CLL Alternatives

CLL: Intermittent Fasting,
Reducing Carbs, and Detox Bath

Posted by: Denise on: February 11, 2019

Third birthday party fun!

I just wanted to check in because it’s been a while since I’ve made a post, and one of my CLL-buddies just wrote to ask if I’m okay. I am. I am okay. My numbers continue to be stable and I like to coast occasionally. By “coast” I mean that I continue doing whatever is working, and otherwise try to live a normal life. This can be a challenge. I will explain.

Getting me ALL BETTER. My husband is a real go-getter, and lately he’s been of a mind to get me ALL BETTER. He’d like me to be one of the people who get a clean bill of health when they go to the doctor. In my case, that would be a CBC (complete blood count) that is totally normal. Now look at my picture. Do I look like a normal person? (Don’t answer that.) Sometimes I don’t even try.

But back to my husband and his quest. He and I were scheduled to go the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) Conference last November. (Check out their podcasts; they’re amazing!) Unfortunately, I came down with a cold from hell (was it the flu? I’m not sure) right before our scheduled flight. We were meeting a friend, so hubby went without me. I have to say that the WAPF is loaded with wonderful information. He was in Baltimore for three days of expert speakers on all things health. And being my husband (I know him well; it’s been 42 years) he came home with books, and also ordered ALL the recordings of not only the 2018 conference, but also the 2016 and 2017. It’s a bonanza of information. My husband is driving me crazy!

Don’t get me wrong. I know that his heart is in the right place. He loves me and wants me to keep living, which is a wonderful thing. And despite the fact that I feel like a Girl Scout (or maybe a Tibetan nun) about my lifestyle and eating habits, he has been encouraging (okay, pestering) me to CHANGE. As much as I proselytize about taking charge of your health on this site, I understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end. It can be a challenge, and sometimes I’m grumpy.

Here are the changes I’ve made so far.

  1. IF (intermittent fasting). This could be its whole own post. But briefly: the point is to put as many hours as possible between your last meal of the day and your breakfast (break-fast) the following morning. I’m up to about 16 hours now. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not really. I finish eating dinner at about 7pm, and don’t have breakfast till about 11am. I do have coffee and tea, and sometimes some chicken broth. The point is to give your digestive system a chance to not only get the obvious job of digestion done, but also to start scavenging around the body and ridding it of pathogens and other odds items, like toxins, that don’t belong there. You are supposed to lose weight, but so far I have not. In fact, I started gaining weight. Oy!
  2. Lowering my carb intake. Okay, if you start following the now-popular KETO diet, the point is to eat animal protein (but not to excess), lots and lots of fat (nuts, seeds, butter, olive oil come to mind), and low-carb vegetables (skip the root vegetables and stick with the leafy stuff), and a bare minimum of fruit. This has been challenging and I’m not there yet, and may never be strictly KETO. What I have changed, as of a week ago, is I’ve eliminated my morning smoothie as the only way it is palatable to me is with a LOT of fruit. Good fruit like berries and green apple, but still… a whole lot of it. Instead I’m having eggs or sardines with avocado, mushroom powder, and some nuts. It’s actually delicious, so no problem there.
  3. Epsom salt baths. Okay, I’ve only had one, but it was wonderful! You take a bath with Epsom salt and baking soda (Google for amounts; I think I used too much) and soak for about a half hour. I did this before bed and I was warmed to my core and slept like a well-fed baby. Unfortunately, I was still woozy in the morning, but I’ve read that changes after several baths. This is supposed to detox, removing toxins from your skin, much like sweating in a sauna.

The results? I don’t have results yet! Well, I did lose weight since cutting back on fruit. But that is not really the entire point of this thing. I was my thinnest (too thin!) when I was Macrobiotic back in 2005, but not my healthiest. I will keep on posting and let you know what works, and what doesn’t. I just wanted to check in so that no one worries that I’m going downhill. I am fine. I really am. Please feel free to post any opinion you might have about these changes.

Wishing you good health and the ability to coast! – Denise

PS: I do actually work on that elusive book of mine. Maybe that’s why I don’t post as much as I should.

