"Life Without Bread"

[Mikey]

Coconut oil seems to be either really good for or really inflammatory for some people.

Everyone should make sure that the coconut oil is "virgin" oil, i.e. derived only with mechanical means while kept cold. If not explicitely stated, the oil probably is derived chemically via solvents like hexane. Or, even worse, hydrolyzed.

I once bought coconut oil in a supermarket and ate about 200g of it during a couple of days. And I noticed that my thinking capability worsened. Especially I became forgetful and everything seemed like a dream to me. I actually was wondering about my state ... until I realized that the coconut fat was hydrolyzed, a trans fat.

I stopped using it and it took another two weeks until I had the impression that my thinking normalized.

 

[Thomas Alan]

I've got the books coming should be here this week. My reading stack grows, especially the "must read" ones!

In a number of the posts here there have been comments that going to very low carbs causes one to loose weight. I definitely do not want to loose weight. I am already what I regard as too thin. 6'0" 145lbs.

In fact gaining 10 or so lean, muscular pounds would be a good thing for me. Over the past decade I have made many changes in diet and supplements. In the past few years it has been changes based on the information from the forum. I know I am on the right track finally. I feel much better, have more energy and am clearer headed than ever. I have increased fats, meats and reduced carbs but nowhere near 20 grams. Estimated at this time about 300 carbs a day. The carbs I do eat are not sugar or things like that. Mostly berries, veggies, and a bit or citrus.

But I am concerned about dropping more body mass. Any thoughts?

Mac

 

[mcb]

Everyone should make sure that the coconut oil is "virgin" oil, i.e. derived only with mechanical means while kept cold. If not explicitely stated, the oil probably is derived chemically via solvents like hexane. Or, even worse, hydrolyzed.

Yuck! I just rechecked my label: "organic, extra-virgin, cold pressed." And yummy by the spoonful. And it makes a handy room thermometer: "melts at 76 degrees F."

 

[Laura]

As has been discussed earlier, in the thread it is common for people to experience slower bowel movements or longer time for food to pass through the bowels.

Notice from reading carefully in this thread that this slowing is only initial, until the load of fermenting bacteria die off and get dumped. After that, transit time is shorter and sometimes 2X per day.

As I am doing the DMSA protocol, this made me wonder about the following that I am hoping to get some forum members' thoughts on.

Did you have mercury fillings removed?

If intestinal transit time (I don't know if there is a proper term, but it should make sense) increases while on the low-carb diet, would that lead to increased risk of toxic reabsorption during the DMSA or other detox protocols?

Transit time does not increase, just the converse, but only AFTER you are adapted and the bowel is healed. I would put off doing any DMSA detoxing until you are sure that is achieved.

Alternatively, one could also argue that improvement of gut health and reduction in intestinal permeability that are also results of the low-carb diet would lead to reduced risk or reabsorption and that the low-carb diet in itself reduces the need for the detox enema.

Exactly. I would wait until everything is moving efficiently and regularly.

 

[vinny]

well, I'm on day 3 of (almost) zero carbs, and the main thing to report so far is a significant dip in energy levels, but also today I noticed a drop in cravings - I am no longer drooling over thoughts of gluten-free cake.

Today we had some very fatty lamb, which was delicious!

 

[Thor]

As has been discussed earlier, in the thread it is common for people to experience slower bowel movements or longer time for food to pass through the bowels.

Notice from reading carefully in this thread that this slowing is only initial, until the load of fermenting bacteria die off and get dumped. After that, transit time is shorter and sometimes 2X per day.

As I am doing the DMSA protocol, this made me wonder about the following that I am hoping to get some forum members' thoughts on.

Did you have mercury fillings removed?

If intestinal transit time (I don't know if there is a proper term, but it should make sense) increases while on the low-carb diet, would that lead to increased risk of toxic reabsorption during the DMSA or other detox protocols?

Transit time does not increase, just the converse, but only AFTER you are adapted and the bowel is healed. I would put off doing any DMSA detoxing until you are sure that is achieved.

Alternatively, one could also argue that improvement of gut health and reduction in intestinal permeability that are also results of the low-carb diet would lead to reduced risk or reabsorption and that the low-carb diet in itself reduces the need for the detox enema.

Exactly. I would wait until everything is moving efficiently and regularly.

Thanks Laura. Just the type of precise answer I was hoping for.

