User sara s. - PaleoHacks.com

Answer by Sara S. for Polymorphism on the MTRR gene

2013-05-19T19:20:34Z

I also have the MTRR mutation: it's pretty rare. Since this stuff isn't well established, but is based on basic biochemical pathways and as-yet-untested hypotheses, I highly recommend looking into it yourself.

The methylation subforum on phoenixrising is excellent. Specifically, the work of the recently deceased Rich Van Konynenburg is really helpful, particularly if you've been experiencing CFS-type symptoms.

Dr. Amy Yasko has also devoted a lot of time to methylation cycle issues, mostly in the context of autism, and has some good resources on her website. I recommend learning the biochemical pathways involved, but if you don't want to do that, or if you're just looking for preventative care, then supplementing with b12 is a good plan.

Since you don't have the methylation issues associated with methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (mthfr) then you may not need to bother with methyl-cobalamin versus cyanocobalamin, but you'll have to check for sure, as I have both MTHFR and MTRR mutations so that's all I've looked into.

A good place to start is the heartfixer site for the pathways: http://www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm#MTRR:%A0%20Methionine%20Synthase%20Reductase

Answer by Sara S. for Allergies and glutathione/detoxification

2013-05-19T19:12:34Z

There's a lot of information on the phoenixrising forum about methylation. I highly recommend reading through that and the yasko stuff, if you haven't already. If you previously had an under functioning methylation cycle, and it's now functioning normally, and you also supported gluthathione production with NAC, then it's probable that you have enough glutathione in your system now. But this stuff is far from solidified in the research literature, so it's difficult to say exactly what is the mechanism.

Answer by Sara S. for B-12, Sublingual pill or sublingual liquid?

2013-05-19T19:04:58Z

A bunch of people with b12 deficiency on the phoenixrising CFS/ME forum have anecdata-ly figured this out. Enzymatic Therapy is considered the best brand. (Jarrow used to also good, but changed something in their process and people found it less efficacious.) The recommendation is to hold the lozenges between your gum and cheek for an hour (or however long you can go).

You could do the liquid methyl-b12, but it breaks down much more quickly, so it tends to lose efficacy quickly depending on how it's handled. I think the folks on that forum who use the liquid form (for injections) tend to get it from a special pharmacy. The general recommendation, for simplicity, is to use the sublingual (enzymatic therapy brand, or play around to find what works for you).

I don't remember seeing people comment on the ingestible liquid forms.

Answer by Sara S. for Should I pursue further gluten sensitivity/celiac diagnosis?

2013-05-04T02:42:26Z

When I went gluten free, I thought: I don't need the test results, there's nothing that would make me want to eat gluten again because of how bad it makes me feel. I got the blood test but not the biopsy, as the blood test was already a few weeks after I went gluten free and I wasn't willing to re-challenge. So here I am, a couple years later, really wishing I had gotten a biopsy. It would let me know for sure whether I have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and it would allow me to participate in research studies if I wanted to. Yeah, I have no problem avoiding gluten (including trace amounts), but I'm still curious.

Also, I've been suffering from b-vitamin deficiency (or at least I assume so, since supplementing with methyl-b12 and folate have made a big impact on my functionality). It would be nice to have a confirmation of how messed up my intestinal villi were, as confirmation of why I was so deficient.

The miscarriages thing could possibly be a folate deficiency. If you haven't already, maybe try a pre-natal supplement with folate (instead of folic acid). Pure Encapsulations makes one, I think. Chris Kresser mentioned it on his website.

Answer by Sara S. for Breakfast for people who love grains and hate everything else?

2013-04-28T13:57:46Z

One of my favorite breakfasts is a sauteed potato and spinach or kale, maybe topped with a fried egg or two. If your friend doesn't digest protein well in the morning, this might work for her.

Answer by Sara S. for POLL: Why are you Paleo?

2013-04-13T19:02:35Z

7: Food allergies/intolerances (namely, celiac disease)

But I guess I'm not really officially paleo any more. I added back occasional legumes (lentils, chickpeas) and grains (rice, corn, buckwheat, amaranth, sorghum) to my diet because I feel better with them in (still no dairy, though). Mostly, I focus on local, seasonal, biodynamic veggies and meats for the bulk of my food. I avoid veggie oils, dairy, and gluteny grains. I try to be as active as possible. And I make sure to get enough sleep and not stress out much.

Answer by Sara S. for Why is raw chicken slimy? Is it the only meat we cant eat raw?

2013-03-31T02:02:47Z

Meats like beef are hung to dry and age, whereas chicken isn't, so that probably accounts for a big difference in the texture. Fish aren't aged either, and raw fish is also slimy.

