there are hundreds of centers for research on heart, cancer, aids etc. etc. Thyroid has been over looked for some strange reason by all of the medical authorities. This is a disease which incapacitates one socially, physically, mentally and economically. this disease is a silent killer which kills the patient slowly through using other diseases such as high blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol,memory loss,eczema, hypoadrenia and list goes on and on. the sad thing is that this is curable with simple and cheapest available medications and minerals. thyroid is one of the biggest overlooked, stubbornness by our medical system which is costing the governments and population billions economical and lots of grieve socially because this disease also effects one's decision making ability too. i and my family has suffered with hypothyroid conditions. we have been to many doctors but no help. every doctor failed to recognize the symptoms because of the stupid TSH test excuse. finally when i started getting heart problems problems despite the facts that i was in the gym 7 days a week and still gaining weight. i took some time off and started to educating my self through the internet and books. changed my family's doctors. now, every body in the family feels normal. no more quick temper, sleepless nights, weight gain, skin problems, cholesterol,blood pressure, menstrual irregularities, flu,hair loss, too much calcium in the blood, eczema to name a few. even my 8 year old dog is stopped shedding hair and is less scared of the thunder now after D3 and kelp. my 74 year old mother says that she never felt this way in her entire life. my university going son feels 100 times calm now. kelp, iodine, tyrosine, multi vitamins, liquid thermometer and dessicated hormones are not that expensive. my favorite doctors are Dr. david Derry (retired), Dr Star, Dr. william Davis, Dr. Lowe, Dr. Rind to name a few who have the balls and soul to say the way it is. I just want to say that thank you Dr. William and please keep it up.

You know, now that I am "tuned into" hypothyroidism, I see people all the time that I think have a slight or even obvious goiter or enlargement of the thyroid gland, both in person and on TV.  And I don't mean fat necks, I mean a goitrous neck, often on relatively thin people (though not always).  One of the TV people that stood out to me was a reality show former model (with a really narcissistic personality) who has a clothing line.  I think her name was Kimora and her clothing line was Phat, but don't quote me -  I was watching her neck more than the show (I was channel surfing and her swollen neck caught my attention).

On the rare occasion when I have a chance to talk about thyroid conditions with someone who has  what looks like a slight goiter to me (if we are talking about health or I mention my low thyroid condition), I don't ask outright or suggest they look like they have a goiter, but invariably they say they don't have a thyroid problem because their doctor suspected it, checked it out, and the lab says it's fine (I don't mention what I see on their neck, of course, but my tongue is black and blue later from biting back how my doctors missed my thyroid condition for so many years    ).  

Between people reducing salt (iodized salt); eating processed soy ingredients on a regular basis (soy's a goitrogen - thyroid inhibitor);  constantly stressing (running on adrenaline, burning the candles at both ends - which skews all the other hormones); and the poor state of thyroid treatment with conventional medicine, it's not surprising to see goitrous necks commonly around town on a regular basis.

This book can be found online at Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org/etext/18467

Dr. Davis, Your goiter blog posting brought to mind the issue of evolution of the medical profession from "art and craft" to "science based.......".

I can better understand a comment read long ago. It said that until about the 1930's and the advent of sulfa drugs, you stood less than a 50% chance of benefiting from a visit to the doctor's office.

Somewhere in the past, we did pass that threshold (I hope), and I wonder what decade would you attribute that to, and what thing or things put it over the mark.

Dr. Davis, can you comment on why you are using images of people from istockphoto to represent the faces from your TESTIMONIAL sections on the TYP website?

Isn't that unethical? I mean, these are supposedly "real" accounts from "real" people, using the TYP program. If they are real, then why do you feel the need to use stock photo images as the pictures of them?

You can find my links to these cases on todayiatea.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-davis-heart-scan-blog-and-russian.html or simply go to www.todayiatea.blogspot.com and search for the May 17th post.

Pooti--

Simple.

In past, when I approached people to allow us to use their photos, they would not grant permission. Most cited reluctance to let everyone know they had heart disease. Same with their names. This happened time and again. Obviously, we cannot go against their wishes for both ethical reasons and the HIPAA privacy act. In fact, posting private health information is a violation of the law which can even lead to jail time. The government means business.

