Ageing Healthily

[Laura Corin]

I went to a free lecture by a distinguished professor of the biology of ageing.  I don't want to quote her name in case I have misinterpreted what she said, but she runs two non-profit institutes and doesn't have a book or products to sell.  There was a lot of technical information that I can't relay, but the bits that I could catch and that I found interesting:

 

- Although women live longer, they tend to also have a longer period of ill-health before death

- Men are more likely to suffer heart disease and stroke but women have a higher rate of dementia

- The flu vaccine works very, very poorly in old people, because of their reduced immune response.  There is a lot of work in progress to see if there are existing, well-tested drugs that can be given in combination with the vaccine to improve its effectiveness.  

 

- Restricted calorie eating leads to a healthier old age (see the people of Okinawa who had a tradition of eating until only 80% full)

- For those of us who don't have a cultural background to make reduced calorie eating practicable, low but adequate protein (and more plant protein) diets in youth and middle age lead to the healthiest old age

- Once you reach 65, increased protein is the most healthy course in order to maintain muscle mass and avoid falls

- Much that we think of as diseases of old age are 'just' diseases of inactivity.  Old people sit still even more than younger people, but most don't need to

- Therefore exercise is the other key to healthy ageing.  She says that there is a doctor shorthand for healthy, active, middle aged women: WWW, Women Who Walk.

 

That's all that I recall. She didn't give references, but I found this for the protein idea.   I don't know if this is what she was referring to:

 

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/protein-consumption-linked-longevity

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I've become really interested in aging recently and this is good info!  The book Spark really looks into exercise and its benefits for young and old, including mental/cognitive benefits.  The old people I know who exercise are FAR AND AWAY the mentally sharpest as well.  

 

One thing I like about living where I do (very public transport/walking friendly area) is the amount of old people walking about- fast, slow, with walkers, with canes, without, just going for their daily bread or a café.  It makes me happy to see active older people.  

[MBM]

Consuming moderate protein up to about age 60-65 and then increasing it after is Valter Longo's research at USC. His work is worth reading about if you're interested in aging well.

 

Another person who has helpful advice is Rhonda Patrick.

[Laura Corin]

She also mentioned that in animal studies, the healthiest and thinnest mice eat once a day at the beginning of their active period (breakfast for us) and then not again for 24 hours.  This is for the same number of calories/breakdown of food types.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

She also mentioned that in animal studies, the healthiest and thinnest mice eat once a day at the beginning of their active period (breakfast for us) and then not again for 24 hours. This is for the same number of calories/breakdown of food types.

I’ve been very tempted to give Intermittant fasting a more serious look...

[Seasider]

I'll take WWW over FFF any day!

 

Interesting about the adequate, then higher over age 65 protein requirements. Did she tie that specifically to red meat?

 

Also, did she have much to say about things like the MIND and/or Mediterranean diets for staving off dementia?

[Seasider]

Consuming moderate protein up to about age 60-65 and then increasing it after is Valter Longo's research at USC. His work is worth reading about if you're interested in aging well.

 

Another person who has helpful advice is Rhonda Patrick.

I'd love more details about the number of grams of protein at each stage, as well as content.

 

Links?

[Laura Corin]

I'll take WWW over FFF any day!

 

Interesting about the adequate, then higher over age 65 protein requirements. Did she tie that specifically to red meat?

 

Also, did she have much to say about things like the MIND and/or Mediterranean diets for staving off dementia?

 

Someone asked her about superfoods or other details and she said, 'No, it's pretty much what I said.  Moderate protein then increased protein; exercise'.

[kroe1]

Isn’t this all just common knowledge? I remember these concepts being taught in the sixties in grade school and junior high health classes. What was the big revelation?

[happypamama]

I believe it. My grandparents took up tennis when they retired in their sixties. They were in great health, still mostly mentally alert, living on their own, until my grandmother died suddenly at 87. At some point the body just wears out, but I’m so glad she didn’t have to watch herself decline slowly. My grandfather has someone come daily to check on him but at 94 is still quite spry and alert.

[Laura Corin]

I'd love more details about the number of grams of protein at each stage, as well as content.

 

Links?