Answer by Sara S. for Daniel Vitalis ReWilding

2013-03-29T12:49:28Z

The biggest thing for me is going camping regularly. Since you're in college, are there camping or backpacking events or groups of people who regularly go on camping or backpacking trips? Being outdoors and getting sunlight and fresh air are great and important, but there's something about spending a full 48 (or however many) hours outdoors, waking and sleeping with the sun, that just does it for me.

Answer by Sara S. for How to take supplemental potassium ?

2013-03-29T11:24:04Z

I'm usually low in both sodium and potassium when I get bloodwork done. I supplement potassium by mixing potassium chloride (along with some sodium chloride) in most of my drinking water. It tastes great to me, though moreso in some water than in others. For example, I love it in my water in Boston, but don't like it in the water in Portland, OR. I started doing this because I needed more potassium but didn't want to take the potassium pills. I feel by adding it to taste to my water, I'm letting feedback systems work appropriately so that I can regulate my intake.

Answer by Sara S. for Pure gluten as a test of wheat problems? (aka A Seitanic Pact)

2013-03-27T21:11:01Z

Here are my results. Before I got diagnosed with celiac disease, I tried eating pure gluten powder (when I thought I might have a problem with gluten) and didn't get sick from it. But when I went gluten free for two weeks, and then ate some fish dredged in flour, I got sick from it.

Answer by Sara S. for Need ideas for children lunches

2013-03-27T02:39:22Z

There are a couple of paleohacks threads already about this. Here's one I could find quickly. http://paleohacks.com/questions/141196/paleo-lunch-box

Answer by Sara S. for Pemmican ingredients: by weight or volume?

2013-03-27T02:33:06Z

By weight: http://www.traditionaltx.us/images/PEMMICAN.pdf

Edited to add: the jerky is weighed after drying. That may contribute to some of the confusion.

Answer by Sara S. for Fermented Cod Liver Oil vs. Carlsons - Worth it?

2013-03-26T15:38:41Z

I just bought some Carlsons and man does that stuff taste horrible to me. I had to spit it out. And I actually like the taste of Green Pasture's FCLO.

Answer by Sara S. for Any natural home remedies that work?

2013-03-26T00:35:26Z

My grandmother taught me to put vinegar on a sunburn. It makes it turn into a tan instead of burn and peel, and it works great for my skin. I haven't ever heard of other people doing this, though.

Answer by Sara S. for What source of carbs you feel best on?

2013-03-23T15:46:05Z

White potatoes do very well with me, but I don't like more than one potato a day, and I don't like them every day. When I get glutened, white rice is my go-to, because it seems to settle things better than potatoes or bananas.

Lately I've been experimenting with a gluten free flour mix (garbanzo bean, fava bean, and sorghum) for making pancakes for breakfast. I feel great when I eat them, and it lasts me much longer than my usual breakfast of ground beef, potato, and kale or spinach. Normally I'm hungry by 11am, and with the pancakes, I can forget to eat lunch until 1 or 2pm.

Answer by Sara S. for To all the paleo ladies out there - sore breasts, anyone?

2013-03-22T11:33:23Z

I also started having premenstrual breast tenderness and pain, since I started paleo and went off hormonal birth control pills (at the same time). What's helped me the most was getting iodine and painting it on the breasts when they got sore. There's some issue with having enough selenium to balance the iodine, so it's important to look into that. When I was using the iodine, I made sure to eat a brazil nut every day. Also, my progesterone levels were way low and testosterone was high, so that might also have something to do with it. And finally, I had also been struggling with (and am continuing to treat) b vitamin deficiencies, which may play a part.

Answer by Sara S. for What do you hate most about Paleo / Paleohacks?

2013-03-17T18:45:53Z

The lack of geekery and actual health hacking.

Answer by Sara S. for no poo (bodywash) , will I smell?

2013-03-17T18:36:49Z

I shower a few times a week and wash my hair twice a week. When I shower, I use baking soda instead of soap, and usually just for the smelly regions. I also use homemade deodorant every day. If I need to exfoliate, I use baking soda all over my skin in the shower, but I don't do that very often. I have asked coworkers who I know would be blunt with me, and they say I don't smell. My husband also hasn't noticed a change in smelliness since I went from showering every day with body wash to showering a few times a week with baking soda.

Answer by Sara S. for which Supplements du jour actually lived up to the hype for you?

2013-03-09T16:20:36Z

Methylcobalamin (B12) and folate (B9) for me, because I was deficient. My brain fog is gone, I'm able to grow my fingernails out, now, and I have energy again.

