Moderate Low-Carb Support

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Replies

  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,015 Member
    daylitemag wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice @baconslave . I'm going to get some of those gel drops...he says squinting at his computer screen because his eyes are so dry. Luckily, I have not had anything like what you describe at night time. I seem fine when I'm sleeping. I mostly notice the dry eyes in the evening at the end of the day.

    Just another endorsement for the gel eye drops :smile: I get through a bottle of that stuff a week, it's the only way I can get through the work day.

    I've had dry eyes for years because of too much computer work and have relied heavily on the drops, as recommended by my eye doc when the problem initially started. Now, though, since cutting my carbs down to under 20, I've had massive blood vessel hemorrhages in the whites of my eyes. My doc hasn't been too worried though, he's done all the diabetic scans and eye imaging, and the important parts of my eyes are okay. I told him about my diet and he told me to just increase the use of my eye drops, he was pleased to hear how well my diet was affecting my blood sugar as of course that's important for my vision.

    I also have pretty chronic blepharitis too, which contributes to the problem, which isn't surprising as I also have rosacea. I'm sure this contributes to why the reduced mucus production from my diet affects me more than others. Clearly me and my bacteria don't get along. Can't wait for gut biome research to make some progress. Until then, I'm continuing to eat fermented foods and am back to eating more non starchy veg, along with dumping gallons of eye drops into my eyes. Haven't had a hemorrhage in about a month now.

    Those eye drops get EXPENSIVE!!! I have to get the preservative-free ones. OUCH in the wallet! That's another painful thing about dry eye. rolleyes_2011.gif
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I need to look into these eye drops. I never even thought that was an issue for me until reading this thread. When I wake up it takes a good while for my eyes to get normal I have to keep one closed and switch on and off because they are super scratchy and hurt. Usually they get better by the time I get to work but often they feel scratchy especially after looking at the computer, visine helps for a short time but doesn't last.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,015 Member
    I need to look into these eye drops. I never even thought that was an issue for me until reading this thread. When I wake up it takes a good while for my eyes to get normal I have to keep one closed and switch on and off because they are super scratchy and hurt. Usually they get better by the time I get to work but often they feel scratchy especially after looking at the computer, visine helps for a short time but doesn't last.

    Yuck! Sorry. :disappointed:
    The gel ones last a little longer. I do preservative-free because I'm even sensitive to the preservatives. So they are in single vials, so you have to keep them upright to not waste as there are a bout 3 or four doses worth in each one (I use a shot glass :lol: My inner-Ebenezer in effect ) and they are a major PITFA. But I had to, as the preservs dried my eyes out some. It looks like a damn garbage dump near my bed in the morning from the vials...such a frippin' recycler's nightmare...
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited April 2016
    I've been avoiding ketosis for a while now, so I'm having trouble understanding the difficultly people have.

    100g or so should just be a soft target. You don't have to hit it everyday. You just need to ensure you refill liver glycogen as needed. That will keep the glucose flowing smoothly for 24 hours or so and avoid deep ketosis.

    The only thing that messes with that is intense exercise -- that can deplete glycogen more quickly and crank up the ketone generation.

    Find a slow-carb non-trigger food that you can snack on if you feel keto symptoms coming. Did I mention NUTS? Cashews are great for this.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I wonder if I can get my carb level up some if that will fix it. I had never noticed it in the past, I thought it was due to me getting older lol. it's nothing compared to how bad yours sounds :(

    when I go keto, like consistently I struggle massively with sodium balance, I assume my body likes to dump more fluid than others, which causes me to have real issue with adapting. once I get there its ok for a few weeks but any blips and it seems I have to go through it all again.

  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,015 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    I've been avoiding ketosis for a while now, so I'm having trouble understanding the difficultly people have.

    100g or so should just be a soft target. You don't have to hit it everyday. You just need to ensure you refill liver glycogen as needed. That will keep the glucose flowing smoothly for 24 hours or so and avoid deep ketosis.

    The only thing that messes with that is intense exercise -- that can deplete glycogen more quickly and crank up the ketone generation.

    Find a slow-carb non-trigger food that you can snack on if you feel keto symptoms coming. Did I mention NUTS? Cashews are great for this.

    Yeah. I'm terribly paranoid at this point. Which is natural considering what I've been through. I imagine the magic place for me is a place where I actually do dip into ketosis here and there but refeed every couple days. I just need to find my rhythm.

