Chilblains update ~ and the JUDDD factor

[piratejenny]

oh, yet another thing...sorry...it seems i recall some people saying that eating coconut oil makes them feel warm? does that ring a bell or has anybody noticed that?

[sunday]

Do you eat much potato or rice? I was surprised that adding "safe starches" has helped with symptoms, especially the women who had migraines. Here is a clip from two different women PHDers.

After I started reading your blog, and adding in “safe
starches”, my Reynaud’s largely cleared up with temperatures over 20F. This
wasn’t the intention, but a wonderful side-effect. Last month, when the sun
came out and the temps got over 25, I enjoyed a successful 2-mile snow hike
for the first time in three years. =)

and this woman has much more than this to say, but I didn't want to waste too much of your space here...

I too have had Raynaud’s all my life … In the past two months, I have modified
my diet in line with Paul’s suggestions for Migraine. I now eat 200 calories
worth of safe starch, all the recommended supplements, and as much coconut
oil as I can stomach. I am also doing the 16/8 fast. My Raynaud’s has further
improved, as measured by the fact I sometimes forget to turn the heat up in
the morning, and cold extremities don’t always alert me to my
forgetfulness!… Thanks for asking about the Migraines. They are in fact
vastly improved, which I attribute solely to your recommendations. I can say
that, because I have tried virtually everything else in the past…. Clearly
something remarkable is happening, thanks to your recommendations! A little
history. I started getting these headaches in my late 30s. (I am now 52).

[sunday]

I just had to add this review also, because she speaks of anxiety in the car when travelling. I seem to remember this was something that you mentioned in another thread about your Disney trip? She has made an absolute turnaround in her health. Dawn, if you have time and would like, please write out all of your health issues that you have suffered recently, even if you don't think it is related to Raynaud's. I will be glad to ask him anything for you, he (or his wife) answers every question. I am so impressed with his research.

Also~

In January, in my blog travels, I stumbled on your site. I ordered the book and was intrigued by your and Shou-Ching’s ideas about disease and chronic conditions. I was already familiar with the idea of a ketogenic diet for epilepsy, so I was immediately interested in trying a more ketogenic diet for myself. I ordered all your basic supplements, and immediately upped my kelp to two capsules. I had been using coconut oil for curries, so I started using it habitually. Started eating 200 calories of starches that you recommended—this was a little scary, after studiously avoiding them for four years! I was afraid I they might keep me awake at night, but I am sleeping like a log. Started fasting 16/8, which was easy once you absolved me for having cream in my morning coffee! Within a week of starting this regimen my chronic headache started to disappear! Some days I would only have a headache for part of the day, and occasionally I would have no headache at all! I read somewhere on your site that NAC is good on a ketogenic diet, so I ordered it too. I had never heard of this supplement before. It seems to have made a further positive difference. I have started taking it twice a day. Once before bed, and once in the late afternoon, when the headache sometimes starts coming back. Since I added NAC, I have been nearly headache free. Another amazing development concerns anxiety. Over the years I have become somewhat anxious when I drive on highways. I grip the steering wheel tightly, sit forward in the seat, and am generally hyper vigilant. I always chided myself for my lack of nerves, but that didn’t help. As mentioned above, this was magnified by the Topomax. I never had this issue when I was younger; indeed I used to fly helicopters in
the army. Two weeks ago I drove up to New Jersey to pick up my daughter, a 3.5 hour trip from where I live in Northern Virginia. I stopped two hours into the trip to make a pit stop, and I suddenly realized I was totally relaxed, and had been for the entire trip! The PHD is strong brain medicine indeed! Thanks for all your research, insights, and ideas. I think the Perfect Health Diet is going to be a game changer for many people. Hopefully it is the start of a sea change at how we approach the chronic maladies of our times.

[sorenkkg]

Wow, Sunday. Is that a thread from this board, or another? I'm interested in the migraine aspect (if not for me, for my DH...)

Thanks!
s.

[sunday]

Soren, Go to his page, Perfect Health Diet, he says that he is getting ready to re-vamp the website and add a forum. I can't wait! I have learned so much from him and his PHDers. It is refreshing to know doctor/scientist that actually wants to answer our questions, no matter how small or big.

He answered my question that I asked in like 10 minutes. It seems he is on the site every night around 9:00 central time. He is in Boston. They work at Harvard Medical School.

