Q & A
This page as an open thread for reader questions, especially questions about personal health concerns.
I am putting this page up as a way to share knowledge — my knowledge with questioners, but also so that others with similar concerns can read the conversation, and readers with relevant knowledge can chip in with their own thoughts.
Please keep in mind that I can’t research questions in any depth, so my answers should be considered tentative, incomplete, and subject to later correction. Also, I am not a doctor, and nothing I say should be construed as a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment. I am only sharing opinions about disease origins and general therapeutic strategies which may or may not be applicable in any given case.
To get the page started, I’ll put up a few questions from recent emails. Here is an index by disease, with clickable links:
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
- Lupus
- Depression
And here are my answers.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Paul,
Been following your work on the PHD before the publication of the book and commented on my CLL and the usefulness of Vitamin D once on your blog and you responded to keep an eye on my Vitamin K intake, which I do now.. Am fortunate in a way to have my form of CLL as it indolent which gives me the opportunity to experiment without the pressure of undergoing conventional treatment. The PHD, I think, is helpful in this regard.
Wonder if you could point anything out to me that may be useful. Anything at all. And I will be happy to share with you my results.
Surely you know of the helpfulness of green tea with CLL. You may not be familiar with research that points out that those with low levels of Vitamin D need treatment for CLL far sooner than those with elevated levels.
Feel strongly that your version of a ketogenic diet would be helpful but also feel I need some direction in this area. Do you have any suggestions?
Warmest Regards,
A
Hi A,
I remember your comment, thanks for writing back. I’m glad you’re enjoying our diet and wish you the best.
Thanks for the tips about green tea and vitamin D. Neither one surprises me.
Most likely CLL is caused by a viral infection. So enhancing viral immunity is probably a good idea. Good strategies may include: (1) low-protein dieting, which inhibits viral reproduction and can promote autophagy; (2) maintaining high vitamin D levels; and (3) intermittent fasting, which promotes autophagy.
Some food compounds have been reported to have antiviral effects. An example is green tea catechins, eg http://pmid.us/16137775, http://pmid.us/18313149, and http://pmid.us/18363746, and this could be why green tea is helpful against cancers, http://pmid.us/21595018, which are usually viral in origin.
I might search Pubmed for herbs and spices with antiviral effects, and use them abundantly in cooking, along with antiviral foods. Turmeric / curcumin is a good choice, this needs to be taken with black pepper to enter the body. See http://pmid.us/21299124, http://pmid.us/20434445, http://pmid.us/20026048.
Coconut oil / lauric acid also has some antiviral properties, so inducing ketosis with coconut oil could benefit you even aside from the ketosis. You could also try monolaurin supplements which may enter the body better and which some people have reported to help viral infections.
You might also try HDL-raising tactics as discussed in this series: HDL and Immunity, April 12; HDL: Higher is Good, But is Highest Best?, April 14; How to Raise HDL, April 20.
Another possible tactic is high-dose riboflavin with UV exposure on the eyes. This requires going outdoors at midday and not wearing glasses or contact lenses. Riboflavin+UV is toxic to blood-borne viruses, and the retina is a location where UV can reach circulating blood cells. Sun exposure will also help you optimize vitamin D.
That’s a few ideas, at some point I’ll do some research to come up with more and do a blog post. Do keep me posted on your results!
Best, Paul
Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
Just came upon your website and had a question for you. I have had some health concerns for the last four years, bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia symptoms, female complaints (I am in my forties), thyroid antibodies at 333, weight gain around my middle and too tired to work out like I once did. I used to be fikiiled with energy and great health no depression or anxiety. My doctor thinks these symtoms are all from peri-menopause and wants to treat me with Zoloft.
Needless to say I have tried to avoid the Zoloft. I have tired every avenue out there to cure myself. Most recently the Primal type diet. When I eat no grains or dairy I get horrible hypoglycemia symptoms and don’t feel great like everyone else on a low carb diet. I feel weak and more anxious. Do you think your diet would be easier for me with the addition of rice and potatoes?
G
Hi G,
Yes, I do think our diet will be better for you. You should eat enough starches to avoid hypoglycemia.
The key thing for you is treating the infections which are consuming so much glucose and making you glucose-deficient if you don’t eat enough carbs. Whatever pathogen(s) this is, it seems to have infected your gut and caused the various gut problems; circulating pathogen-derived toxins and immune cytokines are probably responsible for the anxiety and depression. Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism may be either due to circulating toxins or a thyroid infection.
I would suspect some kind of protozoal or parasitic infection due to the hypoglycemia, but what I really recommend is getting your doctor to have a stool sample analyzed for pathogens. Metametrix has a good test. Once you know what pathogen to treat, and get on a better diet like ours, you should improve quickly.
Lupus
I am writing on behalf of my mother … We live in Dhaka Bangladesh …
Before her illness, my mom was 105 lbs, 5 feet tall and always 10ft tall in spirit…. When she was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 30, we were all overwhelmed and out of our depths. My beautiful, athletic mother was in a wheelchair and given 6 months to live….
The doctors has advised her to eat literally nothing, minimum protein (1 small piece of chicken/fish, limited to 20g protein per day), only 2-3 types of vegetable and 2-3 fruits and of course lots of carbs to apparently compensate for her failing KIDNEY and LUPUS. She is on tons of medication, no food except the wrong foods (carbs) and in chronic pain. She currently weighs 139 lbs.
Please advise. — S
Hi S,
I believe lupus is a catch-all diagnosis for a variety of conditions which are probably caused by undiagnosed infections. In the US the infections are usually bacterial. I’ve known several people with diagnosed lupus who were cured by antibiotic treatments – in one case the problem was Lyme disease (Borrelia). I have no idea what the likely pathogens would be in Bangladesh. If she does better on low carb and coconut oil, that indicates bacteria; if she does better on high-carb, that indicates protozoa.
A healthy diet is very important. It is very bad advice to “eat literally nothing,” it is essential to be well nourished. Protein is necessary for healing and immune function, and 20 g/day is too little. Fasting is good, but it should be intermittent – not starvation! She needs healthy fats, more protein, and lots of micronutrients. Eggs, shellfish, seafood, bone broth soups, vegetable soups, and fermented vegetables may all be helpful. Coconut milk is probably good for her. You should basically follow the program in our book.
I would try to put her on a good diet, give her a little time for kidneys and other tissues to heal, and then try antimicrobial medicines. Usually, if they’re not working, then you don’t notice an effect. Any strong effect, good or bad, means they are working. Bad effects mean that pathogens are dying and releasing a lot of toxins as they disintegrate. If this occurs, detox aids (salt, water, and one of cholestyramine/charcoal/bentonite clay; also glutathione supports and vitamin C) will help.
Please stay in touch and let me know how things go.
Best, Paul
Depression
I’ve suffered from depression for decades. A few months ago, I decided to try the Dr. Kruse protocol for jumpstarting leptin sensitivity and 2 interesting things happened.
When I went very low carb – below 50 gm -. I had half-day periods where the depression suddenly lifted (something that has rarely happened otherwise). However, I also suffered from darker than normal periods.
I stopped the Dr. Kruse protocol after 6 weeks, and went back to regular paleo (approx. 200 – 300 gm. Carb/day). I’m now generally more depressed than usual, without the good periods.
These changes seem to indicate that I can have an influence on my depression with diet, but not sure what diet to try. Thoughts?
Hi Jersie,
I think your experience on very low carb is diagnostically telling.
