I am 34 and have dieted on and off for my whole life. I have done the usual large lists of low calorie diets with little success. Only with extreme measures did I manage to lose any weight, and this was not healthy..To add to this I have a genetic disorder known as Thalassemia. This is not a serious disorder but in short it results in a reduced rate of synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin. This reduced synthesis rate results in abnormal hemoglobin molecules been produced and this causes anemia. Basically, the hemoglobin can not hold on to or bind iron very well (iron falls off the molecule) and so you tend to have a very low iron count..For my whole life I have been unable to give blood because of the resulting anaemia and this has always been the case with every blood test I have ever had.
- fatigue
- weakness
- shortness of breath
- lightheadedness
- palpitations (feeling of the heart racing or beating irregularly)
- looking pale
I don’t want to put words into Dr. Dan’s mouth, but if I felt like that all the time, I don’t think that I would be very motivated to hit the gym.
At the age of 34 I discovered the Paleo Diet..The Paleo Diet is based on the premise that the human body has evolved to eat foods that were eaten by our paleolithic ancestors and not those introduced by the agricultural revolution.This cuts out dairy, saturated fats, grains, legumes, beans. You are left with vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish and nuts. Essentially, it is a low carb diet but without any processed foods and packed full of nutrients..As a research scientist and a zoologist I am passionate about evolution, and its constraints and effects on our biology, thus this diet appealed to me greatly..Since I started this diet I have dropped from 115.8 kg (255 pounds) to my current weight of 103.8 kg (228 pounds). It has been simple and I have not felt hungry.
On November 14, I decided to get my blood tests done to confirm the health benefits. All was good and my blood profile was amazing. But something happened in this blood profile that I did not suspect. For the first time in my entire life the negative effects of Thalassemia had disappeared.
The Doctors told me that there was nothing I could do about the Thalassemia… that it was a genetic disorder and I would just have to live with a low iron count. So I had pretty much given up on that. That’s why I was so damn suprised when I saw the results.
Iron Profile My Results Desired Range
Ferritin: 323 10-300
Iron: 15 10-30
IBC: 53 45-75
Sat: 0.28 0.15-0.50
Iron – The amount of iron in the blood stream.
IBC – Iron binding capacity
Sat – Iron saturation. An indication of the total body iron
So, as you can see my iron count is normal and my ferritin count above the normal range..In essence all these factors in the blood test suggest that I am binding, storing and utilising iron just fine..Of course I still have Thalassemia as it is a genetic disorder and it will never be ‘cured’. But this paleo diet has given my body something that I have never had before, and something completely unexpected – a normal iron count..I can now say that I am no longer anaemic.
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I’m glad Dr. Dan is feeling so much better!
You’ve made the Paleo diet sound wonderful, but everything you have to cut out are the things I absolutely love–cheese, pasta, rice, beans, etc. And I don’t cook with much meat, because I’m not very confident I could prepare it correctly. So I’m not sure it’s the diet for me.
I look at that list of anemia symptoms and can definitely identify with each of them. Especially fatigue.
Wow, that is amazing! I have considered switching to a Paleo diet for some time, the only thing that’s getting in my way is the economical aspect of it. I can live on a small amount of rice and beans for a long time, and meat is a bit pricy here, and I’m a broke girl these days. But, everything Dan makes on his blog looks fantastically amazing, and the fact that he’s dropped so much weight is pretty awesome as well. Also, the iron count going up is cool, too!
Excellent content here and a nice writing style too – keep up the great work!
And a Merry Christmas to all
Dear Dan,
I see we have much more in common than just the name Dan. Please call me. (619) 972-4344. I have been living your life for 58 years – both in Europe as well as the USA. In regards to Thallesemia: I have learned exactly what you have learned, and then some. Please call me to discover what has been purposely concealed from you (as a result of German biochemistry). P.S. Happy New Year
Jordana,
I will pass your comment on to Dan
DR
Learn more about vegan raw food and get rid of the meat until you have detoxified all the cells in your body. Meat leaves tons of acidic metabolic wastes and your organs, tissues and glands will not function optimally under a high acid load. Alkalize the cells and tissues with raw organic fruits, vegetables and herbs. Think “optimal cell function”. Get electric life energy to those cells with raw fruits and vegetables!
Dan,
I have heard the statements that meat “toxifies” our cells for years and years. And yet, I have never seen any research to back up those claims.
Do you know of any research that backs up your position?