Tips For My Elimination Diet? My Progress So Far Has Been Confusing... And Probiotics Feel Like Dropping A Grenade In A Mineshaft Full Of Fireworks.

[ezgoindude]

Hello guys,

 

Today would mark day 24 on my elimination diet.  This diet consists of:

 

Chicken (thighs or breasts, grilled)

Kale, Arugula, romaine lettuce (lightly sauteed)

Sweet potato (baked, no skin)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil whenever

Himalayan Salt

 

While on these foods I had been taking Country life Vitamin d, Biotin, and Magnesium/Calcium/Zinc.

 

 

I have seen drastic improvements to my body's rumbling, urgency (i have a stool every 2 or 3 days, which was like my norm before this all happened), insomnia, other symptoms etc  EXCEPT:

My stools are getting more loose, not as formed as they had been

Sometimes crazy gas, usually smells terrible

I am CONSTANTLY hungry

Around this time I had started taking Culturelle every couple days,  the only thing i've noticed with that is I drink alot more water.

 

My parents place blame on the vitamins, i've taken my dad's advice and stopped them as my mother would always take Magnesium pills when she was constipated, and they think its making my overactive bowels worse.

 

 

I understand my diet is extremely limited but this was only temporary, would starcy foods like sweet potatoes give anyone problems?  I have tried 7 different kinds of probiotics over the past year, all of which either gave heartburn or diarrhea,  i'm really contemplating giving up probiotics for the next few years and maybe reintroduce them..  My doc has already performed the hydrogen breath test and my results came back negative for SIBO, are the other more accurate tests?

 

 

[gilligan]

Have you looked into the FodMap diet?  It was suggested by my gi and the dietician.  You can find some info on line and/or purchase a book called The Complete FodMap diet.  It's restrictive, but shows you how to start adding foods back into your diet after about 6 weeks.  It has been a turn around for me.  I'm not yet where I want to be, but I'm getting close.

[ezgoindude]

I've heard of FODMAPs before... it was what they asked me to do before my colonoscopy back in March.  If you look at the food list I have, all of them are allowed on the FODMAP diet as well.

 

I'm starting to look into the idea if certain carbohydrates could be the culprit?  I have a few days anyways before I notice if removing the vitamins/probiotics was a good one

[GFinDC]

HI EZ,

 

Are you sure the grill is clean and not contaminated?  Maybe you should try pan fried chicken for a while.  Eliminating the vitmains for awhile sounds like a good idea.

[gilligan]

Sweet potatoes are not a low fodmap food; therefore, not on the diet.  But, white potatoes are ok.

[bartfull]

It's early yet. When I first started salad greens and sweet potatoes set me off. A nutritionist suggested I go completely organic for a while and it worked. After a few weeks I was able to go back to grocery store produce.

 

There are still a few foods that don't work for me no matter what. I keep trialing blueberries every six months or so. Last time (just like all the others) it was a matter of minutes before I was in the bathroom. I hate to think I may never get them back because they are my favorite, but I'll keep trying.

[ezgoindude]

hello GFinDC

 

Appreciate the good vibes and advice as always.....

 

sorry I should have clarified that my "grilling" is on a skillet in my kitchen, lol, which is on a gluten-free pan.  I haven't had a movement since the last bad one, but my guts have calmed down since at least removing the vitamins and probiotics.....

 

I see on your list carrots give you problems, before trying sweet potatos I had done steamed carrots, that also seemed to bring irritation most of the time...hoping I can at least focus down on the main problematic foods..

[ezgoindude]

Gilligan, that is fascinating, I was looking at the low FODMAP list my gastro doc handed me before my colonoscopy and sweet potatoes are listed as healthy low fodmap foods.  However it looks like they're discovered in recent articles the sugar in sweet potatoes can change as a sugar alcohol that can be irritating to some? 

 

Interesting, you could very well be right, its just a bummer because my stomach doesn't like nightshades too well either, was crossing my fingers there would be a dense carb veggie my body would agree with...

[ezgoindude]

It's early yet. When I first started salad greens and sweet potatoes set me off. A nutritionist suggested I go completely organic for a while and it worked. After a few weeks I was able to go back to grocery store produce.

 

There are still a few foods that don't work for me no matter what. I keep trialing blueberries every six months or so. Last time (just like all the others) it was a matter of minutes before I was in the bathroom. I hate to think I may never get them back because they are my favorite, but I'll keep trying.

 

Whoa, bartfull that sounds very similar in my situation.  Did sweet potatoes become easier to digest when you bought them organic?  It is very odd, I can eat raw kale and romain lettuce no problems but give me celery or a carrot thats not cooked and it goes right through.

