I normally eat a handful of almonds,  some raw cashews, and occasionally an orange for breakfast.  I used to eat  cheese with breakfast also, but found once I began eating cheese it was hard for me to stop at one or two pieces.

Do you think eating fruits in breakfast is not good for the health ? I eat 2 apples and 1 banana every morning. Would those have a bad effect on my health ?

My favorite breakfast is often left over Thai curry.  I omit the rice.  I also like making a thai omelet which is simply 2 eggs and some fish sauce and water and serving it with Sirachi sauce or Thai peanut sauce.  It is street vendor food in Thailand I hear.  Here's a recipe: http://www.egullet.com/tdg.cgi?pg=ARTICLE-mamster052703

I find left over dinners are quite wonderful for breakfast.  You just have to get past this notion that you have to eat certain foods at certain times in the day.  Where'd that idea come from anyway?

I’ve tried eating oatmeal throughout my life, really wanting to like it. Until now the mere taste or smell of it made my stomach queasy. The key for me was toasting the oatmeal. Here’s what I generally do:

For Steel-cut oatmeal with the taste and texture of rice pudding-

In a frypan:
Toss 1 TBS of butter or so into a hot pan.
Add 1 cup of steel-cut oatmeal until toasted.
--few minutes
In a saucepan:
Boil 2-1/2 cups water
Add 1 cinnamon stick (or equivalent)
Add toasted Steel-cut oatmeal and cook for 15-20 minutes or so

Add 1-1/2 cups of low-fat milk, yogurt, or some combination, etc…
-Optional- Wisk an egg yolk into the milk.
-Optional- Add ¼ tsp salt.
-Optional- 2 TBS honey or Brown sugar. I use one 1 TBS  of each.
Add some lemon or orange zest

Return to a boil for 10-15 minutes and then chill before eating. The oatmeal will congeal, resembling rice pudding.
Sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar on top
Add what you like: raisins, nuts, etc...

Use the cinnamon stick if you can, it really makes the difference. I’m constantly refining this recipe. Hopefully others will post their ideas and comments.

Your "wheat belly" link appears to be broken.

Bonnie

Interesting list!

Once I decided to give up my (former) love affair with breakfast cereals, I was in a quandary about what to do for breakfast.  I don't have much time in the morning to get creative and don't have the inclination at that time of the day to do so either.

I've settled on a routine of 2 hard-boiled (organic free-range) eggs (I boil them up a week in advance and leave them, shells-on, in the fridge), and a home-made protein-berry smoothie (frozen organic unsweetened berries, water-based).

This 8 am combo is easy, fast and tasty (I vary the berries and sometimes add natural flavour extracts for variety).  It keeps my blood sugar flat and me full until my 1pm lunchtime.  And I don't miss the cereals one bit!

You are so right.  I met an out-of-town friend for breakfast the other morning at a French-style bakery cafe.  I ordered the goat cheese and herb omelet, but said I didn't want the potatoes or bread with it.  They offered extra fruit or a salad instead.  I chose the salad, with olive oil and vinegar.  My friend wondered how I could eat a salad so early.  Why not?  

At home I usually eat 2 or 3 eggs over easy cooked in butter for breakfast most mornings and I am comfortably hungry for lunch about 3-4 hours later.  But after my nicely filling cheese omelet and generous romaine salad (with a tiny bit of fruit - I ate the berries/melon and left the super-sweet pineapple), I wasn't hungry again until very late in the afternoon so had a small snack (cheese and half an apple) to hold me off and ate my next meal at dinner time.  And it was a slow-developing comfortable hunger, not the powerful, "gotta eat something, anything" hunger that follows carb-heavy food.

Breakfast food, indeed!

What's the health difference insant vs. slow cooked oatmeal?

You are absolutely right - breakfast is the most difficult meal to change. When I gave up wheat, I started using brown rice or potatoes mixed with anything interesting - nuts or meat or veges. I have now learned that these carbs make my blood glucose skyrocket. I have dropped the rice and potatoes and my BG has dropped nicely.

My favorite breakfast is sauted veges with some leftover meat or even an omlete. Soups are great in the AM. Nuts are for the days I am in a hurry.

Would be a little easier if I were not dairy intolerant.

Here in South India,it is  'Idli' - steam-cooked Lentil-rice (predominantly lentil) droppings, and 'Dosa' - lentil-rice pancakes. We have altered it a bit by increasing lentil ratio and dropping the rice to a minimum. Tastes good and fills you nice, for 4-5 hours.

Just keep in mind what Dr. D wrote previously about eggs:

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/eggs-good-bad-or-indifferent.html

The abnormal after-eating effect suggested by the Brazilians opens up some very interesting questions and confirms that we should still be cautious in our intake of egg yolks. One yolk per day is clearly too much. What is safe? The exisitng information would suggest that, if you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or a postprandial disorder (IDL, VLDL), you should minimize your egg yolk use, perhaps no more than 3 or so per week, preferably not all at one but spaced out to avoid the after-eating effect.

Others without postprandial disorders may safely eat more, perhaps 5 per week, but also not all at one but spaced out.

What's the health difference insant vs. slow cooked oatmeal?

I'm not a doctor or an expert, but I believe what the issue is with most quick-oats is that they're rolled or flattened.  This gives them very large surface area and they digest very rapidly in the stomach rapidly raising blood glucose levels.

Steel cut oats on the other hand are, well, little cut up bits of oats.  They take longer to cook, and have less surface area.  They digest slower therefore slower result in a slower increase in blood glucose.

I'm sure that Dr. Davis will either correct me if I'm wrong or not post my comment if it is way off base.  

I have two or three eggs, usually scrambled, but sunny-side-up and over-easy get thrown in for variety.  I cook them using butter made from grass-fed cows.  I also make my scrambled eggs using whipping cream instead of the more typical water or milk.  I'll put a spoonful of fresh-made salsa over the top for some zing, some sliced cheese on the side and a cup of whole, organic milk to drink.

I'm completely sold on the "high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb" diet and especially the admonition to start the day with a strong breakfast.  My overall energy levels are fantastic, running performance is as good as high-school, and my belly hasn't looked this tight in decades.

Dr. Davis,

I see you have a copyright, so I would like to ask if I can copy this post to a diet blog I moderate?  I'm afraid if I create a link, it'll not take me to this particular post, but the most recent post.

Anonymous--
Please feel free to use the content of this What's for breakfast post.
(I copyright to discourage the auto-publishers from syndicating without attribution.)

Why is breakfast such a big deal?  I tend to not eat before noon.  It frees up my mornings, not having to cook anything.  I can't stand cereal.  I don't get hunger pangs til 2 or 3PM.  I know, every fat person says they never eat breakfast.  My weight, (170#) is the same now at age 51 as it was in high school.

Chop an apple, add a few nuts and top with plain yogurt.
You can add cinnamon and a sweetener packet if you must have sweet but I think it's sweet enough without.
Yummy and easy!

I eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 cup of almonds. I try to grind up flax seeds and mix them in the cottage cheese.

I eat something pretty similar:

1/4 cup ground nuts
1/4 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon lechithin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instead of using milk, I mix up a scoop of either soy protein powder or whey protein isolate with water and use that to supply the liquid.

This gives me several of the TYP recommended foods all in one easy-to-eat package.

When I travel, I make up a portion for each day of my trip and bring them along in baggies (with the protein powder separately). It's a great alternative to the typical appalling commercial breakfasts of bagels, pancakes, hash browns etc - much better for me and saves a lot of time in the morning. You can even eat it on a plane (bringing your own plastic bowl sometimes helps).

Might be worth mentioning that most soy sauce contains wheat...

My favorite breakfast is leftover baked chicken thighs.  I bake them by first putting a little olive oil on them and covering them with parmesan cheese.  Use the skin on type so it can crisp up.  I bake them at 400  degrees for 40 minutes until they are nice and brown and crisp.  I have them for dinner and then cold for breakfast.  They are delicious.

Whole Greek Yogurt with berries (fresh if possible, but thawed will do) topped with some walnuts. I sometimes add coconut oil.

I make a protein shake for breakfast: 1.5 cups of water, a tablespoon of rice protein powder, my vitamins, and a big spoonful of nut butter. I blend, then add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and blend again.

My staple:
   -4 free range farm eggs, poached in extra virgin organic coconut oil, put on a bed of spinach
   -topped with either 1/2 pound nitrite free bacon or a sliced avocado
   -small bowl of chopped apple/strawberries and a half a handful of walnuts.

The traditional English (and Scottish) breakfast is of course bacon and eggs, but meat, cheese and yoghurt are pretty traditional breakfasts across Europe.  Cereal is often added these days but it's a fairly recent thing.

