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My holistic treatment and diet diary for Lymphocytic Colitis

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
My holistic treatment diary for Lymphocytic Colitis

Current Status: remission

I do SO WELL if I stick to my regimen I've developed. But far too often, I do not. I'm starting this public diary to pressure myself to finally take that big step, pull up my big boy pants, and stick to my regimen. As such, I will be detailing everything I do to treat my Lymphocytic Colitis in this ongoing thread. I will also post any moments of weakness. Feel free to chime in, ask questions, scold me, etc. :)

Current symptoms:
I will update these each day in the actual diary posts.

Lower right gut pain
Costochondritis
Eye inflammation
General aches
Emotional stuff

Known dietary triggers:
Eggs
Gluten
Soy
Yeast - Bakers AND brewers.
Corn
Sorbitol
Apples
Onion
Garlic

Suspected dietary triggers:
Salmon
Bananas

Supplements
500-1000mg of Turmeric per day
750mg (down to 300mg) of magnesium per day - these pills also contain calcium and vitamin D. Be VERY careful supplementing over 350mg of magnesium per day and do so under a doctor's supervision. Magnesium in high dosages can have a laxative effect.


Miscellaneous changes I have made:
- I NEVER use normal table salt in my cooking anymore. All it is is NACL. Our bodies (especially those with IBD who are prone to deficiency) need a variety of trace elements and high quality sea salt can help provide some of those, and every bit helps. AND it tastes better. I personally use this as some sea salts are processed.

- I don't use normal toothpaste anymore. Even the "healthy" toothpastes have absolutely terrible ingredients. I realize this sounds paranoid, but read this thread. I use a mix of sea salt, baking soda, peppermint, and coconut oil. Here is the recipe.

- SO MANY organic (and other) products contain carrageenan. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.

- The only water I drink is electrolyte enhanced. That reverse osmosis water filter you have? It's stripping out trace elements and probably screwing you up. So I put them back as I have a reverse osmosis system. I purchased and installed this product to put the calcium and magnesium back in my water. EVERYONE with IBD should be drinking electrolyte enhanced water in my opinion unless your water already has lots of natural occurring trace elements and aren't being stripped out by any filtration system.

- I try to get plenty of vitamin D from the sun. Last time I was tested, I was at 82 and that's without supplementing. While supplementation is the best alternative, there's much more going on in your body than just vitamin D generation when you're in the sun. Science is still trying to figure out a lot of these processes.

- I avoid hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables. I want soil microorganisms to help determine uptake of nutrients into plants to avoid high nitrate levels. Highly soluble fertilizers just cram the nitrates into the plant and nitrates can lead to a whole host of problems. This is one of the MANY reasons I only eat organic as well.

- I try to only eat grass fed, naturally raised meats. They are SO MUCH healthier for a variety of reasons.

- I only use coconut oil in my vegetable cooking that goes above 220 degrees (I try to stay below 350 degrees) and only use olive oil, ghee, or organic butter otherwise. I avoid all other oils.

- 95% of my cooking is done on cast iron. The other 5% is stainless steel which I try to limit because of potential nickel exposure. All those non stick pans? Trashed. You can get iron from cooking with cast iron (how many of you are iron deficient) and the non stick pan chemicals are terrible.

- All of my cooking utensils are stainless steel or wood. No plastic allowed. I prefer wood so as to avoid potential nickel exposure.

- I avoid utilizing aluminum as ingredients in anything that might go in my body or in cooking. Why? Give this a read.

- I take between 500mg and 1000mg of Turmeric per day.

I'll add more changes as I think of them. I've made so many that have become second nature that I'm not thinking of them right now.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Day One

Lower right gut pain - 4 out of ten
Costochondritis - 4 out of ten
Eye inflammation - 5 out of 10
General aches - 3 out of 10
Emotional stuff - Meh

12:50 - 1:08am - Yoga. Felt longer than that :D I'm out of shape.

1:10am - 1:50am - Meditation and self massage with a tennis ball.

11:30am - Green tea with home grown, better than organic (BTO) Moringa Oleifera leaves.

11:40am - Smoothie with home grown better than organic (BTO) kale, home grown BTO papaya, organic oranges, organic cherries, organic peaches, organic carrots, organic protein powder.

12:45pm - 2:45pm - Worked outside on the farm for a couple hours with no shirt on. Soaked up lots of winter vitamin D.

2:50pm - Ate 1/2 cantaloupe

6:30 - Ate dehydrated organic bananas

9:30 - Ate a homemade soup with a TON of different homegrown and store bought organic veggies with lots of great spices as well.

10:40 - Exercises for my costochondritis using these.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
From now on, all foods are organic unless stated otherwise.

Day Two

Lower right gut pain - 2 out of ten
Costochondritis - 3 out of ten
Eye inflammation - 5 out of 10
General aches - 4 out of 10
Emotional status - 5 out of 10 (with 10 being super happy and 1 being super depressed)

Late start today :D

12:30pm - Morning tea - Green with moringa

1:00pm - Smoothie - Oranges, berry blend, acai, carrots, banana, black strop molasses

*** I seem to be having some indigestion. Hurts when I breathe in, in my abdominal area. Not sure if it's the tea, smoothie, or just a coincidence. Kinda weird. Didn't finish the tea or smoothie. I'll repeat them both tomorrow with the exact same ingredients to see if it happens again. It's a newer tea whereas all the other ingredients have been used often so it would be my primary suspect.

2:30pm - 3:00pm - Yoga

3:00pm - Homemade soup

6:00pm - Grapes

6:45pm - A piece of Dubliner cheese. This is a hard, aged cheese. Not organic though.

7:30 - Homemade soup and cucumber/carrot salad

8:30 - Dates

9:30 - Liverwurst - I eat liverwurst because organ meats such as the liver, kidneys, and heart are EXTREMELY dense in various vitamins, minerals, and extremely important essential nutrients. Yet we never eat it anymore! In older times these organs were viewed as magical, I personally believe due to the nutrients contained within them that the ancients didn't understand. Anyway, the liverwurst I linked is by far the best I've found and is actually very tasty.

10:00 - Neti pot - Utilizing the neti pot seems to help my eye a bit but I also use it to get all the gunk out of my nasal passages that collected during the day, especially when I work in the yard.
 
