Healthy Diet Healthy Life

This is the diet that pulled me out of my dietary misery. I didn’t do it for weight loss but for overall health, longevity, energy, and mood. It did lower my weight from 185 to 145lbs, which I also weighed in 7th grade before high school football. My skin is clear, women comment on my healthy hair, and people say I look ten years younger. I hope its true.

I’ve put this together for over ten years because people are interested in my diet but don’t know how to do it or want to, or they want to but are intimidated. I hope you find it helpful and get inspired to live healthier.

This article is about going hardcore on a super healthy vegetarian and very low-carb diet, Keto, with lots of variety and fun. It is also about fasting. All to be healthy into our hopefully later years. It is pretty much everything you need to do it well and not struggle, as I did, with several failed attempts, before getting it right.

I’m not a medical professional, so this isn’t advice. It is what has worked for me. I discuss it with all my doctors and other doctors who have all supported this and confirmed that what I’m doing is “the best” to live longer and healthier.  A functional nutritionist recently told me she has never had a patient who was so organized, thorough, and wholesome about diet and that she had nothing to add, change, or offer me. I’ll save you from reading all the blood tests and spreadsheets tracking the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in this diet that I sent her. Instead, I include links to many research articles and videos from qualified medical professionals and scientists.

The Power of Habits

Changing habits requires clear commitments. So, you will still have to manage to clarify your commitment and likely deal with some emotions related to carb addiction. Hopefully, this will inspire you. I do some very interesting in this regard. For example, even now, as I write this, thinking about chocolate cake or cookies makes me feel nauseated — it just happened. I’m glad that sentence is finished. I did a process on myself more than ten years ago, which still holds. I’d happily work with you on your commitment, self-discipline, and habits. Learn more here at TheDeepWork^TM

Another fundamental principle of changing habits, well-proven in motivational psychology and well-known in addiction counseling, is that it is easier to stop one thing if we have a go-to behavior and harder if we don’t. For example, in addition to therapy, cocaine, amphetamine, and sex addicts can have an easier time kicking their ‘bad’ habit if they take up a new ‘good’ one, like running, cold plunges, meditation, or music to get their dopamine hit.

So, now, let’s get to food. Yummy.

Why Vegan instead of just Vegetarian? 85% vs 100%

Why don’t I eat animal protein, you ask? Ten years ago, I received this video from a friend (thank you, dear friend, David, you changed my life); the same week, I learned that my favorite aunt had cancer (she’s fine now). All the ancestors in my bloodline died of cancer, including both parents, and the news scared me. David inspired me to make a massive change to a vegetable-based diet with a more substantial commitment than my two prior failed attempts. In the video, Dr. Michael Greggor, MD, discusses and shares tons of charts and graphs about how a vegetable-based diet prevents or cures the top 15 killers of humans. He also emphasizes that the most significant benefit is cutting out the last 15% of calories from animal protein. So, eating primarily vegetables is good, but eating all vegetables is significantly better. He explains why, and it is compelling.

According to research, vegetarians live about 15 years longer than the rest and are healthier, too. So, if you want more healthy time on this planet… Doctors know this but are reluctant to recommend what they don’t think we will do, so most withhold valuable advice. Also, most doctors are poorly informed about diet; it isn’t what they specialize in, and most, like nutritionists, are equally lazy and undisciplined as the rest, so they also advise what they think we will do, not what is best for us.

This article explains how animal protein causes inflammation. It’s not just about heart disease but also cancer and much more. It focuses on red meat, but it’s true of all meats. Yes, chicken, fish, and shrimp are meats. There is also similar research about casein milk protein, so I don’t eat dairy, except for the occasional triple cream brie or camembert if it crosses my way.

Carbs and my Mood and Energy and the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, also known as metabolic therapy, is high in fat and adequate in protein, but low in carbohydrates. When the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy, it burns fat instead, a process called ketosis. The keto diet has been used to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes, and epilepsy.  It has been successful in the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and epilepsy and is was recently shown to improve metabolic health, including lower blood pressure, triglycerides, and insulin resistance. In a Stanford Medicine study 2024 people on a Keto diet reported improvements in energy, sleep, mood, and quality of life. On average, participants improved 31% on a psychiatrist rating of mental illness. It also is used to treat ADHD as it promotes focus and attention.

