Wow-what A Difference!

[caroline]

It lasted a long, long time, sorry to say. And my metabolism is what I would say, when not ill, very high. I am skinny without trying. I have a friend that was really irritated that I looked like I did (very surface thinking since I felt terrible but he was solely focused on thinness) and didn't exercise. It really bothered him because he knew me when I exercised hours and hours a day (made me hungry, irritable and tired and binger) and always liked to say that was why I was thin. Then I did nothing for like 5 years but eat crap and not sleep and did not exercise (studied instead) and was still thin (and unhealthy and miserable). However, when I make changes, usually they occur pretty quickly. I think I really have started to feel much better just recently. So it was well over a year at least for me. But honestly, my attitude was TERRIBLE so I absolutely do not think lack of effectiveness can be blamed on the diet but on my poor attitude. HOw much one contributed to the other and which preceded which is not easy to say.

However, here is what I am finding is now working best and by best, being calm and not tired, not being hyper, feeling my brain is working properly but no manic--and I know people are gung-ho on hyper-metabolism here but I don't enjoy running around like a manic energy person despite the fact that my thinking may be quicker. I'd rather be "dumber" and more calm. But right now I am feeling just right. Caveat here: my meditation practice is more important than ANYTHING I eat. This seems to have the biggest effect.

Now I have found the following:
cut out: yogurt. Milk is better. NO bloat. Some minor gas because I switched to one percent and it is harder to digest the lower fat in terms of not having a bit of gas. It is none if I heat the milk but sometimes I don't have the time. Yogurt, while it satisfied my urge to have more protein, gave me some pain and some bloat. I can tell because little by little, I eliminated eggs (BAD) any kind of potatoes (sweet or otherwise with every possible cooking method, recommended and otherwise-ALL BAD RESULTS WITH POTATOES), rice, grains, (BAD).

I stopped trying to get 100 grams of protein. Instead this is what I do: I try to do like 3:1 carbs to protein. It may be that I get 60-100 grams of protein but the key is that I don't force myself to eat more of it than I feel like (which I was doing) and I make sure to have WAY more sugar. I do tons of juice with no problem at all. Fruit if I feel like it but it doesn't do the trick for enough sugar by itself. I eat it more as a snack. Juice is way easier to pack in the sugar. I do grass fed meat. Works much easier for me and no constipation, than trying to eat fish. I have grass fed meat pretty much each day. Buy a pound at a time--usually lasts at least two days. I eat plenty of gelatin and just drink it because I am too lazy and impatient to wait for it to harden. Coffee works great but I do not do liquid coffee-I make my own cold brew espresso concentrate. I hate coffee. I like shots of espresso with lots of milk.

Also I am obsessed with mushrooms. White are mildest. I have to watch it with those because if I eat too many I smell like a mushroom. Have to eat enough sugar when I have those. I despise the carrot concoction, hate peeling it and don't see why I want beta carotene. I love the mushrooms. Was cooking them in butter. As soon as I cooked them with coconut oil last night, voila, no stuffed-up nose. So now since I digest coconut oil better though I would prefer butter, I'm sticking with that. I find it is a bit more detoxifying than I would like but I prefer not to have a stuffed up nose.

What I notice now: I look muscley and skinny with less bulk since I stopped the yogurt. So not bulkey muscles. Skinny vegan-ish looking but no wasting. But definitely less bulkey and less pain without yogurt. So it may be easier to eat, but milk is INFINITELY easier to digest. I love eating meat. I would eat much more if I could . But I have to watch it. Too much and I don't digest it well. And it really needs to be very low fat.

I feel now, the way I would like. Calm and focused and not anxious and not exhausted. Normal. Again, I know the goal is better, faster, etc., but I don't enjoy this. I like being able to be slow and focus and be more intentional with what I"m doing. Caffeine still seems to do very little to me. It does not matter if I go forever without it, or have it. Have no difference in any alertness either way. Still love aspirin.

I think I may have not answered directly, but this was sort of everything I am finding. Oh, and I do love cheese, but cheese does not particularly love me. Mushrooms however, are my greatest joy.
Oh, and on a final note: I am not going to take anyone's word as truth and even my own as things change. However, I find the prototypical Peat idea of lots of sugar, adequate protein (for me--otherwise with more, I don't digest it well because I think I have to consume an immense amount of sugar then which I cannot do if I eat more protein as I am too full then), steering clear of starch, seems to work the absolute best for me. Trust, if I could eat potatoes, rice, bread, etc., I would. But it doesn't work for me. Oh, and bananas were THE WORST.

