**sdepp**, a lean petite female doing keto for non-weight issues/optimal-health.. HELP PLEASE!

(Candy Lind) #41

I would ask for your electrolyte levels (Ca, Na, K, Mg) to be checked; if they’re out of balance it can put you in a tailspin. And if your internist isn’t concerned enough to help you get to the bottom of this, it’s time to fire her and interview new applicants.

(Candy Lind) #42

Are you experiencing dry, scratchy eyeballs, or a lot of tearing? You may need to see an optometrist about dry eye. That might be a blocked duct.

#44

Quick update on my progress here :slight_smile:

I have been eating much less nuts (1-2 oz a day) and processed meats (2 slices of bacon max a day). Instead, I am having all my cheese with a stack of butter on top. My husband is horrified and this is a guy growing up with butter (French). Although he knows why I am doing this, he still has the fat fear like most do. I think I still do at times! Like the other day I drank some olive oil before a meal since I was hungry, then I panicked a bit LOL.

No “new” rash so far.

I also got my blood tester. Tested yesterday - blood was 87mg/dl, and ketone was 3.9 mmol/l. Don’t want to get obsessed with the numbers given the error range, and variation throughout the day and a zillion other factors in play. But nice to see things seem to be as expected.

No major developments on the eye - dryness is definitely something I worry now. I sit in front a computer 10 hours a day. Sigh!

(Michel Labelle) #45

Ditto here about the prolonged computer usage. The key is remembering that the stye / dry eyes can be multifactorial.

  • Low Vitamine A - Associated with gallbladder issues and other fat absorption issues
  • Low Omega 3 levels - Associated with gallbladder issues and other fat absorption issues
  • Low Mucus Production - Associated with high glucose levels that can dehydrate the eye
  • Clogged eye ducts - Associated with a variety of factors including both above
  • Sjogren’s Syndrome - Associated with an autoimmune disorder that affects multiple gland and mucus production areas - so not a concern with what you have described.

There is a great thread on Dry Eyes and there are a few recommended solutions that seem to help me.

#46

Dry eyes can be caused by high sodium. Rashes can be caused by low insulin. The list is endless

(Todd Allen) #47

I sit in front a computer 10 hours a day. Sigh!

Might try a standing desk. Not that I think it addesses the rash, shoulder or eye things but there is evidence that excessive sitting is unhealthy. This thread inspired me to try it and I’ve found it very beneficial.

(Bunny) #48

Might help with dry eyes!

Water soluble vitamins (B & C) not penetrating the waxy/fatty myelin sheath surrounding the optic nerves effecting blood flow.

As Dr. Berg Describes here about Gloucoma

A-C Carbamide supports healthy fluid transfer among tissues.

The RHP Nerve Support Formula is specifically formulated to provide nutritional support to people who have neuropathy.

What is Dry Burning Eyes?

Dr. Berg talks about dry, burning eyes. Several causes are high blood sugar and insulin resistance (diabetic condition). Also vitamin A deficiency. Often diabetics will have:
-Retinopathy
-Cataracts
-Glaucoma
-Macular Edema
-Foreign body sensation

Dr. Berg explains the high blood pressure affects the blood flow to the nerve that goes to the cornea. This can cause all sorts of problems with the eye.

There are five things that you need to do.

  1. Cut the sugar out.
  2. Moderate amount of protein.
  3. Seven cups of vegetables.
  4. Higher amounts of fat.
  5. intermittent fasting.
#49

All advice taken! Thanks everyone! My eyes are improving for sure. Started on bile salt with fatty meals. And ketoaid with a bunch of things like ACV, salt, lime, cream of tartar…

I do have a question about glucose ranges… I know I know. So I complained so much about dizziness while eating, I bore myself. Decided to test and see if it’s related to BG. So today I had a pretty balanced keto breakfast (coffee w/ 2T HWC, half avocado w bits of crispy pork belly, some grounded flaxseeds with coconut oil). Wasn’t super dizzy but I tested anyway, and BG was in the low 80s. Is this expected? Or seems low for during/after meal?

I guess the better test would be with a piece of chocolate?

(Jennifer Kleiman) #50

80s is pretty normal for a low-carb meal like that. Ideal.

#51

Ok I am puzzled now. I had my usual keto meal, ended with a piece of dark chocolate. The dizziness afterwards came back! So I tested, holy moly, BG at 68 and ketones at 6.4… is this supporting my suspicion that I am hypoglycemic (postprandial)?

I listened to this and it made a lot of sense, thoughts?

https://www.drberg.com/blog/best-hypoglycemia-tip

(Ethan) #52

How big was the piece of dark chocolate?

#53

Tiny. 6-7 grams of this : https://notyoursugarmamas.com/products/lavender-sea-salt

(Liz ) #54

I saw @Richard mention somewhere a post prandial hypoglycemic response that was possible if your insulin goes up because you ate but your liver hasn’t made enough glucose fast enough. It was in response to a question about feeling hungry after eating a full keto meal that seemed to be to satiety but then wasn’t. He suggested waiting 30 minutes for the liver to produce the glucose. Did you feel better after a while?

