{"id":9,"date":"2017-05-27T13:24:55","date_gmt":"2017-05-27T13:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the-gordianknot.com\/?p=9"},"modified":"2019-09-21T08:27:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-21T08:27:04","slug":"youre-overthinking-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-gordianknot.com\/index.php\/2017\/05\/27\/youre-overthinking-health\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re Overthinking Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Heuristic Approach for the Info-Weary<\/em><\/h3>\n
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For a TL;DR, scroll down to the bottom of the post. To understand my reasoning, read the article.<\/em><\/div>\n

When it comes to health, it is better to be sane and smart at the cost of not being current, rather than confused and gullible as the cost of being \u201cknowledgeable\u201d.<\/p>\n

The point of this post is to give you a practical framework for eating and lifestyle you can use immediately<\/em>, and that adapts to new information conservatively, without trawling through information online and picking sides. If by happy circumstance you find this post motivates you, it is only because you\u2019ve been relieved of a lot of unnecessary bullshit.<\/p>\n

Despite the flaws, vague conclusions, contradictions, bias and sometimes even dishonesty that plagues nutrition research, there are many people doing great work. But there is far less reliable practical advice that can be derived from it in its current state than you think.<\/em><\/p>\n

When faced with uncertainty and confusing evidence, we must design thought processes that help us navigate, survive and thrive in it. Creating good habits given uncertain information is a sign of both good rationality and good intuition<\/strong><\/p>\n

This post is not about nutritional science. It does not detail references, claims, statistics, a new fad diet with a charismatic cult leader, or even any external links. There is no revolutionary or exciting news here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Will three cups of green tea a day \u201cboost your metabolism\u201d? Will eating <insert exotic fruit fad of the month> \u201ctorch fat in one week\u201d? Is there one trick that all the celebrities use to \u201cLOSE WEIGHT FAST\u201d? These are unimportant questions.\u00a0 Small optimizations, \u201chealthy\u201d supplements, shiny new ideas and fancy-looking changes are usually a waste of time, willpower and money.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0This stuff is insignificant compared to the big changes that count\u200a\u2014\u200athe boring, time-tested changes that will give you actual results<\/em>. (But since you\u2019re here, the answers are\u200a\u2014\u200ano<\/em> to all, and as an added bonus\u2014 this site won\u2019t give your computer canceraids).<\/p>\n

Below, things you already know are arranged into categories and actionable steps that are common sense. <\/em><\/strong>The specific recommendations mentioned are based on the idea that for the most common results people want, the traditional, natural and time-tested is better and safer than the new and exotic. The only time it’s great to seek \u201cnew\u201d things is when newness, experimentation and niches are one of your goals<\/em>. Hence, you will find a complete absence of calorie counting and <insert favourite diet> in the first six steps.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can follow the order suggested at any pace you like.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Level 1: Aggressively remove the unanimously bad<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you had to do just one step with the maximum benefit, this is it. Removing the few things which have nearly unanimous consensus as \u201cbad\u201d will give you a bigger effect than adding every single \u201cgood\u201d thing you\u2019ve ever heard about. <\/strong>This list contains things where historical evidence, common sense, scientific consensus and differing<\/em> points of view converge<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Foods:<\/strong> trans fats and hydrogenated vegetable oil, eating takeout\/fast food everyday, added sugar above daily limit (including in iced coffees, fruit juices, sodas, sweetened yogurt, chocolate bars, cereal and many sauces), cheap processed<\/em> meats, junk food (anything that involves the above foods is automatically junk food).<\/p>\n

Habits:<\/strong> a sedentary\/indoor lifestyle, binge drinking\/multiple drinks a day, smoking cigarettes, drug addiction, chronic stress, depression, loneliness or chronic insomnia. These are treatable, though challenging. Get into therapy (CBT), meditation, practical philosophy (time-tested: religion, zen, stoicism etc.), walk outdoors more (try and get 10 minutes of sunlight), and make big life changes.<\/p>\n

