Author Topic: Liana's Journal  (Read 18495 times)

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Offline LvB

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Liana's Journal
« on: June 08, 2009, 07:11:23 am »
After reading some of the other journals here, I thought it would be a good idea to start my own.

Up until the summer of 2008 I ate a SAD diet. I ate a lot of dairy and grains, processed deli meat etc, basically lots of crap, even though I thought I was being pretty healthy.

During that summer in 2008 I switched to a vegan diet. For the few months up to that point I gradually went vegetarian, then vegan. For a while I ate a lot of soy crap, thinking it was good for me. Then when I learned about the hormonal effects, I removed all traces of soy from my diet, eating lots of nuts, legumes, and grains for protein. At first I thought I was making myself healthier, but towards the end of this diet I was craving meats all the time. I thought this might be a mineral deficiency, so I tried suppliments of copper, zinc, and iron, which didn't cause any noticeable improvement. I was getting more and more tired, less and less energy. I read about a form of Intermittent Fasting. In order to experience improved energy during the day, I tried it, and liked it. However, I was still eating vegan. Sometimes I would go to a burrito place and get a giant vegan burrito for dinner, it would be the main thing I'd eat during the day. I started to notice my digestive system struggling to process the crap I was cramming in my mouth.

During the winter (around January) I started to include fish eggs and very little dairy.

I had read about Paleo and Raw Paleo eating before I went vegan (not sure why I bypassed it), but I had actually come across this forum, and after reading for a while, I started by eating some raw fish (salmon and tuna) followed later that week by a raw steak. I felt a little wierd, but decided to stick with it. My parents are against it, and whenever I try to eat anything raw they force me to cook it. So after a month of trying to eat raw anyway, they had a big talk with me and I've been searing my beef ever since just to avoid any more confrontations. Whenever I eat fish raw I make sure not to eat it around my parents.

Recently I've had issues with candida. For the past month I've been reading around for solutions. I decided to cut down on carbs, for a couple weeks, only eating one piece of fruit a day, low sugar variety, like berries, grapefruit, lemons, and green apples. For a while my flare ups (yeast infections) became less and less, and I was feeling great until a few weeks ago when a friend offered me some of those peeled baby carrots. After eating two I remembered that most conventional peeled baby carrots are washed in chlorine. This was bad because I need all the good bacteria I can get in order to deal with this candida, and chlorine only kills all the good bacteria. This was extremely frustrating. The plan I had been using, eating 1 low sugar fruit a day wasn't helping anymore, and the flare ups were worse than ever. I decided to cut out all fruit for 2 weeks, and I started eating up to 3 tbsp of coconut oil in the evening. I also started to apply the coconut oil topically, which helped a lot with symptoms. I've been feeling a lot better for the past week, until today when I caved in and ate a kiwi (it was the only fruit around) followed by a pound of raw beef. I started feeling really weak and tired, but still hungry, so I ate 2 oz macadamia nuts, and now I feel better, less lethargic.

Another thing I should mention is that in the past (and sort of recently) I have not dealt with stress well at all. Almost 2 years ago I had some serious depression, and could not figure out why. I was prescribed antidepressants, which I took in low doses for nearly a year. It turns out I was really having problems with anxiety, which wasn't being handled with well. I decided i didn't need the antidepressants anymore, and stopped taking them. I currently have sworn off prescription drugs. I would have heart palpitations if I started thinking negative thoughts. Usually it was all in my head. This concerns me even more because about 2 months ago my grandfather killed himself, and the stuff he had written was about fears which he had made up in his own head, and had made him paranoid and depressed. Recently I had a mild stressful situation which turned out to be fueled by my own fear, which is a big wake up. I've improved over the past couple months though compared to in the past, thanks to being aware of my stress and how my body is reacting to my thought processes, and deciding whether it is worth the stress or not (usually not).

I've read about adrenal exhaustion on here before, and I wonder if that could be a problem that I'm having.

My other problem is that i usually don't eat enough during the day if I strictly follow all raw, so some food has to be seared in order for me to eat enough, because of my family's reaction to raw food. Fortunately, my parents are noticing that it's most likely time that i move out and have my own place to live. I'm really looking forward to that, because at least my boyfriend doesn't mind too much that I eat my meat and fish raw and undercooked (though he has asked that if I ever get food poisoning and start puking my guts out after a raw/seared/undercooked meal that I stop eating raw, I doubt that will ever happen because I only ever feel better on raw meat/fish, I honestly think that fears like that are just cultural, and I wouldn't eat anything that looked, smelled or tasted questionable anyway.)

I've also been doing some off and on Intermittent Fasting, but that usually only means skipping breakfast on some days. On these days it's because I want to get a workout in before eating my first meal of the day, and that's usually around lunch time.

