Paleo Diet: Raw Paleo Diet and Lifestyle Forum
Members' Journals => Journals => Topic started by: Suiren on May 13, 2012, 05:54:55 am
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...is what I want to be and this is my journal.
I have/ had a few diagnosed health problems:
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis since 2009/10
- Pituitary Tumor since 2009/10
- HPV and pre cervical cancer since 2004/2010
They are somewhat better nowadays. I went off meds during my pregnancy to be able to breastfeed. No one could really tell me about breastfeeding with a pituitary tumor, so I just did my own thing and I'm fine!
Since then, my thyroid is functioning normal and my prolactin levels are also normal.
I am pretty fed up with doctors by the way, their way of "treatment", the negative thinking. This started during my pregnancy - I was pregnant, no surprise to me because my body has been functioning normal despite "all my conditions", but doctors were freaking out all over the place (is that possible ^^?), treating me like a medical wonder during my pregnancy ("we want to try to get you to the third trimester")...and acting like things could go bad any minute.
But, my pregnancy went REALLY well, and I started feeling more confident in my body.
Not just that, I refuse to believe that I am really so so sick, and that there is nothing that can be done.
I am only slowly transitioning to raw paleo. I tried going almost cold turkey once and it was not pretty. I need all my strength as a mom to a baby, and I also don't want to detox through my breastmilk.
I used to eat a lot of grains and pasta and now I am down to whole grain bread and the occasional rice dinner, without suffering from hypoglycemia. I am working hard on getting used to raw meat (raw fish is not a problem).
My diet is probably somewhat primal because I do eat large amounts of raw butter (and other fats from nuts, avocado) to stay "plump"...well I'm actually not plump, but I am not too thin atm, just really don't want to lose (been there) and I think I might like to gain a few pounds.
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I'm a bit dubious about cancer at the moment. A lot of cancers go away by themselves.
Welcome anyways strong mum!
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I'm a bit dubious about cancer at the moment. A lot of cancers go away by themselves.
Welcome anyways strong mum!
True, even doctors told me HPV will likely clear on its own, but after 8 years of it not clearing and abnormal cells growing I thought I should help ;)
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...is what I want to be and this is my journal.
I have/ had a few diagnosed health problems:
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis since 2009/10
- Pituitary Tumor since 2009/10
- HPV and pre cervical cancer since 2004/2010
They are somewhat better nowadays. I went off meds during my pregnancy to be able to breastfeed. No one could really tell me about breastfeeding with a pituitary tumor, so I just did my own thing and I'm fine!
Since then, my thyroid is functioning normal and my prolactin levels are also normal.
I am pretty fed up with doctors by the way, their way of "treatment", the negative thinking. This started during my pregnancy - I was pregnant, no surprise to me because my body has been functioning normal despite "all my conditions", but doctors were freaking out all over the place (is that possible ^^?), treating me like a medical wonder during my pregnancy ("we want to try to get you to the third trimester")...and acting like things could go bad any minute.
But, my pregnancy went REALLY well, and I started feeling more confident in my body.
Not just that, I refuse to believe that I am really so so sick, and that there is nothing that can be done.
I am only slowly transitioning to raw paleo. I tried going almost cold turkey once and it was not pretty. I need all my strength as a mom to a baby, and I also don't want to detox through my breastmilk.
I used to eat a lot of grains and pasta and now I am down to whole grain bread and the occasional rice dinner, without suffering from hypoglycemia. I am working hard on getting used to raw meat (raw fish is not a problem).
My diet is probably somewhat primal because I do eat large amounts of raw butter (and other fats from nuts, avocado) to stay "plump"...well I'm actually not plump, but I am not too thin atm, just really don't want to lose (been there) and I think I might like to gain a few pounds.
You already are. ( :
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A bit fat WELCOME to you.
Good for you being so strong! It takes a massively strong person to look the mighty medical establishment in the eye and to say I know I can do better. Brava.
I would like to let you know that I studied alternative cancer cures for about 5 years pretty much full time .... If you are ready to go alternative I would be glad to share with you some of what I have learned.
The most important thing I can tell you is that there are already amazing cures for cancer - what they don't have is a cure for cancer that can make someone wealthy or that won't stop the billion dollar cancer industry.
You have taken the most important first step that you possibly could by taking processed grains and sugars out of your diet. More important than even going all raw or all paleo is getting rid of all the sugars that feed cancer cells so well. Your most powerful step will be to get totally grain and sweet thing free except fruits that have powerful cancer killing components. I can jabber on about how a cancer cell eats vs. a healthy cell - but believe you me - stopping the feeding of those cells is the foundation.
..... and Congratulations on your baby.
Dorothy
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You already are. ( :
Thanks to you! : )
Thank you for the warm welcome Dorothy!
The most important thing I can tell you is that there are already amazing cures for cancer - what they don't have is a cure for cancer that can make someone wealthy or that won't stop the billion dollar cancer industry.
I fully agree!
You have taken the most important first step that you possibly could by taking processed grains and sugars out of your diet. More important than even going all raw or all paleo is getting rid of all the sugars that feed cancer cells so well. Your most powerful step will be to get totally grain and sweet thing free except fruits that have powerful cancer killing components. I can jabber on about how a cancer cell eats vs. a healthy cell - but believe you me - stopping the feeding of those cells is the foundation.
I know about this and would def. like to learn more! It makes me cringe to think that my diet feeds the cancer cells. I want to cut out grains asap. What is hard for me is dealing with hypoglycemia and weight loss.
I cut out pasta fully recently (before I was just eating a lower amount) and have since lost weight again, despite supplementing with butter and olive oil. :( I also have episodes of really low energy.
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Update:
- I have reduced pasta to a total minimum a few weeks ago. Really only like the occasional meal, and replaced it with lesser evils like potatoes. I also tried to eat a little bit less of my whole grain bread.
Sadly I dropped all the weight I had gained on raw butter and olive oil. Not sure what I did wrong. It truly sucks having to eat so much. I need to figure out a better way of getting a lot of calories into my body. I can only eat so much and on top of that things like butter really seem to keep me full for a long time.
- I have been having acne and pregnancy like symptoms, especially nausea and on an off cold like symptoms. I wonder if I am going through postpartum hormonal changes at 9 months pp or if I am detoxing.
- I have been doing well getting raw fish down. I ate unseasoned salmon recently and it was actually good.
- I'm upset about having eaten a standard diet somewhat often. When out or around my parents for example. I don't know how to explain my dietary change to them. My first attempt greatly failed.
- My family keeps bothering me about my son not eating solids, and only being allowed to 'taste' certain fruits atm. My mother even tried to sneak him some whip cream!! And my dad is wanting to feed him a "good chunk of sausage"...wth.! >:
He is 9 months old and can live off of breastmilk for a very long time. They seem to think bm turns into water at a certain point and is no good anymore *sigh*.
- We finally shipped my dog from CA to Germany. She is 8 yrs. old and has a skin problem that started with a flea allergy and now she permanently itches. I want her on a natural diet soon too and am trying to find out how to help a dog transition to a natural raw meat diet.
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Suiren - glad that you are attempting to cut the carbs. Potatoes are not much better than pasta though. Can you replace all your carbs with berries? Berries are one of the best cancer fighters of all foods. Raspberries are a real secret weapon with at least 3 different cancer killers. If you can cut out all carbs except for berries your cancer would really start to have a hard time. That means no pasta, no bread, no potatoes. If you must have a grain brown rice is your best bet - but berries are a million times better. I like to eat them with a cream that I make from a mix of nuts that I have soaked (walnuts are especially good for cancer sufferers - and at least some brazil nuts as they have the all-important selenium). I put in that cream some cinnamon to keep blood sugars stable, some vanilla for flavor and as few dates as possible for sweetness. Add as much water as you like for consistency. If you have low temp dried the nuts like I do it takes more water. If you put this in your bowl and the fruit on top it's quite the delicacy. I eat this most days just because it's so delicious to me.
You are breast feeding so I'm not going to suggest a whole bunch of other things not knowing how they might affect your milk. But........ if you just do the above - getting rid of bad carbs and replacing them with good ones - that is the foundation of all alternative cancer therapies.
I have to find my list of foods that actively kill cancer cells. That might take some time but I will post it for you when I find it. The berries though are at the very top!
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With transferring dogs to a raw diet - just do it all at once if they will eat it. Dogs are smarter than we are. ;) It's best according to many not to mix cooked and raw together. Dogs just take to it in a way that's amazing.
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Hi Suiren,
lab cancer culture studies have shown turmeric and black pepper taken together have very strong anti-cancer properties - the only vegetable the promoted cancer was radish.
When I was carrying my wee one around I used to chew up carrot and feed him the pulp.
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Carrots are particularly good - I'm just not sure if tumeric and black pepper would be good for a baby. One has to be careful with herbs. There are many herbs that are cancer healers - you'd just have to research each one in terms of the baby.
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Dorothy,
I can try to cut out the potatoes and cut down on carbs more, but if I cut out too much at a time I will lose more weight, and having just lost 3kg, I am too close to a too low weight. I don't have much more to lose and if I do I know it will be even harder to get back up.
This weight gain thing is a really big problem for me, I was literally never able to gain weight, no matter how much I pigged out on bad foods like cake, sweets, fried foods, snacks.
I don't know what it is.
I did however buy plenty of berries today and will try to eat more berries. I don't "love" fruit sadly. I used to eat carbs and vegetables -\
My tonsils are really bothering me today, it was better but right now I feel like I have something closing up my throat. It feels different from a regular sore throat. I hope it goes away.
I will try your cream recipe, thank you!
miker,
we bought some carrots too. I actually like raw carrots because I used to get into my horses food at the ranch if I had nothing else ;D
My little guy does not eat solids yet, sometimes he tries some fruit, but he usually gags and throws up :(, oh well his time will come. I was planning on breast milk being his main food source for a long time.
I never knew radish promotes cancer! I don't eat it often, but good to know.
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Dorothy,
I can try to cut out the potatoes and cut down on carbs more, but if I cut out too much at a time I will lose more weight, and having just lost 3kg, I am too close to a too low weight. I don't have much more to lose and if I do I know it will be even harder to get back up.
This weight gain thing is a really big problem for me, I was literally never able to gain weight, no matter how much I pigged out on bad foods like cake, sweets, fried foods, snacks.
I don't know what it is.
I did however buy plenty of berries today and will try to eat more berries. I don't "love" fruit sadly. I used to eat carbs and vegetables -\
My tonsils are really bothering me today, it was better but right now I feel like I have something closing up my throat. It feels different from a regular sore throat. I hope it goes away.
I will try your cream recipe, thank you!
miker,
we bought some carrots too. I actually like raw carrots because I used to get into my horses food at the ranch if I had nothing else ;D
My little guy does not eat solids yet, sometimes he tries some fruit, but he usually gags and throws up :(, oh well his time will come. I was planning on breast milk being his main food source for a long time.
I never knew radish promotes cancer! I don't eat it often, but good to know.
You need other ways to keep on weight and consume calories! With cancer - you really have no choice in the matter. Better skinny than cancer. The cancer itself can create the inability to gain weight because of cachexia. Did you doctor explain to you how that works? Cancer patients rarely die of the tumor - they die of malnutrition. The cancer cells steal all the sugars and only uses 10% of them fermenting them and making the rest of the system even more acidic. When you eat potatoes and pasta you are feeding the cancer - not your healthy cells! Whey is great protein source for cancer sufferers because the it lacks the amino acids that the cancer need. Have you heard of the Budwig cure? It uses raw dairy and flax seed oil and has a 90% cure rate since the 1950's. It's incredible and you can get calories that way. There are MUCH better ways to try to keep on weight! You feeding the cancer cells will just speed up the cachexia cycle and make it harder and harder for you to get nourishment and keep on weight. Cancer patients always have a tough time keeping on any weight because of how the cancer cells steal all the nutrition. You are also feeding a baby so you are under some serious stress nutritionally. Pasta and potatoes are not the answer. One of the things about cancer is that everyone with cancer has a compromised liver. That's where the budwig cure comes in. When the fat (flaxseed oil) is mixed with sulphured dairy then the fat can by-pass the sluggish liver and become water soluble without the liver and go straight into the healthy cells to feed them. The healthy cells are also starving because they cannot get the fats that they need!
I can talk you through how to make quark (what Johanna Budwig used in Germany) out of grass-fed raw milk if you have it and talk you through the whole thing. That is the first way in which your body will be able to get some real nutrition instead of just feeding the cancer cells.
Eating all raw foods takes a big load off the liver and the pancreas - and that's also part of why eating all raw works because without the liver and pancreas working right as they don't in all cancer patients then you just won't be able to digest and assimilate the food that you do eat. The more you eat potatoes and pasta the harder it is on your pancreas and your liver and the worse you will make it for yourself as time goes on.
You can't think short term - you have a baby who will need you for decades.
I know a lot about herbs and things to help your tonsils - I just don't much of anything about how they relate to a breast-feeding mother. I wish I could help. Your immune system is struggling.
Are you willing to take some supplements are you just going the raw paleo diet route and that's it?
I will do research for you if you are willing to go outside of the standard raw paleo approach. Budwig I know is not standard paleo - but that's one amazing cure for cancer and I know that can be used with breastfeeding.
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Sure! I would supplement with foods other than raw paleo too.
But I think there is a misunderstanding. I don't have cancer yet.
