Reader Results

This page documents health changes our readers have experienced after adopting the Perfect Health Diet. If you have improved your health on our diet, please leave your story in the comments. Sharing your results encourages others — it lets them know that healing is possible! — and encourages scientists to investigate natural healing methods. We also welcome any reports of difficulty, since we and our readers can help you troubleshoot; such questions may be posed on the Q & A page.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who has posted a success story!

Reader reports are arranged by condition:

Also, a few of our favorite reader success stories have appeared as blog posts:

Obesity, weight loss, food cravings, binging

 

Person
Quote
Health Issue
Mary(more here) There is a whole pan of dark chocolate gluten-free brownies in my kitchen, and I’ve
had no desire for them all day. I’m crediting the supplements (I’m on all the
PHD recommended supplements save kelp), and I’m particularly thinking copper
has made a big difference (I’ve suspected a copper deficiency for some time
as I started going gray young). Or perhaps also selenium. (I’m
hypothyroid…hoping for some improvement there.)In any case, I feel great
physically, I’ve not been binge-y or nearly as much as a sweet freak (and
I’ve been known to eat an entire bag of caramels in less than an hour, and
then head out to the store for more), and I’ve felt mentally stable and
pretty happy. I feel great on this plan, and maybe more importantly, I’ve
noticed that I have many more calm, good mood days than otherwise. I think
it’s the combination of the Perfect Health eating plan and the recommended
supplements. I’ve not lost more weight since my last check-in – I seem to be
at a plateau – but I’m still seven pounds down since I started, so that’s
good.
Reduced
cravings, improved mood, weight loss
LizardFace I’ve
been doing PHD for 6 months after 45 years of eating the SAD. I wasn’t super
overweight, but was gaining every year, 6′, 200 lbs. I craved sweets. Six
months later I am down to 180. I eat rice and sweet potatoes but don’t crave
them, never crave sweets, don’t think about food all the time like I used to.
Try it yourself and see.
Reduced
cravings, weight loss
erp
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
I agree completely with Paul that when you’re well nourished, you’re never
hungry. I’ve been following the PHD/cum supplements coming up on one year
next month and can honestly say, I have no cravings and am never hungry. When
I see one of my former nemeses like hazelnut biscotti, while walking the
aisles of the grocery store, I need only remember that I have visible ribs
now and have moved down from size 16 to size 6, to smile and move on. It took
a while, but the trip is well worth it…. I’m 77 and over the years, I’ve
tried to lose weight by going low carb. The weight losses were successful,
but I didn’t stop craving high carb/sugary stuff and would always gradually
go back to the bad old ways and gain the weight back. One year later strictly
following the PHD, I lost almost 40 lbs and not only don’t I crave carbs and
sugar, I am actually repelled by the smell of a bakery. Yeast and cinnamon
are off putting. When grocery shopping, just knowing that I have a visible
rib cage is enough to keep me moving out of the cookie aisle. Whether it’s
self-hypnosis or balanced nutrition, I say thank you to Paul and Shou-Ching
and all the people who comment here.
Reduced
cravings, weight loss
Nancy I
am a 64 year old woman who has fought weight control all my adult life.
January 2011 I started following Dr. Harris’ 12 steps, J Stanton’s “Eat Like
a Predator” and the Jaminets PHD. I am maintaining my weight loss without
cravings or white knuckling and feel great. Thank you! Thank you! I have
printed out so much from each of your blogs and share with all who ask. My
husband is also on board. I may even take up hunting this season!
Reduced
cravings, feel great
Peter After
approximately six months of PHD I have zero craving for sweets and have
easily resisted entire tables groaning with plates of cakes, doughnuts,
cookies and so forth. Resisted is the wrong word though – it’s as if all
desire for a (formerly craved) substance has left my body. I’m not sure if
it’s related, but I have no desire to drink alcohol these days.
Reduced
cravings
Stabby (also here) I have been eating the PHD for a while, and it has really reduced any sort
of cravings and tendency to mow down, even if the food is really yummy.

My gut feels better, I have better digestion with less bloating from
fruit/sugar. If I eat some organic dairy I don’t get as many pimples as I
used to, and if I do they are noticeably smaller, they barely become inflamed
and they heal more quickly. Paul introduced me to the idea of a goldilocks
zone for fiber, whereas in the past I either had too much (conventional low
fat, grainy, animal-food-phobic) or too little (standard low carb). Also
probiotic supplementation likely helped, which was also Paul’s suggestion.

I have had other improvements in health since discovering books like the
Primal Blueprint or blogs like Evolutionary Psychiatry, however those are the
only ones that I can directly ascribe to Perfect Health Diet. But no doubt if
I had switched from a low fat diet with grains to Perfect Health Diet I would
have experienced the improvements in energy and psychological resilience.

food
cravings
Katelyn I
was ZC but am no longer-I cycle carbs by using white potatoes. Leanness,
satiaty, energy, bathroom habits, etc. have all improved! I owe thanks to you
and to Kurt Harris, whom I respect a lot, in getting me to not fear adding
them. I was scared to, but have had only positive results! Keep up the great
work!
weight
loss, food cravings, low energy, digestion
Sarah Atshan I
also had an mental adjustment period of accepting white rice. I had cut
starch out of my diet for so long. I found including 400 calories of white
rice &/or potatoes, reduced my cravings for something sweet. My calories
naturally lowered without hunger. I was also able to start intermittent
fasting, something that was impossible for me to do before the starch.
food
cravings, hunger
Erik
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
Your
book and writings have totally changed the way I think about my diet,
nutrition and health. So in the past year, I have minimized grains, cut out
processed food, do not eat sweets and avoid omega-6 rich cooking oils like
the plague. I have increased my intake of saturated fat by several fold and
use butter and coconut oil as my cooking oils. I eat eggs for breakfast and
add cream/coconut milk to my coffee. I eat sardines and salmon weekly. I get
plenty of sunshine and exercise several times a week. I eat just as much
fruits and vegetables as I did in the past. I do however consume more sweet
potatoes and potatoes. I use to avoid the “evil” potato as well!… I
basically do not calorie count and eat to what I feel. I have actually lost
weight and my skin has become healthier as well. My lips do not become
chapped like they use to in the past. I always had chapped lips for most of
my life…. I have been well overall. The phd is working great for me. Also,
my son’s gastrointestinal issues have been improving from the addition of
probiotics and better nutrition. He is also starting to say a lot more words
this summer. He is asking for things with words for the first time. I can’t
say what helped him since there are so many variables interplaying but I am
happy to see improvements in language. Our pediatrician was shocked and
excited about his improvements. I think his probiotics, gluten free diet,
vitamin supplements and intensive ABA therapy have helped a lot. My son’s
autism has been a very good learning experience. I feel very lucky to have
you as a fantastic resource of information. Many thanks again for your help
and kindness!
weight
loss, chapped lips; his son: autism, GI issues
jtl When
I began implementing PHD a few weeks ago I cut fruit back to about 80
calories/day and upped starch intake with sweet potatoes, potatoes, sourdough
buckwheat pancakes, and white rice. Within a couple of weeks chronic health
issues such as itchy, flaky scalp, tense painful neck and shoulder muscles,
and cyclical vaginal itching had disappeared, my mood had improved
noticeably, and I was able to do a little weight-lifting without it wiping me
out physically and mentally. 2 weeks ago I cut out fruit entirely and began
getting all my carbs in PHD proportions from white rice, sweet potatoes,
sourdough buckwheat cakes, and potatoes and saw a dramatic improvement in
mood and ability to work-out without negative effects, and the
fuzzy-headeded/blurry-eyedness that I’ve felt intermittently throughout the
day for as long as I can remember disappeared. For the first time in my life
I felt happy, relaxed, patient, care-free, clear-headed/eyed, and not hungry
(I’ve always noticed being hungry in my head, not my belly).
fungal
infections, impaired mood, fatigue, dry eyes, food cravings
Gary I’d
be glad to offer testimony confirming that PHD is a weight-loss diet. My own
loss isn’t dramatic, about 15 lbs. in the past year. My primary health
problem is sleep apnea, which I’ve had for many years/decades. It has led to
high blood pressure and weight gain. It is not caused by my weight but rather
sleep apnea caused me to gain weight. I’ve been thoroughly tested and know
the reasons for the apnea and am recovering primarily by using a cpap
breathing machine at night. PHD got my attention because it was primarily
about good health. I started following it a year ago and can say that it has
significantly improved my health. In addition, I also began to lose weight, a
welcome side benefit. I follow the basic diet recommendations and take all
the supplements. I get enthusiastic about PHD and tell my friends about it,
but the most frequent response I’d get was that it may be great, but it means
home cooking everything. I’d counter that home cooking isn’t hard. So finally
I set up a small website that shows how I’ve done my own interpretation of a
PHD meal plan and the home cooking that make it possible to do it during the
week, working 50-hour days and making 2 or 3 meals a day for me and my
spouse. I call it “10 minute meal.” It might be of use to others:
10minutemeal.com
weight
loss, high blood pressure
Jaybird I
have been shocked that unlike all previous diets for the first time in my
adult life I consistently, not just choose, but desire the PHD foods over the
crap foods. I feel full and more satisfied as well as crave PHD tastes. Even
my craving for a pizza with its wheat crust has reduced greatly after the
first 3 months on PHD. On past gov’t pyramid diet, vegetarian acid/alkaline
diet, and even a strict paleo diet, they seem to require a herculian will
power to choose to eat “healthy”. I had to definitely choose the less food
reward. I came accept this was just the way it is in life…until PHD. You
definitely can lose weight on the PHD! I don’t understand the Jaminets
conceding PHD is not a weight loss book. Their section on weight loss is the
best advice I’ve found in years of reading diet info. I went from 250 to now
182 in 6 months! It seems to me you need to get more clear exactly what PHD
recommends for weight loss. You seemed confused in your description of PHD
weight loss. 400 cals? I now eat 600 calories a day of safe starches and
continued to lose weight at 2 lbs a week. Remember, total calories is king
and the PHD foods will satisfy at a lower calorie intake like no other. Also,
you can add lemon in your water throughout the day.
weight
loss, food cravings
S,
email
Two
weeks ago my doctor diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. After
chatting to me a little about nutrition and its effect on the body, he wrote
down the title of your book “The Perfect Health Diet” and said that
it could help me. I went home and immediately ordered the book online and
received it a few days later (yippee!) Although I’m not even half way into
the book (I decided to start again after discovering it’s not light bedtime
reading!) I am certainly seeing sense in what the book says and am already
feeling a lot better just in myself – more energy, happier, less hormone mood
swings and not bloated at all. I’ve lost a bit of weight since I started two
weeks ago (6lbs) and my skin is… well… the least spotty its been since I
was about 11 years old! I’m certain that the diet is the reason for these
changes.
PCOS,
weight loss
gp2x I
can’t believe how much better I feel!… I had been eating (very) low-carb and
high-protein for the better part of a decade – and I had gotten a lot of
practice arrogantly dismissing suggestions (from any source) that I should
change anything about my diet…. Results: (after 1.5 months or so.)

  1. <span
    >I’m no longer
    “brain-dead” and unable to think in the evenings after work.
  2. <span
    >I no longer have fruit
    or chocolate cravings.
  3. <span
    >I’m much happier, and
    wake up looking forward to the day.
  4. <span
    >I’ve been much more
    social.
  5. <span
    >The extra starch has
    not resulted in weight gain. (I always gained weight when eating carbs
    before.)
  6. <span
    >It looks like the
    fasting (which I’ve never tried before) is helping my alertness and also
    contributing to healthy weight loss.

It
took less than a week for me to notice dramatic changes…. I can’t recommend
this book highly enough.

food
cravings, mood, alertness
Robert I
started PHD a few weeks ago, after finding the blog, and then reading the
book. I have only positive experiences to report. I had been overweight in
the past, and lost weight by low-calorie dieting on processed foods, along
with strength training. After a while I would revert to some degree of
overeating, and have to diet again. I’m mildly overweight now but I have been
losing 2 lbs. per week on the PHD. Keep in mind this is before any calorie
counting. I keep telling myself I will plug things in to Fitday, but so far
my hunger is autoregulating itself and the weight is coming off. Besides
weight loss, I feel great. I haven’t wanted to eat any take-out or sweets,
and that is unusual for me.
weight
loss
Morris
G (
comment 1, comment 2, comment 3)
A
couple of months after starting PHD there was an obvious improvement in mood
and cognitive function. Now 12 months later the mental improvements persist
but do not seem to be growing. … I’ve had joint “noises” for about 20 years
(I’m 72yo) but no direct discomfort from the noise effect. The frequency and
magnitude has increased over time but only very slowly. I tend to think that
the degree of crepitude correlates (weakly) with general joint health eg time
to recover from episodes of tendonitis or discomfort caused by overuse. I
have ignored this “crepitude” as being an unavoidable aging effect until
recently, when my manageable back/neck aches spontaneously improved and that
happened about 3 months after adopting the PHD diet (although I didn’t know
at the time that the diet was PHD). For example I can sleep on my back for
the first time in 8 years and turn my neck 90 deg without any discomfort. My
exercise regime has not changed from pre-PHD and is not too strenuous, about
2-3 hrs total/week of which most is moderate effort cardio with some
resistance. The odd thing is that pre-PHD, with the same exercise effort, if
I increased calories my fat would easily but slowly increase, but not now….
I feel great …  
mood,
cognitive function, joint function, weight
Richard
M, email of Oct 19, 2011
May I firstly congratulate you and Shou-Ching for writing such a wonderful
book. After researching nutrition and health in my spare time for many years
I have never come across a book that has been able to tie all of the major
aspects of a healthy diet together in such a concise manner whilst being so
extensively well referenced.

The amount of improvements that I have seen since implementing this diet
is numerous. My energy levels are much steadier throughout the day (as
opposed to the constant ‘peaks and troughs’ I experienced whilst following a
vegetarian diet for 4 years); my cravings for sugar have virtually
disappeared; I have only suffered from one cold in the past 10 months as
opposed to my usual 2 or 3; my weight is effortlessly stable; I never feel
hungry despite switching from 6 small meals per day to just 3; the list goes
on!

energy,
food cravings, weight, illness
Connie As far as the PHD only being for healthy people, I wanted to share my
experience. I’ve lost about 60+ pounds on the low carb (mostly back in 2000).
My low carb methods evolved over time and eventually I avoided all fake
sugars including diet sodas and almost all prepared foods (including low carb
products) and had to be careful of dairy and nuts – trigger foods for me
which caused me to overeat. I also thought that low fat would bring me more
success, so tried to stay low fat. Whenever I would stop doing low carb, I’d
gain some weight back. But it was very difficult for me to stay low carb
because I was doing low fat and also not getting enough omega 3. And when I
did cheat with sugary foods, I’d eat a lot of it.

Then I discovered PHD this year. I was afraid of “safe starches” and fat,
but thought I’d give it a try. At first I actually gained some weight because
I was adding coconut oil snacks and the plain Greek yogurt and my favorite
safe starch – sweet potatoes – all became trigger foods and I couldn’t stop
eating them. So I stopped the coconut oil snacking and the Greek yogurt and
the sweet potatoes for a while and focused on getting enough Omega 3 and
reducing my Omega 6. (My ratios were not optimal.) Now, I’m doing the
Intermittent Fasting too (fast 16 hours, feed 8 hours – eating 3 times and
eating coconut oil for my breakfast). It’s amazing – I’m not hungry and it
feels great! I’ve reintroduced yogurt, kefir and a daily sweet potato, but
now those 3 items that had been my trigger foods are no longer and I feel
satisfied very easily and don’t overeat them as before. Maybe it was because
my Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio was out of wack? Maybe it was because my body had to
get used to safe starches after so long without them? Maybe the IF helps?
Maybe after several months of PHD supplements that I’m finally not
malnourished? I’m not saying that I don’t ever eat sweets and don’t ever eat
too many. But it’s a lot easier and happens only rarely. And sometimes I can
just eat a little taste of something on a rare occasion. But if I’m under
stress, it’s right before that time of the month, or if it’s meal time and I
haven’t had a chance to eat yet (usually all 3 factors combined) and I’m
tempted with a sugary sweet, then it’s so much harder for me to resist
temptation. And once I do, it’s hard to stop eating the sweets! The other key
thing is to try to make sure the fat/carb/protein ratios are adhered to for
each snack/meal. I know Paul has said not to just have a starch by itself and
that is important advice.

So, my problem of overeating isn’t totally gone, but my diet and weight
maintenance is so much better and easier than ever before because of the PHD!
And I feel better and happier and more satisfied than ever before!

weight
loss
David I’m still very new to this diet, and I’ve been generally getting in shape
and losing weight for a while now, but one thing I can comment on already is
the effect it’s had on rhinitis.

Simply put, my rhinitis has disappeared completely. I no longer wake up
with a runny nose. I don’t need to take steroidal nose sprays. I don’t even
blow my nose. Rhinitus is now a non-issue. I’ve read that wheat and soy often
cause rhinitis, so I suspect some sort of allergy was to blame.

One other benefit: I’m never hungry on the PHD and I’m really enjoying all
the food I CAN eat, while not missing the food I can’t eat.

rhinitis,
appetite
L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure
David Z. My success story: I’ve been eating what was mostly a “health food” diet
for twenty years. I followed the various trends and tried vegan, vegetarian,
raw, and more at different time periods. I’ve done juice fasting and
cleansing. At some times I followed it more religiously and other times less
so, but nonetheless slowly gained weight over the years.

This year I read Wheat Belly and started to think about cutting out wheat,
but that book rubbed me the wrong way and I wasn’t ready to commit. In
following up on it however I learned about paleo diets which led me to the
Perfect Health Diet. I was highly intrigued and implemented it before I even
finished the book.

I lost 25 points in the first two months on the diet, going from 215 lbs
to 190. I was not 100% compliant during this time period so was surprised to
see how effective it was. Since then I have mostly leveled off on the weight
loss while staying on the diet, but my pants continue to get looser and
looser.

190 is not a bad weight for me; I am 5’11″ and lift weights so while
this would be a high BMI I look pretty good. I’d like to lose another 10 or
15 pounds eventually but since this diet is so easy and pleasurable I’m not
stressing out over it and am giving myself as many years as it takes to do it
slowly.

Thanks!

weight
loss, body recomposition
Karin I have particularly severe, chronic, complicated, and often silent
migraines. I have had these since childhood all day everyday. Because they
were often silent (no pain) they would manifest in various other ways, thus
leading to misdiagnoses of mood disorders and schizophrenia for many years.
At one point I was also misdiagnosed with epilepsy as well. After one
particularly smart neurologist saw and tested me, I was placed on blood
pressure medications for migraines. This worked. The problem is that my body
constantly fights to readjust to the medications. After a few months at one
dose, it seems I start to get migraines again. So it would go up and the same
thing would repeat again. I was looking for a different solution and I
stumbled across this article.

I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly a month and it is the best thing
that has happened to me. I’m migraine free and medication free. My mood is
incredibly stable, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, I have
lots of energy, I can concentrate for hours on end, etc. I’ve lost weight
also, a much loved side effect. Thank you for writing this!

migraines,
mood, sleep, energy, weight loss
Jim, email of April 2, 2012 . I am down from 341lbs to 272lbs doing mostly Paleo, but modified with
some safe starches per your book. Just so you know this is not just about
weight loss for me, I was a type 2 diabetic with full metabolic syndrome and
most importantly, I had popping capillaries in my retinas that were leading
to blindness. All is better now, no pills etc.
diabetes,
obesity, diabetic retinopathy
Roxy Rocker I am the smallest I have ever weighed as an Adult. I weigh 218. When I
switched to Paleo/highfat I was 284 about 14 months.
obesity
Elyse I’ve been adding starches to my diet for the past 6 months and find that I
am more satisfied and eat far less “treats”– just 1-2 squares of 85% dark
chocolate most days. Definitely agree that food just isn’t that big of a deal
any more.
food
cravings
Connie Warner After doing very low carb for so long, I was worried too. I started with
fruit and sweet potatoes and it was hard to stop eating them at first. But
now that my diet is more balanced, I have it under control. I think there was
an adjustment period. I’m now taking the recommended supplements as well as
some of the suggested supplements and am following the PHD guidelines, which
have helped. My Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio was way out of balance for a long time.
Paul has said the cravings are due to missing nutrients. It’s great to have a
balanced diet – carbs, protein & fat – with NO cravings – it’s an amazing
feat for me! I feel better and happier and don’t feel deprived. I also do the
Intermittent Fasting (16 hour fast with 1 Tbs coconut oil and an 8 hour feeding
window) and this has helped me too. Food is less important to me, it really
is a lot easier than it sounds (I’m not suffering!) and I choose my foods
carefully to get all the nutrients I need in 2 meals with a snack in the 8
hour window. Sometimes I just have a spoonful of rice syrup to get some
carbs. Or you could add it to a homemade salad dressing or drizzle it on some
plain yogurt.
food
cravings
Java Gal Ok, have to comment – can’t contain myself anymore! I am a lurker of the
worst sort, but here goes. As a 54 year old woman, I am more energetic,
flexible (yoga three times a week), and healthier than I have been for, oh,
decades. My doc, a wonderful, but dye-in-the-wool vegetarian, told me to keep
doing what I was doing – cholesterol dropped, good TSH levels(I’m hypo), and
down 5 sizes. Talk about replacing a wardrobe! My worry, of course, is
gaining it all back, which, sorry to say, is an experience I have had already
in days of yore. I was an avowed low-carber back then and I can attest that,
while it was effective for losing weight, it was not a good long term
strategy. So far, as long as I stick to basic PHD principles, things are
going swimmingly. In general, PHD has been a huge success. Thank you Paul and
Shou-Ching!
obesity,
energy, flexibility, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, general health
Jennifer Fulwiler As I look for something to wear this weekend, I’m reminded that I am in
the middle of the wardrobe crisis that I’ve been waiting to have for ten
years: all my clothes are too big. I don’t mean a little loose; I mean I
perpetually look like I’m headed out to an M.C. Hammer costume contest.

Over the past few months I’ve lost 25 pounds. That’s a good thing, mainly
since the drop on the scale was more of a side effect of lifestyle changes
that have left me with more stamina and energy than I had when I was 20….

It’s too long of a story to explain in detail here, but the short-short
version is that it was Perfect Health Diet + rethinking what a reasonable
portion size looks like + accepting that spiritual warfare really does come
into play with getting healthy + learning to depend on a good jog for an
energy boost. What started it all was getting fed up with feeling awful all
the time; I started optimizing my life around foods and exercises that would
make me feel better and have energy, and the weight loss followed.

weight
loss, stamina & energy
Meli Hi Paul,

I just wanted to let you know that I was finally successful at adding back
in some carbs. I am now able to eat half of a small sweet potato on a daily
basis, while still losing weight! You were right, the weight gain (about five
pounds) was merely a temporary “hump” I had to get over before starting to go
back down. I was afraid I’d be stuck eating very low carb forever!

As a bonus, my eyes are no longer blurry, and my hair appears to have
started growing back. When I put it in a ponytail, there is a thick halo of
new fuzz where formerly my scalp was visible. I am suprised at how quickly
these issues began to resolve – it has been perhaps a month, if not less. I
haven’t been able to afford the supplements you recommended, but as soon as I
can I will get them.

You have my deepest gratitude, and respect. ~ Meli

Weight
loss, dry eyes, hair loss
Anonymous (also here) I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose
of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it
actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing
very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I
feel like a new person.

Better mood

I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough
Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc.,
eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the
recommended supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has
helped me tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy,
more patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less
anxiety, and better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

Very nutritious, no cravings

This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish,
vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a
legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white
rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard,
butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented
vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a
variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

Intermittent fasting – easy

This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds
difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong
will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and
don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning
(even with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning)
during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during
the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally:
usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just
2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a
little hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer
than 16 hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast –
no problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4
hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a
much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I
can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has
really simplified my life.

Raynaud’s

Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m
not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy
fat and Omega 3.

So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly
recommend it – it really has worked for me.

Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

Borderline
Personality Disorder, mood, energy, anxiety, food cravings, Raynaud’s
Timothy J Hicks Background: I was an Atkins dieter in the 1990’s. Lost a lot of weight,
but staying on it was difficult.

Last year I came off a bout of depression determined to beat it without
drugs. I stopped eating sugar and (surprise!) started losing weight. Since
exercise is also helpful to depression, I thought that it would be better if
I kept losing weight to reduce my chance of injury while exercising. Along
the way I found that many of the things that are recommended in the Perfect
Health Diet greatly helped me in losing weight.

I lost a total of seventy pounds. As a man at fifty-five years old and 195
pounds, I am now in better physical condition than I was in my 20’s. This is
due in large part to the dietary recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet.

What is even better is that the recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet
led to removing the last things that were contributing to my depression. I
believe now that grains and omega-6 in vegetable oil was making me depressed.
That’s why adding omega-3 fish oil to your diet helps fight depression,
something I had started doing without understanding why.

To go back to the beginning, the Atkins diet had two flaws which
undermined long-term weight loss:

1) Atkins diet “phases” lead to the idea that somehow you lose
your weight and then slowly phase back into eating “normal” food.
Atkins didn’t say this exactly, but it’s implied.

2) When Atkins wrote the Diet Revolution book, he didn’t have access to
the research that we have now, and couldn’t see that some fats (high omega-6
vegetable oils) are bad for you, while some carbs in moderation (rice, sweet
potato) are okay. His blanket recommendation to get rid of all carbs would
have been better focused on SUGAR, FRUCTOSE and GRAINS.

The Perfect Health Diet is written so that you can read to whatever depth
of scientific detail you want to. I am about done with my third time through.
My particular health issue is depression, and the Perfect Health Diet has
many links to dietary causes of depression. The most helpful aspect is that
it is written from the perspective that this way of eating is a PERMANENT
change, and that this way of eating is based on sound science, including
cultural and epidemiology studies, not just lab experiments.

This book is a good companion volume to “Why We Get Fat: And What to
Do About It” by Gary Taubes.

The only qualification that I would add is that the book recommends eating
a lot of fish rather than using supplements for omega-3. This recommendation
is based on the observation that most fish oil capsules are stored at room
temperature and the oil may go rancid without you knowing it. My answer is to
take fish oil as a liquid and KEEP IT REFRIGERATED. It’s lemon or lime
flavored and refrigeration keeps the the fishy taste down. No capsules
needed, and it’s actually cheaper than capsules.

Again, as a person who has lost seventy pounds and now enjoy a life free
of depression. I wholeheartedly recommend the Perfect Health Diet.

depression,
obesity
Jon (email of Feb 7, 2012) Dear Paul,

Following your PhD diet I have continued to lose weight at a rate of one
half pound per day! In 27 days I have miraculously lost 13.6 pounds! Overall
it has been consistent but on the days when I increase my probiotic intake it
seems that the loss is considerably more rapid!! While there were some days
in the beginning that were very rapid weight loss, I expected it to even out
and slow down by now but in fact yesterday I was surprised to find i had lost
1.4 pounds in a single day, so the theory that the early pounds were merely
rapid water loss and that the rest of the weight loss would be very slow has
simply not been supported by my experience.

Since I’m eating 1500 cal per day and 54% of that is fat, 26% is carbs,
and 20% is protein, I’m not on a ketogenic diet, but at the rate I’m losing
weight, it seems my body is responding as if I were on a ketogenic diet. Is
that possible?

I must tell you, that being insulin resistant, I was a prime candidate to
become a pre-diabetic patient. Now that I found your diet, and I’m
successfully losing weight, and this is the first diet that I’ve been able to
succeed at, I am so incredibly appreciative of the work you have done.

I’ve been gaining weight for years, and there has been no solution to the
weight gain so far, and therefore I believe your diet, literally, is going to
save my life.

I’ve got about 50 pounds left to lose! I plan to lose it the slow way, I
am planning on a half a pound a week but with your diet I’ve been beating
that rate on a consistent basis.

Thank you thank you thank you,

Jon

Weight
loss
hadrion I decided to give Perfect Health Diet a go first and see where that takes
me. What I’ve learned from asking question to the Jaminets and reading their
answers is that a little sugar here and there in products and the sugar in
fruit isn’t going to kill you.

I can’t do a low carb Paleo diet as I never feel right on that kind of
eating plan and I end up gorging on nuts more than anything.

After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive
changes in my body. My skin is clearer and less red. I’ve lost the
“bloat” I would get in my stomach after meals containing gluten. In
fact, I get full quicker on less food but the sense of full isn’t
uncomfortable; it’s just my body telling me to stop eating. I’ve lost some
weight in mid section that has been my most stubborn area as well. My wife,
who suffers from eczema, has had her condition lessened to the point that
it’s not an issue right now following the diet with me.

This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my
wife & I. My energy levels are more consistent and there’s less crashing
during the day avoiding gluten. I’ve had no inflammation although I stopped
my inflammation years ago following CS’s advice and using the supps he
recommends.

