Re: Does lowering your carbs also lower your energy?

[Guest guest]

Holly, I have been low-carbin' it for a while now. I remember that feeling at

the beginning. My sister just joined me and is complaining about her energy. My

energy has improved steadily, and is pretty good these days, I really can't

complain. I think eventually you will feel that your energy is leveled out,

which is better for your adrenals than the fluctuations from heavy carbs.

>

> In April I tried going low carb (when I've posted what I eat, people often say

I eat too many carbs). I've upped protein in there place. Starting at the

beginning of May, my already poor energy dropped even further. Does this happen

when you lower carbs? Does it eventually go away, or should I bump the carbs

back up? I think I could probably sleep all day, which makes it tough to

function. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to a doctor appointment, and had to

think really hard about where his office was.

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

>

[Guest guest]

Holly

You

might need more carbs if you are experiencing low energy. If people were

saying you eat too many carbs, then you might need to add back more low to

medium carbs before adding in too much of the high carb foods. But low

energy can come from other causes, as well.

I

eat “lean-carb” because my digestion functions better, but as a

result I have to eat something every 2 hours to maintain energy. I have

to eat a mix of protein and carbs every meal/snack. I’d eat more

fat if my upper GI would tolerate it, but if your body can handle fats, than

you could include more of the fats as well.

Low

energy and brain fog can also come from a candida overgrowth. Are you

dealing with that as well? In which case, you can make your food choices

based on less of the triggers. You’ll need to eat a lot more

proteins and low-carb veggies and be careful with fruits and other trigger

foods. Over time your energy levels will improve, and your brain fog

disappear.

Finally,

low energy can come from B12 deficiency (and low thyroid too, if I remember

right). Have you had your levels checked recently? Since you’re

dealing with Crohns, you may not be absorbing B12 for now and could use an

injection.

Just

some ideas. I’d start off by adding back some low to medium carb

foods, and if that doesn’t seem to help, head for your doctor and ask for

a check of your B12 levels.

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In

April I tried going low carb (when I've posted what I eat, people often say I

eat too many carbs). I've upped protein in there place. Starting at the

beginning of May, my already poor energy dropped even further. Does this happen

when you lower carbs? Does it eventually go away, or should I bump the carbs

back up? I think I could probably sleep all day, which makes it tough to

function. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to a doctor appointment, and had to

think really hard about where his office was.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

[Guest guest]

Who said you ate too many carbs?I thought you were eating like a bird myself - tiny little meals. I couldn't believe you stuck to that day after day. MaraHolly You might need more carbs if you are experiencing low energy. If people were saying you eat too many carbs, then you might need to add back more low to medium carbs before adding in too much of the high carb foods. But low energy can come from other causes, as well. I eat “lean-carb” because my digestion functions better, but as a result I have to eat something every 2 hours to maintain energy. I have to eat a mix of protein and carbs every meal/snack. I’d eat more fat if my upper GI would tolerate it, but if your body can handle fats, than you could include more of the fats as well. Low energy and brain fog can also come from a candida overgrowth. Are you dealing with that as well? In which case, you can make your food choices based on less of the triggers. You’ll need to eat a lot more proteins and low-carb veggies and be careful with fruits and other trigger foods. Over time your energy levels will improve, and your brain fog disappear.

[Guest guest]

Holly,

Did you up your fats when you lowered your carbs?

How many carbs were you eating? It is such an individual thing.

Jodi

>

> In April I tried going low carb (when I've posted what I eat, people often say

I eat too many carbs). I've upped protein in there place. Starting at the

beginning of May, my already poor energy dropped even further. Does this happen

when you lower carbs? Does it eventually go away, or should I bump the carbs

back up? I think I could probably sleep all day, which makes it tough to

function. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to a doctor appointment, and had to

think really hard about where his office was.

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly

I've been on a pretty low carb diet for a few months now (due to candida). I

would say that at first it did lower my energy. The thing is, once you are

consuming low carbs, you have to get that energy from elsewhere. Most people

who on are on low carb diets, get their energy from fat, whilst consuming normal

amounts of protein (too much protein is associated with kidney issues and

prevents the body from getting into a state of ketosis). It can take a little

while for one's body to switch into ketosis, so that might be why you're out of

energy. Or, it could be that you aren't consuming enough fat (which, as we all

know, consuming fats can be an issue for some of us on SCD). Another issue

might be that one is pretty low carb, but not low enough for their body to

switch to getting energy from fat (actually I think that was the case for me for

the first 2 months or so...). In this case, the body and brain will just have

the bare minimum carbs for it to run on. The low energy does eventually go

away, but your carb consumption has to be low enough for the change to take

place. That said, if you don't want to get your body into a state of ketosis,

make sure you are consuming at least 100g of carbs.

HTH

Meli

>

> In April I tried going low carb (when I've posted what I eat, people often say

I eat too many carbs). I've upped protein in there place. Starting at the

beginning of May, my already poor energy dropped even further. Does this happen

when you lower carbs? Does it eventually go away, or should I bump the carbs

back up? I think I could probably sleep all day, which makes it tough to

function. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to a doctor appointment, and had to

think really hard about where his office was.