My whole life, I struggled with low energy and inconsistent moods as a result of insulin-resistant hypoglycemia, meaning I’d crash hard after sweets and then want more and then crash harder — too much insulin in response to sugar that drove the glycogen out of my blood and into the cells, kind of like the opposite of diabetes and bad. If you relate to this or are someone who gets ‘hangry,’ you are probably hypoglycemic. I recommend you tell your doctor and get the several-hour-long blood test to check, as this type of hypoglycemia won’t appear in the typical fasting blood sugar test. Alternatively, you may already know if you are hypoglycemic after reading this.

The idea of a Ketogenic diet is that 80% of the diet should be fat, the rest 20%  (. 8 g/kilo of body weight) protein, and very low (25-50g) net carbs. The carbs in green vegetables are okay because of all the fiber.

Here is why I do it:

• My doctors all say it is the best. So does the head of the American Cardiology Assoc and an MD; when I checked
• My hypoglycemia, sugar highs and lows, and cravings are greatly diminished to almost nothing. Do you get hangry? Talk to your doctor about keto.
• Carbs metabolize fast, and protein slows, both turning into glycogen. So healthy fat is a slower, longer-lasting energy source. Think of burning an old slow-burning oil candle versus alcohol, a pile of sugar, or a match.
• Fat turns to ketones instead. Think of it as if running your body on diesel; it’s cleaner, lights up the brain differently, and has a near-unlimited supply in our bodies.
• Reduced insulin response
• Tons of energy from burning its fat. 
• More focus and mental clarity. So it’s used to treat ADD/ADHD
• Better hearing
• Better vision (depth of field)
• Burns fat
• Kills cancer
• Revives cells generally
• Boosts immunity
• Vivid dreams

Protein

The first question most people ask is, How do you get your protein? 

Firstly, it’s easy. And it’s an important question because we have been trained to think meat is the meal, vegetables are the side dishes, and only meat is protein. That’s only a good mantra for the butcher. And it’s really bad for that cow. When the waitress asks if I want to add protein to my salad, I say, “Yes, broccoli.” They are usually stumped. More on this later.

A low-carb diet with meat is dangerous and not heart-healthy. Only keto vegan is supported by the American Heart Association.

So, it would be hard to cut meat if you don’t have other options. These are what I eat for protein. It isn’t very hard to get to the 90g of protein I want at 145 lbs. You can use Google to find a protein calculator, and be sure to tell it your age and if you wish to gain or maintain muscle mass. (About .6 grams of protein/lb of body weight more if you are older or want to gain or retain muscle). For me, this is most of the weight of my diet, but only about 15-20% of the calories I eat. That’s a critical difference.

This is how I get all the protein and the necessary mix of amino acids (the protein components that our body needs and can’t make itself to make other stuff, muscles, tissue, neurotransmitters, etc.)

25g Wheat Gluten/Seitan (thin four with the carbs taken out – I buy in 4lb bags from Anthony’s on Amazon) I make a ‘dough’ and boil them like flatter matza balls, about eight and enough for the week. Then I cut and stir-fry them like chicken; you can season the dough if you like and or do it afterward)

25g p Pea and Rice protein (mixed for complete amino combined with one scoop). Don’t, but he brands that add sugar or sugar substitutes. Plan, unflavored, is more versatile. Put in shakes and add to soups.

25 g Extra Firm Tofu—(1/2 -1/3 of a package) Sauté, put in a shake, or make miso soup or Indian or Thai curry.

15 g Fake Eggs from Mung Beans at Whole Foods and Amazon are great for omelets. You’ll be very surprised.

Nuts and seeds: Pumpkin seeds are an especially great source of protein and minerals.

• No-carb noodles made from seaweed that are mostly protein
• Very Low carb ‘noodles’ made from Hearts of Palm. Very Yummy. Add some flax, and it cuts the net carb to almost zero. It’s not protein, but let’s keep it with the past substitute.

There are lots of vegetarian fake meats if you must. Find it in the cold or freezer section. I like Beyond Meat. It’s pea protein and most meat-like. Some ‘ground,’ as ‘burgers, ‘hot dogs’ and ‘sausages’. But all the fake meats are expensive, processed, and have additives. I don’t want to keep the desire for meat, so I rarely eat these. And It’s fun once in a while. 

