Introduction

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Robb Wolf. I’m a strength & conditioning coach in Northern California. I, my mother and most of her side of our Scott/Irish family have celiac. I am a former research biochemist with special interest in lipid metabolism. You folks have a great community here; I’d love to participate! If you have any questions I’d love to help fuel your celiac athletes.

Robb

[CarlaB]

Welcome!

You didn't mention whether you had it, too. Not that it matters, there are others here who don't but have family member who do, so I'm just curious.

I think it's the weight training that kept me from looking very sickly when I was losing so much weight, this is a good niche for you. There have been several threads on how to gain weight where exercise is brought up, and also during how to lose discussions. It will be good to have a "resident expert."

[Guhlia]

Welcome!

[inquirer]

Great to have you join us. The more information the better!

[pturse]

Hi Everyone!

My name is Robb Wolf. I’m a strength & conditioning coach in Northern California. I, my mother and most of her side of our Scott/Irish family have celiac. I am a former research biochemist with special interest in lipid metabolism. You folks have a great community here; I’d love to participate! If you have any questions I’d love to help fuel your celiac athletes.

Robb

Welcome Robb! I am also in Northern California. Since going gluten free I have gained quite a bit of weight. Weight that wasnot totally necessary. A few lbs were fine but now I am pushing more than 15. I am a runner who has transitioned in triathlons the past year or so. I am doing my first 1/2 Ironman in Aug.

I want to do better in all portions of the tri but I find these extra 15 lbs or so are weighing me down. I know I have developed some muscle but I know I have some "non-muscle" to lose and the more I train, the hungrier I get. Any suggestions? I have stopped eating the gluten free foods (except for a slice of bread occasionally). I normally do corn tortillas. My one addiction is sugar though. I can't stay away. I know I must be missing something in my diet to cause these unbelievable cravings. I have recently tried adding more protein (I am a vegan too) to each meal.

Is there anything that will help my metabolism. I really feel like it is gone. I am 29 and a female by the way. Thanks!

[jenvan]

Robb-

Hi! If you are willing to help, I'm sure there are some athletes here who would love some *fueling* tips. Sometimes lack of energy can't be helped at the beginning stages of healing, but oftentimes it can be improved. Here have been quite a few threads on this topic, here is one example, if you are interested...

Open Original Shared Link

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I was diagnosed with celiac in ’98 but it was not until the other day that I thought of looking for some gluten-free/celiac sites. Sooo much lost time!

Pturse-

Here is my $0.02. I’ve found it very rare that eating vegan can sustain either favorable body composition or high-level athleticism. Now there are exceptions but this is where the law of averages comes in…in general how many people excel on a standard high carb, low protein, and low fat diet? Again this is just my opinion, but if you are eating vegan for “health” reasons I think your efforts may be counter productive. If it’s for political/philosophical reasons then you may need to evaluate (assuming what I am saying is accurate) if you are willing to take a hit on your health for the sake of the ideology. If this is in any way sounding hoity-tooity or condescending please send me a psychic kick to the fanny and I will take a time out!

The sugar cravings are likely a result of meals that have too many carbs and not enough fat and protein. If you follow the pattern I’ve seen (and personally experienced) you eat a meal, perhaps rice, lentils and some veggies and in 30-45 min you are ravenous for sugar. As a comparison try eating a meal that consists of 5-7oz of tofu stir-fried with some chopped veggies, 2-3 TBL. Olive oil and a handful of nuts. Lots of protein and fat? Yes indeed and you will not have a carb roller coaster form that meal. Give a few meals like this a shot and see how you feel. If you must remain vegan then you will need to shift food composition in this direction. When you do you will lean out very easily and sugar cravings should become infrequent. My main concern with this approach is a lack of food variety, particularly your protein sources. You are relegated to tofu, temph (obviously NO seitan!!!) and rice protein powder. Not much variety and this is just asking for food allergies to the chronically consumed soy foods. Either way I’d be happy to help you get this dialed in. Just try the higher protein/fat meals so you can critically evaluate what I’m talking about. Nothing instructs like personal experience! Let me know how that goes. Lets look to find a nutritional strategy that will help you to lean out and then we can tinker with your training.

Jen-

I’d love to help in this area anyway I can. Have you folks talked about the use of glutamine to help repair the microvili? Coconut oil and or MCT oil can be an option for a dense calorie source during intestinal healing. Since the brush border of the intestines is damaged it can make fat absorption difficult. MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) and coconut oil can be helpful in this regard. Supplemental fish oil is very important once normal digestion is returned as folks are chronically essential fatty acid deficient due to long standing intestinal absorption issues.