 

If I could ask bartfull what were foods that were comfortable for you during the transitional stage?  A couple more weeks having this kind of reaction and I'm gonna have to switch up the list! maybe spaghetti squash and winter squashes..... eh

[bartfull]

Yes, organic sweet potatoes worked just fine while grocery stre potatoes went right through me. As I said, after a few weeks, maybe a month, I went back to grocery store produce without any problems.

 

At first I ate meat, sweet potatoes, rice, broccoli, cauliflower, avocados, bananas, cheese and rice cakes. That was all I ate for a month or three. Organic for the first month, then grocery store. I could and still can eat white potatoes but I have to limit them or I get joint pains.

 

I can now eat carrots and yellow squash. (I could probably add a lot of other veggies but I don't really like them.) I eat a large handful of either Planter's cashews or peanuts every day. If I don't I have trouble with constipation. I eat ice cream sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup.

 

I used to be able to tolerate guar gum but now it gives me terrible gas pains.  But the best news is I recently had a gluten-free pizza with mushrooms from a trusted (they have celiac in the family) restaurant. Because anything processed is hard to digest at first, I waited over THREE YEARS before trying that. If I had gone within the first six months to a year, I'd bet it would have given me trouble.

[gilligan]

Gilligan, that is fascinating, I was looking at the low FODMAP list my gastro doc handed me before my colonoscopy and sweet potatoes are listed as healthy low fodmap foods.  However it looks like they're discovered in recent articles the sugar in sweet potatoes can change as a sugar alcohol that can be irritating to some? 

 

Interesting, you could very well be right, its just a bummer because my stomach doesn't like nightshades too well either, was crossing my fingers there would be a dense carb veggie my body would agree with...

I know how you feel!  It drove me crazy trying to figure out which list was right. And, then if you look for fodmap recipes on line, some aren't using low fodmaps, so I nearly gave up. The list I got from the dietician didn't match what I'd found on line.  I called the dietician about it, and she said that it changes frequently as new foods get tested.  The list of acceptable fodmaps in the book I got from the doc didn't match her list either, so I just work with what's in the book.  

[gilligan]

Whoa, bartfull that sounds very similar in my situation.  Did sweet potatoes become easier to digest when you bought them organic?  It is very odd, I can eat raw kale and romain lettuce no problems but give me celery or a carrot thats not cooked and it goes right through.

 

If I could ask bartfull what were foods that were comfortable for you during the transitional stage?  A couple more weeks having this kind of reaction and I'm gonna have to switch up the list! maybe spaghetti squash and winter squashes..... eh

Have you tried zucchini and summer squash?  Fall/winter squashes are high in sugar.  I love them, so I'm hoping I can add them soon, also.

[ezgoindude]

 

I can now eat carrots and yellow squash. (I could probably add a lot of other veggies but I don't really like them.) I eat a large handful of either Planter's cashews or peanuts every day. If I don't I have trouble with constipation. I eat ice cream sweetened with sugar instead of corn syrup.

 

I used to be able to tolerate guar gum but now it gives me terrible gas pains.  But the best news is I recently had a gluten-free pizza with mushrooms from a trusted (they have celiac in the family) restaurant. Because anything processed is hard to digest at first, I waited over THREE YEARS before trying that. If I had gone within the first six months to a year, I'd bet it would have given me trouble.

 

Aaahhhh yea ive noticed with SCD/GAPS/PALEO/CANDIDA diets most of the effort is the amount of time to wait........   yea three years before stable results,  I do have alot ahead of me.

 

yea this morning I had a terrible bowel movement, parts of which looked undigested.  I've decided to swap out the sweet potato for spaghetti squash for now,  again my doc swears my SIBO Test came back negative but I tend to get worse when I consume large amounts of heavy carbs or anything with yeast,  good god I don't know how people can handle mustard or pickles lol.

 

Its awesome you can have cashews,  any nut butter at the store with a spoon is like an early christmas present ha

 

Thanks again for the advice, I have a separate topic window I've been writing on that will show the progression of my diet

[ezgoindude]

I know how you feel!  It drove me crazy trying to figure out which list was right. And, then if you look for fodmap recipes on line, some aren't using low fodmaps, so I nearly gave up. The list I got from the dietician didn't match what I'd found on line.  I called the dietician about it, and she said that it changes frequently as new foods get tested.  The list of acceptable fodmaps in the book I got from the doc didn't match her list either, so I just work with what's in the book.  

 

The more i've researched into this the more I'd have to say this could be an increasing factor.  Things that really tear me up are raw onion, any form of broccoli, all grains, vinegars, most alcohols (gave up testing), which all look like culprits on the list.

 

I've attempted zucchini, I got bored very quickly and was trying carrots and mushrooms, with for the most part negative symptoms probably due to the carrot....

Yea this morning I had a terrible movement, similar to if I had been eating dairy or gluten,  and have decided the sweet potato is out,  purchased some spaghetti squash as a substitute.

