Low Toxin Logs Everything that has helped my health in the last 6 months - diet, exercise, hygiene, remedies - pics, many links

[shanny]

-If lower back pain is being caused by strength training, a) unilateral exercises and b) psoas strengthening and/or stretching exercises will help overcome this dilemma.

-Tensing the entire body during any exercise will always improve overall stature.

This whole update is fantastic! These two lines in particular are near and dear to my heart. Not only is overall posture aesthetically pleasing, it's paramount to proper digestion, nerve conduction and lymphatic flow. The psoas work has also taken some of my patients from complete constipation issues to having regular bowel movements. People underestimate the importance of proper movement and strength work. I love that you have discovered this on your own and highlighted it!

Keep up the great work, your journey is very helpful to others.

 

[Osukhan]

awesome update, will re read a few times and try to incorporate some things thanks!

 

[Twohandsondeck]

@youngsinatra
@Osukhan
@shanny
Thanks for reading ^^

Not only is overall posture aesthetically pleasing, it's paramount to proper digestion, nerve conduction and lymphatic flow. The psoas work has also taken some of my patients from complete constipation issues to having regular bowel movements.

Sitting is the new smoking rahrahrah

Make pelvic floors great again!

 

[Ainaga]

Hello forum. Stoked about the "low-toxin" movement. Special thanks to @charlie_ and @Blossom for preserving the spirit of the forum beyond Ray Peat.

Index -

INTRO / BRIEF HISTORY / "BIG 5" MINERALS
DIET + SUPPLEMENTS
EXERCISE
DENTAL HYGIENE
SKIN HYGIENE
LESSONS LEARNED
OBSERVATIONS
_______________
INTRO / BRIEF HISTORY / "BIG 5" MINERALS
By my own perception, I feel as though my current state of health is the best that it's ever been and continues to progress. This is largely thanks to Garrett Smith's suggestions in his "love your liver" program which has turned into more than just a breath of fresh air amidst the chaotic realm of holistic health. I have been following his dietary & supplemental guidelines for the last 6-8 weeks, of which I now consider to be more precious than diamonds.

Health "progress" includes a common list: decreased food sensitivities, improved skin complexion, ability to digest bigger meals with less of an energetic dip, more stable body temperature regulation in all climates, better sleep quality, easier strength progression, fewer tongue abnormalities (coating, cracks, scallops, etc), well-formed and more frequent bowel movements, less joint pain (including knee and sacroiliac), less tooth and gum pain, fewer blood vessels in the sclera of the eye, less light sensitivity, fewer mood swings, fewer 'stress'/adrenaline responses, more gratitude for all things... so on and so forth.

Like many other health seekers, I burned myself on low-carb dieting (for about 1.5 years), foolish enema concoctions, supplement stacks, fasting variations, excessive sauna use, excessive exercise, and several other nuanced protocols that aren't worth recollecting here.

To assert one of Garret Smith's ideas, just about every dietary or lifestyle amendment I made for myself would either immediately hurt me further or provide some relief as it temporarily stopped bile production while incoming toxicity was being stored instead of excreted. Unless a recent change resulted in substantial bowel purging (indicating a removal of 'toxic' bile), my health would invariably degrade further.

Before jumping on board with Smith's guidelines, grape fasting and milk fasting were the only two strict dietary measures which offered me miraculous (and perhaps essential) intestinal improvement.

Though these events took place a few years ago now, I hold a belief that the fruit fasting - combined with various herbs - was how I initially expelled some bigger parasites and then the milk fasting which I did several months later was what regulated a SIBO infection such that some obstructive candida living in the upper intestine were removed and the flora of the lower intestine was simultaneously restored to some semblance of normalcy. I never did any testing or took any pictures regarding this... I can just say that I had a few unique bowel movements that gave immediate and indescribable relief which occurred in short order after each of these dietary restrictions.

Of note, I self-diagnosed myself with zinc deficiency after about 3 weeks of each fruit and milk fasting at their respective times. A bit of supplemental zinc course-corrected some extreme lethargy that I was facing when consuming either milk or fruit.

In present day - based on my experience with Smith's guidelines - I am inclined to believe that I not only made myself zinc deficient, but additionally potassium, magnesium, selenium, and molybdenum deficient as he regularly cites research for. I'm under the impression that each of those 4 nutrients have been the largest missing puzzle pieces in the order that I listed them.

Smith's assertion that topical magnesium is better utilized by "95% of people" also seems to be true for myself and indeed has a direct impact on potassium supplementation. According to Smith, if topical magnesium gives a sensation of anxiety, this indicates a lack of potassium. Trying to perceive this simple reaction to topical magnesium application has guided my potassium supplementation. Within the first week I supplemented the "big 5" minerals with increasing generosity only to feel better and better each day.

