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Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

So basically i have adrenal fatigue, anyone solve this ?

i have low cortisol, dheas, testosterone levels. also i have hypothyroidism, i have to take armour thyroid for it,.

ReddyMcMeaty · The Boss Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 5776

ANd your diet is?

Go to bed early.
Eat 50-100 carbs a day, and eat plenty of salt that has iodine in it - like sea salt
Do not overtrain.
Do not drink alcohol.
I'd actually recommend weight training too. Squats, deadlifts, rows or chinups and pushups. Do them heavy, so you can only do a few reps, but do not go to failure - ever. Eat some carbs and protein afterward. Give yourselsf PLENTY of rest.. and don't do a lot of cardio.
_________________
"Man lives on one quarter of what he eats. On the other three quarters lives his doctor."

adwred · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject:

And no coffee or stimulants.
_________________
I'm a vegetable-eater by proxy. I make sure to get 5-10 servings of herbivore per day.

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

what about chocolate, honey?

adwred · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject:

If you're doing the elimination diet, you'll quickly see those are both big no-nos!
_________________
I'm a vegetable-eater by proxy. I make sure to get 5-10 servings of herbivore per day.

Avalon · Top Carnivore Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 3326

Are my posts being deleted?

Maybe it's time to change the name of the Forum to 50-100 Carbs a Day instead of 'Carb-Free Zone. I'm sorry if this upsets some, but let's get things straight for once. Is this a Veggie-free zone or not? Just sayin'
Shock

ReddyMcMeaty · The Boss Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 5776

Your post was moved to the appropriate area, the member suggestion area. I can't really think of anyone it would upset.
_________________
"Man lives on one quarter of what he eats. On the other three quarters lives his doctor."

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

Is it ok to cheat?

Avalon · Top Carnivore Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 3326

I guess that really depends on you. I think everyone here has tweaked their approach making their diet their own. If you believe in The Bear, cheating wouldn't be okay. Though he pretty much tell you that the percentage of you failing from acculturation is HIGH. I never liked that about him. It's better to give hope of success.

Best wishes,
Avalon Happy

adwred · Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject:

In the context of an elimination diet, not it's not ok to cheat, or you render the information you get completely useless. It's just one of those times that you have to suck it up and be 100% with it, otherwise, you'll never know if it's working properly or not.

If you're talking about after the elimination diet, once you're back to just living your life - and this is the important part - now knowing what foods you're sensitive to and you decide to cheat with one of those foods... well, that's up to you! Most of us cheat here and there, but we know how it will affect us and how far we can push it before symptoms get bad.
_________________
I'm a vegetable-eater by proxy. I make sure to get 5-10 servings of herbivore per day.

Galeron · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject:

I'd bet you're not one to be eating any organ meats, especially liver.

Vitamin C helps support the adrenals. A 250 - 500 mg supplement daily would be helpful. The adrenals hoard the largest amount of vitamin C of all organs and tissues in the body.

Vitamin A is necessary for sex hormone production.

Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production and utilization.

I second the use of adequate salt (a good quality Celtic sea salt that is grey and somewhat moist, contains trace minerals like magnesium and iodine).

In being hypothyroid, if you don't have adequate Iodine, you will not be able to generate enough thyroid hormone.

Also, many people don't realize that the thyroid is one of the organs that uses the most vitamin A.

If you're looking to generate testosterone, good luck without an adequate vitamin A intake.

Weight lifting and a lot of physical exercise will quickly deplete vitamin A stores, as will a diet rich in protiens and fats, so it is important to ensure you're getting adequate vitamin A on a daily basis.

Liver is a rich source of vitamin A, and it might be a good idea to incorporate a few ounces every several days or so to ensure an adequate intake. Live also contains a high level of cholesterol, essential for sex hormone production.

Your chocolate cravings could actually be a manifestation of a magnesium deficiency, as cocoa is actually high in magnesium. Magnesium can be beneficial for the adrenals, not so much directly, but it helps reduce stress and can lower the demand on the adrenals to produce cortisol and other stress hormones like adrenaline.

Just some thoughts. No stranger to adrenal problems here, so I can relate, although I do not personally take any pharma medications for anything. Vitamins A, E, C, iodine, and magnesium are the big ones I think of.
_________________
VLC/high fat since 11/18/06 | 5'11'' @ 143 lbs. | Indeterminate Colitis 06/23/08 | Accutane user 8+ years ago & trying to heal | Egg/dairy free since 05/25/08

cabalco · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:19 pm Post subject:

As i limited my coffee intake to only one cup in the morning it did a huge improvement on my adrenals. Vitamin C is really helping too, but finding a good low chemical source is not easy. Especially because i do not like eating plants.

adwred · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

Good old ascorbic acid will do the trick. That's one supplement I don't mind taking (not in excess, of course).
_________________
I'm a vegetable-eater by proxy. I make sure to get 5-10 servings of herbivore per day.

cabalco · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

Yes perhaps supplement is the best solution. I have recently read that the vitamin c content of "glasshouse" veggies decreased by 99%... But the nasty chemicals are still remaining.

