<<Deborah,
Could you please tell me more about Elaine's diet because when I signed
up for this forum I asked Benito if he could tell me something about this
diet and I haven't heard anything.
thanks
vicki>>
Hi Vicki,
First of all, this is not a "forum" in the same sense as the CompuServe
forums.
It is an eMail support group. We are trying our best to get a proper listserver
going so that we don't have to CC everyone (which is what we are doing now)
and
only one address will need to be kept track of.
Basically, "Elaine's diet" is the Specific Carb Diet. I'm on it
for my Crohn's
disease. I've been on it since October 1995 and at that time, I was seriously
ill. The doctor wanted to prescribe prednisone for me, but when I saw the
diet
being discussed in the Natural Medicine Forum of CompuServe, I asked the
doctor
to give me one month to try it before putting me on steroids (which I'm
very
afraid of, after hearing so many "horror" stories).
The diet is outlined in the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by Elaine
Gottschall. The intention of the diet is to exclude all foods that are not
monosaccharides, and therefore, help the digestive tract to heal. The foods
to
avoid are all grains (including corn and rice), all lactose (natural cheeses
and
homemade yogurt are okay, though, as the lactose is removed), all refined
sugar
(including corn syrup and molasses -- instead we use honey, fruit or saccharin
as sweeteners), and potatoes. (It's been so long since I've written a list
of
"illegals" that I may have missed something, sorry.)
Since so many foods are outlawed, we are forced into being creative with
our
diets -- that's why having a support group is so valuable. Also, when we
feel
the urge to cheat, we have others to turn to and let us know that it just
isn't
worth it. The diet has to be followed 100% to be effective -- and if it
works
for you, you will know usually within a month. For me, I've avoided steroids,
gotten off azulfidine, avoided a second surgery and now have more energy
than I
had ever thought possible. The energy is the most amazing thing to me. Other
people in our group are more enthusiastic about no longer bleeding, no longer
being near a bathroom, etc, etc, but for me, I'm most excited that I now
have a
REAL life! I have never been as independent as I am now. My husband is away
to
Germany for six weeks (he's got four weeks left there) and I am coping like
a
normal person! I'm even letting my kids have sleepovers and we are going
places
and I'm not having to call social services for an aide! My kids are 7, 6
and 3
and are quite active, as you can imagine -- their friends seem even more
so,
maybe because they haven't been brought up having to respect a sick parent
as my
children have been.
But, now, my kids also have the chance to be normal kids and not have to
fend
for themselves as much as they have had to in the past. . . sometimes I
thought
of myself as an alcoholic mother -- you know, the kind that you see on TV
with
the hangover and the kids are pouring their own cereal and getting dressed
on
their own while their mother is moaning and groaning in the background.
Except,
for me, I was groaning from the bathroom. They invariably got into an argument
when I was having bad diarrhea and unable to leave the toilet. I would weep
at
how helpless I was as a parent. It was very depressing.
I don't know what your current situation is, but if you have any form of
IBD or
IBS, I would recommend finding the book (get it from the library and there
will
be no money spent) and trying the diet for a month. It can't hurt to try,
but
if it works, it will be such a good feeling!
Take care,
Deb
PS, would you also like me to send you the testimonials from other people
and
articles on the diet?
Hi Deborah and Vicki,
Perhaps Deborah whilst at the tail end of the diet may be introducing
normal foods again has introduced potatoes into her diet, but initially
potatoes(white or sweet),yams, parsnips are not allowed either. There are
a
few veges that are high in easily digestible complex carbohydrates that
should be included as part of the diet also since they help your energy
to
last:-
Swede's(Rutagabas) and turnips, pumpkin and squash, green peas (if you can
tolerate the skins, they have more energy than potatoes per 100g), Zuchini
and other summer and winter squah and carrots.
I've experienced a substantial increase in energy and that means calories
for those trying to pu on weight, since adding at least three of these
veges to my lunch and dinner!
