Hello from Florida :)

[treelady]

I am so thankful I ran into Ray Peat's site and this forum. My researching has brought me here many times so I finally decided to make myself visible.

My history if you are inclined and have the time...

- 70 years young (if I don't look in the mirror, lol). Into alternative health since I read Adelle Davis in the 60's. My favorite t-shirt says "The earth does not belong to us - We belong to the earth".

- Diabetes that I had controlled w/low carb diet - no dairy, no gluten, no sugar, fish oil(easy to give that up) etc. Now the mainstay of my diet is whole milk and Great Lakes gelatin hydrolysate. (I have to simmer it in water or it gives me diarrhea.), 1/3 cup coffee w/a cup of milk and spoon of cocoa and stevia (I haven't tried actual sugar...I get a "no" when I muscle test it.) Coconut oil, it has to be refined or diarrhea again.

- Hypothyroid - on 90mg Armour, 13mcg T3 when I get up. I am experimenting with adding more T3 in divided doses - a little after lunch, dinner and at bed. It is giving me energy, I was dead tired before. I muscle test to see the dosage my body wants. (I put it on my solar plex... If my body goes forward it wants it, backward it doesn't want it.) I muscle test everything...That's how my body talks to me.

- Cyclical Epilepsy for the last several years along w/short and long term memory loss. Just because I am way postmenopausal doesn't mean I don't have hormones. I am on progest-e since 9/15/14. It looks like it is working...So far so good. :)

-Chemically sensitive. You know I think it might have started around menopause. Somewhere I read that progesterone may help with that. Hmmmm...Isn't that interesting... A number of my seizure episodes came the night after eating restaurant food - I am thinking MSG.

- Burning/stinging legs, sore veins on legs/arms, bruising, edema(legs/face) - This started when I was on Lamictal(glutamate blocker, calcium blocker, sodium blocker) last summer for seizures after my worst episode of 6 grand mals in 1 night, aspirating fluid in my lungs, ...hospital, oxygen, etc etc. Drugs weren't the answer for sure - stopped the seizures but almost stopped me. Went off on 9/23/14.

I am optimistic that I am on the right track now. I think I have everything improving except the edema, sore veins, bruising, varicose veins and memory problems. I refuse to accept them - It is just a matter of finding the right solution for my body. Any suggestions are welcome. You know after seizures, I would go to the bathroom 10 times or so during the next night getting rid of all the extra water - It's all related. Anyway, I'm working on CO2 now - bag breathing(don't notice any change), SYFO seltzer water(clears my head), 1/8th tsp baking soda in water in the evening seems to temporarily help my evening leg edema but if I have a 2nd glass or if I drink it down too fast...diarrhea.

Thank you and Good Health to All.

 

[Blossom]

treelady!

 

[charlie]

treelady,

 

[4peatssake]

to the forum treelady!

 

[lindsay]

Good for you for wanting to take care of yourself treelady Hello and welcome to the forum!

 

[treelady]

Thank you for the greets everyone ...Looking forward to learning, sharing, and discovering together.

 

[tara]

Welcome treelady,

I wouldn't mind a T-shirt like that.
And moreso, I wish I could understand what my body is telling me as well as you clearly do - I'm working on it.

I'm glad the progesterone is working for you - long may it continue. II was wondering if you have experimented with salt and fluid ratios? Losing too much salt and having trouble handling too much water can both be problems with hypothyroid states, and can contribute to seizures, edema, etc. You may have already read about this, but if not, Peat has an article or two on these issues that I'd recommend.

I think diabetes is the only condition for which Peat has recommended brewers' yeast. He said his father cured himself of adult-onset diabetes (I think in this thirties?) by practically living off brewer's yeast for a few weeks. Don't think he was recommending everyone do it that way. You can pour hot water over it (or boil it?) drink the liquid, and leave the sediment. Most of the B vitamins should be in th liquide, and hopefully most of the estrogen will stay in the discarded sediment.

I might have already mentioned this, but I used to have lots of bruising, and I don't now. I think K2 and progesterone may have helped, as well as fewer bumps. And from elsewhere, not particularly from Peat: are you eating anything with vitamin C in it, like fresh orange juice? I think lack of vit C can also contribute to bruising.

 

[treelady]

Tara, thank you for your help. I'm glad you mentioned the brewer's yeast, I have been thinking about it but haven't gotten around to getting any. Your post gave me a kick in the butt, lol. I will muscle test it at the health food store tomorrow. I took it years ago and as I remember it was pretty yucky but I don't care. And thank you for telling me about the hot water and leaving the sediment - Great idea. I had read that b4 but forgot it. My body needs LOTS of B's. Speaking of Bs I found that I especially need B1 and benfotiamine. I took it for diabetic neuropathy and it is really helping to keep my blood sugar down. (Now I can eat potatoes.) I take Life Extension 100mg 4x/day. And brewers yeast is the best source of B1 - that may be why it is so good for diabetes.

And funny you should mention salt... I am in the middle of the big salt experiment. Have been testing and taking a moist finger full several times today. My legs are better tonight. I also take 1/8 tsp baking soda in water am and pm and usually w/lemon for salt and CO2. I test b4 taking and it really seems to help my edema. I added a little during the day too - I am just wondering if it is a good idea on a regular basis. I have a tendency to overdo things... You know the theory - if 1 is good 5 are better?

