By Matt Stone
One of the biggest health wars being fought in the world today is against the rise of what is considered “worsening” blood lipid profiles. The major risk factors associated with heart disease and diabetes are high blood pressure, high levels of inflammatory markers like CRP, low HDL “good cholesterol,” high LDL “bad cholesterol,” high triglycerides, and high blood glucose levels.
Note – these are all just risk factors. They don’t necessarily cause these diseases, but point to an increased statistical likelihood of having heart disease or diabetes. You can have perfect blood lipids and still drop dead of a heart attack. And the “experts” can’t even agree on what an ideal blood lipid profile is. The general public, uninformed and simple-minded, still think that what matters most is getting total cholesterol low. We’ll see how that worked out?for’the young gentleman that had a heart attack with?a cholesterol level of 115 later in the post.
There are many contradictions too. For example, high cholesterol appears to be associated with?increased longevity when you reach your 70’s and up.?Another is that the highest rates of heart disease are found in men with what appear to be pretty good blood?lipid profiles – that of Australian Aboriginal men.
So there are no?hard?and fast rules. For starters – no matter who you?are, you shouldn’t be obsessed about these?values. There is just no reason to be obsessed with these values. They are mediocre predictors of disease risk at the VERY best. You certainly shouldn’t be taking medication like statins or blood pressure lowering meds’so that you can score better on these tests. That’s probably no different from scoring?better on a test by?copying the paper of the kid with a pocket protector sitting next to you. Your grades might be better, but you won’t be any?better off, and might be worse off. Might even get expelled!
If we take a broad look at several of these’supposed health markers, it becomes pretty?obvious that such changes occur together, in tandem. This is what led to’the branding of the term “metabolic syndrome,” a blanket name given to those who show several or all of the “negative” changes in blood lipids.
I wish the solution to this was more complex. People have become indoctrinated to believe that the answer must be something exotic or “NEW!”
? If I were to write about some breakthrough discovery – some Amazonian beetle extract that fixes this problem,?a significant number of people might?read and actually get excited about this post. But I’m not going to write about a beetle extract. Or even an exotic berry of some kind that comes, mixed with grape and apple juice, for $40 a quart.
The solution to the whole cluster of risk factors (clusterfact?)?is raising metabolic rate and decreasing stress hormone exposure – two things that happen together.
Cholesterol levels don’t rise as you age because you are eating more saturated fat and cholesterol. As people age, their consumption of both saturated fat and cholesterol?decreases. The older people get, the less they eat, because the older people get, the lower their metabolic rate gets.
Triglyceride levels?or blood pressure or blood sugar does not rise as we age because?we eat more and more sugar the older we get.?Sugar consumption typically falls with age,?along with total food consumption. This corresponds with the decrease in metabolic rate’that occurs with aging.
While we’re at it, we don’t get fatter and fatter as we age because of increased food consumption either. Food consumption steadily declines as body fat percentage rises over the course of our lifetimes.
You see where I’m headed with that. It’s awfully hard to blame a worsening blood lipid profile that occurs with aging on substances that we are consuming less and less of.
I love the statin commercials though! They are so classic.
“Eatin’ ‘right’ and exercisin’ (lowers metabolism and increases exposure to stress hormones)?didn’t lower my cholesterol, so I’took me some of these pills like my doctor sold me to.” (intentional typo). Try Falcor today, and?come in for’some Viagra and Prozac when you find yourself depressed and bonerless in 6 months!
That’s enough of that. Had to work in ‘boner’ somehow though.
Anyway, with a rise in metabolic rate and a reduction in stress hormone exposure, something that typically happens synergistically, someone with a poor blood lipid profile will see LDL fall, HDL rise, blood glucose fall, blood pressure fall (if high), and triglycerides fall.
Cool. Well that’s the solution to what mainstream medicine considers to be one of the most pressing health dilemmas of the 21st century. I hope you enjoyed reading this, not thinking it could be true, and wandering off in pursuit of failure in improving these?lipid profiles elsewhere. Come back and see me when you’re ready.
High 5 to Chris, 2009 heart attack’sufferer?who actually did take?me’seriously, stopped eating so damn healthy, and witnessed many of these changes.?Below is his story with a link to his well-documented changes in?blood?chemistry doing various things,?including taking statins and eating a Paleo diet and consulting with many of the biggest names in alternative nutrition. Now if?we can get him eating even less health food and taking more naps he would really get somewhere.
Note in his blood lipids the changes from the beginning in his Triglyceride to HDL ratio. That is probably the single most important risk predictor that can be ascertained from a regular blood panel, and something I mentioned years ago. It dropped from 4.93 to 2.51 since he started implementing some 180-inspired changes?a few months ago. Other changes include, unsurprisingly, a drop in total cholesterol, LDL,’triglycerides, VLDL, and fasting glucose. HDL came up. His testosterone is on the way up tooI assume, as discussed in Raising Testosterone Naturally.
Anyway, share this with someone you know. This is an easy fix, and requires no medication, unwanted exercise, or unenjoyable diets. Last time I checked there were like 50 million Americans or more with this type of blood lipid profile, so I expect at least 50 million shares on Facebook, haha.
First, sorry I took so long to get back with you. I just wanted to see another lipid panel before I started waving the Matt Stone flag.
Well, today I had another lipid panel and cardiologist appointment and the lipids are still improving! Total cholesterol went down another 40 points, HDL is steady at 37, LDL went down 36, and the biggest surprise of all, trigs went down 24 to 93! All this after stopping statins and all vitamins two months ago. And I had a freaking milkshake last night! Seriously!!
So now for the backstory.. I had a mild heart attack in August of 2009. 34 years old, 5’10, 150 lbs. Non smoker, “healthy” (usda) eater, ect. At that time my total chol was 115, with HDL 16. So I exercised. And brought my HDL up to 29 in three months. Cardiologist still wanted me on statins, I declined, exercised more and 5 months later, no change in lipids so I started the 20 mg pravistatin. And my LDL went from 104 to 64 three months later. Cardiologist was happy and all was well. Three months later, another lipid test, 122 total chol, and I was heart attack proof. Go me.
Then something happened. I’m honestly not sure what, but I got curious as to why this happened to me, what my cholesterol should be, and how to get it there. And I found the mecca of everything healthy, Grok. So I posted on the MDA message boards for some advice and advice is what I got. “Get rid of the grains”, “trigs are too high, so reduce carbs” , “cut out all sugar”, “eat more fats”, “eat less fruit”, “exercise less”, “dont drink alcohol” etc. Makes sense, if I ate like the cavedude with all those meat and eggs and none of those grains and carbs, my HDL would go to 1000, just like everyone that posts there. I was so in. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread34325-2.html
Well then, I began to eat more eggs and meat and less grains and carbs. And my cholesterol (LDL and Trigs) continued to skyrocket. I even pm’d the anti wheat cardiologist asking what to do and his answer was simple – REDUCE CARBS. Holy shit, I reduced carbs. So much as to not touching milk or beer or wine or honey or fruit for two months. And guess what happened?? My LDL went up more!
Well, thats when it was suggested I get a VAP test to see if my “particle sizes” were growing, which would be a good thing, and wrong! Type B LDL. Well shit now what? The Grok gods said my liver is still defatting (whateverthefukthatmeans), give it more time (it had only been 6 months) and to add oils and vitamins and all will be well. After all, that would raise my HDL and thats what I needed to do to get my LDL down. So I added fish oil and coconut oil and niacin and vitamin D3. And managed to get my cholesterol up to 232 (160 LDL, 34 HDL, 188 Tgs). Awesome! To add to the awesomeness, my fasting BG was 95. I’m totally rockin this grok stuff.
So reality (ie my wife – I was all in, hook, line, and sinker) started to tell me, maybe this caveman stuff isn’t good for my cholesterol. So I ate less eggs, less cow (still the free range stuff of course), more potatoes, rice and quinoa. And did another lipid test. And TC went from 232 to 174. And from 174 to 140 (HDL dropped to 30). Then I stopped taking all vitamins and stupid shit and eventually even stopped taking the statin. And my TC went from 140 to 208. Yikes!
So there I was, at a crossroads. Do I further reduce redmeat and eggs (basically eliminating them) or do I continue to eat a few servings of each each week and take the statin. Well, the Paleo Summit couldn’t have had better timing. And surprisingly, one Matt Stone had the biggest impact on me of anyone. Kruse was good too, but Matt’s presentation really intrigued me. So I posted on his wall, my issue with HDL and cholesterol and such and Matt replied, “Raise metabolism. This will start converting LDL into testosterone. It also has a tendency to lower trigs and raise HDL along with it”.
So I read Matt’s site and learned about the role “junk food” plays in metabolism and began having the occasional treat. After a month I got another lipid test (by now I know it only takes me a month to see diet changes in my lipid test results) and good golly miss molly my HDL went from 30 to 37. Trigs from 148 to 117. Total Chol down slightly and LDL up a lil bit. My fasting BG was 79. I pm’d Matt, thanked him and figured I’d continue this another month and retest. No way pizza and ice cream raise HDL and lower Trigs. Thats just not paleopossible. So, today I had a checkup with my cardiologist and figured I’d check my cholesterol again before the Dr appointment. And well, I’m still in shock at the results.