Today was different though, since yesterday I had a sudden shitstorm of stress. I felt pretty tired this morning, but after eating I felt mentally better (clearer) though my muscles are still tired. After I did eat my kiwi and meat, my muscles felt weaker, and I got really tired. I tried napping, but couldn't sleep, so I ate the macadamia nuts like i mentioned earlier and my mental clarity returned. I'm going to give myself a rest from IF for a few days and get some extra rest. I'm hoping this situation is just temporary and should improve tomorrow or in a few days.

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2009, 07:37:23 am »
I wanted to add some details about the food I'm eating recently.

As a nearby farmers market just started up (at a farm 20 min away that raises grass fed cows and produces grass fed dairy and beef) which has made getting great quality meat much more convenient, at least for the next few months. Last week I asked about any recommendations as to where i could get some good grass fed suet in the area. On of the guys selling pasture beef told me to try a family owned meat processor 45 min away. They process only animals from local farms, some of which are grass fed, some of which is not. They also raise their own beef, which according to their website is Organic. They mention some feeding of grains and soy, so I'd prefer not to buy beef directly from them. But I bought suet from them anyway, because it was the only source I could find at the time. Of course, I remembered that there is a grass fed bison farm over an hour away that I called a month ago. They told me that in summer time they would have suet after they started slaughtering some bison. I'm going to call them and reserve some suet so I can pick it up next weekend, because the suet I have now is not 100% grass fed.

Also, at the farmers market, one of the vendors sells beef heart and liver. I had liver for the first time last weekend. I found that if i cut it up into tiny pieces and swallow them whole, it's much more tolerable. It's really the texture of chewing it that bothered me, not so much the flavor. I've heard that heart is delicious, and it's awesome that the prices for organ meats are so low. It kind of makes me glad that very few people eat buy these except for their pets, because that's what keeps the price so low.

Also, I want to look into buying EM probiotics and perhaps a fermented fish oil rather than the most likely cooked one I've been using. I don't have a job right now, and I can only get enough money from my family to pay for food. Also, they never let me order anything online, so that's why I haven't already got those things.

Also, something i forgot to mention about my candida situation:

GoodSamaritan: I read your page about the virgin coconut oil candida detox, and I'm interested in trying it. How did it work out for you? On that page you said you were still waiting to see if any symptoms returned to decide if you needed to do it again. I'm hoping to only have to do it once, because it sounds like hell. I'm assuming this because when I recently started eating coconut oil again, 3 tbsp made me feel crappy, like i just needed to lay down and rest. The next couple days when I tried this it was hard work just to get myself to eat it. After the first spoonful I would gag and then just feel like this stuff is gross while eating the rest. I have read on other sites about coconut oil for candida that eating up to 3 tbsp will cause flu-like die-off symptoms, which sounds like what I had. Did you experience this when you did the detox? Or does it sound like I shouldn't try it to that extent (maybe do a more gradual detox w/ coconut oil?). In one way I feel like I may not be able to keep it up, on the other hand when it comes to candida I'd rather get rid of it sooner.

Offline wodgina

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2009, 10:45:56 am »


GoodSamaritan: I read your page about the virgin coconut oil candida detox, and I'm interested in trying it. How did it work out for you? On that page you said you were still waiting to see if any symptoms returned to decide if you needed to do it again. I'm hoping to only have to do it once, because it sounds like hell. I'm assuming this because when I recently started eating coconut oil again, 3 tbsp made me feel crappy, like i just needed to lay down and rest. The next couple days when I tried this it was hard work just to get myself to eat it. After the first spoonful I would gag and then just feel like this stuff is gross while eating the rest. I have read on other sites about coconut oil for candida that eating up to 3 tbsp will cause flu-like die-off symptoms, which sounds like what I had. Did you experience this when you did the detox? Or does it sound like I shouldn't try it to that extent (maybe do a more gradual detox w/ coconut oil?). In one way I feel like I may not be able to keep it up, on the other hand when it comes to candida I'd rather get rid of it sooner.

I strongly recommend against GS's VCO detox. Firstly you can't 'cure' candida and you can't control it within 3 days or whatever. This is overly optimistic. There is no quick way to 'cure' it.

I tried it one morning and my stomach went into cramps I wanted to vomit but hate vomiting so held my vomit down and went to bed for a while. Woke up with diarrhea. This is not detox or candida die off, many people are fooled.

I wasted a whole day feeling ill and would never put VCO near my mouth again. It contains very high levels of plant toxins. Do you really want to poison yourself for a supposed quick fix?
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Offline TylerDurden

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2009, 05:52:34 pm »
 I'm a real sceptic re this candida issue(I certainly don't believe that 30% are sufferers), and believe that there are many other, probably better explanations for it such as glandular issues(adrenal exhaustion etc.):-

http://www.ncahf.org/articles/c-d/candida.html

Re coconut-oil:-  I too have experienced food-intolerance with virgin coconut-oil (very painful  stomach-aches)so would advise caution. I hadn't had those kind of stomach-aches for years once I gave up cooked diets, so was most surprised to find them recurring with the same level of intensity, when I took up raw VCO.

