Re: should i toss in the towel?

September 11, 2010

You are absolutely welcome for the encouragement! Every one here is so great, I

wish I could pass on half as much support as I've gotten

I think that adding nut butters and flours is the trickiest thing in this diet.

Mostly because they taste SOOOOOOOOO good and you will want it a lot in the

beginning!! But, especially if your gut is healing, you will want to really pace

yourself. I was very good in the beginning- I started with " squash bars " using

almond butter and ate one of them every other day as a treat. It didn't take

long though before I was spooning the almond butter at night as a treat! In

general, making your almond flour into nut butter and subbing it 1:1 in recipes

that call for the flour is the way to go in the beginning. Then it's just trial

and error. For instance, I still can't tolerate almond flour unless it is cooked

for at least 30 minutes in a recipe.

Okay, so this is becoming a long answer to a short question! If you are just at

3 months, my gut (ha ha!) is telling me that you are ready for nuts, but just in

the nut butter form. I think you could use the recipe Marla posted (the almond

crust with parmesan cheese) and sub the nut butter for flour. FYI- you can do

this with the nut bread recipes as well.

Good luck introducing it! Just go slow and enjoy

-Joanna

>

> thank you so much for the kind words and the recipe. your support really

helps. do you think i should wait to try the crust? i haven't had almond flour

yet but progressed well through the pecanbread stages for the first 3 months.

>

September 11, 2010

At 11:01 PM 9/10/2010, you wrote:

thank you so much for the kind

words and the recipe. your support really helps. do you think i should

wait to try the crust? i haven't had almond flour yet but progressed well

through the pecanbread stages for the first 3 months.

I didn't do a lot with nut flours until after the three month flare.

Well, I take that back. I tried a BUNCH of stuff at two months because,

well, it was Christmas, and New Year's, and.... well, if it was legal, I

ate it. <wry grin> My gut eventually forgave me. But I didn't go

back to nut flours until about four months. (People hadn't come up with

the idea of using nut butters then.)

Some people find pecan flour easier to digest than almond flour. I do

well with either. Both make really good pizza crusts.

If you're doing well, I'd say make the crust, but make several SMALL,

" lunch sized " pizzas. You can bake them and freeze them, and

then you have several quick meals handy -- and, you're not eating too

much of a new food.

I have my own version of a crust. My husband eats his entire pizza. I eat

half for dinner and get two lunches off mine!

—

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

September 11, 2010

I think that adding nut butters and flours is the trickiest thing in this dietThat's what has me absolutely confused about SCD - I have been able to eat almond nut butter since week 4 without any problems, but I tried 6 cooked blueberries yesterday (at week 12) and I had pain, bloating, gas, explosive diarrhoea, reflux and vomiting. Go figure - I can't!Any explanations welcome :-)AMIBS 2007SCD 12 weeks

September 11, 2010

I think that adding nut butters and flours is the trickiest thing in this dietThat's what has me absolutely confused about SCD - I have been able to eat almond nut butter since week 4 without any problems, but I tried 6 coo! ked blueberries yesterday (at week 12) and I had pain, bloating, gas, explosive diarrhoea, reflux and vomiting. Go figure - I can't!Any explanations welcome :-)All reactions are individual and idiosyncratic. Keep that in mind. Nuts in any form are only hard for some people. I don't think it is true to say they are thetrickiest thing in the diet, though it is evidently true for Joanna. The trickiest thing is always individual - though there may be categories which in general are harder for some than other things. Nuts are obviously harder for more people than cooked zucchini are, etc. Nuts were never a problem for me at all. I remember in my newbie summer being somewhat confusedwhen I introduced cashews because everyone said that people react to them because of thestarch, so I slowed down with them several times when, looking back, that advice didn't pertain to me. So for you blueberries are way harder than nuts. That's the relevant bit of knowledge for you. Mara

September 11, 2010

All reactions are individual and idiosyncratic. Keep that in mind. Cheers Mara - Good to know you are out there, and I will try to keep it in mind.I also realised this morning that many people are on meds which mean they can eat a lot more variety at the same stage I am at - so, I can understand a bit better why I have been 'stuck' on 8 foods (chicken, fish, eggs, almonds, bananas, apples, zucchini and carrots) for the last 2 months.I will work on my patience and try not to get too envious of all the yummy foods others can eat and I can't - like yoghurt, cheese, blueberries and on and on and on :-)Anne-MarieIBS 2007SCD 12 weeksAntidepressants

September 11, 2010

At 11:11 PM 9/10/2010, you wrote:

>> thank you for the

feedback. i am sticking to the diet despite the cravings. do you suggest

i wait before incorporating almond flour, or is it ok to give it a try. i

havent had a normal bm in two weeks due to this flare but have started

incorporating all the pre flare food that worked. how long could this

flare last? i kept a diary for a long time, but when the symptoms went

away, i stopped.

We-ell.... see my comments above.

Flares are unpredictable, unfortunately. It is this which drives us all

buggy trying to heal.

