Weight

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

In my son's case, his slow and slower growth does have to do with apraxia. He

was on a downward trend from age six months to two years, went from the 50th

percentile in weight to the fifth. Our doctor reassured us all the way down to

the fifth percentile, then said we should see a specialist about his lack of

growth!

Looking back, his weight problems started when he started solid foods. His oral

weakness and lack of coordination made it hard for him to eat enough. I didn't

know that, of course. I just put food in front of him and cleared his place when

he was done, assuming he was getting what he needed. But his mouth is so weak,

and chewing so hard for him, that he just stops before he's eaten enough

calories.

The good news is, we were able to turn it around. I put him on a super high-fat

diet. Full-fat yogurt, cheese, half and half on his cereal, olives, avocados,

you get the idea. Vast quantities of butter or cream cheese on his bread, and

more if he licks it all off. With these foods, he doesn't have to work as hard

to get his calories. I also concentrated on softer textures that are easier for

him. Anyway, he gained 14 oz in six weeks, and now we're trying for 16 oz in the

next six weeks. Wish us luck!

Now, Keenan was *not* staying on a growth curve. He went from the middle of the

chart to the bottom, which is a sign of a real problem. What is the growth

pattern in your family? Was either of Graham's parents small as a child? How

about small as an adult?

How is Graham's eating? Does he prefer soft foods? Have problems with different

textures? What about temperatures? My son has a big problem with hot (anything

above room temp) foods. I can only imagine how many times he went away from the

table hungry because the food was too hot for him. Good side is, now I can serve

him leftovers straight from the fridge! :-)

<<

I have heard some of you talk about your children being small for their age...I

was wondering if that has anything to do with apraxia. Graham has always been

small for his age...Our doctor has never been concerned because he stays right

on his growth curve.

>>

[Guest guest]

My 2.5 yo daughter has been in the 90% for height & weight throught her

development. Then again, her apraxia is verbal and other than being orally

defensive she does not seem to have oral apraxia in the sense of drooling, major

feeding difficulties, she can move her tongue etc.

Both of my children were/are extremely pick eaters. I have often worried about

proper nutrition. That seems to be a common thread for many of us too. I don't

know if it is mostly related to SI or low tone.

It has been interesting to see on this thread that for some children it all

seems to be tied together that is, low weight & apraxia. Apraxia just doesn't

seem to effect all children in the same way.

Jeanette in PA mother to 4yo ds latetalker-resolved, 2yo dd verbal apraxia/SI

Usborne Books Consultant Get double hostess books for a catalog party in Aug

or Sept e-mail me for details jeanet@...

http://www.ubah.com/B1214/

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you for your nice responce. Yes , Graham has a real problem with hot

foods. He prefers all his food cold. He never wants hot food. He won't

eat his supper until it has completely cooled off. My husband and I are

neither small people. My husband is real muscular and I am average for my

size. And were both average as little kids. Graham prefers finger foods

such as sandwiches, hot dogs without buns, crackers, etc. He quits so

easily when he has to use a fork. He was born at 8 lbs 3 oz. But quickly

fell to the 5th percentile. And stayed there. All our other children have

been small but not that small. around the 25th percentile.

thanks

> Hi ,

>

> In my son's case, his slow and slower growth does have to do with apraxia.

He was on a downward trend from age six months to two years, went from the

50th percentile in weight to the fifth. Our doctor reassured us all the way

down to the fifth percentile, then said we should see a specialist about his

lack of growth!

>

>

[Guest guest]

My daughter was born weighing 9 pounds at birth which is like 90-95th percentile

an db the time she was 15 months she was at 5th percentile. I went to 3

different peds with my concerns over her lack of growth and everyone said she

was fine. they said if she hit 10th to check into it. then they said 5th etc.

then they said she may fall all the way off the charts but that would be okay

too. I finally gave up and figured I was wrong. She seems to be okay on her

weight now but I think that is because she is drinking a ton of milk. that is

her main diet is drinking milk. She doesn't eat much.

