About Building Immunity & My Personal Thoughts on ‘Sleep is Number One’

I work for a charitythat shares information about being healthier.

Below is a link to an article from one of our ambassadors. It is about building immunity to be more resistant to diseases, including viruses.

At this time, we are all challenged to look after our own immune system, so as not to allow any specific virus to thrive within us… for the sake of others.

=== Our charities key message continues to be: EAT REAL FOOD ===

I used to facilitate 3-day self-management courses for groups of people with bipolar diagnosis. An important part of that course was, how mood troubles and sleep troubles are always related (maybe 99% of the time). We all found that when we slept well life was so much better.

I gradually came to realize is that focusing on sleep only helped a little. My belief now (for me and perhaps for you too) is that when you start to get most other things right then sleep comes so much more naturally. So, the only thing I would change in Lou Walker’s article is that I would move ‘Sleep’ from number 1 to number 10.

Sleep is essential. It may be the most important thing for good health and healthy moods, yet I find ‘not focusing on it more helpful these days’. I am not expecting many people to agree with that – I am just sharing my thoughts.

A good read: https://louwalker.com/ten-ways-to-support-your-immune-syst…/

Best wishes

Roger

After the virus – “Welcome to a Brave New World” – Of Good Nutrition, Greater Health and More Happiness

I said that I’d say nothing more about viruses. I know most of my followers here have a bipolar diagnosis, yet whatever diagnosis we have, or have had, we need good nutrition to resist viruses. A friend I just spoke to said the following is ‘too intimate’ to be sharing. Yes, there are risks around sharing anything. I hope the risks I take here are worth it and that you each will be able to rethink what you are eating and start switching from fake to real.

Dear Mum,

On the radio at 6am the announcer said, “Welcome to a brave new world”. Well, certainly things are different. It was then announced that there have been “No new cases of the CoVid19 virus in China.

What might they be doing differently in China? Whatever they are doing… IT WORKS!

On the internet, it seems to me that, hundreds of expert doctors such as Joseph Mercola have been telling us that when Chinese doctors started to recommend and use VITAMIN C the spread of the CoVid19 virus slowed rapidly and this is why they are getting over the crisis quickly. They say that South Korea have been doing the same and have slowed the spread.

VITAMIN C KILLS VIRUSES. It always has and probably always will.

How then can we share this knowledge with doctors in the UK?

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps, somewhere at some time someone has found a virus that can resist VITAMIN C? Have you ever read any scientific report on the internet or in any book that says anything about a virus that can survive in the presence of VITAMIN C?

There is the question of “Why do some people who take VITAMIN C daily still get colds, the ‘flu and people taking VITAMIN C sometimes do still die?” Well, if they have had a diet that is high in sucrose or have had consistently high blood sugar then they will need A LOT MORE VITAMIN C.

For many years Dr Thomas Levy and Andrew Saul have been two famous doctors, among the hundreds of experts, who have been writing and teaching about the different amounts of VITAMIN C needed. The more unwell a person is the more VITAMIN C that person needs.

If this really is “a brave new world” as the radio announcer says, then if it is to be a benevolent world then it is time the government, the NHS, charities and businesses work together to:

  • Ensure the people who need the most VITAMIN C receive the most, while explaining that people, who are healthy and not having foods with added sugar, only need tiny amounts. (I take just 0.1g three times a day.)
  • Help the charity I work with ‘The Public Health Collaboration’ to spread the word about benefits to all of a REAL FOOD LIFESTYLE.

Of course, VITAMIN C is not the only nutrient needed to be healthy and happy. By the 1930’s about 50 vital nutrients had been discovered. Nutritionists are aware of these 50 nutrients, yet so far, I have not met a GP, endocrinologist or any other non-nutritionist who can even name 50 essential nutrients.

I have returned to working full-time in my efforts to spread the word about healthy nutrition and how people can change from a fake food diet to the kinds of real foods that you had as a child.

Perhaps we, ambassadors for the PHC, need to bring people like you (ex-nurses, now over 80 years old and in good health) along to workshops to explain that illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes are optional. People can make healthy food choices once they understand which foods are needed for those 50 essential nutrients.

