Banting did not publish a book

He initial letter was probably around 13 pages, and he did refer to it as a pamphlet. By the time of the fourth edition, it was 127 pages long, mostly with published letters from readers who had had the same success following his plans. This also included a print of a lecture “The treatment of corpulence by the so-called Banting system” given in 1865 by Professor Niemeyer. It is often quoted that he published a book, but some people say that it is wrong because it’s a pamphlet. However, by the fourth edition this letter is 127 pages long and could well be regarded as a book. Anyway, how many pages is required before something is called a book? I don’t think that there is a clear definition.

Banting was not on a low-carb diet?

He was on a low-carb diet as he was told to avoid sugary and starchy foods. This is the first principle of going low carb. However, he was not on a convention LCHF diet as he was told to avoid some fatty items like milk, butter and fatty meats like pork. Some people point to this fact that he was told to avoid milk, butter, pork and veal as evidence that it’s not low carb. This is incorrect as there are people in the present who are on low carb, but who has reactions to milk, butter and/or fatty pork and don’t include those in their eating plans. Furthermore, he was still eating beef and lamb. The reason why he was advised to avoid milk and butter is because they are considered part of starches and saccharine matter. I am not sure about the logic on pork, but my guess is that it has more fats than beef or lamb and also due to the way they are being reared.

The items from which I was advised to abstain as much as possible were:—Bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes, which had been the main (and, I thought, innocent) elements of my existence, or, at all events, they had for many years been adopted freely. These, said my excellent adviser, contain starch and saccharine matter, tending to create fat, and should be avoided altogether.

The sample diet that he described is quite typical of low carb, but it does include some biscuits and fruits, I assume that fruits during 1863 are not as sweet and more seasonal. So total carb is just under 50 gram per day, which is still low carb, but it’s not ketogenic. A caveat as Banting himself noted is that what he listed below only shows a meal plan, it is not what he ate daily, there are days when he ate less meals and days that he ate more.

For breakfast, I take four or five ounces of beef, mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, bacon, or cold meat of any kind except pork; a large cup of tea (without milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or one ounce of dry toast.

[10]For dinner, five or six ounces of any fish except salmon, any meat except pork, any vegetable except potato, one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of a pudding, any kind of poultry or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry, or Madeira—champagne, port and beer forbidden.

For tea, two or three ounces of fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of tea without milk or sugar.

For supper, three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar to dinner, with a glass or two of claret.

For nightcap, if required, a tumbler of grog—(gin, whiskey, or brandy, without sugar)—or a glass or two of claret or sherry.

What is interesting on this debate of low carb is that based on conventional nutrition research, low carb is defined as plan that is 30-40% of carbs. In this convention, low carb can be as much as 400 grams per day! We can see many such published paper citing “keto-like” diets or low-carb diets. On one hand, some people would use those research results to say that low carb doesn’t work or is not as effective, but on the other hand, they declare that Banting was not on low carb and we got it wrong. Such is the oxymoron.

Banting was not the first to publish a diet book

I think nobody ever claimed that he was the first to publish a diet book. There are probably lots of other diet books before and during his times, but where those books, probably written by prominent doctors and surgeons, of any help to the public? However, he was probably one of the first few non-professionals who published a book on diet, and it works. This can be seen by the letters which he received from readers talking about their own success following his plan. We also know that it was shocking enough that a lecture was given in 1865 just on his pamphlet by a Professor Niemeyer, Consulting Physician Extraordinary to His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg:

Allow me to draw attend to an event which during the last few years has attracted much notices, and aroused interest of the scientific world in general

What is interesting is that we know that there were many methods to lose weight during his days because he described all the different things that he tried and had been advised to do, but with little success. In fact, he only consulted the best of the best during those days and none of them gave him a good solution. Doesn’t this sound familiar?

I consulted an eminent surgeon,[6] now long deceased—a kind personal friend—who recommended increased bodily exertion before my ordinary daily labors began, and thought rowing an excellent plan. I had the command of a good, heavy, safe boat, lived near the river, and adopted it for a couple of hours in the early morning. It is true I gained muscular vigor, but with it a prodigious appetite, which I was compelled to indulge, and consequently increased in weight, until my kind old friend advised me to forsake the exercise.

He soon afterwards died, and, as the tendency to corpulence remained, I consulted other high orthodox authorities (never any inferior adviser), but all in vain. I have tried sea air and bathing in various localities, with much walking exercise; taken gallons of physic and liquor potasssæ, advisedly and abundantly; riding on horseback; the waters and climate of Leamington many times, as well as those of Cheltenham and Harrogate frequently; have lived upon sixpence a day, so to speak, and earned it, if bodily labor may be so construed; and have spared no trouble nor expense in consultations with the best authorities in the land, giving each and all a fair time for experiment, without any permanent remedy, as the evil still gradually increased.

…or I have been generally informed that corpulence is one of the natural results of increasing years; indeed one of the ablest authorities as a physician in the land told me he had gained 1 lb. in weight every year since[7] he attained manhood, and was not surprised at my condition, but advised more bodily exercise—vapor-baths, and shampooing, in addition to the medicine given. Yet the evil still increased, and, like the parasite of barnacles on a ship, if it did not destroy the structure it obstructed its fair, comfortable progress in the path of life.

At this juncture (about three years back) Turkish baths became the fashion, and I was advised to adopt them as a remedy. With the first few I found immense benefit in power and elasticity for walking exercise; so, believing I had found the “philosopher’s stone,” pursued them three times a week till I had taken fifty, then less frequently (as I began to fancy, with some reason, that so many weakened my constitution) till I had taken ninety, but never succeeded in losing more than 6 lbs. weight during the whole course, and I gave up the plan as worthless; though I have full belief in their cleansing properties, and their value in colds, rheumatism, and many other ailments.

Banting accidentally discovered the diet himself

We know that he did not stumble upon it himself. He found a doctor who advised him on the diet and this doctor has been his constant advisor throughout his journey. Throughout his book, Banting also advised readers to work with their medical advisor to work on this diet.