In short, we gave up trying to obtain permission to allow people to use their real names and photos. So the photos and names are fake. The stories are very real, though all--ALL--potentially identifying information has been changed. If, for instance, someone's Lp(a) is really 167 nmol/L, we might say it's something like 157 nmol/L, so that nothing can be personally tagged.

This is just the reality of this project. Unlike weight loss testimonials in which people are thrilled to have their before and after pictures posted, such is not the case with heart disease.

Does anyone here volunter to be the first to allow your photo and name, along with details of your health, to be posted?

Dr. Davis I have a serious problem with this unethical behavior. You can not LEGALLY nor ETHICALLY call it a "testimonial" if you've changed every fact and nothing about the entire story is actually based on truth. The most you can call each of these examples (note they are not "testimonials") is a "recreation based on similar patient accounts" (i.e. fictional account). You would then need to follow that with your disclaimer that individual results may very dramatically among each person.

Dr. Davis I think you do your patients a disservice. You can tell "stories" of success. But you cannot call them Testimonials. It's misleading advertising practises. In short it's called lying for gain.

BTW, Heidi Diaz aka Kimkins did the same thing on her website and she has a class action lawsuit going against her right now. You may argue she lied about more than her testimonials and testimonial photos. However...you are doing no better. And so you have now corrupted your message as a healer.
Not good, doctor. Whomever it was who advised you to take this path on your website should be given the boot and a big fat "your fired." It's indefensibly poor advice.

www.todayiatea.blogspot.com

BTW, Dr. Davis? I can tell you that if I were one of your patients, and you helped me reduce my atherosclerotic plaque buildup in my arteries by 63%, I would be your best advertising. Not only would I allow you to use my story and my image to help others realize this type of incredible result, but I would be a marketers' dream child.

In advertising and marketing - rule 101 is to convert an interested prospect into a client, and from a client into repeat client, and from a repeat client into an advocate.

An advocate is someone who takes your success personally and will go beyond the norm in order to help ensure your success. In other words they have a personal interest in your success. So they do things like speak highly of you every place they can. They recommend you to friends. They send you members of their family. They are gold. Priceless beyond measure.

That is a universal truth, regardless of the industry. Hell, look at Farah Fawcett and she has the most physically embarrassing problem in the world and she's out there shouting from the roof about it. So I really fail to see how your patients whom you have helped so dramatically, could possibly resist an appeal to use their true testimonial in order to help others live...

pooti,

These are interesting points that you bring up, and perhaps worthwhile exploring.  

There are numerous reasons why someone might allow their story to be told, but not want to be personally identified on the WWW.  At the same time, he/she might be very open with family, friends, neighbors, etc., but that's at his/her discretion.  That's the way I am about some health issues, very open when it feels right, but clammed up on other occasions.  It's my choice.  

I can't help feeling this issue is more of a molehill than a mountain...but obviously you feel differently.

@Anne,
Well spotted! The clothes line is called Baby Phat.
Follow the link below and click on the thumbnail of the front view, zoom in all the way by double clicking on the image and observe the inept Photoshopping round her neck to hide the goitre!
http://idn.efashionsolutions.com/asset/imageset/id/BP-D2G00134_H09_zoom
Had Google this one after your description.

Michael,

Here's a photo of Kimora Lee that is probably not Photoshopped and shows the front neck swelling more noticeably (at least I hope it isn't Photoshopped, because I've never seen her on the TV show with the skinny arms that appear in the fashion shoots).

www.babyphat.com/landingpages/landing.php?page=maternity&dept=plus

Google Kimora Lee goiter and the search results show I'm not the only one speculating that she has a goiter...oh jeeze, I need to get a life.  I  can't believe I'm googling celebrity necks now .  But I see necks like this ALL the time around town, on women of all sizes.  It's like a traffic wreck, so hard NOT to sneak a peek!

Anna, with all due respect, it really doesn't matter so much what either of us think about it. Dr. Davis actually risks his license by making these types of claims without proper designation of them as "dramatizations" or "actors" or "advertorials". Because the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) clearly outlines the rules for the use of Consumer Testimonials and Endorsements:

Part B is the relevent portion but they skirt dangerously close to the other rules as well:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/endorse.htm

§255.2 Consumer endorsements.

