Relapse, Pepto and Sprouted grains

[Barb1]

I am having a relapse after months of remission, it's been a month of D with weight loss and fatigue. I think I was eating to many corn products that might have brought in on; I am not sure. My question is if I go on Pepto how will I know when I can go off of it? One thing I noticed during this is a cold that won't completely go away and swollen joints, is that something anyone else experienced? It has gotten better with my limited diet. The D was worst this time than when I was first diagnosed.

I know all grains aren't really that good for us, but I have read that sprouted grains, beans, and seeds are way healthier and ok to eat (as long as they are GF for us). I looked into a meal replacement because it is so hard to eat when you have to start from the beginning; but I found something called RAW MEAL, it's organic and most everything in it is sprouted. Is anyone familiar with sprouting and if it is ok for MC?

Thanks you,
Barb

[Leah]

Hi Barb. Sorry to hear that you are in a flare. I also have deteriorated a bit lately, but nothing that would cause weight loss and fatigue.

I have mixed feelings about sprouted grains. If only the green part is being used, then there shouldn't be any protein in it, but are they only using the green part? I personally don't eat them, but I can't say for sure whether it is completely safe.

As for beans, it depends on whether you can handle the fiber. When I am in a small flare, I don't eat them. When I am doing fairly well, they don't seem to make things worse.

Seeds and nuts are another one that can have mixed reactions. I have been eating almonds and cashews the whole time, but when I tried sunflower seed butter, I reacted. Then a few weeks ago, I bought some pistachios, and I got pain. it could be the difference in the amount of histamines or just that certain ones just seem better for me then others . HOWEVER , it's hard to tell when we are flaring because it seems like everything we eat causes a reaction!

When it comes to Pepto, i didn't take it, but it seems that the high dose of 8 chewables a day shouldn't be done for more than 8 weeks. If you start to get C, then it's time to wean down until you are off.

Feel better soon
Leah

[tex]

Hi Barb,

I know virtually nothing about any possible health benefits from sprouted grain. I can tell you what happens when grain is sprouted, though. When a grain seed is first created, the parent plant fills it with sugar, and a germ is formed at one end of the seed. As the seed matures, and begins to dry down, the sugar is converted into starch (because starch is more stable during storage). So all grains contain a large reservoir of starch, and a germ (from which a sprout can emerge).

When the germ is activated (IOW, when the seed is germinated or sprouted), it also produces special enzymes that begin to convert the starch back into sugar that can be utilized by the young seedling. IOW, the enzymes digest the starch, to create sugar that the seedling can live on until it becomes established.

I'm not sure that sprouted grain is actually healthier, but it should be easier to digest, since the most difficult step in the digestive process is already initiated by the enzymes released during the sprouting process. I have never tried the product that you are considering, and for all I know, you might be able to tolerate it just fine. But like most such products, it contains a heck of a lot of supposedly "healthy" ingredients that add up to a very long ingredient list. I'm not as brave as you are — I would be afraid to touch a product of that type with a 10-foot pole, because I would almost surely react to it. It's very risky for someone who has MC to use products that have a long ingredient list, because the longer the list, the greater the odds of cross-contamination.

Tex

[dfpowell]

Barb,

Sorry you have not been feeling well. I have used Pepto, for periods of time, and know that I am ready to decrease it when I have been symptom free for a while. My goal is to use the lowest dose possible of Pepto and add some Immodium as needed to keep me stable. I try not to rely on the medication and am very careful with my diet, for me the Raw meal would be out because it has too many unknown ingredients.
Do you have a list of safe foods that you tolerate well and can go back to when you are having a flare?

[JFR]

But like most such products, it contains a heck of a lot of supposedly "healthy" ingredients that add up to a very long ingredient list. I'm not as brave as you are — I would be afraid to touch a product of that type with a 10-foot pole, because I would almost surely react to it. It's very risky for someone who has MC to use products that have a long ingredient list, because the longer the list, the greater the odds of cross-contamination.

Tex

I agree. Too many ingredients means too many possibilities of a bad reaction. It scares me too.

Jean

[Barb1]

Thank your for your replies, I guess I will have to reconsider the sprouting.

I do have safe foods, but I can't eat enough to put any weight on. I guess that's why I was looking for a meal replacement. Is there a protein powder that any of you use to put in a smoothie to replace a meal?

As far as the Pepto, do you have to do the 8 tablets a day? I am starting the day with 2, then 1 around noon and 1 again in the late afternoon. This is only my second day, it worked for the first day.

Thanks,
Barb

[dfpowell]

Barb,

I have taken Pepto several different ways, when I first started using it, several years ago, I took 2 tabs 4 times/day and spread it throughout the day. I took it for eight weeks, but did not know to change my diet, so all my symptoms returned when I was done with the eight weeks. Several months ago I found this forum and realized I needed to make major diet changes. In the mean time I had tried other medications, but Pepto has worked the best with the fewest side effects for me. Currently I only use it and or Immodium as needed, so I do not take it at a set time during the day. Perhaps once you are through your flare and more stable, for a period of time, it would be a better time to experiment with other foods and see how you react to them.

