OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

[the_nap_ster]

Hey folks,

Thought I'd join in this thread, because more support is better, right?

Here is my low-carb introduction: I have celiac disease, and I have been strictly gluten-free for about nine years now. My reaction to gluten is swift and horrible, so there has never been any temptation to "cheat" over the years. Wheat is like arsenic to me, and I have no desire to eat either, no matter how good they might taste.

My first couple years of eating gluten-free gave me a partial improvement of my symptoms, but not complete. I still had a hard time keeping food down sometimes, and I was still malabsorbing. This led to several periods of anemia so severe I was hospitalized and given blood transfusions.

Desperate, I tried the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) for two years, and it did miraculous things for me. I started to really heal my GI system. I never did well the the fruit/honey allowed on the diet -- I had to do a low-carb version of it, but my system thrived. Then I got cocky.

Corn came back, as did non-wheat grains like brown rice and quinoa. Started eating out a lot, getting less careful with sugar. And now I'm sluggish and feeling not great. I know I don't process ANY starches well, and that LCHF is the optimum diet for my health.

I need to get back on the hard-core bandwagon. I have no desire or intention to lose weight -- I just want to optimize my health. I'm 34 and got a lot to do in the next 60+ years. So thanks for this thread, and I hope to participate in it more!

[OldLincoln]

No way I'm going to read 300+ posts to answer the "Good Calories, Bad Calories" issue. It's simple: Hot fudge Sunday = GOOD calories, Brussels Sprouts = BAD calories!

[Janknitz]

There was a good presentation in the Real Food Summit about tweaking the SCD for each person by Jordan Reasoner and Steven Wright (google them to find their blogs).

Portie, look for the Nom Nom Paleo blog. She's a hospital pharmacist who works 12 hour shifts and shares her meals and recipes. There's also an iPad app by that name with recipes. Another resource for easy menu planning is Well Fed: Paleo recipes for People Who Love to eat. She does weekly prep menus in the book. Many recipes here: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/category/recipes/

[Janknitz]

Enjoy the Sundae, Lincoln. I hope you wear it well

[idamtnboy]

Three years ago I had three coronary blockages, one 90%, and two 50%. The 90 was stented and the 50s were put in the "watch" category. Since then, with a combination of a not fully successful diet program and medications my triglycerides, LDL, HDL, blood glucose, and blood pressure have all been in the recommended ranges. Well, guess what. One of the 50s closed down to 90 and three weeks ago I had another stent.

My PCP said, "The medical profession has failed you." He said that because I met the goals for the coronary risk factors but still had a coronary event. Fortunately I had no heart attack of any level whatever. He then spent 45 minutes lecturing me about the benefits of the ultra low fat plant based diet advocated by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. His diet basically says if it has a face or mother don't eat it.

You can find more info about Esselstyn and his diets here: http://www.heartattackproof.com/. Here is another discussion of it. http://www.disinfo.com/2011/09/a-simple ... t-disease/. Here's a discussion of it on a vegan board: http://www.veggieboards.com/t/125439/an ... ynes-diets

His diet apparently will lower heart disease, but I wonder what it does for blood sugar. I have a hard time buying his approach as being a great cure-all. Needless to say, this diet runs somewhat contrary to many of the opinions expressed in this thread.

I told my PCP and cardiologist that my opinion is this. Every person in the medical profession who is an expert in dieting shares a common trait with all teachers of religious beliefs - none of them knows the absolute truth.

We can bat this "good calories, bad calories" topic for the next ten years but the end result will be the same. No one has the one true answer. Remember, every diet works for somebody. No diet works for everybody. So for now I will concentrate on reducing my caloric intake, emphasizing protein over carbs and let fats fall where they may, and get back on my treadmill. Six months from now I'll see how much success I have.

I can't help but wonder how much added chemicals in processed foods are the real culprits underlying a big share of our medical problems. Then again, maybe our medical problems are becoming a problem only because life expectancy has increased enough to give time for them to develop. Maybe the real problem is not our diets, it's our long lives.

[OldLincoln]

Enjoy the Sundae, Lincoln. I hope you wear it well

If I could have one I sure WOULD enjoy it. By itself it wouldn't affect my old manish physic, but alas, I'm a sticky rice and chicken/fish guy. Not bragging at all that my numbers all look really good so I can get away with it for now (and likely here on out) but I am 10 over and it is all belly fat so I'm trying to keep it down and now loose that 10lbs. Fortunately I love rice fish & chicken.