If y’all know all this stuff my apologies for completely re-inventing the wheel!

[jenvan]

Robb-

Interesting on the fatty acids... Was reading about a deficiency linked to depression (fairly prevalant here--also for various reasons).

L-glutamine has been discussed here, althought not as much recently. But there are a few here who do take it on a consistent basis and feel they notice improvement. Could that be incidental, I've wondered at times? I did take it initally, but not for very long. It has taken me since Feb of 2005 to just now start getting the old energy back... Coconut oil and MCT...I'm sure some here would be interested in that. Although--after healing begins many of us are more concerned with stopping the gain

Out of curiousity--what was your area of research or focus? Anything you could describe without overwhelming us "normal" folk ?

[pturse]

Wow, Robb, thank you very much for that ".02 reply." I really appreciate it.

To answer some of your questions, I am not vegan for political or religious reasons. Mainly because 1. I am allergic to dairy (that was discovered when I was about 5 years old) and 2. I just never really "liked" the taste of meat and so at 16, decided to stop eating it. However, when I first went gluten free a few years back (I have been on and off this diet so many times, trying now for good). I happened to be in Maui at one crucial point in the diet when there was nothing for me to eat, but they had fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks. My hubby and I never liked sea food but both agreed to give it a try. Not bad. So I guess my "vegan" label should no longer apply, just so used to saying it so that restaurants don't mess up & give me cheese or beef. I can safely say, that now I indulge in a little fish (maybe once every other month) and usually Ahi. It makes eating out easier but I cannot do it in large amounts, I think my system isn't quite used to having that type of protein.

I agree with your comments about the sugar. I have just started reading a Sugar Addict's Road to Recovery and she recommends a little protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Also, no snacks and lots of water. So, I am giving that a shot. I am trying eat Ahi more frequently and I have started eating eggs (or rather egg whites and egg beaters) more as well. Laying off the carby foods unless I have a big training session or a race. My one road block is I am around the sugar a lot (i.e. at work) so I am doing my best to not be around it as much (such as taking a route not past the "candy desk"). It isn't donuts or anything it's pure candy and not even chocolate.

I also think my brain to stomach indicator is um, broken. I need to learn to eat slowly. I am guilty of eating too quickly and often standing up.

I really appreciate all your advice and tips. My training has been going okay but for the amount that I do, I would think that I'd be losing a pound if not two. I am not worrying too much about it. Training time is not the time to try and lose weight. But I have been slightly dehydrated lately no matter how much water I consume.

I will try the higher protein/fat diet a little more. Too much fat doesn't sit well with my already sensitive stomach nor does too much protein. Baby steps.

Have a great weekend! It's been beautiful in Northern CA the past few days!

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Robb-

Interesting on the fatty acids... Was reading about a deficiency linked to depression (fairly prevalant here--also for various reasons).

L-glutamine has been discussed here, althought not as much recently. But there are a few here who do take it on a consistent basis and feel they notice improvement. Could that be incidental, I've wondered at times? I did take it initally, but not for very long. It has taken me since Feb of 2005 to just now start getting the old energy back... Coconut oil and MCT...I'm sure some here would be interested in that. Although--after healing begins many of us are more concerned with stopping the gain

Out of curiousity--what was your area of research or focus? Anything you could describe without overwhelming us "normal" folk ?

Hey Jen!

If one becomes deficient in n-3 fatty acids (omega 3 fatty acids), like those found in fish oil, virtually every system is affected and not for the better. Most people are not getting enough n-3's due to an imbalance of n-3/n-6 fatty acids that is created because our meat and dairy are fed grains such as corn that are very high in n-6 fatty acids. Grass Fed meat is a great alternative if one can find/afford it. Short of that taking 3-8g of fish oil per day will bring things back to normal. Costco's Kirkland brand fish oil is excellent quality and very inexpensive.

L-glutamine is helpful in that it can be a preferred energy source for the cells of the intestinal epithelium but these cells actually repair/grow fairly quickly. The gut lining can recover fairly quickly but one is typically in a state of systemic inflammation that takes many months to heal. This may be some of "drop-off" in efficacy of the glutamine.

My area of research was broadly "nutritional biochemistry" but my main focus when I worked at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was lipid metabolism. We were a support lab that studies the fatty acid profiles of study subjects and controls for many of the large studies like Shanghai, Nurses Health (follow-up) and a few others. I also did a research fellowship with Prof. Loren Cordain in the area of Paleolithic Diet research. Specifically I looked at small growth called skin tags and their relationship to chronically elevated insulin levels and potential predictive strength for epithelial cancers (breast, prostate, colon).

If you ever have insomnia I promise my rambling can fix it!

