Starting the diet - Having a bad time

[Guest guest]

Hey guys,

Okay, so I'll give you a bit of background. I've had UC for almost 2 years...

This past flare has been fairly constant, from about a year ago up until now,

and its still raging. The flare has only been interrupted by a few months on

prednisone, which were wonderful, but the longest I've lasted off the prednisone

has been a month, after which my condition starts deteriorating again.

I have pretty much had diarrhea for the past 2 years, constantly, even during my

remission. Recently, my diarrhea (sorry if this is too much info) looks like it

is pretty much just water.. or yellowish water, anyway. I'm not sure if its

normal. It's only started since I've started the SCD, which I've been on for

about a month.

After the first day on the diet, I felt great. So far, my first and only

improvement has been the complete elimination of cramping and gas... completely.

Since then though, I have bled (barely visible, not too concerned), the diarrhea

is as present as ever, and my urgency forces me to go circa 10 times a day on a

bad day.

I've been on the intro diet for a month, straying only when I crave more

sustinence, but NEVER cheating on my SCD. When I crave something other than

chicken soup with carrots, I'll have a nut-flour muffin or a banana or some soft

boiled eggs... I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Why am I seeing no

improvement? Is it worth it to keep such a bland diet if THIS is the best I'm

going to get from the diet?

Also, I've tried the home-made yogurt. I've had about a cup of it a day for the

past 2 weeks or so. No improvement. The yogurt seems very watery (i'm not sure

if that's a problem; i left it for at least 24 hours to ferment in the yogurt

maker). So many people rave about the yogurt... why isn't it helping me?

I'm 20 years old, and just took a semester off University. I now have 9 months

to get my diet and stomach straightened out. I need to get this right and I have

the time to do it now.

I guess what I'm asking for are tips.. maybe if I'm doing something wrong, point

it out. I am 100% committed to this diet and have not cheated (to my knowledge).

Please help.

Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

There are a lot of people here to advise you. It is good that you have seen some

improvement so far. SCD is a slow process for some, especially in the beginning.

Are you on any meds? SCD is not an all or none diet and many do take meds as

well, some go med free after a while, a personal choice but the diet does not

say to stop medication. Since you are having very watery D, you may need a

course of medication to calm all that down.

Check your food for additives. Some chicken has added broth to it before it is

cooked- it is part of the processing- and this can interfere with the diet.

You can drip the yogurt so it is less watery. Some people tolerate it better

that way. Others don't tolerate the yogurt at all in the beginning. Some people

are bothered by carrots and nut flours. Nut butters are tolerated first, and

generally pecans are the easiest.

It is a little bit of trial and error. Keep a food journal. Have you looked at

the stages of SCD at pecanbread.com? It is a good general guide for adding

foods, but it is a site for ASD kids and is non dairy. SCD includes legal yogurt

and some legal cheeses.

PJ

>

> Hey guys,

>

> Okay, so I'll give you a bit of background. I've had UC for almost 2 years...

This past flare has been fairly constant, from about a year ago up until now,

and its still raging. The flare has only been interrupted by a few months on

prednisone, which were wonderful, but the longest I've lasted off the prednisone

has been a month, after which my condition starts deteriorating again.

>

> I have pretty much had diarrhea for the past 2 years, constantly, even during

my remission. Recently, my diarrhea (sorry if this is too much info) looks like

it is pretty much just water.. or yellowish water, anyway. I'm not sure if its

normal. It's only started since I've started the SCD, which I've been on for

about a month.

>

> After the first day on the diet, I felt great. So far, my first and only

improvement has been the complete elimination of cramping and gas... completely.

Since then though, I have bled (barely visible, not too concerned), the diarrhea

is as present as ever, and my urgency forces me to go circa 10 times a day on a

bad day.

>

> I've been on the intro diet for a month, straying only when I crave more

sustinence, but NEVER cheating on my SCD. When I crave something other than

chicken soup with carrots, I'll have a nut-flour muffin or a banana or some soft

boiled eggs... I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Why am I seeing no

improvement? Is it worth it to keep such a bland diet if THIS is the best I'm

going to get from the diet?

