As I progress (slowly) down the healing road, I am still troubled by bloating and gas especially at night. It's not painful, just uncomfortable. I was wondering if you'd recommend changing something in my diet, to help with this issues.
I am only have 1 or 2 BM's a day, in the morning, which is great.
I eat a waffle in the morning that is half teff/half arrowroot starch based and protein. For lunch I eat a sunflower seed muffin with 3 blueberries cooked on top, and protein, and for dinner I eat 2 small arrowroot starch biscuits. For a sweet I eat a macaroon that has a few Enjoy Life choc. chips in it. I do not snack during the day,
I was wondering if it would be worth it to cut out the arrow root biscuit due to it being a starch, and add a veggie instead ( I haven't had much luck with any veggie to date). If I cut something out, I have to try to replace it with something or I will be very hungry. I don't eat any veggies now, or fruit except for the blueberries and a tablespoon of applesauce here and there.
Just wondering what you all thought I may try to lessen the gas at night. I do take 1200-1400 units of betaine HCL with each meal. I take 3,000 units of Vit. D, also.
Thank you!
question Tex or Polly or anyone with experience....and JEAN!
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question Tex or Polly or anyone with experience....and JEAN!
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
Hiya Linda!
I would bet that your bloating/gas are food-related! At first glance, your diet appears to have a lot of starch, which, of course, is the same as eating sugar. Sugar can definitely cause bloating/gas - Dr. Fine always says that the sugar feeds the "bad" bacteria in the gut.
A few questions. How did you determine your food sensitivities? Enterolab, MRT, trial and error, or a combination? What are the ingredients in the sunflower seed muffin, waffle, and macaroon?
If the gas is worse at night, I would suspect something you are eating later in the day. I notice under your avatar that you are sensitive to many grains - rice, millet, sorghum, quinoa, oats, chestnut flour. Perhaps the teff/arrowroot is causing a problem. Despite testing that shows I can tolerate some grains, I find that I feel my best when I eat no grains at all.
It appears there are no meats you tolerate (lamb?). How about seafood (other than tuna and crab)?
Have you tried eliminating the betaine to see what happens? Is your vitamin D tab free of all of your sensitivities?
If that is a complete list of sensitive foods under your avatar, then it appears you are OK with most veggies. Of course, they do have fiber and can cause problems early on in MC, but you might try overcooking some veggies to see if you can tolerate them. Add them one at a time, starting perhaps with mushy carrots, zucchini, and so on. Can you tolerate avocado? It's a great way to add calories and bulk. Olives are good too. How about pecan butter? You could add it to a smoothie made with banana and maybe a few blueberries or spread it on apple slices. Of course, try each food by itself initially.
Good luck figuring it all out - it is not easy!
Polly
I would bet that your bloating/gas are food-related! At first glance, your diet appears to have a lot of starch, which, of course, is the same as eating sugar. Sugar can definitely cause bloating/gas - Dr. Fine always says that the sugar feeds the "bad" bacteria in the gut.
A few questions. How did you determine your food sensitivities? Enterolab, MRT, trial and error, or a combination? What are the ingredients in the sunflower seed muffin, waffle, and macaroon?
If the gas is worse at night, I would suspect something you are eating later in the day. I notice under your avatar that you are sensitive to many grains - rice, millet, sorghum, quinoa, oats, chestnut flour. Perhaps the teff/arrowroot is causing a problem. Despite testing that shows I can tolerate some grains, I find that I feel my best when I eat no grains at all.
It appears there are no meats you tolerate (lamb?). How about seafood (other than tuna and crab)?
Have you tried eliminating the betaine to see what happens? Is your vitamin D tab free of all of your sensitivities?
If that is a complete list of sensitive foods under your avatar, then it appears you are OK with most veggies. Of course, they do have fiber and can cause problems early on in MC, but you might try overcooking some veggies to see if you can tolerate them. Add them one at a time, starting perhaps with mushy carrots, zucchini, and so on. Can you tolerate avocado? It's a great way to add calories and bulk. Olives are good too. How about pecan butter? You could add it to a smoothie made with banana and maybe a few blueberries or spread it on apple slices. Of course, try each food by itself initially.
Good luck figuring it all out - it is not easy!
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Hi Linda,
I can't add much to that, but here are a few of my thoughts:
As far as I'm aware, the digestion of any carbohydrate is bound to result in a certain amount of gas, some more than others, obviously.
