Longevity and health

[mccoy]

By the way, Steve (this also extends to Eric, Uwe and other friends here), if you are interested, I can analyze your average diet and see the amounts of the macro and micro nutrients, perhaps give some suggestions according to what I perceive presently as the unbiased state of the art in nutrition science, from a vegetarian perspective.

A little like you interpreting my horoscopes.

By the way, presently my opinion about protein is that it is better to eat them in moderation (a little more than the RDA, so a little more than suggested in the 2014 Cell article), but to eat most of them in highly absorbable amounts and efficient combinations. Dairy products, eggs, and soy products mainly (but also roasted pistachio nuts and some other combinations of vegetable and animals protein). Also, it is good to follow the istinct and to eat more when needed, that is, when the pure neurological signals, devoid of any attachment to food, suggest eating more and eating more protein. This has been hinted at by Sri Yukteswar when he wrote among other things that we should eat according to our digestive power. Digestive power which is not always the same at all times.

[mccoy]

Thanks for your generous offer, mccoy! 

LOL, you re welcome!

[guest587]

Ditto, that is a nice service you'd be willing to offer- considering how extensively you've researched nutrition.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

I agree Eric but I wonder has mccoy changed his views dramatically on the amount of protein as being helpful to older people ? I remember he used to write about the effects of protein on younger people as being helpful but protein being more difficult to metabolize with older people, because younger people need it as their muscular strength increased.

Mccoy; The strange situation i found was that all those articles you wrote, several years ago, about diet are now gone. I certainly didn’t delete them. Regardless of what your views were; the thread and posts have all ‘disappeared’ or were deleted? I honestly have not found any of them. Perhaps you can help me?

[Jitendra Hydonus]

Mccoy

It is very difficult to respond to your post since you appear to have accidentally typed it out on my name and avatar, look at the post directly above. You have directed your comment to me seemingly accidentally using my avatar and name. I left it for awhile for you to correct. But it appears you have not noticed it.

I am not disappointed with your change of view but rather the fact that all the comments associated with it have either been deleted or vanished into thin air in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to take away old threads and posts. Do I have any further comment or knowledge of such events? Ofcourse not … I was not associated with such views . But I have changed my views in the past. I have no reason to have to be right. But accept the fact that we all change and evolve in our vision and views. This is part of spiritual understanding and growth.

[mccoy]

Steve, I tried to clean out a little of my mess. This is my original answer:

Steve, I don't know where those posts are, I barely remember I wrote them!

Are you disappointed that I changed my mind about protein? I simply cited very credible scientific material which would point to the opposite of what I said. Which made me change my mind. The important aspect is that protein does not equal meat, also nobody says (barring a few ones) that we should go to extremes in eating protein.
The path of yoga is the path of moderation. Presently, I would translate it in scientific terms, this is the path of optimization, we should optimize everything, consumption of food and protein included, in such a way as to use the  minimum amount that provides the best results.

Speaking of protein, the optimum is usually an amount that sits within a range and varies according to individuals and many other factors, including age, activity, biological cycles and so on. The optimum also depends upon protein composition, content in essential amino acids and ileal digestibility.

[mccoy]

And, I agree it would have been much better to have all those posts, but I really do not remember, my mistakes usually consist of clicking 'modify' instead of 'quote', so I may overwrite a post of another user, as it happened with you. But I really do not remember having deleted intentionally a post, let alone multiple posts.

To get back to the protein issue, in the 'war of religions' between vegans and carnivores, few protein is a concept supported by the vegans, many protein is supported by the carnivores or paleo followers.

We should support the concept of proprietarianism, as explained by Yogannda, that is, follow a proper diet with the proper amount of protein.

What is the proper amount? Not very much according to most credible sources. Not very little either.

But the concept, rather than protein in general, should be extended further to essential aminoacids, which are not synthesized by the body.

I think SRF still suggests a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet because a vegan diet may bring about deficiencies. Also, meditation and not diet is the focus of SRF. Too much thinking about diet, as it often happens with vegans, may be counterproductive to spiritual life.