Wow, Robb, thank you very much for that ".02 reply." I really appreciate it.

To answer some of your questions, I am not vegan for political or religious reasons. Mainly because 1. I am allergic to dairy (that was discovered when I was about 5 years old) and 2. I just never really "liked" the taste of meat and so at 16, decided to stop eating it. However, when I first went gluten free a few years back (I have been on and off this diet so many times, trying now for good). I happened to be in Maui at one crucial point in the diet when there was nothing for me to eat, but they had fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks. My hubby and I never liked sea food but both agreed to give it a try. Not bad. So I guess my "vegan" label should no longer apply, just so used to saying it so that restaurants don't mess up & give me cheese or beef. I can safely say, that now I indulge in a little fish (maybe once every other month) and usually Ahi. It makes eating out easier but I cannot do it in large amounts, I think my system isn't quite used to having that type of protein.

I agree with your comments about the sugar. I have just started reading a Sugar Addict's Road to Recovery and she recommends a little protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Also, no snacks and lots of water. So, I am giving that a shot. I am trying eat Ahi more frequently and I have started eating eggs (or rather egg whites and egg beaters) more as well. Laying off the carby foods unless I have a big training session or a race. My one road block is I am around the sugar a lot (i.e. at work) so I am doing my best to not be around it as much (such as taking a route not past the "candy desk"). It isn't donuts or anything it's pure candy and not even chocolate.

I also think my brain to stomach indicator is um, broken. I need to learn to eat slowly. I am guilty of eating too quickly and often standing up.

I really appreciate all your advice and tips. My training has been going okay but for the amount that I do, I would think that I'd be losing a pound if not two. I am not worrying too much about it. Training time is not the time to try and lose weight. But I have been slightly dehydrated lately no matter how much water I consume.

I will try the higher protein/fat diet a little more. Too much fat doesn't sit well with my already sensitive stomach nor does too much protein. Baby steps.

Have a great weekend! It's been beautiful in Northern CA the past few days!

If fish works you can try some options like Trader Joes caned Wiled Alaskan Salmon. Great stuff. Dice some romaine, put 1/2 the can on and cover with grated ginger, grated carrots and some sesame oil...pretty darn yummy! Trader Joes also carries some small Portuguese sardines (don't run!) Bella Olahao. Again really yummy and these fish are much lower on the food chain than tuna so issues of mercury toxicity are removed. If you are doing eggs I'd try to get "omega 3" enriched eggs. They may go by the name "EPA/DHA" eggs or n-3 (omega three). Costco has a super good quality n-3 egg in an 18pack. Eat them yolk and all!!

Let me know how this goes and any way I can help. You are right! N-California has been spectacular the past few days. I hope the weather has not set us up for a fall when it turns hot!

Take care and have a great weekend.

[whitball]

Hi Rob, welcome to the forum. I am excited to have someone with your expertise on this forum and one who is willing to offer assistance. In the early 80's, I was a college athlete. I am now 45 years old and today I ran for the first time in 12 years. I have spent the last twelve years completely unable to run, barely able to lift weights and experienced an intense muscle failure even upon acceration during the first few minutes of biking, walking or walking up stairs. I have been told that I have a metabolic myopathy in the past and was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. I have lost thirteen pounds since february and am excited to continue with weight loss. My question is, how do I get myself back to a regular running/weight lifting routine after so many years, what can I do to control my ravenous appetite after exercise and how can I increase stamina with diet? Thanks for your help. Tara

[Kaycee]

I don't know if I am the exception to the rule or not.

I have been gluten free for five months.

I have not suffered undue tiredness, even before my diagnosis.

I have noticed a difference in my appetite.

Before I used to be so ravenously hungry, and I ate bread, and that probably kept the cycle of hunger going, and I was overweight. I would do an early morning walk with a friend for 45 minutes and then walk the dog at night for another half hour. So I was active, but not overly. I had lost about 12 kilos before dianosis. That was hard to loose.

Now that I can't have bread, I do occassionally have gluten free bread, but mainly have rice or corn crackers, but not a lot of them. The rest of the time, I fill up on fruit and veges and maybe a couple of servings of milk, and a good helping of protein every day, usually meat or cans of tuna or salmon.

So the diet is pretty varied, forgot to mention, cereal for breakfast with yoghurt, it would be a rice porridge or a museli. I try to avoid preservatives, colours and flavours as I don't think they agree with me. This diet I feel suits me, I am happy on it and it is filling, and I don't feel like I am filling myself up on crap. I would never have thought this way last year!

I find that most gluten free products aimed at us, are usually very high in fats and are probably no better than there counterparts in the gluten world, so I avoid them most of the time. I do have my treats.

