This article says that a fat-digesting enzyme called lipase becomes inactive while sitting. The evidence, seen in the accompanying video, is extraordinary: a cloudy vial of blood (taken after a sitting meal) versus a much clearer vial of blood (taken from the same person after a standing meal.)
I found that a great increase in standing, lasting years, had no effect on my weight but I slept much better. I ate standing up much more often.
Seth, your theories are fascinating- I am now trying out the Shangri-la diet (found out via Freakonomics). If I can prove to myself that the diet works then I will eagerly move on to your other ideas (Standing, Faces early in the morning, etc). Really cool, really original & bold stuff…keep up the good work.
Drew, Chapel Hill, NC
Seth, thanks for linking to this article. I wonder are there any cultures that typically eat standing up? I would like to see a study on this.
Seth, I decided to give one legged standing a try today because I would very much like to improve my own sleep patterns- particularly getting deep sleep and feeling well rested the next morning. I would rank my quality of sleep at about a 70 at best on the scale of 0-100 even though I exercise 6 days a week and do meditation & yoga intermittently. There is usually a residual, lingering tiredness throughout the day. I have been trying to achieve better sleep in the last few months by weaning myself off caffeine. (Apparently caffeine prohibits you from reaching S4 sleep levels among other things) I have noticed a definite improvement in the quality of my sleep whenever I cut back (but not yet eliminating) my daily caffeine intake. If I increase coffee dosage from 12 oz to 16 oz or 24 oz my sleep will suffer no matter what time of day I drink it…I’ve never seen you mention caffeine intake in any of your posts- do you consume caffeine daily ‘like approximately 90% of Americans’?
Yes, I drink modest amounts of green tea and eat small amounts of chocolate. Cutting out all caffeine — from what is a low level to begin with — made no noticeable difference in my sleep.