The person, Mr. William Harvey, F.R.C.S., “Surgeon to the Royal Dispensary for Diseases of the Ear.” was only formally name in the 3rd and 4th edition of his book. In fact, Mr. Harvey also penned how he came about this diet in the fourth edition, which makes an interesting read. It’s interesting to note that it seemed well known by the 1800s that a purely animal diet could help with diabetes. I wonder how that knowledge went out of the window?

It had long been well known that a purely animal diet greatly assisted in checking the secretion of diabetic urine; and it seemed to follow, as a matter of course, that the total abstinence from saccharine and farinaceous matter must[30] drain the liver of this excessive amount of glucose, and thus arrest in a similar proportion the diabetic tendency. Reflecting on this chain of argument, and knowing too that a saccharine and farinaceous diet is used to fatten certain animals, and that in diabetes, the whole of the fat of the body rapidly disappears, it occurred to me that excessive obesity might be allied to diabetes as to its cause, although widely diverse in its development: and that if a purely animal diet was useful in the latter disease, a combination of animal food with such vegetable matters as contained neither sugar nor starch, might serve to arrest the undue formation of fat.

References

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public, by William Banting.

Letter on Corpulence, addressed to the public … Second edition, with addenda – William BANTING – Google Books

Day 1 from Singapore to Penang

Before our flight to Penang, we made a stop at Jewel. Bird of Paradise was our first destination, fortunately without a queue. It’s a Michelin-recommended ice cream shop. I’ve sampled their floral varieties, such as Spiced Pear and Osmanthus Pear sorbet, and appreciated the delicate blend of floral and fruity flavors. The rosemary-infused cone is a particular favorite of mine. On this visit, I opted for the Sea Salt Hojicha, which offered a robust hojicha taste complemented by a subtle saltiness. However, I find the floral series more distinctive and to my liking.

We also enjoyed prawn vadai from Original Vadai located in Basement 2 of Jewel; it’s an Indian snack that’s part of our childhood. Although the vadai was slightly cold, it retained a delicious savory taste. It’s ideally consumed with a slice of raw green chili with each bite.

Upon landing, we headed to Chulia Street Night Hawker. I hadn’t done any research on Chulia Street, so I ordered some dishes at random. We tried Char Kuay Teow, Lor Bak, and Satay. The Char Kuay Teow was decent, with a good “wok hei,” though a bit more fish sauce might have enhanced it. The Lor Bak was unremarkable. Interestingly, the satay had a Thai twist, including the peanut sauce, which was sweeter and less spicy. Not something that I preferred for pork satay.

Dissatisfied with our dinner, we decided to try an Ipoh Tauge Chicken shop close to our hotel and its air-conditioned. We ordered half a plate of “bearded” chicken, a plate of bean sprouts (for which Ipoh is renowned), chicken rice, and hor fun. Although tourists don’t typically visit Penang for Ipoh cuisine, I found it quite delightful. The chicken was both firm and tender, boasting a rich meaty taste. The rice was somewhat bland, but the hor fun was enjoyable. The bean sprouts (tauge) didn’t match the quality of those I’ve had in Ipoh previously, so I might skip them next time, although I still recommended it for some crunch.

Day 2 in Penang

Day 2 began early with a visit to the renowned Nasi Lemak Duan Pisang, and it truly lived up to its reputation. The rice was rich and grains were distinct, not sticky. The sambal was a great match for the rice, though it was a bit too spicy for my taste, but I still loved it. I would suggest a kedongdong juice as an ideal complement to the nasi. Highly recommended, especially due to the price point.

We set out towards the Chew Jetty for Big Bowl Noodles, renowned for its large servings. Regrettably, we didn’t research properly and ordered two bowls for one person each, only to receive them in regular sizes. For an Instagram-worthy shot, you should order a portion for at least two people. The noodles have a texture similar to instant noodles, are quite flavorful, and offer a satisfying chew. At around $30+ per bowl, they are among the pricier options in town, but the bowl’s contents justify a hearty meal. In summary, while the noodles and soup were decent, the real draw is the novelty of a massive bowl, and I must commend the exceptionally friendly staff, possibly the owner, for their service.

A few streets away from Chew Jetty stood Jo Gourmand, a cafe renowned for its watermelon cake. It seemed we were the first patrons of the day, given it was a Monday. However, I observed that Petit Fours cafe across the street was bustling, leaving me indecisive about our choice. We decided on a watermelon cake and signature coffee beverages, with a grape latte for me and an orange juice with espresso for my friend. The orange juice espresso was surprisingly more matching than the grape latte, which lacked any discernible grape flavor. The watermelon cake was delightful, its fruit content adding a juicy moistness to each bite. The sweltering weather outside made the cafe’s cool air conditioning all the more inviting, prompting us to linger for nearly two hours.

Following a two-hour fiesta, we ventured to the renowned Penang chendul stall on Lebuh Keng Kwee, which, to our delight, had no queue! The dessert offered a refreshing taste with subtle coconut and gula melaka sweetness; however, the chendul was chewy and somewhat tough. The chendul was made more like a beverage than a dessert. In summary, it was decent, but I would have preferred a more pronounced coconut flavor, a generous drizzle of gula melaka, and a softer chendul.

To conclude the day, we visited a renowned 888 hokkien noodles stall at Lebuh Presgrave, and again, there were no queues! My friend opted for prawn noodles while I chose Lor Mee. Both bowls contained similar ingredients, except for the soup base; the ingredients are quite basic unless you opt for additional toppings. The prawn noodles and Lor Mee both offered excellent flavors, but I’m confident I can find a similar taste back home, though not at the same price. Don’t misunderstand, if you’re in Penang, you should definitely give it a try, especially since you can get Tiger Char Kuay Teow right next door… as long as there’s no queue.

Day 3 in Penang

On the third day, we visited the Michelin-rated Pitt Street fish ball noodles. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of fish ball noodles. Nevertheless, the dry noodles I tried were quite tasty, although I couldn’t judge the fish balls themselves, they seemed quite hearty. It was a pleasant small bowl of noodles, but not worth queuing for, in my opinion. Interestingly, all the male staff were notably muscular, as was the lady boss, I presume, who was even dressed in workout attire, as if they all frequented the same gym. Perhaps that’s part of the charm, haha?

