Public Live Draft
If you are new to this channel, welcome to the Internet’s least visited independent thoughts on nutrition and wellness. The less spoken side(s) included.
Part 1 Summary (with opening disclaimer)
Circumstances over last few months made me rethink how I had to approach this year’s annual food for thoughts. Because it has been challenging in ways, relating to my career as I cope daily at preparing contingents on top of contingents.
I am sorry if that sound vague. Part of the reason here is social privacy (subjected-to) volatility. Being a content creator these days, especially if one also relies on living another life for bread-and-butter – represents that very fine thread between surveillance and scrutiny. I invite you to consider watching my public impartiality disclosure. I invite and welcome you all, irrespective whether we’ve worked in the past, at present or prospectively.
Thank you for your patience.That aside, Moving on.
The Book? The Rewrite? Still on-going
I am still not able to progress as much, with honest apologies once again, with the book’ rewriting. But all I can say is that yes, I am still rewriting many segments. Clarifying, correcting one paragraph after another.
I absolutely felt indebted as I am still in the weeds (re)correcting my own embarrasments. Splitting logics. Incomplete pre-requisite topics and knowledge base for onboarding readers the much needed actionables.
These are exactly the sort of hurdles writers don’t talk about. And I wonder why that is.
Nutrition, metrics, daily rituals
Cyclical Keto / low carb + IF schedule wise remained more or less the same. Six Weekdays LCIF (Low carbohydrate, 20-22 hours IF). Saturdays and Sundays aka re-freed or carb allowance days are just few personal savour(s) lasting anywhere from 10 to 16 hours of feed across those two days.
I train anywhere up to six days per week. Stress mounted yet once again some toll on me.
If you are new looking these numbers, I gently remind you the above is not merely a way of eating. But a way of life. I will explain what how and why on these – in my introductory sections of the (book rewriting).
Calorie intake wise (20-22 hours weekday fasts) hovers anywhere between 1700 to 2500. The latter of course is rare, depending if I’m actually (really) that hungry. Refeed days hover 2500 to 3200 kcals.
Glucose reports, at least only on days where I have tracked routinely thus far – is coming soon.
Over the last year or two – I have reduced my reliance of supplementations. But circumstances made me think otherwise (for the better, I guess). More on this on later passage.
Right now my staples are simply down to (on top of non negotiables potassium chlorides and ordinary rock salts) just – ALCAR, gingko, COQ10, K2+Vitamin D (10kiu with 100mcg on the menaquinone mark 4 or 2).
I even tried out of curiosity foregoing magnesium supplements for months by using the sulphate flakes / epsom salts. Long story short ~ apart from potential gut distension propensities I don’t think it was an appetising experience because the metallic taste does take a bit of getting used to. Now I have been using Elektra brand, food grade hexahydrate chloride and found it more tolerable. And thankfully does last quite a while. As I took anywhere up to a (flat) teaspoon or up to four finger pinch amounts throughout the day in the coffees.
Reintroducing Soya Wadi ~ as Buffer protein foods
For quite a few years I despised TVP or anything to do with soy proteins due to their (very HIGH! oxalate footprint). However as budgets tighten the need for me to find other Buffer Foods viable remains front and centre day by day.
But let me first admit one thing. Ever since I wrote my thoughts on Veganism in 2017 – has not budged my opinion that plant based eating has one major merit. Economics.
Reincorporating Soya Wadi – indeed re-confirmed that. Could this be viable as a buffer protein foods after all these years? I would say both yes and no. With caution.
Let’s start with good news. It is still, one may argue gram for gram, dollar for dollar – the most economical protein buffer foods. 100g for 55-60g of proteins, 15-20g of carbohydrates mostly as fibre. All for Four to five bucks, for 500g dry weight. You might say that’s paltry amount, but that is unreconstituted, dry weight. Read my previous article on how to prep these.
But now onto the bad. On top of mental “numbness” I often refer to for years in the past, which did resurface, so too notably the heaviness on (upper flank / backs) I noted curiously among days where these soy proteins get incorporated as buffer. Suspecting oxalates are at play, compelled me to re-dig through the current literatures.
As much as 350+ mg of oxalate is reported here per 3 ounce of serving of TVP (“serving” presuming it is properly reconstituted with boiling water). Consider that for general context ~ ONLY FIFTY (yes, “50”) per day max for adults is the widely
Then there is the confusing aspect of phytates, including phytic acid. Generally, Phytates seems to be protective against kidney stones risk formation (here) and (here). Yet on this animal study – it actually worsens especially also – if CALCIUM intake themselves are LOW. So, TVP and soy proteins in general does have varyingly both high amount of phytates and high oxalates. So we have two confounders that are interestingly are at complimentary odds one another here.