 

She didn't give links.  I would go with the recommended minimum levels for pre-65, remembering that these are for normal body weight - one doesn't need extra protein to support overweight, as far as I know.  They seem to vary between .6g per kg of body weight and .85g per kg of body weight.  Here's one recommendation:

 

https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/120209

 

The standard advice for older people doesn't seem to have caught up with the research, so I'm going with 'a bit more'.  My household is currently aged 17, 54, 61 and 93, so it's a bit of a conundrum.

 

For reference, I weigh 62kg, so should be consuming around 62 x .8g of protein, by this standard.  That's about 50g per day.  So for example one chicken thigh (14g), one bowl of lentil soup (13g), one cup of milk (8g), one slice of wholegrain bread and butter (3.5g), one poached egg (6g), one ounce of cheese (7g)

 

That makes, for example, a breakfast of poached egg on wholegrain toast; lunch of lentil soup with grated cheese; supper of chicken thigh.  All with copious fruit/veg and whatever other starches are desired, plus milk for tea or coffee.

 

Please note: I'm not telling anyone what they should be doing, just extrapolating from the lecture.  I don't have a stake in other people's diets.

[stephanier.1765]

When pregnant there were books similar to What to Expect When Expecting. Now as I'm reaching a more mature age, I want a book, What to Expect as Your Clock Runs Out.

[Laura Corin]

Isn’t this all just common knowledge? I remember these concepts being taught in the sixties in grade school and junior high health classes. What was the big revelation?

 

I think the revelation was exactly what you say: despite all the noise around diet and the extreme recommendations, it comes down to moderation and exercise.

[Laura Corin]

Some of this is the luck of the draw - but the brilliant thing is that even if you do draw a genetic short straw, exercise is still going to be positive. 

 

She said that longevity (she didn't talk about health in old age in this context) is only 25% heritable, so there's lots to do in terms of lifestyle.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I hate these articles because they all seem to say, just be active and eat healthy and you will be great.  What really sucks is to have done all those things and to have a body that wears out long before one's desire to be active does.  It is a constant battle against pain and dysfunction just to walk the dog every day.  Let alone, carry a basket of laundry up the stairs. And the last yoga class I took put me into physical therapy (not because I'm not flexible, but because I have more flexibility than strength.)  This didn't happen because I sat around on my tuckus.  But pain makes me want to sit more than is healthy.  What am I supposed to do for the next 25-30 years?  

[milovany]

Thank you for posting, Laura!  Such good information and a topic that has been on my radar lately, too.  The books I've been reading are along the lines of get up from your chair, sitting isn't good for you, in addition to walking distances, be busy about during the day.  Rake leaves, sweep the floor, work at a stand up desk instead of sitting with a laptop on your lap, working on balance on your feet, etc.  "They" say you can walk or run or work out an hour a day, but if you're sitting the rest of the time, no es bueno.  And that is how I envision my aged years -- walking, yes, but moving around a lot, too.  A a busy body in a good way.  :)

[Laura Corin]

I hate these articles because they all seem to say, just be active and eat healthy and you will be great.  What really sucks is to have done all those things and to have a body that wears out long before one's desire to be active does.  It is a constant battle against pain and dysfunction just to walk the dog every day.  Let alone, carry a basket of laundry up the stairs. And the last yoga class I took put me into physical therapy (not because I'm not flexible, but because I have more flexibility than strength.)  This didn't happen because I sat around on my tuckus.  But pain makes me want to sit more than is healthy.  What am I supposed to do for the next 25-30 years?  

 

Yes.  I know.  This is all about averages.  Being at the wrong end of the average is bound to be painful and depressing.  I'm sorry.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Laura Corin

[Laura Corin]

Also, it's unsurprising women have more dementia - it's a disease of age - live longer, your chances of dementia increase.

I had always thought of it in terms of 'last years'. So if men lived to 80, then maybe they had dementia from 77. If women lived to 85, then they had dementia from 82. But I was wrong.

[BarbecueMom]

She also mentioned that in animal studies, the healthiest and thinnest mice eat once a day at the beginning of their active period (breakfast for us) and then not again for 24 hours. This is for the same number of calories/breakdown of food types.

I'm glad to see this kind of information. I eat a small meal in the morning, snack during lunch time, and usually have nothing for dinner/supper. I have health problems that led to eating like this and am trying to not lose any weight, but at least there's an indication I'm not completely backwards on meals and calories.

