Diets and health for Christians

[Salty Skipper]

That is awesome news, Daffodyllady! And you are right...low carb does help heal type 2 diabetes. Keep up the great work!

[burien1]

That is GREAT!!!! Good for you. Keep up the good work.

YSIC

[Be still]

[daffodyllady]

Salty, did you ever get feedback on your question on the brown rice making you feel badly?

If not, I may have an insight here...

I read in Sally Fallon's book, "Nourishing Traditions" , that in the bran covering of grains, some molds may grow. A very small amount is allowed by law. It may be that you are very sensitive to that mold, as I am. Oh now I remember, they are called aflatoxins!

I find great relief from all kinds of inner distress while sticking to Atkins! I wonder if IBS lurks within me also. But as long as I put only meats, raw salads, cheese, eggs, fats, and a few cooked veggies down the hatch, all stays calm down there. But just let me slip up once, and eat whole-grain bread or rice, and things get weird.

Ok, 'nuff said. You really don't want to know more.

[Salty Skipper]

Salty, did you ever get feedback on your question on the brown rice making you feel badly?

If not, I may have an insight here...

I read in Sally Fallon's book, "Nourishing Traditions" , that in the bran covering of grains, some molds may grow. A very small amount is allowed by law. It may be that you are very sensitive to that mold, as I am. Oh now I remember, they are called aflatoxins!

I find great relief from all kinds of inner distress while sticking to Atkins! I wonder if IBS lurks within me also. But as long as I put only meats, raw salads, cheese, eggs, fats, and a few cooked veggies down the hatch, all stays calm down there. But just let me slip up once, and eat whole-grain bread or rice, and things get weird.

Ok, 'nuff said. You really don't want to know more.

I don't know, Daffodyllady...I haven't had brown rice again since those last incidents. White rice doesn't bother me at all, and the only thing that has bothered me lately is milk. It stops up my nose. LOL! Long story longer...I'm having some sort of on-going health problem somewhere that has caused all sorts of strange symptoms. The last I reported, my tsh was high normal. I started to feel worse, found another doctor who would actually take the time to listen to what I was telling him, and he ran all sorts of tests. Evidently, I'm hyperthyroid, not hypo. Doc said that the problem can come and go so that may be why I've felt bad off and on during this time period. I've been waiting nearly a month to see the endocrinologist to get more info about what exactly is causing this. The doc gave me a very low dose of propanalol to keep my heart from racing, which was one of the the things making me feel so bad. The racing heart, and pronounced pulse was the same sort of reaction I had when I ate the brown rice, but it was happening many times a week, and then at least once or twice a day.

I'm starting to think the whole thing, what I thought were food reactions, were actually symptoms of this thyroid issue. I thought all along that I was hypothyroid because I'm overweight, but evidently...you don't have to be thin to be hyperthyroid. I was thinking diabetes too because dad was a diabetic, but tests show that I'm no where near it. Sooooo....the saga continues. If you want to know my own diagnosis (don't we all try to self-diagnose), I think I have a problem with the pituitary gland that has been the root cause of the whole thing. Maybe not....but hoping that the endocrinologist will at least look at the possibility. The reason I consider that a possibility is because of the rapid weight gain during latter 2000 into 2001. And the lesser pound, but just as rapid weight gains I've had since. When it happens, I can literally gain around 10 pounds in 2-3 weeks. It's surreal, and aggravating beyond belief. Then there are times when I can eat like a horse, and feel like doing so because of increased appetite and not gain an ounce.

It's good to hear that Atkins is working for you. I've heard so many reports of how many people feel so much better while following the plan. For type2 diabetics, it's such an awesome plan that practically works wonders for the system. God is sooooo good!!! You keep up the great work, and you will reap so many benefits!! Praying for strength and health for you.

[Freed From Sin]

Hey friends (my gosh, I'm starting to sound like Herb hehe)

So, I'm starting a low carb diet myself in the next couple of days... Just can't seem to get rid of that irritating stomach fat that's hiding my gladiatoresque physique! hahahaha

Does anyone have a diet plan? Foods to avoid, foods to eat? What's good for breakfast, etc etc...

Cheers,

[daffodyllady]

It depends on how strict a diet you want to follow. Atkins is very strict. for the first 2 weeks, he requires nothing but unlimited protein, unlimited fat, and only 20 grams or less of carbohydrate per day. Those 20 grams are to be from salad vegetables only. You have to really be accountable for every bite going into the mouth! Write it down. Use a carb counter. Plan ahead. Go shopping beforehand to prepare for planned meals.

Good meal ideas:
Breakfast: eggs, bacon,sausage,steak, etc. you get the idea. No fruit at all. Take a vitamin pill instead.
Lunch: deli ham or turkey, sliced, rolled up in lettuce leaves with mayo, cheese, etc. ummm. Or top pork rinds with chicken salad. Or do a burger patty atop a salad. How about leftover meats from dinner last evening, sliced cold into a chef salad?
Dinner: Steak on the grill, or chicken in the oven (no breading), or pork chops however you like them. Grilling low-carb veggies like summer squash is wonderful! And you can butter them freely. invent new ways to tweak a salad to make it different, without going high-carb. Try herbs and spices to add variety to meals.
Snacks: I use a lot of sugar-free jello with a little cream in, or perhaps cottage cheese. Fresh berries are in season! use them! Nuts after the first 2 weeks are fine. Carb Control ice cream, in limited amounts is ok, after the first 2 weeks. (but the sugar alcohols will act as a laxative.) Or make your own ice cream, with real cream, eggs, and splenda.

The web is loaded with ideas and recipes for low-carb dieters! (Cheesecake is a mainstay, it seems.) Just remember to count those carbohydrates faithfully. If you see that something allowed triggers cravings, it is best to outlaw it except for special times, such as sunday afternoons.

I hope it goes well for you!

[mouserpg]

ahhhhhhhhhh Land of Hope and Glory... where are you?! are you okay?!

[bchandler]

I highly encourage people looking for a lifelong nutritional plan to investigate Zone nutrition, supplementing with atkins... ( the south-beach approach) whenever you hit a weight loss plateau.

I recommend the following books:

Entering the Zone - Dr. Barry Sears
The Omega RX Zone - Dr. Barry Sears
Death by Diet - Research Chemist Robert Barefoot
The Calcium Factor - Research Chemist Robert Barefoot

If you can find it... the Audio tape... Dead Doctors Don't Lie

[WhiteH2OWoman]

EVERYONE, I've started a publishing company and on January 1st, 2009, my first ebook (by me) will be released. It's on women's fitness and how to lose weight and eat right. Right now, I am giving away 10 pre-release copies of it (electronically--you'd need to print it out or read it on your computer) in exchange for a testimonial, including name, location and a photo, and your permission to use this online in my marketing. Please pm me if you would like a copy. Only restriction is that since it is my copyrighted book, you can't give it away to anyone else (including not emailing it to anyone.) PM me if you want it. Oh, and I must have the testimonials and photos before Christmas! (And you need to be a woman, sorry guys!)

MODS--I hope I'm not stepping outside the line, but I thought this would be a win-win--I'm giving my fellow believers something they want in return for a favor.

[saved2001]

My daughter has has suspected Celiac Disease. We are awaiting the results of her blood test. She is severely lactose intolerant now, and has other symptoms which lead us (ourselves, her parents and our GP) to believe she may actually have CD.

Does anyone here have any experience raising a child with CD/Lactose intolerance?

I am hoping to have this confirmed by Tuesday (Feb 10) so we can implement a strict Gluten Free diet immediately.
All recipes and ideas are welcome.

Thanks.

[bchandler]

From what little research I have done on this disease:

It appears to affect people of Irish, Scottish, English decent more frequently.
It is an auto-immune response triggered by the consumption of gluten. (a protein found primarily in grain products.)
It can cause mild to severe lactose intolerance, but once symptoms are under control, lactose can be consumed again.
There is no known cure.
People with this condition must adhere to a gluten free diet.
A diet consisting of as much whole, raw foods as possible is recommended. (Of course this is what is best for all of us).

Supplementation should include:

A pro-biotic supplement that includes; Lactose Bacillus, acidophilus biffidus, and other beneficial bacteria.
Glutamine has been shown to be useful in people who have suffered intestinal injuries.
A really good vitamin/mineral supplement - FrequenSea is one i have been looking into as a phito-nutritional broad spectrum supplement.
As well as (surprise surprise... or maybe not) restructuring fat sources to include Omega 3 and unsaturated fats like; DHA, EPA, GLA, cold pressed olive oil, cold pressed coconut oil, etc...
A supplement of digestive enzyme - Many people who have Celiac do not produce adequate amounts of digestive enzymes naturally.

