Hi,
I was diagnosed with celiac and lymphocytic colitis in 2000. Despite following a very strict gluten- and lactose-free diet, I continue to be plagued by M.C.
Has anyone tried the paleolithic diet and it failed? I'm debating whether to give it a try. I tried the specific carbohydrate diet and it didn't work, possibly because it included dairy.
Thanks,
C.J.
Is the Paleolithic Diet a Cure?
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Jones and 
!
Pleased to meetcha! I don't have much time just now - my mother-in-law is here for a visit (
).
Unfortunately, there is no "cure" for MC, but most of us have learned ways to successfully manage our symptoms. And quite a few here are in long term remission.
I definitely think the paleo diet is worth a try. Initially, I tried the gluten and dairy-free diet and later discovered other intolerances (see list under my avatar to the left). The best thing about the paleo diet is that it excludes virtually all of the common food intolerances that this group has experienced. My impression is that those members who jumped right to the paleo diet went into remission much more quickly than those of us who painstakingly discovered our triggers one by one. I am almost totally paleo now and have been in complete remission for over 4 years.
If you wish to try it, we would be happy to help. Have you read Cordain's book on the paleo diet yet? It is a great place to start.
So glad to have you on board! Looking forward to future chats.
Love,
Polly
!Pleased to meetcha! I don't have much time just now - my mother-in-law is here for a visit (
).Unfortunately, there is no "cure" for MC, but most of us have learned ways to successfully manage our symptoms. And quite a few here are in long term remission.
I definitely think the paleo diet is worth a try. Initially, I tried the gluten and dairy-free diet and later discovered other intolerances (see list under my avatar to the left). The best thing about the paleo diet is that it excludes virtually all of the common food intolerances that this group has experienced. My impression is that those members who jumped right to the paleo diet went into remission much more quickly than those of us who painstakingly discovered our triggers one by one. I am almost totally paleo now and have been in complete remission for over 4 years.
If you wish to try it, we would be happy to help. Have you read Cordain's book on the paleo diet yet? It is a great place to start.
So glad to have you on board! Looking forward to future chats.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Jones
Welcome to the group and thanks for the great question.
I wish I could say that the Paleo diet is a cure but I can’t go that far. When I started out trying to resolve my MC symptoms with a gluten free diet and the specific carbohydrate diet I had had it in a month or two with all the time I was spending shopping and came up with my own plan, no grains , no processed food, no soy, dairy and did all of my cooking and eating with natural fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, eggs etc. When we all started reading about the paleo diet I made a few more tweaks like eliminating legumes of all kinds and eating more high omega 3 foods like cold water fish. .
At this point, being a bit conservative, I am 95% symptom free on the Paleo diet alone. It would be higher but we live in a society infused with grains, dairy , soy, additives made from them and a lot of food gremlins that are almost impossible to avoid. I have a lot of fun coming up with ways to try to avoid those gremlins but somehow something slips through on rare occasions, most usually when I eat away from home. If it happens it may be one quick trip to the bathroom with the mildest of symptoms and then back to normal .
So, a cure no, but a way to resolve symptoms yes. I enjoy what I eat more than any other time in my life. A few weekends ago I bicycled close to seventy miles with out having to dodge into the nearest culvert with D. Feeling so good has allowed me to return to a period of some of the most creative work I have done since first having symptoms
Unlike some other treatments the only side effects are good side effects.
It can be an interesting study but IMHO worth every bit of effort put into it .
Keep asking questions like this. That is how so many of us have found relief. You will to.
Love
Matthew
Welcome to the group and thanks for the great question.
I wish I could say that the Paleo diet is a cure but I can’t go that far. When I started out trying to resolve my MC symptoms with a gluten free diet and the specific carbohydrate diet I had had it in a month or two with all the time I was spending shopping and came up with my own plan, no grains , no processed food, no soy, dairy and did all of my cooking and eating with natural fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, eggs etc. When we all started reading about the paleo diet I made a few more tweaks like eliminating legumes of all kinds and eating more high omega 3 foods like cold water fish. .
At this point, being a bit conservative, I am 95% symptom free on the Paleo diet alone. It would be higher but we live in a society infused with grains, dairy , soy, additives made from them and a lot of food gremlins that are almost impossible to avoid. I have a lot of fun coming up with ways to try to avoid those gremlins but somehow something slips through on rare occasions, most usually when I eat away from home. If it happens it may be one quick trip to the bathroom with the mildest of symptoms and then back to normal .
