The Perfect Health Diet

[bcoz14]

Has anyone heard of this diet? It's similar to the Paleo Diet (but don't assume it's the same thing!) and includes Intermittent Fasting. It's the most wholesome, cutting-edge, research- and theory-based approach to Food-As-Medicine that there is out there today. Half of the book's pages are citations for the research literature used in the book.

The authors, Paul and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, both have Ph.Ds and seem to have scoured every scientific study ever related to diet and nutrition. This is from their About Us page:

"We are scientists with a longstanding interest in diet and health. We began experimenting with low-carb Paleo diets in 2005, spent seven years refining them, have successfully healed our own “middle-age” and chronic health problems through diet, and have learned a great deal about the benefits – and pitfalls – of these diets that we would like to share."

For a perfectionist, this is as good as it gets.

So the PHD is based on the Paleo diet, which involves:
-No gluten (wheat)
-No grains (like corn or corn products)
-No dairy
-No lugumes (including peanuts)
-No processed food (because our bodies were not meant to digest these chemical compounds)

The article below summarizes the differences between the PHD and the Paleo diet:

http://crinionclan.blogspot.com/2013/05/paleo-vs-perfect-health-diet.html

 

[ColonelGadaafi]

No such thing. Just eat, healthy amounts of lean-meats, occasional red-meat, lots of vegtables and grains, that has little contamination and minimal processing. Other than there isn't much you can do.

 

[bcoz14]

Have you looked at the diet yet? Do you know why it's recommended to eat 60% of calories from fat, 25% from carbs and the rest from protein? Or do you know why it's strongly recommended not to eat grains (including anything made from corn or wheat) or legumes (including peanuts)?

And of course, the "perfect" diet is subjective to each person...so the authors cover various areas for customization.

You don't know what you don't know! =]

 

[RDF]

Has anyone heard of this diet? It's similar to the Paleo Diet and includes Intermittent Fasting. I really just wanted to make people aware of it because I believe it's the most wholesome, cutting-edge, research- and theory-based approach to Food-As-Medicine that there is out there today. Half of the book's pages are citations for the research literature used in the book. This is an infographic from the webiste summarizing the diet's foods:

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Food-Plate-600dpi.jpg

People often feel like the nutrition information out there today is confusing and often contradicting, and people are right. I just thought I could contribute by giving everyone this shortcut. This is starting to sound like a plug for them, but really I'm just a enthusiastic supporter with a desire to make you guys happier in pursuit of your goals! Hope it's helpful!

I’m not familiar with the Perfect Health diet, and the OP didn’t provide a lot of info about it (the link is just for a single graphic). But the OP said that the Perfect Health diet is a variation of the Paleo Diet, and that’s a well-known diet.

According to WebMD, the Paleo Diet is supposed to be very healthy for you. The biggest drawback of the Paleo Diet is that it’s kind of a major departure from the “normal” foods that people eat in western countries, so most people probably won’t be able to maintain the Paleo Diet indefinitely. And once they switch back to a more “normal” food routine, they’ll probably regain the weight they lost.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet

So you have to consider that when choosing a diet: Is it something that you can maintain for a lifetime, or is it something that you’ll only do temporarily, which increases the risk that you’ll regain the weight or engage in “yo-yo dieting”?

If you want a healthy diet that’s easy to maintain for a lifetime, then I recommend the Mediterranean Diet. It basically just involves a switch to lean meats and lots of veggies, and then you get rid of animal fats (butter) and replace them with vegetable oil. IOW, it doesn’t involve a huge change in routine; mainly you just switch out a couple key elements to make your current diet more healthy. I’ve been doing the Mediterranean Diet for about 2.5 years, lost 40 pounds, and I don’t see any difficulty in continuing to eat that way for the rest of my life.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/the-mediterranean-diet

YMMV, of course.

 

[ColonelGadaafi]

Have you looked at the diet yet? Do you know why it's recommended to eat 60% of calories from fat, 25% from carbs and the rest from protein? Or do you know why it's strongly recommended not to eat grains (including anything made from corn or wheat) or legumes (including peanuts)?

And of course, the "perfect" diet is subjective to each person...so the authors cover various areas for customization.

