《The Ray Peat Survival Guide》 Introduction&The Genius中英
Author:Joey Lott
译者:徐泾东八号出口
前言
我写这本书是为了一个非常具体的人。看看那个人是不是你。阅读下面的描述,如果其中任何一项对你来说是正确的,那么你就来对地方了; 继续读下去。如果没有,那就继续读吧,因为这本书不适合你。
你的健康状况不太好。也许你一直在否认这一点,直到现在你才承认你的睡眠很糟糕,你的精力很差,你的情绪不是你想要的那样。或者你知道自己已经病了很长时间。也许你有甲状腺问题,也许慢性疲劳。也许别的东西。但你知道你感觉很糟糕。
不管你是否在否认,一段时间以来,你一直在尝试各种方法来帮助自己感觉更好。我的意思是,你可能是一个例外,但很少有人对雷的想法感兴趣,除非他们已经首先耗尽了所有其他“合理的”选择。你很可能已经尝试过各种各样的饮食。你可能尝试过原始饮食、低碳水饮食、零碳水/无素、素食、低脂、低卡、无糖等等饮食。不管有没有成功,最终,都没有兑现承诺或希望。事实上,如果你像大多数人一样开始研究雷的想法。然后这些其他的饮食最终会让你感觉更糟。现在你可能有胰岛素抵抗(在低碳饮食中很常见),脱发,性欲丧失,便秘,水肿,不耐冷,手脚冰冷,甲状腺功能减退恶化,失眠,等等。
所以现在你想抓住救命稻草,在网上看到了雷的名字。也许一开始你害怕相信他可能是对的,但后来你开始开放一点思想。现在,你要么是在试验这些想法,要么是在考虑。
但是你有疑问。你有恐惧。你想把它做好。你想让它完美。因为你现在感觉很不舒服不想冒险把事情弄得更糟。
对了,我有没有提到你们中可能有一半人有限制性饮食失调的病史? 也许你已经承认了,也许你还没有。但至少有一半人有过对食物的恐惧、对增重的恐惧、对失控的恐惧、对生病的恐惧、对肮脏或不洁的恐惧,或构成限制性饮食失调的任何其他恐惧和焦虑的历史。
如果我和我的描述很接近,那么我坚信这本书可以帮助你。我了解你,因为我经历过。我与严重的限制性饮食失调症斗争了20多年。我尝试了几乎所有你能想到的节食方法。我痴迷于完美和纯洁,这些年来我病得越来越重,直到我真正(并且正当地)关心我的生活。只有在我用尽了所有其他对我来说合理的选择之后,我才终于开始接受雷的想法。
然后,我会告诉你们我做了什么,这是很多人开始探索雷的想法时犯的错误。我试着把他启发的饮食/生活方式做到完美。我试着变得纯洁。
你猜怎么着? 因此,像许多雷的追随者一样,我把同样的旧的无序习惯转移到新的,雷所启发的外观上。具有讽刺意味的是,这只会使长期的压力和痛苦持续下去,而这些压力和痛苦正是我开始时的疾病和不愉快症状的根源。
压力-雷可能会第一个告诉你这是头号杀手。
如果你不能摆脱压力,那么无论你吃多少凝胶,无论你喝多少橙汁,无论你吃多少甲状腺药片,无论你用多少红光照射自己,你都很难完全恢复。
因此,在这本书中,我主要的希望是与你们分享我认为是天才的雷佩特的思想,同时也使你们避免错误地把“雷食主义”变成一个不断恶化的疾病和痛苦循环的下一个阶段。的确,对于绝大多数人来说,完全没有必要把事情做得那么“完美”、“纯粹”。事实上,学会放手去追求完美和纯粹地做一件事,可能会让你感觉更好。真的。我知道你可能认为你是例外,但你很可能不是。
在你承诺一辈子只喝牛奶、橙汁、阿司匹林和墨西哥可口可乐之前,我建议你愿意以开放的心态去探索我在本书中与你分享的东西。
天才
我们生活在一个由企业利益主导的世界。这些利益的影响是如此深远和根深蒂固,以至于几乎每个人,包括大多数“替代”健康研究人员,都在许多人甚至不知道的情况下受到影响。医疗行业与制药行业警匪一窝。制药工业与农业勾结在一起。农业是化学工业,所有这些工业与军事和政府的关系是复杂和乱伦的。
所以很难找到有真正原创和独立想法的人。
但是雷就是这样一个人。
这说明雷是对的吗? 不。
这样他就不会犯错了吗?不。
这是否使他的作品成为一个整体? 不。
但是雷有一些独到的见解,他是一个完全独立的思想家,而且据我所知,他有一颗善良的心。他的想法在理论上是合理的,尽管肯定不是无可辩驳的,他的许多想法都是在橡胶遇到道路的地方; 人们通过把这些想法付诸实践而受益。
雷的工作有很多值得称赞的地方。在我看来,他传达的关于天才的主要信息如下:
相信你自己的经验和你与生俱来的学习、成长、发现和适应的能力。放弃对那些不关心你的系统的信仰,尤其是那些为了自己的利益而积极地想要利用你的系统。
医疗/制药/农业行业在很多事情上对你撒谎。
糖不是邪恶的。事实上,在最坏的情况下,它是中性的,在最好的情况下,它是治疗和强大的,有益的能量来源。
对大多数人来说,大量摄入多不饱和脂肪可能是不健康的,而饱和脂肪具有保护作用和营养价值。甲状腺激素对身体的大量代谢功能至关重要,因此保护、治愈和滋养甲状腺对身体健康至关重要。
盐-(即氯化钠)并不是我们被告知的邪恶,它实际上是有治疗作用的。
增加雌激素和血清素可能是非常糟糕的主意。
我们所生活的文化的价值观常常与个人的幸福相冲突。
最后,尽管我知道雷可能会以不同的方式看待他的作品,但我对他传达的信息的总结是: 独立思考。是的,他支持非常具体的观点,但是他的生活所传达的信息他的个人和工作所传达的信息是挑战现状,为自己思考,基于你的观点是什么是经验上真实的什么是理论上吸引人的。
不幸的是(至少从我的角度来看),雷的作品和生活中的激进天才经常被扭曲,以适应那些了解他的人狭隘的意识形态。我们中太多的人都试图从他的建议中,特别是他的饮食建议中,创造出一种新的宗教或新的道德,而不是听核心信息去独立思考。
这很具有讽刺意味。雷写了一篇完整的文章关于他眼中威廉·布莱克的才华,在那篇文章中。他清楚地表明,他最欣赏布莱克的品质之一是他的独创性和他不受教条和教条束缚看待事物的能力。他显然珍视这些价值观,他显然在自己的生活中追求这些价值观。
雷显然是反独裁的,所以许多人试图把他变成一个权威,这是具有讽刺意味的。我从未与他交谈过,但我怀疑他会拒绝权威的角色,如果你真的读过他的作品,你会发现他从未这样描述过自己。相反,他提供的观点和见解是基于个人经验(他和其他人的经验)和研究的结合。
他不会告诉你该怎么做。他甚至不让你做任何事情他仅仅表明,所提出的问题和解决方案的主流是一个分心, 他提供了建议和证据来支持他的想法什么可能是一个更好的方式来感知。
例如,他认为5 -羟色胺可能并不是我们被告知的快乐化学物质。他提供了5 -羟色胺可能引起炎症的证据,5 -羟色胺的增加可能导致体温过低、甲状腺抑制、习得性无助、攻击性和其他不良影响。他认为,虽然一些增加血清素的药物有时可能有抗抑郁作用,但抗抑郁作用可能是由于这些药物对其他化学物质的影响,如多巴胺和肾上腺素,而不是对血清素的影响。
如果他关于血清素的作用是正确的,那么这就很容易解释为什么在服用增加血清素的药物的人群中自杀率和自杀率都非常高。
然而,在任何时候,雷都不会说他的观点是唯一的,他对所有事情都是绝对正确的。他认为信息不应该是被权势集团勒索的商品,所以他提供信息,挑战权势集团的控制。他以一种反独裁的方式,以忠于他的本性的方式这样做。
未完待续…
Introduction
I've written this book for a very specific person. Let's see if that person is you. Read the following description, and if any of this rings true for you then you've come to the right place; read on. If not, then move along because this isn't the book for you.
Things haven't been going so well for you healthwise. Maybe you've been in denial about it and you are only just now admitting to yourself that your sleep is terrible, your energy levels suck, and your emotions aren't what you'd like them to be. Or maybe you've known that you've been sick for a long time. Maybe you're hypothyroid. Maybe chronic fatigue. Maybe something else. But you know you feel terrible.
Whether you were in denial or not, you've been trying various ways to help yourself feel better for a while. I mean, you could be the exception, but it's extremely rare that someone is interested in Ray Peat's ideas unless they have first exhausted all other 'reasonable’ alternatives. Most likely you've tried various diets. You may have tried paleo, low carb, zero carb, vegan, low fat, low calorie, sugar free, and so on. And whatever may have seemed to work or not, in the end, nothing lived up to the promises or hopes. In fact, if you're like most people who start investigating Ray Peat's ideas. then those other diets ultimately made you fee worse. Now you may have insulin resistance (common on low carb diets), hair loss, loss of sex drive, constipation, edema, cold intolerance, icy hands and feet, worsening hypothyroidism, insomnia, etc.
So now you're grasping at straws, and you came across mention of Ray Peat on the internet. Maybe at first you were terrified to believe that he may be right, but then you started to open your mind a little. Now, either you're experimenting with the ideas or you're considering it.
But you have doubts. You have fears. You want to get it right. You want to get it perfect. Because now you feel so sick that you don't want to risk making things worse.
Oh, and did I mention that probably halfor more of you have a history of restrictive eating disorders? Maybe you have admitted this to yourself Or maybe you havent. But at least half have a history of fear of food, fear of gaining weight, fear of losing control, fear of getting sick, fear of being dirty or impure,or any of the other fears and anxieties that make up restrictive eating disorders.
If I’ve gotten pretty close with my description, then I strongly believe that this book can help you. And I know you because Ive been there. I struggled with severely restrictive eating disorders for over 20 years.
I tried just about every diet you can imagine. I was obsessed with perfection and purity, and 1 got sicker and sicker over the years until I was genuinely (and rightfully) concerned for my life. It was only after I had exhausted every other alternative that seemed reasonable to me that I finally became open to hearing the ideas of Ray Peat.
And then, I will tell you what I did, which is the mistake that many people who begin to explore the ideas of Ray Peat make. I tried to do the Peatinspired diet/lifestyle perfectly. I tried to be pure.
And, guess what? As a result, like so many Peat adherents, I transferred the same old disordered habits to the new Peat-inspired facade. Ironically, this only served to perpetuate the longstanding chronic stress and the misery that were helping to maintain the illness and the unpleasant symptoms that I started with.
Stress and Ray Peat would probably be the first to tell you this is the number one killer. If you can't ditch the stress, then no matter how much gelatin you eat, no matter how much orange juice you drink, no matter how many thyroid pills you pop,and no matter how much red light you shine on yourself, you'll have a hard time recovering fully.
So in this book, my main hope is to share with you what I believe to be the genius of Ray Peat's ideas, while also sparing you from the mistake of turning “Peatarianism”into the next phase of a worsening cycle of sickness and misery. Truly, for the overwhelming majority of people, there is absolutely no need to do it all so'perfectlyand'purely.“In fact,learning to let go of some of that compulsion to do it perfectly and purely may go a long way in helping you to feel better.
Really. I know that you probably imagine that you are the exception, but the chances are that you are not.
Before you commit yourself to a lifetime of nothing but mlk, orange juice, and aspirin washed down with Mexican Coca Cola, I suggest that you be willing to explore what I share with you in this book with an open mind.
The Genius
We live in a world that is dominated by corporate interests. The grip of these interests is so far reaching and so deeply rooted that just about everyone, including most “alternative” health researchers, is in that grip many without even knowing it. The medical industry is in cahoots with the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry is in cahoots with the agricultural industry. The agricultural industry is the chemical industry And the relationship of all of those industries with the military and the government is complex and incestuous.
So it is rare to find someone with truly original and independent ideas. Ray Peat is one such person.
Does that make Ray Peat right? No. Does that make him infallible? No. Does that make his work a single monolith? No.
But Ray Peat has some original ideas, he’s a radically independent thinker, and as best I can tell, he's got a good heart. His ideas are theoretically sound, though certainly not beyond refute, and many of his ideas hold up where the rubber meets the road; people benefit by putting those ideas into practice.
There is much good to say about Ray Peats work. In my view, the primary messages of genius that come from Ray Peat are as follows:
Trust your own experience and your innate capacity to learn, grow, discover, and adapt.
Abandon faith in systems that don't care about you particularly those that actively seek to take advantage of you for their own benefit.
The medical/pharmaceutical/agricultural industry is lying to you about many things
Sugar is not evil. In fact,at worst it is neutral and at best it is therapeutic and a powerful, beneficial energy source.
