Quote from saraleah11 on November 30, 2019, 11:55 am

Sarah4 thank you for sharing your story. It must be wonderful to be relieved of so many symptoms, any one of which would be miserable. The details you have given are very helpful, please keep us updated and I hope yo have a total recovery.

Quote from Sarah4 on July 27, 2020, 8:07 am

Quote from J on October 26, 2019, 2:49 pm

Quote from Sarah4 on October 26, 2019, 10:20 am

Checking in at about 8 months on the low A diet. 

First, I want to apologize quite profusely for my rudeness in not responding to last messages people left for me. I was in a pretty difficult "detox" time and having difficulty understanding what was going on and what to do about it. 

A number of things have changed for me and I wanted to update this log. 

I am doing very well in relation to the last post and very well in general.  

I have removed almost everything but beef and rice from my diet.  

I am eating:

1lb or more of beef steak a day

1 cup (dry weight) rice

sometimes, tsp. of maple sugar

very rarely, potato chips

removed:

apples, and apple products, and everything else I was trying. 

I have increase my meat consumption and I am VERY happy about this. I am feeling really pretty good in general.  

It is a very unusual state for me.

When I cut out everything but the beef and rice and increased the beef, I started feeling better and better. Stronger, and less pressure in my head. Less change in pressure in my head. 

In some ways I feel the strongest I have ever been. 

I am not taking any supplements now (I stopped vit. C a few weeks ago). And stopped Zeolite and activated charcoal. 

1. the gout-like problems I was experiencing have resolved.  I realized I was having trouble with salt, and my salt intake had increased sharply from my habitual lifetime diet. I stopped eating salt and have not had any more problems like this. 
2. I have MANY long-term symptoms that have resolved or greatly improved. One of the best things (that happened very early on) was that my major neck pain (diagnosed with a disc impinging on spinal cord), is almost gone.  It is a very good indicator of which foods are bothersome now. This neck pain has been my constant companion and took amazing amounts of time from my day just trying to find a way to be more comfortable and grapple with the pain (pain levels at 6-8 or 9 for years) 
3. My neck is straightening--it looks taller and better
4. kidney concerns are improving
5. eyes are improving (sometimes no double vision, and mostly double vision is less pronounced. Less fluctuation in eye situation)
6. No food cravings especially since i removed apples and apple products (apple sauce, apple cider)except for meat. Increased meat consumption about a week ago and noticed craving more steak!
7. The biggest recent change is that my thyroid medication has had to be lowered 2 times in the past 4 months. I had my thyroid removed over 10 years ago and take replacement thyroxine.  My thyroid medication is being utilized better apparently and I need less of it. 
8. sleep is improving in a very hopeful way! Went from insomnia (my whole life) to narcolepsy-like (while very toxic) to mix of both while on the diet. Now sleep is starting to change for the better (complex issue). 
9. Vertigo has not improved. However the pressure in my head is better and less changing and I am hopeful for the future. 
10. gut issues are really improving!! 
11. other improvements I notice every day: inflammation is very low (maintaining changes that happened early in diet), hair is less grey (haha my eyebrows are pretty dark now and have no grey), cuts heal faster, and much more....

Notes: 

I don't think my body can handle any plant matter other than rice. I started adding apples back in when I heard about the pectin and apples being good for detox. I was losing weight from the thyroid and needed more calories. Within about 3-4 days of me eating one peeled apple a day, the brain inflammation was intense, and my memory issues increased, and vertigo sharply increased. when I removed the apples, this improved. But I needed the calories still so I increased meat. This was the best thing that happened!  

I have been trying to get as much sun as possible because it feels so good and I take that as a good sign.  The detox after I am in the sun is VERY predictable now.  Similar to when I first started the diet. Dry swollen lips, and lower face, dry hands and need for drinking much water. 

All along in the diet I had been trying foods in addition to the beef and rice and had much "detox". Maybe that is inevitable, but I now personally wish I had just gone with beef and rice. 

All of my A issues are from vegetables and fruits.  My mother was orange from carrots when was pregnant both times (with me and my brother). I never ate much eggs, no liver, very few vitamin supplements. Correction:  Vegetables, fruits and huge amounts of supplemented milk and cereal. 

I have felt in the last 4 days, some kind of different energy and good feelings that make me very hopeful for the future and that feels like I'm healing something.  I have simply never gotten spontaneous good feelings from my body throughout the day, and I've had that now!  

My most heartfelt thank you to @ggenereux2014     whose work completely changed my life.  Thank you to all you awesome forum people for sharing here and following/ supporting each other-- great!  

 

Sarah 

 

Sarah, thank you to the moon for continuing to provide updates! Wow! So happy for you!! 

