9 years down the track

[Rodd]

I bought my st1100 in early 2011 (?) and from memory it had around 36,000k's on it. Over 9 years later I now have over 91,000k's. Not sure where those k's went as it's has only been my daily driver a few times. It has never needed anything other than a couple of batteries, tyres, brake pads, etc. The seller had a new towbar setup at the time, so I bought that and fitted it. I found that the original seat was a shocker, so I bought an aftermarket seat and used that for a short while.. and then had a go at customising the original seat. That turned out nearly perfectly and is really comfortable. It cost me about $120 (?) at the time. I have only spent money on maintenance and farkles including 2" raised handlebars (Roxx risers), throttle lock, side fairing extenders, mirror air deflectors, and recently a new windscreen. To me, this bike doesn't seem dated. It still looks good, and it still gets looks.
Earlier this year I took an St1300 for a ride. It was a much loved bike with some great accessories on it and the guy wanted $7000 and wouldn't budge. To be honest.. from the riders seat I had to ask myself why I would spend $7000 on a bike that seemed much the same as the bike I already had.. I didn't like the snatchiness of the newer bikes throttle, tho. The seller wouldn't budge on the price at all, and lost the sale (even $50 off may have clinched the deal).

My wife and I liked the look of the Can Am Spyder (the tourer) but they demand a price that would have stretched our budget too far.

My first bike (my first vehicle) was a small road trail (Yamaha 125) and I thought it was big at the time. It was stolen from my yard but I retrieved it damaged and sold it as not running. I spotted Suzuki's newly release DR250 road trail in my local bike shop on my way home from work (I was an apprentice electrician) and I had to have it. It was brand new for $1550 registered. Great modern bike for the time.. and the only vehicle that I have ever had written off in an accident. An old fella in a Sigma wagon pulled out in front of me and I sailed over the roof, leaving the DR crumpled on the roadway. No injuries for me other than a few bruises and a bit of skin knocked of some toes. I was wearing an old oversized full face helmet, a t-shirt, shorts and thongs. Naturally, I now consider myself a seasoned rider and wear ATGATT and a much improved riding style. I also have decided never to have another accident on a bike. Fast forward 20 to 30 years and I have had a few smaller bikes in this time, never thinking I'd need anything large.. large bike always seemed daunting to me.

After watching Long Way Round with Ewin McGregor and Charlie Borman I got the adventure bug. I considered buying a larger bike and looked for a suitable first time step up. I latched on to the Honda CX500 because.. well, it was a Honda AND it was shaft drive. I got hold a a standard CX500 and a CX500 custom.. but I immediately sold the custom to a friend. I tidied up the CX and went for an adventure AND ABSOLUTELY loved it! Ok, so YES I am suited to larger road bikes and longer rides. I found a fella selling a Honda Silverwing in pieces. It was based on the CX650 engine and transmission, and I liked the look of this touring bike. Not dauntingly big. I had to source parts from the U.K., the U.S., N.Z., and around Oz and I resprayed it with spray cans. It turned out quite ok and I again set off on an extended trip. Again, I loved it and the sound of the V twin engine and the fact that it was a fairly rare and collectible bike... but I was concerned about reliability.

While I was a member of the CX forum I got wind of a Dutch couple who were traveling around the world on their CX500 (bought new by them in 1979) and trailer. The fella was in his 70s I think and they must of had money because they had the bike shipped to every country they visited and they only stayed in motels. After they had arrived in Australia the fella was concerned about his bikes engine, so I offered them accommodation and my workshop if they could make it to my town in Queensland. They took up the offer adn spent two weeks living with us while he pulled his engine apart and rebuilt it. We still get Christmas cards from them.

So, what bike could I buy that would take me and the missus on extended trips.. possibly tow a trailer, have shaft drive and extreme reliability?? Enter one 1998 Honda St1100AW.. ABS, traction control and all.

[Rodd]

As mentioned above I was lucky to get my hands on this black ST. At first I was concerned that the bikes colour would make it harder for other road users to see me, but this hasn't been the case and I rarely ever get anyone putting me at risk by not knowing that I am there. I don't know why but the darker silhouette may have an advantage.. maybe it makes the headlight more obvious... I just don't know, but it hasn't been a problem. In Queensland we had a few law changes and I had to do the Q-ride test twice. I used the ST for the Q-ride ride and test and passed with flying colours. I wasn't afraid of the bike even though I hadn't clocked up so many k's at that stage. I remember doing the 60k emergency stop and the bike squirmed, flexed and wraggled to a very quick stop and I got the look of approval from the instructor. He wanted to see the front tyre squish down under hard braking and that's what he got! :D He later told me that out of all of the people he had instructed and passed I was the one he had the least concern about passing the test. He also suggested that I contacted him if i ever wanted to do a bike trip. A few years later I was on the ST on an extended road trip and I was riding the Bylong Valley Way. A group of sport bike riders passed at a high rate of knots... I got an eye twitch.

I had caught them by the time I got to the shop/cafe at Bylong... and I will never, ever.. do that again. At the shop I got the nod of approval and the lead guy commented about how he was impressed that I had caught up to them on my big touring bike. Once the adrenalin had worn off I put my head in my hands at how stupid I had been. AT 50 years of age and riding at high speed with no room for error. NEVER again.

A few years ago I was starting to feel the effects of age. I would get aches and pains on longer trips.. well, not so long ones. I also started to have trouble turning my head for head checks, as a result of restricted head movement and aching. I was weighing around 120kg, and didn't consider myself THAT overweight. I had developed a lump under my left nostril.. old age catching up with me. Would I have to give up bike road trips.. or bikes?

I went to the doctor and he performed a biopsy of the lump under my nose and on my next visit I got the notification about the big C. It was only a BCC.. but I didn't know anything at the time except that indestructible me had the big C... and that horrible realisation that I was no longer in control of my health. In my next post I will tell you what I have learned from this, how angry and disappointed I have become with our governments and health authorities... and how I got control back!
(No, it's not a sales pitch.. this is just my adventure back to riding after thinking it was coming to an end)

[Rodd]

A BCC is a Basal Cell Carcinoma and is a type of skin cancer. I NOW know that it is the least threatening of all cancers, especially skin cancers. They are unlikely to spread or cause death. My GP started me off on a process that would lead to the removal of the lump. Bit of a bugger that it was on my face.. but i have worn this face for long enough not to worry too much about my looks. I was 56 years old.

