"Life Without Bread"

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Serg, it may be that you're becoming sensitive to fiber AND the carbs/sugars in fruits and vegetables. I don't know if you had a period where you ate very little to no fiber and then ate it again. But, that's the experience for me and my family. After months of eating almost exclusively fatty meat, any of us eats just a little too much fiber (like more than a couple of tablespoons of cooked or raw plant food) we get stomach aches and it can be pretty nasty.

Thanks for reply SeekinTruth. Sometimes I eat less, sometimes more carbs, sometimes I almost don't eat at all. I think it is that what you are talking about. Today my wife's mother bring natural apple juice from monastery. I try it and drink 1 cup and after it I've got strong pain in my stomach and a little bit get sick. It was at 4p.m., I think, and i still have that pain but it get easier.

If you've read this whole thread, it is noted that eating more meat/fat means that you lose a lot more salt. So much more salt is needed on the paleo diet. If what you wrote above is all the salt you are taking, it is not near enough. There are several articles on SOTT that explain that salt is not the enemy as has been proclaimed by the "diet police" - the mainstream nutritionists.

I'd up the salt and see how it goes for you. As Seekin Truth has said, everyone is different so you'll have to experiment.

I use a lot of salt when cooking my food.

I used to think that salt is bad, however I like it very much. But all this time I was trying to reduce my salt intake. Thanks for info Nienna Eluch.
I'll search these articles on sott.

 

[brainwave]

Have you been eating liver at all? I don't know the specifics of how beta thalessemia minor functions so I'm not sure if it's iron would be problematic (or if the other nutrients would be helpful), but it has other nutrients necessary for hemoglobin synthesis.

Yes I do eat liver. According to the doctors it isn't treated because other than "mild anemia" it usually isn't a problem. Speaking with others who have this genetic disorder though, it looks like we all share similar cluster of symptoms from asthma, diabetes risk, sleep, fatigue and inflammatory issues. So diet is important. A few papers I've looked at suggest there is a greater risk for diabetes and this a lot of the women in past generations of my family have been diabetic though so far not my generation. The anemia isn't due to low iron but less hemoglobin. Too much iron becomes rather toxic for people with this genetic profile as it can settle in the organs and cause other problems. The issue as always is that most primary care physicians see anemia and assume low iron and unless a hemotologist is consulted and one is tested to ensure that it is not iron deficiency that is causing the anemia, disaster can result when they prescribe iron supplements. So, I just won't get worked up about anemia anymore and continue to follow the diet.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Here are some quotes about salt from The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, (a book Laura recommended earlier in this thread).

Pg 20

[The] amount of carbohydrate in our diet changes our need for salt. High carbohydrate diets make the kidneys retain salt, whereas a low carbohydrate intake increases sodium excretion by the kidney.

Pg 22

[T]he body's metabolism of salt is uniquely different when one is adapted to a low carbohydrate diet. Salt and water are more efficiently excreted, which is a good thing as long as you maintain an adequate minimum sodium intake. Ignore this lesson and you are likely to suffer the completely avoidable problems of headache, fatigue, weakness, and constipation.

I don't add salt to my water, but I sprinkle it all over my food.

 

[Nienna]

I used to think that salt is bad, however I like it very much. But all this time I was trying to reduce my salt intake. Thanks for info Nienna Eluch.
I'll search these articles on sott.

I just want to clarify something. Table salt is not good for people as it has been refined. But sea salt is good for people.

Polonel, thanks for clarifying. I can tell if I have too much salt simply by taste - and my ankles swell a bit, which I think is caused by the salt creating water retention.

Go by taste, I think, as ST said. If it tastes too salty, it probably is. That's my thinking on it at this time.

 

[SeekinTruth]

Yeah, I agree again that adding salt to taste (at least eventually) will be the way to go. The only thing until you get accustomed to taste while transitioning on this diet, what I would add here is that if you're low energy or any other of the signs that you're still not getting enough salt, is to add it to your water, for example. This will bring you small additional doses throughout the day.

