I'm insulin resistant. Don't know what advice to follow.

[Vision]

So the two main issues I'm trying to heal is insulin resistance (prediabetes?), and severe eczema. 

I have food intolerances to; salicylates, dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, eggs. 

I am very lost on what advice to follow, they seem to contradict each other. But here's what I've found through experimentation: 

My energy, quality of sleep, focus, overall mood - skyrockets when I'm in ketosis. I went on a carnivore diet for a period of time as an elimination diet, and I felt amazing. 

I ate a banana at one point just out of curiosity to see how much my health contrasts on a non-keto diet, and haven't been in ketosis since. I started binging on bananas out of nowhere, eating 5-8 bananas a day, even though I had no cravings prior to that first bite, and now here I am. It's as if it woke up all the bacteria in my body that liked sugar.

Now I am seeing conflicting advice. 

I'm considering going on a keto diet to reverse the insulin resistance and regain my ability to feel satiated after a meal. 

But I've read a book "Liver Rescue" by the Medical Medium, which talks about a dysfunctional liver is linked to eczema, diabetes, brain fog, etc.  

It states that the keto diet and dietary fats strain the liver and that it's fat that causes diabetes, not sugar. Sugar exacerbates symptoms because it sheds light on the damage the fat is doing, it's not the culprit itself. The absence of glucose strains the liver, and the liver has to work even harder to produce ketones. 

So keto apparently masks the symptoms of insulin resistance, while it's still there(?) 

I feel my best on the keto diet, but I'm not too sure what to follow.

The options I can think of are: 

• Go on a ketogenic diet for 3-8 months, reversing insulin resistance and burning fat. Once it's reversed and the body is lean, eat complex carbs.
• Go on a ketogenic diet permanently, as a lifestyle, for maximum energy. 
• Don't go on a ketogenic diet, instead eat only complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, buckwheat, etc, to potentially heal the liver and also reverse insulin resistance. It's harder to burn fat with this though. 

I'm thinking about first going on the keto diet, stay on it for a period of time, and then reevaluate. I have already been doing the third option of eating complex carbs, but my brain fog is through the roof and I never feel satiated. 

What would you advise? 

[The0Self]

The first option is probably your best bet, provided you’ll also be doing resistance training and getting adequate protein for the goal of increasing insulin sensitivity — bare minimum 100g/day. I can’t say for sure what you should do.

The higher your body fat percentage is right now, the more likely that first option is going to help. Optimal is 12-15%. And resistance training (heavy barbell training, not merely running or “working out“) + adequate protein is generally the most important part of the equation, or close to it.

[Vision]

@The0Self

Thanks! What are your thoughts on going keto permanently? I feel the best running on ketones, but I'm concerned about the possibility of it straining my liver. 

[Leo Gura]

You could try meat + low sugar veggies like leafy greens and maybe some low sugar fruits like berries.

If you have a gut bacteria problem, sugary fruits and veggies will certainly make it worse. After you fix the gut bacteria, then you can go for a more veggie/fruit diet. But until then I would avoid them.

If you have SIBO nearly any fruit or veggie will do more harm than good.

Liver Rescue assumes you don't have SIBO or leaky gut. But it sounds like you do.

[Vision]

@Leo Gura

Yes, I'm currently doing meat + low salicylate vegetables. That's my entire diet. I can't eat berries as they are very high in salicylates. 

4 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

If you have a gut bacteria problem, sugary fruits and veggies will certainly make it worse. After you fix the gut bacteria, then you can go for a more veggie/fruit diet. But until then I would avoid them.

How can I tell if I have a gut bacteria problem? 

 

I don't know if I should stick to keto permanently. It just seems counterproductive that feeling worse (by not being in ketosis) would contribute to healing my liver. The benefits of keto make me want to stick with it - especially when there are no virtually no cravings for carbs or junk during ketosis.

[Vision]

9 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Liver Rescue assumes you don't have SIBO or leaky gut. But it sounds like you do.

I don't match any of the symptoms for SIBO. 

Leaky gut, however, very likely. Where does it say the book isn't for leaky gut? 

 

Have you read Liver Rescue? I have trouble trusting the author fully as I strongly disagree with some of their points. There are no cravings during ketosis so their claim that keto diet is just whipping yourself into restricting foods with sheer willpower is wrong.

"it’s not possible for your body to go into ketosis if you’re eating any amount or form of sugar whatsoever, including the natural sugars found in most foods. That means anyone eating even a tiny bit of nuts, seeds, avocado, cheese, butter, tomato, or green juices is taking in natural sugar. Unless someone is eating only bacon three times a day (in which case they’d feel terrible and cause even more damage for themselves down the road), they’re not entering ketosis."  - From Medical Medium's website

It really seems like they have never experienced ketosis...

