Anyone doing the low/no carb diet?
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Videodrome I saw this clip from Joe Rogan interviewing Michael Pollan (not sure who that is), talking about the Stoned Ape theory.
I thought the discussion of the Stoned Ape theory was interesting. I do buy the idea that drugs would've affected culture, but I agree with Pollan that it's unlikely they affected genes. If that's what McKennon is saying, anyhow (there was some confusion on that point).
The main thing, at least for me, was that they mentioned a book called Sapiens, which they both liked. Since I find that subject (early human development) pretty interesting, I ordered a copy. It's really good. I read through the first couple chapters yesterday and look forward to continuing. It's well written and keeps up a good pace. I have some reservations about how he frames things (sounds a little too postmodern at times; e.g., talking about our myth-making or story-construction capacity as if it an arbitrary fiction that has no connection to do with reality), and some of the research I've seen runs contrary to some of what he says about the diet of our ancestors. But overall, it's a really interesting read, so far.
I thought the discussion of the Stoned Ape theory was interesting. I do buy the idea that drugs would've affected culture, but I agree with Pollan that it's unlikely they affected genes. If that's what McKennon is saying, anyhow (there was some confusion on that point).
The main thing, at least for me, was that they mentioned a book called Sapiens, which they both liked. Since I find that subject (early human development) pretty interesting, I ordered a copy. It's really good. I read through the first couple chapters yesterday and look forward to continuing. It's well written and keeps up a good pace. I have some reservations about how he frames things (sounds a little too postmodern at times; e.g., talking about our myth-making or story-construction capacity as if it an arbitrary fiction that has no connection to do with reality), and some of the research I've seen runs contrary to some of what he says about the diet of our ancestors. But overall, it's a really interesting read, so far.
I think it was more that the Shrooms created a new behavior vecter that tweaked the path of natural selection. A good example would be those that were good leaders or in control of their fear. This didn't happen by rewriting genes, but think the changes in behavior affected the path of evolution since behaving this way helped them to survive.
For what it's worth, I think this is a legacy that is not always a good thing. I think as a result, humans are wired with a desire to get a 'fix' or that for some people, their sense of community is tied in strongly with consuming a drug with members of their group. In our modern culture, it's alcohol which could be benign or sometimes destructive. I also think there is a sense of culture tied in with alcohol with increasing numbers of Craft Breweries.
It amazes me that young people still pick up smoking cigarettes.
As a truck driver, my 'Fix' is coffee.
Boy, I'm learning a lot about nutritional science and how the medical establishment has gotten things so incredibly backwards for 50 years. It's really eye-opening. Some people probably tuned into this a decade ago, but I'm just catching on. I'm reading Good Calories, Bad Calories right now, along with Eat Rich, Live Long.
Both books tell the story of the medical and nutritional dogma that is still very influential today (e.g., whole grains good, meat and animal products bad, cholesterol bad, low-fat diet good, etc.). What crappy science that was based on, it's really embarrassing. And how driven that all was by economic and political interests, group-think, the inability to admit mistakes, etc. Even today, most of the medical establishment still toes the party line. And what's been the result of all this expert nutritional advice? Booming rates of obesity and diabetes, increases in heart disease and strokes and all kinds of cancers.
It's very disturbing how much damage some science, endorsed by a medical establishment, approved by government, and then reinforced by billions of dollars in profits flowing into the food and pharmaceutical industries. Just pure dogma. And it rests on nothing, just crap science.
On the one hand, it disgusts me that the medical establishment, nutritional "experts," and government agencies pushed a program that led to health problems for so many people. I'm also frustrated on a personal level that I've damaged my own health over decades by following their stupid advice. On the other hand, I'm grateful that I've finally woken up and learned the truth.
I like these periods in my life, when everything I thought I knew is turned upside down. I kind of thought I was old enough that it wasn't going to happen anymore, but no, I guess I've got one more 180 in me. I've been through that sort of 180 many times in my life, and it's always been kind of exciting.
I'm loving all that I'm learning from Youtube and books. I've always learned a lot from books, but thank goodness for Youtube, because I don't think I would've stumbled across this information otherwise. It's not just intellectual understanding, either. This knowledge has improved my weight, my mental sharpness, my energy level, the stability of my mood and my general happiness, my digestion, my allergies, my blood pressure, the quality of my sleep, my muscle tone, and my general sense of well being. It's hard to think of an area that it hasn't affected. Physical and mental health are significantly better. Very happy with the results.
I'm on Day 60 now, headed to 90. The only issue so far is that I might be allergic to eggs. I've noticed seem to get sneezing and sniffling fits a few hours after eating eggs. I have heard of others who've had a similar reaction. So I've cut eggs out for now, and I'll test them again later. I hope I don't have to cut them out entirely. I really like steak and eggs.