Link to my Lipid Google spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmbJs5Qv4fpadDhrVElIdjRpVWw2UGVWTzY1TXg2ZVE
Thanks again Matt – you’ve got a very powerful message to spread! Chris.
For more in the?relationship between cholesterol, sex hormones, metabolic rate, and heart disease – listen to this 1996 interview with Ray Peat. With proper thyroid dose, cholesterol levels?drop by 50 points per week.
Same thing to me too!
I was on cross country team running everyday and decided to cut MDA “dangerous” carbs. I ate 2 yams or potatoes a day while running miles daily. My cholesterol went from 170 to 242 in the 3 weeks i went no-carb. I lost 5 pounds going no carb to 115 lb 5’2″ frame.
Then i went high carb (pizza, pasta, ice cream, cake, and ice cream and ice cream) and my cholesterol was 150. I know I shouldn’t get blood tests, but I took the last one because I was kicked off my health plan when it reached 242. Oh but one issue, in only a year now I am 150 pounds….. at least I gained 2 cup sizes?
Yay ice cream!
I liked this post a lot. My friend has been on blood pressure meds since 2010 and had a minor heart attack two weeks ago. NOT caused by cholesterol in the slightest. Scary shit
He’s only 26 yrs old btw
Yeah, I am starting to wrap my head around the contexts in which ‘junk food’ is beneficial. Had some gummi bears yesterday. Awesome.
I still think a lot has to do with where the individual is at; maybe not everyone will benefit from snack food as much as the average health blog follower. Or maybe they would. Crazy world, eh? Eat and enjoy!
Rob, same here ! It does take a leap of faith to start with junk food again after following a low glycemic paleo diet. To my dismay, ice cream does not yet agree with me so I’ll have to wait on that.
My current favorite meal is of pancakes, maple syrup, potatoes, eggs, butter and bacon (feel a bit iffy about the bacon). I feel much better after this meal even if I dont sleep well. Strangely, the ‘healthier’ pancakes that I try to make at home don’t have the same effect as a brunch place or even ihop.
Hey dipshits, exercise raises metabolism. Good luck getting healthy on junk food.
On a statistical basis, endurance exercise has no effect on metabolic rate. And has been shown in some studies to cause a slight decrease. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20432193
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9665098
Of course, none of the metabolic rate researchers are smart enough to actually study the mass-specific metabolic rate, meaning that they get a qoutient of RMR divided by lean body mass. Anyone can increase RMR by adding body mass, which is why resistance exercise is shown to “increase metabolic rate.” But this ignores the fact that as lean mass increases, metabolic rate per gram of lean body mass tends to decline…
http://www.franklincollege.edu/pwp/lmonroe/Metabolic%20Rate%20Lab.pdf
On an individual basis, exercise can increase or decrease basal metabolic rate. It depends entirely on the health and resiliency of the person doing the exercise and the type, duration, and frequency of the exercise being performed… and also the diet and sleep patterns of the person undergoing training. Large volumes of exercise in a highly-stressed person who can’t sleep and is calorically and glucose-deprived is extremely detrimental to resting metabolic rate.
In other words, why don’t you quit college and get a real education and stop bothering everyone. I have better things to do than intellectually pown (is that the word you college kids use these days?) you in the comments section of my site.
Well, tonight I guess I don’t have anything better to do. I’ve got this much time on my hands actually…
http://youtu.be/9lKSiuHZ_L4
“Intellectually pown,” huh? Funny that a guy who can’t respond to his criticisms from folks who are his intellectual superior (Kurt Harris, anybody?) can still muster this level dick swagger on a topic, even if it is in the comments section of his own website.
Sincerely,
-Not A Dumbass…AKA…Smart enough not to ditch my abs and clear skin by bingeing on garbage.
Dear Dumbass,
Oh yes, abzzzz and clear skin are the most important thing in the whole world. Really, they are! I’m not being sarcastic!
Great article.
Was Chris eating junk food in the begining when he started having problems and had heart attack? What caused that in the first place? He wasn’t eating paleo diet then. Most of us start eating some variety of “healthy” diet because we are eating SAD and it’s making us sick. Do we get healthy by continuing on the same diet? Did SAD made us sick or something else like vaccines, toxins, stress? And how do we get healthy then? How do we flush toxins out of our body? I can’t find these answers alone, so please someone, share yours with me.
Heart disease and heart attacks aren’t caused by certain diets, but stem from being in certain metabolic states. It’s not what you eat, but the metabolic state you are in. You can be in a bad metabolic state eating “x” diet, or a good one eating the same diet if you change some of the variables or change the context. For example, eating a diet in a sleep-deprived state with a body temperature of 96.2 is very different from eating the same exact diet with 8 solid hours of sleep per night and a 98.5 degree body temperature. Or if you increase calories by 20% let’s say. You will enter into a different metabolic state.
so am I freak for having solid 98.6 temps starting this past week and still not sleeping optimal? I am so excited about the temps, but my horomones are out of whack still. I can fall asleep easily now, but still wake up tingly and in a very light sleep pattern, which makes it hard to face the morning. It all seems so weird to me as why the temps jumped up and have stayed consistent, it was like my body just switched over. Confused on how this happened with my lack of sleep.
YES. THIS. I don’t believe I’ve read anything more true about health in the past several years. Awesome.
Also, “bonerless.” hehehehehehhe.
Hi Sanja,
The Heart Attack was pretty much out of the blue. I was not having any heart problems that I know of. As far as diet goes I was eating a “normal healthy” diet. Not paleo, not vegetarian, not anything with a name. Just eating. As I recall it was pretty high in carbs (lots of pasta meals, sandwiches, cereal, pizza, occasional snacks and fast food).
My cardiologist does not know what caused it, as I did not have any blockages. He thinks my low HDL may have been a contributing factor.
I’d still really like to know what the cause was so I can be confident I’ve corrected the issue. But it sounds like at this point, thats going to be next to impossible.
That Trig/HDL ratio of over 7 at the time of the heart attack is particularly interesting. A total cholesterol level that low (below 120 total) certainly hints at low metabolism, which is more of a heredity thing than anything else. But it can be improved upon. Or worsened. Depending on the diet, lifestyle, sleep levels, and so on.
I’m interested by your comment that a low cholesterol level/low metabolism being hereditary? I’m thinking this is my problem. Last time I checked my cholesterol was VERY low, and my body temperatures are constistently low. It doesn’t seem to have caused me too many health problems, and since I’ve been eating more in the past couple of years I seem to be okay, but I would really like to speed up my metabolism.
Does the fact that I have such a low temperature without health issues (I just turned 30) seem to indicate that it’s just hereditary and normal for me, or should I try to raise it by eating a bunch like I’ve been reading a bit? I did get an ice cream maker, so I’m halfway there, haha.
oh yeah, and of course the doctor that told me my cholesterol values was super impressed, but I wasn’t so sure that it was a good thing, even then.
Hi Matt,
I did track my waking temp (surprise) as well. But it was more day to day. From Mar 3 to Apr 2 my waking body temp went from 96.8 to 97.7.
But what to do if your temperature won’t go up? I got a look at my test results from the doc the other day and total cholesterol was 304 and blood pressure was 150 something over 110 and TSH was a might high too at 5.9.
I’ve tried just eating the food, I get plenty of sleep having solved my insomnia problem. I eat pretty well based on what I fancy and I don’t have a problem with snacks and binges because if I want to do one I do it but rarely do. I’ve been following your suggestions for the past 3 years and managed to become much more able to eat anything without adverse effect, have destroyed cravings and become a might more level headed/even mooded and that’s great.
But the temperature likes to stay way low. I can hang in the 95’s very easily until mid-afternoon when we might hit 97.5’ish (rare) and eating well and to appetite and often beyond has just meant weight gain and the test results from above.
Forgot to say I’m 35 and 6 foot and now weigh 246 pounds up from 206.
I have gained such a lot following your advice but have never been able to handle wheat which I was imagining would get easier when the temperature went up but it never did.
Robert,
I’m in the same place, 3yrs following, morning oral basal never higher then 97.6. I’m 6’1, 200lb, weight gain is not a issue, but I have shitty skin issues, oily acne and extreme dry skin (very weird combo).
Always wondered if the culprit is stored PUFA, which via Peat, when released down regulates the metabolism big time. I grew up on the seed oils, practically drinking bottles of the crap. Would this be something?
Danny has great posts that are related:
http://www.dannyroddy.com/main/2012/5/14/estrogen-the-shit-show-hormone.html
Undertow, thanks for the reply.
I have completely eliminated all skin issues by reading along and garnering ideas from this blog. No more weird reactions to any combination of food, no outbreaks, nothing. That was the easiest area for me to see improvement in.