What has amazed me is that I am no longer have that hunger to eat nonstop, I am not so worried about loosing weight, even though I have not lost any since diagnosis, I am exactly the same weight. But I feel more in control of my weight and what I eat. I get a bit worried that I might get bored with the food. Last week I ditched my raw carrot as a snack. Have had too many of them. But we are in fruit and vege heaven here in NZ. There is an orchard up the road, and the fruit and veges are wonderful.

I still walk every day. You can't tell the dog not to walk, she would cry non-stop until I walk her. And my friend would drag me out of bed if I did not walk with her. Talking about bed, I sleep a lot better now, unless I eat chocolate.

My energy levels are the same, maybe a little better, so I feel I am doing okay, but I can see room for improvement, and once I get down to 10 stone I will be a lot better off, and that is only another two stone away.

Cathy

[BRUMI1968]

Wow, Robb, thank you very much for that ".02 reply." I really appreciate it.

To answer some of your questions, I am not vegan for political or religious reasons. Mainly because 1. I am allergic to dairy (that was discovered when I was about 5 years old) and 2. I just never really "liked" the taste of meat and so at 16, decided to stop eating it. However, when I first went gluten free a few years back (I have been on and off this diet so many times, trying now for good). I happened to be in Maui at one crucial point in the diet when there was nothing for me to eat, but they had fresh Ahi Tuna Steaks. My hubby and I never liked sea food but both agreed to give it a try. Not bad. So I guess my "vegan" label should no longer apply, just so used to saying it so that restaurants don't mess up & give me cheese or beef. I can safely say, that now I indulge in a little fish (maybe once every other month) and usually Ahi. It makes eating out easier but I cannot do it in large amounts, I think my system isn't quite used to having that type of protein.

I agree with your comments about the sugar. I have just started reading a Sugar Addict's Road to Recovery and she recommends a little protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Also, no snacks and lots of water. So, I am giving that a shot. I am trying eat Ahi more frequently and I have started eating eggs (or rather egg whites and egg beaters) more as well. Laying off the carby foods unless I have a big training session or a race. My one road block is I am around the sugar a lot (i.e. at work) so I am doing my best to not be around it as much (such as taking a route not past the "candy desk"). It isn't donuts or anything it's pure candy and not even chocolate.

I also think my brain to stomach indicator is um, broken. I need to learn to eat slowly. I am guilty of eating too quickly and often standing up.

I really appreciate all your advice and tips. My training has been going okay but for the amount that I do, I would think that I'd be losing a pound if not two. I am not worrying too much about it. Training time is not the time to try and lose weight. But I have been slightly dehydrated lately no matter how much water I consume.

I will try the higher protein/fat diet a little more. Too much fat doesn't sit well with my already sensitive stomach nor does too much protein. Baby steps.

Have a great weekend! It's been beautiful in Northern CA the past few days!

Not to be a downer, but watch your intake of tuna - it is loaded with mercury. You might want to try some other fish like salmon - less mercury altogether. It used to be advised that pregnant women and children limit themselves to one can of tuna a day; now they say that for all women. Also, tuna steaks have even more mercury than cans of tuna.

Did you have any mahi mahi in Hawaii? I think it is a snapper. Yum!

[Green12]

My area of research was broadly "nutritional biochemistry" but my main focus when I worked at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was lipid metabolism. We were a support lab that studies the fatty acid profiles of study subjects and controls for many of the large studies like Shanghai, Nurses Health (follow-up) and a few others. I also did a research fellowship with Prof. Loren Cordain in the area of Paleolithic Diet research. Specifically I looked at small growth called skin tags and their relationship to chronically elevated insulin levels and potential predictive strength for epithelial cancers (breast, prostate, colon).

Welcome Robb, I am also excited to have someone with all of your knowledge be a part of this forum!!

I noticed you mentioned skin tags. I just had a larger one removed this last week. I still have several really small ones in various places on my body, and they seem to run in my family on my mom's side, as well as diabetes. When I have my blood sugar tests taken I am always within normal range, the fasting level as well as the extended hour one where you drink the sugar solution throughout.

As far as my diet, it's a little tricky since I have multiple food intolerances, and for the most part I just don't have enough to vary and eat. All starches and grains make me swell up with enormous amounts of fluid retention that eventually will turn into weight gain. But if I take the starches/grains out I feel like a walking zombie, literally no energy whatsoever, losing a pound a day, and my bowels won't move for anywhere up to 7-15 days. This is the pattern I have been stuck in, and battling, for about 14 years. Either severe edema and weight gain with bowel movements, or weight loss and no energy without bowel movements.