[gluten]

Hi Barb. I just bought the Raw Meal replacement by Garden of Life. It will arrive on Wedsenday. I looked at many meal replacement proteins and they had casein and the artifical sweetner surcalose. Jon

[JFR]

This is the ingredient list for Raw Meal:

Organic raw sprout blend (organic sprouted brown rice, organic sprouted brown rice sweetener (from organic sprouted brown rice), organic amaranth sprout, organic quinoa sprout, organic millet sprout, organic buckwheat sprout, organic garbanzo bean sprout, organic lentil sprout, organic adzuki bean sprout, organic flax seed sprout, organic sunflower seed sprout, organic pumpkin seed sprout, organic chia seed sprout, organic sesame seed sprout), organic raw flax and coconut blend (organic flax flour, organic coconut flour), RAW green food and fruit blend (organic oat grass juice, organic spirulina, high protein chlorella, organic alfalfa grass juice, organic barley grass juice, organic wheat grass juice, organic strawberry, organic cherry, organic blackberry, organic blueberry, organic raspberry), RAW enzyme and probiotic blend (bacillus coagulans, proteases, amylase, lactase, glucoamylase, alpha-galactosidase, lipase, pectinase, peptidase, bromelain, phytase, hemicellulase, beta-glucanase, papain, cellulase, xylanase, diastase, invertase), organic RAW vanilla extract, brewer's yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae), lactobacillus bulgaricus, natto.

Contains: Tree nuts (coconut)

Contains no filler ingredients, artificial colors or preservatives.

Raw · Vegan · Organic · Gluten free · Dairy free · Lactose free · No fillers · No isolates · No synthetic nutrients · No artificial sweeteners · No preservatives

There's lots of things to be worried about here, beans of various sorts, seeds of various sorts, probiotics, enzymes, and natto, the last named ingredient, which is a fermented soy product.

Jean

[Gabes-Apg]

I use a protein powder based on rice (GMO free and organic rice)

it is one of the only 'soy free' (and gluten/dairy free) protein powders i have been able to find.
the tub costs about $85 which at first may seem expensive, when you figure it out each serve costs about $3. which is very reasonable for snack/meal replacement

[Barb1]

Thank you all! I appreciate your help so much, it's reassuring to know there is some place to turn to for help when no one else understands what you are going through.

Jean, I did not notice the last ingredient natto, I know soy is bad, but fermented foods are supposed to be a good form of a probiotic aren't they?

Jon, you will have to let us know how you do on it. What foods do you normally react to that you think this is ok?

Again thank you,
Barb

[JFR]

Like most other things we eat, fermented foods are good unless they are not. All fermented foods are high in histamine so if you have a problem with high histamine foods you will also have a problem with fermented foods. Or if you can't tolerate the food before it is fermented then you should avoid it when it is fermented. I know that there are people here who have problems with probiotic supplements. I do not know if fermented foods, which contain high levels of probiotics, can cause the same problems because of their probiotic content. Soy, fermented or not, should be avoided by most of us. It is really important to read all ingredient lists carefully since soy especially, as well as dairy, can masquerade as many other things. I noticed that the Raw Meal said it was Gluten Free and Dairy Free but did not say it was Soy Free, a red flag that suggested that it probably contained soy and there was "natto" hiding at the end of that long list of ingredients.

Jean

[gluten]

Hi, When, I look at a list of ingredients the first ones listed are usually the ones that have the highest percentage. As the list grows the ones at the end of the list have the lowest percentage. Did you ever look at the ingredient list on a box of a g-f dessert mix? The first item is sugar followed by white rice flour, tapioca and potato starch then a other few items. In picking a meal replacement I look for the digestive enzymes that are included and natto is last on the list. The only problem with this meal replacement is the ratio of carbs to protein. Due to the results of my hair analysis test. For the next three months I need 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fats in my caloric intake /day. This is because of my low calcium-to-potassium and low sodium-to-potassium ratio that is indicative of excessive tissue muscle breakdown [catabolism], which may result in a negative protein [nitrogen] balance. Complex carbs are known to spare protein, and in conjunction with dietary fats, the sparing effects of carbs are further enhanced. I should send this report to my neurologist at the MDA clinic, but like the another neurologist told after seeing my report he had no clue about the results and stated" that in all his training at Harvard he had only one course in nutrition". Jon

[Zizzle]

I had celiac cross-reactivity testing and MRT testing that both showed I was reacting to several GF grains and seeds: amaranth, buckwheat and sesame seeds. Now I don't assume all GF grains will agree with me. I try them one by one.

[JFR]

Hi, When, I look at a list of ingredients the first ones listed are usually the ones that have the highest percentage. As the list grows the ones at the end of the list have the lowest percentage. Did you ever look at the ingredient list on a box of a g-f dessert mix? The first item is sugar followed by white rice flour, tapioca and potato starch then a other few items. In picking a meal replacement I look for the digestive enzymes that are included and natto is last on the list.

If a person is sensitive to soy even a small amount can cause reaction like even a small amount of gluten can cause a reaction in someone sensitive to gluten.

Jean