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:
- Obesity, weight loss, food cravings, binging
- High blood pressure
- Mood and cognitive function
- Mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, OCD, BPD, bipolar)
- Digestive disorders (acid reflux, Crohn’s, IBS, celiac, etc)
- Autoimmune disease
- Sleep quality
- Allergies, rhinitis, sinusitis
- Anemia
- Fatigue, low energy
- Dry eyes or skin
- Autism
- Constipation
- Fungal infections
- Hypothyroidism
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Arthritis, joint inflammation, crepitus
- Back pain
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- General health
- Chronic infections
- Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Acne
- Infertility, amenorrhea, PCOS
- Genetic disorders
- Migraines, headaches
- Kidney stones
- Diabetes & glycemic regulation
- Atherosclerosis
- Body composition, strength, athleticism
- Gout
- Dyslipidemia
- Oral & dental health
- Eczema
- Hair loss
- Heart palpitations
- Cramps, menstrual cramps
- Multiple sclerosis
- Body odor
Also, a few of our favorite reader success stories have appeared as blog posts:
- Jay Wright’s rapid and lasting weight loss: Jay Wright’s Weight Loss Journey, Dec 1, 2011.
- Kate’s cure of migraines, anxiety, and Raynaud’s syndrome: A Cure for Migraines?, March 29, 2011.
- Relief from pain and spasms for the NBIA kids, Zach and Mathias: Ketogenic Diet for NBIA (Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation), Feb 22, 2011.
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 I have had other improvements in health since discovering books like the |
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, |
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.)
It |
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 |
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, So, my problem of overeating isn’t totally gone, but my diet and weight |
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 One other benefit: I’m never hungry on the PHD and I’m really enjoying all |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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, I lost 25 points in the first two months on the diet, going from 215 lbs 190 is not a bad weight for me; I am 5’11″ and lift weights so while 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 |
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 It’s too long of a story to explain in detail here, but the short-short |
weight loss, stamina & energy |
Meli | Hi Paul,
I just wanted to let you know that I was finally successful at adding back As a bonus, my eyes are no longer blurry, and my hair appears to have 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 Better mood I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Very nutritious, no cravings This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, Intermittent fasting – easy This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds Raynaud’s Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly 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 I lost a total of seventy pounds. As a man at fifty-five years old and 195 What is even better is that the recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet To go back to the beginning, the Atkins diet had two flaws which 1) Atkins diet “phases” lead to the idea that somehow you lose 2) When Atkins wrote the Diet Revolution book, he didn’t have access to The Perfect Health Diet is written so that you can read to whatever depth This book is a good companion volume to “Why We Get Fat: And What to The only qualification that I would add is that the book recommends eating Again, as a person who has lost seventy pounds and now enjoy a life free |
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 Since I’m eating 1500 cal per day and 54% of that is fat, 26% is carbs, I must tell you, that being insulin resistant, I was a prime candidate to I’ve been gaining weight for years, and there has been no solution to the I’ve got about 50 pounds left to lose! I plan to lose it the slow way, I 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 After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice |
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 |
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 Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my |
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 |
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 |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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.)
It |
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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 |
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 I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is I’m no longer anemic. I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find |
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 Better mood I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Very nutritious, no cravings This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, Intermittent fasting – easy This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds Raynaud’s Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly 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 test 1- 5.2 test 2- 5.3 … I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more |
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 |
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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 Within a few days after I was on everything, I noticed a major change, not This was strange! And it took a little mental work for me to accept that Then, the real test: I had an upset in my personal life, the sort of thing With minimal research (laziness being central to my character), I learned I may in the near future try eliminating selenium for a bit to see if my If you grapple with OCD, you might want to give selenium a try. Note that |
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 Better mood I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Very nutritious, no cravings This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, Intermittent fasting – easy This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds Raynaud’s Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly 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 I lost a total of seventy pounds. As a man at fifty-five years old and 195 What is even better is that the recommendations in the Perfect Health Diet To go back to the beginning, the Atkins diet had two flaws which 1) Atkins diet “phases” lead to the idea that somehow you lose 2) When Atkins wrote the Diet Revolution book, he didn’t have access to The Perfect Health Diet is written so that you can read to whatever depth This book is a good companion volume to “Why We Get Fat: And What to The only qualification that I would add is that the book recommends eating Again, as a person who has lost seventy pounds and now enjoy a life free |
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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 Quick background: Crohn’s for 16.5 years. Steroids for most of that time I’ve particularly concentrated on raising my Vit D levels All these things improved my general sense of well-being and energy levels I did a Metametrix GI Effects Stool test in March hoping to find something During this time, since coming off steroids, I was able to observe the So, re-reading you assertion that intra-cellular bacteria can only feed on It is very unlikely that anti-MAP antibiotics will be made available to Regards, Joan Footnote2: My sister continues to be free of eczema. Thanks so much, |
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 |
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 After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice |
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 I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either 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’. Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found 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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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 |
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 Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my |
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 One other benefit: I’m never hungry on the PHD and I’m really enjoying all |
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 I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is I’m no longer anemic. I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find |
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 |
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 |
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 It’s too long of a story to explain in detail here, but the short-short |
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 Better mood I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Very nutritious, no cravings This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, Intermittent fasting – easy This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds Raynaud’s Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly 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 test 1- 5.2 test 2- 5.3 … I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more |
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 You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice: And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge 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 I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either 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’. Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found 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 |
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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 Many |
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 Many |
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
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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 Quick background: Crohn’s for 16.5 years. Steroids for most of that time I’ve particularly concentrated on raising my Vit D levels All these things improved my general sense of well-being and energy levels I did a Metametrix GI Effects Stool test in March hoping to find something During this time, since coming off steroids, I was able to observe the So, re-reading you assertion that intra-cellular bacteria can only feed on It is very unlikely that anti-MAP antibiotics will be made available to Regards, Joan Footnote2: My sister continues to be free of eczema. Thanks so much, |
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 I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is I’m no longer anemic. I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find |
