Need To Eat Zero Carb For A Few Weeks, Tips To Reduce Stress?

[tara]

Yes, I do need to relax, I guess you can tell! Just so sick of being sick! Thanks for the reminder <3

Stress > hyperventilation > reduced CO2 > reduced circulation to digestive system.

Relax breathing > increase CO2 > improve circulation to gut > improve digestion. :)

 

[thebigpeatowski]

I've heard that aged cascara sagrada is soothing to the intestines, but I've not tried it so I can't speak to it directly.

I personally have a somewhat poor reaction to cyproheptadine, makes me constipated, groggy and depressed.

Do you like ginger ale?

 

[SarahBeara]

Stress > hyperventilation > reduced CO2 > reduced circulation to digestive system.

Relax breathing > increase CO2 > improve circulation to gut > improve digestion. :)

Just so blindingly obvious when you put it like this May get a tattoo of it.

Though it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario with me, as my stomach acting up will bring on anxiety too.

I've heard that aged cascara sagrada is soothing to the intestines, but I've not tried it so I can't speak to it directly.

I personally have a somewhat poor reaction to cyproheptadine, makes me constipated, groggy and depressed.

Do you like ginger ale?

Love ginger ale. Will keep it in my arsenal when I'm feeling a bit stronger as right now bubbles are causing issues.

 

[tara]

Though it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario with me, as my stomach acting up will bring on anxiety too.

Yeah, I believe you. There are lots of such spirals that can be tricky to undo. Good luck.

 

[nomoreketones]

I've read many low carb and ketogenic books. Zero carb did not work out well for me which is partly how I ended up here. :) I'm late to the thread here but the best low carb book I have ever read on the topic The Art and Science of Low carb Performance by Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek.

 

[SarahBeara]

OK so I'm making some progress. BIG THANK YOU to Tara as the root of this whole thing seems to be anxiety.

I am doing meditating and breathing exercises 2-3 times a day and not a peep out of my gut. I'm still eating quite carefully but I'm about 10 times better than I was on Monday. Also helps that I have a few days off from my very stressful job.

It's very weird as my symptoms are SO physical but it makes biological sense that the stress caused by anxiety would reek havoc on my digestion.

 

[Greg says]

'My soul is dark and stormy riot: directly traced to diet'. - Samuel Hoffenstein, script writer for the movie Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Back in the nineties, before I discovered Peat or knew anything about health I had terrible a anxiety/panic disorder and also at the same time an ulcerated, red raw digestive system. I really got to understand, the hard way, the connection between brain and gut. The gut problems can cause anxiety and anxiety can cause gut problems. The gut and brain are one of the same thing. Jordan S Rubin says, 'it turns out that both our gut and brain originate early in embryogenesis from the same clump of tissue, which divides during foetal development'. If children are anxious at school they get a tummy ache. If you eat something irritating you get anxiety. Where is love felt? Butterflies in the stomach? Romeo sent Juliet a letter, which read 'you move me'.

I had stomach ulcers from high stress, alcohol etc. a roundworm infection from India, systemic candidiasis which all came to ahead when I got a case of gastroenteritis. I was eating low carb, taking herbs etc., anti-fungals (the 4R gut healing protocol) and eventually I got better. But looking back I think this method was a bit brutal.

 

[Peater Piper]

Psychosomaticism is a real thing. If your mind is unwell it can wreak havoc on the body. Unrelenting stress will chronically raise cortisol. It works the other way around, too. Physical discomfort creates anxiety, and it becomes a vicious cycle. So in the end we need to take care of the mind and body.

 

[lindsay]

I suffered gut issues (and still do sometimes) for a really long time following a drug I was prescribed and it made me manic depressive. One of the reasons I developed eating problems and ruined my health. If I had known then what I had known now, I would have saved myself a lot of pain and anxiety, but we live and learn. Keep the gut clean and happy and good mental function will ensue! Also, make sure not to get stressed about things (meditation is on my learn-to-do-everyday list). Today I have been having sinus headaches and stomach issues and I know it's because I have two weddings in a row this weekend (I'm a wedding photographer). Otherwise, I'd be fine. So glad to hear the breathing and meditating is working for you! Maybe I can force myself to take some time in the morning and focus and breathe before I head out for the day. Better yet, I should say I will.

Hope you continue to feel better! Also, I'm curious to hear how this whole low carb thing works for you in starving the bacteria. Another thing I could suggest, which I've done in the past following food poisoning, was mix potato starch with Kefir or good yogurt. Works really really well. The starch carries the "good" bacteria all the way through the intestine. I'm not a huge believer in probiotics, but that worked magic for me once. I was just lazy about continuing it as a daily practice and eventually, my bacterial issues led to appendicitis (worst thing ever). So really, do whatever you can to knick this in the butt!

 

[tara]

I am doing meditating and breathing exercises 2-3 times a day and not a peep out of my gut. I'm still eating quite carefully but I'm about 10 times better than I was on Monday. Also helps that I have a few days off from my very stressful job.

Good news. :)

 

[tara]

Psychosomaticism is a real thing. If your mind is unwell it can wreak havoc on the body. Unrelenting stress will chronically raise cortisol. It works the other way around, too. Physical discomfort creates anxiety, and it becomes a vicious cycle. So in the end we need to take care of the mind and body.

Yeah.

 

[tara]

Hi Sarah, just saw this on a breathing thread and thought of you:

I was struggling much more with my Crohn's disease about 3 years back, and I noticed that making my breath as slow and deep as possible put my symptoms into remission for about 24 hours.

 

[Pointless]

Yeah, that was me. I wasn't able to replicate the benefits to that level ever again, though. One reason I think the deep breathing worked so well is that at the time I was in deep, deep ketosis (coincidentally, with your situation). I did my deep breathing for much longer than I ever had that night, and I was holding my breath in and out, pushing myself deep into air hunger. I can't really manage that now, or at least I don't have the urge to.

 

[SarahBeara]

Thanks guys I really appreciate your thoughts and replies, they mean a lot.

I'm definitely over the acute phase which I do credit to relaxation. However the lower chronic phase is still present,

I've started taking triphala, an Ayurvedic herb to see if that improves things.

Will keep you posted x