New Ray Peater, have some questions

[Tabrid]

Hello all, been reading Ray and lurking this forum for a while and started implementing some of the Ray's advices into my life but just like most of yours, my progress is not linear and clear as I hoped it would be. So I have got a long list of questions. You guys obviously are not obliged to answer any of them, you can pick and answer just some of them you want, it is more than alright for me.

So I hail and thank you before I start my questions.


First are some information about me:

23 y.o, average metabolism, overeater, overweight, tall with smallish hands, 140/90 BP average, low to average LDL/Trig/Hba1c despite my situation, low HDL, good liver enzymes, CRP slightly above upper limit, cold hands and feet (but better with Peating) but good cold tolerance overall, acid reflux, bad focus/attention/short therm memory, anxiety and easy to stress, high interest in sex mentally but low bodily instinct (not talking about ED or impotence, more like bridge between my mind and body is kind of weak when it comes to desire. My libido is not as animalistic and primal as before)


started peating for: better metabolism, mood, longevity (lots of early deaths from heart disease in my family and the sad thing is there were lots of centanarians in my family before industrialisation of food), libido, attention, allergies...

By Peating I mean: Zero plant oils/PUFAS, avarage amount of milk and dairy, some saturated fat and red meat, 2 cups of coffee with sugar, starch and fruit is my energy base. Around 2500 kcal daily which i believe is good for fat loss. Was taking D3/K2 time to time but now taking it everyday.


Supplements: Vit E, Sulbuthiamine, Mg Citrate/Malate, D3/K2, Taurine 1g, weekly lamb liver, going to add Creatine soon.


Diets that I tried before:

Keto, felt absolutely horrible. Agitated, cold, low motivation, hungry. Don't understand how can someone call glucose a toxin. I still respect Keto as a therapeutic option but it is pointless as a lifestyle.

Very low fat plant based diet: felt pretty warm, alive, active, couldn't feel my pulse for the first time in years (I get a uncomfortably strong, throbbing pulse normally which gets worse when I eat unhealthy especially), improved endurance but sadly kind of anxious and constantly hungry.

And now Ray Peat based: Warmish, calm, happy, satiated. Very tired after meals. Strong, throbbing pulse constantly (which normally only happens when I eat unhealthy junk food like McDonalds or pizza+cola normally.) Intense sleepiness, moderate brain fog and lack of motivation after meals especially if they're milk dominant. Heart palpating and out of breath even when just going upstairs. Slight angina when resting. (Started doing it 15 days ago)


So here comes my questions dear brothers and sisters...

1) The throbbing pulse. Angina. What does it mean? Can it be from excess fat or maybe fat and carb combination? Maybe because I am overweight? High blood sugar after meals? And throbbing goes away if I take a beta blocker so is it about adrenaline? It never happens if I eat a low fat high carb meal.

2) Maybe dairy, especially the milk is the culprit for brain fog, sleepiness? How would a classical low grain/no wheat whole food plant based diet with some added ghee, coconut oil and "maybe" some occasional cheese and red meat be? So not a very low fat diet but a moderate fat, moderate protein and high carb diet... (like 25 25 50?) Would I get the energy and cardiovascular benefits of high carb and mood, satiety benefits of saturated fats this way?

3) As I stated above, I have a strong "mental" libido (as in fantasising, obsessing, wanting etc) but low bodily libido (primal, touchy, erection frequency etc) but pretty firm morning wood. It wasn't like that a few years ago. What can be the reason? No excess masturbation or any addiction or confidence problems by the way. What can I do to improve, feel like my old primal, horny self?

4) I have a year long, constant allergic rhinitis which I HATE. (no dripping but almost fully congested nose 7/24, allergy to dust mites which are not avoidable, pollen and cats) Antihistamines doesn't help and make me feel really sleepy. It really frustrates me. Tried butterbur, black cumin oil, astragalus, aspirine, quercetin, spirulina, reishi etc; none worked. I have a generally reactive, allergic immune system overall. My mother and all siblings are the same. Even the allergies are the same. Are there anything I can do that make the allergies go away and breathe with my nose?

5) I have shaking hands for years. It gets worse if I'm hungry. Doctor said nothing wrong with my brain MRI, just lower your coffee etc (I wasn't even drinking coffee when I went to the doctor years ago) What can be the reason, is there any cure?

6) Is saturated fat really doesn't cause heart disease. Angina and throbbing really demoralise me. I LOVE the effect of SF on hormones, mood, satiation but I am kind of scared right now. All the things I used to listen from the Greger, Esselstyn, McDougall etc are increasing that fear. I am in a weird cognitive dissonance.

7) What can my overall problem be? High seretonin/histamine etc? Or what should I focus on most?

8) My right side is slightly weaker, feels more mechanic/robotic then my left when walking even though I am a right handed guy. Should I be worried?

9) Are there any potential problems with my supplements? Anything that I should seriously consider adding or removing? (other than hormones, idea of hormone usage disturbs me somehow.)

