I have just joined the Track Your Placque Site.  I take fish oil daily, 3200 EPA/1600 DHA.  At this dose my AA/EPA score is 2.14.  When I had LDL electrophoesis done, my pattern was A pattern and I was not on the fish oil at that time.  I am wondering whether it would be better to have an NMR test or a VAP test, or both?

Hi,
In general, I prefer the NMR. However, the electrophoretic test you already had should provide more information than just breaking your LDL pattern down into types "A" or "B". The real numbers to pay attention to are the LDL subclasses III and IV. Add up those numbers to determine how much small LDL you really have (in percent). Anything more than 10% we regard as sigificant.

Is there any reduction in triglycerides from taking flax seed or other non-EPA/DHA sources of omega-3s?

Thank you.  The report is broken down into the various LDL subclasses.  This information is helpful.

Mike-
No, unfortunately not. Only fish oil exerts the sort of triglyceride and lipoprotein correcting effects that we need.

Dr., what do you think of Krill oil? Is it better than "regular" fish oil?

We've actually had a fairly extensive conversation on this question on the Track Your Plaque Forum. Fish oil is tried and true, and the advantages of krill oil--purportedly containing less pesticide residues (no less mercury since fish oil does not contain mercury) and virtually pure DHA--are not fully worked out. However, if you choose to give it a try, let us know what kind of results you get.

I normally eat a handful of almonds,  some raw cashews, and occasionally an orange for breakfast.  I used to eat  cheese with breakfast also, but found once I began eating cheese it was hard for me to stop at one or two pieces.

Do you think eating fruits in breakfast is not good for the health ? I eat 2 apples and 1 banana every morning. Would those have a bad effect on my health ?

My favorite breakfast is often left over Thai curry.  I omit the rice.  I also like making a thai omelet which is simply 2 eggs and some fish sauce and water and serving it with Sirachi sauce or Thai peanut sauce.  It is street vendor food in Thailand I hear.  Here's a recipe: http://www.egullet.com/tdg.cgi?pg=ARTICLE-mamster052703

I find left over dinners are quite wonderful for breakfast.  You just have to get past this notion that you have to eat certain foods at certain times in the day.  Where'd that idea come from anyway?

I’ve tried eating oatmeal throughout my life, really wanting to like it. Until now the mere taste or smell of it made my stomach queasy. The key for me was toasting the oatmeal. Here’s what I generally do:

For Steel-cut oatmeal with the taste and texture of rice pudding-

In a frypan:
Toss 1 TBS of butter or so into a hot pan.
Add 1 cup of steel-cut oatmeal until toasted.
--few minutes
In a saucepan:
Boil 2-1/2 cups water
Add 1 cinnamon stick (or equivalent)
Add toasted Steel-cut oatmeal and cook for 15-20 minutes or so

Add 1-1/2 cups of low-fat milk, yogurt, or some combination, etc…
-Optional- Wisk an egg yolk into the milk.
-Optional- Add ¼ tsp salt.
-Optional- 2 TBS honey or Brown sugar. I use one 1 TBS  of each.
Add some lemon or orange zest

Return to a boil for 10-15 minutes and then chill before eating. The oatmeal will congeal, resembling rice pudding.
Sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar on top
Add what you like: raisins, nuts, etc...

Use the cinnamon stick if you can, it really makes the difference. I’m constantly refining this recipe. Hopefully others will post their ideas and comments.

Your "wheat belly" link appears to be broken.

Bonnie

Interesting list!

Once I decided to give up my (former) love affair with breakfast cereals, I was in a quandary about what to do for breakfast.  I don't have much time in the morning to get creative and don't have the inclination at that time of the day to do so either.

I've settled on a routine of 2 hard-boiled (organic free-range) eggs (I boil them up a week in advance and leave them, shells-on, in the fridge), and a home-made protein-berry smoothie (frozen organic unsweetened berries, water-based).

This 8 am combo is easy, fast and tasty (I vary the berries and sometimes add natural flavour extracts for variety).  It keeps my blood sugar flat and me full until my 1pm lunchtime.  And I don't miss the cereals one bit!

You are so right.  I met an out-of-town friend for breakfast the other morning at a French-style bakery cafe.  I ordered the goat cheese and herb omelet, but said I didn't want the potatoes or bread with it.  They offered extra fruit or a salad instead.  I chose the salad, with olive oil and vinegar.  My friend wondered how I could eat a salad so early.  Why not?  

At home I usually eat 2 or 3 eggs over easy cooked in butter for breakfast most mornings and I am comfortably hungry for lunch about 3-4 hours later.  But after my nicely filling cheese omelet and generous romaine salad (with a tiny bit of fruit - I ate the berries/melon and left the super-sweet pineapple), I wasn't hungry again until very late in the afternoon so had a small snack (cheese and half an apple) to hold me off and ate my next meal at dinner time.  And it was a slow-developing comfortable hunger, not the powerful, "gotta eat something, anything" hunger that follows carb-heavy food.

Breakfast food, indeed!

What's the health difference insant vs. slow cooked oatmeal?

You are absolutely right - breakfast is the most difficult meal to change. When I gave up wheat, I started using brown rice or potatoes mixed with anything interesting - nuts or meat or veges. I have now learned that these carbs make my blood glucose skyrocket. I have dropped the rice and potatoes and my BG has dropped nicely.

My favorite breakfast is sauted veges with some leftover meat or even an omlete. Soups are great in the AM. Nuts are for the days I am in a hurry.

Would be a little easier if I were not dairy intolerant.

Here in South India,it is  'Idli' - steam-cooked Lentil-rice (predominantly lentil) droppings, and 'Dosa' - lentil-rice pancakes. We have altered it a bit by increasing lentil ratio and dropping the rice to a minimum. Tastes good and fills you nice, for 4-5 hours.

Just keep in mind what Dr. D wrote previously about eggs:

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/eggs-good-bad-or-indifferent.html

The abnormal after-eating effect suggested by the Brazilians opens up some very interesting questions and confirms that we should still be cautious in our intake of egg yolks. One yolk per day is clearly too much. What is safe? The exisitng information would suggest that, if you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or a postprandial disorder (IDL, VLDL), you should minimize your egg yolk use, perhaps no more than 3 or so per week, preferably not all at one but spaced out to avoid the after-eating effect.

Others without postprandial disorders may safely eat more, perhaps 5 per week, but also not all at one but spaced out.

What's the health difference insant vs. slow cooked oatmeal?

I'm not a doctor or an expert, but I believe what the issue is with most quick-oats is that they're rolled or flattened.  This gives them very large surface area and they digest very rapidly in the stomach rapidly raising blood glucose levels.

Steel cut oats on the other hand are, well, little cut up bits of oats.  They take longer to cook, and have less surface area.  They digest slower therefore slower result in a slower increase in blood glucose.

I'm sure that Dr. Davis will either correct me if I'm wrong or not post my comment if it is way off base.  

I have two or three eggs, usually scrambled, but sunny-side-up and over-easy get thrown in for variety.  I cook them using butter made from grass-fed cows.  I also make my scrambled eggs using whipping cream instead of the more typical water or milk.  I'll put a spoonful of fresh-made salsa over the top for some zing, some sliced cheese on the side and a cup of whole, organic milk to drink.

I'm completely sold on the "high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb" diet and especially the admonition to start the day with a strong breakfast.  My overall energy levels are fantastic, running performance is as good as high-school, and my belly hasn't looked this tight in decades.

Dr. Davis,

I see you have a copyright, so I would like to ask if I can copy this post to a diet blog I moderate?  I'm afraid if I create a link, it'll not take me to this particular post, but the most recent post.

Anonymous--
Please feel free to use the content of this What's for breakfast post.
(I copyright to discourage the auto-publishers from syndicating without attribution.)

