30 Day Paleo Autoimmune Challenge

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moneybanks24

moneybanks24

Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
14
A little about me. I'm 22, male. Diagnosed 5 months ago with Crohn's in the terminal ileum accompanied by a lovely perianal fistula. Started Remicade 4 months ago, but it has not closed the fistula completely.

I'm a student studying sociology and hope to go into the marketing/advertising field. I have always been very ambitious, but unfortunately, this disease has derailed me off my course. It is time to get serious and get my life back in order.

Luckily for me, I have a wonderful mom who has offered to cook my meals and bring them to my apartment on a weekly basis (<3)

I've experimented with this diet in small doses and have found that it has a significant impact on my symptoms, but I have not been able to find the exact culprits of my digestive distress.

I am currently on:

Celexa--10 mg (anxiety, depression)
Seroquel 25 mg (sleep)
Garden of Life Probiotic 10,000 cfu
Vitamin D 5000 iu

Here is a link to the autoimmune protocol I will be following: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/05/19/what-is-the-paleo-autoimmune-protocol/

In short, I eliminate all pro-inflammatory foods including: all grains, eggs, nuts/seeds, dairy, nightshades, alcohol.

I am hoping the diet will have an effect on my mood, acne, nasal congestion, and most importantly, fistula drainage. After adding the probiotic, my bowel movements have evened out in terms of consistency and frequency, so those are not my main focus.

This diet is going to take its biggest toll on my social life. I'm 22, and living in a major city, most people concentrate their social activities on eating and drinking. This disease has been a major adjustment for me. My weekends have always centered around alcohol. but of late, after nights of drinking heavily, I will spend the next 2 days in my bed puking my brains out. This never used to be an issue for me. I could drink 12 beers with friends in a night and wake up fine the next day.

Due to my accompanying social anxiety, it is difficult for me to restrain from drinking in social situations that I may be uncomfortable in, thus I'm going to try to avoid them for these 30 days. It just isn't worth it anymore and I am currently seeking different ways to socialize with people my age (suggestions are welcome!)

I haven't seen many threads testing the AIP (autoimmune protocol) out, so hopefully this will serve as a resource and guide to anyone reading it. It will also be a means to keep me on track. I will be posting my thoughts, the food I eat, and all the workouts I do.

Wish me luck!

----------------------------
Update: After a good deal of thought, I have decided to hold off on the autoimmune protocol. I will consider starting the protocol if my issues become worse. It is too strict and unfeasible at this point in time for me to stick to. I will operate within a more traditional paleo framework which excludes grains, dairy, and legumes. Changed the title of the thread.
 
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Goodluck bro, you're right there aren't any threads on the autoimmune protocol, it's a real strict diet I was very strict SCD for a while but don't know if I have the discipline for autoimmune, though we'll see how you are in a month maybe itl motivate me! Hardest thing is to cook meals all the time.
 
Best of success moneybanks24 with the diet. Hope you see improvements over the next 30 days.

Also good luck with your marketing studies. That is the work my father became involved in with his successful career.
 
Are you continuing the remicade? You may consider taking a daily allergy pill OTC or rx, I use singulair, for your nasal congestion.

Good luck with your eating, I hope you are able to really stick to it. I think after the first week you will already start to feel if the diet is working for you.
 
Day 1 aip

Had remicade yesterday. After the infusion, I had 2 slices of pizza, m and ms and milky way bites. One last hurrah, if you will. I'm definitely feeling the effects of that indulgence today, as my bottom has been sore for most of the day. Expecting that to stop by tomorrow.

Breakfast: salmon, asparagus, a bit of watermelon

Lunch: Chicken, beef, green beans, lettuce, zucchini (this was from the deli so may have had some additive sauces)

Pre w.o.: 1/2 sweet potato

Workout (# sets, # reps, weight)

Db bench 4 5 75 (failed on 5th rep of 3rd and 4th set, will retry this weight next week)
Db incline 4 5 50
Pec fly 3 5 95

Bb curl 4 5 75 (only got 3 on last set)
Chin up 4 5
Db curl 2 8 20

Post w.o--banana

Dinner: kale, yams w/ sugar (unfortunately), chicken breast
 
This is going to be very difficult to do and maintain a social life. It is nearly impossible to account for all of the sauces, sugars etc. that chefs use in their meals. I suppose I will have to be very clear and ask them to cook things plain for me.

