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lil chick's log
I think people inherit some of their body tendencies, (some are naturally fleshy or naturally string bean) and it could be that what they are also inheriting is how they handle extra VA. I am from a long line of skinny people with bad skin! But being non-fleshy isn't quite the same as being "weight stable". I go up and down constantly, perhaps putting me in a constant battle of VA (even before the low VA diet).
Haha! It's only funny to those of us who have been dealing with health issues for decades...
I come from a long line of very weight-stable people with serious mental health issues! It's "funny," because I've had so many people look at me and assume that since I'm slender and have weighed the same since age 17 (even after having four kids), then I'm "really healthy." I sometimes stare at these people and wonder, Do they not notice my mental health struggles, nor appreciate how the brain is actually a part of the body?!
I have a theory that since my bodyweight hasn't historically fluctuated, then perhaps my other systems connected with fat storage might be impacted by Vitamin A toxicity (among other issues). Like, hormones. Aren't they made from fat? Mine have been wonky since I began to menstruate, and have never been as "normal" as in the past two months on this vitamin A detox.
Just some random thoughts...
Although I have struggled with eating disorders in the past, I have never been overweight and have not experienced weight loss whilst on the VA detox. I have had detox symptoms though. I'm sure it is a factor for many but I don't see how it can be the source of my detox cycles.
I'm pretty sure Grant mentions the issue of releasing stored VA during weight loss in one of his ebooks.
@sarabeth-matilsky Your experience is interesting. Like you I am weight stable and have struggled with mental health issues. Maybe it is a separate problem for us because our bodies didn't increase our fat stores in order to stash some of that excess VA. Does make you wonder what tissues have been used, after all it has to go somewhere. Of course it is possible that my body composition has changed and that I am "skinny fat" ie my fat is not obvious to the eye.
Maybe, when you are a non-fat person, you don't even realize when you are accessing stored fat, but it happens during times of stress and high activity. (as in my case) Even non-fat people do have fat stores and fat cells and they do lots of things for us.
STRANGELY enough, because I was out of the home every day for those 2 weeks... Toxic Cat ALSO got fed less, and yesterday (I'm not making this up) he came out with the original symptom that made me think he was A-toxic! (back-end lameness, lack of co-ordination). Today he is better! Toxic Cat had a detox cycle! (I have another cat, and his health is much more constant, even though they have always eaten the same things.)
I've read that it is important to feed your cat at the same time each day, and I wonder (given the high amount of liver in most cat foods) if chronic cat VA toxicity is a common thing! I do see a LOT of fat cats lately! (not my cats though). My brother's cat WAS fat, but now has KIDNEY FAILURE and is thin.
I want to thank @tim-2 for suggesting changing up the pillow situation. Ever since I did that I've been sleeping SO WELL. There are two main points below. 1. when on the back I need much less pillow than I thought 2. when on the side I need AIR next to my face, and not ITCHY FLUFFY PILLOW.
In the past, I've suffered from stiff necks a lot, and have, for many years, been using what is called a cervical pillow. After reading Tim's post, I decided that it was probably much too thick for back sleeping. (text continues below) pic:
So I TURNED the pillow 90 degrees. (In other words, sleeping with head in the valley) Ever since that simple change I've been sleeping great.
Eureka! Now, when on the side, I have neck support, but when on the back I have very little between me and the mattress. (some people might not need neck support for side-sleeping, but I have "wide" shoulders and think I do need support)
I found this product for sale on amazon, and it seems to be a very similar idea:
Also! I need to NOT have too much fluff in front of my face. It HELPS that my 90-degree-turned pillow is now SMALL. Often, I was kept awake by itching on my face and nose being blocked by the fluffy pillow beside it. I need AIR next to my face.
Air is good. Fluff is bad.
A travel-sized cervical pillow might also be just as good. (sleeping with head in the valley, rather than the normal way to utilize such a pillow) https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Innovations-Travel-Contour-Warranty/dp/B004V7P6MA/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=travel+cervical+pillow&qid=1574349074&s=home-garden&sr=1-4
Hope this helps someone!
@lil-chick I'm glad my comments were helpful!