Why is breakfast such a big deal?  I tend to not eat before noon.  It frees up my mornings, not having to cook anything.  I can't stand cereal.  I don't get hunger pangs til 2 or 3PM.  I know, every fat person says they never eat breakfast.  My weight, (170#) is the same now at age 51 as it was in high school.

Chop an apple, add a few nuts and top with plain yogurt.
You can add cinnamon and a sweetener packet if you must have sweet but I think it's sweet enough without.
Yummy and easy!

I eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 cup of almonds. I try to grind up flax seeds and mix them in the cottage cheese.

I eat something pretty similar:

1/4 cup ground nuts
1/4 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon lechithin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instead of using milk, I mix up a scoop of either soy protein powder or whey protein isolate with water and use that to supply the liquid.

This gives me several of the TYP recommended foods all in one easy-to-eat package.

When I travel, I make up a portion for each day of my trip and bring them along in baggies (with the protein powder separately). It's a great alternative to the typical appalling commercial breakfasts of bagels, pancakes, hash browns etc - much better for me and saves a lot of time in the morning. You can even eat it on a plane (bringing your own plastic bowl sometimes helps).

Might be worth mentioning that most soy sauce contains wheat...

My favorite breakfast is leftover baked chicken thighs.  I bake them by first putting a little olive oil on them and covering them with parmesan cheese.  Use the skin on type so it can crisp up.  I bake them at 400  degrees for 40 minutes until they are nice and brown and crisp.  I have them for dinner and then cold for breakfast.  They are delicious.

Whole Greek Yogurt with berries (fresh if possible, but thawed will do) topped with some walnuts. I sometimes add coconut oil.

I make a protein shake for breakfast: 1.5 cups of water, a tablespoon of rice protein powder, my vitamins, and a big spoonful of nut butter. I blend, then add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and blend again.

My staple:
   -4 free range farm eggs, poached in extra virgin organic coconut oil, put on a bed of spinach
   -topped with either 1/2 pound nitrite free bacon or a sliced avocado
   -small bowl of chopped apple/strawberries and a half a handful of walnuts.

The traditional English (and Scottish) breakfast is of course bacon and eggs, but meat, cheese and yoghurt are pretty traditional breakfasts across Europe.  Cereal is often added these days but it's a fairly recent thing.

I have gone beyond the point of having my appetite suppressed. I generally feel full all the time, so scheduling meals is important to prevent skipping a meal. One thing I noticed going through the process, after losing the wheat/carb cravings a few weeks into elimination, I suffered dehydration for about two weeks.

I was drinking plenty of water and always had a full cup handy but it persisted. After doing some research, I learned how much your body retains water (and subsequently sodium) due to glucose/insulin fluctuations.

When my body finally normalized it's water retention levels, I noticed a decrease in blood pressure bringing my systolic levels to the 105 - 115 levels. My diastolic still remains a little high for comfort (not consistently below 80 but lower than the pre-diuretic effect).

Another positive side effect is the increase in energy. My body just wants to move more (this makes my wife happy). I am now past my half way mark in weight reduction, 65 lbs., and about to transition from obesity to over weight. Fat metabolism is great. Much better than exercise and calorie restriction for weight loss.

I rarely eat breakfast, except on the weekends when I'll have a big one consisting of omelettes, bacon or sausage, yogurt, and berries.

If I eat breakfast during the week, I am starving within a couple of hours and can't concentrate at work.

But if I skip, I'm clear-headed until lunch and don't have to deal with any hunger issues. I can't say I've noticed any detrimental effects to my metabolism since I gave "the most important meal of the day" the boot.

My favorite thing to eat for breakfast is pumpkin custard, following the Libby's recipe, except substituting stevia for sugar and heavy cream for the milk.  On top of the cup of pumpkin custard I usually add a brazil nut, couple walnuts, couple pecans.  The nuts are all raw, of course.  Yum.

Hi Dr. Davis,

Always thought provoking info here....thanks.
A couple of quick questions. You often mention Flax as a hot meal but isn't flax and heat a no no?

The other thing is some of the fat content of the items...3 egg yolks etc along with some other choices you list. I'm not "afraid" of sat fat but curious. I have seen you mention elsewhere that for people with small ldl problems sat fat could pose a problem. Are some of these diet ideas geared toward those without existing heart problems or for all?  What about those who have already had a heart attack and/or are pattern B types? Should they not go overboard on fats?

Thanks

Glad to help, Dr. D.

Wheat-free soy sauce/tamari is available.  If your local grocery store doesn't carry a wheat-free soy sauce, ask the manager to stock it (it's amazing how often this works, esp if the stores already carries the brand's other items).  

My favorite brand is Ohsawa because it is traditionally fermented in ceramic pots for a long time, unlike cheaper & faster tank vat-fermented brands, but San-J is another common supermarket brand which offers an organic  wheat-free variety (organic regulations also prohibit use of GMO soybeans).  Wheat-free soy sauce/tamari is often available at good prices through vitamin & supplement retailers, too, as well as via online retailers like Amazon.com, etc.  

In So California where I live, many sushi restaurants will provide wheat-free soy sauce/tamari on request, but just in case, I carry a small bottle with me when I go out for sushi/sashimi.  I ask the sushi chef to not use any sauces on my items, as they often contain wheat gluten, which is easy to accommodate as items are being individually created anyway.  

Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body, Primal Mind, has a nut ball "recipe" on her blog that is a great template for folks who want to stop relying on "Nutrigrain bars" and "energy bars" (sugary processed  cereal and candy bars cloaked with a nutrient-disguise, IMO).  

It's easy to adapt Nora's Nut Balls recipe to personal tastes.  My favorite additions are unsweetened raw cocoa nibs or 85% chopped chocolate and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, as well as coconut spread (like natural peanut butter, but made with coconut).  I include only 2-3 dried pitted dates or prunes for a hint of sweetness, but overall, these are *not* sweet bars. I make another  variation for my young son with a bit of finely chopped 70% chocolate and dried cherries, so they are a bit sweeter, but no where near as sugary as typical commercial bars.  

I don't form the mixture into balls -  I spread and pack the mixture about 1 inch deep in a shallow pan, then pre-score the bars before putting the pan in the freezer for an hour to firm up.  Then the bars break or cut apart apart easily.  I pack them in several air-tight food storage containers and keep them in the freezer, reserving one container for the fridge.  Under these conditions, they keep for a long time.  

I grab one or two of these energy-dense bars (energy from natural fat, not sugar and starch) when I need something compact and portable that won't wreak havoc with my blood sugar (great for outbound air travel, car trips, hiking, etc.).  A snack sized zip bag or small airtight box container is important if there is a chance of warm temps softening the bars (not much of a problem with moderate or cold temps, when a sheet of wax paper wrapping will do).






www.primalbody-primalmind.com/blog/?p=459

Sometimes I eat "SO Delicious" Coconut Milk yogurt with berries and ground flax.

Other times I'll make a Green Smoothie.
Either a veggie mix, or an Emerald Balance type powder with ground flaxseed, protein powder, Coconut or Hemp milk, berries, etc.

No breads or processed carbs for breakfast.

Also no walnuts, almonds, peanut butter for me.
Eggs only once a week.
The LEF test showed me to be allergic to them.

One-half cup cottage cheese mixed with 4 teaspoons organic flax oil, 1 teaspoon lemon-flavored fish oil, and my D3 and K2 for the day. My husband prefers his topped with freshly ground pepper, while I like it with a few sliced berries. This mixture is so filling I have to remind myself to eat lunch.

I'm also a big fan of herbed chicken thighs with melted cheese. I pull the meat off in big chunks, cover with cheese, and nuke for a minute. Add avocado slices, a bit of sour cream, and some low carb salsa for a fast and filling treat.

