An update, spring & fall are bad for me

[Gabes-Apg]

when I am flaring I struggle with process flour type items.
Are you having good serves of well cooked protein each meal?
when flaring the best meals are well cooked safe proteins and one or two safe veges.

[suzieq]

Hi Gabes,

For breakfast I have corn chex, I'm not much of a breakfast person. For lunch I either have homemade chicken soup with lots of chicken and carrots or chicken and well cooked carrots and green beans. For dinner I have whatever I make with well cooked veggies. I have an occasional baked potato or baked sweet potato. I avoid the veggies on the high fodmap list. I try not to snack and I drink a lot of water.

Thanks,
Susanne

[Gabes-Apg]

in your post further up you mention that the grits with maple syrup have become a meal for you?

and the dinner meal - is it good serve of bland, well cooked safe protein?

[suzieq]

I've had grits for lunch a few times and once for dinner. I made my husband pasta (not gluten free) with pesto sauce for dinner and I didn't have the energy to make anything for myself so I made grits.

I make a lot of chicken, steak, and plain fish grilled with no seasonings in foil packets. I think they are safe.

[Gabes-Apg]

a few observations that may be contributing to the situation

- I would double check the fish in foil pouches for soy yeast extracts etc
- are you using separate cookware for your food items?
- if you husband is having gluten based products do you think you are getting airborne gluten particles on your meals, plates etc?
- having safe protein every meal has been proven to be fairly important for the healing journey. I know it is hard when we don't feel well. A good option is to make up a big batch of stew/soup that is safe and freeze it into meal portions, that way you have a premade Suzie safe high protein meal that you can warm up while your husbands meal is cooking.

if you are quite reactive to gluten, then the things like corn chex and the grits may still have small amounts of gluten - even though the product is labelled as gluten free. For a product to be labelled as gluten free in the USA, it can have 20 ppm of gluten still within the product. this doesn't sound like much, albeit for people who are super reactive (and inflamed from other sources like pollen or stress etc) then this is enough to cause ongoing issues.
in your case maybe the combo of the corn chex with grits, AND preparing meals with gluten for your husband AND/OR using shared cookware is taking you over the limit of what your body can handle exposure to...

hope this helps.

[Gabes-Apg]

I just checked your enterolab results - and your gluten result was quite high (and your mean value below 10) this means that gluten is a highly reactive item for you, and based on these results you are someone who is more likely to react to small amounts of contamination compared to others etc..

[suzieq]

Thanks so much Gabes.

I do prepare my lunches for the week and freeze them, the homemade chicken soup and chicken with veggies. The fish I make only has a little olive oil on the bottom so it doesn't stick to the foil. I have a small freezer that has my husband's bread, English muffins, hot dog/hamburger rolls in it but my items are in storage containers. Maybe I need to get a separate little freezer for my food.

You made some very good points and suggestions and I'm sure I am not vigilant enough and there is cross contamination going on in my kitchen. If I am that highly reactive to gluten than I must make the changes that you suggested, i.e. separate cookware and dishes, utensils. I did mention to my husband that I shouldn't have handled the hot dog rolls he had the other day, that he should have done it.

What to have for lunch and dinner I have covered ok, it's breakfast that is the problem. I would love eggs and bacon but I can't have eggs and bacon is too fatty. I used to be able to eat everything growing up and now not much.

Again, thank you.

[Gabes-Apg]

my breakfast type meals (and have been for the past 7 years)
- home made stew (ground meat, veges cooked in home made bone broth) frozen into portions
- reheat baked vegetables and have with safe proteins

in the hot aussie summer, having hot meal at breakfast suits me better as it is easier to have in the cooler morning temps.
I personally react to olive oil ( and it could be because quite a few brands of olive oil use soy oil as filler, so the oil is not 100% pure)

options in regards to handling your husbands food - either wear food preparation gloves to handle his items, or be super diligent about washing your hands thoroughly after preparing his food items.

How much Vit D3, magnesium are you taking?
are you taking P5P (active form of B6) which helps to reduce histamine inflammation?

[suzieq]

I take 5,000 IU of D3, I use magnesium lotion on my feet and magnesium spray on my legs, I don't know if it is enough. I don't take P5P.