Nuts for snacks, mouse, and gelato. My favorites for high protein, low carbs are Pistachio, walnuts, cashews, and pecans, in that order. Mixing is also helpful for balancing vitamins and minerals. I made the chocolate mouse this morning after soaking it in water overnight and blending it in a food processor. Awesome!! Here is another favorite: add 1/2 cup of nuts in a Cuisinart until it becomes almost a nut butter. Then I add 1/2 cup of frozen berries and blend till it looks like ice cream. Best ‘gelato’ I ever had. Be careful; it’s addictive and high calorie, but all healthy fat. Substitute avocado for nuts, or use a bit of both.

Cruciferous Veg (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.).

I have mixed feelings about 25 g of Collagen Peptides, which are powder from beef. But we need collagen as we age, and it’s so processed that I doubt it has the elements that cause inflammation. I couldn’t find anything about it online. If you see something about this, please send it to me.

So what do I eat? Mostly Organic Vegetables and Vegetable Fats

Green (Non-starchy) vegetables: Leafy greens [healthline.com], beet greens (great for potassium), Brussels sprouts, zucchini, broccoli, bok-choy cauliflower, green peppers, mushrooms, kimchee. And Spinach for vitamin A — Remember, “Green is Good“

Avocados: Whole avocados, guacamole. Good source of fat and potassium (3/day)

Green Vibrance: Drink fresh green juice in the morning or break the daily fast before lunch.

Oils are the most dense in terms of calories. That’s why we love them. Seven tablespoons of olive oil are 1000 calories, for example.

Coconut products: Full-fat coconut milk, coconut cream, unsweetened coconut. Coconut or Palm  MCT MCT oil [healthline.com].

Other Oils including olive, nut, coconut, and avocado. Not seed oils.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Walnuts, hemp seeds [healthline.com], macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds. More below in the protein section.

Nut and seed butter: Almond butter (better), sunflower butter, cashew butter, and organic-only peanut butter (sparingly) are not nuts and have more carbs.

Vegan non-dairy ‘milk’: Coconut/almond yogurt, vegan butter, cashew cheese, vegan cream cheese. However, I stay away from brands that are primarily carbs, like Daiya.

Berries: Blueberries are very low carb, are balanced by lots of fiber, and are also good for potassium and other super nutrients: blackberries, raspberries, and rarely strawberries.

·         No Sugar Baking Chocolate, cocoa powder, cacao

• Chocolate Coconut Oil Packs snacks for the road:

Sugar and the very low-carb diet

Why to avoid sugar, including fructose (fruit sugar), agave, honey, and other sugar substitutes?

How much sugar is ok? And “Healthy,” Vegan,” “Low carb,” no “added sugar,” blah blah, lies. Don’t trust and learn to read the labels:

Even what you might think is a small amount, like 1 gram of added sugar, which is 1/3 of a teaspoon (3g is a teaspoon), will make me very tired, grumpy, and blah for about 6 hours. It will also kick me out of ketosis, which means I’ll feel quite lethargic for 1-3 days until my body uses up all the glycogen.

Here is a great article I found recently that describes the link between sugar and cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. NIH Article. I also don’t drink alcohol for 12 years. It turns to sugar, but it’s worse.

The cool thing is once I felt the rush of being in ketosis, like a good coffee kicking in, being pushed out because I screwed up, and having a bite of birthday cake felt so bad that I was very motivated not to do that again. Believe the marketing on the front of food makers that claim “healthy,” “keto,” no added sugar, no sugar, low carb, etc., they often sneak in palm sugar, coconut sugar, agave, honey, dates, and sugar unhealthy substitutes (read more on the bottom).

More on sugar and sugar alcohol?

