Download a transcript of this episode
Topics:
1. [3:30] Type 1 Diabetes
2. [9:14] Brain Fog & Fatigue
3. [15:48] Ketogenesis, Iron & CVD
4. [25:33] Gut Health & Testosterone Levels
5. [37:02] Underweight Kids
6. [42:31] Cold Hands, Warm Derriere
7. [48:37] Drinking While Eating
Questions:
1. Type 1 Diabetes
Melissa Says: In the overview of the Paleo Diet, you mention that the diet can reverse the effects of Type 2 Diabetes, but never get into the affects the diet can have on those who suffer from Type 1 Diabetes. I am trying to help my father, who has been affected by Type 1 Diabetes since he was 7 (now he is 51) live a healthier lifestyle (although, for someone with Diabetes, he is remarkably healthy and in great physical condition). Do you recommend the Paleo solution for someone in his position? What are the pro’s and con’s for someone living with Type 1 Diabetes? Any pointers to make the diet more effective for someone like my father?
2. Brain Fog & Fatigue
Brian Says: Starting about 4 or 5 years ago I began experiencing mild brain fog or a “detached” feeling for a few hours somewhat frequently. Since then it has become progressively worse both in severity and duration. Now it will last days or weeks at a time and is coupled with a host of other “symptoms”. The brain fog is so bad it feels almost like I have had a few drinks, I am a little disoriented, I can’t focus, I’m fatigued, I don’t sleep well, I wake up in an awful mood feeling like a got hit by a train, my performance in the gym suffers, I am generally irritable with bad mood swings, my motivation to do anything is piss poor, and a quirky one – I have trouble focusing my eyes. However, these symptoms seem to completely disappear after some good strength training or a metcon (CF), at least for a little while. Occasionally everything will clear up for a few days on it’s own.
Background – I’m 26, 5’9”, 175#, about 15% BF, been doing bodybuilding type stuff for the past 5 or 6 years and Crossfit for the past year. Nutrition was clean and looked more like Zone but not paleo until about two months ago. Now I would say I am about 75% paleo (still getting used to it). What could be causing this awful feeling and what steps can I take to get rid of it? Thanks!
3. Ketogenesis, Iron & CVD
Anthony Says: About a week ago I started a ketogenic mass gain a la The Kracken and I noticed on my Fitday calculations that my iron level is pretty high. I’m doing about a pound of grass fed beef liver 3 times/week and on those days my iron content is around 30-35mg. On non-liver days it’s still about 17-20mg. I know in most cases the RDA is a minimum allowance but I’ve read about some Japanese studies concerning iron and its relation to CVD, where the study explains that excessive amounts of iron can oxidize and essentially ‘rust’ our arteries. I know it’s probably just red meat vegan shenanigans but I just want to make sure I’m not hitting the upper level. This is only a 6 week mass gain so I’m not too worried, but I thought I would ask the expert. Thanks.
4. Gut Health & Testosterone Levels
Mike Says: I apologize for the less-than-succinct question but in my efforts to regain optimal health I’ve scratched the surface of what I am looking for but I know there is still plenty of work to be done, I can say with some certainty though, that I think the paleo lifestyle is what I have been looking for.
My main question addresses testosterone and gut health. So here is a bit of medical history on me. I thought I was a fairly average teenager, had skin issues, some occasional bouts of sleeplessness, but neither of those would be case for any red flags. To tackle my acne I was on antibiotics for years (monocyclin, amoxacylin, tetracyclin, if I recall correctly) and had mild success. When I turned 18 I had chronic insomnia that continued for 3 years where I had about 3-4 hours of advil pm induced sleep each night. My skin was horrible, so within those 3 years I went on accutane twice, with success when I was on it but my skin would always take a turn for the worse there after. My mood was down, I could no longer maintain erections, I couldn’t look people in the eye, I would cry trying to sleep but my brain would never shut off. I still had enough drive to maintain some exercise, but that was probably the last thing I need at this point. SO!