Galeron · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

Yes... and majority of C is lost with cooking as well (what remains) since C is very vulnerable to destruction by heat.

You can purchase pure ascorbic acid crystals in supplement form, which is about as pure a source of C as you can get. I wouldn't pay much mind to the 'it's not natural' claims... ascorbic acid is vitamin C... DONE.

Just to share my personal habits... I try to take 500 mgs daily in a tablet form... split between morning and afternoon meals, taken with meals. I try not to take it too late in the afternoon, and certainly not in the evening, because C has a stimulatory effect on me by way of its adrenal supportive ability, and also because it helps support thyroid hormone production and metabolism of tyrosine, which is used to produce epinephrine and thyroxine (thyroid hormone), all of which go towards energizing me.

I find that popping over 500 mgs is a little risky for me in that I experience increased gas and the big "D" Shock

_________________
VLC/high fat since 11/18/06 | 5'11'' @ 143 lbs. | Indeterminate Colitis 06/23/08 | Accutane user 8+ years ago & trying to heal | Egg/dairy free since 05/25/08

cabalco · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:01 am Post subject:

Is there a possibility to have the opposite of adrenal fatigue? For some reason i get overhelmed from too much salt, especially when i am on a high fat diet like now. Salt supports the adrenals so perhaps my adrenals are fine, just a coffee intolerance.

Galeron · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:52 am Post subject:

It is possible to have very sensitive adrenals, but what could most likely be happening is an imbalance between your adrenals and other endocrine and homronal systems... For example, if you have an overactive thyroid, but weak adrenals, the adrenals can become further depleted and stressed if unable to handle the thyroid load and visa-versa.

Coffee is not good for the adrenals, and is an adrenal stressor. Caffeine is a toxin produced by plants as a defensive mechanism against predators that threaten them by consumption (much like salicylates). To organisms much smaller than us (e.g. bugs), caffeine produces neuro-toxic effects because the dose is magnified and unable to be tolerated by their smaller systems.

Salt has a myriad of anti-microbial effects, and could be producing immunopathology (IP aka Herx) for you by raising blood salinity levels and destroying susceptible organisms by way of osmotic shock. I would suggest only using a good natural grey & moist celtic sea salt if salt is to be consumed, that way you are benefiting from the inherent minerals and electrolytes that come along with natural sea salt.
_________________
VLC/high fat since 11/18/06 | 5'11'' @ 143 lbs. | Indeterminate Colitis 06/23/08 | Accutane user 8+ years ago & trying to heal | Egg/dairy free since 05/25/08

cabalco · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:12 pm Post subject:

I see it is complex. The last days i did again a salt trial, a little bit is calming but when i overdo it Bonkers

What about saying that salt is a stimulant? Salt stimulates the adrenals and when you overdo it it gives you the opposite effect, that is what i think have experienced (i did a lot of salt trials Confused

) Everything seems to be a double-sided sword...

I do not really believe this herx-theories from salt. When you are ill you feel ill, isn't it? I mean i do not feel ill when i stay at my diet, energised, etc. My only problem is food, and perhaps food intolerance come from adrenal fatigue but adding more salt does not help here.

I will give you an example: There is a bunch of guys on a forum who did an iodine loading. After 2-3 weeks they were emotionally wracked, added salt loadings to this which made it worse. This poor people think that they are detoxing...

btw: I have tried every sort of salt you can buy on earth. The best is plain, white rock salt.

Nicola · Top Cat Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 379

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease, in which immune cells (T-
lymphocytes) mount an attack on cells of the thyroid gland, which frequently leads to
hypothyroidism1. HT is not only the most prevalent autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD),
but it is also the most common autoimmune disease in the world, with a prevalence of
9,460 per 100,000 people1, affecting more women than men1.

As with other autoimmune diseases, part of the risk of contracting HT is genetic1. It is the
interaction between one's genotype and several environmental factors that results in
autoimmune disease. Although to our knowledge there are no trials investigating the role
of specific diets on HT, several lines of evidence suggest that the Paleo Diet could prove
beneficial:

1. The Paleo Diet doesn't include gluten containing grains, such as wheat, barley, rye and
oats2. This is very important, since these are the main triggers of another autoimmune
disease, called celiac disease (CD)2, 3. CD carries an increased risk for other auto-immune
diseases including ATD3-11, which may be explained by the fact that these conditions
share similar HLA haplotypes (genetic markers)12. The association is so strong that
researchers from Italy concluded that anyone showing evidence of ATD should also be
screened for CD8.

2. By being a grain and legume free diet, the Paleo Diet minimizes the intake of certain
dietary lectins that have been shown to damage intestinal cell walls13. This damage allows
passage of bacterial and dietary proteins (such as yeast and milk proteins, which are also
not part of the Paleo Diet) into the blood stream that should not be allowed there.

