Hello, I am on Day 11 of the MAF test. The first week went very well, this second week I have a headache as a detox symptom, I suppose. I am drinking plenty of water. Comparison between the 7 Day All You Can Eat Diet and GM Diet Plan on which food regime is better and most effective. Carbohydrate Intolerance and the Two- Week Test. Many people suffer from a condition known as carbohydrate intolerance, or (CI). This is perhaps the most well- hidden epidemic of our time and is being made worse by the prevalence of sugar and other high- carbohydrate foods common to our diets. Carbohydrate Intolerance — and the full spectrum of ailments that accompany it — begins as a hidden problem. CI then progresses to a functional disorder producing symptoms, such as fatigue, that negatively affect quality of life. Gradually, this process generates serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. While best viewed as a single, escalating progression of the same problem, carbohydrate intolerance has series of distinct stages: Early stages. The symptoms can be elusive, often associated with difficult- to- diagnose blood- sugar problems, fatigue, intestinal bloating and loss of concentration. Middle stages. The worsening condition is known in the medical community as carbohydrate- lipid metabolism disturbance or hyperinsulinism. It causes more serious conditions such as hypertension, it elevates triglyceride levels and LDL “bad” cholesterol while lowering HDL “good” cholesterol, and increasing body fat. I have read a few articles about the GM diet stating that it. Those might be right, but I can say with all honesty that. This flat belly meal plan incorporates foods that will help trim the waistline. Final Stages. CI manifests as an array of more serious problems, including obesity, and various diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. These end- stage conditions are part of a set of diseases that are now well- recognized by modern medicine. They are referred to as Syndrome X, or Metabolic Syndrome. Taking the Carbohydrate Intolerance survey is the first step in reclaiming your optimal health. The next step is taking the Two- Week Test, which will help determine just how sensitive your body is to carbohydrates. The Two- Week Test. This evaluation will tell you if you are carbohydrate- intolerant, and if so, how to remedy it. It must be emphasized that this is only a test and not a permanent diet — it will only last two weeks and should not be pursued beyond this 1. You should never experience hunger during the test — you can eat as much of the non- carbohydrate foods as you want, and as often as you need. Of all the clinical tools I developed and used for assessment and therapy through my career, the consistency of results from the Two- Week Test surprised me the most. It’s amazing how a person can go from one extreme of poor health to vibrant health in such a short time. It’s simply a matter of removing a major stress factor — refined carbohydrates and excess insulin — and allowing the body to function the way it was originally meant. Since the Paleo diet relies heavily on meat, a Paleo diet for vegetarians seems like a contradiction. Here's how to make the Paleo diet and vegetarianism work well. Learn how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet. Our nutrition expert analyzes one reader's vegetarian bodybuilding meal plan and explains how it should be tweaked for. Check Out Our ULTIMATE Guide to Popular 7 Day GM Diet Plan! CLICK HERE to discover Tips, Tricks and Strategies for Losing Weight! The Two- Week Test was unique because it required individuals to take an active role the process of self- evaluation. He or she would actually feel what it was like to have normal insulin levels, optimal blood sugar and, in many cases, be finally free of signs and symptoms associated with CI — all within a short time frame. This proved to be a far superior method of educating the patient. Some people didn’t feel improvement because they were not carbohydrate- intolerant. But patients who were overweight, had blood- sugar problems, and simply could not escape the damage of eating refined carbohydrates now knew what it would take to quickly change their health. It is not the purpose of the Two- Week Test to restrict calories or fat. It merely restricts many carbohydrate foods. For a period of two weeks, just eat as much as you want from what you’re allowed, and avoid what’s restricted. Includes any symptoms or ailments that you might have, such as insomnia or fatigue. This may take a few days since you might not recall them all at once. You will review these complaints after the test to see which ones have and haven’t improved. Weigh yourself. This provides another important sign of how your body is working, especially after the test. This is the only instance I recommend using the scale for body weight—it’s not a measure of body fat, but it is a good pre/post evaluation. You may lose some excess water (which will show on the scale), but your fat- burning will increase and you’ll start losing body fat (which won’t show on the scale). I’ve seen some people lose anywhere between a few and 2. Stock up on the right foods. Before you start, make sure you have enough of the foods you’ll be eating. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to eat them if you get cravings during the test. Plan Correctly. Schedule the test during a two- week period in which you are relatively unlikely to have distractions. This is only a test, not the way you’ll be eating forever. Most importantly, eat breakfast within an hour of waking. Following the test for less than two weeks probably will not give you a valid result. So, if after five days, for example, you eat a bowl of pasta or a box of cookies, you will need to start the test over. During The Test: The Menu. What makes the Two- Week Test foods acceptable aren’t the foods themselves, but rather their properties. It’s all about eating unprocessed “real” foods that are low in carbohydrates. You can assume any foods that are similar to what you find on this list can be eaten. If you see any foods on this list or the following that are disallowed (e. Be sure to read the ingredients for all packaged foods, as some form of sugar or carbohydrate is typically added. Better yet, simply avoid all packaged and processed foods for two weeks! Click here for some meal ideas to use during the Two- Week Test. Now that you know which foods to eat, you can start the Two- Week Test! Once you are done with the Two- Week Test, click the button below to read about the Post- Test. The Post- Test will help you re- incorporate carbohydrate foods that are healthy for you without experiencing a return of the signs and symptoms of carbohydrate intolerance. Experimenting with the Paleo Diet for Vegetarians. Post written by Susan Lacke. I’m never one to back down from a challenge. If you tell me I “can’t” do something, you’ve guaranteed I’ll set out to do it. So when my buddy Joel Runyon bragged about a new diet plan of his, I was intrigued and wanted to give it a shot for myself.“Aww, that’s cute,” Joel smirked, “but you can’t do it.”“Why?” I retorted.“It’s based on the principles of a paleo diet plan. You’re one of THOSE people. It’s possible for the paleo diet to be adapted to the vegetarian lifestyle.”“Prove it.”“Fine. I will.”The principles of paleo. If you’re unfamiliar with the paleo diet, it’s a diet that encourages “eating like a caveman.” In other words, only foods that our ancestors would have hunted or gathered. It’s what we’re “meant” to eat, say proponents, and for many, that idea translates to the notion that we’re “meant” to eat meat — lots of it. A quick search for “vegetarian paleo” doesn’t yield much of use, other than Matt’s long post about three ways to make it work. In fact, an overwhelming majority of sources said it’d be almost impossible to sustain a paleo- vegetarian lifestyle. Some even claimed that, like our cavemen ancestors, a person would die of nutritional deficiencies if they didn’t get their hands on animal protein. Though a dramatic assertion, it does underscore the reason animal protein is so important to the paleo diet. Most plant- based protein sources are considered inflammatory to the body to paleos, and therefore off- limits: No beans. No soy. No rice. No quinoa. No grains of any kind. Further, there’s no starchy foods, no dairy, no alcohol, no sugars (except those found naturally in fruit), and no convenience foods of any sort. I finally understood why there were so few resources on paleo for vegetarians. Flustered, I began to wonder if I had met my match in this challenge. What the hell was I supposed to eat for the next eight weeks? Paleo for vegetarians. Let’s mark this one in the “win” column: I survived 8 weeks as a paleo- vegetarian, and I didn’t die from protein deficiency. Meticulous tracking of my food intake allowed me to see if I was meeting my daily nutritional needs. Yes, even protein. As it turns out, the veggie- caveman- death theory was wrong on a lot of counts. Yes, protein sources are particularly important in a paleo diet. However, animal protein is perhaps given too much prominence. Some paleo followers claim that cavemen consumed 6. But recent research shows that cavemen likely got 4. More importantly, where should today’s No Meat Athletes look if they want to take on a paleo diet? During my 8- week paleo experiment, I centered my diet around vegetarian, paleo- friendly staples offering the highest amounts of protein and healthy fats: Almonds. Avocado. Broccoli. Eggs. Hemp Seed. Pistachios. Potatoes. Spinach. Spirulina. Walnuts. A rather short list, yes, but keep in mind they’re not the only foods I ate. There were plenty of other plant- based