Tofu cubes don't sit well with me first thing in the morning, but they are one of my favorite summer lunches. For a dipping sauce, I mix stevia and hot pepper flakes into diluted wheat-free soy sauce, and top with finely slided green onion. Yum!

A salad including:

>raw hemp seeds (30% top quality protein, EFA best ratio n6:n3 - 3:1)
Hemp is slightly alkaline, has lots of magnesium, calcium.

> some raw spinach or lettuce
> raw beets
>squeezed lemon juice

Forgive what might be a dumb question, but what's wrong with bacon, Doc? My usual breakfast is bacon and eggs from a local farm.

Forgive what might be a dumb question, but what's wrong with bacon, Doc? My usual breakfast is bacon and eggs from a local farm.

Dr. Davis,
  Regarding flaxseed, while humans can't break the carbs down, it's my understanding that the our gut flora can to some degree.  I'm I just splitting hairs?

I've never been much of a breakfast person.  But since I started a low carb, wheat/grain free (except for flaxseed) diet a couple of months ago, I usually have 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk mixed with two scoops of ground, organic flaxseed, and an egg white.  For flavoring I usually add raw, unsweetened cacao.  I also have organic blueberry powder (100% blueberries, no additives) on order, so I will replace the cacao with that at times.

Sometimes, I'll eat other things in addition to the almond milk drink:  a handful of raw nuts and seed with it, or a small avocado, or a whole egg.  (I'll eat a whole egg as part of my diet at other times.)

I've never seen anything wrong with eating non-US-traditional foods for breakfast.

Word Verification: moldist

HAH! Nutritional ideas from a machine!

banana with almond butter; dried figs with walnuts; prunes with walnuts; of course, 30 minutes after devouring half a grapefruit...

This is something we celiacs have had to find out as well.  For 30 years I ate 3 bowls of Cheerios in milk for breakfast and was starving by 10:30.  Now I have plain whole milk yogurt with fruit and nuts or two eggs with spinach and cheese and don't get hungry until well after 12. If I eat the same thing but ADD some carbs like a gluten-free muffin or slice of bread I get hungry sooner.  A nearly grain-free life seems to be working for me to maintain my weight and stay gluten-free without hunger.  And there's nothing wrong with lunch or dinner leftovers first thing in the morning.  Food is food.

I actually do egg salads for most breakfasts.  But, if you've got time. . . .  Virtually any quiche will do.  Just skip the crust.  And use ALL heavy cream peeps, the difference is amazing.  It's good cold, too, for days and days.

It's great to follow our "corrupt" heretical way of eating. My low carb meal ideas:

Eggs.

  Eggs are the prime choice for me (scrambled or sunny-side-up but I have to add that it's important to use a lot of butter and/or pork fat!   Do not cut corner and just fry eggs with nothing, it will get boring prety quickly.  I do scrambled eggs with fried onions, mushrooms or bacon.    Also, to reduce the amount of protein (I follow Kwasniewski's OD which is low in protein as well as low in carbs) I often pour the white out down the sink (do not give the whites to dogs or cats raw!).  Typically, the scramblies with 4 yolks and 2 whites is sufficent for breakfast for 1 person.

Lunch:

Nuts, a glass of 18% cream, a piece of swiss cheese, a quarter chicken WITH SKIN,  a can of tuna.  Of course not all together, whatever is available at any given time.  McDonalds or Wendy's hamburger without buns (no chips no soda!).

Dinner:

Meats, beef, poultry, fish - all with ample quantity of fatty sauces!  Sauces are very important since an all meat diet would have been unbearable without signifcant addition of fat.  This fact should be emphasiced often and repeated over and over again: NEVER CONSUME LEAN MEATS AS YOUR MAIN FOOD!

Vegetables: very useful, stir fried, add lots of butter, coconut oil etc.  Veggies love swimming in fat. Add some rice or potatoes  for carbs.  Zero carb diet is not good, add some but not more than 50-100g a day (depending on one's body weight).  DO NOT AVOID CARBS COMPLETELY!

There are many issue, too many to write here but feel free to ask.

Regards,
Stan (Heretic)

Normally it will be 3 to 6 eggs fried in bacon grease.

Sometimes I'll just count my coffee as breakfast with a large amount of coconut milk in it and 400 to 800 calories worth of heavy whipping cream.

Ummm, what's wrong with MEAT for breakfast???  Out west in cowboy country, steak and eggs are common.  If I'm particularly hungry, I'll have a small flattened hamburger patty topped with a fried egg; or a porkchop, or even a nice little steak.

And eggs, in a multitude of ways, of course; I especially like egg muffins/mini-quiches.  Haven't yet managed to think of fish or chicken as breakfast, for some reason. lol

If I'm not particularly hungry, coffee with heavy cream and a Tbsp coconut oil often holds me over until lunch.

These days I drink a small bottle of Isopure (a protein drink) and a bowl of Buckwheat cereal.

Dan

I've been on a grain-free diet for a few months now but did not know about flaxseed.

I just bought some ground flaxseed and made a hot cereal with coconut milk. It was fantastic and certainly will make a great addition to breakfast, especially in the winter.

Thanks for the suggestion! Despite loving the grain-free diet, I had been looking for a replacement to hot cereal because I missed the texture/eating experience.

Eggs are my current mainstay for breakfast. I vary my cooking methods day-to-day and typically add eat some kind of vegetable or additional source of protein with them.

Two organic eggs, fried in intense garlic flavored oil, sprinkled with fresh ground black pepper and a dash of salt. Topped with chopped cilantro or basil, half an avocado (when I have it), a few drops of habanero sauce. Sometimes with strips of roasted poblano.

After decades of avoiding eggs and eating oatmeal for breakfast, I am glad to be eating something I really like. Hope this eating habits remain healthy for the rest of my life!

p.s.: my only problem is with lunch and dinner. There is only so much fish I can eat and not eating meat and poultry limits my options severely.

fwiw, both Kellogg brothers lived to be 91

Just a few observations. Just observed French & Swiss eating breakfast. Many people have a cup of coffee and a pastry. That is it period. They don't seem to have a weight problem relative to the USA. I am sure there are many reasons for this, but their breakfast works fine in this regard.

Seems to me that Bacon is not a healthy food for many reasons. First it has nitrates in it and if you buy the nitrate free version it can be salty with NaCl. Second, when you cook it up it is almost always well done because it is so thin. There is a relation between processed meets and well done meats and Cancer. Bacon is both of these. Finally, Bacon may have high content of oxidized cholesterol since it is heated through at a high temperature. It is a pity that things that taste so good can be problematic.

I'll cook a big casserole or curry on the weekend and have the leftovers with a couple of scoops of full fat greek yoghurt for breakfast through the week.

Always enjoyed the Malaysian breakfasts when I travelled there. Nasi Lemak - a curry, a fiery sambal (usually squid, hard boiled egg, peanuts, cucumber, dried fish and coconut rice. Just forget the rice and peanuts and you have a very healthy and tasty breakfast

PEOPLE...

greens... KALE in particular, with eggs, is an awesome low carb breakfast food!!

start cooking your kale the way you might cook oatmeal.  Put water on to boil, salt it, trim and wash and chop the kale and cook it about 10 min.  Then cook your 3 eggs and bacon, whatever.

My mainstay is eggs (omelets, fried, scrambled, or soft-boiled.  I used to eat a lot of ground flaxseed cereal, but it made my thyroid go into a tailspin. For those of you with hypothyroidism, beware that flaxseed is a goitrogen -- go easy on it.

Talk of food never fails to provoke plenty of heartfelt comments.

Thanks, all, for the great breakfast food suggestions.

Many of the questions, e.g., about frying, cured meats like bacon, etc. are advanced glycation-end-product issues, something worth discussing in future.

Since you, Dr. Davis, seem so convinced meat eaters are so acidotic that it could cause disease, I would really love to see the human studies that definitively prove that fact.

