I'm Losing Hope

[FacelessMan]

U cant buy milk without added vitamins in the usa unless it is whole... Raw you can.. But has changes in bacteria content

This is not so. I live in Texas and I buy Milk King grass fed milk at whole foods (1%) and it has no added vitamins, is low temp pasteurized, and non homogenized. Its 5.99 per gallon. I drink 4 gallons a week.

 

[Ukall]

I'm not sure I want to blindly follow any protocol anymore

I feel the same. Initially, we feel very confident about starting something new. Like it's very easy and we know everything. But when the results are the opposite and even feeling worse than before, then we feel lost and without hope. In the end, we didn't know what were we doing in the very beginning.

Please, just please, get a local real life support and stop trying random things that can make your health worse.

Also, you said that you were going to do some blood tests. Have you done them already?

 

[lollipop]

This is not so. I live in Texas and I buy Milk King grass fed milk at whole foods (1%) and it has no added vitamins, is low temp pasteurized, and non homogenized. Its 5.99 per gallon. I drink 4 gallons a week.

I drink this milk as well.Great stuff. I live in Dallas.

 

[Manoko]

Thanks everyone for your messages and sorry I got so long to reply.

Manoko, Sorry to read about your troubles. Just wanted to put in 2 cents, insomnia/digestion are my two big issues too. Digestion I have under control, I believe mostly on account of 500 mg Mg citrate and 750 mg Niacinamide before bed. Before I found RP, I did also experience good digestion with the Fiber Menace guy's Colorectal Recovery Program. Even if you don't choose to try it, you may want to look up the components and compare/contrast to what you have tried already. I pooped rocks for 30 years; things can change.

Insomnia I have not fixed. Just tried cypro for first time last night, instantly drowsy but did not fall asleep until 4:30.

I'll check it out, thanks for the recommendation. I have magnesium citrate and niacinamide at home, but I'm a bit scared of taking mineral supplements (the magnesium) because I don't want to further get into an imbalanced state.

Have you tried Tianeptine (Stablon), Cyproheptadine, or Ritanserin?

Also if you haven't tried it- I would recommend a high carb/low fat diet consisting mostly of boiled starches and fruit with adequate calories, protein, and salt. No oils. Matt Stones approach hasn't worked for me either but one thing I did learn from him is to not be afraid of starch. I find starch to be a very metabolically stimulating food when cooked properly (boiled well) and consumed with some fructose. Westside PUFAs has some great posts on the forum about starch/carbs that are worth looking at. He has a great interpretation of Peats work in my opinion.

I didn't try these, what are they for, if I may ask ? (The drugs)

I'm already quite high carb because of the sugared orange juice I've been drinking multiple times daily for months now (I add white sugar to it myself, otherwise it's pure orange juice).
If my health problems would be caused by high cortisol, or a state of stress that has exhausted my body, I feel like these months of rest and following some of Peat's general guidelines should have been plenty to get back up. Yet I can't seem to get better.

I'll think about removing the fat though. I've been eating saturated fat as it is central to the hormonal picture (the sex hormones made from cholesterol), but maybe they aren't doing me good in my state ?

I feel the same. Initially, we feel very confident about starting something new. Like it's very easy and we know everything. But when the results are the opposite and even feeling worse than before, then we feel lost and without hope. In the end, we didn't know what were we doing in the very beginning.

Please, just please, get a local real life support and stop trying random things that can make your health worse.

Also, you said that you were going to do some blood tests. Have you done them already?

I relate to the first part of your message a lot.
I really feel like I messed myself up somehow, yet I can't pinpoint what I did wrong, or what is wrong with me right now.

I'll go to the doctor's office to ask for blood tests, I didn't do them yet, because I really don't know what to test for since I don't get many leads as to why I may be in that sick state.

 

[Richiebogie]

Too much fat can cause despair.

Try lowering all fat.

10% of calories from fat should be plenty for sex hormones.

The Kitavan diet is fruit, sweet potato and a little seafood.

Perhaps try that with a little desiccated coconut (or fresh if available).

 

[Ukall]

I really feel like I messed myself up somehow, yet I can't pinpoint what I did wrong, or what is wrong with me right now.

