Corn Starch

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 6:07 am

I'm just 2 days into the Elimination diet. Wondering about using a little corn starch to thicken up some chicken broth to put over a baked potatoe. Would that be a no-no?

Post by **tex** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:04 am

The idea behind the elimination diet is to eliminate as many of the major inflammatory risks as possible. If you continue to ingest even a single inflammatory food, you probably will not be able to reach stable remission (you will relapse when you wean off the budesonide). It's a game of probability and statistics. Chances are, you are probably not sensitive to corn and you will be able to add it back into your diet after you are in remission. But why take a chance on dooming your treatment to failure just so you can thicken some broth? If you feel that you must thicken it, use arrowroot starch. No one reacts to it.

Tex

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:19 am

Thanks Tex. That's what I needed to know - whether corn starch is an inflammatory food or not. No I don't want to use anything that's considered inflammatory. What about the garlic salt I'm using; the canned chicken broth and the small amnt of canola oil. Also, I know one poster said do elimination diet for two weeks but I've seen other posts that indicate months instead of weeks?

Post by **tex** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:29 am

Some people have trouble with garlic itself, but garlic salt is usually fine and it adds a lot of flavor to many foods.

I would continue the elimination diet about two weeks past the onset of remission before attempting to carefully and methodically reintroduce any additional foods. But this only applies to treatment without budesonide. If you're using budesonide, you will be blind to when dietary remission actually occurs. Most people find that a safe time is approximately 6 months, but it could be more or less. Budesonide masks the symptoms, but it really complicates the process of deciding when dietary additions might be safe.

Tex

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:11 am

"Past the onset of remission"
Is going from watery D to mushy defined as onset of remission? Or you probably mean actual remission not just the beginning of it. And besides I spoke too soon. Had a thin breakfast pork chops and applesauce for breakfast. 30 minotes later watery D.

and I don't know if it's what I ate or that I reduced to 6 MG of Busesonide yesterday. This is so confusing g.

Post by **tex** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 12:42 pm

Kathy wrote:Is going from watery D to mushy defined as onset of remission?

No, that would be a preliminary stage. I meant actual remission. The setback might have been caused by the applesauce, or you might be sensitive to pork. Or it might have just been due to the fact that you ate something and you're still inflamed. If you're taking budesonide, though (and you've been taking it for at least a few days), it probably means that you are very sensitive to something you ate.

Don't expect an instant cure — it's a process that requires learning and slow healing. If you want to minimize the risk of a problem with your protein source, use turkey or lamb, or venison or duck, goose, rabbit, alligator, antelope, pheasant, etc., or some other wild-type meat, whether it's actually wild or farm-raised, such as red deer or axis deer.

Getting started is really tough, sometimes. It gets easier as you start to heal.

Tex

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:18 pm

Thanks Tex. Your encouragement is well..... encouraging.

I just get my hopes up when I have a couple of good days, thinking I've turned a corner and then my hopes get dashed. I definitely will avoid pork. Just came from the grocer. Wish I had bought some turkey. I really would rather think it was what I ate as opposed to the fact that I reduced the Budesonide from 9 to 6 mg yesterday. I abosolutely can't afford to continue 9 mg a day at $250 a month. Plus I am anxious to get off of it. BUT I will follow your advice and go slowly with that. I read the label on my applesauce and it has high fructose corn syrup. I just bought some that is unsweetened. Figured if I can't tolerate it I can stir in a tiny bit of sugar. Also the last can of peaches I bought were light but still had fructose in it. I got some in juice only. Also bought Rice Chex and almond milk. I know I can do this and that I have to be patient. I just need to feel like I'm on the right track. Like I just need some feeling of control over whats happening too me.

Post by **tex** » Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:34 pm

Recovery requires faith. We continue to react for much longer than we expect because of the residual damage to our intestines that must be at least partially healed before we can gain remission. Typically, we will see unexplained setbacks from time to time, but they will become shorter and less frequent as we begin to recover.

Regarding the applesauce, don't overdo it — remember that we have to minimize fiber while recovering.

Tex

carolm · Post by **carolm** » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:43 pm

Hi Kathy-
Just a random thought ... sometimes I think the setback isn’t always what we eat. I certainly see changes when my seasonal allergies hit. Or I’m fatigued because I overdid it physically. Or maybe I had some insomnia and am stressed about something. Follow Tex’s advice on your diet and be aware that there may be times when you are doing things right and still not getting the result you expected. It may be from some reason that’s not as obvious as food. (When I kept my ‘food and poop log’ I started writing down how I was feeling that day or if anything unusual was going on in my life. It helped me to see trends).

Best wishes,
Carol

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:06 pm

Agree with Carol - it is not always about food...

change in routine, change in weather, bad sleep, environmental toxins like chemicals, pollution, mold etc can cause increase in inflammation in the body.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:58 am

Well phoo! I was feeling like by controlling what I eat, I could control the MC, at least eventually. I am still having trouble accepting this. I want to go back to 6 months ago when I was feeling fine.

But I know nobody wants this and life just isn't always fair. I have to just keep reminding myself, we're not in Heaven yet and why not me? There are worse things. Thankful for this forum and all of you.

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 6:03 am

so I am confused about Zantac. I thought I had read that it can cause a person to be predisposed to MC and yet I've read on this site that it is an antihistamine and is good to take with MC? I have frequent spells of just a "burning" feeling in my stomach. Its not hearburn because its not that high. Its below the rib cage across my actual stomach or maybe small intestines. I had taken Zantac in the past and it does help. But then aften I read that it, along with Nexium could have been the cause of my MC, I quit taking it. Is it actually ok and could I take it daily?

Post by **tex** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:10 am

Zantac is an H2 blocker — it does not have any of the bad side effects of PPIs. Nexium (and all of the other PPIs) are bad news. If you feel that you need an antacid more effective than tums, then H2 blockers are usually safe to use, and are usually more effective. They can also be helpful when you feel that you need an antihistamine and regular H1 antihistamines are not effective. Yes, for a few of us, an H2 blocker can trigger MC, but that is a relatively small percentage. There is probably no such thing as a medication that someone, somewhere, does not react to.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

Tex

grannykathy · Post by **grannykathy** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:41 am

Thanks Tex. So good to know. I have been suffering through that discomfort because I thought I couldn't take the Zantac. Tums just doesn't seem to do it for me. Doubly good to know it actually works as an antihistamine as well - especially this time of year.

Post by **tex** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 1:31 pm

Don't let me confuse you on the antihistamine issue. The upper respiratory system contains H1 receptors. Therefore for hayfever and other respiratory allergies we use conventional H1 antihistamines. But some of us have histamine issues in our intestines, and for that we need the H2 type antihistamines, because the receptors are H2 type in the stomach and intestines.

Tex