#she has very few restrictions and they are all related to her colitis or her allergies or her not liking the food

[ketopian]

Putting Your Money Where Your Research Is

So my wife and I are starting a business selling all the Ketogenic Diet related things that we wish there was already a website for. We've been eating keto for a couple of years now and it has had a huge impact on our health and our lives. My wife has lost a huge amount of body fat and overcome multiple metabolic issues and I've been able to stop taking immunosuppressants for Crohn's Disease and am now completely drug free. We both have hugely increased energy levels. There are loads of great Keto and Low Carb blogs in the world, so I thought long and hard about writing yet another one, but I thought that a) it might help me to get more clarity on certain issues b) give me reason to experiment a bit more with my meals, as I've gotten a bit lazy of late and everyone loves a recipe, and c) force me to consolidate all I have learned from reading various bits of scientific literature in relation to nutrition, which is something I do a lot given my past as a scientist, engineer and science teacher. While my background isn't medicine, I have spent the last few years educating myself on biochemistry. This was originally to help my wife with various issues (many of which a plan to go into at a later date), but I quickly discovered that there was a lot more I could learn.   

I, like most scientifically minded or "sceptical" (there's a word that's been seriously corrupted by the internet) people, thought I knew all there was to know about nutrition: a calorie is a calorie, an energy deficit is all you need to lose weight, and no, you aren't fat because of your hormones. I went at least a little further than most; I understood how digestion worked and that starches ended up as glucose in the body, a message some medical professionals still seem to have trouble with. Nonetheless, it came as a shock to me when all this stuff didn't seem to work for my wife. I was seeing how little he was eating, how hungry she was getting and how difficult it was for her to shift those fat stores. Her pregnancy was a major turning point. PCOS had been mooted before but it was never confirmed until a scan ended up with the radiographer saying “Your ovaries look a little polycystic to me”. This was followed a number of weeks later by a diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes, accompanied by the standard advice – eat regular meals (six per day plus snacks) and make sure you have loads of carbohydrate at each – accompanied by the offer of medication. Well, we were both determined that that wasn’t going to happen, so I set about researching, which is what I do best (well, one of two things, but we’ll come to the other much later). The obstetricians could not believe her blood sugar readings – they were better than most non-diabetics. One of them even asked to see the glycometer, as such low readings could not be possible. How did we do it? By ignoring all the advice we were given, reducing carbohydrates to a very low level (although not keto levels at that point) and using a small number of carefully researched supplements. We didn’t mention the supplements to any medical professional; we had enough patronising advice from them, but it was following the science that allowed my wife to avoid medication and to produce a daughter who was born incredibly healthy and with a great start in life.

I don’t want to criticise the medical community too much, most of them are only trying their best, but there is a certain amount of arrogance which tends to come with being a doctor, which often is not concomitant with their intelligence or knowledge. Just as in any other field of endeavour, ability as a medical practitioner is on a bell curve. In other words, there are a few who are fantastic at their jobs, a few who are truly awful, and most are pretty much middling in ability. I’ve taught students who became doctors, and if I were ever given an appointment with them, I’d run a mile! Most doctors follow the guidelines, and it’s a lottery as to whether you get to see the occasional few who do enough research in the right areas to go beyond that. If we educate ourselves to a high enough level, we may be able to help our doctors to help themselves and then eventually to help everyone else.

So back to the story. So this whole pregnancy episode got me really intrigued. Was everything I knew actually complete bullshit? I had spent around close to 300 hours during Hayley’s pregnancy reading papers and getting familiar with the biochemistry and biology of nutrition, and countless more hours not sleeping but thinking about what I had read. It completely changed my attitude to my own knowledge. It had also deeply concerned me. How could everyone have been so wrong on this for so long? Well, it turns out that they absolutely could be, and the reasons are complex and too long for now (stay tuned for a post on this precise subject), but there was something else that intrigued me.