Some people may also be more sensitive to salt than most others, which can be genetic and cause blood pressure to rise and/or edema (water retention) to manifest. So, again some experimentation will bring each person to their optimal range. And finally, to repeat NE's point, using unrefined salt is much healthier than refined table salt.

 

[Gawan]

I'm wondering if someone else developed some problems with hemorrhoids since changing the diet? Cause since changing the diet I'm a lot more constipated (1 max. 2 times a week), which could be a factor of developing hemorrhoids, sometimes there is light red blood, which I assume is a likely factor for them, at the beginning I first assumed it is an allergic reaction.

But the symptoms vary sometimes, that the itchiness isn't bothering me all the time (most often it starts in the evening), sometimes there is a break of days and also a week or weeks.
......
Has someone an idea what to do?

At the moment I only take from time to time Magnesium oil as supplement and daily vitamin C with added salt in my drink. And every 3 days I use a fir-sauna a 25' with 50°C.

Hello Gawan,

do you take any probiotics? Some premium probiotics may help with your constipation, as well as taking magnesium regularly and in a larger dose than 400 mg which is a usual recommended RDA value. You might try taking 800 mg per day and see if it helps. I found out that taking 800 mg of high potency magnesium citrate before my bed time and then having 2g of premium probiotics in the morning, followed with some herbal tea with lots of vit C and eating lots of fat keeps me regular.

I used to have hemorrhoid problems before, but from often diarrhea, not constipation and from long hours of sitting during my work; didn't find a proper relief from that state until switching into this diet, when the problem cured itself within 2 weeks. Also, are you doing some light exercise, as the one from the EE program? I'm sure others will have more advices, hope this helps a little ;)

Fwiw I tried everything, taking about 12gr of vitamin C daily, very high doses of MgChl (half a cup of Mg and half a cup of water) and half to one butter a day nothing helps. So I started some days back Fiber menace and it looks like that my intestines are damaged, since of my symptoms and constipation that is not improving. Maybe diabetes took it's toll I don't know and cultural and personal settings too.

Is there any better advise than this Hydro-C the author recommends and sells? Or would it be enough to stick to epsonsalt, glycerin and potassium, cause it is also a bit more easy to get? What about MgChl as oral supplement, since it is also laxative as a transitional solution?

 

[dugdeep]

Gawan, are you judging yourself as constipated based only on the frequency with which you're having a bowel movement? Because as your carb count goes down, the frequency goes down also. I'm only going twice a week at this point. Do you actually feel as if you're constipated, or is it just the frequency. Because that frequency may be normal if your carbs are near zero.

 

[Laura]

Gawan, are you judging yourself as constipated based only on the frequency with which you're having a bowel movement? Because as your carb count goes down, the frequency goes down also. I'm only going twice a week at this point. Do you actually feel as if you're constipated, or is it just the frequency. Because that frequency may be normal if your carbs are near zero.

Indeed.

When you take magnesium, don't be taking the MgCl because it is too harsh. I just take 6 or 7 magnesium malate tablets before bed. Taking it before bed has the added benefit of aiding sleep.

Also, using Vitamin C to get things moving is not dependent on a certain amount. Recall that Andromeda was very ill at one point and was able to take 80 grams - yes EIGHTY - before she felt any bubbling in the stomach. And she stopped at that point and never had diarrhea. If I am sick, I can take up to 20 grams. So you can almost gauge the level of need for vitamin C by how much you can take before you have diarrhea. If 12 didn't do it for me, I would keep taking 1/2 gram every half hour until there was action.

But again, take heed of what Dugdeep pointed out.

 

[Gawan]

Gawan, are you judging yourself as constipated based only on the frequency with which you're having a bowel movement? Because as your carb count goes down, the frequency goes down also. I'm only going twice a week at this point. Do you actually feel as if you're constipated, or is it just the frequency. Because that frequency may be normal if your carbs are near zero.

Mainly it's the frequency (maximum two times a week (most often 5-6 days and straining), hemorrhoids (itching and bleeding) and the bristle chart I need to follow.

