Captain’s Log: Newcastle Diet Diary

[DreadCaptRoberts]

Last week was pretty much a write off as my migraines didn’t improve. Went in to see GP on Thursday and had a blood test. No infection, just good old fashioned cold. I’ve pretty much been in bed and not eating more than a few sips of soup. Felt human on Sunday so I went for a gentle walk.

Weight is up to 19 stone 2lb which I’m sure will settle as I resume with care today. I promised GP I would increase my calories if I began to feel unwell again.

 

[DreadCaptRoberts]

Sadly I’m done with the ND. Yesterday I was back to migraines again and back to GP for more blood tests. My B12 levels are too high and have been for 4 months (why did they only tell me this yesterday?!)

Anyway, I’ve transitioned early onto a low carb diet and upped my calories. I’m “eating normally” until my hospital appointment to run more tests.

 

[AloeSvea]

I'm very sorry to hear about the migraine @DreadCaptRoberts! Poor you! Migraines are a ... a word I would never use in the forum.

I didn't think severe head pain was one of those things that conventional medicine could do anything about though? But western medicine IS very good at diagnosis, so at least they will be able to rule certain things out etc, which is all good.

An excess of B12 is a new one on me!

The low-carb diet sounds very good. It's a rare person who doesn't lose weight that way, and of course it's the obvious go-to for a way of eating with type two diabetes. And you can always go back to the ND at a later date should you wish.

I don't know if this is your situation, but when I first started lowering my carbs (four years ago - golly gee!) I was shocked at the idea of upping my fats. I think I used to chuckle and shake my head when I added coconut oil into the pan, put butter on things, eat cream - that kind of thing - I was so uncomfortable doing it after decades of being told it would kill me. But I saw it as an experiment, and my blood lipid results were way better, just as the writers on lower carbing predicted. (After an initial period where my triglycerides went crazy - as my fat cells were releasing a lot of fat into my bloodstream, as my weight and my BG levels went down. This crazy blood lipids thing settled down after a wee while - a month I think it was. Just to give you a heads up on the fact that this can happen.) If you keep in mind that in order to lower your carbs you need to raise your healthy fats in order to 'do it right' and feel good you will be fine. I know it's counter-intuitive when you are actively trying to lose unhealthy weight, but there you are.

And now, you lucky thing - you don't need to count calories! Bliss. You can cut whatever size cheese you want, you can have salami and cheese melts, you can have a fathead pizza! You can have three lamb chops. You can have a whole avocado with mayo! (OK, I will stop now .)

 

[DreadCaptRoberts]

I'm very sorry to hear about the migraine @DreadCaptRoberts! Poor you! Migraines are a ... a word I would never use in the forum.

I didn't think severe head pain was one of those things that conventional medicine could do anything about though? But western medicine IS very good at diagnosis, so at least they will be able to rule certain things out etc, which is all good.

An excess of B12 is a new one on me!

The low-carb diet sounds very good. It's a rare person who doesn't lose weight that way, and of course it's the obvious go-to for a way of eating with type two diabetes. And you can always go back to the ND at a later date should you wish.

I don't know if this is your situation, but when I first started lowering my carbs (four years ago - golly gee!) I was shocked at the idea of upping my fats. I think I used to chuckle and shake my head when I added coconut oil into the pan, put butter on things, eat cream - that kind of thing - I was so uncomfortable doing it after decades of being told it would kill me. But I saw it as an experiment, and my blood lipid results were way better, just as the writers on lower carbing predicted. (After an initial period where my triglycerides went crazy - as my fat cells were releasing a lot of fat into my bloodstream, as my weight and my BG levels went down. This crazy blood lipids thing settled down after a wee while - a month I think it was. Just to give you a heads up on the fact that this can happen.) If you keep in mind that in order to lower your carbs you need to raise your healthy fats in order to 'do it right' and feel good you will be fine. I know it's counter-intuitive when you are actively trying to lose unhealthy weight, but there you are.

And now, you lucky thing - you don't need to count calories! Bliss. You can cut whatever size cheese you want, you can have salami and cheese melts, you can have a fathead pizza! You can have three lamb chops. You can have a whole avocado with mayo! (OK, I will stop now .)

Haha that’s exactly what I thought as I added cream to my chicken yesterday! I’m also eating a rainbow of veg as my OH is trying to improve their bowel health (long story and multiple operations).

Thanks for being there for me during my ND phase, I truly your time and input.

 

[AloeSvea]

@DreadCaptRoberts - agreed - fellow semi-starving people need to stick together! .

I still think about my ol ND-pal on the Nostramo, @Glitterbritches, from time to time, and wonder how he is doing over there in North Central USA (I think that was where he was posting from). I have an awful feeling, well, judging by his pre and post ND posts - that he saw the weight loss and BG improvements that he undoubtedly had on the ND (everyone does! Don't they? Whether that puts you in the normal-BG-range is another thing...), as a green light to go back to eating a much higher level of carbs than a person with our metabolisms can safely do, imho. Post ND or no. Or, he could have just become so normalised by it that he never needed to come back to the forum about BG issues he no longer had. Who knows? But I do wonder how his liver and pancreas and fat cells are doing from time to time. Especially now I am back up in space again.

Anyway - bowel issues. Poor you! Sounds awful.

Have you seen Dr Steven Gundry's work on lectins? You might be interested in it? I read 'The Plant Paradox' recently and think he might be on to something, re headaches! leaky gut, auto immune diseases, food sensitivities. He's hot on vegetables, and on low protein, he just wants us to keep a very big eye on not eating lectins, or as much, as we have been doing. It might be interesting to you while you're doing your vege rainbow? Whilst looking out for your bowel health.

Dr Gundry on lectins and what they are and why to watch out for them:

He's a particularly good communicator I think, so lots online, and his books are a good (health book) read.

Pleased to hear you are adding cream to the chicken! Bodes well for the lower carbing way of eating, if dairy tolerant.

Looking forward to keep reading how you are doing healthwise!