I would interpret it this way:
- Your depression is caused by an interferon-gamma mediated immune response in the brain, probably caused by a viral or bacterial infection. This leads to tryptophan being directed away from serotonin and toward the kynurenine pathway. So you have a serotonin deficiency and kynurenine excess.
- A ketogenic diet is both therapeutic (promotes immunity against bacterial and viral infections) and mood-improving (clears kynurenine).
- However, you are at risk for hypoglycemia in the brain (especially if the infection is bacterial) and hypoglycemia causes irritability/anxiety and can aggravate depression.
So the very low-carb diet had mixed effects (ketosis, hypoglycemia).
What I would do is follow our ketogenic diet advice. Eat at least 50 g/day carbs from starches to get sufficient glucose, plus sufficient protein to reach 600 calories/day protein+carb, but add in large amounts of MCT oil or coconut oil. Also, do intermittent fasting – eat all the carbs within an 8-hour window; eat at least half the MCT oil in the 16-hour fasting window.
Once on a good diet, I might experiment with antibiotics to see if they relieve symptoms.
Please let me know how things go.
via this link:
Is the Website URL line like a subject line? I’ve been leaving it blank (I, the technophobe!) 🙂
Not at all. It’s a link to an external website that you’re associated with. Some people feel it confers extra legitimacy upon their comment or might help promote a feeling of community amongst commenters, especially if the link is related to the matter at hand. Many others use it primarily for spam or as a first step in performing a hack or exploit against a website.
Tweaking IF:
Initially, I tried skipping my evening meal, but that left me feeling deprived, as my only two daily meals were at school, where chaos seems to be the order of the day.
So, I moved the skipped meal to morning and try to get my first meal at school by 10 to 12:00, depending on the time I had dinner. Some days are quite difficult, as those 16 hours often turn into 19 hours when I finally start eating lunch while running around. When I have to wait so long to eat, I suffer brain fog that is noticed by others and embarrassing.
My average day is a good deal different from the ideal day Paul mentioned in that recent podcast, and I suspect others find themselves in the same situation. True, I am not remembering to swallow an occasional spoonful of coconut oil. Is that my problem? I really would like to continue the simple peaceful meal I have in the evenings, away from the chaos of my school day.
So, busy these days. I am due to read through the book again, and when I do, will pick up those IF tips. Just seem to work and sleep lately. I know I shouldn’t post a question answered in the book, but would someone please share an IF strategy that skips mornings and keeps a person mentally alert and sharp? Again, Paul’s plan will not work for me until I retire and I don’t plan that anytime soon.
thanks, kind people. 😕
hi Lana. IF works good for us. first thing green tea with coconut oil. second thing coffee with C O. third thing bone broth, by now its Noon and time to prepare breakfast for 1 p.m. could you take coffee/tea and bone broth with you in a thermos. alfred
How about experimenting with just IF-ing on weekends? I would try that and see how your brain functions when you can have that coconut oil and/or when things are calmer.
Another thing to try would be having a big bowl of broth, tomato and seaweed or spinach soup before you go to work. (Bottom of page 359)
Lana,
I would try MCT oil, as it is much easier to work with than coconut oil since it is always in liquid form at room temperature. So mixes well with cold or warm beverages. If MCT oil doesn;t relieve your hunger/fog issues don;t stress about it just eat something :).
Be careful you don’t overstrain yourself. There’s a little thing called adrenal fatigue you don’t want to get into.
lana, I think all the replies here seem like good ones. As SC says, don’t forget Paul’s simple addendum to his IF advice – if you’re on track with it you won’t be hungry. If you are hungry, then eat just a bit to perk you up without actually having your first meal.
Thank you everyone! What thoughtful replies. I actually do fairly well fasting those 16 hours after sufficient food the previous 8 hours. It’s when, out of seeming necessity, the fast stretches to 19 and 20 hours, which is always accompanied by those difficult times for students — sharing self-destructive thoughts, CPS reportable issues, etc. I can’t bring myself to break out my lunch when I’m in the midst of those troubling issues, as eating conveys the inaccurate message of lack of real concern. A common complaint among school counseling staff is no scheduled lunch time. Works okay for a three-meal a day person, but can play havoc with IFing.
Question: Since I cannot tolerate milk, even the small amount in cream, what about adding a good amount of whole fat coconut milk (canned) to my morning coffee? Label reads: 3g carb per 1/4 cup, along with the saturated fat. Truthfully, I would prefer 3/4 C., but that is surely too many carbs.
Broth works great with a pat of butter. I really like the MCT oil idea and this is probably better than the large helping of canned coconut milk. When I put coconut oil in my coffee or tea it ends up solidified in the travel cup mechanism before I have finished it. Broth with veggies to start the day would be ideal. I really need to use my weekends to get veggies prepared so the mornings are easier.
I have found a lactose free cheese and will try having a container of small pieces at school for those times when lunch is not going to be anywhere near on time. It seems that lactose gives me joint pain. Weird. I would think it would give me GI issues, too. Lactose free milk kefir from my local co-op is wonderful and causes me no problems, but the kefir I tried making with grains from the kefir lady gives me intolerable joint pain. The people at yemoos.com explained that homemade kefir has some lactose in it.
Thank you everyone, for your kind replies.
Peter C responded to my inquiry about what is the Bebsite URL window for. So I now know it’s NOT a subject line. Is there something I should be putting in there? is it like a window to put an attachment for website link?? If you could tell me like I’m a senior citizen with no computer training? 🙂 Thanks, Donna
Hi Donna,
No, you should leave it blank. If you had a blog of your own, you could put the address of the blog there, and that would help other people find your blog. I’m guessing you don’t have one.
I am struggling with immune vitality after a toxic mold exposure and dealing with fungal and protozoal infections as well as opportunistic or re-activated pcyoplasmic and viral infections.
My physician has recommended a mold diet excluding eggs and dairy, recommendations consistent with intolerances I developed during the exposure.
The doctors I’ve seen use trial and error in cases like mine and we’ve experienced many false starts.
Even though the quality of my life (my ability to digest, sleep, be fertile, and so on) is at stake. I am overwhelmed and often can not keep up with my note taking and proper eating. I am discouraged as heck.
In a case of multiple infections, is it possible to target and treat them one by one? Is there an ideal order? One alternative practioner recommends ozonated/UVL hemotherapy, that sounds risky to me. Any opinions in those IV therapies?
Thanks,
Alex
An ionic mineral drop supplement seems to aggrevate some cardiovascular symptoms. The doc who recommends it has no explanation.
Besides Mg and Na, the supplement contains 580mg chloride, 40mg sulfate, 2mg lithium and 1mg boron per serving.
I am think I am reacting to something here and wonder if there is a diagnostic value to the reaction? Would any of those elements exacerbate a fungal issue? A protozoal? Viral?
I’ve been taking doxycycline and hyperglycemia is improved. Loading probiotics as best as I can.
Thanks for any assistance,
Alex
HI Paul,
I have posted once before concerning menstrual cramps, and followed your advice (increasing potassium) and my cramps were much better last month. Thank you!I am perplexed by my current overall situation and was hoping you could shed some light. I was on a very low carb, high fat, mod protein diet for two years. With the addition of starch and occasional fruit, per your recommendation, my sleep, hair, constipation, and body temps have much improved (thank you again!). However, I have developed bad bloating and gas that is getting progressively worse, and my rosacea is worse than ever;I also recently came down with a yeast infection. I never had these problems before, except for the rosacea, which was mild while on the ketogenic diet. I am guessing upping the carbs helped out my thyroid,resulting in improved bowels movements, hair, and sleep, but the sugars fed existing infections that were dormant while on the ketogenic diet. I thought starches were supposed to help fungal infections, not cause them??? Moving forward, would you recommend fermenting my starches, eating brown rice syrup for glucose, or going on the ketogenic version of your diet (please say no to that one;)I am planning on getting the Metamatrix test soon. I stay at the ratios of 25% carb, 20% protein, 55% fat and take your recommended supplements. I really appreciate any input you have to offer and many many thanks!
