Carbohydrates Rice Japanese
If the Japanese are statistically the longest lived folks on Earth and they eat 2-4 cups of rice a day from cradle to grave, how can eating rice every day be bad? I understand there may be an issue with the iron that is added to our western foods that is causing endocrine signaling problems so most grain products are out. But are you saying that if the Japanese cut out rice and left the seafood, vegetables, miso/natto, and seaweed in their diets, they may live well past 100?
Keyboard shortcuts
Generic
| ? | Show this help |
|---|---|
| ESC | Blurs the current field |
Comment Form
| r | Focus the comment reply box |
|---|---|
| ^ + ↩ | Submit the comment |
You can use Command ⌘ instead of Control ^ on Mac
Support Staff 1 Posted by Fiona on 06 Dec, 2011 01:14 AM
...Yes; similar to the Okinawans.. https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=201274489941868
2 Posted by no3rdseat on 07 Dec, 2011 06:38 PM
Thanks, very interesting. I've been zero to very low carb for the last three or four years and I've noticed myself getting very short tempered with people. I read some studies about low carb and mood disorders due to serotonin depletion and decided to start adding a cup or two of rice or a sweet potato to my daily diet. According to the studies it's very difficult to make serotonin without carbs. I feel so much more calm and patient with a little starch in my diet. What are your thoughts on this?
3 Posted by no3rdseat on 09 Dec, 2011 03:14 PM
Nevermind, I found Dr Rosedale's take on this matter:
http://drrosedale.com/blog/2011/11/22/is-the-term-safe-starches-an-...
I'm willing to take the risk and add a cup of rice or a sweet potato for my own mental well being and brain health. Since I've been VLC for several years I know it's not the famous "adjustment period" so there must be more to it. I fast daily for 19 hours with a 5 hour eating window where I eat fish, nuts, miso, tofu, green vegetables, hard boiled eggs, and now rice or sweet potato. I also commute by bicycle 150 miles per week so it's nearly impossible to fuel my body AND brain with just green vegetables and fats. I'm not sure my liver is up to producing enough glucose for my body and brain so I'm adding a small amount of starch during my eating window. This is working out nicely. I'm stronger on the bike and kinder to my family and friends. Definitely a compromise I'm willing to make. The Okinawans love sweet potatoes but are culturally averse to eating large amounts. So I'm limiting proteins and limiting carbs and portion sizes, plus fasting for 19 hours a day. I've learned a lot from Dr Rosedale and have added it to my arsenal. Thanks guys.
Support Staff 4 Posted by Fiona on 10 Jan, 2012 05:15 AM
That is very interesting, I have been on the program for about 4 years and for me it has been quite the opposite, I am a lot calmer without the carbs, no nutty carb hunger and anxiousness that go with that, I find I am able to work much longer hours if needs be, I sleep better, my skin is better, my nails (coming from wafer thin flimsy all my life) are really strong and grow very fast. I used to have quite a short fuse before, and now a lot can happen before my feathers get even slightly ruffled. There are no studies that we know of that support your theory, I wonder if there was anything else going on at the same time maybe that was having the effect.
Support Staff 5 Posted by Dr. Rosedale on 10 Jan, 2012 06:14 AM
There also were many dozens of patients that told me that they were much more calm on the diet.. and in fact it appeared to work extremely well in treating patients with depression and anxiety.
6 Posted by no3rdseat on 10 Jan, 2012 02:55 PM
Thank you for your replies Fiona and Dr Rosedale. Since I asked my first question I've found Dr Rosedale's rebuttals of my question other places online and he answered my concerns completely. I also heard Dr Rosedale's radio appearance where he discussed bone health (sorry, can't remember the name of the show or interviewer) and I enjoyed his conversation on serotonin in the brain vs serotonin in the gut. I REALLY would like to read more on this distinction as it sounds fascinating!
Since I asked my original question back in early December, I read the book which references the study claiming that the making of serotonin requires eating a constant supply of carbs . It's called The Serotonin Power Diet" ( http://www.serotoninpowerdiet.com/ ). After reading it I realized that the author is the wife of one of the scientists that performed the study and my conclusion is that she's a) an unapologetic carb addict and b) trying to make money from her husband's work. I really was not impressed at all with her ideas as they were VERY short on science and very big on feelings.
I also no longer add carbs to my diet like the Japanese do. I found that "a little carb" is just not possible with me as it increases my appetite, leading to eventual weight gain. So, I'm back to nuts, fish, eggs, meats, marrow, avocado, etc.
I do feel more calm overall on a high fat VLC diet. Back when I tried adding a little carbs to my diet, I was at the same time also practicing staying focused on the present, living in the present. There is no stress without the comparison of the past or future to the present. So I'm sure it was my philosophical meanderings that "enhanced my calm", not the added carbs.
Keep up the great work Dr Rosedale, look forward to hearing more from you!