Where Do I Start?

[Nstocks]

8+ years of chronic digestive issues, low back pain, constipation and some skin issues.

Recently diagnosed with Lichen Schlerous on my penis and prescribed strop steroidal cream for the past 6 weeks with little effect.

Some mental issues; depression and anxiety but no longer have cold extremities as I did on Paleo.

I've given up on my NHS Doctor and western medicine that just band aids the symptoms.

Biting the bullet, taking out a small loan to pay for private testing and consultation. Do I start with a gut health test for microbes or something directly in my gut causing issues? (carrot salad, cooked mushroom and bamboo shoots had no effect) Or, blood work for thyroid, vitamins, liver function? Test all of the above?

I'm 28, eat fairly close to Peats suggestions and despite so many issues this is still the type of diet that is keeping my alive, despite being very lethargic, constipated and now with a damaged d***.

 

[somuch4food]

8+ years of chronic digestive issues, low back pain, constipation and some skin issues.

I've had some low back pain, bloat and mild constipation for more than 10 years. Like you a Peat inspired diet helped mentally, but did not do much digestion wise. I've found carotenoids problematic both on digestion and mental issues. So being mindful of mostly colored fruits and veggies could be helpful.

Do I start with a gut health test for microbes or something directly in my gut causing issues? (carrot salad, cooked mushroom and bamboo shoots had no effect)

I'm surprised cooked mushrooms did not work. They can easily give me diarrhea if I eat too much of them.

I posted about cooked onions working for me in another thread: Onions To Keep Things Moving

The carrot salad did nothing and I did not try bamboo shoots.

 

[skittles]

This isn't particularly Peaty advice, so take it with a grain of salt, but for a while I found eating freshly cooked white rice two (sometimes three) times a day really gave me great digestion. I used calrose because that's what I like best, but I'm sure jasmine or basmati would be good too. As long as it's cooked properly. I'd usually have a bowl of white rice with some lean fish, maybe a bit of soy sauce. Or liver + onions and a bowl of rice, or shrimp and rice. Sometimes a little butter or coconut oil if I was in the mood for it.

White rice is a pretty easily digestible source of glucose, and I think the sheer bulk kinda pushes things through without causing irritation. I'm making a shift to more sugar-centric lately, but I feel like going rice-centric for a while really helped with my glycogen storage, and now I feel much more satisfied and energetic with fruit sugar than I have in the past.

Some people have issues with dairy, coffee, and coconut oil, at first anyway. Maybe try pulling them out for a week and then reintroducing them one by one to see if they cause any issues. And if you're doing coffee, make sure it's after meals with a bit of sugar (I typically do like 1.5-2 tablespoons of sugar per cup of coffee, and usually only have one or two per day)

As for the carrot salad - how were you preparing it? I had the best results making it like Danny Roddy's carrot salad video (plus a little extra vinegar cuz I love vinegar). Keep in mind, it's supposed to come out the other end pretty undigested, the fibers help pull stuff through.

 

[Runenight201]

In my experience constipation is a result of too many animal products consumed and too little vegetables and sugar.

Depression and fatigue can be aided with simple sugars, which are easily digested and should cause minimal gastrointestinal issues. Have you tried including a simple syrup into your diet?

A vegetable soup made to taste can add valuable micronutrients that are easily digestible, as well as provide fiber to push waste through the digestion.

Coffee, tea, with milk and sugar to taste can also aid greatly with digestion and depression.

Low back pain is most likely correlated with your inflamed, bloated, constipated gut. Your transverse abdominal muscle is unable to properly fire because of all the gut inflammation. Resolving your digestive issues should ameliorate your low back pain.

While not a long term solution, you could try a vegetable soup, fruit, simple syrup fast to witness what it’s like to have a clean gut, and then add back other foods in appropriate amounts that don’t bring back old issues.

 

[Nstocks]

I've had some low back pain, bloat and mild constipation for more than 10 years. Like you a Peat inspired diet helped mentally, but did not do much digestion wise. I've found carotenoids problematic both on digestion and mental issues. So being mindful of mostly colored fruits and veggies could be helpful.

I'm surprised cooked mushrooms did not work. They can easily give me diarrhea if I eat too much of them.

I posted about cooked onions working for me in another thread: Onions To Keep Things Moving

The carrot salad did nothing and I did not try bamboo shoots.