I was diagnosed with pre-cancer, which is just abnormal cells. It is not great either and I do know that abnormal cells basically are cancerous cells, and I do want to address that in my diet.
But I don't have a cancerous tumor keeping me from gaining weight. The HPV has caused abnormal cells on my cervix. The pituitary tumor is benign and by now probably gone or very small, since my prolatin levels are normal :)
I have always been this thin! ;)
Since I was a kid, as a teenager I always wanted to gain weight, as a young woman, way before any health problems. I have been the same height and weight for 15 years. My body does not go under a certain weight easily (45kg) but not over a certain weight either (50). Really mysterious.
But it does make sense what you write about feeding the cancer cells, and it applies to me, no doubt. I want to get off all the foods that feed the cells. Just going cold turkey has only brought me episodes of fainting so far. I was completely paleo after my son's birth, and I was unable to function, let alone hold and nurse a baby. I was weak.
And my baby is the reason why I'm here and wanting to change my diet in the first place.
I know Quark, I would love to hear about it!
Eating all raw foods takes a big load off the liver and the pancreas - and that's also part of why eating all raw works because without the liver and pancreas working right as they don't in all cancer patients then you just won't be able to digest and assimilate the food that you do eat. The more you eat potatoes and pasta the harder it is on your pancreas and your liver and the worse you will make it for yourself as time goes on.
Makes sense, thanks for explaining.
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Whew - the pituitary tumor is benign - that's a big load off! Really big. Thanks for explaining that.
Yeah - giving up sugar and carbohydrates can make you faint because the brain needs a constant supply of sugar to function and if your adrenals and pancreas are having trouble and are used to you just having sugar go straight into the bloodstream and you turn off the tap too fast - you can pass out - which is definitely not a good thing.
That's where fruits come in. They are sugars too - just better for you.
Again - what a relief that your tumor is benign. That is such a difference! Not that you shouldn't be getting off carbohydrates, but it's not as much of a "life or death do this now!" kind of thing. Being faced with a cancerous brain tumor requires extreme and immediate actions if one is to survive. I'm glad that you have some wiggle room. I'm glad that you are taking the pre-cancerous situation seriously though and have found your way here! :D
Supplements aren't as necessary now that I know that the tumor was benign. Getting off the carbohydrates is probably the only thing you need to do, step by step, day by day.
Do babies like cinnamon flavored milk? Cinnamon will help to heal the adrenals and balance the blood sugars if you like cinnamon and would like to add that to your foods.
Do you have access to raw grass-fed cow milk?
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I'm sorry the pituitary tumor caused so much confusion. They are always benign, I can't seem to edit it anymore though for more detail.
It is my least worry tbh, it could have been removed easily through the nose, but my doctor was trying to shrink it with medication. It is at least something I can get rid of easily.
The HPV and pre cervical cancer is my biggest worry, although I try not to worry. Found out about it in 2004 (PAP 3) and it never cleared. 2010 pre cancerous cells were found for the first time (CIN3 high grade lesion). I had a LEEP Nov. 2010. May 2011 at 26 weeks into my pregnancy I had another PAP test, which supposedly had some abnormalities, but nothing too serious? I just forced myself to get another PAP test a few days ago, I did not tell the doctor my medical history, so she is in for a surprise (or not?). Tbh I don't feel like getting checked for it too much. I don't really know why, I just feel there is not much else doctors can do for me, other than offer types of treatment I would not agree too.
I read a lot about cancer, my husband read more about it, and we came to the conclusion, that although it is dangerous, it is made into something far worse, maybe to scare people into getting treated. The LEEP surgery was a horrible thing, it was extremely painful, even being "numbed". It also posed the risk of miscarriage in pregnancy, and the scars on my cervix might have been the reason I never went into labor. Noone told me that before I had it done! (I was not pregnant at the time but soon after)
My son never seems to be picky about his milk and what I eat :) but I personally do love cinnamon.
That reminds me, I shared my strawberries with him today. I mixed them with breastmilk and he actually kept the few bites he ate down.
I don't eat fruits often also because I have a fructose malabsorption. However I found that natural fruit does not cause me much trouble. I think its rather high fructose corn syrup.
And yes, we do have access to raw grass fed milk from a farm. But I believe the cows get a few oats in winter? I have avoided milk lately because I read that the hormones in it can give mothers problems?
I have been experiencing hormonal problems for the past month and a half and I don't know why. I already had my postpartum hair loss, so I thought my hormones should be back to normal now. I have all the symptoms of the first trimester, including acne and nausea, but I am not pregnant... :(
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I never heard of pituitary tumor before - I just know it's up there and ya got blood/brain barrier issues up there. Any time you go a poking and scraping it can cause unexpected side effects like with your cervix. Glad that's probably not an issue any more. The pituitary is a pretty important little gland. It is concerning that you making tumors at all and have some cells acting wonky - but you are right - cancer does not scare me one bit any more. It's so easy to get rid of from my experience and understanding that I'm as afraid of cancer as of a cold. I would be more afraid if I got a flu these days because that would be so weird!
If there is any chance that you drinking milk might not be good for you breast feeding - then I can't think of any reason to do it! You are going on the RPD - getting rid of your sweets - those cancer cells don't have a chance. LOL.
After you are done breastfeeding and have gotten solid on your raw paleo diet - if the doctors still find anything - then we can talk more about bringing out some big guns to massacre any rebellious cells you might still have going on. We'll just talk off the forum. I'm getting frightened with all this blogger and the criminal charges stuff.
In my opinion you are so very much on the right track! Just keep on heading away from things that feed cancer cells and your immune system will have a major load off it's back when that challenge is over.
You have a couple of your endocrine system glands under attack lately. Not surprising to hear that you are having some hormonal stuff go on.
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I'm getting frightened with all this blogger and the criminal charges stuff.
That does not sound good. But it is always good to be careful about this type of stuff.
Today I am returning with a lot of changes.
Diet
- I don't even eat the occasional regular meal anymore. When at home I stick to my routine. The carbs I used to transition are pretty much gone.
My hypoglycemia problem seems fine, but sadly I have dropped some weight. -[
I'm at 47.5 kg now. It is hard to eat enough raw butter to gain. We have not been able to afford nuts and avocado lately.
- I am getting better at eating raw meat. I can't believe it but my last "meal" almost tasted good. Granted, I do cheat by adding raw onions, tomato, sometimes a little salt and pepper and we did get raw soy sauce.
- Still trying to figure out why I get a sore throat once in a while. I thought it had to do with the fish possibly containing marine toxins (was that the term for it?), but I am really not sure. Been avoiding fish, since my throat got very bad a few times. Maybe it is an allergy to something in the sea? My throat feels more like closing up than a standard sore throat.
Health
My PAP test results came back. They were completely fine! I was so shocked to hear that, since I never had a normal PAP smear. I was expecting something more like less abnormal cells...but now I am not only cancer free, but apparently HPV free, or HPV is non detectable! Whatever the case, I'm happy! :)
Hormones
I have been "treating" my acne break outs with Vitamin D, green clay, and my own breast milk. It cleared up right away and is now almost gone. However, I needed to go as high as 2000IU for my face to be all cleared up. Less resulted in a minor case of acne.
Clean clay is just a little more thorough way of cleansing for me, since I usually only wash once a day with water. Now I do water in the morning and green clay at night, since my skin is oilier than before. The breastmilk seems to heal any bumps over night and redness disappears within 3 seconds. It is also an exfoliant and my skin has been looking very smooth. I had the idea since b, is often used to heal cuts, scars and cracked nipples, so I was thinking it will help heal this too.
Hair loss
My hair seems to be growing back all normal, in fact it is a ton of new growth. Like a second set of hair. I have an actual, dense fringe of regrowth in the front where my bangs used to be. This time, the regrowth is straight and silky, like my texture used to be, not like the regrowth on meds in 2010, which was wavy and rough, frizzy..
I really do hope my hormones will stop affecting my hair now (or my skin), since this is the second time I experienced strong hair loss. But with my levels being better, I am positive. I don't consider myself to have Hashimoto's anymore either, although I still have some anti bodies.
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I'm glad to hear you're HPV-free.
As far as fish, you might want to try different kinds of fish and shellfish, to see which ones cause the problem, and which ones don't. Once you figure it out, don't eat any more of the ones that do cause it, because those reactions can get worse over time in some people.
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Suiren - wow - sounds like you are making fabulous progress - CONGRATULATIONS! wOOt!
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Thank you both! I have not been this healthy in many years.
I'm glad to hear you're HPV-free.
As far as fish, you might want to try different kinds of fish and shellfish, to see which ones cause the problem, and which ones don't. Once you figure it out, don't eat any more of the ones that do cause it, because those reactions can get worse over time in some people.
Thank you, I will try that. Sometimes I am not sure it is the fish though, yesterday I had raw beef left overs and they gave me a sore throat too. But the first day I ate them I was fine....maybe it is caused by bacteria? This sucks...:(
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Thank you both! I have not been this healthy in many years.
Thank you, I will try that. Sometimes I am not sure it is the fish though, yesterday I had raw beef left overs and they gave me a sore throat too.
Sore or just closing up? There's a definite difference. One is a potentially serious allergic reaction, the other is probably just a mild allergic reaction that won't get worse.
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Sore or just closing up? There's a definite difference. One is a potentially serious allergic reaction, the other is probably just a mild allergic reaction that won't get worse.
I am unsure. It feels a little different from a sore throat and it does feel "tight", like it is closing up. But I think if it was an allergic reaction I should get it right away I guess? Because it does happen at least hours after eating the meat, sometimes I only notice it in the morning when I wake up.
It is painful too, especially when swallowing, maybe it is just a weird type of sore throat with swelling.
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Sore or just closing up? There's a definite difference. One is a potentially serious allergic reaction, the other is probably just a mild allergic reaction that won't get worse.
I think it has to do with the high amount of bacteria that we are not used to. When I drank homemade kombucha I had a similar reaction. But I'm not sure exactly how it works...
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Make sure you don't take any iodine supplements! (you probably already knew that).
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Make sure you don't take any iodine supplements! (you probably already knew that).
Why please? I am unaware and would like to know.
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People with Hashimoto's, when they take iodine it often causes their immune system to attack their thyroid causing an increase in symptoms and the destruction of your thyroid gland. Most people that are hypothyroid have Hashimoto's so its generally bad advice to tell someone with thyroid problems to take an iodine supplement. You can get all the iodine you need from raw fish or natural sources.
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Thanks for the explanation nightstorm. Why would the supplement make their immune systems attack the thyroid and iodine in foods not?
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I am unsure. It feels a little different from a sore throat and it does feel "tight", like it is closing up. But I think if it was an allergic reaction I should get it right away I guess? Because it does happen at least hours after eating the meat, sometimes I only notice it in the morning when I wake up.
It is painful too, especially when swallowing, maybe it is just a weird type of sore throat with swelling.
Hmm...how long has it been happening?
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Since I ate raw wild caught salmon one night...I just nibbled it right off the skin. My husband was sick the whole night, I was fine but had a sore throat.
I have avoided raw fish lately, but its hard to find good meat.
00nightstorm
Yes, I avoid Iodine, but we used to eat salt with Iodine at home when I was little.
Dorothy
I think the dose is just too high...its like frcutose vs. HFCS :o
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Since I ate raw wild caught salmon one night...I just nibbled it right off the skin. My husband was sick the whole night, I was fine but had a sore throat.
That sounds like an allergic reaction. I'd go easy on the finfish for a while. Maybe try some shellfish instead, see if that causes the same reaction.
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Congratulations on your health recovery! That is fantastic. It is hard to go against the established view on diet and health, especially if you have a child. Everyone seams to think they are entitled to an opinion when you have kids.
I have had strong and frequent detoxes in my throat and tonsils since going on RAF. Almost only when eating "white" meat like fish or chicken. I use to get a very sore throat and sometimes fever. Doesn't happen anymore, but once I ate farmed salmon and had an allergic reaction similar to what you are describing. I have over time learned to feel the difference between detox and bad effects from food and I welcome detoxes due to high bacteria in raw food, but I know that not all people seek that kind of experiences, and I totally get that. But sometimes the quickest way to health is through somewhat uncomfortable detoxes. Maybe that is what you are experiencing with fish, only you can know.
:) Try berries with raw cream (if you can get it) to gain weight, or frozen berries blended with cream as an ice-cream. Berries are the only thing I eat frozen sometimes, according to AV and others, they hardly looses any nutrition by freezing. Anything is worth a try even if only to gain back some weight. It is the best defence when recovering from health issues, and to produce good, nutritious milk for your child.
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afroza
Thank you! It IS hard to be on this diet when having a child. I don't even know how to tell my parents that the baby will be eating raw meat soon. I also dread things like kindergarten and school...we are actually even planning to avoid kindergarten, due to the risk of my son eating certain foods. :/
Maybe I really am experiencing detoxes then. How long have you had them for?
Raw cream - well, I eat a lot of raw butter and take olive oil supplements. Cream sounds good, but I think it has less fat and may not do the trick for me?
I definitively feel like my high fat diet has been producing very fatty high calorie milk for my little guy. He is so chunky, just I don't seem to be getting any ;)
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Updates for July:
Now that I have tackled some of the bigger problems, it is about time to focus on the little things. I do have a lot of minor pains and twinges...that I just don't mention because they have become normal. I want to see if any of them improve on RPD.