While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty
great. I really think there’s a middle ground between these 2 styles of
eating that will work for people long term. That said, I’m going to stick to
Pefect Health for a full month and chart my progress and then I might try to
introduce some Peat ideas into the mix and see how the sugar from OJ and Ice
Cream play with how I feel. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be a
problem adding in those down the road. I am following Peat’s suggestion to
eat a raw carrot and coconut oil daily,

What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel
extremely bloated after a meal with wheat in it is to try to avoid gluten and
see if your body feels different. I had gone gluten free before but all I did
was replace wheat bread with gluten free breads and I paid no attention to
the oils used to make the products. The Perfect Health style of eating with
safe starches like potato, sweet potato and white rice makes following the
diet easy and pleasurable. We even made Perfect Health ice cream which uses
rice syrup in place of sugar and it was delicious and totally satisfied any
lingering sweet tooth.

So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice
results.

Skin
redness, bloating, weight loss, eczema
Ole I have been on the PHD diet for over a year now. (I bought the draft
version in September 2010). My health has improved a lot. I have lost about
25kg and I’m now about 87kg (i’m 185cm tall). I’m probably healthier than an
average person on just about any performance metric. (Picture of me in summer
of 2010 and 2011. http://blisunn.no/2011/07/min-brors-nye-livsstil/)
weight
loss
Shelley I’ve been reading paleo, WAPF, low-carb sites for over a year now and
following your PHD as well. You can add me to the list of your success
stories as I lost 15 pounds , have no “cravings” eliminated GERD, heart
palpiations, panic attacts and other annoying pains.
weight
loss, food cravings, GERD / acid reflux, heart palpitations, panic attacks /
anxiety
P.wen Paul & Shou-ching,

Just want to thank you guys for all that you do. I’ve been doing paleo for
2 years now and this year my weight had been yo-yo-ing due to my binge
eating. After my thanksgiving binge I finally decided to get serious and add
in about 50-100g of carb per your recommendation and my cravings for sweets
had decreased a lot. Being able to eat starch got rid of the feeling of
deprivation and I no longer feel the need to eat dessert after every meal.
I’ve definitely gone off the PHD over Christmas but I was able to minimize
binging. After starting the PHD, I’ve also been less neurotic with food and
not feel as guilty when I eat food thats “not paleo”. I’m going to keep up
with PHD and hopefully I can get to a healthy stable weight and healthy
relationship with food!

weight
loss, binge eating, food cravings
Els and here and here I have been on PHD for almost 2 weeks now, doing IF 16/8 at the same time,
and have started with the supplements you have recommended 4 days ago. Since
I started PHD I do no longer crave for sweets. I used to eat chocolates
almost everyday and haven’t had it for over 2 weeks now. 🙂 I am so happy I
found your blog and got your book. Keep up the good works….

5 weeks ago I found PHD website and ordered the book. I am now on my 4th
week of PHD and doing pretty well eating 20% carbs. I also am taking the
supplements Paul had recommended after I emailed him to ask what I can add to
the one I was taking. One of the things I immediately noticed after doing PHD
is that it improved the quality of my sleep (used to keep waking up several
times at night and that is now a thing of the past because I now sleep
uninterrupted for 7-8 hours); and no more cramps in my calves (that used to
happen occasionally after a heavy work out); no more menstrual cramps as
well. Also, today is the first time i had my monthly period that i didn’t get
a pimple in my face. I usually get a big, really deep and hard to get rid of
pimple just before or during my monthly period and my husband or a
dermatologist would actually help me get it out especially if I had an
important function to attend to. I was thinking that may be IF and the
removal of wheat in my diet did greatly help me in seeing immediate improvement
in my sleep. So yes at least in my experience, a great improvement in my over
all health since I incorporated the principles that I learned from the PHD
book. And btw, I have a very sensitive skin (Atopic skin type or atopic/atopy
syndrome – a hereditary component, as my doctor calls it because my mo and
grandma had it too) and I usually get itchy and/or red spots in my skin all
the time but in the last 4 weeks the anti-itching cream which I carry
everywhere has never been used even once. And to top it all off, I lost 3 lbs
in the last 4 weeks (losing the 15 lb excess weight is not even on top of my
list because I am trying to get pregnant). I don’t have any health problems
and hardly get sick. I simply want to eat healthy and trying to figure out what
diet works best for me. And I found it! Thanks to PHD. Thanks to the
Jaminets! At 42, 5’6″ height, 125 lbs weight, and doing PHD on 20%
carbs, I feel great! And yes, I am sticking with PHD for the rest of my
life….

Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my
carb intake to 30% last week. When I started the PHD 6 weeks ago, I weighed
128 lbs and now 122.4 lbs. I just hope I keep losing the last few fat I
wanted to shed off. Btw, I only weigh myself once a week at the same day and
time without fail and I also use a Digital Body Fat Caliper to measure my
body fat. So yes, I am definitely losing some body fat and no muscle loss!
That’s only after doing PHD for 6 weeks without changing my usual cardio
& weight training regimen. My trainer was very impressed when she weighed
me last week. I told her about PHD because she’s one of those people who
believes in eating 5-6 small meals a day. 🙂 I’ve done that for years but I
am definitely doing better by practising IF 16/8 and eating only 2-3 meals a
day. I am definitely seeing positive results since I started the PHD! The
elimination of wheat, sugar and cheese which I used to eat a lot everyday has
done great wonders in my body.

food
cravings, cramps / menstrual cramps, sleep, acne / pimples, body composition
Brian P. Many thanks for your book and blog as it has helped me lose 35 pounds and
counting over the last 5 months, along with a general improvement in energy
level and “evenness”. Extremely gratifying to find a way of eating which is
sustainable, totally satisfying and results in natural weight loss. And, I
have yet to add high intensity workouts to my normal morning and afternoon
walks. I have been talking to anyone who has expressed interest as the
potential of the diet is obviously tremendous!!

P.s. I strongly suspect PHD played a pivotal part in my wife getting
pregnant naturally, just prior to starting her next round of IVF.

weight
loss, energy, mood, infertility
Peter When I ate a VLC diet I found that hard liquor was extremely satisfying.
As soon as I added back starches, my desire for alcohol diminished greatly.

Like Cheeseslave’s experience when she IF’d, I wonder if a craving for
alcohol could show the body is trying to prop up blood sugar levels and wants
ethanol, since it digests quickly to glucose.

craving
for alcohol
Clarissa Just adding in my similar experience to Peter’s. When VLC Paleo I was
sucking down 2-3 glasses of wine a night. I’ve bumped up my carbs to the PHD
level, and have been able to stay off alcohol entirely for the last couple of
months. I’ve also lost about 5 more lbs since upping my carbs and quitting
alcohol. Now when I get a strong craving for alcohol, I can “satisfy” it by
having a few starchy carbs. Since going off alcohol and upping carbs I’ve
seen improvements in my mental function and sleep pattern.
craving
for alcohol
elizabethe I’ve struggled all my life with overweight, binge-like eating disorder
symptoms, and fluctuating weight and (undiagnosed but quite obvious) volatile
blood sugar. I’ve been roughly following PHD for some months now and it has
seriously reduced all of my previous binge-eating, hunger craving symptoms,
as well as vastly increasing the amount of time I can go between meals
without feeling frantic or emotional. I haven’t lost much weight, but my
weight has stabilized whereas before I was on a steady gaining trend.
binge
eating, weight gain, glycemic regulation

High blood pressure

 

Gary I’d
be glad to offer testimony confirming that PHD is a weight-loss diet. My own
loss isn’t dramatic, about 15 lbs. in the past year. My primary health
problem is sleep apnea, which I’ve had for many years/decades. It has led to
high blood pressure and weight gain. It is not caused by my weight but rather
sleep apnea caused me to gain weight. I’ve been thoroughly tested and know
the reasons for the apnea and am recovering primarily by using a cpap
breathing machine at night. PHD got my attention because it was primarily
about good health. I started following it a year ago and can say that it has
significantly improved my health. In addition, I also began to lose weight, a
welcome side benefit. I follow the basic diet recommendations and take all
the supplements. I get enthusiastic about PHD and tell my friends about it,
but the most frequent response I’d get was that it may be great, but it means
home cooking everything. I’d counter that home cooking isn’t hard. So finally
I set up a small website that shows how I’ve done my own interpretation of a
PHD meal plan and the home cooking that make it possible to do it during the
week, working 50-hour days and making 2 or 3 meals a day for me and my
spouse. I call it “10 minute meal.” It might be of use to others:
10minutemeal.com
weight
loss, high blood pressure
Advocatus Avocado I’m a great proponent of the PH diet. I’m pleased to report that after
dramatically increasing my saturated fat intake and following some of the
proscriptive measures in the book that my blood pressure has decreased from
130/85 to 118/74. My resting heart rate has also decreased, and I now sleep
much more soundly.
blood
pressure, sleep quality
L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure

Mood and cognitive function

 

Mary(more here) There
is a whole pan of dark chocolate gluten-free brownies in my kitchen, and I’ve
had no desire for them all day. I’m crediting the supplements (I’m on all the
PHD recommended supplements save kelp), and I’m particularly thinking copper
has made a big difference (I’ve suspected a copper deficiency for some time
as I started going gray young). Or perhaps also selenium. (I’m
hypothyroid…hoping for some improvement there.)In any case, I feel great
physically, I’ve not been binge-y or nearly as much as a sweet freak (and
I’ve been known to eat an entire bag of caramels in less than an hour, and
then head out to the store for more), and I’ve felt mentally stable and
pretty happy. I feel great on this plan, and maybe more importantly, I’ve
noticed that I have many more calm, good mood days than otherwise. I think
it’s the combination of the Perfect Health eating plan and the recommended
supplements. I’ve not lost more weight since my last check-in – I seem to be
at a plateau – but I’m still seven pounds down since I started, so that’s
good.
Reduced
cravings, improved mood, weight loss
Bella Perhaps
this is as good a place on your site as any to share the improvements I
experienced after switching from a gut healing diet that generally can be
described as VLC Paleo to PHD. What’s even more remarkable than the
improvements themselves is that they occurred *within 48 hours* of seriously
increasing my safe starch consumption. I couldn’t have special ordered it any
better. 1. Constipation is gone. 2. Fungal (?) rash is gone. 3. Powdery
substance in urine is gone. (After reading here about how VLC diets can cause
excess excretion of uric acid, I’m certain this was the problem.) 4. Energy
and mood are way better. 5. I like what I’m eating now, I am sated, and my
instincts are no longer telling me something’s missing. This intangible
effect has made perhaps the biggest impact on my day-to-day quality of life.
Thank you PJ and S-CJ! Your PHD came into my life at exactly the right time
and produced exactly the changes I needed. Sweet relief! I am still working
out some hormonal issues, and fighting fungi, but my glucose deficiency
symptoms are gone, and I feel better than I have in a year, which is to say I
feel normal, finally. My husband has virtually no symptoms of colitis now.
We’re looking forward to his upcoming flex sig to prove that the disease process
has been reversed, so that the GI doctor will stop telling us that there’s no
way dietary changes alone could’ve cured the disease, that my husband must be
in symptomatic remission with a still-flaming colon. Doc doesn’t know what to
make of us. So indulge me in a bit of gushing when I tell you I’m utterly
grateful for both your product (the book) and service (advice on your site).
The one-on-one advice is a very powerful way to connect with your audience.
It’s as if I can *feel* the sense of community and healing when I’m on your
site. You’ve got a special thing going.
fungal
infections, low energy, impaired mood, constipation
jtl When
I began implementing PHD a few weeks ago I cut fruit back to about 80
calories/day and upped starch intake with sweet potatoes, potatoes, sourdough
buckwheat pancakes, and white rice. Within a couple of weeks chronic health
issues such as itchy, flaky scalp, tense painful neck and shoulder muscles,
and cyclical vaginal itching had disappeared, my mood had improved
noticeably, and I was able to do a little weight-lifting without it wiping me
out physically and mentally. 2 weeks ago I cut out fruit entirely and began
getting all my carbs in PHD proportions from white rice, sweet potatoes,
sourdough buckwheat cakes, and potatoes and saw a dramatic improvement in
mood and ability to work-out without negative effects, and the
fuzzy-headeded/blurry-eyedness that I’ve felt intermittently throughout the
day for as long as I can remember disappeared. For the first time in my life
I felt happy, relaxed, patient, care-free, clear-headed/eyed, and not hungry
(I’ve always noticed being hungry in my head, not my belly).
fungal
infections, impaired mood, fatigue, dry eyes, food cravings
Deacon Patrick Thank
you for the gift of better brain function you have given me! A few months ago
I switched to ketogenic diet, and now a completely Paleo diet based in large
part on your Perfect Health Diet — the differences I’ve experienced are
amazing…. The more ketogenic my diet, the better my brain capacity,
cognitive energy, energy stability, longevity, and the better I feel….
brain
injury recovery
Pia I
am struck by this from Paul’s post: “Good health, I believe, leads to
good spirits.” Have been on PHD for only about 3 weeks and I am amazed
by my new outlook on life. I was not ‘unhealthy’ before (by modern
standards)– but I feel so much more able to see the positive now. Thanks a
million.
mood
gp2x I
can’t believe how much better I feel!… I had been eating (very) low-carb and
high-protein for the better part of a decade – and I had gotten a lot of
practice arrogantly dismissing suggestions (from any source) that I should
change anything about my diet…. Results: (after 1.5 months or so.)

  1. <span
    >I’m no longer
    “brain-dead” and unable to think in the evenings after work.
  2. <span
    >I no longer have fruit
    or chocolate cravings.
  3. <span
    >I’m much happier, and
    wake up looking forward to the day.
  4. <span
    >I’ve been much more
    social.
  5. <span
    >The extra starch has
    not resulted in weight gain. (I always gained weight when eating carbs
    before.)
  6. <span
    >It looks like the
    fasting (which I’ve never tried before) is helping my alertness and also
    contributing to healthy weight loss.

It
took less than a week for me to notice dramatic changes…. I can’t recommend
this book highly enough.

food
cravings, mood, alertness
Lisa Weis Yours
is by far, the best Paleo / Ancestral diet that makes sense…. I was very
strict Paleo for a good 8 months, and yes felt fantastic and lost 10ks etc.
But then started feeling tired, moody. Enter some carbs (from the suggestion
of your book) in the source of potato and rice and taro – and now I’m feeling
a whole lot better. Did I put on weight. Of course not! Essentially now I eat
what my body craves. I can listen to it now and it responds accordingly. It
knows when it needs more carbs (eg., after exercise). And it knows how much as
well.
fatigue,
mood
Sarah I
eat circa 100g carbs from starch a day not including veg and this has been
one of the best things I’ve ever done for my health along with including a
vitamin C supplement. My low-level depression and anxiety have completely
disappeared and the diet is considerably more varied and easier to stick to
than VLC.
depression,
anxiety
Morris
G (
comment 1, comment 2, comment 3)
A
couple of months after starting PHD there was an obvious improvement in mood
and cognitive function. Now 12 months later the mental improvements persist
but do not seem to be growing. … I’ve had joint “noises” for about 20 years
(I’m 72yo) but no direct discomfort from the noise effect. The frequency and
magnitude has increased over time but only very slowly. I tend to think that
the degree of crepitude correlates (weakly) with general joint health eg time
to recover from episodes of tendonitis or discomfort caused by overuse. I
have ignored this “crepitude” as being an unavoidable aging effect until
recently, when my manageable back/neck aches spontaneously improved and that
happened about 3 months after adopting the PHD diet (although I didn’t know
at the time that the diet was PHD). For example I can sleep on my back for
the first time in 8 years and turn my neck 90 deg without any discomfort. My
exercise regime has not changed from pre-PHD and is not too strenuous, about
2-3 hrs total/week of which most is moderate effort cardio with some
resistance. The odd thing is that pre-PHD, with the same exercise effort, if
I increased calories my fat would easily but slowly increase, but not now….
I feel great …  
mood,
cognitive function, joint function, weight
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

hypothyroidism,
bowel function, mood
Karin I have particularly severe, chronic, complicated, and often silent
migraines. I have had these since childhood all day everyday. Because they
were often silent (no pain) they would manifest in various other ways, thus
leading to misdiagnoses of mood disorders and schizophrenia for many years.
At one point I was also misdiagnosed with epilepsy as well. After one
particularly smart neurologist saw and tested me, I was placed on blood
pressure medications for migraines. This worked. The problem is that my body
constantly fights to readjust to the medications. After a few months at one
dose, it seems I start to get migraines again. So it would go up and the same
thing would repeat again. I was looking for a different solution and I
stumbled across this article.

I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly a month and it is the best thing
that has happened to me. I’m migraine free and medication free. My mood is
incredibly stable, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, I have
lots of energy, I can concentrate for hours on end, etc. I’ve lost weight
also, a much loved side effect. Thank you for writing this!

migraines,
mood, sleep, energy, weight loss
Michelle IME, a comprehensive stool test proved helpful. I found a fungal infection
which I treated with two bottles of ProEnt-2. I found bacterial overgrowths,
which I treated with Natren probiotics. The stool test showed gluten
intolerance as well, and seeing the results on paper helped me to take the
leap & kiss gluten goodbye.

I was also positive to toxoplasma, which I have not treated due to cost
and efficacy of treatment. Maybe down the line?

I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing
Doxy for it, successfully, since 2008.

My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is
improving iodine status and other micronutrient status, plus knocking back
infections are the major contributors.

I’m no longer anemic.

I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon
waking to help with low mood….

I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see
my labs improve. In my case, my labs tends to improve a bit ahead of
symptoms.

Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find
it helpful, as did I, to minimize your variables, and track your protocol to
the best of your ability.

Infections,
arthritis, hypothyroidism, anemia, mood
Anonymous (also here) I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose
of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it
actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing
very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I
feel like a new person.

Better mood

I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough
Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc.,
eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the
recommended supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has
helped me tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy,
more patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less
anxiety, and better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

Very nutritious, no cravings

This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish,
vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a
legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white
rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard,
butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented
vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a
variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

Intermittent fasting – easy

This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds
difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong
will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and
don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning (even
with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning)
during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during
the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally:
usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just
2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a
little hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer
than 16 hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast –
no problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4
hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a
much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I
can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has
really simplified my life.

Raynaud’s

Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m
not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy
fat and Omega 3.

So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly
recommend it – it really has worked for me.

Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

Borderline
Personality Disorder, mood, energy, anxiety, food cravings, Raynaud’s
KH I’m type 1 diabetic …

Just this morning, I took my A1c home test (by Bayer) which includes two
tests in the box. Because of the unbelievably low result of first test, I
took the second one (different finger, different hand) to check… Results:

test 1- 5.2

test 2- 5.3 …

I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more
energetic lately and less moody, which my husband is VERY HAPPY about!!

Type
I diabetes, energy, mood
Brian P. Many thanks for your book and blog as it has helped me lose 35 pounds and
counting over the last 5 months, along with a general improvement in energy
level and “evenness”. Extremely gratifying to find a way of eating which is
sustainable, totally satisfying and results in natural weight loss. And, I
have yet to add high intensity workouts to my normal morning and afternoon
walks. I have been talking to anyone who has expressed interest as the
potential of the diet is obviously tremendous!!

P.s. I strongly suspect PHD played a pivotal part in my wife getting
pregnant naturally, just prior to starting her next round of IVF.

weight
loss, energy, mood, infertility
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

Hypothyroidism,
energy, adrenal fatigue, bowel function, mood

Mental health conditions

 

Sarah I
eat circa 100g carbs from starch a day not including veg and this has been
one of the best things I’ve ever done for my health along with including a
vitamin C supplement. My low-level depression and anxiety have completely
disappeared and the diet is considerably more varied and easier to stick to
than VLC.
depression,
anxiety
Kate I
too have had Raynaud’s all my life … In the past two months, I have modified
my diet in line with Paul’s suggestions for Migraine. I now eat 200 calories
worth of safe starch, all the recommended supplements, and as much coconut
oil as I can stomach. I am also doing the 16/8 fast. My Raynaud’s has further
improved, as measured by the fact I sometimes forget to turn the heat up in
the morning, and cold extremities don’t always alert me to my
forgetfulness!… Thanks for asking about the Migraines. They are in fact
vastly improved, which I attribute solely to your recommendations. I can say
that, because I have tried virtually everything else in the past…. Clearly
something remarkable is happening, thanks to your recommendations! A little
history. I started getting these headaches in my late 30s. (I am now 52). In
the beginning I thought I had the stomach flu, because in addition to the
headache I would always throw up or have dry heaves. The worst headaches
would keep me immobilized in bed for up to two days. My brother-in-law, a
neurologist, convinced me they were migraines. I finally consulted a doctor,
who put me on midrin, which did not help, and a few months later I started on
imitrex, which did help, at least at first. Eventually, my headache pattern
evolved, and I had at least a mild headache every day, punctuated by the
occasional doozy. Apparently, this is a pretty common progression, especially
with women my age. I always suspected there was something wrong with my
lifestyle or diet, and over the years I have tried numerous experiments, but
nothing ever worked. … In January, in my blog travels, I stumbled on your
site. I ordered the book and was intrigued by your and Shou-Ching’s ideas
about disease and chronic conditions. I was already familiar with the idea of
a ketogenic diet for epilepsy, so I was immediately interested in trying a
more ketogenic diet for myself. I ordered all your basic supplements, and
immediately upped my kelp to two capsules. I had been using coconut oil for
curries, so I started using it habitually. Started eating 200 calories of
starches that you recommended—this was a little scary, after studiously
avoiding them for four years! I was afraid I they might keep me awake at
night, but I am sleeping like a log. Started fasting 16/8, which was easy
once you absolved me for having cream in my morning coffee! Within a
week of starting this regimen my chronic headache started to disappear!

Some days I would only have a headache for part of the day, and occasionally
I would have no headache at all! I read somewhere on your site that NAC is
good on a ketogenic diet, so I ordered it too. I had never heard of this
supplement before. It seems to have made a further positive difference. I
have started taking it twice a day. Once before bed, and once in the late
afternoon, when the headache sometimes starts coming back. Since I
added NAC, I have been nearly headache free.
Another amazing
development concerns anxiety. Over the years I have become somewhat anxious
when I drive on highways. I grip the steering wheel tightly, sit forward in
the seat, and am generally hyper vigilant. I always chided myself for my lack
of nerves, but that didn’t help. As mentioned above, this was magnified by
the Topomax. I never had this issue when I was younger; indeed I used to fly
helicopters in the army. Two weeks ago I drove up to New Jersey to pick up my
daughter, a 3.5 hour trip from where I live in Northern Virginia. I stopped two
hours into the trip to make a pit stop, and I suddenly realized I was totally
relaxed, and had been for the entire trip! The PHD is strong brain medicine
indeed! Thanks for all your research, insights, and ideas. I think the
Perfect Health Diet is going to be a game changer for many people. Hopefully
it is the start of a sea change at how we approach the chronic maladies of
our times.
Raynaud’s,
migraines, anxiety
Stephanie When I went on the Perfect Health Diet plan, I hoped to clean up my eating
habits and address some of my thyroid issues through food choices. As it
happens, the PHD plan is not just about food; there is actually a pretty
aggressive recommended supplement plan. (Aggressive, that is, for me, as I’ve
traditionally been a “multi-plus-maybe-some-vitamin-D” person.) Since the
supplement plan didn’t involve drastically cutting sugar or giving up the
fresh, hot gluten-filled rolls I was habitually baking for my family (as the
food plan does, sigh), I did the pills first.

Because I was not expecting to get any bang for my vitamin and mineral
buck, I didn’t watch for any reactions, good or bad, that I might have to
this or that supplement. I didn’t take a scientific approach to starting on a
new pill or capsule. I included each recommended supplement in my morning
cocktail as it arrived in the mail. Pretty quickly (thanks to Amazon Prime),
I had added the following to my multi-vitamin and 1000 IUs of vitamin D3:
vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin K2 (100 mcg), copper (2 mg), chromium (200 mcg),
iodine (500 mcg), magnesium (400 mg), and selenium (200 mcg).

Within a few days after I was on everything, I noticed a major change, not
physically, but mentally — a major reduction in OCD symptoms and general
anxiety. I was first struck while I was driving to the food store. I had a
feeling of competence and ease. I was not gripping the steering wheel. I was,
in fact, steering with one hand. This is not something I do. Generally, I
drive waiting for an accident, acutely aware of my killing potential. But now
I felt…not indifferent to others’ wellbeing, by any means, but as capable as
the other drivers on the road.

This was strange! And it took a little mental work for me to accept that
perhaps I felt like a competent driver because I am one, not because I was
suddenly drugged and delusional. A few days later, I began to feel that I was
perhaps a bit too mellow. In poking around a little, I learned that the
recommended dose for magnesium for women is 200 mg (400 mg is the recommended
dose for men). Also, I have low blood pressure, and I was concerned that too
much magnesium would lower it even more. So I bumped my dose down. That felt
more natural.

Then, the real test: I had an upset in my personal life, the sort of thing
that generally sets me off in a spiral of obsessing, “phoning in” my
obligations to my sons, driving my husband crazy, clenching my jaw, eating
obsessively, and just generally getting sucked into a vortex of negativity
and pulling my family and friends down with me. Only I didn’t. I was upset
for a bit, processed the situation, and moved on. This was major, and
completely unexpected.

With minimal research (laziness being central to my character), I learned
that many folks with OCD find symptom relief with selenium supplementation,
so I’ve decided that this was likely key to my newfound mental health
improvement. I’ve taken magnesium in the past with no reduction in OCD
symptoms.

I may in the near future try eliminating selenium for a bit to see if my
OCD symptoms ramp up. The trick will be finding a “good” time to invite that
lovely obsessing back into my psyche.

If you grapple with OCD, you might want to give selenium a try. Note that
too much selenium is toxic, so monitor your intake. And if you regularly eat
Brazil nuts, you are already getting a big hit of selenium, so be careful.

Obsessive-compulsive
disorder, anxiety
Anonymous (also here) I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose
of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it
actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing
very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I
feel like a new person.

Better mood

I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough
Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc.,
eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the
recommended supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has
helped me tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy,
more patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less
anxiety, and better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

Very nutritious, no cravings

This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish,
vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a
legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white
rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard,
butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented
vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a
variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

Intermittent fasting – easy

This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds
difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong
will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and
don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning (even
with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning)
during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during
the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally:
usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just
2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a
little hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer
than 16 hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast –
no problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4
hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a
much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I
can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has
really simplified my life.

Raynaud’s

Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m
not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy
fat and Omega 3.

So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly
recommend it – it really has worked for me.

Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

Borderline
Personality Disorder, mood, energy, anxiety, food cravings, Raynaud’s
Timothy J Hicks Background: I was an Atkins dieter in the 1990’s. Lost a lot of weight,
but staying on it was difficult.

Last year I came off a bout of depression determined to beat it without
drugs. I stopped eating sugar and (surprise!) started losing weight. Since
exercise is also helpful to depression, I thought that it would be better if
I kept losing weight to reduce my chance of injury while exercising. Along
the way I found that many of the things that are recommended in the Perfect
Health Diet greatly helped me in losing weight.

I lost a total of seventy pounds. As a man at fifty-five years old and 195
pounds, I am now in better physical condition than I was in my 20’s. This is
due in large part to the dietary recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet.

What is even better is that the recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet
led to removing the last things that were contributing to my depression. I
believe now that grains and omega-6 in vegetable oil was making me depressed.
That’s why adding omega-3 fish oil to your diet helps fight depression,
something I had started doing without understanding why.

To go back to the beginning, the Atkins diet had two flaws which
undermined long-term weight loss:

1) Atkins diet “phases” lead to the idea that somehow you lose
your weight and then slowly phase back into eating “normal” food.
Atkins didn’t say this exactly, but it’s implied.

2) When Atkins wrote the Diet Revolution book, he didn’t have access to
the research that we have now, and couldn’t see that some fats (high omega-6
vegetable oils) are bad for you, while some carbs in moderation (rice, sweet
potato) are okay. His blanket recommendation to get rid of all carbs would
have been better focused on SUGAR, FRUCTOSE and GRAINS.

The Perfect Health Diet is written so that you can read to whatever depth
of scientific detail you want to. I am about done with my third time through.
My particular health issue is depression, and the Perfect Health Diet has
many links to dietary causes of depression. The most helpful aspect is that
it is written from the perspective that this way of eating is a PERMANENT
change, and that this way of eating is based on sound science, including
cultural and epidemiology studies, not just lab experiments.

This book is a good companion volume to “Why We Get Fat: And What to
Do About It” by Gary Taubes.

The only qualification that I would add is that the book recommends eating
a lot of fish rather than using supplements for omega-3. This recommendation
is based on the observation that most fish oil capsules are stored at room
temperature and the oil may go rancid without you knowing it. My answer is to
take fish oil as a liquid and KEEP IT REFRIGERATED. It’s lemon or lime
flavored and refrigeration keeps the the fishy taste down. No capsules needed,
and it’s actually cheaper than capsules.