>
Regards,
Michael
Anne wrote
Today, I had
>a couple of urgent episodes but then everything seemed to calm down
>some. Of course, I also became leary of putting any food into my gut
>either. Has anyone else experienced this type of reaction? I have had
>UC for 19 years but never gone through anything like that. I seem to
>have a lot of what I consider good days and then wham. I have to remind
>all that Elain'es diet does not work for me in it's entirety. There
are
>foods on the diet I just cannot eat but I am following a lot of it
>including eliminating the starches and sugars etc. I'd be interested
in
>the feedback.
> Thanks all,
> Anne
Yes, I've just gone through a similar reaction. Reaction to what I'm not
sure exactly but I have a few likely suspects:
Dry curd cheese that may have been a bit off. This stuff doesn't seem to
keep for me more than a few days Then I realised that my fridge temperature
was turned all the way down (for winter) and we've been having some hot
days recently.
Cooking that was left out of the fridge overnight - then I was stupid
enough and hungry enough to eat it. finish cooling food by soaking dish
in
water and put in fridge before retiring at night.
Lack of sleep - burning the candle at both ends can bring on this reaction
ANY DETOXIFICATION ROUTINE that is too harshly followed can also bring on
a
flare up. - I've been having a rare type of chinese massage that has made
me feel great (eliminating toxins) but my bowels always suffer for a few
days after. so I think this has to be undertaken gently. like wise there
are many other detox routines that would have a similar effect (BEETROOT
JUICE). Even the bodies own reaction to a cold or flu will trigger the
detox mechanisms which pour the waste toxins into the bowels, kidneys and
skin organs to be removed from the body.- mucous, diarrhea.
At this time I know how you feel about being scared to eat. I favour clear
fluids in these situations as opposed to the high meat content of the
introductory diet on page 51.(especially when I suspect a meat or cheese
born microbe) and have only had bottled apple cider for two days. and the
jelly made from it. and the pain has subsided greatly. today I feel "clear"
again. I've also supplemented this with 3 x 5mg serves of Musashi Kuan
(free form amino acids- no more than this recommended by Musashi)
Detoxification or Microbial infection may be a possible reason for the
mystery flare ups that are to be expected from time to time at the early
stages.
Hope that helps
Regards,
Michael
Breakfast:
1 mashed ripened banana
1/2 cup dry cottage cheese
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce (chilled)
1/3 cup raisins
Dash of Vanilla or Cinnamon (both optional)
Mix in together in bowl and enjoy!!!
Lunch
1/2 cup dry cottage cheese
1/3 cup V- 8 or tomatoes juice (chilled)
Tobasco sauce to taste
Mix together and enjoy
Anyone have any quick cottage cheese recipes??
Stay healthy,
Mac?IN
Dear Anne,
Here goes another try to compose mail. Hopefully it won't get sent in the
middle of a sentence this time.
Process at highest speed in blender
3 hard boiled eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Honey to tast (approx 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Slowly pour in 2 cups vegetable oil.
Blend in 1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup water.
Chill and enjoy. This is delicious for deviled eggs.
Note: When I tried this recipe I used a whole envelope unflavored gelatin.
My mayonnaise was too thick. I'm guessing 1/2 envelope would be about
right. It might take some more experimenting to get it just right. Let me
know how it turns out.
Sharon
Amanda: Thanks for your input regarding the raw eggs. I have checked
it out and the risk of salmonella in raw eggs IS miniscual to none -
Anne
scd@filmgraphics.com,Internet
I have been on the SCD program for 2 1/2 months and the improvement is
tremendous. Most of the symtoms that I had for 7+ years and found very
annoying seemed to have disappeared. When I decided to go on the program
I
took the easy way out. I did not read the whole book only the pertinent
chapters of the the Yeas and Nays of what to eat. Then I plunged in without
regard to what I was eating or the quantity. Guess what, in spite of my
regimen I was improving.
After reading various postings on how many ease into the correct eating
cycle I decided that it was now time for me to read the whole book.
I must be very lucky and Elaine's Diet must have been just what the Doctor
should have ordered!! It really has made my life so much better.
Some of the other benefits, my family is eatting healthier, I renewed my
interest in cooking and experimenting with various recipes. My mental
attitude has changed from "if I can only eat just that, then I will
starve
to death?" Now, I look at the program as something that I want to do
and
continue and not something that is a burden.
Hope that this posting finds you in better health than yesterday!!!
