Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)

[AliB]

Hi Whitney - just wondering, are you taking any digestive enzymes? Because your digestion has been under duress for quite a while and has not been able to digest properly, it may be worth trying to see if they help. I would say that mine are better even when I take just a couple of tablets a day. Start gradually though if you do decide to try.

I know that Natasha Campbell-McBride on the book 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome' encourages her patients to follow the SCD but she does feel that adding digestive enzymes can make a big difference.

Is there any way that you could cut down on your med? Stopping it so abruptly so soon may be too early. Yes, it could confuse the body to still be taking them, but it may be better to wean off gradually. Your gut will still be very damaged and the healing process needs time to work its way through before things start to work better.

[wschmucks]

Hi Whitney - just wondering, are you taking any digestive enzymes? Because your digestion has been under duress for quite a while and has not been able to digest properly, it may be worth trying to see if they help. I would say that mine are better even when I take just a couple of tablets a day. Start gradually though if you do decide to try.

I know that Natasha Campbell-McBride on the book 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome' encourages her patients to follow the SCD but she does feel that adding digestive enzymes can make a big difference.

Is there any way that you could cut down on your med? Stopping it so abruptly so soon may be too early. Yes, it could confuse the body to still be taking them, but it may be better to wean off gradually. Your gut will still be very damaged and the healing process needs time to work its way through before things start to work better.

Hi Ali,

I was taking Super Digest Away-- which is an enzyme. It isnt SCD compliant so i havent been taking it the past week. I am going to start the meds back up again as normal, and wait for me to start to feel a bit "normal" again, start the nut muffins and then try to ween off the medication. I really wanted to try it without anything that was breaking with the SCD but clearly thats not going well.

I am going to start the Acidophilus tonight along with my fish oil to help sooth my tummy then hopefully start plan B in 4 days or so. Which Enzymes would you recommend?

Thanks for your help Ali i really appreciate it

[AliB]

As I am in the UK I am not sure which brands available in the States would be compliant so perhaps someone else could answer that for me.

Generally it would be good to get some with Betaine HCL and Pepsin as that can boost the acid level which is often low in those of us with gut issues. Other enzymes are things like Amylase to help carb digestion, Protease for Protein digestion and Lipase for the digestion of fats.

One brand I do know about because I get their blood Sugar Formula shipped over is Vitabase. Their Superzymes has a good range of enzymes with HCL and pepsin (I think their stuff is good value and the Blood Sugar Formula has been the only thing that got my blood sugar down to normal). I have looked through the ingredients and it does look to be compliant to me.

The more I look into this the more a lack of enzymes makes sense. The body uses a huge amount of enzymes and if they are deplete in any way then it will draw them from other areas in order to keep the digestion going. It's when there isn't even enough to deal with the digestion that we start really getting problems. Apparently as we age we have less enzymes - elderly people have a fraction of the amount young people usually have (unless theirs has been depleted for some reason).

I think even things like illness or injury or stress will deplete the body of enzymes. They are used for repair and so many are used in that process that we can become deplete even at a young age sometimes.

Although I had IBS for some years my digestion didn't actually collapse until I was given Byetta for the Diabetes. My stomach had been doing well for a while and even the IBS was behaving itself. Without realising it was because of the enzymes in it, I had been having lots of salads and raw food and was feeling pretty good, but the Byetta knocked me sideways and my stomach never recovered. I am wondering now whether whatever the Byetta does to the body just used up what little enzymes I had left and left me in a total state of collapse.

I have done more research and it seems that you don't have to take the enzymes with food. If taken on an empty stomach they can help the body repair. I did read though that it is not good to take Enzymes with Pancreatin in for too long as it can switch off the Pancreas's production of them - but then if it is not producing enough anyway, what the heck?

Although I have some I have not been very regular taking them so I am going to be more 'religious' with them for the next week or so and see what happens.

[chatycady]

Good evening all;

I finally ditched the coffee and illegal creamer (just a teaspoon in my coffee) and I have found my muscle cramps are not as intense or as often.