Last February I had my testosterone checked and at 20 years old I had ng/dl of 242. The traditional MD thought I had gender issues, or that I needed to be in the sun and exercise more. Well in hindsight, not horrible advice but come on doc! I started p90x and started eating cleaner. I had a friend who turned me on to gluten free dieting with huge success in skin and sleep. I went to a more forward thinking doctor still had very low testosterone but had food allergens checked. Found out I had class IV allergens to almost everything (brussel sprouts, avocado, blueberries, you name it). He recommended that I start a plant-based testosterone therapy to get myself out of the deficit. Started training based upon Poliquin/Chek principles this summer, leaned out to 11% body fat while gaining 19lbs of muscle. All good things, my testosterone increased to 930 for awhile but has since dropped to 360. For the last month I have done your autoimmune protocol with high doses of glutamine (40g), aloe vera juice, zinc carnosine and chlorophyll. I am getting blood work done soon to retest my testosterone.
So finally, my questions! How long does it take to repair leaky gut syndrome? Will my testosterone improve once my gut is repaired? How long should I stay on the autoimmune protocol (I miss beef, and nitrate free bacon!)? What else can I be doing to attack more aggressively?… I hate having to explain to my girlfriend that it’s not her it’s my hormone output, I just want to have normal ranges for someone that eats as clean and works out as efficiently as I do. Thank you so much for your wisdom.
5. Underweight Kids
Sally Says: I have been doing Paleo for a few months with dramatic results. But I have been reluctant to extend it to my kids. I have 2 boys 13 and 9 and both are tall but very lean. My 13 year old in particular has been having trouble gaining weight. They have both cut back on their sugar in take, but I have been reluctant to take them paleo because I don’t want them to lose weight. Also, it is hard enough to get them to eat, though I am excellent cook. How can I get their diet under control without risking weight loss?
A typical day looks like:
Breakfast: Pancakes with some syrup. Eggs or sausage. Fruit.
Lunch: Ham or cured meat sandwich with goat cheese. Fruit.
Snack: sausages or english muffin.
Dinner: Paleo meat and vegtables with pasta or rice
Dessert: store bought ice cream
6. Cold Hands, Warm Derriere
Amy Says: I have a freakish circulation problem in my hands and occasionally my feet. Anytime I’m out in the cold (it doesn’t even need to be a very low temperature) I will literally completely lose circulation to my extremities. There is a distinct line between the normal colored hand and the whitish-yellow fingers where the blood flow stops. The longer I’m out and the colder the temperature the more fingers it progresses to.
Even at normal temperatures my hands are always noticeably cooler than the rest of my body. Despite the fact that this defies some law of physics, I’m pretty sure my hands are sometimes colder than the ambient temperature of the room.
I have diagnosed myself with Raynaud’s phenomenon (I believe it’s primary as I have no other conditions to the best of my knowledge), and while having a label seems to legitimize my condition as more than me just being whiny, it has done nothing to make my hands warmer. The web has been a bountiful source of useful information which can basically be summarized as “we have no idea what the hell causes it” and “move to some place warmer.” I could also apparently get a prescription for viagra, which I would really look forward to picking up at the pharmacy (“it’s not for ME, I swear, it’s for my 70 year-old boyfriend?”)
While it is occasionally entertaining to freak people out with my corpse-esque digits, I really enjoy outdoor activities and would love to be able to do so without losing my fingers.
My mother tries to say that I get cold so easily because I don’t have enough bodyfat, but I think this is completely unrelated (I’m 5’6 140lbs and 17 or 18% bodyfat, the majority of which is concentrated in my derriere, which, incidentally, never gets cold, so maybe she has a point).
I wanted to know if there’s anything I can do nutritionally to improve my circulation or if I should just get fat or move to Hawaii.