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

>

[Guest guest]

I think I probably need more calories, but am at a loss as to how. I don't think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my pancreas), and I already eat more protein then Fitday says I should. I can't remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was one. I get paranoid about creating a yeast issue.Holly, I know exactly how you feel. Luckily I don't seem to have a problem with fats, so I can eat more of them, but then I go back and forth between "Ah, too much protein! I should eat more raw fruits/veggies!" (the raw-food wannabe in me), and "Ah, too much fruit! I'm gonna get candida and freak out my adrenals and insulin and whatnot!" (the SCDer in me). It makes me paranoid, too! I think sometimes I just have to relax and not worry about it. If I'm doing okay with what I'm eating at the moment then I just need to try to take what everyone else says/does with a grain of salt and not let if freak me out too much. I can totally empathize though =)*snip*Oh, but good news! I do NOT have adrenal fatigue. I got my saliva test back, and conferred with the experts at another board, and I'm just barely low on cortisol. They said I could stand to boost it a tiny bit in the morning, but not to mess with it much since it's already decent. One less thing to worry about! And I think I do tend to worry too much about things like this. Hypochondriac, I guess.Oh, me too. Meeeee too. I'm gonna do the temperature test this summer for adrenals. Hopefully I'm worried for nothing too! Peace =)Alyssa 16 yo UC April 2008, dx Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)Azathioprine 75 mg 1x per dayPrednisone 30 mg 1x per day

[Guest guest]

> Kim, I don't think I have candida overgrowth. Other then fatigue and brain

fog, I don't have any of the symptoms, and I can eat carbs without any bad

reaction. While sweets taste best to me, I don't NEED to eat them. I do think my

thyroid is an issue, but unless it suddenly got a lot worse in the last month, I

don't think it's related to my fatigue suddenly worsening. I saw my doc a couple

days ago, and of course he just blew it off. He just blames it on having

crohn's. He did order a B-12 and folate test (as well as a new TSH), but said

not to do them until I seem him again in 4 months. Lame!

>

> Mara, LOL, my meals are rather pathetic! Lack of appetite (I stopped taking

Zyrtec, which was an appetite stimulant for me)

> and lack of energy = eating the same ol' boring thing everyday.

Why are you doing that? It sounds really bad for you. You are putting

yourself

into a bad cycle - barely eating enough boring food that gives you less and less

energy

because you are not eating enough and hardly eating fats (okay - there's a

reason

for that) or carbs. It sounds like this pattern is making you sicker rather

than better,

and you need to take action to change it.

> I think I probably need more calories, but am at a loss as to how. I don't

think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my pancreas), and I already

eat more protein then Fitday says I should.

Fitday is giving you generic advice, based on stupid conventional wisdom about

food,

to help overweight Americans who want to loose weight - not for people with your

health

issues, who are very thin to begin with and are barely eating a maintenance diet

at

this point, if at all.

To my mind, you want to know one reason why your energy issues have gotten

worse?

Look at your diet for the last month and a half. A bit over 1000 for April and

now 1250

with very low carbs and very low fat. How much weight have you lost?

> I can't remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was

one.

Everyone is different and that advice may not have been the answer for

you.

> I get paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

Then recognize that for what it is - at this point, it *is* paranoia - and eat

some carbs

and take a few s. boulardii. It seems to me you barely had a yeast issue, if

you

had one at all.

> Jodi, nope I didn't up my fats. I'm scared of angering my pancreas again. For

the month of April, I averaged 85 g of carbs. The lowest day was 33 g, a day

when I didn't eat much due to pain issues. The highest was 104 g, due to my high

carb cranberry sauce. My total calories averaged only a bit over 1000, due to my

potential pancreas? issues. For the month of May, my carbs have gone up to an

average of 107 g, and calories average 1250.

Anyway, that's my opinion from all this.

Mara

[Guest guest]

Heya Holly,

Just because your cortisol is in normal range does not mean you don't have

adrenal issues. What is your reverse T3 and what is your DHEA blood serum

numbers.

I too can't really up my fat intake due to biliary or possible pancreas issues.

Post surgery it got better but when I take my allergy meds the right upper

quadrent totally acts up.

Have you tried plant derived fat at all? I add a bit of coconut oil and eat

coconut yogurt and can handle avocados.

I found when I lowered my carb intake on one hand my stools were better, had

less PMS symptoms but my exhaustion got much worse. Haven't really worked

through that so I turned to acupuncture and using chinese herbs (SCD illegal-

but since I am on the diet a while now I feel comfortable with that and my kelp

derived iodine supplement)

Have you had your whole thyroid panel checked including thyroid antibodies and

adrenal antibodies?

Just some thoughts.

Also, have you been checked for epstein barr virus at all?

I found if I do rotations meaning two low carb days 1 higher carb and the fourth

I throw in some pineapple juice it kind of helps.

Also, green tea can give you a good boost.

You might think of supplementing a low dose of DHEA like 5mg to see if that

helps at all.

It's a bummer but the fatigue is still super present in me as well.

Jodi

>

> Kim, I don't think I have candida overgrowth. Other then fatigue and brain

fog, I don't have any of the symptoms, and I can eat carbs without any bad

reaction. While sweets taste best to me, I don't NEED to eat them. I do think my

thyroid is an issue, but unless it suddenly got a lot worse in the last month, I

don't think it's related to my fatigue suddenly worsening. I saw my doc a couple

days ago, and of course he just blew it off. He just blames it on having

crohn's. He did order a B-12 and folate test (as well as a new TSH), but said

not to do them until I seem him again in 4 months. Lame!

