Lex's Journal

[alphagruis]

You are correct, I don’t know when the stones developed.  However, I don’t assume that they pre-existed and that my diet is curing them either.  There is absolutely no evidence of this. In fact, with my very dense urine, bordering on dehydration, there is more evidence to support that the stones formed under these conditions. Maybe as time goes on and I have a chance to monitor the stones further we’ll know more.  But you see, I’ve changed the conditions by consuming more water, so nothing I do now will be definitive.

Thanks again for your open-minded and cautious comments, analysis and reports.  

It would be of great interest to know what chemicals your kidneys stones are made of.

If made of uric acid they might indeed have formed recently since it is one of the 2 nitrogen containing waste products our body must get rid of when gluconeogenesis from amino acids and amino acid oxidation is intense as in LC diets. Such stones should be easily seen with ultrasound scans but not with X-rays.

If made of calcium oxalate or phosphate (as mine ) they are easily seen in both X-ray and ultrasound scans. In this case they might be ancient and perhaps a result of former gluten rich grain eating.

They may however be more recent too because of kidney overtaxing with nitrogen containing waste from LC diet, namely urea and uric acid, and subsequent higher density urine.

Heavy concentrations of urea maybe favors a higher osmolarity of urine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea

The handling of urea by the kidneys is a vital part of human metabolism. Besides its role as carrier of waste nitrogen, urea also plays a role in the countercurrent exchange system of the nephrons, that allows for reabsorption of water and critical ions from the excreted urine. Urea is reabsorbed in the inner medullary collecting ducts of the nephrons,[4] thus raising the osmolarity in the medullary interstitium surrounding the thin ascending limb of the loop of Henle, which in turn causes water to be reabsorbed. By action of the urea transporter 2, some of this reabsorbed urea will eventually flow back into the thin ascending limb of the tubule, through the collecting ducts, and into the excreted urine.
This mechanism, which is controlled by the antidiuretic hormone, allows the body to create hyperosmotic urine, that has a higher concentration of dissolved substances than the blood plasma. This mechanism is important to prevent the loss of water, to maintain blood pressure, and to maintain a suitable concentration of sodium ions in the blood plasma.

 

  

[bleeding]

Now this is very interesting.

Does anyone here have a chemistry background & can tell us if fatty acid oxidation produces any citrate, as compared with carbohydrate oxidation?

from my failing memory of biochem classes, almost all the cycles that end in ATP appear to use citrate, but is more citrate made by the body, if it's on one diet or another?

  Dexter sent me an emial with an article stating that children on a ketogenic diet for epilepsy were having great success by adding potassium citrate to every meal.  This seems to keep the stones from forming.  What the mechanism is I have no idea as the article didn't say.

Lex

[bleeding]

  see what they want to see, not what is written.  I tend to do this myself.  I suppose it is human nature

It's far worse, more generalized and pervasive than just reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

[lex_rooker]

Lex, given that you do  eat some cooked foods at times, (predominantly pemmican?) couldn't that be the issue re kidney stones rather than ZC as such? I mean kidney stones are such a common side-effect of cooked ketogenic diets, after all.

Lets see, I eat about 2 cooked steak meals per month (cooked extra rare) and I eat maybe 10 meals per year of pemmican.  That's a total of 22 meals that are slightly cooked per year.  If that is what is causing the kidney stones then not having kidney stones should be a very rare exception as 99.99% of the population eats far more cooked food than I do so everyone should have kidney stones - probably world wide.

Lex

[lex_rooker]

If made of calcium oxalate or phosphate (as mine ) they are easily seen in both X-ray and ultrasound scans. In this case they might be ancient and perhaps a result of former gluten rich grain eating.

They may however be more recent too because of kidney overtaxing with nitrogen containing waste from LC diet, namely urea and uric acid, and subsequent higher density urine.

Heavy concentrations of urea maybe favors a higher osmolarity of urine.

My stones are calcium as they show up very nicely on x-rays.  Don't know exact composition as I've never passed one.  My urine had a very high specific gravity at well over 1.05 (as high as my test strips read, normal is 1.01 to 1.03), and highly acidic with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5.  Drinking more water has lessened reduce the both the acidity and specific gravity significantly.  pH now runs 6.0 - 6.5 and SG runs between 1.015 and 1.025.

Lex

[alphagruis]

My stones are calcium as they show up very nicely on x-rays.  Don't know exact composition as I've never passed one.  My urine had a very high specific gravity at well over 1.05 (as high as my test strips read, normal is 1.01 to 1.03), and highly acidic with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5.  Drinking more water has lessened reduce the both the acidity and specific gravity significantly.  pH now runs 6.0 - 6.5 and SG runs between 1.015 and 1.025.

