Elimination Diet

[tex]

Theresa,

Thanks for the verification from your personal experience.

Tex

[layotte25]

I just started this elimination diet. Today is day 1. Before beginning, I indulged a little on some GF,DF, SF, EF etc. cookies last night. So I woke up feeling very bloated and just completely out of it. I do well with carrots and chicken so that is all I plan to eat for about a week. I don't think it will take me two weeks to be totally symptom free. I do have one question though...as I mentioned in another post I have SIBO off and on and regardless of what I eat tend to bloat throughout the day which means that I will probably bloat even just eating chicken and carrots. When I get to phase II and begin testing foods, if the only symptom I have is bloating, how will I know if it is an intolerance or if I am just bloated because of SIBO or poor digestion?

Thanks,

Leanne

[Gabes-Apg]

Leanne
there are a few symptoms to watch out for/ note in a food journal

itchy tongue/mouth
runny nose
heart burn
bloating
gas
pain
fatigue
change in poop colour, diameter etc.

these can all be signs of inflammation

one gauge i used, 1 -2 symptoms and mild in nature then it may be a 'sometimes food'
more than 2 symptoms or really intense symptoms - trigger food

during this 'intense observation period' be aware of other things that may influence the results
- change in water supply
- getting hair coloured
- having a beauty treatment or other treatment like acupuncture that can trigger a detox action (ie increase of bowel movements)
- stress or change in sleep patterns.

[layotte25]

Gabes, I'm glad you posted this. Those are symptoms I never would have even thought to pay attention to. However, I am on day 2 of the diet and still bloated. Will this bloating go down further into it? If it doesn't and I start testing, how will I know if bloating is a symptom?

Leanne

[tex]

I will probably bloat even just eating chicken and carrots. When I get to phase II and begin testing foods, if the only symptom I have is bloating, how will I know if it is an intolerance or if I am just bloated because of SIBO or poor digestion?

You have correctly noted that bloating is typically due to either poor digestion or SIBO. I would like to point out that they are almost always closely connected, and not independent issues. Every time we change our diet, or our ability to digest food changes significantly, the bacterial balance in our intestines is also forced to change, out of necessity. Virtually all gut bacteria are highly specialized, and they are opportunistic. But they can only thrive under certain conditions, when certain resources are available to them. Poor digestion caused by the inflammation associated with MC provides certain bacteria with an opportunity to prosper and become well established in the gut.

But they are just as vulnerable to beneficial changes in the diet and in digestion efficiency. IOW, as the foods that cause poor digestion and therefore open the door to allow such bacteria colonies to become established, are removed from the diet, the favorable environment that allowed them to thrive will slowly collapse, and they will eventually be unable to compete for parking space in the gut. Removal of certain foods from the diet will eradicate large populations of certain strains of bacteria that specialize in surviving on remnants and by-products of those foods. And a significant improvement in digestion efficiency will suppress the populations of certain other strains of bacteria that survive by fermenting undigested or partially-digested food.

So what I am saying is that gut bacterial balance will take care of itself, given the proper foods, and enough time for the bacteria populations to cycle through a sufficient number of generations to allow the gut to reach a condition of homeostasis. SIBO typically is not a cause of a corrupt digestive process. To the contrary, compromised digestion efficiency leads to the development of SIBO, and improved digestion should correct a condition of SIBO.

This correction won't happen overnight, so we have to give the diet time to finish the job before moving on to the next step in our recovery program. Bloating will resolve as digestion improves and gut bacteria population balances are realigned. This implies that sufficient time should be allowed so that bloating is no longer an issue before any trial and error food testing is considered.

Tex

[jovian7]

Hello, I'm new here. And still incrediblely confused as what to eat during the elimination faze. I have a autoimmune paleo book that says people with IBD shouldn't eat banana, apples, rice, eggs, corn, soy, tomatoes, and just about every vegetable I grow and eat. Then I read here vegis like broccoli and potatoes, fruit like applesauce are OK during the elimination stage. I am getting so confused and don't know what to do. Are white potatoes OK or is it only sweet potatoes? Is rice OK or not? Vegis and spenich salad with rae carrots, cucumber without any dressing?

I apologize, I am tied into knots because I've read soooo much contradicting information that I am getting scared to eat anything except chicken - and I can't live on that. I need to try the elimination diet but if I'm eating the wrong things during it, then I'm never going to get things figured out. I am really overehelmed, especially with so much contradicting things I've read. The internet is always or friend

My dr doesnt know anything about diet except to recommend going dairy free, which I have been for awhile but I have been drinking rice milk. I am currently on a 21 day course of budesonide.

Thank you in advsnce for your help, I'm desperate.