BTW, every morning I make sure to eat a large piece of wild caught Alaskan salmon broiled and drenched in grass-fed tallow or ghee, with a large, cold vinaigrette salad usually with chopped kale, broccoli, mustard greens, red pepper, and tomato.

My standard breakfast recently on alternate days:  6 slices of bacon cooked first, then the remaining mixed together and cooked in the bacon grease:  6 eggs, 4 oz. cheddar cheese, 8 oz. pico de gallo, 1/2 pint blueberries.

You can eat anything for breakfast. It is true that the poor lived on oatmeal (porridge or otherwise prepared, without salt...must have been terrible but if you can't afford anything else, what choice do you have) an homemade "beer" but at the same time the rich breakfasted on all sorts of cooked meat (google for medieval eating...). So eat anything you fancy and eat doesn't have to be the same every day. I only eat when I am hungry so after last night's Indian dinner I will give breakfast a miss today.

I'm sure that the folks who mentioned bacon for breakfast are talking about the nitrate-free version.

I live in Austria and I have been following your blog for the past two years!  It has become part of my common sense health strategy. Thanks for that! Here, a typical breakfast consists of a roll with butter and jam and some coffee.  My breakfast, however, consists of first drinking half a liter (one and half glass) of water followed by a cup of espresso, some miso soup and sea-weed plus steamed vegetables with lots of extra virgin olive oil / sesame seed / pumpkin seed or flaxseed oil and leftover salad or home-made humus or guacamole spread over thin organic corn waffles. 2 or 3 times a week I also add my favorite namely tasty Japanese Natto (fermented soybean), which I sometimes even make myself when time allows   Oh, I have a weakness though for great Austrian beer and organic potato chips, which I crave in the evening but that apparently has not affected my normal weight at all.  I have also followed your other advice and take 1000 mg of EPA/DHA in fish oil capsules every day and ever since I discovered your website over 1,5 years ago.  I am convinced that it is the fish oil that finally cured my annoying extra systoles (skipped heart beat that I had experienced for a number of years)! Mark

We have been having Almond Flour  waffles for breakfast for over a year. They taste as good as regular waffles, even the kids like them. The recipe is from Drs Michael and Mary Ann Eades, I first saw it on theit TV show. It is also in their Low Carb CookwoRx Cookbook.

My experience with skipping breakfast as part of a daily 16 hr fast has been nothing but positive. I eat around 12-1pm, dinner at 6 and then eat cottage cheese or eggs about 8pm. I've been doing this for 3 months daily and now consider it "what I do".

I make a concoction of full fat yogurt (from pastured cows, if possible), fruit (usually blueberries), flaxmeal, nuts or seeds, cinnamon, dried unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, dried grated orange peel, and usually some other spice (nutmeg, cloves, allspice, etc.).  Practically everything in it is a "superfood", and it's quick, easy and good.

"what's wrong with bacon"

"McDonalds or Wendy's hamburger without buns (no chips no soda!)."

May well be nothing inherently wrong w/ bacon or burgers but jeeze, Louize, what ever happened to quality control in you diets?  Local farm bacon could be a great alternative to the commercial stuff, depending on how it is made.  Think nitrates/nitrites, food dyes, added sugar... So John R, good for you!

Same with the eggs.  Regular store eggs loaded w/ drugs, hormones, stress toxins from the birds etc...

As for the burgers, read this:

http://www.alternet.org/story/144904/
Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef
You're not going to believe what millions of Americans have been eating the last few years (Thanks, Bush! Thanks meat industry lobbyists!)

And of course there is that pesky mad cow issue in commercial meats...

How about a little healthy discrimination in sourcing your food?  Eat whatever diet suits your physiology but use clean and wholesome ingredients!

My breakfast everyday is a can of sardines, a hard boiled egg, and a largish amount of kale or cabbage which I stir fry in coconut oil.

My two cents:  TWhat's the BFD about breakfast?  I used to have chonic heartburn that ended when I quit having oatmenal for breakfast.  Nowadays I don't eat breakfast but keep nuts at the office in case my stomach starts growling.  

kevin

My breakfast before going to work consists of scrambled eggs and bacon followed by a low carb whey protein shake mixed with a tbsp of  MCT oil, coconut milk and coconut oil. I feel buzzed and really alert for at least 7-8 hours with those circulating ketones.

Acidic? I heard protein is healthy for bones (2010 DrGreger) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_5j0MKswY&feature=youtube_gdata

Why the discrepancy?
"Over the years, a heavy emphasis has been placed on calcium and bone health, especially for women, even though men also experience bone loss, albeit at about half the rate of women." Is it because they eat more meat/protein (and also iron as a consequence)?

Breakfast is usually a whey protein shake made with coconut milk, almond milk, or whole milk yogurt. If I don't have time for breakfast, I'll grab a couple of sticks of string cheese, and always have nuts at my desk. Leftovers also make a good breakfast. And egg cups, beaten eggs with your choice of veggies & meat, cheese, and seasonings, baked in muffin cups, kept in the fridge and heated as needed, or eaten cold if you like them that way.

Breakfast for me is BIG bowl of mixed leafy greens (steamed) mixed w/ about 3/4 cup cooked beans of some kind and about 1 oz mixed raw nuts/seeds.  Piece of fresh or frozen fruit for dessert.

Have you made any contacts with cardiologist practicing in Germany who subscribe to the practices advocated by you?

The doctors I have visited up to now are all
pretty much in the grip of big pharma. When I mention my high (700) Lp value they just shrug  -- no pill
available for that...

I start out with a big bowl of pasta followed by the starchiest potatoes I can find...Just kidding; I could not resist.

In all seriousness, I am new to the page (about one month) and have learned much from the good doctor and from others.  Many thanks.  I usually have a medium-fat yougurt (sometimes Fage) with either strawberries or raspberries, or leftovers from the night before.

Low carb veggies and meat for breakfast.

I cook up a large stir saute of vegetables that I can use throughout the week and vary the meat.

Cup of green decaf tea with some coconut oil.

My blood sugar stays low and I don't get hungry for many hours.

Homemade eggnog - raw eggs whisked into cream with a touch of vanilla and stevia. Finish off with freshly grated nutmeg.

All the "anti-carb" seems to be about grains here... Where do legumes fit in? Much lower glycemic load and more nutrients, resistance starch, etc...  Would love to get Dr. Davis' take on this

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"Bacon is not a healthy food"

I'm sure there are better choices than store bought conventional bacon; but to worry about nitrates, etc is a little over kill.

There's more nitrates in vegetables than there are in bacon or other processed meats.  If you look, there are brands that are sugar free too.  It would seem more important to know whether the source pigs where solely grain raised.

Great post doctor! Can you do one on "take-to-work" type lunches?

Thank you, Dr. D, for another great post.

Wow, look at all these comments! I've gone 1 week now without wheat carbs. I haven't noticed the change in energy yet, although, I have trouble going to sleep now. I haven't had any withdrawal yet.

On the positive, I also haven't had the extreme "full" feeling I usually had after eating a meal.

For breakfast I've been frying an egg in a tsp of coconut oil and find that to be satisfying until lunch. I'm not really missing the raisin bran.

Another benefit to this is how much salt is in bread. I have to keep my salt to a minimum thanks to my cardiomyopathy and so not having bread has helped with my salt intake also.

One more week to go in my experiment. I think it'll be easy to continue though.

Here's the ultimate breakfast shake.
5~6 raw med to large egg yolks from pastured chickens.
60 grams of heavy cream. Low temp pasteurized or raw. Non-homog.
30 grams organic coconut milk or 15 grams of coconut cream.
30 grams of organic blueberries.
Couple ice cubes and a little water. Blend in a bullet blender.
Pound one of these down with a bunch of bacon or grass fed steak and you won't be hungry for awhile. Plus the flavor is killer.

