I was diagnosed with LC today...

[Jumpindogs]

...and I am thrilled to find this completely awesome forum and website! Thank you so much for this wonderful service to others in such desperate need. :-)

But I am having trouble finding a list of foods to avoid. I am undoubtedly having user issues. :D Found a great post with a list of foods to avoid for mast cell issues but I don't know if that's me.

I was diagnosed with CD in the mid 1980s and have been GF since then so I am pretty experienced on the GF food thing.

My GI prescribed Budesonide along with Loperamide to hopefully be able to make the long commute to work but I also want to help my gut heal with diet. So should I avoid dairy, soy and eggs? And chocolate and caffeine? And raw fruit and raw veggies? Yikes...maybe it's easier to ask for a list of what I can eat?

I am a little sad because the low carb South Beach Diet resolved my lipid issues allowing me to remain off statin drugs. It seems like I will have to go back to carbs to be able to eat something besides lean meats and fish?

TIA for any replies. :-)

[Gabes-Apg]

Welcome to our group (and yes it is an awesome forum)
( i had just replied to your other post of same wording... have copied my reply here :-) )

there is no strict 'MC Safe' eating plan, as each person can have different triggers.

Majority of MC'ers avoid Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, and minimise sugar
when flaring avoid high fibre - salad, uncooked vegetables, fresh fruit.
avoid preservatives, additives, chemical sugars,

chocolate - high cocoa chocolate that is dairy free and soy free is ok for some ( others react)
caffine - again ok for some but not for others - listen to your body (i tolerate black coffee fine)
definately avoid raw veges and raw fruit - down the track quite a few can add back in certain salad ingredients

you can find 'safe carbs' with a MC eating plan.
we also recommend having moderate serves of animal fat (it is far healthier than vegetable sources both for MC and for good cholesterol)

read the posts (and subsequent discussions) aimed at new people, what to eat is frequently discussed...

minimising processed gluten free food items is also recommended - the flour blends cause issues for many.

hope this helps!
happy healing

[Jumpindogs]

Thank you for replying so quickly, Gabes! Much appreciated. :-) Yeah, after I posted in Foods and Food Ingredients That Should Be Avoided I read that it would've been better to post on the Main Message Board so I copied my post here. Sorry for the duplication.

I understand that each person can have different sensitivities. It's just so overwhelming for me right now that my brain is begging for a simple, fast place to immediately start this diet fix. I am happy...and extremely grateful!...to read all the posts aimed at new people and will when I have more time but I need to know what to eat today. That's why I was looking for a less time consuming way to at least get a start on this. :-)

So no gluten (not a problem for my Celiac self), dairy, eggs, soy, raw fruit, raw veggies, salad greens. Avoid preservatives, additives, sugar substitutes...is that what you mean by "chemical sugars"? And what are the "safe carbs" in a MC diet plan? I assume you are referring to my South Beach Diet carb issue? Rice and potatoes are pretty much out with SBD. What carbs are left that are GF?

Sorry for so many questions. :-(

Again, that list of what not to eat is so exhaustive that I am having trouble figuring out where to start on what to eat. GF whole grains and meat/fish/poultry with cooked fruits and veggies? That works for dinner and lunch. What do people eat for breakfast? And for snacks?

Thanks again for reading, replying and understanding my frustration. Blessings to you for putting up with me. :D

[Jumpindogs]

I would really like to try and resolve my symptoms with diet and Loperamide...just hate drugs and am so hesitant to take budesonide (Uceris) even though I understand it is relatively safe. If I start with rice cakes with almond butter and bananas for breakfast, chicken, fish, cooked veggies, cooked fruit (like applesauce) and water does that sound appropriate? Are mild, single seasonings OK? What do you guys use for sauces/flavorings?

Are there any snack tips? I work in a very busy, high stress world...Blood Bank in a Level 1 Trauma Center hospital...and sometimes can only grab a quick snack when I'm hungry.