Sometimes, backing to your normal/past routine, ie, backing to 'normal' food, could give you an insight for what you have been doing wrong.
I was on a Fruit/Fish diet in the past, and I ended up not that well... I tried to switch little things, but still being on the diet. Nothing worked out. It was driving me crazy and I was feeling worse and worse.
So, I knew for sure I had to stop doing random things, because the truth is that I am not competent enough and I am completely ignorant regarding Nutrition & Health which is a very complicated and serious matter.
Even though many of here probably won't admit it, the fact is that most of all do not know much either. People study years and years to understand a little bit of Health & Nutrition. Just because someone reads a couple of articles on the Internet and a couple of books, doesn't make you an expert on this subject.
Moreover, something that works for some doesn't make it the holy grail for everyone. Saying random (ignorant) advices for someone who is in despair can go very wrong and it's such an irresponsible and a very dangerous thing to do.
If someones says to you : "Jump out from the window of a tall building." will you follow that advice? Not saying that the advices here are like that, but the point is that you will blindly follow every single thing that anyone tells you.

It's like @James IV said here

I did ALL of this by manipulating my food choices, meal timing, exercise, sun exposure, and sleep patterns. I used no supplements.

I tell you this because sometimes the best advice is to forget all the advise you have received, and listen to your body. This is very hard to do when you are in a panic state, especially since sometimes you do t realize you are in a panic state until you come out of it. You just need a few days of staying in a parasympathetic state to change your thought processes.

Ok. Please just be careful when making absolute statements about what Dr Peat eats.Some people may take remarks like that as gospel.
A low fiber diet is very different from a fiber free diet. Just like a low starch diet is very different than a starch free diet. When people are ill, you never know what statements will resonate with them, and they will latch onto, believing they are true in all cases. These unsubstantiated beliefs could be seriously damaging thier health and healing.

Also @Mufasa said something interesting too

If we begin to make the theory more important than the experiment that falsifies it, then this will just become a religious creepy sect.

Basically, why we insist on something that it isn't working for us? Just because the X diet seems wonderful, it doesn't mean it's wonderful for everyone.
Actually, you can see that there are many people here that feel worse after trying new things just because, initially, it seemed all very easy and simple: the cure for everything. Being ignorant and not cautious it's just this.
And, guess what, now they even feel they cannot recover from the damages done anymore. I am one of those people and I feel like that too (even though, I have a slightly hope that I will recover... Our bodies are strong enough, right...? I want to believe they are...)

1) identifying the most irritating foods, and eliminating them. Once the main offenders were gone, my intolerances to less offensive foods went away. This was the hardest part because you have to let go of what food you "believe" are healthy, and let your body identify what is actually healthy.

Albert Einstein once said "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Think about it.

I'll go to the doctor's office to ask for blood tests, I didn't do them yet, because I really don't know what to test for since I don't get many leads as to why I may be in that sick state.

He/she will say if you really need to do them and he/she will tell you what do you need to test for sure.

 

[Mufasa]

If someones says to you : "Jump out from the window of a tall building." will you follow that advice? Not saying that the advices here are like that, but the point is that you will blindly follow every single thing that anyone tells you.

No, don't do it blindly. I think most important is to stay goal orientated, why do you follow this diet? What do you want to get out of this?

If you keep really goal orientated, if you keep reminding yourself of what direction you want to go, and why you want, you don't become dogmatic, and you will find answers that nobody can give you, but that are specific to your case.

In my case, I want to have more energy, I want to have better focus, feel less autistic, more humour, more creative, I want to look hot. So, since I do this diet, all those stuff improved. (Maybe looking hot corresponds with being physically hot LOL). And not just for a day, not just for a week, but gradually improved every month, and it is still improving.

And, guess what, now they even feel they cannot recover from the damages done anymore. I am one of those people and I feel like that too (even though, I have a slightly hope that I will recover... Our bodies are strong enough, right...? I want to believe they are...)

Only slight hope? Of course, you will recover. Thinking stuff is permanent is really a bad mindset, because it will make you scared to try news things out. The only way to improve is trying out stuff, and not be scared of anything.

