Solving Inflammation Problems

Low Sulphur Experiment is Successful

2011-11-29T05:52:00.000-08:00

SULPHUR AS A SUSPECT. I have long suspected that sulphur (sulfur) might be the cause of my inflammation problems. Recently I finally found a list of foods evaluated for their sulphur content. I used that list as my guide in designing a low-sulphur diet.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf

A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIMENT. For six weeks, I have experimented with a low sulphur diet. At first I tried to eat only foods that contain less than 10 mg/100 g serving (about half a cup). Examples are celery (8 mg) and cherries (7 mg). Many fruits fit this category. Few vegetables fit it. No major starches, except pumpkin (9.5 mg) meet this requirement. I soon realized that I would have a lot of trouble getting enough protein. To do so, I raised my limit to 20 mg/100 g serving. Thus I was able to include sweet potatoes (yellow inside) and yams (orange inside), at 15 mg.

Since I had no problems with any food having up to 20 mg of sulphur, I lifted the bar again, to 30 mg. This expansion allowed me to add potatoes (22 mg), thus assuring me all the essential amino acids -- as well as a tasteful and filling meal.

I am now slowly and cautiously adding foods from an even higher level of sulphur. An example is asparagus (46 mg). So far I have had no adverse reaction.

SULPHUR VS. PRAL? Previously I used Potential Renal Acid Load as my guide for deciding which foods to eat. I avoided foods that tended to produce acidity in the kidneys after digestion; and I ate only foods that tended to produce an alkaline condition in the kidneys. The PRAL standard worked very well, reducing my inflammation problems by 99%. The low sulphur diet, however, is even more effective. It has wiped out the last 1% of the problems I have had intermittently for several years -- particularly the last of the eczema and occasional pain problems.

SULPHUR VS. SULPHUR-BEARING AMINO ACIDS? Have I actually identified sulphur, which is a natural chemical element, as the cause of my inflammation problems? I would say "no." Sulphur load might be only a proxy, confounder, or coincident indicator. The problem might be, not the element sulphur, but certain amino acids that contain a lot of sulphur, particularly cysteine and methionine. I do not know.

REMAINING PROBLEM. So far, I have been using only the amount of sulphur in each food as my guide. I have not been calculating the total amount of sulphur in a particular meal. I do not know which is more important. For the sake of simplicity, I will operate on the assumption that I should have only one higher-sulphur food per meal. That standard is easy to meet. I always eat fruit, which is very low in sulphur; I always eat roots or gourds, which are low in sulphur; and I always eat only about 1 C of vegetable, the one food I would consider at the higher sulphur levels. (I completely avoid all the highest sulphur foods: animal products and "seeds" of all kinds, such as grains, nuts, beans, peas, and especially seeds such as mustard, which has one of the highest sulphur ratings on the list.)

ACCEPTABLE FOODS. For an ever-growing list of acceptable, low-sulphur foods, see "What do I eat now?" -- originally posted on July 15, 2010. There is a link to it in the Key Posts list in the upper right corner of this page.

I will add to this post as I learn more.

Burgess Laughlin

Author, The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith

Metoprolol

2011-03-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

LAST UPDATED, BOTTOM Nov. 28, 2011

Cardio-version ended my second episode of atrial fibrillation, as described in the January 25, 2011 post here. My cardiologist recommended that I take 50 mg of time release Metoprolol every morning for the remainder of my life. The purpose of the Metoprolol is to suppress the heart rate. By preventing it from beating too fast (for example, under great stress), the Metoprolol helps prevent the sort of instability that might lead to atrial fibrillation.

My doctor expects the atrial fibrillation to return. (He said, "When, not if.") He said the most likely causes of reversion to afib are (1) alcohol (which I do not drink at all) and (2) general anesthesia (which I hope to avoid for many years).

This post summarizes information about Metoprolol that I have gained through the help of an associate. As a layman, I think the information I cite is reliable, but each person must decide for himself.

WHAT IS METOPROLOL? According to drugs.com, Metoprolol is a beta blocker, that is, a drug designed to block heart receptors. The drug blocks chemicals in the blood that stimulate heart beat. Metoprolol thus reduces heart rate and thereby improves efficiency of pumping and reduces blood pressure.

IS METOPROLOL SAFE? Though I prefer taking no drugs at all, I think Metoprolol (also known as Toprol XL) is a safe drug, compared to many others. Coincidence and correlation are not causation. No proof shows that Metoprolol always or generally causes any particular adverse conditions. However, as always, some users report one or more adverse conditions while taking Metoprolol. For most adverse conditions reported, the number of reports is very small compared to the much larger number of individuals taking the drug. Partial exceptions are sleepiness (10% of users), depression (5%), and intestinal upset (diarrhea or nausea, 5% each). I experienced all of those at one time, but the effects faded after a few weeks.

WHEN SHOULD I TAKE IT AND HOW? I should take my Metoprolol tablet ("Extended Release") at the same time every day, in the morning, with breakfast. I need to swallow it whole so that this time-release tablet dissolves slowly during the following 24 hours. (Thus, I am receiving the lowest dose at the very time when I need Metoprolol the least, which is during deep sleep, when the heart is naturally beating most slowly.)

IS 50 MG A LARGE DOSE? I read literature from my pharmacist that said the range available is 50 to 200 mg. (My doctor originally recommended 150 mg.) If that is accurate, then I am taking the smallest dose available as a whole time-release tablet. I am considering cutting each one in half, a procedure which is acceptable as long as I do not crush it and thus destroy its time-release capability.

UPDATE, April 30, 2011: Last week both my eyes became bloodshot. The left eye's right side was becoming dark red. Alarmed, I went to an urgent care clinic on Saturday morning. While giving me a routine preliminary examination, the nurse noticed that my bloodpressure was acceptable (115/65) but my heart rate was disturbingly low (40 BPM). Metoprolol is the most likely cause of both problems -- the bloodshot eyes and the excessively low heart rate. On the next day, and thereafter, I took half a dose, 25 mg, at breakfast. My eyes began clearing within 24 hours. My heart rate is closer to 50 BPM now (at around 10 am). I will continue at the half-dose while I consider ending my use of Metoprolol.

UPDATE, May 21, 2011: I have extended my dosage experiment by reducing the dosage of Metoprolol to 12.5 mg (cutting the tablet twice). So far, my blood pressure (typically 120/65 at 9 am) and my resting heart rate (typically 45-55) have remained low, even with a 75% reduction in dosage. My medication symptoms (somewhat loose stools, drowsiness, slight nausea between meals) are gone. I may dispense with the Metroprolol altogether.

UPDATE, August 26, 2011: A few days after the May 21 update, I increased the daily time-release Metoprolol back up to 25 mg and kept it there until August 25, when I stopped the Metoprolol completely. Now, on my second day, I am seeing a more positive mood, somewhat faster transit of food through my intestine, less drowsiness after breakfast, no more dry eye.

Unfortunately, my blood pressure rose (up by c. 10/10 to c. 130/80, averaged throughout the day) and my heart rate rose (up about 10 bpm, to around 65). (I was alarmed when my BP spiked mid-afternoon at c. 133/96, but then it declined into the evening. I will continue monitoring. If they do not go higher, I will continue avoiding the Metoprolol.

UPDATE, October 16, 2011: After returning to a 25 mg dose, shortly after Aug. 26, I continued for about a month and then once again took 12.5 mg daily until yesterday. Today is my first day trying again to live without Metoprolol. (I am now taking only a daily probiotic capsule and a twice-weekly Vitamin B12 tablet, 500 micrograms each.) In the days ahead, if my blood pressure and heart rate do not rise alarmingly, I will continue avoiding Metoprolol.

UPDATE, October 30, 2011: My blood pressure did rise alarmingly. Here are readings in the late afternoon two days after stopping: 122/87, 68 bpm at 405 pm; 116/86, 70 bpm at 408 pm; 121/88, 67 bpm at 430 pm; 142/96, 60 bpm at 530 pm. I have returned to taking 25 mg of Metoprolol every morning, probably for the rest of my life, as my cardiologist had suggested. A typical recent reading is: 126/74, 50 bpm at 810 pm.

