Author Archives: brianzajac

Week 23 – Insoluble and Soluble Foods

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What I Learned in Week 23

Overall:  This week I’m learning the importance of having all food groups.  The starch is needed to bind the nutrition within my body and I’m seeing results of that this week.  To help keep things binding while the stuff exits, I need to focus more on soluble foods.  Included below are those soluble foods I can have + my daily diary on starch.  According to the No Starch Forums, I should have a flare-up if I eat this much starch.  But as you can see below, I don’t have any major spikes in health this week.

Insoluble and Soluble Foods:

Soluble fiber dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not. To some degree these differences determine how each fiber functions in the body and benefits your health.  These information tables show us what is insoluble and what is soluble.    Let’s look at rice and potatoes for example:

  • Brown Rice (1/2 cup cooked): 1.4g fiber, 1.3g soluble, .1g insoluble
  • Potatoes (1 small):  2.4g fiber, 2.4g soluble, 4,8g insoluble

For me, I need much more soluble fiber in my diet.  So I would eat more rice than potatoes. Why is soluble fiber so special? Because unlike any other food category, it soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. That’s right – soluble fiber prevents and relieves BOTH diarrhea and constipation. Nothing else in the world will do this for you.

Update – November 9, 2012:  One of the most effective soluble “foods” for me is acacia fiber and I take it every morning to help “bind” my system.

Other foods that I can have that are soluble:
  • Apple (with skin)
  • Banana
  • Blackberries
  • Grapefruit
  • Kiwi Fruit
  • Tangerine
  • Orange
  • Psyllium Husk (highest)
  • Pinto & White Beans (need to test)
  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Green Peas
  • Okra
  • Edamame
  • White Rice

Testing Rice:  Due to recent test results, I must now eat starches to balance my system.  However, this goes completely against the theories of the No / Low Starch Diet, NSD / LSD, (no grains, 2nd row) which my diet was originally based from.  Symptoms can take 3-4 days to fully manifest, and here are the daily events of what happened after:

NOTE: neck / shoulder and various pains fluctuated between mild to none, hips, ankles, and spots throughout body are hardest to move after getting up from a sitting position, and sharp pains of gas happen after a main meal is consumed (I’m assuming it’s adjusting to the rice).