Subsequently, we visited a quaint coffee shop for eggs and toast. The kaya was notably aromatic and rich, complemented by a generous serving of butter — although I have a penchant for an even thicker cut of butter. The tea was aromatic and velvety. Truthfully, it’s hard to go wrong with eggs, toast, and a cup of coffee or tea at any of the numerous coffee shops in Penang.

We revisited the renowned chendol at Lebuh Keng Kwee again. This time, I tried the chee cheong fun as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it because the prawn paste sauce was overly thick and sweet, overpowering the taste buds. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a preference for extremely sweet flavors.

Next, we visited Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay, a recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand. They offer a selection of Nyonya kuehs, along with dishes like nasi lemak and kueh pie tee. We sampled various kuehs and kueh pie tee. The portions are small enough that one could try everything on the menu and still have room for more. Each kueh we tried was delightful; the lemper stood out with its particularly aromatic filling. This is a spot I would definitely revisit on my next trip to Penang.

My worst meal was probably at Gurney Drive Hawker Center. On a Tuesday visit, less than half of the stalls were open. Each table is ‘owned’ by either a drink or food stall, you are obliged to order from them if you sit at their table. I tried the pasembur, expecting something different from Indian rojak, but it was essentially the same, just topped with shredded cucumber. The dish was disappointing, with most items soft and cold, not refried, and drenched in a too-sweet sauce. The assam laksa lacked flavor and wasn’t sour enough, falling short of its more renowned counterparts. Eating the BBQ stingray was troublesome; it was cut in a way that left cartilage in every bite, leading to more time spent removing cartilage than enjoying the meal. Having only tried three stalls, I can’t judge the entire place, but I’m unlikely to return.

Day 4 from Penang to Singapore

On the last day, my friend insisted we visit the ever-popular Toh Soon coffee shop. It was the only time we queued for food, fortunately for less than 15 minutes. Honestly, I don’t see the hype about their toast or drinks. I tried the roti kiap with kaya and butter, which is a thin slice of toast, and my friend had eggs on toast. The kaya and butter were spread so thinly I could barely taste them, and my friend wasn’t impressed with his eggs on toast either, despite my warning. The milk tea lacked fragrance as well. Truthfully, you could probably find better or comparable kaya toast at any local coffee shop, along with superior tea or coffee. I’m puzzled why Singaporeans or Malaysians from out of town would queue for this.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to enjoy some chee cheong fun and apom at a corner coffee shop on Kimberly Street. This time, the chee cheong fun sauce was much improved; it wasn’t as thick and sweet, which complemented the dish nicely. I should have requested it “opened” to better savor the sauces. The apom was delightfully thin with a hint of coconut flavor. While I don’t quite understand the hype around apom, it made for a pleasant snack, though next time I might try it with extra toppings instead of plain.

After my friend departed for the airport, I returned to Ipoh Tauge Chicken alone. I ordered half of the “bearded” chicken with ginger sauce. The ginger sauce was great, and the chicken was so sedap that I could have devoured an entire one.

My last day in Penang before catching my flight was to Le Dux Patisserie on Lebuh Pantai. This area appears to be a hotspot for cafes, with Jo Gourmand, Ome, Petit Fours, The Maker, and others all situated along the same road. I opted for a visually appealing tiramisu served in a chocolate cup, accompanied by a croissant. The croissant was impeccable, flaky and delightful. However, the tiramisu fell short as the chocolate cup’s flavor dominated, masking the traditional tastes of the mascarpone mousse, alcohol, and cake. The apple dessert was essentially a chocolate mousse cake, presented in an apple shape but lacking distinctive flavors. Beyond the croissant, the cafe didn’t offer any novel experiences with their desserts; they seemed to be designed more for their visual appeal on Instagram than for their taste.

Upon my return to Changi in the evening, I was famished and made my way to Tonito. It’s one of the favored spot of mine in Jewel for its unique Latin American cuisine, a delightful change from the usual offerings. For dinner, I opted for buffalo wings and beef cheeks. Both were prepared excellently, but the beef cheeks stood out as particularly hearty, flavorful, and succulent. To my surprise, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the two stalks of crispy, charred broccoli.

The Readings

Baseline readings

First off, it’s important to determine my baseline blood glucose (BG) level. On a typical day, my diet consists of a piece of steak, minced beef, and eggs around 1-2 pm, with a small latte later in the afternoon. In the evenings, I may play some games of pickleball or tennis. Depending on the intensity, there will be some glucose level rise as a result of the physical activity.

Day 1 readings

The most notable and surprising reading is number (3), where the blood glucose (BG) level surged to 16 mmol/L after consuming char kuay teow, satay, lor bak, and a sugared nutmeg drink. This phenomenon, known as insulin suppression, is recognized among individuals who follow a long-term low-carbohydrate diet, a term attributed to Dr. Rob Cywes (Most people use the term pathological insulin resistance instead). The principle is that the body prefers to conserve energy. When one does not regularly consume significant amounts of carbohydrates or sugars, the pancreas may slow down or decrease the production of proinsulin, the precursor to insulin. Consequently, the pancreas is unaccustomed to a sudden influx of carbohydrates and requires time to increase insulin production once more. This elevated BG level persisted for nearly four hours, which could lead to a misdiagnosis of prediabetes. Subsequent charts indicate that the BG levels never again reached such heights after this initial system shock. Another contributing factor might be the sedentary nature of air travel. After waiting for at least two hours at the airport and an hour of flight time before dining, the near three-hour period of inactivity combined with insulin suppression could explain the significant spike. It raises the question of why consuming ice cream and vadai in instance (1) did not produce a similar effect. For me, it’s probably due to fats, protein bounded with carbs in the ice cream. This provided a blunted glucose coming into the blood stream. Compare this to nearly pure carbs and sugars in the dinner meal. Number (2) and (4) are just points of interests where BG dropped to 4 mmol/L probably due to overcompensation from high glucose. I was feeling pretty hungry and sleep after the ice cream, so the effect of eating carbs still impacted me.