Progesterone - I was taking 3 drops of Progest-E at night and putting some on a few sore spots by my ankles to see if it helps and it seems to make a nice difference. My body wanted it in the morning too so I added 2 drops in the morning and a drop or 2 on my ankles. My body has been asking for some during the day too but I didn't want to overdo it. Today I had 1 drop before lunch. I will continue that if it tests good. I have read that progesterone can turn into estrogen though... Is that right? I hope not but I know when I started on the Progest-E the directions said to start at a really high dose and lower when you got better. I only did that a couple days because my legs got MUCH worse. I am wondering if that was because some turned into estrogen.

Vitamin C - I take several 1000mg a day w/bioflavonoids in it and sometimes diosmin too although I am wondering if it causes the burning feeling in my legs if I have too much. Gotu Kola, I take that every day and that helps alot with the pain.

My fluid intake is high but I can't mix the gelatin hydrolysate directly in cold liquids (darn) so I just heat up some water in the morning and make several servings which put in the frig and take throughout the day. Then of course there is all that milk...

Sorry this is so long - I really enjoyed talking with you. And the more you try muscle testing the easier it gets as you and your body get used to it.

Your saying at the end of your post makes me smile... I spend alot of time at the computer and there is always something to eat(drink) with me.

 

[tara]

Tara, thank you for your help. I'm glad you mentioned the brewer's yeast, I have been thinking about it but haven't gotten around to getting any. Your post gave me a kick in the butt, lol. I will muscle test it at the health food store tomorrow. I took it years ago and as I remember it was pretty yucky but I don't care. And thank you for telling me about the hot water and leaving the sediment - Great idea. I had read that b4 but forgot it. My body needs LOTS of B's. Speaking of Bs I found that I especially need B1 and benfotiamine. I took it for diabetic neuropathy and it is really helping to keep my blood sugar down. (Now I can eat potatoes.) I take Life Extension 100mg 4x/day. And brewers yeast is the best source of B1 - that may be why it is so good for diabetes.

Good luck with the brewers' yeast - and please let us know the effects.

And funny you should mention salt... I am in the middle of the big salt experiment. Have been testing and taking a moist finger full several times today. My legs are better tonight. I also take 1/8 tsp baking soda in water am and pm and usually w/lemon for salt and CO2. I test b4 taking and it really seems to help my edema. I added a little during the day too - I am just wondering if it is a good idea on a regular basis. I have a tendency to overdo things... You know the theory - if 1 is good 5 are better?

Hopefully your taste buds and muscle testing will keep guiding you on this.

Progesterone - I was taking 3 drops of Progest-E at night and putting some on a few sore spots by my ankles to see if it helps and it seems to make a nice difference. My body wanted it in the morning too so I added 2 drops in the morning and a drop or 2 on my ankles. My body has been asking for some during the day too but I didn't want to overdo it. Today I had 1 drop before lunch. I will continue that if it tests good. I have read that progesterone can turn into estrogen though... Is that right? I hope not but I know when I started on the Progest-E the directions said to start at a really high dose and lower when you got better. I only did that a couple days because my legs got MUCH worse. I am wondering if that was because some turned into estrogen.

Maybe someone else can explain this. I've read that a small dose can draw estrogen out of tissues without being enough to counteract it fully, so some people get worse symptoms from the smaller amount. I have not read that progesterone generally turns into progesterone, but I'm not confident about my understanding of this. People seem to respond differently to different amounts. Personally, I've been using at least 3 drops ~5/day for the last year, occasionally more when fighting migraine. I've never noticed anything bad from it (except the first time when I had an empty stomach).
I think I read somewhere here that progesterone can sometimes increase salt-loss. I wonder if this could be the link.

Vitamin C - I take several 1000mg a day w/bioflavonoids in it and sometimes diosmin too although I am wondering if it causes the burning feeling in my legs if I have too much. Gotu Kola, I take that every day and that helps alot with the pain.

OK, so it's not scurvy. :) Peat has some concerns about contamination in manufactured C, and doesn't generally recommend high amounts. But I know there are others who do.

My fluid intake is high but I can't mix the gelatin hydrolysate directly in cold liquids (darn) so I just heat up some water in the morning and make several servings which put in the frig and take throughout the day. Then of course there is all that milk...

I'm currently drinking 1-2l of decaf latte/day - low fat milk, sugar, instant decaf powder and about a 1/4 tsp salt in 2l milk. I also add baking soda to my commercial OJ ~1tsp/litre. And salty soup. And salt in/on eggs, meat, etc. Every now and then I overdo it. Neglecting salt is one of my ways to trigger migraine. Occasionally I overdo it with too much. You could experiment with some higher calorie-density food, for instance by turning some of your milk into fresh cheese - super easy. Mittir (forum member) condenses milk by boiling.

Sorry this is so long - I really enjoyed talking with you. And the more you try muscle testing the easier it gets as you and your body get used to it. [/quote]
:) I might give this a go, and see if it's a good way for me to distinguish my body's intuition from my minds confusion

 

[treelady]

Thanks decaf latte sounds good. I love coffee and milk just can't handle lots of caffeine.
Cheese from milk - Interesting. Thank you. I will try that.

...I know most Peat people drink low fat or 2% milk but I love the regular full fat milk, especially after years of almond milk and coconut milk.

 

[tara]

I'm not recommending low-fat anything for you, it was the salt in my milk I thought might be relevant. :) I use 3-4% milk for my homemade cheese (->cheesecake), and eat a bit of butter and coconut oil and get some fat along with my meat, so I figure I don't need it in my coffee, and it tastes fine to me at whatever fat content. If you have milk that agrees with you that's great.
Heat milk to 80+ deg. C, add vinegar or lemon juice gradually to curdle, strain, add salt to taste.