Polyunsaturated fat in large amounts for most people is likely unhealthy, whereas saturated fat is protective and nourishing.
Thyroid hormones are crucial for a vast array of metabolic functions in the body,and so protecting, healing, and nourishing the thyroid is essential to good health.
Salt(ie.sodium chloride) is not the evil that we've been told, and it is actually therapeutic.
Increasing estrogen or serotonin may be a very bad idea.
The values of the culture in which we live are often in conflict with the wellbeing of the individual.
Ultimately, even though I know that Peat may view his work differently, my own summation of his message is this: Think for yourself. Yes, Peat espouses very specific views, but the message of his life the message that emanates from his person and his work is to challenge the status quo and think for yourself, basing your views on what is experientially true versus what is theoretically appealing.
Unfortunately(atleast from my perspective), the radical genius of Peat's work and life frequently gets distorted to fit into the narrow ideologies of those who learn of him. Instead of hearing the core message to think for yourself,all too many of us have sought to create a new relgion or a new morality from Peat's suggestions particularly his dietary suggestions.
The irony of this is great. Peat writes an entirearticle about what he sees as the brilliance of William Blake, and in that article. he makes it clear that one of the qualities that he most admires in Blake is his originality and his ability to see things as they are without the burden of dogma and doctrine. Peat clearly holds these values dear, and he clearly seeks to live these values in his own life.
Peat is obviously anti-authoritarian, and so it is ironic that many try to turn him into an authority.I have never spoken with Peat, but I suspect that he would reject the role as authority,and,if you truly read his writings,he has never represented himself as such.
Instead, he offers opinions and insights based on a combination of personal experience (his and the experiences of others) and research. He doesn't tell you what to do. He doesnt even ask you to do anything He merely suggests that much of what gets presented as the problem and the solution in the mainstream is a distraction,and he offers suggestions and evidence to support his ideas about what may be a better way to perceive the situation.
For example, Peat suggests that serotonin may not be the happy chemical that we've been told He offers evidence that serotonin may be inflammatory and that increases of serotonin can lead to hypothermia, thyroid suppression, learned helplessness, aggression, and other undesirable effects.
He argues that while some drugs that increase available serotonin may sometimes have antidepressant actions, that the antidepressant actions may be due to the effects of those drugs on other chemicals, such as dopamine and adrenaline, instead of the effects on serotonin.
If Peat is right about the effects of serotonin, then that would easily explain the reports of dramatically high rates of suicide and homicide-suicides among those using drugs that increase available serotonin.
At no point, however, does Peat say that his is the only view and that he is absolutely right about all things. He just gives you the information and allows you to do with it what you will He believes that information should not be a commodity held ransom by the establishment, so he offers information and challenges the establishment's stranglehold. He does so in a way thatis true to his nature in an antiauthoritaran manner.
《The Ray Peat Survival Guide》 The Cult&Dietary Guidelines①中英
Author:Joey Lott
译者:徐泾东八号出口
信徒们
雷的问题不在于他,而在于他的狂热追随者。在这种亚文化中,常常有一种可以理解的狂热,将他的天才扭曲成教条。不幸的是,我们很多人在寻找答案的时候,最终阅读和学习了这些东西。
雷的作品并不容易读懂。一方面,这是因为他是一个知识分子,他的写作风格也像一个知识分子,但另一方面,他并没有提供一个循序渐进、一刀切的解决方案。如果你在寻找,那么你会失望的。
结果往往是,在对雷的狂热崇拜中,我们最终得到的是如何遵循完美的雷生活方式的简化的、一步一步的指南。不幸的是,这通常会导致极度严格的饮食制度,缺乏强效补品。这种方法对大多数人来说既不理想也不合适。
如果雷真的想要一个一刀切的方法,那么他难道不应该写一个饮食指南吗? 相反,他提供个人营养咨询。为什么? 大概是因为他明白个人的需求是高度个人化的。一个人所需要的不一定是另一个人所需要的。尽管他经常对糖、淀粉、多不饱和脂肪、蛋白质等提出自己的观点,但这些指导方针应该被视为指导方针,而不是教条。
我简要总结一下由大多数参与邪教的人提出的“雷食”(错误的):一是不惜一切代价避免过多的多不饱和脂肪、雌激素、淀粉、炎性氨基酸、磷、乳酸、铁、内毒素和血清素。与此同时,一个方法是摄入足够的非炎症蛋白、糖、盐、钙、镁、饱和脂肪、维生素A和维生素E。因此,雷的菜鸟信徒们建议只吃牛奶、橙汁、一些土豆、明胶、鸡蛋、奶酪、椰子油、生胡萝卜,偶尔也吃肝脏和牡蛎。所有的东西都应该加盐。然后,他们建议我们补充糖、阿司匹林、孕酮和孕烯酮,就着咖啡和墨西哥可乐下肚。
按照雷的标准,这种饮食可能是“完美的”和“纯粹的”饮食,但它是僵化的,是教条的,这种方法的本质与他的工作的核心信息是对立的。
许多信徒建议的方法对大多数人来说太死板了,对于那些有限制性饮食失调史的人来说,这种方法是灾难的处方。
好消息是,完全有可能将雷的天赋融入灵活、适应、健康的生活方式中,从而支持治愈、健康和幸福。这就是我希望在这本书中向你们展示的。
膳食指南
正如我已经暗示过的,吸引很多人关注雷的工作的是他的饮食建议。让我感兴趣的是,尽管雷在他的文章中提出了一般的饮食建议,但我还没有看到他写的任何文章明确阐述了他认为的完美和纯粹的饮食。正如我之前所说的,我认为他之所以没有这么做,是因为他明白个人的具体需求是微妙而多变的,所以没有放之四海而皆准的方法。
在本节中,我将回顾雷提出的一般指导原则。我们来看看这些指南是如何被扭曲成一个超限制性的饮食方案的。然后,我们将研究如何利用这些指导方针,并使它们成为个性化的、适应性的、健康的、非强迫性的生活方式的一部分,这可能会帮助你为自己思考,倾听你的身体,并做出知情的、非限制性的选择。
碳水化合物
我们将碳水化合物的讨论简化为三种类型:
糖,淀粉和纤维。
对于雷关于碳水化合物的观点,我们将其过于简单化的表述如下:
糖是好的,而淀粉和纤维是不好的。
然而,这一在网络论坛上广为流传的观点缺乏细致入微的理解,这将使它变得有用。此外,它实际上并不是雷自己所写的观点的正确表述,所以在这里我们将探索更多微妙的理解,以利用其对碳水化合物的观点。
首先,事实上,雷在写作和演讲中对糖的评价都是正面的。具体来说,当他提到糖时,他指的是果糖、蔗糖或乳糖。
雷认为糖可以抑制压力,促进新陈代谢,支持甲状腺激素的转化。他也并没有对水果、果汁、蜂蜜、蔗糖和其他果糖和蔗糖来源的自由摄入提出警告,只要人们不对这些食物过敏。在许多针对特定健康问题的文章中,他推荐糖作为治疗剂。
雷经常反驳糖有问题的说法。例如,在几篇文章中,他专门阐述了糖在糖尿病、癌症、多发性硬化症和其他疾病中的可能治疗价值。他经常指出,有证据表明,许多由糖引起的疾病可能更合理地归咎于多不饱和脂肪。
雷自己喜欢橙汁和牛奶作为糖的主要来源。他有时也会提到其他他喜欢的时令水果(主要是热带水果)。他还被记录在很多地方享受甘蔗糖; 显然,他是墨西哥可口可乐(用蔗糖而不是玉米糖浆制成)的粉丝。
这就是许多 “狂热雷教成员” 犯的错误,他们试图根据一些轶事报道制定一个适用于所有人的饮食计划。仅仅因为雷喜欢那种饮食,而且似乎在那种饮食上做得很好,并不意味着这是唯一对所有人都有效的饮食。
有些人不喜欢喝橙汁或牛奶,有些人喜欢吃其他类型的糖。有些人吃糖多,有些人吃糖少。有些人靠香蕉(显然雷不喜欢)活的很好,而其他人靠苹果(他也不喜欢)活的很好。有些人很喜欢枫糖浆和/或糖蜜(雷认为这两种饮料可能对某些人过敏,许多雷食人认为所有人都应该避免饮用)。有些人吃未加工的蔗糖很好有些人吃精制蔗糖更好。有些人不吃蔗糖会过得更好。
重点是(这是我要反复强调的一点),真的,饮食真的没有像秦始皇一统六国天下归一的方法。然而,雷关于糖的观点可能会让许多害怕糖的人眼界大开,这是一件非常好的事情。
无论你和各种糖的个人关系如何,你的身体在不同的时间需要不同数量和不同种类的糖是很好的。愿意相信你身体的渴望而不是僵化的意识形态是件好事。如果你渴望任何种类的糖,那么相信你身体的智慧。
其次,在对雷的过度崇拜(实际上是误解)中,许多人经常歪曲他的文章内容,并认为雷是 “反淀粉的”。事实上,这种说法是没有事实根据的。在他的著作中,他确实在几个案例中表明他相信糖比淀粉更可取,原因有几个:
首先,他声称淀粉比糖产生更大的胰岛素反应,因此淀粉更有可能以脂肪的形式储存,而不是直接代谢。
然而,他也承认淀粉是健康饮食的一部分。这是事实,长期靠淀粉(大米、土豆、小麦、玉米等)作为他们饮食的基本部分的文化证明了这一点。虽然许多无脑雷徒很快就试图减少大部分淀粉,但他们忽略了一个事实,那就是雷自己对土豆的高度评价,并在记录中表示masa(传统制作的玉米),白米和燕麦是潜在的有价值的饮食组成部分。所以雷徒中很多人对淀粉的恐惧是没有根据的。
总结是,雷提倡吃糖和/或淀粉。在缺乏足够的碳水化合物的情况下,甲状腺和肝功能受到抑制,以及其他潜在的并发症(如胰岛素抵抗)。这些通常都是低碳水化合物饮食的结果,所以他在这个问题上的观点实际上并不牵强。
雷提倡在吃任何蛋白质的同时,总是吃碳水化合物(糖或淀粉)。单独食用蛋白质会刺激胰岛素分泌。如果饮食中没有碳水化合物,胰岛素会降低血糖,并产生应激激素,如肾上腺素和皮质醇。这会产生不良症状,并使身体长期失衡,所以吃含蛋白质的碳水化合物是一种合乎逻辑的做法。
这应该包括糖和淀粉,但纤维呢? 嗯,雷反对大多数纤维的主要理由是它是雌激素。谷物麸皮、坚果和种子中的大部分纤维都是雌激素。他还认为,这些来源和大多数蔬菜中的纤维往往会刺激消化系统,因此会增加血清素(在他看来,这也是一个禁忌)。
然而,将雷对纤维的看法定性为严格的反纤维是错误的。事实上,他提倡经常吃生胡萝卜。他还提倡吃土豆和一些水果。所以他对纤维的看法是有选择性的。
关于雷发表的关于纤维的观点的问题是,他们似乎没有遵循严格的逻辑路径。虽然他高度评价土豆,因为他们的优质蛋白质(在他看来)含量以及一些维生素和矿物质,否则土豆含有淀粉和纤维,这与他的其他观点不一致。水果含有纤维,但他并没有特别注意水果(好吧,除了市面上一半的水果)。他建议生吃胡萝卜(但不要煮熟),胡萝卜中含有大量的硫代葡萄糖苷,会抑制甲状腺功能(而雷通常对任何可能抑制甲状腺功能的物质都相当敏感)。
鉴于这些信息,我不认为把雷关于纤维的观点看得太远是明智的。相反, 我建议他的警告, 纤维, 特别是不可溶性纤维,如发现大量的谷物麸皮和各种蔬菜, 豆类, 坚果和种子, 是一个受欢迎的,平衡的,主流的(农业/医疗/制药/政府)推动增加纤维摄入量。
事实证明,当前麸/纤维热背后的故事并不像我们所相信的那样有益健康。事实上,纤维热的基础是基于未经证实的假设。20世纪70年代,一个名叫丹尼斯·伯基特(Denis Burkitt)的人提出了一个假设,认为膳食纤维是他认为某些非洲人口中没有某些疾病的原因。
从那时起,关于纤维在疾病中的作用的研究得出了不同的结果。有一些非常聪明和详细的批评纤维假说,远远超出了这本书的范围。然而,足以说明的是,关于纤维假说的陪审团仍然没有结果。有充分的证据表明,在很多情况下,比如肠易激综合症或克罗恩病,膳食纤维,尤其是不溶性纤维,可能是个大问题。
因此,像雷对许多事情的看法一样,他对纤维的看法可能有助于帮助我们平衡些什么。如果你真的喜欢吃,并吃很多麸皮、豆类和西兰花,可如果你感觉良好,那么一定要听从你身体的智慧。但是,如果你是许多因为“健康”原因而被说服食用大量不溶性纤维的人之一,那么你可能会发现:雷的观点令你耳目一新。
(顺便说一下,约翰·哈维·凯洛格,玉米片的著名共同发明人在密歇根开了一家疗养院,他开了一种高不溶性纤维的饮食来治疗便秘。然而,他发现不溶性纤维最终把人绑了起来!于是他开始在食物中加入矿物油,并给病人开每日灌肠的处方。要小心那些声称大量不溶性纤维对健康结肠是必要的说法。事实上,似乎任何泻药的作用都是短期的,最终导致肠道刺激和损伤。
总而言之:
•雷建议食用大量的碳水化合物,更喜欢糖而不是淀粉,但这并不是说淀粉对所有人来说都是天生的问题。如果你喜欢、渴望或渴望碳水化合物,那么请尊重你身体的智慧,吃吧!
