Effects of my high fat/low carb diet

[BookNut]

My primary care dr. is an integrated medicine doctor and gives lots of advice on nutritional treatments as well as medicine. She is convinced of the accuracy of the fairly new research on High Fat, Low Carb diets. She refers to it as an anti-inflammatory diet and says it is good for helping with arthritis, cancer, heart and respiratory issues. At her advice, I have been on the diet since November. Alas...so far it has not helped with the respiratory issues...but it sure has helped with my cholesterol. My bad cholesterol,has been fine, but triglycerides and good cholesterol...not so much. So...I thought I would share. The book I read to get started was Grain Brain. It points the finger at bad fats and sugar as the enemy, and blames many health issues on our decades long low-fat diets, and especially processed food.


Anyway, I was very interested to see how my cholesterol levels would come out after being on a low carb, high fat diet for 6 months. I think My doctor is on to something, getting rid of carbs like potatoes, bread and sugar. I have cut out all bread, cookies and crackers....anything made with flour. Tough, but I got used to it.


The results? My bad cholesterol stayed about the same ... only 6 points higher. I've always been in the good range. Not super low, but good, so 6 points is still under what is considered high. BUT....my triglycerides went DOWN 40 points and my good cholesterol (which was good anyway) went up 27 points. The cholesterol/HDL ratio is about as good as it could possibly be. That is the number she looks at the most closely. So yay! It is working for me. Who'd a thunk that increasing my egg consumption, butter consumption, switching to heavy cream, and full fat yogurt (only Fage makes it) and sour cream would actually improve my cholesterol!!!


Now....if it would only improve my breathing....!!

[pberggren1]

I'm very pleased to hear about your diet helping you Jacquie. I will have to find this book called Grain Brain. Do you follow the diet in this book?

I'm so sorry to hear that your breathing is not well. What is the diagnosis and prognosis on that?

[BookNut]

Thanks Phil!! My allergist keeps referring to my breathing issues as an "asthma-like disease." I have various diagnoses....asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, COPD, and...wait for it....non-allergic, chronic rhino-Sinusitis. All of this even though I have never smoked any substance in my life.

The book is quite interesting. There is also a cookbook. I'd skip that. Not necessary. The diet is simple. NOTHING made with flour of any kind or oats, or any grains, or sugar, or sugar substitutes. You also have to go easy on fruit, especially tropical fruit. Berries are the best. Unlimited quantities of what he defines as good fats....Butter, full fat yogurt, nuts, olive oil etc. Counter to standard wisdom....the fattier the better. Skim milk apparently has the highest amount of sugar, with whole milk in the middle, and heavy cream the least. Go figure! There is no limit to meat or to veggies that grow above the ground. Limited amounts of the starchy veggies that grow underground, such as potatoes, carrots and even onions.

Really, it is the Atkins diet...though you can have a total daily carb count higher than Atkins allows. If you are not on prednisone, which tends to elevate sugar levels, about 100 g of carbs a day is OK. If on pred....should be closer to 50 g. 100 is pretty doable.

It is hard the first two weeks. I had the "wheat belly" flu. Basically sugar withdrawal for about two weeks. After that, I noticed that my food cravings had gone away. Wheat Belly is the name of another book about the diet. It talks more about the effects of wheat and sugar on the body. Grain Brain emphasizes the bad effect on the brain.

So....Whew! Are you still awake? I need to get to sleep!! Hope all this was of some help!

[MCC]

Atkins or high meat/animal fat diets are regarded as quite unhealthy now, I'm really suprised that your doctor recommended it. And the fact your bad cholesterol went up is proof itself it's not doing you good, surely?

check this out: Atkins Diet Alert / Neal Barnard, M.D., president / a PCRM site (http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/)


AtkinsDietAlert.org is brought to you by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) (http://www.pcrm.org), a leading advocate for preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM has been speaking out about the dangers of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets since its founding in 1985. Scientific studies show that low-carbohydrate diets raise cholesterol levels in a considerable number of individuals, sometimes to a dramatic degree. These diets also typically accelerate calcium losses and have led major health organizations to raise important questions about their possible contribution to heart problems, kidney abnormalities, osteoporosis, and other health problems. Given the seriousness of these health risks, and the strength of the scientific evidence currently available, PCRM hopes this Web site will encourage people to be wary of high-protein diets and to choose healthier options. PCRM is also concerned about possible legal liability for doctors who prescribe these diets.