But I'll forever say if I had my druthers, I'd say a hot fudge sunday is about the best calories I'll ever eat - yum!

[Lizistired]

Idamtnboy, I hope you are doing well. Great post.

I told my PCP and cardiologist that my opinion is this. Every person in the medical profession who is an expert in dieting shares a common trait with all teachers of religious beliefs - none of them knows the absolute truth.

Like!
This video is well worth a watch.

Enjoy Eating Saturated Fats: They're Good for You. Donald W. Miller, Jr., M.D.
Dr. Miller is professor of surgery, cardiothoracic division, Univ. Washington
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32 ... re=related

I can't help but wonder how much added chemicals in processed foods are the real culprits underlying a big share of our medical problems. Then again, maybe our medical problems are becoming a problem only because life expectancy has increased enough to give time for them to develop. Maybe the real problem is not our diets, it's our long lives.

I agree on the chemicals, additives, processing, and altering our food supply. It's become hard to eat real food.
On the life expectancy issue... I expect we will see that dropping as the young, obese, type 2's begin suffering the complications of diabetes at a much younger age. That frightens me.

[Kiralynx]

Desperate, I tried the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) for two years, and it did miraculous things for me. I started to really heal my GI system. I never did well the the fruit/honey allowed on the diet -- I had to do a low-carb version of it, but my system thrived. Then I got cocky.

Corn came back, as did non-wheat grains like brown rice and quinoa. Started eating out a lot, getting less careful with sugar. And now I'm sluggish and feeling not great. I know I don't process ANY starches well, and that LCHF is the optimum diet for my health.

I need to get back on the hard-core bandwagon. I have no desire or intention to lose weight -- I just want to optimize my health. I'm 34 and got a lot to do in the next 60+ years. So thanks for this thread, and I hope to participate in it more!

Check out BTVC-SCD on Yahoo Groups. More than 3000 people on the SCD there, including yours truly, with almost 11 years on SCD.

[JeffH]

[quote="idamtnboy"]Three years ago I had three coronary blockages, one 90%, and two 50%. The 90 was stented and the 50s were put in the "watch" category. Since then, with a combination of a not fully successful diet program and medications my triglycerides, LDL, HDL, blood glucose, and blood pressure have all been in the recommended ranges. Well, guess what. One of the 50s closed down to 90 and three weeks ago I had another stent.

My PCP said, "The medical profession has failed you." He said that because I met the goals for the coronary risk factors but still had a coronary event. Fortunately I had no heart attack of any level whatever. He then spent 45 minutes lecturing me about the benefits of the ultra low fat plant based diet advocated by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. His diet basically says if it has a face or mother don't eat it.

You can find more info about Esselstyn and his diets here: http://www.heartattackproof.com/. Here is another discussion of it. http://www.disinfo.com/2011/09/a-simple ... t-disease/. Here's a discussion of it on a vegan board: http://www.veggieboards.com/t/125439/an ... ynes-diets

His diet apparently will lower heart disease, but I wonder what it does for blood sugar. I have a hard time buying his approach as being a great cure-all. Needless to say, this diet runs somewhat contrary to many of the opinions expressed in this thread.

I told my PCP and cardiologist that my opinion is this. Every person in the medical profession who is an expert in dieting shares a common trait with all teachers of religious beliefs - none of them knows the absolute truth.

We can bat this "good calories, bad calories" topic for the next ten years but the end result will be the same. No one has the one true answer. Remember, every diet works for somebody. No diet works for everybody. So for now I will concentrate on reducing my caloric intake, emphasizing protein over carbs and let fats fall where they may, and get back on my treadmill. Six months from now I'll see how much success I have.

I can't help but wonder how much added chemicals in processed foods are the real culprits underlying a big share of our medical problems. Then again, maybe our medical problems are becoming a problem only because life expectancy has increased enough to give time for them to develop. Maybe the real problem is not our diets, it's our long lives.[/quo

The diet you are about to eat will just make your heart disease worse. There is zero proof that a veggie diet is good for heart disease. Eat lots of health fats and protein and you will do much better than a plant diet. Look at history. Do you really think man survived all these millions of years eating plants? Didn't happen.

