Yuri recovery

[carnivore]

By eating raw ZC diet. This idea is absolutely mad given the common belief that low-carb induces hypothyroidism...

There is nothing else to do but to hope that a carnivorous diet will balance hormones, correct underactive thyroid and boost metabolism...

You seem to have an unlimited trust in ZC diet.

After nearly one year on a carnivorous diet, I don't believe that my numerous symptoms (high pulse, arrhythmia, inflammation, sensitive teeth, blurred vision, etc.) and my hyperlipidemia will ever cure on this diet. This diet has done nothing to improve my severe digestive problems : I still can't eat one fruit or one vegetable without having gas and abdominal pain like before. My blood analyses are worse than when I was omnivore. I am really disappointed. Of course, I enjoy some improvement in my health : less gas, less abdominal pain, better energy, etc. But I suffer clearly from an excess of fat and protein, and this can have very serious consequences on my health.

[goodsamaritan]

By eating raw ZC diet. This idea is absolutely mad given the common belief that low-carb induces hypothyroidism...

There is nothing else to do but to hope that a carnivorous diet will balance hormones, correct underactive thyroid and boost metabolism...

Yuri,  I highly suggest you read Dr. Henry Bieler on what he has to say about thyroids.

http://www.eczemacure.info/blog/2009/08/04/dr-henry-bieler-the-endocrine-glands-are-the-3rd-line-of-defense-against-disease/

Plus I do not understand why you continue with zero carb when you feel it is not working for you.

[PaleoPhil]

sorry : I mean too much LDL (not HDL).

Look at : http://www.rawpaleoforum.com/journals/journal-of-a-carnivore/msg16044/#msg16044

FBG = 0.96 g/l (0.74-1.06) That seems high to me (though your A1C is lower than Lex's). Lex reported that his BG dropped 15 points by eat more fats, but I don't know whether he meant FBG or random BG
A1C = 5.5% (<6%) seems a little on the high side, but within range
Urea = 0.52 g/l (0.17-0.43) higher than range, but that may be normal for a carnivorous diet, as GS suggested. I did find this: "If possible, the patient should avoid eating a diet high in meat or other protein before having a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test." http://www.doctorslounge.com/nephrology/labs/urea.htm But presumably your fasting before the test should have avoided that skewing. Dehydration is apparently the most common cause, and it can also indicate kidney problems. Many people report being less thirsty on a RAF diet, so it seems to be important to drink plenty of water (and perhaps mineral-rich water).
Total cholesterol = 4.31 g/l (<2) Higher than range, but may be normal for a carnivorous diet, I don't know. I've seen healthy ZCers report very high TC, but this does seem higher than avg even for ZC.
HDL = 0.65 g/l (>0.4) Good, though I'm surprised it's not a bit better after a year of raw carnivore
Triglycerids = 1.47 g/l (<1.5) Way too high. I'm surprised at this number.
LDL = 3.37 g/l (0.9-1.6) I've seen multiple ZCers report high LDL like this and it could actually be a good sign suggesting that you have more of the benign, large, fluffy LDL.
VLDL = 0.29 g/l (0.05-0.25) This seems high and concerning to me, however
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) = 2.94 (>5.38) Folate deficiency is common from plant-heavy diets--especially grain and fruit-based. Did you eat a plant-heavy diet in the past?

Fasting blood glucose is pretty high, like my A1C and my urea is too high.Yes, do you have one of those free BG devices that you can use to see what foods spike your BG? Are you drinking plenty of water?
LDL is very high and VLDL is a bit too high. -- I'm more concerned about the VLDL, which is a better predictor of heart disease than LDL (I've seen studies that found LDL to be no predictor at all); VLDL is most strongly linked to high-glycemic-load carbohydrates
Triglycerids could be lower. - Yes, mine dropped from 210 to 67 within 3 months of giving up gluten. For some reason you are not responding nearly as well as I did. Some possible causes are hypothyroidism, kidney dysfunction, high calories, alcohol, certain medicines.