Mac
Angola, Indiana
Hi everybody,
See below please. I am really glad that she is considering Elaine's diet.
Now
she knows
our group, I hope to introduce Elaine's diet and this group to many other
"sufferers" as well
and as soon as possible. That way I express my gratitude to Larry who introduced
Elaine's
diet to me, I was misled by the doctors... I paid my taxes to be misled
!
Good night
Benito
<< Hi Benito,
you can be sure that we'll be quite willing to try Elaine's diet instead
of
prednisone again
Gonna try sending a note to Deb Dowd and see if I'm really "with the
group" yet.
I have been getting all the mail (and it's great!).
Best regards,
Ruthe Suhm
OH
I was talking to the boichemist at a local juice mill who told me that
apple juice has sugar (sucrose) naturally occuring in it. I went looking
and found that the sugar content tables of foods from the USDA, list the
relative content of sugars. and some fruits have more sucrose than others.
Elaine said not to wory about some seeming contradictions in the diet but
there may be some caution required here. Bannanas listed by the USDA are
very high in sucrose. but these bananas tested may have been unripe since
I'm sure we have all learnt from experience that really ripe bananas treat
us better than the way they are sold in the supermarkets. this is because
the ripening process converts the indigestible sugars into fructose and
glucose.
I made a bit of a list of "preferred fruits":
Sorry,
· GRAPES are no1 they have almost no sucrose at all and are very,very
high in
glucose and fructose (probably why they're on the introductory diet as
grape juice.
· PRUNES are also very good in this regard,dried or as juice.
· KIWI fruit
· Very ripe BANANAS (with black spots)
· LIMES, in preference to lemons
· Most BERRIES except strawberries
· RAISINS and other DRIED FRUIT. (Most dried fruits had zero sucrose
except
for dates which were phenomenally high. They probably used the sticky
glazed ones that Elaine warns about for their testing)
· POMEGRANATES
· PEARS
· CHERRIES
· RHUBARB (not much of any sugar in this. but still a good food)
· AVOCADOES (again not much of any sugar but still high in fibre and
good fats)
These will constitute my preferred fruits from now on.
Regards,
Michael
Theodore M. Evans,tedevans@gw.filmgraphics.com,Internet
People,
I have been on this new diet (Elaines' simple Carb diet) at 100 percent
=
for about a week and am on prednisone at 30mg a day. I am not asking =
anyone to be a doctor but was wondering for those of you that were on =
prednisone and were on this diet - how soon did you start reducing your
=
dosage and what were the symptoms that you had in the process. I =
personally have very serious attacks if I reduce the prednisone too =
much.=20
I have had Chrons for 12 years and a year ago was the first time that I
=
had one of these " attacks" that last about 15 minutes to an hour
and is =
always about 2 hours after I eat. These attacks feel as much as I can =
tell exactly what it would feel like if someone where to take a huge =
knife and jam it in my stomach area in the center about an inch below =
the rib cage and start twisting it continually. I was driving when it =
first hit me and I thought that It was my time to leave this earth and =
go to a better place. It felt far worse then when I got admitted to the
=
hospital for food poisoning for 3 days 13 years ago. I had food =
poisoning not much prior to being diagnosed with Chrons. ( I actually =
was diagnosed with Cholitis back then but was rediagnosed with Chrons =
last year). I also have been trying to find out more details about other
=
people that have it and am trying to find out what might be causing it.
=
In the last two years my brother and my father have been diagnosed with
=
Cholitis as well.=20
I would appreciate it if I could get some feedback from others as well.=20
My second question...hopefully it won't be so long winded this time....
What are some of the side effects that anyone has gotten from being on =
prednisone...personally me I have really bad acne because of it, moody,
=
It might be causing hair loss but not sure if that is just because it is
=
my time for that...(i am 27), knee joints seem swollen and hurt some. i
=
have been on Prednisone for about a 10 months going from 40mg slowly =
down to 25mg and then back up to 40mg again because I get the "attacks"
=
again.=20
My Third question is Should I be exercising while on prednisone?...I ask
=
that because I don't want to blow out my knees if this prednisone is =
weakening my joints. If so what is the best exercise to be doing. My =
knees swell when exercising by the way.=20
Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it. I have been feeling
=
pretty isolated with this illness over the years.=20
Ted Evans (a new guy on this thing)
From: deelen@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu (Timothy R. Van Deelen)
>Subject: Re: prednisone.....