 

[caroline]

And at risk of sounding like a zealot (if the shoe fits....:) ) my meditation practice is the most grounding aspect of all. And then I am able to carry through what I practice in my day. I like a monk in particular who I have been listening to on youtube. He is English and has a monastery in Perth, Australia and he has a great sense of humor. He stresses the idea of "kindfulness" instead of "mindfulness." He tells great stories and also teaches meditation FOR FREE. I have watched a million of his lectures because he has given tons of them. Often tells the same stories over and over, which I like. I found him because I wanted to look up approaches to dealing and understanding death and suffering and found the Buddhist approach embodied ideas that made sense to me. So that is how I found this person in particular. I love listening to lectures so this is something I really appreciate. I am quite familiar with meditation, and have practiced Vipassana for many years. What this guy has to say really has been helpful. So that's my best "nutrition" strategy of all.

 

[Blossom]

Calm and focused and not anxious and not exhausted. Normal. Again, I know the goal is better, faster, etc., but I don't enjoy this.

I feel exactly the same. Glad things are going well for you caroline.

 

[caroline]

Thanks, Blossom. That's great that you are aware of what feels best. I think there's this idea that "more" is always "more," and I was a firm believer in this. It definitely allowed me to score at the top of all sorts of things that are very difficult for me due to some learning style issues (if information were conveyed differently, I also suspect I would not have these issues to the same extent--I had to figure out how to learn things in the way that makes sense for me which is very different than how that information is taught.)while ignoring that perhaps less excellence in grades, for example, would have allowed for other things like more sanity. Ironically while no score exists (unless you are being evaluated for psych--which is still subjective as it is based on some other person's opinion) for living sanely and nicely, I would have hit bottom in that regard. :) But fear and insecurity were big drivers so that's what that got. And in fact, I have been trying "trying less," and it is much more relaxing and doesn't look speedy, but in fact my retention is higher. The more I practice feeling calm, reminding myself to think about now, not where I will or won't get in, what this and that will lead to, etc., the more pleasant it is. It (troubling and disturbing thinking) does not magically disappear but requires practice, but it is a lovely practice even when my mind is busy, like this morning. I decided not to do yoga but just be still and sit and meditate (I like to lay down lots of times--It's more comfortable) and each time busy things came into my head (often), I reminded myself NICELY that "you don't need to think about this."

Also, I suspect that worrying about not getting perfect anything leads to more of that. Now, if/when I wake up at 1 or 3 in the morning, I think to myself: Great! Let's meditate! It's a very different attitude and I wake up feeling like I had a deep sleep.

On a dietary note, I am pretty sure I am getting over 100 grams of protein when I include meat because since it's so low fat, it has like 20 something grams of protein for 4 ounces and I eat about 8 or more in a day, often. This is in addition to the gelatin I eat (usually at least 50 grams if not much more), and milk, etc.

However, last night, I had a 1/2 pound at once due to my thriftiness. I saw that it was about to go bad. I really don't like meat once it's cold and hard so this was my rationale for eating all of it once I cooked it. I think this is too much at once. I think 1/4 pound or less is better. It certainly helped that a bit later, I had a huge smoothy after with oj, milk, mango (frozen), salt, and a bit of sugar.

I forgot: here's a great treat I love, but I may have already mentioned this. I am not sure. Condensed milk-heat on low by dumping into saucepan (I use a glass one which burns really easily if not careful), make CERTAIN to add some sort of fat (I add coconut oil now instead of butter), then also I add, after stirring for a bit, unsweetened baker's chocolate. I notice the chocolate I got with lecithin also makes me feel not great. This baker's chocolate is nothing fancy-the cheap brand. Mix all that together with salt. I have delicious chocolate sauce I can eat. You can refrigerate it or keep out (but I think if you kept it out in really moist place and took a while, could mold-I eat it too quick for that to happen). I did add it in my coffee today, but it is sort of a waste because it just blends in. It tastes really good to eat plain.