foods in my diet, but I tried to include at least two of the above items in every meal or snack. A smoothie would include hemp seed, almonds, and spinach along with frozen berries. My dinner would be a salad would be loaded with vegetables, including avocado and broccoli. A snack would be apples with almond butter and a hard- boiled egg white. Off to a rocky start . In all my time as a vegetarian, I’ve never felt restricted because I “can’t” eat meat. Instead, I’ve chosen to focus on the things I can eat – which is a whole heck of a lot. But adding paleo meant learning to live without grains, dairy, and convenience foods. Suddenly, food felt incredibly constricting. Also, my initiation into the Caveman Club meant I had to endure a nasty transition in what my body was utilizing as fuel. When your carbohydrate intake drops, your body learns to burn fat instead of sugar. It’s actually a great thing for endurance athletes to harness, since it allows for a body to use fat for fuel instead of relying on glycogen reserves, which are easily depleted. But holy geez, the process of getting there is hard. For the first week of the diet, I felt like I had a case of the flu. I was plagued with fatigue, incoherent thoughts, pounding headache, and a lot of bonking during my workouts. All of my research told me to expect a crash, but my body didn’t just crash — it dive- bombed. And then, on the seventh day, I woke up and felt good. Actually, I felt great. Why being paleo- vegetarian was shockingly easy. As I adjusted to the new diet, I realized something surprising: This isn’t so hard after all. Yes, it was an adjustment to learn how to get enough protein without my go- to sources, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was certain I’d constantly crave baked goods (my comfort food), but as it turns out, I could be just as satisfied with healthier, real- food alternatives. I couldn’t imagine a breakfast without oatmeal, cereal, or pancakes, but smoothies, fruit salads, and egg- white omelets loaded with fresh veggies gave me more energy than the grain- based foods. And though it was a “diet,” I was never ravenously hungry. I always felt satiated. The nice thing about paleo diet is that it only provides guidelines for what to eat, not how much of it. In other words, if I was hungry, I could eat as much as I wanted. Only this time, instead of reaching for a nutrition bar or a coffeehouse muffin, I’d grab some veggie sticks or a bowl of fruit. Even eating out at restaurants wasn’t all that hard, so long as I planned ahead. If friends wanted to get together for dinner, I’d suggest we meet up at a Mexican restaurant. There, I could order a veggie fajita salad with salsa and avocado instead of cheese or sour cream (which I never really liked anyway). While traveling, I could grab some nuts and fruit at convenience stores for a quick snack. Was I perfect? If I was hungry and unable able to get my hands on something that fit within the diet, I ate the sandwich or the granola bar. And when my partner brought home a cupcake one night, I devoured every single crumb, cavemen be damned. Overall, though, my consumption was healthier than it was previously. Aside from the sporadic indiscretions, it was a completely clean diet. I thought I did a pretty good job of eating healthy before, but taking away convenience foods forced me to eat more fruit in the morning, or to snack on vegetables instead of a Luna bar. The surprising results (1. Let me be very clear: I did not take on this challenge to lose weight. I tend to be anti- diet, advocating healthy lifestyle changes instead of temporary food restrictions. My purpose for doing this for 8 weeks was to prove that it was possible for a vegetarian to be paleo, just to quiet the peanut gallery (including Joel). I did lose weight, though. Nineteen pounds, to be exact. As of this writing, I am at the same weight I like to be at when I race an Ironman, only I didn’t have to take on the volume of Ironman training to get there. My body fat percentage also dropped from 2. I didn’t get the six- pack abs that launched off this whole experiment, probably because I didn’t follow certain principles of Joel’s diet, including the accompanying exercise plan. Perhaps most surprising was that I was able to sustain my long workouts on a vegetarian paleo diet. Instead of needing to rely on carbs to fuel my workouts, I burned fat. Instead of carrying gels and sugary drinks on a long ride, I carried water. A modern- day caveman? Lest you think I’ve gone off the deep end, I’ll have you know that I’m about to head out on a date. We’re going out for pizza, which is, well . Though it’s not impossible, it’s still a lot of work. There’s so much planning involved, and I’d like to spend less time thinking about food and more time eating it. I’ll certainly take some principles away from these past eight weeks. For