So basically a naturally healthy diet that excepts grain products.

There are also some good sources for gluten free bread, muffin, biscuit, cake, pizza dough, etc... mixes out on the internet. If you absolutely have to have it.

What this does mean is an end to convenience food in your life... no more fast food, ready to eat processed foods, beer, or even processed meats... As many contain hidden gluten such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, malt, or added gluten to boost protein content to meet FDA requirements.

So... it means you will have to make more time in your life for preparing foods you like from scratch so you can ensure that no gluten gets into it... and it means that you are gong to have to become a label reader, and learn all of the code words that mean hidden gluten.

[saved2001]

Thanks BC.

Yes, I have been really doing quite a bit of research over the last 48 hours.

My daughter is an aspiring athlete, and she already has a pretty healthy diet, just lactose free, and I have been reading labels since we found out she has severe lactose intolerance. You have given me a lot of valuable information and have confirmed further our suspicions, as my husband is British(English) and he too has suspected CD but it has not been severe the way it has occurred in my daughter since Christmas.

I am hoping for confirmation through the blood tests she has undergone very soon, and will then feel we can move forward as a family.

Thank you again for all the useful information you have provided.

[RaptureReady]

I'm hyperthyroid

I too was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 5 years ago. I experienced the same symptoms you described, racing heart and extreme appetite.

If you have gained weight during this time it can be attributed to your thyroid problem. Most people who have hyperthyroidism lose weight. However, some take in such large amounts of food they gain weight because their bodies cannot process all that food properly. That happened to me. I could not feel full. The weight is pretty easy to lose once you get your thyroid problem straightened out.

God Bless,
Rapture Ready

[bchandler]

BTW, it is possible for the CD tests to return false negatives (say you don't have it when you do) under certain circumstances.

below are some links that describes the testing process, and interpretation of the results.

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understan ... /test.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ ... ekey=78186

http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/Autoi ... ease.html# (look at the lab tests panel)

On that last link in the first test description it provides an explanation fr why a young child COULD have false-negative results.

In looking this over, false negatives seem to be most common in children approximately 3 years old or under, or in people who are genetically deficient in certain types of anti-body formation.

In such cases additional tests and a biopsy may be required for accurate diagnosis.

Another reason for false negative test results may be due to patients naturally avoiding gluten due to it's affects on them prior to being tested.

[RaptureReady]

God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!

God's Pharmacy!

It is amazing!

A SLICED CARROT LOOKS LIKE THE HUMAN EYE. THE PUPIL, IRIS AND RADIATING LINES LOOK JUST LIKE THE HUMAN EYE.. AND YES, SCIENCE NOW SHOWS CARROTS GREATLY ENHANCE BLOOD FLOW TO AND FUNCTION OF THE EYES.

A TOMATO HAS FOUR CHAMBERS AND IS RED. THE HEART HAS FOUR CHAMBERS AND IS RED. ALL O F THE RESEARCH SHOWS TOMATOES ARE LOADED WITH LYCOPINE AND ARE INDEED PURE HEART AND BLOOD FOOD.

GRAPES HANG IN A CLUSTER THAT HAS THE SHAPE OF THE HEART. EACH GRAPE LOOKS LIKE A BLOOD CELL AND ALL OF THE RESEARCH TODAY SHOWS GRAPES ARE ALSO
PROFOUND HEART AND BLOOD VITALIZING FOOD.

A WALNUT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE BRAIN, A LEFT AND RIGHT HEMISPHERE, UPPER CEREBRUMS AND LOWER CEREBELLUMS. EVEN THE WRINKLES OR FOLDS ON THE NUT ARE
JUST LIKE THE NEO-CORTEX. WE NOW KNOW WALNUTS HELP DEVELOP MORE THAN THREE (3) DOZEN NEURON-TRANSMITTERS FOR BRAIN FUNCTION.

KIDNEY BEANS ACTUALLY HEAL AND HELP MAINTAIN KIDNEY FUNCTION AND YES, THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE HUMAN KIDNEYS.

CELERY, BOK CHOY , RHUBARB AND MANY MORE LOOK JUST LIKE BONES. THESE FOODS SPECIFICALLY TARGET BONE STRENGTH. BONES ARE 23% SODIUM AND THESE FOODS ARE 23% SODIUM. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SODIUM IN YOUR DIET, THE BODY PULLS IT FROM THE BONES, THUS MAKING THEM WEAK. THESE FOODS REPLENISH THE SKELETAL NEEDS OF THE BODY.

AVOCADOES, EGGPLANT AND PEARS TARGET THE HEALTH AND FUNCTION OF THE WOMB
AND CERVIX OF THE FEMALE - THEY LOOK JUST LIKE THESE ORGANS.

TODAY'S RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN A WOMAN EATS ONE AVOCADO A WEEK, IT BALANCES HORMONES, SHEDS UNWANTED BIRTH WEIGHT, AND PREVENTS CERVICAL CANCERS. AND HOW PROFOUND IS THIS? IT TAKES EXACTLY NINE (9) MONTHS TO GROW AN AVOCADO FROM BLOSSOM TO RIPENED FRUIT. THERE ARE OVER 14,000 PHOTOLYTIC CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF NUTRITION IN EACH ONE OF THESE FOODS (MODERN SCIENCE HAS ONLY STUDIED AND NAMED ABOUT 141 OF THEM).

SWEET POTATOES LOOK LIKE THE PANCREAS AND ACTUALLY BALANCE THE GLYCEMIC INDEX OF DIABETICS.

OLIVES ASSIST THE HEALTH AND FUNCTION OF THE OVARIES

ORANGES, GRAPEFRUITS, AND OTHER CITRUS FRUITS LOOK JUST LIKE THE MAMMARY GLANDS OF THE FEMALE AND ACTUALLY ASSIST THE HEALTH OF THE BREASTS AND THE MOVEMENT OF LYMPH IN AND OUT OF THE BREASTS.

ONIONS LOOK LIKE THE BODY'S CELLS. TODAY'S RESEARCH SHOWS ONIONS HELP CLEAR WASTE MATERIALS FROM ALL OF THE BODY CELLS. THEY EVEN PRODUCE TEARS WHICH WASH THE EPITHELIAL LAYERS OF THE EYES. A WORKING COMPANION, GARLIC , ALSO HELPS ELIMINATE WASTE MATERIALS AND DANGEROUS FREE RADICALS FROM THE BODY.

I don't know who to give attribution to the above because it came to me via an email chain, and yes, it was in all caps, I did not change the text, but only added images.

YSIC,
Rapture Ready

[burien1]

That`s amazing ! Thanks for sharing !

[I've Seen Angels]

You want to lose weight? I have found the secret and for the second week in a row I have lost six pounds...yes six pounds and I was skeptical at first but now I am a believer...It says I can lose six pounds a week for two months then it tapers off to five a week. This is so simple...where was it ten years ago??? I don't advertise so if you want it pm me...I am already a size smaller in two weeks and I have changed nothing about my diet and I hate exercise so just ask and I will tell!

[jln]

I've Seen Angels, I've pm'ed you to learn about your weight loss secret. When you get a chance, I'd love to hear from you. Still doing it?

[bchandler]

ISA,

I'd love to learn more about the diet you are on... I'd appreciate it if you could provide some info on this thread so we can evaluate it openly.

[Sunny]

I am hypothyroid and 61 years old. It is very difficult for me to lose weight.

BUT I have lost 18 pounds since the first of the year without meds on a low carb diet. I started out on Atkins, but switched to Protein Power since it is not so restrictive and is much easier to live with.

I am to the point now that I MUST buy some smaller clothes. That's a problem I can happily deal with! :)

[SueAnn]

I am hypothyroid and 61 years old. It is very difficult for me to lose weight.

BUT I have lost 18 pounds since the first of the year without meds on a low carb diet. I started out on Atkins, but switched to Protein Power since it is not so restrictive and is much easier to live with.

I am to the point now that I MUST buy some smaller clothes. That's a problem I can happily deal with! :)

Sunny,
You said you are hypothroid and off meds...are you refering to the thyroid meds?