•雷表明:在缺乏多余的多不饱和脂肪时,在许多情况下,糖可用于治疗胰岛素抵抗、高血糖和糖尿病等。他建议,在任何时候吃蛋白质都要伴随吃碳水化合物,以避免低血糖和应激反应。
•雷认为大多数不溶性纤维都有问题,要么是因为它是雌激素,要么是因为它刺激肠道,可能会产生过量的血清素。
•尽管许多不太聪明的Peatarians试图将这一建议变成只允许喝牛奶和橙汁的教条,但事实是雷关于碳水化合物的指导和建议有很大的灵活性。底线是允许自己想吃什么就吃什么,不要人为地限制自己,必要时根据生物反馈进行调整。如果你渴望任何形式的糖,那么相信这种本能。想吃什么就吃什么。如果你渴望淀粉,那么相信你的直觉。
脂肪
雷对脂肪的看法是相当明确和直接的。他还说,虽然身体能够从碳水化合物中产生脂肪,但吃一些饱和脂肪是明智的。为了达到这个目的,雷高度赞扬椰子油,尽管他也支持同样高度饱和的黄油脂肪。
不饱和脂肪,特别是多不饱和脂肪折人寿于无形是因为它们会引起炎症,减缓线粒体能量的产生,抑制甲状腺功能,抑制解毒,并抑制免疫力。
他认为,工业(农业/制药/政府/等等)对多不饱和脂肪的推动是基于利润,而不是可靠的研究和对人民健康和福祉的真正兴趣。他引用了大量的研究来证明多不饱和脂肪的作用。
事实上,雷似乎把多不饱和脂肪变成了一个恶魔。老实说,在正确的背景下,他提出了一个非常有力的论点。在我看来,他的观点唯一站不住脚的地方,就是生活在极端纬度地区的人们的传统饮食。像因纽特人这样的人,传统饮食主要由大量的多不饱和脂肪组成,就像他们捕猎的鱼、海豹和鲸鱼中发现的那样。而且,从各方面来看,这些人似乎过得相当不错,尤其是考虑到他们所生活的极其恶劣的环境。
然而,值得注意的是,他们的饮食中碳水化合物含量极低,而主要依靠脂肪提供能量。此外,考虑到极端寒冷的环境,我们有理由认为,在那种环境下生活的人摄入多不饱和脂肪会比生活在温带或热带环境下的人更好。
坦率地说,雷反对多不饱和脂肪的论点让我直呼nb,以至于我认为大多数人尝试减少多不饱和脂肪的摄入量,转而支持饱和脂肪是合理的。
对大多数人来说,这并不困难,因为大多数人通常更喜欢黄油而不是芥花籽油。并且许多人发现,在戒掉坚果、种子、多不饱和植物油等多不饱和脂肪一段时间后,他们对这些东西没有胃口了。
然而,有些人把这一点发挥到了不必要的极端。他们试图从他们的饮食中消除几乎所有的多不饱和脂肪而不考虑其影响。
虽然许多人可以通过减少饮食中的多不饱和脂肪而大大受益,但我很清楚,这必须以一种健康、可持续和愉快的方式来做。通常,减少多不饱和脂肪很困难,因为大多数人通常喜欢黄油而不是菜籽油,喜欢牛肉脂肪而不是鸡肉脂肪。通常情况下,如果一个人吃了足够多的美味可口的食物,那么就很少会想吃大量的坚果或种子。但过度消除多不饱和脂肪会导致一些人不经意间减少热量或蛋白质的摄入,这在很多情况下会对健康产生有害影响。此外,如果你在不考虑身体真正需求的情况下消除多不饱和脂肪,那么你可能会在不经意间剥夺身体所需的营养。
所以,虽然我同意减少多不饱和脂肪可能对很多人(如果不是大多数人)有帮助,但我相信有一种方法可以达到这个目的,也有一种方法不能达到这个目的。首先,我强烈建议你听从你的身体。如果你的身体真的渴望多不饱和脂肪,那么不要仅仅因为雷不喜欢多不饱和脂肪就拒绝它,不管他的论点有多好。第二,用等量的卡路里代替多不饱和脂肪,这样你会觉得可口又愉快。如果你对这个过渡有太多的热情,那么你可能会消除多不饱和脂肪,而不会用足够的能量代替它。重要的是,你吃的食物是愉快的,可口的,能满足你,以便你的饮食变得真正可持续。
我也鼓励你避免尝试消除所有多不饱和脂肪的诱惑(别妄想零PUFA)。
首先,这是不可能的,因为几乎任何种类的任何脂肪都含有一些多不饱和脂肪。即使是高度饱和的椰子油,也含有一些多不饱和脂肪。相反,你只需意识到大量多不饱和脂肪的来源,然后用碳水化合物、蛋白质和饱和脂肪的组合来替代这些脂肪,以你喜欢的和可持续的方式。
大量多不饱和脂肪的一些常见来源包括所有非热带植物油(即大豆、玉米、油菜籽、红花、向日葵、芝麻、亚麻等; 杏仁、核桃、巴西坚果等)、种子、家禽脂肪和猪肉脂肪。
饱和脂肪的常见来源包括黄油、板油和椰子油。雷似乎对椰子油特别有好感。如果你碰巧喜欢椰子油,那么在烹饪中使用更多的椰子油可能很容易。然而,即使是我们这些曾经喜欢椰子油的人,也会对它产生厌恶。(据报道,精炼椰子油基本上是无味的,这对很多人都很有效。另一方面,对于大多数人来说,黄油在大多数时候都是非常令人愉快的。)
那么,这是否意味着你再也不应该吃巴西坚果、鸡肉或培根了呢? 不。它不。
如果你想吃坚果、种子、家禽脂肪或猪肉脂肪,那就吃到你真正想吃的程度。然而,你可能会发现,仅仅认识到多不饱和脂肪的存在,并尝试减少它们,就会发现对你有一些好处。
而且,很多人发现家禽或猪肉中的脂肪并不适合他们。然而,去皮鸡肉(尤其是低脂肪部位,如胸部)的多不饱和脂肪含量相对较低,因此没有必要完全放弃家禽和猪肉。据报道,雷自己也吃培根。他把它炸了,把油倒了,然后再用椰子油煮。
我并不是建议你对多不饱和脂肪变得神经质。相反,我是在和你们分享雷的观点,并希望通过建议你们进行实验,并愿意相信你的身体在渴望和生物反馈(即吃过各种食物后的感觉)。
蛋白质
雷是蛋白质的粉丝,主要是因为他认为蛋白质在本质上是促甲状腺的。
虽然他并不提倡高蛋白饮食,但他确实建议,大多数人对蛋白质的充足需求可能高于政府建议的每天少于50克。他写道,他个人每天吃不到100克的食物感觉不太好,而他通常每天吃近150克。
然而他对此提出了一些警告。他肯定不提倡人人都能吃蛋白质。
他说除了土豆之外,唯一的优质蛋白质来自动物食品,他警告不要吃太多富含炎性氨基酸的蛋白质,比如色氨酸。半胱氨酸和蛋氨酸。此外,虽然充足的蛋白质很重要,但并不意味着过量会更好。
他经常说(或写)乳制品是蛋白质的来源。“奶酪是最好的,因为它的色氨酸含量非常低” 。他也非常喜欢明胶,因为明胶含很少的色氨酸(炎症)和但含大量的甘氨酸(抗炎症)。虽然他确实提倡在饮食中明智地包括肌肉肉和器官肉,但他警告说,这些肉富含炎性氨基酸,他建议与明胶一起食用。他的观点很好,肌肉和器官只是整个动物的一部分。传统上,整个动物会被吃掉,其中包括相当大量的胶原蛋白(明胶)。他还称赞鸡蛋是一种不错的蛋白质来源,因为鸡蛋的蛋白质质量高,氨基酸含量平衡,而且鸡蛋的营养密度很高(主要在蛋黄中)。不过,他警告说,从长远来看,不要吃太多鸡蛋,因为鸡蛋中含有多不饱和脂肪。
所以,真的,当涉及到雷的蛋白质观点时,没有太多的东西会让我们变得神经质,然而,我们中的许多人已经找到了方法,以他的观点为借口,对蛋白质变得神经质。首先,许多人完全不吃肌肉肉,因为它本身就有炎症。当然,这只是简单地扭转了我们一开始只吃肌肉肉的错误。虽然我听说有些人每天要吃150克明胶和乳制品或鸡蛋,但这似乎就像只吃牛排一样愚蠢。然后一些人试图强迫自己吃比他们实际想要或需要的更多的蛋白质,仅仅因为雷记录说他平均每天吃150克蛋白质。
很多人忽略的是,大多数食物都含有一些蛋白质,即使蛋白质的质量不是最好的(比如大多数水果,蔬菜或淀粉),与其他食物结合往往会产生或多或少均衡的蛋白质。所以,如果你喝一品脱橙汁(4克蛋白质)和一个鸡蛋(6克蛋白质)、一盎司切达干酪(7克蛋白质)和一个土豆(4克蛋白质),那就是21克蛋白质。即使橙汁中的蛋白质质量不是最好的,但当与其他蛋白质结合时,就会平衡。
因此,没有必要每天吃150克明胶或喝一加仑牛奶来满足你的蛋白质需求。
此外,每个人对蛋白质的需求是不同的,而且会随着时间的推移而变化。仅仅因为雷每天需要150克并不意味着你也要照着做。但如果你通常连70克都吃不到, 而且感觉不好,那么你可能需要尝试增加蛋白质摄入量-用愉快和美味的方式,看看这能不能让你感觉好点。
不要害怕吃你喜欢吃的东西,不是每个人都想吃很多奶酪,也不是每个人都能以大量的乳制品作为主要蛋白质来源的饮食。如果你喜欢吃牛排,那就吃牛排吧。如果你不喜欢明胶,那就不要因为你认为你应该吃它而吃它。但话又说回来,要勇于尝试新事物。再次强调,让你的渴望和生物反馈成为你的指南。
未完待续…
The Cult
The problem with Peat isn't so much Peat as it is his cult following. Within that subculture, there is often an understandable zeal that distorts the genius of Peat into doctrine. Unfortunately, that is what many of us who are looking for answers end up reading and learning.
Peat's writing is not the easiest to read. Partly, this is because he is an intellectual and he writes like one, but this is also because he's not actually offering a how to, step-by-step, one-size-fits-all solution. If you're looking for that, then you'll be disappointed.
The result is often that within the cult of Peat we end up with dumbed down, step-by–step guides for how to follow the perfect Peat lifestyle. Unfortunately, this usually results in an ultrarestrictive dietary regime with a short lit of strong supplements. This approach is neither ideal nor even appropriate for the majority of people.
If Peat actually intended a one-size-fits-all approach, then wouldn't he have written a dietary guide? Instead, he offers personal nutritional counseling. Why? Presumably because he understands that the needs of the individual are highly personal. What is needed by one is not precisely what is needed by another. Although he does often make clear his views of sugar, starch, polyunsaturated fats, proteins, and so forth, surely these guidelines are to be seen as guidelines rather than as dogma.
I will briefly sum up the cliché Peat diet as presented by most involved in the cult. At all costs, one is to avoid excess polyunsaturated fat, estrogen, starch, inflammatory amino acids, phosphorus, lactic acid, iron, endotoxin, and serotonin.
Meanwhile, one is to get enough non-inflammatory protein, sugar, salt, calcium, magnesium, saturated fat, vitamin A, and vitamin E. Therefore, Peat cultists advise eating only milk,orange juice,some potatoes, gelatin, eggs, cheese, coconut oil, raw carrots, and occasional liver and oysters. All should be well-salted. Then,the cultists advise us to supplement with sugar, aspirin, progesterone, and pregnenolone, all washed down with coffee and a Mexican Coke.
This diet may well be the “perfect” and “pure” diet by Peat standards, but it's rigid, it's dogmatic,and the essence of this approach is antithetical to the core message of Peat's work.
The approach advised by many cultists is too rigid for most people, and for those with a history of restrictive eating disorders, this approach is a recipe for disaster.
