Which Diet/lifestyle To Follow To Feel Better?

[Sweetfudge]

I'm trying to figure out what to do here. I'm having pretty regular symptoms the last few months, and really can't pinpoint the cause.

The paleo diet, lectin intolerance and elimination diet have all been recommended to me by people. But I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions/experience with any of these, or recommended resources? Thanks all!

[Sweetfudge]

p.s. I am not looking to lose any weight, I am just looking for a fix to whatever is ailing me.

I eat relatively healthy, avoid all the foods listed in my signature, don't eat a lot of red meat or fatty foods, don't eat out, rarely eat processed foods, pretty much just drink water and teas (and definitely drink enough in a day), take fiber and probiotics, as well as occasionally remembering to take vitamins/minerals.

[sb2178]

I found an elimination diet with challenges to be helpful in finding problems (raw foods, high fat, sorghum in large amounts, gluten, lactose in large amounts). Fortunately, nothing else remains a problem after gluten free, except the lactose, which is improving and now quite mild. Oh, and chocolate, which I'm not admitting yet.

A faithfully kept food diary is a must, whichever you end up choosing.

[alchemist]

p.s. I am not looking to lose any weight, I am just looking for a fix to whatever is ailing me.

I eat relatively healthy, avoid all the foods listed in my signature, don't eat a lot of red meat or fatty foods, don't eat out, rarely eat processed foods, pretty much just drink water and teas (and definitely drink enough in a day), take fiber and probiotics, as well as occasionally remembering to take vitamins/minerals.

I have extreme food sensitivities(especially since going gluten free) and my body pretty much forces me to eat a Paleolithic diet...minus the berries and nuts I have never fallen for the low fat myth ..so avoiding dietary fat is I believe missing out on a possible energy source for you.A great resource for the paleo lifestyle is at marks daily apple (mark sisson) his book Primal blueprint is a dietary gem.Its funny really ...my diet is so limited but the meat and veggies I can eat keep my weight stable at 178 pounds (I am 6-3") my body fat is around 16% ...blood pressure runs low (probably low adrenals too though) and my energy levels are pretty good as long as I dont over exert...so I suppose this is a nod to the paleo way from me BUT we are all biochemically unique so you really have to find your own way with this one...although looking into a grain free lifestyle for people with celiac makes nothing but sense

cheers

Steve

ps...just to add ..Probiotics make me really ill...even in the smallest doses....supplements need to be assessed for a possible reaction too.

[Looking for answers]

What kind of fiber do you take? The reason I'm asking, I started to have symptoms a few months ago and couldn't figure out for the life of me what was going on. I had allergy tests, which came back extremely high for eggs, so I cut them out. Little difference. I then began keeping a food journal and discovered psyllium husks were the culprit. A lot of supplemental fiber is hard on the digestive track. Just another things to consider when looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

[mushroom]

What are your current symptoms and do they seem to be associated with anything? Have you done any challenges on the the no-nos on your list?

[Bennie]

3 tbsp of flax seed (ground up fresh in my coffee grinder) with a glass of water works well for me. I need to remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day or the flax seed will cause the opposite effect that I am looking for.

[Sweetfudge]

I found an elimination diet with challenges to be helpful in finding problems (raw foods, high fat, sorghum in large amounts, gluten, lactose in large amounts). Fortunately, nothing else remains a problem after gluten free, except the lactose, which is improving and now quite mild. Oh, and chocolate, which I'm not admitting yet.

A faithfully kept food diary is a must, whichever you end up choosing.

Lol @ the chocolate thing. Have you tried dairy free chocolate/dark chocolate too? I think I would die without that

I do need to start keeping a food diary again, good call on that one!

I have extreme food sensitivities(especially since going gluten free) and my body pretty much forces me to eat a Paleolithic diet...minus the berries and nuts I have never fallen for the low fat myth ..so avoiding dietary fat is I believe missing out on a possible energy source for you.A great resource for the paleo lifestyle is at marks daily apple (mark sisson) his book Primal blueprint is a dietary gem.Its funny really ...my diet is so limited but the meat and veggies I can eat keep my weight stable at 178 pounds (I am 6-3") my body fat is around 16% ...blood pressure runs low (probably low adrenals too though) and my energy levels are pretty good as long as I dont over exert...so I suppose this is a nod to the paleo way from me BUT we are all biochemically unique so you really have to find your own way with this one...although looking into a grain free lifestyle for people with celiac makes nothing but sense

cheers

Steve

ps...just to add ..Probiotics make me really ill...even in the smallest doses....supplements need to be assessed for a possible reaction too.