It's a pity you can't order online as the blue ice fermented cod liver oil and dr ron's raw thyroid and raw adrenal would undoubtedly help a lot. Perhaps, you should just carry on with what you're doing, then, as you get better, you'll be in a better financial position and can order online.
"During the last campaign I knew what was happening. You know, they mocked me for my foreign policy and they laughed at my monetary policy. No more. No more.
" Ron Paul.

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2009, 07:06:57 am »
I'm not just basing this candida thing on that, I actually have yeast infections, and before I knew the downside of antibiotics, over a year ago I had a urinary tract infection which I took antibiotics for, and have had recurring yeast infections since. It's not just those ambiguous symptoms either, I don't believe things that general are all linked to candida. It's itchy and annoying, and I would just like to keep them from coming back.

About the ordering online deal: I'm about to be paid $500 for a small free lance illustration job, and since this is my own earned money, not from my parents, I will hopefully be able to spend it however i please.

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2009, 07:25:39 am »
I strongly recommend against GS's VCO detox. Firstly you can't 'cure' candida and you can't control it within 3 days or whatever. This is overly optimistic. There is no quick way to 'cure' it.

I tried it one morning and my stomach went into cramps I wanted to vomit but hate vomiting so held my vomit down and went to bed for a while. Woke up with diarrhea. This is not detox or candida die off, many people are fooled.

I wasted a whole day feeling ill and would never put VCO near my mouth again. It contains very high levels of plant toxins. Do you really want to poison yourself for a supposed quick fix?

Yeah, I guess I should have realized this could have been the case since I even feel sick just thinking about eating it, not like some cultural based dislike, but my mind just associates coconut oil with feeling shitty. I still like to use it on my skin though, I've had no problems there.

I did have some diarrhea yesterday, though I haven't used coconut oil for a few days (and won't anymore). I weighed myself this morning and lost a little weight. I'm thinking I need to eat more calories, at least 2000 per day. I'm 5'3 and I weighed 105 this morning. Before I was eating around 1700 calories, because that's all I ever felt like eating. However, now I have suet, so I just decided to try eating more of that before evening actually rolls around, because if I wait until evening then it takes me forever to eat, and don't get to bed in time for decent sleep.

I ate a big chunk of suet in the morning before heading to class, then when class was over and I got home I was so tired I took a nap, made some jerky, ate some strawberries, and ate the raw scraps from jerky making. I'm going to eat some more suet soon, and then later this evening eat some raw ground beef. I'm taking a few days off from exercising to rest, and then when I do work out this weekend I'm not going to go too hard for too long. Last summer I burned myself out by obsessively going rock climbing 5 days a week. Foolishly I thought that if i was tired then the exercise would get me going, but eventually i just kept getting more and more tired, and had to take a couple weeks off. I'm also going to take a break on pull ups and do some other things, since I've been doing them so often.

Offline goodsamaritan

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2009, 07:38:21 am »
GoodSamaritan: I read your page about the virgin coconut oil candida detox, and I'm interested in trying it. How did it work out for you? On that page you said you were still waiting to see if any symptoms returned to decide if you needed to do it again. I'm hoping to only have to do it once, because it sounds like hell. I'm assuming this because when I recently started eating coconut oil again, 3 tbsp made me feel crappy, like i just needed to lay down and rest. The next couple days when I tried this it was hard work just to get myself to eat it. After the first spoonful I would gag and then just feel like this stuff is gross while eating the rest. I have read on other sites about coconut oil for candida that eating up to 3 tbsp will cause flu-like die-off symptoms, which sounds like what I had. Did you experience this when you did the detox? Or does it sound like I shouldn't try it to that extent (maybe do a more gradual detox w/ coconut oil?). In one way I feel like I may not be able to keep it up, on the other hand when it comes to candida I'd rather get rid of it sooner.

I got super stressed out and developed candida symptoms.  My first 3 day vco detox was a success.  After resting for a week or more I did a second 3 day vco detox and the whole candida imbalance issue was finished for me.

My brother who had deathly psoriasis and was also addicted to ice cream had candida issues as well besides his liver being constipated by toxic black liver stones.  He did a total of 4 x 2-1/2 day vco detoxes and his candida issues went away.

VCO detox is very hard, it is zero carb and zero protein.

I want fast cures, this is why I chose vco detox.  And I saw my mother in law doing it and she had great success.

Besides, Bruce Fife's book Coconut Cures describes the procedure and the science pretty well.

The virgin coconut oil brand I and my brother use is Carica plain virgin coconut oil. See http://caricaworldwide.com/

Make sure it is VIRGIN, if it is not virgin, then it is a different kind of oil.  Carica is a good brand.  We use it for massages.  I do not ever like drinking virgin coconut oil, I just use it for vco detox and my daily oil pulling to clean my teeth.

Best wishes in whatever you choose to do.

