Hangry

[Annecz]

Hello!

I was diagnosed with CC six months ago and have had a restricted diet since. I've been in remission now for six weeks--woo hoo! My Enterolab results showed moderate or significant reactivity to all foods tested on the A1+C1 panel. All results were over 100, even though I ate primarily GF for many years. (Rice, oat, chicken, pork, tuna, walnut and cashew were in the moderate category and all others were significant.)

To get myself into the current state of remission, I ate rice, beef bone broth, beef gelatin, golden potato and banana. I don't understand how I could have gone into remission eating the very foods that I tested so high on. If I had not done Enterolab and simply done an elimination diet, I would have considered several of the above foods safe, since I have not reacted to them. So I don't really understand the results. How can I now move forward to test new foods that may appear to be safe (no outward reaction), but since they weren't on the Enterolab test, they may actually not be safe for me?

Given that broth, rice and potato are usually what one consumes when in a flare, what should I eat next time I have a flare (assuming there will be one)?

I'm struggling terribly with what to eat daily...too many months of zero variety or any enjoyment. I've consumed some rice cakes and rice occasionally and have not had any issue. Am I preventing myself from healing faster by eating these foods now or might I be okay if I'm still in remission?

The only foods I can eat now are: Duck eggs, banana, baked apple, shrimp, salmon, dover sole, sweet potato, cooked carrots and sunflower seed butter. I was tolerating turkey but consumed it in such large quantities daily, I believe it's what triggered gout.

Am I to avoid all nuts based on my test results, or would it be safe to try others like hazelnut, macadamia nut or pistachio?

Given my current restrictions, is there any advice on what/how I can eat for short-term business travel and a week long family vacation? What can I bring that would be safe foods for snack or meals?

Are there any "milk" replacements for almond milk or rice milk that I can't have which may be safe? Also, what would be a safe "drink" for a cocktail party?

I'm really struggling here, and I can't bear to go to the grocery store. I was never a big eater, but I need more than what I've had for the last several months and need to be able to socialize more freely. Any advice or suggestions would be ever so appreciated.

I have so much more to learn, but this site has been a life saver!

--Anne

[tex]

Hello Anne,

Enterolab doesn't just select those foods that they test at random. They test them because they're the foods most likely to cause an MC reaction. In other words, it would be very uncommon for a food that EnteroLab does not include in the A1 + C1 panels of tests, to trigger an MC reaction. That said, that certainly doesn't mean that it's not possible, although for most of us, it's very, very unlikely. Therefore, consider foods that the lab does not include in their test panels, as candidates for a safe diet. Test each one individually, of course, by eating increasingly larger portions for three days, before accepting it into your diet. If you react, of course, stop eating that food immediately, and wait until you're stabilized before trying another new food.

If you have a flare, go back to the diet that you ate as you initially recovered. Similar to other foods, the nuts you named as alternatives (hazelnuts, macadamias, and pistachios), should be safe. Expand your diet by going slowly, testing everything carefully, and listening to your body. The world is full of safe foods, if you can find them in forms that are free of the ingredients that cause you to react.

I hope this helps

Tex