You don't know what you don't know! =]

Unless you have dietary issues of some sort it doesn't matter that much, like malabsorbation, iron-overload, allergies or digestive issues. Aslong as you eat a varied diet, try whole and minimally processed food it doesn't matter that much in maintaining health and don't go one sided with the foods you eat, you'll remain healthy. And yes i did take a look at the diet. As someone who trains weight-lifting, boxing and trains markmanship, i've played with macros and dietary sources, it hasn't changed alot tbh. Only a few things like simple versus complex carbs might have an overall affect on your daily functioning.

 

[bcoz14]

The biggest drawback of the Paleo Diet is that it’s kind of a major departure from the “normal” foods that people eat in western countries, so most people probably won’t be able to maintain the Paleo Diet indefinitely.

True, I'm finding that you must avoid what seems like 90% of everything in the grocery store (I've been doing it for 4 months). It's even harder if you're eating out. Basically, everything must be organic or grass-fed, and the fats and oils used must be low in omega-6 fats, with canola oil being at the very top-end.

Although I love it and so do many more people who've given testimonials: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/reader-results/

 

[bcoz14]

And yes i did take a look at the diet. As someone who trains weight-lifting, boxing and trains markmanship, i've played with macros and dietary sources, it hasn't changed alot tbh. Only a few things like simple versus complex carbs might have an overall affect on your daily functioning.

Hmmm....to what degree of health optimization are we aiming for? It's very possible I'm aiming higher (probably because I'm an INFJ and we are often very perfectionistic). I don't want to settle for what my body tells me--I want to also know that I'm not selling my body short when I know of theory which suggests that I may not be feeding my body optimally.

 

[bcoz14]

It basically just involves a switch to lean meats and lots of veggies, and then you get rid of animal fats (butter) and replace them with vegetable oil.

Vegetable oils are are a bad substitute for organic butter or grass-fed beef tallow (lard). The article below explains why, and here's an excerpt from it: "The fat content of the human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s."

http://wellnessmama.com/2193/why-you-should-never-eat-vegetable-oil-or-margarine/

 

[ColonelGadaafi]

Hmmm....to what degree of health optimization are we aiming for? It's very possible I'm aiming higher (probably because I'm an INFJ and we are often very perfectionistic). I don't want to settle for what my body tells me--I want to also know that I'm not selling my body short when I know of theory which suggests that I may not be feeding my body optimally.

What is your goal really? That's a better question. Want to build muscle? Want to have good endurance? want to be able to train a long time? Is it maximum recovery you're aiming for?

 

[bcoz14]

What is your goal really? That's a better question.

Right. So currently my goal is to build muscle. I workout at noon 3-5 days a week (depending on what cycle I'm on--I'm following Brad Schoenfeld's Max Muscle Plan) and then I eat my first meal right afterwards, with lots of white rice or potatoes. On workout days, my percentage of calories from carbs is higher on workout days than on rest days. Before I workout, I take an amino acid blend, but that's the only food I eat prior to lifting. I eat roughly 20% in excess of my daily caloric expenditure on workout days and 10% less than it on rest days. I stop eating at 8-9pm, so I fast 16 hours per 24 hours every day. I've been up to the PHD for 4 months now and I've been on Schoenfeld's plan for a month.

Even though I'm only halfway through the 2 month "Strength" phase of the Max Muscle Plan, I've noticed that I'm leaner (probably around 8% body fat) and also more muscular in certain areas that were weak. I weigh the same as a month prior.

 

[RDF]

Vegetable oils are are a bad substitute for organic butter or grass-fed beef tallow (lard). The article below explains why, and here's an excerpt from it: "The fat content of the human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s."

http://wellnessmama.com/2193/why-you-should-never-eat-vegetable-oil-or-margarine/

It depends on the vegetable oil. Your website kind of lumps all vegetable oils and margarines together and condemns them all. But in fact, there is a lot of difference among the various vegetable oils. The Mediterranean Diet is very specific about which oils to consume and which ones to avoid.

Anyway, rather than getting into a big discussion and ending up with me quoting pages from the book "The Mediterranean Prescription," I recommend that you read the link that I provided in my previous post, and then read the book itself if you want more info. The book is written by a doctor (Angelo Acquista), and it contains many pages dealing with the difference in the various fats and omegas, and the best way to maximize the benefits while avoiding the negatives.

[Edit:] I notice from your latest post that you're into bodybuilding. I don't know if the Mediterranean Diet would necessarily be the best for bodybuilders. The Mediterranean Diet is written more for the general population.