Love from Roger

19th March 2020

Why aim to keep reducing lithium rather than aiming to stop taking it altogether?

The above is a question I was asked this morning. I have been asked this several times before. I rapidly typed the answer below. Not saying it is anything like a perfect answer. I put it here as it may help.

Hi A, Here is my answer…

Often, it seems, people get put on lithium because doctors and psychiatrist know so little about nutrition and do not realize how many mood troubles are caused by eating fake foods (foods with added sugar, toxic oils and so on)…

It is the last little bit of reduction that causes the biggest shock to the system.

This is my understanding, although be warned that I am speaking as a scientist, nutrition-expert and expert-by-experience-of-taking-prescribed-lithium rather than a pharmaceutical person, therefore I am sharing what I believe and not offering advice.

Dropping from say 800mg/day to 650mg/day makes little difference because your blood and cells are still flooded with a lot of lithium and your kidneys are still working hard to detox. Whereas, dropping down just from 20mg/day to zero may make a huge difference.

Here is a different way of looking at mineral supplements. We require only about 10mg/day of zinc (I’ve not looked up precise value)… If you are consistently consuming between say 20mg/day down to 10mg/day from real foods you’ll probably be okay. If though you were to go from 10mg/day down to zero-ish then symptoms of shortage will start to occur.

Supposing we consider lithium to be a nutrient… (it has not been proved that lithium is essential as it comes in real foods (less or none in fake foods) and so most people get plenty most days.  This makes it hard to work out what would happen to people who do not get enough as people start to run out of other nutrients, such as magnesium before anyone would notice a shortage of lithium.)

Supposing an adult human needs 1mg/day of lithium (this is quoted in at least one reputable book on nutrition). Then if consuming several hundred mg/day from tablets goes along with our concerns over the slight long-term toxic effects from lithium carbonate tablets. Reducing your lithium intake down to just a few mg will be matching any natural requirements (we are assuming there is a requirement), while stopping altogether could be a bit like choosing to eat only foods that contain close to zero zinc.

I do hope that makes sense. Sorry, it is a bit waffly.

By the way, zinc is a nutrient MOST people do not get enough off, which not only causes emotional troubles (extreme shortages can be associated with psychosis as zinc needs to be balanced with copper to avoid psychosis) Getting enough zinc is easier when we stick to ‘real food’. Very topical at this time; low zinc also makes people vulnerable to viruses.

Dear A, If you would like me to do some nutritional analysis for you to help identify for which nutrients you may have low intakes and which ones you may have excessively high intakes – I can do that.

Everyone (even Dr Bruce Lipton) is talking about a virus. I’ll risk sharing my less expert thoughts…

  1. Does talk of a pandemic and self-isolation mess up people’s moods and make them more vulnerable to all illnesses and disorders?
  2. Is the following too controversial?

As Bruce Lipton points out, corona-viruses cause the common cold as well as ‘flu.

We have probably all been infected by corona-viruses, when catching colds, most winters, as tends to happen in our early years. As our immune system matures, if well-nourished and not too stressed we rarely catch colds or ‘flu.

The amount of harm any virus can do to us is related to our cortisol levels (as well as our nutritional status (i.e. have we been eating real food and taking any essential supplements such as vitamins C & D)).

To keep cortisol low; avoid stress and ideally spend time with friends or family and most especially we others who have a keen interest in health and longevity.

Here is a link to Bruce Lipton’s words being read by a man on a boat!. Why man on boat? …because I do not know yet how to link from here to his original article.

Philip, “Are potatoes good for us?”

Yesterday I was asked, “Are potatoes good for us?”

  • Half the people I know say “No, don’t eat potatoes.”
  • Half the people I know would agree with Kathleen DesMaisons who wrote the book, ‘Potatoes Not Prozac’ which is a good read if you have any kind of mood disorder.

After a long discussion about potatoes I wrote…

*** EAT REAL FOOD ***

What can we add to the above simple message that is also easy to understand – very simple black and white?

How about; classify each person as metabolically healthy or unhealthy based on the 5 tests described on the PHC ‘Real Food Lifestyle ‘booklet’’.

  • If healthy continue to EAT REAL FOOD.
  • If unhealthy EAT REAL FOOD while cutting out the foods that are known to delay recovery.

