Recipes & random thoughts

[sunday]

Jen, I am sorry about the wheat free results. I admire all that you do to correct your health. You give me hope that I can do the same. Just curious what does Metformin do to your stomach? Does it cause cramps?

I was reading a weight loss doctor's website, Kent Holtorf, M.D., who is an expert in natural bioidentical hormone replacement and optimization for women and men, endocrinology, thyroid dysfunction (difficult thyroid cases), fatigue syndromes, adrenal insufficiency, growth hormone replacement, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic infections and multiple endocrine dysfunction.

I am a difficult case. My thyroid is, indeed, dysfunctional. I am on armour thyroid, but I can tell that it is not working still. I have been on it for about 4 years. Anyway, he prescribes metformin in combo with naltrexone for help with patients who are not only hypo but LR as well, to help them see results with LR which then helps with weight loss. Just curious what you think?

In addition to optimizing the thyroid (remember, giving thyroid hormone to lose weight is not appropriate, but that’s not what we are doing, here we are correcting a deficiency), Symlin (pramlintide) and/or Byetta (exenatide) can be very effective for many. Human Chorionic Gonadrotropin (HCG) is another potential option that works for some. While I’ve found that the antidepressant Wellbutin (bupropion) does not work well for weight loss, a combination of Wellbutrin and low-dose naltrexone (LDN) is having some surprisingly good results. Topamax (topiramate) is an option for some but is not always well tolerated. Standard appetite suppressants, which boost metabolism, can be used, especially if the RMR is low.

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by sunday

Jen, I am sorry about the wheat free results. Just curious what does Metformin do to your stomach? Does it cause cramps?

I'm okay with my results so far.
I'm going to stick with it.

Yes, the metformin causes cramps. And sometimes a run to the bathroom. So if I have to drive somewhere (or have a meeting or something) in the morning, I might skip it the night before.

Originally Posted by sunday

Anyway, he prescribes metformin in combo with naltrexone for help with patients who are not only hypo but LR as well, to help them see results with LR which then helps with weight loss. Just curious what you think?

Hmm, I already take bupropion, and Dr Bernstein recommends LDN in his book, so maybe I could talk to my p-doc (my next appt's in April) about adding that.

Sorry you're having such trouble with your thyroid.

[sunday]

Originally Posted by piratejenny

I'm okay with my results so far.
I'm going to stick with it.

Yes, the metformin causes cramps. And sometimes a run to the bathroom. So if I have to drive somewhere (or have a meeting or something) in the morning, I might skip it the night before.



Hmm, I already take bupropion, and Dr Bernstein recommends LDN in his book, so maybe I could talk to my p-doc (my next appt's in April) about adding that.

Sorry you're having such trouble with your thyroid.

I would have to drive/fly to Atlanta to see him. So, I am going to try and find a doctor around here that would do this for me. I think he has several clinics in California as well. He writes a column in the Huff Po.

[dawnyama]

Originally Posted by sunday

I would have to drive/fly to Atlanta to see him. So, I am going to try and find a doctor around here that would do this for me. I think he has several clinics in California as well. He writes a column in the Huff Po.

I am close to Atlanta I love following you around--I learn so much information Sunday. Thanks for sharing. Sorry to t/j pjenny. If my own hormone specialist doesn't work out, I can look him up! I have many issues that need addressing as well. I am a big hormonal mess

[sunday]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

I am close to Atlanta I love following you around--I learn so much information Sunday. Thanks for sharing. Sorry to t/j pjenny. If my own hormone specialist doesn't work out, I can look him up! I have many issues that need addressing as well. I am a big hormonal mess

Dawn I have been meaning to go back to your thread that you started about bio-identicals and send you a bit of info that I am reading on his site. He has been a huge success in California, so much so that he has advanced to opening offices other places. I can't ever get enough reading his own blog. It is that educational! Especially for women who have fought the menopausal weight gain as well as hormonal/thyroid issues.

(PJ forgive the threadjack)

[dawnyama]

Oh, please do!! I would love it Sunday if you could add this info to that. That way others can decide if they want to see this guy. His site is up on my computer already.

