Coming from low-carb, with a whole host of issues!

Emstar1892

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
346
Hey everyone, my name is Emma and I'm from London, England. I'm 23.

My history goes like this:

1. Ages 1-12, never slept as a child. Ever. Like, we're talking 3-4 hours a night all those years. Never worked out why.
2. Age 14+ developed acne. Given Dianette birth control and tetracycline antibiotics. Taken EVERY DAY for 4 YEARS!!!!!!
3. Age 15+ smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. Diet was mainly junk, crisps/doritos/sandwiches from my local shop, pasta pesto, super noodles, cakes, biscuits, etc.
4. Age 18 stopped smoking, came off birth control pill and antibiotics. Year of brain fog, cystic acne, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, weight gain, hair loss, insomnia, racing thoughts, waaaaa.
5. Age 19 embarked on a diet-fulled acne mission. Cut out dairy, skin stopped being oily. Cut out gluten, stopped getting cysts. Cut out sugar, almost clear.
6. Age 19-22 Ended up on a low carb "whole food, mainly raw vegan" diet. Managed to sleep again, exercise again, eliminate anxiety, perfect skin, clockwork periods, etc. Diet consisted of nuts, seeds, seeds, nuts, some seeds and a few nuts. Sometimes with oil, if I was feeling spontaneous. If I wasn't feeling spontaneous, I'd add more nuts and seeds.
7. Age 22-23 Realized I hated life and felt like turd. Went to restaurants with the family and cried into their rice while I ordered undressed salad and raw cutlery. Went to the gym and passed out before paying to go in. Wore tampons with my fingers crossed but my menstrual cycle had truly left me. Face like a pale cushion.
8. 23 - Decide to embark on a high-carb vegan diet a la "Freelee the banana girl." Feel amazing. Skin perfect. Wonderful month. Continue eating bananas and dates for 3 more months...Feel like I'm dying. No blood tests but reckon my blood sugars were all over the place, probably diabetic in the mornings. Sweating/palpitations/blurred vision, you name it.
9. 23 - Go straight back to low carb, low-protein. (thought this would minimize insulin in my blood). Eating mushrooms and pesto. Literally. Didn't sleep at all for about 5 months. Sometimes eating sardines and beef. Sometimes avocado. Just all over the place...


Realise that I'm completely insulin resistant. Realise I may always have been. Realise this may have caused my acne in the first place. Bought a glucose meter and found that after 20g of sweet potato I'm at 8.2. WTF!!!!!

10. Present day - trying to recover. At the moment I'm on something like John McDougall's starch solution. Oatmeal at breakfast, brown rice and sweet potatoes at lunch, buckwheat and beans/corn for dinner. No fat (unless it absolutely necessary in which case it's like 2g coconut oil). If I'm starving I have crackers/a bowl of cornflakes. It worked great for a while. Now I can eat 100g carbs in a sitting and get 6.2 after a couple of hours, max. But over the last 2 weeks I've become completely exhausted. I can't exercise, my brain is in a fog, I'm forgetting things, I'm very pale, my skin is dry and I'm hypoglycemic between meals. For instance, after 110g carbs from my morning oatmeal I was at 3.5 after 3 hours. I couldn't even drive to work. Sadly, although i'd like to think the blood sugar is just clearing faster than ever, I think my body is over-producing insulin and that eventually my blood sugars will creep up. In other words, I think that I'm still insulin resistant, but at the stage where my pancreas can overcompensate with an extortionate amount of insulin. Also have very fine hairs on my face indicative of PCOS. Brain fog after meals another sign of insulin resistance. When I wake up I literally look like a ghost. White face and navy blue undereye circles. I'm almost embarassed to go out I look so ill.

It's a tall order and I apologize for it, but does anyone think there's any way I could one day live a normal life and enjoy food without dying? Have any of you ever overcome insulin resistance? I like Peat's ideas, but dairy is a HUGE problem. It just doesn't get along with any of my bodily processes, dammit!
 