    I LOVE cashews. In an unhealthy way. But I will probably get some next time I'm out. I've already pilfered them out of DH's mixed nut blend he gets. He doesn't like them. Fruit works better for me. I only really like clementine oranges and apples. I'll eat a small banana if I don't have either of the others. And I'm not going to abuse them and eat 500 cals of them like I would nuts. Did I mention I love nuts? :lol: I swear I could eat a small can in one sitting.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    Yeah, a lot of people mention problems with nuts and cheese. But I find that a "binge" on either will lead to reduced consumption later in the day. Delayed satiety due to the protein content. I may end up skipping dinner due to snacking.

    People also fear a "stall" due to those foods, but I think it's just a one-time gain in water weight from the increased carbs and sodium.

    And, yeah, it's all about finding your groove. :)
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    I've been avoiding ketosis for a while now, so I'm having trouble understanding the difficultly people have.

    100g or so should just be a soft target. You don't have to hit it everyday. You just need to ensure you refill liver glycogen as needed. That will keep the glucose flowing smoothly for 24 hours or so and avoid deep ketosis.

    The only thing that messes with that is intense exercise -- that can deplete glycogen more quickly and crank up the ketone generation.

    Find a slow-carb non-trigger food that you can snack on if you feel keto symptoms coming. Did I mention NUTS? Cashews are great for this.

    for me it's just an adjustment. I can do really low carb easy since it limits what you eat to such an extent. my problem is the high carb things that I like are not the things I should be eating (chocolate, cookies, etc) not that I cant eat them but I don't want that to be my full intake of carbs. I know in theory how it should work and how easy it would be to get there properly. However I've gotten in the habit of looking for the lowest carb everything so it's just a little mindset adjustment.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    However I've gotten in the habit of looking for the lowest carb everything so it's just a little mindset adjustment.

    It can be a tough adjustment. There are multiple strategies that can work -- slow-carb, or occasional "cheat meals" that refill glycogen (I admit to "cheating" with Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese meals once in a while).

    What almost certainly doesn't work is going back to cookies, bread, and other highly processed foods that will lead to this:

    CG9JB9WVIAAxln2.jpg
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    However I've gotten in the habit of looking for the lowest carb everything so it's just a little mindset adjustment.

    It can be a tough adjustment. There are multiple strategies that can work -- slow-carb, or occasional "cheat meals" that refill glycogen (I admit to "cheating" with Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese meals once in a while).

    What almost certainly doesn't work is going back to cookies, bread, and other highly processed foods that will lead to this:

    CG9JB9WVIAAxln2.jpg

    Yes I need to avoid that. Sadly it's where my mind goes to after years of eating that way. I'll figure it out, it's a slow process though since the weather is getting nice and there is more fresh produce everywhere I should be able to get it where I'm comfortable.
  • tigeratty
    tigeratty Posts: 75 Member
    I'm in for lower carb. I have a big veggie garden planted with more to come, no way am I gonna miss out on that! My latest addiction is kimchi. Let's just say everything is running smoothly!
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    @wabmester I want to send that chart to someone, but can't seem to save the picture on my phone, do you have a link for it? the photo is blocked on my work computer so I cant do it that way :(
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    I stole it from Doc Naiman:
    https://twitter.com/tednaiman
  • smrybacki
    smrybacki Posts: 78 Member
    FWIW, I got punctal plugs to fix my dry eyes and haven't had a problem since. Took 5 minutes at the eye doctor.

    Punctal Plug
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    I stole it from Doc Naiman:
    https://twitter.com/tednaiman

    great thank you, once I figured out twitter I got it lol. I sent the link for his website too since he seems to have a pretty comprehensive easy to understand breakdown.

    my coworkers gf, I am almost certain has IR and is stressed from gaining weight. we've discussed her diet and she eats nothing all day then binges on junk when she gets home because she is so underfeeding her body. He's asked me for some advice on it since I've been successful and enjoy eating this way. They set up a good plan for the week and snack ideas to keep her from going crazy on pudding cups and crackers, but last night she asked since she had eaten good all day if it would be ok to have a can of Coke. I was explaining how that is probably the worst thing she could have and why, that chart summed it all up.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,015 Member
    smrybacki wrote: »
    FWIW, I got punctal plugs to fix my dry eyes and haven't had a problem since. Took 5 minutes at the eye doctor.