You asked about potatoes and sweet potatoes. These tend to delay recovery because the sugars go into the blood too quickly for unhealthy people.

After regaining health, organic potatoes can be a useful source of energy.

— STOP — END — FINISH — THAT IS ALL I AM SAYING ABOUT POTATOES —

Although if you type ‘potatoes’ into the search bar at top right, above the menu you’ll find I have previously mentioned potatoes in at least 4 other articles. Enjoy!

 

A Whole New Life working with the Public Health Collaboration #PHCUK

Yesterday, I was able to return to presenting to health professionals.

This time was different. Rather than having a focus mood management or any specific diagnosis, I shared the P.H.C. message of… ‘EAT REAL FOOD.

This message being supported by ‘AVOID FAKE FOOD’ and ‘BE ACTIVE EVERYDAY’

What does this have to do with the title of this blog, “Rethinking Bipolar”?

Many drivers for psychiatric diagnoses are to do with what people have been eating and drinking. Personally, I have found the best thing for sustaining healthy moods, having energy, working well, getting on with people, making friends and living in a happy home has been to consistently… EAT REAL FOOD.

EATing REAL FOOD makes it easier to AVOID FAKE FOOD and to BE ACTIVE EVERYDAY.

Find Out More about having a Real Food Lifestyle

How vital is the “vital-amine” = vitamin D?

As of today I have decided to share more general, and perhaps more controversial, information on this web site.

Did you know, “Low vitamin D levels are linked to bad sleep.”

Doctors who study vitamin D are recommending the use of supplements that allow vitamin D levels in blood to be between 150 and 200 nmol/L (see this month’s WDDTY magazine). Such levels will help to protect us from viral infections, cancer and dementia.

With low vitamin D the immune system does not work, hence most people are especially vulnerable to viral infections during the winter and early spring. Most vitamin D supplements in the doses recommended on the packets will not provide enough vitamin D.

To be healthy it is best to have our vitamin D in blood tested and then take the right supplement to bring the level in your blood to between 150 and 200 nmol/L.

Sadly, in the UK, most NHS GP’s do not yet have this information. Perhaps ask your doctor if they read WDDTY magazine, to help keep up to date with emerging science.

Believe in good nutrition then eat well stay well

I have been asked, how much our susceptibility to any illness or disorder is due to beliefs rather than to do with healthy nutrition/lifestyle. More specifically it was in a discussion about the latest corona-virus. Here is my reply,

Yes, beliefs are so very important when it comes to viruses. In my world, beliefs and actions go hand-in-hand.

When we believe we can resist the virus by ensuring we have daily vitamins C & D and zinc then we find a way to include these nutrients in our daily meals.

I accept that even the best food choices can be undermined by belief about diseases.

Beliefs that create fear seem to lead to greater vulnerability to all sorts of illnesses and disorders (including bipolar diagnosis). Mainly though, stats and science tell us that people who eat well stay well. Also, people who have been eating fairly well before an infectious disease or disorder comes along, in general, recover quicker, than malnourished people.

In 2018, I found a way of quickly checking my subconscious self-limiting beliefs then balancing those with empowering beliefs. To qualify as a facilitator of this modality of knowing and balancing beliefs I attended a course with Sharon Lock in Leeds, UK.

Here is a 3 minute video made during that very 3 day course (I appear, yet do not have a ‘speaking part’ 🙂 )

Would you like to hear more about food or more about beliefs?

Can Real Food Eliminate Cramp? / Might Magnesium From Food Prove Better for Stabilizing Mood Than Lithium Tablets?

I have debated before whether the mood stabilizing successes attributed to lithium are due to it helping people who have been magnesium deficient.

Here however, I seem to have left bipolar a long way behind me. I am now, on a lower carbohydrate diet, having the steadiest moods I have ever had. It is great to be sleeping well, getting lots of work done and spending time with lots of lovely positive people. Yet, as one of my bipolar clients said to me, years ago, “Even when moods are steady, it is never just right.” It seems life always involves some things that cause some discomfort.

