The Diets
Here I go again. ANOTHER crazy diet.
I must be a masochist.
Except the catalyst for change is often CONSEQUENCE. And the consequences when I ingest gluten, dairy, sugar, preservatives and processed foods can be DEBILITATING.
A cascade of events ensues, leading to:
IBS symptoms such as bloating, gas pain, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea
PELVIC PAIN triggered by the IBS symptoms
MIGRAINES from the inflammatory response
JOINT PAIN also from the inflammatory response to these foods
LETHARGY/HEAVINESS from the gluten, inflammation and omnipresent headaches
DEPRESSIVE MOODS from always feeling unwell
There have been numerous occasions when someone at work threw a snide remark my way when I’ve declined a treat, such a doughnut.
“Oh, that’s right,” they mutter somewhat jokingly, “you never eat anything bad.”
I am aware that such comments have nothing to do with me, but it still stings.
“I have consequences,” I try to justify, but then decide that justification is not required.
As a friend once told me “NO is a complete sentence.”
THE FODMAP DIET
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides and Polyols.
WTF?
In simple language….
It’s a bunch of different types of SUGARS in our food. Some sugars we digest better than others, and the undigested sugars feed our gut bacteria and ferment – producing HEAPS of gas.
The peeps at Monash University figured out that it was actually these sugars (not fatty food, alcohol, gluten or caffeine) that was causing unpleasant symptoms in our gut.
In order to better understand this diet I downloaded the Low FODMAP Diet app for a reasonable price of $12.99 and proceeded to scroll through the list of foods that I could and could not consume.
The list was EXTENSIVE.
I found myself overwhelmed with the restrictiveness of such a diet and wondered how I would survive yet another experiment on myself.
I still remember the profound exasperation I felt one morning, when I woke up and in a fit of disgust WAILED……
“I cannot possibly have one……more……green…….smoothie!”
I had drunk a green smoothie almost EVERY morning for 3 years and (at this point) I NEVER wanted to have a green smoothie again. The MACA powder that I added to the smoothie every morning also seemed to do nothing for my hormones and PCOS (as it so wildly claims), even though I had taken it faithfully for 3 years. Perhaps it was helping. I couldn’t tell.
That goes for the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as well. Every morning I’d take a shot of this “magical” juice, with “the mother”, that was apparently “good for everything”. It obviously didn’t hurt to drink it, but I couldn’t tell if it was helping either. I once had a friend relay that she got pregnant because of ACV (….and of course, she added, that’s what I “needed to try”). I cleared my throat and tried not to scoff. She got pregnant because of the inevitable result of continued intercourse . ACV is NOT a fertility drug by the way (just in case you thought it was).
Then, of course, there was everything else….spirulina, wheatgrass, Omega 3 & 6 oils, magnesium, probiotics, turmeric, cacao, coconut oil, hemp seeds, acai, flaxseeds, chia seeds, goji berries, seeds, nuts and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of spinach and Kale (obviously, I cannot leave out the Kale).
FODMAP, on the other hand, is a practical tool that helps you find the foods that trigger certain uncomfortable symptoms.
It is of MUCH benefit to the suffering person, as the result will leave you profoundly more comfortable and much happier.
It is recommended that you follow the diet for 2-6 weeks and eliminate ALL the foods on the FODMAP list. Slowly, one by one, you re-introduce these foods and write the symptoms you are experiencing in a diary.
It is extremely restrictive at first, and you might find yourself in utter despair when you first begin, but eventually it gets easier. As you re-introduce the FODMAP foods you will find, with great relief, that not all of the listed foods affect you.
Monash University has identified ALL the foods (sugars) that have caused gas, discomfort and IBS symptoms, but not all the foods apply to you specifically.
For example; I found that apples, which I was eating every day, were my WORST nightmare. Even worse than dairy. Whereas some people avoid garlic and onions, and other people consider beans to be “poison”.
Figuring out your “trigger foods” can bring answers and considerable relief of symptoms. I would highly recommend trying this diet if you suffer in the slightest.
https://www.monash.edu/industry/success-stories/fodmap
THE KETOGENIC DIET
As the FODMAP diet was so restrictive, I thought I might as well try the KETOGENIC diet.