Thank you for taking your time, reading. Good luck with life.

 

[Mito]

Maybe dairy, especially the milk is the culprit for brain fog, sleepiness?

Some people may have trouble with bovine β-casomorphin in A1 cow’s milk. Have you tried goat’s milk or jersey cow (A2) milk?

“There are a few problems with cow's milk, yet goat milk—and its derivatives—are almost entirely free of those objections. The two main issues are the unusually-high potency of bovine β-casomorphin, as compared to other species, and the potential to form folate receptor autoantibodies in response to the soluble folate receptor preset in cow's milk—a protein roughly 88% similar to our own. Folate receptor autoantibodies are a complex issue, and we are presenting information on the topic here.”

Fascinating New Paper On Hair Loss

@Travis Would there be any local or systemic side effects from topical cyclosporin and/ or spirinolactone? From what I remember cyclosporin required a specific carrier to get in the cell no? If hairloss is a local blood flow issue leading to hypoxia in the scalp would these still work?

raypeatforum.com

 

[Tabrid]

Some people may have trouble with bovine β-casomorphin in A1 cow’s milk. Have you tried goat’s milk or jersey cow (A2) milk?

“There are a few problems with cow's milk, yet goat milk—and its derivatives—are almost entirely free of those objections. The two main issues are the unusually-high potency of bovine β-casomorphin, as compared to other species, and the potential to form folate receptor autoantibodies in response to the soluble folate receptor preset in cow's milk—a protein roughly 88% similar to our own. Folate receptor autoantibodies are a complex issue, and we are presenting information on the topic here.”

Fascinating New Paper On Hair Loss

@Travis Would there be any local or systemic side effects from topical cyclosporin and/ or spirinolactone? From what I remember cyclosporin required a specific carrier to get in the cell no? If hairloss is a local blood flow issue leading to hypoxia in the scalp would these still work?

raypeatforum.com

Thanks for the answer. I actually ate about 100 grams of %90 goat %10 cow cheese this morning with orange juice. Felt pretty normal afterwards. After 4 hours I drank 3 big glasses of milk with some sausage and about an hour later started to feel really bad. So did the milk cause this or was this the accumulation of both or neither of them? So it seems like I have to experiment with isolated goat cheese, goat milk and cow milk so that I can make sure which one is giving me the problems. I am getting goat milk in a ten days. Going to try each one for three days and update. Thanks again.

 

[Velve921]

Thanks for the answer. I actually ate about 100 grams of %90 goat %10 cow cheese this morning with orange juice. Felt pretty normal afterwards. After 4 hours I drank 3 big glasses of milk with some sausage and about an hour later started to feel really bad. So did the milk cause this or was this the accumulation of both or neither of them? So it seems like I have to experiment with isolated goat cheese, goat milk and cow milk so that I can make sure which one is giving me the problems. I am getting goat milk in a ten days. Going to try each one for three days and update. Thanks again.

Hey my friend,

My first question is,

What are resting pulse/temperature over the course of 3 days at the following times:

upon waking
20 minutes after breakfast
20 minutes after lunch
20 minutes after dinner

Broda Barnes and Ray Peat have discussed these as good measures for the metabolism.

84-90bpm
98.6-99 F

Generally, these demonstrate that the metabolism is in a good place. Below or above can be signs of a sluggish metabolism.

I remember when first starting 7 years ago, my vitals were:

96.6 F
55-60 bpm

...upon waking. A mentor of mine said that don't be surprised that as you improve your resting metabolic rate, it may feel a little funny as your heart may start pumping harder at rest which many of us are not used to. For example, I now have a resting heart rate of 90-95 during the day and I do not notice it.

2nd point... if you are someone that has been running on stress for the majority of your life, the sleepiness can be your body coming down from the stress response. I went through a point in my 4th month where all I wanted to do was sleep. Especially, as I continue increasing my nutrients. Eventually I adjusted through many mind shifts and recovery.

Last point from my end, if you haven't yet, I would start learning about insoluble fiber, i.e. raw carrots, boiled white button mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Many people are in dire need of cleaning up their GI tract which can eliminate a lot of fatigue, brain fog, and let the metabolism start to rebuild.

 

[Richiebogie]

I actually ate about 100 grams of %90 goat %10 cow cheese this morning with orange juice. Felt pretty normal afterwards. After 4 hours I drank 3 big glasses of milk with some sausage and about an hour later started to feel really bad.

Sounds like you were doing well on low fat plant based.

Maybe go back to that but with a little dairy and red meat to address the anxiety and hunger.

