Kristelle's All-Meat Fiesta

Kristelle · Kristelle's All-Meat Fiesta

On day 5 of my all-meat fiesta and I CHEATED!!! Had some blueberries, lots, probably around 30g's worth of carbs. First 4 days, just meat and water. Today was really awful but I think I know why...and I also think I know why I've probably been struggling with LC-ZC all this time.

I skipped my hormone dose 2 nights ago and day 4 went very well BUT took my dose yesterday night and wadda ya know?! Bloating's back, abdominal aches, swollen legs and feet, hives, back pain, cravings for sweets and fatigue after meals, like MAJOR fatigue accompanied by disorientation, increased heart rate. All the symptoms of hyponatremia despite eating much salt. So, right away, it occurred to me that it might be the hormones.

Interestingly, I take my hormones once daily, at night before I go to bed and my symptoms always get better by the time I take my next dose. Morning is the worst and early evening, things improve and I don't get tired after eating...COINCIDENCE? NOT!

I know that sex hormones affect sodium. Since I suffer from low sodium and more so, when taking hormones, it only makes sense to look at the part of the equation that may exacerbate sodium loss. Well, everything seems to point to progesterone and I shouldn't be surprised. Progesterone is a diuretic, whereas estrogen increases sodium retention. Progesterone, BAD (for me), estrogen, GOOD. Progesterone pushes water into cells so much so that my skin cells become engorged leading to hives, edema, etc. Interestingly, estrogen also inhibits lipase while progesterone tends to do the opposite so if I take estrogen only, fat mobilization will be greater (I need to lose some weight although I wonder if the weight is not just water) although low insulin will be the predominant factor.

So, I'm dropping the progesterone and only taking estrogen, a tad lower because progesterone inhibits estrogen action to a certain extent so don't quite need to take as much.

Estrogen will help on two fronts:
1) weight loss 2) hyponatremia

Before finding out all this, I was almost ready to give up, part of the reason why I ate blueberries. But I don't give up so easily. You should know me by now. Wink

I'm still going to salt my meat but just enough. Stupid sodium!!! Mad

p.s.: I'm feeling great right now Heart

, licked a little salt off my finger and took some estrogen...life is good, just keep it that way, k?!

Take care all.

Trem

I get hives every so often too Kristi no matter what small tweaks I make.....I'm starting to think maybe it is the grain-fed beef. I can't really do anything about it though because grass-fed beef is just too damn expensive. The 13-15 pound slabs of cryovac'd grain-fed ribeye I buy is $5.88/pound which is a good deal. The grass-fed ribeye sold at the Whole Foods Market in my area is $16.50/pound - ridiculous. Things would be much easier if we all lived in Australia where mostly everything is paddock-fed. *Goes to get passport*

Kristelle

Get one for me too. Happy

No but seriously, I doubt it's the grain. My hives only occur when I'm low on sodium such that too much water gets pushed into cells and clogs up my pores, leading to swelling and hives. Since taking care of that, I've barely had any. So, let's hope I'm right about this but it definetly seems like it.

Dean

Trem,

Do you have access to any meat processors? You could check http://www.eatwild.com/ for your area, and find a farmer who raises grass-fed bison or beef. I'm goin' back to that once my freezer is empty. If you buy a whole animal, it's not too bad. Or plug in "meat processor" and your zip code into http://www.mapquest.com/

Grass-fed might not be as much as you think. You can also find co-ops where people go in on a whole animal together. It's all worth looking into. I'm lucky, cuz, I've got so many farms around where I'm at. I just wish I lived closer to my birthplace, so I could start up my bison ranch. Someday soon, it'll all be happenin'. Cool

Trem

Any particular type of salt Kristi? or just regular table salt?

Great advice Dean. Most of the Eatwild farms are on the West coast or Southern parts of Massachusetts and I just happen to be on the Northeastern tip Mad

You're right though, it certainly would be worth it to do that someday. I'll have to save up for a big freezer.

Kristelle

Any salt will do but sea salt is healthier. Don't overdo it either. Start with a little and go from there.

Dean

Kristelle likes the Seamen Semen Seasalt the best! Right, Kristelle? Devil

jeff

Kristelle

jeff

Jessica

What kind/brand of sea salt do you buy? I bought a tiny tin ($$$) of celtic sea salt, it had a grey color to it. I bought a bigger box for a lot less money and it's pure white. They also had some that was pink! I've seen it mixed with herbs, too, but I have just about every dried herb there is, and a fresh rosemary plant, so I just buy it plain.