I went to my first Yoga class to night, ate before I left, which was a big mistake. I almost threw up in the middle of the class! My foot started to cramp a little, but I was able to work it out before it got worse. I guess I forgot about the part ABOUT NOT eating before excercise!

I'm hoping the coffee and creamer was the last piece of the puzzle. I found I am still limber, but really pretty weak in my core muscles.

The diet is working great for me. I've been on it for 6 months now. Still have trouble with pecans, peanutbutter and legal carbs. Have to watch that pretty close. Honey seems to be okay.

I'm planning a road trip to the Black Hills and Cody Wyoming this summer. Goin' alone. Looking for a cabin with kitchen so I can cook my own food and hike and horse back ride. I couldn't have done this 2 years ago!!

Thank you Lord for the SC Diet and good friends!

[nmr]

Hello All,

First I wanted to thank all of you for posting, not just in this topic, but on this entire celiac board about SCD. This is where I initially found out about SCD last fall, and after my body started reacting to rice, potatoes, and chick peas, I decided to give SCD a try (I have actually read or skimmed thru most of the pages here). I started SCD around mid-december 2008, but didn't get going on goats milk yogurt until the end of Dec/beg. of Jan.

I was doing pretty good, at least I thought so, but about a month ago, I discovered honey was a problem, and then I found apples (even cooked) were problematic, now bananas (cooked or raw), and coconut milk is a problem (once I gave these up, my stool, which had been very light colored, turned darker). And so I am thinking fructose malabsorption is the problem - maybe SCD helped me uncover it . I do not think I am going to bother with the test - I imagine that drinking the fructose would cause HUGE problems for me. I was never officially dx w/celiac, because I had already gone gluten free by the time I found a doctor who had even heard of celiac. However, my mother recently told me that she tested positive for celiac disease (she's had digestive problems since I was little, and my dad had ulcerative colitis). So I don't know if its celiac or fructose malabsorption, or both, or what. And I am not sure if knowing matters, really.

I used to eat almond flour banana bread as a snack, but then I cut out the honey, and was eating the bread with just bananas, and it was fine for a little while. Now, if I eat either pecan or almond banana bread, I react (I get super tired, and sometimes nauseated). I am currently eating the chicken/carrot soup, my own asparagus soup, goats milk yogurt, steak, chicken, some veggies (mostly green beans, zucchini, squash, occasional tomato - probably all the wrong ones for fructose malabsorption, and spinach), some raw salad (romaine lettuce), but not eggs, and without the bread, I am having a hard time eating enough. Am thinking of adding lentils and black beans back in sometime soon. Last night, I had a lot of raw ground up pecans as a snack, and around 4am I woke up with vertigo, which I have had in the past as a reaction to fruit (I think), and then luckily it went away by the time I got up at 6am, but then I had "D" this morning, which I have not had in a long time. I think it was the pecans - my gut (literally and metaphorically) seems to point that way. I also had salad with avocado, zucchini, and steak - a meal I also had a couple days ago with no problem.

Since I started SCD, most of the time I have had no problems finding something to eat, but there have been days when I am unsure about what to eat because it seems like everything I eat causes a problem, and I lose confidence and start to panic a bit. I am in that mode right now, and the diet for fructose malabsorption is different than for celiac (but there is a lot of overlap), and honestly there isn't a lot of info about it (or its contradictory). The intro SCD was way too restrictive and I found I could not really function on it, and I don't think it would be good right now. I never had a problem with oatmeal in the past, even when brown rice caused reactions, and am thinking of eating it again. But I would feel incredibly guilty about not doing SCD, and would be unsure about damage. Not sure what to do, and trying not to panic. I am seeing my doctor tomorrow (not a GI, but a family doctor who also practices traditional Chinese medicine), but I don't put a lot of faith in doctors, especially the western approach. I did just start snacking on celery, which tastes great, so maybe I can get out of this funk, and figure it out.

Any suggestions/support any of you may have would be great. I am already thin and losing more weight, which I am now concerned about.

PS. chatycady, I do yoga once or twice a week, and love it! Definitely do not eat for at least 2-3 hours before hand, but drink plenty of water. I also get cramped feet (in child's pose), my teacher says its a lack of potassium, and used to urge me to eat bananas, which she now knows I cannot eat. If you stick with it, you'll be amazed at yourself.

