicted health problems, before certain people start taking it seriously.
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Post by 3piggles on May 20, 2019 19:48:12 GMT
We're in a bit of a Catch-22 with health extinction. We keep finding ways to overcome all the bad things we do, but those ways are outrageously expensive, which means they're discriminatory since poor people can't afford all the life saving solutions rich people can afford. At least in the US. Maybe Americans will go extinct, and the rest of the world will fill the void!
I totally agree with keeping junk food out of hospitals and schools, yet junk food suppliers are the ones who fund a lot of things, keeping them in the loop, even as we try to get them out of it. Most schools have gone over to bottled water dispensers, instead of Coca Cola or Pepsi ones. While that seems like a much better option, the bottlers of water are systematically pumping dry all the huge aquifers we have, then selling us our own water. Governments let them do this. While CA was having such bad drought conditions people couldn't even fill their pools are water their lawns, Nestle was pumping water right out of the water system in CA, and selling it to people who had a water shortage. I think that's outrageous, yet governments weigh cost/benefits and find most of the offers better for the coffers in the long run, even if they destroy the environment.
I also totally agree that, if we're going to stop subsidizing meals for anyone, don't do it to the children. Michelle Obama had school lunches headed in such a great direction. Now some are going back to bread, pasta and potatoes, instead of fruits and vegetables. I think it's disgusting, but it's the way he and his admin do things.
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Post by bazookagoof on May 21, 2019 1:12:16 GMT
That's terrible that Trump is undoing all the great work the Obamas did in relation to health, but especially kids' health. Not to get political, but with a little luck his time will be ending soon and we can start repairing all the damage.
Back on track- I was a smidge sore from hitting the kettlebells yesterday, and did a few hours of yard work today, so I tried to go easy on the cardio tonight. Instead of the dance game, I tried the Wii Sports disc. It was a little disappointing; after 25 minutes I wasn't even sweating. I did feel a bit of exertion, but not as nearly as much compared to the "Just Dance". (I did tennis, table tennis, kayaking and swordplay. I've done the boxing game before and it's a good workout, but it gets monotonous after awhile.)
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Post by Bean on May 21, 2019 7:51:41 GMT
I really hope you're right in your optimist about Trump, Baz, but nothing surprises me anymore...!
Yes, I remember the Wii Sports not really being that energetic compared to Just Dance. I agree the boxing one is okay, but boring to do more than once in a while. What about the odd running one where you have to run on the spot while your character on screen dashes along? That was strange and pretty ineffective!
It's not cardio, but I did quite like the yoga on it, although I found it very distracting to have someone tell me when I was wobbling a bit - it made me really self-conscious of it and wobble even more every time!
That's appalling if the soft drinks manufacturers are allowed to get first dibs on water to sell back to people. I do agree that things like pools and lawns should be completely deprioritised in times of drought, but not with that exploitation going on alongside it!
I have a beef with schools (and other places) selling any kind of drinks in single use plastic bottles - it's appalling how many of those things we use. They should encourage kids to bring in reusable bottles and then have fountains they can refill them at each day. I get that single use plastics have a place, but relying on them every day shouldn't be it.
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Post by shades on May 21, 2019 7:53:52 GMT
They talk about a lot on there about how easy it is to lose weight on that diet - I really don't want to do that! I understand what you're saying about how they all effect blood sugar levels though, which can bring health benefits. Losing weight is very important aspect because those most to gain from this way of eating are those carrying the greatest amount of excess weight. For those people, it's a real life changer when they can get their bodies off the carb dependency, and have a body that's back in tune with using fat storage for its nutritional needs. Your body was never designed to run on carbs as the primary energy source. We messed up in the 70s by listening to the sugar industry... It's more than just a diet though. It's not something you do until you reach a desired weight, then go back to your old habits LCHF is a sustainable "forever eating" choice. It's maybe what your (great) grandmother called "good old-fashioned healthy meals"
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Post by shades on May 21, 2019 8:17:45 GMT
So what's an average day of meals for you, Shades? And is it a diet you could easily do if you were vegetarian or vegan? Aside from the snack food and soft drinks, the main things I've stopped eating are cornflakes, bread, rice, noodles, starchy veg (like potatoes), and bananas I'm using butter for cooking fat and I've upped my intake of leafy greens, olives, oils (olive, flaxseed), nuts (almonds, sunflower, pecan, macademia), butter, yoghurt, cheeses, eggs. So, I'm not suffering. I'm eating very well, thank you As for vegetarians, they only have to replace the protein from the meat and fish they don't eat. They can obviously get that from whatever they're doing at the moment - either food or supplements.
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Post by Bean on May 21, 2019 8:27:29 GMT
I'm currently reading Healthy Gut, Healthy You (by Dr Michael Ruscio, a chap I found really interesting on the documentary series I was watching). He's basically looked at hundreds of medical and health studies and is bringing it all together to look at how gut health plays a major role in so many areas of our health. The book has a really nice tone, and what I like about it is that it's pretty much confirming that while there are things that tend to be really good for our health, and things that tend to harm it, especially in larger quantities, there isn't one perfect diet or lifestyle that would suit everyone. If you look at the groups of people who are healthiest in our world, some eat plant based diets, some eat loads of fish and fat, some eat lots of whole grains. Yet they all manage to avoid the multitude of diseases that plague us. I'm on a whole segment about carbs at the moment and the upshot seems to be that while some people do really well on a low carb diet, of which you definitely seem to be one (and he says eating to control blood sugar is certainly more effective at helping you lose weight than looking at calories or reducing fat etc), the evidence shows that some people will feel, and actually be, much healthier including low to medium whole grains in their diet. Of course so many people have gone too far with their consumption of carbs, especially processed ones, and there's no support for that enhancing health. We've got into habits that need to be changed. But I definitely believe from everything I've read, that while low carb is great for some people, good old fashioned healthy meals, have historically, and can definitely continue to include certain carbs.
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Post by shades on May 21, 2019 12:02:33 GMT
I don't think I could do a low-carb diet. I would have to radically alter my feeding habits (juice, fruit, bagels, rice, potatoes) I already have a somewhat restricted menu as it is due to avoiding kideystones. It is a big change if you're eating lots of carbs. But not impossible! I've cut out all the things you've mentioned above bar the fruit. Not all fruit are equal For example, blueberries, strawberries, and watermelons are not off-limits. I don't miss the sugary foods that were making me fat and unhealthy. If I hadn't changed, I was setting myself up for health problems further down the line. I'm much lighter and can proudly call myself "slimline"
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