[guest587]

[mccoy]

I concur, too much junk and overprocessed food at Xmas.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

Known for its mild flavor, canola oil is a staple ingredient in many kitchens. However, there’s been a lot of controversy over how healthy it actually is.

Read on for an overview of both sides of the argument, how to select and store, and when to use this oil in baking or cooking.

The Basics

Created by Canadians, the word “canola” is actually a combination of “Canadian” and “oil.”

While rapeseed plants on their own contain toxic compounds, canola plants were created through cross breeding of rapeseed plants with one’s that don’t contain those toxic compounds.

Canola oil comes from pressing the seeds of the canola plant (plus some additional processing); the leftover pressed seed is then used for animal feed.

Currently, the majority of canola plants are genetically modified to increase plant tolerance to herbicides. But we’ll get to all the GMO-stuff later in this guide.

Nutrition Overview

I’m going to be completely honest: writing and researching this post shook my (nutritional) world.

During my time in grad school and working in the field, I was always taught that canola oil was the second healthiest oil, after extra-virgin olive oil, as it is high in monounsaturated fats and low saturated fat. However, the more I started looking into it, there seems to be very mixed messages as to the level of processing and its effects on the nutrient quality of canola oil.

Nutrition Basics:



1 tablespoon of canola oil contains 124 calories, 12% RDA for vitamin E, and 12% RDA for vitamin K.

As for fat, it contains 7% saturated fat, 65% monounsaturated fat, and 28% polyunsaturated fat, with 21% of the PUFAs being omega-6 and the remaining 11% omega-3.

Controversy:

From the nutrition basics, you can understand why dietitians have always been a fan: not a lot of saturated fat and a good amount of healthy fats. Plus there have been numerous observational studies showing an association between canola oil consumption and decreased risk of heart disease.

However, many of those studies are actually funded by the canola oil industry (such as this one).

In a more recent 2018 review (that wasn’t industry-funded), participants (all of whom were obese or overweight) who regularly used canola oil in cooking were more likely to have metabolic syndrome, while those who cooked with olive oil were significantly less likely to have metabolic syndrome.

As briefly talked about above, most canola oil that we buy in the store has gone through heavy processing, involving exposure to chemicals and high heat. While this refinement process makes canola oil able to withstand higher temperatures, it also decreases the amount of healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins in the oil.

And while you can buy unrefined, cold-pressed canola oil, its smoke point will be lower, making it unsuitable for high-heat cooking.

Another concern is that while it does have a good amount of MUFA’s, canola oil is relatively high in omega-6 fatty acids. Check out my previous post here to see why the balance between omega-6’s and omega-3’s is so important.

Finally, over 90% of canola crops in the US are genetically engineered; while GMO’s have been approved for human consumption, we still don’t have sufficient data to show what regular consumption of GMO foods may have on our health in the long-term.

Bottom line:

While I wouldn’t say that canola oil needs to be avoided completely, until we have more robust evidence I think it’s a good idea to try to use extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil in place of canola for everyday cooking. Instead, reserve canola for the occasional baked goods that require a more mild-flavored cooking oil.

https://www.thehealthytoast.com/meet-your-ingredients-canola-oil

[guest587]

An improper balance of excessive omega-6's and not enough omega-3's can cause depression, aggression, suicidal tendencies and other negatively associated mental behaviors. Mental illness is rampant in the West, in part because our greed from the industrial revolution went unchecked. We dumped excess chemical toxins in our natural water resources. We opted in for cheaper producing methods favoring immediate gratification. We created depravity in the name of profitability for some. The majority of, "food stamps" are spent on highly processed foods, sugary beverages and unnatural products that contribute to the pandemic that is mental illness.

The experimental injections were rushed, and it wasn't because it would save lives. It was because the pharmaceutical companies, who are exempt from legal persecution from any damages their product creates, make excessive profit. Former President Trump was tricked by his Ego and a two-faced cabinet into thinking mass distributing these nontraditional 'vaccines' would paint him as a national hero. We are barley entering the time requirements to compile long term side effect data, and what is being presented around the world is censored by governing officials- the whistleblowers that do come forward are attacked by their nations institutions and the world continues to spread the lie that these injections are safe and effective, despite their efficacy rate dramatically dropping in less than a year.

