Ketogenic Diet - Powerful Dietary Strategy for Certain Conditions
- Thread starter Laura
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Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
I'm wondering about the betaines too. Sometimes I have watermelon and when I do I immediately have perfect bowel movements. Gorging on carbs has never done me good in this way, except watermelon. For me it's like the ideal laxative. It's not the sodium or potassium, because I'm taking supplements and they don't work the same way. Watermelon gets things moving, but doesn't cause diarrhea. I looked it up and the betaines seem to stand out as what makes it unique, aside from the electrolytes.
I might have some HCl soon.
I'm wondering about the betaines too. Sometimes I have watermelon and when I do I immediately have perfect bowel movements. Gorging on carbs has never done me good in this way, except watermelon. For me it's like the ideal laxative. It's not the sodium or potassium, because I'm taking supplements and they don't work the same way. Watermelon gets things moving, but doesn't cause diarrhea. I looked it up and the betaines seem to stand out as what makes it unique, aside from the electrolytes.
I might have some HCl soon.
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Of course betaine (in beets and other foods) and its chloride salt betaine HCL (in the supplement capsules) are two different things with different effects, but one thing that comes to mind about watermelons, I think, is that they are a major source of histamine. That is, unless my brain is completely fried from listening to to many podcasts and I am just making things up. Can anyone else confirm?
(By the way, monotonic, I have your "Music as a narrative" topic marked for later reading. I couldn't do it justice yesterday.)
monotonic said:
Of course betaine (in beets and other foods) and its chloride salt betaine HCL (in the supplement capsules) are two different things with different effects, but one thing that comes to mind about watermelons, I think, is that they are a major source of histamine. That is, unless my brain is completely fried from listening to to many podcasts and I am just making things up. Can anyone else confirm?
(By the way, monotonic, I have your "Music as a narrative" topic marked for later reading. I couldn't do it justice yesterday.)
beetlemaniac
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Watermelons are listed as a FODMAP containing fructose, got this link from Chris Kresser:
_http://www.ibsgroup.org/brochures/fodmap-intolerances.pdf
His blog on histamine doesn't list it as a histamine containing food, however. Link:
_http://chriskresser.com/headaches-hives-and-heartburn-could-histamine-be-the-cause
Megan said:
Watermelons are listed as a FODMAP containing fructose, got this link from Chris Kresser:
_http://www.ibsgroup.org/brochures/fodmap-intolerances.pdf
His blog on histamine doesn't list it as a histamine containing food, however. Link:
_http://chriskresser.com/headaches-hives-and-heartburn-could-histamine-be-the-cause
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Thanks, that could be it. I am remembering something other than FODMAPs, but I really do listen to so many podcasts that I start to scramble things, and many of the podcasts other than Chris' do not offer transcripts. Amy Myers (dramymyers.com) is good too, by the way, as are quite a few of the guests on Jimmy Moore's Ask The Low Carb Experts.
Speaking of Chris Kresser, I made it onto his patient waiting list at about the midpoint (he held a lottery to determine position). With luck I should be able to see him by the end of next year, if not before. I can't wait.
beetlemaniac said:
Thanks, that could be it. I am remembering something other than FODMAPs, but I really do listen to so many podcasts that I start to scramble things, and many of the podcasts other than Chris' do not offer transcripts. Amy Myers (dramymyers.com) is good too, by the way, as are quite a few of the guests on Jimmy Moore's Ask The Low Carb Experts.
Speaking of Chris Kresser, I made it onto his patient waiting list at about the midpoint (he held a lottery to determine position). With luck I should be able to see him by the end of next year, if not before. I can't wait.
beetlemaniac
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Thanks for the recommendation, I have added her on my list. I do listen to Jimmy Moore's stuff, too. Podcasts can get quite noisy at times, I guess.
Sounds great, I hope you get in soon! I like his honest way of explaining the things he covers and the diligence in his research. Seems like one of the more objective people in the Paleo scene. As I'm sure you've heard, his book is coming out on December 24th (Personal Paleo Code) and it seems like he focuses on the individuality each person. Might be a good one to pick up, if not just for some new insights.
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
He originally said, if I did not misunderstand, that he would be writing about digestive issues but it appears that he branched out as the writing progressed. There really is reason to think, however, that digestive issues are at or near the root of a great many other problems. We can't live without the aid of large colonies of symbiotic bacteria in various places and it seems that they have all been under savage assault for a very long time now. This may even imply something about the longevity of the human race.
