A few months ago I started using the Zone Diet in order to help battle my CFS illness. Within a few weeks I had noticed a large amelioration of my symptoms. Many of the physical ailments that had troubled me for over a year just disappeared within weeks.
One problem I did notice however was a total decrease in libido and testosterone levels (I had them checked and I receive supplemental HRT testosterone therapy) and a large increase in general melancholy and depression.
I had always thought that low carb diets do the opposite. Can anyone see any reason as to why this should have occurred? I have since abandoned the Zone diet for these reasons but it made such an impact on my CFS I would like to go back on. However, I couldn’t cope feeling so depressed all the time. Would the lack of carbs and subsequent decrease in serotonin cause similar effects to depression?
Likely you were eating less calories which caused your fatigue and likely you are intolerant to many foods that were contributing to your CFS symptoms. By eating zone the improvement came about because of what you “weren’t” eating not necessarily because of the way you were eating. Figure out what you were avoiding and eliminate those foods altogether but get your calories back up.
Check your total calorie intake on the zone diet; how does it compare to your normal calorie intake? The zone, if followed as Sears recommends, is a low cal diet. If you drop your calories too low your blood sugar levels may follow, leading to feelings of melancholy and lethargy. I have experienced this when I have dropped my calories too low, even for just a short period of time. Upon eating more, everything was jim dandy again.
I prefer a lower carb approach (zone is not really low carb, more like moderate carb) but if you want to stick with it just increase your serving sizes while adhering to the prescribed ratios. Eating every 2-3 hours, if you are not already doing so, is also a good idea.
One of the big trends in human nutrition these days are the release of certain neurotransmitter substances in conjunction with the intake of food. A low or high level of some of these substances can alter your moods big time. Especially carbohydrates seems to have a great impact of the release of different neurotransmitters or signal inducing compounds for instance serotonin.
I know Mercola’s been thrown around alot today, but he touts the benefits of omega-3’s as a way to combat depression. Not sure if you’ve tried a ketogenic diet before (or if you have, for a long enough period to get over the carb-cravings), but I definitely noticed very stable moods when I was doing Rob Faigan’s NHE.
My wife was diagnosed last year with severe cronic depression. A low carb diet (only green veggies) high protein, moderate fat diet with an omega-3 supp(salmon oil) has made a world of difference. She’s also dropped 26lbs in the last 12 weeks.(150-124lbs.)
I’ve noticed similar results with a low carb diet and omega 3’s. Ironically I am also borderline hypoglycemic. It just makes sense to go lower carbs and more of them from vegetables, not grains or fruits/juices. I’ve noticed all day energy levels and no sudden drops or spikes. I’ve also noticed a much more sharp mental state and lowered appetite. Actually more lean mass as well. I think some people’s genetics just dispose them towards a better reaction to such a diet. I will say that I did have an almost withdrawl-like reaction from cutting a lot of carbs suddenly. Once my body dealt with that my energy levels rose again. I eat a lot of nuts, meat, green vegetables, some cheese, and drink pretty much only water along with taking a digestive enzyme supplement to help me break down food as much as possible, especially protein. -This seems to give me even more consistent energey levels. I also use a good multivitamen and coral calcium.
I was following the Zone diet to the letter except I didn't include any "unfavorable" carbs from the high glycemic lists. (No dairy and no wheat products either) Just protein, fats, fruits and veges. I was following the plan for the "typical" male and was ingesting approx. 1400-1500 calories a day split over 3 meals and 2 snacks. Due to my CFS, I had previously had an ELISA test that measured for IGE and IGG mediated food allergies. So I avoided all foods that gave me any negative reactions.
I noticed slight depression when I had used low carb diets in the past when dieting down to get into shape, but nothing this severe.
The reason why I was taking the calories so low was because of all the health claims for low calorie diets. I had always eaten "clean" while I have had CFS, but I had never taken calories this low before. I deduced that maybe it was cutting my energy intake that was ameliorating my physical ailments. I'm eating primarily for health these days and there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that low calorie diets are best for optimal health.
I’m going to give it another go albeit with higher calories and just see how it goes. Thanks for your help everyone
Have you ever tried a gluten-free diet? The reason I ask is that I’ve been doing a lot of reading on celiac disease lately (essentially an inability to process gluten). In several different articles, I’ve seen it mentioned that many CFS individuals have had outstanding results by eliminating gluten from their diets altogether. Researchers are still unsure of the mechanism through which this occurs, but i figured that I’d throw it out there anyway. Hope all is well.
Good point, Eric! That didn’t occur to me. My girlfriend is allergic to gluten and eliminating it from her diet has done wonders for her. This affliction seems to be on the rise (celiacs, that is)… I’m wondering if it’s a result of too much bread in the diet and it’s finally catching up to us? or do we now just have a name for it? I know it’s hereditary, but “gluten-free” has become a pretty popular word as of late.
Anyway Random, you can find out about gluten intolerance at www.celiac.org or do a search somewhere like www.about.com. Just be prepared: gluten is in a TON of things. It’s used as a thickner for sauces and condiments (bbq sauce, ketchup (I think), etc.), and finds it’s way into a multitude of other things as well. I suppose it’s a good way to stay away from processed foods; that way you don’t have to read the fine print of every label.