7 Responses to "CLL: Intermittent Fasting,
Reducing Carbs, and Detox Bath"

Hi Natalie, firstly my apologies for nor answering sooner.
The Clinical trial programme is a natural product as far as I can ascertain from my nurse programme manage, they don’t share the exact details and it was only when I saw a document with the company header on it that I was able to find more info. I am placed on the max dose whereas a woman in the programme is on 1 capsule twice daily. We are not allowed conatct with each other and I only found out because my nurse let the detail slip out. There are also a woman and a man in the same programme who are on standard chemo treatment as a comparative control. The advantage for them is they also get the CT scans and complete blood tests so their G.P can monitor results and help accordingly like me.
The treatment apparently is working on the the immune system.I am not allowed grapefruit, Seville oranges or tumeric because they clash with the capsules. If you google Bei Gene Pty Qld Australia you will find their website. I have the 17P blood mutation that is mentioned.
I am trying to get Peak Immune locally.
Best wishes for continued health in your journey. Regards. terry.

Hi Terry,
Not too worry I know how things can get hectic. I certainly will look that up. I always like to know what’s out there and working to keep on the back burner. Even better if it’s not chemo but life happens. I pray that it’ll continue to work for you.
I do love Peak Immune. I never go without. I hope you’re able to get it close by. It’s also similar to MGN3 or biobran in Europe but the latter is more expensive. Thanks for the response.
Wishing you well.
Nathalie

Hi Terry,

that sounds like your treatment is working. What is it exactly? Is it a type of oral chemo? Will search once I have the time but am curious. Also, I’ve been using Peak Immune per Denise’s suggestion and my neutrophils have been consistent in staying in range. I always have it on hand as well as AHCC. I think they’re comparable and expensive. Wishing continued success with your treatment Terry.
Nathalie

Hi Denise, I will look to ship the Peak immune tablets to NZ, thanks.
I had another C.T Scan and complete blood test on Monday then a meeting with the Doctor and Programme manger nurse yesterday, there were smiles on their faces.
My haemoglobin is 133, RBC 4.15, uric Acid 0.38, Urea 6.1, Liver function Globin 14, WBC 18.6, WBC 13.6( was at 141 at start of trial programme) Prothombin is 1.1, haemotolgy Neut Seg is 4.1.
Have been given another 3 month cycle on my ownto continue taking the treatment capsules.
Keep on with your regime and posting these self help regime concepts 🙂
Go well.
Terry.

Hi Terry,
Thank you for checking back in — and congratulations on your wonderful results!!! Perhaps this trial will go on to be a standard and help many of us with CLL! Please check in again and again and let me/us know how you’re doing. – All best, Denise

Hi Denise, firstly congratulations on your continued good health.
The Peak Immune tablets you mention interest me. What do they actually do ? They are not available in NZ so I would have to ship them in from the US of A.
I am due for another C.T Scan and complete blood test 18/2/19 then meeting with the hospital doctor and my Clinical trial programme nurse manager 19/2/19
I continue to be surprised at my improved health from taking the two capsules twice a day 12 hours apart with no side effects.
The company is Bei Gene Pty Stretton Qld Australia, though I believe it is a China based company with international permission to trial in US of A and Australia/NZ.
The clinical trial is offered to people with the 17P (less than 9% of the population have it ) blood mutation.
Go well. terry.

Hi Terry,
Thanks for writing. Peak Immune is Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound (RBAC). It’s made of rice bran and shitake mushrooms, and has been tested successfully as an immune modulator. This means that it helps reset your immune system to normal. I started taking it years ago at the suggestion of a Chinese herbalist, after his prescribed herbs did nothing. Nada. I took up his suggestion and bought a bottle not knowing what to expect. My main problem at the time was low neutrophils, which can be dangerous. If your neutrophils (part of your WBC — white blood count) are too low, it can get tricky to get well from a simple infection. I was thrilled to see that my neutrophils went back to normal range while taking the pills. They also dropped dangerously when I discontinued. Since then I’ve been taking a maintenance dose of three or four pills/day. (At the beginning, the bottle instructions suggest taking 12/day and tapering off.) They are expensive, so I order via Autoship on LuckyVitamins.com. (I am not affiliated with anything on this site. It is not for profit.)

Your clinical trial sounds intriguing. Please report in so that people can read about it here. We all give each other encouragement.
Wishing you the best of health! – Denise

Leave a Reply to terry walsh


+ 5 = eight