She is also constipated and has very hard stools, she drools, she crams food,

she breastfed good, she doe snot walk and says just a few words but doe snot

understand much of what is said to her. We have yet to get a diagnosis. We see a

pediatric neurologist on Friday.

Very interesting all the similarities we find with our children.

& Jaynie 21 months

In my son's case, his slow and slower growth does have to do with apraxia. He

was on a downward trend from age six months to two years, went from the 50th

percentile in weight to the fifth. Our doctor reassured us all the way down to

the fifth percentile, then said we should see a specialist about his lack of

growth!

Looking back, his weight problems started when he started solid foods. His oral

weakness and lack of coordination made it hard for him to eat enough. I didn't

know that, of course. I just put food in front of him and cleared his place when

he was done, assuming he was getting what he needed. But his mouth is so weak,

and chewing so hard for him, that he just stops before he's eaten enough

calories.

The good news is, we were able to turn it around. I put him on a super high-fat

diet. Full-fat yogurt, cheese, half and half on his cereal, olives, avocados,

you get the idea. Vast quantities of butter or cream cheese on his bread, and

more if he licks it all off. With these foods, he doesn't have to work as hard

to get his calories. I also concentrated on softer textures that are easier for

him. Anyway, he gained 14 oz in six weeks, and now we're trying for 16 oz in the

next six weeks. Wish us luck!

Now, Keenan was *not* staying on a growth curve. He went from the middle of the

chart to the bottom, which is a sign of a real problem. What is the growth

pattern in your family? Was either of Graham's parents small as a child? How

about small as an adult?

How is Graham's eating? Does he prefer soft foods? Have problems with different

textures? What about temperatures? My son has a big problem with hot (anything

above room temp) foods. I can only imagine how many times he went away from the

table hungry because the food was too hot for him. Good side is, now I can serve

him leftovers straight from the fridge! :-)

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My son was similar at this age, switch her to Lactaid milk to try to help

with those hard stools.

FYI, both my kids with disabilities were always big, and have especially

big heads (100%tile) which is called familial megencaphaly, just means big

head in family...my husbans, his brothere and all the cousins (none with

disabilities) all have big heads too.

>My daughter was born weighing 9 pounds at birth which is like 90-95th

>percentile an db the time she was 15 months she was at 5th percentile. I

>went to 3 different peds with my concerns over her lack of growth and

>everyone said she was fine. they said if she hit 10th to check into it.

>then they said 5th etc. then they said she may fall all the way off the

>charts but that would be okay too. I finally gave up and figured I was

>wrong. She seems to be okay on her weight now but I think that is because

>she is drinking a ton of milk. that is her main diet is drinking milk. She

>doesn't eat much.

[Guest guest]

I will try that, thanks!

Hi,

My son was similar at this age, switch her to Lactaid milk to try to help

[Guest guest]

can someone tell me what hypotonic means?

>We have since discovered that the " food " issue is one of

> the many " characteristics " of dyspraxia/apraxia. Another issue is that

not

> all children present with the same characteristics. Hence the " my child

is

> big... my child is small " comments. She is also hypotonic which helps

> explain the food difficulties. All we can suggest after 18 years of

> " dealing " with the problems of diagnosis, is give the professionals your

> dealing with plenty of information and don't allow the " too uptight "

> mentality to reign.

[Guest guest]

You described my situation! My daughter was born weighing 9 pounds and was 17 at

1 year. At times she lost weight and she seemed to gain one pound every 2 months

instead of 2 pounds every month as is normal. My first two kids (she is my 3rd

also) were born big and stayed big. I was told that even though she consistently

has fallen down the growth chart that since her height and weight were both low

she was fine! I was not happy with this answer but got it from 3 different peds!