I believe I still eat too much fat, as my pulse raises to 90 after eating, and I have some unpleasant symptoms. - I think Lex may have reported that phemenon also. Have you asked him about it?

You've reported eating these foods:
seafood (oysters, shrimp, tourteau crabs, while waiting for the scallop in october), wild fish directly from the fisherman. - You said you did well on these, so it sounds like seafood should be one of your staple foods if you can afford it.
some organic cider - I'm guessing this was a rare occurrence
Raw butter is also very tasty here - Are you consuming dairy products regularly? I don't want to start a dairy debate, but Tyler and I have both noticed that many VLCers and ZCers who continue to have health problems are regular consumers of some dairy products. Is this just coincidence, or could it be related? Lex and I don't consume much dairy and while our health is not perfect, we seem to have experienced more improvements than you. Again, is this just coincidence, or is there a relationship?

High pulse, arrhythmia, inflammation, sensitive teeth, blurred vision, "worse" hyperlipidemia, "severe digestive problems" ("still can't eat one fruit or one vegetable without having gas and abdominal pain like before").

High pulse, arrhythmia, inflammation, sensitive teeth, blurred vision, hyperlipidemia, digestive problems and high triglycerides are all associated with high-carb diets. Why you would be experiencing it on a raw carnivore diet with only occasional cider, I don't know. Could you list all the foods you regularly eat, including beverages, and any supplements/foodlements you take? Have you done any investigating yourself to figure out this puzzle? Have you looked into what nutritional and systemic deficiencies can contribute to these symptoms?

Some improvement: less gas, less abdominal pain, better energy - Yes, many VLC/ZC/carnivores report that

[carnivore]

FBG = 0.96 g/l (0.74-1.06) That seems high to me (though your A1C is lower than Lex's). Lex reported that his BG dropped 15 points by eat more fats, but I don't know whether he meant FBG or random BG
A1C = 5.5% (<6%) seems a little on the high side, but within range
Urea = 0.52 g/l (0.17-0.43) higher than range, but that may be normal for a carnivorous diet, as GS suggested. I did find this: "If possible, the patient should avoid eating a diet high in meat or other protein before having a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test." http://www.doctorslounge.com/nephrology/labs/urea.htm But presumably your fasting before the test should have avoided that skewing. Dehydration is apparently the most common cause, and it can also indicate kidney problems. Many people report being less thirsty on a RAF diet, so it seems to be important to drink plenty of water (and perhaps mineral-rich water).
Total cholesterol = 4.31 g/l (<2) Higher than range, but may be normal for a carnivorous diet, I don't know. I've seen healthy ZCers report very high TC, but this does seem higher than avg even for ZC.
HDL = 0.65 g/l (>0.4) Good, though I'm surprised it's not a bit better after a year of raw carnivore
Triglycerids = 1.47 g/l (<1.5) Way too high. I'm surprised at this number.
LDL = 3.37 g/l (0.9-1.6) I've seen multiple ZCers report high LDL like this and it could actually be a good sign suggesting that you have more of the benign, large, fluffy LDL.
VLDL = 0.29 g/l (0.05-0.25) This seems high and concerning to me, however
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) = 2.94 (>5.38) Folate deficiency is common from plant-heavy diets--especially grain and fruit-based. Did you eat a plant-heavy diet in the past?

Fasting blood glucose is pretty high, like my A1C and my urea is too high.Yes, do you have one of those free BG devices that you can use to see what foods spike your BG? Are you drinking plenty of water?
LDL is very high and VLDL is a bit too high. -- I'm more concerned about the VLDL, which is a better predictor of heart disease than LDL (I've seen studies that found LDL to be no predictor at all); VLDL is most strongly linked to high-glycemic-load carbohydrates
Triglycerids could be lower. - Yes, mine dropped from 210 to 67 within 3 months of giving up gluten. For some reason you are not responding nearly as well as I did. Some possible causes are hypothyroidism, kidney dysfunction, high calories, alcohol, certain medicines.