[Added:] By the way, Personal Paleo Code is also a set of materials he has for sale, featuring a personalized 30-day elimination diet plan, recipes, and other helpful information. It's good, especially if you are starting out. He liked the name so much, though, that he stole it for the title of his book and now the plan has been renamed to something else.
My favorite part of the plan has been a web-based health status tracker. Without out it I probably would not realize how much progress I have really made -- the problems I still have would tend to override. But I am MUCH better off than before, and if I need a reminder then all I have to do is look at the graphs that this tool produces.
beetlemaniac said:
He originally said, if I did not misunderstand, that he would be writing about digestive issues but it appears that he branched out as the writing progressed. There really is reason to think, however, that digestive issues are at or near the root of a great many other problems. We can't live without the aid of large colonies of symbiotic bacteria in various places and it seems that they have all been under savage assault for a very long time now. This may even imply something about the longevity of the human race.
[Added:] By the way, Personal Paleo Code is also a set of materials he has for sale, featuring a personalized 30-day elimination diet plan, recipes, and other helpful information. It's good, especially if you are starting out. He liked the name so much, though, that he stole it for the title of his book and now the plan has been renamed to something else.
My favorite part of the plan has been a web-based health status tracker. Without out it I probably would not realize how much progress I have really made -- the problems I still have would tend to override. But I am MUCH better off than before, and if I need a reminder then all I have to do is look at the graphs that this tool produces.
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
My "Betaine HCL challenge" has taken an interesting turn. A few days ago I upped the dosage to 9 capsules (* 648 mg) and experienced pronounced nausea and gassiness. Now my tolerance for the supplement has dropped to more like two capsules (~1.3 g) with a large meal.
Hopefully, this means I am making more of my own stomach acid now, although I have not tried repeating the baking soda test again yet. That test is not particularly accurate and the lack of a burp, unfortunately, does not have a definite meaning. The betaine HCL response is a better measure.
If that isn't what it means then it may be time for me to engage a consultant. First, however, I need to do a "four dark horsemen" elimination test (nuts, honey, dairy, and eggs, SCD legal but often troublesome anyway), just to be sure. As with FODMAP elimination, it is sometimes necessary to eliminate all four before a change is seen. I consume very little in the way of nuts, honey or dairy (selected goat cheeses only), but eggs are a major part of my nutrient intake. I last tried eliminating them for 30 days in July of 2012, to no effect. This time it will be for more like four days, and the eggs will be the last to go. It doesn't sound too bad.
My "Betaine HCL challenge" has taken an interesting turn. A few days ago I upped the dosage to 9 capsules (* 648 mg) and experienced pronounced nausea and gassiness. Now my tolerance for the supplement has dropped to more like two capsules (~1.3 g) with a large meal.
Hopefully, this means I am making more of my own stomach acid now, although I have not tried repeating the baking soda test again yet. That test is not particularly accurate and the lack of a burp, unfortunately, does not have a definite meaning. The betaine HCL response is a better measure.
If that isn't what it means then it may be time for me to engage a consultant. First, however, I need to do a "four dark horsemen" elimination test (nuts, honey, dairy, and eggs, SCD legal but often troublesome anyway), just to be sure. As with FODMAP elimination, it is sometimes necessary to eliminate all four before a change is seen. I consume very little in the way of nuts, honey or dairy (selected goat cheeses only), but eggs are a major part of my nutrient intake. I last tried eliminating them for 30 days in July of 2012, to no effect. This time it will be for more like four days, and the eggs will be the last to go. It doesn't sound too bad.
beetlemaniac
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
I must say I have never used that much betaine HCl before. I just had some beef last night, which is notoriously difficult to digest for me. It's around 3 am now and I can feel it in my gut like a rock. Time to start on the HCl again I think! I'm having some peppermint tea right now to hopefully get things moving a bit. Oh yeah, I also had some magnesium/potassium taurate before bed which obviously has weakened the acidity.
About the above, I just did some ketone testing yesterday. Measuring immediately after work I registered a 2.8 mmol/L (roughly 12 hr fast, I was feeling quite hungry at the time), then after dinner at 2.1 mmol/L. I ruined two test strips because I didn't use enough blood, I needed to squeeze out at least a 4-5 mm diameter drop of blood. I'm using an Abbott meter.
