Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Diet swap has dramatic effects on colon cancer risk for Americans and Africans

This is a very interesting study. Africans eat far more fiber than Americans, while Americans eat far more protein and fat than Africans. In this study a group of Africans and a group of Americans "swapped" diets for two weeks. The number of polyps in American colons decreased dramatically, and the number of polyps in Africans increased dramatically.

Again, note how important the factor of gut bacteria are in this study. Other research I've read indicate that gut bacteria can change dramatically in as little as one meal, both in the type of species and the quantity of species (or distribution). A diet that is high in plant fiber, not grain fiber, seems to have the greatest boost for health because the complex carbohydrates in plant fiber require bacteria species that live exclusively in the colon (large intestine) in order to break them down and those bacteria contribute to colon health by dramatically reducing inflammation.

By the way, I think earlier in this thread I noted that the majority of my diet by weight is vegetables. Not true. The majority of my diet by weight is fruits, then vegetables. I've almost eliminated grains from my diet. Protein is mostly nuts, seeds, plain yoghurt, and hard boiled eggs. About once or twice a week I eat canned salmon or mackerel. About once or twice a month I eat red meat, if I can get venison, elk, or buffalo.

I just passed my physical for a two year medical card. The doctor was a tad bit shocked. Here I am at 59 years old with 120/60 and a resting heart rate of 58, without getting much exercise. The workup on my urine (checking for sugars, etc.) was "more like an athlete in his 20's than an 'old man'". This is a far cry from two years ago, with elevated sugar levels that "need to be watched" and a resting heart rate of 72, not to mention 35 lbs heavier than I am today.

Typical day's meals:

Breakfast - cup of fresh blueberries in a cup of Chobani plain yoghurt
Snacks for driving - two bananas, one apple, one orange, maybe a cup of raw seeds and nuts (pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, almonds, or pecans)
Dinner - a very large salad featuring dark colored and strong tasting greens (kale, basil, chives, dill, arugula, chard, etc.); sweet bell pepper, and a whole avocado. Dressing is a pinch of sea salt, then splash on balsamic vinegar, and liberal olive oil. The oil in particular really gives me a full feeling. After a dinner salad like this (or sometimes for breakfast) I won't get hungry for a long, long time.

Notice that other than animal based proteins everything I eat is raw. This retains ALL the vitamins and minerals and keeps the complex carbohydrates in the fibers intact.

A side benefit of this diet is that my intake of water is now reduced to less than a pint a day. I do drink about 36 oz of strong coffee from when I wake up until my 30 minute break. My thirst for water or any other drink is greatly reduced because of the amount of fluids I take in with raw fruits and vegetables. If I do want something to drink other than water I'll drink carrot juice or a carrot/beet blend (less than 10 gms of sugar as opposed to more than 30 gms in some fruit juices).

I also eat a few squares of Lindt 90% cacao chocolate, with 3 gms of sugar total for the day from this source. Cacao goes a long way to reduce hunger, is an outstanding source of antioxidants, and is a probiotic boost. If I can find them I buy raw cacao nibs, but I've only found one store in the LA area that has them and haven't seen them anywhere else. Expensive, but without any sugar you get a "bitter rush" that is unlike anything you get from any chocolate that uses fats to "hold" the powdered cacao.