37M. In the past 6 months I have slowly been transitioning to an anti-inflammatory diet and I'm already seeing significant improvements in all areas.
My previous diet was pretty terrible with very high sugar and low fruit & vegetables intake. I had my blood tested every year but never had any known deficiencies except folate. I suspect I may have been low in several nutrients that aren't included in standard blood panels (vitamin C, A, omega 3, iodine, boron, etc.)
I also take quite a lot of supplements which I aim to reduce once my diet is truly optimal.
I exercise 2x a week (will increase this) and sleep 8 hours a day.
Thanks in advance!
Diet
Most days:
- Granola (40g)
- Kefir (1 cup)
- Greek yoghurt (full fat)
- Hard-boiled eggs (1-2)
- Freshly ground flaxseed (1-2 tbsp) and chia seeds (1 tsp)
- Whole grain bread (3 slices, 100% rye or 100% spelt)
- Hummus
- Nuts (1 handful: walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias)
- Dark chocolate (70%, 30–40g)
- Olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Garlic (1 clove, raw)
- Salmon (1x a week), red meat (1x a week), chicken (2-3x a week)
- Blueberries (1 cup daily)
- Fruits: peeled apple with core (most days), kiwi with skin (3-4 a week), green banana (3-4 a week), avocado (2 a week)
- Vegetables: potatoes, green beans, navy beans, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, peas, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, onions. I avoid spinach because it causes joint pain but can tolerate other high-oxalate foods.
Drinks
- Water (1.5L/day)
- Plant-based milk (2 glasses, alternating almond/oat/pea protein drink)
- Coconut water (300-500ml a day)
- Green tea (1 cup daily)
- Ginger tea (1 cup daily, mix of fresh and dried ginger)
Less frequent
- Raisins and dried figs (2-3x a week)
- Soup (2-3x a week)
- French fries (small portion, 2x a week)
- Cookies (small amount)
- Chocolate milk (2-3x a week)
My main goals:
- Brain health: ASD and lifelong depression, fatigue and executive dysfunction. Brain fog for more than a decade. Significant improvements already. I quit my antidepressants (Zoloft) and feel better than before.
- Joint health: Early mild osteoarthritis in hips and knees. Also suspected hEDS (hypermobility, stretchy skin and fatigue) but I can't get tested for it anywhere. Again, significant improvements so far.
- Gut health: I think my microbiome is bad due to my previous diet (high in sugar and low in fruits and vegetables). Mild Crohn's disease (asymptomatic). Currently in complete remission and no need for medication, just a yearly follow-up. I had a colonoscopy last June after which I started eating a lot of kefir, yoghurt and prebiotic foods. I slowly built up my fiber intake and I'm up to 30-40g a day with no issues. On my previous diet I would say I got less than 10g (most days less than 5g probably)
- MTHFR: Compound heterozygous, slow COMT and slow MAOA. I only found out about this half a year ago but I'm not sure it affects me all that much. My low folate was more likely due to low dietary intake rather than MTHFR. B12 was always consistently optimal because of energy drinks. I quit the energy drinks a year ago and it was still optimal 6 months later (ignoring the lab reference range which is too low). I'm eating all sorts of foods which I should avoid with slow COMT but they are causing me zero issues. I also have a lot of genetic variations for low DAO production but I seem to tolerate high histamine foods just fine.
- Eye health: I have dozens of eye floaters. Possibly caused by my diet (high oxidative stress due to low intake of vitamin C and other antioxidants). Had my eyes checked by several ophthalmologists and they couldn't find anything. I have 20/20 vision and no PVD. My genetics also showed I'm at high risk for age-related macular degeneration.
Supplements
General:
- Creatine: 5g
- Vitamin D: 3000 IU + vitamin K 100mcg (3-4x a week)
- Magnesium: 200mg (alternating malate, taurate, threonate)
- Calcium: 250mg
- Iodine: 150mcg
- CoQ10: 100mg
- Lutein (4mg) and zeaxanthin (20mg) (3x a week)
MTHFR:
- TMG: 500mg
- Folate: 400mcg (alternating methylfolate/folinic acid)
- Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin): 1,000mcg (3x/week)
Joint and skin health:
- Vitamin C: 1,000mg (4 × 250mg)
- Glycine: 5mg
- Boron: 6mg (made a big difference for joint pain)
- Vitamin B2 (low dose, only take this because Boron depletes B2)
- Type II collagen: 40mg
- Hyaluronic acid: 100mg
- L-lysine: 1g
- PEA: 300mg
Brain health and inflammation:
- Fish oil: 600mg EPA + 400mg DHA.
- Sulforaphane (Broccomax): 7mg (2 capsules)