The good news is that it is entirely possible to take the genius of Peat and incorporate that into a flexible, adaptive, healthy lifestyle that supports healing, health, and happiness. That is what I hope to show you in this book.
The Dietary Guidelines
As I have already hinted, what draws many people to Peat's work and what many people tend to fixate on are Peat's dietary recommendations. What is interesting to me is that although Peat does make general dietary recommendations throughout his writing, I have yet to come across anything he has written that explicitly spells out what he believes to be the perfect and pure diet.
As I have suggested earlier, I believe that he has not done this precisely because he understands that the specific needs of the individual are nuanced and variable, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
In this section, I'd like to review the general guidelines that Peat proposes. We'll look at how these guidelines get twisted into an ultra-restrictive dietary protocol. Then we'll examine how to make use of these guidelines and make them part of a personalized, adaptive, healthy, nonobsessive lifestyle that may help you to think for yourself, listen to your body, and make informed and nonrestrictive choices.
Carbohydrates
For our purposes, we will simplify the discussion of carbohydrates into three types:
sugar, starch, and fiber.
The overly simplistic representation of Peat's views on carbohydrates is as follows:
Sugar is good while starch and fiber are bad.
However, this view, which is popularized on internet forums, lacks the nuanced understanding that would make it useful. in addition, it is actually not a correct representation of the ideas that Ray Peat himself has written about, so here we'll explore the more nuanced understanding necessary to make use of Peat's views on carbohydrates.
To begin with, it is actually true that Peat consistently writes and speaks favorably about sugar.
Specifically, when he mentions sugar, he is talking about fructose, sucrose, or lactose.
Peat's claim is that sugar inhibits stress, improves metabolism, and supports thyroid hormone conversion. In fact Peat offers no caveats in the free consumption of sugarin the form of fruit, fruit juice, honey, cane sugar, and other sources of fructose and sucrose so long as one is not allergic to the food. In many of Peat's articles that address specific health concerns,Peat recommends sugar as a therapeutic agent.
Peat often refutes claims that sugar is problematic. For example,in several articles he specifically addresses the possible therapeutic value of sugar in cases of diabetes, cancer multiple sclerosis, and other conditions. Peat frequently points out that there is evidence that the many ills attributed to sugar may instead be more reasonably attributed to polyunsaturated fat.
Peat himself seems to favor orange juice and milk as his primary sources of sugar. He also sometimes makes mention of other mostly tropical) fruits that he enjoys in season. He is also on record as enjoying some cane sugar here and there; apparently, he is a fan of Mexican Coca-Cola(which is made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup).
This is where many Peatarians make the mistake of trying to make a one-size-fits-all diet plan based on a few anecdotal reports. Just because Ray Peat enjoys that diet and seems to do well on that diet does not mean that this is the only diet that will work for all people.
Some people do not do well with orange juice or milk Some people prefer other types of sugar. Some people thrive on more sugar and some people on less. Some people thrive on bananas(which Peat apparently does not favor), while others thrive on apples(which Peat also does not favor).
Some people do very well with maple syrup and/or molasses (both of which Peat suggests may be allergenic for some people a statement that many Peatarians have taken to mean that all people should avoid them).Some people do very well on unrefined cane sugar Others do better with refined cane sugar. Some people do better without cane sugar.
The point being (and this is a point that I will repeat throughout) that there really, truly is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, Peat's views on sugars may open the eyes and minds of many who have been fearful of sugar, and that is a very good thing.
Whatever your personal relationship is with sugars of various sorts, it is good to respect that your body will need sugars in varying amounts and of various sorts at different times. It is good to be willing to trust your body's cravings instead of a rigid ideology. If you crave sugar of any sort, then trust the intelligence of your body.
Next, in the Peat cult, many often misrepresent Peat's writings and suggest that Peat is “anti-starch”. In actuality this claim is unsupported by the facts. In Peat's writing,he does suggest in several cases that he believes that sugar is preferable to starch for several reasons. For one thing, he claims that starch creates alarger insulin response than sugar,and therefore starch is more likely to be stored as fat instead of being metabolized directly.
However Peat also acknowledges that starch can be a part of a healthy diet. This is a fact that is borne out by the longstanding cultures that rely upon starch (rice, potato, wheat, corn,etc) as an essential part of their diet. And while many Peatarians are quick to try to cut out most starch, they overlook the fact that Peat himself speaks highly of potatoes and is on the record as stating that masa(traditionally-prepared corn), white rice, and oats are potentially valuable parts of a diet. So the starch phobia that is rampant among many in the Peat cult is unfounded.
The bottom line is that Peat advocates for eating sugar and/or starch. In the absence of adequate carbohydrates, thyroid and liver function becomes suppressed, among other potential complications (such as insulin resistance).These are often the outcomes of low carbohydrate diets, so Peat's view on this matter isn't actually farfetched.
Peat advocates for always eating carbohydrates (sugar or starch) along with any protein. Protein, eaten alone, will stimulate insulin secretion. In the absence of dietary carbohydrates, the insulin will lower blood sugar and create a response that includes stress hormones,such as adrenaline and cortisol This can produce undesirable symptoms and produce longer-term imbalances in the body so eating carbohydrates with protein is a logica practice.
That should cover sugar and starch, but what about fiber? Well, Peat's main objection to most fiber is that it is estrogenic. Much of the fiber from grains bran), nuts, and seeds is estrogenic. Peat also argues that fiber from these sources and from most vegetables tends to irritate the digestive system and can therefore increase serotonin (which is also a no-no in Peat's view).
However, it is a mistake to characterize Peat's view of fiber as being strictly anti-fiber. In fact, Peat promotes the idea of eating raw carrot regularly. He also advocates for eating potatoes and some fruits. So he is selective in his views on fiber.
The problem with Peat's published views on fiber is that they don't seem to follow a strictly logical path. Although he speaks highly of potatoes because of their quality protein(in his view) content as well as some vitamins and minerals, potatoes otherwise contain starch and fiber which arent consistent with his other stated views. Fruit contains fiber,but he doesn't typically have much caution against fruit(well, except for half the types of fruits that are commercially available). And carrots, which he recommends eating raw (though not cooked), contain glucosinolates in substantial quantities substances that suppress thyroid function(and Peat is generally quite sensitive to anything that might suppress thyroid function).
Given this information, I don't think it is advisable to take Peat's views regarding fiber too far. Rather, I suggest that Peat's general cautions against fiber - particularly insoluble fiber, such as that which is found in large amounts in grain bran and various vegetables legumes, nuts, and seeds - are a welcome counterbalance to the mainstream's (read agricultural/ medical/ pharmaceutical/ governmental) push for increased fiber intake.
It turns out that the backstory behind the current bran/fiber craze is not as wholesome as we've been led to believe. In fact, the foundations of the fiber craze are rooted in unsubstantiated hypotheses. In the 1970s,a man named Denis Burkitt formed a hypothesis that dietary fiber accounted for what he saw as an absence of certain diseases among some African populations.
Since then, the studies regarding the role of fiber in disease have shown mixed results. There are some very intelligent and detailed critiques of the fiber hypothesis that are well beyond the scope of this book. However, suffice it to say that the jury is still out in regard to the fiber hypothesis. and there is good evidence to support that in many cases, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease, dietary fiber, particularly insoluble fiber, can be a big problem.
So Peat's views on fiber, like his views on many things, may help to offer some balance. If you truly enjoy eating bran, beans, and broccoli in excess, and if you thrive on that, then by all means listen to the intelligence of your body. But if you are one of the many people who eat large amounts of insoluble fiber because you've been convinced to do so for “health” reasons then you may find Peat's views to be refreshing(And, bythe way, John Harvey Kellogg, the famous co-inventor of corn flakes ran a sanitarumin Michigan where he prescribed diets high in insoluble fiber as a means to treat constipation. However, he found that the insoluble fiber eventually bound people up! So he began to add mineral oil to the food, and he prescribed daily enemas. Be cautious of the claims that large amounts of insoluble fber are necessary for a healthy colon. In fact, it would seem that any laxative effects are often short term, eventually leading to bowel irritation and injury.
In summary:
•Peat recommends eating substantial carbohydrates, favoring sugar to starch, but by no means suggesting that starch is inherently problematic for all people. If you enjoy, crave, or desire carbohydrates, then please honor the intelligence of your body and eat!
•Peat suggests that sugar in particular, in the absence of excess polyunsaturated fat. may be therapeutic in many cases, including cases of insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and diabetes. Peat suggests that much, or perhaps even all, of the cautions against sugar may be unfounded and even wrong Peat recommends eating carbohydrates with protein any time protein is eaten to avoid low blood sugar and a stress response.
•Peat suggests that most insoluble fiber is problematic, either because it is estrogenic or because it irritates the intestines, possibly producing excess serotonin.
•Although many Peatarians try to turn this advice into a rigid dogma that allows for only milk and orange juice, the truth is that Peat's guidelines and recommendations in regard to carbohydrates allow a great deal of flexibility. The bottom line is to allow yourself to eat what you desire without placing artificial restrictions on yourself, and adjust if necessary based on biofeedback. If you crave sugar in any form, then trust that instinct. and eat what you crave. If you crave starch, then trust that instinct.
Fat
Peat's views on fat are rather emphatic and straightforward. He argues repeatedly that polyunsaturated fats of all kinds are potentially harmful and should be avoided to whatever extent possible He also says that while the body is capable of producing fats from carbohydrates, it is sensible to eat some dietary saturated fat. Peat tends to speak highly of coconut oil for this purpose, though he is also in favor of butter fat, which is also highly saturated.
Peat's argument for why unsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats specifically,,are problematic is that they cause inflammation, slow mitochondrial energy production, suppress thyroid function, inhibit detoxification, and suppress immunity.
He argues that the industrial (agricultural/ pharmaceutical/ governmental/etc.)push of polyunsaturated fats is rooted in profits rather than sound research and a genuine interest in the health and wellbeing of the population. He cites numerous studies that demonstrate the effects that he attributes to polyunsaturated fat.
Truthfully, Peat seems to turn polyunsaturated fat into as near as a demon as possible. And, to be honest, in the right context he makes a very strong argument.
The only context I see in which his argument doesn't hold up is in the traditional diets of people living in extreme latitudes. People like the Inuit traditionally ate diets composed mostly of large amounts of polyunsaturated fats, as are found in the fish, seals, and whales that they hunted. And, all things considered, it would seem that these people have fared quite well, especially considering the extremely inhospitable environments in which they live.
However, it is notable that their diets include extremely low amounts of carbohydrates, instead relying largely on fat for their energy. Plus, given the extremely cold environment,
it is reasonable to assume that the people in that environment would fare better with dietary polyunsaturated fat than people living in temperate or tropical environments.
Frankly, I think that Peat's arguments against polyunsaturated fat are so good that I expect that it is reasonable for most people to experiment with reducing polyunsaturated fat intake and favoring saturated fat instead.
For most people, this is not difficult since most people typically enjoy butter to canola oil.In fact, many people find that after taking a break from polyunsaturated fat staples, such as nuts, seeds, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and the like, they have no appetite for those things.
Some people, however, take this to an unnecessary extreme. They try to eliminate very nearly all polyunsaturated fat from their diet without regard for the implications.
While many people may benefit greatly by reducing dietary polyunsaturated fat, it is clear to me that this has to be done in a healthy, sustainable, and enjoyable way. Normally, reducing polyunsaturated fatisnt difficult because most people usually prefer butter to canola oil and beef fat to chicken fat. And normally,if a person is eating enough variety of palatable enjoyable foods, then there is little craving for large amounts of nuts or seeds. But what can happen with overzealous elimination of polyunsaturated fat is that some people can inadvertently reduce their caloric intake or their protein intake, which can have harmful health effects in many cases. Furthermore, if you eliminate polyunsaturated fat without regaro for the genuine cravings of the body, then you mayinadvertently deprive your body of needed nutrition.
So, while I agree that reducing polyunsaturated fat is likely to be helpful for many, if not most people, I believe that there is a helpful way to approach this and an unhelpful way to approach this. To begin with, I strongly suggest that you listen to your body. If your body genuinely craves polyunsaturated fat, then do not reject that just because Ray Peat doesn't like polyunsaturated fat, no matter how good his arguments are. Secondly, replace polyunsaturated fats with equal calories that are palatable and enjoyable to you. If you approach this transition with too much zeal, then you may eliminate polyunsaturated fat without replacing it with adequate energy. It is important that the food that you eat is enjoyable, palatable, and fulfilling to you in order to make the dietary practices truly sustainable for you.
I also encourage you to avoid the temptation to try to eliminate all polyunsaturated fats.
For one thing, it's an impossibility, since just about any fat of any sort contains some polyunsaturated fat. Even coconut oil, which is highly saturated, contains some polyunsaturated fat. Instead, simply become aware of the sources of large amounts of polyunsaturated fats,and then replace those fats with a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and saturated fat to whatever extent is enjoyable and sustainable for you.
