The CR Way: Using the Secrets of Calorie Restriction for a Longer, Healthier Life

You just can't believe everything that appears today as "science". This is a grand work of epidemiological junk. I am an epidemiologist with 3 university degrees. I have also been an athlete all of my life, running in 12 marathons and nearly breaking 3 hours in the marathon. This is to ensure some reasonable measure of credibility for what I will be saying. The "CR" (calorie restriction) method is not based upon verifiable science, but is an experiment without adequate and convincing controls.Recently (Chemical and Engineering News, August 3, 2009), published an article/study by these authors showing two 27-year old rhesus monkeys (Owen and Eeyore) -- one on the CR diet for 20 years (Eeyore... who is "pretty") and one on an unrestricted diet for 20 years (poor "Owen" who does not have the benefit of his comparator's "pretty" Western look). If you look at the two rhesus monkeys side-by-side, you can see that the monkey fed a calorie restricted (CR) diet appears physically "prettier" than the rhesus monkey fed an unrestricted diet. In fact the picture even states "which monkey looks older?" So what's to convince?? This is a bogus experiment! First of all, the two rhesus monkeys are living in an aberration of nature -- in confinement (prison) and under human control. Second of all - in spite of the difference in physical "beauty", both may be psychologically unhappy and an adequate measurement of their unhappiness and quite possibly neurosis and/or psychosis is not identified. They are both "prisoners of science" and captives of a poorly orchestrated food experiment administered under the guise of "science". Third, given the conditions of being caged, the monkey fed more food might be eating merely to compensate for his grossly unhappy conditions, and the poor "prettier" monkey who is fed the "restricted calorie" diet may be even more unhappy psychologically than the other monkey - this is not evaluated. Had they provided an equally aberrant condition for yet a third or fourth "control" monkey, they might have found that one preferred carrots and oranges over other calorie dense foods, and yet the other might have preferred a diet rich in heroine and/or cocaine to self-medicate throughout his miserable, caged existence. But we only have poor Owen and Eeyore as the sole victims of the "scientific" research. The minute they extracted these poor monkeys from their natural environment and fed or did not feed them "The CR Way" for 20 years, there was no adequate "control" in their experiment, least of all the "control" they considered poor Eeyore to be. Good epidemiological studies (that would provide the 80% power required for significant findings) usually require at least 10 subjects per each variable in the study. Placing monkeys in an artificial, captive environment is already one variable. Altering the diet is at least one (most likely more than one) variable, and quantity of diet is another variable. For a convincing, sound, viable epidemiological study one would need a bare minimum of 30 or 40 subjects, and these subjects should be humans, not monkeys, as the target is human health.These monkeys may be the most miserable monkeys on planet Earth - but of course this is not the goal of the "experiment"... the goal of the experiment was to prove that caloric restriction has a rosier, physically prettier outcome. I have learned in my university education that a true scientific experiment asks a question and then seeks to find the answer. In this case, the researchers had a predisposed answer to their question - and they created the conditions that justified their preconceived answer: you will look beautiful if you live "The CR Way"! They neglect to tell you that you can look (and more importantly FEEL) good if you merely follow a lifestyle that you already know is true: (1) Get plenty of exercise every day; (2) eat a balanced diet that is not extreme and contains plenty of fruits and vegetables; (3) get lots of sleep each day (minimum of 7-8 hours if possible); (4) get regular checkups and preventive medical procedures; (5) increase joy and reduce stress with whatever activities of daily living help you (reading, writing, crafts, yes cooking, and taking wonderful care of your children and pets, etc.)The point is: if BOTH monkeys lived a healthy, active life -- living in the wild with adequate exercise, healthy familial conditions and support, normal prey-predator conditions, and natural diet variations, they BOTH might look quite similar regardless of caloric intake! Their experiment creates artificial conditions that might make anybody look like a sad, homely, prematurely old, overweight monkey! The minute these "researchers" move the poor monkeys into the "scientific" prison in which they live, these researchers have ceased to create adequate controls for their aberrant diet experiments. I find this both unprofessional and epidemiologically disgusting in terms of study design and outcome -- really disgusting!Sound epidemiological studies minimize the monochromatic nature of a narrow and limited study such as this one. What is typical of this "CR Way" is a complete lack of depth and understanding of the many intricacies, delicacies, and interconnectivity of human health. For instance, when humans or other mammals are stressed (again, experimentally or naturally) the immediate response is secretion of cortisol (our "fight or flight" stress hormone). An excess of cortisol production in our bodies suppresses our immune system by killing our T-cells. T-cells are also killed by anesthesia, chemotherapy, lack of adequate sleep, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), cortisone injections (which, I might add, is why athletes that use steroids are also at increased of cancer and/or infectious diseases) and other immune-suppressing infectious diseases and/or treatments. T-cells are necessary for killing virally infected cells and cancer cells in our bodies. If we are stressed (either acute or chronic, long-term stress) our T-cell population is therefore reduced, and in turn this puts us at a much greater risk of (1) infectious diseases and/or (2) cancers. The artificial stress of not eating after 1:00pm each day can create an unreasonable amount of continuing, chronic, and unresolved stress to any mammal, thus putting any human or other mammal at increased risk of infectious or chronic disease. Humans are not monkeys -- we are also complex, sensitive mammals that do not need to have more stress added to our busy and already overburdened lives by inducing an unnatural state of hunger each and every day of what should be a beautifully balanced and harmonious life. We cannot all live happily with such a rigid and sterile diet regimen - this creates yet another level of artificial stress that is just plain foolish and outrageous hogwash from authors that lust after a fountain of youth.Also -- while much of the world is experiencing varying levels of hunger and/or malnutrition (some areas of our world are experiencing extreme hunger and premature death via malnutrition and starvation), I find this book a miserable example of western diet/weight/beauty overindulgence, physical appearance narcissism, and arrogance. Humans should be living their lives to the fullest and not practicing extremism in weight-loss and diet perversions. This book is a pathetic substitute for merely educating people about the basics of a healthy, long life (as above): (1) Get plenty of exercise every day; (2) eat a balanced diet that is not extreme and contains plenty of fruits and vegetables; (3) get lots of sleep each day (minimum of 7-8 hours if possible); (4) get regular checkups and preventive medical procedures; (5) increase joy and reduce stress with whatever activities of daily living help you (reading, writing, crafts, yes cooking, and taking wonderful care of your children and pets, etc.) These concepts date back to the days of Plato and Aristotle -- these concepts of how to live a healthy life are not new! Plato extolled the virtues of a balance in athleticism, physical activity, intellectual pursuits, and healthy wholesome diets. Many ancient cultures realized the important balance and harmony of all of these areas of life and to live a well-integrated life that is not extreme in any one area - thus a life that is not "out of balance" with oneself and our lovely natural world.Unfortunately, these researchers are attempting to create scientific evidence where none truly exists - this book is a hoax written by affluent authors who have no clue what it is like to experience real hunger and/or starvation in life. Not eating after 1:00pm every day is ridiculous and stresses the body tremendously - I would not do this to anybody, man nor beast! The insulin response to food intake is one that is mediated over time and requires a careful, balanced, and consistent diet to maintain a healthy, consistent glucose vs. insulin level in the body. Hunger - contrived or natural - is not a nice thing to do to anybody - humans or other animals. When the body does not have an adequate source of glucose, your body will break down not only fat, but organs and muscle tissue to achieve its required goal of energy production. "The CR Way" should find its way to the nearest recycle bin (and please have a beautiful walk getting to the community recycle center so that it will be even more worth your while when you place "The CR Way" into the bin!) If you want to look and feel beautiful and live a long and happy life, keep up the exercise (as much as possible), sleep well, eat a balanced diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole, unprocessed foods, get regular medical checkups and procedures, and enjoy spending time with your beautiful family and pets.