These proteins' amino acid sequences resemble amino acid sequences in our body's
organs and tissues13. Immune cells "read" the amino acid sequences on the bacteria and
dietary protein, and may begin to associate similar self-proteins with these foreign
substances, thus attacking both the bacteria or dietary protein and our own tissues13.
Although to our knowledge there are no studies investigating this chain of events in ATD,
studies from other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis13 suggests that this
may also be the case with ATD.

3. The Paleo Diet decreases the Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio, which tends to calm down
inflammation14, 15. The characteristic inflammation of auto-immune diseases typically
aggravates these conditions, including HT1.

4. The Paleo Diet provides a generous amount of various antioxidants16 (such as vitamins
C and E, carotenoids and various phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables) and
nutrients needed for optimal functioning of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (such as
manganese, zinc and copper, needed for the superoxide dismutases to perform their
antioxidant functions, and selenium - Se, which maximizes glutathione peroxidase
activities ). This is important, since oxidative stress is suspected of being involved in
ATD17.

Moreover, selenium deficiency plays an important role in autoimmune thyroid diseases18-
21, such as HT22. In fact, some trials have shown that selenium supplementation in doses
higher than 100 mcg/day decreases serum concentrations of thyroid peroxidase antibody
(a marker of ATD)20. It should be mentioned that selenium deficiency is likely to occur in
CD18, due to malabsorption, which is one of the characteristics of these diseases. Hence
there is one more reason for ATD patients to avoid gluten-containing foods.

Importance of Vitamin D

Another important aspect for ATD patients is optimization of vitamin D status. Vitamin D
insufficiency is a common condition, but was very rare among our hunter-gatherer
ancestors living in Africa, who received sufficient ultraviolet radiation from the sun to
synthesize all the vitamin D3 they needed.

Numerous studies show that vitamin D insufficiency can be involved in the pathogenesis
of autoimmune diseases 23, such as RA, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. As
expected, preliminary research suggests that it may also be involved in HT24,25.

Therefore, it may be worthwhile for anyone with HT or any other autoimmune disease to
measure 25OHD3 in the blood, and to try to get the levels between 30-60 ng/ml (75-150
nmol/L)23.

If you assume that for each 40 IU of vitamin D3, you can increase blood levels of 25OHD3
by 0.28 ng/ml (0.7 nmol/L)26 then you can calculate how much supplemental vitamin D to
take. For instance, if your 25OHD3 level is 19 ng/ml, and you want to reach 33 ng/ml, you
could easily estimate how much Vitamin D3 you'll have to take:

(33-19)x40/0. 28 = 2000 IU

Dietary Recommendations for Hashimoto's

In summary, if you have HT or another autoimmune disease (or if you want to avoid
autoimmune disease in the future), you may benefit from adopting a Paleolithic type diet,
with no grains, dairy, legumes, or yeast containing foods. You may also want to
supplement to get adequate omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and vitamin D3, and those
living in a region of the world where soils are depleted in selenium27-31 may want to
supplement with selenium also. Recent research by Dr. Cordain also suggests that
autoimmune patients may wish to avoid tomatoes and egg whites, which could also be
involved in autoimmunity. Fully referenced reports on these two foods are available in the
How to Treat and Prevent M.S. with Diet program, listed below.

References are available at http://www.ThePaleo Diet.com/ v4n22.shtml.

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

thanks Nic..

im thinking of adding in adrenal extracts?

i been doing a high dosage of magnesium and vitamin C, also i added in 10mg of dhea and 15mg preg. cream

also what do you recommend i do about my Low testosterone?

i was thinking of using HCG, which is a shot, it stimulates your body to produce more testosterone..

i really need to fix my low cortisol, dhea and testosterone, but i would like to remain as natural as possible, it seems i may be forced to use drugs/replacements.

Galeron · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject:

cabalco · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject:

Taking a long walk early in the morning helps for my adrenals too. In the deepest forest i can find, spending time in the purest wilderness is really calming.

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

my spectracell test showed i was good on vit A, was a bit low on magnesium and zinc.

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

i may toss the DHEA and get real adrenal extract, Dr. Rons sells a good one

Galeron · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

Plasma · Pack Member Joined: 03 Oct 2008 Posts: 68

so im considering, magnesium, Vitamin C, adrenal extracts, DHEA(very low dosage) and maybe a B-complex,,

what do you think?

do you recommend herbal adrenal supplements ( such as maca or licorice)

is diet the #1 of most important in terms of adrenal fatigue recovery?

what about a mutlivitamin?

ReddyMcMeaty · The Boss Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 5776

IMO diet and lifestyle habits.. like sleep.
_________________
"Man lives on one quarter of what he eats. On the other three quarters lives his doctor."

cabalco · Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 12:20 pm Post subject:

Here is some good stuff:

http://www.krispin.com/thyroid.html

Galeron · Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

Where's the zinc? Seriously... try a lil zinc. You're a bit of a gym rat, right?

Avalon · Top Carnivore Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 3326