Today is March 2, 2020. I have decided that for the month of March, I will test out a keto carnivore diet. The carnivore diet is becoming quite popular. The ketogenic diet is also very popular. Does this mean they will help me overcome my autoimmune issues? Who knows?!

Why the Keto Carnivore Diet

There are a lot of healing diets out there to try. I’ve tested out the majority of them. From AIP to keto, and even vegan. When I examine the common features of the diets, they all typically include meat and exclude an irritant that occurs in plant matter. (Except for the vegan diet, but that did nothing for me.)

The autoimmune paleo diet excludes wheat and dairy, but allows for the consumption of carbohydrates through fruits. The ketogenic diet allows for limited amounts of carbohydrates. It allows for vegetables that may be goitrogenic and irritating to people with thyroid issues like myself.

It is a huge challenge to overlap these diets and only eat the healing and nourishing foods. The GAPS introductory diet has you start out with basically meat, meat stock and some fermented vegetables. This will basically be the GAPS introductory diet that I have been skipping.

For my keto carnivore approach, I’m going to consume plenty of bone broth and a variety of meats. There are many people reporting huge success on clearing up their autoimmune issues by eliminating the plant toxins that irritate them.

The Trial Period

I started my keto carnivore approach on March 1, 2020. My hair is still not growing very well. After 7 months on the GAPS regular diet, I’m noticing a few clear eyelashes and pubic hairs. My fingernails still have vertical ridging, but it seems today like it is reduced and limited to a few fingernails.

I will be testing my TSH levels tomorrow to determine whether this diet impacts my Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in six weeks. I have tested high on the TSH test (indicating low thyroid hormones) for years. It will be interesting to see if completely eliminating goitrogenic foods will have an impact on my numbers.

I will retest my blood levels during my spring break in April. This will give me a full six weeks to see if the changes made any difference.

Dietary Changes

The dietary changes that I am making are going to be dropping the vegetables completely. If the broccoli that I consumed weekly was preventing my thyroid from fully functioning, we’ll find out.

I’m using the cronometer app to hit my ketogenic targets and vitamin levels. One of the levels that I’m closely monitoring is vitamin D. I am eating 3 ounces of salmon per day to ensure that I hit the daily recommended dosage of vitamin D. While I don’t want to supplement, I think once per week, I may take a magnesium supplement with vitamin D in it and take a break from the salmon.

I will be including GAPS intro foods! Instead of scrambling my eggs, I plan on tossing the whites and putting the yolks in with my chicken stock. This is supposed to have a healing impact on my gut. It may be that I am sensitive to the whites and my body has been reacting to them all along. We’ll find out!

Other BioMetrics

I have been testing my ketones! They say that ketosis will help prevent seizures, but I feel like it is hit or miss with me. I think that my thyroid hormone has more to do with whether or not I have a seizure. I have been in ketosis and had a seizure in the past and I have eaten complete junk and not had seizures for months. But, it can’t hurt to be in ketosis.[easyazon_image align=”none” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B07C3XHJ81″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51yZ2JwAy8L.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

The thing I love about ketosis is that I can go long periods of time without craving food or needing to eat. While I love foods, I no longer feel like I have to munch on everything left out at work. I can easily go hours without snacking.

So far, my [easyazon_link identifier=”B07C3XHJ81″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n”]urine strips[/easyazon_link] have shown that I have optimal or high ketones. That is interesting. It will be more interesting if I have a seizure and pee on the stick and see that I’m in ketosis, but I hope that doesn’t ever happen.

My Motivation to Do a Keto Carnivore Diet

Yes, I would love to get my hair back. However, I haven’t been this dedicated to my health outcome in the ten years that it has been missing. So, what gives?

My teeth. Last summer my teeth became extremely sensitive. While I loved pizza and cake, I suspected that I shouldn’t be eating it. I could feel the sensitivity returning as I continued to eat the standard American diet. My seizures also returned after stress and pizza. So, I knew I had to make a change.

One day while I was eating, I bit down on something that felt like bone. It appeared that the enamel had chipped off my tooth. I couldn’t quite tell which tooth it had come off. I debated whether I should go to the dentist. (I know some people will say yes, but I didn’t want them to drill and fill. I also knew that the teeth could repair themselves after reading [easyazon_link identifier=”1434810607″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n”]Heal Teeth Naturally[/easyazon_link].)

