Any drawbacks if you eat the same foods for many months?

Discussions on the details of treatment programs using either diet, medications, or a combination of the two, can take place here.

Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh

Post Reply
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Any drawbacks if you eat the same foods for many months?

Post by nsaidcolitis »

I think I've reached remission. Flat stomach, little to no pain in the colon that gets better day by day and BMs OK.

I really want to get better 100% and move on with this MC or at least be able to eat a lot of fruits which is my goal. I know if I stick to this diet like a good boy : :cat: oils/fish/zucchini for a good while(several months) , I will get rid of MC forever. I want to be on this diet for at least 6 months or so. Has anyone done this? Is it good or bad...Any advice? Supplements? No exercise? What should I watch out for(Besides going broke..)?
User avatar
tex
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 35070
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Central Texas

Post by tex »

That's good news, and I hope you continue to improve.

Note that while we can certainly preempt any MC symptoms forever (as long as we eat a perfectly antigen-free diet), we have to continue to avoid the foods that cause us to produce antibodies, because if we begin to eat them again, the inflammatory process will begin all over again.

To answer your question, as far as I'm aware, the only drawback to eating the same foods indefinitely, is the monotony of it that seems to bother some people. Personally, since I reorganized my diet after my recovery (about 7 years ago), I find myself eating the same few simple, basic, foods, with little variation. And as far as I (and my doctor) can tell, I'm healthy and happy. :grin:

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
User avatar
JFR
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1394
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:41 am

Post by JFR »

tex wrote:That's good news, and I hope you continue to improve.

Note that while we can certainly preempt any MC symptoms forever (as long as we eat a perfectly antigen-free diet), we have to continue to avoid the foods that cause us to produce antibodies, because if we begin to eat them again, the inflammatory process will begin all over again.

To answer your question, as far as I'm aware, the only drawback to eating the same foods indefinitely, is the monotony of it that seems to bother some people. Personally, since I reorganized my diet after my recovery (about 7 years ago), I find myself eating the same few simple, basic, foods, with little variation. And as far as I (and my doctor) can tell, I'm healthy and happy. :grin:

Tex
I also continue to eat a relatively few simple foods. Working towards acceptance of whatever dietary limitations MC may impose on you for now and forever is extremely important because there truly is no going back. I too enjoy my limited diet and I allow my occasional desires to eat a more varied diet to just come and go without giving them much energy. Coming to terms with MC is a physical and a psychological process, figuring out what to eat and accepting it. You may be able to eat a lot of fruit someday but you may not. If you pin your happiness on being to eat lots of fruit you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. It is great that you have figured out a way to eat that is working for you now.

Jean
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Post by nsaidcolitis »

tex wrote:That's good news, and I hope you continue to improve.

Tex
This is thanks to you Tex and the guys here at the forums. I tried to figure out how to get the inflammation down for many months with just diet. From vegan to low fiber (0 fiber diet) to just liquids and even a juice fast for 2 weeks. None of these work and I can now tell why. Had I found this site in the beginning I am sure I would be 100% better by now. I was 100% better when I had MC symptoms long time ago they lasted for 2 weeks or so then I was able to eat a fully raw vegan diet for many months afterwards and even took large doses of NSAIDs without issues but these things may have caused it to come back(especially the NSAIDs) and cause permanent damage. It seems to me true remission is attainable for some who catch it early and who do not have a lot of damage. Hopefully this time my MC won't stay forever and I can go back to the remission I had before but i really doubt this.

A piece of advice for everyone here. The problem with the elimination diet is that it takes a while to show results and you may be discouraged and you may be still eating some foods which cause inflammation like eggs,bananas,rice even little inflammation in my case it showed up as just painful gut.