About the Atkins diet for hypothroidism...be very careful. Especially if you eat any of their prepackaged food. Much of it is soy based. Soy and thyrpoid meds do not mix. Soy renders the meds useless if taken at the wrong time.

Nutrisystem is another danger for thyroid meds...much of the prepackaged food is soy based. Remember soy and thyroid meds are a danger.

[RaptureReady]

Hi Sue Ann,

I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and also had a non cancerous nodule on my thyroid five years ago. I had to have my thyroid destroyed by radiation before the nodule turned into cancer. I take a pill every morning 30 minutes before I eat or drink anything.

I had never heard about soy being problematic for thyroid meds. Does this apply to the thyroid meds taken when you no longer have a thyroid?

Doctors do not tell you everything you need to know. I was not told I should have been seeing a dentist on a frequent basis during the radiation period. Now, my teeth are suffering from the radiation. Evidently, the radiation dries out your teeth and affects your bones as well.

Needless to say, I was very interested when I read your post about soy interfering with thyroid meds and am wondering if that applies to the kind I am taking in my situation.

YSIC,
RaptureReady

[Sunny]

About the Atkins diet for hypothroidism...be very careful. Especially if you eat any of their prepackaged food. Much of it is soy based. Soy and thyrpoid meds do not mix. Soy renders the meds useless if taken at the wrong time.

Instead of taking thyroid meds, I am taking acetyl l-tyrosine. It doesn't help most people with thyroid problems, but apparently I have a deficiency, so it makes all the difference in the world for me. On the days I don't take it, I can barely move.

I did know about the soy... also cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, radishes, etc. slow down thyroid activity, especially when they are raw. So I make sure I cook all of those veggies well when I eat them. I read that raw, they are as effective a thyroid suppressant as some of the meds for hyperthyroidism.

RR, I don't know how they would affect you if you don't have a thyroid in the first place. Are you seeing an endocrinologist? They could probably answer you questions, whereas anything I said would just be guessing. :)

[RaptureReady]

RR, I don't know how they would affect you if you don't have a thyroid in the first place. Are you seeing an endocrinologist? They could probably answer you questions, whereas anything I said would just be guessing. :)

Hi Sunny,

I have seen several endocrinologists over the past years prior to the radiation treatment and thereafter. Currently, I am only seeing a regular MD for my prescriptions and monitoring of my blood tests.

None of the endocrinologits I saw ever mentioned anything about certain foods affecting my medicine. They only told me to take it first thing in the mornings 30 min. prior to eating or drinking anything.

Again, as I mentioned in my previous post I have found doctors don't take the time to tell you everything you need to know these days. I was never told how to counteract the effects the radiation would have on my teeth and bones. I only found that out from a dentist after the damage had been done.

YSIC,
RaptureReady

[SueAnn]

I was diagnosed with hypo thyroid 13 years ago. In that amount of time I have seen approximately 8 doctors, 2 endocrinologists and mant family practice (I get a different doctor every time I visit my large practice). Not one of them, NOT ONE ever said a word of caution about the impact of soy on my medication.

One day I was hunting around on the Internet and I found a support website where hypothyroid foolks share info. That's where I learned about soy. The next time I went to the doctor as I sat waiting in the exam room for the doc to see me I noticed that someone had forgotten to remove the drug dictionary/listing book. (doctors really don't want patients reading this book). When I looked up the thyroid med I had been taking for many years the very first thing it said...THE VERY FIRST THING IT SAID was that soy was counterproductive to this medication. In other words, the soy does not do anything to the thyroid itself, so it doesn't matter if your thyroid is sluggish, dead or missing...it means that the medication is NEUTRALIZED by soy. You may as well not be taking the meds at all.

When I pointed it out to the doc, he grabbed the book in anger "WHO LEFT THIS IN HERE???????" and he read what I had seen in the book.

I tell you no lie, the man actually said the following,"I never heard of this before." Well no wonder no doc had ever told me about the dangers of ingesting soy if you are on thyroid meds.

[bugtussle]

Does anyone in here know anything about a product called Cinna-Max for regulating blood sugars? It has 1000mg of cinnamon along with other stuff in a dose. It recommends 2 - 4 doses a day?

My emergeny supply kit contains cinnamon caps, along with milk thistle, dandelion root tea and B vitamins. I do not use any of these things as of yet, except dandelion root tea occasionally. I am on the regular diabetic meds - glipizide, metformin. Also use lantus shots at bedtime.

Blood sugars have not been cooperative lately.

[Douggg]

I am trying the "full bar" plan. The idea is to trigger your mind into thinking it is not hungry by eating a full bar/with a glass of liquid like water (although I use crystal light kool aid) 30 minutes before the two biggest meals of the day.
With the mind thinking it is full, then when you eat - eat using your eyes to determine the size of the portions. No going back for seconds though. Also you are supposed to eat 5 or 6 meals a day. I have lost a couple of pounds in less than a week.... and I am really getting to hate eating . The full bars are good though..... I am wondering maybe they put some drugs in there or something ....I seem to be craving full bars ...just teasing.

Anyway, I got a three months supply of full bars.... to eat up.

The surgeon, Dr Snyder, who came up with this plan is really smart IMO. He had done 1400 surgery's on extra heavy people. Here's the link....http://www.fullbar.com/?gclid=CMrd6a3kt ... nAodYQHJBg

With the supply of full bars, came a really well written pamphlet by Dr Snyder. What I like is that I don't have to come up with some menu... basically the idea is to try and keep each meal with 50% to 75% protein. The number of grams of protein a person needs depends of course on one's size. For me it is around 75 a day total. The other rules of Dr Snyder's plan are...
(copied from his pamphlet).

1. Keep hydrated.
2. Minimize "white stuff"
3. Make protein 50% to 75% of each meal
4. Eat five or six meals per day
5. Drastically minimize or eliminate sugared sodas, juices, fancy coffees, and sport drinks
6. Don't avoid fats...but don't add them either.

Doug L.

[daffodyllady]

An update on the low-carb thing I have been doing.

On June 11th, I hit it hard. I began to keep track of not only carbs, but also calories... you know, just to be accountable to myself as to what I was putting into God's temple.

Since that date, I have lost 23 lbs. And this was without adding any exercise.

I cut my carbs to less than 20 per day, and my calories to between 1800 and 1200. It fluctuated. Some days, I was better able to go with less. Other days, I was hungry as a bear. And I listened to my body. When I am hungry, I eat protein, fat, and low-carb veggies... but only a little. Just enough to settle the hunger. And then I go enter every bite into my Wordpad journal. And it works!

I thougth when I went on Atkins, that fat intake can be unregulated. I have found that is baloney. Too much fat can be addictive, just as sugar is addictive. Also, too much protein can be a crutch. Because protein can be used to put too many calories right back into the diet. And I have found that calories DO count, even if Dr Atkins says they dont!

I have found that for me, weight-loss does not happen evenly. Usually, I have to hang in there for a few weeks, while behaving myself the whole time, and then suddenly, it drops 5 to 7 lbs overnight. And then it bounces up a little. the next few weeks, I have to fight the bounce off again. When the upbounce has been worked off, then I have to be good through a whole week or two of nothing happening again. But eventually, it pays off.

Not tooting my horn; rather, just trying to spread encouragement.

[jgilberAZ]

I second that encouragement ... I went low-carb in mid-April and have lost nearly 20 pounds.

I have been lifting weights infrequently, but no cardio.

Actually, I just started some cardio yesterday (elliptical).

I, too, have seen inconsistent weight loss. I weigh about once a week. Sometimes I see no weight loss, or even a little weight gain (ugh). Other weeks, I see 2-3 pounds lost. But as I said, overall I've lost about 20 pounds.

My wife was concerned about me cutting out the carbs. So, she asked me to go get my blood tested. I had that done about two weeks ago. Everything looks really good. My doctor said to keep doing what I'm doing. Although, he did say that once I got to the weight I wanted to be, consider doing the South Beach diet instead of Atkins. He's says it's easier to live with long-term.

I've got about 10-15 pounds to go.



Here's me in February (in yellow, between my brother and my dad). I'll try to post an "after" picture soon.




Those are size 36 pants. I'm in 32 now.

:-)

[bchandler]

Please be careful with the high protein diets. There are some legitimate concerns about them.