I have gone beyond the point of having my appetite suppressed. I generally feel full all the time, so scheduling meals is important to prevent skipping a meal. One thing I noticed going through the process, after losing the wheat/carb cravings a few weeks into elimination, I suffered dehydration for about two weeks.

I was drinking plenty of water and always had a full cup handy but it persisted. After doing some research, I learned how much your body retains water (and subsequently sodium) due to glucose/insulin fluctuations.

When my body finally normalized it's water retention levels, I noticed a decrease in blood pressure bringing my systolic levels to the 105 - 115 levels. My diastolic still remains a little high for comfort (not consistently below 80 but lower than the pre-diuretic effect).

Another positive side effect is the increase in energy. My body just wants to move more (this makes my wife happy). I am now past my half way mark in weight reduction, 65 lbs., and about to transition from obesity to over weight. Fat metabolism is great. Much better than exercise and calorie restriction for weight loss.

I rarely eat breakfast, except on the weekends when I'll have a big one consisting of omelettes, bacon or sausage, yogurt, and berries.

If I eat breakfast during the week, I am starving within a couple of hours and can't concentrate at work.

But if I skip, I'm clear-headed until lunch and don't have to deal with any hunger issues. I can't say I've noticed any detrimental effects to my metabolism since I gave "the most important meal of the day" the boot.

My favorite thing to eat for breakfast is pumpkin custard, following the Libby's recipe, except substituting stevia for sugar and heavy cream for the milk.  On top of the cup of pumpkin custard I usually add a brazil nut, couple walnuts, couple pecans.  The nuts are all raw, of course.  Yum.

Hi Dr. Davis,

Always thought provoking info here....thanks.
A couple of quick questions. You often mention Flax as a hot meal but isn't flax and heat a no no?

The other thing is some of the fat content of the items...3 egg yolks etc along with some other choices you list. I'm not "afraid" of sat fat but curious. I have seen you mention elsewhere that for people with small ldl problems sat fat could pose a problem. Are some of these diet ideas geared toward those without existing heart problems or for all?  What about those who have already had a heart attack and/or are pattern B types? Should they not go overboard on fats?

Thanks

Glad to help, Dr. D.

Wheat-free soy sauce/tamari is available.  If your local grocery store doesn't carry a wheat-free soy sauce, ask the manager to stock it (it's amazing how often this works, esp if the stores already carries the brand's other items).  

My favorite brand is Ohsawa because it is traditionally fermented in ceramic pots for a long time, unlike cheaper & faster tank vat-fermented brands, but San-J is another common supermarket brand which offers an organic  wheat-free variety (organic regulations also prohibit use of GMO soybeans).  Wheat-free soy sauce/tamari is often available at good prices through vitamin & supplement retailers, too, as well as via online retailers like Amazon.com, etc.  

In So California where I live, many sushi restaurants will provide wheat-free soy sauce/tamari on request, but just in case, I carry a small bottle with me when I go out for sushi/sashimi.  I ask the sushi chef to not use any sauces on my items, as they often contain wheat gluten, which is easy to accommodate as items are being individually created anyway.  

Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body, Primal Mind, has a nut ball "recipe" on her blog that is a great template for folks who want to stop relying on "Nutrigrain bars" and "energy bars" (sugary processed  cereal and candy bars cloaked with a nutrient-disguise, IMO).  

It's easy to adapt Nora's Nut Balls recipe to personal tastes.  My favorite additions are unsweetened raw cocoa nibs or 85% chopped chocolate and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, as well as coconut spread (like natural peanut butter, but made with coconut).  I include only 2-3 dried pitted dates or prunes for a hint of sweetness, but overall, these are *not* sweet bars. I make another  variation for my young son with a bit of finely chopped 70% chocolate and dried cherries, so they are a bit sweeter, but no where near as sugary as typical commercial bars.  

I don't form the mixture into balls -  I spread and pack the mixture about 1 inch deep in a shallow pan, then pre-score the bars before putting the pan in the freezer for an hour to firm up.  Then the bars break or cut apart apart easily.  I pack them in several air-tight food storage containers and keep them in the freezer, reserving one container for the fridge.  Under these conditions, they keep for a long time.  

I grab one or two of these energy-dense bars (energy from natural fat, not sugar and starch) when I need something compact and portable that won't wreak havoc with my blood sugar (great for outbound air travel, car trips, hiking, etc.).  A snack sized zip bag or small airtight box container is important if there is a chance of warm temps softening the bars (not much of a problem with moderate or cold temps, when a sheet of wax paper wrapping will do).






www.primalbody-primalmind.com/blog/?p=459

Sometimes I eat "SO Delicious" Coconut Milk yogurt with berries and ground flax.

Other times I'll make a Green Smoothie.
Either a veggie mix, or an Emerald Balance type powder with ground flaxseed, protein powder, Coconut or Hemp milk, berries, etc.

No breads or processed carbs for breakfast.

Also no walnuts, almonds, peanut butter for me.
Eggs only once a week.
The LEF test showed me to be allergic to them.

One-half cup cottage cheese mixed with 4 teaspoons organic flax oil, 1 teaspoon lemon-flavored fish oil, and my D3 and K2 for the day. My husband prefers his topped with freshly ground pepper, while I like it with a few sliced berries. This mixture is so filling I have to remind myself to eat lunch.

I'm also a big fan of herbed chicken thighs with melted cheese. I pull the meat off in big chunks, cover with cheese, and nuke for a minute. Add avocado slices, a bit of sour cream, and some low carb salsa for a fast and filling treat.

Tofu cubes don't sit well with me first thing in the morning, but they are one of my favorite summer lunches. For a dipping sauce, I mix stevia and hot pepper flakes into diluted wheat-free soy sauce, and top with finely slided green onion. Yum!

A salad including:

>raw hemp seeds (30% top quality protein, EFA best ratio n6:n3 - 3:1)
Hemp is slightly alkaline, has lots of magnesium, calcium.

> some raw spinach or lettuce
> raw beets
>squeezed lemon juice

Forgive what might be a dumb question, but what's wrong with bacon, Doc? My usual breakfast is bacon and eggs from a local farm.

Forgive what might be a dumb question, but what's wrong with bacon, Doc? My usual breakfast is bacon and eggs from a local farm.

Dr. Davis,
  Regarding flaxseed, while humans can't break the carbs down, it's my understanding that the our gut flora can to some degree.  I'm I just splitting hairs?

I've never been much of a breakfast person.  But since I started a low carb, wheat/grain free (except for flaxseed) diet a couple of months ago, I usually have 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk mixed with two scoops of ground, organic flaxseed, and an egg white.  For flavoring I usually add raw, unsweetened cacao.  I also have organic blueberry powder (100% blueberries, no additives) on order, so I will replace the cacao with that at times.

Sometimes, I'll eat other things in addition to the almond milk drink:  a handful of raw nuts and seed with it, or a small avocado, or a whole egg.  (I'll eat a whole egg as part of my diet at other times.)

I've never seen anything wrong with eating non-US-traditional foods for breakfast.

Word Verification: moldist

HAH! Nutritional ideas from a machine!

banana with almond butter; dried figs with walnuts; prunes with walnuts; of course, 30 minutes after devouring half a grapefruit...

This is something we celiacs have had to find out as well.  For 30 years I ate 3 bowls of Cheerios in milk for breakfast and was starving by 10:30.  Now I have plain whole milk yogurt with fruit and nuts or two eggs with spinach and cheese and don't get hungry until well after 12. If I eat the same thing but ADD some carbs like a gluten-free muffin or slice of bread I get hungry sooner.  A nearly grain-free life seems to be working for me to maintain my weight and stay gluten-free without hunger.  And there's nothing wrong with lunch or dinner leftovers first thing in the morning.  Food is food.

I actually do egg salads for most breakfasts.  But, if you've got time. . . .  Virtually any quiche will do.  Just skip the crust.  And use ALL heavy cream peeps, the difference is amazing.  It's good cold, too, for days and days.

It's great to follow our "corrupt" heretical way of eating. My low carb meal ideas:

Eggs.

  Eggs are the prime choice for me (scrambled or sunny-side-up but I have to add that it's important to use a lot of butter and/or pork fat!   Do not cut corner and just fry eggs with nothing, it will get boring prety quickly.  I do scrambled eggs with fried onions, mushrooms or bacon.    Also, to reduce the amount of protein (I follow Kwasniewski's OD which is low in protein as well as low in carbs) I often pour the white out down the sink (do not give the whites to dogs or cats raw!).  Typically, the scramblies with 4 yolks and 2 whites is sufficent for breakfast for 1 person.

