The Atkins Diet
A reminder here is in order. This health site is about what works. But it also shows what didn't work for me. This is not to say that what didn't work for me won't work for another person! For example, I know people who successfully lost weight while doing the Atkins Diet. But losing weight was not what I was after when I tried this diet. I just wanted my symptoms to go away. Here are my journal entries from when I tried the Atkins Diet back in 2001. I was under the care of a chiropractor named Dr. Benedikt.
12.23 - DAY 3 Atkins: Check my notebook to see new supplements I’m on. I am actually eating fried pork rinds cause they’re allowed on the Atkins diet.
After 3 days of new supplements and Atkins food:
BETTER: calves and uti
SAME: face bumps, pimples, bloat
Dr. Benedikt said a little cheese, a little heavy cream in coffee, cottage cheese shouldn’t be a problem. My hunch is that if I stopped the coffee and cheese my skin would look better. At least I’m pretty sure that those complex carbs on the Special Foods diet were making my calves itch.
Last nite I made Atkins coconut/almond flour macaroons which were so delicious I ate five of them and then got real bloated.
Atkins writes on food intolerances/yeast overgrowth:
No fermented foods like vinegar and cheese
Coffee’s a very common allergen
In three days I’ve also eaten 4 Atkins protein bars.
Suspects: coffee, nuts, cheese, maybe eggs, maybe soy
Bright side: Benedikt seems to know a lot about this
12.23 - DAY 4 Atkins:
Today’s Christmas Eve Day, Monday. I can pick up my ULTRA INFLAMMEX on Wednesday or Thursday.
With bumps on my forehead, I call Dr. Benedikt this morning:
“I’m afraid that these bumps on my face won’t go away until I stop eating certain foods.”
“That’s in your head.”
“Really? You mean if I just continue eating Atkins diet and taking supplements that they’ll go away?”
“Yes.”
Well sir, we’ll see if you’re right, cause I’m doing everything you say to do AND meditation and aerobic exercise. Glad my calves are better. My tummy was pretty flat first thing this am. Then I took 2 I3C and the probiotic and water and it got bigger.
Glad I’m doing the three stools of wellness.
Can’t wait to write my book about this whole thing.
12.21 - DAY 6 Atkins:
Today is Wednesday. I am drinking an organic coffee with too much heavy cream in it, but I am grateful. For my better mood today, my calves itching much less than when I was on Special Foods diet, for the Atkins pancakes I just ate.
I woke with a bit of a sore throat which I’m treating with vitamin C doses.
This might be a good sign. Even though the doctor says die-off is a nonsense term, maybe this cold means something’s changing. I think my forehead is a bit better. And in the mornings before I drink or eat or take supplements my tummy is smaller.
Rachel brought about 100 cookies, literally, over last night that she had baked. They’re over there right now but I’m not touching any. I’ll eat cheese and an Atkins protein bar and baked mushrooms and brusell sprouts and coffee and turkey and mayo and mustard instead. Not all at once of course.
12.28
DAY 9 Atkins:
I have a cold so I breathe through my mouth now that I’m alone in my living room. Calves itchy last night. Eating an Atkins macadamia chocolate bar. Last night had one cup of heavy cream blended to whipped with cocoa and sugar twin. Delicious. But probably too much dairy – lactose, milk sugar, I think is the problem.
I’m being a little lax on the diet. I’m following Atkins to a T. However, I bet it would be wise to cut out so many protein bars, cappucino shakes, Atkins pancakes and dairy.
Still have to pick up Ultra Inflammex. Have to ask him what am I taking that’s killing candida?
I wet my sheets last night with sweat. Hopefully a good thing.
12.29 - DAY 10 Atkins:
It’s 8:10 AM. My coffee maker won’t filter through right. I don’t want to write more about my body but I have to. I bet you’re quite sick of hearing my symptoms over and over.