I believe I still eat too much fat, as my pulse raises to 90 after eating, and I have some unpleasant symptoms. - I think Lex may have reported that phemenon also. Have you asked him about it?

You've reported eating these foods:
seafood (oysters, shrimp, tourteau crabs, while waiting for the scallop in october), wild fish directly from the fisherman. - You said you did well on these, so it sounds like seafood should be one of your staple foods if you can afford it.
some organic cider - I'm guessing this was a rare occurrence
Raw butter is also very tasty here - Are you consuming dairy products regularly? I don't want to start a dairy debate, but Tyler and I have both noticed that many VLCers and ZCers who continue to have health problems are regular consumers of some dairy products. Is this just coincidence, or could it be related? Lex and I don't consume much dairy and while our health is not perfect, we seem to have experienced more improvements than you. Again, is this just coincidence, or is there a relationship?

High pulse, arrhythmia, inflammation, sensitive teeth, blurred vision, "worse" hyperlipidemia, "severe digestive problems" ("still can't eat one fruit or one vegetable without having gas and abdominal pain like before").

High pulse, arrhythmia, inflammation, sensitive teeth, blurred vision, hyperlipidemia, digestive problems and high triglycerides are all associated with high-carb diets. Why you would be experiencing it on a raw carnivore diet with only occasional cider, I don't know. Could you list all the foods you regularly eat, including beverages, and any supplements/foodlements you take? Have you done any investigating yourself to figure out this puzzle? Have you looked into what nutritional and systemic deficiencies can contribute to these symptoms?

Some improvement: less gas, less abdominal pain, better energy - Yes, many VLC/ZC/carnivores report that

I answer on my journal Paleophil...

[rawlion]

Plus I do not understand why you continue with zero carb when you feel it is not working for you.

The explanation is fairly simple. Because it seems to be giving me less pain than any other approach.

Pacquiao is more than good, he's incredible. The brilliant and engaging Filipino is a true warrior.

[pc701]

Yuri i think this diet has done more harm than good for you. Therefore you should try something else. I read that you as a child were eating eggs and milk. Try that, dairy products and eggs as your bread and butter and meat on the side just like i do. People are naive to think that they can duplicate the inuits excellent health by eating entirely different animals, you know what i mean? Suet as fat will not keep you warm enough in alaska, only seal fat will-which is what the inuits relyed on. You must use your insticnts regarding what to eat . Yuri, in the beggining of this diet/primal diet did you eat the things that you wanted or did you just eat thinking that your health would improve?, by that i mean eating what you feel like, if you dont eat what you feel like then one might do harm to ones body. You as person growing up said you ate very little meat, therefore you are not used to eating so much meat. I also think what made your health problems might be the fact that all your meat was grain fed. Anyways, I eat what my body tells me, Mostly dairy and eggs and a little meat or fish on the side. I would argue that wild fish is more nutricious than grain fed meat and organs. Maybe try eating just fish. I would hate to eat only meat thats why i dont do it, if i feel like eating vegetables then i eat it, if i feel like eating some fish then i eat it, as simple as that. Weston price said that the isolated swiss got lots of their calories from dairy products, and so do i and feel good, but with mostly meat i feel bad. I get lots of energy from whipped cream,. So just eat what you want to as long as it's raw i would recommend. But if not, then another option is going back to your traditional diet of grain and tubers etc.

[pc701]

The problem is that people begin a ceratin diet say, "raw vegan", "vegan", or vegetarian, or whatever it may be, and thinking that it may help them, but the people eating the foods dont like it and dont feel good as before their diet began but yet they still stubbornly go on and on and on until they suffer even more. If you dont like it, then dont do it people. For some this diet may work, but for others no. The inuit and native american indians have eaten entirely different animals than what you guys are normally eating(domesticated animals), so it is not proper to say that one is eating like an eskimoe or paleo, or native american. If i were to eat just beef and chicken and domesticated animals without dairy i would firstly hate it, and secondly my body would dislike it, but yet there are some people on this forum it seems that are stubborn and put to much trust on what others say about this diet and what to eat  rather than letting their own body's tell them whats right.