PPS. I tend not to post much on message boards, so forgive me in advance if I don't become a "regular" poster. But I 'll try to chime in, if I think I can help.

[DMarie]

This is a little off topic - but I know many of you on this thread are familiar with herbs/supplement usage.

I had a co-worker ask me about herbal supplements to support brain function (increase alertness, maybe help improve memory).

Is there anything that anyone would recommend? Anything you or someone you know has had experience with?

Thank you for any pointers you can give me!

[AliB]

This is a little off topic - but I know many of you on this thread are familiar with herbs/supplement usage.

I had a co-worker ask me about herbal supplements to support brain function (increase alertness, maybe help improve memory).

Is there anything that anyone would recommend? Anything you or someone you know has had experience with?

Thank you for any pointers you can give me!

Ginkgo Biloba is supposed to help memory, but have you suggested they try dropping gluten to see if it helps??? That one thing has made such a difference to my husband - he is a different person - the black depression and the brain-fog is history.............

I have a funny story about the Gingko - friend of ours who suffers with memory problems had been taking it for a while and he was telling me about it - "you know", he said, that herb that helps memory - "what's it called?" And he wasn't pretending either..........

[DMarie]

Thanks Ali! I have talked to her about gluten before. I don't think she has brain fog so much as she is under great stress - and the memory isn't what it used to be (even off gluten - neither is mine!). I have also taken her along vicariously on my SCD journey. I am with you - I think EVERYONE would be better off without gluten. But - no one wants to drop it unless absolutely forced to. And it is hard getting people to realize that they would likely be better off without it.

[rinne]

Hi nmr.

I ate almond butter by the spoonful and that seemed to help and how about coconut oil? It is a healthy fat, good for candida (I've heard) and I've taken equal amounts of the two and mashed them together, yum.

[AliB]

Hi 'Nmr'. Welcome to the thread. And well done for giving the diet a go. You obviously are having great difficulty even with SCD complaint foods so it must be pretty difficult.

Are you taking any digestive enzymes?

There are a few pages on Dr Myhill's site that are applicable but I thought this one was interesting. I am just doing this myself at the moment.

Open Original Shared Link

(I didn't realise she is just a few miles up the road from where I am in Wales!)

Apparently, supplementing with enzymes for a few weeks can help the digestion reset itself. Don't know how true that is but I will have to see what happens.

Can you cope with raw fruit and vegetables? Although the cooked apples were problematic - I didn't bother with those in the intro - it was hard going at first as there was little I could eat for a while - I was existing on celery and peanut butter most of the time! Even fish, chicken, eggs, meats, most fruits, some veg, and sometimes the yogurt were problematic for me for the first few weeks, but gradually I was able to introduce more foods. Whereas it had never been a problem before I couldn't even eat mackerel or salmon, I couldn't cope with chicken stock (although the flesh was ok), things that would be a staple, but I got through it one way or another.

I would say that although the initial diarrhea and awful stomach pain went as soon as I dropped gluten and dairy, it was probably 3 or 4 months on the SCD before I really started to feel the benefit. I was still getting bloating and gas, my stomach was still uncomfortable when I ate, I still had back pain after eating in my liver, or pancreas, but gradually that has been improving and rarely bothers me now after 10 months SCD.

I can eat most SCD compliant foods although I can feel my stomach complain a bit sometimes after certain things - I just ate a handful of pecans and it is not all that happy. Although I have always had problems with fruit over the years, a couple of months ago I started to introduce more raw veg and fruit and can now eat a good selection of both fine - in fact my digestion seems to cope much better with that than with cooked foods and I suspect that is because of the enzyme content in raw food. The provided enzymes means that my body does not have to drain so much from my enzyme 'bank' - a bank that gradually diminishes with age and needs all the help it can get!