1. Haziness, a head in the clouds kind of feeling or like I am trapped in my head is one of my biggest problems. I also get some sort of tunnel vision sometimes. I frequently feel drugged.
I was always a "dreamy", introverted child. But I never felt hazy or like I am not really "there" until I was 16. Since I had bad reactions after receiving vaccines then, I often wonder if that is partially to blame. Every time I had gotten shots, my health took a downfall.
Also, young people generally have less health problems, just because they are younger and have not been as affected by their life style yet.
I am tired of feeling drowsy, but not sure how to tackle it yet.
2. My weight, I HATE this problem so fucking much. I just want to be able to gain weight like every normal person. Stuffing myself is so not enjoyable.
I am never too far from a normal weight, and after pregnancy was even able to stay close to the 50kg (110 lbs) mark which is okay, just not my ideal I guess. But recently I lost a lot of weight, and now I am down to 47kg. Currently to gain weight I am eating:
1/2 bar of butter, 5 tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil on top of regular foods. I have chosen butter and olive oil because they have the highest fat content.
I am trying to consume even more raw butter and will update my progress in a little bit.
I am also looking into other methods that could help me gain weight as discussed in this thread: http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/health/i-keep-losing-weight (http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/health/i-keep-losing-weight)!/msg97090/#msg97090
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afroza
Thank you! It IS hard to be on this diet when having a child. I don't even know how to tell my parents that the baby will be eating raw meat soon. I also dread things like kindergarten and school...we are actually even planning to avoid kindergarten, due to the risk of my son eating certain foods. :/
Maybe I really am experiencing detoxes then. How long have you had them for?
Raw cream - well, I eat a lot of raw butter and take olive oil supplements. Cream sounds good, but I think it has less fat and may not do the trick for me?
I definitively feel like my high fat diet has been producing very fatty high calorie milk for my little guy. He is so chunky, just I don't seem to be getting any ;)
Hi, again, sorry for the delay. Your son looks healthy and beautiful on your profile picture! I have noticed that I don´t gain weight on just fat (that´s why the Low Carb High Fat diets are successful when trying to loose wieght, I guess) but rather if I combine fat with carbs, like cream with berries or banana.
The detoxes I used to have in my throat and lungs used to last for a couple of days, sometimes with fever. I had many years of throat infections and antibiotic treatments prior to RAF so it was in bad shape.
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Updates for August
1. My weight keeps dropping. I am at wits end. I am 46.2kg/ 102 lbs now and was 50kg/110lbs on a standard diet.
My last resort is a food journal, to have a better overview. I can't go much lower, this does not sound good.
Weirdly my face also got much thinner, my cheeks are sunken in much like some fruitarians :(, not a good look.
2. My skin keeps imroving, big time. My pimples are getting less and less, I only have a few zits here and there every few days, I would say overall that I have "good skin" now, like what the average person considers good, because imo many people nowadays have less than perfect skin.
Some things about my skin are better than ever before, or rather, like when I was 15, 16. It is something about the glow and texture. My pores have become smaller, I never considered them big..but they just seem finer and not "open". My skin is much less oily and not dry anymore. I don't really need moisturizer much at all anymore, I just put a little (I use a very good organic brand) because my skin is happier that way, any sort of dryness will result into redness and excess oil for me.
I have to say my eyes also look a bit fresher lately...not sure how though, I think less puffy and like I am more rested?
All the changes are very subtle and it takes time to see them, but comparing last month to this month I can see vast improvement.
My body skin has also gotten so much better. I had some tiny bumps and rough parts on my upper arm and thighs...but its all gone. Even the parts that never had a problem are softer and smoother. I never even thought I had a problem other than my face.
I think my skin may not get to perfect until I cut out the butter? Dairy really makes me break out and since butter has some casein too, I think it might make a difference.
And of course I am not all raw yet.
What is a little weird, my face was not bad until 8 months postpartum, which was also the time when I made the most changes from a standard diet to a paleo diet. Now eating certain foods only once causes me to break out badly, especially grains and dairy, but also beans.
3. My energy and alertness has yet improved again, I know I say this all the time, but I sleep even better (feel okay with 6 hours), and my brain fog has gotten better. I have had problems with brain fog since I was 18 and it seemed to slowly have gotten worse. Especially since pregnancy I have had it so bad, that sometimes I can not focus on certain tasks. I am also extremely forgetful, like an old lady...
But I have been more sharp, which is good, because I am alone with my son during mid day now, and I need to be able to function.
The feeling of being trapped in my head has also bettered. This was especially bad when paired with my fears of something happening to my son (or even me). I see danger in normal day to day things now. I still manage to leave the house and face them, but when my dad was recently holding my son standing near the river I caught myself standing in between them and the river, trying not to look obvious.
I don't know if it is a maternal instinct going too crazy, but it sucks when you have those fears and on top of that your mind feels trapped with those fears, because you are not in the real world at the moment...hope that makes sense.
4. My menstruation is back!!
I a somewhat happy about this because my body worked just like a clock again and exactly at one year postpartum it returned. 1 year is said to be where your body is pretty much back to normal.
And I also means I am much more fertile again ;D, we are not trying for number two yet, will probably even wait two more years, but it is just good to know.
I do have some cramping though that I never had before though, but I read it is common for the first period to be heavy and painful. At least it is moderate pain and a normal flow. Usually I have a very light, short period (1-3 days), I used the little panty liners during my period. And it has always been symptom free, if I wasn't bleeding, I wouldn't even know I have my period.
I think I might start a google site or something similar as a diary too, so I can keep track of all the improvement better than in a thread.
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The best foods I've seen for weight gain are avocados and goat dairy.
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The best foods I've seen for weight gain are avocados and goat dairy.
I have not been eating a lot of avocado because 1 single avocado costs about $2.50 here and it ends up being too expensive for us. However I tried to add some to our butter.
Goat dairy, would it give me the same problems as cow dairy? I can't seem to tolerate much dairy at all anymore. I suppose goats milk or cream still has less calories than butter right? Raw goat butter would be very hard to find I think :(
Is goat dairy expensive? We live off of 480 Euros a month, after paying bills which is usually not enough for super foods and other expenses like travel (bus, train)
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Foods I can't tolerate anymore:
All grains, including corn but grains containing gluten are worse, all dairy except butter, not even cream really, although it seems less bad. Beans give me problems. I have not been able to eat any type of fish without a very sore swollen throat lately.
Fructose has been causing me more problems than on SAD.
Too much nuts seem to cause diarrhea. Too much fat and oil gets me nauseated.
I think I'm just gonna have to starve. I could not even eat standard foods anymore to save myself from starving.
I also would not want my son to be fed grain fed breast milk again...This just sucks so fucking bad.
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Try some weightlifting, otherwise it's pretty much impossible to get fatter on this diet (unless you're naturally big/fat).
I have the exact same problem with weight, but I'd rather be thin and feel good than stuff myself with bread or dairy or whatever and feel crappy, just so that I look better to others.
Most here won't understand that those like us that are naturally thin, end up REALLY thin on this diet. I'm 1.9m tall male and 73kg.. fucking marathon runners are bigger.
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Try some weightlifting, otherwise it's pretty much impossible to get fatter on this diet (unless you're naturally big/fat).
I have the exact same problem with weight, but I'd rather be thin and feel good than stuff myself with bread or dairy or whatever and feel crappy, just so that I look better to others.
Most here won't understand that those like us that are naturally thin, end up REALLY thin on this diet. I'm 1.9m tall male and 73kg.. fucking marathon runners are bigger.
Does weight lifting increase fat in any way? I thought it would just produce lean muscle mass and add to weight because of the muscle being heavier?
Also the problem is, I am not even maintaining weight on this diet, I keep losing. :( At some point I will be unhealthy because of being too thin.
I am also worried things like weight lifting would not look good because I am a woman..I don't want toned abs, or arms...I want fat, a soft shape all that womanly stuff, which I believe is natural for women to have (just not to an excess). I will lose that if I drop more or would actually work out I think.
Your BMI is 20.2, which is ideal. Mine is 16.9. I usually don't think BMI is the most accurate, but there is a difference between the two. To get a BMI of 20.2 I would have to be 55kg/ 121lbs. That is 10kg/ 22 lbs (!!) more than what I am now.
I also personally want to be bigger, regardless of what other say. My arms look like tooth picks and I don't want to see bones...
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Hi Suiren, Sorry you are having a frustrating time.
I haven't read through this whole thread yet so I can't comment much or make suggestions, I only want to tell you that it took me 2 years to fully detox (or at least 90%ish) on a RVAF diet, you are well within that zone of time so take heart, it isn't an overnight process always and it takes time to pull toxins from deep inside your tissues and marrow.
Keep heart and keep experimenting until you find something that works for you. There is an answer to your health issues but it takes persistence to get there. I remember how many occasions over the last 6 years that I was at my wits end also, literally begging god for a solution to my health problems, if I had given up I would still be in misery to this day, either drugged out or isolated in my pain.
I also want to second your notion to keep an eating journal. With tricky cases like yours they are invaluable!
Good luck!
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BMI gets skewed for tall people like me, so it's more like 18-19 I think. It's certainly not ideal because I get the same remarks like you everywhere, "you're so thin...". But yours is indeed really low.
Women can't make much muscles, so don't worry about that. But your appetite will increase, metabolism will normalize, etc.
I agree that women look much better with some healthy levels of fat under the skin, and likewise men with some normally sized muscles as well as fat, but yeah, we're at a genetic disadvantage with regards to this and need to fight.. ;) At least it's better than being obese.
I don't know how tolerant you are to carbs, if you don't have problems with them you could try eating some white rice every day. It's extremely cheap and relatively safe if you add a bunch of fat like butter to it. Without the rice I'd probably go down to your BMI.
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Hi Suiren, Sorry you are having a frustrating time.
I haven't read through this whole thread yet so I can't comment much or make suggestions, I only want to tell you that it took me 2 years to fully detox (or at least 90%ish) on a RVAF diet, you are well within that zone of time so take heart, it isn't an overnight process always and it takes time to pull toxins from deep inside your tissues and marrow.
Keep heart and keep experimenting until you find something that works for you. There is an answer to your health issues but it takes persistence to get there. I remember how many occasions over the last 6 years that I was at my wits end also, literally begging god for a solution to my health problems, if I had given up I would still be in misery to this day, either drugged out or isolated in my pain.
I also want to second your notion to keep an eating journal. With tricky cases like yours they are invaluable!
Good luck!
Thank you Thoth! The detoxes are not too bad, especially since I really avoid certain foods strictly. If it was not for the concerning weight loss, I could say I am doing well actually.
I started a food diary using an app called fitness pal, it estimates how many calories I need to gain and I can search up foods, enter the amount I ate and it will calculate the calories. Supposedly I will gain on 2100 cals, 1 lbs a week even. But it is only 7pm and I still have 2 meals ahead of me, and I already consumed 2439 cals -\.
I assume I need way more calories than the average person, maybe because of the paleo foods too. And 500 extra for breastfeeding anyway...
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BMI gets skewed for tall people like me, so it's more like 18-19 I think. It's certainly not ideal because I get the same remarks like you everywhere, "you're so thin...". But yours is indeed really low.
Women can't make much muscles, so don't worry about that. But your appetite will increase, metabolism will normalize, etc.
I agree that women look much better with some healthy levels of fat under the skin, and likewise men with some normally sized muscles as well as fat, but yeah, we're at a genetic disadvantage with regards to this and need to fight.. ;) At least it's better than being obese.
I don't know how tolerant you are to carbs, if you don't have problems with them you could try eating some white rice every day. It's extremely cheap and relatively safe if you add a bunch of fat like butter to it. Without the rice I'd probably go down to your BMI.
I eat some carbs in the form of sweet potatoes and carrots, or fruit. Rice does give me problems now. It never used to, but since I cut out grains, whenever I eat more than maybe a small serving once in a blue moon, I get stomach aches, horrible breakouts, and I also feel foggy from rice. Brain fog is a big problem of mine.
When I was on a standard diet WITH butter and olive oil added for calories, I gained some weight. But now its so hard.
Sometimes I wonder if the diet I have eaten all my life, actually caused me damage that makes it hard for my body to absorb calories. I read celiac disease sufferers can have that problem, I had many symptoms of celiac disease, but never got checked because I knew changing my diet will help anyway.
Weight lifting: I am fairly active, at least more than the average person since we don't have a car, which mains walking 45mins to the supermarket with the stroller and back with groceries, lifting the stroller and especially lifting my son the whole day. That fat baby in the picture is a fat 1 year old now, he weighs above average, 24lbs ;D, and he wants to be held all day. So I can clean the house holding him in one arm and a broom in the other hand. If he is not being held he wants to be entertained and play so I certainly do get some exercise I think.
I DO wonder about my metabolism though, and I might have it checked again...it used to be unusually fast, and then slow once I started meds for Hashimoto's (although that did not help gain either).
Since I am off meds, it might be fast again?
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Sounds like you're getting enough weight lifting with that little guy :D
Brain fog means you're probably not very tolerant to carbs and you're pretty much doing low carb? Have you measured how much carbs you eat per day? Carrots and fruits doesn't sounds like much, especially because you need a fortune to eat enough calories from fruits, and you said money is restricted.