I don’t know about the pufa. I was absent it of it completely for about 2 years, just through my normal eating habits. Though I had a strange outbreak some years back when I couldn’t eat meat for feeling sick and must have eaten a ton in the vegetarian food I ate. How long does it take to come out I wonder?
I have just come across Mr.Roddy recently, though I’ve heard the name kicking about the internet. I did try Maca once along with a homeopathic testosterone cream (which is bullshit if you view things scientifically) and the cream certainly gave me hot, deep flushes and a feeling of giddiness (though I wasn’t taking my temperature at the time so I can’t say whether it was making me hotter). The Maca did seem to do something but it was so expensive and I can’t stand the outrageously inflated prices that are charged for such products. In the UK about 10 years ago, before the health boom really kicked off you could get all the supplements you can get now, unpackaged or scooped out of jars in local health shops at 5% of the price you can now. As soon as big business got involved the price was 80% with the year for 50% less.
Sorry a bit of topic. Have you tried Peat’s carrot, as it where?
Robert,
Thanks for the feedback, skin issues are the only thing left for me to heal, very annoying. My skin is better then in my teens and twenties, but still a long way from being normal.
Most theories say 4yrs to clear stored PUFA’s, utilizing a diet that is very low PUFA.
I do eat lots of raw carrot, since I like it, but don’t see no real difference with or without them…
Have you tried taking moderately high doses of vitamin A and large amounts of vitamin C? Or apple cider vinegar? My skin has improved tremendously taking these things. :P
Hey puddleduck, What amounts of vit A/C have you tried? Also how much ACV?
Ah sorry I didn’t see this sooner. Here are the amounts:
—1,000 mg Vitamin C two to three times per day
—10,000 IU Vitamin A one to two times per day
—1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar in water before meals
—400 mg Niacin three times per day
I started taking the vitamin C because I was getting infections like mad, and finally realized this might have something to do with my not eating anything containing it for ages (or anything much at all for that matter). I’m so dumb sometimes. XD I forget about obvious important nutrients like vitamin C. Anyway, I started with around 2,000 mg every couple hours. Cleared up my stubborn sore throat in about four hours. I’m still pretty amazed by that.
My doctor suggested the Vitamin A.
I only took the Apple Cider Vinegar for maybe two or three months, but almost right away my skin began to make a comeback from the sudden, horrific adult acne breakout I had a year ago (it happened when I took some ill-advised medications). I would say it improved by at least 50%, maybe more like 70%, with some ups and downs (I was still having problems with eating enough at that point). It seemed to help a bit with my appetite and digestion as well, though.
Forgot to mention the Niacin before. Not sure if it’s affecting my skin, but I did start taking it a couple months ago for some of my mental problems. :P It’s supposed to be good for the skin, so it could be doing something. XD
Hope you figure out what’s going on with your skin, undertow. Or even if you don’t, that you see improvement. :)
Hey puddleduck, thanks for following up. I have tried all the things you have mentioned but ACV. Maybe I will start taking 1tsp in the morning and with dinner see what comes of it.
I have extremely oily skin, no amount of supplements or eating to rev up the metabolism have changed this. With oil comes acne… I will try the ACV for awhile and let you know how it goes.
Robert,
“TSH was a might high too at 5.9.”
“But the temperature likes to stay way low. I can hang in the 95’s very easily until mid-afternoon when we might hit 97.5?ish ”
You are HYPO-thyroid! I bet you are going to the VA? Yes they don’t treat unless your TSH is over 6.0 even tho AACE says
Hypo-T is 3.0!
Demand some Armour thyroid!
All your cholesterol problems will vanish.
Read this book: Hypothyroidism type 2 by Mark Starr MD.
Robert –
You’ve been doing this for 3 years and are not seeing improvement? At what point will you consider trying something different? For me, the weight fell off when I cut carbs. But metabolically I was not in a happy place. We’re all very unique and the hardest thing for me was adding carbs and forgetting everything I had been wanting to believe for the prior 6 months.
Chris, I was looking for paleo recovery when I first came across Matt. Lie – I’d come across him even further back and thought oh, it’s that same paleo nonsense I’ve already tried but then he changed his tune and I found I vibed with it.
I’d started my (what I thought was a balanced go at) paleo after finding Art de vany but thought he was a mite extreme so looked around and came up with a plan of my own. This was an attempt to recover from ibs type issues, low mood and frequent illness. I decided to slowly transition across and began by replacing breakfast only with De Vany’s patented weight loss breakfast consisting of salmon and melons. It killed my appetite so quickly that with a week I was no longer eating any carbs for lunch and a week and a half in I was 21 pounds lighter. This was while still eating any carbs I wanted, good or bad in the evening and as much as I wanted. Three and a half weeks in I was 49 pounds lighter and feeling great. No getting up to pee in the night, sound sound sleep, exceptionally good mood and cor blimey, enthusiam for life.
But within a month a half I was starting to get cold and get cramps that would wake me from my sleep. I went from lean meat with a sat fat extravaganza now and again to more regular sat fat, mostly butter and coconut oil to try and keep warm and when that didn’t work I added back some root veggies (which felt a little like taking speed) but still with no relief. Christmas came upon me and I decided to cheat over the holidays because I like to have fun and Paleo was cramping my style but this only fueled the weight loss frenzy until friends were making constant remarks about how bad I looked. I hit 10 and a half stone (147 pounds) and decided enough was enough and I would slowly transition back to normal eating. I can’t even begin to describe how my brain lit up when I ate a croissant with bacon, egg and jam.
Point being, after slowly transitioning back I regained my difficulty with wheat (which had temporarily gone into abeyance). I gained the weight back plus an extra 14 pounds and with even worse trouble with wheat.
Years later I discovered Mr. Stone again and DID see improvements which are very welcome but never the temperature increases without which I am sure the short term feasts recommended by Matt lead to some weight gain but without the weight loss.
Unfortunately I am restricted by having very little money as I am on benefits (in the UK) and as much as I would like to work I am ill 9 months out of every year which is beyond frustrating. If I try to exercise or lift a weight I fall ill. If I get some sun, I fall ill. When I used to change my diet a little bit I’d fall ill. However I don’t have to suffer that anymore and I’m pretty sure that’s down to following this blog and all the interesting people I read in the comments section.
I have been through all avenues medical in England and they all say there’s nothing wrong with me OR they say they don’t have the money to look into anything more than basic cases. However I am pretty sure there is nothing completely wrong or broken.
If I had some money it might make recovering to some less ill baseline a bit easier but I can’t say for sure. Any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Robert
Robert,
You might look into adding in some vitamin D.
Reading Matt’s blog has made an incredible difference in my health.
But, some nagging things remain. This past 3 weeks I have been taking
5000IU vitamin D daily, along with vitamin K2 @ 1mg. I have noticed that
I am improving in energy/zest for life. Do some research on the topic to
decide if it is something you want to try.
I’ve been thinking about it Betty. Thanks for the reply.
Hey, Robert,
I totally hate to rain on Matt’s parade, but as someone who has actually been on natural prescription porcine thyroid hormone, and was able to ween off of it in less than 6 weeks (after years and years of low temps with no thyroid treatment and normal temps with adequate treatment). I hit 99.2 yesterday, from simply eating like a champ and adding a couple very carefully selected supplements that I was unlikely to be getting from my diet, when you’ve been eating like this for 3years without real temperature gains, I can say without a doubt that you are hypothyroid, actually a tsh of 5 or whatever you had is defiantly proof of a deep seated endocrine problem, for any doctor to say that they don’t know what’s wrong with you is totally criminal. I guess, what I’m trying to say is Matt’s program seems to be working for me, and I bet it works for many, but (and I think Matt would be in agreement with me) it is time for you to get that tsh down and your Free t3 up, so you can stop worring about the pufas and the environmental estrogens and being sick 9 months out of the year and not being able to work, and sitting around on the internet… you need a life and its probably time for hormone replacement so you can move on.
This is an informative website if your willing to consider treatment
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/
you’re not your grrrr. Sorry, was going a little fast there, rather inartful, but I hope you got the point.
Christal, thanks for your reply. I’ve just come across that website after getting the test results. Funny thing but if I hadn’t got up to put my jumper on whilst visiting the nurse I’d never have seen the test results. They never told me they were testing thyroid.
Cheers robert
Hi Christal,
Could you share what carefully selected supplements you’re taking right now, that you think are helpful? Or any other suggestions, if you don’t mind :)
I’m hypothryoid and on synthroid right now but will be switching to Naturethroid next week when I get it in the mail. I’ve been following Matt’s guidelines for about 5 months now and my waking oral temps are up from 95-ish to 97.6 avg & 98.4 avg during the day. I have less cravings and better tolerance for all types of food now, but my weight is not budging at all and still have some hypo symptoms. I’m hoping the naturethroid will take care of some of this, but if you have any advice on how you’ve made this work with the hypothyroidism, that’d be really helpful!
I’d just like to say that my health improvements, improved much more dramatically when I shelled out the buckage to talk to Matt. He’s worth every penny (and actually-compared to most-a steal.)
