Ways of eating, mood, energy, and circadian rhythms

Question
Hi Tanya,
You've answered questions for me before so I thought I'd run this by you. I tried the Banta diet at the time but ran into problems. Now, I will say that I've been very interested in nutrition for almost thirty years. Over the years, I've tried just about every diet imaginable---ketogenic, Atkins, Zone, all the way through vegetarian, macrobiotic, fasting! (And most things in between haha). By "tried", I mean sticking with them for several months. And several times in many cases.
Also, I don't need to lose weight. I exercise a lot and am in pretty good shape. I'm a 60 year old male who wants to have the best energy and alertness that I can have.
Nothing has ever seemed to work for me---I get very erratic results---and eating without a plan hasn't either.
I finally have figured the modality, but not the causality of the problem.
Here goes: I seem to be, metabolically speaking anyway, two different people, "AM Blue", and PM Blue". In the morning I don't tolerate protein foods (in any form)well. If I eat protein (I realize all foods have some protein, but I'm referring to meat, eggs, dairy, protein powders, etc), I feel sluggish, low energy, sullen and irritable (though I do keep this to myself as much as possible), even angry. I have great energy on a small cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal, etc. I'm creative, industrious, cheerful. I may do a few hundred push ups, 10-20 pull ups, a couple hundred squats, etc, etc. I'm motivated to work, or repair things etc. I think of new solutions to old problems. I I eat any concentrated protein, that all disappears. After noon I begin tolerating more protein, providing there's enough carbs---Otherwise, I feel like a smoldering fire. Just a note, I've tried  digestive enzymes (high quality) for up to six months at a time. No result. I also, regardless of how I feel on the protein, digest it perfectly without enzymes....
Now about late afternoon I've changed over...I can eat protein alone just fine---with similar results to having the carbs in the morning. By supper, I don't do very well with carbs (low glycemic, high glycemic index doesn't matter). I get tired, sullen, etc. A couple of hours after supper carbs "destroy me". Literally, I feel very, very out of sorts and extremely agitated. Projects would be out of the question; my night is ruined. Luckily, I'm beginning to understand the schedule and can avoid the problems pretty much. The change is so dramatic though, that it feels like a biochemical trigger for schizophrenia! I've always been a very stable, consistent type of person---and if I bear in mind this this way to eat I still am. One solid, reliable person throughout the day. If I were to start the day the day with more protein and end with more carbs, I'd feel angry all morning and depressed all night! A totally ruined day--and night! Strange, eh?
Can you help me make some sense out of this?? I would be very grateful if you can!!
These may be biochemical clues: if I eat a low carb diet like Atkins, etc I end up with gout before long. I also crave alcohol, which seems to help...temporarily.

Answer
Dear Glen,

You did a terrific job experimenting with different ways of eating and succeeding. Your desire to make sense out of it is understandable but my hesitation to interpret your conclusions, I hope, can be also understood. For example, if you gave me some info on what kind of problem you had don Banta, there would be some food for my thought.

Another thing is, there are new trends you haven't mentioned, which I personally found the best for keeping and even mood/energy level during the day, it's a modified intermittent fasting. Let me know if you would be interested in details and the science behind.

Please, don't use the follow up tool, ask a n ew question, this way, other readers will be able to find both easier.

Tanya Zilberter

P.S. circadian rhythms are physiological changes consistently repeating depending on the time of the day

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