1. Too much protein can put an excessive load on the kidneys. This should be of particular concern to diabetics of all stripes. Even for healthy people, the extra work of processing all that extra protein is stressful for the kidneys.

2. The excessive proteins push the body, and the cellular environment into an acid condition, which is the condition required for cancer to grow unchecked by the immune system. The acid environment also has negative affects on the immune system.

3. The forms of protein people choose are generally very polluted forms. (commercially farmed; Meat, Eggs, and Dairy)

The Zone Nutrition approach is not a diet... it is a new, better, lifelong change to how you eat. It is designed to provide:

1. Adequate high quality protein (High (excessive... as in more than your body requires) protein diets do not generally provide much focus on protein quality.

2. Good quality fats that help to start your cellular furnaces and switch your body from burning carbs for fuel to burning fat for fuel. Fat is a higher density and higher quality fuel source for the body.

3. Just enough Carbs to meet the needs of the human nervous system, which can not burn fat for fuel like the rest of your body can.

For those of you looking for high quality protein sources, without all the pollutants of commercially farmed animal products... I have been doing some research to replace my own soy and whey protein supplements (because neither soy or whey are that great for you... I'll post separately on the issues with whey protein) and i found two excellent sources for protein that are remarkably complete, and are plant based.

Rice bran has a remarkably complete protein profile and can be found at your local health food stores... as well as protein powders derived from rice bran for easy mixing into your favorite beverage.

Amaranth, which can be ground into a high quality flour is the new "super food" that is causing a lot of excitement around the world. Some are looking toward Amaranth as the plant that could feed the entire world. Long considered an invasive weed by grain farmers and routinely destroyed (it looks like milkweed) it produces flower/seed stalks (much like millet) throughout the growing season, and multiple harvests are available from each plant every year. The seed can be rolled, flaked, and ground into flour just like wheat, rye, and oats. Amaranth also has a very complete protein profile, and is also very likely available at your local health food store.

In the course of my research I also became convinced that our commercially farmed animal products are so heavily polluted that it would be best to switch to a vegan diet. If you produce your own meat, eggs, and dairy products or can get them from a clean source... then and only then might it be worth trying... otherwise the health risks are simply to high. I will go into more detail regarding this in my next post.

I strongly encourage all of you out there who are looking to improve your health, fitness, and weight profile to look into following Zone Nutrition (also known as 40-30-30 nutrition)... It can be followed whether you are an omnivore, ovo-lacto vegetarian, or vegan vegetarian. It is a lifelong change to how you eat... not a diet... but you will lose weight with it.

Books:

Entering the Zone - by Barry Sears, MD.
The Omega RX Zone - by Barry Sears, MD.

There are also a good number of cook books out there to help you convert your cooking style over to zone nutrition.

[bchandler]

I was listening to a Medical Doctor, who is reversing heart disease and diabetes in his patients, speak about the dangers of dairy products in today's world.

In the US the USDA allows for a white cell (PUSS) count of 3/4 of a million cells per 30ml. (about 1/10 of an ounce) That amounts to about 6 Million puss cells per 8 once glass of milk. That is the count in fluid milk... The counts in dairy products like cheese would be concentrated much higher. Why is there such high allowable puss cells? Because our cattle are so infected.

Why are our cattle so infected?

Something like 40% of our cattle are infected with BIV (Bovine Immuno-defficiency Virus) the Cattle equivalent to HIV/AIDS. These cattle with compromised immune systems are constantly fighting not only BIV but all the infections that they get as a result of their suppressed immune systems.

Something like 95% of cattle in the US are infected with BLV (Bovine Leukemia Virus). (Finland just eradicated it in their herds, after a 30 year campaign)(The US is basically doing NOTHING about it)

Many dairy cattle these days are not allowed to graze naturally, but are kept on filthy feed lots and fed commercial feed, silage, and grain. The really dangerous bacteria (like E.Coli 0157h7) are found primarily in cattle that are not fed their natural diet, and especially those that consume high grain diets.

Why is this so important?

BIV and BLV have apparently crossed the species barrier and infected primates (How do we know BIV wasn't the actual source for HIV?)

The highest Human Leukemia rates in the world can apparently be mapped directly over top of the areas with the highest consumption of BLV infected dairy products.

Something on the order of 75% of women who have fibrous breast tissue, cystic fibrosis, or breast cancer test positive for antibodies to BLV.

The highest incidents of childhood Leukemia and Rheumatoid Arthritis are in the populations that drink the most milk.

Most people today are aware that we had some "MAD COW" disease (spongiform encephalitis) show up in the US herds. This condition is extremely rare and is found almost exclusively among cannibals, and even then only among those who eat the brain tissue of their prey. But wait... Cows aren't cannibals, or are they. Come to find out, farmers were grinding up their "Downer" Cows (dead for whatever reason, including disease) and feeding them to the living... and this is how it is believed that "Mad Cow" was introduced into the American herds.

Since then, the dairy industry has ceased to feed dead Cows to Cows... or have they... new regulations allow the downer cattle to be sold to other industries to be turned into feed for other animals... but it also then allows these feeds, and waste products from animals that eat these feeds (pigs and chickens) to be fed to Cows... (isn't the idea of Cows eating feed that includes pig and chicken feces appealing?) so... dead cows, are still being fed to living Cows... just one step removed, rather than directly... so we are still taking a grass eating animal and turning it into a cannibal. In addition... Cow's blood from slaughter houses is spray dried and can be included in feeds for Cattle. (All in all... it's pretty disgusting if u ask me)

The result of all of these insane practices is a commercial animal produce supply chain that is filled with disease. This single presentation so convinced me, that I am finally going to take the plunge and try to go mostly raw-Vegan... with maybe some occasional wild caught sea fish. The only way i keep eating meat, eggs or milk is if I produce it myself, from animals that I control their food supply, and can be ensured that it is disease free.

[jgilberAZ]

1. Too much protein can put an excessive load on the kidneys. This should be of particular concern to diabetics of all stripes. Even for healthy people, the extra work of processing all that extra protein is stressful for the kidneys.

2. The excessive proteins push the body, and the cellular environment into an acid condition, which is the condition required for cancer to grow unchecked by the immune system. The acid environment also has negative affects on the immune system.

I assume you are referring to this study?

And, actually ... cancer cells are adversely affected by a low carb diet.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/category/cancer/

In pre-WWII days, a German scientist, Otto Warburg, received a Nobel Prize for his work in sussing out the fact that cancer cells don’t generate energy the same way that normal cells do. Cancer cells get their energy, not like normal cells, from the mitochondrial oxidation of fat, but from glycolysis, the breakdown of glucose withing the cytoplasm (the liquid part of the cell). This different metabolism of cancer cells that sets them apart from normal cells is called the Warburg effect. Warburg thought until his dying day that this difference is what causes cancer, and although it is true that people with elevated levels of insulin and glucose do develop more cancers, most scientists in the field don’t believe that the Warburg effect is the driving force behind the development of cancer.

But it stands to reason that it can be used to treat cancer that is already growing. Since cancers can’t really get nourishment from anything but glucose, it stands to reason that cutting off this supply would, at the very least, slow down tumor growth, especially in aggressive, fast-growing cancers requiring a lot of glucose to fuel their rapid growth.

And, as far as diabetics ... low carb eating is almost a cure for diabetes:

Men's Health Article

"My first line of treatment is to have patients remove carbohydrates from their diets," explains Dr. Vernon, a petite, energetic mother of two who also serves as the president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. "This is often all it takes to reverse their symptoms, so that they no longer require medication."

.

[bchandler]

The information you posted is correct. My point is this... You can get the benefits you describe on a Zone, or 40-30-30 plan.

You don't have to put the extra stress on the kidneys.

You don't have to push your body into ketosis.

You don't have to convert your cellular metabolism to being acidic which can allow/drive cancer.

Zone nutrition is designed to do exactly what you showed was healthy:

Convert from carbs to fat for cellular fuel.
Reduce calories, and at the same time...
Reduce carbs to minimum subsistence requirements for the nervous system.
Reduce Insulin levels
Increase Glucagon levels

My point is that all the medical benefits of Atkins approach can be had by following Zone Nutrition, without any of the risks or detracting factors. So why go so high in your protein intake that you stress your kidneys and risk cellular acidosis. What happens when you come out of ketosis as is required every so often on a high protein diet, and now your carb intake is going up... and your cells are in an acidotic state? My research tells me that that is the perfect condition for cancer.