>

> Mara, LOL, my meals are rather pathetic! Lack of appetite (I stopped taking

Zyrtec, which was an appetite stimulant for me) and lack of energy = eating the

same ol' boring thing everyday. I think I probably need more calories, but am at

a loss as to how. I don't think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my

pancreas), and I already eat more protein then Fitday says I should. I can't

remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was one. I get

paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

>

> Jodi, nope I didn't up my fats. I'm scared of angering my pancreas again. For

the month of April, I averaged 85 g of carbs. The lowest day was 33 g, a day

when I didn't eat much due to pain issues. The highest was 104 g, due to my high

carb cranberry sauce. My total calories averaged only a bit over 1000, due to my

potential pancreas? issues. For the month of May, my carbs have gone up to an

average of 107 g, and calories average 1250.

>

> Oh, but good news! I do NOT have adrenal fatigue. I got my saliva test back,

and conferred with the experts at another board, and I'm just barely low on

cortisol. They said I could stand to boost it a tiny bit in the morning, but not

to mess with it much since it's already decent. One less thing to worry about!

And I think I do tend to worry too much about things like this. Hypochondriac, I

guess.

>

> Thank you all for your input!

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

>

[Guest guest]

Holly,That is good that you don't have adrenal fatigue! When you do the thyroid check again, ask him to check the Free T4 and Free T3 -- that will give a better picture. Also make sure you are taking selenium -- important for the T4 to T3 conversion.Regarding candida...recently there have been a few articles posted about it saying that it isn't the candida itself as much as the reaction of the body to the toxins it puts off. Those can include allergy sinusitis type symptoms, brain fog, and fatigue. I would not totally discount it unless you have been tested for antibodies to it or something similar.AmeliaTo: BTVC-SCD Sent: Sat, May 22, 2010 12:09:24 AMSubject: Re:Re: Does lowering your carbs also lower your energy?

Kim, I don't think I have candida overgrowth. Other then fatigue and brain fog, I don't have any of the symptoms, and I can eat carbs without any bad reaction. While sweets taste best to me, I don't NEED to eat them. I do think my thyroid is an issue, but unless it suddenly got a lot worse in the last month, I don't think it's related to my fatigue suddenly worsening. I saw my doc a couple days ago, and of course he just blew it off. He just blames it on having crohn's. He did order a B-12 and folate test (as well as a new TSH), but said not to do them until I seem him again in 4 months. Lame!

Mara, LOL, my meals are rather pathetic! Lack of appetite (I stopped taking Zyrtec, which was an appetite stimulant for me) and lack of energy = eating the same ol' boring thing everyday. I think I probably need more calories, but am at a loss as to how. I don't think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my pancreas), and I already eat more protein then Fitday says I should. I can't remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was one. I get paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

Jodi, nope I didn't up my fats. I'm scared of angering my pancreas again. For the month of April, I averaged 85 g of carbs. The lowest day was 33 g, a day when I didn't eat much due to pain issues. The highest was 104 g, due to my high carb cranberry sauce. My total calories averaged only a bit over 1000, due to my potential pancreas? issues. For the month of May, my carbs have gone up to an average of 107 g, and calories average 1250.

Oh, but good news! I do NOT have adrenal fatigue. I got my saliva test back, and conferred with the experts at another board, and I'm just barely low on cortisol. They said I could stand to boost it a tiny bit in the morning, but not to mess with it much since it's already decent. One less thing to worry about! And I think I do tend to worry too much about things like this. Hypochondriac, I guess.

Thank you all for your input!

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

[Guest guest]

Hi Holly,

First off, great news that you don't have adrenal fatigue. Yea!

OK, here's my experience with low carb. In the past when I had tried low carb

diets, and this was well before Crohn's when I was healthy (sigh...), anyways, I

did the same as you. I lowered my carbs and upped my protein a bit, but I didn't

up my fats at all. I felt like complete trash. I had zero energy and for some

reason it also made me really depressed. I thought I was just one of those

people whose body couldn't handle low carb.

Anyways, after I got Crohn's, I read about how low carb diets can help Crohn's.

I did more research on low carb diets and found that if you lower your carbs you

need to up your fats. Someone already mentioned that if your body doesn't have

carbs for energy, it can get energy from fat. There is a transition time, but it

can happen. If you lower your carbs and don't up your fats, you just end up with

your body still wanting to use carbs for energy, but you're not really giving it

anything to work with. Here's a link to an article on why it's much harder for

your body to get it's energy from protein than fat when you go low carb:

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

(BTW, when I did do low carb and upped my fats, I felt so much better and didn't

notice any low energy at all.)

Unfortunately, you said you can't handle more fats, so that's not an option. I

also agree with Mara who said you really aren't giving your body enough calories

for energy. That would also contribute to low energy. 1000 calories probably

isn't even enough for your basal metabolic rate. Your body has barely enough, if

even enough, energy to go towards basic bodily functions, so is has nothing

extra to give to supply you with energy for anything else.

I don't know a lot about candida, but I thought that it was more important to

eliminate certain types of carbs than carb totals, though I could be wrong, and

I'm sure you don't want to go overboard on your carb intake. How many carbs were

you having before?