So, a cure no, but a way to resolve symptoms yes. I enjoy what I eat more than any other time in my life. A few weekends ago I bicycled close to seventy miles with out having to dodge into the nearest culvert with D. Feeling so good has allowed me to return to a period of some of the most creative work I have done since first having symptoms
Unlike some other treatments the only side effects are good side effects.
It can be an interesting study but IMHO worth every bit of effort put into it .
Keep asking questions like this. That is how so many of us have found relief. You will to.
Love
Matthew
Hi C.J., and welcome to the group.
As Polly mentioned, MC cannot be cured, but the symptoms can all be controlled, and you can definitely remain in remission, as long as you settle on a treatment program that works for you, and stick to it. Most of us here, who control our symptoms by diet alone, follow our own, (IOW, slightly modified), version of the paleo diet.
I notice that you mentioned that you have been following a GF, lactose-free diet. Actually, it's the proteins in certain foods that most of us are intolerant of, (though many of us have trouble with various sugars until our gut heals, probably due to temporary enzyme deficiencies). IOW, with dairy products, it's the casein that causes our problems. Casein is in all dairy products, and cannot be "removed", or neutralized, the way lactose can.
If you have continued to eat lactose-free dairy products, it's possible that just eliminating all sources of dairy products from your diet, (including all chemical derivatives), might allow you to achieve remission.
Since the paleo diet excludes virtually all the known food intolerances that we are aware of, it should be a reliable way to achieve remission, for most individuals. Once your gut heals, then you can experiment with adding back in certain foods, if you feel that you just "can't live without them", in the long run.
Again, welcome aboard,
Tex (Wayne)
As Polly mentioned, MC cannot be cured, but the symptoms can all be controlled, and you can definitely remain in remission, as long as you settle on a treatment program that works for you, and stick to it. Most of us here, who control our symptoms by diet alone, follow our own, (IOW, slightly modified), version of the paleo diet.
I notice that you mentioned that you have been following a GF, lactose-free diet. Actually, it's the proteins in certain foods that most of us are intolerant of, (though many of us have trouble with various sugars until our gut heals, probably due to temporary enzyme deficiencies). IOW, with dairy products, it's the casein that causes our problems. Casein is in all dairy products, and cannot be "removed", or neutralized, the way lactose can.
If you have continued to eat lactose-free dairy products, it's possible that just eliminating all sources of dairy products from your diet, (including all chemical derivatives), might allow you to achieve remission.
Since the paleo diet excludes virtually all the known food intolerances that we are aware of, it should be a reliable way to achieve remission, for most individuals. Once your gut heals, then you can experiment with adding back in certain foods, if you feel that you just "can't live without them", in the long run.
Again, welcome aboard,
Tex (Wayne)
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
C.J. - just so you know, some of us have found that it's not enough to be lactose-free. A lot of us react to casein, the protein in dairy, which is there whether the lactose is present or not. You may want to try eliminating all dairy for awhile to see if you can achieve remission that way.
Oops - guess Wayne's and my posts crossed! We were on the same page about the casein. (I learned that part from him only a couple of months ago!)
Oops - guess Wayne's and my posts crossed! We were on the same page about the casein. (I learned that part from him only a couple of months ago!)
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MaggieRedwings
- King Penguin
- Posts: 3865
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 3:16 am
- Location: SE Pennsylvania
Welcome C.J.,
No one diet or selective way to go will cure MC/CC. It is with us for life but we can get to a point that we can say we are in remission. I am still striving to be there. Diagnosed 5 1/2 years ago with CC I am still trying to get to the R stage. I have been totally gluten free since diagnosis and also lactose free since I am a vegan. Well up to a couple of months ago a very strict began but I have been "ordered" to get more protein into me so fish it is. I am soy intolerant a mainstay for a vegan. I went to the Paleo diet about 2 weeks ago and am still working my way into into and have to say I see some progress with it. Still very bad D every morning and no formed BMs but that must be the way I am.
Please stick around and get to know everyone in the family and you will see that there is a real wealth of knowledge and experience with the condition and diet here.
Maggie
No one diet or selective way to go will cure MC/CC. It is with us for life but we can get to a point that we can say we are in remission. I am still striving to be there. Diagnosed 5 1/2 years ago with CC I am still trying to get to the R stage. I have been totally gluten free since diagnosis and also lactose free since I am a vegan. Well up to a couple of months ago a very strict began but I have been "ordered" to get more protein into me so fish it is. I am soy intolerant a mainstay for a vegan. I went to the Paleo diet about 2 weeks ago and am still working my way into into and have to say I see some progress with it. Still very bad D every morning and no formed BMs but that must be the way I am.