My entire frig and pantry are all wrong right now. <sigh>

Have done some reading on this awesome forum and now understand why I have been experiencing muscle cramps...ordered some magnesium lotion. I already take 5000IU a day of D3 for my osteoporosis. Which leads me to another question. My osteoporosis doc feels my bone density scores dictate a third dose of Reclast (IV biphosphonate) but I read that the biphosphonates are to be avoided. Does the IV route of Reclast (bypassing the gut) render it safer regarding MC?

Thanks again for reading and replying to my many questions. My usually unruffled self broke down and cried this morning...I hardly ever cry...but I am feeling a little better now. :-)

[tex]

Hi Jumping,

I responded to your original post in the other category, so I won't repeat it here. I assume that you can find it. If you can't locate it, please let me know and I'll post a link.

It would be very helpful to start the day with some protein, if possible. What you mentioned should be safe, just not very nourishing. If you need a fast, easy breakfast, Rice Chex or Corn Chex with almond milk is safe for most of us (though I'm not suggesting that this is any better than what you mentioned).

Salt is the only seasoning that is safe for everyone. I use garlic salt as my only seasoning, but some people cannot tolerate garlic while they are still recovering.

If you must have sauces or gravies, make your own, from safe ingredients, because most commercial products have far too many ingredients to be safe for most of us. You can use arrowroot starch as a thickener for gravy, for example. If you can tolerate corn, corn starch works as a thickener also, or as a coating on meat or other foods for frying in coconut or olive oil. I use refined coconut oil because it does not transfer any odor to the food being fried. Virgin coconut oil leaves a coconut flavor in any food fried in it, and it has a lower smoke point than refined oil.

If you're looking for a light mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, this one works for me, especially with a little cashew butter smeared on top to make it even better. This link is for 4 packages of 8 rice rollers — kind of expensive per pound, but they are good, with safe ingredients for most of us.

http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Lane-Crunc ... B00J7HXXGA

For cashew butter, this brand is pure and safe, with excellent quality and taste.

http://www.amazon.com/Kevala-Cashew-But ... hew+butter

Again, you would be better off with more protein, but these snacks are easy and tasty.

MC is not the main reason why bisphosphonates should not be used (thought it is certainly a good reason not to use them). The main reason is the mechanism by which they artificially (and unsafely) increase bone density test scores. Patients (and their doctors) believe that the drug is helping, because bone density scores go up, but they do not prevent the main problem with osteoporosis, namely weak, brittle bones. In fact, they increase the brittleness of bones by preventing the immune system from removing old, dead bone tissue so that it can replace it with new healthy bone tissue. IOW, when a patient takes a bisphosphonate, the repair of bones is indefinitely postponed so that all that happens is that bone cells continues to die (from natural attrition) and the overall bone structure becomes increasingly brittle as more bone cells die but the immune system is prevented from replacing them with new cells, by the bisphosphonate. This makes the bones harder, but it also makes them weaker and more prone to fracture (and this is substantiated my published, peer-reviewed medical research articles).

This is why the label recommendations specify only 5 years of use, because if they are taken for much longer than 5 years, bones can become so brittle that they will sometimes break if a patient simply stands up, or walks down the street. It's a cruel hoax, and if you do a search of the medical literature you will conclude that they should be illegal. They are also known to cause a dangerous condition associated with the destruction of jawbone integrity in some patients. Trust me, bisphosphonates are not nice drugs.

If you take plenty of magnesium and vitamin D3, you will have no need for any medical intervention for bone health in the long term. IMO magnesium deficiency is the number 1 cause of osteoporosis, and vitamin D deficiency is the number 2 cause. This is because osteoporosis is almost always associated with gluten sensitivity, and untreated gluten sensitivity depletes magnesium and vitamin D (because of the malabsorption problems associated with untreated gluten sensitivity and other food sensitivities). Furthermore, all corticosteroids (used for treating MC and other IBDs) deplete magnesium. All antibiotics deplete magnsium, some worse than others. And many other drugs deplete magnesium, including calcium supplements.