[sunday]

Holtorf Medical Group

Atlanta, GA
(678) 494-7800
3750 Palladian Village Drive
Suite 300

Marietta, GA 30066


You must read his blog. I can't believe all of the good info that I am learning.

[sunday]

PJ, I have been listening to this doctor today and I am just blown away. LDN treats so many different diseases, but the most mindblowing is Cancer, MS and HIV. I just wanted to share the pioneer, Dr. Bernard Bihari. He has been self dosing with LDN for 10 years without any side effects. It is a very promising drug that is being looked at by FDA for all of the alternate drug therapies (off use). Very interesting...

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) Pioneer Dr. Bernard Bihari Talks...

[dawnyama]

sunday--do you mind if I link this to another LCFer I know who has MS? I think she would like the info.

[sunday]

Originally Posted by dawnyama

sunday--do you mind if I link this to another LCFer I know who has MS? I think she would like the info.

Please share. I listened to this very early today while working and I found another website that I would like to share that goes along with this that will help your friend connect to others who have found relief for MS. There is a special link specifically for MS and they even tell you where you can have your prescription compounded, which literature to give your doctor, etc. It is a very low dose.

If you have time go and read the link, "What others are saying about LDN"

The Low Dose Naltrexone Homepage

[dawnyama]

Thanks Sunday. Will pass this along.

[piratejenny]

Finally made a good gravy using chickpea (garbanzo) flour!

The thickening power was amazing. I toasted 1 tablespoon of flour in a dry pan, then added chicken fat & water; I added water a couple more times to see whether it would get too thin, but it kept thickening up.

I was only trying to make a little batch, but I ended up with over a cup of gravy....only ate half. So, approx 2g carb for a really generous serving, enough to drown 2 shredded chicken thighs!

I used "poultry seasoning" (sage & stuff), onion powder (toasted it for just a few seconds), & Better Than Bouillon paste for flavor.

Also--NO LUMPS!!!
It just doesn't lump together the way wheat flour does.
It was very smooth...like hummus!

I know I'd made chickpea flour gravy about 8 years ago, when I had a job as a vegetarian chef, but I forgot all about it!

Nutritional info:
1/4 cup=110 calories
2g fat
18g carb (- 5g fiber = 13g net carb)
6g protein

Compared to wheat flour:
1/4 cup= 110 calories
0g fat
23g carb (less than 1g fiber)
3g protein

Side note:
I also tried resistant corn starch, which I ordered a long time ago but haven't really figured out how to use. I knew before I started that it doesn't thicken up sauces like regular cornstarch, but I wanted to see if it tasted better toasted. So I toasted it in a dry pan, added some chicken fat & bouillon, then put it aside while I tried the chickpea flour.

It was wonderful--it crunched like those little crispy bits in the pan after you fry or roast meat! Very unexpected! I combined some of both batches for Gravy #3. Not sure on the carb counts on that...still nervous about experimenting with RCS (plus I read *after* I came up with this recipe that re-heating foods with RS changes the starch).

PS: posted elsewhere 2/24

[piratejenny]

I've taken 1tbsp resistant corn starch before bed the past 5 nights, and have not woken up from dreams or nightmares--except for one night when I tried the "potato hack" for dinner.

So, low-carb dinner + RSC = no nightmares, no waking up in the middle of the night with a pounding heart.

I came up with a theory that hypoglycemia while you're asleep causes nightmares; your brain tries to get your adrenalin up, which will raise your blood sugar, and a nightmare is a really good way to do that because you get scared and often are fighting or running away from something! I poked around on the internet a little bit and found several websites/blogs of parents with children who have diabetes, and they have noticed the same pattern. Having a "slow-carb" snack before bed gets rid of the nightmares.

Raw cornstarch is commonly used.
IDK exactly how RCS differs from regular cornstarch...but I bought a couple packages from Netrition a while back and am trying to use them up.