It's a fact that when eating raw diet you will absorb LESS calories, that's what many studies have shown. E.g. when eating raw fish you'll absorb less protein than when eating it cooked. My take on it is that you need some time to adapt to fully digesting raw foods, maybe months for some but years for others, which is why these studies found what they found, because they were mostly done on people who've never eaten raw meat or fish or eggs before in their life. So maybe you're just still in this adaptation phase. Or maybe you're badly doing a low carb. Or maybe it's that celiac possibility. No clue about Hashimoto though, maybe someone can comment.
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What I meant with the comment on detox Suiren is that it may be hard to gain weight while your body is in detox, and your other conditions are almost certainly contributing to the problem, and they will not likely heal and normalize completely until your body has detoxed everything out and then healed the other issues like hashimoto's, cancer, etc.
It will probably take time for your system to 'reset' itself, regenerate itself and function properly. It would probably help enormously to be eating raw glands and organs, all of them, especially thyroid in your case, but also brain and everything else. I know you said at one point in this thread that you were still adjusting to raw meats, so I don't know if you're up for that, but even if you're not now, keep it on the back 'burner' so to speak, for when you've exhausted all the other avenues.
Also breast feeding is an ENORMOUS drain in energy, and I think you won't have near as much trouble maintaining your preferred weight once you're through. Have you tried feeding the big little fella some raw liver or hamburger to supplement your breast milk? I really think it's awesome you're trying to keep him on your milk for a while, there really is nothing better for them and it's such a crucial time, the benefits show in the photos of him! He's gorgeous.
Re your high metabolism and output of breast milk I doubt that calculator is going to do much good. I know I certainly eat far and above what most people eat and, though I'm beginning to fill out and bulk up a bit now at 26 yrs old and having healed so my body will accept the nourishment pretty efficiently, I still stay very trim and lean compared to what my friend, who eats like me in terms of calories, looks like.
All that is to say, your journal is great, but don't expect too much from their calculator unless you're in some way able to account for your high metabolism with the calculations, like tell it you need whatever number of calories you think you need to maintain your weight, even if the calculator thinks you only need an arbitrary number like 2100.
Just some thoughts, I'll have more intelligent input as soon as I've caught up on the whole thread. Cheers!
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aLptHW4k4y
I think what I am doing is low carb? I eat about 1 carrot a day, or one banana, sweet potato. I have been wanting to increase the amount, but I get so full off of the fat, nuts and eggs.
I think it might be the low carb, since I cut out rice not too long ago. It was one of the last things to go, but then I had to take it out of my diet abruptly because I suddenly started reacting badly to it.
I also think my body has gotten much more sensitive to crappy foods, which is a good thing of course, and it is sad to think that my body used to just shut up about all the grains (grains in the form of bread and pasta used to be my main food source!).
I only eat partially raw, good grasfed meat ans wild caught fish is always eaten raw. But cheap grain fed meat from the supermarket (often fatty ground beef) is dried or cooked, plus I do buy lunch meats, prefer prosciutto over cooked ham, but yeah most lunch meats are cooked.
Thoth
Yes, you are right about the calculator. It is nothing to rely on too much, I just like how I can keep track of my calorie intake, so I can see how much works for weight gain.
Same goes for adding more carbs, or more avocado....I have been wanting to see if my body gains better with more carbs eaten with all the fat.
I am going slow with eating raw meats, because I tend to detox, especially from fish it seems. I don't want my son to get too much of that through the breast milk, and also I need to have enough strength being home alone with him.
I had some days where I felt faint, and it is a scary thought if I pass out while he is alone with me.
I am willing to try organs and brain and all that stuff...I have eaten it cooked, maybe it will taste okay to me.
I know breastfeeding uses a lot of energy and calories, maybe even more now that he is older. Luckily I have never felt drained from it. It is even relaxing, because we get to lay down on the couch for ten minutes and rest ( I nurse him side lying mostly).
he does not eat a lot of solids yet, he is still in that test and play phase. We wanted him to start with meat a month ago and ordered gras fed meat and suet, but the order is not here yet! Those people are driving me crazy... >:I feel bad he has to wait so long for his meat. The same farm could also sell us liver and other organs...so I hope they will hurry up already.
What you say about the detox makes sense. I just hope I don't starve in the process :(.
My conditions are pretty much gone...I think I was trying to update my first post before, but was not able to anymore. My prolactin levels are normal, so the pituitary tumor must be gone or shriveled up to the point of no harm. My thyroid is working normally and I don't really have Hashimoto's anymore, my blood work just shows high anti bodies still. The other numbers were okay. I am thinking the high anti bodies could be caused by my former diet too...not sure, just a simple guess of mine.
Oh and the HPV and cancer officially gone according to my last tests in June!! ;D
My doctor was even baffled that it cleared after 8 years of problems and it was also surprising that the HPV Virus is not showing up. I was expecting bettering, like less abnormal cells, but not that yet.
Would that mean I have progressed more health wise already? :)
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That would mean that you kick so much ass!
I would say you're doing pretty much everything right under your circumstances and your issue with weight gain will work itself out one way or another soon enough, god I wish my step mom was like you! Instead of my baby bro and sis suffering from eczema and asthma they would be robust and healthy! oh well, you are a pioneer and setting a wonderful example for the world!
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LOL, ;D
Sorry to hear about your brother and sister. On a mothering forum I come across quite a few not so healthy baby and toddlers. And I wonder if their problems could be fixed with a better diet. I suppose though, but try telling those mothers...I don't want to seem mean. Sometimes I carefully suggest cutting out grains and dairy or something, since that will sound less crazy to people.
My son was only sick once when he was 5 days old, because my FIL decided to pass his cold on to the newborn baby. But he took it like a champ, he only had a stuffy nose, while I was having actual cold symptoms and raised temperature haha.
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Hows your dog doing?
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We took her to the vet for her allergies, she is allergic to flea bites and certain bugs that can bite her in taller grass. For now she has to avoid grass, which sucks for a dog.
We have been feeding her meat scraps, which she loves, but she still gets dog food too since we cant always afford meat for her.
I hope eventually her allergies will resolve with a better diet.
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Here some stats from my iPod food journal 'my fitness pal"....
Wednesday Aug. 29, 2012
Breakfast 702 cal
Lunch 937 cal
Dinner 742 cal
Snacks 1039 cal
________________
= 3420 cal :o
My estimated goal to gain by the app was 2100...yeah right. So I went 1320 over.
If I don't gain on this, something is severely wrong. I increased my butter and olive oil intake. Before I was probably eating around 2200.
Typical foods
Eggs
Tiger Nuts (ground)
Coco Nut (ground)
Raw Butter
Avocado
Honey
Carrot
Sweet Potato
Cold pressed olive oil
Meats
And I add different veggies and fruit if I have room. Often onion, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper.
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We took her to the vet for her allergies, she is allergic to flea bites and certain bugs that can bite her in taller grass. For now she has to avoid grass, which sucks for a dog.
We have been feeding her meat scraps, which she loves, but she still gets dog food too since we cant always afford meat for her.
I hope eventually her allergies will resolve with a better diet.
We can get ground chicken carcasses where we are for $1.50 a kilo. That has to be cheaper than dog food. I can get hamburger meat for $2 a kilo.
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That is very cheap, we would pay about 8 bucks here and it is not even a kilo.
Chicken - I heard the bones are not suitable for dogs because they can break into little sharp pieces?
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As long as the bones are raw it is OK - its cooking the bones that makes them dangerous
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I don't know what to think about the whole chicken bones thing.
Coyotes and foxes in the wild will eat pheasant and consume all of the animal except for some feathers. All of my dogs I have fed whole chicken carcasses for the first year of their lives, but they seem to grow to dislike them after a while and I'm wondering if maybe they're not chewing the bones down small enough. I know that one year my dog, the mom of the dogs I have now, ate a chicken carcass and then when we were walking at the park had trouble defecating. She was yowling and seemed to be in terrible pain as if a bone had gotten lodged in her colon or rectum. She would pretty much never touch chicken after that unless it was lightly cooked and just meat. It was weird. And then her pups ate our chickens for the longest time but most of them reject the carcasses now, possibly for the same reason.
Furthermore, my stepdad said he fed his dog cooked chicken bones for over a decade without issue, but I have no clue if that is true or not.
I would say maybe limit the bones, so your pup isn't gobbling down more than the gut can handle.
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That is very cheap, we would pay about 8 bucks here and it is not even a kilo.
Chicken - I heard the bones are not suitable for dogs because they can break into little sharp pieces?
8 bucks in Germany? I buy Kleinfleisch for 1 euro or so. You can slow cook it and then the bones get very soft.
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8 bucks in Germany? I buy Kleinfleisch for 1 euro or so. You can slow cook it and then the bones get very soft.
Where do you get it? We buy from local farms, hunters and ebay.
Thoth
Yeah, I would be worried about that. My dog is a Shih tzu, so not exactly a wolf, and she has a flat face and underbite. Not sure she is the perfect breed for that? She LOVES sheep bones though, and bone marrow...
I read somewhere Shih Tzu are closely related to the wolf...haha, hard to imagine. She is more like a Gremlin than a dog.
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the carcass is just the left over skeleton of the chicken. Not the meat.
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the carcass is just the left over skeleton of the chicken. Not the meat.
That's what I thought, but at least with some meat? No?
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What I buy is pretty much all meat with some small bones here and there. Some farms will give you a whole carcass which has a lot more bones but still has plenty of meat.
Suiren, I get it from the local farmers market.
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So where do you get your foods in general? We have been having a hard time finding grassfed meat. We found one seller that is affordable, but she is not shipping our order for some reason... -\
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I wanted to update my progress:
Yesterday I ate 3700 cal, my weight is unchanged. At least I did not lose any more. It has not went up even the slightest bit either though, but maybe I need to wait longer to see ANY changes?
I combine a lot of potent foods, a typical lunch is:
2 eggs
40 grams of tiger nut
50 grams of butter
2 table spoons of olive oil
1/2 avocado
30-60 grams of meat
1 carrot or 1/2 sweet potato, with onions or bell pepper at the moment.
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yeah some meat suiren.
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the carcass is just the left over skeleton of the chicken. Not the meat.
I was using carcass mostly in terms of an entire bird, only dead. And that is the definition you'll find if you google it. It can refer to a mostly de-fleshed skeleton as well.
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So where do you get your foods in general? We have been having a hard time finding grassfed meat. We found one seller that is affordable, but she is not shipping our order for some reason... -\
Mostly at the farmers market, where local farms come to sell their products 2-3 times a week. Isn't there some Wochenmarkt around your place?
There is a farm that carries grass-fed beef at my market, it's about 1.5x more expensive than regular beef from the supermarket.
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yeah some meat suiren.
I'll second this opinion to help push it up a little louder.
30-60 grams of meat is too little.
I would consider eggs to be more of cleansers or fat substitutes while the real meat you need is not available.
The lunch is complicated. I'm not a fan of food combining in that mush.
How about a lunch that is just a 200 gram slab of fatty meat... and nothing else?
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If you are into recipes because you have to get over taste issues, I have a recipe for LAMB.
Say 200 gm fatty lamb for lunch without the bones.
- add some extra virgin olive oil
- add some freshly pounded garlic
- some salt and pepper to taste
(then some newbies will sear this for 10 secs each side, like my own 11 year old boy)
Of course you expect eventually to just eat the lamb with zero condiments.
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If you are going to eat meat, it should be the star of your main meal, and it is enough to make you gain weight. Meat as a side dish in those small amounts (in your typical lunch) mean you will not gain weight.
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I have another recipe for BEEF barbecue. You can put this on sticks for full effect:
- Cut the beef in barbecue slices... make sure you got a lot of good fat slices
- Add in: raw honey, fresh garlic, fresh lemon, some salt and pepper
- mix in the mush and taste and adjust
- Put in sticks... have some 2 fat slices with 3 meat slices each stick.
enjoy as is... or again, sear for that newbie get started feeling for 10 secs smell.
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If you are going to eat meat, it should be the star of your main meal, and it is enough to make you gain weight. Meat as a side dish in those small amounts (in your typical lunch) mean you will not gain weight.
in my personal experience, and I'm 5' 5" to gain weight I ate starting with around 150 grams at first of animal food total a day to around 700 grams of total animal food a day. I even did the ridiculous experiment of trying to reach a kilo of animal food a day, but that would have meant cutting down on fat and too much protein as fat makes me limit my appetite. I did try it until my kidneys hurt. So I cut down to 600 grams per day estimate. I think for 2 years in my year 2 and 3 I was eating 600 grams a day and loving it. I got variety of land and aquatic creatures.
The tapering down of the animal food consumption comes after you've filled up your body stores. By then you'd have gained significant weight.
Eventually when you stop CONDIMENTING... your body will tell you what it is hungry for... instincts come in.
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Thank you for the recipes! It makes sense that I was eating too little meat. Trying to save money and grass fed is hardly affordable, but maybe partly cooked Paleo for weight gain for now, so we can buy cheap meat.
Once I get my hands on good quality meat raw is fine. I did not really find seared meat to be any easier.
Well I have lots of things to do, find better sources of meats and add more carbs and more meat.
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I also saw your other thread. And there was the issue of carbohydrates. Honey and durian do it for me for weight gain. A cheap source of good carbs may be ripe raw squash. It is delicious raw and ripe if you haven't tried it, it's like eating a heavy melon. I remember raw vegans making raw squash and raw zuccini spaghetti I think as they played around with their food processors.
I would also avoid nuts, in my experience, nuts interfere with meat digestion. That was first reported by Aajonus I think. Nuts are just minor treats some once a month for me.
