Hey everyone!
Have you ever heard of Tim Ferris's article "From Geek To Freak" in which he outlines how he gained a ridiculous amount of muscle in a ridiculously short timeframe?
Well now it's my turn!
I'm going to give his method a go and see how it works for me. Call it an independent test!
The only thing is I'm going to try to incorporate the mat and veggie method of eating into the experiment. The slow carb diet which Ferris uses in the method is a little bit different but generally related.
In his dietary approach he also incorporates one cheat day a week. I'll have one too but it will be a little stricter than his. I'm going to be posting a conclusion/documentary article on another site in a few weeks when the experiment is over.
It can be found at howtogopaleo.com
Happy St. Pattie's Day! Wish me the luck of the Irish!
Rob
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Get Rid of Dandruff! Meat and Veggie Diet Round 2 is Coming to a Close!
Here I am on day 7, mid-morning and feeling very good. I didn't suffer from any of the negative effects that I went through in my initial 16 day experiment so far this go around. I believe this is the case because:
1. I didn't do a 20 hour fast the first couple days of this round
2. My body was a little more adapted which was probably a result of the 16 day Meat and Veggie Diet Experiment from last time
3. I wasn't AS restrictive. The RAW Green drink I was taking in technically had plant foods other than just vegetables in it, but it was all for the better (at 5 grams of total carbs per serving, a fraction of those coming from fruit juice and taking it once a day it really wasn't much)
4. I made sure to get enough carbs from my veggies in general. Not a tone but at the least, 70 grams a day and didn't exceed say 130 grams or so.
5. This is a big one... I ate peas. Peas are technically legumes, so I was in essence cheating a little bit. (But they're still green! Right?!?) This is something I didn't eat last time and peas are a good source of carbs. Some say they can even be considered a "safe starch" <---Paleo Diet world terminology. I'll say one thing about them. They tasted good and I'm glad I didn't hit any intense fatigue or stressed feelings!
NOTE - I was indulging quite a bit from mid September just up until a few days before November 14, 2014 when I began this meat and veggie diet round
I've seen nothing, but benefits from all meat and vegetables (and a few peas) this time which has been really encouraging! It's truly amazing how eating healthy can significantly impact your health in such positive ways!
Here are a few of the effects from eating all meat and vegetables this go around!
1. Dandruff Vanished Again!
This is huge for me. I've struggled so much with dandruff and hair loss over the past 10 plus years and it wasn't until somewhat recently that I figured out how easily (with dedication) I could get rid of dandruff. Of course, it can and will come back the further and longer I stray from the principles that have worked to rid my scalp of flakes in the first place. Low carb is huge, although I've been able to eat higher amounts of carbs again without the same recurrence of dandruff that I've had in the past it will come back. Can eating all meat and veggie cure dandruff. Sort of, yes! just make sure you're digestion is working well enough to digest everything. If you're constipated your dandruff will typically flourish.
2. Higher Energy / Clearer Mind
I noticed these effects quite easily again. Although I had none of the fatigue waves that I did last time so it was all smooth sailing in the mental clarity department.
3. Strength Increases Without Exercise
Hey friends!
Now, since I have not been in the gym, but for a few quick and intensity deprived cardio type workouts, in the past few months I was kind of at a baseline and was able to notice these subtle strength increases. If I had been in the gym 5 days a week for the last year, lifting heavy weights and getting plenty of high quality, nutrient dense food in my diet then my muscles would have been working more optimally and I don' think I would have noticed as much improvement (but then again, maybe I would!).
4. Clearer Skin
This goes along with the dandruff issue. My skin is smoother, less sensitive etc. I just feel more comfortable
5. Overall sense of well being
I just feel good! LOL!
From my second round of documenting eating all meat and vegetables I have to say that is certainly an empowering way of eating and the benefits are real. If you want more energy, clearer thinking, better skin, less dandruff, stronger hair, improved digestion etc. give it a try. Even if it's just a few days to start you'll see some long term benefits. Just remember to listen to your body! Oh and it's my belief that relying way more on cooked or juiced veggies is the way to go, ESPECIALLY if you have any digestive issues (most do even if they don't realize it).
Happy vegging! Have a great Thanksgiving!