Michelle

[Gabes-Apg]

Hi michelle
welcome to the group

the really tricky part of MC is that there is no one set of ingredients that suit EVERYBODY.. that is why there is no set diet plan posted in the forum.

most do ok with;
turkey and sweet potatos is a good basis
many here can do banana's (not too overripe)
if you can access game meats (venison etc) these tend to settle better
is lamb available near where you live, this is another meat that settles better than beef

in the early stages of MC healing/elminiation diet I would avoid salad (too fibrous) and other fruits (fibre and sugar)
and avoid corn, soy, tomatoes, diary, gluten, processed flours etc

from here what other veges suit, depends on the individual. and it is situation of trial and error

hope this helps

[tex]

Hi Michelle,

Welcome to our Internet family. Gabes' response is right on target. We are all different, so we each have to develop a recovery diet that is customized for our own needs. You can download some guidelines that include additional information that might be helpful at the link below. Look for the "Download diet guidelines" link on that page.

http://www.microscopiccolitisfoundation ... loads.html

Again, welcome aboard and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex

[jovian7]

Thank you both for your response! I feel like I live out if an Immodum bottle, lol.

I have a lot of wild game, I live in Alaska and rarely eat beef, we eat caribou and moose and wild salmon,mostly, so I am good there, I believe.

Is there any green vegi that is relatively safe for the elimination phase?

[Gabes-Apg]

Michelle
thus far for me, I have not found any green vegi that i can eat daily

cooked baby asparagus and cooked baby spinach, cooked zucchini (no skin) (or summer squash) are 'sometimes' foods for me (i can have small servings occasionally) there are some here that handle broccoli

things like beans/peas tend to be troublesome for people that react to soy.

[jovian7]

Wow, it just doesn't seem like a person can stay healthy without greens. Then again, LC isn't healthy eitherand if greens contribute to it, its a wash either way, i guess. . Thank you!

[Gabes-Apg]

It is the same for fruit, dairy... Marketing tells us they are 'essential'.
I have not eaten fruit or dairy for 6 years, I do not have any calcium issues, and I do not have any Vit C issues.

Or like the discussion in the main message board about the govt recommended eating plan, that includes grains, soy etc.

It is one of the challenges of life with MC, we have to delete years of beliefs and ideals that we were told. (? Brainwashed)

Yes, minimal inflammation and healthy gut is main priority, otherwise absorption of any nutrients would be compromised.

[Erica P-G]

If this helps, I have been eating steamed White rice, over-steamed carrots, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Bone broth (turkey) - I highly recommend home made bone broth. A little avocado, a little honey, Sea Salt, Cashew or Coconut Milk, and I cook exclusively with coconut oil. I have one cup of coffee with a little (Nesquik Liquid syrup - this may be too soon of an addition until all Water Diarrhea is gone) with my breakfast. I am able to have a little winter squash now.

This has been my staple food for a while now...when I first started out I only had the rice, safe meat, honey, and coconut milk and sea salt. It has taken me since May 2015 to expand this much. I dabble here an there with some food, it is hit and miss or I find I am just not that interested in some things like I used to be.

I find along with the food that a daily antihistamine (currently Claritin Reditab), VitD3 5000 mg, and 600-800 Mg Elemental Magnesium (some externally applied) daily were important beginning points for me too. I can now take Magnesium Glycinate internally, but I also keep supplementing externally too. I have now added Zinc 50mg and a complex B vitamin which has given me better energy once again. This all takes time so don't hurry anything, your body will let you know when it is ready for the next step.

Keep reading - the Sticky Posts at the top of the Main Message board has lots of valuable information too.
Cheers
Erica

[tex]

Michelle,

You have to consider the fact that we will never be healthy until we get our symptoms under control and our gut heals enough to digest food normally again, so stopping the inflammation and healing are our first priorities. After we have been in remission for a while then we are usually able to slowly add some fruits and vegetables back into our diet if we wish, and eventually many of us can eat raw vegetables and fruit again.

But they are not essential, as Gabes mentioned. The only "vegetables" in my diet are potatoes, and that has been the case for years. My doctor is always a happy camper when he sees my lab results. One can be quite healthy on a meat-only diet if it contains enough fat to prevent the disease known as "rabbit starvation". Several of us here have recovered by using basically a meat-only diet, but most choose to add in a few other foods after our intestines have healed.

Tex

[jovian7]

Thank you everyone, for the help! I just took my last day of the Bus-whatever its called steroid and am curious to see how things go without it mitndidnt seem to be helping much so I took the old style antihistamine, which seemed to help but it made me dizzy - I have MS and dizziness from that, so I'm extra sensitive to meds that can make me dizzy. Even with the help it seems to have, the extra dizzines makes it not a real option maybe I will try a half dose.

I've been eating lots of meat, mostly wild caribou and moose (I live in Alaska), rice and rice cakes. Home made pork sausage has been a nice breakfast replacement for eggs, lettuce, cooked spinach instead of raw spinach. Today I have a small amount of the tops of cooked broccoli - but I may phase this out.
I would like to make my own bone broth but we don't keep any bones when we process caribou or moose and we rarely buy beef. Maybe next time we buy porkchop or a while chicken I can use those bones.

We had a big, scary earthquake at 1:30 am Sunday morning (7.1) and lots of aftershocks. It was a rude awakening, to say the least, and then I had a hard time sleeping afterwards. Very stressful and I was surprised how the stress took a toll on me physically. Still recovering but feeling better finally.