Overhauling bad habits!

[Sophabulous]

Hello everyone

I was wondering how you all manage your diets in an effective way whilst keeping it convenient? I'm doing low FODMAP and have been for about 12 months or so, and I've done a 10 week liquid diet re-introducing things one by one. The only thing which upset me was coffee really, although I do suffer from eczema and I'm not convinced that isn't a food allergy/sensitivity we didn't pin down at the time :thumbdown:

I digress...My problem is I rarely have time to cook and certainly nothing from scratch so I usually just bung frozen stuff in the oven, have prepared ready meals, make sandwiches or fast food. I always feel sluggish and I think the low FODMAP is making me eat a lot of starch and carbs. I actually love fruit and veg but this is obviously limited at the moment. I'm seriously considering getting a juicer so I'm still getting the nutrients though after I saw that this removes the fibre the other day! My weight is finally good and stable but I don't want to get any bigger really so I need to make some changes.

I would love to cut out processed foods and go back to basics, but I work long hours and I'm only at home pretty much to sleep. I'm struggling for ideas on what I can do to make food more interesting and eat things which are good for me. Do you have any tips and tricks that could help? I want to start small and gradual, probably starting with eating more frequent and smaller meals. What would you all suggest? I'd love to hear what you all eat and if there are any ingredients or supplements you use in your food which you swear by!

Thanks

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I love my juicer. A few years ago when I decided to try it, I wasn't sure if my body would like fresh homemade juice or not. I found a used juicer for $10 at a garage sale and decided to give it a try. Fortunately, my body responds very well to fresh juice. I've never had any issues with it, and I feel very healthy when I'm juicing regularly. So I would say, definitely give it a try, especially if you can find a juicer for a reasonable price. My garage sale juicer lasted a couple of years and then broke, so I got myself a refurbished juicer online as that was a bit cheaper than buying a brand new one. I love it. It can get a bit pricey buying produce to juice, but I feel like it's a worthwhile investment. I can make myself juice and bring it to the office and sip it all morning.

As for meals, are you able to maybe cook a large, healthy meal and then portion it out into containers and freeze them? That way you could eat them throughout the week. That's what I try to do, I do as much meal prep as I can on Sundays. I buy my groceries and plan out meals for the week and do whatever advance prep and cooking I can. They make desktop crock pots now, so I got one of those and I use it to warm up some of my meals and I can then eat my meal whenever it's convenient for me.

I hope that's helpful! I'm trying to stay away from processed foods myself but I also work full-time, so I definitely can relate to that struggle. There are so many foods that are convenient, but most of them are not healthy, so it can be a big challenge.

 

[hugh]

Hello everyone
I was wondering how you all manage your diets in an effective way whilst keeping it convenient? I'm doing low FODMAP and have been for about 12 months or so, and I've done a 10 week liquid diet re-introducing things one by one. The only thing which upset me was coffee really, although I do suffer from eczema and I'm not convinced that isn't a food allergy/sensitivity we didn't pin down at the time :thumbdown:

FODMAPS is a great tool for identifying foods that cause an immediate reaction (gas, bloating, cramps), but is no use at pinning down more complex reactions (like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, rhinitis, depression, eczema, arthritis, autoimmune disease).
Not sure how you are implementing fodmaps but my understanding is it is a one month severe restriction and then a staged reintroduction to see which foods are tolerated and which cause a reaction.
The ones that are tolerated can be eaten (regardless of fermentable carbohydrate (FODMAP) content) and the ones that cause problems retested at later dates.
FODMAPS tells you nothing about food allergies, food intolerance or food toxicity
Excema and food intolerance are closely linked [1]

I digress...My problem is I rarely have time to cook and certainly nothing from scratch so I usually just bung frozen stuff in the oven, have prepared ready meals, make sandwiches or fast food. I always feel sluggish and I think the low FODMAP is making me eat a lot of starch and carbs. I actually love fruit and veg but this is obviously limited at the moment. I'm seriously considering getting a juicer so I'm still getting the nutrients though after I saw that this removes the fibre the other day! My weight is finally good and stable but I don't want to get any bigger really so I need to make some changes.