Lunch:

Nuts, a glass of 18% cream, a piece of swiss cheese, a quarter chicken WITH SKIN,  a can of tuna.  Of course not all together, whatever is available at any given time.  McDonalds or Wendy's hamburger without buns (no chips no soda!).

Dinner:

Meats, beef, poultry, fish - all with ample quantity of fatty sauces!  Sauces are very important since an all meat diet would have been unbearable without signifcant addition of fat.  This fact should be emphasiced often and repeated over and over again: NEVER CONSUME LEAN MEATS AS YOUR MAIN FOOD!

Vegetables: very useful, stir fried, add lots of butter, coconut oil etc.  Veggies love swimming in fat. Add some rice or potatoes  for carbs.  Zero carb diet is not good, add some but not more than 50-100g a day (depending on one's body weight).  DO NOT AVOID CARBS COMPLETELY!

There are many issue, too many to write here but feel free to ask.

Regards,
Stan (Heretic)

Normally it will be 3 to 6 eggs fried in bacon grease.

Sometimes I'll just count my coffee as breakfast with a large amount of coconut milk in it and 400 to 800 calories worth of heavy whipping cream.

Ummm, what's wrong with MEAT for breakfast???  Out west in cowboy country, steak and eggs are common.  If I'm particularly hungry, I'll have a small flattened hamburger patty topped with a fried egg; or a porkchop, or even a nice little steak.

And eggs, in a multitude of ways, of course; I especially like egg muffins/mini-quiches.  Haven't yet managed to think of fish or chicken as breakfast, for some reason. lol

If I'm not particularly hungry, coffee with heavy cream and a Tbsp coconut oil often holds me over until lunch.

These days I drink a small bottle of Isopure (a protein drink) and a bowl of Buckwheat cereal.

Dan

I've been on a grain-free diet for a few months now but did not know about flaxseed.

I just bought some ground flaxseed and made a hot cereal with coconut milk. It was fantastic and certainly will make a great addition to breakfast, especially in the winter.

Thanks for the suggestion! Despite loving the grain-free diet, I had been looking for a replacement to hot cereal because I missed the texture/eating experience.

Eggs are my current mainstay for breakfast. I vary my cooking methods day-to-day and typically add eat some kind of vegetable or additional source of protein with them.

Two organic eggs, fried in intense garlic flavored oil, sprinkled with fresh ground black pepper and a dash of salt. Topped with chopped cilantro or basil, half an avocado (when I have it), a few drops of habanero sauce. Sometimes with strips of roasted poblano.

After decades of avoiding eggs and eating oatmeal for breakfast, I am glad to be eating something I really like. Hope this eating habits remain healthy for the rest of my life!

p.s.: my only problem is with lunch and dinner. There is only so much fish I can eat and not eating meat and poultry limits my options severely.

fwiw, both Kellogg brothers lived to be 91

Just a few observations. Just observed French & Swiss eating breakfast. Many people have a cup of coffee and a pastry. That is it period. They don't seem to have a weight problem relative to the USA. I am sure there are many reasons for this, but their breakfast works fine in this regard.

Seems to me that Bacon is not a healthy food for many reasons. First it has nitrates in it and if you buy the nitrate free version it can be salty with NaCl. Second, when you cook it up it is almost always well done because it is so thin. There is a relation between processed meets and well done meats and Cancer. Bacon is both of these. Finally, Bacon may have high content of oxidized cholesterol since it is heated through at a high temperature. It is a pity that things that taste so good can be problematic.

I'll cook a big casserole or curry on the weekend and have the leftovers with a couple of scoops of full fat greek yoghurt for breakfast through the week.

Always enjoyed the Malaysian breakfasts when I travelled there. Nasi Lemak - a curry, a fiery sambal (usually squid, hard boiled egg, peanuts, cucumber, dried fish and coconut rice. Just forget the rice and peanuts and you have a very healthy and tasty breakfast

PEOPLE...

greens... KALE in particular, with eggs, is an awesome low carb breakfast food!!

start cooking your kale the way you might cook oatmeal.  Put water on to boil, salt it, trim and wash and chop the kale and cook it about 10 min.  Then cook your 3 eggs and bacon, whatever.

My mainstay is eggs (omelets, fried, scrambled, or soft-boiled.  I used to eat a lot of ground flaxseed cereal, but it made my thyroid go into a tailspin. For those of you with hypothyroidism, beware that flaxseed is a goitrogen -- go easy on it.

Talk of food never fails to provoke plenty of heartfelt comments.

Thanks, all, for the great breakfast food suggestions.

Many of the questions, e.g., about frying, cured meats like bacon, etc. are advanced glycation-end-product issues, something worth discussing in future.

Since you, Dr. Davis, seem so convinced meat eaters are so acidotic that it could cause disease, I would really love to see the human studies that definitively prove that fact.

BTW, every morning I make sure to eat a large piece of wild caught Alaskan salmon broiled and drenched in grass-fed tallow or ghee, with a large, cold vinaigrette salad usually with chopped kale, broccoli, mustard greens, red pepper, and tomato.

My standard breakfast recently on alternate days:  6 slices of bacon cooked first, then the remaining mixed together and cooked in the bacon grease:  6 eggs, 4 oz. cheddar cheese, 8 oz. pico de gallo, 1/2 pint blueberries.

You can eat anything for breakfast. It is true that the poor lived on oatmeal (porridge or otherwise prepared, without salt...must have been terrible but if you can't afford anything else, what choice do you have) an homemade "beer" but at the same time the rich breakfasted on all sorts of cooked meat (google for medieval eating...). So eat anything you fancy and eat doesn't have to be the same every day. I only eat when I am hungry so after last night's Indian dinner I will give breakfast a miss today.

I'm sure that the folks who mentioned bacon for breakfast are talking about the nitrate-free version.

I live in Austria and I have been following your blog for the past two years!  It has become part of my common sense health strategy. Thanks for that! Here, a typical breakfast consists of a roll with butter and jam and some coffee.  My breakfast, however, consists of first drinking half a liter (one and half glass) of water followed by a cup of espresso, some miso soup and sea-weed plus steamed vegetables with lots of extra virgin olive oil / sesame seed / pumpkin seed or flaxseed oil and leftover salad or home-made humus or guacamole spread over thin organic corn waffles. 2 or 3 times a week I also add my favorite namely tasty Japanese Natto (fermented soybean), which I sometimes even make myself when time allows   Oh, I have a weakness though for great Austrian beer and organic potato chips, which I crave in the evening but that apparently has not affected my normal weight at all.  I have also followed your other advice and take 1000 mg of EPA/DHA in fish oil capsules every day and ever since I discovered your website over 1,5 years ago.  I am convinced that it is the fish oil that finally cured my annoying extra systoles (skipped heart beat that I had experienced for a number of years)! Mark

We have been having Almond Flour  waffles for breakfast for over a year. They taste as good as regular waffles, even the kids like them. The recipe is from Drs Michael and Mary Ann Eades, I first saw it on theit TV show. It is also in their Low Carb CookwoRx Cookbook.

My experience with skipping breakfast as part of a daily 16 hr fast has been nothing but positive. I eat around 12-1pm, dinner at 6 and then eat cottage cheese or eggs about 8pm. I've been doing this for 3 months daily and now consider it "what I do".

I make a concoction of full fat yogurt (from pastured cows, if possible), fruit (usually blueberries), flaxmeal, nuts or seeds, cinnamon, dried unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, dried grated orange peel, and usually some other spice (nutmeg, cloves, allspice, etc.).  Practically everything in it is a "superfood", and it's quick, easy and good.

"what's wrong with bacon"

"McDonalds or Wendy's hamburger without buns (no chips no soda!)."

May well be nothing inherently wrong w/ bacon or burgers but jeeze, Louize, what ever happened to quality control in you diets?  Local farm bacon could be a great alternative to the commercial stuff, depending on how it is made.  Think nitrates/nitrites, food dyes, added sugar... So John R, good for you!

Same with the eggs.  Regular store eggs loaded w/ drugs, hormones, stress toxins from the birds etc...

As for the burgers, read this:

http://www.alternet.org/story/144904/
Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef
You're not going to believe what millions of Americans have been eating the last few years (Thanks, Bush! Thanks meat industry lobbyists!)

And of course there is that pesky mad cow issue in commercial meats...

How about a little healthy discrimination in sourcing your food?  Eat whatever diet suits your physiology but use clean and wholesome ingredients!

My breakfast everyday is a can of sardines, a hard boiled egg, and a largish amount of kale or cabbage which I stir fry in coconut oil.

