Anyone Else A Metabolic 'protein' Type?

[jerseyangel]

Cathy--

I'm sure that eggs would be fine, although I can't do them or dairy anyway. I get my protein from meats and nuts since I'm intolerant to legumes--actually pretty much any plant protein.

I think cheese would be ok too. I don't think there are any carbs at all in good cheeses.

[pele]

a few chocolate chips. Hmmm. Oh, and to finish off, several chunks of nut chocolate. Sigh.

Hi Ali

Well, here we are on another thread. I tried to get some info on the metabolic diet from the web, but I am getting more info from you! I guess I am an anglo-saxon type--tall, pale, blonde with English/Scottish heritage. So I must be a protein eater, too.

Today I went to see my physical therapist who told me about the Body Ecology Diet. I spent a while reading THAT website and found where it said that chocolate craving is dictated by the type of bacteria in your gut. The Body Ecology Diet has its own thread around here somewhere, but is basically a gluten-free, high vegetable, low grain, low sugar diet with lots of probiotics. According to Gates, it is all about bacteria, which is what Ms. Specific Carb Diet says, too. And the candida people say yeast. There must be something to this. Even conventional medicine talks about the importance of having the correct intestinal flora. So maybe its not about additional food intolerances. Maybe gluten got our guts all full of bed bacteria and yeast and we just need to find a way to restore the good stuff.

So dairy free for 9 nine days and tomorrow I'm going to add back a bit of yogurt and see what happens. And I'm taking my S. Boulardii and Culterelle.

[Rachel--24]

chocolate craving is dictated by the type of bacteria in your gut.

This could also be caused by mineral deficiencies. Both magnesium and copper deficiencies are known to cause cravings for chocolate.

Individuals suffering from copper toxicity have quite specific food cravings. It is ironic but true, that individuals crave foods, which are high in the very minerals they are deficient in (bio-unavailability). A mineral is bio-unavailable when there is a deficiency of essential nutrients necessary to utilize the mineral. A cardinal indicator of a copper toxic individual is an inordinate craving for chocolate, a food which is extremely high in copper.

Many women crave chocolate every month during either PMS of their menstrual cycle. In addition to a blood sugar level, this craving could also be the result of a nutritional deficiency. Many "chocolate-addicts" crave chocolate because of a chromium and magnesium deficiency.

[AliB]

Hi Ali

Well, here we are on another thread. I tried to get some info on the metabolic diet from the web, but I am getting more info from you! I guess I am an anglo-saxon type--tall, pale, blonde with English/Scottish heritage. So I must be a protein eater, too.

Today I went to see my physical therapist who told me about the Body Ecology Diet. I spent a while reading THAT website and found where it said that chocolate craving is dictated by the type of bacteria in your gut. The Body Ecology Diet has its own thread around here somewhere, but is basically a gluten-free, high vegetable, low grain, low sugar diet with lots of probiotics. According to Gates, it is all about bacteria, which is what Ms. Specific Carb Diet says, too. And the candida people say yeast. There must be something to this. Even conventional medicine talks about the importance of having the correct intestinal flora. So maybe its not about additional food intolerances. Maybe gluten got our guts all full of bed bacteria and yeast and we just need to find a way to restore the good stuff.

So dairy free for 9 nine days and tomorrow I'm going to add back a bit of yogurt and see what happens. And I'm taking my S. Boulardii and Culterelle.

You can't assume you are a protein type as it depends on what other mix is in your genes. Your background would certainly suggest that to be the case.

Mine is pretty cut and dried - I need plenty of protein or I get headaches and I can't cope with carbs at all so when I did the questionnaire I was not at all surprised to find that I fitted the extreme protein type. Even once we have worked out which type we are, we still have to 'fine-tune' the diet to what our individual body needs.

I am sure you are right to a certain extent about the gluten setting up a 'ripe' environment for the Candida, but I am still sure it has as much to do with carbs in general, particularly if you are a protein type. I wonder how many people who have Candida overload are actually protein types who are eating way too much carbs?

Rachel bangs on about Heavy Metals and I am sure they are undoubtedly contributory but I am not sure that they are the whole picture. I still feel that if the body is balanced correctly it will quite effectively sort itself out. It is true that we are somewhat overloaded with these things and it can't be helpful, but the body has an amazing capacity to rejuvenate itself given the right environment. Maybe we can't do much about the metals, but we can control out diet and that must go a long way to easing the burden on our bodies.

