The people who are slender in this video eat a very low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet. I am curious how the chemical body-burdens differ between those who eat diets rich in fat and animal food, and those who do not.
This comment appeared under the video:
"My wife and I adopted a plant-based, no-oil diet 18 months ago. We call it vegan plus. She was type 2 diabetic before, not now. I was on 2 BP meds, 70 lbs. over weight. Now I have lost 40 pounds and no longer have high BP. Coincidence? Doubt it. Pre-cancerous lesions from sun exposure on my skin, gone. Anecdotal evidence? Perhaps, but good enough for us. We continue to follow the plant-based crowd and don't look back."That point about precancerous lesions? I've heard that before. Even if it's anecdotal, it's worth pursuing.
Update: Study: Low-Fat Diet Reduces Incidence Of Precancerous Skin Lesions
My anecdotal experience with no meat/low fat diets are that I get too skinny, weak, prone to passing out, constantly catching colds, and worst of all, I can't think worth a damn.
ReplyDeleteDifferent diets bring healing to different people is all I'm saying.
I feel bad for how they depicted Dr. Weil. I've followed him for years and found him knowledgeable and reasonable. I wouldn't call him "fake."
ReplyDeleteStill, the point the video makes ... How can an MD in the field of weight management help his patients if he can't help himself? ... is a valid one.
I've met an awful lot of MDs who are fat, or who smoke, or whatever, over the years. It really makes you wonder. I agree with you--I've always liked Andrew Weil. So he overindulges--he's not grossly overweight, I don't think.
ReplyDeleteMP
Bix, I agree with you about Dr. Weil. However, I always thought he was a little hefty for one who generally provides good advice. Perhaps a bit of "do as I say, not do as I do."
ReplyDeleteMy experience with the low fat diet is the opposite of Sandra's. I feel great and have plenty of energy. I do about 90 minutes of exercise a day of various types: running, walking, weights, stretching, bicycling. I don't seem to have the ache pains like most people my age do. I rarely get sick and sleep very well.
I think its a matter of eating the right type of plant diet. I always add some hemp, chia and flax seed to my oatmeal. I eat plenty of fruit: bananas, oranges, grapes, blueberries, raisins. Fruit will provide the energy. Some say easy on the fruit because of all the sugar. It is complex sugar and the best way to get enough calories from a plant based diet plus you get a lot of great nutrients. Beans are also a big part of my diet. It seems to me most people under-appreciate beans for their protein, nutrients, fiber and omega-3. Beans are a high nutrition low cost food. I guess beans are not very sexy and egalitarian so no ones wants to talk about them. I do like nuts: walnuts, almonds, cashews. However, nuts have more fat than you may want in a really low fat diet. Just don't eat too many. I like wild rice, sweet potatoes and white potatoes. I think potatoes are a food that get a bad rap because of its starch. The only bad thing about potatoes are piling on the fat laden toppings (butter, sour cream) or frying them. If you avoid that, potatoes of find.
Interesting what you say about beans, RB. That they're not very sexy or egalitarian. Good point. In the hierarchy of "protein" foods, meat rules. At least it appears to. I used to subscribe to a bunch of food magazines. As I started eating less meat, I noticed how meat-centric they were. As if their status depended on it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps beans are seen as the poor people's food. Eating meat is a sign of affluence.
ReplyDeleteIt is not only your food magazines that are meat-centric, it is all the restaurant advertising too. Triple burger with bacon anyone or a meat lover's pizza? The meat industry has people believing protein and meat are synonymous. Vegan's can't possible get enough protein.
People don't understand that most veggies, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts and grains all have protein and that a healthy plant based diet delivers all the protein a person needs.
One problem with our meat based diets is that we get more protein then is healthy. But people still worry about getting enough protein. Protein is the perfect "food". ;)
Even with meat in ones diet, a person still needs a lot of plant based foods to get enough nutrients.
RB, curious, do you take any supplements?
ReplyDeleteI used to take a multi-vitamin. I came to the conclusion it is unnecessary and a waste of money if one is eating a healthy diet. Vitamins from food are the best.
ReplyDeleteI take an an occasional B12 because it is the only vitamin unobtainable in a plant based diet. I say occasional because the lowest dose I found is 500 micro-grams; 83x the daily requirement so it is something that is not needed daily.
I've been adding nutritional yeast to my oatmeal lately. One can argue if nutritional yeast is a supplement or food. I think I am going to stop when my current supply runs out. I like chia and hemp seeds better and they are just a good from a nutritional standpoint.
By the way, I still eat a small amount of meat and cheese. I will probably have a veggie pizza with cheese during the Superbowl but no buffalo wings (those are nasty).
We seem to be on the same page, although I do still take some minerals.
ReplyDeleteI think most vitamins come in too high of a dose, as you said about B12. I cut tablets and open capsules most of the time. I have a bottle of liquid B12, methylcobalamin, and I can use as little as one or two drops. Easy.
I did start eating iodized salt again. I've been eating a lot of cabbage-y food this winter, and soy.