"Life Without Bread"

[Ollie]

...
I had a self observation a few months ago that I found really useful along these lines....but from the opposite perspective.
My mood had been really quite good and I had good clarity of thought, until one night when I had a reaction to something I'd eaten. I woke up some time in the middle of the night needing the toilet, and sitting there waiting for my guts to get rid of whatever it was I noticed that my mind started to become filled with all my old programs/thoughts (automatic negative thoughts, depressed mood, thought loops, negative/obsessive thinking etc etc)....and it dawned on me that perhaps all they where, was misinterpretted signals from my guts that something negative was going on.....when my guts had done what they needed to do, these thoughts and programs evaporated and I was left with the previous good mood and clarity of thought.
...

From experience of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy (both doing and giving), this is a normal reaction after 'letting go' of buffers/programmes/limiting decisions, etc. All is well. :) Another reaction may be a sudden increased frequency of urination, as again, the old programmes, etc are 'flushed away'.

 

[mada85]

Thanks for all the replies regarding the muscle cramp/twitching issue. Posting here and reading the replies prompted me to think again about this issue. I decided to dowse (with a pendulum) to see which supplements I should be taking for this issue, with interesting results. I've always had good results when I've used dowsing for health issues.

The results were: stop taking calcium; reduce magnesium intake to 750mg daily in divided doses; increase potassium intake to 99mg four times daily; increase mag phos (tissue salt) to seven or more doses daily. I've noticed that the muscle twitches stop a few minutes after a dose of mag phos. The dowsing result for today is the same as yesterday. I'm going to continue checking this on a daily basis until the cramps are gone.

I slept really well last night with no muscle cramps and much reduced twitching.

Another thing to consider is your protein intake. Are eating more then 0.8g of protein times your body weight?

If anything I'm eating a little below my ideal protein intake, but I am eating plenty of fats. I've been taking l-carnitine for few weeks now, but everything is pointing to excess calcium as the culprit . . .

Muscle cramps and twitching are a common symptom of calcium deficiency. A couple of sites that carry this information are:
_http://www.calciumdeficiency.co.uk/
_http://www.3fatchicks.com/4-signs-you-have-a-calcium-deficiency/

However, calcium is also a muscle constrictor and not a relaxant like magnesium. This page has some information about calcium, including the following:

Too much calcium not only results in calcifications, but calcium overload can produce severe muscle spasms and cramping. Calcium is a muscle constrictor while magnesium is a muscle relaxant. Excessive calcium often produces symptoms of constipation, heart flutters (fibrillation), eyelid twitch, migraines, leg cramps, back aches and monthly cramping in females. � Bill Sardi

So calcium supplementation can actually cause muscle twitches and cramps even though they are also symptoms of calcium deficiency!! It sounds like it's best to avoid calcium supplements. Calcium supplementation also carries other risks including early mortality, vascular disease, etc.

It appears therefore that one of calcium's purposes in the body is to facilitate a slight constriction in the muscles. I have noticed from practicing Qi Gong that relaxed muscles are not flaccid muscles, they are slightly constricted which maintains the tonus of the muscle. So this means, OSIT, that the balance of calcium and magnesium is very important, and excess calcium is going to cause excess constriction. Anart was absolutely right to say that . . .

Calcium does not relax muscles, so I'm not sure why you're linking calcium to a lessening of leg cramps. It could be that they're not going away because of the calcium.

Muscle tone

In physiology, medicine, and anatomy, muscle tone (residual muscle tension or tonus) is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles, or the muscle’s resistance to passive stretch during resting state.[1] It helps maintain posture, and it declines during REM sleep.

Purpose

Unconscious nerve impulses maintain the muscles in a partially contracted state. If a sudden pull or stretch occurs, the body responds by automatically increasing the muscle's tension, a reflex which helps guard against danger as well as helping to maintain balance.

The presence of near-continuous innervation makes it clear that tonus describes a "default" or "steady state" condition. There is, for the most part, no actual "rest state" insofar as activation is concerned.

In terms of skeletal muscle, both the extensor and flexor muscles, under normal innervation, maintain a constant tone while "at rest" that maintains a normal posture.

Cardiac muscle and smooth muscle, although not directly connected to the skeleton, also have tonus in the sense that although their contractions are not matched with those of antagonist muscles, the non-contractive state is characterized by (sometimes random) enervation.

 

[Gawan]

An update and a painful lesson.

Friday last week was the first day where I felt pretty nauseated the whole day, I could stand only about 3 minutes before the stomach pain set in and I needed to sit down again it went better in the evening, but after I drank again a buttered tea with stevia the pain came slowly back and I woke up also in the middle of the night with stomach aches.