>

> Also, I've tried the home-made yogurt. I've had about a cup of it a day for

the past 2 weeks or so. No improvement. The yogurt seems very watery (i'm not

sure if that's a problem; i left it for at least 24 hours to ferment in the

yogurt maker). So many people rave about the yogurt... why isn't it helping me?

>

> I'm 20 years old, and just took a semester off University. I now have 9 months

to get my diet and stomach straightened out. I need to get this right and I have

the time to do it now.

>

> I guess what I'm asking for are tips.. maybe if I'm doing something wrong,

point it out. I am 100% committed to this diet and have not cheated (to my

knowledge). Please help.

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Glad you are seeing some improvement, sorry it isn't enough yet!

First thing is if you are having diarrhea (D) and more than 2-3 motions a day,

you should not be eating eggs. The nut flour is too advanced right now given

your symptoms as well.

I suggest you try continuing with the soups, but pureed. For example, if you

want to have a grilled hamburger, not pan fried but more like baked on a

roasting rack in the oven to help drain on some of the fat, then make the soup

and blend in the cooked hamburger. I know it will feel like you are eating baby

food, but honestly it is the best way to eat food in the easiest form for the

gut--especially since most people do not chew their food propery (to the point

you no longer recognize it's original texture). See this article for why

properly made broth is good for you

http://www.westonaprice.org/Why-Broth-is-Beautiful-Essential-Roles-for-Proline-G\

lycine-and-Gelatin.html and at the end of this message is how to make a

'proper' bone broth (I only simmer for about 4 hours though). See how you go

with that. If you see improvement, then try adding in more cooked foods slowly

but still in pureed form. Once you have a decent range of foods, pick one thing

and try eating it unpureed. Once you have gotten to the point where you can eat

all your tolerated foods in an un-pureed state, then try adding a bit of egg --

if your D is not too brisk and your frequency is only about 2-3 times a day.

After all of the above and if you tolerate the egg, then try making nut flour

muffins or similar. In the mean time, if you want something sweet, you can make

homemade gelatin using fruit juice or eat some homemade applesauce or banana

pearsauce.

I know it sounds slow, but it allows you to see if something is too much too

soon rather quickly and whether or not if it is the actual food, or the fact

that your gut is working too hard because you haven't chewed properly -- your

stomach/gut does not have teeth, nor will the stomach acid or gut peristalsis

compensate for poorly chewed food.

Hang in there, the diet does work!

Amelia

Husband UC 9years, SCD 18months

LDN 3mg

+++++

Broth

Basic Broth Making and Usage

Ingredients

1. Bones—from poultry, fish, shellfish, beef, lamb*

* cooked remnants of a previous meal, with or without skin and meat

* raw bones, with or without skin and meat**

* use a whole carcass or just parts (good choices include feet, ribs, necks

and knuckles)

* don't forget shellfish shells, whole fish carcasses (with heads) or small

dried shrimp

2. Water—start with cold water

* enough to just cover the bones

* or 2 cups water per 1 pound bones

3. Vinegar—apple cider, red or white wine, rice, balsamic

* a splash

* 2 tablespoons per 1 quart water or 2 pounds bones

* lemon juice may be substituted for vinegar (citric acid instead of acetic

acid)

4. Vegetables (optional)—peelings and scraps like ends, tops and skins or entire

vegetable

* celery, carrots, onions, garlic and parsley are the most traditionally

used, but any will do

* if added towards the end of cooking, mineral content will be higher

Recipe

Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour,

bring to a simmer, remove any scum that has risen to the top, reduce heat and

simmer (6–48 hrs for chicken, 12–72 hrs for beef). To reduce cooking time, you

may smash or cut bones into small pieces first. If desired, add vegetables in

last ½ hour of cooking (or at any point as convenience dictates). Strain through

a colander or sieve, lined with cheesecloth for a clearer broth. Discard the

bones. If uncooked meat was used to start with, reserve the meat for soup or

salads.

