Starting anti inflammatory diet
 

Tomorrow I am starting anti inflammatory diet, for those of you who pray please do pray for me, I love sweets and I know this is going to be hard, but I need to try a drastic change to at least try to get rid of all this numbness tingling and burning. If you have any suggestions I welcome them, and any encouragement is so appreciated. I also am going to see a homeopathic Doctor in the next few days, I guess this is all a good start, I just hope it takes me down the road to recovery. Thanks, Jan

"By His Stripes I Am Healed"

I did the same about 4 months ago. After seeing my new neuro he said I had to lose weight no ifs it had to be done and I knew it :rolleyes:

I needed to stop the swelling in my knees and ankles along with very painful neuropathy 5-8/10 . I went cold turkey no carbs at all, if its white dont bite so I switched to veges, salads, fruit and red beans, the beans made a huge difference in reducing my food cravings also have a big sweet tooth and I knew no way could i give it all up without crash and burning so the sweets stay
:D
I did have an advantage and that is Tramadol 200mg a day. Being an opiate (see link below) it suppresses food craving. Ever seen a fat drug addict ? the difference for P/N people is its a desirable side effect,


""tramadol 100 mg intramuscularly or intravenously was equivalent to 5–10 mg of morphine""
http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/27/2/26/7/

ALA is a wonder supplement and I have lots more energy.


Long story short. 6 months ago I would not consider approaching long stairs
especially on the way down. I had very weak legs that would buckle and it scared me.

Today I walked all around Bangkok in the stinking heat for 1 hour non stop
and back home and no pain what so ever. My feet are still very numb though
and Im getting tingling with some heat as I type this but more discomfort than pain.

A super clean diet and the right supplements HAS to make you feel better inside and out. All the best with it and dont beat your self up if you re lapse just accept it and start fresh again the next day :)

Good luck!

Many years ago I was diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure, and rather than look at medication I decided to lose 40 lbs and, along the way, move toward a high-fiber, low-inflammatory diet.

These are rules that worked for me:

1. Eat all the vegetables you want. Steam 'em, stir-fry 'em, eat 'em raw in salad, stew 'em, bake 'em. Eat all you want!!

2. Strictly limit high-calorie foods: concentrated carbs like bread, cookies, pancakes, etc. Watch out for prepared foods containing high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar.

3. Limit most fats -- no deep-fried stuff, little butter, no lard. Especially, limit saturated fats.

4. Eat still more veggies! Eat all you want! For example, baked sweet potatoes have less than a third the calories of toasted white bread, and far more vitamin A and C. I keep a pan of sweet potatoes in the fridge for quick snacks.

Watch out for saturated fats that come with some meats. Beef has twice as much saturated fat as salmon, while salmon has five times more anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils. Yes, you have to watch out for mercury in fish -- though in general, salmon and herring have much lower mercury levels than tuna and swordfish. But eat fish in preference to beef or pork.

You know all this already, I'll bet. And it's nothing radical -- weight-watchers uses a similar rationale, with some foods "free" due to high nutritional value and relatively low caloric content while other foods are strictly rationed.

The other part is exercise. Do whatever you can to get your heart rate up for awhile each day. When you exercise blood flow increases to your muscles and decreases to your digestive tract, with one side effect being that you don't feel hungry as much.

A story about that -- the day after Christmas I was in Fairhope, Alabama, and thought I would walk to a nearby marina and eat lunch at the Fly Creek Cafe. Well, it was closed. So I decided I would walk north along the road and find a place to eat in either Montrose or Daphne. NOTHING was open. I ended up walking 12 miles round-trip with no lunch, but I found that as long as I kept striding along at a good pace I didn't feel hungry. Of course that only works if you start out well-nourished and don't keep it up for too long -- eventually ya gotta eat! But the point is, vigorous activity can help you resist unnecessary eating.

The common advice for those losing weight through changing diet is, make the diet a lifestyle change meant to last a lifetime. I still follow my dietary rules for the most part, and I like eating my way.

Again, good luck!

Post script -- I wrote the above before reading your post on hypoglycemia. If you have blood-sugar sensitivities (I hesitate to use the word "problems") then perhaps you'll need to monitor your carbohydrate intake and not necessarily cut it as drastically as I did at first.

Oh, and on the subject of fats and oils -- I found a cooking oil in my supermarket that has a blend of olive, soy, and canola oil that yields a 1:4 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 oils. I use it pretty much exclusively for cooking now.