After a wait of a few months I eventually ended up in surgery. I had learned a lot in that time. I hade learned about the different skin cancers and how they are treated. In the U.S. they can perform Moh's surgery and this is where they slice away at the lump a layer at a time. They examine each layer and once they no longer see any  cancer cells they stop and patch you up. I was advised that they don't do Moh's surgery in Australia and in my case my lump needed 'flap' surgery. This is where they cut full depth and then perform a skin graft to patch the larger hole (they cut out a larger area to ensure they get all of the cancer). Shit!
To cut a long story short.. just before the operation the surgeon told me that he didn't think that he needed to do 'flap' surgery. He told me that he was going to do a thing called 'Moh's surgery. I said that I knew what Moh's surgery was and I had thought that it wasn't performed in Australia. He gave me a funny look and shut up. I had the operation... turned out that he didn't do Moh's or 'Flap'.. he did something else.. he just cut the lump out... and when they examined the lump they realised that they hadn't got all of the cancer out. At 'post op' I was furious. Their response? "Well, we could book you back in to repeat the long process leading to another operation... or we could just leave it and see what happens".
I lost all faith in them at this stage. I needed to work this out for myself.
2 years later, I am now 58 and no sign of the cancer returning. I also have full movement of my neck back and have no trouble riding, even on extended rides. 3 years ago I would wake up to very sore ankles where I could barely walk.. now completely normal. I have lost count of ailments that I had that are now gone. I had got used to them and had simply thought of them as 'age catching up with me'. I take no medications and my blood pressure is in the ideal range. There is no magic involved.. I have turned things around by searching for answers, looking at the real scientific research and ignoring what doctors think (yes, think). Nothing to sell you. Sorry. To be continued...

[ruSTynutz]

Very interesting, Rodd!
Thanks for posting...

[Shillas]

Thanks for the read.

As Russell said very interesting.

[Rodd]

My trouble in writing this is that.. on one hand it is quite simple, yet on the other hand if I explain the science behind it this story will end up extremely long winded and most people won't bother reading it. The human body has evolved over millions of years... it doesn't want to get sick and it is extremely fine tuned for health... the trouble is that we think we know better... and to make matters worse we are a conflicted species.. what I mean by that is that we have religious and commercial biases that interfere with our common sense and understanding. All I ask is for you to keep an open mind and simply use common sense when applying what I say.. and then use that to research for yourself. The science and research that I have seen is overwhelmingly in opposition to what our (ahem) health authorities have been telling us. Here are some points that I have found:
Sugar consumption provides an environment inside your body that favours cancer. Otto Warburg in the 1920's discovered this.
When you consume sugar it raises your insulin. Insulin tries to keep the sugar in your blood very closely controlled so that you don't die.  It does this by sending energy to your brain, organs and muscles.. any not used gets stored as fat on your body. Your blood has the equivalent of 4 to 6 teaspoons of sugar in it at any one time. Imagine what happens when you have a can of coke and it has the equivalent of 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. When your body is young and has a good metabolism it can deal with it, but when you are older it can't.. If you give a kid sugar then they can get hyperactive... give too much sugar to an older person and they get tired. If you consider snacks as meals the you might understand that you may be having several meals per day.. many meals are processed foods.. you can eat them but many are sugar based processed foods with little to no nutrients. You insulin is raised most of the time. Insulin is a hormone that tells your body to use the energy or store it as fat. Eventually your body says 'I have enough energy.. just store it as fat'. Most carbohydrates turn to sugars once they hit your stomach. Some sugars are worse than others. When your body is trying to deal with the fat all of the time then it can accumulate in your liver (fatty liver disease).. and that's when the 4hit starts to really kick in. Basically, your liver is a good indication of how healthy you will be.

You will notice that I haven't said that eating fat makes you fat, or to exercise more to lose fat.. because your body doesn't really work that way. Yes, exercise is essential for fitness, it's just a very ineffective way to lose weight and can be dangerous for those who are over-weight and difficult for those who are scooter or wheelchair bound.
So, if eating fat doesn't make you fat, AND cancer favours sugar and sugar tells your body to store fat.. what did I do?

I removed as many carb based processed foods as practical. I increased my fat intake to keep me feeling fuller for longer.. and as a result I lost nearly 2kg per week with NO exercise. I started off at 110 kg and now I tend to stick around 85 - 86 kg.
By doing this I have reduced my insulin levels, lowered my blood sugar to well within safe levels (known as you Hga1c on a blood test). This has greatly reduced inflammation resulting in greatly improved blood pressure readings, and greatly reduced an environment that supports cancer.
BTW.. when I say 'NO exercise'.. I meant that I started a little bit of jogging because I thought exercise was necessary to lose weight. I heard quite a loud 'crack' and I was barely able to make the rest of the walk home. For the next few weeks I could barely walk.. yet, I still lost nearly 2 kg per week. If you want or need to exercise then simply walk until things improve to an extent where you can safely exercise more. I recommend exercising but wait.

I also have a problem with vegetable oils. We have been lied to. They do not come from vegetables. They are manufactured from seeds and should more accurately be referred to as seed oils.. or better still 'processed/manufactured seed oils'. These seed oils are NOT natural and are a highly processed product being sold as food. Your body does not recognise it as food (it has never encountered it naturally and it hasn't evolved over time to use it). These artificial oils also make their way into your skin and maybe replace natural, healthy cholesterol. A few years ago I would get sunburned after only 30 minutes or so in the sun... within 12 months of cutting out vegetable oils my sun tolerance had improved (and I have heard of others saying the same thing). I had to mow an acreage and found that after spending 2 hours in the sun I wouldn't get sunburned. I don't use sunscreen and I don't wear sunglasses.. just a large brimmed hat.
Dr Chris Knobbe is an opthalmologist and he was frustrated at how he couldn't help his patients who suffered from macular degeneration. He decided to research MD and found that it was very rare 100 years ago, yet now it is quite common. What changed? Processed foods (sugar consumption) has ballooned in that time, and vegetable oil consumption greatly increased in that time. He couldn't find sugar consumption as a cause BUT he did find an association with increased vegetable oil consumption. He then advised his patients to stop consuming vegetable oils and those with established MD their disease stopped progressing... MD reversed in those with early onset of MD. For the first time in his career he was able to help his patients. If processed seed oils do that to your eyes then what else do they do? Could it also be the trigger for heart disease or cancer?
https://youtu.be/7kGnfXXIKZM?t=582
You don't need to consume vegetable oils and I highly recommend that you do not. Remember that margarine is only vegetable oil that has been even more highly processed.
So, what about margarines that lower cholesterol.. well research has shown that cholesterol does not cause CVD (and may help prevent it). There is research that shows that plant sterols (it's like plant cholesterol) increases heart disease risk. Yes, it does decrease cholesterol... by replacing it with plant sterols! Cholesterol is essential for good health.
What about LDL cholesterol (so-called 'bad' cholesterol). LDL is basically HDL (good cholesterol) that has delivered it's payload to the body and is trying to return to the liver to get topped up or recycled. Yes, that's pretty well it. Research has found that people who live over 100 years of age have something in common.. they have high LDL cholesterol. My LDL was at around 9 with my last blood test (should be around 5). My doctor was alarmed, but I wasn't. Although all of my other blood markers were ideal my doctor was concerned about my cholesterol and wanted to do something about it... which would have sabotaged the rest of the health benefits that I had gained.. just to get a number down that doesn't actually mean anything. There is a reading that does relate to heart disease and that is in regard to triglycerides (sugar based fats). If your HDL is high and your triglycerides are low then your are at a reduced risk of heart disease (well, CVD).