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DIET + SUPPLEMENTS
View attachment 62219
The food list I've stuck with recently has been:

Oats
Beans
Bread

Apple (1-2/day most days)
Banana (1-2/day most days)
Cucumber (1/day most days)
Strawberry (average of 1 pound/day for 3 days/week)

Lean ground beef
Bison
Chicken breast (about once every 4 days)
*Meats are usually 1 pound/day for 5-6 days/week

Maple syrup [call the manganese police] (usually 1-3 teaspoons with coffee and sometimes an extra 3 tablespoons added to oats or bread)
Olive oil (usually about 1 tbsp with red meat to bring up the MUFA:saturated fat ratio) *seems to offer a better health benefit when added -after- cooking food

Coffee (3-4 cups in the morning put through a paper filter from 2-3 tablespoons of grounds)

Heavy whipping cream (1-2 tablespoons added to coffee)

>>> I'm really only using 3 RECIPES:

[Breakfast] 1) a) make coffee with traditional paper filter coffee-maker... b) add heavy whipping cream and maple syrup to coffee as desired... c) dip bread in coffee

[Lunch or Dinner] 2) a) cook meat to about 80% done in a pan with some water added... b) strain fat from pan... c) add beans, desired fruits, and/or bread... d) cook on 'low' for another 10 minutes... e) pull off heat and add potassium chloride, sodium chloride, olive oil, and/or hydrolyzed collagen as desired.

[Lunch or Dinner] 3) a) bring 4 cups of water to a boil... b) add 2 cups of oats... c) reduce to simmer, wait 5 minutes... d) pull off heat, add desired fruit, beans, and/or bread... e) let sit for several minutes to cool... f) add potassium chloride, sodium chloride, hydrolyzed collagen, olive oil, and/or maple syrup as desired.


SUPPLEMENTS:
Activated charcoal (1/4-1/2 teaspoon taken 2-3x daily - 10 mins before coffee in the morning, before bed in the evening, and occasionally in the middle of the day, especially to combat odd symptoms such as body odor or nausea)
Sunfiber [partially hydrolyzed guar gum; PHGG] (3-14 grams/day)
Potassium chloride (1-1.5 teaspoons/day)
Magnesium chloride [topical] (15-30 'pumps'/day)
Salt (varies, usually just sprinkles and pinches)
Selenium [from yeast or as l-selenomethionine] (100-300mcg/day)
Molybdenum [as glycinate] (150-500mcg/day)
Zinc [as picolinate] (30mg/every 2-3 days)
Collagen peptides (2-4 tablespoons added to cooked meat or oats on most days)
_______________
EXERCISE

Not myself nor anyone in my lineage (whom I'm aware of) has been blessed with 'God-given' strength. A bunch of toothpicks, the lot of us. Hardgainers, pittas, bird-chests, and the like.

I have great admiration and interest for athletes of all types. I have given a sizeable effort towards the realm of physical development, but due to no shortage of fasting, caffeine, and liver-damaging behavior, I have stayed underweight just about every day of my life. Even today I'm still about 140 lbs, standing at 5'7.
View attachment 62220

However, perhaps my favorite revelation about applying the "love your liver" guidelines is that it feels as though my potential for physical improvement directly correlates with the amount of fiber I take in on a daily basis. I can't say I've really "kicked my own ****" (as Garrett likes to say) yet with excessive fiber. I've gone as high as 80 grams/day with the only real problem being the feeling of satiety that comes from eating so much of it. Minor kickbacks are easily dealt with by taking 1/4 teaspoon of activated charcoal, drinking water, and going for a walk.

Beyond my capacity for progressive overload from one workout to the next, the fiber consumption seems to be the most critical part of assisting the diet to work. I'm sure someone could get a lot of benefit out of repleting their magnesium and potassium stores... and even more yet by repleting their zinc, selenium, and molybdenum stores... but the benefit of all of those things is either compounded or hamstrung by the rate limiting factor which is the amount of fiber being consumed from one day to the next. Fiber is like the glue that moderates the progress of the LYL program. To use another analogy, it's like the oil of the vehicle. Appropriately enough, it's the fiber which is used to escort the impure oil (bile) out of the body.

***Here are some fitness techniques that have helped me in a 'functional' way - to put back pain away in a more permanent manner, 'loosen up,' in general, and get more blood in my head.

The 4 exercise practices I'd like to share are:

1) Unilateral (focusing on 1 limb at a time) exercises
> Taken as a suggestion from Neal Hallinan, doing a single-limb version of any exercise will allow for 2 things:
a) more freedom to train the spine in a state of flexion (think about crunching your abs together) with less chance of injury and
b) more emphasis on strengthening the core which will ultimately go a long way towards alleviating back pain

>> Using the common double-limb versions of many exercises (for instance, all barbell exercises) will force the spine to stay in a state of extension (think of arching your shoulders and cocking your head back towards the ceiling). This is all fine and good, however as soon as the spine falls into substantial fatigue, it will contract downwards (spinal flexion) into a fetal position. With enough fatigue, this is what causes spinal discs to slip and back injury ensues. Double-limb exercises like the barbell squat, bench, deadlift, and military press will always have their place... I'm just here to say that since I've made the single-limb versions of these exercises about 70-80% of my strength training, it's the best/most functional I've ever felt. Damn near zero back pain ever these days.