Brittany
Hi Brittany,
Yes, I think your diagnosis is correct. Your body needed the carbs, but some gut microbes are benefiting from them too.
Starches will help prevent fungi/yeast from entering the body but they can aggravate gut issues.
I would eat bacterially fermented foods, especially kimchi and fermented mixed vegetables; get extra liver (duck/goose/pastured chicken) and vitamin D; and eat extra vegetables.
I don’t recommend fermenting starches. I don’t recommend eating brown rice syrup. I don’t recommend the ketogenic version for this. Try reducing supplements as they may be feeding your gut microbes.
Best, Paul
Thank you so much, Paul. I will let you know how things are going after I have received a stool analysis and been on your diet with specific adjustments for a period of time. For clarification, is beef liver ok to eat a few times a week, or only duck/goose/chicken?
Wishing you all the best,
Brittany
Brittany,
I am not Paul, but as to your beef liver question:
The diet recommends regular but moderated ruminant liver consumption (1/4 lb per week) because beef/lamb liver is a potent source of copper.
“Daily dose of 2 mg [copper] recommended in weeks when 1/4 pound cooked (1/3 pound uncooked) beef or lamb liver is not eaten; Do not supplement copper if you eat liver.”
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recommended-supplements/
Hi Paul-
My 23andme profile indicates that I am a poor glucose metabolizer.The elaboration was absent on this one.Does that mean that I should be a low carber,or I should up my fructose to get enough carbs,or just continue with the PHD protocols?I also have good insulin sensitivity,which makes the glucose thing more confusing.
I would just follow regular PHD. I think that would only matter if you are eating a carbohydrate excess which PHD doesn’t have.
Could this be true, A1c 10.6 and Triglycerides 106?
HDL 49
LDL 123
VLDL 21
cholesterol 193
Non HDL Cholesterol 144.
Vit D 25 hydroxy 18
Hi Herb,
The lipids are fine but the A1c is awful. Vitamin D is very low too. Are you supplementing D?
no, he didn’t take vitamin D
do you think vitamin D would help for A1c
and is the HDL ok?
Vitamin D probably would help. HDL is normal; it would be nice if it were a bit higher but 49 is not a sign of ill health.
Hi Paul:
I going through your book, you mention that we can do 10 MG/d for zinc accompanied by 1.1 mg or copper (page 307). But then you say 50 mg/wk one time followed by 2 mg copper/d. 50 mg per day is only 7.14 mg/d, not 10mg/d. Seems like bit of a contradiction? What is the correct dose, 50/wk or is it better to do the daily regimine in terms of accuracy?
spelling corrections (my applogies):
I’m going through your book. You mention that we can do 10 MG/d for zinc accompanied by 1.1 mg of copper/d (page 307). But then you say 50 mg/wk one time followed by 2 mg copper/d. 50 mg per day is only 7.14 mg/d, not 10mg/d. Seems like bit of a contradiction? What is the correct dose, 50mg/wk or is it better to do the daily regimine in terms of accuracy?
Hi Eddie,
Roughly speaking, 50 mg/wk = 7 mg/day zinc balances 1 mg/day copper, which is the amount in 30 g/day dark chocolate or 1/5 lb per week beef or lamb liver.
How much to take depends on how zinc and copper rich the rest of your food is. It might be that two 50 mg zinc tablets per week would be better than one.
Hi Paul and Thank you for the answer:
I don’t eat liver but do eat dark chocolate powder infrequently in small amounts as well as nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts-rarely). I mostly eat beef, shellfish, bone broth, sardines, and sometimes chicken, variety of veggies, and safe carbs.
Q: When you say “50 mg/wk = 7 mg/day zinc balances 1 mg/day copper” is my following interpretation correct?:
7mg/d of Zinc with 1 mg/d Copper is ideal.
Concern: I am currently supplementing with 50mg/wk zinc with 2mg/d Copper as prescribed in your book. Is it really that critical to be very PRECISE with zinc-copper supplementation/intake?
Confusion of Zinc-Copper supplement regimen: 10mg/d zinc for every 1 mg/d copper. 7 mg/d of Zinc with 1 mg/d copper. 50 mg/wk zinc with 2 mg/copper.
Please help further clarify this topic for me in elaboration to the text in your book. I deeply appreciate your work and assistance.
To be more specific: the only shellfish I consume are: scallops and shrimp.
Hope to hear from you, Paul. The PHD book and your blog has contributed to reversing my wife’s pre-diabetic condition and my hyperthyroid condition. Something medical doctors weren’t able to help us avoid through diet and lifestyle changes!
hi Eddie. im glad to hear both your conditions are showing improvement. My pre diabetic condition is going the other way, my fasting BG reading’s have climbed to 133 from 115. this started when i tried to consume the one pound of safe starch in the form of potato [ rice is even worse] Paul is insistant on the need for it, so im sticking it out.
do you have any tips re: pre diabetes. thks Alfred
Hi Alfred:
The key to reversing pre-diabeties is:
16 hour fasts. If you get hungry drink a 25 oz. veggie shake. homemade and invest in a very good blender.
ONLY 1/2 pound of carbs/day
Eat Fish M, Wed, Fri, Sun (sardines and shellfish)
Drink 2-3 veggie shakes a day. The stuff is medicine and is likely the key to have improved insuline sensitivity.
Take a probiotic supplement or eat sourkraut.
Take: D, Magnesium, K2, vit. C as per the daily recommendations.
hi Eddie, thks for the swift reply.
im doing most of that except one pound starch, not that many fish day’s and no veggie shakes, whats in them and how much. also how long might it take to see a difference. alfred
Hi Eddie,
Well, we recommend supplemental foods for copper such as chocolate or beef/lamb liver.
Then we recommend enough zinc to balance the copper.
30 g/day chocolate is about 1 mg/day copper and you should take one 50 mg zinc tablet (or 7 oysters) to balance it. A 1/4 lb beef or lamb liver per week is more copper and 2 of the zinc tablets would balance it (or 14 oysters).
I think there are enough copper rich foods that are healthy for other reasons that it would be best to get copper from food. Just add a little of the copper-rich supplemental foods in.
If you are eating scallops and shrimp only you’ll probably need a zinc supplement.
Hi alfred,
The first thing to look at it total calorie consumption. Intermittent fasting and reducing oils (search our custom search box for “weight loss version”) and getting fat from nutritious foods, eg egg yolks, nuts, avocados, seafood, beef/lamb and organ meats, bones (marrow and bone fats are released in first cooking), coconut milk, etc, not nutrient-free purified oils.
With prediabetes/diabetes you might also benefit by a bit more protein and less carbs. Also, be sure to eat carbs in meals following the “how to minimize hyperglycemic toxicity” steps.
Best, Paul
hi Eddie, thanks for the swift reply. i am doing most of that except one pound of carbs,not as many fish days and no veggie shakes. whats in there and how much. thks alfred
Hi Paul:
The answer you provided is clear now:
Take 50mg Zink/wk and eat copper throughout the week.
Next Question to add to the Copper-Zinc puzzle:
Is it necessary to eat copper daily or can we eat copper throughout the week with some days missed here and there?
