Testing question

[Frances F]

Hello all, I am new here and am very grateful for all this information. I'm looking for some guidance about next steps in my healing. Here's my story: I was diagnosed with LC after a colonoscopy/endoscopy in July of 2022. They also said I had gastritis, though I tend to have low stomach acid, not high. I was 'diagnosed' with celiac 20 years ago, before there was any test for it. I stopped eating gluten and felt better so my doc said I had it and just don't eat gluten. Any subsequent tests for celiac were negative, but since I haven't eaten it in 20 years I figured that was why nothing was showing up. About a year before the LC diagnosis, I was working with a functional nutritionist, which I believe helped me improve a great deal, but I still had abdominal pain. My main symptom is the pain and not the diarrhea, but I know that Tex says if there is pain there is still inflammation. I used to be vegetarian for over 20 years, and realize now that many of the vegetarian proteins are problematic for me. My current diet is no eggs, dairy, soy, gluten, beans or legumes, nuts, and the only grain is jasmine rice. I was disappointed when I read the dietary guidelines because I am already doing all of it, so I don't understand why I don't feel better than I do.

Here's my question: if I have already eliminated the known troublesome foods, would the Enterolab test be helpful for me? And if so, which test? someone told me that if I am not eating the problem foods, the test won't reveal much to me. Is that true?

One strange symptom I have is trouble eating starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes or butternut squash...they don't seem to agree with my system. No one ever mentions this, so I wonder if that is a symptom of something else, like SIBO? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[tex]

Hello Frances,

Welcome to the group. Your situation is indeed unusual but you've offered some interesting clues in your description. Although you have eliminated the four main food sensitivities, it's possible that some of the 11 other antigenic foods, as Enterolab refers to them, might be preventing you from reaching remission. And because you're an ex-vegetarian, I'm guessing that you still eat a larger than normal amount of vegetables, ompared with the rest of us here. You mentioned what you don't ea1, but didn't specify what you do eat. And, of course, the inflammation associated with MC is not caused by what we don't eat, it's caused by what we do eat, and all it takes is a single food in our diet that's causing our immune system to produce antibodies, in order to perpetuate the inflammation.

Unless your diet is being cross contaminated, there's probably not much point in ordering an Enterolab test for the four primary food sensitivities, but the test for the 11 other antigenic foods might offer some clues. And the overall score on that test would be important, because it will provide us with an estimate of the overall sensitivity level of your immune system.

Assuming that you're eating a relatively large amount of vegetables, they should all be peeled (the ones that have a peeling), and overcooked. We don't react to fiber, that is, it doesn't cause our immune system to produce antibodies, but too much fiber tends to irritate the lining of our colon when it's already highly inflamed. Therefore, too much fiber in the diet can prevent us from reaching remission when we are reacting. And there are certain vegetables that we have to totally avoid, such as watermelon and iceberg lettuce. Oxalates should be limited, and vegetables that are actually fruits, and contain citric acid, such as tomatoes, should be avoided. Fruits that contain citric acid should be totally avoided, and foods containing high levels of fructose and sorbitol should be limited. No raw fruits or vegetables, other than bananas.

I hope this helps, and again, welcome aboard.

Tex

[Frances F]

Thanks so much for this quick reply. Which test do you recommend? Their site is a little overwhelming for me. As for what I DO eat...I had to let go of eating a variety of vegetables. I source my meats from farms that practice regenerative farming only (grass fed, organic, free-range, no corn or soy in the feed, etc) such as Northstar Bison. I make all my own meals too, so all of this is homemade, and all vegetables are well cooked:

Banana smoothie made with hemp seed milk, vanilla extract, ground cardamom and sometimes add Maca powder
Ground chicken patties with sage and thyme, kale well cooked in olive oil, flatbread made from cassava flour, water and olive oil

Ground bison sauteed with olive oil, with cooked carrots and either zucchini, asparagus, kale or green beans and white jasmine rice

Dinner is usually bone broth soup with carrots and bok choy, sometimes with added chicken, sometimes just the broth and veg. I also have rice with this or make another piece of flatbread. I alternate this with having wild caught salmon for dinner with a veg and rice.

The only sweets I have are dried dates or dried mango.

I worry that I'm not getting enough variety in my diet, as I eat the same thing over and over. Beef is too rich for me (I have gallstones so fat is an issue for me) but I do well with the Bison. Pork is also to fatty for me. I can eat turkey, when I can find good quality turkey. I wish I had a good snack food for between lunch and dinner, but I don't do well with anything packaged. I really miss eating fruit! But I don't want to hurt myself, so I don't take a chance on that.

