Possibly Healthy With So Many Restrictions?

[kdonov2]

So I think I have quite a problem.

I think that I have Candida issues but also have gluten/casein restrictions. I need to gain weight, but also need to heal my stomach. I have spoken with a holistic doctor who told me I needed to eat 6 mini meals because my stomach cannot handle much food at one time. Also, I received a hair analysis test that told me I have a slow metabolism and I should avoid fats and starches. In looking at the specific carbohydrate legal/illegal food list, I am again very limited to what I can eat. In addition to the SCD list, I cannot eat a variety of foods because of my metabolic type, so I am not sure how one could possibly gain weight eating tiny snacks that cannot include starches, sugar, or fats. I know that their are good fats and bad fats, but I was advised to stay away even from good fats such as avocado and nuts. Being in the predicament that I am, how am I to achieve optimal health and put on some weight? It is frustrating. Thank you for listening, and any advice would be appreciated.

[AliB]

You can't avoid both fats and starches. One fat you may be able to have is coconut oil. It is a medium-chain triglyceride and does not need bile for digestion. Also, one of the things it does do is boost the metabolism. I cook (low-temperature) with it, use it as a spread, add it to soups and smoothies and even eat it off the spoon. You may need to start slowly with just half a teaspoon and see how you go (do some research on it - it is amazing stuff! I even use use it as a deodorant!).

There are many cultures in the World who do not eat anything much in the way of carbs, and then only from vegetables or a few seasonable berries - some don't eat any at all, yet are perfectly healthy (and do not suffer the problems that we do), neither are they built like Belsen camp inmates!

What they do have is a medium protein, higher fat diet. The body needs either fats or carbs for its energy source, but fats are a more efficient burner. It needs fats in order to be able to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. It needs fats to keep the skin soft, supple and waterproof. It needs fats for repair and cell wall structuring. We can't do without fats. But we can do without carbs. At best they only provide a brief short-term energy source. Yes, the body needs some glucose for certain processes, but it can get all it needs through glucogenesis from protein.

If you have Candida, then you almost certainly have SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and that can cause all sorts of issues in the body. Low-carb is one of the best things to do because they love carbs, starches, grains and sugar. Even fruit.

Bee's Candida diet may help you (healing by Bee) - it is similar to the SCD but is geared towards combatting Candida and SIBO.

Yes, it like the SCD is restrictive - but that is only a psychological restriction. What is restrictive about having better health??? This is about healing, and unless you give your body the tools to do that by removing foods that encourage the beasties then you will continue to be health restricted rather than diet restricted.

Within reason and a more sensible diet at the end, you may find that you can reintroduce more choice as you improve. It can take some time, but better slow progress, than no progress at all...................

[Jestgar]

Ali, you need to reference most of your statements if you want people to respect your word, otherwise, please include some statement like "I believe this to be true, but I can't verify it", or "this is my opinion".

[kdonov2]

Thank you Ali,

That was a very informative reply. It bothers me that I seem to be receiving conflicting advice like needing to gain weight by eating avocado, coconut, other nuts, while also being told that I have a slow metabolism and should limit even healthy fats and starches as much as possible. What I do not understand is how my test results yielded that I have a slow metabolism, I am 72 lbs., how is that possible? Anyway, everything you said makes sense, I just wish I could have been given the same advice by my doctor and dietician.

[burdee]

I understand your reluctance to add more dietary restrictions to treat candida. I have gluten intolerance (diagnosed celiac disease) and 6 other diagnosed food alleriges. So I did not want to use a special diet to treat my candida symptoms.

Rather than guess about whether you have 'candida issues', you could get a stool test which could diagnose candida or other bacterial overgrowth. I've had several bacteria, a parasite and candida all diagnosed by stool tests (DNA Microbial) which also indicated what drug or botanical (herbal supplement) could eliminate my bacteria or candida. I never had to follow a special diet to eliminate candida (even though I had symptoms for years before my diagnosis). I just took nystatin for several months. My next stool test showed that I was completely clear of candida.

SUE

So I think I have quite a problem.

I think that I have Candida issues but also have gluten/casein restrictions. I need to gain weight, but also need to heal my stomach. I have spoken with a holistic doctor who told me I needed to eat 6 mini meals because my stomach cannot handle much food at one time. Also, I received a hair analysis test that told me I have a slow metabolism and I should avoid fats and starches. In looking at the specific carbohydrate legal/illegal food list, I am again very limited to what I can eat. In addition to the SCD list, I cannot eat a variety of foods because of my metabolic type, so I am not sure how one could possibly gain weight eating tiny snacks that cannot include starches, sugar, or fats. I know that their are good fats and bad fats, but I was advised to stay away even from good fats such as avocado and nuts. Being in the predicament that I am, how am I to achieve optimal health and put on some weight? It is frustrating. Thank you for listening, and any advice would be appreciated.

[AliB]

That was a very informative reply. It bothers me that I seem to be receiving conflicting advice like needing to gain weight by eating avocado, coconut, other nuts, while also being told that I have a slow metabolism and should limit even healthy fats and starches as much as possible. What I do not understand is how my test results yielded that I have a slow metabolism, I am 72 lbs., how is that possible? Anyway, everything you said makes sense, I just wish I could have been given the same advice by my doctor and dietician.

Yes, well, what is told to you by a Doctor or Dietician is only their opinion at the end of the day - even trained Doctors and Dietitians seem to have their own slant on everything. I even had to educate my own Doctor about Celiac and glucose intolerance! She went off and did a load of research (like me) and now knows a lot more about it herself.