 

If I can get vegetables to agree with me again I'll be golden.

[Guest]

She also mentioned that in animal studies, the healthiest and thinnest mice eat once a day at the beginning of their active period (breakfast for us) and then not again for 24 hours. This is for the same number of calories/breakdown of food types.

What does this mean? Does this mean a person would routinely eat a breakfast of all their daily calories and food types and then not eat agin until breakfast the next day? And does this mean, like, as a way of life - eat once a day and then don’t eat again as a way of life?

 

As an aside, I feel as though I would have better eating habits (though mine are not bad) if I lived alone. It’s having food and making food for the family that induces me to eat. I ate the least before I was married and when I was childless, because there was no social or family cohesiveness aspect to eating meals.

[Laurie4b]

What does this mean? Does this mean a person would routinely eat a breakfast of all their daily calories and food types and then not eat agin until breakfast the next day? And does this mean, like, as a way of life - eat once a day and then don’t eat again as a way of life?

 

As an aside, I feel as though I would have better eating habits (though mine are not bad) if I lived alone. It’s having food and making food for the family that induces me to eat. I ate the least before I was married and when I was childless, because there was no social or family cohesiveness aspect to eating meals.

 

Rodent studies are merely a spring board for what researchers might look into in the case of humans. They don't always transfer to humans. For instance, Alzheimer's has been cured in rodents many times in many ways and not one has transferred to humans. 

 

As far as I know, people don't eat like that anywhere on the globe. 

 

And I hear you on cooking for family. 

[Laurie4b]

I'll take WWW over FFF any day!

 

Interesting about the adequate, then higher over age 65 protein requirements. Did she tie that specifically to red meat?

 

Also, did she have much to say about things like the MIND and/or Mediterranean diets for staving off dementia?

 

Both these diets have research bases to back them up. The Mediterranean has a longer trail of research but you have to follow it more strictly. The MIND diet (combo of Mediterranean and DASH culling the most critical factors) can be followed moderately and still has significant impact. 

 

Exercise however still gets top grades. Cardio affects your whole brain positively. Strength training specifically affects your working memory, memory, and executive functioning. 

 

The lifestyle interventions that affect dementia are: physical exercise,  diet, dental hygiene (the bacteria in gum inflammation affects the brain as well as the cardiovascular system) , sleep, social connections,  cognitive stimulation, avoiding anti-cholinergic drugs (see Beers List) and treating hearing impairment asap. Vit D and B12 are thought to be very important as well. 

 

Also, it's unsurprising women have more dementia - it's a disease of age - live longer, your chances of dementia increase. 

 

I think this is absolutely part of it, but I know that in addition, wrt Alzheimer's, there also appears to be a genetic vulnerability in women that men do not have, and the risk of someone getting Alzheimer's are stronger with a maternal history of the disease than a paternal history. Since Alzheimer's is a dementia, that may also account for some of it in addition to the aging issue. 

[mommyoffive]

This is helpful, thanks. 

[J-rap]

That's really interesting.  It does all seem very doable, of course dependent on genetics and random injuries, etc.

 

My parents are both around 90 now, and they fit into those patterns pretty well.  My dad has always been an exerciser.  He was entering skiing races at age 80 and was on a baseball team!  He had a major heart problem at around age 74, and probably would have died but for modern medicine.  He does have a pacemaker.  In the past few years he has slowed down a lot now, but still walks daily (slowly) and has recently joined a gym!  His mind is still quite sharp. 

 

My mother didn't exercise much, with the exception of walking around the block once month with our next door neighbor and jogging up and down the halls of our house listening to Johnny Cash music, on occasion.  :)  She was naturally fit and kept up with our family hikes and such, and joined a gym at about 70 where she did light exercising 3 times/week.  But otherwise, she was not a walker.  Her natural good health allowed her to keep up.  But at some point, her osteoporosis really kicked in and it sure slowed her down.  It has become very difficult for her to take even a short walk now.  Dementia is now beginning too.

 

I wonder why dementia is seen earlier in women?

[Laura Corin]

 

I wonder why dementia is seen earlier in women?

I don't think it's seen earlier in women, I think it's more commonly seen in women.  So more men die having never had dementia.