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 Of all the symptoms of glucose deficiency the most concerning was the flat 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. He started me on Savella 50mg/day. I improved on Savella, and was told to I tried a few different things, natural supplements, and diets. Some gave I learned of the Perfect Health Diet from a friend in the summer of 2011. In light of my previous failures, the key that made the avoidance of wheat I thought all would be cured by avoiding gluten, so I started cutting back I decided I would put more effort into the other parts of the PHD. Next in Next, I went half in on the supplements. I noticed the magnesium had In fact, it took some forced thinking to recall how far I’ve come. I used Now, I do still have elbow pain and some psoriasis/rash, so all is not THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER: I posted earlier about my progress with being on Savella for a I delayed reporting because I wanted to be sure symptoms would not flare |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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 Since beginning to uncover secrets of old three years ago, I have eaten a Thank God for my integrative MD…He ordered Metametrix testing, and lo and I can sometimes feel the anger welling up inside me when I think of the Thank you kindly for joining the crusade and bringing your diet and this |
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 I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is I’m no longer anemic. I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find |
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 Better mood I have found that following the PHD diet (in particular, getting enough Very nutritious, no cravings This diet is super healthy and does allow plenty of choices: meat, fish, Intermittent fasting – easy This is optional, but I’m so happy I discovered this. Fasting sounds Raynaud’s Another benefit of the PHD is that my Raynaud’s is much better now and I’m So give PHD a try if you want to feel better and be healthy too. I highly 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 |
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 Since beginning to uncover secrets of old three years ago, I have eaten a Thank God for my integrative MD…He ordered Metametrix testing, and lo and I can sometimes feel the anger welling up inside me when I think of the Thank you kindly for joining the crusade and bringing your diet and this |
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 I had a sudden severe arthritis flare and have been on low dose pulsing My thyroid function has improved as I’ve gotten healthier. My guess is I’m no longer anemic. I used SAM-e successfully, for 2-3 years at 200-400 mg per day, upon I can’t tell you how empowering it felt to take steps, and to slowly see Good luck to you! There are often many pieces to the puzzle! You may find |
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. He started me on Savella 50mg/day. I improved on Savella, and was told to I tried a few different things, natural supplements, and diets. Some gave I learned of the Perfect Health Diet from a friend in the summer of 2011. In light of my previous failures, the key that made the avoidance of wheat I thought all would be cured by avoiding gluten, so I started cutting back I decided I would put more effort into the other parts of the PHD. Next in Next, I went half in on the supplements. I noticed the magnesium had In fact, it took some forced thinking to recall how far I’ve come. I used Now, I do still have elbow pain and some psoriasis/rash, so all is not THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER: I posted earlier about my progress with being on Savella for a I delayed reporting because I wanted to be sure symptoms would not flare |
fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel |
Joan’s sister | Hi Paul
You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice: And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge 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 Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my |
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 I increased my sat fat intake, mainly from coconut oil which I had All of those changes I think are good, but I believe that in particular BTW, I had already been experimenting with intermittent fasting for the … I’ve been |
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, |
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 |
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 |
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 I have no serious health issues as such, but a number of smaller/low level Gradually over a few shorts weeks the aforementioned issues have either 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’. Being allowed to each ‘safe starches’ has been great, as I’ve found 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 He feels the best he’s felt in a long, long time. Where he used to say, 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 Today, my fasting blood glucose reading was 105. Note that since following For dinner tonight, I had a fatty pork rib, green beans, and a small baked So not only am I losing weight on the Perfect Health Diet, my blood So for me, as a type II diabetic, this “safe starches” exclusion |
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 test 1- 5.2 test 2- 5.3 … I know the diet here is helping me a lot and I’ve been feeling more |
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, I lost 25 points in the first two months on the diet, going from 215 lbs 190 is not a bad weight for me; I am 5’11″ and lift weights so while 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 I’m an amateur bodybuilder and I’ve been struggling to gain muscle mass I’ve read your book and greatly increased my saturated fat intake from What’s really surprising is that my calorie intake is higher and I’m |
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 By watching calories (1600 off day, 2000 workout) I’ve (slowly) lost So I am a fan of LG + PHD. The big question is what happens when I stop |
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 Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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 |
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:
This fitness plan has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. My wife |
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 |
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 After 2 weeks on Perfect Health Diet I’ve seen some pretty impressive This leads me to a few things, chiefly, that gluten is not good for my While I’m not dismissing Peat’s philosophy of diet, so far I feel pretty What I would encourage any of you dealing with inflammation or who feel So far, following the plan set out in the PHD has led to some nice |
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 You wrote: My guess is that there is a high level of oxidative stress Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant I’ve ordered a couple of copies of your book and I’m sure she will be more Any interesting note: prior to starting the anti-oxidants she craved the In searching the net I found this paper that seems to support your advice: And this letter in the Nutritional Neuroscience discussing the paper’s Thank you once again, Paul, for your generosity in sharing your knowledge 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 As a bonus, my eyes are no longer blurry, and my hair appears to have 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 Btw, I continue to shed off some more fat even after I’ve increased my |
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 I have had no new lesions since first being diagnosed and looking at me |
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 |
Dear Paul,
A question about oxidative stress, please. I’ve scouted the web and cannot find any solid data to support what I’m looking for. We purchase a grass fed cow once a year and freeze it. Almost 50% of the meat is ground and we have found a really good recipe method of making sausages. Now we have also learned that we can hang the meat up in a ventilated area for a week and the meat becomes cured – we do this by adding salt, pepper, vinegar and some other spices. I can take this on my trips and the kids eat it like crazy for a snack. However, I was re-reading you book and was wondering whether drying meat would oxidize the meat, seeing that it is exposed to air for so long. It says in your book on page107 that peroxidizability is zero for saturated fat. But quite high for omega3 which grass fed beef has more of than corn fed beef. Do we run any risk of drying meat and eating it? It is a delicious snack and I have always believed a very healthy one for my family with good fats and proteins, but the potential for oxidization worries me.
Any thoughts one this?
Also, I have taken either a tablespoon of flaxseed oil or fish oil as an omega 3 supplement. From your data it suggests this is not such a great idea. It is cold pressed and always refrigerated. I take the supplement as I have family HD and take this as a preventative measure to ensure my 3:6 ratio is kept in check.
Thanks very much
Andy
Hi Andy,
Beef of any kind, including grassfed, has very little omega-3, so I wouldn’t worry about it on those grounds. The issue of curing of meat, and in general processed meat, is controversial — processed/cured meat does poorly in epidemiological studies compared to fresh beef or lamb, but the reasons are unclear, and it could have something to do with the curing methods used in factories or the quality of the ingredients, so negative problems from industrial processed meats might not apply to your home-cured meat.
A refrigerated liquid oil is definitely better than capsules and is the next best thing after fresh or frozen fish.
A quick comment – the body is horrible at converting short chained omega 3 fatty acids found in plants into the long chain forms our bodies require (EPA and DHA). EPA and DHA are preformed in fish oil, which makes fish a superior source.
See the following site for a more thorough explanation.
http://chriskresser.com/why-fish-stomps-flax-as-a-source-of-omega-3
“the body is horrible at converting short chained omega 3 fatty acids found in plants into the long chain forms our bodies require (EPA and DHA)”…
horrible, or smart?…& just converts what we need & no more,
just thinking out loud
My understanding is that it’s a very inefficient process.
“However, research clearly indicates that the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is extremely limited. Less than 5% of ALA gets converted to EPA, and less than 0.5% (one-half of one percent) of ALA is converted to DHA.”
Lately I’ve gained 20 lbs. I was hypothyroid, so I went to the doctor for synthyroid which he wouldn’t give me without a current blood test. He called this morning to tell me that I’m in the pink. All levels were okay? Yet I have the symptoms, brittle hair and nails, dry skin, etc. I’m taking the revised supplements plus MCT oil and gelatine.
I’m very strict with my diet. I even gave up the Yoplait lime yogurt I like when I noticed it had some kind of corn. I don’t know how I missed it. 😕 😕
Anybody have a suggestion?
Hi erp,
That’s odd. What did your doctor measure, TSH only, or other things as well?
Weight gain and hypothyroidism are usually both connected to inflammation from a gut infection or dysbiosis. Are you eating liver, getting sunshine/vitamin D? How is your digestion?
I don’t get out in the sun much as I’ve resumed my library project which is winding down shortly and it’s been raining practically non-stop here in sunny Florida, but I do take vit. D and all the other things you’ve recommended including the potassium with iodine. I thought that might have taken care of the hypothyroidism. I have liver perhaps once or twice a month. My husband is doing the “cooking,” but I have tons of veggies, in soup, steamed, sauteed, etc., meat, rice, potatoes, just as you proscribed. Also the dark chocolate, but only to please you of course.