Hey — chin up. You're going to get your health back. You just need to polish up your treatment program a bit, and we can help you with that, because we've been where you are. No one truly understands this disease unless they have it. That's why we consider ourselves a family here. We have a very powerful bond in that we all live with and understand MC. Yes, there is definitely life after MC. And life after MC is as enjoyable as we choose to make it.

Tex

[Erica P-G]

Welcome Jumping!

Something that is a Super Protein is Bone Broth Soup. I cook off a Cornish hen (get a generic low seasoned one - Tyson does not seem to be safe for me) debone it and save the meat in the fridge.

Fill a great big crockpot with water and add some Sea Salt and the Cornish hen bones and a dash of cider vinegar. Let this cook a good long while, either over night or most of a day.

Transfer the broth to a pot on the stove. In the mean time think about a couple safe veges that might taste good and dice them up and add to the pot (I use carrot and celery) let this cook away until super soft. If this is where you want to stop great other wise I add Tikiyada Gluten free noodles to make a gigantic pot of Cornish hen noodle soup :-)

I portion this out and put the majority in the freezer in individual servings, and I eat this every day for lunch. It's just a basic step, but it is one that if you are not feeling like cooking or feeling crummy some day it is exactly what the Dr. would order It's hot and welcoming any time of year plus it is so full of good aminos your body will love you for it.

Plus I can't stress eating protein Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner enough....this and steamed white rice got me through my hardest times last Summer.
Cheers
Erica

[Gabes-Apg]

Crying is good! it is part of the acceptance process.. it is cleansing. releasing emotions and clearing you head a bit to embrace your adventures in MC World!



it is spring for you... perfect time to clean out and start afresh.....

the things we are saying and what you are reading are hard to digest at first (pun intended) hang in there..
take it a meal at time, a day at a time. figure out some safe lunches, then safe evening meals, then safe breakfasts. you dont have to do it all in one day, one week... go at a pace that you can handle.....


breakfast ideas
for days that i am working, breakfast is my main meal

one option - reheated vegetables (that have been cooked in bone broth) with safe proteins
second option - stew - again cooked with bone broth, frozen in meal portions. take out of fridge night before, reheat in saucepan (I dont use microwave)

both options the protein is a healthy serve

for snacks
I boil chicken breast in bone broth, eat this cold with avocado
I also use a rice protein drink
other options that may suit you
make paleo type muffins using coconut flour/almond flour you can make them sweet using honey, or savoury

you will find that if you are having good serves of protein with your meals, you wont be that hungry..

hope this helps

[Gabes-Apg]

oh forgot to mention
my safe veges are Cauliflower, sweet potato, carrot, small serve of white potato, parsnip.

sometimes veges are baby asparagus, steamed cabbage, cooked baby spinach, zucchini (?courgette in USA) suede (rutabaga in USA)

[Jumpindogs]

Hi Jumping,

I responded to your original post in the other category, so I won't repeat it here. I assume that you can find it. If you can't locate it, please let me know and I'll post a link.

It would be very helpful to start the day with some protein, if possible. What you mentioned should be safe, just not very nourishing. If you need a fast, easy breakfast, Rice Chex or Corn Chex with almond milk is safe for most of us (though I'm not suggesting that this is any better than what you mentioned).

Salt is the only seasoning that is safe for everyone. I use garlic salt as my only seasoning, but some people cannot tolerate garlic while they are still recovering.

If you must have sauces or gravies, make your own, from safe ingredients, because most commercial products have far too many ingredients to be safe for most of us. You can use arrowroot starch as a thickener for gravy, for example. If you can tolerate corn, corn starch works as a thickener also, or as a coating on meat or other foods for frying in coconut or olive oil. I use refined coconut oil because it does not transfer any odor to the food being fried. Virgin coconut oil leaves a coconut flavor in any food fried in it, and it has a lower smoke point than refined oil.

If you're looking for a light mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, this one works for me, especially with a little cashew butter smeared on top to make it even better. This link is for 4 packages of 8 rice rollers — kind of expensive per pound, but they are good, with safe ingredients for most of us.

http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Lane-Crunc ... B00J7HXXGA

For cashew butter, this brand is pure and safe, with excellent quality and taste.

http://www.amazon.com/Kevala-Cashew-But ... hew+butter

Again, you would be better off with more protein, but these snacks are easy and tasty.