Also, what do you mean by:
“If you are eating scallops and shrimp ONLY you’ll probably need a zinc supplement.” I am interpreting this as eating a diet only consisting of shrimp and shellfish or did you mean I may only need zinc since I eat these types of shellfish?
Perhaps a safer more ideal alternative to the copper-zinc regimen is to consume zinc at the same time food is consumed–a suggestion I recommend inserting (alongside with your deeper explanation of the subject you provided to me) into your book. I’m sure it would be helpful to others who are dissecting the information in effort to fit your plan into their own unique lifestyles.
Hope to hear from you again.
Best,
Ed
Hi Eddie,
No, you can have it once a week. That’s what we recommend with beef or lamb liver, 1/4 pound provides a whole week’s worth of copper.
I meant as your only seafood. Shellfish can be a good source of zinc but shrimp and scallops are not especially high in it.
Yes, in general supplements should be taken with food.
Hi Alfred:
The lower your fish days the lower your Omega 3 fats will exist in your body–something very important to reversing diabetes and protecting your cardiovascular system.
One pound of Starch is way too much for those with pre-diabetes. Carbs affect glucose levels in your body, yes even if you eat them with fat. To get full, eat plenty of veggies which are key to reversing pre-diabetes and will help improve glucose metabolism.
Eat only 1 tbsp. of either butter, coc. oil, or olive oil. Either oil you choose, eat only 1 tbsp. You need miniscule amounts of fat if you already have excessive body fat.
How to make veggie shakes:
1/2 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, Swiss chard, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, green tea (just dump tea into blender when ready) fill rest jar with water, spinach, green kale, red kale, collard greens, green beans, and in moderation: yellow squash and zucchini.
Other fruits you can use: Apple 1/2 and small orange. Very small amts of grapes, pineapple, mango.
Buy a glass jar of organic tomato sauce. Finish and keep the empty jar and lid. Since the cap will rust after several washes, put plastic cerame wrap on top of jar and then put lid. If you are on the go, place your drinks in a cooler and take with you.
This has worked for several friends and family. If you follow this tactic with Paul’s advice on diet, you should see significant improvement within a month or so. Just take it easy on the fruits in your shakes, don’t put too much but enough for taste.
hi Eddie. thks for the detailed explanation’s i will certenly add veggie shakes to may diet and look in to more sea food. by the way many people assume diabetics are allways overweight. my wife a T2 insulin dependant for 30 yrs is 5′-5″ and 135lbs she is responding very well to the I/Fasting every day.I am the pre diabetic 6′ tall and 155lbs i would like to gain at least 10 lbs.thks again for your time alfred
Hi Paul,
apologies for this trivial question & you may have answered similar before (but i cannot track down the answer, if there was one)…
Q. I know with PHD there is no need for protein powders, that said, if one wanted to pick a Whey protein for occasional use, is there a type you see as easiest on the digestion, or superior in one way or another.
The choices seem to be, ‘concentrate’, ‘isolate’ or ‘hydrolyzed’ ?
(money wise, concentrate looks to be the cheapest & hydrolyzed the most expensive).
Currently, I randomly take a scoop of pea protein isolate powder, But very rarely now (less than once a week) as i am starting to wonder if it upsets my stomach.
appreciate your pov, & am hoping this query does not take up too much of your time….thx
Hi Darrin,
Hydrolized is partially digested so it will lack some of the gut flora reshaping properties of milk compounds. If you just want protein that will be the highest quality, but it is the least like food. I think concentrate is fine, but that will have some casein and other non-whey compounds.
I think any of those forms would be better than pea protein.
Thanks Paul
Is there a problem with using the WHOLE egg every morning? I is it too much protein if you have two? I like to eat it with salsa and avocado, sometimes cheese and sour cream too. Does this follow the guidelines? I really miss the English muffin, though…
Hi Beth,
No, it’s not a problem. … Buckwheat flour makes a good muffin; or okonomiyaki.
Paul, how can I increase or preserve my telomeres??
Follow the steps in our book. They depend mainly on health, so anything that improves health will tend to lengthen telomeres.
Hi Paul, I have been following the PHD for 3 months and am getting on well. I just for the first time had ApoE test and found out I am a 3/4. Would you make any adaptations to the diet for this genotype?
Lipids have improved a little from last time. Trigs = 102, HDL = 63, Total = 229. Can’t do LDL-P/ApoB in Singapore though.
Alzheimer’s runs in the familty – My father, his mother etc.
Any thougths would be warmly appreciated
Hi Chris,
ApoE — I would just try to make sure you eat a micronutrient-rich diet, I wouldn’t change anything else. Liver, seafood/shellfish, vegetables, bone and joint broth, etc. Sunshine or supplements for vitamin D.
Your lipids are all good except triglycerides are a little high. Do you exercise? Try to get 10 minutes of physical activity before every meal.
Hi Paul thanks for the advice. I try to stick to PHD but non CFO Liver/Bones are hard to come by in Singapore. So when not available supplement with minerals. I eat tonnes of veggies, get great sunshine daily (vit D is 54.2 right in perfect range). Exercise a lot – swimming, weight training and walking. My main devation from the PHD is a slightly lower carb intake (normally sweet potatoes in evening after weight training). I avoid fructose. So it is a bit surprising that my Trigs are high. I do take your recommendation to drink wine 🙂 which pressumably has fructose content. Any thoughts on how to reduce them to 70-ish?
Note when I was on a low fat diet they were higher at 120.
Hi Chris,
I’m also 3/4 and I’m curious what are your typical daily foods?
For me, it seems 3 daily egg yolks will increase my TC by ~70 and ~3 TBSP saturated fats like coconut oil and butter increases by ~100. My trigs also increase by ~30-50 with these foods and lowest trigs with lower fat.
Hi Mark.
Typical daily food would be Bulletproof coffee from breakfast (coffee + MCT oil + grassfed butter), Lunch omlette with greens, dinner mixed salad with avocado and healthy animal protein. I drink some wine and snack on nuts.
Interestingly since chanding from a low fat to high fat diet my lipids changed as follows:
– Total from 197 to 229
– LDL from 117 to 149
– HDL from 56 to 63
– Trigs from 122 to 102
So overall Trigs/HDL ratio improved quite a lot but trigs stubornly high. It is interesting your experience with lower fat and lower trigs. Maybe I need to experiment.
Hi Chris,
The LDL is a bit high. You might read our high LDL on Paleo posts. Often this is due to micronutrient deficiencies, or an excess of oil compared to micronutrients. Key micronutrients are iodine, selenium, zinc, copper, choline.
I would try cutting the oil in the bulletproof coffee and see if that helps LDL and trigs.
Chris,
Thanks for sharing your typical foods and before/after lipids. My trigs range 32-79, so pretty low either way. Keeping my LDL under control is my main challenge.
For the before lipids eating low fat, what carbs did you eat?
Thanks Paul, I will try that. I pick up some of those micronutrients (but not choline) through supplements
Mark sounds like your Trigs are in great shape! Hopefully a positive indicator of partical size/count. On my previous diet I ate all the “good” stuff, bread, pasta and lots of fruit.
Chris, yeah, I can’t claim I’ve got it all figured out, but I hope the trigs are a good sign.
Seems like you’re moving to more whole foods, which should help. I do tend toward less of the free fats, like the Bulletproof coffee example, myself. I wonder if it would work for you to eat a few more carbs from potatoes and sweet potatoes.
For reference, my 32 trigs was CW healthy diet a couple years ago before I tried PHD. At the time, I ate oatmeal, brown rice, legumes, lean meat, greek yogurt, almonds, apples type foods.