Firstly, Most Carbs ARE FODMAPS (certainly all the fast food ones like wheat, corn, and soy) but I will assume that they were problem free FODMAPS that you reintroduced without issue (remembering that all fodmaps tells you is that bacteria are having a party and farting out gas)
Ready prepared meals are FULL of additives, chemicals, crap and fillers and carbs.
I would suggest a slow cooker, making freezer meals yourself and finding a good 'paleo' bread recipe [2].
Well cooked veggies are much easier to digest.
Juicers are wonderful, get a cheapie and see if you like it. Stay away from too much fruit, and go mainly vegetables – better juicers handle veggies better but start where you are.

I would love to cut out processed foods and go back to basics, but I work long hours and I'm only at home pretty much to sleep. I'm struggling for ideas on what I can do to make food more interesting and eat things which are good for me. Do you have any tips and tricks that could help? I want to start small and gradual, probably starting with eating more frequent and smaller meals. What would you all suggest? I'd love to hear what you all eat and if there are any ingredients or supplements you use in your food which you swear by!

Thanks

I honestly think that the biggest improvements will occur when you clean up your diet.
SLOW COOKER!!!!!!!!
AVOID radical changes, this can create problems, but guide yourself towards a balanced Paleo diet (like 'The perfect health diet' [3])

[1] “Even though not widely understood or appreciated - new research (ref.s below) shows Eczema is commonly caused by undiagnosed and untreated food intolerances (food sensitivities).
A major cause of Eczema is Gluten Intolerance
Another major cause of Eczema is Dairy Intolerance - specifically Casein Allergy
Yeast overgrowth in the body - or Yeast Sensitivity can result in Eczema
Sometimes Food Additives in processed foods can cause Eczema”
https://www.foodintol.com/which-foods-cause-eczema
“Because both wheat conditions, a wheat allergy and intolerance, are auto-immune disorders, they can have a direct effect of triggering eczema. “
http://www.livestrong.com/article/289954-wheat-grain-eczema/
and thousands more, - google it
[2] Paleo bread that is amazing, go easy to begin with…..
the recipe on this page is high in fibre (psyllium) so take it easy
https://cleaversorganic.com.au/recipe/paleo-hotdogs-pete-evans/
[3] http://perfecthealthdiet.com/the-diet/
and
Bowel Disorders, Part I: About Gut Disease
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/

 

[Sophabulous]

I love my juicer. A few years ago when I decided to try it, I wasn't sure if my body would like fresh homemade juice or not. I found a used juicer for $10 at a garage sale and decided to give it a try. Fortunately, my body responds very well to fresh juice. I've never had any issues with it, and I feel very healthy when I'm juicing regularly. So I would say, definitely give it a try, especially if you can find a juicer for a reasonable price. My garage sale juicer lasted a couple of years and then broke, so I got myself a refurbished juicer online as that was a bit cheaper than buying a brand new one. I love it. It can get a bit pricey buying produce to juice, but I feel like it's a worthwhile investment. I can make myself juice and bring it to the office and sip it all morning.



As for meals, are you able to maybe cook a large, healthy meal and then portion it out into containers and freeze them? That way you could eat them throughout the week. That's what I try to do, I do as much meal prep as I can on Sundays. I buy my groceries and plan out meals for the week and do whatever advance prep and cooking I can. They make desktop crock pots now, so I got one of those and I use it to warm up some of my meals and I can then eat my meal whenever it's convenient for me.



I hope that's helpful! I'm trying to stay away from processed foods myself but I also work full-time, so I definitely can relate to that struggle. There are so many foods that are convenient, but most of them are not healthy, so it can be a big challenge.

That's great advice thank you I might see if anyone in the area has one that's going unused. I was worried about the price of buying the produce but as you say, it is an investment and if I feel the benefit of it I will be very happy

I have in the past made up big batches of things and frozen them for the week, that's a habit I need to get back into for sure. It really did help and it's so much cheaper than just going out and buying food at the last minute!!

Thank you again

 

[Dawn101]

I just bought the instant pot pressure cooker. I really like it. You can cook a pot of baked potatoes in 15 minutes, cook chicken breasts in minutes. I originally bought it to cook squash and root veggies quickly in the summer and not heat up the house. Great for batch cooking meals. I haven't tried it but it is also a slow cooker. Works well as rice cooker for longer cooking varieties. Check it out on line.

 

[Sophabulous]

FODMAPS is a great tool for identifying foods that cause an immediate reaction (gas, bloating, cramps), but is no use at pinning down more complex reactions (like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, rhinitis, depression, eczema, arthritis, autoimmune disease).