***As a word of warning, if you're intending to train both styles in the same session, always start with double-limb (spinal extension) exercises first. Twice I made the mistake of properly exhausting myself on single-limb rows before transitioning into double-limb rows and it resulted in a disc strain both times. Had a nice week to think about my actions after each incident.
View attachment 62223
2) Shadow boxing
> Another suggestion by Neal Hallinan. I think that an improvised dance routine or an Ido Portal collage might carry similar benefit, however the major difference here is the intention of striking with a limb. When executing a strike with a hand or a foot, it requires a focused effort that tenses the entire body, chiefly the core. As looney as it sounds... trying to hit imaginary objects with a concerted effort will yield a by-product of a more relaxed body afterwards. I credit throwing imaginary punches to literally changing the gait of my walk within a few days' time. It has added more hip swivel to my walking cadence.
>> To say again more concisely: the contraction of the core exercising maximal force through the limbs will lead to a mobilization of the hips that then translates to greater motor awareness of the entire body. This might include a newfound sensation of how the weight of the body is distributed over the surface area of the bottom of the foot.

3) Handstands or headstands
> I usually try to do one 'set' of being upside down to failure each day.
>> I recall Atom Bergstrom stating that the increased blood flow to the brain by way of headstands is a way of improving brain health. For obvious reasons, it may help preventing neurological disease and clear iris lesions found in the upper eye of a person, if they exist.
>>> As a (vague) personal belief, I think there's something significant to be noted about people who do not have a large rush of blood go to the head when they find themselves upside down. Said another way, there are people who make themselves comfortable with being upside down, such as gymnasts, dancers, or Crossfit athletes. When the upside-down position is applied with a bit of effort on a daily basis, the blood-pooling effect which pressurizes the head will soon subside. Depending on the ease of how the blood moves in and out of the head, it stands to reason that this principle would have some application at all times... not just when someone is upside down. As an added point with respect to vanity: this might also be an explanation for the physical beauty exhibited by professional dancers, gymnast, and Crossfit athletes.

*The more diverse the movement patterns are with a sport, the less swollen and more symmetrical the entire physique shows. To prove the point, consider that powerlifters and bodybuilders with their short ranges of motion carry the most bloat while fighters and dancers carry the least bloat.

+ An inversion table is a comfortable way to progress this uh... skill, I guess. For the shameless, there are also gravity boots which can be fastened to a hanging bar.
View attachment 62224

4) Omnidirectional running / barefoot field sprints
> Pretty straightforward. If you're able, I'd suggest going out in a field with your bare feet to execute running drills in every direction for a workout session. Side-steps and backwards running are great for giving the knees a different impact than the usual sagittal plane we're constantly living in. Besides that, a barefoot forward sprint is (arguably) the most primal exercise we're capable of!
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DENTAL HYGIENE

Until the age of 25, I had my share of dental work done. Having no root canals, bridges, or metal fillings, the only problem (besides a cracked tooth on a black walnut) I've been left with in the present day are holes in my teeth where plastic fillings previously fell out of.
I'm currently 31 years old and the last two times I visited a dental hygienist, I was around the age of 28. Both gals did a doubly fine job of not only scaling the plaque off my teeth but also quoting me for an additional $20,000 USD of dental work.
It might yet bite me in the arse, but I believe that cavities exist as a defense mechanism just like every other service my body offers me. Call it a belief in God or a vested interest in mother nature, but I'm under the impression that when my biology is trending in the correct direction, the health of my mouth will remain in a pleasant stasis - if not repair itself in some fashion.

To frame this inside Smith's toxic bile theory here, my oral health has only regressed when my bile flow was being stagnated by something such as: high intake of sulfurous vegetables, green vegetable juice, eggs, dairy, liver, sweet potato, carrots, beets, etc. Not too long ago I was consuming a foolish amount of a sports beverage with a sizeable dose of vitamin A on top of pounds of gummy bears with food colorings (carotenes). Resultingly, I had a handful of waves of diarrhea which appeared as the fascinating color of bile yellow.

During this time of bile expenditure, my cavitations worsened and my gums were more sensitive than usual (surprise, surprise).

At that time all I really knew for sure was that if I cleaned my teeth thoroughly that 1) the redness of the blemishes on my face would be reduced and 2) my sleep quality would be 20-30% better.
As for the redness, it probably has something to do with a localized inflammation that the blood is dealing with.
As for the sleep, it helped me to relax my my jaw before dozing off. If I felt as though my teeth were unclean in any way, it felt impossible to relax completely.

So then, without belaboring this section any longer, this is my entire dental toolkit:

1) Standard brush with a fluoride-free toothpaste.
> Electric brushes are cool, but unnecessary in light of a twinge of elbow grease.
>> Activated charcoal, baking soda, and green clay are all suitable for tooth polishing, but I often find them to be too soon abrasive when used for multiple days in a row.

2) Standard string floss.
> Pull around the corners of the teeth, too.

3) Professional-grade, handheld dental scaler.
> This is serves two purposes: to a) scrape tough plaque around the gumline and b) offer a means of (gently) removing food debris that gets stuck in the holes of afflicted teeth. Emphasis on "gently" when using it in similar patterns every day for the removal of foodstuffs.

4) Water flosser that shoots a pressurized stream of water.
> These are primarily designed for cleaning gum pockets. On top of this use, they do a great job of clearing out any remaining food debris which was previously 'broken up' by the gentle movement of the dental scaler within tooth holes/gaps/nooks, etc.
>> I find that using distilled water in the water flosser is ideal. Using water that is warmer or close to room temperature will reduce potential pain on teeth which are sensitive to cold exposure.
>>> Adding a small portion of a fluoride-free mouthwash and a drop of essential oil (such as rosemary, tea tree, peppermint, etc) increases effectiveness.
>>>> Adding hydrogen peroxide will provide a mild, temporary whitening effect to the teeth. In my experience, when using hydrogen peroxide for several days in a row, the integrity of my enamel begins to weaken. Weakened integrity is always promptly restored within 3 days of ceasing hydrogen peroxide use.