If everyday, you set yourself to goal to find out how your body works, how you can get your body out of stress, how you can get your metabolism working, how you can get your stools good, at some moment, thinks will click, and you will find answers. I'm 100% convinced of that.

And people, are like, yeah of course, I have that goal blabla. But no, you need to get this stuff in your prefrontal cortex, not just somewhere in the back of the mind. You must put emotional intensity on it, because otherwise your goal will fade in the hectic of daily life, and at some point your subconscious brain will think it is more important to argue with other people on forums instead of really finding out how to improve your body, and how your body is working.

I can tell you which answers I found, but I think this is highly individual. Many answers where not even really diet related. It was changing my mindset, it was understanding, I'm constant searching for stimulations, even if I am supposedly trying to relax. I think finding ways to really relax, (which was not watching endless youtube videos and netflix, or wasting time on forums like this), was one of the most important things for me to finally start healing.

I don't think the idea of Ray Peat is to be dogmatic and eat only milk and fruit or something. I think the idea is to raise your temp and pulse, and keep your stress low. To be honest, my diet consist mostly of skim milk and fruit, but that is just because that works for me, and keeps my temps really high.

 

[Kyle M]

Where do you train muay Thai? Have you tried liquid food instead of solid? I'm giving a "milk shake" based diet a try, where I blend a bunch of milk with egg yolks and honey. Or do liquids make you feel over full as well?

 

[Remedy]

Consider that you might be suffering from mercury toxicity. I'm recovering from it, and was essentially at the point of suicide after eight years of slow, yet steady overall health deterioration. In my case, the deterioration was mostly digestive, due to mercury-induced immune dysfunction causing endless candida overgrowth, but the symptoms of mercury toxicity vary according to biochemical individuality and are numerous...so numerous that I'm at a loss to write something that might convince you that you're suffering from it. If the symptoms were uniform between people, I could just post them, and the uncanny similarity would be persuasive, but they aren't. For example, on the website of the chelation protocol I'm following, the Cutler Protocol, there's a list of diseases that mercury can cause:


Addison's disease
Gastritis
Allergies
Hypogonadism
Alzheimer's' disease
Hypothyroidism
Amylotrophic lateral sclerosis
Infertility
Ankylosing spondylitis
Insomnia
Anorexia nervosa
Irritable bowel syndrome
Anxiety
Juvenile arthritis
Asthma
Learning disabilities
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Lupus erythromatosus
Autoimmune disease
Manic depression
Bipolar disorder
Multiple chemical sensitivities
Borderline personality disorder
Multiple sclerosis
Bulimia
Myasthenia gravis
Candidiasis
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Chronic fatigue
Panic attacks
Colitis
Parkinson's disease
Crohn's disease
Pervasive developmental disorder
Depression
Psychosis
Endocrine disorders
Rheumatoid arthritis
Environmental illness
Schizophrenia
Fibromyalgia
Sciatica
Food allergies
Sleep disorders
Yeast syndrome

...and truly, it can cause them. Depends entirely on your chemistry.

Here're some quotations that may be pertinent:

In an overall lifestyle sense, the fact that symptoms come and go leads to the victim having periods of weeks to years of being highly functional and productive, interspersed with periods of being nonproductive and having a hard time getting anything done. Life seems to progress in fits and starts. Great progress is made on projects which later get shelved for long periods. As the disease continues, the productive periods become shorter, fewer, and farther between.


There are emotional changes in mercury poisoning. Depression slowly sets in. Victims feel fatigued and listless. They lack motivation - even for crucial tasks. They lose interest in their surroundings and in their own life. They do not enjoy life, or experience happiness or joy. They experience constant fear e. g. of losing their job. They may be very tense. They feel hopeless. They have a sense of impending doom. Every small problem is discouraging. Minor difficulties seem overwhelming and insurmountable.


The altered emotional state of a mercury intoxicated person leads to impaired interpersonal relationships. They become increasingly irritable and sensitive, reacting strongly to relatively innocent remarks. They may not be able to take orders, instructions, or suggestions without losing their temper. They resent criticism and may interpret innocent remarks critically. They may have an exaggerated response to stimulation and become fearful or anxious and nervous. They may project their fears and anxieties onto others, making inappropriate criticisms or attacks. They become shy and avoid dealing with strangers. While timid, they may unexpectedly lose self control with strangers. They may wish to visit with friends and family extensively, often wishing to engage in long, repetitive conversations, then withdraw for prolonged periods of time. They withdraw more and more from social contacts.


