I have been practicing CRAN (Caloric Restriction with Adequate Nutrition) since about February 1994. I have previously attempted weighing my foods to estimate my caloric consumption, but my eating habits & experiments have been changing too rapidly for me to do this effectively. More recently, I seem to have stabilized somewhat and I am consuming a narrower range of foods. I have also become more determined to monitor my food consumption completely. Therefore, for the entire month of October everything I ate was either of known weight or went on my scale before going into my mouth.
Here are the results:
FOOD CONSUMPTION FOR BEN BEST FOR OCTOBER 1996 (DECREASING CALORIES)
FOOD CALORIES FAT SUGAR PROTEIN FIBER GRAMS
100% RYE BREAD 7742 32.7 0 174.5 109 3634.7
CEREAL MIX 5368 26.8 144.6 167 286.3 1491.1
PUMPERNICKLE RYE BREAD 4956 0 59.5 148.7 153.6 2478
OLD MILL MINUTE OATS 3905 70.1 27 140.2 73.1 1001.3
ULTRA LIGHT CHEDDAR 1% 2940 20.6 39.1 450.6 0 2057.4
POTATO 2691 3.4 58.2 71.9 0 3423.7
TOFU,FIRM (NUTRASOYA) 2070 107.9 6.3 233 0 1563.4
PEPPER, SWEET GREEN/RED 1821 30.4 197.3 60.7 91.1 7587.5
POPCORN 1532 20 6.8 53.2 0 400
TOMATO 1470 22.6 211.1 90.5 60.3 7538.5
VEGETABLE JUICE 1365 8.6 197.5 42.9 0 8584.9
QUAKER CHEDDAR CORN CAKES 1064 8.4 11.2 25.2 8.4 280
SHREDDED WHEAT 'N BRAN 934 4.4 2.6 34.5 36.3 259.4
ONIONS 888 7.9 165.5 28.9 21 2627.2
CAULIFLOWER 833 6.9 83.3 69.4 0 3470.8
CABBAGE, GREEN 688 9 111.2 33 33 3004.4
CELERY 595 11.9 39.7 31.7 39.7 3966.7
KASHI 580 4 0 21.7 13.4 167.1
FLATBREAD (NONFAT) 520 0 13 13 0 143
BROCCOLI 418 7.7 24.5 45.9 21.4 1531.1
MUSHROOMS 359 8.4 19.6 43.3 0 1396.9
LETTUCE,ICEBERG 356 0 59.3 23.7 23.7 2373.3
RANCH DRESSING 260 26.6 3 1.2 0 95.1
CARROT 220 0.5 34.2 5.1 7.7 510.4
CUCUMBER 133 2 22.7 5.9 5.9 985.2
STRAWBERRIES 119 1.6 22.9 2.4 7.5 394
PEAR 60 0.2 6.3 0.2 1.5 35.4
CHEWING GUM 12 0.5 0 0 0 4
FOOD CONSUMPTION FOR BEN BEST FOR OCTOBER 1996 (DECREASING GRAMS)
FOOD CALORIES FAT SUGAR PROTEIN FIBER GRAMS
VEGETABLE JUICE 1365 8.6 197.5 42.9 0 8584.9
PEPPER, SWEET GREEN/RED 1821 30.4 197.3 60.7 91.1 7587.5
TOMATO 1470 22.6 211.1 90.5 60.3 7538.5
CELERY 595 11.9 39.7 31.7 39.7 3966.7
100% RYE BREAD 7742 32.7 0 174.5 109 3634.7
CAULIFLOWER 833 6.9 83.3 69.4 0 3470.8
POTATO 2691 3.4 58.2 71.9 0 3423.7
CABBAGE, GREEN 688 9 111.2 33 33 3004.4
ONIONS 888 7.9 165.5 28.9 21 2627.2
PUMPERNICKLE RYE BREAD 4956 0 59.5 148.7 153.6 2478
LETTUCE,ICEBERG 356 0 59.3 23.7 23.7 2373.3
ULTRA LIGHT CHEDDAR 1% 2940 20.6 39.1 450.6 0 2057.4
TOFU,FIRM (NUTRASOYA) 2070 107.9 6.3 233 0 1563.4
BROCCOLI 418 7.7 24.5 45.9 21.4 1531.1
CEREAL MIX 5368 26.8 144.6 167 286.3 1491.1
MUSHROOMS 359 8.4 19.6 43.3 0 1396.9
OLD MILL MINUTE OATS 3905 70.1 27 140.2 73.1 1001.3
CUCUMBER 133 2 22.7 5.9 5.9 985.2
CARROT 220 0.5 34.2 5.1 7.7 510.4
POPCORN 1532 20 6.8 53.2 0 400