5) Fluoride-free mouthwash.
> At the very least, this is the lazy-man's version of the water flosser. Add a drop of essential oil, do some swishing, and you might jostle a few more pieces of food on your final spit.
>> Some fluoride-free mouthwashes contain xylitol. Some contain aloe vera. Many have both. There are several herbs which can be used for the prevention of plaque and gingivitis... a quick PubMed search will reveal this to anyone who is curious.

+ As a proper addendum I'd like to say that although I still often follow these 5 steps on a daily basis, given my stellar sensation of dental health recently, I sometimes only spend 5 minutes on my teeth in the evening instead of the 30 I was spending on them not too long ago. Hallelujah.
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SKIN HYGIENE
View attachment 62227

Being someone who has preoccupied themselves with a skin condition for a decade, you might think I'd have a wide list of suggestions... but as I contemplate the matter, I really only have a short list of 'useful' items.

The critical point of the topic is that the skin is chiefly reliant upon the diet, a small amount of sun exposure, and some water intake throughout the day. If a person is following the "love your liver" guidelines, I'm confident that this will improve the quality of their skin in steady fashion.

In short, the dietary and supplemental measures of the LYL program has given my skin a new sensation of hydration whereby it's not easily irritated. Smith surmises that bile acids which sit on the skin are what aggravate skin conditions, and so thus they should be washed off with soap or charcoal. The only time this happens is when a "bile dump" is taking place.

Previously, the dryness of my skin would make using soap and water twice a day rather uncomfortable... and so I turned to alternative methods which are thought to better preserve the oil of the skin while removing the problematic portions.

The only two alternatives which come to mind that I always had a positive experience with are:

1) green clay mixed with apple cider vinegar in a 1:1 ratio and

2) raw egg, especially when used as a shampoo

3) Lotion + activated charcoal
> Smith's suggestion of 1 teaspoon lotion to 1/2 teaspoon charcoal is certainly useful... but I find that the effort it takes to scrub away the charcoal from the sensitive area it was applied to almost defeats the therapeutic effect on account of the physical damage which takes place as I have to rub the same spot 20 times to get that last fleck of charcoal.

4) Petrolatum moisturizers
>> As an honorable mention, I occasionally use the product, "Aquaphor" which is a common petrolatum-based moisturizer. It just feels nice every once in a while and is worthy of more experimentation, but for all I know it's probably an estrogen bomb.

5) Shower filter & head
> For a less chlorinated shower experience, I'd further suggest getting a charcoal shower filter and shower head.

6) Foot pumice
> I recall reading a mercury chelation document which instructed a patient to titrate chlorella and cilantro upwards in unison over the course of 2 weeks leading up to a large kidney chelation event. On the day of the chelation, there was an instruction to thoroughly scrub the patient's feet with a foot pumice so that the dead skin of the feet didn't prevent mercury from being excreted.
Whether this was true or not, the thought stuck with me and so I bought a foot pumice. I use it in the shower once every couple of weeks. It is especially useful for breaking up any rough sensations that surround the heel of the foot.

7) Dry brush + Sauna
> On a similar note, I also have a dry brush which sees occasional use while I sit in the sauna. In the last several months, there have been a few times in which I used conventional sunblock for multiple days that resulted in a sensation of general fatigue and acute congestion under the skin, especially around the head. Twice this was also accompanied by a swelling in my right-side tonsil. A full-body dry brush routine in the order of Perry Nickelston's Big 6 lymph routine worked a miracle in both instances to alleviate my cloudy malaise in short order.
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LESSONS LEARNED

-Molybdenum is critical for both xanthine and purine breakdown.
> For many years my red meat tolerance has been very low, but I'm now able to digest it comfortably.
>> Red meat digestion used to feel as though it would digest super slowly while causing a bunch of red, acne-like bumps to appear on my upper body for about 72 hours each time I ate it.
>>> The breakout effect would be exacerbated with any kind of caffeine consumption on the same say.
>>>> After learning the two aforementioned roles of molybdenum, I have intentionally raised my caffeine, red meat, and molybdenum intake to yield a (seemingly) conclusive result that both my red meat and caffeine tolerances were dramatically lowered by years of caffeine intake through the degradation of xanthine oxidase activity. Repletion feels great.

-Taking too much activated charcoal and stimulating too many bile dumps can result in actual soreness/pain around the liver. If this is the case, soluble fiber, starch, and sugar should be eaten as the next priority as soon as possible. Bear in mind the paper-and-log theory of digestion: digestion is a burning fire, carbohydrates are paper which stoke the flame and protein sources are logs which should be thrown on a hot fire. Putting too many logs on a weak fire will result in constipation/stagnation/lowering the flame of the fire.

-Looking at the sun with eyes closed upon first walking outside each day always feels helpful.

-D o n o t take straight nicotinic acid on an empty stomach unless you want to deal with burning nausea for 10-15 minutes.