I haven’t eaten wheat based foods with any regularity for a few years, long before PHD just because I viewed them as more processed, as opposed to gluten/toxins. I don’t have record of what my cholesterol looked like then, that would be interesting.
Hi Paul
Big fan of PHD. My MetaMetrix profile is positive for Blastocystis. Are antibiotics the first step here, which ones? kind regards Baden
Hi Baden,
I do think it’s good to treat them, but I would defer to doctors as to the best way to do that.
Hi Paul, do you have any suggestions/precautions I should follow to enable implementing PHD to my childrens diet? They are 8yrs and 10yrs.
Thank you,
Helen.
Hi Helen,
Children are easier because they eat more calories compared to body mass, so foods don’t need to be as nutrient dense. Proportionally they need more carbs and less protein than adults.
You can pretty much serve the same foods as adults but let their taste guide them to quantities. As long as they are avoiding excess sugar, wheat, and omega-6, their natural taste preferences should be a good guide to health.
Children should generally avoid supplements. Vitamin D and vitamin K2 are the main exceptions; and a low dose of iodine on days when they don’t eat seafood; and vitamin C or magnesium from time to time, not every day.
Good morning, Paul:
Since 1 mg/d copper should be supplemented with 50mg/wk (7.14mg/d) of Zinc, shouldn’t the copper-zinc supplement recommendations listed on the tab above be changed to read the following:
Copper: 1 mg/day (if 30 g/day chocolate is not consumed) OR 2 mg/day (if 1/4 Lb. beef or lamb liver is not consumed for the week).
Zinc: 50mg/Week (1 tablet) if consuming 1mg/day copper or 100mg/week (2 tablets) if consuming 2 mg/day copper.
Perhaps these details will help provide clarity on a more precise and safer way to bring zinc and copper to optimal levels. What do you think?
Hope to hear from you again. Thank you in advance for your time, patience, and understanding.
Hi Paul
Great article by Michael Pollan in The New York Times Magazine here
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Interesting stuff here about H. Pylori
Has anyone sent their samples into the American Gut project? I guess it doesn’t give information about yeast?
I’m trying to make sure IBS is gone, and I’m going to do the $99 stool test.
Interesting information here about H. Pylori
Paul, when recommending the article by Michael Pollan I neglected to note the caveat that he doesn’t appear to be cognizant of the dangers of grain consumption.
However, grains are only mentioned tangentially and I found the article re: gut bacteria to be way ahead of the usual nutritional stuff one sees in the popular press
In the ongoing “friendly” discussion between my vegan friend and myself. My vegan friend wanted some feedback on this recent article. Paul, others feedback appreciated…
Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets
Send this to your paleo guys. I’m Curious to hear their opinion.
http://www.thepermanentejournal.org/issues/2013/spring/5117-nutrition.html
This was my reply…
I put it out there. Plants are major part of the health equation, 3/4 by weight but animal products 1/4 by weight, are a critical component of a health promoting diet including avoiding the following foods due to their high toxin content. Notably:
• Do not eat cereal grains — wheat, barley, oats, corn — or foods made from them — bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, oatmeal. The exception is white rice, which we count among our “safe starches.” Rice noodles, rice crackers, and the like are fine, as are gluten-free foods made from a mix of rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch.
• Do not eat calorie-rich legumes. Peas and green beans are fine. Soy and peanuts should be absolutely excluded. Beans might be acceptable with suitable preparation, but we recommend avoiding them.
• Do not eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Do not drink anything that contains sugar: healthy drinks are water, tea, and coffee.
• Polyunsaturated fats should be a small fraction of the diet (~4% of total calories). To achieve this, do not eat seed oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or the like.
Certain foods are highly recommended for their micronutrients. These include liver, kidney, egg yolks, seaweeds, shellfish, fermented vegetables, and bone broths.
Most likely in all of the studies the only consistent change was that people ate less processed food and more vegetables. These two factors alone would improve health for many people, whether or not they ate meat or beans or even whole grains. And it is why so many different diets seem successful at least at first
Then there would need to be information about what kind of meat and how much. There is also no way to know for sure what they were eating before and there is nothing long term here. Nothing is really clear ,nothing is really proven. The kind of studies needed just haven’t been done and may be impossible.
Hi Ellen, I agree the gains are liekly from cutting out processed foods and sugar. His response is below.
I eat whole foods only. When you harvest olive oil or any oil they take the fat and leave the fiber and other vital nutrients. I will eat olives “whole”. Omega 3s and omegas 6s I get plenty from my leafy greens or some flax seed or little bit of avocado on my 2 pound salad.
Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. And above all they contain saturated fat which immediately injures the endothelial lining of the arteries when eaten. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut il or any other kind , avoid ALL oil.
Paul, others, please weigh in. I will respond to him accordingly.
Chris Masterjohn did an excellent job dissecting that one study “showing” that sat fat damages the endothelial lining here : http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/saturated-fat-attack
I wouldn’t eat a pound of sugary vegetables and fruits a day, if I thought I had something like candida.
Hi Paul,
So ive read the book and i wish i had foundnsomething like this a little earlier because when i ventured into primal way of eating i adopted a high fat high protein diet, which i modelled around GAPS to try and heal various gut issues. Unfortunately i neglected carbs a little too much and more importantly a little too long. My problems arise mainly with the fact i have Gastroparesis, delayed stomach emptying due to nerve damage, which makes sustaining a high fat high protein diet difficult as they are harder to digest.
My question is, i am hoping to adopt a balanced approach between the three macros, and perhaps splitting my meals into maybe 4-5 throughout the day as apposed to the two bigger meals i have been doing.
My symptoms such as weakness, depressed sex drive and lack of enthusiasm seems to suggest i have done some damage to my metabolism and hormones over the past year.
Can you please comment and advise on my situation and do my fears of eating smaller regular meals carry any substanance as i have read it is preferred to larger but less frequent meals.
Regards.
Hello Paul;
I’m starting the perfect health diet to treat what I’m reasonably sure is candida. I’m wondering, how long will it take for me to start feeling better?
Thanks!
Hi Paul! Thanks for all the great info on here and in the book.
I would love to eat fermented dairy, but any whole dairy is giving me problems; bad breath, coated tongue and bleeding gums. Butter, cheese, sour cream, kefir and lactose free milk etc all give me problems. What I can eat without noticeable problems though is ghee and whey isolate. It seems the casein protein fraction of dairy is giving me problems?
I’ve been on and of dairy several times, and its the always the same. It is not instant, but takes couple of days with some dairy before the symptoms arise.
Any ideas if I can fix this?
Hi Kristian,
It does sound like a casein allergy. Allergies can be fixed but it takes time. The best thing is total avoidance of casein for a long time, at least a year, and efforts to improve gut health and digestive function. At some point, test a small amount.
You can also ask your doctor to test for the allergy. An immunologist may have some advice.
I have your book and my husband and I are both enjoying the ‘diet’…we feel like we’re eating very well. He was diagnosed with oral squamous cell last October but he’s doing very well and has had a clean PET scan.
My question: I was about to reorder his ThreeLac but noticed in the ingredient list 30 ppm casein and canola oil. This is supposed to be a wonderful product but these ingredients are off-limits in the PHD, right?
Thanks,
Judy
Hi Judy,
The amounts in a Threelac tablet will be too small to matter. Don’t worry about them.
My best wishes to your husband!
Best, Paul
Thanks so much. I’m sure I’ll have more questions in the future!