[sorenkkg]

Cool, thanks!

[sunday]

This is Paul's answer to Kate who cured her migraines with a keto version of PHD.

Mechanisms

Thank you, Kate! That’s a fantastic chronicle of your history.

This is already a long blog post, so I won’t go into an analysis of why and how the ketogenic variant of the Perfect Health Diet can cure migraines, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep. I’ll only add a few things.

First, there is a case report in the literature of a ketogenic diet helping migraines. [1]

Second, the diet helps in part by getting around mitochondrial dysfunction. Some other nutritional supplements that support mitochondrial function have a chance to help:
•carnitine [2]
•riboflavin [3,5]
•CoQ10 [4,5]
•alpha lipoic acid [4]
•magnesium [4, 5]

I realize that you’ve already tried those, Kate, and didn’t notice an effect, but you may notice a benefit now that your diet is better. If in the past they reduced headache severity from 100% to 99%, you wouldn’t have noticed a change. If now they reduce severity from 2% to 1%, or 1% to 0%, the improvement might be obvious. So you might re-consider them now.

Finally, in the interests of full disclosure I should note that some doctors expect improvements from diet and nutrition to be short-lived: “high-dose vitamin and cofactor treatment and, where applicable, high-fat diet, are well tolerated and possibly effective in the short term, but ineffective in the longer term” against mitochondrial disorders. [6]

[sunday]

They are a husband/wife team and so she answers when she is available, I suspect that he is consulting her.

Their bios~

Paul Jaminet, Ph.D. Paul was an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, became a software entrepreneur during the Internet boom, and now provides strategic advice to entrepreneurial companies while pursuing research in economics (see pauljaminet.com for more information). Paul’s experience overcoming a chronic illness has been key to our views of aging and disease. Paul can be reached by email to pauljaminet@perfecthealthdiet.com.


Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, Ph.D. Shou-Ching is a molecular biologist and cancer researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, and Director of BIDMC’s Multi-Gene Transcriptional Profiling Core. Shou-Ching was born in Korea to Chinese parents, grew up in Korea, attended college at National Taiwan University in Taipei, and graduate school at University of Newcastle in Australia, before coming to the US to work at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital Boston, and Beth Israel Deaconess and Harvard Medical School. Her publications may be found by searching Pubmed for “Shih SC” (through Sep 2011) and “Jaminet SC” (since Sep 2011).

[Carly]

Originally Posted by KeirasMom

I definitely feel the love. This is the best, most supportive group I've ever had the privilege to "know." I you all!

I'm feeling better this morning. I decided to change my goal weight to 165 (from 160) and I woke up to 165.2 this morning. I think it's a sign that I'll be fine switching to 5:2. So I'm calling goal, doing 5:2, and I'm armed with all this lovely information you've all been so kind as to provide to me! Thank you!

CONGRATS!!!!!
You have done such an amazing job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mom23kids]

Originally Posted by KeirasMom

I definitely feel the love. This is the best, most supportive group I've ever had the privilege to "know." I you all!

I'm feeling better this morning. I decided to change my goal weight to 165 (from 160) and I woke up to 165.2 this morning. I think it's a sign that I'll be fine switching to 5:2. So I'm calling goal, doing 5:2, and I'm armed with all this lovely information you've all been so kind as to provide to me! Thank you!

I think you're making a wise decision You can always adjust your goal down again, after you start feeling better. I'm glad I have a JUDDD bud to transition into the 5:2 plan with me

[KeirasMom]

Tons of great information here Sunday. Thank you. I'll have to think about all my "little" ailments.

I've had anxiety/depression off and on for years, literally since I was a small child, which actually seems a lot better now that my thyroid is being treated.
Hypothyroid (I take Synthroid, calcium, vitamin D3)
Reynaud's (Primary) w/chilblains (I take Procardia)
Tachycardia (I take Atenolol-which is noted for being bad for chilblains, but the doctor doesn't want me to stop it. Last time I tried to wean off it, my resting heart rate was around 120-130)
Osteoarthritis (from a hip injury when I was 20) No medication
Fused L4-Sacrum (birth defect) No medication
Migraines (These used to be very frequent, but thankfully not so much now) I don't take medication for them unless they're severe, then it's OTC Excedrin or whatever.
Mild OCD (undiagnosed, but a family history, so I know what it is) No medication.
Degenerative disc disease. No medication.
Mild allergies (they don't really bother me and I don't take anything for them, though I do take Benadryl at night to sleep)

Before my thyroid diagnosis, I was having a lot of rashes, hives, psoriasis, joint pain, fatigue--I was sure it was Lupus or RA. All of that has gone away with my thyroid treatment, even the psoriasis I had since I was a teenager.

