Like many of you, I spend quite a lot of time on science-based research, and although I am fairly smart, I am not a scientist. Thus, I rely on blogging "intermediaries" I trust to interpret some of the scientific findings for me.

I know there is a lot of craziness on the internet, but I have found a few sources I like very much, and one is called "The Healthy Skeptic." He has a very active Facebook page (and I rarely use Facebook, but he uses it kind of like a Twitter feed with links to items that he finds are important.) He also has a website (thehealthyskeptic.org) that has a big series on what he calls "diabesity" a combination of diabetes and obesity which might interest you, Sandy.

But today on his website he posted on a new study published in the journal Nutrition which systematically obliterates the government's dietary guidelines that recommend that we "all go on eating the same low-fat, high-carb diet that has contributed to the epidemics of obesity, diabetes and heart disease (among others)."

Anyway, you can read his take on it, and also the entire research article is downloadable as a pdf. This is the link to his blog post.

Thanks for that link CJZee! Off to read it in a bit.

I am feeling crappy today thanks to junk I ate over the weekend. Cheezies and popcorn and I am REALLY feeling the effects of all that salt. My head is throbbing and I swear I am up 5 pounds in water weight. Good thing is that I am not craving anything but protein and raw veggies...I'm sure my body is cursing me for what I ate.

Off to read that blog!

Great link. Forwarding it to a SIL with cholestreol/gout problems and son with Crohn's. I think these auto immune responses are linked and so am interested in current research.

You know, I had heard the concept of carb refeeding and probably still do not understand it. But my couple weeks of unintentional carb increases (raisins and glucose tolerance drink) has kicked in the weight loss again. When I report "I will never be in the 160s again", I know that the first time I get down into a ten pound range through intermittent fasting, I will bounce up a lb or 2 when I start back in eating. But this time I have really not bounced back into the 160s. The first (after IFing) weight was 158.6, the 2nd was 159.0, the 3rd was 159.8, the 4th was 159.2. I am IFing again today so hope to drop another lb. or so down to 157 something.

Keeping track is so interesting...

Does anyone have any experience with carb re-feeding - intentional or unintentional?

Hello, all,

I’ve been lurking on the primal/paleo thread for a while and thought I would join you. I’ve following the Primal Blueprint pretty closely since the end of August and feel pretty good. Of course I have had a few slip-ups as I transition from a grain-dominated diet to a grain-free diet. OK, it was hard and it is still kind of hard, although I don’t have the cravings I used to have (I just want a slice of cake or a pastry or whatever every now and then). I spend some time at MDA and keep a primal journal and have entered a few of the contests (but have not won anything!!)

Briefly, I am currently about 25-30 pounds overfat and was about 50-60 pounds overfat at my highest (stopped weighing for a while, so I am not sure). I was able to lose weight on a low fat, calorie-restricted diet, but I couldn’t maintain. After trying and trying and trying, I gave up and decided that I would settle for being healthy.

Early this year, my lipids started to become unbalanced (HDL creeping lower and triglycerides creeping higher) and blood pressure was creeping up. On my doctor’s advice, I started adding “good” fats like olive oil, avocados, and small amounts of almonds and macadamia nuts. That was soooo scary for me because I believed fat would make me fatter! Instead, I started to gradually lose some weight. I had already been eating lots of veggies and switched to mostly whole grains, but my diet was still grain-based.

At a re-check of my blood in late July, I learned my lipids had improved somewhat but that I was pre-diabetic with a fasting BG of 103. Just great. The first place I looked was the American Diabetes Association site. Well, their diet guidelines were how I was eating, and it certainly wasn’t doing me any good. It was on the 3fc diabetes support forum that I learned about the blood sugar 101 site. Further research and reading led me to the Primal Blueprint in August.

So while I started reducing grains when I got the news, I was still eating a lot … nearly 200g a day until mid to late August. I shudder to think what I was eating before, because this really felt like an incredible reduction. Towards the end of August, I ditched grains pretty much entirely. My primal journal describes some of my off-plan eating, some planned and some not planned.

I recently had a re-check of my blood and my lipids are pretty good now, except my HDL is still low, but at 46 it is the highest it has ever been. My triglycerides dropped to 30. My fasting BG was 100, so technically I am pre-diabetic, but I ate breakfast at Panera Bread the day before, which may have contributed to this reading. I purchased a BG monitor and plan to start testing myself so I can see what effect different foods have on my BG. Will track this all in my primal journal at MDA. My blood pressure has been consistently good, around 120/80 and sometimes a bit lower.

OK, this turned out to be longer than intended, but I thought I should stop lurking and introduce myself.

Hi Sparky,

I don't have any experience with carb re-feeding, but I have heard of it being used by diabetics and pre-diabetics who eat low carb to prepare for a glucose tolerance test. I've heard that when you are not eating a lot of carbs, your body is not able to process them as well (due to using fat for fuel, not glucose), and consuming all that glucose results in a false positive. I thought about this when I read one of your posts from last month about your glucose tolerance test.