The thing is that many of us do, and have found that we have difficulty with different foods to start with because our poor beleaguered guts are so damaged but usually it does get better with time (and perseverance!) as the gut starts to heal properly. You may find that digestive enzymes could give your digestion a bit more support but I would use them sparingly at first and gradually build up to a dosage you are ok with if you do decide to try them. Many of us also have evidence of low acid, like GERD, and although DE and Betaine supplementation may well help that it would not be good to go into it too quickly.

Ali.

[nmr]

Thanks for the suggestions Ali and rinne. I may try digestive enzymes. These from GIProhealth look good:

Open Original Shared Link Ali I will be curious to hear how the enzymes work for you. Also, Ali, to answer your question, I think I can handle raw lettuce and celery, but am not sure about raw tomatoes (cooked seem ok), or other raw veggies. However, I have been told by the non-Western doctors that I should avoid raw food, that I need to fire up my small intestine (its cold).

Rinne - I cannot do coconut (I think its the fructose thing, tree fruits are the worst), and I am pretty sure that almonds are out for sure, as are peanuts, and pecans. But thanks for trying to come up with something - believe me, I have tried. Its this feeling of panic that I am trying to deal with when I think about what to eat.

The reactions that I commonly have right now when I eat is that within an hour or so, I become fatigued and lethargic and cannot concentrate. Its not as bad as when I was eating fruit (raw or cooked). Today I had to go home and cook more food for myself for lunch, and I had that reaction coming back to my office, and could barely make it up the stairs. I am pretty sure it was the almond milk in the asparagus soup (I've been reacting to almonds the last couple days). So, no almond milk in the next batch of soup and I'll see how it goes. I don't really like a lot of the food I cook, and am really missing some of the fruit and other snacks I could eat, but I keep reminding myself that nothing is permanent.

A few weeks ago, before I discovered the fructose problem, I discovered "Lara" bars at the store - 200 calories and already made food that was raw, and SCD compliant - I was so exited! But the bars have dates and I started reacting. Here's another great snack for you guys: applesauce w/cinnamon on SCD bread. Its a snack I loved as a kid and was eating a few weeks ago, about the time I discovered the fructose problem.

Thanks again for your help!

[wschmucks]

I just went through the entire product list for Lara Bars and i had no idea they ALL had dates. That is too bad that you cant tollerate them. Maybe you can try to find a recipe for something similar that you can make in bulk.

Thanks for the Enzyme info Ali, I will read that link right now.

Has anyone read Dr Haas's "The Managment of Celiac Disease"? They have reprinted it and are selling it for $36.00. I was wondering if he talks at all about Celiac and constipation...It seems from BTVC that he focused on D...which isnt helping me a whole lot. I would hate to spend $40 and not have the book adress my questions. (i will check the return policy). Let me know if anyone has read it.

[DMarie]

Okay, the vague burning after eating seems to be subsiding (after eliminating all Nexium). The mucus problem is minimal for most of the day which is absolutely wonderful! I am trying not to get too excited about it in case it isn't permanent.

This morning after eating I felt nauseous. I felt mostly okay after lunch (I don't remember feeling nauseous). I once again feel nauseous after supper. I am eating the same foods I have been eating, nothing new.

I am assuming this is temporary and related to my body trying to reach a new equilibrium after approximately 3 years of being on Nexium (at 2 doses a day for the majority of that time). I am taking digestive enzymes. They are in capsules, so I cannot cut them in half. Ali - I remember you telling me to start slowly on them. Is this why? Is that what is causing my nausea? Although I took one with lunch - and didn't notice a problem then. Also I noticed my enzyme has pancreatin - so will not take more than 1 bottle of this kind (also read your comments Ali about the pancreatin - guess I should do a little research myself).

Any ideas of what causes the nauseousness? This only started after several days of being off the Nexium.

Meanwhile, it feels like I am a little less bloated than usual, which is nice. But - this of course messes up bowel habits - which is always C anyways. Any little change throws it off though.

[pele]

Hi nmr

Hunger has been a problem for me, too. I have to keep reminding myself that in BTVC, Elaine says quantities can be as large as you want. I am having a hard time convincing myself it is okay to eat a lot of eggs, chicken and beef, but that's what fills me up and calms down the guts. Four ounces of chicken or beef per meal does not cut it. I need at least 6-8 ounces, and would probably feel better if I snacked on roast beef all day instead of dried fruit and peanut butter.