If you follow the book of aajonus, there is the issue of eating frequent meals. Every 2 hours. Just stuff yourself. Your body will get used to it. Aajonus likes it when people gain weight. You've read Aajonus?
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I do eat honey twice a day with butter. So I guess that's good.
Nuts - what about ground coco nut? (I know it is a nut, but I seems to be different) I have been using the nuts to mask the fattiness of the butter (+meat)...otherwise it will just be a mouth full of oily butter :(.
Lately I have been eating less frequent, 4 times a day.
I always stuff myself, since I was a kid...not sure I will ever like it :/
Updates September:
Weight 46.6kg (that's a 0.4kg increase...so nothing really)
Meals: More meats, carbs, large infrequent meals, no snacks
Energy: Great
Hypoglycemia: No recent problems
Other: I noticed my son does not sleep very much at all for a one year old. It says the average is 14 hrs with naps. His average is 10-12 and he does not nap...he stopped taking naps, it is weird. I was thinking since my diet gave me more energy, it might do the same for him. I have been needing less sleep, I am okay on 6, little tired at the end of the day, and 6 1/2 or 7 seems perfect, more is too much...I felt crappy with 8 hours recently. That feeling when you slept too long.
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More updates, because there are changes...
Weight: I haven't weight myself in a while, I usually never weight myself, just recently did do it more often to see if I gain. I assume I haven't gained but not lost either.
Strength: I noticed I haven't had any back pain in a while, and I can carry my son for long, long periods at a time. He is 24lbs and so far I have held him for up to two hours, or had him in the wrap. That may not sound like much but I received a lot of amazement from other moms.
Plus, whenever I think my arms had enough, they keep adjusting, it is like that with overall strength too, and was the same in pregnancy. I was always able to handle the big belly and was pretty active.
Skin: I keep looking into the mirror, because I am somewhat in disbelief, but my skin just keeps changing...Like I mentioned before, the first changes I noticed was clearer skin, but now I notice things improving that I never even felt were bad. It is hard to describe but my skin is finer in texture, the glow seems healthier, like more "dewy", my skin is less dry and less oily and my pores are tiny now. My eyes also seem fresher, not sure how, I never felt aged and I don't have wrinkles (yet), but overall I seem to be looking younger *shrug*.
But, I noticed that if I only cheat a tiny bit on my diet, like something with milk or rice, or potato, I will break out badly. Not very fun...and I would only do that very rarely.
Baby:
Going to weekly play dates now to meet other moms and babies. We had a good time, even though none of the moms parent like me really. No one breastfeeds, or not anymore (stopped at 6 months), co-sleeping sounds like a nuisance to them and two only do it because their babies don't sleep in their crib.
However, they seemed positive about me still breast feeding and co-sleeping. They also did not bother me too much about my diet. I was not completely honest though, I said we have food intolerances, which is only half true, but I don't want a discussion about our diet.
My son is the oldest, and the only one walking, but he likes to play with the 11 and 12 month old babies that can crawl. He is not very interested in the 7-8 months olds.... ;D big boy.
Most mothers are a little older than me (mid-late 30's) and just had their first and last child. I am the only one that wants more children... :o they feel it is a hassle. I don't find parenting hard at all really, but I suppose I have a much easier time because of me parenting more natural.
I respect their choice, but it did surprise me to hear this.
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suiren i admire you for having the courage to be a mother like you do
you are indeed a strong women, i feel like the other mothers are really missing a connection to womenhood and motherhood, what a better way to connect then to breast feed. i think that and cosleeping are important as long as proper boundaries are made at so that the parents are not at the will of the child. the folks i am living with are bad about that and while i am still glad to hear they breast feed and cosleep (hes 13 months) they havent really set appropriate boundaries are are suffering with loss of sleep. hes the brightest child though:) and its wonderful to see a mom pretty similar to yourself so in love with her child and being a mother :) glad to hear you are feeling physical strength as well as better skin. i think that the sensitivity to foods will definitely decrease overtime as your endocrine system strengthens and balances, although you may choose to abstain from certain foods indefinitely
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Thank you Jessica! :)
You know, it often surprises me how so many parents don't like this type of parenting. Everyone is just all about books and methods.
I just started parenting this way naturally, I was not really intending to co-sleep, it just happened naturally. I enjoy it, but most parents want the bed for themselves.
The boundaries you are talking about with your friends child, might be impossible to keep. Many toddlers wake often and nurse more at night, because they are just going through so much learning and developing. My son slept great at 10 months and only woke once, yet from 12-13 1/2 he woke up to six times at night.
All I do is pretty much cater to his demands. He is all instincts, he knows what he needs. Turned out he was teething too (molars). Now he is back to his normal sleeping habits. I do not suffer loss of sleep really, because whenever he wakes, he gets to nurse and all is good, we just doze off again. I can hardly even remember how often he wakes up ;D.
Not sure if your friends do that, but if not it will help a lot!
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Now for the October updates:
I learned a few things...
Weight gain: I got tired of eating 3500 cals a day and not gaining. I stopped and barely ate, only when I was actually HUNGRY. I did not lose any weight...now that is weird! I don't think I ate more than 2000 cals. Probably around 1300.
Anyhow, I am slowly increasing the calories, to see if my body gains weight better after this low calorie phase.
My bodies reaction to SAD foods:
I had a short period of cheating a few times. Mostly because I needed to buy food on the go, but I also pigged out on my birthday (Pasta, cake).
I don't think I should do that anymore though. Because not only did I break out like cray...I don't even have words for it, I have never seen this...
I also felt sick, hypoglycemia, stomach aches, digestive pains, bowel problems, fatique, headaches and all over body aches, even back pain.
My back pains had mysteriously disappeared a few months ago...I figured my body adjusted to my fat baby ;), but I guess that was not all.
Last but not least - my wisdom teeth that were pulled twelve years ago are regrowing...not what I wanted.
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Updates for December:
I have experimented lots.
1. Dairy
I seem to have some benefits from dairy, many visible a day after consumption. This does not only happen with raw dairy. Effects: Clearer skin, looking more rested, more energy, better sleep. Without any dairy I tend to have dark undereye circles, which I never had in the past, so that was a red flag to me. However the circles also seem to be related to lacking some other vitamins and nutrients, so it is a combination of the two.
2. Lacking Vitamins
I started shedding more hair a few months ago. My first thought was that I must be lacking something, and so I experimented with different foods and supplements.
Trying to eat more of a variety did not better things for me...at all :/, a Multivitamin only lessened the hair loss. Then I gave a prenatal Vitamin a try, and there you go...5 hairs shed count in the morning instead of 40. In Germany prenatals are not common, so I bought seperate supplements and combined them to get the same amount: Multi+ Iron, Folic Acid & B Vitamins +Zinc. I still take my Vitamin D Supplements (2400 IU) also.
Am a little bummed, since I was recovering from the last two hair loss episodes still (2009, 2011) and this is a set back, but it still looks okay, back to a medium thickness and at least not visibly thinned. I do have visible regrowth again though....must have been more than I thought at first.
I can't wait for the other short hairs to fit into my ponytail.
Btw. I do think that the lack of nutrients is also related to breastfeeding. My body just did not have enough for both of us.
Weight gain:
Went up to around 48 kg, I think I gained about 2 kg and am able to hold my weight better. Lots of honey with butter works better than meat with butter. I eat my meat separately now with some veggies maybe. I have been making coconut flour pancakes to help me ingest a lot of raw butter with honey (like a flat bread) and have been able to consume much more this way.
Breastfeeding:
My son already has ALL his teeth! (except the last molars he gets much later). He was early with teeth and recently grew 12 at once! Without fussing about them once. Ever since he has been chewing away like a champ. He also has the most beautiful, straight teeth I have ever seen on a toddler, only small gaps and somewhat more like adult teeth almost.
He is actively eating now, he eats at the table. Milk is still his primary source of calories, but he sees solids as a nice addition to his milk. I noticed that he eats his meat the best, like the largest portions and does not waste it. Fruits he sees as snacks (aside from banana) and he won't eat large amounts and eventually start playing with it. He does love certain fruits though. He does not like many veggies or lettuce.
One problem we had with his raw meat though - at first he would not eat it, but when I lightly seasoned it he loved it. In order to get him to eat meat (he had been refusing it for a long time) I now resorted to flavoring his meat a little with things like: olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, herbs, onions, garlic. I use as little as possible, especially never more than a sprinkle of salt, but it makes all the difference for him.
He best likes salmon and ground beef. Chicken is not his thing (mine neither), I want to try giving him lamb and wild game lightly seasoned soon. We usually share, he does not eat it if he does not see me eating it.
For Xmas, I also made some raw treats with coconut and almond flour in the dehydrator. It took forever for them to get firm and dry but it was worth it. For ingredients I used dates (for sweetness), apple, ginger, cinnamon, raw coco powder, banana.
This was the first time he had something "Cookie" like. He does snack on them, but he does not go crazy over the treats and stops eating them after a few , which I think is good.
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He's beautiful Suiren, thanks for having the courage to raise your baby the right way!
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your boy is so adorable!
it sounds like you are doing better overall. i am sure its partially that time is also healing your body, which is great! i know what it is like to lose hairs from your head. ugh! i have these little ones growing back all around my bangs, i am so glad they are there but they are really kind of silly looking:) i attribute the regrowth to having gained weight, as well as keeping my blood sugars stable and adding broths and gelatin into my diet. i felt like the day i started adding gelatin my hair started growing back. both broths and gelatins help to insure that you are getting a full spectrum of amino acids, not just those from the muscle meats but those from every part of the animal. minerals like silica and phosphorus are good ones to look for too
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He's beautiful Suiren, thanks for having the courage to raise your baby the right way!
I couldn't raise him any other way :) I don't want anything harmful near him and I don't ever want to see him with any disease.
jessica
He is such a charming, very friendly little guy. Wherever we go people melt away :D
Yes, overall things are getting better. I am well adjusted to my diet now. I remember the times when I could barely stomach eating high fat and low carb.
I thought the first time I lost hair, that I could not possibly have any more regrowth, but after pregnancy I learned that there can be even more intense hair loss. And that is how I regrew and entire fringe, it looked like I had cut dense bangs. I had regrowth all over, but around my face was most noticeable.
My hair (loss) was what made me first worry about my health and look into alternative health topics. I never had experienced hair problems prior to 2009, but I always knew that hair can be the mirror of ones health. If anything is wrong the body will first "save energy, nutrients" etc. on the hair, since it is the least important.
2012 my sides got really thin, overall was thinned but the sides were more noticeable.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pJNOPlJeKfs/UNzscqUe1BI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/HiE2jkzSfZU/s288/blogger-001.jpg)
My prolactin would not drop then, but since being on the paleo diet, prolactin has not been an issue. "Breastfeeding Alopecia", is of course just a silly name for something that does not exist. If other women only knew they could fix so many hormone related problems with diet :(.
After 4, 5 months my regrowth looked like this:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BlK3XWU0Qfg/UNznyVdJM2I/AAAAAAAAAzQ/0oy6Zk3Zbu8/s200/IMG_3609.JPG)
Timeline of growth, loss and regain...loss and regain -.- *repeat*
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U0-AaZzgPGM/UNzoHTaypWI/AAAAAAAAAzw/UNu5M2OL-YU/s800/Collages12-001.jpg)
(my ends carry old henna hair dye that I grew out, the orange brown is my natural color)
After 8 months of trimming all growth monthly (my method):
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s_7RA38A9b4/UNzoHUMNrmI/AAAAAAAAAz0/es5-kZU1U3E/s200/IMG_5132.JPG)(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EnEmBzjTdEY/UNzoHYb1WbI/AAAAAAAAAz4/hhOWtQ0DJI0/s200/IMG_5135.JPG)(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zvsI7Ow_YYE/UNzoINnebFI/AAAAAAAAA0A/Br8xA0NW1-w/s200/IMG_5143.JPG)
I will have to try bone broth, I have only read good things about it. I don't have any gelatin in my diet but it sounds interesting.
My hair loss was always hormonal, always related to prolactin too (maybe not solely for the second time). I will probably go through it again with future children, so I am trying to get used to the thought. It was much easier this time though, especially since I was just so happy about my son day to day. The first time was rough.
(I also experienced a texture change from silky and damage free, to frizzy/ rougher and prone to damage. That has also stopped and my hair has been regrowing with a smooth texture since early spring.)
Silica and phosphorus, I have taken Silica before, but I honestly never even heard of phosphorus being beneficial. What else is it good for?
There seem to be so many vitamins that the body needs, but I am having a hard time consuming all of them. I am taking too many supplements atm for my liking, but am unable to cover all needs with diet.
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Something else:
I am planning to detox through herbs, since I was able to research their safety related to breastfeeding. It will be very gradual. I ordered a few supplements for a liver cleanse, to cleanse my blood and support liver function.
Since it also seems like my hormones did not fully regulate since pregnancy, I am also looking into possibly taking another supplement, that will remove "bad estrogen" and support the pituitary gland.
Problems I am hoping to fix:
-Extreme PMS, worse than the abdominal cramps is the back pain, which feels like back labor...my whole body aches to the point where all I can do is lay there and try not to cry. I never had painful periods before pregnancy, this is a red flag. My period is also not normal.
-Sudden acne problem
Foods:
I am planning to eat small amounts of raw liver regularly. I am hoping the Vitamin A in it will benefit me in the same way raw dairy does.