In 2019, I think I only had cramp in my leg (calf) once. It was early in the morning and it hurt at lot! Early on 28th January 2020, I had a similar occurrence of cramp in my calf. It was over in less than a minute but left me hobbling a bit for a few hours.

As a teenager, when fell-walking in hot weather, I would get this kind of cramp the next morning and was told, and believed, this happened because I was sweating out sodium and failing to add salt to my food. Putting a little salt in the palm of my hand and licking that off seemed to stop it happening the next morning. Yet, was this real biochemistry or simply placebo?

These days, most people say that most cramp in legs is related to low magnesium and it does seem that taking a good magnesium supplement or a bath in Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) makes cramp far less likely.

So what might be the truth about my cramps that may be of use to others wanting to avoid this pain?

Well, I had just completed a study on myself where I recorded everything I ate over 6 days. This has allowed me to plot my intake of 4 minerals. This reveals that (compared with what I usually eat) my consumption of Calcium, Magnesium and Sodium were all low leading up to the morning I got the cramp.

Cramp due to low magnesium

Was that cramp, to some extent due to low sodium, magnesium and calcium intake?

 

I am aware of another factor. The day before, I had cycled up a steep-ish hill I do not normally  cycle up and so may well have been using my calf muscles in a different way. I can well believe this will have increased my risk of cramp. Overall, though I currently believe the cramp was induced mainly by a mineral imbalance.

Having considered the above graph, what will I do now?

In a moment, I am going to cycle to a local supermarket, fill my rucksack with fresh veg and cycle home (up a moderate hill). I need the exercise and I need to get back to eating lots of veg. I can do this while keeping my carbs low (surprisingly easy to do when avoiding bread) as that will get these minerals back in balance. I have taken a magnesium citrate tablet 2 nights since the cramp. I am not keen on supplements – dare I stop taking the extra magnesium?

Low Carbohydrate / No Added Sugar for Better Health AND for More Stable Mood

I was overweight and often tired while taking Olanzapine.

Olanzapine is infamous for increasing risks for diabetes.

Having been off psych drugs for about 8 years I felt safe from any significant risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. During 2019 I allowed myself to eat more carbohydrate and more refined sugar. I was then shocked that a routine blood test showed I was heading towards diabetes.

Diabetes goes with excess blood sugar so I decided to cut back on high carbohydrate foods known to raise blood sugar and then eliminate all added refined sugar as well.

Most days I now have less than 100g carbohydrate and most days zero refined sugar.

Here is what I am talking about shown graphically. Basically, low carbohydrate and zero refined sugar can work very well for reversing diabetes.Changing to lower carbohydrate early in December 2019

What I am keen to know is whether almost all the benefits I have gained from low carbohydrate (defined as under 130g/day) and zero refined sugar could be gained just by cutting out the refined sugar. I say this because Dr Robert Lustig has presented evidence that seems to me to make it clear that refined sugar is the main culprit for diabetes and obesity, while my own experience is far more stable mood when having zero refined sugar.

Are you interested to see how you feel when you switched to having only foods with no added sugar?

Building muscle after years on sedatives

How many of us are ever at our ideal weight. Today, I am at about 60kg = 132pounds = 9 stone and 2 pounds. From the graph you’ll see that sedating prescription drugs caused me to gain weight. The drugs also made it difficult for me to exercise, so gradually coming off the drugs 2010/2011 left me short of muscle. Better diet and more exercise has allowed me to get back to about my optimum weight. Yet, still I am wanting to put on that extra 1kg. I’d like to be 61kg, yet am I prepared to lift-weights everyday to add that extra bit of muscle?Roger's Weight in Kg over about 44 years

(After moving house I’d like to find my diaries for 2016 and 2017 to fill in the missing data.)

 

If you believe all foods containing wheat mess with your moods why eat it any of that?

“…wheat mess with your moods why eat it any of that?” – That was the question I was asked  this morning.

I’m so busy these days answering questions by email that I have hardly been blogging at all. At the risk of sharing too much I am simply going to paste my email response here for all to read:

Since 12th Oct just one toasted teacake with thick butter that I had instead of my more usual coffee at local café. That is the only bread I have had in past 31 days. I made a point for noting any adverse-affects and did not. I probably tolerate one small one-off dose of gluten or even glyphosate fairly well…. While, I have so many other digestive issues that something would, perhaps, need to be a lot worse than that one teacake to be noticeable.