 

[caroline]

Huge difference to report with just milk and no yogurt. No bloating and very little inflammation and pain. I seem to be able to drink endless amounts of juice with no problem. I have upped my sugar content through juice (easier than fruit) and the more sugar I eat, the easier it seems to be. No weird breath issues. Been making mushroom soup with my milk and gelatin. Key is making sure I do way more sugar than protein. This was not the case to begin with, and it looked like weight gain/inflammation/feelng of heaviness. No longer happening. Also I got sleepy before when eating (can compare to now so this is how I notice the difference) yogurt, banana, eggs, etc. No longer with current way of eating. Coffee also works great. AGain, I do not NEED it to wake up. It isn't helpful at all. I do it for anti-inflammation. Very successful now with lots of sugar compared to protein. NOt actually very hard to do when I am no longer trying to pound huge amounts of protein.

Overall, huge improvement. Skin is still weird and peely-ish. I did have oysters this week. The burger is working great but really making an effort to veer closer to 1/4 pound at once and if 1/2 pound at once to eat TONS of sugar before and after.

 

[caroline]

Current observations:

Way way WAY better with milk as opposed to yogurt
Fruits: doing great with mangos, papaya, oranges. At one point a long time ago, I tried apples. NOT a success. I actually felt worse.

What I notice: I have vastly increased my milk consumption. With this, comes twitching. I spent a long time looking things up. I wonder if antagonists calcium: magnesium are related. I do take salt. Possibly not enough? I got NO twitching when eating yogurt. Funny how these things change--good aspects and troublesome and one has to decipher which is preferable. Yogurt gave me far worse problems in many other realms. I have noticed this before when I drink more milk--that I get involuntary twitching. NOt a lot but I do notice it. No cramping which is what I used to get. But I notice it when I am meditating and perfectly still or lying perfectly still sometimes.

I am going to try and up my magnesium via food. I am doing cocoa powder in my milk/espresso drinks. I also take magnesium supplements (the right one-can't remember the name but it is a good one) and not very much. I am going to try to consume more orange juice.

Also, I am doing more caffeine from my espresso shots. This may also be removing things (diuretic effect) that is contributing to twitching. My coffee drinks consist of lots of milk, sweet chocolatey syrup I make (sweetness level varies according to my mood) and a bit of my espresso concentrate I make. I always have gelatin before my coffee drink and I just drink it after mixing it up with boiling water.

I have noticed that having my espresso shot later in the day as well is no longer keeping me awake. I can't say for certain, though, if it negatively impacts my sleep.

Also making an attempt to go back to eating crab, clams, oysters, etc. I suspect some issues with fat metabolism (not with coconut oil though) due to the following: I look and feel SO much better on a lower fat diet. I digest way easier. Whatever gas issues I had (not too bad) with low-fat milk (which is alleviated immediately by heating the milk but I sometimes like it cold) are so minor in conjunction with the bloating and heaviness I felt drinking full-fat milk. I digested it with no gas at all. But every other effect was worse. And I do notice drinking low-fat milk has gotten easier and easier as I continue with it. I went from whole milk to lower fat to 2 percent to 1 percent now. I don't bother with skim because it has less protein than 1 percent. But perhaps I will try it just for fun and see what I notice.

Also, noticed people talking about tongue issues. I was one of those people with crazy coated tongue. Not really the case anymore. Eating yogurt, anything that doesn't work real well for me, bananas, and too much fat seemed to make it really bad. Eating piles of meat also did it. I forgot about it b/c it went away. Also, when it did flare up, niacinamide appears to have corrected it. No idea why but it happened enough that I noticed the connection.

Questioning the choice of meat--yesterday I had lots of crab and it feels easier to digest than my meat. So ground beef, etc. may not be the optimal for me each day. I was just reading how digestion difficult leads to serotonin rise, cortisol, etc. So in that case, it would make sesne that I wake up un-bloated, feel better in general, etc. if higher fat is problematic. Again, I can eat LOTS of it and do from coconut oil (I make caramel, frosting, chocolate sauce with it and condensed milk) without an issue. Butter, not so much.

A little cheese may be okay but definitely not as easy. Goat and sheep seems to be better. I"m doing goat brie for vitamin K and b/c I like it. I have some grass-fed extremely lean (almost no fat on it at all) steak that I got at the market on Sunday. Am nibbling on that so will see how it goes. I let it dry a bit and keep it open in the fridge and salted it a bit. I don't want it to go bad and don't want to have to eat it all at once.

Last, I watched tv a few times and definitely dream worse, feel worse, and feel drained. When I listen to lectures on youtube on topics that interest me, I have no such results. Only positive.