My two cents:  TWhat's the BFD about breakfast?  I used to have chonic heartburn that ended when I quit having oatmenal for breakfast.  Nowadays I don't eat breakfast but keep nuts at the office in case my stomach starts growling.  

kevin

My breakfast before going to work consists of scrambled eggs and bacon followed by a low carb whey protein shake mixed with a tbsp of  MCT oil, coconut milk and coconut oil. I feel buzzed and really alert for at least 7-8 hours with those circulating ketones.

Acidic? I heard protein is healthy for bones (2010 DrGreger) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_5j0MKswY&feature=youtube_gdata

Why the discrepancy?
"Over the years, a heavy emphasis has been placed on calcium and bone health, especially for women, even though men also experience bone loss, albeit at about half the rate of women." Is it because they eat more meat/protein (and also iron as a consequence)?

Breakfast is usually a whey protein shake made with coconut milk, almond milk, or whole milk yogurt. If I don't have time for breakfast, I'll grab a couple of sticks of string cheese, and always have nuts at my desk. Leftovers also make a good breakfast. And egg cups, beaten eggs with your choice of veggies & meat, cheese, and seasonings, baked in muffin cups, kept in the fridge and heated as needed, or eaten cold if you like them that way.

Breakfast for me is BIG bowl of mixed leafy greens (steamed) mixed w/ about 3/4 cup cooked beans of some kind and about 1 oz mixed raw nuts/seeds.  Piece of fresh or frozen fruit for dessert.

Have you made any contacts with cardiologist practicing in Germany who subscribe to the practices advocated by you?

The doctors I have visited up to now are all
pretty much in the grip of big pharma. When I mention my high (700) Lp value they just shrug  -- no pill
available for that...

I start out with a big bowl of pasta followed by the starchiest potatoes I can find...Just kidding; I could not resist.

In all seriousness, I am new to the page (about one month) and have learned much from the good doctor and from others.  Many thanks.  I usually have a medium-fat yougurt (sometimes Fage) with either strawberries or raspberries, or leftovers from the night before.

Low carb veggies and meat for breakfast.

I cook up a large stir saute of vegetables that I can use throughout the week and vary the meat.

Cup of green decaf tea with some coconut oil.

My blood sugar stays low and I don't get hungry for many hours.

Homemade eggnog - raw eggs whisked into cream with a touch of vanilla and stevia. Finish off with freshly grated nutmeg.

All the "anti-carb" seems to be about grains here... Where do legumes fit in? Much lower glycemic load and more nutrients, resistance starch, etc...  Would love to get Dr. Davis' take on this

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"Bacon is not a healthy food"

I'm sure there are better choices than store bought conventional bacon; but to worry about nitrates, etc is a little over kill.

There's more nitrates in vegetables than there are in bacon or other processed meats.  If you look, there are brands that are sugar free too.  It would seem more important to know whether the source pigs where solely grain raised.

Great post doctor! Can you do one on "take-to-work" type lunches?

Thank you, Dr. D, for another great post.

Wow, look at all these comments! I've gone 1 week now without wheat carbs. I haven't noticed the change in energy yet, although, I have trouble going to sleep now. I haven't had any withdrawal yet.

On the positive, I also haven't had the extreme "full" feeling I usually had after eating a meal.

For breakfast I've been frying an egg in a tsp of coconut oil and find that to be satisfying until lunch. I'm not really missing the raisin bran.

Another benefit to this is how much salt is in bread. I have to keep my salt to a minimum thanks to my cardiomyopathy and so not having bread has helped with my salt intake also.

One more week to go in my experiment. I think it'll be easy to continue though.

Here's the ultimate breakfast shake.
5~6 raw med to large egg yolks from pastured chickens.
60 grams of heavy cream. Low temp pasteurized or raw. Non-homog.
30 grams organic coconut milk or 15 grams of coconut cream.
30 grams of organic blueberries.
Couple ice cubes and a little water. Blend in a bullet blender.
Pound one of these down with a bunch of bacon or grass fed steak and you won't be hungry for awhile. Plus the flavor is killer.

2 hard-boiled pastured eggs and a smoothie consisting of 3 TBLS ground flaxseed, a banana and 8 oz. of orange juice.  Yes, I know, a lot of sugar, but I can't stomach smoothies made with milk.  Despite a modest amount of fruit later in the day, I consume no other sugar.  Seems to work well.

"There's more nitrates in vegetables than there are in bacon or other processed meats."

As I understand it, the problem with nitrate in bacon isn't the nitrate itself but the nitrosamines that are formed when the bacon is cooked.

I am impressed--and surprised--at how many who left comments on their breakfasts have gravitated away from traditional breakfast foods and towards the notion of breakfast a another meal, no different from lunch or dinner.

The idea of having lunch or dinner for breakfast has worked extremely well. I was surpised at how many others have intuitively found this out, too.

"The idea of having lunch or dinner for breakfast has worked extremely well. I was surpised at how many others have intuitively found this out, too."

To be brutally honest, I discovered this long ago eating left over pizza for breakfast.   Not such a healthy start but the seed of the idea for me...

I discovered that eating carbs at breakfast stunk when I was pregnant with my second son this past winter. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to change my diet to control it...as it turned out I had to severely limit my carbs or my blood sugars would sky rocket!! Breakfast for me was always eggs, meat and cheese! The first week on the new diet I lost 6lbs...of course my midwife got mad at me (seeing that preggers ladies shouldn't be losing weight!) so I was told to start adding olive oil to everything and use butter to cook those eggs!! To my great surprise I didn't gain a thing the rest of my pregnancy and I felt great!! So great that I decided to continue my low carb eating into my regular routine, i.e. non-pregnant life! The only carbs I eat now are from veggies and fruits. I do have the occasional piece of whole wheat bread at lunch time (homemade) but that's about it....well maybe the occasional weekend beer too!

I've been low carbing for 7 years, and although I long ago lost 75% of my body fat I have long been stuck with the last bit. Recently I decided to try skipping breakfast in favor of just brunch and dinner, as I am not very hungry in the morning. This has had no ill effects (and is very convenient), but has caused the weight loss to kick back in again after years. So your general conclusion does not appear to apply to all.

Hello Dr. Davis,

you mentioned ground flaxseed as a hot cereal.
Is the reason for heating it up to eliminate the
hydrocyanic/
hydrogene cyanide/
prussic acid (should be all the same...)
I`m not sure about the right english term, in Germany it`s "Blausäure".

Would you reccomend to heat it up because of this?
Thanks and best wishes

Eggs, scrambled with various veggies or topped with raw milk cheese and some chopped tomato accompanied by nitrate-free bacon or sausage from the pig we sourced from a local farmer.  Barring that, I will have leftovers from dinner, or a cup of cottage cheese with some raw nuts and fruit if I'm in a hurry.

You're supposed to saute bacon over low heat, not fry it, until it is brown and crisp.  It will take longer, yes, but taste better and be better for you.

In a previous post I suggested that Bacon and Sausage and other processed meats are linked to Cancer. They are also possibly linked to cardiovascular problems:

Here is a reference for the latter:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479151

The researchers in this study think that the harm may be from the salts. NaCl, Nitrites etc.
But I think it may be more than this. I think that curing meats and cooking them well done also adds risk because it turns the fats and cholesterol in the meat into something different from there natural state. There is something else here like oxy-cholesterol or byproducts of cooked cured meat that may be adding to the problem.

After reading about much research on these subjects, I believe meat may get a bad rap in many studies because of the way it is processed and prepared and not because it is inherently bad.

Flaxseed cereal is best made as a mix, for texture reasons, as well as taste. I mix equal parts golden flaxseed meal and whey protein powder, then add a bit of unblanched almond meal and/or unsweetened coconut, or coconut flour. Makes the texture more like conventional hot cereals. Keep you mix in the fridge, just put some in the bowl, add boiling water to make the desired texture. Use cream, half n half, almond milk, coconut milk, if you want. Berries are good, too. I also like whole milk yogurt with berries and chopped nuts. And, I've even eaten leftover soup for breakfast. A good eye opener.

How about wheat-free bread, such as rye bread or pumpernickel? It goes well with cheese.

Is it healthy?

The comments here have been great! Lots of great ideas for a milk and cereal guy like me to try. I love the idea of breakfast soups! What are some your favorites? Should I just break out the Campbell's Thick and Chunky?

-- Boris

Hey Bill -

I love canned mackerel in olive oil. Also canned wild salmon in olive oil.

And as for the acid/alkaline issue, Dr. Eades did a great blog on this a while back basically stating that there is no need to worry about the supposed acid load of meat due to something I forget. I'll see if I can locate the blog and send it your way.