Are you saying coloured vegetables could be problematic? I'm avoiding all FODMAP foods (including onions). Baby button mushrooms are high in FODMAP but I'm willing to keep trying to see if they help. I have been preparing cooked veg (courgette, tomato carrot) with chicken breast and around 150g mushrooms for my lunches at work (reheated on low in the microwave)...

 

[Nstocks]

This isn't particularly Peaty advice, so take it with a grain of salt, but for a while I found eating freshly cooked white rice two (sometimes three) times a day really gave me great digestion. I used calrose because that's what I like best, but I'm sure jasmine or basmati would be good too. As long as it's cooked properly. I'd usually have a bowl of white rice with some lean fish, maybe a bit of soy sauce. Or liver + onions and a bowl of rice, or shrimp and rice. Sometimes a little butter or coconut oil if I was in the mood for it.

White rice is a pretty easily digestible source of glucose, and I think the sheer bulk kinda pushes things through without causing irritation. I'm making a shift to more sugar-centric lately, but I feel like going rice-centric for a while really helped with my glycogen storage, and now I feel much more satisfied and energetic with fruit sugar than I have in the past.

Some people have issues with dairy, coffee, and coconut oil, at first anyway. Maybe try pulling them out for a week and then reintroducing them one by one to see if they cause any issues. And if you're doing coffee, make sure it's after meals with a bit of sugar (I typically do like 1.5-2 tablespoons of sugar per cup of coffee, and usually only have one or two per day)

As for the carrot salad - how were you preparing it? I had the best results making it like Danny Roddy's carrot salad video (plus a little extra vinegar cuz I love vinegar). Keep in mind, it's supposed to come out the other end pretty undigested, the fibers help pull stuff through.

I think it was Matt Stone's blog that suggested white rice for digestion. Perhaps something I can cook up for dinner as I wouldn't want to risk reheating rice at work. By cooked well do you mean boiled until there is no starch and also rinse it afterwards with boiling water? I've been enjoying frozen Basa fish but I need to check on the PUFA content.

I've cut out dairy in the past with little benefit, changing from organic full fat raw goat milk, to raw cow milk to semi skimmed a2 milk then to pasteurised semi skimmed goat milk and I'm not on lactose free semi skimmed cows milk. This is certified low FODMAP and is for the most part going down better out of all the other milks I've tried. I think I could fairly easily give up dairy (I only drink milk and have a few loctose free yogurts) but replacing the calcium source is the problem.

I prepared the carrot salad just as Danny Roddy. It has no effect on transit time and the last time I did it, around 6 weeks ago it came me flu like symptoms. Perhaps this is indicating I could have bacterial overgrowth?

Would it be worth obtaining a gut health check like this: https://atlasbiomed.com/uk/microbiome

 

[Nstocks]

In my experience constipation is a result of too many animal products consumed and too little vegetables and sugar.

Depression and fatigue can be aided with simple sugars, which are easily digested and should cause minimal gastrointestinal issues. Have you tried including a simple syrup into your diet?

A vegetable soup made to taste can add valuable micronutrients that are easily digestible, as well as provide fiber to push waste through the digestion.

Coffee, tea, with milk and sugar to taste can also aid greatly with digestion and depression.

Low back pain is most likely correlated with your inflamed, bloated, constipated gut. Your transverse abdominal muscle is unable to properly fire because of all the gut inflammation. Resolving your digestive issues should ameliorate your low back pain.

While not a long term solution, you could try a vegetable soup, fruit, simple syrup fast to witness what it’s like to have a clean gut, and then add back other foods in appropriate amounts that don’t bring back old issues.

My animal intake is mostly chicken breast (almost daily), beef once to twice a week and white fish 5 times a week, plus a few litres of lactose free milk. Vegetables are courgettes, tomatoes, carrots, button mushrooms, occasional salad. Cooked veg is always better for me and I eat soup a couple of times per week. Ideally I should be making bone broth veg soup and again this is something I could add in?

I haven't tried a simple syrup but this is something to look into.

I drink lemon and ginger tea, occasional peppermint and chai tea and coffee daily. Due to work situation I have changed to instant organic freeze dried coffee but I'm not sure it's having the same effects are French press did for bowel movements. I've looked at making coffee concentrate through a French press and storing it in the fridge but I'm hesitant due to potential bacterial overgrowth of the coffee.

I agree, the low back pain is directly correlated with gut issues. Some days I can barely walk because the lower back is incredibly tense and this is usually every 3 days which is my bowel movement frequency, even with cascara.