Judy
Hi Paul,
I was curious if you’ve seen this study:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0053094
Does this move your opinion on farmed salmon at all? Thanks for all you do!
Hi Paul,
Could you offer any tips or strategies etc, that may help to reduce ‘mild mucosal thickening’ within the sinuses. (This was seen on a recent CT scan of my sinuses).
I believe that i may have had this ‘condition’ for most (all?) of my life…my nose has always tended to run/drip a fair bit (always carry tissues). I am surmising that my chronic ‘runny nose’ may be a symptom of the ‘mild mucosal thickening’.
thx Paul, as always, appreciate your thoughts/ideas/advice…
Hi Paul,
Last friday I ate during the day and has a nauseous feeling for the rest of the day. I didn’t eat again that day and I ended up vomiting late that night.
Since then my appetite has severely dropped and I feel nauseous a lot of the time – especially when I eat (once or twice a day).
Any ideas what could be going on?
Thanks
It sounds like some kind of infection. Try liver, vitamin D, and kimchi. Your doctor might be able to help.
Hi Todd,
Thought I’d add some personal experience that might help. I am pretty sure that I have IBS. Possibly mild. My gut is so related to my mental state it is ridiculous. I find that when I am stressed or whatever my gut is the first to act. During those times just about everything I eat makes me nauseated. The only thing that helps is taking Betaine HCL and digestive enzymes with every meal. Generally if I do this after a day or two I feel better. I often forget to get ahead of it as soon as the nausea sets in, but as soon as I remember it is a simple solution. Nausea can be as simple as indigestion. Of course you could have an underlying issue as Paul suggests but it might be worth trying these supplements first to see if they help the issue.
Best of luck,
Lindsay
Todd – on the off chance that the nausea is viral – you might try Pepto Bismal. I have had a history of a few episodes of nausea for prolonged periods and it seems it is viral (same virus that causes cold sores). I initially noticed it when stressed, when travelling, etc. Recently, I discovered that when I reduce the antiviral meds, I get the same 24/7 nauseea. Increasing the meds takes it away within a day or two. Donna
A little update on the nausea: It seems like it was just a stomach bug. A few tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in water throughout the day did the trick.
I used ACV when I had horrible travelers diarrhea in Asia a year ago – worked like a charm to clear it up right away!
Thanks for help!
Hi Paul,
Over the last six months I’ve worked myself up to 1.5mg iodine (225mcg –>450 –>900–>> ~1.2 —>1.5, hoping to support thyroid after a decade of not really doing do. Am having selenium rich foods as well, although not in excess (max a a couple of brazil nuts a day, alongside meat, other sources…)
For the last two days I have got really hot, particularly in the face and hands. It is winter where I am so itis a particularly noticeable sensation (and not unpleasant). Any ideas what it could be a manifesation of? Could it be transient hyperthryoid associated with metabolism of the iodine, or.?
Cheers,
Michael
Hi Paul,
Last week I did a brief, but high intensity workout. It’s the norm for my activity level but put pushed harder than usual. It was all body weight exercises, no rest between sets, about 25 minutes total. Since then, I’ve had aches all over my body similar to the feeling like when you have the flu. Except these don’t go away with stretching or even light active movement. I feel it throughout the day and even when I sleep. At first I thought the soreness would go away after a couple of days but no luck and it’s been 6 days. One night I even ended up going to bed at 7:45 pm when it’s normally closer to 10:30. I tried increasing my water and even adding more carbs than normal back to my daily routine with no results.
I had a conversation with a friend tonight and he mentioned it may be a auto immune response from such a shock to my system. One person mentioned that it’s an extreme build up of lactic acid that hasn’t fully dissipated yet. I don’t have any other symptoms other than constant aches and now more curious than anything.
I was wondering if you’ve heard of this in any similar situations and potentially what my options were to speed up recovery.
Thanks in advance and keep up the great work
K
You might Try proteolytic enzymes such as
Intenzyme Forte by Biotics
Inflammatone by Designs for Health
Hi Paul,
how does thyroid status relate to hot flushes and body temp broadly? After upping my iodine intake I have experienced a feeling a warmth in the face and hands over a period of half an hour or so, at a similar time each day after taking iodine (1.5mg). Could this be a transient hyperthyroid state?
Best wishes,
Michael.
I thought my internet connection timed out and the original comment didn’t go through, hence this one… Apologies for the duplicate…
I would like plan a day’s worth of carb intake, and need some easy rules of thumb for planning the day. For example, if I have a potato for breakfast, how much carb is left to eat for lunch and dinner?
I am a person who almost certainly needs some guidance in the area of portion control, especially with carbs. The idea of a pound of save starches doesn’t mean much to me; I need to think about the meals and snacks.
So, for example, is the following a reasonable plan for the day:
Breakfast: medium potato
Lunch : half of a large sweet potato
Snack (4:00): Slice of gluten free bread made with white rice
Dinner: a cup of rice
Is the above correct, or at least near to the mark? Do other people have templates like this? I can’t depend on finding safe starches while out, I really need to plan the days and make sure I have what I need.
I think, for me, if I have the carbohydrate portions under reasonable control, the protein portions seem to take care of themselves.
Any thoughts out there? Perhaps others have already done this, but I have missed it.
Tiger
I’d love to hear the answer to this as well. at my first thought it seemed like too many carbs but my second thought was this is a diet i’d like to be on. i do enjoy my starches.. i worry about how much is too much.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was too much…I have a habit of overdoing food. javascript:grin(‘:oops:’)
I just need some disciplined person to tell me the right amounts!
Lately, I’ve been using cronometer.com to make sure I’m eating 30% carb, but still getting at least 150g a day. Once you have some recipes worked out, you can repeat them.
i just plugged it into cron-o-meter.. based on it being a med. potato, med. sweet potato and long grain white rice it came to 97 grams. my gluten free bread (udi’s) is 22 grams for 2 slices… so you’re well in the clear. wow- that is pretty substantial.
Cronometer looks like a valuable tool…I have trouble with these sites, as I never measure my portion sizes, and probably don’t estimate well. My wife suggests I buy a scale…hmmm, maybe I will.
Anyway, I set my profile on their system to 20% protein, 30% carbs, 50% fat. Does that sound right for PHD?
Hi Dr.Jaminet, hope you are well.
I just came across a relatively new theory of obesity which is very interesting.
Here is the abstract for the hypothesis – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22826636
And here is the PDF for the full article – http://www.dovepress.com/getfile.php?fileID=13214
Basically the author proposes that “Acellular carbohydrates” are uniquely responsible for the obesity epedemic, while “Cellular carbohydrates” are not.
From a paleo perspective, this explains why people like the kitavans eating safe starched do not become obese, while post-industrialized humans eating acellular carbohydrates do become obese.
Acelullar carbohydrates include sugar, flour and grains.
It is a very interesting perspective, albeit a little oversimplified. There is definitely strong evidence that inflammation contributes to obesity and even predicts future weight gain, as demonstrated here – http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/52/8/2097.full?ijkey=c30ecf67b38ac20bc59ecf06ac0a8cbb539532fc
and here – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17498510.
And it is undoubtedly true that wheat, sugar and grains are at the root of this inflammation (and gut dysbiosis).
However I think that these foods contribute to inflammation via mechanisms other than their status as acellular carbohydrates. Fructose content, gluten, lectins and other antinutrients all contribute to inflammation and gut disbyosis.
Nonetheless the overall theory of obesity being cause by systemic inflammation and gut disbyosis, and that sugar and grains are central to this process is a refreshing improvement to Gary Taubes far less tenable carbohydrate hypothesis.
