I have decided to shop at the health foods store. What foods should we stay away from?
I think gluten free right?
But what else?
I don't really know if food is my problem or not.
My two issues are:
When I eat I bloat to the point I look 4 -5 months pregnant. I am not joking.
I am very petite. I only weigh 104 pounds. Always have been small.
I am just getting over the stomach flu i think and have not eaten in 3-4 days. Well I noticed after the first day of not eating my stomach was flat again like it used to be. Yet when I started eating again, even drinking water, it swells.
My kids have even asked me was I pregnant. Is this due to eating period, or do you think it is certain foods?
Second problem:
When I eat now, my eras get full of pressure, as if in the mountains. They will pop and go right back to pressure. Plus throat clearing, feelng of throat clsing, etc.
I am sick of it.
I just ate some cucumbes and hidden valley ranch dip packet(mixed w/sour cream). Shortly after first bites, the pressure is back. What the hell is this?
Any help would be more than appreciated on any of the above.
I have been to ENT, allergists, gastro, etc. No one can help me.
I am so DISGUSTED. Not to mention all the over things we deal with on a daily basis.
Thanks , sorry for the rant.
Posted by lauirel (Member # 16640) on :
Have you considered candida?
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
katc,
I suffer the bloated stomach issue too. I have already cleared yeast and helicobactor pylori. I recently passed some large worms. Two on 1/1/09 and two on 1/10/09. The bloated stomach after passing the worms went away. Not possitive of the connection but highly suspicious.
I wish I had a good answer for you but I mostly can tell you what it is not for me. Not yeast, H.P. I am negative for celiac disease (gluten intolerance)
I do best when I avoid sugar and additives (that cuts out almost everything premade.)
Posted by VB (Member # 16824) on :
my stomach does the same thing. Always has since I was little. Eat a meal and look pregnant.
Not sure what causes it... I have several friends who are thin that have the same problem.
It just may be more apparent on smaller stomachs? Also, candida, as lauirel indicated.
If your pressure happened after the ranch dip, you may want to look into eliminating both MSG (prob. listed as monosoduim glutamate on the ranch label) and dairy for a while and see how you do.
I personally still eat dairy and MSG (though have tried to cut back on MSG) because I love them both so!
I have given up wheat/gluten though, as well as most refined sugars and caffeine, and I definitely think this has helped.
It's tough... I'd do anything for a beer and some fried chicken wings right now!!
Posted by Peedie (Member # 15355) on :
If you think what you eat may be a problem - consider getting the book "Eat Right for Your Type" It lists various foods to avoid based on how your blood type processes these foods and why. My daughter and I have found this to be very helpful - and - many foods to avoid are the ones I knew were bad for me - or didn't like anyway. -p
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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I'm pretty tired, so pardon spurts and the non-narrative.
This is what works for me:
I avoid dairy, gluten, corn (and something else I can't even remember) . . . due to inner ear stuff.
If a food causes phlegm, stop as that can be a place for germs to grow.
Soy is controversial regarding effects on thyroid. However, fermented soy acts differently and is good for probiotics. Miso soup is very good.
Health markets can be good - if you have no other options. Sometimes they can be overpriced and too glitzy.
Don't be taken in by all the "gluten-free" choices as many are still off the charts with simple sugars.
Farmer's markets - even in winter in some places or groups such as "Organics to You" that deliver from farmer to your door all year long. The downside to that is that you have to wash more mud off the food and that takes energy.
I wound up not being able to do that and wasted food that went bad before I could wash it.
Still, try to support local farmers as much as possible.
Forget processed foods for the most part (although a line of crackers has sure brightened my life
Eggs are generally okay but you might want to stay off them for a few days at a time - or one day a week.
Try to buy local eggs that are from free range, organically fed chickens. It is simple better nutrition and worth the price. Each egg has 6 grams of protein. You may need 3 for a meal.
Meats - the leaner the better. Grass fed beef is best in small amounts.
Fish is best but avoid high-mercury fish such as tuna and halibut. Salmon is good. Wild better.
Chicken - free range, organically fed.
If you buy chicken with the bones, it cooks up for nice soup.
Now - all that fancy meat costs more but you can have beans to balance out protein - and eggs, help.
