Thoughts on the "potato diet"?

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Replies

  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited January 2017
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    On diabetes and HCLF diets, I'd ask esfoster5 to check out the end of this thread for the discussion of whether HCLF diets are a good approach. I also have read that they are (not getting into the can it be cured discussion), from reading the same people esfoster5 seems to like. I'm more skeptical about those people in general, although I am pretty high on the WFPB diet being a good approach if done correctly. As you will see, the one person suggesting it might be a good approach got smacked down and didn't really have the knowledge to pursue it. Therefore, if you think the information provided is incorrect, esfoster5 (I'm not particularly interested in IR/T2D myself and haven't done the research), I'd invite you to jump in. I think it would be valuable:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10437679/the-obesity-code-unlocking-the-secrets-of-weight-loss-by-jason-fung#latest

    I may not have the knowledge to persue it but I personally know someone managing on a vegan hclf. There are people out there and it is an option. I don't feel smacked down either, I just don't know evough about it which I admitted to. We both agreed it can work but it's not as good as lchf:)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2017
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    I wouldn't have believed it myself until a few months ago, but I can eat mountains of what most diet books would call junk food (carbs, carbs, carbs) and at worst maintain my weight. Unless something changes, I see no reason not to stick with this. I feel great.

    Yeah, I don't think anyone is saying don't do what you are doing (you aren't doing the potato diet, based on what you said upthread).

    Also, if diet books or anyone else classified carbs in general as "junk food," the person or source is ignorant or lying and not worth listening to [edit for dumb typo], so you are essentially debunking something no one sensible (IMO) would say. On that, I will certainly agree with you.

    I personally think I'd lose weight easily on a HCLF diet (I lost weight without trying to when I went plant-based one Lent), and even more so if on a super limited (and IMO not particularly healthy or good for my relationship with food) potato only diet. I also think I'd lose weight easily on a keto diet. In both cases it would take me a while to up calories while changing my way of eating so much and certainly with HCLF you have a ton of volume and I tend to be satisfied with volume eating and just vegetables. Despite this, I don't think that either way of eating is the healthiest way for me (perhaps for others), and believe I do better with a moderate balanced diet focused more on making nutritious choices and not cutting out foods or worrying about macros.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    On diabetes and HCLF diets, I'd ask esfoster5 to check out the end of this thread for the discussion of whether HCLF diets are a good approach. I also have read that they are (not getting into the can it be cured discussion), from reading the same people esfoster5 seems to like. I'm more skeptical about those people in general, although I am pretty high on the WFPB diet being a good approach if done correctly. As you will see, the one person suggesting it might be a good approach got smacked down and didn't really have the knowledge to pursue it. Therefore, if you think the information provided is incorrect, esfoster5 (I'm not particularly interested in IR/T2D myself and haven't done the research), I'd invite you to jump in. I think it would be valuable:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10437679/the-obesity-code-unlocking-the-secrets-of-weight-loss-by-jason-fung#latest

    I don't feel qualified to jump into that myself.

    No? Weren't you saying HCLF cured T2D?
    But it looks to me like one random person on the internet criticizing both a HCLF diet and the ADA diet for not being good enough. And attacking the researchers for being PETA funded—again, I'm not qualified to comment on Neal Barnard's animal-rights activism or whatever PCRM does besides promote eating plants.

    Yeah, I agree with this, although it's multiple random people on the internet and some popular low carb blogs..
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    I wouldn't have believed it myself until a few months ago, but I can eat mountains of what most diet books would call junk food (carbs, carbs, carbs) and at worst maintain my weight. Unless something changes, I see no reason not to stick with this. I feel great.

    Yeah, I don't think anyone is saying don't do what you are doing (you aren't doing the potato diet, based on what you said upthread).

    Also, if diet books or anyone else classified carbs in general as "junk food," the person or source is ignorant or lying and not worth listening too, so you are essentially debunking something no one sensible (IMO) would say. On that, I will certainly agree with you.

    I personally think I'd lose weight easily on a HCLF diet (I lost weight without trying to when I went plant-based one Lent), and even more so if on a super limited (and IMO not particularly healthy or good for my relationship with food) potato only diet. I also think I'd lose weight easily on a keto diet. In both cases it would take me a while to up calories while changing my way of eating so much and certainly with HCLF you have a ton of volume and I tend to be satisfied with volume eating and just vegetables. Despite this, I don't think that either way of eating is the healthiest way for me (perhaps for others), and believe I do better with a moderate balanced diet focused more on making nutritious choices and not cutting out foods or worrying about macros.