The South Beach Diet approach was a bit more rational, as they basically follow Zone Nutrition or 40-30-30 and only push into excess protein (Atkins) when weight loss plateaus, and a kick start is needed. In this approach when a ketosis cycle ends carb levels are raised back to the maintenance levels, and protein levels are reduced back to the maintenance levels which results in a 40-30-30 Zone Nutrition Profile.

Even Doctor Sears recommends slightly increasing protein when weight loss plateaus are hit in Zone Nutrition... but not to the extremes seen in Atkins or South Beach.

So... My point is basically this... The extremes of excessive protein diets have risk factors that are not necessary to incur. The same benefits can be had, and superior results achieved both in health and weight loss without the risks, by following a life long eating plan that changes your eating habits to a more healthy balance than the recommendations of the corrupted USDA, or extreme temporary diets.

And for the first link you posted... I didn't finish reading it. The Author was so arrogant and condescending and intellectually dishonest I couldn't finish the article.

Your second link discusses a reduced carb/calorie diet to fight cancer... which is precisely what Zone Nutrition is/does. And it has you eating foods that have slow carb absorption profiles and keep insulin levels low. So no conflict there.

The third link is a bit misleading. Yes they remove all the sugar and grain based "fast" carbs from their diet. But, they keep the vegetable based, "slow" absorption carbs most of which are never used because they are bound up in fiber. This means that from a food standpoint the carbs you keep are "slow" or low GI (Glycemic Index) carbs. This again is precisely what Zone Nutrition recommends.

[jgilberAZ]

Thank you for that information, bchandler.

I will look into both the Zone diet and the South Beach diet when I get to the weight I want to be.


What I see as the difference (after just a cursory peek), is that they allow low-glycemic-index carbs. I have no issue with that ... and am not a hard-core Atkins enthusiast. I just know that the way the 'powers that be' push a high carb diet is just flat out wrong ... and likely the cause of both the obesity and diabetic epidemics.

Here are a couple really interesting videos.

One caveat ... the first video does have a few nude images. But, they are 50 year old black and white pictures used to illustrate the various ways fat is deposited on people. For instance, there's one picture that shows someone who is skinny from the waist up, and totally obese from the waist down. It's really quite 'freaky.' The pics are more like what you'd see in a medical book than anything else.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4362041487661765149


---

"Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology explores the damage caused by sugary foods."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Edit ... I had mistakenly put the same URL for both videos. That has been fixed.


- Jeff

[MaranathaYeshua]

All I can say is Hallelujah!
I lost 70 lbs in a miraculous way.
I cannot recommend it enough!

Hallelujah Diet
http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp

[Abiding in His Word]

All I can say is Hallelujah!
I lost 70 lbs in a miraculous way.
I cannot recommend it enough!

Hallelujah Diet
http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp

[MaranathaYeshua]

All I can say is Hallelujah!
I lost 70 lbs in a miraculous way.
I cannot recommend it enough!

Hallelujah Diet
http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp

Glory be to GOD!

[daffodyllady]

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRel ... oral2.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1072 ... 00m,isrctn
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstr ... f_ipsecsha

I found these to be quite educational.

Also... The very idea of the Hallelujah diet comehow being GOD'S prescription for health is... just wrong, from a Scriptural point of view. Of course, if someone eats only fresh fruits and vegetables, he or she will lose weight, because it is impossible to take in enough calories in those foods alone, to maintain obesity. And I can also believe that on that diet, one could also improve one's health, especially if one is starting from the typical American Diet. Any inclusion of vegetables and fruits would be an improvement over the lack thereof! However, just because these things do happen, does not mean that this diet is God's prescription for all people, nor does it mean that cooking foods and eating meats, are wrong behaviors!

In fact, many times in scripture, we find that God prescribed the cooking and eating of meats. The sacrifices of the Old Covenant show this clearly. God required the priests to seethe and eat of the animal sacrifices daily. God came to Abraham in the form of 3 personages, and He sat and ate a freshly killed and cooked calf with Abraham.

God told Noah that He had now given him all creatures for food, along with the diet given in Eden. Have we been elevated above the conditions of the fall, and been somehow restored to Eden? I do not find this in Scripture.

If someone finds the Hallelujah diet helpful in losing weight, or in providing a better supply of vitamins and minerals, I can beleive it. But I find it repugnant that a minister of God has left off preaching the pure Gospel, and instead has begun a ministry that teaches people contrary to the Word. The word says

Heb 13:9
Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

[bchandler]

I think your being a bit harsh Daffodil. He hasn't left off the Gospel. He is teaching people that God did not ORIGINALLY give man animals for food. Which is true... What he and others like him are saying is that we have a unique ability in history, with modern refrigeration, to eat a diet that is more like what we were ORIGINALLY designed to eat.

With regard to eating animal products... If you raised it yourself, and raised it's feed yourself, then you could be reasonably sure the meat and other products were clean. But... after what I have learned in the last 2 weeks, regarding the absolute insanity with which commercial farm animals are raised, I would be very concerned about putting any animal products in my body. Every mouthful is nothing but pure poison, and I am just begging the commercial producers to harm me. And they absolutely will harm you because they are so corrupt...

Did you read some of my previous posts? The way animals are raised today is insanity, and a disgrace, and IMO down right criminal.

The USDA knows what the problems are, and yet they are doing nothing about the pollution in our food supply... In fact the dairy and cattlemen lobby are so powerful they are practically dictating to the USDA and FDA.

If our government gives a rip about "we the people" tell me why they haven't outlawed hydrogenated fats? Non-nutritive fats? Why haven't they outlawed artificially coloring farmed salmon? Why haven't they outlawed white flour/bread? White sugar? Aspartame? Fake whole grain flour/bread? Feeding dead (downer) animals to other animals? Processing chicken and pig waste into animal feeds? Adding certain solids to milk? Infected, puss filled milk? Feeding dairy and beef cattle primarily a garbage diet and grain, and not allowing them to graze naturally? Feeding chickens a commercial grain based diet?

All of these things are incredibly detrimental to the animals, and ultimately to anything that eats them or their products. Which is US!

50% of Americans will die of heart attacks. (Which is almost 100% preventable)
30% will die from cancers of all forms. (Which is largely preventable by not eating animal produce, and increasing RAW foods, and reducing high calorie (starchy) foods.)

The raw foods approach is reversing (FDA won't let anyone use the cure word) People's:
High Blood pressure
High Cholesterol
High Tri-Glycerides
Atherosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis
Diabetes
Fatty Liver disease
Diabetic Neuropathy
Osteoporosis
Lupus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Other various inflammatory diseases
Other and various Auto-Immune diseases... including HIV.
There is evidence to show that a raw foods diet composed mostly of greens, fruits, nuts, and legumes actually has the ability to reverse genetic damage. To an extent to actually reverse the premature aging process and allow us to reach our full genetic potential of ~120 years.

If you wanna eat your animal produce go right ahead. But remember, You also get to enjoy all the risks associated with it, and you have an 80%+ chance of becoming a mortality statistic of the 2 major American killers. Why not simply avoid becoming a statistic by changing the diet?

The China project nutritional study clearly showed that all the modern diseases that afflict our society occur in direct proportion to the percentage of animal products and high calorie/low-fiber foods consumed.

One of the best documented ways to prolong life is calorie restriction. Note... that is NOT food restriction, or nutrition restriction. It is consuming your nutrients in the lowest caloric intake packages you can find.

Did you know that leafy green vegetables are about 50% protein calories? Did you know that every protein in every animal... including you... is derived from plants? Why get your proteins second hand, in a package that drives acidity, brevity, illness, and promotes; aging, cancer, and heart disease... when you can get them first hand, in a package that drives alkalinity, longevity, health, and inhibits; aging, cancer and heart disease?

Did you know that Dairy consumption actually contributes to Osteoporosis? Because it increases acidity! As does Colas!
Did you know that eating grilled chicken actually increases your cancer risk for certain cancers by 300%?

The more I learn, the more I am convinced that in order to get and stay healthy, the change to a vegan, or as close as u can get to vegan, diet is the best choice.

I think criticizing this minister because he is ministering to people by healing them with food is overly harsh. Why should God cure miraculously what he has provided the cure for in nature? Healing people with food is not any less of God... after all... he created it, and designed it, and US!

[bchandler]

As for the links you posted...

