When everything seems to make you sick, what do I eat to start test foods?

[mommyto2kids]

I need some safe basics since everything is now making me sick. On the 15th I'm redoing my colonoscopy after 6 years. I have super bad cramping and pains and urgent poop most of the day. I had to quit my sub jobs for a while. Please suggest some safe foods to eat for a while till I figure it out.

[1desperateladysaved]

Hi Mommy2,

There are many kinds of foods and I suggest you keep as many as you can in your diet.  When I was having extreme difficulties tolerating food, I tried new foods that I had never eaten before.  For me the list included special meats such as:  lamb, bison, duck, yak, which I found at natural food coops.  There may be some type of nuts that you haven't eaten such as macademia, chestnuts, pecans, or pine nuts.  Many of these are expensive, but we are trying to heal!  My new vegetables included the following:   konjac, sea weed spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, jicama, Jerusalem artichoke, fennel bulb, and radishes.  Fruits I found were what follows:  Dragon fruit, star fruit, mango, kiwi, sour cherries, and bananas.  Don't give up trying foods.  Once I looked up the list of vegetables in Wikopedia.  I discovered that their list included more than half vegetables I had never heard of.  I tried all new diet items; it worked for me, but if you don't want to be so drastic, you can keep adding more.

 

Another idea is to look at the SCD diet plan.  In a nutshell this plans uses meats, vegetables, and nuts that are easy to digest.  They do recommend starting with a fast, for this they use a gelatin mix of some kind.  This is said to be very healing for the gut.  The diet was originally created to help heal the gut after celiac or other intestinal issues.  One can just google for more information about the diet.  I have the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle  from which I learned about the diet.  It is very similar to paleo diet which I also like.  One can go to youtube and watch some paleo cooking shows for ideas.

 

Are you taking supplemental magnesium, because too much can give you symptoms with loose bowels?

 

My doctor highly recommends coconut oil for helping to heal the gut.  I have been using NAET energy treatments to overcome my sensitivities to foods and I am feeling much better.  For information about NAET, you can to their website or read the book, Say Good-bye to Illness by Dr. Devi Nambudripad.

 

I hope for you the very best in healing,

 

Dee

[manasota]

I'm not certain there are really any "safe" foods that are safe for all.  However, I did have the best luck with the SCD diet.  It's pretty much a whole food diet--nothing processed.  Meat, some veggies, some fruits, some nuts, and a special homemade yogurt that must "cook'' for at least 24 hours.  No sugar, soy, grains, caffeine, chocolate, etc.  If you're interested, you would really need to get a copy of the book by Elaine Gottschall that is mentioned in the above post.  (Maybe your library has it?  I got it on amazon and have read it so many times it is falling apart.)  It is not an easy diet and must be followed 100%; so it takes dedication.  I was so sick, I would have eaten nothing but paper if it would have made me well!  She (Elaine) says you will know pretty quick (weeks) if it will work for you.

I LOVE that idea above about eating only new foods!  That sounds spectacular--something I may try in the future!

Your symptoms sound fairly severe.  Maybe you could just try to eat only whole foods until you have your scheduled test?  I'd stop sugar, dairy, and carbonated beverages  for sure.  

These are only my opinions--obviously I'm not a doctor.  If I were you, I'd be reluctant to change much right now till you have the test.  What did your doctor advise?  Any help there?  Might be worth a phone call?

[gilligan]

I tried the SCD diet for quite awhile, and it didn't seem to help much.  My dr. suggested the FodMap diet and sent me to the dietician to discuss it.  He also discovered through testing that I was struggling with SIBO, and the FodMap is great for that.  In a nutshell, I started with homemade chicken broth, eggs, carrots, green beans, bananas, berries, most meats.  I had to avoid all stone fruits, veggies high in sugar such as peas, onions, corn, broccoli.  I also avoided all dairy and sugar other than maple syrup (very small amount).  It took some getting used to, but it wasn't all that bad.  I was gradually (and slowly) able to add foods back in.  After a year or so, I was back to eating everything but most dairy, and of course gluten without any problem.  There's more to the diet than the foods I mentioned.  Google The Complete FodMap Diet.