 

[caroline]

Continued and growing improvements: I credit them to the following:
1. Have not been eating any typical red meat--I AM having liver in 1 oz bites (fresh lamb liver, grassfed--we are spoiled in Bay Area).
2. Low fat milk. I am wary of going with skim because I don't want my nutrients removed.
3. Way more sugar in form of OJ (getting the fresh squeezed tangerine at TJ's--I do not strain it because I can't bear to throw out that juice but it doesn't seem to bother me).
4. Started on dried fruit-mango and dried cherries. Neither have sulfur dioxide which I have very bad reactions to or I wouldn't care.
5. Tons of mangos. I just love them. Fresh oranges here are disappointing for the most part.
6. TJ's milk chocolate. 2% iron. However, I am "ignoring" the fact that it has soy lecithin. Seems like a small penance since I am very particular about everything else but probably would be better to avoid it.
7. I cold brew my own espresso concentrate. I grind to espresso grind (I like it intense and don't mind sediment--it just sinks to ghe bottom). Then I dump water in and let it sit for 14 or so hours. I just put the amount of water in that I feel like. I did measure it out at one point but it made like 1 inch of concentrate which I found silly. It is still VERY strong the way I make it. I put a bit of this in a glass, mix cocoa and sugar into a thick syrup with a bit of hot water, add this and pour my milk in. I don't like my coffee hot anymore. It really is not "coffee" because I hate coffee. Blech. I have maybe 13 oz or more of milk with a bit of the other.
8. Also doing shrimp, oysters, clams.
9. Mushrooms. I pick the white button ones which get the least amount of sun and are under ground more. More boring but I get not mushroom taste from eating these. I have started adding turmeric to combat something or other, which I can't remember, but I add this to shrimp, mushrooms, scallops, and the turmeric makes things a beautiful color and tastes sort of breaded then. It's very yummy and not bitter. My husband uses curry a bunch but since Peating now, I don't like the effects of spice. It makes me feel upset and have busy dreams.
10. Some cheese-all sheep and goat. I do NOT like the recommended parmesiano regg. so I don't get that anymore. I get goat gouda for K and b/c I like it.

What I notice: Inflammation is WAY down. The best yet. I thought I would get "dumb" without red meat. I"m doing fine. Again, for me the biggest issue is to be aware of my energy output. I can be very enthusiastic which sounds great but when I"m clueless to the energy output, it can be an issue.

Fat: Butter on my seafood to stir-fry it in pan seems to be okay but definitely more congesting than coconut oil which I can use tons of without any ill effects. I cannot figure out what the deal is with red meat. The fat in the meat, and even the very lean red meat I got does not digest well. I start to look like I am putting on fat. Contrast that with now--very lean, and I notice areas that were more fatty seem to have disappeared. I think it must be an issue with digestion. The same but far worse happens if I eat eggs, potatoes, yogurt. So it is not just an issue of fat, perhaps, but digestion. and poor digestion for me looks like weight gain and is also accompanied by pain and inflammation.

Breath/tongue coating: I KNEW I forgot something important. NO breath issues since eliminating red meat. None. Tongue is normal. If I eat lots of mushrooms, etc. tongue can look a bit coated the next day. No bad breath problems from coffee. Again, I think this was overload and I was not digesting properly--hence the reactions to it of bad breath, coated tongue, inflammation. I NEVER thought I would be free of this. Yogurt also gave me bad breath. And BANANAS--THOSE WERE THE WORST--EVEN WORSE THAN POTATOES OR EGGS.


Supplements: niacinamide and aspirin.
Regarding fat lipolysis: I have not noticed there to be an issue. Could be because I am doing caffeine. IN fact, I was so surprised seeing that it does inhibit fat lipolysis because I feel as though when I take niacinamide, I am even more leaned out and in fact, when I have eaten something I shouldn't have, taking naicinamide counters the effect. I have no idea why. Here's an example: I ate a chocolate croissant from a bakery. Wheat does not sit well with me. Wheat=pain. Eggs=pain. That day, I took aspirin, a bit more than usual, and extra niacinamide. I woke up the next day not with the usual grinding inflammation I would normally have, but with none for the most part. This does not mean I will be eating croissants every day. But I think aspirin and niacinamide do something wonderful for me.