I don't know if this is any help - there is not a great amount of info on the MTD and what there is is fairly closely 'guarded' and controlled but I have attached a link that you might find useful. Robert McFerran has put quite a bit out there on public domain and his info is handy to have. I looked at Body Ecology - that is also pretty closely guarded, which is fine if you have lots of dosh to spend! That is one thing that really annoys me about the MTD book - it does not give a list of supplements needed for each type - but gives the website address for purchase of the combined supplements. That puts me right off Mr Wolcott, even if his ideas make sense.

This is the McFerran Link - Open Original Shared Link

There is other stuff on the above website that might be useful too. Hope this helps.

[Rachel--24]

Rachel bangs on about Heavy Metals and I am sure they are undoubtedly contributory but I am not sure that they are the whole picture. I still feel that if the body is balanced correctly it will quite effectively sort itself out.

My post was actually referring to mineral deficiencies....and not heavy metals. I'm actually capable of discussing a wide variety of topics.

Part of getting the body back in balance includes correcting any deficiencies or toxicities caused by mineral imbalances. It would be pretty difficult for the body to "sort itself out" if the minerals are not in balance. I'm referring to essential minerals such as copper, magnesium, calcium, selenium, etc.

Imbalances of essential elements can cause significant health problems.

[AliB]

My post was actually referring to mineral deficiencies....and not heavy metals. I'm actually capable of discussing a wide variety of topics.

Part of getting the body back in balance includes correcting any deficiencies or toxicities caused by mineral imbalances. It would be pretty difficult for the body to "sort itself out" if the minerals are not in balance. I'm referring to essential minerals such as copper, magnesium, calcium, selenium, etc.

Imbalances of essential elements can cause significant health problems.

Sorry, I didn't say or mean to infer that that is all you talk about! I was aware that you were referring to deficiencies in this case, but you do mention the heavy metal thing quite a lot - well, on the posts that I read anyway!

I do agree that deficiencies are a big problem but I still can't help feeling that a lot of the reason for it is because our diet generally is so unbalanced. Even before I 'discovered' the MTD I knew that I need protein and can't cope with carbs and I was convinced that carbs are a problem for a lot of people, hence all the diabetes. All these 'Western' diseases follow the high-carb, high-sugar 'Western' diet.

When you look at communities who do and are able to eat according to their type, in general they do not suffer with deficiencies. They are a lot more fitter and healthier than we are. Their bodies are able to obtain and discard all the nutrients they need from the food they eat. Yes, in general too, they are not prey to the chemical melange that we are and that certainly does not help, but if we are not giving our livers extra stress by loading them with foods they can't cope with, then we are giving them more 'room' to process the toxins. Those communities do not suffer our diseases until they start to eat our 'junk' diet.

What is also interesting is that amongst communities that exist and are genetically programmed to eat a high-carbohydrate, high-grain diet, diseases like Celiac are unheard of. Now why would that be???

We are a very imperfect people living in a very imperfect world. Sadly, a lot of the imperfection is of our own making.

[BRUMI1968]

To the person talking about the Body Ecology Diet --

I did that for some time, and it helped me immensely. On the BE diet, it would not matter if you were protein or carb type particularly - though it is low sugar/starch carbs...the 80% veggies and 20% protein is probably alright for either type.

The Body Ecology works wonders for candida and bacteria in the gut issues. It is hard to stay on for lack of calories and the die off can be particularly difficult if you do indeed have candida issues.

Anyway, let me know if you have any questions about it as well - I have the book and like I said, I think I did it stringently for about 3 weeks.

-Sherri

p.s. to everyone else. I do find it strange, in this idea of a specific type of digestive preference, that anyone would thrive on high starch foods. High starch natural foods from a paleolithic standpoint would be what, tubers? All of the high carb things we all think of when we think of high carbs, came pretty late in the game, and with settling down with agriculture. The majority of them are also what are known as 'stored grains', which are rife with bacteria and mold -- someone doing well on those things seems unlikely to me.

I read an interesting critique of the metabolic typing diet the other day, which focused not on that so much as how everyone is the same but in different states of health, as opposed to having some sort of genetic predisposition to being high carb or high protein digesters. It made some sense. There are not genes one can look at to determine protein/starch. Rather: how functional is your liver, how functional are your gallbladder and stomach and intestines, etc. This will help determine which things you seem to digest better. We all need the same nutrients. We all have the same internal organs (sort of organ removal, of course). ...I don't know...

All of this makes me wonder if thinking of our diets in these terms, these EITHER/OR terms of protein type or carb type (or mixed type) is just putting another box around something that is far more complex than all that, and at the same time more simple. We do have a tendency as a culture to like things in Aristotelian terms of Either/Or, Black/White, Right/Wrong ... when really these distinctions are not only arbitrary in alot of ways, but they also decrease the accuracy of our descriptions and understandings.