Wow, I sound like a mess! Honestly, I feel relatively healthy!

[Carly]

If your a mess then I'm a disaster area!

[dawnyama]

Originally Posted by sunday

Soren, Go to his page, Perfect Health Diet, he says that he is getting ready to re-vamp the website and add a forum. I can't wait! I have learned so much from him and his PHDers. It is refreshing to know doctor/scientist that actually wants to answer our questions, no matter how small or big.

He answered my question that I asked in like 10 minutes. It seems he is on the site every night around 9:00 central time. He is in Boston. They work at Harvard Medical School.

You are so sweet How thoughtful of you to do this

[KeirasMom]

Oh, I forgot, I can dislocate many of my joints at will. I don't know if that's an illness or not, but it looks sick!

I can pop my shoulders out of their sockets, I can twist my fingers sideways, my big toes and sometimes my little toes dislocate and I have to ask DH to put them back where they belong. I always joke that the rest of me is super flexible because my spine is super stiff.

[Librarygirl]

And I'm sure dh is grateful for your flexibility! I wanted to congratulate you on calling GOAL!!!! How awesome is that!!! I will keep following your progress with the 5:2 plan, and I dare say you will make many converts to that WOE as well!

[sunday]

First, I am not any different than anyone else here on this LCF forum. I just want to be healthy. I have always known that something I am doing, more than likely eating, could be harming/effecting me healthwise. I knew deep down that it wasn't just meno-hell or even my thyroid. I just wanted answers. I have literally done the strictest diet methods known and still seemed like something was holding me back. Weight loss should be natural when we are in good health and eat nutritionally. I come from a family with pretty good health, except for losing my grandfather to stomach cancer and my younger brother to MD, I really don't have much that I can say for certain runs in my family. So, this became my quest even before I found JUDDD.


The Jaminets believe that disease, premature aging, and impaired health have four primary causes: malnutrition, food toxicity, evolutionarily discordant lifestyles, and chronic infections by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. I knew that malnutrition and lifestyle were my culprits. I have lead an extremely stressful lifestyle for the last 10 years and to top this off, I have been malnourished.


They believe that~

•These causes go together. People who eat toxic, nutrient-poor diets are more likely to contract chronic infections and do not easily recover from them.
•Yet the body has amazing powers of recovery. On a healthy diet, the immune system can tackle and defeat most infections, especially with the aid of antimicrobial drugs.

•A diet like the Perfect Health Diet should be the first treatment option in most diseases and an adjunct to therapy in all.

Dawn, I don't think the medical profession has all of the answers, but I do believe that we can do a lot of good for our own bodies by following the basics.
It is so simple, that I catch myself saying, "for real?". I eat lots of plants now, fermented veggies, wonderful & nutritious bone broth, fish, beef, & fowl. I don't hunger much and I can fast 16/8 with much less stress than ever before. And taters, the one thing, that I turned down time after time and was frightened to eat. Literally. Now is healing me mentally and physically.

[sunday]

I see that you have suffered a lot. I am sorry. I went to his site and he is speaking tonight on the Jimmy Moore show? So, I imagine he won't be around to answer, but I will copy everything you are suffering and will then paste in the link in question format. I think that the main thing is to find out what you can be doing to relieve yourself from these chilblains that are causing you so much suffering.

I am so proud of you Dawn and have admired you from the very first day that I met you here. I knew when you had announced that you lost 100 and we all celebrated that although it was the JUDDD plan, it was really YOU and your steadfast desire to get to this point that brought you this far.

Hooray for you! Now, on to find you answers for your health and suffering.