[Twega]

@Vision @Leo Gura 

 

• Meat spikes your insulin as much as pure white sugar. This study created an index of insulin production for various foods and found that meat spiked insulin as effectively as pure white sugar. (https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/58/2/129/4715905?redirectedFrom=PDF)
• "If saturated fatty acids as a percentage of total energy were to decrease from 14% to 8%, there would be an 18% decrease in fasting insulin and a 25% decrease in postprandial insulin." (insulin after eating) http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/58/...
• The fewer animal products you eat, the less diabetes you have: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638849/pdf/nihms330464.pdf
• 55% of type 2 diabetics can get off their medication with a plant-based diet ( High-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets for insulin-treated men with diabetes mellitus)
• Saturated fat more metabolically harmful than simple sugar ( Saturated Fat Is More Metabolically Harmful for the Human Liver Than Unsaturated Fat or Simple Sugars)
•  

Edited March 21, 2021 by Twega

[Vision]

@Twega

I have tried going without meat for a period of time. It doesn't give me enough energy to function, especially when I am intolerant to the most nutritious plants and fruits as they are high in salicylates.

[Twega]

@Vision  I don't know your exact situation so I won't tell you what to do or what not to do. I only want to offer you a perspective that nutrition and health can be very confusing. For example, a lot of people develop sensitivity to plant foods after they eat a carnivore diet for a while, the suspected reason is that the plant (fiber) consuming bacteria greatly diminished or perished. This compels them to avoid these foods which further diminishes the diversity of their microbiota and everything continues going downhill from there.

Perhaps your situation could be similar, I'm not sure what the solution would be though.

 

[Vision]

@Twega

Yes, that makes sense. But 60% of eczema sufferers have a salicylate sensitivity, I happen to be a part of that. I've pretty much been intolerant to it my entire life as I've had eczema since I was an infant. 

 

What does your diet consist of? 

[Twega]

@Vision Weird enough I was just reading a paper on eczema and diet (Vegetarian diet ameliorates symptoms of atopic dermatitis through reduction of the number of peripheral eosinophils and of PGE2 synthesis by monocytes) I'm trying to help out my friend who has eczema.

Your immune system is intimately linked to your gut, so no surprise that people with eczema also have food sensitivities. About 40% of kids with eczema have some form of food allergy. And, the more food allergies they have, the more likely it appears they’re going to suffer from eczema— and, make it worse. Those who react to cow’s milk protein are significantly more likely to suffer severe eczema, showing the important role cow’s milk proteins may play “in the induction and increased severity of eczema in children.

In this study (figuring eggs and milk were the two foods most likely involved in eczema), they excluded them— and chicken and beef, since it may just be chicken and cow proteins more generally—in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial swapping in soy milk instead. And…70% of the patients improved. (A double-blind controlled crossover trial of an antigen-avoidance diet in atopic eczema)

I eat a whole food plant-based diet. Lots of fiber, fruits, and veggies. I have found that certain foods/spices/teas/herbs help me the most:

• Broccoli sprouts (highest source of sulforaphane)
• Matcha Green Tea
• Cruciferous vegetables (contains less sulforaphane but contains more minerals and vitamins)
• Oats (helps me sleep, carbs increase seratonin)
• Magnesium biglycinate
• Fermented foods like Kimchi
• Beans, pseudo-grains like quinoa.

[Vision]

@Twega

Thank you! I'll look into those. 

 

36 minutes ago, Twega said:

I eat a whole food plant-based diet. Lots of fiber, fruits, and veggies. I have found that certain foods/spices/teas/herbs help me the most:

• Broccoli sprouts (highest source of sulforaphane)
• Matcha Green Tea
• Cruciferous vegetables (contains less sulforaphane but contains more minerals and vitamins)
• Oats (helps me sleep, carbs increase seratonin)
• Magnesium biglycinate
• Fermented foods like Kimchi
• Beans, pseudo-grains like quinoa.

Nice! Are you vegan? 

 

About eczema - do you know if it can ever be cured? Or if the food intolerances can ever be reversed? 

[Guest Tobia]

@Leo Gura  Very limited way of thinking. Possibly a short-term quick fix that lacks a holistic understanding of the human body.

Firstly, the homo sapiens does not have the anatomy of a carnivore, nor of an herbivore.

We share, together with big primates, the category of Frugivore. Our close relatives consume a diet that consists of 70-90% fresh fruit, some tender green leaves, some nuts, and a small amount of animal protein.

For the human body, large amounts of meat/eggs/beans/grain are highly acidifying and contribute to the congestion of the most important and highly misunderstood lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system is the sewer system of the human body through which toxins, metabolic waste is eliminated.