You will have the chance to reintroduce more sensible amounts of a few things here in the proceeding steps. Depending on individual factors, intermittent fasting<\/em> may play a big role here, or later.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Level 2: Minimize the possibly\u00a0harmful<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is an optional step for easing into some diet changes. Turn things that are harmful only in excess<\/em> into weekly or fortnightly treats, and daily indulgences into significantly smaller<\/em> servings once a day. Prioritize the indulgences that mean most to you, and the rest won\u2019t be so hard to avoid.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily category:<\/strong> More than 4 teaspoons of sugar or honey in a day, white bread, foods with additives, preservatives and poor quality controls, store-bought packaged condiments and sauces (mayo, ketchup, and anything sweet), more than two servings of white rice a day (if you\u2019re sedentary), more than 3\u20134 tablespoons of vegetable oil daily (and new-age non-traditional vegetable oils in general.)<\/p>\n

Weekly category:<\/strong> Deep fried food, puff pastries, elaborate desserts, packaged food, takeway\/eating in restaurants, fast food (pizza, starbucks, and all fast food chains included), anything with lots of synthetic food colouring.<\/p>\n

Bad Habits:<\/strong> Prolonged daily exposure to environmental\/urban pollution, eating till it hurts, storing hot\/acidic food in plastic containers (which may release BPA\/Pthalates).<\/p>\n

Want to bake a cake or pizza? Like your morning coffee with three teaspoons of sugar? Don\u2019t skimp. Make it right, but make it a treat.<\/p>\n

But whatever your treat, make sure that\u2019s the only one from the list you have for that day and week.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Level 3: Address negative systemic\u00a0issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Strongly suspect you\u2019re allergic to something? Allergy tests are worth every penny. And if you suspect you have an autoimmune disorder, it\u2019s well worth the trouble to find out.<\/p>\n

Level 4: Traditional things that are very likely to be\u00a0healthy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Add\/maintain foods and habits that have a long history of human consumption, as close to its historical form as possible. Anything eaten regularly as part of a large population\u2019s diet for more than a millienum is OK for this step. <\/em>Organic is preferable, but not necessary. Use traditional preparation methods (like soaking legumes and beans), if possible. Find authentic recipes from the country of origin (ask anyone above 60), and follow them.<\/p>\n

Apart from ethical exceptions, this is not the time to pick a diet<\/strong>. Look up recipes and learn to cook with the ingredients of your choice. Or, if you live in an urban area, find a service that will do it for you.<\/p>\n

Foods:<\/strong> Lots of vegetable (triple your portions), fresh\/unprocessed cuts of meat and traditional offal, seafood, fruit, fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, indian dishes like idli etc), dried beans and legumes, traditional grains,seeds, nuts, mushrooms, full-fat milk. Switch from new-age oils to much smaller servings of traditional oils (olive, sesame, coconut, mustard etc.) and butter\/ghee, switch from store bread to sourdough\/artisan.<\/p>\n

Habits:<\/strong> Switching to organic produce and pastured animal products, where possible and if means allow<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Level 5: Traditional\/natural things that are enjoyable and possibly<\/em> beneficial<\/h3>\n

Optional. Do this for possible<\/em> general health benefits and enjoyment. These should be foods and habits that have a long history of use, though with less clear evidence of benefit. They entail, at worst, no benefit but also no real harm, and at best, significant benefits worth the investment.<\/p>\n

Foods:<\/strong> coffee, tea, really dark chocolate, moderate consumption of wine and quality beer, medicinal herbs and teas (only those which have more than a few centuries of multiple historical sources or a large population verifying safety).<\/p>\n

Habits<\/strong>: basic intermittent fasting (12\u201316 hours nightly) OR two calorie-limited days per week (500 cals for two days every week) OR 1 day per week (make sure you can do this safely)<\/p>\n