Ugh! No one ordered blood or anything to be done. At 21 months she doesn't eat

many solids and just drinks a ton of bottles all day. yesterday she had maybe 2

bites of cereal, some crackers, some beans (maybe 3!) and a piece of cheese and

a few chips, and nothing for dinner. It is getting worse. I don't think it is

appropriate for her to get her calories just through milk. She has put on a good

deal of weight but it is from the milk.

I believe my daughter to be Hypotonic too. Her PY said she had low tone and she

has many symptoms of it. We are going to a neurologist soon. Hope we can get

some help. I do not know if she is Apraxic either but have found help with this

board.

>We have since discovered that the " food " issue is one of

>the many " characteristics " of dyspraxia/apraxia. Another issue is that not

>all children present with the same characteristics. Hence the " my child is

>big... my child is small " comments. She is also hypotonic which helps

>explain the food difficulties. All we can suggest after 18 years of

> " dealing " with the problems of diagnosis, is give the professionals your

>dealing with plenty of information and don't allow the " too uptight "

>mentality to reign.

[Guest guest]

Hypotonia is low muscle tone.

~~

> can someone tell me what hypotonic means?

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Seeing as how you seem to be a professional, maybe

I'm talking out of turn, but have you had her tested

for aspecific female syndrome problems.

I am not overly familiar with them, however, there

may be some malody of which I have no concept that

could be helping to cause these problems.

God be with you in whatever you do. Gene

[Guest guest]

My son is 7 and very tall. He always was tall for his age and

he has apraxia too!

[Guest guest]

I have never been seriously overweight, but like most people can

carry a few extra pounds. I noticed a difference in my mobility when

I lost just 10 pounds. Go to the grocery store and pick up 2 five lb

bags of sugar and carry them around with you for a couple of minutes.

You'll see what I mean. Extra body weight, no matter how slight, can

be a hindrance to mobility and overall health, even if you don't have

physical challenges like we do. I just saw on CNN yesterday that new

studies have revealed that obesity can cut 20 years off one's life.

I learned from being a life time member of " Weight Watchers " , that

losing just 10% of your body weight will most likely greatly reduce

high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. Losing weight can be more

challenging when ability to exercise is compromised, but it can be

done by food portion control, switching to whole grains instead of

white flour, watching your sugars, drinking lots of water, etc. The

more weight you lose, the more you should be able to move (exercise)

which should really improve your overall health. I can't be up on my

legs much at all, so I choose to ride an exercise bike, and do

stretching, etc. on the floor. See if you can find something that

works for you, and don't expect miracles. You didn't put the weight

on overnight, so it won't come off overnight either. I wish you all

the best.

[Guest guest]

Christie,

35 pounds in 8 weeks is a lot of weight loss. Do you exercise at the same time?

My boyfriend started Atkins about 2 weeks ago and has only lost 4 pounds on the

induction phase, but he only has about 12 pds. to lose. He is exercising 5x

week (jogging) for about l hour. He was actually pleased with this, as on the

low fat diet he was on previously, he would only lose about l pound a week. But

after seeing your results, his doesnt look so good. He says he is sticking to

the 20 gm of carbs per day.

Sometimes, it seems he really isn't eating enough. His portion sizes seem

somewhat small, so shouldn't he be losing more, not less. He does add fat to

everything, so I don't think that should be an issue.

Also, he said he really doesn't enjoy the diet, as he misses pasta, bread and

fruit. I think he wants be able to eat anything in smaller amounts. He is

sticking to it though. Would be nice if he lost more weight with it. Any other

suggestions?

Thanks,

Jafa

Christie <christiekeith@...> wrote:

>> What is ya'll's experience with weight gain with this eating style? <<

, I DO have excess body fat to lose, and had hoped that by adopting NT I

could sort of naturally get trim, but it was not to be. I didn't gain, however.