Thanks Don and Zorro, hey Don how do you prepare your sweet Potatoes? I really appreciate both of your suggestions and will use them in my diet. Thank you do much for taking the time to encourage me, I really pray that this diet will help my neuropathy and the hypoglycemia, I have not exercised in a long time so that to is yet another challenge but I know I have to. Blessings, Jan

Regarding exercise take it very slow IMO. You dont want to many drastic changes especially since the diet and exercise will flush toxic matter from your system and that's going to hurt. I didn't do anything in the first 2 weeks then progressed to short walks and now long walks including the gym

Changing your diet will take some adjustment. When I changed us to the Zone type diet, it took about 3-4 weeks...there were 3 of us...one a middle school child.

So don't try to jump in 100% the first day. Make changes daily, and when shopping, and you will likely have more success.

This website gives the inflammatory index for most foods and is very helpful:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/

It lists whole foods as well as common store bought processed items.

Keep in mind that some veggies can cause burning. The Nightshades will do this. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant.
It you consume alot of these and burning increases, please pay attention to that.

MrsD,

As always you are so wonderful and detailed in explaining things thank you for all of your help.

Zorro, I will start slowly, thanks so much. Blessings, Jan

"By His Stripes I Am Healed"

I'm looking at ways to do the same . My neurologist told me to do the Paelo diet but after looking at that I found the Primal Blueprint and I"m reading it and found it very good . So once i GET IT all lined up that is how I"ll do it as I"M a VERY Big SWEET Lover so it will be so hard but he explains how this way of eating you don't have the urge after a few days . So good luck and keep us posted on any tips . Elizabeth

I sure will and I hope your diet goes well too. Blessings, Jan

"By His Stripes I Am Healed"

On sweet potatoes -- I just scrub them, cut off any blemishes, and bake them in the oven. But I tend to eat very simple foods, and many people would perhaps find my food a little less than exciting...

You can also slice pre-baked sweet potatoes and fry them gently, sprinkled with cinnamon.

A friend of mine suggested cutting them like home-fries and baking them in a really hot (475-degree) oven until they "puff" -- I haven't tried that yet.

--------

I'm curious about the paleo and primal diets, but I have a reservations. I tend toward more plant foods (high in anti-oxidants and phytochemicals) and away from high-protein animal foods. Partly, I intend to live longer than the (probable) 40-year lifespan of a prehistoric hunter-gatherer, so I think I ought to be watching out for late-life killers like heart disease -- which might, just might, suggest limiting those animal foods.

But what works for you is best! I certainly won't discourage you! As my health-educator beloved says, you will be healthier on almost ANY diet because you will pay attention to what you eat!

"I"M a VERY Big SWEET Lover so it will be so hard "

I like my sweets and they can be used in a productive way as well.

When I was depressed and finding comfort in food my biggest challenge was to try and not finish whats on the plate or/and try to avoid a second helping. This is a huge (no pun) problem for Americans in particular as anyone who has lived there knows the USA food portions are overly generous. "Super sizeing" is an American concept.

Quite often and i speak for my self here, if Im feeling very hungry and craving salty food I run to the freezer and grab a sweet juice Icy pole. Its mainly fruit/sugar and water but it does stop me from attacking half a chicken. I remember my mum telling me as a kid not to eat lollies because it would ruin my appetite and she was right assuming of course there is less fat in lollies

Super-sizing...yep, when combined with fatty, starchy, sugary foods it's the high road to diabetes and obesity.

Some people do well by eating fairly high-calorie (but healthy!) foods and limiting their portion size. The idea is, I believe, that that fats in particular make a person feel satiated and full. So eating small helpings of good-fat food can make one feel full, and is one way to control intake.

I don't do that; I eat large helpings of low-calorie food. But several people I know (including my beloved) use the high-calorie-but-small strategy very effectively.

My girlfriend says that food doesn't hit the bloodstream until about 15 minutes after eating (she's got a PhD in health and phys ed, so I ask her these questions). That implies we should wait quite a while before taking a second helping...?

I always heard you should take 20 minutes min. before deciding about seconds unless it's chocolate. :D Or eat more slowly in general: put the sandwich/utensil down between bites, swallow completely between, don't talk with your mouth full.... yadda, yadda, yadda....