[Rodd]

You might not know this but Sanitarium and Kelloggs are Amercian based companies that have their roots in the 7th Day Adventists religious group. I don't know about the Australian 7th Day Adventists but I do know that the origins of the U.S. 7th Day adventists had a belief that the almighty didn't like us eating animal based foods. It was referred to as vegetarianism, but more closely associates with the more strict modern day term (veganism). Sanitarium plays a major advisory role in our health advisory bodies.
It is believed that Kelloggs came up with the slogan that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' (it isn't). If you think that they are more interested in your health than their dogma then consider this: 40g (2x Weet-bix) has nearly twice the amount of carbs of 40g of vanilla ice cream. That is before you add milk (lactose), sugar, honey, fruit!!! How many eat only two weet-bix biscuits for breakfast? These organisations are still trying to push the 'cholesterol/saturate fats is bad' agenda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlhL-WQ_X2Y&fbclid=IwAR1rNi8yFBHxMHtEUrIeE39Xhp6ujaRiByZke7aIiQN1Y4NNbFsXefy4ewo

Is salt bad for you. French scientists undertook a study to find out if a higher salt consumption resulted in a higher 'all cause' mortality (deaths from any cause). The study found that people are more likely to die on a low salt intake than going by taste.. in other words the recommended salt limit of 4g per day (I think that's the recommended level is) is more likely to lead to an early death than something like 10. In other words.. eat salt to taste. It is an electrolyte that is essential for good health. If you suffer from hypertension the remove the cause of that rather than blame salt. Yes, salt does cause your blood to retain more water and puts a higher load on your heart.. so if you have hypertension the you may benefit temporarily from cutting salt... but it will bite you in the long run. I have lowered my insulin by cutting back carbs and processed foods and I consume more salt than I ever have in my life... yet my blood pressure stays in the 'ideal' range.. maybe I have alien blood.

So, to simplify it:
Try to cook your own meals so that you know what is in them. Avoid constantly/regularly eating foods high in carbs. Replace them with healthy fats so that you feel fuller for longer and overcome the sugar addiction. If you stop feeling like you need to eat at every meal then don't. Never, ever consume seed oils as if it is a food. It's not. BTW Olive oil is not a seed oil, as it comes from cold pressing the fruit. I personally wouldn't cook with it (high heat damages the oil). Meat cooked in butter, lard, dripping actually taste much better than being cooked in a seed oil. A simple trick is to stop having anything to eat after dinner.. this is much easier to do if you eat a filling meal (low GI... higher health fat). If you don't eat breakfast then that is completely ok.

I have watched thousands of lectures, reports, and informational videos as part of my research and I have saved links to just 400 of them. There is way too much information to share here, so if you want to know more then I will help/guide/mentor as best I can. You won't get any hep from the medical authorities.

BTW.. I have undertaken the online health quizes on the Australian Heart Foundation website. Many of the questions it asks actually aren't directly relevant to heart health. I answered all the questions that it should have been happy with. My blood tests shows that my health has improved in leaps and bounds, and my blood pressure is ideal. I still fail their test. I don't know what you would have to do to pass their test. In small print on their website it states that their heart health test app was funded by a statin pharma company. If you fail the test you are advised to see a doctor. A doctor is trained to administer pharmaceuticals, not diet and nutritional advice. The Queensland Government is now also promoting a 'live healthily' type of website that links to the Australian Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia (another industry funded organisation) and their health test is very similar to the one used on the Australian Heart Foundation heart health app.

Now that I have indicated how i have been able to get control of my health back I can tell you about my latest purchase. I will be able to ride safely for longer.. so I have invested in another style of bike and I can tell you about it and compare it to the ST1100.

[Skip]

WOW. I SO identify with much of this. As some in SE Qld would know. I suffered a 'full on' heart attack at age 52. I was not what you would have considered 'at high risk' with regards to all the traditional warning signs. I underwent all of the 'recommended' classes and counselling after my surgery. The take home message from the Heart Foundation was ' eat low fat, high carb' food diet. (read HIGH sugar diet) In the past few years, I have learnt the total opposite is what I should be eating. I have watched countless hours of Drs confessing that the recommended "Heart Healthy' diet is driven by industry and not proven health science. For those that maybe interested, start with googling LCHF, Low Card Healthy Fat, diet. Low Carbs Down Under, Aussie Dr. Paul Mason is a good place to start. This may lead you to Dr. Gary Fettke, a Tasswegian, who was taken to court by the medical board some years ago for offering dietary advice. Staggering story.  Similar story from Professor Tom Noakes from South Africa. Over and Out.

[Rodd]

That's great, Skip. It's nice to have someone else who can back up what you have learned. I know the Fettke's and have been in contact with them. There are some unique things that have happened to me as well as some hypothesis of my own that I wanted to share with them. I tell doctors that Gary Fettke is a hero in the lc world because he was dragged over the coals by AHPRA for telling his patients to change their diet so that they wouldn't need to have limbs cut off. He was criticised for giving patients dietary advice and they tried to stop him from practicing. But he beat them and was cleared. That paves the way for all doctors to be able to give dietary advice to patients without fear. Two odd things that have happened to me are: my eyes have changed colour from the outside in. It is a result of higher cholesterol (but there are no claims that it is a bad thing). I have had some moles vanish and others have faded away from the outside in. I have scars that have become less obvious. I have always worn glasses and have astigmatism in one eye and long sidedness in the other. Once I turned 50 I was told that it was common at that age for the eyes to lose the ability to adjust from one focal length to the other (the cornea of the eye gets stiffer and stops the eye from being able to adjust.. not necessarily effecting your glasses prescription). I had experienced that but then my eye seemed to regain the ability to adjust. My colour perception improved noticeably... and of course my sun tolerance improve by a a fair margin.

It is such a shame. How many doctors don't tell their patients that type 2 diabetes can actually be cured, rather then put them on meds? My Dad had a heart attack in 74 and then eventually passed away after suffering a stroke, fit, and onset MND (all can be associated with poor diet) and he could likely have lived a longer and healthier life. My Mum is in a dementia care home.. dementia is also referred to as type 3 diabetes and in my opinion seed oils play a major role in that disease as well. My father-in-law passed away due to an aneurism in his stomach and my mother-in-law became quite obese and couldn't exercise (reducing her fitness reserve).. again, preventable.

I heard a story from and advertising agency employee. This person admitted that they were employed by companies to troll social media sites for any negative comments about their employing agency.. and to post opposing comments whenever someone criticised the product or service, even to the extent of bullying the criticising poster. I have actually seen this in action for myself. I have posted in some videos about my experiences and results only to have a troll try to destroy what I have said and make opposing comments. This guy even posted links to his own online information within my threads. When I followed his link it had videos by Nathan Pritikin who was a pro vegan and had a religious background (7th Day Adventist) and his claims were ludicrous and although he claimed they were the result of scientific research they were ridiculous. Pritikin died due to a cancer that was not only rare but he had two types of that cancer. I then noticed the troll using the same fake name targeting other people in other forums. I asked him if he was paid to do it and he wouldn't reply.

