The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Keto Diet
Posted by Frances (Cabarlah, Qld.) on 03/29/2023
★★★★★
Due to friends and relatives being diagnosed with cancer or having it recur, I've become interested in the metabolic theory of disease, mitochondria dysfunction, etc. and wonder if readers can contribute in plain non-scientific language any experience, especially with keto or modified keto diet.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Pacific Coast Lady (Crescent City, CA) on 03/02/2022
★★★★★
I just want to be sure everyone here gets the opportunity to hear Dr. Benjamin Bikman, and of course, decide for yourself on whether or not his info holds water. It certainly has for me, and I've been doing a Ketogenic diet since Feb. 2021. I am 5'2", and now at a healthy weight of 116, down 23 lbs. I was diagnosed in Jan. 2021 with T2 Diabetes. It scared me into looking for info on how to treat it without Meformin or any other drug. I found Keto, and several videos, amongst them thank God, Dr. Ben Bikman. I'll put a link below, but just want to say my blood glucose HbA1c labs are within healthy/normal range, even below Pre-Diabetic now.
I believe Insulin Resistance (Metabolic Syndrome) is behind several diseases and I am better in so many ways, besides the T2, and excess stored fat. No more migraines, more energy, no acid reflux, better sleep, building muscle, and strength at 69 years old. I'm figuring out my supplements, but do more to shop for organic, grass-fed meats, the best greens I can find, and dairy. Here's my goto for all the info I can absorb on IR/Metabolic Syndrome.
https://youtu.be/3eMWbmXYuHw?list=PLwZBGDeIeol-hkqTk6-5acN1PJC-vZlba
Low Fat Diet
Posted by Nothy (Hamilton, Ontario) on 11/08/2021
★★★★★
I was diagnosed with gallstones and mild fatty liver. I decided to follow the low fat diet, mentioned in Jean's post from 2011 below because I too notice inches on my stomach with anything but a low fat diet. Healthy fats I can have in small quantities but butter, oil and junk food are the real culprits for me. I looked up and followed the Starch Solution diet by Dr John McDougal. On his website, there are patient accounts of curing themselves of fatty liver following his diet.
I have been on it more or less consistently since January of this year, it is now November, and I have lost over sixty pounds! I had my appt with the gi doctor and he said I cured myself! Fatty liver is reversed and he said to leave the gallstones alone unless they bother me.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Laurie (Sacramento) on 04/01/2016
How much ACV did you use and how often? I am having major issues with the weight loss. Like you I eat healthy....basically because I am allergic to most everything but fresh fruit & vegetables! But still the weight keeps adding on! Very frustrated! I have gone to so many doctors that do test after test and all they say is "lose the weight and you will get better! " Um HELLO! I can't lose the weight which is why I am seeing you! One doctor went so far as telling me that my thyroid levels were ok and when I sent my test results to my sister - who has a Doctorate in Nursing - she told me that my levels were that for hypothyroidism!! And she freaked over my cholesterol levels which the doctor said NOTHING about!! I am sure you can now understand my frustration. Please help! I know that ACV helps with all sorts of things but have not done a specific regimen.
Low Fat Diet
Posted by Sarah (Florida) on 05/27/2015
I'm noticing same thing. Finally had a Dr tell me that if I had impaired insulin function then it was likely my body could not convert the fats into glucose for energy. I always feel like crap on low carb eating. And not just the short term but did it a year and a half.
Has anyone else tried lower fat for this?
Healthy Diet
Posted by Christopher (Illinois, US) on 05/12/2014
Hello! I have had Metabolic Syndrome. For me it was all about the liver being overburden and unable to remove excess sugars and fat! I had extremely high triglycerides, high bad cholesterol, extremely low good cholesterol and felt bloated in my stomach = weight gain = fat! I reversed it with supplements Glutathione, NAC, Selenium, Silymarin, Vitamin C, B, multivitamin and green tea to help detox the liver and get the gallbladder ducts cleared out.