Level 6: Positive systemic interventions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Exercise, focusing on time-tested full-body routines: compound lifts, calisthenics, climbing, running\/sprinting, hiking, sport, or manual labour.
Physiotherapy, if injured or muscles weak.
Martial arts, yoga and dance, but only with an experienced teacher.<\/p>\n

Note: Walking is not \u201cexercise\u201d, it is an essential part of life, as much as sitting or standing. Hence, any exercise you do is over and above walking. If you can walk, do a lot of it.<\/p>\n

Level 7: Optimize very conservatively<\/h3>\n

Everything else is an optimization.<\/strong> Optimizations are completely optional.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to tweak and optimize your lifestyle and diet based on every new idea that comes out, unless your goal<\/em> is to experiment. Don\u2019t prize your intelligence, prize your ability to thrive in the long-term without risking catastrophy. Optimize only when you think you have a genuine need or belief that is not being addressed.<\/p>\n

Very low risk optimizations, relatively time-tested, with evidence:<\/strong> If none of the above steps helped you, you might want to consider that your digestive issues may be related to FODMAPS, and as such, the FODMAPS diet may be an appropriate intervention.<\/p>\n

Others steps: Intermittent fasting (strictly no calories 12\u201316 hours or 24 hours once a week), under proper supervision if diabetic. Eating smaller but more frequent meals. Supplements like b12, vitamin D, and fish oil. Whey (plain, no additives) or plant protein like hemp hearts, brown rice protein, pea protein etc. for strength training. Longer fasts. Bulk\/cut, and other moderate caloric surpluses or deficits. Diets that don\u2019t deviate too far from traditional foods and preparation (Paleo, Indian vegetarianism etc.) Using high-quality modern agricultural produce, as opposed to organic. (this post is not about environmental risks, it\u2019s only about you. But similar reasoning can be useful for that too.)<\/p>\n

Mastered your will power? Choose your rare vices. Enjoy occasional festival feasts (so don\u2019t wet-blanket thanksgiving), late nights, drinking nights, fast food, junk and maybe even the occassional cigar (cigar smoke isn\u2019t inhaled into the lungs). But never cigarettes or hard drugs.<\/p>\n

More risky:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Less-known Diets (keto, high-carb, low-carb, new-age diets etc.). Modern agricultural produce (factory-farmed meat, produce improperly regulated for contaminants etc.) Herbal supplements (well-known ones with traditional backing and certification\/regulation), Supervised 20+ day fasts,<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve found something that works, good for you! If not, be honest about the failure, catch it quickly, and restart the protocol.<\/p>\n

Moderate-high risk optimizations with specific payoffs:<\/strong>
Restrictive diets, experimental and new diets, self-experimentation.<\/p>\n

Does it address your specific health problem in such a way that benefits of trying outweigh the potential harms of being wrong? If you\u2019ve already tried all the steps above, then the decision is yours.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll often notice that what is removed is more important to individual results than what is included. For instance, Paleo folks would argue that its because they remove grains, legumes and lentils that the diet is so healthy, and hope to one day include those three things in the list of \u201cunanimously bad\u201d.<\/p>\n

Crazy:
<\/strong>Stuff like 30 bananas a day.<\/p>\n

Experimentation is admirable, and the people who do them should be appreciated for their initiative and curiosity. A well-recorded experiment even where n=1 can give great insight into biochemistry and possible avenues to explore. A number of people often choose to participate in an experiment together, too. What differentiates an experiment from a scam is honesty about documenting factors and results, who stands to gain or lose from it, and whether it is honestly portrayed as a temporary experiment.<\/p>\n

In the case of 30 bananas a day, it would have been an excellent experiment in the hands of someone sane and caring.<\/p>\n

A Big Caveat on Optimizing:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t experiment on others like your kids and pets, because the stakes are all on them, not you<\/em>. Follow food traditions and ancestral knowledge as much as possible, deviate only if there are clear demonstrations of benefit or harm, especially systemic. Some examples:<\/p>\n