Iodine (or regular seaweed in my diet) reduced premenstrual breast pain.

Probiotics seem to make me more regular. I alternate between VSL#3 and Prescript-Assist.

Answer by Sara S. for Which SNP Test should i buy?

2013-02-21T23:27:06Z

I've gotten a lot of benefit from 23andMe. I ended up buying it for my family members for the holidays. The price has dropped down to $100, now, so it's much more affordable than it was. They're making a push to get it more widespread, thus the drop in price.

Answer by Sara S. for butcher questions

2013-02-21T21:42:39Z

Otto's Sausage Kitchen on Woodstock is fabulous. They're very knowledgeable, can get you just about anything, and so if you were to ask about the farmers they get their meats from, they'd know. There is another butcher or two in north/northeast Portland that I've heard about, but I haven't been to those, myself.

I started buying meat from a local farmer since I moved away from Portland, so I don't know any particular farmers that are local to Portland, but what I did in my current town is I found a meat CSA that I liked, and I got to know the farmer and how they raise and feed the animals. It works out being more convenient for me than going to a butcher, because there are no real butchers where I currently live.

If you want to learn a little more about species appropriate farming practices, Joel Salatin is an excellent resource.

Answer by Sara S. for Overcoming fatigue-irritability-anxiety

2013-02-18T14:39:04Z

For me, it was fixed by taking methylated B12 and folate, as well as some auxiliary vitamins/minerals. I have some genetic mutations that make me less efficient at utilizing those vitamins, and those mutations plus years of malabsorption from celiac disease left me chronically deficient.

Answer by Sara S. for How to transition away from snacking to just eating at meals?

2013-02-16T21:01:37Z

I'm trying the same thing. I find that making sure my meals are well-balanced helps a lot.

Another thing that helps a lot is when I eat my meals taking into consideration when I tend to be hungry. I'm much hungrier the first part of the day, and don't care to eat in the evenings, so I find if I front-load my meals: breakfast at 8am, lunch at 11am, and then dinner at 4 or 5pm, I can go without snacking, whereas if I delay lunch or dinner I have trouble.

Answer by Sara S. for Paleo Treats for Valentine's Day?

2013-02-12T19:16:29Z

Heart shaped hardboiled eggs: http://www.annathered.com/2010/09/29/how-to-make-a-heart-shaped-egg/

I think it would be fun to dye them pink with beets and maybe even purple with blueberries.

Answer by Sara S. for Testing for Celiac disease

2013-02-11T12:24:28Z

Two weeks is ok, I wouldn't go past 3 weeks. However, if you need to follow up with a biopsy, 2 weeks gluten free to the blood test will end up being 3 or 4 weeks to the biopsy. I'd say eat something with gluten once or twice before-hand, so you get the best test results possible.

Answer by Sara S. for What is the number one vitamin/supplement you recommend for people with Celiac Disease?

2013-02-04T00:32:22Z

There's not just one. Untreated celiac disease causes lower absorption of fat soluble vitamins as well as b vitamins. I really wish my doctor had told me that and suggested I take supplements, especially once I healed up a little (enough to potentially absorb the extra nutrients from the supplements).

Personally, I now take vitamin D, eat liver regularly for vitamin A, vitamin K2, and a complex of b vitamins, with a special emphasis on folate and methylcobalamin.

Answer by Sara S. for Is crepes with rice flour and coconut oil ok?

2013-02-02T16:22:01Z

You could also try fermented buckwheat crepes. http://paleohacks.com/questions/130685/has-anyone-made-fermented-buckwheat-pancakes

Answer by Sara S. for What foods trigger migraines?

2013-01-30T13:02:59Z

There's a bunch of research showing that IgG-mediated food intolerances/allergies can affect migraines. Here's a good study: Diet restriction in migraine, based on IgG against foods: a clinical double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial. But it's worth a google scholar search because there are a few papers on the topic.

And you might find this editorial more informative: http://integrativehealthconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IgG-mediated-allergy-A-new-mechanism-for-migraine-attacks1.pdf

The first few sentences of the editorial:

Despite recent advances offered by modern neuroimag- ing and genetic techniques, the pathophysiology of migraine has not been fully clarified. As pointed out by Selby and Lance 50 years ago, a relevant proportion of patients report that their migraine attacks are usually precipitated by dietary items (1). In a survey analysing the prevalence of dietary migraine in 500 new migraine patients, Peatfield et al. found in 1984 that 19.2% of migraine patients reported sensitivity to cheese, 18.2% to chocolate ad 11.1% to citrus fruit (2).

