Should I Consider Myself Unhealthy If I Do Best Without Grains Or Dairy?

[Sativa]

Ray said once that estrogen and a little cocaine produce similar highs, and cocaine is known for making people lose touch with reality during its effect,

From my research, Estrogen has the following pharmacological profile (both directly and indirectly):

• Promotes Kyanuric acid - a dissasociative hallucinogen!
• MAO-A enzyme inhibitor - Less MAO-A results in elevated serotonin and norepinephrine levels
  
• Increases norepinephrine receptor sensitivity (ennhances norepinephrine activity) - stimulant
  
• Increases serotonin receptor sensitivity (ennhances serotonin activity)
  
• Increases the number of serotonin receptors
• Increases the synthesis of serotonin
• Increases cortisol - adrenaline stimulant effects
  
  [Indirect Actions]
  
• Serotonin stimulates acetylcholine release - associated with psychedelia symptomps, increased imagery etc
  
• Acetylcholine increases NO, growth hormone, cortisol, histamine and prostaglandins
• Prostaglandins can promote histamine, estrogen

Note that Histamine also has psychoactive properties, associated with wakefullness. I have stung myself with Stinging Nettles purposefully for this very effect (I desired an energy boost)

As you can see ... Estrogen looks to have a very messy psychoactive pharmacological profile!
It would be fairly straightforward to formulate a mix that would counteract and dampen estrogens psychoactive profile - Progesterone being the obvious choice, but there are alternative options. Theanine and Magnesium would be useful.

 

[Peatogenic]

This is exactly the diametric opposite of what I feel with gluten and A1 casein.

Wheat is filling and satiating, as is A1 milk. Rice, potatoes, even with meat added, and A2 milk are all less satiating and allow me to eat a lot more. I have never found wheat to be addicting in any manner, it's actually one of the least addictive and most satiating foods on earth IMO, along with cheese. I never crave wheat the way I do potatoes or even rice.


I agree with all of those except the less calories part. When I eat gluten I basically lose my meat cravings and I eat less in general. I agree with the eyes part, and it probably has to do with canthal tilt.

But my mental focus also seems to have more depth while on wheat. It's less acute and energetic, but I understand things at a deeper level and have more patience to go into them further.

I guess I'm assuming that the gluten foods are more calories dense, and thereby eating less calories now. But I don't really know.

And my focus feels more relaxed in some ways on gluten, but not as acute.

 

[Peatogenic]

Seeking ideas/input. Ever since this zero grain/dairy, my sleep has suffered. I will wake up at like 4 every morning. If I eat breakfast, I can fall back asleep. It's frustrating, because I like the improvements elsewhere, but I've never had this issue of waking up during the night/early morning before.

What I eat:. Variety of animal proteins, shellfish, goat milk, OJ, berries, oranges, melons, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets, eggs, coffee, asparagus, and that's about it. My job is physically strenuous.

I guess technically it's maybe 300-500 calories a day less. But I don't often feel hungry after meals, it's more like a cumulative thing...and I don't feel "satiated" unless I've eaten grains...as in a really specific satiated feeling. That feeling can make for some better sleeps.

Any ideas?

 

[sweetpeat]

I guess technically it's maybe 300-500 calories a day less.

That would be enough to disturb my sleep

 

[Peatogenic]

That would be enough to disturb my sleep

I'll try eating more, it's just that I dont feel like I'm eating less, just less calorie density.

 

[Sativa]

Ever since this zero grain/dairy, my sleep has suffered. I will wake up at like 4 every morning.
...
...and I don't feel "satiated" unless I've eaten grains...as in a really specific satiated feeling. That feeling can make for some better sleeps.

Any ideas?

Ok, setting aside the context of food for a moment, consider what might happen if someone who was taking a psychoactive opioid substance for a period, (stimjulating and interacting with their bodies opioid system) and then chose to remove that substance from their habitual daily routine. Considering the highly relevant underlying functions & associations of the opioid system in the body, it is reasonable to think that there might be an aspect of biological withdrawl - ie as the bodies multiple interconnected systems have to readjust themselves to account for the removal of the opioid substances - implying there might be physical manifestations of this.

Just an avenue to consider! (I know opioids can affect many biological systems - not just sleep.)

 

[Peatogenic]

Ok, setting aside the context of food for a moment, consider what might happen if someone who was taking a psychoactive opioid substance for a period, (stimjulating and interacting with their bodies opioid system) and then chose to remove that substance from their habitual daily routine. Considering the highly relevant underlying functions & associations of the opioid system in the body, it is reasonable to think that there might be an aspect of biological withdrawl - ie as the bodies multiple interconnected systems have to readjust themselves to account for the removal of the opioid substances - implying there might be physical manifestations of this.