I have been eating only some fruit for breakfast for about 6 years. I feel much fresher and full of energy. I eat another fruit during the day and I only get hungry towards the end of the working day. No sign of getting fat, on the contrary, but that is also because of what and how much I eat as whole.
People are used to eat a lot and as often as possible. I do not feel the physical need to eat 3 times a day a substantial meal. And my day program seems not so fixed around meals.

I usually have pastured eggs and bacon for breakfast. Yum yum yum.

But as someone with a clear case of hypothyroidism, I have been avoiding soy products, because soy is a known thyroid disruptor. I usually enjoy very much what you have to say, but if so many of your patients have thyroids that are off to some degree, why recommend soy milk?

I wake up at 4am every morning here in Phoenix, to stay on an East Coast Schedule. A cup of organic tea with organic stevia at 4am, and by 9am, if I am hungry after 5 hours of conference calls with India and Atlanta, 2 Babybel cheeses, or a slice of Dutch Gouda, and 4 slices of bacon if the Babybels don't hit the spot.  Most days of the week, I'm not hungry until 11am or noon.

Before I went low carb, I used to eat a bowl of Cheerios or Special K every morning, thinking that meager protein would hit the spot.  But that was 13 months and 45 lbs heavier ago.

As I browse the internet it amazes me how every blog or forum you visit is a success story. Whether it's high carb, low carb, high protein, low protein, low or high fat and on and on. The followers all swear by their method. Does everything work then? I think it boils down to what works for "YOU."   Everyone is different and we each need to tweak our diets to meet our individual needs. But remaining "middle of the road" I have to say that avoiding extremes in either direction is key.  

When I see some of the food people are eating I can't believe it. I couldn't survive on such small amounts of food. I get hungry quick and always have no matter what I eat. Lots of meat, lots of fiber, carbs, protein, it doesn't matter. In an hour I'm hungry again. Yet I'm thin...5'10" 169 lbs and fit.
I eat around 3000 cals per day (yesterday was 3,255 calories,420 g carbs, 94g fat, 150 g protein)

For breakfast I eat 1/2 cup organic rolled oats (I soak them with an acid medium overnight) 2 tbsp ground flax, handfull of raisins, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I have been eating that for years. A few times per week I add an egg (free range).  I eat quinoa daily as well as brown rice (which I soak). Sweet potatoes 2-3 times per week. 1 lb of free range chicken per week in 3 to 5 oz portions and 100 % grass fed ground beef 2 to 4oz once per week. A protein shake with 8 oz raw milk and banana daily. 1/4 cup walnuts and 20 almonds per day. Lot's of fruit and veggies too.  My last bloodwork showed LDL 63 HDL 40 (working on that) Triglycerides 67, CRP below 4.
I've been eating up to 2 cups of brown rice and 1/2 cup of beans to try and add a few lbs but I still stay the same and when I workout I lose another 3 lbs. I think my metabolism is very high.

We're all different and we need to address our needs as individuals. I tend to require a lot of food. I'm 53.  But what I eat is clean and my body utilizes all of it.

Someone pointed me to your blog when we were discussing wheat free diets.  Great information.  I've been off and on the paleo diet for about 6 months.  Once I get all the wheat out of my body (I heard it can take up to 90 to get it all of your body) I feel great.  If I fall of the wagon, I feel like crap.

Hi Dr. Davis,
Wow, what a list of ideas!  Since I'm a lactose intolerant vegetarian, all of these meat and cheese ideas just don't work for me.

For breakfast I have:
3 Tablespoons of organic cashew or almond spread on organic red cabbage leaves or 3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter on organic celery.  Along with organic jasmine green tea with 1 teaspoon of honey.  My blood sugars after are under 100 without the tea with honey or under 110 with the tea with honey.  I always have 16-24 oz of water with each meal as well.

Or I have one box of Japanese non-gmo natto with 2 fist fulls of nuts. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I do eat seafood) I have 4 oz of canned wild salmon or sardines. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or 1 cup of organic garbanzo beans with homemade sugar free balsamic vinaigrette. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I can tolerate some goat dairy) I have 1 cup of goat yogurt with fresh organic raspberries or blueberries, or black raspberries.  (Blood sugar under 100)

I've found that berries and red grapefruit I can eat without my blood sugars going over 100-110.  I tried a nectarine and my blood sugar went up to 160!!!  I just keep checking my blood sugars when I add new foods to figure out what my body can tolerate.

Thank  you for the idea of purchasing the glucometer!  It has helped tremendously! I try to keep my blood sugar under 100 most of the time and, hopefully, not over 110 to prevent my liver from spewing out all those low density lipoproteins.

After 4 months of changing my diet completely, I bought a candy bar yesterday on a whim and it tasted terrible!!!  I can't believe I ever ate those things!  It was so intensely sweet that it was off the Richter scale!  I think I'm cured of my sugar addiction now!

The only sweet I do is the honey in my tea in the  morning.  I just can't get used to drinking the tea plain.

Thanks for all of your important insights Dr. Davis! You're a life saver...literally!!!  What good karma you're creating for yourself with your blog!

Peace,  Meredith

"3 Tablespoons of organic cashew or almond spread on organic red cabbage leaves or 3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter on organic celery. Along with organic jasmine green tea with 1 teaspoon of honey. My blood sugars after are under 100 without the tea with honey or under 110 with the tea with honey. I always have 16-24 oz of water with each meal as well.

Or I have one box of Japanese non-gmo natto with 2 fist fulls of nuts. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I do eat seafood) I have 4 oz of canned wild salmon or sardines. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or 1 cup of organic garbanzo beans with homemade sugar free balsamic vinaigrette. (Blood sugars under 100)

Or (I can tolerate some goat dairy) I have 1 cup of goat yogurt with fresh organic raspberries or blueberries, or black raspberries. (Blood sugar under 100)"

It is no wonder your bg stays under 100, you are only eating around 300 calories at a time!  What happens if you eat a real meal?  I find I need near 900 calories 3X/day to just barely maintain my weight...

My favorite breakfasts, most coming in at under 20g total carb: http://ornery-geeks.org/text/diabetes/breakfast.php

Pancakes made from peanut butter and/or ground almonds (I suppose any nut butter would do) in place of flour, and put an extra egg in the mixture and a scoop of low carb protein powder if you have it and mask the nutty taste with vanilla and a little sweetner. Make it with cream/water instead of milk. They look like "real" pancakes and, when fried in butter, produce the most intense ketosis (in me at least) so great for loosing weight. I had low carb oce cream on mine. But I'd had chocolate and cream, low carb "jam" or "syrup"... possibilities are endless.
Way better than any coconut flour pancakes I've tried. Forget those.

I am absolutely impressed at the variety of paths many commenters have ventured down in the name of healthy breakfasts.

It tells me that foods like corn flakes and bagels turned off our creativity for truly unique and healthy foods. I truly am in awe at the range and variety of foods being suggested when we eliminate the sugar-, corn-, and wheat-based foods that previously dominated our first meal.

I have lost 30 lbs so far eating chocolate cake for breakfast...using almond flour and flax. They are delicious--I have to hide them from my family or there won't be any left for me.

M

Oh, the recipe link for anyone who is interested:

http://kickingcarbs.blogspot.com/2010/09/updated-low-carb-chocolate-cake-for.html

Eat black beans with scrambled eggs or tabasco or sliced avocado or chopped onions or....  they're great!  They fill you up and keep you going til lunch and you only need 1/2 cup or so.

lovely blog.....it's liek a sea of info.....but i am lost as I am a biggg wheat eater and now I don't know what to eat and what not to eat all day if I want to avoid wheat.......and yes as for my age and height I am about a pund and a half over weight.....but coz of other health probs I am experiencing I am a bit lost and depressed,.......plz plz advise

Dr. Davis: Thanks, but:

"--There was an unusual preponderance of women--69%--unlike most other trials of cardiovascular events. We might therefore argue that JELIS most conclusively showed that benefits of EPA are most confidently demonstrated for females."

There were 5980 males in the study!

-Rich

Has Dr. Davis ever addressed the use of krill oil? I did a search, on this site, and came up empty.

Some docs, like Dr. Eades and Dr. Mercola, appear to prefer/endorse the use of krill oil over fish oil.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thank you!

pity there wasn't also a group that only had the EPA

I'd love to see an Omega 3 based study on heart disease, comparing types as well as EPA/DHA. One group using EPA only, one using EPA/DHA, one using krill oil, and one study comparing ester form vs triglycerides.

It'll never happen, but it would yield interesting results.

Out of curiosity, has Dr. Davis ever commented on the types of fish oil (esters vs triglycerides) or recommended one type over another? Most people don't even know there are two types. Some studies say they are equivalent, while some say the triglycerides form is much better absorbed. There are also oxidation issues, which I hardly ever see mentioned regarding fish oil  -- as to if certain brands of fish oil or types are better than others.