>
>Hi Ted,
>
>I started the diet on May 1 of this year and immediately started feeling
relief from my Chron's symptoms. I was on 10mg/day alternating with
15mg/day of prednisone at the time and was coming off a pretty severe flare.
>
>Since May, I've been slowly tapering the prednisone following a schedule
designed by my doctor. I'm currently down to 2mg/day. I wish I were
tapering faster since I don't feel that I need it. I don't know if I had
any
real prednisone side effects (I've been taking it for 2 years), maybe some
mild acne.
>
>I was running about 20 mile/week when I began the diet and I've continued
the running since. Once and a while I get sore knees but I just take a day
or two off to rest and the soreness goes away. I've heard that
weight-bearing excercise is good for folks on prednisone because it counters
the bone-thinning that is a side effect of long-term use.
>
>I'm about your age (30, diagnosed 8 years ago) and I belief that the
excercise I get complements the SCD diet therapy - but then I always thought
that excercise helped my chron's symptoms, even before the diet.
>
>Best Wishes,
>
>Tim
>Champaign IL
scd@filmgraphics.com,Internet
Thanks Micheal for all your work setting up the list server, now that our
family is growing so large it's very welcome.
There's been recent discussion about mayonaise and salmonella. The risk
is pretty small but I guess we each have to consider it. I've been using
the mayonaise with raw eggs for about a year now and I've never had any
ill effects. Each time I make a batch it'll last me for about a week. I
love sauces and gravies so the mayonaise was a real life saver when I
first went on the diet.
For any IBSers in the group there is a new support group:
alt.support.ibs. Its now provided by my server but as yet hasn't been
getting too much activity.
Amanda
To Michael,
Not a moment too soon!! I just got back from 2 weeks holidays and had 93
letters on the computer. That was great but there were so many address changes
I knew I would never find the time to update my list. Now I don't have to.
Thanks for your efforts.
This is basically a test letter to see if I am doing this right. Please
let me
know if anything goes wrong with this.
Those of you who frequent the Crohn's site must have seen "Kitty's"
cure for
IBD, namely Colodyne. I inquired about this and she sent me this email...
<<The colodyne removes toxins,yeast overgrowth and the mucosal buildup
that
the microbes get into and do the damage. It has digestive enzymes and good
bacteria as well as herbs and a parasite killer.
It is gentle,no starch,sugar or yeast and stops the cramps,and the runs
.
I was ready to die i was so sick and I would lose all my food. Even
supliments would not stay in long enough for me to absorb them. It was awful
Life Plus
P.O> Box 3749
Batesville,arkansas 72503
800-572-8446 Use my wholesale number 270011 to get your first order and
then ask for a number of your own there is no charge for that.
Take a heaping tsp in cold apple juice or any baby juice 2 oz. Shake it
about 4 times and drink it down,it does not taste bad at all.
I got results the first dose I took. i take no drugs,Iam back at work and
doing landscape again. I have been given my life back thanks to colodyne.
Ask the company for a booklet called "product overview" One copy.
When you
get it look up collodial silver.
Sincerely....Kitty Murdock Crohns 50 years. I am doin great now!>>
Anybody heard of this or tried it? We should elect volunteer guinea pigs
on a
rotating basis to check out these remedies one by one as they come up.
I am currently trying a gimmick that my sister in law got me on, supposedly
flushes parasites out of the system by the bowlful, yeast included. No
parasites for me yet, but stay tuned! (This product appears to be making
me
sick with flu symptoms but I'm going to hang in there for a while yet.)
This
company claims that in a healthy digestive system there is a balance of
85%
lactobacillus and other healthy bacteria and 15% unfriendly bacteria etc
that
are kept well in check by the body. In a sick system the balance is reversed,
with only 15% healthy bacteria to 85% of the bad guys. That made sense to
me,
and I thought if they claim they can rectify this balance in the space of
90
days then bring it on. However I must say that I was getting better results
with just the diet and none of this sickness to keep me down.