The quack watch link is seriously flawed, and this doctor clearly has no clue how acidity and alkalinity affect the cellular environment. It isn't about, and never has been about blood PH. It IS about cellular acidity and how cells can be driven into anaerobic states, which drives cancer, and inflammation.

The study on athletes and high protein diets is IMO, to brief to gather useful correlative data. While the last word is yet to come in on high protein and kidney stress, it is obvious that at the very least high protein diets increase the aging rate of the kidneys, and you won't really see the damage in urine output until the majority of kidney function is lost... There is good evidence to show that chelating foods and raw vegetables can actually promote healing and improvement of kidney function.

The problem sometimes with the quack watchers is that they themselves are not sufficiently knowledgeable to comment. That doctor that posted on quack watch has four specialties... none of which deal with nutrition... which likely means he has the same 2-8 hours of training your average doctor receives on nutrition... yet they think they are competent to judge. You want to see a quack? You only need to look as far as your closest pill pushing pharmacalogically trained doctor... Doctor's are dying of the same diseases and at the same statistical rates as people on the SAD (standard American diet). When they start outliving the average American.. then you might wanna consider listening to them.

[daffodyllady]

bchandler, I did not intend to be harsh. But I do feel strongly that what the Bible says about God including meats and cooked foods in his commandments to humans, should not be denigrated or overlooked. I agree that the way modern farming is done, is not healthy. It is probably to a large degree responsible for many of America's health problems. But healthy meats are not wrong. And to cook foods is not wrong.

I am majoring in nutrition in college. Admittedly, I have not gotten very far yet, in my studies. But I want to know the answers to my questions. And I do not want to believe just anyone who sounds good, and has a health product to sell.

I also agree that we need to take responsibility for what we put into these temples of God, physically. However, the Word says that to be occupied with foods, as if they were somehow going to bless us spiritually, has not benefitted those who have done so.

Just how each of us takes responsibility for what we eat, may vary from person to person. One may feel he should not eat meat. "Let not him that eateth meat, despise him that eateth not." So I do not despise you, bchandler. For myself, I have chosen to raise my own beef. Others may not have this option. For them, I can understand why they would choose to avoid eating meat. I have to be careful which brands of chicken I buy. Some, I find too laced with chemicals. I can smell and taste it, and they nauseate me. It makes my mouth break out in sores.

However, you need to remember that just because you have heard something many times, and each time heard it presented powerfully, does not make it true.

A good scientist is always trying to prove himself wrong.

And we have to be open enough and humble enough to be willing to admit that we are not qualified scientists in this field, and even perhaps to be proven wrong.

As for me, I will believe the scientists, instead of the emotionally- charged hype put out by people who have barley-green, supplements, or juicers to sell to me.

And anyone who develops a "ministry" of telling people that God originally told people to eat only uncooked vegetables and fruits, is being Biblically dishonest.

Yes, God originally gave humans plants to eat. However, after the flood, the earth's conditions changed so dramatically, that people began to die much earlier. This tells me something. Death begins on a cellular level. Our cells die off at a faster rate than they did before the Flood. With what do we build cells? PROTEIN! We have got to have more protein, to repair and rebuild those cells that are dying off at such high rates! I believe that is why God gave Noah and his decendants a higher protein diet than what he prescribed before the flood.

Since I have gone on the Atkins diet, my mind is much sharper than it was earlier. I have far more stamina. My moods do not swing around. My blood pressure is excellent. I haven't had my cholesterol checked lately, but most people who do atkins have major improvements there, too. Which really stands to reason, since Triglicerides are simply the carbohydrates our our body has turned into fat, and is on its way into storage!
Even my fat intake has dropped significantly since on atkins. Why? Because bread begs for butter. Cakes are made with fat. Icing, Doughnuts, potatoes, pasta, corn chips, ... think about it. They arent very good fat free. So a carbohydrate-based diet begs for added fat. It will be a constant battle.

However, on atkins, I simply eat the same amount of protein I would have anyhow, if I were not on it. At first I ate a little more. But protein and fat have a satiating effect, so that I am satisfied with far less than I used to be. And I aim for wisdom in my choices of foods- Dr Atkins does not truthfully tell his followers just how wise they need to be in this. To lose weight, I do have to ssteer away from the cheese and bacon! However, yesterday, I was full on 1000 calories. It was impossible for me to accomplish that on any other diet- the hunger was overwhelming. Yesterday was a breeze. Breakfast was 1 egg and 2 oz sausage. Lunch was chicken breast and a salad. Dinner was a chicken leg quarter, blueberries and cottage cheese. Very satisfying.

And I feel so good! I can dance again!

[bchandler]

bchandler, I did not intend to be harsh. But I do feel strongly that what the Bible says about God including meats and cooked foods in his commandments to humans, should not be denigrated or overlooked.

I hope you don't feel like i was chastising you... because i wasn't, i was just pointing out how you came across to me... As for meats and cooked food... as you point out later they were given AFTER the flood. And of course they were raising their own meat because they were an agrarian society.

I also agree that we need to take responsibility for what we put into these temples of God, physically. However, the Word says that to be occupied with foods, as if they were somehow going to bless us spiritually, has not benefitted those who have done so.

It also says that physical exercise does not of profit... I think we have to come to terms with the idea that this was in reference to our spiritual growth, not our physical well being, as diet and exercise are very influential and profitable for our physical wellness.

As for me, I will believe the scientists, instead of the emotionally- charged hype put out by people who have barley-green, supplements, or juicers to sell to me.

LOL... that was a bit cynical wasn't it? If I am teaching people how to get well with food, they need the tools to go along with it. So yea.. i'm gonna try to make it easy for people to get the things they need to be successful. Just like the pharmaceutical industry uses doctors to push drugs, and the dairy and cattlemen use the USDA to push their products. Difference is... a juicer is something everyone should have... Barley greens IS one of the most nutritious substances known to man... They aren't lying to anyone... so i don't see the problem... the workman is worthy of his hire... and i don't begrudge them being blessed financially while they are helping people learn how to get and stay well.

And anyone who develops a "ministry" of telling people that God originally told people to eat only uncooked vegetables and fruits, is being Biblically dishonest.

Um.. No! God did ORIGINALLY give man only fruits and greens for food... that is a true statement and is biblically accurate, so no dishonesty there. As you pointed out yourself... it was after the flood God explicitly gave man animals for food.
I don't understand the judgment here... The whole point here is that we CAN return to eating a garden of Eden type of diet because of our modern world... which wasn't possible in the past. The whole point here is that you CAN get adequate protein without animal products. The whole point here is that you can even eat a high protein diet without animal products.

As you pointed out.. .after the flood we die alot faster... our genetic potential is estimated to be about 120 years. Almost no one ever reaches that potential... why? Because what we eat has a lot to do with what kills us... plain and simple.

With what do we build cells? PROTEIN! We have got to have more protein, to repair and rebuild those cells that are dying off at such high rates!

Where does a cow, or an elephant, or a giraffe get it's protein? Plants. Where does a Lion get it's protein? Plants. But second hand... by eating the animal that ate the plants. All base essential proteins are only derived from PLANTS!

As a percentage of calories, greens and vegetables are higher in protein than steak. leafy greens have ~50% of their calories from protein!! Even beans are ~25% of calories from protein.

As you can see... a good mix of leafy greens, cruciferous(sp) vegetables, beans, roots, bulbs and mushrooms provide a tremendous amount of protein, and the volume of food you can eat this way is HUGE... you would never go hungry... you would always be eating...lol

And I aim for wisdom in my choices of foods- Dr Atkins does not truthfully tell his followers just how wise they need to be in this.

You said a mouthful there. Dr. Atkins was far from intellectually honest with his readers when it came to selecting good protein sources, and originally allowed people to eat pretty much anything they wanted from a protein standpoint. No emphasis was put at all on choosing high quality high nutrient density foods for protein sources.

I wish you well Daffodyl... and by no means do i wish you harm... and since you place so much value on science and scientists... I would recommend to you Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live". He backs up everything he says with copious foot notes and cross references, so you can validate his claims.

It would be interesting to see how many of Dr. Atkins' patients died of heart attacks, versus Dr. Fuhrman's.

I honestly think that if you were to take the best information from Zone nutrition, and the information Dr. Fuhrman provides in "eat to Live" you will have a better nutritional education than 99.999% of doctors out there, and probably better than most nutritionists.

