I am better

Thomi · 2017-02-14 02:06:24 UTC

Better in that the chronic illnesses and mental health issues which have been plaguing me, disabling me in reality, are getting better. Fading. I did not expect this. I just wanted to avoid diabetes, which would have been just one too many chronic pains in my butt to deal with. So. I AM BETTER. And I never thought I could be. And I feel awesome!

Jacquie · 2017-02-14 02:10:56 UTC

That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you!

Izerian · 2017-02-14 02:14:01 UTC

You’re in the right place. Glad to hear there’s another reaping the benefits.

stacy · 2017-02-14 02:57:17 UTC

Aqua_chonk · 2017-02-14 03:03:44 UTC

richard · 2017-02-14 14:41:56 UTC

Outstanding.

I first heard about this effect from @Brenda who told us in episode #21 that going ketogenic had a remarkable effect on depressive cycles.

Turns out there is science supporting a ketogenic diet as a treatment for depression. Apparently the process of using ketones for fuel causes a critical neuro-hormonal balance to favour glutamate conversion to GABA

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ketone bodies and brain glutamate and GABA metabolism.

Y Daikhin and M Yudkoff, Developmental neuroscience, 1998

The effects of ketone bodies on brain metabolism of glutamate and GABA were studied in three different systems: synaptosomes, cultured astrocytes and the whole animal. In synaptosomes the addition of either acetoacetate or 3-OH-butyrate was associated with diminished consumption of glutamate via transamination to aspartate and increased formation of labelled GABA from either L-[2H5-2,3,3,4, 4]glutamine or L-[15N]glutamine. There was no effect of ketone bodies on synaptosomal GABA transamination. An increase of total forebrain GABA and a diminution of aspartate was noted when mice were injected intraperitoneally with 3-OH-butyrate. In cultured astrocytes the addition of acetoacetate to the medium was associated with a significantly enhanced rate of citrate production and with a diminution in the rate of conversion of [15N]glutamate to [15N]aspartate. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the metabolism of ketone bodies to acetyl-CoA results in a diminution of the pool of brain oxaloacetate, which is consumed in the citrate synthetase reaction (oxaloacetate + acetyl-CoA --> citrate). As less oxaloacetate is available to the aspartate aminotransferase reaction, thereby lowering the rate of glutamate transamination, more glutamate becomes accessible to the glutamate decarboxylase pathway, thereby favoring the synthesis of GABA.

And the most current theory is that depression may be caused by an imbalance in glutamate/GABA.

There is a good article on the synthesis of all this in Psychology Today

Roisheff · 2017-02-15 09:16:36 UTC

That’s great news, it really is an amazing way of eating

madaboutchooks · 2017-02-15 10:51:13 UTC

It’s the best feeling ever isn’t it? Congratulations to you for taking control of your health!

Thomi · 2017-02-15 12:22:37 UTC

What really amazes me is the variety of Dx I have and how they are universally improving.
Bipolar - more even moods, no suicidal thoughts, no mania
Chronic daily migraine (24/7/365/8yrs) - reduced to mild headache
Fibromyalgia - remission? Gone?
Pseudo seizures/Conversion disorder - no symptoms
Anxiety/Agoraphobia - significantly reduced

I have been training a service dog and now am wondering if I will even need her!

Thanks for all your kind words everyone!