Megan said:
I must say I have never used that much betaine HCl before. I just had some beef last night, which is notoriously difficult to digest for me. It's around 3 am now and I can feel it in my gut like a rock. Time to start on the HCl again I think! I'm having some peppermint tea right now to hopefully get things moving a bit. Oh yeah, I also had some magnesium/potassium taurate before bed which obviously has weakened the acidity.
Megan said:
About the above, I just did some ketone testing yesterday. Measuring immediately after work I registered a 2.8 mmol/L (roughly 12 hr fast, I was feeling quite hungry at the time), then after dinner at 2.1 mmol/L. I ruined two test strips because I didn't use enough blood, I needed to squeeze out at least a 4-5 mm diameter drop of blood. I'm using an Abbott meter.
theos
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Ouch! Those test strips are valuable. If you aren't already doing this, you may want to prick your finger and hold your hand downward while squeezing the blood out to let gravity work for you. You can also get a better blood flow (and it makes it easier to get the blood on the strip) if you prick more to the side of your finger, not directly in the middle of the finger pad. FWIW.
beetlemaniac said:
Ouch! Those test strips are valuable. If you aren't already doing this, you may want to prick your finger and hold your hand downward while squeezing the blood out to let gravity work for you. You can also get a better blood flow (and it makes it easier to get the blood on the strip) if you prick more to the side of your finger, not directly in the middle of the finger pad. FWIW.
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Yes, I am pretty touchy about that now, having wasted quite a few dollars worth of strips. I had a regular bloodletting this last time, just to make sure. (Well, it wasn't THAT much but it didn't stop after I took the sample either.) A too-small sample, even if it works, might not be the best thing for accuracy. My Precision Extra instructions say not to squeeze. On the other hand, my Accu-Check (glucose-only) instructions say squeezing is good. So I squeeze for one and not the other.
Odyssey said:
Yes, I am pretty touchy about that now, having wasted quite a few dollars worth of strips. I had a regular bloodletting this last time, just to make sure. (Well, it wasn't THAT much but it didn't stop after I took the sample either.) A too-small sample, even if it works, might not be the best thing for accuracy. My Precision Extra instructions say not to squeeze. On the other hand, my Accu-Check (glucose-only) instructions say squeezing is good. So I squeeze for one and not the other.
beetlemaniac
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Thanks for the tips, Odyssey. Yes I was pretty upset about it, but I was really happy when I finally got it right on the 3rd try, seeing that I was actually in ketosis! :D
Odyssey said:
Thanks for the tips, Odyssey. Yes I was pretty upset about it, but I was really happy when I finally got it right on the 3rd try, seeing that I was actually in ketosis! :D
Hmm... how do you get a good amount out without squeezing? I really need a whole lot for the Abbott meter. I think my low blood pressure makes it difficult to get a good amount. But you are right, I just checked the online manual and it does proscribe squeezing the site.Megan said:
mcb
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
Are you sure you want to know? Turn the lancet adjustment all the way up or maybe just short of that, place it on a known tender spot, and press down a bit before firing. It hurts, but at least it bleeds.
Lancets also come in different gauges, but I don't know what I am doing there so I just buy the same gauge as what came with the meter. A different size might help.
beetlemaniac said:
Are you sure you want to know? Turn the lancet adjustment all the way up or maybe just short of that, place it on a known tender spot, and press down a bit before firing. It hurts, but at least it bleeds.
Lancets also come in different gauges, but I don't know what I am doing there so I just buy the same gauge as what came with the meter. A different size might help.
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
After I blended my bone broth (when it was done), a layer of foam rised to the top (there wasn't any prior to blending). This never happened before, and I was wondering if it's okay to drink that? I had a small bowl of the bone broth with foam, and I didn't have any bad reaction to it. According to one site though the foam consists of impurities (but they don't elaborate on that). And a lot of other sites recommend skimming it off. I was wondering what you guys do?
After I blended my bone broth (when it was done), a layer of foam rised to the top (there wasn't any prior to blending). This never happened before, and I was wondering if it's okay to drink that? I had a small bowl of the bone broth with foam, and I didn't have any bad reaction to it. According to one site though the foam consists of impurities (but they don't elaborate on that). And a lot of other sites recommend skimming it off. I was wondering what you guys do?
beetlemaniac
The Living Force
Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?
I think the foam they are referring to is the scum that rises up as the broth goes through the cooking process, if I'm not wrong. I'm making a wild guess here - maybe the foam in your broth is due to frothing when the fat and broth mix together when blended? Maybe you had a particularly high fat broth this time?Oxajil said:
