"Life Without Bread"

[hesperides]

A little addenda:

Greatly restrict or eliminate sugar and starch (preferably eliminating gluten completely); keep your protein intake adequate (roughly the RDA: 44-56 g per day or 0.8 g of protein/ kg of ideal body weight), amounting to a total of approximately 6 to 7 ounces of organic eggs, grass-fed, or wild-caught meat or seafood per day; eat as many fibrous, "aboveground," nonstarchy vegetables and greens as you like; and eat as much fat (from fattier cuts of meat or fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, butter or ghee, olives, olive oil, and other sources) as you need to satisfy your appetite.

That is actually a very small amount of protein. It amounts to about 1.5 to 2 ounces per DAY! That really is famine! You would have to eat a lot of veggies to feel satisfied. Or fat. And I'm not sure that I could eat that much fat without feeling sick.

Wasn´t 1.5 to 2 ounces per day what we all agreed to experience in our ketogenic diet? Unless I do misunderstand how to interpret what she or you are saying above, 2 ounces make about 57 grs. x 5 = 285 grs pork, plus the fatty part of the meat, about 30% in my case, which means an approx. daily meat ration + fat of 370 grs. Of course, some minor protein content in other food have to be taken also in account. Or are you talking about 1.5 to 2 ounces of meat/fish weight per day, which isn´t what I understand neither from what she explains here?

 

[shellycheval]

Odyssey

I done this cause I tend to go buck wild on nuts too. The problem about buying small amounts at a time is that I always have nuts on my mind.

I went through the "nut phase" too, only with cashews. So much of our eating habits are ruled by cultural conditioning and, for many, a need to adjust our emotions with food by eating "comfort" food to feed the "hole in the soul" and not our bodies.

After giving up the foods that I used to enjoy the most in life (wheat, grain, dairy) I went through a phase this spring with nuts. The message that kept looping through my mind was "I have given up everything else I love (beer, pizza, . . . I'm a victim/martyr!!!) GD--it!!!, I CAN HAVE THESE CRUNCHY, CHEWY, SALTY, RICH NUTS--SO BRING EM ON!!!

After eating about a cup and a half of cashews in one sitting, I felt heavy, bloated, had indigestion, acid reflux, gas--in general--nasty, then I would quit them for a few weeks. I needed to repeat this process about two more times before I could take control back from my programmed mind and loose the desire to overeat nuts.

Now, about a half of a cup once a week feels very comfortable and healthy. When the desire to overeat nuts comes on "go on--have another one--their so small--one more will be OK—it won't hurt--it's your only treat--you are so deprived now--you deserve a reward . . . and so on and on and on " my body sends my mind a message of the memory of how it feels when I over eat nuts, and the desire to eat too many fades. Undoubtedly this process will likely fail at some point in the future, once or twice more, but then it will just be a reinforcement of the lesson and getting back on the "straight and narrow" path will be just that much more easier--I think. ;)

I had to go through the same painful learning process with sugar and alcohol too, until I finally got it that there is no good feeling that temporarily comes with indulging that is worth the pain of the slip.
shellycheval

 

[theos]

When the desire to overeat nuts comes on "go on--have another one--their so small--one more will be OK—it won't hurt--it's your only treat--you are so deprived now--you deserve a reward . . . and so on and on and on " my body sends my mind a message of the memory of how it feels when I over eat nuts, and the desire to eat too many fades. Undoubtedly this process will likely fail at some point in the future, once or twice more, but then it will just be a reinforcement of the lesson and getting back on the "straight and narrow" path will be just that much more easier--I think. ;)

I had to go through the same painful learning process with sugar and alcohol too, until I finally got it that there is no good feeling that temporarily comes with indulging that is worth the pain of the slip.
shellycheval

Yep. It is a process. It usually takes me a few times to get it cemented into my head though. When foods don't agree with me I usually get headache, retain water, gut-ache etc. I keep a calendar with my observations on negative body reactions along with physical activity, weight and supps taken to help me nail down what's happening and to help me remember for the future.

Learning your body's signs is fun. It's one thing to read why certain foods should be avoided. It's quite another to have your body tell you why.

 

[Gimpy]

Quick note on taking basic Niacin: Last night at supper, took a half cap (250mg) of generic Niacin. No flush at all.

This morning I feel pretty good, which is not 'normal'. After the nausea and dizziness went away from the first dose of Niacinimide, I had a very good day: was able to drive to the grocery, butcher store, read the E-book on Niacin (which is good basic info, and not expensive), clean the kitchen including doing up all the dishes, laundry, and in the evening was even able to work on my very messy office/craft/sewing room.

A 'normal' day would be emptying and re filling the dishwasher, then being forced to take a nap. It is rare to laughable to be able to drive anywhere and not be bedridden for hours afterward.

I encourage folks here to pick up the book on Niacin and have a look at what's offered. I'm going to remain cautious, and continue to test this, but the results are good enough to keep working on this.

Information from amazon on this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Niacin-Story-Wonderful-Healing-Properties/dp/1591202752/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339672299&sr=1-1

Hubby downloaded the Kindle reader program so that I could pick up the e-book and read it right away. The information was worth stepping out of my stubbornness.

 

[SeekinTruth]

That's great to hear, Gimpy. Hope you keep getting good results with your experiment with niacin. It's good to hear good news once in a while.

 

[Foxx]

That's good to hear Gimpy! Are you taking niacinamide (which is a no-flush version of niacin, from my understanding) or nicotinic acid (a flush version)?

 

[Gimpy]

That's good to hear Gimpy! Are you taking niacinamide (which is a no-flush version of niacin, from my understanding) or nicotinic acid (a flush version)?

Niacinimide gave me nausea, and severe dizziness. (500mg capsules)

Now I'm taking 250mg of the flush version that is combined with calcium carbonate, which might reduce or eliminate the flush, as I've not flushed with either version.

All of the supplement formulations I take for adrenal fatigue and depression contain small amounts of niacin (flush version), which adds up over the course of the day.

Plus I take liquid b-vitamins in the morning. I'm going to start charting it all to keep track.

 

[hesperides]

A little addenda:

Greatly restrict or eliminate sugar and starch (preferably eliminating gluten completely); keep your protein intake adequate (roughly the RDA: 44-56 g per day or 0.8 g of protein/ kg of ideal body weight), amounting to a total of approximately 6 to 7 ounces of organic eggs, grass-fed, or wild-caught meat or seafood per day; eat as many fibrous, "aboveground," nonstarchy vegetables and greens as you like; and eat as much fat (from fattier cuts of meat or fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, butter or ghee, olives, olive oil, and other sources) as you need to satisfy your appetite.

That is actually a very small amount of protein. It amounts to about 1.5 to 2 ounces per DAY! That really is famine! You would have to eat a lot of veggies to feel satisfied. Or fat. And I'm not sure that I could eat that much fat without feeling sick.

It seems OK to me. I imagine only 2 ounces of meat and/or other protein-containing foods per day would lead to starvation (self-consumption), but 2 ounces of protein seems reasonable. I don't know where the 44g low figure comes from, but 56g/d is the RDA for adult males. But some people eat way more than that.

Megan, I would like to know how you come to measure 2 ounces of meat per day from the explanations given above. As much as I try to figure it out, my conclusion is he refers to roughly 2 ounces of protein instead of 2 ounces of meat per day, depending on one´s weight. Maybe I´m a little bit thick here


[size=10pt]mod note: fixed quotes[/size]

 

[LQB]

Quick note on taking basic Niacin: Last night at supper, took a half cap (250mg) of generic Niacin. No flush at all.

This morning I feel pretty good, which is not 'normal'. After the nausea and dizziness went away from the first dose of Niacinimide, I had a very good day: was able to drive to the grocery, butcher store, read the E-book on Niacin (which is good basic info, and not expensive), clean the kitchen including doing up all the dishes, laundry, and in the evening was even able to work on my very messy office/craft/sewing room.

A 'normal' day would be emptying and re filling the dishwasher, then being forced to take a nap. It is rare to laughable to be able to drive anywhere and not be bedridden for hours afterward.

I encourage folks here to pick up the book on Niacin and have a look at what's offered. I'm going to remain cautious, and continue to test this, but the results are good enough to keep working on this.

Information from amazon on this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Niacin-Story-Wonderful-Healing-Properties/dp/1591202752/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339672299&sr=1-1

Hubby downloaded the Kindle reader program so that I could pick up the e-book and read it right away. The information was worth stepping out of my stubbornness.

Sounds great Gimpy!!

 

[mcb]

Megan, I would like to know how you come to measure 2 ounces of meat per day from the explanations given above. As much as I try to figure it out, my conclusion is he refers to roughly 2 ounces of protein instead of 2 ounces of meat per day, depending on one´s weight. Maybe I´m a little bit thick here

Maybe -- we are saying the same thing.

 

[beetlemaniac]

Megan, I would like to know how you come to measure 2 ounces of meat per day from the explanations given above. As much as I try to figure it out, my conclusion is he refers to roughly 2 ounces of protein instead of 2 ounces of meat per day, depending on one´s weight. Maybe I´m a little bit thick here

Just want to chime in on the protein amount. I think the protein limits referred to in Nora G's book are pretty much on the dot for me. It took quite a bit of discipline but I think I'm managing quite well with roughly 45-50g protein per day. These few days I've been having breakfast of 4 small slices of bacon and 3 eggs, with lots of butter. For my evening meal at around 5 pm I have a salad with bits of bacon and more butter. I'll be really sorry if I have to quit my eggs and butter though :( I take green tea every day as well. Today I put some coconut oil into my green tea and the flavours seem to meld very well. Oh yeah, I also have some cocoa with coconut milk on alternate days. A bit of a carb bomb there.

Overall, I'm feeling really well, and it's getting steadily better.

 

[beetlemaniac]

Another short article about the link of nicotinamide and nicotine in the treatment of pemphigus, which is a skin condition.