Some of the common sources of large amounts of polyunsaturated fat include all non-tropical vegetable oils (ie. soy,corn, canola,safflower, sunflower, sesame, flax,etc), nuts(ie. almondswalnuts, Brazil nuts,etc.), seeds, poultry fat, and pork fat.
Common sources of saturated fat include butter, suet, and coconut oil. Ray Peat seems to have a particularly favorable opinion of coconut oil. If you happen to like coconut oil, then using more coconut oil in your cooking is probably easy. However, even those of us who once-upon-a-time enjoyed coconut oil tend to develop a distaste for it.(Reportedly, refined coconut oil is largely tasteless, which works well for many people. Butter, on the other hand, tends to be quite enjoyable to most people most of the time.
So does this mean that you should never eat Brazil nuts, chicken, or bacon ever again? No. It does not.
If you crave nuts, seeds, poultry fat, or pork fat, then eat them to whatever extent you genuinely crave them. However, you may find that simply being cognizant of polyunsaturated fats and experimenting with reducing them may reveal some benefits for you.
Also, many people find that the fat from poultry or pork doesn't actually agree with them. Skinless chicken (particularly a low fat cut, such as the breast),however, is relatively lowin polyunsaturated fat, so it is not necessary to give up poultry and pork completely. Peat himself reportedly eats bacon. He fries it, discards the fat, and then cooks it again in coconut oil.
I'm not suggesting that you should become neurotic at all about polyunsaturated fat.
Rather, I am sharing with you the Peat perspective and hopefully tempering that with the recommendation that you experiment and be willing to trust in your body both in the cravings and in the biofeedback (ie. how you feel after eating various foods).
Protein
Ray Peat is a fan of protein primarily because he views protein as being pro-thyroid in nature.
Though he doesnt advocate for a high protein diet, he does suggest that adequate protein requirements for most people are likely higher than the governmental recommendations of less than 50 grams per day. He has written that he personally doesn't feel very good eating less than 100 grams per day, and he typically eats closer to 150 grams per day.
However, Peat offers some caveats to this. He most certainly does not advocate for a protein free-for-all.
He claims that with the exception of potatoes, the only other quality proteins are from animal foods, and he warns against eating too much protein that is high in inflammatory amino acids, such as tryptophan. cysteine, and methionine. Also, while adequate protein is important, Peat doesn't suggest that more than enough is better.
Ray Peat often speaks(or writes) favorably about dairy sources of protein. Cheese, in particular, Peat says is best because it is very low in tryptophan. Peat is also quite fond of gelatin, which is deficient in tryptophan(inflammatory) and an exceedingly good source of glycine (antiinflammatory). Although he does advocate for the judicious inclusion of muscle meat and organ meat in the diet, he cautions that these meats are high in inflammatory amino acids, and he recommends eating them with gelatin. He makes a good point, which is that muscle meat and organ meat represent only part of the whole animal. Traditionally, the entire animal would be eaten, which includes a fairly massive amount of collagen (gelatin).
He also speaks favorably of eggs as a protein source since the protein quality is high with a balanced amino acid profile, and eggs are very nutrient dense(mostly in the yolks). He does caution against eating too many eggs in the long run because of the polyunsaturated fat content, though.
So really, there's not a great deal to get neurotic about when it comes to Peat's protein views, and yet, many of us have found ways to become neurotic about protein, using Peat's views as an excuse. For one thing, many people eschew muscle meat altogether because it is inflammatory on its own. This is, of course, simply inverting the mistake that we began with by eating only muscle meat. While I have heard reports from some who are eating 150 grams of gelatin a day along with dairy or eggs, this seems just as silly as eating nothing but steaks. Then some people try to force themselves to eat more protein than they actually want or need simply because Peat is on record as saying that he eats 150 grams of protein per day on average.
What a lot of people miss is that most foods have some protein Even if the quality of the protein isn't the greatest (as in most fruits. vegetables, or starches), the combination with other foods tends to create a more or less balanced protein. So if you drink a pint of orange juice(4 grams of protein) with an egg(6 grams of protein), an ounce of cheddar cheese(7 grams of protein), and a potato(4 grams of protein), then that's 21 grams of protein. And even if the protein in the orange juice isn't the greatest quality, when combined with the other protein, it balances out.
So it isn't necessary to eat 150 grams of gelatin or drink a gallon of milk every day to meet your protein requirement.
Furthermore, everybody's protein requirements are different, and they change over time. Just because Ray Peat need 100150 grams a day doesn't mean that you do, but if you find that you aren't feeling so great and you typically eat less than, say, 70 grams of protein a day, then you may want to experiment with ways to increase your protein intake in enjoyable and palatable ways. See if that helps you to feel better.
Don't be afraid of eating what you enjoy eating, either, Not everyone wants to eat a lot of cheese. And not everyone fares well on a diet with lots of dairy as the primary protein source. If you enjoy eating steaks, then eat steaks. If you don't like gelatin, then don't eat it just because you think you should. But then again, be willing to branch out and try new things. Again, let your cravings and biofeedback be your guide.
矿物质
雷关于矿物的观点简单总结如下:
钙、钠和镁是有益的。
大量磷、铁和碘是有害的。
除此之外,他并没有以这样或那样的方式表达矿物质,只是说饮食应该包括足够的矿物质供应,包括微量矿物质。
钙和磷是相互对立的,所以雷的观点是:关于这两种矿物质最重要的考虑因素是比例。他通常建议摄入更多的钙比磷更理想。
根据他的说法,钙是有益的,因为它降低了甲状旁腺和脑垂体的活动,他说这两者都反对甲状腺的活动。换句话说,当甲状旁腺和垂体活动高时,甲状腺活动受到抑制。由于雷认为甲状腺活动对身体健康至关重要,他通常不赞成任何反对甲状腺功能的事情,所以钙减少甲状旁腺和垂体活动在他看来是一件好事。
另一方面,过量的、没有作用的磷会导致很多负面症状,从疲劳到癌症到骨质疏松。需要明确的是,他并不提倡极端地减少膳食中的磷。
相反,他强调钙磷比高的食物是有益的。
磷钙比高的食物(不好)包括肌肉、肉、鱼、豆类和全谷物。钙磷比高的食物(好)包括牛奶和奶酪。他还在这一类别中提到了绿叶蔬菜,尽管大多数时候他并不重视地上的植物(不包括水果)。
当然,有人可能会走极端,尝试排除所有高磷低钙的食物,但这是不必要的,也不是雷所提倡的。相反,雷只是倡导人们要意识到饮食中磷和钙的整体比例,他建议,如果你摄入的钙比磷多,你可能会感觉更好。钙的天然饮食来源包括骨汤和蛋壳粉,如果你觉得你需要补充钙。
钠是一种在主流社会中备受诟病的矿物质。它被认为是高血压和其他疾病的罪魁祸首。然而雷认为这些观点中有很多可能是没有根据的。事实上,钠,尤其是氯化钠(食盐、海盐或岩盐),有许多治疗用途,包括减少炎症、增加二氧化碳水平、诱导生热、改善睡眠等等。他还建议,钠有助于镁保留。因此在膳食中加入足够的盐可以促进健康。
和钙一样,镁的缺乏也会导致甲状旁腺刺激,而甲状旁腺刺激反过来会抑制甲状腺活动。此外人体需要镁来平衡和控制钙的活动。
正因为如此,保持镁的水平是很重要的。但据我所知,他提倡的镁的唯一来源是咖啡,可可/巧克力和镁盐浴。虽然雷非常喜欢咖啡,但我不确定他在这方面是否正确。因为除了意式浓缩咖啡,其他类型的咖啡含有相对少量的镁和大量的植酸,植酸会与消化道中的镁和其他矿物质结合在一起(影响营养吸收)。
雷警告人们不要过量补充碘,因为在某些圈子里,人们普遍听从医生的建议,比如大卫·布朗斯坦,他提倡使用非常大的剂量补充碘。雷认为大量的碘可能会抑制甲状腺而不是治愈它。
最后,我们谈到铁,这是雷理论中的矿物恶魔。他并不看好铁,因为铁是一种容易氧化的重金属。他认为过量的铁会导致癌症和心脏病。帕金森氏症,肌萎缩侧索硬化症,阿尔茨海默症等等。他也认为虽然缺铁可能而且确实存在,但它比我们想象的要罕见得多,而且它很少是贫血的原因。
雷说铁可能会刺激红细胞的形成,但他也认为砷或辐射会刺激红细胞的形成。贫血症是由于砷缺乏引起的,这种说法是否同样合理?
由于铁会累积,所以不要吃太多。他提倡在吃含铁食物的时候喝咖啡,含高铁食物如红肉或肝脏,咖啡会抑制铁的吸收。
维生素
雷主要谈到了三种官方认可的维生素和咖啡,他认为咖啡因应该被视为一种维生素。他也认为维生素A、维生素D和维生素E都有广泛的治疗价值。
根据他的说法,维生素A对抗雌激素,因此很重要。他认为维生素A太少会导致问题,因此,他建议吃鸡蛋,偶尔吃肝脏。
然而,他警告说,因为维生素A是不饱和的。它可能过度抑制甲状腺功能。
当谈到维生素A时,他只是说类维生素A,这是在动物性食品中发现的活性形式。其他化合物,如在植物食物中发现的类胡萝卜素,在人体中并不总是能成功地转化为活性形式,所以活性形式是获得膳食维生素a的唯一确定的方式。此外,雷不喜欢类胡萝卜素。因为他认为它们是潜在危险的多不饱和脂肪酸。
(坦白地说,我对此并不信服。我认为这种说法可能有点夸张,但也有可能他是对的。)
鸡蛋和肝脏是维生素A的良好来源。其实黄油也是维A的优越来源,和奶酪和鸡蛋类似。雷对肝脏的看法是正确的,因为肝脏是维生素A最丰富的食物来源之一。由于肝脏的营养密度高,他建议每一到两周吃一份肝脏,不要再多吃了。
雷有时也会提到维生素D。因为他看好钙,所以他认为充足的维生素D也很重要(维生素D有助于钙的吸收)也就不足为奇了。他还认为维生素D有助于保留钙和镁。他建议一些人在阳光照射不足时补充维生素D(因为皮肤在阳光照射下通常会产生维生素D)。
然而,他也警告说,过量的维生素D可能会使雌激素过量产生。有趣的是,他引用了一项研究,该研究表明(至少在老鼠身上)维生素D缺乏的影响可以通过吃糖来代替淀粉来抵消。
维生素E是他的最爱,有趣的是,他很少提倡补充维生素E。他曾公开表示,目前很多维生素E补充剂的质量都很差。在任何情况下,维生素E是抗炎的,它对抗雌激素。加上维生素E可以改善多不饱和脂肪的负面影响。雷建议一些人在食用大量多不饱和脂肪之前补充维生素E,但我不能证实这一说法。唯一的问题是,雷似乎不认为现在市场上有任何高质量的维生素E补充剂。
最后,他认为咖啡因“类似维生素”。咖啡因有很多好处,包括保护肝脏、平衡荷尔蒙、预防癌症、提高能量、保护神经等等。雷最喜欢的咖啡因来源是咖啡,我们将在下一节更深入地讨论它。
咖啡
咖啡是雷的最爱。尽管对喝咖啡的主流观点是,它是一种恶习,应该尽可能地减少或消除,但其实咖啡是一种几乎完美的超级食物。
首先,咖啡是雷最喜欢的咖啡因来源,而且,正如我在前一节提到的,咖啡因是一种类似维生素的物质。他列举了咖啡因的许多潜在好处,包括我在前面部分列出的那些。
雷说,通常被认为是咖啡因和咖啡的负面影响实际上是糖代谢改善的结果,结果可能是低血糖,这会产生应激反应。解决方案呢?糖。雷认为简单地添加糖(或淀粉,如在吃饭时喝咖啡或吃蛋糕或类似的东西)将完全解决潜在的问题。意思是只要在咖啡中加入足够的糖,就可以完全消除任何紧张的感觉。
除了咖啡因的好处,雷喜欢咖啡还有其他原因。也许他引用最多的原因是据说咖啡会抑制铁的吸收,这就是为什么他建议喝咖啡和任何富含铁的食物。
他还说咖啡可以阻挡磷。你可能还记得,如果不加以控制,磷会产生负面影响。
所以咖啡阻挡磷的能力是另一个好处。
他还认为咖啡可以保护甲状腺免受癌症,去除重金属,是镁和维生素B1的良好来源。
(不过,说实话,我认为从咖啡中获取大量的镁,即使在理论上,你也需要喝浓缩咖啡。)
他一定喝了很多咖啡。我从未见过关于他到底喝了多少酒的报告,但他似乎并没有对过量饮酒提出警告! 当然,每个人都是不同的。有些人喜欢喝咖啡。一些不喜欢。有些人喜欢喝咖啡。一些不喜欢。所以你必须用你自己良好的判断来决定什么最适合你。
补剂
在某些情况下,雷提倡使用几种补品。也就是说,他认为阿司匹林、甲状腺激素、孕烯酮和孕酮可能在某些时候对某些人有帮助。
雷喜欢阿司匹林,因为它对抗雌激素和多不饱和脂肪酸。他说,在理想情况下,我们都不会暴露在过量的多不饱和脂肪(他说,多不饱和脂肪取代了体内的天然脂肪酸)或过量的雌激素中。在这种情况下,阿司匹林是灵丹妙药。
他反驳了阿司匹林导致胃溃疡的说法,他说,研究表明,在旨在形成溃疡的条件下,一次服用相当于10到100片阿司匹林的药片,就会形成胃溃疡。他说,相反,如果使用得当,阿司匹林可以防止溃疡。
当然,每个人的情况可能会有所不同。有些人似乎对阿司匹林耐受性很好,而有些人则不然。对某些人来说,补充阿司匹林可能是不明智的。
我必须说,我个人并不想补充阿司匹林。然而雷的观点让我认识到了自己的偏见。我认为阿司匹林是一种唯一止痛的药物。我把阿司匹林和我认为是营养补充品的东西,比如维生素或矿物质,分开分类。但奇怪的是,我的分类相当随意。有趣的是,我注意到,我并不特别犹豫是否要推荐补充维生素D,但我犹豫是否要推荐补充阿司匹林或激素(有趣的是,当然,维生素D实际上也是一种激素!),比如孕烯酮或孕酮。所以,我再次鼓励你们以开放的心态去探索你们在这些问题上可能存在的偏见。
雷不止一次对补充甲状腺激素赞不绝口。他经常提到一种名为Cytomel(或Cynomel)(磺塞罗宁钠/三磺甲状腺氨酸钠)的产品,它只含有T3激素,这是一种“活跃的”甲状腺激素。我没有看到他过多地提到甲状腺干燥,尽管他在写作中偶尔提到的几处听起来不错。从他的文章中可以清楚地看到,他不相信合成T4补充剂是一个好主意。
虽然补充甲状腺似乎确实帮助了很多人,但我怀疑这是否是一个好的首选方法。可通常情况下,在考虑是否摄入了足够的卡路里等因素之前,很多人会将补充甲状腺作为首选方法。
雷也喜欢补充孕烯酮。雷认为它是完全无毒的,但他说孕烯醇酮水平足够的人使用孕烯醇酮补充剂是没有效果的。
然而,对于那些孕烯酮水平低的人,雷认为声即使补充大量的(有传言说,有段时间他每天服用3克没有不愉快的副作用。
一些来自自我宣称是Peatarians的人的不寻常报告表明,补充孕烯醇酮,即使是中等剂量,也可能产生轻度副作用,包括烦躁和失眠。另一方面,部分人只注意到积极或中性的影响。
最后,雷是孕酮补充剂的爱好者。他警告说,这种激素不是男性荷尔蒙(这意味着男性天生就会分泌非常少量的激素),因此,男性通常不适合补充这种激素。(他确实注意到可能会有例外。一些男性确实发现,在某些情况下补充孕激素是有帮助的。)雷喜欢黄体酮,因为它对抗雌激素的作用。对于女性来说,在排卵和月经期间补充黄体酮可以缓解PMS症状。他还建议对围绝经期和绝经后的妇女补充孕酮。
总之,我将加上我自己的评论。尽管雷对在某些情况下补充阿司匹林、孕烯醇酮和孕酮提出了很好的观点,但我认为把这些物质作为补充药物的第一步是错误的。我看到许多自诩为Peatarians的人在给予足够的注意吃足够的食物或其他生活方式考虑之前就补充这些物质(如本书后面讨论的)。
别把补剂看的大于饮食!