(Next I must inquire about their money back guarantee!)
Carol, Canada
Michael:
Thanks for the info about the sucrose in fruits. I was wondering if they
gave you the amounts in grams for the different fruits. I think that a
teaspoon of table sugar has about 4 g, so I was wondering how the amounts
in
the fruits with the higher concentrations would compare.
Everyone:
I don't understand why we would be allowed to have sucrose in fruits but
not
as table sugar or any other forms of sugar. When I talk to my friends about
it they feel that it is because it is a natural sugar, but it's still a
disaccharide. And I always thought that whether something was natural or
not didn't make a difference. Sucrose is sucrose is sucrose, the chemical
structure is what defines it. So, forgive my ignorance, but does anyone
know what exactly it is in the refining of sugar that is so bad?
Also, I have received the following letters from Bill Laing of the group
and
I am forwarding them for him.
>Well tnx you very much Tina and hello to all the others in the group.
>Not too sure how I am to access the round robin, so if I am making any
>errors plse correct me. This mail bounced twice,so I will try it this
way.
>
>Nice to meet you Tina, sorry to hear you are having a flare up with
your
>U.C.hope you can find the cause of it. Perhaps just a small oversight
in
>your diet. Elaine Gottschall spoke of flare ups early into the diet,and
>didnt know the cause, nor the cure. Sometimes it can be the silliest
little
>things.
>Cream in my coffee does it for me, in short order. So hang in there
on the
>diet, you may well solve your problem sooner than you think. Yes I think
I
>will take you up on that offer for the bread recipe. And no I never
bought
>the new book, havent worn the old one out yet. If I can help you with
>anything just give me a shout.
>
>You where disscussing strawberries with someone ealier.I have a question
>regarding both stawberries and rasberries, I have heard the small seed
on
>these berries can become lodged in the flutes of the intestines, and
>wondering if this to be a fact. Perhaps someone can help me with that
one.
>
>The first attempt at the diet for me was three and ahalf years ago.
A few
>errors and afew months later the diet worked wonders for me. I have
nothing
>but praise for it. If I had given up on the first try, I would now be
able
>to say the diet didnt work for me. Somethings take seem to require more
than
>one attempt. This diet in my opinion is worthy of any number of attempts.
I
>do understand it well may not work for in very instance.
>
>Deb A.Dowb
>
>Hello Deb, tnx for getting bk to me as quickly as you did. You must
get up
>before the roster crows by the time shown on your note to me.
>
>Just wished to say I appriecated you sending me the copies of the
>conversations of the group with Elaine Gottschall. Very intresting.
I
>enjoyed it emmensely. tnx you agn.
>
>Bill l//ab/ca
>
>---
> William Laing e-mail: laing@upanet.uleth.ca (Doreen)Laing)
> A Public Access Internet
> The University of Lethbridge
>Tnx u kindly for the recipe, I will try it out this week end likely
as not.
>It looks delicious. Particularly since it has been three years and six
>months , since I last had any bread, buns or muffins. But the one that
got
>to me most was no toast.
>
>In my opinion Tina, the biggest obstacle in applying this diet is
>overcomming the " Poor me syndrome" "Why did this have
to happen to me?"
>once I got beyond that stage it really doesnt matter what I eat as long
as
>it is healthy, and doesnt bother My digestive track. Food and the way
I eat
>it has taken on a entirely different meaning. eg mealtime is any time
I am
>hungery. Once I eat and keep some food in the tummy, food is much less
of
>intrest. The hungery a person gets the more difficult the diet appears.
So I
>found small meals and often was the key for me. I will do the fruits
and
>veggies, cooked or raw all day , generally one good meal a day including
>some form of meat, fish or chicken.
>
>Dont mean to preach to any one, this is simply how I found it best for
me.
>
>Yes I agree on the messages, I never saw any of the messages I sent
to the
>group . I tried sending three different messages to you on four different
>occassians. They kept comimg back marked "mail box full, try later".
Untill
>I sent this message direct to you as well Deb. Deb sent me a note saying
she
>had recieved all of them. So I am lost at this point, I am not sure
which
>one went where. However it is not a big deal.If you wish to drop this
on to
>the list server plse do providing you think it may add some thing for
the
group.
