My Food Journey

A food pyramid that shows vegetables and fruits on the bottom, and which should be consumed the most per day, as opposed to earlier food pyramids showing grains on the bottom.

Going on a "diet" has been interesting this time. I've mentioned it a few weeks ago and thought I would share some of my experiences this time compared to two years ago. This program I went on is called a "Metobolic Reset", where I have to pretty much go on a paleo-ish diet and eat on a strict schedule. High in protein (40 grams of protein per meal) and good fats are encouraged, no fruits high on the glycemic index and no sugars, natural sugars, or artificial sweeteners, no grains and no legumes (beans). I also had to take supplements and consume a ketone shake during my "fasting" period. Of course, paleo doesn't allow dairy (cavemen don't know how to milk cows yet). I lost 5 pounds but more importantly, I do not have much of a brain fog, my joints feels a lot better, I don't have as much bloating, and I have more energy.

The science behind it. When you (literally) starve your body from certain types of carbohydrates, some simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, are not available as an energy source. So your body resorts to burning stored fat through the process of ketosis.

After 30 days, and when I went back on some of these carbohydrates, I could tell right away that something was strange. I just don't feel good. A few things I noted:

• Sugar makes me bloated.  I read that if the sugar sits in our intestines long enough, it starts to ferment and cause gases in your intestines.  Interesting.
• Cheese makes me constipated.  Well, I knew that already but who doesn't like cheese?
• Commercial salad dressing makes me literally sick.  I went to the office one day and brought salad and forgotten my special salad dressing.  So I used whatever is in the office's fridge and wow, I just feel so sick.  I know it's more expensive but I'm sticking to organic salad dressing.
• Anything high in salt content + wheat products.  Retains water and makes me heavier the next day.

The meal plan I went on two years ago was very restrictive.  It was called "Sprint Set".  It was high in vegetables but low to moderate on protein.  I mean, how does one consume 10 oz of salad?  That is nearly 5 to 6 cups of lettuce!  Plus, I felt I was literally starving the whole time.  My body went through the same process as compared to what I did this year, but it was not as sustainable on the long run.  I lost weight much faster in a short period of time, but when I introduced some foods back into my diet, my weight went straight back to where I started and then some.

The Metabolic Reset is more realistic.  Even though at first, I felt like I was starving, having enough proteins helps with that and eventually, I got used to it.  They have a strong emphasis on eating proteins (just like paleo) but they also want to make sure you get enough vegetables.  The point in eating more protein is filling satiated.  When I went on Sprint Set, I never felt full, so once it was done, I went back to gorging on different carbs.  On the Metabolic Reset, I was almost full but I can deal with that 90% feeling.

Both of these programs were through my chiropractor.  They have a scale called the Tanita scale that not only measures your weight but also body fat.  Comparing the results from 2 years ago to this year, I actually lost more fat this year than from the program two years ago.  I think what my body is doing 2 years ago is that it was fighting to keep fat instead of losing it and I also end up losing muscle mass because of the low protein consumption.  On this year's program, I was using protein and good fat to burn fat.  Fight fire with fire, they say.  The protein was there to maintain my muscle mass while I burn fat.  

Only time will tell if I maintain this type of eating habit.  I think being human, I do crave fried foods, comfort foods, and things high in carbs.  But knowing that these foods will make me feel ill, and knowing that my body is a lot different than 10 to 20 years ago, it has given me some pause on what kind of foods I'm eating, what foods I've eaten in the past and how it's affecting me today.  Of course, this diet is not for all, especially those with a high metabolism.  I was thinking in a later blog, I can go into my thoughts on our health, immune system, and diseases.