I agree that the connection to lithium seems pretty weak, although it’s possible there’s still something special about potatoes (maybe potassium?). The two weird things with the potato diet are the increased energy (the opposite of how most diets work?) and that it seems to work fine even if you “cheat” constantly. Note that olive oil and (lots of) salt were recommended as part of this, so I think most of us weren’t eating bland boiled potatoes.
That said, it’s possible the only special thing here is that potatoes are just really convenient for a no-variety diet.
It’s mostly the latter, it also helps a lot that potatoes are pretty micronutrient-replete and low calorie density compared to other bland, starchy staples. I would expect a diet of nothing but rice, steamed chicken breast, and steamed broccoli to have similar effects. This is of course close to how physique enthusiasts have learned to eat to lose fat.
I agree that the connection to lithium seems pretty weak, although it’s possible there’s still something special about potatoes (maybe potassium?). The two weird things with the potato diet are the increased energy (the opposite of how most diets work?) and that it seems to work fine even if you “cheat” constantly. Note that olive oil and (lots of) salt were recommended as part of this, so I think most of us weren’t eating bland boiled potatoes.
That said, it’s possible the only special thing here is that potatoes are just really convenient for a no-variety diet.
It’s mostly the latter, it also helps a lot that potatoes are pretty micronutrient-replete and low calorie density compared to other bland, starchy staples. I would expect a diet of nothing but rice, steamed chicken breast, and steamed broccoli to have similar effects. This is of course close to how physique enthusiasts have learned to eat to lose fat.