Hi all, I just got my lab results:
Fecal Fat. 531 Units
Anti-gliadin: 140 Units
Anti-casein:26
Anti-ovalbumin IgA: 22
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 12
No significant immunological reactivity: Rice, Almond, Walnut, Cashew, White potato
+1 reactivity: Oat, Corn, Beef, Chicken, Pork
+2 reactivity: Tuna
+3 reactivity: None
To the questions: Is turkey ok? (I make chili with ground turkey). Are duck eggs ok? (Not eating them at present) Since pork is at the bottom of the list, I have had pork roast and ham (without nitrites). Is that safe? Before I got tested, I was making chicken bone broth and making chicken rice soup, which I have stopped. Is it possible to eat any beef, or should I just assume that I am cutting out all the meats? I am eating lots of rice and white potatoes. My husband made a delicious minestrone, but the vegetables did me in. It was GF of course.
Any good cookbooks or websites that deal with multiple food intolerances?
Has anyone consulted a dietitian, and with what results? My husband thinks this might be a good idea. I see that Enterolab offers a consultation after testing for a fee. Has anyone tried that?
I just want to eat! I’m not very good with eating the same thing all the time unfortunately. But I find hunting around for recipes, substitutions (who knew that chick pea brine could fill in for an egg in a recipe) etc. exhausting. My brain fog, fatigue, and depression get in the way. I am open to any suggestions, and feel fortunate to have this forum to turn to!!
My Enterolab Results and some Questions
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Re: My Enterolab Results and some Questions
Yes, as long as it's not injected with "tenderizers".Is turkey ok?
Maybe. After you're in remission, you can try them to see if you react.Are duck eggs ok?
With an overall score of 12, all foods with a 1+ rating can probably be eaten on a rotation basis. IOW, don't eat the same ones two or three days in a row.Is it possible to eat any beef, or should I just assume that I am cutting out all the meats?
Fiber should be minimized while recovering, and spices (other than salt), and onions, and garlic, should be avoided.My husband made a delicious minestrone, but the vegetables did me in. It was GF of course.
https://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB/viewf ... f4f5d96b43Any good cookbooks or websites that deal with multiple food intolerances?
Has anyone consulted a dietitian, and with what results? My husband thinks this might be a good idea.
Many members have. They're never helpful. No dietitians are trained to understand and treat MC. Their recommendations are always based on Crohn's disease, and those suggestions won't work for MC.
A few have, with mixed results.The main problem is that it takes a lot of protein to heal the damage caused by MC, and Dr Fine is a vegetarian selling supplemental products. If you want to try his services/products, they probably work best after you're in remission, so that you can tolerate more fiber (and don't need as much protein). When recovering from a flare, we've found that the simplest diet with only a few foods (and no supplements) is the fastest and surest way to get most of us to remission.I see that Enterolab offers a consultation after testing for a fee. Has anyone tried that?
That's a common complaint among newbies and it's an obstacle to recovery. The fastest, most reliable path to remission involves eating only a few, simple, safe foods. Rather than to worry about getting enough to eat, simply eat enough of the few safe foods in your diet plan to satisfy your hunger/needs, and look forward to adding more variety (and a few gourmet treats) after you've been in remission for a while. Remember, when we're trying to recover from MC, our food is our medicine, and we have to take the right "medicine" in order to get well. A simple, safe diet may be boring, but it's the most effective way to treat MC, and that's by far, our main objective.I just want to eat! I’m not very good with eating the same thing all the time unfortunately.
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.
Re: My Enterolab Results and some Questions
Tex,
Thank you ever so much for responding to all my questions!
I think one of the hardest things for me is the feeling of isolation. Also the temptation to go off my diet, when others around me are eating the things I would like to eat but can’t. One of the reasons I FINALLY got the Enterolab testing was that I had strayed off my diet and felt if I knew more conclusively what I absolutely couldn’t eat, I would be more likely to adhere to the straight and narrow. And that has helped. Your clarifications on the +1 foods (being able to eat them in rotation) has given me hope. Also, thanks for the tips on dietitians and follow up with Enterolab. I will try to stick to the limited and safe diet. Looks like turkey is my best friend right now, along with potatoes and rice. The link to Dee’s Kitchen looks interesting, it’s always good to have some recommended recipes from people who have actually tried them. I think I am lucky to be able to eat nuts since they provide protein, and they are usually my go to snack. I noticed there were no tests for peanuts and I haven’t been eating them, but I do like peanut butter. Hope that doesn’t mess me up. One thing I wonder is how you know you are in remission. I guess not having diarrhea would be one clue, but do you ever get rid of the other symptoms? (Brain fog, fatigue, etc.) Also, does being reactive to tuna mean other fish are out as well? I’m not big on fish, but maybe an occasional mild fish would be good?
Again, thanks so much for all your help and for running this forum. So instead of this:
We can feel like this:
Judi
Thank you ever so much for responding to all my questions!
I think one of the hardest things for me is the feeling of isolation. Also the temptation to go off my diet, when others around me are eating the things I would like to eat but can’t. One of the reasons I FINALLY got the Enterolab testing was that I had strayed off my diet and felt if I knew more conclusively what I absolutely couldn’t eat, I would be more likely to adhere to the straight and narrow. And that has helped. Your clarifications on the +1 foods (being able to eat them in rotation) has given me hope. Also, thanks for the tips on dietitians and follow up with Enterolab. I will try to stick to the limited and safe diet. Looks like turkey is my best friend right now, along with potatoes and rice. The link to Dee’s Kitchen looks interesting, it’s always good to have some recommended recipes from people who have actually tried them. I think I am lucky to be able to eat nuts since they provide protein, and they are usually my go to snack. I noticed there were no tests for peanuts and I haven’t been eating them, but I do like peanut butter. Hope that doesn’t mess me up. One thing I wonder is how you know you are in remission. I guess not having diarrhea would be one clue, but do you ever get rid of the other symptoms? (Brain fog, fatigue, etc.) Also, does being reactive to tuna mean other fish are out as well? I’m not big on fish, but maybe an occasional mild fish would be good? Again, thanks so much for all your help and for running this forum. So instead of this:
We can feel like this:
JudiRe: My Enterolab Results and some Questions
Judi,
The EnteroLab test results are very accurate for most of us, so yes, those test results give us a good reason to follow our diet plan. It's difficult to eat a restricted diet at first, but it gets easier as time goes on. Diet variety is a fairly recent innovation in human history. It became popular during the last 2 or 3 generations. Historically, everyone (except for royalty) ate a very limited diet prior to a few generations ago.
In addition to turkey, lamb and all wild-type meats are safe protein sources, also, including duck, goose, pheasant, quail, rabbit, venison, etc. Shell fish (shrimp, prawns, oysters, crabs, lobsters, etc.) are safe choices for those of us who didn't have a preexisting allergy to them.
Dee hasn't posted in a number of years, but she was a professional chef who had MC. If you go back to the posts that she wrote, those recipes are all gluten, dairy, and soy-free, and they're quite tasty. And she has written posts that list egg substitutes for those who are sensitive to eggs.
Peanuts are a legume, and those of us sensitive to soy are usually sensitive to most legumes, also. That's why a specific test for peanuts is not in the EnteroLab panel. Cashew butter, and almond butter are good alternatives to peanut butter.
Gluten damage to the intestines heals slowly. It often takes a year or two of healing before the brain fog and fatigue completely resolve, but they will eventually fade away. Yes, as you continue to heal, one of these days you will wake up and realize that you have your life back.
Tex
The EnteroLab test results are very accurate for most of us, so yes, those test results give us a good reason to follow our diet plan. It's difficult to eat a restricted diet at first, but it gets easier as time goes on. Diet variety is a fairly recent innovation in human history. It became popular during the last 2 or 3 generations. Historically, everyone (except for royalty) ate a very limited diet prior to a few generations ago.
In addition to turkey, lamb and all wild-type meats are safe protein sources, also, including duck, goose, pheasant, quail, rabbit, venison, etc. Shell fish (shrimp, prawns, oysters, crabs, lobsters, etc.) are safe choices for those of us who didn't have a preexisting allergy to them.
Dee hasn't posted in a number of years, but she was a professional chef who had MC. If you go back to the posts that she wrote, those recipes are all gluten, dairy, and soy-free, and they're quite tasty. And she has written posts that list egg substitutes for those who are sensitive to eggs.
Peanuts are a legume, and those of us sensitive to soy are usually sensitive to most legumes, also. That's why a specific test for peanuts is not in the EnteroLab panel. Cashew butter, and almond butter are good alternatives to peanut butter.
Gluten damage to the intestines heals slowly. It often takes a year or two of healing before the brain fog and fatigue completely resolve, but they will eventually fade away. Yes, as you continue to heal, one of these days you will wake up and realize that you have your life back.
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.
Re: My Enterolab Results and some Questions
Tex, Thanks again. I did eat a hamburger tonight thanks to you!! And I do have a neighbor who has offered to give me some venison. I sure am looking forward to that “getting my life back” thing. Even at age 71!! I have your book (one of them) and need to go read it again. I tend not to retain information sometimes, and have to constantly review. Wish I knew how this MC started, but I guess it doesn’t matter compared to how I can proceed from here. Wishing you the best of holidays! Judi
JudiRe: My Enterolab Results and some Questions
Thanks, I appreciate those good wishes. And I hope that your holidays are as enjoyable as possible (under the circumstances). If I can just continue to avoid COVID-19 I'll be a happy camper. It's really booming in this area.
Tex
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.