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hey suiren, are you still using dr. bronners to wash your hair? i have found that if you rinse with apple cider vinegar its like a conditioner, it makes your hair really silky feeling and returns it to its more natural ph, i love the way my hair feels after this. then just rinse with water. although it doesnt quit rinse the smell out completely and i always feel like i smell vinegary when if i am working up a sweat, :/ !
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I stopped now. Even though I was using an ACV rinse it was sticky, even my hands were. I have seen this with soap bars (castor oil) before, I think the product leaves too much soap residue.
I found a shampoo that has very few ingredients and nothing harmful. Luckily I do well without conditioner and I really only wash out the oil from my scalp a bit and then use water on the rest :)
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Hi Suiren,
Wow, beautiful long hair. The first time I met my wife in college, she had hair as long as yours.
Just last Sunday she had a 5 inch hair length cut, so her hair is now just near waist.
I will pass on your blog to my wife so she can learn from your hair care tips. She recently developed scalp eczema / dandruff.
I'm a FAN of long hair. Want my girl to grow long hair too, it's now past her shoulder. My wife and mother in law keeps wanting to cut my 8 yr old daughter's hair, I'm just glad to be there to defend her long hair and remind her to comb / brush religiously.
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I have a hair improvement protocol I stumbled upon a few years ago.
It is just combining the highest raw vitamin C content fruit plus raw animal fat daily every day. The theory is that the raw vitamin c is absorbed immensely more effectively when eaten with raw fat.
My personal choice available to me is guava or papaya + raw egg or raw bone marrow or raw beef muscle or avocados if in season.
http://www.myhealthblog.org/2008/10/28/how-to-cure-white-or-greying-hair-and-turn-them-all-black-again/ (http://www.myhealthblog.org/2008/10/28/how-to-cure-white-or-greying-hair-and-turn-them-all-black-again/)
This has worked for me and for old people to see white hair growing black at the roots again.
Maybe it will do something for your hair loss as well.
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Thank you goodsamaritan! I will have a look at that. :)
I am always looking to improve. I haven't had hair loss for three days now, but I think I am not out of the danger zone.
I think the herbs and increased Vitamin D. really helped though. I am ovulating at the moment and not in much pain just yet. Just a slight back ache earlier and slight ovary discomfort. Much better at least.
Natural long hair is still seen as a good thing in some countries specifically. In the western world fast trends dominate...like trendy short hair cuts, lots of dye, futuristic hair and extensions.
It is nice that your wife still has her hair long. Does she eat the same diet as you?
If diet is not the cause hair products can often cause or at least worsen eczema. Something might be causing her cell turnover to be affected too.
When I was a girl I always wanted long hair, but I was discouraged my whole life. Even as a young adult ("your hair will never grow long, it is not the right hair type"), only when I was 20 I grew it in spite of everyone.
If I had a daughter I would support her wish for long hair. I am glad you defend yours.
What you say about gray hairs is interesting, and I believe it can work. Last summer I had two gray hairs (my first), I haven't seen them in a while, but I will try to find them and see if they will change at all.
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Updates for late January (a lot of things have changed)
Current "Problems"
Moderate hair loss (from strong to moderate)
Strong PMS (from extremely strong)
Mild Acne (from moderate to strong acne)
Heart palpitations and chest cramps
Fatigue
Joint Swelling
Carpal tunnel and inflammatory pains
What has changed?
- Increased heart palpitations and chest pain
Never had this in my life! My husband said it's nothing but I think it is very weird.
- Hair loss decreased a bit
Not on it's own, and that does not mean it will stop, but what lowered the shed count a bit was starting on the herbs (DIM, milk thistle, burdock root, vitex), then it lowered a bit more when I increased Vitamin D (to 5000 IU), and even a tad more when I increased iron to 28mg.
BUT it is still increased shedding, my hair is thinning progressively. As always doctors don't take me seriously when I describe hair loss as one of my problems.
Little do they know that hair loss is a sure sign of something not being right. And I don't think it will just stop one day, I waited months to see if it stops.
I also hate how some doctors will say "you don't look bald yet...", am I supposed to let it get that far before I try to figure out what is wrong??? Fucking idiots.
Skin:
On the bright side, my skin has improved LOTS. I know I 'bragged' about improvements a few months into being fully Paleo, but little did I know it could get better. I guess I had totally forgotten how my skin could be.
I still do have some acne, but I went from big cystic acne and bumps under my skin (like the painful kind) to a few small pimples. And what is better than that is how my skin changed overall. It got sooo freaking soft, I think the last time I had soft skin like that was before I was 14. I have no more dryness whatsoever, it is not oily anymore, and just very even and fine textured compared to before. I would say I really have a nice glow at the moment.
I noticed my skin changing only a few days after starting the herbs. I actually felt blood rushing through my cheeks and a sensation of warms (subsided now). I read that is common with burdock root a milk thistle.
PMS
Ovulation was not bad this time, I felt a few twinges and minor pains, very mild back ache, but much better compared to last time. My period is near and yesterday I had back ache, which was still pretty painful this time, but I was able to continue working and did not have to lay down. Definitely less pain.
Supposedly it takes about 3 months to see the full effects.
Joint sweeling, carpal tunnel:
My joints on my hands (especially left), do get slightly swollen sometimes, especially my middle finger left, which gets painful on and off. I often wake up with stiff hands and it is hard to bend my fingers. I had the same until 6 months after giving birth, then it just went away. My guess is it is mainly hormonal?
Fatigue
Meh...I could take a nap any time of the day. I still feel somewhat rested in the morning, but during the day I get moments when I feel sleepy and at night I get really drowsy, before I can even start my work. I swear I made so many mistakes on a customer's dress, that I am afraid she may not want it any more :(, like really stupid little mistakes because I was not alert.
Can't have any caffeine either, because I seem to react to even black tea.
Reactions to foods:
I have watched my diet closely and I don't know why, but eating certain things will cause me to lose more hair the next day and also have other inflammatory reactions! Maybe it is only like that right now, because my body is less balanced due to the hormones (never had this before)...but it is pretty obvious.
For example:
- Trace amounts of Wheat (usually accidental) : Inflammation, nausea, stomach pains, acne, hair loss
- Too much sugar: Hair loss doubles
- More carbs: Might also result in increased hair loss but haven't tested enough
- Less iron: hair loss doubles (I am worried about taking too much iron! I think I would even need more than 28 or 42mg, which is what I take mostly)
- Legumes like Peanuts and soy: increased hair loss
Mostly my hair and skin are guiding me into knowing what is good for me and what isn't.
DIET:
- cut out lunch meats
- reduced honey from 3-4 tbs to 1/2-1 tbs
- Added more variety in veggies
- Eat meat twice a day instead of once
- No more occasional coffee or dairy (used to every 2 weeks or so)
- Found soy and wheat germ oil in my (organic) shampoo and lotion and threw it out. Using lotion and shampoo only now that is Paleo, but I am about to try washing my hair with herbs.
I am consuming roughly 2000 cals a day (while breastfeeding!) atm but am keeping my weight on, which is crazy bc I used to need much more to maintain.
Mostly I eat 50-60g carbs
120 plus g of fat
110 g of protein
Lifestyle
Limited lights at night even more
Going to sleep 2 hours earlier now, still working on shifting it more.
Sungazing
I do cold showers, although I start luke warm and the try to tolerate the cold water. They are not very cold but it is a start.
Thyroid:
Well my TSH is a bit high, 4.2 but tbh, it was way higher before (8.2) and today my doctor, who does not know about my history said "you know this will eventually turn into Hashimoto's". But I already had a worse case of Hashimoto's years ago, so although my levels are not great right now, I am a bit better than in the past.
The doctor I had seen today was not in favor of natural porcine thyroid hormones, but from what I have been reading, the synthetic ones don't work all that well. That was my experience too.
Blood work:
My liver levels were elevated and my doctor now suspects Hep. B (don't think I have it but whatever), maybe it is because of my current herb liver detox? Or just detox in general.
My prolactin is normal, which is great! Got blood taken to check ferritin and folic acid,
Conclusion:
Well, I personally feel better having figured some things out. My family does not like how I research and try to find causes for my problems, but I don't want to just sit here and trust in doctors. Doctors are only of help imo if you guide them and tell them what you want. Otherwise they spend a ton of time searching in the wrong direction. Been there...
I have at least made some progress.
My husband also thinks I am trying to look too much into it, but I need to figure out what is going on to be at peace.
My son:
Has been wanting to eat more, but even though we never offered anything else, he does not like plain raw meat. He will eat some when lightly seasoned only. I had to decide between not giving a 17 month old meat and seasoning it.
He loves fruit above all, especially Apples, bananas and grapes. :(
He hates veggies for the most part.
My dog:
Only very slight improvements on a all meat diet, now raw meat, lots of organs and fat,
I wash her with diluted vinegar to help her skin problems a bit. Can dogs to cleanses and detoxes?
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Well, this may be wrong but the various health-problems could either be due to
a) Not eating fully rawpalaeo. As I got into this rawpalaeodiet, I would find myself, eventually, detoxing soon after eating anything non-rawpalaeo. This is unsurprising as the body, once it's reasonably healthy, will find it easier to get rid of toxins a lot quicker. So, maybe your symptoms are like detox symptoms - who knows? An Aajonus-derived response would be to eat more cooked foods in the short-term to slow down the detox.
b) Maybe your husband's right. Maybe all you need is to do something to relieve daily stress/anxiety. I would recommend yoga. For some strange reason, this practice has helped me more than expected as regards loosening the mind and thereby relieving stress etc. I'm sure it could sort out the palpitations and chest pain. Yoga sessions are cheap if done in a group. I pay 15 euros for one 2-hour session a week, 22 euros if I choose to do 2 sessions a week.
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I like Yoga! Will have to see how much it is, but I have also been able to practice a little at home (with apps). What makes it hard for me to do Yoga is my son, I worry he might need to nurse while I am taking classes, I also don't always have someone to watch him. But I definitely need to exercise a bit, I feel blah when I don't get out some days.
I think transitioning to raw foods more slowly would be better. Especially right now where my body has some regulating to do.
I also think I may have gone low carb too fast. My problems started when I ditched my carrots and sweet potatos. Not sure if it is related but this made sense to me:
http://wellnessmama.com/4352/is-low-carb-healthy/ (http://wellnessmama.com/4352/is-low-carb-healthy/)
Apparently one can have thyroid like problems when going low carb suddenly.
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he does not like plain raw meat.
i started giving my daughter fatty ground meat with little salt around 16 months. she eats it well but only when she feels like it, maybe 1-2 times per week.
also, when my wife stopped breastfeeding at 19 months she developed chronic sinus infection. the doc did some tests and it turned out she has strong zinc deficiency because of breastfeeding. zinc deficiency can weaken immune system.
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I am still breastfeeding and because it can take nutrients away from the mother I want to make sure I am getting enough nutrients and vitamins. I never had to take supplements before being pregnant, but now it seems diet is not enough.
It may be zinc, it may be biotin or folic acid, iron, vitamin d, i might benefit from gelatin and magnesium....it is hard to supplement so much, and even harder to have enough in your diet. I write a food journal with the help of an App. and I never seem to get enough nutrients and too much Vitamin A.
What else does your daughter eat? My son eats meat about once a day and fruits.
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Eating raw oysters once or twice a week will give you more than enough zinc and other nutrients.
Eat raw clams too for B12 and more.
This is why it is important to eat complete animals.
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with lower carbs you definitely have to add minerals (magnesium!) and extra water, thats why its suggested to add broths, they wont dilute you, they have amino acids that compliment muscle meats and they can have gelatin if you use the right bits of bone with ligaments etc.
relying on supplements isnt bad, its actually really helpful for a lot of people who are struggling to get their health back in balance.
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What else does your daughter eat? My son eats meat about once a day and fruits.
we tried lots of different things. in the beginning she was ok with pickled herring and butter, then few months later totally did not want it. she used to like cucumbers and pickles, not anymore. same story with other foods.
now at 22m she eats thick rice and chicken soup, less frequently mashed potatoes and butter. she likes kefir with wild blueberries. in summer she is crazy about raspberries in our backyard. also likes young coconut meat. sometimes raisins. does not care about other fruits.
few times a week she has scrambled eggs with butter, medium-rare steak, and raw ground meat.
lots of trial and error. we would put different foods in front of her and see which ones she likes best.
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I've found the article that deals directly with how to address your Thyroid problems.
http://www.curemanual.com/2009/08/dr-henry-bieler-the-endocrine-glands-are-the-3rd-line-of-defense-against-disease/ (http://www.curemanual.com/2009/08/dr-henry-bieler-the-endocrine-glands-are-the-3rd-line-of-defense-against-disease/)
This is the 3rd in a series. The 1st line of defense is the digestive system. The 2nd line of defense is the liver. Dr. Henry Bieler talks about these 3 major glands:The Adrenal Glands, The Thyroid Gland, The Pituitary Gland.
So when people are diagnosed with an overactive thyroid or overactive adrenals or overactive pituitary or even the opposite – underactivity – these endocrine glands may merely be compensating for the malfuctioning of the liver and the digestive system. Merely address the liver and the digestive system problems and the endocrine glands go back to functioning normally. Simple concept right?
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jessica
Yes I added magnesium and gelatin! I hope it helps a bit. :)
We will also be ordering bones after pay day.