Nadz,
Wow, gees I’m trying to come up with the most concise response that I can for that, don’t want to highjack Matt’s blog. But if you don’t mind me asking how long have you been on Synthroid and how many micrograms are you on? Did your temps go up with overfeeding or with the meds. Also thyroid medicacion even the natual ones supress your own thyroid function. Most docs don’t understand this, so what you’re doing when you take thyroid, is suppressing your own function (tsh), cause you arn’t making enough anyway and then working up to a dose that delivers over and above the amount of hormones that your thyroid would ordinarily make. So I think for rrarfing to work you have to actually start dropping back on the meds, so that your pituitary isn’t suppressed, it will start to signal your thyroid to make hormones and you will find out if you have full function or not.
With someone like Robert who has been following rrarf for like 3 years I think we can say that it’s time to try a different approach, unfortunately there are multiple reasons for thyroid malfunction and I don’t think overfeeding will necessarily solve all cases.
By the way do you know if your hypo is due to autoimmunity?
Robert, you might try doing some detox stuff. Our bodies store toxins in fat (and organs). Whenever I would go on a diet and lose a couple of pounds, I got sick right away, some kind of gucky flu… but not a flu, really. No temperature, just feeling really sluggish, phlegmy, crappy. I think my body was releasing toxins. Just a thought. And I’m not talking detox like colon cleansing because that alone just cleanses your colon. Not a bad thing, but not really detoxing the rest of you. If you are going to detox, you gotta go at it: sauna, deep breathing, sweating (so, yeah, exercise), niacin, coffee enema. I guess I’m allowed to say “coffee enema” on here since Matt got to say boner, yeah?
The D3 suggestion was good for us, too. We take 10Kiu a day. Good stuff.
You sound exactly like my case i believe it’s due to t. whipplei/actinobacteria infection get them to check you for this I too keep dropping weight lost everything my health, career, and family and friends because of it all I have horrible insomnia, cognitive deficits, high cholesterol, severe GI issues, and extreme arthritis and inflammation. I’m pretty sure inflammation or autoimmune disease is more the culprit for heart attacks just my opinion. I was a respiratory therpaist for 10 yrs in Philadelphia. I believe this bacteria to be the root cause of many diseases in our country right now most of our cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Chris, do you know what your APOE- allele is? I bet it is APOE-4 at least in one position.
Check out this post at: http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/53493-my-blood-test-results-20-years-old-apoe-4-recommendations/
People with with different APOE alleles have a different reponses to when it comes to high fat vs lower fat diets.
When you you went lower fat higher carb your trigs improved, your particle size went down and your tot Chol went down. very interesting if you fit the APOE-4 pattern.
Is the hot girl in the skimpy outfit part of your change toward mass appeal? Are you gunning for 18 -24 year old males? :)
Good article. Have you read The Cholesterol Myths – Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease by Uffe Ravnskov? If cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease, why even worry about it?
Jason – If I understand Matt correctly he’s not advocating that cholesterol causes anything. More that its an indication of your metabolic health.
I have to agree with Jason and the skimpy girl and other things on the blog, videos,etc. If I have one criticism of your stuff Matt, it would be all the talk about boners and other things I find offensive. I am less likely to refer your site because of some of the content. I know my friends would not even read it. To each his own though. I know I have gained valued insights and truly appreciate all you do, your hard work and commitment to truly help those in need.
I know each person has their own point of view. I am a 30 something conservative though and so I am biased in my own ways I know. My view is if you want more readers then things probably could be more conservative. I may be wrong, but just my thoughts. Please don’t take this wrong way :)
I would have to disagree here. Perhaps if needed, he could tone down the language and pictures here as you suggested to attract a broader audience.
However, I have personally found that boner health is a perfect barometer to measure my own health ! So he definitely needs to talk and write about boners more, not less. This holds true especially for people who went through a low carb phase. I bought Diet Recovery yesterday and the word boner had no hits at all:( Matt, more boner and sleep related posts please ..
I agree with both of you in a way. I too am more conservative and cringe at the thought of recommending Matt’s site because of the pictures and language used sometimes but I also really value his insights and his willingness to share and help others. I am so grateful for all I have gained here. I also think that there needs to be places where one can talk honestly and openly about what is going on in one’s body and am grateful that Matt’s site is open to this too.
Matt is clearly a boisterous guy who was raised in the 80s. His style and attitude reflect that. If you want to get offended by it that’s your problem IMO.
Hey, Matt. I’ve been following you for just about 2 years now, since you had a guest post on the Fat Head website (I love Tom’s sense of humor and still enjoy his blog, but for a guy who seems pretty intelligent most of the time, he shows no signs of loosening the anti-carb rhetoric). I love your intellectual honesty and totally dig the UHF outtro on your videos.
Anyway, thought I’d share my experiences and maybe ask a stupid question. Sorry it’ll be a bit long, but I’ve always been a bit long-winded. I’ve tried RRARF-ing once or twice, but find it’s really hard to eat that much food and don’t keep it up for long. When I eat to appetite, I’m sure I’m under-eating as some days I don’t even feel like eating breakfast. My wife is a noodle whore, which in the past trying to eat “better” has always bugged me, though since your truce with junk food I’m trying to get over it and just “eat the food”. So I end up sort of swinging back and forth between my potato soups and veggies, and my cheetos and twizzlers and ice cream. Balance, right? :)
I’ve been taking my temp at least once a week (in the morning, at the armpit), and have hit 36.5 celsius a few times (that’s sort of the minimum we’re aiming for, right?), but always slip back down closer to 36 (norm seems to be 36.1 or .2). My weight has taken major jumps up a couple of times, stress-related I’m sure, but even beyond that, I’m still creeping up slowly, from 198 to 205 in the last year on a 5’5″ frame.
I suspect at least part of my problem is my coffee addiction. I’m up in Canada where Tim Horton’s is sort of our unofficial national brand, and I used to say I put the whore in Tim Horton’s :) I am also a lot more sedentary than I’d like (wife is a TV nut, and I work from home, so TV’s on a _lot_), which may be a mixed bag metabolically.
So I know the coffee’s bad for the adrenals and I have the cold feet whenever I drink it. And I’ve tried to give it up or cut back several times, but always come back. I may have broken the full addiction but I still love the stuff.
So here’s my stupid question (as in I probably know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway): Has anyone had success raising his or her metabolism while hooked on coffee, and if so, are there any specific ways I can mitigate the damage, or do I really need to give it up to see real improvements?
Kissyfur,
I love my coffee too. I did cut back to one cup in the am. Since I like my coffee
black. What I do is mix 3tsp sugar with about 3 ounces of milk. I jug that down
first, then enjoy my black coffee.
Now, you know it is best to avoid the coffee. But, I have a hard time saying
goodbye to something I enjoy very much. Oh, in the beginning of my healing
crisis I did drink decaf. I am now drinking caffeinated again.
I’m not sure I understand. So I am a skinny person: 5’5″ 110 lb. I like the metabolism idea and agree that having a high metabolism is part of being in good health. I don’t understand though, why would it be a good thing to gain weight. You are recommending to people that they eat a lot of food (more than they even want) to raise their body temps, and in the mean time they end up putting on a bunch of weight . I don’t understand why there are so many people on here that have followed your advise and increased their body temperatures while also gaining 40 lbs and they are fine with it. Isn’t there anything to being skinny? It just feels like that aspect of health is being ignored. Perhaps someone who is overweight and has tried other things might be willing to try eating how you recommend and risk putting on more weight in order to lose it. Are there any arguments that would convince someone who is already at a good weight without major health concerns to follow your advise? Personally, I am not willing to risk it.
I second this. The idea of getting “benefits from junk food” is ridiculous. Essentially, you’re taking people who have either been VLC, LFRV or some other extreme diet and telling them to eat whatever. But the truth is, imo, is that they could’ve achieved the same results by adding in more variety of healthy whole foods (whether it be higher carb or higher fat, depending on their extreme diet) Also, there’s no reason anyone should be on diet where you eat to the point past your fullness for more than 2 weeks tops. I could see overfeeding benefiting metabolism and leptin levels, but thats why u should have a cheat day every week or so. Call me crazy, but i think we’re better off with a classic bodybuilder diet with somewhat of a calorie deficit consisting of whole eggs, tons of meats/organ meats (all pasture raised, of course), tons of veggies, tons of high sugar and low sugar fruit, potatoes, wild rice, quinoa etc. Exercise maybe 2-3 times a week at an intense pace with some strength training and that’s the first step to health to me. There is so much science to calorie restriction that i’m a little baffled as to why so many people are against it. Could it be lack of will power? idk
Also, what’s this obsession with body temperature? I don’t know about u, but i feel grossly uncomfortable when i have high body temps and last time i checked, being an overweight sweaty beast wasn’t a good look for me, or anyone for that matter.
@Sarah- If you don’t have any major health concerns then why would you want to follow Matt’s advice? It seems to me that many on here are not eating past contentment because we WANT to get fat or because we’ve got nothing better to do. Many of us are doing this to heal ourselves of other issues that tie into having low temps, and therefore, low metabolism.