Intelligence gradually deteriorates. Previously bright persons become dull and slow in thinking. They suffer from a progressive decline specifically affecting short term memory as well as the faculties for logical reasoning. Thus their ability to do things like balance the checkbook, do math, or play chess suffers. They lose the ability to concentrate. Memory problems may be more from distractability and inability to concentrate and pay enough attention to get things INTO their memory than an actual failure to remember things (thus they may complain of memory problems but do well on memory tests). They cease being motivated towards their work or other tasks. Thoughts become heavy, repetitive and pedantic. Creative thinking becomes progressively more difficult, eventually becoming impossible. They become unable to select the right words to convey their meaning, and make stylistic and grammatical errors. Their ability to express themselves declines progressively.


There is a distinctive cognitive symptom of being unable to think clearly without great effort. The best description for people who have not experienced it is of a hangover without pain. People who have experienced it will recognize the term "brain fog" as entirely descriptive.


As the victim's level of intoxication waxes and wanes they go through periods of life when they do or do not dream. Dreaming may be in black and white.


Early physical symptoms include dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), insomnia, daytime drowsiness, loss of appetite, a tendency towards diarrhea - often alternating with constipation, cold hands and feet, a tendency towards sweating (some people have the opposite symptom and do not sweat at all), flushing or reddening of the skin - particularly on the face and neck. Some people blush frequently, but others do not blush at all. Asthma is a symptom of chronic mercury poisoning. Digestive disturbances are also common.


The skin becomes dry, athlete's foot and toenail fungus progress, and the insides of the ankles, particularly behind the ankle bone and a bit above it become dry, itchy, flaky and peel. This often becomes painful and annoying enough to keep the victim up at night. Even after fungus and yeast infection has been eliminated hyperkeratosis, often with papular erythema and itching are common.


The hair becomes thinner, dryer, duller, less strongly colored, slower growing, and more brittle.


The biological clock is disturbed. Waking up late and staying up late is more common than being an "early bird." Try as they might, the mercury poisoned person simply cannot control their circadian rhythm.


Victims may become photophobic and find bright light uncomfortable and unpleasant. There may be visual disturbances, including alterations in color perception leading to reduced sensitivity to the color red, or color blindness. The ability to focus on distant objects may be sporadically impaired. Peripheral vision may be reduced in the most severe cases.


The hands and feet often become distinctly cold. This can occur suddenly and is most distinctive when combined with sweating. Later in more severe poisoning they may also tingle or lose feeling.


The effects of mercury on the mouth are receding, sometimes spongy gums that bleed easily and teeth that are 'loose' in their sockets and can be wiggled very slightly. It also causes excessive salivation and unusually bad breath.


Mercury interferes with the sense of smell which becomes less acute, and later with hearing, in which perception of sounds does not diminish as notably as the patient's ability to understand and interpret them - e. g. to understand speech directed at them even though they hear it clearly.


Victims often experience discomfort that feels like a "tight band around their head." They may also experience sharp points of discomfort in their ear canals at bedtime.

Mercury also interferes with the body's ability to regulate temperature. Victims may alternate between being hot and cold when the temperature isn't changing, or have to wear more clothes than other people, or have more difficulty than other people in staying comfortable while the temperature changes. Temperature disregulation also leads to 'night sweats.'

-- Andy Cutler, Excerpt from Amalgam Illness


Yes. Pretty much everyone who gets mercury toxic gets insomnia and
dysregulation of their biological clock.

Personally I was taking 21 mg of melatonin a night and still waking up often
when I was my most toxic. Before I used to be a very heavy sleeper and I am
back to having no problem sleeping through with no melatonin.

-- Andy Cutler


Do an internet search for " index to posts by Andy Cutler " for a good site containing some information about mercury toxicity and the Cutler Protocol. Another site is at " Cutler Protocol onibasu ". Both sites are more geared towards people who are chelating, but they have information here and there that would be helpful to someone wondering if they're toxic.