2 hard-boiled pastured eggs and a smoothie consisting of 3 TBLS ground flaxseed, a banana and 8 oz. of orange juice.  Yes, I know, a lot of sugar, but I can't stomach smoothies made with milk.  Despite a modest amount of fruit later in the day, I consume no other sugar.  Seems to work well.

"There's more nitrates in vegetables than there are in bacon or other processed meats."

As I understand it, the problem with nitrate in bacon isn't the nitrate itself but the nitrosamines that are formed when the bacon is cooked.

I am impressed--and surprised--at how many who left comments on their breakfasts have gravitated away from traditional breakfast foods and towards the notion of breakfast a another meal, no different from lunch or dinner.

The idea of having lunch or dinner for breakfast has worked extremely well. I was surpised at how many others have intuitively found this out, too.

"The idea of having lunch or dinner for breakfast has worked extremely well. I was surpised at how many others have intuitively found this out, too."

To be brutally honest, I discovered this long ago eating left over pizza for breakfast.   Not such a healthy start but the seed of the idea for me...

I discovered that eating carbs at breakfast stunk when I was pregnant with my second son this past winter. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to change my diet to control it...as it turned out I had to severely limit my carbs or my blood sugars would sky rocket!! Breakfast for me was always eggs, meat and cheese! The first week on the new diet I lost 6lbs...of course my midwife got mad at me (seeing that preggers ladies shouldn't be losing weight!) so I was told to start adding olive oil to everything and use butter to cook those eggs!! To my great surprise I didn't gain a thing the rest of my pregnancy and I felt great!! So great that I decided to continue my low carb eating into my regular routine, i.e. non-pregnant life! The only carbs I eat now are from veggies and fruits. I do have the occasional piece of whole wheat bread at lunch time (homemade) but that's about it....well maybe the occasional weekend beer too!

I've been low carbing for 7 years, and although I long ago lost 75% of my body fat I have long been stuck with the last bit. Recently I decided to try skipping breakfast in favor of just brunch and dinner, as I am not very hungry in the morning. This has had no ill effects (and is very convenient), but has caused the weight loss to kick back in again after years. So your general conclusion does not appear to apply to all.

Hello Dr. Davis,

you mentioned ground flaxseed as a hot cereal.
Is the reason for heating it up to eliminate the
hydrocyanic/
hydrogene cyanide/
prussic acid (should be all the same...)
I`m not sure about the right english term, in Germany it`s "Blausäure".

Would you reccomend to heat it up because of this?
Thanks and best wishes

Eggs, scrambled with various veggies or topped with raw milk cheese and some chopped tomato accompanied by nitrate-free bacon or sausage from the pig we sourced from a local farmer.  Barring that, I will have leftovers from dinner, or a cup of cottage cheese with some raw nuts and fruit if I'm in a hurry.

You're supposed to saute bacon over low heat, not fry it, until it is brown and crisp.  It will take longer, yes, but taste better and be better for you.

In a previous post I suggested that Bacon and Sausage and other processed meats are linked to Cancer. They are also possibly linked to cardiovascular problems:

Here is a reference for the latter:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479151

The researchers in this study think that the harm may be from the salts. NaCl, Nitrites etc.
But I think it may be more than this. I think that curing meats and cooking them well done also adds risk because it turns the fats and cholesterol in the meat into something different from there natural state. There is something else here like oxy-cholesterol or byproducts of cooked cured meat that may be adding to the problem.

After reading about much research on these subjects, I believe meat may get a bad rap in many studies because of the way it is processed and prepared and not because it is inherently bad.

Flaxseed cereal is best made as a mix, for texture reasons, as well as taste. I mix equal parts golden flaxseed meal and whey protein powder, then add a bit of unblanched almond meal and/or unsweetened coconut, or coconut flour. Makes the texture more like conventional hot cereals. Keep you mix in the fridge, just put some in the bowl, add boiling water to make the desired texture. Use cream, half n half, almond milk, coconut milk, if you want. Berries are good, too. I also like whole milk yogurt with berries and chopped nuts. And, I've even eaten leftover soup for breakfast. A good eye opener.

How about wheat-free bread, such as rye bread or pumpernickel? It goes well with cheese.

Is it healthy?

The comments here have been great! Lots of great ideas for a milk and cereal guy like me to try. I love the idea of breakfast soups! What are some your favorites? Should I just break out the Campbell's Thick and Chunky?

-- Boris

Hey Bill -

I love canned mackerel in olive oil. Also canned wild salmon in olive oil.

And as for the acid/alkaline issue, Dr. Eades did a great blog on this a while back basically stating that there is no need to worry about the supposed acid load of meat due to something I forget. I'll see if I can locate the blog and send it your way.

I have been eating only some fruit for breakfast for about 6 years. I feel much fresher and full of energy. I eat another fruit during the day and I only get hungry towards the end of the working day. No sign of getting fat, on the contrary, but that is also because of what and how much I eat as whole.
People are used to eat a lot and as often as possible. I do not feel the physical need to eat 3 times a day a substantial meal. And my day program seems not so fixed around meals.

I usually have pastured eggs and bacon for breakfast. Yum yum yum.

But as someone with a clear case of hypothyroidism, I have been avoiding soy products, because soy is a known thyroid disruptor. I usually enjoy very much what you have to say, but if so many of your patients have thyroids that are off to some degree, why recommend soy milk?

I wake up at 4am every morning here in Phoenix, to stay on an East Coast Schedule. A cup of organic tea with organic stevia at 4am, and by 9am, if I am hungry after 5 hours of conference calls with India and Atlanta, 2 Babybel cheeses, or a slice of Dutch Gouda, and 4 slices of bacon if the Babybels don't hit the spot.  Most days of the week, I'm not hungry until 11am or noon.

Before I went low carb, I used to eat a bowl of Cheerios or Special K every morning, thinking that meager protein would hit the spot.  But that was 13 months and 45 lbs heavier ago.

As I browse the internet it amazes me how every blog or forum you visit is a success story. Whether it's high carb, low carb, high protein, low protein, low or high fat and on and on. The followers all swear by their method. Does everything work then? I think it boils down to what works for "YOU."   Everyone is different and we each need to tweak our diets to meet our individual needs. But remaining "middle of the road" I have to say that avoiding extremes in either direction is key.  

When I see some of the food people are eating I can't believe it. I couldn't survive on such small amounts of food. I get hungry quick and always have no matter what I eat. Lots of meat, lots of fiber, carbs, protein, it doesn't matter. In an hour I'm hungry again. Yet I'm thin...5'10" 169 lbs and fit.
I eat around 3000 cals per day (yesterday was 3,255 calories,420 g carbs, 94g fat, 150 g protein)

For breakfast I eat 1/2 cup organic rolled oats (I soak them with an acid medium overnight) 2 tbsp ground flax, handfull of raisins, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I have been eating that for years. A few times per week I add an egg (free range).  I eat quinoa daily as well as brown rice (which I soak). Sweet potatoes 2-3 times per week. 1 lb of free range chicken per week in 3 to 5 oz portions and 100 % grass fed ground beef 2 to 4oz once per week. A protein shake with 8 oz raw milk and banana daily. 1/4 cup walnuts and 20 almonds per day. Lot's of fruit and veggies too.  My last bloodwork showed LDL 63 HDL 40 (working on that) Triglycerides 67, CRP below 4.
I've been eating up to 2 cups of brown rice and 1/2 cup of beans to try and add a few lbs but I still stay the same and when I workout I lose another 3 lbs. I think my metabolism is very high.

We're all different and we need to address our needs as individuals. I tend to require a lot of food. I'm 53.  But what I eat is clean and my body utilizes all of it.

Someone pointed me to your blog when we were discussing wheat free diets.  Great information.  I've been off and on the paleo diet for about 6 months.  Once I get all the wheat out of my body (I heard it can take up to 90 to get it all of your body) I feel great.  If I fall of the wagon, I feel like crap.

