> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paleolithic Eating Support List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Charlotte Williams
> Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 10:57 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: PALEOFOOD Digest - 10 Nov 2008 to 11 Nov 2008 - Special
> issue (#2008-257)
> 
> >
> > Thank you so much for this post! There are some very good links in
> there. I
> > greatly appreciate it.

You're welcome. I should mention that some of the diet dictocrats who admit
that refined wheat boosts estrogen and is bad for fibroids and endometriosis
will counter by saying that whole wheat has the opposite effect and actually
lowers estrogen levels. I haven't looked into that claim, but if they are
following usual procedure, they are comparing a diet with whole wheat to one
with refined wheat (if you find out whether that's what was done I'd
appreciate it if you'd share your findings here). 

If instead the studies compared a whole wheat diet to a NO wheat diet, they
would find that the latter was far better for fibroids and endo (and
everything else). Plenty of alternative healthcare practitioners, dieticians
and even physicians have prescribed a no-wheat diet for their patients with
endo or other health issues with amazingly positive results (both my doctor
and my parent's doctor--a different dude in another state--did at around the
same time, by coincidence). Some have even mentioned it in their books, such
as Diane Shepperson Mills in her book "Endometriosis; a guide to healing and
fertility through nutrition." However, your friend would actually be better
off following a more Paleo diet book like NeanderThin or The Paleo Diet,
depending on what sort of style and philosophy they like (everyman vs.
academic). I actually recommend that they buy both and Good Calories, Bad
Calories, by Gary Taubes (an Atkins diet proponent) to get multiple
perspectives. If they're going to do it they may as well do it right.
NeanderThin is only available used now and it's pricey.

Unfortunately I don't have the time to research and refute every one of the
dictocrats' claims, but I hope the leads I've given you will be a sufficient
head start for you and your friend. My doctor gave me the final push I
needed to give it a try (yes, even I needed assurance from a doctor before I
was willing to try a gluten-and-dairy-free diet, though I might have tried
it eventually on my own anyway), but I had to do all my own sleuthing.
Luckily, beyondveg.com was a great early help for me. There is a motherload
of info there, and indeed what a treasure trove it turned out to be for me.
It is also what led me to this forum/list.

Here is a bit more from my PC files:

Date:         Fri, 17 Mar 2000 23:02:50 -0700
Sender:       Paleolithic Eating Support List
<[log in to unmask]>
From:         Betty Ann <[log in to unmask]>

Subject:      menopause

<<I guess ignorance is bliss sometimes. I had a hysterectomy at age 28 due
to fibroids and endometriosis. It runs in my family. The doctors did leave
in the ovaries so I will and am going to deal with the hormonal changes of
menopause. One ovary quit functioning shortly after surgery & the "power
surges" (that's what my brother calls hot flashes) started. I took Premarin
for several years until I did research and quit taking it. I have never
regretted the hysterectomy since my health improved a great deal after the
surgery. Although I'll never know, I suspect some of the problems I was
having was due to the after effects of 2 c-sections. At age 38, the gall
bladder was removed. If I had known about paleo then, that probably could
have been avoided but I function just fine without it.

I'm now 48 and working on getting healthier. I don't expect to undo years of
"stupidity" overnight, but look at each day as a new challenge to be as
paleo as possible. The results of my blood work a few months ago was very
encouraging & I have lost 23 of the 50 pounds I gained after I quit smoking.
I am going to read the Eades "Protein Power Life Plan" a second time and
incorporate some of their recommendations but keep within the Neanderthin
guidelines on acceptable foods. I hope that will help me lose the remaining
27 pounds.>>


Dietary modification to alleviate endometriosis symptoms: interview between
nutritionist Diane Shepperson Mills Cert Ed BA DipION and Dr Mark Perloe MD
http://www.endometriosis.org/nutrition.html

Diane Shepperson Mills: "The other interesting thing that I found is that
there has to be some mechanism with wheat with endometriosis. Wheat has been
genetically modified .... There is also problems with gluten sensitivity,
and more people are becoming gluten sensitive and I find that when I've
taken wheat out of the diet, in 80% of the women with endometriosis, their
pain subsides."