Double 4/4 Thread. Unique health pathways?

[Mel]

Thank you Julie G:)

[mike]

Do I assume that the only complex carbs he is recommending would be vegetables (and not grains, beans and oats)?

Mel, you might get by with Yams. Try some and test your blood sugar before and then an hour and then two hours after. See what kind of spike you get, and how fast it comes down. I can't have them, but I'm pretty far gone metabolically... When you say you are taking too many carbs to get into ketosis, how much and what type are we talking about?

[Mel]

Thank you Mike. Whenever I added grains, oats and beans to my plant based (and no sugar) diet, my carbs went up easily to over 130 per day and my brain (reaction time, short term memory, etc) was greatly impacted. I think that higher carb intake took me out of ketosis- I did not use a meter but could tell based on my brain's response.

When I originally started this journey, I got into ketosis in an "unhealthy" way by eating full fat dairy (brie, yogurt, all cheeses), chicken with skin, MCT oil in my coffee, a whole chocolate bar (no sugar) instead of a small piece of one, on a DAILY basis. My carbs were easily below 30- likely below 15 on certain days. At that time, I had read, "The Grain Brain" book and interpreted the information incorrectly - focussing on too much protein, high saturated fats and not enough vegetables. My brain was sharper than it had ever been in my life (including childhood) which I contribute to the ketosis my body was in (and NOT to the food I was ingesting to get into ketosis). When my doctor told me that whatever I was doing I had to stop (due to DANGEROUS blood results: high homocysteine levels, high triglycerides, high LDL, high C reactive protein, high everything!), I was devastated. I thought I had finally "figured it out" and had to start all over again.

Looking back, I contribute my sharper brain to the ketosis I put my body into, but I believe I needed to change the foods I ate to get into ketosis. After reading Dr. Bredesen and Dr. Gundy's work, I realized that the saturated fats in the full fat dairy, chicken, MCT oil, coconut oil, and chocolate bars, were harming the rest of my body as a Apoe4/4 individual. I needed to find something that filled me up and kept me in mild ketosis. This has been challenging for me (without grains, oats, beans, chicken, and dairy). I have enjoyed avocados and nuts (for keeping me satiated) but have to be careful with my intake because I gain weight quickly if I am not careful. It's a balancing act of the right amount of macronutrients as well as caloric intake. I have increased my vegetable intake (and SMASH fish) which has helped and I know is important for overall health.

This has been quite a journey! Do most 4/4 people find that their brain feels sharper when in ketosis or mild ketosis?

[Bomag]

Sarah Ballantyne (ThePaleoMom.com) claims that if you cook a white potato and let it cool, the cooled starch is then a resistant starch. Anyone have additional info on that?

[Vikingman]

...I wake up in the morning with my hands swollen every day.

Given your reliance on fish and seafood, you might look for food intolerances that lead to swelling, or also look for problems breaking down histamine (which fish and seafood can be high in). Either possibility might suggest some more work on your GI tract/microbiome.

Wow...SusanJ you nailed it! I tested on Viome and they said I had a purine problem from the seafood I was eating. I was eating tons of scallops, shrimp, salmon and other sea fish and SMASH. It got to the point where my knees and shoulders were all inflamed as wells as the fingers. Now I am just eating salmon and lobster 2-3 x's a week and everything is great and no inflammation. This week I started adding a little salmon roe to see if I can get away with that for my Omega 3's without pushing the purines to the edge again.

[Vikingman]

.

What type of brain scan do I need to do to see how much damage is already done?

An MRI without contrast will generally be needed. If you can get it with an added NeuroQuant that can also be useful.

Thank you Mike! I will be ordering looking for a price quote on a MRI without contrast next.

I just got my 1st Blood work back from an NMR Lipopanel with Insulin Sensitivity scores. Is there anyone on this site I can pay to look over my numbers. I am in the top 10% for the 6 insulin sensitivity scores but my LDL particle is 1543. I just started eating 3-4 eggs every other day for breakfast this past month so maybe that hurt my scores too.

I had a regular lipid panel 2 yrs ago. (During the past two years I have lost 52 lbs.)

Total Cholesterol up from 182 to 234 (Maybe due to the eggs I have been eating the past month)

Triglycerides down from 165 to 112 (No longer drinking alcohol like a college student)

LDL's up from 111 to 145 (eggs?)

HDL's up from 43 to 67. (just started exercising and sauna 5 times a week since finding out 4/4 status)

[SusanJ]

Now I am just eating salmon and lobster 2-3 x's a week and everything is great and no inflammation.

Glad to hear you uncovered the problem!

[SusanJ]

Sarah Ballantyne (ThePaleoMom.com) claims that if you cook a white potato and let it cool, the cooled starch is then a resistant starch. Anyone have additional info on that?

Try PubMed. Here is one article for example.

Chilled Potatoes Decrease Postprandial Glucose, Insulin, and Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Peptide Compared to Boiled Potatoes in Females with Elevated Fasting Glucose and Insulin

[Mel]

Thank you Julie G. When I put in 10 cups of non starchy vegetables in Cronometer, my carbs come to approx. 107 grams. This is more than what I thought was recommended. I wonder whether it makes a difference what type of carbs (complex carbs vs. unhealthy processed carbs). How many carbs are advisable?

[floramaria]

Thank you Julie G. When I put in 10 cups of non starchy vegetables in Cronometer, my carbs come to approx. 107 grams. This is more than what I thought was recommended. I wonder whether it makes a difference what type of carbs (complex carbs vs. unhealthy processed carbs). How many carbs are advisable?

Hi Mel, Your carb count with non-starchy vegetables surprised me. I haven’t been tracking my carbs lately but when I did, it seemed like i could eat massive amounts of vegetables and not be anywhere near where you are in carbs. As a test, I just logged in to Cronometer and entered I C each raw lettuce, spinach, radish,celery and radicchio and I C each cooked broccoli , onion, Brussels sprouts , mushrooms and chard which added up to 10 Cups . Total carbs 61.4 gr with 24.7 gr fiber , for net carb total of 36.7 gr net carbs.

Are you subtracting your fiber? what foods comprised your 10 cups of non-starchy vegetables?