One important aspect I should comment on regarding Covid19.
It has been known since the outbreak that people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of death from the virus. Unfortunately for many this can be drug related.. and the drugs may be needed to support major surgeries. But a very high percentage of people have metabolic syndrome that can be easily reversed if only they were told how to do it. Cholesterol is essential for healthy life.. so much so that every cell in your body produces it and up to 80% is made by your body (20% from food). If you cut back cholesterol then your body simply makes more of it's own... IT IS THAT essential. Cholesterol is the basis of your hormonal system and your immune system. But, there is a 200 billion dollar industry profiting from selling people cholesterol lowering drugs. The drugs artificially reduce cholesterol in a way that also cuts off production of a substance called coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10). This substance provides energy for muscles and the brain. One of the common side effects for taking a statin is aching muscles and brain fog. Surely the electric scooter business loves the extra sales. Some doctors are now becoming aware of the statin fraud and if a patient asks to be taken off statins then the doctor wont challenge them.
Anyway.. with Covid.. I have calculated the worldwide death rate of the CV and it sits at about 3 to 4%. That means that if a person gets the virus then generally they have a 3 to 4% death risk (The W.H.O. also states these figures). HOWEVER, if you have a compromised immune system then your risk of death can be higher (the W.H.O. states that this is about 15%). So, since the 3 to 4% number includes the higher risk groups with compromised immune system then that means if you DON'T have a compromised immune system then your risk of death is much lower than the 3 to 4%. In other words you are at least 97% likely to survive. When I hear stories of a young person dying from CV they don't really make it clear (or even know) what the real underlying issue was that increased the risk. They just say that a young person died and therefore anyone can die from a cv infection. In South Korea (?) they have been testing everyone (not just people who had symptoms) and found that there was a percentage of people who had tested positive but had no symptoms and therefore hadn't presented themselves to a hospital. So, that means that elsewhere in the world where they only recognised people as being infected if they died from the disease or presented themselves to hospital got recorded. What this means is that the 3 to 4% death rate as recognised by the W.H.O. is actually less.
Other research about the CV is to do with the effect of vitamin D and CV outcomes. Vitamin D is produced in your body in the highest amounts on exposure to sunlight (sunlights effect on the cholesterol in your body). Hydroxychloroquine is supposed to protect a person from the CV by artificially forcing cells to take in more zinc. Most people are deficient in zinc, but zinc has a protective effect against viral attack. Unfortunately, Hydroxichloroquine also has some nasty side effects. In my research I discovered that a low carb diet allows the body to more efficiently absorb vitamin C, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had the same effect with zinc. What a shame that they can't make money by researching natural ways of protecting yourself from the virus.

[Rodd]

BTW: with regard to 'high risk' for CVD.. Ivor Cummins can tell you about his boss. His boss is a very wealthy Irish businessman. He lived a very health and fit lifestyle going by what health authorities recommend.. he ate healthy low fat food following the food pyramid and exercised daily, etc. He had regular health checkups where all his blood checks were good, he passed stress tests.. the works. Someone suggested that he have a heart calcium score test done.. they found out that one of his arteries was blocked and another was mostly blocked. In other words he was a heartbeat away from having a heart attack.

[Rodd]

So, now that I have got control of my health back I know that I can keep riding. I'm also much more alert and have better memory recall.

As mentioned earlier i took a shine to adventure bikes and began researching what would best suit me. I really liked the look of the the BMW series of adventure bikes but the initial cost is comparatively high and there have been some issues with reliability with them, especially in regard to their final drive and associated repair costs. I really liked the Honda Adventure bike but again they have a high purchase price and are chain driven. Yamaha started selling the Super Tenere from 2010, so used bikes are available. They are shaft drive, fuel injected, spoked wheels, plenty of accessories available.. and they tick many of the boxes that I needed ticked for an adventure bike. They are also extremely reliable. They have a weak point and that is the underbelly of the engine. You must fit sump protection on these bikes. My next step was to find one to ride to see if I liked it. I found one at a motorbike shop on the Sunshine Coast (QLD) about 2 hours away. I convinced the salesperson to allow me to take it for a ride.. a bit of a hassle because I had to sign indemnity forms and he had to ride along with me on another bike (just happened to be a BMW adventure bike). The bike I was to ride was a 2010 Yamaha Super Tenere and at first looks I could tell it had a hard life. I instantly knew that I wouldn't be buying that particular bike regardless of the price (and it wasn't well priced). My first impressions riding it weren't so good. It felt like I was riding on a stack of text books! :D If you think an ST is a tall bike then wait til you sit on a Tenere. The good news is that the 'text book' feeling didn't last long and I really enjoyed the ride. The seat on the Tenere is also narrower than the ST and reasonable firm (maybe due to it being a newer bike) and I thought that the firmer narrower seat might be a problem. That has not been the case. I can ride for longer on the Tenere compared to the ST (with stock seat) without getting sore butt. The Tenere seat looks like it shouldn't be a better seat but it is. On that same day I took a BMW Adventure bike for a ride (private seller) and it was in a beautifully cared for and maintained condition and in my budget... but it wasn't the version with the loner range tank and it had no cases or top box and these would have added a fair bit to the cost to purchase separately. So, I reluctantly gave it a miss.

So, the Yamaha Super Tenere seemed a good fit for my needs. I found one for sale in Sydney that was already loaded to the gunnels with accessories.. and it was well priced. I contacted the owner and asked the usual questions and got the right answers. We set up payment details so that once I got there i could instantly transfer the money if i decided to go ahead with the purchase, and I booked the plane ticket. I arrived at the sellers house before sunset and took the bike for a short ride (inner Sydney). The seller was a decent guy, nice house and family. My over protective bank put a lock on the transfer of money at time of payment and that caused some serious headaches for an hour or so, but we finally got it cleared. By the time I left it was dark and soon it was raining.. and I was on an unfamiliar bike. I hate expressway, so I headed towards Windsor so that I could take the Putty Road. I found a motel room for the night and parked the bike undercover, got into the motel room and used the hair dryer to dry my drenched socks! :D The Tenere doesn't have as good weather protection as my St1100 has.. by a long shot.

I'm glad I hadn't tried the Putty Road during the night because there had been bushfires and storms and there were boulders and fallen branches on the road along the way. It was an interesting ride but a bad day on a bike beats a good day at work anytime!
I had discovered a major flaw with the Super Tenere even before I had stopped at the motel. I was suffering from some serious wrist pain already. On the second days ride I had to engage the cruise control as often as i could so that I could drop my hand for rest and pain relief. This ended up being a major issue for the rest of the trip and it took months for my wrist to recover completely. It is something you may need to consider if you decide to buy a Tenere. The 2 cylinder engine transmits more vibration to the handlebars than the smoother running ST engine. My butt didn't hurt but my right wrist certainly did. Once I got back to Queensland the rain had disappeared and I was feeling warm again. I made it home with no other issues and I enjoyed the ride (other than the wrist pain).
 
The previous owners of the Tenere had spent a lot of money on the bike. Here are the accessories that had already been fitted when I bought it:
Garman GPS mount
Extended touring windscreen with and aftermarket mounting system (for more adjustment). Also, side perspex screens (they are fitted to the top horizontal edges of the fairing.
Heated hand grips (Great along the Putty road... not much need for it here in QLD).
Electronic cruise control.
Perspex headlight protectors.
Hepco and Becker engine guards
Welded alloy engine sump guard.
Aftermarket rider wider footpegs
Some Tourtech ankle protection panels
Programmable engine management system/chip.
1" handlebar risers.
LED driving lights.
LED blinkers
Billet alloy number plate and blinker mount (not my favourite mod. They hacked the factory plastic mudguard away to fit it). It fell off the other weekend and I had to re-engineer a better way of fitting it. I will be buying a new plastic mudguard to returning it back to stock.
Aftermarket exhaust system. It has a nice note to it.

