So, I've entered a point where health became a greater concern. As I deal with circumstances that could end my life early, I am no longer invincible and want to take care of my health. I have a cardiovascular condition called anti-phospholipid syndrome. In laymen terms, as the Doctor always says to me as a salutation, I have very thick blood. I've had clots form in my calves, brake loose, and find a cozy little resting place that obstructs the blood flow to my lungs. As that seems to be under control, another issue arose. That is Blood Pressure. Unfortunately, mine must be kept normal and I am seeing signs that it's turning for the worse.
Those circumstances have recently left me carefully considering issues like weight, diet, and activity. It's easy to see the first is a result of lacking the second and third. I, like most people, am simply not taking good care of my health. There are days I don't even walk a single mile! But although that's important diet has garnered my attention the most. We definitely are not eating right. That observation, or conclusion, raises the question, "What should we be eating?". So here is some food for thought and what brought me here.
Control Blood Pressure FAST
Probably the obvious course of study, when you are seeing elevated blood pressure, "How to get it down fast". I came across some persuading information regarding a Study. It is published in the National Center of Biological Information (NCBI) related to Blood Pressure. But first a scary thought for someone that might be realizing elevated Blood Pressure. In Industrialized Nations, it's cited as the leading (Number One) cause of Morbidity (Death)! More people are dying from Blood Pressure related issues than anything else. Here is the study controls, using 68 Patients experiencing borderline Hypertension (High Blood Pressure):
THIS WAS A MEDICALLY SUPERVISED WATER ONLY FASTING PERIOD
- One to two days prior to fasting, the Patients diet was limited to Fruits and Vegetables.
- Water-Only fasting was done for 13.6 days (No Food - Just Water).
- Fasting was followed by a 6 day refeeding period.
- The refeeding period was restricted to a low-fat, low-sodium, plant-based VEGAN diet.
A medically supervised water-only fast was not inline with my situation. But I did a small test. I was averaging in the upper 130's over upper 90's. So I dropped the meat and cheese from my diet, ate a lot of vegetables and fruits for a couple days then went to the bottle (Water Bottle that is!).
My thoughts on fasting:
- Fasting, "Sucks". It's just difficult to do. Food is everywhere and it is Profound when you're hungry!
- You're very hungry, obviously. But, chugging down some water does take away the desire to inhale food.
- Waking up, you're hungry! All day... You're Hungry!
- It's difficult to fall asleep, because you're Hungry!
- I did it, for three days. No food, just water (Enhanced with MIO).
I went to a CVS, bought some food off the shelf (Yogurt Nuts from Barenaked) and checked my Blood Pressure on their Machine. 119/76!!! Success, the first normal BP reading I had in a couple weeks. But, I'm not done yet. Why was mine elevated? It's obvious it is our diet and level of activity.
My Friend the Trainer - Intermittent Fasting
I have a friend that is a Personal Trainer. I hear a lot of peoples negative remarks but bare with me here. I value his insights because he sees a lot of people. Some are in poor health, some are trying to get muscles, some just are afraid to be in a gym and look silly. But he engages with them and tries to guide them to health. So I value his observational education (I made that up).
Intermittent Fasting, "Never heard of it". My friend the trainer told me to lose weight through dieting, "Keto," and, "Intermittent fasting" (Together). Keeping it simple, don't eat carbs and don't eat often. Go 12 hours, then 16, followed by 8 hours between meals that have no carbs. I probably put my body through some odd abuse, but I did it. I did lose weight fast, going from 214 lbs to 209 lbs in a couple days. Blood pressure stayed in the 120's/90's!
The Vegan Diet
I've done it in the past. I felt great while I was doing it too! I don't know why I fell from it, but there it was mentioned again in the Study I referenced. Our upbringing and exposure to tasty animal-based fleshy meals are brainwashing the consumer innate thought process. You simply don't need to eat so much damn meat. No other population in the World eats so much meat as does the people of Industrialized Nations. As does the people with the highest number of hypertension related deaths! That goes the same for Processed Foods with high levels of added sugar!
The Vegan Diet is subjective, or opinion, but the foundation is pretty simple. If you cannot pick it off a plant, don't eat it. That tasty Kellogs Breakfast Bar... you cannot pull that off a plant so don't eat it. Steak, no that don't grow on plants either, don't eat it. Cucumbers soaked in Vinegar... not on a plant either but you can eat it as it's plant based.
