Re: a few questions and support needed

[Guest guest]

> K here. I was wondering about homemade sauerkraut? Basically

> cabbage that has been lacto-fermented. I think this is SCD legal,

> right? But how early in the diet is it okay to try? Are the enzymes in

> it helpful? I would like to add enzymes (when is the best time?) but

> would like to do so using fermented vegetables versus supplements etc.

> Will that work okay?

>

> Also, how do you all get enough carbs in the beginning of this diet? I

> have a thyroid/adrenal issue so my body reacts to changes in my blood

> sugar very slowly.

Welcome.

Sauerkraut is good. Mimi is the expert so I'll ask her to supply a link

or details about whAt kind and when to introduce cultured veggies.

Cabbage is also a great de-toxer. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are

part of the cabbage family.

Good carbohydrate sources are honey and avocado, cooked peeled and

seeded fruits for a short while, and ripe bananas.

You can find more on the carb content of foods at

www.fitday.com

Don't worry too much about the slow timelime at the start of the diet.

Once you get going you will have a wide choice of foods . The beginning

is rough and can involve die off symptoms like headache and fatigue,

aches and pains as the bad bacteria put up a strong last ditch battle

for supremacy. Since toxins from the intestinal system run and hide in

muscles and fat cells, we have to be strong, show who is boss and allow

them to be excreted through the bowel. So populating the gut with

friendly bacteria is the immediate task at hand.

Carol F.

Celiac, MCS, Latex Allergy, EMS

SCD 6 years

[Guest guest]

Hi

> K here. I was wondering about homemade sauerkraut? Basically

> cabbage that has been lacto-fermented. I think this is SCD legal,

> right? But how early in the diet is it okay to try?

Yes, homemade sauerkraut is legal. You can try a little of the

probiotic rich fluid when ready for probiotics. You may want to

wait on the cabbage part until ready to tolerate cabbage (as per

BTVC guidelines when diarrhea has substantially subsided start

cabbage family veggies slowly they can cause loads of gas).

> Are the enzymes in

> it helpful?

Yes.

> I would like to add enzymes (when is the best time?) but

> would like to do so using fermented vegetables versus supplements

etc.

> Will that work okay?

You may not need them if just starting out. See

http://www.pecanbread.com/difficulties.html#malab

> Also, how do you all get enough carbs in the beginning of this

diet? I

> have a thyroid/adrenal issue so my body reacts to changes in my

blood

> sugar very slowly. I get hypoglycemic often. Because of this I eat

5-6

> small meals/snacks a day and try to get 100-120 grams of carbs a

day.

> This was hard to do on the intro diet where all we could eat for

carbs

> were carrots, jello, and honey. I'm really sick of carrots by this

> point. My poop is totally orange because of the excessive intake of

> carrots.

To get enough carbs at the beginning eat small meals with enough of

the legal foods that are carb rich on the intro. But the intro

should only be done for 2-5 days maximum. It is normal (so my doc

says) to have orange stool when eating that type of diet especially

while the body is adjusting to the change.

>

> Everytime I add something new it gives me a flare up of my fatigue

and

> joint pains. Right now my only carb sources are carrots, honey,

> avocado, and butternut squash. We just recently cut out bananas

> because they seemed to give me flares and my son still has really

> loose stools.

:-( I've been drizzling honey on the kids' meat just to

> give them that " sweetness " that my son craves.

>

> How long have most of you had to remain on the intro diet (with a

few

> legal additions here and there) before really being able to

tolerate

> new legal foods? I'm so bored with food and I'm really frustrated!

> Also I'm worried that maybe I'm restricting the kids diet too much

> because of my symptoms and flares, how do I know they have the same

> tolerance issues? The only thing I have to go by on the kids is my

> son's stools, which are still and have always been loose. Words of

> wisdom, advice, and " hang in there " s would be greatly appreciated.

Some of your issues may be from die off. Have you tried epsom salt

baths and/or activated charcoal?

Was it your son who was eating 5 bananas/day?

Could he have a yeast problem? I wonder because you wrote he is

craving sweet food.

Sheila, SCD 2/01, UC 22yrs

mom of and

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much to those of you that responded to this thread. The

sauerkraut info was extremely useful. I think I'll wait a bit on that,

since we haven't even started dripped yogurt yet.

Let me expand a little on my situation as far as getting enough carbs

go. We have been basically doing the intro diet now for 3-4 weeks. We

try something new and most often it doesn't go well, so we resort back

to the intro, try something new, flare, and back to the intro. Is this

safe? If you are only supposed to do the intro diet for 2-5 days, what

are you supposed to eat if you can't tolerate anything off the intro

diet? I feel stuck in a rut that I can't get out of. Would I have

better luck if I did the intro for a solid 5 days before trying

legals? I've only done 2 days at a time on the intro before trying

new foods.