:thumleft: Good on you for starting the diary and tackling things head on. The diet regime - how long are you going to be on that for?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Thanks! I've already avoided some stuff because I didn't want to have to admit I ate it. Hahah. Peer pressure is wonderful :D This should also help me correlate various foods and practices with my symptoms.

Regarding how long I plan to be on the diet, at present, forever. My diet is based upon my research into nutrients and slowly figuring out what foods trigger me. I have no doubt it'll continue to evolve as I learn more.

I'll edit in my known and suspected triggers into the first post.
 
:ybatty: Naughty boy. What did you eat that you didn't confess to earlier? Is that not maybe what's causing the pain?
I have to say the diet sounds quite tough, David. I know you know your stuff, but it sounds like quite a big ask to live on just soup and smoothies. :hug:
 
Thats awsome David that you are doing the diet. I really hope it can heal you and keep you well..

I am also seriously contemplating doing a special diet too. I already eat as much organic as possible( no GMO foods at all). I know it will tricky for me as I have other issue besides my gut. Like for instance what may not bother my gut will inflamme my bladder and vice-versa so it will be a venture to say the least in terms of finding what works for me.

I know it is hard to give up certian things we love to eat. I have sacraficed So many food due to my illnesses. I have not eaten chocolate in over 6 years! I also have not been able to drink coffee in years as well. I had to give up salads as well since they upset my intestines too much :(. I miss my greek salads the most out of everything( I know, I'm a werido :) Like who misses salads right lol!

Keep with it David, I truely hope it works for ya!!! I mean if it does, then it was well worth it in the end....
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
:ybatty: Naughty boy. What did you eat that you didn't confess to earlier? Is that not maybe what's causing the pain?
I have to say the diet sounds quite tough, David. I know you know your stuff, but it sounds like quite a big ask to live on just soup and smoothies. :hug:
The last two weeks or so I was TERRIBLE. From Nachos (about 6 times) to McDonalds (seriously), I went on a bender. I start to feel really good and then... yeah.

:facepalm:

I definitely don't just eat soup and smoothies though they are my go-to for getting things under control. I have a freezer full of grass fed steaks and enjoy fruits and veggies in a variety of preparations.
 
Thanks for posting this David, i've always been somewhat intruiged as to how you treat yourself, considering how well read you are.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Thanks for posting this David, i've always been somewhat intruiged as to how you treat yourself, considering how well read you are.
Hmmm. I didn't look at it from that perspective. This was more of a means of pressuring myself not to slip up as much :D

Would you like me to list all the changes I've made that have to do with my treatment?
 
Hmmm. I didn't look at it from that perspective. This was more of a means of pressuring myself not to slip up as much :D

Would you like me to list all the changes I've made that have to do with my treatment?
I really would. It always interested me just because 90% of people on this forum have their treatments in their signiature. I assumed as an Admin you were just trying to remain impartial, hah.

But yes considering your depth of knowledge, the manner in which you personally choose to medicate your own body is of great interest to me! I hope it does well to encourage you not to slip up!
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I really would. It always interested me just because 90% of people on this forum have their treatments in their signiature. I assumed as an Admin you were just trying to remain impartial, hah.

But yes considering your depth of knowledge, the manner in which you personally choose to medicate your own body is of great interest to me! I hope it does well to encourage you not to slip up!
I edited in some of my changes in the first post. I'll add more as I think of them as some have become second nature.

I avoid putting my treatment in my signature for a few reasons. One of the bigger ones is because I have Lymphocytic Colitis, not Crohn's disease or Ulcerative Colitis. While LC is a form of IBD, if my disease is mismanaged, it's not going to lead to a whole host of very bad complications. Many people don't understand the difference between LC and CD/UC, especially new people, and I don't want to mislead them into thinking what I'm doing might be right for them. What I'm doing may be good supplemental treatment for people with UC or CD, but I definitely don't believe it should be the entire treatment.

Everything I'm doing is an experiment. While it's all based upon science, I'm not in remission. Hopefully that's because I have slipped up so often and that'll change soon :)
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Day 3

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 2
Eye inflammation - 5
General aches - 2
Emotional stuff - 7 (with 10 being super happy and 1 being super depressed)

10:30am - neti pot

11:00am - Green tea with Moringa. - No indigestion.

11:15am - 1/2 Cantaloupe

12:15pm - Smoothie - same as yesterday but added a brazil nut for selenium. -- no indigestion today after the green tea and smoothie. So it may have just been a coincidence but I was pondering it. I made them at the same time yesterday and both were sitting on my desk. I may have switched back and forth between drinking hot then super cold. So THAT may have been what freaked my body out.

1:30 - Liverwurst (explanation given yesterday)

2:30 - Piece of cheese

4:05 - Grapes

5:30 - Homemade soup

8:00 - Dehydrated bananas

8:05 - Exercises for costochondritis

10:15 - Grapes

11:00 - Homemade soup

-- I had my first near cave after dinner. I was pressured into having some chocolate because, "It's ok in moderation." I was tempted but stayed strong :)

1:15am - Neti pot

1:20 until whenever - Meditation. Goodnight.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Day 4

My gut really flared up for some reason :( It's worse than it's been for awhile. I'm thinking maybe it's all the cheese I've been eating creating really hard stool. Considering I've recently been diagnosed with bleeding hemorrhoids (fun) and told I need to increase fiber intake, maybe that's all related. So no more cheese for awhile :(

At least other stuff is doing pretty good :)

Lower right gut pain - 5 out of ten
Costochondritis - 2 out of ten
Eye inflammation - 2 out of 10
General aches - 2 out of 10
Emotional stuff - 4 out of 10

10:00 - 10:30am - Self massage with tennis ball

11:00 - 11:20am - Yoga

11:30 - Homemade soup

12:00 - Neti pot

3:00 - Organic grass fed hamburger

4:15 - Pork ribs (not organic)

5:30 - Carrot juice

7:30 - Dates

9:30 - Grapes

10:15 - Goat milk kefir. I found this at whole foods today and thought I'd give it a shot. It's the plain kind but I like the taste!