>
>I had asked regarding strawberries, but saw no replies to same. (Seeds)
>
>Take care good health
>
>Bill L
>
>---
> William Laing e-mail: laing@upanet.uleth.ca
>
Well that's all for now. Hope everyone is in good health.
Take care,
Tina
Carol,
I got your message fine. I saw colodyne on the web somewhere. I can't get
it here in Australia, but I noticed that the main ingredient is a very old
one for ibd and that's slippery elm bark as well as the acidophilus.
Slipery Elm is great for absorbing toxins and acts like a sponge to soak
them up. it also adds fibre to keep the peristalsis going, but when things
are really bad even this can be too abrasive. thats when a drip or liquid
food is needed.
regards
Michael
Sharon: Thank you for your response to my question about tomatoes and
tomato juice. I couldn't stand the thought of not being able to make
sauce from tomato juice. Thanks too for the receipe for mayonnaise with
hard boiled eggs. I'm a little surprised about the unflavored gelatin
but what the heck.
Matt: I am glad to hear about your feeling better. They say something
in the nicotine helps. There has been so much talk about smoking lately
that I am having a hard time keeping from buying a pack myself.
Tomorror will bake one year I've been smoke free.
Thanks also for the reply re BM's - I have been extra tired lately and
under some extra stress. Actually, when I had my flare up this time, I
didn't get the rest I needed then and so instead of storing up energy, I
think I have been borrowing every day. I find myself try to reload at
the end of each day and on the weekends. You may have found what my
answer is. Thanks again.
Michael: Thank you for clearing up the misunderstanding on my part
about the tomato juice. I am glad to hear I can use canned tomatoes. I
only make sauce once a week and use very little on my pasta. Actually,
I haven't had pasta either but I want to try it on spaghetti squash. I
appreciate your response to my sudden flare of BM activity and the calm.
I didn't stop to realize there were so many things that could have
triggered the reactions. I think being tired and stressed probably did
it to me because I have been eating basically the same foods for weeks
now. I will also consider you response about raw eggs. Sharon has a
different recipe for mayonnaise you might want to consider.
To everyone: This is a great, supportive group. I consider it a
privilege to be a part of it.
Anne
Ted,
I am only speaking as the mother of a child with Crohn's and who is taking
prednisone so I guess you are getting the information kind of second hand
as
I personally am not feeling the things that my son does.
My son has been taking prednisone now for 3 1/2 years. He has been on doses
as high as 35 mg./daily and is currently on 2.5 mg./daily. When he was
taking the higher doses he had the moon face, weight gain overall, high
blood
pressure problems and joint pain. He has always continued to play soccer
which did seem to cause his joints to hurt him more afterward but we simply
iced them and took some ibupropen (not sure if it is allowed on the diet).
He has seen a rheumatologist and a orthopedic doctor concerning his joint
pain and the fact that he developed a chronic limp but they could find no
arthritis and only slight mechanical problems.
We have been on the diet now for about 4 months and he is doing absolutely
fantastic. When we started the diet he was taking higher doses of prednisone
along with and immunosuppressant drug and had developed Crohn's symptoms
again (bloody diarrhea). I insisted they take him off of the
immunosuppressants and we started the diet (although the doctor was quite
skeptical about what benefit it could have but admitted it couldn't hurt).
He was off the immunosuppressants within 2 months but had improved to not
bleeding and solid stools, 1-2 daily. We have since lowered his prednisone
dose and so far so good.
Of course, being a child, he has cheated on the diet on occasion but has
informed me that when he does cheat he has diarrhea all the next day and
sometimes two days afterwards. He has never experienced severe stomach pain
with his Crohn's only the loose stools, bleeding and used to have chronic
nausea at his worst.
Don't know if this will be of any value to you as I am talking about a child
and speaking second hand to boot but I can say that the diet has worked
for
us and has become easier to deal with as time goes on. The only time we
have
problems sticking with the diet now is when I don't plan ahead and get into
a
pinch for something appealing to eat or snack on.
Mac and Michael,
Thanks for your input on watermelon. I guess we will keep on eating it.