 

[Blaze]

I agree with Richie Bogie when he suggests that if you were doing quite well on a low fat plant based diet and should basically stick with that if it helped you. Maybe modify that and it would be Peaty principled enough for you if you completely avoid all seed oils and incorporate things like low fat milk, OJ , and for occasional meat try liver or shrimp or oysters. Very well cooked vegetables become much less poisonous to the body and lose a lot of their negative anti-nutrient effects.
Non-starchy fruit is always ok. There is no point in being so dogmatic with a Peat diet that we no longer eat a widely varied diet and focus on just a few foods and ignore Ray Peats real point which is doing things nutritionally that might in the long term extend our life and in the short term make us suffer less symptoms thereby letting us feel healthier and enjoy our daily living. I have personally found that Peat's advice is impressive and very sound. Just be pragmatic and tailor it to your needs and use what works with your unique physiology.

To answer a couple of your many questions:

Supplements---not a big fan. Does more harm than good if you don't have a deficiency. If you are young, avoid them. Older, use them sparingly. Vitamin D & K supplements I do like quite a bit but I'm 60. Taking D3 has not much risk and may indeed help you. Get the B's from eggs or liver. Minerals from shellfish. Shellfish are naturally low in fat, high in protein and replete with minerals such as magnesium, copper, selenium – and not to forget zinc, critical to male fertility.

All the things you heard from the Greger, Esselstyn, McDougall etc are increasing fear- Leaving you in a weird cognitive dissonance?
Don't worry, many of their ideas conform nicely to Peats advice like lower fat and absolutely no oil (Esselstyn). Keep the ideas from them that work and use the Ray Peat ideas that work for you in conjunction with those. It is a journey of learning that we are all embarked upon. You can learn and make it work well for you (albeit via some trial and error along the way)

Throbbing pulse and angina--- those can have many causes and should be diagnosed by a healthcare practitioner you trust and not by individuals here. If you are lucky enough to find a Doctor that will take the time to explain to you based on bloodwork and other diagnostic tools , what he thinks is going on............... a Doctor that answers your questions and health concerns in great detail , then you are very fortunate indeed. Most just write a prescription and don't educate at all. That's why a lot of us are forced to discuss matters here and learn what we can do to help ourselves. The system that exists fails us sometimes.

 

[Quelsatron]

You should check your vitamin D levels, it's really easy to be deficient and there's no real way to accurately tell without blood tests. I've read a bumch of stories of people who needed to supplement even though they had become tanned from being in the sun. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the 25 hydroxy vitamin d test should be as mandatory for peaters as the pulse and temperature check.

I have low levels and I also have problems with shakiness, we'll see if it resolves but vitamin D is anti-stress so hopefully it will.

 

[Tabrid]

Hello everyone! Thank you very much for the thorough answers and sorry for my delay. Right now I am trying a whole food plant based diet minus grains and legumes, plus dairy and eggs. So it is basically low fat millk, goat cheese, eggs, fruits, dried fruits. Looking to add white potato and rice.

Update:

Good news: seems like dairy is not the culprit. (Altough lactose gives me gas...) Hear throbbing is getting fewer, softer. I tought dairy would increase them because of calcium but opposite is happening. I sometimes get suprised that I don't feel my pulse.

Bad news: Soluable fiber and possibly orange juice (even without pulp) gives me problems. Reflux, gas, indigestion...

@Mito Update here. Seems like my problem was not dairy but overeating and fat+carb combination. I drank more than a litter a day of cow and goat milk and thankfully there were no problems. Goat cheese is not a problem for me as well especially when I eat with moderation.

@Velve921 Hi! My tempratures were pretty good even before starting (only temprature problem is cold hands and feet) and now they're even better. Constantly over 98.6 now. For the heart rate they're between 65-75 when resting without food and they're around 80 when satiated. I don't know what to make of it. Really good tempratures but meh heart rate. And yeah gut issues are really a problem for me. I realised, the days I feel bloated, have significant acid reflux, indigestion etc are also the days I feel most tired, sad. I eliminated most soluable fibers and I'm looking to increase insoluable ones. I sincerely hope white rice and potatoes are unproblematic for me though since they're a really easy carb source. Going to test them next week.

@Richiebogie Yes, I am trying such diet minus grains and most insoluable fiber right now. It is pretty positive overall, I hope the benefits are sustained.

@Blaze I am doing exactly what you're suggesting diet wise and it is going pretty well so far. Pragmatic aproach is really important, I agree. I will test white potatoes and white rice next week. If they're not a problem I will be really happy. I agree with most supplements doing more harm than good. Sadly lots of people are obsessed with them thinking they're the silver bullets to good health while overlooking the major lifestyle changes. I am getting liver as a food supplement and looking to add shrimp and oysters as well. I made a good balance of whole food plant based diet and Ray Peat life style since, as you said it, they're pretty compatible. For the angina and throbbing, a really good cardiologist checked me, did some tests and basically told me there is nothing wrong with me and I should lose weight and walk more. Hope he is right. Thank you again!

@Quelsatron I had a value on the upper side of the range recently and I agree it is really easy to get deficient in vitamin D3 especially if you are living in a dark place/not going outside enough, my sister once had a level of 5 if I remember correctly. I hope your problems resolves. Good luck!