Diet questions

[lpbuckley]

Hi all,

I'm new to this group. I was "diagnosed" with MC a couple of months ago- the colonoscopy results were a bit inconclusive. The colonoscopy looked pretty clear, but the biopsies showed some colitis. I also have autoimmune conditions: Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency) and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I feel strongly that all of these conditions are related, including the MC.

I've been following an Autoimmune Paleo diet (restricted version of paleo) for almost a month now. This diet is intended to heal the gut and increase nutrient-dense, whole foods in the diet. I'm not eating grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds (with the exception of a little sun butter), nightshades, or sugars (except from small amounts of fruit or occasional small amounts of honey/maple syrup.) I focus on protein and vegetables, with a small of amount of fruit and healthy fats. I am still having digestive issues. I don't have frequency, but when I have a BM it's always loose and I also sometimes get upset stomach or abdominal cramping.

Is the AIP diet to blame? Is there just too much fiber because of all the veggies? Should I instead be focusing on a low-fiber diet and include some gluten free grains (rice, GF white bread) to reduce irritation in my colon? I'm worried about getting nutrients I need with a diet like that. I've read a lot about balancing soluble and insoluble fiber- is this what others have done? Does anyone supplement with psyillium husk (soluble fiber) and get good results? Whenever I eat decent sized amounts of insoluble fiber, like coconut, my body gets angry....I've read that taking some soluble fiber as a supplement can help balance this out.

There are just too many sources of conflicting information so I thought asking some others with the same condition would be super helpful. I'm trying to reintroduce some foods now because this diet is just too limited but I want to know what I should definitely avoid or what I should definitely include. I really want to treat the MC holistically with diet- no more meds for me. In fact, I feel my current meds may be a contributing factor to how I got here in the first place. Any thoughts or ideas (details, please!) would be so appreciated. Sorry for the long post. Thanks!

Louise

[Heady]

Welcome Louise,
Sorry you are having all this grief at such a young age. I am also a newbie here and must tell you that you have definitely come to the right place for guidance. The experienced folks here have helped set me on a successful journey to healing. When I started out here Apr.1st I went GF,DF,SF,EF,oats,raw veg,sugar,fruit,spice,supplements, meds, and now no WD for 2 1/2wks. I had a huge bloodworkup a wk ago and my diet has had no ill effects. Quality of Life has improved100% . This is the best I have felt since last summer. I'm confident that the experience & knowledgeable folks here will help you find the right path to your individual journey to healing. Be patient, it may take weeks,months,or more but it is so worth it.
Best wishes on your MC journey.

[lpbuckley]

Thanks for your reply. What does EF refer to? I know the GF, DF, SF, but not EF?

So you also removed all supplements? Do you plan to add foods back in? I guess I'm just not sure where to go from here, because I'm already doing a lot of diet restrictions. Thanks!

[Deb]

EF is egg free! I am impressed by your willingness to try all this. I'm not sure I would have. Good luck. Deb (age 61)

[Leah]

Hi Louise. Welcome. I applaud what you have done so far. All of us are a bit different when it comes to our food intolerances. You have already taken the big ones out ( G,D,S), but you should know that if you are producing antibodies to gluten, it takes about 4 months to rid yourself of these half life antibodies . Be patient. it takes a long time to heal the gut. You said that you have seen improvement with frequency. That's progress. Now, having said that, I do think that you have too much fiber in your diet. Most of us only eat well cooked vegetables at first and mostly carrots , squash and green beans to start. No fruit except some of us can eat bananas. I know that it seems "unhealthy", but now is not the time to worry about that. Once you heal your gut, it will be able to handle more fiber and you can test these foods back in when you are better. I was able to add raw veggies back in slowly from about 6-12 months after i started the diet. I am even able to eat some beans now. Patience.

When it comes to grains, some of us need to go Paleo, but others can eat white rice (me), and corn products ( I can eat this also) If you want to know for sure, and are willing to pay for your own testing, look into the testing at Enterolab. The results are accurate and very helpful.

I am also one of us who are able to eat eggs, but some of us can't. When I was first healing, I basically ate meats ( fresh, not left over because of histamines), cooked veggies, eggs, white rice, rice cakes with almond butter, GF Chex cereal with almond milk, corn tortillas and chips, only used olive and coconut oil, avocado, olives, and herbal tea. I hung in with that for 6 months. When I was down to one BM a day, I started testing foods back in.

Tex has written a book on MC that is very helpful, Just click on the picture of it in the upper right hand corner.

We are here to help each other. Ask anything and keep us posted
leah

[Heady]

Louise, my GI had me taking Metamucil but I cut that out. Fiber is no longer my bowel buddy! I intend on following my healing diet till after summer holidays are over. Although my WD has stopped, I have much internal healing to get through. I have booked holidays for the summer and don't want to mess with these wonderful WD free days. I feel great and will try introducing some foods back into my diet this fall. I have received the go ahead from my MD to order the Enterolab testing so intend on placing order this weekend. Hopefully that will shed more light on my diet restrictions.