Also, using Vitamin C to get things moving is not dependent on a certain amount. Recall that Andromeda was very ill at one point and was able to take 80 grams - yes EIGHTY - before she felt any bubbling in the stomach. And she stopped at that point and never had diarrhea. If I am sick, I can take up to 20 grams. So you can almost gauge the level of need for vitamin C by how much you can take before you have diarrhea. If 12 didn't do it for me, I would keep taking 1/2 gram every half hour until there was action.

But again, take heed of what Dugdeep pointed out.

Okay, I like to consider it. But I don't know something feels off at the moment since I need more insulin again, if I'm inflamed.

 

[SeekinTruth]

Gawan, if you think you have gut damage (most of us do to some extent from years of the wrong diet) glutamine (and perhaps slippery elm) will help heal the damage, in addition to vitamin C. Also when inflamed, Boswellia could really help, as well as ginger, curcumin/turmeric.

 

[Laura]

Gawan, if you think you have gut damage (most of us do to some extent from years of the wrong diet) glutamine (and perhaps slippery elm) will help heal the damage, in addition to vitamin C. Also when inflamed, Boswellia could really help, as well as ginger, curcumin/turmeric.

Yes, if you suspect damage to the digestive tract, there are certain steps that can be taken. If it was me, the first thing I would do is find out exactly how "sick" I was by finding out what level of vitamin C I can take before having a bowel reaction. That's a way to measure toxicity since Vitamin C helps the liver to detox. If you keep track of how much you can take every day for a period, you can monitor the process of getting better by noting the reduced amounts that can be tolerated. Then I would be taking L-glutamine first thing in the morning along with Boswellia. Maybe cut out butter completely and rely on the vitamin C and magnesium to do the job.

 

[beetlemaniac]

Yes, if you suspect damage to the digestive tract, there are certain steps that can be taken. If it was me, the first thing I would do is find out exactly how "sick" I was by finding out what level of vitamin C I can take before having a bowel reaction. That's a way to measure toxicity since Vitamin C helps the liver to detox. If you keep track of how much you can take every day for a period, you can monitor the process of getting better by noting the reduced amounts that can be tolerated. Then I would be taking L-glutamine first thing in the morning along with Boswellia. Maybe cut out butter completely and rely on the vitamin C and magnesium to do the job.

Hey Gawan, I had the same problem with constipation and bleeding too. It seemed to go away as my sleep started improving (Sleep really helps in getting my bowel movements going). Also maybe you should consider taking Magnesium Glycinate, as well as Mg Malate instead of the MgCl. I think the MgCl is best used transdermally. It might also be necessary to spread the Mg dosages throughout the day, maybe 400mg at each meal or so. Also another thing you might want to try is Betaine HCl and digestive enzymes if you haven't already, as that really helps with the digestion, which is connected to the bowel movements.

 

[dugdeep]

Yes, if you suspect damage to the digestive tract, there are certain steps that can be taken. If it was me, the first thing I would do is find out exactly how "sick" I was by finding out what level of vitamin C I can take before having a bowel reaction. That's a way to measure toxicity since Vitamin C helps the liver to detox. If you keep track of how much you can take every day for a period, you can monitor the process of getting better by noting the reduced amounts that can be tolerated. Then I would be taking L-glutamine first thing in the morning along with Boswellia. Maybe cut out butter completely and rely on the vitamin C and magnesium to do the job.

Hey Gawan, I had the same problem with constipation and bleeding too. It seemed to go away as my sleep started improving (Sleep really helps in getting my bowel movements going). Also maybe you should consider taking Magnesium Glycinate, as well as Mg Malate instead of the MgCl. I think the MgCl is best used transdermally. It might also be necessary to spread the Mg dosages throughout the day, maybe 400mg at each meal or so. Also another thing you might want to try is Betaine HCl and digestive enzymes if you haven't already, as that really helps with the digestion, which is connected to the bowel movements.