Next day I was fine again, beside my BG dropped very low (another eventually side effect of stevia) for the hole day, which started also the day before in the evening, so another day where I was barely able to do something useful. This night again I woke up again with stomach ache and heavy backpain, weakness, no strength which still is present. So I wondered what it might be, on Friday I suspected an avocado test, but since it happened today again and I'm drinking a lot of tea with stevia and butter I know suspect stevia is the main culprit (beside only butter and meat/fish, mushrooms, green beans/sweet potato). Unfortunately I cannot measure the amount of stevia since it is pretty light, nonetheless it is maybe too much for me.

_http://www.steviainfo.com/research_articles/Hsieh%20et%20al%20(2003).pdf

In this study are listed some side-effects, which fit in with my symptoms:

Tolerability

Stevioside was well tolerated. Eight patients in each group reported minor adverse effects, and only 2 in each group discontinued treatment. The types and incidence of adverse effects were similar between the active-treatment and placebo groups (Table III). Shortly after the initiation of treatment, 4 patients in the stevioside group experienced adverse effects (abdominal fullness, myalgia [muscle pain], nausea, and asthenia [weakness, lack of energy]), but all symptoms disappeared after 1 week of treatment.

There were no significant changes in body weight or biochemical parameters, and the results of laboratory tests were similar in the 2 groups throughout the study. No cardiovascular events or mortality occurred in either group

Another site reports the following, which goes also in the direction of symptoms that many other sites are reporting too:
_http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-side-effects-of-stevia.htm

One of the most common side effects of Stevia is nausea. Of course, as most people do not consume this sweetener on its own, it may be difficult to tell if the nausea stems from this ingredient, or the food item that it has been added to. On the other hand, some people also report excessive bloating after consumption of Stevia, which is usually eventually relieved by the accompanying gas. Though a minority of people have reported these side effects of Stevia, it may be wise to test out a small amount of the product first in order to avoid nausea and gas while at work or school.

This sugar substitute has been known to cause more than just problems with the intestinal tract. For instance, some users have become dizzy after consuming this product, while others may feel a little numb. On the other hand, certain users feel more pain than numbness, as their muscles become sore after ingesting Stevia. Thus, it may be a good idea to avoid using this product for the first time just before any physical activities.

Some side effects of Stevia only tend to negatively affect those who already suffer from certain conditions, as other people may not even notice a difference in their health. For instance, some people have noticed a drop in blood pressure when using Stevia, which may be bad news for those who already suffer from low blood pressure. This is not the only thing that this product can lower, as it may also reduce blood sugar, in which case diabetics are often encouraged to monitor their levels carefully when using Stevia. Finally, those who are allergic to ragweed, daisies, and other plants in the Asteraceae/Compositae family may want to steer clear of Stevia since it is in the same plant family, and thus may cause an allergic reaction.

So I take it off for the time being and see how I do, hopefully better because it is annoying to have no strength.

 

[Laura]

Stevia makes me sick and did from the beginning. I think it might be some anti-nutrient in it. I stick to xylitol in small doses.

 

[mada85]

The results of a small experiment with butter tea:

I took no butter tea for a couple of days, and bowel movements returned to normal. To check, I took one mug of tea with butter this afternoon – jeeze! That stuff has to be the most potent laxative in the known universe! :O

Eating butter as a snack, with a little xylitol mashed into it for example, does not have the same effect.

 

[LQB]

So I take it off for the time being and see how I do, hopefully better because it is annoying to have no strength.

You might want to try licorice root powder. It is very sweet in small amounts, no glycemic index, and no taste (at least to me) of licorice. Its also apparently an adaptogenic herb. No side effects to report.

 

[Gawan]

So I take it off for the time being and see how I do, hopefully better because it is annoying to have no strength.

You might want to try licorice root powder. It is very sweet in small amounts, no glycemic index, and no taste (at least to me) of licorice. Its also apparently an adaptogenic herb. No side effects to report.

Okay thank you, something to consider at least some features are to help with stomach aches. :)

 

[513]

I have found enormous relief from digestive problems simply by eliminating gluten from my diet. I am always on the lookout for other 'health-related triggers' caused by the things that I eat. It is an on-going discernment, trial and error type of thing.

I can only say that when I eat the fruits and veggies that we grow in our garden, I have no health related issues and in fact feel so, soo energetic when I eat from the garden we plant and grow, THAT is when I have the MOST ENERGY!