Lex

Thanks, Lex, for this valuable information. At this stage one cannot rule out that there are different (bad) ways to get calcium based stones: gluten and cooked grain based diets or possibly ZC diets with a too low water intake + probably specific genetic backgrounds.

In my case (gluten based diet) drinking more water didn't help at all.

In your case ( possibly, ZC diet with too high density urine) it is likely that drinking more water may indeed fix the problem, because excretion of more important quantities of urea and uric acid due to ZC seems to favor high urine density on the one hand and meat and fat contain much less water than fruit and vegetables.

I've bought the Siemens sticks you referred to in order to compare your data with mine. I eat some fruit and vegetables ( about 30% presently) and drink less than 1 liter of water/day. My PH is about 6 (first urine in the morning) and around 7-7.5 otherwise. My urine density is typically about 1.015 in spite of the fairly low water intake possibly because of the water supply due to plant foods.



 

 

[lex_rooker]

I haven't posted much as have been very busy of late.  We hosted the family Easter bash this year which is a big to-do as my wife's family is very large.  Not unusual to have 50 to 80 people crammed in our little tract home at various times during the day.  Also had an opportunity to spend a couple of weeks preparing for, and then co-teaching a basic clock repair class - two more of these later this year.  Had a couple from Hong Kong drop by to get the jerky and pemmican treatment first hand as well as a demo for a couple of Scout Troops and some one-on-ones with local folks that visit this and other forums I frequent. 

People are pushing me to do a full lenght video on the pemmican process and I've been researching that project as well.  Since I have no video equipment and am cluless on how to go about writing and producing it, it will be quite a challenge if I decide to go through with it. Something I'm sure the modern 3rd grader has no problem with, but a bit intimidating for an old codger like me.  Unfortunately my children are grown and long gone (youngest is 40) so I'll have to see if I can find a willing 3rd grader in the neighborhood to show me what to do.

I was also contacted by Joanne Nelson about doing a video interview for her blog.  She's back east and I'm on the Left Coast and am a bit of a luddite when it comes to video technology so that project was put on hold.  She contacted me again a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to do an audio interview.  I couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to get out of that one so said "sure!".

We talked for well over an hour and she has spent a good bit of time trying to edit the result down to something worth listening too.  You can find the results here:

http://joanneunleashed.com/2010/04/lex-rooker-talks-about-his-rawall-meat-diet-and-relief-from-migraines/

Feel free to visit her blog and take a listen.  The worst that will happen is that your ears will fall off from the sound of my voice which I'm told is somewhere between a rusty gate hinge and fingernails on a blackboard (the editing job itself has sent Joanne into therapy).

Will be going on vacation for the next couple of weeks in an effort to wind down from all the activities (not to mention getting my voice back) so will be out of touch for awhile again.

Next big event is my annual lab work which is due in mid July.

Lex

[djr_81]

Stop in and speak to the local high school AV club. They have all of the equipment and I'm sure someone would help you make the video. They might even do it as a group if you made a donation to the school (or club) for the help.

[RawZi]

...  Unfortunately my children are grown and long gone (youngest is 40) so I'll have to see if I can find a willing 3rd grader in the neighborhood to show me what to do.

I was also contacted by Joanne Nelson about doing a video interview for her blog.  She's back east and I'm on the Left Coast and am a bit of a luddite when it comes to video technology so that project was put on hold.  She contacted me again a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to do an audio interview.  I couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to get out of that one so said "sure!".

We talked for well over an hour and she has spent a good bit of time trying to edit the result down to something worth listening too.  You can find the results here:

http://joanneunleashed.com/2010/04/lex-rooker-talks-about-his-rawall-meat-diet-and-relief-from-migraines/

Feel free to visit her blog and take a listen.  ...

    Will there be MP3s available of it?  Wow. 

    How old were you when you started having kids?  11?  LOL (I get questions like that over here all too often)

[lex_rooker]

    Will there be MP3s available of it?  Wow. 

I have no idea, you'll have to ask Joanne.  She recorded the interview through a 3rd party 'meet-me confrence' system and then added her own magic to it.  I have no idea what format it is in or whether it can be downloaded.

   
How old were you when you started having kids?  11?  LOL (I get questions like that over here all too often)

My wife stole me from the crib.  The kids are hers from a previous marriage and as she had to have them C-section, by the time I came along the risk of having another one was not worth it.  C-sections were not the art-form they are today back in the 1960's and 70's, and my wife has a vertical scar on her lower abdomin about 6" long and wider than your thumb to prove it. Anyway, I married a complete family.  My son was 11, my daughter was 6, my wife was 32, and I was 25 if memory serves.

Lex

[Paleo Donk]

The interview was excellent and you sounded great and healthy, nothing at all how you described it.

[bleeding]

I don't know why but I expected you would speak with a faster tempo but you have a very pleasant, calmingly paced voice, Rex.   