未完待续…
Minerals
The oversimplified summary of Ray Peat's views on minerals is as follows:
Calcium, sodium, and magnesium are good.
Phosphorus, iron, and iodine in excess are bad.
Otherwise, he doesn't typically express much one way or the other about minerals apart from stating that a diet should include an adequate supply of minerals, including trace minerals.
Calcium and phosphorus oppose one another, and so Peat's view is that the most important consideration in regard to these two minerals is the ratio. He normally suggests that it is ideal to consume more calcium than phosphorus.
According to Peat, calcium is beneficial because it reduces the activity of both the parathyroid and the pituitary, both of which he says oppose the activity of the thyroid. In other words, when parathyroid and pituitary activity are high, thyroid activity is suppressed. Since Peat views thyroid activity as being essential to good health, he generally doesn't hold a positive opinion of anything that opposes thyroid function, so calcium's action of reducing parathyroid and pituitary activityis a good thing in his view.
On the other hand, according to Peat, excessive, unopposed phosphorus leads to a whole lot of unpleasant symptoms ranging from fatigue to cancer to osteoporosis. To be clear, he does not advocate for tryingto achieve an extreme reduction in dietary phosphorus. Rather, he suggests that emphasizing foods that have a high calcium to phosphorus ratio may be beneficial.
According to Peat, foods that have a high phosphorus to calcium ratio (not good)include muscle meat, fish, beans, and whole grains. Foods with a high calcium to phosphorus ratio(good)include milk and cheese. He also mentions leafy greens in this category, though most of the time he holds aboveground plants(not including fruits)in low regard.
Of course, it is possible to take this to an extreme and try to exclude all foods that are high in phosphorus and low in calcium, but this is unnecessary and also not what Peat is advocating. Rather, Peat simply advocates for having awareness of the overall dietary phosphorus to calcium ratio, and he suggests that you are likely to feel better if you eat more calcium than phosphorus overall. Natural dietary sources of calcium include bone broth and eggshell flour, if you feel that you need supplemental calcium.
Sodium is a mineral that is much maligned in the mainstream. It is blamed for high blood pressure and other maladies. However, Peat suggests that much of these opinions may be unfounded. In fact, Peat believes that sodium, particularly sodium chloride(table salt, sea salt, or rock salt), has many therapeutic uses, including reducing inflammation, increasing carbon dioxide levels, inducing thermogenesis, improving sleep, and more. He also suggests that sodium helps with magnesium retention. So overall, Peat suggests that the inclusion of adequate dietary salt can be health-promoting.
Peat claims that like calcium, a deficiency in magnesium can also cause parathyroid stimulation, which, in turn, opposes thyroid activity. Furthermore, he points out that magnesium is needed to balance and keep in check the activity of calcium in the body.
Because of this, Peat advises that maintaining magnesium levels is important. As far as I can tell, the only sources of magnesium that he promotes are coffee, cacao/chocolate, and Epsom salt baths. While Peat is very big on coffee, I'm not sure that he's right on this one.
Other than espresso, other types of coffee contain relatively small amounts of magnesium with large amounts of phytic acid that binds to the magnesium and other minerals in the digestive tract.
Peat warns against excessive iodine supplementation as is popular in certain circles of people following the advice of doctors, such as David Brownstein, who promote supplementation with extremely large doses. Peat has expressed the view that large amounts of iodine are likely to suppress the thyroid rather than heal it.
Finally, we get to iron, which is the mineral devil in Peat's writings. He does not have a favorable opinion of iron, which is a heavy metal that oxidizes easily Peat claims that excess iron plays a role in cancer, heart disease. Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Alzheimer's, and more. Peat even claims that while iron deficiency can and does exist, it is much rarer than we imagine, and that it is rarely the cause of anemia.
(He says that iron may stimulate red blood cell formation, but he also argues that arsenic or radiation will stimulate red blood cell formation. Might it be just as sensible to argue that cases of anemia are due to arsenic deficiency?)
Since iron accumulates, Peat advises against eating too much He advocates for drinking coffee with meals that include iron-containing foods, such as red meat or eggs, because he says that coffee inhibits iron absorption.
Vitamins
Peat speaks primarily of three officially recognized vitamins and caffeine, which he claims should be considered a vitamin. He seems to feel that Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E all have a broad range of therapeutic value.
Vitamin A, according to Peat, opposes estrogen and is therefore important. He suggests that too little Vitamin A can cause problems, and as such, he recommends eating eggs and occasional liver.
However, he cautions that because Vitamin A is unsaturated. It may suppress thyroid function in excess.
When Peat speaks of Vitamin A, he is only speaking of retinoids, which are the active form found in animal foods. Other compounds, such as carotenoids that are found in plant foods, are not always successfully converted to the active form in humans, so the active form is the only sure way to get dietary Vitamin A. In addition, Peat is not a fan of carotenoids. because he views them as potentially dangerous polyunsaturated fatty acids.
(Frankly, I am not convinced of this. I think this claim may be a bit over the top, but it's also possible that he's right.)
As I mentioned, Peat cites eggs and liver as good sources of Vitamin A. However, butter is actually a superior source to eggs, and cheese is similar to eggs. Peat is right about liver, though, which is one of the richest food sources of Vitamin A. Because of the nutritional density of liver, Peat advises eating a serving of liver once every week or two and no more often.
Peat also mentions Vitamin D on occasion. Since he thinks favorably of calcium, it is not surprising that he suggests that sufficient Vitamin D is also important(Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption). He also suggests that Vitamin D helps to retain both calcium and magnesium. He has advised some people to supplement with Vitamin D when they do not get enough sunlight(since Vitamin D is normally produced on the skin when exposed to sunlight).
However, he also cautions that excessive Vitamin D can be estrogenic. Interestingly, he cites a study that indicates that (at least in rats) the effects of a Vitamin D deficiency may be offset by eating sugar in place of starch.
Vitamin E is one of Ray Peat's darlings though interestingly, he rarely advocates for supplementing with it. He's on the record as saying that much of the present day Vitamin E supplements are of inferior quality. In any case, Peat has written that Vitamin E is anti- inflammatory, and it opposes estrogen. Plus Vitamin E can ameliorate the negative effects of polyunsaturated fats. Rumor has it that Peat has advised some people to supplement with Vitamin E before eating a large amount of polyunsaturated fat, though I can not substantiate this claim. The only problem is,as I have already stated, Peat doesn't seem to think there are any quality Vitamin E supplements on the market today.
Finally, Peat argues that caffeine is“vitamin-like.” He attributes a long list of benefits to caffeine, including liver protection, hormonal balance, cancer protection, energy efficiency, nerve protection, and more. Peat's favourite caffeine source is coffee, which we'll cover in more depth in the next section.
Coffee
Coffee is Ray Peat’s favourite. Although the mainstream view of coffee is that it is a vice to be reduced or eliminated whenever possible, Peat defends coffee as a superfood par excellence.
Coffee is Peat's favourite source of caffeine, to begin with, and, as I mentioned in the previous section, Peat views caffeine as a vitamin-like substance. He lists many potential benefits to caffeine, including those that Ilisted in the preceding section.
Peat says that the negative effects that are normally attributed to caffeine and coffee are actually the result of improved sugar metabolism the result being possible hypoglycemia, which produces a stress response. So Peat's solution? Sugar. Peat claims that simply adding sugar (or starch as in drinking coffee with a meal or with cake or something like that) will completely resolve the potential problems. In other words, Peat is saying that simply adding sufficient sugar to your coffee should completely eliminate any jittery feelings.
Apart from the benefits of caffeine, Peat likes coffee for other reasons. Perhaps the reason that he cites most often is that coffee reportedly can inhibit the absorption of iron, which is why he recommends drinking coffee with any iron-rich food.
Peat also says that coffee can block phosphorus. You may recall that according to Peat, phosphorus has negative effects if unchecked.
So coffee's ability to block phosphorus is yet another benefit.
Peat claims that coffee protects the thyroid from cancer, removes heavy metals, and is a good source of magnesium and Vitamin B1.
(Though, to be honest,I believe that to get significant quantities of magnesium from coffee, even in theory, you need to drink espresso.)
Peat must drink a lot of coffee. I have never seen reports of just how much, but he certainly doesn't seem to caution against drinking too much! Of course, everyone is different. Some people enjoy coffee. Some don't. Some do well with coffee. Some don’t. So you have to use your own good judgment to determine what is right for you.
Supplements
Peat is on record as advocating for the use of several supplements under some conditions. Namely, he suggests that aspirin, thyroid hormone, pregnenolone, and progesterone may be helpful for some people some of the time.
Peat likes aspirin, because it opposes estrogen and polyunsaturated fatty acids. He says that in an ideal world, none of us would have been exposed to excess polyunsaturated fat(which he says replaces natural fatty acids in the body) or excess estrogen. However, given the situation, Peat believes that aspirin is as near a panacea as possible.
He refutes the claim that aspirin causes stomach ulcers, saying that the studies that showed stomach ulcer formation were giving the equivalent of 10 to 100 aspirin tablets at once under conditions that were designed to form ulcers. He says that to the contrary, aspirin can protect against ulcers when used appropriately.
Of course, your mileage may vary. Some people seem to tolerate aspirin quite well while others do not. Supplementing with aspirin may be ill-advised for some people.