    Punctal Plug

    Yeah...I've had those since Feb. Can't keep tears from draining that aren't made. :smile:

    Might work for @auntstephie321 though. Insurance that doesn't suck like mine would cover it most likely. Mine were $290/oop. It didn't hurt. Except in the wallet. You just had to hold your eyes open. It actually works for some people.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,015 Member
    tigeratty wrote: »
    I'm in for lower carb. I have a big veggie garden planted with more to come, no way am I gonna miss out on that! My latest addiction is kimchi. Let's just say everything is running smoothly!

    I cannot wait until our zucchini gets growing.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    wabmester wrote: »
    However I've gotten in the habit of looking for the lowest carb everything so it's just a little mindset adjustment.

    It can be a tough adjustment. There are multiple strategies that can work -- slow-carb, or occasional "cheat meals" that refill glycogen (I admit to "cheating" with Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese meals once in a while).

    What almost certainly doesn't work is going back to cookies, bread, and other highly processed foods that will lead to this:

    CG9JB9WVIAAxln2.jpg

    Thanks for this chart.

    While I went LCHF by accident more or less and I am staying <50 grams of carbs daily as my health recovers which I expect will take years yet I see no reason for healthy people who have never abused carbs rather 'processed carbs' to stay away from most whole food carbs. Making carbs devoid of fiber seems to be the issue. Nature does not put a lot of fiber in protein and fats yet does most natural carb contain foods. There has to be a reason.

    At McDonald's yesterday they had several meals with calories in the 1000 - 1500 range. Most calories were from processed food. I checked the celery label this morning. While it does contain carbs the grams of fiber was still 50% of the gram of crabs. I try to eat nuts with around the 50% ratio any more.

    Eating 150 or less grams of carbs sees reasonable for those of us not into manual labor where the number of carbs is much less of a health concern in my view
  • LowCarbInScotland
    LowCarbInScotland Posts: 1,027 Member
    baconslave wrote: »
    daylitemag wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice @baconslave . I'm going to get some of those gel drops...he says squinting at his computer screen because his eyes are so dry. Luckily, I have not had anything like what you describe at night time. I seem fine when I'm sleeping. I mostly notice the dry eyes in the evening at the end of the day.

    Just another endorsement for the gel eye drops :smile: I get through a bottle of that stuff a week, it's the only way I can get through the work day.

    I've had dry eyes for years because of too much computer work and have relied heavily on the drops, as recommended by my eye doc when the problem initially started. Now, though, since cutting my carbs down to under 20, I've had massive blood vessel hemorrhages in the whites of my eyes. My doc hasn't been too worried though, he's done all the diabetic scans and eye imaging, and the important parts of my eyes are okay. I told him about my diet and he told me to just increase the use of my eye drops, he was pleased to hear how well my diet was affecting my blood sugar as of course that's important for my vision.

    I also have pretty chronic blepharitis too, which contributes to the problem, which isn't surprising as I also have rosacea. I'm sure this contributes to why the reduced mucus production from my diet affects me more than others. Clearly me and my bacteria don't get along. Can't wait for gut biome research to make some progress. Until then, I'm continuing to eat fermented foods and am back to eating more non starchy veg, along with dumping gallons of eye drops into my eyes. Haven't had a hemorrhage in about a month now.

    Those eye drops get EXPENSIVE!!! I have to get the preservative-free ones. OUCH in the wallet! That's another painful thing about dry eye. rolleyes_2011.gif

    Yeah, you're not kidding! I spend a fortune on my eyes, but they're worth it lol. I have to use "bleph wipes" in addition to the drops, they're to treat the blepharitis. The normal eye scrub process doesn't work, but these new wipes have literally changed my life. No more eye pimples or looking like I'm a drug addict. They cost £9 ($13) for a box of 20 and they want you to use one per eye, twice a day. They're crazy, I'd need 6 boxes per month! I use one for both eyes, they're big enough to avoid cross contamination, which is more likely to happen from my fingers than the wipes anyway. But it still works out pricey each month. However, I'm not really complaining, I have my vision and that's the important thing! I hope you get sorted out before things go too far beyond repair, take good care of your poor peepers!

    Stay away from that Visine @auntstephie321 that stuff will dry your eyes out.
  • rhondatn
    rhondatn Posts: 29 Member
    I am very low carb but have had some of the same eye issues that you have experienced. But I've had them whether I am doing low carb or not. I started taking some supplements that have really helped. I get them at the pharmacy and I believe it's called TheraTears. I really hate that ointment at night!