An easy way to cook broth is to use a crockpot on low setting. After putting the

ingredients into the pot and turning it on, you can just walk away. If you

forget to skim the impurities off, it's ok, it just tastes better if you do. If

you wish to remove the fat for use in gravy, use a gravy separator while the

broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold broth will

gel when sufficient gelatin is present. Broth may be frozen for months or kept

in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

[Guest guest]

,

I forgot to mention the yogurt! If it is really watery, something might be

wrong. Is the whole batch watery or is it set with lots of a watery liquid

around it? After making yogurt and chilling undisturbed for 4 hours or more,

you should have a nicely set yogurt with no liquid. After eating some of the

batch, later it is normal for there to be a watery liquid present. You can

either drain the liquid off for a richer, thicker, less tangy yogurt, or you can

mix it back in. If, however, your whole batch is not much thicker than plain

milk, something is definitely wrong. And if you have lots of a watery liquid

all around your set, undisturbed yogurt, you might have fermented at too high a

temp and killed too many bacteria -- enough to set it, but not enough to consume

all the lactose. I would double check the temp of the yogurt while it is

fermenting to make sure it is in the proper range.

Regards,

Amelia

Husband UC 9 years, SCD 18 months

LDN 3mg

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply,

I have been on Prednisone for the better part of a year, on and off. The longest

I've been off of it in remission has been a month before I start to flare up and

have to go back on. I'm now down to 5mg a day after tapering from 50mg, and my

flare up has already started. My physician says we might have to go to Remicade

if I can't seem to get it under control. I have an appointment with my gastro on

Tuesday, so i'll see what he says, but I'd rather skip Remicade at all costs. I

really don't know what meds to take!!

I've been on Mezavant (same thing as Asacol; I live in Canada) since i was

diagnosed, but for the past year it seems like it is completely useless. I've

asked if there was an alternative here in Canada, but my gastro has told me, on

more than one occasion, there wasn't. I was hoping that this diet would put me

into remission, as many people in reviews on Amazon (etc) have said that the

diet is the ONLY thing that put them into remission, because they've been

unresponsive to the medication.

I'm pretty sure my food is additive free... My chicken, is just chicken from the

butcher shop in my supermarket, uncooked. They only thing I eat now is soup, so

I cook it myself. In the soup, i throw celery, onions (I leave them whole, and

throw them out after the soup is cooked. I hear they're hard to digest at

first). I have carrots in there as well, which i leave chopped up, or pureed.

Either pureed or chopped, there are days where I seem to be able to digest it

well, and days where I don't... There is no rhyme or reason to the days when I

can or can't digest carrots, so its hard to predict whether to leave them in.

Chopped or pureed doesn't seem to matter.

I have printed out the PecanBread list of food in stages... I'm doing the intro

religiously, except when I've cheated and had a nut muffin because I wanted

something different. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat eggs while having

diarrhea; I'll cut them out. I just had two soft boiled for breakfast, but I'll

cut them out from now on.

As for the yogurt, it does seem to be set... but there is thin layer of water

around and on top of the yogurt. It tastes like yogurt too, except it's SOUR.

I'm not sure what " set " yogurt is supposed to be like. Some have suggested I

should be able to turn the container upside down without it falling out. Mine is

a 2 litre yogurt maker from yogourmet. If I turned it over, it would run out, no

doubt. It's much much thicker than milk, but it's not like what I'd buy in those

individual cups at the supermarket. I hope that's descriptive enough.

Thanks again in advance for your replies,

> >

> > Hey guys,

> >

> > Okay, so I'll give you a bit of background. I've had UC for almost 2

years... This past flare has been fairly constant, from about a year ago up

until now, and its still raging. The flare has only been interrupted by a few

months on prednisone, which were wonderful, but the longest I've lasted off the

prednisone has been a month, after which my condition starts deteriorating

again.

