There will be a follow-up post to the ideas presented in the podcast here, but this is an interesting concept to bring up, especially when there is a huge movement out there of treating a low body temperature with medication (Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome) or desiccated thyroid hormones. As we’re seeing at 180degreehealth, many people are having no problem bringing up basal temperatures whatsoever, and that the thyroid health of someone with a low body temperature often has nothing to do with their hypometabolic state. Nothing at all!
Great E-zine Matt! Your closing comments were really timely as I have a tendency to focus too much on newly learned information. I think you're right, it is all about balance, one "bad" meal won't ruin everything. It's taken me a long time to get to where I recognize this, I still avoid sugar like the plague but if I'm eating out I would rather enjoy my food than feel guilty (been there, done that). -Sarah
Looking forward to reading your post about this, Matt. I've been dealing with this issue for awhile now and I'm interested to hear more about your take on it.
Great podcast, and I'm anticipating a great post as well. I think there are some definite keys to health in the subjects of thyroid, leptin and fructose. Very interesting stuff.
Pushing the envelope again Mr Mattie
Sarah-
Thanks for the kudos. When I wrote that last article this morning I really felt like I'd written something special. Not the usual old Matt Stone junk. Glad you noticed.
Pip-
I don't know why I keep pushing this damn envelope. Probably cuz I'm such a pansy that an envelope is about the only thing I'm strong enough to push other than these little buttons on my computer.
Wow! What set Richard "The Psycho" Nikoley off, anyway?
Anyway, interesting podcast Matt. I look forward to the blog post, and the ensuing comments and discussion.
Another great podcast, it is time you get these on iTunes so your good word can be more easily accessed.
I have had similar experience. Being young allowing me to bring up my basal metabolism pretty easy with a good diet, lowered stress and some light exercise plus lots of sleep. Looking forward to your followup piece and hearing more about the leptin axis….
hey Matt, did you see last night's Colbert report in which Colbert's guest was John Durant a "caveman".
Makes me wonder, when are you going to be on the Colbert Report to argue against all diets and to eat high everything?!
Thought provoking podcast but what's really gotten me thinking is the eZine.
I discovered recently that husband Jim was a skinny kid until he had his tonsils removed around age 4. Then, according to him mom, he started putting on weight almost immediately, became a husky kid and a heavy adult – with most of the weight in the abdomen. I had wondered if there was a tonsil/thyroid connection because his thyroid numbers are wonky.
Maybe since the tonsils are immune system, their removal triggered an inflammatory-autoimmune-immune response mess than has haunted him ever since.
If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away eliminating sugars & cutting back on Omega 6. Thanks!
Interesting, very interesting indeed!
Do you think that would make iodine any less valuable as it mainly is used for people with thyroid disorders?
I'm gonna continue to take it anyways, as I still think that, regardless of thyroid issues, I'm still likely to be deficient and certainly have at least some amount of bromide/fluoride/chloride in me thatmessing with my body (as probably anyone living in the civilized world probably has).
Don't throw out the iodine yet. Some people have low body temps due to lack of iodine from what I can tell. Others maybe due to another deficiency, such as vitamin D. Others truly have a screwed up thyroid gland. There's certainly many cases in which desiccated thyroid is truly needed.
But prescribing it based on symptoms of hypothyroid and a low body temperature is unecessary. As we know, there is a simple dietary strategy that can get the job done, and that fixes the root problem instead of overriding other hormonal factors with thyroid medication.
It seems nearly everyone that commits themselves to that strategy has an increase in temperature followed by a lessening of metabolism-related symptoms.
Lisa-
I had my tonsils removed at about that age too. Perhaps the absence of the tonsils, an antibody factory, allow chronic and acute infections to thrive within us, creating the "infection cortisol scenario." Maybe, maybe not.
I'm really interested in this area since I'm on dessicated thyroid, and my iodide levels were undetectable two years ago. I took iodoral for 3 months before starting Armour, and my TSH actually went UP in that time, like Dr. Brownstein mentions. I've backed off of them since because I seemed to be getting some detox reactions and I was nursing at the time. I would *love* to get off or lower my prescription if possible… Thanks for exploring this topic.
I would think after restoring your iodine levels you'd be able to follow the general diet/lifestyle guidelines set out here for bringing the body temps back up and overcoming any lingering hypothyroid symptoms.
In short, the strategy, which takes a few months at least, is to:
Overfeed, oversleep, and rest a lot.
The higher your ratio of starch to sugar the better I believe.
The higher your ratio of saturated fat to polyunsaturated fat the better.
In other words, it's an unrestricted diet in terms of calories and macronutrients (carbs, fat, and protein), but with an emphasis on keeping fructose and omega 6 as low as possible.
I'm working on it. I def. had too much omega 6 becaue there were totrilla chips and sweet potato chips in the house made with various veg oils, which are hard to resist. Hmm, maybe I'll try sweet potato and/or potato chips fried in coconut oil… The mandoline hasn't been used lately.