Maybe the Carbohydrate hypothesis will be ressurected into the acellular carbohydrate hypothesis?
Thanks for link, fascinating.
I don’t understand what ‘hacing cells’ has to do with benefits of a whole foods diet. What does thatmean? ‘Due to being made up of cells, virtually all “ancestral foods” have markedly lower carbohydrate densities than flour- and sugar-containing foods, a property quite independent of glycemic index.’
Sorry Michael? I’m not sure what you mean. Where does it say anything about ‘hacing cells’?
Basically the theory is that ‘acellular carbohydrates’ are ‘denser carbs’.
Modern food processing is, unfortunately, very good at boosting carbohydrate density. Two of the most powerful ways to do it are isolating and concentrating sugars from plants, and grinding dense seeds into highly compactible flour. In both cases, heat and pressure damage or obliterate the original food’s cell walls. To use Spreadbury’s terminology, sugar and flour are acellular — almost wholly lacking in intact cells.
Hello Paul,
I have bought your book since I last contacted you. It will be my nutrition bible from now on, but I need some basic advice in addressing the Parkinson’s disease I have whilst going through the book again. I want to extend the four hours sleep I get each night. My questions are:
A. Do I follow the basic Ketogenic diet as laid out in the preface?
B. Is it safe to follow for the rest of my life?
C. I find the coconut oil rather sickly to eat, so can I eat hard cheese, butter or yoghurt instead?
D. What supplements should I take in addition?
Thank you in anticipation of your reply. 😆
Hi Paul, what do these symptoms sound like?
-joint pain
– constant fatigue
-headache
-brain fog
-muscle pain/soreness
– get tired easily exercise
– abdominal pains
-green stools
-white tongue
– chronic inflamed throat (since October)
-constant congestion
-coughing up dark green/blood tinged mucus
-memory loss
-soreness behind eyes
-pain in calfs.
– poor attention span
– cognitive losses
– out of breath easily
– no focus
– no energy
Hi Paul
For the second time in 4 years, I’m in the process (maybe completed) of passing a kidney stone this week, and I’d rather not try for a third occurrence. It was the conventional calcium oxalate stone the first time and undoubtedly now as well. Do you think it would be okay to supplement with Potassium Magnesium Citrate? A study found that it prevents recurrence by 87%.
Thanks for your time.
Jack
This is the stuff.
http://www.pureformulas.com/potassiummagnesium-citrate-90-vegetarian-capsules-by-thorne-research.html?CAPCID=15886423376&cadevice=c&gclid=CLf-otn4srcCFa9fQgodzF8AYQ#sthash.qVDIiMBn.dpbs
Hi Paul!
I am indebted to you for the information in this book, website, and Q&A. I try to direct as many people as I can to your site/book.
I have posted a couple of times before. I have many healthy markers, but have had fatigue and random issues over the last couple of years. Chronic lyme is on the table, but I am currently trying to optimize everything before treatment (if it is necessary). For now, I continue to address my adrenal fatigue. I made major progress after following the circadian rhythm recommendations in your book (I have been following most of the diet and supplement recommendations as well).
As my husband and I puzzled through the adrenal situation, he asked me to monitor my salt intake.
I recently tracked and I was getting about 4-5 gr of Celtic sea salt (so probably not quite 2 grams of Na). I salt to taste and never thought it was a problem. We eat no processed foods and cook at home for everything. I am 5’6″ and about 130lbs. I try to keep 10,000 steps in daily life and light stretching, but I am not engaged in any
heavy duty exercise right now (so I don’t sweat that much).
I realize this is Na intake is about half of your recommendation. Yesterday I increased my salt intake to try to get closer to the almost 4gr sodium/10 gr salt. I had to salt some of my drinks, add beyond taste in my food and broth. Then last night I felt cognitively slower and felt as if my speech was slow. Typically I can multi-task and keep multiple trains of thought in my head. IDK if the slowness was just a downshift to more “normal” or if it was a problem. My husband did not note anything when I asked. I slept well (sleep is often an issue for me, but less so over the last few months) and have noted nothing out of the ordinary this morning.
Do you have any thoughts on the salt situation? Shoot for increasing sodium (and maybe my taste will shift) or stick to salting to my current taste? Do you know what mechanism would cause my slowing sensation if related to salt intake (maybe it was unrelated)?
Thanks for any insight!
Tania
Here’s a quote from J. Wilson’s Adrenal Fatigue book about water, salt, and potassium:
http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1367766
Thanks, Tam. I have the Adrenal Fatigue book. I have salted my water on occasion before, but it was only a couple of days ago that I realized that salting to taste was way under Paul’s recommendation. I am wondering if I should push my body to increase the sodium or follow the “to taste” guideline.
I think you’re ok as long as you feel good and your blood pressure is good. I would be careful of the high potassium foods like potatoes, tomatoes, red meat, and salmon (and beans if you eat them) and not fast.
Blood pressure tends to run 90/60 and has for most of my life (I am 38). I do eat all the foods you mention regularly (and bananas too), as I follow PHD guidelines, along with freely salting to taste.
I don’t intentionally fast since I don’t do well with them. At most, I’ll go 12 hrs overnight, but I typically have a snack before bed and try to eat within an hour of waking (so maybe 10 hrs).
Thanks for the thoughts!
Hello Peeps. What brand of Iodine supplement are most people here using? I had bought a bottle of Iodoral, but one tab equals 12.5 mg of Iodine/Iodide, and if I break that tab in half, it is still too much Iodine. I want to try and start off with only 225 mcg per day, as recommended and I cant’t break that Iodoral tab down any further, it is too small to dissect.
Peter, I like to use Lugol’s solution. One drop gives a 2.5 mg. dose, so if you put that in water and then drink a tenth of the mixture each day, you’d have a 250 mcg. daily dose. Very cost effective too. Be sure to read the label to ensure the Lugol’s is of this concentration…someone warned that it can come in other strengths.
Thanks for the reply Jack. That looks like a good way to go. I will investigate the Lugol’s.
I am a 67 year old woman who has had a hysterectomy, but I still get hot flushes which I think is due to a poorly functioning digestive system. Have you any ideas to help.
Thank you.
Pam
Hi Dr.Jaminet,
in your book you say that –
‘the Okinawa centenarians had the highest intake of meat, milk, fish, eggs, fats and oils (The Okinawa centenarian study, http:/www.okicent.org/).’
But when I go the indicated website I cannot find that qoutation, or any reference to it anywhere. Is it still on the site? thanks.
Sorry, my bad I read the wrong reference. Ignore this post.
Pamela Killer – I was just reading that suboptimal liver function can account for ongoing hotflashes (even when on HRT). Liver support supplements may help and Epsom salt baths. Have also read that some women will need bioidentical hormone creams.
Can anyone give me some information on whether copper from my IUD can be absorbed into my system? I’ve read that it can create a copper toxicity and would like to know if this is really a possibility.
Thanks for any feedback!
Staci
The reason I ask is that I’ve been taking the recommended copper supplement. I stopped after reading about IUDs and copper toxicity, but if that’s not an actual problem I’d like to resume my supplement.
Hi Staci,
I would say the best way to remove the guesswork is to test your blood levels.
Then you can work out if you need to supplement or not.
I guess, in some respects it does not matter where the copper is coming from; diet, copper pipes, IUD etc, as long as you know roughly what your blood levels are.
Hopefully the blood test is a fairly accurate check for copper levels, i have not read/heard otherwise (may be others could comment on the worth of copper blood tests).