-There was an unusual preponderance of women--69%--unlike most other trials of cardiovascular events. We might therefore argue that JELIS most conclusively showed that benefits of EPA are most confidently demonstrated for females.

I often wondered about the one from Wal-Mart. i'm not sure if it's same as the one from Wal-green. The name brand rung a bell. My wife ended up with a little cold while on it. Needless to say, we went back to the old one. I also got a little cold but was over it quickly. I'll have to go there and see which brand. It was very cheap too. hmm...

Wow, goodbye Nature Made!  Has anyone tried and had luck with the Trader Joe's brand?

Just called NatureMade Co and they told me their D3-2000 softgels are also sold under the Kirkland brand by Costco.  I have been taking those for 6 mos. and will now get my level checked. I'll be switching if it's not where it's been for the past year.

Thanks.

Jan

Dr. Davis:
This is excellent and important  information; thank you for reporting it.

Question:  has Nature Made been made aware of this?  I'm not defending them by any strtch, but is it possible that something they're not aware of has occurred?  They've always seemed to be a reputable company.
Also, I've never seen them offer a 10,000 unit single dose.

Just want to make sure you mean Nature Made and not Nature's Bounty, both of which are sold by Walgreens.

I have been taking 6,000 IU NOW Foods (brand) vitamin D3 gelcaps/day for the last three years.

My 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood level has been ~60 ng/ml after two tests in those three years.  So far, so good.

Does anyone have experience with the Country Life brand gelcaps?

By the way, Dr Davis, when you say "You might consider a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood level", do you mean that we might consider having our 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood level measured?

can you comment the same on niacin

Thanks Dr. Davis, I have personally learned so much from reading your blog..... I wanted to know how much I appreciate you taking time from your schedule to give us such valuable advice. My father is a open heart surgery patient and the food in hospital up to his surgery was appalling and his cardiologists standard low fat recommendations is stupendous. However my parents are of the age where doctor is = GOD. I am the nutcase for advocating D3, and salmon oil, & coconut oil.... THANKS AGAIN!!!! Sharan from Ontario, Canada

Wow, that is worrying news but I am not surprised either.. there is a lot of scams out there.. but you would have thought they would be more unfamiliar brands than something we can pick up everywhere, or maybe that is just why. No one is questioning them because the brand is so known! I wonder if this goes for their other supplements too? I will for sure send this information along.

Last september 25-0H-lab 20. I started with 10000/d dried pills. March lab 140!Really surprised that the resorption of ordinary pills can be that high. Luckily no toxic "side effects". Sure I´ll pause now till next winter.

I have developed hypervitaminosis of vitamin D only taking 3000 IU daily of D3 during 5 months. I have removed all vitamin D3 of my supplements until I have levels under 50-60 ng/ml or even below.

My experience has told me that some doctors/scientists are prescribing megadoses of vitamin D to population. Probably no more than 1000 IU daily of D3 to general population is a good dose.

The comments from several people highlight the absolute need to monitor 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood levels. We have our patients' levels checked every 6 months. Only then can you truly know what your status is.

My email to Nature Made:

"I am a practicing cardiologist who monitors vitamin D blood levels in all my patients every 6 months.

The Nature Made vitamin D is yielding no increase in 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood levels, despite prior full restoration with other brands.

This suggests that there is either little or no vitamin D in the capsule.

I'd appreciate your response."

We'll see what happens. Don't expect them to say much. The chain of communication in these companies is often not open to our scrutiny, nor will they say anthing that makes them legally liable in any way.

Adolfo David,

your statement doesn't even make sense. Did you spend a lot of time outside during warm season?

1,000 IU a day is very low for most people during the winter. That being said, I'd stick with 2,000 IU a day at the most during the summer and 5,000 IU during the winter. We easily make 20,000 IU of vitamin D in the skin just being outside at midday in the summer with the body mostly exposed after 20-30 minutes so I don't see how doctors are giving megadose when they say to take only 400 IU a day. We do not routinely get tested for it unless we request for it.

If you can't get to a reputable vitamin/supplement store, head over on the Internet to Vitacost.com.
I've been buying from them for years now.
They sell hundreds of name brands at discounted prices.
I've been using Carlson's VitD3 during the winter months here in Fla.
I then get a blood test going back into the winter months.

Anyone have any experience with Sam's Club's Member's Mark brand?

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/na

vigate.do?dest=5&item=412704&pCatg=

11017

Huhu, it would be interesting to see if they answer and what answer. It is so important to choose brands of high quality when you buy supplements like Life Extension, NOW, Nordic Naturals, New Chapter..to name only a few I think are in the top quality.

Eloise, its strange that you have not felt any side effect with 140 ng/ml of vitamin D, it is almost a toxic level!

Adolfo,

I see that you're from Spain. I wonder if the testing lab is doing it right or the dosing is way off the mark.

1,000 IU isn't very much when it comes to keeping vitamin D level in the optimal range during the winter. During the summer, we (except for elderly people) can produce as much as 20,000 IU in the skin at midday with most of the body exposed to the sun after 20-30 minutes (for light skin). Much longer for dark skin. That's why your statement doesn't make sense.

My husband and I have been using the Costco Kirkland D3 (2000 IU per gel cap) and have had wonderful results. Recently I measured in at 81 ng/mL and my husband's measured level was 53 ng/mL -- note, I am more religious about taking my vitamins everyday than he is.

Dr D.

I had been taking the NOW brand of Niacin.  I also tried the "pharma" Niaspan.  The impact on my trigs was the same (35% reduction).  recently there was a package change here in Canada. Unfortunately the contents lable indicated niacinamide.  NOW said it was a lable error and the contents were niacin.  We have not seen a new packet yet.

I have tired rexall and wallmart brands, niether produce a flush that gives me the comforting feeling there is niacin at the strength I need for trigs reduction.

If you have a resource recommendation to find quality suppliments for D3,K2 and Niacin, it would be much appreciated

One other "D" issue is that quite a high number of people do not absorb the dry form (even of D3) well if at all.  Many, like Eloise, obviously do but many can take fairly high doses of it for some time w/ no change in blood level, switch to the oil base and bring it right up.

Dr Davis:

The subject of Vitamin D supplementation is a confusing one for me. I have been following the various postings on this blog and other news articles pointing out all the benefits of Vitamin D3. However, there seems to be vast disagreement on what constitutes a deficiency across ethnic/racial groups.To quote from wikipedia's page:

"Recommendations stemming for a single standard for optimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations ignores the differing genetically mediated determinates of serum 25(OH)D and may result in ethnic minorities in Western countries having the results of studies done with subjects not representative of ethnic diversity applied to them. Vitamin D levels vary for genetically mediated reasons as well as environmental ones.[30][31][32][33]  Among descent groups with heavy sun exposure during their evolution, taking supplemental vitamin D to attain the 25(OH)D level associated with optimal health in studies done with mainly European populations may have deleterious outcomes.[11]

I'm of South Asian(Indian) descent and my 25(OH)D levels on a recent test were 31.3 ng/ml.

What level would you say is safe for someone like me ? I take a 1000 IU supplement a day now but am more than a little concerned as what is safe.

Thank you Dr. Davis for following up with Nature Made.  While they may not want to make any comments that might be self-incriminating, the evidence is in the gel caps themselves; they either contain the amount of D3 claimed, or they don't.  I think  the salient issue is the amount of D3 in the gelcap.  An argument can be made that the company is not responsible for guaranteeing patient D3 levels because of individual biology.
  If the users of the NM product have any of the original capsules remaining, they might want to hold onto them, and even purchase an unopened bottle for possible future action.

Thank You Dr Davis for your excellent blog and your easy, straight-to-the-point posts!

After discovering you back in the Fall, I joined the Grassroots program and tested for Vit D at a low level of 12.

I took 5000-10000iu of Vit D3 daily since Nov 20th and recently retested (with ZRT again).

Although the searing, scorching pain in my joints has nearly all faded (thyroid/fibro?), and I was hoping for an optimal level, my lab results were only 19 last week


Curious after reading this though - I was taking Natures Bounty from Walgreens (5000iu max strength soft gel with soybean oil).

Does anyone know if Natures Bounty is the same as Nature Made?

As always, I appreciate the time you take to relate your stories and experience with us.

Somebody asked about Country Life.  I use their 2500 IU non-fish oil gelcap and my levels are 45ng/ml, which seems about right.  Thus, I think that company is indeed selling D3.