I must say that I don't have any personal desire to supplement with aspirin. However, Peat's views opened my eyes to my biases. I saw aspirin as a drug with the sole purpose of relieving pain. I put aspirin into a category separate from things that I considered to be nutritional supplements things like vitamins or minerals. But it was curious to notice that the classification on my part was quite arbitrary. It's interesting for me to notice that I am not particularly hesitant to recommend supplementing with Vitamin D, for example, but I have hesitation recommending supplemental aspirin or hormones, (interestingly, of course, Vitamin D actually is a hormone!), such as pregnenolone or progesterone. So again, I encourage you to have an open mind and explore the biases that you may have surrounding these issues.
Peat speaks highly of supplemental thyroid hormone on more than one occasion. He often refers to a product called Cytomel (or Cynomel) that contains only T3 hormone, which is the “active” thyroid hormone. I haven't seen him make much mention of desiccated thyroid glandular, though the few offhand references he has included in his writing sound favourable. What is clear from his writing is that he does not believe that synthetic T4 supplements are a good idea.
Although supplemental thyroid does seem to help a lot of people, I wonder if it is a good first approach. Often times, Peatarians resort to supplemental thyroid as a first approach before considering factors like whether or not they are eating enough calories.
Peat also likes supplemental pregnenolone. He claims that it is totally nontoxic, and he says that in those with adequate pregnenolone levels, utilizing supplemental pregnenolone wil have no effect.
However, for those with low pregnenolone levels, Peat claimsthat supplementing even with large amounts (he is rumored to have used 3 grams a day for a time has no unpleasant side effects.
Some anecdotal reports from self–proclaimed Peatarians suggest that supplemental pregnenolone, even in moderate doses, may cause unpleasant side effects including aggression and insomnia. On the other hand, most note only positive or neutral effects.
Finally, Peat is a fan of supplemental progesterone. This hormone, he cautions, is not a male hormone (meaning that men naturally produce very small amounts of the hormone), and therefore, it is generally not appropriate for men to supplement with it.(He does note that there may be exceptions. Some men do find that supplementing with progesterone can be helpful in some cases.) Peat likes progesterone because it opposes the effects of estrogen. For women, he claims that supplemental progesterone between ovulation and menstruation can alleviate the symptoms of PMS. He also makes recommendations for supplementation with progesterone for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
In summary, I will add my own commentary. Although Peat makes good arguments for supplemental aspirin, pregnenolone, and progesterone under certain circumstances, I believe that it is a mistake to resort to supplementing with these substances as a first line of approach. I see many self- professed Peatarians supplementing with these substances before giving adequate attention to eatingenough food or other lifestyle considerations(as are discussed later in this book).
《The Ray Peat Survival Guide》理论&实践&生活(完结篇)中英
Author:Joey Lott
译者:徐泾东八号出口
饮食的背景
对于我们从主流渠道获得的有偏见的信息,雷饮食理论和补充建议是有洞察力和有帮助的解毒剂。不要误解我的意思; 我并不是说雷没有偏见。我只是想说,至少雷的偏见与我们通常听到的很多东西是相反的,他提供了很多,如果不是更多的证据来支持他的主张,就像我们可能听到的任何其他东西一样。事实上,他在避开理性主义方面做得很好,我不能说这是真的,因为我们从其他渠道听到的太多了。
因此,我非常欣赏他的观点,以及他愿意发表自己的观点,但这并不意味着我认为他在所有情况下都是正确的。
我发现把所有的饮食建议放到一个正确的角度是很有帮助的。当我们忘记上下文时,很容易对任何想法产生冲昏头脑和过度热情。
让我们来看看一个具体的健康问题胰岛素抵抗。在主流社会,我们被告知胰岛素抵抗是由含有过多糖和饱和脂肪的饮食引起的,但如果这是真的,那么胰岛素抵抗和糖尿病肯定会摧毁大量依赖大量糖类的传统人群(如亚马逊文化吃甘蔗和热带水果或大量饱和脂肪)。
另一方面,雷将胰岛素抵抗归咎于多种因素,不仅仅是多不饱和脂肪的高饮食摄入量。但是,胰岛素抵抗和糖尿病会不会破坏传统的人,如饮食中含有大量多不饱和脂肪的因纽特人?
在其自身的背景下,几乎任何饮食哲学似乎都是所有健康问题的唯一正确答案。素食、原始饮食、低脂、无谷物、低碳水化合物等等,在孤立的背景下,都提供了令人信服的论据,但当你看一看更大的图景时,这些哲学都不是真理的垄断者。
事实似乎是,人类在很长一段时间里靠各种各样的饮食生存下来并繁荣发展。似乎人类表现得足够好饮食, 包括蛋白、谷物、精制的谷物,细粮, 多不饱和脂肪高虽然这可能是一种罕见的和极端的例外限制在高纬度地区, 高饱和脂肪, 低脂肪, 很多水果, 大量的蔬菜, 生吃, 熟的, 高热量, 低卡路里,高碳水化合物,低碳水化合物,等等。
现在,当你读到这篇文章的时候,要知道人可以在各种各样的饮食中活的很好,有些是均衡的,有些是极端的。然而,我不得不说,根据我的观察,那些更好的人倾向于以一种更温和的方式(即以一种更温和的方式),吃着非限制性的)饮食,而不是极端的(限制性的)饮食。
所以,虽然雷有一些非常有价值的见解,但我相信,对于绝大多数人来说,试图把纯粹,完美和Peatarianism(雷食主义)联系起来作为能感觉良好的最终答案是一个巨大的错误。因为这不仅不太可能,也不是必要的。甚至对某些人来说可能是有害的。一方面,它可能会使限制性饮食紊乱和食物/健康焦虑的情绪压力和习惯性压力模式持续下去。另一方面,大多数人认为纯粹和完美的雷饮食的限制本质可能是太多的液体和卡路里限制,从而吃不足导致代谢降低。
所以我的建议是: 用你从雷的思想中学到的东西来挑战你自己,让你认为你知道的一切都过去,并和解一些东西。雷的观点往往与你认为你知道的一切截然相反,你要知道这是一个绝佳的机会,让你意识到你永远不可能知道所有的答案,当然其他人也不可能知道。
然后,从他的核心信息中汲取灵感。想为自己。倾听你自己的生物反馈。如果你想吃什么东西,就吃它,不管别人怎么说它对你有害。如果你不想要什么东西,那就不要吃,不管别人怎么说那东西对你很健康。
然后根据需要进行调整。如果你觉得有些事不太对劲。然后愿意去改变一些事情。要乐于不断调整。你昨天想要的和昨天成功的东西今天可能是正确的,也可能不是。同样,昨天不起作用的东西今天也可能不起作用。相信你身体的渴望。
这是否意味着你应该完全无视雷或其他人的观点? 不。当然不是。它们在某些方面可能是有用的,例如,如果雷关于糖的观点允许你探索你对糖的渴望,那很好。或者如果他对咖啡的看法能让你在真的想喝咖啡的时候允许自己喝,那就太好了。
但是,如果你真的不想吃糖,也不要喝咖啡,仅仅因为雷这么说,它们依然不能让你感觉良好,那就不要吃糖,不要喝咖啡。同时,不要因为糖、咖啡或其他东西对你不起作用就认为它一定会一直这样。相信你身体的自然智能,它会治愈,会调整,会向你发出信号,告诉你它的需求会不断变化。
生活方式因素的重要性
不幸的是,雷的观点往往被狭隘地看待,就好像为了你的健康,你能做的唯一或最重要的事情就是喝大量的牛奶、橙汁和咖啡,并可能补充阿司匹林。在我看来,这是一种误解。我认为从更大的角度来看,雷的具体饮食建议可能是有帮助的,这是很重要的。下面这部分是雷的生活方式建议,以及我补充的内容。
事实上,雷健康前景的基础似乎是减少压力。
所有饮食建议都是关于减少压力的。 你要记住,吃碳水化合物、添加盐、提供足够的抗炎蛋白和减少多不饱和脂肪的目的,从根本上说就是减少应激反应。因此,饮食建议的生活方式背景也都是关于减轻压力的,这一点也不奇怪。他在这方面特别谈到了光和二氧化碳的重要性。
他的理论是,黑暗和蓝光对人类来说是固有的压力,而红光是缓解压力的,所以建议充足的阳光和补充红光,这意味着光线更偏向光谱的红端。但有些peatarian把这个建议做得太过了,他们在晚上睡觉的时候用热灯照自己。这可能是不必要的,这可能只会让你的老婆/老公/孩子不高兴。雷的建议是阳光,并在使用补充照明时优先使用红光(白炽灯,而不是蓝光(荧光灯))是明智做法。
雷认为二氧化碳是人体有机体中必不可少的营养物质。他的许多建议,比如比起淀粉,更喜欢糖,都是基于什么东西可以节省二氧化碳或在体内产生二氧化碳。他经常写高海拔的好处,包括空气中更大的二氧化碳到氧气水平。他还建议,在紧急情况下,用纸袋重新呼吸,以增加二氧化碳水平。
虽然我从来没有发现过雷真的支持Buteyko方法(布捷伊科呼吸法,用鼻呼吸而不是口,少呼吸多屏气)但雷似乎认可它。Buteyko方法建立在这样的理论基础上: 减少呼吸量会增加二氧化碳滞留量,并对健康有很多好处。(顺便说一句,我个人已经从Buteyko的方法中发现了好处,特别是用Frolov设备或更便宜的美国山寨设备BreathSlim进行练习。)
虽然雷并没有明确指出获得足够高质量睡眠的重要性,但当他写到使用明胶和盐来诱导和改善睡眠,以及补充褪黑素的潜在危害时,他似乎含蓄地承认了高质量睡眠的重要性。充足、高质量的睡眠对健康、自然的荷尔蒙平衡很重要。当然,对于处于低代谢状态的人来说,充足、高质量的睡眠通常是一项艰巨的任务。所以提高代谢率很可能会改善睡眠质量,我也认为这是一种先有鸡还是先有蛋的情况改善睡眠可以改善新陈代谢,改善新陈代谢可以改善睡眠。
我很少看到雷提到其他与减压有关的因素。这些对我来说似乎足够重要,所以我将在这里提到它们。
尽管他总是强调吃什么(或不吃),但他很少说吃多少。在我的研究中,似乎饮食不足和代谢率降低之间确实有很强的联系。雷至少在他的几篇文章中粗略地提到了这一点,他提到限制人类的卡路里会降低新陈代谢率,他也经常明确表示他认为新陈代谢不足是有问题的。
正如我在整本书中多次提到的,我注意到许多人试图遵循“完美的”雷饮食,最终可能以热量不足而告终。这是因为他们的饮食限制在少量的食物,其中许多是流质的,坦白地说,并不总是非常美味。虽然牛奶和橙汁有时都很令人愉快,但从长远来看,单靠这些食物很难保持足够高的热量摄入。如果你没有摄入足够的卡路里,那么你比摄入足够的卡路里更有可能产生压力反应。因此,在牢记他所推崇的一些原则和吃自己喜欢的食物之间需要找到一个平衡。不确定的时候,吃你喜欢的! 我发现那些从限制性饮食中恢复过来的人经常需要放开所有的限制,只根据胃口来吃,即使这意味着可能需要吃炸鸡和用菜籽油煮熟的玉米片。吃得足够多,并根据食欲/欲望而不是意识形态做出选择。这通常会把你引向正确的方向。在这方面,雷的观点可以是一种解放,为糖、淀粉、饱和脂肪、盐、咖啡、巧克力和其他你过去的意识形态可能拒绝你的食物打开了大门。
雷也很少提及减压技术或程序的价值。相反,他倾向于通过改变饮食或补充营养来改善情绪体验,但有大量证据表明,反过来也有效。换句话说,通过改变行为或冥想等方式来减少或释放压力的有效实践,可以引发生理上的变化,从而支持更长期的无压力生活体验。我个人认为这是真的。事实上,对于我们这些经历过限制性饮食模式的人来说,我相信一个好的压力释放计划是非常有帮助的,即使不是必要的。
最后,我想说的是,放手并享受生活是很重要的。值得赞扬的是,雷也说了很多。他认为好奇心和玩耍是健康的基本要素。
实践
雷从根本上是反独裁的和反刻板的,所以有些人接受他的观点并试图把它变成某种宗教是反常的。同样,试图把他的一般观点应用到所有的具体案例中也是错误的。
那么,你如何将所有这些信息以一种健康、有适应性的方式付诸实践呢?