-After applying topical magnesium chloride (magnesium oil), it's a good practice to wash the hands with soap and water so that the magnesium chloride doesn't create a slimy spread on everything else you touch.

-I drink Sunfiber through a straw so that it doesn't touch my teeth. I think that it is prone to stick to the teeth, especially the problematic crevices. When I'm feeling unwise, I'll apply the same straw-tactic to energy drink consumption.

-Foot placement and driving/screwing the feet into the ground is just as essential as squeezing/turning the weight in the hand when performing any exercise.

-Eggs applied topically to burns, including sunburn, help to immediately alleviate pain and expedite the healing process.

-Whenever I have a feeling of depression that seems to be a result of too much physical exertion (overexercising while also getting too much sunlight and burning too many calories), 1-4 cups of apple juice has been especially helpful. [Rare occurrence]

-On a similar note to the previous point... if my energy is very low and I specifically have a feeling of bags under my eyes... and no foods, charcoal, or anything else is helping to reverse this issue, the remedy has been to sit in a sauna for 12-20 minutes. It could well be that the skin occasionally gets overwhelmed with crap it's trying to get rid of and a few minutes of heavy sweating will clear things up. This congested and fatigued feeling I'm describing has likely been the result of using conventional sunblock products. The fatigue symptoms usually set in around 2-3 days after their use.

-Sleepyti.me is a sleep calculator I use when I'm trying to avoid waking up drowsy when I know I'll be getting less sleep than I normally get. [For use when changing sleep schedule]

-The rule of opposing muscle contractions:
Imagine that you're contracting the opposite muscle from the one you're training for a better 'mind-muscle connection.'
For example: when doing a bicep curl, focus on flexing the tricep throughout the entire movement.
Or when performing a row, concentrate on contracting the chest during the rowing movement.
Something, something, people with a big bench always have a big back~
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OBSERVATIONS
-Cooked bread consumed in a liquid tends to digest better than uncooked and dry versions.

-Splitting up supplement doses to be taken frequently throughout the day, i.e. every 3 hours, seems to increase their effectiveness.

-Keeping fruit in the diet will help to make the formation of bowel movements more uniform.

-Sauna use will temporarily shrink pores, leading to an appearance of a tighter complexion.

-I believe Sunfiber greatly and quickly (within 5 days) improved my GI tolerance to soluble fiber. Eating a cup of oats and 2 cans of beans daily became no problem shortly after introducing this prebiotic fiber.

-In the presence of high protein and high fiber, all manner of 'cravings' are just about gone. Recently, I got a craving for cabbage and every now and then for a fruit, but that's honestly it. Having a pound of meat and 1-2 cans of beans each day has this wonderful side effect of making me feel satiated pretty much all the time. What's borderline confusing to me is that despite feeling so consistently satiated, I still look forward to every meal moreso than I ever have in the past. All foods have become more enjoyable in light of employing the LYL guidelines.

-Toe symptoms of gout have steadily reduced.

-General discomfort from clothing waistbands being too tight when going from sitting to standing has gone away. Might have something to do with this vitamin A/isotretinoin and sacroiliac pain correlation.
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[Blemish improvements from the last 3 months]
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Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

why the addition of sunfiber on top of beans and oats?

 

[Twohandsondeck]

why the addition of sunfiber on top of beans and oats?

Because sunfiber is a supplement suggestion in the "love your liver" program and it's an easy way to increase the fiber total of any given day. There's research showing that it can help both constipation and diarrhea as well as increase bifido populations in the gut.
I've had nothing but a positive experience with it. Digests easily and seems to have improved my tolerance of all other carbohydrates.

 

[Osukhan]

Because sunfiber is a supplement suggestion in the "love your liver" program and it's an easy way to increase the fiber total of any given day. There's research showing that it can help both constipation and diarrhea as well as increase bifido populations in the gut.
I've had nothing but a positive experience with it. Digests easily and seems to have improved my tolerance of all other carbohydrates.

what do you think about resistant starches?

 

[Twohandsondeck]

what do you think about resistant starches?

I think that the worse someone's health is, the more sensitive they will be to any resistant starch. "Sensitive" meaning that eating it will cause any number of symptoms from joint pain to headache to skin breakouts to fatigue, etc.

I think that resistant starches are an essential piece of colon health and the short-chain fatty acid butyrate is reportedly helpful when it's manufactured from fiber by colonic bacteria.

As far as type I, type II, type III, and type IV resistant starches... I've always felt that type II is the easiest to digest (freshly cooked starch) while type III (cooked and refrigerated) has the highest chance to make me feel physically slower for a time. I've found type I (raw starch) to be helpful in very limited amounts... like only a few bites most of the time. The "helpful" description is just an added lightness to my step and small boost in clarity of mind.

I'm not clear if that because sunfiber is a partially hydrolyzed guar gum that it makes it a type IV resistant starch, but whatever the case, all I can attest is that it's been very helpful for my health journey.