Just an avenue to consider! (I know opioids can affect many biological systems - not just sleep.)

Yes, it feels exactly like that.

 

[Sativa]

Yes, it feels exactly like that.

Ok, so logically, it seems that strategies to minimise withdrawl symptoms and 'speed up/encourage' optimal functioning of the bodies multiple interconnected systems would be helpful!

From my experience, a sustainable non-harmful opioid modulating approach might be theraputically helpful - things like Black Seed (Nigella Sativa), Milk Thistle and Agmatine come to mind. Its possible that Black Seed or Myrrh can provide the same opioid effect as grains (or cows A1 casomorphin) which might act as a temporary tool as you transition?
Black seed contains thymoquinone - a sort of backdoor opioid modulator.

This article ...higlights the potential use of prophetic medicines, Nigella sativa, as a supplement for opioid dependent receiving methadone. It focuses on the potential role of N. sativa and its major active compound, Thymoquinone (TQ) ... to reduce withdrawal syndrome and opioid dependency.
[source - Opioid dependence and substitution therapy: thymoquinone as potential novel supplement therapy for better outcome for methadone maintenance therapy substitution therapy]

Myrrh was shown to produce analgesic effects on mice which were subjected to pain. Researchers at the University of Florence (Italy) showed that furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and another terpene in the myrrh affect opioid receptors in the mouse's brain which influence pain perception.

To facilitate and speed up the rebalancing process, Magnesium and Theanine might provide theraputically relevant properties.

An equally valid theraputic approach might involve smelling lemon essential oil - it contains a terpene called limonene, which activates the 5-HT1A receptor - 5-HT1A releases oxytocin.

There has been an explosion of research on the potential benefits of the social neuropeptide oxytocin for a number of mental disorders including substance use disorders. Recent evidence suggests that intranasal oxytocin has both direct anti-addiction effects and pro-social effects that may facilitate engagement in psychosocial treatment for substance use disorders.

[souce - The effects of intranasal oxytocin in opioid-dependent individuals and healthy control subjects: a pilot study. - PubMed - NCBI]

"...the oxytocin system can be an important target for developing new medicines for the treatment of opioid addiction and prevention of relapse among addicts."

[source - Could 'love hormone' help drug addicts stay clean?]

 

[opson123]

I definitely was relatively malnourished as a kid, but the wheat wasn't helping. I remember I would take so long to digest, to the point of me being in need of energy, but not being able to eat much food, since the wheat just wouldn't digest fast enough. And even in this situation, I would crave more wheat. But I never said it was like a drug( I haven't tried many drugs to make a good comparison), I just said it was addictive and pleasurable in a way other foods aren't.

This is one of my annoying issues. Except it's with almost every food, starches in particular. I eat chocolate at home, which gives me least issues, so it's not really a major problem unless I ditch the chocolate. Everytime I visit my parents and eat their food I always feel like my stomach should be ten times larger, even though it's physically full, I could just keep on eating. I never feel satisfied and I certainly never feel energized. The food sits in my stomach for hours (6+), while I feel like eating more the whole time. I overeat often there, because it's just impossible to stop.

I've tried the common digestive aids, betaine hcl, acv, enzymes when I'm eating at my parents, but they do absolutely nothing. I once took 20g of betaine hcl before a meal but never even felt the burn.

 

[Sativa]

I thought I was doing well eating bread and dairy occasionally....

Some extra insight from haidut on the opioid effects from the gluten and casein metabolites:

Most people here know Peat's opinion about opioids due to their effects on histamine, estrogen, and promoting tissue growth. A few weeks ago I posted a link in regards to the so-called "endotoxin receptor" known as TLR4, and how opioids are the main class of substances that activate that "receptor".
This study found that chronic consumption of opioids actually increases sensitivity to pain, by promoting inflammation through that same TLR4 "receptor". Quietly, and without much fanfare in the news, the same group of scientists is running a clinical trial with minocycline as it is apparently capable of completely blocking that effects of opioids AND also acting like painkiller itself. This is not surprising as minocycline (and the other tetracyclines, as well as potentially methylene blue, vitamin K, emodin, beta lapachone, etc) is a potent antagonist of TLR4. In addition, minocycline seems to target the CNS more than any other antibiotic, and the CNS is the primary site of opioid effects and inflammatory targets.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

This is one of my annoying issues. Except it's with almost every food, starches in particular. I eat chocolate at home, which gives me least issues, so it's not really a major problem unless I ditch the chocolate. Everytime I visit my parents and eat their food I always feel like my stomach should be ten times larger, even though it's physically full, I could just keep on eating. I never feel satisfied and I certainly never feel energized. The food sits in my stomach for hours (6+), while I feel like eating more the whole time. I overeat often there, because it's just impossible to stop.

