--I've never been a fan of eating just once or twice a day, though I understand why some people have done that; I think what those people are ultimately looking to do is restrict calories, as there is some preliminary evidence, mostly from rodent studies, that dropping the number of calories that one eats each day by about a quarter to a third might result in longer life. (The mechanisms of this are still open to interpretation.)

Now, given the huge OVERAGE of calories many people in the West consume each day, and the lack of physical activity engaged in, cutting back on calories is likely not a bad idea. Most sedentary people of moderate size can get by quite well on 1500-1800 calories each day. A little less than that promotes weight loss, a little more, weight gain. There are individual differences, of course--my wife, who runs 60-70 miles each week (ultramarathoners are crazy), needs more, though her metabolism has now become so efficient it's really hard for her to lose weight. Metabolisms do adjust to long-term condition changes, so I imagine people who do caloric-restriction diets will make the reduced calories "go farther" in time.

I still think, though, that our bodies tend to do better in "grazing" mode. Beyond the caloric content, eating a bit at frequent intervals helps to keep our blood sugar and energy levels more stable. And though humans certainly evolved in environments in which there were long stretches of hunger punctuated by rapid ingestion of calories when a hunt was successful, far more frequently the day-to-day foraging resulted in an "eat a bit at a time, several times a day" scenario. (Our closest relatives, the great apes, still show this pattern, though they occasionally "feast" as well.)

There are individual differences in TYPE of food that works best for people. Not everyone can digest dairy products past childhood, for example--that ability seems to have been conveyed to certain groups of humans fairly recently, as a result of benevolent mutation that is thought to have started in Northern Europe. And some people seem to work better on a diet higher in animal protein that others. But I don't know too many who work better on large amounts of simple carbohydrates. Sure, eating sugar is VERY rewarding; our brains have that pleasure pathway well mapped out, and our bodies know how to very quickly store those kinds of calories for the future, but that was an evolutionary mechanism to get us to stock up for presumed times of famine. It was never designed to be experienced continuously, which is what the easy availability of sugary drinks and processed foods now allows.

Basically as we age, the insulin response becomes less efficient.
So what you could do at 25, is harder, or impossible at 40+.

Eating once a day would be an insulin spike. When this happens, the food, is rapidly stored, as there is a time element for glucose to move around the blood. So in effect one would have a rapid onset of insulin, and it would fall. Then there could be a reactive low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Low blood sugars starve neurons and other cells.

Another factor is alcohol. Diabetics know this well... but consumption of alcohol, results in low blood sugars as well.
This is because of the liver metabolism of alcohol.

The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
This is a long video, and deals with obesity, but around the middle mark, is an explanation of the liver metabolism of fructose, and alcohol.

This article explains more:
http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_a...tion/page4.htm

Basically, eating only once a day...a large meal, and drinking alcohol, could lead to periods of time when blood glucose is low, hence starving cells and neurons. Eating throughout the day small amounts, lowers insulin spikes, and helps prevent the LOWS which are problematic. Our doctors today do not attend to the LOWS... only highs. They only look for "diabetes" and not other forms of impaired glucose utilization.

I am thinking of taking my hormones tested. I looked up from the internet the list of hormones in our body. There are a lot!!! For purposes of trying to link it to the PN and to some improvements of my moods, what could be the major hormones that I should get? Estrogen, Progesteron, Cortisol, Melatonin, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin - which of these could be beneficial to me?

Thank you for your inputs.

Sue, It is hard to know for sure. POTS is caused by a lot of triggers. Car accidents, surgery, or sometimes hormones at puberty. Lot of young girls have it happen then and lose their childhood. No school, friends, etv.

I think sugery and/or antibiotics triggered it for me. With CFS, I had a good chance of getting it. A lot of people with CFS get Orthostatic Intolerance problems.

I was diagnosed with NP with symptoms and a couple of tests, no punch test or anything like that. It fell into place also with the Autonomic Neuropathy.

For ME, POTS is worse since I am better with my PN. It would depend on your case of POTS and PN. POTS is a breakdown of every system. The body does not work. No temperature regulation, digestion problems, terrible dizziness and lightheadedness on a scale that is hard to believe. I could not move my head at first.

