TF for Modern Diseases

[Metasequoia]

I started a thread about TF & diabetes but my Dad has so many other health related issues going on & I wonder how they might all be intertwined.

We are all aware of the myths out there in mainstream medicine & the recommended diets for everyone suffering from these ailments - but I wonder how it all spirals together.

For instance, say someone is prescribed statin drugs for "high" cholesterol & it lowers their cholesterol (not to mention the side effects). From what I've read (& I admit, I haven't done my homework on cholesterol myths yet) cholesterol is a protective mechanism. So what happens when we take that away?

Or when a person is put on a very strict low sodium diet for high BP - we all need salt, right? (And I'm talking about high quality sea salt here, not the other junk.)

It's like sunscreen & the epidemic of low vitamin D levels. I think a lot of modern disease has to do with low D levels because of less outdoor time & sunscreen.

When I read this stuff, it makes *perfect* sense! I've been to WAPF meetings where old farmer couples who eat homemade raw milk egg nog every morning for breakfast with bacon have really high cholesterol & are SO healthy.
But it's SUCH a leap when it's someone in your family, it's such a leap of faith. I know there's been no conection between high cholesterol & heart disease & no link between saturated fats & heart disease, but when you're going against doctor's advice for someone in your family, it's scary.

I need some positive stories of how your loved ones have healed from modern diseases on a TF diet - going against the mainstream recommended diets. Heart disease, diabetes, high BP, etc.

Any thoughts on how a TF diet affects modern diseases appreciated.

[Metasequoia]

Anyone?

I'm having a hard time as a TFer with my Dad's diagnoses. Heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure - all intertwined. But we're getting the whole no sodium, no saturated fats speech & it all just seems WRONG.
WHat happens if you give someone with heart disease or kidney disease Celtic sea salt - to me it's not the same animal as iodized table salt, but I'm afraid of worsening his conditions. Same with butter & other full fat raw dairy, it MUST
be better margarine or pasteurized skim milk.

Please don't move this thread to H&H, I really want a TF perspective on this.

[tanyalynn]

I guess my perspective as a TFer is that real, good foods are fundamental, but once things are really messed up (like me and my kids) then more is needed. I don't think the supplements I take, or those I give the kids (and wow it seems like a lot) are any excuse not to make real, nourishing foods, but I don't think the foods alone would be enough. We haven't healed me or the kids with food, but I think the food has really been helpful in the process of me getting better (adrenal and thyroid problems due to mercury-containing fillings _and_ pathetic dietary habits). I've found the fats and the meat very nourishing, they're a really important part of my recovery. And understanding that others who've also had significant health challenges have found the same has been really helpful.

I guess that wasn't really what you were looking for, but I think the whole picture, once someone gets to the point of having serious health problems, is complex. (and I wouldn't feed margarine to anybody)

I think the biggest thing is, how does your dad feel about this? How does he want to deal with this? I think with a good healthcare provider (someone knowledgeable on nutrition and supplements) all of these things can get better, but it seems largely dependent on how your dad wants to deal with this--does he want to overhaul his diet? It's not an easy decision to make (at least it wasn't for me).

[Junegoddess]

I think the first thing is to find out if your dad is on board with changes. And then... see if you can get him to absolve you of any possible guilt. Seriously. My mom is diabetic and had a heart attack before 50, and being the codependent daughter I am, I've been gradually taking over her medical care in recent years. Despite being wholly unqualified. It suddenly occurred to me that it was a very scary thing for me to do... but she reassured me that she FEELS so much better now, even if something evil is going on beneath the surface. She doesn't care if I've somehow shortened her life, because I've made it better in the meantime. That conversation was a huge relief for me. And I've always tried to be balanced when telling her about a new idea or herb or diet change. She knows I'm not a doctor, she knows I could easily be wrong about something. And she doesn't always find it easy to follow my advice anyway. It has taken a year and a half for me to get her off gluten, and she still keeps "slipping up." And she just flat refuses to "bother" with driving to get raw milk. (Although once she moves down here in January, she'll have no excuse! LOL)

So, anyway... I don't have experience with your dad's specific problems. I do have faith in traditional, whole foods. A word of caution on the fats- if he's been on a low-fat diet for a long time, his ability to digest fats will be reduced. Especially if he's having liver trouble. The liver makes the bile, I think... or is that the gall bladder? Anyway, the liver is involved with SO much, I'm sure the process is affected by liver illness.

The kidneys control blood pressure, so if they aren't working well, I think it'd be *possible* for higher salt levels (even good salt) to cause a problem... but I don't know. It's such a delicate balance, and healthy bodies can tweak it just fine. From what little I've read on it, blood pressure medicine isn't all that bad. I like to think so, because my dh is taking it. Oh, wait, you didn't say your dad was taking meds for that. How high was his BP? Fish oil has been shown in studies to lower BP. So does good dark chocolate (better than meds, if I remember right.)

In my UNQUALIFIED opinion, heart disease is caused by inflammation. The body uses cholesterol to soothe/fix inflammation. The problem isn't the cholesterol, it's the inflammation. The two biggest dietary contributors to inflammation are trans fats and inappropriate grains. Some would even say all grains are inflammatory. I don't know. Pasteurized dairy is inflammatory... and homogenized dairy fat particles are akin to trans fats, they are so messed up.

Some people with kidney failure are prescribed low-protein diets, as that eases the burden on the kidneys. Has he been told to do that? If so, I would recommend slowly working him toward a very high fat diet, since an inflamed diabetic doesn't need to make up the calories with carbs.

I don't think food would heal him all by itself. I think I would personally turn to Chinese Medicine in this case- a comprehensive program of herbs (to gently heal the liver, especially) and accupuncture/accupressure to restore the flow of energies.

I hope this was helpful... I got interrupted about 17 times by my 3-yo. :

[Metasequoia]

Thank you for responding, Mamas. I really don't know where to start with this but I do know that feeding him foods that are toxic will NOT help his body heal itself. I know that food alone won't heal him at this point, but I do believe it's a big piece of the puzzle.

He has been eating fats all along, so if his gall bladder is okay, it shouldn't be a shock to it. He's on board with no grains & refuses to eat the white bread that the hospital keeps serving him. : So I can start with diet but I'm afraid of the effects on his organs. There is so much bad information out there about diet, it makes it really hard to find the truth.

I haven't read anything upsetting about BP meds, and yes, he is on BP meds. Beta blocker too, which seems necessary & not a horrible thing - like the statin drug.

I'll check out the Price-Pottenger Foundation website, but the last time I looked, it didn't list many docs in our area.
I wish we lived near Tom Cowan.

[Junegoddess]

Are your two concerns cholesterol and salt? I don't know where to suggest info on the salt issue- with kidney failure that *could* be a legitimate problem. But I haven't read anything credible that suggests cholesterol would be a problem. Good food is good. Period. I wonder if the WAP site might have an article on liver failure and cholesterol? If he's been eating fats all along- might as well just make sure they are better fats, you know?

[Metasequoia]

I cruised the WAPF site until almost 2 am, printing out all of the articles I could find on heart disease, statin drugs, cholesterol, etc. I might look at the Celtic Sea Salt site - that Salt Society - I think I remember some articles there. I bet I could find info on salt & heart disease, but salt & kindey failure might be more obscure a topic. And having all 3 of these issues (& maybe more) combined complicates everything.

I haven't read the 'Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven't Been Told About Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Medicines' by SF & ME yet, but it's sitting next to me - I'm sure it'll be enlightening, in a worrisome kind of way.