The Magic Pill...documentary on Netflix

Marie5656

Marie5656

Well-known Member
Location
Batavia, NY
My brother suggested I watch this documentary The Magic Pill on Netflix. I believe it is also available on You Tube and Prime. Anyway, it focuses on a keto-type diet, for health and weight loss reasons. It means a high fat and meat based diet. Low carbs and no processed foods.

I found it interesting, though I was wary of the premise that it improved cancer, Autism and diabetes. Yes, weight loss and improved eating is good for diabetics, but that is a given. A lot of it makes sense, more meats and vegies and natural stuff, less process stuff. Common sense. It has raised the ire of vegans and vegitarians, of course. But I think one has to form their own opinions.

One thing they speak of is cooking with cocoanut oil. Never considered that. It is an interesting watch, but I think we all need to form our own opinions on healthier eating.
 

I agree that we all need to find what works for each of us and be willing to change/adapt as we grow older.

I think that someday when the body DNA mapping is complete we will find slight differences in how different groups of humans have evolved and how different people thrive on different diets. Some of those differences may go back to primitive survival mechanisms that ensure that no matter what happens a few humans will survive.

I lived with a low carb diet for several years and it did help me to lose some weight but it didn't make me feel healthy. I've gradually been moving towards a slow-carb high fiber diet that seems to be working in helping me control my blood sugar and continue losing weight. I also find that as I get older the less I eat the better I feel but my brain is still having trouble buying into that idea.

I've also pretty much given up on trying new wonder products like coconut oil, chia seeds, etc... and am trying to base my diet on the simple basic plant foods that can be found in any grocery store at everyday prices. I still have a way to go on that and am still using almond milk, artificial sweeteners, meat substitutes, etc... but I'm trying and probably will still be trying until I cross the finish line.
 
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Marie5656 said:
One thing they speak of is cooking with cocoanut oil. Never considered that. It is an interesting watch, but I think we all need to form our own opinions on healthier eating.
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I've been loosely following a Keto diet for several months now. It enabled me to shed the 5 stubborn pounds I've been trying to get rid of since early in 2019.

I cook with coconut oil all the time. Coconut oil is slightly sweet...and I love that! It's very faint, and some folks don't notice it at all, but I do. I also spread it on toast instead of butter and I really like that!
 

The only thing to cause me to personally hesitate about coconut oil or any product, is that I have never been a huge fan of the taste of it. But, I guess I do not have to use it often.
 
I kind of get tired of all the diet ads on TV, along with all of the equipment they try to sell us to tighten everything. NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, GOLO and the rest of those programs make billions off of selling their diets.

I have never had a weight problem and I am thankful for that. OTOH, my one sister does. She’s the only one in our family that can’t control her weight. I wouldn’t say that she overeats or even that she eats the wrong things. She says that everything she eats goes to her hips and I tend to agree with her.

How is it that if there are 6 people in a family and only 1 of them has a weight problem, why? Like I already said, she doesn’t overeat or eat the wrong stuff, she just can’t lose the weight. She is 5’7” tall and weighs 168#. I wouldn’t call her fat (at least not to her face), but just a wee bit pudgy, maybe is more like it. How does this happen, genetics?
 
Moderation is the best way to go in all things. I can do that except for Reeses white chocolate peanut butter cups. Thank goodness you cannot find them everywhere! There is one Walmart in Friendswood that carries them. I do not get there very often as the road is always under some kind of construction and if you are not careful you are on the interstate before you realize it. I should ask Kroger to carry them as they have the regular ones. Will check with Krogers tomorrow as I have a ride there.
 
Ruthanne said:
High fat diet is not ❤ heart healthy. That's the reason I don't do Keto..I tend to have high cholesterol and have to eat low fat.
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My response is not meant to be argumentative. Everybody’s body is different, and what works for one will not necessarily work for someone else. That said, I have been able to bring my cholesterol levels down into a high normal range by following loosely a keto diet. For me, it works. Understand though, I don’t eat fatty burgers and red meat and a slab of butter every day.

I eat a lot of chicken, and a lot of vegetables, salads, a serving of fruit every day, use heavy cream in my coffee, have almost completely eliminated sugar, and cut way down on the carbs....No bread, rice, pasta, crackers, grains chips, etc. instead I substitute riced cauliflower, and zucchini and squash spirals, nuts, spaghetti squash and occasionally some
Pork rinds. I’ll sneak a bite or two of baked potato or rice or pasta from Ron’s plate.
It works for me and has kept my blood numbers in an acceptable range.
 
Ronni said:
My response is not meant to be argumentative. Everybody’s body is different, and what works for one will not necessarily work for someone else. That said, I have been able to bring my cholesterol levels down into a high normal range by following loosely a keto diet. For me, it works. Understand though, I don’t eat fatty burgers and red meat and a slab of butter every day.

I eat a lot of chicken, and a lot of vegetables, salads, a serving of fruit every day, use heavy cream in my coffee, have almost completely eliminated sugar, and cut way down on the carbs....No bread, rice, pasta, crackers, grains chips, etc. instead I substitute riced cauliflower, and zucchini and squash spirals, nuts, spaghetti squash and occasionally some
Pork rinds. I’ll sneak a bite or two of baked potato or rice or pasta from Ron’s plate.
It works for me and has kept my blood numbers in an acceptable range.
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Good for you 👍. I still eat all the whole grain products you don't but have smaller amounts than previously. I am also diabetic and my diabetic educator urged me to eat them. I have lowered my cholesterol, too. I do still eat some fat products, too, just way less than I used to. Working on reducing the fat in my liver--have had fatty liver disease. I follow a low carb diet. And I have small amounts of unsalted nuts and seeds and fruit.
 
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IMHO, all 'fad diets' are a crock. They all have potential health risks. I won't argue that they can produce short term results, but there are endless articles and surveys showing that people do not keep the weight off. Everyone wants the 'magic pill', few people will actually do what is needed: proper exercise and proper eating which takes work and discipline. Doesn't everyone realize that the biggest names advertising for Jenny Craig and their ilk are yoho-dieters. Think Oprah...

"....By some estimates, 80% of people who successfully lose at least 10% of their body weight will gradually regain it to end up as large or even larger than they were before they went on a diet....".


Keto warnings:

Low-carb diets could lead to vitamin or mineral deficiencies
It may affect your athletic performance
Relaxing the rules can cause weight re-gain
It may also damage blood vessels
Too much fat can raise chronic disease risk
 
I agree completely about fad diets.

That said, "proper eating" can mean different things to different people. It's my belief that the reason there are so many diets out there is that at one time, each particular diet has worked well for a slice of the population, and so became mainstream. And that's simply because each body is different, and responds differently to certain food regimens.

I don't believe there is one "proper" = one size fits all diet (which in this context I simply mean a way of eating rather than a fad) which works for everyone. I think it's important to listen to one's body, be self aware enough to observe what works and what doesn't, and also to recognize, as I have, that as I've aged and gone through menopause and experienced other lifestyle changes, what worked for me 10 years ago doesn't work now, and so I a continue to change and tweak and alter the way I eat and exercise to reflect the NOW, rather than what used to be.
 

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