(a) An advertisement employing an endorsement reflecting the experience of an individual or a group of consumers on a central or key attribute of the product or service will be interpreted as representing that the endorser's experience is representative of what consumers will generally achieve with the advertised product in actual, albeit variable, conditions of use. Therefore, unless the advertiser possesses and relies upon adequate substantiation for this representation, the advertisement should either clearly and conspicuously disclose what the generally expected performance would be in the depicted circumstances or clearly and conspicuously disclose the limited applicability of the endorser's experience to what consumers may generally expect to achieve. The Commission's position regarding the acceptance of disclaimers or disclosures is described in the preamble to these Guides published in the Federal Register on January 18, 1980.

(b) Advertisements presenting endorsements by what are represented, directly or by implication, to be ``actual consumers'' should utilize actual consumers, in both the audio and video or clearly and conspicuously disclose that the persons in such advertisements are not actual consumers of the advertised product.

(c) Claims concerning the efficacy of any drug or device as defined in the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 55, shall not be made in lay endorsements unless (1) the advertiser has adequate scientific substantiation for such claims and (2) the claims are not inconsistent with any determination that has been made by the Food and Drug Administration with respect to the drug or device that is the subject of the claim.

@Anna,
spot on! But it's still a "goitre" for me and the rest of the world. Same as "centre" and "metre". One cannot honour Yankee spelling!

@Pooti,
It's a bit over-the-top to compare Dr Davis with Heidi Diaz! Can you state, hand on heart, you're not a drug company troll?? Just wondering.

BTW, having looked up Pooti's website, he does not appear to be a drug company troll.
While I'm on Dr Davis' side here, I think that no harm is done shining a light on the issue of before & after stories. But on balance, I think Pootie is over-reacting here. For example change 160 to 157 is not falsifying the data within the error range of the measurement. However, labelling stock photos as such would probably be a good idea.

I'm with everyone that thinks Pooti is overreacting. All that need to be put on the site is something along the lines of "photographs and medical details have been changed in the interest of patient privacy". Maybe even throw something in about HIPAA. It happens all thin time with things involving medical information - the stories are real, but the details have been altered a bit to protect the privacy of the people involved. I don't see anything wrong with that. I'd have to think long and hard before putting my real face, name, and medical conditions on the internet. I did it once before in a place, much to my eventual detriment.

i am regular visitor of your site and you are writing very nice so keep posting university admission

The heart scan is a rapid assessment tool for the identification of hemodynamically significant cardiac abnormalities in the ICU. Like the evaluation focused on trauma ultrasound for the concept, but directed at the center instead of the abdomen. Often called calcium scanning provides a score that can be used to determine the risk of a coronary event. Unlike an electrocardiogram (which mostly shows the results of recent heart attack) and thallium stress test (which appears only advanced blockages of 70% or more.) Is an excellent way to determine if a person has coronary artery disease.

there are hundreds of centers for research on heart, cancer, aids etc. etc. Thyroid has been over looked for some strange reason by all of the medical authorities. This is a disease which incapacitates one socially, physically, mentally and economically. this disease is a silent killer which kills the patient slowly through using other diseases such as high blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol,memory loss,eczema, hypoadrenia and list goes on and on. the sad thing is that this is curable with simple and cheapest available medications and minerals. thyroid is one of the biggest overlooked, stubbornness by our medical system which is costing the governments and population billions economical and lots of grieve socially because this disease also effects one's decision making ability too.

Really you’re doing great job nice blog with very useful templates. Thanks for sharing it with all.Rebreathing Bag

Another excellent option is a new product from the manufacturers of Metamucil called Fiber-Sure. It's been on the store shelves for about 2 weeks. 100% Inulin fiber, flavor free, grit free, non-thickening. A heaping teaspoon = 5 grams of soluble fiber. It is designed to be mixed in to food or beverages.

Just wanted to note the presumed typo in the third "paragraph" above -- you wrote "Insulin has the effect of increasing satiety, or the sensation of fullness." I believe you meant INULIN rather than INSULIN...

Thanks for catching the typo. Now corrected.