> >

> > I have pretty much had diarrhea for the past 2 years, constantly, even

during my remission. Recently, my diarrhea (sorry if this is too much info)

looks like it is pretty much just water.. or yellowish water, anyway. I'm not

sure if its normal. It's only started since I've started the SCD, which I've

been on for about a month.

> >

> > After the first day on the diet, I felt great. So far, my first and only

improvement has been the complete elimination of cramping and gas... completely.

Since then though, I have bled (barely visible, not too concerned), the diarrhea

is as present as ever, and my urgency forces me to go circa 10 times a day on a

bad day.

> >

> > I've been on the intro diet for a month, straying only when I crave more

sustinence, but NEVER cheating on my SCD. When I crave something other than

chicken soup with carrots, I'll have a nut-flour muffin or a banana or some soft

boiled eggs... I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Why am I seeing no

improvement? Is it worth it to keep such a bland diet if THIS is the best I'm

going to get from the diet?

> >

> > Also, I've tried the home-made yogurt. I've had about a cup of it a day for

the past 2 weeks or so. No improvement. The yogurt seems very watery (i'm not

sure if that's a problem; i left it for at least 24 hours to ferment in the

yogurt maker). So many people rave about the yogurt... why isn't it helping me?

> >

> > I'm 20 years old, and just took a semester off University. I now have 9

months to get my diet and stomach straightened out. I need to get this right and

I have the time to do it now.

> >

> > I guess what I'm asking for are tips.. maybe if I'm doing something wrong,

point it out. I am 100% committed to this diet and have not cheated (to my

knowledge). Please help.

> >

> > Thanks in advance,

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Thanks for your reply,

>

> I have been on Prednisone for the better part of a year, on and off. The

longest I've been off of it in remission has been a month before I start to

flare up and have to go back on. I'm now down to 5mg a day after tapering from

50mg, and my flare up has already started. My physician says we might have to go

to Remicade if I can't seem to get it under control. I have an appointment with

my gastro on Tuesday, so i'll see what he says, but I'd rather skip Remicade at

all costs. I really don't know what meds to take!!

>

> I've been on Mezavant (same thing as Asacol; I live in Canada) since i was

diagnosed, but for the past year it seems like it is completely useless. I've

asked if there was an alternative here in Canada, but my gastro has told me, on

more than one occasion, there wasn't. I was hoping that this diet would put me

into remission, as many people in reviews on Amazon (etc) have said that the

diet is the ONLY thing that put them into remission, because they've been

unresponsive to the medication.

>

> I'm pretty sure my food is additive free... My chicken, is just chicken from

the butcher shop in my supermarket, uncooked. They only thing I eat now is soup,

so I cook it myself. In the soup, i throw celery, onions (I leave them whole,

and throw them out after the soup is cooked. I hear they're hard to digest at

first). I have carrots in there as well, which i leave chopped up, or pureed.

Either pureed or chopped, there are days where I seem to be able to digest it

well, and days where I don't... There is no rhyme or reason to the days when I

can or can't digest carrots, so its hard to predict whether to leave them in.

Chopped or pureed doesn't seem to matter.

>

> I have printed out the PecanBread list of food in stages... I'm doing the

intro religiously,

You have to go beyond intro to stage 1. Intro was never meant to last for a

month. only 2-5 days. Start adding

in foods.

Also, it's possible it's too carrot rich for you. Some people react badly to

carrots or too many carrots.

So add in peeled deseeded zucchinis. And steamed spinach. And similar stuff.

> except when I've cheated and had a nut muffin because I wanted something

different. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat eggs while having diarrhea;

I'll cut them out. I just had two soft boiled for breakfast, but I'll cut them

out from now on.

>

> As for the yogurt, it does seem to be set... but there is thin layer of water

around and on top of the yogurt. It tastes like yogurt too, except it's SOUR.

It's supposed to be sour. the bacteria have eaten all the milk sugars for 24+

hours.

It it isn't sour, then it's wrong.