UPDATE, November 28, 2011. OFF METOPROLOL! At the recommendation of a Physician's Assistant, at a new general practice clinic, I halved my dosage of Metoprolol for a week and then stopped taking it. So far, five days later, the readings are acceptable: E.g., 116/71 at 58 bpm and 128/72 also at 58 bpm. I learned that, at least at the new clinic (which has no cardiologists), cardiologists generally have a reputation for seeking a much lower heart rate than most primary care physicians would seek. I am now free of pharmaceuticals.

Comments are welcome, especially about your own experiences with Metoprolol.

Burgess Laughlin

Author, The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith

BkRev: "Over-Diagnosed" by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch

2011-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

H. Gilbert Welch, MD, Lisa Schwartz, MD, and Steven Woloshin, MD, Over-Diagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health, Boston, Beacon Press, 2011, 228 pages. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807022004/

"So when I suggest," writes Dr. Gilbert Welch, "that we develop a healthy skepticism about early diagnosis, I am referring specifically to seeking diagnoses in the absence of symptoms, because that's when overdiagnosis can occur. ... I'm simply suggesting that we should be most cautious about early diagnosis in those who feel well" (p. 185).

"Some," Dr. Welch continues, " may prefer to pursue health: to focus on feeling healthy and minimize medical contact while they are well. They accept a slightly higher chance of death or disability to minimize the chance of medicalization, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment now. They prefer to reserve medical care for problems that are obvious to them. Others may want to pursue disease: do everything they can to be healthy in the future and to decrease their chances of experiencing death or disability -- even with the knowledge that they are more likely to be diagnosed with disease, more likely to be frequently exposed to medical care, and more likely to suffer harm" (p. 185)

Those two basic choices -- primarily pursue health or primarily pursue disease -- are the alternatives the author of Over-Diagnosed offers at the end of his book. To reach that end, the author clearly but in considerable detail examines the potential benefits and dangers of premature diagnosis, that is, diagnosis formed before symptoms lead a patient to seek a solution to emerging problems.

The author explains the principles of diagnosis and overdiagnosis as he proceeds through a list of common diseases that most people -- and usually their doctors -- fear enough to be medically tested even before symptoms of disease appear. Those common diseases are: diabetes, osteoporosis, gallstones, damaged knee cartilage, bulging discs, abdominal aortic aneurysms, blood clots, defective pregnancies, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and other cancers. He also considers markers which are not themselves diseases but which might be harbingers of later disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and genetic defects.

Welch meticulously shows the dangers of screening, that is, of automatically testing everyone -- or at least everyone of a certain category -- for the presence of a disease, even if they have no symptoms. The evidence for and against screening or other forms of premature diagnoses is mixed, which is why making a decision is difficult -- as much for physicians as for patients.

The time to read this thoroughly documented book is now, not when a physician tells you that you should be screened periodically for disease X or that you "might" have cancer or other frightening disease. Then you can make your choice about which approach you want to take.

Burgess Laughlin

Author, The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reasn vs. Faith, http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

My atrial fibrillation adventure

2011-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

This post is my "journal" for my most recent medical adventure, chronic atrial fibrillation. I will revise the post as events unfold. I am not asking for specific medical advice. I welcome any suggestions for topics that I should consider or reconsider.

CHRONOLOGY

1997: EPISODE OF AFIB. After a large dinner, I walked, stopped, bent over to retie my shoe laces -- and my heart began beating irregularly and about 170 beats per minute (as I heard later from the emergency medical technicians who examined me). A doctor in the emergency room administered a chemical intravenously. It restored the regular rate. I walked home from the hospital.

2010, Dec. 19-23: CHRONIC AFIB. After a large dinner, I experience a rapid, strong, and irregular heart rate. It continued that way, with some variation, for four days. (I have learned to avoid rushing into medical treatments.) At the end of that period, I called 911 because I was worried about the rate. The emergency technicians said it was spiking at about 170 beats per minute.

Chronic atrial fibrillation, in some forms, is dangerous long-term because of the possibility of (1) eventual deterioration of the heart muscles, and (2) stroke resulting from a blood clot forming in the atrium, being expelled into an artery, and then blocking an artery somewhere in the body. Besides the danger, "afib" is very uncomfortable in some forms and very distracting. (My productivity for any kind of intellectual work plunged.)

2010, Dec. 23-25: ER AND HOSPITALIZATION. I went to a local hospital's emergency room. The doctor in charge administered, through an intravenous tube, a drug designed to regulate the heart rate. It did not work. The medication did improve the beat regularity somewhat and did lower the rate to about 130 BPM. (A safe rate is less than 90 and an ideal rate is about 60 BPM.)

I was admitted to the hospital from the ER. I had tests of my heart (electrocardiogram and echocardiogram [ultrasound]), thyroid (no problem), lungs (CAT scan, no embolism), "heart protein" (meaning unclear, but no problem), blood (no problem with either fat levels or vitamin or mineral deficiencies). I also had no kidney or liver or other organ problems. (That was good news I attribute to my diet.) No one asked me about what I eat except that the hospital dietician asked if there are foods to which I am allergic.

Struggling against the standard hospital over-treatment, I rejected some of the drugs which hospitals automatically prescribe for every heart patient: stool softener (I eat a high-fiber diet!), antacid (I have had no acid reflux since adopting my "anti-itis" diet six years ago), pain reliever (I have had no chest pain), two of the three anticoagulants (I accepted only an aspirin daily). I did accept Metoprolol (which suppresses the rapid heart rate to a safe level) in the lowest dosage (12.5 mg, 2x daily). The official diagnosis was atrial fibrillation, with no identified cause. I was discharged on Dec. 25 with instructions to take Coumadin (Warfarin, an anticoagulant designed to reduce the chance of a blod clot forming in the atria).

2010, Dec. 26 - 2011, Jan. 1st week: OUT OF THE HOSPITAL: PHARMACEUTICALS. For about five days, I experienced oscillating mild chill and fever, but it faded away. I researched online for the nature and effects of Coumadin (Warfarin). I decided not to take it.

I was examined briefly by my new primary care physician, Dr. C, and he gave me a short list of local cardiologists. I found Dr. K, a non-intervention specialist. He prescribed a higher dose of Metoprolol, a beta-blocker, 35 mg, taken once daily in the morning with breakfast. (The lower dose that I had requested in the hospital, as a start, wasn't working when I was under stress -- e.g., in a doctor's office.) My Metoprolol is now a time-release medication; it works for 24 hours and is weakest at precisely the time of day when my heart rate is naturally lowest, thus avoiding the danger of over-medicating and slowing the heart rate too much.

Dr. K discontinued my aspirin. He prescribed Digoxin, another beta-blocker designed to suppress heart beat. Dr. K also prescribed a drug newly "approved" in the USA, Pradaxa, an anti-coagulant. He gave me enough free drug samples of the Pradaxa (normally about $250/month), to last me until a stress test in his office. At that point, Dr. K said, he might be able to offer a more definitive diagnosis and recommend either a treatment program (possibly continuing the Pradaxa) or acceptance that I will need to live with the problem and continue taking Metoprolol and Digoxin to suppress the racing heart.

Dr. K confirmed what I had read about risk. The hospital doctors told me that I was at "high risk" of stroke, but I found later (and confirmed by my cardiologist) that the actual risk of stroke for a 66 year old man with afib, without medication, is, say, only about a 2% chance per year. With medication, it drops to about 1% per year. (The exact numbers are unclear to me.) So, relatively there is a much higher risk (100%) of stroke with not taking an anticoagulant, but the absolute level of risk is fairly small. On the "CHADS" scoring system (0 for the lowest risk, 6 for the highest risk), I am in the 0 category. As usual, the hospital doctors were being (over) cautious, perhaps for legal or regulatory reasons as well as training.

The pharmaceuticals I am taking now (Metoprolol, Digoxin, and Pradaxa) caused diarrhea in the first week. That problem lessened after about five days and then ceased when I began adding a probiotic (over the counter, chewable tablet, one per meal, containing Lactobacillus Acidophilus and L. Bifidus). I take all medications in the middle of meals, but spaced apart.

I am taking at meals two nutraceuticals -- nonprescription nutritional supplements designed to address specific problems -- recommended by two cardio physicians whose books I have read (with serious doubts, in one case): cod liver oil (1 teaspoon/meal), Vitamin B12 (50 mcg, 2 x week), and magnesium oxide/gluconate (1/day, 250 mg, which is about 63% of the Recommended Daily Allowance). The largest sources of magnesium are animal products and "seeds" (grains, and so forth). I can eat no animal products (except fats) or "seeds" without bringing my "-itis" problems back. (See "Key Posts" in the upper right corner.)