This has really interfered with my fitness level. I had always been an athlete. I swam competitively for years, and was always really active with crosstraining- running, hiking, weights, aerobics. Now, I am either too swollen or I don't have any energy to burn.

Any advice or suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

[inquirer]

Rob, how do you prepare the sardines? I've tried buying sardines a couple of time but wasn't able to get past the yuck factor. Your salmon recipe looked good.

Have you studied coconut oil much? My husband is currently taking it to reduce inflammation for autoimmune disease and for a yeast infection. One doctor thought it might cause inflammation instead of calming it but I'm not sure she's up on her research.

[DingoGirl]

Welcome Robb! Great to have you.

You know, I used to be so strong, trained (weights and cardio) five days a week and climbed, hiked or skiied on weekends....not any more. I quit everything about 3 or 4 years ago...was sick of the gym and lost my urge to do crazy things, somehow. I think it had a lot to do with malnutrition. Just wondering, at 44, if I'll ever get the urge to train back, and I hope I will....

But, I digress. Can you address anything about a serious arm strain I've got going on? Totally blew out my forearm, and I have never had an injury, thank God (except whiplash), while moving my couch into another room (um, had to put it on its end and on its side to get it un-wedged from the doorway - I think it really was too big and too heavy and I should have waited for a strong male to do it )....I can no longer even undo my seatbelt due to right fore-arm strain. Will this ever get better? I can feel the raised knot/cord in the top of the forearm and it is going down to my hand and up my whole arm now. I can't really straighten it any more, either. I hate this! Really sympathizing with people who are injured or physically impaired, my friend has to come over and take a nail out of a stud in the wall (also didn't help that I hung a 50-pound mirror the same day as couch moving).

Any advice? Thanks!

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Welcome Robb, I am also excited to have someone with all of your knowledge be a part of this forum!!

I noticed you mentioned skin tags. I just had a larger one removed this last week. I still have several really small ones in various places on my body, and they seem to run in my family on my mom's side, as well as diabetes. When I have my blood sugar tests taken I am always within normal range, the fasting level as well as the extended hour one where you drink the sugar solution throughout.

As far as my diet, it's a little tricky since I have multiple food intolerances, and for the most part I just don't have enough to vary and eat. All starches and grains make me swell up with enormous amounts of fluid retention that eventually will turn into weight gain. But if I take the starches/grains out I feel like a walking zombie, literally no energy whatsoever, losing a pound a day, and my bowels won't move for anywhere up to 7-15 days. This is the pattern I have been stuck in, and battling, for about 14 years. Either severe edema and weight gain with bowel movements, or weight loss and no energy without bowel movements.

This has really interfered with my fitness level. I had always been an athlete. I swam competitively for years, and was always really active with crosstraining- running, hiking, weights, aerobics. Now, I am either too swollen or I don't have any energy to burn.

Any advice or suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Julie!

Skin tags appear to be a result of chronically elevated insulin levels. Now from my perspective the "normal" range for many lab tests is anything but normal and it is likely not indicative of being healthy. Keep in mind that a "normal" glucose tolerance test may be suspect simply form the fact that the numbers mainstream medicine accepts as normal may not be great for some people. Related to this is the fact that an oral glucose tolerance test does not show insulin levels either for that moment or throughout the day and that may be the more important consideration for skin tags, diabetes (type2), some types of cancers etc.

Hyperinsulinism can manifest in different ways in different people. One person may be overweight, another person may look slim but suffers form polycystic ovarian syndrome and depression. It's not a one disease, one symptom scenario. This is why hyperinsulinism is broadly categorized as "Syndrome X" and the list of problems related to elevated insulin levels grows longer with every day.

So what to do?

1-I'd try rotating your protein sources. Chicken one week, beef the next, pork the next etc. If the food sensitivities are really a problem sticking with one main protein source for about a week and then not doing that for a few weeks can be helpful.

2-Starches can be problematic not only from an insulin perspective but also digestion wise. Yams a sweet potatoes may be less problematic digestively but can be easily overdone...have you tried these? If you add loads of steamed veggies to your plan make sure to add a generous amount of olive oil, nuts or avocado to every meal. You need those fats to establish normal intestinal function and it will help you switch your metabolism to fat for most of your energy. You may feel like dookey for a few days. If you want to post a food log that will make it easier to see how you are responding to a specific protocol so things can be tinkered.

3-dairy can be problematic both with regards to insulin levels but also is a cross reactor with many celiacs. Oddly enough high fructose fruits such as apples and pears can also be problematic. Melons and berries which have a larger amount of glucose than fructose are often better tolerated.

Let me know if that stuff makes sense and if you want to get going on a plan. It may take some tinkering but you can find something that works!