  • 6/18 – Took a nap after eating the rice and felt instantly better – more mobility, less pain, and more energy (allowing me to do some things I haven’t done in months).
  • Morning after 6/19, my nose feels stuffy, but the pain has not increased.
  • Afternoon and evening the stuffiness went away and continued feeling better than I was before I ate the rice.
  • 6/20 (2 days after 1st rice) – Woke up and left leg is doing shooting pains again.  Went to the chiropractor to “mirror image” me & fix the issue.  I ate another portion of similar size at noon, went to sleep for two hours and got up hurting and tired.  Evening time was not too bad, but still limping from the left hip.
  • 6/21 Woke up at 2:30am and had to go #2 badly.  However, I was feeling much better when I woke up and it continues to be better throughout the morning.  Hips are much better than yesterday, but still limping a bit.  Ankles (especially right) keep swelling up throughout day.  Took a small walk around 7:45pm.
  • 6/22 – Went to bed at 10:30pm, got up at 1am, 2am, 4:30am, and then finally 6:30am.  Left leg is starting to get shooting pains again & feet continue to be swollen throughout the morning and day.  Chiropractor at 10am then 1/2 cup brown rice at noon with some chicken & spinach.  Pains throughout body / tired and took a nap (due to chiropractor – this is typical).  Woke up and feeling better but still limping.  Evening time was able to pick up groceries at WalMart & then go to dinner where I had a 10oz. steak.
  • 6/23 – Only woke up once and the swelling in the ankles has come down (due to the L-Carnitine in the steak?) & still limping in the morning.  Went to the pool at 11:30am & then felt the best I’ve felt all week – no shooting pains from the hip & upper-body pains are diminished.  Took a nap and got up without limping as much as I used to.  Went to see the movie “Brave” and sat for 2 1/2 hours (50 minutes of commercials!) and felt the pain in my hips throughout the movie.  Ate big fajita (no tortillas) at Moe’s and was able to go to Whole Foods and got done around 9pm.  My ankles were really feeling it towards the end, but movement helped with the hips.
  • 6/24 – Got up twice throughout the night as usual and woke up with some hip pain (the usual, hardest to get up but gradually gets better).  Ankles continue to swell up but the pain is still not as bad as before I had that steak on 6/22.  Took a nap at 12:30 and pain is mainly felt in the ankles when I walk around too much.  Ate 1 cup of brown rice with spinach & salmon around 3pm – feeling slower / little more tired (but then again the weather has been rainy all weekend long).  Late afternoon vacuumed, watered neighbor’s plants & did some small housework.  Evening time must be paying for it (night time is by far the worst time for me) – right shoulder blade aches, ankles swell (iced 3 times today), and left hip doing a shooting pain getting out of the chair.  Overall just feel drained and achy.
  • 6/25 – Got 9 hours of sleep & woke up twice; feeling better than last night (had evening & morning BM that might have helped).  Ate less at breakfast and kept feeling great throughout morning and chiropractor (adjustment & traction were the easiest they’ve been in months).  Took a nap and woke up with some pains & limping (but not as bad as last night) as I forgot to take an ibuprofen.  Evening time better than last night even after having dessert (almond butter, black currant jam & chocolate coconut ice cream in a small bowl).
  • 6/26 – Woke up three times and tried to lie on my side after the 1st time I woke up.  While I got 1 1/2 hours from it, I paid the price until the morning.  Left hip was acting up again (most likely due to the chiropractor) but has gone away mostly after putting on the orthotics and walking around some.  Energy levels seem to be the same as the past few days / mornings.  Eating a smaller portion of breakfast is helping out my stomach.  Busy work day, but I was able to get a nap in.  Eating nuts & seeds throughout the day.  As the day progresses, I don’t feel right.  And as usual, it amplifies after 8pm – feeling like I have the flu (slow, tired, hard to think and achy areas).  I was able to get in a small walk in the evening.
OVERALL SYNOPSIS:  Although you see many fluctuations, there were no flare-ups of any kind.  My body is rebuilding itself and things just take time to fix.  Going to the chiropractor helps me in the long run (i.e. used to have shoulder blade pains, but they’re gone due to traction, larger disk space in lower-lumbar spine) but can hurt me / make me sore hours after I do it and/or the next morning.  But the symptoms are decreasing (i.e. time length of bad hip decreased from 8 days to 2 days to the same day).  The starch from the rice has done a good job binding the nutrients that I need.  Examples are overall increased energy, fats don’t pass through my body, and swelling decreasing.  I wouldn’t be surprised if my SED rate (inflammation rate) has gone down.  But, I’m still not there yet and need to constantly monitor my condition throughout each day.
Brown Rice and Spinach
Typical Rice Meal + Protein – Organic, Gluten-Free Jasmine Brown Rice

My Health in Week 23

  • Overall:  Fluctuating but improving is my overall theme this week. Sole Support orthotics are working to help when my hip gets bad, but the high arch is not good for my ankles (I go barefoot for that).  We had a tropical storm “Debbie” go through Florida and had numerous days of clouds, rain & wind.  Combined with the ups & downs of my health, it’s been a pretty lonely and depressing week.  I look forward to the sun and doing a fun activity on Saturday.
  • Sleep:  As with many other previous weeks, I am still waking up twice a night (sometimes once, sometimes 3 times).  I go to bed at 10pm, get up around 1am (take 1 ibuprofen), then around 4am (take 1 ibuprofen, 1 probiotic, and fish oil), then finally get up at 6:30-7:30am.
  • Current Areas of Concern:  Hips / ankles are still sore / swollen, energy levels plummet at night (feels like a mild flu each night).  I long for a good solid night of sleep.  Neck is a little harder to turn to the right and difficult to get up out of chair & the bed.  Weight has dropped again, but I’m investigating ways to build that back up with starches & good fats.
  • Areas of Improvement:  Continuing ibuprofen regiment to reduce inflammation & pain (alternating times throughout the day as pain is the least then).  Only needed to take 1 nap a day since my energy has increased & pain decreased.  Had the best chiropractic adjustment / traction on Monday in months.  Just landed a few new projects for work & we’ll see how I can cope sitting in the chair longer (standing isn’t much of an option since the ankles swell up quickly).
  • Enbrel:  It has been 18 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 129.5 lbs. and a BMI of 18.12.