Please continue to keep us posted, thank you so much!! 

Also- interesting about the sun - I’ve been wondering if anyone else has been trying that. 

Thank you, for your lovely response...so sorry I didn't reply before!   

Quote from Sarah4 on July 27, 2020, 8:08 am

 

Hi Sarah, quick question! Exactly what type of steak/beef do you buy? I never know what is best! Any steak? Less fat? Do you eat ground beef? 

 

@jansenh  I've been getting top round steaks from our Co-op nearby.  It is very low fat.  I do not eat ground beef. Just the top round or sometimes sirloin steaks. 

 

Quote from Sarah4 on July 27, 2020, 8:12 am

Quote from Fred on November 30, 2019, 10:16 am

Hi Sarah4,

How long did it take on your low/no VA diet to see some improvement in your neck pain and how long before you saw significant improvements? I have an undiagnosed neck issue. Thanks.

@fred  I'm so sorry for this many months late reply!!   The neck pain reduced amazingly quickly...I would say in days or weeks.  Then it would be up and down a little as I added or removed various things from my diet.  The neck pain is one of the first indicators now that I'm eating or ingesting something that's not agreeing with me.  Potato chips, sometimes try a little white bread, and a few weeks ago I tried to eat about 10 wild raspberries (black and red) a day for 4-5 days, and neck pain increased almost immediately and then went away when I stopped. I hope your neck issue is better!  This diet has been a lifeline for me. 

Quote from Sarah4 on July 27, 2020, 8:13 am

Quote from saraleah11 on November 30, 2019, 11:55 am

Sarah4 thank you for sharing your story. It must be wonderful to be relieved of so many symptoms, any one of which would be miserable. The details you have given are very helpful, please keep us updated and I hope yo have a total recovery.

@saraleah11 Thank you so much for your lovely reply and encouragement!  I hope things are going well for you!! I will update my post very soon. 

Quote from saraleah11 on July 28, 2020, 1:49 am

Quote from Sarah4 on July 27, 2020, 8:13 am

Quote from saraleah11 on November 30, 2019, 11:55 am

Sarah4 thank you for sharing your story. It must be wonderful to be relieved of so many symptoms, any one of which would be miserable. The details you have given are very helpful, please keep us updated and I hope yo have a total recovery.

@saraleah11 Thank you so much for your lovely reply and encouragement!  I hope things are going well for you!! I will update my post very soon. 

Sarah4 I hope you continue to improve. I stalled at 7 months like so many others but kept going and its been a year now. The horrible tinnitus which was very loud- has been gone for months.Autoimmune disease in remission and like Grant I use any recurrence to check foods for tolerance as it will quickly recur. Skin and hair produce oil the way they did when I was younger. Vision continues to get better, my eye Dr. stated my eyes are very healthy, just last month.  I just add things here and there one at a time and never to excess.  And I am so much less anxious, this was life changing for me.

  Seven months in was tough, almost quit could have something to do with vitamin D, which I did not take. I did quit gluten a few months ago and persistent back/neck pain went away.  I tested it like @fred tested berries. Hang in there when the symptoms start to leave you wake up and realize things are great.   

Quote from Sarah4 on April 11, 2021, 8:46 pm

@saraleah11  Thank you so much!  I didn't see this lovely post earlier!  I hope you are still noticing the improvements in the tinnitus, and all the other issues, etc!  That's very exciting. 

Quote from Sarah4 on April 11, 2021, 8:50 pm

Hi All, 

I’m still here, but don’t check the forum very often.   

 

I’ve been on a low A diet for about 2 years and 2 months. 

 

My health has improved considerably in that time. I plan to continue with this diet indefinitely.  I hope to change/improve one last major health issue, vertigo/cranial pressure. 

 

My diet is pretty consistent:

 

Morning:  steak, rice (with a few dried beans mixed in), water with 1 tsp of olive oil, water with a few grains of zeolite clay and activated charcoal. 

Late afternoon:  steak, rice

 

Most of my (many long-term) health issues have cleared up. 

 

I’ve been in the longest, healthiest period of my life-- at age 57.  This is very unexpected and I thank Grant @ggenereux2014 from the bottom of my heart for his compelling work. 

 

Cheers and wishing good health to everyone!  

 

Sarah 

 

 

 

Quote from Vinero on April 12, 2021, 12:53 am

What kind of rice are you using @sarah4? Also how much beans do you think you eat per day?
I am wondering why some people such as yourself and Grant have such an easy time on the diet while others suffer a lot of detox symptoms.
I had to quit because the detox became too brutal. My eyes and skin were degenerating. I have dropped the beans and soluble fiber and I'm eating some butter and non fortified milk. It has calmed things down and my eyes and skin are back to normal.