In Real Time - Modified Grain Brain Diet

This is me.  Not the best photo, but the best of the most recent photos of myself - taken by my daughter, Adelaide, during her first experience with my iphone camera (she is three and wanted to snap a picture of me next to some rocks in our neighborhood). 

I am 6'-3", 212 lbs.  This puts my body mass index (BMI) at 26.5, which is considered overweight.  I've never been one to take much stock in a BMI as I am fairly dense, meaning I have above average muscle mass - largely due to years of hiking, biking, rock climbing, and other miscellaneous activities.  However, a few years ago my doctor told me that the statistics didn't care if a high BMI was due to above average muscle mass or higher body fat - a high BMI correlated with a shorter lifespan and reduced quality of life.

After pondering that for a little while, I decided that it made sense.  More body mass, whether from fat or muscle, at a minimum required the heart to work harder, to pump blood to more tissues.  When an organ works harder than it otherwise needs to, it tends to wear out more quickly.  Just like when the liver of someone who consumes a lot of alcohol wears out more quickly than the liver of someone with low alcohol intake.  A second obvious ramification of more weight is mechanical - meaning more force is being applied to joints (knee joints, hip joints, etc.) during movement as simple as walking.  More force on each joint will wear out the joint faster than than if less force were applied, leading to bad knees, ankles, and hips. Without expounding further, the bottom line is that reducing body mass has several advantages.  

Within the past year I've lost close to twenty pounds, primarily through diet (as at the time I was too nauseated to exercise).  I started out experimenting with the Grain Brain diet, the one advocated by Dr. Perlmutter, attempting to get rid of my debilitating nausea.  The nausea stayed (I later figured out that the nausea was caused by medication, Cyclobenzaprine - aka Flexeril - which my doctor recommended as a Western approach to my chronic health issues; I'll post more on that later).  However, on the Grain Brain diet, which I modified heavily due to my nut, egg, and dairy limitations, I consistently lost weight.  And it stayed off.  My goal is to lose the remaining fat, maybe another ten or twenty pounds.  

Today is day four of my diet - a grain-free, allergen-free (see the elimination diet post to see what I consider allergenic), refined carbohydrate-free diet.  All recipes currently on my blog are on the diet.  The good news is that I can eat as much as I want and exercise need not exceed walking (though the longer the better).  To date, I've lost three pounds - hardly worth writing home about - but a good beginning.   

Experimenting With Diet - Raw Food Diet

What is the Raw Food Diet?

A raw foods diet consists of consuming foods that have not been heated above a certain temperature (I have read numbers anywhere from 104 degrees F to 118 degrees F).  The theory of a raw food diet is that there are enzymes, vitamins, and minerals in whole foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) that are killed or deactivated when exposed to high temperatures and that to get the full nutritional benefit of the foods they should be consumed in as natural of a state as possible. 

The Experiment

In 2010, I intended to spend at least a week on a raw foods diet, including eliminating all seven food allergens (peanuts and tree nuts were the big two that would be difficult on this diet).  However, my goal of one week fell somewhat short.  Practical raw foods (those that do not require using judgement on the freshness of meat or fish for raw consumption) include fruit, vegetables, cold-pressed oils, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.  This list doesn't include very many sources of fats and proteins and limited sources of starch.  Take nuts out of the picture and the sources of fats and proteins reduce considerably.

I began the diet consuming all of the fruits and vegetables that I could possibly stuff down my throat.  Salads with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar sustained lunch and dinner.  But by the second day of the diet, my energy level was extremely low - I could barely keep my eyes awake at work and could do little more than lay on the couch afterward.  Instead of giving up on the diet, I decided to add nuts to the list - and started off by making a mango pie in a walnut date crust.  The next day, I added raw almonds and cashews to my snack regimen, which resulted in slow hot abdomen pain, as if someone put a heater against my abdomen and slowly turned up the heat.  Additionally, my already low energy level plummeted.  After another day of discomfort and fatigue, I ended my raw foods experiment.

My Take-a-Way

Eating raw foods provides a high fiber, high water content, low calorie, and nutrient dense way to consume foods - all of which can benefit overall health.  On the other side, cooking foods provides a means for eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses and "unlocks" certain nutrients in certain foods that would otherwise be unavailable if eaten in raw form (so I have read).  I have no doubt from my parallel experiences with diet that the raw foods diet provides a nutrient dense, low calorie means of consuming foods that can help improve health and reduce weight.  However, the diet was not feasible for me due to my nut intolerance - which, in my opinion, would be required for this diet to be sustainable.