Three circumstances now accelerate my heart rate disturbingly: sitting up or standing up too quickly; compression (for exmple, bending over to tie my shoelaces); and mental stress (for example, reading the news). Mental stress is the strongest cause and the most difficult for me to control, but I am learning. My quality of life might depend on it.

GENERAL OUTLOOK: As of Jan. 25, a month after leaving the hospital, I have fully recovered my strong appetite, energy level, and exercise schedule (light weights, stretching, and walking 2 hours/day). Although I don't expect to live as long as I had originally hoped (85), I am cautiously hopeful that I can continue to live well for more years without yet starting to slide down the pharmaceutical spiral of ever-more drugs that treat the destructive effects of earlier drugs. I have no fear of death or of dying. I hate the idea of becoming progressively sicker because of pharmaceuticals.

UPDATE, 2011, Jan. 31, 10 am stress test: I took the stress test and enjoyed it. The main conclusions Dr. K reached are: (1) I have no heart problems other than the atrial fibrillation, and even that is not major; my heart efficiency is low but not dangerously so. (2) The Metoprolol and Digoxin are indeed suppressing my heart rate. (3) I need to continue the anti-coagulant Pradaxa until I can make a decision (after one more tests in three weeks) whether to have cardioversion or continue with some combination of drugs. (4) I probably will be able to replace the Pradaxa with a daily aspirin, eventually. (5) I am still in the bottom, least-risk category of the ranking for stroke risk. (That is why an aspirin will be sufficient, long-term.)

The details are, so far, unclear, but apparently the next step is to begin an additional drug for a few weeks, and then I will have another EKG. Apparently the new drug is a mild form of cardio-version (turning the irregular heart beat back to normal) that is safe for outpatient use. (More serious electrical, chemical, or surgical cardio-version would require hospitalization because of the doctors' fear of a stroke from a blood clot released during the cardio-version process. Apparently, when I begin the new drug, I will continue taking the Digoxin and Metoprolol but at reduced levels. I may have more details after February 2.

UPDATE, Jan. 31, 5 pm and 11 pm: While preparing dinner, I injured one finger with a tiny cut. It bled a small amount, but continuously for 30 minutes, despite soaking in cold water and wrapping it in tissue.

UPDATE, Feb. 4: Today I received my new instructions, via my doctor's medical assistant/nurse. I will continue taking Metoprolol (1/day, but now at 25 mg, half the previous daily dose), for rate control, and Pradaxa (2/day), for anticoagulation. Replacing the Digoxin will be Multaq (dranedarone), 400 mg/tablet (2/day), for rhythm control, as a sort of out-patient cardioversion, apparently. I am also continuing my nutraceuticals: probiotic (1/2 per meal), magnesium (250 mg, 1/day), cod liver oil (1 t, 3/day), and B12 (50 mg, 2/week). I am scheduled for an EKG in my doctor's office on Feb. 17.

I have a growing list of questions about the drugs, especially the Multaq: what are its advantages over its competitors? Safer? More effective? Only one governmentally approved for outpatient cardioversion (as my doctor had suggested in the past)?

UPDATE, Feb. 17: An EKG in my doctor's office revealed that I do indeed still have atrial fibrillation and my heart rate, even under medication, remains high (78 bpm). The chemical treatment (Metoprolol, Multaq), which is therapy stage 1, failed to reset my heart rhythm or lower the rate enough.

I agree with my doctor that trying the next stage of therapy, stage 2, is worthwhile, though it is expensive and has a success rate of only about 65% of the cases. This stage 2 is "cardioversion," in which I will be sedated at the hospital and then given a painless shock to my heart. The purpose is mainly to restore proper rhythm, apparently. I don't know whether lowering the rate is also a goal of cardioversion. The brochure I received from my doctor speaks only of rhythm restoration. My understanding though is that if the rhythm is proper, the rate will follow naturally. (I will need to double-check that.)

If the treatment does not work, or if it works only for a few months, I will not repeat it. (The success rate of repeated treatment is very low.) Instead, I will use only one drug, Metoprolol (plus an aspirin as the anti-coagulant), to fully control the heart rate and thereby make the heart more efficient. This approach is similar to the one Dr. McDougall describes in his newsletter article on Coumadin: Suppress the high heart rate (which functionally is the key problem) and live with it.

UPDATE, Feb. 24: Today I had the cardioversion therapy. It worked! My heart is now back in a normal rhythm and rate range. The procedure was painless, thanks to the intravenous sedation. If you have the procedure done, don't drive or make any important decisions afterward! I could barely form a complete sentence. I came home and slept for three hours.

My doctor convinced me that, on the short-term, I need to continue the drugs in order to keep my heart in a narrow range of rate (Metoprolol) and rhythm (Multaq), as well as to protect myself from a clot expelled by my now more effective heart (Pradaxa).

UPDATE, March 8: I consulted with my cardiologist today. Here is the plan: (1) Stop taking Pradaxa, the anticoagulant. (Drop from two doses daily to 1 dose daily, for 3 days, then stop altogether.) (2) For the rest of my life, take an 81 mg aspirin tablet daily as an anticoagulant. (3) Stop taking the Multaq after one more week. (4) For the rest of my life, take Metoprolol, 50 mg, time release, every morning, to keep the heart beating in a low range, thus avoiding a higher range that might send it into fibrillation again. The two usual causes of returning to afib are: drinking alcohol and general anesthesia for surgery.

I have hired a nurse-researcher to help me gather information about metoprolol: What are the risks of long-term usage? (My doctor says there are no established cumulative adverse effects.)

UPDATE, March 19: I have returned to normal, almost. I am walking as quickly (3 mph) and as far (5-6 miles/day) now as I did before the afib episode. I have stopped taking the daily aspirin. I do not need any anti-coagulant, either in general or in particular for the former afib problem. Now I am taking only the Metoprolol, 50 mg, a low dosage, but one high enough to make me drowsy two hours after swallowing it with breakfast. I am considering experimenting with a half-dose. I am continuing to take 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil per meal, one magnesium tablet (250 mg, 60% of RDA) per day, and two 50 microgram Vit. B12 tablets per week. The oil and magnesium are recommended by some cardiologists, though in much higher doses than I am taking. I am also continuing to take half a probiotic wafer per meal.

UPDATE, May 5: I now take 25 mg of Metoprolol. (I am cutting the regular tablets in half.) I take no other medications: no aspirin, no magnesium, and no cod liver oil. I continue to take a probiotic and a Vitamin B12 tablet (50 micrograms twice weekly).

UPDATE, August 26: Yesterday I stopped taking the Metoprolol. My mood is more positive; food transit time is a little faster; and I am much less drowsy. My blood pressure and heart rate have risen (about 10/10 and 10, respectively). That increase -- if it goes no higher -- is not alarming, but it is worth watching.

Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith

What do I eat now?

2010-07-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the basic posts first, listed in "Key Posts" in the top right corner.]

LAST UPDATED Jan. 16, 2012

(This list reflects my change from Potential Renal Acid Load to sulphur as a guide for selecting foods; they greatly overlap, but sulphur is a much more accurate standard in preventing inflammation problems.)

Occasionally readers ask me what I eat and how I prepare it. Years ago, when I started this diet, the food tasted very bland. Now it is delicious, if properly prepared. (Tastes change in a month or two, and one can learn, within a few months, to prepare even bland foods more tastefully.)

Summary: I now (Nov. 28, 2011) eat only foods that are low in sulphur (generally less than 40 mg/100 g serving): most root and gourd starches; most fruit; and some vegetables. I eat no animal products and no concentrations of "seeds," that is, nuts, beans, peas, grains, or seasonings made from seeds (such as mustard). I eat three meals per day and nothing between meals.

The sulphur rating list I use is in this pdf:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf

My general meal plan is always (1) starchy root or gourd; (2) vegetables; and (3) fruit. An example is this breakfast:

- STARCH: 2 large whole Russet potatoes (about 3 cups). The day before, I boiled the potatoes and other roots in a large pot, enough for 3 meals.

- VEGETABLES: 1 C already cooked and chopped vegetable (bought fresh or in bags, frozen). I pour the chopped vegetable into a skillet alongside the potatoes (cold from being stored in the refrigerator). I add 1/4 C water (for steaming), put on the lid, and heat at low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the starches are heated and the vegetable is thawed.