If you are going to try lentils, maybe you would enjoy red lentils. I cook them with cumin, coriander and turmeric and find them very filling. Also winter squash is filling if you can tolerate it.

I glad to hear that someone who hadn't posted is being helped by our thread. I guess there are a lot of lurkers out there. Hi, lurkers!

[DMarie]

Pele - those seasoned red lentils sound good. I haven't tried lentils yet.

I believe it is the digestive enzymes causing the nausea. I waited until after I ate breakfast this morning to take it. I ate a slow, leisurely breakfast (probably took 30 minutes to eat what I had prepared). Then about 5 minutes after I finished eating I took the capsule - which then caused nausea within about 15 minutes. It seemed a little shorter in duration this morning though.

I am not sure whether I should keep taking them or not.

[nmr]

pele - thanks for the red lentil suggestion. I was going to try lentils again soon, so I'll try red lentils. And your seasoning suggestions sound like what I do with some other dishes. Also, you mentioned In Defense of Food awhile back, right? I just finished it, and this is stuff I've been trying to tell other people. I'm going to read The Omnivore's Dilemma next, something my sister recommended.

I had black beans last night and I think I did ok with them (they tasted great!). My problem on this diet is that I do not really like meat all that much, never have, but on occasion I do, but not like every meal, which is what I've been doing without beans (I eat chicken and steak, and rarely really enjoy it). I know its ok to eat as much as I want, but my problem is that I cannot keep up with the cooking and cleaning for myself anymore. I am pretty much at capacity. Also, I would really like to cut back on the meat because I just don't like it. I am not worried about the fat or whatever, I think its more about my body.

This morning I feel a lot better and am not in panic mode anymore, but I decided to give the diet one more month or so. And start digestive enzymes. And then I'll decide if I want to stray a bit from the diet (like oatmeal, or occasional rice). SCD has helped me kick sugar, processed "food", and has definitely helped me heal, but without any fruit or nuts or honey, and I think eggs, and not liking meat, its pretty difficult to find things to eat.

Yes, you guys were very helpful to me, so thanks again for all the posts.

[AliB]

I have had a book come through this morning from Amazon - Enzymes for health and healing by Ellen W Cutler. It is such an eye-opener. I would recommend anyone to have a read of ot if you can get hold of it either through your library or from the net.

It makes such sense. She mentions that the power of enzymes is well-documented within Medical circles but it isn't used because they can't put it through clinical trials - for goodness sake! Do you know that a reference was made in the Bible that Hezekiah had to use figs to heal an ulcer? They now know that there is a specific enzyme in figs that digests dead skin and flesh. Why the heck don't they use it then??

The reason, of course is that it would put all the pharma industry out of business! I tell you, it's all out there but is being kept from us.

Stomach problems are strong indicators that we are lacking in enzymes. If the body is struggling to create enough enzymes for digestion then everything else goes to the wall. Rogue undigested proteins will end up in the joints causing arthritis, rogue carbs will end up in the body causing things like weight gain and fats will do their dirty elsewhere, and these are just a handful of reactions.

Raw milk contains, amongst others, phosphatase, an enzyme that enables calcium to be absorbed by the body. As it is destroyed by pasteurisation we can no longer use the calcium and it just goes straight through. Without lactase we can't digest the lactose.

As far as supplementation is concerned she makes the point that without enough enzymes to convert the nutrients all we can end up with is expensive urine!

Nmr (?), I would say that the fact you are so fatigued after eating is a sure sign that your body is lacking the enzymes to digest the food. As it is having to draw the energy from other parts of your body to attempt to process the food, then those other areas are suffering and will need to go into some kind of temporary 'hibernation' whilst the digestion tries to do its job. As Edward Howell aptly described - it's like having all the materials to build a house, but not having the builders to do the work and use the materials!

Things like yogurt supply probiotic bacteria but they also supply enzymes and I wonder if it is the enzymes that are actually the more valuable. Of course, there are many bacteria that actually produce enzymes too, but there are also undoubtedly some that steal them! Perhaps those long-lived people in Tibet or Khazakstan or wherever, are long-lived because they have always eaten loads of yogurt and consequently kept their enzyme bank topped up!