Please stick around and get to know everyone in the family and you will see that there is a real wealth of knowledge and experience with the condition and diet here.
Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
Beth,
As they say, "great minds think alike". LOL. I was wondering if I was the only one who noticed the "lactose-free" comment. Good work.
Tex
As they say, "great minds think alike". LOL. I was wondering if I was the only one who noticed the "lactose-free" comment. Good work.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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harvest_table
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1509
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:29 pm
- Location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Hi CJ, welcome to the PP.
I would say the paleo way of eating has certainly cured me of what ails me most ( D, muscle and joint pain, fatigue ) but I don't feel I'm in a remission. IOW, the foods that cause me problems still continue to bother me if I eat them, so I don't very often.
Sorry to hear your still having problems after so many years. That must be frustrating, but the good news is if you decide to try paleo you have half the battle accomplished already by being GF for so long. It's worth a try.
Love,
Joanna
I would say the paleo way of eating has certainly cured me of what ails me most ( D, muscle and joint pain, fatigue ) but I don't feel I'm in a remission. IOW, the foods that cause me problems still continue to bother me if I eat them, so I don't very often.
Sorry to hear your still having problems after so many years. That must be frustrating, but the good news is if you decide to try paleo you have half the battle accomplished already by being GF for so long. It's worth a try.
Love,
Joanna
THE GLUTEN FILES
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
Thank You
Original poster here.
Thanks so much for your feedback. I ordered Cordain's book as well as another one -- "Neanderthin" (I also just read "Going Against the Grain"), and am planning to go paleo after New Year's. I'm also seeing an M.D. who specializes in holistic healing on Jan. 2 and I'm hoping she tests me for food intolerances.
Thanks also for the casein information. I was tested for casein, egg and yeast intolerance by Enterolab, and they all came back negative. But, I strongly suspect I am casein intolerant nontheless.
Thanks again,
Jones
Thanks so much for your feedback. I ordered Cordain's book as well as another one -- "Neanderthin" (I also just read "Going Against the Grain"), and am planning to go paleo after New Year's. I'm also seeing an M.D. who specializes in holistic healing on Jan. 2 and I'm hoping she tests me for food intolerances.
Thanks also for the casein information. I was tested for casein, egg and yeast intolerance by Enterolab, and they all came back negative. But, I strongly suspect I am casein intolerant nontheless.
Thanks again,
Jones
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moremuscle
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 706
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:16 am
- Location: South Carolina
Hi Jones,
It sounds like you are going to have a good time reading
Those books are very informative and Neanderthin is entertaining as well. I love both books and I do happily live a lifestyle of being close to 100% Paleo.
I rarely have explosive diarrhea (basically never) - if you ask around here you will know that explosive diarrhea ruled my life for the better part of a year - I was diagnosed quickly after symptoms started and went on gluten free diet etc less than a month later so the process of finding solutions was relatively swift. I think I am one of those who Polly refers to. I took advantage of the fact that she, Wayne, Polly, Matthew, and Luce all spent hours upon hours helping me figure out how to weed out foods that didn't work for me - they are the pioneers and they totally ROCK
FYI I have successfully controlled my symptoms with the Paleo Diet for almost 2 years (It feels unbelievably great to be well again). I ran a marathon 2 weeks ago without having to go to the bathroom before or during the race - never gave it a thought - I just enjoyed myself and how fortunate I am.
Is it worth trying?
Love,
Karen
It sounds like you are going to have a good time reading
Those books are very informative and Neanderthin is entertaining as well. I love both books and I do happily live a lifestyle of being close to 100% Paleo.
I rarely have explosive diarrhea (basically never) - if you ask around here you will know that explosive diarrhea ruled my life for the better part of a year - I was diagnosed quickly after symptoms started and went on gluten free diet etc less than a month later so the process of finding solutions was relatively swift. I think I am one of those who Polly refers to. I took advantage of the fact that she, Wayne, Polly, Matthew, and Luce all spent hours upon hours helping me figure out how to weed out foods that didn't work for me - they are the pioneers and they totally ROCK
FYI I have successfully controlled my symptoms with the Paleo Diet for almost 2 years (It feels unbelievably great to be well again). I ran a marathon 2 weeks ago without having to go to the bathroom before or during the race - never gave it a thought - I just enjoyed myself and how fortunate I am.
Is it worth trying?
Love,
Karen
Inspired by the paleolithic diet and lifestyle -
living w/o gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and yeast.
living w/o gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and yeast.