If you take a protein powder that will also help balance out your requirements.
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Bright and Bold veggies. the less starchy the better.
Dark fruits (berries) and tart apples (but if you have active candida, wait - or go slowly and after a meal).
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NUTS - organic nuts are so high priced that I just go for regular RAW nuts. You can toast them in oven before eating if you like. It makes them much better.
Never eat nuts roasted in oils. And most roasted nuts from the store are old.
Old oils can become toxic.
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Olive oil
Organic Coconut oil
Some nut oils are nice on salads.
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Nut butters are nice on a tart apple. If you can get pumpkinseed butter, that is fabulous. But the freshest you can. Keep from heat.
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Grains:
Gluten-free and in moderation. I find grains important to provide glucose stability.
Buckwheat (really a legume) - (NOT buckwheat pancakes)
Millet
Wild rice
Brown rice - many types
Black rice - many types
Amarynth (sp?)
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the best grain is Quinoa - lowest glycemic index and good protein ratio.
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JUICING carrots with tart apple, CELERY, ginger and other greens is nice. Safe the - uh - word loss - save the stuff that is left over and eat that, too.
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If you can eat greens and salmon (or sardines) for breakfast, you will feel better all day.
Lentil soups are nice and can be seasoned many ways. Lentils are great for a stable blood sugar.
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VERY dark chocolate. Organic is best. And google your brand to be sure it is lead-free. (yes, some do contain lead from emission s near highways)
73 % dark chocolate is still pretty sweet.
and 85% is pretty bitter but one can get used to it and an ounce a day is nice, but more is not wanted at that level.
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Protein helps our bodies make glutathione and that helps the liver detox . . . protein's amino acids help our brain, our hearts, our muscles, etc., etc., etc.,
THE REQUIREMENTS OF PROTEIN & AMINO ACID DURING ACUTE & CHRONIC INFECTION . . .
Anura V. Kurpad - Institute of Population Health & Clinical Research, Bangalore, India
129. Indian J Med Res 124, August 2006, pp 129-148. Review Article.
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and LOTS of vegetables and bright colored (low sugar) fruit is what helps supply great nutrients and antioxidants but also as a vehicle to capture and carry out toxic waste.
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Books to consider:
A Spoonful of Ginger
The Cure is in the Kitchen
and books on the Mediterranean Diet
The Enchanted Broccoli Forest
the Moosewood cookbooks
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I think food should be enjoyed.
Kitchen herbs such as thyme, fresh rosemary, turmeric, cumin (check out spices from India, too) . . . all all flavor and textures.
Bon Appetite !
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Be sure to avoid even a trace of aspartame/Nutrasweet/Equal and MSG - google for all the names.
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This book offers great food advice for lyme patients.
This book, by an ILADS member LLMD, holds great information about treatments options and support measures:
The hot, spicy herb evodia is a key ingredient of Wuzhuyu Tang (Evodia ... very strong taste are still present, such as coptis, phellodendron, and evodia. ...
In ancient times, the Chinese herbalists mainly used crataegus (shanzha) to improve digestion. Numerous Chinese formulations now incorporate the herb for ...
Intestinal dysbiosis is an emerging medical term for imbalances in the intestinal flora,
. . . The main symptoms are usually gas and bloating . . . .
. . .
Treatment
I use a simple strategy for dealing with this problem, based largely on Dr Crook's pioneering work with Candida (yeast) infections (Crook, 1992).
I do not initially differentiate between the different bacteria or yeast species.
I simply administer an effective bad-guy killer herbal formula during the day, using neem leaf, oregano leaf or others combined with good-guy probiotics at bedtime.
The herb wormwood (Artemesia annua) is also very good for parasites, using one 500 mg. capsule twice a day.
. . . .
- Much more at the link above.
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Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Things like the Ranch dip you ate have a lot of additives.
Dairy could also be causing you problems.
Cucumbers are known to cause gassiness.
Just try keeping it simple - unprocessed meats, fresh veggies, no sugar, no white flour, fresh fruit, healthy oils (coconut, olive), etc.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Stay away from anything that converts easily to sugar...such as simple carbs [breads, pasta, rice, etc]. Dairy will contribute to yeast/candida.
