I started on Atkins (after reading the book) back in early January and have remained on the induction part. About the same time as I started on the diet, I developed a terrible itch and dryness on my face and neck. I have changed detergent, changed cosmetics, etc. with no improvement. A few days ago I bought Protein Power - a very good, very informative book. I think I have discovered my problem - Arachidonic acid which is found in meats, especially beef, and eggs. I believe I am one of the "lucky" ones who is hyper sensitive to this acid so I began to take fish oil capsules as the book recommends. I do think it is working.
Protein Power lists the symptoms of too much AA or a sensitivity to AA as: chronic fatigue, poor or restless sleep, difficulty awakening or grogginess on awakening, brittle hair, thin and brittle nails, constipation, dry flaky skin, minor rashes. I was bothered by all of these but just chalked it up to menopause. I think the fish oil is going to solve all my problems!
Also, I have had problems with carb cravings even while sticking with 20 or so carbs a day - I checked with Fitday to make sure I wasn't fooling myself. Since starting the fish oil, the cravings have been alleviated.
Knowledge is a wonderful thing!

Eades in protein power suggests trying a three week meat, egg yolk free diet followed by two day meat fest. This could be one way of making sure that this is the problem. I did it (and it was not fun, I'm quite a carnivore) and I think I'm sensitive but not as much as I thought. (I was taking flax seed supplements and that was enough to cause problems.) I now eat meat pretty freely, but I try to eliminate egg yolks and in another week I'll start the fish oil to see if it makes a difference. I try to change things slowly so I can see if I can tell a difference due to that one thing!

Good luck and ps I guess you could check my journal to see my sans ALA diet it's listed under my name fleadogs if you need some ideas. Beware... you better enjoy CHICKEN!

I don't think there are any chickens left in my part of the country after that last low-fat diet I went on. I'm pretty sure I ate all the boneless, skinless dried out chicken breats that were available. I do still eat chicken but it has to have butter on it or baked with bacon on top, or such. The fish oil seems to be doing the trick for me. If I had to give up meat and eggs - well, I 'm just not going there!

Nopie,

I hear you about those dry tasteless chicken breasts. Even if you do a sans ALA diet you can still eat butter and such, but no bacon. The protein shakes that I like to make contain one scoop of protein powder and 1/2 cup of washed cottage cheese. (washing removes some of the carbs, and it's a great source of calcium). I then add a bit of water just to get the blender moving, one teaspoon of psyillium husk powder (makes the shake smooth and thick) and then ice cubes. I enjoy them and it's a great way to pack in some protein on the run! Good luck on the food diary and I hope you can pinpoint your skin problems.

I start the fish oil supplements next week and will chronicle the trials. I'll post any results.

Arachidonic acid is found in the FAT, not in the meat itself. The problem with red meat is that generally fat is marbled throughout the meat, and therefore is difficult to avoid. There's no arachidonic acid in egg white, only in the yolk.

Besides doing the 3-week elimination test to see if this may or may not be a problem for you, the Eades also suggest that you could choose very lean cuts of red meat, with little or no marbling. Trim off all visible fat. Lamb could be a good choice because the fat is generally on the outside of the meat, and can be easily trimmed away. Ground meat obviously is out of the question. Grill on a rack, so the fat drips away, then use melted butter or olive oil to dress the meat for serving. They also suggest that you marinate red meat in red wine and olive oil for 24 hrs before cooking. Discard the marinade .. this can reduce the arachidonic acid content by 30%.

hth,

Doreen