----------

Addendum:

Listen to Jim Hassinger on Candida - Fungus overgrowth is linked to virtually all diseases

Invaluable and timeless information on Candida.  Concise discussion with Jim Hassinger, one of the foremost authorities on this rampant and epidemic malady, fungus overgrowth. With each passing week we learn how Candida is linked to virtually all diseases.  Don't miss this!

Jim has many years in the trenches looking at health issues, particularly fungus overgrowth, that we are realizing is far more prevalent than we imagined.

http://www.oneradionetwork2.com/mp3/health/healing/hassinger_jim_candida_fungus_syclovir_oldie.mp3

Jim's Website: http://www.worldhealthmall.com
« Last Edit: June 09, 2009, 08:05:25 am by goodsamaritan »
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Offline phatdave

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2009, 08:36:43 pm »
GS, why not sub VCO for raw animal fat like suet/marrow? Surely that would be even better considering it would have no 'potential' plant nasties.

D

Offline goodsamaritan

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2009, 09:23:13 pm »
GS, why not sub VCO for raw animal fat like suet/marrow? Surely that would be even better considering it would have no 'potential' plant nasties.

D

I haven't tried that yet.
The vco detox recipe is from Bruce Fife's book Coconut Cures.
I talk about vco detox because I have experienced it personally and I know people who have used it give personal testimonials directly to me as well that this truly works.

If anyone has candida issues, they may want to volunteer to experiment with the use of pure raw animal fat instead of vco and tell us how their candida issue responded. Volunteers?
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Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2009, 08:53:40 am »
Yesterday I went rock climbing at a local gym. Last summer i spent a lot of my free time doing that, got excited about it, and then I overworked myself and had to rest for several weeks. I had made the mistake of going 5 times a week, and later found out that 3 days a week should be the limit, because it's so strenuous. So up until now I've basically only gone climbing while visiting with my boyfriend. Because my strength is down some since last summer, I'll be able to train with a better focus on form, so that I can be a more efficient climber. I noticed that after an earlier workout in the week, that I'm recovering more slowly. I've read around here that that's what comes with very low carb diets. I mentioned the slow recovery to a friend at the gym, and she suggested I eat more bananas. Now, I'm not going to eat more than one a day, and probably only once a week if I really feel like it. It was a good time, I officially wore myself out in about 2 hours, went home to a banana, some raw beef and suet, and then went to bed.

I woke up this morning feeling very well rested. I ate some blueberries and an apple. Then after several hours when my stomach was empty, I did this workout:

15 jumping jacks
10 burpees
10 pushups
10 mountain climbers
...all of these repeated nonstop. I got up to five rounds, rested a bit, squeezed in 10 more pushups, and then did this thing that I don't know the name for, but can be described as this: squat down, and then hop up and down, remaining in the squat position. Do this ten times, then turn 90 degrees, ten more times, 90 degree turn, 10 more times etc. until you've turned 360 degrees. I did this twice. I first did this while at a taekwondo class many months ago.

Speaking of taekwondo, I ended my membership in April. I loved it, and I miss it, but this place was too wrapped up in the business portion of running a martial arts school, rather than trying to teach the best class they can. It also cost $99 a month to go for two days a week. I can pay $45 a month for a climbing membership, and go whatever day of the week I want. If I ever find a good martial arts place (that is affordable) I'll get back into that.

After my workout, I went to the store and picked up some grass fed ground beef, ate about 3/4 of a pound, and a chunk of partially-grain fed suet followed by a tsp of fish oil. It seems that most of the suet I have left is developing mold, a thin fuzz that I didn't notice until I saw little black specks which are just black tips on the fuzzy mold. Hopefully I'll be able to buy some more soon. The bison farm I was hoping to get suet from said their quitting the bison business and they'll be slaughtering 2 year old bison, so they won't really have any fat to sell  :'( which is quite a disappointment. It's a little frustrating that many farms raise their animals to the minimum age for slaughter, which doesn't give the animals a chance to gain some fat.

I feel great though after that workout and meal. It could have been that I didn't eat until 2 hours after the workout, hoping that growth hormone would go to work.

One thing that I love about this diet of mostly animal food is that I don't really notice anything going on with my digestive system, which means that things are going smoothly, there are no difficulties. When I was eating a lot of rice and stuff back in the winter, i would get really bad indigestion, it was frustrating. I started eating things one at a time, from easiest to digest to hardest to digest, and things really improved. However, some foods just take forever to digest, especially nuts and cheese for me, so it's really more convenient when I can have mostly animal fats. I eat nuts sometimes still, but not as much as before I got this suet.

I went to the farmers market today, and got some grass-fed tongue and heart. I'm thinking of drying some of the heart into jerky, and letting the tongue age a little before eating it, like some on the forum have suggested. Do you think that just cutting it up and storing it in the refrigerator for a few days to a week would be sufficient?
Anyway, after

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2009, 02:49:24 am »
After reading about the benefits of zero carb, I'm thinking of trying it soon. I think that as long as I have enough fat and meat I can do completely without fruit. I've already been very low carb except for the past few days when I've had more than just a handful of berries.