    I too would probably be quite satisfied with HCLF, but I'd need a bit more fat than I think The Starch Solution Allows. I'm pretty low fat as it is, but I think the parameters of this diet are too low for me.

    I might also need to tweak the amount of protein and choose more beans to get it.

    Generally, though, I do like those foods.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    On diabetes and HCLF diets, I'd ask esfoster5 to check out the end of this thread for the discussion of whether HCLF diets are a good approach. I also have read that they are (not getting into the can it be cured discussion), from reading the same people esfoster5 seems to like. I'm more skeptical about those people in general, although I am pretty high on the WFPB diet being a good approach if done correctly. As you will see, the one person suggesting it might be a good approach got smacked down and didn't really have the knowledge to pursue it. Therefore, if you think the information provided is incorrect, esfoster5 (I'm not particularly interested in IR/T2D myself and haven't done the research), I'd invite you to jump in. I think it would be valuable:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10437679/the-obesity-code-unlocking-the-secrets-of-weight-loss-by-jason-fung#latest

    I may not have the knowledge to persue it but I personally know someone managing on a vegan hclf. There are people out there and it is an option. I don't feel smacked down either, I just don't know evough about it which I admitted to. We both agreed it can work but it's not as good as lchf:)

    I am not convinced it can't be as good as LCHF from my own anecdotal evidence and casual reading (as well as my skepticism about the LCHF argument), but don't care enough to research it, since honestly I am bored with the whole IR topic and wish it came up less.

    That said, I wish the low carbers and LFHCers on MFP would discuss these things with each other (in a positive, pleasant way, of course) as I would find it interesting. My own bias is that I think the blue zone diets are good evidence that the general approach of the dietary guidelines (not so much meat or animal products, lots of vegetables and some fruit, focus on whole food carbs, get some protein from non animal sources like beans and nuts and seeds, eat healthy sources of fat like, again, nuts and seeds, olives, avocado, some oils, and fatty fish) is a sensible one, and for me it's easier to feel satisfied and eat less if I include some fish and other meat in my diet, as well as eggs and dairy, and some "extras" just for taste like cheese and occasional pie). However, I do think the WFPB approach is a really healthy one and can be great for some, even if I am not convinced that one must go entirely PB to get the benefits (absent a health issues). As for LCHF, I think it's fine and probably good for weight loss/IR for some, so long as you make sure to not go insane with the sat fat, and include plenty of plants in the diet (non starchy veg aren't caloric enough to have that many carbs).

    I also think we probably all focus too much on diet when maintaining a healthy weight and being active probably have more of an effect on health.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    I wouldn't have believed it myself until a few months ago, but I can eat mountains of what most diet books would call junk food (carbs, carbs, carbs) and at worst maintain my weight. Unless something changes, I see no reason not to stick with this. I feel great.

    Yeah, I don't think anyone is saying don't do what you are doing (you aren't doing the potato diet, based on what you said upthread).

    Also, if diet books or anyone else classified carbs in general as "junk food," the person or source is ignorant or lying and not worth listening too, so you are essentially debunking something no one sensible (IMO) would say. On that, I will certainly agree with you.

    I personally think I'd lose weight easily on a HCLF diet (I lost weight without trying to when I went plant-based one Lent), and even more so if on a super limited (and IMO not particularly healthy or good for my relationship with food) potato only diet. I also think I'd lose weight easily on a keto diet. In both cases it would take me a while to up calories while changing my way of eating so much and certainly with HCLF you have a ton of volume and I tend to be satisfied with volume eating and just vegetables. Despite this, I don't think that either way of eating is the healthiest way for me (perhaps for others), and believe I do better with a moderate balanced diet focused more on making nutritious choices and not cutting out foods or worrying about macros.

    I too would probably be quite satisfied with HCLF, but I'd need a bit more fat than I think The Starch Solution Allows. I'm pretty low fat as it is, but I think the parameters of this diet are too low for me.

    I might also need to tweak the amount of protein and choose more beans to get it.

    Generally, though, I do like those foods.

    McDougall and Starch Solution are weird, because based on the interviews with him I've heard he thinks too many non starchy veg/fruits could be a problem, as well as being all about the low fat starches and not too much fat (not only no oils, but also limited nuts and seeds, if memory serves).
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Um, you can't cure diabetes.

    Weird, even the paleo people claim they can cure Type 2 diabetes by not eating sugar.

    So alright, you most likely won't cure Type 1 diabetes, but Type 2 is a disease of civilization just like everything else. It doesn't even make sense for it to exist unless the food environment has been destroyed. Which it has.

    Can you please show evidence of someone being cured of diabetes? And I mean cured (it's gone for good and never coming back), not remission (under control but still there).