I do agree with less refined carbs though and of course a much more veggies and fruit based diet.

[Lilly]

Hi Booknut! I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet! So Hi! Im Lilly, and your post jumped right out at me. I was overweight by 30 lbs for a long time, just not overeating, but eating "anything" and good and bad food alike. When I went to a Dr appointment and the scale said 160, I had to do something. I know being on low dose prednisone for 24 yrs did not help any, and the 3 rolls on my back were proof of that. So I went on the old South Beach Diet. It seemed healthy. I cut out all bread, sugar, and ate 3 meals a day with 2 snacks. It kept my sugar level and I did not have the highs and lows that make you crave sweets, or salty, or BOTH!. Well in 2 months, I lost 20 lbs. and I realized that ALL of my joint pain and arthritis had gone away! I woke up in the morning without "creaking" down the hall to get my coffee. I was streatching, and feeling pretty good! I am still on the diet. I have the last 10 to go. But I feel so good on it, that when I sometimes have some sugar for a special occasion, I can feel it, and get right back on it. When I shop at the grocery, I usually find everything I need is on the edges of the store, all the fresh foods, the REAL foods. And Frozen real foods are very convenient for me since I live alone. I just thought I would share, I LOVE any less pain in my life. And at my age, "48" I am getting the arthritis pains that creep in! I Love eating healthy, it helps in so many ways. I kindof make the diet "my own", I never do anything "by the book"..... but I follow the main way the diet works, and that 20 lbs sure feels good to be off, no more back rolls! Well Jacquie, so nice to meet you! :-)

[LisaT]

I have cut out all wheat and dairy because I'm sensitive to them dairy immediately makes me phlegmy and with stenosis, phlegmy is not something I want to be! When I first cut out wheat (pre-prednisone), I lost 20 lbs without changing anything else. I wasn't really looking to lose weight, it just DROPPED off me. I do still eat other grains and try to make them whole grains and I'm guilty of buying processed gluten-free foods... I'm now trying to start cutting down on starchy stuff and sugars. One step at a time. There will never be agreement among all of the 'authorities' on the best diet, so I think we each have to do our research, go to our own docs, know ourselves and our bodies and pick and choose what works best for us. I'm still working on it! But one suggestion I think is really worth trying, if you have breathing issues or stenosis, is cutting out dairy. My personal belief is that humans were not meant to consume a substance nature created to fatten up baby calves...

And yet, both my kids are hooked on dairy, as I was... I plan to wean them when they're a bit older and/or willing to eat more variety. Right now it's all I can do to get enough food into them that they're not running on mere fumes... Sorry for the tangent...

[LisaT]

Thanks Phil!! My allergist keeps referring to my breathing issues as an "asthma-like disease." I have various diagnoses....asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, COPD, and...wait for it....non-allergic,chronic Sinusitis. All of this even though I have never smoked any substance in my life.

The book is quite interesting. There is also a cookbook. I'd skip that. Not necessary. The diet is simple. NOTHING made with flour of any kind or oats, or any grains, or sugar, or sugar substitutes. You also have to go easy on fruit, especially tropical fruit. Berries are the best. Unlimited quantities of what he defines as good fats....Butter, full fat yogurt, nuts, olive oil etc. Counter to standard wisdom....the fattier the better. Skim milk apparently has the highest amount of sugar, with whole milk in the middle, and heavy cream the least. Go figure! There is no limit to meat or to veggies that grow above the ground. Limited amounts of the starchy veggies that grow underground, such as potatoes, carrots and even onions.

Really, it is the Atkins diet...though you can have a total daily carb count higher than Atkins allows. If you are not on prednisone, which tends to elevate sugar levels, about 100 g of carbs a day is OK. If on pred....should be closer to 50 g. 100 is pretty doable.