10:45 - Costochondritis exercises
 

FullM3lt

Activate CB2
Location
Pacific NW
How long have you been using the Turmeric? Do you find it helpful? I've read conflicting things about it...I know you have LC and I have UC so I should read more about it before I start taking it (Have some in my medicine cabinet)

I think it's a good idea for everybody to document their daily regimen. Forces one to stay on track and figure out their triggers. I might have to follow suit :ycool:

I'll be following along with this....btw can't wait to start my costochondritis exercises! Pain is killin me today! :smile:
 
Hey David, this is a stand-up post, no doubt about it.

I had a few things I wanted to add:

1. You seem to put a lot of fruit into your smoothies, perhaps try adding a higher balance of veggies to fruit (i.e. kale + cucumber, water and 1 apple) -> that way the drink is very low glycemic (could really help stabilize your blood sugar)

2. Do you have a goal in mind when you are doing this process?

I suspect (but don't want to assume) that I know why you are cheating so much ... let me know and I might be able to get rid of those cheats for you :)

Oh yeah, one more thing, what kind of organic protein powder are you using (i am assuming new Zealand?)

let me know, because I used to use the powders a lot before, but completely switched off them (I absolutely hate that industry for more reasons than 1)
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
How long have you been using the Turmeric? Do you find it helpful? I've read conflicting things about it...I know you have LC and I have UC so I should read more about it before I start taking it (Have some in my medicine cabinet)

I think it's a good idea for everybody to document their daily regimen. Forces one to stay on track and figure out their triggers. I might have to follow suit :ycool:

I'll be following along with this....btw can't wait to start my costochondritis exercises! Pain is killin me today! :smile:
I've been taking Turmeric for around two months now. I've definitely seen an overall reduction in symptoms. Obviously that may be in part or whole to other things I'm doing but I value it as part of my regimen.

I'm sorry your chest is hurting so bad :( I've been there, it's miserable. I feel you bud.

And by all means, feel free to start your own thread. I enjoy reading others journeys and I really do think it helps.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
1. You seem to put a lot of fruit into your smoothies, perhaps try adding a higher balance of veggies to fruit (i.e. kale + cucumber, water and 1 apple) -> that way the drink is very low glycemic (could really help stabilize your blood sugar)
Thank you for the suggestion! Would you be willing to educate me about the benefits of stabilizing blood sugar?

2. Do you have a goal in mind when you are doing this process?
remission :)

I suspect (but don't want to assume) that I know why you are cheating so much ... let me know and I might be able to get rid of those cheats for you :)
I'm all ears!

Oh yeah, one more thing, what kind of organic protein powder are you using (i am assuming new Zealand?)
Florida, USA. I use this one. I personally prefer not to as I get plenty of protein but my wife is vegetarian and doesn't get much protein. I make us both smoothies so *shrug*

Thanks Boris :)
 
I would like your toothpaste recipe, please and thank you :dance: The thread about what's in commercial toothpaste absolutely horrified me.
P.S. My grandmother used to clean her teeth with soot from the chimney!!
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Day 5

My gut is MUCH better than yesterday thank goodness!

Lower right gut pain - 3 out of ten
Costochondritis - 1 out of ten
Eye inflammation - 2 out of 10
General aches - 1 out of 10
Emotional stuff - 6 out of 10

10:00am - Goat milk kefir

11:20 - Yin yoga - Janu sirsasana - Basically this means I held this post for about 3 minutes per side. It helps with some serious lower right back tension I have.

11:27 - Smoothie

1:30pm - Fell of the wagon :( Went to a gardening club meeting and had some breaded chicken fingers and corn chips.

Back on the wagon we go...

4:50pm - Goat milk kefir

5:00 - Grapes

~7:00 - Meditation

9:00 - 2x Tangerines

12:30am - Soup
 
Thank you for the suggestion! Would you be willing to educate me about the benefits of stabilizing blood sugar?




remission :)


I'm all ears!


Florida, USA. I use this one. I personally prefer not to as I get plenty of protein but my wife is vegetarian and doesn't get much protein. I make us both smoothies so *shrug*

Thanks Boris :)
That I would my friend :)

Basically what happens when you eat to many fruits at once (or any kind of high glycemic food: white breads, sugar, candy, white pasta etc)

Your body spikes your insulin levels. This will give you a great boost of short term energy, but it also assures you a crash as soon as the spike is over.

The more you spike your insulin, the more resistant you become to it. (meaning it starts being less and less effective and could end up causing diabetes)

Not only that, but the crash drains all your energy and you start to feel tired. So you make your body go through up's and downs.

On top of those factors, if you aren't using that short term energy, your body won't need it and it will be stored as fat.

Lastly, (although this isn't really a concern for you) the more veggies usually assures more alkalinity in the nutrients taken in.


As for your goal:

Looks like I did guess correctly :)

There is a reason why people who lose a lot of weight gain it back.

It is a psychological principle that goes like this:

If you make a goal that's targeted to going away from something (i.e. I don't want to be fat anymore and I want to look fantastic for my wedding -> for example)

What ends up happening is that you achieve your goal (losing the weight for the wedding), but after the wedding you gain it all back again.

why?

Simply because the goal was going away from being fat. What your subconscious mind then does is say " ok great, I won't ever be fat anymore, so now I can eat that junk again" ->(you don't even realize that this is happening, which is the frustrating part)

So you start to slowly let foods back in and before you know it, you are fat again.


However, positive (going toward goals) last long-term. For example (I am going to exercise because I want to attain better health and fitness everyday for the rest of my life)

Now you are constantly going toward something and it's for the rest of your life. You don't have a point where you will reach the goal and say, ok great I can't reach better fitness or health anymore.


So for you specifically, because your goal is remission, when you are in remission, your subconcious mind goes "ok great, remission, time to eat junk again because I will never flare again"

Instead of remission, a possible goal could be "I will work on my diet and nutrition, everyday to cure my intestinal problems and then to achieve even greater health and set an example for other people"

Now you are setting yourself up for a) believing you can cure yourself and b) going for even more and setting examples for others (of course I just made this up on the fly, but I hope it shows my point)


My problem with protein powders:


To summarize I could create a protein powder tomorrow, put in anything I wanted and sell it to you.

Basically, there is 0 regulation over these products and they are purely made for profit (with great margins).

Here is a video I highly recommend (that shows a guy who does exactly what I explained- highers Mexican workers to package a "proprietary protein powder" and he shows how he out's nothing but fluff in them"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApmX8Q0vqKI


whew! Hope that helps :)
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Thanks Boris.