[piratejenny]

From the King Arthur Flour website, on their RSC page:

Regular corn has a gelatinization temperature that is lower than most cooking and baking temperatures, so it breaks apart and becomes highly digestible (high glycemic) when cooking. In contrast, Hi-maize high amylose cornstarch has a gelatinization temperature that is higher than most cooking and baking temperatures, so it maintains its natural starch granule and thus its resistant starch content upon cooking. For example, you could boil Hi-maize resistant starch in water and it still won't thicken or break down the granules.

I've become totally obsessed with cornstarch + blood sugar issues!

I'm relieved to know that I can cook with RSC and it won't become high glycemic.

I guess I can get regular cornstarch and use it raw; will save my RSC for cooking.

I can't wade through all the science talk, but this study seems to indicate that taking raw cornstarch after ingesting sugar will prevent reactive hypoglycemia. Fascinating!!!
Cornstarch ingestion after oral glucose loading: effect on glucose concentrations, hormone response, and symptoms in patients with postprandial hypoglycemic syndrome.

[piratejenny]

I'm not posting on LCF as often, so just a quick entry in case anyone wonders where I am...still alive! Still fat!!! :/

I had kinda started doing the Shangri-La Diet, and trying the potato hack, but then I got sick and didn't stick to anything. I was coughing for 2 weeks...just stopped about 3 days ago...

I let wheat sneak back in and I totally feasted on Easter at my neighbor's--
homemade ricotta pie, escarole pie, amazing bread.

My weight has been up ever since, and creeping up.
285 yesterday and today.
I haven't lost weight in months, but I've been under 280 for about a year,
and I hadn't seen 285 in quite a while.

Last week I cut back on wheat again, but it's not making a difference in weight loss;
however, it does seem to be making a difference with a skin condition I've had since I was 16.
Also, I have almost zero hair falling out when I don't eat wheat.
Today I decided to start NK, and to be more careful about carbs in general.
Cooking for my vegetarian son, I get tempted by rice & beans, pad thai, and other yummy stuff.
But I really need to stick to a plan.

I had 2 eggs, 1oz salami, and 2oz cream cheese for breakfast.
I whipped a can of coconut milk with HWC and added some to coffee. It was really good!!!
Canned coconut milk and even HWC sometimes has little lumps in it which are sort of unappealing to me.
So I've been meaning to try whipping them together for YEARS!
It was very nice & made my coffee seem quite fancy.

I had a salad with feta cheese, olives, & sunflower seeds for lunch,
and broth with zucchini & HWC for dinner.
Hunger hasn't been a problem today, so maybe high fat/low protein really is better for me
(I know it doesn't work for everyone, as far as appetite suppression goes).

[piratejenny]

All right, is it the coronal mass ejection, or has it really taken me 2.5 years to figure out how to do low carb?

I have barely eaten since breakfast this morning!
I had a nice breakfast of 2 eggs, fried beef fat, 1 corn tortilla (10g carb), and coffee around 10; ran errands for a few hours and had a snack of cashews & peanuts (with crazy hot Indian spices!!! ) around 4; now I'm home and there's so much food (hit an Asian market, an Indian market, and Aldi), and I cooked a carby dinner for my son without stealing much (a yummy mushroom "nugget", a little piece of spinach bread [under 6g carb] and 2 tiny bites of rice) and I *think* I'm hungry (my hands are shaking a little bit) but I don't really feel like eating!

I had a slight headache/neckache most of the day, but I get those every now & then so I won't blame it on the diet. Other than that, I've felt pretty good today. No tummy weirdness from the fat & coconut milk.

[Seabreezes]

Nice to "see" you. Sorry you have been ill.

Maybe you have hit on the WOE that will work for you. I certainly hope so. You are always such a wealth of info we miss your posts.

[piratejenny]

Thank you! Nice to "see" you too.
Feel free to post here or PM me if you ever have any questions!
I still read a lot about herbs & nutrition...love to share info...

[piratejenny]

all right, well I've done about 10 days of "casual" NK ("casual" because I don't have a ketone meter, but I'm eating lower protein & higher fat without exactly counting ). I've had a couple slip-ups (potato chips! homemade samosa! ) but have also had some days of great appetite control. Not that my goal is to "just eat less", but I like not feeling anxious/guilty about food, and I like when I just feel normal when I get hungry, not weak & shaky from low blood sugar.