It is hard the first two weeks. I had the "wheat belly" flu. Basically sugar withdrawal for about two weeks. After that, I noticed that my food cravings had gone away. Wheat Belly is the name of another book about the diet. It talks more about the effects of wheat and sugar on the body. Grain Brain emphasizes the bad effect on the brain.

So....Whew! Are you still awake? I need to get to sleep!! Hope all this was of some help!

hi Jacquie, I'm curious about your signature line, honourary weggie (haha... Autocorrect tried to change it to honorary wedgie. Pls excuse the canadian spelling of honourary, it's one of my ongoing disputes with autocorrect.) Is honourary because you were originally or at some point diagnosed? Or share similar symptoms?

I'm glad to hear your diet is working so well. I wonder what would happen with your sinuses and breathing issues if you switched cow dairy for coconut milk, almond milk or some other substitute. Have you ever tried? Many people with sinus issues and breathing troubles find relief in cutting out dairy. Most doctors deny the connection. You're lucky you have a doc who integrates nutrition. In med school they receive very little training about it.

One question, does the book you refer to say all grains are equally mind-muddling, or only those containing gluten? It may be a while before I get around I reading it (although I too am a book lover, I just have a long list...)

[BookNut]

Atkins or high meat/animal fat diets are regarded as quite unhealthy now, I'm really suprised that your doctor recommended it. And the fact your bad cholesterol went up is proof itself it's not doing you good, surely?

check this out: Atkins Diet Alert / Neal Barnard, M.D., president / a PCRM site (http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/)



I do agree with less refined carbs though and of course a much more veggies and fruit based diet.


I am not very conversant with atkins. And I know there is a controversy about the low carb, high fat diets. But if you do some reading based on the sources of the books Wheat Belly and Grain Brain it does make sense. My bad cholesterol has always been in the normal range, and fluctuates about 10 points typically. It is still well within the normal range. My doctor says that the good cholesterol and the ratio between the two is more significant, and also keeping triglycerides low. So a lowering of the triglycerides by 40 points, and raising of the good choleterol by 27 points is quite significant. The diet does not recommend deep fried foods, or trans fats. Just good fats. And you will find that recommendation is becoming much more main-stream. Even the ban in eggs is being loosened. Even by Dro Oz, who frequently recommends increasing the good fats and decreasing the carbs! Anyway...the authors to read and consider their thoughts are William Davis and Daniel Perlmutter.

[BookNut]

Hi Booknut! I have not had the pleasure of meeting you yet! So Hi! Im Lilly, and your post jumped right out at me. I was overweight by 30 lbs for a long time, just not overeating, but eating "anything" and good and bad food alike. When I went to a Dr appointment and the scale said 160, I had to do something. I know being on low dose prednisone for 24 yrs did not help any, and the 3 rolls on my back were proof of that. So I went on the old South Beach Diet. It seemed healthy. I cut out all bread, sugar, and ate 3 meals a day with 2 snacks. It kept my sugar level and I did not have the highs and lows that make you crave sweets, or salty, or BOTH!. Well in 2 months, I lost 20 lbs. and I realized that ALL of my joint pain and arthritis had gone away! I woke up in the morning without "creaking" down the hall to get my coffee. I was streatching, and feeling pretty good! I am still on the diet. I have the last 10 to go. But I feel so good on it, that when I sometimes have some sugar for a special occasion, I can feel it, and get right back on it. When I shop at the grocery, I usually find everything I need is on the edges of the store, all the fresh foods, the REAL foods. And Frozen real foods are very convenient for me since I live alone. I just thought I would share, I LOVE any less pain in my life. And at my age, "48" I am getting the arthritis pains that creep in! I Love eating healthy, it helps in so many ways. I kindof make the diet "my own", I never do anything "by the book"..... but I follow the main way the diet works, and that 20 lbs sure feels good to be off, no more back rolls! Well Jacquie, so nice to meet you! :-)

Thanks for posting. I too lost weight when I started this. Unfortunately, I have had to be on prednisone so much lately, that a lot of it has rolled back on...literally. I am embarking on a slight change to my breathing treatments that will hopefully keep me off the pred. If i can stay off and stop cheating with chocolate, I should go back down again. Especially if I can get out walking again. Your story is encouraging!