Follow this diet and you will get rid of the bloat! Guaranteed!
DIET, DIET, DIET is the key. Then, be sure to follow the 5 step plan outlined below. It was developed by my naturopath. It works.
"Successful control and elminiation of a Candida Albicans overgrowth requires a multifaceted program as described below. Failure to follow ALL the steps simultaneously will result in slow progress and will lengthen healing time significantly. The program should be tailored to the individual and must balance the need to eliminate the Candida and deprive it of its food source while insuring proper nutrition for the individual."
Five Steps to Candida Elimination:
1. You must starve it into submission by eliminating its food source.
2. You must kill it with anti-fungal herbs and supplements. [e.g....garlic, onion, caprylic acid, Pau D'Arco capsules or tea, clove, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, tea tree oil, Echinacea, Goldenseal, black walnut, MSM, barberry root, uva ursi, neem leaf, biotin]
3. You must reestablish the proper balance and quantity of probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract. [...multi-strain lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus capsules with FOS should be taken between meals to maximize repopulation of the digestive tract by beneficial bacteria.]
4. You must reestablish proper levels of all B vitamins (yeast free) and utilize other immune enhancing supplements to boost immune system function. [e.g ... B complex vitamins (yeast free), biotin, beta 1-3 glucan, colostrum, maitake mushroom, vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium]
5. You must cleanse and heal the digestive tract to promote proper elimination of toxins and Candida and assimilation of nutrients. [e.g...chlorophyll, MSM, omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seed and salmon oils, GLA found in borage, evening primrose and black currant oils. Pantothenic acid, digestive enzymes between meals]
Posted by katc (Member # 17210) on :
What do use if you avoid dairy?
What for butter, eggs, milk etc?
Posted by pryorka (Member # 13649) on :
katc generally if you can't handle milk, butter will still be ok. Because it is nearly pure fat and the protein in milk is what gives people problems. If you're super sensitive to milk and don't want to chance it you can always use Ghee (clarified butter). Eggs have albumen in them so that's a separate protein from milk, and it takes a different allergy test to find out if you have problems with it. Instead of milk, you can use rice milk, or soy milk... but i recommend fermenting the soy milk because non fermented soy products do more bad than good for the body. The book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon is a good read if you want to learn more.
Posted by Jason21 (Member # 16393) on :
1. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. I have problems with aspartame, sugar alcohols, and especially Splenda (also known as sucralose).
After I stopped eating all the "healthy" Splenda-loaded foods my wife had bought, my muscle cramps, spasms, and IBS symptoms improved. Also, about a week after I cut Splenda out of my diet, I suddenly started urinating very frequently.
I lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks and then my weight stabilized. My doctor believes my body was reacting to Splenda like a toxin and was retaining water to dilute the toxic effect. Once I cut out Splenda, my body did not need all that fluid anymore.
Splenda is hidden in lots of foods, such as pizza sauce. Papa Johns is the only one pizza place I know of who does not use Splenda in their sauce.
2. Avoid MSG. It is in most soups, salad dressings, and flavorings.
MSG is also hidden in foods under various names, such as autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, and whey protein. Each of these substances contain a percentage of glutamate, the harmful component of MSG, and can combine with sodium to create MSG.
3. You are probably going to have to use trial and error to see whether certain foods trigger your problems, such as dairy or soy. That is how I found out that apple juice just kills my stomach. Keep a food diary.
4. Check your water supply. I recently noticed that my gastro problems improved when I went out of town. The only thing I did differently was drink different water.
I knew my city water tasted bad and smelled like chlorine. I used a filter, so I thought my water was ok. Apparently not.
I started drinking bottled spring water, and my gastro problems improved. Go figure.
Good luck.
Posted by Peedie (Member # 15355) on :
butter substitutes - Smart Balance is a good one. Soy "Light" is great. Put 1/2 soy light and 1/2 soy chocolate in your morning coffee and shake with ice! Yummy iced coffee!!!! Add your GSE or Ribose - and you're off and running. (well - sort of) -p
Posted by massman (Member # 18116) on :
Check this symptom survey out, especially question # 2:
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