Just my opinion, if you felt good at the amount of carbs you were having before

and you don't think you have a problem with candida, I would go back to your

previous carb intake when you had more energy.

Take care,

Amber

>

> Kim, I don't think I have candida overgrowth. Other then fatigue and brain

fog, I don't have any of the symptoms, and I can eat carbs without any bad

reaction. While sweets taste best to me, I don't NEED to eat them. I do think my

thyroid is an issue, but unless it suddenly got a lot worse in the last month, I

don't think it's related to my fatigue suddenly worsening. I saw my doc a couple

days ago, and of course he just blew it off. He just blames it on having

crohn's. He did order a B-12 and folate test (as well as a new TSH), but said

not to do them until I seem him again in 4 months. Lame!

>

> Mara, LOL, my meals are rather pathetic! Lack of appetite (I stopped taking

Zyrtec, which was an appetite stimulant for me) and lack of energy = eating the

same ol' boring thing everyday. I think I probably need more calories, but am at

a loss as to how. I don't think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my

pancreas), and I already eat more protein then Fitday says I should. I can't

remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was one. I get

paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

>

> Jodi, nope I didn't up my fats. I'm scared of angering my pancreas again. For

the month of April, I averaged 85 g of carbs. The lowest day was 33 g, a day

when I didn't eat much due to pain issues. The highest was 104 g, due to my high

carb cranberry sauce. My total calories averaged only a bit over 1000, due to my

potential pancreas? issues. For the month of May, my carbs have gone up to an

average of 107 g, and calories average 1250.

>

> Oh, but good news! I do NOT have adrenal fatigue. I got my saliva test back,

and conferred with the experts at another board, and I'm just barely low on

cortisol. They said I could stand to boost it a tiny bit in the morning, but not

to mess with it much since it's already decent. One less thing to worry about!

And I think I do tend to worry too much about things like this. Hypochondriac, I

guess.

>

> Thank you all for your input!

>

> Holly

> Crohn's

> SCD 12/01/08

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Meli! I don't want to go into ketosis, so better up my carbs

a bit.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Hi Holly

> I've been on a pretty low carb diet for a few months now (due to candida). I

would say that at first it did lower my energy. The thing is, once you are

consuming low carbs, you have to get that energy from elsewhere. Most people

who on are on low carb diets, get their energy from fat, whilst consuming normal

amounts of protein (too much protein is associated with kidney issues and

prevents the body from getting into a state of ketosis). It can take a little

while for one's body to switch into ketosis, so that might be why you're out of

energy. Or, it could be that you aren't consuming enough fat (which, as we all

know, consuming fats can be an issue for some of us on SCD). Another issue

might be that one is pretty low carb, but not low enough for their body to

switch to getting energy from fat (actually I think that was the case for me for

the first 2 months or so...). In this case, the body and brain will just have

the bare minimum carbs for it to run on. The low energy does eventually go

away, but your carb consumption has to be low enough for the change to take

place. That said, if you don't want to get your body into a state of ketosis,

make sure you are consuming at least 100g of carbs.

>

> HTH

>

> Meli

[Guest guest]

We are sisters in paranoia!

The thing I miss about my pre-SCD days is just eating what I wanted, when I

wanted, and not worrying about counting calories, carbs, fats, and proteins.

Now, my days revolve around food and SCD, and micromanaging every last thing I

eat. Not to mention when I eat it (can't have calcium foods/pills with iron

foods, and no more then 500 mg of calcium at a time, need vitamin c with iron

foods, need fats with vitamin d, etc. etc.). It's beginning to drive me a bit

batty! I can't wait for the day that I no longer feel a need to fuss over my

food like this :-(.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> > I think I probably need more calories, but am at a loss as to how. I

> > don't think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my

> > pancreas), and I already eat more protein then Fitday says I should.

> > I can't remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think

> > n was one. I get paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

>

> Holly, I know exactly how you feel. Luckily I don't seem to have a

> problem with fats, so I can eat more of them, but then I go back and

> forth between " Ah, too much protein! I should eat more raw fruits/

> veggies! " (the raw-food wannabe in me), and " Ah, too much fruit! I'm

> gonna get candida and freak out my adrenals and insulin and

> whatnot! " (the SCDer in me). It makes me paranoid, too! I think

> sometimes I just have to relax and not worry about it. If I'm doing

> okay with what I'm eating at the moment then I just need to try to

> take what everyone else says/does with a grain of salt and not let if

> freak me out too much. I can totally empathize though =)

>

> >

> > *snip*

> > Oh, but good news! I do NOT have adrenal fatigue. I got my saliva

> > test back, and conferred with the experts at another board, and I'm

> > just barely low on cortisol. They said I could stand to boost it a

> > tiny bit in the morning, but not to mess with it much since it's

> > already decent. One less thing to worry about! And I think I do tend

> > to worry too much about things like this. Hypochondriac, I guess.

>

>

> Oh, me too. Meeeee too. I'm gonna do the temperature test this summer

> for adrenals. Hopefully I'm worried for nothing too!