[BookNut]

hi Jacquie, I'm curious about your signature line, honourary weggie (haha... Autocorrect tried to change it to honorary wedgie. Pls excuse the canadian spelling of honourary, it's one of my ongoing disputes with autocorrect.) Is honourary because you were originally or at some point diagnosed? Or share similar symptoms?

I'm glad to hear your diet is working so well. I wonder what would happen with your sinuses and breathing issues if you switched cow dairy for coconut milk, almond milk or some other substitute. Have you ever tried? Many people with sinus issues and breathing troubles find relief in cutting out dairy. Most doctors deny the connection. You're lucky you have a doc who integrates nutrition. In med school they receive very little training about it.

One question, does the book you refer to say all grains are equally mind-muddling, or only those containing gluten? It may be a while before I get around I reading it (although I too am a book lover, I just have a long list...)

So glad to hear from you. My signature is "honorary Weggie" because I was briefly diagnosed with it. I went for a second and a third opinion and it has been ruled out. However, in the process, I found this forum and have not only found it helpful....but have fallen in love with the wonderful folks who hang out here. So...no one has kicked me out yet!! Many of my issues are similar.

I am not a huge fan of meat, so getting the right fats and protein have been difficult. I have tried almond milk and coconut milk...but it did not seem to help the breathing issue. It is definitely the full fat cream in my coffee and the full fat greek yogurt that has reduced my appetite so that I am not constantly wanting to eat. That has been the biggest boon to me. I get hungry every four hours instead of every two previous to the diet.

Grain Brain lists all the grains as a no-no except for almond flour. I have not found a good recipe for anything bread like with almond flour. The emphasis on good fats is because Dr. Perlmutter believes that our big brains need fat to prosper. And there is pretty wide spread support of that. Pediatricians recommend whole milk for babies and children to support their rapid brain growth. Perlmutter believes that our rise in obesity is from our low fat diets. So many processed food added sugar and other carbs to make up for the loss of taste when fat was removed.

So...eating around the edges of the store is really the best, even if you still eat bread. The center aisles are basically junk food. I am fortunate to be retired and able to spend more time cooking whole foods.

Great to hear from you!!

[Alysia]

...but have fallen in love with the wonderful folks who hang out here.


love you as well :love:

[MCC]

I am not very conversant with atkins. And I know there is a controversy about the low carb, high fat diets. But if you do some reading based on the sources of the books Wheat Belly and Grain Brain it does make sense. My bad cholesterol has always been in the normal range, and fluctuates about 10 points typically. It is still well within the normal range. My doctor says that the good cholesterol and the ratio between the two is more significant, and also keeping triglycerides low. So a lowering of the triglycerides by 40 points, and raising of the good choleterol by 27 points is quite significant. The diet does not recommend deep fried foods, or trans fats. Just good fats. And you will find that recommendation is becoming much more main-stream. Even the ban in eggs is being loosened. Even by Dro Oz, who frequently recommends increasing the good fats and decreasing the carbs! Anyway...the authors to read and consider their thoughts are William Davis and Daniel Perlmutter.

Did you look at the link I posted?

Nothing will convince me that lots of butter, meat and cream is a good thing. You will end up swapping autoimmune disease for heart problems :( I agree with Lisa that dairy is for calves, not humans. Read this about kids especially and dairy: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/time-to-stop-milking-it-6501841.html

I believe the best diet for health is vegan. No animal products, healthy carbs and lots of veg and fruit :)

[BookNut]

Did you look at the link I posted?