I am now following Atkins guidelines for its strictest weight loss phase (carbs

around 20 grams a day, mostly in the form of leafy green veggies), but in a

totally NT way - lots of whole raw creams and cheese and butter, plus meat,

eggs, liver (limited to 1 oz a day at this time), etc. Total calories from fat

on this phase of Atkins is around 60-75 percent. I have lost around 35 pounds in

8 weeks since doing this, and feel better and more energetic than I've felt in

over 20 years. (I'm 44.)

So, I do believe that NT principles, and eating lots of fresh raw fats, are

consistent with losing excess body fat and also with maintaining a healthy

weight, however, just doing NT alone was not enough for me to restore the damage

that has been done to my metabolism over the years. I had to address the carb

issue. And I already had not eaten sugar for many years - but was still eating

around 300 grams of carbs a day. Lots of crusty French bread and risotto and

pasta and starchy veggies.

As we get older our metabolisms do change, as you are noticing. It becomes

easier to store body fat, harder to get it off. If there have been bad eating

habits, especially those such as high carb or low fat, which encourage insulin

resistance, then that becomes a factor also. One possible approach is to look at

reducing carbs in the diet instead of worrying about fat. I have come to firmly

believe that dietary fat is our friend.

Christie

[Guest guest]

>> 35 pounds in 8 weeks is a lot of weight loss. Do you exercise at the same

time? <<

Yes, I do - I do 15 minutes of yoga daily, plus three times a week I do it for

about an hour. Three days I lift weights for 30 minutes. Every day I walk my

dogs for 20 minutes, twice daily. Now that I have all this energy, even that

doesn't feel like enough, so as soon as I get back from a business trip I have

to go on this week, I'm joining the new " Curves " gym that has opened in our

town.

>> My boyfriend started Atkins about 2 weeks ago and has only lost 4 pounds on

the induction phase, but he only has about 12 pds. to lose. He is exercising 5x

week (jogging) for about l hour. He was actually pleased with this, as on the

low fat diet he was on previously, he would only lose about l pound a week. But

after seeing your results, his doesnt look so good. <<

It is absolutely a truth that the less you have to lose, the slower it will come

off. Slow and steady wins the race! I have well over a hundred pounds of excess

body fat to lose. Tell him to cheer up! He's doing the right thing. He might

want to add some weight lifting, his body weight will probably not drop as fast

because muscle weighs more than fat, but it will burn fat faster than jogging,

and lean muscle actually burns more calories than fat - so just sitting around,

you'll burn more fat.

>> He says he is sticking to the 20 gm of carbs per day.

Sometimes, it seems he really isn't eating enough. His portion sizes seem

somewhat small, so shouldn't he be losing more, not less. He does add fat to

everything, so I don't think that should be an issue. <<

I would suggest he not stick to 20 grams a day, with so little weight to lose.

Dr. Atkins only recommended staying on induction beyond 14 days for those who

had a lot to lose (at least 50 lbs). Once we are within 20 lbs of goal, we are

supposed to start adding carbs back in, 5 grams a week. He needs to go onto

Ongoing Weight Loss. There are excellent reasons for this, all spelled out quite

clearly in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. Does he have this book? He might want

to read the OWL chapters again.

Also, men very often do best on slightly higher carbs than women with the same

amount to lose.

>> Also, he said he really doesn't enjoy the diet, as he misses pasta, bread and

fruit. I think he wants be able to eat anything in smaller amounts. He is

sticking to it though. Would be nice if he lost more weight with it. Any other

suggestions? <<

You say he adds fat to everything, but how MUCH fat? I found that my desire for

carbs (pasta, bread, fruit) would go away if I consumed more fat. If he's doing

small portions and feels hungry, he hasn't found the right balance yet. Dr.