It's good to know that the slow bowel movements are only during the initial transition period. Can't wait for it to end :)

I did have all mercury filings removed and have done fir-sauna 2-3 times a week for about nine months so I think I'm ready to do the DMSA. However, your advice to wait until settled into the low-carb diet with regular bowel function is good and I will wait with further cycles.

 

[RedFox]

But I am concerned about dropping more body mass. Any thoughts?

I'm slightly taller than you and weigh slightly less. I did loose some body mass when I started (I knew I didn't have any visceral fat to start with having had an ultra sound, so really not sure what it was - possible water), and had to shovel quite a lot of food down for a while.
Now I've adapted (just about) my weight had stabilised again and I am slowly gaining muscle mass.
Seems my body has had a lot of repairs to do first though. My circulation has dramatically improved (I can see if I look closely a lot of new veins under every inch of my skin), my muscle tone has improved dramatically (I actually have some strength now!), so has my posture.

So weight gain may be a slow process (and if I eat too much over 20-30g of carbs or something inflammatory I seem to loose weight - for several days), so it may be a struggle but its worth it.

*edit to add* also make sure you are eating enough fat...my appetite doesn't always work correctly and I have to be strict with eating enough otherwise weight loss creeps in.

 

[Franco]

For anyone who wants to track their food there is a free tool online http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

It also works with Iphone and Android.

You can use it to see how many calories/protein/carbs/fat and also vitamins and minerals you are consuming.

 

[mcb]

...In a number of the posts here there have been comments that going to very low carbs causes one to loose weight. I definitely do not want to loose weight. I am already what I regard as too thin. 6'0" 145lbs...

...But I am concerned about dropping more body mass. Any thoughts?

You should understand your maintenance fat intake requirements before starting. I would suggest following New Atkins, so that you have the information you need. If you read through the preparatory material, you should be able to get a good idea of what to do. If you don't eat enough fat then you could indeed lose body mass.

I would guess that your weight could drop at first due to water loss, not muscle loss. Then you may find your weight going up. I am your height and when I went down to 167 pounds some years ago people told me I looked like I was starving, so you may indeed be too thin. Hopefully the low carb diet will help you find the best level.

 

[Thomas Alan]

But I am concerned about dropping more body mass. Any thoughts?

I'm slightly taller than you and weigh slightly less. I did loose some body mass when I started (I knew I didn't have any visceral fat to start with having had an ultra sound, so really not sure what it was - possible water), and had to shovel quite a lot of food down for a while.
Now I've adapted (just about) my weight had stabilised again and I am slowly gaining muscle mass.
Seems my body has had a lot of repairs to do first though. My circulation has dramatically improved (I can see if I look closely a lot of new veins under every inch of my skin), my muscle tone has improved dramatically (I actually have some strength now!), so has my posture.

So weight gain may be a slow process (and if I eat too much over 20-30g of carbs or something inflammatory I seem to loose weight - for several days), so it may be a struggle but its worth it.

*edit to add* also make sure you are eating enough fat...my appetite doesn't always work correctly and I have to be strict with eating enough otherwise weight loss creeps in.

Thanks, Redfox:

I do feel stronger since I started incrementally and experimentally the Paleo diet. Even after much thought and trials it's hard to let go of the idea that vegetables and fruits are good for me. This programing is drilled very deep into us by many sources.

It makes sense that eating fatty meats would at some point begin to build muscle mass. The Grand Experiment continues!

For dinner I had a very fatty organic ribeye steak with a few ounces of greens and I feel great.

A couple of weeks ago I tried having only ham for breakfast foregoing my few ounces of if quinoa. I felt horrible all morning. Perhaps my body needs to get used to meat only in stages.

Back in my college days a friend and I out camping cooked a steak directly over a wood fire. The flavor of the wood cooked meat touched something very deep in me. My body recognized it. Perhaps something very ancient was stirred, genetic memories from very long ago when our ancestors gathered around the fire and shared their meal.
I'm going to try it again soon.

Mac

 

[Thomas Alan]

...In a number of the posts here there have been comments that going to very low carbs causes one to loose weight. I definitely do not want to loose weight. I am already what I regard as too thin. 6'0" 145lbs...

...But I am concerned about dropping more body mass. Any thoughts?

You should understand your maintenance fat intake requirements before starting. I would suggest following New Atkins, so that you have the information you need. If you read through the preparatory material, you should be able to get a good idea of what to do. If you don't eat enough fat then you could indeed lose body mass.