-Rob
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Ok I'm going for another round! Only this time I'm going to change things up a bit. I'm not going to be so restrictive. This will be a short run of the Meat and Vegetable Diet, but with raw veggies allowed. Not that I'll eat that many of them though. I'll also have to break it after 7 days as I have a vegetarian wedding to go to next Saturday and I believe avoiding some fruit or grains will be next to impossible (unless I just don't eat which is a possibility...)
I'll also allow things like tea (not that I necessarily plan on having any) and the raw green drink I love taking that serves as a living multivitamin. Like the saying goes, "Meat and veggies... it's what's for dinner... and breakfast... and lunch... and brunch"
I start tomorrow! Stay tuned!
I'll also allow things like tea (not that I necessarily plan on having any) and the raw green drink I love taking that serves as a living multivitamin. Like the saying goes, "Meat and veggies... it's what's for dinner... and breakfast... and lunch... and brunch"
I start tomorrow! Stay tuned!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Day 16 - I threw in the towel!
I have to admit that eating an apple for the first time in weeks was a pretty delicious and enjoyable experience. I certainly missed fruit over the course of this experiment. Although I'm back to eating it I'll try not to gorge myself on it. Something I'm REALLY excited about is that I'm going to start including something that has been of great benefit to my overall health in the past, but I excluded for the purposes of this diet because it's not technically in line with the rules of the experiment. It's basically a living food multivitamin powder called Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Organic Green Super Food. I love it because it's by far the best tasting one of these super green food powders I've sampled (I personally like an earthy green taste that's not overwhelming). Plus, it's had great effects on my energy, skin, digestion and hair health in the past. I highly recommend it if you're looking into getting a super green food product. And Amazon has the best price I've seen it for by far (other than a crazy clearance sale I lucked out on stumbling upon at Whole Foods one time). It costs almost double in every store I've ever seen it.
So I figure the best way to wrap up this experiment is to list the changes in my body and mind that came and went. Some were negative and some were positive, but I have to say that for the most part the negatives seemed to go away with time and especially so long as I got enough carbohydrates from veggie and drank enough water. If I try another extended meat and veggie only diet I'll be sure to plan my meals out more strategically and definitely avoid fasting. Well, at least in the beginning days.
My teeth became significantly whiter and stronger feeling that before. My oral health just felt over much improved. I believe if I were to add in a topical regimen for regeneration of tooth enamel and cavities that I would see some great success.
Now onto some of the negatives I'm noticing and why I'm happy to going back to eating some fruits!
1. Increased Hair Fall
Now, although my dandruff disappeared my hair seemed to be shedding a little more than normal (normal being when I'm eating well and avoiding sugar, processed foods and grains and starchy veggies for the most part). This could have been part of cleansing process and thus a start kick to the regrowth phase in the hair follicles which would force the old unhealthier hairs out AND/OR it could have been a result of a slight raised cortisol level and could have a been a bad thing. I feel like it was more like the first scenario. I hope to have some hair benefits over the next few months due to this diet, but we'll see what happens!
2. Felt Very Stressed At Times
I suppose this goes along with the decreased carb intake. Taking in a balanced amount of carbs will help your body to retain water and less is needed. I had no issue drinking a lot of water because I have a good filtration system at my apartment which even filters out fluoride (thyroid disruptive) which most filters do not.
I have to admit that eating an apple for the first time in weeks was a pretty delicious and enjoyable experience. I certainly missed fruit over the course of this experiment. Although I'm back to eating it I'll try not to gorge myself on it. Something I'm REALLY excited about is that I'm going to start including something that has been of great benefit to my overall health in the past, but I excluded for the purposes of this diet because it's not technically in line with the rules of the experiment. It's basically a living food multivitamin powder called Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Organic Green Super Food. I love it because it's by far the best tasting one of these super green food powders I've sampled (I personally like an earthy green taste that's not overwhelming). Plus, it's had great effects on my energy, skin, digestion and hair health in the past. I highly recommend it if you're looking into getting a super green food product. And Amazon has the best price I've seen it for by far (other than a crazy clearance sale I lucked out on stumbling upon at Whole Foods one time). It costs almost double in every store I've ever seen it.