Hi Dr. Davis,
Wow, what a list of ideas!  Since I'm a lactose intolerant vegetarian, all of these meat and cheese ideas just don't work for me.

For breakfast I have:
3 Tablespoons of organic cashew or almond spread on organic red cabbage leaves or 3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter on organic celery.  Along with organic jasmine green tea with 1 teaspoon of honey.  My blood sugars after are under 100 without the tea with honey or under 110 with the tea with honey.  I always have 16-24 oz of water with each meal as well.

Or I have one box of Japanese non-gmo natto with 2 fist fulls of nuts. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I do eat seafood) I have 4 oz of canned wild salmon or sardines. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or 1 cup of organic garbanzo beans with homemade sugar free balsamic vinaigrette. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I can tolerate some goat dairy) I have 1 cup of goat yogurt with fresh organic raspberries or blueberries, or black raspberries.  (Blood sugar under 100)

I've found that berries and red grapefruit I can eat without my blood sugars going over 100-110.  I tried a nectarine and my blood sugar went up to 160!!!  I just keep checking my blood sugars when I add new foods to figure out what my body can tolerate.

Thank  you for the idea of purchasing the glucometer!  It has helped tremendously! I try to keep my blood sugar under 100 most of the time and, hopefully, not over 110 to prevent my liver from spewing out all those low density lipoproteins.

After 4 months of changing my diet completely, I bought a candy bar yesterday on a whim and it tasted terrible!!!  I can't believe I ever ate those things!  It was so intensely sweet that it was off the Richter scale!  I think I'm cured of my sugar addiction now!

The only sweet I do is the honey in my tea in the  morning.  I just can't get used to drinking the tea plain.

Thanks for all of your important insights Dr. Davis! You're a life saver...literally!!!  What good karma you're creating for yourself with your blog!

Peace,  Meredith

"3 Tablespoons of organic cashew or almond spread on organic red cabbage leaves or 3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter on organic celery. Along with organic jasmine green tea with 1 teaspoon of honey. My blood sugars after are under 100 without the tea with honey or under 110 with the tea with honey. I always have 16-24 oz of water with each meal as well.

Or I have one box of Japanese non-gmo natto with 2 fist fulls of nuts. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I do eat seafood) I have 4 oz of canned wild salmon or sardines. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or 1 cup of organic garbanzo beans with homemade sugar free balsamic vinaigrette. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I can tolerate some goat dairy) I have 1 cup of goat yogurt with fresh organic raspberries or blueberries, or black raspberries. (Blood sugar under 100)"

It is no wonder your bg stays under 100, you are only eating around 300 calories at a time!  What happens if you eat a real meal?  I find I need near 900 calories 3X/day to just barely maintain my weight...

My favorite breakfasts, most coming in at under 20g total carb: http://ornery-geeks.org/text/diabetes/breakfast.php

Pancakes made from peanut butter and/or ground almonds (I suppose any nut butter would do) in place of flour, and put an extra egg in the mixture and a scoop of low carb protein powder if you have it and mask the nutty taste with vanilla and a little sweetner. Make it with cream/water instead of milk. They look like "real" pancakes and, when fried in butter, produce the most intense ketosis (in me at least) so great for loosing weight. I had low carb oce cream on mine. But I'd had chocolate and cream, low carb "jam" or "syrup"... possibilities are endless.
Way better than any coconut flour pancakes I've tried. Forget those.

I am absolutely impressed at the variety of paths many commenters have ventured down in the name of healthy breakfasts.

It tells me that foods like corn flakes and bagels turned off our creativity for truly unique and healthy foods. I truly am in awe at the range and variety of foods being suggested when we eliminate the sugar-, corn-, and wheat-based foods that previously dominated our first meal.

I have lost 30 lbs so far eating chocolate cake for breakfast...using almond flour and flax. They are delicious--I have to hide them from my family or there won't be any left for me.

M

Oh, the recipe link for anyone who is interested:

http://kickingcarbs.blogspot.com/2010/09/updated-low-carb-chocolate-cake-for.html

Eat black beans with scrambled eggs or tabasco or sliced avocado or chopped onions or....  they're great!  They fill you up and keep you going til lunch and you only need 1/2 cup or so.

lovely blog.....it's liek a sea of info.....but i am lost as I am a biggg wheat eater and now I don't know what to eat and what not to eat all day if I want to avoid wheat.......and yes as for my age and height I am about a pund and a half over weight.....but coz of other health probs I am experiencing I am a bit lost and depressed,.......plz plz advise

Some thoughts I have about the causality vs. correlation. Those studies that show correlation with increased mortality /disease with sleep times longer than 9 hours per day could suggest that people with deseases sleep longer because of the disease?  Not that longer sleep periods them selfs are the cause of the disease and early death but a sign of troubles in health which need more time for the body to trying to recuperate?

I personally sleep between  7 - 9 hour per day if I can rest up to my taste, but if I'm stressed I sleep less and if I'm sick I sleep more.

(Sorry for possible spelling mistakes, I'm not native english speaker.)

WBR:
JVAS

Anon--

Excellent point.

In fact, I wonder if greater sleep need is, for many, a red flag for hypothyroidism, in addition to other conditions.

Brain study shows differences in night owls, early risers
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 | 5:36 PM MT  
CBC News  

Scientists at the University of Alberta have found there are significant differences in the way our brains function, depending on whether we are early risers or night owls.

Using magnetic resonance imaging-guided brain stimulation, neuroscientists tested muscle torque and the excitability of pathways through the spinal cord and brain.

"We found that the brains of morning people are more excitable in the morning and evening people are completely opposite," neurophysiology researcher David Collins said Tuesday.

"The evening people ... it's almost a perfect storm of excitability in the central nervous system, where the brain is maximal in the evening and the spinal cord is maximal in the evening.... They generate the most force in the evenings," he said.

David Collins, neurophysiology researcher at the University of Alberta (CBC) "Morning people ... their brains are most excitable in the morning, but their spinal cords are most excitable in the evening," Collins said.  

The results may suggest that morning people are performing below their maximum possible level at all times of the day because of this, he said.
Morning person may be steadier

If you could change morning people into evening people, maybe their performance would be best in the evening, he suggested. This doesn't mean it's necessarily better to be an evening person, he said.

"A morning person may be a more consistent, steady plodder over the course of the day," Collins said.

Kaitlin Cleveley, a sports performance researcher at the U of A, likes to begin work around 10 p.m. and go until 3 a.m.

"Anything that starts in the morning is absolutely brutal for me to try and get up and try and function," she said. This study brings new perspective to training, she said.

"It's about trying to peak the athlete.... It can help to set up a sleep program, and it can help to reduce jet lag and sort of help you to determine you know 'When should I book the flight?, When should I get there?'" Cleveley said.

The research has lots of applications, including understanding mental and physical peaks and how people can maximize performance, she said.

Initially the research was to determine if brain function changes over the day, Collins said.

The study evolved with some early findings around two subjects in the study. One proved to be an extreme morning person, the other an extreme evening person, he said.

How does napping fit into this?  Does napping count in the "hours per night" or is it separate?  Any statistics on mortality and napping?

A lot of cultures have an afternoon siesta but Americans tend to frown on napping.

A close family member just underwent double bypass surgery in the past few weeks (doing well now, though it took a blood transfusion to get over a 2 day slump while in the hospital), after more than a year of symptoms with exertion,  poor stress test results, a lot of career stress recently, etc.  None of us were told though until just before the recent angiogram.   I always viewed this situation as a "when", not an "if", because I had a different view than the AHA's, but it's always "too soon", even if expected.

The angiogram revealed multiple sites of stenosis in locations not suitable for stents, so double bypass was performed.