- FRUIT: 2 C, either frozen (e.g., peaches or cherries) or fresh (e.g., melons and apples).

- DRINK: water, but only with supplements.

- SUPPLEMENTS: B12 (250 micrograms, twice weekly, for nerve health), because I have no natural source.

The particular starches, vegetables, and fruit vary from meal to meal, but the three categories remain the same. The three meals are interchangeable. I eat as much variety as I can, partly for taste and partly for nutritional safety.

The low-sulphur vegetables that I have tested and now eat are: carrots (7), celery (8), green beans (8), eggplant (9), red leaf lettuce (12), artichoke hearts (16), beets (22), onions (24), cabbage (25), cauliflower (29), mushrooms (34), broccoli (45), and asparagus (47). I buy some of these frozen or canned, for convenience and storability.

The low-sulphur fruits (fresh, frozen, or dried) that I have tested and now eat are: pineapple (3), fresh plums (4), apples (5), pears (5), fresh apricots (6), peaches (6), honeydew ("yellow"?) melon (6), cherries (7), grapes (8), tomatoes (10), tangerines (10), nectarines (10), lemons (12), cantaloupes (12), bananas (13), blueberries (low, like other berries?), strawberries (13), and blackberries (13), and dried plums (pure or organic, 18). I buy some fruits fresh, but I also keep a store of frozen and canned fruits. I avoid all preservatives, especially sulphur-based ones that are often used on dried fruit. Also, though I don't have a sulphur rating for them, I will continue eating avocados. (All other fruits are low sulphur.)

The low-sulphur starches that I have tested and now eat are: arrow root (2); winter squash (e.g., acorn and pumpkin [canned, pure], 10); sweet potatoes (light-skinned, yellow inside, 15); yams (dark-skinned, dark orange inside, 15?); parsnips (15); potatoes (reds, golds, russets, 22?); water chestnuts (?); and bamboo shoots (?). I boil the roots and gourds, if the latter are whole. (I buy winter, hard-shelled squash in frozen blocks, already removed from the shell, ground, and cooked.) I do not re-freeze starches, as their taste and texture usually decline.

The flavorings I now use (in small quantities) are: organic ketchup (?); mint (?); parsley (?); cilantro (?); tarragon (?); and Italian seasoning (sage, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, basil, ?). I add no salt. To help keep my weight up, I use white sugar as a sweetener -- e.g., 1/2 t in a skillet full of root stew.

The liquid I drink at meals is water or occasionally mint tea.

The foods I do not eat contain more than 50 mg of sulphur per 100 g (half cup) serving: any food including preservatives (especially sulphur preservatives); animal products; "seeds" (grains [corn, wheat, oatmeal, rice, etc.], beans, peas, and nuts, as well as flavorings made from seeds, like mustard and pepper); coconut milk; and (for now) greens. I found that, on the short-term, eating butter (or any other animal fat) does not cause my inflammation problems, but I generally avoid isolated fats, for long-term, general health reasons. To help keep my blood pressure low, I avoid salt, except in ketchup and some canned goods. I avoid grapefruit because it triggers a reaction in my skin and throat similar to scleroderma; that reaction may be peculiar to me and independent of my other problems.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

What I learned from 2 days in the hospital

2009-12-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. The later posts, including this one, deal only with minor details. Start with the first post, which describes the problems I faced, and then read at least the second post, which describes my special diet as a solution.]

Friday evening about 7 pm, I sneezed and had a stab of chest pain. There was no follow-up pain. At 1 am I woke up with excruciating chest pain, right side. I recognized the symptoms: collapsed lung. (I have had 16 earlier pneumothoraces, through 47 years.) I grabbed my hospital bag and cabbed to the hospital (Good Samaritan, Portland).

I was treated respectfully and competently by every person in their huge staff: physicians, nurses, physician assistants, radiology experts, and all their assistants.

Here is what I learned or confirmed from earlier experiences:

GENERAL
- Always have a hospital bag packed, including a novel or two for the long, boring hours, and a list of contact phone numbers.
- Discuss issues with the medical people, to attain at least general clarity, remaining willing to compromise between their caution (stay longer) and my eagerness to leave (to cut my costs and get back to work).
- At age 65, my lifestyle has paid off: Doctors found no sign of heart disease, cancer, kidney problems, liver problems, or any of the other many problems that their older patients usually have. (In the section of the hospital where I was, all the patients were gray haired; perhaps this was a Medicare wing.)
- When I don't exercise, I need very little sleep. That was good because I was so wired up and tubed up that I could barely roll over; sleep was very difficult.
- The physicians and nurses were surprised to meet a 65-year old patient who uses no pharmaceuticals. (My roommate -- who had acid reflux, heart disease and other problems -- was taking six medications daily before he needed to come to the hospital for his latest emergency [mass sweating, nausea, fainting].)

WEIGHT
- As a result of following my anti-itis diet (fruit, vegs, and starchy roots), with 100% compliance, I have become technically underweight (BMI of 17, the lowest of my adult life). I was shocked at how little I weigh (when I entered the hospital, 124 lbs at 6 ft; 121 lbs when I left.) now compared to the last time I was weighed (about 135 lbs, several years ago).
- Despite being technically underweight, I have been fully functional and the hospital staff found no evidence (from a "full array" of blood tests, as well as CAT scans, x-rays, interviews) of malnutrition or other problem.
- I will need to concentrate on boosting my weight by 10 lbs or so -- perhaps with increased sugar consumption and with avocados, olives, and so forth.

FOOD
- Even from the beginning, during admittance, be very polite, clear, and assertive about dietary requirements: "Give me only fruit (any kind), vegetables (any kind), and potatoes." Simple and clear and easy for them to write down. Do not say "vegan" or "vegetarian" or similar terms, because they are too vague or confusing to most people.
- By explaining to the nurse on duty (12-hour shifts) what I wanted to eat, I received what I wanted. I tried to always make it easy for the people working in the kitchen (who are about three links removed from the patient). Keep it simple. Don't be picky. Always use the word "plain." Order whole foods, though I found I didn't need to use that word (which is confusing to most people).
- By keeping my requests simple and easy to fill, I got nutritious and delicious food at every meal; Two baked potatoes; two servings of green beans; a "fruit plate" (a mound of diced fresh fruit, such as apples, oranges, melons, grapes); half a cup of olives; and water. The amount of food was large. Even I --and I have a big appetite -- could barely eat it all.

All things considered, my brief hospital stay was positive -- as confirmation of my lifestyle.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

An expanded anti-itis diet?

2009-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

(For a continually updated look at my most recent diet details: http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html)

STATUS REPORT. My skin continues to improve. It is becoming thinner, free of itching, and very slightly oily (not chalky). It remains very sensitive to abrasion. E.g., shaving (with an electric, rotary shaver) still causes inflammation and subsequent peeling if I press too hard or if the razor becomes hot. I continue to be pain-free (no arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis, except for occasional muscle pains due to posture problems. (My right shoulder still slopes down, but I am working on correcting that.)

EXPANDED DIET. 1. In the meantime, using the standard test, I have reconsidered a few foods that had given me unclear results in earlier tests. I can now regularly eat dried figs and canned tomatoes (diced). I had avoided both because of the prevalence of seeds which I could not conveniently remove.

2. Helena Kloosterman, who is neither a nutritionist nor a physician, has provided a short list of foods, rated for Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL), a subject I have discussed elsewhere. Her list is based on calculated values, not laboratory results. Consequently, I have been reluctant to even test (one serving per meal, six meals in a row) some of the foods she says are alkaline-producing. The list, accompanied by a formula for the calculation of PRAL, appears on her weblog, Bitter Poison, here:

http://www.bitterpoison.com/archive/calculate-acid-alkaline-with-pral-formula/

Most of the foods rated as alkaline-producing in her list are not surprising: fruits and vegetables. Others were a surprise. For example, from my own tests of corn, oatmeal, rice, and wheat, I had tentatively generalized that all grains (indeed nearly all seeds of all kinds) were acid-producing and therefore to be avoided. (Production of an acid condition, in the kidneys, is not the cause of my inflammatory problems, apparently, but it has been an infallible "confounder" or "co-incident" indicator or "proxy" predictor of inflammation.)

