Newbie here , need some help

[lazz]

....

 

[jaguar43]

Hey guys .I've been doing some reading on Danny's board ( actually found it today to be honest) and Peat's diet caught my attention but I'm kind of confused also. .Please bare with me , I need some help Hormone related.

My story , in a nutshell . I'm 38 y.o ex competitive bodybuilders ( placed 3rd at Nationals 2011) as many of you might have suspected did a few cycles of roids, on and off . Fast Forward January 7th of 2013..I decided that I wanted to live a healthy life , free of chemicals and quit everything cold turkey..( juice-roids ,that is) and started eating organic ,veggies , grass fed beef and all since then , trying to get my HPTA to start producing testosterone own its one and hormones to regulate naturally...wife also wants a kid

As most of studies , reseach suggest , to increase Testosterone , you need animal fats , nuts, cruciferous veggies, low low carbs...so that's what I followed. 2weeks ago I got blood work done and these were the results after 4 months clean of steroids:

testosterone _ 454
estradiol 20
LH 3.6
FSH 4.3
PROLACTIN 2.2

Not too bad comparing all the s*** I took during my competitive years....feel a lot better , no anxiety anymore, BP is normal 126/78...Im fairly lean but my libido and sex drive is very unstable , some days I am ready to go 3-4 times then there are days that I cant even get semi hard on , ..my questions is would Peat diet help me increase my natural test level, fertily and libido????? and If could direct me or tell what food to eat daily.... please help , thanks in advance..Id be really appreciative...I mean it with all my sincerity....god bless..

Drinking a few cups of milk within a setting will increase my libido in that moment. Sugar( watermelon, honey,grapes, cherries, surcose, ect) will also keep it up. Throw in some fruits( depending where you live) and juices are good to. Liver and heart are good as well. Diet should come first after a few months tried meds.

Getting blood work on thyroid would also help( t3, t4, tsh, ft3, ft4). Checking for signs for hypo thyroid such as myxedema, dry skin, warts, flat feet, depression, and other symptoms.

I am not sure if you tried thyroid medication when you were pre-contest but t3 and t4 has raised my testosterone over the limits. But my estrogen was high as well. pregnenolone kept my estrogen in check due to not seeing any back acne and keep my muscle ( thyroid can eat muscles quickly). Your prolactin is in check, estradiol looks good. Pregnenolone is pretty good and safe.

For your wife again do some of the nutritional advice ray peat has to offer. Blood work for her as well, but add progesterone. I think she should supplement with some of ray peats progest-e., just because its extremely important for pregnancy. Take a look at his articles, they are a wealth of information.

Don't take this the wrong way but my opinion is that one should wait until they feel healthy enough to have a baby.
Do not get bullied by your wife, patience is important and the longer she waits the better because of the hormone HCG. It is extremely important for the fetus because it allows the body to burn fat and allow the fetus to obtain the sugar. It also is in higher concentrations as the women gets older. So in the thirty's it's a good age to have a baby. Again do not take this the wrong way I am just trying to give you advice.

 

[lazz]

thank a lot for your advice ,brother.....yeah , I think one of the issues my diet is very low in carbs but that's gonna change. ..regarding protein. ..grass fed liver (beef or chicken ), free -range chicken whole eggs , red meat ( which cuts) , type of milk ???? what else is good??/ ive read no fatty fish nor chicken is allowed on Peat diet??

what about fats?? I do cook my eggs in coconut oils.....should I drop the almonds, brazil nuts cod liver pills, fish oils pills???? are they good?? if not whats fats are allowed.....remember this completely contrary of what ive been following for years but definitely gonna give it a try

 

[lazz]

I have no depression. .Physically im very lean , around 9% bodyfat....I lose fat easily, through diet ,cardio ..no flat feet but I will get those checked on my next bloodwork

 

[charlie]

thank a lot for your advice ,brother.....yeah , I think one of the issues my diet is very low in carbs but that's gonna change. ..regarding protein. ..grass fed liver (beef or chicken ), free -range chicken whole eggs , red meat ( which cuts) , type of milk ???? what else is good??/ ive read no fatty fish nor chicken is allowed on Peat diet??

what about fats?? I do cook my eggs in coconut oils.....should I drop the almonds, brazil nuts cod liver pills, fish oils pills???? are they good?? if not whats fats are allowed.....remember this completely contrary of what ive been following for years but definitely gonna give it a try

lazz,

The carb increase might see a sudden increase in libido with it, low carb is the pits for that as it destroys the hormone system.

