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Help with low arginine/sodium diet!

Discussion in 'Your Lovely Kitchen' started by mbgphoto79, Mar 17, 2018.

  1. mbgphoto79

    mbgphoto79 Member

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    So how do those of you following the low arginine/high lysine diet do it? I’ve been trying to stick to it for a couple months but man, it’s tough! Add in the low sodium part and there’s not much in the way of choices. For example, I eat homemade yogurt and applesauce every morning, maybe a hard boiled egg also. The other meals I’m left with some type of bland protein, green beans and potatoes. This is healthy I suppose but dang. I slipped and had some spaghetti the other day and the wheat destroyed me all week. I’m just now coming out of that episode. Hints? Tricks? Help?
     
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  2. bewestbrook

    bewestbrook New Member

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    Hey, new member here, so I'm late answering. You have probably already figured out some stuff. I'm up early each morning and always hungry, so my go-to for breakfast is amaranth flakes with dried or fresh fruit on top and whole milk. I just made this baked rice dish. Got the saffron for $5.00 at an import store called World Market (I think it has different names in different states). And I used dried, sour cherries instead of barberries. It came out really nice! I'm a mediocre cook at best, so this was a treat. Next time, I'll try it as a savory dish. For grains, I eat a lot of corn, rice, and potatoes and lots of leafy greens, etc. I snack on skinny pop, apples and apple sauce, rice rolls, etc. I used to make my own humus, which was pretty easy. But it seems sesame seeds are high in arginine (sigh). I have some amaranth and will cook that up next weekend to see if I can make grain bowl-type stuff. As for sodium, the taste receptor for salt is about the same as for tanginess. Anywhere you can, use lemon or lime for flavoring. I've been very low-sodium for a while now, but only recently started on the lysine/arginine path. I'd love to hear if you've found anything you like.
     
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  3. Homer

    Homer New Member

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    Apr 21, 2017
    I could be wrong on this but I believe it's fine to eat foods high in arginine if it has an even higher lysine count. For example chicken has a high amount of arginine but it has an even higher amount of lysine so that makes chicken more or less safe to eat. It may not be for you but it's just food for thought. It's all about the ratio and not the amount.

    Foods High in Lysine

    This website has a chart to kind of give you an idea of what is and isn't fine.
     
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  4. JennaLu

    JennaLu New Member

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    Jan 17, 2019
    I'm struggling with the low sodium diet too. I'm new to this with recent diagnosis of CH. Frustrating because I can't tell if I'm just having a "good ear day" or if all of this diet schmiet change is helping. Very difficult to eat out anywhere especially in the south where I am. Everything is loaded with salt other salads.
     
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  5. bewestbrook

    bewestbrook New Member

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    Personally, I responded well to a super low-sodium diet, at least as far as tinnitus was concerned. Then the episodes of vertigo/vomiting started and the sodium stuff doesn't seem to help there. It's different for everyone, it seems. But I stick to it because I don't have anything else. I'm following the John of Ohio regimen and that actually has helped a ton with those episodes, especially once I learned I had to also control arginine. I do eat out, but choose carefully and then drink tons of water. We make most of our meals at home; I bake all the bread, too. I ask at restaurants that, for example, burgers and fries not be salted as they're being cooked or just after. And I bring a hamburger bun I made. It's definitely a rabbit hole to fall down. For example, a medium sized egg contains about 65 mg of sodium, 90% of which is the egg white.
     
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  6. bewestbrook

    bewestbrook New Member

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    Also, this site was helpful: Sodium Girl. I also just started making foods without sodium in them. Foods that taste tangy hit your tastebuds about like salt, so citrus, salsa, plain yogurt, etc. on foods can help. Bread without salt in it tastes really not great, but a tangy, sharp jam or jelly dresses it back up for breakfast. Trader Joe's (if that's an option) has some nice fire-roasted tomato salsa with very low sodium. Good luck out there.
     
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  7. JennaLu

    JennaLu New Member

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    Jan 17, 2019
    Great advice, bewestbrook. Thank you!
     
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  8. WacoutaMan

    WacoutaMan New Member

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    There are solutions out there! Low sodium is actually less than 2000mg per day which gives you some wiggle room. Im a peanut butter freak and I found a really good peanut butter at Wallmart ! Its actually very good!

    The only constant in life is change!
     
  9. Jacqui

    Jacqui Member

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    I ordered some of these from a lovely, helpful small company in US, they are like Mrs Dash but without the potassium. MSG free, preservative free, potassium chloride free, all natural, low carb and most of the blends are sugar free too. https://daksspices.com . I also notice that the generic or 'no-name' brands of items like tomato paste have much less salt and sugar than expensive brands. I used to collect salts from around the world and happily trot off to soy sauce tastings as a chef but now I am learning to cope without!
     
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  10. EmilyP

    EmilyP Member

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    Wonderful information, I am finding that sugar is my trigger. Altho I do low salt as well, but have elimated sugar, alcohol, chocolate and also low salt. I am on Johns regime and a antiviral. 2 months on all of this .Seeing chnages, still have low tinnitus mostly in the afternoon.
     
  11. Jacqui

    Jacqui Member

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    Forgive me if someone else has posted this but I recommend myfitnesspal.com to track sodium, you have to do a quick log in but it hasn't charged me anything (yet!). Handy for those starting a low sodium diet to get a better idea of what in their daily diet is good/bad. Type in the food/beverage and it lists popular brands or portions then you add to the diary. Some real eyeopeners there and some things I was avoiding that aren't so bad in moderation.
     