Info which may be helpful): 27 year-old female. I’ve been eating almost 100% paleo for about a year now, but never ate badly prior to that (basically I cut out grains and stopped being scared of fat). Lots of meats (grass-fed when I can afford), veggies, coconut products, sweet potatoes post workout, eggs, avocados, small amounts of fruit. Some grass-fed butter but no other dairy. I avoid doing many nuts or anything high in omega-6s. The only supplements I use are vitamin D and fish oil (I mostly just try to keep my omega-6 intake down). My most frequent cheat is alcohol, but I stick to liquor or wine (maybe once a week) and pizza (once a month?) or occasional dark chocolate. I avoid caffeine since it’s a vasoconstrictor which I hardly think would improve my issues with already spastic veins. I’m freakishly strong for a girl and I exercise on a regular basis with an unprogrammed conglomeration of whatever makes me happy at the moment (heavy lifting, olmpic lifts, some running, sprinting, mountain biking, hiking, salsa, crossfit-esque workouts, but I don’t go ape-shit with any of it). I try to make sleep a priority, but my sleep quality is always a struggle (most likely because I’m a genius). In essence I have all the basic bases covered.
I don’t have any other health issues that I’m aware of. Haven’t been to a doctor in years so I have no information on bloodwork or anything along those lines (Sorry 🙁 ).
One thing that did intrigue me in my research is that Raynaud’s phenomenon is often secondary to an array of autoimmune diseases which led me to wonder if I might have some underlying issue or sensitivity that I’m unaware of.
I’ve been making my way through the podcasst, but haven’t heard anything on this topic yet. Any help you can offer would be much appreciated.
7. Drinking While Eating
Mats Says: In your experience, does drinking while eating influence digestion? Some say it is not advisable to drink while you eat, supposing this would dilute the gastric acids and enzymes. The idea is the stomach is an acidic oven burning the food and fluids would extinguish the flame. Then again others say you have to drink with food so it becomes a more even and moist (opposed to chunky and dry) mass in the stomach in which the gastric acids and enzymes are then evenly distributed for optimum chemical digestion.
Quickly thought thru I think both theories sound reasonable. It seems natural to drink with food but then again it might also be a cultural habit. I’ve noticed I feel more of that satisfying warmth after eating if I dont drink with the food. What are your thoughts on the matter, does drinking with food influence digestion?
My thanks and appreciation for all your work!
Hey Robb,
It sounds like I am Brian’s doppelgänger. All the same signs and symptoms except I’m 24 and have a few other things; possibly fructose intolerance, asthma, scalp psoriasis and the list goes on. Anyway, I’m going to see a nautropath this month. I was wondering if you iterate what exactly I should be asking the doc to test/look into.
So far I’ve got:
Vitamin D lvls
Androgen lvls – including thyroid & thyroid stimulating hormone
ASI test (3 or 4 point)
Am I missing anything?
PS I got a blood test back last month saying that I had low hemoglobin but not low iron. Thoughts?
Thanks!
nice handle. i was thinking of paleo padawan myself but felt the Lucas reference would go over the heads of most. mine has a dual meaning of and of the expreience of paleolithic times.
and of the band of course
Hi Guys
Very interesting show!! Thank you!
I am a 25 year old male with total testosterone levels of 335ng/dL and frequently have brain fog and fatigue. I know that the two are related.
My question is whether a systemic fungal/bacterial infection could be the underlying cause behind the low testosterone levels and brain fog. My diet is very clean (autoimmune paleo), I sleep well and do not over train.
I do also suffer from some skin symptoms such as psoriasis on my elbows, dry skin and recurrent jock itch.
Do you have any advice…..?
Thanks again.
JB,
To throw in from what I have learned short answer is yes. You got your levels checked? What were the others? Free T, E, etc. I had a similar situation while a year younger than you and I have spent the past 3+years trying to correct and learn about this.