Using myself as an example, I have suffered from fatigue most of my adult life. Most likely kick-started by being on the pill for 17 years. I went in and out of doctors offices only to be blown off or given anti-depressants. Not one of them ever looked into why I was so fatigued at 25, 30, 35 and 40. They just pushed more pills, even though in retrospect, I’ve never had a normal temp. By the time I hit 44 I crashed so severely that I had to crawl to the bathroom because I was so weak and dizzy. I spent a year in bed after being diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. My doctor, at that time, lowered my carb intake to about 45g a day. With time I was able to get up and do light chores around the house, but three years later I still spent many days in bed. I got input from everywhere and spent hundreds of dollars trying tons of supplements. Nothing made me feel better. Then along came Matt and I decided to jump on the eating train. After years of meat and veggies and more meat and veggies, the thought of a carb scared me shitless. The thought of gaining weight also scared me because I had already gained since my crash 3 years before. But eat I did, and eat and eat and eat. I ate lke it was the last day of my life. And on came the weight.
But even though my ass can double as a night stand big enough to hold a lamp and several books, I am noticing a difference. My temp is up and my periods have become remarkedly easier and almost painless. I can’t say I feel better as of yet, but I know in time, as my metabolism resets itself, it will all settle in and I will feel better and the weight will come off.
No, Matt’s plan of healing is not for everyone as a general well health recommendation. But I think the general message we can all glean from him is to stress less, eat, enjoy life and quit falling for so many fad diets along the way. Because depriving your body is how you end up like me.
I enjoy reviewing the “all cause death” as it relates to total cholesterol, with the lowest all cause being somewhere around 180-220.
Oh no, another Derek! I better come up with a witty name fast…
chris, I’m interested in knowing your APOE- allele. If you have at least 1 apoe 4 allele — it might explain why you have such low HDL — and such a good response when you cut out booze and fish oil.
check this out: http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/53493-my-blood-test-results-20-years-old-apoe-4-recommendations/
I think it is really important to understand how your genetics are going to play into your diet. I know it seems like we should be a one shoe fits all type — but it doesn;t work like that!
Aaron – I did get a 23andme DNA test. Specifically to find out my ApoE status. I’m ApoE2/4. :jackpot:
I wasn’t aware booze adversely effected HDL in E4’s. And I’m not sure what to make of the 2/4 status as so little research has been done on apoE and diet, not to mention the rare combo I have. I have read that the 2 is supposed to be protective, but I think its a big guessing game at this point.
On an aside did you (Matt) see this article? Apparently even HDL may not even be “good” now.
I think this article demonstrates exactly what I’ve gathered from you. HDL/Lipid panels may just be an indicator of metabolism?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/health/research/hdl-good-cholesterol-found-not-to-cut-heart-risk.html?_r=1
AH– seems like you fit the pattern for what i was talking about — i think people need to spend more time looking at their genetics than they think they need to.
Theres a lot of stuff on Immst that can probably help you in your condition — having the 4 allele is def going to mess up your alcohol metabolism, fish oil will prob not help you — and you probably will do better when you lower your fat — much like you have done
Here is an idea… Why not just eat everything in moderation? Why not just eat until satiated and not count the calories or “overfeed.” Matt’s theory to fixing metabolism is only relevant to people with low leptin levels or some kind of metabolic malfunction OR recovering from starvation. Not everyone who wants to lose a few pounds has something wrong with their metabolism. I am not a low carber, vegetarian, vegan or low fat dieter. From my personal experience, I believe that we should eat whatever we are in the mood for. Yes, you should avoid “junk foods” such as pizza, french fries, and pancakes because they are far too palatable to control over-eating. The truth is I have seen benefits from all diets ( except 80-10-10). But the best I have felt is when I eat a semi-bodybuilidng diet, but higher saturated fat. I do eat sugar too, just once a day in a reasonable portion (frozen yogurt). Humans should eat what they are craving. (Aside from overly processed foods/fried IMO.. whether it be a bowl of oatmeal, even a high quality baked good with butter not pufa oils, or a steak). That’s it.
Just for the record, I am not saying to never eat pizza etc…I just mean don’t eat it everyday. Like I said, I eat a treat everyday, just not going overboard.
Hey Melissa,
Seeing your avatarpicture,makes me wonder,are you the girl who’s featured now as Friday succes story on MDA?:)
If not sorry,but if you are would you be willing to mail me?as I’m battling with lots of (food/mood)issues myself. Matt has my mailadress,as I’m a bit wary posting it out in the open here.(not so much regarding the peeps on here,but more out of caution that someone from my family doesn’t stumble upon it by accident)
Yes, I agree with you. This is what you’re taught in eating disorder recovery, too, and that’s all about restoring your metabolism. But, they do encourage a small amount of room for “junk” foods in the diet, too.
Could you give a few details on what they say in ED recovery? I never had access to help since I was over 18, so I have been working on getting well on my own. I’ve gained a lot of weight (abt 50 lbs) and wonder if I’m going to stop gaining. When do they recommend exercise? I feel a lot better but still have a lot of digestive issues. Thanks
Well, some of it’s individual. Therapy was absolutely key for me – dealing with the emotional issues allows you to better deal with the food stuff. But, overall, it’s normalizing your relationship with food. Tuning in and listening to your body and giving it what it wants in normal quantities – not restricting or binging. If you binge, you go right back to normal eating the next day (no skipping breakfast). And listening to your emotions in the moment – what’s going on if you want to restrict, what’s going on if you want to binge. Listening to that and observing it even if carrying out unhealthy behaviors. There’s more stuff depending on individual situations, too. At least in my situation, some exercise was encouraged (walking, yoga, etc.) but depends on what the personal situation is I think. Exercise helps the mood, though, that is for sure, as long as it’s not something that contributes to the ED.
In recovering from my orthorexia (a diet that was also extreeeemely low calorie), I RRARFed on anything I wanted to – pizza, white sugar, fruit juices, ect. I had deprived myself for so long that I needed a couple of months of just garbaging up to release my preconceptions on all of those “forbidden” foods.
I never knew how quickly my brain would reset – all of a sudden, I didn’t even want any of the sugary or junky foods anymore. Now I am finally able to really enjoy things in moderation, whether it be a big splurge every once in a while or a little something decadent – as you said, Melissa, made with all high-quality real food ingredients.
My long-winded point – this man’s blog posts and books saved my relationship with food. And my sanity :)
I wish I could say the same,but for me it definitely becomes “wanting more&more and even bigger sizes”. Since it gives me such a ‘good/happy feeling’, I don’t even think about wanting to eat healthy anymore. (I like the idea/concept of it,but then I keep postponing it like “tomorrow I’ll begin with it” and the day after I think exactly the same etc.) I guess it’s too addicting for me and probably for lots of others too,that’s why you see such heavily overweight people and things like the Prader-Willie Syndrom.
I am in the same boat, Dutchie. The sugar cravings are crazy! I could probably eat an entire package of cookies without batting an eye. Ugh. When I read that someone is over the cravings and wanting to eat veggies and fruits I just keep hoping it will happen to me….SOON!!!
Heard a Podcast today with Dr.Vera Tarman about food addiction. Like I’ve said in other posts,I unfortunately think I’m addicted to various substances. If I’ll eat a bit of these foods,I sometimes am able to stop without going crazy with foods,however the next day or at a later time,I feel the craving&voice in my head saying “more more!” even though (I know&experience)bad feelings mentally or fysically by it and have to really restrict and be hard&disciplined with myself.
Anyone else heard the podcast over at UGWellness?
I envy Eri that it worked out for her.
Hi Dutchie – readinng that post of yours resonated with me because I have just recently realised that the more I think things like “tomorrow I’ll begin with it” the less happy I become with my relationship with food. I think it’s sort of telling ourselves that this is the last opportunity we’ll have to eat whatever we want, so we might as well eat everything we can while we still can, you know what I mean? I find myself becoming happier and much less likely to eat to the point of discomfort if I believe that I am ALWAYS going to be able to eat whatever I want. And whatever I want changes, from day to day, in that situation. But it doesn’t change when I start kicking myself about what I’ve eaten or not eaten that day and promising myself to drastically change things the next.
Melissa, you said “you should avoid ?junk foods? such as pizza, french fries, and pancakes because they are far too palatable to control over-eating. ”
if it was too palatable and people had to control what the eat, Eating like this http://www.chiefrok.com/blog/?p=540 I would not be able to lose weight, further more I would go back to the same food the next day and smash em because it would be so too addictive but that’s simply not the case. I’m not saying there might be reasons to avoid junk food but the flavor is not one.
That makes a little more sense. So is matt’s blog really only for people who are sick metabolically? The average person should not follow this advice or read these blog posts. Is that what you are saying?
Sarah, most of what matt talks about applies to all human beings only from his experience he understands the diet mentality very well and writes from that perspective so he comes with unique incites that apply to sick individuals. This does not mean your average joe would not benefit from natural metabolic enhancement. That would be like saying the invention of the wheel can only help those who can not walk.