Healthy eating is the most important though, stop eating excess sugar and any wheat. Very hard to do, I felt like there was nothing I was going to be able to eat to feel satisfied but I wanted to be healthy. Raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds have a ton of protein in them as well as a balanced amount of very healthy fats, enzymes, minerals and vitamins. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds have been the best snacks for me to keep me feeling full/satisfied throughout the day. My blood work came back great within a matter of 3 months. Unfortunately, I have reverted back to eating sugary junk and wheat products and see and feel the weight gain and notice symptoms of tinea versicolor starting up again when I sweat and when its humid out.
I am reverting back to my healthier ways again after noticing these bad habits creeping back in - it is stress related for me!
Check out The Liver Cleansing Diet book as a guide, my mom got it for me along time ago and I never read it until I got the scary results from the doctor.
Low Carb Diet
Posted by Jessica (Ridgecrest, Ca) on 11/09/2011
I am mostly a low carb eater. But for the last few days, I have been carb binging. Two nights ago I had Mexican food with chips, rice and beans at a restaurant. Yesterday I had two servings of cake and left overs from the Mexican food for breakfast. Then I made Mexican food at home for dinner--more rice and beans. Well, last night, I was in pain like I felt from what HAD been diagnosed as fibromyalgia. And I couldn't sleep after 3 am. Also, my kidneys hurt. I thought it must be the flour from the cake, so I started researcing... I was up at 3 anyway!
What I found was insulin resistance! Looking back to when I was suffering full-blown fibromyalgia, I WAS eating like crap... Lots of carbs. To get healthy, I did nearly everything on EC for FM, ate low carb, started exercising... And started to heal. But, I think that insulin resistance was a large part of my FM. I feel REALLY crappy right now and can't wait for the insulin to clear out... and I hope this will be the last time carb overload temps me.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Diana (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/22/2011
★★★★★
10 yrs ago I had been diagnosed with PCOS and along with it insulin resistance. Weight loss has been frustrating and impossible, while weight gain has been all too easy. I am a person who excercises and eats healthy, whole foods in smaller portions and I basically ballooned up to 312. So five days ago, after coming to this site, I decided to try a little Apple Cider Vinegar in my water, without changing any other habits. In five days, I lost 12 lbs. I actually thought that there was something wrong with the scale. I suppose that it is helping to balance out the insulin resistance... But for the first time in my life some weight came off without trying. I will continue with it to see what other benefits I will reep from including Apple Cider Vinegar in my lifestyle :) can't wait!
Low Fat Diet
Posted by Gean (Salina, Ks) on 02/23/2011
★★★★★
Hi, just to let everyone know who is really serious about weight loss that it is possible that ingestion of dietary fat could very well cause insulin resistance in some people, which blocks weight loss. Maybe not for everyone but it's worth a try. Even good fats and high fat natural foods such as nuts and avocados must be eaten very sparingly. Some may disagree but it works for me every time. If I continue to eat more than a very small amount of even good fats, it doesn't matter how little food I eat or how much I exercise, the inches pile up around the middle. When I go off fats the inches melt off within a week or two. I eat plenty of whole grains, potatoes, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and small amount of nuts. You won't go hungry eating this. I would love to hear of someone else who can't lose weight despite their best efforts trying this.
Aspartame
Posted by FuzzyRider (Hobbs, New Mexico) on 07/26/2009
In my eperience high doses of aspartame did not raise blood glucose levels, but did prevent these levels from dropping as quickly as they would normally. I have talked to other diabetics, but no others have noticed this effect; in fact, it was only notable in me when my glucose levels were seriously out of control
Coconut Oil
Posted by Sage (Aurora, CO) on 10/08/2008
★★★★★
CHOCOLATE MAGIC SHELL!
I've been taking coconut oil to help with my insulin resistance. I take about 2 tbsp a day. Here's one of my favorite ways to eat it:
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tbsp Chocolate or Carob chips (fruit juice sweetened if you need to watch your sugars)
Put both in a mug or small pyrex and microwave for 15 seconds or until its just melted or, if you avoid microwaves as I do and have the time, place in shallow boiling water until it melts. Mix well.