Grass fed liver around 4 ounces a week, I do a little more a week because I am pretty sure I need to replete the vitamins and minerals it contains, make sure to drink coffee shortly after to bring down the iron intake. Also make sure to get some gelatin to help balance out the amino acids in muscle meats when you eat them, I also take gelatin with liver. With liver make sure to use a pretty good amount of saturated fat with it, butter or coconut oil. Meat should not be the bulk of your diet though. Leaning towards milk, and cheese for your protein, along with gelatin is best. Orange juice, strained with no pulp and the sugar in milk for your sugars. Of course you can branch off as you find things that work for you. To maximize healing I would stay as far away from starches as possible. Ray Peat protein potato soup is liquid gold.

Egg whites can be cause of problems for a lot of people, watch for that. I only eat the yolks now.

Yes, drop almonds, brazil nut, fish oil pills, I hope someone can clarify on the cod liver but I am assuming thats high PUFA too. Those are all high in polyunsaturated fats(PUFA) which are a HUGE problem. PUFA just absolutely destroys our energy system, wrecking havoc in so many ways I would not even know where to begin. Read as much as you can of Ray Peats articles. Print one out, take it along with you if you need to and just absorb as you can.

lazz, I know this prolly wont hit deep with you right yet. But, you have found it brother. This is it. It takes some time to get all the "philosophies" figured out and settled in your head. And it does take some time to get rid of the PUFA that is stored in your body. But you should be able to start seeing small differences soon or heck maybe even some big ones.

You have probably already seen it, but here are some general guidelines, now just dive in and let the healing begin.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20

Oh, and start tracking your temps and pulse if you want to see how your metabolism is doing. Also, for myself, I wish I would have started on thyroid supplement sooner. But I would make sure I have the diet down first because the thyroid supplement will increase your need of vitamins and such.

 

[lazz]

Charlie , thanks a million for educating me more and more on the subject...Of ocourse ,I will spend a lot of time reading his articles and every info I could about Peat's diet. ...any type of cheese and milk in particular?????

one more question today if u don't mind since I am at the office right now but will search for more answers to my questions when I get home

whats the daily percentage of cabrs-protein-fats daily? macros?? see, im still doing fitness modeling and what I will do is throw carbs in as in form of Oj , milk but lower my " daily total calories" consumed so I can stay ripped for pshoots and competitions.....something also tells me from a bodybuilders point of view the addition of carbs will make my muscles even fuller although I could careless about my appereance right now , I wanna restore my sex drive and libido first...that's my main goal...once again , im soooo freaking thankful , u guys have no idea .

 

[jaguar43]

Charlie , thanks a million for educating me more and more on the subject...Of ocourse ,I will spend a lot of time reading his articles and every info I could about Peat's diet. ...any type of cheese and milk in particular?????

one more question today if u don't mind since I am at the office right now but will search for more answers to my questions when I get home

whats the daily percentage of cabrs-protein-fats daily? macros?? see, im still doing fitness modeling and what I will do is throw carbs in as in form of Oj , milk but lower my " daily total calories" consumed so I can stay ripped for pshoots and competitions.....something also tells me from a bodybuilders point of view the addition of carbs will make my muscles even fuller although I could careless about my appereance right now , I wanna restore my sex drive and libido first...that's my main goal...once again , im soooo freaking thankful , u guys have no idea .

It really depends on a lot of things, your metabolism, life style, stress, ect. I would go by hungry, energy, and mental clarity.I know alot of people won't like what I am about to say but if your having a hard time loosing wait with peats recommendations, T3 and T4 are your best bet. I have been taking it on and off, but I am going to stick with it long term. It is not a problem long-term though some people swear that there thyroid function will never come back.

