Primal Journal (Ecks) page 11

[lopisheep]

Hey, Lex and ecks --

Good to be back and read your journals again. That's fascinating about coffee. If I drink it, I'm up all afternoon and night. Amazing how we are all so different. I just realized I don't do well on coconut. It doesn't make me sick or anything. It just doesn't sit right. Same with nuts. Now, dairy -- I guess being Northern European helps -- sits just fine and makes me happy -- Kerrygold butter, whole fat yogurt, whole milk, grass fed cheese, cream. So, I guess I should listen to my body. Vegetables always work. Dairy always works. Not starchy vegies, but lots of cruciferous and green. Meat didn't make me so happy today. Having a hard time eating so much meat, so I'm glad there's dairy. Being Svensk might be the reason the tropical coconut doesn't seem quite right!

[Lex26]

Yop - listen to your body. Sometimes your body just needs a little help, though. Last month, when I had a tougher time digesting protein, I realized I could benefit from HCl (hydrochloric acid betain with pepsin) and I really have. I used to have to wait a long time to do any exercise after eating, but after taking HCl, I was normal. I ate lunch mid-hike and then didn't have trouble doing a bunch of uphill climbing afterward. I sometimes worry about the coconut as well, but it's a high-fat food and can fill you faster than most things.

[Lex26]

Just another note about coffee: It's not that it simply slows metabolism. It forces your adrenals to pump out more adrenaline and cortisol, which forces the liver to release a bunch of glycogen stores. Then your blood sugar spikes, just as if you ate a candy bar. If you're not immediately doing anything active with that sugar spike, it's going to get stored as fat.

The same process happens with stress in general. Even without caffeine, if we become really stressed by something our livers release their glycogen stores into the blood. If we don't do anything physical, it gets stored as fat AND we generally will get more hungry because the liver wants to fill those stores back up asap. We'll either fill it up what carbs/protein we eat, or our body will melt down muscle protein to fill it.

So, I've gotten over caffeine but still am trying to wrestle down the stress problem. My anxiety levels are definitely more in check without caffeine, so at least getting rid of the first problem helps you deal with the second.

[Lex26]

I thought it was weird a long time ago when you said you drank green tea before bed! Using caffeine as a sedation tool definitely indicates you shouldn't consume it for a long time.

[theprimalcajun]

evening ecks! Just finished reading your journal & really enjoyed reading of your wonderful success so far! I also loved seeing your food porn!! lol Will be subscribing so I can keep up with you!

Congrats on your current weight!!!

[ecks]

Hey Lex and Pam! It's so good to be able to catch up with the both of you again! And welcome theprimalcajun! Thanks for deciding to follow my thread! I'll have to check yours out as well when I get some free time today.


Lex! I just wanted to say thanks for all of the info! When I searched for an answer (because I searched for an answer as I was drinking that first BP Coffee and STILL ignored it as any potential threat), all I came across were links between caffeine and ADHD (which your info actually explains why that would be a link as well). All of this info is a HUGE help! (and I love that you always have answers whenever I'm baffled!). I'll make the switch over to herbal teas and cut back on my regular tea consumption. Thank you so much for keeping an eye on me!


Food Log for the day (So far)

Breakfast- 2 eggs over easy, 3 slices of bacon, 1 chicken breakfast sausage (about the size of 2 regular breakfast sausages), Coconut oil

Lunch (Not eaten yet)- Meatloaf, 1 cup blueberries, 2 cups veggies (again sorted by nutritional value), coconut oil.

Dinner (Planned)- Chicken wings and big salad


Dodgeball tonight! Hopefully people dont bail for valentines day...

[ecks]

Noticed something... since dropping coffee I'm hungrier... like REALLY HUNGRY. I noticed this after a couple meals but my meal sizes have not changed. I don't plan on eating any more than my initial meal sizes so I'll have to see what effect that has on me... right now I want a snack but I have a feeling that the BP coffee (annoyingly) screwed up my leptin reset instead of helping it.

[Lex26]

Drinking caffeine was always a way to keep your blood sugar higher, so in a way, you're going back through sugar withdrawal. Treat it the same way. It'll probably suck at first and then you'll feel completely over the hump.

[ecks]

I figured as such. I'm hoping this also forces me back into a position to start burning more. If the missing sugar isn't coming from the extra glycogen that my liver is producing and it isn't coming from my food, I'm hoping it gets taken from the stored fat in my omentum. I'll have to wait and find out. I'm really hungry right now but I'm sure I'll be fine.

[Analog6]

Hi ecks - found your journal through Pam's (lopisheep) and thought I would come over for a read. You are doing very well.

I have only on coffee per day - my wake up call one, & then drink Moccona decaff but never more than 3. The last one before bed is with 1/ teaspoon honey - it makes me sleep.

And I am overjoyed to find someone else who is swimming! I started swimming in mid August last year and some days recently have done 50 laps (50 m pool), in a day, albeit in 2 sessions. When you think that when I started I had trouble with 2 laps of kickboard it makes you realise just how well this way of eating works.