I have Crohn’s Disease. For those of you who don’t know, Crohn’s Disease is an autoimmune disease of the gastrointestinal tract. What this means is it causes inflammation, ulceration and pain, anywhere from the mouth to the anus. It is essentially when your own immune system decides that your gut is a foreign object and therefore needs destruction. My own Crohn’s was mainly confined to the colon, although I also got very large and painful mouth ulcers. Crohn’s is usually treated with steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants, which damp down the immune system, and a more recent sort of therapy called biologic therapy. I had been a biologic many years ago, but I was fairly lucky in that I was OK on just anti-inflammatories and immunosuppressants, however the immunosuppressants were not pleasant. I got every illness going. If I got a cold, I had it bad for two weeks, including having to spend a day or two in bed. I had got to the end of my tether; there had to be another way.

Enter ketone bodies. So if you know anything about ketogenic diets you probably know that when you restrict carbohydrates enough that your body starts to use fat to create substances called ketone bodies, the most important of which for human metabolism is a chemical called Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Well, it turns out BHB has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. “Aha,” I thought to myself,” This might be worth a go”. It was. I had tried to come off medication several times previously, under medical supervision, of course. Always, within about six weeks, I would have a serious and painful relapse. Not this time. I bit the bullet, stopped my medication (this time without telling any medical professionals) stopped the carbs and waited, fully expecting the usual relapse. It’s now been two years drug free and I have never felt better. I would go as far as to say I have no symptoms of Crohn’s. While I would hesitate to say all Crohn’s sufferers should do this, especially the way I did it, it might be worth a try if you’ve had enough of the side effects of your drugs, or if you can’t get any relief and just want an extra bit of help. With medical supervision, of course. It might also be worth a try if you have any other autoimmune disorder, such as ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus and maybe even multiple sclerosis. Please don’t take this as medical advice but try to educate yourself and your medical practitioners as much as possible on this subject. If you want any help in this endeavour please let me know.

Well, this has been a long and rambling story, but we’re almost up to date. Since my discoveries I have helped a number of friends and family members send their type 2 diabetes or prediabetes into remission, lose weight and become healthier, both physically and mentally. My wife is slimmer, healthier and feels generally better. I didn’t even realise I had fat to lose but the recent appearance of my abdominal muscles seems to confirm that I actually had a fair bit to get rid of. All by getting rid of refined sugar, starchy carbs and the vast majority of processed foods, and getting BHB levels up. Do I think that everyone should be doing keto? Absolutely not. Everyone’s biology is unique – some people will respond fantastically to a ketogenic diet, some people will get less than nothing from it. But for those for whom it works it is life changing. Hopefully via the website, this blog and the planned videos we will be able to help more people get what they need out of this incredibly powerful dietary intervention. 

TL;DR: For lots of people Ketogenic Diets are awesome. Welcome to Ketopian.

[smilystore]

Are Nightshade Vegetables Inflammatory Or Not? Here’s The Deal.

Experts get to the bottom of whether tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers can be bad for you.

If you’re following the latest dietary trends, you’ve likely heard about star athlete Tom Brady’s ultra-restrictive diet and his avoidance of nightshades, especially tomatoes, which according to his personal chef are believed to cause inflammation.

Anecdotal evidence, including Brady’s book the “TB12 Method,” has led many to cut nightshades out of their diet, especially those with inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

With all of the information that’s been floating around, it’s no wonder that many people are questioning if nightshades are healthy. However, scientific evidence of a link between nightshades and inflammation is lacking. So, let’s dig deeper and debunk some common misconceptions about nightshades.

What are nightshades, anyway?

First, nightshades are the edible parts of flowering plants from the Latin-named Solanaceae family, which consists of over 2,000 varieties (few of them eaten as food). Commonly eaten nightshades include tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant.

The most popular nightshades potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers are rich in nutrients and are often recommended to support a healthy lifestyle. Peppers, for example, are rich in Vitamin C and help the body absorb iron. Tomatoes and eggplant are plentiful in the phytonutrients lycopene and anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that help maintain heart health and act as a cancer preventative. Potatoes contain potassium, a power-packed mineral that works not only as a potent preventative for strokes, but also strengthens bone health and relieves stress and anxiety.