The enthusiastic posts from Satya about it definitely convinced me, it sounds like there are so many good things about it that I probably wouldn't even miss fruit that much. I don't think it would hurt to at least give it a try!

It may be a while before I can officially start for a steady amount of time, I want to make sure I have dependable fat sources, which I am still looking for.

Today I did a short workout, just lifting w/ my legs. I did squats w/ a really heavy bag that was out in the garage. After that I did 30 pistols for each leg. My legs feel like jelly now. That was about 15 mins ago, so right now I'll be drinking some water, then I'll hobble over to the Whole Foods and buy some grass-fed ground beef, and eat some suet. I'm wondering if the suet that became moldy would still be ok if I just peeled off that outer layer. I don't want to just throw it away.

For the past couple days my weight has been pretty steady at 108 lbs which is fine.

Offline Raw Kyle

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2009, 04:32:32 am »
The mold on suet shouldn't be harmful health wise, but if you find the taste objectionable then peeling off the outer layer like you said should work.

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2009, 06:44:32 am »
The enthusiastic posts from Satya about it definitely convinced me, it sounds like there are so many good things about it that I probably wouldn't even miss fruit that much. I don't think it would hurt to at least give it a try!

Liana, that is such a compliment!  I am amazed that my ramblings are of value to anyone.  I suppose it may help that I am new on the zero carb journey, and thus, I have some excitement to share about the excellent benefits about this way of eating.  Truly, I stand on the shoulders of people like Lex, Andrew, Nicola, William and others, who all figured this out for themselves some time ago. 

For me, after about 2 weeks on zero carb some time ago, I could care less about eating fruit.  I truly could take it or leave it.  Summer or not.  I really don't care.  So as you could well imagine, talk of honey sandwiches from PhatDave has me totally flummoxed.  I could just not imagine eating such foods.  In fact, food has taken such a back seat in my life that I cannot help but want to shout from the rooftops: "Freedom!"  I really don't care.  My son, nearly 16, is totally and completely zero carb by his own choice.  He does not notice the sleep improvement that I do, but he won't cheat; doesn't want to.  It's only food, after all.  There are far more important pursuits in life.

So many people have compliance issues on this eating plan or that.  But I find that a semi raw, all carnivorous one just feels like a soft glove that fits so well.  I will never care about plant foods again.  That is not to say I won't have a salad or some cherries on rare occasion in social settings.  But it's not like I feel cravings or need for these foods to somehow feel right. I really don't care much about food anymore.  But what I will never do is eat non paleo foodstuffs ever again; and that's because zero carb paleo has given me whatever discipline I need to do whatever I want.  Freedom!

Offline phatdave

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2009, 05:54:16 am »
Liana, that is such a compliment!  I am amazed that my ramblings are of value to anyone.  I suppose it may help that I am new on the zero carb journey, and thus, I have some excitement to share about the excellent benefits about this way of eating.  Truly, I stand on the shoulders of people like Lex, Andrew, Nicola, William and others, who all figured this out for themselves some time ago. 

For me, after about 2 weeks on zero carb some time ago, I could care less about eating fruit.  I truly could take it or leave it.  Summer or not.  I really don't care.  So as you could well imagine, talk of honey sandwiches from PhatDave has me totally flummoxed.  I could just not imagine eating such foods.  In fact, food has taken such a back seat in my life that I cannot help but want to shout from the rooftops: "Freedom!"  I really don't care.  My son, nearly 16, is totally and completely zero carb by his own choice.  He does not notice the sleep improvement that I do, but he won't cheat; doesn't want to.  It's only food, after all.  There are far more important pursuits in life.

So many people have compliance issues on this eating plan or that.  But I find that a semi raw, all carnivorous one just feels like a soft glove that fits so well.  I will never care about plant foods again.  That is not to say I won't have a salad or some cherries on rare occasion in social settings.  But it's not like I feel cravings or need for these foods to somehow feel right. I really don't care much about food anymore.  But what I will never do is eat non paleo foodstuffs ever again; and that's because zero carb paleo has given me whatever discipline I need to do whatever I want.  Freedom!

har har! my honey sandwich adventures have affected you too satya!!  :D

ps. love this post

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #14 on: October 06, 2009, 02:38:44 am »
Wow, it's been maybe 3 or 4 months since my last entry.

I've been eating zero carb for that same amount of time. I include raw butter, and sometimes raw cheese or raw cream. I usually don't have cheese or cream until the evening however, because it makes me very lethargic. The butter is fine though. However, sometimes I do get a lot of gurgling and gas when I eat the raw butter.

I notice that even though I don't run much (an unfortunately haven't been working out much) when I do I feel great, like I don't get tired as fast.