[Librarygirl]

I agree, Sunday. My lifestyle has been my woe and I mean than in the literal sense. I have no family history of obesity, nor any cancers or life-threatening illnesses. My father lived to 89, and my mother is now 90. Neither of them were ever overweight, although my mother had seven children and five miscarriages throughout her life. I was born when she was 41, and my father was 43. We were raised on fresh vegetables that were grown in our own garden (2 acres of garden vegetables!), and were never fed fast food. My mother cooked three meals a day, although I did opt for cereal for breakfast as a child. My weight problems started as an adult, and almost midlife. I believe my lifestyle choices brought on the weight gain as well as other negative things, and I also believe that JUDDD has been a healing process for me. Although relatively new to this WOE, I had conquered other negative aspects of my life before I began, so this is the icing on the cake. I look forward to learning so much more, and getting healthier and happier as I grow OLDER!!!

[sunday]

Cindy, I could write everything you have just stated, because my weight loss has been excruciatingly slow. I was so thrilled to lose 1.5 lb in 3 weeks at one time. Although, JUDDD has been an excellent tool for me, I knew I had to get the small stuff figured out, because my weight can bounce up faster than I can turn around. I do believe that changing to the 16/8 with JUDDD is helping me, but it's also the few small changes in eating optimally which has helped me more than anything.

Anything you want to know about your health or weight loss, write it out and he will answer to the best of his knowledge. If you go to his site and then scroll to the right and down, you will see "Q & A", then click on that and it will give you the option to ask a question. I sometimes post the questions that I think will be of interest on the "Perfect Health" thread linked at the bottom of my signature.

[Beeb]

Don't know what to say but.....

[KeirasMom]

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer. I honestly have a great life with an amazing husband and child and all my needs are met and often exceeded. I suffer, but I don't suffer nearly as much as 3/4 of the world does on a daily basis. I'm blessed and I know it. Compared to so many, I live an amazing life of privilege and I never forget it.

Sunday, it is I who am so proud of you. You take so much of your own personal time to help out the rest of us with your advice and caring, non-judgmental, giving self. You rock. SO many of our BUDDDs are so selfless with their time and energy. I really am in awe of you all. The list is so long I can't even begin to name all of you, but anyone who's taken the time to read this thread and offer any words has given already far more than I expect.

[gotitnow]

^^^I think it was Kissa that said something about a mutual admiration society! How true, and I am humbled to be a part of it.

It's wonderful how many of you are willing to share thoughts, ideas, and information that you have researched so carefully and caringly.

What a privilege for anyone like me. I am physically and emotionally "spent" these days and really have to keep it simple. Literally. So, not looking for sympathy, just telling you all I feel so fortunate getting to benefit from time invested, well written information that you all so graciously contribute.(you all know who you are)

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this exclusive and brilliant gathering of minds.

Phyl

[dawnyama]

Originally Posted by sunday

First, I am not any different than anyone else here on this LCF forum. I just want to be healthy. I have always known that something I am doing, more than likely eating, could be harming/effecting me healthwise. I knew deep down that it wasn't just meno-hell or even my thyroid. I just wanted answers. I have literally done the strictest diet methods known and still seemed like something was holding me back. Weight loss should be natural when we are in good health and eat nutritionally. I come from a family with pretty good health, except for losing my grandfather to stomach cancer and my younger brother to MD, I really don't have much that I can say for certain runs in my family. So, this became my quest even before I found JUDDD.


The Jaminets believe that disease, premature aging, and impaired health have four primary causes: malnutrition, food toxicity, evolutionarily discordant lifestyles, and chronic infections by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. I knew that malnutrition and lifestyle were my culprits. I have lead an extremely stressful lifestyle for the last 10 years and to top this off, I have been malnourished.


They believe that~

•These causes go together. People who eat toxic, nutrient-poor diets are more likely to contract chronic infections and do not easily recover from them.
•Yet the body has amazing powers of recovery. On a healthy diet, the immune system can tackle and defeat most infections, especially with the aid of antimicrobial drugs.

•A diet like the Perfect Health Diet should be the first treatment option in most diseases and an adjunct to therapy in all.

Dawn, I don't think the medical profession has all of the answers, but I do believe that we can do a lot of good for our own bodies by following the basics.
It is so simple, that I catch myself saying, "for real?". I eat lots of plants now, fermented veggies, wonderful & nutritious bone broth, fish, beef, & fowl. I don't hunger much and I can fast 16/8 with much less stress than ever before. And taters, the one thing, that I turned down time after time and was frightened to eat. Literally. Now is healing me mentally and physically.