[GodsStudent]

I have always heard that God gave us the "Hunters/Gatherers" diet. We hunt the animals and forage the nut and fruit trees and grow the crops for our foods, and if we eat that diet, we will be the most healthy.

[bchandler]

Godstudent,

The hunter/gatherer diet is a myth created by evolutionists to describe what they believed the dietary habits of man were.

Gen 1:29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.
Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.

Originally, everything God created ate plants according to these 2 verses.

Then before the flood we see this:

Gen 6:7 So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them."
Gen 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.
Gen 6:12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Gen 6:13 And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Apparently it wasn't just man that was corrupt... it was everything that lived on the face of the earth... the birds, and the beasts... he says he was sorry he made them all... not just sorry he made man.

After the flood we see:

Gen 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
Gen 9:2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.
Gen 9:4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

While I do not think God's giving man flesh for food was merely temporary due to the devastation of the flood. I do believe it was necessary because of the flood. Later however, as man grew varieties of plant foods, and the earth itself recovered from the flood, I don't believe it was necessary. Permissible, but not necessary, except under certain conditions, such as when living in areas where wide vegetable variety wasn't possible, or when living a nomadic lifestyle where agriculture would be severely limited.

We have these wonderful varieties of fruits, vegetables, roots, legumes, grains, and fungus(mushrooms) available at our markets. Today we can eat an incredible array of nutrition that is literally at our fingertips in the super market, and most of it can be preserved for medium term use via refrigeration and long term storage either by freezing, freeze drying, canning, dehydrating, etc... So even in non-harvest times we can have bountiful supplies... And since our food supply ships from multiple hemispheres it is always harvest time somewhere.

Today it is possible for people to choose a high protein, high density nutrition, low calorie diet that is proven to increase lifespan, and wellness throughout life.

Today commercial food production is destroying the nutritional value and well being of our food supply, and along with it, our own personal health and wellness. Commercial methods have the most devastating impact on animal products, though GMO foods are now well on their way to corrupting the rest of the food chain.

For this reason, those who eat a high calorie, low nutrient density diet like SAD (the Standard American Diet), based on the USDA's recommendations, are ~85% likely to die of heart disease and cancer. With the remaining 15% dying of other various illnesses, the majority of which are caused by this calorie dense, nutrient poor diet.

The China Project study clearly showed that as caloric intake goes up, and nutrient density goes down, disease rates go up. And the inverse... The higher the nutrient density, and lower the caloric intake, the lower the disease rates.

So we need to ask ourselves... What does a high calorie diet look like? What does a high nutrient diet look like?

A high calorie diet is loaded with high fat, high carbohydrate, high protein, fiberless foods, such as:

Meat
Eggs
Milk
Cheese
bleached flour (processed grains that have had the bran and/or germ removed, and are chemically altered to make them white.)
bleached sugar
starchy foods (potatoes, white rice, corn, pasta)
refined fats (high temperature processed vegetable oils)
trans fats (anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated)

While corn and potatoes do have fiber, they are very high calorie foods, and can't go very far toward making up for the lack of nutrition in the above diet.

Along with the foods above, the SAD contains remarkably little fresh fruit and produce. Some Americans go weeks without eating a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable.

In addition to being lacking in nutrients and fiber, most of the above foods are high in saturated fat and a very bad kind of fat called Arachadonic Acid (AA). Those that don't contain AA have such high carbohydrate density that they drive the human body to create AA by keeping insulin levels elevated.

AA is a stress class eicosanoid hormone precursor. AA class eicosanoids cause metabolic syndrome-x. Metabolic syndrome is the cause of the majority of symptoms (modern medicine treats them as separate diseases) that kill people who are eating the SAD.

A high denisty nutrient diet that has ADEQUATE protein contains:

Lots of leafy green vegetables (~50% of calories from protein. loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants)
Lots of cruciferous vegetables (~40% of calories from protein. loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants)
A variety of peppers (~40% of calories from protein. loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants)
A variety of legumes (beans, peas, etc.. ) (~25% of calories from protein. loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants)
A variety of roots (carrots, beets, radishes, etc...) (Loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants and carotenoids)
A variety of mushrooms (thousands of yet to be understood nutrients, fiber, immune system builders, and anti-cancer agents)
A variety of bulbs (Garlic, Onions, Leeks, etc)
A variety of fruits
A variety of melons
A variety of raw nuts and seeds
A variety of whole grains (freshly ground)

The above diet, whether eaten cooked or raw (the more raw the better) is loaded with:

Phytonutrition that we currently understand
Thousands of phytonutrients yet to be understood
More than adequate Calcium, and other major/minor/trace minerals needed by the human body
More than adequate High quality protein
High quality fats at minimum needed levels
High quality fiber
High quality vitamins

In addition to having superior nutrient density, the above diet is rich in phytonutrition that is totally lacking in the SAD, and provides orders of magnitude higher vitamin and mineral intake in forms that are tailor made for assimilation by your body.

The above diet also is rich in omega-3 and mono-unsaturated fats, low in saturated fat, and moderate in medium chain fats.

Because your caloric intake is so low for the volume of food you would eat, your insulin profile is very low, which means the omega-3 fats you consume from nuts and seeds like flax (ALA) get processed into GLA, DGLA, EPA and DHA.

Here is the kicker... the human body can only have one enzyme pathway active at a time for processing these fats... either the stress class AA pathway, or the good class EPA/DHA pathway.

like AA, EPA/DHA are eicosanoid hormone precursor fats. EPA/DHA however are responsible for all the beneficial effects such as:
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-aging
DNA repair
Metabolic syndrome reversal

EPA is used by most of the body, while DHA is used primarily by the nervous system.

The longest lived people on the planet today have an AA:EPA ratio of between 1:1 and 1.5:1 (almost balanced)

People eating the SAD have an AA:EPA ratio of between 11:1 and 14:1 (almost 10 times as much bad AA fat)

People with ADD/ADHD have AA:EPA ratios of 15:1 or higher with most 20:1 or higher (15-20+ times the amount of bad AA fat)

Why raw versus cooked? One word... Enzymes. At temperatures above 100 degrees enzymes start to die. at ~108 degrees almost all enzymatic activity ceases. That is why we get so concerned when people run high temperatures... because if they hit 108, the brain dies, because all the enzymatic activity dies.

Enzymes are the catalysts that drive almost every metabolic process in your body. The more enzymes you keep alive in your food, the better you will process and absorb the nutrients in what you eat.

[bchandler]

Just thought I would update everyone on how things are going on my new diet.

I have decided to make the change to eating a primarily raw vegan diet. I have been doing so for nearly a month now.

I have yet to get past the cravings for all the addictive foods i was eating. And I find myself eating something with animal produce in it about once a week... but every time I do, I pay for it... but more bout that later.

Because my time is so limited on work days (12 hour days) I am primarily juicing alot of vegetables and fruits. But I am also grinding my own flour and making my bread fresh. I didn't know if u had a powerful enough blender you could use it to grind flour... but sure enough it works quite well.

I have both yeast free and yeast based recipies I am using, and bread, rice, and beans are about all i use that is cooked.

I have been making my own nut butters for sandwiches, as well as making a variety of veggie tacos and sandwiches because salad for every meal can get redundant... delicious still... but redundant...lol

I am eating all the food i could possibly want and then some. I am never going hungry.

So here are the results after 4 weeks:

• I have lost 34 pounds!
• A chronic athletes foot fungus infection i have been trying to get rid of for months was gone in 3 days!
• A chronic nail fungus infection that has been eating my toe nails for 3 years, is gone!
• My nail beds are regrowing with my new toe nails!
• The pain I experienced along major arterial pathways is gone! (Brachial, Femoral, Aortal, and Carotid)
• The burning and inflammation I had been experiencing for months in my muscles and bones is gone!
• My Hemorrhoids... gone!
• The chronic bleeding I experienced, every time I brush my teeth, ever since I was a child... gone!
• My chronic halitosis (bad breath)... gone!
• My blood sugars have been normal throughout an entire day for the first time in 3 years, without meds!!!
• My toes, which had begun to turn purple due to diabetes related circulatory problems, have returned to a normal color and perfusion!!!
• For the first time in years I was able to sit with my feet crossed on an ottoman for hours without aching pain, tingling, and numbness!
• The pain in my upper colon and liver area... Gone!
• I am beginning to see improvement in my eye sight!
• I am beginning to see improvement in my sense of smell! (my olfactory nerves were burned out when i was 22 buy someone plaaying a practical joke with ammonia)
• I am beginning to see improvement in my diabetic neuropathy! (unfortunately in the short term that means increased pain in my feet as damaged nerves are healing.)
• I am noticing a reduction in the mental stress I experience, and an increase in mental acuity. Like getting a boost in IQ.
• My pants are falling off me, and I need to go get a new belt, cause this one won't go any smaller.