However for these past few weeks when I've been putting so much time into being at school and working on projects, I hardly give myself the chance to work out. I finally joined a parkour club on campus, but most of the time they've had practice, I've had to skip it to work on projects outside of class. When I finally do have the time, it rains, and they cancel practice. :( So I've only been to two in the past 3 weeks.

I'm still feeling a little weak at times. I've read things about cell phone towers and other things in that emit large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. It's been described that when within the range of one, all your bodies functions are weakened. That may explain why whenever I go into a large store I suddenly feel strange and like I would rather not run around, while any place away from these I feel awesome.

I've noticed that I have a little bit of a bulge over my navel. It could be a little fat, which I probably gained after this weekend. I had a few glasses of wine (no sulfites added), though it really wasn't that much. Honestly I think the reason people choose an all meat diet is because they want to stay lean, but any carbs at all triggers cravings. Yesterday was my birthday, and my mom made a cake. I managed to resist it. In fact, I don't even really WANT that kind of food, because I know that whenever I do get refined sugars, even just a little, that I become jittery and irritable. In the past I have been able to stick to low enough amounts of carbs to remain in a ketogenic state. Though I do need to avoid things like stevia, because I have had the tendency to start using it in all kinds of things, which does make me start to crave sweet things, mostly because of the memories learned from a childhood of eating crap.

I don't want to eat fruit in general, especially not domesticated fruit. I'm getting a book on wild edibles in the area, and I plan on foraging (however I may have just missed the season for berries and things) whenever possible. I would also like to plant some wild varieties of berries, especially salmonberries and chokecherries (if they can grow in Indiana). I'm really interested in using wild plants for medicinal purposes, and I also want to work towards being able to hunt my own meat. I'll even eat roadkill if it's relatively fresh (meaning not bloated and super stinky). In fact, over the summer I scavenged a small rabbit. The hind legs were the only piece of good meat left, I skinned it, and it was pretty good. Actually, this time I cooked it because in the summer it is possible to get tularemia. I figure if I eat 95%-85% raw it's better than a totally cooked diet, and I'm not always going to be able to eat everything raw all the time, I would prefer not to freak out about eating one small amount of cooked meat (it was only maybe 5 oz). If I had eaten it raw, I could have likely gotten tularemia (I'm also not that fond of getting any intestinal or other types of parasites from meat.) This is why I never eat freshwater fish raw either. I've even found roundworms in a fillet of fresh wild caught salmon. That's better than tapeworms, because they can't survive to the adult stage in humans (only marine mammals) but before they die they cause a hell of a lot of pain and suffering.

The other day I did have some raw oysters though. They were tasty, with a squeeze of lime. For the rest of the day I had a gross feeling in my stomach, but over time it subsided, and I've been fine since.

I guess what I want is freedom with my food, not freedom to eat crap, but more like freedom to experiment. It seems that whenever I switch my way of eating, I go through a detox period (especially when I started eating meat again after vegan), then after maybe 3 or 4 weeks I feel really good with the way of eating. In the past three weeks however, I have noticed those dull aches in my back and around my bladder return, and my energy has gotten lower despite eating lots of fat. I have been drinking some yerba mate tea in the mornings before class, I wonder if the caffeine (around 40 mg in a cup) is stalling or causing anything. I think that I can be mostly carnivorous, with some occasional wild fruits and flowers. I just don't want to feel like I have to be super strict about my diet. I mean, I know what makes me feel best, and I stick to that, but every now and then I do like to indulge in some wine when I feel like it. Though I probably could go entirely carnivorous, especially if I can get more organ meats (I've stocked up, got 3 hearts, 1 tongue in the freezer, now I just need to get some livers before the farmer's market is totally over for this year (end of Oct.) and maybe some more tongues. It's kinda nice that those are some the most nourishing parts of the animal, but since people generally don't buy them, they're priced quite low for a lot of great meat (still not entirely used to it, but I like to make heart into jerky and eat it with fat. I might make some emergency pemmican with it as well, for travel). I also have an order of 10lbs of suet waiting for me from a local farmer (it's a long drive, so I gotta pick the right weekend to pick it up.) Only $10!

I've also noticed lately that I have a very faint swollen feeling around my intestines. Early on when I switched to zero carb, I had severe diarrhea, whenever I ate or drank anything. My abdomen was also swollen. It lasted for 3 days. On the 3rd day I decided to try taking a large amount of HCL to see if that would actually help me digest anything. Shortly after, the problem went away. I'm guessing the HCL killed whatever it was in my gut. I don't need large amounts of HCL anymore, or any at all for that matter. If I take one HCL, I get some heartburn.

I guess I'm still wondering a bit if I could be having adrenal exhaustion (once again, when I was a vegan, I became very high stress, adrenal exhaustion sounds like it could be caused by long periods with lots of stress. I used to get so anxious, that I would get a pain in the left side of my chest, which people and doctors have described as a symptom of an anxiety attack. Ever since my mostly and then entirely carnivorous diet, I've had absolutely no trouble with this. Vegans try to make meat eaters out to be mean and angry people, because since they associate meat with carnage and violence. I have found that it is exactly the opposite. Meat makes me happy and calm, and I really am a much nicer person, much better to get along with. I hardly ever get angry anymore.

