Hot Topics: John Bradley's Diet Experiment Part II

Six diets, each for eight weeks... what happened to John Bradley and how did his body respond? A quick recap:(if you want a full recap check out last Thursday’s posting) John Bradley is a competitive cyclist, who thought that, “by applying the same discipline to nutrition that I apply to cycling, I’d be able to measure the claims these diets and the claims of their authors. Each would have something to teach me; but each would also fail me.” 
At the diet start-line, John was 149 lb, 7.8% body fat, triglyceride levels of 82, total cholesterol of 157, and his LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio at 1.68.  Additionally, he continued to stay in the saddle, i.e. he continued his daily competitive cycling training throughout the experience.    
The Results:
The Abs Diet.  John thought this diet was time-saving because the recipes took only 20 minutes to make, and his weekly shopping list was always the same... peanut butter, chicken, whole-grain bread, tomato sauce, spinach, milk, and eggs. (curious to know what the recipes were with these few, and not completely related ingredients).  Notable results: Triglycerides fell to 58, but total cholesterol went up to 172.  His weight went UP to 155 lb.   
The Paleo Diet:  John found it difficult to prepare and maintain due to the foods like elk, buffalo, and organ meats.  John’s stomach was upset often, and he also felt very weak, tired, and mentally spacey.  John craved carbohydrates, but could only eat them during exercise.  Notable results: Triglycerides went up to 84, his body fat fell to the lowest point of 5%, but total cholesterol went up to 192.  Weight dropped to 149 lb. 

The Mediterranean Diet: After a torturous experience on the Paleo Diet, John jumped for joy at the chance to opportunity to bring pasta back into his diet.  His physical abilities thrived off the mediterranean diet of fish, produce, olive oil, and wine.  He loved the cooking, and the celebration of food that came with this diet.  Notable results: Body fat up to 6.3%, and total cholesterol shot down to 174, and his LDL:HDL ratio hit its lowest point of 1.4.  Weight went back up to 156lb. 

The Okinawa Diet:  John felt energized and healthy on this Japanese inspired diet, but his doctor expressed concern when his total cholesterol rose to its peak of 217 and his LDL:HDL ratio reached 2.27!  Additionally, after these 8-weeks, his weight ended at 159 lb and his body fat peaked at 8.4%.  John hypothesized this may of happened because if the excessive amounts of soy in this diet.  This diet ended with John stating, “perhaps this is telling me to stick to a diet closer to those of my european ancestors.”  

Nutritionist: John enjoyed the process of making a unique diet cased on his genes, weight, personal taste, and active lifestyle.  This plan removed some of the damage that the Okinawa diet did.  Notable results: Body fat came down to 7.8%, and total cholesterol shot down to 168, and his LDL:HDL returned to 1.45.  However, his weight went up one pound to 160lb. mypyramid.gov: John purposefully chose a self-guided diet for his last diet, so that it could ease him back into a life where he would not have to closely watch everything he ate.  John mentioned that this diet looked very close to the diet that he created with the nutritionist... a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Notable results: Triglycerides jumped to 108 and his weight ended at 159lb. 

To summarize...
 

	Beginning	Lowest	Highest
Weight	149 lb	NONE (149 lb)	Nutritionist (160lb)
Body-Fat %	7.8%	Paleo (5%)	Okinawa (8.4%)
Triglycerides	82	Nutritionist (45)	mypyramid.gov (108)
Total Cholesterol	157	NONE (157)	Okinawa (217)
LDL:HDL Ratio	1.68	Mediterranean (1.40)	Okinawa (2.27)
Overall Physical/Mental State		Paleo	Mediterranean

 What you expected?  There is no clear winner, but then again how would we/I/you have defined a winner?  Would it be the diet that lowered triglycerides, weight, body fat, LDL levels, but increased HDL levels, energy levels, and happiness, but was also affordable, easy, and enjoyable?  There are so many other factors!   If we look back at what John stated at the start, the outcome is exactly what John predicted - that each diet would have something it failed in, but each would offer a lesson.   I’ll end this post with some of my favorite lessons he learned... but I’d like to invite you to share (in the comments section) your own lessons/advice you have gained throughout the years about dieting or healthy eating. 

“I realized that snacks are best used to prevent hunger, rather than address it” (Discovered during Abs Diet) 

“Sometimes happiness and health depend on big, festive meals and naps.” (Said while on the Mediterranean Diet) 

“I’ve discover wheat isn’t a problem for me, dairy is, and I should avoid tomatoes... but you might be totally different.” 

“Once you know what works for you, cheat.  Every now and then, eat whatever you want and wash it down with what ever is on tap.  Knowing that you can do this will make it easier to eat well the rest of the time.” 
Source: Article “Man vs. Food” from Outside Magazine; January/February 2010.