Makes one wonder about the effects of the 30 min or less lunch break vs. the full hour... :rolleyes:

Doc

Both diets are hight in veggies and the only meat Primal discusses and encourages is grass fed, all natural no preservatives. He does do a very interesting study on all of it and it makes a lot of common sense. Of course he is saying how the grains have been a problem along with sugar. It is worth a read and to use the parts that you like or don't like . I've not finished reading it yet but will then digest the parts i am goinf to use to see how it goes.

I just started the gluten free diet this week. Boy the products can be expensive. I got a small loaf of bread for $6. I am going to stay with it. Is anyone else on it. Does any one have any suggestions. I did like one thing most dark chocolates are gluten free!!!

I never did the GF breads.... they are really high carb things and not good for your sugar levels.

I did GF crackers, with cheese, salmon, etc. There are many of these. Some made by almond Blue diamond. Chex corn and rice cereals are GF.

There are corn based tortillas too, for roll up type sandwiches.

I liked the Tinkyada pastas the best. They taste the most natural and control your sugars because they are brown rice.
I think it is easier in summer than in cold winter to do GF. Winter temps used to make me crave things! :rolleyes: In summer my appetite is much less and salads etc are more satisfying.

There are gluten free pancake mixes now, and Even Bisquick has a GF version! Just remember they are high in calories/carbs.

It is so much easier today than when I did it for 3 yrs!

I was diagnosed with gluten and lactose intolerance 22 years ago. I thought I was dying since nobody knew what was wrong with me and doctors did every test under the sun and my doc said we think your allergic to beer, well he was sort of right since it does contain gluten. I got lucky and was referred to a naturopath who diagnosed me in 10 mins :rolleyes:

Just today I made a flat bread like a pancake, its super quick just need rice flour, 1 egg and milk or soy milk . mix them all until the batter is thick but runny enough to pour into a frying pan that is very hot with some oil.

cook on high for about 10-15 mins or until the bottom starts to get brown and flip.

Great as a sandwich base or as a pizza base and unlike GF breads it doesn't break or crumble..

Mrs D. I did not think of the carb count. Good idea to try the tortillas. I have an egg white sandwich every morning and need something to put it on. I will have to keep in mind that items made of brown rice are better.
Zorro thanks for the recipe. I'm wondering if you make more than one and refridgerate them if they will be OK. I would lilke to make a weeks worth possilby for my egg sandwich. The gluten free breads really do crumble. They do sell a gluten free beer now if you still drink it. My friend tried it and said it was good.

Gluten free was easy. I stopped gluten for the nervous system a year and a half ago. Cutting sugar way down, now that is hard! It is in everything.

Yeah, you've got to check for every different alternative word for "sugar"; some companies are sneaky with their labels.

I do have to watch sugar a little but I don't focus on it too much because I am not diabetic. Should I still be watching it due to NP?

I'm trying GF. Living off GF rice. Hopefully I don't get allergic to it.

Speaking of food, I read that "Nerve cells consume large amounts of glucose." So does mean failing to eat when you're hungry risks further nerve damage if you already have PN and/or temporary aggravation? They can't work properly/at all if you don't 'feed' them?

My nerves don't seem to work so well when I'm tired and hungry. I used to think it was an adrenal gland issue; now it sounds more like ATP&/glucose.

All of our cells run off glucose.

Everything we eat ... the brain...with trillions of nerve cells,
runs off glucose.

Protein is converted to glucose. All carbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluconeogenesis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid_metabolism

Hopeful, cant drink beer as alcohol caused the PN but before PN I drank apple cider (alcoholic ), it doesn't contain gluten. Making a weeks worth is no problem but it so quick to make I dont bother.
keep in mind that its basically white rice and high in carbs so its just a once a week treat for me.

It is important to keep refined sugar very low and keep the blood sugar even, not high or low for nerve health. I have never had blood sugar problems. I have had numerous fasting glucose and the better test, A1c taken. All is fine. But my doctor told me to watch sugar and carbs carefully as well as the other things needed for nerve health like exercise and my supplements.

Sally what is to much sugar? for example I eat a LOT of fruit because it sold on every street corner here in Thailand eg mangos, watermelon etc. I eat it as a substitute for breaky and lunch
I know some people avoid sugar/fructose altogether

I have never been a believer in completely iliminating anything from my diet. I am taking gluten due to health issues only. I feel that if I completely give up any thing that I really crave (unless due to illness) I am doomed to fail. I really believe in a healthy diet and craving can be added in moderation.
Don I love sweet potatoes. I just add a little smart balance after baking. I could probably eat them plain if I needed to.