    We talked for well over an hour and she has spent a good bit of time trying to edit the result down to something worth listening too.  You can find the results here:

http://joanneunleashed.com/2010/04/lex-rooker-talks-about-his-rawall-meat-diet-and-relief-from-migraines/

Lex

[bleeding]

Another forum I'm on had this discussion - it was claimed that if you use firefox there are addons that will let you download the mp3 that's "behind" a flash application.

net video hunter and flashgot were mentioned 

    Will there be MP3s available of it?  Wow. 

[djr_81]

Another forum I'm on had this discussion - it was claimed that if you use firefox there are addons that will let you download the mp3 that's "behind" a flash application.

net video hunter and flashgot were mentioned 

I've got Firefox and use Downloadhelper.
That doesn't matter though; I just downloaded and then re-uploaded to Rapidshare for those who want the file by just clicking a link. Here's the link (http://rapidshare.com/files/379560352/rookerl.mp3). I made it available to free users too (it just takes a bit longer to download).

[Joanne Unleashed]

I'd be happy to make the MP3 downloadable. I don't know how to do it. I was happy just being able to embed an audio player. Any suggestions?

[PaleoPhil]

Lex, in the past you explained that if you throw away the cracklings from tallow made at low temps like Delfuego's, then you lose out on some amino acids, because they won't release from the fat's cellular structure. In light of this and for kicks I tried making a low-temp batch (I don't remember the exact temp at the "Warm" setting I used on my crock pot, but I think it was around 170 degrees F) in which I kept the cracklings in it. At first it was actually a little tastier than regular tallow, because the craclings added a bacon-like flavor, though the flavor declined over time--yet it has lasted a few months so far with no mold. Is this a potential solution for people like Delfuego who wish to render at low temps and don't mind making a new batch on a monthly or shorter basis?

[PaleoPhil]

Lex, It has been about 10 months since I went near-ZC and I still have chronic constipation. Some weeks after starting ZC this improved greatly, but within a few more weeks it started worsening again. It's still better than it was (I would no longer classify it as IBS-C with D, like it used to be), but not fully resolved or improving. Do you have any tips on this for myself and others who have not experienced complete resolution of constipation within 8-12 weeks like you reported here: http://www.rawpaleoforum.com/journals/lex%27s-journal/msg8899/#msg8899? Also, do you have any tips on how to consume more water?

[00nightstorm]

Lex, awesome journal...  Is it possible that your stones were formed many years ago and have only now been dislodged and are wreaking havoc?  In other words, is it possible that your current diet is not to blame but your previous one is?

Paleophil, I am having constipation after 5 months also.  It seems I did not have this problem for a couple months earlier this year and the only difference I can think of is I was eating a lot of salt on my meat.  I am going to try adding in 1 gram of salt a day to my diet and see if my digestion improves.  If that doesn't work then I think I am giving up on zero carb and I am going to try a little raw Sauerkraut every morning.  I have awesome digestion when eating fruit but I just can't handle the other extreme side effects.  I don't want anything to do with sugar.  Maybe sauerkraut is my holy grail. 

[PaleoPhil]

Lex, awesome journal...  Is it possible that your stones were formed many years ago and have only now been dislodged and are wreaking havoc?  In other words, is it possible that your current diet is not to blame but your previous one is?

That's one possibility, but other ZCers have also reported kidney stones or urinary tract infections (which can be caused by kidney stones) and a study found that a ketogenic diet was associated with a high rate of kidney stones in subjects that were chronically dehydrated (though the ketogenic diet in that study was not exactly what any of us are eating), and Lex reported that he had been drinking very little water before he got the kidney stones and his specific gravity numbers suggested significant dehydration. All this has been discussed in the forum before, so if you do a lot of searching and reading of past threads you should find more info.

Paleophil, I am having constipation after 5 months also.  It seems I did not have this problem for a couple months earlier this year and the only difference I can think of is I was eating a lot of salt on my meat.  I am going to try adding in 1 gram of salt a day to my diet and see if my digestion improves.  If that doesn't work then I think I am giving up on zero carb and I am going to try a little raw Sauerkraut every morning.....

Dr. Jay Wortman does recommend adding salt for carnivores to avoid constipation, which I have reported elsewhere and I think I supplied a link. I have been trying to remember to add salt, but I often forget, because I'm not a big fan of it. I do include salt-rich kelp in my diet. So far, no noticeable improvements from the salt or kelp, even when I tried ingesting large amounts by drinking salt dissolved into hot water or tea.

[Iguana]

Phil, you may try cassias fistula (at least half an hour before eating something else). But do not suck more than a few small disks the first day - no more tan 4 or 5 - otherwise... Then you can double the amount every day till their taste becomes bad.