>

> Peace =)

> Alyssa 16 yo

> UC April 2008, dx Sept 2008

> SCD June 2009 (restarted)

> Azathioprine 75 mg 1x per day

> Prednisone 30 mg 1x per day

>

[Guest guest]

At 12:38 AM 5/25/2010, you wrote:

I can't wait for the day that I

no longer feel a need to fuss over my food like this

:-(.

It will come -- trust me on this one! All this -- even the which

you take with what of supplements and foods -- will become so automatic

that sometimes, you'll have to stop and think about whether you've

actually taken something. (Which is why, btw, I have seven-day pill

boxes, so I can look at it and say, " Oh, yeah, I did take it with

dinner.... "

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

Babette the Foundling Beagle

[Guest guest]

We are sisters in paranoia!

The thing I miss about my pre-SCD days is just eating what I wanted,

when I wanted, and not worrying about counting calories, carbs, fats,

and proteins. Now, my days revolve around food and SCD, and

micromanaging every last thing I eat. Not to mention when I eat it

(can't have calcium foods/pills with iron foods, and no more then 500

mg of calcium at a time, need vitamin c with iron foods, need fats

with vitamin d, etc. etc.). It's beginning to drive me a bit batty! I

can't wait for the day that I no longer feel a need to fuss over my

food like this :-(.

Holly

Well, I think maybe we all have to be a bit paranoid about things.

The days are past when we can be happy go lucky about what we eat and

when, sigh. And of course we do have to maintain vigilance against

well-meaning (or not) family and friends who keep insisting that

" just a little bit can't possibly hurt you! " when we know better.

Of course we are paranoid!

[Guest guest]

Yeah, but when does paranoia get to be too much? I've been stressing myself out ridiculously this time around with SCD and I think my stress has the tendency to make me feel bloated even if I'm hungry. Right now, I feel like my insides are going to burst from too much pressure and I've NEVER had this problem before. I'm getting a lot more discouraged this time around. It's just not fun like it was when I was healing the first time I did the diet. I'm having so much trouble relaxing.

[Guest guest]

At 01:48 PM 5/25/2010, you wrote:

We are sisters in

paranoia!

Always remember, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean the universe

ISN'T out to get you....

—

Marilyn

New

Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Undiagnosed IBS since 1976, SCD since 2001

Darn Good SCD Cook

No Human Children

Shadow & Sunny Longhair Dachshund

Babette the Foundling Beagle

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Meli! I don't want to go into ketosis, that's for sure. I'm

go to add some fruit back into my diet.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

> >

> > In April I tried going low carb (when I've posted what I eat, people often

say I eat too many carbs). I've upped protein in there place. Starting at the

beginning of May, my already poor energy dropped even further. Does this happen

when you lower carbs? Does it eventually go away, or should I bump the carbs

back up? I think I could probably sleep all day, which makes it tough to

function. Yesterday, I got in the car to go to a doctor appointment, and had to

think really hard about where his office was.

> >

> > Holly

> > Crohn's

> > SCD 12/01/08

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Mara,

I have always been a terrible eater in terms of quantity. When I was in school

(elementary through high school), I never ate breakfast and picked at lunch (in

junior high, I'd have 1/2 a candy bar and a coke for lunch). I seem to have been

born with a terrible appetite. This past year, I was eating better because

Zyrtec gave me a healthy appetite. But now that I'm off Zyrtec, I struggle to

eat (and end up eating too fast, just to get it over with). I don't even have a

hankering for cheese anymore, which used to be my favorite.

I did lose a few pounds when I was only getting a few hundred calories a day

(when I had the abdominal pain of unknown cause), but have gained a couple of

those back. How, right? I'm guessing it's the hypothyroid that keeps the weight

from falling off.

My fat intake isn't awful (as far as I know, that is). It's generally in the

area of 70 some grams. I'm just afraid to eat more, since I don't know if it

will set off my pancreas or biliary tree again. I see my GI next month, so

hopefully she can help me find some answers.

My fear of pain (and food generally is the cause of that pain) really has a hold

on me, always has. That's why I stick to soft boring foods. And naturally the

few foods I crave are advanced (a raw apple would be great, or some dried fruit

leather).

I do appreciate your input! I need to find a way out of my rut. I did finally

make an almond butter pancake today, instead of just having plain almond butter.

The egg and coconut oil at least added a few more calories. Tommorrow, I'll try

a few more carbs, although I'm not yet sure what form they will be in :-).

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> > Kim, I don't think I have candida overgrowth. Other then fatigue and brain

fog, I don't have any of the symptoms, and I can eat carbs without any bad

reaction. While sweets taste best to me, I don't NEED to eat them. I do think my

thyroid is an issue, but unless it suddenly got a lot worse in the last month, I

don't think it's related to my fatigue suddenly worsening. I saw my doc a couple

days ago, and of course he just blew it off. He just blames it on having

crohn's. He did order a B-12 and folate test (as well as a new TSH), but said

not to do them until I seem him again in 4 months. Lame!

> >

> > Mara, LOL, my meals are rather pathetic! Lack of appetite (I stopped taking

Zyrtec, which was an appetite stimulant for me)

>

>

> > and lack of energy = eating the same ol' boring thing everyday.

>

> Why are you doing that? It sounds really bad for you. You are putting

yourself

> into a bad cycle - barely eating enough boring food that gives you less and

less energy

> because you are not eating enough and hardly eating fats (okay - there's a

reason

> for that) or carbs. It sounds like this pattern is making you sicker rather

than better,

> and you need to take action to change it.