The infection and the medical corrections could have disturbed gut health. Even though you are paleo now, the healing process could be slow as far as rebuilding and establishing go. If your system is stressed dealing with infection youre not gona be pumping out large amounts of T but my guess is there is something else going on with this low T. Are you taking any other supplements or medications? Sleep is good but what do you consider good? How do you train?
Skin issues like that could be associated with psychological stress/problems (usually from mother)? How are you roaming in that area?
Free testosterone of 5.48ng/dL. I sleep between 8 and 9 hours normally and my sleep quality has really improved since going Paleo. I hardly wake up in the night and normally wake before my alarm. I train about 3-4 times a week, no cardio just some weight lifting. About 40-50 minute sessions. I walk a lot too.
I haven’t been taking any supplements but have just recently started a natural anti-fungal medication.
Have you been able to correct your issues and up your testosterone levels?
Hiya Robb,
I’m interested in the affects of donating some iron along with some of my blood on insulin resistance. I have somewhat high morning fasting glucose levels (avg. 105) and probably have insulin resistance issues. I’d be up for some blood donation if it would help as long as it won’t exacerbate any cortisol issues. What do you think? Rest assured that I’ll get a few lab numbers before I start out. I’m interested in shortish term effects; with the advent of artificial blood not too far down the line I probably won’t be able to donate for too many years and with the Singularity in a few decades I’m not too concerned about what this is going to do to my body by the time I hit 80.
Thanks a lot!
Craig
Re: Brain fog & fatigue
Adrenal (ASI) and other hormone tests can be run by Certified Nutrition Consultants as well as naturopaths, etc. just as an FYI. These are things I run with my clients as well as have colleagues to refer out to who specialize in hormonal regulation. If people are having trouble finding local help, they can get in touch with me and I can possibly help them or direct them to someone who can.
That said, people DO need to work on SLEEP and cleaning out the irritating foods FIRST. There’s little use in running an ASI while you’re eating poor quality food that will push that fatigue. The ASI can get run at any time and usually costs around $120-160, just as a reference.
Thanks Diane. I’ll keep that in mind.
Hey Robb – When I first heard Amy’s question, the first thing that I thought of is that she has not had a blood panel in years. I would counsel her to get her blood glucose tested. Reason being is a sign of uncontrolled diabetes can be peripheral neuropathy – which could explain why her feet and hands have poor circulation.
I had the same condition, and the good news is that a person can reverse some of the damage if they are able to normalize their blood glucose numbers. Even if she is not in the diabetic range, she may find some relief from her condition by making sure she doesn’t have any glucose spikes. My guess would be she is at least glucose impaired somehow.
You don’t usually get diabetic neuropathy for years of being a pretty uncontrolled diabetic and that would have more symptoms. It sure sounds more like Raynaud’s disease.
Have to agree with your guys’ sentiments on Amy’s writing. I actually read the question and thought “Please live in VA Beach!” But I guess I’d be at a disadvantage for not being 70 years old, damn.
I always just told people I had a warm heart when they commented on how cold my hands are. Now I have something to really blame it on, thanks!
About gut health and testosterone, I had similar problems two years ago. It wasn’t a testosterone problem at all, I had DEPRESSION. That’s worth checking into, because he’s got almost all the symptoms (crying, no sleep, no motivation, insomnia, social anxiety, shitty mood).
I tried tweaking my nutrition, my sleep patterns, my training, my life in general, nothing worked. I went to see a shrink, I fixed deep emotional issues and BAM (kidding, it took a year of therapy), everything went back to normal.
Bottom line: it looks like mental health problems to me.
it could very well be, i went down that road for years and through various therapies cured my depressions that stemmed from past abuses and faulty belief systems. however i still get depressed as a direct result of physical health problems. the brain isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, the system is inflammed and auto-immune reactions are happening. this creates a real physiological state of depression, i.e. “the system is depressed.”
I donated a pint to the Red Cross a week ago and they said they won’t take blood from me again for 56 days, iirc.