Atkins says, if you are hungry, eat! However, he might also want to look at

alternative low carb programs such as The Carbohydrate Addict's Lifespan

Program. It's not for me, but I know many people who have had excellent results

with it, and it does allow one meal a day with " reward " carbs in it, such as

fruit or bread or whatever your passion is. To me this would be like being an

alcholic and having one drink a night - personally I cannot control my eating

when I consume a high-carb item. However, that is not the case for everyone and

maybe he'd enjoy that more. Atkins is a way of life and if he hates it now,

he'll never like it. BUT - he also may find as he moves out of induction, which

I HIGHLY recommend he do immediately, he will enjoy it more. He can add fruit in

quite soon, especially low carb fruits such as strawberries and melons, and will

eventually be able to eat small amounts of low carb, high fiber bread items if

he wishes. He might want to read Atkins for Life and see if that will work for

him.

With so little to lose, he shouldn't be having this " crash diet mentality " of

staying on induction longer than 14 days. He also might want to go to

www.fitday.com and enter his diet there and see what his calories and fat and

protein are - he might be eating way too little, which puts your body into

starvation mode and makes you very efficient at storing fat. It's a common

problem.

I hope some of this was helpful!

Christie

[Guest guest]

Hi

My experience has been that I can eat NT and not gain weight but will

gain when I drink kefir.

i am glucose and milk protein intolerant, and probably have celiac but I

can eat cheese that all the whey has been removed from.

I lost 25 lbs on a body ecology/NT diet but began gaining on kefir, so I

cut it out and eat yogurt instead and seem to be able to maintain my

weight, and even lose that I gained on kefir.

courtneysavin wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> Thanks for the feedback on the oils. I thought of something else I

> want to ask about...I have been using the NT philosophy since April,

> and I'm nowhere near total " compliance " but have made many changes

> for my family.

>

> The concern I want to bring up is that I have gained 8 pounds since I

> began eating like this. I was always a real food person (butter not

> margerine, cream or whole milk not fake dairy) but our intake of

> meat, eggs, dairy and fats has gone up. I drink kefir every morning

> (made with whole milk) now, where I had stopped drinking milk 15

> years ago, eat more nut butters, etc. I wasn't skinny and in need of

> more weight, although not overweight either. I'm 37 and concerned

> that the scale will keep inching up as I get older. I have never been

> a dieter and don't want to become one, nor do I want to be someone

> obsessed with my weight.

>

> I started running 2 weeks ago partially for this very reason and I'm

> as active as I can be with 2 young kids, but that hasn't seemed to

> have an effect.

>

> What is ya'll's experience with weight gain with this eating style?

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>35 pounds in 8 weeks is a lot of weight loss. Do you exercise at the same

time?

>My boyfriend started Atkins about 2 weeks ago and has only lost 4 pounds on the

induction phase, but he only has about 12 pds. to lose. He is exercising 5x

week (jogging) for about l hour.

You probably know this, but just to iterate: you really have to know WHAT it is

you are losing to make a good comparison. If you are exercising and building

muscle, it is not unusual to stay even on " weight " while losing a lot of fat.

Fat doesn't weigh much: water and muscle do. People who don't have much muscle

that go on a good diet and exercise program may slim down, but actually gain

weight. On the other hand, a person I know who was extremely slim, tested at 40%

body fat! She starved herself a lot and I guess had little muscle left -- she

ended up with severe fibromyalgia (related or not, I don't know).

I've been trying to regulate my diet using portion control, which has actually

worked in that I'm not gaining and losing slowly with not much work on my part.

Basically figuring out what, for ME, works for a meal. It is different for every

meal, but say, for lunch, 4 oz of meat, 1/2 cup of starch (maybe, mostly I just

have starch for breakfast) and piles of vegies (like, a salad, or peas, or

broccoli, or carrots) with garlic and oil. My goal is to find meals that " work "

in the sense that:

1. I LIKE them.

2. They set well.

3. They give me a lot of energy.

4. They cause me to not gain, or to lose, weight.

I would guess that ketosis can cause one to lose weight quickly: it would also

give me a migraine (very low carb diets do that to me) and I'd be missing my

fruit too badly to stick to it for long. And it still wouldn't answer the

question I have: what do I need to eat to survive without " dieting " ? I know I

can lose weight with enough willpower, but it would just come back again unless

I figure out " how to eat " .

