Are all IP products Gluten free? I have not been diagnosed with Celiac's Disease but am wondering if this is one of the reasons why I feel so much better while on IP?

There are lots of reasons you feel better while on IP. You're not eating crap! The protein is high quality and your body is using it for fuel and not storing it as fat. You may not be as inflamed (inflammation is one of the biggest reason we fell like crap!) Your body is not constantly trying to process all the bad stuff you were eating. Your pancreas is not pumping out insulin constantly telling your body to hold onto to food as fat.

Ketosis makes you feel amazing, too! Not hungry, more energy and clear headed.

There are LOTS of reasons IP make your feel good!

No, they're not all gluten free. I totally echo everything Lakewood said other than that!

I have a question. Why does the pancreas tell the body to hold onto fat? I think I am starting to understand this concept better and it does seem to explain why I would put on so much weight after a diet.

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Purple - the pancreas doesn't tell the body to store fat - it's the hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas. Insulin is one of the most powerful hormones in the body.

When we eat, the pancreas secrets insulin to move the glucose (what the food turns into) into the cells. If we are constantly eating carbs/sugar, our insulin levels are high because there is a lot of work to do to get the glucose into the cells for energy. When the cells are bombarded with insulin they 'stop hearing' the knock at the door, so to speak. There is nowhere else for the excess glucose to go but to be stored as fat. And here's another fun fact - fat cells produce estrogen - another hormone that tells the body to store fat! See where this is going!? The more fat cells you have, the more estrogen you have the more your body is a fat producing machine!

When you rest your pancreas (some call IP the Pancreatic Protocol), and give your body a break from the constant flow of insulin, things start to normalize. That's why people on diabetes meds to lower blood sugar have to very quickly adjust their meds on this program because the meals do it naturally. If you are not eating tons of carbs, your insulin can do the job on its own. It's very important to tell your doc what you're doing!

Some people are on meds to increase insulin (even though they already have too much pumping through their system). Again, increased insulin lowers blood sugar. So, on IP you're not eating a ton of carbs, your own insulin is doing its job and then you introduce a med that increases insulin even more and you're in real trouble. I was on both kinds of meds at the start of the plan. I was off the 1st med in 2 days and the other one at the end of the 2nd week. Haven't needed them since.

If you're gaining weight after a diet (NOT unusual), it may be because you're eating lots of carbs - rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, rice cakes, stuff we've been sold for years as 'diet foods'. What a crock! Fat doesn't make you fat - SUGAR DOES!

I am no doc and I don't play one on 3FC.
ONWARD!

Thanx, Lakewood. Best.Explanation.Ever.
I knew this diet rested our pancreas for a while but I never really got it. Never fully understood it. Now, everything makes so much more sense. If I am not mistaken sugar is the one food we do not need, in any way. We can get it from fruits but we really do not need added sugar. It is very addictive and has such power over us. It's a while on this diet before you start to feel more in control over your body. Sometimes I envision like little sugar animals in my body saying, "feed me, feed me."

Thanks for stating that because it's really important for people to understand this. I still have a bit of an issue with IP being low fat, but while on phase 1 and 2 I can deal with it for now.

I just want to share my experience with you, because I do feel like one of the reasons you feel so good is because you are wheat and gluten free. Up until IP, I never really cut one food group or food out the way we do with IP. When I was on P1, I felt great (like you!) and I kind of looked at it like a mini "cleanse". There wasn't any junk going in.

The real heart of the story is what happened once I got into P3 & maintenance. I ate wheat again. Here is what happened: I blew up (bloated), got sleepy & lethargic and immediately gained 3#. And I had an overall feeling of malaise (crappiness- in technical terms). It took 3 days for the wheat to get out of my system and for me to start feeling better again. This was a huge awakening for me and after a few days, I wanted to test the theroy again and see what happened. Low and behold, the results were exactly the same.

Since then, I have been living life in maintenance wheat free, except for a few special occasions. But I really have to DECIDE if I really want something because I know the after effects. So, yes, I firmly believe that that is one of the reasons you are feeling so good.

My advice to you would be that once you are in maintenance, to do a little experiment of your own and see how you feel. You may also want to check out the book "Wheat Belly". Very informative.

jennydoodle, Do you have the same issues with sprouted wheat breads?

YES. I experienced the same thing after adding wheat & grains back into my diet. I also have now cut them out (except on some occasions) and am basically doing a quasi-paleo diet. Meats, veggies, the occasional fruit, and fat. I also cut out dairy. After realizing how wheat made me feel, this was quite easy to do- way easier than I ever thought it would be, since I LOVE food. Since doing this, I have even lost 4 more pounds. It is a great way to maintain. For IP-ers; if you just keep doing phase 3 minus the "carb" at breakfast, you are basically doing this.

It is also worth mentioning that I suffer from migraines, and since doing this, they have significantly decreased in severity and frequency.