Skim milk is good 1 or 2 %. Raw milk is not some holy grail food that people promote. Stick with the store but if there is stomach problems try another brand. Cheese is hard to come by that does have the bacteria.

 

[HDD]

"With just a normal amount of vitamin E in the diet, cod liver oil is certain to be highly oxidized in the tissues of a mammal that eats a lot of it, and an experiment with dogs showed that it could increase their cancer mortality from the normal 5% to 100%. Although fish oils rapidly destroy vitamin E in the body, some of them, especially the liver oils, can provide useful vitamins, A and D. In studies comparing fish oil diets with standard diets, these nutrients, as well as any toxins besides fatty acids (Huang, et al., 1997; Miyazaki, et al., 1998) in either type of oil, should be taken into account, but they seldom are."

"The Great Fish Oil Experiment"

 

[charlie]

lazz, Ray Peat drinks 2% milk. The benefit of raw milk is that it does not have the added vitamins in it which can cause people problems. You just need to find the milk that works for you and does not cause you gastric issues. Myself I drink raw milk, but Ray Peat thinks we should keep bacteria as low as possible so that's a benefit of pasteurized milk.

There are threads on cheese if you use the search function. Best to use soft cheese without the enzymes and make sure they use animal rennet. Or just make it yourself like I do.

 

[j.]

lazz, regarding the ratio of macronutrients, as long as you get 80 grams of protein from good sources per day, I think it's ok to eat according to taste and forget the ideal ratios. Peat says ideal is a third of each, but he also says that if one deviates from that, it would still be fine if one consumes the fats, carbs, and proteins from good sources.

 

[Dutchie]

lazz, regarding the ratio of macronutrients, as long as you get 80 grams of protein from good sources per day, I think it's ok to eat according to taste and forget the ideal ratios. Peat says ideal is a third of each, but he also says that if one deviates from that, it would still be fine if one consumes the fats, carbs, and proteins from good sources.

So,if Im understanding correctly Ray advises an ideal ratio as 40-30-30,same as i think this Zone Diet? I thougth he once said in an interview he prefers carbs to be the main load in the diet?

Also ofcourse the protein is optimal from great sources,but does proteine from all fruits also count within that 80grams?for instance these Iran sun dates contain 6grams of protein which i find quite a lot for fruit.

The reason im asking bc ive worked with this very knowledgable Peat inspired healthcoach and he basically preferred that all people at least consume 3000Cal a day! Ill probably need it to gain weigth/fat and it still makes me really really nervous and wish i had someone here to help me through or do this together with.
So,today im going to the gym in the hope of getting a decent (weigth)training protocol and then starting Monday i really need to begin with eating 3balanced meals a day. So,i kinda figured id need to make a mealplan for myself....and reading this think i should start out fresh again with the above ratios.

I really hope my fears&mental struggles turn out to be a fluke,bc....oh ....even thinking about it makes me breakout in sweat,heartpalpitations etc.!

 

[lazz]

awesome info ,guys.....he doesnt recommend cruciferous veggies ..how do you guys keep your E2 or estrogen in check???

 

[j.]

I'd say eat according to hunger, maybe do a bit of effort to eat, but don't force yourself to eat 3000 cals.

 

[Dutchie]

I'd say eat according to hunger, maybe do a bit of effort to eat, but don't force yourself to eat 3000 cals.

But thats one of the problems my hunger/satiaty,hormones,digestion have been unknowingly messed up throughout the years i guess. And one of my main culprits is running off to the gym,doing weigths while still being skimpy on food,eating etc. While i know rationally that in order for muscles. To grow and maintain/keep energy&strength and when metabolism is up,one needs more daily calories. But still im afraid when i eat more a certain day(s) and/or feel too strong/good.