Why is sugar bad?  All sugars fructose, glucose, table, cane, beet, coconut, brown sugars, honey, agave, and sugar alcohols, especially even when not eaten with the natural fiber as in whole fruit and vegetables, increase blood glucose, raising blood IGF, a marker for inflammation which creates a breeding ground for cancer.  That’s why people go keto, and why Metformin is being touted as a life extender for everyone. It reduces blood sugar levels, even for ‘healthy’ people. For people with hypoglycemia, all sugar is a no-no.    Google search for the latest on this

Maltitol and sorbitol are sugar alcohols with a lower, but significant glycemic impact.   I avoid them because of ketosis and hypoglycemia, but they aren’t more dangerous than any other sugar except for bloating and gas.

These two sugar alcohols are dangerous.

Xylitol: is a sugar alcohol that is used in chewing gum because it may reduce tumors and promote oral health (NIH Article) however it also leads to heart disease and cardio vascular events (NIH Article). No more gum for me, damn.

Erythritol was recently cited as causing blood clotting.  NIH Article

Stevia has become quite popular because it is natural and a very sweet, but not glycemic sweetener. According to Medical News Today, stevia causes nausea, bloating, low blood pressure, and hormone disruption.  Mixed research. 

Saccharin and NutraSweet, the yellow and pink packets from decades ago, are a no! For decades, they have been directly linked to cancer.

Now that I don’t eat sugar, fruits, or carbs other than greens, even broccoli tastes sweet. I also eat baking chocolate (0 sugar), and it’s not bitter to me. The change in perception happened fast.

Supplements

Maintaining a healthy mineral and vitamin balance is essential, so I take supplements, mostly because I haven’t perfected getting the perfect amount of vitamins and minerals from my food, and some are harder to get from just vegetables. So I also eat:

• Water: I drink 1-2 oz/lb of body weight water daily to process all the fat and protein metabolism and flush the minerals, which assists the kidneys in working well. So, drink 3/4-1 gallon of highly filtered, hydrogenated minerals-added water each day.
• Nutritional yeast for B Vitamins and amino acids
• Fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and spices. Dr. Michael Greggor has excellent articles and videos on this.
• Electrolyte Concentrate Drops in my water. This is very important!! Getting 3-5g of Sodium, 3-4g of Potassium, and Magnesium electrolytes in your water helps a lot. Additionally, I take 300 mg of magnesium at night and 90 mg of potassium in the morning. 
• Ground (not whole) chia and flax seeds before a meal are good sources of fiber and Omega 3 Fats and reduce hunger.
• Ceylon Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and is the most safe variety. Also useful if I screw up and accidentally and leave ketosis. Read about why Ceylon cinnamon is best.
• Omega 3 oil 1-2g, also D3, Iron, Zinc

You or your doctor can order a blood test for vegetarians from Quest, too to make sure you get vitamins and minerals correct.

To help get through the first days of the transition to no carb.

• Ketone Ester [ketoneaid.com] will last a month if you take just a few ml/day in am.
• Breath ketone tester to measure ketones until you learn how to do this correctly.

Fasting and Weight and Longevity

According to much research, fasting seems to shift our metabolism and many bodily functions, extending life through cell rejuvenation, weight loss, the release of stem cells, cancer-killing, and more. I also find that shorter 16-hour fasts, or longer ones like 1-2 days or longer 3-10 days, are fantastic ways to reset how I feel and how I sleep and address the issues related to my psychology around eating, and we all have some stuff there. It is incredibly empowering and even life-altering to reinforce my self-discipline this way. We’ll die minutes after losing oxygen and three days without water, but depending on our weight and other factors, most people can go three weeks without food quite safely. Want to learn more? There are some great documentaries and articles out there.

The Science of Fasting [amazon.com/video]

https://besynchro.com/blogs/blog/the-profound-benefits-of-fasting-and-autophagy [besynchro.com]

I hope this was useful, interesting, and inspiring. Try experimenting and see what you enjoy and what works. Get creative. I grew up in Chicago, a real meat and potatoes kind of town. Now, I can enjoy a very occasional bite that tastes great, but I have no problem going to Morton’s with friends and eating grilled vegetables, knowing I leave feeling light. At the same time, my friends gorge on their favorite steak, and they leave feeling too full, look heavier and older (even when they are not), and are often on these new peptide drugs, Ozempic, that only work if you take them and do have side effects. I like my great blood work, complexion, energy, my slight athletic figure and hopefully many extra healthy years.

Keep me posted, and let me know how it goes. If you need some guidance, reach out.