So, in August 2019, I cut out wheat, grains, beans, nuts and seeds. I focused on eating meat, vegetables and one or two fruits per day. My tooth sensitivity is slowly getting better. My teeth feel strong and I can’t detect any areas that are missing enamel. Maybe it was a bone in the meat I was eating? Who knows.

Current Symptoms

• Angular cheilitis (cracks in corners of lips)
• Alopecia Universalis (no hair anywhere really)
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (TSH levels at 5.2 last I checked)
• Vertical ridges on fingernails
• Occasional seizure (I had them under control and weaned off my medication for them, but went back to eating junk. Time to heal and seal the gut again and get them under control again with GAPS)

My Second Attempt

This will be my second attempt with the carnivore diet. Last year, I quit the carnivore diet after almost seven weeks. I had a seizure that discouraged me. In evaluating my diet, I realize that I may not have eaten enough vitamin D rich foods. This attempt with the keto carnivore diet is much more well planned. I had a consultation with Dr. Zsofia Clemens who instructed me on the Paleomedicina protocol.

I also plan on using the cronometer app! This can help me track different minerals and vitamins and ensure that I have a 2:1 fat to protein ratio. I did not worry about the fat to protein ratio last year when I attempted the carnivore diet the first time. This time, I hope to track it much better.

Stay tuned. I’ll update the blog with some before and after photos and an analysis of my second attempt.

Epsom salt detox baths are not popular or common, but they should be! As our modern agriculture is stripping the land of minerals, our diets are becoming more and more magnesium deficient. However, magnesium is an essential element for virtually all of our body’s functions.

It is just as necessary as water!

Epsom salt baths can help supply your body with magnesium as it absorbs through your skin.

Benefits of An Epsom Salt Detox

Magnesium absorption is the main benefit of an Epsom salt bath. There aren’t many studies that confirm this, but a 2004 study examined 19 participants. It found increased levels of magnesium and sulfate in the blood after the baths

1. Improves Sleep – High magnesium levels are essential for sleep. This is due to the fact that magnesium helps your brain to produce neurotransmitters which induce sleep. Epsom salt baths have a calming and relaxing effect.
2. Reduces Stress – Magnesium helps to produce the neurotransmitters needed for stress reduction.
3. Eliminates Constipation – Magnesium is commonly used to treat constipation. It will draw water into the colon and promote bowel movements.
4. Improved Exercise Recovery – Epsom salt has been known to improve muscle soreness and relieve cramps.
5. Better Exercise Performance – Magnesium helps your body use glucose and lactic acid. This can help your exercise performance because your body will be efficiently using fuel and not building up lactic acid to cause muscle soreness.
6. Reduced Pain and Swelling – Epsom salt baths have been known to reduce pain and swelling. Many individuals have reported symptom improvement with arthritis as well. This could be due to the fact that these people are often deficient in magnesium.
7. Fibromyalgia Relief – A study conducted by the Journal of Integrated medicine concluded that applying magnesium chloride to the skin can help reduce symptoms of Fibromyalgia.
8. Cholesterol Levels – A high magnesium diet or supplementation can improve HDL levels.

Whether you simply want to relax or are looking to prevent sore muscles, epsom salt baths can help. They will gently increase your magnesium levels in an enjoyable bath. The right temperature water can help you calm down and prepare for a great night’s rest.

How To Create an Epsom Salt Detox Bath

Epsom salt detox baths are simple to set up. You’ll need about 2 cups of Epsom salt for a standard-sized bathtub and warm water (do not exceed 102 degrees Fahrenheit).

Pour the Epsom salt under the water spout of the tub. This will ensure that the salts dissove faster and mix into the bath. The water mixture will feel a bit silky.

Soak in the bath water for at least 12 minutes. To relieve constipation, soak for at least twenty minutes.

If you want to add some aromatherapy benefits, you can use essential oils with the bath. Add in a few drops of lavender, peppermint or tea tree oil to the bath.

Side note: You may want to avoid using epsom salt in baths with jetted tubs unless the manufacturer has said that it is okay. The clean up may be very difficult.

Risks with Epsom Salt Detox Baths

Epsom Salt baths are relatively safe. However, if you have a health condition, you may want to check with your doctor. The risks are very low, but precautions should be taken for infants, children and pregnant women.