Your advertising Glucosan? A supplement that's banned in countries like Australia? Thats stuff put me in the emergency room last year. It absorbs moisture and swells in your gut. I am very surprised to see you advertising this.

OK might have spoke too soon. I've written the company and asked them if their product contains any glucosan and if not, why they would name their product after it.

Thanks

I would expect you'll hear from them.  It's probably the most damaging publicity their brand will receive this year.

Dr. Davis

Thanks for the information.  8000iu of Walgreen's "Finest Natural" D3 gelcaps had raised my HDL's from 23 to 60.  I will test my HDL's ASAP.

William Faloon at Lef.org likes Metformin to keep appetite under control,  potential disease prevention, anti-aging benefits,  correcting "metabolic syndrome" and anti-cancer effects.
I am having problems getting under 18% body fat and am wondering if you have had good results?

This is interesting. I've been taking high dose Bio-Tech capsules which get to me 56.4ng/ml at 10,000IU, so maybe gel caps of a different brand require a smaller amount (or more)? I guess if 10,000IU of Bio-Tech works for me I'll just stick with that - just hope they don't stop selling vitamin D.
That said I think Bio-Tech's value is probably fine (and I consume it with yogurt) as my first attempt at supplementation a few years ago was 400IU D2 in gelcap which didn't do much for raising levels at all, albeit also being D2.

Here are some brands that have yielded predictable and consistent increases in vitamin D blood levels:

Vitamin Shoppe brand
NOW
Sam's Club Members Mark
Nature's Life

There are surely more, but insufficient numbers of people in my population have been repeatedly tested. Also, all of the above have been GELCAPS. Tablets are not worth it, since they are so inconsistently absorbed. Oddly, the capsules filled with powder are better absorbed, perhaps equivalent to gelcaps.

I forgot to mention Carlson.

While, in general, I've had good experiences with Carlson preparations, we've seen some inconsistent blood results with their vitamin D. This has applied to about 3 people, so it may be premature to raise a stink. However, if you are taking Carlson, it may be wise to check a blood level.

I believe the brands at Walmart also seem to work fine, though the high-dose 5000 unit capsule has not been around long enough to allow repeated testing.

Lou, I take care a lot of my skin, I use everyday all year a UVA-UVB sun protector in all my skin exposed to sun, at least SPF 15-20 in the winter and SPF 30-40 in the spring-summer. I tend to avoid sun rays directly over my skin.

Taking 3000-4000 IU everyday during 5 months has produced to me 110 ng/ml of vitamin D. It has perfect sense in people like me who are probably vitamin D3 senstive. Also I am young, so I absorb so well vitamin D3.

If you dont get a blood test I never recommend more than 2000 IU of vitamin D3 daily.

Lou, I have read a lot about Vitamin D, I am health journalist very concerned about Vitamin D deficiency and I have read many articles and papers of John Cannell and Michael Holick.

About sun and vitamin D: you produce 10.000 UI of vitamin D with sun exposure if your body needs this amount. If not, sun does not produce more vitamin D. For this reason, you cannot reach a hypervitaminosis level with sun exposure.

My diet is mainly organic, much of this also paleo, with eggs, fish and some wild fish, some organic cheese... All these have vitamin D3.

I had great results with the Bio-Tech D3 powdered capsules, 50,000 IU once per week. My D3 last month was at 79.  

For the previous year and a half I'd been taking D3 emulsion drops with my numbers in the 40s-50s at 4000 IU/day. I think the drop size was too inconsistent.

Thank you for posting this information.  I recently had my levels tested after taking 5000 IU of the Healthy Origins brand D3 gelcaps for 6 months.  Levels had only gone from 37 to 39.  I'll be switching to Vitamin Shoppe or Now brands!

Or, you can increase your pre-sunburn exposure to sunlight, which yields about 10,000 IU. With no risk of overdosing, due to down-regulatory mechanisms with the "battery is full".

Dr. Davis, I recall seeing a post in this blog about people over 40 not producing vitamin D from sunlight exposure. Do you still believe that to be the case?

I ask because empirical research with elderly patients (65 and older) suggests that people in this category (i.e., the elderly) produce only a little less (80 percent or so) than 20 and 30-year olds:

http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/02/vitamin-d-levels-sunlight-age-and.html

Dr Davis --

Are there any simple tests for crudely estimating one's level of arterial plaque which can be performed at home?

Thank you,

-- Tom Robinson

Adolfo,
I am also a little confused about what you are saying, but this might help you since we often measure Vitamin D as micro gram (mcg) in Europe.
5000IU of Vitamin D is (from what I understand) 125 mcg. (1 mcg = 40IU)

At the moment I am taking 2 different kinds of Vitamin D, Nature's Bounty gelcaps and one in a liquid form with arginine. I am unsure of the result from each. But last time I checked I was at 76ng/ml.

I wish there was an easy way to test this at home like the sugar levels in your blood! I hate going to the doc to do this cause they always gives me the lecture that I am eating too much vitamins, and even questions why I do it - they say I should get enough from a normal diet. And when that happens I just want ask 'what the heck is a normal diet' I am pretty sure his and mine idea of a normal diet is different.

Dr Davis - you should have a test right here on your blog for different Vitamin D products!! I would do it! Tell us what brand we should eat and for how long... test our levels, and then let us switch to another - do another test, and so forth... Each person could probably test 3 different brands in a year, or?? Just a thought.

For those asking about experience with different brands, here are my results:

Niacin - Neutraceutical Brand (Vitacost online) - 1,000 mg. capsules, 1 daily:  noticable flush, even after 1 year.  Trigs went from 178 to 87.

Vit. D3 - NOW Brand, 5000 IU gelcap, 1 daily.  Measured D3 in February was 74.

I'm now going to try the Neutraceutical 10,000 iu capsule, every other day and see what happens with test results.

I am glad to hear that the capsules filled with powder are absorbed effectively.  I mistakenly ordered Vitamin Shoppe Source Naturals D-3 Bioactive Form 2000 IU capsules thinking I was ordering gelcaps.  It turned out to be capsules filled with power.

My partner and I have had our Grassrootshealth results back today, We take Country Life 5000iu softgels in MCT oil and use UVB from sunbed in winter and sun, when available, in summer.
Mine was 64ng/ml and she is 74ng/ml.
She is weighs less than me.

Eades (who led me to your blog through a tweet of this and past tweets) recommended Biotech to me. I tested at 64 taking 5,000 iu and living like a bat (if I leave the house during daylight hours I wear the finest French sunblock, Anthelios #50/60, pour la visage - for the face). Many thanks for your post. Very important, knowing this. Retweeted.

Eades (who led me to your blog through a tweet of this and past tweets) recommended Biotech to me. I tested at 64 taking 5,000 iu and living like a bat (if I leave the house during daylight hours I wear the finest French sunblock, Anthelios #50/60, pour la visage - for the face). Many thanks for your post. Very important, knowing this. Retweeted.

Several people commented on sun and vitamin D.

Despite the media's repeated claim that 10 minutes of sun will provide 10,000 units of vitamin D, this does NOT apply to the majority of us.

This tends to apply only to young people, generally younger than 30 years old. Over 40, and most (but not all) have lost much of the ability to activate vitamin D in the skin with sun exposure.

Ignore the "talking heads" who tell you that 10 minutes of sun provides sufficient vitamin D. They probably read about it in a website last evening, then speak as "authorities."

I am like Adolfo I think. When I took 4,000 IU D3 per day for just four months over the winter a couple of years ago my 25(OH)D level reached 154 ng/ml. I am not young, I am in my mid 50s but I am slim. I cut down to 2,000 IUs per day and my levels have stabilized between 60 and 80 ng/ml. I get tested every four months or so. I do not go in the sun, but I did when I was in France last year and my 25(OH)D level actually fell ! I too eat a Paleo diet with lots of oily fish which contains D and I think this helps keep my 25(OH)D level up despite only taking 2,000 IU D3. I take Carlsons.

Dr. Davis, I was not referring to anything said by "talking heads", but to research done or reviewed by Reinhold Vieth.

For the Anonymous person that asked about Niacin...I take the brand name Slo-Niacin I get at Walmart or Sam's Club...2000mg
per day to raise my HDL.  If I spread the 4 tablets out over a couple of hours I get no flushing.

HDL went from 42 to 85mg/dL in a matter of 3 months.

Other "no flush" products for me
severe flushing.

TYP uses Slo-Nicain brand.

Anyone have any experience with Sam's Club's Member's Mark brand?

That's what I take. One 5,000 units capsule every other day (plus there supposed to be 600 IU in the multi I take daily).