I have added a Givi clip on tank bag.
I also invested in some decent camera and phone mount gear from Johnny Appleseed.
I tried a cheap phone mount for a trip along the expressway towards the Sunshine Coast. My fairly new and fairly expensive smart phone slipped out this cheap phone mount at 100 kph on the expressway. Luckily, it fell onto the tank and I was able to snatch it before it fell down onto the road. I was unbelievable lucky not to have destroyed that phone, so I put some decent money into the good gear. I only had to buy it once.. should last a long time. There is no way my phone would leave my bike now unless I wanted it to.

Next up.. comparing the bikes, did I do the right thing? What next for my St1100?

[Diesel]

Amazing account there Rodd - thanks for taking the time to share your story with us lot. I too believe that sugar is food for cancer when one overdoses on it and firmly believe in the super foods of blueberries, broccoli, oats, sweet potato etc and avoid high carbs like the plague - unless it's beer, crisps or the pastry on a well made bakery item!   


Side note - did you experience the CX500 'torque lean'?


Cheers, Diesel

[Rodd]

I think that there was a little torque lean with the CX, but it wasn't an issue and not something that stood out for me. The Silverwing I had came with the larger 650cc engine and torque lean wasn't a problem even with that. When I bought the CX's they cost me around $500 - $600 each. Now they seem to be fetching around $4000. I saw an ST1100 for sale around the $2300! We have to stop underselling these bikes. They really are a classy and well-built, collectible bike and they must be going through the rut stage at the moment (pricewise) and certainly great value if you can get them under $4000 when compared to many other collectible bikes.

When you hear about the Keto diet it's a good idea to think of it as a healthy way of eating that will get your health back on track. Once you have lost the weight and got your health back on track then a low carb, real food way of eating will maintain your health.

Here's some trivia about healthy eating.
We have had the following drummed into us all of our lives:

Grains are good for you. In reality they aren't. Bread is made from wheat. They still call it wheat, but maybe it shouldn't be called that any more. If you got a wheat farmer from 100 years ago and showed him a modern wheat farm he would ask "where's the wheat?" It used to grow tall.. way above your head. Now it doesn't because it has been cross-bred with different grasses resulting in a 'frankenwheat' that only grows 3 feet or so tall. They can harvest 5x the amount of grain compared to the original wheat and therefore it's more profitable. It's one of the reasons why so many people are glutin intolerant nowadays. The food pyramid that nutritionists are taught to use is a complete joke. It's basically the opposite of what you need to eat for good health. We can all thank our industry biased (funded) health authorities for that.

Salt causes hypertension (the disease of constantly higher blood pressure). No it doesn't. Inflammatory processed foods high in carbs and seed oils cause hypertension. Stop eating them and your blood pressure goes down, regardless of salt intake. Salt is essential for healthy life. exposure to sunlight also lowers blood pressure.. so, go for a walk.

You can't live without eating carbs. Not true. Although it's hard for most of us to avoid them there are cultures that survive quite healthily on meat alone. One of the most nutritious foods on the planet is liver.. and the nutrients are bio-available (meaning that the body uses all of the nutrients immediately). The nutrients in plant foods generally aren't as bio-available and a percentage of the nutrients are either needed to protect you from the plants defences (they can't run away), or are lost in the conversion process. Yes, sugars are essential for some organs but the body can produce it on it's own from stored fat for the small amount needed (gluconeogenesis). The bad about sweet potato = quite high in carbs (more than potato) that instantly raise insulin (not good).. the good: it has a bit of beta carotene in it. Unfortunately, the rest is marketing.



There's no vitamin C in meat. When vitamins were first discovered scientists were busy trying to find out all the types and quantities of vitamins in foods. When they got to red meat they simply assumed that there wouldn't be vitamin C in red meat (there is no evidence that they actually looked). Red meat does have vitamin C and it's real vitamin C, not Ascorbic Acid (sold at the chemist). They assumed that if you didn't get vitamin C from plants then you would suffer from scurvy. Vitamin C and glucose are similar molecules and the compete for access to your bodies cells. If you ate a low carb, high fat diet (like our ancestors did) then your body uses vitamin C much more effectively.. no scurvy. If you are a smoker then you should increase your vitamin C intake. Each cigarette smoked uses up some of your bodies vitamin C. Smokers often suffer from loose teeth and tooth decay because they are suffering from undiagnosed scurvy. Real vitamin C is a complex molecule. When it was first discovered they found that the outer layer (ascorbic acid) was 'anti inflammatory'.. it was. It's there to preserve the contents of the vitamin C molecule.. but it's only a fraction of what makes up vitamin C. If you want real vitamin C and not have it compete with sugar then eat something like sauerkraut (not oranges).

Sunlight causes cancer! Think about it. We have evolved over millions of years exposed to the sun, yet now it causes us to die a horrific death. Doesn't make sense. If you don't get enough sun then one of the problems that arises is that bones don't form properly. It has been suggested that all humans were once dark skinned and our origins began in africa. As we migrated around the world and stayed near the equator we kept dark skin. As migrated away from the equator, those who had dark skin couldn't absorb enough sunlight and the women had trouble giving birth and the darker skinned people died off, and the lighter skinned people thrived. Today, in the USA African Americans have a much higher incidence of bowel cancer and this is associated with the lower production of vitamin D. Most people who develop a melanoma get it on a part of the body that isn't directly exposed to the sun... even on the soles of the feet. People who work in the sun year round have a lower incidence of skin cancers. If the sun is the cause then why is this so? When you get regular, healthy sun exposure it increase the levels of nitric oxides around the blood cells making it easier for your heart to pump blood.. lower blood pressure. If you want to reduce your risk of cancers (especially skin cancer) that don't replace your natural cholesterol with plant sterols and seed oils. Seed oils break down with heat and ultraviolet light (sunlight) and become toxic and inflammatory increasing the environment that favours cancer growth. Don't eat them and don't get sunburned.
Sunlight also helps to protects us from bacteria and viruses. Labs use ultraviolet lamps to sterilize equipment because it kills bacteria and viruses. In our noses our immune system uses hairs and mucous designed to trap dust, bacteria, and viruses. It is thought that the body uses these to try to determine if they are a health threat. In the upper part of our respiratory tact we have extra vitamin D receptors so that our body's immune system can attack any found nasty viruses or bacteria before they get into our lungs (a bit like border security). One of the first symptoms of Covid19 is a sore throat, followed by chest infection. An unhealthy immune system goes overboard trying to defend the viral infection and fills the lungs.. basically causing the victim to drown. While the virus is in your body it uses the stick sugar coating on your blood cells to carry it around your body (another reason to get your blood sugar nice and low). The back part of your lungs works more effectively than the front part of your lungs.. don't lay on your back if you have a CV infection. During winter time in Australia, humans have trouble producing enough vitamin D from sunlight anywhere lower than the QLD/NSW border. This is where taking vitamin D tablets can be effective and one of the reasons the CV death rate goes up (including heart attacks) during the winter months, and goes down in summer months. Yet the health authorities want us not to go to the beach but to stay indoors.