Again, as a person who has lost seventy pounds and now enjoy a life free
of depression. I wholeheartedly recommend the Perfect Health Diet.

depression,
obesity
Shelley I’ve been reading paleo, WAPF, low-carb sites for over a year now and
following your PHD as well. You can add me to the list of your success
stories as I lost 15 pounds , have no “cravings” eliminated GERD, heart
palpiations, panic attacts and other annoying pains.
weight
loss, food cravings, GERD / acid reflux, heart palpitations, panic attacks /
anxiety

Digestive disorders

 

Angie It’s
anecdotal, but all four people in my family experienced a variety of new
symptoms (seasonal allergies, constipation, worsening of heartburn, bladder
spasms, dry eyes, increasing tiredness and low energy) when we did GAPS.
These problems didn’t resolve until we luckily stumbled upon PHD and added
back safe starches. I think GAPS would be much improved by allowing more PHD
safe starches and doing away with all the honey and nuts which are
considerably harder on many people’s systems (they definitely are on mine!)
than potatoes and white rice.
Allergies,
heartburn, dry eyes, low energy
Dr. Jacs In
an effort to jazz up my nutrition and increase my energy availability, I’m
doing the
target=”_blank” title=”Perfect Health Diet”>Perfect Health Diet with a vengeance. I really love this way of eating, and
feel well on it. It’s good for my gut and my sleep.
digestion,
sleep
Erik
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
Your
book and writings have totally changed the way I think about my diet,
nutrition and health. So in the past year, I have minimized grains, cut out
processed food, do not eat sweets and avoid omega-6 rich cooking oils like
the plague. I have increased my intake of saturated fat by several fold and
use butter and coconut oil as my cooking oils. I eat eggs for breakfast and
add cream/coconut milk to my coffee. I eat sardines and salmon weekly. I get
plenty of sunshine and exercise several times a week. I eat just as much
fruits and vegetables as I did in the past. I do however consume more sweet
potatoes and potatoes. I use to avoid the “evil” potato as well!… I
basically do not calorie count and eat to what I feel. I have actually lost
weight and my skin has become healthier as well. My lips do not become
chapped like they use to in the past. I always had chapped lips for most of
my life…. I have been well overall. The phd is working great for me. Also,
my son’s gastrointestinal issues have been improving from the addition of
probiotics and better nutrition. He is also starting to say a lot more words
this summer. He is asking for things with words for the first time. I can’t
say what helped him since there are so many variables interplaying but I am
happy to see improvements in language. Our pediatrician was shocked and
excited about his improvements. I think his probiotics, gluten free diet,
vitamin supplements and intensive ABA therapy have helped a lot. My son’s
autism has been a very good learning experience. I feel very lucky to have
you as a fantastic resource of information. Many thanks again for your help
and kindness!
weight
loss, chapped lips; his son: autism, GI issues
Jordan Reasoner I
have battled Celiac disease for some time and got about 80% better with a
Paleo diet… but the Perfect Health Diet was the first book that could finally
answer that last 20% with science based logic.
Celiac
disease
Brussie About
5 years ago, I started having horrible stomach problems (pain, bloating,
etc.), extreme fatigue, weight gain of about 15 lbs, and anemia. After many
useless visits to traditional doctors, I finally went to see a naturopath who
put me on a restricted diet: no sugar (or fruit), no grains other than rice,
no cow dairy, no legumes, no nuts. It was actually pretty much a PHD diet.
Within 4 months on this diet I felt 80% better; the fatigue was gone, I lost
the weight, and the anemia went away (with some help from iron supplements),
and my stomach pain was intermittent and brief when it did occur. I went on
like this for about 2 years. Then, about 2 years ago, I discovered the paleo
diet. It was already similar to the way I was eating with some minor tweaks:
upping the fat content of my diet, eliminating rice and sweet potatoes,
adding back some moderate fruit. Within a year of eating this way, I began
experiencing some additional stomach discomfort, more bloating and pain. I
went to see a doctor for some help. Unfortunately, she just made the
situation worse…. Well, I adopted the PHD in October 2010 and I am happy to
say that my stomach issues are almost completely gone…. I would definitely
recommend PHD to anyone looking for a healthy way of eating. I would also
recommend it for anyone who is still experiencing stomach issues while on a
paleo diet.
digestive
problems
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

hypothyroidism,
bowel function, mood
Alex I recently had my carotid arteries evaluated via ultrasound for plaque and
narrowing and was told there is no evidence of either. A year ago, just
before adopting a PHD type diet, an MRI of my heart revealed “significant”
plaque on one of my coronary arteries and less significant on another…. I’m
in my mid 40s, lean, active, and have seen many health improvements since
adopting the diet (less joint stiffness, no more chronic back pain, milder
colds, fewer allergy symptoms, less gas, less bloating, need for less sleep.
atherosclerosis,
joint stiffness, back pain, allergies, bowel distress
L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure
Joan Hi Paul

I haven’t posted for a while but continue to be an avid reader of your
blog. I thought an update was due.

Quick background: Crohn’s for 16.5 years. Steroids for most of that time
as other Crohn’s meds ineffective. Got off steroids in Oct 2011 after 14
months on an almost zero carb diet. Glucose deficiency symptoms led me to
your site. Added in safe starches in November and started to implement PHD
with recommended supplements. Did a home fecal transplant in December.

I’ve particularly concentrated on raising my Vit D levels
(supplementation) and optimising thyroid function (selenium and iodine and
increasing thyroid hormone). Both are now in the normal range.

All these things improved my general sense of well-being and energy levels
but the Crohn’s was still a problem.

I did a Metametrix GI Effects Stool test in March hoping to find something
significant. The results were disappointingly good: no pathogens; commensal
bacteria were all present (a result of fecal transplant??). I did have high
inflammation and red blood cells present, indicating active Crohn’s.

During this time, since coming off steroids, I was able to observe the
nature of the Crohn’s without the confusion of medications. My observations
convinced me that it was an infection and research indicates mycobacterium
avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is the most likely pathogen. High E.Coli counts
in my stool test seem to confim this.

So, re-reading you assertion that intra-cellular bacteria can only feed on
glucose not ketones, I realised that the exacerbation of the Crohn’s was due
to coming off the ketogenic zero carb diet and adding in too many starches
(300 – 400 cals). For the last month I’ve dropped back to 200 cals, kept to a
daily 6 to 7 hour feeding window, and added in BCAAs and MCT oil (I was
already taking coconut oil). My Crohn’s symptoms have improved steadily. I
have very little tummy pain now. I do still have some diarrhea but that is
probably due to the high fat content of my diet.

It is very unlikely that anti-MAP antibiotics will be made available to
Crohn’s patients anytime soon, therefore I’m convinced a ketogenic, low-fibre
form of PHD is the best way to manage my Crohn’s. Thanks for all your
information, Paul. I’m thrilled with my progress thus far.

Regards, Joan

Footnote2: My sister continues to be free of eczema. Thanks so much,
again.

Crohn’s,
hypothyroidism, general wellbeing; eczema
Raham Robert Fodrek Thank you so much for all the support you offer. I have been following
your diet for a few months and in many ways feel much better. Last year at
this time I could barely walk (29 years old). I was diagnosed with Crohns
along with several other autoimmune diseases (including a lesion on the
spinal cord).
Crohn’s,
autoimmune diseases, spinal cord lesion
Nick Hi Paul,

Thank you so much for the fantastic information! I am one of the new
followers of the PHD. I listened to the your interview with Dr. Mercola and
wanted to learn more. I bought your book and started reading it immediately.
I am about 3/4 through it and all the information is just fascinating. For
about 12 years now I’ve been suffering from acid reflux. Trying many
different medicines including the deadly “purple pill”. I was on this for
roughly 7 years and just up until recently I started experiencing more and
more heartburn and a boat load of other problems. I was tested and poked and
prodded and what the doctors came up with is that my gastric levels were
elevated. He recommended I get off the PPI and switch back to the H2. I did
this for 3 more years but recently I started getting uncontrollable heartburn
all the time. I then checked out your interview about 2 weeks ago and started
on the PHD for about a week now and have not had to take my ranitadine in 5
days. It almost seems to good to be true. I am very grateful for the
information in your book. Thank you very much!

acid
reflux
hadrion I decided to give Perfect Health Diet a go first and see where that takes
me. What I’ve learned from asking question to the Jaminets and reading their
answers is that a little sugar here and there in products and the sugar in
fruit isn’t going to kill you.

I can’t do a low carb Paleo diet as I never feel right on that kind of
eating plan and I end up gorging on nuts more than anything.

After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive
changes in my body. My skin is clearer and less red. I’ve lost the
“bloat” I would get in my stomach after meals containing gluten. In
fact, I get full quicker on less food but the sense of full isn’t
uncomfortable; it’s just my body telling me to stop eating. I’ve lost some
weight in mid section that has been my most stubborn area as well. My wife,
who suffers from eczema, has had her condition lessened to the point that
it’s not an issue right now following the diet with me.

This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my
wife & I. My energy levels are more consistent and there’s less crashing
during the day avoiding gluten. I’ve had no inflammation although I stopped
my inflammation years ago following CS’s advice and using the supps he
recommends.

While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty
great. I really think there’s a middle ground between these 2 styles of
eating that will work for people long term. That said, I’m going to stick to
Pefect Health for a full month and chart my progress and then I might try to
introduce some Peat ideas into the mix and see how the sugar from OJ and Ice
Cream play with how I feel. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be a
problem adding in those down the road. I am following Peat’s suggestion to
eat a raw carrot and coconut oil daily,

What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel
extremely bloated after a meal with wheat in it is to try to avoid gluten and
see if your body feels different. I had gone gluten free before but all I did
was replace wheat bread with gluten free breads and I paid no attention to
the oils used to make the products. The Perfect Health style of eating with
safe starches like potato, sweet potato and white rice makes following the
diet easy and pleasurable. We even made Perfect Health ice cream which uses
rice syrup in place of sugar and it was delicious and totally satisfied any
lingering sweet tooth.

So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice
results.

Skin
redness, bloating, weight loss, eczema
Brian Paul, Many thanks for the excellent work and great book.

I started PHD a few week before Christmas, and even with a few holiday
wobbles, I can honestly say that I am already starting to see a number
benefits.

I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level
chronic ones – headaches, gastric reflux, fatigue, stomach bloating and
gradual weight gain.

Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either
gone or dramatically subsided. My weight is starting to decrease (albeit
slowly) and my energy levels /sleep pattern is far better.

I’ve recommended your book to family and work colleagues as a result.

I think the main plus point of the diet is that it is ‘doable’.
Eliminating wheat and reducing fructose has been surprisingly easy, reducing
vegetable oil exposure more difficult.

Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found
strictly low carb both difficult to sustain and left me not feeling optimal.

All in all I’m delighted, and so glad I found your website & book.

Many thanks

headaches,
acid reflux, fatigue, bloating, weight gain
Shelley I’ve been reading paleo, WAPF, low-carb sites for over a year now and
following your PHD as well. You can add me to the list of your success
stories as I lost 15 pounds , have no “cravings” eliminated GERD, heart
palpiations, panic attacts and other annoying pains.
weight
loss, food cravings, GERD / acid reflux, heart palpitations, panic attacks /
anxiety
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

Hypothyroidism,
energy, adrenal fatigue, bowel function, mood

Autoimmune disease

 

Raham Robert Fodrek Thank you so much for all the support you offer. I have been following
your diet for a few months and in many ways feel much better. Last year at
this time I could barely walk (29 years old). I was diagnosed with Crohns
along with several other autoimmune diseases (including a lesion on the
spinal cord).
Crohn’s,
autoimmune diseases, spinal cord lesion

Sleep quality

 

Dr. Jacs In
an effort to jazz up my nutrition and increase my energy availability, I’m
doing the
target=”_blank” title=”Perfect Health Diet”>Perfect Health Diet with a vengeance. I really love this way of eating, and
feel well on it. It’s good for my gut and my sleep.
digestion,
sleep
Kathy After
cutting back on coconut oil and adding all the supplements suggested by PHD I
am sleeping 6 hours straight and can dose the next two hours, a ginormous
improvement. Oh, and I upped my carbs! Delightful!
insomnia
Advocatus Avocado I’m a great proponent of the PH diet. I’m pleased to report that after
dramatically increasing my saturated fat intake and following some of the
proscriptive measures in the book that my blood pressure has decreased from
130/85 to 118/74. My resting heart rate has also decreased, and I now sleep
much more soundly.
blood
pressure, sleep quality
Karin I have particularly severe, chronic, complicated, and often silent
migraines. I have had these since childhood all day everyday. Because they
were often silent (no pain) they would manifest in various other ways, thus
leading to misdiagnoses of mood disorders and schizophrenia for many years.
At one point I was also misdiagnosed with epilepsy as well. After one
particularly smart neurologist saw and tested me, I was placed on blood
pressure medications for migraines. This worked. The problem is that my body
constantly fights to readjust to the medications. After a few months at one
dose, it seems I start to get migraines again. So it would go up and the same
thing would repeat again. I was looking for a different solution and I
stumbled across this article.

I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly a month and it is the best thing
that has happened to me. I’m migraine free and medication free. My mood is
incredibly stable, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, I have
lots of energy, I can concentrate for hours on end, etc. I’ve lost weight
also, a much loved side effect. Thank you for writing this!

migraines,
mood, sleep, energy, weight loss
Janusz I’ve been on the PHD for about 3 weeks. Beginning the first week I could
feel the difference in terms of energy and better sleep.
sleep,
energy
Els and here and here I have been on PHD for almost 2 weeks now, doing IF 16/8 at the same time,
and have started with the supplements you have recommended 4 days ago. Since
I started PHD I do no longer crave for sweets. I used to eat chocolates
almost everyday and haven’t had it for over 2 weeks now. 🙂 I am so happy I
found your blog and got your book. Keep up the good works….

5 weeks ago I found PHD website and ordered the book. I am now on my 4th
week of PHD and doing pretty well eating 20% carbs. I also am taking the
supplements Paul had recommended after I emailed him to ask what I can add to
the one I was taking. One of the things I immediately noticed after doing PHD
is that it improved the quality of my sleep (used to keep waking up several
times at night and that is now a thing of the past because I now sleep
uninterrupted for 7-8 hours); and no more cramps in my calves (that used to
happen occasionally after a heavy work out); no more menstrual cramps as
well. Also, today is the first time i had my monthly period that i didn’t get
a pimple in my face. I usually get a big, really deep and hard to get rid of
pimple just before or during my monthly period and my husband or a
dermatologist would actually help me get it out especially if I had an
important function to attend to. I was thinking that may be IF and the
removal of wheat in my diet did greatly help me in seeing immediate improvement
in my sleep. So yes at least in my experience, a great improvement in my over
all health since I incorporated the principles that I learned from the PHD
book. And btw, I have a very sensitive skin (Atopic skin type or atopic/atopy
syndrome – a hereditary component, as my doctor calls it because my mo and
grandma had it too) and I usually get itchy and/or red spots in my skin all
the time but in the last 4 weeks the anti-itching cream which I carry
everywhere has never been used even once. And to top it all off, I lost 3 lbs
in the last 4 weeks (losing the 15 lb excess weight is not even on top of my
list because I am trying to get pregnant). I don’t have any health problems
and hardly get sick. I simply want to eat healthy and trying to figure out what
diet works best for me. And I found it! Thanks to PHD. Thanks to the
Jaminets! At 42, 5’6″ height, 125 lbs weight, and doing PHD on 20%
carbs, I feel great! And yes, I am sticking with PHD for the rest of my
life….

Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my
carb intake to 30% last week. When I started the PHD 6 weeks ago, I weighed
128 lbs and now 122.4 lbs. I just hope I keep losing the last few fat I
wanted to shed off. Btw, I only weigh myself once a week at the same day and
time without fail and I also use a Digital Body Fat Caliper to measure my
body fat. So yes, I am definitely losing some body fat and no muscle loss!
That’s only after doing PHD for 6 weeks without changing my usual cardio
& weight training regimen. My trainer was very impressed when she weighed
me last week. I told her about PHD because she’s one of those people who
believes in eating 5-6 small meals a day. 🙂 I’ve done that for years but I
am definitely doing better by practising IF 16/8 and eating only 2-3 meals a
day. I am definitely seeing positive results since I started the PHD! The
elimination of wheat, sugar and cheese which I used to eat a lot everyday has
done great wonders in my body.

food
cravings, cramps / menstrual cramps, sleep, acne / pimples, body composition

Allergies, rhinitis, sinusitis

 

Angie It’s
anecdotal, but all four people in my family experienced a variety of new
symptoms (seasonal allergies, constipation, worsening of heartburn, bladder
spasms, dry eyes, increasing tiredness and low energy) when we did GAPS.
These problems didn’t resolve until we luckily stumbled upon PHD and added back
safe starches. I think GAPS would be much improved by allowing more PHD safe
starches and doing away with all the honey and nuts which are considerably
harder on many people’s systems (they definitely are on mine!) than potatoes
and white rice.
Allergies,
heartburn, dry eyes, low energy
Alex I recently had my carotid arteries evaluated via ultrasound for plaque and
narrowing and was told there is no evidence of either. A year ago, just
before adopting a PHD type diet, an MRI of my heart revealed “significant”
plaque on one of my coronary arteries and less significant on another…. I’m
in my mid 40s, lean, active, and have seen many health improvements since
adopting the diet (less joint stiffness, no more chronic back pain, milder
colds, fewer allergy symptoms, less gas, less bloating, need for less sleep.
atherosclerosis,
joint stiffness, back pain, allergies, bowel distress
David I’m still very new to this diet, and I’ve been generally getting in shape
and losing weight for a while now, but one thing I can comment on already is
the effect it’s had on rhinitis.

Simply put, my rhinitis has disappeared completely. I no longer wake up
with a runny nose. I don’t need to take steroidal nose sprays. I don’t even
blow my nose. Rhinitus is now a non-issue. I’ve read that wheat and soy often
cause rhinitis, so I suspect some sort of allergy was to blame.

One other benefit: I’m never hungry on the PHD and I’m really enjoying all
the food I CAN eat, while not missing the food I can’t eat.

rhinitis,
appetite

Anemia

 

Michelle IME, a comprehensive stool test proved helpful. I found a fungal infection
which I treated with two bottles of ProEnt-2. I found bacterial overgrowths,
which I treated with Natren probiotics. The stool test showed gluten
intolerance as well, and seeing the results on paper helped me to take the
leap & kiss gluten goodbye.

I was also positive to toxoplasma, which I have not treated due to cost
and efficacy of treatment. Maybe down the line?

I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing
Doxy for it, successfully, since 2008.

My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is
improving iodine status and other micronutrient status, plus knocking back
infections are the major contributors.

I’m no longer anemic.

I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon
waking to help with low mood….

I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see
my labs improve. In my case, my labs tends to improve a bit ahead of
symptoms.

Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find
it helpful, as did I, to minimize your variables, and track your protocol to
the best of your ability.

Infections,
arthritis, hypothyroidism, anemia, mood

Fatigue, low energy

 

Angie It’s
anecdotal, but all four people in my family experienced a variety of new
symptoms (seasonal allergies, constipation, worsening of heartburn, bladder
spasms, dry eyes, increasing tiredness and low energy) when we did GAPS.
These problems didn’t resolve until we luckily stumbled upon PHD and added
back safe starches. I think GAPS would be much improved by allowing more PHD
safe starches and doing away with all the honey and nuts which are
considerably harder on many people’s systems (they definitely are on mine!)
than potatoes and white rice.
Allergies,
heartburn, dry eyes, low energy
Bella Perhaps
this is as good a place on your site as any to share the improvements I
experienced after switching from a gut healing diet that generally can be
described as VLC Paleo to PHD. What’s even more remarkable than the
improvements themselves is that they occurred *within 48 hours* of seriously
increasing my safe starch consumption. I couldn’t have special ordered it any
better. 1. Constipation is gone. 2. Fungal (?) rash is gone. 3. Powdery
substance in urine is gone. (After reading here about how VLC diets can cause
excess excretion of uric acid, I’m certain this was the problem.) 4. Energy
and mood are way better. 5. I like what I’m eating now, I am sated, and my
instincts are no longer telling me something’s missing. This intangible
effect has made perhaps the biggest impact on my day-to-day quality of life.
Thank you PJ and S-CJ! Your PHD came into my life at exactly the right time
and produced exactly the changes I needed. Sweet relief! I am still working
out some hormonal issues, and fighting fungi, but my glucose deficiency
symptoms are gone, and I feel better than I have in a year, which is to say I
feel normal, finally. My husband has virtually no symptoms of colitis now.
We’re looking forward to his upcoming flex sig to prove that the disease
process has been reversed, so that the GI doctor will stop telling us that
there’s no way dietary changes alone could’ve cured the disease, that my
husband must be in symptomatic remission with a still-flaming colon. Doc
doesn’t know what to make of us. So indulge me in a bit of gushing when I
tell you I’m utterly grateful for both your product (the book) and service
(advice on your site). The one-on-one advice is a very powerful way to
connect with your audience. It’s as if I can *feel* the sense of community
and healing when I’m on your site. You’ve got a special thing going.
fungal
infections, low energy, impaired mood, constipation
jtl When
I began implementing PHD a few weeks ago I cut fruit back to about 80
calories/day and upped starch intake with sweet potatoes, potatoes, sourdough
buckwheat pancakes, and white rice. Within a couple of weeks chronic health
issues such as itchy, flaky scalp, tense painful neck and shoulder muscles,
and cyclical vaginal itching had disappeared, my mood had improved
noticeably, and I was able to do a little weight-lifting without it wiping me
out physically and mentally. 2 weeks ago I cut out fruit entirely and began
getting all my carbs in PHD proportions from white rice, sweet potatoes,
sourdough buckwheat cakes, and potatoes and saw a dramatic improvement in mood
and ability to work-out without negative effects, and the
fuzzy-headeded/blurry-eyedness that I’ve felt intermittently throughout the
day for as long as I can remember disappeared. For the first time in my life
I felt happy, relaxed, patient, care-free, clear-headed/eyed, and not hungry
(I’ve always noticed being hungry in my head, not my belly).
fungal
infections, impaired mood, fatigue, dry eyes, food cravings
Hunter‘s wife My
wife and I have been VLC for a couple years now, myself probably a little
longer than her and I tend to eat more saturated fat too. She recently
stopped taking birth control and her menstrual cycle just stopped. Also for
years and years, maybe as long as the past decade, she’s been chronically
constipated, depressed, and always tired and wanting to sleep 10+ hours.
She’s been thru tons of tests and no doctor can find anything wrong with her.
I started doing some research on her results from multiple blood tests and
found her TSH has been slowly increasing and was at 3.13. We started checking
her basal body temperature in the mornings and she’s usually around 96….
Both of us have also avoided salt for most of our lives as well as most
packaged/processed foods that might contain salt. So we started supplementing
Iodine, starting about a month ago and slowly increasing the dosage each
week, as well as eating about 200-400 carb calories a day from white rice,
taro, and cassava (all covered in pastured butter). Some mornings now her
temperature has reached as high as 98.2 and her constipation has suddenly
improved a lot.
hypothyroidism,
fatigue, constipation, amenorrhea
Lisa Weis Yours
is by far, the best Paleo / Ancestral diet that makes sense…. I was very
strict Paleo for a good 8 months, and yes felt fantastic and lost 10ks etc.
But then started feeling tired, moody. Enter some carbs (from the suggestion
of your book) in the source of potato and rice and taro – and now I’m feeling
a whole lot better. Did I put on weight. Of course not! Essentially now I eat
what my body craves. I can listen to it now and it responds accordingly. It
knows when it needs more carbs (eg., after exercise). And it knows how much
as well.
fatigue,
mood
Richard
M, email of Oct 19, 2011
May I firstly congratulate you and Shou-Ching for writing such a wonderful
book. After researching nutrition and health in my spare time for many years
I have never come across a book that has been able to tie all of the major
aspects of a healthy diet together in such a concise manner whilst being so
extensively well referenced.

The amount of improvements that I have seen since implementing this diet
is numerous. My energy levels are much steadier throughout the day (as opposed
to the constant ‘peaks and troughs’ I experienced whilst following a
vegetarian diet for 4 years); my cravings for sugar have virtually
disappeared; I have only suffered from one cold in the past 10 months as
opposed to my usual 2 or 3; my weight is effortlessly stable; I never feel
hungry despite switching from 6 small meals per day to just 3; the list goes
on!

energy,
food cravings, weight, illness
Karin I have particularly severe, chronic, complicated, and often silent
migraines. I have had these since childhood all day everyday. Because they
were often silent (no pain) they would manifest in various other ways, thus
leading to misdiagnoses of mood disorders and schizophrenia for many years.
At one point I was also misdiagnosed with epilepsy as well. After one
particularly smart neurologist saw and tested me, I was placed on blood
pressure medications for migraines. This worked. The problem is that my body
constantly fights to readjust to the medications. After a few months at one
dose, it seems I start to get migraines again. So it would go up and the same
thing would repeat again. I was looking for a different solution and I
stumbled across this article.

I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly a month and it is the best thing
that has happened to me. I’m migraine free and medication free. My mood is
incredibly stable, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, I have
lots of energy, I can concentrate for hours on end, etc. I’ve lost weight
also, a much loved side effect. Thank you for writing this!

migraines,
mood, sleep, energy, weight loss
Java Gal Ok, have to comment – can’t contain myself anymore! I am a lurker of the
worst sort, but here goes. As a 54 year old woman, I am more energetic,
flexible (yoga three times a week), and healthier than I have been for, oh,
decades. My doc, a wonderful, but dye-in-the-wool vegetarian, told me to keep
doing what I was doing – cholesterol dropped, good TSH levels(I’m hypo), and
down 5 sizes. Talk about replacing a wardrobe! My worry, of course, is
gaining it all back, which, sorry to say, is an experience I have had already
in days of yore. I was an avowed low-carber back then and I can attest that,
while it was effective for losing weight, it was not a good long term
strategy. So far, as long as I stick to basic PHD principles, things are
going swimmingly. In general, PHD has been a huge success. Thank you Paul and
Shou-Ching!
obesity,
energy, flexibility, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, general health
Jennifer Fulwiler As I look for something to wear this weekend, I’m reminded that I am in
the middle of the wardrobe crisis that I’ve been waiting to have for ten
years: all my clothes are too big. I don’t mean a little loose; I mean I
perpetually look like I’m headed out to an M.C. Hammer costume contest.

Over the past few months I’ve lost 25 pounds. That’s a good thing, mainly
since the drop on the scale was more of a side effect of lifestyle changes
that have left me with more stamina and energy than I had when I was 20….

It’s too long of a story to explain in detail here, but the short-short
version is that it was Perfect Health Diet + rethinking what a reasonable
portion size looks like + accepting that spiritual warfare really does come
into play with getting healthy + learning to depend on a good jog for an
energy boost. What started it all was getting fed up with feeling awful all
the time; I started optimizing my life around foods and exercises that would
make me feel better and have energy, and the weight loss followed.

weight
loss, stamina & energy
Janusz I’ve been on the PHD for about 3 weeks. Beginning the first week I could
feel the difference in terms of energy and better sleep.
sleep,
energy
Anonymous (also here) I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose
of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it
actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing
very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I feel
like a new person.

Better mood

I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough
Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc.,
eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the recommended
supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has helped me
tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy, more
patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less anxiety, and
better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

Very nutritious, no cravings

This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish,
vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a
legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white
rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard,
butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented
vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a
variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

Intermittent fasting – easy

This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds
difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong
will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and
don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning
(even with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning)
during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during
the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally:
usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just
2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a
little hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer
than 16 hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast –
no problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4
hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a
much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I
can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has
really simplified my life.

Raynaud’s

Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m
not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy
fat and Omega 3.

So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly
recommend it – it really has worked for me.

Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

Borderline
Personality Disorder, mood, energy, anxiety, food cravings, Raynaud’s
KH I’m type 1 diabetic …

Just this morning, I took my A1c home test (by Bayer) which includes two
tests in the box. Because of the unbelievably low result of first test, I
took the second one (different finger, different hand) to check… Results:

test 1- 5.2

test 2- 5.3 …

I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more
energetic lately and less moody, which my husband is VERY HAPPY about!!

Type
I diabetes, energy, mood
Joan’s sister Hi Paul

You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and
was taking 100 mls a day of safflower oil to keep eczema under control.

You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress
which is diminishing AA levels, and the safflower oil makes more arachidonic
acid and relieves the problem. So the strategy I would try first is (a)
supplementing antioxidants…. and (b) treating any infections. Also, get serum
25OHD levels tested and normalize vitamin D/A/K status.

Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started
supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins C, E, D and K and NAC.
Within 24 hours her eczema was much improved and she began reducing the
safflower oil. Now 10 days later she is down to 10 mls of safflower oil and
is confident she can discontinue it completely in a few days. Her eczema has
completely cleared and her skin is looking good.

Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant
headache is not as severe, irregular heartbeat episodes have almost
completely stopped and she is tolerating slightly more physical activity.
Needless to say she is absolutely delighted and wants me to pass on her
deepest gratitude to you. Her words are, “It’s a miracle”. Once again
Proverbs 13:12 springs to mind. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a
longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Her sense of despair and resignation
has gone and you have given her hope of a better future. Words seem
inadequate to express thanks for that.

I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more
than open to reading it and making dietary changes. I hope she will also
follow up your advice to treat any underlying infections.

Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the
safflower oil and could hardly wait for her next ‘dose’. That has been
replaced with feeling nauseous even at the thought of the oil. Obviously her
body no longer needs it.

In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice:
Determination of fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes of patients with
chronic fatigue syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14744043

And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s
findings: Oxidative Stress Might Reduce Essential Fatty Acids in Erythrocyte
Membranes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients
http://cfids-cab.org/cfs-inform/Hypotheses/nijs.demeirleir04.pdf

Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge
and your time. The effect is life-changing.

Kind Regards

Joan

chronic
fatigue syndrome, eczema
Brian Paul, Many thanks for the excellent work and great book.

I started PHD a few week before Christmas, and even with a few holiday
wobbles, I can honestly say that I am already starting to see a number
benefits.

I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level
chronic ones – headaches, gastric reflux, fatigue, stomach bloating and
gradual weight gain.

Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either
gone or dramatically subsided. My weight is starting to decrease (albeit
slowly) and my energy levels /sleep pattern is far better.

I’ve recommended your book to family and work colleagues as a result.

I think the main plus point of the diet is that it is ‘doable’.
Eliminating wheat and reducing fructose has been surprisingly easy, reducing
vegetable oil exposure more difficult.

Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found
strictly low carb both difficult to sustain and left me not feeling optimal.

All in all I’m delighted, and so glad I found your website & book.

Many thanks

headaches,
acid reflux, fatigue, bloating, weight gain
Brian P. Many thanks for your book and blog as it has helped me lose 35 pounds and
counting over the last 5 months, along with a general improvement in energy
level and “evenness”. Extremely gratifying to find a way of eating which is
sustainable, totally satisfying and results in natural weight loss. And, I
have yet to add high intensity workouts to my normal morning and afternoon
walks. I have been talking to anyone who has expressed interest as the
potential of the diet is obviously tremendous!!

P.s. I strongly suspect PHD played a pivotal part in my wife getting
pregnant naturally, just prior to starting her next round of IVF.

weight
loss, energy, mood, infertility
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

Hypothyroidism,
energy, adrenal fatigue, bowel function, mood

Dry eyes or skin

 

Angie It’s
anecdotal, but all four people in my family experienced a variety of new
symptoms (seasonal allergies, constipation, worsening of heartburn, bladder
spasms, dry eyes, increasing tiredness and low energy) when we did GAPS.
These problems didn’t resolve until we luckily stumbled upon PHD and added
back safe starches. I think GAPS would be much improved by allowing more PHD
safe starches and doing away with all the honey and nuts which are
considerably harder on many people’s systems (they definitely are on mine!)
than potatoes and white rice.
Allergies,
heartburn, dry eyes, low energy
Melinda I
had severe dry eyes while eating too low carb. Following Dr. Paul’s
recommendations at “Perfect Health Diet”, I upped my carbs to his
minimum of 50 grams of starch per day and the dry eyes went away. He says
that minimum keeps mucus membranes intact and protective.
dry
eyes
Susan I’ve
instituted “Paleo” in our house since 1/1/11. Very strict about
only plants and protein. About 4/1/11 I realized I was experiencing extremely
dry eyes and mouth. I read your post about glucose deficiency and added rice
and potatoes back into our diet. This cleared the problem up within 3 days
and I was super grateful. It also *normalized* our diet, as it’s easy to go
out to lunch and have rice/potatoes while avoiding wheat/grains.
dry
eyes
Erik
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
Your
book and writings have totally changed the way I think about my diet,
nutrition and health. So in the past year, I have minimized grains, cut out
processed food, do not eat sweets and avoid omega-6 rich cooking oils like
the plague. I have increased my intake of saturated fat by several fold and
use butter and coconut oil as my cooking oils. I eat eggs for breakfast and
add cream/coconut milk to my coffee. I eat sardines and salmon weekly. I get
plenty of sunshine and exercise several times a week. I eat just as much
fruits and vegetables as I did in the past. I do however consume more sweet
potatoes and potatoes. I use to avoid the “evil” potato as well!… I
basically do not calorie count and eat to what I feel. I have actually lost
weight and my skin has become healthier as well. My lips do not become
chapped like they use to in the past. I always had chapped lips for most of
my life…. I have been well overall. The phd is working great for me. Also,
my son’s gastrointestinal issues have been improving from the addition of
probiotics and better nutrition. He is also starting to say a lot more words
this summer. He is asking for things with words for the first time. I can’t
say what helped him since there are so many variables interplaying but I am
happy to see improvements in language. Our pediatrician was shocked and
excited about his improvements. I think his probiotics, gluten free diet,
vitamin supplements and intensive ABA therapy have helped a lot. My son’s
autism has been a very good learning experience. I feel very lucky to have
you as a fantastic resource of information. Many thanks again for your help
and kindness!
weight
loss, chapped lips; his son: autism, GI issues
jtl When
I began implementing PHD a few weeks ago I cut fruit back to about 80
calories/day and upped starch intake with sweet potatoes, potatoes, sourdough
buckwheat pancakes, and white rice. Within a couple of weeks chronic health
issues such as itchy, flaky scalp, tense painful neck and shoulder muscles,
and cyclical vaginal itching had disappeared, my mood had improved noticeably,
and I was able to do a little weight-lifting without it wiping me out
physically and mentally. 2 weeks ago I cut out fruit entirely and began
getting all my carbs in PHD proportions from white rice, sweet potatoes,
sourdough buckwheat cakes, and potatoes and saw a dramatic improvement in
mood and ability to work-out without negative effects, and the
fuzzy-headeded/blurry-eyedness that I’ve felt intermittently throughout the
day for as long as I can remember disappeared. For the first time in my life I
felt happy, relaxed, patient, care-free, clear-headed/eyed, and not hungry
(I’ve always noticed being hungry in my head, not my belly).
fungal
infections, impaired mood, fatigue, dry eyes, food cravings
Doris I
reached my weight loss goals by eliminating grains and limiting dairy to
butter and cream and reducing fruit intake. That said, over the last month or
so, I was wondering why my body seemed to be drying out from the inside out.
I want to tweak my diet to optimum health and found your book. The
information about the importance of mucin was helpful. What was missing in my
diet was the carbs that you and the missus recommend. Sweet potatos, white
rice etc. Maybe less protein than I’ve been eating and more saturated fat.
(I’m alarmed by the stomach and other cancers suffered by long term adherence
to the Optimal diet …) I’m having better results every day. I am fascinated
that I have a laboratory of my own body to put your ideas to a test and have
them show positive results. Thank you both so much for your work and above
responses to questions and comments.
Dry
eyes, GI tract

Autism

 

Erik
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
Your
book and writings have totally changed the way I think about my diet,
nutrition and health. So in the past year, I have minimized grains, cut out
processed food, do not eat sweets and avoid omega-6 rich cooking oils like
the plague. I have increased my intake of saturated fat by several fold and
use butter and coconut oil as my cooking oils. I eat eggs for breakfast and
add cream/coconut milk to my coffee. I eat sardines and salmon weekly. I get
plenty of sunshine and exercise several times a week. I eat just as much
fruits and vegetables as I did in the past. I do however consume more sweet
potatoes and potatoes. I use to avoid the “evil” potato as well!… I
basically do not calorie count and eat to what I feel. I have actually lost
weight and my skin has become healthier as well. My lips do not become
chapped like they use to in the past. I always had chapped lips for most of
my life…. I have been well overall. The phd is working great for me. Also,
my son’s gastrointestinal issues have been improving from the addition of
probiotics and better nutrition. He is also starting to say a lot more words
this summer. He is asking for things with words for the first time. I can’t
say what helped him since there are so many variables interplaying but I am
happy to see improvements in language. Our pediatrician was shocked and
excited about his improvements. I think his probiotics, gluten free diet,
vitamin supplements and intensive ABA therapy have helped a lot. My son’s
autism has been a very good learning experience. I feel very lucky to have
you as a fantastic resource of information. Many thanks again for your help
and kindness!
weight
loss, chapped lips; his son: autism, GI issues

Constipation

 

Bella Perhaps
this is as good a place on your site as any to share the improvements I
experienced after switching from a gut healing diet that generally can be
described as VLC Paleo to PHD. What’s even more remarkable than the
improvements themselves is that they occurred *within 48 hours* of seriously
increasing my safe starch consumption. I couldn’t have special ordered it any
better. 1. Constipation is gone. 2. Fungal (?) rash is gone. 3. Powdery
substance in urine is gone. (After reading here about how VLC diets can cause
excess excretion of uric acid, I’m certain this was the problem.) 4. Energy
and mood are way better. 5. I like what I’m eating now, I am sated, and my
instincts are no longer telling me something’s missing. This intangible
effect has made perhaps the biggest impact on my day-to-day quality of life.
Thank you PJ and S-CJ! Your PHD came into my life at exactly the right time
and produced exactly the changes I needed. Sweet relief! I am still working
out some hormonal issues, and fighting fungi, but my glucose deficiency
symptoms are gone, and I feel better than I have in a year, which is to say I
feel normal, finally. My husband has virtually no symptoms of colitis now.
We’re looking forward to his upcoming flex sig to prove that the disease process
has been reversed, so that the GI doctor will stop telling us that there’s no
way dietary changes alone could’ve cured the disease, that my husband must be
in symptomatic remission with a still-flaming colon. Doc doesn’t know what to
make of us. So indulge me in a bit of gushing when I tell you I’m utterly
grateful for both your product (the book) and service (advice on your site).
The one-on-one advice is a very powerful way to connect with your audience.
It’s as if I can *feel* the sense of community and healing when I’m on your
site. You’ve got a special thing going.
fungal
infections, low energy, impaired mood, constipation
Vincent I
thought others might be interested in the results of my experiments with
preventing constipation over the last few months. (See my previous comments
and Paul’s recommendations to me in this thread for background.) My regimen
was as follows… Diet: Added enough white rice to raise consumption of safe
starches above 600 calories daily; ate berries, turmeric, oregano, spinach,
and fermented vegetables regularly; initially eliminated tubers (which I had
difficulty digesting) and later replaced them with fermented tubers; and
replaced coconut oil with olive oil. Anti-fungal medicines: I respected
Paul’s advice regarding anti-fungal drugs, but decided to postpone using them
until after I had tried non-prescription supplements. Supplements: Conformed
my nutritional supplements to the PHD recommendations and added NAC; added
grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, Kolorex advanced candida care
(horopito), Now Foods candida clear, and occasional activated charcoal; and
tried a few probiotics, including ThreeLac.

After a few weeks of little improvement, I experienced my
first normal bowel movement in a long time (years?). After more changes to my
regimen, I now have normal stools on most days. The greatest improvements
coincided with the times I added fermented tubers and (later) ThreeLac. I
also think that cranberries, turmeric, increased amounts of safe starches,
the Now Foods anti-fungal, and removal of my beloved coconut oil were all
quite helpful. My victory is not complete — I still get diarrhea fairly easily
and the occasional hard stool — but the improvement is incredible.

Many
thanks, Paul, for helping me fix a problem that has plagued me for a long
time. I wish you, Shou-Ching, and all your readers the great health and
happiness you deserve.

constipation,
fungal infection
Anna I’m
so grateful to you for this information. I’ve been suffering for weeks but I
took the recommended supplements and did nothing else — and experienced
relief the second day. In a world full of useless and confusing information,
having a good source is such a godsend. Thank you for all that you do.
constipation
Hunter‘s wife My
wife and I have been VLC for a couple years now, myself probably a little
longer than her and I tend to eat more saturated fat too. She recently
stopped taking birth control and her menstrual cycle just stopped. Also for
years and years, maybe as long as the past decade, she’s been chronically
constipated, depressed, and always tired and wanting to sleep 10+ hours.
She’s been thru tons of tests and no doctor can find anything wrong with her.
I started doing some research on her results from multiple blood tests and
found her TSH has been slowly increasing and was at 3.13. We started checking
her basal body temperature in the mornings and she’s usually around 96….
Both of us have also avoided salt for most of our lives as well as most
packaged/processed foods that might contain salt. So we started supplementing
Iodine, starting about a month ago and slowly increasing the dosage each
week, as well as eating about 200-400 carb calories a day from white rice,
taro, and cassava (all covered in pastured butter). Some mornings now her
temperature has reached as high as 98.2 and her constipation has suddenly
improved a lot.
hypothyroidism,
fatigue, constipation, amenorrhea
Betty You
have blessed my life. I had one final symptom that was chronic all my life.
Constipation. I e-mailed you last week and you offered up some suggestions.
PRAISE THE LORD! I have had NO IBS, or constipation since following your
advice. I am, and will be forever grateful.
constipation
Robin I had been on a Paleo diet for about six months when it dawned on me that
I needed the rice to avoid constipation. Addition of starchy roots and a bit
more animal fat did not help the situation. Once I reintroduced rice ( 1 cup
on a daily basis) , the problem was solved.
constipation
Anonymous I’ve been following the PHD and taking the recommended supplements and
many of the therapeutic supplements for several months. Last week, I just
started supplementing with Zinc and NAC. This week – no more constipation for
the first time in many, many years – amazing! Thank you so much!
constipation
Helena’s mom Hi Paul, Thank you again! You helped my mom who has suffered with chronic
constipation for 60 plus years. She had taken Senna for decades. I read your
post about using Magnesium Citrate instead. It works like a charm and she is
no longer taking toxic Senna. Thank you!
constipation

Fungal infections

 

Bella Perhaps
this is as good a place on your site as any to share the improvements I
experienced after switching from a gut healing diet that generally can be
described as VLC Paleo to PHD. What’s even more remarkable than the
improvements themselves is that they occurred *within 48 hours* of seriously
increasing my safe starch consumption. I couldn’t have special ordered it any
better. 1. Constipation is gone. 2. Fungal (?) rash is gone. 3. Powdery
substance in urine is gone. (After reading here about how VLC diets can cause
excess excretion of uric acid, I’m certain this was the problem.) 4. Energy
and mood are way better. 5. I like what I’m eating now, I am sated, and my
instincts are no longer telling me something’s missing. This intangible
effect has made perhaps the biggest impact on my day-to-day quality of life.
Thank you PJ and S-CJ! Your PHD came into my life at exactly the right time
and produced exactly the changes I needed. Sweet relief! I am still working
out some hormonal issues, and fighting fungi, but my glucose deficiency
symptoms are gone, and I feel better than I have in a year, which is to say I
feel normal, finally. My husband has virtually no symptoms of colitis now.
We’re looking forward to his upcoming flex sig to prove that the disease
process has been reversed, so that the GI doctor will stop telling us that
there’s no way dietary changes alone could’ve cured the disease, that my
husband must be in symptomatic remission with a still-flaming colon. Doc
doesn’t know what to make of us. So indulge me in a bit of gushing when I
tell you I’m utterly grateful for both your product (the book) and service
(advice on your site). The one-on-one advice is a very powerful way to
connect with your audience. It’s as if I can *feel* the sense of community
and healing when I’m on your site. You’ve got a special thing going.
fungal
infections, low energy, impaired mood, constipation
Vincent I
thought others might be interested in the results of my experiments with
preventing constipation over the last few months. (See my previous comments
and Paul’s recommendations to me in this thread for background.) My regimen
was as follows… Diet: Added enough white rice to raise consumption of safe
starches above 600 calories daily; ate berries, turmeric, oregano, spinach,
and fermented vegetables regularly; initially eliminated tubers (which I had
difficulty digesting) and later replaced them with fermented tubers; and
replaced coconut oil with olive oil. Anti-fungal medicines: I respected
Paul’s advice regarding anti-fungal drugs, but decided to postpone using them
until after I had tried non-prescription supplements. Supplements: Conformed
my nutritional supplements to the PHD recommendations and added NAC; added
grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, Kolorex advanced candida care
(horopito), Now Foods candida clear, and occasional activated charcoal; and
tried a few probiotics, including ThreeLac.

After a few weeks of little improvement, I experienced my
first normal bowel movement in a long time (years?). After more changes to my
regimen, I now have normal stools on most days. The greatest improvements
coincided with the times I added fermented tubers and (later) ThreeLac. I
also think that cranberries, turmeric, increased amounts of safe starches,
the Now Foods anti-fungal, and removal of my beloved coconut oil were all
quite helpful. My victory is not complete — I still get diarrhea fairly easily
and the occasional hard stool — but the improvement is incredible.

Many
thanks, Paul, for helping me fix a problem that has plagued me for a long
time. I wish you, Shou-Ching, and all your readers the great health and
happiness you deserve.

constipation,
fungal infection
KirkC I
started PHD ten months ago after having previously pursued a low-carb paleo
approach. At that time, I had a toe fungal infection which made the toenail
of my right toe nearly black, plus it made my foot half-numb. It was getting
so that I didn’t even like to go for long walks, which I have done all my
life. After six months of PHD eating, some of the fungus had receded and some
feeling had returned to my foot. Recently, after a discussion or two on your
blog mentioned Epsom Salts, I added a nightly foot soak in Epsom Salts. It
seemed to me that almost immediately there was a reduction in both the
visibility of the fungus as well as a reduction in the numbness. As of today,
most (but not all) of the feeling has returned to my right foot. Although I
suspect the most recent improvement resulted from Epsom Salts, it might also
be due to other changes which finally registered results. Those changes, in
reverse order (most recent changes first): Nature’s Way Primadophilus, Yerba
Prima Bentonite, intermittent fasting, recommended supplements, PHD
nutrition.
fungal
infection
jtl When
I began implementing PHD a few weeks ago I cut fruit back to about 80
calories/day and upped starch intake with sweet potatoes, potatoes, sourdough
buckwheat pancakes, and white rice. Within a couple of weeks chronic health
issues such as itchy, flaky scalp, tense painful neck and shoulder muscles,
and cyclical vaginal itching had disappeared, my mood had improved
noticeably, and I was able to do a little weight-lifting without it wiping me
out physically and mentally. 2 weeks ago I cut out fruit entirely and began
getting all my carbs in PHD proportions from white rice, sweet potatoes,
sourdough buckwheat cakes, and potatoes and saw a dramatic improvement in
mood and ability to work-out without negative effects, and the
fuzzy-headeded/blurry-eyedness that I’ve felt intermittently throughout the
day for as long as I can remember disappeared. For the first time in my life
I felt happy, relaxed, patient, care-free, clear-headed/eyed, and not hungry
(I’ve always noticed being hungry in my head, not my belly).
fungal
infections, impaired mood, fatigue, dry eyes, food cravings
Juan Camilo Thank
you Paul, you’ve been a huge help and so far, the one who’s had the right
answer to many problems.
fungal
infection
Bill
(
comment 1 and comment 2)
VLC
sucked the life out of me… maybe I didn’t do it right but for a young active
male it is a definite no go for me and I never had dandruff until I went ZC….
Got way better with starches and is now on it’s way out with starches plus
antifungals!… I thought I would share an update on my antifungal therapy. I
have been taking 200mg of Diflucan along with 2 caps of Kolorex for almost 2
weeks now… so not much time but I have seen some very significant changes in
that time period. I am eating a diet high in sweet potatoes and lower in
fat/protein. Probably anywhere from 50-60% carbs, 20-30% fats and 10-20%
protein. Before when attempting this high carb diet, my digestion went to
hell. 3-5 bowel movements a day, starting with 1 good one and then each one
after got worse. Never diarreah but not well formed, etc (sorry to be TMI).
My sebhorreic dermatitis would flare up even though my skin was more moist
and healthy (maybe increased oils flared this). Allergies seemed to be worse.
Sleep was sometimes better and easier, sometimes worse. I went high carb
because I seemed to develop some thyroid symptoms on low carb that were
easily erased with a high carb PHD. Now, two weeks into Diflucan, my
digestion is almost perfect. 1-2 solid bowl movements a day all well formed.
No IBS like urgency at all anymore. Better athletic performance, smoother
healthier skin (the seb derm redness has vanished but there is still some
minor flaking… upping the bone broths, vit C, vitamin A to speed healing).
Congestion is much much better and my gums have stopped bleeding!
fungal
infections
Kirk I forced my toenail fungus into a major retreat by switching to the
Perfect Health Diet (which added more carbs, which, according to Paul,
supplies the body the glucose needed to fight fungal infections). I also
added in a number of their recommended supplements.
toenail
fungus

Hypothyroidism

 

Becky

Am
doing quite well on PHD … Having Hashimoto’s, I avidly followed your
Carbohydrates and the Thyroid series, and have found there is DEFINITELY a
thyroid improvement (energy levels, reduced neck swelling) when some carbs
are in my diet. Like Claire, on PHD my thyroid medication was reduced, but to
1/3 of the previous dose. This is all thrilling … Thank you so much for all
your work.
hypothyroidism
ET I
am extremely grateful to you and Shou-Ching. Your book and this website has
helped me tremendously. I had soft tissue recovery issues, joint
inflammation, skin issues etc. After endless doctors visits, a smart
dermatologist suggested I had a leaky gut and gluten sensitivity. At one
point Hashimoto was also thrown into the mix. Paleo and GAPS took care of
most of the joint inflammation and skin problems, but my T3 and some of my
thyroid symptoms got worse while I was on the (unintentional) ketogenic
healing diet. Your posts on this issue have been helpful, and I am now upping
my carb intake. I have bought the book to a few people in my family and my
best friend…. I am so happy.
joint
inflammation, skin issues, hypothyroidism
William Trumbower MD What
a wonderful series of posts!! I treat thyroid problems in my practice and
have Hashimoto’s myself. I check FT3/RT3 ratios on almost everyone. I think
this is the best lab test for your thyroid related metabolic state. The most
useful is the old fashioned history and physical exam. Old time thyroid docs
did this with no lab tests to guide them. The thyroid gland controls the
metabolism of the hypothalamus and pituitary. TSH allows the
hypothalamus/pituitary to receive adequate thyroid hormone in the face of a
hypometabolic state (starvation etc). Chronic elevated systemic inflammation
and malnutrition inhibit thyroid function and thus ALL endocrine function,
including adrenals. The longer I am on the PHD and appropriate supplements,
the less desiccated thyroid I require. It used to take 21/2 tabs daily and
now I use 1/2 tab daily. I have increased my safe carb intake as weight loss
is no longer my main goal and feel great! Thanks Paul
hypothyroidism
Hunter‘s wife My
wife and I have been VLC for a couple years now, myself probably a little
longer than her and I tend to eat more saturated fat too. She recently
stopped taking birth control and her menstrual cycle just stopped. Also for
years and years, maybe as long as the past decade, she’s been chronically
constipated, depressed, and always tired and wanting to sleep 10+ hours.
She’s been thru tons of tests and no doctor can find anything wrong with her.
I started doing some research on her results from multiple blood tests and
found her TSH has been slowly increasing and was at 3.13. We started checking
her basal body temperature in the mornings and she’s usually around 96….
Both of us have also avoided salt for most of our lives as well as most
packaged/processed foods that might contain salt. So we started supplementing
Iodine, starting about a month ago and slowly increasing the dosage each
week, as well as eating about 200-400 carb calories a day from white rice,
taro, and cassava (all covered in pastured butter). Some mornings now her
temperature has reached as high as 98.2 and her constipation has suddenly
improved a lot.
hypothyroidism,
fatigue, constipation, amenorrhea
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

hypothyroidism,
bowel function, mood
Joan Hi Paul

I haven’t posted for a while but continue to be an avid reader of your
blog. I thought an update was due.

Quick background: Crohn’s for 16.5 years. Steroids for most of that time
as other Crohn’s meds ineffective. Got off steroids in Oct 2011 after 14
months on an almost zero carb diet. Glucose deficiency symptoms led me to
your site. Added in safe starches in November and started to implement PHD
with recommended supplements. Did a home fecal transplant in December.

I’ve particularly concentrated on raising my Vit D levels
(supplementation) and optimising thyroid function (selenium and iodine and
increasing thyroid hormone). Both are now in the normal range.

All these things improved my general sense of well-being and energy levels
but the Crohn’s was still a problem.

I did a Metametrix GI Effects Stool test in March hoping to find something
significant. The results were disappointingly good: no pathogens; commensal
bacteria were all present (a result of fecal transplant??). I did have high
inflammation and red blood cells present, indicating active Crohn’s.

During this time, since coming off steroids, I was able to observe the
nature of the Crohn’s without the confusion of medications. My observations
convinced me that it was an infection and research indicates mycobacterium
avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is the most likely pathogen. High E.Coli counts
in my stool test seem to confim this.

So, re-reading you assertion that intra-cellular bacteria can only feed on
glucose not ketones, I realised that the exacerbation of the Crohn’s was due
to coming off the ketogenic zero carb diet and adding in too many starches
(300 – 400 cals). For the last month I’ve dropped back to 200 cals, kept to a
daily 6 to 7 hour feeding window, and added in BCAAs and MCT oil (I was
already taking coconut oil). My Crohn’s symptoms have improved steadily. I
have very little tummy pain now. I do still have some diarrhea but that is
probably due to the high fat content of my diet.

It is very unlikely that anti-MAP antibiotics will be made available to
Crohn’s patients anytime soon, therefore I’m convinced a ketogenic, low-fibre
form of PHD is the best way to manage my Crohn’s. Thanks for all your
information, Paul. I’m thrilled with my progress thus far.

Regards, Joan

Footnote2: My sister continues to be free of eczema. Thanks so much,
again.

Crohn’s,
hypothyroidism, general wellbeing; eczema
Michelle IME, a comprehensive stool test proved helpful. I found a fungal infection
which I treated with two bottles of ProEnt-2. I found bacterial overgrowths,
which I treated with Natren probiotics. The stool test showed gluten
intolerance as well, and seeing the results on paper helped me to take the
leap & kiss gluten goodbye.

I was also positive to toxoplasma, which I have not treated due to cost
and efficacy of treatment. Maybe down the line?

I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing
Doxy for it, successfully, since 2008.

My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is
improving iodine status and other micronutrient status, plus knocking back
infections are the major contributors.

I’m no longer anemic.

I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon
waking to help with low mood….

I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see
my labs improve. In my case, my labs tends to improve a bit ahead of
symptoms.

Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find
it helpful, as did I, to minimize your variables, and track your protocol to
the best of your ability.

Infections,
arthritis, hypothyroidism, anemia, mood
Java Gal Ok, have to comment – can’t contain myself anymore! I am a lurker of the
worst sort, but here goes. As a 54 year old woman, I am more energetic,
flexible (yoga three times a week), and healthier than I have been for, oh,
decades. My doc, a wonderful, but dye-in-the-wool vegetarian, told me to keep
doing what I was doing – cholesterol dropped, good TSH levels(I’m hypo), and
down 5 sizes. Talk about replacing a wardrobe! My worry, of course, is
gaining it all back, which, sorry to say, is an experience I have had already
in days of yore. I was an avowed low-carber back then and I can attest that,
while it was effective for losing weight, it was not a good long term
strategy. So far, as long as I stick to basic PHD principles, things are
going swimmingly. In general, PHD has been a huge success. Thank you Paul and
Shou-Ching!
obesity,
energy, flexibility, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, general health
Agatha Thanks for this Paul – very helpful. I have noticed my temperature has
increased since starting PHD – I used to be always cold and being warmer
feels much, much better – being constantly cold is a miserable way to live.
hypothyroidism
Peter After eating a meat and vegetables diet for a 1.5 years I read PHD and
added back starches. I had been craving them, so it wasn’t hard to do.

The addition of starches warmed my body temperature (always an issue
because I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), improved my energy level, helped
with symptoms of adrenal fatigue (as per Dr. BG), improved my bowel function,
and improved my mood. I also reduced my grocery bill (which in turn made for
a more harmonius family life) because I instantly desired about one-third of
the protein I used to eat.

Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat
mood. Clearly my brain was low on energy despite the “no human requirement
for carbohydrate” dogma.

Many thanks to Paul!

Hypothyroidism,
energy, adrenal fatigue, bowel function, mood

Carpal tunnel syndrome<

 

Justin (and here) I started feeling terrible in the winter of 2007. I went to five doctors,
none of them knew what was wrong with me. I had blood drawn about 15 times
for various lab tests. I was afraid I would be bedridden one day because of
the pain.

The first doctor who helped me did so by diagnosing me with fibromyalgia.
I was informed that my previous doctors did not believe fibromyalgia existed,
since it could not be tested with a blood sample. I began to have a disdain
for most doctors.

He started me on Savella 50mg/day. I improved on Savella, and was told to
do a cleanse diet to detect food sensitivities. Many people with fibromyalgia
have food sensitivities as well. I did not have the will power to execute
this plan properly. However, I was not going to rely on doctors anymore, so I
began my search for healing on my own.