Just food for thought.

[Rachel--24]

Sorry, I didn't say or mean to infer that that is all you talk about! I was aware that you were referring to deficiencies in this case, but you do mention the heavy metal thing quite a lot - well, on the posts that I read anyway!

No problem and I didnt take offense.

I do post alot about heavy metals especially with regards to chronic candida or chronic Lyme...mainly because those issues go hand-in-hand.

I do agree that deficiencies are a big problem but I still can't help feeling that a lot of the reason for it is because our diet generally is so unbalanced.

This is true and alot of what we eat today has been stripped of its nutrients. We are also definately exposed to a larger amount of toxins in our food supply as opposed to other areas of the world.

When we have imbalances we are not functioning up to par and as a result we can hold onto toxins. I think that when the scales tip toward chronic illness some of these imbalances need to be identified and corrected with proper supplemenation as well as diet changes.

For example if copper is too high (which is common in chronic illness/yeast issues) certain minerals are necessary to drive down the copper and to keep it in balance. If one mineral is too high it can have an affect on the other minerals.

An example of that would be high copper leads to low zinc. A zinc/copper imbalance has an effect on digestive enzymes....low zinc inhibits those enzymes.

Basically one thing leads to the next. I think alot of that has to be determined in order to ensure that balance is restored. I'm not sure that diet alone can do the trick...especially if we are unaware of which minerals are out of balance.

If copper were high then taking a multimineral would not be helpful. Any additional copper intake would only serve to keep the cycle going. Certain foods that are high in copper (chocolate, nuts, wholegrain, legumes, etc) would also not help the situation.

In a person who already has too much copper these foods might worsen symptoms including those caused by yeast. But is it really the foods that are to blame....or is it the fact that the minerals are unbalanced and when minerals are not in balance enzymes do not function as they should. All body systems can be affected...including the digestive system.

Not saying that we all have these issues but its something to look into if you're trying to get the body back in balance.

[Rachel--24]

There are not genes one can look at to determine protein/starch. Rather: how functional is your liver, how functional are your gallbladder and stomach and intestines, etc. This will help determine which things you seem to digest better. We all need the same nutrients. We all have the same internal organs (sort of organ removal, of course). ...I don't know...

All of this makes me wonder if thinking of our diets in these terms, these EITHER/OR terms of protein type or carb type (or mixed type) is just putting another box around something that is far more complex than all that, and at the same time more simple.

I tend to agree with your thoughts.

If the body is functioning well as a whole....we do not experience chronic illness. There are alot of factors that come into play as far as what can go wrong. I personally believe that it is far more complex than protein vs. carb....but yes...at the same time it can be quite simple.

I also agree that those who are suffering chronic illness do not tend to thrive on high carb diet....no matter what is suggested for their body type.

If body systems are impaired we cannot function the way we were designed to. As a result we suffer symptoms....including symptoms of food intolerance.

[AliB]

"If copper were high then taking a multimineral would not be helpful. Any additional copper intake would only serve to keep the cycle going. Certain foods that are high in copper (chocolate, nuts, wholegrain, legumes, etc) would also not help the situation." (I really can't get the hang of this quote thing!!)

Ok. But what about those communities that naturally have a high intake of copper, like the Mayans who use chocolate/coca in so much of their cooking. Surely their bodies must have some way of balancing out the minerals naturally? What about the Inuit and other communities who eat little or nothing in the way of vegetation, how do they get their vitamin C and other essential nutrients? Their bodies must, in some way, be able to glean the nutrients they need from within their very limited diet.

The difference between them and us is that they, generally, have very healthy and efficient digestive systems. We, generally, have very defective digestive systems. Just perhaps, our systems get damaged by eating foods that are not suitable for our metabolic type? The health of the body is dependent on the digestive system. Sick digestion, sick body.

Although not everybody is Celiac, the fact that there are an awful lot of people out there who are intolerant of gluten and other foods, particularly carbohydrates has to be telling us something. If those people are developing those problems because they are eating foods their body cannot cope with then they are setting up damage and malabsorption issues for themselves.

Deficiencies have to be due to gut damage. Ok, the foods are not as nutritious as they should be in the main but healthy guts should still be able to get what they need from a healthy diet.

There must be a certain amount of genetic control. Other communities exist on mainly carbohydrates with a little light protein. It may be grain-based, it may be legume-based, but however it is constructed, it is still predominantly carbohydrate. We are all different. It is the differences that make us different.

