I enjoyed this interview, but am trying to fit the idea of eating very low carb with growing a garden. I cut way back on my carb consumption several months ago, but not to the point I would be in ketosis. This means I can still eat a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables. Had I tried to stay under 20 carbs a day it would have greatly reduced their consumption, and eliminated many completely. Much of what I currently have in my garden, such as the carrots and leeks, wouldn’t work due to their high carb count. I would be interested in hearing how others have approached this.
9 Likes
Thanks for this talk.
First and foremost I can attest to stopping progression and reversal of multiple sclerosis. I have done well for myself over the past 11 years. I already increased the amount of meat I ate about 4 years ago and now I am going to add even more, see if that indeed is among the last tweaks I need to implement to heal the leasions/ scar tissue that still remain on my brain. My goal from the start was to one day have a scan of my brain and have it be fully healed, to the point no one would think I was once was diagnosed with MS. My inner knowing that day is coming soon.
I loved the reminder about how evolutionary new our vegetables are and that the consumption of meat goes even beyond that. Seafood is another thing that predates our modern diet. Fish, crabs, oysters and other marine animals, sea vegetables (sea moss, kelp, wakame etc) are also a component of our diets going way back. We survived and thrived in coastal regions, where bodies of water provided just that, food and water. The more inland we went the less available those became to us. We lost access to a lot of sources for omega 3 as well as the minerals and other micronutrients our bodies need. This is also a focus point for me, for I want to get most out of food and be less dependant on supplements.
There are more gems in this talk, worth watching again for things that didn’t immediately stick.
Edit to add:
We need to get back to more ancestal plants, plants grown in the wild so to speak - not the agricultural form of it. Those are what out bodies evolutionarily evolved with. Caveat with plants is, they have nutrients and anti-nutrients, and the nutrients aren’t always in bioavailable forms for us. That’s part of the reason we need animals and animal meat. They can eat plants, digest, absorb them and make them bioavailable to us. Beside nutrition, plants were and are still greatly used as medicine, especially the herbs and spices. We can use all of that to support our baseline vitality, by making it a part of our diet and amp up the dose as medicine if and when our bodies need that extra help.
Though I do admit, fasting is a great way to allow the body to heal as well. We naturally lose appettite when we are sick, to avoid ingesting anything that causes inflammation or require energy to digest, allowing precious energy to go to the healing process.
Our bodies are magical, miraculous, amazing, complex creations.
12 Likes
Hello K,
If you have metabolic syndrome, 20 carbs a day makes sense and you would have to be more restrictive than the general summary below from Dr. Mark Hyman. For example a person who is pre-diabetic, should avoid sweet potatoes, a common recommended alternative to white potatoes. I’ve used a continuous glucose monitor, blood tests, and observations, to understand my carb tolerance.
- Eat daily, 7 to 9 servings (~4 cups) using rainbow of colors to access healing compounds called phytonutrients that are anti-inflammatory and detoxifying
- Eat organic to significantly lower exposure to farm chemicals
- Choose veg that release their carbohydrates into your bloodstream slowly (broccoli, chard); avoid starchy veg like white potatoes, sweet corn, carrots, beets, squash, parsnips
- Follow ground rules: wash veg, frozen is OK, steam not boil, sauté OK, no microwave or deep-fry, eat with fat so your body absorbs vitamins in the veg like A, D, E, K
- Do a blood test or elimination diet to see if veggies cause inflammation or allergy (e.g., nightshades: tomato, eggplant, potato, bell peppers)
- Try a naturally fermented (no vinegar) food as a great source of beneficial bugs for gut (kimchi, kombucha, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut)
- Fruit is great in moderation: eat 2 to 3 servings day of lower-sugar fruits for beneficial fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants
- Don’t drink your fruit, eat it: juice is all sugar (fructose) and no fiber; liver metabolizes into fat (triglycerides) linked to metabolic diseases
- Fruit not created equal: avoid sugar dense (high glycemic load) fruit like grapes, bananas, dried fruit; eat lower sugar items like berries, apples, pears
- Berries are the best source of antioxidants; frozen better than fresh
- Eat organic; 146 pesticides used on fruit and veg
- High fat fruits are awesome: avocados, coconuts, and olives
6 Likes
I agree that a highly refined carb intake is harmful. But I think he is incorrect in saying carbs were not part of a hunter gatherer diet. the aboriginal diet in Australia used root ‘crops’ as did the natives of the Pacific Northwest; albeit in small prized quantities. Factory farming has diminished the quality to produce quantity, and nutrition has been reduced too elementalism, as if we truly understand everything (or anything). The glycemic index concept identifies that carbs can be widely unequal metabolically; although his basic point resonates. A good book on sugar, diabetes, the history of its management:
Rethinking Diabetes: What Science Reveals About Diet, Insulin, and Successful Treatments Hardcover – January 2, 2024
by Gary Taubes (Author)
6 Likes
I had similar thoughts. We certainly ate plenty of meat in our evolutionary time, but the gatherer portion of “hunter-gatherer” refers largely to fruits/nuts/“veggies”. I think the point is well taken that our current versions of fruits/vegetables are highly selected for agricultural purposes. My guess would be that this is the main reason these carb sources contribute to health problems - too far from the wild type we evolved eating. I would hope that regenerative approaches that help restore nutrient density would counteract those issues.
