by LarryW » Wed Dec 23, 2015 5:14 am
I noticed on WebMD forums that other participants seemed to mainly be adherents to one of four doctors principally: McDougall, Ornish, Esselstyn, Fuhrman. I was primarily doing my own food and execise based research for articles revealing the results of studies that made an absolute positive impact on atherosclerosis, or validated safety of various forms of exercise, or further explained concepts in atherosclerosis or exercise physiology.
Due to my own angina after any fat in the diet, I went to an essentially ultra low fat diet, hardy worth estimating.
But I did have chicken breast and salmon, since those seemed to offer improved niacin, and healthy fats in small amounts. I also ate the low fat nut pistachio, which is high in thiamine, and in studies boosted EPCs, that help keep arteries healthy. For years avoiding other nuts. And very high anti-oxidant, very high complex carb diet. I was concerned to be getting enough protein to maintain my slim frame.
To those four doctors, I added Richard Flanigan, who wrote Longevity Made Simple. He is a Denver cardiologist.
I am slim, so a very low fat diet was risky to maintain weight, or gain. Yet I maintained, and even gained back weight lost in surgery, with a plan I used from a few concepts I learned. Hard to believe I could maintain or gain weight with a 1000 less calories a day, and almost no fat. Plus as an ectomorph athlete, if I over eat a little, I produce waste body heat. I don't store hardly any fat.
My fat stayed at around 15%, later dropping to 11% when I added in many hours a week of volleyball.
The boost to my immune system was the surprise. I contracted viral meningitis in 2010 or 2011, and recovered in two days, back to work the 6th day after contracting it. Normally a week in the hospital and month recovery.
And feeling amazing. Curiously, not many people interested in how a 60 year old could have more energy than almost anyone around him. And after bypass surgery, with a prognosis of three years to an early grave.
Now I am tempted to try Dr. McDougall's stricter plan. Maybe that could cure my tinnitus.
Properly managed exercise even helps boost energy so much, one's sleep requirements drop by a few hours.
And one never needs to get out of breath, or get sore. I can and do breath plenty deep during rowing intervals. I can still hit paces of 1000 and even 1500 calories an hour rowing, though not over a minute or two, and those ratchet up my heart rate to a range of 150 and on up to 160, 170, and 180. I also check my heart rate drop in succeeding minutes, for advised counts. More is known to be better for longevity. Again, from more research studies I found.