Alcohol: unfortunately, beer is quite high in carbs. If you want to get your health back in check then you need to consider this. Have you tried low carb beer? I have and it tastes ok to me, but I'm not a big drinker and I'm certainly no beer connoisseur. Most straight spirits don't have carbs. You can have a few nips without ruining your health. Fizzy drinks are usually really high in sugar and seriously stuff up your metabolism.. and they use the worst types of sugars. Fizzy drinks that use artificial sweeteners fall into the highly processed foods category and often the artificial sweeteners are simply chemicals.

If you change to a real food and low carb diet then you are denying yourself of delicious food. This one is absolutely wrong. We mostly seek out and enjoy sugary processed foods because of the addiction associated with the sugar. After you have replaced high carb foods with high fat foods the addiction goes away and you eat when you want, not every 3 hours or so. If you get over the carb addiction then you can better taste the flavours of the real foods. I cook either in butter, cream, lard or dripping (usually a combination). The more fat on the steak of chop the better. I add a mix of lower carb veggies for variety and to make sure that my gut bacteria stays healthy. Every meal that I cook is more delicious than anything I had cooked in the past (the bad old days of processed foods and take aways). If i want desert then I have a mix of berries (I love blackberries), add almonds, macadamias, chia seeds (turns the desert jelly like), pouring cream, coconut cream, and top it off with thick cream and grated dark chocolate.
It's easy to cook real food meals.. that's the way our great grandparents ate!

Anyway, these are some interesting points that I have discovered along the way. I certainly don't feel that I am depriving myself in any way and I actually feel like I am living better. I have no intention ever (even after 2 years) of going back to the SAD diet (Standard Australian Diet). Make up your own mind.. just try to keep an open mind because we all have been hoodwinked over the years and it still is going on. Do what I did.. apply it to yourself and see what happens.. even if it is only for a few weeks.. just do it properly so that you can see a difference. Many people don't understand the concept, don't do it properly, and then complain that it doesn't work.

If you are on medication like diabetic medications then be very careful because the diet works very effectively. If you are successful in going low carb AND you don't carefully manage your medications then you will very likely over-medicate! Some medications have the side effect of 'weight gain'. medications interfere with you metabolism and may prevent the weight loss that the diet would have otherwise given you. I know that some anxiety medications do this.

Hypocrite's once said that all disease stems from the gut. From what I can see this is true.. just about every disease (non-communicable) result from poor diet. It's easy to fix once you know. The trouble is that they can't profit if you fix it your self.

The important thing to know is that you DO have choices and options... it's just that doctors are NOT taught this. They have little to no training in food/nutrition and health (ask your doctor, but expect them not to answer) and your doctor will not even know these options and most likely will not mention what I have written. But, it absolutely works and I am living proof. I got (and am still getting) control back, and i will be able to stay healthier for longer because of it.. and that means that I will be able to enjoy riding for longer!

Just food for thought!

[Rodd]

Comparing the bikes, did I do the right thing? What next for my St1100?

1998 Honda ST1100AW Vs 2010 Yamaha XT1200zz Super Tenere

Honda St1100 Specifications: https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_st1100_abs_95.html
Engine capacity - 1084cc, Power - 101.4hp/74kW at 7500 rpm, Torque 111 Nm at 6000 rpm, 5 speed manual transmission, Weight (dry) 297 kg, Seat height 800mm/31.5", Fuel capacity 28 litres
My personal and recent fuel consumption (two up) 47.8 mpg, 5.9 l/100km.

Yamaha XT1200 Specifications: https://bikez.com/motorcycles/yamaha_xt1200z_super_tenere_2010.php
Engine capacity - 1199cc, Power - 110hp/80.3kW at 7250 rpm, Torque 114.1Nm at 6000 rpm, 6 speed manual transmission, Weight (wet) 261 kg, Seat height 845mm/33.3", Fuel capacity 23 litres
My personal and recent fuel consumption (two up) 52.5 mpg, 5.4 l/100km.

The speedo on the ST (ST1100) is more accurate than the speedo on the ST (Super Tenere). The Yamaha reads 100kph when it is actually closer to 90. This may be just my bike because I haven't heard of others having the same thing).

I have owned the ST1100 for over 9 years and travelled ~60,000k's. I have owned the XT1200 for 7 months and travelled ~5000 k's.

XT1200 Issues and positives:
The biggest issue for me was wrist pain, most likely due to vibration and poor initial riding position.
They bike came with 1" risers. I have already adjusted the handlebars and the levers for a more relaxed riding position.
I have just ordered a very special set of handlebars that should fix this problem. https://fasstcoaustralia.com.au/collections/adventure/products/flexx-handlebar-adv?variant=31134406508588
The case locks on the Yamaha are a PITA. You have to use the key to open every time, and the locks are tight and can cause the key to break if you are ham fisted. You also need to use the key in the same lock to remove the cases.
There is no doubt that this bike tips, leans and turns more accurately then the Honda, and is very easy to ride through corners (surprisingly so). Even seems to be easier to scrape the pegs.
Instant throttle response. It feels like it has more get up and go than the Honda but in fairness... I haven't really touched the Honda to keep it in top tune.
No bottoming out while two up.

ST1100AW Issues and positives:
The biggest issue for me has been the bike bottoming out while two-up.. no added gear.
I also had some wrist pain on the Honda over longer trips, but I cured most of this by raising the handlebars (2" Roxx risers) and I adjusted bar and lever positions.
My second issue was seat comfort with the stock seat. I researched how to modify a seat and then gave it a go. It cost me just over $100 to have it recovered. The seat is now nearly perfect and very comfortable.
My ST1100 with fairing extenders and mirror wind deflects and better screen has outstanding weather protection in rain. I can keep mostly dry while riding in rain. On the Yamaha I will get wet if it rains.
It's a 5 speed transmission compare to the 6 of the Yamaha BUT it seems higher geared because it doesn't seem to matter. The gearshift is more notchy on the Honda than the Yamaha, tho.
The Honda's gearbox has one simple benefit for me... once I am in top gear then the gearshift doesn't catch when I try to go for another gear (the gear selector becomes light if I try for another gear). In other words it is easy for me to know that I am in the highest gear. On the Yamaha the gearshift still catches once in top gear. If I don't keep track of gear selection while going through the gears on the Yamaha then I often try to select a 7th gear because the gear selector feels like there is another gear to come.. hopefully that makes sense.
The Honda doesn't tip and turn as easily as the Yamaha BUT it doesn't have to. It is sooo progressive through the turns.. not as responsive but then again it's not designed for off-road work. Makes for relaxing touring.
The engine is the same... it's not as peaky or responsive as the Yamaha, but it is sooo smooth and relaxed and growls rather than barks on hard acceleration. It really is a delight to ride.
I prefer the case locks on the Honda but that have fowled up at times where I had to remove them and repair them.. but at least you don't need to use the key to open and close the lids.

The rear brake on the Yamaha is more responsive. Both bikes have ABS and traction control. On the Honda you never know it's there. The brakes work so well.. on great surfaces. The brakes on the Yamaha have felt .. odd.. on loose gravel at times, but not a problem. Tenere owns highly recommend an ABS bypass switch if you want to take it on loose surfaced tracks. I have had the traction control light blink a few times (ST1100) on hard acceleration on slippery surfaces. The light is a subtle indication that the Honda has just saved your A$$.