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Hi Rob, welcome to the forum. I am excited to have someone with your expertise on this forum and one who is willing to offer assistance. In the early 80's, I was a college athlete. I am now 45 years old and today I ran for the first time in 12 years. I have spent the last twelve years completely unable to run, barely able to lift weights and experienced an intense muscle failure even upon acceration during the first few minutes of biking, walking or walking up stairs. I have been told that I have a metabolic myopathy in the past and was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. I have lost thirteen pounds since february and am excited to continue with weight loss. My question is, how do I get myself back to a regular running/weight lifting routine after so many years, what can I do to control my ravenous appetite after exercise and how can I increase stamina with diet? Thanks for your help. Tara

Tara-

I guess it goes without saying go slow in the beginning! Jumping straight into running may be too much. Walk, stretch, and get a little sun in the process. As you feel stronger wear a backpack with 5-10lbs of books in it and step up your walking pace. You cannot fire a cannon from a canoe! You need to re-establish a base of activity then add things like pushups against the wall, then from the knees etc. Safe easy progression.

Nutritionally grains (all types, particularly wheat) legumes and dairy can pose serious problems for autoimmune conditions. I'm not sure if your myopathy is autoimmune but it is common to see lupus, and RA amongst celiacs (I have RA but its pretty well controlled with diet).

So, try some easy non-fatiguing exercise 4-5 days per week for a week or two and see how that goes. Get 4-6 small meals with lean protein, lightly cooked veggies (raw may be a bit much for your digestion) and good fats form nuts, olive oil avocadoes etc. Try to keep all processed foods out of the picture 5 days out of 7. Its not rocket science but it works pretty well!

Rob, how do you prepare the sardines? I've tried buying sardines a couple of time but wasn't able to get past the yuck factor. Your salmon recipe looked good.

Have you studied coconut oil much? My husband is currently taking it to reduce inflammation for autoimmune disease and for a yeast infection. One doctor thought it might cause inflammation instead of calming it but I'm not sure she's up on her research.

The Bella Olhao sardines are pretty good as is. I just dump the can in a bowl of greens and go to town. You can find them at this site if you do not have Trader Joes nearby:

Open Original Shared Link

Coconut oil can have some antimicrobial activity but if your husband has chronic inflammation and a potential yeast condition it’s a pretty safe bet he has insulin regulation issue. Some good books to read are The Omega Rx Zone and the Pericone Weight Loss Prescription. Elevated insulin levels lead to an increase in the prostaglandin pathway that governs inflammation. Smart nutrition, fish oil and exercise can dramatically improve most situations.

Welcome Robb! Great to have you.

You know, I used to be so strong, trained (weights and cardio) five days a week and climbed, hiked or skiied on weekends....not any more. I quit everything about 3 or 4 years ago...was sick of the gym and lost my urge to do crazy things, somehow. I think it had a lot to do with malnutrition. Just wondering, at 44, if I'll ever get the urge to train back, and I hope I will....

But, I digress. Can you address anything about a serious arm strain I've got going on? Totally blew out my forearm, and I have never had an injury, thank God (except whiplash), while moving my couch into another room (um, had to put it on its end and on its side to get it un-wedged from the doorway - I think it really was too big and too heavy and I should have waited for a strong male to do it )....I can no longer even undo my seatbelt due to right fore-arm strain. Will this ever get better? I can feel the raised knot/cord in the top of the forearm and it is going down to my hand and up my whole arm now. I can't really straighten it any more, either. I hate this! Really sympathizing with people who are injured or physically impaired, my friend has to come over and take a nail out of a stud in the wall (also didn't help that I hung a 50-pound mirror the same day as couch moving).

Any advice? Thanks!

Susan-

Sorry I did not see this sooner...I had my browser set in some weird configuration and only see a few of the posts! Ice massage to the hurt area is super important in the first 48hrs. Take a Styrofoam or paper cup and fill it 2/3 full of water. Freeze it. Peel the top of the cur down so you have 1-2" of ice exposed and an insulated handle. Push around on the hurt area and find the tender spots. Ice those spots by gently rubbing the ice in small circles until that area is numb (1-4 min depending upon the structure). It's not the most pleasant thing but it knocks the inflammation down. Do this 3-4 times a day initially and then anytime its sore. Move it as much as you can without sharp pain...just keep it mobile. Once you have pain free range of movement its time to start strengthing. Let me know when you get there and we can figure out some options.

[mart]

Hi Robb - great to have you on board.

Can anyone tell me where I can get coconut oil? Maybe a stupid question, but does it come in a bottle or are they capsules?