It
is a favorite summer fruit and the only melon my son will touch. He did
eat
strawberries when they were in season and I make fruit shakes with the frozen
strawberries and no adverse reactions there. He also loves frozen grapes
and
eats them like candy.
Also, thanks for all your work on the listserver, Michael, it will be
terrific not to have to try and keep up with all the changes in the mailing
list.
Sharon,
We tried your recipe for mayonnaise and it turned out great. I had to use
lime juice as I was out of lemons so it is a little strong on the citrus
taste but my son says it is yummy and tastes great in tuna salad. I had
looked at the ingredients of Egg Beaters eggs and they appear to be usable
unless we aren't supposed to have guar gum. The other brands list starch
as
an ingredient but no the Egg Beaters brand and they are pastuerized which
would make them safer.
I know Elaine has said that she wouldn't recommend anyone drinking Lactaid
milk on a regular basis but would it hurt to drink it on occasion and I
thought she said that using in recipes was acceptable. My main concern is
that my growing child (which his growth has picked up as we lowered his
prednisone dose) gets enough calcium. I am going to try the yogurt again
but
so far it has been rejected as disgusting. I do give him hard cheeses and
he
is supposed to be on a somewhat low calcium diet due to having a kidney
stone
disease that can be controlled by diet.
I have some more recipes to share but am currently busy trying to get my
three back in school and have been working on moving my parents to Florida
from Alabama to get them closer to family so I will forward them as soon
as I
have a little extra time.
Barb/FL
This is my first posting as I'm new to the group.
Hi there, my name is Marla. I'm a graduate student at the University of
Waterloo in Canada (outside Toronto) and I have had UC for about 2 years.
It's isolated in my sigmoid and rectum, which is not exactly severe but
I
get a lot of bleeding, pain and diarrhea when it is active.
I recently had a bad flare (which was accompanied by an intestinal virus
I believe) and I've had problems eating and sleeping for about a month.
My GI just upped my meds (to 12 from 8 tablets of Asacol and nightly
Salofalk enemas from 1 every other nite) and told me diet really has
little to do with my disease and I should eat whatever doesn't bother me.
HA! Well after losing about 10 pds (i'm only 5"2 and 115 to begin with)
I
decided to try the scd. I've had the first book for about 1.5 years now
and everytime I flare I read it. I always shake my head and say "There's
just no way I can do it!"....
Well I've started it and I feel better already. Now this could be because
my intestinal virus is disappearing (I went to a herbalist for that) or
that the meds helped. I don't want to be on ANY meds. I've decreased my
pill intake back to 8 and take 2 days a week off the enemas. I still have
diarrhea a bit but my bathroom trips are under 5 a day.
I have a few beginner questions about the diet (I actually spoke to
Elaine but before I committed to beginning this diet):
1. Aren't the amount of eggs and butter used in the bread and other
recipes a bit too high...I don't want to go from colon problems to heart
problems.
2. Has anyone ever tried to make pasta with nut flour?
3. What about Lactaid occasionally?
4. How do you deal with going out to eat? I love things like Sushi and
Italian and now I ain't gonna be able to eat it...not to mention
chocolate, beer and mmmmmm donuts (which I love)...
5. It seems that I'm not going to get enough Calcium. What do I eat/take
for a supplement?
I guess that's all I have right now...I'm just most worried about the
eggs and butter use.
Thanks
Take it easy,
Marla
Welcome Marla!
glad to have you here. If your a lover of chocolate,beer and donuts, I
would be more worried about those as health concerns than butter and eggs.
Beer is very high in yeast that doesn't help the yeast problems that IBD
patients have. Chocolate and donuts vitamin stealers that rob vital organs
of the body including the heart of vitamins and minerals that are essential
in order to complete the digestive process of these "empty" (of
vitamins)
calories. The diet is not strict about how or when you eat, just what foods
yu have to choose from. so you must still keep it as balanced as possible.
5 food groups, substituting legumes, starchy vegetables and fruit for the
lack of cereals in the diet. It is not a low calorie diet so see a
dietition to work out a balanced version of the diet that includes foods
and recipes you will enjoy.