Hey Matt, general 180DH question here. Am I supposed to shooting for maintaining a 98.6+ temperature even right at waking? I know it’s normal to be lower in the morning, but is that normal in the sense of “typical” or “optimal/healthy”? My temp seems to be high 97s on waking, low 98s after breakfast, and then high 98s or low 99s after lunch most days. Is this a sign that I am functioning well or should I be doing anything to try to maintain a higher temp overnight/raise my temp faster in the morning? Your recommendations in this area are not totally clear to me.
I just want to lose all of this weight that I put on since having my two kids. I’m 5’3″ and 170 lbs. before kids I was 130 lbs. I’ve been doing WAPF for the last two years, and not lost a pound. I’m so frustrated and I feel fat all of the time. I want to be closer to my old self but have no clue how to get there. I’m utterly confused about what foods and what exercise will get me there!! Can Matt help, or is this the wrong blog for this? Thanks!
Hey Matt!
Read through all of your material again this past week, had some major lightbulb moments again :). I’ve decided to take the plunge and – as the rest of the family does low-carb, I’m going to be adding more carbs than ever before!
My deal in a nutshell, over the past two years:
1) Paleo Diet (70% fat, moderate protein, zero-ketogenic carb)without calorie counting = gained fat
2) Paleo Diet (same as above, but severely low calorie) = lost a TON of lean muscle :(.
3) RRARFed (higher in junk food/sugar than I should have, not very clean)= rose metabolism from the grave, gained a ton of lean muscle (!) and fat
Would like to lose a litttleee fat, so thought that I would try a high carb, moderate protein, low fat diet to slowly lose a little fat while retaining all of my precious precious muscle.
Here’s the catch – I have gallbladder issues.
Do you think doing the above diet would eff up my gallbaldder even more? I’m all for experimentation, but not if I know coming right out the gate that I’d be compromising my already stoney sonofabitch gallbladder.
Thanks!
I really wish Paleo wasn’t so bound up with low carb. A ton of what would otherwise be considered awesome Paleo food is discounted by many paleos because it has carbs. Like wtf? We’re cavemen walking around going “ruh roh, I already ate 80g carbs today so I’m totally NOT gonna dig up that big juicy tuber I just found!” Doesn’t make any damn sense but at the time it seemed pretty convincing somehow…
Agree completely. When I started (Paleo), I spent a lot of time surfing Mark’s Daily Apple & their forum. Those people can be brutal. Over months I got the idea drilled into my head that you can ONLY indulge in one banana or a small sweet potato post workout, after an intense session. Any other time they are to be avoided. As I left the community, a few had just started experimenting with “safe starches”, but they were the renegades and even Kurt Harris was being chided on a daily basis for even considering lowering fat and adding (gasp!) carbs.
What a mind-fuck for anyone reading all the comments (IE, me haha). It drives me crazy when people write “Paleo/Primal/GAPS” in it’s essence is NOT a low carb diet!!!” Well, I’m glad you feel that way, but it’s obvious that the general consensus online is the exact opposite, so if you’re doing any trolling around the internet you’re going to be sucked into a low carb vortex.
Unrelated – I appreciate your using Mikau as an avatar, considering 90% of the people that see that picture are like “wtf is that?!”
Haha yeah I love Majora’s Mask. I’m still around on the MDA forums just cause I like some of the people and non-nutrition related discussions. What was your name over there? I’m Uncephalized pretty much everywhere.
Also, there’s a serious pro-carbs contingent developing over at MDA (and even Mark himself has been SLOWLY relaxing his stance on that score), and *shock* having just as much as or more success with weight loss and health than the low-carbers.
So matt gluten and dairy intolerance is easily defeatable if you change the metabolic state? do tell do tell!!
I’m sure the effect of this variable is just as variable as any other variable…but what about caffeine and other stimulants which supposedly raise stress hormones in the short term? Do they have negative metabolic consequences in the short/long term? I know my hands/feet get cold because of the adrenal response they cause, so how much different is this adrenal response from one caused by genuine stress/starvation? I know this isn’t super relevant to cholestrol/statins, but lots of people drink caffeine every day, i.e lots of people inhibit their appetite, so they eat less, etc. Combine that with the adrenaline from the stimulant…
This is all very interesting stuff. I’m just getting started, reading the ewalli_rarff book which is fascinating. I owned a fitness biz for 17 years (100 years ago), taught low fat eating, ran 6 miles a day, Cooper-clinic certified, starve-yourself and exercise-more = skinny = healthy. Hook, line and sinker. Now I’m a WAPF Chapter butter-loving leader and farm food freedom activist. Processed hfcs true-crap junk food is not in my future. If for no other reason than I refuse to support industrialized food. I could do real food “junk” food though: home-made ice cream, home-made sourdough cinnamon rolls… I could get into this, no question.
I have to learn more before I’m sold. And before I really understand what’s going on. Definitely not interested in gaining weight. Definitely interested in raising my metabolism. Temp is 97.1 just now. Haven’t seen 98 in a couple of years. I got the role of metabolism in fighting infection and in being healthy. That’s what’s keeping me here. Nobody else is talking about that!
Thank you, Matt, for a totally new perspective and shaking up the brain cells. Looking forward to more. After my 8 hours… good night!
I also think that I don’t want to eat junk food because I don’t want to support that industry and that I would like to see more recommendations here for high quality homemade “indulgence” food because I do want to support small farms and small businesses that our also good for our enviroment.
Matt, you had good words for Martin Berkhan in the past.
I think teachings are logical and his language is fun.. Any new thoughts?
And hey, i know that breakfast is seriously defended by you , but i have marvelous
temps with a late lunch start. And breakfast always was a mood breaker for me..
I have developed more flexibility of late. I usually have people who are warmest in the morning and coldest at night with sleep problems eat with a schedule more like Berkhan’s. But the typical human circadian rhythm is different, with body temperature peaks at 6-8 pm and troughs at 6-8am.
Hey Matt, I asked above but it probably got lost in the comment sea. Regarding morning vs. evening temps, I know it’s “normal” to be colder in the morning and warmer as the day goes on. But is that normal as in “good” or just “typical”? I ask because my temps tend to start out high 97s in the morning, passing 98.6 midmorning then usually peaking out in the low 99s later in the afternoon/evening. I’m just not totally clear from your recommendations in Diet Recovery whether waking up in the 97s is totally all good, or if I should be trying some kind of intervention to raise that higher. I’m getting a little tired of pigging out all the time (and my shorts are a smidge tight) but I’ll keep doing it for a while and experimenting with different foods if I still have some improvement to reach. Thanks for what you do!
That’s probably just fine. If you are hitting 99’s at some point during the day your metabolism is pretty solid. Would be nice if you really felt toasty all day with lots of energy. That will hopefully happen over time as you keep eating well. You don’t have to force it if you’re not hungry. That’s really just meant to be an initial kick in the metabolic pants for all those coming off of rough diets with really stuck metabolic rates in the 96’s and below.
Gotcha. I just measured and I’m at 99.8 right now LOL. My thermometer is beeping at me angrily and flashing red.
I do feel good with warm hands/feet pretty much all the time. Sometimes I feel lethargic, but that’s hard to avoid in Phoenix in 100+ degree blazing sun for months on end. Energy level is great when I’m not suffering from mild heat stress. :P Having a desk job tends to confuse the issue somewhat too, since standing around in artificial lighting all day tends to sap the spirit which can make for a less-peppy me.
Damn. Turns I was just getting sick and had a fever. Lame…
I don’t think a waking temperature of 101.1 is a good thing, especially when accompanied by chills, a headache and inflamed joints. :/
Running a fever can do some intense healing work though, especially for people who have had a low body temp for a long time and have chronic infections in need of a more high-octane fever to get rid of them. So a fever isn’t always as bad as it feels. You just never know with this stuff what is good and bad. Usually, everything is both good and bad. Nothing is black and white. Well, except Oreos.
Yeah even Oreos aren’t just black and white :)
http://c3.soap.com/images/products/p/kft/kft-515_1.jpg
The Oreo is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
100 years old and still lookin’ good!
http://www.nabiscoworld.com/oreo/
Yeah, it’s cool; I feel much better today, back down in the mid-99s (up from 97.8 waking) after breakfast and the aches and chills are gone. I wanted to let it run its course completely on its own but I ended up caving and taking some ibuprofen last night to deal with the head/neck aches so I could get some quality sleep.
The kinda weird thing about this whole deal was that I didn’t really feel “sick”. I just had a fever, which don’t get me wrong is not a pleasant experience, but my appetite was normal, no nausea, no respiratory problems (my sinuses actually cleared up during the ordeal rather than congesting). My mind was clear the whole time and aside from being achy and wanting to lie around it didn’t feel like being sick at all. Still a good excuse to take a couple days off work right before a long weekend though. :D
I’m actually wondering if I was “sick” in the acute-infection sense at all. Maybe my body had some shit to take care of, decided it had enough resources to do some house-cleaning, and told me to sit down and shut up for a couple of days so it could get some work done? Does that happen? If it’s the case then it’s a positive in my book.
matt whats the deal with the boner and vascularity? i mean when i wake up i have 0 vascularity and a big boner!
i think if anyone abstains from sex for a month they’ll all have big boners!
am i missing something? why do you link 24/7 vascularity with good health?
