Fast-5 Diet and Lifestyle: Re: [fast5] Hello and some questions from a newbie

Hi and welcome in from lurkdom!

For getting used to a fast ... when I went on another plan, some years ago, it was the "Warrior Diet". It is basically the same idea, except during the day you can eat raw fruits and vegies in any amount, and small amounts of lean protein. Most people who tried it, that I talked to, eventually just dropped the fruits and vegies, because they were just more work and they weren't hungry. The raw stuff didn't seem to make a difference to me, insulin-wise. And really, a green salad has very little in the way of calories in any case. So I think it's not a bad idea as an "induction" phase.

However, I still like to do my raw fruit and vegies to "break the fast". Esp. a big salad. I think the meal sets better, and I don't like to combine fruit with meat ... not because I think it kills digestion, but I think fruit causes iron in the meal to be over-absorbed (one of my soapboxes).

I put up a blog post with my favorite "hacks":

http://eatingoffthefoodgrid.blogspot.com/2011/10/appetite-hints.html

Please note that these are purely my own opinion and experiments ... not in the Fast-5 book or anything Dr. Herring has said.

I do eat a rather non-standard diet, but I disagree with many of the common "Primal diet" assumptions. I've studied cuisines around the world, and also what they've found from micro-wear to teeth and in coprolites, to find the ones that seem to work the best. The diet that seems to have been the most common for most people for the longest is the shoreline diet ... most humans lived by water, and they still do if you look at a map of lights at night. Anyway, the healthiest people on earth are the ones eating fish/rice/yams, and the least healthy are the beef/mutton/wheat/barley eaters. (pork and poultry seem to be in the middle). So my diet is based on the former. I haven't seen any evidence for human beings living without a staple starch, except in some extreme living conditions (like the Arctic).

There is some interesting data coming out from the China study, about starch choices. Here is one analysis:

http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/09/china-study-ii-wheat-flour-rice-and.html

In another study, the yam eaters came out even healthier than the rice eaters.

Anyway, in terms of diet ... using some of these other cuisines is really helpful. For one thing, they are loaded with *flavor* and have a good balance of vegies, fats, protein, and keep you full longer. My current favorite is Tom Yum soup ... the main mix you can get in a jar, or as separate ingredients (lemon grass, chili oil, fish paste, lime leaves, plus coconut milk, tamarind paste) and after it's hot, you just toss in some chopped vegies of your choice and seafood of choice (or chicken) and have a big bowl of it with some nice steamed rice.

On Tue, Nov 8, 2011 at 8:08 AM, Jennifer <montana.loki@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi! I've been lurking for a while but thought I would say hello and ask a couple of questions.

I have been doing a 'primal blueprint' sort of thing on and off most of this year (if anyone is familiar with that book) and have made a lot of progress figuring out what foods make me feel better or worse. I have finally gotten past the idea that grains and low fat stuff is good for you. I feel tons better since I stopped eating grains and on the occasional meal when I eat some bread or pizza I have noticed that the next morning I am hungry much earlier than normal and I don't feel nearly as good. So mostly I've just been experimenting with types of foods.

Recently though (last couple of months) I started extending the time between meals. First it was just skipping breakfast (usually just coffee with a bit of coconut milk in it on the way to work) and then pushing lunch to a later time. If I dont eat grains/lots of carbs in the evening I dont get hungry until noon or after. I do have another cup of coffee (with a dab of coconut milk) and a bottle of water in the late morning though.

My question relates to getting to a full 20 hour fast. I have been pretty good about getting to noon or a bit after. I usually have a chef salad and a cup of Chobani yogurt and then my main meal (meat and veggies) is around 7 or so. I read in another post that a boiled egg would not create an insulin response? Does that mean that it isn't breaking the fast to have a boiled egg? How does that work?

Also, do others eat a 'primal' type diet while on Fast 5?

What is the best way to extend my fast for the full 20 hours? I seem to hit a block and be Really hungry by noon/1pm. Is it important that it be a full 20 hours?

Just as background - I am a 41 year old female weighing about 145. I was up to 162 this spring but did a lot of yard work and stuff like that this summer which probably helped. I am only 5'1" though so I would like to lose another 15 or 20-ish pounds. I have been learning about kettlebell workouts so since there's no more yard work I am planning to start adding some exercise into the mix.

Thanks for any suggestion or info! Sorry for the long post
Jen

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