I tried a few different things, natural supplements, and diets. Some gave
no help, some gave a bit of help, then I plateaued. Most importantly, with
regard to the food restrictions I tried, I had such cravings that I did not
care about my fibromyalgia pain and just indulged. Then, when I was full, I
cared about my fibromyalgia pain again.

I learned of the Perfect Health Diet from a friend in the summer of 2011.
I did not think I would be able to do it all, knowing my failures in the past.
So, I started small. I had a friend with celiac and was most convinced by the
section on the toxicity of wheat and other cereal grains. Thus, I began by
eliminating these. I noticed an improvement within a few weeks: I could type!
No more Dragon NaturallySpeaking for me! It was not carpal tunnel, in fact, I
still have bumps that come and go in my elbows and have to limit my
weightlifting when I use my biceps in any way. Still trying to figure that
one out, but typing is not a problem anymore, as you can see here.

In light of my previous failures, the key that made the avoidance of wheat
and company successful was that I could eat a lot of fat. After a few weeks,
I had some cravings for bread, but nothing as strong as my cravings for
things excluded in other trial diets. Now I have no cravings for bread.

I thought all would be cured by avoiding gluten, so I started cutting back
my Savella dosage. When I got down to none, I felt fine for a week, then I
slowly started to feel bad again. I got back on Savella, at 1/4 the original
dose.

I decided I would put more effort into the other parts of the PHD. Next in
line was vegetable oil. I had been eating a lot of salads, and I loved ranch
dressing. With a few false starts, I finally broke the habit of vegetable oils,
and was encouraged by some weight loss.

Next, I went half in on the supplements. I noticed the magnesium had
significant effects on my muscle soreness and neck stiffness. I read the post
on constipation and decided to add selenium, vitamin C, NAC, copper, etc.
Finally, I got started on working up to high dose iodine, with the
recommendation of starting low and doubling every month. In the last two
weeks I have been at 12mg/day iodoral, and I have recently noticed a great
uptick in my mood and lowered occurrence of stiffness in my neck. I have been
getting much more done at work, and have not had as much “brain
fog”.

In fact, it took some forced thinking to recall how far I’ve come. I used
to stand up very slowly, and limp for a bit afterward because of pain in my
hips. I used to try to play volleyball, but could not move suddenly or land
the wrong way lest I feel great pain. I used to accept that I would always be
stiff and have difficulty moving in the morning. I used to get random pains
in the bottom of my foot which made me limp. I used to take a lot of fiber
and was still not regular. I used to be 25 pounds heavier. I used to have
strong cravings for sugar, bread, chicken strips, and chips, just to name a
few. I used to have acne flare ups all the time. In the past I had to stop
typing every five minutes and massage my elbows for ten minutes; it usually
hurt to turn my neck; my shoulders were frequently sore; I could not throw a
baseball, a football, or a frisbee. Frequently, I could not remember details
of things I knew a lot about. I would get confused and get tired easily.

Now, I do still have elbow pain and some psoriasis/rash, so all is not
perfect. I am beginning to think these are unrelated to the fibromyalgia and
that the fibromyalgia is gone. I am at 1/32nd of the original Savella dose,
feeling fine, but will report back if I regress when taking the dose down to
zero.

THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER:

I posted earlier about my progress with being on Savella for a
fibromyalgia diagnosis I received a bit over 2 years ago. With following the
PHD about 40% or so I began to cut back on my medication. I did it too quick
the first time, and began to feel terrible. So, I stepped up the PHD
compliance of my diet as much as I could. I then began slowly cutting the
dosage until I was off completely 3 months ago.

I delayed reporting because I wanted to be sure symptoms would not flare
up again. Today I ran my fastest 2 mile time, then played ultimate frisbee
for a few hours later in the day. I feel great. I used to get extremely sore
from just trying to run half a mile, which was also pretty depressing. I am
feeling strong and limber with no trace of soreness.

fibromyalgia,
carpal tunnel

Arthritis, joint inflammation, crepitus

 

ET I
am extremely grateful to you and Shou-Ching. Your book and this website has
helped me tremendously. I had soft tissue recovery issues, joint
inflammation, skin issues etc. After endless doctors visits, a smart
dermatologist suggested I had a leaky gut and gluten sensitivity. At one
point Hashimoto was also thrown into the mix. Paleo and GAPS took care of
most of the joint inflammation and skin problems, but my T3 and some of my
thyroid symptoms got worse while I was on the (unintentional) ketogenic
healing diet. Your posts on this issue have been helpful, and I am now upping
my carb intake. I have bought the book to a few people in my family and my
best friend…. I am so happy.
joint
inflammation, skin issues, hypothyroidism
Morris
G (
comment 1, comment 2, comment 3)
A
couple of months after starting PHD there was an obvious improvement in mood
and cognitive function. Now 12 months later the mental improvements persist
but do not seem to be growing. … I’ve had joint “noises” for about 20 years
(I’m 72yo) but no direct discomfort from the noise effect. The frequency and
magnitude has increased over time but only very slowly. I tend to think that
the degree of crepitude correlates (weakly) with general joint health eg time
to recover from episodes of tendonitis or discomfort caused by overuse. I
have ignored this “crepitude” as being an unavoidable aging effect until
recently, when my manageable back/neck aches spontaneously improved and that
happened about 3 months after adopting the PHD diet (although I didn’t know at
the time that the diet was PHD). For example I can sleep on my back for the
first time in 8 years and turn my neck 90 deg without any discomfort. My
exercise regime has not changed from pre-PHD and is not too strenuous, about
2-3 hrs total/week of which most is moderate effort cardio with some
resistance. The odd thing is that pre-PHD, with the same exercise effort, if
I increased calories my fat would easily but slowly increase, but not now….
I feel great …  
mood,
cognitive function, joint function, weight
Alex I recently had my carotid arteries evaluated via ultrasound for plaque and
narrowing and was told there is no evidence of either. A year ago, just
before adopting a PHD type diet, an MRI of my heart revealed “significant”
plaque on one of my coronary arteries and less significant on another…. I’m
in my mid 40s, lean, active, and have seen many health improvements since
adopting the diet (less joint stiffness, no more chronic back pain, milder
colds, fewer allergy symptoms, less gas, less bloating, need for less sleep.
atherosclerosis,
joint stiffness, back pain, allergies, bowel distress
L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure
J.L. I just returned from a book club meeting where we discussed The Perfect
Health Diet at length. I have to say, I am most fascinated by the chapter
focused on chronic disease and infection!

I am a living testament to the power of diet and “immuno- warfare”, if you
will (a.ka. antibiotic therapy). I muddled through 32 years of life on this
drug or that, all in the hopes of ending my “not-so in love affair” with
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I was diagnosed at age 3 after a bout
with what doctors thought to be a cold virus, and that which followed was
years upon years of aspirin (24 chewables daily, to be exact), gold salts,
NSAIDs and DMARDs. Ugh!

Since beginning to uncover secrets of old three years ago, I have eaten a
Weston Price, biblical, Paleo-ish diet and dabbled in various and asunder
supplements. This part of my new-found health journey yielded results good
enough to keep me off prescription meds, but something was still lurking in
my body causing imbalances, hiding out in my joints and other deep, dark
places.

Thank God for my integrative MD…He ordered Metametrix testing, and lo and
behold, found parasitic and fungal infections (imagine that, right?). I
reluctantly gave in and started rounds of Flagyl (antibiotic) and Nystatin
(antifungal), along with Primal Defense Ultra probiotics and a much lower
carb/no sugar diet. The results have been nothing short of WOW!

I can sometimes feel the anger welling up inside me when I think of the
years of my life this degenerative disease has robbed me of. But as quickly
as the feeling comes, it fades when I’m reminded that I wouldn’t be enrolled
in a Naturopathic Doctor program now. Moreover, my passion in life certainly
wouldn’t be helping others with chronic, degenerative diseases if it hadn’t
been for those nasty bugs that attacked that little three year old girl many
years ago.

Thank you kindly for joining the crusade and bringing your diet and this
life-restoring information to light. May the Immuno-warfare games begin!

rheumatoid
arthritis, chronic infections
Michelle IME, a comprehensive stool test proved helpful. I found a fungal infection
which I treated with two bottles of ProEnt-2. I found bacterial overgrowths,
which I treated with Natren probiotics. The stool test showed gluten
intolerance as well, and seeing the results on paper helped me to take the
leap & kiss gluten goodbye.

I was also positive to toxoplasma, which I have not treated due to cost
and efficacy of treatment. Maybe down the line?

I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing
Doxy for it, successfully, since 2008.

My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is
improving iodine status and other micronutrient status, plus knocking back
infections are the major contributors.

I’m no longer anemic.

I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon
waking to help with low mood….

I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see
my labs improve. In my case, my labs tends to improve a bit ahead of
symptoms.

Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find
it helpful, as did I, to minimize your variables, and track your protocol to
the best of your ability.

Infections,
arthritis, hypothyroidism, anemia, mood
Thomas An unanticipated but very welcome result of getting on PHD has been relief
of arthritis in my ankles. I sprained my ankles dozens of times while playing
basketball growing up, and had slight arthritis in both ankles by the time I
was 26. Since then, any type of prolonged running makes my ankles sore and
painful for hours, with a little bit of swelling. In the last month that has
stopped completely- I feel great after playing ball now. I don’t know if PHD
is responsible for the relief, but I can’t imagine what else it could be.
arthritis

Back pain

 

Alex I recently had my carotid arteries evaluated via ultrasound for plaque and
narrowing and was told there is no evidence of either. A year ago, just
before adopting a PHD type diet, an MRI of my heart revealed “significant”
plaque on one of my coronary arteries and less significant on another…. I’m
in my mid 40s, lean, active, and have seen many health improvements since
adopting the diet (less joint stiffness, no more chronic back pain, milder
colds, fewer allergy symptoms, less gas, less bloating, need for less sleep.
atherosclerosis,
joint stiffness, back pain, allergies, bowel distress

Raynaud’s syndrome

 

Becky Hat
tip and thank you: After I started reading your blog, and adding in “safe
starches”, my Reynaud’s largely cleared up with temperatures over 20F. This
wasn’t the intention, but a wonderful side-effect. Last month, when the sun
came out and the temps got over 25, I enjoyed a successful 2-mile snow hike
for the first time in three years. =)
Raynaud’s
Kate I
too have had Raynaud’s all my life … In the past two months, I have modified
my diet in line with Paul’s suggestions for Migraine. I now eat 200 calories
worth of safe starch, all the recommended supplements, and as much coconut
oil as I can stomach. I am also doing the 16/8 fast. My Raynaud’s has further
improved, as measured by the fact I sometimes forget to turn the heat up in
the morning, and cold extremities don’t always alert me to my
forgetfulness!… Thanks for asking about the Migraines. They are in fact
vastly improved, which I attribute solely to your recommendations. I can say
that, because I have tried virtually everything else in the past…. Clearly
something remarkable is happening, thanks to your recommendations! A little
history. I started getting these headaches in my late 30s. (I am now 52). In the
beginning I thought I had the stomach flu, because in addition to the
headache I would always throw up or have dry heaves. The worst headaches
would keep me immobilized in bed for up to two days. My brother-in-law, a
neurologist, convinced me they were migraines. I finally consulted a doctor,
who put me on midrin, which did not help, and a few months later I started on
imitrex, which did help, at least at first. Eventually, my headache pattern
evolved, and I had at least a mild headache every day, punctuated by the
occasional doozy. Apparently, this is a pretty common progression, especially
with women my age. I always suspected there was something wrong with my
lifestyle or diet, and over the years I have tried numerous experiments, but
nothing ever worked. … In January, in my blog travels, I stumbled on your
site. I ordered the book and was intrigued by your and Shou-Ching’s ideas
about disease and chronic conditions. I was already familiar with the idea of
a ketogenic diet for epilepsy, so I was immediately interested in trying a
more ketogenic diet for myself. I ordered all your basic supplements, and
immediately upped my kelp to two capsules. I had been using coconut oil for
curries, so I started using it habitually. Started eating 200 calories of starches
that you recommended—this was a little scary, after studiously avoiding them
for four years! I was afraid I they might keep me awake at night, but I am
sleeping like a log. Started fasting 16/8, which was easy once you absolved
me for having cream in my morning coffee! Within a week of starting
this regimen my chronic headache started to disappear!
Some days I
would only have a headache for part of the day, and occasionally I would have
no headache at all! I read somewhere on your site that NAC is good on a
ketogenic diet, so I ordered it too. I had never heard of this supplement
before. It seems to have made a further positive difference. I have started
taking it twice a day. Once before bed, and once in the late afternoon, when
the headache sometimes starts coming back. Since I added NAC, I have
been nearly headache free.
Another amazing development concerns
anxiety. Over the years I have become somewhat anxious when I drive on
highways. I grip the steering wheel tightly, sit forward in the seat, and am
generally hyper vigilant. I always chided myself for my lack of nerves, but
that didn’t help. As mentioned above, this was magnified by the Topomax. I
never had this issue when I was younger; indeed I used to fly helicopters in
the army. Two weeks ago I drove up to New Jersey to pick up my daughter, a
3.5 hour trip from where I live in Northern Virginia. I stopped two hours
into the trip to make a pit stop, and I suddenly realized I was totally
relaxed, and had been for the entire trip! The PHD is strong brain medicine
indeed! Thanks for all your research, insights, and ideas. I think the
Perfect Health Diet is going to be a game changer for many people. Hopefully
it is the start of a sea change at how we approach the chronic maladies of
our times.
Raynaud’s,
migraines, anxiety
Anonymous (also here) I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose
of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it
actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing
very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I
feel like a new person.

Better mood

I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough
Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc.,
eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the
recommended supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has
helped me tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy,
more patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less
anxiety, and better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

Very nutritious, no cravings

This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish,
vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a
legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white
rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard,
butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented
vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a
variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

Intermittent fasting – easy

This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds
difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong
will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and
don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning
(even with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning)
during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during
the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally:
usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just
2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a little
hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer than 16
hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast – no
problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4
hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a
much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I
can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has
really simplified my life.

Raynaud’s

Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m
not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy
fat and Omega 3.

So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly
recommend it – it really has worked for me.

Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

Borderline
Personality Disorder, mood, energy, anxiety, food cravings, Raynaud’s

General health

 

Kate “However,
some of the effects of nutrient deficiencies are insidious and might easily
escape notice, because they develop gradually over months or years.” I could
not agree more. Moreover, while your your body may give you hints all is not
well, that does not necessarily point you in the right direction.
Particularly when you are embracing the latest ill thought out nutritional
theory de jour. In my case, I went from “carb loading” on my swimteam as a
teen, to thinking carbs were the most healthful food, which segued into low
fat, whole grain obsession as an adult. By my late forties, I had a number of
niggling health problems, which were partially resolved by a 180 shift to a
low carb diet, which I took to further extremes, which created more issues…I
think many people know their body is trying to tell them something, but in
the midst of the cacophony of government and health agencies’ dietary advice,
most people have no idea what to do. I am finally finding my way out of a
dark tunnel using the PHD framework of optimizing macro and micro nutrition,
getting tests, and careful experimentation. This is the first diet and
approach to health I have seen that really tries to reconcile all the
research, and consider all the traditional wisdom, in contrast to the usual
practice in recent decades of enshrining one or two possibly good ideas to
extreme and ultimately damaging dietary prescriptions.
miscellaneous
issues
Richard
M, email of Oct 19, 2011
May I firstly congratulate you and Shou-Ching for writing such a wonderful
book. After researching nutrition and health in my spare time for many years
I have never come across a book that has been able to tie all of the major
aspects of a healthy diet together in such a concise manner whilst being so
extensively well referenced.

The amount of improvements that I have seen since implementing this diet
is numerous. My energy levels are much steadier throughout the day (as
opposed to the constant ‘peaks and troughs’ I experienced whilst following a
vegetarian diet for 4 years); my cravings for sugar have virtually
disappeared; I have only suffered from one cold in the past 10 months as
opposed to my usual 2 or 3; my weight is effortlessly stable; I never feel
hungry despite switching from 6 small meals per day to just 3; the list goes
on!

energy,
food cravings, weight, illness
Jeanie Graham Campbell My husband is doing fabulously on the PHD. It stalled my weight loss, but
I felt great. Once I get down to where I want to be (another 7 or so pounds),
I’ll be rockin’ the PHD!!!
A. b. Dada I added back white potatoes and even white rice based on Dr. Harris’
advice and definitely feel better (less orthostatic hypotension) — plus I’m
actually slimmer than I’ve ever been, yet my muscles are much stronger.

Low carb for 12 years before this year!

orthostatic
hypotension, body composition
Ellen MM’s
nighttime numbness made me think about a similar mystery that I experienced.
I have had for the last several years, not exactly numbness, but a strange
burning sensation in feet and/or legs only at night when I would wake. not
every night, but frequently. If I moved my legs a bit it would go away. It
started after being VERY low carb for over six months. I hadn’t noticed, but
now that I think about it, it seems to have dwindled significantly, perhaps
completely. I have been eating 200 C safe starches for a three and a half
months now. Chalk up another one for PHD!
strange
burning sensation

Chronic infections

 

Jesper I
was struggling for a while and had to keep upping the abx dose every couple
of months to get the same effect as before, and not deteriorate. I read about
some of Pauls tips and started eating high fat low carb, and i felt there was
a difference. Also started doing ketogenic fast in the morning. I have a lot
less symptoms now than before and i feel like the abx hits harder, especially
true during my morning fast. I think high fat low carb is a good idea for the
people with this bacteria especially those who struggle with abx resistance.
chronic
bacterial infection
Natalie As
someone dealing with chronic disease (a very unfun combination of Lyme,
Babesia, and Bartonella), I know I’m always looking to find out more of what
has worked and what did not work for others. This blog along with many of the
readers of this blog have been a tremendous help to me personally. For
example, I now know I can avoid the daily “coma naps” if I don’t go crazy on
the carbohydrates. I’ve actually received some excellent diet advice from my
doctor, but he never told me to chill on the carbs!
chronic
infections
Thomas The
part of this blog post that starts “Thus common symptoms of a
bacterial infection of the brain are those of cognitive hypoglycemia and
serotonin deficiency
” and continues for several paragraphs describes
precisely the mysterious changes I have experience over the last decade of
life (I am now 33), with the one variation being that I suffer extreme
fatigue rather than insomnia or restlessness. Every other sympton, including
the odd mental state you mention, is a perfect match, and I experience them
all to a marked degree…. I have been diagnosed with general anxiety but never
depression. I do not feel sad ever, just irritable and anhedonia-ac, if I may
coin a word. Anti-depressants, and I’ve tried a bunch, do absolutely nothing
for me. I began to decline after suffering the second subdural hematoma of my
life at age 20 when I was in Italy, followed by a 5 year binge on alcohol….
I’ve been doing PHD for about 7 weeks now, and tried a ketogenic fast this
past weekend. I ended up going 33 hours with some coconut oil and cream. It
was a bit tough having to eat a bunch of oil on an empty stomach, but nothing
too bad. I can’t say there was any improvement cognitively or with anhedonia,
but there seemed to me to be a pronounced calming effect after about 24 hours
of fasting. I often stutter or stumble over words (again, for about 10 years
now), which usually goes away only with two or three alcoholic drinks. But
the speech problems stopped almost completely during the fast, which makes me
thing that there is some link to anxiety and stuttering. I’ve been on PHD for
a few months, and about a month ago went to the low-carb therapeutic
ketogenic version of the PHD. After reading some of Paul’s posts, I believe
that I might have a brain infection as a result of a head injury from more
than a decade ago (Paul, if you recall, my condition has a lot of
similarities to the one you once had). I started taking doxycycline a few
days ago, and I have already noticed pronounced improvement (whether due to
the diet or the antibiotic or both) in controlling the irritability and
anxiety that have plagued me for years…. I definitely feel great since making
the diet changes. My blood pressure, which has been creeping upwards over the
last few years to 135/80 or so, is back down to 110/70. My testosterone is
824, and I am pleased to see that I maintaining my strength in the gym
despite being on a ketogenic diet. The improvements I’ve seen recently have
done more for my well-being than anything in the last decade, and I am profoundly
grateful to you for all your excellent advice.
brain
infection
J.L. I just returned from a book club meeting where we discussed The Perfect
Health Diet at length. I have to say, I am most fascinated by the chapter
focused on chronic disease and infection!

I am a living testament to the power of diet and “immuno- warfare”, if you
will (a.ka. antibiotic therapy). I muddled through 32 years of life on this
drug or that, all in the hopes of ending my “not-so in love affair” with
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I was diagnosed at age 3 after a bout
with what doctors thought to be a cold virus, and that which followed was
years upon years of aspirin (24 chewables daily, to be exact), gold salts,
NSAIDs and DMARDs. Ugh!

Since beginning to uncover secrets of old three years ago, I have eaten a
Weston Price, biblical, Paleo-ish diet and dabbled in various and asunder
supplements. This part of my new-found health journey yielded results good
enough to keep me off prescription meds, but something was still lurking in
my body causing imbalances, hiding out in my joints and other deep, dark
places.

Thank God for my integrative MD…He ordered Metametrix testing, and lo and
behold, found parasitic and fungal infections (imagine that, right?). I
reluctantly gave in and started rounds of Flagyl (antibiotic) and Nystatin
(antifungal), along with Primal Defense Ultra probiotics and a much lower
carb/no sugar diet. The results have been nothing short of WOW!

I can sometimes feel the anger welling up inside me when I think of the
years of my life this degenerative disease has robbed me of. But as quickly
as the feeling comes, it fades when I’m reminded that I wouldn’t be enrolled
in a Naturopathic Doctor program now. Moreover, my passion in life certainly
wouldn’t be helping others with chronic, degenerative diseases if it hadn’t
been for those nasty bugs that attacked that little three year old girl many
years ago.

Thank you kindly for joining the crusade and bringing your diet and this
life-restoring information to light. May the Immuno-warfare games begin!

rheumatoid
arthritis, chronic infections
Michelle IME, a comprehensive stool test proved helpful. I found a fungal infection
which I treated with two bottles of ProEnt-2. I found bacterial overgrowths,
which I treated with Natren probiotics. The stool test showed gluten
intolerance as well, and seeing the results on paper helped me to take the
leap & kiss gluten goodbye.

I was also positive to toxoplasma, which I have not treated due to cost
and efficacy of treatment. Maybe down the line?

I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing
Doxy for it, successfully, since 2008.

My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is
improving iodine status and other micronutrient status, plus knocking back
infections are the major contributors.

I’m no longer anemic.

I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon
waking to help with low mood….

I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see
my labs improve. In my case, my labs tends to improve a bit ahead of
symptoms.

Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find
it helpful, as did I, to minimize your variables, and track your protocol to
the best of your ability.

Infections,
arthritis, hypothyroidism, anemia, mood
Louise My 10 yo daughter is being treated for a lyme/bartonella infection and her
LLMD is supplementing her with the B6 metabolite P-5-P, L-methylFolate and
methylB12 to address the MTHFR defect that is so prominent in a lot of kids
with lyme induced autism and immune disregulation. My daughter is responding
well to treatment; her speech, executive function, handwriting, sound/light
sensitivities have improved greatly with antibiotics and supplementation, and
the ~80% implementation of your diet. Thank you so much for your hard work,
you are helping so many.
Lyme,
bartonella

Fibromyalgia & CFS

 

Justin (and here) I started feeling terrible in the winter of 2007. I went to five doctors,
none of them knew what was wrong with me. I had blood drawn about 15 times
for various lab tests. I was afraid I would be bedridden one day because of
the pain.

The first doctor who helped me did so by diagnosing me with fibromyalgia.
I was informed that my previous doctors did not believe fibromyalgia existed,
since it could not be tested with a blood sample. I began to have a disdain
for most doctors.

He started me on Savella 50mg/day. I improved on Savella, and was told to
do a cleanse diet to detect food sensitivities. Many people with fibromyalgia
have food sensitivities as well. I did not have the will power to execute
this plan properly. However, I was not going to rely on doctors anymore, so I
began my search for healing on my own.

I tried a few different things, natural supplements, and diets. Some gave
no help, some gave a bit of help, then I plateaued. Most importantly, with
regard to the food restrictions I tried, I had such cravings that I did not
care about my fibromyalgia pain and just indulged. Then, when I was full, I
cared about my fibromyalgia pain again.

I learned of the Perfect Health Diet from a friend in the summer of 2011.
I did not think I would be able to do it all, knowing my failures in the
past. So, I started small. I had a friend with celiac and was most convinced
by the section on the toxicity of wheat and other cereal grains. Thus, I
began by eliminating these. I noticed an improvement within a few weeks: I
could type! No more Dragon NaturallySpeaking for me! It was not carpal
tunnel, in fact, I still have bumps that come and go in my elbows and have to
limit my weightlifting when I use my biceps in any way. Still trying to
figure that one out, but typing is not a problem anymore, as you can see
here.

In light of my previous failures, the key that made the avoidance of wheat
and company successful was that I could eat a lot of fat. After a few weeks,
I had some cravings for bread, but nothing as strong as my cravings for
things excluded in other trial diets. Now I have no cravings for bread.

I thought all would be cured by avoiding gluten, so I started cutting back
my Savella dosage. When I got down to none, I felt fine for a week, then I
slowly started to feel bad again. I got back on Savella, at 1/4 the original
dose.

I decided I would put more effort into the other parts of the PHD. Next in
line was vegetable oil. I had been eating a lot of salads, and I loved ranch
dressing. With a few false starts, I finally broke the habit of vegetable
oils, and was encouraged by some weight loss.

Next, I went half in on the supplements. I noticed the magnesium had
significant effects on my muscle soreness and neck stiffness. I read the post
on constipation and decided to add selenium, vitamin C, NAC, copper, etc.
Finally, I got started on working up to high dose iodine, with the
recommendation of starting low and doubling every month. In the last two
weeks I have been at 12mg/day iodoral, and I have recently noticed a great
uptick in my mood and lowered occurrence of stiffness in my neck. I have been
getting much more done at work, and have not had as much “brain
fog”.

In fact, it took some forced thinking to recall how far I’ve come. I used
to stand up very slowly, and limp for a bit afterward because of pain in my
hips. I used to try to play volleyball, but could not move suddenly or land
the wrong way lest I feel great pain. I used to accept that I would always be
stiff and have difficulty moving in the morning. I used to get random pains
in the bottom of my foot which made me limp. I used to take a lot of fiber
and was still not regular. I used to be 25 pounds heavier. I used to have
strong cravings for sugar, bread, chicken strips, and chips, just to name a
few. I used to have acne flare ups all the time. In the past I had to stop
typing every five minutes and massage my elbows for ten minutes; it usually
hurt to turn my neck; my shoulders were frequently sore; I could not throw a
baseball, a football, or a frisbee. Frequently, I could not remember details
of things I knew a lot about. I would get confused and get tired easily.

Now, I do still have elbow pain and some psoriasis/rash, so all is not
perfect. I am beginning to think these are unrelated to the fibromyalgia and
that the fibromyalgia is gone. I am at 1/32nd of the original Savella dose,
feeling fine, but will report back if I regress when taking the dose down to
zero.

THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER:

I posted earlier about my progress with being on Savella for a
fibromyalgia diagnosis I received a bit over 2 years ago. With following the
PHD about 40% or so I began to cut back on my medication. I did it too quick
the first time, and began to feel terrible. So, I stepped up the PHD
compliance of my diet as much as I could. I then began slowly cutting the
dosage until I was off completely 3 months ago.

I delayed reporting because I wanted to be sure symptoms would not flare
up again. Today I ran my fastest 2 mile time, then played ultimate frisbee
for a few hours later in the day. I feel great. I used to get extremely sore
from just trying to run half a mile, which was also pretty depressing. I am
feeling strong and limber with no trace of soreness.

fibromyalgia,
carpal tunnel
Joan’s sister Hi Paul

You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and
was taking 100 mls a day of safflower oil to keep eczema under control.

You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress
which is diminishing AA levels, and the safflower oil makes more arachidonic
acid and relieves the problem. So the strategy I would try first is (a)
supplementing antioxidants…. and (b) treating any infections. Also, get serum
25OHD levels tested and normalize vitamin D/A/K status.

Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started
supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins C, E, D and K and NAC.
Within 24 hours her eczema was much improved and she began reducing the
safflower oil. Now 10 days later she is down to 10 mls of safflower oil and
is confident she can discontinue it completely in a few days. Her eczema has
completely cleared and her skin is looking good.

Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant
headache is not as severe, irregular heartbeat episodes have almost
completely stopped and she is tolerating slightly more physical activity.
Needless to say she is absolutely delighted and wants me to pass on her
deepest gratitude to you. Her words are, “It’s a miracle”. Once again
Proverbs 13:12 springs to mind. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a
longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Her sense of despair and resignation
has gone and you have given her hope of a better future. Words seem
inadequate to express thanks for that.