So I figure the best way to wrap up this experiment is to list the changes in my body and mind that came and went. Some were negative and some were positive, but I have to say that for the most part the negatives seemed to go away with time and especially so long as I got enough carbohydrates from veggie and drank enough water. If I try another extended meat and veggie only diet I'll be sure to plan my meals out more strategically and definitely avoid fasting. Well, at least in the beginning days.
1. Super Sense of Smell
I feel like a bloodhound... My sense of smell increased immensely and I can detect some scents I never even knew existed. My take on this is that it's probably closely related to fact that eating this way has done a lot to clear up my sinuses. Side Note: This makes for better tasting (or sometimes worse) food. "Bland" is now "delectable".
I feel like a bloodhound... My sense of smell increased immensely and I can detect some scents I never even knew existed. My take on this is that it's probably closely related to fact that eating this way has done a lot to clear up my sinuses. Side Note: This makes for better tasting (or sometimes worse) food. "Bland" is now "delectable".
2. No More Dandruff
My dandruff became nonexistent. I used to have horrible dandruff and was losing my hair at a very fast rate. Although I learned to control the dandruff pretty well with a variety of methods, nothing has ever eliminated it better that a perfect diet. All meat and veggies went beyond that!
My dandruff became nonexistent. I used to have horrible dandruff and was losing my hair at a very fast rate. Although I learned to control the dandruff pretty well with a variety of methods, nothing has ever eliminated it better that a perfect diet. All meat and veggies went beyond that!
4. Whiter Teeth
My teeth became significantly whiter and stronger feeling that before. My oral health just felt over much improved. I believe if I were to add in a topical regimen for regeneration of tooth enamel and cavities that I would see some great success.
5. Clearer Skin
My skin has smoothed out over my entire body. That means less acne, less keratosis pilaris (a.k.a. chicken skin), overall better complexion and generally stronger feeling, less sensitive skin. I attribute this to reduction in inflammation and diminishment of allergic reactions to foods and environmental triggers. I even think my skin has ended up looking a little younger as well, but that's difficult to be objective about. However, I strongly believe that over time a good healthy, meat and veggie based diet would allow your skin to age at a much slower rate. *I should note that I went through a few inflammation flares in my skin as I transitioned into the diet, but everything stabilized and I saw much improvement in my skin compared to before the diet.
6. Joint pain and Stiffness Lessened
This has been a really cool effect. My joints feel like they're moving more smoothly and any dull pain that I tend to have in my joints has more or less gone away. This tends to happen when I eat well in general and the pain comes back if I eat sugar or highly processed foods so it was a surprise so to speak, but it's been warmly welcomed!
7. Clearer Mind & Feeling of Grounding
I just feel GOOD. I'm thinking and speaking more clearly, processing information more quickly, problem solving more efficiently. The list goes on. With the exception of feeling like my body is stressed out if I don't get enough carbs I'm feeling very solid in my cognition and emotional health.
My skin has smoothed out over my entire body. That means less acne, less keratosis pilaris (a.k.a. chicken skin), overall better complexion and generally stronger feeling, less sensitive skin. I attribute this to reduction in inflammation and diminishment of allergic reactions to foods and environmental triggers. I even think my skin has ended up looking a little younger as well, but that's difficult to be objective about. However, I strongly believe that over time a good healthy, meat and veggie based diet would allow your skin to age at a much slower rate. *I should note that I went through a few inflammation flares in my skin as I transitioned into the diet, but everything stabilized and I saw much improvement in my skin compared to before the diet.
6. Joint pain and Stiffness Lessened
This has been a really cool effect. My joints feel like they're moving more smoothly and any dull pain that I tend to have in my joints has more or less gone away. This tends to happen when I eat well in general and the pain comes back if I eat sugar or highly processed foods so it was a surprise so to speak, but it's been warmly welcomed!
7. Clearer Mind & Feeling of Grounding
I just feel GOOD. I'm thinking and speaking more clearly, processing information more quickly, problem solving more efficiently. The list goes on. With the exception of feeling like my body is stressed out if I don't get enough carbs I'm feeling very solid in my cognition and emotional health.
Now onto some of the negatives I'm noticing and why I'm happy to going back to eating some fruits!
