I’ve made quite a few changes in my diet this year and thought I’d write about the many benefits I’ve experienced in my body.
Changes in Diet
- Eliminate grains, particularly wheat
- Increase meat and fat consumption
- Reduce carbohydrate consumption
- No vegetable oils. Use olive oil, butter and coconut oil for cooking
- Reduce fruit consumption
Changes in My Body
The biggest change is that a longstanding pain in my right hip that I thought might be arthritis is gone. It began in Oregon about a year and a half ago and became very painful this past winter.
I use to have trouble walking after being off my feet for a while. Every morning I would have to move slowly because my ankles were sore and stiff. Same thing if I’d been sitting for awhile. Now I bound out of bed or my chair without any soreness at all.
It’s an odd thing about chronic pain. You come to live with it and sometimes don’t even notice that it’s gone until a memory of pain surfaces. I’d completely forgotten that I used to hobble. A friend of mine who has also removed grain from his diet and increased his meat and fat consumption told me he noticed the same thing with his ankles.
My hair and fingernails are growing faster and stronger.
My concentration and recall have improved.
Low back pain has lessened considerably. I can walk longer and farther without experiencing any back pain whereas before my low back would get very tight and ache.
My back also hurts less in the morning upon waking but the pain and tightness are not completely gone yet. Perhaps a dairy intolerance? Definitely an inflammatory process, and I will get to the bottom of it. Pain is a message that should be heeded, not drugged away.
I can also walk long distances without foot pain, but I think that has more to do with ditching my tennis shoes and wearing very flexible shoes with minimal padding. I’ve changed how I walk and land on my feet. This is a post for another day.
When I went to the VA hospital in Roseburg in July 2007, I weighed 194 pounds and was considered obese. I had quit smoking the year before and packed on a lot of weight.
I had a heavy period that lasted a month leaving me anemic, which is why I went to the VA. I found out I was also deficient in vitamin D, which explained my falling into walls. I refused to diet and just tried to make better food choices. I now weigh 157 pounds (13 pounds lost since moving to Erie last November) and have 20 pounds to go.
I’ve begun to desire and enjoy more physical activity. My body is getting stronger and more flexible.
I am indeed growing younger.
The Camera Doesn’t Lie
I’ll tell you one thing. When I was young and went from 138 to 155, I felt like a fat slug and hated my body. And when in middle age I went from 155 to 194, I felt demoralized, gross and over the hill. But now that this same body has reduced from 194 to 155, I feel sexy and healthy.
I just pulled a picture into Photoshop that someone took of me last week in a bathing suit intending to post it. The mirror may lie, but the camera doesn’t. Damn, those are big thighs! So I ain’t postin’ no picture of me in a bathing suit. When I get to my desired weight of 138, I’ll post befores and afters. You won’t believe them.
Supplements Recently Added
- 5,000 iU vitamin D every day
- 1/2 teaspoon fermented high vitamin butter/cod liver oil
- Seaweed with iodine
Last time I had my serum vitamin D tested was May 2009, and it was 35.5 ng/mL. This is a vast improvement since July 2007 where it was 13.1 ng/mL, which is very deficient. I’d like to get my D levels up to at least 70 ng/mL.
I’ve added the butter/cod liver oil for the EPA and DHA fatty acids and vitamins A, D and K.
I only recently learned that iodine deficiency is common among those avoiding salt or switching to celtic sea salt, since it is not supplemented with iodine. I think this has a lot to do with my previous weight gain, course hair, lethargy, and various symptoms of low thyroid. The thyroid needs iodine to function.
I’ll report on what these supplements have done for me in a couple months. Right now I’m very excited about the improvements I’ve noticed and look forward to increasingly better health, vibrancy, and cognitiion.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like we’ve some similar experiences. Since dumping grain, increasing meat and fat, and dumping most carbs, my teeth and gums are stronger, my joints feel better, reading this made me realize my nails were stronger, and a host of other things. I’m still not where I want to be, but it’s great being on the path.
My experience changing my diet in the last couple of months is similar, with 15 lbs gone along with increased sense of well being.
My tennis matches average close to two hours. Until about 2 years ago I wore very supportive tennis shoes like everyone else. Such shoes tend to be stiff and heavily padded. In theory they are stable and protective. They feel like clod hoppers. Nonetheless, my feet hurt during every match, sometimes even cramping.
Now I mostly play in Nike Free cross trainers with thin and flexible soles. They are not designed for tennis. I move more naturally and quickly on the court and my feet only hurt when I earn the pain in a tough match.
Laura, I’m also not where I want to be, but like you say, any improvement is a step in the right direction. Thank you for reading my blog and commenting.
Steve, thanks for posting. Did you switch to a low-carb or paleo diet? Glad to hear of your successes. I’ve heard about the Nike Free shoes. I’ll have to look out for those. Winter’s coming so I’ll probably end up with rigid snow boots again. Next spring I’d like to get a pair of Vibrams.