Kloosterman's calculated list shows the grain quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah" or "key-NO-ah") to be alkaline-producing. I hesitantly bought a 26 ounce (737 gram) bag of quinoa from a chain grocery store (Fred Meyer, Kroeger) that carries Bob's Red Mill products. I ran the standard test and got no adverse reaction in the skin on my face. I now eat it regularly, about one serving per day, on average, while continuing to eat most of my starch (the core of my meals) from "roots" (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas). I note however that Wikipedia lists quinoa as technically a fruit, not a grain. Apparently quinoa grows on a bush, not a grass stalk. Perhaps its "fruitness" is why it is not acid-producing. I don't know. I am ignorant about biochemistry.

The fact that at least one grain (if that is what quinoa is) is (slightly) alkaline-producing, and thus okay for me to eat, does confirm one pattern: There are exceptions in almost every category. For example, generally beans, nuts, and grains (all seeds) are acid-producing; however, green beans (string beans), hazelnuts (Filberts), and quinoa are exceptions to their categories.

Kloosterman's list also shows some beans -- such as pinto beans -- as being alkaline-producing, but she states that for the raw form, which no one eats. Does cooking making them acid-producing? I do not know.

FEB. 25, 2010 UPDATE: In the last few weeks I subjected pinto beans and lima beans to the standard reintroduction test (eat one serving per meal, six meals in a row and look for a reaction -- in my skin, in my case). I got no reaction. I then began eating beans (cooked, about 1/2 C per meal) at two meals per day. After about 10 days, my eczema returned in mild form.

I threw out all the beans and I returned to my regular diet of fruit, vegs, and starchy roots. Within 12 hours the eczema began fading! The beans probably were the cause of the problem. Perhaps they have a long-term, cumulative effect that doesn't show up in the standard two-day test.

This result shows that I cannot automatically trust the Kloosterman list, which shows merely calculated, not lab-tested values, especially where the list says "raw" and I don't eat the food in raw form.

Summary: Limiting my diet to fruits, vegs, and starchy roots (and possibly quinoa) works.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Last dermatitis stopped!

2009-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. They describe the "-itis" problems I have faced and the main solution. The later posts, including this one, deal with details.]

As I explained in my oldest post, a series of "itis" (inflammation) problems have appeared during the last 47 years of my life. Four were skin problems (eczema, rosacea, scleroderma, and seborrheic dermatitis). My "anti-itis diet" (which I now humorously call the "prelithic diet") has stopped the arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, iritis, colitis, and three of the four dermatitis problems.

I discovered recently in talking to my dermatologist that the cause of my fourth skin problem, seborrheic dermatitis, is unknown. (Stress, which is notoriously difficult to measure and track, is one suspect, either in the emotional form or the immune-system form.) Not surprisingly, there is no cure for it.

Apparently the sebaceous glands produce too much oil. The extra oil makes the skin scale--making the skin look chalky and dry. Itching accompanies the scaling, and the skin is very vulnerable to abrasion (which causes redness, swelling, itching, and peeling). Rubbing from an electric razor, a hat brim, or a large, stiff collar are examples of abrasion. I have not been able to shave with an electric razor for many years. (I have been using a hair trimmer set at the lowest setting, on my face and scalp.)

Last week, my dermatologist suggested a treatment program that has eliminated the symptoms. Following is the program, but be sure to consult your own physician. Your situation may be different. I am naming the particular brands I use, but there might be others equally effective.

FACE: Daily, apply a small amount (perhaps one-third teaspoon) of Hydrocortisone Lotion, USP 2.5%, Qualitest, available by prescription. Use it like a moisturizer. A little goes a long way, covering all of my face and front upper neck, that is, all the areas that had rough patches from scaling skin. I apply it about 15 minutes after taking a shower in the morning, when my skin is clean and dry. (I have not used plain soap on my face for fifteen years, but it was very irritating to my skin problems.) The prescription suggests applying it twice daily for the first week and then once daily after that. How long will I need to use it? Perhaps forever, if the purpose is only to suppress symptoms. I may experiment with cutting back the frequency, after a few weeks.

SCALP 1: Every night before bed, apply--throughout the scalp but especially in scaly areas--a small amount (perhaps 1 teaspoon total) of Fluocinonide Topical Solution, USP, 0.05%, 60 ml, TEVA Pharmaceuticals. This application is easy for me because my hair is extremely short. The nurse who told me how to use it has long hair; She said she soon learned to use the squeeze bottle to apply it efficiently and then use her fingers to spread it around the scalp.

SCALP 2: With a medicated shampoo, wash scalp (not the face) every morning. (Be sure to leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off.) Rotate the daily shampoo among the following five medicinal shampoos. I assigned each to a day of the week, for simplicity's sake (and I wrote the day on the bottle with a bold felt pen).
- 1. Monday: Prescription Ketoconazole shampoo, 2%; Perrigo.
- 2. Tuesday: Over The Counter (OTC), RiteAid "Dandruff Classic Clean" shampoo, containing pyrithione zinc 1%.
- 3. Wednesday: OTC, RiteAid "Therapeutic Shampoo," containing coal tar, 2.5%.
- 4. Thursday: OTC, RiteAid "Dandruff Shampoo," containing selenium sulfide, 1%.
- 5. Friday: OTC, Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo, containing salycylic acid, 3.0%.
- Saturday: repeat shampoo from Wednesday.
- Sunday: repeat shampoo from Thursday.

With this approach, the scalp condition is medicated by a series of active ingredients in the hope that at least one of them will reduce the symptoms. Perhaps the various shampoos work individually to reduce different aspects of the symptoms. I do not know.

What I do know is that the treatment program outlined above works for me, and after only about five days of application. (My doctor cautioned me to continue even if the symptoms disappeared.) For the first time in 47 years, I am symptom-free!

This is not a cure, but it is a way, if applied regularly, to eliminate the symptoms.

I am very glad I live in a country that still has a little freedom of choice for doctors and patients.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Allergic reaction to grapefruit: Scleroderma

2008-07-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. They describe the "-itis" problems I have faced and the main solution. The later posts deal with details.]

About five years ago, I was in my worst condition. All the inflammatory problems were in full bloom. In addition to the arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, iritis, and colitis, I had a bouquet of skin problems (dermatitis). Over the years, the eczema and the rosacea have faded away, almost completely. As they disappeared, another problem came to the forefront: In the caliper region between the nose and mouth, on each side, a thick, red section of skin appeared. The top layer of that area was very dry and cracked like a tiny mosaic. These symptoms came and went on their own schedule, and I could not find any correlation between this condition and my other skin problems.

Provisionally, I now know that the condition was scleroderma. The cause appears to have been a plain allergic reaction (possibly independent of the leaky-gut problem) to grapefruit. I was eating a lot of grapefruit (inexpensive, tastes good, easy to prepare and store). As soon as I stopped eating grapefruit, the problem began to fade. Now, two weeks after beginning this new experiment, the thickness has diminished by half, the redness is fading steadily, and the cracking is almost gone. I have hope that the condition, now requiring little attention from me, might go away completely.

My skin, all over my face and neck, still remains extremely sensitive to abrasion. I never wear a hat, I must frequently adjust the position of my eyeglasses on my nose so that the skin underneath the support pads will not thicken, and I must be very careful not to let a blanket rub against my face when I am sleeping. Still, I would say my skin problems are more than 99% gone, in terms of how much attention they require.

Working on the possibility that my allergic reaction might arise from all citrus fruit, I am now avoiding oranges and tangerines as well as grapefruit. Perhaps in a month or so, I will test oranges and tangerines individually, using the standard test Dr. McDougall has described for his Elimination Diet.

So, now my general rule of foods that I can eat is: Any root, any vegetable, and any fruit (including gourds) except citrus fruit and those fruits, like figs and tomatoes, which contain a lot of seeds. (I eat no animal products, except honey; and no foods made from seeds.)

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Final Problems

2008-01-21T06:44:00.000-08:00

What I have learned over the last few years is that the symptoms of my inflammation problems disappear when I follow my anti-itis diet, making no exceptions whatsoever.

I eat only fruit, vegetables, roots, and gourds. I exclude from my diet (1) all animal products and (2) all plant foods made from seeds (beans, peas, nuts, grains, and conventional seeds such sunflower).

