Doing Better

[Gloria]

I know that some of you have been worried about me and I've appreciated your thoughts and prayers.

I've been doing better the last three days; only 2 trips to the bathroom each day, less gurgling and this morning even had flat solid pieces. I'm on my way to recovering!

I haven't changed anything but my diet. I suspect I got glutened last Tuesday when I went out to dinner with some former colleagues. I ordered a plain pork chop with no seasoning. That's all I ate. That evening I was in the bathroom five times, three of them within 15 minutes of each other after midnight. I finally took an Imodium and was able to sleep.

I also realized that my deterioration has been gradual and so I looked both for a trend in my eating habits and also at specific foods. I'd been testing a few different grains/seeds to replace rice: millet and buckwheat were a couple. Even though I cooked them in a crock pot (thank you JoAnn for the idea), they still didn't settle well with me. It may just be the fiber. I seem to do better with flour than with the whole grain/seed.

Finally, I've been trying to get more calories so I could stop losing weight. I haven't eaten any desserts or treats in months. No fruit, cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. I decided to bake muffins and make pudding, reducing the amount of sugar by half. I got carried away and ate more than one of each during the day. I believe my gut reacted to the extra sugar. I'm unable to eat any other snacks and I get really hungry sometimes. Nut butters seem to be too hard on my gut. I've decided to compromise and eat just one muffin and one pudding per day. My goal is to eat no less than 1400 calories in a day. I was down to just 700-800 calories a day eating only meat and vegetables. I have to eat grain/seed flour for the calories.

So far, my correction seems to be working. Yesterday was my lamb, cauliflower, rice day. Instead of rice, I cooked cracked quinoa (I have a mill) and added almond pulp to it. I put gravy on top of it (thickened with amaranth) and it was similar to mashed potatoes. The almond pulp is leftover from straining my homemade almond milk and is pretty fine. It added some needed calories and nutrition.

I think I'm out of the woods and hope I continue to improve.

Gloria

[JLH]

Sounds good and I hope you keep improving day by day.

[Polly]

GLORIA!

WAHOOOOOOO! This is THE best news!!!! Keeping everthing crossed and will stay tuned.

Just for the record, amaranth, millet and quinoa don't work well for me. Buckwheat can be a problem too. They aren't as bad as my other intolerances, but you've probably heard me say that I feel better when I am eating no grains at all. Rice seems to be the least immunogenic for me. Sigh. If you are rotating the grains, that may help (not eating the same one until 3-4 days have passed).

Keep up the good work!! This indeed calls for a celebration!

Love,

Polly

P.S. In another post, you asked about breakfast suggestions. I agree that it is difficult when we can't eat eggs. I find the easiest breakfast is leftovers from dinner the night before. One of these days you will be able to add more variety, I'll bet - once that inflamed colon is well on the road to healing. Fruits, nuts (things with fiber) will probably be tolerated again. At least that's what I found.

[Ginny]

Gloria, that is good news. You have worked so hard to get yourself well. I have also been concerned about the constant intake of the same limited foods we are eating and am now trying to rotate when possible. Grains do not seem to agree with me except for rice. So no muffins, pancakes, waffles all the good things that can add weight.

We have similiar goals in calories; I work on 1500 a day just to maintain. I have a very naturally skinny friend who keeps feeling sorry for me because I am looking so skinny ! We never see ourselves quite like our friends!! Ginny

[Zizzle]

Gloria,
I also don't do well with whole grains including quinoa, but I eat them anyway. I do better when they are processed into cereals (ie. Mesa Sunrise flakes and Arrowhead Mills Maple Buckwheat Flakes). I've read alot about the wonders of good quality olive oil (cold pressed, extra virgin) for IBD. Some recommend drinking a few teaspoons a day, so you might consider drizzling olive oil on most of your food to increase the calorie content and get good quality fat in your diet. Cooking with Coconut oil may help too.

[Linda in BC]

Gloria, so glad to hear you are doing better! I am now down to 110 lbs ( I am 5'6"") so I share your interest in other people's ideas. I have lost another 5 lbs since I went GF in June. And I, too, seem to have problems with grains other than rice, especially buckwheat.

Keeping my fingers crossed that things continue to improve for you.
Linda

[Joefnh]

Gloria that's great that you are doing better. These flares are certainly no fun.

Best Wishes

--Joe

[Gloria]

Hi Zizzle,

Unfortunately, I get mouth sores when I use olive oil. I believe it's because olives are high in histamines. I don't seem to have problems with other oils, except soy or vegetable oil, of course.

I don't seem to have problems with grains/seeds if they are ground into flour, but I have had an on-again, off-again relationship with buckwheat. I love the Arrowhead Mills buckwheat cereal, but I believe it has brown rice flour and raisin juice in it.

I should mention that I grind my own flours and mix my own flour blends, depending on what I'm testing or avoiding. I've completely given up Ener-g egg replacer because it contains tapioca and potato flour, and I'm avoiding both. So far, I still get good results without the egg replacer. I also am unable to use baking soda mixed with vinegar because vinegar gives me mouth sores. Baking powder is an adequate replacement.

So far today, I've only gone to the bathroom once. I'm keeping my hopes up....

Gloria

[tex]

Gloria,

It's great to see such encouraging news. I hope that things continue to go your way - it's about time.

Tex

[wonderwoman]

Good news Gloria. I hope you continue to do well.

[barbaranoela]

Good news to read Gloria--hope U continue to find that road to *wellness*

Barbara

[JoAnn]

Hi Gloria, I am soooo happy you have turned a corner. I don't think I'll ever feel completely well until you do-we're in this together. I'm back in school and up to my eyeballs in papers tonight so don't have much time to post. Just wanted to tell you that I feel better just knowing things have improved for you. I did an experiment with refried beans over the weekend. I have missed them so much in my diet and was sure I would react, but I didn't-can you believe that? In fact I ate them Sat. & Sun. and my gut was amazingly calm-go figure. I think I reacted to Quinoa a long time ago, but haven't tried it during the past year. I've still got to experiment with tapioca and see if I tolerate that. It's a constant adventure, isn't it? Well, I've got to get at those papers. Hope things continue to get better and better, Love JoAnn

[Gabes-Apg]

Gloria
now that you are 'out of the woods' I hope there is lots of sunshine, birds singing and flowers to greet you.

hope things are back to normal at home after the tree incident.

I am in awe of your diligence and that you make your own flour.

take care

[ant]

Dear Gloria

Really hope your progress continues. your progress is also "my" progress and "our" progress.

FWIW my experience with multiple intolerance (not yet proven) is that all grains, all dairy, all nightshades, all legumes and anything that could be closely related to these (e.g. peanuts, cashews, corn, etc. etc.) are to be avoided for some length of time before the process of remission can start. For you it seems that the time is longer than for most, even on this board.

My prayers are with you for that elusive remission.

Best, ant

[starfire]

Gloria,
I'm hoping your next report will be even better. So glad you are getting some relief.

Love, Shirley