Mood: Meditation where I observe my breath has amazing results. It is absolutely not just diet. I don't know which comes first. It seems that all the good things don't mitigate damage as successfully as when I am actively aware of my state of mind, energy, etc. Meditation does NOT make me more calm. Noticing helps me be aware of what I am doing and then change occurs. The other day I had dreams where I saw violent images from shows I watched YEARS AGO and they popped in the midst of my meditation. I had just been reading about the effects of t.v. This was a perfect "lesson" for me that what I am putting in "there," (my mind), matters. I watched House of Cards and then had really upsetting dreams and this is what made me evaluate again. It is great acting, etc. but everyone in there does horrible things to everyone else. Also, I read something about the way the picture is projected with a tv as opposed to a screen, etc., and this being the reason that we are even more vulnerable to the effects when watching t.v.

I gave blood yesterday. I love knowing that 3 people are helped. I spent time last night looking up sites and seeing different people who were on the receiving end of blood donations and how it helped them survive, or kept them alive for a while. It made me feel really happy. They were very nice. It was very easy to donate and I am unafraid of blood and guts, etc., so I didn't have any anxiety. I brought my own orange juice and did not drink the bottled water available. I will say, I found that I needed a lot more nutrition yesterday thaan I would have expected.

That's all for now! Oh, I am doing a great course offered by Stanford for free online. I LOVE it which is something I never would have believed I would say about statistics. It explains everthing and focuses very little on the math. There is some but I don't consider myself very mathematically advanced and if you just follow along it is not very hard to figure out. I have never had the processes explained like they do it. Usually they go from 1 to 800 if you know what I mean and I think, um, if I were very advanced, I would not be doing this so explaining in that way excludes someone like myself from learning. Anyway, I just love it. There are constant practice exercises throughout. It is all reading and very little videos but it is really fun. So I would highly recommend it for someone who wants to brush up.

 

[caroline]

I forgot to mention in regards to Intervals between meals: I used to get bad breath if I went too long without eating. I don't know if my improvement overall in this area is due to improved insulin resistance but I find I can go much longer without eating without any issue. Further, I do not get bad breath in between if I am a bit behind in getting to eating. I do get a "taste" in my mouth but nothing like what I had before. I wonder if this means cortisol issues are resolving themselves. This has been a very positive step but it just happened on its own. I just used to think I would have to have food every five seconds and then it gradually changed. I notice these things after I realize that I am not having to take the same measures as I did. And I find much less seems to sustain me more. Greater amounts of sugar and less quantity of food seem to work fine. Before I needed lots of food.


Also forgot: Gelatin. This is a consistent part of my diet. I have it every day--usually several times a day. Often about 3 tablespoons worth at once. It is unhydrolyzed so I have to heat water, mix it up with the gelatin, and then I drink it.

 

[paymanz]

I've done high fat low carb, and on here, high carb lower fat

hi caroline very very interesting to read your detailed progress,so im just curious how was your experience on "high fat low carb" diet?
they always say a ketogenic diet is good for brain performance, as you said in your first post you had fogy brain,how did high fat diet with that problem?

 

[Ulla]

It is pure pleasure reading such a good experiences :)

Witch niacinamide do you take?

 

[caroline]

hi caroline very very interesting to read your detailed progress,so im just curious how was your experience on "high fat low carb" diet?
they always say a ketogenic diet is good for brain performance, as you said in your first post you had fogy brain,how did high fat diet with that problem?

Bad. Unlike Peat, it had the opposite "start" and "finish" result. Felt great right away and then felt worse and worse. Bad mood, bad cravings, bad sleep and it made my whole manner around eating very unhealthy. Demonizing carbs, etc. Seems like a perfect diet to maintain avoidance of all pleasure. I remember regularly seeing people say that if they ate "such and such" carbs, they couldn't stop. Well, I can see why. I have sugar etc., at my access and I never binge. I was bingeing even on meat things at the time. I had to ignore the people telling me "Sugar is EVIL you will DIE" including those closest to me. My anxiety was through the roof. It was a terrible experience all the way around. And people I seemed to converse with were very sold on the idea it seems because they were obsessed with thinness. I see lots of thin people all the time with degenerative brain issues. I don't feel the great thrill around this. I would rather be functioning, peaceful, and if thinness is what is happening, fine. This way of eating is highly pleasurable to me.

 

[caroline]

It is pure pleasure reading such a good experiences :)

Witch niacinamide do you take?

I think it's Nature's Way but I got some new one. They all seem to be the same. I only remember hating one that was hard tablets. Aspirin seems to have a fabulous effect. I know Haidut mentioned it can be taken with baking soda, which is probably better. I just take it along with the gelatin, milk, etc., juice.