> I'm not sure what " set " yogurt is supposed to be like. Some have suggested I

should be able to turn the container upside down without it falling out. Mine is

a 2 litre yogurt maker from yogourmet. If I turned it over, it would run out, no

doubt. It's much much thicker than milk, but it's not like what I'd buy in those

individual cups at the supermarket. I hope that's descriptive enough.

Yeah - that's right. It should set harder once you put it in the fridge for 8

hours.

Other people use cheesecloth lined strainers to let the water drip out of it, if

they want it really thick.

Mara

[Guest guest]

I think the reviews on Amazon are good, but they make it sound like an instant

process. It's not always the case. Improvements are often slow and less

dramatic, but for many of us here, it does happen thankfully.

Hopefully with the suggestions here, you will adapt to SCD and feel better.

I have learned so much over the past few months from others on this board. Keep

posting and reading.

PJ

>

> >

> >

> > Thanks for your reply,

> >

> > I have been on Prednisone for the better part of a year, on and off. The

longest I've been off of it in remission has been a month before I start to

flare up and have to go back on. I'm now down to 5mg a day after tapering from

50mg, and my flare up has already started. My physician says we might have to go

to Remicade if I can't seem to get it under control. I have an appointment with

my gastro on Tuesday, so i'll see what he says, but I'd rather skip Remicade at

all costs. I really don't know what meds to take!!

> >

> > I've been on Mezavant (same thing as Asacol; I live in Canada) since i was

diagnosed, but for the past year it seems like it is completely useless. I've

asked if there was an alternative here in Canada, but my gastro has told me, on

more than one occasion, there wasn't. I was hoping that this diet would put me

into remission, as many people in reviews on Amazon (etc) have said that the

diet is the ONLY thing that put them into remission, because they've been

unresponsive to the medication.

> >

> > I'm pretty sure my food is additive free... My chicken, is just chicken from

the butcher shop in my supermarket, uncooked. They only thing I eat now is soup,

so I cook it myself. In the soup, i throw celery, onions (I leave them whole,

and throw them out after the soup is cooked. I hear they're hard to digest at

first). I have carrots in there as well, which i leave chopped up, or pureed.

Either pureed or chopped, there are days where I seem to be able to digest it

well, and days where I don't... There is no rhyme or reason to the days when I

can or can't digest carrots, so its hard to predict whether to leave them in.

Chopped or pureed doesn't seem to matter.

> >

> > I have printed out the PecanBread list of food in stages... I'm doing the

intro religiously,

>

> You have to go beyond intro to stage 1. Intro was never meant to last for a

month. only 2-5 days. Start adding

> in foods.

>

> Also, it's possible it's too carrot rich for you. Some people react badly to

carrots or too many carrots.

> So add in peeled deseeded zucchinis. And steamed spinach. And similar stuff.

>

>

> > except when I've cheated and had a nut muffin because I wanted something

different. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat eggs while having diarrhea;

I'll cut them out. I just had two soft boiled for breakfast, but I'll cut them

out from now on.

> >

> > As for the yogurt, it does seem to be set... but there is thin layer of

water around and on top of the yogurt. It tastes like yogurt too, except it's

SOUR.

>

> It's supposed to be sour. the bacteria have eaten all the milk sugars for 24+

hours.

> It it isn't sour, then it's wrong.

>

> > I'm not sure what " set " yogurt is supposed to be like. Some have suggested I

should be able to turn the container upside down without it falling out. Mine is

a 2 litre yogurt maker from yogourmet. If I turned it over, it would run out, no

doubt. It's much much thicker than milk, but it's not like what I'd buy in those

individual cups at the supermarket. I hope that's descriptive enough.

>

> Yeah - that's right. It should set harder once you put it in the fridge for 8

hours.

>

> Other people use cheesecloth lined strainers to let the water drip out of it,

if

> they want it really thick.

>

> Mara

>

[Guest guest]

You bet, PJ. I'm really happy that I've found this group. The responses have

been helpful and informative. And it's so much easier talking here than with a

friend, because I know that everyone here understands EXACTLY what it's like to

go through IBD and the SCD, which is even more helpful.

