My doctor has recommended a keto diet for me for brain health. I have narcolepsy and was just diagnosed with Lyme disease. I have been really thinking about the food I eat and have come to the conclusion I hate meat. I always have-I hate the taste, smell and texture. I was a vegetarian for years and loved it. So, I asked myself why do I continue to eat something I don't like. Interestingly over the week I have cut out meat a lot of my inflammatory symptoms have calmed down. Anyone have any favorite go to vegetarian keto meals? TIA!!
I'm not down with keto per se but I have some sort of major immune system issue, hormone imbalance and unending gastro problems all from suspected Lyme and Bartonella. Seriously, I was treated for two years as Bipolar II and no one ever suspected it to be a vector borne disease. To the doctors who don't believe in cases of chronic Lyme, what is the sickness called when it has been untreated or treated unsuccessfully? Not cured, I would hope. The first thing that happened to me was (that was found via blood tests) crazy high liver enzyme levels. Then I could not digest anything practically, red meat, anything cured, tomato sauce... Went totally plant based, supplements out the wazoo, tried three different antibiotics regimens. Had to move, lost insurance, gained insurance, have seen an internist, a gastro, a infectious disease specialist, new primary care people... The LLMDs are the only ones willing to diagnose based on the symptoms and history, stressing that any "Lyme" testing even the Western Blot and ELISA may not ever show a current "positive" test result. Getting my medical cannabis card sorted this month. Also, trying to find another Lyme Literate Medical Doctor to continue treatment. Sucks and I wish you the best of luck OP. You have to be your own advocate as Doctors cannot be trusted IMHO. Seriously, every single one of the doctors I have seen regarding this issue - which has made my life constant misery for half a decade almost - doesn't believe I am sick. I have had many ultrasounds, two liver biopsies, been scoped up and down, I have drastically changed diet, still shitting sand putty 6 to 8 times a day. It's not so great sorry to be so ranty and graphic. Anyways, keto being the recommendation of your doctor, I would hope would be a well thought out choice. I don't generally believe it to be a good choice of a diet for many because it's so hard to maintain a ketosis state and often the best diets are ones that can offer lasting changes. Green smoothies and salads, woo hoo!
Thanks mook2420! My naturopath recommended keto to help with the brain fog. It is incredibly hard to sustain. I've never been able to do it longer than a week. When I do do it I feel awesome, I have energy and can think. I stopped eating meat two weeks ago and the "chicken skin" that had developed on my shoulders and back last year is almost gone. I also had a food sensitive test taken last year and gluten was one of the things I'm sensitive to. I started with my PCP, neurologist, sports orthopedic, second and different neurologist. All said something wrong but didn't know what, either gave me an Rx or sent me to another doctor. Saw my Gyn as I was having hormone problems, no menstrual cycle or would have ovarian cysts-once I bleed for 6 weeks, but was told "nothing was wrong". Told her I was concerned because I was gaining a lot of weight very quickly-I was gaining 2 pounds a week for months. She told me I was just fat-no kidding- and needed to exercise and watch what I ate. I told her about these rages I would go into. One night I had a rage so intense, I isolated myself and was wondering if I was going crazy, I was so scared. No worries she prescribed me prozac. Started seeing an endcrinologist for my thyroid- found out I actually have Hashimoto's an autoimmune disease. Told her I was concerned I was still producing breast milk as I hadn't nursed in years. Had MRI of pituitary to verify prolactinoma. MRI came back normal, endo said tumor was probably too small to show on test. Here take these pills for a year and it will take care of the problem. It did temporarily, started producing milk again last year, so back on it. I stopped chasing symptoms after that, my marriage had fallen apart, and I was tired off fighting. I actually lost 25 pounds last year. Still have 30 to go. I developed sleep apnea found an awesome sleep neurologist- he said that it wasn't related to my weight but my brain. He was more concerned with the chronic fatigue I had suffered most of my life. He diagnosed me with narcolepsy and said that the sleep apnea was probably related to that. He gave me modafinil to take during the day to stay awake. I take a pill for anxiety, an off the label dose of ADHD medicine because there isn't a label dose high enough for me, I take a pill to stay awake, and a second anxiety pill, that works on different brain chemistry than the first, to offset the anxiety symptoms the modafinil produces. I take high blood pressure medicine. Fall of 2017 I was temping for a pediatrician who rented space to a naturopath. I went camping one weekend and got poison ivy. I'm extremely allergic to poison ivy and have found methods that help alleviate the symptoms without having to use prednisone. Well those methods didn't work that time and I asked the doctor to send me in a Rx of prednisone. While taking it I noticed the rosacea went away on my face. Got me to thinking could the prednisone be helping with the autoimmune problem, prednisone is Rx for lupus, and the rosacea was an outward physical manifestation of the inflammation inside my body. Which got me to thinking and talking to the naturopath. Why do all these doctors prescribe medicine for all these symptoms but aren't concerned about finding out why. I have a LLMD I'm seeing in Montana. I'm fortunate to have airline privileges and can fly anywhere-I am retired. I edited that, I don’t want people thinking I’m high and working on airplanes . I have my first appointment with her this week. I have learned that no treatment-traditional or plant based will necessarily get rid of my Lyme. At this point I want to learn how to live with it. I want to be a warrior not a victim. Doing the intake for my appointment I have learned I have probably had it since high school. When I chased symptoms-to my pediatrician why can't I get out of bed- she said I had depression. I saw a doctor for what I now know is sleep apnea who did a test and said it was my esophagus spamming because I was doing too much caffeine. The vertigo I was experiencing at night was nothing to be concerned about. My OCD was so bad I parked off campus because it would take 45 minutes of checking before I was on my way to the building. I refuse to let this all be for naught. My husband and I worked through our problems and are in such a better place than ever before. I've always been compassionate and empathetic but have become even more so. The hardest thing has been learning to fight for myself. Without Lyme disease, I wouldn't have ever realized I'm worthy. I have no problem fighting for other people, but I've never felt worthy enough to fight for myself. So many things I think about myself or let others do or say to me, that if it was my children I would weep uncontrollably for them. I'm me though, just me, no-one that important. That one is a struggle and might be something I'll have to work on my entire life. My faith has grown and is evolving. God isn't in my life to keep bad things from happening. Both good and bad things happen to people of all beliefs. God is in my life to help me through those things and celebrate the good. Without Lyme disease I wouldn't be the person I am today, and overall I like that person.