 

[bcoz14]

There is a chart in the PHD diet very similar to the one from the link below, showing the amount of omega-6s in each oil. As you probably know, the typical American diet includes too much omega-6 fats.

http://chriskresser.com/how-too-much-omega-6-and-not-enough-omega-3-is-making-us-sick

It does not include olive oil, which is comprised of 10% omega-6 fats. The PHD also breaks down the polyunsaturated fat versus saturated (and monounsaturated) fat because too much polyunsaturated fat is toxic. For instance, although Canola oil is comprised of 18.6% omega-6s, it's comprised of 27% polyunsaturated fat which is high enough to be toxic. The PHD authors analyze all the other fats and oils in a similar fashion and then conclude by recommending the following:
- minimize omega-6 intake by eliminating vegetable oils and rely on butter, beef tallow, coconut oil (olive oil is probably fine)
- eat about 1 pound of salmon (or another high omega-3 fish) per week

 

[RDF]

[...]It does not include olive oil, which is comprised of 10% omega-6 fats.
[...] (olive oil is probably fine) [..]

Exactly. The Mediterranean Diet recommends replacing butter with extra virgin olive oil, first cold press (a very common, fairly cheap form of olive oil). Mediterranean = olives.

Rather than rely on research from the PHD aimed at bashing the competition (and which leaves out the key ingredient of the competition), you ought to try actually reading the literature of the competition.

Don’t get me wrong. Like I said in my first post in this thread, the Paleo diet (and its variations) and the Mediterranean diet are *both* quite healthy for you. They actually use much the same principles to achieve their goals. I’m just pointing out that the Paleo diet (and its variations) are difficult to maintain for the general population, which can lead to “yo-yo dieting.” Whereas the Mediterranean Diet is more user-friendly for the average dieter, which means it might be more effective over the long-term for the general population. WebMD comes to the same conclusion. Again, read the links I provided in my earlier post.

 

[bcoz14]

From the WebMD Paleo article:

"This diet has some great aspects, but the limitations make it another diet that people go on but can’t sustain for a number of reasons, including a lack of variety, [cost], and potential nutrient inadequacies" due to the elimination of certain food groups.

First of all, the PHD, unlike the Paleo, makes up for the nutrient deficiencies from not eating grains or legumes. The PHD also recommends eating dairy, such as cheese, butter, and cream. No Ph.D speaks the 100% truth, so we must listen to all the sides. I pick the Ph.Ds who wrote the PHD because their arguments make more sense.

Regarding practicality, you may be correct that the Mediterranean diet has the upper hand. You still get to eat bread. That's the biggest pro the Mediterranean diet has IMO. But I'm more than satisfied with white rice and potatoes. Although I still prefer the PHD, I must say "to each his own."

 

[Tiltyred]

Have you tried this stuff? It's the best.

http://www.pureindianfoods.com/grass-fed-organic-ghee-p/ghee.htm

I feel much better when I eat as you've described.

 

[kiddykat]

Has anyone heard of this diet? It's similar to the Paleo Diet (but don't assume it's the same thing!) and includes Intermittent Fasting. It's the most wholesome, cutting-edge, research- and theory-based approach to Food-As-Medicine that there is out there today. Half of the book's pages are citations for the research literature used in the book.

The authors, Paul and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, both have Ph.Ds and seem to have scoured every scientific study ever related to diet and nutrition. This is from their About Us page:

"We are scientists with a longstanding interest in diet and health. We began experimenting with low-carb Paleo diets in 2005, spent seven years refining them, have successfully healed our own “middle-age” and chronic health problems through diet, and have learned a great deal about the benefits – and pitfalls – of these diets that we would like to share."

For a perfectionist, this is as good as it gets.

So the PHD is based on the Paleo diet, which involves:
-No gluten (wheat)
-No grains (like corn or corn products)
-No dairy
-No lugumes (including peanuts)
-No processed food (because our bodies were not meant to digest these chemical compounds)

The article below summarizes the differences between the PHD and the Paleo diet:

http://crinionclan.blogspot.com/2013/05/paleo-vs-perfect-health-diet.html

Sounds very interesting. I'd like to add, eating a diet high in alkalinity is important for replenishing intestinal and digestive tract can help to reduce cancer and restoring antioxidants for overall well-being.