I never expected sudden, miraculous relief of symptoms. Otherwise, SCD would be

the #1 prescribed treatment for UC or CD. What I did expect, however, was

perhaps a small steady amelioration of my symptoms after a month of being on the

diet. Unfortunately, my symptoms have worsened, though it probably has more to

do with my tapering of the Prednisone than my beginning of the SCD.

That is why I was so shocked when on Day 1, my bloating, cramping and gas

completely vanished. Maybe that got my hopes up for day two. I still have no

gas, bloating or cramping, but the other characteristic symptoms have worsened.

It seems after Day 1, the diet and my progress plateaued.

I think what is so frustrating is that I'll not know if this diet is working or

if I'm doing something wrong until several months in. I could be doing something

wrong right now, not know, and never progress. I wish I saw some improvement

from Day 1 so that I know I'm on the right track. It's tough and discouraging.

Perhaps I need medication (preferably not Prednisone) to push me back into

remission, so the diet can do its job, but I'm running out of options (says my

physician). **sigh** Oh well, I'll let you know if things get any better/worse.

Thanks for the advice.

>

> I think the reviews on Amazon are good, but they make it sound like an instant

process. It's not always the case. Improvements are often slow and less

dramatic, but for many of us here, it does happen thankfully.

>

> Hopefully with the suggestions here, you will adapt to SCD and feel better.

>

> I have learned so much over the past few months from others on this board.

Keep posting and reading.

>

> PJ

[Guest guest]

> You bet, PJ. I'm really happy that I've found this group. The responses have

been helpful and informative. And it's so much easier talking here than with a

friend, because I know that everyone here understands EXACTLY what it's like to

go through IBD and the SCD, which is even more helpful.

>

> I never expected sudden, miraculous relief of symptoms. Otherwise, SCD would

be the #1 prescribed treatment for UC or CD.

LOL, not with current medical thinking.

> What I did expect, however, was perhaps a small steady amelioration of my

symptoms after a month of being on the diet. Unfortunately, my symptoms have

worsened, though it probably has more to do with my tapering of the Prednisone

than my beginning of the SCD.

>

> That is why I was so shocked when on Day 1, my bloating, cramping and gas

completely vanished. Maybe that got my hopes up for day two. I still have no

gas, bloating or cramping, but the other characteristic symptoms have worsened.

It seems after Day 1, the diet and my progress plateaued.

I would suggest stop tapering and return to a level where you have relief of

symptoms -

maybe 10 mg pred (you said 5 currently, right?) or wherever you have more

symptom

relief - and stay at that level with SCD for a few weeks (that is, if being on

pred. that long

won't drive you absolutely bat sh*t crazy.) At that point, where your system is

more

stable, begin tapering. - Or what about steroid enemas, if you can't do

prednisone for

that long - those are local, so they don't mess with your whole body the way

pred. does.

It is very hard on your system to do two major things at once, like tapering

from prednisone

and ****starting*** the diet. The start of the diet can often be a volatile

time - first month or

two. So, once your system has adjusted, it should be much easier to taper.

Also, what is

your tapering schedule? Maybe you are going too fast - people have succeeded

with very

slow tapers from prednisone.

You should also check out LDN - low dose naltrexone:

read about it here and you might want to join that group as well and start

following that

conversation to see if you might be interested in trying it (which you can't do

simultaneously

with anything higher than 10 mg of pred. as they cancel each other out) - it is

far preferable to

remicade and prednisone in terms of health benefits and lack of side effects and

in every other way, as

far as I am concerned, and it works great with SCD, like the two were made for

each other.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lowdosenaltrexone/

>

> I think what is so frustrating is that I'll not know if this diet is working

It's totally working - just slowly. If it weren't working for you, it would not

have gotten rid

of your gas and bloating right away. That is success.

> or if I'm doing something wrong until several months in. I could be doing

something wrong right now, not know, and never progress. I wish I saw some

improvement from Day 1 so that I know I'm on the right track. It's tough and

discouraging.

You did see improvement from Day 1, you are just not fixated on it, since

it went away so quickly.