 

[Ainaga]

Because sunfiber is a supplement suggestion in the "love your liver" program and it's an easy way to increase the fiber total of any given day. There's research showing that it can help both constipation and diarrhea as well as increase bifido populations in the gut.
I've had nothing but a positive experience with it. Digests easily and seems to have improved my tolerance of all other carbohydrates.

i suppose you mean 'digests easily' in the sense that bacteria digest it more easily (because it is hydrolyzed), with higher returns.
contrary to my original expectation and prejudice, my digestion has improved immensely since upping the soluble fiber, which in turn has made me curious about sunfiber. i also wonder about the name.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

contrary to my original expectation and prejudice, my digestion has improved immensely since upping the soluble fiber, which in turn has made me curious about sunfiber. i also wonder about the name.

There we go!

 

[Parrot]

What a great, comprehensive write up - thank you for putting the time and effort into this post.

I have already added the perfect hang into my morning regime.

BTW, are you a Kiwi?

 

[Twohandsondeck]

I have already added the perfect hang into my morning regime.

Bar therapy

BTW, are you a Kiwi?

I'd like to think my fruit sign is a grape, but some people insist I'm applesauce.

And if you're asking if I'm flightless bird, then I accept your offer.
...
I think you're asking if I'm from New Zealand? I'm from Florida in the US. I hear there's great cows in New Zealand though, very great cows.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

Updates through June 27, 2024
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DIET

*With the recent commotion of the dextrose therapy as proposed by David Stephens, supplemental dextrose has entered my dietary list as a notable food source. I have paired it with every food on the list below and have concluded it to digest the best when it is paired with fruit by itself, and second-best when paired with raw honey and/or maple syrup. This might have something to do with how added glucose could affect the fructose metabolism.
This video offers something to consider about this topic of glucose & fructose.

> My food toolbox for the last month has included:

Oatmeal
Beans (black, red, pinto)
Ground sirloin (beef)
Chicken breast
Peeled apples
Bananas
Strawberries
Raspberries
Prune juice
Coffee
Maple Syrup
Raw honey
Avocado oil
Cashews
Corn tortillas

'Food supplements'
Dextrose
Psyllium Husk
Sunfiber

+ I have further cut out bread/gluten for this time period. It is prone to cause symptoms of constipation when overeaten. I will reintroduce it at some point in smaller quantities.
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SUPPLEMENTS

*Especially since adding dextrose to the diet, I have only maintained the following supplements:

Zinc picolinate (2-6mg morning and evening, also applied topically to skin breakout areas)

Topical magnesium lotion from Garrett Smith's Nutrition Detective store (applied after showering)
> Can also be used as a mild deodorant and a hair pomade.

Activated charcoal
Potassium chloride or potassium citrate (not frequent; only if bowel movements feel slow)

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RECIPES

Sterilized Adrenal Tonic
-1L distilled water
-5 tablespoons dextrose
-1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride
-pinch of salt
-optional: 2-6 teaspoons raw honey or maple syrup

> Mix together and sip anytime. Works well as a pre, intra, and post workout beverage.

*This is a modification of the "Adrenal Cocktail" printed in James Wilson's book, 'Adrenal Fatigue.' Wilson's recipe is a 1:1 ratio of coconut water to orange juice with a pinch of salt.

Fruit bowl with dextrose -
-[insert fruit here]
-dextrose

> Eat the two together.
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EXERCISE


Foot strength and mobility stuff -

Much like the hips lose mobility & function due to excessive sitting, the feet & ankles will also lose their potential as we continue to wear pillows for shoes. Cushy, modern shoes bring 3 problems with them - 1) a small toe-box will prevent the toes from spreading out and 'grabbing' the ground, 2) a soft fluffy sole will prevent the muscles of the feet from helping us to stand, and 3) a raised heel on a shoe will both shorten the length of the heel cord and force our pelvis + neck to compensate so that our vision maintains a level equilibrium.

The solution to these problems is to be barefoot and/or wear shoes which are "minimalist" or barefoot in nature. A minimalist shoe will feature a flat sole and a wide toebox, allowing our feet to be more like themselves.

Sidenote - by strengthening the feet, it is common for ominous knee, hip, and back pain to spontaneously disappear due to the downstream effect of how the feet regulate the stability of the entire body from the ground up.

For those who have not worn a minimalist shoe before, the weakness of a foot which has been using a cushy, elevated heel for many years will make itself known in short order.

By simply spending more time being barefoot and wearing minimalist shoes, the feet will become stronger, however there are also many simple practices which can be performed on a daily basis to help a person transition to a newfound, surefooted lifestyle. Here are some resources I've found helpful on the topic:

Toe spacers - Wear them for at least 10 minutes a day. Easy.
> Bonus points: do other foot exercises while wearing them like curling or walking on the toes.


Golf ball rolling - Just as it sounds... put a golf ball under the foot and roll the foot over it in every direction. Try doing it with some toe spacers on!


A quick 5 minute foot & ankle routine by Graham Tuttle, the "Barefoot Sprinter"

A 15 minute compilation of several foot rehabilitation exercises and how to progress their difficulty (share courtesy of @shanny)
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RICE BUCKET - Hand recovery + grip strength improvement


*One of the oldest tricks in the book. Get a bucket and put a 20 pound bag of rice in it.

> Sink hands into the rice and move the wrist and fingers against the resistance of the rice. Try repeatedly opening and closing the hands, for example. This small activity will tune the small motor function of the hands, help relieve small aches, improve grip strength, and fortify the muscles of the forearm.

