'superfoods,' 'nutraceuticals,' 'biohacks,' supplements etc.

[schnytzal]

What do you eat for health/medicinal purposes? what actually works for you? having time on my hands at the moment i thought i might not be the only one interested in this stuff (or i might, dunno LOL). while i put it here because tacitly we're all interested in things that make sex better and/or us better at it, i'll also ramble about more general supplements and foods.

there's a lot of hype around 'superfoods' but what they really are, is just nutrient-dense foods. not magic unless you are deficient in a micronutrient.  i'm 59, reasonably active, on no permanent medications, and my heart numbers are better than most 30 year olds. some of it's genetic (resting heart rate around 50 even when out of shape) but having aptly demonstrated i *can* fuck things up by doing stupid, i am seeing measurable benefits from good nutrition. i do have some health issues: BPH (documented on another thread) fatty liver, blood sugar higher than i'd like but not prediabetic. also, some neuropathy. i expect the liver and sugar issues can be solved by eating better.

*****nerd alert*****
note that i read tons of science papers on nutrition, as i have found that eating sensibly has had a massive positive impact on my health. note that i'm not orthorexic or anything and leave plenty of room for self-indulgence and decadence. however, most days i focus on nutrition, and this offsets my many vices to a degree.

i also measure a lot of health markers myself (blood sugar, RHR, blood pressure,  HRV, etc). this can tell you a lot about how your body responds to foods if you approach it as n=1 experiments. just because science generally shows that something generally works, doesn't mean it'll work for *you*. for example, i do poorly with excess carbs, my ex does poorly with excess fats. measurably.

i highly recommend examine.com, it's basically a site that summarizes and evaluates science papers on nutrition and supplements. unlike papers on surgical procedures, there are a lot of really shitty studies done in nutrition for a lot of reasons. it can be hard for a non-Ph.D (me for example) to evaluate study designs, so i only do a 'deep dive' on stuff that's really important to me, and let examine.com handle the rest. they're good because they make their money by evaluating studies objectively,  one subscribes to get access to the detailed content. in other words, they're NOT trying to sell you their miracle supplements.

i also like Layne Norton on IG (@biolayne). he's a bit douchey/egocentric at times with his lifting PRs but he is a legit Ph.D and debunks a lot of nutrition bullshit very effectively.

PODCASTS: Rhonda Patrick's is good for deep dives. Rogan's podcast runs too long and he's too susceptible to woo woo bullshit IMO. Petter Attia is good. Huberman good sometimes. Risky or Not? is great for food safety related questions, and episodes are short. Matt Walker is good for anything sleep related.

also, DAVE ASPREY IS FULL OF SHIT. he takes a grain of science and spins overpriced, scammy products from each grain he takes fuck that guy.

sorry, had to get that out of the way.

******end nerd alert****

some stuff that, IMO, is good:

SUPPLEMENTS I TAKE:
a decent multivitamin as 'insurance'

berberine: this stuff is great if your blood sugar runs high. YMMV but i dropped fasted blood sugar 10 mg/dl

vitamin d/k2: i probably should check my D levels but it's essential

fish oil: tons of research backing fish oil. i take Nordic Naturals, 1 in the morning and 1 at night. some

creatine: the most studied supplement there is. it's not just for gym bros, it's showing some cognitive benefits for old farts in some studies too.

i'm interested in stuff with alleged life-extending possibilities like NMN but the jury's out on that and its' expensive.

FOODS AS MEDICINE: in general, eat whole, 'real' foods and avoid overly processed foods
oily fish: i eat a tin of sardines almost every day. i eat salmon and mackerel often. those 'brokeneck' mackerel available at any Thai market are good nutrition and dirt cheap too.