I read what you had to say and then went and meditated for about an hour.

You're absolutely right. I haven't wanted to change. I have wanted to do the least amount necessary to feel better. And once I'd start to feel pretty good, because the goal wasn't permanent change, it was justification for me to start eating like crap again. Because that's what I wanted to do. Because crap food tastes so freaking good, is easy, and addictive.

I need to break this cycle. But I have to want to change.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I find Salmon as a possible trigger quite interesting. Do you have any problems with any other fish? Do you handle nuts well?
Not that I'm aware of. It doesn't make much sense to me either and it's still theoretical. Hopefully not as I love salmon. In case you're wondering, only wild caught of course.

I've had three different days where the day after I ate salmon my gut was a lot worse. And I stopped salmon oil supplements a long time ago as I felt like I was worse on them.

I do fine with nuts.
 

Gianni

Moderator
Well seafood allergies and stomach issues related aren't uncommon. I know that there is a standing theory on the role of mycotoxins in seafood being a cause for many of the allergies and problems associated with seafood.

I'm sure you're aware that fish goes bad really fast so I believe that even if fish is left unfrozen for just a day that the structure of the meat changes drastically.

The Japanese immediately throw the fish that they catch into an ice bath immediately after killing them and keep the meat frozen until they decide to eat it.

Unfortunately here in the states grocery stores will advertise "fresh" "Wild caught" fish and they will unfreeze the frozen product to make it look fresh. But then the fish will continue to rot as it sits there, in the display, waiting to be bought. If you decide to give salmon another try, ask the seafood department at the grocery store if you could get the frozen wild caught salmon instead of the displayed one. See if it makes a difference.

Gianni
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Interesting about the mycotoxins by the way. I haven't done very well after eating sushi for awhile too but always figured it was the soy sauce. But since it was sushi, well, it was worth it :D
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I made a new vat of my homemade soup this evening for dinner. I thought I'd share the recipe:

- Home grown better than organic (BTO) okra.
- Home grown, BTO garlic chives.
- Home grown, BTO Moringa
- Home grown, BTO sweet potato vine leaves
- Home grown, BTO edible hibiscus
- Home grown, BTO yard long beans
- Home grown, BTO oregano.
- Organic peas
- Organic broccoli
- Organic red cabbage
- Organic cauliflower
- Organic zuchinni
- Tons of different spices and some salt

Usually I add some black or kidney beans but I'm out.

Toss in a big vat and boil for 15 minutes. Yummy :)
 
A paste made from soot can be used to clean creosote off of glass in a wood burning stove. It is a mild abrasive so it probably would work like baking soda for teeth.

Onions are off the food list for me. Garlic does not seem to bother me much, but the two have many sulphur compounds so both should be tested if one causes you trouble.

How do you cook the Salmon? The farm raised fish is quite a bit different than wild. The color which is present in wild salmon is not present in farmed salmon. It has food coloring to make it look normal.

Interesting thread.

Dan
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Interesting about the soot! Hahah :) Old timers sure were creative.

Actually, onions should have been on my iffy list as well. Just added it. Thanks! I also added apples to the definite list which I forgot to add. I've never taken the time to write down my definites and possibles, just kept it in my head so this is good. Dan, are there other foods high in sulfur like onion and garlic?

98% of the time I BBQ the salmon and then put a little vegan mayo on it that has never given me problems. The other 2% I pan fry it then use the mayo because I'm too lazy to go outside.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I'm feeling pretty good today :) I have a 12:30 prolotherapy appointment today which may screw that up a bit for a few days. I'll explain that when I get home.

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 2
Emotional stuff - 7

11:29am - Costochondritis exercises

11:45 - Goat milk kefir

11:45 - Grapes

12:30 - Prolotherapy - See explanation a few posts below.

1:00pm - Smoked pork ribs (not organic)

2:30 - Steak bowl from chipotle - probably not good but I never have correlated a reaction from this. I get the bowl with steak, rice, black beans, and lettuce and have no guilt over it :D

8:30 - Salad with quinoa
 
Prolotherapy is an interesting treatment used by the former Surgeon General C Everett Koop. I am curious as to what you are treating with this method?

There are other high sulphur foods but I can't remember any of them right now.

I can eat any kind of fish as long as it is not breaded and deep fried in grease. The grease will swell up my guts like onions do. I am not sure why, but I suspect the burnt grease is inflammatory because it is used so long.

Malt is another bad food for me. Not sure why.

I am not 100 percent sure of this but I think the pink color of wild salmon is from Astaxanthin that is an antiinflammatory substance. I take this in capsule form. Farmed salmon does not have this and is higher in fat and PCBs. Not even the same food really.

Dan
 

Gianni

Moderator
I went to Alaska this last summer and caught about 200 pounds of Salmon. My salmon has just been sitting in my freezer waiting till I advance my diet from veganism. The rest of my family keeps eyeing my salmon!:shifty:

I'm really excited for when I do incorporate fish back into my diet as I will have some of the healthiest unaltered salmon on earth! :) And I LOVE salmon:D
 

FullM3lt

Activate CB2
Location
Pacific NW
I went to Alaska this last summer and caught about 200 pounds of Salmon. My salmon has just been sitting in my freezer waiting till I advance my diet from veganism. The rest of my family keeps eyeing my salmon!:shifty:

I'm really excited for when I do incorporate fish back into my diet as I will have some of the healthiest unaltered salmon on earth! :) And I LOVE salmon:D
I'd love to have 200 pounds of salmon....so tasty and good for you :dance:

Glad to see that you're feeling well today, David. My gut is feeling great but the costo is 7/10 :thumbdown:. Seeing my GI again today to get a rec to a rheumatologist

Looking forward to hearing about your prolotherapy...maybe it can help me too
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Prolotherapy is an interesting treatment used by the former Surgeon General C Everett Koop. I am curious as to what you are treating with this method?
I initially treated my costochondritis with prolotherapy and it has made a HUGE difference. As I have that under very good control, I didn't have the doctor do any chest or upper back prolotherapy on me today for the first time ever. Instead, I had him focus on my hip area, iliac crest, and other areas in my lower right quadrant. I know for a fact that self massage with a tennis ball in that area helps a LOT. I theorize that trauma to that area plays a bit of a role in my IBD. How much, I can't say for sure. But I theorize that damaged tissue results in decreased circulation of blood and lymph fluid in the area. So I'm trying to heal old injuries to see if it helps my newer issues.

