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Comment by metabagel | Hacker News Reader

I think that exercise has a strong effect on mood, appetite, digestion, and metabolism. Grazing continuously probably interferes with the migrating motor complex, so we will tend to do better if we refrain from eating outside of mealtimes. Refined carbohydrates tend to be addictive due to the quick increase in blood sugar levels, and tend to make consuming unrefined carbohydrates seem less appealing. Eating some fat promotes satiety, which may help reduce over-eating. So, there are a lot of factors in play.

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> So, there are a lot of factors in play.

I forget where I read this, or even the exact figure, but bowel movements for some subset of indigenous tribes was something like 4 pounds. I remember thinking they must be getting ridiculous amounts of fiber. I’m not one to advocate for “paleo” or any other diet based on “what’s natural,” but it does seem it’s at least possible that our metabolisms and blood chemistry may have “grown up” with a lot more fiber than we moderns typically get.

Other factors, indeed.

I think we need to be careful assuming that having a 4 lbs poop is a good thing just because we used to do it. The Inuit's diet was nearly entirely from animal protein and fats, totally bereft of fiber. People can adapt to a lot of misery, and I wonder if the need to eat that much fiber was due to other concerns (for instance, not having access to higher energy concentrated food stuffs). Either way we can't say that just because someone once did it it's healthy, or a well adapted behaviour.

I’m not sure how much more circumspect I could have been.

My grandparents and their great grandparents were from small villages in Greece. They used "frequent solid bowel movements a day" as sort of a at-a-glance measure of good health. I have heard of other friends who are from eastern european countries share similar stories. So there seems to be some sort of tradition there.

Anyways, Single easiest way for me to get fiber back in my diet was to simply eat the fruit instead of drinking the juice. It had a bonus effect of cutting down the sugars as well.

People underestimate the amounts they are eating. Then again some amateur athletes would do well to eat more carbs.

Steel Cut Oats, rice and vegetables are good source for carbs

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