To date though, I've lost my sugar cravings (really, I just don't like the stuff

much) and my blood sugar has stabilized. I don't think there is a " one size fits

all " in this, but maybe sharing we kind find ways ...

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

This is interesting. I use to be slim eating a raw vegan diet, but

since changing my diet to include animal sources, pregnancy and an

injury (not in that order) I have over 100 lbs. to lose now. I

purchased one of those body fat scales, which says I'm 45% fat. I

use to do a lot of juice only diets and went 40 days once on just

oj. I'm wondering now if I didn't starve myself a lot with the

juice fasts and raw vegan diet and since I added animal sources to

my diet my body gained so much weight because of the lack of muscle

from starving myself so much in the past? I have myofascial pain

around the injury site and doing just simple exercises in PT causes

me pain. I tried to fold a basket of laundry the other day (as my

daughter that usually does it was gone on a trip), which really

caused me a lot of pain for the rest of the day. I've been having

trouble climbing stairs and doing a lot of walking, because my knees

hurt all of the time. I tried the Atkins diet and was on the

induction phase for 2 1/2 months and didn't lose a thing. I missed

fruit and hated it, so I quit. However, I gained another 10 to 15

lbs. since then. I'm so tired of diets that I've just been trying

to eat healthy. Grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, raw dairy, coconut

oil/high quality olive oil, fruits, non-starchy veggies, and nuts.

I rarely, rarely eat grain products, but despite my good diet I'm

fat and I hurt. It's frustrating! I've read tons of books and have

tried various diets without success. I just don't know what to do

anymore. I even had my thyroid checked, but the doctor wouldn't do

the full range of tests that I asked of him. He said it wasn't

necessary and as a result of the tests he did do, he said my thyroid

is normal. Yet, when I read about thyroid problems I have so many

of the symptoms. When he did the tests I had insurance coverage,

but now I don't and I can't afford to spend the extra money going to

someone else trying to find out. Therefore, I feel like I'm at a

dead end. Well, thanks for listening. I just wish I knew what to

do.

<<People who don't have much muscle

that go on a good diet and exercise program may slim down, but

actually gain

weight. On the other hand, a person I know who was extremely slim,

tested at

40% body fat! She starved herself a lot and I guess had little

muscle left --

she ended up with severe fibromyalgia (related or not, I don't

know).>>

[Guest guest]

>Grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, raw dairy, coconut

>oil/high quality olive oil, fruits, non-starchy veggies, and nuts.

>I rarely, rarely eat grain products, but despite my good diet I'm

>fat and I hurt. It's frustrating! I've read tons of books and have

>tried various diets without success.

You might try experimenting -- live a full day on apple juice

and see what happens. A lot of people have IgG or IgA immune

reactions, and I'm convinced that these lead to a lot of problems.

Grains are not the only one, just the only one I know much about.

If your body reacts to a food, your cortisol levels go way up.

Stress hormones. Well, pain etc. will do that too. When cortisol

goes up, your body goes into " fat storage " mode: it wants to

break down muscle and store fat, and your blood sugar goes

to pot. If you do better on a vegan diet, then the proteins in

eggs, milk, or even chicken or beef *could* be a problem to you.

There are tests for the IgG immune reactions (they are a bit

pricey, but you can order them by mail), or you can just

experiment.

But a lot of people DO get a LOT better on

highly restricted diets, and lose weight, and often the reason

is simply that they are avoiding some thing that bothers them.

That is probably a reason why people feel so good on fasts too.

That, in fact, is what made me suspicious: I always felt SO GOOD

on these highly restricted, not-good-for-you diets. But you

have to experiment to figure it out: the reaction often takes

2-3 DAYS to show up. Being vegan long-term isn't a good idea,

but short-term it won't kill you and might make it easier to

pinpoint the problem.