Half the reason I donated blood was to check on my iron and blood pressure, which were great. I was told to take it easy after donating, but I decided to go to my BJJ class a few hours later and made it through some intense sparring with only moderate light headed-ness : >
They don’t check your iron when you donate, just your hematocrit. Your iron can be high and you won’t know it unless you have it tested at a lab, usually ordered by a doctor.
Every 56 days to donate, up to 6 times/year.
Please share what you learn about donating blood Robb the genius! I love how donating blood makes me feel mentally (i.e.. saving several lives is just an hour or so is a natural high for me). However, it makes me feel like crap for many weeks. Though that was when I was a veg, so maybe it will be better now that I’m a cavewoman? I will have to try it again. However, I think epidimiology on donaters would be hard. How to control for that whole, feel good factor, plus the selection bias of people who choose to donate blood maybe being happier people who just like to give stuff away and love on the world? There’s a lot more to longevity than food and exercise, I think…
A lot more indeed!
Your altruistic traits are exactly what makes the world a better place. unfortunately you’re genes won’t get passed on unless you have kids. Same goes for you Mr Wolf. Its nice being nice and all, and helping others, but Mother NAture doesnt give a crap about you unless you reproduce.
Please, no offence implied, I highly respect your benevolent works, but its ok to be a little selfish too.
Coach,
could she be feeling like crap because Iron levels are being depleted post giving blood?
I am planning to donate blood on 11/11/11.
Every time I donate I have trouble with my small veins 🙁
(They use a pressure cuff to help w/this)I know the standard for a good donation-doesn’t work for me.
Do you have any Robb Were-wolf like magic tricks to pump, pump my veins, pump ’em up???
Robb –
It was probably so obvious to you and Greg that it didn’t bear mentioning, but let’s not forget that donating blood is the right thing to do because it saves lives (thanks Stephanie for bringing it up). Cleaning up iron levels, encouraging healthy cell turnover and possibly promoting longevity is great, but let’s not lose sight of the point of donating – to help those in need. With the exception you noted (those with blood borne illnesses) I’d encourage everyone to donate as often as possible regardless of the health effects. The need is just too great. One caveat: try to time your donation with your athletic goals – if you’re going to be competing in the near future, you might want to hold off on donating until after you’re done and past the acute recovery phase.
Studies on the life spans of donators vs. nondonators might be interesting, but how would you control for all of the other confounding factors? Perhaps those who donate tend to have healthier life habits overall? Could you get there with a large enough sample size?
Robb,
looking forward to the article on the testosterone case study….Thanks
Thanks for answering my question about my underweight kids. (And you are welcome for the laughs I gave you!)
Your suggestion of introducing paleo one course at a time, and without any fanfare is a great one. It also will let me track their weight slowly. I will let you know how it goes.
If my kids were overweight I would feel better about being totally hardass/take-it-or-leave-it about their diet, but when I see their skinny ribs I feel parental guilt.
Hey Sally,
I was curious if you’ve considered the fact that the crappy food is what is making them skinny. With all the calories they should be a healthy weight. Their skinnyness could very well be caused by mal absorption of food and nutrients. Switching them to paleo may actually cause them to gain weight. My little brothers are the same way. They have grown really tall in the last year but have struggled to gain any mass, but thier diet is terrible. They eat cereal, oreos, chips and taco truck for the most part. I have long suspected that they may be gluten intorrerent or celiac as skinnyness and the inability to gain weight may be a sign of malabsorption. I have yet to convince them to get tested. Im a type 1 diabetic since age of 4 (now 30.) I was tested a year ago and while I tested positive for transglutaminace; my endoscope was negative for celiacs but I had already been paleo for a year when I took the test. I suspect than the genetic apples don’t fall too far from the tree with my brothers although they have been really healthy for most of thier lives. It is my belief that youth can mask a lot.