What I have discovered along the way:

• If I consume any dairy... even if it is hidden in the food... I know it within 30 minutes of eating it. I can feel the change in my body. I can feel the shift from alkaline to acid. From anti-inflammatory to inflammation.
• If I consume any meat except for wild caught salmon, I experience arterial pain, gas, and colon/liver symptoms until it is eliminated from my body.
• I realized that I and many other people are living with symptoms that they think are normal digestion, that are anything but that... but once you start eating raw you realize that many of these sensations and minor discomforts are your bodies negative reaction to cooked, and animal foods.
• As I eat more raw and less cooked food and animal produce, I am finding that my body's reaction to cooked and toxic animal foods is becoming stronger, and as a result those addictive toxic foods are becoming less desirable, and my ability to do without them is increasing.
• I am finding my over-all mental attitude, awareness, acuity, and ability to cope with the stresses of daily life positively improving on a daily basis.

I have to give thanks and praise and glory to God for answering my prayers, and leading me to a diet that has the ability to actually heal and reverse the chronic disease, depression, and fatigue I have lived with for so many years.

The neatest part of this whole thing is... I can grow all of the food I am eating myself, with the exception of certain tropical/warm winter types of crops.

Interestingly I am finding that every time I eat meat... my blood sugars go nuts for 2-3 days...

So far, I am proving in my own body that everything Dr. Fuhrman and the promoters of the Hallelujah diet ministry is teaching is spot on! As far as I know Dr. Fuhrman is not affiliated with the Hallelujah diet organization, but some of his interviews are linked on their web site. Combining this with my knowledge of eicosanoid horomone balance and how to force my balance toward the good EPA/DHA side, and away from the AA side, is all doing me a world of good.

Again, praise God for bringing all of this knowledge together for me so that I don't have to be destroyed for my lack of knowledge.

Now!... If i could only find a way to make a living doing this!!! You hear that Lord? I would really like to find a way to live by healing people! Please?

I am dehydrating fruits and veggies as well... which is really nice.

Mango's are my new favorite fruit... amazing things!

I do wish the stores carried a wider variety of mushrooms though... i like mushrooms with firmer textures, and all my stores carry are really soft stuff... even the portabello (sp?) mushrooms they carry are unusually soft.

Finding a good source for bulk raw nuts would be nice too!

I like nut butters, but I also just like to throw some nuts in my slap chopper and chop them fine for use in sandwiches too.

I picked up a champion juicer for about 2/5 of the new price, and it makes great nut butters and oh man... awesome frozen fruit sorbets.

While I am avoiding all added oil in my diet, I am not eating low fat... I am eating a lot of avocados and olives and the like. (the avocados make a good spread replacement for stuff like mayo, on my vegetarian sandwiches... helps keep the bread from getting soggy.)

I am still trying to find the 10 or so recipes i really want to base my new life around... Isn't that amazing... most of us only really eat about 10 different things that we cook. When you look at it that way... changing your diet doesn't seem so hard... just find 10 things you really like that are as much raw, live, food as possible... and bingo... your good to go.

[GodsStudent]

bchandler: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

We have been out of town this week and I haven't had internet, so I haven't been on FP. I have copied and pasted your last two posts onto Word and printed, because as I read, I realized you spent a lot of time and documented quite a bit that I need to read and reread in order to get it to soak in a little. Your posts have inspired me!

I decided this week to eliminate sweet tea (otherwise known as my main food group). I was deciding towards the end of the week before last to modify my diet to strictly non GMO food, primarily raw, and eliminating all meats that have hormones or antibiotics.....translated, generally eat only what I grow in my yard supplemented by a little meat from local growers who have free range animals that are strictly grain fed. For me, that meant, most of all, eliminating sweet tea as most days I drink what I consume (sweet tea with extra lemon). LOL That is, of course, not completely true, but I think we sometimes think if we eat "pretty good" and don't eat too much that we are doing good....

Had I not gotten so sick with all of this body pain, I doubt I would have changed anything, but it's true what they say, pain IS a great motivator. For me, the primary change I can make at this point is to go totally non GMO and change the meats. I am going to spend some time with your posts and they couldn't have come at a more perfect time, as I am in the process of addressing this situation right now, fresh from vacation, and having given the idea of this substancial change a lot of thought.

May God bless you for taking so much time and care to document your story. I need it!

[bchandler]

I have had several people PM me to ask about this medicinal mushroom I have spoken of. Fomitopsis pinicola MUSHROOM. Also known as Tiaga

This Link Is to a site that explains from a medical standpoint what Tiaga does, its medicinal origins, and how it works.

This Link is to a site near me where I can order this product.

Some interesting quotes from the linked article:

The Tiaga mushroom contains high levels of important, naturally occurring polysaccharide beta-1-3-D glucans. This configuration has been shown to act as a nonspecific immune activator.

In other words... it doesn't activate the immune system to kill anything specific... it just activates it to do its job of hunting and killing anything that might damage your body. Fungal, bacterial, viral, free-radical, cancer, etc...

The white blood cells that inhabit the lining of the digestive tract, from the mouth all the way through, take up the beta-glucan that is absorbed, and transport it to the local lymph nodes (Payers Patches) as a part of their natural antigen-presenting function. That “function” is to release cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, GM-CSF, Interferon’s) and induce systemic immune activation.

These cytokines are naturally occurring anti-viral, anti-tumor agents in the human body. Interferon treatments for cancer can be as much as 20,000 dollars per dose. Yikes!! Why pay it, when you can just take this, and make it in your own body!

From there, all other white blood cells are informed, and a whole-body cascade of immune modulation is initiated. The mechanism described above is called phagocytic transport.

Obviously, it’s preferable to have an abundance of healthy neutraphil cells. Neutraphils also appear to be able to provide undifferentiated stem cells to areas of the body which may be in need of repair. This is how regeneration can occur.

An undifferentiated stem cell is capable of becoming any kind of cell, and therefore can replace/regenerate any damaged tissue in the body. Regeneration is how bones heal, and how salamanders regrow severed limbs...

Utilizing Dark-field Electron Microscopy, Interferon levels have been observed to have risen as much as 2000% of normal within twenty hours after ingesting extracts from this Ganoderma family of fungi, which includes the popular and well-known Reishi variety. It has also been observed that the number and viability of the neutrophil cells can increase by as much as 4000% within the same twenty hour time frame.

Amazing... a 2000% increase in anti cancer agents, and a 4000% increase in the cells capable of creating undifferentiated stem cells, and killing viruses.

[GodsStudent]

I actually am friends with a scientist who is very famous for having discovered the way to make a very pure form of Beta 1 3D Glucan, and he sells his product all over the world. It is my understanding that his clientelle internationally is larger than his American clientelle, because internationally they do more to prevent and cure than to maintain and pacify. Maybe I shouldn't have said that.....but anyway......he does sell this product to places all over America where they treat people for cancer by highly purified foods and with supplements. Their success rates are through thru the roof!

Here is a link to their website for beta glucan 1-3D, for anyone who is interested.

http://www.transferpoint.com/

[bchandler]

Godstudent,

Not to knock your friends work at all, because i know nothing about it... I will say the following:

It is quite common for science to find something, treat it as the holy grail... isolate it, mass produce it, and sell it... only to find it isn't as effective as it was in the source product. One very good example of this is beta carotene, which is harmful when consumed alone in high quantities. But when consumed together with the entire host of the carotenoid family, it is highly beneficial.

Tiaga has at least 6 identified Beta 1-3D Glucanoids, and they are extremely tiny... measured in picograms! The smaller the glucanoid the more likely it is to be absorbed. Larger sizes tend to pass through us unused.

In addition to the Beta 1-3D Glucanoids, Tiaga contains high amounts of Germanium (a cellular oxygenator), and Terpenoids which have other beneficial affects, and natural anti-inflamatory compounds, and two identified blood pressure stabilizers, and various glycans that help regulate glucose metabolism.