Extreme CR - Definition

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

I was reading p 78 of 'Beyond' again on the weekend. It only seems

to mention the problem of an excessively large drop in calories at

the initiation of CR. It does not discuss, at least not in that

section, a problem of an excessively low final level of caloric

intake, when established at targeted weight.

Does anyone know of any place Roy discussed, in 'Beyond', or

elsewhere, the latter issue?

Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Here's an article on preventing the flu through

exercise and diet. Of interest to the topic at hand is this excerpt:

" Eat enough calories. When intake dips too low, the immune system doesn't

function at optimal levels. What's too low a calorie count? Nieman and his

colleagues have found T cell function is suppressed in women who eat less

than 1,300 calories per day. No similar studies have been done in males, but

Nieman estimated 1,500 calories or above would be a safe level for men. "

Here's the entire article:

Chew Vaccine: The Anti-Flu Diet

By Sally Squires

While the flu has gotten all the publicity, thanks to the unexpected

shortage of this year's vaccine, influenza is just one of many diseases that

pounce during the winter months. So even if you do get a flu shot this year,

it will protect you against only a limited number of infections.

The good news: There are plenty of other ways to help reduce the risk of

annoying and sometimes dangerous illnesses, and none of these measures

involves waiting in long lines, winning a vaccine lottery or taking a quick

trip to Canada.

The most widely promoted disease-fighter is that cornerstone of personal

hygiene, regular hand-washing. Other simple steps include smart eating,

moderate exercise and good sleep. Here's what experts -- and the latest

science -- suggest:

Walk daily. Besides burning calories, walking helps strengthen the immune

system by briefly increasing levels of white blood cells that serve as a key

line of defense against infection. In fact, regular walking may protect you

from common winter illnesses. Studies show that people who walk regularly

have half the number of sick days for colds and upper respiratory infections

as those who don't walk at all, according to Nieman, professor of

health and exercise science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory

at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

" No medicine, dietary supplement or other strategy has emerged to be as

powerful as a 30- to 45-minute daily walk, " said Nieman, co-author of a new

study on walking and immunity slated for publication in the January issue of

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Nieman and his colleagues

report that half-hour walks produced favorable immune responses that last

for a few hours. That's another reason to keep moving throughout the day

rather than bunching up all your activity into a single session.

Have a handful of almonds or sunflower seeds. Both are rich in vitamin E,

an antioxidant proven to counteract oxygen damage to biomolecules. New

research hints that vitamin E may also help reduce the number and duration

of common colds and other upper-respiratory infections. In a recent study of

nursing home patients published in the Journal of the American Medical

Association, Tufts University researchers reported that participants who

received 200 international units of vitamin E daily had fewer

upper-respiratory infections than those who received a placebo.

" But don't rely on dietary supplements, " Nieman said. " Eat a well-balanced

diet. " Good food sources of vitamin E include avocados, safflower oil, pine

nuts, tomato paste, canola oil, peanut butter and wheat germ. Most are

calorie-rich, so monitor amounts carefully.

Practice tai chi. In a study at the Neuropsychiatric Institute of the

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), healthy people age 60 and

older practiced this ancient martial art three times a week for 15 weeks.

Researchers found that this boosted the participants' levels of the white

blood cells (T cells) that seek and destroy varicella zoster, the virus that

causes shingles and chickenpox.

While only immunity against shingles was measured in this study, " there's

no reason to believe that tai chi will just be specific " for that condition,

said Irwin, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral science at

UCLA and the lead author of the study, published in the journal

Psychosomatic Medicine. Also, he said, yoga, Pilates and other activities

may have similar effects, but they have yet to be studied.

Eat enough calories. When intake dips too low, the immune system doesn't

function at optimal levels. What's too low a calorie count? Nieman and his

colleagues have found T cell function is suppressed in women who eat less

than 1,300 calories per day. No similar studies have been done in males, but

Nieman estimated 1,500 calories or above would be a safe level for men.

Get enough zzz's. Sleep deprivation is widespread. Yet missing even a

few hours of sleep " produces quite striking declines in natural killer cell

activity, " Irwin said. These cells destroy others that are infected with

viruses and bacteria. Also depressed by lack of sleep: production of

chemical messengers that turn on the immune system. " Good sleep is required

for activation of the immune system to occur, " Irwin said.

Eat some yogurt -- or other foods that contain live cultures of

lactobacillus and other " friendly " bacteria. A number of studies suggest

that these bacteria help boost the immune system in children and adults.

They appear to protect against diarrheal illnesses and upper-respiratory

infections, and may even help thwart the bacteria linked to stomach ulcers.

____________________________________________________________________

Francesca wrote:

There's a discussion on pgs 50-51 that is somewhat relevant. ....ending

with: ... " So what counts is not the absolute weight or the absolute degree

of leaness, but the weight relative to the set point of the....individual. "

On page 227 : " bodyfat should not be allowed to be below 5% in men and

10-15% in women. "

on 11/1/2004 1:29 PM, Rodney at perspect1111@... wrote:

>

> Hi folks:

>

> I was reading p 78 of 'Beyond' again on the weekend. It only seems

> to mention the problem of an excessively large drop in calories at

> the initiation of CR. It does not discuss, at least not in that

> section, a problem of an excessively low final level of caloric

> intake, when established at targeted weight.

>

> Does anyone know of any place Roy discussed, in 'Beyond', or

> elsewhere, the latter issue?

>

> Rodney.

>