2 Likes
The struggle i have had is i have seen just as passionate vegans say they have all the studies to prove that their path improves all the numbers. And many of them are thriving in that lifestyle. Id like to see these opposing sides in the same room talking it out.
I also have read and experienced that for a number of people dropping carbs too low for an extended period lowers serotonin and they can become irritable or even angry.
Finally, his comment on getting cheap eggs, meat, etc…is frankly scary. The poisons in processed boxed foods are just as present in different forms in conventional animal farming. Bovine growth hormone and antibiotic laced feed does just as much harm as sugar and gmo grains. The quality of the food is just as important as eating cleaner unprocessed foods weather carb, fat, or protein.
16 Likes
While I agree with most of what was said in the interview I can’t for the life of me understand why he would advocate for people to eat bologna and hotdogs?
5 Likes
balona or balony I can’t think that it is good for you. It is made of beef water corn syrup and chemicals. Better to get rice and beans and produce from the farm market. That would be cheap too.
4 Likes
Yes!!! I think the reason for the irritability of folks on low carb diets is due to malfunctioning gut microbiome. You need to feed your gut bacteria a variety of carbs that should come from fruits and vegetables as they are the ones producing the serotonin. A well balance microbiome is essential for overall health and cannot be achieved with restrictive diets. Sure, you can achieve results for the short term, but for the long term I have found them counterproductive in my clients.
11 Likes
Full disclure, I have a balcony on which I experiment with planting. I don’t have a garden or homestead yet - working towards it. In the meanwhile I get my practice on a small scale to prepare for the the real deal. It is good to have a variety of things, keeping our ancestral way of living in mind. We were never sure when our next meal was. If you caught an animal the tribe was fortunate to eat meat, just the same for fishing trips. If unsuccessful though, we needed to survive with other things. That’s where fruits, nuts, seeds, roots and tubers came in. Just like the example with eating bugs. Bugs was a mal of choice when there was no other option. Plus they needed to be in a certain stage of development (larve).
Side note 1: fully developed bugs have chitin in them, a known allergen to us. We can’t break it down nor cook it out of food. Some people can handle it better, with little to no immediate discomfort while others have a strong response to it.
We need to think of plants in a similar way. They are an addition to meat and the go to option when we have no access to meat. Some may need more plants and less meat while others fair better with more meat than plants. Here is where bio-individuality kicks in and we need to figure out for ourselves what combination fits us better. The stage in which we eat the plant will determine as well whether it is supportive or harmful. The way we prepare them as well.
If you can, focus on heirloom and wild type greens, herbs and spices, and fruitbaring pants, especially berries. They are low glycemic yet full of nutrients. Focussing on plants that do well in your area is also important, to make sure you have a good yield. For survival, any food that supports us goes. When in thriving mode, the possibility to trade with someone for something more desired or better, is always there.
Sprouts are a great way to eat greens. They haven’t developed much of the cellulose around the cells, which we as humans have difficulty digesting and getting the nutrients out. Thus with the sprouts we get better access to the beneficial bits. Also at that time they are more packed with nutrients because they are in their growing phase.
Root timing is connected to what is happening above ground. The plant above ground will let you know when is the best time to harvest the root and eat it. Roots and tubers can be both nutrient dense and medicinal foods. Learn for each plant when is the best time to harvest, best way to prepare and eat. Fermenting is a great way to go for plants and roots. The bacteria start breaking it down for us, making them more bioavailable to us with much less of the sugars and antinutrients or none at all. Cooking high starchy fruits and vegetables and freezing them helps make them resistant stracthes that break down much further down the digestive tract/ in the gut feeding the best buddies in there rahter than the naughty ones that wreak havoc when they can go out of control.
As a system we co-evolved with one another, plants, animals and manking. Through their fruits plants spread their seeds. When ripe they become nice and sweet for animals and us to eat. At that time most of the antinutrients are low or completely gone. One way to know is the flavor. At this time protection from predators is not necessary anymore and the need to spread the seeds (further away from the original plant) are at their highest. Caveat, fruits from big agra has been designed to be overly high in sugar, thus heirlooms and wild types are the way to go.