[TylerDurden]

Actually, many rawpalaeos, myself included, have a large proportion of their diet consisting of raw wild game, much in line with original palaeo diets. And raw grassfed meat, while perhaps not as ideal as wild game, is still very effective re health.

[William]

People are naive to think that they can duplicate the inuits excellent health by eating entirely different animals, you know what i mean? Suet as fat will not keep you warm enough in alaska, only seal fat will-which is what the inuits relied on. You must use your insticnts regarding what to eat .

We have not spent enough time discussing fat.
There really should be a section of this site devoted to it.

[livingthelife]

We have not spent enough time discussing fat.
There really should be a section of this site devoted to it.

Very good idea. It's been by far the most important aspect of the change I've made in my attitude and diet, and I still feel I have a lot to learn on the subject.

[goodsamaritan]

Yuri,

What's the real score from your point of view regarding the flu scare / epidemic in the Ukraine?

Now they have unconfirmed reports of http://www.prisonplanet.com/unconfirmed-reports-of-large-numbers-of-deaths-from-the-vaccine-in-the-ukraine.html

[rawlion]

Yuri i think this diet has done more harm than good for you. Therefore you should try something else. I read that you as a child were eating eggs and milk. Try that, dairy products and eggs as your bread and butter and meat on the side just like i do. People are naive to think that they can duplicate the inuits excellent health by eating entirely different animals, you know what i mean? Suet as fat will not keep you warm enough in alaska, only seal fat will-which is what the inuits relyed on. You must use your insticnts regarding what to eat . Yuri, in the beggining of this diet/primal diet did you eat the things that you wanted or did you just eat thinking that your health would improve?, by that i mean eating what you feel like, if you dont eat what you feel like then one might do harm to ones body. You as person growing up said you ate very little meat, therefore you are not used to eating so much meat. I also think what made your health problems might be the fact that all your meat was grain fed. Anyways, I eat what my body tells me, Mostly dairy and eggs and a little meat or fish on the side. I would argue that wild fish is more nutricious than grain fed meat and organs. Maybe try eating just fish. I would hate to eat only meat thats why i dont do it, if i feel like eating vegetables then i eat it, if i feel like eating some fish then i eat it, as simple as that. Weston price said that the isolated swiss got lots of their calories from dairy products, and so do i and feel good, but with mostly meat i feel bad. I get lots of energy from whipped cream,. So just eat what you want to as long as it's raw i would recommend. But if not, then another option is going back to your traditional diet of grain and tubers etc.

I know it for a fact that it was the DIETING and by no means the DIET that has ruined my health. In my case the adverse consequences of intermittent fasting by far exceeded the limitations of high fruit vegan nutrition. Unfortunately my body perceived intermittent fasting as a starvation and my mind has never switched back.

I have to admit that non-organic meats (especially marrow) could have been the other likely cause. There were no ways to verify the quality of meats. Hence there is a strong possibility that I might have been exposed to certain toxins. Now the situation has changed dramatically and since September I have been eating nothing but 100% grass-fed organic lamb or wild ocean fish.

I wish there was something dietary-wise that I hadn’t tried yet. Therefore it is quite within reason to suggest that some cases require more than just a balanced diet. And yes I mean hormone replacement therapy.

[rawlion]

Yuri,

What's the real score from your point of view regarding the flu scare / epidemic in the Ukraine?

Now they have unconfirmed reports of http://www.prisonplanet.com/unconfirmed-reports-of-large-numbers-of-deaths-from-the-vaccine-in-the-ukraine.html

Hey Edwin,

This swine flu scare is deliberately exaggerated. Those several confirmed cases were mainly used for pre-election political machinations. None of my SENSIBLE mates wore the protective masks. However there were plenty of “ninja” in the streets even in Kiev. As of now the tide of enthusiasm waned and the epidemic is rapidly subsiding. You can read more about Ukrainian election geopolitics and swine flu.