I can appreciate not keeping a food and event diary after the symptoms go

away! I hadn't kept one for several years, and then started again when I

was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. When I'd fully recovered from all that

(and after I'd recovered from the colonoscopy on 2 January 2009), I'll

admit that I let it drop again. Thing is -- as soon as you realize you're

having an issue, it's wise to start again so you can track things with

something better than memory!

For some people, nut flower muffins can help diarrhea, but for others,

it's best to hold off. Just keep firmly in mind that YOU don't want that

pizza -- the bad bacteria do! (Well, okay, maybe you do want a pizza, but

an SCD pizza! Do you like pepperoni on your pizzas?)

—

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

September 12, 2010

All reactions are individual and idiosyncratic. Keep that in mind. Cheers Mara - Good to know you are out there, and I will try to keep it in mind.!I also realised this morning that many people are on meds which mean they can eat a lot more variety at the same stage I am at - so, I can understand a bit better why I have been 'stuck' on 8 foods (chicken, fish, eggs, almonds, bananas, apples, zucchini and carrots) for the last 2 months.I will work on my patience and try not to get too envious of all the yummy foods others can eat and I can't - like yoghurt, cheese, blueberries and on and on and on :-)Have you attempted coconut yogurt? Also, in the beginning I liked banana almond butter pancakes - have you tried thosefor a treat? If not, you just mix up a banana, an egg and some almond butter -fiddle with it to taste - add cinnamon. (Although now I realize you didn't put an oildown - can you use ghee or butter or coconut oil?) Anyway, HIH.Mara

September 12, 2010

Have you attempted coconut yogurt? Also, in the beginning I liked banana almond butter pancakes It is great moral support to wake up in the morning to all your kind and helpful suggestions :-)I had bad reactions (nausea, gas, diarrhoea) to Goat yoghurt with SCD legal commercial yoghurt starter, as well as the same bad reactions to Almond nut yoghurt with SCD dairy free yoghurt starter. I haven't tried Coconut yoghurt, but would love to. I just have to be more desperate to eat something new than I am scared of having more bad reactions :-)I do use Olive oil (forgot to put it on my list). No problems there.I was reading back on old posts (gives me comfort to see others progress) and I noticed you said to someone who only ate carrots at month 3 that only having 1 vegetable wasn't enough nutritionally. I have two vegs - zucchini and carrot. Do you think that is nutritionally enough (vegetable wise) at the moment?Foods I have tried and not tolerated: Red meat, Pear, Almond and Goat Yoghurt, Smoked Salmon, Spinach, Orange, Tomato, Avocado, Blueberries, Cheddar Cheese (I had been Dairy Free for 20 years prior to SCD), Coconut Oil, Broccoli, Pineapple, Onion, Honey, Gelatin, SCD Multivitamin, SCD Acidophilus, Kiwi Fruit, Butternut Squash.Foods I can tolerate: Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Almonds, Carrots, Zucchini, Bananas, Apples, Olive Oil.Many thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.Anne-MarieIBS 2007SCD 12 weeks (and 1 day):-)

September 12, 2010

Have you attempted coconut yogurt? Also, in the beginning I liked banana almond butter pancakes ! ; It is great moral support to wake up in the morning to all your kind and helpful suggestions :-)I had bad reactions (nausea, gas, diarrhoea) to Goat yoghurt with SCD legal commercial yoghurt starter, as well as the same bad reactions to Almond nut yoghurt with SCD dairy free yoghurt starter. I haven't tried Coconut yoghurt, but would love to. I just have to be more desperate to eat something new than I am scared of having more bad reactions :-)I do use Olive oil (forgot to put it on my list). No problems there.I was reading back on old posts (gives me comfort to see others progress) and I noticed you said to someone who only ate carrots at month 3 that only having 1 vegetable wasn't enough nutritionally. I have two vegs - zucchini and carrot. Do you think that is nutritionally enough (vegetable wise) at the moment?Foods I have tried and not tolerated: Red meat, Pear, Almond and Goat Yoghurt, Smoked Salmon, Spinach, Orange, Tomato, Avocado, Blueberries, Cheddar Cheese (I had been Dairy Free for 20 years prior to SCD), Coconut Oil, Broccoli, Pineapple, Onion, Honey, Gelatin, SCD Multivitamin, SCD Acidophilus, Kiwi Fruit, Butternut Squash.Foods I can tolerate: Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Almonds, Carrots, Zucchini, Bananas, Apples, Olive Oil.Well, more would be better, but if you can't, you can't. There's no rushing true progress. Here are some possibilities.Have you tried yellow summer squash (like yellow zucchini) or peeled, deseeded cucumbers? Those are also very mild. Or peeled, well cooked green pepper? Just some possibilities that might be okay. What did you make the gelatin with? Maybe gelatin with something else would work better. Have you tried extra diluted grape juice, for example? Also, almond milk is very yum for some variation. It's just water and strained ground almonds and you can add vanilla extract to it as well if you are handling that. And use a banana tosweeten it. Also, maybe a different variety of red meat would work better - or trying red meat bones in the soup. Anyway, I hope something helps. I know for some people it takes incredible patiencein the beginning. MaraMany thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.Anne-MarieIBS 2007SCD 12 weeks (and 1 day):-)