I have only stopped things like candy, cola and ALL Corn Fructose. (that is hard since it is in so much stuff you buy) I just don't eat the things I do not need and the body has to get rid of. I eat lots of great fruit, especially in my daily smoothie! I am not diabetic. If someone is, they have to choose fruit carefully.

Fruit is full of antioxidents and fiber. I eat wonderful foods. Hubby and I love to go out to eat and cook. I just stopped the junk. This all pays off with faster healing. That is what I am interested in. :)

I stopped Gluten a year and a half ago. I eat normal food, but not the stuff that is really bad for the nerves.

My GF is gluten- and lactose-intolerant. We do a fair amount of experimenting with recipes.

It's easy to make pancake or waffle flour from rice flour, tapioca flour, etc, and MUCH cheaper than buying it. Here's a list of various possible combinations of flours, copied from http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/glutfree.html:

2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour.
2 cups white rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour and a teaspoon of xanthan gum.
1/2 soya flour and 1/2 cornstarch.
1/2 soya flour and 1/2 potato flour.
1/2 soya flour and 1/2 rice flour.
1/2 soya flour, 1/4 potato flour, 1/4 rice flour.

Note that all these are substitutes for refined white flour! I would use brown rice flour instead, and maybe some buckwheat meal and/or whole-grain quinoa flour.

That said, I've never made a palatable gluten-free biscuit from a home-made flour mixture! They're all dry as gypsum board. But I'm not much of a cook, either.

There are some good gluten-free bread mixes for bread machines, and yes they ARE crumblier than wheat breads.

Fruit and sugar: yeah, some fruits contain more sugar in proportion to nutrients than vegetables. But they're not like candy bars or donuts, and IMHO they can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. I don't go with the theorists who think humans are fundamentally fructivores, though.

Eating better
 

If you can take advice from a very wise puppet, check this out http://youtu.be/X0CQsIAbq-Q

I've actually been eating this way since I was told I was pre diabetic. (I am no longer) Someone gave me a half moon cookie today, my favorite and I had to eat it. However I have pretty much stayed away from sugar and processed foods, but you have to get them out of your house. Certain vegetables add enough sweetness to a diet. I often eat carob chips with a teaspoon of almond butter. (They are sweetened by nature). A sprinkle of stevia on my salads. I was using agave but have heard it isn't that good for you either.

All that white stuff turns to sugar. Cravings come and go and I won't beat my self up if I cheat, but as your body gets used to a better diet when you cheat you feel sick. So just cheat a little.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the secret to successful dieting :)

thanks for the link

Speaking of inflammation, although I haven't started a diet (I'm still waiting to get my bloodwork results back), I noticed yesterday the back of both my hands was red and looked inflamed. It was still like that today. I walked for 30 minutes this morning and most of the redness/inflammation has disappeared. Will have to try again tomorrow and see if it works. (I've been too tired to exercise much lately b/c of insomnia.) I can see how exercise would help blood flow, which could reduce inflammation.

Meanwhile I spotted an article on the subject:

Does exercise reduce inflammation?

Has anyone here got rid of inflammation by exercise?

Did you get the C reactive Protein test? That is really good to get. I was very happy with my results. All doctors should make sure all patients get this test.

A diet high in Omega-6 fatty acids (corn, soybean, sunflower, peanut oils) and low in Omega-3s (flax, walnut, canola)
tends to push cytokines to the inflammatory Cox2 type.
American diets are highly inflammatory when they contain fried foods in more than moderate amounts.

Here is more on this:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-6-000317.htm

This is one reason fish oil and krill oil are anti-inflammatory too.

For anyone who doesn't mind (or likes) getting in the weeds of biology, here's a great, concise little article on B12 and inflammation by Dr. Ayers:

http://coolinginflammation.blogspot....d-disease.html

This might start to help explaining the source of my inflammation and why exercise may help. CFS folks may also see some explanations.

P.S. I'm still waiting to get the results back from my red-cell blood tests, which include cysteine and glutathione. Should get them in a week.

Well the Primal diet is full of veggies, fruits , etc and not as big on the protein as long time ago they didn't have protein everyday due to sometimes on the hunts they didn't find any, so that is the bases . I've also gone back to comparing Sugar Busters which I' ve done 10-12 years ago when it came out since i was so in love with sweets and that is a good one . So I"{m doing a combo using info from both books, exercising more and now that after lots of glucose tests they did an A1C and i"m on the borer line of pre diabetic I really have to do it . So let me know of your successes so far , I've lost 8 pounds in the last 2 + weeks.