And of course, there's always just a general internet search to find testimonials and forum posts and whatnot.

A year ago I tried following a supplement protocol to halt hairloss, and I took...

What supplements? Also, why do you think this was the beginning of your issues?

 

[Ukall]

I want to have better focus, feel less autistic, more humour, more creative,

Well, those are my main objectives too. I mean, also have regular bowel movements and not be constipated all the time.

and at some point your subconscious brain will think it is more important to argue with other people on forums instead of really finding out how to improve your body, and how your body is working.

Aha, that's me!

If everyday, you set yourself to goal to find out how your body works, how you can get your body out of stress, how you can get your metabolism working, how you can get your stools good, at some moment, thinks will click, and you will find answers. I'm 100% convinced of that.

Yeah, I hope so! :)

I agree with everything you said @Mufasa. Though, I think one has to read a lot before starting doing something. I mean, the fact a person is having good sensations in a short period of time, doesn't mean it is the ideal for your body. When I did Intermittent Fasting, you can't imagine how great I felt in the beginning. But then it started to be a hindrance to the point I was on fast state for 20h and I still didn't feel hungry and only stressed.
Since then, I became a little afraid of trying things randomly just because I read somewhere on the Internet.

To be honest, my diet consist mostly of skim milk and fruit, but that is just because that works for me, and keeps my temps really high.

For example, even though milk isn't a must to be 'peating', I can't really understand how people bulge it up, like you, when it is really well known that milk is a cause of inflammation. Maybe I am too ignorant, and this information is wrong...?
Also about the Beta Casein A1, Dr. Gundry: Turning off Autoimmunity with a Lectin Avoidance Diet - Selfhacked

The last thing is casein A1. 2,000 years ago Northern European cows suffered a genetic mutation. They started making a protein in their milk that’s called casein A1. It’s a very potent lectin-like substance. It’s changed into beta casein morpheine 1 which is a direct attacker of the beta cell the pancreas. Unfortunately Northern European cows are heartier, they get more milk, so almost all cows in the world are the wrong breed of cow, including ours. Southern European cows, goats, sheep, and water buffalo are Casein A2 producers and they’re perfectly safe. So what he asks people to do is avoid all American or Northern European or Australian or New Zealand cow milk products, even if it’s grass fed. Grass feed does not change the fact that they make casein A1. If they see a black and white cow on the label, like Irish butter, it’s A1.
​

Do you guys simply ignore this information? xD

 

[charlie]

Do you guys simply ignore this information?

A1 Vs A2 Milk - Is The Devil Really In The Milk?

 

[James IV]

All these diet recommendations in this thread are still missing the point. No one is going to be able to reccomend foods or macros that will heal you, because there is no perfect diet. Health is dynamic and your nutrition needs are as well. If you follow any diet that restricts macros or food groups for too long, you will likely not be at optimal health.
I urge you to get off the internet and use only your own bodies feedback to decide what, when, and how much to eat.
Also regarding your statement about "messing up" your body, you have not. Although I would consider the idea that it's easier for the body to regain homeostasis with less input rather than more. In other words, rather than trying to overfeed your body this nutrient and that food to rebalance, it may be better to give it just enough, and allow that digestive energy to be diverted toward rebalancing. I do believe there is such a thing as over nutrition, and excess may be more of a problem for the system than scarcity.

Don't fear macros, and do not fear hunger. Hunger has a way of directing us toward what we need.

 

[Dopamine]

I didn't try these, what are they for, if I may ask ? (The drugs)

I'm already quite high carb because of the sugared orange juice I've been drinking multiple times daily for months now (I add white sugar to it myself, otherwise it's pure orange juice).
If my health problems would be caused by high cortisol, or a state of stress that has exhausted my body, I feel like these months of rest and following some of Peat's general guidelines should have been plenty to get back up. Yet I can't seem to get better.

I'll think about removing the fat though. I've been eating saturated fat as it is central to the hormonal picture (the sex hormones made from cholesterol), but maybe they aren't doing me good in my state ?