Since Betaine HCL has a significant effect on digestion, it probably affects gas production, but since the digestive effects are likely to be rather complex (with both pros and cons), I have no idea what the net effect might be in your particular situation. One would think that since it aids digestion efficiency (in most cases), it should reduce total gas production. The question is, "What are the effects of an overdose or an inadequate dose?" An exact dose may be difficult to achieve, since optimum dosage depends on the total volume of food in a meal, the type/s of food, and possibly on the percentages of types of food.
If you are doing OK otherwise, and gas is the only issue, the problem may not be the gas per se, but getting rid of it. The inability to purge gas was one of my most troublesome symptoms, back when I was reacting. It's a serious issue, since it can lead to other issues, such as nausea, pain, headache, sleep problems, etc.
Tex
I can't add much to that, but here are a few of my thoughts:
As far as I'm aware, the digestion of any carbohydrate is bound to result in a certain amount of gas, some more than others, obviously.
Since Betaine HCL has a significant effect on digestion, it probably affects gas production, but since the digestive effects are likely to be rather complex (with both pros and cons), I have no idea what the net effect might be in your particular situation. One would think that since it aids digestion efficiency (in most cases), it should reduce total gas production. The question is, "What are the effects of an overdose or an inadequate dose?" An exact dose may be difficult to achieve, since optimum dosage depends on the total volume of food in a meal, the type/s of food, and possibly on the percentages of types of food.
If you are doing OK otherwise, and gas is the only issue, the problem may not be the gas per se, but getting rid of it. The inability to purge gas was one of my most troublesome symptoms, back when I was reacting. It's a serious issue, since it can lead to other issues, such as nausea, pain, headache, sleep problems, etc.
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.
Polly...I have done Enterolab and MRT. My Enterolab results were as follows: #3-rice, beef, tuna, chicken, oats and #2-corn, pork & almond and #1 potato, walnuts & cashew. I stopped all grains/grasses for 2 months, then tried sorghum, millet, quinoa, and only seemed to have success with a small amount of Teff (which is high in fiber).
On MRT I was red for hops and yellow for pea, leek, lentil. msg, papaya, sweet potato & crab
I've been using the arrowroot with the teff and to make biscuits to cut down on the fiber. I have been concerned with arrowroot biscuits do the fact that starch turns to sugar as we digest....but I don't know what to add when I take it away....I have not seemed to do well with veggies at all....I tried green beans, squashes (spaghetti, butternut, zucchini etc), carrots, all but the cruciferous, which I've always had trouble with!
Accordiing to MRT, , my lowest veggies include: cabbage, lettuce, onion. tomato,green pepper, wh. potato, & carrot.
The meats I eat are venison, haddock, & turkey...I didn't do well on lamb.
The sunflower seed muffins are made from raw seeds that I soak overnight and dehydrate, then make into butter. I only add a flax egg, baking soda, 1 TB maple syrup & a few blueberries.
The macaroons are unsweetened coconut, 1 TB honey, 1 TB coconut flour, & baking soda & vanilla.
I have not tried to stop my betaine, and have been taking it for about 2 months. The Vit. D is from Freeda, and I think I'm ok with it.
I love avocado but have avoided it due to histamines, I don't do well with the antihistamines as far as I don't see much difference with or without them. I can't take a DAO because they are made from porcine. I haven't tried nuts in a while because I thought they were high in histamines and maybe I shouldn't.
So, knowing all of that information, what would you try to do first? Thank you!
Tex... I would also assume that the betaine should take care of the gas....maybe I'll cut the dosage in half and see what happens, because I have not had any morning nausea since I started on it. I eat the exact thing and amount every day, except my meats, so the dosage should be consistent. Thanks!
On MRT I was red for hops and yellow for pea, leek, lentil. msg, papaya, sweet potato & crab
I've been using the arrowroot with the teff and to make biscuits to cut down on the fiber. I have been concerned with arrowroot biscuits do the fact that starch turns to sugar as we digest....but I don't know what to add when I take it away....I have not seemed to do well with veggies at all....I tried green beans, squashes (spaghetti, butternut, zucchini etc), carrots, all but the cruciferous, which I've always had trouble with!
Accordiing to MRT, , my lowest veggies include: cabbage, lettuce, onion. tomato,green pepper, wh. potato, & carrot.
The meats I eat are venison, haddock, & turkey...I didn't do well on lamb.