I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more
than open to reading it and making dietary changes. I hope she will also
follow up your advice to treat any underlying infections.

Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the
safflower oil and could hardly wait for her next ‘dose’. That has been
replaced with feeling nauseous even at the thought of the oil. Obviously her
body no longer needs it.

In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice:
Determination of fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes of patients with
chronic fatigue syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14744043

And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s
findings: Oxidative Stress Might Reduce Essential Fatty Acids in Erythrocyte
Membranes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients
http://cfids-cab.org/cfs-inform/Hypotheses/nijs.demeirleir04.pdf

Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge
and your time. The effect is life-changing.

Kind Regards

Joan

chronic
fatigue syndrome, eczema

Acne

 

Els and here and here I have been on PHD for almost 2 weeks now, doing IF 16/8 at the same time,
and have started with the supplements you have recommended 4 days ago. Since
I started PHD I do no longer crave for sweets. I used to eat chocolates
almost everyday and haven’t had it for over 2 weeks now. 🙂 I am so happy I
found your blog and got your book. Keep up the good works….

5 weeks ago I found PHD website and ordered the book. I am now on my 4th
week of PHD and doing pretty well eating 20% carbs. I also am taking the
supplements Paul had recommended after I emailed him to ask what I can add to
the one I was taking. One of the things I immediately noticed after doing PHD
is that it improved the quality of my sleep (used to keep waking up several
times at night and that is now a thing of the past because I now sleep
uninterrupted for 7-8 hours); and no more cramps in my calves (that used to
happen occasionally after a heavy work out); no more menstrual cramps as
well. Also, today is the first time i had my monthly period that i didn’t get
a pimple in my face. I usually get a big, really deep and hard to get rid of
pimple just before or during my monthly period and my husband or a
dermatologist would actually help me get it out especially if I had an
important function to attend to. I was thinking that may be IF and the
removal of wheat in my diet did greatly help me in seeing immediate improvement
in my sleep. So yes at least in my experience, a great improvement in my over
all health since I incorporated the principles that I learned from the PHD
book. And btw, I have a very sensitive skin (Atopic skin type or atopic/atopy
syndrome – a hereditary component, as my doctor calls it because my mo and
grandma had it too) and I usually get itchy and/or red spots in my skin all
the time but in the last 4 weeks the anti-itching cream which I carry
everywhere has never been used even once. And to top it all off, I lost 3 lbs
in the last 4 weeks (losing the 15 lb excess weight is not even on top of my
list because I am trying to get pregnant). I don’t have any health problems
and hardly get sick. I simply want to eat healthy and trying to figure out what
diet works best for me. And I found it! Thanks to PHD. Thanks to the
Jaminets! At 42, 5’6″ height, 125 lbs weight, and doing PHD on 20%
carbs, I feel great! And yes, I am sticking with PHD for the rest of my
life….

Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my
carb intake to 30% last week. When I started the PHD 6 weeks ago, I weighed
128 lbs and now 122.4 lbs. I just hope I keep losing the last few fat I
wanted to shed off. Btw, I only weigh myself once a week at the same day and
time without fail and I also use a Digital Body Fat Caliper to measure my
body fat. So yes, I am definitely losing some body fat and no muscle loss!
That’s only after doing PHD for 6 weeks without changing my usual cardio
& weight training regimen. My trainer was very impressed when she weighed
me last week. I told her about PHD because she’s one of those people who
believes in eating 5-6 small meals a day. 🙂 I’ve done that for years but I
am definitely doing better by practising IF 16/8 and eating only 2-3 meals a
day. I am definitely seeing positive results since I started the PHD! The
elimination of wheat, sugar and cheese which I used to eat a lot everyday has
done great wonders in my body.

food
cravings, cramps / menstrual cramps, sleep, acne / pimples, body composition
Hunter and here Well I can comment on the topic of acne. Since starting to follow the
perfect health diet around the beginning of this month my acne has completely
cleared up. To give you a little history, I discovered both Cordain’s the
paleo diet and Sisson’s primal blueprint nearly 2 years ago and upon cutting
out grains and dairy I saw immediate improvement in my moderate acne that I
have been struggling to find a cure for since I was about 15. I turned 34
this month. At first I thought for sure that it must’ve been the 3+ glasses
of milk plus cheese plus yogurt plus ice cream that I was consuming nearly
everyday, but my acne did continue even though I was following a relatively
strict paleo diet, although acne inflammation was usually to a much lesser
degree than before I had changed my diet. I have still not been able to nail
down the cause, until now I think…

Cordain’s advice has been to avoid saturated fat and simply eat all the
lean meats, fruits & vege’s you can eat. So I had been eating as much as
10 servings of fruit a day, sometimes more, and less vege’s because well
fruit tastes better. And I had been supplementing with Carlson’s liquid fish
oil, typically twice a day. When I came across your site recently and started
reading your advice on fish oil, fructose consumption, and limiting meat
intake I adjusted my diet and have seen immediate positive results.

I increased my sat fat intake, mainly from coconut oil which I had
actually tried cutting out earlier this year (due to Cordain’s advice) and
I’ve started limiting my meat to about 1lb a day, and I’ve started limiting
my fruit to 2 or 3 servings a day while increasing vege intake, especially
from green leafy vege’s, while increasing my carb intake a little by eating
some white rice for the first time in years.

All of those changes I think are good, but I believe that in particular
the increase in sat fat intake has been clearing up my acne because I was
already experimenting with sat fat intake before finding your site and buying
your book a few weeks ago and I was noticing immediate improvement on the
days that I cooked my food with coconut oil compared to the days that I was
limiting sat fat intake. It was just last month that I was waking up every
single morning to find new acne forming on my face but the day that I started
spooning coconut oil is the day that stopped. Of course like I said it has
only been 2-3 weeks now so I can’t claim to have actually cured my acne yet,
but I’m going to continue following the perfect health diet closely and in a
few months I’ll have a more accurate confirmation. Hopefully a positive one.
I’ve even reintroduced some dairy back into my diet recently, per your advice
and mostly from raw milk cheese yet still in relatively small amounts.

BTW, I had already been experimenting with intermittent fasting for the
past year and I noticed that when I fasted my face would definitely break out
the next day. Since discovering your advice on eating green leafy vege’s,
berries, and plenty of coconut oil during a fast I have followed a 16/8
eating cycle for the past 8 days straight without any skin problems at all. I
also just feel “better” during the fast while previously, I thought that a
fast wasn’t a fast unless I consumed nothing but water and black coffee. Your
advice both in your book and on this website has been invaluable to me. Thank
you!

I’ve been
following your advice strictly for nearly 4 months now, except I normally eat
200-400 carb calories per day, and my acne has completely cleared up. My skin
“feels” different, it was like I could feel a change in the texture of my
skin. In almost 20 years of trying every prescription drug, lotion, cleanser,
etc, this is the first thing that has worked (accutane worked for about 1
year). I do nothing to my face now but wash it once a day and follow the PHD
=D

acne

Infertility, amenorrhea, PCOS

 

Hunter‘s wife My
wife and I have been VLC for a couple years now, myself probably a little
longer than her and I tend to eat more saturated fat too. She recently
stopped taking birth control and her menstrual cycle just stopped. Also for
years and years, maybe as long as the past decade, she’s been chronically
constipated, depressed, and always tired and wanting to sleep 10+ hours.
She’s been thru tons of tests and no doctor can find anything wrong with her.
I started doing some research on her results from multiple blood tests and
found her TSH has been slowly increasing and was at 3.13. We started checking
her basal body temperature in the mornings and she’s usually around 96….
Both of us have also avoided salt for most of our lives as well as most
packaged/processed foods that might contain salt. So we started supplementing
Iodine, starting about a month ago and slowly increasing the dosage each
week, as well as eating about 200-400 carb calories a day from white rice,
taro, and cassava (all covered in pastured butter). Some mornings now her
temperature has reached as high as 98.2 and her constipation has suddenly
improved a lot.
hypothyroidism,
fatigue, constipation, amenorrhea
S,
email
Two
weeks ago my doctor diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. After
chatting to me a little about nutrition and its effect on the body, he wrote
down the title of your book “The Perfect Health Diet” and said that
it could help me. I went home and immediately ordered the book online and
received it a few days later (yippee!) Although I’m not even half way into
the book (I decided to start again after discovering it’s not light bedtime
reading!) I am certainly seeing sense in what the book says and am already
feeling a lot better just in myself – more energy, happier, less hormone mood
swings and not bloated at all. I’ve lost a bit of weight since I started two
weeks ago (6lbs) and my skin is… well… the least spotty its been since I
was about 11 years old! I’m certain that the diet is the reason for these
changes.
PCOS,
weight loss
Brian P. Many thanks for your book and blog as it has helped me lose 35 pounds and
counting over the last 5 months, along with a general improvement in energy
level and “evenness”. Extremely gratifying to find a way of eating which is
sustainable, totally satisfying and results in natural weight loss. And, I
have yet to add high intensity workouts to my normal morning and afternoon
walks. I have been talking to anyone who has expressed interest as the
potential of the diet is obviously tremendous!!

P.s. I strongly suspect PHD played a pivotal part in my wife getting
pregnant naturally, just prior to starting her next round of IVF.

weight
loss, energy, mood, infertility

Genetic disorders

 

Zach and Mathias My
son, who is 6, … has been on the diet for less than one month and his
hands have relaxed enough for him to regain his pointing ability (which had
been lost)
. Zach, the 12 year old on the diet, is much further
progressed in the disease. Zach has been on the diet since late October,
2010, reaching 80% fat levels towards mid-December. The following are the
improvements that have been noted by Zach’s family and therapists: Zach
has begun holding up his head
even though his neck has been hyper
extended backwards since he was 9, he has begun pointing with his
finger again
instead of the palm of his hand, he is moving
his right arm again
some, and the latest thing is that he is
now able to go from a laying position to a sitting position
on
his own
by hanging on to something or someone. He has not done this
since he was 9 years old. Both boys have begun smiling and laughing all
the time
…. Zach has gotten off all pain medicine
and only has a small amount of 3 [anti-spasmodic] medicines left which
hopefully he can get off of over the next year.
Neurodegeneration
with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA)

Migraines, headaches

 

Rob Sacks By
day 23 [of a ketogenic fast] I became free of headaches. There was still some
sort of migraine activity — I could often feel the sensations that in all my
previous life, had always been followed by a headache — but no headache
resulted….Then I started following a diet similar to those used by
neurologists at Johns Hopkins to treat children with epilepsy, with calorie
restriction, frequent meals, and a ratio of fat to protein (by weight) of
four to one. After two days of this diet, my headaches stopped again. That
was only 48 hours ago but I’m sure the diet is working because I challenged
myself last night with a sure-fire migraine trigger by staying up past my
bedtime to watch the eclipse. Normally this would create a debilitating
headache, but the only result was a slight migrainy feeling that was easily
controlled with two aspirin. Before the fast, aspirin had no apparent effect
on my migraines…. A bad varicose vein is dramatically improved, and a teary
eye problem (which I think was caused by a clogged tear duct, and which I
previously controlled with large amounts of vitamin C) has resolved almost
completely.
migraines
Kate I
too have had Raynaud’s all my life … In the past two months, I have modified
my diet in line with Paul’s suggestions for Migraine. I now eat 200 calories
worth of safe starch, all the recommended supplements, and as much coconut
oil as I can stomach. I am also doing the 16/8 fast. My Raynaud’s has further
improved, as measured by the fact I sometimes forget to turn the heat up in
the morning, and cold extremities don’t always alert me to my
forgetfulness!… Thanks for asking about the Migraines. They are in fact
vastly improved, which I attribute solely to your recommendations. I can say
that, because I have tried virtually everything else in the past…. Clearly
something remarkable is happening, thanks to your recommendations! A little
history. I started getting these headaches in my late 30s. (I am now 52). In the
beginning I thought I had the stomach flu, because in addition to the
headache I would always throw up or have dry heaves. The worst headaches
would keep me immobilized in bed for up to two days. My brother-in-law, a
neurologist, convinced me they were migraines. I finally consulted a doctor,
who put me on midrin, which did not help, and a few months later I started on
imitrex, which did help, at least at first. Eventually, my headache pattern
evolved, and I had at least a mild headache every day, punctuated by the
occasional doozy. Apparently, this is a pretty common progression, especially
with women my age. I always suspected there was something wrong with my
lifestyle or diet, and over the years I have tried numerous experiments, but
nothing ever worked. … In January, in my blog travels, I stumbled on your
site. I ordered the book and was intrigued by your and Shou-Ching’s ideas
about disease and chronic conditions. I was already familiar with the idea of
a ketogenic diet for epilepsy, so I was immediately interested in trying a
more ketogenic diet for myself. I ordered all your basic supplements, and
immediately upped my kelp to two capsules. I had been using coconut oil for
curries, so I started using it habitually. Started eating 200 calories of starches
that you recommended—this was a little scary, after studiously avoiding them
for four years! I was afraid I they might keep me awake at night, but I am
sleeping like a log. Started fasting 16/8, which was easy once you absolved
me for having cream in my morning coffee! Within a week of starting
this regimen my chronic headache started to disappear!
Some days I
would only have a headache for part of the day, and occasionally I would have
no headache at all! I read somewhere on your site that NAC is good on a
ketogenic diet, so I ordered it too. I had never heard of this supplement
before. It seems to have made a further positive difference. I have started
taking it twice a day. Once before bed, and once in the late afternoon, when
the headache sometimes starts coming back. Since I added NAC, I have
been nearly headache free.
Another amazing development concerns
anxiety. Over the years I have become somewhat anxious when I drive on
highways. I grip the steering wheel tightly, sit forward in the seat, and am
generally hyper vigilant. I always chided myself for my lack of nerves, but
that didn’t help. As mentioned above, this was magnified by the Topomax. I
never had this issue when I was younger; indeed I used to fly helicopters in
the army. Two weeks ago I drove up to New Jersey to pick up my daughter, a
3.5 hour trip from where I live in Northern Virginia. I stopped two hours
into the trip to make a pit stop, and I suddenly realized I was totally
relaxed, and had been for the entire trip! The PHD is strong brain medicine
indeed! Thanks for all your research, insights, and ideas. I think the
Perfect Health Diet is going to be a game changer for many people. Hopefully
it is the start of a sea change at how we approach the chronic maladies of
our times.
Raynaud’s,
migraines, anxiety
Sharon
McAllister
Before the Perfect Health Diet, I was getting migraines almost every day.
I was on a low-fat, high fiber diet which is, necessarily a high carbohydrate
diet. I ate lots of legumes, lots of whole grains, and lots of fruits and
vegetables. I also ate low-fat and non-fat dairy. As you can see, the only
good thing in my diet was the vegetables. I was on this diet for about 4
years. My bowels were regular for the first time in my life, and it did feel
good to not always be constipated. I believed I was doing all the right
things. I now know that slowly over time toxins were building up in my
system. Eventually, I realized that immediately after eating a meal (a meal
that I thought was superfood healthy), I got a migraine before I could even
get up from the table. I couldn’t understand it! I began to research, and by
the grace of God, I found your diet and immediately purchased your book. I
have many migraine triggers, so they are not completely gone, but the
frequency and intensity have reduced substantially. My doctor has put me on
several different maintenance drugs over the years that were suppose to
reduce the frequency and intensity of my migraines, but none of them worked
at all. Your diet has done far more than anything else I’ve tried. I am still
hoping that one day I will be migraine free, but with my hormone related
migraines, it will probably not be until after menopause. I’m 48 years old
though, so maybe not too much longer to wait. My adult niece has also been a
migraine sufferer for years and she is now on your diet, and it is working
great for her too. We both owe you a great deal of thanks!
migraines
Karin I have particularly severe, chronic, complicated, and often silent
migraines. I have had these since childhood all day everyday. Because they
were often silent (no pain) they would manifest in various other ways, thus
leading to misdiagnoses of mood disorders and schizophrenia for many years.
At one point I was also misdiagnosed with epilepsy as well. After one
particularly smart neurologist saw and tested me, I was placed on blood
pressure medications for migraines. This worked. The problem is that my body
constantly fights to readjust to the medications. After a few months at one
dose, it seems I start to get migraines again. So it would go up and the same
thing would repeat again. I was looking for a different solution and I
stumbled across this article.

I’ve been on the keto diet for nearly a month and it is the best thing
that has happened to me. I’m migraine free and medication free. My mood is
incredibly stable, I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night, I have
lots of energy, I can concentrate for hours on end, etc. I’ve lost weight
also, a much loved side effect. Thank you for writing this!

migraines,
mood, sleep, energy, weight loss
Brian Paul, Many thanks for the excellent work and great book.

I started PHD a few week before Christmas, and even with a few holiday
wobbles, I can honestly say that I am already starting to see a number
benefits.

I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level
chronic ones – headaches, gastric reflux, fatigue, stomach bloating and
gradual weight gain.

Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either
gone or dramatically subsided. My weight is starting to decrease (albeit
slowly) and my energy levels /sleep pattern is far better.

I’ve recommended your book to family and work colleagues as a result.

I think the main plus point of the diet is that it is ‘doable’.
Eliminating wheat and reducing fructose has been surprisingly easy, reducing
vegetable oil exposure more difficult.

Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found
strictly low carb both difficult to sustain and left me not feeling optimal.

All in all I’m delighted, and so glad I found your website & book.

Many thanks

headaches,
acid reflux, fatigue, bloating, weight gain

Kidney stones

 

George
(email of Oct 14, 2011)
Just
a quick thank you for your website and the book which I purchased a month
ago. I had been a low carber for several years and over that time have
suffered 4 painful bouts of kidney stones. Your post on kidney stones on a LC
diet was eye opening. My urologist did various tests and I ended up with
having high levels of uric acid and oxalates. Incorporating your PHD, I
dramatically brought down my uric acid levels. I hope this and the other
benefits of your PHD will help prevent future stones.
kidney
stones

Diabetes & glycemic regulation

 

PeterC’s dad There might not be a perfect known diet for diabetes, but approximately
six months ago, my dad, an obese man in his early 70s with Type II diabetes
and recovering from congestive heart failure (with other health problems as
well), began following a not-especially low carb version of PHD along with
daily intermittent fasting.

Not only has he lost around 30 pounds, he’s been able to go off all his
meds except for insulin, which he has cut in half. Although his blood
pressure is still high, it’s pretty good for him, and most of his other
numbers have gotten better. His glucose is the best and most stable its been
in a very long time, possibly decades. I plan to write more about him and
show some before and after photos, with more detailed numbers and so forth,
when I get the chance.

He feels the best he’s felt in a long, long time. Where he used to say,
“If I live,” now he’s sure he’s going to live. Interestingly, he’s stopped
snoring as well, along with many other symptoms of better health.

I could write a lot more about him and plan to do so in the future.

diabetes
Daniel’s stepdad My
step dad was diagnosed T2D and had to take Metformin (high dosage) I convinced
him that his problem wasn’t high glucose but high insulin levels and that
Metformin was just a bandaid. I managed to get him to read Sisson’s articles
at MDA and follow the Primal Blueprint. This was NOT easy-he is very
stubborn. But Mark does have a way with words and now my step dad-in 8
months-has great BS readings and does not take any medication. His best
friend is also T2D and used to take 6 “mega shots” (his words) of insulin
everyday and now, after about 6 months, he is down to one shot per day. They
both have lost weight and both are in their late 50?s. Dont give up! the PHD
or Primal Blueprint are actually perfect to handle diabetes. Just dont listen
to the ADA!!
diabetes
Newell Wright I am a type II diabetic and a Perfect Health Diet follower, so I want to
chime in with my experience….

I switched from the Atkins Induction diet to the Perfect Health Diet. I
have been eating rice, potatoes, bananas, and other safe starches ever since,
as well as fermented dairy products, such as plain, whole milk yogurt. I have
also slowly lost another seven pounds. I enthusiastically recommend the book,
Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet.

Today, my fasting blood glucose reading was 105. Note that since following
the Perfect Health Diet, my fasting blood glucose reading has gone down.
Previously, I was suffering from the “dawn phenomenon.” My blood
glucose levels overall were well below 140 one hour after a meal and 120 two
hours after a meal. Only my fasting BG reading was out of whack, usually
between 120 and 130, first thing in the morning.

For dinner tonight, I had a fatty pork rib, green beans, and a small baked
potato with butter and sour cream. For dessert, I had a half cup of vanilla
ice cream. One hour after eating, my blood glucose level was 128 and two
hours after, it was 112.

So not only am I losing weight on the Perfect Health Diet, my blood
glucose levels have actually improved, thanks to the increased carbs
counteracting the dawn phenomenon, just as Dr. Kurt Harris (another proponent
of safe starches) said it would.

So for me, as a type II diabetic, this “safe starches” exclusion
is pointless. I realize that I have greatly helped my diabetes situation by
losing a lot of weight prior to switching to the Perfect Health Diet. And I
am taking Metformin Extended Release pills every day. Nevertheless, despite
the type II diabetes, I am doing just fine on the Perfect Health Diet, thank
you. I reject the diabetic exclusion of safe starches.

diabetes
Jim, email of April 2, 2012 . I am down from 341lbs to 272lbs doing mostly Paleo, but modified with
some safe starches per your book. Just so you know this is not just about
weight loss for me, I was a type 2 diabetic with full metabolic syndrome and
most importantly, I had popping capillaries in my retinas that were leading
to blindness. All is better now, no pills etc.
diabetes,
obesity, diabetic retinopathy
KH I’m type 1 diabetic …

Just this morning, I took my A1c home test (by Bayer) which includes two
tests in the box. Because of the unbelievably low result of first test, I
took the second one (different finger, different hand) to check… Results:

test 1- 5.2

test 2- 5.3 …

I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more
energetic lately and less moody, which my husband is VERY HAPPY about!!

Type
I diabetes, energy, mood
elizabethe I’ve struggled all my life with overweight, binge-like eating disorder
symptoms, and fluctuating weight and (undiagnosed but quite obvious) volatile
blood sugar. I’ve been roughly following PHD for some months now and it has
seriously reduced all of my previous binge-eating, hunger craving symptoms,
as well as vastly increasing the amount of time I can go between meals
without feeling frantic or emotional. I haven’t lost much weight, but my
weight has stabilized whereas before I was on a steady gaining trend.
binge
eating, weight gain, glycemic regulation

Atherosclerosis

 

Alex I recently had my carotid arteries evaluated via ultrasound for plaque and
narrowing and was told there is no evidence of either. A year ago, just
before adopting a PHD type diet, an MRI of my heart revealed “significant”
plaque on one of my coronary arteries and less significant on another…. I’m
in my mid 40s, lean, active, and have seen many health improvements since
adopting the diet (less joint stiffness, no more chronic back pain, milder
colds, fewer allergy symptoms, less gas, less bloating, need for less sleep.
atherosclerosis,
joint stiffness, back pain, allergies, bowel distress

Body composition, strength, athleticism

 

Ryan In a month on your diet, I haven’t lost a single pound—I wasn’t really
overweight to begin with when I start—but my body fat % has decreased 2.5%
from 17.5 to 15. I have never had an easier time putting on and maintaining
muscle in my entire life, despite the fact that I am not really doing any
exercise, well, save for a half hour of yoga, 5 days a week.
body
composition, muscle development
David Z. My success story: I’ve been eating what was mostly a “health food” diet
for twenty years. I followed the various trends and tried vegan, vegetarian,
raw, and more at different time periods. I’ve done juice fasting and
cleansing. At some times I followed it more religiously and other times less
so, but nonetheless slowly gained weight over the years.

This year I read Wheat Belly and started to think about cutting out wheat,
but that book rubbed me the wrong way and I wasn’t ready to commit. In
following up on it however I learned about paleo diets which led me to the
Perfect Health Diet. I was highly intrigued and implemented it before I even
finished the book.

I lost 25 points in the first two months on the diet, going from 215 lbs
to 190. I was not 100% compliant during this time period so was surprised to
see how effective it was. Since then I have mostly leveled off on the weight
loss while staying on the diet, but my pants continue to get looser and
looser.

190 is not a bad weight for me; I am 5’11″ and lift weights so while
this would be a high BMI I look pretty good. I’d like to lose another 10 or
15 pounds eventually but since this diet is so easy and pleasurable I’m not
stressing out over it and am giving myself as many years as it takes to do it
slowly.

Thanks!

weight
loss, body recomposition
Billy Greetings from Liverpool UK! I recently bought your book and converted
from paleo (one year) to using your safe starches and more fat which works
much better for me – i’m 28, athletic build and live a very active lifestyle
so super low carb made me look like i was literally starving – gaunt and not
good. I have some colour back in my cheeks now and much more energy!
body
composition, energy
Matt Dear Paul

I completely agree with the review on your book given by Chris Kresser. It
certainly is, in my opinion, the best book on nutrition out there. I’ve
bought copies for my entire family.

I’m an amateur bodybuilder and I’ve been struggling to gain muscle mass
for the past year. I’ve been on high carb and high protein diets but barely
gained any muscle mass, only fat and water mass.

I’ve read your book and greatly increased my saturated fat intake from
butter and whole eggs while simultaneously removing all grains, excess
omega-6 and fructose from my diet. I’m getting leaner and my muscles are
developing better.

What’s really surprising is that my calorie intake is higher and I’m
losing fat mass!! About 400 calories more per day. (I keep a very accurate
record of my calorie intake).

bodybuilding,
gaining muscle while losing fat
Java Gal Ok, have to comment – can’t contain myself anymore! I am a lurker of the
worst sort, but here goes. As a 54 year old woman, I am more energetic,
flexible (yoga three times a week), and healthier than I have been for, oh,
decades. My doc, a wonderful, but dye-in-the-wool vegetarian, told me to keep
doing what I was doing – cholesterol dropped, good TSH levels(I’m hypo), and
down 5 sizes. Talk about replacing a wardrobe! My worry, of course, is
gaining it all back, which, sorry to say, is an experience I have had already
in days of yore. I was an avowed low-carber back then and I can attest that,
while it was effective for losing weight, it was not a good long term
strategy. So far, as long as I stick to basic PHD principles, things are
going swimmingly. In general, PHD has been a huge success. Thank you Paul and
Shou-Ching!
obesity,
energy, flexibility, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, general health
John D. After ‘standard’ PHD (maybe too low carb PHD) for about six months I’ve
been doing Leangains-style for the past 3-4, and I too have better success
than before. (Success = weight loss without significant muscle loss.)

In my case I lift once a week (Body By Science-style), and on that day I
drive carbs above 200g. I do 60-90g carbs on off days. Protein is consistent
at 130-150g per day, which I know is too high for PHD but I tell myself it’s
only temporal. All days are 16/8 IF.

By watching calories (1600 off day, 2000 workout) I’ve (slowly) lost
around 15 lbs over 6 months, but maintained or increased my strength (as
measured by weight and/or time-under-load).

So I am a fan of LG + PHD. The big question is what happens when I stop
watching those calories? My entire life to date it’s meant a slow creep up
back to ~my starting weight. I’m hoping this time will be different; I’ve
been lighter before, but never had this little fat mass. We’ll see.

weight
loss, muscle gain
A. b. Dada I added back white potatoes and even white rice based on Dr. Harris’
advice and definitely feel better (less orthostatic hypotension) — plus I’m
actually slimmer than I’ve ever been, yet my muscles are much stronger.

Low carb for 12 years before this year!

orthostatic
hypotension, body composition
Mowgli When I started primal/phd, the numbers on the scale didn’t change, but I
went from a 4 pack to a solid 6 pack, and got much faster despite less
running.
running
speed, body composition
Els and here and here I have been on PHD for almost 2 weeks now, doing IF 16/8 at the same time,
and have started with the supplements you have recommended 4 days ago. Since
I started PHD I do no longer crave for sweets. I used to eat chocolates
almost everyday and haven’t had it for over 2 weeks now. 🙂 I am so happy I
found your blog and got your book. Keep up the good works….

5 weeks ago I found PHD website and ordered the book. I am now on my 4th
week of PHD and doing pretty well eating 20% carbs. I also am taking the supplements
Paul had recommended after I emailed him to ask what I can add to the one I
was taking. One of the things I immediately noticed after doing PHD is that
it improved the quality of my sleep (used to keep waking up several times at
night and that is now a thing of the past because I now sleep uninterrupted
for 7-8 hours); and no more cramps in my calves (that used to happen
occasionally after a heavy work out); no more menstrual cramps as well. Also,
today is the first time i had my monthly period that i didn’t get a pimple in
my face. I usually get a big, really deep and hard to get rid of pimple just
before or during my monthly period and my husband or a dermatologist would
actually help me get it out especially if I had an important function to attend
to. I was thinking that may be IF and the removal of wheat in my diet did
greatly help me in seeing immediate improvement in my sleep. So yes at least
in my experience, a great improvement in my over all health since I
incorporated the principles that I learned from the PHD book. And btw, I have
a very sensitive skin (Atopic skin type or atopic/atopy syndrome – a
hereditary component, as my doctor calls it because my mo and grandma had it
too) and I usually get itchy and/or red spots in my skin all the time but in
the last 4 weeks the anti-itching cream which I carry everywhere has never
been used even once. And to top it all off, I lost 3 lbs in the last 4 weeks
(losing the 15 lb excess weight is not even on top of my list because I am
trying to get pregnant). I don’t have any health problems and hardly get
sick. I simply want to eat healthy and trying to figure out what diet works
best for me. And I found it! Thanks to PHD. Thanks to the Jaminets! At 42,
5’6″ height, 125 lbs weight, and doing PHD on 20% carbs, I feel great!
And yes, I am sticking with PHD for the rest of my life….

Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my
carb intake to 30% last week. When I started the PHD 6 weeks ago, I weighed
128 lbs and now 122.4 lbs. I just hope I keep losing the last few fat I
wanted to shed off. Btw, I only weigh myself once a week at the same day and
time without fail and I also use a Digital Body Fat Caliper to measure my
body fat. So yes, I am definitely losing some body fat and no muscle loss!
That’s only after doing PHD for 6 weeks without changing my usual cardio
& weight training regimen. My trainer was very impressed when she weighed
me last week. I told her about PHD because she’s one of those people who
believes in eating 5-6 small meals a day. 🙂 I’ve done that for years but I
am definitely doing better by practising IF 16/8 and eating only 2-3 meals a
day. I am definitely seeing positive results since I started the PHD! The
elimination of wheat, sugar and cheese which I used to eat a lot everyday has
done great wonders in my body.

food
cravings, cramps / menstrual cramps, sleep, acne / pimples, body composition

Gout

 

L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure

Dyslipidemia

 

L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure
Java Gal Ok, have to comment – can’t contain myself anymore! I am a lurker of the
worst sort, but here goes. As a 54 year old woman, I am more energetic,
flexible (yoga three times a week), and healthier than I have been for, oh,
decades. My doc, a wonderful, but dye-in-the-wool vegetarian, told me to keep
doing what I was doing – cholesterol dropped, good TSH levels(I’m hypo), and
down 5 sizes. Talk about replacing a wardrobe! My worry, of course, is
gaining it all back, which, sorry to say, is an experience I have had already
in days of yore. I was an avowed low-carber back then and I can attest that,
while it was effective for losing weight, it was not a good long term
strategy. So far, as long as I stick to basic PHD principles, things are
going swimmingly. In general, PHD has been a huge success. Thank you Paul and
Shou-Ching!
obesity,
energy, flexibility, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, general health
Mike Gruber My TG seem to run a little lower if I eat some carbs. Pre-Paleo, I was
114. Post-Paleo, it had run as high as 167, and was 139 when last tested in
May of ’10.

I added “safe starches” and started the full PHD supplementation
program in late January of ’11. At my last blood draw (May of ’11), my TG was
finally under 100 (85).

dyslipidemia

Oral & dental health

 

L.B. I have been following a “paleo” diet for the past seven months – a
combination of the PHD book, Mark’s Daily Apple and Kurt Harris’ blog. I am a
47 year old male, 6’ 1” and 175lbs.

My health and fitness improvements include the following:

  • <span
    >25lb weight loss and
    better body composition
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of chronic gout (a seventeen year affliction)
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of “creaky” joints in my feet and knees
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of life long irritable bowel symptoms
  • <span
    >Complete elimination
    of heartburn
  • <span
    >Improved cholesterol
    profile
  • <span
    >Less plaque build-up
    on my teeth
  • <span
    >Reduced carb and sugar
    cravings over time

This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife
is also doing this with me and she has been able to get off her blood
pressure medication and she’s experienced many other benefits as well.

weight
loss, gout, creaky joints, IBS, heartburn / acid reflux, dyslipidemia, oral
health, reduced cravings, blood pressure
Ray Among many of the benefits of giving up gluten completely has been the
disappearance of a life long dental plaque problem (I’m currently 51); a
problem so bad I needed to have my teeth cleaned every four months to keep my
dental hygienist happy.
dental
plaque

Eczema

 

Firlefanz I’ve had a sore on my right hand for over two months now. Nothing I did
really helped, I tried fatty salves, zinc salve, disinfectant spray …
nothing helped. But this morning, it’s practically healed. No more red skin,
in fact, the hard skin part simply flaked off and left healthy skin behind.

Small, but noticable. This diet reduces inflammation in the whole body. I
think this was one tiny example of it.

hadrion I decided to give Perfect Health Diet a go first and see where that takes
me. What I’ve learned from asking question to the Jaminets and reading their
answers is that a little sugar here and there in products and the sugar in
fruit isn’t going to kill you.

I can’t do a low carb Paleo diet as I never feel right on that kind of
eating plan and I end up gorging on nuts more than anything.

After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive
changes in my body. My skin is clearer and less red. I’ve lost the
“bloat” I would get in my stomach after meals containing gluten. In
fact, I get full quicker on less food but the sense of full isn’t
uncomfortable; it’s just my body telling me to stop eating. I’ve lost some
weight in mid section that has been my most stubborn area as well. My wife,
who suffers from eczema, has had her condition lessened to the point that
it’s not an issue right now following the diet with me.

This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my
wife & I. My energy levels are more consistent and there’s less crashing
during the day avoiding gluten. I’ve had no inflammation although I stopped
my inflammation years ago following CS’s advice and using the supps he
recommends.

While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty
great. I really think there’s a middle ground between these 2 styles of
eating that will work for people long term. That said, I’m going to stick to
Pefect Health for a full month and chart my progress and then I might try to
introduce some Peat ideas into the mix and see how the sugar from OJ and Ice
Cream play with how I feel. I have a feeling that it’s not going to be a
problem adding in those down the road. I am following Peat’s suggestion to
eat a raw carrot and coconut oil daily,

What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel
extremely bloated after a meal with wheat in it is to try to avoid gluten and
see if your body feels different. I had gone gluten free before but all I did
was replace wheat bread with gluten free breads and I paid no attention to
the oils used to make the products. The Perfect Health style of eating with
safe starches like potato, sweet potato and white rice makes following the
diet easy and pleasurable. We even made Perfect Health ice cream which uses
rice syrup in place of sugar and it was delicious and totally satisfied any
lingering sweet tooth.

So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice
results.

Skin
redness, bloating, weight loss, eczema
Joan’s sister Hi Paul

You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and
was taking 100 mls a day of safflower oil to keep eczema under control.

You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress
which is diminishing AA levels, and the safflower oil makes more arachidonic
acid and relieves the problem. So the strategy I would try first is (a)
supplementing antioxidants…. and (b) treating any infections. Also, get serum
25OHD levels tested and normalize vitamin D/A/K status.

Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started
supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins C, E, D and K and NAC.
Within 24 hours her eczema was much improved and she began reducing the
safflower oil. Now 10 days later she is down to 10 mls of safflower oil and
is confident she can discontinue it completely in a few days. Her eczema has
completely cleared and her skin is looking good.

Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant
headache is not as severe, irregular heartbeat episodes have almost
completely stopped and she is tolerating slightly more physical activity.
Needless to say she is absolutely delighted and wants me to pass on her
deepest gratitude to you. Her words are, “It’s a miracle”. Once again
Proverbs 13:12 springs to mind. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a
longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Her sense of despair and resignation
has gone and you have given her hope of a better future. Words seem
inadequate to express thanks for that.

I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more
than open to reading it and making dietary changes. I hope she will also
follow up your advice to treat any underlying infections.

Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the
safflower oil and could hardly wait for her next ‘dose’. That has been
replaced with feeling nauseous even at the thought of the oil. Obviously her
body no longer needs it.

In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice:
Determination of fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes of patients with
chronic fatigue syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14744043

And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s
findings: Oxidative Stress Might Reduce Essential Fatty Acids in Erythrocyte
Membranes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients
http://cfids-cab.org/cfs-inform/Hypotheses/nijs.demeirleir04.pdf

Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge
and your time. The effect is life-changing.

Kind Regards

Joan

chronic
fatigue syndrome, eczema

Hair loss

 

Meli Hi Paul,

I just wanted to let you know that I was finally successful at adding back
in some carbs. I am now able to eat half of a small sweet potato on a daily
basis, while still losing weight! You were right, the weight gain (about five
pounds) was merely a temporary “hump” I had to get over before starting to go
back down. I was afraid I’d be stuck eating very low carb forever!

As a bonus, my eyes are no longer blurry, and my hair appears to have
started growing back. When I put it in a ponytail, there is a thick halo of
new fuzz where formerly my scalp was visible. I am suprised at how quickly
these issues began to resolve – it has been perhaps a month, if not less. I
haven’t been able to afford the supplements you recommended, but as soon as I
can I will get them.

You have my deepest gratitude, and respect. ~ Meli

Weight
loss, dry eyes, hair loss

Heart palpitations

 

Shelley I’ve been reading paleo, WAPF, low-carb sites for over a year now and
following your PHD as well. You can add me to the list of your success
stories as I lost 15 pounds , have no “cravings” eliminated GERD, heart
palpiations, panic attacts and other annoying pains.
weight
loss, food cravings, GERD / acid reflux, heart palpitations, panic attacks /
anxiety

Cramps, menstrual cramps

 

Els and here and here I have been on PHD for almost 2 weeks now, doing IF 16/8 at the same time,
and have started with the supplements you have recommended 4 days ago. Since
I started PHD I do no longer crave for sweets. I used to eat chocolates
almost everyday and haven’t had it for over 2 weeks now. 🙂 I am so happy I
found your blog and got your book. Keep up the good works….

5 weeks ago I found PHD website and ordered the book. I am now on my 4th
week of PHD and doing pretty well eating 20% carbs. I also am taking the
supplements Paul had recommended after I emailed him to ask what I can add to
the one I was taking. One of the things I immediately noticed after doing PHD
is that it improved the quality of my sleep (used to keep waking up several
times at night and that is now a thing of the past because I now sleep
uninterrupted for 7-8 hours); and no more cramps in my calves (that used to
happen occasionally after a heavy work out); no more menstrual cramps as
well. Also, today is the first time i had my monthly period that i didn’t get
a pimple in my face. I usually get a big, really deep and hard to get rid of
pimple just before or during my monthly period and my husband or a
dermatologist would actually help me get it out especially if I had an
important function to attend to. I was thinking that may be IF and the
removal of wheat in my diet did greatly help me in seeing immediate improvement
in my sleep. So yes at least in my experience, a great improvement in my over
all health since I incorporated the principles that I learned from the PHD
book. And btw, I have a very sensitive skin (Atopic skin type or atopic/atopy
syndrome – a hereditary component, as my doctor calls it because my mo and
grandma had it too) and I usually get itchy and/or red spots in my skin all
the time but in the last 4 weeks the anti-itching cream which I carry
everywhere has never been used even once. And to top it all off, I lost 3 lbs
in the last 4 weeks (losing the 15 lb excess weight is not even on top of my
list because I am trying to get pregnant). I don’t have any health problems
and hardly get sick. I simply want to eat healthy and trying to figure out what
diet works best for me. And I found it! Thanks to PHD. Thanks to the
Jaminets! At 42, 5’6″ height, 125 lbs weight, and doing PHD on 20%
carbs, I feel great! And yes, I am sticking with PHD for the rest of my
life….

Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my
carb intake to 30% last week. When I started the PHD 6 weeks ago, I weighed
128 lbs and now 122.4 lbs. I just hope I keep losing the last few fat I
wanted to shed off. Btw, I only weigh myself once a week at the same day and
time without fail and I also use a Digital Body Fat Caliper to measure my
body fat. So yes, I am definitely losing some body fat and no muscle loss!
That’s only after doing PHD for 6 weeks without changing my usual cardio
& weight training regimen. My trainer was very impressed when she weighed
me last week. I told her about PHD because she’s one of those people who
believes in eating 5-6 small meals a day. 🙂 I’ve done that for years but I
am definitely doing better by practising IF 16/8 and eating only 2-3 meals a
day. I am definitely seeing positive results since I started the PHD! The
elimination of wheat, sugar and cheese which I used to eat a lot everyday has
done great wonders in my body.

food
cravings, cramps / menstrual cramps, sleep, acne / pimples, body composition
Erik I also recall during the summer getting cramps in my calves and triceps
when I didn’t consume enough carbohydrates. It was very easy to under consume
carbs when you cut out grains and legumes. The cramping went away when I
added in sweet potatos, rice and yams. Now, I make an effort to get more
carbs in my diet. I also noticed that my body odor would be stronger on days
that I consumed less than 100 calories of carbs. For me, I have found that
very low carbing doesn’t work well and there are side effects.
cramps,
body odor

Multiple sclerosis

 

Sara H I am a non-menstruating woman who with MS …

I do practice ketogenic dieting (thanks to you!) and I definitely feel the
benefit. I have not been successful finding a doctor who will treat me with
antibiotics but will continue to search. I do the coconut oil but I am prone
to fungal infections so I am careful not to take too much. I once lived in an
apartment for over 2 years working out of my home and when it was time to
move out noticed mold on the ceiling and after further investigation
discovered that the heating ducts were filled with it. I’m pretty sure this
is where my health problems began.

I have had no new lesions since first being diagnosed and looking at me
you would not know that I have MS …

multiple
sclerosis

Body odor

 

Erik I also recall during the summer getting cramps in my calves and triceps
when I didn’t consume enough carbohydrates. It was very easy to under consume
carbs when you cut out grains and legumes. The cramping went away when I
added in sweet potatos, rice and yams. Now, I make an effort to get more
carbs in my diet. I also noticed that my body odor would be stronger on days
that I consumed less than 100 calories of carbs. For me, I have found that
very low carbing doesn’t work well and there are side effects.
cramps,
body odor

Leave a comment ?

553 Comments.

  1. Great stuff, and that’s not even the beginning of it.

    You can also add that:

    My gut feels better, I have better digestion with less bloating from fruit/sugar. If I eat some organic dairy I don’t get as many pimples as I used to, and if I do they are noticeably smaller, they barely become inflamed and they heal more quickly. Paul introduced me to the idea of a goldilocks zone for fiber, whereas in the past I either had too much (conventional low fat, grainy, animal-food-phobic) or too little (standard low carb). Also probiotic supplementation likely helped, which was also Paul’s suggestion.

    I have had other improvements in health since discovering books like the Primal Blueprint or blogs like Evolutionary Psychiatry, however those are the only ones that I can directly ascribe to Perfect Health Diet. But no doubt if I had switched from a low fat diet with grains to Perfect Health Diet I would have experienced the improvements in energy and psychological resilience.

    Blood Pressure is currently 115 S 60 D, I haven’t been exercising enough, and c-reactive protein is 0.1 mg/dl when strict paleo with 100g of carbs daily and 0.3 when eating moderate amounts of refined sugar, organic dairy and closer to 200g of carbs. I didn’t even ask about my cholesterol, in a couple of years I’ll get a complete test and take a picture of it. My doctor didn’t have any concerns over lipids so I’m not concerned either.

  2. The Perfect Health Diet rocks!!

  3. Hi Paul,

    I’m still sleeping well, close to 7 hours a night now. Yeah! My husband is sleeping better too since eating and supplementing the PHD way.

    Regarding the above comment on insomnia, I see I spelled doze wrong (dose). Please go ahead and correct my spelling errors so it makes better sense. Thanks. 🙂

  4. Hi Paul
    I see you have a couple of my comments from my blog – thank you!! However, there’s more.

    I adopted Primal eating in Feb this year to deal with IBS. It was moderately successful, but I didn’t get the energy boost I needed and never quite got over the bloating. Low carb worked for weight loss, but deprived me of the will to live. It was miserable.

    I’ve been doing the PHD since July and have had fantastic health results. I’m calmer, more focused, and have more energy. I sleep better and wake ready to take on the day. I didn’t lose any more weight on it yet, but I have been inspired (by the extra energy I have now) to start an exercise programme for the first time in well over a decade. I’m being helped in this by That Paleo Guy http://thatpaleoguy.com/ whose first recommendation was that I buy and read the PHD! Luckily I was already on board with that, lol. He suggested a couple of nutritional tweaks – the first was to stop eating butter in an effort to get rid of the final IBS symptoms (which has worked beautifully), and the second was to dramatically increase my intake of coconut products against the backdrop of safe starches. I’ve done this, and the results have been fantastic. As an overweight and almost completely sedentary woman, adding exercise was risky as I became really tired, starving hungry, and pretty miserable. Once I started increasing the coconut cream and coconut oil, and paying attention to getting the starches I need, my energy levels have rocketed. I’m thrilled, to say the least.

  5. Hi Jacquie,

    That’s wonderful! You couldn’t have a better adviser than Jamie. I’m sure more good things will be coming your way.

  6. Paul,

    This diet improved my sleep too. Within days of adopting your diet, I found that I was sleeping less, better. Not only that, but I started experiencing vivid and consistent dreams. This, coming from someone who remembers their dreams once every 5 years!

    The best part is, I didn’t even adopt your diet because I had issues with my sleep: I adopted it because I had issues with my energy and appetite. I lost 122 pounds 10 years ago and have kept it off since, but have increasingly felt sub-optimal as I pass through my late 20s. I adopted your diet because I wanted to feel like myself again–and I mean 100% myself, not just 80% myself. Thanks to you and Shou-Ching, I feel 110%.

    Thank you so much!

  7. On the whole, I’ve always resisted nutritionism and obesity-bashing, as I felt these overpowering social trends were responsible for a lot of mental anguish and low self-esteem suffered by people I knew. Also, so far as I knew, dieting (as I witnessed it) never worked, was depressing and disempowering, and posed serious health risks. I therefore never, ever weighed myself, and never counted calories or worried too much about what I ate. I did always have a preference for good quality home-cooked (and home-grown when possible) food in any case, and made time to cook at least one meal from scratch daily.

    But, during the 5 years or so while I was either pregant, or nursing, with my two children, I was often ravenous, and at work I could easily wolf down a full packet of biscuits (cookies) at a coffee break. Certainly the waistlines of my clothing expanded at that point, and never came down.

    In latter years, I had fallen into the habit of starting the day with toast and butter, continuing with more toast and butter any time I felt hungry through the day, until cooking and eating one healthy, hearty, satisfying meal in the evening – meat or fish, veg, and potatoes, rice or pasta.

    The day was always punctuated with frequent hungers, and while I generally resisted other kinds of snack foods, I could certainly succumb to temptation when offered.

    The point I want to make is that since last November, I have been researching nutrition and health, and have started eating in a more PHD style, (ditching the toast but not the butter) – generally eating two meals a day – an eggy/potato brunch around 11.00 or 12.00, and the same cooked dinner in the evening as before (but only with rice or potatoes, never the pasta). I feel pretty satisfied and well-fed all the time, and I know, from a set of measurements taken around two years ago, that I am 5″ slimmer in both waist and hips.

    And here is the clincher. I was driving home one day after a long trip that had prevented me from finding anything good to eat, and I stopped and bought a chocolate bar and a packet of flavoured crisps. And both, to my great surprise, tasted so utterly foul and fake to me that I couldn’t finish them.

    In relation to taste reward, my thinking is this. I am now operating on pretty full nutritional reward. Therefore there is no fake food “taste” that is capable of tempting my body to follow its false promise. When I was less adequately nourished, signalled by those frequent non-specific hungers and cravings, both the bar and the crisps would have tasted fantastic. I figure my brain, under conditions of less that optimum nutrition, would surely have been signalling reward for my pursuit of the prospect of making up a nutritional deficit – although it would soon have been followed by further “keep looking” signalling – ie cravings – once it became apparent that no true nutrients were to be had this time. Clearly this could be a self-perpetuating cycle.

  8. Scotlyn,

    Exactly.

    Somewhere Paul wrote to listen to your body and now that I know it’s not cravings or hunger talking, I do.

  9. I just noticed that you cited me here. Thanks Paul! I just sent your book to another friend interested in adding safe starches.

    Update on me. I am continuing to do VLC days with higher carb days with potatoes for carb cycling. This has helped enormously on many fronts: my energy for bodybuilding (my hobby), my digestion, and particularly bowel habits. I am surprised how satiating I find boiled potatoes!

    I talk about your book a lot in the paleo forums I am in. Zero Carb did me a lot of good to “reset” myself from the low calorie low fat vegetarian diet I did, but this way of eating is much healthier for me. I am so glad I added the potatoes. I had to convince myself to do it, but no regrets and only positives. I am most happy at how I am getting even leaner with starch! I always thought ZC would lead to the best body composition, but this is even better.

    Thanks again Paul!

  10. Thanks Katelyn! I appreciate the update and the recommendations!

  11. Paul,

    Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and I want to let you know how thankful I am for your work.

    I am 26 years old. In June of 2010 I weighed 365 lbs (at 6’4″) with a 52 inch waist. I have been hypertensive since age 10, and began to take beta blockers as a freshman in college. I was having digestive problems and that month was diagnosed with IBS. I wasn’t satisfied with what the doctors were telling me, and I have failed my whole life to lose weight following the conventional wisdom of counting calories. So I went searching, with some Google help, for some kind of help.

    I stumbled upon the paleo world. I immediately bought into the paleo way of eating. It made sense. I was very low carb for several months and very quickly lost 50 lbs in approximately five months. Losing weight was great, but I just did not feel “optimal” eating no carbs. My body temperature was consistently low and I often felt cold. As the winter approached it became rather miserable.

    I then found PHD within the paleo blogopshere. Once again, your fundamental reasoning and evidence just made too much sense to ignore. I began to follow PHD, while slowly adding potatoes, rice, some fruit and some dairy back into my diet. I continued to lose weight, and I began to feel really great.

    This morning, I weighed in at 213 lbs. My digestive problems have been completely resolved. For the first time in my adult life my blood pressure readings are normal. I am still slowly dropping weight, but I have noticed that my waist is getting thinner at a greater rate than my weight is changing, so I believe that I am adding lean mass as I lose fat. I have never really stalled, and the weight loss was quick and dramatic.

    Once again, I want to say thank you. I have a 7 month old son, and it feels great to know that I am healthier for him, and that I now have the tools to help him live a healthier life as well.

  12. Thanks, Ryan! Great story!

  13. I am a middle aged woman with minor mood, stomach, allergy, asthma, and fatigue issues, and MAJOR eczema issues. I’ve tried very many diets to help alleviate these problems. Nothing helped much till VLC paleo; resolved the fatigue, allergy, and asthma issues. However, stomach and eczema problems got worse, so I couldn’t maintain (plus I’d seem to feel more “angry” and impatient on it – not a good thing for a mother and teacher! Just didn’t feel calm and centered.) I thought that was just my body adapting to VLC, but it did not seem to improve over time. Just started PHD a couple weeks ago; already the mood and stomach issues are significantly better – what a godsend, especially the mood! I guess I was glucose deprived as you explain.
    My question – have people had much results with their eczema on your diet? That is the bane of my existence, VERY stubborn and entrenched. I noticed on this results page that many people had improvement with “skin disorders.” Does that mean eczema? Any specific suggestions for eczema? I am cutting out fructose entirely for a while due to one of your posts of a blogger who did so and eliminated her eczema; haven’t noticed too much of a change yet but it may just not be long enough. Eczema is a tough condition to beat. One odd effect – I still itch a lot, but when I scratch the sores don’t open or bleed as much.It’s like my skin is getting stronger (I know that may sound odd.) Maybe that’s a good sign?
    Thank you again; even if the eczema does not clear, the mood, fatigue, and stomach issues clearing up are enough to keep me on this diet longterm (and it tastes soooo good to eat safe starches again!) By the way, can’t believe how well I am functioning lately on less sleep; I wake up refreshed, calm, and energetic after six hours or so, that is a great feeling. I am feeling this diet is helping me to be a more centered and calm mother, and that is my biggest priority. My family thanks you too!

  14. Hi Julia,

    I’m glad you’re doing well!

    With the eczema, maybe you could test three topical treatments for a few weeks on separate patches of your eczema and get back to me on how they do:
    1) Topical iodine, eg povidine iodine or Swan iodine tincture.
    2) Topical anti-fungal lotion, like Lamisil or Lotrimin.
    3) 1% Hydrocortisone cream or ointment.

    If you do them all at the same time, but on separate patches, then that will control for systemic variations in immune function.

    Also, be sure to be careful about the supplements. Vitamins D/A/K2 are important, also vitamin C.

    Best, Paul

  15. Paul

    Many thanks for the excellent work and great book.

    I started PHD a few week before Christmas, and even with a few holiday wobbles, I can honestly say that I am already starting to see a number benefits.

    I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level chronic ones – headaches, gastric reflux, fatigue, stomach bloating and gradual weight gain.

    Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either gone or dramatically subsided. My weight is starting to decrease (albeit slowly) and my energy levels /sleep pattern is far better.
    I’ve recommended your book to family and work colleagues as a result.

    I think the main plus point of the diet is that it is ‘doable’. Eliminating wheat and reducing fructose has been surprisingly easy, reducing vegetable oil exposure more difficult.

    Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found strictly low carb both difficult to sustain and left me not feeling optimal.

    All in all I’m delighted, and so glad I found your website & book.

    Many thanks

  16. I just listened to your utube discussion with Dr. Mercola. WOW! I’m hoping you can give me some suggestions for my husband. He is 65 years old and has tremors that are getting worse. When he sleeps he sometimes jerks and ocassionally has dreams and talks in his sleep. He is overweight by 40 lbs. He has tried several diets, loses the weight and then gains it all back. He seems depressed at times and sometimes seems to have a slit problem with walking. He had a brain scan last year that shows he has 20% brain shrinkage. His memory is slipping at times. He has a family history of Parkinson’s disease and also Alzheimer’s. He has not had a formal diagnosis for either of these. He is a difficult man to get to a doctor. He loves to eat and especially loves bread, butter and sweats. I’m going to get your book but wondered what supplements and diet suggestions you might recommend for him. Thank you so much for whatever help you can give me.

  17. I am 55 years old and have had Crohn’s disease for 16 years. Despite repeatedly trying all the conventional Crohn’s meds (except biologics) only steroids were effective in controlling the disease. I was on steroids for 15 years.

    In March 2010 I started low dose naltrexone. At that point I was on 6-MP, 10mg of prednisone and my Crohn’s was flaring. It looked like I would have to increase the prednisone once again. The LDN exceeded my expectations. Overnight the diarrhoea stopped and the number of bowel motions reduced by half. The brain fog lifted (this may be due to coming off 6-MP rather than starting the LDN). Weight loss stopped and for a short period I gained weight, then it stabilized. Nausea was gone by day 5 and tummy pains more slowly decreased. I stopped the 6-MP.

    I experienced a real surge of energy in the first 3 days on LDN but then on day 4 came down with flu-like symptoms. I have since learnt this is not uncommon. The explanation on the forums is that LDN stirs up candida (I still haven’t figured out what that really means). This led me to an anti-candida diet, then very low carb and finally a virtually zero carb diet. This gave me the improvement I was looking for. The slow process of weaning off steroids began and 15 months later (October 2011 I was completely off them).

    I was off steroids, the Crohn’s was under control (altho my CRP remained high) but I had multiple other problems which I was attributing to adrenal fatigue. However, after tests, I was incredulous when I found that my cortisol levels were sky high and my thyroid rock-bottom. Searching the net for answers led to my discovery of this amazing site. I had all the glucose-deficiency symptoms.

    Two months ago I cautiously introduced my first carbs – potato probably wasn’t the best first choice; sweet potato no better! I finally settled on white rice. Since then I’ve changed my supplement regime to match PHD recommendations, changed my ratios to approx 22% c, 12% p, 66% fat. I daily eat fermented veggies, keep fibre to a minimum (any non-fermented veggies are cooked until mushy) and avoid all dairy except butter. I’ve done a fecal transplant at home (I’ll post separately about that on the fecal transplant thread) I had lots of coconut oil on the zc diet so have continued with that. I’ve also re-started taking melatonin which has improved my sleep greatly. I do find a direct correlation with my quality of sleep and my well-being the next day. I’ve experimented with IF but I get hypogylcemic after about 14 to 15 hours and have found I can’t take coconut oil without food; so eat in a 9 to 10 hour window. I clearly have both fungal and bacterial infections so find it confusing at times to know the best course of action.

    Results? Well, I’m still off steroids which my gastroenterologist didn’t think would happen! I do still get diarrhea and pain at times but that is often a result of my experimentation with different things. I got alot of bloating and gas when I first introduced carbs and 100g of rice (uncooked weight) looked enormous. The bloating is decreasing and my stomach capacity must have increased! I’m getting closer to understanding what works for me so hope things will settle down further. A major improvement has been my increase in energy; I no longer require one or 2 naps during the day and I’m slowly upping my exercise.

    It definitely is a “work in progress” but I feel confident this is the right path. Steroids have wrecked my body (I have an artificial hip due to osteoporosis) and the future looked grim. Thank you Paul and Shou-Ching for giving me hope.

    My plan now is to give the diet and supps 6 months, then explore stool testing and anti-biotic treatment.

    Kind Regards
    Joan

  18. Hi Joann,

    It’s good that he has you to help him. I am convinced this is a curable condition but it is not easy.

