Doublereed Archive - Posting 000028.txt from 2002/11

From: PhilFrei@-----.com
Subj: [Doublereed-l] Diets and Practicing
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 16:04:21 -0500

Hi -

It seems talking about food is almost as potentially explosive as talking
about politics or religion. Some will consider it off-topic and will want to
skip this long message. But with the recent news about Atkins vs. Pritikin, I
thought it would be interesting to talk about their possible strengths and
weaknesses when it comes to practicing, especially since this is something I
am grappling with on a daily basis, trying to come up with a diet that works
with the rigors of musical practicing.

I don't know a huge amount about food, but I find it does effect my ability
to practice. There seem to be many concerns. One is that a meal can leave one
really lethargic and unable to coax up the energy to practice. The second is
that food has to contain the nutrients necessary for the brain to build
whatever it needs in order that we retain what we practice. Learning is after
all, at some fundamental level, physiology. Another aspect is that food
allergies can make it very difficult to practice depending on the severity of
the symptoms.

It seems to me diet plans tend to over-focus on one system in isolation of
others. Pritikin focuses on eliminating saturated fat and how this should
theoretically help prevent heart disease. But its weakness, it seems to me is
that in emphasizing whole foods, it neglects the fact that some foods in
their raw state are a bear to digest. I am thinking in particular about
grains, granola, beans, and some vegetables. The strain on the body can be
considerable right after a meal.

Also, the main source of fat in Pritikin is vegetable oils or even worse,
trans fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils which are, ironically, now
known to be MORE dangerous than saturated fats!). This is problematic, as
butter and some animal fats are much better for helping with the assimilation
of many vitamins and minerals, and function as building blocks for the
cholesterol and other substances that go into brain chemistry.

The dangers with Atkin's high protein diets are well documented. A heavy
protein meal can be near indigestible. Overdone, there can be severe strains
on the kidneys and liver. But at least you are certain to get "brain food,"
and the diet does have the considerable advantage of reducing trans fats,
since so many trans fats in American diets are in carbs.

I'm trying to come up with sensible compromises. Presoaking grains and beans
seems to help a huge amount. For example, a bowl of oatmeal soaked in water
with a spoonful of yoghourt overnight is SO much lighter and easier to eat
than "quick" oatmeal or granola. I find it much, much easier to practice with
good concentration right after breakfast with presoaked.

And in terms of meat, one discovery I've made is that grass-fed beef is much
easier to digest than the regular corn and grain fed beef. I find it much
more likely that I'll be able to practice with good concentration with the
former meal, where the latter tends to just knock me out for the entire
evening (or until 11:00 or so when all of a sudden I find myself with some
energy and huge regrets about everything I didn't get to in the previous
hours). I've read that grass-fed beef (and dairy products from grass-fed
cows) have a superior mix of fats, actually containing some of the good fats
associated with fish (and without the growing danger of mercury in fish), and
that this is part of what makes them more readily digestible.

Overall, it seems like shelf life = indigestibility. I worry about the
irradiation of foods, because it DOES neutralize enzymes (enzymes technically
are not considered nutrients), agents which contribute to the ripening and
rotting of food on the shelf. Without enzymes, food will be that much harder
to digest, and I fear I will be all the more conked out after a meal. That
can really cut into one's day, especially when one is trying to do something
(practicing) that is the mental equivalent of rigorous body building.

I'm curious as to other musicians' experiences and theories.

- Phil Freihofner