Inulin is a tasteless fiber and is reported to have less than half the calories of sugar/ ( 1.5 kcal gram compared to 4 kcal/gram for sugar) .
It is used in many reduced sugar yogurts.
The latest nutrition studies do show effects on satiety, weight loss .

Regarding heart health :  Inulin has proven effects on lowering blood triglycerides.  
Metamucil ( Psyllium fiber) is better for lowering cholesterol.

Does anyone know what the potassium content of Inulin is?  I have a high potassium blood count and am trying to lower it, but I also need a high-fiber diet.  It seems that some of the best high-fiber foods are also high in potassium.  Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

Can you tell me the potassium content of Inulin?  I have a high potassium blood count and am trying to lower it with diet changes before it reaches the danger zone.  But I also need a high-fiber diet.  It seems that some of the best high-fiber foods are also high in potassium.  Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

Is Inulin safe for dogs?  My little Pomeranium needs an increase in fiber in his diet, and my vet doesn't know anything about inulin.  My dog is a picky eater, so something like inulin would be a perfect choice -- if it's indeed safe for canines.

You need to update your info on Stoneyfield Farms Yogurt. They no longer include the inulin in their yogurt since their products are now all organic.  I guess they could not find an organic source for inulin.

You can also find inulin as a supplement that you can add to foods, available from some health food stores and online supplement companies.

Thought this interesting, talking about wheat, saw yesterday on the news that NBC is hosting "health week" this week.  It is sponsored by General Mills, if I remember correctly, with emphasis on the importance of eating whole wheat for good health.

1. Should I continue to take all my supplements and medications during fasting, e.g. Niacin, or does it depend?
2. If upon fasting, satiety comes after eating a small amount of food, how do I make sure my nutrition is sufficient to maintain the muscle mass? How do you combine fasting and exercise?

Gene, my guess is that you can't. Or shouldn't. But then you're probably not going to fast for more than a few days at most, so going without exercise for a few days is probably not going to cost you any muscle mass.

I would also think it's probably okay to take your usual supplements, too.  Medicines may be a problem, depending on what they are.  People with serious health issues probably should avoid fasting altogether, unless under the close supervision of his or her doctor.

I'm interested in hearing what Dr. Davis has to say regarding fasting.  Hurry up doc!

Joe

Is it true that fasting can also improve LP(a)?

Agreed Dr. Davis.

I am a big fan of intermittent fasting.... looking forward to more posts.

I've had a similar experience to your post-fast feeling upon eating by doing a 2 or 3 day liquid-only diet that's heavy on water and includes a large protein shake each day.  It's as though you have to periodically remind the part of your brain that listens to the stomach what "full" means.

Like the others, I'm very interested in what the doc has to say in the next article in this series!

To what extent does a person with impaired adrenal and/or thyroid function need to be careful when fasting or low-carbing?

Type 1 diabetic for 40 years, and nowadays I eat about a thousand-calorie high-fat breakfast and a similar dinner.  I rarely eat lunch, and skipping breakfast (simply omit the pre-meal shot of insulin) as well is usually not a big deal any more: I do it occasionally.  Control of blood sugar is much easier now, and Hb A1c around 6 rather than over 10: still room for improvement.  When I was eating skimmed milk with Grape-Nuts or Uncle Sam (whole wheat flakes with whole flaxseed) for breakfast I would have blood sugars as high as 300 by mid-morning and a powerful hunger by lunchtime.  Whatever benefits fasting may have, I find it a lot easier now than it once was, and plan to try it more often, as I'm still overweight.

Is snacking on raw green vegetables between meals also considered grazing?

I experimented with intermittent fasting (IF) for a little over a year. I first got interested in IF through calorie restriction (CR) -- there were a couple papers suggesting that you could extend lifespan through IF without the CR, which seemed like the perfect combination.