OP
E

Emstar1892

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
346
Oh, I should add that recently I had a blood count done and my white blood cells were off as were a few other immune system markers
 

Makrosky

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
3,982
Emstar1892 said:
10. Present day - trying to recover. At the moment I'm on something like John McDougall's starch solution. Oatmeal at breakfast, brown rice and sweet potatoes at lunch, buckwheat and beans/corn for dinner. No fat (unless it absolutely necessary in which case it's like 2g coconut oil). If I'm starving I have crackers/a bowl of cornflakes. It worked great for a while. Now I can eat 100g carbs in a sitting and get 6.2 after a couple of hours, max. But over the last 2 weeks I've become completely exhausted. I can't exercise, my brain is in a fog, I'm forgetting things, I'm very pale, my skin is dry and I'm hypoglycemic between meals. For instance, after 110g carbs from my morning oatmeal I was at 3.5 after 3 hours. I couldn't even drive to work. Sadly, although i'd like to think the blood sugar is just clearing faster than ever, I think my body is over-producing insulin and that eventually my blood sugars will creep up. In other words, I think that I'm still insulin resistant, but at the stage where my pancreas can overcompensate with an extortionate amount of insulin. Also have very fine hairs on my face indicative of PCOS. Brain fog after meals another sign of insulin resistance. When I wake up I literally look like a ghost. White face and navy blue undereye circles. I'm almost embarassed to go out I look so ill.


Hi Emma, welcome. I can't help you much because I'm not an expert and your case seems to deserve an experienced look at it. I'm sure some other more experienced users from the forum will give you more in depth help. In the meanwhile... there are some posts on this forum about insulin resistance. Please take a look at them. For instance, this one that uses biotin to restore glucose metabolism:
viewtopic.php?f=75&t=8043

I would start trying the simple things: biotin, magnesium and chromium piccolinate. They all synergystically help the sugar/insulin issues.

Other b-vitamins, specially niacinamide help too.

Take some time to look for posts in the forum while you wait for others to chime in.
 

Matt1951

Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Messages
144
Oh my, what an awful diet you have! Consider gradually changing it.

Breakfast - start by adding one egg, one small glass of orange juice.

Lunch - pick any one dairy source - milk, lactose free milk, ice cream, yogurt, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whatever you can tolerate. Have one serving every day. Consider replacing the brown rice with white rice or potato.

Dinner - drop the buckwheat, beans and corn. Have one serving meat, fish or poultry - and a glass of fruit juice.

If that helps, then keep moving your diet in the Peat direction.

Being a vegan will kill you if you don't supplement vitamin B12. Saturated fat is your friend, as is protein and sugar. Make sure you get enough calories too.
 

johnwester130

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Messages
3,563
pro metabolic fat soluble vitamins : k2
pro metabolic b vitamins : b1 thiamin, niacinamide, and b7 biotin
pro metabolic amino acids : glycine, taurine, lysine, proline (glycine/proline can be added to drinks)
pro metabolic minerals : zinc/copper/ selenium , magnesium
optional extras : caffeine, methylene blue, aspirin, coconut oil , pregnenelone, fructose,

haidut topicals basically

refined corn flour or masa harina, white potatoes, white rice
coffee, chocolate,
non starchy fruits
flesh and organ meat
fried potatoe chips
coconut oil
milk and fruit juice
cheese
 

CoolTweetPete

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2015
Messages
730
Age
38
Location
San Francisco
Welcome, Emma!

I agree with Matt about ditching many if not all the starches you listed, and focusing on getting enough easily digested carbohydrate (high fructose fruit) and sufficient protein (meat, dairy, liver, shellfish, eggs). This was easy for me to understand & get started with, and I felt the positive effects on my energy levels and mood within weeks.

After years of low carb & eating metabolically damaging foods, I think you will notice profound changes in your mood. I have seen this reported on this forum a number of times.

Supplementing thyroid might be helpful to you after all your dietary exploration.

Good luck!
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
:welcome Emstar

Have you see Peat's articles on sugar?
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gl ... etes.shtml
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/sugar-issues.shtml
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/glycemia.shtml

The suggestions above about B-vits, trying some graduall changes ad seeing how they affect you, make sense to me.

I recognise the bit about big starch meals not sustaining for many hours. But maybe it indicates you are getting a handle on using carbs again after your low carb/calorie impairment. I would not expect to be in any shape 3 hours after a big starchy meal either. I used to eat smaller amounts more often (and still do). Seems to be a bit better now with more sugar from fruit etc (I still eat some starch too).

As well as reading Peats articles/interviews, you could take a look at cronometer to see how you are going with basic nutrients (but don't believe it on calories).

Not from Peat, but Gwyneth Olwyn (youreatopia) says young women up to 25 generally need around 3000 calories to support a healthy metabolism and growing to maturity. Lots of public calorie advice, based on studies of what people say they eat rather than on what they actually eat, suggests much lower. Looks as though you've had some extreme low-calorie patches - there's a thread here with (non-Peat) ideas about recovery from undereating inspired by youreatopia viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4028. She talks about energy metabolism, calorie needs, expected phases of recovery, psychological aspects, science, etc.
 