Intome,
No need to avoid sex for a month to have big boners and you should have big boners all the time anyway. It’s a good sign for your overall health as blood vessels are needed for erections and it’s a clear sign your heart is not doing so well if you lack in the boner department. Eating right, getting your metabolism rockin’, lifting heavy stuff and doing manly things in general will lead to “viagra wood” and usually a myriad of other health benefits.
chief!! eating the way you do would shock a vegetarian. What with that meat putrefying in the gut for days on end? you dont mind how often do you go to the loo? are you constipated? do you stink? spray deodorants regularly?
RP would ask you to watch the tryptophan/cysteine and methionine excess!
onabona, Stay tuned working on day 2 as we speak and the damn sumo post which is now 3 posts. You will see by day 3 of feasting that what I eat changes and I would shock a vegetarian by how much veggies I eat as well! I would actually prefer a buffet with alot more veggie options alot of them had bacon or something stupid in them.
glad you liked the read you coulda posted that comment on my post though lol
Ironically the veggies are actually putrefying ..sigh poor vegans
as far as eating meat luckily I have these nifty things in my body called, pepsin trypsin chymotrypsin bile salts and lipase and such or else, animal flesh might actually rot in my body, glad I’m human and not a moose or I’d be stuck eating grass, twigs and shit like that.
constipation :
I never deal with constipation ever not since I was a kid with people feeding me dumb shit. In most peeps “the dart filled with poisonous pork chop serum usually leads to digestive issues like the runs etc. once in a blue moon people lie to me and I get pimped, like the time I took a bite of chicken soup and thought it was spoiled but I soon realized after a sniff and a look around the bowl WTF why did you put bacon in chicken noodle soup? ( in a restaurant seriously??? ) I’m good at sniffing it out and I’m hyper aware of that one ingredient so it’s rarer than eclipses.
I did have some stank form time to time way back before I figured out a bunch of stuff, I can assure you it does not have anything to do with meat though… well pork is ..um not really meat in my book. I tried to go vegetarian way back in the day after being told it would help me lose weight and it did nothing in the stank or weight dept. I do tell people it is a good idea to eat predominantly vegetable based dishes though and farm animals are not really a great idea in general. Also I tell em don’t use what I eat any given day as a baseline for your entire meal plan for the rest of your life. if you read the post carefully this it varies in composition, for some reason I was on a meat mission that day.
Ray Peezeey Peat
He prolly can’t deadlift the change in my pocket and he would tell me to eat ice cream at night and I’d tell him to lift a little more but that is just our different perspectives.
As you can see with RP followers, scientific theory does not always pan out in real life as planned especially with biology. I on the other hand get repeatable results eating whole foods, junk foods, meat, vegetarian, carbs, sugar and the list goes on.
when you eat like you do chief eating becomes secondary an elimination becomes primary concern!
if you’re going to go veggie after this for most of the week/month this will pass after all gurkhas eat 2-3 meals like that and rest of the week vegetarian -boiled spinach at that!
yeah man food allergies like pork are real if only there was a sure way of getting the body to accept everything – things would be GREAT!!
i’m not an RP follower but just in his defense he is looking maintain his health for the long haul and at his age dead lifts are not a priority as a marker of health.
post more often on your blog man!! looking fwd to the sumooo post :))
Onabona I’m trying to post ( dude? dudette? ), I have a lot going on in a typical day I’m trying thanks for understanding. I should get to some work in over the weekend. You mentioned elimination becomes primary concern ? I don’t understand what you mean. It doesn’t even cross my mind.
Eating like I do, i’ve never seen it cause issues for people. It has corrected sever chronic constipation in 100% of the cases I’ve seen which might surprise you. Do you think Inuits had trouble passing stools ? they simply ate more fat than silly modern paleophiles who can’t get they’re poop’ on.
I am also looking to maintain my health for the long haul and that’s exactly why I would suggest he do dead lifts, even at his age. No need to put 400 hundred on the bar but doing nothing will result in a grey alien’s body just waiting to goo into ooze like Senator kelly in the X-men. Regardless how many mouse studies point to some magic fountain of mouse youth by “saving yourself for later” I’ll still go hard at 80. I’ve seen many 100 year olds that chop wood and quite few of their offspring died in their 50’s and 60’s after a long life of …….. well nothing.
It would be nice to eat everything for simplicity’s sake it would make things like poisonous mushrooms obsolete and you could just eat chalk and elmer’s glue to your hearts content without any worry. Personally I don’t mind avoiding pork 100% of the time so much people ask if I’m muslim or something. Some things are not meant to be eaten even if they do contain calories I’m not looking to eat motor oil or wood or rats either even if it’s considered a delicacy in some places.
on the spot! fat is not just fat it has a lot more going on. stimulates bile – bile wipes out yeast infections or SIBO in the small intestines. bile being detergent like in its behavior. http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits_of_real_butter.php
fat also has immuno-modulatory effects. remove the fat and you start acting up to the animal protein, gluten, cheese etc.
http://jem.rupress.org/content/202/8/1017.full
i think fat is the key on which a jump between vegetarian and non vegetarian affair can be made. maybe the non vegetarians are just looking for fat in meat for the same effects as listed above. i speculate that vegans fail because of a lack of fat in the diet.
it helps me in the pooping section too esp when fiber or water are sufficient hehe ;)
Chief. I feel like man beast after eating a ton and lifting weights and getting very gigantic and Chief-like. But is it really mandatory to now segue into intermittent fasting for some of the excess fat to come off? I fared pretty poorly trying that last year.
for sure matt, without fasting this food will take you to the grave instantly you don’t want the tryptophan breakdown byproducts (indoles skatoles) hanging/leaking (leaky gut) in your body at all that is what brings the odours in poo and sweat and diseases of the civilization.
thats why low tryp/cys/meth aka animal protein free diets like gerson therapy work to fix cancer arthritis neurodegeneration!
I do really like eating low tryptophan/methionine/cysteine. Feel better eating that way and it comes more natural to me anyway. The only time I had severe body odor was when I was eating a high-meat diet, or under intense stress (like better public speaking). I haven’t had foul poop odor since my teens. Fasting did give me horrible breath!!!
horrible breath? yeast overgrowth? SIBO? you should have tried stimulating the bile!
this is extremely difficult to answer directly and clearly as there are a few things have to be factored in before I could say BAM! guaranteed fat loss or even better automatic fat loss which is predictable when things are factored in. How was the fat gained ? where is it mostly located? how long has it been there? starting and final weight, fat percentages to roughly calculate the “samus energy tanks” ( I’ll make a name soon enough for em ) and to figure possible fat set points. and finally what is life like for you?
I did three drafts of this reply and finally decided I would just turn that long ass shit into blog posts because one has been sitting in the draft pile on this subject and I’ll just throw it together to make a doper one.
….but yes there are other options than IF that work in that situation. Some make you weirder than others such as spending your entire day eating lightish, chilling in the pool or ocean then eating heavy afterwards VS the good old rock’ the wet shirt thrown in the freezer move! ( and repeat)
Yeah, dude, you should definitely have a big boner every morning when you wake up.
Any reason not to post my question about Martin Berkhan?
Strange, your forum is quite eclectic and untamed,
which incidentally is part of it’s charm..
I was just out in the middle of nowhere with no computer. Untamed as it gets.
I just read your “about 180” and I’m just curious if all of that is still what you believe. I don’t know what you believe but I’m so curious and reading all the testimonials looks like it must work. I’m pregnant with my second and have dieted all my life(it seems) and at one point was anorexic ad bulimic and my period stopped for about nine months. Later I got better but started losing my hair. After I had my first my daughter had yeast so that of course meant I had yeast so I did the BEDiet, I did it for three months lost thirty pounds that I didn’t need to lose and it seemed to cure her(I never had a yeast infection in my life!). I went on to not really like all they Donna Gates believed, it just seemed to contrary to the older ways of living. I then started following Nourishing Traditions. I am now pregnant with my second and for the first time in my life struggling with yeast infections. I really believe that doing theDonna Gates diet while nursing really caused me to go into starvation mode. I guess I’m just curious what you would recommend now? I make my own water and milk kefir, kombucha and sourdough spelt bread. I don’t eat refined food that much I feel like I’m doing so much and quite discouraged!
I would recommend strangling Donna Gates. It should be easy. Beech’s neck is only about 6 inches in circumference.
Sometimes it takes doing the opposite of BED to undo the damage done by BED. So combine all the macronutrients together, make sure there is plenty of white sugar in it, and go for it!