Aside from family history (her father died of CVD at age 50), there were other risk factors, so she faithfully followed most of the AHA guidelines since at least the 80s - regular chol panels (high results), statins, HRT, low fat/high chol, reduced saturated fat, reduced fat dairy, lean meats, lots o' carbs (even lots of whole grains), etc.  

But obviously, this didn't work (I think it's a recipe for a bypass), because  CVD happened anyway despite all this adherence to  "prevention" (I use that word loosely in this context).  

Other risk factors include tendency toward "apple" shape, "strong explosive" personality (sort of Type A), and as I suspected, diabetes (though that was concealed from the family until just before the surgery).  On top of that ...(drum roll)...

and pertinent to this post - 25+ years of working the third shift as a nurse in L & D.  She was *chronically* and noticeably sleep-deficient (very often apparent, even over the phone), not to mention also Vitamin D deficient (her calcium supplement only added a tiny amount).  The coronary calcium scan wasn't done until last year, when there was marked plaque and shortness of breath & fatigue symptoms.  Of course no program such as Track Your Plaque was suggested or undertaken.  It was fate, right? - the family history - nothing could be done to override that, right? Note: if you are reading this with a sarcastic tone, that's about right .

Talk about an AHA failure to prevent. Everything I've  I shared about about the AHA's misguided approach to prevention, low carb and grain restriction to manage BG and diabetes, and all the other ways to prevent CVD fell on deaf ears.  Still does.  Still keeping my fingers crossed that the bypass arteries don't clog up.

My father died of a heart attack on January 16, 2009 while taking Plavix. He has been taking this drug for a couple of years, and I believe that it killed him.

Pharmaceutical companies, such as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi Aventis, who knowing sell medications which kill the people who are taking it should be criminally prosecuted!

I’m mad as hell, and I’m looking for legal advice concerning this medication and how it may have caused my father’s death.

When is Plavix helpful? It's clearly an advantage after someone receives a coronary stent, drug-coated or uncoated;, after coronary bypass, particularly if certain metal punch devices are used to create the grafts in the aorta; and during and after heart attack. These are all situations in which blood clot formation is a forceful process. Blocking it helps.

I can add few more examples.  The same was said for at-home pregnancy tests.  Now we can buy pregnancy tests in any supermarket, pharmacy, 99 cents store, mass merchandiser, probably even at a the corner 7-Eleven.  No one who suspects they are pregnant goes to a doctor's office first to find out anymore, they go for confirmation.  LH-ovulation kits are commonly available too, also, and the business of planning one's family has never been the same...

Blood glucose monitoring is another example.    Dr. Richard Bernstein, a Type 1 diabetic for more than half a century, pioneered the use of self-glucose monitoring decades ago when he used his wife's medical license to purchase a glucose test machine commonly used in ERs, but there was significant resistance  by the medical establishment to allow diabetic patients to use this technology to manage their own BG control (the manufacturer was supportive, however).  Dr. Bernstein was originally an engineer, but he wrote many articles about self-monitoring for better glucose control, but he couldn't get the papers published in the medical journals, despite the tremendous potential for real benefit.  He went to medical school in his 40s to establish the credentials necessary to get his findings published, to the great benefit of diabetes patients everywhere.  Now witness the explosive growth in personal glucose monitors; one can buy them OTC without a prescription even.  While insurance companies are too stingy with test strips, glucose meters are a standard part of conventional diabetes management.

I think I've seen at-home tests for A1c hemoglobin, cholesterol, etc. on drug stores shelves, too.

But you're right, overall, they think we're too stupid to manage or understand our own health so they often suppress the development of such tools.  Public Health is turning into Public Health Control.  The only time TPTB  loosen their grip on control of health care is if there's money to be made or saved (for Big Medicine and Big Pharma, not for the patients) or if there is a huge public outcry (sending post-surgical patients right home after major surgeries like mastectomies and c-sections, for example).  Yeah, I'm a bit cynical overall about medicine lately, yet  I'm very encouraged and empowered to not give up, especially by places such as the Heart Scan blog and other highly credible internet sources.  What is the saying, when one door closes, another opens some where else?  This is a great "open door" you have here, Dr. Davis.  Thanks.

Unfortunately, this self-directed model works for the "worried well." When you are ill with something painful, debilitating, or brain impairing, a system where you have to figure everything out yourself does not work. And sadly that is where we seem to be heading.

I agree with the comment on the previous post that what we need is a different health delivery system. My belief is that it needs to be built on an engineering model rather than the medieval guild model within which doctors are currently trained.

I have seen many very bright people go through medical training and emerge with their curiosity and ability to think and research completely stamped out. They end up hating what they do, but they have to keep doing it because of what they've sacrificed to become doctors.

The all or nothing medical model with godlike MDs and everyone else subservient and poorly trained is inefficient and keeps us from having bright people functioning independently at every step of the process as is characteristic in other disciplines.

I talk to oncologists all the time. When I try and have an intelligent discussion about disease, they quickly ask of my credentials and dismiss any thought I may have when they discover I have none. Whats even more interesting is that very few of them have any idea what nuclear receptors are, and most of them don't see what relationship they might have with cancers. I usually say... "you're right, being that they are part of the nucleus what could that possibly have to do with our dna changing."

You only have to look at almost any diabetes forum to see this on a grand scale.

The ADA Position Statement gives "medical nutrition therapy" the potential to decrease A1c by 1 = 2%. Since they reduced their minimum carb requirement to 135g they have improved this to 1 - 2.9%

Yet on their very own forum we routinely see people making 5 - 8% improvements, losing scads of weight, hugely improving their lipids etc. Almost none of these successes are achieved by following the ADA's official protocols. What's wrong with this picture?

The answer leaps out at you when you see their list of Corporate Sponsors, which is also true of many other Authoritative sites: carbohydrate suppliers and drug manufacturers.

Another home test is a stool test for gluten sensitivity from www.enterolab.com In addition, Enterolab also tests for sensitivity to dietary yeast, cow's milk, chicken egg, and soy sensitivity. Kenneth Fine, the physician who developed these tests, offers them directly to the public. This test cannot tell you if you have villous atrophy(celiac disease). It identifies immunologic reactions to dietary proteins.


I have met many people who tested negative for celiac disease through blood and biopsy, but were positive on Enterolab tests and Health improved after eliminating gluten. This is the test I used to confirm my gluten sensitivity.

You are exactly right about Self-directed health care.

The number of physicians going into primary care is shrinking and they aren't being replaced. The lack of primary care may very well be the catalyst that drives more self-directed care.

You can get a mammogram without an order (at least in IL you can). A mammogram doesn't prevent cancer; it detects it.

But, you can't get a simple blood test to measure your 25-OH levels (without an order)and take OTC supplements to optimize your D levels...which can PREVENT cancer.

I truly admire your desire to educate patients and encourage them to take charge of their own care.

You're one in a million. Literally.

I've used Enterolab,too.  I'm quite satisfied with the tests they perform.

Tim,

Fantastic!! This is why Dr. Davis deserves a Nobel...!!!! He optimizes all the NRs, for CAD, CANCER and LONGEVITY protection!

I have a post scheduled in 1-2 days regarding NRs. Looking to hearing your thoughts  

-G

Tim,

Fantastic!! This is why Dr. Davis deserves a Nobel...!!!! He optimizes all the NRs, for CAD, CANCER and LONGEVITY protection!

I have a post scheduled in 1-2 days regarding NRs. Looking to hearing your thoughts  

-G

Dr. Davis: Thank you for your kind words about Life Line Screening. We do indeed hope that our services help individuals who are interested in being proactive about their health care. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people that a Life Line screening, even when self-ordered, is one component of a person’s overall health care.  And while many of our screenings are in fact self-ordered, many are not. Doctors and hospitals across the country work with us and refer patients to us.  Of course, we also recommend individuals who are tested share their results with a physician, even if they show no risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, etc.  This can help improve a person’s medical record and can help doctors recommend the best course of action in the prevention of a medical emergency.  Thank you again for your nice words about Life Line Screening.  It is very much appreciated.

Nice blog !
Kamagra Oral Jelly Some patients struggle to swallow medicine in tablet form A new popular form of Kamagra is now available in Oral Jelly sachets The.

Just ask your doctor to sign the form with the tests you'd like. Only the most cretinous of physicians will refuse, in which case you should say goodbye. New York is the only state in the U.S. that still dunks women to see if they float, divines the entrails of sacrificial cows, and prohibits lab self-testing.)

http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/2010/03/interview-dr-bernstein-on-low-carb-diets-treatments-politics.php

Dr Richard K. Berstein was interviewed on Mar 23 and was an eye opening regarding A1C and the incompetence of the mainstream medical community dealing with diabetics.  Author of many books for diabetics.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/entity/Richard-K.-Bernstein/B001IOBDVW?ie=UTF8&ref_=s9_simh_gw_p14_al1

Acceptable blood glucose levels of 250 and A1C levels of 7?  And not being accepted into diabetes clinics with A1C level less than 6.5  Criminal.

HbA1c is a measurement of early glycation products which correlates with serum AGE levels, but is not a measure of advanced glycation end-products. For example, one Japanese study of cognitive decline in diabetes found, "Serum AGE levels were significantly associated with the impairment of complex psychomotor skills independent of HbA1c."

You have written on the benefits of coffee.  While I share your love of coffee and believe coffee does not affect HbA1c, it clearly is one of the worst sources of AGEs.

Use a BG meter to check effect of meals/foods on BG peaks, as described in this thread:
http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=36724&view=findpost&p=373966

btw, the case of high A1C with normal fasting BG is often due to high rates of gluconeogenesis (glucose from protein) that keeps BGs high between meals, but drops by morning as all remaining protein gets digested overnight.  A high rate of gluconeogenesis is often characteristic of insulin resistance, and is what forces many to eventually need the help of drugs to control BGs (i.e., reducing carb intake may not be enough to keep BGs low, and you're stuck consuming a certain amount of protein).

Question: does this test measure just proteins reacted with glucose or also those reacted with fructose? I recall hearing somewhere that fructose was seven times as reactive.

Exactly right, Denny.

HbA1c can only provide an indirect indicator, and only a short-term one at that. However, it's better than no indicator at all.

" the case of high A1C with normal fasting BG is often due to high rates of gluconeogenesis (glucose from protein) that keeps BGs high between meals, but drops by morning as all remaining protein gets digested overnight."

Also, can result from too frequent eating.  By adding a couple light, between meal snacks to my 3 meals per day I jumped my A1c from 5.1 to 6 in a few months.  Won't do that again!

Dr. Davis,

Have you ever looked into the potential for substances like taurine, benfotiamine, pyridoxamine, carnosine?  I've seen passing mention of these as potential glycation inhibitors.

I've also seen sources that suggest that R-ALA and ALCAR can be of possible help in reducing glycation damage.

While the comment in your post seems to point a bit more to the latter, I realize that you mentioned that glucose-reducing supplements are a topic for another day. But perhaps this can add to the mix for a possible future post on those topics.

Doug Rafferty

I've now gone back and read all the recent blog posts about BGs made by Dr. Davis, and would like to point out several issues:

- first, it's great to see someone finally pushing BG measurements for non-diabetics; however, there's a lot to know about this, and I encourage others to read the imminst thread referred to in comment #3 above

- for low-carb dieters with insulin resistance, their average BG (and A1C) will usually be dominated by glucose produced from protein digestion (i.e., it's not just about carb intake)

- the most accurate and precise meter I've seen is AccuChek Aviva, where precision is mainly determined by strip quality, and crummy strips will cost you a lot more money and blood, since you'll need to make a lot of extra measurements (i.e., with crummy strips you may have to average 3 results to get an accurate number)

- disease risk rises exponentially with BG levels, which is why peaks matter most

- the time to your peak BG after meals depends on so many factors that you'll have to determine that yourself (i.e., don't assume 1 hour; mine is 30-60 minutes for most meals)

- exercise after meals can reduce your BGs to fasting levels, but they will soon rise again due to continued protein digestion (or even low-glycemic carb digestion); so the benefit of regular exercise is mainly in a general lowering of insulin resistance, and greater glucose uptake by muscle mass when at rest

Cinnamon - a simple recipe with a double punch.  Take a couple of cups of almonds and wet them.  Shake them in a bag with a couple of teaspoons of Ceylon Cinnamon.  Make sure you use Ceylon for best Blood Sugar results.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet.  Pop them in the oven and turn it off.  20 to 30 minutes later the Cinnamon will be dried to the almonds - let cool and enjoy.

What was it they were eating in the 20s and 30s to cause heart disease?  My grandfather died in 1934 of quote, acute indigestion.

With respect to weight loss and BG measurements, some of you may find my story encouraging:

- starting at 205 lbs, I lost about 20 pounds basing decisions mainly on carb counts and low glycemic index

- after getting a meter and eliminating foods causing high-post meal BGs (such as oatmeal!), I dropped another 10 pounds

- after fixing a testosterone deficiency (andropause), I dropped another 10 pounds

which puts me at about 165 and BMI near 22.  (All that was done over the course of about 5 years, but it took me that long to figure out this stuff!)

Oops! I forgot to mention I use a little Stevia with the Ceylon Cinnamon and almonds.  It also works great with walnuts.

Steve

To my above list, I'd like to add a few points about "grazing":

- from the plots in the blog, it appears that evidence of "stacking" comes mainly from excessive fructose consumption; my own experience with a TG meter does not show stacking of TGs when grazing on fat-rich mini-meals

- it's irrelevant whether grazing is "self-indulgent"; diet needn't be torture, and you're unlikely to stick with something you don't enjoy doing

- it's also irrelevant whether grazing is "unnatural", since the optimal diet (to reach, for example, age 100) is unlikely to be one followed by people who rarely lived beyond age 50; to reach extraordinary ages, you'll likely need to do extraordinary things (niacin? fish oil capsules? D3 capsules? etc.)

- peaks matter, and fewer meals means larger peaks (as well as increased acid reflux, esp. bad when large meals are consumed late in day)

imho, i don't think the data currently exists to prove the case one way or the other, and suspect that the optimal solution will turn out to be very person-specific

More thoughts on "stacking": If one spread one's consumption across 24 hours, then food would be being burned at exactly the same rate as it was being consumed, and no significant stacking would occur. Thus stacking results from compressing consumption into smaller time frames. In fact, the ultimate "stack" is formed by consuming a single meal per day (i.e., all the TG and BG is forced to pile up over a very short time frame).

The caveat to this is that it may be the case that larger TG and BG peaks create more efficient processing (i.e., ice cream is somehow better handled after a big meal than when consumed in isolation), or that the benifits from lows between meals outweigh all the highs during meals. But I remain skeptical that such stress (high peaks, high insulin, etc.) is ultimately a good thing (esp. since I've already taken the trouble to control acid reflux by spreading intake across the day).

But wouldn't be surprised either way. There's already a camp that believes that BG spikes are necessary for optimum bone formation, etc., so who knows?

I've found every article in this blog really interesting and helpful and everything seems to make a lot of sense.
But I still fail to see how it fits for people that don't want/need to loose weight.
Say a 190pound healthy athlete with a very active live.
How do you feed him without gazing, only two meals per day, 50g carbohidrates per day and 40g of fat per meal?
How would you feed Michael Phelps?

Dr. Davis,

In this latest post, you said "Fourth, consider use of glucose-reducing supplements, an issue for another day."

I would very much like to read your thoughts on these supplements and would look forward to a blog post on this topic.