I think what you are reporting is not atypical for many people, some symptoms

disappear

rapidly, some get worse.

1) SCD is longterm healing - not short term. So you have to adjust to that.

2) SCD has to be individualized to your body and its reactions - so there may

be things that you are currently eating that are making your symptoms worse.

3) The prednisone may have masked your reactions to certain foods - so it

looks like you are getting worse, but that's because the prednisone made it

look like you were better - but that was just short term, while you were taking

it

at a higher dose.

>

> Perhaps I need medication (preferably not Prednisone) to push me back into

remission, so the diet can do its job

The diet can work even if you are not asymptomatic - you just

have to let it. And keep in mind there will be ups and downs and

healing cycles. And some volatility.

If you let us know exactly what you are eating, people may have ideas

on how to tinker with what you are doing and what is not working for

you.

Mara

[Guest guest]

Hey Mara,

What am I eating? Gee, this won't take long. Chicken soup, carrots mixed in.

Lots of juices (all SCD legal), and apple cider. To maintain proper nutrition,

I'm trying to include green beans and bananas when I can. I'm sticking closely

to the Pecan Bread list (the stages) and have not gone futher than stage 1

(intro is the first stage). I have cheated and had a nut muffin, but not

regularly. I have also had a generous amount of eggs, but I've put a stop to

that as of Breakfast today when I realized that it may be problematic.

That is IT. I wanna progress so that I can actually eat more SCD legal food. My

soup is delicious, but I'm getting sick of it quick...

> If you let us know exactly what you are eating, people may have ideas

> on how to tinker with what you are doing and what is not working for

> you.

>

> Mara

[Guest guest]

Perhaps I need medication (preferably not Prednisone) to push me back into remission, so the diet can do its job, but I'm running out of options (says my physician). **sigh** Oh well, I'll let you know if things get any better/worse. Thanks for the advice.If I were you, I would look into LDN if you can get it, because it seems like the most effective drug for the most people, that has the least side effects. Also maybe vitamin E enemas, Rowasa enemas, or steroid enemas. (You do have UC, right?) I agree with avoiding Remicade at all costs, so if you need meds, these are maybe some options you have that your doctor might not have told you about. My GI's never mentioned enemas or LDN to me, but they seem like better options to try than immunosuppressants. Peace =)Alyssa 15 yoUC April 2008, dx Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)Rowasa enema 1x daily

[Guest guest]

Maybe the fruit juices? I cannot tolerate them, nor many fruits. I cannot tolerate apple cider AT ALL!

To: BTVC-SCD From: tomcase77@...Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 23:14:17 +0000Subject: Re: Starting the diet - Having a bad time

Hey Mara,What am I eating? Gee, this won't take long. Chicken soup, carrots mixed in. Lots of juices (all SCD legal), and apple cider. To maintain proper nutrition, I'm trying to include green beans and bananas when I can. I'm sticking closely to the Pecan Bread list (the stages) and have not gone futher than stage 1 (intro is the first stage). I have cheated and had a nut muffin, but not regularly. I have also had a generous amount of eggs, but I've put a stop to that as of Breakfast today when I realized that it may be problematic.That is IT. I wanna progress so that I can actually eat more SCD legal food. My soup is delicious, but I'm getting sick of it quick...> If you let us know exactly what you are eating, people may have ideas> on how to tinker with what you are doing and what is not working for> you. > > Mara

Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

[Guest guest]

Maybe the fruit juices? I cannot tolerate them, nor many fruits. I cannot tolerate apple cider AT ALL!I agree. I would definitely cut down on the juices to see if it helps, since juices in general are known for causing/aggravating D, even for normal people. Also, many people (including myself) have problems with too much fructose aggravating D. The worst foods for people with fructose issues are apples and pears, and especially their juice. I think the best fruits would be bananas and berries since they have lower fructose to glucose ratios. I'm not sure about grapes; I've heard both ways. I think they might have a lot of fructose, but I've heard they have about the same amount of glucose, which helps with fructose digestion. So grapes are probably better than apples or pears.Anyways, just something to think about that might help your D! Peace =)Alyssa 15 yoUC April 2008, dx Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)Chinese Herbs (not legal but helping!)