The Vegan Diet has been shown to improve many aspects of health. Another Study published on NCBI placed people with an elevated BMI on an 18 week Plant-Based Diet. Here are some of the Health Improvements:
- Lost Body Weight; It's never fun to lose something unless it's burdensome Body Fat! It's not quick because you're still getting carbohydrates. It's a slow steady weight loss. On average the people on the 18 Week Diet lost 6.39 Lbs.
- LDL Cholesterol Reduction; Bad Cholesterol Fell 8.0 mg/dl.
- HbA1C fell 0.6 percentage point and 0.08 percentage point in the intervention and control group
- Total and LDL cholesterol fell 13.7 and 13.0 mg/dl.
The Keto Diet
My friend the trainer mentioned it to me. Upon researching, I did not think highly about it. I determined it is a starvation based diet. Agreeably, we need to lack nutrients to evoke fat loss. Logically, fat is a storage of nutrients we may need later. I think it's obvious to state, they are nutrients the body is storing and preparing for times of food disparity.
By only eating meat or animal based meals, you're body will be forced to dissolve fat deposits to make up for the lack of intake. It's reasonable to equate this is not a lifelong diet. If body fat is not present, other areas of the body could be at risk. I would not say, "It's not an option," for successful weight loss (It obviously would work for weight loss). It's definitely not something that seems to promote better health, all-around. I don't want to lose weight, I want to lose fat (Targeted). I want to have lower Cholesterol Levels. I want lower HbA1C. I want lower Blood Pressure (The Silent Killer; Not Wanted). I also don't want to eat so many animals when there is an abundance of healthy alternatives.
By only eating meat or animal based meals, you're body will be forced to dissolve fat deposits to make up for the lack of intake. It's reasonable to equate this is not a lifelong diet. If body fat is not present, other areas of the body could be at risk. I would not say, "It's not an option," for successful weight loss (It obviously would work for weight loss). It's definitely not something that seems to promote better health, all-around. I don't want to lose weight, I want to lose fat (Targeted). I want to have lower Cholesterol Levels. I want lower HbA1C. I want lower Blood Pressure (The Silent Killer; Not Wanted). I also don't want to eat so many animals when there is an abundance of healthy alternatives.
What I'm Doing with Diet
I'm staying focused on the Vegan Diet. I am eating a lot more leafy greens, oats, and vegetables. I plan on eating meat once a week. Just a small portion of red or white meat. I am focusing on keeping my Blood Pressure at normal levels or slightly lower. I am trying to lose weight while maintaining caloric intake. I am seeking protein from nuts, grains, and legumes. I am eating more fruits and vegetables.
My Thoughts and Conclusion
The general Dietary intake among our population is horrible. It is obviously impacting a lot of people in society. I am making a conscious decision to eat more plant-based and greatly reduce all animal based foods. But I don't believe our health problems are from diet alone. We are not active enough. Our bodies need to move. We need to walk, run, carry and lift things. We are always sitting. I need to be more conscious about activity.
We can become wealthy in three ways, with the last being turbo-charged. We could earn more money (Work more, invest, or find a better job). We could simply spend less money. Eliminate unnecessary spending, bargain shop, or require less. Finally, we could do both. I see a parallel with health. We could eat better nutrient rich foods and be more active.
Go to the gym to watch the news. Take a nice slow walk on a Treadmill while watching TV rather than sitting on a Sofa. A $10 per month Planet Fitness membership makes it quite easy. It just needs the structure of time to be incorporated into daily activities. But eat less animal-based food too.
We can become wealthy in three ways, with the last being turbo-charged. We could earn more money (Work more, invest, or find a better job). We could simply spend less money. Eliminate unnecessary spending, bargain shop, or require less. Finally, we could do both. I see a parallel with health. We could eat better nutrient rich foods and be more active.
Go to the gym to watch the news. Take a nice slow walk on a Treadmill while watching TV rather than sitting on a Sofa. A $10 per month Planet Fitness membership makes it quite easy. It just needs the structure of time to be incorporated into daily activities. But eat less animal-based food too.