Anyway, for those who don't know what prolotherapy is, it's injections of a solution into areas of your body in an effort to create an inflammatory response. The body then sends stem cells to that areas as part of the response which can lead to healing of injuries. The injections are done by MDs or in some states, acupuncturists can do it. So it's not some guy in the back of a taco shop claiming he can align your chakras by injecting his magical elixer into your joints. Here are some good videos:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCbcC593TTowc
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I'm feeling pretty darn good today :) Often I feel worse after prolotherapy as it creates an inflammatory response but that has always been in my chest. So far, I am not feeling that in my LRQ.

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 1
Emotional stuff - 7

I was an idiot and accidentally left my vat of soup out all night instead of putting it in the fridge. All that time and about $15.00 worth of ingredients down the drain. *sigh*

11:50 - Yin yoga - Janu sirsasana.

12:00 - Smoothie

2:30 - Gluten free chocolate chip cookie

4:40 - Grapes

6:30 - Stirfry with pretty much everything I usually put in soups. Butter as the fat.

7:00 - Dates
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I was just doing some David Chi (think tai chi but to ADHD to follow the videos so you just move real slow with grace however your body feels like) and connected to some pain in my lower right quadrant towards my back. I allowed myself to really feel it and as I relaxed into the pain, my right hip shifted where it sits in relation to the rest of my body. It felt weird but GOOD. Like that's the alignment my body is supposed to have but it feels weird because of damage/weakness/tension of the surrounding muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. I walked around with my hip in that position, consciously hold it there, and it felt GOOD.

What if all the tests we conduct show microscopic manifestations of a much more macroscopic problem. The hose is chronically kinked and we're studying how gross the water gets and how to purify it.
 
Have you ever explored working with someone on Alexander technique? It can help your body heal by moving in healthier, more properly aligned ways.
 
I initially treated my costochondritis with prolotherapy and it has made a HUGE difference. As I have that under very good control, I didn't have the doctor do any chest or upper back prolotherapy on me today for the first time ever. Instead, I had him focus on my hip area, iliac crest, and other areas in my lower right quadrant. I know for a fact that self massage with a tennis ball in that area helps a LOT. I theorize that trauma to that area plays a bit of a role in my IBD. How much, I can't say for sure. But I theorize that damaged tissue results in decreased circulation of blood and lymph fluid in the area. So I'm trying to heal old injuries to see if it helps my newer issues.

Anyway, for those who don't know what prolotherapy is, it's injections of a solution into areas of your body in an effort to create an inflammatory response. The body then sends stem cells to that areas as part of the response which can lead to healing of injuries. The injections are done by MDs or in some states, acupuncturists can do it. So it's not some guy in the back of a taco shop claiming he can align your chakras by injecting his magical elixer into your joints. Here are some good videos:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCbcC593TTowc

David
I had prolo shots years ago. 3 session I think. My back was so bad I had to use a help to get around and I was about 20 at the time. My doc did these and I had chiropractic help as well and saw HUGE improvements.

I hope they continue to work for you.

BTW leave it up to Clash :eek:to think about food when we discuss important medical...stuff.:rof:
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I should have mentioned that I began taking 500mg of magnesium daily four days ago. For a couple of weeks now, my right eyelid (same eye that gets inflamed) has been twitching. I was patient with it but it got to be too much so did some research and found that magnesium deficiency can cause it. I also have occasionally restless legs and I've also correlated some improved symptoms in the past when I supplemented magnesium. So I started.

Today was the first day in a couple weeks that I haven't woken up to my eyelid twitching. I hope that continues as it was really starting to drive me nuts.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 2
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 2
Emotional stuff - 7

Feeling pretty good overall so far today :)

12:20 - Goat milk kefir

12:25 - Yin yoga - janu sirsasana

12:40 - Costochondritis exercises

4:30pm - 2 glasses of red wine (party)

4:30 - Bread topped with figs, nuts and apples with brie. Not too smart but yummy! :)

5:00 - Nuts

8:15 - Liverwurst

9:30 - Tangerines

11:20 - Goat Milk Kefir
 
I should have mentioned that I began taking 500mg of magnesium daily four days ago. For a couple of weeks now, my right eyelid (same eye that gets inflamed) has been twitching. I was patient with it but it got to be too much so did some research and found that magnesium deficiency can cause it. I also have occasionally restless legs and I've also correlated some improved symptoms in the past when I supplemented magnesium. So I started.

Today was the first day in a couple weeks that I haven't woken up to my eyelid twitching. I hope that continues as it was really starting to drive me nuts.
Interesting, thank you. My eyes have been irritated and flickering occasionally too, more so since the surgery and the restless leg thing I've had since my first flare began - it drives me crazy!
I've been meaning to check what I might need to be supplementing now I dont have my IC valve and cecum. I seem to remember, when I asked my IBD nurse way back to check my iron, he said my levels were fine but he thought I should be taking magnesium and zinc supplements.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Bad me for not updating today. It has been a busy day...

Anyway, I've been feeling pretty damn good today other than my eye.

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 8

~ 11:00am - Smoothie

~ 12:30pm - Dates

~ 2:30pm - Pork ribs (not organic)

~5:30pm - Grapes

7:25 - Goat milk kefir

9:30 - Stir fry of vegetables

10:00 - Organic chocolate
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I feel REALLY good so far today.

Lower right gut pain - 0
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 8

10:30am - Yin Yoga - Janu Sirsasana

11:00am - Goat milk kefir

2:10pm - Grapes

3:30 - Cheese (I know, I know)

Fondue party begins here. :D

5:30 - Chips and dip

8:30 - Steak, bread, cheese, chocolate, strawberries, falafal, baba ganoush, hummus, pita bread, rum, horseradish sauce
 

CrohnsChicago

Super Moderator
Everything you are doing sounds SO clean and healthy! Definitely inspirational!

Just wanted to send some support your way! Keep up the good work and I hope you have many more great days to come!