Side note 2. Very little people know that the original bananas are relatively small and have a lot of tiny seeds in them. They have been cultivated to have no seeds, be larger and sweeter. Especially in South America, you can still find the (more) original bananas. When there’s no other way, opt for green bananas (in your vegetable smoothie or for baking) for they have lower glycemic values than ripe ones. This way you still get your potassium in without the high sugar amount.
The more diversified we can be, the better. If you are fortunate to be able to have animals around, great. If you don’t or are able to grow only a certain type of crops, go for it and get to know others whom you can trade with.
Side note 3. Our microbiome adapts to the region we are in. It takes just a few days. So, focus on growing and eating what grows naturally or easily in your area. Your microbiome is trained to digest that. When you go somewhere else or on vacation and you feel a mild discomfort, it is your microbiome getting a shock from the new and different food and adjusting to it. Once adapted, all is well again. As long as things are natural, your body will know how to deal with it. When unnatural or in excess, the body tells you so. First quietly and when ignored long enough, loudly.
3 Likes
Sometimes it is a matter of choosing between the best of two evils. If the best you can do is go for lesser quality and cheaper meat and eggs or highly processed foods and meat, go for the lesser quality and cheaper version with the least amount of harmful things you can afford.
He did mention to look for a version of the lesser quality products that have the least amount of junk in it. Start at least somewhere and then move to better options as you move along. Continuing eating junk while you sit and wait for when you do get the energy and means to opt for better meat and food sources, isn’t a viable option at some/ this point. It’ll get you nowhere. At least you stand a chance with the bad yet better option of the two.
4 Likes
LOL I was thinking about balony and read balcony as the food…Made for a ?? read…
1 Like
True balony would be better than white bread with jelly. BUT cheap is also beans and rice…Gotta be better then processed meat like that. And I think you could get more out of your meal.
1 Like
Thank you so much for this talk! I already only shop the outside of grocery stores, because I have celiac disease as well as other allergies (corn, soy, sensitivities to turkey and pork). I wonder if I ate only beef, butter, bacon and eggs for a month if my problems with turkey and pork would disappear. Right now I am busy harvesting foods from my garden, including tomatoes, which are likely a no-no. After I preserve everything, I will try to go no carb or very low carb…which is basically what I eat anyway.
I found it all very interesting, so thank you very much.
3 Likes
There’s a caveat for beans and rice. Cooked improperly can do quite some harm. Most people buy canned beans, which in and of itself usually is already bad, filled with additives and sugars. Proper processing takes time, which most people won’t take when it comes to preparing meals.
Beans need to be soaked and then cooked for quite some time. When soaking I add baking soda and satureja montana (mountain/ winter savory) and let it sit for 24 hours and then cook them for another 3 (again with satureja montana with some other herbs, spices sometimes with or without vegetables). Both the soaking and cooking time help reduce/ remove the antinutrients and components that can lead to gass and bloating. Some beans, like soy beans and chickpeas, I even peal of the outer casing. This is also time consuming, yet worth it to me. The hummus and pastes come out smoother and I don’t have that outer layer challenging my digestive tract.
Rice cooked, frozen and then reheated is a better option than just cooked. Here again, how many people would take the time to do this. The same goes for good quality, proper pasta.
It all comes down to: do whatever you can to turn things around. Start somewhere and tweak as you go and your body, knowledge and skills improve. Once the first domino falls, the rest follows and soon we find ourselves making and affording better choices.
2 Likes
the other thought that bothered me was his reference the the self perceptions of being ‘health challenged’ after the mid fifties; to me, that is a pretty low bar to improve on. I can appreciate that in the population at large, and maybe that is his client base. We almost all self report having a ‘healthy’ diet, widely varied as it might be. At my stage (76), swimming 3/4 miles a day (may miss a day or 2 a week) year round, I usually don’t feel ‘old’, (subject to change without notice) and on no presc. meds. I am undoubtedly past my best before date; am above his 100 gms per day, and, try and respect the glycemic index, (and being a bit of a foodie, what I like to eat most!)
3 Likes
I agree. He does have some good points but quality does matter. Eating an organic home grown apple is far better and less toxic then say GMO sprayed with APEEL shit and sit on the shelf for 6 months and coming from China. Real meat Is good balony…not so much.
2 Likes
That’s awesome! My dad who died was 78 no pills but vitamins.Had no health issues,was chopping wood 3 months before he died. .He ate real food ( we were raised on a farm) What got him in the end was DDT He got cancer from that shit…Those fuckers who made that shit and passed it out to farmers should go straight to hell.
5 Likes
This sounds like a very balanced approach to diet. Thank you and happy to hear about your progress with MS.
1 Like