Thanks - eating wrong stuff still!

[Laurie]

Hi again,

Thanks to those who answered my diet post. It seems I'm eating lots of things that still are not good for my tummy....

As I've given up gluten and caseine, I've added more almonds, apples, and salsa (to go with those tortilla chips)... and potatoes and bell peppers - yummmm (or maybe not I'm learning).

I'm curious though, to figure out your sensitivites, did you go down to eating chicken and rice only for awhile and then add one food at a time??

Is there anything besides chicken and rice that seem to be nearly non-irritating to most with MC?

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Laurie

[Joefnh]

Hi Laurie, this can be a frustrating process. Just like dealing with food allergies, the best way to work with this is start simple, like chicken / rice and then add one food at a time while keeping a food journal. It sounds like a long process but it really only takes a few weeks. The investment in time will be a key to feeling well... The hard part is disciplining yourself not to grab that handy snack item. Even small amounts of food that are off diet can throw off your results
.
I would go through this process only adding whole foods, meaning try to stay away from processed or compounded foods that have multiple ingredients. By sticking with adding whole foods one at a time you will be identifying the actual food item that gives you trouble. That will be important later when choosing ingredients for a recipe or looking at the ingredients on the label or menu.


I would venture to say that people with 'normal' systems that would go through this process would also see a benefit. If we think about it there is a huge industry in products like Tums, Rolaids etc.. That's not by accident


Good luck and keep us informed of what you find out form this process.

--Joe

[tex]

Hi Laurie,

Despite the fact that potatoes are a nightshade, very, very few of us have problems eating them, (as long as the peel is not eaten). In all, we have maybe 2 or 3 members who have a problem with potatoes, (but we also have at least that many members who react to chicken, or rice). Remember, we are all different.

Fish is usually safe for most members, and so is pork, though a few of us react to beef, (including myself). I mostly lived on pork and potatoes, (with chicken soup on the worst days), for almost 2 years, while I was recovering. Also, remember that until our intestines heal, we will occasionally get sick for no apparent reason, so the food we just ate isn't always the reason we got sick. Until we finish healing, we will sometimes have bad days, simply because the body is just "unsettled", but those days become fewer, and farther between, as the healing progresses. Remember that having MC doesn't make us immune to catching any or all of the viruses that go around, or having other unexplained "off" days. Also, despite the fact that we automatically think of MC, every time we start feeling badly, don't forget that we sometimes got sick, and weren't sure why, long before we ever developed MC, so that's bound to happen after we have MC, also.

Tex

[Linda in BC]

Hi Laurie
I, too, am in the process of trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat. I have known I cannot eat Casein ( the protein in dairy products) for about 4 years now, but, as I have learned on this site happens often, additional intolerances are showing up now (well, have been showing up for quite a while but I have either put it down to accidental casein ingestion or chosen to just pretend it wasn't happening. I really do not want to have to give up wheat and soy but it is looking more and more like I will have to. Right now the only things I know I can eat that do not make me sick are : eggs, chicken, pork, potatoes and bananas. I even had gluten free cereal and rice milk for breakfast yesterday and it gave me D!
Linda

[Gabes-Apg]

Laurie
as I can not do the entorlab testing i went the traditional method for finding irritants

basic diet of rice and chicken, and then added items one by one. I normally try new ingredients on the weekend so if there is a reaction then it is not happening whilst i am at work.

for me, ingredients fall into two reactions; Bad - can not tolerate at all, mild - can have small amounts.

adjusting to the new diet can be hard, especially if you smell foods that you are not allowed to have.
just as i start to really miss the foods, i get a day or two of D and I am quickly reminded of why i dont want to eat those foods!

This week I am really missing having ice cream and milo.....

[Laurie]

Thank you again!

I'm working on being my own investigator - you are SO much help. I SO appreciate the advice, hearing your experiences, and all the encouragement.