Perhaps I should go back to probiotics and enzymes.
I asked the doc about a strep test, but as far he knew there is none other swabbing.
I’ve had a chronic sinus headache for 20 years and seen at least a dozen ENT’s, but no relief. As a child, I had strep infections every winter and wonder if this is the problem.
My gut area is distended, but my digestion is good. The weight gain is puzzling because although I’m not counting calories, my intake hasn’t changed, if anything, it’s gone down. I cut out nuts and heavy cream and weight continued to go up.
The problem among many is that I can’t face the usual round robin of doctors’ visits with no real diagnoses, so I’m only looking for a quick fix.
I’ve been keeping tabs on you guys. It’s so delightful that you’ve progressed as players in a very competitive market such a short time. Ran into a couple of people with sick kids. We went to a lawyer whose adult child has multiple sclerosis and is almost completely disabled and a fellow came to repair tile and his kid has Crohn’s disease. He was astonished I’d even heard of it. I lent them your books and now they’re believers.
God moves in mysterious ways / His wonders to perform.
Happy Valentine Day to All.
Hi e,
If the problem began when you began supplementing iodine, then try stopping it. Some people have nodules on their thyroid and become hyperthyroid when taking iodine. The effect may be transient so it might not have shown up on your blood test, if you hadn’t taken the iodine shortly before that test.
Thank you for spreading the word! God bless,
Paul
Dear erp
Our situations are not identical but somewhat similar. After bitterly battling what I called post-meno sudden weight gain despite lower cal intake, I’m carrying some 20+ kilo extra on my very small frame for several years now, and in total frustration, having seen naturopaths and homeopaths, acupuncturists and gastro professionals, I came to a simple conclusion. I need to figure this myself. I made a VERY detailed list of all the foods I react to in any way – bloating, gassy, distended, gurgling stomach, none of the above but just feeling ‘heavy’ inside, any and every kind of reaction; and I graded them for myself on a scale of 1 to 5 with notes [eg how long after eating them do I sense a reaction, how long it lasts, etc etc] – I made life easy by going to a huge market one day, walking up and down the aisles, notebook in hand, and looking at all kinds of things, even those I’d naturally started to keep clear of, because doing that just put everything right there in front of your eyes. AND I made a separate list of the things I eat that make me feel good! That leave me feeling full, happy, comfy, no reactions. And just under 3 weeks ago I cut ALL the ‘reaction’ foods totally out of my diet, despite all the conventional wisdom of how healthy they are and how much we need them. And in those 3 weeks I’ve lost 3 kilos. No, I did not start any exercise program, I have a herniated lower back disc, I go for the occasional slow walk, and I am researching, slowly but carefully, the common denominators to ALL my reaction foods, and I’m pretty sure I’ve found them. So guess what? I’m eating almost no cooked veg with fructose, and especially none with inulin which seems to be a family issue; and have cut all ‘whole rice’ and other “conventional-wisdom” so called “healthy” foods, and wow. I am NOT advocating you eat what I eat. I AM advocating that you very slowly and carefully, over some weeks, make a list of every single food you eat, raw and cooked, and how it makes you feel. There should be no need to carry a distended stomach, or excess weight. Once you have such a list you can try the slow and careful process of trying to remove all things that give you even the most minimal ‘distress’ and take it from there. Oh, by the way, I LOVE potatoes. But was always told [conventional wisdom, y’know] they make you fat they make you fat…. Well, they are making me thin. They are now my chief source of simple carb energy and I am SO happy I can’t even begin to tell you. FOr years I’d make a big healthy salad, and all I felt was swollen, and shortly afterwards damn hungry again! Putting a potato in, and maybe a hard egg, would make a world of difference. COnclusion: this is telling me what I’ve inherently known all along about what my body needs most. Listen to your body, it’s telling you everything you need to know. You may not understand the science of it, but as you log and collect data, you may unearth the common elements, which will give you a headsup about introducing new things to your range of eating. Also, don’t be fooled by generalisations. I react particularly strongly to fructose+certain types of fiber in some [“very healthy”] foods, but have no reaction to lower fructose content minus those fibers in, say, oranges, lemons, kiwi, and other fruits which I nonetheless eat in moderation. It may be that later I will need to stick to a ‘window of eating’, or not; so far, I’m not. I’m single parenting, freelancer, and often work very very late into the night [and I’m an early riser – about 6 am], so that by around midnight, I’m getting peckish again and know I won’t fall asleep with that nagging getting-hungry feeling. Guess what? 2 bites of potato solves the problem. Then I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow. One thing I DID do is cut back on good fats. Since I’ve been eating organic and very free of ‘uneccesaries’ [no sweetening in hot beverages, not an alcohol drinker, no creamy pies or cakes, no excessive amounts of fruit, etc] for a very long time, the only thing I could cut back on was avocado, olive oil, CO, and fats in meat. So I did, just a little; after all, I’m carrying a whole lot of fat, right? So let the body use that. I also increased choline [wasn’t sure how I was doing on that but thought, it can’t hurt…] by adding fenugreek sprouts to my potatoes and [homemade organic] yogurt. In short, perhaps you might want to start from zero, and log your reactions to every single item you eat. I’m sure you will find the key.
I should add to the above that after cutting all my ‘no good’ foods, I did NOT drop way low in calories, and I actually went up a little in carbs and total calories [had been averaging 900-1000/day, now averaging 1000-1100/day].
Soroya, I can’t thank you enough. It may sound moronic, but I’m not sure of the science at all, so if you have the time, please tell what foods bothered you in ordinary language. For instance, give me an example of what you mean by fructose + foods and I can extrapolate.
A little background. I met Paul on a blog that had nothing to do with nutrition and in passing he mentioned what he was doing … Just about that time (3-4 years ago), I knew I had to have a knee replacement and wanted to lose 40 lbs which I did easily following the PHD. Then a couple of months ago I noticed that my clothes were getting tight around the waist.
A blood test a couple of years showed hypothyroidism, but I didn’t have time then to do anything about it. Just a couple of months ago, Paul suggested taking potassium with iodine which I do and Synthyroid for which I need a prescription, so I went to one of the non-quack doctors I know (he’s my husband’s cardiologist) and he said he’d give me one, but I needed an updated blood test.
The blood test I had a couple of days ago shows all my levels are “normal.” I don’t have a copy of it, but I’ll get one today and report on it in detail.
I am functionally ascientific and at this late date, I am unable correct that lapse.
Any help from people who like me, don’t like to cook, would be greatly appreciated.
Hi erp – I think it’d be way too long and laborious to go into all that on this board. Maybe Paul can put us in direct email contact, since I don’t want to post my email here. But I say, again, that I dont have the total science either: I just decided to log every single thing, and every single reaction, and start following up each and every food with quality sites, looking for what could be holding my body back from wanting to drop the weight. It’s time consuming, it needs energy, effort, I opened a gadzooks number of word dox into which I pasted links and what seemed to be important bits of info: slowly but surely [since I also have to support a family and can’t spend my entire day doing just this, sadly] I went back and added new info, made cross references for myself, until I had that “maybe this is the aha moment” moment. I’d be happy to write to you offline just to give some guidelines on how to go about it. The main thing is: don’t let frustration get you down. I now understand why, ever since I was teen [so we’re counting over 40 years now…] I’ve always had these problems, and funnily enough, I also very clearly remember mentioning some of these concerns as a young child in very simplistic language…; but thank goodness there’s internet now, and loads of possibilities of cross checking, and loads of people willing to try and help by sharing. If you have contact with Paul, ask him to try and put us in touch maybe.