My family got a LOT leaner when I removed the wheat from their

diets -- near as I can tell, that is the only problem food for them.

Me, I'm more complicated -- milk and artichokes seem to be

a problem too.

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

>I'm ignornant here, what is IgG and IgA? Where do you get these

>tests?

I'm not clear on the exact details either, but basically, when you have

an immune reaction to something, there are (at least) 5 different systems

involved. The usual things called " allergies " (pollen, cat, peanuts) involve

the IgE system. It reacts very quickly. IgG and IgA are produced in the

intestines, and react to food, and take 2-20 hours to " show up " as

symptoms. There are 2 others that I don't know much about at all.

" Celiac " is a disease that is basically caused by the IgA system and gliadin.

IgA

allergies are NOT well studied, except for celiac. The researchers

seem to think though, that there are other IgA allergies with similar

symptoms -- which is likely true, because some celiacs don't get

better until they give up eggs or casein or yeast or soy (the other common

allergens).

You can get the IgA tests from www.finerhealth.com. The IgG tests are

the tests, and several places offer them as blood tests.

The nasty thing about the IgA allergies (as far as they've been studied) is

that:

1. They are for life (IgG and IgE seem to come and go)

2. They " trigger " autoimmune diseases (like lupus, arthritis, Type 1 diabetes)

3. They mess up the immune system and make you more prone to stuff like cancer.

4. They mess up your food absorption and lead to mineral and vitamin

deficiencies,

even if you are eating good.

> One doctor tested me and said my tests showed stress, so my

>cortisol levels probably are up. How does one bring them down?

>Other than the obvious, reducing stress.

There is a book called the " Cortisol Connection " that recommends some

herbs and drugs ... it is an interesting book, but I was discouraged by

their approach. Basically they said changing your diet, getting more sleep,

learning to manage stress are what you need to do -- then go on to say

that since no one will DO that, here are the drugs to take.

For me though, the trick seems to be allergens. If I eat something I react

to, my cortisol goes way up (I can tell because my blood sugar drops!).

> Actually, I saw a doctor

>today who told me he never recommends a vegetarian diet, but in my

>case he does. It's so hard now trying to go back to vegetarianism,

>when I had such a hard time re-adjusting to animal sources after 10

>years without them, just within this past 16 months. Yet, something

>is not agreeing with me.

I'd *kind of* agree -- go back to vegies, see if you feel better. If you do,

then

re-introduce foods SLOWLY. Do eggs for two weeks -- JUST eggs, and start

with just one in the morning. A whole lot of people react to eggs or

diary, and in any case, if you haven't eaten them for a long time,

you might not be making the right digestive enzymes yet.

If it's just an enzyme thing, then maybe you can digest them later.

-- Heidi

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Heidi, I appreciate the info.! I'll be checking into it.

Robin

>

> >I'm ignornant here, what is IgG and IgA? Where do you get these

> >tests?

>

> I'm not clear on the exact details either, but basically, when you

have

> an immune reaction to something, there are (at least) 5 different

systems

> involved. The usual things called " allergies " (pollen, cat,

peanuts) involve

> the IgE system. It reacts very quickly. IgG and IgA are produced

in the

> intestines, and react to food, and take 2-20 hours to " show up " as

> symptoms. There are 2 others that I don't know much about at all.

>

> " Celiac " is a disease that is basically caused by the IgA system

and gliadin. IgA

> allergies are NOT well studied, except for celiac. The researchers

> seem to think though, that there are other IgA allergies with

similar

> symptoms -- which is likely true, because some celiacs don't get

> better until they give up eggs or casein or yeast or soy (the

other common

> allergens).

>

> You can get the IgA tests from www.finerhealth.com. The IgG tests

are

> the tests, and several places offer them as blood tests.

>

> The nasty thing about the IgA allergies (as far as they've been

studied) is

> that:

>

> 1. They are for life (IgG and IgE seem to come and go)

> 2. They " trigger " autoimmune diseases (like lupus, arthritis, Type

1 diabetes)

> 3. They mess up the immune system and make you more prone to stuff

like cancer.