Nicotine and Pemphigus
Sergei A. Grando, MD, PhD, DSc; Mark V. Dahl, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2000;136(10):1269-1269. doi:10.1001/archderm.136.10.1269

We read with interest the article by Mehta and Martin1 titled "A Case of Pemphigus Vulgaris Improved by Cigarette Smoking." We have a better explanation why cigarette smoking might be expected to improve skin lesions of patients with pemphigus vulgaris, particularly when nicotine in cigarette smoke contacts mucous membranes.

Human keratinocytes contain an elaborate acetylcholine network. Specifically, human keratinocytes synthesize, store, release, and degrade acetylcholine.2 Keratinocytes contain choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase,2 and have on their cell membranes both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors for acetylcholine.3 - 4 Both nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors regulate cell-to-cell adhesion of human keratinocytes (reviewed in Grando5 ). Interaction of nicotine (and other nicotinic agonists) with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on keratinocytes opens ion gates in the cell membrane to help increase cell-to-cell adherence, stop acantholysis, and stimulate keratinocytes to move laterally to heal erosions.6

We believe the keratinocyte cholinergic system is altered in pemphigus.7 Keratinocytes undergoing acantholysis in a tissue culture plate can be quickly restored to confluence by adding acetylcholine.8 Therefore, in a patient such as the one described by Mehta and Martin,1 nicotine might (1) compete with the disease-causing pemphigus antibodies preventing them from attaching to keratinocytes or (2) block the intracellular signaling pathways that mediate the acantholytic effects of pemphigus antibodies. Approximately 85% of patients with pemphigus develop antibodies in their serum to one or more types of keratinocyte acetylcholine receptors.9

Since human keratinocytes have nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and since nicotine can bind to them, and since activation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors increases cell-to-cell adhesion and promotes lateral migration of keratinocytes, one might predict that smoking would, indeed, improve pemphigus. Nicotine could be delivered to keratinocytes of mucous membranes either topically through the smoke or systemically via absorbed nicotine.

One might also predict that nicotinamide, like nicotine, might improve pemphigus, since it too is a nicotinic agonist.10 Additionally, nicotinamide inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase that degrades acetylcholine.11 Indeed, nicotinamide has helped patients with pemphigus too (reviewed in Chaffins et al12 ).

Thus, the observation that a patient's erosions of the buccal mucosa and blisters on his face and body improved after cigarette smoking suggests that nicotine and other cholinergic agents might help certain patients with pemphigus. The results of our studies defining the keratinocyte cholinergic network provide a rationale for their use.

Thanks for this cool pro-smoking article. I'm wondering, although I'm guessing there's not enough data but, could we also extrapolate that nicotine works the same way vitamin B3 does? Or that it has a handle in some of the chemical reactions (binding with nicotinic receptors) which are a subset of vitamin B3's actions in the body? Just wondering because I often get strange "flushing" reactions while smoking where my body temperature seems to change from cold to hot and I feel a little light-headed.

 

[hesperides]

Megan, I would like to know how you come to measure 2 ounces of meat per day from the explanations given above. As much as I try to figure it out, my conclusion is he refers to roughly 2 ounces of protein instead of 2 ounces of meat per day, depending on one´s weight. Maybe I´m a little bit thick here

Maybe -- we are saying the same thing.

Yes, indeed. Sorry for the noise, which raised even after reading 3 times your post. It´s sometimes really painful to see how I convince myself I´m actually reading what is written.

 

[mcb]

Dr. Cate (Deep Nutrition) recently posted a video about feeling fatigue soon after switching to low-carb. She has suggestions about what may cause it and what to do.

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRqTaHHMd18&feature=player_detailpage

 

[nicklebleu]

I have tried to find out more on the relationship between nicotinic acid (niacin) and nicotine.
The following can be noted:

1. Niacin is a new term for both nicotinic acid and nicotinamide after it was deemed to be too closely related sematically to the evilness of nicotine.
It is composed of Ni(cotinic) ac(id)+in.

2. Nicotinic acid was first synthesized by oxidation from nicotine. However they show a different molecular structure.

3. I was unable to find anything pointing to nicotinic acid having any affinity to the nicotinic receptors.

4. It was recently found that nicotinic acid attaches to a receptor called niacin receptor or HM74A or GPR109A. It is a G-protein coupled receptor. Now normally levels of nicotinic acid in the body are very low, so that nicotinic acid is unlikely to be its primary ligand. Interestingly the primary ligand seems to be ... beta-hydroxybutyrate, the ketone body that is most abundantly produced when the body is in ketosis. How this all ties together I don't know at this stage, but I found this fascinating.

5. The only link between nicotine and nicotinamide I found is a rather convoluted one:
We have in our body an enzyme called nicotinamide N-methyl transferase or NNMT. NNMT transforms nicotinamide to N-methyl nicotinamide (NMN). NMN inhibits export of choline from the brain, which increases acetylcholine levels. NMN also seems to have negative effects in the brain as it shows MPP+-like toxicity (toxins involved in the formation of Parkinson's disease). This seeming contadiction probably is resolved by differing amounts of NNMT in different regions of the brain. It appears that nicotine is an inhibitor of NNMT and has been shown to be protective in Parkinson's disease.

6. I was unable to find anything pointing to nicotine having an effect on the niacin receptor either.

This is all I have been able to find out at the present time - I will continue to look ...