Soroya, you can send an email to me at a erp617@yahoo.com and it will be forwarded to my regular email address. Pls. put something in the Subject like Soroya from PHD so I won’t think it’s spam. I’d love to hear from you.
BTW, it’s been 60+ years since I was a teenager.
I should add that all my blood tests all these years showed everything normal, too.
I just finished the book and have been incorporating what I read for about 3 weeks now. I’m T2 and my fasting BGL was coming down but I came down with some sort of bug that I think is increasing my fasting numbers. It’s too early to tell how this meal plan works for me, but early indications are good. Cravings are much less and I’m able to feel like I ate enough. Need to get more safe starches into our evening meals but enjoying things so far. My doc recommended the book.
WE humans are biologicly different. I have tried your diet and unfortunately did not work well on me. My cholesterol went up to 313 and Ldl was over 100. I am underweight.
So I switched to vegetarian diet. I was constipated on meat protein diet, which has no enzymes.
Looks like one size does not fit all.
Hi Eva,
High LDL and total cholesterol indicates you are too low carb and/or missing micronutrients. See our “High LDL on Paleo” series. Constipation also suggests you were too low-carb / low-fiber and lacking in nutrients like magnesium. See our “Constipation” post.
Best, Paul
Hi Eva,
This diet is very complex. It’s just about impossible to incorporate all the components of it immediately. It’s more a work in progress over several months time, at least it has been for me and for many others too. While reading the book I’ve never gotten the impression that this as a “one size fits all” type diet. And if you have spent time on this site reading the different comments and questions and problems we discuss, you would see that, just like you said, we all have different needs. Paul is open to our comments and makes helpful suggestions. That’s why this site is here. To discuss what is not working and how to correct it.
I encourage you to not give up but to ask questions and implement the answers Paul gives. He has been doing this for a long time. And he has already posted about how to correct constipation and high cholesterol that you mentioned.
I had written in a couple of months ago to get some input on adding carbs ( tubers) after loosing weight with HCG. I was advised to not be too concerned with weight now and focus on health. I have done this religiously, incorporating sweet potatoes and some other tubers. I have steadily gained weight and now am up 20 lbs from
that time. I am 5’4 and now weigh 165. I have back problems from an old injury and felt much better at 145 lbs. so now I’m thinking I need to get back on HCG to get this 20 lbs off as I’m having severe back pain again. I really want to do what is healthiest but have to think about my back health and I’m just one step away from disability. It’s so frustrating!
Hello Paul,
I’ve just read your post on TMAO and your recommendation to limit meat to 1/2 to 1 lb per day. Some questions –
1. I’m trying to gain muscle weight and do HITT exercises 3 times a week. On the PHD my percentage body fat is reducing (which is great), but I am not gaining muscle. Any advice for this, i.e. whey supplement or more protein from fish or other sources?
2. You mention in the article TMA “is highly abundant in fish”. Does this mean we need to restrict fish consumption daily also?
Thanks again for your generous support
Andy
Hi Andy,
I don’t think you need to worry too much about TMA. No, don’t restrict fish, and if you are trying to gain muscle, add a little extra protein, carbs, and saturated fat, plus good nutrition.
Thanks very much, Paul. Appreciate the fast response.
Is taking a high quality whey protein an acceptable source of additional protein. I have the Solgar brand http://www.solgar.com/SolgarProducts/Whey-To-Go-Protein-Powder-Natural-Vanilla-Flavor.htm
Thanks very much
Andy
Hello Paul.
Thanks for an incredible book.
I just had some blood work back and have high levels of Lp-PLA2. It seems that the only way to reduce this is by using fibrates. Is there a natural fibrate and will the PHD reverse plaque? I have also read that lecithin in egg yolks, pomegranate juice and the omega3 in fish oil can reverse plaque?
Quentin
I have read the book and I am slowly converting to a PHD diet… I really don’t have any symptoms of anything, so the motivation has been minimal, but I am starting to feel like there is a link between my son’s mental health and diet or something.
My son has been diagnosed ADHD and we tried every type of stimulant. They did not even touch the problem. In fact they made things worse (very out of control mood swings).
My son is 8 years old. Off the medicine he is incredibly active can literally run all day (I have 5 children and my wife is a school teacher… his activity level stands out.). He also has emotional outbursts when he is off the medicine, getting very upset, and then eventually crying and coming back down to normal. During his outbursts he says things like, “I wish I was never born.”
All the ADHD stimulants made his outbursts worse. At some point he was prescribed a small dose of risperidol and it seemed to help, but he started to gain a lot of weight, so we took him off of it. His weight normalized and then we tried Abilify, that definitely helped, but again weight has started to creep up.
One of his doctors actually did a thorough blood work on him. I noticed that his TSH level was 7.34. (I have other blood info if useful)
DO you have any recommendations? What type of a Doctor should I see to get to the bottom of this. Psychiatrists are not the right answer…
Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark,
I would try to get him off drugs, they don’t address the root issues. The high TSH is a major clue. First, get your doctor to prescribe levothyroxine and experiment to find the optimal dose; and do adopt PHD including the recommended nutrition and supplements.
The hypothyroidism generally indicates inflammation from a small intestinal infection and leaky gut. These conditions are also associated with ADHD and behavioral issues and unstable and negative emotions. So work on gut health: circadian rhythm entrainment, vitamin a (liver, spinach, carrots), vitamin d (sun, supplements), vitamin C, zinc, iodine, probiotics, fermented vegetables, collagen from bone and joint stock.
Let me know how it goes.
Best, Paul
Thank you. I appreciate your help. I will let you know what happens. If we are really able to get a handle on this, it would feel like a miracle.
I already mentioned it to my son’s new pediatrician. He mentioned Pandas. I don’t think that is an exact fit, but it sounds similar to what you are suggesting, and that is the first I have heard of the condition. I am glad to be exploring root causes vs. symptoms.
I have read about half of the PHD book and am very intrigued. I am overweight, about 40 pounds, and have a daughter with multiple sclerosis who tries to eat a very healthy diet. Unfortunately, with so many books and diets out there, it’s hard to know what is right. I love the fact that this way of eating adds healthy carbs like rice and sweet potatoes. I’ve done a lot of reading about the low carb/high fat diet. Is it possible to do a ketogenic diet with high good fats and still eat the rice/sweet potatoes?
Great post however , I was wondering if you could
write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if
you could elaborate a little bit further. Thanks!
Visit my website … toenail fungus (Korey)
Hi Korey. When I am following the low carb/high fat diet, I try to keep my carbs under 20 grams per day. This is mostly green vegetables and eat about four strawberries. I’ve cut back on the fat a little because I found I was gaining weight. Some told me it was because I needed to eat less carbs and more fat. How does one add back potatoes and rice without raising carb levels too much? I’m a little confused. My daughter with MS eats a pretty healthy diet with most of her protein coming from wild game. I am encouraging her to cut out the grains but most of the MS diet books recommend cutting fat extremely. I just can’t feel this is right. Any insight you have to help me will be greatly appreciated. On a typical day, what does a meal look like on the Perfect Healthy Diet?