I recommend all newbies to just go with meat and one low fiber well cooked veggie for 2 weeks, this would be a much more hardcore and secure elimination diet imo but then again I am no expert and I got nothing to back this up except for my experience. Today after being on this for a few weeks I have a very flat stomach, no pain in the gut at all today since I've woken up and I pressed my right colon hard to feel something and nothing. I've been having a BM everyday at the same time too. Unfortunately for me I had MC with C so it is risky to take supplements (I take magnesium for the constipation).
JRF wrote:
Coming to terms with MC is a physical and a psychological process, figuring out what to eat and accepting it.
If you pin your happiness on being to eat lots of fruit you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
This is great advice. I actually enjoy eating this stuff and could eat it all day(I am lol) but it is expensive. I don't know why but I was able to eat fruits before without much issues only mild discomfort in the colon but now if I touch one I get bloated gas and a lot of pain. Hopefully this means I can eat more fruits in the future(3 apples a day would be nice) but yeah I am done with the unhealthy stuff people eat for life. I dont want that even if Im cured completely. I will avoid soy,gluten and dairy for life!
User avatar
tex
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 35070
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 9:00 am
Location: Central Texas

Post by tex »

IMO, the odds are very good that as your digestive system continues to heal, you will indeed be able to eventually (slowly) add fruits and vegetables back into your diet. Maybe not unlimited amounts (certainly not for quite a while), but enough to be satisfying, and to add good variety.

I totally agree with Jean about the way that we deal with expectations and disappointment: I have finally learned not to expect much in most situations. That way I'm never disappointed, and more often than not, I'm pleasantly surprised when things work out better than expected. It's my recipe for happiness.

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
lorimoose
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:21 am
Location: Long Island, NY

Post by lorimoose »

I noticed your diet does not include carbohydrates. You might want to consider rice or potatoes, to round out your meals while you are in the healing phase. I would add one, and see how you react.

Lori
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Post by nsaidcolitis »

lorimoose wrote:I noticed your diet does not include carbohydrates. You might want to consider rice or potatoes, to round out your meals while you are in the healing phase. I would add one, and see how you react.
Lori
I'm scared of trying rice and potatoes to be honest. I remember trying them and having a reaction later on but that reaction may be to other allergens i consumed that day for example i was taking fish oil back then. I firmly believe meat and overcooked veggies is the way to go.

Fish oil may have been the culprit all along I am not sure if all Vitamin E is derived from soy, it also contained "lemon flavor". This is what the website says:

"We are very sensitive to allergen issues, and do our very best to ensure responsible labeling in this regard. Potential exposure to the eight major allergens as identified by the Food Allergen and Labeling Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is disclosed on our label. This information can be found below the ingredients list. Whenever possible, we avoid ingredients containing allergens, especially those outlined by FALCPA: milk, egg, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, or cod), crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, or shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, or walnuts), wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. Although fish may be on the above list and our products contain fish oil, there is no fish protein (which is the allergenic component) found in the finished product. We also always disclose on our labels any use of equipment exposed to these allergens. Although some products may have been manufactured on shared equipment, extensive quality control procedures are in place to avoid the risk of cross contamination.

Soy Allergens
Most of our products contain vitamin E derived from highly refined soybean oil. As many soy allergy sufferers know, soy allergies result from exposure to soy proteins. Nordic Naturals ensures that our vitamin E, verified by both a traditional analytical method and by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), contains either no soy proteins or undetectable levels of protein. Because of this, we feel confident that individuals allergic to soy can safely take our products."


"Fish Protein
In theory, fish proteins should be effectively removed in processing. However, it is certainly possible for fish oils to have small traces of protein. The fish gelatin that is used in our fish gelatin soft gel products, however, is derived from fish protein, and could be allergenic.

Strawberry
Our natural strawberry flavoring is NOT derived from strawberry or any other berry fruit, but rather from a combination of natural ingredients, which create an aroma perceived as strawberry flavor.

Lemon
Our natural lemon flavoring is derived from natural lemon oil, concentrated from the rind. Some people do have sensitivities to lemon flavoring. If lemon sensitivity is a concern, this flavor should be avoided.