Definitely a good stuff. It is so ridiculously cheap, it's hard to believe it's good. How do I know? First, a test a year ago. Second, I get two weird side effects of taking vitamin D: 1) a low grade acne that I used to get once in a while disappears completely, 2) two small wart-like tumors on my wrist shrink and become very flat, barely visible.
How do I know it's vitamin D that does it? - Just for kicks, I once stopped taking it for 3 months and both effects reverted.

Here's the response from Nature Made. It's the usual corporate-speak nonsense that says nothing.

Unfortunately, because the experiences I have are from patients, not my own vitamin D, I do not have the bottles nor lot numbers to supply them. In past, when I have gone to the trouble of getting them, it never came to anything. You provide it, the information goes into the company, you never hear anything more.

So, given the difficulties, I would suggest that we all avoid Nature Made vitamin D. By the way, their fish oil is not a very good product, either. Nature Made is one of the brands we consistently see stomach upset with.



Date:     April  9,  2010
From:     Marissa Reyes, Consumer Affairs Department
Subject:  Reference #346236

Dear William Davis, MD:

We recently received your e-mail regarding Nature Made products.  We regret to hear that the quality standards of our company. [?]

Our company is called Pharmavite, and we manufacture Nature Made nutritional supplements.  We have been in business since 1971.  We are committed to quality control, and have very high quality standards.  Our Quality Control personnel sample and test all raw materials as they enter our plant, and again assay the finished product, before final packaging.  

Dietary Supplements are regulated under the FDA through DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994). The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) establishes standards for the composition of drugs and nutritional supplements.  This voluntary non governmental organization was set up in 1820 and has officially been recognized by federal law since 1906.  Standards established by USP for products are legally enforceable by the FDA.  At Pharmavite we participate in the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP).  Many of our products have earned the DSVP seal and additional products are currently being evaluated.  Our DSVP certified products will have the DSVP seal on the product label.

Our Nature Made Vitamin D 400 IU tablets have been reviewed by the USP and bears the DSVP symbol on the label. Although the USP has not reviewed all of the Nature Made Vitamin D supplements, all of our products go through the same rigorous quality testing at Pharmavite. The products which have earned the seal help us to demonstrate the high quality of our products.

We would like to look into the product(s) your patients have been using. If you could provide the UPC and lot numbers of the product(s), we will be happy to review our records. In addition, if you would like us to test the product(s) that you currently have, we will be pleased to send a prepaid postage mailer so you may return the product(s) to us so that our Quality Control Department can
examine it. Please let us know if you would like us to send you the prepaid postage mailer.

We thank you for contacting us and hope that you will continue to use and enjoy Nature Made products with complete confidence.

Sincerely,
Marissa Reyes
Consumer Affairs Coordinator
Pharmavite, LLC
MR:346236-10

I use 5,000 iu/day from WalMart and Sam's Club and my last test result was 79 ng/ml.  I use their fish oil also.

I have taken the Biotech D3-50, 50,000 IU powder caps for about 3-4 years now.  Have not found a good source of oil caps that strong. I have not been sick in 8 years, first 4 from colloidal silver, and last 4 from D3. My 25-OH-vitaminD has been around 62-64 ng/ml.. take two 50,000 IU per week.  Now, after reading Dr Davis on powder D3 "may have erratic absorbtion", I started chewing up a gelcap with a teaspoon of coconut oil.  6 weeks later, my D3 level went from 62 to 80! on the same dose. Six weeks is probably not enough time to stabilize. I bet I may go to 90-100 when I retest next month.

Dr Cannell (www.vitamindcouncil.org) reccommends 25 IU per pound of body weight per day long term for starts and then test.  My dose works out to be 14,286 IU/day and my weight is around 300lbs.. pretty close.  No wonder skinny people build up too much D3 in their blood, no fat to store/buffer it.  Also had a couple of warts/moles, and they went away after high dose D3. I think they are caused by viruses and D3 builds up the immune system enough to fight off most viruses
--ghg

I had been taking the NOW brand of Niacin. I also tried the "pharma" Niaspan. The impact on my trigs was the same (35% reduction). recently there was a package change here in Canada. Unfortunately the contents lable indicated niacinamide. NOW said it was a lable error and the contents were niacin. We have not seen a new packet yet.

I began supplementing a total of 4,000 iu of vit d at the beginning of January. (2,000 from my multivitamin and 2,000 from Sam's Club gelcaps).  My vit d level on Feb 1 was 32.

Upon receiving these results in the middle of February, I began taking 2 drops (4000 iu) of vitacost's brand of vit d (in addition to the 2000 in my multi).  So a total of 6,000 iu per day.  

I received the results yesterday of my vit d level taken 2 weeks ago-- 94.8!

My hdl went from 38 in February to 31 two weeks ago.  
I have also been following a higher fat, lower carb (30-75g/day) diet for the past 2 months.
My triglycerides, overall cholesterol, and LDL levels have all dropped by 30-40 points.
I've cut back to 4,000 iu of vit d.

I can't seem to lose weight, however, even with the low carbs.  I am a T2 diabetic.  (AIC of 6.7 in February).

hello,i live in islamabad,pakistan.last year i ws diagnosed having osteopenia then my dr also asked me for d3 n calcium tests both came very low.since last nov i hav been taking 500IU d3 alongwith osteocare syrup.but after 7,8mnths my result was  still  the same vit d3 being 16 (here in our labs normal range is considered above 30)and calcium came 8.4,(normal range starts from 8.8)please do suggest me something really useful and effective.i want to concieve too but i think might be being so defiecient i am suffering from hormonal imbalance too.my age is 32,i have  a son 4yrs old,am quite slim 5.3height with 110pounds.thnx

Vitamin D3 2000 Iu:

NOW Vitamin D softgels supply this key vitamin in a highly-absorbable liquid softgel form. Vitamin D is normally obtained from the diet or produced by the skin from the ultraviolet energy of the sun. However, it is not abundant in food. As more people avoid sun exposure, Vitamin D supplementation becomes even more necessary to ensure that your body receives an adequate supply. Vitamin D3 2000 Iu on discount at NutroVita.com.

For more details please visit:
http://www.nutrovita.com/32760/now-foods/vitamin-d-3-2-000-iu.htm

You have done a marvelous job by exploring this subject with such an honesty and depth. Thanks for sharing it with us!
termpapers99@gmail.com

Dr. Davis, I agree that consumers should be cautious of their medicine intake. I've heard of various over the counter vitamins and food supplements being sold even in stores like Wal-Mart and elsewhere. Although, they have the same content like vitamin D, there can be some problems with the percentage in each capsule. That's why they need to be guarded of the brands that they would patronize.

Aside from vitamin D, a lot of people today wanted to buy resveratrol too. They consult online resources and friends on where to buy resveratrol. Like in most drugs, experts advise to check the label, before purchasing any product to be sure of its content and effectiveness.

Thanks for sharing.

Gee, makes me want to check my medicine cabinet and the brands I have in there.
Not because it's well known means it works well.
Mavic
vitamin supplement industry

I've been taking Source Naturals 2000 IU vitamin D3.

My vitamin d is 85 ng/mL.

Is that too high? when to stop supplementing? I highly recommend this brand for increasing your vitamin D level, and it's pretty easy to get.

The costco brand was also fine - increased the level as well.

25(0H)D levels decline from Sept though to March above latitude 30N. So continuing to take 2000iu/daily will (for you as you appear to be a high responder) maintain your status above the 60~70ng/ml that provides a good reserve of D3.
Adverse events may be expected above 200ng/ml and you nowhere near that level.
Most readers require 6000iu/d to attain and maintain 60~70ng/ml through the winter.
Depending on the amount of time you spend outdoors next year it may be worth considering supplementing  alternate days or with perhaps 3 x 2000iu a week during midsummer if being above 80ng/ml bothers you. Personally I'd only reduce intake if I was repeatedly above 100ng/ml. Some test methods are slightly more variable than others and so your current level may be simply a

i'm taking 2 gms of prescription niaspan but flush very bad.  any tips on limiting this effect?

I have been taking 2000 IU daily dosage of vitamin D3 for several months with marginal improvement in level - went from 10 to 15.  Visiting this blog-post revelaed thwe reason - I have been using the NatureMade brand.

Kaiser's doctors recommended 50,000 iu weekly which initially had side effects - but I learnt it was perhaps because I was not taking it with heavy meals.

I have now been recommemded 5000 iu daily, and I thingk I will go with Carlson or Now brand. But a quick question; Isn't the 50,000 IU prescription dosage prepared by the Kaiser Lab more reliable than any leading brands? I mean - can't we trust the in-the-lab prepared prescription more than the over-the-counter branded pills?

Would appreciate if someone throes some light on this.