I started the perfect health diet 2 weeks ago after following a Paleo/Weston Price like diet. My health conditions are PCOS and Raynaud’s. I also suspect I have a thyroid issue as my basal temperature is usually very low and I always have cold hands and feet. So far, my basal temperature has improved as well as my hands and feet being less cold. I had some light bleeding when I usually have amenorrhea. I will continue the diet excited for further improvements. I posted an article about my experience so far on my website primalpsychologist.com. I loved the book!
Great, thanks for sharing Paige! Keep us posted.
Best, Paul
Hi Paul the past couple days my temp has gone done to 97.3 and am getting more acne and hair loss. My nutrition response testing dr. said I am now “blocked” and I had to end all supplements with her until this is corrected. Any suggestions to heal through this as fast as possible? thanks in advance
My daughter had your book so I was looking at it and decided to try your suggested way of eating. I have recently been diagnosed with Diabetis II and was having some issues with my fasting blood sugar being too high. After 3 or maybe 4 days, my fasting blood sugar dropped by 2 full points ( Canadian ) so this was significant. It is interesting that many of the foods that you recommend are foods that they tell you not to eat!!
We were scheduled to go to Thailand for a couple of weeks and all was well the whole time we were there. I intend to buy the book myself and continue now that we are home from our holiday.
That’s great to hear Marilyn! Let me know how you do.
My 18 year old daughter Aiyin is adopted from China and likely has familial heterogeneous hypocholesterolemia. Her VAP panel shows total LDL at 266H, sum total cholesterol 358H , total HDL 70, total, total VLDL 22, total triglicerides 79, LP(a) 15. LDL size pattern A, remnant lipo 12.
The doctor wants to put her on statins. We want to avoid this is possible. We have begun taking the supplements you recommend. Can you please give us some other direction to take with regard to helping our daughter lower her LDL without statins. She has been trying to take 1,000 mg Enduracin (niacin) each day to help, but I see that you do not recommend niacin supplementation! I have understood the condition is resistant to help through diet and exercise. I hope that you have some advice that will help us help our daughter. Thank you.
Hi Paul, I wrote in last year after finishing a round of HCG and a total weight loss of 50 lbs – after several rounds of HCG over a couple of years. I am about half way through your book and have adopted some potatoes and rice. I have a gluten allergy, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance ( metabolic syndrome) MCS , asthma and disc problems in my mid to low back from an old injury. Currently I’m off work ( very busy nursing job – on feet 12 hours a day) because I can barely walk due to nerve impingement. Any way, I have gained 20 lbs since I last wrote to you and it is aggravating my back problem. I feel great on the diet and my blood sugar feels stable but I’m really worried about the weight. I was very stable at 141 lbs before your diet but I was completely avoiding starches and grains. I eat very little fruit as well due to the high sugar content. I will gain weight quickly on anything with fructose. I use only stevia and xylitol as sweeteners. So, I wondered if you had any different advice for me, in light of my weight and back pain. I am not able to exercise at all now so I am becoming very worried. Thank you so much for all that you do and your personal involvement in your followers. BTW I practice intermittent fasting daily but that doesn’t seem to make a difference. For me – carbs equal fat.
Approximately summer of 2013 I began to settle into a PHD-like habit. (I had been on SCD throughout 2012. My diet has been largely grain-free since 2012 and was not far unlike PHD before that.)
Throughout 2013 I gradually adopted PHD more closely. I am working on learning to gauge what percentage of fat, carb, protein is on my day’s “plate.” Working on increasing to a full pound of salmon and/or sardines. Need to work up to liver.
I have gained weight, starting in late 2012 while on the SCD. Gain has continued at a rate I’m not happy with; I wear two sizes bigger than I did in 2012.
I noticed my glucose had been edging up during SCD, and it has settled back down into normal range since reintroducing potatoes, yams, rice.
My digestive problems which led me to SCD still require lots of guesswork and experimentation. Constipation mainly; which never improved after going on thyroid hormone and never responded to any other constipation fixes. SCD correctly it, but only for 3 months. Last year, a practitioner of transdermal screening found it was parasites; she treated me over a few months, with impressive results. But continuing to see her seems unsustainable.
I am following PHD hoping for more permanent consistent relief; gut restoration; support for my hypothyroid condition which Armour alone isn’t satisfactorily resolving; and other things — including weight control.
Have recently done lab work via my MD, who found no parasites and gave me no guidance reading the results of the stool analysis, I’m on uva ursi to kill a bacteria Hafnia alvei.
Other than that, the stool analysis said my pancreatic elastase was 80 (should be greater than 201). He just said to take digestive enzymes.
My Eosinophil Protein X was very low (<0.3) so I think I should be happy about that? I can stop worrying about inflammed guts?
But it showed my n-Butyrate at almost the bottom of the reference range. My pH was above range at 8.1.
It showed only the following under Microbiology:
"Beneficial Bacteria"
_Lactobacillus species: No Growth
_Escherichia coli: 4+
_Bifidobacterium 2+
"Additional Bacteria"
_gamma haemolytic Streptococcus (nonpathogen), 4+
_Hafnia alvei (potential pathogen), 4+
"Mycology"
_Yeast, not candida albicans (nonpathogen), 1+
I was delighted to listen to Paul’s recent talk on Katherine Watkins’ Total Fat Loss Solution and then went on to listen to EVERY speaker. This has been truly outstanding. Katherine has done an amazing job lining up uniformly excellent speakers, and her interview style has been even-handed, evocative and wise. Congratulations, Katherine, on a job well-done: very professional and compassionate, and thank you for all of the wisdom and information you have made available to us. I have learned a great deal. I am continually amazed at how many of these topics are covered or touched upon in the book, The Perfect Health Diet!
Hi Paul – I promised a testimonial some time ago – but actually have been quite ill for some time and have not managed to get it done. So here is a testimonial – feel free to delete the comment and move it to into the html.
I came to the PHD after a very mixed experience with the GAPS diet, which I tried after a recommendation from my sister in law. I have had chronic health problems since I was 18, and have been diagnosed with mild CFS/ME, IBS among other things. For the last 10 years I have had chronic inflammatory back pain, which remarkably is much better after I started changing my diet. Having taken NSAIDs for a decade I found after some time on the GAPS program that my pain recovered enough that I could manage without them. However after about a month and a half on the program I began to feel really ill. My GAPS practitioner encouraged me to stick it out, but I needed to work and was feeling so ill that driving was difficult, let alone doing my job, which requires me to think fairly hard at least some of the time! I decided to try a medically trained GAPS practitioner, and she basically had me eat loads of butternut squash, a safe starch according to the PHD! This helped a lot, but in the process I had come across the PHD and bought the book. As a scientist your book was a breath of fresh air, I had resigned myself to accepting what I thought was essentially a trial an error approach to diet based on intuition ( GAPS/Western A Price style), or the medical establishment approach (when I consulted my doctor during my GAPS issues he told me I was a hypochondriac as I was not overweight so why should I be on a diet?!). Now I follow the PHD and my back pain is 90% resolved, although I still have some health issues.