 

[lazz]

ok fellas...Im going all in this weekend . Im gonna stop by whole foods market and these are on my list:

oxtail (grass fed)
organic 2% milk
free -range eggs
organic cheese
organic O.j
wild caught (shrimp)
real butter ( not that margarine ***t)
organic coconut oil

now , should i get plantains or bananas???

Mentally , im ready to let go the high protein ,medium fat, low carb bodybuilding diet ive been following for years. , for 60% carbs , 30% protein 10 %fats...im still gonna be shredded , ripped as long as i dont over my daily total calories and keep my daily cardio in check.

 

[4peatssake]

now , should i get plantains or bananas???

RP doesn't recommend bananas or plantains.

"Plantains are very proinflammatory, with a high serotonin content; commercial orange juice, especially if it doesn't separate when standing for a few hours, can produce bowel irritation by supporting bacterial growth because of the suspended modified fiber, and watermelons that aren't perfectly ripe have enough starch to cause problems, though very ripe watermelon is safe."

Make sure to use refined, organic coconut oil and not virgin coconut oil.

The most important thing to do first is eliminate PUFA.
Everyone's given you great recommendations.

to the forum lazz!

 

[lazz]

thanks for the welcoming.!!!


p.s ..didnt buy any bananas though


guys, waht about spices...cayyenne pepper , tumeric and such...are they allowed...cayenne is great for circulation and all...whats your take?

 

[lazz]

and crystal light??

 

[4peatssake]

and crystal light??

No!
Best drinks are OJ and milk. And coffee.

Ingredients in crystal light "natural" lemonade.
Citric Acid:
Potassium Citrate & Sodium Citrate:
Aspartame
Magnesium Oxide:
Natural Flavor:
Lemon Juice Solids:
Acesulfame Potassium:
Soy Lecithin:
Artificial Color: Coloring not found in nature--it's produced in a lab.
Yellow 5:

Nothing good here. RP also doesn't recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day which is what is usually recommended. He says drink according to thirst and recommends drinking juice rather than water. Ripe watermelon juice is good too.

Here's what RP says about aspartame. Source

We have to remember that the arguments made for aspartame, monosodium glutamate, aspartic acid, and tryptophan--that they are like the amino acids that make up natural proteins--are dangerously false. In the case of amino acids, balance is everything. Aspartic and glutamic acids promote seizures and cause brain damage, and are intimately involved in the process of stress-induced brain aging, and tryptophan by itself is carcinogenic. Treating any complex natural product as the drug industry does, as a raw material to be fractionated in the search for "drug" products, is risky, because the relevant knowledge isn't sought in the search for an association between a single chemical and a single disease.

Here's what RP says about magnesium oxide. From This Thread

I've been experimenting with magnesium oxide because of it was rumored to be Peat-friendly. However, two quotes have surfaced that make me question that (thanks to Mittir for pointing this out):

"I don't recommend the oxide, because it's very poorly absorbed, but the carbonate is well absorbed. I don't recommend chemical supplements of magnesium, though, because they all contain some manufacturing impurities that can cause bowel inflammation, such as hemorrhoids.

(source)

Magnesium oxide is likely to be mostly a laxative, since it isn't well absorbed.

(source)

So, is the rumored recommendation of magnesium oxide a mistake, or has anyone heard of him suggesting it in a specific context?

There's a good thread in the forum that exposes the horrors of soy lecithin. Soy Lecithin Thread

Soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid.

With respect to the Yellow 5, I think RP would not consider it safe. He said this in an email to a member of this forum.

D&C Yellow No. 10, and FD&C Yellow No. 6 aren't things that I consider safe"

Source

 

[lazz]

gotcha..:)...once again thanks for all the info from you , vets....sorry for being so annoying with so many questions...im getting more familiar with Peat's idea ..you gotta understand as a bodybuilder this is a complete 180 for me..lol...but im learning...Magnesium chloride as i understood helps with free testosterone or am i wrong again? and i swear I have read - seen studies on DAA or D aspartic acid rasing testosterone levels.


anybody has anything on how Peat feels about TOngka Ali , maca , tribulus , you know the herbs??