>

> > I think I probably need more calories, but am at a loss as to how. I don't

think I should increase my fat (I fear it sets off my pancreas), and I already

eat more protein then Fitday says I should.

>

> Fitday is giving you generic advice, based on stupid conventional wisdom about

food,

> to help overweight Americans who want to loose weight - not for people with

your health

> issues, who are very thin to begin with and are barely eating a maintenance

diet at

> this point, if at all.

>

> To my mind, you want to know one reason why your energy issues have gotten

worse?

> Look at your diet for the last month and a half. A bit over 1000 for April

and now 1250

> with very low carbs and very low fat. How much weight have you lost?

>

> > I can't remember who all said I ate too many carbs, but I think n was

one.

>

> Everyone is different and that advice may not have been the answer for

> you.

>

> > I get paranoid about creating a yeast issue.

>

> Then recognize that for what it is - at this point, it *is* paranoia - and eat

some carbs

> and take a few s. boulardii. It seems to me you barely had a yeast issue, if

you

> had one at all.

>

>

> > Jodi, nope I didn't up my fats. I'm scared of angering my pancreas again.

For the month of April, I averaged 85 g of carbs. The lowest day was 33 g, a day

when I didn't eat much due to pain issues. The highest was 104 g, due to my high

carb cranberry sauce. My total calories averaged only a bit over 1000, due to my

potential pancreas? issues. For the month of May, my carbs have gone up to an

average of 107 g, and calories average 1250.

>

> Anyway, that's my opinion from all this.

>

> Mara

>

[Guest guest]

Yeah, but when does paranoia get to be too much?When it creates some self-perpetuating health problems. I've been stressing myself out ridiculously this time around with SCD and I think my stress has the tendency to make me feel bloated even if I'm hungry. Right now, I feel like my insides are going to burst from too much pressure and I've NEVER had this problem before. I'm getting a lot more discouraged this time around. It's just not fun like it was when I was healing the first time I did the diet. I'm having so much trouble relaxing.Are you exercising? That will get your endorphin level up and yourstress level down - both good things. Even if it is mild exercise, likewalking around (though more strenuous helps more) May also help you deal with bloat. Then take .an epsom bath.Mara

[Guest guest]

Hi Jodi,

The saliva test, TSH (which was high), and free T4 (which was normal) are the

only tests I've had. I'm STILL trying to get one of my docs to run the other

thyroid tests, and I'll also ask about the adrenal antibodies and DHEA tests. I

had the epstein barr test in the past, but it's probably been a couple of years.

How much fat can you handle? I've gotten up to the 70's (grams) as of late, and

seem to be okay. I'm just scared of another " attack, " although I really don't

know for certain whether it was pancreas, biliary, or maybe even a hiatal

hernia. The pain was in the center, behind the lower part of the rib cage, and

worse in the back. Hopefully my GI can shed some light on things next month.

I cooked a pancake in coconut oil yesterday, so I can handle at least a little

bit (I think I only used a teaspoon). Avocados are iffy though.

*TMI Alert* I hoped that lowering carbs would help my BMs, but no such luck. I

have not found a reason as to why they are so inconsistent (fine one day, mushy

another, D the next). Worse, I have days where I have small amounts of mushy

stool with gas throughout the day. Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time trying

to come up with what food might be the issue, and that's it's just from lacking

the ileocecal valve. But why fine one day, and not the next? A puzzle I cannot

solve.

I used to drink green tea, but stopped because it was staining my teeth so bad.

Maybe I'll start up again. I also like your idea of rotating high and low carb

days too. It's worth a shot at least.

Sorry to hear you're still struggling with fatigue too :-(. You would think we

would be past all of that by now! Do you have any pains from your surgery still,

or are they gone? I recently have started having twinges at the area of my

resection. I'm hoping it's just nerves getting around to regrowing, but it

worries me. I'm actually kind of hoping my GI will want to do a colonoscopy

soon. How nuts is that!

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Heya Holly,

>

> Just because your cortisol is in normal range does not mean you don't have

adrenal issues. What is your reverse T3 and what is your DHEA blood serum

numbers.

>

> I too can't really up my fat intake due to biliary or possible pancreas

issues. Post surgery it got better but when I take my allergy meds the right

upper quadrent totally acts up.

>

> Have you tried plant derived fat at all? I add a bit of coconut oil and eat

coconut yogurt and can handle avocados.

>

> I found when I lowered my carb intake on one hand my stools were better, had

less PMS symptoms but my exhaustion got much worse. Haven't really worked

through that so I turned to acupuncture and using chinese herbs (SCD illegal-

but since I am on the diet a while now I feel comfortable with that and my kelp

derived iodine supplement)

>

> Have you had your whole thyroid panel checked including thyroid antibodies and

adrenal antibodies?

>

> Just some thoughts.

> Also, have you been checked for epstein barr virus at all?

>

> I found if I do rotations meaning two low carb days 1 higher carb and the

fourth I throw in some pineapple juice it kind of helps.

>

> Also, green tea can give you a good boost.

>

> You might think of supplementing a low dose of DHEA like 5mg to see if that

helps at all.

>

> It's a bummer but the fatigue is still super present in me as well.