Today my friend invited me to go to Cali with him to stay with some girls he knows at the end of the month. I really want to go, but I know this diet will not be sustainable when I am traveling. Even if I modify it, the main difficulty will be not drinking alcohol.
 
It's not the easiest diet to follow in the beginning. I suppose like many things with practice it becomes easier.

You understandably have a busy social life. This might not be the best of times to try a dietary idea. It can always been done later if you choose to do so.

If you continue with the diet I've seen Robb Wolf, a popular paleo writer, wrote a downloadable guide book for following the paleo diet when on the road.

Robb also has UC and will from time to time comment about the condition on his sight. I've seen him mention a few times that he'll have a glass of wine or two from time to time, and live to tell about it.

"NEW: Paleo Dining Out Guide"

http://robbwolf.com/2013/06/04/new-paleo-dining-guide/
 
Thanks Beach, that's very helpful. I am going to download his Dining Out Guide now. I've been Paleo for about 2 months with a few days of cheats scattered throughout that time. I'm interested to see his section on alcohol. When I take my trip, I'm not going to drink to excess, but having one or two would be nice!
 
Hopfully the dinning out guide will be of help. Just to clarify, Robb's mention about alcohol I believe was in his main book he wrote, The Paleo Solution. Like many Paleo followers from what I read, he isn't overly strict with the diet. He follows the diet most of the time but will stray occasionally.

I'll lightly drink alcohol socially also. Since being healthier drinks don't bother me as much as they used to in the past. To much can be painful though.

Best of luck!
 
I hear ya, socially the diet is super hard. you really needa give up the concepts of breakfast, lunch etc, its pretty much salmon in morning, salmon at night, some cooked, steamed vegies, other meats etc
 
Maybe Beach is right though too, at 22, no alcohol is a lot to ask. The SCD diet (which is sort of similar to paleo) allows some dry wine, or spirits in moderation. So long as you don't overdo it, and you don't drink beer or anything sugary, it could be ok to have a drink here and there. I'm on a difficult diet myself, and it really helps that I can go out for a drink, even though going to a restaurant makes me nervous. I would say to try to be as careful as you can about the food, try to prepare as much of it as possible yourself, so that you avoid the hidden sugars and starches in foods that you may get out. Maybe try to be alcohol free for a short while too if you can manage it. But you should try to add wine or spirits back in very soon, so that your diet and lifestyle are somewhat sustainable.
 
I appreciate all the kind responses. It's nice to know people understand what I'm going through. I have come to the conclusion that the AIP is pretty much going to be unsustainable at this point in time for social and financial reasons. Instead, I'm going to opt for strict paleo. Anyway, onto day 2!

2 loose stools this morning. Assuming these are leftovers from all the pizza/chocolate I ate a couple days ago. Or maybe the watermelon from yesterday. Not sure.

3 eggs, zucchini
Yoga
Greens, tuna, olive oil, avocado, 1/4 sweet potato
Greens, chicken, sweet potato

The fistula was much less inflamed today which was a good sign. I have been in the library for the past couple hours and have been very productive.
 
I see you are taking Celexa. I was on it for about 8 weeks a couple of years ago, and it caused me a huge amount of digestive distress. Constant diarrhea, cramping, nausea. They are not uncommon side effects of Celexa. Don't know if you can discuss another option with your doc to see if that will help your symptoms, but mine resolved completely when I stopped taking it.
 
Hey lisakuney,

interesting point. I've been on it for about 4 years now. It has actually had the opposite effect on me though. Before starting it, I could not be in a room for more than 30 minutes without having a panic/diarrhea attack haha.

I am trying to reduce it gradually and am on a very low dose at the moment. Hopefully, these changes in my diet will have an impact on my mood and I will be able to be psych med free one of these days.
 
Yeah, I switched to Effexor which was awesome for panic attacks, but a bitch to taper down from. I am glad it works for you and is not tearing up your gut.
 
I'm in my 20s and don't drink. My intestines do not tolerate alcohol well! I'm also a single mom so not exactly partying it up anyway, but when I do hang out with friends, I prefer to do stuff in smaller groups of people who are also sober! Not drinking doesn't have to kill your social life, but you may have to change the way you socialize.

I have a very limited diet, and I've had good luck eating at outback steak house. They can make most stuff plain and don't get annoyed if you order a meal made of sides. They also have a gluten free menu.
 