My body does not cope with carbs - I am diabetic which is a very clear sign I don't cope with carbs. Perhaps if I had been restricting the carbs at a much earlier stage I might not have developed the diabetes at all. It is also quite likely that if I had known 30 years ago what I know now and had been eating according to my 'type' I would not have been hauling around the extra 100lbs and extreme fatigue that has been hanging round my neck like a noose for most of my life. Who knows, if I hadn't been stuffing all those carbs I might not have ended up with GI/Celiac and the extreme digestive problems I am struggling with right now..................

[Rachel--24]

Ok. But what about those communities that naturally have a high intake of copper, like the Mayans who use chocolate/coca in so much of their cooking. Surely their bodies must have some way of balancing out the minerals naturally? What about the Inuit and other communities who eat little or nothing in the way of vegetation, how do they get their vitamin C and other essential nutrients? Their bodies must, in some way, be able to glean the nutrients they need from within their very limited diet.

The difference between them and us is that they, generally, have very healthy and efficient digestive systems. We, generally, have very defective digestive systems. Just perhaps, our systems get damaged by eating foods that are not suitable for our metabolic type? The health of the body is dependent on the digestive system. Sick digestion, sick body.

I cant really compare myself (or anyone around me) to other communities or people who live in other areas of the world. I know that in MY area...where I live and where I grew up people generally do not eat healthy. They eat processed food...which happens to be largely stripped of its nutrients and conatins a great deal of toxic chemicals.

Even the aminal protein (if non-organic) is loaded with hormones, antibiotics and other things which do not promote health.

Yes, we are more likely to become damaged....yes, we are more likely to have mineral imbalances, yes, we are more likley to have a large amount of toxins stored in our bodies....we are more likely to have chronic illness. Not because we are eating wrong for our metabolic type...but because we are far more toxic.

Of course the body can naturally balance out minerals taken in from food....BUT the body has to be functioning well to do this. An overly toxic body generally does not keep minerals in balance once other factors get in the way.

When it comes to my own health I cant really look at how other cultures eat and have managed to stay healthy. I dont live in those cultures, I never ate that way. In my opinion the difference between them and us isnt a matter of eating according to a certain "type"....its a matter of not polluting the body with toxic chemicals and other harmful substances which are ABUNDANT in the standard american diet.

So yes....I agree that other communities have healthier digestive systems. The more exposure we have to toxins, the more we will suffer symptoms. I'm not just talking about toxins coming in from food but from all sources....they have a cumulative effect on the body.

Copper generally doesnt become an issue simply because people eat foods high in copper...thats not what I'm saying at all. There are usually other issues that would throw the copper metabolism off in the first place. What I'm saying is that once that problem is there....eating high copper foods or taking supplements containing copper will obviously keep that cycle going.

I know for myself that the damage has been done...I accept it and I'm doing what I can to correct it. Personally, I dont think I can "erase" whats been done by changing my diet according to how another community eats and has managed to avoid alot of the illnesses thast we see here in the US.

I live in a toxic world and I've eaten alot of toxic food, I've drank alot of toxic water, I had mercury fillings in my mouth, I smoked cigarettes, I ate non-organic foods. Theres a whole list of things that I've done wrong from the start...but I dont believe that eating carbs got me where I'm at today. I think its everything else I've done that has caused the damage and one of many consequences is that now my body cannot metabolise...not only the carbs...but a LONG list of foods.

[AliB]

I live in a toxic world and I've eaten alot of toxic food, I've drank alot of toxic water, I had mercury fillings in my mouth, I smoked cigarettes, I ate non-organic foods. Theres a whole list of things that I've done wrong from the start...but I dont believe that eating carbs got me where I'm at today. I think its everything else I've done that has caused the damage and one of many consequences is that now my body cannot metabolise...not only the carbs...but a LONG list of foods.

But I didn't, Rachel, I didn't.

My problems started when I was 14, before I ever was exposed to a lot of those things. Yes, I smoked in my later teens - for 5 minutes - it was just a very short-term social thing, yes I drank a bit. by the time i got into my 20's i had abandoned those things as not only did I not like smoking, but alcohol made me cough, so they have been away from my system and around me for at least 30 years.

I only drink boiled tap water, everything else is either filtered or spring. I have always made sure that I and my family ate a good diet - yes we had carbs but rarely your McDonalds or Burger King stuff.

My son made me laugh once when he was about 4. He came back from visiting 'Auntie' Barbara, a friend and neighbor who lived a couple doors down from us. "I've had a real treat", says he. "What's that my darling"? "White bread and margarine", came the reply! As you can probably tell, we always had wholemeal bread and real butter! I always cooked fresh wholesome food and even when we had a burger it would be 100% beef in a wholemeal bun with salad!

