A Diet Question (SERIOUS RESPONSES ONLY)

[DAVE1967]

I'm trying to find a diet both to help my Chelestorol & to help with my siezures . Is there any such Diet ?

 

[brain]

Atkins-Like Diet Cuts Epileptic Seizures - by MedicineNET

Partial quote (click link for further Reading)

Atkins-Like Diet Cuts Epileptic Seizures
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with epilepsy who have failed other treatments may be able to dramatically reduce their number of seizures by following a modified Atkins-like diet, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

The high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet has already been shown to be valuable in controlling seizures in children, and now results from a small study suggest that the diet also works for adults.

"There are a lot of adults with very bad seizures. There are a lot of adults who have failed medicines and are not candidates for other treatments," said lead researcher Dr. Eric H. Kossoff, an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

For the study, Kossoff's team gave the diet to 30 adults who had unsuccessfully tried at least two anti-convulsant drugs and had an average of 10 seizures a week. The eating plan restricts patients to 15 grams of carbohydrates a day. Most of the calories come from fats such as eggs, meats, oils and heavy cream. In addition, patients are free to eat as much protein and no-carb drinks as they want.

"There was good news and bad news," Kossoff said. "The good news was it worked. The bad news it was tough. About 30 percent of the patients stopped the diet. This happened even in patients who had good seizure control who thought the diet was still too tough to do."

After a month on the diet, half the patients reported suffering 50 percent fewer seizures. At three months, about one-third of the patients cut the frequency of seizures by half.

However, by three months, one-third of the patients had dropped out of the study because they found the diet too restrictive, Kossoff said.

 

[brain]

John Hopkins - MODIFIED ATKINS DIET CAN CUT EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN ADULTS

MODIFIED ATKINS DIET CAN CUT EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN ADULTS

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Media Relations and Public Affairs
January 28, 2008

MODIFIED ATKINS DIET CAN CUT EPILEPTIC SEIZURES IN ADULTS

--High-fat, low-carb diet may be an option when other treatments fail

A modified version of a popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can significantly cut the number of seizures in adults with epilepsy, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The Atkins-like diet, which has shown promise for seizure control in children, may offer a new lifeline for patients when drugs and other treatments fail or cause complications.

For almost a century, doctors have prescribed an eating plan called the ketogenic diet to treat children with epilepsy. This diet often consists of a short period of fasting, strictly limits fluids and drastically restricts carbohydrates. It appears to limit or even eliminate seizures, possibly by generating the build-up of ketones, compounds the body produces when it derives calories mostly from fat. Some of the largest studies to scientifically test this diet’s efficacy took place at Johns Hopkins in the mid-1990s, led by pediatric neurologists John Freeman, M.D., and Eileen Vining, M.D.

Why exactly the ketogenic diet works remains unknown, and it is notoriously difficult to follow, relying almost solely on fat and protein for calories. Consequently, doctors typically recommend it only for children, whose parents can strictly monitor their eating habits. The ketogenic diet is almost never prescribed to adults, who generally make their own food choices and often have difficulty complying with the diet’s strict guidelines.

In 2002, Johns Hopkins researchers began testing a modified version of the Atkins diet in children with epilepsy. The modified diet shares the high-fat focus of the ketogenic diet, prompting the body to generate ketones. However, it allows more carbohydrates and protein, doesn’t limit fluids and calories, and has no fasting period. When studies showed that the new diet prevented or curtailed seizures in children, the researchers began testing it for efficacy and ease of use in adults.

Reporting on the results in the February issue of Epilepsia, Eric H. Kossoff, M.D., an assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said 30 adults with epilepsy, ages 18 to 53 years, who had tried at least two anticonvulsant drugs without success and had an average of 10 seizures per week, were placed on the modified Atkins diet. All patients were seen for free in the Johns Hopkins General Clinical Research Center.

The regimen restricted them to 15 grams of carbohydrates a day. “That’s a few strawberries, some vegetables, or a bit of bread,” says Kossoff. The diet offers most of its calories from fat-eggs, meats, oils and heavy cream-with as much protein and no-carb beverages as patients want.

Each day, patients kept diaries of what they ate and how many seizures they had. The researchers evaluated how each patient was doing at one, three and six months after starting the diet.

Results showed that about half the patients had experienced a 50 percent reduction in the frequency of their seizures by the first clinic visit. About a third of the patients halved the frequency of seizures by three months. Side effects linked with the diet, such as a rise in cholesterol or triglycerides, were mild. A third of the patients dropped out by the third month, unable to comply with the restrictions.

Fourteen patients who stuck with the diet until the six-month mark chose to continue, even after the study ended-a testament to how effective the diet worked to treat their epilepsy, Kossoff notes.

Though the modified Atkins diet won’t be a good fit for all patients, says Kossoff, “it opens up another therapeutic option for adults trying to decide between medication, surgery and electrical stimulation to treat intractable seizures.” A second study to examine the diet’s effects on adults with intractable seizures is under way.

Other researchers who contributed to the study include Hannah Rowley, R.D., and Eileen P.G. Vining, M.D., both of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Saurabh R. Sinha, M.D., of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.

 

[sixpack]

I can't address the seizure side of the diet, but I did just drop my cholesterol by 40pts and triglycerides by 30. My cholesterol went from 228 to 188 in 6 months.

What I do is cut out a lot of the empty carbs--crackers, chips etc. I quit eating the junky foods. I also eat oatmeal every morning with blueberries with cinnamon. I take 2000mg of fish oil a day. I take a 500mg pill of Niacin too.

I also ended up losing 23 pounds too.

 

[alivenwell]

While I belong to a weight loss group that emphasizes drinking water, I try to minimize the amount of water since it can wash medication out of my system. I use that group to closely monitor how much weight I have lost or gained. I GRADUALLY lost 10 pounds.

Last year when I totally cut out aspartame sweetened soda, higher sodium foods, and ate more vegetables, I lost weight. I verified this with a dietitian and that person said that aspartame is many times sweeter than usual sugar. It also gives some people with epilepsy bad side effects. Just read various web sites on it. It's scary.

My personal favorite which is in season right now is a crustless pumpkin pie. I'm a terrible cook, but if I can make it, anybody can do this one. The original recipe I have calls for 2/3 C confectioners' sugar. I cut it in half. Personally, I cut out the pumpkin spice and use a LOT of cinnamon. Refrigerate after you make it and top it with whip cream. It makes a great dessert or breakfast.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

1 C./ 15 oz. pumpkin
1C./ 12 oz. evaporated milk
3/4 C. egg substitute or 3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. pumpkin spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. confectioners' sugar
cinnamon (powdered)

combine ...
pour in a 9" sprayed pie pan
sprinkle cinnamon on top to suit your taste
bake at 400 degrees for first 15 minutes.
than at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
until knife comes out clean

 

[TeeTees]

Okay, I'm gonna go against the grain of Brain here....(bear with me Brain).

I'm not a fan of the Atkins diet. Although it's been proven to assist people in losing weight, plus aiding Epileptics due to the higher fat content, I can't comprehend this diet :

You see, someone tells you to drop yer carbs, raise yer protein, PLUS raise your fat intake. Now the first two points I CAN agree to, but raising your fat intake is a no-no in my book. It's like saying "Hey, I can help you lose weight and reduce your seizures, but you'll probably die young from heart problems" ?!?!....I just don't get it ? onder:

Here's TeeTees' advice :

Eat more cleaner !....nuff said :rock:

Seriously, all you need to do is take a rain-check on what you're eating at the moment, and get rid off the junk food you MAY be eating and replace it with healthier snacks.

If a pound of fat is equated to 3,500 calories, then all you need to do initially is reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day. Therefore, before you do anything check with your Doc !!.

THEN, stick to eating what you're eating now.....document everything, working out exactly how many calories you are taking in per week. All you should need to do initially is reduce your calorie intake by the 500 mentioned, per day.

Spread those calories over the entire day, eating smaller meals, but more often. (I have about 5-6 meals a day, spreading my calories over the entire day, as it keeps my metabolism active ALL day, and prevents my system from containing fat due to the unnecessary strain you will put on your body through eating a load of calories at one sitting - what it can't burn at that sitting, it will store as fat).

You could also try some exercise classes, if your condition and Doctor say it's okay for you to do so. This in turn will help reduce the calories per day as well.

Hope this helps

 

[joan]

Im also looking into the Low Glycemic Index treatment. Just FYI*

I tried posting it here but I couldnt. Can I mention where I saw the info?

joan*

 

[darkmarkshark]

TeeTee,

Reading your post I get the impression that you don't understand how the modified atkins diet works. Yes you increase your fat intake - and by doing so you decrease the amount of fat stored in your body.

First, since you aren't getting sugar and carbs, your body doesn't have sugar to convert to glucose. So instead it converts the fat to ketones which is why its such a lifesaver to those with uncontrolled epilepsy. Furthermore, since there isn't really any sugar in your diet, when you need more fuel, it burns the stored fat off you body, thereby enabling you to loose more weight, than you would if you were eating snacks such as fruits

you can actually double your calories on this diet (if your eating a typical american diet), and still get all the benefits of it. And if you look at history, there were far fewer instances of heart related problems when the average American was eating a really high fat diet. its just when most people today think of high fat, they aren't thinking of healthy fats like oils and eggs, but unhealthy fats like transfat coupled with sugars like you find in junk food. Greece has one of the lowest rates of heart attacks in the world - they also have one of the highest rates of fat consumption in the world

 

[Bernard]

I'm trying to find a diet both to help my Chelestorol & to help with my siezures . Is there any such Diet ?

None of the 4 diets that I'm aware of restrict the consumption of high cholesterol foods:

• Low Glycemic Index Treatment - restricts simple carbs/sugars
• Modified Atkins Diet - restricts carbs
• Ketogenic - restricts carbs
• GARD - restricts certain food categories, but none that are cholesterol laden

A vegetarian diet is really the only one I'm aware of that will dramatically lower cholesterol, but it's not (necessarily?) a seizure control diet.

That said, simply avoiding fried foods (especially things fried in hydrogenated oils/lard) will help. I'm pretty sure this is good advice with any of the diets mentioned.

 

[TeeTees]

TeeTee,

Reading your post I get the impression that you don't understand how the modified atkins diet works. Yes you increase your fat intake - and by doing so you decrease the amount of fat stored in your body.

First, since you aren't getting sugar and carbs, your body doesn't have sugar to convert to glucose. So instead it converts the fat to ketones which is why its such a lifesaver to those with uncontrolled epilepsy. Furthermore, since there isn't really any sugar in your diet, when you need more fuel, it burns the stored fat off you body, thereby enabling you to loose more weight, than you would if you were eating snacks such as fruits

you can actually double your calories on this diet (if your eating a typical american diet), and still get all the benefits of it. And if you look at history, there were far fewer instances of heart related problems when the average American was eating a really high fat diet. its just when most people today think of high fat, they aren't thinking of healthy fats like oils and eggs, but unhealthy fats like transfat coupled with sugars like you find in junk food. Greece has one of the lowest rates of heart attacks in the world - they also have one of the highest rates of fat consumption in the world

Hi darkmarkshark,

Although I can partly agree with what you are saying regarding the modified atkins diet, I still don't agree with the 'diet' in itself.

To double your calories on ANY kind of diet is only going to do one thing for anybody with a non-active lifestyle, and that is to help them gain weight. The more you consume, the greater the need for activity.

When we look at history, we must remember the ages that people were dying too compared to nowadays. We are living alot longer Today than our 'meat and two veg' people of Yesteryear due to many reasons other than diet, ie. diseases and illnesses which we now have cures for. I thing it would be an unfair comparison to look at how we used to live and eat, with the results of heart diseases, when the lifestyle itself was completely different. It's alot of swings and roundabouts with the lifestyles we live now compared to the more active lifestyles we were living in our past, when we had to do more physical activities to simply survive.....

..moving on, the times are here where we are more involved with activities such as work, and are looking for a 'fast fix' when we get home from our 8 hour+ stressed out days, and so we turn to processed foods for these quick 'fixes'....with as you rightly put contain transfats and sugars, and not forgetting the dreaded salt to maintain it's 'shelf-life'.

A simple method for losing weight, which I can vouch for, is to reduce the portion size on your plate. I reduced the carbohydrate portion on my plate, be it pasta, rice, or on the odd occasion fries, simply by half. I left the protein portion exactly the same. I began this back at the beginning of February this year, and by April time had dropped my weight from 198 pounds to 175. Due to me exercising, the weight I had lost was mainly fat around my midsection, enabling me to maintain muscle size due to me keeping my protein portion size on a level.

I think before people are directed towards diets, they need to be educated on what fats are bad or good, and exactly what the body does when it goes into the ketosis state, as depending on how active the individual is, will also be an important factor on whether the modified Atkins diet is a good or bad thing ; carbohydrates are a necessary component for maintaining energy levels.....low carbs in the bloodstream will equate to a weaker human being, which in turn will make the person more tired, and also slower with reactions and concentration.

Summary : the modified Atkins diet is only good for ANYBODY over a short period of time. If you really want to lose weight, the most simple and effective way is through a Calorie controlled diet, plus exercise. A diet is for life, not just for Christmas.

 

[sixpack]

TeeTees

I agree with you. I don't think any diet is good for you in the long term, if it cuts out food groups.

I, too, lost 23 lbs from Feb to August, by cutting out the junky crap, increased my fruits and veggies and watched portions. Oh yeah, you need to exercise too. Ugh that's harder for me to do.

Honestly by last October ('07) I found, that while I loved them going down:roflmao:, Quarter pounders really made me feel miserable for the rest of the day. I decided I just had to do a better job for myself.

In the process of losing the 23 lbs my cholesterol went down 40pts.:clap: and the triglycerides down 30:woot:

If you watch portions, you'll do great AND you won't feel deprived. I still eat pizza--two pieces instead of 5 or so. I eat fries now and again, but just not as much.

 

[TeeTees]

TeeTees

I agree with you. I don't think any diet is good for you in the long term, if it cuts out food groups.

I, too, lost 23 lbs from Feb to August, by cutting out the junky crap, increased my fruits and veggies and watched portions. Oh yeah, you need to exercise too. Ugh that's harder for me to do.

Honestly by last October ('07) I found, that while I loved them going down:roflmao:, Quarter pounders really made me feel miserable for the rest of the day. I decided I just had to do a better job for myself.

In the process of losing the 23 lbs my cholesterol went down 40pts.:clap: and the triglycerides down 30:woot:

If you watch portions, you'll do great AND you won't feel deprived. I still eat pizza--two pieces instead of 5 or so. I eat fries now and again, but just not as much.

You lost HOW MUCH ???.....Well Done ! :rock:

I'm at a bit of an added bonus (call me weird if you like) where I've always LIKED salads and healthy food - although I did HATE exercise at school !

What I tend to tell people is NOT to diet for 7 days a week, but aim more for 5 (say, your work days) and use the other 2 (ie, the weekend) to 'let go' a little. I've worked with so many people who want to be really strict and stick to the diet for the whole 7 days of the week !!....they quit within a month !

Sometimes your body is just crying out for that ice-cream, or piece of pizza, and if really do 'feel' it, your body needs it, so I say 'have that small portion of whatever it is you feel deprived off and then get back on the diet'.

I'm the same with Quarter Pounders. With where I used to work, they would go over McDonalds on a lunchtime and stuff there faces on a Friday. I went with 'em on a couple of occasions, but just find I can't concentrate, or even find it difficult lifting my head where I'm so tired afterwards.

Light foods, smaller portions, spread throughout the day is the main goal. But, always start of easy like you an me with the 'cutting the portion size' first, and you'll get there in the end.

 

[darkmarkshark]

Okay, now I'm ticked. I just wrote a lengthy post detailing the differences in the Greek diet and the US diet, as well as the distinguisment between monosaturated fats which are consumed in large quantities in Greece (the country with the highest life expectacny, and lowest incidence of heart attacks, heart disease etc) and the trans and saturated fats of the typical US diet, known to cause problems. Quoting the example of why low fat salad dressing is far worse for you than regular salad dressing, because it cuts out the good fats that you need. As well as how all the big early stuides about why fat is bad and grains are wonderful were paid for and carried out by none other than Kellog. Hit one wrong letter, hit backspace, was taken to the page before, and all that wealth of knowledge I typed out was completely erased.


But anyway, there is no reason at all that increasing your fat content will increase your cholesterol - monosaturated fats do not increase your cholesterol, and you can easily adapt the MA diet so that all of your fat comes from monosaturated fats. In fact, eating monosaturated fats lower your cholesterol, and the more monosaturated fat you consume, the less likely you are to incur heart disease (monosaturated fats are what are ancestors were eating all the time)


A French study of heart attack survivors found that 33 out of 300 people assigned to follow the US food pyramid had a second heart attack in 2 years. Out of the 300 people assigned to follow the much higher in fat Meditterannean diet, popular in Greece, only 8 had a repeat heart attack in 2 years. After 2 1/2 years, 27 people on the American diet had died of a heart attack, with an additional 38 living through a heart attack. In that same time period, there were 3 deaths on the Greek diet, and a total of 8 nonfatal heart attacks. If increased fat consumption was so bad for your heart the results would be opposite because those on the Greek diet were eating significantly more fat than those on the American diet

Maybe I'll go into details tomorrow. Right now i'm pretty annoyed that i spent all that time gathering sources and quoting studies, etc only to have everything lost because of single mistyped letter - stupid vista.

 

[darkmarkshark]

If you watch portions, you'll do great AND you won't feel deprived

Thats only if you don't need your diet for seizure control. Cutting portions on a seizure diet means reducing the ketones in your brain, which means you'll have more seizures and feel worse.

That's why people on the stricter diets have to weight and measure everything and not skip a single bite of their meal, even when they aren't the least bit hungry

 

[joan]

For us, were not looking to lose weight but to be healthier. I know my son has some issue with glutens so I figure : ) if I make everything else in his body work at its best, even if it doesnt per se help the E, I think, it will improve his mental outlook and just make him feel all around better.

Im really liking and considering that LGIT. It doesnt seem like a huge change for us. We are decent to clean eaters now but I think with a little more knowledge, I could do alittle better for them. And every lil bit helps*

joan*

 

[RobinN]

TT - I have had contact with the Atkins folks (web page is listed in the Atkins Group here)
and they have recently made changes to their diet. You might check it out. I have yet to compare it to the old information.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who was telling me her husband had to change his eating habits to reduce his cholesterol levels. He tried diet after diet without luck. It wasn't until she suggested to him to do a few things to heal his liver, and flush the toxins that his levels started to come down. Now they are in the healthy range.

I found this interesting because I too am healing Rebecca's liver. Making it more efficient so that it can process toxins better rather than returning them to the blood stream. It is not a quick fix but one that I believe is something to consider due to our SAD diets.

I have also read where family members when they eliminate gluten and casein from their nutritional plans along with their children, they tend to loose excess weight.

 

[sixpack]

Maybe I'll go into details tomorrow. Right now i'm pretty annoyed that i spent all that time gathering sources and quoting studies, etc only to have everything lost because of single mistyped letter - stupid vista

Yes doesn't that really chap your hide. stupid &*%^$#freakin', gosh dern........


Oh my suggestions are souly,as mentioned in my first post in the thread, about lower weight and cholesterol. While I've read about ketegenic diets for seizures, I've heard they are quite difficult to stay on. Honestly I don't know how some people manage it. I know that with my daughter and her cognitive & behavioral issues, we'd not be able to manage it. She simply couldn't understand what we were trying to do for her

 

[alivenwell]

Be nice guys...

I was told by a dietitian that hydrogenated oils are the very worst for you (kind of like a wax in your arteries).

 

[darkmarkshark]

While I've read about ketegenic diets for seizures, I've heard they are quite difficult to stay on. Honestly I don't know how some people manage it.

The MA can't be lumped in with the ketogenic diet when it comes to things like that. The MA can give you benign dietary ketosis and you can stay on it for life. The true ketogenic diet can only be stayed on for a few years at a time.

With the MA you can eat most of the foods you do now - mainly you just change the way you prepare them or base ingredients (ie quinoa flour instead of white or wheat). You don't need to measure anything or eat every bite. And unlike the ketogenic diet you can have your occasional cheat so there is nothing wrong with a slice of birthday or some candy on holidays. Its basically safe to cheat once a week.

 

[brain]

Hey don't look at me ... I'm just here to find ways to gain
weight ... if you don't want it - send it my way!
I'll take it!

Heck, with all that I had on wearing at Cleveland Clinic
Florida - didn't even get a chance to remove everything,
the scale said 93.5!

:?

Gimme what you don't want!