[Mango04]

Hi Robb - great to have you on board.

Can anyone tell me where I can get coconut oil? Maybe a stupid question, but does it come in a bottle or are they capsules?

You can get it at health food stores. I'd recommend getting one that comes in a glass jar.

[Green12]

Hi Julie!

Skin tags appear to be a result of chronically elevated insulin levels. Now from my perspective the "normal" range for many lab tests is anything but normal and it is likely not indicative of being healthy. Keep in mind that a "normal" glucose tolerance test may be suspect simply form the fact that the numbers mainstream medicine accepts as normal may not be great for some people. Related to this is the fact that an oral glucose tolerance test does not show insulin levels either for that moment or throughout the day and that may be the more important consideration for skin tags, diabetes (type2), some types of cancers etc.

Hyperinsulinism can manifest in different ways in different people. One person may be overweight, another person may look slim but suffers form polycystic ovarian syndrome and depression. It's not a one disease, one symptom scenario. This is why hyperinsulinism is broadly categorized as "Syndrome X" and the list of problems related to elevated insulin levels grows longer with every day.

So what to do?

1-I'd try rotating your protein sources. Chicken one week, beef the next, pork the next etc. If the food sensitivities are really a problem sticking with one main protein source for about a week and then not doing that for a few weeks can be helpful.

2-Starches can be problematic not only from an insulin perspective but also digestion wise. Yams a sweet potatoes may be less problematic digestively but can be easily overdone...have you tried these? If you add loads of steamed veggies to your plan make sure to add a generous amount of olive oil, nuts or avocado to every meal. You need those fats to establish normal intestinal function and it will help you switch your metabolism to fat for most of your energy. You may feel like dookey for a few days. If you want to post a food log that will make it easier to see how you are responding to a specific protocol so things can be tinkered.

3-dairy can be problematic both with regards to insulin levels but also is a cross reactor with many celiacs. Oddly enough high fructose fruits such as apples and pears can also be problematic. Melons and berries which have a larger amount of glucose than fructose are often better tolerated.

Let me know if that stuff makes sense and if you want to get going on a plan. It may take some tinkering but you can find something that works!

Robb,

All this makes a lot of sense, thanks so much for your reply!

I just have a couple of questions if you don't mind me asking, I don't want to take up too much of your time

1) I try to rotate what I am eating everyday because of my multiple food allergy/intolerance issues, is that a problem or is it better to do what you suggest, rotating the protein sources from week to week? Typically I have turkey as the protein for lunch but I rotate dinner between chicken, beef, and I am attempting to add in salmon as well. Eggs are out for now.

2) Do beets, winter squashes (spagetti, acorn, etc), or red skinned potatoes have the same properties as yams, sweet potatoes? What about legumes? I can eat yams and sweet potatoes, sometimes I have a half of one for dinner, but I would need to rotate it with possibly the things I listed here, or other low starch substitutes. If I had 3 or 4 starchy veggie options to rotate with my protein that would be great for my food allergy/intolerance issue.

3) Nuts (or seeds) don't seem to be my friend, especially almonds and peanuts. I showed throught the roof allergic to these 2 on my Igg Ige blood tests. Aren't nuts and seeds in general hard on a compromised digestion system? Since I took eggs out of my diet recently I have substituted them with fruit for breakfast, it would be nice if I could have a few nuts along with the fruit. I've been doing really well with melons so far btw.

4) How high of a risk is diabetes and/or breast cancer for me given I have already developed skin tags?

Thanks again for your expertise and time!!

[inquirer]

Thanks for your input Robb. We're finding our way through this quagmire. My husband was put on three series of antibiotics and then prednisone when he got sick with the autoimmune disease so I think that's where he initially got the yeast which is in his lungs. I understand that he has to follow some type of candida diet but it's hard to get him to make dietary changes going gluten free was hard enough. He's currently on Diflucan but I'd like him to take something less toxic. Finding out he was gluten sensitive and killing the yeast have been big steps in his recovery.

[whitball]

Robb, thanks for your advice. I appreciate your time. I plan to follow your suggestions. What is RA? and my thigh muscle biopsy showed that I had many, many small muscle fibers and there were a few denervated nerves in the sample. Do I need to do different exercises/diet based on the information presented from the biopsy? Tara

[Guest Robb Wolf]

Robb,

All this makes a lot of sense, thanks so much for your reply!

I just have a couple of questions if you don't mind me asking, I don't want to take up too much of your time

1) I try to rotate what I am eating everyday because of my multiple food allergy/intolerance issues, is that a problem or is it better to do what you suggest, rotating the protein sources from week to week? Typically I have turkey as the protein for lunch but I rotate dinner between chicken, beef, and I am attempting to add in salmon as well. Eggs are out for now.

