diet

Massive Eating/Don’t Diet guidelines (Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION):

Protein - Eggs, dairy sources including cottage cheese and plain yogurt, lean meat sources including salmon, tuna, chicken, beef; protein powders such as milk protein isolates and whey/casein blends.
Carbohydrates - Vegetables (all types), mixed beans, fruit, oatmeal, whole grain breads.
Fats - Fish oil (in salmon or as a salmon or isolated EPA/DHA supplement), flax oil, mixed nuts (no peanuts), olive oil.
A diet following these recommendations:
4 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
8 oz salmon
1 6.5oz can of tuna
12 oz chicken breast
8 oz lean ground beef
2 large pieces of sourdough bread
2 cups regular oatmeal
3 tbs flax oil
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs fish oil
1 large white potato
1 cup broccoli
1 cup sweet red pepper
1 orange
1 apple

Macronutrient breakdown:
Total: 4325
Fat: 231g 2081 50%
Sat: 55g 498 12%
Poly: 65g 586 14%
Mono: 90g 810 19%
Carbs: 232g 784 19%
Fiber: 36g 0 0%
Protein: 330g 1321 32%
Micronutrient breakdown:
Vitamin A: 74%
Vitamin D: 52%
Vitamin E: 249%
Vitamin K: 288%
Vitamin C: 823%
Thiamin: 207%
Riboflavin: 286%
B-6: 416%
B-12: 976%
Niacin: 549%
Folate: 126%
Iron: 195%
Zinc: 181%
Selenium: 1558%
Calcium: 78%
phosphorous: 280%
Magnesium: 171%

Let’s look at a common diet:
2 6.5 oz tuna cans
8 oz chicken breast
2 pieces sourdough bread
2 cups oatmeal
2 tbs flax oil
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs fish oil
1 potato
1 cup sweet red pepper
1 cup broccoli
4 egg whites
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 cup nonfat togurt
Macronutrient profile:
Total: 2934 Fat: 136 1228 43% Sat: 24 212 7% Poly: 47 422 15% Mono: 56 506 18% Carbs: 184 636 22% Fiber: 25 0 0% Protein: 243 972 34%
Micronutrient profile:
Vitamin A: 19%
*********Vitamin D: 0%************8
Vitamin E: 179%
Vitamin K: 288%
Vitamin C: 638%
Thiamin: 157%
Riboflavin: 209%
B-6: 272%
B-12: 569%
Niacin: 468%
Folate: 83%
Iron: 140%
Zinc: 104%
Selenium: 1401%
Calcium: 73%
phosphorous: 202%
Magnesium: 146%

The addition of 8 oz liver and 4 oz oysters:
Vitamin A: 1909%
Vitamin D: 179%
Vitamin E: 196%
Vitamin K: 288%
Vitamin C: 638%
Thiamin: 190%
Riboflavin: 549%
B-6: 361%
B-12: 4855%
Niacin: 595%
Folate: 507%
Iron: 251%
Zinc: 923%
Selenium: 1770%
Calcium: 78%
phosphorous: 271%
Magnesium: 169%

In conclusion, liver and oysters (clams, too) are two meats that should be included in your diet at least once a week. Don’t eat too much, since liver is so concentrated with vitamin A. At the very least, cod liver oil would be a good addition to one’s diet.

well according to nutrition they sure should be. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, by very nature of their function of course.

I rarely have oysters, prefer them raw in good restaurants and since I live as far from the ocean as can be, getting them safely that way is pricey.

As for liver I really dont like the texture that much, have had it really fresh though (like couple hours old/still warm) and it was decent then. Dont like it frozen/unthawed.

the fact that the liver is a filter that traps toxins is enough to make me not eat it…although I love the taste. Imagine the toxins that an animal might have ingested.

Liver? No thanks. Any benefits that it may have (and I could care less) are far outweighed by the fact it tastes like crap.

I believe there area toxicity issues with high doses of Selenium. Something you might want to check out.

Akheron,

Well, here is the massive eating amount:

Selenium: 1558%

And after adding the liver and oysters:

Selenium: 1770%

Not a huge increase. Looks like high dose of selenium does not come from the liver and oysters.

Iron Maiden,

There is a method I know of that is supposed to help draw toxins out of the liver before cooking, and that is to soak the liver in lemon juice for a bit before cooking.

Also, I think this is a great food to get from an organic store. Since you don’t eat a lot of it, and since it’s cheaper than most cuts of beef, it’s one of the better things to buy from an organic store.

Antiliberal,

Have you ever tried liver breaded in whole grain flour and then fried in butter on high heat?

I had a friend try this and she thought it was really good, and she normally didn’t like liver much.

Akheron,

Also, was the toxicity determined with synthetic versions?

I think the toxic levels of vitamin A were determined with synthetics, and for a month I got at least 5 times the toxic amount with no problems. Seems synthetics and natural vitamins definitely behave differently in high doses.

Neil while yuo’re at it why dont overdose yourself on fat-soluble vitamins?

I mean, the more the merrier, right?

Diesel,

Do you know that the RDA is just what was established to prevent deficiency?

I believe it was established with synthetics, though. So who knows how accurate that really is.

With lifting and massive eating, vitamin A requirements would actually increase (just like many other nutrients). So…

Neil: You shouldn’t eat liver more than once a month. This is because of Iron overload. There are serious cardiac contractility issues that result due to competition with the a Ca2+ exchanger. In fact, this research goes on in my lab.

Secondly, you have to be careful what months you have oysters in (or any shell fish). Certain months result in an increase in diatoms (single celled organisms with silicon oxide covering) in the water. Shellfish take them up and since diatoms release toxins (ever hear of red tides…this is the result of their toxins in the water), the oysters become toxic when ingested by humans and other organisms.

Both are great foods…but like anything else, caution need be applied.

Also, Liver and Oysters are not MEATS!!!

Oysters are shellfish
Liver is an organ

ND,

How does liver cause iron overload? 8 oz of liver would only be 75% RDA of iron.

Also, what are signs of liver overload?

NeilG where do you think of some of your post and were do you get your research from? Not meaning this to be a flame you just seem to have some interesting points.

TheCuda

Or, you know, you could take a multi, eat Don’t Diet style, and call it a day.

Dan

Dan,

Well, sure, you could, but I must ask one question.

Why can natural vitamin A be taken at much higher levels than what would be toxic with synthetic vitamin A?