The Honda feels lower, smoother, more progressive than the Yamaha. For me, the looks of the Honda don't get dated. It remains a really nice looking bike. Everything works and feels good quality. The rear shock needs a better alternative and more options/choices.
The Yamaha is very easy to ride and it needs to be to better tackle tracks and trails. I really like riding this bike and it look fantastic (to me). It is a little less known that BMW Adventure bikes (I hardly ever see others on the road). If you want to travel and visit out of the way spots then the Yamaha may be a better option. I am confident on taking the Honda on dirt roads but in standard form they are not design to go too far off a good road. Could an ST1100 be adventure modified?

Some footage of the Yamaha in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQhSQCX-Nw&t=60s

 Where do I go to now, with the ST1100? What's it's future?

[ruSTynutz]

The speedo on the ST (ST1100) is more accurate than the speedo on the ST (Super Tenere). The Yamaha reads 100kph when it is actually closer to 90. This may be just my bike because I haven't heard of others having the same thing).

Hi Rodd, you could fit a "SpeedoHealer" to your Tenere, that should fix your speedo inaccuracy...
I fitted one to my ST1300 and it works a treat!

https://www.healtech-electronics.com/products/sh/

https://mototrack.com.au/healtech-speedohealer-v4.html

[Skip]

Interesting read Rodd. They are 2 different 'animals' for sure. It depends on what kind of riding you want to do in the future I guess. My eventual replacement won't be an 'true' adventure bike as I have no desire to be going off road these days. An influencing factor in my future decision, will be if the missus no longer wants to go riding with me. She rarely does these days so can't see her rekindling the interest. So, if no pillion, I would settle for a 650 -900cc. The Yamaha MT09 Tracer GT would suit if she wants the occasional outing. I don't like cruiser style so needs to be upright, comfortable and offer some weather protection. The ST1300 has made me really soft.    

[Rodd]

True, Skip.

The Super Tenere carries mine and my wife's weight better... but then again it cost a hell of a lot more than a new ST1100 rear shock.

I have actually considered getting a custom shock made for the rear of the ST (with just a little bit more height), playing around with the front forks for just a little bit more height, and putting adventure tyres on it and some decent spotties. It still wouldn't be able to access areas that the Tenere can, but it would go further than stock and maybe cover most roads that i would expect to travel. I still might do that if i get enough prompting from others.

Oh, another thing that the St has over the Tenere is that the Honda runs cooler, and if it's hot enough for the fan to come on (And that's only if I have been stopped at lights long enough on a hot day) then the temps drop quite quickly again once I am moving. The fan comes on earlier on the Yamaha, and stays on for longer after i start moving. Not a big deal but i doubt the Yammie would last as long as the Honda. My Super Tenere has only 21000 k's on it at the moment.

[Skip]

For me I think the real difference required from a road tourer to an off road adventure bike is two fold. Firstly I would want it lighter than a sports tourer, and secondly, have a larger diameter front wheel for those off road adventures. I wouldn't be keen in trying to convert an ST1100 to become an adventure bike. I hope the Yammie fits the bill for you going forward.

[Rodd]

No, the ST1100 would definitely not suit a role as an 'off road' adventure bike! Even Adventure bikes have different off road abilities depending on brand and model.
Owning both bikes it's obvious that the ST has a more progressive steering response than the Tenere (the Tenere better suited for lower speed maneuverer-ability).  The lower weight is better suited to rough trails, but it is still a big and heavy bike.
However, the ST can be improved as I have mentioned above. Changing the tyres would improve it's dirt road ability alone. The rear monoshock is a problem tho and it would be more of a challenge sourcing one to suit two-up plus luggage. My ST is fine with just me riding it, but bottoms out two-up on larger dips on sealed roads.

[Diesel]

The more I read from you Rodd, the more I think we are the same. Commercialism to sell sugar reserves resulted in high sugar contents for a lot of foods, Wheat is not what it used to be and I agree that the food pyramid was designed around the highest manufacturing industry bidder!
Take a 1000mg of Vit C a day. Add to that a Vit B and a Vit D each day and you will certainly benefit from this in long term health. Eat red meat once or twice a week instead of five times, and fish and chicken other times in moderation. Always include steamed or Weber grilled veges with a little rice bran oil and you'll have as many miles on yer clock as my bike STella before you're done.

[Rodd]

It's best to keep in mind that once we hit our 50's (and unfortunately it can be much sooner for many people) that our bodies have done the best they can to overcome our choices of processed foods but it has caught up with us.
If you (like most people at this age) are having health issues.. especially ones that effect your enjoyment of riding.. then you DO have a choice other than medications. Medications target 'symptom's' and rarely cure (remove the causes).. because in most cases the cause is related to diet. If you take meds but don't change your diet then the meds may take away some symptoms (and create new problems) but the causes wont go away. If you have the extended gut (beer gut) then that is a sign that you MUST do something now because that is a sign that you have the dangerous fat around your organs (including fatty liver disease). If you or a family member is large all over then it may still mean that you are likely to have metabolic disease, and the added weight and inflammation will take it's toll on your joints. Again, you can get it under control and it's not that hard as long as you know how it is done. and doctors won't tell you because very few of them know.

Unfortunately, it is not just added sugar that is a cause. Fruit has also been bred to increase sugar content, and mass farming results in less nutrients in the food, and the pesticides and herbicides add to the problem. I buy organic whenever I can. It does cost more in the short term, but saves in the long run. Don't eat fake and processed foods, especially seed oils. I include flax seed oil as a processed oil because it doesn't appear naturally and has to be manufactured and it's not necessary. Simply replace manufactured oils with butter, coconut oil, dripping, lard, duck fat, etc. Olive oil is better than manufactured oils as long as it is cold pressed (no heat). I avoid cooking with it.. it tolerates heat better than seed oils, but it's not as good as the other fats (animal fats, coconut oil, etc).

Keep in mind that by eating low carb foods and higher fat foods then you can over come the health issues. The keto diet is what people are using to really lose weight and get their health back. The keto diet works by getting your carbs as low as you can and then your body goes into ketosis. Ketosis is where your body adapts to burning stored fats. These fats are very healthy for you and naturally result in weight loss and you are actually burning your fat reserves. As soon as you start eating carb foods then that stops... immediately.

The thing to understand about sugar is that it is a type of carb (it's 50% fructose and 50% glucose). Fructose (fruit sugars) have to go through your liver to get to your blood supply, other sugars can go directly from the stomach to your blood supply. Other carbs like pasta, rice, bread.. turn into sugar once it hits your gut. Pasta (for example) isn't sugar when you eat it but as soon as it hits your stomach acid it gets broken down into basic sugars. Starch acts the same way.
That's why diabetics can't eat carbs. The diabetics blood sugar meter doesn't lie. There is a fella on youtube that does interesting tests on him self with foods and records his blood sugar. He made a bowl of the healthiest type of porridge that you can make (steel cut) and ate it only with hot water.. no milk, no sugar, no honey, etc. Within an hour of eating it his blood sugar skyrocketed. Although he ate it for the test, he said that he would never eat it again. They try to say that fibre stops this from happening.. tell that to a diabetic. The same thing happens to him when he eats a potato (and sweet potato is the same but has slightly higher carb content).