Day 2 readings

Day 2’s results represent a typical day of consuming carbohydrates. All four spikes were due to the meals. Between points 2 and 3, you can observe that the blood glucose (BG) level dropped to 4 mmol/L, illustrating the sugar/insulin roller-coaster effect. Generally, the level returns to normal within two hours. Surprisingly, I wasn’t sleepy due to this roller-coaster effect, probably because we refueled with carbs again within 2 hours.

Day 3 readings

This graph highlights several points of interest. Point 2 is largely attributed to a visit to Kek Lok Shi, which I refer to as the Disneyland Temple. We spent around 2 hours climbing stairs and walking in the hot weather. Exercise increases the demand for glucose, which is why the blood glucose (BG) level remained elevated. This suggests that consuming carbohydrate or sugar-rich foods 1-2 hours before or after exercise may not be advisable, as it could sustain higher BG levels for an extended period. Point 3 corresponds to the consumption of kuehs, which are dense in carbohydrates and sugars, resulting in a higher peak also due to an elevated starting level. Lastly, point 4 displays a larger area under the curve, normalizing only after 3 hours, indicating that the meal consumed at Gurney Drive was richer in carbohydrates and sugars than it seemed.

Day 4 readings

The latest graph shows an even more chaotic blood glucose (BG) roller-coaster pattern. Essentially, I was eating every hour or less. Surprisingly, the meal at Ipoh Tauge Chicken (Point 2), which consisted solely of chicken meat, also caused a BG spike, indicating that the sauces contain sugar. After arriving in Singapore (Point 4), despite mostly ordering meat, the sauces on the chicken wings and the mashed potatoes seemed to contribute to a rise in BG. Additionally, the impact of being inactive for three hours during the flight is evident, as the BG levels increased more than expected.

Back to baseline readings

The graph above demonstrates that I maintained insulin sensitivity after my trip, as indicated by my blood sugar levels the following day. The nearly flat line suggests a quick return to baseline. It’s evident that avoiding carbs/sugars prevents significant fluctuations in blood glucose levels. However, the ability to return to baseline quickly does not imply that it will stay that way all the time. If we abuse our body enough, it will break down eventually.

What I have learnt from this

Key take aways

The key takeaway is to avoid carbohydrate or sugar-rich foods before, during, and after a flight. Being sedentary does not aid in controlling blood glucose levels. It requires discipline to resist consuming the entire meal served on the plane, particularly in business class, considering it’s included in the fare. Additionally, some airlines offer particularly tempting meals. While most people don’t fly frequently, frequent flyers might be more affected than occasional travelers. However, the same principles apply to our daily lives. As office workers, we are sedentary for 8 to 12 hours a day, so consuming foods high in carbohydrates and sugars is not beneficial in the long term. I don’t need to remind readers that diabetes, cancer, dementia, neuropathy, kidney failures and many other modern metabolic diseases are associate with constant high blood glucose.

Secondly, the consumption of carbohydrates 1-2 hours before and/or after exercise is some to watch out for. Exercise prompts the liver to produce glucose as needed. Consuming a high-carb meal before or after exercise prolongs the period during which glucose levels remain elevated. This could elucidate why some extremely lean elite athletes may develop diabetes, as they consistently refuel with carbohydrates during and post-races, maintaining high levels of glucose and, consequently, insulin.

Carbohydrates, sugars, and highly palatable foods are often considered addictive, which isn’t entirely false. The issue is that once you start eating carbs again, stopping can be difficult. However, it’s also possible for someone to eat high-carb foods for three to four days without developing an addiction. For me, since I am committed to eat Penang food, I might as well enjoy myself at it. Personally, I was eager to return to a diet of only meat and eggs, since high-carb foods don’t tempt me, and I have no cravings for them whatsoever. However, this is very individuals, and you need to be responsible for your own journey and know your limitations.

Effects of going high carb

One thing that didn’t happen to me was sunburn. I have never experienced sunburn even since I went carnivorous diet 6 years ago, even without sunblock. Unfortunately, my friend wasn’t as lucky and ended up with a sunburnt neck from our trip.

My sleep has been somewhat restless and disrupted, leaving me feeling more tired upon waking. This could be due to sleeping in a different bed and environment, although I’ve traveled and slept in hotels before, this time the quality of sleep felt different to me, but this is a minor annoyance.

Occasionally, I find myself suddenly sleepy during the day, such as while waiting for food. By the last day when I was De Lux Patisserie, I felt unusually hungry, sleepy, and jittery all at once. Perhaps with all the walking, sleepiness didn’t affect me so much, except on the 4th day.

Eating high-carb foods can lead to a sense of fullness, but it’s often just a feeling of being bloated rather than true satiation. The problem is that you can finish eating a big bowl of noodles now and 2 hours later, you can eat another bowl. You are constant seeking food when eating high-carb foods.

By the third day, my skin began to dry out, showing a white, scaly, dusty appearance, especially around my ankles, which became scaly and flaky. I had to apply moisturizer to mitigate this.

Finally, my gums started bleeding again, a problem that had ceased when I adopted a keto and then carnivore diet. The bleeding was rare before, but it resumed after the first day and persisted even after returning to Singapore, with blood appearing when I rinsed my mouth in the morning.

What’s wrong with eating “normal” again?

I harbor no fear of carbohydrates or sugars, as I occasionally indulge in them. However, I see no reason to revert to “normal” eating habits or to become a “normal” person again. “Normal” individuals often develop diabetes by age 40 and are at risk for heart attacks or strokes. They may endure gout, kidney stones, and persistent pain. With age, their risk of cancer, sarcopenia, Alzheimer’s, or dementia escalates. “Normal” people often spend their income on medications and hospital visits, which leads to a diminished quality of life. They can become burdensome to their families and society. Why would I desire normalcy? My aspiration is to be the outlier, living a life devoid of the chronic diseases that plague modernity, such as heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, sarcopenia, and mental disorders, and to enjoy a high quality of life until my final moments. This is what drives me in my nutritional and health journey.