Pregnant women, children and individuals with kidney function should not take oral magnesium. Poorly functioning kidneys may not be able to eliminate excess magnesium. This can put an individual at risk for serious complications.

The side effects of an oral magnesium overdose include:

• dizziness
• fainting
• breathing problems
• increased urination
• slow heartbeat
• lethargy
• blurred vision
• muscle weakness

These side effects are rare in people with normal kidney function. It is unlikely that an epsom salt bath will trigger these symptoms of excess magnesium, but it is good to be aware of them.

Conclusion

Magnesium deficiency is associated with structural and functional abnormalities of cells, organs and systems in the body. The changes that are caused by magnesium deficiency depend upon its extent and duration.

Epsom salt baths are a great way to increase your magnesium levels and prevent diseases that are caused by magnesium deficiency.

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We all need energy to accomplish tasks at work and the activities that we enjoy. There are plenty of pills and potions that tout an ability to increase your energy levels, but they may not be natural. This can cause drastic health problems. There are ways to increase your energy levels naturally!

1. Drink Water

When your body gets dehydrated, it can leave you feeling drained. Don’t worry about following the “eight glasses a day” recommendation. However, you do want to drink enough to keep you body hydrated. A good indicator of dehydration is dark colored urine. If your urine is light-colored, it is unlikely that you are dehydrated.

Drink water when you are thirsty. Aim to have a drink of water every few hours.

2. Get Moving

Exercise invigorates the body. It is a natural energy booster. As you exercise, oxygen-rich blood circulates to your heart, muscles and brain. Schedule regular exercise into your day even if it is only 10 minutes at a time. This will keep your energy levels high.

Stand up and move around whenever you have the chance. Find an excuse to leave your desk and run an errand or use the restroom. You’ll come back to work a bit more energized and focused.

3. Get Sunshine

The sun provides us with vitamin D. It has been shown to enhance your mood, memory and your own ability to absorb new information. Sunshine also has been known to improve self-esteem.

Get outside on your lunch break and walk around a bit. You’ll feel better in the natural environment, your body will create the much-needed vitamin D, and you’ll get energized.

4. Reduce Stress

Stress can result from busy lifestyles. It typically manifests in anxious thoughts, overwhelmed feelings and an inability to concentrate. Feeling stressed is also linked to tiredness.

You may not be able to completely remove sources of stress, but you can minimize lifestyle stress. Take some time for yourself to relax, read or go for a walk.

Mindfulness and meditation techniques also help to combat stress. Many people report feeling more energized after yoga or meditation.

5. Eat a Nutritious Diet

Foods will deplete your energy levels. While your body does need fuel to keep going, many of our modern foods deplete the nutrients in our bodies because they are deficient in nutrition.

Select whole, nutritious foods, such as meat, vegetables and fruits. Avoid eating processed foods and foods high in sugar. These will affect your energy levels.

Try not to skip meals as this may cause you to miss out on necessary nutrients.

6. Avoid Sugar

It is always tempting to indulge in the donuts that your co-worker brought as a treat. However, that treat will deplete your magnesium levels and zap your energy. The short-term energy boost wears off fast.

Foods high in sugar spike your blood sugar. The body then needs to release large amounts of insulin to bring the blood sugar back down.

The blood sugar spike is what creates the rush of energy. It is followed by a slump of energy because your body needs to use its magnesium reserves to process the sugar.

Large amounts of sugar also put you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Therefore, it is good for everyone to avoid too much sugar.

7. Supplement with Magnesium

Modern agriculture has depleted soils of the essential element, magnesium. Most Americans are magnesium deficient. When you have a magnesium deficiency, your heart beats faster. It requires more energy to get things done.

A deficiency in magnesium will leave you feeling physically exhausted most of the time. One natural source of magnesium is fish. Eating more fish can help you address your magnesium deficiency.

Other methods of countering a magnesium deficiency include taking Epsom salt baths, supplementing with 350 milligrams per day, and eating organic vegetables.

8.

Meditate

Yoga is a great way to reduce fatigue. The Savasana pose (also known as the corpse pose) is highly beneficial in eliminating fatigue. Savasana pose is usually done at the end of a yoga session. It looks like a quiet nap on the floor. However, you are conscious and restoring your energy.