cruciferous vegetables: these tend to be rich in sulforaphane. the gold standard is broccoli sprouts but i'm way too lazy to grow 'em. so i eat quite a bit of broccoli and cauliflower. moringa is also high in sulforaphane. i put moringa powder in things. moringa is local. a Thai friend is gonna give me a moringa plant (which i will probably kill, i'm the worst gardener on Earth)

health mud: i like steel cut oats. i don't like instant oats or any of that prefab shit. speaking of shit, now that i am old i need to eat a lot of fiber to have everything come out all right. i add psyllium husk to my Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (both the oats and the psyllium husk powder are on Lazada). i add a good dose of turmeric powder, tons of science backing its anti-inflammatory properties. you should add black pepper to absorb it better. add black pepper AFTER you cook or it doesn't taste or smell as good.  i also add olive oil, it's nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory and tastes good. also my body does REALLY well with fats and oils. i add other spices for flavor, and ginger which may help with respiratory issues (which almost everyone in TH has this time of year due to the onset of shit air quality). ashwagandha has some interesting research backing it, so i tend to add some powder.

lazy health mud: most of the same powders and stuff, but open a can of lentils or mixed beans (legumes are another 'superfood'), add a can of mackerel and eat cold. (super lazy lol)

sexy time foods: according to Tim Ferriss, steak, and something selenium rich (i prefer brazil nuts) and cholesterol-rich foods (i prefer eggs). eating these semi regularly is supposed to boost libido. it works for me, though i'm not sure my libido needs boosting i'm enough of a sex pest as it is. The Ferriss being The Ferriss, he has a very precise dose and protocol recommendation. i just have beef a couple of times a week, eat eggs fairly often, and snack on brazil nuts often.

in general: colorful fruits and veggies are micronutrient-dense. you won't know you have a micronutrient deficiency until it fucks you over. nuts and seeds are also super nutrient dense. almonds are great. with fruit, if you have blood sugar/fatty liver issues (i do, and i'm not keen on crossing over into prediabetic) don't drink juice, eat intact fruit.

fermented foods: i eat kimchi regularly, and make my own sauerkraut (super easy) and beetroot kvass (being of Eastern European ancestry, i love all kinds of kvass). also, yogurt (plain, live culture) with berries (especially blueberries). current state of research on gut biome is no one knows what 'good' looks like but everyone knows gut biome is very important. fermented foods are pre/probiotic, and generally these bacteria are thought to promote good health. fiber is also uncontroversially good for the gut biome.

eventually i'll organize things into a Mediterranean diet or something similar but still tweaking piecemeal for now.

[schnytzal]

didn't mention 'fitness' but might as well put that here too.

weight training is essential for old farts. i am NOT a meathead and as an irate ex girlfriend said "you don't look like you go to the gym. you don't look like you lift weights." recent research suggests weight training is better than doing tons of cardio for general health.

muscle mass is a very important predictor of all-cause mortality.  gives you some leeway when, like me now, you're laid up and can't do much.

i like the programs from https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-individual-programs

they have programs like MAPS 15 for people like me, who see training as a chore to get done, but they also have hardcore programs for meatheads. i like not having to think about my training plan because as i said, for me, it's a chore.

they focus on the basics: whole-body exercises like deadlifts and squats, for example,  instead of fancy bullshit. you can get all the info from their podcast and youtubes and design your own program but to me that's yet another chore. i dont' listen to their podcast anymore because one of the things i like about living here is i don't have to listen to Muricans talking about politics and religion LOL. (you can skip ahead to the fitness stuff so it's not that big a deal).

even though there's an ok, and cheap, gym a short walk from my house, i still prefer to set up a simple gym in my house. i have a squat rack, a bench, and and 2 barbells (i hate changing plates LOL one is for deadlifts).

being a lazy fucker i need to trick myself into getting my steps in every day. i set up a Xiaomi walking pad next to the sofa, facing the TV. i walk while i watch. guilt-free-TV!!!. the 'magic number' of 10k steps a day is arbitrary, but 'be active' is not at all controversial. and 10,000 is a nice number.

i have no problem getting my steps in when i'm in Patts or BKK because i walk around and eyeball a lot even when all my girlies are from TF and my sex mojo is spent.

i use a Ringconn ring to track health metrics, sleep and steps. it's basically like an Oura ring without the subscription. i had a gen 1 Oura but it eventually died, and Oura stopped shipping to Thailand and probably still don't.
 