[KungFuPanda]

I’m thinking most of those oldies in Okinawa live with their families. That HAS to help everything else. Still, eating ‘just’ until you are no longer hungry, but NOT until you are full/stuffed is a good practice. In order to pull this off, you probably have to know how to eat slowly. This is MUCH easier to do when you’re gabbing at a table full of people.

 

I may be part rodent. For a few years now I’m content to have just tea for breakfast. A big main meal around lunchtime, then leftovers or a snack late in the evening. I’m just much less hungry than I was even 5 years ago even though I’m still very active. I keep thinking I’m supposed to add weights, but I haven’t found a spot in my routine for them.

 

ETA: another thought humbling in my head is that maybe a workout, even a regular one, can’t counteract an otherwise sedentary life. If you’re spending most of your day in a chair, does that morning jog REALLY cancel that out? Or is it best to figure out how to stand and move more often than not? It’s the old people in motion that seem to be winning.

Edited November 17, 2017 by KungFuPanda

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I hate these articles because they all seem to say, just be active and eat healthy and you will be great.  What really sucks is to have done all those things and to have a body that wears out long before one's desire to be active does.  It is a constant battle against pain and dysfunction just to walk the dog every day.  Let alone, carry a basket of laundry up the stairs. And the last yoga class I took put me into physical therapy (not because I'm not flexible, but because I have more flexibility than strength.)  This didn't happen because I sat around on my tuckus.  But pain makes me want to sit more than is healthy.  What am I supposed to do for the next 25-30 years?  

This is a really sucky position for you to be in, and I'm sorry!  I'm guessing though, if you can find some degree of exercise- which might not look like person A or person B's exercise but is definitely exercise for your body- you would be better off than being sedentary, which I'm sure you realize.  You just have to redefine what exercise is, since your body is not built to withstand "normal" exercise stressors.  

 

 

 

 

I’m thinking most of those oldies in Okinawa live with their families. That HAS to help everything else. Still, eating ‘just’ until you are no longer hungry, but NOT until you are full/stuffed is a good practice. In order to pull this off, you probably have to know how to eat slowly. This is MUCH easier to do when you’re gabbing at a table full of people.

 

I may be part rodent. For a few years now I’m content to have just tea for breakfast. A big main meal around lunchtime, then leftovers or a snack late in the evening. I’m just much less hungry than I was even 5 years ago even though I’m still very active. I keep thinking I’m supposed to add weights, but I haven’t found a spot in my routine for them.

 

ETA: another thought humbling in my head is that maybe a workout, even a regular one, can’t counteract an otherwise sedentary life. If you’re spending most of your day in a chair, does that morning jog REALLY cancel that out? Or is it best to figure out how to stand and move more often than not? It’s the old people in motion that seem to be winning.

 

 

To your last paragraph, you are right.  Being sedentary is a risk factor independent of exercise routine.  That is, if you sit 8 hours a day, then go out for a 45 minute jog, that sitting is still having a negative impact on your health.  I think it was the REGARDS study that showed this.  

 

An unexpected benefit for me of getting a fitness watch is that it vibrates every .5 and 1 hour stretch of no/low activity.  So it reminds me to get up, juggle the laundry a bit, run up and down the stairs once, etc.  

[Laura Corin]

I’m thinking most of those oldies in Okinawa live with their families. That HAS to help everything else. 

 

In traditional Japanese society, old people on other islands also commonly lived with their families, but didn't have the eating habits of the Okinawans.  The latter have a phrase for 80% full which is deeply ingrained in the culture and explicitly taught to children.  It has faded now but used to be very strong.

[milovany]

ETA: another thought humbling in my head is that maybe a workout, even a regular one, can’t counteract an otherwise sedentary life. If you’re spending most of your day in a chair, does that morning jog REALLY cancel that out? Or is it best to figure out how to stand and move more often than not? It’s the old people in motion that seem to be winning.

 

 

To your last paragraph, you are right.  Being sedentary is a risk factor independent of exercise routine.  That is, if you sit 8 hours a day, then go out for a 45 minute jog, that sitting is still having a negative impact on your health.  I think it was the REGARDS study that showed this.  

 

An unexpected benefit for me of getting a fitness watch is that it vibrates every .5 and 1 hour stretch of no/low activity.  So it reminds me to get up, juggle the laundry a bit, run up and down the stairs once, etc.  