Disclaimer:

I have what doctors call contact eczema since young. In other words, skin areas with high contacts is where the ezcema manifest. So most of my problem since young was around my feet, hands and elbows. I don’t really remember the details very much when I was young, but I strongly remember that at least once around 6 or 7 years old, I had to take injections because of the puss from my left foot, due to constant scratching and broken skins. Over the years, the different skin areas would then to come and go. Overtime, I will have very itchy right ankle, a constant itchy, dry and cracked left feet, especially between the toes. My elbows would be constantly white due to dry skin and itching. When I starting working and since computer is a daily affair, my palms and fingers will start getting worst. They are constantly dry, peeling, cracking and bleeding. It got so bad that I had to moisturize daily and wear gloves at work. My friend would constantly poke fun of me because I would be scratching or peeling the dry skin on my feet unconsciously.

In my journey to solve this problem, I have looked up skin doctors, Chinese medicine and tried many moisturizers. I know that steroid cream works for me to relieve the symptoms, but I need to keep applying, which I read was not a good idea, and I don’t find them very effective over time. Closer to my late 40s I did chance upon a Chinese eczema cream. It was very effective in relieving my symptom and even after I stopped using it for a few months after I got better, I did not have a relapse. But a relapse it did after a few months and I found that it was no longer as effectively on second try.

My journey to solve this problem was actually by accident. Due to health issues, I had gone onto a ketogenic diet for about 1 year and lost some 10 kg and got much more healthier. However, I would still have my eczema outbreaks. Over that one year, I begin to learn more about plant toxins like oxalates and antinutrients and had gradually also reduced the amount of vegetable intake and eating less raw vegetables. It was during one of those last eczema outbreak and me wanting to push my health progression further that I decide to move to a carnivore diet. Stopping eczema was really the last thing on my mind as I never thought that its even possible given that nobody knows why it happens.

Much to my surprise, after 1 week of not eating any more plant foods, I found that the outbreaks stopped and the skin started healing! It only since this once happened and this was with the use of a Chinese eczema cream. Within 1 month, itching, cracking and peeling stopped. I recovered so well that I even noticed that I no longer think about scratching any parts of my skin. This was a constant affair previously. Of course, even though the outbreak stopped patches of skin that had constant outbreaks since youngm, they continued to be rough and healed slowly.

But was I cured? I don’t think there is a cure for a genetic disposition in my body which cannot process vegetable food too well; its like peanut or seafood allergies, I am somewhat allergy to plant foods and not able to process the toxins that comes with them too well. This is the same problem with the Asian flush in which the body will try to detox alcohol through the skin. I have to come understand that this is what my body is doing with plant toxins, it pushes it to patches of skin and body attack the skin causing the reaction.

Over the years, I have experimented to understand what my body can and cannot tolerate too much of. It is actually quite easy, because my skin will start itching and sometimes even with small outbreaks which it doesn’t like what it has consumed. A good example is in 2020, I ate quite a large amounts of Yu Sheng with my friends and family in February to celebrate Chinese New Year. For those who are not aware, Yu Sheng basically a salad of various vegetables, raw or preserved with raw fish, which we tossed and eat during the Chinese New Year in this part of Asia. Within 1 week, I had a full outbreak of eczema and this lasted for a long time. At the same time due to COVID outbreaks, I had eaten much more food deliveries during that period. I only decided to document my progression in photographs in April 2020 because I was always embarrassed about my skin condition and showing it to people, but this time round I thought documenting it could help people understand this better.

For myself, I understand relatively well my triggers: Vegetables, most nuts, beans and even spices. For vegetables, the more greener and the more raw ones tend to give me more problems, so I would avoid salads whenever possible. Non-green vegetables like cauliflowers or cabbages don’t seem to have cause too much problems. As for nuts, I know the almond doesn’t work for me when too much. This is especially prevalent in a refined form in “keto” treats like cakes and cookies. I can tolerate a few pieces, but I had experiences of outbreak when I indulge just too much of them. As for spices, it really hard to tell which ones cause issues, but if I have a meal over a few days which are spiced like curries and middle eastern rubs, I will have some minor outbreaks. Lastly, beans in general don’t work for me too. Twice I had meals that were bean-centric like Mexican and Middle eastern and I had outbreaks the next day.

I am glad to say that there are some plant foods that don’t seem to cause too much problems for me. Coffee, fermented vegetables, rice/wheat, soy and its products like tofu, mushrooms and chocolate seems have little to no effect on my eczema. Being a coffee home barista, it was a good think that coffee was not part of my problem. However, the freedom on being on carnivore diet is that you just don’t need to eat them on a daily basis or at all. Apart from coffee and chocolate, all the rest of them are just part of a meal on occasions.

Health and nutrition are very personalized. I am documenting my own journey hoping that this can be a reference and help to someone out there. Eczema will never go away for me, but it can be kept at bay. For someone who suffered this from young, it is such a mental relieve not to have to scratch some parts of the body every other minute.

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This is in April 2020, the outbreak had started in Feb 2020.

This is in May 2020… you can see it gotten worst. Mind you that I there are other parts of the body that had outbreaks too which I am not showing here. But you can see that my feet gets most of the hits

This is in June 2020. You can see that feet has healed quite a lot

And finally, this is one year later in April 2021

As much as I want to applaud Dear Straight People for trying to stay objective, this sort of reminds me of the early days whenever we have a panel discussing gay issues, the organizers will add an opposing voice in that panel, aka ex-gay, to legitimize their diversity agenda. To me diversity means coming together despite differences, it doesn’t mean that all voices need to be hear or should have a platform on the diversity agenda. They need to be acknowledged for sure, as it would be dangerous to ignore such elements. These programs aka religious agendas (not the people or blur sheeps) are out to instill hatred and violence (I will get to this). They are NOT part of diversity because they DON’T celebrate differences. PERIOD.

Secondly, being an ex-gay person DOESN’T make you an insightful or wise person nor a decent human being. The same is said of a gay person, it doesn’t make them any more decent or indecent as a person nor wise or insightful. At the end of the day, to be an ex-gay person such as those in the interview, you need to hate yourself very much, have unreal expectations of the world and you hate what you are doing. Added to this, you need to have an unhealthy fear of an entity (I shall not even qualify this with a name or noun normally given freely, because it does not deserve it). You can see from the post how many of these symptoms are displayed. This is what I mean by self-hatred and pathological fear of an entity, both are violence of the mind. We know that once you commit violence to your own mind for years, it does irreversible damages to self. They are never their true self anymore, but a mask which they present to their entity.