I would guess that your weight could drop at first due to water loss, not muscle loss. Then you may find your weight going up. I am your height and when I went down to 167 pounds some years ago people told me I looked like I was starving, so you may indeed be too thin. Hopefully the low carb diet will help you find the best level.

Thanks, Megan:

Another long held belief, cutting off the fatty portions of the meat. The fat tastes so good and very filling.
Some people have commented that I look to thin, "Have you been sick?" No, actually I rarely get sick.

I'll just continue working with it.

Mac

 

[aragorn]

I'm on my 16th day of "Living la vida low carb" and things are slowly beginning to get better. The first 10 days were really horrible, I had really low energy, fatigue, numbness in my fingers, excessive heat and sweating, depression and irritation - to name a few symptoms. I was a bit surprised by the strong symptoms, because I foolishly thought that my already quite low consumption of carbs and sugar (I've never in my adult life been interested in sweet/sugary things) would make the transition easy. I've always been the skinny type, so I too was concerned about loosing too much weight. The first days I did loose a few kg:s, mostly water I guess, but now in the last few days I've actually gained some weight.

The first two days I tied to keep the carbs around 20g/day, but counting them by the end of the day the result was around 8g. I felt pretty good the first days, eating meat, fat and a little salad, olives and cucumber. During the first week I finished reading the "New Atkins" and "The art and science"(I bought it) books, so I was prepared for the possible side effects of the diet-so I took some extra sodium, potassium and magnesium daily. But still, the weakness and fatigue came surprised me with its intensity. By the end of the week my legs felt like two heavy logs and going up the stairs raised my heart beat considerably. Sleeping has also been restless and problematic. Until day 10 the symptoms came and went, there were also incredible moments of mental clarity and energy - but they didn't last very long. The most annoying symptom at one point was the depression and "grayness" of everything - a sense of "nothing really matters", or not feeling any joy in anything.

Between the days 7-10 I had to rehearse for a concert, which turned out to be quite a challenge! The first rehearsals felt really odd and difficult - not having ANY of the muscle strength required for singing I was used to have. During those days I really cranked up the intake of fat (adding ca 5 table spoons of olive oil/day), potassium, magnesium and salt, and this seemed to help a little. I also diminished the carbs even more, staying somewhere under 5g/day. Fortunately, on the day of the concert (10th day), I felt like 75% of the old muscle strength returning.

On day 11 I was sure that things would "flip" and I would be rid of the fatigue etc., but this didn't happen. Actually the days 11-12 were one of the worst. This could of course be the effect of having to work really hard at the concert on day 10. From day 12 onwards I've been feeling quite good, feeling stronger for every day. The "extra strength" and "mind clarity" I've been feeling the last few days appears in a curious way: at many instances I've noticed AFTERWARDS that I've done some chore or task that I previously would have thought of "Blah, not today - I don't have the will/strength to do it". I hope that these moments will be more of a on going phenomena in the future.

I have to confess, that at the most difficult moments were I felt completely "brain dead", and the kids needed their attention, I've resorted in taking a few cups of coffee. I've also found some relief in smoking (organic) cigarettes. We've reached a consensus on this smoking thing with my wife: she has slowly accepted that as long as I smoke organic, it's okay for me to relax by smoking one or two cigarettes in the evening. It's funny though, smoking doesn't feel like it used to; I actually did a search on "acetylcholine and Atkins diet" on Google and there seems to be some indications on how a low carb diet enhances acetylcholine production in the body.

Some other things that have improved so far: better skin, better memory, not as sensitive to cold anymore and a clearer singing voice!

 

[RedFox]

A couple of weeks ago I tried having only ham for breakfast foregoing my few ounces of if quinoa. I felt horrible all morning. Perhaps my body needs to get used to meat only in stages.

You'll want to read the entire thread at the very least and/or the recommended books, as this is completely normal. Pretty much everyone feels completely rubbish during the transition (the body hasn't been using its fat burning metabolism so it takes some time to get it working!)....so during the transition its as if you are being starved of energy.
Pushing through is what is needed (or transitioning to lower and lower carbs slowly if you have health concerns/age is not on your side).

During those days I really cranked up the intake of fat (adding ca 5 table spoons of olive oil/day)

Try animal fat or butter or something similar instead. Olive oil can be inflammatory for some people, and may not be the best fuel source.