There are suspicions that swine flu virus has mutated in Ukraine because it has shown unprecedented symptoms. One friend of mine told me that his close relative who works as anatomical pathologist witnessed numerous cases of black burnt lungs.

Personally I can’t care less about it. On the one hand I am confident that unless vaccinated this flu can’t be transferred. On the other I would readily accept death at this point of my life because it is utterly torturing and absolutely unbearable. So even the most ugly situation might have its positives

[goodsamaritan]

Have you tried Bieler's soup?
Zuchini, string beans, parsely?

[rawlion]

I might have bored you all stiff with my reiterant complaints about adrenal fatigue. It is fairly evident from the whole set of characteristic symptoms alone. But despite my absolute conviction theory without practice is useless.

Testing for Adrenal Fatigue

Self-Test Methods

Signs and Symptoms
The more severe the problem the greater the number of symptoms will be present.

Orthostatic Blood Pressure
Ragland's sign is an abnormal drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number) when a person arises from a lying to a standing position. There should be a rise of 8-10 mm. in the systolic (top) number. A drop or failure to rise indicates adrenal fatigue.

Pupil Dilation Test
Another way to test for adrenal dysfunction is the pupil dilation exam. To perform this on yourself, you’ll need a flashlight and a mirror. Face the mirror, and shine the light in one eye. If after 30 seconds the pupil (black center) starts to dilate (enlarge), adrenal deficiency should be suspected.

Rogoff’s Sign
Rogoff’s sign is a definite tenderness in the lower thoracic (mid-back) spine where the ribs attach.

Facial Pallor
The colors of the face often correspond to the level of adrenal function. There are some areas that tend to stay pink, such as the center of the cheeks or chin.  Other areas tend to become pale if the body weakens, goes into shock, fainting, or has poor adrenal function. The area around the mouth is one of the first places for this to occur (peri-oral pallor) and the pattern turns out to be a reliable indicator of adrenal function. In general, I find that my healthiest patients (e.g., athlete, sprained the ankle playing tennis) tend to have a full facial color and that the entire upper lip is a healthy pink. Those with chronic illness, fatigue or known adrenal problems tend to have a pale upper and lower lip. Those in between have partial pallor (or partial pink).

Metabolic Temperature Graph
Temperatures reflect an individual’s metabolic energy state. The average daytime temperature of a healthy individual is 98.6 thus making 98.6 the optimal (as opposed to normal) temperature. Lower than optimal temperatures reflect a lower than optimal metabolic state which is usually controlled by the thyroid mechanism. Wide variability of temperature reflects an unstable or fatigued adrenal system.

Wide variability in daily temperatures indicates a weak adrenal function since the adrenal glands help the body maintain stability. Good adrenal function produces a stable temperature. As adrenal function improves, the temperature variability decreases and vice versa. As adrenals get stressed (either from emotional stress, excess metabolic stimulation such as excessive thyroid stimulation, or for other reasons), the variability increases.
In a hypothyroid state, the day-to-day averages are low and very stable. In a hypoadrenal state including adrenal exhaustion or adrenal stress, the temperatures are low and unstable - one day they may average 96 degrees and one to two degrees higher the next day.

I have failed each of the above.

Diurnal Cortisol (Saliva)
24 hour adrenal saliva test is probably the most conclusive evaluation of the adrenal functioning which checks cortisol levels during the day and allows to view the daily cyclic adrenal function.

24-hour urinary free cortisol
Urinary free cortisol (UFC) represents excretion of the circulating, biologically active, free cortisol. UFC is a sensitive test for the various types of adrenocortical dysfunction. Abnormal changes in cortisol levels may be due to hypothalamic, pituitary, or adrenal dysfunction.