1. Causes? What I don't understand is what those two groups have in common, if anything.

a. Thanks in part to DianeR in the McDougall Discussion forums, I have uncovered one possibility, but remember that I have no scientific training, so I am flying blind here. Apparently, what the two groups of foods have in common, that might also be a cause of leaky-gut symptoms, is that they both contain a high level of either of two amino acids: cysteine and methioline. Both of these amino acids apparently are high in sulfur. I do not know if the problem is the sulfur as an element or the particular sulfur-laden amino acid molecules as a whole.

b. Further, if my problem is truly a "leaky-gut," then does that mean that these two amino acids appear to my immune system to be an invading virus, which my immune system then attacks, thereby setting off a chain-reaction of effects leading to inflammation symptoms? I do not know.

c. Last, seemingly many of the foods I can eat (such as fruits, vegetables, roots, and gourds) are generally low in fiber compared to plant foods I cannot eat (such as grains, legumes, and nuts). Is that general (but not invariable) pattern a coincidence? Or does the fiber in acid-producing plant foods (grains, legumes, nuts) add to or accompany other elements that cause an immune system reaction? The fiber discussed here is, I understand, technically called "dietary fiber," a misnomer that actually names fiber which normally passes all the way through the gut and is not digested. Could it, in my case, be partly passing through the holes in my intestine and triggering a reaction? I do not know.

2. Cure? The second major question I have not been able to answer is whether leaky-gut syndrome can be cured. I know that careful diet management can practically eliminate symptoms. What I would love to do is solve the problem. Can that be done? I do not know.

Specifically, do the holes in the intestine gradually close up by themselves as time passes? I do not know.

When my budget allows, my next step will be to hire a physician, physiologist, or other researcher to help me find answers (if there are any).

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum H: Fiber Problems

2007-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

LOW-FIBER PROBLEM SOLVED. With few exceptions, my anti-itis diet includes only foods low in "dietary" fiber, compared to oats and beans, for example.

Some alkaline-producing foods are relatively high in fiber compared to potatoes. Examples of relatively high-fiber foods, that are still PRAL-acceptable, are parsnips, pumpkin (but not all other winter squashes), and artichoke hearts (which I buy quartered, in cans). Such foods -- plus high-fiber or otherwise laxative fruits (prunes, cherries, berries) -- help speed passage of food through the gut. Also, I am learning to make soups and sauces from pumpkin (with garlic and lemon juice, for example).

OAT BRAN caused a rosacea/eczema type reaction on my skin when I tried the standard test (1 teaspoon/meal, for 6 meals in a row). I suspect that other forms of bran (rice, wheat) would produce the same result. Is the bran in grains a big part of what makes them acid-producing? I don't know, but I intend to continue avoiding all grains -- even white rice, the least acid-producing of all the grains.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum G: Proteins

2007-10-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

GETTING SUFFICIENT PROTEIN ON THE ANTI-ITIS DIET. When adopting this diet, the first myth to toss aside is the myth that you can't get enough protein unless you eat meat, dairy, or at least a lot of beans. As Dr. McDougall and various researchers have shown, protein requirements are very small, as little as 35 grams per day, assuming you are getting sufficient calories (so your body doesn't burn up your own protein to make up the deficit) and assuming you are getting sufficient variety of amino-acids (proteins). Pregancy, recovery from major surgery, and a massive body building program might double the requirement.

The second myth to set aside is the myth that plant foods don't provide "complete protein." They do. Potatoes are an example. You can get all the protein you need from potatoes. Add fruit and vegetables and you will get plenty of protein in both quantity and variety. (An assumption here is that you have a healthy appetite.)

Those are my conclusions. I am a layman. I rely on the testimony (related to my own experiences) of individuals I trust as sources. For a start on exploring these issues, see Dr. McDougall's articles on protein, in his newsletter. For instance:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/dairy.htm and
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2004nl/040100.htm

PROTEINS AS A CAUSE? When I saw the first results of my food testing, I wondered if all proteins might be the cause of my inflammation problems. However, further testing indicated that, for me, proteins in alkaline-producing foods do not cause flare-ups, even when eaten in normal quantities at every meal during the six-meal test.

I know now that alkaline-producing foods, as shown in the PRAL list, must be my only source of protein. To make sure I get all the different kinds of proteins (amino-acids) required for health, I try to eat a very wide variety of fruits, vegetables, starchy roots and starchy gourds.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum F: Restaurants

2007-10-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

In a restaurant, finding fruit, vegetables, roots, and gourds can be difficult. Even "vegan" and vegetarian restaurants often serve foods mixed with unacceptable ingredients -- for example, soybeans, nuts, and flour.

Ironically, steak houses usually have the right kind of food. I order:
(1) a baked potato (always specifying "plain" or "only with chives" to avoid bacon, cheese, and sour cream as a topping).
(2) one or two side orders of vegetables if I can get them plain (no cheese sauce, for example).

Most other restaurants have menus with separate sections called "side orders," "bar menu," "salads," or "appetizers." I usually order from those sections. Examples are a cup of fruit, a dish of olives, plain potatoes in some form, vegetables if they are plain (no inappropriate sauces), and a glass or two of vegetable juice. At an Asian restaurant, I try to order vegetables alone, but no soybeans, peanuts, or other unacceptable products mixed with the vegetables. (I have tried white rice at a single meal, and had no visible reaction; however, I did get a slight reaction in my skin when I tested white rice with the standard re-introduction text: one serving/meal for six meals in a row.)

What do I do if all menu items are unacceptable? If (1) I ask politely, explain that I am on a medical diet ("just vegetables, fruit, and potatoes"), and (2) offer to pay a full dinner price (I usually suggest a few dollars more than the average dinner price), most restaurant cooks will gladly make up a plate with sliced vegetables, fruit, and potatoes in some form (baked, plain, for example). If I can't find anything suitable, I skip that meal, and drink water or tea instead.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum E: Avoiding Seeds

2007-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

As my acceptable-food list in an earlier post shows, I avoid nearly all "seeds" as main foods. "Seeds" include: grains (corn, wheat, etc.), nuts (except hazel/filbert), beans (except green), and peas.

Further, I scrape out most of the seeds from fruits and gourds where there are a lot of them and when it isn’t too much trouble. I avoid figs (which are little seed-bags) and I generally eat only canned, crushed tomatoes, which seem to have the seeds filtered out.

I remove most of the seeds from bell peppers, for instance; and I avoid hot peppers because they consist mostly of seeds. (I suspect that "spicy" seeds are the worst offenders, but I haven't tested that idea yet.) I cut cucumbers length-wise and use a spoon to trowel out the seeds.

I avoid flavorings made from seeds: pepper, cumin, coriander, and so forth. I do not know if that step is necessary. It is merely a precaution. Someday I will test seed-based flavorings. In the meantime, I will err on the side of caution. For similar reasons, I now avoid all hot sauces. Recently I do seem to have had a flare-up from using hot sauce regularly. The amount of seeds involved is very small, so I wonder if some other factor is present. Perhaps some seeds, especially the "hot" ones, are stronger, that is, more acid-producing. I do not know.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum D: Extra Benefits

2007-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Besides eliminating inflammation symptoms, my anti-itis diet has resulted in:

No symptoms of cardio-vascular disease. About 33 years ago, at age 30, I had CVD. My symptoms were: pains in my chest and on the inside of my left arm when I exercised; high blood pressure; and a high level of cholesterol in my blood. I got rid of all those symptoms by going to a Pritikin-style diet, which is very low fat, mostly plant-based diet, but -- I now know -- a diet still much too high in acid-producing foods for me, though it is a vast improvement over the Standard American Diet of high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber, heavily processed foods. My current diet, of course, is very low fat (8%-10%), as well as low protein.

No cancer, osteoporosis, or kidney problems.

Lower blood pressure. At age 30, 33 years ago, my BP was typically around 145/95. Now typically it ranges from 135/85 (in the morning, when I am "pumped up" -- or anytime at a dentist's office!) down to 110/65 (in the evening, when I am becoming more and more horizontal).

Leanness. My BMI (body mass index) is about 18.5 (around 6 ft. tall, 135 pounds, down from 200 at age 30).

Improved eyesight. At my last complete eye exam, in March, 2007, my doctor changed my eye-glass prescription to one almost identical to the prescription I had in 1983! He also noted that, for the first time in nearly 30 years I have been going to that clinic, I have no inflammation in my eyes -- at all.