example, I’ve decided not to purchase dairy products for my home anymore. I’m also stocking my fridge and pantry with many of the same foods I had consumed during the experiment – turns out if I don’t buy crappy processed foods, I don’t eat crappy processed foods (imagine that!). I don’t plan on going back to my old breakfasts of oatmeal, since paleo- friendly breakfasts give me sustained energy every morning. I’ll also place fresh, raw fruits and vegetables high on the list of priorities, remembering how much better I feel when I opt for those instead of convenience foods. But if, on a cold day, I want to make a bowl of chili, filled to the brim with lentils and topped with crackers, I’m going to. If I’m making a salad and want to throw some grilled tofu on top, I’m going to. And gosh darn it, if I want to eat a cupcake, I’m going to. However, the next time someone tells me vegetarians can’t follow a paleo diet, I’ll be quick to share my eight- week experiment. It’s not as impossible as they might imagine.“I know,” I’ll say, “because I’m one of THOSE people. When she isn’t subjecting herself to ridiculous experiments in the name of good storytelling, she can be found filling up Matt’s inbox with annoying e- mails and training for Ironman Arizona. Day Reset Autoimmune Diet Plan. For many years I suspected that I had some form of thyroid problem based on my own research and symptoms like dry skin, occasional fatigue, trouble losing weight after having a baby, and hair thinning, but I was never able to get answers from conventional tests which showed that my T3 and T4 thyroid hormones were in the normal range. Thankfully, I found an amazing doctor who specializes in hormones and endocrine problems and with additional blood testing and a thyroid ultrasound, he was able to finally figure out what I was struggling with: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an autoimmune condition where the body creates antibodies to the thyroid). What are Autoimmune Problems? It turns out that many different disorders and diseases are autoimmune in nature but they manifest in different ways. As the Paleo Mom explains: Autoimmune disease is caused by the immune system losing the ability to differentiate proteins belonging to your own body with proteins belonging to a foreign invader (like a bacteria, virus or parasite). What causes symptoms is the build up of damage to cells, tissues and/or organs in the body. Which proteins/cells are attacked is what separates once disease from another. In Rheumatoid Arthritis, the tissues of your joints are attacked. In psoriasis, proteins within the layers of cells that make up your skin are attacked. However, the root cause is the same. Genetic predisposition to autoimmunity makes up about one third of your risk of developing an autoimmune disease. The other two thirds of your risk come from environmental factors, which include: diet, lifestyle, infections (both prior and persistent) exposure to toxins, hormones, weight, etc. While you cannot control your genetics or whether or not you had mono as a kid, you do have an immense amount of control over your diet and lifestyle (and the extent that these affect hormones and weight and even toxin exposure). By removing the foods that contribute to a leaky gut, gut dysbiosis (the wrong numbers, relative quantities, or types of microorganisms typically growing in the wrong locations in your gut), hormone imbalance, and that stimulate inflammation and the immune system, you can create the opportunity for your body to heal. By addressing important lifestyle factors and changing your focus to eating nutrient- dense foods that support optimal gut health (and optimal health of your gut microorganisms), that restore levels of important nutrients and provide all of the building blocks that your body needs to heal and properly regulate the immune system, that help resolve inflammation and support organ function, you create an environment in your body conducive to healing. Why Other Diets May Not Work. From my understanding, once the body has an autoimmune reaction, it can sometimes be necessary to remove a wide variety of potentially inflammatory foods for a short time and then reintroduce to test the response. The idea is similar to the theory behind the GAPS protocol but geared toward addressing autoimmune issues instead. Since the body is in a state of heightened immune response, removing these foods can help it get back into a state of balance and reduce the autoimmune reaction. Technically, an autoimmune disease cannot be “cured”, but in many cases, it is possible to put the condition into remission with careful diet and lifestyle changes. My Experience. I switched to an autoimmune protocol diet after being diagnosed with Hashimotos in hopes of giving my immune system a little time to recover. I was hopeful that it would be beneficial, but