Hi All,
I've been lurking for awhile and have found that this is such a nice supportive place, that I'm ready to introduce myself.
So - 46, female and struggle with estrogen dominance and hypothyroidism, and probably have all my life now that I think back on it. No major health issues, other than being chubby, heavy veiny legs, ridged nails, stuffed sinuses, occaisional foot cramps and getting cold easily. I also have excessively thick hair - to the point where it's an 'oddity' at the salon.
I actually found Ray Peat's work about 4 years ago, via references made at the Smart Life Forum in the Bay Area (which, if you've read much on the Bulletproof diet and Dave Asprey, you'll know that this is the non-profit that he started). Both Dave and Bernd Friedlander pull compenents from Peat's work.
So back then I bought all the Ray Peat books, signed up for the newsletter and jumped into the Peat lifestyle, only to gain 10 pounds, freak out and go back to Paleo. I now think I've figured out where I went wrong and am back.
It's been a long journey. I've been chubby since I was 10, got very heavy at one point until I discovered the joy of being gluten-free in the 1990's which then led into various types of low-carb lifestyles. I then became a Weston A Price chapter leader, which was at least good for fostering an understanding of bad fats and healthier meat choices (but bad because of overemphasis on cod liver oil). Then moved to the high-dose Iodine club - mistake. Next came a round of raw vegan and excessive exercise. I looked fabulous for about 6 months, and then crashed from lack of energy. Did a little Bulletproof bio-hacking but I don't feel very good without fruit and sugar.
I'm the kid of two WWII-era parents, both who sustained head injuries during the war (I'd say that was some environmental stress!) while in different countries. Both heavy and overweight and terrible processed-food PUFA-laden eaters. My dad passed away from complications related to Parkinson's and my Mom has cleaned up her act a bit, but even after two rounds of breast cancer, insists on margarine instead of butter. All the grandparents lived a long life, but were impacted by the stress of war and famine. I have one aunt who later found that she had components of an unformed twin still left inside her.
As I listen to various Ray Peat interviews, I can see that I have such a classic history:
Living off almost exclusively off peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, cereal / crackers / Little Debbie cakes as a kid.
Chronic lack of protein
Dental x-rays - excessive amount as a kid, but until recently, didn't hold my ground with this when my dentist threatened to drop me if I didn't give in.
Body x-rays - one broken arm as a kid, then worked as a candystriper at 17 - IN THE RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT. Crazy!
Mercury fillings (now removed)
Forced fluoride "swishes" - in school!
Spending all day 5-days a week in the summers in a chlorinated pool. Terrible sunburns (I'm fair and freckly - half Irish/half English)
Birth control pills - luckily ditched those for a LadyComp about 13 years ago.
Selecting salmon, chicken, red wine and black tea, thinking they were healthier
High-stress jobs in the past (especially those crazy dot-com days).
Anyway, I'm sure there's more but I've made you suffer through reading all this, so I'll wrap it up, and look forward to chatting more on the forums.
Mariange
I've been lurking for awhile and have found that this is such a nice supportive place, that I'm ready to introduce myself.
So - 46, female and struggle with estrogen dominance and hypothyroidism, and probably have all my life now that I think back on it. No major health issues, other than being chubby, heavy veiny legs, ridged nails, stuffed sinuses, occaisional foot cramps and getting cold easily. I also have excessively thick hair - to the point where it's an 'oddity' at the salon.
I actually found Ray Peat's work about 4 years ago, via references made at the Smart Life Forum in the Bay Area (which, if you've read much on the Bulletproof diet and Dave Asprey, you'll know that this is the non-profit that he started). Both Dave and Bernd Friedlander pull compenents from Peat's work.
So back then I bought all the Ray Peat books, signed up for the newsletter and jumped into the Peat lifestyle, only to gain 10 pounds, freak out and go back to Paleo. I now think I've figured out where I went wrong and am back.
It's been a long journey. I've been chubby since I was 10, got very heavy at one point until I discovered the joy of being gluten-free in the 1990's which then led into various types of low-carb lifestyles. I then became a Weston A Price chapter leader, which was at least good for fostering an understanding of bad fats and healthier meat choices (but bad because of overemphasis on cod liver oil). Then moved to the high-dose Iodine club - mistake. Next came a round of raw vegan and excessive exercise. I looked fabulous for about 6 months, and then crashed from lack of energy. Did a little Bulletproof bio-hacking but I don't feel very good without fruit and sugar.
I'm the kid of two WWII-era parents, both who sustained head injuries during the war (I'd say that was some environmental stress!) while in different countries. Both heavy and overweight and terrible processed-food PUFA-laden eaters. My dad passed away from complications related to Parkinson's and my Mom has cleaned up her act a bit, but even after two rounds of breast cancer, insists on margarine instead of butter. All the grandparents lived a long life, but were impacted by the stress of war and famine. I have one aunt who later found that she had components of an unformed twin still left inside her.
As I listen to various Ray Peat interviews, I can see that I have such a classic history:
Living off almost exclusively off peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, cereal / crackers / Little Debbie cakes as a kid.
Chronic lack of protein
Dental x-rays - excessive amount as a kid, but until recently, didn't hold my ground with this when my dentist threatened to drop me if I didn't give in.
Body x-rays - one broken arm as a kid, then worked as a candystriper at 17 - IN THE RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT. Crazy!
Mercury fillings (now removed)
Forced fluoride "swishes" - in school!
Spending all day 5-days a week in the summers in a chlorinated pool. Terrible sunburns (I'm fair and freckly - half Irish/half English)
Birth control pills - luckily ditched those for a LadyComp about 13 years ago.
Selecting salmon, chicken, red wine and black tea, thinking they were healthier
High-stress jobs in the past (especially those crazy dot-com days).
Anyway, I'm sure there's more but I've made you suffer through reading all this, so I'll wrap it up, and look forward to chatting more on the forums.
Mariange