Possible reduction in gum inflammation. A few sections have actually grown back slightly, surprising my dentist. However, I suspect that meticulous dental hygiene was the major cause of improvement in my gums. The elements of my dental hygiene are: careful, gentle, but thorough brushing three times daily (especially at the gum line), careful flossing daily, use of a "side brush" between some teeth, use of a medicated mouthwash several times a week, and quarterly ultrasound cleaning and annual polishing by a hygienist.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum C: How to Test Foods

2007-10-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

For several weeks, I strictly followed the McDougall Elimination Diet. (See http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html under "My Recommendations" a little more than half way down the page.) It is a short-term diagnostic diet limited to a small set of presumably non-inflammatory foods. On the McDougall Elimination Diet, my skin problems diminished somewhat within a week, indicating that some foods I had been eating before had been causing my skin and perhaps other inflammation problems.

The Elimination Diet is very lean and very bland to anyone accustomed to the Standard American Diet. Following the ED consistently, even for only a few weeks, is a major challenge to individuals accustomed to rich, spicy foods. If you have the virtues of courage and persistence, you can follow the ED without making any exceptions whatsoever. (Making exceptions in the middle of an experiment is self-defeating.)

I have only one change to suggest for the McDougall Elimination Diet, if you have the same type of medical problems I had: Replace the brown rice with white rice or, better yet, avoid rice altogether. White rice is much less acid-producing than brown rice, according to Berardi's PRAL list, but it still is somewhat acidifying. Eat other alkaline-producing starches instead -- roots (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) and gourds.

After you have followed the Elimination Diet for several weeks, making no exceptions, and if you see some improvement, then perform the standard re-introduction test: Eat at least one official serving (typically one-half to one cup) of the suspect food per meal, for six meals in a row (generally, two days); and then wait a few days for a flare-up, if any.

An example re-introduction test-food might be pinto beans. If the standard serving size is, let's say, ½ C cooked, then I would eat ½ C of beans at each meal for six meals in a row. I definitely had a flare-up each time I tested one of several kinds of bean. Beans, I concluded, were not an acceptable food. Much later I found -- from Berardi's PRAL list and from further experimenting -- that green "string" beans are acceptable, but all others are bad for me. That is probably due to the fact that green beans are more "green" than "bean."

I started each six-meal test series on Monday morning at breakfast, finished it Tuesday evening at dinner, and waited until Sunday for results.

If there was a flare-up of inflammation in my skin (the most sensitive tissue) from testing one food, it usually occurred by the third or fourth day after the first of the six test meals. (For example, starting on Monday, I nearly always saw a flare-up, if any, by Wednesday.) I returned to the Elimination Diet and waited two or more weeks for that flare-up to clear as much as it would ever clear at that stage. Sometimes test results were confused and I had to restart.

If there was no flare-up from testing one food, then on the following Monday I tested the next food (in a different category -- for example, a certain kind of beans and then oranges).

Testing every food in every category -- for example, 15 kinds of beans -- is unnecessary. If you test a few foods in one category, and the results are consistent, you can safely generalize, at least temporarily. For example, if you get a reaction from almonds and then, six weeks later, you test and get a reaction from pecans, you can provisionally assume that nuts are a problem as a category. (Afterwards, you may discover some exceptions, as I did with hazelnuts -- listed as alkaline-producing on the PRAL list.)

Be sure to test only one food at each test. Trying to save time by testing two or more foods at once is a waste of time. If there is a flare-up, there is no way to know which of the two tested foods was the cause. Then you must start over again, waiting for the flare-up to diminish.

Writing a log of dates, foods, and results helps keep track of what you are doing. Be sure to record whatever else you are eating at each meal -- including all medications, condiments, and drinks. You might see patterns.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum B: Posture Correction

2007-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

PHYSICAL THEREAPY AT HOME, AS A SUPPLEMENT TO DIET CHANGE. In addition to changing my diet, I meticulously followed the instructions in Pete Egoscue's book, Pain Free. (For starting, I recommend it, not his other, more specialized books.) His strengthening and stretching exercises eventually eliminated the last of the episodes of pain in my joints (especially the knees, arthritis), muscles (bursitis), and tendons (tendonitis). I suppose the exercises reduced physical stress on those parts of the body. The stress apparently came from being unbalanced in posture (walking, standing, and sitting), like a suspension bridge whose cables are too tight on one side and too loose on the other side.

My first stage of doing Egoscue's exercises was the therapeutic stage. It was very time-consuming but necessary. The therapeutic exercises required as much as 45 min/morning in the beginning (I was a wreck heading for a wheelchair), but after a few weeks of consistent effort and following the instructions exactly, the exercises began to pay off with reduced pain. After several months, the pains disappeared. The second stage of exercises, which I am now doing, is maintenance. Pains return if I fail to do my daily posture exercises or if I fail to sit, stand, and walk in proper posture.

CONCLUSIONS: Apparently an acidifying diet generally set me up for arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis pains, but poor posture determined the particular points where the pain appeared. Consequently, I have learned to ask two questions:
- Why do I have pain?
- Why am I feeling pain in that particular place?

Diet change solved the first problem. Posture-correction exercises solved the second problem.

CAUTION: The posture-correction exercises only work if you follow instructions.

MORE EFFECTIVE POSTURE-CORRECTION. Above, I recommended Pete Egoscue's Pain Free for posture-correction as a way to reduce pain in joints, tendons, and muscles. I recently found his Pain Free at Your PC to be even more effective for my particular problems. I sit a lot -- eating, riding my recumbent bicycle, reading, taking notes, and going online.

A few weeks ago, I started following Pete Egoscue's PFYPC exercise program for moderate computer-users. The series of exercises was difficult at first, showing that I had weak spots despite all my daily exercises. The new series has paid off well. I do this new routine every morning. I also practice healthy posture during the day, for example, by trying to "float" up from and back into a chair, using mostly my leg muscles, rather than using hands and arms as a "crutch" to move myself up and down.

As with Pain Free, I strongly recommend closely studying the initial chapters of PFYPC before turning to the exercise section appropriate for you. The initial chapters provide crucial background information.

Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

Addendum A: Skin issues

2007-10-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

1. MY SKIN AS A "LITMUS TEST." My skin problems were the most sensitive to change in diet. Once I began eating an alkaline-producing diet, my other -itis problems shrank too, though more slowly. For example, the sand-like grittiness in my knees disappeared after about three months or so. (My memory for the timing here and elsewhere is not exact.)

2. HOW MANY SKIN PROBLEMS? At various times, various doctors diagnosed my skin problems (on my face, scalp and neck) by different names: eczema, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis. I am not sure if I had one, two, or three problems. I suspect I had at least two skin problems. The worst was the eczema. The symptoms were itching, scaling, thickening, and the smell of dead skin. The rosacea, if that is what it was, was less intense but more persistent and was apparently mixed with a fungus or yeast infestation that entered the broken skin.

3. PHARMACEUTICALS FOR SKIN PROBLEMS. My alkaline-producing (non-acid-producing) diet cured about 99% of my skin problems (which, at their worst, were ghastly). The remaining 1% mostly went away with a long course of antibiotics. For the yeast or fungus infestation, a dermatologist prescribed: (1) Selseb prescription shampoo on my face and scalp, daily for several weeks; (2) a Doxycycline antibiotic tablet daily for 2 months; and (3) Rosac skin cream applied daily to red spots, for months. Three years after beginning my diet experiment, I now use no medications at all -- for the first time in 45 years!

4. CONTINUING SENSITIVITY VS. SHAVING. My skin--both on my face and my scalp--still remains sensitive to abrasion. I avoid hats and hoods; and I must make sure a rough blanket does not rub against my forehead during sleep. I can use an electric shaver only if I press very lightly. I have tried many combinations of shaver types and schedules. At the moment, I am shaving on alternating days with a rotary shaver. In spite of the great improvement in my skin, I still find it feels better if I keep it shaved. If I let the hair grow out for more than a few days, the hair begins rubbing against the skin, causing a mild flare-up. However, this problem seems to be gradually diminishing. Perhaps in a year or so I will be able to let my hair and beard grow an inch or so. In the meantime, bald is beautiful.

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

4. MORE RESOURCES

2007-10-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

1. For a general guide to healthy eating, read Dr. John McDougall, The McDougall Program, as a start. He has other, more recent and more specialized books too. I always prefer books over websites because I can mark them up with notes.