I was AMAZED at how quickly it helped. Within the first week, I saw my bloating go away, my thyroid nodule felt noticeably smaller, I had more energy (after the first couple of days), and my skin improved. Over the course of the almost two months I did the strict protocol, I lost some of my stubborn weight and felt incredibly better. It also helped me identify foods that I was not responding well to, but that I didn’t realize were problematic (like eggs, which was confirmed by blood test later). I was able to reintroduce many of the foods after that time without a problem and I felt continually better (until I created a flare by not sleeping and stressing about finishing my book). Sleep and stress are both huge factors in overall health and are especially important for those with any kind of health condition. The Specifics of the Autoimmune Diet. The general idea of the autoimmune diet is that you are removing any potentially inflammatory foods, but the specifics are a bit more difficult. Some sources consider foods like fruit and sweet potatoes ok, while others do not. For reference, some sources that I find most helpful are: This particular post from the Paleo Mom is really helpful in understanding what foods are considered safe and which ones to temporarily avoid. I’ll also be posting more autoimmune friendly recipes and meal plans soon, but those are great resources for getting started. You can download the complete food list I used by clicking here (PDF). It can seem overwhelming, but this way of eating is actually relatively simple if you follow a template. My typical day on the autoimmune diet was: Breakfast– A scramble of meat and cooked vegetables, a cup of homemade bone broth, some fermented vegetables, and supplements. Lunch– A huge salad with leftover protein (meat, offal or fish) and a small piece of fruit, a cup of bone broth, fermented water kefir or kombucha and olives. Dinner– A stir fry with some type of protein (meat, offal, seafood) with a lot of vegetables and allowed spices, evening supplements and at least 1 cup of healthy starch like cooked winter squash, pumpkin, etc. I also made a lot of stuffed squashes and soups. We rely heavily on big salads, stir frys and casseroles while on the autoimmune diet. When I first started, it seemed like I couldn’t eat anything and I was depriving myself of everything, but it is important to remember that many times the body is deficient in certain nutrients because of an autoimmune disease so during the course of the 3. I focused on extensively nourishing my body with as many high quality proteins, vegetables and healthy fats as I could consume. I may have been tired of my food choices at times, but I certainly never went hungry. I also focused on consuming a TON of vegetables during this time, after talking to Dr. Terry Wahls and reading her book, The Wahls Protocol. Wahls emphasizes the importance of consuming at least 9 cups of vegetables a day, especially brightly colored vegetables, leafy greens, and onions and garlic. Personally, I found that these factors were equally important to recovery for me: Sleep. I love to stay up late and skimp on sleep so I can get more done. My body does not love this. I’ve found that when I sleep at least 8- 8. I see my health markers improve (blood tests, fasting blood glucose, etc). Stress reduction. Also a tough one for me, but stress can have as much of an impact as diet on gut health and hormone levels. I found that even with a good diet, I started to notice symptoms creeping back in while under the stress of finishing my book. Supplements. I hesitated to include this part because if diet, stress and sleep aren’t under control, this won’t help at all, but I found certain supplements helped tremendously once I had optimized other factors. I personally take: WP- Throid thyroid medication (under the care of my doctor), Betaine HCL with protein meals, 5- MTHF and Methyl- B1. Folate, Probiotics, Fermented Cod Liver Oil, Cortisol support, Omega- 3s, Vitamin D (and sunshine daily in the morning), Magnesium, L- glutamine, Gelatin, and Vitamin C. I would highly recommend seeing a good functional medicine doctor and finding out what you personally need before taking any supplements. Autoimmune Diet Encouragement. This diet is difficult. Sometimes the best things in life require some work and denial of self. An elimination diet is temporary and it gives you a window into your own body and what you need to eat for optimal health. Don’t let is cause you extra stress. Don’t let this keep you up at night. Try to focus on nourishing and loving your body and providing it with the building blocks it needs to function optimally. If you can, encourage a friend or family member to make the journey with you for support. Let me know below what your struggle is and the results you see!
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