What-a-Riot

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
154
I'd recommend reading ray peats dedicated articles on aspirin, vitamin e, coconut oil, and this page of statements related to niacinamide to learn the basics of recovering from what one might consider macronutrient malnutrition. Google "site:raypeatforum.com topicofinterest" it really is a fine place to start
 

Sea

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
164
I would avoid most of the starches that you are eating, especially beans, brown rice, and sweet potato. You can get a lot of your carbohydrates from honey. I recommend getting a liquid honey in one of the squeezable bear containers and just snacking on it throughout the day. The more honey you can fit in, the faster you will recover. Other things to consider are oranges, grapes or any other fruit that you can tolerate. Coming from low carb oranges and grapes were the only fruits I did well on. You might handle white potatoes better than other starches due to the potassium content. Other than white potatoes, white rice mixed with sugar or honey is another option that is easier to digest than most starches.

You also need protien. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese might be tolerable for you, along with leaner meats as these tend to be the easiest to digest.

As you can tolerate it, try to increase your intake of caffeine, aspirin and other b vitamins which should help to reverse the insulin resistance. And, eat as frequently as you can throughout the day up until you fall asleep.
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Unlike others above, I don't recommend suddenly ditching all your starch for high fructose sugar. I think you've got a better chance of allowing your body to adapt to change, and seeing what is working for you and what isn't, if you allow your changes to be more gradual.
Peat does not generally favour eating lots of grain, but some people do fine with a bowl of well cooked oatmeal for breakfast, or some white rice or potatoes at one of their meals. Some people seem to do best avoiding starches altogether, and others do better with a mix of starchy and sweet foods. As Sea says, potatoes have more useful minerals for using the carbs than grains or legumes do. Carbs that are half fructose don't require so much insulin to use, so that's part of the reason for moving to more sweet fruit and less starchy foods. Legumes and whole grains can sometimes be hard on a damaged or sensitive gut.
Some sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, and it is possible to get too much of that, esp. if hypothyroid and low in B12. I eat some, but can't handle too much.

Emstar1892 said:
post 105066 Sadly, although i'd like to think the blood sugar is just clearing faster than ever, I think my body is over-producing insulin and that eventually my blood sugars will creep up. In other words, I think that I'm still insulin resistant, but at the stage where my pancreas can overcompensate with an extortionate amount of insulin. Now I can eat 100g carbs in a sitting and get 6.2 after a couple of hours, max. But over the last 2 weeks I've become completely exhausted. I can't exercise, my brain is in a fog, I'm forgetting things, I'm very pale, my skin is dry and I'm hypoglycemic between meals. For instance, after 110g carbs from my morning oatmeal I was at 3.5 after 3 hours. I couldn't even drive to work.
It wouldn't surprise me if this is true - both that you are doing better with processing sugar than when you were getting highter BG readings, and that there is still some difficulty and it isn't where you want it yet. There does seem to be some evidence that low fat diets can help improve sugar metabolism. What happens if you eat smaller meals more often - eg 50g carbs at a sitting, some of it from sugars? You do need to get your fat-soluble vitamins from somewhere. Liver and eggs get you some.
I would not count on myself being able to drive safely 3 hours after a meal either. I always carry emergency rations - eg dates in the glove box, cause they keep well even if it gets hot. I've been known to be a quivering wreck after a 3 hour glucose challenge test (even though BG was in the "normal" range).

Have you checked you resting body temps and pulse a few times? Can be a simple way to get an indicator of overall metabolism/thyroid function, in addition to the symptoms you notice.

You could look up thebigpeatowski's log about overcoming insulin resistance.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
E

Emstar1892

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
346
Wow thank you everybody for being so welcoming and helpful! I understand why peat would disagree with my diet, but sweet potatoes? Wah! :( I will try and implement your ideas and update on my progress.

Yes I am aware of pulse and temps...are you all ready? Okay here goes: Pulse 38, temp 35.
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Emstar1892 said:
post 105210 I understand why peat would disagree with my diet, but sweet potatoes?
I go easy on them because I got strongly averse to them a couple of times, and do again if I overdo it. The clearest symptom of excess beta carotene is yellow/orange skin or callouses. I've had the orange callouses. If you don't have this symptom, you are getting some B12, and they keep tasting good, you may be fine with more. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I wouldn't cut back radically on anything (except high PUFA foods) out of your diet until you've got something good to replace them with. And that includes taste/enjoyment. How do you do with potatoes? I think sweet potatoes may have a lower glycemic index than potatoes, to the extend that one takes GI seriously wrt managing blood glucose.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Emstar1892 said:
post 105210 Yes I am aware of pulse and temps...are you all ready? Okay here goes: Pulse 38, temp 35.
Are you sure you are measuring your pulse accurately? Getting a clear signal? I usually have to take my pulse at the neck because my wrist pulse is a bit weak to rely on.
How does it vary by time of day - eg at waking, half hour after breakfast, some time in the afternoon? If it really is that low, what does your dr say about it? Do you know if it's been that low for a long time?
Have you had thyroid hormones tested in the last while? If so, looking at actual numbers tells a lot more than just a dr's 'in the normal range, so OK'.
Euthyroid is typically closer to 37 deg, 80-90 bpm.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Vita3