Both books tell the story of the medical and nutritional dogma that is still very influential today (e.g., whole grains good, meat and animal products bad, cholesterol bad, low-fat diet good, etc.). What crappy science that was based on, it's really embarrassing. And how driven that all was by economic and political interests, group-think, the inability to admit mistakes, etc. Even today, most of the medical establishment still toes the party line. And what's been the result of all this expert nutritional advice? Booming rates of obesity and diabetes, increases in heart disease and strokes and all kinds of cancers.
It's very disturbing how much damage some science, endorsed by a medical establishment, approved by government, and then reinforced by billions of dollars in profits flowing into the food and pharmaceutical industries. Just pure dogma. And it rests on nothing, just crap science.
On the one hand, it disgusts me that the medical establishment, nutritional "experts," and government agencies pushed a program that led to health problems for so many people. I'm also frustrated on a personal level that I've damaged my own health over decades by following their stupid advice. On the other hand, I'm grateful that I've finally woken up and learned the truth.
I like these periods in my life, when everything I thought I knew is turned upside down. I kind of thought I was old enough that it wasn't going to happen anymore, but no, I guess I've got one more 180 in me. I've been through that sort of 180 many times in my life, and it's always been kind of exciting.
I'm loving all that I'm learning from Youtube and books. I've always learned a lot from books, but thank goodness for Youtube, because I don't think I would've stumbled across this information otherwise. It's not just intellectual understanding, either. This knowledge has improved my weight, my mental sharpness, my energy level, the stability of my mood and my general happiness, my digestion, my allergies, my blood pressure, the quality of my sleep, my muscle tone, and my general sense of well being. It's hard to think of an area that it hasn't affected. Physical and mental health are significantly better. Very happy with the results.
I'm on Day 60 now, headed to 90. The only issue so far is that I might be allergic to eggs. I've noticed seem to get sneezing and sniffling fits a few hours after eating eggs. I have heard of others who've had a similar reaction. So I've cut eggs out for now, and I'll test them again later. I hope I don't have to cut them out entirely. I really like steak and eggs.
I was curious before what your typical meal plans are like. Is it just burgers, steaks, chicken, fish. Any sides? What do you drink?
Any thoughts on Dairy?
Also, are you on an exercise plan?
Any thoughts on Dairy?
Also, are you on an exercise plan?
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That turns out not to be true, actually. The calories in vs. calories out thing doesn't really hold up, because different sources of calories (e.g., fats vs. carbs) are processed very differently and have very different effects on the body. Lots of people have tried to restrict calories in order to lose weight, and it hasn't worked (long-term).
Overall, it's a mix of beef, pork, chicken, and fish, with the emphasis on beef. That seems to be the most filling and satisfying. Also the most nutrient-dense. I never seem to get tired of eating steak. Like today, I had a ribeye for breakfast, then a t-bone for lunch. Had a couple pieces of fish, too. That will probably be it for the day, unless I get hungry later.
Other than meat, I would include eggs, although like I said above, I might be allergic to them. I need to test again to see.
As for dairy, well, I use some butter for the cooking. That adds some flavor, too. I don't use much. I ate some hard cheese early on, but I've decided to try to minimize dairy.
One of the ways I'm using this diet is as a "reset," a very clean elimination diet, taking everything back to a very tight core. Then I'll expand out from there, probably adding fruits first, then maybe veggies (although I can't think of any veggies I really like). I've always had a pretty sensitive/reactive system and been prone to lots of allergies, so it wouldn't surprise me if I have reactions to a number of different foods. Dairy is a common one, so I'm trying to minimize that for now.
I drink filtered water. I hear some people drink sparkling water, but that's too fancy for me. lol
What do you guys generally cook? I'm grilling steak (Ribeye or Top Sirloin) and steaming some vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus or zucchini) with some grass fed butter. For lunch it's usually avocado and bacon or bacon and eggs. Sometimes I'll make a sort of casserole with chicken thigh meat, cauliflower, broccoli, heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese and some melted medium cheddar on top. I know that sounds like a lot of carbs but it's not too bad really and it's very filling so I don't eat a huge portion. I also make a fake lasagna with ground beef, sausage, low carb marinara sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheese. I don't use zucchini or anything else, if you layer the ingredients it gives the taste of lasagna without the noodles. I'll also sometimes just bake some chicken thighs with the skin on and baste them in some melted grass fed butter and some pepper, I cook them at 425 for 45 minutes so the skin is nice and crispy.
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I basically just kind of stir fry. Then add shredded cheddar and salsa or hot sauce
I like sliced mushrooms and asparagus. Lately trying salmon fillets.
Also use a black pepper grinder for most things I cook.
I like sliced mushrooms and asparagus. Lately trying salmon fillets.
Also use a black pepper grinder for most things I cook.
My cooking is very simple. Mostly I just sear a steak in a pan, then cook it in the oven. Same for chicken. Pork and fish are just pan-fried. Sometimes I'll grill them. I picked up an Opti-Grill, which is kind of neat, but it's basically Grilling for Dummies.
I'm not much of a cook, really. Before I went on this diet, my cooking mostly involved mixing up salads or heating up a frozen meal either on the stove or microwave. Sometimes I'd cook a piece of fish. I've never been into cooking all that much, never been very skilled at it.
I suppose that's part of the appeal of the carnivore thing for me, too. No recipe book required; no culinary know-how required. Just season your meat and cook it up, yee haw. I like things simple.
Not really, that stuff tends to have a lot of things added to it that you don't want to have.
I haven't included any sandwich meats yet. I'm just sticking to raw cuts of meat that I cook myself. Like a caveman. I suppose deli meats would be okay, though. On the carnivore diet, you're supposed to be wary of packaged meats with sugar added. Some sugar used in the curing process is fine (like with bacon), but some packaged meats have lots of sugar added, so I'd avoid those. But I don't see any reason why I couldn't eat sliced roast beef, ham, or pastrami.
I probably avoided the packaged meats because I knew they would have nitrates/nitrites. But I just learned not long ago (I'm learning so much, it's very cool) that nitrate/nitrites are really a non-issue. So thanks for mentioning that. Kind of opens up the options. Maybe I'll pick up a chunk of ham or something.
(edit: I see JinCa says there is a bunch of stuff you should avoid in the lunch meats, so maybe he knows something I don't. Wouldn't surprise me.)
I believe they have a lot of preservatives in them and excess amounts of sodium etc. They probably aren't the end of the world though, just make sure to go for something with the least amount of ingredients. Also obviously make sure they don't include a lot of carbs, there really shouldn't be any but sometimes they add things for flavor.
Okay I wondered if sliced meat from the actual deli counter might be better than the packaged Hormel stuff and especially meat in a can.
Although, canned tuna seems okay, but avoid the ones packed in vegetable oil?
Although, canned tuna seems okay, but avoid the ones packed in vegetable oil?
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. The nice thing about deli meats is that they're something you could take on the road with you, or something you could have as a quick snack. It would be a convenience food, for a time when you didn't have a stove and fridge handy. At least that's how I'm imagining it. Like on a road trip. Or maybe just for variety's sake.
Yeah, I'll bet freshly sliced meat is better than the packaged stuff.
I avoid vegetable oils entirely. I'm not sure what the science is behind it, but I've read several negative things about vegetable oil. Some are probably worse than others. I think the worst are canola oil and corn oil.
Yup. For oil, we mostly just use butter. There's also something called "ghee," whatever that is. Some of the hardcore people use beef tallow. Margarine is the devil.
I suppose more moderate Keto people would say olive oil is fine, but I'm trying to stick to the carny rules.
Make sure grass fed butter. Get the extra benefits of CLA and the extra, beneficial vitamin boosts in it.
Avocado oil is fine too, it's better for you than coconut oil but it's hard to find around here. I was using an avocado oil non stick spray but the store I bought it at stopped carrying it so now I just melt a little butter in the pan when I make my eggs.
No, I think that's contradicted by the actual science, and also by the results of calorie-counting programs. If I get some time later, I'll try to go into more detail or link some videos. I know "calories in, calories out" has been taken as common sense for decades, and that everyone who's obese is just lazy and lacks discipline. But it has a lot to do with the types of food people eat, rather than just with calories per se.
It's no coincidence that the recommendations for a low-fat, high-carb diet -- which were put in place about 40 years ago (endorsed by the medical establishment and government, then pushed by the food industry) -- have coincided with a massive rise in obesity and diabetes rates over that same period of time. Everyone didn't suddenly became lazy and sedentary. Their diets changed.
(To head off any misunderstanding, I'm not saying exercise and discipline don't play a role. Of course they do. I'm just saying it's not as simple as calories in, calories out.)
I'm saying it is.
We can agree to disagree, more educated people than us are arguing about it already. For every video or research you dig up, I'll have some that says otherwise and vice versa.
A calorie is a calorie though
I'm saying it is.
We can agree to disagree, more educated people than us are arguing about it already. For every video or research you dig up, I'll have some that says otherwise and vice versa.
A calorie is a calorie though
You sound like you've got your mind made up, so I'll go for "agree to disagree."