Alternatives
The best choice for highly sensitive people would be to take our unflavored products. Anyone that is concerned about rosemary extract, which is used as a natural stabilizer and is present in minute amounts, can take our Pet products instead, as these products offer the same high quality fish oil, but only use Vitamin E as a stabilizer
."


Now I am no expert...but this sounds "fishy". I really need this fish oil for other things though, so will definitely try it again.

I had only 3 stingy little pains in the right colon today and my colon is no longer tender/bloated , so this diet is definitely working.

Unfortunately the calories are only 1080 per day. I am staying at 115 pounds. I went up to 125 when i was eating garbage food...but had pain in the right colon and bloating so baaaaaad.

3 Cups of Rice a day would give me ~1700 calories which would be nice!
User avatar
dfpowell
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Posts: 492
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:04 am
Location: Lakeville, Minnesota

Post by dfpowell »

Could you add sweet potatoes for some additional carbs?
Donna

Diagnosed with CC August 2011
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Post by nsaidcolitis »

will try rice and ditch the coconut oil, hope it doesn't bother me. I can finally evaluate cuz the pain I experience is insignificant.

Edit: just had 3-4 cups of rice, I couldn't resist I was so hungry and it tasted so good. No reactions yet...not even bloating but i'm still hungry lol. :cat:. If there's pain in the colon/tender colon within the 10 hours I'll know it's not good...thats my first reaction followed by bloating with activity.

Edit2: Rice is out....reacted after 4 hours mainly right colon pain. Guess it'll be zucchini and tuna for a few months :mad:
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Post by nsaidcolitis »

Update: rice made me constipated the next day.

I was unable to follow my diet these week as I was away from home. Added fruit of course had reaction...try to order vegetables and the put tofu on it and I didn't know but after I ate it....there was dairy somewhere too. Needless to say I got bloated and painful stabbing pains in the colon. Two days later they seem to have subsided...and it looks like I'm back on track. I wonder why I recovered even faster now...maybe some healing took place... or maybe because I added peppermint tea right after I messed up.

This diet really works....but it's not satisfying at all. My stomach feels empty and I'm hungry all the time ! I forgot what it feels like to feel "full".

Somebody needs to reform the elimination diet for newbies :neutral: . Wish I had known about one meat/ one vegetable diet. I had to look a lot in the forum for this...the rice banana can be very bad for some of us and discouraging.

What are some safe "satisfying foods" we can add? Don't really care about the taste...just wanna feel full for once. :cat:
lorimoose
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:21 am
Location: Long Island, NY

Post by lorimoose »

Sorry you had a bad reaction. Rice typically is OK for most people, but 3-4 cups would constipate a buffalo. You could try 1/4 cup one day, and see how it goes. If it goes well try again the next day. Sweet potato is acceptable for many, as are red or yellow potatoes. When trying something new, it is best to try a small amount. If you are OK the next day, try again.

Could you have a larger serving of the protein that agrees with you, to help you feel full?

I hope you find your "good" foods. It is a frustrating process, but worth it.

Lori
nsaidcolitis
Adélie Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 4:25 pm

Post by nsaidcolitis »

LOL...I guess you are right about buffalos.

But I still have a reaction to it. It seems I have reaction for whatever the small intestine doesn't digest fully and if it goes to the large intestine undigested mostly...it triggers sharp pains.

I'm guessing starch might be the same but I will try that next. Gotta calm down my gut 100% then I'll be able to tell a diff.
Pat
Rockhopper Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Posts: 1068
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Texas

Post by Pat »

You and I are in a similar boat but rice would give me water D, any starch gives me water D. Strange. I agree with Lori, try a small amount and see what happens. Eat a lot of what you can eat. Eat enough of it till it fills your stomach. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Savor every bite. But who am I to give advice.

Pat
Post Reply

Return to “Discussions on Treatment Options Using Diet, and/or Medications”