For the soup/fruit fast would you omit all meat? I'm conscious that without getting a decent amount of protein I won't have any energy...

 

[somuch4food]

Are you saying coloured vegetables could be problematic? I'm avoiding all FODMAP foods (including onions). Baby button mushrooms are high in FODMAP but I'm willing to keep trying to see if they help. I have been preparing cooked veg (courgette, tomato carrot) with chicken breast and around 150g mushrooms for my lunches at work (reheated on low in the microwave)...

Yeah, some have trouble with carotenoids which give the fruits/veggies their color. That was my case. Many of my symptoms are similar to yours. That's why I'm mentioning it.

 

[Nstocks]

Yeah, some have trouble with carotenoids which give the fruits/veggies their color. That was my case. Many of my symptoms are similar to yours. That's why I'm mentioning it.

Which vegetables do you consume, if any?

 

[Orion]

Have you checked out the big mega thread on vitamin A, skin issues are what people are seeing healing quickly, then other ailments:
Grant Genereux's Theory Of Vitamin A Toxicity

 

[Nstocks]

I think looking at vitamin levels (especially A), I would need to get tested to be sure what's going on. It's wether there's more merit in getting my gut and thyroid tested, or get all vitamins tested instead. I can't afford to do both unfortunately.

I don't take any supplements these days, except cascara and occasionally zinc. I think magnesium is a good one but I obtain that through magnesium baths and usually feel super chilled out afterwards, followed by a good poop!

 

[somuch4food]

Which vegetables do you consume, if any?

Onions, mushrooms, peeled cucumber, celeriac, fennel, turnips, potatoes.

 

[Orion]

I think looking at vitamin levels (especially A), I would need to get tested to be sure what's going on. It's wether there's more merit in getting my gut and thyroid tested, or get all vitamins tested instead. I can't afford to do both unfortunately.

I don't take any supplements these days, except cascara and occasionally zinc. I think magnesium is a good one but I obtain that through magnesium baths and usually feel super chilled out afterwards, followed by a good poop!

If you do test vitamin A levels, test for retinyl esters, this is supposed to correlate with liver storage, so supposedly more accurate picture of body storage levels.

Did you consume lots of liver, eggs, dairy, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc... at any point? Ever used accutane or RetinA? Thanks

 

[Nstocks]

It appears the Vitamin A is Retinol, not sure if that is helpful: Vitamin Profile 1 Test | Medichecks.com

A fe years ago I used to consume frozen, raw liver daily and did this for a few months at a time. Sweet potatoes were once a stale in my diet. Never used accurate or Retinal A though.

 

[Orion]

It appears the Vitamin A is Retinol, not sure if that is helpful: Vitamin Profile 1 Test | Medichecks.com

A fe years ago I used to consume frozen, raw liver daily and did this for a few months at a time. Sweet potatoes were once a stale in my diet. Never used accurate or Retinal A though.

Ya I don't think that test will be helpful. You could try zero A foods for a week, see if you react, simple test, some see quick results, some don't, but could give you some insight if that was the issue.

 

[Nstocks]

Ya I don't think that test will be helpful. You could try zero A foods for a week, see if you react, simple test, some see quick results, some don't, but could give you some insight if that was the issue.

I will have a look around for a sample diet of zero vitmain a and try to do that in a week or so. Thanks

 

[Orion]

I will have a look around for a sample diet of zero vitmain a and try to do that in a week or so. Thanks

Some bigger lists in the mega thread, but this was what I focused on:

Staple zero vitA foods:
lean beef, lean chicken/turkey, egg white, non fatty fish, nuts
olive oil, high oleic safflower
bread, pasta, rice, potato, beans, oatmeal, white corn, non-fortied cereals
cauliflower, turnip, celeriac, parsnip, onion, garlic, radish, olives, pickles, cabbage
banana, grapes, apples, pineapple, raisins, dates, blueberries, raspberries, strawberry, cherry
Apple juice, grape juice, lemonade, coconut milk, most rice/almond milk is fortified
Sugars, maple, honey, brown/white

 

[Peatful]

“Vitamin A and thyroid hormone along with a whole host of other vital nutrients are essential to the conversion of cholesterol to the protected steroidal hormones (pregnenolone, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, etc.)”
Josh Rubin
East West Healing 2019




@Nstocks

The anti vitamin A is not Peaty; so if following Peats research is important to you please do your own research.