>  Without the inclusion of fruits, nuts, and some higher glycemic vegetables
> this is not really a Paleo diet, as it would be unnaturally too low in
> carbohydrates.

Hi Maddy,

I forgot to mention nuts, my mistake, I'm sorry.  I did eat them.

> Weight loss just by itself, on ANY diet causes a drop in
> metabolism to some extent, (this is why people reach "plateaus") and
> subsequent feelings of being cold. I don't know what drinking water would
> have to do with this, unless you were always drinking cold water, which would
> further serve to make you feel chilled. Certainly it is well known that a low
> carbohydrate diet causes the loss of fluid, which would also make your blood
> pressure drop further (a sought after effect by most people trying to lower
> their too-high blood pressure)

That would explain my symptoms.

> You also have not included any nuts in your diet, and do not say what kinds
> of meats you were eating, and how much and what types fat you were getting. A
> long term diet devoid of fats can lead to a condition known as "rabbit
> starvation", and many ensuing debilitating symptoms such as some of those you
> mention.

I try to eat wild meats: pheasant, quail, ostrich, duck, etc.  However, I do like
my beef, and I eat Grasslands steak whenever I can.  I consume some of the extra
fat, but if I eat more than a mouthful, I start to feel sick.

> It is also very common for untreated Celiacs to suffer
> from other autoimmune diseases, among them, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. (In my
> own case, the discovery and treatment of Celiac Disease led to a
> normalization of autoimmune anit-thyroid antibodies for the first time in 12
> years.)

My hypothyroidism was self-diagnosed and self-treated.  How would one detect
whether it was Hashimoto's as opposed to standard hypothyroidism?

> Untreated Celiac Disease can also cause the adrenal glands to weaken,
> and in rare cases can lead to their total collapse, as in Addison's Disease.
> Adrenal insufficiency can also cause some of the symptoms you mention.

I had those checked by my doctor.  Apparently, they are slightly over-active.
Also thought the same thing as you, they are very similar to hypoadrenalism.

> It sounds like you have found a satisfactory solution and something akin to a
> "true" Paleo diet for you! The only thing I would further examine is the
> amounts and kinds of fats you are consuming.

Well, I just popped a handful of nuts into my mouth, so I don't think it's that
:-)

Thank you so much for the time you took to reply.

Katrina.