2. For particular medical problems that might be treated with radical diet change, after reading The McDougall Program or its equivalent, you might visit Dr. McDougall's website and click on the "Medical Info" or other tabs: http://www.drmcdougall.com/index.html

3. For the scientific calculation of the Potential Renal Acid Load of a range of foods, see: Thomas Remer and Friedrich Manz, "Potential Renal Acid Load of Foods and Its Influence on Urine pH," Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 95, Issue 7 (July 1995), pp. 791-797. For the abstract, see: http://www.adajournal.org/article/PIIS0002822395002197/abstract

4. The Blogger website you are now reading is the most complete and up-to-date source for my experiences. However, for background, you might read my Star McDougaller article ("Rolling Back Dermatitis, Arthritis ..." etc.) at http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/burgess_laughlin.html

You might also read my comments in several posts ("How I stopped inflammation problems," around April 9, 2005) in the Testimonials section of the McDougall website: http://www.vegsource.com/testimonials/messages/9669.html

Burgess Laughlin

Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

3. WHY THIS DIET?

2007-10-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

I chose my particular diet after several years of tediously testing and retesting foods using the Elimination Diet (a short-term diagnostic diet) and the re-introduction testing procedure. For more information about the diet and the procedure, see Dr. John McDougall, The McDougall Program, index (for "Elimination Diet") and the same material online (drmcdougall.com) under "Medical Info, Allergic Reactions to Foods," half-way down the page: http://drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html

I have found only one published list of acceptable foods to be reliable for my particular medical needs. The list is based on Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL), which apparently is a partly measured and partly calculated estimate of the acidity in the kidneys (hence the word "renal"). Why the kidneys? Because they are the eventual outlet for most areas of the body.

All the types of foods I have listed above ("My diet now includes only ...") tend to produce an alkaline condition in the body. Eating only alkaline-producing foods--making no exceptions whatsoever--eliminates inflammation problems for me. Eating the opposite kind of foods -- acid-producing foods -- causes my inflammation problems to return. The issue here is not the acidity of each food itself (as determined by ash-tests), but the acidity produced by the food in the body. I ignore food lists based on ash-tests; they are worthless for my needs.

The issue in choosing foods is not striking a "balance" between acid-producing foods and alkaline-producing foods. My inference, drawn from my experiences, is that the mere presence of food-produced acids causes inflammation problems. (I do not know, and do not much care about, the minimal quantity which establishes the threshold beyond which inflammation becomes apparent.) In my experience, the "thought" that leads some individuals trying this diet to eat soy beans (among the worst acid-producers) while eating a lot of spinach (very alkaline-producing) as a "balance," does not work. It is wishful thinking. The solution, I have found, is to never eat acid-producing foods.

For an easy-to-read version of the PRAL list, see John Berardi’s "Covering Nutritional Bases" article: http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/bases.htm

I examined the Berardi PRAL list to see which foods are rated as alkaline-producing (negative numbers) and which are acid-producing. The list does--with complete accuracy--predict which foods will cause an inflammation in my skin (which, for me, is the first tissue to reveal a problem) and which foods are safe for me.

I am not endorsing Berardi's whole article. I am only spotlighting the list; it is an elegantly edited abstract of a more detailed and rather confusing list published in a scientific journal. Perhaps there are other online sources for the list. If so, make sure they do not list merely calculated values, but values actually confirmed by lab tests.

Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

2. DIET AS THE MAIN SOLUTION

2007-10-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

(For a continually updated look at my most recent diet details: http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html)

A diet is a regular pattern of eating. My anti-inflammation diet is a subset of The McDougall Program diet, which is a very low-fat, low-protein, high-fiber, coarse starch-centered, exclusively plant-based diet using whole, unrefined foods wherever possible. The full McDougall Program diet is primarily a therapeutic diet designed to help recover from decades of eating badly (too much fat, too much protein, and too little fiber). With a daily Vitamin B12 tablet or other source of B12, the McDougall Program diet becomes a lifelong maintenance diet.

For an introduction to the regular McDougall Program diet, start with: http://drmcdougall.com/free.html

My subset of the McDougall Program diet is also very low in fat and high in fiber, but even lower in protein (about 35-50 grams/day, depending on how much food I eat). Likewise, my subset diet is starch-centered, but the starches come mostly from roots and gourds rather than grains, beans, peas, and nuts. I will explain why later.

My diet now includes only:
- Starchy roots -- such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, rutabagas.
- Gourds -- such as pumpkin and other winter (hard-shelled) squashes.
- Fruits -- such as apples, avocadoes, melons, olives, and oranges, but avoiding seedy fruits such as figs and kiwi (where the seeds cannot be easily removed)
- Vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, etc.), including leaves (such as collard, kale, mustard greens, basil [flavoring], tarragon [flavoring], parsley; bark (such as cinnamon [flavoring]); roots (such as ginger [flavoring], turnips, etc.); and stems (such as celery); but avoiding concentrated seeds (pepper, celery, curry mix, etc.).

My diet now excludes:
- All animal products -- such as beef, poultry, seafood, and dairy.
- All plant foods made from seeds of any kind -- such as grains of all types (rice, corn, oats, wheat, quinoa, etc.), nuts, beans, and peas. To be safe, I also exclude seedy fruit such as figs and kiwi and cucumbers. (It is almost impossible to remove the seeds from figs, but you can scrape out the seeds from cucumbers if you are willing to invest the time.)

In general terms, and summarizing, my diet consists of all fruits (except seedy ones), all vegs (excluding concentrations of their seeds), and all starchy roots.

The one nutrient missing from this diet is Vitamin B12. Weekly I take a daily B12 supplement (about 100 micrograms, never mega doses). Formerly I took, every few days, a "one-a-day" multi-vitamin, multi-mineral supplement (with standard Recommended Daily Allowance amounts of each vitamin and mineral, not mega doses).

Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/

P. S. -- For a continually updated look at my most recent diet details: http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html

1. MY HISTORY OF INFLAMMATION

2007-10-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am a layman, not a physician or a scientist. The therapy I am describing in these posts helped me. I don't know whether it will work for anyone else. I don't fully understand even why it worked for me.

Below (and continually updated) are the -itis (Greek for "inflammation") and other problems I have experienced, and their year of first appearance (as well as I can remember):
- Bronchitis (c. 1957, age 13)
- Pneumothoraces (18 episodes, c. 1962-2009)
- Dermatitis: eczema, rosacea, and/or seborrhea (c. 1962); and subcutaneous acne (c. 2000).
- Pollen allergy in spring, early summer (c. 1970)
- Heart disease symptoms (c. 1972 - 1974, ended by very low-fat, omnivorous but mostly whole plant-food, Pritikin diet).
- Iritis and conjunctivitis (c. 1974)
- Tendonitis (c. 1989)
- Bursitis (c. 1994)

- Atrial fibrillation, stopped chemically in ER (c. 1997, age 53 and 2010, age 66)
- Emphysema discovered (1995), but probably started 25 years earlier (smoking).

- Gout-like pains in right foot (1997)
- Gum inflammation (1997)
- Arthritis (c. 1998)
- Acid reflux (c. 1998)
- Colitis (c. 1999)

[Began anti-itis diet, c. 2002]

- Atrial fibrillation, chronic (Dec. 2010-Feb 2011, age 66), stopped with drug and cardioversion shock therapy

Some of the -itis problems were episodic (for example, the iritis appeared every year or two in one eye or the other). Some were continuous (for example, the dermatitis). As the years passed, the problems accumulated in number and intensity. By the year 2000, I felt like I was living in a nightmare of -itis problems. In that year, I had arthritis, bursitis, colitis, dermatitis, iritis, and tendonitis. I was shopping for a wheelchair and trying to decide whether to buy a manual or an electric model.

Two physicians (out of five I consulted) have identified most of the symptoms as fitting a leaky-gut syndrome. Apparently the speculation is that holes in the intestine (perhaps caused by antibiotics taken when I was 18, following my first lung surgery) allow substances to leak into the blood stream; the immune system reacts to those substances as if they were viruses; and, while the immune system tries to kill the supposed "viruses," it also inflames various tissues and organs (skin, eyes, tendons, muscles, joints, and colon).

Burgess Laughlin
Author of The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith, www.reasonversusmysticism.com/