Nothing will convince me that lots of butter, meat and cream is a good thing. You will end up swapping autoimmune disease for heart problems :( I agree with Lisa that dairy is for calves, not humans. Read this about kids especially and dairy: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/time-to-stop-milking-it-6501841.html

I believe the best diet for health is vegan. No animal products, healthy carbs and lots of veg and fruit :)

I did read the article. And I am sure milk causes many folks problems. I may have not been entirely clear about what I have been doing. I do not eat tons of butter and milk products. I simply do not substitute margarine or skim milk products which have added sugars to make them palatable. The particular diet I am on does call for a somewhat higher percentage of good fats than the US Food Pyramid. And it does discourage SOME of the higher carb fruits (bananas and pineapple) and high carb veggies such as potatoes. But its biggest empahsis is on LARGE quantities of healthy vegetables. I have added salads to every meal except breakfast, but I use dressings made with olive oil and vinegar to minimize the sugar and fake fats that so many store bought dressings have. There are many approaches to good nutrition. The "best" one is a healthy plan that the individual is able to follow successfully. Vegans and carnivores are never likely to agree, lets face it! =). But they can probably agree that eliminating the most highly processed foods in the supermarket is a good thing. Meanwhile, I am absolutely thrilled with the large rise in my good cholesterol and the HUGE drop in the triglycerides. And I am not concerned at all with the rise in the bad cholesterol, since it is unlikely to go any higher, and is well below the danger level.

It is interesting to read the multitude of different opinions, and take what works in one's own situation. Thanks for the input!

[windchime]

I did the Atkins diet about 10 years ago and had great success with it. The first two weeks is the hardest. My pain disappeared and I had a lot more energy. I also lost weight. Can't remember how much now. Vegetables alone do not satisfy me. Even adding grains/nuts to the veggies is not satisfying for me. Now if you go by the Blood Type diet, I'm an O, and that makes me a carnivore and no amount of veggies are going to satisfy me.

I do agree regarding the processed foods and I don't have a problem with veggies, I just need a slab of some kind of meat to go with. Usually chicken or fish, but sometimes beef and pork. Just my two cents worth.

[BookNut]

I did the Atkins diet about 10 years ago and had great success with it. The first two weeks is the hardest. My pain disappeared and I had a lot more energy. I also lost weight. Can't remember how much now. Vegetables alone do not satisfy me. Even adding grains/nuts to the veggies is not satisfying for me. Now if you go by the Blood Type diet, I'm an O, and that makes me a carnivore and no amount of veggies are going to satisfy me.

I do agree regarding the processed foods and I don't have a problem with veggies, I just need a slab of some kind of meat to go with. Usually chicken or fish, but sometimes beef and pork. Just my two cents worth.

Interesting. I never heard of the blood type diet. Something new for me to research. Thanks!

P.S. I love the "yoga cat" avatar!

[Pierre42]

If you're after diet recommendations:

(1) Sugar is inflammatory, so the less you consume the better, you can live perfectly well without ANY "processed sugar" (ie cane/beet sugar, or HFCS) in anything you eat. (and before anybody screams at me ... feel free to go completely nuts and eat ALL the fruit you want, it's REALLY hard to get "too much sugar from fruit" if you're actually eating raw fresh fruit.)

(2) Intermittent Fasting is apparently one of those "miracle cure" thingys which actually does work. (Surprisingly, you don't have to buy ANYTHING)

Don't take my word for it, watch the documentary: Eat, Fast and Live Longer - Horizon on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/54089463)

For two days a week, eat nothing. (literally no food at all)

Together is best, but you can still get most of the benefit from two separate days. HUGE benefits to your health all around, especially things like glucose/insulin response and cholesterol. (ie scientifically measured benefits)

In the documentary they talk about the challenge of doing this In The Real World and suggest 2 separate 24 hour "days" , eg skip dinner today, plus breakfast and lunch tomorrow, have dinner as normal tomorrow.

Been there, done that, found it surprisingly not a problem. (currently taking a break from any caloric restrictions due to recovering from surgery)

[MCC]

Another good documentary on how diet effect health is FOODMATTERS® | Natural Health & Nutrition | FOODMATTERS® (http://www.foodmatters.tv/)



"Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food" - Hippocrates. That is the message from the founding father of modern medicine echoed in the controversial new documentary film Food Matters from Producer-Directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch.