Tianeptine is an antidepressant that lowers serotonin. You sound depressed so I wanted to mention it. It helped me when I was extremely depressed but now I would say i'm only mildly depressed and it doesn't seem to do much anymore. If you get desperate/suicidal it is a good alternative to the shitty SSRI drugs most doctors will try to give you. I would honestly avoid most drugs and supplements unless you really need them but tianeptine can help stabilize your mood if you are feeling very sad.

Dietary fats are not essential because your body can produce its own saturated fats and cholesterol through "de novo lipogenesis". Most foods contain a small amount of fat anyway so again "low fat" not "no fat".

McCarbthyism
The videos on this channel helped convince me to go high carb. They are great.


Also this guys videos- he has an awesome and fairly "Peaty" diet in my opinion. White rice, fruit, potatoes... He eats high calorie meals which is super important. You have to get those calories in! I eat similar to him now with the addition of lactose free 1% milk, low fat cheeses/yogurt, and I eat way more salt and occasionally some lean meat. Feels good.

 

[Kyle M]

That kid seems smart and interesting but the whole vegan thing...also he looks like he's about 19. Most people that feel great on garbage diets.

 

[Dopamine]

Ya honestly disregard my posts because I don't think sick people should really be giving other sick people advice... I am in the same position as OP and am looking for answers myself for my own problems so I shouldn't be dishing out tips.

I think its important to pay attention to your body and find what works for you... obviously this will vary between people.

 

[Giraffe]

@Manoko , I wonder how you are doing. Have you found something that helps?

Reading about your troubles the impression I get is that something obstructs your intestine. The other problems would be the consequence of that, e.g. the feeling to be full after a few mouthful.

High intake of magnesium in divided doses was suggested in this thread. Unless you have kidney problems this is a very safe way to soften the stool. The body is quite good at getting rid of excess magnesium.

If you still have problems, please seek professional help. Someone I know had problems similar to yours. In his case a small section of the gut was folded inwards, causing an obstruction. I don't know the medical term for it. Hope someone else chimes in.

 

[LukeL]

@Manoko I hope you are finding some relief. Any updates?

 

[DaveFoster]

Ya honestly disregard my posts because I don't think sick people should really be giving other sick people advice... I am in the same position as OP and am looking for answers myself for my own problems so I shouldn't be dishing out tips.

True; same boat. All I should say is, "These people are doing this. They look okay for now."

Also, people need to stop pretending that starch is okay.

Low phosphate, low PUFA, low starch: these are what Peat emphasizes.

Starch is not good. It sucks; it directly creates endotoxin and feeds bacteria; forget the insulin resistance. It also makes you tired. I have gut issues, so I can't handle starch. Maybe others can do better.

Fruit is the ideal food in Peat's mind. Milk is good because of the calcium and protein, but the fat content of milk, while beneficial and delicious, still contains PUFA's, which accumulate.

 

[EIRE24]

True; same boat. All I should say is, "These people are doing this. They look okay for now."

Also, people need to stop pretending that starch is okay.

Low phosphate, low PUFA, low starch: these are what Peat emphasizes.

Starch is not good. It sucks; it directly creates endotoxin and feeds bacteria; forget the insulin resistance. It also makes you tired. I have gut issues, so I can't handle starch. Maybe others can do better.

Fruit is the ideal food in Peat's mind. Milk is good because of the calcium and protein, but the fat content of milk, while beneficial and delicious, still contains PUFA's, which accumulate.

For what its worth, I did way worse on a fruit and sugar diet as my main carbohydrate source and starch makes me feel way way better. I think its actually important for the person to experiment and see for themselves how they fair on both and decide then. I messed myself up bad from just taking reccomendations on here and eating what is "peat approved".

 

[Manoko]

Thanks for asking for news guys.
I'm trying to find what's wrong, and I can't seem to do it.

In the meantime, my symptoms haven't stopped, and when I try to do some exercise, I'm shaking a lot during and after it, for the smallest of efforts, and my muscles take a lot of days to recover (and I feel fatigued the whole day after exercising).

I have done the blood tests my doctor advised but haven't done the ones advised on this forum, except two:

Calcium :98,9 mg/L (2,47 mmol/L).
TSH: 2,82 μUI/mL

My blood calcium and TSH are a bit too high right ?
What does that mean according to you guys ?

And what other tests could I do ? Prolactin, and ?