I feel at the moment supplements are something I need to do, because I can not afford the ultimate health diet. I have been writing down the nutrients and vitamins my foods have, and I am always lacking key nutrients.
So supplements are still better than lacking anything.
ys
Oh, so she doesn't really eat a strict paleo or raw paleo diet. It has been hard keeping my son fully raw paleo. He always wants my cooked food. She seems like a great eater though. He prefers fish, lamb, ground beef, apples, banana, bell pepper, cucumber, all berries, carrots...I often joke that he will be a fruitarian! :P
GS
Thank you I will read that too. Very interesting statement!
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I have been reading about low carb paleo and thyroid like problems related to it and I wanted to know what everyone thinks:
Some people (a very small percentage of my clients) who jump into low carb from a very high carb diet will experience some thyroid-like side effects a few weeks or few months after switching such as fatigue, coldness in extremities, hair-loss or other problems.
In my experience, these clients are also ones who went low-carb for weight-loss reasons and often have an underlying hormone issue to begin with.
For a long time, I considered this slow-transition a problem, and was able to find some things (adding more natural salt into the diet, taking magnesium and gelatin, etc) that made the transitions easier.
While these supplements do help the transition, and I’d recommend them anyway, a recent article by Dr. Cate Shanahan helped me understand why some individuals experience these thyroid like-symptoms after going low-carb for a while and explains why the slow-transition might actually be the best thing for these people.
Dr. Shanahan explains that advanced thyroid testing will often reveal that these individuals have an extremely elevated reverse T3 level (rT3) and at this point, most doctors will prescribe T3 and think that the problem is solved. Dr. Shanahan explains the rT3 has the opposite effect of regular T3 and essentially makes the body think it needs to hibernate and prepares for such (weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, etc).
She goes on to explain that this phenomenon is similar to bears before hibernation, and this drop in rT3 caused when berries and other readily available carbs disappear creates the fatigue needed for hibernation. Unfortunately, for those of us not interested in hibernation, this can be a problem.
If you are part of the group that suffers from severe carb flu when you remove carbs, or if you’ve gone low-carb for a while and then started to lose energy and gain weight, it’s possible that your rT3 is elevated.
Fortunately, while suddenly removing carbs shocks the system, doing it gradually often helps the system adjust. Dr. Shanahan recommends that patients who suffer from these symptoms go low-carb slowly beginning with breakfast and slowly reducing overall carbs over a period of time.
From what I’ve seen with my own clients, this can be helpful and necessary, especially for those who already have an underlying hormone struggle or who have a severe reaction to removing carbs.
Source: http://wellnessmama.com/4352/is-low-carb-healthy/ (http://wellnessmama.com/4352/is-low-carb-healthy/)
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they develop fatigue, sometimes accompanied by symptoms of low thyroid function including cold extremities, hair loss, and digestive problems. Only by consuming more carbs again can they reduce these symptoms.
Because their fatigue and other symptoms are classic for thyroid malfunction, many will get their levels tested,....
(http://drcate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/rt3-trigger.jpg)
The reason low carbing triggers thyroid changes
In doing research on rT3, I ran into a fascinating article on a group of little-understood compounds called thyronamines (pronounced thigh-row-na-meens). The key to understanding rT3, and unlocking the relationship between carbohydrate consumption and thyroid function, may lie in these newly discovered compounds.
Thyronamines have powerful effects on energy metabolism
Studies performed in 2010 showed that injecting thryronamines into the belly cavity or brain tissues of experimental animals cause the following physiologic and behavior changes:
Impaired ability to utilize sugar as an energy source
Insulin resistance
Lowered basal body temperature
Weaker than normal heart contractions
A marked decline in activity (We can’t ask the lab animals, but presumably this would be induced by what we would describe as feelings of extreme fatigue)....
Source: http://drcate.com/going-low-carb-too-fast-may-trigger-thyroid-troubles-and-hormone-imbalance/ (http://drcate.com/going-low-carb-too-fast-may-trigger-thyroid-troubles-and-hormone-imbalance/)
Could this be my problem? I checked my food diary (my fitness pal) and until September, when I felt great and had no PMS or hair loss (my periods were better then too), I was eating more carbs, mostly around 100 g, and more sugars from honey and fruits. My thyroid was doing fine too.
Then I got tired of carrots and sweet potato, and trying to gain weight with them, and so I stopped eating them abruptly.
Maybe after getting off of carbs from grains and pasta, it was too abrupt of a change to go on low carb paleo a half year later?
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Updates for February
PMS - is a bit better than the month before. WAY better than when it was at its worst, but the progress is slowing down.
Acne - Better but not clearing up as fast. It is not real acne anymore.
Hair Loss - Still losing hair, fucking bullshit. I haven't cut it yet, because I am waiting for the hair loss to stop. If it will.
Weight - I gained, am around 50kg, nearly 110 lbs. That is great for me, since it is usually so hard to gain.
Diet - Everything gets me bloated now that I added carbs back, which it never did. I eat about 150g of carbs a day now, which immediately took care of some of my problems. But I think that is as much as diet can do at this moment...
Heart Palpitations/ Chest Pain - gone
Fatigue - gone
Thyroid - Normal
Liver - close to normal, much better than before.
Carpal tunnel - still a problem
New - I have eczema under my eyes now! No idea where it came from or if it is hormonal too.
I am still taking the supplements to detox the liver and remove bad estrogens.
I am waiting for my latest thyroid results and the results of a hormone panel (finally a doctor was willing to do one! Why does it always have to be such a battle)
Sometimes I wish I could just get pregnant again now, and all my hormone related issues would be gone for a while. My hormones were great when I was pregnant. It was like being on the pill.
But I think it is probably wiser to sort out all my problems first and keep myself from falling apart more.
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In December you mentioned eating honey and butter. We eat lots of it on and off, couldn't tell you how much. But mix honey butter and keep it around. Vary the proportions and see which proportion you prefer. Then mix some cream in with it. Tastes great!
My experience with supplements has never been great. I hear people mention them frequently but I always have issues when I take them. It;s as if you put something out of balance when you take them. Or maybe it is due to the way the supplements are made...
Aajonus Vonderplanitz - Cancer Control Society 2011- Once you heat food (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etULAQa8nsM#)
Aajonus Vonderplanitz Cancer Control Society Interview 2011 Set 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKs1LRaW6cg#ws)
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suiren how does your blood sugar level feel. do you feel like it is steady? do you feel hyper and then hypo? just curious because i know when my blood sugar swings, especially if it gets high, my hair falls out.
also how often do you do any form of exercise, even walking, where you get your circulation up? i know getting the ciruculation up into the scalp helps hair, rebounding is good for this, and just for the body in generally, i have met a few older folks who had their hair start growing back better doing rebounding along with coconut oil.
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Raw Al
Maxbe you simply don't need supplements? I have made mostly positive experiences.
For example- I am always low on Vitamin D., (thyroid problema can contribute to that).
When I started taking a higher dose of Vitamin D. my hair loss at least reduced. It also reduced some more when I started DIM, Burdock root etc.
I can only imagine what a mess I would be, had I not decided to try the supplements.
My bodys function to regulate itself, seems impaired.
I still eat lots of honey and butter.
Jessica
My blood sugar seems to be stable. My hair loss is the same every day pretty much. There haven't been any ups and downs.
I don't feel hypo anymore, my body temp. is normal too.
I take a walk once a day (15-30mins) and at home I am pretty active because I am either power cleaning, holding a 12kg toddler, playing ball, hide and seek or chase him. I only get to sit down once he goes to bed.
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I tend to not consider herbs as supplements, but as food.
If your experience with supplements is good then carry on, you have it figured out.
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I tend to not consider herbs as supplements, but as food.
If your experience with supplements is good then carry on, you have it figured out.
It gives me more time to heal an sort things out. I am hopeful my body will detox on its own in the future :)
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suiren have you tried supplementing with iodine? here are two great articles, you can also search lex's journal for a list of complementary supplements and their amounts. this might be of help to you.
http://drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm)
http://drlwilson.com/Articles/SELENIUM.htm (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/SELENIUM.htm)
i just ordered some lugols because i have a few tiny tiny cherry angiomas, which are a sign of bromides in the system, which the iodine will help detox. hopefully i am also getting a miny trampoline to help clean up my lymph!
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suiren have you tried supplementing with iodine? here are two great articles, you can also search lex's journal for a list of complementary supplements and their amounts. this might be of help to you.
http://drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm)
http://drlwilson.com/Articles/SELENIUM.htm (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/SELENIUM.htm)
i just ordered some lugols because i have a few tiny tiny cherry angiomas, which are a sign of bromides in the system, which the iodine will help detox. hopefully i am also getting a miny trampoline to help clean up my lymph!
i take this advice back, because i have read a bit about special concern for hashi's......although its only been little bits....no real anecdotes or other evidence.
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Ah that is why I avoid it in the form of supplements. But I do eat some with food like seaweeds!
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yeh i cant find out specifically why its bad for hashimotos, but in the iodine thread@marksdailyapple.com there is mention of caution....
i am with you, i would rather take non supplemental form, but the amount of kelp i want to eat sometimes is pretty ridiculous, i can easily eat a cup of granulated kelp, and you know i also go through about a jar of mustard a day.......hmm, could someone be deficient iodine and selenium? its a possibility, so im going to experiement.
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Yeah I do supplement with things that I feel my lifestyle can't provide enough of!
A quick update for early march:
My results are here! And they are great!
My thyroid levels were completely normal. That I have never seen since I know I have Hashi's. My TSH alone dropped from 4.9 in January, to 2.2 as of late February! And it used to be as high as 8 in 2010.
An ultrasound also looked normal again for the first time. The technician said my thyroid is working normally and producing enough hormones, but I do have some scarring from back in the day. So the "destruction" halted so to say.
My organs were also looked at and they looked picture perfect in size, blood flow etc. Good news for once!
I also got my hormones checked but haven't discussed the results with my doctor. They seem normal now, but I want to find out what "normal" would be the best "normal"?
Something certainly must still be off since I still have mild PMS, hair loss and "acne" or rather...my skin is not completely clear.
Then there is also this weird dryness, which I have had since pregnancy and that has now caused problems with my eyes.
I put lanolin under my eyes bc I did not know what else to do and my skin is almost normal again under my eyes. A bit dryer than normal, but not like eczema.
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Things are looking up!
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Congrats, Suiren. I hope things continue to get better.
You say that the Pill and being pregnant seem to help a lot of your problems. I wonder if there are some specific herbs or animal organs you could eat that would sort of create those some hormonal conditions.
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Thank you both!
The DIM (diindolylmethane) supplement I am taking supposedly balances women's hormones, removes bad estrogens and promotes good estrogen and progesterone.
But lately I have not seen as much bettering as I did the first month. Maybe it just needs more time...or maybe the supplement is not powerful enough alone.
I read that Robb Wolf recommends it to be taken with calcium D glucarate. So I will look into that.
But it would be great if there would be alternatives in case this won't help.
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http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm (http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm)
a little bit about iodine, selenium and hashimotos. have you looked into any orthomolecular treatments?
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Thank you both!
The DIM (diindolylmethane) supplement I am taking supposedly balances women's hormones, removes bad estrogens and promotes good estrogen and progesterone.
But lately I have not seen as much bettering as I did the first month. Maybe it just needs more time...or maybe the supplement is not powerful enough alone.
I read that Robb Wolf recommends it to be taken with calcium D glucarate. So I will look into that.
But it would be great if there would be alternatives in case this won't help.
Have you ever tried the herb called Dong Quai? It's a very safe balancer for female hormonal issues.
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http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm (http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/IODINE.htm)
a little bit about iodine, selenium and hashimotos. have you looked into any orthomolecular treatments?
I have never heard of orthomolecular treatments!
Have you ever tried the herb called Dong Quai? It's a very safe balancer for female hormonal issues.
When I first lost hair in 2009/10 I took a menopause supplement that had it. It helped a bit back then. I will consider adding it! I don't feel all is fully balanced yet. I still have mild PMS and breakouts.
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Updates for April to May 2013
I have experimented some and learned lots.
Although my major problems are better or even gone, I still have some work to do. Some of these things can not be bettered by diet alone, or at least not fast enough.
I want to be in excellent shape next pregnancy. I don't want to be a high risk pregnancy again. I want to be guided by a natural midwife, instead of an OB Gyn, so I can attempt a natural birth after C-Section.
I am also planning on nursing through pregnancy and after tandem nursing both children. So I need to be the strongest possible. Pregnancy is very tiring especially in the first trimester.
I need to fix my hormonal problems, to assure problem free conception and not adding to hormonal imbalances next pregnancy. I feel the strong surge of hormones from pregnancy has really messed with my hormones, and since my body was always prone to hormone related problems (but mostly spared) it is having a hard time bouncing back. Not to mention I used to take birth control pills for 7 years until 2009.
When I took the herbal supplements they had improved my PMS drastically, reduced the hair loss I was going through then, and also bettered my skin (acne).
I stopped after 2 1/2 months. I had just experienced my first completely normal, pain free period since it returned at 12 months postpartum. But, my problems returned. My skin was the first thing to go bad again, and my following period wasn't as great either. It was on time and not longer than normal, but heavier and I experienced bad PMS again.