Since going on this diet and considering the benefits of raw foods, I have considerably increased my consumption of raw fruits and vegetables (largely through smoothies and salads), which supplement a considerable range of cooked meats, gluten-free grains, fruits, and vegetables.

If you're interested in learning more about a raw foods diet, check out this link for Raw Food Recipes. 

Experimenting with Diet - The 5:2 Fasting Diet

What is the 5:2 Fasting Diet?

The 5:2 Fasting Diet is advocated by Dr. Michael Mosley.  The basic idea is to consume 600 calories or less for two days per week, every week to lose weight and live longer.  I first ran into the concept of the diet when researching fasting as a possible alternative therapy and ran into a BBC special called Eat, Fast, and Live Longer, an hour long special by Dr. Mosley that discusses calorie restriction as a secret to improved health and longer life.  The diet appears to be based on valid scientific research - predominantly that of Dr. Krista Varady (whose research validates an alternative day fasting diet, not the 5:2 fasting diet) - but attempts to minimize the frequency of fasting days. 

Click here to watch Eat, Fast, and Live Longer

The Experiment

In 2013, I stuck with the 5:2 fasting diet for two months and kept a detailed count of my calories using an online calorie counting program (Nutritional Assessment Tool) through the University of Illinois.  A typical fasting day:  A low-calorie smoothie for breakfast, water for lunch, lean meat and vegetables for dinner.  Hunger was a constant, headaches a companion, on fasting days.  The saving grace of the diet is that on the remaining five days of the week, you can eat whatever you wanted.  I took this part of the diet seriously and consumed cheeseburgers, french fries, pizza, donuts, and a host of other guilty pleasures.  Unfortunately, after two months of the diet, I neither felt improved health or had lost weight. 

My Take-a-Way

I have read and am inclined to believe that the weight loss effects of the 5:2 fasting diet are likely due to a net reduction in caloric intake over the entire week, which did not happen in my case - too many sweets.  Possible health improvements (metabolic, due to the fasting) are plausible but were not noticeable for my experience.  Dr. Varady also asserts that her diet, the alternative day fasting diet, is the only diet substantiated by her research and has more consistent results than the 5:2 fasting diet.  Click here for a Question and Answer session by Dr. Varady discussing the differences.  I have not tried the alternative day fasting diet but since I did not have success with the 5:2 diet may give it a whirl.  For the meantime, I do not discount the 5:2 fasting diet - I will only say that it did not work for me.

If you are interested in learning more about the 5:2 fasting diet, click here for Dr. Mosley's Website.

If You Are Suffering From... Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects your movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while a tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson's disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement1.

I have no personal experience with Parkinson's (aside from having friends with the Disease) so all of the suggestions herein are aggregated from other trusted sources.  That said, the rationale for trying the recommended alternative therapies can be found herein. 

If you are suffering from Parkinson's Disease and are looking for alternative and non-mainstream therapies, the following recommendations are recommended by Dr. Perlmutter and the Mayo Clinic:

Diet (See Grain Brain, by Dr. Perlmutter for specific recommendations)
Exercise
Sleep
Acupuncture
Massage
Stretching
Meditative Breathing
Dietary Supplements (See Grain Brain, by Dr. Perlmutter for specific recommendations)

Also, read the following article by Dr. Perlmutter on Parkinson's (click here)

1 Mayo Clinic

Experimenting with Diet

I have lost count of all of the diets that I've tried over the years - and none have struck me as particularly effective for my issues (as most of them allow foods that I consider inflammatory).  However, most of them have fairly interesting backgrounds and my experiences on these diets have influenced my overall thoughts on food, so a new series in this blog titled Experimenting with Diet will document my research and experiences.

The Alternative Road - Diet

One of the major elements that has helped to manage my chronic illness is diet.  I began dieting back in 2006, when my father (also a physician) suggested that I might have Celiac Disease.  After eliminating gluten from my diet, I felt noticeable improvement but not complete relief - so my experiments with diet expanded.  After eight years, I have come to the conclusion that two specific diet modifications are worthy of attention for anyone traveling the alternative road.  The first modification entails eliminating any foods that caused inflammatory symptoms.  The second modification entails increasing the consumption of foods known to help the body deal with inflammation.      

REDUCING INFLAMMATION

Since 2006, I have dabbled in a number of fad diets and food restrictions. The fad diets included a Paleo Diet, a Vegan Diet, a Vegetarian Diet, a Raw Foods Diet, a Candida Diet, and the Grain Brain Diet.  Each of these diets have merit.  However, none of these diets eliminated all of the foods that I now consider inflammatory - in fact most of these diets emphasized many of the foods that I consider inflammatory.