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  12. bewestbrook

    bewestbrook New Member

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    Thank you for the link. Finding those low- or no-sodium spice mixes can help a lot. Penzy's is another good source. I make Emeril Lagasse's spice rub at home, but without the cayenne: Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning. It's great on a lot of things, like potatoes. UPDATE: I just went to the DAKS site and they even mention Meniere's in their list of conditions that call for a low-sodium diet! That's so unusual.
     
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  13. Pupper

    Pupper Active Member

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    Just want to give some credence to what Dr. Hain said below:

    "Note that it is not the overall level of sodium that is important, but whether or not it fluctuates that is important in avoiding attacks of dizziness. It is not necessary or wise to lower your salt intake to amounts barely able to sustain life. We do not encourage use of 1 gram sodium diets. Rather the goal is to keep sodium levels from fluctuation. A 2 gram diet is usually possible."

    Bolds mine.

    I eat lots of sodium-rich meals every day. Yesterday I made some lifestyle changes that included really lowering sodium intake. This morning I wake up really light headed. This always happens when I suddenly and dramatically lower my salt intake.

    So yeah, just confirming the truth of the "keep the sodium steady" advice. I'm sure Hain isn't the only one who advises it. But that's where I first read it.
     
  14. Molly Mae

    Molly Mae New Member

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    Just curious to know if any has tried the "Right for Your Blood Type Diet"? I do know some of it's advice about not eating gluten or dairy for type O makes sense to me, I am sensitive to both them, and have less symptomatic days (foggy brain, floating) avoiding these things. Thanks for your input
     
  15. Willheim

    Willheim New Member

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    I am always in some state of surrender to low sodium, low sugar, no alcohol diet with a carefully planned regime of vitamins plus a diuretic, daily exercise and mediation/mindfullness. My resistance is high. But really, when I get used to it - it is all so much better - there is too much sodium and sugar in most diets anyway. I know it is hard eating out - more so in some places than other. I always man-up and tell the waiter/waitress I am on a no sodium diet, and get a plain steak with plain veges. And water. But mostly, I stay home, isolated and cook all my own food and live like a monk. I got tested for allergies and I have none. I used to be able to eat anything. I have found sour cream to be a good addition to tacos for adding taste. Always use low to no sodium corn tortillas. Sometimes I cook with no spices at all and it is awesome - I bake chicken thighs (the free range no steroids kind) in a pyrex dish in the oven - underneath the thighs I put shitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, sweet onion, celery and what ever else I have laying around. Bake with foil on top for and hour and then some at 350 in the middle rack, and then jack it up to 400, take the foil off and put it on the top rack for another 20 mins to brown the top. I leave the skins on. And the bones in.

    I read the eat right for your blood type - years ago - I had been a vegetarian for a year - and I was O positive, which is basically go hunt down a bison and eat it raw. The next day I went back to my carnivorous ways.

    I know this is a scattered post. I guess I am just riffing.

    Hey, cayenne pepper is good for MD. Just saying.
     
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  16. Emily

    Emily New Member

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    Apr 7, 2019
    I've heard of this steady sodium idea, but I don't understand how to implement it. Does this mean try to eat three meals of similar sodium content per day, or keep your daily sodium intake the same over time? Or eat 5 small meals of similar sodium content? How do you put this into practice
     
  17. Pupper

    Pupper Active Member

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    LOL. That's some serious overthinking Emily! Just try and keep your sodium intake in roughly the same range over time.
     
  18. Bonlyn

    Bonlyn Active Member

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    Sorry, just seeing this post as I have been reading posts more now since I've come out of vertigo remission : (
    I really got into the blood type diet 20 years ago. I had come across the book serendipitously in a book store. My conventional doctors think it is all hog wash, but a couple of holistic doctors have supported it.
    Personally I feel there seems to be some truth to it- Especially when I compare what my O blood husband can eat and tolerate compared to my AB. I will admit I don't follow it faithfully, especially in the past few years since getting mm and diabetes. I was more a vegetarian before getting diabetes so had to increase my protein, my lovely beans made the sugar numbers go up too much. So I eat more roasted chicken than I should, what is a no-no for ab types.
    These days I concentrate the most on preventing a vertigo attack. I am gluten free, dairy free, nightshade free, sugar free, moderately low salt.
    So, maybe not so helpful info, but your query was --has anyone tried it.....Best to you! Bonnie
     
  19. Joney

    Joney Active Member

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    Bonnie...I felt like when I read your post that this could have been written by me. My husband is type O, I am type AB, eat too much roasted chicken, and on a gluten and dairy free diet.
     
  20. Bonlyn

    Bonlyn Active Member

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    Oh Joney, I was just replying to an older oil of oregano post you put and now see this. As I don't have my mm totally under control, I try everything I can to do holistic. Unfortunately no holistic doctors are covered under my insurance and since I live in the suburbs of NYC the ones I go to on the fly are VERY pricey.
    I have been fired by a few conventional doctors because I am not compliant taking all the drugs they want me too. I will admit I tried the meclizine and diuretics but felt just made me feel crappy and limited affect. Too me- seems like just bandaid stuff, not getting to root of problem- but then again I am just a librarian not a doctor haha.
    I hope your path goes better than mine with menieres but it does seem to me people with AB blood seem more puny with immunities than O blooded people, especially as I sit and watch my husband eat whatever he wants and rarely get sick. But got to love him, whenever I am down and out with vertigo he is there for me. Best to you. Bonnie
     

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