:emot-dance::emot-dance::emot-dance::emot-dance::emot-dance:
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Hooooo boy. Fondue parties and diets do NOT mix. Yesterday's late update show just how far I fell off the wagon. :yfrown: That's ok though, it was tremendous fun and so far it hasn't negatively affected me except in the general aches area. I think my kidneys are upset with me.

Lower right gut pain - 0
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 4
Happy Scale - 8

After going to bed at 1:30am I was up at 6am. Probably not the healthiest thing but I go garage saling every Saturday and I enjoy the hobby immensely so *shrug*

6:00am - Orange Juice

6:30am - Coffee

1:30pm - Goat Milk Kefir

2:00pm - Cheese

5:30 - Leftover fondue steak

6:30 - Carrot juice

10:30 - Goat milk kefir
 

KWalker

Moderator
Hooooo boy. Fondue parties and diets do NOT mix
I was going to ask this. I have a few questions for you. Do you usually try to avoid bread/rice? Also, I saw you had gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Can this still be considered "bad" because of the chocolate chips?
 
After going to bed at 1:30am I was up at 6am. Probably not the healthiest thing but I go garage saling every Saturday and I enjoy the hobby immensely so *shrug*



Shame on you David!!!

Garage saling is a SPORT not a HOBBY!
Poeple like that are ruthless. We had a HUGE barn sale of house hold stuff and these fanstic up way to early for a deal were lining out side our barn doors by 6:00 am. Ya put a price on an item and they'll talk your ear off till ya give them their asking price or tell them to go bugger off!:ack:

Garage saling=yard sales=barn sales
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Grumbletum - Garage saling is going out to a bunch of garage sales, buying things I need for amazing prices and buying useless crap for amazing prices then reselling it to people on ebay for a little more. :)
I was going to ask this. I have a few questions for you. Do you usually try to avoid bread/rice? Also, I saw you had gluten free chocolate chip cookies. Can this still be considered "bad" because of the chocolate chips?
Yes, I avoid bread when I am being good. I shouldn't have gluten, eggs, or yeast. Heheh. As for the chocolate, it doesn't seem to negatively affect me that I can correlate. I'd be weary of the 1/2 cup of sugar I'm eating in all those cookies before I worry about the chocolate. The thing is, where I'm at, if I totally cut out EVERYTHING I enjoyed like chocolate chip cookies, at some point I'd look like this so it's better I do things in moderation:
 

Attachments

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I'm still doing REALLY good. Some twinges in my gut today but not much.

Lower right gut pain - 1
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 2
Happy Scale - 8

My hemmie is hurting though. I need to get my head out of my ass and start taking the psyllium.

10:15 - Yin yoga - Janu sirsasana

10:30am - Goat milk kefir

11:00 - Smoothie

2:30pm - 1/2 Cantaloupe

4:30 - Psyllium husk

6:30 - Carrot juice

8:30 - Costochondritis exercises

11:30 - Homemade soup

12:00 - Gluten free chocolate chip cookie x2
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I'm REALLY liking how I'm feeling on this magnesium. I'm switching things up a little and am taking two different forms of it. The two supplements are:

Cal-Mag Citrate - I take one of these in the morning
400iu of vitamin D3 - I really don't need this but I wanted the other ingredients
Calcium - 500mg
Magnesium (50% glycinate and 50% citrate) - 250mg

Cal Mag - I take one of these in the evening
Calcium - 1000mg
Magnesium (oxide) - 500mg

The more I research magnesium, the more I realize I have VERY LIKELY been deficient and it has been causing many of my issues.
 
My Dad, a non-IBD'er became magnesium deficient due to a med he was taking and it was amazing and scary all the symptoms he was experiencing. They all went away once he started supplementing.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Frankly, I don't see how anyone on this forum who doesn't supplement isn't deficient in magnesium. Here are the foods highest in magnesium:


And here is the RDA based upon age and sex:


Source

Just on straight math, how many of you think you are getting enough magnesium?

From the Linus Pauling Institute:
A large U.S. national survey indicated that the average magnesium intake for men (about 320 mg/day) and the average intake for women (about 230 mg/day) were significantly below the current recommended dietary allowance.
I even feel like my brain fog might be starting to lift.
:dance:
 

Judith

Crohnsforum Science Advisor
Wow! Great thread! Thank you for posting. I hope you continue to feel better. :)
 
The form of Mg is pretty important. Mg oxide is not well absorbed and is used as a laxitive which probably is not desirable for most of us.

I use Mg citrate as it is more absorbable and I do not need any laxitive effect.

I have read that Magnesium and Calcium should not be taken at the same time. Something about them competing. I have to look into this more.

Dan
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I have read that Magnesium and Calcium should not be taken at the same time. Something about them competing. I have to look into this more.
If you find that, could you please post it?

In the meantime I think I'll mix in a 3rd magnesium supplement that is straight Mg (rotating between the three) in case the calcium/magnesium combination isn't optimal like you suggest.

I just ordered a 25lb bag of epsom salts as well. My plants on my farm are going to be very high in Magnesium :D

Thank you! :)
 

Gianni

Moderator
I have read that Magnesium and Calcium should not be taken at the same time. Something about them competing. I have to look into this more.
I thought you are supposed to take magnesium and calcium together. I read it helps with distribution of both minerals, regulates blood, and strengthens bones even more than if taken alone... :shifty:

Would love to read otherwise though.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Something just dawned on me. Since starting the magnesium, I haven't had my usual cravings and I haven't been anywhere near as hungry. Usually I'm in the fridge a LOT, but not lately.

I'm making chocolate chip cookies right now and I'm like, "Meh". And I have a huge vat of soup I made earlier that I haven't touched yet. I'll have some in a few minutes when my wife gets home, but I'm not having to hold myself back from eating it like I usually do when I wait for her.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
HOLY CRAP

For the first time in... gosh, how long has it been now? About 18-22 months (I've lost track), I HAVE NO CHEST PAIN. I woke up with no pain from my costochondritis!

:banana:

At its very worst it was excruciating (I'd say 8 out of 10 on the pain scale) just to breathe. As a 1 or 2 out of 10 lately, it only hurt a little. Mildly annoying but always present.

I'm not ready to say it is gone for good, but this is literally the first time I have not had chest pain in 18 months and I feel like crying. Other than my eye, NOTHING hurts.

