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I was hoping I could get some additional guidance as to what foods to add back and how soon to add them after starting an elimination diet.
I have been on a basic diet of turkey, rice, sweet potatoes, and some vegetables, and almond milk. I am going to start trying new vegetables but was wondering if it is too soon to start trying fruits. I have been feeling so much better after 6 weeks with no WD! From what I have been reading it takes an adult a year or two for the gut to truly heal. Is it best to wait for longer before trying foods that might be harder to digest? I have an intolerance to gluten, soy, eggs and milk. Is it best not to try foods that have small amounts of egg or milk in them? When do you consider someone to be in remission?
Those are tough questions, because we are all different in our response to treatment. You say you have been free from WD for 6 weeks. But the question is, "Are you having normal bowel movements, or do you still have D? If you are having normal BMs, then you may be able to add certain safe foods back into your diet. Gluten, soy, and dairy products will probably be permanent problems, but many of us are able to eat eggs in baked foods after maybe a year or so of healing. But you might be able to eat duck eggs now, if you can find them in your area.
In order to allow our digestive system to truly heal we have to totally avoid all traces of any food to which our immune system produces antibodies. If we cheat we are only cheating our own health. That said, after we have been in remission for a year or more we might be able to eat small amounts of certain problem foods and suffer only minor symptoms, but if we continue to do so, we will slowly unravel our healing and the inflammation will take over again.
6 weeks is not a very long healing period. If you are still having D you would probably heal faster if you don't do much experimenting with adding foods at this point. It typically takes several months or more on a very limited diet to get back to a condition of good digestion and normal BMs.
As long as vegetables are well-cooked (over-cooked), you may be able to experiment with adding other vegetables, but it's best to not overdo it. That also applies to fruit. You may be able to eat well-cooked fruit (including canned fruit). Most of us can tolerate raw banana at any stage, but all other raw fruits should be reserved until after you have been in stable remission for a significant length of time. Citrus fruits usually cause problems for us until after we have healed for a longer period of time, and that includes tomatoes.
Everyone has their own definition of remission, depending on their bowel habits before their symptoms began, so the definition can vary widely. IMO remission is when we are back to the same condition we were in before our symptoms began. And remember that the texture and form of BMs (IOW the Bristol Scale ratings) also depend on our diet. Someone who lives on steak and potatoes will almost surely have different BMs than someone who lives on a vegan diet, for example, or someone who lives on a diet heavily spiced with chili peppers.
So basically IMO our personal definition of remission should be based on how we are doing compared with how we were doing before our symptoms began.
Tex
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.
I agree with Tex when he says six weeks isn't long in the healing process and that you should proceed adding
food cautiously.
The first fruit I added to my diet were the berries - blue berries, strawberries and raspberries. I added a very small quantity of one type at a time and just observed BM's and how my body felt. The best items to add before fruit imo are vegetables and green herbs. I found cilantro very useful for flavouring and use tumeric in just about all my meals to add flvour and colour. I found my early diet needed a colour boost and greens to make it more interesting.
I made a list of my favourite foods and prioritised adding those first. There are no hard and fast rules for adding foods because our bodies and our food likes are so different. I was guided by the FodMap app, choosing low FidMapp items first where possible.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Hypertension
Hashimoto Thyroiditis
Allergies
Severe Atopic Reactions
HIT
Elimination Diet Start : 1/9/15
Renee
fruits may not be the best thing to start adding, so early in the healing process, the sugar can be an issue and depending in what form you have the fruit, it can be a bit high in fibre.
my suggestion would be to try one or two vegetables (well cooked) and some new proteins. carrots or cauliflower or zucchini
when trying something new only have very small amount ie egg cup size serving, wait 24 hours. It is very likely that every new item will cause small reaction, after the 24 hours have another small serving. If after the third day there is no digestion symptoms then that ingredient would be considered safe.
dont rush, i know the brain wants something different, but your gut (and the rest of you body) will love you if you keep things bland and give it more time to optimise healing.
if you are determined to add fruit, then cooked apple or small amount of banana would be the safest options. (make sure the banana is not too over ripe)
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
It means different things to different people
For me it is majority of days with minimal symptoms.
there are quite a few that with the right diet and lifestyle changes, that have no symptoms for many years
there are some that as they have multiple heath issues (like me ) remission is majority of days with minimal symtpoms
and there are a rare few that despite every effort, continue to have mild symptoms more days than not.
keep things realistic, poop wont be perfect every day. A change in water supply or change in routine can be enough to cause changes.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Gabes raises a good point — the more AI issues we have, the more difficult it is to totally eliminate all symptoms. All AI diseases are caused by inflammation, so everything affects everything else, making it very difficult sometimes to get numerous AI problems to "play nice" together.
Tex
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.
I agree with Gabes...
Remission means so many different ways to many....I go along doing ok (and this is after healing for almost 9 months now) and then it might be a mild stress that sets me off, but luckily now days the bathroom adventure only lasts a few hours and not days.
I have kept the food to a dull roar for these last 9 months....and not because my brain wasn't urging me to try this or try that....I did try a little of a few things, but my body seemed to guide me back to my basic safe foods and so here I am still rotating some ok foods that I have been getting along with for 9 months now. In the beginning is was just a few foods, so by all means find yourself a few more safe foods but keep the choices easy. I only eat 2 veggies (corn - which comes in a variety of ways, chips etc... and carrot), I don't eat any fruit ( I might taste a small slice of apple once in a great while), I eat 4-5 meat types and I eat rice and some potato.
Don't feel bad if you want to branch out, we've all been there, just give it more time
Cheers
Erica
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Renee
i was listening to a podcast this morning about acceptance and this type of discussion about remission came to mind..
one thing to keep in mind - being in remission doesnt mean you have 'got rid of' or 'fully healed' MC.
MC is in us for life. we cant exterminate it or eradicate it totally.
Another element of remission is that we are at peace with living with MC.
We know it is there, we know its triggers, we know our limits physically, mentally, emotionally.
We know how to socialise, travel, get through tough days at work or family gatherings.
We understand the messages from our body to know if the digestion is going well enough to have a treat of eating out or to have some sometimes type foods.
We know the days that we need keep our meals bland and easy and rest a bit more
we have our safe products, our shopping and cooking routine sorted and life 'flows' - we are not overthinking too much.
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Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Hi Renee. You should be so proud of yourself for doing such a good job with your diet and be really happy that you have no more WD! Six weeks is not a very long time ( do you take any drugs?). The first food I would try is white potato. That was my first try ( after 6 months) and I was so happy to have them! After that, I tested white and black beans with success, then a small salad....etc. Fruit was the LAST food that I could tolerate and I started with very small amounts ( that was after about 1 1/2 years). The good news is that I have never had to go back on Entocort and can eat almost anything except gluten, dairy, and mostly soy ( I cheat a little with this). I have been in remission for almost four years i think. Keep up the good work and be patient. The longer you eat simply, the better chance you have to heal. Leah
From what I have been reading it takes an adult a year or two for the gut to truly heal. Is it best to wait for longer before trying foods that might be harder to digest? I have an intolerance to gluten, soy, eggs and milk. Is it best not to try foods that have small amounts of egg or milk in them? When do you consider someone to be in remission? 