Dan
I hadn’t considered that. I assumed that they were lean like their dad, but come to think of it I was skinny too until I suddenly wasn’t anymore. I guess this experiment will see if you are right!
In other news: I was feeling all upbeat about switching their diet but after a post-soccer pizza party and a Halloween party I wonder if it is ever possible to get kids 100% compliant.
90% is better than 50%
Yes, it seems like there’s still a lot to learn about what “normal” testosterone (and cholesterol for that matter) levels should be. It starts to get complex when you have to evaluate multiple tests(free, total, etc.) I think the case study will be very helpful.
I was concerned about iron levels and tried to donate blood but was rejected because i spent more than 5 years in Europe since 1980.
I keep checking if Red Cross changed its policy in regards to vCJD but it doesn’t look like it will. It’s not like USA didn’t have cases of mad cow disease… Retarded.
Per my naturopath’s advice, I started giving blood to get my iron levels back to a normal level. They were pretty high, but not Hemochromitosis high. I have come to learn how important it is for people to give blood, and my initial selfish motivation has turned into a really good feeling of helping others. The limitations on giving are (for the Puget Sound Blood Bank) every 56 days, not to exceed 6 times per year. I did a lot of Googling but could not find anything really concrete on life expectancy of donors. I found 1 kind of dicey article that said it can extend your life span but I wouldn’t take it to heart. I will keep donating anyway. When its your time..its your time.
i am also eagerly awaiting the gut health/testosterone case study as i am dealing with a similar chronic issue at age 32, being diagnosed with the catch-all IBS & leaky gut/candidiasis, my hormone output is very low, symptoms including fatigue, depression, auto-immune attacks, skin issues, lack of creativity, god the list goes on.
i am on the auto-immune paleo protocol as well as a modified IF because my body gets depressed after eating so i’d rather eat once at the end of the day! also incorporating PHD anti-fungal paleo ideas and taking TONS of supplement, but i amy not be absorbing much of them
What tons of supplements are you taking? You are probably right, after all those internal digestive issues you probably are not aborbing jack. Have you look into gut health repair? Anything you know that is causing all this damage? What are you doing diet wise to combat these issues? Have you had blood work done regarding hormones?
i am taking every supplement that robb, the jaminets, and kruse recommend for both regular paleo supplementation and leaky gut/auto-immune supplementation, as well as eating per kruse’s leptin reset, jaminets. anti-funagl apparoach and robbs auto-immune paleo approach with at least 90% accuracy. i work in a restaurant so i cant be 100% everything 100% of the time. my last hormone panel was in january and i had low Thyroid levels, low free testosterone and high estrogen, and the related corollary hormone levels. i dont have the paper in front of me. the only thing i can think of thats causing the damage is some kind of chronic pathogenic yeast or fungus along with adrenal insufficiency from decades of abuse and stress.
wow, thats a lot of good info. I would look environmental then. I dont know what robbs supp plan details, to you have a link? Or direction? For me certain cosmetic things were causing issues like deodorant and soaps/lotions. Before I had taken a supp and had a T suppressing result. Alcohol and bad liver can also cause problems. Some people build up and store E from interactions over time then make a switch to start losing weight and the E that is stored in the fat is released but not excreted. I dont know what these plans exactly entail but it would help to first start looking at any extrenal factors that could be lowering your T. I havent really seen anyone with serious digestive issues resulting in lower T levels directly even with people who have missing/no (large) intestines. Unless to stomach is unable to break anything down, because of low stomach acid or bad stomach lining, that would be a problem as well.
Robb, when Mike said that he was following the autoimmune protocol (he stated that he misses beef and bacon), my question is does beef cause or contribute towards inflammation? A relative of mine has inflammatory bowel disease and was told not to eat beef as it increases inflammation. I suggested Paleo to her, but her Doc told her this about beef. I thought for the autoimmune protocol you eliminated night shades, eggs and spices? Am I missing some new information? Thanks Robb! Another great podcast!