These papers are still quoted on many blogs, but I doubt many have actually read them, since none of them actually show you can increase lifespan without restricting calories. See this post for a more detailed analysis:

http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/05/does-intermittent-fasting-increase.html

Anyhow, I still think there might be benefits for doing intermittent fasting -- though I've also seen some studies showing it might have negative effects as well -- and certainly it seems pretty good for weight loss. When I was on a high-fat, low-carb diet and fasting for 24 hours, then eating for 24 hours, I was the leanest I'd ever been. And that was without trying or counting calories:

http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2009/08/year-of-intermittent-fasting-adf.html

And one more shameless plug, some tips for those who have trouble going without food for 24 hours (or more):

http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-deal-with-5-most-common.html

Personally, I never went for several days without food. I'm not sure it's needed for weight loss anyway, although it might have other health benefits.

- JLL

Hi, Gene--

Green vegetables have no discernible postprandial chylomicron/VLDL consequence and is the exception. I'd consider that safe "grazing."

We usually hold niacin during a fast due to the fluid struggles, which can magnify the hot "flush." We usually continue the other supplements, however.

Hi, Paul--

If not yet corrected, I don't think it would be a good time to fast, since you could feel pretty crumby during your fast.

Fasting should be a positive experience, not something to endure. I'd wait until these issues are corrected.

Hi, JLL--

Agreed. In fact, I believe that the greatest benefits of intermittent fasting are the subjective benefits of reawakened taste and appreciation of food, rather than the physiologic benefits. Nonetheless, it makes sense that, since atherosclerosis and arterial dysfunction are to a large degree postprandial phenomena, prolonged "no-prandial" periods might facilitate arterial health.

Is it possible that current wheat strains have been selected or genetically engineered to be addictive?

Today's Urban Dictionary Word of the Day: Carb Coma -- The sleepy feeling after eating a large meal comprised chiefly of carbohydrates, whether in the form of rice, noodles, bread or dough.  "Dude, I was totally dozing at the office after that giant serving of chow mein for lunch. Total carb coma."

I have been following Fast-5 for three years, and quickly got down to a healthy weight. I'm 58 years old and lost 25 lbs to get down to 160lb (5'-11''), and a reasonable BMI. I fast daily for 19 to 21 hours with absolutely no effort required - it is just the way I live now. During this whole time I have made no effort to restrict wheat in any way. I don't eat a lot of wheat and I don't eat it every day, but on the day after pigging out on pizza I have no trouble with my fasting. There's your black swan.

Ketone metabolites from Beta oxidation of fatty acid, B-hydroxy-butyrate , increase when fasting;  these metabolites act on visceral fat receptor HM74A. The result is upregulation of the anti-inflammatory  molecule adiponectin;  it (adiponectin)  also keeps less glycerols  (think of tri-glyceride group).

The increased adiponectin upshot is the white visceral adipose (not subcutaneous fat) does less lypo-lysis (fat cleaving) and there is a reduced level of free fatty acids going into circulation.  This relief, from excessive "freed" fatty acids ,  permits the response to insulin to improve (ie: sensitivity to insulin better) when go back to eating;  and the longer the fast went on for  the longer the boost of circulating adipinectins stays  around   than before.

Low serum adiponectin levels are common in the obese, hyper-glycaemic,  diabetic;  individuals with  hyper-triglycerides, coronary artery disease (and often even the children of  hyper-tensives.  Metabolic syndrome tends to low adiponectin and concurrent high levesls of circulating triglycerides.

The  actual anti-inflammatory action of adiponectin is a major  part of why the fast makes the body feel so much better;  the digestive  organ rest is given too much focus.   Many individuals report  " pain gone"  from diets  that favor more ketone derived energy
production (like low carb,  calorie restriction &/or  ferments for gut bacteria) ;  because,  there too, the metabolite Beta hydroxy-butyrate is instigating more circulating adiponectin that  then stymies pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Hi, Might--

You make a crucial point that, I believe, explains much of the benefits to fasting: via improvements in cytokine levels and tissue responsiveness, especially adiponectin.

Fabulous!

Hi, Curtis--

Exactly. There are going to be exceptions. However, I speak for the 80% or more people who do indeed have addictive and appetite-increasing relationships with wheat.

I wasn't able to fast when Dr. Davis started discussing it about 1-2 years ago. Most of my life, if I didn't "graze", I'd get hypoglycemic symptoms like my mother, and my paternal grandmother. My mother even got a note from my doctor that I had to have a sandwich before Jr high band practice, else I'd get headaches or light-headed - that's how long I've dealt with frequent hypoglycemia episodes.