Thanks for sharing your experience on the lifestyle. I've ordered the primal blueprint, and have read through the blog. It is the best one I've found! You know, I'm not really worried about my weight right now, just feeling better. But if it helps me lose those last 10 lbs, I wouldn't complain

I've done a couple of tests on my supplements, and definitely come up worse for wear when I don't take the probiotic. It's Align, designed specifically for "IBS-symptoms" so I'm pretty sure it's not causing my problem.

What kind of fiber do you take? The reason I'm asking, I started to have symptoms a few months ago and couldn't figure out for the life of me what was going on. I had allergy tests, which came back extremely high for eggs, so I cut them out. Little difference. I then began keeping a food journal and discovered psyllium husks were the culprit. A lot of supplemental fiber is hard on the digestive track. Just another things to consider when looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

I take acacia fiber, made by a company who specializes in "IBS-friendly" products, that don't cause the same problems as most supplemental fiber. I've tested it, and it definitely makes a positive difference when I'm using it. Good point though

What are your current symptoms and do they seem to be associated with anything? Have you done any challenges on the the no-nos on your list?

Current symptoms are almost constant gas, quite often stinky. Almost daily I notice cramps, and usually have some constipation, as well as urgency when my body does decide it's ready for me to go. Occasional diarrhea and bloating (once a week or so).

Haven't done any challenges on recent food items, just supplements. Feeling like symptoms are so random, that I'm not sure where to start.

Thanks all for your help

[GFinDC]

I see in your sig you are avoiding potatoes. How about tomatoes and peppers? They are also nightshades and can cause problems.

[BRUMI1968]

Hi. I was diagnosed over three years ago and have done almost every diet you can think of: paleo, body ecology, raw food - traditional, raw 80/10/10 low fat. Have gone nightshade free, grain free, bean free, fat free, salt free, soy free, dairy free, etc.

It sounds crazy, but I'm actually really glad I did all those diets over the years. They all have their good points, and I think having experimented with them is giving me stronger foundation to personalize a diet for me.

That said, I just started what is called a low fodmap diet. The idea is that certain short-chain sugars ferment in your body before they move through your digestive system, causing all manner of gas, bloat, stink, C, D, etc. What the diet proposes is that you cut out all of these, then add them back by family (fructose, sucrose, raffinose (beans), lactose, etc.) I've already found that quitting them did indeed cut my bloat - and bloat is pretty much the only symptom I have left from being gluten-free so long). I accidentally ate onion a day ago and boom, w/i 24 hours was bloated and stinky. So what you should end up with after doing this diet for a while (getting rid of all high fodmaps then adding them back, finding out which bother you), is the understanding of which sugars you don't digest well. YOu can either avoid them entirely, or use some tricks like only tiny amounts of something or adding glucose to something. It's an idea. It sounds like the things this diet talks about are things that you are experiencing. There are a couple folks on the board who have done this diet. Another diet folks on the board have done is the Specific Carb Diet. I have not done that one, as it relies on dairy more than I like, but lots of folks feel it works well.

But I can outline the benefits I experienced from each other diet I've done below.

RAW FOOD (traditonal): PRO: felt clean, easy digestion, regular poops, good poops CON: expensive, too fatty really, lost too much weight, can be really labor intensive to create "gourmet" stuff, puts you on the outside of regular folks - slightly isolating I guess.

RAW FOOD (low fat): PRO: always had accessible food (fruit), clean, know stuff is gluten-free, really hydrating CON: bloated and C (banana), expensive, weight loss, have to train stomach to eat large amounts at once in order to get enough calories - slightly isolating, though less so that regular raw since you're not making a bunch of raw food all the time, you're just eating fruit.

PALEO: PRO: no grains works best for me, and no beans; bloat went away for the most part, don't think I ever got my stomach acid up to snuff for digesting meat CON: expensive (I will only eat humane, local, and GRASS FED meat - anything other than that is like animal cruelty in my mind, and unhealthy), a bit on the acid side if you don't balance out the nuts and meats, nuts too hard to digest.

BODY ECOLOGY: PRO: this is a great diet to kill yeast, easy to prepare stuff CON: expensive (meat), not enough carb energy for me, yeast killoff can be intense if you have problems with yeast.

Remain free of: dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, grains (mostly)

[Sweetfudge]

Hi. I was diagnosed over three years ago and have done almost every diet you can think of: paleo, body ecology, raw food - traditional, raw 80/10/10 low fat. Have gone nightshade free, grain free, bean free, fat free, salt free, soy free, dairy free, etc.

