This is probably TMI, but it was not philosophy, but evolution that brought me here. I'm 73 and when I was young we had meat at least 6 nights a week and fish once a week. As I got older, I noticed that meat and chicken didn't taste or smell the same as it used to. I think by the end of the 70's or early 80's I noticed I couldn't stand the smell of either. When I was young, all meat was grass fed or "free range." Maybe that was the reason for the change, but it just was a sensory thing, not a philosophical thing. I still loved fish. Then fish was farmed and the taste also changed. I still eat wild caught salmon in the summer when it is available, but I can't stand the texture of previously frozen fish. At that point, I was still eating eggs and cheese.

Then, a few years ago, my younger brother was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. He had never had a single symptom of CAD, but his doctor did a scan for calcium in his arteries, only because his cholesterol was a bit high (not alarmingly high.) If you have a calcium value over 100, they put you on statins. His was 4000!

I told him about Nathan Pritikin who, in 1957 was diagnosed with CAD and they ultimately wanted to do bypass surgery on him, when that procedure became available. He refused went on a (virtually) no-fat, vegetarian diet. In 1984, he had a recurrence of leukemia (which had first been diagnosed in 1958) and when he was in the hospital, he committed suicide, choosing to go out on his own terms, and an autopsy showed he had completely clear arteries. In that way, he served as his own control. My brother decided to go on that diet, but added wild caught salmon. He eats egg whites, but not yolks, and no extracted oils, only those inherent in nuts, seed, avocados, etc. He also eats gluten. When he told his doctor what his plan was, the doctor said that won't work. My brother ask why not. He said because nobody actually does it. My brother said, "But I will," and he did!. When he went on this diet, I decided to decrease the fats I was consuming: no egg yolks, no extracted oils (except to coat my steel pan) and no cheese. I spend a lot of time doing dietary and medical research and have determined that this diet is missing some important elements, such as the fat soluble vitamins I mentioned in the previous posts, and essential oils. I am supplementing as needed. My husband does not adhere to this diet but he is on a restricted salt diet - I find that a lot harder.

Regarding your question about inflammation, by inflammation marker was <0.1mg/dL - low, even before I stopped eating eggs and cheese. These numbers were from 2 years ago. My HDL was 82 and my LDL was 92. My triglyceride was 128 (should be under 100). I should be tested again since I made dietary changes but I won't go into the clinic needlessly during the pandemic.

As an aside, if you look at the Pritikin Center website, they have softened their own guidance to include small amounts of animal protein. But they warn of the dangers of olive oil consumption which surprises a lot of people. I follow the old school diet.

There's a lot of research demonstrating the "health" of high fat or even moderate fat diets. Cardiologists consider it bogus propaganda drummed up by the egg and beef industries. None of the research demonstrates the end result of my diet, because, as my brother's doctor said, it would be nigh impossible to get compliance. Instead they look at various polyunsaturated vegetable oils as substitutes for saturated oils.

I'm not recommending other people do this. It's not very much fun.I don't drink, don't smoke, and now...no chocolate. Physical activity is an important pleasure. At the barn - I'm in a covered, but still outdoor location (open on 4 sides.) Besides caring for my horse, I also feed lunch and water all 17 horses in the barn. This has helped me stay active during the pandemic. I come home and usually go on a 3.5 mile hike including some steep hills. When weather doesn't permit my walk, I do a workout on a Bosu (like a step aerobics workout but on an inflated half dome instead of a step.) I have no lack of energy.

I think we all spend a lifetime finding what works for us. I don't think there's a one size fits all when it comes to diet. True confession: when I travel with my daughter (which I haven't done since pandemic) I am lenient. When in Capri, how could I not eat torta caprese! I also cheat when I have company for Jewish holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Passover (also cancelled during the pandemic) when my friends insist on having my brisket (and then I make torta caprese for dessert - I had to share that pleasure with my friends!) Told you - TMI