Also, magnesium oxide is one of the best forms for reaching bowel tolerance quickly. It's not the best for use by the body, however, so you should reserve it for bowel issues if you're going to use it and use a different form (malate, citrate, bisglycinate/glycinate) for regular supplementation.

 

[Gawan]

Gawan, if you think you have gut damage (most of us do to some extent from years of the wrong diet) glutamine (and perhaps slippery elm) will help heal the damage, in addition to vitamin C. Also when inflamed, Boswellia could really help, as well as ginger, curcumin/turmeric.

Yes, if you suspect damage to the digestive tract, there are certain steps that can be taken. If it was me, the first thing I would do is find out exactly how "sick" I was by finding out what level of vitamin C I can take before having a bowel reaction. That's a way to measure toxicity since Vitamin C helps the liver to detox. If you keep track of how much you can take every day for a period, you can monitor the process of getting better by noting the reduced amounts that can be tolerated. Then I would be taking L-glutamine first thing in the morning along with Boswellia. Maybe cut out butter completely and rely on the vitamin C and magnesium to do the job.

Thank you both!

The amount of vitamin C is already decreasing and at about 6-7 grs my stomach starts "complaining" and feels like if something is going on.I still have l-glutamine, the insulin need is also slowly dropping again, where I need to eat sugar at some times to balance too low BGs out.

Eventually, but this is pure speculation too, it has also something to do with the Kruse "diet" and cold showers, since I developed some skin problems (dry and flaky skin, cold sores, and kind of eczemas along my spine), but I added already also fish oil and capsules.

Hey Gawan, I had the same problem with constipation and bleeding too. It seemed to go away as my sleep started improving (Sleep really helps in getting my bowel movements going). Also maybe you should consider taking Magnesium Glycinate, as well as Mg Malate instead of the MgCl. I think the MgCl is best used transdermally. It might also be necessary to spread the Mg dosages throughout the day, maybe 400mg at each meal or so. Also another thing you might want to try is Betaine HCl and digestive enzymes if you haven't already, as that really helps with the digestion, which is connected to the bowel movements.

Thank you, I found oral magnesium malat (need to order it) and eventually I still have some enzymes around.

Yes, if you suspect damage to the digestive tract, there are certain steps that can be taken. If it was me, the first thing I would do is find out exactly how "sick" I was by finding out what level of vitamin C I can take before having a bowel reaction. That's a way to measure toxicity since Vitamin C helps the liver to detox. If you keep track of how much you can take every day for a period, you can monitor the process of getting better by noting the reduced amounts that can be tolerated. Then I would be taking L-glutamine first thing in the morning along with Boswellia. Maybe cut out butter completely and rely on the vitamin C and magnesium to do the job.

Hey Gawan, I had the same problem with constipation and bleeding too. It seemed to go away as my sleep started improving (Sleep really helps in getting my bowel movements going). Also maybe you should consider taking Magnesium Glycinate, as well as Mg Malate instead of the MgCl. I think the MgCl is best used transdermally. It might also be necessary to spread the Mg dosages throughout the day, maybe 400mg at each meal or so. Also another thing you might want to try is Betaine HCl and digestive enzymes if you haven't already, as that really helps with the digestion, which is connected to the bowel movements.

Also, magnesium oxide is one of the best forms for reaching bowel tolerance quickly. It's not the best for use by the body, however, so you should reserve it for bowel issues if you're going to use it and use a different form (malate, citrate, bisglycinate/glycinate) for regular supplementation.

Thanks, I have a look.

 

[beetlemaniac]

Also, magnesium oxide is one of the best forms for reaching bowel tolerance quickly. It's not the best for use by the body, however, so you should reserve it for bowel issues if you're going to use it and use a different form (malate, citrate, bisglycinate/glycinate) for regular supplementation.

That is interesting... I was always under the impression that Mg oxide was "useless" to the body. Thanks for that. Since it is pretty cheap this info could be really useful. Also correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Mg Glycinate is good for leaky gut? I read this in one of Dr. Kruse's posts. It might be something to consider for Gawan as well, to repair his gut.