STRAWBERRIES 119 1.6 22.9 2.4 7.5 394
QUAKER CHEDDAR CORN CAKES 1064 8.4 11.2 25.2 8.4 280
SHREDDED WHEAT 'N BRAN 934 4.4 2.6 34.5 36.3 259.4
KASHI 580 4 0 21.7 13.4 167.1
FLATBREAD (NONFAT) 520 0 13 13 0 143
RANCH DRESSING 260 26.6 3 1.2 0 95.1
PEAR 60 0.2 6.3 0.2 1.5 35.4
CHEWING GUM 12 0.5 0 0 0 4
FOOD CONSUMPTION FOR BEN BEST FOR OCTOBER 1996 (SUMMARY DATA)
(fat, sugar, protein and fiber are all in grams)
FOOD CALORIES FAT SUGAR PROTEIN FIBER GRAMS
TOTALS 44255 443.1 1625.5 2042.2 1016.7 63378
DAILY AVERAGES 1428 14.3 52.4 65.9 32.8 2045
PER GRAM MACRO-NUTRIENT CONTENT OF FOODS CONSUMED BY BEN BEST IN OCTOBER 1996
(sources:FOOD VALUES, 15th Edition by Jean Pennington, or the food packages)
( some zeros represent missing data)
CALORIES FAT SUGAR PROTEIN FIBER
100% RYE BREAD 2.13 0.009 0 0.048 0.03
BROCCOLI 0.273 0.005 0.016 0.03 0.014
CABBAGE, GREEN 0.229 0.003 0.037 0.011 0.011
CARROT 0.431 0.001 0.067 0.01 0.015
CAULIFLOWER 0.24 0.002 0.024 0.02 0
CELERY 0.15 0.003 0.01 0.008 0.01
CEREAL MIX 3.6 0.018 0.097 0.112 0.192
CHEWING GUM 3 0.13 0 0 0
CUCUMBER 0.135 0.002 0.023 0.006 0.006
FLATBREAD (NONFAT) 3.636 0 0.091 0.091 0
KASHI 3.47 0.024 0 0.13 0.08
LETTUCE,ICEBERG 0.15 0 0.025 0.01 0.01
MUSHROOMS 0.257 0.006 0.014 0.031 0
OLD MILL MINUTE OATS 3.9 0.07 0.027 0.14 0.073
ONIONS 0.338 0.003 0.063 0.011 0.008
PEAR 1.694 0.007 0.178 0.007 0.042
PEPPER, SWEET GREEN/RED 0.24 0.004 0.026 0.008 0.012
POPCORN 3.83 0.05 0.017 0.133 0
POTATO 0.786 0.001 0.017 0.021 0
PUMPERNICKLE RYE BREAD 2 0 0.024 0.06 0.062
QUAKER CHEDDAR CORN CAKES 3.8 0.03 0.04 0.09 0.03
RANCH DRESSING 2.733 0.28 0.032 0.013 0
SHREDDED WHEAT 'N BRAN 3.6 0.017 0.01 0.133 0.14
STRAWBERRIES 0.302 0.004 0.058 0.006 0.019
TOFU,FIRM (NUTRASOYA) 1.324 0.069 0.004 0.149 0
TOMATO 0.195 0.003 0.028 0.012 0.008
ULTRA LIGHT CHEDDAR 1% 1.429 0.01 0.019 0.219 0
VEGETABLE JUICE 0.159 0.001 0.023 0.005 0
I attempted to ensure that I never consumed more that 1500 calories during any 24-hour period -- and the result of this was an average of 1428 calories per day consumed. I currently weigh between 120-121 pounds and I am mostly sedentary (reading, writing, sleeping, working on a computer) except for 3 X 500-calorie workouts at the gym per week.
Whereas formerly I have tended to fast from the time I woke-up in the morning until evening (when I would eat relatively heavily), in October my caloric intake was somewhat more evenly divided through the day. I rarely experienced the extremes of hunger I formerly subjected myself to, yet my weight is about the same. I am taking a more "gentle" approach -- concentrating on foods with greater satiety-effects while still having fewer calories.
I take supplements 3 times daily with food -- on the theory that water-soluble vitamins should be taken at least 3 times daily and that vitamins are best taken with some food.