To dispel any remaining doubts I measured my 24-hour urinary cortisol. The result was weakly positive. My urinary cortisol excretion is extremely low at just 5% above the bottom range. Urinary-free cortisol concentrations decrease with Addison disease, exogenous Cushing syndrome, pituitary insufficiency, and deficient hypothalamic secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone.

What comes next? An adrenal crisis?

[goodsamaritan]

Adrenal crisis is explained by Dr. Henry Bieler here:
http://www.curemanual.com/blog/2009/08/dr-henry-bieler-the-endocrine-glands-are-the-3rd-line-of-defense-against-disease/

[rawlion]

A couple of days ago I had abdominal ultrasound. It was a detailed evaluation of my liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and kidneys. It appears that I have cholecystitis and kidney stones (about 4 mm in size in both kidneys).

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. In many cases, cholecystitis is caused by gallstones that block the tube leading out of the gallbladder. This results in a buildup of bile that can cause inflammation. Other causes of cholecystitis include infection, injury and tumors. The doc didn’t say that I have gallstones so I presume it is caused by infection. I have been diagnosed with cholecystitis for the first time when I did abdominal ultrasound in April. Nothing has changed since then.

In presence of cholecystitis, a blood test may reveal that white blood cell count is higher than normal, which may indicate an infection. Blood tests may also show high levels of bilirubin (an orange-yellow pigment that's released into bile and stored in gallbladder), alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme found in high concentrations in liver and bile ducts) and serum aninotransferase (liver enzymes). It is interesting because I have normal readings of the above tests. Moreover I have none of the signs or symptoms of cholecystitis. The doc who was examining me couldn’t believe that I don’t have any pain in bladder area.

Kidney stones is another major ZC concern. The chance of a ureteral stone passing is proportional to the width of the stone. For stones less than 3 mm in width, the chance of spontaneous stone passage is very high. For anyone who has suffered the pain of a kidney stone, the thought of passing a second stone is not appealing.

Hydration has remained the mainstay of any treatment program aimed at preventing kidney stones. Stones form by the crystallization of one or more substances which exist in high concentrations in the urine. Increased fluid intake will decrease the chance of stone formation by maintaining a high urinary output and by decreasing the likelihood that these substances will crystallize by diluting them. There are no strict recommendations with regards to the number of glasses of fluid to drink, however, the goal should be to achieve a urine output of greater than two liters per day. Stones that are less than 5 millimeters in size have a high chance (90%) of passing through the urinary tract spontaneously with hydration therapy alone. Larger stones (>6 millimeters) have a much lower chance of passing on their own, and often need surgical intervention.

More practical methods of kidney stones prevention are described in the following article:

Uric Acid Stones Natural Treatment
“The most important risk factor for uric acid crystallization and stone formation is a low urinary pH (below 5.5) rather than high urinary uric acid excretion. By controlling urinary pH, uric acid stone disease can be prevented, this being one of the few urinary tract stones that can be successfully dissolved in vivo. Citrate and/or bicarbonate can be consumed to maintain urine pH values between 6.2 and 6.5. Urine pH should not go above 6.5 as this will increase the risk of hydroxyapatite kidney stones.”

Watch out and take the necessary steps if needed!

[PaleoPhil]

Good to hear that you've learned more about the factors in your health issues, Yuri.

I wish Lex might have been lucky enough to be able to do a lithotripsy and get a stone sample so we knew whether his stones were uric acid stones or calcium oxalate, as his and my pH are very low, but that's life. I'm not panicking or anything. For the time being I'm assuming that increasing my fluid intake some is sufficient to prevent problems, and my health has been good. I do plan on ordering some multistix at some point.

[mentisafer]

Yuri,
Ancient Chinese medicine believes adrenal are drained from energy with orgasm (semen loss); not advocating celibacy as a religious belief, but have you tried sexual abstinence? If you try, make an effort not to think about sex, just avoid arousal and the semen will help heal the body. That's my two cents, take it or leave it.