So I came up with my own personal mini-fast-challenge. I would only eat when an actual hypoglycemic symptom happened, ignoring the regular hunger pangs. Then when I ate, I avoided sugars, starch and wheat - I did have a bit of rice though. I'm guessing it was about 3-4 days before I could go 5-6 hours with no hypoglycemic symptoms, and about 10'ish days before I could go 12 waking hours with no calories (I draink tea with stevia).

Looking back, both my parents' families ate lots of wheat: bread, biscuits, pasta, so that's probably what gave my paternal grandmother, mother, and then me our hypoglycemia. If I have a hypoglycemic symptom, I start my mini-fast-challenge again. I finally figured out my family's curse is wheat, so I avoid it except the occasional pasta dish.

I followed the "East Stop Eat" approach a while back, with good results. I agree with one poster that said best to skip the breakfast insulin surge. In fact I think the whole "three square meals" with grazing in between, needs to be challenged (perhaps one meal a day). My guess is that humans are designed to go days without food and have plenty of energy. Its an ability that needs to be regained. Also I gather fasting is good for HGH response, especially if combined with resistance training.

Dr. Davis, I have done intermittent fasting for a long time...so long, I have lost count but I think that it has been 4 years. I do my version on a daily basis so it I am not as strict as someone who does this occasionally. Now that being said, my final meal of the day is the meal that I begin my fast so I keep it as nutritious and ketogenic as possible. So, I eat my final meal at around 7:00 P.M. I don't eat again until 3:00 P.M. the following day. Eating is such a treat and I eat very tasty low carb food when I break my fast. I will have my morning coffee with heavy whipping cream and MCT oil. Or I will have a glass of water with MCT oil. I take my vitamin D at this time of day because it wards off any allergy bugs lurking in the air. This summer I would like to lose 10 lbs so I will just kick up my fasting method in intensify my diet by keeping it balanced between protein and fats.

I am not athletic in the least but I find that being active is not hindered during fasting. I strongly believe that we should not need to eat before exercise. Nor should we need to eat immediately after exercise.

Sorry, I just noticed that post came up under my husband's name. That post on fasting should come up under my name Mary...I am the one playing flute.

Yes, I do agree with you . I read about HGH becoming activated through a combination of fasting and resistance training.

Yes it’s true that to become faster and sharper than we should have wheat, grain, etc. in our daily meal than you will be satisfied by your performance.
Physical Therapy Supplies

18 hour fasts are easy, 24 hour fasts are hard, but once I break the 24 hour barrier, another 12-16 hours isn't bad.  My diet isn't wheat heavy, but I certainly don't avoid it.  What works for me is moderate physical activity, which gets me over the hump.  The hump may be the switchover from carb burning to fat burning, which moderate activity of a couple hours duration trains the body to do.

I was quite sold on IF but keep finding conflicting findings, any comments on this http://chriskresser.com/blog/intermittent-fasting-cortisol-and-blood-sugar/ ?

Dr. Davis,
Please refer me to your source of  "wheat is destructive".  I have eaten Shredded Wheat breakfast cereal every day for 25 years.  It is the only breakfast cereal I am not allergic/sensitive to.  After eating it for breakfast, it fills me up and I do not eat again for 6 hours.  I understand about wheat products raising a person's glycemic index, but I have read that the fiber in Shredded Wheat takes so long to digest that it actually controls a person's blood sugar all day.
I am a healthy, near ideal-weight 50 year-old female.  My experience finds this statement to be false: "wheat is a powerful appetite stimulant through its 2-hour cycle of exaggerated glycemia followed by a glucose low, along with its addictive exorphin effect".
Thank you for your time.

Another contributor: Conventional LDL is a calculated value, not measured. The calculation for LDL is thrown off by any reduction in HDL or rise in triglycerides. In Katie's case, the rise in HDL from 48 to 54 means that calculated LDL is becoming more accurate and rising towards the true measured value. At the start, Katie's true measured LDL was 122 mg/dl, 35 mg higher than the calculated value. Calculated LDL is therefore approximating measured LDL more accurately as HDL rises.