Oh and as for stuff we actually do? Going for walks in parks (some of my friends have dogs), hanging out watching movies at someone's house, playing video games/watching other people play video games depending on the game, and other stuff like that which is lower key. I also bring my own food with me a lot. I also hula hoop and knit with some friends but that's usually not as interesting to guys! I also only hang out with people a couple times a month (but that has more to do with being a single mom & being extremely busy!).
 
Those are all good ideas plaidknitter :) I'm definitely going to look into outback steakhouse as an option.

Day 3

Fistula was draining quite a bit this morning, although it wasn't inflamed.

Breakfast: Rosemary chicken, avocado
Lunch: cashew butter, wild caught tuna
Dinner: Potatoes, filet mignon, fish tacos (no tortillas) w/ mayo
Snack: Cantaloupe and banana

Workout--Legs

Squats 4 5 185
Leg press 4 5 360
Sldl 4 5 155
Step ups 2 8 35
Calf db jumps 3 20 25
Seated calf press 3 15 170

I felt really good. Had high energy throughout the workout.

Cheated a bit at dinner. I was with my Dad and he was treating so i couldn't resist. I'm a perfectionist and am slowly accepting the fact that this process won't be perfect, certainly not linear. Even if I do slip up somewhat, I am still eating a very very healthy diet by anyone's standards. Doing my best. As long as the cheats don't turn into full on binges, Ill be fine.

A little troublesome, but I noticed a swollen lymph node in my left groin. I will monitor it. I am aware of all the risks Remicade poses, but hopefully this is just in response to the fistula.
 
plaidknitter said:
I'm in my 20s and don't drink. My intestines do not tolerate alcohol well! I'm also a single mom so not exactly partying it up anyway, but when I do hang out with friends, I prefer to do stuff in smaller groups of people who are also sober! Not drinking doesn't have to kill your social life, but you may have to change the way you socialize.

I have a very limited diet, and I've had good luck eating at outback steak house. They can make most stuff plain and don't get annoyed if you order a meal made of sides. They also have a gluten free menu.
Click to expand...

I went through university without drinking alcohol, and had several friends who didn't drink either. But then, I didn't feel as if I was missing out because the student/clubbing/drinking lifestyle did not appeal to me. It was more difficult for me to not always be able to join in social meals and eating out, but it can be done - there are people who will not care what you drink or eat. It's always worth giving your friends a chance to see if they can support you in not drinking, and maybe try some new activities where alcohol doesn't play a major role - it will be good for all of you in the long run! You could also try to seek out new people who aren't drinkers, not necessarily to replace your current friends, but so they can give you ideas about lifestyle that doesn't involve drinking.

I don't mean to minimise the importance of food and drink to culture though - I did try some very restricted diets and found they impacted on my social life (food rather than alcohol) - I would have kept them up except the diets did me no good anyway. One of the benefits of giving up restrictive diets was that it was easier for me to join in eating socially again. I still can't enjoy eating as I did when I was healthy though. I think you have to weigh up the positives and negatives of following a diet. Once you are able to see the extent to which it is benefitting your health (or not), you can make an informed decision about whether it is worth it.
 
One thing that I've found that's really helped me (though it may not be this way for all people) is not not follow a specific diet plan. Instead, I do my research on the types of food that they advocate eating and not eating and compile my own list of foods to eat. I don't like having someone else set rules for me as far as what I can and can not eat. Because then when I "cheat" I feel like I'm breaking the rules, and I have a problem with that. But if I'm the one setting the "rules" it's easier for me to stick to it and not get stressed out over my performance on the diet. My husband was diagnosed with Crohn's over 5 years ago and we've never been able to figure out what foods set him off. He seemed to do a little better not eating gluten but still had problems. Lately, we've been giving diet another try and have been more strict this time. I looked into anti-inflammatory and low-residue foods as well as what seems to work/not work for people with Crohn's. Paleo was our starting point and I added/eliminated foods according to other things I read. We focused mainly on eating salmon, chicken, and eggs as protein sources with a lot of sweet potatoes and squash. Squash was a "no" according to the low-residue list but I decided to keep that in for the time being. We do eat some quinoa and a little dairy which also might be considered bad. And then I fill out the meals with cooked carrots, canned fruit (so it's cooked also) and a few raw fruit but only seedless and unpeeled (mainly melons and tropical fruits).

