Does anyone follow Matt Stone's Eat for Heat model?

[EnergeticLeo]

Hi I was wondering if anyone follows Matt Stone's Eat for Heat model?

As I understand it, he's basically saying that for proper metabolic rate, the blood must be sufficiently concentrated with sugar, salt and other things, and that the urine concentration roughly reflects the blood concentration. If you drink too much water, the blood concentration and metabolic rate drops.

He suggested the use of a "refractometer" (which measures in % brix) to periodically measure urine concentration. On his blog he has mentioned a urine "brix" of 3 - 4%, which may vary between individuals. Below 2-3% suggests overhydration and a need to eat something salty+sugary with minimum fluid.

Also does anyone have more information on what a normal urine concentration / osmolarity should be?

 

[joaquin]

I have the book on my list as I want to read it. I know I feel better when I am warm.

 

[TradClare]

I read it some years ago. It's good motivation to eat if you come from a background of restriction. If you don't want to gain weight, I would suggest you follow the advice to eat (low pufa) foods that you love only when hungry, and drink fluids only when thirsty. Don't be afraid of salt and sugar. We get into trouble when we follow man-made advice on how much to eat and how many cups of water to drink, etc. On the flip side, gluttony is no good either. Pushing food (or fluids) because an expert says to is just as bad as restricting them.

 

[Blossom]

I did years ago and regret it.

 

[EnergeticLeo]

... Pushing food (or fluids) because an expert says to is just as bad as restricting them.

I 100% agree. It is nice, however, to have a way to gauge is fluid intake is roughly correct. In my case at least, my hunger / thirst signals don't always seem accurate.

 

[EnergeticLeo]

I did years ago and regret it.

Interesting - why so?

 

[Blossom]

Interesting - why so?

I thought some of my issues were from under eating but I was mistaken. I do believe it’s generally important to eat enough but I was forcing myself to eat more than I needed for too long and gained 70 pounds. I’m 5’1 so that was a lot on my small frame. I’ve been back to my normal weight for 2 years now but it was a 4 year process. I think it’s okay to experiment with his ideas but I don’t think people should persist for years if they are not getting better or are getting worse. When I did it but made sure to watch pufa intake.
Edit: Long story short is that it was a lot of wasted time and effort with zero return in my case. I would have been better off ignoring him and staying strictly Peaty.

 

[PeskyPeater]

No, dont know it.

Maybe its just me, but my body doesnt signal thurst very well. Neither does it signal in time hunger to prevent getting cold.
Asuming a 90 minute cycle of bloodsugar as per Dr Peat, and as dehydration of a few percent decreases prefomance, I like to check at those intervals my dehydration or flaking of the lips to check if I need some fruit juice. this should keep the bloodsugar stable.
And if that doesnt make me warm soon, I go snack something even though im not hungry.

 

[EnergeticLeo]

I thought some of my issues were from under eating but I was mistaken. I do believe it’s generally important to eat enough but I was forcing myself to eat more than I needed for too long and gained 70 pounds. I’m 5’1 so that was a lot on my small frame. I’ve been back to my normal weight for 2 years now but it was a 4 year process. I think it’s okay to experiment with his ideas but I don’t think people should persist for years if they are not getting better or are getting worse. When I did it but made sure to watch pufa intake.
Edit: Long story short is that it was a lot of wasted time and effort with zero return in my case. I would have been better off ignoring him and staying strictly Peaty.

I see - that must've been a painful 4 years
I recently came off of a 4000+ calorie diet partly inspired by Matt Stone. Thankfully I was only on it for a month or so before I became more convinced by a more Peaty approach.
Did the high calorie approach increase your energy levels at all?

 

[Blossom]

I see - that must've been a painful 4 years
I recently came off of a 4000+ calorie diet partly inspired by Matt Stone. Thankfully I was only on it for a month or so before I became more convinced by a more Peaty approach.
Did the high calorie approach increase your energy levels at all?

Not really, I can’t think of anything positive it did for me physically. Intellectually it helped me understand that food isn’t as powerful as I had previously thought. I learned to appreciate that just about any food is better than no food so in that respect if I had any orthorexic tendencies they were cured!

 

[EnergeticLeo]

Not really, I can’t think of anything positive it did for me physically. Intellectually it helped me understand that food isn’t as powerful as I had previously thought. I learned to appreciate that just about any food is better than no food so in that respect if I had any orthorexic tendencies they were cured!

I see, thanks for sharing :)

 

[Blossom]

I see, thanks for sharing :)

You’re welcome. It’s just my experience so perhaps others may have had a more positive one to share. :)

 

[Bootselectric]

These days he is also a pretty strong proponent for a Vitamin A detox diet since it's the only way to mitigate his asthma. You can read more on his blog 180degreehealth.

 

[Don]

I have read the book many times, I like it but not sure its for everyone or even for me. He brings up lots on interesting points to think about and I like the "dont be scared of every food mantra". However I was listening to more recent stuff of his and he has found himself in a lower energy health state.

 

[Serge]

I think, at the end of the day, overeating takes away productive energy just as undereating does.

 

[PeskyPeater]

These days he is also a pretty strong proponent for a Vitamin A detox diet since it's the only way to mitigate his asthma. You can read more on his blog 180degreehealth.

wait, so he's is lowering his vitamin A that is needed for hormone synthesis, to suppress his asthma, by lowering his hormone production and metabolic rate, whut?

 

[EnergeticLeo]

I think, at the end of the day, overeating takes away productive energy just as undereating does.

Yes I found overeating exhausting, although it did give me some of the highest energy days I had had in months. I'm finding eating to my current needs much less exhausting, but am grateful for the overeating experiment giving me some clues.

 

[Serge]

Yes I found overeating exhausting, although it did give me some of the highest energy days I had had in months. I'm finding eating to my current needs much less exhausting, but am grateful for the overeating experiment giving me some clues.

Well I know that logic is not really to be applied for physiology. But let us say that you can only create a 100ATF with your mitochondria at a moment. So if you shove a potential 1000ATF, it will just take off the power for processing them (in some way) and then throw off.
So I don't think overeating is going to add energe. Suck energy, it will, plus adding fat and weakness.

 

[EnergeticLeo]

Well I know that logic is not really to be applied for physiology. But let us say that you can only create a 100ATF with your mitochondria at a moment. So if you shove a potential 1000ATF, it will just take off the power for processing them (in some way) and then throw off.
So I don't think overeating is going to add energe. Suck energy, it will, plus adding fat and weakness.

I'm just saying what I experienced It could've been a particular component of that overeating experiment like higher salt intake, higher protein intake, etc... that was driving the thermogenesis and energy I felt, or it could have partly been caused by higher cortisol/adrenaline. But yes I don't now think overeating is the way to go, but I had to experience it to truly understand it.

 

[BRMarshall]

Yes, almost a decade ago I came across Matt Stone's Eat for Heat Blog, and it was something that would lead me to reading Ray Peat's work which i was already familiar with, but allowed me to further appreciate Peat's work.

Practically, as a skinny athlete then in my fifties, with tendency to under eat, I got scarred when I friend invited me to hike Mt. Washington for spring skiing. and I feared
hitting a wall, but the "refeeding" was a welcome invitation that my body appreciated and got me ready for what I was able to do better than I expected...

When we had breakfast before our drive, I remember my friend pouring a half a cup of sugar on his oatmeal like nothing but just thought that as a everyday skier he was eating for heat as just a matte of course...