September 12, 2010

Have you tried yellow summer squash (like yellow zucchini) or peeled, deseeded cucumbers? Those are also very mild. Or peeled, well cooked green pepper? Just some possibilities that might be okay. I haven't tried any of these vegs, but "mild" sounds just what my insides need :-) Do the cucumbers need to be cooked after peeling, and deseeding?What did you make the gelatin with? Maybe gelatin with something else would work better. Have you tried extra diluted grape juice, for example? I made gelatin with grape juice - but I didn't think to dilute the grape juice. I just put 1 cup of grape juice into 1/2 pint of gelatin. So, perhaps I could try this again and dilute the juice this time.Many thanks for sharing your wisdom with us all. Anne-Marie (in Australia)IBS 2007SCD 12 weeks

September 12, 2010

Hi Anne-Marie,

We started the diet about the same time, and I can totally relate to a long list

of things I can't tolerate yet, which also includes things like tomatoes, red

meat in solid/steak form (although hamburgers are just fine), orange juice,

pineapple, broccoli, peanut butter, peppers, watermelon, etc.

On Friday night I made the most amazing dinner yet, a chicken pot pie, with an

almond flour crust, and the filling I cooked on the stove which included

zucchini and carrots from the garden, cubed chicken breast, onions, green peas,

garlic, fresh rosemary (made it amazing!) & fresh basil. I also added some

dairy, sorry you can't handle that, but I used cheddar, butter, and 1/3 cup

yogurt. My point of writing this out is sure I was fine Friday night, but then

Saturday I used broccoli instead of zucchini in the same recipe, and last night

was the absolute PITS! Super bloated all night, and my gut felt totally

inflamed. Just the slight variation of some broccoli ruined my hole night -

unreal!!!

I want to suggest some other foods I didn't see in your list, I can't handle

coconut flour, but I can handle pureed shredded coconut. I just toss dried

unsweetened coconut into the food processor and make shortcakes and pancakes

with it. Basically just add egg and baking soda, honey if you could tolerate it.

Also I recently discoverd that acorn squash fries are a total comfort food! I

just thinly slice and peel 1 acorn squash, toss the fries in olive oil add

garlic, salt, pepper & spices and bake at 400* for 20-30 minutes.

I am also okay with green leaf lettuce, iceberg, and the baby spring mix, which

kinda surprised me. So I started eating salads with home smoked tuna & veggies &

nuts for lunch sometimes. I just make a vinegarette dressing. Although too much

lettuce = not good, so I don't eat it daily, more like 2x per week.

Also, grilled asparagus is pretty awesome. We BBQ skin on chicken breasts

constantly and usually have asparagus that has been coated in olive oil grilled

along with it.

Have you tried making banana bread with almond flour, bananas, oil, eggs, and

baking soda?

Also, I would try making your own almond milk for a creamy chicken potpie. Fresh

herbs do amazing things to this recipe. Or make a baked egg quiche/fritta type

recipe with chicken, fresh herbs and the veggies you can tolerate, and put it on

an almond flour/olive oil crust.

I was dairy free for years also before finding SCD. I couldn't handle the

cheddar the first time I tried it on the diet, but now I buy a really good local

brand that has been aged 60 days, and I am fine with it. Also just maybe try a

different kinda of cheese?? I heard some say they could handle provolone much

better than cheddar. Although, don't blame you for not wanting to try more

cheese, as trying things can be SO PAINFUL sometimes! And dairy can be scary.

Oh, and maybe try spaghetti squash, I am eating spaghetti squash like 2-3 times

a week. It's really good sauted with garlic, and any other veggies you can toss

in. I cut the squash in half bake at 350* for 1 hour, then peel out the insides

and saute in galic & olive oil for a long time.

Anyhow, I can relate. Each time I set myself back, I get frustrated, and it's

physically painful, but then I get re-inspired to just keep it simple so I can

keep healing, and then in the future be able to handle more.

-

SCD 3 months

>

> Foods I have tried and not tolerated: Red meat, Pear, Almond and Goat

Yoghurt, Smoked Salmon, Spinach, Orange, Tomato, Avocado, Blueberries, Cheddar

Cheese (I had been Dairy Free for 20 years prior to SCD), Coconut Oil,

Broccoli, Pineapple, Onion, Honey, Gelatin, SCD Multivitamin, SCD Acidophilus,

Kiwi Fruit, Butternut Squash.

>

> Foods I can tolerate: Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Almonds, Carrots, Zucchini,

Bananas, Apples, Olive Oil.

>

> Many thanks again for your thoughts and ideas.

> Anne-Marie

> IBS 2007

> SCD 12 weeks (and 1 day):-)

>

September 12, 2010