In this study by Hashim, which I've seen cited on blogs a few times, the obese subjects spontaneously reduced calories and lost substantial bodyfat when restricted to a smoothie of sorts — specifically, a liquid formula that was nutritionally complete in some ways, but full of crap in others. For example, it got much of its protein from soy, much of its fat from canola oil, etc. (See the list of ingredients here.) (The non-obese subjects maintained their caloric intake and their bodyweight.)
The monotony of the "food" intake in that study made for a low food reward, the theory goes, staving off hunger pangs.
Similarly, in the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, a couple of obese subjects got tremendously good results by doing a fruit-and-vegetable juice fast for 60 days.
I'm going to try something along the same lines — I'm not sure yet for how long — but I'm going to try to use a liquid formula that is much more healthful. No soy or canola oil for me. Good sources of fat and protein will make my experiment different from both the Hashim study and the Fat, Sick movie.
I've lost about 50 pounds so far on a primal/WAPF-type diet, but I could stand to lose at least 20 more, and I've stalled for the past few months.
My questions for the group are: (1) Doesn't my smoothie formula below sound nutritionally awesome? And (2) How would you improve on it?
Here's the recipe I've come up with:
- 4 oz. chicken stock
- 4 oz. coconut milk
- 4 oz. coconut water
- 4 oz. kombucha
- the juice from one orange
- the juice from one lemon
- half a banana
- one pastured egg yolk
- one tablespoon liver powder
- one tablespoon whey protein powder
- one tablespoon greens powder
- one tablespoon raw maca powder
- one tablespoon raw honey
- one gram true cinnamon powder
- one gram ground fenugreek seeds
- one gram dried cayenne pepper
- one gram dried turmeric powder
- 500mg stinging nettle root extract
- 10 drops ConcenTrace mineral supplement
I expected it to taste gross, but it actually doesn't. It's not delicious or anything, but it's perfectly sippable.
I'm not getting much in the way of omega-3 fats (just a bit from the pastured egg yolk). But other than that, although I haven't tried to run it through FitDay or anything, it looks to me like I'm getting pretty much everything I need. The liver powder and egg yolk supply a wide range of vitamins; and what they lack (e.g., vitamin C) should be covered by the fruit and the greens. The coconut milk has good saturated fat. The coconut water has electrolytes. The kombucha has probiotics. The chicken stock has gelatin, collagen, glycine and whatnot. The honey, herbs, and spices have antioxidants and antimicrobial properties and other magic.
Do I have all my bases covered?
I'm going to try to go ten days on this smoothie fast and then reevaluate after that whether I'll continue. (I may also have some pickled herring once every few days for the EPA, DHA, and vitamin D. I guess that no longer makes it a smoothie fast, but I don't think it will substantially increase food reward and throw me off.)