I wonder if I can do aerobic exercise when I’m still a bit sick today. This is what Walt Stoll’s book says about aerobics: we breathe with the oxygen that’s been stored. It takes 12.5 minutes of aerobic exercise to discharge that stored O2 and then we start using the air we’re taking in at that same moment, which is more efficient. And some other things that I’ll have to go back and check.
I worry. About my symptoms. Especially about eating things I probably shouldn’t eat, even thought they’re on the Atkins diet. Fried pork rinds (don’t laugh), protein bars, coffee with cream, Lactaid cottage cheese. I COULD just not eat them. Then I’d be down to the meats and vegetable diet again. I like the idea of a whole foods diet, even though it’s hard to be strict on it, but when I did the Special Foods diet that was all whole foods for three weeks no cheating and my symptoms got worse. If Benedikt is right, it was because of the carbs – malanga muffins, cassava bread, white sweet potato imitation nut butter. By the way I have a 2 week supply left of that stuff in my freezer which I plan to eat sparingly when I get better.
Benedikt said my symptoms will feel better by ten to fourteen days. Today is Day 10. Now for my favorite part, the symptom check list.
Itchy calves: Last night I scratched only one time, with my right foot. For some reason it caused a four inch red scabby line that’s quite sore to the touch.
Bloating: don’t ask about this one. Yesterday I must have taken about 14 grams of ester-C, which always causes gas and bloating. I was trying for the Vitamin C flush but still didn’t get to the diarrhea stage. I did however end up Bming about 4-5 times. I still want to know how that bloat works. I know its gas from fermentation, putrefaction from food being undigested but I need more specifics. Benedikt, who is always in a rush on the phone, although he did talk with me at length when I saw him, needs to point me toward some reading on this. And on his whole approach. He does lectures at Integral yoga, I need to find out when.
Face: bumps on forehead about 60% better than from their worst. This must be a good sign, right? I long for a support group who can identify with this stuff.
UTI: haven’t felt much
Cold: I’m at the one nostril clear one nostril blocked stage. This IS fascinating reading, isn’t it? I sound nasaly. Bit of a cough.
Back Pain: that went away yesterday. Not stiff in am anymore like I was for about three days.
Dizziness on standing: this much better than was first week on diet.
I’m drinking Ulta InflamX.
LATER:
I have to say how mad I am that this is so hard. WHY am I sick now for the fourth day? Should I or not eat effing eggs and other dairy? Does coffee really inflame my gut? Do these stomach noises mean something’s wrong? Why can’t everyone agree on food intolerances and allergy tests and too much meat and whole foods? I’m so sick of this. In total darkness.
12.30 - DAY 10 Atkins:
Atkins diet is not working, albeit I’ve been eating dairy, coffee, soy, nuts, a lot of eggs. I believe Benedikt is wrong saying the food sensitivities are all in my head. My left calf has a huge red long welt from when I scratched it two nights ago. My calves itched this morning about an hour after I ate a big plate of Atkins pancakes and coffee with soy milk. Forehead worse again. Bloating bad. Even with the 54 supplements I take. Also, cold is not gone after five days. Allergy to dairy? Something’s not right again. It’s really dumb to not cut out possible allergens but why is it so hard for me?
I did it on the Special Foods diet though.
I’m going to look into doing the Immuno Labs allergy testing – apparently 94% accuracy, 90 day money back guarantee if symptoms not 65% better.
LATER:
This is what I think.
I went on the Special Foods Diet: whole, never-before eaten foods. Many complex carbs. Got itchy, bumpy, didn’t get better after three weeks.
I went on Atkins Carb-free diet: only carbs were veggies. Itchy again, a cold, acne: 11 days into this and the answer is NOT low carb diet. Maybe it’s part of it but not all.
I must then suspect food allergies: eggs, dairy, coffee, maybe soy…
My poor immune system trying to get better.
I am however doing 100% Skilled Relaxation and aerobic exercise because I can.