[Guest guest]

Hey Mara,What am I eating? Gee, this won't take long. Chicken soup, carrots mixed in. Lots of juices (all SCD legal), and apple cider. To maintain proper nutrition, I'm trying to include green beans and bananas when I can. I'm sticking closely to the Pecan Bread list (the stages) and have not gone futher than stage 1 (intro is the first stage).Is there a reason you aren't eating fish or beef or turkey? Lots of broth that has been cooked for hours is helpful - but you can also make beef soup/broth and fish soup/broth. Ot turkey soup, or a combo of chicken/beef/turkey - just to vary the diet. You can add in things like avocado and zucchini - more greens than just green beans. Also try the homemade eapple sauce. I have cheated and had a nut muffin, but not regularly. I have also had a generous amount of eggs, but I've put a stop to that as of Breakfast today when I realized that it may be problematic.That is IT. I wanna progress so that I can actually eat more SCD legal food. My soup is delicious, but I'm getting sick of it quick...> If you let us know exactly what you are eating, people may have ideas> on how to tinker with what you are doing and what is not working for> you. > > MaraHotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

[Guest guest]

,

Glad to hear that cramping and gas have been eliminated. That cane be

a pretty major improvement. For many--perhaps most, physical healing

goes like most growth: two steps forward, a step and a half back. So

if there is fluctuation, it is normal. Maybe not what we'd like, but

normal.

As far as yogurt texture and taste: to some extent the sourness

depends on which starter you are using. I almost always use Fage. It

give a mild rich yogurt. I tried Plain Dannon: much tarter. Makes

quite a difference. Mine does come out with a thick enough

texture. Much of what is sold in stores has gelatin added. I'd say

mine's about as thick as regular [gelatin free] store-bought.

Recently I have been pouring off the liquid from the top, and just

eating the thicker, richer yogurt. Stirring in the liquid will make

it thinner.

best wishes,

Ruth

__________________________________

Starting the Diet....

After the first day on the diet, I felt great. So far, my first and

only improvement has been the complete elimination of cramping and

gas... completely. Since then though, I have bled (barely visible, not

too concerned), the diarrhea is as present as ever, and my urgency

forces me to go circa 10 times a day on a bad day.

___________________________________________

Re: Starting the diet - Having a bad timePosted by: " tomcase77 "

tomcase77@...

tomcase77Fri Jan 8, 2010 9:47 am (PST)

I'm pretty sure my food is additive free... My chicken, is just

chicken from the butcher shop in my supermarket, uncooked. They only

thing I eat now is soup, so I cook it myself. In the soup, i throw

celery, onions (I leave them whole, and throw them out after the soup

is cooked. I hear they're hard to digest at first). I have carrots in

there as well, which i leave chopped up, or pureed. Either pureed or

chopped, there are days where I seem to be able to digest it well, and

days where I don't... There is no rhyme or reason to the days when I

can or can't digest carrots, so its hard to predict whether to leave

them in. Chopped or pureed doesn't seem to matter.

I have printed out the PecanBread list of food in stages... I'm doing

the intro religiously, except when I've cheated and had a nut muffin

because I wanted something different. I didn't know I wasn't supposed

to eat eggs while having diarrhea; I'll cut them out. I just had two

soft boiled for breakfast, but I'll cut them out from now on.

As for the yogurt, it does seem to be set... but there is thin layer

of water around and on top of the yogurt. It tastes like yogurt too,

except it's SOUR. I'm not sure what " set " yogurt is supposed to be

like. Some have suggested I should be able to turn the container

upside down without it falling out. Mine is a 2 litre yogurt maker

from yogourmet. If I turned it over, it would run out, no doubt. It's

much much thicker than milk, but it's not like what I'd buy in those

individual cups at the supermarket. I hope that's descriptive enough.

Thanks again in advance for your replies,