 

[caroline]

Bad. Unlike Peat, it had the opposite "start" and "finish" result. Felt great right away and then felt worse and worse. Bad mood, bad cravings, bad sleep and it made my whole manner around eating very unhealthy. Demonizing carbs, etc. Seems like a perfect diet to maintain avoidance of all pleasure. I remember regularly seeing people say that if they ate "such and such" carbs, they couldn't stop. Well, I can see why. I have sugar etc., at my access and I never binge. I was bingeing even on meat things at the time. I had to ignore the people telling me "Sugar is EVIL you will DIE" including those closest to me. My anxiety was through the roof. It was a terrible experience all the way around. And people I seemed to converse with were very sold on the idea it seems because they were obsessed with thinness. I see lots of thin people all the time with degenerative brain issues. I don't feel the great thrill around this. I would rather be functioning, peaceful, and if thinness is what is happening, fine. This way of eating is highly pleasurable to me.

As for my brain, I had excellent willpower so I could push myself to excel at anything. However, in hindsight, this was not a nice or helpful thing. Simply using brute force of mind was not a nice thing. Also, the amount of effort I would undertake to get there was brutal. Even if it had been the same quantity of time, the difference in attitude is everything. Being driven by guilt and fear is not helpful nor pleasant. As I mentioned before, my grades might have been as good or maybe not as good but I wouldn't have felt like such a miserable wreck all the time. I had constant panick attacks, depression, horrible anxiety, and felt suspicious about leaving the house at points--paranoia. Not really a positive sign that diet is supporting oneself. And since Peating I have progressed in very different manner. Can't say it is ALL diet. I don't think so. I think my extended misery was a very important, although long-term lesson and also very helpful in being compassionate toward people I meet who are suffering in many different ways. However, I can be more compassionate when I have more internal peace and have greater reserves of energy now that come not from will, but from inspiration. I prefer this.

 

[moss]

Mood: Meditation where I observe my breath has amazing results. It is absolutely not just diet. I don't know which comes first. It seems that all the good things don't mitigate damage as successfully as when I am actively aware of my state of mind, energy, etc. Meditation does NOT make me more calm. Noticing helps me be aware of what I am doing and then change occurs.

Caroline I agree. I use a guided meditation daily with a focus on the breath and a quietening of the mind and get considerable results. Like you, not so much a sense of calm, more an awareness and noticing of everything around me, therefore (hopefully) making more considered and appropriate choices at that particular time. This also happens when I play music and draw although don't get to do this daily. Changing the routine and a stillness of the mind is very powerful and I imagine (only speculating) when Ray spends time drawing/painting, this quiet time benefits and propagates the incredible body of work he produces.

This was a perfect "lesson" for me that what I am putting in "there," (my mind), matters. I watched House of Cards and then had really upsetting dreams and this is what made me evaluate again. It is great acting, etc. but everyone in there does horrible things to everyone else. Also, I read something about the way the picture is projected with a tv as opposed to a screen, etc., and this being the reason that we are even more vulnerable to the effects when watching t.v.

HOC seriously scary and manipulation city. Nonetheless, I watched it! I like her wardrobe and she is one scary woman with REVENGE stamp across her forehead...
I don't watch a lot of TV, will occasionally go for mindless crap to unwind and usually for humour. As you mentioned, 'what am I putting in 'there matters', depends on your taste, mood and energy levels. Ultimately, I prefer to go to the flicks for the whole experience and can do violence a la Coen Bros and yet no so with other films/TV viewing.

Thanks for your sharing and glad to hear you are enjoying your course too.

 

[caroline]

Totally, Moss. HOC is very modern-day Macbeth. I love it so I didn't have a judgment against it but notice that somehow with the growing consistency or dedication to have a meditation practice and going about it with a different method (just doing it without being focused on being quiet, being whatever, etc), that I seem to be more sensitive to TV. The sensitivity results in unpleasant wakeful dreams. Versus without this, I have been having this comedic (I find it comedic, at least) parable format of my dreams with very NON-subtle indicators of where I have gaps in my ability to be peaceful. Like people I have offended or bothered or resent from years ago even--their images pop up very annoyingly like some sort of yearbook picture form in my dreams. They just sit there for a while and refuse to be ignored. Then I wake up and later think, Oh, I guess I still have resentment, etc. At this point I am not trying to "cleanse" myself of the feeling or get rid of it--which I think will just create more resistance--but I just am aware of it. And that seems to bring about this feeling of noticing it is there. With people I am in contact with, it affects how I conduct my relations with them. And with those I am not, I just acknowledge that this was there and I see it for what it is. Period. And then this seems to open up more space for me to "be." It has not been on purpose and I was sort of annoyed that this was happening at first but have come to appreciate it. I am certain that it is due to the influence of listening to didactic lectures where lots of parables are used to illustrate a larger point. Thanks for your sharing as well, Moss!