What such programs doesn’t and never acknowledge is the pathological and psychological harm to the person once they decide to get out of such a program be become an ex-ex-gay person. You can see from these exit notes how much suppression is required for those still in the program to continue on with the rest of their lives. Even after coming out of such programs, this damage stays on for a long time. You can notice subtle writings ques, activism ques, mannerism and thought processes of these ex-ex-gay persons whom I have met and know over the years.

We are not here to hate those people in the program as they are already going through such violence within themselves. We are against the dishonesty of such programs and the damages it causes to bright cheery people.

How do we understand the body’s response to glucose and its insulin response over time?

Level 1

The above chart shows a typical fasted blood glucose and insulin response over years constant high glucose intake. The blue vertical dotted line shows that your fasted insulin and glucose initial, i.e. when you are young and healthy or in a healthy individual. The fasted glucose and insulin response normal and it usually takes about 4+ hours after a carb heavy meal for the insulin to return to a normal level.

Level 2

Here the vertical blue dotted line shows what happens as you develop insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Your fasted blood glucose is normal, but the insulin level remains high and may starts to drop long after 4+ hours. However, a standard blood test cannot detect this, since your fasted blood glucose is normal. This is the point where doctors would pat your back for a good job well done and asks you to continue with your daily routine and, of course, food intake. However, the point that it takes insulin much longer to bring down your blood glucose level is already starting to do its damage in your body

Level 3

Level 3 is what happens after years of doing the same things. Even after fasting for 10 hours for your blood test, your blood glucose shows above higher than normal readings. It is strange, that this is really not such a concern with doctors, but as you can see, more insulin is now needed to drive down your blood glucose. Worst of all, your blood glucose remains elevated after 10 hours of fasting. Pancreas may already be showing signs of dysfunction. At this point is where your doctor may be a little bit and tell you that you are pre-diabetic. You may be putting on weight and the doctor asks you to exercise more and eat more healthy. That is, eat less, eat less salt, less meat, less sugar, less saturated fats, but you should continue to eat the standard diet of at least 50% carbs, preferable whole grains, with fruits and vegetables and eat vegetable seeds oil. You are asked not to skip breakfast and ensure to have your oats for breakfast. The problem here is that even amateur or professional athletes can be pre-diabetes. In that case, how much more exercise do they need to perform? How much more healthier do they need to eat as some of them are pretty lean and already eats healthily.

Level 4

Level 4 is when the doctor finally says you are diabetic. However, by now, pancreatic function has failed and cannot produce enough insulin to reduce the blood glucose and this lead to elevated high blood glucose even after 10 hours of fasting. The doctors put you medication, but continues to advise you on eat a standard “balanced” diet, i.e. at least 50% carbs, low fats, some fruits, lots of vegetables, avoid red meat and exercise, but carbs is an “essential” nutrient [sic]. You can counter the incoming glucose spikes with insulin or medication.

Take away

As you can see from the illustration above, our traditional method of just looking at fasted blood glucose is not good enough. It is only good at detected your condition after years of damage and this is not good practice. Even fasted insulin may not be that great an indicator until some dysfunction has set in. However, this is a better tool than looking at just fasted blood glucose level. A better test is an oral glucose tolerance test or OGTT, it provides a great insight on your insulin response over time. I understand that insulin is NOT measure all the time, so you may need to inform your doctor if you are doing an OGTT, that you want to measure insulin at the same time.

That said, not everyone’s progression over time is the same. There are always a minority who remains healthy despite what they eat and stay at level 1 throughout. Then, there are who progress very fast and develop pre-diabetes or diabetes early on in level. However, my guess would be that a majority would somehow stay on level 2 for long time before progressing to level 3. These are the ones who may have the highest risk because they look healthy and convenient tests may show up good, but yet high blood glucose continues to do it’s damage to their nerves, arterial walls, organs, brains, etc. Yet, nothing is done to address the early onset of the disease and damage to the body. This could be why some so-called healthy individuals (young or old) can be caught by a stroke, early dementia, kidney failures or as such, all of them the hallmarks of metabolic syndrome.

Do you know what level you are at?

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/the-china-study-myth/

• Campbell had several experiments that showed that when the aflatoxin-exposed rats were fed wheat protein or soy protein in place of casein, they didn’t develop any cancer—even at the 20 percent level that proved so detrimental with casein.
• Critics pointed out that humans don’t eat isolated casein separately nor are they subjected to such high dosage of aflatoxin.
• One of Campbell’s most relevant experiments—not mentioned in The China Study—showed that when wheat gluten is supplemented with lysine to make a complete protein, it behaves exactly like casein to promote tumor growth
• Campbell’s research actually showed that a low-protein diet increases the acute toxicity of aflatoxin, resulting in cell genocide and premature death. Because protein deficiency prevents the liver from successfully doing its detoxifying duties, less aflatoxin gets converted into cancer-causing metabolites, but the end result is massive (and eventually deadly) tissue damage.
• Throughout this chapter, we learn that the China Study data found associations between cholesterol and many cancers, as well as cholesterol and animal protein intake—implying that animal protein and those same cancers must themselves be intimately linked.
• But the direct relationship between animal protein and diseases isn’t discussed in The China Study for one monumental reason: that relationship doesn’t exist.
• An examination of the original China Study data shows virtually no statistically significant correlation between any type of cancer and animal protein intake.
• Ironically, when we look at plant protein— which The China Study argues so vigorously is cancer-protective—we find almost three times as many positive correlations with various cancers as we do with animal protein, including colon cancer, rectal cancer, and esophageal cancer. Likewise, for heart disease and stroke, plant protein has a positive correlation while animal protein and fish protein have negative or nearly neutral correlations—meaning the animal-food eaters in rural China, if anything, are getting less cardiovascular disease than their more vegetarian friends.

