Those of you who've read my previous posts know that the one visit I had with a neuro/MDS said this after his exam: "The good news is that you don't have Parkinson. The bad news is that you don't have Parkinson."
Yeah. He. Really. Said. That.
That was last September and I never did the blood work he ordered or the DatScan he offered.
I think he was a heartless, dumb doc and he ignored my MOUNTAINS of data that I brought with me.
Any hoo...
Since my first detectable symptoms (left thumb moved several times by itself) -- starting on June 20, 2021 ... My symptoms ("thousands of internal tremors" ... "face numbing on the left side" ... "eye lid tremors and sensation something is 'in' my eye" ... "various cramps in feet and lower legs" ... "constipation" (I beat THAT one!)
... Were gradually progressing ... but, fortunately, as of today, they are still very very very MILD and in no way affects my life. I intend to keep it that way!
But to get to this point ... I've committed to multiple self-therapies and #1 on my list is eating just one... meal ... per... day to boost... AUTOPHAGY.
All calories are eaten within a 2 hour window (I have never never never snacked -- not even a carrot stick!) Fasting boosts autophagy (self eating of bad, dead cells everywhere in our body including my BRAIN!). So I'm fasting at least 22 hours every day.
After a very short time (a week or two for me) my body quickly became used to this new regimen and I don't have any "cravings" or any other negative effects. I usually eat anywhere from 5 to 8 hours after I wake up. So ... it's a "late lunch" or an "early dinner."
I've lost about 60 pounds effortlessly (another 30 to go!).
And I eat EVERYTHING! ... Potatoes, dairy, beef, poultry, fruit, and of course lots of veggies ... But ZERO processed-packaged garbage ... NO added sugar ... NO gluten.
I watch/ listen/ skim -- DOZENS of health videos weekly trying to learn more about PD and other diseases and how to prevent and/or reverse them.
I'm not on ANY meds and intend to stay that way.
1. exercise (I confess I'm not doing nearly enough because I have a bad left hip which prevents me from walking/ running -- but I can bicycle).
2. eat the right food
3. intermittent fasting
4. lots of supplements
STAY STRONG EVERYBODY!
I'm convinced that a 'MIRACLE CURE' is just around the corner!
did you read JayPwP post that talks about autophagy is based on mice models and so the time it takes for mice versus people means people wouldn't be in autophagy for like 4 days, if I remember correctly.
I saw that before, thanks, and I regularly watch this doc's posts. But I certainly do NOT agree with him on 'when' autophagy begins based on DOZENS of other health professional videos that I've watched.
So autophagy is implicated. But is it causal or incidental? If brain tissue is breaking down then it's logical that the body tries to repair the damage. It's like rehabbing an old house; DEstruction precedes CONstruction.
But is the damaged tissue somehow the cause? Unhelpful chemicals in the blood, triggering more damage? Or is unrecognized biochemical events causing the damage and, as I first posited, autophagy is the body's natural response?
I take Rytary. I eat OMAD and I'm not losing weight. I don't micro-manage the calories but I doubt I'm anywhere near the 2000 calories per day that experts say make up the minimum needed to maintain weight.
Well, I'm certainly not a medical professional ... but as I like to joke with my family ... I have a Phd in "YouTube." ...
Dysfunctioning autophagy is only one of several possible causes or influences to the cause of PD.
*autoimmune issues
*"leaky gut/ microbiome" problems
*mitochondrial disfunction
*inflammation issues
*Toxins (mercury in our fillings)
*Exposure to pesticides
I mentioned "autophagy" in my post but that's just one of several ways I tried to combat my "perceived" PD (or whatever the hell I have...)
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You are doing a GREAT thing by being on O.M.A.D. (22 hour fast with all calories eaten within a 2 hour window).
I, too -- have had a 'peak' with my weight loss the last few months. And ... it's VERY FRUSTRATING! ... As I really REALLY want to get back to my weight (135 pounds, I'm 5 '6" male) when I was in my early 30s.
As I mentioned I've lost about 60 pounds but can't seem to get below 165 or so.
My options are:
1. Eat fewer calories (and you mentioned 2000 as your 'balanced' intake of calories). I thought I was around that as well ... But when I did further GOOGLE research and inputted my age, height, weight and activity level into several calculators... Must to my surprise... I found out that just 1725 calories met my daily requirement.
I had been averaging less than 1500 calories ... Thinking I was saving at least '500' calories a day ... And that accounts for most (but not all) of why I haven't lost as much weight as I want to....
2. Exercise a LOT more (I've hardly done any exercise for MONTHS)
3. Change what I eat ... (I'm about to go 'low carb' when I run out of potatoes -- LOL)
I'm about mid-way through another of my DOZENS of health videos that I watch/ listen to/ skim weekly.