 

 

This is right along the lines of what I have been reading and working toward.  I love to go for a 45 minute to an hour brisk walk, but I transcribe from home for work, homeschool the kids at the kitchen table, and love to crash at the end of the day with a good movie.  Too. much. sitting. 

 

I do have a stand up desk, so that I can transcribe on my feet some of the time, but we moved a couple of months ago and I haven't gotten it set up again yet.  I do have a vibrating wrist thing that buzzes at the time intervals I set but [see excuse in last sentence].  I read in one of the books on this topic that doing the up and down movement from sitting to standing about 30 times a day is a good goal. There's something to that up/down motion that is beneficial, and doing the motions slowly and controlled is even more beneficial; because it helps us practice the balance that is important as we age. 

 

If I want to be the person I envision myself being in 20 years when I'm 70, I need to start doing these things now.  

Edited November 17, 2017 by milovany

[J-rap]

I don't think it's seen earlier in women, I think it's more commonly seen in women.  So more men die having never had dementia.

 

Oops, that's what I meant.  I wonder why that is though...

 

This is commonly what I see too.

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

ETA: another thought humbling in my head is that maybe a workout, even a regular one, can’t counteract an otherwise sedentary life. If you’re spending most of your day in a chair, does that morning jog REALLY cancel that out? Or is it best to figure out how to stand and move more often than not? It’s the old people in motion that seem to be winning.

 

I don't know if it cancels it out, but it sure is better than never moving either way.

 

I find that since I started exercising regularly, I feel more energetic and moving around more comes more naturally.  I don't know if that's typical, but I'm just saying if you do exercise regularly, chances are you will move more easily at other times in the day.

[Laura Corin]

I work full time in an admin job.  My employer talks about everyone moving more, but I don't see much evidence that serious movement would be welcome.  I try to get up once an hour at least (to see someone, have a pee, make tea, etc) but I suspect it's not enough.  I turned off the alarm on my fitbit because I was never achieving the 250 steps an hour even when I did get up.  Oh well.  Only 13 1/2 years until retirement.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I don't know if it cancels it out, but it sure is better than never moving either way.

 

I find that since I started exercising regularly, I feel more energetic and moving around more comes more naturally.  I don't know if that's typical, but I'm just saying if you do exercise regularly, chances are you will move more easily at other times in the day.

 

 

 

I think this is absolutely true for many/most.  For one, exercising makes us feel MORE energetic throughout the day, so we are more able, mentally, to get up and stretch our legs a bit.  Also, habits tend to build on each other.  It's hard to get the first good habit cemented, but relatively easy to chain other good habits onto it.  

 

For example, I started running again.  That reminded me that my hips are weak, and I don't want that to cause injury, so I added in a hip mobility/strengthening routine (10 minutes max).  Since Im already on the ground for that, I may as well do a plank or two.  And since I can feel my leg muscles are a bit achey, I'm reminded to stretch throughout the day.  

[Hikin' Mama]

 

I went to a free lecture by a distinguished professor of the biology of ageing. I don't want to quote her name in case I have misinterpreted what she said, but she runs two non-profit institutes and doesn't have a book or products to sell. There was a lot of technical information that I can't relay, but the bits that I could catch and that I found interesting:

 

- Although women live longer, they tend to also have a longer period of ill-health before death

- Men are more likely to suffer heart disease and stroke but women have a higher rate of dementia

- The flu vaccine works very, very poorly in old people, because of their reduced immune response. There is a lot of work in progress to see if there are existing, well-tested drugs that can be given in combination with the vaccine to improve its effectiveness.

 

- Restricted calorie eating leads to a healthier old age (see the people of Okinawa who had a tradition of eating until only 80% full)

- For those of us who don't have a cultural background to make reduced calorie eating practicable, low but adequate protein (and more plant protein) diets in youth and middle age lead to the healthiest old age

- Once you reach 65, increased protein is the most healthy course in order to maintain muscle mass and avoid falls

- Much that we think of as diseases of old age are 'just' diseases of inactivity. Old people sit still even more than younger people, but most don't need to

- Therefore exercise is the other key to healthy ageing. She says that there is a doctor shorthand for healthy, active, middle aged women: WWW, Women Who Walk.

 

That's all that I recall. She didn't give references, but I found this for the protein idea. I don't know if this is what she was referring to:

 

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/protein-consumption-linked-longevity[/quote

 

Thanks for sharing, Laura! This looks like good commom sense info. And I'm not getting any younger. Ha ha!