    So I could never say a broken bone was cured because there would always be the chance that I would break it again?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Remission vs. cure aside, I think it makes sense to distinguish between "blood sugar currently controlled by diet" which is great but doesn't mean it's cured, certainly, vs. I can eat the way others without IR do and not have any more problems than they do (which does sound more like a cure but one would worry that the person is more prone to having it come back quickly if they don't carefully follow their way of eating).

    My takeaway from much of the discussion by the LCHF folks is that they mainly mean the former (it's under control) and not actual cure. Indeed, super low carb diets tend to make anyone experience insulin spikes and high blood glucose when higher carbs are reintroduced even if they don't have IR (and it soon goes away).
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    I watched The Martian. No thanks.

    He had protein rations and ketchup/salt for part of it (how many calories in a serving of Vicodin anyway?)
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
    I was unintentionally trying the All Christmas Cookie and Chocolate diet (or at least, it seemed like it) throughout the holidays, and the only thing it did for me was make me sick of cookies and chocolate. Now I crave salt...
    I suspect this diet would have similar results.
    I can't imagine anyone doing this for more than a day or two. I'd never want to look at a potato again.

    Haha! That diet didn't have the same effect on me. I still love chocolate and Christmas cookies :#

    Joking aside - a few days of only potatos won't hurt you, if your diet was varied and balanced before. The high potassium in the potatoes with encourage your body to lose any retained water along with a bit of fat (assuming you are in a cal deficit). But long term - unhealthy and very boring.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Um, you can't cure diabetes.

    Weird, even the paleo people claim they can cure Type 2 diabetes by not eating sugar.

    So alright, you most likely won't cure Type 1 diabetes, but Type 2 is a disease of civilization just like everything else. It doesn't even make sense for it to exist unless the food environment has been destroyed. Which it has.

    Can you please show evidence of someone being cured of diabetes? And I mean cured (it's gone for good and never coming back), not remission (under control but still there).

    So I could never say a broken bone was cured because there would always be the chance that I would break it again?

    I guess what I consider the main definition of "cured" in a medical sense is completely different from everyone else on the planet (or at least MFP).

    Me "cured" - a permanent solution
    Everyone Else "cured" - relieved of symptoms

    The latter would mean, hells yeah, diabetes is curable.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Um, you can't cure diabetes.

    Weird, even the paleo people claim they can cure Type 2 diabetes by not eating sugar.

    So alright, you most likely won't cure Type 1 diabetes, but Type 2 is a disease of civilization just like everything else. It doesn't even make sense for it to exist unless the food environment has been destroyed. Which it has.

    Can you please show evidence of someone being cured of diabetes? And I mean cured (it's gone for good and never coming back), not remission (under control but still there).

    So I could never say a broken bone was cured because there would always be the chance that I would break it again?

    You don't "get diabetes again", you always have diabetes you only get the symptoms under control.

    Put a bandaid on a cut and it doesn't bleed -> symptoms under control, you take the bandaid off it'll start bleeding again until it's healed
    when it's healed -> the cut is gone and won't come back until you do another thing that causes a new cut.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    marm1962 wrote: »
    Per 100 grams --- Not COMPLETE, but close

    Vitamin B-12 µg 0.00 0.00 0.00
    Vitamin A, RAE µg 0 0 0
    Vitamin D (D2 + D3) µg 0.0 0.0 0.0
    Vitamin D IU 0 0 0

    B12 – Made by bacteria. Don't wash the potatoes. Drink dirty water.
    A – Fair. Eat sweet potatoes instead.
    D – Go outside. Stand in the sun for a bit.

    There, you can now live forever on one food. :wink:

    Except for the fact it's devoid of essential fat and low on protein. Do you want to eat 3 kilos of potatoes every day just to get to the RDA minimum amount?

    You would also get anaemic once you had used up your pre existing iron stores

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    esfoster5 wrote: »
    I believe moderation is for people who want the exact opposite...

    What do you mean? Honestly. I've never seen anyone do moderation in any way that isn't just low-level deprivation.

    You haven't seen me then.

    I eat a variety of foods and I lost weight and then maintained at current weight for last 3 years, doing nothing other than eating to a right calorie amount.
    I feel far less deprived doing than I would eating only potatoes.
    Far far less.

    Serious question. This is honest curiousity. I really don't mean to be rude.

    You lost weight and maintained the weight loss for 3 years. Why are you still here?

    I see others have already answered this - but seeing as it was directed to me I will give my own answer too.