The olive oil label says only extra virgin olive oil. I do wash my hands after preparing his food but will get gloves. I generally serve him the same food that I have for dinner but I make rice mixes for him. He adds seasonings if he wants to.

[Gabes-Apg]

this article has a list of the brands that were found to have 'undeclared' fillers
http://runhealthylifestyle.com/2017/04/ ... -brands-2/

your current magnesium application, might be on the low side of magnesium intake (check the label on the product as to how much elemental magnesium you are getting for x amount of sprays/portion of lotion etc.
the aim is to have at least 400mg of elemental magnesium per day.

given your histamine issues, I would suggest taking P5P
the Thorne P5P product is good. or the Thorne Methyl Guard that is B6, B9 and B12 all in active forms is also very good.

[suzieq]

Thanks Gabes

The olive oil wasn't on either list.

I checked and the magnesium intake is on the low side. I am going to order the P5P you suggested and maybe a magnesium supplement, I know taking to much can give you D.

I leave tomorrow for my trip, no D today, it was a Norman but I have my Imodium packed in case I need it.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your advice.

Susanne

[Gabes-Apg]

taking small doses of oral magnesium, along with using topical is low risk to cause D issues.
start slow on the oral magnesium Ie half a tablet once a day for a few days, then half a tablet twice a day for a few days... this will minimise any issues gut wise.

good luck for the trip, if you be super careful about the contamination, you may not need the immodium!

[Erica P-G]

I just started the PatchMd that contains VitD 2000, Calcium 1000, VitK 200mcg , and 250 mg Mag Malate. No reaction and I've used two patches so far....Is the Malate a good external choice? If so this could be a good option for those concerned about D, and I notice I don't have to take any internal Magnesium because I spray at least 240mg Lifeflo on the legs in the mornings so I get close to 500mg daily now....so excited!

[suzieq]

Hi all,

Erica - thank you for the information on PatchMD. I can't swallow calcium pills, I've choked on them, so the patch would be perfect, it has calcium in them. I'm going to give them a try.

Gabes - I found chelated magnesium, I think it was, 200 mg tablets. I will be ordering them and will start slowly.

My trip was not good, I should have stayed home and paid the rebooking fees, it was a nightmare. The morning of my flight I had watery D, 5 Imodium's later I was out of the house and made the trip to NJ with no problems, that was a Tuesday. The effects of the Imodium were with me till Saturday and Sunday when I had normans but Monday the D came back with a vengeance. I was out with friends, I had to excuse myself for quite awhile, and ran to the bathroom, D. When I was able to come out of the bathroom, I asked my ride to bring me back to my sisters asap., more D when I got home. I took Imodium because I wanted to get some sleep. I took Imodium Tuesday and Wednesday even thought I didn't have D, I needed to make my flight home and I was paranoid. I made it home with no incidents. For 2 days I sat in my sisters house so I would be near the bathroom and I just didn't feel well. I didn't get to see everyone I had hoped to on my visit. I was supposed to go into NYC by train to see my son and daughter for a few days, that didn't happen. My daughter rented a car and drove out to see me, my son had to work. I'm still plugged up from the Imodium!!

Tex, you were right, 1 Entocort a day does nothing to control a flare. I am going to call the Dr. on Monday and ask for the full prescription 3 pills a day. I didn't call when I got back, I wanted to see what would happen after the Imodium wears off, should be any time now. The belly's starting to percolate again.

My sisters mean well but they just don't get what's involved in being GF, EF, SF & CF. They make faces at some of the things I mentioned, like separate cookware, etc. They just don't get it.

I have learned I have to take 1 day at a time. I won't make any plans until this flare is under control.

Thanks again for the advice and for listening.

Susanne

[Gabes-Apg]

Susanne
so sorry your trip worked out that way - not ideal.
it is difficult when family/friends do not embrace your eating plan and the importance of it, even more so when you are away from home and more vulnerable. and that you didnt get to see your Son.

Stick with your safe meals, nurture yourself. while you wait for the Magnesium to arrive, maybe do some epsom salt foot soaks. especially while you are taking calcium, as you will need at least 500mg of elemental magnesium per day to balance the needs of your body.

that coupled with P5P will help the histamine issues and I hope the prescription from the doctor comes through so you can get some quiet time and heal.