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In college, I was a vegetarian who ate very little fat, plenty of vegetables, legumes, tofu, and those oh so important whole grains. I did not have a car, and walked several miles a day to work. I was doing all the “common sense” activities that doctors and the government says will keep you fit, lean, and healthy. Yet, during this time I started gaining weight at the rate of 10 lbs per month. I would wash my clothes and they wouldn’t fit the next week.
When my unexplained weight gain began, a myriad of health conditions accompanied it. These were conditions typically associated with obesity and poor diet. However, when I began my low-carb, grain-free diet, these conditions began to remit even before I shed an extreme amount of weight.
After three months of a low-carb, high-fat, and grain-free diet, I have noticed the following improved health effects aside from weight loss:
- Migraines. Gone.
- Heartburn. Gone
- Joint pain. Gone.
- Asthma. Greatly reduced.
Migraines
I began to suffer from migraines in my early-twenties. Mind numbing, teeth rattling, lay on a dark bed for a day migraines. Sometimes they just lasted a couple of hours. Sometimes they lasted for a couple of days. I missed everything. I was missing days of work, concerts, plays, movies, and nights out with my friends and families. I was also in pain. Nearly everyday I woke up with a low-grade headache.
However, two weeks after I started eating low-carb, I noticed a curious absence of migraines. Now, I am able to make plans with friends and family and actually keep them. I have attended plays, concerts, and had dinners with friends.
Heartburn
Everyday for over two years, I would vomit every morning. Whenever I ate a meal, I would have a searing pain in my
chest and periodic stabbing pains during the day. I began removing acidic foods from my diet with no results. I took drugs with little to no improvement.
Within two weeks of starting my low-carb diet, my heartburn was gone.
Joint Pain
At six years old, I jumped from a high rock and broke my left ankle. After I began to balloon up, I noticed a persistent aching in my left ankle and over time it kept getting worse. I thought it was directly related to weight gain and that my pernicious bulk was destroying my joints. Within two weeks of starting my low-carb diet, my joint pain was gone
Asthma
Again, another chronic condition I have suffered from since elementary school, which increased in severity along with my unexplained weight gain. Each day was accompanied by a low-grade wheezing and painfully, inflamed cartilage in my chest. I would get winded walking upstairs and become tired easily. I would wheeze and be exhausted after vacuuming the living room. Two weeks after I began to eat low-carb, I could exercise. I could bound up the stairs and feel great.
Conclusions
I know I am not the first person to propose this, but I am convinced that obesity is a disease and should be treated as such. I am convinced that low-fat diets are killing us and that GMO wheat causes bodily inflammation. I am convinced that low-carb and grain-free diets save lives. It is finally allowing me to live mine.
Low-Carb Cookery 