>

> Jodi

[Guest guest]

Can an allergist test for yeast antibodies? I see mine next week, so it would be

a perfect opportunity.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Holly,

>

> That is good that you don't have adrenal fatigue! When you do the thyroid

check again, ask him to check the Free T4 and Free T3 -- that will give a

better picture. Also make sure you are taking selenium -- important for the T4

to T3 conversion.

>

> Regarding candida...recently there have been a few articles posted about it

saying that it isn't the candida itself as much as the reaction of the body to

the toxins it puts off. Those can include allergy sinusitis type symptoms,

brain fog, and fatigue. I would not totally discount it unless you have been

tested for antibodies to it or something similar.

>

> Amelia

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Amber,

Thanks for the link! Interesting that protein doesn't give energy like fat and

carbs, but sucks for me ;-). I do think I need to up the ol' carbs again. Before

I dropped them, I ate between 115 -130 grams a day. Maybe that was a good number

after all.

I don't know how my body has always been able to exist on little food, but I'm

thinking it might be hypothyroidism. That also might be the reason I have zero

appetite.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

>

>

>

> Hi Holly,

>

> First off, great news that you don't have adrenal fatigue. Yea!

>

> OK, here's my experience with low carb. In the past when I had tried low carb

diets, and this was well before Crohn's when I was healthy (sigh...), anyways, I

did the same as you. I lowered my carbs and upped my protein a bit, but I didn't

up my fats at all. I felt like complete trash. I had zero energy and for some

reason it also made me really depressed. I thought I was just one of those

people whose body couldn't handle low carb.

>

> Anyways, after I got Crohn's, I read about how low carb diets can help

Crohn's. I did more research on low carb diets and found that if you lower your

carbs you need to up your fats. Someone already mentioned that if your body

doesn't have carbs for energy, it can get energy from fat. There is a transition

time, but it can happen. If you lower your carbs and don't up your fats, you

just end up with your body still wanting to use carbs for energy, but you're not

really giving it anything to work with. Here's a link to an article on why it's

much harder for your body to get it's energy from protein than fat when you go

low carb:

> http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

>

> (BTW, when I did do low carb and upped my fats, I felt so much better and

didn't notice any low energy at all.)

>

> Unfortunately, you said you can't handle more fats, so that's not an option. I

also agree with Mara who said you really aren't giving your body enough calories

for energy. That would also contribute to low energy. 1000 calories probably

isn't even enough for your basal metabolic rate. Your body has barely enough, if

even enough, energy to go towards basic bodily functions, so is has nothing

extra to give to supply you with energy for anything else.

>

> I don't know a lot about candida, but I thought that it was more important to

eliminate certain types of carbs than carb totals, though I could be wrong, and

I'm sure you don't want to go overboard on your carb intake. How many carbs were

you having before?

>

> Just my opinion, if you felt good at the amount of carbs you were having

before and you don't think you have a problem with candida, I would go back to

your previous carb intake when you had more energy.

>

> Take care,

>

> Amber

>

[Guest guest]

Interesting! Unfortunately, that means I'm stuck with it for awhile. I imagine I

won't get any thyroid treatment until the end of the year. My ferritin levels

are under 50, and it will take awhile to get them up.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Holly,

>

> "

> *TMI Alert* I hoped that lowering carbs would help my BMs, but no such

> luck. I have not found a reason as to why they are so inconsistent

> (fine one day, mushy another, D the next). Worse, I have days where I

> have small amounts of mushy stool with gas throughout the day.

> Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time trying to come up with what food

> might be the issue, and that's it's just from lacking the ileocecal

> valve. But why fine one day, and not the next? A puzzle I cannot solve. "

>

> This might be related to thyroid/adrenal issues -- My doctor seems to

indicate that it is.

>

> Amelia

>

[Guest guest]

Holly,That stinks! Hope really hope that you do not have to wait until then. I know how much better I am feeling already with a little adrenal support. It still isn't consistent or perfect, but a huge improvement all the same. AmeliaTo: BTVC-SCD Sent: Fri, May 28,

2010 8:15:04 AMSubject: Re:Re: Does lowering your carbs also lower your energy?

Interesting! Unfortunately, that means I'm stuck with it for awhile. I imagine I won't get any thyroid treatment until the end of the year. My ferritin levels are under 50, and it will take awhile to get them up.

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Holly,

>

> "

> *TMI Alert* I hoped that lowering carbs would help my BMs, but no such

> luck. I have not found a reason as to why they are so inconsistent

> (fine one day, mushy another, D the next). Worse, I have days where I

> have small amounts of mushy stool with gas throughout the day.

> Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time trying to come up with what food

> might be the issue, and that's it's just from lacking the ileocecal

> valve. But why fine one day, and not the next? A puzzle I cannot solve."

>

> This might be related to thyroid/adrenal issues -- My doctor seems to indicate that it is.

>

> Amelia

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jodi,

How I wish I'd never started counting calories and grams! I started entering

everything into Fitday the day I started SCD, and have been obsessing ever

since. Although it does make me wonder what the numbers would have been pre-SCD.

For instance, I'm very stingy with the honey on my almond butter pancakes. But

pre-SCD, I poured large quantities of syrup on my pancakes. I must have eaten an

astronomical amount of carbs without knowing it.