Yes I have mercury fillings but apart from that I have led a very careful life. I avoid chemicals wherever possible. The only thing I have indulged in over the years is carbohydrates and sugar.

On the mercury thing, a friend of mine had all her fillings replaced about 8 or 9 years ago. It was all done properly and she had chelation etc. One problem she had seemed to go away around 6 months later which may or may not be linked to the removal of the mercury, but since then she has had one problem after another. She is still sick. She has spent thousands on trips to specialist doctors and practitioners yet she is still sick. Every time she goes she seems to be deficient in yet another vitamin or mineral or trace element.

She has done Candida diets, she has taken different potions and pills and herbal supplements and vitamins and minerals and.........and.........and.........she is still sick. Conventional Medicine is impotent. They can find no reasons for her problems although they admit the symptoms exist - sometimes.

I have just sent her some details about Celiac - it would not surprise me if she had it, especially in view of some of her symptoms which I am sure are redolent of deficiencies, although one of the few things she doesn't have is stomach or bowel problems, though that is not uncommon. But I also feel that working out her metabolic type would be a good exercise - it would be interesting to see if she is a protein type as she has a typical Scandinavian coloring. She is very much a creature of habit. She and her husband have the same menu repeated every week. Maybe, just maybe, she is feeding herself food every week that her body cannot cope with.

[Jestgar]

p.s. to everyone else. I do find it strange, in this idea of a specific type of digestive preference, that anyone would thrive on high starch foods. High starch natural foods from a paleolithic standpoint would be what, tubers? All of the high carb things we all think of when we think of high carbs, came pretty late in the game, and with settling down with agriculture. The majority of them are also what are known as 'stored grains', which are rife with bacteria and mold -- someone doing well on those things seems unlikely to me.

Only read bits and pieces of this thread, but wanted to say that one group has recently found that cultures that historically have consumed high amounts of starches have adapted to have several copies of the amylase gene in their salivary glands. Their spit has more of the enzyme to chew up starches. This suggests that we are still adapting, and a high starch diet may be a far different experience for people descended from certain backgrounds.

[Rachel--24]

I have just sent her some details about Celiac - it would not surprise me if she had it, especially in view of some of her symptoms which I am sure are redolent of deficiencies, although one of the few things she doesn't have is stomach or bowel problems, though that is not uncommon.

I hope she will look into this and I hope that she gets some answers at some point.

As far as removing the fillings...its a loooong process to get the mercury out after that. I only had 4 fillings and am still working on getting the mercury out. I havent hardly even scratched the surface yet. Typically, the body starts to dump some of the mercury (on its own) after the fillings come out. About 6-9 months AFTER they are removed the body can start to suffer from an increase in symptoms because this is around the time that the body starts to let go of significant amounts of mercury.

If there is no treatment during that time the body can become overwhelmed, the mercury gets redistributed and settles back into the tissue, the brain, the organs, etc. Its a very tricky process and not as easy as most people would think.

If not done properly and without alot of knowledge on the part of the Dr....its not uncommon for people to get worse....or to not feel any different. Personally, I didnt feel any better after having all of my fillings removed....but I was already sick and I understood at that point that it wasnt going to be an easy process.

Chelation doesnt always guarantee that the stuff comes out either. Sometimes it doesnt because other factors get in the way. There are so many things to take into consideration and so many additional things to address alongside the removal and the chelation that its very unlikely that just the removal and a few months of chelation will do the trick.

Detoxification from mercury (from my understanding) if done correctly and if the patient is detoxing well....takes anywhere from 1 to 3 years...sometimes more depending on the persons ability to detox.

In the lifetime of the filling there is alot of mercury released on a daily basis. When we're talking about 8 or 9 fillings over several years (probably decades) that comes to a significant amount of exposure. It doesnt all accumulate in a few months and it definately doesnt come out that quickly either. Its actually readily absorbed into the tissue, brain, central nervous system, etc....but getting it out is alot more challenging.

[Kaycee]

This is all getting a bit too technical for me. My motive in going low carb is for my own health. It would be nice to know why I need to reduce carbs, but I don't think I will find out why in any hurry. But I do know I feel better going low carb. For now that is good enough for me.

Cathy

[Rachel--24]

This is all getting a bit too technical for me. My motive in going low carb is for my own health. It would be nice to know why I need to reduce carbs, but I don't think I will find out why in any hurry. But I do know I feel better going low carb. For now that is good enough for me.

Cathy

You are fortunate to be able to limit carbs and feel good.

