Saul

IMO, best to get sed to using no dressing. Alternatively, use a nice pure vinegar -- such as unsweetened, unflavored rice vinegar. == Saul

Nice post. -- Saul

Whenever the science is perfected. (You look a bit on the young side for unproven age reversal experiments --- no matter how good the idea seems.) Wait until age 30 before thinking about it -- and, you might live longer if you just avoid thinking about it, and enjoy life. 😊 -- Saul

Hi Gordo! Interesting study -- if replicated in larger studies (this was a small study), it would indicate that HRV is reduced with coffee consumption. If this is verified, next question: decaf? -- Saul

hi Paula! Clinton's advice is great. -- Saul

Not really. If you build a healthy gut microbiota, by gradually increasing your intake of healthy vegetables it's unlikely. I should note: Prior to going on calorie restriction (over 20 years ago), I was overweight, on a somewhat crappy diet, and developed diverticulitis. It disappeared as my diet improved (it's supposed to be difficult for diverticulitis to disappear -- but an improving veggie diet did it -- with increasing fiber). Concerning McCoy's comment: Again, not surprising. But, if your diet slowly improves, this will probably change. -- Saul

I'd still like to know if whole grains are being compared to refined grains or to no grains. True, the author oƒ this post seems to think that no-grain diets are bad. He talks against ketogenic diets -- I agree with him on that (most ketogenic diets are high protein). But the references he gives, simply discuss the value of whole grain -- in each reference, whole grain is lauded, but we are not told whether that means "compared to refined grains", or "compared to no grains".

Good point Todd. Another example is Fiber One. This has no added sugar, but has added salt. It contains "whole grain wheat", and additional bran. It's a processed product. Is it a "whole grain" food? It's a matter of definition. The term "whole grain" suggests something good. I believe "no grains" is probably best. (But perhaps the bran of some grains, as a food, might be desirable? I've purchased a bag of pure wheat bran -- but so far haven't opened the bag.) Luigi Fontana in his video speaks well of whole grains -- and makes it clear that he thinks that the insoluble fiber in them is desirable for developing good gut microbiota. It is clear from his presentation that he thinks that not only the highly desirable soluble fiber that we get from plants, but also the insoluble fiber from grains, is desirable in one's diet. To me, it seems hard to believe that the fiber in vegetables (and fruits) is inadequate, without the addition of whole grains, to develop and maintain an optimal gut microbiota. But Luigi seems to suggest otherwise. Luigi is the head nutritionist at WUSTL, a lot more knowledgeable than I. ?? -- Saul

Hi Gordo! I noticed that. What isn't clear is -- compared to what? My guess: "Compared to eating refined grains" (e.g., white bread). Or do they mean "Compared to eating no grains"? I doubt this -- very few people eat no grains. Many members of the CR Society fall into this latter category. My guess: That may be a lot better than eating whole grains (and a fortiori refined grains). Analogy: Maybe vaping is better than smoking. 😉 -- Saul

Hi Gordo! As has been noted by Michael Rae, Greger is not a reliable source of information -- he too often cherry picks studies, and even distorts the results. The other vegan gurus are honest -- for example, Pritikin, who Mike Colella frequently quotes. IMO, look for better, more honest, sources of information than a zealot such as Greger. (Or, if you must look at Greger claims, carefully study all of his references, and see if he is interpreting them correctly -- and also, the quality of the references. This is not someone to be believed at face value,) 🙄 -- Saul

I agree. (Mine was tested by DEXA by Luigi Fontana, and also during CRONA.) Perhaps a way to get an approximation to visceral fat is to compute the waist to hip ratio (far from perfect, but much better than BMI). -- Saul

IMO, the main difference between a human and a rat is human arrogance. 😉 -- Saul

Hii Mike! Not entirely true. Some of the experiments conducted with mouse (and also the NIH study with monkeys) studies controlled the diet of the controls -- putting them on reduced calorie diets, so that they were not overweight. (These were studies of CRON; not studies of drug interventions for diseases.) -- Saul

Hi Mike! I've attended it before -- I love it. Actually, I learned from it -- I've learned how to "live in the moment", and to attempt to take joy in every moment and stimulus (including cold showers 🙂). And I sometimes meditate --- although I don't have a regular meditation schedule. (I'm do daily aerobic exercise -- but one can be in a meditative state while exercising.) The mbsr program also involves some yoga -- I'm happy to get back to that. (Later next week, I might visit the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, my favorite vacation place during Spring Break. I love doing yoga -- and enjoying the CR friendly food served at their daily buffets -- while there. (It's in the Berkshires, about 4 hours drive East of Rochester, NY in western MA.) -- Saul