#55

Thanks @LizinLowell - I did feel better after a while. More than 30 mins though.

But what I am experiencing is not exactly the same, I feel dizziness only if I had sugar in the meal. Some days even while I am eating it. If my meal is only “keto”, fat and protein, then I feel great. The more sugar I have, the stronger/longer the dizziness felt. This is actually one of the reasons I started keto and testing my BG. My worry was over-production of insulin even upon the idea of eating, and that brings my BG low resulting in the dizziness. Is that plausible?

What are the usual causes of over secretion of insulin? Edit : I know this is such a broad question, but a few things to narrow it down. Young female, not overweight, not diabetic, not athlete… mostly eating healthy, stressful life though

Edit : if what @richard suggested is true, then one would not experience the same having a SAD meal, aka higher carb as the carbs will just overload your BG right away? My dizziness was worse on a higher carb meal.

(Liz ) #56

Well most of us here secrete too much insulin. Mine is from a genetic predisposition to insulin resistance. I was never diagnosed diabetic but I could not lose weight if I ate carbs so that’s how I knew I was hyperinsulinemic.

If you are producing too much insulin then you’d get hypoglycemic after eating carbs too as the insulin overreacts & your glucose drops too fast. So maybe you are having less reaction eating fewer carbs.

We are all here trying to lower our insulin response & we use Keto but also fasting to do so. Cortisol from stress does raise insulin levels. So that is relevant as well.

(Diane) #57

I’ve had dry eyes in the past. The optometrist told me that when you read for long periods of time, your blink rate goes down and your eyes get drier. He told me to get over the counter eye drops to use when I notice symptoms. There are also over the counter ointments that you can put in your eyes at night which really helped me. I just had to learn to be very careful not to touch either the eye dropper or ointment tube to my eye directly. You don’t want to contaminate it.

(Bunny) #58

I just wanted to say these two products mentioned by Dr. Berg are miraculous!

I took ONE DOSE of each yesterday along with some liposomal vitamin C and my eyes are like almost 20/20 without (never had vision like this in my life) my glasses! I was really skeptical and feel I got more than my monies worth! I am totally blown away by this ( ( ( one dose) ) )! Not trying to promote any products but damnmmm that’s just amazzzzzing!

#59

A couple of comments on food items. You mentioned pepper jack. That is often processed cheese so check your brand. other is almond flour. Mine is blanched (bought the cheapest I could find). Blanched means it may have been whitened in some way. I would imagine some people will react to the blanching agent

#60

UPDATES!

Pretty sure my rash is from salmon - had a bit of salmon a few days ago, and rash is back. In the mean time, I was eating my usual foods including bacon, dairy, I even had dark chocolate more often. Nothing seemed to correlate with the rash so well. 3 out of 4 episodes I have had so far, I can clearly remember having salmon and/or other types of seafood the night before … My family has deemed I am allergic to fish! Oh well…

Otherwise, I have been eating about the same, just not so much nuts. No peanut at all. Only almonds, macadamia and pecans. Still too much coconuts which I am getting a bit sick of. New obsession is kellygold+sharp cheddar. Oh also I tracked for protein in more detail (as in weighing the raw mean before i cook) for the past week or 10 days, I am eating 70-100 grams daily. And I don’t even know how to count the protein in pig trotters, pig liver etc as I also eat those quite often… I don’t know. My net carb is usually around 25g, but I had never been having a blood ketone reading below 1.0 so I guess it’s alright. I am kind of amazed by how much I am eating some days, I know my husband is. Definitely averaged over 2000 cals. Some days 2400, some days 1500 - depends on how many meals. But 1200 per meal since to be my sweet spot for my satiety signal. Although sometimes I overeat, mostly in social/family situations, and mostly chocolate related things, I usually CAN just have a very small portion. I don’t know if I have gained or lost, don’t really care but I do feel more and more energetic. This Sat, I went out for my first run this year! (Made a new year resolution, as never push myself to work out LOL). It was only 6mins /1mile, but I felt great, didn’t break a sweat! But it was fun just run when I want to run and stop when I wanted to.

My neck/shoulder pain still comes and goes, I have been taking the bile salt stuff with meals, no dramatic difference. But will continue. ACV also…

I just want to say, keto is amazing! There is no one-fits-all formula. I am my own guinea pig and it just fascinates me daily. And thanks for such an amazing platform for me to share my progress and thought. I really want to focus on a few things in the next 6-months,

  • stable energy and MORE energy and focus (that hypoglycemia suspicion will have to be figured out)
  • overall mental health, be more relaxed about food, exercise, body image. be intuitive and have more time for other fun in life
  • build some lean muscle
(Michel Labelle) #62

Just cross posting something from another thread here…