For some people it really is that easy...and for others carbs are not tolerated at all...and its especially difficult when a large amount of other foods are also not tolerated.

I suspect that if I were feeling pretty good (functioning normally) with a gluten-free diet as well as low carb....I'd probably be investing alot less time working with Dr.'s and researching and alot more time doing other "normal" daily activities. The stuff I used to do before I got sick.

As it is...the diet restrictions are endless for me (and for several others who have similar problems). I think for those who would like to regain some type of "normalcy" it does become quite important to understand why this has happened...as well as what can be done to improve the situation.

Things generally dont just fall apart for no reason....and when it changes your life in every way imagineable...suddenly you can find yourself working very hard to understand and to grasp every bit of technical information out there.

For me its about getting my life back...so yes...my motive for restricting carbs and other foods is the same as yours...its for my own health. My problems dont end there....and for that reason my motive for understanding the reasons behind all of it is also for my own health.

It would be nice if I could go low carb and feel as if I no longer have any health issues...but for some of us its far more complicated.

Right now I eat less than 5 foods in order to feel good....thats just not good enough for me. I want my body to work the way its supossed to work and thats why its important for me to understand why I feel better excluding about 99% of the foods available to me.

Regaining my health is very important to me. It might just be the biggest challenge I'm ever faced with...but luckily I'm up for it.

[Kaycee]

Rachel, thanks for your reply and I feel for you being unable to eat much in the way of variety. Iam probably the same, as I can't eat much in the way of processed foods, they make me ill, whether it is the additives or hidden gluten, I don't know, as in NZ I think they are pretty good with their labelling.

For me, it has been a slow trip getting to here. Diagnosed with coeliac just over two years ago, went gluten free, but, big but, it didn't completely work for me. I cottoned on early to get rid of all additives, my reasoning was the less additives I ate, the more chance I had of discovering what was upsetting me. Too much processed food in my diet and I would be confused about the culprit. It worked when I kept at it. But it was hard work and I faltered many times, only to come back to feeling unwell and blah. So I would get back up and eat less processed foods.

Now it is second nature, yes I do eat processed foods, but always inspect its contents, and the less ingredients the better. For me corn thins will only have corn and salt, etc etc. Some of my friends and colleagues probably think I am crazy, but who cares, I feel so much better. I must admit NZ is probably less toxic than the states, but we do have things with horrendous amounts of unpronouncable names in them.

I have always felt I could be feeling better. I have always tucked into gluten-free bread, and crackers. I haven't given much thought to my food intake apart from the calorific value. But I went away a few weeks back. I didn't have access to my gluten-free bread and didn't want to buy any as I had nowhere to freeze it, so I lived on what was available minus all that lovely bread. I didn't pay attention to how I felt, as I felt good with no migraines or upset stomach.

Then I came home again after ten days away, and back into the higher carb foods. You know what within a week I was feeling crook and lacklustre, with migraines. I looked back on what I had been eating, and I had been eating out a lot and suprisingly, not getting glutened, and more than anything I noticed what I hadn't been eating, I hadn't been eating many carbs, and I just put one and one together and think I got my answer. I handle things much better lower carb. A few people had suggested I try it before, but I thought, no I can't do that. Maybe they are right, and I have been giving it a go, in order to loose wieght and to feel better.

I think it will work with the weight issues, and over the last few days, I have noticed my rings are feeling looser, even if the scales say no difference. This is just another stage in my evolving diet. And thanks to everyone who has listened and offered their help.

Cathy

[BRUMI1968]

Only read bits and pieces of this thread, but wanted to say that one group has recently found that cultures that historically have consumed high amounts of starches have adapted to have several copies of the amylase gene in their salivary glands. Their spit has more of the enzyme to chew up starches. This suggests that we are still adapting, and a high starch diet may be a far different experience for people descended from certain backgrounds.

That's fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

I guess I am just trying to say that sometimes we tend to either/or everything to the point of blurring the literally infinite number of possibilities between the two poles. But I'm an English major and a writer, so I put entirely too much import on words and the structure of our languaging. If it's true that we can only understand that which we can language (either aloud or to ourselves), then how we language directly influences (if not directs) what we see and what we believe to be true and real. Anyway, waxing a bit philosophical I suppose.

I'm going to go eat some low carb dinner entirely too late in the night. No one should eat at 10:30 should they?

