What Can I Drink?

[Canadian Karen]

Currently, I am drinking water and Crystal Light.

Are fruit juices okay to drink on a sugar free diet? I know a lot of the juices on the market are filled with sugar. Anyone know any safe ones?

Thanks!

Karen

[burdee]

Hi Karen:

Any pure fruit juices (NOT JUICE 'DRINKS') would only have fructose, rather than dextrose, if you are trying to avoid sugar. I prefer to eat the fruit (for fiber, since constipation is one of my recurrent symptoms). So I drink herbal teas (esp. peppermint and chamomile which help with intestinal cramping pains) and diet caffeine free pop (limited to 1-2 daily since acidic stuff still bothers me). I also LOVE wine, but I'm limiting that also while I'm healing, because it also has that 'acidic' effect on me. If decaf doesn't bother you, you could consider decaf coffee. I recall you were limiting dairy (??), but was soy a problem for you? I don't drink decaf anymore because I could find an almond or rice milk (since I can't tolerate soy) which didn't separate in coffee.

BURDEE

[Canadian Karen]

Hi Burdee,

Thanks for the suggestion about the pure fruit juices.... Apple juice I can handle, I find though that orange juice is too acidic for me.... Also, I believe Welsh's grape juice is gluten-free - I maybe will try those...

I tried the soy milk before months ago when the dr. suggested for the first time that I cut out dairy - YUCK! It tasted horrible to me - I guess nothing will ever replace the pure joy I had when I gulped down a HUGE GLASS of milk without even coming up for air!! I SOOOO enjoyed my milk, I am truly missing it. But I do have to admit, I am finding some very positive results of these new restrictions - my stomach hasn't been this calm for a VERY LONG TIME!!! I am not running to the bathroom five times in the morning anymore, and instead of going probably 15-20 times during a day, I am only going now maybe 2 - 3 times. Also, I have decided to give Immodium another try, thinking maybe with all these new restrictions, maybe the Immodium will now have a chance to work - and I think it is helping.... Whatever the reason, I am definitely seeing an improvement.

Oh, I phoned my GI dr. to inform him that he prescribed Lomotil to me and that in fact that med contains gluten, he said "Oh, sorry"....... Humppphhhh! I guess I just learned a valuable lesson, ALWAYS check myself what I am putting in my mouth, even a GI doesn't know what contains gluten!!!

Have a great day!

Karen

[burdee]

Hey Karen:

The first brand/variety of Soy milk I tried was TERRIBLE. I think it was the plain Silk Wave soy milk. I thought trying the plain would tell me whether I liked soy milk, rather than trying a vanilla flavored variety. BAD IDEA!! The next brand/variety I tried was Pacific ULTRA soy original flavor, mainly because it had 10 grams of protein (vs. the usual 7 for soy milk and 8 for regular milk). I can't see putting a high carb/low protein milk on a high carb/low protein cereal, if I want my meal to last more than 30 minutes. Anyway that brand/variety was FANTASTIC. I loved it. Unfortunately, it didn't love my body and I got recurrent symptoms. The next few times (weeks apart) I tried just a tiny bit of soy and still got those symptoms, so I'm completely off soy. However, if you shop around and try different varieties/brands of soy milk, you might find a more palatable one. I really miss not having any milk, cheese, yogurt or margarine. But I'm really getting used to feeling better. Today was a much better day (just gas and a few twinges, no cramping or bloating). YAY!

BURDEE

[Canadian Karen]

Hi Burdee,

I am a bit afraid to try anything different..... I have been gluten-free (with some contaminations I recently found out about!) for 1 1/2 years, with little success (chronic diarrhea).. But in the one week that I have been dairy/sugar/caffeine free, I have notice more improvement this week than I have over the whole 1 1/2 years!!! Something is working, whether it be cutting out all dairy/sugar/caffeine or taking the Immodium again, or a combination of the both... Something is working, though...

Maybe in a month or so I will attempt soy. I do miss my gluten free cereal....

But if I notice even slight symptoms, I will discontinue right away - I don't want to take any steps backwards.... I am starting to truly believe I have a casein intolerance...

Karen

[Canadian Karen]

Also, you and I both had a pretty good day today!! I kept on thinking to myself at work today, "Boy, my stomach is pretty tame today".... "no pain, no gas, no bloating, only went to the bathroom 2 - 3 times instead of 10 - 15 times".... I haven't even had to go into the boardroom after lunch to lay on the floor like I used to have to do.....

Let's keep our fingers crossed!!!!

Karen

[burdee]

Hey Karen:

Maybe I will FINALLY learn to keep it simple when I'm feeling well, rather than taking chances and getting sick again. I vowed to another celiac friend today that I will avoid ANYTHING that bothers my stomach at all when I eat it--which includes anything on the acidic side like tomatoes, citrus, wine, mustard, caffeine, etc. as well as gluten/soy/dairy which don't bother me until they hit my intestines. I readily forget that I've been damaging my intestines for the past 50 years, so even foods other than gluten/dairy/soy may give me uncomfortable feelings until I have time to totally heal. At first I didn't want to restrict myself any more than I absolutely had to, for fear I would feel deprived and rebel by eating gluten/dairy/soy. Now the fear of recurrent excruciating pain is a HUGE motivator to stick to safe foods. Besides I've already found soooo many SAFE gluten/dairy/soy free foods that I never tried before. I enjoyed fresh figs for the first time in my life tonight.

BURDEE

[crc0622]

At first I didn't want to restrict myself any more than I absolutely had to

I feel the same way. I am only gluten-free for a month and I still drink a cup of decaf coffee almost every day, a Coke every now and then (maybe 2 per week) and any food I want as long as it's gluten-free - although we do eat healthy at home, mostly whole food, not much manufactured stuff. I eat a LOT of fruit since it's all in season right now and yummy!

Anyway, I hope I am not causing myself an extended delay of my healing because of this. Fortunately, I did not get a lot of bad pain with my symptoms - never did - just the normal frequent diarrhea, constant bloating (which was the most painful thing). And it is drastically better in the last month - almost normal again.

So, do you "experts" think I'm hurting myself?

Celeste