Wednesday, September 11, 2013

ongoing search for health and fitness

Since i began writing here, things have changed in the paleo blogosphere.  It's kinda funny, really -- some very fervent advocates have deserted the cause, some continuing believers have slowed their rate of publishing, others have largely lost their audiences (you can tell from the volume and variety of commenters), and some "anti's" have crowed that they just KNEW paleo was BS and it was only a matter of time....

Meanwhile, there are still seekers after improved health, some of whom have also moved on to other schemes, and some like me who have experienced improvement but insufficient wellness to satisfy ourselves, who keep tweaking and telling you about it.

Since returning from our son's farm in VA where our dog Spenser picked up a bacterium which nearly was an end to him, both my husband and i have also dealt with some health issues which i can't help but suspect of being related.  J (the last one to catch "something" as he usually is) ended up with what looked like a virus that settled in his lungs, and which he recalls began when i got the super-vacuum that stirred up all the nasty stuff that was living in our bedroom carpet.  I (earlier) got that horrible exacerbation of allergy which i subsequently identified as histamine/tyramine intolerance, which INSPIRED the purchase of the vacuum and bedroom super-air-filter.  My studies into histamine intolerance led me into beginning a study of "chronic fatigue syndrome" -- something i think i've been dealing with for most of my 58 years, but which i've been too "proud" to admit widely.

I haven't even finished reading "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:  a Treatment Guide" but i've learned some interesting things which i'm beginning to put into practice.  Don't get me wrong -- the book is far from perfect (like, the authors aren't very savvy about diet), but i AM a big proponent of looking at the experiences of others and considering whether their tweaks might be helpful to me too.  There's a LOT more reading to do, and i think i can safely promise to keep passing along what i've found valuable and helpful.  ;-)

For now my message is, paleo isn't wrong, it's just incomplete.  "Coincidentally," paleo foods -- "non-neolithic" foods -- ARE lower in toxins than what people have been eating for the last couple of thousand years ... ESPECIALLY the last 100.  A big part of our modern malaise is because:

  • "neolithic" diet foods are much higher in histamines, tyramines and salicylates as well as overt toxins;
  • modern reliance on antibiotics for TOO MANY things have completely messed up our microbiota;
  • "recent" cultural ideals promote health-eroding behavior;
  • expecting drugs/medicine to be "the answer" cause society as a whole to hand over our responsibility for wellness to those who have a vested interest in promoting antagonistic practices.
I won't be surprised when i find that few people besides me find this a compelling reason to limit diet and influence behavior.  My biggest problem is knowing that a lot of the suffering around me is self-inflicted, and that although i know my findings COULD help others it will be widely ignored.  :-(

10 comments:

  1. I say living indoors is part of the problem. You mentioned mold earlier and stirring up crud with the new vacuum cleaner. From the time the ice ages started a few million years ago, we probably didn't have to deal with much mold; living indoors is certainly neolithic. Not sure what to do about it, though.

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    1. :-) nope! but the mold lives outdoors, too, in this part of the world. your dry environment is better for allergies all around (except sage pollen -- i developed that in SLC). when my allergies are on the rampage, i stay out of the basement as much as possible, even in dry weather.

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  2. Great Tess. We can't ignore evolution (which is what true Paleo should be all about; engaging with endocrinology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, not dogma). Of *course* we aren't adapted yet to the complex proteins, histamines, and salicylates that comprise (highly genetically modified - by farmers, not just labs ;) ) Neolithic foods. I don't want to have to wait around for the day when we MIGHT be lucky enough to consume these foods, either.

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    1. nope, but i'm stubborn enough to refuse to eat at all if the offered food is just going to make me feel bad. ;-) the glory of being keto-adapted is that i can "eat fat" for quite a long time.

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  3. My kid can't tolerate salicylates, has environmental allergies and has recovered from a dairy allergy (I claim no responsibility for that, he just grow out of it), yet I'm the weird one that won't let my kid eat fruit. Whatever, they don't have to deal with him after he eats apples.

    We had our genes run through 23andme, looked at MTHFR, and a host of other things. We've gotten some insights, but haven't really gotten any solutions.

    One of the most helpful things I learned was that I'm a non-secretor, while my husband and son are. That makes me resistant to the norwalk virus but deficient in bifido bacteria. Explains why I'm always battling yeast and a test once revealed I had no bifido bacteria after months of supplementation.

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    1. [nodding] i haven't sprung for the 23andMe thing yet -- at my age i'm not sure it's worthwhile! :-) it would probably just remind me how many ways i've screwed up my grown kids....

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    2. Oops, that should have said "husband and son are not". Yeah, I'm sure I'm screwing up somehow, but doing the best I can.

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    3. that's the best we can expect from anyone! :-) it's harder to know what to do for others, especially our kids, but i think we get "extra credit" for TRYING!

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  4. When a person has an allergy flare which looks like an asthma or a sinus problem, it is better to keep in mind that vacuuming has a good potential to make such allergy worse, as well as entering the room immediately after vacuuming. It is unpractical to totally avoid vacuuming , but being aware could help to plan how you do what you have to do. I have a steam cleaner in addition to my regular vacuum one, use special filters, keep carpets and drapes to a minimum - most windows have only window-treatment on the top and blinds, keep most books behind glass doors, wash pillows regularly (I don't like synthetic pillows - too hot for a Florida climate). Remember, a clothes drier is your friend - you can toss there some items which need a quick re-dusting or de-pollenating after you spent time outdoor and have a pollen allergy. I wish to have only hardwood floors, but it would be too expensive. Most of my soft furniture is leather-covered. It is a time to change carpets in my house, so I hope the carpeted area will get even smaller. Polished concrete floor sounds too extreme for me - I am not so sick, my allergies are well controlled most of the time, after life-time of dealing with it I know the drill.

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    1. oh, yeah -- i only vacuum on days when i'm not seeing sinus issues! same for doing laundry (in the basement), dusting, moving soft furnishings around, etc. some days, one just can't help it, though -- if the dog coughs up something behind the sofa or under the bed, cleaning can't be delayed.

      i just got my DAOsin (a DAO enzyme supplement to help break down excess histamine) a couple of days ago, and it seems to be helping. antihistamines don't BREAK DOWN already-generated histamines, they just block receptors....

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