For anyone following my saga of late, you'll know that I've been suffering from myriad weird symptoms. Some folks are sure it's hypothyroidism, others are sure it's adrenal burnout, others think it's Vitamin D deficiency, food allergies, menopause, the stars being out of alignment . . . you see my dilemma.
One close friend said he thought it might be Candida. So I did some research. I did the spit-in-the-glass test, which confirmed I have at least a mild to moderate case.
Then I did more research, first in the Eades' Protein Power Lifeplan book and then in Dr. Atkins Vita Nutrient Solution book. Candida, yeast, leaky gut. All related.
The Eades recommended doing three days of nothing but 4 whey protein shakes (unsweetened), each supplemented by 10 grams of powdered glutamine. The shakes added up to 720 calories, but with 136 grams of protein, which is more than adequate for me.
By the end of the first day, I was feeling "better." I even slept a bit better that night. The next day (yesterday) I felt even better, and slept the entire night (ok, I woke up a couple times, but not in pain and not for long). This morning I felt AMAZING!
I was in the car driving down main street and the song "Footloose" came on. Now, I love that song anway, but I had to keep myself from jumping out of the car and DANCING down main street!
So, was it the protein shakes or was it the glutamine? I've done protein-only before, though not just the whey shakes. I think it was the glutamine.
I'm so thrilled with this, I wanted to post some of what Dr. Atkins says about glutamine in his book:
“Glutamine, the most abundant protein constituent in the body, may also be the most important …
“To recover successfully from any of a variety of illnesses and injuries, the body needs certain proteins. No matter which are needed, all can be made with the help of L-glutamine. It possesses an extra nitrogen atom, which it readily offers for the synthesis of other amino acids. In this way it works as a kind of molecular Robin Hood that directs the distribution of our amino acid rishes….
“No other nutrient is as important for gastrointestinal health . . .
“The immune system’s primary source of energy is glutamine. While always high, the need for fuel skyrockets whenever we’re subjected to stress, trauma, or injury. Many forms of cancer, for instance, deplete the body of glutamine, one reason that people with the disease lose lean tissue and muscle mass…..
“Viral infections also deprive the immune system of glutamine. When our reserve is low, a standard measurement of immune activity, the number of T cells declines, while our toxic particle-attacking white blood cells, called macrophages, lose strength. But when L-glutamine is given in dosages of 20 – 40 grams daily, the immune system responds, as demonstrated by the extra infection safeguard it provided in studies of patients with bone marrow transplants.
“Glutamine can inhibit fatty buildups inside the liver and aid treatment of cirrhosis.
The book goes on to talk about the benefits of glutamine in fighting addictions (alcohol and sugar, most notably), obesity, mental instability, and as an aid in exercise recovery.
I’m sold!