It sounds crazy, but I'm actually really glad I did all those diets over the years. They all have their good points, and I think having experimented with them is giving me stronger foundation to personalize a diet for me.

That said, I just started what is called a low fodmap diet. The idea is that certain short-chain sugars ferment in your body before they move through your digestive system, causing all manner of gas, bloat, stink, C, D, etc. What the diet proposes is that you cut out all of these, then add them back by family (fructose, sucrose, raffinose (beans), lactose, etc.) I've already found that quitting them did indeed cut my bloat - and bloat is pretty much the only symptom I have left from being gluten-free so long). I accidentally ate onion a day ago and boom, w/i 24 hours was bloated and stinky. So what you should end up with after doing this diet for a while (getting rid of all high fodmaps then adding them back, finding out which bother you), is the understanding of which sugars you don't digest well. YOu can either avoid them entirely, or use some tricks like only tiny amounts of something or adding glucose to something. It's an idea. It sounds like the things this diet talks about are things that you are experiencing. There are a couple folks on the board who have done this diet. Another diet folks on the board have done is the Specific Carb Diet. I have not done that one, as it relies on dairy more than I like, but lots of folks feel it works well.

But I can outline the benefits I experienced from each other diet I've done below.

RAW FOOD (traditonal): PRO: felt clean, easy digestion, regular poops, good poops CON: expensive, too fatty really, lost too much weight, can be really labor intensive to create "gourmet" stuff, puts you on the outside of regular folks - slightly isolating I guess.

RAW FOOD (low fat): PRO: always had accessible food (fruit), clean, know stuff is gluten-free, really hydrating CON: bloated and C (banana), expensive, weight loss, have to train stomach to eat large amounts at once in order to get enough calories - slightly isolating, though less so that regular raw since you're not making a bunch of raw food all the time, you're just eating fruit.

PALEO: PRO: no grains works best for me, and no beans; bloat went away for the most part, don't think I ever got my stomach acid up to snuff for digesting meat CON: expensive (I will only eat humane, local, and GRASS FED meat - anything other than that is like animal cruelty in my mind, and unhealthy), a bit on the acid side if you don't balance out the nuts and meats, nuts too hard to digest.

BODY ECOLOGY: PRO: this is a great diet to kill yeast, easy to prepare stuff CON: expensive (meat), not enough carb energy for me, yeast killoff can be intense if you have problems with yeast.

Remain free of: dairy, gluten, soy, sugar, grains (mostly)

I've been doing a lot of research over the last few weeks, and really like the concept of the paleo diet, even if I don't end up following it 100%. I've mostly been eating leaner foods (meat, dairy free, etc) lately, so worry about adding back in all that red meat, bacon, and butter. Tried a few paleo recipes so far, and really enjoyed them.

Interesting that you mention the FODMAP diet. I've had a couple of other people strongly recommend it to me. I think it really makes sense, and am leaning toward trying this one. Sounds kind of like an elimination diet, but with a bit more structure, imo. Did you purchase any books about the diet, or just try it using online sources?

I have kind of done the same thing with all the different diets I've tried/researched. I think it works best to incorporate what you find works best for your body. Thanks for sharing what's helped you.

P.S. I'm curious, what grains are you still able to tolerate?

[BRUMI1968]

I've never really done an elimination diet or a real serious investigation into which grains do me the worst. I can say that rice, believe it or not, both bloats me and makes my teeth instantly hurt. Well, brown rice. Jasmine I can tolerate a small amount of but not for days in a row. Corn does not seem to bother me that much. You would think it would - storage grain (moldy), gmo (I try to get non-gmo), etc. Oats I tolerate like for one day, but if I eat multiple days, it can start to. For me it is more of a noticing how much better I felt when I was grain free in general - so I mostly just went with it. Plus, it fit into the raw food I was doing at the time.

I would just go easy adding in the fat of the paleo if you decide to go that way so your body can get used to it. You want to make sure you have enough stomach acid to digest the meat - you can look that up on google. I am just getting used to eating meat again. It has not bothered my lower digestion, but has caused quite a bit of gurgling in my stomach after I eat it. My anemia does not feel better at all yet - it's only been a week but I might have to succumb to supplements if I want to get out of this funk any time soon.

I think you're smart to realize that you're going to have to adjust any one else's diet to match your own body and your won life. I don't know if I'll keep eating meat - I keep having a yucky taste/feeling in my mouth and I don't think that's good, is it?

Good luck to you!