    MFP is not just for those losing weight (in fact,there is a whole forum section about maintenance)
    Maintenance is long term - for me that includes the accountability of logging - albeit my largely lazy estimate version of logging.
    And I like participating in forums - I do tend to come and go a bit from the forums, I sometimes dont log in for week or so and then come back.

    I didnt realise I needed to justify that. :*

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @esfoster5 I'm here because i deleted my Facebook account after joining MFP, i just swapped one forum for another. The difference between MFP and Facebook is that most of the threads here interest me and I'm around like minded people with similar interests and goals.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    @esfoster5 I'm here because i deleted my Facebook account after joining MFP, i just swapped one forum for another. The difference between MFP and Facebook is that most of the threads here interest me and I'm around like minded people with similar interests and goals.

    No longer on FB either-MFP is way more interesting :#
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    At least it won't stink as much as the cabbage diet. And you won't have as many trips to the bathroom as with the lemonade diet.

    Seriously, potato diet?? I'm 70 years old and for as long as I remember, there have been fad diets. If they worked you wouldn't have any more fat people.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Yes, it goes against everything anyone ever told you, but potatoes are nutritionally complete, and you can survive on them pretty much indefinitely.

    NO. They can provide complete protein but to get sufficient protein you will need to eat a lot. You'd need to eat about 4 lbs. a day to get 1200 calories but it would only be about 30 grams of protein. To get the 50-ish grams needed you'd eat closer to 7 pounds of potatoes a day which would be a close to a 2200 calorie per day diet.

    Potatoes lack vitamins A, B12, and D.

    You are likely to develop an imbalance from too much potassium and it would be hard on your kidneys. Too much potassium can lead to fatal heart arrhythmias.

    You'd need to eat the skins of the potatoes to get sufficient fiber but the increased consumption of glycoalkaloids and phenols from so many potato skins would increase your likelihood of eating a toxic dose.

    Can you eat just potatoes for a couple months and live to tell the tale? Yes. Should you? No.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    At least it won't stink as much as the cabbage diet. And you won't have as many trips to the bathroom as with the lemonade diet.

    Seriously, potato diet?? I'm 70 years old and for as long as I remember, there have been fad diets. If they worked you wouldn't have any more fat people.

    The cabbage soup diet came to mind when i saw this thread. At least you get to eat soup which is packed full of different veggies, and is much tastier than plain potatoes.
  • Dalceridae
    Dalceridae Posts: 81 Member
    edited January 2017
    I'm not defending a fad diet here, but people can live off almost entirely potatoes.

    Pre-Famine, the bulk of the poor Irish population lived almost entirely off potatoes and milk. Your average Irish person was very poor and didn't have access to even other vegetables for the most part (aside from what was scavenged). The introduction of the potato to Ireland is one of the main reasons the population grew so much in a relatively short period of time, especially given that potatoes could be grown cheaply (more info here). Even today Ireland hasn't regained the pre-Famine population level.

    ...which isn't to say that the potato diet today is anything other than a fad, but it is viable (if you want to live like an incredibly poor Irish peasant in the 18th century I suppose).
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    Almost certainly those poor Irish peasants who lived almost entirely on potatoes and milk had a short life expectancy and most would of been anaemic - although some probably ate just enough of other foods - meat, bread, other vegetables - to avoid this.

    So, yes, they lived on a diet consisting of mostly potatoes and milk - but did they live long healthy lives? - I doubt it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2017
    Dalceridae wrote: »
    I'm not defending a fad diet here, but people can live off almost entirely potatoes.

    Pre-Famine, the bulk of the poor Irish population lived almost entirely off potatoes and milk. Your average Irish person was very poor and didn't have access to even other vegetables for the most part (aside from what was scavenged). The introduction of the potato to Ireland is one of the main reasons the population grew so much in a relatively short period of time, especially given that potatoes could be grown cheaply (more info here). Even today Ireland hasn't regained the pre-Famine population level.

    ...which isn't to say that the potato diet today is anything other than a fad, but it is viable (if you want to live like an incredibly poor Irish peasant in the 18th century I suppose).

    I think this is pretty well known, yes. However, milk has protein and fat, which is one of the things lacking on the diet, and they would occasionally get bits of other vegetables (things like cabbage) and fish.

    But certainly I don't happen to think one couldn't live on the diet (people have lived on worse diets), I just think it's not particularly healthy to do so, and a diet that makes you not eat because you are pretending you have no options and will not be that interested in eating given that it's only potatoes doesn't strike me as healthy either, or long term realistic or sustainable.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member

    Yes, I'd like to see the studies showing that a HCLF plant based diet cured diabetes.