>1. Aren't the amount of eggs and butter used in the bread and other
>recipes a bit too high...I don't want to go from colon problems to heart
>problems.
Look in a recipe book and see that the amount of butter used in the scd
cakes is no more than traditional recipes. The eggs are up a bit, but you
can balance that out by cutting down on red meat (saturated fats) Its the
egg yolk that's the problem. (buy fat modified eggs from hens fed a low
fat
diet). As for the whites you can have as many as you like. with impunity.
whites are virtually pure protein. Athletes have up to a dozen a day. but
only 2-3 yolks
>
>2. Has anyone ever tried to make pasta with nut flour?
>
It wouldn't work since nut flour doesn't stick together of it's own accord.
you have to have egg to hold it.
>3. What about Lactaid occasionally?
>
That's mentioned in the book. but I wouldn't since I value my liver highly
>4. How do you deal with going out to eat? I love things like Sushi and
>Italian and now I ain't gonna be able to eat it...not to mention
>chocolate, beer and mmmmmm donuts (which I love)...
I tend to invite people to my place where I can enjoy their company in
private, rely on the toilet facilities and control the food and still enjoy
their company and association. Chinese without soy sauce is about the best
Restaurant food I've found. A plate of steamed vegetables or salad without
dressing. My safest takeaway is BBQ chicken and Roast pumpkin. (one shop
near me puts sugar on the pumpkin another does not so be careful)
>
>5. It seems that I'm not going to get enough Calcium. What do I eat/take
>for a supplement?
Dark leafy green vegetables eaten raw (spinach juice (with carrot juice)
and as a salad) taken daily provide all the ORGANIC calcium you need.
Calcium supplements are not food; they're generally inorganic and are best
put on the garden. The highest known food source of calcium is tahini which
can be mixed with cooked beans, eg lima - for a high calcium high protein
low fat meal.
>
I really recomend you look at some general natural health books (fit for
life is a good place to start) to get an idea of balanced diet. since most
of us are ex-junk food junkies.
Regards Michael
Peanuts are reknown amongst naturopaths for being a problem with sensitive
people. The most common objection to them that I've heard is mould. this
is
logical since they are havested from under the ground. whereas most othe
nuts are picked from a tree.
maybe thats why people have more success with the other types of nuts.
regards Michael
On a lighter note, Barb, I wondered if you had tried something like the
following to see if your son would eat yoghurt because I think the
yoghurt may be one of the key parts of this diet. I also said Yuck I'm
not eating yoghurt in the beginning. What I do is buy frozen
blueberries, and frozen strawberries and frozen blackberries. I take out
a mix of these frozen berries, unfreeze them in the microwave which tends
to make a nice juice along with the berries, then I usually add some
other kind of fresh fruit like grapes or peaches. I add the yoghurt and
mix it all together and top it off with some honey to take away that sort
of tart flavour the yoghurt gets from fermenting so long. If you haven't
tried this you might, it's pretty good and the yoghurt kind of gets
buried under everything else. For anyone who manages to make pancakes
or french toast or anything like that, this is a mixture we used to use
to top things like pancakes or waffles before I went on the diet.
Chris
Chris,
Thanks for your suggestions concerning making the yogurt more palatable.
I
definitely plan on trying it. I had planned to make more yogurt just to
try
the pancake recipe and chicken nugget recipe that was given out but so far
I
haven't gotten around to it. I have problems working out meal preparations
where I don't need to use my oven as that is what I use to make the yogurt
and tying it up for 24-48 hours is terribly inconvenient sometimes especially
for someone who prepares a full meal every evening.
Marla,
Welcome to the group!
You mentionned living without doughnuts etc. I can't believe all the doughnut
shops and cinnamon bun shops and all the people that can eat these things
with
no ill effects!! Avoiding these foods is 90% not a problem for me anymore
because the revenge of the intestinal system is swift and sure. I am 40
and
have felt quite sick for 20 years, and was getting much worse very quickly.
I
was desperate and nothing was helping me. For me, I would have done anything
to
be well again, so giving up various foods pales in comparison to the hope
of
being well. Now I am most certainly improved and some days would even say
I am
well. In this situation, a doughnut has reduced appeal!!!
Hope you enjoy the group -
Carol/Canada