I've tried the common digestive aids, betaine hcl, acv, enzymes when I'm eating at my parents, but they do absolutely nothing. I once took 20g of betaine hcl before a meal but never even felt the burn.

Have you ever tracked calories? @tara talks a lot the importance of eating enough calories and also about how people who underate for a long time have to overeat for a while to heal the metabolism. That was my case. I just didn't eat enough for the majority of my life and, now that I hit at least 3000 kcal per day, I feel like if I wait more than usual to eat, it isn't like I'm starving( I still can't skip meals, so I'm still healing). Also, do you know if your parents use monosodium glutamate for cooking? When I used to eat food made with this ingredient, it made me feel similar things to when I ate gluten or cheese. Also, the food may be undercooked, making it harder for your digestive system to extract nutrition from the food. This is especially important when it comes to starches and greens. Also, PUFAs inhibit protein digestion. Peat said in na article that you can be undernourished even when "eating well", since digesting the food is as important as ingesting it.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

Some extra insight from haidut on the opioid effects from the gluten and casein metabolites:

It's interesting the increased sensitivity to pain caused by opioids. In the past, if I accidentaly hit my foot somewhere, I would feel imense pain and it would hurt a lot for quite a few seconds. Nowadays, if the same thing happens, the pain is much less intense and the peak of it is much shorter.

 

[Sativa]

do you know if your parents use monosodium glutamate for cooking?

MSG seems to be a 'Glutamate/NMDA receptor agonist' or have a similar underlying effect.

...glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter...

NMDA agonists can have a stimulating psychoactive effect, but are also interconnected with the endocannbinoid system, implying cannabinoid influence on metabolism, insulin & appetite (re satiety hormones - Ghrelin, Leptin)

Calcium also has NMDA agonism properties, and has a noticable influence/interaction with the endo-cannabinoid system. I always used Calcium in my cannabinoid mimicking combinations.

relevant additional insight:

We investigated whether the chronic intake of monosodium glutamate (MSG) with food affects kidney function, and renal response to glycine. We also established if the NMDA receptors are involved in the changes observed.
...
Immunostain of kidney demonstrate that the NMDA receptor is upregulated in rats fed with MSG diet.
...
Significance: Renal NMDAR may be conditioned by the addition of MSG in the diet, favoring the hyperfiltration and simultaneously Na retention in the body.

[Source: https://www.researchgate.net/public..._function_of_the_kidney_through_NMDA_receptor]

MSG seems to increase hyperfiltration and Sodium retention.

What is hyperfiltration? -

Hyperfiltering kidney is a typical feature of diabetes. Improvement observed with regard to glucose control and blood pressure control reduces the high glomerular filtration rate and may contribute to retard the appearance and the progression of diabetic renal disease.

Glomerular hyperfiltration is a characteristic functional abnormality in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), also called hyperfiltration, is a proposed mechanism for renal injury in diabetes.

Glomerular hyperfiltration is a situation where the filtration elements in the kidneys called glomeruli produce excessive amounts of pro-urine.

 

[opson123]

Have you ever tracked calories? @tara talks a lot the importance of eating enough calories and also about how people who underate for a long time have to overeat for a while to heal the metabolism. That was my case. I just didn't eat enough for the majority of my life and, now that I hit at least 3000 kcal per day, I feel like if I wait more than usual to eat, it isn't like I'm starving( I still can't skip meals, so I'm still healing). Also, do you know if your parents use monosodium glutamate for cooking? When I used to eat food made with this ingredient, it made me feel similar things to when I ate gluten or cheese. Also, the food may be undercooked, making it harder for your digestive system to extract nutrition from the food. This is especially important when it comes to starches and greens. Also, PUFAs inhibit protein digestion. Peat said in na article that you can be undernourished even when "eating well", since digesting the food is as important as ingesting it.

My digestion is really bad, I normally eat once a day in the morning, 200-300g of milk chocolate, that's 1100-1650kcal. It's the only way my gut pain is tolerable and I can sleep. I tried eating 4400kcal worth of chocolate for a month or so in order to restart my metabolism, but it just made me feel horrible. My digestion is just too bad to handle any reasonable amount of calories. I tolerate the small amount of chocolate I eat just barely, more than that and I start feeling bad. I don't think my parents use sodium glutamate, when I'm there I always ask what's in the food and it's always basic spices, salt etc.