Dang, that is quite the path of madness you have been down as well! I have been lucky as all hell in some regards, I cannot image the countless others who have had to suffer such as this. Ticks at a new high as well, infecting people and animals alike throughout all the seasons. I too have sleep apnea... The Lyme stuff for me was going best when I was on antibiotics. I fear I should have been more gung ho about getting glutathione IVs and doing oxygen therapy while I was closer to those services. I didn't do them and instead took oral abx with very little lasting result. It is crazy, as soon as I am doing better, fasting all day and eating correctly, I'll do a bit more then I should be physically and it will take me again a friggin week of being drained before I can start to bounce back. Ashawanda, gugalsterons, chlorella, sao paulo inner bark, DHA and testosterone, tumeric and burber and pinella. Perhaps a naturopath is what I need or an endocrinologist. Every time I make an appointment it's like starting over completely again. Bah. Oh right! I did discover however I have a gene mutation having to do with methylation and folic acid... MTHFR aka Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase...
I drink Tulsi tea. I need to look at more adaptogens. I love my naturopath, she is the one that recommended the LLMD I’m using. My naturopath movedis to Colorado but does conferencing via Skype or similar. If you ever want her info I can get it to you. I haven’t done the MTHFR test. It is just something I learned about working at the pediatricaian’s office. I’m wondering if my LLMD will want to test that. Oh my gosh, overdoing it! So easy to happen and the consequences are so large .
i'm vegan actually but was vegetarian for a while and did try keto a few times. honestly it was the best i'd ever felt, digestion wise. favorite vegetarian keto meal at home was always an egg omelette with cheese and whatever veggies you like...yum
That sounds really good, maybe some veggies too. I had the best omelet in a hole in the wall cafe in Boise this summer. It had goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. One of the best things I have eaten in my whole life!
Why would keto diet help with the brain fog? You just mentioned that you take antianxiety and heavy ADHD meds... You are also taking a number of other medications, which is not clear if you take all at the same time... You don't think that these meds are causing your brain fog? One thing is true. These doctors are charlatans or simply clueless. Why aren't you on a real hormonal replacement therapy? How much exercise do you get? What is your diet like on a daily basis? Sleeping habits? Other than pills have you been consistent with any other modality? There's a million things that could be causing your problems. I know that you are trying to figure it out and I sincerely hope that you find the right approach. But please don't allow these people to take advantage of your suffering. Keto for "brain fog" is not an answer when there are literally ten other factors at play. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have to be your own lab and doctor. Only you can feel what's happening in your body. Quadruple check everything you are doing. Don't trust some "professional" who is excited to pump you full of pills. You're going to have to research and understand everything that is "prescribed" to you. OCD, ADHD, GAD are sexy acronyms nowadays. Nothing more than symptoms categorized by pseudoscience and the horrible DSM 5. You are likely chronically stressed, have pretty serious inflammation and your cortisol is all over the place. Find a doctor who understands about holistic approach. You cannot isolate your brain as the only thing that needs to be treated. Everything has to be looked at in conjunction with the all of your physiology (and possibly psychology). Find a doctor who is going to work with you, not on a specific condition or acronym, but on getting you healthy and happy again. While you have time listen to a few "ATP science" podcasts. See if some of the topics and discussions resonate with you. Episode 184 - Adrenal Fatigue Ft. Sam Beau Patrick - ATP Science Pty Ltd Episode 179 - Invisible Illness - Anxiety - ATP Science Pty Ltd Episode 170 - Autoimmune Diseases - Too much of a good thing - ATP Science Pty Ltd