@tim-2 It could be that my current implementation is just a step toward a thinner pillow or even nothing (at least for back sleeping). I'm already finding that the lower side is more comfortable than the higher side. We are becoming new people, aren't we?
@ everone... A fun game and a eureka moment and little update
game: which of these side dishes has the highest vitamin A content? green peas, broccolli and sweet corn. I got this totally wrong.
eureka: if you have the sort of coffee maker in your kitchen that I do (it is always warm) you can lean your coconut oil jar up against it to warm it
update: feel sort of crap, needed to count my blessings, always helpful
Hmmm you might be onto something with this weight thing. I have 3 brothers. Me and my oldest have always been on the chubbier side, while my other 2 brothers are those who don't gain weight. Me and my oldest have never had acne problems, while the other 2 skinny ones had during puberty. They also have oilier hair, I've always had dry skin, hair and chapped lips.
So what I think is it goes like this: skinnier people have "locked" fat cells. It's very hard for them to store fat and release, while we chubbier have an easier time doing that. So all things they have circulating will have to be purged because they can't be stored. So in this case, I have an easier time storing excess VA in my fat tissue, while my skinny brothers would have to manage it through skin, causing the acne.
My current diet and lifestyle (for good or bad!)
Breakfast: 1 strip of nitrate-free trader joe's bacon, in the grease I cook 1 slice of onion minced, (often some minibits of mushroom too) 3 free-range, organic egg whites, some sort of bread--most often not organic, organic refined coconut oil on the bread, sometimes organic maple butter on the bread, and organic coffee with organic, pastured raw milk.
Snacks: utz pretzels, trader joes organic animal crackers, peeled apples, organic almond butter, home made muffins often with walnuts, dark chocolate, coffee, macadamias, bananas, almonds
Lunch: canned tuna or cold cuts about once a week. Usually dinner leftovers. coffee. Occasional all-carb lunch, but usually throw in some meat.
Dinner:
meats: (in order of importance) organic burger, steak, skinless chicken thigh, pork, ham, lamb, turkey thigh, white fish, scallops, lobster, shrimp. Broth and meat juices poured over carbs, I think they are important. Occasional eel and salmon in sushi.
carbs: white potatoes, trader joes organic basmati, organic white wheat pasta, occasional black beans (sometimes take beano)
vegs: onion, garlic, peeled zucchini, pickles, cauliflower, occasional parnsip, iceberg, cucumbers, radishes, celery, asian pear, cooked cabbage, kraut, mushrooms
condiments: sea salt, Himalayan salt, mayo, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, occasional olive oil, maple syrup, sugar, black pepper, small amounts of thyme, basil, rosemary, sage that I air dry, a little vanilla and almond flavor, a little chopped cranberry, a little cumin and a little hot pepper occasionally
drinks: water, small amounts of good beer and red wine
lifestyle:
charcoal toothpaste and regular (non-fluoride) toothpaste
careful flossing
stretching (of body) but also especially of the FACE (many times a day)
attention to posture
pumice stone on hard skin
generous with soap and shampoo
coconut oil on lips and hands as needed
sunshine (don't use sunscreen) (but I do hide from the sun as well, I go moderate with sun)
plenty of (real) exercise such as lifting 50-lb feed bags, mowing lawn, shoveling snow, moving furniture, heavy cleaning, digging weeds, planting, raking etc. But down days too.
The other day Seal was on TV. He had lupus as a teen, and although he has probably been in remission for a long time, there is still scarring on his face. I wonder what he changed that countered the autoimmunity. It is said that his hair follicles were also affected.
"the scars on his face, they are the result of a type of lupus called discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) – a condition that specifically affects the skin above the neck. DLE is a form of lupus that usually affects young people. Intense inflammation develops in the skin, particularly in sun-exposed areas."
I'm interested to note that he still appears to be a strong singer--his problems have not affected his voice which is great. His jaw and teeth seem straight. I don't see much in the way of eye lashes and it could be his brow was affected. There seems to be a tightening of the skin across the middle of the face that I feel and I try to stretch my face all the time to counter it.
It is also interesting to me that the sun seems to be involved with this form of auto-immunity. For good or bad... I do agree that the sun flares my VA-burned facial areas.