With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what's wrong with our malnourished bodies, it's no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide 'sickness industry' and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally.

In what promises to be the most contentious idea put forward, the filmmakers have interviewed several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of foods, supplements and detoxification can be used to help with chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.

The focus of the film is in helping us rethink the belief systems fed to us by our modern medical and health care establishments.



PS. NO I am not saying quit your medication in favour of a healthy diet.

[mishb]

If you're after diet recommendations:

(1) Sugar is inflammatory, so the less you consume the better, you can live perfectly well without ANY "processed sugar" (ie cane/beet sugar, or HFCS) in anything you eat. (and before anybody screams at me ... feel free to go completely nuts and eat ALL the fruit you want, it's REALLY hard to get "too much sugar from fruit" if you're actually eating raw fresh fruit.)

(2) Intermittent Fasting is apparently one of those "miracle cure" thingys which actually does work. (Surprisingly, you don't have to buy ANYTHING)

Don't take my word for it, watch the documentary: Eat, Fast and Live Longer - Horizon on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/54089463)

For two days a week, eat nothing. (literally no food at all)

Together is best, but you can still get most of the benefit from two separate days. HUGE benefits to your health all around, especially things like glucose/insulin response and cholesterol. (ie scientifically measured benefits)

In the documentary they talk about the challenge of doing this In The Real World and suggest 2 separate 24 hour "days" , eg skip dinner today, plus breakfast and lunch tomorrow, have dinner as normal tomorrow.

Been there, done that, found it surprisingly not a problem. (currently taking a break from any caloric restrictions due to recovering from surgery)


Pierre, this diet doesn't really work for us when we need to take medication during or after a meal :razz:

A lady at work did this diet for 12 months and lost 15 kilo, which is all she wanted to lose.
She absolutely loved eating this way, however she eventually became very sick, lethargic and had a lot of muscle weakness.
The doctors found that she was extremely low on insulin but not diabetic. They told her to stop the diet.

I think with any dietary change, you should consult your doctor first

[BookNut]

Just a quick update. Had lab work done yet again. Still on High Fat, Low Carb diet. Last labs had the bad cholesterol as raised very slightly but still in the normal range. Today's labs list the bad cholesterol at 98...21 points lower than the last reading. Yahoo!!! The good cholesterol went down slightly and the triglycerides went up a little. But the total cholesterol went down by 24 points. Yahoo again!!

[KimH]

Hi Jacquie, I have been trying to diet too. I bought the Grain Brian when it first came out. I also have a few of Dr Hyman books. When I fall off the healthy eating wagon I feel it. I had always eaten healthy and had not been overweight but years of illness and the sedentary life has had a effect. Years of not having health insurance forced my Dr to pick and choose lab work and meds. I got insurance in January and I am in drug induced remission while very slowly getting off the prednisone. I am hoping for more RTX in August. Now my Dr is beginning to look at the other stuff. I have a mild fracture of L 1 and L 2 and had a bone scan which showed that some of my bones are swiss cheese. I will find out what is next to solve that issue. My doctor is consulting with Dr Lebovics to see if there is any contraindications with fosamax or something similar. I might end up going to the Osteoporosis clinic at UCONN. Next is cholesterol tests. I hope the diet is working to prevent high levels of the LDL s.

[me2]

I used to fast when I was not on medications. It is a good practice. But now that I have to take meds it is not good to dump meds into an empty stomach. So my practice now is to do an apple fast. Apples have pectin which is also benificial to cleansing.

[BookNut]

Talk to your doctor about calcium and vitamin d. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis of the hip and osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis) in my shoulders. The nurse practitioner at my medical group prescribed fosomax, and my doctor had a fit. Took me right off it and telling me that she did not like it, because the bone it regrew was not good strong bones, and resulted in serious fractures of the tibia. sure enough, a year or so later these fractures were all over the news. Anyway, she told me to start walking regularly and to take 1500 mg of calcium and 5000 mg of vitamin d every day. After a year of walking 3-5 miles a day, 4 times a week and taking the supplements as directed, my osteopenia disappeared and my osteoporosis was upgraded to osteopena. Yay! Of course, I am afraid to have it tested now. I have not been able to walk further than across the supermarket in a few months now, and have been on prednisone about 8times in the past year!