1. Increased Hair Fall
Now, although my dandruff disappeared my hair seemed to be shedding a little more than normal (normal being when I'm eating well and avoiding sugar, processed foods and grains and starchy veggies for the most part). This could have been part of cleansing process and thus a start kick to the regrowth phase in the hair follicles which would force the old unhealthier hairs out AND/OR it could have been a result of a slight raised cortisol level and could have a been a bad thing. I feel like it was more like the first scenario. I hope to have some hair benefits over the next few months due to this diet, but we'll see what happens!
2. Felt Very Stressed At Times
If I underestimated how many veggies to eat with my meals I would pay the price with a stressed body. It manifested in the form of restless legs, tense muscles and irritability. All it really took was good management of my macro nutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) to avoid running into this issue. I'm feeling much better now!
3. Needed Much More Water
I suppose this goes along with the decreased carb intake. Taking in a balanced amount of carbs will help your body to retain water and less is needed. I had no issue drinking a lot of water because I have a good filtration system at my apartment which even filters out fluoride (thyroid disruptive) which most filters do not.
4. Low Periods of Energy
I did hit some fatigued times throughout the experiment. Once again, I attribute this to a low carb intake. In particular, beginning the diet with some intermittent fasting probably wasn't a great idea and made it more stressful going through as I depleted glycogen stores from my muscles and liver very quickly.
I did hit some fatigued times throughout the experiment. Once again, I attribute this to a low carb intake. In particular, beginning the diet with some intermittent fasting probably wasn't a great idea and made it more stressful going through as I depleted glycogen stores from my muscles and liver very quickly.
So there ya have it! It's a wrap! Thanks so much for reading! I truly hope this helps you in some way with your diet and lifestyle. It can be a confusing time when trying to adopt an ideal diet for your health as there is a lot of conflicting info out there on what the perfect human diet actually is. My intent was to document how an "extreme" diet as the all meat and vegetable diet could affect a regular person in day to day life.
If you have any questions, comments, links to other helpful sites or anything else of value to add please comment below!!!
Be well!
-Rob
If you have any questions, comments, links to other helpful sites or anything else of value to add please comment below!!!
Be well!
-Rob
Saturday, August 9, 2014
And on the 12th day of meat and vegetables my true love gave to me... a good amount of energy and mental clarity.
I think I've turned the corner for the most part and am feeling really good overall. I'm getting enough carbs to sustain my energy, but not spike blood sugar and insulin so my energy has been very sustained. I'm also sleeping well, although I've been getting to sleep much later throughout this experiment than I'd wanted to.
So at this point I have no negative effects to report. However, I'm getting really excited about being able to eat fruit again soon!
Today I ate how I've been eating and made a great stir fry with chicken, tomatoes and jalapenos.
I took the same supplements as yesterday both for general support (these are all very, very helpful for general health and efficient detoxification) as well as support for my hearing which I have had issues with as mentioned in previous posts (The Vitamin A, C and E combo has strong evidence in hearing protection as does magnesium). My supp's consisted of:
2. 200 mg Magnesium Malate (AOR brand) - Magnesium is essential for life and unfortunately, today's human beings are generally speaking, greatly deficient in the mineral. It's incredibly important for your body to operate and has a great number of benefits in terms of supplementation that include better heart health, benefits to hair growth, reduction in anxiety and depression, relief of constipation and so on...
4. 1,000 mg Lypo-spheric Vitamin C (LivON Laboratories brand) - Lypos-spheric vitamin C is awesome stuff which can be very helpful when your body is detoxifying and needs some support. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which has been touted for its benefits to overall health for years. The added benefit of Lypo-spheric C over regular vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is that it is much more easily absorbed, you can take more of it and it's somewhat comparable in effect to intravenous vitamin C therapy. I take this whenever I find myself coming down with a cold or feeling like my immune system needs some support and it always helps. I'm taking it now because my body has seemed to be detoxifying intensely throughout the diet and I happened to have some on hand. So I figured I'd go for it!
Anyway, that's all for today. If anyone ends up taking any of these supplements or has in the past let me know what you think of them! I'll start checking in every other day now through the end of the experiment unless I have something significant to report.
Talk to you soon!