Anyway, about adrenal exhaustion, if I want to get some tests done, how exactly should I go about doing that?

Offline van

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #15 on: October 06, 2009, 03:15:30 am »
 
  Hi there.  It's pretty easy to get all worried about cell phone towers etc.  Unless you live under one, best to place attention else where.  Are you getting enough grass fed fat in your diet?   Also you may want to test whether cheese is good for You.  Everyone is different.    A test might look like; one week on, the next off of it.  But you have to be honest, for cheese is a hard one to give up.  And also there's the mind interfering right in the middle of the test with it's hopes and desires, and simply the watching can disturb natural digestion.  Pretty tricky in all.      Exercise is really important, especially when you move towards zc, for you won't have the impetuous to move from excess sugar running through your system.  If my daughter didn't simply run around the yard,  she would be in serious sugar problems.         ( I split her time with her mom, so i don't have much input into what she will eat. )   You don't have to go to the gym.  Just listen to music while walking a half an hour briskly at least once a day.    As Lex and others will say,  give it time.  I too was vegan for years, and like mine,  your body will come around.

Offline TylerDurden

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #16 on: October 06, 2009, 05:07:29 am »
it seems we all are different. My adrenal burnout case was started by eating cooked animal food, and got much worse when I tried raw zero-carb.

If adrenal exhaustion  is indeed your condition, past or otherwise, I would strongly suggest cutting out ALL raw dairy as allergy/intolerance to dairy is an extremely  common aspect of adrenal exhaustion. My cutting out all dairy,however raw, from my diet, solved much of the immediate adrenal-related issues.
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Offline PaleoPhil

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #17 on: October 06, 2009, 12:27:54 pm »
Yes, our experiences are rather different, though I also benefited when I eliminated dairy, and the problems with it became more obvious when I tried to reintroduce it.

Quote
Honestly I think the reason people choose an all meat diet is because they want to stay lean, but any carbs at all triggers cravings.
:D Not me, I'm skinny as hell! But, yeah, a lot of people do it for that reason, though I know a handful of other people who were already thin before they started ZC or carnivore.

Quote
I just don't want to feel like I have to be super strict about my diet.
I didn't either, but figured I should get down to a good base that doesn't trigger my immune system or spike insulin or make me anxious or make my gums and teeth hurt. Once I had been doing near-raw carnivore for a few weeks I found I liked it much more than I expected. I'll try reintroducing other foods again in the future, but for now I'm enjoying the carnivore life. ROWR!

I used to love extra sharp cheddar cheese. Now I forget it exists unless someone mentions it.

For what it's worth, I used to get mild soreness in my adrenals, anxiety, cold sweats, night sweats, mild salt cravings, etc. In looking back I see that the symptoms decreased whenever I reduced the carbs, with one long period of gradual relapse back into eating more carbs like cooked spaghetti squash with tomato sauce, raw fruits, and fruit juices. It was only in hindsight that I realized that I did best in the early days on meat and fish and worse when I added in more and more carbs, both cooked and raw, mainly to socialize, get along and please other people, and then because the more carbs I ate the more I craved. Because I'm thin, I received a lot of pressure from people to "fatten up" by eating carbs. Instead, my weight dropped down to 122 lbs. Since going VLC and now carnivore, I've gotten my weight back up to 136 lbs and am aiming higher. It's interesting how carbs once did fatten me up by giving me lots of belly, love-handle and neck fat (and no muscle), but in more recent years they made me sick and lethargic, but anxious at the same time, with little appetite and I lost weight. I found that ground raw meat was more digestible for my sensitive system than most foods and the raw red meat dramatically reduced my zinc and potassium deficiencies. Your mileage may vary.
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Beware of problems from chronic Very Low Carb

Offline rawlion

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #18 on: October 06, 2009, 10:40:53 pm »
Anyway, about adrenal exhaustion, if I want to get some tests done, how exactly should I go about doing that?

Hi Liana

I can help you with that.

First of all go to this web-site: http://www.canaryclub.org/

Register there and go to this link: http://www.canaryclub.org/diurnal-cortisol-4x-zrt.html

This is Canary Club Diurnal Cortisol 4x which costs $99.00 plus delivery.

This is the cheapest and most reliable way to test your adrenals.
It’s time to Eat Like An Animal!

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #19 on: October 07, 2009, 01:19:13 am »
Hi Liana

I can help you with that.

First of all go to this web-site: http://www.canaryclub.org/

Register there and go to this link: http://www.canaryclub.org/diurnal-cortisol-4x-zrt.html

This is Canary Club Diurnal Cortisol 4x which costs $99.00 plus delivery.

This is the cheapest and most reliable way to test your adrenals.

Yuri, did you test your adrenals ?