+ I personally aim for 5 minutes per hand per day. Overdoing it will result in stiff fingers and forearm soreness.
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Two unconventional exercises I have come to appreciate for their quality-of-life contributions are:

1) This version of a dumbbell bent press which pulls weight vertically off the ground, rotates the spine, and extends the elbow for lockout:


*When the spine is fully rotated, it makes for a satisfying stretch on the front delt at the top of the movement. It's as much of a mobility exercise as it is a core & upper back one.

2) Wall-assisted sissy squats:


*The great part about these is that no matter how difficult a person wants to make them, all versions will strengthen the knees and thereby improve overall stability. Difficulty on this exercise is modified by how close the knees come to touching the ground in addition to how straight the back is kept during the descent.

**Don't divebomb into the ground with these. Keep the movement controlled at all times to prevent knee injury. If they are difficult to do from a standing position, try starting from the ground in a Spider Man squatting position and only do partial reps.
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Here's another exercise cue card I've been using lately -

Cannonball bracing (lower body) + jaw clenching (upper body)

1) take the biggest breath possible, causing the back of the lungs to expand and even reach to fill the bottom of the pelvic floor with air.
2) stand tall and brace your core/lower back as if you were about to be hit with a cannonball.
> This is called, "cannonball bracing." When done correctly, it will stabilize the lower half of the body.
Note: this is not 'crunching' your abs (aka spinal flexion). The spine is supposed to stay straight and insulated with compression during an exercise, not squeezed forward as if someone asked you to flex your abs.
3) bite down hard and make your jaw tense. This vertical tension between the top and bottom of the mouth will translate into an automatic alignment of the upper spine (cervical + thoracic spines).
4) the combination of cannonball bracing and jaw tension should create one stable line of compression from the top to the bottom of the spine.

*Try to maintain this tension throughout the range of motion of any exercise as a means of not only preventing injury, but also stimulating the entire body.
**Breathing precedes muscular tension. I encourage the reader to take care to prioritize the breath before committing to each rep of any given exercise set.
***These same two bracing cues of the upper & lower spine can also be applied to endurance activities.

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Workout Log (continued from previous update)
I have maintained the same workout log of volume-centric exercise sessions since the last update in May and I continue to progress them when I am confident to do so. This is my primary method of continuing to improve overall physical resiliency.

Considering that those volume workouts have quickly become the most energetically demanding days, I have been forced into making two adjustments - 1) I rarely lift heavy weights for two days in a row (for recovery purposes) and 2) doing a 'maximum strength' exercise day will greatly increase the likelihood of success for the next volume day attempt of a given exercise.

I personally don't care how many days it's been since I tried to progress a given workout (whether volume or one-rep-max), I only care that I feel confident to execute it on the day that I attempt it. Both the quality (getting enough nutrition) & quantity (time spent resting, mobility stuff, light cardio) of recovery seems to be the most important part of maintaining strength progression.
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DENTAL HYGIENE

According to this PubMed article, "Chemical plaque control - a brief review," in table 2 it notes that phenols (plant compounds) can reduce plaque by 20-50%.

I have used plant essential oils directly in my mouth by applying them to floss, with toothpaste, and in a Waterpik and - while effective - they are quite harsh and can cause some tooth sensitivity for the following day.

With the same idea in mind to use some essential oil antiplaque magic, I applied a rubbing ointment of eucalyptus to my gumline before brushing. The result felt good, so I then used a small brush pick to swab the ointment into the more complicated areas. Not only was I impressed again with the sensation of 'clean' that came from this, but also that the analgesic (painkilling) effect of the ointment removed almost all the mild discomfort that would often accompany dental cleaning.


I even found a Walmart-brand kid's Vaporub for only $1.50 which includes more than enough useful ingredients: camphor, eucalyptus oil, menthol, thymol, and turpentine oil.

Amazon's brand of chest rub
+ This can also be applied to the feet and the chest as a means of helping to open up the lungs during times of congestion. It is not a remedy, but it might help a person to get some sleep if they're otherwise coughing up a lung overnight.

Tiger balm

Brushpicks

For added antiplaque measure, I will occasionally add Closys on top of the plant ointment treatment.
> In the PubMed article linked above, table 2 also indicates that chlorhexidine causes a plaque reduction of 70-90%.
>> In this study comparing the effectiveness of chlorhexidine to stabilized chlorine dioxide (Closys), the conclusion is written plainly as, "The clinical antiplaque efficacy of CHX and ClO2 mouthwash is comparable and so is the efficacy in reducing the oral bacterial load."

Closys Ultra Sensitive mouthwash
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SKIN HYGIENE

-Liquid zinc picolinate can be applied topically to red skin breakout areas for some benefit.

> As far as I know, zinc deficiency is linked with every common skin disease.
>> If this causes itching or pain, don't do it. I am sharing it here because it's been therapeutic for me. I usually apply a few drops 2x a day after washing the breakout areas with soap + water.

A weak white vinegar hair tonic put in a spray bottle to be used intermittently with soap.

> The solution is 1 part white/distilled vinegar to 4 parts distilled water. Ex. 3 ounces of vinegar mixed with 12 ounces of water.
>> I only put soap in my hair on an as-needed basis. If my hair isn't dry but it doesn't feel greasy enough to justify using soap, then I'll spray it down with this vinegar solution while in the shower. After it sits for a couple minutes, I rinse it out.