I myself have not had a glucose tolerance test, I guess because my fasting BG is low enough. However, I am still concerned and want to make sure my BG doesn't get out of control. But if my doctor ever wants to do a glucose tolerance test, I may consider a carb re-feed to avoid a potential false positive. I wonder if my second fasting BG of 100 was due to an incomplete carb re-feed at Panera Bread the day before - maybe I should have done a re-feed for three days, or avoided grains completely before the test.

I think I spend too much time reading this stuff and not enough time working! I spent a lot of time reading the articles on "diabesity" last night - fascinating! I also downloaded and printed the article in Nutrition. It's just awful how skewed nutritional advice has been, and based on such flimsy "evidence".

CJZee, I also wanted to thank you for sharing your story with your initial fasting BG of 103. I hope I can report lower numbers in the future, but realize that I will need to really watch what I eat to do so.

The research seems to be pointing in that direction. As I read up on diabetes, I often see other auto immune responses discussed. My step-mother has rheumatoid arthritis and I wonder why she has never changed her diet. Her doctor, who is supposed to be one of the best around, has her on an expensive drug instead. I do plan to discuss auto immune responses next time we have a chance to chat.

Welcome sf40 I'm glad you came out of lurkdom you have a lot of great information...

Today I made a great stew I put small potatoes in it but didn't eat any at all... I ran 5k too so it's all good...

Yep. Sandy, I've been doing under 40 g carb since the end of June. A couple of times I've "unintentionally" overindulged on higher carb protein bars (yeah I know, not primal but you may recall I'm a future primalist) which put me between 75 & 100 g carbs for the day. My most recent off-the-rails day was Saturday. I'd been hovering at 210 for about 2 weeks, including that morning. Sunday morning when I stepped on the scale I did a double take, stepped off the scale to see it read zero, and stepped on again. 5 lbs down overnight?? Apparently, and it's holding there. The previous time my weight dropped over 3 lbs. It has me thinking I might do this intentionally every 4-6 weeks.

sf40 Have you followed the links on the Mark's Daily Apple forum to cardiologist William Davis's blog? He posted a great item about HDL and the impact of different lifestyle changes that increase HDL. The most effective one in his practice has been Vitamin D3

My primal status: I've started slowing increasing my fat consumption, I'm now between 40 and 50% of total calories most days, still eating lots of veggies, and eating more meat, fish and eggs to replace the protein powders that have helped drop 54-55 lbs since late June. I expect I'll be posting here more regularly in a month as I transition off my current program.

Thanks, Ilene! I feel like I have sooo much to learn, and will share what I know.

Brown, I totally agree with you about the skins for the BG meters. My BG meter came with different skins. I threw them out - who cares?

Hi, I'm svelting! Yes, I have been reading the heartscan blog! However, I haven't gotten to the vitamin D3 posts yet; will do so tonight! So many people on the MDA forum swear by vitamin D3, that I recently added a small dose daily. I don't have to go back to the doctor until my physical, which is in the spring. I'll be anxious to see what my HDL looks like. I think I will also get my vitamin d levels tested.

Good luck in your transition to primal. And congrats on your weight loss! I, too, eat lots of veggies; more than I ate when I tried going vegetarian in an effort to reduce fat even more and lose weight. I love the primal focus on whole foods and that it is so unstructured ... except no grains! I seem to be pretty happy at about 60% fat. But right now I am focused on getting my BG under control, then I'll focus on getting rid of the last 25-30 pounds. I am hopeful it will just happen on its own, much as the first ~25 came off.

Morning everybody!

I had a darned good primal day yesterday after schlumping through the weekend with a cold (and donuts). Elliptical, weights and that beautiful salad you can only make the day you bring groceries home

I've not done a structured carb load. If I've had a carb load it was celebratory grain-based baked goods. I'd have to do some reading to see why I would like to do a healthy carb load. Heaven knows I could load up on sweetpotatoes. Gosh they're tasty.

Oh and the results of the muffin on Friday and donuts on Monday? over two pounds and I feel puffy and gassy. Maybe I'll drop off tomorrow morning.

Re: carb loading ... I've never done it on purpose, but I have essentially carb loaded during these trips I have been taking because I tend to eat whatever is served me (although not sweets), and that loads me up on the carbs.

I always gain a tremendous amount of weight during the trips (3-10 pounds) even though, calorie-wise, I doubt I am not eating any more. But the weight comes off super-fast, too, so I think it's some sort of temporary storage thing.

Don't know if that helps, but it's just my experience. I don't feel it has helped me actually lose more "real" weight but I am an older person and that may have something to do with it.

Interesting experiences all...

I think I will incorporate a little re-feed every now and then like Thanksgiving and numerous birthdays in the fall.

Did not make it to 157 this morning but did do my first fasting bg test and it was 79. I fasted for 36 hours so I don't know if I should pay any attention to this number. Probably is inaccurate and low.

I can track this on myplate by clicking on the myplateD button. Retains all your info and you can go back and forth.