Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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My husband says that in the past couple of month or so he's been having elavated energy levels on our VLC paleo diet. Today he told me he's been getting occasional panicky feelings. Not quite up to a panic attack but the last one he got while watching a movie earlier this evening.

We eat about 50% grassfed/pastured meat, wild fish, and try to only have "natural" hormone free red meat (lamb/beef) when we are eating conventional. Other than that we eat some salads, and lots of leafy greens, low carb veggies. Plenty of pastured eggs, some bacon, I only use grassfed butter/ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, or occasional tallow (for the once or twice a month roasted potato indulgence.)

He walks about 30 minutes round trip to work and then we often walk in the evenings but he isn't doing any high intensity working out. He has a pretty bad back and some arthritis in his hips.

supplements include Cod liver oil, Carlson DHA 500mg, Magnesium, Coq10, Vitamin D 4000 (and then I think he gets another 1000 or so from the cod liver oil,) vitamin K2 and then I grind a half an egg shell in his shakes once or twice a week for trace minerals and calcium.

He is overweight and in a once in a million chance is actually losing weight a LOT slower than I am. He claims he isn't cheating but I know he has some diet coke and probably gets more O6 than I do since he likes to eat out for lunch but I believe him when he says he isn't eating any wheat (orders off of gluten free menus.) He also has the characteristic cortisol belly.

Is there something off hand we could do to help his anxiety? Is it possibly linked to the very low carb? It did seem to spring up since he started eating vlc. He isn't especially stressed at work right now, we aren't having money problems, we have a new baby but I take the lions share of his care and he's a really easy going baby, and the marriage is mostly harmonious. Supplements? More excercise? Please don't say mindfulness or anything like that. My husband is NOT the meditating type.

edited Jul 4 2011 at 1:56

asked Jul 4 2011 at 1:44

Aughra
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Oh, Also just to add. My husband never eats large amounts of fat in one sitting like some people on here do with the kerry gold or coconut oil. So I don't think it's a MCT/ fat high. – Aughra Jul 4 2011 at 1:50

And yes, if it gets worse we will go to the doctor. I know forums are not psychologists. :-) – Aughra Jul 4 2011 at 1:51

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Any prescribed meds of any kind that he takes? Any history of high anxiety/panic? How does he feel about going paleo? Is going paleo attached to goals for himself that he values/wants? How much has food - snacking - been a coping tool before? How overweight? Walking to work his choice? Sounds like pain is an issue. Food can be a tool with pain - coping. Just some things to consider. – Atkins-witha-loincloth Jul 4 2011 at 2:00

Thanks for posting this question. I'm very interested in any ideas that get suggested. I have a friend who is on medication for panic attacks and I thinks she'd be interested in paleo if it could help but I wouldn't want to push it if adds to panic somehow. – Melinda Jul 4 2011 at 3:37

He's not on any drugs and doesn't have any history of depression or anxiety. He walks to work from a Paid parking lot but he claims the walk is very pleasant for him. He's probably about 40 Pounds overweight but he doesn't seem to have much muscle definition in his upper body so I don't know what is BF% is. He claims his pain was worse on SAD and has lessened on paleo. He used to run but hurt himself and hasn't started back at My pleading so the walking isn't an issue. – Aughra Jul 4 2011 at 3:56

show 3 more comments

Nita · Answer 1 · 2011-07-04 03:36:33Z UTC

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I love low carb. I feel great when I'm eating lower carbs, but if I go too low for too long, I get that jittery anxiety, sleep suffers, and I start having those lovely heart palpitations and muscle cramps. Raising carbs takes care of it for me.

answered Jul 4 2011 at 3:36

Nita
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	Sounds real similar to me. VLC can cause PVC. Be careful. – Scott Jul 4 2011 at 4:29
	PVC? What is that? – Aughra Jul 4 2011 at 4:51
	PVC= premature ventricular contraction. The heart atria and ventricles contract rhythmically and sequentially. A pvc is the ventrical contracting out of sequence prior to when it should be contracting. I am not aware of any evidence linking VLC, as in Atkins induction phase carb levels to pvc. Perhaps Scott is and can supply info. – Atkins-witha-loincloth Jul 4 2011 at 7:02

Rogue Nutritionist · Answer 2 · 2011-07-04 02:31:27Z UTC

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Does he consume caffeine? Other than that, my first thoughts go to neurotransmitter imbalance. It wouldn't hurt to see if GABA helps him. He can try starting with about 200 mg. of powder under his tongue. He can take more in slight incremental(100mg.) increases until he feels relaxed. Taking too much can aggregate symptoms, and amino acids should always be taken a half hour or longer away from animal protein.

answered Jul 4 2011 at 2:31

Rogue Nutritionist
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He does have caffiene. It never messed with him in the past though and he doesn't consume more than a cup or two of coffee in the AM. I wonder if he'd give it up. Haha I'd hate to make him give up something else! Hmm I'll run that by him, though and try the supplement. – Aughra Jul 4 2011 at 4:01

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@Ashley: Might try 1/2 caff mix instead of full caff. ;) I am sensitive, but really enjoy my 2 cups, so backed myself off from full caff. So, caffeine wise, I drink the equiv of one cafeinated cup. – Atkins-witha-loincloth Jul 4 2011 at 4:07

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My guess is that it's the coffee...if he's willing to quit, it's best to go slowly. Start with 1/4 decaf for several days, then 1/2, and so on until he's at full decaf. – Rogue Nutritionist Jul 4 2011 at 6:32

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That is what was weird about the coffee: It never affected me, previously. And I drank a TON. Its like changing my diet overall changed my body chemistry in a way in which I could no longer tolerate the stimulation. – oo Jul 4 2011 at 12:42

Wozza · Answer 3 · 2011-07-04 05:29:14Z UTC

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could be candida die-off

answered Jul 4 2011 at 5:29

Wozza
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Hack my husband’s panicky feelings

3 Answers