Am I Impeding My Healing by Ceasing to be a Vegetarian to Get More Protein

[Chalkie88]

Greetings to a remarkable group of people,

This is my first post.
I never had any gut issues in my life; I was an active high energy runner/cyclist/teacher/vegetarian until suddenly getting sick with explosive D, severe cramps, bloating and pain in June of 2023.

I was diagnosed with LC in July 2023 by colonoscopy. I tried to manage symptoms with lofodmap diet but it wasn’t working to bring relief. I finally saw a GI in September. I was told that “I can just live with less than 5 incidences of D a day, just manage it with Imodium” and sent away.

Symptoms got worse, so I went back to the GI in October. The GI doc put me on Budesonide with no dietary advice. I stayed on the medication as prescribed (9mg for 12 weeks then a taper). I also took Pantoprazole 40 mg and Famotidine 20 mg.

The medication and some elimination of Gluten and Dairy seemed to improve my symptoms but when I weaned off the Bud in early February, within two weeks the WD returned.

I found your site, read Tex’s book and started to examine my diet much more carefully.

I have eaten only what I thought were GF, DF, Soy free, egg free Stage One foods from January to current. However, I was eating Rice Krispies, some Ezekiel bread, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, vegan sausage (contained gluten), vegetarian burgers, but cut all these out now.

Also, in early February, I started the Pepto protocol and added psyllium and, for a month now, the WD has ceased, but my stools are still not normal. I go 1-2 a day and stools are forming but disintegrate when flushed.

Does it seem to you that despite some gluten I’ve consumed that I’m somewhat healing? I gained back the weight I lost (I’m 5’9” 130 lbs) and have some energy back.

Can you check my list of “safe” foods just to see if something jumps out that might be harmful? My list of foods for several months are:

Oatmeal(just removed 2 weeks ago per this site’s recommendation)
Rice Chex
Rice Krispies (as of today, I will cut this out as I just discovered it contains malt)
Rice Cakes
Rice (Jasmine, Basmati, Brown)
Rice pasta (white and brown)
Quinoa
GF pretzels made with rice
Sweet potatoes
Butternut squash
Zucchini (well cooked)
Red bell pepper (well cooked)
Green string beans (well cooked)
Carrots (well cooked)
White and red potatoes
Unripe bananas
Small amounts of berries occasionally
Canned pumpkin purée
Shredded coconut
Orgain vegan protein powder
Chicken broth
Almondmilk (Almondbreeze brand)
Earth Balance
Smart Balance
Olive oil
Salt/pepper
Black tea
Honey
Maple syrup
Farm fresh eggs ( just started 3 days ago)

I’m terrified to add new foods for fear of worsening symptoms, but after 8 months of eating mostly rice, sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans, I’m very concerned with the lack of protein in my diet.

Pre-diagnosis I heavily relied on dairy, nut butter, and Vegan protein powder or protein bars for my protein. I do know I was always lacking protein but I chose to ignore this. I eliminated all those items when I got sick in June.

Here are my questions for you:
As a 45 year vegetarian, I am now eating Stage One foods but no meat. I’ve read in your book, Tex, that meat/fats are the best foods for healing. Clearly, I’ve had none. Although I do see a big difference since the diet changes I did make, I know this life long disease necessitates a big move from adhering to only a plant-based, dairy diet. I’m willing to slowly add in animal products because I need more balance in my diet.

I recently added eggs (tried for 3 days) and it seems to be work ok in my system.
Does this mean I can eat them regularly?
I’m confused because you suggest cutting eggs out as many MCers don’t tolerate them. Am I making myself sicker or interfering with my healing by eating them? I know we are all different, I’m just wondering what you think.

I also wonder what safe protein powder would be best since I read the pea protein in the protein powder I’ve been using may not be tolerated.

The same question goes for adding soy, fish, chicken, turkey into my diet. I’m willing to eat these items if the protein will help me, but it seems the opposite of what you suggest in terms of removing food items.
I know your recommendation of slowly introducing new items small bits at a time for 3 days to test for safety. I’m just wondering if I have the enzymes in my system to digest these as a long time vegetarian.
What do you suggest in this case?
Do you suggest adding 1 of these food items at a time, using the 3 day rule, in order to determine if I can tolerate these protein-rich foods?

My other question is for lab testing. I want to test for food sensitivity with Enterolabs but I wonder what will show up since I haven’t had eggs/soy/meats/fish for so long.
Will I get reliable, useable information?

It seems clear that the A1/C1 tests are where I should start but I also read there is a B panel for vegetarians. Since I’m trying to switch from a strict plant-based diet, which tests do you recommend? Do you think I should wait a month or more after I’ve added more protein sources so my system has recalibrated?

I’m sorry for all these questions; I’m so confused.
I will call the lab and ask them but thought it would be helpful to get your experienced feedback.

I hope this makes sense and that you can provide me some feedback. This is a lonely, frustrating disease and I’m so grateful for your compassion and advice.

Going forward I will firmly adhere to a GF, DF, and soy free diet and finish out the Pepto routine of 8 tabs for 8 weeks by early April. I will continue to read the MC forum and newsletters and your book to learn all I can in the meantime.

Wishing you nothing but the good Grace that permeates your every response to thousands of posts.
Blessings,
Cheryl

[PattyD]

For me the Enterolab testing did provide some insight as to how my body's immune system was reacting to what I thought were safe and healthy foods. The flip side was, and still is, my body was so inflamed when I did the test it was reacting to any food I put in my body so I often wonder if the foods listed are indeed repeat offenders or if it was a matter of extreme inflammation but it did give me a snapshot of what foods were really pissing my body off badly. I did quit eating beef (pasture raised) and switched to wild game like wild boar, elk, and venison. I also switched to quinoa instead of white rice and I eat black cod instead of tuna and salmon. No chicken whatsoever in any form. Same goes for soy. No oats or legumes (peanuts are legumes.) I mess up on the gluten part sometimes (Ezekiel bread is not gluten free I've found out.) No dairy; I use plain coconut yogurt for a creamy snack. My bowel movements have drastically improved as I am not usually crampy and before I was having watery diarrhea within 30 minutes of eating anything and now I have 1 to 2 a day, not completely formed but the explosions and urgency are gone and I'm ecstatic about that. I follow low FODMAP pretty closely because it is proven to help and all of my functional gut repair docs recommend it while our intestines heal. MC is no joke. It's debilitating and hard AF. And a self experiment because we're all different. Personally I would add in some red meat and see how you feel if you can. Just make sure it's not grain fed and is 100% pasture raised and finished. We need the heme iron.