I had also been having pumpkin seed butter on cassava flatbread as a treat, but am wondering about seeds too...if nuts aren't great, maybe seeds aren't either?

[Frances F]

PS - I have eliminated oxalates and don't have any lemon, lime or anything else with citric acid. Why is watermelon not good for us? I'm not eating any, but I'm curious why it's a bad idea? I'm still wondering about the resistant starches, like sweet potato...why are natural sugars problematic for us?

[Gabes-Apg]

Hi there
welcome to the group

looking at the foods you are eating
- the dried dates and dried mango would cause issues for most in the early stages of healing
these items are high histamine, high sugar and also fibrous - all triggers for MC

we also suggest having good serves of protein most meals and snacks - animal protein helps the body heal, has 75% of the amino acids our body needs

also check the reliability of the olive oil you are using - some of them can use cheaper soy oils as filler and not be pure olive oil.
you mention that your diet is no beans or legumes - but you are eating green beans - do you know that they are legume?

Diet wise I think the combo of the dried fruits, not enough animal protein would be enough to hinder good healing and reduction of symptoms

what are you drinking each day (other than the hemp milk in the smoothie)
are you taking Vit D3 and magnesium?
do you have any other health issues and take any medications?

[tex]

Frances,

The test you are looking for is the C1 panel. Here's a link, for your convenience: https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... px#PanelC1

Why would you worry about variety in your diet? Good health can be maintained by eating meat and fat alone, nothing else is required — carbs And fiber are strictly optional.

if you want to test for antigliadin antibodies, order the antigliadin antibody stool test from Enterolab — it's accurate. The celiac blood tests are so insensitive that they are worthless, for all practical purposes, for 90% of individuals who are sensitive to gluten.

The reason we don't want to end ingest significant quantities of sucrose is because when our small intestine is inflamed, we can't produce the enzymes needed to properly digest certain foods, so sucrose ferments in our colon, resulting in gas, cramps, and diarrhea. The reason we don't want to ingest fructose is because it has to be digested by the liver, and that doesn't trigger insulin production, so our body is unable to keep track of the number of calories it derives from fructose.

If the C1 test panel result shows that you react to beef, the bison will have to go, because these days, virtually all bison contain domestic cattle DNA, due to crossbreeding over the decades. It's possible there might be a few remaining herds in Canada that are still purebreds, but I don't believe you would be able to find any in the US, because bison were virtually wiped out in the 1880s after the government put a bounty on them so that they would be eradicated, in order to force the Indians onto reservations, as the west was being settled. The few remaining bison wandered around and joined domestic cattle herds, after their own herds were eradicated.

Tex

[Frances F]

Thank you Gabes for your reply. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

I use 100% organic Olive Oil, Spectrum is the brand. I will let go of the dates and mango and see how I do. I need to come up with a snack that is protein based...

I saw on one of your other posts that you say the spices increase inflammation...do you mean all spices, or just hot spices like chili? I use herbs like basil and oregano, sage and thyme, never anything hot.

blessings to you,
Frances

[Frances F]

Thanks for the link Tex! I really appreciate it. And good to know about the beef/bison connection. This seems like the best next step to do, as it will tell me if the bison and rice I am eating is causing problems. I don't eat anything else that will be tested, so if anything does show up, that will let me know there is something in my diet I am not aware of.

Thank you again for everything you do to help us all.

blessings,
Frances

[Frances F]

Gabes, I forgot to answer your other questions! I am not on any medication. I stopped taking Vit D and Magnesium because I wanted to identify what was causing my pain. Stopping them didn't stop the pain, so I will start up again tomorrow.

How much protein is healing for us? I usually have 3 to 4 ounces per meal of either fish, bison or chicken.

I have read that a snack of protein and fat is the best option. Would that be something like a small meat patty and avocado?

thanks in advance!

[Gabes-Apg]

Hi Frances
there is no black and white exact amount of protein that I can advise.
my suggestion is to have some protein each meal and snack and listen to your body
serving of cooked meat with avocado is a good option

spices /herbs can cause issues for some. In early days of healing I could not tolerate any.
I can now cook with herbs for flavour so long as I dont eat them - ie I will roast meat with sprigs of herbs for flavour but ensure that I dont actually eat any of it.
if using packaged herbs, please ensure that there is no gluten or soy in the product.
again this is very individual some people tolerate herbs fine, others dont.


I also meant to answer the question about watermelon. it is high in fruit sugar and fibre both are known triggers for MC.