Week 22 – Metametrix Test and Hair Analysis

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What I Learned in Week 22

Overall:  Due to recent test results (listed below), I must now eat starches to balance my system.  However, this goes completely against the theories of the No / Low Starch Diet, NSD / LSD, (no grains, 2nd row) which my diet was originally based from.  Since it can take 3-4 days for symptoms to fully manifest, here is what happened after I ate the rice:

  • Took a nap after eating the rice and felt instantly better – more mobility, less pain, and more energy (allowing me to do some things I haven’t done in months).
  • Morning after my nose feels stuffy, but the pain has not increased.
  • Afternoon and evening the stuffiness went away and continued feeling better than I was before I ate the rice.
  • Tomorrow I will eat the other half of the rice & some more spinach for lunch and see if the “feeling better” trend continues.
Brown Rice and Spinach

My 1st Starchy Meal in 5 Months – Organic, Gluten-Free Jasmine Brown Rice

Hair Analysis Test

Results came back from Doctor’s Data on my hair analysis test and showed low levels in all heavy metals except Mercury.  Mercury showed up as medium (80th percentile).  From here, it’s been suggested that I take the urine heavy metals test since it gives a more accurate measurement by swallowing an agent (pill for example) that picks up the heavy metal(s) and then you urinate it out.  If confirmed for Mercury, I would need to take a test of the blood-brain barrier & then IV Chelation.  Also, it’s been suggested I take the metal fillings from my teeth (I have two) before the Chelation.

Metametrix Test

The Organix Profile provides a view into the body’s cellular metabolic processes and the efficiency of metabolic function.  Basically if you’re lacking in nutrition, this test will help find the problem areas.  Here are mine:

  • Fatty Acid Metabolism high – it won’t absorb DHA / EPA fatty acids in my body correctly.  So all that fish & Omega-3 supplements I’ve been taking haven’t been working.  To balance, I need carnitine (found in steak / beef) & B2.  In fact, I need a B-Complex to balance out my B-Vitamins.
  • Carbohydrate Metabolism Very High – Because I’ve been on the low-starch diet, I haven’t been eating nearly enough carbs.  It’s so bad, I was diagnosed with Ketosis – basically the biggest reason I got so skinny & underweight; I turned whatever fat (which I didn’t have much to start with) into energy. For me, fruit isn’t enough – I need a starch.
  • 5-Hydroxyindoleacetate is high, I need to eat more turkey since it has the Tryptophan (stuff that makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving turkey dinner) that I need.  My breakfast consists of ground turkey almost every morning so I’m OK here.
  • Picolinate is high, I need to lower the protein and add in the carbs.  Again, I’ll need a starch to balance this out.
Now that you’ve heard all the science stuff, here’s what’s going on.  I am headed to Ketosis because I’m not eating any starches like rice & potatoes.  My protein levels are too high creating an acidic body (and increasing bacteria).  My fatty acids are not being absorbed and my antioxidants are too low due to protein levels.  Combine that with the idea from the USDA Food Pyramid below and you’ll see that I need starchy grains.  According to my food intolerance tests, the only thing I can choose from now is rice and potatoes.  And thus why I went out to Publix right after the phone call, picked up organic, gluten-free jasmine brown rice and had it for lunch.  Although this is a huge risk for me since it goes against my original diet plan of NSD / LSD (no starches), it’s one I had to take.  And, so far, the risk is paying off.
 USDA Food MyPyramid Food
To recap, here’s what I need to take:
  • Rice and potatoes (take small dose, test for a few days)
  • B-Complex supplement
  • Multivitamin that does not include iodine

Chiropractor Spinal X-Rays

Without going too much in-depth, my spine has seen an overall dramatic improvement in my lower back area and doing OK for the neck area.  However, I am still too weak (especially the neck) and they are going to put me on a protocol to build me up.  Here are some of the important X-Ray results:

X-Ray-Low-Back_6_8_2012

X-Ray Lower Back 6-8-2012 | 45% difference than November 2011.  Discs are fat and it’s where I need to be.

X-Ray-Neck_6_8_2012

X-Ray of Neck 6-8-2012 | 35% difference than November 2011.  Needs work & strength training, good improvement.

