Primal Potato Diet (PPD) page 14

[Fitness Wayne]

I was just picking on you because you posted that today when a bunch of people were down on me for promoting rapid weightloss with the potato diet. I know many, many people have turned to a ketogenic diet for weightloss and very few are doing it for medical reasons.

You should try the potato diet, not much different than ketogenic, really. Fat loss comes from the same mechanism--burning free fatty acids due to lack of other fuels. Makes good blog fodder anyway!

I am all about self experimentation for to get good blog fodder but I like eating plenty of vegetables too much to give them up and try the primal potato diet. I don't doubt that it works, it just isn't for me. Don't let the haters get you down. If it works then use it.

[gopintos]

I shared this on the egg thread also. Seems fitting here too:

Adding some food

So far we haven’t provided any calories to speak of. The next step in reducing the stress of the fast is to add some nutrition to the soup.
The stress of a fast is largely due to the absence of dietary carb and protein. The body has limited carb storage – glycogen is depleted early in a fast – and is loath to cannibalize lean tissue for protein. On the other hand, the body has abundant fat reserves. So
Two strategies may make sense in different circumstances:

• A protein-sparing modified fast. Protein, which is convertible to glucose, is eaten to relieve the carb+protein deficit.
• A ketogenic fast. Short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids, such as are found in coconut oil, are eaten to generate ketones. Ketones can partially substitute for glucose utilization.

What these have in common is that they reduce the carb+protein.
Probably 90% of people who fast should favor the protein-sparing approach. Those on ketogenic diets for neurological disorders should probably favor the ketogenic fasting approach.
An example of a food suitable for a ketogenic fast would be Neo-Agutak: “Eskimo Ice Cream” (Dec 5, 2010).
A suitable food on a protein-sparing modified fast would supply most calories as protein; carb and fat calories would be from nutrient-dense sources. Egg yolks, which are rich in phospholipids like choline, and potatoes are good examples of nutrient-dense fat and carb sources.
The easy way to implement this healthy fast: just add eggs, potatoes, and maybe some fish or shellfish (which tend to be protein-rich, and comply with the Catholic guidelines for Friday abstinence) to any of the soups shown above. Heat the soup in the microwave and there you have it: a healthy fast-day meal!

It is from here Food for a Fast | Perfect Health Diet

[Kilian]

I added plain vegetables (cucumbers, broccoli, celery) to my PPD on day 4 with no ill results.

[paleo-bunny]

Oh I didn't mean to sound condescending. I just wasn't sure if she was aware that the explanation is already out there.

My apologies...

Oh that's OK. No - I wasn't aware of the explanation already out there.

This is probably the best explanation I have heard. Peter at Hyperlipid may have you beat in number of big words, but you seem to have synthesized it very well, thanks!

Aw, thank you. Yes I worked that out for myself, thanks to my biochemistry degree from Oxford University. There, I attended lectures on metabolism given by Yudkin's son. That's where I first learnt about the specific metabolic problems caused by fructose cf glucose.

[milanya]

Just wondering if anyone else saw their weight shoot up on after the first day of the PPD? I notice lots of people saying it went down, but I"m guessing that since I was fairly low carb (trying to shoot for under 100) before trying this, that it is water weight due to glycogen storage. I was planning to do this for 3 days before thanksgiving, just for fun and to see if it might help kick start some additional weight loss, so I'm sticking with it, but not sure how I will be able to tell if I lose anything until I go back to my lower carb eating. I did take my measurements this morning, and they are down slightly from the last time I measured a few weeks ago, so I know I didn't actually gain weight. It's just annoying because I was hopeful to see a loss, and when I stepped on I went from my plateau weight (around 153-154) up to 157.

[tatertot]

Just wondering if anyone else saw their weight shoot up on after the first day of the PPD? ... It's just annoying because I was hopeful to see a loss, and when I stepped on I went from my plateau weight (around 153-154) up to 157.

It's not a common complaint. I remember one lady on one of these threads had a similar reaction, but then said her weight can fluctuate 5-6lbs depending on time of month or hormonal fluctuations. Seems like she stuck it out and wound up down after a week and was really happy, I'll look through and see if I can find that post.

Normally, though, everyone is surprised that it doesn't cause insta-gain water weight, it seems that it would, but generally doesn't.

Good luck!

[tatertot]

Aw, thank you. Yes I worked that out for myself, thanks to my biochemistry degree from Oxford University. There, I attended lectures on metabolism given by Yudkin's son. That's where I first learnt about the specific metabolic problems caused by fructose cf glucose.