Thank you JR!
Do you mention hemp seed products in any of your posts?
Supplement Question for Paul: Why am I taking 500 mg of pantothenic acid every day? I’ve forgotten what it does for you, as opposed to the other B vitamins, which are taken only as a weekly supplement because more frequent dosage would nourish pathogens too much.
Hi Peggy,
You don’t need to take it every day, but it is considered harmless, and sometimes people are helped by it (especially teenagers and those who consume a lot of oil). Pantothenic acid is used to make Coenzyme A which is used in fat metabolism, something that is not utilized by most germs. However, once a week is probably enough.
My question is regarding my thyroid. I have been trying to follow your diet and take most of the supplements. Just started taking b12 injections a month ago as well as walking 3 miles 4 to 5 days a week. Diagnosed with hypothyroid 5 years ago and take armor. For the most part I have stayed within normal range all this time. I switched dr.’s and did fresh bloodwork. Levels were consistent with past labs. At the time of my lab work I started with the b12 shots. Had three of them in the 4 week period. Retested lab and thyroid levels changed drastically. Dr. doesn’t seem to concerned, she lowered my armor from 120 to 80mg. I know that you have dealt with thyroid issues so I am in hope that you can help me. Anyone else, please feel free to chime in.
TSH: was 4.7 now 0.1
Free T4: was 1.02 now 1.63
Free T3: was 2.5 now 8.8
What does this mean? Please help
Hi A.,
Well, it definitely means your Armour dose was too high. I would test further reductions below 80mg and try to find the lowest dose that makes you feel OK.
After you’ve found a better dose, get retested and see how things look. It is hard to tell if there might be anything else wrong given that the overdose of Armour is messing up your numbers.
If you are wondering whether the B12 shots played a role, B12 deficiency has some association with autoimmune hypothyroidism, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24630032; it might be possible that the B12 injections reduced autoantibody levels and improved thyroid function, reducing your need for Armour. Or it could have been our diet, or the walking, that improved thyroid function. Whatever it was, as you heal you will have to continue reducing your dose of thyroid hormone.
Best, Paul
Thank you for your help!
Thank you for your help!
Hi Paul
Heartfelt thanks for creating such an erudite comprehensive and lifeimproving work.
A friend of mine who is suffering from type 2 diabetes and non alcoholic fatty liver disease adopted PHD some 15 months ago and for the first time [she has tried scores of diets]in her life has not felt hungry!
She has taken all the recommended supplements[other than coconut oil which causes indigestion]and after 9 months and 2 daily fasts a week she is now consistently loosing weight.
Unfortunately she was yesterday advised that her hepatic fibrosis appears to have progressed and she now has cirrhosis with a fibro scan of 20.0[7.54 IQR].
I would be most grateful if you would advise whether you think any of the supplements should be discontinued to reduce the strain on the liver or if you have any other suggestions.
Many thanks.
Hi TC,
She might try taking N-acetylcysteine, taurine, and extra vitamin C to promote glutathione and bile production. Extra choline might help too.
I see in the book you write a lot about Butyrate. Do you recommend that this should be supplemented?
Hello Paul. 2 days ago I went to the ER discovered Diverticulitis . I am Hypo/Hashimoto. It cannot remember when I DIDN”T have a gut problem. A year ago my wellness Dr. had my on Standard Process Bile salts, Digestive enzymes, Vit A and selenium. I also was taking zinc, B”S, Fish oil, magnesium, Vit D3. In pain, at a loss, sad.
Thank you.
Hi Mary,
Basic gut health steps:
– Eat liver, greens, and orange-yellow plants
– Get daily sunshine
– Eat bone, joint, tendon soups and stews
– Supplement vitamin C around a gram per day
– Circadian rhythm entrainment
– Intermittent fasting
– Diverse plant foods for fiber
– Fermented vegetables for probiotics
Don’t be sad, these problems are readily fixable.
I need to add I do not have my Gallbladder, and very curious about PHD way of life.
I would like to thank Paul and his wife from the bottom of my heart. I was on Gaps for 2 months to deal with digestive disorders and pain. I noticed good results on GAPS but after 2 months looked like I was wasting away. I had very low energy; dry mouth; low libido, yellow, gelatinous semen; flat mood; gum infection (lowered immunity). It seemed to me that carbs and starch were the ultimate “bad guys.” After reading Paul’s work, I realized they are actually necessary. Within 2 days all the above symptoms reversed, and I am feeling better than ever. This is a detail that the current low carb fad has not addressed. I was really worried for my health, and can’t even imagine going years on very low carb. For someone like me with a fast metabolism, I would probably end up dead. Thank you again – you guys are a great light in the dark.
An update for those interested. Paul is correct, we need a certain amount of glucose in the diet. However, if one (such as I) has a compromised gut, the way in which sugar is ingested makes a difference. After 10 days eating potatoes every day my digestive system complained. Maybe I over-did it but I think the GAPS theory on monosacharrides is valid and I have adjusted accordingly for now.
It is important to note here that the GAPS diet is NOT low-carb. I had made it low carb out of ignorance. Also, all those ridiculous candida and paleo diets claiming that we need ZERO carbs add gas to the fire of ignorance. However, there are no warnings in the GAPS book to be careful of going too low glucose. This is a VERY important point. If Paul had not pointed this out, I would still be wondering what was wrong.
I think the Perfect Health Diet is the most optimal diet for good health. If you are coming from GAPS, it is probably best to be free of digestive symptoms before trying non-GAPS carbs. If you can tolerate them, they are tasty, nutritious, and make getting adequate glucose in your system less tedious.
Dear moderator:
My previous comment was meant to be an independent comment not a reply. Please edit it to an independent comment as I do not see an option to edit it myself. Thanks
Hi Nick,
I’m afraid I don’t know how to change that either.
I am 53 years old and have had migraines for 36 years. They have got worse in the last 4 years since starting the menopause. I have been following the diet for 4 months and am still getting migraines for about 15 days a month. I would say that they are not as severe and are responding to my medication better. Should I have expected a better result if the diet is going to work for me?
Hi Heather,
You can certainly do better than that, I would say everyone on PHD should be able to eliminate migraines, but healing can take time. Migraines are basically caused by inflammation in the hypothalamus and sometimes our diet removes the causes of inflammation in a few days, other times (if gut flora are the cause of the inflammation) it can take weeks to months, in other cases (if systemic infections are the cause) it can take years. Sometimes if a genetic defect is involved a ketogenic diet may be needed, check out our migraines category for stories: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/category/disease/migraines-headaches/
So I think you should be pleased that you’ve experienced improvement, but also you should expect that there are still many improvements you can make.
Some keys:
– Nutrient-dense calorie-minimizing diet — get all the nutrition you need, especially minerals and lipids, by eating our supplemental foods and avoiding excess of energy (i.e. don’t put excess oil on foods, just enough to make them taste good).
– Intermittent fasting.
– Bones/joints/tendons in soups and stews and extra vitamin C for extracellular matrix repair
– Liver weekly and spinach/greens and carrots/sweet potatoes/orange fruits and vegetables for vitamin A and carotenoids
– Fermented vegetables for the gut flora
– sunshine, exercise, and circadian rhythm entrainment
Give these steps some time and then let me know how you are doing. Also, consider coming to our Perfect Health Retreat, that would help you learn many steps most of our readers overlook.