Honestly ANY food can be potentially problematic, but this sounds more like quasi-vegetarian dogma than an individual informed on GI permeability issues. Look at thee results we’ve had!
I know! I am much much better and my gut thanks me for it! And you of course! Now, to only help others! (only if they are open and willing, that is………I started to become that “that guy/gal” You know the article Amy wrote about. Thanks Robb.
Hey Robb,
I was wondered if you have talked to Mat about the rationale for his keto bulking diet at all, or could point me in the right direction for info about it?
No! I was hoping that I wouldn’t be relegated to the barren, egg-less, curry-less, tundra of the autoimmune protocol. That may be worse than my mission to convince myself that I like liver.
When I watched that show I wondered if Manu had Raynaud’s and if her symptoms had abated or if the producers had simply found more interesting mini-dramas to show after the first night. I was also thinking to myself that I could probably deal with everything but the cold and was eyeing Billy as a potentially useful source of warmth. I hope he’s cuddlier than he appears.
As soon as I’m back in town I’ll initiate full lockdown, start eating weird fermented things, then go wander around outside in my skivvies and let you know what happens.
Thanks for answering my question!
Amy
P.S. I take 2,000 IU a day of vitamin D, but I’ll see about getting my levels tested.
P.P.S. I’m flattered by your comments on my writing. I enjoy research and as soon as I acquire a sufficient degree of expertise I intend on starting a blog of some sort. My degree is in psychology, but I’ve been looking into going to grad school for something in the nutritional sciences.
What are paleo recommendations for people with known challenges to glucose metabolism.?……I can not do carbs beyond 15 at a time. dx with gestational diabetes with first pregnancy in 1982. Only managed by diet since, I have lasted nearly 30 years without further intervention. I am 5’7 and weigh 113 pounds..I keep it low or my numbers rise. But…I love to run. I track my fasting and post prandile readings. They range 85 and up. If I run 5 miles they go up to 140 and take 2 hr to drop. Daily carb count runs around 50 or less. I can’t do more than 1 fruit split. Don’t know how to balance. I do lots of veggies, esp raw. Stress is real. I am an eldercare giver. My mom is blind, with alzheimers, strokes, osteoarthritis, and peripherial vascular disease. I would like to avoid this fate………..trying to go paleo. What is the best compromise? lyn
I’m going to turn this around on you…what would YOU recommend? You tell me how to handle this. What are the cost/benefit scenarios you need to consider?
in the low test part of the cast you talk about a list of supplements to help with this can you please post this list i have low t but other than that blood work and all seems great and i don’t want t shoots if a can help it and i will be doing before and after blood work
thanks for your time
Matt in my opinion you should look into what is possibly causing the low t. Even throwing T at the issue may not work. How long have you felt like you have been suffering from low t? What kinds of symptoms? Sometimes its things in the environment that can cause T to be blunted or stolen such as deodorant, lotions, plastics etc. Look into what may be killing your T first. If its internal, within your body, than you should look into the how and why of that; did you suffer a blow to the head? Has your ipad been sitting on your lap? Are you taking any other supplements etc. Usually there is an external cause that creates an internal problem not that you system decides to stop working. You can take any and all supplements in the world and they could have little to no effect.
Hi Robb
Is it true that too much protein can decrease testosterone levels?
JB- just throwing out my 2 cent but no, unless the body is having a strange negative result from becoming to acidic or the person is contracting too much estrogen(s) from the meat itself. Typically with higher meat consumption, if digestion is decent, you should obtain higher iron, zinc and vit D levels causing an increase in T. Low protein consumption or vegan/veg lifestyles have shown such populations to have lower T than meat eaters.
Robb, another fantastic episode.
One note regarding Mike’s experience with depressed testosterone levels. His Accutane use is probably why. There is something about that terrible drug that seems to permanently derange testosterone metabolism in many who have taken it.