Not sure how you are implementing fodmaps but my understanding is it is a one month severe restriction and then a staged reintroduction to see which foods are tolerated and which cause a reaction.

The ones that are tolerated can be eaten (regardless of fermentable carbohydrate (FODMAP) content) and the ones that cause problems retested at later dates.

FODMAPS tells you nothing about food allergies, food intolerance or food toxicity

Excema and food intolerance are closely linked [1]





Firstly, Most Carbs ARE FODMAPS (certainly all the fast food ones like wheat, corn, and soy) but I will assume that they were problem free FODMAPS that you reintroduced without issue (remembering that all fodmaps tells you is that bacteria are having a party and farting out gas)

Ready prepared meals are FULL of additives, chemicals, crap and fillers and carbs.

I would suggest a slow cooker, making freezer meals yourself and finding a good 'paleo' bread recipe [2].

Well cooked veggies are much easier to digest.

Juicers are wonderful, get a cheapie and see if you like it. Stay away from too much fruit, and go mainly vegetables – better juicers handle veggies better but start where you are.





I honestly think that the biggest improvements will occur when you clean up your diet.

SLOW COOKER!!!!!!!!

AVOID radical changes, this can create problems, but guide yourself towards a balanced Paleo diet (like 'The perfect health diet' [3])



[1] “Even though not widely understood or appreciated - new research (ref.s below) shows Eczema is commonly caused by undiagnosed and untreated food intolerances (food sensitivities).

A major cause of Eczema is Gluten Intolerance

Another major cause of Eczema is Dairy Intolerance - specifically Casein Allergy

Yeast overgrowth in the body - or Yeast Sensitivity can result in Eczema

Sometimes Food Additives in processed foods can cause Eczema”

https://www.foodintol.com/which-foods-cause-eczema

“Because both wheat conditions, a wheat allergy and intolerance, are auto-immune disorders, they can have a direct effect of triggering eczema. “

http://www.livestrong.com/article/289954-wheat-grain-eczema/

and thousands more, - google it

[2] Paleo bread that is amazing, go easy to begin with…..

the recipe on this page is high in fibre (psyllium) so take it easy

https://cleaversorganic.com.au/recipe/paleo-hotdogs-pete-evans/

[3] http://perfecthealthdiet.com/the-diet/

and

Bowel Disorders, Part I: About Gut Disease

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/

Wow, that's really helpful thank you! I'll have a look through all that later today

Thank you again!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

That's great advice thank you I might see if anyone in the area has one that's going unused. I was worried about the price of buying the produce but as you say, it is an investment and if I feel the benefit of it I will be very happy

I have in the past made up big batches of things and frozen them for the week, that's a habit I need to get back into for sure. It really did help and it's so much cheaper than just going out and buying food at the last minute!!

Thank you again

That's how my mom got her juicer so that's a great idea! My uncle turned out to have a juicer that he wasn't using, so he gave it to my mom for free. I think I spent about $100 on my refurbished juicer and it was well worth that investment. And of course as I said, my first juicer was only $10. Hopefully somebody you know will let you borrow if not have their juicer so that you can give it a try.

I will say that of all the things I've juiced, ginger is the one thing to be careful about. It's very easy to overdo it on ginger, you only need a tiny bit! My hubby once made juice and he added some ginger (which seemed like a small/reasonable amount), he took a big gulp of the juice, and then he yelled, "My throat is burning!" Eek. After that incident, we now juice ginger separately into a little cup, then add that a little bit at a time to the rest of the juice. Ginger is great for digestion and for anti-nausea, so do give it a try when you get a juicer, but carefully.

Yes, a little meal prep goes a long way! I definitely feel a difference when I make the effort vs when I don't. Homemade meals are healthier, easier to portion out, and there's no guessing as to what ingredients are going in. I definitely agree with Hugh's idea about getting a crock pot or slow cooker, I have several and I love them! I have a larger one which can cook a whole chicken, and I have a small desktop one that can reheat my meals at work so that they're ready by lunchtime. Slow cookers are the kind of thing that you can also find for a good price second-hand sometimes, I know my brother just got one at a yard sale for pretty cheap. So that shouldn't be too huge of an investment either. My small desktop one I bought brand-new, but I am pretty sure I paid less than $20 for it. So hopefully you can find (or already have?) a slow cooker and can put that to good use too. We often will start ours in the morning before going to work, and by the time we get home dinner is ready. Yum!