[AliB]

Then I came home again after ten days away, and back into the higher carb foods. You know what within a week I was feeling crook and lacklustre, with migraines. I looked back on what I had been eating, and I had been eating out a lot and suprisingly, not getting glutened, and more than anything I noticed what I hadn't been eating, I hadn't been eating many carbs, and I just put one and one together and think I got my answer. I handle things much better lower carb. A few people had suggested I try it before, but I thought, no I can't do that. Maybe they are right, and I have been giving it a go, in order to loose wieght and to feel better.

I think it will work with the weight issues, and over the last few days, I have noticed my rings are feeling looser, even if the scales say no difference. This is just another stage in my evolving diet. And thanks to everyone who has listened and offered their help.

Cathy

Twice in my life I went low-carb and twice I lost weight and felt so much better. You think I would have twigged wouldn't you!

Now my digestion/metabolism has ground to such a halt I only have to LOOK at carbohydrate and I gain weight. I just can't seem to shift it. I know I am still sneaking in a few bits of carbs and I obviously have reached the stage where my body just cannot cope with them at all, especially sugar.

It comes back to the denial thing, I reckon. I read in the book that if I have any carbs I should always eat them with protein as it helps prevent insulin and blood sugar imbalance (as a diabetic that is a problem anyway), but I read that as a licence to eat carbs - as long as I ate them with protein. Of course, as soon as I eat them I want more - I was way too piggy with them yesterday and went to bed, yet again, with my pulse banging in my ears. Give me a mallet someone, I need to knock some sense into myself!

When I say way too piggy - your average carb eater would think they were starving, but for me, even a few squares of chocolate and 2 biscuits is a carb-fest.

If I can get on top of this and really restrict them hard for a few days not only may I find my rings getting looser - but it would also be interesting to see if the banging stops or at least lessens. Then I would know for certain that it is due to the carbs.

What I am fairly certain about it is that if I don't eat them, my blood pressure comes down (and my blood sugar) and if I do, it goes back up. Now it definitely is not mercury controlling that!

PS. The fact your rings are getting looser may well be due to fluid loss. I do seem to retain more fluid when I eat carbs.

[Deb P]

Bully4you that was brilliant. I have been reading these boards for two years and this is my first post. I too am down to about 5 foods. We are all searching for our health back. I for one am very grateful for all the information I get here. Some make sense to me some don't. This is no doubt a slow healing process. So with trial and error (yours and mine) I do believe we can all get better. Thank you all for sharing. I think I shall start sharing more.

[Rachel--24]

What I am fairly certain about it is that if I don't eat them, my blood pressure comes down (and my blood sugar) and if I do, it goes back up. Now it definitely is not mercury controlling that!

You're right. That would very likely be a direct result of consuming foods which your body cannot handle.

Mercury does its damage "behind the scenes". It creates metabolic imbalances, it blocks enzymes, it slows down detoxification, it weakens the immune system, it invites chronic infection (esp. candida and parasites).....all of these things lead to symptoms. Symptoms that usually dont resolve and are left undiagnosed.

By causing enzyme systems to become dysfunctional it can destroy the foundation of good health. There is no enzyme in the body that cannot be blocked by mercury. When enzymes are inhibited things just dont work properly....and any symptom can be a result of whats going on behind the scenes.

A perfect example is that of non-celiac gluten intolerance. An enzyme called Di Peptyl Peptidase IV (DPPIV) is required for the digestion of gluten and casein. This enzyme is very sensitive to mercury and other heavy metals....it is easily blocked or inhibited by the presence of mercury. This enzyme (among many) is very often deficient in cases of autism.

The kids cannot metabolise these foods and they suffer symptoms from the foods that they cannot breakdown...this can include many foods on top of gluten and casein. Eliminating those foods can make a HUGE difference in these kids ability to function. It might seem that the problem all along was all of these foods which trigger behavioral issues, digestive issues, physical pain, etc...but what really is going on...behind the scenes??

I have multiple food intolerances. I get a wide array of symptoms....anything from tissue swelling, burning sensations, weight loss, blurred vision, edema, chills, brainfog, fatigue, hyperactive, depression, GI symptoms, palpitations, sweating, low blood pressure, etc. etc.

Thats why I'm down to 5 foods....so that I can avoid all of those symptoms and more. I dont blame the foods. These are the same foods I ate for 31 years without difficulty and without having a single symptom.

For me all of this started immediately following the unsafe removal of 2 mercury fillings. So yes...indirectly mercury can cause all of those symptoms because my body can no longer metabolise those foods. My enzyme systems are no longer functioning the way they once did.

If the symptoms had come on gradually over a period of years or even decades there is probably no way I would have made the connection. But, for me it didnt happen that way....it was fairly obvious that something happened to my health in the same time frame that I had some dental work done.