Breakfast: 200-300 calories, often pumpernickel and/or broccoli with
(8-9am) cheese, plus other vegetables
3 Life Extension Mix capsules
30 mg CoQ-10 capsule
37mg DMAE / 60mg Ginko capsule
1mg Deprenyl
Lunch: 216 calories Cereal Mix (Grape Nuts, Bran Buds, Ancient Grains,etc)
(4-5pm) 90 calories Firm Tofu
55 calories vegetable juice
3 Life Extension Mix capsules
30 mg CoQ-10 capsule
37mg DMAE / 60mg Ginko capsule
Dinner: Everything else (to 1500 calories)
(8pm-2am) Chelated Multi-mineral tablet high in Calcium & Magnesium
3 Life Extension Mix capsules
30 mg CoQ-10 capsule
3 mg time-release Melatonin
For the month of November I plan to make my calorie ceiling 1400 calories per day. I have decided to drop the Oatmeal, popcorn, Kashi, corn cakes, shredded wheat 'N bran, and the ranch dressing. I will eat no fruits, and will continue to eat no meat or confections. I have mixed feelings about carrots, they seem almost like fruit with their high sugar content, so I am inclined to avoid them.
I am going to substitute pumpernickel rye for the 100% rye in my sandwiches. I used rye because of the presumed low glycemic index (GI) listed on page 357 of Pearson & Shaw's LIFE EXTENSION WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. Whole grain rye is listed as 42 as against 72 for whole wheat bread (glucose=100, standard). However, more recent studies have shown that whole wheat bread and whole rye bread have nearly the same GI (96 & 89, respectively, using the white bread=100 standard). [THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION 43:516-520 (1986)]. Not only do larger particle grains reduce GI, but they are more satiating [EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRUTION 48:496-502 (1994)]. The variety of pumpernickel I eat has embedded wheat kernels.
In the summer I started eating popcorn & oatmeal ("porridge") again because of the reputed satiation described in "A Satiety Index of Common Foods" [EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION 49:675-690 (1995)], but I have found that the satiety/calories *I* get from these foods is not satisfactory. And I don't like the high levels of fat in the oatmeal. I also regard the paper's results with suspicion because (1) the individual variation in satiety for individual foods shown on the scatter diagrams is *very* large and (2) the subjects had a high correlation of "palatability" with sweetness, which makes these subjects seem like people quite unlike me. Also, vegetables were not included in the study -- a glaring oversight in my mind.
Nonetheless, the "star of the study" was potato, which had the highest satiety index of any of the foods (3 times the satiety/calorie as white bread). I have found that about 250 calories of potato plus 30 calories of skim milk cheese to be personally *very* satisfying on a satiety-per-calorie basis. On the surface, this is not expected because potatos have a high glycemic index (GI). An inverse relationship between GI and satiety has been demonstrated [APPETITE 18:129-141 (1992)], but another study has shown that potatoes contain a proteinase inhibitor that binds to both trypsin & chymotrypsin -- leading to increased levels of plasma cholecystokinin (CCK), a potent satiety agent. [PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR 48:241-246 (1990)]
Douglas Skrecky previously cited a paper demonstrating reduced caloric intake for mice whose diet was diluted with cellulose. In fact, high fiber diets for humans have been shown to have the same effect. [THE LANCET,II: 8040:679-682 (1977); INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY, 11, Suppl. 1, 9-25 (1987); THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION 37:763- 767 (1983)]. I have had very good results with celery, sweet red pepper, cauliflower and onions, in particular. Cauliflower seems to reduce some of my craving for complex carbohydrates (my greatest temptation), and cooked onions with melted cheese gives me a pleasant sense of satiety and well-being which I experience many hours after I consume it. I have found celery somewhat unpleasant, but I am getting used to it. I also intend to increase my consumption of cucumbers and tomatoes. I have only been eating tomatoes in sandwiches, but I expect to eat more bowls of cherry tomatoes heated in a microwave -- a very pleasant snack. I may also resume eating lentils.
I know a life-extensionist who refuses to practice CRAN because he does not want to waste his time thinking about food. I must admit, I have thought about food during my nearly 3 years on CRAN than I have during my whole previous life -- maybe by an order of magnitude. However, I have found it to be an interesting & intellectually-stimulating subject. Not only have I learned a great deal about myself (personality & physiology) in my effort to put theory into practice, but I will probably extend my life & youth. I may also contribute to extending the lives of many with whom I share the results of my experiments, studies & thought.
Nonetheless, I think much of my focus on foods is like learning to drive a car. Once I acheive a reasonably good CRAN diet that I can practice without so much effort, I hope to be able to discontinue weighing foods and changing my diet so much. It should all become "second nature" and I can turn my attention to other things.