So on top of paleo, adding a few glasses of pure vitamin C would be ideal (in raw form like actual lemon fruit juicing).

And maybe, more veggies than meat. Some meat, and perhaps instead of sporadic fasting, eat only when hungry which is sorta like fasting because a person can go a day without eating and still not be hungry so long as they have proper electrolyte balance from hydration (drinking pressed fruits and veggies or plain non-chlorinated H20, spirulina+chlorella).

 

[baccheion]

This diet lost me when it said no peanuts. I think the ratios of fat, carbs, and proteins are way off, but I like that it includes intermittent fasting. I think the 40%/30%/30% diet is a good one (especially for bodybuilding), especially when done without dairy, gluten, or processed foods, and when done with high quality meats, high quality oils, proper food combining, lots of juiced vegetables (in a Vitamix or something similar to keep all the fiber), calorie restriction (eating only 70-80% of the calories you need, but not when you are bodybuilding), and 16/8 intermittent fasting. Lowering the percentage of protein more than this may extend life a little bit, but there are other effects that make it not worth it.

Another good thing about adding lots of juiced vegetables is that it addresses the alkalinity problems from the meat eaten.

You can also add supplements like Acetyl L-Carnitine, B-vitamins, etc.

 

[Lady_X]

I’m not familiar with the Perfect Health diet, and the OP didn’t provide a lot of info about it (the link is just for a single graphic). But the OP said that the Perfect Health diet is a variation of the Paleo Diet, and that’s a well-known diet.

According to WebMD, the Paleo Diet is supposed to be very healthy for you. The biggest drawback of the Paleo Diet is that it’s kind of a major departure from the “normal” foods that people eat in western countries, so most people probably won’t be able to maintain the Paleo Diet indefinitely. And once they switch back to a more “normal” food routine, they’ll probably regain the weight they lost.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet

So you have to consider that when choosing a diet: Is it something that you can maintain for a lifetime, or is it something that you’ll only do temporarily, which increases the risk that you’ll regain the weight or engage in “yo-yo dieting”?

If you want a healthy diet that’s easy to maintain for a lifetime, then I recommend the Mediterranean Diet. It basically just involves a switch to lean meats and lots of veggies, and then you get rid of animal fats (butter) and replace them with vegetable oil. IOW, it doesn’t involve a huge change in routine; mainly you just switch out a couple key elements to make your current diet more healthy. I’ve been doing the Mediterranean Diet for about 2.5 years, lost 40 pounds, and I don’t see any difficulty in continuing to eat that way for the rest of my life.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/the-mediterranean-diet

YMMV, of course.

i love mediterranean food...will have took into this thanks!

 

[bcoz14]

And maybe, more veggies than meat. Some meat, and perhaps instead of sporadic fasting, eat only when hungry which is sorta like fasting because a person can go a day without eating and still not be hungry so long as they have proper electrolyte balance from hydration (drinking pressed fruits and veggies or plain non-chlorinated H20, spirulina+chlorella).

The authors of the book agree with you. The diet is "Mostly plants" even though you're eating 0.5 to 1 pound of organically-fed meat per day.

In addition, it's recommended to take some supplements, one of which is vitamin C (in addition to adding lemon/lime juice to various meals).

Regarding the fasting, it's recommended to fast in the 16/8 style, where you eat only during an 8-hour time period per 24 hours, most days of the week (I do it everyday).

Thanks for bringing up these points

 

[bcoz14]

This diet lost me when it said no peanuts.

I found an excellent solution to the "no peanuts" when it comes to peanut butter. Eat almond butter. Tastes very similar to the point where I use it as a perfect substitute for peanut butter. I used to put peanut butter in/on everything from celery to smoothies. Now I do the same, but with almond butter.

I think the ratios of fat, carbs, and proteins are way off

The first few chapters of the book cover why the 60/15/25 fat/protein/carbs ratio is recommended (when not working out). It's mainly based on research studies and human evolutionary theory.

Regarding the idea of balancing meat consumption with alkalinity, I read a study recently which showed that fiber also helps balance the bad things (I forget what it is) from meat. So blended, whole veggies are preferable to juiced veggies. Plus, (and this is very important), there are many nutrients in real food which scientists have not identified yet--by juicing them, we're not getting the nutrients and good microbacteria present in the whole food itself.