 

[EIRE24]

Huge difference to report with just milk and no yogurt. No bloating and very little inflammation and pain. I seem to be able to drink endless amounts of juice with no problem. I have upped my sugar content through juice (easier than fruit) and the more sugar I eat, the easier it seems to be. No weird breath issues. Been making mushroom soup with my milk and gelatin. Key is making sure I do way more sugar than protein. This was not the case to begin with, and it looked like weight gain/inflammation/feelng of heaviness. No longer happening. Also I got sleepy before when eating (can compare to now so this is how I notice the difference) yogurt, banana, eggs, etc. No longer with current way of eating. Coffee also works great. AGain, I do not NEED it to wake up. It isn't helpful at all. I do it for anti-inflammation. Very successful now with lots of sugar compared to protein. NOt actually very hard to do when I am no longer trying to pound huge amounts of protein.

Overall, huge improvement. Skin is still weird and peely-ish. I did have oysters this week. The burger is working great but really making an effort to veer closer to 1/4 pound at once and if 1/2 pound at once to eat TONS of sugar before and after.

Could you elaborate on skin being perky-ish? I'm sure I've got the same thing. Do you also get small zits/pimples?

 

[DaveFoster]

As for my brain, I had excellent willpower so I could push myself to excel at anything. However, in hindsight, this was not a nice or helpful thing. Simply using brute force of mind was not a nice thing. Also, the amount of effort I would undertake to get there was brutal. Even if it had been the same quantity of time, the difference in attitude is everything. Being driven by guilt and fear is not helpful nor pleasant. As I mentioned before, my grades might have been as good or maybe not as good but I wouldn't have felt like such a miserable wreck all the time. I had constant panick attacks, depression, horrible anxiety, and felt suspicious about leaving the house at points--paranoia. Not really a positive sign that diet is supporting oneself. And since Peating I have progressed in very different manner. Can't say it is ALL diet. I don't think so. I think my extended misery was a very important, although long-term lesson and also very helpful in being compassionate toward people I meet who are suffering in many different ways. However, I can be more compassionate when I have more internal peace and have greater reserves of energy now that come not from will, but from inspiration. I prefer this.

Well said. I can relate.

 

[michael94]

Another benefit of Greek yogurt is that it is almost entirely casein, which has anti-stress effects. This is unlike the acidic whey, which Peat is very fond of.

Greek yogurt tastes like plastic to me. Especially the nonfat stuff that has crowded out real food in the yogurt section....Thanks ladies

 

[caroline]

Could you elaborate on skin being perky-ish? I'm sure I've got the same thing. Do you also get small zits/pimples?

Perky-ish? I'm nt sure what that is....I never (ha--never say never) get pimples. I get flakey skin like a lizard. If I sit there and rub on my face I get it to peel off. That sounds pretty disgusting, I am sure, but it's not like I sit and do it in public places. It seems akin to what people pay for--I forget what that's called. So I suppose the up-side is maybe it keeps my skin youthful. However, I am doing a lot more vitamin a, copper and zinc, etc. through seafood and liver. I don't mean huge doses of liver--I just mean doing this--and I am eating A LOT more sugar. And my skin appears to be much better, according to my husband. Not red anymore, etc. I am interested in seeing how light therapy will help my scalp. That is pretty much vile. Cheesey buildupish stuff. Seems much better. I did a mix of teatree, peppermint, and diluted it in water--rubbed it into my scalp and left it--didn't do that much of it. Then I put shea butter on my scalp. Scalp seems really nice and it does not smell "like a medicine ball" (what my husband said) after two days. I have it up all the time anyway so its not like people could smell it.

 

[caroline]

Greek yogurt tastes like plastic to me. Especially the nonfat stuff that has crowded out real food in the yogurt section....Thanks ladies

Yogurt--in hindsight--greek or not--gave me terrible pain and really coated white tongue. Made me constipated and bloated.