LDL is not entirely off the hook; we know that oxidized LDL do and can contribute to plague in your arterial walls, aka atherosclerosis. However studies have shown that LDL do come in different sizes and its the smaller LDL that we may need to worry about more. In general, the longer the LDL stays in circulation, the smaller it becomes. Basically, the longer it stays in circulation, more stuff gets off-loaded, i.e. the cholesterol. As a result, the become smaller and smaller in size, these are termed small dense LDL or SDLDL. One must wonder why would an LDL stay in circulation for longer than expected? Could it damaged by glycation or oxidation such that it cannot get reabsorbed by the liver receptors? As a result, it circulates longer in your blood and become smaller.

A long circulation time in the blood also increase the likelihood of it getting oxidized or glycated, especially if you have elevate blood glucose. Once the lipoprotein gets damage, its receptor no longer works and liver cannot take it back and it stays in circulation until it lodges somewhere and macrophages goes and destroys it. Studies show that its these SDLDL, which tend to be oxidized, that may be the ones contributing to the atherosclerotic process instead of just LDL. Studies have also corelated high SDLDL counts to higher risk of CVD, whereas high LDL by itself doesn’t corelate to higher CVD risk, whether you are looking at the study itself or in a meta-analysis. This is one of the main reasons why just “counting” LDL is not a good predictor of CVD risk, because the size does matter.

So, why do we continue to embracing this low cholesterol and low LDL guidelines? For one, there is a dogmatic view of LDL in the health industry. Secondly, LDL is the only number that can be reduced using drugs, not HDL nor Triglycerides, the big pharma have a big part to play in its marketing.

When you receive your lipid panel results only total cholesterol, HDL and triglyceride values are counted. The LDL number is derived from the Friedewald equation. If you add both LDL and HDL, they are not EQUAL to total cholesterol. There is an additional number, which we now call remnant cholesterol. So your total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + remnant cholesterol.

The problem is that doctors are trained to only look at your total cholesterol or LDL and prescribe you drugs because high LDL will increase CVD. However, even if your HDL is high and triglycerides are low, they will still prescribe you statins to lower your LDL. The conundrum here is that while the believe that high LDL causes CVD, high HDL and low triglycerides protects you from CVD risks. Why then would your CVD risk increase just because of one value is higher while ignoring the two stronger values? Perhaps, sellable drugs? I am not faulting doctors, I believe that they are genuine in wanting to help their patients, unfortunately there are protocols for them to follow. We have seen strong cases where such protocols and politics and, perhaps, alignment to food and drug industries have caused problems in the career of very smart and caring professionals.

The other number we look at is Total Cholesterol (TC)/HDL, but this is based on weak assumption that low cholesterol protect against CVD risks. We know that LDL numbers is not a good predictor and neither is cholesterol number. Interesting, due to the low carb movement, we are seeing a yet unclassified profile called hyper-responders and lean mass hyper-responders. Hyper-responders are those who overall health is great, HDL is high and Tri is low but have high level of LDL or TC. Lean mass hyper-responders are even more interesting because these are very fit and lean people with fantastic health results but have a high LDL or TC number, some of them even get rejected by insurance due to CVD risks! Of course, conventional doctors will expect them to fall over dead any minute from heart attack, yet their HBA1c, their CAC scores and even inflammation markers are fantastic. But let’s be honest here, the jury is still out whether these people are at health risk because no such studies have been done before

.If you look at studies or outcome where people with high LDL gets CVD or die from CVD events, they will, inevitably, have a corresponding high triglyceride value and low HDL value. There are no data as yet to show any risk in CVD or death from CVD from people with high LDL but good HDL and Triglyceride numbers. These are what some termed as the triad. You need to look at all these 3 numbers to make sense of your CVD risk instead of just TC or LDL. Why is LDL numbers by itself not a good predictor?

1) It doesn’t tell you what sizes of LDL you have

2) It only shows you a snapshot of your blood in a point in time

3) It doesn’t show you the rate which the LDL are recycled back to the liver and the rate at which new LDL are formed.

There are at least 2 numbers that you can look at for a better predictor:

Tri/HDL is a stronger predictor because if your triglyceride is high, its a predictor of metabolic dysfunction, too much energy unspent in your system and if your HDL is low, the ability to efflux cholesterol from cells in the body is compromised.

Remnant cholesterol is pretty new, compared with LDL hypothesis, the number indicates how much chylomicrons, VLDL and IDL is in your blood after a 10 hrs fast. Obviously, the body continues to produce VLDL which reduces to IDL and then LDL, even in fasted state. But these are short lived < 1 hrs. Which is why you will always have a remnant cholesterol number. However, if its high, the questions become why are they hanging around so long? Don’t forget they are primarily an energy deliver lipoprotein. Doesn’t this mean that there are too much energy in your system that the VLDL and IDL have not place to drop their cargo, as such they linger around longer? What is one of the causes of excessive energy in your body? Metabolic syndrome and/or insulin resistance.

Of course, if you can perform an advance lipid panel to count the size of your LDL, perform a Kraft test or oral GTT with insulin test, or perform a fasted glucose and insulin test with HOMA-IR, look at your HBA1c and your CAC scores amongst other, these can help you understand you health risk better. The point I want to bring across is that we have a default position that we are healthy. We have a blood test, blood pressure look okay (maybe due to HB pills), glucose looks normal, LDL is lowish (perhaps due to the statin you are eating), but HDL is at borderline and triglyceride numbers are rising over the years but not over the red line yet and doctors looking at those number would pat your back for a job will done, sends you out of the clinic and see you again next year or so. We step out of the clinic, thinking that we are invincible and continue with our way of life and eating.

If we can arm ourselves with better predictors, we can take charge of the disease process earlier in life. Its not about living forever neither. Why do you want to live so long if you are bedridden or quality of life is shit as you get older? Live well, no pain, live happy and have a good death is the best motto in the world of nutrition.

Please read part 1 first.

What is cholesterol and what use does it have in our body? Cholesterol is a type of fats that is essential to maintain cell wall functions, the myelin sheath along your nerves and it is also essential for synthesis of vitamin D and other hormones like Testosterones, Estrogen and Corticosteroids. It is also use to produce bile from the liver, the substances that helps you digest fats that you eat. Cholesterol is so important for the brain that it makes cholesterol itself and so does the liver. It is also used for repair functions as cells signal their need for cholesterol for repair so that it can be transported to them. Given that cholesterol is so essential to the body, if you don’t have enough of it, you will literally die, so why is cholesterol bad?