OK, smarty-pants, take a stab at decipering these two paragraphs from different blogs by Perter at Hyperlipid. I think these two statements are key to why the potato diet works...insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance at the same time. Would love to hear your thoughts as you seem to be able to break this stuff down to where everyone can understand it.

"Why might anyone want to run their metabolism on FFAs? Superoxide. I want more mitochondria to supply spare ETC capacity, to minimise the sort of levels of free radicals which wipe out mitochondria when the pressure is on. Physiological superoxide signals for mitochondrial biogenesis, without all of that tedious exercise to do the same job on a mixed diet.”

and

“Once you get FFA levels low enough to inhibit insulin secretion you will start to move in to the sort of territory where insulin secretion might be blunted enough to allow hyperglycaemia. But the feedback effect of reduced insulin levels is also the re commencement of lipolysis. This will restore enough FFAs to maintain functional insulin secretion and so avoid potential hyperglycaemia, which the body tries to avoid. Of course you have to throw in the increased insulin sensitivity of muscles deprived of exogenously supplied FFAs too.”

[maladee]

I just wanted to pop in and tell you guys I have lost 3 lbs in three days not feeling to bad first day was a bit tired, I have been eating 1300 cal, a day.

I ate one meal that was off plan some chicken and salad, but I am still losing ,I might eat normal paleo for awhile and try again .I think my experience was positive, I just can not do this for long, need steak LOL

[tatertot]

I just wanted to pop in and tell you guys I have lost 3 lbs in three days not feeling to bad first day was a bit tired, I have been eating 1300 cal, a day.

I ate one meal that was off plan some chicken and salad, but I am still losing ,I might eat normal paleo for awhile and try again .I think my experience was positive, I just can not do this for long, need steak LOL

Your mind has to be in it to make it work, for sure. At least now you know it's not total hogwash and when you are ready for a longer run you'll be prepared. Thanks for the note!

[paleo-bunny]

OK, smarty-pants, take a stab at decipering these two paragraphs from different blogs by Perter at Hyperlipid. I think these two statements are key to why the potato diet works...insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance at the same time. Would love to hear your thoughts as you seem to be able to break this stuff down to where everyone can understand it.

"Why might anyone want to run their metabolism on FFAs? Superoxide. I want more mitochondria to supply spare ETC capacity, to minimise the sort of levels of free radicals which wipe out mitochondria when the pressure is on. Physiological superoxide signals for mitochondrial biogenesis, without all of that tedious exercise to do the same job on a mixed diet.”

and

“Once you get FFA levels low enough to inhibit insulin secretion you will start to move in to the sort of territory where insulin secretion might be blunted enough to allow hyperglycaemia. But the feedback effect of reduced insulin levels is also the re commencement of lipolysis. This will restore enough FFAs to maintain functional insulin secretion and so avoid potential hyperglycaemia, which the body tries to avoid. Of course you have to throw in the increased insulin sensitivity of muscles deprived of exogenously supplied FFAs too.”

OK Para 1:

Burning carbohydrates cf burning of saturated fats produces a lot of free radicals. Free radicals are very reactive oxidising entities that cause damage to mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles (mini organs) within our cells that oxidise the breakdown products of protein, fat and glucose to produce ATP via the ETC (electron transport chain). ATP is used almost exclusively as the universal energy currency in cells to fuel any biochemical reaction requiring energy input to push equilibrium more strongly in one direction over the other (including muscle movement).

Mitochondria are akin to bacteria living synbiotically within us as they have their own DNA (with slight variations on the genetic code cf that of eukaryotic DNA, i.e. that of multi-celled organisms). Hence mitochondria are rather delicate little beasties. They are inherited via our mother's egg cell and our body has very limited control over their health. Many metabolic disorders are acquired through mitochondria.

When fat is the predominant fuel this releases higher levels of superoxide, which promotes growth of more mitochondria. More mitochondria equates to increased capacity for energy transduction from ingested fats/proteins/carbs to the universal energy currency, ATP. Boundless energy.

Para 2 is much simpler to understand IMO re: increasing insulin sensitivity and I believe that most readers here will get it.

If that's a cop-out, I'm claiming that my rabbit ate my home-work.

It's 19 years since I graduated, so this doesn't come easy to me now as I don't remember studying some of it in the first place!

My personal take is that I like using exercise to maintain my muscles' insulin sensitivity. However, I appreciate attempting to understand any clever hack as that gives my brain a workout too.