Flour and sugar free...

[cagfire]

I've been diagnosed since 1987 with crohns. I've had 3 resections and a ruptured bowel.

I don't have fistulas but I do have largish ulcers according to my latest colonoscopy.

For years I've just eaten what I could and tried to moderate or restrict the amount of grains/fibre I ate, but pretty much anything was eaten in moderation. I suffered dreadfully with diarrhea until just recently.

My partner had been watching my diet, he'd been seeing what I ate, what I did and how my life was generally and suggested I try going flour and sugar free to see what impact it would have on my health.

To be honest, I didn't think it would make much difference but I gave it a go. After a couple of days I got the flu and it laid me up for a week in bed. Well, being sick off work was probably the best thing that could have happened. It gave me time to stay close to a toilet while my system adjusted to being sick and the change of diet.

I didn't realise just how sluggish eating bread and flour had made my system! Where before I'd take 3, 4 or sometimes 5 days between oo:here I was now starting to go to the oo: every single day! And...it wasn't diarrhea!!!

We looked at how much protein I was eating and started increasing it. We added tuna and other oily fish several times a week. We added more meat as well and each meal included rice, vegetables and some salad.

Breakfast is fresh fruit such as melon, strawberries, mango or blueberries with some weetbix and milk.

Lunch is tuna, rice and vegies.

Dinner is tuna or meat with rice, vegies and salad.

For snacks we might have a bit of cheese, fresh fruit.

We also have discovered that Quinoa is a high protein, easily digested form of fibre for me and it makes my guts feel great.

I know that this isn't going to work for everyone, but it is working for me and allowed me to reduce my diarrhea medications dramatically.

Cheers

Lisa
diagnosed 1987
meds: imuran, questran - used to be lomotil as well till just recently

 

[Naps22]

Hi Lisa and welcome!! I am so glad to hear that you have had success with this change of diet. I think that it is so important to pay attention to what you eat and how it effects your body so that you know how to "help" your body along with the medications - it can only be a good thing right?

I did have a question though. I like Tuna - but I've heard for a long while now that eating it more than one to two times per week is bad because of the accumulated stuff they get from the water - I think it was mercury. Are you aware of this?

I have tried quinoa as well - boy - not a nice experience for me - I was in the bathroom the rest of the day. I think it was just too much fiber for me TBH.

Also - I found your bathroom habit interesting!!! You say that you have diarrhea - but you were only going to the bathroom every 4 to 5 days?? That sounds so much like constipation! I have diarrhea more than anything and I never go a day without going - and usually it is multiple times a day.

Ok - well- welcome again - we look forward to hear more from you!

Myth: Mercury in fish presents a serious health risk to Americans.

The truth: The best science suggests that the tiny amounts of mercury in fish aren't harmful at all. A recent twelve-year study conducted in the Seychelles Islands (in the Indian Ocean) found no negative health effects from dietary exposure to mercury through heavy fish consumption. On average, people in the Seychelles Islands eat between 12 and 14 fish meals every week, and the mercury levels measured from the island natives are approximately ten times higher than those measured in the United States. Yet none of the studied Seychelles natives suffered any ill effects from mercury in fish, and they received the significant health benefits of fish consumption.

In November 2005, The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published new research from Harvard University that put the risk from fish-borne mercury in its proper context. Dr. Joshua Cohen, the study's lead author, summed up the issue for MedScape Medical News: "[W]e're talking about a very subtle effect of mercury ? changes that would be too small to measure in individuals."

The Tuna Mercury myth is all hype, seriously have you ever met anyone that has had Mercury poisoning lol? I've also read that fish have very high levels of Selenium in them. And Selenium has a very high bonding affinity with Mercury. So when the Mercury enters the body the Selenium binds to the Mercury which can negate almost all of the bad side effects of Mercury.

I'm also pretty big into bodybuilding and I know TONS of people who eat 5+ cans of Tuna per day and they are perfectly healthy and look great.

 

[imisspopcorn]

I think they started recommended only eating a certain amount per week. Especially for women who plan to have children.

 

[kskitt]

Before my surgery 4 weeks ago, i was eating tuna every single day - lunch and dinner for about as long as i can remember (and im talking years) - i was addicted to the stuff, and have never had any problems

 

[bjeffrey]

I am on the Specific Carb Diet by Elaine Gottschall, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle..."
My cramps and pain has subsided. I go to the bathroom about 4 times a day instead of 8 plus. No processed sugar, No grain and No starch! Basically, it's the vicious cycle with yeast flour and sugar that upsets the bacterial composition in the intestine. I was in remission for years on the diet and left it for my sugar addiction. Now, I am back on track. I am not a seafood lover so I have always stayed away from anything out of the sea.

Besides Vit B-12 injection and Vit D 50000 IU, I take lomotil a few times a day, otherwise I am drug free.

What you put in your body is what comes out if not processed.

I hope this helps.
jeffrey

 

[ksa]

Add a few more questions

I have a few questions about the yeast, flours, and sugars. If you have taken bread out of your diet how do you have a sandwich? Is there a bread out there that is better than others? What about tortilla shells or pita bread? Do all of these contain yeast, or flour?

 

[Mazen]

If you go on SCD, you have to make breads from nut flours....

If not, I guess you can find yeast free breads at some bakeries or health food stores, but they contain flour for sure....

 

[crohnsproof]

I can never keep up! heck, I used to PLAY with mercury when I was younger - well, ok - only once - but I remember it like it was yesterday because it was soooo cool. Hmmmmm, maybe THAT'S what's wrong with me ;o)

When I was in junior high, we used to play with the mercury, pouring it from one hand to the next. That was during science classes a million years ago. My how things have changed.

It must have gotten me too! YIKES

Sorry I got off topic, I regressed! There are 'corn' tortillas. I don't think they have flour.

 

[CrohnsHobo]

I was on a gluten free diet but during that time my crohns actually got worse, but I have met crohns patients when getting my Remicade IV's that have had good luck with it.