[julirama723]

Good evening all;

I finally ditched the coffee and illegal creamer (just a teaspoon in my coffee) and I have found my muscle cramps are not as intense or as often.

I went to my first Yoga class to night, ate before I left, which was a big mistake. I almost threw up in the middle of the class! My foot started to cramp a little, but I was able to work it out before it got worse. I guess I forgot about the part ABOUT NOT eating before excercise!

I'm hoping the coffee and creamer was the last piece of the puzzle. I found I am still limber, but really pretty weak in my core muscles.

The diet is working great for me. I've been on it for 6 months now. Still have trouble with pecans, peanutbutter and legal carbs. Have to watch that pretty close. Honey seems to be okay.

I'm planning a road trip to the Black Hills and Cody Wyoming this summer. Goin' alone. Looking for a cabin with kitchen so I can cook my own food and hike and horse back ride. I couldn't have done this 2 years ago!!

Thank you Lord for the SC Diet and good friends!

First off, YAY FOR YOGA! I love, love, love yoga and recommend it for everyone, it's such a fantastic activity for mind, body, soul. What kind of class did you take?

I'm very familiar with the Cody area, let me know if you need any info or help! I've spent many a summer there. I'm not sure about the availability of a cabin to RENT, though plenty are usually for sale (for an arm, a leg, and your firstborn.) There are plenty of ranches on the north fork that have cabins available to book for extended stays, though meals are provided by their kitchen.

---------------------------

Well I've come down with some sort of virus or something. I completely lost my voice on Monday and it's still not returned. Coughing, wheezing, headache, swollen throat, the works. So much for feeling like my old self. But truth be told, I am THRILLED that for once, my malaise is NOT due to food! Right now I'm taking it easy, drinking gallons of tea, hoping to take a nap later. (I am home sick from work.)

[nmr]

Ali - I agree with you on the enzymes, I am ordering the ProZyme from GI Prohealth. GI ProHealth has been great to me in the past - I use the yogurt starter and the acidophillus, and its perfect for super senstivie folks. I am sure the enzymes will help tremendously.

However, fructose malabsorption is not directly due to a lack in an enzyme, but because the liver cannot process the fructose into glucose, and the fructose gets sent back to the intestine. I read somewhere that when the undigested fructose comes back to the small or large intestine (I think large) it binds with tryptophan, or at least interferes with metabolism of tryptophan, making it unusable which then causes fatigue. Also, tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, and so fructose malabsorption is also be related to mood/depression problems (something I also have a problem with).

But I am still going to try the enzymes. I need to be able to add pecans and almonds back in soon, and at least a cooked banana (like in bread) and I think the enzymes will help me do that.

[AliB]

I did come across that point about fructose malabsorption but it is not necessarily the same in all people (just shows that not all information on the net is correct!).

There are two types - hereditary fructosemia which is caused by a deficiency of liver enzymes, but ordinary fructose malabsorption is due to a lack of enzymes in the enterocytes due to gut damage. I have been intolerant of fruit for many years, but that was probably because my gut has been damaged a long time. Now it is healing I am able to tolerate more fruits.

The hereditary type usually results in symptoms like vomiting, jaundice and even kidney failure and death if fructose is ingested and is probably present since birth. A deficiency of the fructose enzymes in the gut usually results in bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation and will have been 'acquired' at some point.

I know that Wikipedia is not the most accurate of information sources but in this case I would feel that the info is pretty kosher.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Annoys me though how some articles mention cutting out or down on fruit but none of them suggest supplementing with enzymes to help the malabsorption! One hopes that as the gut heals properly, eventually the production of the enzymes would restart to some extent and the problem may resolve itself.

[wschmucks]

Hey is Welches grape juice off the safe list??

I heard on a Yahoo SCD group today that there were processing changes and its no longer on the safe list...is that true!??

I've made all my gelatin with it! Does anyone know?

[chatycady]

Hey is Welches grape juice off the safe list??

