I’m always looking for collaborators for future experiments. If you’re interested in collaborating on scientifically rigorous self-experiments with low-carb foods, supplements, or other health interventions, please let me know in the comments or via the contact form on the right.
I posted the results for low-carb chocolates this week. Found quite a few good ones, most notably the high cocoa stone ground chocolate from Taza and allulose-sweetened dark chocolate from Trendz. On the scientific side, I got even more evidence that there’s a large variation in the impact of different fibers, even ones with the same name listed on the nutrition label. I’m going to see whether I can source a decent variety to test.
Experiments this week focused on the last chocolates and samples of a low-carb chip under development by a food start-up (details and review to be provided when I’m allowed to post). Next week will focus on collecting more data for the vinegar study and starting to look at flour replacements and high-fiber fruits and vegetables.
Active & Planned Experiments
- Blood Glucose Impact of Low-Carb Foods & Ingredients
- Goal: Determine blood glucose impact of low-carb foods and ingredients
- Approach: Protocol
- Status:
- This week: 4 commenter requests (Two Good yogurt, Julian Bakery bread, and “control” tortillas & ice cream (non-low carb, for comparison)) and 3 chocolates.
- Reported:
- Up next:
- Flour replacements
- Vegetables
- Meats
- Low-carb fruits
- Miscellaneous low-carb prepared foods
- Dietary fibers
- Blood Glucose Impact of Supplements
- Goal: Determine blood glucose impact and mechanism of promising supplements
- Approach: tbd
- Status:
- This week: literature review, determining protocol
- Reported:
- Up next:
- Initial Replication (10/16)
- Methods of Sleeping Longer
Let me know in the comments if there’s any other experiments you’d like to see.
– QD
Observations & Data
- Sleep
- Sleep was back up this week, along with HRV
- Pulse dropped back to normal as well, presumably due to the improved sleep, though BG may have something to do with it as well.
- Blood Glucose
- Fasting BG, coefficient of variation, and time in range still look bad, but the data is slightly misleading. I had high BG the first two days of the week, but the rest was near perfect.
- I think I have things back under control, but the next week’s numbers will show for sure.
- Other Blood
- Off week for hemoglobin and cholesterol.
- Blood pressure is back to normal and pulse may be heading back down.
- I’ve been taking daily measurements (weekly average shown in graph). Once I have enough data, I’ll look for correlations with other metrics (sleep, BG, etc.)
- Body
- Finally got my weight loss restarted by cutting back calories at breakfast and being more careful about how much I eat at dinner.
- Out of curiosity, I’ve started taking daily measurements of weight and waist circumference. So far, I’m not getting any more value than the weekly measurements, but I’ll keep at it and see if I can tease anything out with more data.
Sleep
Blood Glucose
Other Blood
Body
Methods
- Sleep
- Metrics: total time, heart rate variability, pulse (sleeping vs. waking)
- Methods: Apple watch + Autosleep app
- Frequency: daily
- Blood Glucose
- Metrics: fasting BG, Avg. BG, coefficient of variation, time 70-140 mg/dL, time <60 mg/dL
- Methods: Dexcom G6 CGM
- Frequency: continuous
- Other Blood
- Metrics: weight, waist circumference, BMI, waist/height
- Methods: scale + Renpho tape measure
- Frequency: daily
- Body
- Metrics: hemoglobin, cholesterol, blood pressure, pulse
- Methods: Hemocue 801, Cardiocheck PA, Omron Evolve
- Frequency: daily for blood pressure & pulse, every 2 weeks for hemoglobin & cholesterol