MC is not the main reason why bisphosphonates should not be used (thought it is certainly a good reason not to use them). The main reason is the mechanism by which they artificially (and unsafely) increase bone density test scores. Patients (and their doctors) believe that the drug is helping, because bone density scores go up, but they do not prevent the main problem with osteoporosis, namely weak, brittle bones. In fact, they increase the brittleness of bones by preventing the immune system from removing old, dead bone tissue so that it can replace it with new healthy bone tissue. IOW, when a patient takes a bisphosphonate, the repair of bones is indefinitely postponed so that all that happens is that bone cells continues to die (from natural attrition) and the overall bone structure becomes increasingly brittle as more bone cells die but the immune system is prevented from replacing them with new cells, by the bisphosphonate. This makes the bones harder, but it also makes them weaker and more prone to fracture (and this is substantiated my published, peer-reviewed medical research articles).

This is why the label recommendations specify only 5 years of use, because if they are taken for much longer than 5 years, bones can become so brittle that they will sometimes break if a patient simply stands up, or walks down the street. It's a cruel hoax, and if you do a search of the medical literature you will conclude that they should be illegal. They are also known to cause a dangerous condition associated with the destruction of jawbone integrity in some patients. Trust me, bisphosphonates are not nice drugs.

If you take plenty of magnesium and vitamin D3, you will have no need for any medical intervention for bone health in the long term. IMO magnesium deficiency is the number 1 cause of osteoporosis, and vitamin D deficiency is the number 2 cause. This is because osteoporosis is almost always associated with gluten sensitivity, and untreated gluten sensitivity depletes magnesium and vitamin D (because of the malabsorption problems associated with untreated gluten sensitivity and other food sensitivities). Furthermore, all corticosteroids (used for treating MC and other IBDs) deplete magnesium. All antibiotics deplete magnsium, some worse than others. And many other drugs deplete magnesium, including calcium supplements.

Hey — chin up. You're going to get your health back. You just need to polish up your treatment program a bit, and we can help you with that, because we've been where you are. No one truly understands this disease unless they have it. That's why we consider ourselves a family here. We have a very powerful bond in that we all live with and understand MC. Yes, there is definitely life after MC. And life after MC is as enjoyable as we choose to make it.

Tex

Sorry I haven't responded to your informative message, Tex. I realize now I should've just stayed with my original message in the Foods forum and not duplicated it here. Sorry about that!

Thanks so much for all this info. And thanks so much for writing that book...I am devouring it as time permits. :-)

So now I understand that I have an initial diet...the colon heal diet. To be followed by the testing phase diet in which I hopefully discover which foods I can and cannot tolerate. To be followed by my new lifelong diet which will prolly require tweaking here and there as symptoms dictate. Does that sound right?

Right now I am eating plain chicken (nothing added or injected to my knowledge), red and sweet potatoes (no skin), bananas, garlic salt, olive oil, applesauce and water. I am cooking the chicken and potatoes in olive oil and garlic salt. I found potato chips at SAMs Club with potatoes, olive oil and salt as the only ingredients and have been eating those too. Maybe I should switch to plain salt? I know I shouldn't have added the applesauce but I read that it's the substitute for chicken for vegans so figured it would be OK. I need some palate freshening!

I love protein but can't seem to handle eating chicken for breakfast...just cannot choke it down. I've always eaten a big breakfast with lots of protein so I am floundering a bit for breakfast.

I also started the Uceris 9 mg every other day. And one Loperamide on days I work although I've only taken one since it seems to have really stopped the train, so to speak. :D

I read your comments on osteoporosis with great interest. Although I have been on a strict GF diet since the mid 1980s when I was diagnosed...with fewer unintentional glutinous meals than I can count on one hand...and GI symptom-free for all those years except for the few unintentional lapses. Until now. So since my gluten sensitivity was not untreated and my D3 levels have been fine...not sure about magnesium although now it's prolly low cause I've been charlie horsing at night...does it seem that there might be another reason for my crummy bone density scores? I was eating so much dairy that a year after my osteo diagnosis my doc took me off calcium supplements so I haven't been slamming those either. I also was eating lots of spinach, nuts, fish, dried apricots and dark chocolate (my vice) plus some avocado...foods known to supply magnesium.