I don't think I was taking the supplements long enough, and I was taking a bit less than the recommended dose too. That is why I will go back on the supplements. It is only logical right now...I can't be going through excruiating pain during ovulation and around my period, that could equal up to two weeks of problems and at least 4 days of being completely miserable.
As far as my skin and indigestion goes:
I tested a few things to make sure it really IS hormones causing me troubles. For one, I ate a Wai diet for two weeks to see how I would feel on it and how my skin would respond. I even stopped using moisturizer and wearing mineral foundation or powder (to cover pimples and reduce shine).
It did not do anything for my acne. At first I thought I was clearing up, but it turned out to be just normal fluctuation. I have some good days and then hormones cause me to break out, my skin will then heal just to break out again. With time it is really causing damage to my skin...the red marks won't fade easily, even when I am not broken out I have visible red marks for a long time. I don't have a lot of room for experiments or time to wait, because I might end up needing a face transplant :P.
The Wai diet diet improve the texture of my skin a bit though. Similar to the bettering I had experienced going cooked Paleo. Before Paleo, even when having clear skin, I would often get small bumps, that weren't pimples, just bumps all over...my skins texture just did not seem as even (children always have an even texture).
Well, it got more even on Paleo, which i think also has to do with the avoidance of dairy much, and even more even and fine pored on the Wai diet. So basically I have amazing skin...with Acne! Makes no sense, but thats the truth. If I did not have pimples, I would have beautiful skin....so weird.
One problem with the Wai diet was energy. I was constantly eating fruits and would get hungry every half hour. I find that very inconvenient. I would also be a bit jittery, rather than energized. I had trouble sleeping....like I would be too jittery to calm down enough to sleep well. I lost weight fast, despite eating 3000 cals, which is not good for me.
When I hit 46kg, I stopped, added a few veggies to my diet, and I gained weight back fast *shrug*....
BUT, I still eat raw meats and fish, raw egg yolks, and only use (sesame) oil to moisturize. I only cover single pimples if they really stand out, but I mostly only get small red bumps under my skin that won't come to the surface.
My skin is not oily anymore! Since I was 17 I have been fighting oily skin and now it is just gone...my skin is still dry though. Has been since pregnancy.
My bloating improved a bit on the Wai diet, but Ithink it is also because food would just pass right through. My stools were too soft and sometimes I had diarrhea.
Any food gets me bloated. I tried a fruit day, orange juice day, meat and fish day. I am not bloated in the morning, but every hour my bloating gets a bit worse. I think even if I just drak water all day....:(
I do feel it is hormonal too. It started after pregnancy, but just minor bloating and worsened much when my period returned.
After getting off the Wai diet, I started eating SAD foods every day. Just about one or two small things a day, to see how my body would react. I had never tested it.
I did not break out from anything. My skin was even great (but I do believe it will still break out during ovulation and period as always. I ate sugar, wheat, drank coffee, had dairy products, the whole program. I do not react to any foods (anymore), no breakouts, no hypoglycemia, I did not even feel shitty. I was also much less bloated....yesterday I ate the most grain products, Pizza for lunch, rice for dinner and I was barely bloated at all -_-....that really sucks.
Today was my last day. I don't want to eat that way permanently of course, but I needed to see a few things for myself. I am 100% sure now my acne is hormonal. So I can stop guessing and eliminating even healthy foods.
As far as the bloating goes...- I think my body is not used to a lot of plants and fruits. I was raised on grains only. It seems I have a problem with fiber from fruits, since peeling fruits makes a difference when it comes to digestive pains.
And I also DO have a fructose malabsorption....
It is not normal, not being able to even digest a small amount of fruits and veggies properly. My body is certainly weird there. I have said it before that I can not go low carb. I have experienced to many problems on it, and I am not sold on the benefits of very low carb. I have read too much saying that it is not ideal. At least for many people. There are a TON of people that ran into low carb problems all over the web. People that ate a Paleo diet, that had a good plan and stuck with it for a long time...I am not sure everyone can adapt to LC. Too much carbs and sugar are certainly not ideal either, and I don't see how it would be natural to binge on fruits with sugar all day.
Probiotics:
On a positive note, the probiotics have taken away my digestive pains :) I felt mild discomfort and cramps when digesting prior to probiotics, but the pain is gone...unless I eat high fructose corn syrup...which I am not planning to, but I tested it to confirm I am still fructose intolerant (I wish I wasn't)
Parasite Cleanse:
Possibly up next. Just waiting for ovulation to pass because I want to see how much I will break out this time using probiotics (so far only minor zits, but that might just be the quiet before the storm)
Baby stuff:
I have baby fever ;( or rather, it has been getting stronger. I really should wait at least a year though. I want to give my body time to heal, figure out the hormonal problems, be well established on a good diet , weigh enough since I will lose weight in the 1st trimester, and most importantly make sure my son will get enough breastmilk.
Most women dry up in pregnancy and I want him to get the toddler designed bm during the third year. The composition changes during the last time then.
I would like him to nurse through pregnancy too and I want him to be old enough to understand that my milk supply will only be low for about 15- 20 weeks and that he can still nurse, just less and then resume when the baby is here, old enough so he can get enough nutrition from solids, old enough to not need other milk (I plan to freeze my milk too). He does love his milky, he was "sick" (runny nose only) recently and did not nurse much due to a stuffy nose, his latch is also not great and so my supply dropped drastically (!!). When his nose was better and he wanted to resume nursing, there was barely any milk and he was freaking out. He woke seven times at night, crying for milk, he was cranky during the day, lost weight, he was upset at me, thinking I did not "want" to give him milk, he was sitting on my lap, crying and begging while saying "Mama" and even used the words "Happa Happa" (our word for nursing - German) for the first time to convince me...I was so sad. I cut out ALL solids for a while, started taking lots of Fenugreek herbs again and made sure he sat down while nursing and not running off before he was done). My supply is back up and he gained weight on mostly breastmilk. What is odd is that the less soilds he eats, and the more breastmilk he gets, the heavier he will be. He was very chunky up until a year old (95th percentile). Lately he has been between the 50th and 75th percentile (75th now that he gained weight). One more reason to make sure he has lots of breastmilk available. My idea is for him to nurse, and if he wants solids after that he can have as much as he wants, as long as he does not skip nursing session. Plenty of both should assure that he keeps that healthy, robust look that some toddler lack. Toddlers are often skinny and picky eaters, and I believe it is because they are meant to drink a good amount of milk for longer than we think. At least they would have in nature, before humans decided to wean children onto solids early.
If I was young, I would not worry as much about conceiving again, but I want more than two children...at least that would be my dream, and my body will be most fertile between 27-37 (late bloomer). So I got six more years of easy conception and pregnancies.
Of course I could be a total exception and be fertile long past my mid thirties, but do I KNOW that for sure? So I won't bet on it, although I am positive my baby making future is rather bright.
Hair loss:
Well, my hair is recovering from the hair loss, regrowing fast like always...I only really trimmed 1 inch, and did my monthly trims, so it is still the same length as before. It is thinner, but since my ends are not too transparent, I decided to not cut it much and instead wait for it to thicken up again. It usually only takes a half year. Also...with hair loss my hair only goes from rather thick to medium thick, so I guess I can't complain. Although I would like to have my natural overall volume of almost 4 inches again some day...maybe after children :), and then I might grow it long again too. Hip-Tailbone length feels a bit short.
Interestingly, I did not shed as much as usual, since the herbs and some other supplements like D3 drastically decreased the shedding rate during the hair loss, so it was not all that devastating to wait out the three months for the shedding to stop...I now lose 3 hairs in the morning as opposed to one hair ball.
That was long....wow.
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It sounds like you're going to be placing a lot of demands on your body. I'd make sure you were getting all the trace minerals, macro-minerals, and vitamins that you will need during the pregnancy. Oysters, clams, and fatty wild fish are all good for that.
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Yes that is a good thought. I have been reading about minerals specifically. Some believe that we always lack minerals, even on the best diet, because the ground does not contain enough minerals anymore and therefore even natural foods (and animals) may lack nutrients. I wonder how much truth is in that statement?
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(...) the ground does not contain enough minerals anymore and therefore even natural foods (and animals) may lack nutrients. I wonder how much truth is in that statement?
It's certainly true for the soils depleted by chemical fertilizers.
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Some soils were always deficient, like in most of Australia. Where there is no recent volcanic activity, and where there has been a lot of rain for millions of years, you will find poor soils.
Eating seafood gets around this problem pretty effectively.
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Long time no update. I want to try to keep it short.
Facial Yeast:
The anti fungal cream really, really cleared it all up. It took a very long time though, for it not to grow back within a day.
The first three months of treating it, I would have some mild flaky skin regrowth inbetween applications.
Now I can go 2 days without anti fungal cream at least. I might even be able to go without it for longer, but I don't know for sure. I have honestly been too scared to stop using it. Instead I have reduced the applications.
Some parts were really difficult to treat. Like my eyelids and lips.
After the yeast had cleared my skin was left in a aged looking state. Somewhat deflated, thin, crinkly etc. It is a known fact that yeast breaks down collagen. So maybe that is what happened. When I would raise my eyebrow, or pinch the skin around my eyes, it would look like 70 year old skin.
I added a few supplements (Hair, Skin & Nails and Vitamin C) and made sure to eat my starchy carbs (sweet potato, banana) with lots of fat to help my skin heal. And heal it did....like wow! I have before and after pictures somewhere, but I have been too lazy to upload them.
My skin gained so much firmness and plumpness...I don't even get that little dent in my cheek anymore when smiling. My eyes also bettered by A LOT. Not sure they are fully back to normal, but I started treating the yeast around my eyes much, much later. At least I don't get any crinkles anymore.
I'm really not sure how young looking my skin is supposed to be at my age, all I can say it is better than with the yeast.
My skin has been very clear. I don't seem to be getting hormone related break outs anymore. Not around my period either.
I will keep reducing the anti fungal cream, but use it until I have found a permanent solution to the yeast problem. I still want to treat it internally, but all attempts have messed up my digestion.
Digestion:
I haven't been able to afford the probiotics but my digestion has been better and I only get mild bloating sometimes. Still, I think another round of probiotics and enzymes would really perfect things!
My weight has been pretty stable and higher than it used to be.
Hashimotos:
Still great! I reduced my Raw Thyroid Supplements to only taking it every 2 days.
Hormones and PMS:
I have experimented lots! In Spring I actually tried to quit taking the supplements for hormonal balance, but my PMS came back. Not as bad as before but definitely not good.
I wanted to see if I can do with less supplements and changed things around a few more times. I now seem well adjusted with milk thistle (for the liver) and 1 tablet of DIM a day. My periods have been great.
Overall Feeling:
Really good! Definitely much better than in a very long time. I sleep well, feel rested even if I don't get 8 hours...in fact 8 hours is often too much, I prefer 7.
I seem to have a lot of strength and energy (I was able to compare when carrying Christmas trees), I still don't use a stroller and carry my 12 kg, 85 cm tall son when I take him to the city (he is too scared to walk much in crowds).
Now on to the things that aren't great:
- I still have unexplained pain near my belly button (two fingers to the left and right of it), which I can feel when I poke that area. It is very painful when poked and it is almost always there. Only once in the morning I wasn't able to find the pain, but other mornings I did feel pain....
I think I will have to see a doctor about this to get an idea of what I'm dealing with. I would like to avoid a colonoscopy or something like that though.
- I have been experiencing hair loss again since late July/ early August. I actually only had a three month break since I first started losing hair again in Oct. 2012.
All my tests came back great though....my hormones are fine too...there seems to be no reason for my hair loss.
I am shedding less hair though...more like an increased amount, but not losing clumps. It has been staying at the same reduced medium thickness that way. Just not thick like it used to be.
What is very odd, is that my hair has been getting healthier and shinier again over the past few years. My texture had changed with illness and now it seems to be changing back slowly. I keep finding hairs on my head that started growing in a coarse, uneven texture and further up they are silky and smooth.
My hair color has also been more vivid. In a lot of light the red shimmer can be seen much more and it looks pretty saturated. I remember my hair color paler and cooler in the past.
My hair is growing with the speed of light also...it always grew fast, but now....I cut it in Summer due to the hair loss and was able to regrow it all in three months. I am getting a monthly growth of about 2cm now.
Isn't this confusing? Some things are so good but I still shed hair....
In a way I am thinking all the experimenting and tweaking with supplements might have triggered hair loss. DIM and such are known to cause temporary sheds when starting because each time your hormones adjust.
I have been sure to keep all my supplements stable. I also have not made any change to diet, especially not carbs/ sugars (from fruits). It feels like my blood sugar levels are very stable atm.
I haven't measured though.
Sometimes I also wonder if I am lacking something on my current diet, that I had enough of when eating SAD foods. I have been looking more into making sure I get nutrients from liver and organs too.
Last but not least...it is VERY likely that the hair loss is caused by breastfeeding, and here is why:
My son stopped breastfeeding about 4 times this year when he was sick. With a stuffy nose he does not want to breastfeed and he took a break only to resume full breastfeeding again once his nose was all improved.
Women shed hair after weaning from breastfeeding because of the drop in hormone levels. My body must have thought we are stopping, but was then taken on a roller coaster ride...I am certainly prone to hair loss from prolactin...so maybe the drop and rise in prolactin triggered the shed...and then of course a shed can last 3-6 months...that would explain my problem...if that is the culprit.
But I have not time for guessing....I will still get a few things checked. And I am planning on doing another MRI. I have been postponing it.