Carnivore Diet Experiment

[dualstow]

During a long formation run back in the day, one of my squad said had to take a shit, so we ignored him and kept running. A bit later, he's like no really, I'm starting to shit my pants, so our NCO had us get down into a security perimeter downhill from the jogging track while he dropped one, then put him in the back of the group and rolled on. No big deal.

I always fast before even taking a brisk walk if it’s going to be a long one because I hate even having the urge when I’m halfway out. A friend found out and she sent me an article by a woman who pooped while running. It said that the very act of running can stimulate a person to do so.

[Kriegsspiel]

Now remember, before any final, take a pre-game dump

Van Wilder was such a good movie. Ryan Reynolds is a funny motherfucker. I had something similar happen to me when I was taking the ACT.

[Kriegsspiel]

BUT these stories don't get to my question re no meat eating and my galloping through a mid-March afternoon. Any correlation between Veggie-ness and a better jogging experience? Thank you.

If it feels good, just keep doing it. Some endurance people do better on a low carb diet, some do better on high carbs.

[sophie]

There are a bunch of articles in the medical literature about this. Athletes are switching to a low carb diet because it improves their performance compared to the "carb-loading" regimen in controlled studies.

Seriously, I am amazed at how many modern problems low carb diets solve. A big reason for me to stay on it apart from weight issues: it appears to be protective against Alzheimers. i.e. Alzheimer's is actually a metabolic disease. And that's unfortunately a nearly universal affliction in my family.

[bedraggled]

Sophie,
Since I had the experience of eliminating meat and finding my jogging ability improved, is that just me? And is no correlation indicated?

Thanks.

[Mark Leavy]

Bedraggled. Carbs are great for running. No question there at all. And if you are cutting meat, you are probably upping carbs. They are a hot, fast fuel.

They just aren't good for health and a lot marathoners die of cardiac disease due to the enormous oxidative damage that carbohydrate fuel imposes.

Fats can be used for aerobic exercise once you are adapted. They work differently than carbs and depending on the type of event, some athletes do better on fats than carbs. I think the jury is still out on that. The stoichiometry for fat is different than carbs and you only need about 75% of the oxygen for the same energy output. I can hold my breath for significantly longer when I am deeply in ketosis. But that is not running.

It's just that one form of fuel runs hot and dirty and generates a ton of reactive oxidant species (ROS) and the other runs clean and strong. You place your bets and you take your chances.

Mark

[bedraggled]

Mark,
Thanks for the comment. Thirty-eight years hence I'm not at the track anymore but that was a notable experience. The tendonitis finally calmed down, so I get to do light weights again.

BTW, from what Sophie mentioned about the virus, you and I may be on airplanes in 2021. If so, life will certainly be more interesting. There is still a chunk of Europe to see. New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea come to mind. Australia sounds good and we have several residents posting here. DW has seen the Northern Lights My father saw them during WW2. And that leaves me. Maybe a cruise from Bergen, Norway. Maybe fly to Helsinki. Tough to get to Helsinki. Heck, it wasn't easy getting to Oslo, a nice city.

Many credit card points being accumulated but no trips taken. (May be an idea for a thread).

[jalanlong]

This reminds me of the discussion in the Coronavirus thread about how is the average person supposed to know what to believe. Some experts tells us to eat plants, some say focus on meat.I have friends in US who swear any carb makes them an addict and causes massive weight gain. I have friends in Italy and France who eat pastries and pasta every meal and are fit and healthy.

Some societies eat little meat and are healthy by our standards. Yet Hong Kong has the highest per capita consumption of meat and the longest lifespan.

Is it all individual? I took a DNA test and it said I should focus on high carb/low fat. But other experts say DNA determining what diet you would do best on is bunk.

[dualstow]

...
Some societies eat little meat and are healthy by our standards. Yet Hong Kong has the highest per capita consumption of meat and the longest lifespan.
...

I think Hong Kongers boast the best sperm count, too. At least, that’s what I read in the 90s.

[Cortopassi]

This reminds me of the discussion in the Coronavirus thread about how is the average person supposed to know what to believe. Some experts tells us to eat plants, some say focus on meat.I have friends in US who swear any carb makes them an addict and causes massive weight gain. I have friends in Italy and France who eat pastries and pasta every meal and are fit and healthy.

Some societies eat little meat and are healthy by our standards. Yet Hong Kong has the highest per capita consumption of meat and the longest lifespan.

Is it all individual? I took a DNA test and it said I should focus on high carb/low fat. But other experts say DNA determining what diet you would do best on is bunk.

Yeah, you can find a book or internet site or video or theory pretty much supporting any side of anything out there. Tough to choose what to believe.

[boglerdude]

It's not complicated. Eat less, or burn more calories (walk/exercise) to lose weight. If you don't want to do that, come to terms with it.

Protein, fiber, vegetables, and a multivitamin.

The rationalizations and fad diet chasing is trying to avoid the pain of eating less and the pain of re-wiring away from dopamine-burst food (sugar/salt/meat/fat)

Over months and years, incrementally dilute juice/soda for less sugar, sneak more vegetables into food, swap factory-farmed meat for humanely raised or plant protein.

[sophie]

Why not experiment for yourself?

Try low-fat/high carb for a while and see how you feel & perform on it, by whatever measures you want. Weight, energy, aches and pains, need for asthma inhalers, blood sugar (tested yourself with a glucometer), blood pressure if that's high. Then try low carb/high fat - but you have to give that at least a month because it will take that long to adapt.

If you do better with one vs the other, then you'll know what you're best suited for. The idea of a DNA test sounds like snake oil to me.

p.s. if you are on ANY medications especially for high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart arrhythmias, do not mess with diets without consulting your physician. Likely you'll need to be monitored especially during the low carb trial, because your meds may need to be adjusted (usually in the downward direction).