>> "No form of vinegar changes body pH or has any effect on toxins. The body's natural processes, mediated largely through the liver and kidneys, eliminate waste products and toxic substances." It's as if you are still rejecting the efficacy of Cinchona bark for treating malaria because the Amazonian Indians haven't discovered the formula for the quinine it contains. Instead, they say that the bark of the Cinchona tree contains the spirit of the God Xohopichulato, which destroys the evil spirit that causes malaria. If you want to rest in your beliefs that there is no Xohopichulato and therefore Cinchona cannot help with malaria, fine. Just don't pretend it is science. It is arrogant ethnocentrism, not scientific empiricism. Your arguments are based on an arbitrary and artificial definition of the word 'toxin'. You are ignoring the fact that ordinary substances can build up to toxic levels under many conditions - for example, glucose can build up to toxic levels when there is insulin resistance. In such a case, anything that reduces insulin resistance or lowers glucose levels would in fact be a 'detoxification' process. Likewise, immune hormones like the interferons and interleukins are necessary under certain conditions, but at higher doses (ie when there is infection or chronic inflammation) they often cause side effects that range from unpleasant to lethal. In SARS, H5N1 bird flu, and other killer influenzas, the body's immune system destroys the body. Immune hormones that might sometimes be beneficial are produced at toxic levels. This is quite different from your idea of metabolic toxins that are normally handled by the kidneys and liver. The short chain fatty acids present in vinegar (acetate, proprionate, butyrate) have been repeatedly shown to lower inflammatory cytokines (which have been implicated as a contributor to migraines). These simple compounds also affect levels of leptin, adiponectin and other compounds that regulate glucose, and there is research implicating this in the pathogenesis of migraines. You have stooped to pseudoscience by refusing to look at the evidence that vinegar can dramatically change certain chemicals in the body. You seem to take comfort in linguistic tautologies about 'toxins' that have little bearing on the underlying facts of the matter. Here is a link that might be useful: Glucose, Adiponectin, Immune Hormones and Migraine.

Finally joining in... First of all Bobby, it really sounds like you're going in the right direction. When I read your comments from 6 weeks ago to now, you seem to have evolved to eating in a more sustainable way for the long term. I've been following, but instead of starting with the food, I started with the exercise side. I had been feeling that age and gravity were taking too much of a toll. Now that I've been doing "boot camp" for 1 hour, 3 mornings a week since early December, I can see the changes in toning, but it's still hard to get rid of the gut. My instructor said the best results she sees in people is when they cut out wheat products. So that's my next step. I'm not a big sweet or junk food eater, but I do like my bagels, pasta, croissants, good bread... So my plan is for no predominantly wheat products (not going totally gluten-free). I'm not going to worry about everything, or totally diet (I don't believe that works for the long run). Just going to make one change at a time until it's a lifestyle change. I've heard often that it takes about a month to really change a behavior. And that seems to hold true for me, so first, I'm just going for changing breakfast from a bagel w/cream cheese to oatmeal and banana or yogurt or ?? (Breakfast ideas anyone? I get really hungry after the morning workout!)

Laurie, we have not tried cyproheptadine with her as of yet. It is RX, right? She's gained or maintained her weight adequately over the 3 years, but she has short episodes where she doesn't eat well from time to time. She's having more problems since her brother passed away, but that was still less than a month ago. I've been using nutrical on her, which seems to work a bit like an appetite stimulant, or it settles her stomach enough to make her feel like eating. One of the biggest problems we are having of late is that she often wants to eat her dry food and not the wet we put out. Since she had her teeth pulled last fall, she just swallows the kibble pieces whole (she doesn't like them moistened or broken up though). When the dry kibble expands in her stomach, it is apparently too much for her and she throws it up. Almost worse than that, her new MO is to climb up on the bed at night when she is feeling sick and allbut throw up next to our heads. We wake up to her doing the nauseas, watery-mouth thing. She has thrown up a lot in her life with all her health problems, but never thrown up on the bed, and definitely not practically on one of us. We are getting to the point that we are going to have to lock her out of our bedroom at night. I feel terrible, but that's just too much. She's due to go into the vet, hopefully this week, but I'm sick today so will make the appointment tomorrow or when I feel well enough, and I'll talk to the vet about these things. I probably should have started a new thread for this, but gosh, she's really frustrating me lately. I feel bad and know that it's probably triggered by grief, but it gets to a point that she's driving me crazy too.

I live the Virgin diet every day. It should be called the Virgin Lifestyle. This is a good diet for people with intolerances and who have a very difficult time losing weight, but it's great for everyone I think because it makes complete sense and is super natural. It's a ten-week plan to lose weight and discover intolerances. Take out 7 foods for three weeks then reintroduce them one at a time for the next seven weeks. Below I've explained the reasons for taking out these 7 foods. Gluten: contains lectins that bind to insulin, which creates insulin resistance and can make your blood sugars rise, making it hard to lose weight. Gluten is also an inflammatory. Soy: a phyto-estrogen, a plant source of the hormone estrogen. It's also heavily genetically modified. Dairy: like gluten, acts as an isulin resistant. It's nearly impossible to find hormone-free milk. So, hormones and rising blood sugar=acne and fat. There are studies out there that show countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest levels of osteoporosis. On the contrary, countries that rely on calcium rich foods have a much lower rate of osteoporosis. I've read that the pasturization process of milk breaks down the protein that allows our bodies to absorb the calcium. I believe all this but there is still a huge debate about it. Corn: inflammatory and a high-glycemic food Peanuts: inflammatory and high in lectins. Eggs: inflammatory. If you have sensitivity to corn and soy, eggs might affect you because the chickens are probably fed corn and soy. I have a huge intolerance to fat so another reason eggs bother me. Sugar: we all know that's bad! And don't be fooled by agave necter...higher in fructose than high fructose corn syrup. I'm 5'8 and was 148 lbs. I'm now 135 and holding. In two weeks, my injured knee from subluxation over a year before wasn't hurting and felt stronger. My ankles reduced by 1/2 inch, something I thought was genetic but I guess was just excess fluid. I never really had bad acne, but what I did have cleared up and my blackheads reduced significantly. Also, my menstrual cycle went from seven days to three. My head felt clearer and I had more energy. I rarely have wind or bloated belly as well. The cellulite on my legs reduced by about 50%. I made a point to not exercise the first three weeks to see how effective just changing my diet was. ALL these changes happened without exercise, though of course after the three weeks I went back to yoga. I don't think everyone needs to cut out all of these foods. I also know some people won't have as many changes as I did. But I don't see how it will hurt to try, just to see what changes might happen to you! I think JJ knows what she's talking about. In regards to sticking to it, I cheat every once in a while but I usually feel so bad when I do that I find myself cheating a lot less. Good luck!