Here is what I can currently tolerate, most of which is very low in

carbs: beef, lamb, turkey, chicken, chicken broth, fish, carrots,

french style green beens, spinach, winter squash, homemade jello,

small amounts of honey, and avocado. I haven't eaten anything else,

except new food trials here and there, for a month. I need to eat 30

grams of carbs with each meal, and 15 grams at 2 snacks. I have to use

carrots as my carb for meals, because I can't tolerate all the fat in

the avocadoes to eat 30 grams worth at one sitting (that would be 2

avocadoes, I've tried it and half way through the second I always feel

like throwing up). So I eat carrots with honey at my meals, 3 times a

day, 1 cup at each meal with a little less than a tablespoon of honey,

and then use the avocado for snacks, 1 at each snack. I just recently

discovered that I can tolerate butternut squash, it has a fair amount

of carbs, but it also has load of vit. A like the carrots and I still

feel like I'm way overdoing in on the vit. A.

Here is what I've tried to introduce that seemed to give me flares of

fatigue and joint pain 1-2 hours after eating them: eggs, cheese, SCD

dripped yogurt, green peas, cooked apples (applesauce), cooked

pineapple, ripe banana.

I'm going to try cooked tomatoes next and I'm crossing my fingers that

they will be okay as they contain decent amounts of carbs when cooked.

Eating nothing but carrots and avocadoes for a month as your main

source of carbs can't be healthy. I feel like I'm going to really

start being deficient in many nutrients and I'm desperate for other

sources of carbs.

Am I judging what foods I can tolerate correctly? I'm not one that has

ever had direct GI symptoms. My major symptoms are extreme fatigue and

joint pain. If I eat nothing but meat and carrots, I feel great, but

most newly introduced legal carbs bring on fatigue and joint pain in

less than 2 hours. :-( I seem to have more luck with non-starchy low

carb legals, like the spinach and green beans.

> Some of your issues may be from die off. Have you tried epsom salt

> baths and/or activated charcoal?

How can I tell the difference between die off and intolerance? I'm so

confused about this. My sister is doing this diet too, and we are both

to the point where we are afraid of food. Everything new makes us feel

bad. I haven't tried the epsom salt baths or charcoal yet. guess I

should look into that....

> Was it your son who was eating 5 bananas/day?

>

> Could he have a yeast problem? I wonder because you wrote he is

> craving sweet food.

Yes, he's one of the banana cravers. He craves sweetness. I don't know

much about yeast issues? Could it cause his loose stools? What's the

protocol for treating yeast?

Thanks again for all your help. I can't wait to get over this hump.

-K --Hashimoto's

4 year old son with constant loose stools

5.5 year old daughter with no symptoms or issues

SCD 1 month

[Guest guest]

> Thank you so much to those of you that responded to this thread. The

> sauerkraut info was extremely useful. I think I'll wait a bit on that,

> since we haven't even started dripped yogurt yet.

Dear

Your illness sounds difficult and complicated and beyond the scope of a

non medical support group to give conclusive advice. It is possible

that you cannot combine SCD with your carbohydrate requirements.

I am hoping still that someone will have some additional suggestions

for you.

For what it's worth, one cup of honey has 279 grams of carbohydrates.

Here is my fudge recipe with one cup of honey in it:

Diva's Fab Fudge

1 cup honey

1/8 cup water

1/2 teapoon vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup almond butter

crushed pecans

Bring honey and vinegar to a boil and simmer until it makes a soft ball

in a glass of cold water. Remove from heat and stir in butter until

melted. Set pan in cold water and beat until thick. Add nut butter and

crushed nuts,

Pour on to a well buttered metal pan and refrigherate until firm enough

to shape into small balls. Place balls in paper candy cups and

refrigerate. Remove to room temperature an hour before serving.

Carol F.

Celiac, MCS, Latex Allergy, EMS

SCD 6 years

[Guest guest]

Hi

> > Was it your son who was eating 5 bananas/day?

> >

> > Could he have a yeast problem? I wonder because you wrote he is

> > craving sweet food.

>

>

> Yes, he's one of the banana cravers. He craves sweetness. I don't

know

> much about yeast issues? Could it cause his loose stools? What's

the

> protocol for treating yeast?

Has your son ever been tested for yeast or any bacteria? Has he

been on antibiotics? Have you been on any antibiotics in the past

year or two (since you started the fatigue)

To read up on yeast see

Yeast and SCD at

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pecanbread/files/

I asked about the yeast for your son because he continues to have

loose stools even with a basic diet and is craving sugar. I wonder

about you having a potential yeast problem because when you eat

higher carb food you get joint pain and fatigue which were some of

my yeast symptoms.

Sheila, SCD 2/01, UC 22yrs

mom of and

[Guest guest]

Thanks Carol, unfortunately I can only tolerate small amounts of honey

(less than a tablespoon) at a time. If I eat too much it makes me feel

sick to my stomach.

I tried cooked tomatoes last night and they seem to be okay, so yeah,

that adds one more carb to my list. :-)

- K --Hashimoto's

4 year old son with constant loose stools

5.5 year old daughter with no symptoms

family history of hashi's, fibro, and CFS

SCD 1 month