Acidic diets, over the years, damage the kidneys which are supposed to filter out this waste from the lymphatic system. Therefore, this acidic waste damages tissue and the body is forced to accumulate it in tumors, boils, pimples and skin issues.

Every single gland (tyroid, adrenals, pineal etc.), every organ, every tissue is slowly damaged in an acidic, inflamed body.

So simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to dealing with immensely complex creation.

"FRUIT!!!??? Omg Tobia, that will give me diabetes, increase my insulin resistance, and feed my sibo and candida."

First, i wanna address insulin.

The popular way to decrease insulin resistance is to reduce drastically the consumption of carbohydrates and instead have a diet rich in animal fats.

Does this reduce insulin? YES, for obvious reasons.  Does it fix insulin resistance? No, absolutely not. On the contrary, one is essentially giving oneself long-term carbohydrate intolerance.

Secondly, KETOSIS is only a BACK-UP SYSTEM. It is meant to kick in when food becomes scarce and the frugivore is forced to consume animal flesh fur survival.

Ketosis is a survival, emergency mode. Nothing more than that.

So how do we improve insulin sensitivity (or reverse insulin resistance) ? We simply reduce dietary fat. Fat is directly linked to insulin resistance. Therefore a diet both high in carbs and fats is a disaster because fat will decrease insulin sensitivity and, therefore, the sugar will not be processed correctly and blood glucose will spike.

A diet HIGH IN HEALTHY RAW CARBOHYDRATES  (mostly raw, fresh, ripe fruit) and low in fat will improve insulin sensitivity. Every single fucking time. But not only that, it promotes optimal health and vitality because it improves digestion, absorption, and waste elimination.

The level of energy, electricity and consciousness that fresh fruit has, is unmatched. It is alive, electrical, hydrating, violence-free and fear-free.

Does fruit feed Small Instine Bacteria Overgrowth? 

WRONG QUESTION. Bacteria is not the enemy. Bacteria is nature's cleaner. It is there because waste and garbage have accumulated. 

A gut that has been tortured by cooked grains and putrefying dead animals for decades is inevitably inflamed, acidic, and full of mucus and garbage. Bacteria, even harmful ones, are needed to clean up the mess we have made.

Fruit will initially be uncomfortable because it will start to clean up that mess. It is also astringent and moves the lymphatic system quite aggressively. Bringing light to the dark, inflamed tissues can be uncomfortable but it sure is worth it.

The human mind creates so much unnecessary confusion around food. Simply put, if it has to be cooked, it wasn't supposed to be eaten in the first place.

Does a dead animal carcass look appealing to your taste buds? No, it doesn't.

Out of several million species, we are the only ones who destroy their food on fire. And not only that, we have been doing it for very little time (a few dozen thousand years).

Does this mean cooked food is poison? no. Does this mean everyone should be vegan? absolutely not.

But it is important to look at these issues from a place of consciousness. Not from a conditioned, confused, and chaotic intellect.

The immense arrogance of the human mind that thinks that it can outsmart billions of gut bacteria, trillions of cells, and the unreachable complexity of creation is quite incredible to see.

One can be lost in the maze for decades and never get anywhere, so much unnecessary suffering.

Much love

 

[Twega]

4 hours ago, Vision said:

Nice! Are you vegan? 

Yes

 

4 hours ago, Vision said:

About eczema - do you know if it can ever be cured? Or if the food intolerances can ever be reversed? 

I can't say yes or no, but you'd be surprised how much the human body is capable of healing if we give it what it needs. People with worse conditions have been cured, so why not? Research more, commit to eating healthy, execute, research more and more and more until you find what helps you.  Best of luck and I wish you good health and fortune.

[The0Self]

7 hours ago, Twega said:

@Vision @Leo Gura 

 

• Meat spikes your insulin as much as pure white sugar. This study created an index of insulin production for various foods and found that meat spiked insulin as effectively as pure white sugar. (https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/58/2/129/4715905?redirectedFrom=PDF)
• "If saturated fatty acids as a percentage of total energy were to decrease from 14% to 8%, there would be an 18% decrease in fasting insulin and a 25% decrease in postprandial insulin." (insulin after eating) http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/58/...
• The fewer animal products you eat, the less diabetes you have: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638849/pdf/nihms330464.pdf
• 55% of type 2 diabetics can get off their medication with a plant-based diet ( High-carbohydrate, high-fiber diets for insulin-treated men with diabetes mellitus)
• Saturated fat more metabolically harmful than simple sugar ( Saturated Fat Is More Metabolically Harmful for the Human Liver Than Unsaturated Fat or Simple Sugars)
•  

Spiking insulin is only an issue if you have serious health problems.