What are your nutritional food hacks?

2013-01-24T17:52:28Z

What are some things you do to increase the nutritional content of your food (aside from food source)?

For example, on salads and zucchini-noodle dishes, I grate brazil nuts to add extra selenium. I don't really like nuts, but I try to eat a brazil nut every day or so, and grated on my food is an easier way for me to eat them. It also looks nice, kind of like parmesan cheese.

Another might be to sprinkle sesame seeds on stir-fries, to add some extra calcium.

And one more thing I do to increase nutritional value of my leafy greens is to store them in a vase/glass/jar of water next to a window, rather than in the dark fridge, until I use them.

What are some other food hacks?

Answer by Sara S. for Waking up with tin foil?

2013-01-24T17:44:42Z

I sleep better with my room blacked out. One way around it is to get one of those lamps that turn on a light slowly, like the Philips wakeup light. That's what my partner and I do when we have to wake up at a particular time. Otherwise, when I wake up naturally, I open all the curtains for him. I prefer blackout curtains to foil because it looks nicer and it's easier to toggle.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-20T00:10:45Z

I went to my nearest doctor's office which has a phlebotomist and asked her to do it for me. Since I had a requisition form (even though it was from Vitamin Diagnostics rather than the clinic) she did it for me.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-19T22:09:25Z

Also, if you're having methylation symptoms, I highly recommend getting this, admittedly very expensive, test: seekinghealth.com/… It actually measures how well your methylation cycle is functioning, so you know, rather than just guessing.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-19T22:07:56Z

If someone's seriously deficient, it's more of a medical issue and food won't cut it. I was eating paleo with regular liver and oysters for a year and didn't get better until I went on a specific b-vitamin protocol.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-19T22:04:27Z

To bring this back on topic for paleohacks: for what it's worth, going paleo didn't seem to help. It required regular dosing of b-vitamins to get me back on track. Weekly servings of liver and the general nutrient rich paleo diet just wasn't cutting it.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-19T22:02:13Z

No, unfortunately, I couldn't find any practitioners to help. Some doctors are learning about it, but it seems very sporadic, and there doesn't seem to be a way to determine if they know about it ahead of time. I asked my GP and also the university's behavioral medicine people to hook me up with a doctor knowledgeable about CFS or autism, since I thought they might know about methylation, but no luck. The genetics counselors are more about cancer risk, not about methylation stuff. I saw 5 different doctors before I gave up.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-19T19:13:14Z

If you make your question more specific (or give a sense of what kind of answer you're looking for-- biochemical pathways or what) then it will be easier to give you a good answer.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-11T19:48:28Z

deepseanews.com/2012/06/… and npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/02/162163801/…

Comment by Sara S.

2013-05-07T12:02:21Z

+1 for testing B12 levels

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-21T13:19:12Z

That would be second hand experience, since your friends took it, but you haven't yet.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-21T02:53:15Z

Funny thing is, I still consider myself paleo.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-17T23:24:23Z

Same here: I transfer it to a jar, and it can keep for a week or a little more.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-15T03:06:50Z

One complicating factor is how you define the paleo diet. Free of all grains, legumes, and dairy, and that's it? Or a focus on eating whole food, and eating foods you tolerate well? Vegetarianism and veganism tend to be pretty strict. Whereas many paleos tend to be pretty relaxed about it. I also think that looking at people who grew up eating veg*n or paleo would be interesting. The only people I know who are long-term dedicated to vegetarianism are those who started as a young child. I wonder how their recidivism compares with people who started pale-type eating as young children.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-14T14:22:46Z

I don't think MOST are, but there is a sizeable portion of the population (something greater than 1% but probably less than 30%). Yesterday I came across a paper that found 10% of a healthy sample of people had IgA antibodies to gliadin. However, it's tricky to interpret because there wasn't a difference in HLA genotype between those with and those without the anti-gliadin response. Nor was there any clinical significance: those with the anti-gliadin antibodies didn't show any symptoms.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-04-10T23:38:11Z

Just as an update: I'm still seeing improvements. I'm within my normal range of cognitive ability. I'm around 40 hours a week at work (though my goal is about 60 hours per week, and before I got sick I was averaging 70 hours a week). I'm still taking the b vitamins. And sleep has been crucial: I need 9 to 10 hours a night, whereas I used to need only 8.

Comment by Sara S.

2013-03-31T12:43:28Z

Maybe we define slimy differently? I'm thinking of something like whether there's noticeable fiber to the muscle or not, so it's maybe not what other people are thinking of.