[cherimoya_kid]

Yuri,
Ancient Chinese medicine believes adrenal are drained from energy with orgasm (semen loss); not advocating celibacy as a religious belief, but have you tried sexual abstinence? If you try, make an effort not to think about sex, just avoid arousal and the semen will help heal the body. That's my two cents, take it or leave it.

It's easy to cause prostate problems and other issues by doing this.  I know a number of people who have hurt their health by completely avoiding ejaculating for years.  I know others who have not had any health problems from it, either, so it's not always a bad thing...but it's important to realize that it has its risks.

[PaleoPhil]

From the article that Yuri cited:

"Summary:
• Drink 2 quarts of water a day. Consider mineral water as part of this fluid consumption.
• Consume moderate animal protein, seafood and alcohol.
• Increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Do not consume drinks sweetened with fructose. Unsweetened orange juice is encouraged.
• Do not drink cranberry juice.
• Take magnesium (citrate) 200mg 1-3 times daily with food.
• Maintain urine pH from 6.2 to 6.5. Test urine pH at 10 a.m. 2 p.m. and bedtime. Adjust food, mineral water,
water and mineral supplements accordingly."

I've been doing some research. Here is a summary of my findings (I can supply references if anyone is curious where I got any of this info):

Factors associated with increased incidence of kidney stones:
Low water intake
High omega 6 intake and low omega 3 intake
High arachidonic/linoleic acid ratio
High intake of poorly-absorbed calcium, such as from cheap calcium supplements and dairy products
Hypercalcuria (high urinary calcium levels)—possibly in part due to the high-dairy intake of many
Urinary magnesium/calcium ratio lower than 0.7
Hyperoxaluria (high urinary oxalate levels)
Diet high in animal protein, poorly-absorbed calcium (dairy products, some calcium-enriched processed foods), oxalate (colas, chocolate, legumes like peanuts and soybeans, nuts, beets, coffee, cola, rhubarb, spinach, black tea, phytate-rich whole grains—especially wheat bran, beer, ale), and purines (poultry, seafood, organ meats, red wine, stouts)
High intake of vitamin C supplements
Urine with a pH below 6.0 in combination with high urinary uric acid or above 7.2 in combination with high urinary phosphate
Ketogenic diet—dairy products, oils (e.g. canola, olive, and MCTs like coconut), meats (bacon, beef, etc.), seafood, eggs, peanut butter, keto yogurt, some limited fruits (like apples) and sugar-free desserts like Jello and keto custard (http://www.jhu.edu/jhumag/495web/fat.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet)—other risk factors from this diet include dehydration (which could account for part of the kidney stone risk) and gall stones
Low urinary citrate

Factors associated with low incidence of kidney stones:
High water intake, especially mineral water containing magnesium
Low omega 6 intake and high omega 3 intake
Low arachidonic/linoleic acid ratio
Urinary magnesium/calcium ratio higher than 0.7
Oral magnesium supplementation
Low intake of animal protein, poorly-absorbed calcium, and oxalate
Urine pH between 6.0 or 6.2 and 6.5
High urinary citrate

Based on this, I’m thinking of keeping my intake of water (mostly mineral water containing magnesium), magnesium, and omega 3 fats relatively high while keeping omega 6 fats low and continuing to avoid dairy products, grains, legumes, red wine and beers/ales/stouts.

I'm guessing that the traditional Inuits had urinary pH's below 6.0, whereas they reportedly had low rates of kidney stones, so I don't think it's absolutely necessary to get it within the 6.2 to 6.5 level, though that may be a benefit.

Note about the ketogenic diet: it includes dairy products, which is a risk factor for calcium oxalate/phosphate stones and there was also above-average dehydration among the 5% of dieters who developed kidney stones.

[rawlion]

My desperate attempts to treat the alleged adrenal insufficiency have been unsuccessful so far. It remained an enigma to me why my adrenals continued to underperform on various modifications of healing raw paleo diet. I couldn’t find the underlying cause of the problem until now when I have been provided with the rational explanation. It seems that all this time I have been only partially right in all my suspicions.