[Kandinski]

Nice read with  most of the what's mentioned already included in my diet but on a semi-random schedule only and has  never taken the time to  write  down what's consumed, maybe read can serve as a good reminder to a more full-hearted approach to a even more healthy life[style]. With fruit and vegatable counting for +60% and white meat for likely less than 5% my supplement intake is an attempt only to make up for what my diet [I guess] is short off and could very well take wrong supplements.

Know I'm sloppy when it come to eat but the combination of  abundance of cheap and easy accessible fruit & vegatable has resulted in a [for me] massive weight loss [8 kg in 6mth] and that combined with regular visit to the gym has granted me many a compliments and looks from ladies both side of the [sex] industry that a 72-year should not expect. Best of all; the diet and workouts has made me feel bulletproofed and  even come  monetary benefits.....will now get a 6 for the price of a 4😋

 

[schnytzal]

yeah i need to lose some fat, i turned into a potato with so many months on catheter. so i'm going to start tracking macros once i've recovered from the Rezum treatment.

i do like you, not really keeping track of stuff at the moment, but generally focusing on eating nutrient-dense stuff. i'm going to do a few months of 'Mediterranean diet" with whatever modifications i think are useful, AND track macros, AND get back to being consistent about gym time, til habits are dialed in.

the supplements i've listed are generally regarded as 'safe' and most of them i'm probably getting from food, so same as you it's in case i missed something in my diet.

i do wish to keep seeing surprised reactions from girlies when i tell 'em how old i am so i need to get consistent. i currently get away with saying i'm 13 years younger than i am on TF LOL.

[Kandinski]

24 minutes ago, schnytzal said:

i'm 13 years younger than i am on TF LOL

Beat me then......by 1 year😋

[schnytzal]

9 minutes ago, Kandinski said:

Beat me then......by 1 year😋

most recent ex (non P4P genpop GF) is 23 years younger than me, i crushed it on Tinder LOL

[Kandinski]

5 hours ago, schnytzal said:

muscle mass is a very important predictor of all-cause mortality.  gives you some leeway when, like me now, you're laid up and can't do much

My daughter is a Physiotherapist and training freak shared, read nagged, her knowledge of the human  body's decline for years and years until I believed the whole world knew about loss of muscle mass that, after 50, really picks up speed and earlier this year I took the consequence and satcfoot in a gym for the first time... ever! I never had a particular physical job and very soon realised that listing to those who knows is best advise anyone can have.

 

[schnytzal]

yeah. and there's plenty of evidence that it's reversible.

gotta get after it and get them gainz

[distantvoyeur]

For weight training.  Add alanine, glucosamine, citrulline malate, BCAA's and carnatine.  I've found carnatine especially helpful since it is used to metabolize fats for energy.

They are more specific for muscle growth.  Feed the muscle what it needs.

Should fit in nicely with everything else.  Do research to see which one's are pre and post workout though.

[Arnie85]

Is there a specific vitamin you take to prevent the use of any capital letters?

 

[schnytzal]

3 hours ago, Arnie85 said:

Is there a specific vitamin you take to prevent the use of any capital letters?

 

took a while for the grammar stasi to show up. welcome!. sadly, you're out of your jurisdiction.

[schnytzal]

6 hours ago, distantvoyeur said:

For weight training.  Add alanine, glucosamine, citrulline malate, BCAA's and carnatine.  I've found carnatine especially helpful since it is used to metabolize fats for energy.

They are more specific for muscle growth.  Feed the muscle what it needs.

Should fit in nicely with everything else.  Do research to see which one's are pre and post workout though.

most of the  papers i've seen suggest precise timing of pre/post workout doesn't have much effect, but most of what i've looked at that's workout-related is creatine and protein.

protein synthesis declines as we get older, the magic number according to most sources is 1 gram protein per 1 pound of body weight (some sources say lean mass).

i think supplements, in general, are small nudges, and the most benefit comes from moving the big rocks: good sleep, consistent training, getting macronutrition right, loading up on nutrient-dense foods  for good mirconutition, and stress management.

while i may look into these, i'm not a 'peak performance' type. to me, working out is a chore, so i don't die early, and to extend my healthspan.