For about two weeks I tried eating a small amount of berries before I ate my chocolate as @Richiebogie suggested, but it just didn't work. The small amount adds just too much gas and discomfort. I just couldn't do it anymore. I get a bit of gas from chocolate, but I don't feel uncomfortable.

 

[Sativa]

My digestion is really bad, I normally eat once a day in the morning, 200-300g of milk chocolate,

Does that mean you are eating once a day, milk chocolate in the morning?
How long have you been doing this for?

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

My digestion is really bad, I normally eat once a day in the morning, 200-300g of milk chocolate, that's 1100-1650kcal. It's the only way my gut pain is tolerable and I can sleep. I tried eating 4400kcal worth of chocolate for a month or so in order to restart my metabolism, but it just made me feel horrible. My digestion is just too bad to handle any reasonable amount of calories. I tolerate the small amount of chocolate I eat just barely, more than that and I start feeling bad. I don't think my parents use sodium glutamate, when I'm there I always ask what's in the food and it's always basic spices, salt etc.

For about two weeks I tried eating a small amount of berries before I ate my chocolate as @Richiebogie suggested, but it just didn't work. The small amount adds just too much gas and discomfort. I just couldn't do it anymore. I get a bit of gas from chocolate, but I don't feel uncomfortable.

Maybe it's the milk and the chocolate that are being detrimental to your digestion? Someone in the forum recently asked why cocoa powder worsened their digestion and a very possible cause for that is the anti-nutrients in it. Have you ever tried goat milk?It has less opioid activity than cow's milk. Or maybe eating chocolate free and milk free for a while to see if things improve. Eating just that amount of calories won't be good in the long run. People report sucess with famotidine and cyproheptadine if you are okay with using these drugs for a while. Gut problems are related to excess serotonin. Lysine and thiamin helped my gut a lot. Maybe your prolactin is high? I notice that doing No Fap for a few days improves my digestion.

MSG seems to increase hyperfiltration and Sodium retention.
-

Do you think MSG promotes aldosterone in addition to activating NMDA receptors? People often have good results with salt regarding frequente urination, especially at night, and salt increases sodium excretion while lowering potassium excretion.

 

[opson123]

Does that mean you are eating once a day, milk chocolate in the morning?
How long have you been doing this for?

Yes, once in the morning. I've eaten this way a bit over 2 years. I visit my parents here and there and eat their food, but most of my diet is chocolate. Of course I feel like ***t, but it's better than gut pain and insomnia. :/

 

[opson123]

Maybe it's the milk and the chocolate that are being detrimental to your digestion? Someone in the forum recently asked why cocoa powder worsened their digestion and a very possible cause for that is the anti-nutrients in it. Have you ever tried goat milk?It has less opioid activity than cow's milk. Or maybe eating chocolate free and milk free for a while to see if things improve. Eating just that amount of calories won't be good in the long run. People report sucess with famotidine and cyproheptadine if you are okay with using these drugs for a while. Gut problems are related to excess serotonin. Lysine and thiamin helped my gut a lot. Maybe your prolactin is high? I notice that doing No Fap for a few days improves my digestion.

Do you think MSG promotes aldosterone in addition to activating NMDA receptors? People often have good results with salt regarding frequente urination, especially at night, and salt increases sodium excretion while lowering potassium excretion.

I didn't eat milk chocolate at all, when my gut issues started. I tried all kinds of voodoo to get my gut working, but sadly I just couldn't work it out. I can't remember how, but I figured out that I could actually sleep through the night after eating milk chocolate once in the morning, a major reason being that my gut wasn't in that much pain and I wasn't bloated. I was really exhausted trying to fix things so I was just happy to find a bandaid. Of course I'm not thriving, just surviving.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

I didn't eat milk chocolate at all, when my gut issues started. I tried all kinds of voodoo to get my gut working, but sadly I just couldn't work it out. I can't remember how, but I figured out that I could actually sleep through the night after eating milk chocolate once in the morning, a major reason being that my gut wasn't in that much pain and I wasn't bloated. I was really exhausted trying to fix things so I was just happy to find a bandaid. Of course I'm not thriving, just surviving.

How is your environment? Are you happy where you live? Ray has also mentioned how a tough financial situation can be very bad for health.

 

[opson123]

I have no financial issues at the moment and I like my current apartment and neighborhood. However, I'm pretty depressed or apathetic and I have a pretty severe ocd, which is probably my number one stress and anxiety source.