[idamtnboy]

So for now I will concentrate on reducing my caloric intake, emphasizing protein over carbs and let fats fall where they may, and get back on my treadmill. Six months from now I'll see how much success I have.

The diet you are about to eat will just make your heart disease worse. There is zero proof that a veggie diet is good for heart disease. Eat lots of health fats and protein and you will do much better than a plant diet. Look at history. Do you really think man survived all these millions of years eating plants? Didn't happen.

I'm not about to eat that diet. I think you may have missed my comment above. I plan to get my protein from meat and fish, two items Esselstyn is strongly opposed to.

[Janknitz]

idamtnboy wrote:
So for now I will concentrate on reducing my caloric intake, emphasizing protein over carbs and let fats fall where they may, and get back on my treadmill. Six months from now I'll see how much success I have.

If you don't already have one get a blood glucose meter and watch your blood sugar carefully. It's blood glucose/insulin levels that are the drivers of cardiovascular disease and excess protein can raise blood glucose. So be careful with your protein.

IMHO, fats are important to consider. Polyunsaturated fats are inflammatory, Omega 3's from fish and pastured animals will protect you.

But above all, watch that blood glucose!

[lazer]

When my PCP suggested the need to go "Low Carb" back in February of this year, he also told me to increase proteins and water intake. I have lost 33 lbs since and feel physically better. I also subtract "fiber" from net carbs and try to keep around 60 - 70 max per day although I do have a "cheat day" here and there. I have been also watching my total calories with the help of an app on my Android phone.

[BlackSpinner]

Well, I just baked my first gluten free brick, err I mean bread. It was tastier then I expected, if rather dense. But then my first ever wheat bread was a brick that could have broken teeth so I don't feel so bad, at least this one is edible.

My sister is doing better. There are still digestive problems and the bottle of probiotics is still sitting on the table unopened but I can see that she is doing more physically. There was a setback this weekend as the smoke from the wild fires blew in and she had a migraine reaction, but it wasn't as bad as I expected and she is back on her feet.
She actually sat down and wrote out all the things she is allowed to eat and work ok with her. Using the list I made this herbed bread. I have muffins down pat and working well with her but we needed something for dinner. I don't want her to get bored an slip.

[Lizistired]

When my PCP suggested the need to go "Low Carb" back in February of this year, he also told me to increase proteins and water intake. I have lost 33 lbs since and feel physically better. I also subtract "fiber" from net carbs and try to keep around 60 - 70 max per day although I do have a "cheat day" here and there. I have been also watching my total calories with the help of an app on my Android phone.

That's all good to hear lazer. Sounds like you have an open minded PCP, or maybe just private practice and not bound by group lawyers.
Would you mind elaborating on the condition your PCP recommended low carb for?

[lazer]

When my PCP suggested the need to go "Low Carb" back in February of this year, he also told me to increase proteins and water intake. I have lost 33 lbs since and feel physically better. I also subtract "fiber" from net carbs and try to keep around 60 - 70 max per day although I do have a "cheat day" here and there. I have been also watching my total calories with the help of an app on my Android phone.

That's all good to hear lazer. Sounds like you have an open minded PCP, or maybe just private practice and not bound by group lawyers.
Would you mind elaborating on the condition your PCP recommended low carb for?

Sure . Along with my persistent snoring and putting on some stomach weight in the past several years, my triglycerides have continued to be a bit high despite being on two Statins for the past four or five years. My PCP and kidney doctor (I also have reduced renal function for my age) have both been concerned I might be approaching pre-diabetic condition. I also had hypothyroidism indicated several years back but never required meds but ironically I showed hyperthyroidism in some followup tests late last year.

My doc already knew of my bad nutritional habits in skipping breakfast, snacking on poptarts, and drinking fairly large amounts of sugared sodas during the day. Feeling much better physically since going lowcarb and losing the weight, I just wish I could feel more stable emotionally but all and all not terrible as that's more anxiety, paranoia, worrying, and nerves as the depression has been in check.

Oh, and my PCP knows I haven't had much opportunity to exercise due to my sedentary job and low energy pre-weight loss and pre-cpap... Now I feel like I could get more exercise but need to train myself to find the time to.