As for the article you point to  greatest danger in your diet – great pictures for tempting people (not me) back to bread however, I was sure it would be about #glyphosate yet not even one mention of it.

On the subject of ‘ancient wheats’… what have you done with the about 200g of organic spelt I let you have? If you still have it and boil it for half hour or so you may find it both acceptable and digestible. I enjoyed eating it but will not buy it again.

In that article it says, “That’s because 75% of the carbohydrates in wheat are in the form amylopectin A.” – My previous looks into this revealed, to me, that this is no big deal. Amylopectins are a common form of starch found in all cereals, potatoes and all over the place not causing much damage to us at all.

When it comes to sugar in blood from carbohydrate sources I believe > Dr Robert Lustig < and others who warn against fructose are on the right track. Do you remember our discussions about refined fructose (molecule-for-molecule) doing about 10x the damage to red blood cells (raising HbA1c = worsening diabetes) than glucose. Is it true? I think so, while fructose from fresh fruit may be close to harmless. It is refined fructose (including the fructose released from refined sucrose that could be causing more harm than anything else in the typical western or SAD diet.) Then supermarket bread, in the UK, tends to have refined sucrose added, so another reason to avoid it.

Currently I find the article’s reminder about arsenic adds to my dietary concerns…

“Chronic arsenic exposure can lead to headaches, fatigue, brain fog and digestive issues… not to mention, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.”

“Just Say No” to rice flour ..”, “on the gluten-free aisle”, “Rice plants use silica to strengthen their stalks. But arsenic ‘looks’ like silica to the plant, so it is readily pulled from the soil.”

“…testing over 200 samples from 65 different products that contain rice. They found arsenic in EVERY product tested.!

…because I have boiled rice several times per week and have become addicted to rice cakes, plus fish a few times a week. All fish contains (typically low levels of) arsenic. In the lab we used to test samples of fish destined for dog and cat food for arsenic content. Not a regular thing but I remember we used to find it. Some fish considered too toxic for our dogs and cats yet does anyone test the fish we are eating?

Best wishes

Roger

That was my response to which my friend has asked, “Is it worth the risk?  Maybe No bread or rice.  Why not just eats oats?” – Now that is a good question as I love oats. One argument against oats in the UK is that even organic and even “gluten-free” oats tend to contain some gluten as the same vehicles are used for transporting wheat.

Food Matters TV – Making Best Use Of This Resource

I just signed up with Food Matters TV through one of their special offers so I am paying  less than £8/month for access to just about everything they have on offer.

For me, this could the best value thing I am doing right now for my own well-being and for helping others.

Here is one of their newer videos. Watching this without paying and the price I just paid are time limited (ends tomorrow) so take a look now: https://www.fmtv.com/transcendence/live/episode-1

 

Update on my fasting 16:8 for steadier mood

It is hard to know if intermittent fasting does steady the mood. I am sure it helps with self-discipline and that has to be a good thing.

I believe the main benefits for me have been:

  1. Clearer thinking in the morning while stomach is empty
  2. Digestive system will be repairing better while stomach is empty
  3. Far less tempted by junk food as I am not eating between meals

My graph is looking busy as there are now a lot of points, as simply write in my diary the time I have my first and last food each day. Mostly first food is anywhere between 10am and 2pm. Last food is usually close to 6:30pm.

This next week I am going to be experimenting with finishing eating even earlier to see if that helps with sleep.

Intermittent fasting 16-8 update 2018-04-14th

 

Not Bipolar Today? Cholesterol for Life

I have been much healthier recently. Off all medications for many years now and getting back into the world. Not easy after Bipolar 1. It takes time.

I continue to be interested in recovery from mental health troubles (even today I have paid research work on this at Nottingham University) yet more interested in sharing what we can do physically to be well.

Maybe, by April, I’ll be writing on subjects more related to mood. For now, this is planning for Saturday. Hoping lots of people come along to learn about the importance/usefulness of healthy cholesterol.

Upstairs at the museum - Cholesterol for Life - 23rd March 2019

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