This sounds just like my doctor She had become a doctor because she wanted to heal her ailments. Not only is she an MD, but she is also a DO because of it. She cured herself of her RA by following those principles above. I wish so many more docs would be willing to follow suit. My doc said I was malnourished as well. How could I be when I was so heavy/big??? But it just meant that the food I was eating was not what I needed. Junk foods. Eye opening for sure. You are super for sharing all that you have learned/researched. What a gem

Dawn--certainly hoping you are feeling better today. Oh, and my 2 cents (like you need anymore ideas LOL)--I have heard that shea butter is the most humectorant out there. Meaning, it really hydrates the skin and holds the moisture in. I have the Burt's Bees shea butter hand cream and use it at night with my aloe spa gloves over my hands and wake up with lotioned hands. I love it!! But I have to say that it doesn't smell great, but feels so good! I normally use coconut lotion and love that, but have grown to love the shea butter.

[LoCarbGal]

Originally Posted by gotitnow

^^^I think it was Kissa that said something about a mutual admiration society! How true, and I am humbled to be a part of it.

It's wonderful how many of you are willing to share thoughts, ideas, and information that you have researched so carefully and caringly.

What a privilege for anyone like me. I am physically and emotionally "spent" these days and really have to keep it simple. Literally. So, not looking for sympathy, just telling you all I feel so fortunate getting to benefit from time invested, well written information that you all so graciously contribute.(you all know who you are)

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this exclusive and brilliant gathering of minds.

Phyl

Phyl, I'm sending & for you - hope you can feel it. I hope everything is okay and will be getting better.

[gotsomeold]

Dawn, you are not a Debbie Downer. You are a dear friend in trouble.

I agree with Babs, we start from JUDDD, but - over time - most of us find the low cal/IF schedule that works best for each of us. I believe the day-to-day rotation is the right place to start and, for many of us, a very good place to lose weight. But it is not the only place that works.

So, you find the eating pattern that best supports your body's needs right now! You are and will always be a JUDDD BUDDD.

Finally, and only because I am increasingly convinced this is a miracle food, have you looked into bone broth? I know you proudly stand not at the top of the list of BUDDDs who love to cook. But, BB seems to be a whole body improver and is easy to make. When you are through researching all of the other excellent advice here, please check it out.

[KeirasMom]

Nancy, I've actually wondered if I could make the bone broth with leftover rotisserie chicken bones. Since you've all been talking about the bone broth, I feel almost guilty just tossing the bones, but didn't know if they'd be good for it. I have at least one rotisserie chicken in the fridge at any given time (uh, due to my lack of cooking).

[KeirasMom]

Phyl, you're always so kind and have so much to offer us here.

[KeirasMom]

Dawn, I have shea butter but I really don't like it. I have several good handcreams though, and they do help. I may resort to the shea butter at some point. You're right about the smell.

[sunday]

I agree about the bone broth. It is cheap. It is natural. It is everything that your body needs. It is much easier than I ever thought it would be to make as well. Lots of youtube videos or websites with all of the instruction. I use a crockpot and let it simmer on low for 24 hours. All you need is bone and the best to use is the joint bone. It can be beef, chicken, bison, or lamb bone. Even pork bone.

Also, don't forget about eggshells. I am just now learning this and would have never guessed!

Chicken cartilage beats glucosamine/chondroitin supplements hands-down. In the 1990’s, researchers discovered that glucosamine and chondroitin reduce arthritis pain and stiffness. But they may not be the most effective healers, because several studies show that whole chicken collagen capsules (made from cartilage) work better than the extracted glucosamine and chondroitin.

Eggshell membranes also outperform glucosamine and chondroitin. Eggshells contain both glucosamine and chondroitin, but several studies seem to indicate that whole eggshell membrane acts more quickly and comprehensively than glucosamine and chondroitin.

One study found that osteoarthritis patients experienced less pain in as little as ten days, while related study of people who had joint and connective tissue disorders had 27% more flexibility after seven days. After 30 days, patients had an astonishing 72% reduction in general pain, a 43% increase in flexibility and a 75% reduction in pain associated with range of motion.

[sunday]

Dawn, the very best bone broth that I have ever made was from the whole chicken carcass. It was amazing. I made pork ribs last week in the crockpot and then tossed all of the bones back into the crockpot and let them simmer for 24, just splash some ACV which helps keep all of the minerals in.