The hottest Self-experimentation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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1 decade of keto

Experimental Fat Loss • 212 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. A very high-fat, protein‑restricted ketogenic pattern (think heavy cream plus limited ruminant meat) produced large, mostly effortless weight loss, better sleep, and no constant hunger, while a typical high‑protein, high‑PUFA “standard keto” failed to keep weight off.
  2. Cutting linoleic acid (seed oils and other high‑PUFA foods) was a major lever — removing those oils and favoring ruminant fats seemed more important than ketosis itself for improving sleep and body composition.
  3. Find what works for you by experimenting: run ~30‑day trials of fat‑, starch‑, and sugar‑based staples, then tweak protein; individual genetics matter, so personalize and iterate based on weight, sleep, and how you feel.

Why You Should Track Your Diet in Cronometer

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 1018 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. Tracking your diet in Cronometer helps you ensure you meet nutritional targets like protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals.
  2. Using Cronometer for self-experimentation provides insights by manipulating food components and controlling variables to observe changes.
  3. Cronometer offers precision in tracking, allowing for detailed analysis of nutritional intake which aids in making informed dietary adjustments.

The 3 things Bryan Johnson is missing from his longevity routine.

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 499 implied HN points • 17 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. Bryan Johnson is dedicated to finding anti-aging strategies and sharing them with the world, even if his methods are extreme.
  2. It's important to seek high-impact actions that can improve longevity without sacrificing important aspects of life like relationships, enjoyment, and financial freedom.
  3. Taking steps to optimize health and longevity sooner rather than later is crucial, as aging processes can accelerate and become irreversible if left unaddressed.

Xmas Mom Test

The Heart Attack Diet • 99 implied HN points • 21 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. The author is facing a challenging 'Xmas Mom Test' where they expect to overeat while at home with their family, putting their weight loss theories to the ultimate test.
  2. Despite having various theories about weight loss and thyroid function, the author is unsure of what will happen during the test, highlighting the complexity of the human body's response to different diets.
  3. The author will observe trends in weight gain, appetite changes, and thyroid dose during the test, aiming to understand the impact of different dietary factors on their body's homeostasis.

Four Months of the Heart Attack Diet

The Heart Attack Diet • 19 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. Switching to a diet without PUFAs led to feeling better and a preference for home-cooked meals over processed foods
  2. Real food tastes much better than the processed alternatives, showing that the hyper-palatability theory of obesity may be incorrect
  3. Following a specific diet may result in weight gain, so it's important to track and measure outcomes regularly
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How to Do a Proper Self-Experiment, and Why Your “N” Doesn’t Technically Equal “1”

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 19 implied HN points • 11 Sep 11
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-experimentation
  1. For a proper self-experiment, the number of repeated observations is crucial to demonstrate cause and effect.
  2. Randomization in experiments helps control for unknown variables and factors, ensuring more accurate results.
  3. Maintaining consistency in experimental conditions and using statistical tests can help in determining if there is a significant difference between responses.