She was saying the other day that she has found that she has to send her patients for Celiac screening several times before they show up as positive. Shame she didn't know that when I first saw her. Too late now - I've been off the gluten too long and there is no way I'm going back on it!

Doctors are not interested in Candida - most of them don't even consider it of any importance. Also SIBO is a pretty much unknown entity.

I have already posted this on another thread but if you want to know more on that then here it is again.

Open Original Shared Link

As far as the fats thing is concerned, this is a subject that is discussed at length on a diabetes forum I contribute to. Many of us are following the low-carb, higher fat regime with great results, not just in our blood sugar levels (and you don't have to be diabetic to have blood sugar issues), but also in triglyceride and cholesterol levels and other things too.

In my opinion, the low-fat ethic has been one of the worst things that could happen, for several reasons. One is that, as is well known, despite low-fat this and that everywhere, the rates of obesity and diabetes and other related health issues is still rapidly increasing. Two, low-fat foods, especially desserts generally have increased sugar content (just check the labels), so what is given in one hand is taken away in the other - and at the end of the day, which is worse, more fat or more sugar??

Thirdly, the body needs fat - so much so that it will even convert spare carbohydrates into fat - and because our diets generally consist of so much carbohydrate, is it any wonder obesity is so much on the increase?

Open Original Shared Link The interesting thing about this study is it backs up what a lot have been saying for years, but whilst they did the experiment with overweight people they did not test it with normal weight individuals. What many have found with the low-fat diet is, as long as they eat enough food [calories don't come into the equation], their bodies will remain at normal weight. Those who need to gain, gain, those who need to lose, lose. It works perfectly ok for the Inuit, etc., then why not us? I saw on a TV programme that their cholesterol levels are typically around 2.8, even on a diet consisting of up to 70% fat! and generally they are pretty slim and fit (they only look fat because of the layers of fur!).

And last but certainly not least, thinking logically, if the body didn't need fat, why would we have a gall-bladder? It is there for the storage of bile which is needed when fats are eaten, but if we only eat a low-fat diet then the quantity of bile released by the liver would be enough and the gall-bladder would be rendered pointless. Which is what can happen - the gall-bladder can actually atrophy as a result of a low-fat diet.

Open Original Shared Link

Another point on that, again thinking logically, and only my own opinion, is that if the gall-bladder is not emptied regularly enough through the ingestion of a decent amount of fat, it does not 'eject' enough to push out any stones or debris and get rid of them. Surely, if the gall-bladder is emptied often enough there should be no stones or debris at all! I have never followed the low-carb ethic and at the age of 52 I have a GB completely empty of any stones. Like a host of other things in the body I suppose - use it or lose it!

If you have not been consuming fats in any quantity, then perhaps you would need to start slowly, with half a teaspoonful and gradually build it up over the following weeks and see how you get on.

Personally, although I use butter, lard and coconut oil (oils that have been used for centuries without problems) for frying because their properties don't change when heated, I generally avoid vegetable oils except olive oil except occasionally on cold food or condiments. Most veg oils when heated can be pretty nasty. Ever tried to scrape congealed oil off a fryer?? Yuk. It's like varnish! Just imagine what that is doing to your cells! I am sure I don't need to mention trans and hydrogenated fats - that is well-documented too.

There is a lot of research coming out now supporting the benefits of lower carb, higher fat, not just for diabetic but for everyone. There will likely be a few red faces from those who have been propounding the low-fat ethic, but the proof will undoubtedly be in the pudding in the end.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

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These are just a few, but bear in mind that anyone can find any sort of research to back up their theories or ideas if they look hard enough - that is why I would recommend to anyone that they do their own research. Don't take anything at face value, but compare and analyze. Often, it is good old common sense that gives you more answers than anything else!

It seems that people in general seem to have a similar metabolism regardless of whether they are overweight or slim. In fact, fatter people can sometimes have a slightly higher metabolism because they have to expend more energy burning fuel to make up the higher need. Having said that, has your thyroid been checked? It seems that even a sub-clinical deficiency can affect the metabolic rate. It can be symptomatic of hypothyroidism.

[missy'smom]

Like AliB, I have diabetes. I follow a very low-carb diet to manage that, we all have choices but my restrictions are pretty much necessary, -no sugar, starches, grains, fruit or starchy vegetables and I have issues with dairy and eggs so consume very very little amounts only occasionally. I had problems keeping my weight on and was about to blow away in the wind last year! I badly needed to gain! I have had success stopping the weight loss, keeping my weight on and now finally gaining weight on this diet by increasing the protein and fats(mostly plant fats in my case but also some meat fat, lots of nuts and avacados-something that I did over time, not because I set out to do it that way but that's just how it evolved. I went from being a lifelong semi-vegetarian to somewhat of a carnivore. It seems that my digestion adjusted. Only briefly once or twice did I feel that it was working hard or that I just couldn't tolerate more. I eat 4 portion-controlled meals a day to keep calories up as my body seems to need alot. I was always one who could eat whatever and not gain a pound so now with the restrictions it has been hard work and a big adjustment but it's working. It took committment and patience for me. It took a year to gain 4 pounds and keep it on and I almost gave up several times but it was worth the wait. I would hope that someone who doesn't have diabetes could see results sooner. I kept a weight log and tracked calories every once in a while, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see the progress or places that needed work. I've seen 7 as the first number in my weight on the scale and it's scary, even for those of us who are very petite to begin with. If you experience absence of period or problems with it that can be an indicator that your weight is too low. We know our bodies best but it's wise not to unnecessarily restrict ourselves and make use of tests if they can be of help. Good luck to you! It can be done!