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
50
Hi Emma,

I do not think your diet is awful.

If you do not do well with dairy, do not eat it, you can get calcium from greens.

I would just add more protein to your diet.
 
OP
E

Emstar1892

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
346
Thanks again for the feedback you guys it really is amazing :) yes, my pulse has been that way going on four years. No one has ever cared, my doctor said it's probably a good sign of "young, athletic genes". I'm not kidding. At the clinic i go to in London they only test TSH which is 2.43. Any other test is £120 upwards
 

Milkmeateggs

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2015
Messages
21
Hey Emma I have been threw this raw food vegan hell same as yourself, I have to say there is light in the end of the tunnel.

When I was eating a high nut/seed diet like yourself I was incredibly insulin resistance/pre diabetic also, I literally ate a few tablespoons of honey and I felt utter crap.
I was also pretty much feeling garbage all the time, and didn't have the enegy to even walk some times. Even though I am not fully recovered yet what helped me get a lot better in
in every possible way, meaning digestion, blood sugar controll, mood, sleep, gaining lean body mass was this: Ditch all nuts/seeds/grains/legumes/vegetables, started lots of raw milk
mashed potatoes, bone broth, meat, fruit, added honey, butter, coconut oil to everything. Of course everyone is different, but I think foods that are easy to digest, nutrient dense, low in fiber
are your friends. This Mcdougall diet you have would be improved vastly in my humble opinion if you ditch the oats and brown rice, instead eat either fruit or well cooked potatoes for the carbs add in some butter/coconut oil
between meals some snacks of milk with honey possibly or fruit with cottage cheese.

Good luck on your journey, and wish you the best :)
 
OP
E

Emstar1892

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2015
Messages
346
Thanks again :) I am learning so much! One more question, did any of you have acne? Or have it now? I know its bad but the reason why I went low carb was because without sugar and dairy my skin was clear. Ray peat seems like the ultimate acne inducer for me!

I am 5ft 6 and 8 stone x
 

tara

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Messages
10,368
Emstar1892 said:
post 105239 Thanks again for the feedback you guys it really is amazing :) yes, my pulse has been that way going on four years. No one has ever cared, my doctor said it's probably a good sign of "young, athletic genes". I'm not kidding. At the clinic i go to in London they only test TSH which is 2.43.

How come I can read this in Wikipedia, and drs don't take it seriously?:
"Bradycardia, also known as bradyarrhythmia, is a slow heart rate, namely, a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute (BPM) in adults.[1] It is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. It seldom results in symptoms until the rate drops below 50 BPM. It sometimes results in fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and at very low rates fainting.[2]"

Children generally have faster heart rates than adults. You are probably not yet fully grown - I think that means it should ideally be faster than adult, not slower.

Peat has said few people with TSH over 2.0 are really healthy, and under 1 is probably better for most people.

Emstar1892 said:
post 105240 And I get around 1800-2000 calories
This may match (unscientificallly-based) common public calorie recommendations, but I think Gwyneth has done here homework here on real calorie needs for a healthy metabolism:

http://www.youreatopia.com/blog/2012/11 ... order.html
Skip to section 2. if you want to read her minimum calorie guidelines for recovery - 3000 for a woman under twenty five and up to 5'8"
Section 3. describes what usually happens when people consistently eat enough after starving.

This one describes evidence for her calorie guidelines:
http://www.youreatopia.com/blog/2015/1/ ... tment.html

I don't necessarily think everyone who has suffered the effects of undereating have an actual restrictive eating disorder. I do think that the physical if not all the psychological implications of energy deficiency and energy restoration are likely to be largely similar.

I have not read or heard Peat on this subject yet, so I don't know how much of it he would agree with. I'm sure he would disagree with her take on PUFA oils, and I expect Peat is a better guide on this - I wouldn't follow her path with lots of nut butters and added oils.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom