tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41388562693611375552024-03-13T23:19:08.779-07:00Solving Inflammation Problems<b>This diet ended my symptoms of leaky-gut syndrome: arthritis, bursitis, colitis, dermatitis (eczema, rosacea), iritis, and tendonitis. It includes only low-sulphur foods such as most fruits; some vegetables; and most starchy roots, and gourds. It excludes all animal products (red meat, dairy, seafood, poultry, etc.), all "seeds" (beans, peas, nuts, grains, etc.), and other high-sulphur foods.</b>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-44914893785559177792014-08-29T22:38:00.001-07:002014-08-29T22:38:41.037-07:00To all who admired Burgess Laughlin, I'm sorry to say he has passed away. Please find his obituary message on his main website:<br />
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<a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>
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Burgess, you will be missed.</div>
Brad Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09839532299808900672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-15548379129801251492014-06-27T11:23:00.000-07:002014-06-30T15:23:36.359-07:00Hemoptysis<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>BACKGROUND. </b>These are the relevant events.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. From age 18 to 25, 1962-1969, I smoked heavily, then stopped and never smoked again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Around 2004 I discovered through a CAT scan that I have emphysema (mild in right, medium in left).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Around June 1, 2014, I had spring allergy symptoms: sniffling, sneezing, a little coughing. (Adopting my subset of the McDougall Program diet got rid of earlier terrible spring-time allergies: <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html">http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html</a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. A sore throat developed. The coughing worsened. At one point, I coughed very deeply and felt a stabbing pain in my left lung, low.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. A few days later, I began coughing up a little blood (clotted), as well as a lot of mucus.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. On last Saturday, I coughed up about two cups of blood. A kind neighbor took me to the local hospital, where I received blood tests (yes, I am thin; no, I am not anemic) and chest x-rays. I coughed up some more blood. The ER doctor prescribed an antibiotic (Augmentin, which wrecked my gut and I needed to discontinue after only two days)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The most likely explanation of events is that the coughing ruptured an artery in my lung most weakened by emphysema, the blood accumulated in the lung, and over several days the body coughed it up—all a perfectly natural sequence of events.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>RESOLUTION</b>. The coughing of blood stopped (classic bell curve) within two days. Now, almost a week after the hospital event, I am very slowly recovering. Everyday I can walk a little further. I can work a little longer. I need less cough syrup to suppress the cough. The cough interfered with eating; my BMI dropped to 15.6, in spite of adding fat sources: walnuts, avocados, and olives.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My primary care physician recommended another antibiotic, doxycycline, and I am taking it for 10 days—without intestinal distress.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>A CASE OF OVERDIAGNOSIS</b>. My PCP told me that the radiologist at the hospital suspected that I have lung cancer. His "reasoning" was this: He couldn't see all parts of my lungs because I have a lot of scar tissue from 17 pneumothoraces in the last 52 years. The radiologist recommended a thorough investigation (in the radiology department) to either find the lung cancer or decide there is zero chance that I have lung cancer. Among other things he recommended a CAT scan (45 times more radiation than a normal chest x-ray!).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I refused any more investigation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The radiologist's argument amounts to this: There is a dark space under my bed. Monsters can lurk in dark spaces. Therefore there probably is a monster there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>AGREEMENT</b>. My PCP and I have agreed once again that "less is often better than more." We also agreed that my approach to medical care is the "Shelton Way" not the "Bellevue Way." I live in a small timber town, Shelton, but it is the county seat. It has a county hospital that networks with formerly independent, specialized clinics. My clinic is now part of that network. I am unsure, but I assume that my doctor's reference to "Bellevue" apparently points to an advanced research hospital. I am unsure whether he was referring to Bellevue, Washington or to the Bellevue Hospital in New York.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>The Shelton Way</u> means: Not expecting answers to every medical questions; accepting ambiguity; being guided by symptoms not by what "might be there." <u>The Bellevue Way</u> means leaving no questions unanswered; resolving all ambiguity by conducting all possible tests, no matter how expensive; and worrying about what <i>might</i> be wrong, even if no symptoms or other evidence point in that direction.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have told my doctor that if I cannot locally receive the medical care I supposedly need, then I will do without that medical care. I refuse to chase the latest testing and treatment. I am ready to die if locally available medical care is insufficient.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CONCLUSION. </b>This episode has been very unpleasant, but I have learned and I have increased my respect for my PCP.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Burgess Laughlin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described here: <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></span>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-72039895892508795912013-10-04T07:14:00.001-07:002014-04-22T07:08:24.709-07:00The Way of Eating I Recommend<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I eat what I eat because of particular medical problems, many perhaps arising from a "leaky gut." I describe my individual way of eating here:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html">http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What I eat is a subset of the McDougall Program way of eating. That Program is the best <i>therapeutic</i> way of eating for some individuals who are ill—for example, with obesity:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/free-mcdougall-program/">http://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/free-mcdougall-program/</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Nutritionist Jeff Novick lists diet programs similar in their overall pattern: <a href="http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2013/12/5_The_Specturm_Of_Health__The_Evidence_For_A_Whole_Food_Plant_Base_Diet_-_Pt_1.html">http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2013/12/5_The_Specturm_Of_Health__The_Evidence_For_A_Whole_Food_Plant_Base_Diet_-_Pt_1.html</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Occasionally friends ask what diet I recommend for <i>maintaining or enhancing</i> health for a lifetime. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The way of eating that I <i>generally</i> recommend is not what I eat. The diet I recommend is the one I learned forty years ago, at the age of 30, from the book, <i>Live Longer Now: The First One Hundred Years of Your Life</i>, by Nathan Pritikin and others. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A few used, inexpensive paperback copies of the book are available: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Live-Longer-Now-Prit/dp/0425086917">http://www.amazon.com/Live-Longer-Now-Prit/dp/0425086917</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Some of the details in the book are probably out of date now, but details are not important here. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The book is helpful but you do not need it to understand what I recommend based on my experience.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">At age 30, I had clogged arteries around my heart, chest pains (especially when I was under physical or mental stress), pain on the inside of my left arm (under stress), and high blood pressure. I had been eating the Standard American Diet—high fat, high protein, and Calorie Rich and Processed foods (C.R.A.P.). By adopting the Pritikin diet, described below, I lost 75 pounds in 15 months and got rid of all my symptoms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>OUTLINE OF THE DIET</b>. Following are the defining characteristics of the diet I adopted, adapted, and now recommend:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1. <u>Mostly </u><u>coarse plant foods</u>. That means <b>fruit</b>, <b>vegetables and starches</b>. Eat the fruit raw or cooked; eat the vegs cooked usually; and eat the starches cooked almost always. Eat the fruit, vegs, and starches in variety. Example starches are sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, peas, grains, and so forth. Eat your food intact or whole. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>Intact</b> means you can see the original food. An apple is an intact food; applesauce is not intact, though it may still be a <b>whole</b> food, that is, nothing significant has been removed and no substances have been added. Avoid juices and "smoothies" unless you have severe dental problems.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2. <u>Overall, very low fat</u>, with roughly 10% or fewer of the calories coming from fat. You do not need to count calories or weigh foods. Eat the right intact/whole foods, in roughly the right proportions (see below), and you will naturally eat foods that are low in calories and high in nutrients.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3. <u>Very small amounts of meat rich in Vitamin B12 and maybe Vitamin D</u>, the only essential nutrients missing from plant foods. (Sunshine may not supply enough Vitamin D if you live in a cloudy climate, as I do.) My information sources say the meats richest in B12 are clams, oysters, chicken liver, beef liver, and perhaps red salmon; s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">almon apparently also supplies Vitamin D</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">. One or two tablespoons of one of these per meal should be sufficient to get the tiny amounts of B12 and D we need. Eat the meats in wide variety, but in very small amounts: shellfish, fish, poultry, beef, sheep, and so forth. The key is small amounts and mostly from the highest sources of Vitamins B12 and D.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4. <u>No added, isolated fat</u>. This means no butter, margarine, olive oil, bacon grease, and so forth. Learn to boil, bake, and steam foods, not fry them. The fats we need are contained in the foods we eat. We do not need to <i>add</i> isolated fats. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Except for step 3, this way of eating is the McDougall Program Regular Diet. I am suggesting adding only enough of four or five meats to get naturally Vitamin B12 and maybe D—not from pills.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>PROPORTIONS</b>. I suggest <i>roughly</i> these proportions:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><u>60% starches</u>—intact or whole. Examples are potatoes, yams, and rice.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><u>25% vegetables</u>—intact or whole. Examples are spinach and bell peppers.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><u>10% fruit</u>—intact or whole. Examples are blueberries and oranges.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><u>5% meats high in B12 and maybe D</u>—in very small quantities, such as 1 tablespoon per meal. Examples are clams, oysters, chicken liver, beef liver, and red salmon.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>EXCLUSIONS</b>. Avoid all <u>dairy</u> products (though Pritikin allowed them in small quantities if very low fat). Avoid all <u>C.R.A.P. foods</u> such as candy and ice cream. Exclude<u> alcohol, coffee, and tobacco</u>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">You may want to exclude <u>wheat</u> and <u>soy</u>, two foods that cause trouble for some individuals. Last, m</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">inimize <u>salt</u>. (Because I have a tendency to high blood pressure, my current, one-year experiment is to eliminate <i>all</i> salt. So far, my blood pressure is lower.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>EXAMPLE</b>. An example meal is: A large bowl of rice, a mound of spinach on top, an oyster or two mixed into the rice for flavoring, and an apple. Season it as you want: soy sauce, hot sauce, or other very low or non-fat condiments. Chew thoroughly and eat slowly.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>EXERCISE</b>. Pritikin also recommended exercise, especially "roving," which means walking plus occasionally running a short distance within each walk, if running is appropriate to your medical condition. Other exercises may be suitable, but I would recommend not sitting down to exercise, especially if you sit while working or in your usual entertainment. The important point is to stand up and <i>move daily.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> You might also work with light weights or do calisthenics in addition to a light aerobic routine. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>RESULTS</b>. On the Pritikin Program, all my heart disease symptoms disappeared and I lost about one pound per week, on <i>average</i>, for 75 weeks—without trying to lose weight and without restricting the amount that I ate. Of course, most of the weight loss occurred at the start. I only wanted to be healthy. I succeeded. I am nearing 70.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>LOSING TOO MUCH?</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If you lose too much weight following the four steps above, add processed foods such as whole-grain pancakes and noodles, as well as small amounts of high-fat foods (whole or intact) such as nuts, avocados, olives, and so forth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>SUMMARY</b>. I consider my recommended way of eating to be "whole food, plant-based." The "base" of the way of eating is plants (whole or intact), though this way of eating is not exclusively plants. This way of eating was generally the Asian way of eating until Western foods began making Asians fat. Think of Chinese farmers one hundred years ago. They ate mostly rice and sweet potatoes, vegetables (such as greens and green beans), and some fruit, with just enough meat to flavor the starches.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">P. S. — Nutritionist Jeff Novick, for whom I have a lot of respect, discusses the spectrum of generally healthy diets, including those that include small amounts of animal products. See his December 5, 2013 article on his website: <a href="http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2013/12/5_The_Specturm_Of_Health__The_Evidence_For_A_Whole_Food_Plant_Base_Diet_-_Pt_1.html">http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2013/12/5_The_Specturm_Of_Health__The_Evidence_For_A_Whole_Food_Plant_Base_Diet_-_Pt_1.html</a> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Burgess Laughlin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Author, <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a>.</span></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-68995295637367508882013-10-03T08:46:00.000-07:002014-05-16T08:01:13.753-07:00Tachycardia, Arrhythmia<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last updated: May 16, 2014</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This post summarizes my experiences with episodes of tachycardia and accompanying arrhythmia. My earlier posts, which partly were journals of events as they happened, were:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(1) March 30, 2011: <a href="http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2011/03/metoprolol.html">http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2011/03/metoprolol.html</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(2) January 25, 2011: <a href="http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-atrial-fibrillationflutter-adventure.html">http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-atrial-fibrillationflutter-adventure.html</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>EPISODES</b>. Through the last twenty years, I have had five episodes of tachycardia (rapid heart rate). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">EPISODE 1. The first episode, in Portland, Oregon occurred around twenty years ago, after Christmas day, about thirty minutes after an extraordinarily large evening meal. I was out walking and bent over to retie my shoe laces. Emergency medical people said my rate was about 175 beats per minute (bpm). In an emergency room of a hospital, a doctor injected a substance (unknown to me now) that stopped the racing and restored my normal rate of about 65 bpm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">EPISODE 2. The second episode occurred about five years ago, in Auburn, Washington, shortly before Christmas day, about thirty minutes after a very large evening meal, while I was cleaning my kitchen. An emergency room doctor tried but failed to stop the racing heart by injecting a substance through a tube. Doctors there persuaded me to stay in the hospital to test the functions of my kidneys, liver, thyroid, and pancreas. All were operating normally. The doctors also checked my lungs for an embolism and found none. Likewise, a CAT scan revealed no brain tumors or other problems. Finally after three days of testing, the doctors said "cause unknown" for the racing heart and slight arrhythmia (either atrial fibrillation or flutter, but the diagnosis was not clear). About three months later, I underwent electrical cardioversion, a shock to the heart, and it succeeded in returning my rate to normal and without arrhythmia.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">EPISODE 3. A year after the e-cardioversion success my heart rate again went into tachycardia. This was my third episode; it occurred in Shelton, Washington. This episode happened in early March while I was sleeping—after a very large evening meal. The emergency room doctor was unable to stop it. They released me (at 2 am) to return home. My rate was about 135 bpm. This episode ended after about six months of medication (described below) designed to lower the heart rate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">EPISODE 4. A fourth episode occurred, also in Shelton, about a year later, again in March (2013) and again in the evening after a large meal eaten hurriedly and without adequate chewing. This episode ended after about nine months of medication—and three months of taking Vitamin D3 (1000 IU three times weekly).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">EPISODE 5. My fifth episode began on April 29, 2014, after about four months of no tachycardia or irregularity (December 2013 to April 2014). The event started in the evening. The immediate trigger was eating a meal too quickly. I bloated. Then after dinner I bent over to untie my shoe laces. My heart began racing. I could not stop it with deep breathing and back bends. Compression of the heart seems to have been the cause. I began taking 50 mg Metoprolol and 0.25 mg Digoxin. In the following two weeks I went through the familiar stages: (1) At first the medications seem to have little effect; (2) after a few days the heart rate dropped into the 80s; (3) on May 11 (much sooner than in earlier episodes), my heart rate dropped into the 40s-50s. I needed to cut back my walking and walk more slowly too. I reduced my digoxin to 0.125 mg, and then after a few days, deleted it as my heart rate continued to be in the 40s. This episode has shown faster recovery than ever before.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>SUMMARY</b>. There is a general pattern: onset in the dark months of December through April; often in the evening after hastily eating a large meal; often following compression by bending over, though twice the racing heart rate began in my sleep.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>MEDICATIONS</b>. In the first episode, the ER physician released me from the ER without prescribing any medications. In the second episode, while I was in the hospital for the long series of tests, the physician prescribed 100 mg of <b>Metoprolol</b>, taken daily, which is the standard dosage. (The range of dosage is now about 25 to 400 mg/day.) I said I preferred to start at the bottom of the range and work up if that amount was insufficient. (The purpose of Metoprolol is mainly to reduce the heart rate, although it also lowers blood pressure.) The doctor insisted on 100 mg that first day. That night, the hospital monitors sent an alarm to the head nurse because my heart rate down into the low thirties. The nurse said I might be a hyperresponder.) The doctor adjusted the dosage to 50 mg. That brought my heart rate down to the mid forties in the following night, but no lower. (Normally, without medication, the heart rate is lowest in the deepest part of sleep, typically about four or five in the morning.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After leaving the hospital in the second episode, I began working with a non-interventionist cardiologist, Dr. VK. After long discussion, he recommended that I try the first step in the staircase of treatments available: electrical cardioversion. Preparation for that treatment was long: about 10 weeks of treatment with a variety of drugs designed to shape my heart's action. Dr. VK said my arrhythmia was difficult to diagnose. He was not sure whether it was atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation. After a treadmill and other tests, he decided on atrial fibrillation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">During this period of preparing for e-conversion, I took <b>Pradaxa</b> (an expensive, strong anti-coagulant), which I used reluctantly, <b>Multaq</b> (apparently designed to "shape" the rhythm of the heart beat), and <b>Metoprolol</b> (50 mg, time release). I took the Metoprolol at breakfast and the other pills at lunch and dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The time release version of <b>Metoprolol</b>, which is more expensive, is supposed to have a steady effect of lowering the heart rate throughout the day but loses its strength somewhat very late at night when the heart rate is normally lower already. Even the low dosage of 50 mg made me very sleepy after breakfast for about two hours. (Fortunately I am retired and do not need to drive, which would have been dangerous.) Another result for about one month was intestinal upset (gas, loose stools), but this diminished with time. I suspect that the <b>Multaq</b> (prescribed for only a month or so as preparation for e-conversion) and the <b>Pradaxa</b> also contributed to the upset.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After the successful e-conversion, ending my second episode of tachycardia, I took 50 mg of <b>Metoprolol</b> and an 81 mg <b>aspirin</b> daily. (The aspirin, like the <b>Pradaxa</b>, is designed to reduce the chance of a blood clot forming in the heart, when the heart is not operating properly; the clot can be expelled from the heart and into an artery, thus blocking the artery and causing a stroke.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After the onset of my third episode, I again took 50 mg of <b>Metoprolol</b>. I had much less intestinal upset, and even that diminished within two weeks or so. The gut does seem to become accustomed to the Metoprolol.After my fourth episode has ended, I continued to take 50 mg of Metoprolol. I also continued to take <b>Digoxin</b>. One of my physicians recommended it as a way of addressing the slight atrial flutter that accompanied the fourth episode of tachycardia. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The prescription for <b>Digoxin</b> for my fourth episode was for 0.25 mg. I started by taking it at dinner. (I always take these heart tablets in the middle of meals unless the doctor says otherwise.) It seemed to make me jumpy. Going to sleep in the evening was difficult, which was unusual for me. I switched to taking the Digoxin at lunch, and that ended the jumpiness and sleeplessness.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After about two months of taking 0.25 mg of <b>Digoxin</b> (an extract from Foxglove, the drug that painter Vincent Van Gogh was taking when he cut his ear off with a razor), I began having vision problems: bright lights seemed to flicker. I also felt a little disoriented and I was not able to walk straight. I cut the Digoxin tablets in half, and the problems went away. (Any pill that has a "score" down the middle can be cut in half.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My cardiologist for my second episode, Dr. VK, convinced me that even if the tachycardia disappeared, I should continue taking the Metoprolol for the remainder of my life, as a way of reducing the chance of the problem returning. That is why now, after my fourth episode has ended (lasting six months), I continue to take it. For the moment, I will also continue the 0.125 mg of <b>Digoxin</b>. I may wean away from it in a month or so and judge the effect.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>JOURNAL OF READINGS</b>. I measure and record my heart rate and blood pressure at least once daily, usually about 30 minutes after breakfast. Meals make the rate go up. The lead up to a bowel movement makes the heart rate go up. Of course any other physical or emotional event (such as reading the news) can elevate the heart rate and blood pressure. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>USUAL CAUSES</b>. According to what I have read and have been told by physicians, the usual trigger for tachycardia is one or more of these: surgery (and the anesthesia); overweight; severe long-term stress; liver problems; kidney problems; brain tumors; embolisms in the lung; alcohol; stimulants (such as strong coffee); thyroid problems. Most victims of tachycardia are old, overweight, and damaged through an unhealthy lifestyle. However, some victims of tachycardia are young athletes—such as basketball players and runners—who subject their heart to long-term physical stress.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I am old (70), but my first episode occurred 18 years ago. I have been lean or very lean (now Body Mass Index of 18) for most of my adult life. I have frequently pushed myself physically (running up the steepest hills for the challenge of it, for example), and pushing myself to work very long hours without adequate relaxation. I still do not know the long-term cause of my tachycardia episodes, but I suspect that the physical pressure of eating too much volume was probably the direct trigger in each case.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>BEHAVIORAL CHANGES</b>. Why did my fourth episode of tachycardia stop by itself? Why was my fifth episode so short and stopped by itself? Possible causes are:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(1) <i>Curative effect of taking Vitamin D3</i> for several months. I was taking a standard, low dose of 1000 IU three times weekly. This seems to me, a layman, to be the most likely cure. Inadequate Vitamin D intake was the most likely cause of the tachcardia: All four onsets began in the December to March period of the years, the time when my Vitamin D level would be lowest. On my diet, I take in no Vitamin D from food (no fish, for example) and I live in rain-forest country, where, even walking outside two hours daily, I receive little sunshine from September to May.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(2) <i>A cumulating effect of the medications</i>. Does the <b>Metoprolol</b> "train" the nerve to fire at a slower rate? I do not know.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(3) <i>Stopping "pushing" myself when I walk</i>; I now still walk up steep hills, but I do so slowly, without accelerating my heart rate much. I continue to walk two hours daily, but I cover less distance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(4) <i>Avoiding stressful situations</i> such as reading the news. I can do nothing about the events featured in the news. They make me angry or sad, but I have no way to correct them. Now, when eating, I read a novel instead of reading the news stream of mostly terrible events.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(5) <i>Monitoring myself</i>: Am I physically and mentally relaxed? Am I focused on one task? Being relaxed does not mean being unproductive or working less.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(6) <i>Stretching</i> more, especially before sleeping.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(7) <i>Resting</i> more. A short nap can reduce my heart rate by 20 bpm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(8) <i>Avoiding all stimulants</i>, but still drinking sufficient liquid. I avoid coffee, black tea, green tea, and even herbal teas that might stimulate the heart rate. The only teas I drink at the moment are Lemon Balm and Mint and occasionally "Nighty Night," a mixture designed to encourage relaxation and sleep. By drinking one cup of herbal tea or water (with or without a squeeze of lemon) after each meal, I consume plenty of liquid. Plus, most of my meals are either potato stew or steamed rice (which absorbs a lot of water in cooking).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(8) <i>Being objective</i>, by which I mean focusing on objects directly in front of and not worrying about real or imaginary events occurring outside of my life. This focusing includes engaging in one task at a time and not multitasking. Often slower is faster.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">(9) <i>Chewing my food thoroughly and eating slowly</i>, without stress.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Burgess Laughlin</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, described <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">here</a></span><br />
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P.S. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>If you have successfully stopped your own tachycardia episodes, please comment below.</i></span></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-59677937294561025092012-12-18T07:19:00.000-08:002013-11-18T05:19:19.769-08:00A Low-Sulphur Elimination Diet<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Of all the
inflammation problems I have had, my dermatitis is always the first to appear
if I eat something inflammatory. I can begin to diagnose the problem by
following my low-sulphur elimination diet. The term "elimination"
refers to eliminating from the diet all foods that are known or suspected to
cause inflammation. The few foods remaining <i>are</i> the
Elimination Diet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>RATIONALE
FOR A LOW-SULPHUR DIET AS A TEST</b>. Why are the foods on my Elimination
Diet low sulphur? Because, <i>for me</i>, the concentration of
sulphur in a food is the best predictor of whether I will get an inflammation
reaction. (I do not know whether sulphur is the cause of the inflammation or
whether it is a "confounder," that is, something that is always
present when the real cause is present.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Example foods
that are very high in sulphur are mustard and clams. All animal products,
except isolated fats, are high in sulphur. Almost all nuts, beans, peas, and
grains are high in sulphur. (There are exceptions.) Example foods that are very
low in sulphur are yams, celery, and many fruits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>PROCEDURE</b>.
If I follow the low-sulphur elimination diet, with perfect compliance, for one
to two weeks and see some improvement, then I suspect that I have eliminated
something that was causing the problem. I can then begin the long process
of adding eliminated foods back into my diet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The standard reintroduction test
is to add one serving of the suspect food (for example, asparagus) per meal for
six meals in a row (two days). If I start on Monday morning at breakfast, the
reintroduction will be completed with the evening meal on Tuesday, and then I
eat only the elimination diet foods while waiting for a reaction, if any. If
there is no reaction by Sunday, then on Monday I will test the next food. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even if no
inflammation reaction appears after testing a food, it is important to wait the
five days (Wednesday-Sunday) between tests— to give the body time to dispose of
the test food and its effects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>GUIDE
TO SULPHUR IN FOODS</b>. I have not been able to find a recent,
comprehensive list of foods ranked by their sulphur content (milligrams of
sulphur in each 100 gram serving). The guide I am using is this old document,
"The Sulphur Content of Foods," by Margery Masters and Robert
Alexander McCance, now on pdf: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf">
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">So far, it has confirmed my earlier tests and worked perfectly as a predictor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>ALLOWED
FOODS</b>. To follow this diagnostic diet, I eat foods from the following
list and no other foods, not even seasonings. All the listed foods are rated at
less than 25 milligrams/100 gram serving. Numbers in parentheses are the
amounts of sulphur, in mg/100 g serving. All the foods listed below should be
either organic or pure (no additives of any kind, especially no sulphur-based preservatives).
To save money, I buy pure foods, either frozen, fresh, or canned (in water or
juice) and generally avoid organics, which are very expensive. (Fruits canned in syrup can be washed.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In my personal
Elimination Diet list, I have <i>excluded</i> some low-sulphur foods
that have a reputation for causing inflammation problems in some individuals.
Citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, and so forth) are examples, though I am not certain about them. I have <i>included</i>
"nightshades" (eggplants, tomatoes, and potatoes). They cause no
problems for me; but some other individuals report getting a reaction from
them. If you are unsure of your reaction to citrus fruits and nightshades, then you might start by excluding them. You can use them as test foods, introducing one
per week back into your diet. Be cautious about generalizing. I have a strong adverse reaction to grapefruit, but no reaction to lemons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>AMBIGUOUS
RESULTS</b>. In testing a food, you might get an ambiguous result. You
might not be sure whether you are experiencing an inflammation reaction. My
suggestion is to set that food aside. Test it again months later, and test it with a
higher dose—for example, <i>two</i> servings per meal for six meals
in a row. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>ALLOWED
FOODS</b>. The following foods are the foods I know to be safe for me. They
do not cause inflammation problems in my skin. I eat something from each of the first three categories at every meal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. STARCHES:
celery root (9 mg/100 g); pumpkin, canned, pure (10); winter squash, such as
acorn, fresh or in frozen blocks, pure (10); sweet potatoes (15); yams (15);
parsnips (15); and Russet, red, or gold potatoes (boiled, peeled at dinner
table, 23).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2. VEGETABLES:
carrots (9 mg/100 g); beans, green ("French" or "string,"
9); celery (9); eggplant (9); cucumber (11); artichoke hearts (16); beets (22).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">3. FRUIT
(including "salad fruit"); pineapple (3 mg/100 g); apples (4); plums
(5); pears (5); peaches (6); apricots (6); cherries (7); honeydew and other
melons (7-12); grapes (9); nectarines (10); tomatoes (10); blackberries (13);
bananas (13); figs, green (13); strawberries (14); raspberries (18); prunes
(19).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">4. FLAVORINGS:
honey (1); white cane sugar (14); vinegar (19); salt (23-35?).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Suggestion: If
you want to be extra cautious, you might start with foods that are rated at 15 mg/serving or less, which would include yams and parsnips. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burgess Laughlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-72625176484481981232011-11-29T05:52:00.000-08:002013-01-17T08:46:29.436-08:00Low Sulphur Experiment is Successful<b>SULPHUR AS A SUSPECT</b>. I have long suspected that sulphur (sulfur) might be the cause of my inflammation problems. Recently I finally found a list of foods evaluated for their sulphur content. I used that list as my guide in designing a low-sulphur diet.<br />
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<div>
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf</a></div>
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<b>A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIMENT</b>. For six weeks, I have experimented with a low sulphur diet. At first I tried to eat only foods that contain less than <b>10 mg</b>/100 g serving (about half a cup). Examples are celery (8 mg) and cherries (7 mg). Many fruits fit this category. Few vegetables fit it. No major starches, except pumpkin (9.5 mg) meet this requirement. I soon realized that I would have a lot of trouble getting enough protein. To do so, I raised my limit to <b>20 mg</b>/100 g serving. Thus I was able to include sweet potatoes (yellow inside) and yams (orange inside), at 15 mg.</div>
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Since I had no problems with any food having up to 20 mg of sulphur, I lifted the bar again, to <b>30 mg</b>. This expansion allowed me to add potatoes (22 mg), thus assuring me all the essential amino acids -- as well as a tasteful and filling meal.</div>
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I am now slowly and cautiously adding foods from an even higher level of sulphur. An example is asparagus (<b>46 mg</b>). So far I have had no adverse reaction.</div>
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<b>SULPHUR VS. PRAL?</b> Previously I used Potential Renal Acid Load as my guide for deciding which foods to eat. I avoided foods that tended to produce acidity in the kidneys after digestion; and I ate only foods that tended to produce an alkaline condition in the kidneys. The PRAL standard worked very well, reducing my inflammation problems by 99%. The low sulphur diet, however, is even more effective. It has wiped out the last 1% of the problems I have had intermittently for several years -- particularly the last of the eczema and occasional pain problems.</div>
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<b>SULPHUR VS. SULPHUR-BEARING AMINO ACIDS?</b> Have I actually identified sulphur, which is a natural chemical <i>element</i>, as the cause of my inflammation problems? I would say "no." Sulphur load might be only a proxy, confounder, or coincident indicator. The problem might be, not the <i>element</i> sulphur, but certain amino acids that <i>contain</i> a lot of sulphur, particularly cysteine and methionine. I do not know. </div>
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<b>REMAINING PROBLEM</b>. So far, I have been using only the amount of sulphur in each food as my guide. I have not been calculating the total amount of sulphur in a particular meal. I do not know which is more important. For the sake of simplicity, I will operate on the assumption that I should have only one higher-sulphur food per meal. That standard is easy to meet. I always eat fruit, which is very low in sulphur; I always eat roots or gourds, which are low in sulphur; and I always eat only about 1 C of vegetable, the one food I would consider at the higher sulphur levels. (I completely avoid all the highest sulphur foods: animal products and "seeds" of all kinds, such as grains, nuts, beans, peas, and especially seeds such as mustard, which has one of the highest sulphur ratings on the list.)</div>
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<b>ACCEPTABLE FOODS</b>. For an ever-growing list of acceptable, low-sulphur foods, see "What do I eat now?" -- originally posted on July 15, 2010. There is a link to it in the Key Posts list in the upper right corner of this page.</div>
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I will add to this post as I learn more.</div>
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Burgess Laughlin</div>
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Author,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i><i>The Power and the Glory:The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></i></a></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-38872537189313932282011-03-30T14:25:00.002-07:002013-11-29T06:28:25.703-08:00Metoprolol<div class="MsoNormal">
LAST UPDATED (Bottom) July 6, 2012</div>
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<br />
(This post is a diary. For a summary and overview of my tachycardia and arrhythmia experiences see the October 13, 2013 post here: http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2013/10/tachycardia-arrhythmia.html)<br />
<br />
Cardio-version ended my second episode of atrial fibrillation, as described in the January 25, 2011 post <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-atrial-fibrillationflutter-adventure.html">here</a>. My cardiologist recommended that I take 50 mg of time release Metoprolol every morning for the remainder of my life. The purpose of the Metoprolol is to suppress the heart rate. By preventing it from beating too fast (for example, under great stress), the Metoprolol helps prevent the sort of instability that might lead to atrial fibrillation. </div>
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My doctor expects the atrial fibrillation to return. (He said, "When, not if.") He said the most likely causes of reversion to afib are (1) alcohol (which I do not drink at all) and (2) general anesthesia (which I hope to avoid for many years).</div>
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This post summarizes information about Metoprolol that I have gained through the help of an associate. As a layman, I think the information I cite is reliable, but each person must decide for himself.<br />
<b>WHAT IS METOPROLOL?</b> According to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4138856269361137555" ref="http://www.drugs.com/metoprolol.html">drugs.com</a>, Metoprolol is a beta blocker, that is, a drug designed to block heart receptors. The drug blocks chemicals in the blood that stimulate heart beat. Metoprolol thus reduces heart rate and thereby improves efficiency of pumping and reduces blood pressure.<br />
<b>IS METOPROLOL SAFE?</b> Though I prefer taking no drugs at all, I think Metoprolol (also known as Toprol XL) is a safe drug, compared to many others. Coincidence and correlation are not causation. No proof shows that Metoprolol always or generally causes any particular adverse conditions. However, as always, some users report one or more adverse conditions while taking Metoprolol. For most adverse conditions reported, the number of reports is very small compared to the much larger number of individuals taking the drug. Partial exceptions are sleepiness (10% of users), depression (5%), and intestinal upset (diarrhea or nausea, 5% each). I experienced all of those at one time, but the effects faded after a few weeks.<br />
<b>WHEN SHOULD I TAKE IT AND HOW? </b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I should take my Metoprolol tablet ("Extended Release") at the same time every day, in the morning, with breakfast. I need to swallow it whole so that this time-release tablet dissolves slowly during the following 24 hours. (Thus, I am receiving the lowest dose at the very time when I need Metoprolol the least, which is during deep sleep, when the heart is naturally beating most slowly.)</span></b><br />
<b>IS 50 MG A LARGE DOSE? </b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I read literature from my pharmacist that said the range available is 50 to 200 mg. (My doctor originally recommended 150 mg.) If that is accurate, then I am taking the smallest dose available as a whole time-release tablet. I am considering cutting each one in half, a procedure which is acceptable as long as I do not crush it and thus destroy its time-release capability.</span></b><br />
<b>UPDATE, April 30, 2011</b>: Last week both my eyes became bloodshot. The left eye's right side was becoming dark red. Alarmed, I went to an urgent care clinic on Saturday morning. While giving me a routine preliminary examination, the nurse noticed that my bloodpressure was acceptable (115/65) but my heart rate was disturbingly low (40 BPM). Metoprolol is the most likely cause of both problems -- the bloodshot eyes and the excessively low heart rate. On the next day, and thereafter, I took half a dose, 25 mg, at breakfast. My eyes began clearing within 24 hours. My heart rate is closer to 50 BPM now (at around 10 am). I will continue at the half-dose while I consider ending my use of Metoprolol.<br />
<b>UPDATE, May 21, 2011</b>: I have extended my dosage experiment by reducing the dosage of Metoprolol to 12.5 mg (cutting the tablet twice). So far, my blood pressure (typically 120/65 at 9 am) and my resting heart rate (typically 45-55) have remained low, even with a 75% reduction in dosage. My medication symptoms (somewhat loose stools, drowsiness, slight nausea between meals) are gone. I may dispense with the Metroprolol altogether.<br />
<b>UPDATE, August 26, 2011</b>: A few days after the May 21 update, I increased the daily time-release Metoprolol back up to 25 mg and kept it there until August 25, when I stopped the Metoprolol completely. Now, on my second day, I am seeing a more positive mood, somewhat faster transit of food through my intestine, less drowsiness after breakfast, no more dry eye.</div>
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Unfortunately, my blood pressure rose (up by c. 10/10 to c. 130/80, averaged throughout the day) and my heart rate rose (up about 10 bpm, to around 65). (I was alarmed when my BP spiked mid-afternoon at c. 133/96, but then it declined into the evening. I will continue monitoring. If they do not go higher, I will continue avoiding the Metoprolol.<br />
<b>UPDATE, October 16, 2011</b>: After returning to a 25 mg dose, shortly after Aug. 26, I continued for about a month and then once again took 12.5 mg daily until yesterday. Today is my first day trying again to live without Metoprolol. (I am now taking only a daily probiotic capsule and a twice-weekly Vitamin B12 tablet, 500 micrograms each.) In the days ahead, if my blood pressure and heart rate do not rise alarmingly, I will continue avoiding Metoprolol.<br />
<b>UPDATE, October 30, 2011</b>: My blood pressure did rise alarmingly. Here are readings in the late afternoon two days after stopping: 122/87, 68 bpm at 405 pm; 116/86, 70 bpm at 408 pm; 121/88, 67 bpm at 430 pm; 142/96, 60 bpm at 530 pm. I have returned to taking 25 mg of Metoprolol every morning, probably for the rest of my life, as my cardiologist had suggested. A typical recent reading is: 126/74, 50 bpm at 810 pm.<br />
<b>UPDATE, November 28, 2011</b>. OFF METOPROLOL! At the recommendation of a Physician's Assistant, at a new general practice clinic, I halved my dosage of Metoprolol for a week and then stopped taking it. So far, five days later, the readings are acceptable: E.g., 116/71 at 58 bpm and 128/72 also at 58 bpm. I learned that, at least at the new clinic (which has no cardiologists), cardiologists generally have a reputation for seeking a much lower heart rate than most primary care physicians would seek. I am now free of pharmaceuticals.<br />
<b>UPDATE, March 30, 2012</b>. BACK ON METOPROLOL. On March 10, when I woke up, I had a very irregular heart beat and a very fast heart rate. It did not subside, even with deep breathing. I went to the local hospital. Diagnosis: tachycardia (cause unknown, but no thyroid problems), a slight anemia (cause unknown), and dehydration. The arrhythmia corrected itself. I was treated with intravenous water, with no improvement, and then with Ativan (valium), with no improvement. My heart rate was c. 120 bpm and blood pressure c. 140/90. Two days later, on Monday, at my doctor's office, my doctor and I agreed that returning to metoprolol was the safest, most sensible next step. I will take 50 mg, daily (time release), measure the results for 2 weeks, and then take my blood pressure and heart rate log to my doctor. In retrospect, I should not have stopped taking the Metoprolol.</div>
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<o:p>In another visit to my doctor, I found that I am in "atrial flutter." I am waiting now to talk to a cardiologist who visits this small town. We will decide whether to simply continue suppressing the heart rate with Metoprolol or plan for another cardioversion to try to reset the rate and rhythm.</o:p><br />
<b>UPDATE, July 6, 201</b>2. BACK TO NORMAL; REDUCED DOSAGE. I talked to the local cardiologist, a moderately aggressive interventionist. I rejected his suggestion to prepare for cardioversion. I chose instead to stay with 50 mg of Metoprolol to suppress the heart rate, and live with it. Around June 15, I noticed that I was no longer aware of my own rapid and irregular heart rate. I measure it daily, at the same time, for two weeks. The average rate was about 48 bpm, with blood pressure of about 120/65. The skips and pauses were gone, judging from what I could feel with my finger tips. I cut my Metoprolol dosage in half, to 25 mg/day, time release. On July 5, an EKG at my doctor's office confirmed those numbers and the proper rhythm as well. I will continue to take 25 mg daily, time release.<br />
What might have caused reversion to a regular, though rather low rate? Possibly one of these changes: (1) I had increased by supplementation with Vitamin B12 to 50 micrograms, 5 days per week and 500 micrograms twice weekly, thus more than doubling the dosage; (2) I had started using salt again, thus reintroducing more iodine; (3) I had started eating one Brazil nut per meal (for selenium); and (4) I had stopped eating avocados (to which I might be allergic). How long will this last? We will see.</div>
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Comments are welcome, especially about your own experiences with Metoprolol.<br />
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Burgess Laughlin</div>
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Author, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/"><i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i></a></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-19065788660767463122011-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:002011-12-07T07:09:10.622-08:00BkRev: "Over-Diagnosed" by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">H. Gilbert Welch, MD, Lisa Schwartz, MD, and Steven Woloshin, MD, </span></b><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Over-Diagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health</span></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, Boston, Beacon Press, 2011, 228 pages</span></b>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807022004/">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807022004/</a></span><div><br /></div><div>"So when I suggest," writes Dr. Gilbert Welch, "that we develop a healthy skepticism about early diagnosis, I am referring specifically to seeking diagnoses in the absence of symptoms, because that's when overdiagnosis can occur. ... I'm simply suggesting that we should be most cautious about early diagnosis in those who feel well" (p. 185).</div><div><br /></div><div>"Some," Dr. Welch continues, " may prefer to pursue health: to focus on feeling healthy and minimize medical contact while they are well. They accept a slightly higher chance of death or disability to minimize the chance of medicalization, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment now. They prefer to reserve medical care for problems that are obvious to them. Others may want to pursue disease: do everything they can to be healthy in the future and to decrease their chances of experiencing death or disability -- even with the knowledge that they are more likely to be diagnosed with disease, more likely to be frequently exposed to medical care, and more likely to suffer harm" (p. 185)</div><div><br /></div><div>Those two basic choices -- primarily pursue health or primarily pursue disease -- are the alternatives the author of <i>Over-Diagnosed </i>offers at the end of his book. To reach that end, the author clearly but in considerable detail examines the potential benefits and dangers of premature diagnosis, that is, diagnosis formed before symptoms lead a patient to seek a solution to emerging problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>The author explains the principles of diagnosis and overdiagnosis as he proceeds through a list of common diseases that most people -- and usually their doctors -- fear enough to be medically tested even before symptoms of disease appear. Those common diseases are: diabetes, osteoporosis, gallstones, damaged knee cartilage, bulging discs, abdominal aortic aneurysms, blood clots, defective pregnancies, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and other cancers. He also considers markers which are not themselves diseases but which might be harbingers of later disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and genetic defects.</div><div><br /></div><div>Welch meticulously shows the dangers of screening, that is, of automatically testing everyone -- or at least everyone of a certain category -- for the presence of a disease, even if they have no symptoms. The evidence for and against screening or other forms of premature diagnoses is mixed, which is why making a decision is difficult -- as much for physicians as for patients.</div><div><br /></div><div>The time to read this thoroughly documented book is now, not when a physician tells you that you should be screened periodically for disease X or that you "might" have cancer or other frightening disease. Then you can make your choice about which approach you want to take.</div><div><br /></div><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author, <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reasn vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-21231830132557463702011-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:002013-11-29T06:29:54.670-08:00My atrial fibrillation adventure(This post is a diary. For a summary and overview of my tachycardia and arrhythmia experiences see the October 13, 2013 post here: http://www.anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2013/10/tachycardia-arrhythmia.html)<br />
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This post is my "journal" for my most recent medical adventure, chronic atrial fibrillation. I will revise the post as events unfold. I am not asking for specific medical advice. I welcome any suggestions for topics that I should consider or reconsider.<br />
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<b>CHRONOLOGY</b></div>
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<b>1997</b>: EPISODE OF AFIB. After a large dinner, I walked, stopped, bent over to retie my shoe laces -- and my heart began beating irregularly and about 170 beats per minute (as I heard later from the emergency medical technicians who examined me). A doctor in the emergency room administered a chemical intravenously. It restored the regular rate. I walked home from the hospital.<br />
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<b>2010</b>, <b>Dec. 19-23</b>: CHRONIC AFIB. After a large dinner, I experience a rapid, strong, and irregular heart rate. It continued that way, with some variation, for four days. (I have learned to avoid rushing into medical treatments.) At the end of that period, I called 911 because I was worried about the rate. The emergency technicians said it was spiking at about 170 beats per minute.</div>
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Chronic atrial fibrillation, in some forms, is dangerous long-term because of the possibility of (1) eventual deterioration of the heart muscles, and (2) stroke resulting from a blood clot forming in the atrium, being expelled into an artery, and then blocking an artery somewhere in the body. Besides the danger, "afib" is very uncomfortable in some forms and very distracting. (My productivity for any kind of intellectual work plunged.)</div>
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<b>2010</b>, <b>Dec. </b><b>23-25</b>: ER AND HOSPITALIZATION. I went to a local hospital's emergency room. The doctor in charge administered, through an intravenous tube, a drug designed to regulate the heart rate. It did not work. The medication did improve the beat regularity somewhat and did lower the rate to about 130 BPM. (A safe rate is less than 90 and an ideal rate is about 60 BPM.) </div>
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I was admitted to the hospital from the ER. I had tests of my heart (electrocardiogram and echocardiogram [ultrasound]), thyroid (no problem), lungs (CAT scan, no embolism), "heart protein" (meaning unclear, but no problem), blood (no problem with either fat levels or vitamin or mineral deficiencies). I also had no kidney or liver or other organ problems. (That was good news I attribute to my diet.) No one asked me about what I eat except that the hospital dietician asked if there are foods to which I am allergic.</div>
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Struggling against the standard hospital over-treatment, I rejected some of the drugs which hospitals automatically prescribe for every heart patient: stool softener (I eat a high-fiber diet!), antacid (I have had no acid reflux since adopting my "anti-itis" diet six years ago), pain reliever (I have had no chest pain), two of the three anticoagulants (I accepted only an <b>aspirin</b> daily). I did accept <b>Metoprolol</b> (which suppresses the rapid heart rate to a safe level) in the lowest dosage (12.5 mg, 2x daily). The official diagnosis was atrial fibrillation, with no identified cause. I was discharged on Dec. 25 with instructions to take Coumadin (Warfarin, an anticoagulant designed to reduce the chance of a blod clot forming in the atria). </div>
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<b>2010, Dec. 26 - 2011, Jan. 1st week</b>: OUT OF THE HOSPITAL: PHARMACEUTICALS. For about five days, I experienced oscillating mild chill and fever, but it faded away. I researched online for the nature and effects of Coumadin (Warfarin). I decided not to take it. </div>
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I was examined briefly by my new primary care physician, Dr. C, and he gave me a short list of local cardiologists. I found Dr. K, a non-intervention specialist. He prescribed a higher dose of <b>Metoprolol</b>, a beta-blocker, 35 mg, taken once daily in the morning with breakfast. (The lower dose that I had requested in the hospital, as a start, wasn't working when I was under stress -- e.g., in a doctor's office.) My Metoprolol is now a time-release medication; it works for 24 hours and is weakest at precisely the time of day when my heart rate is naturally lowest, thus avoiding the danger of over-medicating and slowing the heart rate too much.</div>
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Dr. K discontinued my aspirin. He prescribed <b>Digoxin</b>, another beta-blocker designed to suppress heart beat. Dr. K also prescribed a drug newly "approved" in the USA, <b>Pradaxa,</b> an anti-coagulant. He gave me enough free drug samples of the Pradaxa (normally about $250/month), to last me until a stress test in his office. At that point, Dr. K said, he might be able to offer a more definitive diagnosis and recommend either a treatment program (possibly continuing the Pradaxa) or acceptance that I will need to live with the problem and continue taking Metoprolol and Digoxin to suppress the racing heart.</div>
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Dr. K confirmed what I had read about risk. The hospital doctors told me that I was at "high risk" of stroke, but I found later (and confirmed by my cardiologist) that the actual<b> risk of stroke</b> for a 66 year old man with afib, without medication, is, say, only about a 2% chance per year. With medication, it drops to about 1% per year. (The exact numbers are unclear to me.) So, <i>relatively</i> there is a much higher risk (100%) of stroke with not taking an anticoagulant, but the <i>absolute</i> level of risk is fairly small. On the "CHADS" scoring system (0 for the lowest risk, 6 for the highest risk), I am in the 0 category. As usual, the hospital doctors were being (over) cautious, perhaps for legal or regulatory reasons as well as training.</div>
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The <b>pharmaceuticals</b> I am taking now (Metoprolol, Digoxin, and Pradaxa) caused diarrhea in the first week. That problem lessened after about five days and then ceased when I began adding a <b>probiotic</b> (over the counter, chewable tablet, one per meal, containing Lactobacillus Acidophilus and L. Bifidus). I take all medications in the middle of meals, but spaced apart.</div>
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I am taking at meals two <b>nutraceuticals </b>-- nonprescription nutritional supplements designed to address specific problems<b> --</b> recommended by two cardio physicians whose books I have read (with serious doubts, in one case): <b>cod liver oil</b> (1 teaspoon/meal), <b>Vitamin B12</b> (50 mcg, 2 x week), and <b>magnesium oxide</b>/<b>gluconate</b> (1/day, 250 mg, which is about 63% of the Recommended Daily Allowance). The largest sources of magnesium are animal products and "seeds" (grains, and so forth). I can eat no animal products (except fats) or "seeds" without bringing my "-itis" problems back. (See "Key Posts" in the upper right corner.)</div>
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Three circumstances now accelerate my heart rate disturbingly: sitting up or standing up too quickly; compression (for exmple, bending over to tie my shoelaces); and mental stress (for example, reading the news). Mental stress is the strongest cause and the most difficult for me to control, but I am learning. My quality of life might depend on it.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">GENERAL OUTLOOK: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As of Jan. 25, a month after leaving the hospital, I have fully recovered my strong appetite, energy level, and exercise schedule (light weights, stretching, and walking 2 hours/day). Although I don't expect to live as long as I had originally hoped (85), I am cautiously hopeful that I can continue to live well for more years without yet starting to slide down the pharmaceutical spiral of ever-more drugs that treat the destructive effects of earlier drugs. I have no fear of death or of dying. I hate the idea of becoming progressively sicker because of pharmaceuticals.</span></span></div>
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<b>UPDATE, 2011, Jan. 31, 10 am stress test</b>: I took the stress test and enjoyed it. The main conclusions Dr. K reached are: (1) I have no heart problems other than the atrial fibrillation, and even that is not major; my heart efficiency is low but not dangerously so. (2) The Metoprolol and Digoxin are indeed suppressing my heart rate. (3) I need to continue the anti-coagulant Pradaxa until I can make a decision (after one more tests in three weeks) whether to have cardioversion or continue with some combination of drugs. (4) I probably will be able to replace the Pradaxa with a daily aspirin, eventually. (5) I am still in the bottom, least-risk category of the ranking for stroke risk. (That is why an aspirin will be sufficient, long-term.)</div>
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The details are, so far, unclear, but apparently the next step is to begin an additional drug for a few weeks, and then I will have another EKG. Apparently the new drug is a mild form of cardio-version (turning the irregular heart beat back to normal) that is safe for outpatient use. (More serious electrical, chemical, or surgical cardio-version would require hospitalization because of the doctors' fear of a stroke from a blood clot released during the cardio-version process. Apparently, when I begin the new drug, I will continue taking the Digoxin and Metoprolol but at reduced levels. I may have more details after February 2.</div>
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<b>UPDATE, Jan. 31, 5 pm and 11 pm</b>: While preparing dinner, I injured one finger with a tiny cut. It bled a small amount, but continuously for 30 minutes, despite soaking in cold water and wrapping it in tissue. </div>
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<b>UPDATE, Feb. 4</b>: Today I received my new instructions, via my doctor's medical assistant/nurse. I will continue taking Metoprolol (1/day, but now at 25 mg, half the previous daily dose), for rate control, and Pradaxa (2/day), for anticoagulation. Replacing the Digoxin will be <b>Multaq </b>(dranedarone),<b> </b>400 mg/tablet (2/day), for rhythm control, as a sort of out-patient cardioversion, apparently. I am also continuing my nutraceuticals: probiotic (1/2 per meal), magnesium (250 mg, 1/day), cod liver oil (1 t, 3/day), and B12 (50 mg, 2/week). I am scheduled for an EKG in my doctor's office on Feb. 17.</div>
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I have a growing list of questions about the drugs, especially the Multaq: what are its advantages over its competitors? Safer? More effective? Only one governmentally approved for outpatient cardioversion (as my doctor had suggested in the past)?</div>
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<b>UPDATE, Feb. 17</b>: An EKG in my doctor's office revealed that I do indeed still have atrial fibrillation and my heart rate, even under medication, remains high (78 bpm). The chemical treatment (Metoprolol, Multaq), which is therapy stage 1, failed to reset my heart rhythm or lower the rate enough.</div>
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I agree with my doctor that trying the next stage of therapy, stage 2, is worthwhile, though it is expensive and has a success rate of only about 65% of the cases. This stage 2 is "cardioversion," in which I will be sedated at the hospital and then given a painless shock to my heart. The purpose is mainly to restore proper rhythm, apparently. I don't know whether lowering the rate is also a goal of cardioversion. The brochure I received from my doctor speaks only of rhythm restoration. My understanding though is that if the rhythm is proper, the rate will follow naturally. (I will need to double-check that.)</div>
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If the treatment does not work, or if it works only for a few months, I will not repeat it. (The success rate of repeated treatment is very low.) Instead, I will use only one drug, Metoprolol (plus an aspirin as the anti-coagulant), to fully control the heart rate and thereby make the heart more efficient. This approach is similar to the one Dr. McDougall describes in his newsletter article on Coumadin: Suppress the high heart rate (which functionally is the key problem) and live with it.</div>
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<b>UPDATE, Feb. 24</b>: Today I had the cardioversion therapy. It worked! My heart is now back in a normal rhythm and rate range. The procedure was painless, thanks to the intravenous sedation. If you have the procedure done, don't drive or make any important decisions afterward! I could barely form a complete sentence. I came home and slept for three hours. </div>
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My doctor convinced me that, on the short-term, I need to continue the drugs in order to keep my heart in a narrow range of rate (Metoprolol) and rhythm (Multaq), as well as to protect myself from a clot expelled by my now more effective heart (Pradaxa).</div>
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<b>UPDATE, March 8</b>: I consulted with my cardiologist today. Here is the plan: (1) Stop taking Pradaxa, the anticoagulant. (Drop from two doses daily to 1 dose daily, for 3 days, then stop altogether.) (2) For the rest of my life, take an 81 mg aspirin tablet daily as an anticoagulant. (3) Stop taking the Multaq after one more week. (4) For the rest of my life, take Metoprolol, 50 mg, time release, every morning, to keep the heart beating in a low range, thus avoiding a higher range that might send it into fibrillation again. The two usual causes of returning to afib are: drinking alcohol and general anesthesia for surgery. </div>
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I have hired a nurse-researcher to help me gather information about metoprolol: What are the risks of long-term usage? (My doctor says there are no established cumulative adverse effects.)</div>
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<b>UPDATE, March 19:</b> I have returned to normal, almost. I am walking as quickly (3 mph) and as far (5-6 miles/day) now as I did before the afib episode. I have stopped taking the daily <b>aspirin</b>. I do not need any anti-coagulant, either in general or in particular for the former afib problem. Now I am taking only the <b>Metoprolol</b>, 50 mg, a low dosage, but one high enough to make me drowsy two hours after swallowing it with breakfast. I am considering experimenting with a half-dose. I am continuing to take 1 teaspoon of <b>cod liver oil</b> per meal, one <b>magnesium</b> tablet (250 mg, 60% of RDA) per day, and two 50 microgram Vit. <b>B12</b> tablets per week. The oil and magnesium are recommended by <i>some</i> cardiologists, though in <i>much</i> higher doses than I am taking. I am also continuing to take half a <b>probiotic</b> wafer per meal.</div>
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<b>UPDATE, May 5</b>: I now take 25 mg of <b>Metoprolol</b>. (I am cutting the regular tablets in half.) I take no other medications: no aspirin, no magnesium, and no cod liver oil. I continue to take a probiotic and a Vitamin B12 tablet (50 micrograms twice weekly).</div>
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<b>UPDATE, August 26</b>: Yesterday I stopped taking the Metoprolol. My mood is more positive; food transit time is a little faster; and I am much less drowsy. My blood pressure and heart rate have risen (about 10/10 and 10, respectively). That increase -- if it goes no higher -- is not alarming, but it is worth watching.</div>
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<b>UPDATE, April 24, 2012</b>: In March, 2012, I went back into afib. The cardioversion worked for one year. I do not know what caused recurrence. In a local emergency room, the physician said I was dehydrated and "moderately low" anemic. The hospital found no other possible causes (as in the previous episode). I never noticed being particularly thirsty. Now I am wrestling again with trying to decide what to do: Continue with medication (Metoprolol, 50 mg) to control the rate (about 130 bpm without medication, about 80 with medication) and blood pressure (about 125/80 with, 150/90 without)? Or try cardioversion again, and if that doesn't work, try more invasive procedures? This time, I may choose to take the medication and just live (or die) with it. I will write more after I resolve some of the many issues.<br />
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<b>UPDATE, September 15, 2012</b>: After taking 50 mg of Metoprolol daily April-July, and after refusing a second cardioversion, my heart has returned to normal sinus rhythm. My physician confirmed that a few days ago, while I was taking 25 mg of Metoprolol. (Because my heart rate has been dropping as low as the 40s, I have begun taking 12.5 mg, half a 25 mg tablet.) I probably will continue the Metoprolol. I am monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure. I have discussed the possibility of substituting digoxin, but my physician and I have not yet made a decision. Possible causes of a return to normal rhythm are: (1) an increased dosage of Vitamin B12 (from c. 250 to 1250 micrograms/week) in the two weeks before; and (2) resumption of using salt (containing iodine). The afib has disappeared as "spontaneously" as it had appeared.<br />
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Burgess Laughlin
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Author of <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</a></div>
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Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-12145630074393445912010-07-15T20:58:00.010-07:002014-04-13T04:08:08.008-07:00What do I eat now?<div>
[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the basic posts first, listed in "Key Posts" in the top right corner.]</div>
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<b>LAST UPDATED April 13, 2014</b></div>
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<i>(This list reflects my change from </i>Potential Renal Acid Load<i> to </i>sulphur/methionine<i> as a guide for selecting foods; the two guides overlap, but for me sulphur/methionine is a more accurate guide to preventing my inflammation problems.)</i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Occasionally readers ask me what I eat and how I prepare it. When I started this diet, the food tasted bland. Now it is delicious, if properly prepared. (Tastes change in a month or two, and one can learn, within a few months, to better prepare even bland foods.)</span></b></div>
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<b>SUMMARY</b>: I now (Nov. 28, 2011) eat<b> </b>only foods that are low in sulphur, <i>generally</i> less than 80 mg/100 g serving. I eat most tuber and gourd starches; most fruit; and many common vegetables. I eat no animal products (except honey) and no concentrations of "seeds." By no concentrations of seeds I mean no nuts (except noted below), no beans (except "green" beans), no peas, no grains, and no seasonings made from seeds (such as mustard). I eat three meals per day and usually nothing between meals (to simplify my life).<br />
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<b>TWO SULPHUR LISTS</b>. The <b>sulphur rating list</b> I use is in this pdf:</div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264524/pdf/biochemj01022-0143.pdf</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That list was made in 1939. Following is a more recent and longer list offered by Steve C in a comment on this weblog; I have not yet evaluated it; the introduction to it provides useful information about protein (methionine) containing sulphur: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data5g.html">http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data5g.html</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Overall the two lists agree. Use them cautiously. Keep in mind that some foods tested by the laboratories had sulphur <i>added</i> to them by the manufacturer. For example, that fact explains why dried apricots (which have sulphur compounds added to preserve them) are much higher in sulphur than fresh or canned apricots.</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GENERAL</span> GUIDELINES</b>. For each meal, I can eat unlimited quantities of foods rated at 25 mg of sulphur (per 100 g of food) or lower, without a reaction showing in my skin. Examples are potatoes, celery, and bananas. At each meal, I allow myself up to<i> two</i> servings of any <i>one</i> of the foods ranked for sulphur as higher than 25 mg/100 g serving. Examples are cauliflower or greens. For some foods, I have no sulphur rating. I eat them as if they were ranked higher than 25 mg/100 g: I eat them in small quantities, no more than two servings of any of them at each meal.<br />
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Does this sound complicated? It is not. I can eat almost any fruit, almost any vegetable, and any starch from tubers and gourds.</div>
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<b>MY MEAL PLAN</b> is always (1) starchy tuber or gourd; (2) vegetables; and (3) fruit. My three meals are interchangeable. I eat as much variety as I can, partly for taste and partly for nutritional safety. An example meal is this breakfast:</div>
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1. <b>Starch</b>: 2 large whole Russet potatoes (about 2 cups). The day before, I boiled the potatoes, enough for 3 meals.</div>
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2. <b>Vegetables</b>: 1 C already cooked vegetable (bought fresh or frozen). I pour the vegetable into a skillet alongside the potatoes (cold from the refrigerator). I add 1/4 C water (for steaming), add the lid, and set to low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the starches and vegetables are hot.</div>
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3. <b>Fruit</b>: 2 C, frozen (e.g., peaches, cherries), fresh (e.g., melons, apples), and dried (plums, dates).</div>
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4. <b>Supplements</b> (items added in small quantity for nutritional completeness):<br />
(a) A <b>probiotic</b> capsule or chewable tablet.<br />
(b) <b>B12</b> (cyanocobalamin) tablet (average 250 micrograms <i>daily</i>, for nerve health), because I have no natural source<i>. </i>Blood tests show this works well for me.<br />
(c) <b>Vitamin D3</b>, 1000 IU, 4 times/week. (I live in a rain forest.)</div>
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5. <b>Drink</b>: water or tea (mint or lemon balm).</div>
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<b>FOODS THAT I EAT</b><br />
The low-sulphur <b>starches</b> that I have tested and now can eat in <i>unlimited</i> quantities are: arrow root (2 mg/100 g serving); winter squash (e.g., acorn [frozen] and pumpkin, 10); sweet potatoes (light-skinned, yellow inside, 15); yams (dark-skinned, dark orange inside, 15); parsnips (15); rutabagas (21), potatoes (browns, reds, golds, purple, 22), quinoa (possibly a starchy berry, not a true grain; I eat it in small quantity only, about 2 T, cooked, per meal). I boil the roots and tubers. (I buy winter, hard-shelled squash in frozen blocks, already removed from the shell, ground, and cooked.) I do not freeze starches, as their taste and texture decline. I occasionally eat one serving/meal of these starches: water chestnuts (?) or bamboo shoots (?).<br />
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The low-sulphur <b>vegetables</b> that I have tested and now eat in <i>unlimited</i> quantities are: carrots (7 mg/100 g serving), celery (8), green beans (8), eggplant (9), artichoke hearts (16), beets (22), and onions (24).<br />
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In <i>limited</i> quantities (no more than two servings of any one of these), I eat: cabbage (25); palm heart (?), 1 cylinder; seaweed (?), 1 3-gram sushi sheet; cauliflower (29); mushrooms (34); collard greens (39); broccoli (45); asparagus (47); spinach (86), 1/2 c. I buy some of these frozen or dried, for convenience and storability.</div>
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The low-sulphur <b>fruits</b> (fresh, frozen, or dried) that I have tested and now eat in unlimited quantities are: pineapple (3 mg/100 g serving), fresh plums (4), apples (5), pears (5), fresh apricots (6), peaches (6), honeydew melon (6), cherries (7), grapes (8), tomatoes (10), nectarines (10), cantaloupes (12), lemons (12), oranges (?), figs (organic, black, 13), bananas (13), blueberries (13), strawberries (13), blackberries (13), dried plums (pure or organic, 18), dates (Medjool, dried, 51). I avoid <i>all</i> fruits that have preservatives added. I am again eating avocados (? mg) but only one-third of one per meal, always prepared as quacamole (lemon juice, lemon pulp, chopped onions, chopped garlic).</div>
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The <b>nuts</b> I eat are: hazelnuts, 5/meal.<br />
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The <b>flavorings</b> I use: fresh lemon juice; mint; cilantro; tarragon; Italian seasoning (sage, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, basil); turmeric; ginger; honey (1); onions (23); garlic (?); and sugar (14). The quantities of flavorings I use are small (typically 1/4 t of <i>one or two </i>seasonings per meal). I assume their sulphur content, in those quantities, is so low that eating them makes no difference. I avoid flavorings I know (from the list linked to above) to be high in sulphur, such as mustard and horseradish.</div>
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For <b>liquid</b>, I drink distilled water between meals. (Where I live, drinking tap water makes me nauseated.) I also drink mint or lemon balm tea.</div>
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<b>FOODS AVOIDED</b></div>
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I avoid:</div>
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- <b>Animal products</b> (all of which, except fats and honey, are high in sulphur); I recently tested eating organic kimchi which contains a tiny amount of shrimp, apparently ground. I got a reaction within 2 days, from only 1 T per meal. Possibly the reaction came from the spices in the kimchi or from the spices <i>and</i> shrimp. I now avoid kimchi.</div>
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- <b>Concentrated "seeds</b>." I eat no <i>grains</i> such as rice, wheat, oatmeal, etc.; no <i>beans</i> (except "green beans"); no <i>peas </i>(including "garden" or green peas); no <i>corn</i>; no <i>nuts</i> (except 5 hazelnuts/meal); no <i>conventional seeds</i> such as flax and sunflower; and no <i>flavorings</i> made from seeds, such as mustard, curry, and pepper. I do not bother to remove seeds that are part of some other acceptable food, for example, I eat whole cucumbers.</div>
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- <b>White rice</b>. I used the standard test for white rice and I saw no sign of inflammation in my skin, which is the part that shows inflammation first. However, after eating white rice everyday for several months I noticed that my bowel movement schedule shifted later and became unreliable. Also, the skin on my face became mildly inflammed.The low fiber white rice was my main suspect. I deleted it. The problems disappeared.<br />
- <b>Isolated fats</b>; on the short-term, eating butter (or any other animal or plant fat) does not trigger my inflammation problems, but I avoid isolated fats, for long-term, general health reasons.</div>
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<b>- Plant foods having more than 80 mg of sulphur</b> per 100 g (half cup) serving, except spinach (86).</div>
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- <b>Plant foods containing preservatives</b>, such as some dried fruit.</div>
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- <b>Salt</b>, at any time and any form: not in cooking, not at the dinner table, and not in any product I buy in a box, bag, can (olives), or jar (vegetable juice). No added salt in any form. Excluding salt was the most difficult change I have made. It was an experiment. It worked. Within 3 months by blood pressure dropped from typically 140/90 to about 110/70. I will stay with zero salt eating. My sense of taste is gradually adapting.<br />
- <b>Vinegar</b>, which unfortunately destroys the bacteria in my gut, even when I take a probiotic.</div>
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- <b>Grapefruit</b>, which in<i> me</i> causes a condition similar to scleroderma (red swollen area from my nose to the sides of my mouth, plus a constricted throat). My reactions to grapefruit seem to be peculiar to me and independent of my other problems.<br />
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- <b>Lettuce</b>, which does not trigger my usual inflammation problems but does cause intestinal distress (loose stools, rumbling).</div>
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Burgess Laughlin</div>
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Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-27042691676872981972009-12-28T05:03:00.000-08:002010-11-17T17:27:01.530-08:00What I learned from 2 days in the hospital[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. The later posts, including this one, deal only with minor details. Start with the first post, which describes the <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/history-of-inflammation.html">problems I faced</a>, and then read at least the second post, which describes my <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/diet-as-main-solution.html">special diet as a solution</a>.]<br /><br />Friday evening about 7 pm, I sneezed and had a stab of chest pain. There was no follow-up pain. At 1 am I woke up with excruciating chest pain, right side. I recognized the symptoms: collapsed lung. (I have had 16 earlier pneumothoraces, through 47 years.) I grabbed my hospital bag and cabbed to the hospital (Good Samaritan, Portland).<br /><br />I was treated respectfully and competently by every person in their huge staff: physicians, nurses, physician assistants, radiology experts, and all their assistants.<br /><br />Here is what I learned or confirmed from earlier experiences:<br /><br />GENERAL<br />- <span style="font-weight:bold;">Always have a hospital bag packed</span>, including a novel or two for the long, boring hours, and a list of contact phone numbers.<br />- <span style="font-weight:bold;">Discuss issues with the medical people</span>, to attain at least general clarity, remaining willing to compromise between their caution (stay longer) and my eagerness to leave (to cut my costs and get back to work).<br />- <b>At age 65, m</b><span><b>y lif</b></span><span style="font-weight:bold;">estyle has paid off</span>: Doctors found no sign of heart disease, cancer, kidney problems, liver problems, or any of the other many problems that their older patients usually have. (In the section of the hospital where I was, all the patients were gray haired; perhaps this was a Medicare wing.)<br />- When I don't exercise, I need very little sleep. That was good because I was so wired up and tubed up that I could barely roll over; sleep was very difficult.<br />- The physicians and nurses were surprised to meet a 65-year old patient who uses no pharmaceuticals. (My roommate -- who had acid reflux, heart disease and other problems -- was taking <span style="font-style:italic;">six</span> medications daily <span style="font-style:italic;">before</span> he needed to come to the hospital for his latest emergency [mass sweating, nausea, fainting].)<br /><br />WEIGHT<br />- <span style="font-weight:bold;">As a result of following my anti-itis diet</span> (fruit, vegs, and starchy roots), with 100% compliance, <span style="font-weight:bold;">I have become technically underweight</span> (BMI of 17, the lowest of my adult life). I was shocked at how little I weigh (when I entered the hospital, 124 lbs at 6 ft; 121 lbs when I left.) now compared to the last time I was weighed (about 135 lbs, several years ago).<br />- Despite being technically underweight, I have been fully functional and the hospital staff found no evidence (from a "full array" of blood tests, as well as CAT scans, x-rays, interviews) of malnutrition or other problem.<br />- <span style="font-weight:bold;">I will need to concentrate on boosting my weight</span> by 10 lbs or so -- perhaps with increased sugar consumption and with avocados, olives, and so forth.<br /><br />FOOD<br />- Even from the beginning, during admittance, <span style="font-weight:bold;">be very polite, clear, and assertive about dietary requirements</span>: "Give me only fruit (any kind), vegetables (any kind), and potatoes." Simple and clear and easy for them to write down. Do not say "vegan" or "vegetarian" or similar terms, because they are too vague or confusing to most people.<br />- By explaining to the nurse on duty (12-hour shifts) what I wanted to eat, I received what I wanted. I tried to always <span style="font-weight:bold;">make it easy for the people working in the kitchen</span> (who are about three links removed from the patient). <span style="font-weight:bold;">Keep it simple. Don't be picky. Always use the word "plain."</span> Order <span style="font-style:italic;">whole</span> foods, though I found I didn't need to use that word (which is confusing to most people).<br />- By keeping my requests simple and easy to fill, I got nutritious and delicious food at every meal; Two baked potatoes; two servings of green beans; a "fruit plate" (a mound of diced fresh fruit, such as apples, oranges, melons, grapes); half a cup of olives; and water. The amount of food was large. Even I --and I have a big appetite -- could barely eat it all.<br /><br />All things considered, my brief hospital stay was positive -- as confirmation of my lifestyle.<div><br /></div><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-62242781729805820262009-09-23T07:25:00.000-07:002010-11-17T17:30:14.947-08:00An expanded anti-itis diet?[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. The later posts, including this one, deal only with minor details. Start with the first post, which describes the <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/history-of-inflammation.html">problems I faced</a>, and then read at least the second post, which describes my <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/diet-as-main-solution.html">special diet as a solution</a>.]<div><br /></div><div>(For a continually updated look at my most recent diet details: <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html">http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-do-i-eat.html</a>)<br /><br />STATUS REPORT. My skin continues to improve. It is becoming thinner, free of itching, and very slightly oily (not chalky). It remains very sensitive to abrasion. E.g., shaving (with an electric, rotary shaver) still causes inflammation and subsequent peeling if I press too hard or if the razor becomes hot. I continue to be pain-free (no arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis, except for occasional muscle pains due to posture problems. (My right shoulder still slopes down, but I am working on correcting that.)<br /><br />EXPANDED DIET. 1. In the meantime, using the <a href="http://anti-itisdiet.blogspot.com/2007/10/addendum-how-to-test-foods.html">standard test</a>, I have reconsidered a few foods that had given me unclear results in earlier tests. I can now regularly eat dried <b>figs</b> and canned <b>tomatoes</b> (diced). I had avoided both because of the prevalence of seeds which I could not conveniently remove.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.bitterpoison.com/archive/about/">Helena Kloosterman</a>, who is neither a nutritionist nor a physician, has provided a short list of foods, rated for Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL), a subject I have discussed elsewhere. Her list is based on <i>calculated</i> values, not laboratory results. Consequently, I have been reluctant to even test (one serving per meal, six meals in a row) some of the foods she says are alkaline-producing. The list, accompanied by a formula for the calculation of PRAL, appears on her weblog, <i>Bitter Poison</i>, <a href="http://www.bitterpoison.com/archive/calculate-acid-alkaline-with-pral-formula">here</a>:<br /><br />http://www.bitterpoison.com/archive/calculate-acid-alkaline-with-pral-formula/<br /><br />Most of the foods rated as alkaline-producing in her list are not surprising: fruits and vegetables. Others were a surprise. For example, from my own tests of corn, oatmeal, rice, and wheat, I had tentatively generalized that all grains (indeed nearly all seeds of all kinds) were acid-producing and therefore to be avoided. (Production of an acid condition, in the kidneys, is not the <i>cause</i> of my inflammatory problems, apparently, but it has been an infallible "confounder" or "co-incident" indicator or "proxy" predictor of inflammation.)<br /><br />Kloosterman's calculated list shows the grain <b>quinoa</b> (pronounced "KEEN-wah" or "key-NO-ah") to be alkaline-producing. I hesitantly bought a 26 ounce (737 gram) bag of quinoa from a chain grocery store (Fred Meyer, Kroeger) that carries Bob's Red Mill products. I ran the standard test and got no adverse reaction in the skin on my face. I now eat it regularly, about one serving per day, on average, while continuing to eat most of my starch (the core of my meals) from "roots" (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas). I note however that Wikipedia lists quinoa as technically a fruit, not a grain. Apparently quinoa grows on a bush, not a grass stalk. Perhaps its "fruitness" is why it is not acid-producing. I don't know. I am ignorant about biochemistry.<br /><br />The fact that at least one grain (if that is what quinoa is) is (slightly) alkaline-producing, and thus okay for me to eat, does confirm one pattern: There are exceptions in almost every category. For example, <i>generally</i> beans, nuts, and grains (all seeds) are acid-producing; however, green beans (string beans), hazelnuts (Filberts), and quinoa are exceptions to their categories.<br /><br />Kloosterman's list also shows some <b>beans</b> -- such as pinto beans -- as being alkaline-producing, but she states that for the <i>raw form</i>, which no one eats. Does cooking making them acid-producing? I do not know.<br /><br /><b>FEB. 25, 2010 UPDATE</b>: In the last few weeks I subjected pinto <b>beans</b> and lima beans to the standard reintroduction test (eat one serving per meal, six meals in a row and look for a reaction -- in my skin, in my case). I got no reaction. I then began eating beans (cooked, about 1/2 C per meal) at two meals per day. After about 10 days, my eczema returned in mild form.<br /><br />I threw out all the beans and I returned to my regular diet of fruit, vegs, and starchy roots. Within 12 hours the eczema began fading! The beans probably were the cause of the problem. Perhaps they have a long-term, cumulative effect that doesn't show up in the standard two-day test.<br /><br />This result shows that I cannot automatically trust the Kloosterman list, which shows merely calculated, not lab-tested values, especially where the list says "raw" and I don't eat the food in raw form.<br /><br />Summary: Limiting my diet to fruits, vegs, and starchy roots (and possibly quinoa) works.<div><br /></div><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-28362727848114948152009-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:002010-11-18T06:25:15.002-08:00Last dermatitis stopped![REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. They describe the "-itis" problems I have faced and the main solution. The later posts, including this one, deal with details.]<br /><br />As I explained in my oldest post, a series of "itis" (inflammation) problems have appeared during the last 47 years of my life. Four were skin problems (eczema, rosacea, scleroderma, and seborrheic dermatitis). My "anti-itis diet" (which I now humorously call the "prelithic diet") has stopped the arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, iritis, colitis, and three of the four dermatitis problems.<br /><br />I discovered recently in talking to my dermatologist that the cause of my fourth skin problem, seborrheic dermatitis, is unknown. (Stress, which is notoriously difficult to measure and track, is one suspect, either in the emotional form or the immune-system form.) Not surprisingly, there is no cure for it.<br /><br />Apparently the sebaceous glands produce too much oil. The extra oil makes the skin scale--making the skin look chalky and dry. Itching accompanies the scaling, and the skin is very vulnerable to abrasion (which causes redness, swelling, itching, and peeling). Rubbing from an electric razor, a hat brim, or a large, stiff collar are examples of abrasion. I have not been able to shave with an electric razor for many years. (I have been using a hair trimmer set at the lowest setting, on my face and scalp.)<br /><br />Last week, my dermatologist suggested a treatment program that has eliminated the symptoms. Following is the program, but be sure to consult your own physician. Your situation may be different. I am naming the particular brands I use, but there might be others equally effective.<br /><br />FACE: Daily, apply a small amount (perhaps one-third teaspoon) of <span style="font-weight:bold;">Hydrocortisone Lotion</span>, USP 2.5%, Qualitest, available by prescription. Use it like a moisturizer. A little goes a long way, covering all of my face and front upper neck, that is, all the areas that had rough patches from scaling skin. I apply it about 15 minutes after taking a shower in the morning, when my skin is clean and dry. (I have not used plain soap on my face for fifteen years, but it was very irritating to my skin problems.) The prescription suggests applying it twice daily for the first week and then once daily after that. How long will I need to use it? Perhaps forever, if the purpose is only to suppress symptoms. I may experiment with cutting back the frequency, after a few weeks.<br /><br />SCALP 1: Every night before bed, apply--throughout the scalp but especially in scaly areas--a small amount (perhaps 1 teaspoon total) of <span style="font-weight:bold;">Fluocinonide</span> Topical Solution, USP, 0.05%, 60 ml, TEVA Pharmaceuticals. This application is easy for me because my hair is extremely short. The nurse who told me how to use it has long hair; She said she soon learned to use the squeeze bottle to apply it efficiently and then use her fingers to spread it around the scalp.<br /><br />SCALP 2: With a medicated shampoo, wash scalp (not the face) <i>every</i> morning. (Be sure to leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off.) Rotate the daily shampoo among the following five medicinal shampoos. I assigned each to a day of the week, for simplicity's sake (and I wrote the day on the bottle with a bold felt pen).<br />- 1. Monday: Prescription <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ketoconazole</span> shampoo, 2%; Perrigo.<br />- 2. Tuesday: Over The Counter (OTC), RiteAid "Dandruff Classic Clean" shampoo, containing <span style="font-weight:bold;">pyrithione zinc</span> 1%.<br />- 3. Wednesday: OTC, RiteAid "Therapeutic Shampoo," containing <span style="font-weight:bold;">coal tar</span>, 2.5%.<br />- 4. Thursday: OTC, RiteAid "Dandruff Shampoo," containing <span style="font-weight:bold;">selenium sulfide</span>, 1%.<br />- 5. Friday: OTC, Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo, containing <span style="font-weight:bold;">salycylic acid</span>, 3.0%.<br />- Saturday: repeat shampoo from Wednesday.<br />- Sunday: repeat shampoo from Thursday.<br /><br />With this approach, the scalp condition is medicated by a series of active ingredients in the hope that at least one of them will reduce the symptoms. Perhaps the various shampoos work individually to reduce different aspects of the symptoms. I do not know.<br /><br />What I do know is that the treatment program outlined above <i>works</i> for me, and after only about five days of application. (My doctor cautioned me to continue even if the symptoms disappeared.) For the first time in 47 years, I am symptom-free!<br /><br />This is not a cure, but it is a way, if applied regularly, to eliminate the symptoms.<br /><br />I am very glad I live in a country that still has a little freedom of choice for doctors and patients.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-66134455403552294182008-07-19T12:37:00.000-07:002011-02-14T15:40:21.681-08:00Allergic reaction to grapefruit: Scleroderma<div>[REMINDER TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS: Be sure to read the oldest posts first. They describe the "-itis" problems I have faced and the main solution. The later posts deal with details.]</div><div><br /></div>About five years ago, I was in my worst condition. All the inflammatory problems were in full bloom. In addition to the arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, iritis, and colitis, I had a bouquet of skin problems (dermatitis). Over the years, the eczema and the rosacea have faded away, almost completely. As they disappeared, another problem came to the forefront: In the caliper region between the nose and mouth, on each side, a thick, red section of skin appeared. The top layer of that area was very dry and cracked like a tiny mosaic. These symptoms came and went on their own schedule, and I could not find any correlation between this condition and my other skin problems.<div><br /></div><div>Provisionally, I now know that the condition was scleroderma. The cause appears to have been a plain allergic reaction (possibly independent of the leaky-gut problem) to grapefruit. I was eating a lot of grapefruit (inexpensive, tastes good, easy to prepare and store). As soon as I stopped eating grapefruit, the problem began to fade. Now, two weeks after beginning this new experiment, the thickness has diminished by half, the redness is fading steadily, and the cracking is almost gone. I have hope that the condition, now requiring little attention from me, might go away completely.</div><div><br /></div><div>My skin, all over my face and neck, still remains extremely sensitive to abrasion. I never wear a hat, I must frequently adjust the position of my eyeglasses on my nose so that the skin underneath the support pads will not thicken, and I must be very careful not to let a blanket rub against my face when I am sleeping. Still, I would say my skin problems are more than 99% gone, in terms of how much attention they require.</div><div><br /></div><div> Working on the possibility that my allergic reaction might arise from all citrus fruit, I am now avoiding oranges and tangerines as well as grapefruit. Perhaps in a month or so, I will test oranges and tangerines individually, using the standard test Dr. McDougall has described for his Elimination Diet.<div><br /></div><div>So, now my general rule of foods that I <i>can</i> eat is: Any root, any vegetable, and any fruit (including gourds) except citrus fruit and those fruits, like figs and tomatoes, which contain a lot of seeds. (I eat no animal products, except honey; and no foods made from seeds.)<br /></div><div><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div></div></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-4091205776909682842008-01-21T06:44:00.000-08:002012-10-21T14:55:10.079-07:00Final ProblemsWhat I have learned over the last few years is that the <i>symptoms</i> of my inflammation problems disappear when I follow my anti-itis diet, making no exceptions whatsoever.<br />
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I eat only fruit, vegetables, roots, and gourds. I exclude from my diet (1) all animal products and (2) all plant foods made from seeds (beans, peas, nuts, grains, and conventional seeds such sunflower).<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Causes?</span> What I don't understand is what those two groups have in common, if anything.<br />
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a. Thanks in part to DianeR in the McDougall Discussion forums, I have uncovered one possibility, but remember that I have no scientific training, so I am flying blind here. Apparently, what the two groups of foods have in common, that might also be a cause of leaky-gut symptoms, is that they both contain a high level of either of two amino acids: cysteine and methioline. Both of these amino acids apparently are high in sulfur. I do not know if the problem is the sulfur as an element or the particular sulfur-laden amino acid molecules as a whole.<br />
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b. Further, if my problem is truly a "leaky-gut," then does that mean that these two amino acids appear to my immune system to be an invading virus, which my immune system then attacks, thereby setting off a chain-reaction of effects leading to inflammation symptoms? I do not know.<br />
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c. Last, seemingly many of the foods I <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> eat (such as fruits, vegetables, roots, and gourds) are generally low in fiber compared to <span style="font-style: italic;">plant</span> foods I <span style="font-style: italic;">cannot</span> eat (such as grains, legumes, and nuts). Is that general (but not invariable) pattern a coincidence? Or does the fiber in acid-producing plant foods (grains, legumes, nuts) add to or accompany other elements that cause an immune system reaction? The fiber discussed here is, I understand, technically called "dietary fiber," a misnomer that actually names fiber which normally passes all the way through the gut and is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> digested. Could it, in my case, be partly passing through the holes in my intestine and triggering a reaction? I do not know.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Cure?</span> The second major question I have not been able to answer is whether leaky-gut syndrome can be <span style="font-style: italic;">cured</span>. I know that careful diet management can practically eliminate <span style="font-style: italic;">symptoms</span>. What I would love to do is solve the problem. Can that be done? I do not know.<br />
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Specifically, do the holes in the intestine gradually close up by themselves as time passes? I do not know.<br />
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When my budget allows, my next step will be to hire a physician, physiologist, or other researcher to help me find answers (if there are any).<br />
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Burgess Laughlin</div>
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Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>
Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-5447258997379001522007-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:27:16.041-08:00Addendum H: Fiber ProblemsLOW-FIBER PROBLEM SOLVED. With few exceptions, my anti-itis diet includes only foods low in "dietary" fiber, compared to oats and beans, for example.<br /><br />Some alkaline-producing foods are relatively high in fiber compared to potatoes. Examples of relatively high-fiber foods, that are still PRAL-acceptable, are parsnips, pumpkin (but not all other winter squashes), and artichoke hearts (which I buy quartered, in cans). Such foods -- plus high-fiber or otherwise laxative fruits (prunes, cherries, berries) -- help speed passage of food through the gut. Also, I am learning to make soups and sauces from pumpkin (with garlic and lemon juice, for example).<br /><br />OAT BRAN caused a rosacea/eczema type reaction on my skin when I tried the standard test (1 teaspoon/meal, for 6 meals in a row). I suspect that other forms of bran (rice, wheat) would produce the same result. Is the bran in grains a big part of what makes them acid-producing? I don't know, but I intend to continue avoiding all grains -- even white rice, the least acid-producing of all the grains.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-62018879911253579792007-10-24T07:41:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:27:51.306-08:00Addendum G: ProteinsGETTING SUFFICIENT PROTEIN ON THE ANTI-ITIS DIET. When adopting this diet, the first myth to toss aside is the myth that you can't get enough protein unless you eat meat, dairy, or at least a lot of beans. As Dr. McDougall and various researchers have shown, protein requirements are very small, as little as 35 grams per day, assuming you are getting sufficient calories (so your body doesn't burn up your own protein to make up the deficit) and assuming you are getting sufficient variety of amino-acids (proteins). Pregancy, recovery from major surgery, and a massive body building program might double the requirement.<br /><br />The second myth to set aside is the myth that plant foods don't provide "complete protein." They do. Potatoes are an example. You can get all the protein you need from potatoes. Add fruit and vegetables and you will get plenty of protein in both quantity and variety. (An assumption here is that you have a healthy appetite.)<br /><br />Those are my conclusions. I am a layman. I rely on the testimony (related to my own experiences) of individuals I trust as sources. For a start on exploring these issues, see Dr. McDougall's articles on protein, in his newsletter. For instance:<br /><a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/dairy.htm">http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/dairy.htm</a> and<br /><a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2004nl/040100.htm">http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2004nl/040100.htm</a><br /><br />PROTEINS AS A CAUSE? When I saw the first results of my food testing, I wondered if all proteins might be the cause of my inflammation problems. However, further testing indicated that, for me, proteins in alkaline-producing foods do not cause flare-ups, even when eaten in normal quantities at every meal during the six-meal test.<br /><br />I know now that alkaline-producing foods, as shown in the PRAL list, must be my only source of protein. To make sure I get all the different kinds of proteins (amino-acids) required for health, I try to eat a very wide variety of fruits, vegetables, starchy roots and starchy gourds.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-63533935837226934322007-10-24T07:35:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:28:18.012-08:00Addendum F: RestaurantsIn a restaurant, finding fruit, vegetables, roots, and gourds can be difficult. Even "vegan" and vegetarian restaurants often serve foods mixed with unacceptable ingredients -- for example, soybeans, nuts, and flour.<br /><br />Ironically, steak houses usually have the right kind of food. I order:<br />(1) a baked potato (always specifying "plain" or "only with chives" to avoid bacon, cheese, and sour cream as a topping).<br />(2) one or two side orders of vegetables if I can get them plain (no cheese sauce, for example).<br /><br />Most other restaurants have menus with separate sections called "side orders," "bar menu," "salads," or "appetizers." I usually order from those sections. Examples are a cup of fruit, a dish of olives, plain potatoes in some form, vegetables if they are plain (no inappropriate sauces), and a glass or two of vegetable juice. At an Asian restaurant, I try to order vegetables alone, but no soybeans, peanuts, or other unacceptable products mixed with the vegetables. (I have tried white rice at a single meal, and had no visible reaction; however, I did get a slight reaction in my skin when I tested white rice with the standard re-introduction text: one serving/meal for six meals in a row.)<br /><br />What do I do if all menu items are unacceptable? If (1) I ask politely, explain that I am on a medical diet ("just vegetables, fruit, and potatoes"), and (2) offer to pay a full dinner price (I usually suggest a few dollars more than the average dinner price), most restaurant cooks will gladly make up a plate with sliced vegetables, fruit, and potatoes in some form (baked, plain, for example). If I can't find anything suitable, I skip that meal, and drink water or tea instead.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-29625319605272297802007-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:29:06.881-08:00Addendum E: Avoiding SeedsAs my acceptable-food list in an earlier post shows, I avoid nearly all "seeds" as main foods. "Seeds" include: grains (corn, wheat, etc.), nuts (except hazel/filbert), beans (except green), and peas.<br /><br />Further, I scrape out most of the seeds from fruits and gourds where there are a lot of them and when it isn’t too much trouble. I avoid figs (which are little seed-bags) and I generally eat only canned, crushed tomatoes, which seem to have the seeds filtered out.<br /><br />I remove most of the seeds from bell peppers, for instance; and I avoid hot peppers because they consist mostly of seeds. (I suspect that "spicy" seeds are the worst offenders, but I haven't tested that idea yet.) I cut cucumbers length-wise and use a spoon to trowel out the seeds.<br /><br />I avoid flavorings made from seeds: pepper, cumin, coriander, and so forth. I do not know if that step is necessary. It is merely a precaution. Someday I will test seed-based flavorings. In the meantime, I will err on the side of caution. For similar reasons, I now avoid all hot sauces. Recently I do seem to have had a flare-up from using hot sauce regularly. The amount of seeds involved is very small, so I wonder if some other factor is present. Perhaps some seeds, especially the "hot" ones, are stronger, that is, more acid-producing. I do not know.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-55915277675950239082007-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:29:47.818-08:00Addendum D: Extra BenefitsBesides eliminating inflammation symptoms, my anti-itis diet has resulted in:<br /><br /><b>No symptoms of cardio-vascular disease</b>. About 33 years ago, at age 30, I had CVD. My symptoms were: pains in my chest and on the inside of my left arm when I exercised; high blood pressure; and a high level of cholesterol in my blood. I got rid of all those symptoms by going to a Pritikin-style diet, which is very low fat, mostly plant-based diet, but -- I now know -- a diet still much too high in acid-producing foods for me, though it is a vast improvement over the Standard American Diet of high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber, heavily processed foods. My current diet, of course, is very low fat (8%-10%), as well as low protein.<br /><br /><b>No cancer, osteoporosis, or kidney problems</b>.<br /><br /><b>Lower blood pressure</b>. At age 30, 33 years ago, my BP was typically around 145/95. Now typically it ranges from 135/85 (in the morning, when I am "pumped up" -- or anytime at a dentist's office!) down to 110/65 (in the evening, when I am becoming more and more horizontal).<br /><br /><b>Leanness</b>. My BMI (body mass index) is about 18.5 (around 6 ft. tall, 135 pounds, down from 200 at age 30).<br /><br /><b>Improved eyesight</b>. At my last complete eye exam, in March, 2007, my doctor changed my eye-glass prescription to one almost identical to the prescription I had in 1983! He also noted that, for the first time in nearly 30 years I have been going to that clinic, I have no inflammation in my eyes -- at all.<br /><br /><b>Possible reduction in gum inflammation</b>. A few sections have actually grown back slightly, surprising my dentist. However, I suspect that meticulous dental hygiene was the major cause of improvement in my gums. The elements of my dental hygiene are: careful, gentle, but thorough brushing three times daily (especially at the gum line), careful flossing daily, use of a "side brush" between some teeth, use of a medicated mouthwash several times a week, and quarterly ultrasound cleaning and annual polishing by a hygienist.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-32815571348587094742007-10-24T07:04:00.000-07:002011-06-19T13:50:37.635-07:00Addendum C: How to Test FoodsFor several weeks, I strictly followed the McDougall Elimination Diet. (See <a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html">http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html</a> under "My Recommendations" a little more than half way down the page.) It is a short-term diagnostic diet limited to a small set of presumably non-inflammatory foods. On the McDougall Elimination Diet, my skin problems diminished somewhat within a week, indicating that some foods I had been eating before had been causing my skin and perhaps other inflammation problems.<br /><br />The <b>Elimination Diet</b> is very lean and very bland to anyone accustomed to the Standard American Diet. Following the ED consistently, even for only a few weeks, is a major challenge to individuals accustomed to rich, spicy foods. If you have the virtues of courage and persistence, you can follow the ED without making any exceptions whatsoever. (Making exceptions in the middle of an experiment is self-defeating.)<br /><br />I have only <b>one change to suggest</b> for the McDougall Elimination Diet, if you have the same type of medical problems I had: Replace the brown rice with white rice or, better yet, avoid rice altogether. White rice is much less acid-producing than brown rice, according to Berardi's PRAL list, but it still is somewhat acidifying. Eat other alkaline-producing starches instead -- roots (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) and gourds.<br /><br />After you have followed the Elimination Diet for several weeks, making no exceptions, and if you see some improvement, then perform the <b>standard re-introduction test</b>: Eat at least one official serving (typically one-half to one cup) of the suspect food per meal, for six meals in a row (generally, two days); and then wait a few days for a flare-up, if any.<br /><br />An <b>example</b> re-introduction test-food might be pinto beans. If the standard serving size is, let's say, ½ C cooked, then I would eat ½ C of beans at each meal for six meals in a row. I definitely had a flare-up each time I tested one of several kinds of bean. Beans, I concluded, were not an acceptable food. Much later I found -- from Berardi's PRAL list and from further experimenting -- that green "string" beans are acceptable, but all others are bad for me. That is probably due to the fact that green beans are more "green" than "bean."<br /><br />I started each six-meal test series on Monday morning at breakfast, finished it Tuesday evening at dinner, and waited until Sunday for results.<br /><br /><b>If there was a flare-up</b> of inflammation in my skin (the most sensitive tissue) from testing one food, it usually occurred by the third or fourth day after the first of the six test meals. (For example, starting on Monday, I nearly always saw a flare-up, if any, by Wednesday.) I returned to the Elimination Diet and waited two or more weeks for that flare-up to clear as much as it would ever clear at that stage. Sometimes test results were confused and I had to restart.<br /><br /><b>If there was no flare-up</b> from testing one food, then on the following Monday I tested the next food (in a different category -- for example, a certain kind of beans and then oranges).<br /><br />Testing every food in every category -- for example, 15 kinds of beans -- is unnecessary. If you test a few foods in one category, and the results are consistent, you can safely generalize, at least temporarily. For example, if you get a reaction from almonds and then, six weeks later, you test and get a reaction from pecans, you can provisionally assume that nuts are a problem as a category. (Afterwards, you may discover some exceptions, as I did with hazelnuts -- listed as alkaline-producing on the PRAL list.)<br /><br />Be sure to test only one food at each test. Trying to save time by testing two or more foods at once is a waste of time. If there is a flare-up, there is no way to know which of the two tested foods was the cause. Then you must start over again, waiting for the flare-up to diminish.<br /><br />Writing a log of dates, foods, and results helps keep track of what you are doing. Be sure to record whatever else you are eating at each meal -- including all medications, condiments, and drinks. You might see patterns.<br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-80406153074244418902007-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:002010-11-17T17:25:29.064-08:00Addendum B: Posture CorrectionPHYSICAL THEREAPY AT HOME, AS A SUPPLEMENT TO DIET CHANGE. In addition to changing my diet, I meticulously followed the instructions in Pete Egoscue's book, <i>Pain Free</i>. (For starting, I recommend it, not his other, more specialized books.) His strengthening and stretching exercises eventually eliminated the last of the episodes of pain in my joints (especially the knees, arthritis), muscles (bursitis), and tendons (tendonitis). I suppose the exercises reduced physical stress on those parts of the body. The stress apparently came from being unbalanced in posture (walking, standing, and sitting), like a suspension bridge whose cables are too tight on one side and too loose on the other side.<br /><br />My <b>first stage of doing Egoscue's exercises</b> was the therapeutic stage. It was very time-consuming but necessary. The therapeutic exercises required as much as 45 min/morning in the beginning (I was a wreck heading for a wheelchair), but after a few weeks of consistent effort and following the instructions exactly, the exercises began to pay off with reduced pain. After several months, the pains disappeared. The <b>second stage of exercises</b>, which I am now doing, is maintenance. Pains return if I fail to do my daily posture exercises or if I fail to sit, stand, and walk in proper posture.<br /><br />CONCLUSIONS: Apparently an acidifying diet generally set me up for arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis pains, but poor posture determined the particular points where the pain appeared. Consequently, I have learned to ask two questions:<br />- Why do I have pain?<br />- Why am I feeling pain in that particular place?<br /><br />Diet change solved the first problem. Posture-correction exercises solved the second problem.<br /><br />CAUTION: The posture-correction exercises only work if you follow instructions.<br /><br />MORE EFFECTIVE POSTURE-CORRECTION. Above, I recommended Pete Egoscue's <i>Pain Free</i> for posture-correction as a way to reduce pain in joints, tendons, and muscles. I recently found his <i>Pain Free at Your PC</i> to be even more effective for my particular problems. I sit a lot -- eating, riding my recumbent bicycle, reading, taking notes, and going online.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, I started following Pete Egoscue's PFYPC exercise program for moderate computer-users. The series of exercises was difficult at first, showing that I had weak spots despite all my daily exercises. The new series has paid off well. I do this new routine every morning. I also practice healthy posture during the day, for example, by trying to "float" up from and back into a chair, using mostly my leg muscles, rather than using hands and arms as a "crutch" to move myself up and down.<br /><br />As with <i>Pain Free</i>, I strongly recommend closely studying the initial chapters of PFYPC before turning to the exercise section appropriate for you. The initial chapters provide crucial background information.<br /><br />Burgess Laughlin<br />Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-43565494303178130502007-10-24T06:42:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:31:15.093-08:00Addendum A: Skin issues1. MY SKIN AS A "LITMUS TEST." My skin problems were the most sensitive to change in diet. Once I began eating an alkaline-producing diet, my other -itis problems shrank too, though more slowly. For example, the sand-like grittiness in my knees disappeared after about three months or so. (My memory for the timing here and elsewhere is not exact.)<br /><br />2. HOW MANY SKIN PROBLEMS? At various times, various doctors diagnosed my skin problems (on my face, scalp and neck) by different names: eczema, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis. I am not sure if I had one, two, or three problems. I suspect I had at least two skin problems. The worst was the eczema. The symptoms were itching, scaling, thickening, and the smell of dead skin. The rosacea, if that is what it was, was less intense but more persistent and was apparently mixed with a fungus or yeast infestation that entered the broken skin.<br /><br />3. PHARMACEUTICALS FOR SKIN PROBLEMS. My alkaline-producing (non-acid-producing) diet cured about 99% of my skin problems (which, at their worst, were ghastly). The remaining 1% <i>mostly</i> went away with a long course of antibiotics. For the yeast or fungus infestation, a dermatologist prescribed: (1) Selseb prescription shampoo on my face and scalp, daily for several weeks; (2) a Doxycycline antibiotic tablet daily for 2 months; and (3) Rosac skin cream applied daily to red spots, for months. Three years after beginning my diet experiment, I now use no medications at all -- for the first time in 45 years!<br /><br />4. CONTINUING SENSITIVITY VS. SHAVING. My skin--both on my face and my scalp--still remains sensitive to abrasion. I avoid hats and hoods; and I must make sure a rough blanket does not rub against my forehead during sleep. I can use an electric shaver only if I press very lightly. I have tried many combinations of shaver types and schedules. At the moment, I am shaving on alternating days with a rotary shaver. In spite of the great improvement in my skin, I still find it feels better if I keep it shaved. If I let the hair grow out for more than a few days, the hair begins rubbing against the skin, causing a mild flare-up. However, this problem seems to be gradually diminishing. Perhaps in a year or so I will be able to let my hair and beard grow an inch or so. In the meantime, bald is beautiful.<div><br /></div><div><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-33927983285760305802007-10-24T06:25:00.000-07:002010-11-18T06:31:53.450-08:004. MORE RESOURCES1. For a <b>general guide to healthy eating</b>, read Dr. John McDougall, <i>The McDougall Program</i>, as a start. He has other, more recent and more specialized books too. I always prefer books over websites because I can mark them up with notes.<br /><br />2. For <b>particular medical problems</b> that might be treated with radical diet change, after reading <i>The McDougall Program</i> or its equivalent, you might visit Dr. McDougall's website and click on the "Medical Info" or other tabs: <a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/index.html">http://www.drmcdougall.com/index.html</a><br /><br />3. For the <b>scientific calculation of the Potential Renal Acid Load</b> of a range of foods, see: Thomas Remer and Friedrich Manz, "Potential Renal Acid Load of Foods and Its Influence on Urine pH," Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 95, Issue 7 (July 1995), pp. 791-797. For the abstract, see: <a href="http://www.adajournal.org/article/PIIS0002822395002197/abstract">http://www.adajournal.org/article/PIIS0002822395002197/abstract</a><br /><br />4. The Blogger website you are now reading is the most complete and up-to-date source for my experiences. However, for background, you might read <b>my Star McDougaller article</b> ("Rolling Back Dermatitis, Arthritis ..." etc.) at <a href="http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/burgess_laughlin.html">http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/burgess_laughlin.html</a><br /><br />You might also read my comments in several posts ("How I stopped inflammation problems," around April 9, 2005) in the Testimonials section of the McDougall website: <a href="http://www.vegsource.com/testimonials/messages/9669.html">http://www.vegsource.com/testimonials/messages/9669.html</a><br /><br /><div>Burgess Laughlin</div><div>Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a></div>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4138856269361137555.post-11901734616149874762007-10-23T21:11:00.000-07:002014-01-11T18:25:59.693-08:003. WHY THIS DIET?I chose my particular diet after several years of tediously testing and retesting foods using the <b>Elimination Diet</b> (a short-term diagnostic diet) and the <b>re-introduction testing procedure</b>. For more information about the diet and the procedure, see Dr. John McDougall, <i>The McDougall Program</i>, index (for "Elimination Diet") and the same material online (drmcdougall.com) under "Medical Info, Allergic Reactions to Foods," half-way down the page: <a href="http://drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html">http://drmcdougall.com/med_allergic.html</a><br />
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I have found only one published list of acceptable foods to be reliable for my particular medical needs. The list is based on <b>Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL)</b>, which apparently is a partly measured and partly calculated estimate of the acidity in the kidneys (hence the word "renal"). Why the kidneys? Because they are the eventual outlet for most areas of the body.<br />
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All the types of foods I have listed above ("My diet now includes only ...") tend to produce an alkaline condition in the body. Eating <i>only</i> alkaline-producing foods--making no exceptions whatsoever--eliminates inflammation problems for me. Eating the opposite kind of foods -- acid-producing foods -- causes my inflammation problems to return. The issue here is not the acidity of each food itself (as determined by ash-tests), but the acidity produced by the food in the body. I ignore food lists based on ash-tests; they are worthless for my needs.<br />
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The issue in choosing foods is <i>not</i> striking a "balance" between acid-producing foods and alkaline-producing foods. My inference, drawn from my experiences, is that the mere presence of food-produced acids causes inflammation problems. (I do not know, and do not much care about, the minimal quantity which establishes the threshold beyond which inflammation becomes apparent.) In my experience, the "thought" that leads some individuals trying this diet to eat soy beans (among the worst acid-producers) while eating a lot of spinach (very alkaline-producing) as a "balance," does not work. It is wishful thinking. The solution, I have found, is to <i>never</i> eat acid-producing foods.<br />
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For an easy-to-read version of the PRAL list, see <b>John Berardi</b>’s "Covering Nutritional Bases" article: <a href="http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/bases.htm">http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/bases.htm</a><br />
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Or see this pdf: <a href="http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acid-base-foods-pral.pdf">http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acid-base-foods-pral.pdf</a><br />
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I examined the Berardi PRAL list to see which foods are rated as alkaline-producing (negative numbers) and which are acid-producing. The list does--with high accuracy--predict which foods will cause an inflammation in my skin (which, for me, is the first tissue to reveal a problem) and which foods are safe for me.<br />
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I am not endorsing Berardi's whole article. I am only spotlighting the list; it is an elegantly edited abstract of a more detailed and rather confusing list published in a scientific journal. Perhaps there are other online sources for the list. If so, make sure they do not list merely calculated values, but values actually confirmed by lab tests.<br />
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Burgess Laughlin<br />
Author of <i>The Power and the Glory: The Key Ideas and Crusading Lives of Eight Debaters of Reason vs. Faith</i>, <a href="http://www.reasonversusmysticism.com/">www.reasonversusmysticism.com/</a>Burgess Laughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13865479709475171678noreply@blogger.com21