我的建议是:他的观点不完全对。要知道,他并不是真理的垄断者。此外,由于他的工作不是一个整体,知道他可能在一些事情上是正确的,在其他事情上是错误的。或者,更有可能的是,有时某些事情是对的,有时是错的。
倾听你自己的身体。使用任何东西,包括他的观点,来允许自己抛弃教条和教条。要乐于尝试。相信你的生物反馈。如果你饿了,那就吃。如果你累了,就睡觉。如果你想吃冰淇淋,那就吃吧。如果你想吃土豆,那就吃土豆吧。
如果你渴望培根。那可以试试用椰子油煎的培根! 然后注意你的感觉。我不是建议你成为疑病症患者。在美国,你要为经历中的每一个小波动而担忧,但相信你的感觉是路标就行了。如果吃培根让你感觉糟糕,那就不要再吃了。
避免绝对主义。仅仅因为你一次甚至一个月都不喜欢培根,如果你发现你渴望培根,不要在你的余生限制它。要明白事情是会变的。很可能,随着新陈代谢的改善,你的敏感度会降低。
同时也要明白,并不是所有的事情都是一蹴而就的。有些事情需要时间。你花了一段时间才达到现在的水平,所以可能需要几天、几周、几个月甚至几年的时间才能恢复100%的感觉。要有耐心。我知道这很难。因为我也经历过,所以不要放弃。
记住照顾好自己,让自己得到足够的休息。吃喜欢吃的,晒太阳🌞,笑,微笑。轻松轻柔地呼吸,摆脱压力。吃好喝好睡饱才能活好。
请不要把雷的观点变成宗教信仰。记住,很多人的饮食方式都是健康的。没有一条真正的路。只有对你有用的。他有一些很好的见解。在我看来,其中最主要的是,过多的多不饱和脂肪在许多情况下都有潜在的危害。他关于盐、充足的优质蛋白质和平衡的氨基酸的观点似乎也很有道理。他关于碳水化合物的观点可以解放很多人,只要那些人们允许自己再次吃,而不是争论你应该只吃淀粉还是只吃糖。只是吃。吃你喜欢吃的。吃饱。
放下执念,与自己握手言和…
生活才更美好。
完结。
Putting Diet in Context
Peat's dietary and supplemental recommendations are insightful and helpful antidotes to the biased information we receive through mainstream channels. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that Peat isn't biased. Im just suggesting that at least Peat's biases are counter to much of what we normally hear, and he provides as much, if not more evidence to back his claims as anything else we might hear. In fact, he does a pretty good job of steering clear of being guilty of rationalism, which I can not say is true for so much of what we hear coming from other channels.
So I have a great appreciation for Peat's views and his willingness to publish his views, but that doesn’t mean that I think that hes right in all cases.
I find that it's helpful to put all of the dietary recommendations into perspective. When we forget the context, it is easy to get carried away and overzealous with any ideas.
Let's look at a specific health concern insulin resistance. In the mainstream, we are told that insulin resistance is caused by a diet consisting of too much sugar and saturated fat, but if that was true, then surely insulin resistance and diabetes would have devastated large numbers of traditional people who relied either on large amounts of sugars (such as Amazonian cultures eating sugar cane and tropical fruits or large amounts of saturated fats.
Peat, on the other handblames insulin resistance on a variety of factors not the least of which is high dietary intake of polyunsaturated fats. But then wouldntinsulin resistance and diabetes have ravaged traditional people, such as the Inuit, whose diets included significant polyunsaturated fat?
In its own context, it is possible for just about any dietary philosophy to seem to be the one true answer to all health problems. Raw veganism, paleo, low fat, grain free, low carbohydrate, and so on, all provide convincing arguments within an isolated context, but when you take a look at the bigger picture, none of these philosophies have a monopoly on truth.
The reality seems to be that humans have survived and thrived on a wide variety of diets over long periods of time. It seems likely that humans have fared well enough on diets that include gluten, grain, unrefined grain, refined grain, high polyunsaturated fat although this may be a rare and extreme exception limited to high latitude regions, high saturated fat,low fat, nightshades, no nightshades, lots of fruit, lots of vegetables, raw, cooked, high calorie, low calorie, high carbohydrates, low carbohydrates, and on and on.
Presently, as you read this, there are people who are thriving on a variety of diets some moderate and some extreme. I have to say, however, that it is my observation that those who thrive tend to do so on a more moderate(i.e. unrestrictive) diet rather than on an extreme (i.e. restrictive) diet.
So while Peat has some really valuable insights, I believe that for the overwhelming majority ofpeople, it is a huge mistake to try to convert to pure and perfect Peatarianism as a desperate attempt to feel well. This is not only unlikely to be necessary (or possible) for most people, it is actually likely to be harmful on several levels. For one thing, it is likely to perpetuate the emotional stress and the habitual stress patterns of restrictive disordered eating and food/health anxiety. For another thing, the restrictive nature of what most people imagine must be the pure and perfect Peat-inspired diet is likely to be too much liquid and not enough calories for the typical hypometabolic person.
So here's what I suggest: use what you learn through Peat's ideas to challenge yourself to let go of everything you think you know. Peat's ideas are often so radically opposed to everything that you thought you knew that it is the perfect opportunity to realize that you never will know all the answers and that no one else knows either.
Then, be inspired by the core of Peat's message. Think for yourself. Listen to your own biofeedback. If you crave something, then eat it no matter how much someone else says that thing is bad for you. If you don't want something, then don’t eat it no matter how much someone else says that thing is supposedly so healthy for you.
And then adapt and adjust as necessary. If something doesn't seem to sit well with you. then be willing to change something. Be willing to keep adjusting. What you wanted yesterday and what worked yesterday may or may not be the right thing today. And similarly, what did not work yesterday may or may not work today. Trust your body's cravings.
Does that mean that you should totally disregard Peat's views or anyone else's views? No. Of course not. They may be helpful in some regard For example, if Peat's views on sugar give you permission to explore your desire for sugar, then great. Or if his views on coffee allow you to give yourself permission to drink coffee if you actually want it, then great.
But don't eat sugar and drink coffee if you don't actually want to or if they don't make you feel good just because Peat said so. At the same time, don't assume that just because sugar or coffee or anything else doesn't work for you that it will necessarily always be that way. Trust in the natural intelligence of your body to heal, to adjust, and to signal you with its needs that change from one moment to the next.
The Importance of Lifestyle Factors
The unfortunate thing about Ray Peat's views is that they are often viewed in a very narrow context as if the only or most important things you could do for your health are to drink lots of milk, orange juice, and coffee, and to possibly supplement with aspirin. This is, in my view, a misunderstanding. I believe it is important to view the larger context in which Peat's specific dietary suggestions may be helpful. What follows in this section is Peat's lifestyle recommendations with my additions to round it out.
Really, the foundation of Peat's health outlook seems to be the reduction of stress. In fact, all of Peat's dietary recommendations are about reducing stress. You’ll remember that the purpose of eating carbohydrates, adding salt, providing adequate anti-inflammatory protein, and reducing polyunsaturated fat is fundamentally about reducing stress responses. So it should come as no surprise that the lifestyle context for the dietary recommendations is also all about reducing stress. Peat specifically talks about the importance of light and carbon dioxide in this regard.
Peat's theory is that darkness and blue light are inherently stressful for humans, while red light is de-stressing, so Peat recommends adequate sunlight and supplemental red light meaning light that is skewed more toward the red end of the spectrum. Of course, some Peatarians take this advice too far and shine heat lamps on themselves at night as they try to sleep. This is likely unnecessary and will probably just upset your spouse, but Peat's general recommendation to get sunlight and to give preference to red light (as in incandescent instead of blue light (as in fluorescent)when using supplemental lightingis sensible.
Peat views carbon dioxide as an essential nutrient in the human organism. Many of his recommendations, such as the preference for sugar over starch, are based on what will either spare carbon dioxide or produce carbon dioxide in the body. He often writes of the benefits of high altitudes, including a greater carbon dioxide to oxygen level in the air. Peat also recommends rebreathing into a paper bag in times of acute need in order to increase carbon dioxide levels.
AlthoughI have never found a reference to Peat actually endorsing the Buteyko method, he does seem to at least have some respect for it. The Buteyko method is founded upon the theory that reduced breathing volume results in an increase in carbon dioxide retention and a whole host of health benefits.(As a side note I personally have found benefit from the Buteyko method, particularly practicing with the Frolov device or the less expensive American knockoff, the BreathSlim device.)
Although Peat doesn't explicitly speak of the importance of getting enough quality sleep, he does seem to implicitly acknowledge the importance of quality sleep when he writes about using gelatin and salt to induce and improve sleep and when he writes about the potential harm of supplemental melatonin. Adequate, quality sleep is important for healthy,natural hormone balance. And, of course, adequate, quality sleep is normally a tall order for people in a hypometabolic state. So while improving the metabolic rate is likely to improve sleep quality, I also think that there’s a sort of chicken and egg scenario happening improving sleep can improve metabolism and improving metabolism can improve sleep.
There are other factors involved in stress reduction that I rarely,if ever, see Peat mention. These seem significant enough to me that I will make mention of them here.
With all the emphasis that Peat tends to place on what to eat (or not eat), he rarely says anything of how much to eat. In my research, it does seem that there is a strong connection between undereating and lowered metabolic rate. Peat does at least address this very cursorily in several of his articles when he mentions that calorie restriction in humans tends to reduce metabolic rate, and he does often make it clear that he views hypometabolism as problematic.
As I have mentioned several times throughout the book, I have noticed that many people trying to follow the“perfect”Peat- inspired diet can end up with a caloric deficit. That is because they restrict their diet to a small number of foods, many of them liquid,and frankly, not always terribly palatable. While milk and orange juice are both quite enjoyable at times, it can be difficult to maintain a high enough caloric intake on those foods alone in the long run. And if you are not eating enough calories, then you are more likely to produce a stress response than if you are eating enough calories. So, there is a balance to be struck between keeping in mind some of the principles that Peat espouses and eating what you enjoy. When in doubt, just eat what you enjoy! I find that those who are recovering from restrictive eating often need to let go of all the restrictions and just eat accordingto appetite even if that means eating fried chicken and corn chips all cooked in canola oil. Eat enough, and make choices based on appetite/desire rather than ideology. This normally will lead you in the right direction. And Peat's views can be liberating in this respect, opening the doors to sugar, starch, saturated fat, salt, coffee, chocolate, and other foods that your ideology may have denied you in the past.
Peat also rarely, if ever makes mention of the value of stress relief techniques or programs. Instead,he tends to focus on making changes in diet or supplementation as a way to improve the felt emotional experience but there is plenty of evidence that suggests that the other way around works as http://well.Inother words, effective practices for reducing or releasing stress by way of changes in behavior or meditation or the like can provoke changes in the physiology that support a more stress– free experience of life in the longer term.Ihave found this to be true, personally. In fact, for those of us who have experienced restrictive eating patterns, with all the anxiety that that entails, I believe a good stress release program is extremely helpful, if not essential.
Finally, I will add that it is important to let go and enjoy life. To his credit, Peat also says as much. he views curiosity and play as essential ingredients for health.
Putting This Into Practice
Ray Peat is fundamentally antiauthoritarian and antestablishment, so it is perverse that some take his views and try to make it into a religion of sorts. Also, it is a mistake to try to take his general ideas and apply them specifically to all cases.
So how can you take all of this information and put in into practice in a healthy, adaptive way?
My recommendation is this: See that Peat's views are contextual. Understand that he does not have a monopoly on truth. Furthermore, since his work is not a monolith, know that he may be right about some things and wrong about other things. Or, more likely, right about some things some of the time and wrong about some things some of the time.
Listen to your own body. Use anything and everything, including Peat's views, to give yourself permission to ditch the dogma and doctrine. Be willing to experiment. And trust your biofeedback. If you are hungry, then eat. If you are tired, then sleep. If you crave ice cream,then eat ice cream. If you crave potatoes, then eat potatoes.
If you crave bacon. then eat bacon fried in coconut oil or not! And then pay attention to how you feel. I'm not suggesting that you become a hypochondriac., worrying about every minor fluctuation in experience, but just trust how you feel as a guidepost. If eating bacon consistently makes you feel terrible, then maybe lay off the bacon.
Steer clear of absolutism. Just because bacon doesn't agree with you once or maybe even for a month, don't restrict bacon for the rest of your life if you find that you crave it. Understand that things change. And likely,as your metabolism improves, you'll have fewer sensitivities.
Also understand that everything doesn't have to be an instant fix. Some things take time. It took you a while to get to the point where you are now, so it might take a few days, weeks, months, or even years to get back to feeling 100%. Have patience. I know that's hard. Really, I do. I know from personal experience the temptation to jump ship and try the next dramatic and extreme fad approach to healing
Eat enough. Rest enough. Eat some more. Keep eating Keep resting. Get some sun. Laugh. Smile. Breathe easily and gently. And ditch the stress. Oh, and eat. Did I mention eat?
Please don’t turn Peat's views into a religion. Remember that plenty of people are healthy eating in a variety of ways. There is no one true way. There is only what works for you. Peat has some good insights. Chief among them,in my opinion, is that excess polyunsaturated fat is potentially harmful in many cases. His views on salt, adequate quality protein, and a balanced amino acid profile also seem to make good sense. And his view regarding carbohydrates can be liberating if you simply allow yourself to eat again instead of debating whether you should be eating only starch or only sugar. Just eat. Eat what you enjoy. Eat enough.
And let go. Life is better when letting go.