Offline rawlion

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #20 on: October 07, 2009, 01:27:12 am »
I only did conventional tests, i.e. pupil test and Raglan's test. Plus my Facial Pallor points to the weak adrenals. But a 24 hour adre­nal saliva test is by far the most conclusive and accurate way to determine the adrenal function. I didn't have back then and don't have now enough money to perform it.
It’s time to Eat Like An Animal!

Offline LvB

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2009, 10:24:46 am »
Thanks everyone.

In the past two days I have eaten a small apple, one each day. Normally when fully carnivore I have to eat in the morning before school, and can go until the evening before needing to eat again.

Almost all the time when I eat red meat I get grass-fed ground beef. This is usually what I eat, every once and a while I will have a steak, which is usually just organic. I've been buying grass-fed organ meats when I go to the farmer's market. Last weekend I also bought 2 lbs of raw grass-fed butter. I have an order of 10 lbs of grass fed suet waiting to be picked up. Most of the meat I eat is grass-fed.

After having even just small amounts of vegetables and the apples, I get a little bit of cramping, which could be due to the fact that my gut has gotten used to pretty much no fiber, and even a small amount causes occasional gas.

I did have good experience with eating a carnivore diet I felt much better (despite constant nagging from family members about no fiber), I suppose I was getting concerned because even though I experienced the lower right back aching before going totally carnivore. In fact, if I do go back to eating small amounts of plant foods, it would probably only last until I can move into my own apartment. Usually I'm pretty good at dealing with this, but every once in a while my mom will try to tell me that meat is fine but that I need vegetables too.  l) I guess that I could be mostly carnivore and then have a few occasional days with vegetables or herbs just to keep my mom off my back. Trust me, I have tried giving her sources to read, she just says things like "Why do you choose to listen to THESE PEOPLE and not DOCTORS and DIETICIANS." (her emphasis, not mine). I explain to her that some things just don't feel right to me, and I am trying to find what is specifically right for my body, and that not everybody thrives with the exact same type of diet (though I do think grains are a universally shitty food when trying to feel truly healthy.) I just have accepted that she is totally immersed in what Conventional Wisdom says. She told me about a recent episode of the Dr. Oz show where they showed a guy on a meat and potatoes diet, and that his heart was bad. They made the mistake of thinking "oh it must be the meat, nothing wrong with potatoes!" and switched him to a vegan diet. I feel sorry for the guy, he could have just ditched the carb foods since he didn't like veggies anyway.

Anyway, I am starting to lean back towards eating carnivore style, the carbs, even in small amounts just make me want more, which probably won't lead to anything good.

Regarding the ache in the lower right portion of my back, I am mainly concerned because I have read that urea from meat can build up and cause kidney stones. I guess I was only questioning the carnivore diet because this pain has become more common only after beginning the carnivore diet. That doesn't necessarily mean the carnivore way of eating is to blame, I guess it just made me question it for the first time.

Anyway, about the adrenal test, if it's $99 I'll need to save up. I'm currently trying to save up as much money as possible. I usually get birthday money, so that may be an option. Either way, I'll get it eventually.

Offline TylerDurden

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #22 on: October 07, 2009, 04:35:49 pm »
There are herbs for dealing with symptoms like kidney-stones. You'd probably have to take them for a long time, and you'd have to make sure that the herbs were raw and as little processed as possible(wild herbs are best but impossible to get in an urban environment, of course). As for the ZC connection that may be - kidney-stones are one of the notorious side-effects of (cooked)ketogenic diets, but might also apply to raw ZC for all I know. Perhaps you eat some cooked meat/fat(pemmican?) in which case, IMO, cooked meat/fat would be best avoided.
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Offline Nicola

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #23 on: October 07, 2009, 06:48:50 pm »

Exercise is really important, especially when you move towards zc, for you won't have the impetuous to move from excess sugar running through your system.  If my daughter didn't simply run around the yard,  she would be in serious sugar problems.     

Van could you please explain what you mean? On the zerocarb forum Charles does not say any of this...

Nicola

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Re: Liana's Journal
« Reply #24 on: October 07, 2009, 09:49:06 pm »
Van could you please explain what you mean? On the zerocarb forum Charles does not say any of this...

Nicola

I'll throw my two cents in on this until Van elaborates.
Those of us on this forum, by and large, eat the way we do for health benefits and/or due to underlying health reasons. Many on Charles' forum eat ZC to lose weight.
Charles' stance on exercise is that it's counterproductive to the body to exercise when trying to lose excess bodyfat.
Those of us here who are ZC/VLC don't have the high glucose spikes of carbs in our meals and since we're not looking to lose weight we find regular exercise a good way to maintain higher energy levels until we sufficiently keto-adapt. My regular aerobic exercise of jogging, running, and bike riding helps me process oxygen more efficiently which definitely made the transition easier on me. Getting the blood pumping did too because I felt much more sluggish on days I didn't run.

 

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