I am awaiting the appeal process from my insurance company for my next Reclast infusion (a biphosphonate as you prolly know). They always deny the request and then typically approve on appeal. Now I am wondering if I should pass on the Reclast for now.

BTW, are you able to share the name and source for the safe snack bars you mention in your book?

Thanks again for helping me. I'd be so lost without you guys. Thank you for living out love!

[Jumpindogs]

Welcome Jumping!

Something that is a Super Protein is Bone Broth Soup. I cook off a Cornish hen (get a generic low seasoned one - Tyson does not seem to be safe for me) debone it and save the meat in the fridge.

Fill a great big crockpot with water and add some Sea Salt and the Cornish hen bones and a dash of cider vinegar. Let this cook a good long while, either over night or most of a day.

Transfer the broth to a pot on the stove. In the mean time think about a couple safe veges that might taste good and dice them up and add to the pot (I use carrot and celery) let this cook away until super soft. If this is where you want to stop great other wise I add Tikiyada Gluten free noodles to make a gigantic pot of Cornish hen noodle soup :-)

I portion this out and put the majority in the freezer in individual servings, and I eat this every day for lunch. It's just a basic step, but it is one that if you are not feeling like cooking or feeling crummy some day it is exactly what the Dr. would order It's hot and welcoming any time of year plus it is so full of good aminos your body will love you for it.

Plus I can't stress eating protein Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner enough....this and steamed white rice got me through my hardest times last Summer.
Cheers
Erica

Thank you so much, Erica! I will do everything you suggest once I transition off my colon heal phase. I love Cornish hens. :-) Not much of a soup gal but I will become one...I can do that.

[Jumpindogs]

Crying is good! it is part of the acceptance process.. it is cleansing. releasing emotions and clearing you head a bit to embrace your adventures in MC World!



it is spring for you... perfect time to clean out and start afresh.....

the things we are saying and what you are reading are hard to digest at first (pun intended) hang in there..
take it a meal at time, a day at a time. figure out some safe lunches, then safe evening meals, then safe breakfasts. you dont have to do it all in one day, one week... go at a pace that you can handle.....


breakfast ideas
for days that i am working, breakfast is my main meal

one option - reheated vegetables (that have been cooked in bone broth) with safe proteins
second option - stew - again cooked with bone broth, frozen in meal portions. take out of fridge night before, reheat in saucepan (I dont use microwave)

both options the protein is a healthy serve

for snacks
I boil chicken breast in bone broth, eat this cold with avocado
I also use a rice protein drink
other options that may suit you
make paleo type muffins using coconut flour/almond flour you can make them sweet using honey, or savoury

you will find that if you are having good serves of protein with your meals, you wont be that hungry..

hope this helps

Thanks for the hug, Gabes. :-) I sure needed that. I think I am over the crying...for now. Hahaha!

I very much appreciate all your great ideas. Filing all that you and Tex and Erica have posted away for future use when I begin to figure out my sensitivities. Trying to get used to this colon heal diet now. I am comfy with a restricted diet, having eaten GF since the mid 1980s, but this extremely limited colon heal diet is admittedly tough day in and day out.

[Gabes-Apg]

I have been on bland low amount of ingredients eating plan for over 6 years,
the first 3-6 months are the hardest... after that it doesnt phase you as much.
it is my eating plan for life so 'it is what it is'

[tex]

Research shows that most people in the general population are magnesium deficient. Virtually everyone who has a digestive system disease has a magnesium deficiency because IBDs deplete magnesium (did you know that celiac disease is an IBD?) Few people (especially doctors) recognize that calcium supplements rapidly deplete magnesium. Coffee depletes magnesium. Many medications deplete magnesium. Those are some of the reasons why I have no doubt that you have a magnesium deficiency (confirmed by the leg cramps). During the day, we usually get enough magnesium in our diet to get by, but at night there's no magnesium coming in, so as the blood begins to run low on magnesium, it gets what it needs out of storage in muscle tissue. And since most of the muscle tissue in humans is in their legs, as the leg muscles run out of magnesium during the night, they get cramps. Remember that the heart is also made of muscle. We definitely don't want any cramps to develop there.