As any other human I am scared of death (but sometimes I forget like many other people that this is the end for all of us).The only proven way of postponing the end is CR.So about 10 years ago I started reading about CR. It was interesting stuff but could never get to try it .And when you're 20 death is still a concept from movies ... not something you see happening to you.10 years later and some more life experience (medical problems of my self and relatives) changed that view .To me it is extremely difficult though the way the authors present doing CR makes sense.What I learned from this book :The data we have suggests CR is effective if not at prolonging life(We still have to wait until serious CR practitioners reach serious old age before saying for sure.) at least at keeping us safe from cancer, heart disease,diabetes and other diseases.Meditative eating as presented in the book is something that I did years ago (without reading anywhere about it) and it helps a lot if you want to eat less and still feel full.The part about BDNF and improving our brain function is particularly interesting and counter-intuitive.Are we making ourselves dumb by eating too much ? Would never have considered that effect but it is consistent with other material on BDNF I read about.Embracing and controlling hunger as an ally is again counterintuitive but the Zen of living on the edge of hunger is quite fascinating.Preventing cancer is also consistent with other books(and articles) I read. CR has indeed a lot of science to back it up.The intellectual message is good but the typical life for me made it impossible to follow it (if I were retired I would really try to stick religiously to it).Now the drawbacks (practical side) :Food is a refuge for so many of us and in many cases it feels like our only friend. It is quite what happens to me when things get stressful.I ate a lot of unhealthy food before AND after reading the book knowing fully well the bad effects this will do to my body due to stress :) and weird enough knowing what I read in the book added to the stress ( Normally I am able to stay at 1500 calories/day on a calm/non working day but stress usually leads me to get to 3000 calories /day). Now I no longer look at some food (sweets in particular) like a necessity but like a avid smoker looks at cigars : addiction that kills . For now I am just bordering on obesity but I know for sure it is a psychological battle more than anything else.So the best thing to do before starting reading this book and practising the advice is to be very balanced from a emotional standpoint.Paul has a youtube video (a talk on CR) where they advise people how to proceed with CR: Basically you have to be happy to start CR(endorphins,meditation,serotonin and some other small steps are demoed).Socially it will be awkward to not eat after 13.00 (but you may not follow exactly this idea) or refuse engaging in binge eating with others (at work/home).Also giving up on coffee and green tea is very hard for some people (especially for me 4 cups /day programmer).Although BDNF really helps to keep you awake and makes up for the perceived loss of alertness.So a more moderate approach might be good for starters.Only 2 times in 3 months was I able to achieve fasting for 18-24 hours and that was always on weekend .The authors suggest basically combining CR with intermittent fasting on a daily basis.This approach is very hardcore ( I am still struggling to become a vegan and give up on cheese) for most 9-5 (+ overtime) working people. Of course your mileage might vary some people have perfect control of their cravings.On the other hand the payoffs might be huge and NOT in the long run so trying the book and practices is a good idea.Imagine that somehow in the next 50 years a cure for aging is found and it takes another 10 to make it available to everyone.By practising CR you might (just barely) get the treatment if you are 20s now. 7-10 years CR might extend your lifespan might be all you need.Even if CR is not that effective and the science will not save us from death the other benefits are real and worth it.I like to think about this book like investing for retirement.Starting early is good but nothing beats starting now !Wish me luck !