Then pour over your favorite ice cream or frozen desert. It'll harden in about 30 seconds. What a treat! And it adds this great mild coconut flavor to it.
Aspartame
Posted by Claudia (Bulverde, Texas) on 01/21/2008
I have used artificial sweeteners for 15 years. I have suffered muscle spasms, brain fog, tingling sensation all over my brain, migraines, muscle and joint pain, swelling of hands and legs, depression, anxiety, fever blisters or cold sores, last year I was diagnosed with pcos, and insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome. I recently discovered the aspartame poisoning article and decided to stop drinking or eating anything that has aspartame written on the label. The brain fog, muscle spasms and migraines are gone, the swelling in hands still there and sometimes the joint pain. It's there any way to get rid of the aspartame in my system? Please help!!
Aspartame
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 12/04/2007 392 posts
I have found through using urinary sugar using the Brix, of just taking aspartame foods, caused urinary pH from a person with a healthy 6.8 to about 5 within a day after taking aspartame added foods and in some medicine. While I didn't believe the incident to be real I foolishly took the same food he did and it caused my urinary sugar to about triple from normal figures which is about diabetic, while the urinary pH became very acid, bringing about metabolic acidosis for days without end.
It should be noted that aspartame poisoning breaks down into formaldehyde and methanol alcohol and one of the effects of poisoning is metabolic acidosis, and insulin resistance.
This insulin resistance can make people who are already diabetic much worse. So if there are unbelievers out there try it at your own risk taking it, and trying to get to normal is not easy either. It is therefore best to avoid aspartame in foods and drinks, especially medicine, which seems to be much worse if the aspartame was added to the N Acetyl Cysteine. For some reason the N Acetyl Cysteine were antagonistic to certain supplements that promote lowering of blood sugar, but in this case it promoted higher blood sugar and higher metabolic acidosis.
In another case I have noted some reported having acid reflux from taking aspartame added foods, since it activated metabolic acidosis.
The information from my own observation is confirmed from another place, which provided basically the same observations I did concerning this issue. What is different is that I have found an antidote which help to some extent aspartame poisoning through taking about 1000-2000 i.u. of natural vitamin E, sodium citrate and potassium citrate (three times a day for over several days) to reduce metabolic acidosis, some vitamin B complex, and granulated lecithin. There is a study that does show this condition is helped with vitamin E in a study of methanol poisoning. Vinegar is a possible methanol poisoning in my books because I have found that whenever methanol causes skin to burn, I apply the vinegar and it stopped the inflammation or burns. I suspect it is this burns which is what causes the glandular function to be damaged bringing on insulin resistance and possible remedy to stop from diabetic induced by aspartame. Although I suspect the remedy may require something like 2 tablespoon of vinegar plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, or vinegar is taken alone. However, some people who DON'T LIKE vinegar in this case may take pickles (pickled cucumber) as a possible antidote. It is the acetic acid or even the acetate which reduces the glandular inflammation and the vinegar/acetate may have neutralize the effects. It is this reason why vinegar or even apple cider vinegar reduces blood sugar in certain people. While the whys are arguable, it does work for certain cases, especially in event of a food poisoning from aspartame. So if the cola companies tries to sell aspartame in school, this would not be a solution for diabetes in children, it is much worse than eating sugar. I should know, I tested the aspartame, and the sugar levels don't reduce, even from exercise! The article on effects of vinegar reducing sugar levels is posted below too, as a reference.
ACV and Coconut Oil
Posted by Wydo (Ventura, United States) on 12/04/2007
★★★★★
Hi, I have been doing ACV [apple cider vinegar] and BS [baking soda] for a week now. I have also been doing lecithin and I have cut out all artificial sweeteners. My blood sugars still go up to 150 mg/dl so I have to take alpha lipoic acid to keep my blood sugars down. I am loosing weight around my waistline, which is a very good sign as I have metabolic syndrome. My next step is to change my cooking oil. This is where I have a question for Ted. I know you like to coconut oil but have you tried the virgin red palm oil? It is very high in vitamin E including tocotrienols which is a good anti-inflammatory and protects the skin. Is this a good oil or not? Thank you.