So, why wouldn’t we want to eat these as part of a healthy diet?

Potential negative properties of nightshades

Despite the proven nutritive benefits associated with nightshades, there arealleged links to inflammatory issues that result from their alkaloid content. Alkaloids and in the case of nightshades, a particular alkaloid called solanine are bitter-tasting substances that act as a natural insect repellent, and they’re more concentrated in the stems and leaves than the actual fruit or vegetable. However, no available medical research conclusively supports a connection between inflammatory conditions and alkaloids.

According to registered dietician Jillian Kubala, owner of Hamptons Clinical Nutrition on Long Island in New York, it’s true that the alkaloids found in certain nightshades can be toxic. Some believe that nightshades may worsen inflammatory conditions by enhancing related symptoms, including joint pain, swelling, and digestive issues.

“However, it’s important to note that commonly consumed nightshade plants, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants, only contain very small amounts of these compounds, making them safe for consumption,” Kubala said. A report in The New York Times points out that a 100-pound adult would have to eat a full pound of completely green potatoes (the green parts contain the most alkaloids) to achieve alkaloid poisoning.

In fact, a study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal in 2013 shows that anatabine an alkaloid compound found in peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and the eggplant have been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects for people who have joint pain and stiffness, including those with autoimmune conditions and inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Inflammation’s role in food allergies and sensitivities

A link between nightshades and inflammatory issues is difficult to prove. The reason for this lies in a basic understanding of food allergies and sensitivities. The root causes for inflammation, as well as for certain food sensitivities or intolerances, can be tricky to decipher. Generally, the differences between food sensitivities or intolerance and allergies are distinguished by where the reaction comes from.

When you have a food allergy, your immune system causes the reaction to the food. Symptoms include hives, swelling, itching, digestive symptoms and anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing). Food sensitivity or intolerance reactions, which are less severe in nature, emanate from the digestive system. Although symptoms for sensitivities may vary, those associated with intolerance include gas, cramping, and nausea. Certain reactions to foods can take days to surface, and because most of us eat a varied diet, it’s difficult to link a reaction to a single food.

″In general, I think the hype around nightshades has been blown way out of proportion,” said Liz Carter, a Seattle naturopathic physician, and acupuncturist whose patients include those with food sensitivities and allergies.

Some individuals are sensitive to modern nightshades, but nightshades themselves are not inherently inflammatory, according to Carter. Improving gut health is about getting to the bottom of your personal irritants, whether that be nightshades, dairy, sugar or something else. Anything irritating the gut has the potential to create leaky gut and thus other health issues like arthritis, psoriasis, thyroid conditions, asthma and allergies, she said.

In fact, there is minimal research that supports the idea that nightshades are bad for you, said registered dietitian nutritionist Lizzie Streit. A few animal and test-tube studies suggest that compounds in nightshades may aggravate intestinal permeability, which typically occurs with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s or colitis, but more research is needed.

So, are nightshades bad for you?

Generally, no. According to Streit, there is no research that suggests nightshades cause issues for healthy people. Instead, numerous studies highlight their benefits. If you are healthy, go for it!

However, if you have an existing inflammatory condition and suspect a food sensitivity or intolerance, you may want to seek medical advice. But take note: Carter said that nightshades usually aren’t the problem. In her practice, she has found that dairy, corn, gluten, soy, sugar, and eggs more commonly cause sensitivity issues for patients.

″If we don’t get symptom resolution with those, I’ll move into nightshades or a few others,” Carter said. “Nightshade sensitivities are less common than any of those six foods, in my clinical experience.”

If you do have a sensitivity, consider cooking your nightshades before eating them, which can reduce alkaloid content by 40% to 50%, and see if your symptoms subside.

By Laura Crotty

The post Are Nightshade Vegetables Inflammatory Or Not? Here’s The Deal. appeared first on Smile store.

source https://smilystore.com/2019/08/12/are-nightshade-vegetables-inflammatory-or-not-heres-the-deal/