Thanks, and hope you're doing well, Hugs, Jessica

Kristelle

Seamen Salt is the best but I'm the only one who can get it. Happy

Seriously, I used Paludier sea salt. Also gray.
http://www.globalsaltinc.com/salt_of_life.aspx

Dean

Have you guys heard of RealSalt? I got some at a HFS once, and, it lasted me forever. It cost like ten bucks for a rather small bottle, but, it had all sorts of minerals and stuff in it. I'm not sure if it had potassium in it or not. Too tired to Google right now. I just use Hain Iodized Sea Salt right now. I've often heard that we are missing tons of minerals because of soil depletion or something like that. I'm not totally sure, but, it seemed like a good way to get some minerals in, just to cover myself on 'em.

Kristelle, does the Seamen Semen Salt you get have all the "essential" minerals in it? Or are those just in the Semen itself? Devil

Kristelle

Let's just say that Salt is not that essential...

Dean

...but, the Semen is, right? Devil

Kristelle

Dean

Or, as jeff would say...

Yup

jeff

Kim

Kristelle

No salt and feeling much better. Lost about 4-5lbs in a matter of days, stomach flatter too.

Sticking with very fatty meats, namely regular ground beef and pork belly.

jeff

Kristelle

Thanks Jeff. Things are still going REALLY well.

jeff

Heather L

Awesome.

I am glad you are doing REALLY well. I know you have had some tough challenges.

Kristelle

Thanks Heather...right now, energy levels have dropped a little as my body is neither getting all the glucose it needs or adapted to ketones yet. I'm on my way! I'm having "food dreams" like crazy where I'm eating spaghetti, drinking coke, etc.

Heather L

Those food dreams happen to me sometimes... and I will be thinking in the dream how mad I am that I blew it. LOL

I much prefer the dreams with MEN in them... Grin

Seriously, though, I hope you find yourself adapting more. It's not fun to feel low on energy.

Kristelle

Since lowering fat intake to about 60-65% calories, I'm doing amazing...Too much fat seems to have been a problem, at least for me.

Heather

Interesting. What changes did you notice?

Kristelle

More energy, better sleep, stomach aches and bloating totally gone. Right now, I'm barely eating any fat but will probably begin eating more shortly.

Dean

Hey, Kristelle! Heart

How have you been? Devil

Kristelle

HEY DEAN! long time no see. I hope you're doing good. Very glad to see you back. Happy

I've finally figured out what the problem was and ever since dropping estrogen, I feel much better. My gallbladder was screwed up because of estrogen.

Later...

Sassy

Hi Kristelle,

I've been trying to catch up with everyone's journal. Glad to see you're having just as much fun on the bus as ever!

Sassy

Kristelle

Thanks Sass!

Kristelle

Still doing good, just eating meat and drinking plain water. Health recovering slowly but surely.

Heather

Great to hear! Yup

Kristelle

So I'm not spilling ketones anymore and the reason why is because I'm eating much less fat and feeling so much better. That's it.

Sassy

Glad to hear you are feeling better!

Sassy

Kristelle

Thanks Sass.

So, I wrote to the Bear and he suspects that the problems I've been having since my operation, irrespective of diet, could be due to bad housekeeping, his words...not mine. In other words, they may have left something (he calls it rubbish) inside my body, like a gauze. This is not something I ever considered but makes much sense.

In the last few weeks, symptoms have improved as well as the very strange sensation I've been having since my operation but never cared to mention to anyone...feeling like there was some sort of rock lodged in the area where I got operated on which was especially obvious when I sat down on hard surfaces. I don't feel that "rock" anymore and I am also doing better. Coincidence or NOT? The Bear may have nailed it and by some miracle, the "thing" inside of my has dissolved. It also occurred at around the time when I dropped estrogen.

The Bear is one smart guy!

Sassy

I am glad you are doing so much better!!!

Yup

Sassy

Rich

See you are over at the 0 carb forum as well. Glad you are feeling better and thats cool that you got to communicate with the bear

Kristelle

Hey Rich!

Thanks, I am doing better. :)

Kim

Kristelle

Interesting stuff Kim... Wow

Dean

Happy New Year, Kristelle! Heart