In light of the above (and my own experience) – If one wish to gamble onwards by resorting to TVP and Soya wadi….I’d say proceed with caution.
The Bad?
Now – onto the bad. Unlike 2024’s very unexpected upper flank “flare/s” emanated out of nowhere months on end crippling my training (and my wallet)-
But in exchange ~ a different problem for me to think about. Weeks to month(s) of –elbow joints tenderness (right side unfortunately). Same kind of mystery in 2024 – difficult to trace the “when” and/or “how”. Out of the blue. (Almost) random.
Personal research led me to to “Golfer’s Elbow” or specifically “medial epicondylitis”. Here the pain (as pictured) seems localised on the inner bone (facing torso that is, on supinated arm position [palm facing facing up/forward not downwards / “pronation”]). There were other signs that made me suspects other things. Chiefly among them – pinched nerve possibility (technical term I suspect here ~ “Ulnar” impeachment or nerve compression.
Yes – training wise – it did affect my pull-based training capacity. Limited rest <45s, heavy bent over rows over 50kg (excluding 20kg bar) was definitely a no go.
Where I am now – I am thankfully recovering. Although be forewarned it is one of those ailments that comes and goes. You need to be patient. Very patient weeks to months in my case, on end.
The Bad – the mental stress. Big time.
“Relax! Cheer up! Take a chill pill! Get over it.”
If you are among the Type-A personality, this concept initiative probably have less to resonate with you (unless if you are open to its ideas among frugality). No, I’m not intentionally alienating anyone here. In fact, I’d praise all you folks in this category with a little envy.
You might fidget and be seen as impatient a lot, at times. But you are the go-getter in the pack. The wolf among sheep. Alpha among beta. The loud one first, among the quiet. Capitalistic. Given a choice whether to become the world’s best ~ chess player or (most daring) stunt actor ~ you’d pick the latter in a heartbeat.
Gary V, Dan Pena, stoicism, and hustle porn – might be your antidote to boredom. Hell, you might probably find them entertaining as what these channel(s) and influencers have to say – as probably nothing new to you.
So where am I on the “spectrum”? Likely towards the opposite. Observational, slow, and private. Weak but enduring. I can fast for up to 40 hours at a time, and I can still go and train. Mindfully, that is.
Last few months towards end of this year saw a time of my life where mental health, circumstances-derived that is, took a far greater toll in ways I could not have anticipated. Privacy once again, being important here to preserve obedience and/or bridges.
I found myself dwelling deep back to topics on methylation and my own nutrigenomics panel back in 2022 to see if what I have been doing (and learning since then) have improved. What does not change (obviously), is me. Stuck within problems many often do not understand.
Catechyl-O-methyl transferase (COMT) is a gene responsible for breaking down stress and fight/flight family Catecholamines – dopa, api, norepi’s, adrenaline). For those who don’t know I have a slow(er) COMT methylation (“Met” variety), though in the report I am considered to be a 50/50, or in technical terms – “Val/Met”. Obviously, there is much more nuance than this just one “gene”.
I have dialed back on anything that slows down my COMT even more. Foods high in copper, maintaining liver health (started taking NAC) and emphasizing back Magnesium, higher dose Zinc (to offset / antagonise copper), and gingko all seem to help. There’s also other peculiar, small things but big implications – reintroducing black tea (whilst slowly reducing coffees) appear to keep me level-headed especially in (very challenging) conversations (think grid-locked type of scenario – no if’s not but’s). Methylfolates, in form of dark leafy greens also help curiously among them – Swiss Chards).
But, and there is always a but in all N=1 self interventions. A lot of these helper foods does contribute to opposite (obvious) problem ~ oxalate toxicity. In just few weeks symptoms ~ that I thought I resolved for years prior – resurfaces again. But thankfully I am managing so far.
More on this in the next Part of this food for thoughts.
To conclude
I am still fasting weekdays (LCIF almost exclusively, without deviation, net carbs between 50 to 60g on higher days) extending to weekends with carbohydrate allowance. All that since stressful mayhem(s) of 2023 which did not end, to this day I’m typing this (if not, daily recurrence ~ contingent work on top of work). Seven (7) thus far years and soon approaching eighth of CKD+IF.
I don’t celebrate anything “big”. Little moments be it rice pudding after 5 days of LCIF and training, is just the same as being greeted with 2 hours of pressure cooked beef bone / gelatinous cut simmer. Little moments like these savour. But not for long.
Alas the book is still in its rewriting. And many more “debts” both academic, personal borderline existential. The best or worst (I believe either is aptly opportunistic) – is perhaps, yet to come.
Day in and day out one has to make do without another. As soon as something good happens (gains), you will (lose) or be objected and subjected to something else.
Like Jordan Peterson said (love him or hate him), “Sacrifice. You damn well have to pick your sacrifice”.
Live-It-Forward
AW.