I cannot actually remember how a got to know about caloric restriction. I do remember starting reading about CR everything I found in the way. I started my CR way of life like two months ago and since then, I've made several changes to it. Began with an extreme CR diet and, little by little have turned into a more realistic path. At first I only had one lone meal at night. It did not work for me. I could not sleep with all that vegetables -I am have been vegetarian for a long, long time- been digested all night long. Then I had three small meals during the day until I read this book, "The CR way". I started to have a very light breakfast, a few seeds with some kind of a berry. Then, at around 12:00 pm I had my plate fool of green leafs and that was it for the day. After doing this, I started to lose a lot of weight. Too much pounds went off and I had to increase and diversify a little more my foods trying to stay attached to the low level of the glisemic index. Another consequence of following this regimen was that, after a month, I started feel WEAK as never before in my life. My body temperature also went low, but it did not matter to me as the weakness. Suddenly, I had no energy in me and started to feel angry at about anything. This was the reason and this is my advice to you: I was not resting, I was not sleeping enough. Had this habit of going to bed at around 11:00 pm and I was sleeping 5 to 6 hours only. Add to this that I walk a lot to go to work and the low carbs feeding. Listen carefully, follow the CR way as proposed on this book, read every page more than once and SLEEP. Sleep for more than eight hours every night -no more TV of Facebook at night- and you will feel as healthy as never before, believe me.

There are some very uninformed reviews of this book. It is a book full of useful and science-backed information written by someone who has probabaly forgotten more nutrition knowledge than the most of us have ever learned. Calorie restriction originally was about eating less calories, but getting sufficient nutrients (not starvation or malnutrition) as it improved the lifespans of mice and other animals. Later it was shown that this might not transfer so readily to humans; however, many lessons are learned. Protein restriction, particularly methionine (abundantly found in animal products), fasting, time-restricted feeding and attending to and keeping low postprandial blood glucose levels do or are more likely to to increase not only our longevity, but how healthy we are in older age. It is not just about living longer, but suffering less ill health in those later years.So what is in this book overlaps with other protocols and the work of others like Valter Longo and they all differ a bit, but are on a similar trajectory. I do not really practice full CR, but time-restricted feeding and water-only fasting and I monitor my postprandial blood glucose; however, this book is full of educated and useful scientific information and it is a fool who dismisses it out of hand.And regarding the comment about the author looking old. Well when I was fat I used to look younger on the outside because the fat plumped out my age lines. Along with that however, went heart disease, less than stellar blood pressure or postprandial blood glucose. Today, I am a bit of a rake. I look my age (others that start younger might fare better) and maybe a bit more, but my skin is clear, I have no body odour, my blood pressure is 100/70 unmedicated (and that is with arterial blockages). Paying attention to the science of diet, that overlaps with CR (not necessarily a strict conventional CR diet), appears to have saved my life, so far anyway.I ought to point out that this is the authors view of CR (calorie restriction) and their own particular take and on it, rather than representing CR practitioners as a whole (the book title could be misleading there). I often read the forums of crsociety.org for very interesting views and debates on longevity related topics. Most of these people understand biochemistry and are way ahead of the popular medical doctors like Mercol, Esselstyn, McDougal etc.

This book sets you well on the way to this life changing method of CR

This is a very difficult program and VERY regimented. The idea of restricting calories isn't new- but they bring CR to a whole new level. If you are prepared to give up MOST carbs and fruit- basically anything that has even a medium glycemic index- then this will work for you. I found it was way too strict and somewhat unrealistic for every day, especially the way they want you to start your day. If you are an average working person, you can forget about it because it borders on being somewhat ridiculous. I am very disappointed and regret buying this book.

Very detailed, very interesting. Not a diet for most however.

good value