I heard on a Yahoo SCD group today that there were processing changes and its no longer on the safe list...is that true!??

I've made all my gelatin with it! Does anyone know?

I don't know, but I would call the company. Usually there is a website or 1-800 number you can call and ask if they added sugar or anything. I've got a similar question about Smuker's all natural peanut butter. Is it legal?

[fig girl]

Hey is Welches grape juice off the safe list??

I heard on a Yahoo SCD group today that there were processing changes and its no longer on the safe list...is that true!??

I've made all my gelatin with it! Does anyone know?

Hi Whitney,

I don't know if Welch's has changed their process or not but i've tried it several times since starting SCD (i've been on SCD for 5 mths) and can't tolerate it. It could have been the gelatin that bothered me but i think it is the grape juice. I may try making jello with fresh lime or lemon juice (i guess that'll work - that's the only juice i can think of that i can use and i can tolerate right now) to test and see if it's the gelatin that's bothering me. Sorry i'm not much help but maybe someone else knows.

[chatycady]

First off, YAY FOR YOGA! I love, love, love yoga and recommend it for everyone, it's such a fantastic activity for mind, body, soul. What kind of class did you take?

I'm very familiar with the Cody area, let me know if you need any info or help! I've spent many a summer there. I'm not sure about the availability of a cabin to RENT, though plenty are usually for sale (for an arm, a leg, and your firstborn.) There are plenty of ranches on the north fork that have cabins available to book for extended stays, though meals are provided by their kitchen.

---------------------------

Well I've come down with some sort of virus or something. I completely lost my voice on Monday and it's still not returned. Coughing, wheezing, headache, swollen throat, the works. So much for feeling like my old self. But truth be told, I am THRILLED that for once, my malaise is NOT due to food! Right now I'm taking it easy, drinking gallons of tea, hoping to take a nap later. (I am home sick from work.)

THis yoga class used an excercise ball and it was difficult to keep my balance! I loved it and plan on going back.

So any special place you would recommend I should see in Cody? I will definently go through the museums. Love american history.!

[fig girl]

Ali - I agree with you on the enzymes, I am ordering the ProZyme from GI Prohealth. GI ProHealth has been great to me in the past - I use the yogurt starter and the acidophillus, and its perfect for super senstivie folks. I am sure the enzymes will help tremendously.

However, fructose malabsorption is not directly due to a lack in an enzyme, but because the liver cannot process the fructose into glucose, and the fructose gets sent back to the intestine. I read somewhere that when the undigested fructose comes back to the small or large intestine (I think large) it binds with tryptophan, or at least interferes with metabolism of tryptophan, making it unusable which then causes fatigue. Also, tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, and so fructose malabsorption is also be related to mood/depression problems (something I also have a problem with).

But I am still going to try the enzymes. I need to be able to add pecans and almonds back in soon, and at least a cooked banana (like in bread) and I think the enzymes will help me do that.

Hi nmr and welcome!

I have had the panic feeling of what to eat also since i can't tolerate that many foods either....i don't really get them anymore though so hang in there, hopefully it'll get better for you. When i try something new and can't tolerate it i get frustrated but here lately i'll try not to get frustrated and just continue cooking the foods i can tolerate and eat the heck out of them! I probably need to do that for about a month or so and then try a new food.

Thanks Ali and everyone for posting about the enzymes - i may need those also since i'm moving so slow with being able to add new foods. I bought some Nordic Naturals fish oil (i think it has the same ingred. as the GI prohealth that's scd legal) so i hope it'll be ok for me. They both say the vit. e is made from soybean oil so i'm keeping my fingers crossed it won't bother me - i'm so sensitive. I made some bone broth from an organic chicken and reacted to it. I do ok with broth made from just chicken breasts so i've been eating that. I've been thinking lately i probably need to add something to help me along - i just don't know what. I've added drinking more water first thing in the morning and 45 -60 min. before meals ) that seems to help a lot with C. A couple of days i didn't get as much water in this week and didn't go for a couple of days but made a point today to drink more water and had a good bm. I get busy at work and at home in the kitchen and forget to drink it but am trying to get into the habit.