IOW if you were taking calcium supplements (or using a lot of milk, or any other source of calcium), and not taking a magnesium supplement and vitamin D, you were depleting magnesium and after a while there was no way that you could utilize the calcium in your diet. Whenever calcium is supplemented, an equal amount of magnesium should be taken (a 1:1 ratio), or magnesium reserves will eventually be depleted. And once reserves are depleted, it takes a long time and a lot of magnesium to rebuild the reserves. Anyway, this is how osteoporosis develops and progresses, despite having plenty of calcium in the diet. The more calcium we have in our diet, the faster magnesium will be depleted, and the faster osteoporosis progresses (if we aren't taking a substantial magnesium supplement).

For snack bars there are Larabars and several other brands that can be found in health food stores, but you always have to check the label because there are many different flavors and versions, and we can only tolerate certain ones that fit our personal requirements.

Tex

[Jumpindogs]

Research shows that most people in the general population are magnesium deficient. Virtually everyone who has a digestive system disease has a magnesium deficiency because IBDs deplete magnesium (did you know that celiac disease is an IBD?) Few people (especially doctors) recognize that calcium supplements rapidly deplete magnesium. Coffee depletes magnesium. Many medications deplete magnesium. Those are some of the reasons why I have no doubt that you have a magnesium deficiency (confirmed by the leg cramps). During the day, we usually get enough magnesium in our diet to get by, but at night there's no magnesium coming in, so as the blood begins to run low on magnesium, it gets what it needs out of storage in muscle tissue. And since most of the muscle tissue in humans is in their legs, as the leg muscles run out of magnesium during the night, they get cramps. Remember that the heart is also made of muscle. We definitely don't want any cramps to develop there.

IOW if you were taking calcium supplements (or using a lot of milk, or any other source of calcium), and not taking a magnesium supplement and vitamin D, you were depleting magnesium and after a while there was no way that you could utilize the calcium in your diet. Whenever calcium is supplemented, an equal amount of magnesium should be taken (a 1:1 ratio), or magnesium reserves will eventually be depleted. And once reserves are depleted, it takes a long time and a lot of magnesium to rebuild the reserves. Anyway, this is how osteoporosis develops and progresses, despite having plenty of calcium in the diet. The more calcium we have in our diet, the faster magnesium will be depleted, and the faster osteoporosis progresses (if we aren't taking a substantial magnesium supplement).

For snack bars there are Larabars and several other brands that can be found in health food stores, but you always have to check the label because there are many different flavors and versions, and we can only tolerate certain ones that fit our personal requirements.

Tex

Thanks again, Tex. I looked at the Larabars on their website, starting with their protein bars of course, and I see that the protein bars all have stuff that many LCs should steer clear of...chocolate, legumes, nuts, etc. There are so many flavors available though. Any chance you can help me zero in on the safest flavors...I mean those safe for the majority of LCs? I realize each of us have different sensitivities and that I will have to evaluate the suitability of any bar after the testing phase of my diet.

And thanks for explaining the magnesium/calcium correlation so clearly for my brain. :-) Do you have any online sources for a quality magnesium supplement?

It strikes me that I should also take a calcium supplement since I am no longer eating any dairy or spinach and that is where I was getting my calcium. Does that make sense? Do you have any online sources for a safe calcium supplement?

Thanks for adding my avatar! You're the best, Tex. :-) Like I said...angels here. <3

[Jumpindogs]

Thinking now I should work on getting my mag levels up before adding a calcium supplement in that 1:1 ratio. But what to do about my upcoming Reclast infusion? I suppose I need to revisit my osteo doc.

BTW, I did find the sticky on magnesium. It is very helpful!