There’s more info on that in the interview on this page (cue to around the 10 minute mark for the stuff on Accutane):
http://www.bhrcenter.com/
While Accutane’s effects on IBD are fairly well-known at this point, the drug’s damaging effects on testosterone have not gotten them attention they deserve.
(Also, on the sound quality — have you considered constructing a makeshift microphone ‘tent’? Basically, you “shelter” your microphone from echoes by building a “pillow cave” around it on your desk. Then lean forward and just talk into the “cave.” It will look dumb, but the sound will be much improved.)
one obvious and the most prevalent cause of low testosterone in young guys and even old guys is masturbation , porn and orgasming which leads to erectile dysfunction. No guy would even question his testosterone unless he had an ED. I don’t know , maybe that’s too obvious and doesn’t sell books and supplements but I would first look at that
please state your sources because that makes no sense.
Robb,
Will decaf coffee work to block iron? I know I’ve got some kind of adrenal fatigue I’m still working out of and don’t want to mess with caffeine for a while yet.
Also, for the record (no pun intended): your content is so good I could care less about sound quality. It’s plenty good enough when Skype doesn’t drop you guys now and then.
re:brian and brain fog. I just listened to 103 while on my run. Nice disclaimer in the beginning about Robb not being a doctor and can’t diagnose and treat over the internet. Then tells Brian, with brain and visual disturbances, to get his testosterone checked. I would also advise to see an ophthalmologist for the visual problem, and maybe a neurologist for the altered mental status. Rule out something like MS. Paleo eating may solve a lot of problems, and most doctors wouldn’t consider it, but it might be wise to make sure you don’t have some serious disease. Paleo physicians network is a great idea. There are still some useful diagnostic tools in medicine.
I’m in the same boat as Brian, but only for the past few months. Had test checked; total was good but free was a little low and shbg was high. Doc didnt even mention cortisol so i ordered a saliva test online and found 12pm and 5pm levels were high out of range while 7am levels were upper range and 11pm level was low. Do you think high cortisol could be a cause of brain fog? Mine makes me stressed which cascades into anxiety and piss poor motivation. Seems to be consuming my thoughts at all times which doesn’t help matters. Have been using some supplements to no avail, but have some seriphos on order, so we’ll see if that helps.
Malnourished kids seem to tend to be skinny and malnourished adults seem to tend toward fat, although I’ve definitely seen counterexamples. I wonder why that is?
It’s sad that our society views fat as bad and skinny as acceptable when either can be just as far from healthy.
That’s not directed at anyone in particular; I just spent the weekend with a family with two little girls with some sort of pre-diabetes going on, and the girls filled up on chips and diet soda, didn’t eat any of the dinner (which was pasta with bread anyway), then had cake and ice cream, and their parents were talking about all the different teeth and health problems the girls have been having.
I had to bite my tongue but it was sad because they were extremely concerned about the diet of another daughter as soon as she started gaining a little weight. Being unhealhty is okay as long as you aren’t fat…
This is for Sally-
I absolutely agree with the fact that YOU provide the food for your family. Try mashing sweet potatoes or sweeter squash, add an egg and make pancakes then mash bananas or frozen fruit for your ‘syrup’. You can also make meat cupcakes, adding pureed veggies into them. If these are your kids’ options, they’ll eat or go hungry. Eventually they’ll eat it.
As far as school lunches, pack your kid’s lunch with the same paleo type foods, and make sure the school knows NOT to extend school lunch to your kids. I had one who would throw his lunch away and then eat school lunch. I didn’t know until I got a $40 food bill from the school.
This same child seriously hates veggies. I add purees into foods to increase their nutritional value, although I also serve veggies with the meal to make sure he is exposed to, and eats, veggies in the whole state. He is also tiny and underweight (as far as drs are concerned) for his age. It’s just the way he’s made.
Your children will do just fine on paleo. They will not lose weight if you add enough fat into their diet. They will eventually even out at their ideal weight just as adults do.
Best of Luck!