Best, Paul
I am new to this diet and waiting for the book to arrive. I am wondering how do you get a pound of potato or rice, or one of the foods you stated in a day. How much is that per meal to get you to one pound?
Paul has sketched an easy way to get the right amount of safe starches by thinking in terms of 3 or 4 servings per day; each serving is about the size of your palm or closed fist. Divide servings up between your meals, along with a good protein, non-starchy vegetables, and 3 to 4 servings per day of healthy ‘sugary’ foods (carrots, beets, onions, berries, etc…) and you’ve got it.
Everyone finds their own way. I do 16/8 fasting, so could divide my safe starches into two meals of 7–8 ounces each, but my wife can’t eat that much food in one meal. We have a little food scale and weigh out 5 ounces at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eating every four hours to stay in the 8-hour feeding window. I only do 4 ounces of fruit at each meal because I’m always eating onions or tomatoes, sweet potatoes or plantains, so that I stay under the fructose limit.
I’ve tried not weighing, and I tend to over eat, which tends to throw off my whole eating schedule because then I’m not hungry at mealtime, which throws off circadian rhythms, and sends me circling the drain.
However you do it, it’s totally worth the benefits!
Your newborn is beautiful. Congratulations to you both. Luke is a wonderful name and wonderful namesake. I loved the lullabies and pictures too.
My struggles with cravings are finally over. I had such an addiction to chocolate, caffeine and sweets that it derailed all of my good intentions. That stuff messes with the mind. I missed sweet junk so much I had started eating potato chips and nuts to fill in the desire/gulf left by giving up sweets, etc. I began to gain weight like a person who stops smoking. Then I recently decided to give up all sources of omega-6 oils. And suddenly the sweet cravings stopped and appetite is totally under control! I started using fish oil again and MCT oil. This all has me very calm and happy. I am now losing weight quickly. I think omega-6 oils commonly in all prepared foods here and there, and in most grains and nuts really stimulates appetite and bad moods, and the blues. I am eating more healthy fat and given up all unsafe starches. I am now very happy with my long,long experiment. I don’t know if giving up those dastardly omega-6 oils could have gotten me here faster but it seems that way. As soon as I gave them the boot everything else fell into place. I have allowed some decaf coffee and decaf tea back into my life, but sparely. Chocolate and sweets I consider to be like cocaine–addictive, not a food item, and totally unnecessary, life is good without it. My whole brain feels well fed and not lonesome for the things I gave up. I am loving Indian and Thai recipes. They’re unusual and deeply satisfying. I can eat it in the morning with eggs scrambled in. A little bit of rice for a starch or a small bit of buckwheat (it is not wheat)cooked as a small pancake is great if a starch is really needed, it doesn’t cause cravings for me. I thought the only way I could cut down on carbs was to eat lots of bacon but this is all better. When I get to my desired weight goal I will give a complete health report. That is my update.
P.S. I gave up my trainer and just go for walks with a friend in the morning.
Thanks to you both,
Joanne
Hi there. My mom has recently been diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica. I gave her my copy of the PHD and she has adapted to it very well. She has always had a very good diet, but now she is cutting down on grains, sugars, fatty oils, etc. Is there something else you might recommend. She has had to go with the rheumatologist prescription of pregnasone to help with mobility and lessen the pain, which does work, but of course, has side/long term effects.
Hello Paul,
I don’t see a healing category for the following two health conditions.
How do I heal my Hiatal Hernia? All these fats, even tho they are
healthy are actually making me suffer. Especially at night. The hernia grows
so large it rises up my chest and I constantly wake up to gasping for air.
Even drinking something does not make it go down right away. This is
happening right now, after having some CO to prepare my chicken and
butter in my mashed potatoes. Nothing in the spinach. Two hours later
and I woke up to suffering again and will not be able to sleep for hours.
This chronic condition is ruining my life, along with……..
Sleep Apnea. I have a 90% chance of a heart attack when I sleep.
Will this diet help resolve these two conditions?
P.S. I wish you had an “edit button” for this comment section. 🙂
Seconded! Some of these comments are on 3 times.
I’d be interested in seeing an answer to the question of Hiatal Hernia. If I eat a strict Paleo diet (no dairy) then this condition improves but on the PHD I suffer as mentioned above.
Hello Paul,
Please can you advise if it is acceptable to take supplements (c, D, K, etc) during IMF or would it be better to wait until the next meal?
Thanks
Trudy
Hi Paul, Do you know about Klebsiella Oxytoca and Hafnia Alvei infections. My stool result came back positive for both of these. Perhpas these bacteria are the cause of my recent health problems that doctors were unable to diagnose (burning in abdomen, atypical UTI, miscarriage?!, tight chest….)
I’ve been told to take Cipro antibiotic for it but am scared of the side effects due to the fluoride in it.
Any ideas?
(I’ve also found out I have a sensitivity to gluten, milk butyrophilin and pronounced sensitivity to eggs (IgG/IgA). Have got a lot to work on healing my gut. )
I did perviously take another antibiotic but unfortunately it did now work (even though the lab showed it as an ‘effective’ antibiotic) I am doing the natural approach of probiotics and antimicrobials. Unfortunately die-off seems to be giving me anxiety symptoms. Could this be from the toxic byproducts. Is there anything I can do to protect from the toxic die-off? I’m thinking possibly extra anti-oxidants?
I also have some candida overgrowth confirmed, possibly made worse by the antibiotics I had last month. So some die-off may be to do with that.
Any tips would be grately appreciated when you get a spare moment!
Thank you
P.S. Thanks for sharing the lovely baptism photos. Such a joyful occasion.
Hi Claire,
I sympathize. Here is a case where someone else had Klebsiella oxytoca (a patient of an NP posted her client’s story): http://www.baumancollege.org/forum/index.php?topic=10284.0
As for Hafnia, this article seems to suggest that antibiotics are also effective for it:
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/6/1040.full.pdf
I wonder if your stomach acid isn’t low and you don’t have an underlying H Pylori infection which is allowing these bacterial overgrowths to take over? The paper I linked to above suggested that Hafnia is a problem only when there is an underlying infection.
The best way to test for H Pylori is the BioHealth 401H test, you can also try blood or stool antigen testing via your Primary care doctor.
I actually found this article very helpful on why you may need more than one stool test: My metametrix test didn’t pick up my h pylori infection (I presume that’s what you had done)
http://scdlifestyle.com/2013/03/are-unreliable-lab-tests-stealing-your-money/
I chose a botanicals route for my bacterial overgrowths since I also had candida, and then worked with a naturopath for adrenal help and candida/fungal overgrowth.
I’m about to retest, but I can tell a difference in my digestive issues already.
Hope that this information helps.
Hope this isn’t a repeat, hit tab and my message disappeared…
Any suggestions: I was a vegan for several years and switched to the “Grain Brain” diet last Feb, followed by the PHD 4 months later. Always had high cholesterol, went quite a bit higher after these changes. Wasn’t overly concerned, even thought the brain health benefits were a plus. However, after experiencing unusual pain mtn biking, went to the doc, who sent me for a stress test which showed some abnormalities. Am now being sent to a cardiologist for further diagnosis and who knows what recommended treatment. I realize it takes years to clog one’s arteries , if this turns out to be the issue, ( age: 66 ), but should I reconsider the added fat and dairy?