The NP didn't move to my hands. My feet did burn, tingle and felt like I had socks on and had a lack of feeling. Not numb really, I could feel, but not normal at all.

A lot of people with POTS or "just" Dysautonomia have digestion problems. That is a huge problem for many. Swallowing, bloating, nausea etc. I had that all for a long time. Nausea 24 hours a day. I had to have a cold pack on my stomach at all times.

Again, the supplements were what I needed for the nerves. The sad thing is I have not seen another POTSY that gets this information from her doctor. VERY sad. I try to help them at least learn about the possiblities.

Many are in the hospital all the time. Many faint multiple times a day. I always made sure I had my wheelchair close by. Or usually I was IN it.

Many of them have LOW bp, so that is another problem that often goes with POTS. My BP was HIGH, then high/normal and now normal and sometimes low.

Sally

I take estrogen, testosterone, pregnenalone, progesterone, 7 Keto DHEA Thyroid, Cortisol (TINY bit at noon since I get low at 1-4pm.) They are compounded by a pharmacist.

I take 5HTP for the serotonin level. Vit D is good also. I think all work together for me, but 5HTP and SAMe have been great for mood.

When ill for so long like I have been with CFS and before that, another problem....the seratonin can really SINK. Most of the reserves of our nutrients get used up. That is why the best food and supplements and SLEEP are important.

I plan to get my hormones tested first. I am now taking most of the supplements listed in this forum.

I am taking SAM-e, as suggested by Mrs.D for my osteoarthritis. I think its slowly working for my arthritis. I hope it continues to improve.

Oh another reason why I want my hormones tested is because I have never gained weight. I am 5'6" and I have never ever exceeded 114lbs. My endocrinologist told me after my thyroidectomy that I may gain weight. Never did I gain weight. I am taking Gabapentin, ang again I am not gaining weight. I am not complaining about my weight, its just that there may be something wrong with my metabolism. I eat the right food, but my downside is I only sleep at an average of 4hours. I am woorking on getting enough sleep.

Good to get your hormones checked.


I just watched this video about sugar's affects on the blood cells. Interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH47sGmJZaQ

mrs D-that is really interesting about he Algae. I just wonder if there is anything in my water here. Since we have moved here a year ago, is when all the sickness really started with me. I have switched to bottled water a week ago, as l was getting paranoid about the water. Can this Algae, present itself in seafood? I have been eating a lot of it lately, and feel strange. Had a huge slap of salmon last night, this morning, l feel floaty again. Not sure if it has any correlation or not.
On insulin, doesn't it spike and fall each time we eat? Isn't it more to do with what kind of food is eaten? Why would eating once or twice per day have more of a dramatic fall of insulin?

Sally- i get floatiness which last for a few weeks sometimes, it feels like l have out of body experience. My neuro, put this down to a symptom of migraine, even though l don't' get headaches anymore l used to get them bad in my early twenties.
He said it has nothing to do with my PN, but l am starting to wonder now if it does.

Also, l was watching a cooking show about 2 Italians last night, and in Italy, they eat so much pasta, pizza, and white carbs. They seem healthy and happy. But this isn't' recommended by many nutritionists. I must admit, when l eat a healthy dose of pasta, l feel terrific.

Sue

Some other symptoms l have noticed in the past month. My stools seem very soft and mushy. Not round and oblong as normal stools should be and they seem to just come out really quickly, but l still go like clockwork each morning. Tummy more bloated than usual.
Also, this week whilst taking blood on 3-4 different occasions the blood wouldn't come out of my arm, it actually stopped and she had to use the other arm. This has happened to me before when l was younger, so l suppose it could all be normal for me.

And of course my normal floatiness, spaced out feeling l get on and off, which comes usually on day 6-8 day of my cycle. Not sure why. I thought it could hormone related as first, but now l am starting to wonder if all of this is tied in with PN.


I just hope its not Autonomic PN.

Sue

As we age, there is insulin resistance that begins. For some people it is more severe than others.

But one characteristic is that the insulin response becomes less flexible, and efficient.

Dr. Barry Sears, PhD has written several books about this subject and explains it in detail.
His first was Enter the Zone.