I HIGHLY recommend you watch it as I have learned some new things about 'obesity/ weight loss' from this very well know and established M.D. .... Dr. McDougall
I think that you should concentrate on point 2 (but without stressing your body) and point 4 (same remark: increase your fasting window slowly to avoid to stress your body). Calories should not be very important and also chose to do some days low carb (but only when you feel it’s possible). My opinion.
that sounds like SIBO methane type. If you (ahem, excuse me) pass gas or get cramping, and have constipation, you may have SIBO (unhelpful bacteria overgrowing in your small intestine where it doesn’t belong). That can make you gain weight despite exercise and diet. At least so I’m told (not my issue). Something to check out.
thanks.... I'm doing OK in those "departments" ... i'm guilty of eating too many carbs ... over the next 60 days I'm slowly reducing those (I have to run out of potatoes!)
i started a plant based+ fish diet 3 weeks ago and the change has been very significant. I stopped eating sugars, dairy, fried food and meat. Ive been keeping a food diary a few months and think i see a pattern with sugar. What improved: sleep was aa big problem and it returned to normal, heavy sweating gone, toilet now looks ok and daily, fatigue/tiredness gone, tremor feels less…
basically any fruit and veg with any fish. I dio include now a very low amount of carbs ( wholewheat bread, red rice) which seems to be ok. So for example fruit (berries , banana, apple, kiwi) with black coffee for breakfast, humus/carrot/pepper/cucumber/tomato/small wholewheat bread for lunch, salmon/red rice/veg for dinner. Water with all meals. Nuts for snacks.
There is no doubt that the whole problem is gut related. Very impressed with your commitment. We are about the same agge and I am 7 yrs in, med free. from the day I was diagnosed I researched the s**t out of PD, dropped the meds after 3 months and went on a Keto Diet, dropped 30Lbs and apart from my tremors I am as fit as a butchers dog😆.. Belief, commitment, call it whatever, but get what and how much food you eat sorted out. On the Keto diet I rarely eat more than twice a day, just dont feel the need to. Way to go PDW1900
thanks for the support! how long have you been on keto? and yes, in my case -- i think my PD-like symptoms are from my obesity (now 60 pounds lighter) and "leaky gut"
I read McDougal. His idea is HIGH STARCH meals (!) because starch is difficult for the body to break down into simple carbs. But he might be right. My problem is I can't eat potatoes unless they're floating in boiling fat and held down with salt. And I read The Zone Diet. His philosophy is always eating a 0.4 ratio of protein to carbs with meals including two snacks a day. Because studies show that ratio controls insulin the best.
When I sat down and calculated the daily calories it was around 800 per day. (!)
I was interested in weight loss because I enjoyed distance running. At marathon starts I was always the heaviest runner in the pack. When I went to a running store looking for shoes they salesperson always steered my toward the cushion-shoes for heavyweight runners.
Basic biochemistry says you keep one day's worth of carbohydrates in the blood and liver. When that's gone you're left with fats and proteins. Which are difficult --but not impossible--to turn into burnable calories.
It can be done but it takes time and training for the body to be able to burn anything other than simple sugars (carbs).
I went to a seminar and paid for a professional trainer in Jackson Hole, Wy. He showed me how to run an a balance way, essentially running on my toes while tipping forwards enough that gravity is helping me. Part of the training was a treadmill stress test. That's walking on a treadmill while hooked up to a mask that measures my carbon dioxide output. He showed were my body stopped burning carbs and started burning fats for energy. It was based on heart rate.
All distance running tries to find the right target zone to be able to run not just marathons-- 26.2 miles--but also 50 and 100 mile races. And even multiple day races. It can be done if you can control your heart rate.
I never got beyond 100 mile races. I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 4 years ago. Since then I've steadily put on weight and lost strength. And energy.
That geeky guy in your last video makes a good point. When you diet you can lose weight BUT you're losing muscle more than anything. So you can get thin but be weaker and more likely to get a debilitating disease.
I imagine this post has gone so long that most have 'clicked off'. But I think I've learned everything I need to lose weight' Fewer calories but a lot more exercise.
Personally I can use a treadmill. If I couldn't I'd learn to swim. That's a lot less stress to knees and hips.
Damn, I'd forgotten this is a Parkinson's website. Which causes depression and laziness but it can be fought.
The long pauses between meals are supposed to promote healing for the inner layer of your gut. The mucus layer gets to rebuild itself during the pauses. Leaky gut sounded like voodoo to me at first, like "colon detoxes" but it seems to be the new frontier in medical science and at the root of many diseases. Glad it's helping you. I have read that the autophagy part of fasting is difficult to achieve without muscle loss. Intense exercise is a great way to create autophagy. I bike with a heart monitor and go as fast as necessary to keep my heart at 80% max. H.I.T. training is what's recommended. Good luck
thanks! I'm actually e-x-t-e-n-d-i-n-g my fasts to 36 hours.... I just completed 2 days in a row like that and today is the 3rd day ... Believe me ... once you 'train' yourself ... it becomes easy to do (I drink LOTS and LOTS of tea to fill me up!)
... And keep in mind that our ancestors from 100s of thousands of years ago ... They didn't have a fridge or 7/11 at the corner! LOL ... So our bodies have evolved to expect and sustain themselves through long periods of ... NO FOOD.
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Here is a supplement, PEA, that Parkinson's News Today says works well for PWP
Neupro - 1st day on...working I think...
Ongentys this medication WORKS!
Tremors only on one side