    I believe that sort of brain shrinkage and nerve damage is almost always caused by bacterial and/or viral infections in the brain which lead to neuronal death.

    The best diet for this is a well nourishing ketogenic diet. Basically, he should follow our diet, but reduce carbs a little bit more — into the 200-400 calorie per day range — and eat plenty of coconut oil, coconut milk, or MCT oil. Intermittent fasting is also a good idea, taking some coconut oil or MCT oil during the fast.

    You might want to follow our regular diet for a little while, then try making it ketogenic by adding coconut oil and reducing carbs, and see what the effect is.

    He needs to be well nourished. Good foods – liver, egg yolks, shellfish and salmon, seaweed, butter, potatoes, bone broth, leafy green vegetables. Eat according to our food plate. If he can substitute rice products for the bread and eliminate sweets (rice syrup if he needs a sweet taste, or Xylitol), that would be great.

    In addition to nourishing food, supplements are desirable. I would take the B-vitamins and NAC (listed under “therapeutic supplements”) as well as the standard supplements on our recommended supplements page: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?page_id=1066.

    Check out our circadian rhythm posts: https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=site:perfecthealthdiet.com+circadian+rhythm+therapy&pbx=1&oq=site:perfecthealthdiet.com+circadian+rhythm+therapy&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1229l11231l0l11616l53l43l1l0l0l0l276l6569l6.34.3l44l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=a76f04b08dc68692&biw=1368&bih=842. Melatonin may help his sleep, he can try it.

    Let me know how he does. Eating well is the first step. After he has eaten and supplemented well for 3 months then I would test antibiotics and see if they help.

    Be sure to read the earlier posts in the Alzheimer’s category: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?cat=37. All of these brain infections are similar.

    Best, Paul

  19. Hi Joan,

    Congratulations on the progress you’ve made versus your Crohn’s. Gut infections, especially from multiple pathogens simultaneously, are some of the most difficult diseases to cure (because you can’t stop feeding yourself, and therefore them!); and Crohn’s may be the toughest of them all. It’s great that you’ve made the progress you have.

    I’m glad you’re off the steroids, and your plan sounds very sensible. Best wishes to you and please keep me posted on your progress.

    Best, Paul

  20. Hi Paul, Thank you again! You helped my mom who has suffered with chronic constipation for 60 plus years. She had taken Senna for decades. I read your post about using Magnesium Citrate instead. It works like a charm and she is no longer taking toxic Senna. Thank you!

  21. Hi Paul, I have incredible news, my food intolerances are gone!! I just returned from a trip to India and Nepal, and while on the trip discovered I could eat anything with no reaction. If you recall from my questions in the Q&A section, I had severe histamine intolerance and fructose intolerance. After doing GAPS + buckwheat (but no ferments) for 7-8 months last year, I got worse, but after adding rice, via PHD and supplementing Vit C and D last fall, I felt a lot better, but still had the severe intolerances. I took ivermectin in early December after my stool test indicated the parasite strongyloides, but there was no noticeable change. For the trip to India, my doctor recommended artemisinin, 200 mg 2 x a day for prevention of malaria. I started it 2 weeks before the trip and had 3 days of mild die-off. It took about 2 weeks before I realized I could eat anything. Now that I am home, I cannot wait to add ferments or many of the simple things like tomatoes that I could not tolerate before.

    I definitely credit PHD as well as your thinking about infection and parasites for helping me. Thank you so much.

  22. Hi Naomi,

    Awesome! Congratulations!

    I see from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisinin) that “Artemisinins were later found to possess a broad spectrum of activity against a wide range of trematodes, including Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni, S. haematobium, Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica and Opisthorchis viverrini.”

    You’re fortunate you have a cooperative doctor willing to do tests and prescribe antimicrobials. I love to see everything come together! And thanks much for sharing your results.

    Best, Paul

  23. Hi Paul

    You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and was taking 100 mls a day of safflower oil to keep eczema under control.

    You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress which is diminishing AA levels, and the safflower oil makes more arachidonic acid and relieves the problem. So the strategy I would try first is (a) supplementing antioxidants…. and (b) treating any infections. Also, get serum 25OHD levels tested and normalize vitamin D/A/K status.

    Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins C, E, D and K and NAC. Within 24 hours her eczema was much improved and she began reducing the safflower oil. Now 10 days later she is down to 10 mls of safflower oil and is confident she can discontinue it completely in a few days. Her eczema has completely cleared and her skin is looking good.

    Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant headache is not as severe, irregular heartbeat episodes have almost completely stopped and she is tolerating slightly more physical activity. Needless to say she is absolutely delighted and wants me to pass on her deepest gratitude to you. Her words are, “It’s a miracle”. Once again Proverbs 13:12 springs to mind. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Her sense of despair and resignation has gone and you have given her hope of a better future. Words seem inadequate to express thanks for that.

    I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more than open to reading it and making dietary changes. I hope she will also follow up your advice to treat any underlying infections.

    Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the safflower oil and could hardly wait for her next ‘dose’. That has been replaced with feeling nauseous even at the thought of the oil. Obviously her body no longer needs it.

    In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice: Determination of fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14744043

    And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s findings: Oxidative Stress Might Reduce Essential Fatty Acids in Erythrocyte Membranes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients http://cfids-cab.org/cfs-inform/Hypotheses/nijs.demeirleir04.pdf

    Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and your time. The effect is life-changing.

    Kind Regards
    Joan

  24. Hi Joan,

    That’s wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your sister’s results. It’s fascinating, it seemed the obvious answer but even I am surprised how quickly she saw results.

    Fascinating that the food reward system could tell she was short of AA and direct her specifically to omega-6 fats.

    Please give my best regards to your sister, hopefully she can get to the bottom of everything and find perfect health.

    Best, Paul

  25. Hi Paul,
    Thank you so much for the fantastic information! I am one of the new followers of the PHD. I listened to the your interview with Dr. Mercola and wanted to learn more. I bought your book and started reading it immediately. I am about 3/4 through it and all the information is just fascinating. For about 12 years now I’ve been suffering from acid reflux. Trying many different medicines including the deadly “purple pill”. I was on this for roughly 7 years and just up until recently I started experiencing more and more heartburn and a boat load of other problems. I was tested and poked and prodded and what the doctors came up with is that my gastric levels were elevated. He recommended I get off the PPI and switch back to the H2. I did this for 3 more years but recently I started getting uncontrollable heartburn all the time. I then checked out your interview about 2 weeks ago and started on the PHD for about a week now and have not had to take my ranitadine in 5 days. It almost seems to good to be true. I am very grateful for the information in your book. Thank you very much!

    Unfortunately I do have one issue that has creeped up in the last few days. I developed a cramp in my left calf. I did a search on your blog and haven’t found anything. I did a search on Google and found that many people recommend magnesium citrate. Is this a common problem for people on the PHD? and is this the correct supplement? I still need to get a mutilvitamin that you mentioned in the book.
    Thanks again Paul!!
    Nick

  26. Hi Nick,

    Congratulations on the heartburn! So sorry you had to live with it so many years.

    The cramping is due to one of two things: (1) you’re too low carb, or (2) you’re deficient in electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, salt, water, and calcium are all possibilities). Try to get 400-600 calories a day from starches, and try eating more potassium rich plants (eg bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables). We strongly recommend that everyone supplement magnesium, at least 200 mg/day; magnesium citrate is fine. If you haven’t been getting adequate dietary salt, eat some, and drink adequate water to remain hydrated. Calcium is the least likely to be a problem, but a modest amount of food sources of calcium, or a calcium-containing multivitamin, are desirable.

    Best, Paul

  27. Get ready, this comment is long.

    I started feeling terrible in the winter of 2007. I went to five doctors, none of them knew what was wrong with me. I had blood drawn about 15 times for various lab tests. I was afraid I would be bedridden one day because of the pain.

    The first doctor who helped me did so by diagnosing me with fibromyalgia. I was informed that my previous doctors did not believe fibromyalgia existed, since it could not be tested with a blood sample. I began to have a disdain for most doctors.

    He started me on Savella 50mg/day. I improved on Savella, and was told to do a cleanse diet to detect food sensitivities. Many people with fibromyalgia have food sensitivities as well. I did not have the will power to execute this plan properly. However, I was not going to rely on doctors anymore, so I began my search for healing on my own.

    I tried a few different things, natural supplements, and diets. Some gave no help, some gave a bit of help, then I plateaued. Most importantly, with regard to the food restrictions I tried, I had such cravings that I did not care about my fibromyalgia pain and just indulged. Then, when I was full, I cared about my fibromyalgia pain again.

    I learned of the Perfect Health Diet from a friend in the summer of 2011. I did not think I would be able to do it all, knowing my failures in the past. So, I started small. I had a friend with celiac and was most convinced by the section on the toxicity of wheat and other cereal grains. Thus, I began by eliminating these. I noticed an improvement within a few weeks: I could type! No more Dragon NaturallySpeaking for me! It was not carpal tunnel, in fact, I still have bumps that come and go in my elbows and have to limit my weightlifting when I use my biceps in any way. Still trying to figure that one out, but typing is not a problem anymore, as you can see here.

    In light of my previous failures, the key that made the avoidance of wheat and company successful was that I could eat a lot of fat. After a few weeks, I had some cravings for bread, but nothing as strong as my cravings for things excluded in other trial diets. Now I have no cravings for bread.

    I thought all would be cured by avoiding gluten, so I started cutting back my Savella dosage. When I got down to none, I felt fine for a week, then I slowly started to feel bad again. I got back on Savella, at 1/4 the original dose.

    I decided I would put more effort into the other parts of the PHD. Next in line was vegetable oil. I had been eating a lot of salads, and I loved ranch dressing. With a few false starts, I finally broke the habit of vegetable oils, and was encouraged by some weight loss.

    Next, I went half in on the supplements. I noticed the magnesium had significant effects on my muscle soreness and neck stiffness. I read the post on constipation and decided to add selenium, vitamin C, NAC, copper, etc. Finally, I got started on working up to high dose iodine, with the recommendation of starting low and doubling every month. In the last two weeks I have been at 12mg/day iodoral, and I have recently noticed a great uptick in my mood and lowered occurrence of stiffness in my neck. I have been getting much more done at work, and have not had as much “brain fog”.

    In fact, it took some forced thinking to recall how far I’ve come. I used to stand up very slowly, and limp for a bit afterward because of pain in my hips. I used to try to play volleyball, but could not move suddenly or land the wrong way lest I feel great pain. I used to accept that I would always be stiff and have difficulty moving in the morning. I used to get random pains in the bottom of my foot which made me limp. I used to take a lot of fiber and was still not regular. I used to be 25 pounds heavier. I used to have strong cravings for sugar, bread, chicken strips, and chips, just to name a few. I used to have acne flare ups all the time. In the past I had to stop typing every five minutes and massage my elbows for ten minutes; it usually hurt to turn my neck; my shoulders were frequently sore; I could not throw a baseball, a football, or a frisbee. Frequently, I could not remember details of things I knew a lot about. I would get confused and get tired easily.

    Now, I do still have elbow pain and some psoriasis/rash, so all is not perfect. I am beginning to think these are unrelated to the fibromyalgia and that the fibromyalgia is gone. I am at 1/32nd of the original Savella dose, feeling fine, but will report back if I regress when taking the dose down to zero.

    Concerning negative side effects on the diet, I gave the ketogenic, heavy coconut oil fast a serious try. That whole night I was feeling like I was going to vomit or pass out. I couldn’t stand the smell of coconut oil for a week or two after that.

    In summary, the diet is doable. I am below average in will power, but the food is delicious, so I was able to maintain it. Though, it should be said, there is a learning curve to many of the recipes for those without much skill in the kitchen. The diet can be followed a little bit at a time, with results, as I did. It gets easier over time, so it really is appropriate for a lifestyle of eating, not just a temporary medicinal diet. Finally, it is not an avoidance diet. That is, it is not like a diet of someone avoiding gluten who tries to simply eat a bunch of gluten free versions of what he used to eat. It opens up a whole new world of delicious, nourishing, healthful foods that most people are just missing out on!

  28. Thanks for the quick follow up Paul! I will try increasing my carb intake and take a magnesium supplement. I still need to find a good multi.
    I will report back with the results.
    Thanks again!
    Nick

  29. Borderline Personality
    I have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and am taking a very low dose of risperdal (same drug in higher doses used to treat schizophrenia).

    I had been doing very low carb for many years and do now wonder if it actually made my symptoms much worse. (I was diagnosed with BPD while doing very low carb.) Following the PHD diet has greatly reduced my symptoms. I feel like a new person.

    Better mood
    I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Omega 3 and not excessive Omega 6 and eating PHD “safe starches”, etc., eliminating toxins (grains, legumes, vegetable oils, soy, etc.), taking the recommended supplements, and doing the optional intermittent fasting) has helped me tremendously. I feel so much better now: better mood, more energy, more patient, clearer thinking, happier, calmer, less emotional, less anxiety, and better able to cope with issues such as difficult people.

    Very nutritious, no cravings
    This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, vegetables (peas & green beans are fine), nuts (not peanuts which are a legume), fruit, “safe starches” (rice pasta, sweet/white potatoes and white rice), wine (which I like but don’t drink due to Rx), healthy fat like lard, butter, cream, olive oil and coconut oil, dairy, chocolate, eggs, fermented vegetables and some safe sweeteners such as rice syrup. A benefit of eating a variety of healthy foods including “safe starches”: no cravings.

    Intermittent fasting – easy
    This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds difficult and you’d think it would involve hunger and suffering and a strong will power, but not so. No need to go hungry. And I’m not even hungry and don’t suffer but feel great and clearer thinking/more energy in the morning (even with my risperdal which for years had made me lethargic in the morning) during my daily intermittent fasting (16 hour fast with coconut oil during the fast with 8 hours feeding). When the fast is over, I eat normally: usually 2 meals and a snack during the 8 hour feeding window, sometimes just 2 meals. I’m not ravenous when it’s time to eat, surprisingly. Sure, I’m a little hungry, but in no hurry to eat and sometimes the fast lasts longer than 16 hours just because of circumstances. And I exercise during the fast – no problem with a lack of energy. No longer am I anxious about eating every 4 hours like I used to be while doing the low carb. In fact, I think I have a much healthier relationship with food – it’s not so important and I know I can go without it if I need to. Food doesn’t control me anymore. It has really simplified my life.

    Raynaud’s
    Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m not as cold as I used to be. I think this was helped by eating more healthy fat and Omega 3.

    So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly recommend it – it really has worked for me.

    Thank you so much, Paul and Shou-Ching, for all you do! 🙂

  30. Hi Paul,
    Back again with my update. I started taking the magnesuim supplement and so far havent gotten any more leg cramps. However I am getting pain under my lower ribs. Mostly on my right side but also sometimes on the left. I can feel as if my ribs are rubbing against something. Some sort of imflammation. I’m not sure if its a gall bladder issue or not. Do you have any recommendations? Im also getting the heartburn back when i eat.
    Thanks again,
    Nick

  31. An eczema solution.

    My husband had eczema in both ears for years. He was given all the cortisone creams and other ointments, but the eczema came right back when the creams ran out.

    We started Paleo evolving to PHD in January 2011, and as many other health issues resolved, we hoped the eczema would, too. But it stayed the same.

    One thing PHD does is create an awareness of a problem and the desire to solve it! So we thought and thought about this eczema.

    He began to wonder about shampoo, because when showering some shampoo would get into his ears. He’d tried dozens of shampoos through the years (from “natural” to industrial strength medicinal) to no avail.

    Finally we read about people having success with eczema by using no shampoo at all. About six months ago, rather desperate, he stopped using any shampoo at all.

    Yep.

    Within about a month, the eczema was entirely gone. Not a trace. I have an excellent view of his ears, and they are (cross my heart) smooth and healthy.

    Such a simple solution. And his hair still looks nice!

    Hope this helps someone out there who is fighting eczema.

  32. Hi Becky,

    Thanks, congratulations to your husband! There are so many chemicals in our environment, it’s hard to know what may produce an immune reaction. Very smart of you both to think of shampoo.

    Best, Paul

  33. An unanticipated but very welcome result of getting on PHD has been relief of arthritis in my ankles. I sprained my ankles dozens of times while playing basketball growing up, and had slight arthritis in both ankles by the time I was 26. Since then, any type of prolonged running makes my ankles sore and painful for hours, with a little bit of swelling. In the last month that has stopped completely- I feel great after playing ball now. I don’t know if PHD is responsible for the relief, but I can’t imagine what else it could be.

  34. Thank you Thomas, that’s terrific! Congratulations!

  35. Hi Paul,
    Any info on radiation in seafood since what happened in Japan?

  36. Hi Judith,

    I haven’t seen anything in the news. The ocean dilutes everything so the biggest risk will be in milk or meat from pastured animals in northeast Japan, possibly from vegetables too.

  37. Dear Paul, first let me thank you for challenging Conventional Wisdom and showing us the way to Perfect Health the natural way.

    I am 60 years old, 5 foot 6 inches and was diagnosed a type II diabetic about 12 years ago. I started with oral meds and progressed to Lantus in 2003. When visiting my endocronolgist in Dec 2012 I weighed 173, was taking 1000 mg Metformin 2 times a day and 22 units Lantus before bed. My cholestrol was 218, triglycerides 212 and hA1c 9.3. My doctor immediately upped my Metformin to 3 times a day and Lantus to a second shot of 10 units in the morning. I was feeling depressed and resigned to a life on meds. My dear wife started researching ways to “reverse” my diabetes and we started on PHD later in Dec.

    After 3.5 months following the PHD I am down to 153 lbs and have gradually cut Metformin to 500 three times a day and reduce the Lantus to 15 units before bed. On Apr 6 I had my next appointment and my cholestrol is 170, trigylcerides 108 and hA1c 6.6. My doctor has further reduced the Metformin to 500 mg twice a day and Lantus to units before bed.

    I look forward to even better numbers at my next appointment aiming for membership in the 5% (A1c) club and eventually being drug free. Thank you for all your help.

  38. Hi Brian,

    Thanks for sharing your story! That’s terrific.

    Please give your wife an Easter kiss from us. And keep us posted on your progress!

    • Hi Paul, thought I would share the results from my last labs. A1C was 6.7, cholesterol 188, trigylcerides 121, HDL 48. My total cholesterol and HDL have improved slightly but I’m still trying to get them up more. I’ve been supplementing with coconut oil which I’ll increase to 3 or 4 tablespoons daily and increase my activity level. My weight has been holding quite steady at 150 to 152. Thanks for all your help and hope to see you at AHS2012.

      Brian

  39. Someone asked Paul in Q&A whether he thought coconut oil could be beneficial rubbed on the skin – I guess whether it was absorbed enough to be used – he said he did not think so – and I trust his judgement – but I have noticed a real difference in the skin on my face since I’ve been smearing it all over my face before bed. I have rosacea and usually have not only the redness but also red dots and veins.

    But the last two weeks I’ve noticed quite an improvement – still sort of red especially if I get overheated or have a glass of wine – not a total cure by any means – just a general “better-ness.”

    This could be because I’ve been eating more coconut oil, and MCT as well but just thought I’d throw this out there….

  40. Hi Paul,
    I am interested in knowing what your thoughts are on grass-fed or pasture meats. On your website you say you do not insist on grass-fed meat. I thought it was a very important component of a healthy diet. If it does
    not matter, are there certain cuts of lamb and beef worth buying in the regular market?

  41. Hi Judith,

    Grass-fed is certainly better, but it does matter more for some cuts than others. Liver, other organ meats, bones, and dairy should always be grass-fed. For steaks (muscle meats), which are relatively low in toxins, there’s not a huge difference health-wise between grass-fed and conventional beef.

    For pork and chicken, natural raising matters more than for beef.

    Regardless of source, freshness is important.

  42. Deedee Ricketts

    Just a quick note of thanks. I really appreciate the research and dedication that went into your quest for a healthy diet. You have documented everything so well – what’s wrong with the bureaucrats (government, AHA, ADA) who try to poison us with low-fat high grain diets?! I’ve added coconut oil to my diet and I’m staying away from all grains and vegetable oils. I feel great. Thanks again!

  43. Hi Paul,

    After spending the last several years studying the work of every diet guru out there, I’ve just ordered your book on Amazon. Also, I’ve read the blog and have listened to a couple of your podcasts. Everything you’ve said so has given me a strong sense that you’re the one who is on the right track.

    I’m a former 20 year low carber (with several relapses because it was so difficult to stick with). During those 20 years, I developed severe anxiety, depression, insomnia, nightmares (daily for 15 years), acne, severe brain fog that forced me to close my business, and ultimately, disabling chronic fatigue that has kept me in bed for the last three years. Low carbing used to help me keep my weight under control but, last year, I was treated with antibiotics for suspected Lyme disease, and after that, proceeded to gain 45 lbs in 6 months! Going down to even zero carbs hasn’t budged the weight but adding any carbs at all has caused me to balloon.

    Last week my doc put me on metformin for what she suspects is either PCOS or the beginnings of metabolic syndrome (all the women in my family were diabetics); and I also asked her for diflucan because I developed yeast infections for the first time in my life after the first course of antiobiotics. (The second course of antibiotics put me in the hospital for 2 days.)

    I’m not blaming most of that on low carb dieting. I was a big fan of “healthy” polyunsaturated fats like grapeseed oil and for years used them liberally and instead of olive oil, butter, etc., thinking they were good for me, but I do realize that being low carb for 20 years also takes its toll.

    A year ago, I started following the work of Ray Peat. However, after a short spell on his diet, I ballooned weight wise so, even though what he said made sense, it wasn’t paying off. .

    However, by following his coconut oil rec’s I started breathing more deeply (whereas before I could only take very shallow breaths) and also started thinking more clearly. My memory and focus began to improve ever so slightly as well.

    Against Peat’s recommendations, I also started taking Lugol’s iodine which completely cured my low body temp (was 95.5 for years – now a consistent 98.6 for the 5 months since I started it). I now take about 12 mg every other day but used to take it daily. (Labs showed my thyroid is normal but I even ordered some Cytomel from Mexico out of desperation, following Peat’s theories – and that didn’t do anything except make my pulse race.)

    Also, after lots of research (and also against Peat’s calcium recommendations) I started supplementing with Magnesium citrate and taurine – but I think it was just the magnesium that worked – and I was able to go off my anxiety meds. It reduced my panic attacks by 95%. It also seemed to cure my RLS, all my leg cramps, and muscle twitching issues, as well as reduce my depression.

    For the last 9 months, I’ve taken up to 9 mg’s of melatonin + other herbals every night but still have to take either trazadone, vistiril, or xanax in addition to that to get any real sleep. Sleep has become a major focus because, after 20 years of insomnia, I’m sure it has been a major contributor to my overall poor health.

    I’ve taken a multi + C, and usually additional vitamin E and A for most of my adult life.

    As I’ve proven to myself from years of laymen style research using this damaged, sluggish, frustrating brain that all these things work; that YOU are also recommending all of these things has given me enormous hope that by incorporating all the rest of your recommendations, I might be healthy again some day.

    Based on your rec’s, even though I didn’t consume much of them before, I have now cut out wheat and grains completely. (Mom was a celiac so it seems particularly relevant to me.) I’m glad to have rice and potatoes back in modest amounts, and have even had a bit of fruit this week. I’m not a meat lover, so I’m very grateful for an alternative to Atkins which, up until last year, was the only diet that allowed me to keep the weight off. (Now it no longer works at all.)

    From what I gather though, it seems that weight loss isn’t addressed too much in your book and I’m a bit apprehensive about gaining weight while simultaneously trying to restore my health.

    I am a 41 y.o woman, 5’11”, and need to lose a total of 55 lbs.

    I’ve tracked my calories for most of 2012 and it appears that I generally (naturally) eat between 1500 -1700 per day and eat about 15-18 net carbs. As I am bedridden with the chronic fatigue and can get out to the store or for a walk a few times per week, exercise isn’t an option yet.

    After only one dose of diflucan last week, all of my food cravings disappeared to the point where unhealthy foods that I normally crave seem disgusting. Now I’m craving fruit mostly (but not eating much of it). I took the second dose of diflucan today and have added in probiotics as well (stopped eating yogurt on Peat’s advice so am now adding that back in.) So, I guess there really is something to candida being a culprit. As the diflucan and perhaps also the metformin which I’ve been on for 5 days have reduced my appetite, my calorie intake has dramatically dropped to about 600-800 calories per day (but haven’t lost weight yet). It makes it easy to do the intermittent fasting – usually for 18 hours per day; consuming 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a spoon while fasting, and use more in cooking as needed.

    I take a full range of supplements, including NAC and Vitamin D. Started those two about three months ago with notable improvement in well being, esp depression. I noticed that charcoal, which I was taking in the hopes of balancing hormone and reducing depression, didn’t seem to do much for those things but, after years of trying every acne treatment available, charcoal had a significant impact on acne so I take that almost daily now too.

    The only supplement you recommend that I haven’t taken is vitamin K, so I’ve added that with my order for your book.

    With any luck, the reduced appetite from the diflucan and metformin will hold and I’ll be able to continue with the intermittent fasting.

    What I’d like to know is whether you’ve developed any particular recommendations for people who are not losing on low carb/ or are metabolically challenged but need to lose a lot of weight? My health is obviously poor and needs much more improvement but I am, at this point, already seeing significant health improvements and hope to see even more using your plan.

    The weight gain on such a strict low carb (and lowish cal) diet has been very frustrating and is the first thing I hope to get under control. I did try the recommendations on all the low carb high fat sites to eat much more fat (upping calories to 2000 per day) and although I didn’t gain anything by adding the fat, I didn’t lose anything either.

    After reading all of the positive reviews, I’m going to follow your plan religiously and will gladly report back with results. In the interim, if there is anything else you can offer that isn’t in the book for shedding the weight, I’d appreciate it.

    Thanks for your research, the book, and this site.

    – Benni

  44. Hi Benni,

    I think it’s best to focus on getting healthy first, and not worry too much about the weight. It might fluctuate a bit but you shouldn’t balloon up. Then as your health improves focus on weight loss. As you’ve found with the Diflucan reducing your appetite, fixing other health problems can make it much easier to address the obesity issue.

    When you’re ready to focus on weight loss, this is the approach we recommend: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2145. Also, I do suggest cooking with bone broth – make meals into soups. That will provide extra nourishment, and the calcium is supportive of weight loss.

    Do keep us posted on your progress!

    Best, Paul

  45. Thanks, Paul.

    I will follow your instructions to a T and let you know how it goes.

    I am a big fan of homemade bone broths, and use additional gelatin in my cooked meat dishes. It does help in a general tonic sort of way. However, I don’t eat broth or gelatin daily. Maybe I should…

  46. Hello,
    Just starting the diet. I was a vegetarian for 3 years and did not get enough protein and had way too many grains. I loved oatmeal and wasa crackers and peanut butter. I enjoy reading bloggers anecdotal evidence of improved health, but I’m curious what PHD bloggers blood work looks like before and after starting the diet. Do the authors share their pre and post blood work numbers? Lots of bloggers say they feel better, but I would like to see some numbers that show why they feel better. I had blood work done recently and I have high cholesterol (223) even after 3 years of vegetarianism, biking 200+miles per week and drinking lots of water. So, we’ll see what happens in 6 months after being on the PHD.

    • Hi Shannon,

      First, 223 mg/dl is not high for total cholesterol. That’s perfect in fact. See our category on HDL/LDL/cholesterol under Biomarkers in the Categories section. Mortality is lowest when TC is between 200 and 240-260 mg/dl. TC below 200 signifies impaired immunity and leads to higher mortality.

      I’m happy to share our personal blood work. Over ~5 measurements over the last 3 years Shou-Ching and I have had LDL in the range 100-130 mg/dl, HDL 65-109 mg/dl, triglycerides ~50 mg/dl, TC low 200s. These are all good numbers.

  47. Paul,

    In your book you discuss the inverse relationship between consumption of methionine and longevity. I’ve read that alcohol destroys methionine in the body, which some theorize is the or a mechanism behind the correlation between longevity and moderate consumption of alcohol. Would you recommend eating more protein for someone who drinks a glass of wine every day?

  48. Paul
    Thanks for the reply. Good to know about the TC numbers. My LDL was 160 and HDL 60. Doc wants the LDL lower obviously, but I have a family history too. Do u have any additional caveats lowering LDL?

    Thanks again for the book and all the references.

    • I would just focus on being generally healthy, improving your diet, and see what the cholesterol numbers are in 6 months. Yes, lower LDL would be better, but at this point it’s not obvious what actionable steps to take because of that number.

      Once on PHD, the keys for low LDL are (a) don’t go too low carb, (b) supplement iodine and eat selenium-rich foods like shellfish, kidney, potato, Brazil nuts, (c) eat foods with zinc and copper or supplement zinc/copper, and (d) if you are hypothyroid, take replacement hormones as necessary to normalize thyroid levels. Aim for TSH below 1.5.

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