Ketogenic? WTF is that?
In simple language…..
You eat carbs and sugar and your body breaks it down to GLUCOSE, which is the main FUEL for your cells, but with a Ketogenic diet you eat lots of FAT and your body breaks it down to KETONES and then uses those fatty acids for FUEL instead of glucose.
Obviously it’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s the simplest explanation.
My husband first heard about this diet on a Tim Ferris podcast. He decided to try it out, but wanted to know if he would lose muscle mass on a high fat, low protein diet. He did a PRE and POST body scan for the purpose of “personal research”. After 4 weeks of “Keto” he had lost 4kg (8.8lb) of fat but had NO loss of muscle mass. He was obviously thrilled with that result.
The emerging research and evidence is showing profound health benefits for this diet, but it is important to know that a small percentage of the population do not seem to tolerate being in Ketosis at all.
Being a nurse who has taken care of extremely ill diabetic patients in “ketoacidos” (which is completely different – specific to diabetics), I have to admit that I was moderately SKEPTICAL and AGAINST such an EXTREME diet. I spoke with my uncle, a physician in America who runs weight loss clinics, and was surprised when he expressed approval of the Ketogenic diet.
On the other hand, the ICU doctors that I work with were skeptical, mocking and unsupportive. I was not in the least bit surprised, as I had very similar feelings. Those of us who work in Pediatrics are familiar with the ketogenic diet, as this diet is sometimes used LONG-TERM in children with epilepsy (seizure disorder) who are having trouble controlling their seizures with their medications.
I started the diet with a moderate amount of apprehension, but in order to provide some evidence for my skeptical colleagues I once again found myself on a researching rampage.
The evidence was encouraging.
Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS) and the Ketogenic diet – this extremely low carb diet (20 grams per day) seemed to help regulate insulin levels, which of course is part of the hormonal cascade that can cause chaos in women with polycystic ovaries. The women on “Keto” lost weight, had lower testosterone levels, and some got regular periods again. Another study found that a few of the women got pregnant naturally.
The nurse at the Fertlity Centre had recently attended a conference where a Metabolic specialist spoke. She quoted him, “PCOS is NOT a reproductive condition. It is a METABOLIC condition with REPRODUCTIVE consequences.”
Metabolic conditions are insanely complicated, but in other words…WHAT YOU EAT MATTERS
MIGRAINES and the Ketogenic diet – the effect of the Ketogenic diet on migraines appears to have similarities in its use for seizures. Using ketones for brain energy has shown an anti-inflammatory effect, decreasing the “excitability” of the nerves, as well as increasing the efficiency of mitochondrial function (your cell’s energy powerhouses). It’s kind of like a “Brain Re-boot”.
When your nerves are extremely “excitable” it doesn’t take much to set them off. The tiniest stimulus can trigger a response. In other words, the ketogenic diet can help “empty your glass”…….so that it takes ALOT more “water” for the cup to “overflow”.
The effects are, unfortunately, not permanent but for me it seemed to help, and for some people the results have lasted for up to 6 months.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3321471/#!po=10.8696
My first attempt at Keto was moderately miserable and drawn out, but a few months later I, apprehensively, tried the Ketogenic diet again. Within 48 hours I had kicked into ketosis, my headaches were mild and my energy levels were fantastic. I didn’t have any muscle pain and I slept beautifully. It was so uneventful and boring that I didn’t even bother to film it. Dom D’Agostino and Tim Ferris have mentioned that each time you kick into Ketosis it gets easier, as though your body has a “muscle memory” in using Ketones for energy.
It was a fantastic feeling to achieve such a feat.
The beauty of the Ketogenic diet is that you end it feeling empowered. You feel proud, accomplished and even stronger than you did before.
And the most amazing discovery is that FAT DOESN’T MAKE YOU FAT. Going “keto” completely changes your relationship with this food that has been “demonized” for decades. We’ve been lied to my friends.
It is a wonderful feeling to consume GENEROUS amounts of this gorgeous food that leaves you feeling HAPPIER and more SATIATED than ever before.