The sunflower seed muffins are made from raw seeds that I soak overnight and dehydrate, then make into butter. I only add a flax egg, baking soda, 1 TB maple syrup & a few blueberries.
The macaroons are unsweetened coconut, 1 TB honey, 1 TB coconut flour, & baking soda & vanilla.
I have not tried to stop my betaine, and have been taking it for about 2 months. The Vit. D is from Freeda, and I think I'm ok with it.
I love avocado but have avoided it due to histamines, I don't do well with the antihistamines as far as I don't see much difference with or without them. I can't take a DAO because they are made from porcine. I haven't tried nuts in a while because I thought they were high in histamines and maybe I shouldn't.
So, knowing all of that information, what would you try to do first? Thank you!
Tex... I would also assume that the betaine should take care of the gas....maybe I'll cut the dosage in half and see what happens, because I have not had any morning nausea since I started on it. I eat the exact thing and amount every day, except my meats, so the dosage should be consistent. Thanks!
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
Hi Leah! Antihistamines slow the digestion & it was giving me rumbles & gassy stools...I took Allegra because it doesn't have artificial sugars or lactose ....& I tried Benadryl too....
I switched out the arrowroot rolls for 1/2 yellow potato tonight & cut the betaine dosage in half so we will see what happens....I know that potato is a starch too, but finding veggies with low starch & fiber is difficult!
I may try to sub the teff flour for chestnut flour ....I tried chestnut flour when I was still eating too many foods & maybe it was a false positive trial at the time.
I switched out the arrowroot rolls for 1/2 yellow potato tonight & cut the betaine dosage in half so we will see what happens....I know that potato is a starch too, but finding veggies with low starch & fiber is difficult!
I may try to sub the teff flour for chestnut flour ....I tried chestnut flour when I was still eating too many foods & maybe it was a false positive trial at the time.
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
Hi Linda,
You have done an impressive job of sorting everything out! BTW, I am one who doesn't have a major problem with histamines, so perhaps you don't either.
This is probably a dumb question (I am not known for my baking skills) but can you use more coconut flour in the biscuits? Or maybe pecan flour? I still am suspicious of the teff. When eyeballing your list of safer foods, I thought of stuffed peppers - made with ground bison or turkey, onions, shredded carrot, and tomato sauce. You could sauté the veggies first until they are mushy and then make the peppers, and bake them until super soft (and freeze them to be nuked later). Have you tried any of the leafy greens (well-cooked)? I seem to do well with kale, chard, etc. I'd probably avoid the lettuce (fiber) and cabbage (gas-producing) for now but hopefully you can add them in at a later date. Have you tried any cooked fruits, like a baked apple? How did it go with the yellow potato? Since you react to white potato, is a yellow potato safe? (I have no idea....it may well be, because I react to yellow squash and not green squash or orange squash - go figure!). Do you have a problem with bananas?
I'll be interested to see of you notice any difference with less betaine. The Freeda vitamin D should be OK.
Keep us posted, please!
Polly
You have done an impressive job of sorting everything out! BTW, I am one who doesn't have a major problem with histamines, so perhaps you don't either.
This is probably a dumb question (I am not known for my baking skills) but can you use more coconut flour in the biscuits? Or maybe pecan flour? I still am suspicious of the teff. When eyeballing your list of safer foods, I thought of stuffed peppers - made with ground bison or turkey, onions, shredded carrot, and tomato sauce. You could sauté the veggies first until they are mushy and then make the peppers, and bake them until super soft (and freeze them to be nuked later). Have you tried any of the leafy greens (well-cooked)? I seem to do well with kale, chard, etc. I'd probably avoid the lettuce (fiber) and cabbage (gas-producing) for now but hopefully you can add them in at a later date. Have you tried any cooked fruits, like a baked apple? How did it go with the yellow potato? Since you react to white potato, is a yellow potato safe? (I have no idea....it may well be, because I react to yellow squash and not green squash or orange squash - go figure!). Do you have a problem with bananas?
I'll be interested to see of you notice any difference with less betaine. The Freeda vitamin D should be OK.
Keep us posted, please!
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Good morning, Polly! Is it cold enough for you this morning? -7 here, with a windchill of -20, and a major snowstorm coming through in a few days!!!
The only reason I hesitate on increasing the coconut flour is the fiber in coconut flour.... 6 grams in 2 TB! I love coconut flour, though, so maybe I can try to see what happens. I can try chestnut flour again instead of the Teff to see what happens, too.