> 4. They mess up your food absorption and lead to mineral and

vitamin deficiencies,

> even if you are eating good.

>

> > One doctor tested me and said my tests showed stress, so my

> >cortisol levels probably are up. How does one bring them down?

> >Other than the obvious, reducing stress.

>

> There is a book called the " Cortisol Connection " that recommends

some

> herbs and drugs ... it is an interesting book, but I was

discouraged by

> their approach. Basically they said changing your diet, getting

more sleep,

> learning to manage stress are what you need to do -- then go on to

say

> that since no one will DO that, here are the drugs to take.

>

> For me though, the trick seems to be allergens. If I eat something

I react

> to, my cortisol goes way up (I can tell because my blood sugar

drops!).

>

>

> > Actually, I saw a doctor

> >today who told me he never recommends a vegetarian diet, but in

my

> >case he does. It's so hard now trying to go back to

vegetarianism,

> >when I had such a hard time re-adjusting to animal sources after

10

> >years without them, just within this past 16 months. Yet,

something

> >is not agreeing with me.

>

> I'd *kind of* agree -- go back to vegies, see if you feel better.

If you do, then

> re-introduce foods SLOWLY. Do eggs for two weeks -- JUST eggs, and

start

> with just one in the morning. A whole lot of people react to eggs

or

> diary, and in any case, if you haven't eaten them for a long time,

> you might not be making the right digestive enzymes yet.

> If it's just an enzyme thing, then maybe you can digest them

later.

>

> -- Heidi

>

> >

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/17/2003 10:15:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

tigerboy@... writes:

> Also, I believe weight is ultimately controlled by what we put in our

> mouths, It is possible to get and keep your weight under control by making

> good food choices

I am sitting here wondering why you would say such a thing.

I had 5 babies I gained a healthy 40 pounds with each baby. It had nothing to

do what I ate.

[Guest guest]

I believe weight has a lot to do with genetics than a lot of people

think...four kids later, I'm not thin anymore either. With CMT and drop

feet, pain in ankles constitantly--exercise is very hard for me!

>From: MommyToAdam@...

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: weight

>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 23:16:12 EDT

>

>In a message dated 9/17/2003 10:15:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

>tigerboy@... writes:

>

> > Also, I believe weight is ultimately controlled by what we put in our

> > mouths, It is possible to get and keep your weight under control by

>making

> > good food choices

>

>

>

>I am sitting here wondering why you would say such a thing.

>I had 5 babies I gained a healthy 40 pounds with each baby. It had nothing

>to

>do what I ate.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/18/2003 11:05:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

sjcrock@... writes:

> I believe weight has a lot to do with genetics than a lot of people

> think...four kids later, I'm not thin anymore either. With CMT and drop

> feet, pain in ankles constitantly--exercise is very hard for me!

>

Ditto . You and I am living the same life.

[Guest guest]

I can't get over all this negativity about weight and

exercise. when i was confined to a wheelchair for a while i

found chair exercises to do. now I still will sit in a chair

and lift my legs or arms just to keep moving and limber.

those who chose not to exercise for what ever reason okay but

don't get mad at those of us who do.

and for those who don't worry about their weight don't get

mad at those of us who are concerned our extra weight. it is

hard on our legs. we all have to decide what we are willing

to live with or sacrifice. I for one chose not to be to

overweight or to sit around.

oh and just for the record I have numbness from my knees down

and my elbows down to my finger tips and I have tremors and

occassionally drop foot if I over do.

Cathleen in Arkansas

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Cathleen, for saying what I'm sure alot of us were

thinking. I for one am not over weight, so I don't have to

worry about it. Please, we are all here for the same reason,

don't be critical; let's share our EXPERIENCE, not OPINIONS,

and just help each other get through our difficult times.