[whistlerone]

if your looking for diet and excersise programs using sites like grok or chatgpt can give you a good outline. the more in depth your question the better program it will outline for you  

[schnytzal]

5 minutes ago, whistlerone said:

if your looking for diet and excersise programs using sites like grok or chatgpt can give you a good outline. the more in depth your question the better program it will outline for you  

yeah AI rewards you for very specific searches. good way to put together a program if you don't way to pay for one.

can probably put together a meal plan that's pretty good. i may give it a go starting with "Mediterranean diet" and tweaking a few iterations. "traditional Okinawan diet" might be good, and more aligned with stuff that's available here.

[Wide_western]

Good summary. I take creatine, vitamine d and fish oil (as I don't eat fish) and use some whey protein, besides that just common sense healthy diet. More about not eating most of the trash they sell these days than anything else .

Sauerkraut is a good probiotic, much better and cheaper than all the overpriced BS pills out there! I eat a small portion (raw) each morning.

[schnytzal]

1 minute ago, Wide_western said:

Good summary. I take creatine, vitamine d and fish oil (as I don't eat fish) and use some whey protein, besides that just common sense healthy diet. More about not eating most of the trash they sell these days than anything else .

Sauerkraut is a good probiotic, much better and cheaper than all the overpriced BS pills out there! I eat a small portion (raw) each morning.

whey is a good 'filler' if you're not getting enough protein. if i have too much of it though i need to piss every 10 seconds. not sure why, i have no problem with milk (some bodybuilders top off their protein with milk rather than protein powder i'm told, but i don't remember who said so and don't know how old tor accurate their info is.

yeah consensus on kraut seems to be a little bit a day is the way, rather than bingeing in quantity. one problem with eating too much lactofermented foods is they're very acidic. can hurt your teeth (been there done that LOL). not gonna make my own kimichi, too labor intensive.

[Wide_western]

3 hours ago, schnytzal said:

most of the  papers i've seen suggest precise timing of pre/post workout doesn't have much effect, but most of what i've looked at that's workout-related is creatine and protein.

protein synthesis declines as we get older, the magic number according to most sources is 1 gram protein per 1 pound of body weight (some sources say lean mass).

i think supplements, in general, are small nudges, and the most benefit comes from moving the big rocks: good sleep, consistent training, getting macronutrition right, loading up on nutrient-dense foods  for good mirconutition, and stress management.

while i may look into these, i'm not a 'peak performance' type. to me, working out is a chore, so i don't die early, and to extend my healthspan.

Creatine is the only supplement that pretty much all research agrees on helps beyond doses that could reasonably be obtained through diet. Still wouldn't say it's all that important. Healthy diet, sleep and exercise are king.

Others can be good for certain people that are lacking for whatever reason. Most are mainly beneficial to those that sell them..

As for exercise: I'm a bit addicted. Would probably do nothing but train, fuck, eat and sleep if I could.😂 From my pov I would warn for doing too much and going to heavy. Build slow and gradual and listen to your body.

[schnytzal]

2 minutes ago, Wide_western said:

As for exercise: I'm a bit addicted. Would probably do nothing but train, fuck, eat and sleep if I could.😂 From my pov I would warn for doing too much and going to heavy. Build slow and gradual and listen to your body.

this is good news for you from a consistency point of view. your libido will thank you.

i find most of the supplements that have consistent evidence in favor of them are, as you say, things you're lacking... or basically just food in a convenient form.

[distantvoyeur]

15 hours ago, schnytzal said:

most of the  papers i've seen suggest precise timing of pre/post workout doesn't have much effect, but most of what i've looked at that's workout-related is creatine and protein.
 

Not true.  E.g. Citrulline malate is used to increase blood flow to the muscle, ergo pre-workout.  Glutamine is used to lessen lactic acid build-up, ergo post workout.  BCAA's are used as building blocks so good for both.