Yet, if I buy those same fruits and veggies from the store...they do not have the same effect upon me, nor do they have the depth of flavor/tastiness! I just wish I could get a copy of the book that everyone is talking about here! And the references to blood-types! WOW! Perhaps certain diets are specific to blood-types? IDK

Well, I am still a 'newbie' and doing my BEST to read everything...so I got a ways to go before I catch up here! But this whole discussion is fascinating to me!
513

 

[RedFox]

And the references to blood-types! WOW! Perhaps certain diets are specific to blood-types? IDK

Well, I am still a 'newbie' and doing my BEST to read everything...so I got a ways to go before I catch up here! But this whole discussion is fascinating to me!
513

It can take a while, but reading through the main threads is a good starting point :) One of the threads (either this one of The Vegetarian Myth) has a link to a pdf of one of the books you can check out I believe.

fwiw you may want to skip the blood type/diet link for the moment as having been explored it seems that the link doesn't hold so well in all things - specifically the paleo diet seems to work well for everyone if studied and followed with the right knowledge/understanding (the blood type diet suggests some types of meat don't seem to suite certain blood types, when it seems to be more individual than blood type based on the experiences posted by people here). It is important not to just jump in without the right knowledge though.

Primal body Primal Mind is a good starting point if you are able to get one of the books too.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

I just received an email from US Wellness Meats saying there is a "Paleo Summit" online for free starting this Sunday and Nora Gedgaudas is on the list for day four. You need to enter your email address to register so maybe use a "junk" one if you are wary of getting more emails.

Here is a quote from the site:

_http://paleosummit.com/?utm_source=Feb+19+Newsletter&utm_campaign=february+19&utm_medium=email

For 8 Days, You Will Learn the FACTS about All Things Paleo from the Best of the Best Experts I Could Find — for FREE! Beginning on Sunday, February 26th you will have an all-access pass to the research, experiences, and ideas of a who’s-who of the health world.

 

[Gimpy]

Stevia makes me sick and did from the beginning. I think it might be some anti-nutrient in it. I stick to xylitol in small doses.

Could be a hidden ragweed allergy? I've been using stevia for years now, no ill effects to report, and I am allergic to ragweed/daisies. Xylitol makes me sick in even small amounts.

I don't understand it. Its as if my physiology is determined to be as wacky as possible. Its the same with cocnonuts...I can eat coconut in small amounts, use the oil in cooking, in tea...but can't put the butter or oil on my skin at all without a rash.

Over the weekend Hubby and I took butter tea along to an event to avoid having to eat any forbidden foods. We poured some for my nephews and it was a hit. I gave them the recipe to try. ;)

Eventually, I figure I'll be cutting out everything but chunks of lard and water. Sounds radical? Maybe. The way the world is going I'm beginning to think its smarter to start adapting now.

 

[Muxel]

The way the world is going I'm beginning to think its smarter to start adapting now.

I'm with you. No more flush toilets for me!!! Just kidding.

But yeah an Ice Age would be nice: not so much the bitter cold, just the au naturel lifestyle. For example, we'd get to wear real animal skins, not polyester. (100 000 000 cruelly-farmed cows in the US, and yet genuine leather is so "rare" and "expensive"? Come on! The PTB can only use so much leather at one time, where does the rest go?)



Hi Gawan, steviosides stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin, so you're having all the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Since you're probably running on a tiny level of glucose (due to the keto diet), a little stevioside was enough to clear your blood of glucose, resulting in a crash.

Feed xylitol to dogs	= hypoglycemia
Feed Stevia to paleo human	= hypoglycemia

After all, the Guaraní used Stevia to treat diabetes.


Edit: corrected typo in blue

 

[curious_richard]

Hi Gawan, steviosides stimulate the pancreas to stimulate insulin, ...

Reference, please? Thank you.

 

[SeekinTruth]

I haven't had a problem with Stevia or Xylitol. I remember reading about people mentioning that they have bad reactions to Xylitol several times on the forum (and also some people have mentioned it in person). Most common was gas/bloating and laxative effect even in small quantities consumed. I've also read several times that Laura has a problem with Stevia -- I guess it's an individual thing, like many others. I also wonder if there's a difference for those who have problems with xylitol whether it's from corn sources or tree (e.g. birch) sources? My xylitol is from tree sources, I would be wary of the corn sourced ones, but I'm not sure if it's warranted.

As to an ice age, the only thing I think I'd really miss is taking showers if the infrastructure were to be eliminated -- which would be very likely. The rest, I think I'd be able to adjust to without much problem, but, of course, I'm not sure.

 

[mada85]

I had a problem with xylitol, after having butter tea sweetened with it for a few days. I woke up one night feeling that my digestion was disturbed. I needed to evacuate my bowels quite urgently, and then all was well again. The xylitol I had been eating is made from birch trees. I'd been eating about half to one teaspoon per day. Since I stopped taking xylitol the problem has not recurred.