My Health in Week 22

  • Overall:  Continue to wear my Sole Support orthotics as directed and found a great place where you can put your orthotics in sandals (I bought NAOT FOOTWEAR MIKAEL since it allows you to replace the insoles with your own orthotics – make sure to ask if these do that since I bought them at a Natural Comfort Footwear retail store), seeing big improvements since eating the rice on 6/18, and sleep continues to be the same.
  • Sleep:  As with many other previous weeks, I am still waking up twice a night.  I go to bed at 10pm, get up around 1am (take 1 ibuprofen), then around 4am (take 1 ibuprofen, 1 probiotic, and fish oil), then finally get up at 6:30-7:30am.
  • Current Areas of Concern:  Neck is still weak and shoulders are still sore, but much better after eating the rice.  Nighttime is still the “achiest” time of day but I’m finishing this blog up at 10:15pm and can still keep going – woo hoo!  Ankles still swollen and probably won’t improve until I get really used to the orthotics and strength training.
  • Areas of Improvement:  Continuing ibuprofen regiment to reduce inflammation & pain.  Only needed to take 1 nap a day since my energy has increased & pain decreased.  I still have work to get done and tests for the potato and rice aren’t complete, but I am turning a corner here.  That finish line is getting really close!
  • Enbrel:  It has been 17 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 132 lbs. and a BMI of 18.46.

I want to end this blog from a song that’s been resonating in my heart.  I feel that John Mayer’s “Shadow Days” lyrics describe me and my situation very well:

I’m a good man, with a good heart
Had a tough time, got a rough start
But I finally learned to let it go
Now I’m right here, and I’m right now
And I’m open, knowing somehow
That my shadow days are over
My shadow days are over now

Week 21 – Balancing Immune System

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What I Learned in Week 21

Overall:  Made some new recipes and learn more about balancing your immune system (Th1 / Th2).

Bun-less Hamburger

Bun-less Hamburger

Ingredients

  • Hamburger grilled:  Grass-fed Organic beef with rosemary, fresh garlic and pepper.  Topped with tomato and basil.  Underneath is a romaine lettuce leaf topped with salsa and whole grain mustard.
  • Side of cut tomatoes with (here comes the fancy) cranberry balsamic aged 18 years and Himalayan sea salt.
  • Goat cheese
  • Katamala Greek olives
Raw Donut Holes

Raw Donut Holes | Recipe Source

Balancing the Immune System

Before I begin, most of my research comes from this site explaining things in much better detail.  In fact, I suggest you read about balancing the Th1 (T cell) and Th2 (B cell) immune system on the site.  Below I will explain what I’m going through in balancing my immune system (Th1 / Th2).

As the article states, virtually all autoimmune diseases have a Th1 or Th2 dominance.  For me, my test came back with a Th2 dominance on only ONE marker, IL-6…and it’s 2X more than it should be.  IL-6 has everything to do with inflammation and the immune response.  This joins my other high test results (SED rate, C-Reactive protein).  According to the article, Th1 & Th2 dominance disorders could be:

TH1 dominance disorders:
Multiple sclerosis
IBD/Crohn’s disease
Type 1 diabetes
Hashimoto’s disease, Graves disease (thyroiditis)
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Heliobacter pylori induced peptic ulcer

TH2 dominance disorders:
Allergies
Asthma
Chronic sinusitis
Many cancers
Hepatitis B and C (mixed Th1 and Th2)
Ulcerative colitis
Viral infections
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Helminth infections

How could I be Th2 dominant?  My disorder matches the Th1 disorders but the test shows I had a high marker in the Th2 area.  If you read the whole article, you may have picked up on this:

While there’s a basic list of common autoimmune conditions as a general guideline below, please be aware that this doesn’t always pan out in practice. I’ve found this along with some other practitioners.  When we run lymphocyte panels on people, we find some that differ from the clinical literature that categorizes people by Th dominance status. (In other words, the research says they should be one thing; but we find in fact that they’re the other.)

There is a lot we still don’t know about autoimmune conditions. If you see yourself on this list, don’t jump to any conclusions or self-diagnose, take the wrong supplement and make yourself worse (i.e. a Th2 dominant MS patient who demyelinates themselves by taking green tea). Always check with a qualified practitioner.Because of this, I might not be the right candidate for balancing my system.  

Although I am no doctor, I am betting that these high markers of inflammation / auto-immune (getting off Enbrel) are skewed and I am an uncommon candidate.  Regardless, I’ll try to stay away from Th2 supplements / high amounts of food until my auto-immune system calms down.