Where is this new e-zine people are speaking of? anyone? I don't see it in the members area.
Oh, and I've been sleeping 9-10 hours the past several months and eating a lot the past year similar to the HED (just too much omega 6, hardly any fructose). I gained 15 pounds since the thyroid tanked two years ago but have lost 10 of it in the past 6 months. I think my body has healed a lot. The goal now is to get off the meds, bio-identical as they may be. I'll post my progress…
I am glad you put the end words to the ezine too. I have been researching health and nutrition intensely for 4 years and I wonder if i don't simply know too much now :( Now we wonder what we can/can't eat and what supps we should be taking. was i really worse off eating my bran cereal stress free? :) Or grandparents ate a mixture of whole foods, including desserts, coffee and some alcohol, lived to 90 odd in good health and din't stress about food like we do ;)
The February eZine is out, where?
An email is sent out to all members. If you're a member and not getting it let me know. I haven't updated the members area yet, but I'll go do that right now. Site troubles have been bogging me down on that one thus far. Might wanna check your junk mail if you are a member but didn't receive an email from 180degreehealth.com at about 3pm MST on February 3rd.
Matt, I have registered twice now (once about 3 weeks ago and again today) with no confirmation e-mail or e-zines.
Thanks Chris. Have you checked your junk mail? Sometimes the Spam filter will block the e-mails, but they are definitely sent out. I send out an email every single week and have done so since January of 2009. Snoop around and see if you can figure it out.
Odd, I always get the confirmation mails when buying eBooks and such, but never gotten the weekly update mail.
Not sure how my spam filter works, but the junk mail folder is always empty.
That sucks Collden. I hope you and Chris are the only ones. I pay big bucks to have those sent out every week (as a % of total sales).
Since the podcast is more or less public now, that's easy to keep track of.
For the eZines, I'll try to send an email out to all those who seem to not be getting those updates.
You do at last have the login info. for the Members area right? Those links are now current.
Oh yeah, anyone who is a member, isn't receiving emails from 180degreehealth.com, and can't find them in the junk folder, send me an email at
sacredself@gmail.com and I'll get a list going.
Yep, I have the login info, reading the eZine right now.
Hi Matt,
You certainly put a lot of thought-provoking stuff out there! Just found you last week and have devoured every post available except for some of the comments. I'll try to get to them.
I was wondering if you have given thought to diet as a "cure" or at least help to some previously "fatal" but now chronic diseases such as AIDS. I speak as one who has been diagnosed with same and has done a great deal of research into the many still unanswered questions and inconsistencies in the orthodox views, including the actual cause, which I do not believe has anything to do with an exogenous virus. I realize that this is not an epidemic like heart disease and diabetes, so is perhaps not an area of concern, but there sure is a lot of interesting dissident info out there.
Back on topic, I was quite fascinated by the videos featuring Brian Peskin and his theories. I'm thinking some of the "good" omega-6s might have some value — these "parent" EFAs. From what I can gather, he is a proponent of LC diets.
Is there any value in adopting such a diet short-term to drop some weight, or will even that screw up one's metabolism further? I started upping my carbs yesterday while avoiding sugars and such and ended up feeling pretty good. I just don't know if I can stand much of a weight gain, since I have gained back almost all of the weight I lost over 2 years ago when I was quite ill and virtually unable to eat. Of course, I lost a great deal of muscle and suppose that further messed up my metabolism.
Well, I won't bore you further at this time, since I have many factors I must consider. I appreciate the cooking aspects to your blog, having owned and cooked in a small restaurant myself, and look forward to trying your Massaman curry!
Ha ha. I gotta laugh first. My mom's name is Linda. Linda S. at that. Thought that was her for a second.
Thanks for your interest. One of the most promising things I've come across from a dietary perspective is the fact that MCT oil is recommended for AIDS sufferers. MCT oil comes mostly from coconut, and is a saturated fat with no polyunsaturated fat. It is assumed that it works because of its anti-viral properties.
Perhaps its "anti-viral" property is that it is highly anti-inflammatory to displace other fats with a non-PUFA source oil.
If someone told me I had to guess what a person with AIDS should do to minimize flare-ups, I would say to try going really low in omega 6. Eating a lot of starch is probably a better option. The more starch you eat, eating moderate amounts of fat, the less total omega 6 there will be in your diet.
Weight gain is certainly not a given while doing that. Two people on HED reported yesterday that they had lost weight, even in the early stages, and haven't gained any weight whatsoever.
Peskin's theory is interesting, but I have to admit, I'm more intrigued by EFA restriction right now than anything.
I bet if you keep omega 6 to about a gram or two a day you'll have better luck. Check out Joe Blair's The Scientific Debate Forum for more info. specific to AIDS and EFA restriction.
Looks like the site is having issues right now, or I'd leave a link to it.
@Linda S.