I celebrated by having a cookie for breakfast :D

Lower right gut pain - 0
Costochondritis - 0
Eye inflammation - 3
General aches - 0
Happy Scale - 8

10:40am - Gluten free chocolate chip cookie

11:30 - Homemade soup

12:20 - Goat milk kefir

6:30 - Homemade Soup

7:00 - Gluten free chocolate chip cookie

9:30 - Carrot juice

10:45 - Costochondritis exercises
 
I need to look up costochondritis. I frequently have pains that I've chalked up to dehydration and pleurisy...
 
Also, I want to come live on your farm. I'm sure you'll be cool with that.

(edit: oops this isn't the sustainability thread. still, though)
 

FullM3lt

Activate CB2
Location
Pacific NW
HOLY CRAP

For the first time in... gosh, how long has it been now? About 18-22 months (I've lost track), I HAVE NO CHEST PAIN. I woke up with no pain from my costochondritis!

:banana:

At its very worst it was excruciating (I'd say 8 out of 10 on the pain scale) just to breathe.
Awesome!! :ycool: This gives me hope

I painted a few rooms at my house yesterday and one of my costochondral junctions swelled up like a balloon definitely 8/10 for me :rof: :ybatty:
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
David is a garage saler!!!! I am a fanatic for garage sales (and thrift stores, and craigslist, anywhere where I can exercise my fantastic thriftiness). Personally I buy cheap clothes at garage sales and then tailor them to be cuter, fit better, etc. I learned how to take clothes in by practicing on garage sale items - if I ruin a shirt that cost me a quarter, it's not a big deal. I recently bought a wool coat for $5 at a garage sale and tailored it (new buttons, removed shoulder pads, chopped off some of the length as it was floor-length). It's so cute now! I'm jealous that you can do year-round garage saleing - here in WI it's a summer thing only. :p

I'm interested in magnesium supplementation after reading this thread. I don't know if mine has ever been checked but I certainly don't eat many of the foods on that list. Someone mentioned magnesium citrate doesn't cause d - but I could swear I've read that one being used as a prep?? Or am I just confused?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Some minor twinges in the gut today, but not much. Still no costochondritis pain which is AWESOME. My eye inflammation seems to be a little less annoying today thus far as well which is wonderful.

Lower right gut pain - 1
Costochondritis - 0
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 8

~1:00pm - Yoga

2:15 - Homemade soup

9:30 - Gluten free spaghetti
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I've decided that I'm only going to do entries when I do something out of the ordinary. I can't see me eating soup and drinking carrot juice for 50 pages being all that interesting or useful. So I'll update with anything out of the ordinary and daily checks of how I'm doing.
 
Where do you get your Mg supplements? Why do you rotate them? Alkaline vs acid? Some other ion balancing? Something else?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Boy, 6pm rolled around fast. I kept meaning to update for the day but kept getting distracted.

Lower right gut pain - 1
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 8

I feel great. I moved the costochondritis from a 0 to a 1 because I have been doing a lot of yoga the last couple days and notice in some specific poses, I can feel minor pain/pressure around my sternum. There's still "stuff" there but it's almost gone. I don't feel it 98% of the time, just when I really get in deep. Until that's gone, I don't think it should be a 0. Maybe I should have it 1/4 or something :)
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Where do you get your Mg supplements? Why do you rotate them? Alkaline vs acid? Some other ion balancing? Something else?
I purchased two from my local Whole Foods and my wife already had one.

I rotate them because, despite a lot of research, I don't know which form is best. I take the shotgun approach to my health quite often so when I'm unsure of something, I try to cover various potentials. My preference is not to take any supplemental magnesium but I need to figure out how to get enough in my diet first. That's proving more difficult than I thought.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Not much different today and same ole diet.

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 5

11:30pm - Milkyway Candy bar. Call it a moment of weakness, reward for doing so well, or whatever, I ate it. I don't mind that I have the occasional candy bar, but I need to eat healthier versions.

Spammers are hammering our server causing slow page load times which I've been battling all day thus the lower happy scale.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Lower right gut pain - 1
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 7

The happy scale is back up as the server is doing a little better today. Overall still feeling really good. But doing some self-evaluation, I'm doing nowhere near enough yoga and exercise. I plan to do it but something always gets in the way. I'm so busy these days it's hard to find the time to exercise yet it's so important for my short and long term health. It's silly really and needs to change.

*gets up to do some yoga*
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
David, I find that I really need to set aside a specific time/day to exercise. I always lift weights Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I have to start planning hours in advance (I can't have food or anything except water in my stomach for at least 2 hours prior to working out, and I have to start taking Tums at least 30 mins prior to working out, or I will just reflux to the point of puking). So when I get up in the morning, I decide that I am going to work out at a specific time that day (lunch hour or after work) and start mentally and physically preparing myself for it. It takes a lot of preparation, but I think that makes me need to do it more - I get very disappointed if I plan for hours to work out and then I get too nauseous or whatever. So you have to want to work out, and you have to plan for it too. Hopefully you don't need to plan for hours like I do, but honestly it does help me. Maybe lay out your yoga clothes in the morning if you're planning on exercising later in the day? Make yourself a playlist specifically for exercising? Definitely set a time when you are going to work out and stick with it. Don't wear your workout clothes except when you work out - when I put on my workout clothes, it puts me into a different, more serious mindset. It's like I've put on a uniform and that means I've got a job to do, and that job is to get healthy and fit. I've been hitting the gym a minimum of 3x per week (with very few exceptions when I'm feeling really unwell) for a year and a half now and I just keep enjoying exercise more and more (I'm probably addicted to the endorphins at this point). That was probably too long and rambly, but I hope it helped.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Some wonderful advice, thank you Cat!

I decided to ponder WHY I am not exercising while I practiced yoga. I practiced, "Satya" which is one of the "yamas" (one of the eight limbs of yoga) and it means truthfulness. Most people think it refers to being honest with others which I think it does, in part. But I think the deeper side of it is being honest with yourself. It's really hard to be honest with yourself. We love to believe our own justifications and lies. At least I sure do.