As far as i know there are two related tests for copper to ask for;
Serum Copper and Ceruloplasmin
& if you are getting the copper tests done, may as well ask for Zinc as well to check your copper/zinc balance.
Tho, from what i have read Zinc blood tests are not that good an indicator of your actual zinc stores in the body. (& will also pick up any recent zinc ingestion).
But may as well get it done if you can.
If you have a choice, I read that Plasma Zinc is the test to ask for (better than Serum Zinc, which i think is an easier/cheaper test for the labs to run).
…copper cookware could be another potential source of copper as well
Hello Paul,
I am almost finishing reading your book and implementing your advice. Wonderful read!
My questions concern my 21years old son. For several years he experienced symptoms of schizophrenia. I treated him following the principles of orthomolecular medicine and he has never been on any psychotropic drugs. Now he takes only some supplements and no longer experiences any symptoms other than one: insomnia. He seems to turn day into night and all his many attempt to return to a normal pattern of sleep end in failure. He trains as a boxer and works out very intensely.
I would be very grateful for any advice. Thank you in advance.
Paul, do you change your protocol regarding making fermented vegetables during the summer months? I’m assuming the only change would be to let it ferment for a shorter period of time but still go by taste(when making saurekrout) or softness of radish/carrot to determine if it’s ready or not?
I’m torn. My husband has oral squamous cell and I’m trying to find the right diet for him. On one hand, he’s totally asymptomatic and very active so he needs his protein. On the other hand, the ‘cancer diets’ all say that meat and dairy are forbidden. My question: do you believe that casein sources should be totally avoided? I’m thinking that building his immune system should be paramount, and I don’t think that living on veggies could possibly be good for his immune system.
Hi Paul!
I’ve been on your diet almost a year now! Experienced quite a bit of good healing, slowly, but surely. 😀
I like the food, but since so many grocery items are not PHD, I end up having to do a lot of cooking, which is time consuming. One thing that saves me time is eating puffed rice/rice cakes, like once a day or every other day. The only place to get the white rice variety is the asian market.
I sometimes worry that since they come from Asia, they might have a lot of pesticides. I also hear a lot of health nuts say that puffed rice is bad for you – also potato chips. I’d eat potato chips if they were made with good oils. But even Dr. Mercola says those are not good. He says when you heat starches to a high temp, it creates toxic chemicals. But don’t any other cultures have recipes that require heating starches to a high temp?
Are crunchy starches inherently bad for you? I think you answered this before but I was wondering what you thought recently. Do you eat any crunchy carbs, and how often? Rice cakes are just so convenient and such a delicious replacement for bread! And I don’t have to cook them myself!
Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Nora S 🙂
Hi Nora,
Glad to hear you’re healing!
It’s true that commercial processing of starches typically uses high temperatures and degrades the proteins and create toxins. But, we do eat some commercial crunchy carbs from time to time. Unless you are going to cook for yourself all the time, it’s hard to be perfect. We cook 6 1/2 days a week, which is pretty good.
Hi Paul, All,
Quick question Re: actual amount of iodine in each 12.5mg tab Iodoral.
I’ve been increasing my iodine intake using Iosol drops, no hiccups so far. Just purchased bottle of the Iodoral tabs. The label states:
Iodine/iodide 12.5 mg
Iodine 5 mg
Iodide (as potassium salt) 7.5 mg
So, is there 5 mg + (7.5 * .770) = 10.775 mg elemental iodine per tab? The .77 factor is from the PHD chapter 30.
Thanks in advance. Hope you are well (and that this is not the most stupid question you’ve ever received)! KKC
I am totally confused again with my current diet which is basically phd with a scd twist. Have cfs with ebv reactivation along with severe ibs. I have tried to control the ibs with diet and some supplements. I now found thru some research that bone broth the staple of scd and gaps is high in arginine due to the gelatin content. I am wondering if some of the lack of success of these diets has to do with the possibility of a virus being at the root of the problem for those of us with concurrent viral problems and then foods such as bone broths and some protein powders high arginine just feeding the virus. Am disappointed that there was no disclaimer for the highly touted broths like there is at least for nuts in the scd/gaps diet. Do you think that this lysine to arginine ratio especially with gelatins can be a problem?
Thank you
Hi, Paul!
My wife (48) just had a bone density scan. In three years (the time since her last scan), she went from no problems to full-blown osteoporosis in her lower spine. She also has indications of osteopenia in her hips and thighs.
We’ve read what you have posted (and in the book) about osteoporosis. Because hers came on so suddenly, her doctor has proscribed Alendronate Sodium (Boniva) once weekly, along with calcium, Vitamin K and Vitamin D. I wondered if you had any opinions or seen any research on the Alednronate Sodium – and how it complements (or not) the Vitamins K & D.
Thanks!
Jim
Hi Jim,
sorry to hear about your wife,
I would suggest (if not done already), that she gets her Vitamin D blood levels tested.
That way, you can choose the Vitamin D dose amount based on the result & get her replete(if deplete) in a timely way.
Higher doses will be needed if she is deficient.
good luck
Hi Jim,
Well, I’d try to avoid those drugs as much as possible. They are effective at improving bone density but they have side effects (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23544820, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23602075, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23722644, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20813820, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23297518). Maybe she could try natural methods for six months and get re-scanned to see if the problem was reversed.
Calcium, vitamin K, and vitamin D are good. So is bone and joint stock soups and stews, magnesium, potassium-rich vegetables, boron, silicon, and vitamin C. General nourishment, exercise, and circadian rhythm supports.
Best, Paul
Paul –
Thanks for the links. I definitely agree — natural is the way to go. I re-read PHD on my trip this week, and it was eye-opening to see how many times bone density and osteoporosis were mentioned.
Beef bones are on our list for the farmers’ market this morning!
Thanks again!
Jim
Re Osteoporosis medication. I have read there are ‘bone remodelling’ problems. Bone density goes up but over time, there becomes more old bone and less new bone so brittleness increases. Also, it seems there may be some immune suppression. See thennt.com for data and comments on number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH) stats for these drugs (and others such as statins). Not impressive. Your comments, Paul?
Hi Paul!
I’ve battling what i presume is a hard case of Candida.
I’m 21 years old, and have been on a paleo diet for 1 year.
I noticed about 8 months ago, that i would get nausea suddenly, and it would last for days, following the nausea i would get horribly depressed and just lethargic, confused, and completly un-energetic. Then i would feel good for 3 or 4 days, then time to feel horrible for a week or more again. I really care about what i eat, and could find no connection. I then went Very low carb ( Below 30 ) and immediatly i got oral thrush. I’ve been low carb for 3 months, and i haven’t seen much improvement. The times in between symptoms have maybe gotten a little bit better, but it is all the same.
Then three weeks ago i tried adding in some starches ( Sweet potato and potato ) I felt great! and continued to do so for a good while, until now. I’ve just had a 5 days nausea spree ( feels like foods just fermenting, leaving gas i my stomach ) and now im depressed and back to hating life and everything in it. My Oral thrush have not lighted up either. What should i do ? why am i experiencing these symptoms in ” waves ” ( Not triggered by foods, or events ).. Is the diet, without anti fungals just not enough?
Also – I have dark circles under my eyes, and im red around my nose and under my eyes. Also, sometimes my skin is very dry..
I’m seriously at the end of mine line here. Life is just miserably. And i truely feel alone with this, since my docter is at NO help what so ever.
Thanks in advance.
Alexander
Are your bowel movements regular? I think candida likes constipation. I wouldn’t have sweet potatoes, or even carrots for now.