Hi Steve,
PHD proportions should be fine, but I find that people commonly overdo the oil and think they are following PHD advice.
It’s always difficult to know what people are eating. Remember that a pound of oil has almost 4000 calories, while a pound of white potatoes has less than 500; and foods come with fats; so to keep PHD proportions you need about a 15-to-1 size ratio of foods to oils/fats.
Making food flavorful but not greasy is a good guide.
Avoiding cardiovascular disease is about much more than the right macronutrient proportions. If you’d like more guidance, consider coming to our Perfect Health Retreat.
Best, Paul
Hi Steve,
Obviously paul’s advice is sound but I wanted to point you to this nugget from Chris Kresser, from his podcast here:
http://chriskresser.com/which-lab-tests-are-essential
“I want to tell a story just from yesterday in the clinic. I talked to a patient who came to see me. His primary concern was his lipids; you know, cardiovascular health and heart attack prevention. He had high cholesterol, also high LDL particle number (LDL-P), which we determined. But he really had no other symptoms. Overall, he felt really good. He didn’t have any obvious gut symptoms. He slept well and had good energy levels. He didn’t have any complaints. The main thing he wanted to do was to reduce his risk of a future heart attack.”
“He had some family history, but he was just kind of alarmed by—he had done some of this testing on his own, or he had it done with his doctor. He was kind of alarmed by his high levels. I proceeded to talk to him about all the underlying causes that can contribute to a high LDL particle number. Of course, one of those is gut inflammation and intestinal permeability. What happens with a leaky gut, an endotoxin like lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can get into the bloodstream. Then the liver will manufacture more LDL particles to deal with that. Chronic gut infections can also raise LDL-P for a similar reason. Poor thyroid function, because the LDL receptor requires T3 to function properly. Of course, metabolic issues like insulin and leptin resistance can cause it. Then, of course, you have genetics and a few other causes. But with no symptoms, it was interesting to talk to him about that and to convince him that we needed to order some stool testing, SIBO breath testing, and urine organic acids profile to determine if he had gut issues. I mean, he already knew a lot of this, so it wasn’t hard to convince him. He was totally game to do it. So we ordered that kind of testing. Guess what? He had evidence of SIBO and fungal overgrowth on both the stool test and the urine organic acids profile. So we set about treating those.”
So anyway, if you read that, it kind of sounds like you… Maybe just focus more on bone broths and leakiness of your gut? It’s funny because for me I love the bone broths and making them but a lot of people seem to have trouble incorporating them into the diet.
All I can say is, “Oxtail and Simply Recipes.” The first is the best cut of meat for making broth (opinion!) and the second has two great recipes for oxtails – one with ginger and greens, and the other with some orange zest and spices. They are both fantastic.
Good on PHD:
1) I was able to track down three infections per the book’s advie. I’m much better, much less allergic to things after dealing with them. Dealing with these infections also significantly helped my PMS (bloating, pain prior to menstruation)
2) Less acne (but not completely cured)
3) stronger nails, hair
4) Better sleep, most of the time.
Got worse on PHD:
1) Dandruff, or maybe it is psoriasis (I’ve read skin conditions like these can be from copper/zinc imbalance and it seemed to correlate with eating beef liver, shellfish more regularly.)
2) Have trouble eating enough calories every day. It’s also very hard to eat enough within the 8-10 hour feeding window for me or my husband so that we are not waking up hungry. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, with reactive hypoglycemia, even when I eat all PHD foods. I feel like I cannot eat enough when I’m having only two or three meals from 11-7.
3) Some supplements cause problems. I don’t like K2 (gave me brain fog) or Vitamin D3 (headaches). Magnesium baths are not as effective as magnesium supplement, and didn’t help with a magnesium deficiency. I think copper is better from food than supplement, since it occurs naturally with zinc in nature most of the time.
Hi MP,
Thanks for sharing your results!
Acne can usually be helped with zinc, vitamin A, and pantothenic acid.
Dandruff may well be a zinc deficiency. Try 100 mg zinc per week. It often indicates immune deficits, but the liver, sunshine, zinc, and vitamin C should help.
Try eating a sweet dessert at the end of the day. You may be too low carb. Reactive hypoglycemia calls for gut healing, the same nutrients as for the dandruff, plus circadian rhythm entrainment, fiber, and fermented vegetables.
Not sure why the K2 and D3 gave you trouble. The D could be a temporary effect as it improves immunity and leads to die-off of some of your infections. I agree about copper; be sure to limit beef or lamb liver to 1/4 lb per week to avoid copper overdose.
Let me know how things go!
Best, Paul
Hi Paul, I wonder if you would kindly help me. I have been doing keto for a while but recently seem to have developed fat malabsorption (pale stools, constipation). I’ve been trying to heal my gut using glutamine and aloe vera and bone broth. I take Vitamin D & magnesium. I have amalgam fillings so no doubt they are contributing to my issues somehow. No matter how much I try I cannot seem to add starches or other carbs back in to my diet without feeling terrible, with brainfog and other mental symptoms. I feel best on the ketogenic version of PHD but without starch. I also react badly to coconut fibre – it causes me brainfog pretty quickly. Any ideas what might be going on? Some kind of gut infection, SIBO? I suspect candida as this is often linked with having amalgam fillings. I also have sebohreic dermatitis on my scalp, which I have had since I was a baby. I’m getting quyite desperate but I have improved my health by adding in certain vitamins. I cannot tolerate most probiotics due to histamine intolerance, however I seem okay with the soil based ones.
Hi Phil,
Fat malabsorption will lead to a diarrhea-like steatorrhea. More likely you’ve developed a gut dysbiosis / infection which is causing the constipation. You’ve lost the carbohydrate- and mucus-eating bacteria that normally line the gut and acquired microbes that our guts are not adapted for.
Glutamine is not a substitute for carbs or fiber, when gut bacteria metabolize it they generate a toxic nitrogenous waste. When you eat more carbs now, the bad bacteria in your gut cause inflammation. Probably you have a leaky gut and are getting endotoxemia.
Seborrheic dermatitis is usually fungal. Improving immune function will help both that and the gut.
Start by adding glucose/dextrose powder to your ketogenic PHD, then gradually work in cooked then refrigerated white rice and potatoes. Tend to immunity with liver, sunshine, circadian rhythm entrainment. Eating beef or lamb liver will help with the histamine intolerance.
You might want to consider coming to our retreat for more extensive help. It takes some time to heal the gut and there are a lot of variables to optimize.
Best, Paul
Thankyou so much for your response Paul! I will definitely implement those suggestions! I forgot to mention, I have lost all sex drive since doing keto…could that be connected to hormonal changes, cortisol etc? I suspected the glutamine was problematic as I started to get an ammonia smell in my nose and have given it up now.
I’d love to visit your retreat but alas, I live too far away! (UK)
Test your SHBG level. It typically rises on a ketogenic diet. SHBG binds to testosterone and renders it inert. If it’s too high, you can take Nettle Root Extract (not leaf!) to lower it.
Thankyou! I cannot afford tests but may give that a try anyway. I had assumed that the stress of the keto diet was causing pregnenolone steal…I didn’t even know there was such a thing as SHBG!