 

I'm beginning to lean towars a SCD/fodmap combo, which looks like for my age will be for a number of years, we'll see........

[notme]

patience was never my virtue, but it took a very long time and much vigilance to feel as well as i do now.  my intestines were in pretty bad shape, i had no idea - some things that i couldn't eat before (for seemingly no reason and i was trying like crazy to figure it out) i can eat now with no problem.  if you find a regimen diet that you can live with (i lived on turkey sandwiches on udi's bread, mostly, for like, a year??  i would eat meals and they would have 'something' that irritated my gut - it turned out to be "everything" until i healed some) then stick with your (boring, i know, sorry....    ) regimen foods that agree with you.  you may be able to add things in later, but if you are underweight, that's what i would do.  and that's what i did - still struggling to keep weight on, so i hear you...  :/  i couldn't eat much raw veggies until probably 6 months ago and i am 4+ years into gluten free diet.  that was with the help of digestive enzymes and probiotics.   hang in there - hopefully, it gets easier and you'll feel better. 

[gilligan]

Are you cooking your vegees?  I couldn't eat them raw for awhile.  Have you tried bananas?  Eat them when they have no visible green on them, and they are easily digestible.   Another thing I learned in the fodmap book was to limit the fruits/vegees to l/2 c. servings.  And, if you still want more, wait two hours and eat another 1/2 c.  This has helped me.  I was putting too much fruit into smoothies.  Congrats on the negative SIBO test!  Mine was positive...sadness...it's so hard to get rid of...

[ezgoindude]

patience was never my virtue, but it took a very long time and much vigilance to feel as well as i do now.  my intestines were in pretty bad shape, i had no idea - some things that i couldn't eat before (for seemingly no reason and i was trying like crazy to figure it out) i can eat now with no problem.  if you find a regimen diet that you can live with (i lived on turkey sandwiches on udi's bread, mostly, for like, a year??  i would eat meals and they would have 'something' that irritated my gut - it turned out to be "everything" until i healed some) then stick with your (boring, i know, sorry....    ) regimen foods that agree with you.  you may be able to add things in later, but if you are underweight, that's what i would do.  and that's what i did - still struggling to keep weight on, so i hear you...  :/  i couldn't eat much raw veggies until probably 6 months ago and i am 4+ years into gluten free diet.  that was with the help of digestive enzymes and probiotics.   hang in there - hopefully, it gets easier and you'll feel better. 

 

thank you NM! You've been really helpful with me before when I was dropping weight like crazy while everyone was sad they were gaining weight from all their gluten free foods, jeeesh (jk).  Yea now that I've swayed off a bit in terms of diet and I'm very focused on a few things, now I know what it felt like to not feel as bad.  I'm so used to life were you think you're a genius in your field because you've made changes in less than 90 days, its freaky but humbling to here some take a few years to get things in line.

 

yep, gonna have to maybe figure a way to make meals in advance, I notice i'm spending most of my time constantly cooking and eating, with no weight gain!  and my family says wow whatever you're doing is great.  As I guy I don't like hearing that very much lol

[ezgoindude]

Congrats on the negative SIBO test!  Mine was positive...sadness...it's so hard to get rid of...

 

hhhmm.... the more I think of it though I don't think my doc did it right.  I didn't fast or eat, wasn't told to do anything, didn't drink any fluids, I just blew into a tube for 15 seconds or so and this chick tell me I'm within normal range.   If you don't mind me asking what test did you take to discover your SIBO?  I do find it interesting that anything with vinegar knocks me sideways, even the gluten free stuff, and anything carb heavy hasn't brought a good result either.

[gilligan]

hhhmm.... the more I think of it though I don't think my doc did it right.  I didn't fast or eat, wasn't told to do anything, didn't drink any fluids, I just blew into a tube for 15 seconds or so and this chick tell me I'm within normal range.   If you don't mind me asking what test did you take to discover your SIBO?  I do find it interesting that anything with vinegar knocks me sideways, even the gluten free stuff, and anything carb heavy hasn't brought a good result either.

I took a 4 hr. hydrogen breath test in a hospital setting.  Yes, I had to fast for 12 hrs. The day before the test I could have nothing but water, plain chicken, rice, and white potato. First, there is a baseline "blow up a bag".  Then I drank a solution of lactulose, and blew into separate bags every 15 min. for 4 hrs.  At the same time, I had to fill out a rating scale asking questions such as severity of abdominal pain, gassiness, etc.  Based on the rating scale, the nurse and I both thought I was negative, but that was not so unfortunately.  The first time I took an antibiotic for 12 days, and felt great immediately.  Then a few months later, I wasn't feeling so great, so I repeated the test.  This time I'm taking the same antibiotic for six weeks gradually weaning off of it by the sixth week.