"Bananas and Dates make me sleepy" Michael Arnstein
"I can easily eat 45 bananas a day" Durian Rider
Why the vast difference? Based on the above statements there is obviously somewhat of a difference - is it because we all have a different tolerance to the GI (Glycemic Index) or GL (Glycemic Load) levels in food?
I did an experiment on myself -
Fixed - 3 liters of water daily, exercise fairly the same each week, 10 hours of sleep min.
- One week all bananas and dates (3000cal not including salad) huge salad for dinner
- One week all high water content fruit (3000cal not including salad) huge salad for dinner
- One week with steel cut oats/brown rice/potatoes/lentils/split pea etc (3000cal not including salad) huge salad for dinner.
After most meals I would take blood and calculate blood sugar via a meter....I would also rate my nap needs 15 minutes post meal (1 = ready to roll - 5 = Bed needed now). Some meals would make me tired others would not. My blood sugar levels were always perfect; however, I could not keep my eyes open after certain meals.
I then eliminated every food that made me tired (they happen to be all of the higher GI foods) then presto = feeling great! For me I need lower gi foods (NOT lower carb) lower GI - huge huge huge difference.
Is it possible we all have different Insulin reactions to different foods? For me bananas or a huge batch of grapes would leave me so so tired. A blood glucose reader told me I was perfect - it "lied" - I needed an immediate bed. Lower GI foods left me feeling great.
These our just my observations - what are yours?
NOTE: High vs Low GI - most fruits and veggies are considered low GI compared to typical SAD diets. However, there is still a huge variance between many fruits and veggies.
Permalink Reply by DURIANRIDER on For me it depends on 2 things. What time I went to bed that night and what time was my first meal in the morning?
If I go to bed late and eat breakfast late I don't feel as good as if I go to bed 6-7-8pm and eat a 1000cal meal with in 1 hr of getting out of bed in the morning.
Also another factor to consider is hydration levels. I know if Im eating for hydration instead of drinking water then things will get out of balance energy wise. When I used caffeine in the form of gels, green tea, cacao, coffee etc and that can really whack out energy levels too.
My experience in this is:
* I need to get CONSISTENT early nights. One night aint good enough.
* I need to eat a good solid meal with in an hour of getting out of bed.
* I need to start the day with a litre of water before I eat anything.
* I need to keep fat intake under 10% of total cals with preferably 5% of total cals for 'peak stamina'.
* I need to eat enough cals each day (3500) even if Im sitting on the computer all day (70hours a week average for the last few months)
* I need to eat a solid 1000+cal meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner vs just have breakfast and try and go all day and then the next day my recovery is hindered. (I learned this from Cadel Evans)
* I need to make sure Im pizz'n clear before I start my meal by drinking enough water the hours before. Putting 'dry' fruits on a dry system slows down energy. Its a bit like having sand on a chain. Everything starts grinding.
Permalink Reply by DURIANRIDER on Also you have someone like me that doesnt have the busy lifestyle that Mike has. The guy is like an octopus juggling sea shells in a fast current. Im like a sloth climbing a tree on a Sunday afternoon.
Put someone with the drive like Mike on my lifestyle and he would have a different machine to work with. Put me on Mike's lifestyle and I would have a breakdown in the first 10mins.
Permalink Reply by IHaveALight - Chris on So you drink 1 liter of water and eat a 1000 calorie breakfast within the first hour after waking up? It usually takes 45 minutes just to drink my morning water.
Permalink Reply by IHaveALight - Chris on Once I chug about 1/3 liter of water in the morning I have to wait about 15 minutes to drink some more. Seems maybe I need to work on stretching my stomach.
Permalink Reply by AD on DR =
as always valuable input -
Hydration a big part of energy for sure!!!! As well as, the other items you mention. It's hard to define fatigue in a written form. But here it goes.
There is:
I do not have the energy to push 4 x 5 min at 300w on the trainer fatigue. (Cell energy depletion)
and
I feel like I need a nap post Thanksgiving meal fatigue. (Insulin resistance)
I really feel like what I am talking about is the 2nd one. I have put an insane amount of hours reading about this particular subject. I have also talked or emailed every expert I could about it. I won't list names because that could set off a firestorm in regards to who an expert is.
My personal take:
Eat high carb while understanding we all have very different insulin resistance numbers. There may be valid arguments regarding each and everyone's personal reasons for these differences (adrenal fatigue etc) However, it is my belief that if individuals do not understand this it puts them at a high risk of failure in the vegan world. Just my 2 cents.
Permalink Reply by ORGANIC811LFRV on I think It has a lot to do with what your eating program was before switching over. The reason DR. G. and many others who are raw and low fat, recommend a detoxing fast is to eliminate the old toxicity from our system and to give it a complete rest and reboot. I just did one eventhough it was a 92 day juice feast - not a water/rest/at a retreat. It was absolutely obscene what came out of my body! My emotions cleared up too. That stuff is stored in us until our body is given sufficient rest to eliminate it. I can't wait until I do a water/rest/retreat one.
I'm also sure that there are different reasons associated with the different people.
Permalink Reply by AD on Could not agree more - I have been eating / drinking insanely clean for the past 12 years. I took the past year off from all serious activity due to a back injury. Until you clean up really well it is tough to accomplish anything truly fantastic. My experience still points to these insulin resistance differences....who knows maybe a 92 day juice feast is in my future.
Permalink Reply by ORGANIC811LFRV on AD, know what you are getting into before you even start. There is an entire protocol to doing a JF properly. Message me privately for more info on this. Honestly if anyone can do a water/rest/retreat one sanctioning 80/10/10 eating protocols do this above any other type. It is the most effective type.
Permalink Reply by Nathan on I have a question - Wouldn't it be more logical to consider that something other than the GI might be affecting you? Perhaps the foods that make you tired happen to mostly fall in the high GI category, but that could just be a coincidence. Otherwise you have to conclude that the glucose meter is "lying".. which doesn't seem like a very satisfying conclusion.
Permalink Reply by Daniel Kerr on Excellent point, my mother is allergic to Bananas and several fruits in the family. However has a different response to to different fruits. If she eats any banana she will become dizzy, feint and will likely develop a migraine. If she has something like a gold kiwi fruit she feels somewhat ill, if she has a green kiwi she is fine, canteloupe just a tingly pallet.
There may be more at play than GI/GL
Best,
Dan
Permalink Reply by TexasTim on I think hydration level plays a role in this as well though. You are obviously more hydrated the week you are eating high water content fruit. It would be interesting to see if you can calculate the increase in hydration the high water content fruits add and increase your water intake that amount the week of bananas and dates/cooked food and see if you have the same results.
Permalink Reply by Rawfruitygoddess on plus 1 TT.
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