However, with all this, we still haven't seen much/any improvement. I think my husband's Crohn's is mainly triggered by stress and not food. He really doesn't have an issue keeping weight on like I hear many others do (he's usually 220-240lbs and 6') so maybe his body is just different that most others' bodies.

Anyways, sorry about all that... I was mainly wanting to encourage you to not be discouraged if you don't follow someone else's diet to the T. Just focus on finding out what foods work for you and which ones don't, and eat that way. If alcohol is a problem for you, then cut it out as much as possible. But if it doesn't affect you (when in moderation), then who cares if you drink it? Also, when you mentioned a meat in your menu for the day, is it cooked plain? I've found some great sauces that seem to be "safe" which really helps cut down on the monotony of eating the same things again and again. Oh! and I read that turmeric is a really good anti-inflammatory so we try to incorporate that a lot. The other day we had salmon with a peach curry sauce on it--so good! I feel like when we eat this way we have so many more "gourmet" foods that we usually do! Anyway, best of luck to you and looking forward to hearing how the diet changes work for you!
 
some issues with this plan-

cutting dairy- you need a source of calcium, also, your diet will be lower in tryptophan which is an amino acid used to make melatonin, which is very important for the immune system especially the gi tract where most melatonin is created, 400x more then the pineal gland in the brain. melatonin has been shown in experimental models of ibd to prevent and resolve inflammation, so more typtophan can only benefit you.


cutting nuts/seeds- you will need a source of polyunsaturated fats, RDA is 17 grams omega 6 linoelic acid and 1.7 grams of alphalinoleic omega 6 fatty acid. you will become more anxious without enough polyunsaturated fats as they are used to make neurons in the gi tract and the brain.

cutting grains- fiber is protective of ibd, it feeds the good bacteria, grains are a great source of fiber. although i have issues with certain brands of wheat.

you really want to beat this disease consider trying a fecal transplant- http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=52400
 
Unxmas--your thoughts seem like a very realistic way to approach this whole situation. I am definitely going to try and branch out with some people who don't drink to supplement my current social circle. I have found that my current friends are supportive, it is just difficult for them to understand completely.

Jessiya--thanks for the long and thoughtful response. I completely agree with you about restrictive diets causing more stress than they are worth at times. At the same time, they provide a solid framework and structure. It was overwhelming for me at first to tackle testing out every single food that may irritate me. The paleo diet provides a solid foundation. Later, after my symptoms have cleared, I will begin reintroducing foods one by one to see if I can tolerate them.

Alcohol, namely beer and certain types of liquor, has been a consistent trigger for me. I am still experimenting with what works. I saw a naturopath and she told me to drink gin when I go out. So I listened...but the past 3 or 4 times I've gone out and drank gin I was puking my guts out for the next 2 days (not a pretty sight.) After doing some more research, I'm going to try vodka, which is supposedly the "cleanest" form of alcohol.

WIth the meat, I usually cook it with salt, basil, olive oil, and pepper. I would love to hear what sauces you had in mind, because that rotation can get pretty old at times haha.

wildbill--I don't have the expertise to debate your claims, and I'm sure they are based in truth, but I will say that fiber has been a MAJOR irritant for me. The past 3 partial bowel obstructions I had were triggered by eating fibrous foods.
 
Stool was on the loose side this morning. Fistula was almost not inflamed at all. Lymph node still swollen but not as bad.

Breakfast: 3 slices bacon, 2 eggs, handful banana

Workout--Shoulders/Triceps

Seated bb press 4 5 90
Seated Arnold press 4 6 40
lat raises 3 20 15

Close grip bench 3 5 120
Rope push down 2 8 90
Dips 1 8

Basketball

Post w.o--sweet potato, rosemary chkocen, almond butter
1 serving cantaloupe
Lunch: Steak, spinach
Dinner: Avocado salad with onions, chicken and tomato

Right now, my fistula is not draining at all! First time in a very long time. I don't know whether to attribute this to the remicade or the diet. Time will tell, but I'm on the right track.

Also updated the thread title. Decided not to pursue the autoimmune protocol and opting for just paleo for now.
 
My husband (who has Crohn's) recently did the Paleo diet for about 6 weeks and felt great after the first week! Good luck with it all!
 

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