Symptoms are the most accurate marker of person’s state of health. And in my case all sings were pointing with a high precision to mixed adrenal/thyroid issues. The below explanation gives the full picture of the situation at hand.

The adrenal glands normally produce three classes of steroid hormones: glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and androgens. Adrenal insufficiency occurs when the adrenal glands produce an insufficient amount of one or more of these classes of hormones. 

Cortisol levels are normally regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus sends corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland responds by producing several hormones, one of which is ACTH (adrenocorticotropin hormone). ACTH stimulates the adrenal gland to produce cortisol. Cortisol levels help to control the pituitary's production of ACTH.

Primary adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison's disease, occurs when the adrenal glands cannot produce an adequate amount of hormones despite a normal or increased ACTH level. In secondary adrenal insufficiency, an insufficient amount of ACTH is produced by the pituitary gland. In tertiary adrenal insufficiency, an insufficient amount of CRH is produced by the hypothalamus.

Most patients with Addison's disease (primary) experience fatigue, generalized weakness, loss of appetite and weight loss. The other common symptoms include:
    * Darkening of the skin
    * Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting
    * Low blood pressure with lightheadedness after standing or sitting up
    * Muscle and joint pain
    * Decreased sexual desire
The symptoms of secondary and tertiary adrenal insufficiency are similar to those of primary insufficiency, with a few exceptions:
    * Darkening of the skin and dehydration do not occur (stupid doctor told me that I can’t have adrenal insufficiency because there is no darkening of the skin)
    * Gastrointestinal symptoms are less common
    * Symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are more common, including sweating, anxiety, shaking, nausea, or heart palpitations.

Hypothalamus = Homeostasis
The hypothalamus is one of the most important parts of the brain, involved in many kinds of motivation, among other functions.  It controls the "Four F's": 1. fighting; 2. fleeing; 3. feeding; and 4. mating. The hypothalamus is involved in the regulation of body temperature, water balance, blood sugar, and fat metabolism. It also regulates other glands such as the ovaries, parathyroids, and thyroid. It known to be involved in the expression of emotions, almost all aspects of behaviour, including feeding, thirst, sleeping, metabolism,  preservation of individual, pleasant/unpleasant sensations and movement. It is thought to be involved in the expression of emotions, such as fear and rage, and in sexual behaviors. It also controls appetite and regulates sleep. Ultimately the hypothalamus can control every endocrine gland in the body, and alter blood pressure (through vasopressin and vasoconstriction), body temperature, metabolism (through TSH), and adrenaline levels (through ACTH). The pituitary gland may be king, but the power behind the throne is clearly the hypothalamus. All information that enters the brain must pass through the hypothalamus.

The main function of the hypothalamus is homeostasis, or maintaining the body's status quo. Factors such as blood pressure, body temperature, fluid and electrolyte balance, and, body weight, are held to a precise value called the set-point. Although this set-point can migrate over time, from day to day it is remarkably fixed. Intermittent fasting/dieting has tilted the balance…

It begs the question how to fix that… I haven't the least clue so far…

However, while there is time, there is still hope – & I will not be throwing in the towel just yet!

[rafonly]

you may want to try hot water esp. 1st thing in the am -- neither boiled or scalding, though

[Neone]

Have you ever sustained a head injury or been in something like a car accident, yuri?

[pc701]

yuri i was wondering ,like you said that your health problems only began once you began alternative day fasting? so everything was good except at that point, i was thinking that maybe you ate something extremely toxic such as diseased kidneys where that gave you gut/stomach pains and maybe thats when your health problems started...

iv experienced gut pains with eating kidneys but no problem with liver and meat.....think back to the time when your problems started and maybe you will remember a moment when you ate some food that gave you stomach pains or maybe you began eating organs at that time period....its just so puzziling why everything would be allright for 4 months for you on the primal diet and then all of a sudden problems arise from alternative day fasting.