The most useful tool in reducing inflammatory foods was a series of food restrictions that can be adequately described as an elimination diet - a modification of food habits with the intent of identifying foods that trigger inflammatory symptoms (headaches, night sweats, blurry eyes, brain fog, fatigue, etc.).  My elimination diet took eight years to develop, partly because I did not have a template to follow and partly because I didn't want to give up foods that I enjoyed eating.  It took years of ill-health to steer me away from some of my beloved foods.  Ultimately, my decision to minimize exposure to inflammatory foods opened my eyes to a world of food alternatives that are just as satisfying. 

INCREASING FOODS THAT FIGHT INFLAMMATION

To function properly, the human body needs vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, and other items historically provided by food.  However, the modern western diet is largely a high-calorie, low nutrient diet, potentially resulting in nutrient and vitamin deficiency.  For thirty years, I was guilty of consuming many more simple carbohydrates and sugars than high nutrient foods like whole fruits and vegetables.  The result was a body ill-equipped to deal with inflammation.  Increasing consumption of whole fruits and vegetables is recommended by virtually every health care professional that I consulted with on my road.  And though I personally was unable to attribute specific improvement of symptoms to this modification, I do believe that my general level of health (energy level and ability to focus) improved as a result.          

IF YOU ARE SUFFERING

If you are suffering from symptoms that are attributed to inflammation (including headaches, night sweats, blurry eyes, brain fog, fatigue, etc.), I can't more highly recommend trying an elimination diet and increasing your consumption of whole fruits and vegetables.  Specifically, if you have any autoimmune disease (or symptoms that correlate to an autoimmune disease), I am confident that this diet will help alleviate some of the symptoms.  And I also believe (largely through anecdotal evidence - though in the case of neurological and heart disease there is scientific evidence) that this diet has the potential to help those suffering from other ailments that currently do not have a cure through western medicine including but not limited to Autism, Alzheimer, Dementia, ALS, Cancer, heart disease, and obesity.  I do not intend to imply diet can cure these items, only help alleviate some of the symptoms. I will provide guidance in a future post for those considering an elimination diet; and I will provide recipes and recommendations of resources in a series of future posts to help you feel satisfied while on the diet and beyond.

WHAT THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY SAYS

Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation

 

Celiac Disease & The Beginning of Food Therapy

June 2006, San Diego -

I had been ill for about a year. Multiple courses of drugs had been unhelpful. A long-shot potential diagnosis - Celiac Disease. No insurance. No blood test. No problem.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease. The way it works - man ingests gluten(a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats), immune system attacks gluten, intestine is damaged in the ensuing battle, damaged intestine can't absorb nutrients, nutrient deficiencies produce illness.

The treatment for Celiac Disease - diet. I was desperate. I stopped eating all things gluten. Two weeks passed. I did not feel well, but I did feel better. My teeth stopped aching. My muscles stopped aching. The night sweats were less. It was the first relief I experienced. It was the beginning of my experimentation with food therapy, the only therapy to have any effect on my health in the five years of illness.

Yoga Bliss

Shortly after a doctor confirmed that I had a neck injury, my wife and I debated paying for yoga classes. We looked at yoga studios and gyms. They were expensive, and I doubted that I would have the energy and motivation to go. In-house yoga, that I could do whenever I wanted with minimal energy, was preferred. We tried videos. We stopped trying videos. We tried the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus yoga program. Jackpot.

My goal was to do all 18 yoga exercises (for a total of 36 minutes) every day for two months.

The first week was amazing. My back loosened up and my energy level skyrocketed. I felt better, looser, and freer, even though I didn't have enough flexibility to do some of the poses properly. My hamstrings, back, and IT band - extraordinarily tight. Poses like the Triangle, Downward Dog, Sun Salutation - difficult. But they felt good. The tree pose stretched my spine in a way I had never felt. My outlook - very optimistic.

Weeks two through four continued with much of the same optimism. My neck felt much stronger than it did before I started. The pain in the right side of my pelvis lessened. My flexibility noticeably increased. I could focus at work. In the first three weeks, I gained four inches of flexibility in my back and legs(when trying to touch my toes). In week four, I actually touched my toes, something I had not been able to do in over a decade. My optimism skyrocketed until the beginning of week five...

A Few Observations About Food

A few observations about food:

(1) Most socialization happens over food or drinks;
(2) Business is often conducted over food or drinks; and
(3) Maintaining a multifaceted diet while traveling is difficult.

While I am becoming more adept at dealing with each of these individually, business, socializing, and traveling are much more difficult to balance with my diet when combined.

My Alternative Road

The four aspects to my alternative road:

(1) Exercise
(2) Diet
(3) Fasting
(4) Acupuncture

More to come on these...