-Rob
I think I've turned the corner for the most part and am feeling really good overall. I'm getting enough carbs to sustain my energy, but not spike blood sugar and insulin so my energy has been very sustained. I'm also sleeping well, although I've been getting to sleep much later throughout this experiment than I'd wanted to.
So at this point I have no negative effects to report. However, I'm getting really excited about being able to eat fruit again soon!
Today I ate how I've been eating and made a great stir fry with chicken, tomatoes and jalapenos.
I took the same supplements as yesterday both for general support (these are all very, very helpful for general health and efficient detoxification) as well as support for my hearing which I have had issues with as mentioned in previous posts (The Vitamin A, C and E combo has strong evidence in hearing protection as does magnesium). My supp's consisted of:
1. Wide spectrum vitamin E sofgel (Tocosorb by Jarrows) - This is far superior to your regular Vitamin E supplement. the term "Vitamin E" refers to 8 naturally occurring compounds that function as antioxidants. Typically, Vitamin E products that you'll find use a synthetic, isolated form of Vitamin E called alpha-tocopherol which can do more harm than good by creating imbalances. However, Tocosorb and others like it derive a wider of the Vitamin E family, called tocotrienols and tocopherols, naturally from palm oil. So you get vitamin E much more balanced and closer to how it's found in nature, providing you with all of the cholesterol reducing, anti-aging/healthy-aging, brain function supporting benefits without any of the potential down side. Additionally, Tocosorb contains no soybean oil (read about the dangers of soy) like most other mixed tocopherol/tocotrienol brands which .
P.S. - There are tons of real life benefits associated with mixed tocopherol supplements including the potential to decrease hair loss!
If you wanted an even broader spectrum (but more expensive) option you could always go with Mercola's brand Vitamin E which has all 8 Vitamin E compounds. And don't worry, there's no soybean oil in this one either.
2. 200 mg Magnesium Malate (AOR brand) - Magnesium is essential for life and unfortunately, today's human beings are generally speaking, greatly deficient in the mineral. It's incredibly important for your body to operate and has a great number of benefits in terms of supplementation that include better heart health, benefits to hair growth, reduction in anxiety and depression, relief of constipation and so on...
AOR brand is a bit expensive, but I believe in the quality. That being said, the best deal I've found on magnesium malate has to be Source Naturals brand.
3. 25,000 IU Vitamin A (Thorne Research brand) - Preformed Vitamin A is essential for many processes in the body (it should be in balance with your vitamin D levels for max effect), but right now I'm taking it mostly to support my hearing as I travel to band practice.
Anyway, that's all for today. If anyone ends up taking any of these supplements or has in the past let me know what you think of them! I'll start checking in every other day now through the end of the experiment unless I have something significant to report.
Talk to you soon!
-Rob
Friday, August 8, 2014
11 Days in! Passed half way!
When I first started this meat and vegetable diet experiment I was hoping that the second half of the experience would be when the really interesting things happened. Well, I'm one day into the second half and so far I having nothing all that impressive to report.
All the early effects of my body adapting to the diet (itchy nose, changes in hearing etc) have seemed to stabilize, but I haven't noticed anything really awesome yet. Maybe in a few days.
I had no issues of fatigue today which is probably just because I'm getting enough carbs now. I had chicken soup for breakfast and the leftover spaghetti squash that I cooked last night for lunch. Right there I got a decent amount of carbs. Somewhere in the range of 100 grams of carbs seems to be optimal for my energy needs depending on activity level, sleep patterns and stress.
For lunch I just had the leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs from last night (good amount of carbs there).
For diner I winged it and cooked up a stir fry (I know, I love stir fry) grass fed beef and some sort of eggplant, scallions and green peppers along with some mashed cauliflower/carrots (This was amazing) made with coconut oil, sea salt and pepper. I just so happen to have been given a few bags FULL of vegetables from a local CSA (perfect timing) that my girlfriend's sister is a member of so I've been experimenting with a bunch of veggies I don't always buy. I highly suggest getting involved in a CSA if you can. It's easy, cheap and fun!
I also kept up on the same supplement list as yesterday.
All in all I felt great today!
Til tomorrow!
-Rob
When I first started this meat and vegetable diet experiment I was hoping that the second half of the experience would be when the really interesting things happened. Well, I'm one day into the second half and so far I having nothing all that impressive to report.