>>> It's a great detangling, dandruff, and generally cleans the scalp in a way that soap doesn't.

It does leave a weak residual smell of vinegar in the hair for a little while. Adding a drop or two of essential oil to the mixture might fix this dilemma, but I haven't tried it yet.

Note: This is not useful if the hair and scalp is overburdened with oil.
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LESSONS LEARNED
-Activated charcoal is the best remedy for both diarrhea and excessive flatulence.

-Swishing 1/4 teaspoon of activated charcoal in the mouth can remove the stinging effect of spicy food.

-A 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide can be used to clear built up earwax. Assuming there is no puncturing in the eardrum, simply lie down on one side, fill the ear with hydrogen peroxide, allow all of the bubbling to stop over the course of 10 minutes, and sit up to drain the leakage. This may need to be done more than once over the course of a day to fully clear the ear. The hydrogen peroxide does not need to be diluted in water, but most websites will suggest it to be.

-Magnesium oil residue on the fingertips can short circuit laptop keys. Wash/dry the hands following topical magnesium application to prevent this.

-Bowel movements will become softer if more calories come from dextrose and other simple sugars compared to if those calories come from foods high in insoluble fiber, such as oats, beans, and nuts.
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OBSERVATIONS

-Dextrose seems to improve the efficiency of protein metabolism.
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OTHER
-Squatty Potty - make pooper angles straight again!

-Orgonite is a combination of metals and crystals which are cured together within a plastic resin. Their purpose is to either neutralize or convert (nobody knows which) the electromagnetic radiation which is being put off by modern technology such as wifi routers, laptops, smart meters, cell phones, and cell towers, to give a few examples.

The idea of orgonite is based on the work of Wilhelm Reich. Reich's followers created orgonite after Reich's death using the same materials and principles that Reich experimented with during his life... namely that by combining a source of carbon, a metal, and a crystal, that this will altogether attract, absorb, and reformat nearby radiation, thereby contributing to a net increase in "orgone energy" in the surrounding area.

As far as a 'proof' of the efficacy of orgonite goes, all I can offer are three thoughts on the matter -

1) Orgonite offers an explanation for why people who wear (and especially those who hoard) crystals are batty: because they are constantly amplifying their surrounding radiation without providing a place for the radiation to be temporarily held. The result of this is more chaos than the surrounding EMF would normally incur in the first place.

2) To the day that I brought orgonite into my life, communication barriers dropped between myself and everyone I talk to in the world. Conversations with everyone I had known for multiple years suddenly became more progressive and enjoyable for seemingly no reason other than this change.

3) The only tangible evidence I could find with orgonite is how it affects the taste of water. For 7 different people I ran the same experiment of taking spring water from a plastic bottle, putting it in two different glass bottles, letting one 'charge' on orgonite pucks for 2 days while the other sat idle on the shelf... I then offered the two samples to a participant, and all 7 of them used the word "smoother" to describe how the orgonite water felt and tasted. It's as if it becomes velvet to the tongue. There are many theories on how to charge/structure water but this is the one I've had the most success with in testing over the years.

*Anyhow, I can vouch for this product if you want to see for yourself:
Orgonite Andy's Black Sun Tower Busters

> And I would further encourage anyone to make some of their own. They're a rewarding little paperweight.

+ More information about orgonite and EMF protection can be found here

++ And more information about Wilhelm Reich and orgone energy can be found here
(courtesy of @Eth)
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1 Timothy 4:7-9 (KJV)
[7] But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
[8] For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
[9] This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

 

[Apple]

> My food toolbox for the last month has included:
...
Avocado oil
...

What's the deal with avocado oil ?

 

[Twohandsondeck]

What's the deal with avocado oil ?

I think that adding more MUFA helps the digestion of meals higher in saturated fat. I don't have any good reason to offer, I have just noticed that if I increase my MUFA:saturated fat ratio that things generally turn out better. I have used extra-virgin olive oil in the past, but the avocado oil is more refined and has less taste.

 

[Dolomite]

Great update! I appreciate your compilation.

 

[Osukhan]

I think that adding more MUFA helps the digestion of meals higher in saturated fat. I don't have any good reason to offer, I have just noticed that if I increase my MUFA:saturated fat ratio that things generally turn out better. I have used extra-virgin olive oil in the past, but the avocado oil is more refined and has less taste.

In Joel Greene's book he mentions adding EVOO with red meat meals and they can reduce oxidation of fats in our gut bc of the phenols in the oil
only need a small amount like a teaspoon

 

[Twohandsondeck]

Great update! I appreciate your compilation.

Tyty

In Joel Greene's book he mentions adding EVOO with red meat meals and they can reduce oxidation of fats in our gut bc of the phenols in the oil
only need a small amount like a teaspoon

I see. Might be something to it. A little bit goes a long way.

I recall someone calling in to ask Atom Bergstrom about what to do if they've had their gall bladder removed, and he suggested adding one teaspoon of olive oil to each of the 3 meals a person would ideally have each day. I guess it had something to do with stimulating the liver to make or release new bile with each meal that the gallbladder could previously pick up the slack for.