Some reports are showing that authorities knew myocarditis as a common side effect prior to the launch of the injection campaign- not only did they proceed gung-ho they attacked any initial claims that the injections were to linked to heart irregularities or blood clots. SAD, "Sudden adult death" syndrome was on the rise, and the world pretended like it was a mystery.

Like with food, science can be bought and, the truth of a matter can take years to reach an already marred population. 

[Jitendra Hydonus]

“They contribute to an unhealthy amount of consumed food”. I wonder if you ever hear phrases in your head, like that? It supports the notion that Eric wrote in another thread that we are dreaming all the time . All 24 hours. At any rate as I woke up this morning from a sound sleep I heard that phrase so I decided to include it in what seemed like the most related thread upon awakening. Then I started  to read some of the posts here and decided I placed the phrase in a seemingly appropriate spot.

I myself am attempting to lower the amounts of, gluten, wheat and sugars in my diet in an attempt to regain some of the energy I had in being a younger man. And it does appear I’m making marginal success, although fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant where I live in the summer and are priced much lower. I have found that as the body ages it is more important to be observant about what we put in it. Although in many ways I was more health conscious as a younger person. Perhaps 🤔 it was because I was more disciplined as mccoy pointed out about his life, when he was younger. However, at the same time I think I may have gone overboard in my attitude about discipline and cramped my social life. For what ever worth that may have had on my balance in being happy, and doing the most appropriate things to enhance a spiritual life, and in my interaction with friends.

In the long and short of it I believe that I may have just had a moment of writing thoughts welling up from some inner source than well thought out replies for this topic.

[mccoy]

Re. Canola oil: I've never been interested in this product because here, in the realm of Mediterranean, it is not used at all.

Presently, one of the best sources on nutrition in the tubesphere is Gil Carvalho, MD and Phd in biology, he really shows no bias and appears to construe correctly the complexity of the interaction between food and body health.

What he often says when speaking of a health aspect, underlining the extreme complexity of biological processes and their interaction with the individual genetic makeup:  there are a million moving parts, nothing is simple.

[mccoy]

I myself am attempting to lower the amounts of, gluten, wheat and sugars in my diet in an attempt to regain some of the energy I had in being a younger man. And it does appear I’m making marginal success, although fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant where I live in the summer and are priced much lower. I have found that as the body ages it is more important to be observant about what we put in it. Although in many ways I was more health conscious as a younger person. Perhaps 🤔 it was because I was more disciplined as mccoy pointed out about his life, when he was younger. However, at the same time I think I may have gone overboard in my attitude about discipline and cramped my social life. For what ever worth that may have had on my balance in being happy, and doing the most appropriate things to enhance a spiritual life, and in my interaction with friends.

Steve, most probably the energy as a younger man cannot be completely retrieved late in life, not even with the best dietary regimen. My diet has never been objectively better than today, but I certainly have not the energy I had until 15 years ago. Perhaps some targeted supplements may do, I am going to experiment for example with NMN and some other molecules.

In a very few words the best diet appears to be, according to the main nutritional authorities, a Mediterranean diet in all its variations. It is what the SRF lessons suggest. The backbone of it is vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, whole grain cereals, legumes, some animal protein (dairy mostly) , for those who don't have ethical issues fish or a little white meat.

As a young man I had a very strong willpower, but less discrimination. I wish I had both back then, I would have been formidable. But I do not complain, willpower as a whole has served me well, and discrimination was sufficient, due mainly to the Mentoring of the SRF masters.

[mccoy]

Canola oil again. It was interesting to listen to Dr. Carvalho's podcast. Scientific evidence so far is favorable to canola oil, in moderate amounts, even if refined or heated. It compares to olive oil and because of the high smoking point is good for cooking.

Of course, when eaten within junk food the whole is not healthy, also when eaten in high amounts it may provide an excess of calories.