I've never tried avocado mixed into something. I'm really jonesing for a

vitamix, which would make me a perfect avocado banana yogurt smoothie!

Sorry you're having wacky BM's too, but it does make me feel a little better

;-). Maybe we're normal after all! All of my tweaks have only resulted in

temporary improvements as well. At first, it worked to cut my magnesium

supplement in half. Then it worked to cut the magnesium supplement out entirely

(which is weird, because I used to need mass doses to avoid constipation). Then

in worked to add in calcium pills. All temporary fixes though, with the wacky

BM's coming back in the end.

Hopefully we get it all figured out eventually!

Holly

Crohn's

SCD 12/01/08

>

> Hey Holly,

>

> I totally missed this post! Sorry it's taken a bit to answer.

>

>

>

> > The saliva test, TSH (which was high), and free T4 (which was normal) are

the only tests I've had. I'm STILL trying to get one of my docs to run the other

thyroid tests, and I'll also ask about the adrenal antibodies and DHEA tests. I

had the epstein barr test in the past, but it's probably been a couple of years.

>

>

>

> Yeah, it's rough getting docs on board with this stuff.

> It's really important they test RT3 too even if everything else looks normal.

DHEA is a good one when it comes to adrenals.

> Just having illness and going through surgery can cause your adrenals to be

shaken up quite a bit not to mention steroid usage.

>

>

>

> > How much fat can you handle? I've gotten up to the 70's (grams) as of late,

and seem to be okay. I'm just scared of another " attack, " although I really

don't know for certain whether it was pancreas, biliary, or maybe even a hiatal

hernia. The pain was in the center, behind the lower part of the rib cage, and

worse in the back. Hopefully my GI can shed some light on things next month.

>

>

>

> I don't really count the grams. I've tried that route and it made me a bit

obsessive. I have to deal with guilt when it comes to eating anyway. I just

always feel like I am screwing up somehow since surgery as my BM's are so wildly

inconsistent.

> I have discomfort too, right under right rib cage radiates to my back.

> I hope your GI sheds light- I'm dreading needing to go to mine as I need to

have a colonoscopy. Did your doc talk to you at all about how long post surgery

your first colonoscopy would be?

>

>

>

>

> > I cooked a pancake in coconut oil yesterday, so I can handle at least a

little bit (I think I only used a teaspoon). Avocados are iffy though.

>

>

> OK. I find if I don't do much of the animal fats I can handle an avocado- I

mix it in with banana and coconut yogurt (which I have to watch how high the

coconut/water ratio is because if it's too fatty I'm not the happiest camper) I

find that avocado straight up doesn't go well. I am also reading about

Traditional Chinese Medicine and how food combining works. It has really helped

me notice what makes my fatigue worse.

>

>

>

> > *TMI Alert* I hoped that lowering carbs would help my BMs, but no such luck.

I have not found a reason as to why they are so inconsistent (fine one day,

mushy another, D the next). Worse, I have days where I have small amounts of

mushy stool with gas throughout the day. Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time

trying to come up with what food might be the issue, and that's it's just from

lacking the ileocecal valve. But why fine one day, and not the next? A puzzle I

cannot solve.

>

>

>

> You know that is exactly what I experience!! I feel I go crazy sometimes. I

have no pain or anything and bowel wise do well but the BMs are so inconsistent.

It's like relearning new tools post surgery as I can't go by any kind of BM to

gauge how I am doing.

> I get watery stools and mush and the next day it's much more formed. That's

why I sometimes take questran which I haven't found the right dosage yet. And

it makes my BM sandy! I don't get it.

> I tried the lower carb kick too and it seemed to work for a while as well as

upping probiotics (I eat with every meal)

> But very little carb makes me feel awful energy wise so the second I add stuff

in whammo BM's odd.

> I don't know if this is just something I need to reconcile with as a side

effect of surgery.

> I'm told " bulking " foods like rice, quinoa, buckwheat would help this. I just

am at a loss.

>

>

>

> > I used to drink green tea, but stopped because it was staining my teeth so

bad. Maybe I'll start up again. I also like your idea of rotating high and low

carb days too. It's worth a shot at least.

>

>

> Yeah, it can help..

> You ever buy toothpaste with Xylitol in it?

> That may help with staining.

>

>

>

> > Sorry to hear you're still struggling with fatigue too :-(. You would think

we would be past all of that by now! Do you have any pains from your surgery

still, or are they gone? I recently have started having twinges at the area of

my resection. I'm hoping it's just nerves getting around to regrowing, but it

worries me. I'm actually kind of hoping my GI will want to do a colonoscopy

soon. How nuts is that!

>

>

> My fatigue can be due to Hypopnea- I am seeing a cranial dentist now to help

me with this because the CPAP machine is not helping with energy levels.

>

> But I have awful adrenal burn-out

> My TCM doc is really helping.

>

> I have pains from my surgical hernia sight (which will be operated on after

summer- I know they keep pushing it off since they are happy with how my bowel

has healed) and I get twinges sometimes where my ileum used to be. You know

they take out our appendix too when ileum area is removed. I read something

about this idea of maybe the appendix having to do with immune system

regulation. Sometimes I wonder if " muscle memory " type of thing happens there?

> Sometimes, it also comes down to " it hurts to heal " perhaps it some kind of

scar tissue formation. Not sure.

>

> Jodi

>