My two cents is the biggest factors were the keto and the stress. A low carb, high fat diet does not traditionally feature intact plant cell walls, or what we otherwise know as "fiber". There are literally thousands of different of variations of "fiber" of which we have catalogued only a few, but these structures feed the microbiota in your gut. And they really do depend on fiber in a profound way.

Without this fiber, they tend to starve and adjust to feed on the epithelial lining of your gut. It also gives an opportunity for the pathogens in your gut to "takeover", especially when paired with the stress since most of the "beneficial" microbes will tend to die off.

When you read stories of people who got an autoimmune problem, there's almost always a period of severe stress prior to it. My working hypothesis is this impairs the immune system which is what keeps the pathogenic bacteria in check through several mechanisms (pathogen-associated-molecular-pattern detection or PAMPs for instance).

Through much, much trial and error and a lot of scientific article research, I've found the most consistent way to restore microbiota ratios is with Vitamin D, followed by a clinically tested probiotic like Visbiome, followed by Kefir. The Vitamin D alone at moderate to high doses will get you very far, although it doesn't necessarily restore diversity (since Vitamin D in of itself does not contain any microbes) but it helps shift the balance of microbes through a variety of biochemical functions.

Vitamin D also helps with gum disease in my experience and in a way no other supplement or product has so far. Highly recommend and you don't even have to take a high dosage to see it for yourself. You just have to be consistent.

One last thing I'll say is that for whatever reason taking the supplement seems to work better than exposing yourself to sunlight, which is unusual, but there may be something about the biochemical pathway Vitamin D takes when consumed as a supplement as opposed through the cholesterol-synthesis that happens with UVB.

Unless one has done proper, randomized, medical trials, I don't see how anyone could use such unambiguous language.

These n=1 experiences lacking in objectivity and also likely proper measures might help us discover new ground for things that might work (i.e. the basis for a trail), but without any testing it's not something any reasonable person should be walking around saying 'works', unless you mean to indicate you're referring to the literature.

But I will say, everything I've said lines up with the scientific literature, so I can have my cake and eat it too, backed by both personal experience (skin in the game) and an informed understanding of the biochemistry at play and randomized, controlled trials with large populations.

If you're curious, and not just trying to nitpick out of a deep, misplaced sense of cyncism, I highly recommended diving into the literature and doing some reading.

Elicit.org is one of my favorite tools for gathering information, although the "Takeaways" can be sometimes be wrong so I highly recommend reading the abstract too.

I have a colleague who hands out TCM 'remedies' every day, she and her patients all believe they work, in the medical sense, in a very rational way.

Even though 'Western Medicine' has a pretty good foundation, it's layered in complexity and ambiguity.

So if someone had some recurrent, acute issue, that was solved with some diet or action change that was discernibly impactful - maybe. That would be worthy of note.

For example: "I had chronic fatigue - mostly we changed my diet to low carbs, no alcohol, regular sleeping and basic cardio + vitamin D due to deficiency and within a few months it was gone". That rings reasonable.

But 'these are 10 things that worked' raises many red flags.

I've had CFS myself - and ran the gambit of different angles of attack on it, and it's a tricky set of symptoms that doesn't even represent a verifiable ailment: CFS, lethargy etc. is the result of a bunch of different things which we do not even fully understand.

More important note what I just said: 'symptoms' not an 'underlying condition'. There are multiple things that cause them. Even the notion of treating 'symptoms' before arriving at a proper diagnosis is a pretty giant red flag.

Some of symptoms described could feasibly be the result of forms of ulcers, cancer, HIV, iron deficiency, kidney problems, liver problems, adrenal gland problems, gluten intolerance etc. etc..

So no - we don't just go to 'Probiotics and Vitamin D' - necessarily.

Personally - getting rid of energy drinks and sleeping a regular schedule 'cured' me but it's rather impossible to tell what did what. But merely seeking medical advice, and knowing it was not 'something serious' (like Cancer) was a huge load off my shoulders, which can affect recovery dramatically. In fact, I literally started feeling better the day I knew I wasn't dying. But that's just me.

If someone is feeling tired consistently and it's clearly not due to some obvious event or issue - then they should !! see a doctor !! and go from there.

The first line is vit-d and pro-biotics, especially if you have heavy inflammation and microbiome issue or have taken antibiotics.

Alongside those would be eating a generally “higher quality diet” with a fair bit of variety. Reducing sugar and avoiding highly processed foods and preservatives helps significantly. Foods with less antibiotics help too, so items like free range eggs, organic milk can be helpful. Vegetables seem less affected by organic or non-organic.

Fermented foods are pretty important in providing a wide variety of microbes. I’ve noticed that lots of traditional spices like turmeric or black pepper are beneficial. I have a pet hypothesis that most “traditional diets” in a region would adjust to include useful spices and come to “taste good”. Almost every regional cuisine also used to have a staple fermented food. Nowadays fermented foods are generally replaced by vinegar substitutes nowadays (sauerkraut, pickles, Kim chi). Ketchup has roots as a fermented chutney like tomato sauce for example. Obviously kefir and such are different.

Going more keto or alternatively vegetarian doesn’t matter as much once your gut biome can shift. Though often going keto or vegetarian tends to get people to start eating better quality food. It also encourages a wider variety of foods which help prevent mono-cultures forming in the gut microbiome.

However good food isn’t a cure all, just a helper too keep the microbiome healthy. It can reduce chronic inflammation alongside vit-d.