Turns out that in the 60s-70s during the rise of heart attacks, when surgeons examined patient’s arteries, they found cholesterol where the plague are and decided that cholesterol was to blame. Its a bit like blaming the fireman for starting fire because they are always at the scene of the fire. The lipid hypothesis as its called remains a hypothesis that unfortunately caught on but it has always been based on weak evidence but it has strong politicians as friends.

It turns out that cholesterol cannot travel freely in the body. It needs a transport called, a lipoprotein. These are chylomicrons, VLDL & HDL. Wait, where is LDL? LDL starts life as VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein) in the liver as an energy delivery system, it primary function is to send triglycerides (aka fatty acids aka energy) to parts of the body the need it. As it drops off its cargo, it becomes IDL (Intermediate). As it drops off even more cargo, its becomes LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). This is the highly fear bad cholesterol that doctors tell you about. The primary cargo of LDL is cholesterol because it has already dropped off most of the fatty acids. Most of the lipoproteins will be clear with 24 hours in the body, LDL can stay in the body for a few days before returning to the liver. The liver regulations the amount of LDL in the body, it increases/decreases LDL receptors based on needs. Statin drugs causes the liver to increase its LDL receptor, hence reduce circulating LDL. We know the cholesterol transport in LDL is used for repair functions and even immunity functions. Patients who are have an immunity/infection issue could see their LDL drop low because LDL has used to fight an infection.

So the question is “If that cholesterol is so important and the liver regulates the LDL in your system, does lowering your cholesterol level makes sense?” We need to acknowledge that there are use cases for such drugs, but does it make sense for just anyone with the arbitrary “high” cholesterol value, even healthy beings to go on those drugs?

The function of HDL is to clear up excess cholesterol in the body, hence its call the good cholesterol [sic].

Previously I spoke about the lipid hypothesis, aka, high LDL causes heart attack because its causes plague in your arterial walls. Now, how do LDL get under your arterial walls? We need to understand that in a healthy function body, it IS normal for LDL to be able to travel in and out of most parts of your body to deliver cholesterol, this include getting into your arterial walls and back out again. What most doctors don’t tell you however, is that there are at least 3 layers to pass through and there is an additional HDL effix function that helps clear cholesterol build up. The inner arterial walls, where your blood travels, are made of tiny hair like structures called glycocalyx. This structure was only quite recently discovered. This structure serves as the first gateway for LDL and other stuff to be transported to the next layer. The next layer is are single cell thick endothelial cells. Between each cell is a tight junction to prevent unwanted stuff from goring through. The cells regulate what goes through via a process call Transcytosis. In other words, the LDL travels through the cell and pops out on the other side to the intima. Lastly, the LDL need to pass through the intimal proteoglycan as this structure can trap LDL particles (probably oxidized ones) and macrophages will enter to form foam cells around it forming a plague. However, in a normal health being, LDL passed in and out of these layers regularly. And even if LDL gets trapped. HDL comes in to mop up the access cholesterol and cleans it up those foam cells .So what doctors don’t explain is why would more LDL cause plague given that this transport is so tightly regulated? That is, LDL cannot just freely entering in the arterial walls to cause plagues. It turns out that if you have a dysfunction in glycocalyx and also the endothelial cells, the glycocalyx reduces and allows more LDL to enter and the tight junction opens up to leak even more LDLs. More LDL gets trapped by the proteoglycan causing foam cells to form. If this process increases faster than what the HDL can clear up, the plague forms overtime and gets bigger causing the narrowing of the arterial walls. Guess what are the known factors that contribute to those dysfunction? High blood glucose level. In general patients with metabolic syndrome from hyperinsulinemia, high blood glucose, oxidative stress, inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, etc.

Up till now, we only mentioned that LDL gets trapped in the intima and oxidizes. However, it really doesn’t make sense that the body would trapped good LDL and make them oxidize and there are not good study to show this. However, a recent study seems to suggest that the LDL is already oxidized before it enters and gets trapped in the intima and this makes more sense; an oxidized LDL is a faulty agent and needs to destroyed. Again. do we know what could be the factors that leads to oxidized LDL? Yup, metabolic syndrome from hyperinsulinemia, high blood glucose, oxidative stress, inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, yada yada.

Ivor Cummings have an interest updated video an additional mechanism by which LDL gets into the arterial walls, i.e. via vasa vasorium

• Cholesterol is transport via Chylomicron, VLDL, IDL, LDL and HDL.
• Chylomicrons are sort lived and appears when we ingest food.
• LDL starts as VLDL, then to IDL and lastly to LDL as they off load their triglyceride cargo.
• When LDL is exposed to glucose, it can become glycated and then oxidised. Each damaging steps makes LDL fractionally smaller, i.e. small dense LDL.  This oxidative process has been shown to be significantly accelerated if we have an access of omega 6 fats (aka mostly from vegetable seeds oils)
• In a standard blood test, VLDL and LDL values are estimated; IDL are ignored. Only HDL is actually measured. 
• For lipid sub-fraction test, you want to achieve a pattern A LDL and avoid pattern B LDL as it means you have damaged LDL in your blood.
• Triglyceride levels of < 0.5 mmol/L (40 mg/dl) = Pattern A. Levels > 2 (180) = Pattern B
• HDL level  > 1.6 (65) = pattern A. Level < 0.3 (25) = pattern B
• TRI/HDL level < 0.8 (1.8) = pattern A. Level > 1.8 (4.2) = pattern B
• In interpreting blood test, first look at triglyeride, then HDL and then TRI/HDL. If at least 1 of the levels is good, its a good indication of pattern A LDL. 
• Increasing the amount of calories which increases insulin also increases LDL receptors in the liver, which is why the Feldman protocol using high carbs to lower LDL works. In the reverse. LDL receptors reduce when fasting, which explains why you may have high LDL count if you are doing long fasting before blood test.