All the early effects of my body adapting to the diet (itchy nose, changes in hearing etc) have seemed to stabilize, but I haven't noticed anything really awesome yet. Maybe in a few days.
I had no issues of fatigue today which is probably just because I'm getting enough carbs now. I had chicken soup for breakfast and the leftover spaghetti squash that I cooked last night for lunch. Right there I got a decent amount of carbs. Somewhere in the range of 100 grams of carbs seems to be optimal for my energy needs depending on activity level, sleep patterns and stress.
For lunch I just had the leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs from last night (good amount of carbs there).
For diner I winged it and cooked up a stir fry (I know, I love stir fry) grass fed beef and some sort of eggplant, scallions and green peppers along with some mashed cauliflower/carrots (This was amazing) made with coconut oil, sea salt and pepper. I just so happen to have been given a few bags FULL of vegetables from a local CSA (perfect timing) that my girlfriend's sister is a member of so I've been experimenting with a bunch of veggies I don't always buy. I highly suggest getting involved in a CSA if you can. It's easy, cheap and fun!
I also kept up on the same supplement list as yesterday.
All in all I felt great today!
Til tomorrow!
-Rob
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Day 10 is behind us!
Today was another tough one just because I keep underestimating how many carbs I need and how many I take in. I was able to up my carbs with dinner tonight, but had some struggles throughout the day.
Breakfast: I had some awesome chicken soup that my girlfriend made yesterday
Lunch: Beef sauteed with kale and chives (hardle any carbs)
The layover between lunch and dinner became the hard part. I was still underslept after a late night last night and had some stressful things going on at work. The result of these stresses increased carb cravings and I almost cracked! Luckily, the commitment I've made kept me invested and kept me from giving in... I did have another Applegate Organic Hot Dog though...
Dinner: Spaghetti squash with both grass fed beef and buffalo meatballs
Steamed green and yellow zucchini
The spaghetti squash really helped me as it's a winter squash variety with a decent amount of carbs, yet it's not too starchy and isn't as likely to cause any issues with insulin spikes that a baked potato could for some people.
I also took a few more supplements today:
2 Magnesium Malate capsules
1 Tocosorb softgel
1 B vitamin complex capsule (Thorne Research - important to take this brand because it's one of the few that has the proper types of B12 and folate. Do not take "folic acid" which is the form most supplements contain)
4 Krill Oil softgels (Better than fish oil for anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids due to the natural presence of astaxanthin, a super powerful antioxidant that keeps the highly unstable Omega 3's from oxidizing)
I'll continue to take some supplements throughout the rest of the diet and will post up what I take. If anyone has any questions about why I'm taking what, then please comment below!
-Rob
Today was another tough one just because I keep underestimating how many carbs I need and how many I take in. I was able to up my carbs with dinner tonight, but had some struggles throughout the day.
Breakfast: I had some awesome chicken soup that my girlfriend made yesterday
Lunch: Beef sauteed with kale and chives (hardle any carbs)
The layover between lunch and dinner became the hard part. I was still underslept after a late night last night and had some stressful things going on at work. The result of these stresses increased carb cravings and I almost cracked! Luckily, the commitment I've made kept me invested and kept me from giving in... I did have another Applegate Organic Hot Dog though...
Dinner: Spaghetti squash with both grass fed beef and buffalo meatballs
Steamed green and yellow zucchini
The spaghetti squash really helped me as it's a winter squash variety with a decent amount of carbs, yet it's not too starchy and isn't as likely to cause any issues with insulin spikes that a baked potato could for some people.
I also took a few more supplements today:
2 Magnesium Malate capsules
1 Tocosorb softgel
1 B vitamin complex capsule (Thorne Research - important to take this brand because it's one of the few that has the proper types of B12 and folate. Do not take "folic acid" which is the form most supplements contain)
4 Krill Oil softgels (Better than fish oil for anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids due to the natural presence of astaxanthin, a super powerful antioxidant that keeps the highly unstable Omega 3's from oxidizing)
I'll continue to take some supplements throughout the rest of the diet and will post up what I take. If anyone has any questions about why I'm taking what, then please comment below!
-Rob
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