Yes, setting aside the time is a big part of it. But there are other reasons too. I've been scared to work out because it hurt so much. I've been scared to exercise because when I come present, I feel my body more and it hurts. So avoided exercise and got weak. Now I'm scared to exercise because it hurts my ego and it's hard to see just how out of shape I am... how far I've fallen.
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I totally hear you, David, I was in the same spot myself. When I started working out in the spring of last year, it was when I was first going to physical therapy for hip arthritis. I had been ill for a long time and had lost a LOT of muscle mass. The physical therapist took one look at me and declared that in addition to both hips being weak (the arthritic one and the healthy one were about equally bad), I also had weak knees, ankles, etc. I was so ashamed, I had no idea I was that far gone! Slowly through PT I learned that exercise doesn't have to hurt, I just have to listen to my body and take it slowly, and if something hurts then don't do that. Hearing how weak I was pushed me into action. I started lifting very light weights twice a week and quickly moved up to 3x per week and gradually increased the amount of weight I was lifting. I tried jogging but I learned that that hurts my arthritic hip, so I don't do it. I can ride my bike, I can do yoga, I can jump rope, I can hula hoop, I can swim, so it's okay that I can't jog. I can do most weight machines - the only ones I typically avoid are the ones that put pressure on the stomach or the ones that are specifically for the abdominal muscles (I can do them on a good day but they just wreck me on a not so good day). And it was very slow going, I had fallen very far too but I kept up with it and never gave up in spite of VERY slow progress. It took me at least 6 months for me to put on enough muscle to get to where most normal non-athletic people's muscle mass is at - it wasn't until after that that I started seeing actual results in the tone of fitter-looking arms & legs, etc. Now, about 18 months in, I know I still have a long way to go (forever really, because my goal is to be as fit and healthy as I possibly can). Every workout feels like a victory, though. Every rep feels like I'm punching illness in the face. Every drop of sweat is illness crying. Working out is the most tangible way to fight my illness - I literally feel like I'm fighting, and I feel SO good afterwards. I have put in a lot of work but believe me, it has been worth every second.

So yes, it's hard work and there's a lot of work to do, especially after you've been ill for a long time and have likely lost a lot of muscle mass and your body doesn't work the way it used to. But it can be done! I did it all myself with just a little initial help/prompting from my physical therapist. But I put in all the work, she just showed me that I was capable of doing the work and also in desperate need of doing the work. You just need that wake-up call, which it sounds like you're in the middle of right now. You can do it! Seriously, I'm like the biggest whiner of all time, and if I can do it I absolutely promise you can too. :)
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I actually stole that saying and paraphrased it for myself. I saw on some fitness website there was a slogan that said that "every drop of sweat is just your fat crying" but I really don't have much fat so I modified it to fit me instead. :p

Edited to add: I wish that saying applied to night sweats too. ;) Ha ha!
 
David, you talk about eating liverwurst, but not about eating the organ meats (offal) themselves. If you can get these from your organic or grass fed animal supplier they are amazingly good for you. I eat kidneys, liver, and brains regularly, heart and tripe occasionally. The first two are excellent sources of iron (one of the reasons for my high readings of iron, I think). Brains or sweetbreads once a week will give even pregnant women all the folate that they need without any artificial supplementation. And offal has lots of other benefits.

The other valuable source of iron that I use is black strap molasses (again organic, of course). It has high content of iron, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6. It also has a low glycemic index. I use it on my oat porridge in the mornings and in warm milk at night (and always lick the spoon!). If you are looking for natural sources of minerals BS molasses has to rate very highly.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
It was my birthday yesterday so I haven't been spending much time online or updating. Let's just say I fell off the wagon, got trampled by the horses then fell off a cliff. Heheh.

Lower right gut pain - 2
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 7
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Hi Susan, sorry it took me awhile to respond.
David, you talk about eating liverwurst, but not about eating the organ meats (offal) themselves. If you can get these from your organic or grass fed animal supplier they are amazingly good for you. I eat kidneys, liver, and brains regularly, heart and tripe occasionally. The first two are excellent sources of iron (one of the reasons for my high readings of iron, I think). Brains or sweetbreads once a week will give even pregnant women all the folate that they need without any artificial supplementation. And offal has lots of other benefits.
I eat the liverwurst specifically because it contains the organ meats (liver, kidneys and heart). I don't eat brain though. Does that contain nutrients not found elsewhere?

The other valuable source of iron that I use is black strap molasses (again organic, of course). It has high content of iron, manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6. It also has a low glycemic index. I use it on my oat porridge in the mornings and in warm milk at night (and always lick the spoon!). If you are looking for natural sources of minerals BS molasses has to rate very highly.
I purchased some black strap molasses awhile back but haven't been eating it. I'll see if I can get back into that habit. I DO utilize it in an organic fertilizer I use on my plants though :)
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I've been feeling pretty darn good.

Lower right gut pain - 1
Costochondritis - 1
Eye inflammation - 2
General aches - 1
Happy Scale - 7

Today I made bone broth for the first time which I then used as the base for a new batch of soup. HOLY CRAP is it delicious! I made a chicken bone broth by boiling the chicken bones for about 12 hours with a little apple cider vinegar. My soup was good before, but now it is WONDERFUL. I'm excited about the potential health benefits from all the new nutrients as well.

I received some bison and beef knuckles today which I'll make into broth in the future. I'm sold on this stuff :)

I also had a root beer float for dessert though. Normally that wouldn't be that big of a deal, but the root beer had sodium benzoate in it. Shame on me :(
 
I love roasting chickens. I usually pay about $8 for a medium sized bird and I get 4 or 5 meals out of it between two chicken dinners for a family of four, followed by about 3.5 gallons of soup from the carcass.

It's best when you have two carcasses, I've found. You can fit both in a lobster pot (or a similarly sized pot) and the broth you get has more flavor (and I'd guess more nutrients). I do two in the same roasting pan if there's going to be guests or I just want more leftovers.

I usually stuff the chickens with lemons and onions (I just slot the lemons' skin and stuff the whole fruit in there, the onions I slice up) rather than bread stuffing. The citrus flavor is imparted to the meat and it doesn't dry it like bread stuffing would. I usually toss the lemons in the broth, I wonder if they would have a similar effect?
 
From what I read, the acidity helps remove nutrients from the carcass.
You can also add organic, clean eggshells. Bundle them in cheesecloth and tie shut with string. Float them in the soup and fish out when you're done simmering. The vinegar also helps leach calcium and minerals from the eggshells. All eggshells, whether added to the soup or not, then go into the compost pile after being whizzed in the blender with water.
 
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