[leeannpal]

What does this mean? Does this mean a person would routinely eat a breakfast of all their daily calories and food types and then not eat agin until breakfast the next day? And does this mean, like, as a way of life - eat once a day and then don’t eat again as a way of life?

 

As an aside, I feel as though I would have better eating habits (though mine are not bad) if I lived alone. It’s having food and making food for the family that induces me to eat. I ate the least before I was married and when I was childless, because there was no social or family cohesiveness aspect to eating meals.

It is important to look at your own needs. While this might work for most people, for Type II Diabetics, this way of eating would be a nightmare. I tend to eat a small meal about 4 times a day. Eating less food at one time works for me and has helped with weight loss.

[G5052]

Common sense, but it finally dawned on me at 55 that I had a choice. Either I got aggressive about my health, or I was going to have more and more health problems and increasing disability. I had my kids late in life, and of course want to be there for them into adulthood.

 

So I gradually lost 60 pounds and began working out in earnest. I had been going to the gym here-and-there, but I began making it a habit at least three times a week. I also did yoga for stress reduction.Initially I did Nutrisystem, which helped with portion control, but later I had to go off of because of gluten issues, but I completed my weight loss journey. I began at 210 pounds and ended it at 150 pounds.

 

I find that I don't eat near as much as I once did. Yesterday my youngest and I were coming back from an appointment and decided to pick up dinner at Wegman's. I got a small piece of Salmon, their Mexican rice, and their fall veggie mix. That's plenty for me. I do emphasize protein because I'm also a prediabetic.

 

I'm having some issues with the arthritis in my knee and ankle, but I currently do Pilates three times a week and some yoga at home every day.

 

At my last doctor appointment, he said that I'm actually healthier than I was a decade ago in terms of my cholesterol. blood sugar, and weight.

 

It's worth the investment in yourself!

[MBM]

Researcher Valter Longo is answering questions tonight on Facebook starting at 6:00 pm California time. He’s done extensive research on the benefits of fasting and cancer and autoimmune diseases—human studies. Worth just listening to him.

[umsami]

I live in a neighborhood with a lot of Asian multigenerational families.  I see the Indo/Pak and Chinese grandparents walking the 2.5 miles to the front of the neighborhood and back either in the morning or the night, depending on the family, every single day without fail.  I rarely see elderly couples of other ethnicities doing the same thing, especially not as regularly.  You can set your clock by these couples. :)   I aspire to be like them. :)  

[eternalsummer]

I think also there are a few warring tendencies, or biological inclinations you might call them, that work at counter-purposes.  For example, we're probably wired to eat all the fat and sugar we can when we can find it, because historically that was the way to survive later food insecurity - eat what you can when it's available.  Obviously that doesn't serve us all that well now.

 

Similarly, it seems like most of the more "desirable" jobs in the West are desk jobs.  Often we feel like doing something physical is inferior to doing something mental (while sitting).  Some of this is because of a wage disparity, of course, but even if you're looking for part-time, entry-level work, a temp typing job that pays $10/hr is (around here, anyway, and in my social circle) considered "better" than say a landscaping job, or even being a cashier or something.

 

It might be that at least if you're not considering career advancement and the like, a $10/hr job typing is worse for you in the long run than a $8/hr job cutting lawns (not that people can always decide to take a lower paying position for health reasons).

[Barb_]

Oops, that's what I meant. I wonder why that is though...

 

This is commonly what I see too.

Perhaps working outside the home was enough of a mental challenge to stave off Alzheimer's for a larger number of men. Women who are in their 60s-90s were largely homemakers who didn't find much mental stimulation in housework.

 

Depression, even in early life is a risk factor for Alzheimer's too. Homemakers often felt powerless and depressed. Not all, by any means, but enough to make a statistically significant difference, I would imagine.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Barb_

[MamaBearTeacher]

If I ate so little protein my brain would not work, /i would feel very foggy and lightheaded.  I feel best with a balance of protein, carbs, fruit veggies and fats served in moderate options frequently.

 

I have never heard before that eating so little protein is healthy.

 

What is meant by plant protein? beans? legumes? nuts? peas? broccoli? quinoa?