All this research is incredibly ignorant of the fact: if you don't do barbell training, you either don't care about your health or you are ignorant of its benefits. If you send a signal to the body that it has to get strong or it will get hurt, the body will do its best to fix whatever it needs to in order to prevent injury.

[StarStruck]

You need to eat organ meat. 

A lot of people have trouble because they eat muscle meat only. 

Organ meat is difficult to cook but it is super tasty if you can make it right. 

I'm doing it once a week and it helped me in so many ways. Since I'm eating organ meat I cut back on muscle meat. My body just doesn't need to eat it that often. 

[Bogdan]

I have been researching nutrition non-stop for the past 5 years. I have heard everything, and i have tried almost everything. 

There is this youtube channel, Vegetable Police, and he has gone from vegan to carnivore to vegan again to carnivore again numerous times over the past few years. He even did 20 day fasts and stuff like that.

Then there is this other channel, called Gojiman. Gojiman is a nutritionist on his way to becoming a PhD in nutrition and from the very start, before Vegetable Police went carnivore for the first time, or do the long fasts. He offered to help him, get him tested, find out exactly what he has and then go on an appropriate treatment.

Veg Police refused.

He wanted to heal himself...

Then, Veg Police went on to make videos explaining what he was going to try, and based on that, Gojiman predicted what was going to happen to VG. Needless to say, Gojiman was right every single time.

On the other hand, Gojiman has numerous videos on his channel of case studies - people that took the tests Gojiman suggested, found out exactly what problem they had and then went on the treatment and successfully got rid of their issues.

I'm not saying that Gojiman is the only good nutritionist out there.  I'm saying that nutritionists or doctors like him are the ones you want. Because they are the only ones obtaining results! 

So my advice would be to research the shit out of his channel. He will answer most of your questions. 

I have similar issues as what you describe, or Leo describes. I am currently gathering money to take the tests. I will make posts about my results in the future. Until then, no advice can i give you, since i am not a trained professional. And besides, without tests no one can give you any meaningful advice.

[Enlightenment]

@Vision The number one thing to focus on if you wanna improve insulin sensitivity is losing fat via caloric deficit. Exercise is also important but not as important as diet.

There are a number of methods of caloric restriction. It seems like it's a very individual thing in terms of what method is most sustainable for you and makes you suffer the least. If you like keto - great, do keto but can you be on the keto diet for the rest of your life, or at least most of it? For me, keto is not sustainable but 15/9 h intermittent fasting is effortless.

You can also focus on eating the least calorie-dense foods possible which works great for some people

Being low in body fat and not exercising is better from an insulin resistance standpoint than being fat and exercising a lot

https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa151/6105192

[The0Self]

@Bogdan Yeah. Holism is the name of the game when it comes to nutrition. Some examples of people with a very holistic approach:

Gojiman

Ray Peat

Andrew Cutler

Jason Blaha (as of ~2018 -- even he agrees, as it's when he took it upon himself to throw out all dogma with no exceptions)

I don't agree with everything they say, but the degree to which their huge knowledge base is holistic, is so great, you'd be remiss not to at least look into all 4 of them.

Edited March 21, 2021 by The0Self

[Bogdan]

4 minutes ago, The0Self said:

@Bogdan Yeah. Holism is the name of the game when it comes to nutrition. Some examples of people with a very holistic approach:

Gojiman

Ray Peat

Andrew Cutler

Jason Blaha

I don't agree with everything they say, but the degree to which their huge knowledge base is holistic, is so great, you'd be remiss not to at least look into all 4 of them.

Bruh...  Ray Peat recommends people eat a tablespoon of coconut oil with every meal. He says to stay away from plants because they contain toxins. Again, an oldschool approach that doesn't know how to deal with peoples digestive issues! He promotes eating fish which are full of micro plastics and heavy metals nowdays, plus the oceans are overfished. We need to stop eating fish for a while. See what i mean? Outdated stuff.

Andrew Cutler's chelation protocol is interesting, i'll definitely research it more in the future.

Jason Blaha is not a qualified nutritionist and although he promotes whole plant foods and to stay away from refined sugars and oils, he still eats too much meat.

Again, as with the fish, there is a massive problem that we're facing in the world with pollution and chronic illness and poverty and war and all sorts of stuff like that and they're all interconnected. Like Leo gave the example of the sweater - no matter from where you pull from, the whole sweater is one long thread, and if you pull enough from the seames, the whole thing will unravel.

Humans thrive on plant-based diets. ALL humans do! The problem is we all have gut issues! We need to solve our gut issues and then eat plant based. It really is that simple.