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Old 07-15-2012, 09:56 PM
 
40 posts, read 216,775 times
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After doing research, I have come to find how low carb diets like Atkins diet and Paleo diet can actually help people with their mental health more than just their physical health and weight loss. Why? Because our brains rely on fat consumption and not high carb consumption that you get from a low fat or vegetarian diet. Basically as our bodies are made up of cholesterol like our hormones, cells, nervous system, and more, we are designed to be eating foods high in fat. The problem is that some vegetarian organizations like the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) scared everyone away from eating meat, dairy, and other products containing fat and people have been either living off of refined carbohydrates or processed vegetable oils (soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, rapeseed, and worst of all, margerine and/or shortening which are partially hydrogenated vegetable oil otherwise known as trans fat). Their low fat pyramid is why many Americans became overweight, obese, and even mental health has been not so good. So if people study up on all that from either health scientists like Gary Taubes, Mary Enig, Mary and Dan Eades, and Al Sears, they talk about so much of how diet affects our physical and mental health. They have books like Know Your Fats, Protein Power, Good Calories, Bad Calories, and many more. Also they have been interviewed on this documentary called Fat Head, which is available to stream on the instant queue of Netflix and free to stream on hulu.com.

So either the documentary which packs all the information together, or the books would be good to read up. Also for anyone suffering from any mental health issues whether it would be ADHD, scitzophrenia, austism or aspergers syndrome, bipolar, or more, definetely do some research and even try one of those diets. Also anyone suffering from heart conditions or just other nagging health issues, same thing! Many people have reported that the diet changes have improved their health to where their symptoms minimized or went away like it was no longer there. They were able to get off the medicine as well. But read the rules to the diets whether it is a book on the diets or internet sources! Low carb does not mean "unlimited fatty meat or dairy", "no carb", or "unlimited sugar-free." There are rules!

But basically the difference is that Atkins diet does not restrict the use of dairy products or substitute sweeteners except for aspartame and lactose filled dairy such as milk. Usually butter, cream, and cheese in moderation is safe on Atkins. The Paleo diet is more based on our hunter-gatherer ancestors where the person can only eat organic meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and water. No alcohol, added salt, soy, grains, gluten, dairy, processed oils, or artificial sweeteners. I prefer Atkins because you have a little more options than Paleo with being able to use dairy and sugar substitutes in moderation. Also the best oils and fats to cook with can be olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter (not on paleo), lard, and peanut oil. Coconut milk is also a great drink instead of regular milk, soy milk, rice milk, or other milk.

So if you want to research, just check out the sources I was telling you about for the health science and diet plans.
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Old 07-16-2012, 07:50 AM
 
Location: N26.03 W80.11
326 posts, read 947,011 times
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I follow a gluten free, very low sugar diet. Kind of Primal-ish or Ancestral. I've found my health to have improved greatly although I still have a few nagging little things that come with the hormonal changes of a woman in middle age.
I'd like to add my support to this post, but be prepared for the deluge of those who will vehemently disagree with you regardless of proof.
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Old 07-16-2012, 08:07 AM
 
Location: Southern Illinois
10,364 posts, read 20,727,235 times
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I have found that I'm somewhere in the middle. Too extreme of a low carb diet and I feel "hollow" but if I overindulge in sugar I get pretty crazy--like I went on a sugar binge last week and then basically had a temper tantrum the other night--it makes me either angry or depressed and often both and I just have to stay off the stuff forever but sometimes fall off the wagon.

I do have inattentive ADD and I was on a low carb and gluten free diet for a couple of months and didn't even lose weight or clear out my mind but then started doing intermittent fasting and felt much better on that. So I'm back to that and sugar is out. For now--our camp starts in 2 weeks and I tend to overindulge there. So I guess that what I'm saying is that I mostly agree with you but it's not the diet so much as it is getting your glucose/insulin ratio back in control and whatever it takes to do that is best.
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Old 07-16-2012, 05:31 PM
 
40 posts, read 216,775 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2ForTheSea View Post
I follow a gluten free, very low sugar diet. Kind of Primal-ish or Ancestral. I've found my health to have improved greatly although I still have a few nagging little things that come with the hormonal changes of a woman in middle age.
I'd like to add my support to this post, but be prepared for the deluge of those who will vehemently disagree with you regardless of proof.
Haha I do hear plenty of that and even I have had overweight/obese people lecture me on how "bad" those diets are and how I need to eat "whole grains" and less fat. Even some happened to be eating chips or candy with a soda in front of me as they lectured. But for me doing Atkins, I have done better with having energy and with minimizing my asthma and allergies. It had gotten better with age, but also I haven't had to take any daily medicine for the last few years now (currently age 21). But I recommend any diet like that to anyone that is interested in weight loss or just to get off medicine.
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Old 07-16-2012, 11:46 PM
 
Location: In a state of denial
1,289 posts, read 3,026,041 times
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Have to agree personally. I'm on a high protein, low carb diet and my depression is much better, in addition to my "numbers" cholesterol, sugar, etc.
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Old 07-17-2012, 04:05 PM
 
40 posts, read 216,775 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck_steak View Post
Have to agree personally. I'm on a high protein, low carb diet and my depression is much better, in addition to my "numbers" cholesterol, sugar, etc.

That's good! I wish more people knew about that. Either it is a coincidence or not, but some people I have known with some kind of issue whether it is mental, physical, or just nagging, all happened to eat mostly carb based meals. One guy with bad knees, overweight, bipolar, and not sure what else, mostly lived off of cheese pizza and sweet tea along with other junk food. Plus some people who I may have brought up the topic with whether they have something wrong or someone they know does, they have actually stopped to think about it and were like "you know, that is mostly what has been eaten and it makes sense!"
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Old 07-18-2012, 10:57 PM
 
Location: In a state of denial
1,289 posts, read 3,026,041 times
Reputation: 954
Quote:
Originally Posted by batdavid90 View Post
That's good! I wish more people knew about that. Either it is a coincidence or not, but some people I have known with some kind of issue whether it is mental, physical, or just nagging, all happened to eat mostly carb based meals. One guy with bad knees, overweight, bipolar, and not sure what else, mostly lived off of cheese pizza and sweet tea along with other junk food. Plus some people who I may have brought up the topic with whether they have something wrong or someone they know does, they have actually stopped to think about it and were like "you know, that is mostly what has been eaten and it makes sense!"
Yeah, I was just like that...didn't have a clue then got gastric bypass. Well a person has to eat a high protein diet after gastric bypass and can't eat a lot of carbs or sugar because they get "dumping" syndrome. Basically the surgery pretty much makes people eat correctly.

I've got the bad knees, need to get them replaced and am bipolar too. However, eating the high protein foods and low carbs seems to have helped the depression part of my life.
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Old 07-19-2012, 08:29 AM
 
40 posts, read 216,775 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck_steak View Post
Yeah, I was just like that...didn't have a clue then got gastric bypass. Well a person has to eat a high protein diet after gastric bypass and can't eat a lot of carbs or sugar because they get "dumping" syndrome. Basically the surgery pretty much makes people eat correctly.

I've got the bad knees, need to get them replaced and am bipolar too. However, eating the high protein foods and low carbs seems to have helped the depression part of my life.
That is good that it has helped. I think the better news anytime is when someone is told they never have to use medicine again. It saves a lot of money than to be buying it every month along with psychiatrist visits.
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