SO glad to hear that you now have insurance. Can't imagine how you managed before! I have recently had to modify my no wheat rule. I simply cannot stand even the thought of meat or eggs for breakfast. I thought I was doing well by eating peanut butter on rice cakes. However...my doctor tells me that rice cakes are the worst thing I could eat for sugar levels, especially when on pred. Evidently rice cakes are at the very top of the glycemic index. So....I buy organic white and wheat flour. I have a recipe for whole wheat bread in my bread machine that is fool proof. I eat one slice of it toasted in the morning with peanut butter. That lowered my glucose level from 98 to 83 in a weeks time. So guess I will stick to that. Do not plan to let my doctor know about the bread. She will have a fit. But it is that or starve in the morning. :rolleyes1:

[BookNut]

I used to fast when I was not on medications. It is a good practice. But now that I have to take meds it is not good to dump meds into an empty stomach. So my practice now is to do an apple fast. Apples have pectin which is also benificial to cleansing.

Can you tell me the details of an apple fast? I have been doing a modified fast.I think it is Dr. Mercola who recommended it. I am not sure. Instead of doing a typical fast every few days, he does a 16 hour fast every day. This happens to work for me because I take my worst meds at breakfast and dinner. Since I am a very late riser, I generally have breakfast at 11 am. Then I eat dinner at around 5-6. I make sure that I have something substantial at about 7 pm. Then I stop eating until 11 the next morning. I NEVER thought I could do it...but it works for me. I have lost a few pounds and have no problem with the fasting hours. Would be interested in the apple fast concept. Thanks!

[me2]

Hi Jacquie,
I can tell you what I have been doing . I have been doing a modified form of an apple fast. I actually do a real one from time to time but the modified seems to be working for me best now. What makes it modified is that I'm not eating just apples for two- three days , which is what would be considered an apple fast. I just randomly eat a meal or two meals on a given day that is just apples. I may not get the full benefits from just eating a meal or two a day as apples but I've become more of a compromiser than I used to be. If I get stronger and healthier I will do more of the three day fasts.

I have been using apple fasts for over thirty years. I first got the idea from the work of Edgar Cayce. Science has now shown why it is a good idea. One benefit of an apple fast is removing heavy metals from the body like mercury. I read about some recent scientific work done showing that the apple was stellar at this- they were surprised. I was not.

I just now looked through a few online articles on the subject and this web page seems to best explain my understanding and experience:

Apple Detox | Leslie Kenton's Healthy And Lean For Life (http://lesliekenton.com/health/apple-magic/)

[BookNut]

Hi Jacquie,
I can tell you what I have been doing . I have been doing a modified form of an apple fast. I actually do a real one from time to time but the modified seems to be working for me best now. What makes it modified is that I'm not eating just apples for two- three days , which is what would be considered an apple fast. I just randomly eat a meal or two meals on a given day that is just apples. I may not get the full benefits from just eating a meal or two a day as apples but I've become more of a compromiser than I used to be. If I get stronger and healthier I will do more of the three day fasts.

I have been using apple fasts for over thirty years. I first got the idea from the work of Edgar Cayce. Science has now shown why it is a good idea. One benefit of an apple fast is removing heavy metals from the body like mercury. I read about some recent scientific work done showing that the apple was stellar at this- they were surprised. I was not.

I just now looked through a few online articles on the subject and this web page seems to best explain my understanding and experience:

Apple Detox | Leslie Kenton's Healthy And Lean For Life (http://lesliekenton.com/health/apple-magic/)


Thanks for the info! I will have a look at the link.

[mrtmeo]

NAC (N-Acetylcystein) 600mg 2x's per day and keeping vitamin D levels between the optimum range of 60-80 ng/mL has helped my mom for years.

[Pierre42]

Did you look at the link I posted?