My weight was exactly the same 3 out of 5 days (285.2), then TOM arrived just when I thought I was making some headway, and my weight went up 3-4lbs for a few days. But that's over, and today I'm 283.2.

-2lbs in 10 days is not bad for me!
Heck, -2lbs in a month isn't bad for me!

I've decided not to do 100% wheat-free.
With such a low carb allotment, there's not a lot of room for wheat, but it's easier to have/cheaper to buy some LC wraps, tortillas, and crackers, especially since I don't have an oven or a microwave.

[piratejenny]

Well, my weight has been crazy.
Soon after my last post, I went up a few pounds and even over 290.

As I wrote on 4/12:

I haven't lost weight in months, but I've been under 280 for about a year,
and I hadn't seen 285 in quite a while.

...so 290 and up was a shocker!

I just felt so helpless & out of control...every day or so, the scale going up half a pound, or a pound, or 2 or 3 pounds... I really wasn't doing anything shockingly different.

Monday morning it was 290.4;
Tuesday it was 289.2;
Wednesday (today) it was 286.2!!!
--even though TOM arrived yesterday afternoon?!!

Last week I was commuting/babysitting extremely long hours (left home 7 or 9am, not home til 9 or 10pm). I took simple foods with me, like boiled eggs, cottage cheese, almonds, and Caesar salad with chicken & homemade dressing; I didn't have the time or opportunity to eat much "bad" food, and I was also more active than usual so I thought it might be a good weight loss week. No such luck...but I was weighing at a different time of day, and maybe it'll catch up to me this week.

I used to take Vit B6 but ran out; recently I read something that convinced me I should take it, and added it back into my vitamins a couple days ago.

I also started taking l-arginine on Monday. It supposedly burns fat, builds muscle, and relaxes blood vessels--which is good for blood pressure, and I need that even if the fat/muscle thing is baloney.

I still take 2tbsp resistant corn starch before bed (not taking regular Argo-type cornstarch as often these days). I remember snippets of my dreams but nothing too intense or scary. Sometimes I have 2tbsp of RCS and/or potato starch during the day in an iced coffee as a "snack"; it doesn't seem to reduce hunger immediately, but it doesn't seem to hurt anything either. RS is supposed to have so many health effects, so I'm just trying to get about 40g/day.

Yesterday I wasn't very hungry; had breakfast before 11, ran errands & got home after 5. We had so many goodies from Aldi, but I only had 3 (!) corn chips to taste a cream-cheese-chipotle spread. Then I didn't eat dinner (spag. squash & Italian sausage) til 9ish, and only had about 1/2 of what I would usually serve myself. A little peanut butter on a popcake before bed.

Once again I haven't really been following a plan...I'm such a slacker when it comes to keeping track of fat/protein/carb ratios! Once or twice a week I cook enough meat (chicken, Italian sausage, crock-pot beef) and/or boil eggs for several meals; I try to eat steamed veggies, avocado, or salad at least once a day, and try not to eat too many carbs or sweets. That's my "plan".

[sunday]

Hi PJ! Just dropping in to say that I have taken a break on the RS, but started back up yesterday. I thought I was going to burst. Not sure why? No others have reported this same feeling. I wanted to eat normal on Sat/Sun. Similar to an UP day in JUDDD, but I couldn't because of this feeling of being overly sated. Which I can only describe it as how I feel when I have indulged in any and everything on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

If you hear any negatives about RS, I would love to know!

I have never studied B6 or L-arginine. I wish I knew something about them.

Have a good day PJ!

[piratejenny]

Looks like the babysitting, which was originally only going to be for 4 days, might turn into a regular part-time or even full-time gig. I won't be on LCF as much but will try to post here once a week or so to stay motivated, and so I don't mysteriously "disappear" in case there's anyone who would miss me.

[Seabreezes]

We would all miss your wisdom! Great that you might have a full time job if you want and like it.