The numerous conventional tests I had done in the first two years found nothing wrong...not a single thing in 3 years of endless tests. Once I started getting the *right* tests done the evidence is there...and the toxicity is high. As one Dr. put it...."The mercury is having a profound effect on your body....basically, its messing you up pretty good."

[Kaycee]

I've always had weight problems!

Last time I went to the doctors, he believed I wasn't eating enough. True I probably wasn't, but I was stuck in a bind. In order to loose weight I had to eat less, and if I ate the recommended food intake, I would gain weight. What is a girl to do? On top of that he hinted I could be suffering from low blood sugar, and the migraines could be a result of not eating enough. These things have never been a problem before, but the weight has always been there.

So if eating lower carbs, and hopefully being able to up my calorie intake and loose weight, and get rid of the migraines works, I will be so stoked. As it is I have been eating for the last 6 monhts, 4 small meals a day, and I try to keep at 100 grams of carbs a day, in your books that is probably alot, but even that is hard, especially when I so enjoy fruit! But after all the years of eating whatever whenever, I thought following a gluten-free diet would be near impossible especially for me who gives in so easy. But my style of food eating has changed, gluten-free was quite easy, and at long last I feel I have more control over what I eat. I might be slightly obssessed, but I am talking about my my future, health and wellbeing. Things don't come much more important than that (apart from children).

Cathy

[AliB]

I've always had weight problems!

Last time I went to the doctors, he believed I wasn't eating enough. True I probably wasn't, but I was stuck in a bind. In order to loose weight I had to eat less, and if I ate the recommended food intake, I would gain weight. What is a girl to do? On top of that he hinted I could be suffering from low blood sugar, and the migraines could be a result of not eating enough. These things have never been a problem before, but the weight has always been there.

So if eating lower carbs, and hopefully being able to up my calorie intake and loose weight, and get rid of the migraines works, I will be so stoked. As it is I have been eating for the last 6 monhts, 4 small meals a day, and I try to keep at 100 grams of carbs a day, in your books that is probably alot, but even that is hard, especially when I so enjoy fruit! But after all the years of eating whatever whenever, I thought following a gluten-free diet would be near impossible especially for me who gives in so easy. But my style of food eating has changed, gluten-free was quite easy, and at long last I feel I have more control over what I eat. I might be slightly obssessed, but I am talking about my my future, health and wellbeing. Things don't come much more important than that (apart from children).

Cathy

Both times I lost weight and felt well was when I went low-carb and now I am kicking myself for not sticking to it.

I also used to suffer with low blood sugar before I became diabetic and the low-carb diet helped that too.

It has to be worth trying. If you lose weight and feel a lot better for it then it has to be presumed that it is what your body needs. Whilst some can handle carbs fairly efficiently, there are an awful lot out there like me, who can't and they mess up their bodies something awful.

Unfortunately, most gluten-free products are also high-carb, and often high-sugar, so by low-carbing you are avoiding both problems, the carbs and the gluten!

[AliB]

For me all of this started immediately following the unsafe removal of 2 mercury fillings. So yes...indirectly mercury can cause all of those symptoms because my body can no longer metabolise those foods. My enzyme systems are no longer functioning the way they once did.

If the symptoms had come on gradually over a period of years or even decades there is probably no way I would have made the connection. But, for me it didnt happen that way....it was fairly obvious that something happened to my health in the same time frame that I had some dental work done.

The numerous conventional tests I had done in the first two years found nothing wrong...not a single thing in 3 years of endless tests. Once I started getting the *right* tests done the evidence is there...and the toxicity is high. As one Dr. put it...."The mercury is having a profound effect on your body....basically, its messing you up pretty good."

So Rachel, is there any safe alternative to mercury? Have the alternatives been tested for any long-term contamination - after all, mercury was thought to be safe originally!

[Kaycee]

Unfortunately, most gluten-free products are also high-carb, and often high-sugar, so by low-carbing you are avoiding both problems, the carbs and the gluten!

Just think Ali, if I didn't baulk at gluten free substitues early on, I might be so much worse off.

What put me off the substitutes was the price initially, and then after a while I noticed all the additives and the shelf life of some of that food. I just didn't think that they would be any better than gluten food. If anything they would probably be worse.

But then after a few weeks with next to no bread and minimal carbs, I started cooking my own breads and muffins. They tasted all right, they were cheaper and at least I knew what was going into my food. Unfortunately, they were pretty good, and of course I ate my fair share. It was probably about that time, that I took a step back and felt I had come to a standstill in coming right.

Two weeks on and feeling fine. Will still keep at a lower carb diet.

Cathy