 

[van]

yeah,  I agree,  Instinctive peoples use them alot.  I have too.  they also cleanse, what ever that means.  Don't do too many or will really relieve your symptoms.

[lex_rooker]

It’s July and time for my annual lab tests and a bit of an update.  (Moderator-Will you please post a copy of the attached labs to the first entry of this journal so people can easily compare them – thanks)

I’ve been eating the same food as always, (Slankers ground beef mixed with a bit of their pet food to get some organ meats), however, I’ve been adding a considerable amount of fat to get the fat content consistently up above 80% of calories.  I order the “High Fat” ground meat when Slankers has it available to get as much raw fat as possible, but the added fat is rendered.  I render it for convenience of storage and because I do lots of pemmican demo’s and need the rendered fat anyway.  The purists among you will probably be annoyed, but I’m all about convenience and living the best possible life in the real modern world rather than somehow trying to copy the exact food and lifestyle of 500,000 year old ancestors.  So, rendered fat it is – at least for the time being.

Some of you know Danny Roddy and Kamali.  They both live near me and we went together on some fat in the late spring and had a rendering party at my house where we rendered about 350 lbs of raw fat on a Saturday (it was a very long day….).  We each ended up with about 100 lbs rendered fat and went our separate ways.  Since then I’ve rendered another 150 lbs to cover both my needs for the rest of the year as well as a huge pemmican demo for three Boy Scout troops coming up next month.  I also send out about 100 lbs of pemmican samples each year all over the world. Suffice it to say that I go through a lot of fat and trying to store it raw would require lots and lots of space which I just don’t have.

Back to eating:  My mix is still the same at 4 lbs of ground beef mixed with 1.5 lbs of pet food.  I divide this into 650 gram packages (about 1 ½ lbs) and then add 100 grams or so of rendered fat to each 650 gram package when I’m ready to eat it.  This comes out to about 2,300 calories per day with about 85% of calories from fat. 

I’ve gained about 10 lbs on this very high fat diet but weight has stabilized at about 168.

No problems with kidney stones since the last bout in January or early February.  I started with two stones and both are still lurking just waiting for a chance to bring great misery at the most inopportune time.  One stone has passed into the bladder and it is still there.  The other stone is still up in the kidney area.  Neither seem to have changed in size as best as can be told from the x-rays though we would need a CT scan to get an accurate picture and I’ve decided not to bother unless or until they start to move again.  Just not excited about exposing myself to unnecessary radiation.

Lab Tests:
Most things are right down the middle as they have been on previous tests.

Fasting Glucose is still running right at 100 (this time it was 98, last year it was 99).  Interesting that the long term very high fat diet has not dropped fasting BG levels.

HbA1c did drop from 6.0% to 5.8%.  Not sure if this is statistically significant, but it did drop slightly and this may be due to higher fat and lower protein consumption.

Total Cholesterol rose from 185 last year to 190 this year.  Not sure that this is significant since 5 or 6 years ago it was well over 250.  Needless to say I’m happy with 190 and my doctor is amazed considering my very high fat diet.  He predicted I’d be dead by now from clogged arteries eating the way I do.  Don’t know about the arteries, but I can say that Total Cholesterol has dropped rather dramatically since I started this adventure.

HDL is good at 66 and LDL not bad at 108. 
HDL/LDL ratio is 66/108=0.61
LDL/HDL ratio is 108/66=1.64
Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio is 190/66= 2.9
All of this seems to be in the very low risk category of popular medical opinion, whatever that is worth.
 
PSA test did rise from 1.5 last year to 2.2 this year.  At my age they don’t wring their hands and panic until it is above 4.  I’m not overly excited with the trend, but stuck with the cards I’ve been dealt.  It could be that the prostate problem could have been avoided if I’d started this earlier, but too late now.  I’ve become a firm believer that some things can be avoided by good diet, but once out of whack diet alone won’t fix it. 

I did ask for a 25 Hydroxy D3 test as well but didn’t get it with these results. Will have to follow up with the doc to see it was left out in error or if the insurance denied it. 

Lex

[Sully]

Lex, How have you been?  
Have you ever tried bison back fat. Very good raw, the texture not to dry, not to wet. I take it out of the freezer and can cut on it without thawing. Now that's quality fat! I got mine from www.northstarbison.com. I am sure Slankers might have some.

I just thought is would be ideal for adding extra fat to your meals. Just a thought. 

[Ioanna]

wow, I didn't know they sell adrenal.. isn't that hard to find?? I've never seen anyway. 

I didn't see the bison back fat?

Lex, great to hear from you!  but so much rendered fat?  Well, to each his own, it doesn't quite work for me, and you're obviously doing fantastic!

[Sully]

I didn't see the bison back fat?

Oh, sorry. You got to call them to get it. It's not on the website for north star bison.