I'm just focusing on muscle micro-nutrition with the post, feed it what it wants when it needs it.  Overall diet and lifestyle are far more complex topics and you seem to have a good handle on them already.

Even proteins.....Casein for slow absorbtion, Whey Isolate for quick absorption and Whey for intermediate.  Also for creatine look for Creapure, safer.  I mix my protein with milk and add the others where appropriate.

I'm far from body-building but I'm overall a lot stronger than most people, especially in my age group. The most of the improvement came when I researched micro-nutrition, it was the cherry on the sundae. 

My educational background included bio-chemistry, so it helping wade through the weeds of supplement literature.

Edited December 17, 2024 by distantvoyeur

[lostmywalker]

Have you heard anything about this NDN or NAD+ stuff? Basically this stuff is supposed to clear up brain fog and prevent aging. This Billionaire Bryan Johnson is trying every superfood imaginable to find the right combination and NDN and NAD+ is on his list. NDN is becoming more popular and people are talking about it like it’s the Limitless drug from the movie.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw2H_j81_50

 

[schnytzal]

7 hours ago, lostmywalker said:

Have you heard anything about this NDN or NAD+ stuff? Basically this stuff is supposed to clear up brain fog and prevent aging. This Billionaire Bryan Johnson is trying every superfood imaginable to find the right combination and NDN and NAD+ is on his list. NDN is becoming more popular and people are talking about it like it’s the Limitless drug from the movie.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw2H_j81_50

 

yeah i did NMN for a while, *might* have noticed a difference but that shit's expensive. i suspect it's real, but also overhyped. i will probably give it a go again now i'm mostly recovered from prostate surgery.

NMN is a precursor to NAD. i haven't tried an NAD drip or anything like that.

according to researcher David Sinclair, NMN is a better choice than NR, but other researchers are adamantly pro NR. i think what little data there is looks better for NMN. note that Sinclair's a bit controversial... hell ALL these anti-aging researchers are, but they ARE doing scientific research.

Johnson is interesting. the thing is, he's really doing what he says he's doing, not some bullshit Dave Asprey style cash grab. Johnson's not a researcher per se, but he's tracking stuff on an n=1 level, so it's far more useful than the "take my word for it bro" wellness influencer type stuff.

[Agrippa.marcus]

What about low dose TRT? Is it something available easily? I remember seeing lots of ads a few years back when I was there 

[schnytzal]

On 15/02/2025 at 00:14, Agrippa.marcus said:

What about low dose TRT? Is it something available easily? I remember seeing lots of ads a few years back when I was there 

it's probably available pretty readily, but are you sure you need it?

note that as you get older your T levels drop but there's a tendency to use testosterone more efficiently also. deffo get the right physician involved (vet a lot til you find the right one).

[schnytzal]

finally gotten around to tracking macronutrients.

i'm using an app called MacroFactor. it's excellent.

it's a lot of hassle logging everything you eat or drink every day, but there's a lot of upside. the app keeps you on track to hit your calorie goals (what gets measured gets managed). left to my own devices i tend to eat whole, nutritious foods not ultra processed crap, at least at home. HOWEVER it is now obvious why i'm a fat fuck: i eat too much. i enjoy healthy fats (particularly high-quality olive oil and oily fishies like salmon, mackerel and sardines). but lipids are super calorie dense. and i just plain eat a lot, left to my own devices. by tracking, i can make an informed decision as to whether i really want another handful of walnuts.

my macro breakdown suggests i am mostly successful at keeping carbs low, i eat too much fat and--a surprise--not enough protein. (a useful rule of thumb for changing body composition is 1 gram protein per 1 pound of body weight).

it also breaks down micro nutrition. i can see from the numbers i'm putting up that i need to double my magnesium supplementation, and get more folate.

tl;dr: if one really wants to change one's body composition, one needs to be consistent. measuring stuff helps one do that, and MacroFactor is a fantastic tool for tracking what you eat.

[davetherave3311]

I started taking a morning smoothie with various bits n bobs a few years ago now. One thing I know absolutely had a positive effect was inserting 2 raw eggs into it. Raw eggs are awesome.