Again, if you want your health back this is what you need to know and is why keto works.

With the reference to cutting back red meat the only issue that I know of is hemochromatosis. People who suffer from this have a problem where their body cannot get rid of iron and they become really ill. They often give blood because that is one way to get rid of the iron. For others who don't suffer from this then there is nothing unhealthy about red meat. The report where red meat caused cancer was done by the 'Adventist Research group'. This is a research lab run by the 7th Day Adventists.. and the research was biased. They claimed that their cohort study (several studies combined together to prove something) proved that eating red meat caused cancer... once other researchers looked at the studies they found that many of the studies in the cohort found that red meat actually lowered cancer risk.. and the only one that showed an increased cancer risk was the Adventists study.. and then only by a few percent. They lied. So eat red meat to your hearts content... the fattier the better.. and best if it has no hormones, and organic pasture fed.. and NO grain fed.

Supplementing with vitamins is only of benefit if you are deficient in them. Some off the shelf vitamins aren't the real thing. Ascorbic acid isn't one of them (that's what the chemists call vitamin C) and often they have added sugar. It's much better to get real vitamin C from foods like sauerkraut.
Vitamin D does work off the shelf and in winter if you live further south than the QLD/NSW border then you won't make enough vitamin D from sunlight (that's why colds and flus increase over the winter months). Supplementing with vitamin D is a good idea and certainly wont hurt you. Doctors think that you can get poisoned from too much Vitamin D (that's why off the shelf vitamin D is limited to 600 to 1000 IU per tablet), but again they are wrong. It takes so much of this vitamin to (temporarily) make you sick that you are not likely to reach this limit. Black people who live in the U.S. are advised to supplement with vitamin D tablets to ensure they don't get colon cancer (plus other illnesses). The latest research has shown that you need to take 4000 IU of vitamin D per day to make an impact. If you go out in the sun for 30 to 60 minutes then you may get the equivalent of 15,000 IU's of vitamin D.
Once you become a low carber (or keto) then your body can use vitamins more effectively. For example, sugar and vitamin C (the real one) compete for access to your body's cells. Cut back the sugar, much less vitamin C is needed. It probably also applies to other vitamins and minerals like zinc.
It's quite common for Aussies to be deficient in zinc. You can get zinc naturally by eating lamb. Lamb is my red meat of choice , only because it is cheaper than beef.. but I will eat beef any time otherwise. I decided to supplement with zinc tablets because we had them and I wanted to make sure that my levels were up.. but I started to feel unwell... apparently I was getting plenty of zinc from lamb and was getting to much zinc when i supplemented. Hydroxychloroquine is used to protect people from malaria by unnaturally forcing the body to take in more zinc. Zinc protects cells from viruses (including covid).. but because it unnaturally does this it causes other complications, like heart attacks. That's the real reason why they are reluctant to use it to treat Covid.

If you enjoy steamed veggies then do that, otherwise there are no known health benefits from it... I guess if you steam then you aren't using manufactured oils.. I personally would never use rice bran oil. The reason is that I have already been asked if it is a 'good' oil and within 10 minutes of researching how it was made it became obvious to me that it's not good... and there are plenty of other choices. Usually, if an oil is 'cold pressed' then it will be ok. Heat badly damages plant oils... olive oil (a fruit) is more tolerant to heat, but there are better oils for cooking. So, olive oil is fine and many believe it is healthy if put on salads, etc.

Here is what I did to get my self adapted to low carb eating:

No more vegetable oils ever again. Never. I started cooking in butter.. now I mostly use dripping/lard, and add butter for extra taste. Chops and steaks now taste so much better. I hadn't realised that the seed oils detracted from the taste so much, until I changed to animal based fats for cooking. Animal fats do not break down with higher temperatures like seed oils, so don't become toxic.

I swapped high carb foods like weet-bix, muesli, etc for bacon and eggs and coffee. Now, I only have coffee for breakfast because once I got the carbs out of my system the hunger cravings went away.
Again, since I didn't have carbs dictating when I ate I actually didn't feel like eating 3 meals per day plus snacks.. I recently tried a 3 day fast and completed it without issue.. because i am no longer addicted to carbs.
There are massive health benefits to fasting, but i won't go into it here.

Whenever I eat then I eat high fat foods. This keeps me feeling fuller and satiated for longer.
Wen I eat a main meal like lunch or dinner then I nearly always include lamb and eggs. To bulk it up I add fresh cauliflower or frozen cauliflower rice, broccoli, some onion chopped, some kale and spinach.
If we add potato then a few slices is enough. Side note: if you love to eat hot chips then do so occasionally... but you need to cook your own so-as to avoid toxic seed oils.. use lard or dripping instead. None of that oven fried or air fried crap.
Remember that eating 'low fat' is pointless and actually works opposite to what they make us think.
Also remember that there is a cancer causing chemical in cigarette smoke that is also found in heated seed oils.. except that it is in higher concentrations in seed oils.. so, you wouldn't give a grandkid a cigarette to smoke, but we will happily give a kid a happy meal loaded with this chemical in the chips because they are cooked in seed oils.

If I am travelling and I want to snack then I take along macadamia nuts, almonds, etc and roasted coconut flakes. Add some salt.

The hardest thing for me to give up was the convenience of bread.. but i wanted this to work and get control of my health back, so I got over it.
Bread is convenient because you can put butter on it and some vegemite.. very quick lunch... no nutrients worth mentioning but a quick snack to take the carb cravings away. As I mentioned in a previous post that bread is no longer made from real wheat, but from a commercially profitable plant. If you find breads made from 'spelt' wheat then it is made from an original wheat. Still not ideal but better than commercial wheat. Sourdough is better again because it uses bacteria to break down some of the carbs. We tend to buy sourdough when we occasionally want to eat bread.. and we can get spelt sourdough locally.

I add salt to taste.. not limited. I even sometimes add it to my coffee. I don't use milk in my coffee (except when I make an espresso flat white because it would take too much cream to make).. but I use cream, and a tablespoon of coconut cream (I am trying to increase fats).. sometimes a tablespoon of butter. Milk has some sugar (lactose) and it can add up if you have several cups of tea or coffee per day. I don't need to add sugar anymore because I can better taste the flavours in food (including coffee).

Also remember if you do this.. variety is key. If you want mango then just have smaller portions occasionally. When you cook a meal then add a variety of ingredients.. just avoid the foods loaded with carbs (or simply add small portions of them).
Remember that you are doing this for a reason.. to get control of your health back into your own hands... if you play with the high carb addictive foods then you will sabotage the work that you have done. It takes time to get over the carb addiction, and .. it took 40 to 50 years to gradually get into bad shape.. you can get back to good health comparatively quickly (1 to 2 years).. but your liver health will start to improve immediately. A tablet may take the symptoms away within an hour, but it takes longer to remove the cause.

You can also try doing this in stages:
Take the margarines and vegetable oils outside and throw them as far as you can and never buy them again. Don't eat foods with added plant sterols in them, either.
Cut back on processed foods (the more chemicals listed on the back label then the worse it is for you).
Replace the carb based foods with higher fat foods (weet-bix -> bacon and eggs)
Look at the carb content of foods and ignore the calories/cholesterol nonsense.

Best regards
Rodd