[HS Mom in NC]

I've been reading up on blue zones.  It seems to be a lot of similar advice.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=blue+zones+by+dan+buettner&sprefix=blue+zones%2Caps%2C204&crid=5D22M4GO79G2

[eternalsummer]

I don't eat much protein (except when I'm gestationally diabetic); my body doesn't seem to like it.

 

eta: my brain doesn't work on too few carbs.  I lose IQ points (I process slower, I have less insight, my reaction times are slower, my memory is worse, my vocabulary suffers, etc.).  When I am doing the lower carb diet while pregnant I am miserable.  My blood sugar when not pregnant (and when pregnant, for that matter, because I eat low carb then) is perfect.  

Edited November 20, 2017 by eternalsummer

[Laura Corin]

If I ate so little protein my brain would not work, /i would feel very foggy and lightheaded. I feel best with a balance of protein, carbs, fruit veggies and fats served in moderate options frequently.

 

I have never heard before that eating so little protein is healthy.

 

What is meant by plant protein? beans? legumes? nuts? peas? broccoli? quinoa?

Plant protein would be all of those, although broccoli is quite low protein.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Laura Corin

[Sandwalker]

If I ate so little protein my brain would not work, /i would feel very foggy and lightheaded. I feel best with a balance of protein, carbs, fruit veggies and fats served in moderate options frequently.

 

I have never heard before that eating so little protein is healthy.

 

What is meant by plant protein? beans? legumes? nuts? peas? broccoli? quinoa?

There is protein in most plant foods. Most people in our society eat too much protein, fat, sugar, and salt. This article talks about good sources of plant based proteins. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/vegan-sources-of-protein/ Edited November 20, 2017 by Sandwalker

[eternalsummer]

I guess I didn't really think about how much protein was in plants; I do eat a fair amount by that measure.  

 

For me, when not in late pregnancy, breakfast might be oatmeal + pecans + soymilk + fake butter + maple syrup.

 

Lunch, one of those paper containers of black bean soup that you put boiling water in, add avocado, and an apple.

 

Dinner, either beans and kale and bread or fish and rice and salad or something like that.

 

Snacks, which I eat a lot of, are all either cookies or fruit or crackers and hummus and olives or something.  

 

 

So I just added that all up with one of those calorie counters and it looks like about 1500 calories, 40-50 grams of protein per day, 200-250 carbs.  That is what feels natural.  When I am in late pregnancy, it tends to go more 100-150 carbs, 70g protein.  

[wintermom]

I'm a little curious about how this "80% full" is measured in a scientific as well as a practical day-to-day sense. Stomach sizes stretch and shrink. They aren't static in size over the course of one's lifetime. And how would one know that their stretchable vessel is 80% full?  What exactly does that feel like?  

 

 

[regentrude]

I'm a little curious about how this "80% full" is measured in a scientific as well as a practical day-to-day sense. Stomach sizes stretch and shrink. They aren't static in size over the course of one's lifetime. And how would one know that their stretchable vessel is 80% full?  What exactly does that feel like?  

 

I would imagine this number is more an approximation than an exact measurement. In practical life, it might translate into "I could eat another piece of meat/heap of potatoes/bowl of cereal and it would fit, but if I really think about it, I am actually no longer hungry and could just stop."

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm a little curious about how this "80% full" is measured in a scientific as well as a practical day-to-day sense. Stomach sizes stretch and shrink. They aren't static in size over the course of one's lifetime. And how would one know that their stretchable vessel is 80% full?  What exactly does that feel like?  

 

Yeah, I'd personally like a more useful gauge.  Maybe one doesn't exist.

 

What I don't get is why I can go periods of time feeling fine in that department and then other periods where I am like a bottomless pit.  Something is surely working against me! 

[wintermom]

I would imagine this number is more an approximation than an exact measurement. In practical life, it might translate into "I could eat another piece of meat/heap of potatoes/bowl of cereal and it would fit, but if I really think about it, I am actually no longer hungry and could just stop."

 

Perhaps, but why would a scientist pick 80% of full, as opposed to a specific caloric count when conducting a study?  And if they didn't conduct any studies on this, why proclaim 80% of full is something to strive for?   

 

The actual volume of food person with a large, stretched out stomach would need to fill it 80% full is vastly different than someone with a smaller stomach.