@LucH Ok thanks I see

@idealabsrat glycine induces sleepiness taurine would be better in my opinion

taurine b complex zinc/copper/selenium/iodine coconut oil

Aspirin thins out the blood effecting Vitamin K, maybe try to supplement it if you aren’t already to thicken the blood

Backing up David's idea above there's a knowledgeable guy in my own circles who swears by NAC and Guaifenesin for similar symptoms. Though he does take NAC regularly. Speaking of NAC, checkout the following claim of it's anti-aging properties, scroll down till you see the list of substances: https://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2022/03/31/glynac-improves-biomarkers-in-humans-and-extends-lifespan-in-rodents/ Josh Mitteldorf got that info from here: https://genomics.senescence.info/drugs/browse.php#details-549

If no supplements are available to you during the week, just load up on Vit E and befotiamine (a more expensive analog of thiamine) during the weekends and try not to worry about deviating from your routine otherwise. I also recommend buying small cocktail umbrellas for the weekends. Try to chill out when you can.

Sounds like a stress response. You may have a lot of adrenaline going through you as a result of your workouts and--most likely--your new life stress and accompanying lack of sleep. You generally hang lower the more relaxed you are and the warmer you are. Recall how a flight-or-flight response causes your genitals to tighten or shrink as blood flow shifts to where it may be urgently needed. The first thing is to find a way to sleep well. The second order of business is to tackle the stressful item(s) in your life at a point in the day when you have the most energy (if possible). Addressing the stressful issue will help you get through the rest of the day with better confidence. Feelings matter: your voice seems weak because you feel weak. Do not let yourself feel humiliated by whatever is stressing you out. During the day, don't forget to keep hydrated. I find that bicarbonate and aspirin in the evening is a great help for winding down.

@Furball said in Lumbar stenosis/sciatica, herniated disc, nerve pain: I have a friend with a herniated disc and lumbar stenosis/sciatica pain. I'm wondering if there is any particular advice on how to reliably reduce the inflammation, in case the proposed allopathic/surgical solutions do not work. She has a 9mm herniated disc. Extremely debilitating pain and she often falls when walking due to the muscle weakness it causes. It has impacted her posture and she has a crooked stance. Does anyone have personal experiences, or does anyone have advice on topical solutions or supplements that could help? I'm desperate because she is in a lot of pain. She takes Progest-E, T3, epsom salt baths. What else could help other than basic supplementation and avoiding inflammatory foods? oral lidocaine, or something like that? Here's a video for your consideration: Bizarre Symptoms of Vitamin B1 Deficiency That You've Never Heard Before Thiamine is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. But it's the connection with the nervous system and nerve function that I think might be of primary interest here.

@NateHiggers Hey there, sorry for the overly emotional response I posted there, I got quite mad due to the difusion of information everywhere that was driving me nuts. I would think of libido as being horny in general, and having lasting erections. My morning wood has been pretty weak recently and that has driven me to search about this. And generally my sexual appetite doesn't not seem to be "popping up" once in a while as it did many times before.

@Ecstatic_Hamster Do you have a quote by chance? I know Broda Barnes stated that the main thing to concentrate on was symptoms not temperature stated near the end of his book Hypothyroidism. But Peat wrote a whole newsletter on the importance of temperature.

@Hearthfire too early to say certainly stops flaking

@Cristiano I know this us old but did you try it? Did you notice anything?

When I went too low in fat and protein I didn't sleep for a few months. Try casein powder before bed. Also anything that reduces cortisol and adrenaline should help with frequent urination. Magnesium is helpful for sleep in general.

@Bling5 FYI Dairy is only nutrients. Cooked veggies can be great. yeah i saw the rat studies with how they lost fat on coca cola. show me anyone who has done that and thrived. Me. and i dont think fruit should be meals. fruit can accompany a meal and help with digestion (e.g. digestive enzymes in pineapple etc.) but it is a waste of an opportunity to make fruit a meal. again talking about body recomp an performance. not leisurely vacation diet. you would get way more out of using that opportunity to get nutrient density in. Wonderful point. The most consistent way to improve metabolism and digestion is a well balanced macro meal. Including balancing micronutrients when possible. Isolated fruit/sugar sources are fine as a snack — but I’ve found a tiny bit of protein in some form, to be handy between meals to balance high carb snacks. add cooked leaves and cabbages and bell peppers and lettuces and stuff. ive never experienced the downsides of these that people on rpf postulated about for years. in fact i did way better when i added all this stuff i took out after browsing rpf and taking ray's words too literally and personally Cooked veggies with all the tasty cofactors like a smidge of butter and cheese are great, and a great way to increase salt and gelatin intake in a palatable manner. There are methods to producing the vegetable stock in a safe manner, but for many people, including myself, something like cabbage is very powerfully anti-thyroid. For many people like myself, almost any amount of nightshades like bell peppers are terrible on digestion and brain fog. Of course I want to live my life so I trial and error where I can get away with something to make enjoyable food, but due to the anti nutrient factors, that’s very important for anyone to be aware of. If I were OP, I think it would behoove to look for recipes that remove goitrogens and phytoestrogens — be that boiling for x time and tossing the water, etc. With that said, there is no nutrient missing from a diet of weekly oysters and liver, with daily dairy and juice consumption — way cheaper, too. You may have a decent metabolism/resilient digestion, and the amounts you’re consuming aren’t impacting you. I know there are suggestions Ray makes that I don’t stick to religiously, and that’s where I’ve learned to be mindful of context (that basically means “what can I get away with lol”). https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/vegetables.shtml

@alpha look up what nixtamalization is. maybe there's a little video for you

Regarding dairy, milks from common CAFO sources and mass produced cheese created using 'enzymes' are probably worse for the body than grass-fed milk and animal rennet made cheeses. Personally when I have the former, I will get acne breakouts. Also high fat in general, even if saturated, causes me acne. Extra zinc sometimes helps. Anecdotal of course, everyone handles these things differently, but something to consider.