2017 March Board Book

one individual lost 60 pounds while another gained 20 pounds. Another subject lost 10 pounds of fat but gained 10 pounds of muscle.

Gardner will publish the full results of the study in March. He hopes that one day it will be possible for a patient to have their blood drawn to find out which kind of diet might be better for them.

For now, he suggests experimenting.

"For some of you it's going to be a higher dairy-fat, a higher animal-fat diet. For others it's going to be more whole grains, more beans and less dairy," Gardner says.

Overall, he encourages moving away from a focus on specific nutrients and instead emphasizing whole foods and deliciousness, whether in a pork chop or a bowl of quinoa with roasted vegetables. "Quite a few whole-food diets can be healthy and environmentally sustainable and be delicious. If we can bring those back, you can be healthier longer, because you can stick with it longer."

That's been true for Teicholz, who says she is 15 pounds lighter than she was in college, even though she now happily partakes of the Gouda at the Cheese Board.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staffwriter. Email: tduggan @ sfchronicle . com Twitter: @taraduggan

Tara Duggan Food Reporter