2) Do beets, winter squashes (spagetti, acorn, etc), or red skinned potatoes have the same properties as yams, sweet potatoes? What about legumes? I can eat yams and sweet potatoes, sometimes I have a half of one for dinner, but I would need to rotate it with possibly the things I listed here, or other low starch substitutes. If I had 3 or 4 starchy veggie options to rotate with my protein that would be great for my food allergy/intolerance issue.

3) Nuts (or seeds) don't seem to be my friend, especially almonds and peanuts. I showed throught the roof allergic to these 2 on my Igg Ige blood tests. Aren't nuts and seeds in general hard on a compromised digestion system? Since I took eggs out of my diet recently I have substituted them with fruit for breakfast, it would be nice if I could have a few nuts along with the fruit. I've been doing really well with melons so far btw.

4) How high of a risk is diabetes and/or breast cancer for me given I have already developed skin tags?

Thanks again for your expertise and time!!

Julie-

Here we go!

1)- Weekly rotation seems to minimize allergenic response. Ironically if one HAS an allergy only one exposure per week can keep antibodies at near maximum levels. It can certainly be a pain and get a bit monotonous but if one can stick to say chicken for a week, then shift to pork, then to beef...you will not see that main protein for quite some time. Be flexible! Don't get divorced, fired or alienated but give it a try for a month and see if the results are work the effort. That is ALWAYS the gold standard. How does it work for YOU? Theories are great but results are what matter.

2)Do beets, winter squashes (spagetti, acorn, etc), or red skinned potatoes have the same properties as yams, sweet potatoes? Those are all good foods from an allergy perspective but easy to overdo with regards to carb load. Try to get good amounts of vegetable matter to help blunt the insulin response. Legumes of all varieties are bad news IMO. Very high lectin load as with all the graminace (wheat, corn, rye oats etc). If one has an active autoimmune condition I'd be VERY wary of grains, legumes and dairy. This may not always be the way of things. As your immune system calms down and GI integrity improves you may be able to splurge with things like corn tortillas and other stuff. Just have to see about that!

3) You’re right, nuts and seeds can be very problematic. Coconut might be a good option. If you have a latex allergy bananas and avocadoes can be a problem. Again over time this should improve. Are you taking fish oil? This can be very helpful with inflammation and hyperactive allergy situations.

4)Cancer? No real way to know. Type 2 diabetes is (in my opinion) completely a disease of situation. Change your nutrition, exercise, sleep and you will not have type 2 diabetes. Not a popular position with the AMA and drug companies as a clean active lifestyle doe not sell glucophage and other drugs to manage these diseases. Related to the cancer: decrease your pre-diabetic symptoms and you will decrease your cancer risk.

I'd recommend a few books:

Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival

Sex, Lies and Menopause (One need be no where near menopause to benefit from this book...highly controversial but super important)

Omega Rx Zone

Protein Power: Life Plan (make sure to get the life plan version as an older PP book exists)

All of these are available through Amazon for like $2 per book. Some of the specifics differ from book to book but the main message of managing insulin, allergenic foods and immune function gone awry are consistent throughout. Let me know how it goes or if you have other questions.

Thanks for your input Robb. We're finding our way through this quagmire. My husband was put on three series of antibiotics and then prednisone when he got sick with the autoimmune disease so I think that's where he initially got the yeast which is in his lungs. I understand that he has to follow some type of candida diet but it's hard to get him to make dietary changes going gluten free was hard enough. He's currently on Diflucan but I'd like him to take something less toxic. Finding out he was gluten sensitive and killing the yeast have been big steps in his recovery.

That is some serious stuff you are contending with. I'm guessing he has an aspergillis infection obtained from his hospital stay? This stuff can be really tough...food serves so many purposes beyond just physical nourishment...just encourage him to eat clean, protein and veggies at every meal. Good fats etc. Even if it’s approached as a short-term intervention to help his condition perhaps that could be more appealing to him. Hang in there! You guys can do it

[dionnek]

Robb, you mentioned glutamine in one of your posts - I have a question in another post on "energy drinks", but thought you might be able to help me. I was wondering if the new energy drink XS, which contains L glutamine and a bunch of B vitamins, would be good for a celiac to drink, or harmful. My boss (non-celiac and a runner) drinks these every day and gave me one today b/c off all the B vitamins. At first I though the glutamine in it would be bad, but then I saw some mentions of glutamine supplements for healing your intestines, so now I'm wondering if these energy drinks would be good for a newly diagnosed celiac to drink (I wouldn't drink them all the time - too expensive!). Any thoughts?