I've resorted in taking a few cups of coffee.

This will likely spike your insulin levels and may delay full transition to ketosis. In effect you may 'feel good' for a while but that's only because you are using the old carb metabolism not the new fat burning one.....every time you use the old one you delay (and perhaps reset) the transition to the fat burning one.
At worst you may find that it has delayed you transitioning by another two weeks.

When I had a weekend eating too many carbs it took me two/three weeks to get back to where I was (it initially took me three/four weeks to get to feeling good).

-----------

Just wanted to add a note about the quality of food you may be eating and diarrhoea. Turns out what was causing my upset stomachs was the organ mince beef I was eating....specifically it was from a supermarket (I'd been a little dubious about it for a while). I do not think supermarket meat (even if organic) is always such a good thing. Ironically the supermarket non-organic 'outdoor reared pork' seemed to suit me better.
Something to note if anyone is still having stomach trouble.

Having finally made the effort to travel to an organic farm near by, the difference in the quality of meat (and how I feel in myself) is remarkable.
This weekend I cooked beef bone broth, chicken liver pate, chicken wings/bacon pieces in a casserole dish with some of the broth, proper smoked streaky bacon with a scrambled omelet (I haven't had eggs taste like this since childhood).
Despite being organic most of the meat (cheap cuts I'm using) costs less than supermarket organic meat.

I've had a lot of energy to 'do' things. I also feel really tired....but this seems to be a different tired to the fatigue and inflammation I'm use too. It feels like the tired you get after finishing a race and can rest. Its a relaxed tired that feels like its been a long time (years) coming.
Perhaps the previous supermarket food was causing my body stress?

 

[Don Genaro]

Coconut oil seems to be either really good for or really inflammatory for some people.

Everyone should make sure that the coconut oil is "virgin" oil, i.e. derived only with mechanical means while kept cold. If not explicitely stated, the oil probably is derived chemically via solvents like hexane. Or, even worse, hydrolyzed.

I once bought coconut oil in a supermarket and ate about 200g of it during a couple of days. And I noticed that my thinking capability worsened. Especially I became forgetful and everything seemed like a dream to me. I actually was wondering about my state ... until I realized that the coconut fat was hydrolyzed, a trans fat.

I stopped using it and it took another two weeks until I had the impression that my thinking normalized.

Funny you should mention that- where I live there is a brand of cocont oil available that is 3 times cheaper than the virgin coconut oil in the healthfood stores. Since it doesn't say "cold pressed" on the label I emailed the company to ask them about it. Here's the response:

Thank you for contacting KTC (Edibles) Limited.

KTC Coconut Oil is 100% pure, refined, coconut oil. There are no other ingredients, additives or process aids in this oil.

The oil is refined in exactly the same way as other, more familiar, vegetable cooking oils. Refining removes any impurities which could be present to produce an oil of the highest quality. Refining also destroys much of the vitamin content of an oil, but as coconut oil contains virtually no vitamins when freshly extracted, this does not affect the nutritional quality of the oil. The chemistry of coconut oil is unique in that it contains medium chain triglycerides which are the building blocks of the body's immune defence and hormones produced by the thyroid gland. These fatty acids are not affected by the refining process.

Nutritionally, refined coconut oil is as good for you as the cold pressed oil.

Our oil is not hydrogenated at any point in its production and naturally contains less trans- fatty acids than any other vegetable, animal or marine oils.


Kind regards

Graham Booth
Technical Director

It sounds okay doesn't it? Or does anybody see any "danger signs"?

 

[Don Genaro]

I'm halfway through reading "New Atkins", and it just boggles the mind how totally deceived the main stream public is about what is considered healthy eating habits. I mean, the science behind the low carb high fat diet is strong and very simple - you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand it. Which makes me think that there must be VERY powerful forces at work promoting these completely unhealthy eating habits that most people are following.

Indeed it seems that most of the truths that are revealed are often quite simple and logical. Something that's been on my mind with all the shocks I've been getting about the amount of programming with regards to diet is the 4d influence. I read somewhere before, (it may have been on the forum) that the Nazis' favourite method of killing was by starvation. Well there seems to be a sort of sick cosmic joke here in that they have managed to convince humanity to starve their hearts and brains of fat. As STS always uses the line of least resistance, what better way to get us to starve ourselves than to tell us that fats are bad for us and let us do the work on starvation?