As you lay awake and conscious, focus on slowing down your breathing. Make sure that you are allowing the air to flow in and out of your nasal passages. (See Buteyko Breathing technique)

These methods of increasing your energy levels can be incorporated throughout the day to ensure that you have high energy levels. None of them take up too much time or money, so you can start incorporating these energy boosters today!

The Ketogenic diet is well-known for helping people lose weight and eliminating seizures. However, another great diet on the scene that was created by a neurologist, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, is helping people with epilepsy as well. It is the GAPS diet or the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet.

There are a few advantages to doing the GAPS diet for epilepsy over the ketogenic diet. There is a lot of overlap in the food recommendations between the GAPS diet and the ketogenic diet as well.

Let’s dive in to why you might want to consider the GAPS diet or a ketogenic version of the GAPS diet.

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Nutrient Density

The GAPS diet is very nutrient dense. It focuses intensely on healing and sealing the gut. In order to heal the gut, you need lots of nutrients.

Certain nutrients are vital to brain health. For example, B vitamins are essential for brain function. The brain can not function well without essential amino acids and vital nutrients.

Vitamin B12 helps with faster and better cognition. It assists with electrical signaling between neurons. Even a slight vitamin B12 deficiency, which often occurs in patients with epilepsy, will result in poorer quality of myelination. When this occurs, the electrical signaling is poor and could be the cause of seizures.

A vitamin B12 deficiency is known to cause fatigue, fogginess and depression. Chronic deficiency can result in permanent damage and dementia.

Vitamin A is another important vitamin for brain functioning. It is helpful in spatial memory. Although, researchers are still looking into the reasons behind this.

Magnesium is a mineral with an essential role in nerve transmission and neuromuscular conduction. Magnesium functions in a protective role against the excessive excitation that can result in seizures and neuronal cell death.

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet emphasizes eating foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals including organ meats, bone broths and cooked vegetables.

Eliminates Toxins

The toxins that are found in modern foods include artificial flavorings, artificial colors, pesticides, and preservatives. The ketogenic diet does not focus too intently on the quality of the foods. The GAPS diet is much more particular about which foods are safe to eat.

The GAPS diet requires you to eliminate processed foods and make all of your own foods from scratch. This is a huge undertaking, but if you focus on simple foods like eating a piece of meat, bone broth soups and simply cooked vegetables, it can be very manageable.

By eliminating the toxins and increasing the food quality, not only will you reduce the chances of seizures, but you may also heal from other disorders. The GAPS diet has helped heal many people with autoimmune conditions, ADHD, and autism.

Greater Variety of Foods

Many people mistakenly believe that it is ketosis that leads to seizure control. While ketosis provides the body with many health benefits, it is not the only element in the ketogenic diet that is supporting seizure control.

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet allows for more carbohydrates than the ketogenic diet. It allows for a limited amount of fresh fruit, which the ketogenic diet permits.

The GAPS diet is designed to be extremely restrictive in the early stages and lead you to healing the gut and allowing an assortment of foods. Many people only do the GAPS diet for two years and then incorporate a standard American diet.

When compared to the ketogenic diet, it is often prescribed for children and used for about 3 years to control seizures. Some patients may stay on it indefinitely.

Healing the Gut

The GAPS diet aims at healing the gut to eliminate the cause of seizures. If a leaky gut is the cause of your seizures, the GAPS diet will cure you of your seizures when done correctly.

Healing the gut will also improve digestion, increase nutrient absorption, eliminate allergies, and cure autoimmune conditions.

Conclusion

The GAPS diet is a great diet for people with epilepsy. I am doing a combination of GAPS diet and ketogenic diet now. In the past, I have done the GAPS diet, but just stuck with it long enough for my seizures to get under control. I got frustrated when I didn’t see new hair regrowth. (Alopecia is my main reason for trying any diet.)

So, if you have epilepsy, I highly recommend a ketogenic version of the GAPS diet. This will mean that you buy higher quality meats and skip the sugar free jello snacks, but it will give you a much better chance to heal all of your health conditions.

I recommend a ketogenic version of the GAPS diet. Check out the ketogenic cookbook for some recipe ideas today and make sure that you are using GAPS friendly ingredients!