    Choked on my yogurt reading this. High carb curing diabetes... that's amusing.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member

    Yes, I'd like to see the studies showing that a HCLF plant based diet cured diabetes.

    Choked on my yogurt reading this. High carb curing diabetes... that's amusing.

    Amusing but my friend is on a vegan high carb low fat diet managing her diabetes not CURING as thats not a thing.
    Its not AS effective as LCHF but it is an option for those who don't like keto.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member

    Yes, I'd like to see the studies showing that a HCLF plant based diet cured diabetes.

    Choked on my yogurt reading this. High carb curing diabetes... that's amusing.

    Amusing but my friend is on a vegan high carb low fat diet managing her diabetes not CURING as thats not a thing.
    Its not AS effective as LCHF but it is an option for those who don't like keto.

    And she's likely and exception and not the norm when it comes to managing diabetes via high carb. Since by definition it is a spike in blood sugar from the body being unable to process excess carbohydrates. My question would also be what is "high carb" for her? Because high carb for her may be normal for someone else. How many grams of fiber is she getting per day? How many grams of sugar? Whole grains? It all makes a difference.

    I know my mother would never be able to, and that's how she became insulin dependent. She couldn't/didn't keep her weight or carb intake in check and her issues worsened. I was exhibiting signs of PCOS that would have indicated much higher androgen levels and being well into being pre-diabetic. I was barely insulin resistant by the numbers, and my androgens also tested in the normal range. So I focus my carbs on hitting my fiber goal (to manage colon issues and a partial colectomy 2 years ago) and after that I don't worry about getting a magical number for carbs. But I'm sure as hell not going to tempt fate or piss off my GP and Endo by going against their advice.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member

    Yes, I'd like to see the studies showing that a HCLF plant based diet cured diabetes.

    Choked on my yogurt reading this. High carb curing diabetes... that's amusing.

    Amusing but my friend is on a vegan high carb low fat diet managing her diabetes not CURING as thats not a thing.
    Its not AS effective as LCHF but it is an option for those who don't like keto.

    And she's likely and exception and not the norm when it comes to managing diabetes via high carb. Since by definition it is a spike in blood sugar from the body being unable to process excess carbohydrates. My question would also be what is "high carb" for her? Because high carb for her may be normal for someone else. How many grams of fiber is she getting per day? How many grams of sugar? Whole grains? It all makes a difference.

    I know my mother would never be able to, and that's how she became insulin dependent. She couldn't/didn't keep her weight or carb intake in check and her issues worsened. I was exhibiting signs of PCOS that would have indicated much higher androgen levels and being well into being pre-diabetic. I was barely insulin resistant by the numbers, and my androgens also tested in the normal range. So I focus my carbs on hitting my fiber goal (to manage colon issues and a partial colectomy 2 years ago) and after that I don't worry about getting a magical number for carbs. But I'm sure as hell not going to tempt fate or piss off my GP and Endo by going against their advice.

    That I can't answer.

    I don't pretend to know anything about diabetes. I just know she is managing it on a vegan low fat diet, by recommendation of her physician.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member

    Yes, I'd like to see the studies showing that a HCLF plant based diet cured diabetes.

    Choked on my yogurt reading this. High carb curing diabetes... that's amusing.

    Amusing but my friend is on a vegan high carb low fat diet managing her diabetes not CURING as thats not a thing.
    Its not AS effective as LCHF but it is an option for those who don't like keto.

    And she's likely and exception and not the norm when it comes to managing diabetes via high carb. Since by definition it is a spike in blood sugar from the body being unable to process excess carbohydrates. My question would also be what is "high carb" for her? Because high carb for her may be normal for someone else. How many grams of fiber is she getting per day? How many grams of sugar? Whole grains? It all makes a difference.

    I know my mother would never be able to, and that's how she became insulin dependent. She couldn't/didn't keep her weight or carb intake in check and her issues worsened. I was exhibiting signs of PCOS that would have indicated much higher androgen levels and being well into being pre-diabetic. I was barely insulin resistant by the numbers, and my androgens also tested in the normal range. So I focus my carbs on hitting my fiber goal (to manage colon issues and a partial colectomy 2 years ago) and after that I don't worry about getting a magical number for carbs. But I'm sure as hell not going to tempt fate or piss off my GP and Endo by going against their advice.

    That I can't answer.

    I don't pretend to know anything about diabetes. I just know she is managing it on a vegan low fat diet, by recommendation of her physician.

    Well, since I do know about it as I have multiple family members with it, and have to keep my own health in check to avoid it... I'm highly skeptical. Maybe it's just that high carb for her simply means high for someone with diabetes and not high for a healthy non-diabetic.
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