I, too, am HIV+, and believe whole heartedly that diet plays a big role in how healthy you will be living with this "condition". I was diagnosed 15 years ago and have been healthy, except for a period of about a year and a half where I was in and out of the hosptial. I've managed to have four healthy babies and basically live life to the fullest. I owe it all to the way I eat (and a positive outlook!). My doctors are always impressed with my numbers because I don't take any meds. Eating healthy the 180 way may not "cure" me but I KNOW it will allow me to outlive a lot of people my own age who are not HIV+.
This is one of my favourite videos on youtube right now. I must have seen it a gazillion times now. Just the look of the three salad-and-water women on the fat guy eating the taco salad:
Mr Giant Taco Salad Inventor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISW1IDroVyY
Enjoy! :-)
Thanks, Matt. Been doing the coconut oil for quite some time. I'll check out that Scientific Debate Forum. Someone who posts on the same AIDS dissident board that I do also has a site over there. He's all about avoiding PUFAs and how he cured himself by doing so. He calls himself HansSelyeWasCorrect. He does get a bit extreme with avoiding eggs that don't have the yolk intact, but I've read that elsewhere and I guess it makes sense.
It's refreshing to find dietary recommendations here that don't involve living on roots and berries and such. I guess I'll have to save my pennies and get one of your books for more details.
Emily, it's nice to meet you and to know I'm not alone! I was diagnosed in 2001 after ending up in the emergency room almost totally unable to breathe. Then came the PCP diagnosis after an HIV test "just to rule it out". Ha! I've been on and off the drugs and unfortunately do not (so far) do well off them, much to my dismay and consternation. But I'll keep looking for a way to get off for good. A very good doctor who tries to do everything as naturally as possible says that the drugs may be suppressing my immune system and that I likely have something autoimmune or allergic going on.
Don't want to take up anymore space here with this topic, but I'd love to have the chance to compare notes with you!
Just read your meatball recipe Matt, sounds pretty good…except what is paprika doing in there? Also, I think you forgot the cheese. Please…they must have some cheese! You can use grated parmiggiano, but they are best with some pecorino romano. I too am a hairy Italian :) so I've eaten several thousand meatballs in my life and know what I'm talking about.
A good rule for salt is 1 tsp sea salt for each pound of ground meat, but if you use the romano cheese, use less salt.
Thanks Vida. How could I leave out the cheese?! One of the "Italian food groups!"
Linda S.-
I think major EFA restriction is a promising idea for someone with HIV, autoimmunity, allergy… over-inflammation basically. To really get the benefits, you probably do have to be very diligent for an entire year or longer.
HansSelyeWasCorrect is Joe Blair – voice behind the Scientific Debate Forum. Just found the site a couple weeks ago and am loving the articles. Some of the most thought-provoking stuff on the entire web if you ask me.
Linda S.
I would also love to have some conversations with you. Believe it or not I don't know another single soul with HIV. I don't do support groups or things like that and I really just try to live my life like there's nothing wrong. It's not denial, just a sort of inner peace I've found over the years. But having said that I think it would be nice to have a real conversation with someone who's going through the exact same thing. If you'd like you can email me at casanta8875@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
As someone with 10 years of hypothyroidism, I'm finding your podcast very confusing. First, "type 2 hypothyroidism" sounds like adult-onset, which is most people I know. But I have blood tests where the thyroid antibodies were out of control and there was a goiter and the TSH was high etc. That's a real problem with the thyroid. Anything else is not. It's not "type-2 hypothyroidism", it's just not hypothyroidism at all.
Second, much of my family has this issue, it's genetic as far as I can tell, and linked to early gray hair. My hair didn't get grayer or less gray depending on how much food I ate. Third, in all the family and my decade of research into hypothyroidism, I've never heard of anyone advocating dessicated thyroid hormone; the issue is that it's difficult to determine the potency with accuracy, and I think it was also just more fragile, stored in the frig. Synthetic thyroid hormone is the medication of choice for those of us with real thyroid problems taking full doses of 175 mg/day.
I appreciate the comment. Every thyroid condition is unique, no doubt about it. Sometimes there is a legitimate glandular issue that only medication can address.
But there's a whole sect of doctors and health advocates that diagnose "hypothyroidism" based strictly on low body temperature and hypothyroid symptoms no matter what the blood panels reveal.
Many cases, if not most, can be fixed through diet and lifestyle measures – especially for younger people.
As for the type of hormone therapy, seems from the research I've done that desiccated thyroid hormone is the best choice in most circumstances. Prescribing synthetics is the reason why there's a book out there called "Stop the Thyroid Madness." Prescribing synthetic is "the madness."
And funny you should mention gray hair. I had lots of gray hair at age 20. 12 years later, I have none.
A low body temp. is synonymous with faster graying of the hair. Those in famine conditions have always been noted as having a dramatic increase in gray hair during semi-starvation.
And hypothyroidism/low basal temperature can be hereditary. That doesn't mean that it's "genetic" or cannot be fixed.
Despite its prevalence in older individuals, hypothyroidism is one of the most overlooked conditions in those over sixty and older. In order to ease the thyroid problems bovine thyroid is recommended.