Ok, so what I think you are saying is that my biggest problem is my metabolism. The fact that my temp is low is the biggest factor and the fastest way to get that up is to eat a bunch of carbs and even white sugar? I just can’t(like so many others) see myself just pigging out on that kind of stuff. I mean, I do eat it but not too much. But after that I will stabilize and I can start to eat more traditionally? Also, I’m so phobic about the sugar thing, as you know I had to cut out all sugar of every kind in the BEDiet, so that can instill a lot of fear in someone, especially since I’m struggling with yeast infections at the moment.
I also don’t understand, you said that Donna Help you so much that you couldn’t even talk to her because you had tears in your eyes. How did she help you?
She didn’t help me. But she was the first person that got me looking into the health-diet connection. She was influential. And I wrote that in 2008. Now I wish I had never gone down that track! Well, from a personal health standpoint perhaps. But certainly not from the standpoint of how interesting and rewarding of a journey it has been to learn so much about the human body.
Yeah, I would just eat with reckless abandon until your metabolism comes up. After that you can add in all the healthy foods that you want. Be prepared for a worsening of some problems (moods, skin, digestion, yeast, body composition) for the first few weeks. Ultimately you should be able to eat anything and everything and not have any problems from it. Not everyone can get there of course, but it’s good to find out before you start eating a limited diet.
Wow, well, that’s really annoying. That was like tha hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It stinks to find out I need to undo it…but at this point I guess I don’t care, I just want to be healthy.
Thanks for your time!
Exactly why we are here. We were on GAPS and I still believe all of her stuff…she is a smart woman who has helped many people, BUT I’d rather go this route FIST before I resort to eating GAPs for a couple of years! Might as well see if eating whatever I want solves the problem first :).
Jenn
Umm, I mean that to be “FIRST” not “FIST” :)
My temps are already up, even after my first day. I’m going on my third and as long as I stuff I have a temp in the 98s….which I never did before. This is weird. It is hard to get a lot of sleep with my 1 1/2 yr old, but I know I’m on my way.
There is a horn for a witch hunt on the net..
Paleo bitches united. It isn’t pretty.
Poor dr.CrazyCruse.
Hi Matt, Wouldn’t spicy food work for metabolism as well? I start sweating after asking for my tom yum to be made ‘spicy’ ! I assume this means temps go up as well.
Narain, it’s doesn’t make temps go up right as you eat them it is a localized sweating caused by a reaction in the sweat glands not an increase in heat. It occurs in the face and neck area it’s called gustatory sweating. Eating spicy food has an aftereffect, there is noticeable metabolic effects of long term spicy food intake. Capsaicin in cayenne pepper causes it and eating alot of it has an effect on the overall amount of fat loss over say a month or 2.
It burns extra calories. Doubtful that it affects resting metabolic rate. You can’t really trick the body by burning extra calories via spicy food, chugging cold water, etc. Cold water therapy might work though, as that genuinely encourages the body to produce more heat and maintain a higher metabolism to protect against cold temperatures. But you won’t catch me doing that!!
It does Matt but it takes quite a large dose. A little sprinkle on your chili ain’t gonna do shit. Chugging cold water is not very efficient as it takes very few calories to heat glasses of water up it’s just not enough of a loss of heat and it’s really annoying too imagine blending everything you ate into a near frozen smoothie, that might get results but it would suck.
Anytime the body burns more fuel over a given period without restricted resources it raises metabolic rate wether it be from rarrfing/buffet crushing, decreased environmental temperature, spicy food, increased physical activity etc. All these things come down to more calories in use. In order for these calories to be used cellular activity must increase ( waste and gut bacteria excluded for argument sake) Now if cellular activity increases so does metabolic rate because fundamentally thats what metabolic rate is and what actually matters for the health benefits. Much like the function of a diesel engine it’s the compression (use) of the fuel and not a spark (new stimuli) that causes more fuel to be used. Much in the same way the body just needs to be activated such as all of the calorie uses stated above.
It’s really not too hard to get used to cold water–just slowly turn your shower down from hot to cold over several minutes and give yourself a minute or two to adjust to each stage. Go a little colder each day for a week and you MIT find you rather enjoy it by the end of your trial period. I sure do.
Oops should have written *you might find you rather enjoy it
Stupid iPad autocorrect…
Matt,
So by eating a bunch of junk and getting my temps higher, what do I have to do to maintain the high temps. Once they get high, do they just stay high? I have read a lot of your stuff but am confused as to what the problem is that causes the low metabolism in the first place. Will I have to have maintenance binges if they fall? Do I just make sure to get 8 hours of sleep per night once my temps are high and I should be good to go. I just don’t know what I’m suppose to do once I quit binging.
You also mentioned in a comment that we should be able to eat what we want, no matter what it is and it shouldn’t affect us. So then once you have high temps you can eat whatever ,whenever and not worry about cancer or diabetes or any other degenerative disease? Really? I can eat HFCS and hydrogenated oils and GMOs and they won’t affect me as long as my metabolism stays high? Seriously, I don’t understand but am open to your explanation. Thanks for your blog, I love it.
Jenn
Jenn, great question ! I found Matt’s recommendations to raise metabolism by rrarfing very useful. But the “what after” question is something I have been struggling to understand as well. He did write in diet recovery about the transition to ‘healthier’ foods and stopping overfeeding after the initial phase. I think it might be risky to go back to hfcs, sweets and other such nutritional wonders. This might lead to the same problems that causes people to turn to exotic diets like paleo or raw foods etc.
One idea might be to eat a normal to a bit lower calorie intake and then periodically overfeeding (once a week?) to boost metabolism. I had asked a question about spicy foods above as I assumed a regular amount of calories with spices might keep things humming along. I felt great after 3 weeks of rrarfing but am feeling stuffed now !
I am a total WAP type eater, so not HFCS or any other junk for me, I was just trying to get a picture of what he is saying. He did say that you should be able to eat anything you want and it should not affect you….so I wanted clarification. I don’t want to put any of that stuff in my mouth but I do live in this toxic world and have a Dorito once in a while :). Anyway, thanks for the response. I guess I’ll just wait to see what he says. I am actually interested in this for my daughter. I have been feeding her (we are fixing her health from low carb diet – GAPS) and she is looking healthier but is still having infrequent bowel movements. I just want her to go EVERYDAY and not have diarrhea. So I want to know the longterm of how to keep her metabolism up and what NOT to do to cause it to drop again. We eat “healthy” as in everything is homemade from organic whole ingredients, but I give them what they want. We make cookies, pancakes, waffles, bacon/eggs, biscuits, and lots of Mexican and Italian foods, so tortillas and pastas! I do have trouble getting vegetables in her though :(.
Jennifer
Your metabolism will eventually fall, and you will die. Most likely due to cancer or heart disease. These diseases are not caused by certain dietary substances, but a systemic breakdown in the way the body functions – a natural occurance with aging. Raising metabolism and keeping it up for as many years as you can will really help you postpone that breakdown as long as possible, and maximize your functional capabilities until that breakdown occurs, which is far more important than how many years you live or what ends up killing you.
Keep eating to appetite for the rest of your life. Your temperatures should stay up. If they fall, more food and more sleep are the most reliable ways to bump temps back up again.
Matt just have to ask you about vascularity as an indicator of health, how do you differentiate it from inflammation? Sure you add wheat and your veins are popping out all over the place and you’re gaining weight/muscle but why isn’t that vascularity inflammation? what sets it apart and why isnt it low level puffiness/swelling under the weight gain department when rrarfing with wheat?
Not sure about the connection you are trying to make between blood circulation and vasodilation and inflammation.
the connection for me personally is wheat. when i stay away from it muscles reduce in size and veins become little pencil lines but when i restart it i get the opposite effect of which popping veins is what you say is healthy. wheat is generally linked to inflammation so is the larger vein size (i hope that’s what you mean by vascularity?) not part of the inflammation package?
Vasodilation/vascularity is considered ideal. Vasoconstriction is associated with inflammation. You should eat more wheat.
Matt i was equating swollen/large things with inflammation. Larger veins sizes automatically got me curious. Although counter intuitive i guess inflammation can be related to shrunken things now!
that logic would make boners caused by inflammation
had to work in boner somehow
ROFL, boner technically is swollen.
I would equate inflammation with constriction as well. Bronchoconstriction, vasoconstriction, etc.
Ray Peat on vasodilation “The lactic acid produced by distressed cells also has signalling effects, including vasodilation and stimulated division” in his article http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/regeneration-degeneration.shtml
the question that begs to be answered is at what point vasodilation is constructive and when does it become destructive?
Matt, do you still stock that beetle extract?
I take it rectally several times per day. With a baking soda enema.
I listened to the anti wheat cardiologist too and now I’m fighting back from anxiety and insomnia. What a fool. I think it’s a crime that doctors are handing out this advice so freely and it’s having huge negative health impacts. They are too steeped in their own dogma to see any empirical evidence in front of them. I’m left asking myself why I didn’t listen to that Matt Stone guy (or Stephanie Rupert) months ago when I read what he had to say. Oh ya … I was too busy feeling like superwoman riding the wave of my stress hormones … did I mention what a fool??!
So in a nutshell how can I lower my high cholesterol?
By raising your metabolic rate.