Nothing will convince me that lots of butter, meat and cream is a good thing. You will end up swapping autoimmune disease for heart problems :( I agree with Lisa that dairy is for calves, not humans. Read this about kids especially and dairy: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/time-to-stop-milking-it-6501841.html

I believe the best diet for health is vegan. No animal products, healthy carbs and lots of veg and fruit :)


The "high fat diets cause heart disease" meme is now almost but not completely conclusively proven to be a FURFY (probably thanks to the food, mostly sugar, industry).

Demonstrably, eating high fat/high cholesterol food, does NOT cause your veins and arteries to clog up. (this is now proven science)

Your body PRODUCES far more cholesterol than you consume (for 99.9 something percent of the population). (another science fact)

Cholesterol in your veins is a SYMPTOM of chronic inflammation, NOT a cause of ANY disease. (another fact, that the medical industry is finally starting to admit)

Sure there are issues with high-protein diets and kidney issues, and mumble-something calcium issues....

But life is a balancing act, too much oxygen WILL kill you (quickly) ditto too much water. That does NOT make either oxygen or water "bad for you" nor does it make "lots of ..." bad for you either, but everything has a "too much" level.



Seriously folks, RUN away from ANY Medical professional who says rubbish blanket statements like "high fat diets cause heart disease and will kill you", they're dinosaurs living on the vestiges of victorian-era medical science. THEY ARE IN FLAT-OUT DENIAL OF KNOWN CURRENT MEDICAL SCIENCE.



FACT: trans-fats are toxic and will kill you.

FACT: ditto margarine.

FACT: a decent amount of "animal fats" in your diet is the nectar of the gods to your biology, it's REALLY hard to have too much (aside from the obvious calorie intake issue), because 'normally' your body rapidly goes "urgh" (so listen to it).

FACT: freely available carbs (starchy food, 'pure carb' food, processed sugary food) are ASTRONOMICALLY more toxic to your biology than just about ANY "fat", ever. (please note, I'm mostly but not quite exclusively talking about modern processed food that has/is starch/carbs/sugar - eating "sugary" fruit/vegetables is WAY less toxic, due to (a) less actual sugar/carbs, (b) typically more complex, (c) has fibre, (d) has other nutrients (e) your body says "too much" fairly quickly (f) in processed food we DELIBERATELY add ingredients to mask our natural "urgh too much sugar" reactions *specifically* so that the product will sell more in an "addictive" fashion, etc, etc, etc)

FACT: even worse are foods high in BOTH sugar and fat (apparently it magically bypasses your natural "that's enough of that" reflex, and you ALWAYS want more) {chocolate? eclairs? glazed donuts? ice-cream?}

FACT: calorie restriction (either long-term reasonably-low calorie dieting, or periodic "intermittent fasting") makes HUGE improvements in a wide range of biological markers as tracked in blood tests, people live longer, have less health issues....


SUMMARY: eat less sugar/carbs, eat more "animal fats", eat less all the time ("millions of starving in Africa/etc" can ignore this, I'm talking to modern middle-class western society - ALMOST all of us "eat more than we should") or do the intermittent fasting thing - and live a longer , healthier, and happier life.


CAUTION: your GP will probably HATE you for it, if they can remember your name (you'll be visiting them a LOT less).

[BookNut]

I think a vegan diet CAN be healthy....but it is hard to get the fat our brains need. I have done a great deal of research on the subject...and the high fat/high cholesterol hypothesis of the past decades was based on very shaky science. I am living proof. Although my bad cholesterol went up a little on my diet at first, it eventually went down below my pre-diet numbers. And my triglyceride and good cholesterol numbers are awesome. My doctor did not realize that I had followed her dietary advice...but when she looked at my lab reports she knew right away that i had changed my eating habits. The fake fats and extreme amounts of sugar and carbs in processed food is wrecking our health. Home cooking with fresh foods, and grass fed meat and pasture raised chicken and eggs from pasture raised eggs is a great way to go. Once you get used to it....a box of Kraft Mac n Cheese looks and tastes about as healthy as a bag of circus peanuts! :-)