On the other hand, this was an interesting read recently:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31471416

You can't do all that stuff to yourself - and - go through COVID (and other things) which has caused widespread depression, and assume any of that had an affect one wary or another without a fairly big randomized trial isolating all of those elements.

Even just the notion of 'regime' will change people's psyches via placebo.

I mean, I would certainly 'feel' healthy if I did such a list of 'ostensibly healthy things'.

That said, I wouldn't doubt some of it did, and that we are just barely beginning to understand gut health.

It's handwavy about some things but it doesn't assert anything beyond "I did this list of things and I, as an individual, am better now."

... 'this is how they worked, to varying degree'?

One thing I can understand. Was sick -> did this -> was better.

But a 'regime', it feels like infomercial logic though I doubt doubt the author's motivations.

The OP isn't selling anything, so it's not infomercial logic which is designed to get you to buy a product.

The gut is complex. I wouldn't expect one single thing to fix it.

Again - I'm not doubting anyone's intentions, but I'm fully doubting the veracity of all of this.

'Self Medicating N = 1 Belief' - is extremely common among people.

Even among diligent, intelligent people who actually can and do 'research'.

But with a single 'blind spot' in self awareness, it goes awry with these kinds of 'beliefs'.

Everyone who works out at the gym consistently has a 'belief' about a lot of things.

There are dozens of magazines and quasi health magazine's offering these kinds of solutions.

It's frankly as old as time and probably more common than not.

Without getting too far into it, here's the stuff that finally worked

  Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA)
  Baylisascaris Procyonis intestinal roundworm
  Celiac
  Epstein Barr virus
  Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency EPI
  Find a medication that does what ashwaghanda does (like Wellbutrin?)
  H. Pylori
  Hashimoto’s
  Lactose intolerance
  Lyme disease
  Parasites
  SIBO
  Testosterone level
  Thyroid level
  Wheat sensitivity tests: 1) wheat allergy 2) celiac 3) non-celiac gluten sensitivity 4) non-celiac wheat sensitivity 5) non-celiac wheat intolerance
  Worms

Another key seemed to be avoiding artificial sugar.

Following these heuristics (not rules - strict diets encourage you to chase losses if you slip up) seemed to help more than any strict diet, though it helps with depression, not anxiety, which is mostly situational.

(This is a news site. The news is not good right now, even here, away from war and famine in the "tech world".)

It's a completely meaningless list for us and (possibly) for OP.

My theory now is that ADHD is tied to diet and environment.

So basically what happened was, my psyche was already vulnerable to anxiety and depression when it got coopted by my physical health issues. I struggled chronically to make an appointment to see a doctor for years, always letting work and family obligations take priority, which prolonged and exacerbated my suffering. This all happened while I was broke and out of work too. After years of being gaslit about my instincts, going all the way back to childhood. That's why I didn't listen to my intuition and just take care of myself. I still thought there was nothing wrong with me, so projected my false confidence onto the world by blaming it for my problems.

Please view the list I posted more as leads than evidence. Also you're right, none of what I posted really applied to me until I hit 40, except maybe the general health advice about drinking more water and eating better. I do worry about leading people astray in their own journeys.

I agree that it is, and it has shown to be linked to diet & environment. ADHD isn't strictly defined enough to be only diet & environment though. There's a whole bunch of ADHD symptoms that present as a result of an underlying health condition. Hypo/Hyperthyroid problems look like ADHD-PI and ADHD-H. Vitamin deficiency and environmental poisoning can create symptoms too.

But also some people have it regardless of those factors, so it's really a broad label at the moment which could do with a lot more refinement.

- 10: Pumpkin seed granola (Nature's Path, no affiliation)

Just wondering. How do you clean your brussel sprouts?

I roast mine with olive oil and fairly simple spices.

Roasting with bacon is a delicious, if less healthy, alternative.

Iodine related to hypothyroidism?

I took "thyroid energy" (NOW Foods, no affiliation) which has some additional micronutrients like selenium and felt shockingly better within just a few days.

Evidently gluten can sensitize the immune system into fighting proteins in the thyroid. Also Hashimoto's thyroiditis can cause the thyroid to spike up and down so it gets missed in yearly screenings. And celiac disease plays into it too. And it didn't help that where I live in Idaho had radiation levels 80 times higher than normal after Fukushima. Hormones are so powerful and glands are so sensitive to the environment that it doesn't take much to disrupt them. Also trace minerals like cobalt have been depleted from soils, but are involved with vitamin B12 which prevents anemia. I think that my high consumption of beans and foods high in anti-nutrients might have bound up minerals and made me deficient, even though I was eating plenty and working out.

Anyway, I was tested and my thyroid is fine, but it's important to remember that gluten is inflammatory for everyone. Even sugar and alcohol are inflammatory. So someone can get symptoms whose cause is difficult to isolate, even if their tests come back negative.

But I'm angry/concerned that I had to derive this information myself over several years. Why is this not one of the top news stories, when hypothyroidism and obesity are rampant? I blame the Big Ag lobby, factory farming and the passion with which people believe the mainstream news.

>But I'm angry/concerned that I had to derive this information myself over several years. Why is this not one of the top news stories, when hypothyroidism and obesity are rampant?

Holy sweet crackers, yes. It's crazy how much information we have access too and so very little useful knowledge gets delivered, particularly on health and this topic.

Never even heard of an "anti-nutrient" and while I skim a google search, I'll read up on tannins as I drink some hot tea regularly. Thanks for the post again.