 

[Tuff]

Currently I've been making a pot of rice and keeping it in the fridge. I've been living on stir fries from frozen veg, chicken and rice. It agrees with me, no stomach problems. I also microwave a lot. Have for a few decades. There's no nutritional difference in microwaved food. You can make a baked potato in a few minutes. When the weather cools, I make big batches of soup to freeze, and heat it in the microwave. You can make your own TV dinners and freeze them.

 

[MaryCherub]

though after I saw that this removes the fibre the other day!

Well that is not totally true. Most juicers still allow some fibre into the juice. Not a lot granted, but that is the whole point.

I find excessive fibre can flare me up, so too much fibre is not always a good thing. I actually double sieve the fibre out before drinking, as I don't want any fibre in my juices at all.

It is an excellent idea to give your bowel a rest anyway. And this is a great and easy way of doing it, without fuss.

Also you don't need fibre in every single meal or drink. I mean, you don't get fibre in coffee, tea, soda or water, and most people drink this stuff a lot every day.

I have found juicing to be an absolute lifesaver since I was diagnosed with UC. I was feeling so fatigued and run down. Then I started having two juices a day, and my life improved immeasurably.

You are probably aware that people with IBD have problems with absorbing and utilizing nutrients from food anyway, and some capsule supplements can pass right through without you getting any benefit. So just think of juicing, as an easy way to get and absorb additional nutrients into your diet.

I don't mean to be rude, but your diet does sound pretty bad. You don't sound like you are getting much fibre at present anyway. So I think juicing would probably be quite beneficial to you, as it sounds like you are seriously lacking, due to all the processed foods you are consuming.

For dinner tonight, I had a large : carrot, ginger, turmeric, horseradish & grapefruit juice.

In terms of what juicer to buy, then the Omega range is excellent. Plus you will be able to juice wheatgrass with an Omega, and wheatgrass has shown to help IBD.

 

[MaryCherub]

but I work long hours and I'm only at home pretty much to sleep.

I have a juicer at home. But I also brought a second one and I keep it at work. I also have a blender at work. I can easily make a juice in my tea or lunch break. I work long hours too, which could easily see me reaching for quick processed convenience foods........which would be very very bad for my UC. So having easy access to a juicer at work has been a god-send. I am 99% sure it was a combination of awful diet and antibiotics overuse as a youngster, that landed me in this UC mess in the first place.

Sometimes, no matter how hard, or awkward it is, you have got to start prioritizing your health over your other commitments.

I was made fun of at first, by my junk-food loving work colleagues. But when they saw the benefits I was getting (more energy, glowing skin, less UC flares, less flu, less depression, etc...), they started to bring in their own vegetables to juice.

I see you are in the UK. An Omega juicer will cost you about £250.00 - £300.00. You may be able to buy one with AfterPay or Hire Purchase if the cost is a little high. I have this juicer, and it has lasted me ten years so far. I use it every day.

 

[Sophabulous]

That’s not a bad idea taking one to work, and you’re not rude at all my diet was really shocking! I think because I needed to gain weight anyway I didn’t pay much attention before, but I’m now at a healthy weight which I just need to maintain.

My diet has improved in many ways since I posted this, but I’ve also starting flaring again so I have no idea whether there’s a link or it’s just bad luck to be honest. Time will tell I guess

 

[MaryCherub]

Glad you didn't take offense.

Did you ever get that juicer?

Sometimes when you improve your diet you can flare. Example, I cut out gluten. I ate some gluten-free products that were meant to be healthy, and the almond meal caused me to have a massive flare. I also started to consume a lot of salads in summer and raw broccoli caused another massive flare.

I still want to consume broccoli because it is so healthy. So I either juice it to remove the fibre, or cook it in a pressure cooker to breakdown the fibre and that eases the digestion.

I brought a multi cooker / pressure cooker called a Cook4Me, and that has been a fantastic product. Cooks in bulk in no time at all.

When I am flaring, I just stick to juices, water, soups, herbal teas, bone broths and easy to digest foods like vegetable Kichari.

In Ayurvedic medicine they say that sick people should consume nothing but Kichari for three weeks, as it is very nourishing. It was a bit nervous as it is dahl based, but it cooks down very well to mush in a pressure cooker.