Yellow and red potatoes are easier to digest than white, so that's why I tried it. My question is....should I try it for 3 nights in a row to see what the reaction is or because it's a #1 on Enterolab, only eat it twice a week? I did a bit better with the gas last night, and had one non gassy bm this morning, so let's hope that continues, as I continue to tweak my diet.
I think I want to try carrots next, but don't they have a high sugar content? I'm afraid of the green pepper because it is a nightshade, but I have to start someplace.
I'm dying to try a green like kale or chard! My husband grows nongmo/organic veggies through the season, and it was awful not to be able to have any last year! We have a produce stand, too, and smelling the apples drove me crazy in the fall.
Well, my plan is to continue the potato for two more nights, unless someone chimes in that I shouldn't (JEAN....don't you eat the #1 Enterolab foods successfully?), then move on to another veggie, then exchange the teff for something else....but at least I have a plan, and that is a big burden off me.
Thanks and enjoy the day!
Linda
The only reason I hesitate on increasing the coconut flour is the fiber in coconut flour.... 6 grams in 2 TB! I love coconut flour, though, so maybe I can try to see what happens. I can try chestnut flour again instead of the Teff to see what happens, too.
Yellow and red potatoes are easier to digest than white, so that's why I tried it. My question is....should I try it for 3 nights in a row to see what the reaction is or because it's a #1 on Enterolab, only eat it twice a week? I did a bit better with the gas last night, and had one non gassy bm this morning, so let's hope that continues, as I continue to tweak my diet.
I think I want to try carrots next, but don't they have a high sugar content? I'm afraid of the green pepper because it is a nightshade, but I have to start someplace.
I'm dying to try a green like kale or chard! My husband grows nongmo/organic veggies through the season, and it was awful not to be able to have any last year! We have a produce stand, too, and smelling the apples drove me crazy in the fall.
Well, my plan is to continue the potato for two more nights, unless someone chimes in that I shouldn't (JEAN....don't you eat the #1 Enterolab foods successfully?), then move on to another veggie, then exchange the teff for something else....but at least I have a plan, and that is a big burden off me.
Thanks and enjoy the day!
Linda
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
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Linda,
I do eat the foods to which I had the least reaction on the Enterolab test without any problem, which for me means pork and almonds. In fact pork has become my go to meat. I continue to avoid all other foods that I showed sensitivities to. I also have been able to increase my veggies over time. Slow and steady wins the race. I eat no grains and my only fruit is blueberries and only about 2 tbs a day.
Jean
I do eat the foods to which I had the least reaction on the Enterolab test without any problem, which for me means pork and almonds. In fact pork has become my go to meat. I continue to avoid all other foods that I showed sensitivities to. I also have been able to increase my veggies over time. Slow and steady wins the race. I eat no grains and my only fruit is blueberries and only about 2 tbs a day.
Jean
HI Linda. I woke up this morning thinking of you and the bloating and gas ( weird?). You said you take Betaine, right? And that's to raise your acid level, right? What if you don't need acid as much as you need enzymes? Maybe you are not producing enough of the enzymes that break down carbohydrate? Of course you should cut back on the carbs, but maybe taking the right enzyme instead of the Betaine would be better for you. I have one that has a combination of enzymes … each one is for breaking down different foods ( Source naturals Essential Enzymes). The two enzymes that help break down carbs are alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase. These are readily found in health food stores. I don't use them often any more, but I use to and they did help with gas and bloating.
Just a thought :)
Leah
Just a thought :)
Leah
Thanks, Leah!
Most enzymes are made with substances I avoid like papaya. That's why I haven't tried any recently. I cut betaine to half dosage.....and yes, it's an acid producer to help digestion.
Why does it seem that nothing lasts too long in this struggle?
Most enzymes are made with substances I avoid like papaya. That's why I haven't tried any recently. I cut betaine to half dosage.....and yes, it's an acid producer to help digestion.
Why does it seem that nothing lasts too long in this struggle?
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
Just an update....I cut out arrowroot flour and Teff flour and added potato and then zucchini this week, and I feel much better! Not perfect, mind you, but better without the grain & starch. As Jean said...slow & steady wins the race!
I cut my betaine hcl down to one 300 IU tablet (from 4) after each meal, and am doing ok with that, too.
I cut my betaine hcl down to one 300 IU tablet (from 4) after each meal, and am doing ok with that, too.
Linda :)
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
LC Oct. 2012
MTHFR gene mutation and many more....