I’d like to hear your viewpoint on this subject in the comment window below.  If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

UPDATE 6/24 – My ND suggested that I am high in IL-6 because of Mercury I have in my system.  It states:

Other factors that increase Th2 include:

    • asbestos, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, pesticides,
    • morphine, tobacco, alcohol, steroids,
    • pathogens (including HIV, Hepatitis C, and candida), streptococcus thermophilus,
    • continuous stress, negative attitudes and suppressed emotions,
    • sedentary lifestyle, lack of water, low body temperature, and chronic insomnia.
UPDATE 8/21 – After an updated test, my ND has recommended that I do not need to be concerned with the Th1/Th2 test for the concerns I explain above (along with my condition consistently improving).  The results are as follows:
  • Initial Th1/Th2 Test (4/18/12) – IL-6 abnormally high at 19.98.  SED rate 101 (normal 0-15) & C-Reactive Protein 142.8 (normal 0-4.9).
  • Th1/Th2 Test (8/21/12) – IL-6 reduced to 12.10, SED rate 37 (normal 0-15).  As for IL-4 (8.34), the ND states “Increased production of IL-4 can indicate allergies or some sort.  With an increase over this period of time it may indicate something seasonal.  IL-4 also has roles in maturation of T-cells and B-cells.”

For those interested, here are the list of Th1 / Th2 foods.

Th1 Foods/Substances (Increases Th1)

  • Echinacea
  • astragalus
  • licorice root
  • beta-sitosterol (found in avocado and pumpkin seeds)
  • ashwaganda
  • panex ginseng
  • mushrooms
  • chlorella
  • grape seed extract
Th2 Foods/Substances (Increases Th2)
  • Green Tea/Black tea
  • resveratrol – red wine (can’t have due to yeast), red grapes, cocoa powder, dark chocolate
  • pycnogenol – Only buy as a supplement.  A natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree which grows exclusively along the coast of southwest France in Les Landes de Gascogne.
  • genistein (fava beans and soy beans)
  • quercetin (found in capers, apples, red onions)
  • curcumin (found in Indian Spice Turmeric)

My Health in Week 21

  • Overall:  Hips continue to improve & was able to walk around all of the mall 6/9, anointed at church on 6/10, chiropractor finally able to unlock my neck 6/11, started wearing my Sole Support orthotics on 6/13, and sleep continues to be the same.
  • Mobility: On 6/9, I was able to walk around the entire mall with one major break (had some dinner at Ruby Tuesday) and my hips allowed me to walk faster than normal.  I’m about 2X slower than others now compared to 3X slower the previous week.  Starting 6/11 I am going to the chiropractor 3X this week.  On 6/11 Dr. T was able to unlock my neck after easing into it for the past month.  The next day I was definitely in pain and slept 11 hours, but I’ve been better and more mobile since.
  • Anointing:  For awhile now, I had wanted to be anointed by the church elders up at Sarasota Baptist.  Divine connection allowed me to see the pastor right before service for a few minutes uninterrupted (which is extremely rare) and to be anointed right after service.  Pastor Mike and 5 elders / deacons surrounded me, asked me of any sins I had and then laid hands on me (after the oil was put on my forehead) and prayed for healing and removal of any blocks spiritually.  
  • Sleep:  As with many other previous weeks, I am still waking up twice a night.  I go to bed at 10pm, get up around 1am (take 1 ibuprofen), then around 4am (take 1 ibuprofen, 1 probiotic, and fish oil), then finally get up at 6:30-7:30am.
  • Next Week:  I get my results from the X-Rays I took at Jubilee chiropractic and tests (Metametrix & Heavy Metals) are back from Dr. Joseph Chiropractic.
  • Current Areas of Concern:  Neck and shoulders are still sore from adjustments and inflammation.  Nighttime is still the “achiest” time of day as I’m writing this blog at 9pm and feeling the brunt of it.  Ankles still swollen and probably won’t improve until I get really used to the orthotics.  Lower left back, hips, and knees stiff and sore but improving.  Developed a Canker Sore on my lower-left lip area but pain wasn’t half as bad as in Week 9.
  • Areas of Improvement:  Continuing ibuprofen regiment to reduce inflammation & pain.  Hips, overall mobility and energy better.  In fact I didn’t need to take a morning nap like I’ve needed too today (6/14).
  • Enbrel:  It has been 16 1/2 weeks since my last shot.
  • My lowest weight was 131 lbs. and a BMI of 18.33.