Need Help With A Diet

[TLK879]

Hi. I've been sick for over 2 years now, and right now my Dr. thinks it is very possible that I have Celiac. The genetic blood test was positive, but the other Celiac tests, including endoscopies were negative. However, I have had a positive for a gluten intolerance as well as many many other food/chemical intolerances ((Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned) test). I've also tested positive for Epstein Barr as well. I've been avoiding gluten for a little over a year, with a few minor setbacks here and there. I've also been avoiding dairy, corn and vinegar, and a few other things. I'm still not feeling well, and I do still have reactions almost everyday. Most are mild, but it is still frustrating. After 2 years, I still don't know what I react and don't react to, besides gluten, dairy, corn, and vinegar. And now I'm not even sure about those anymore since I've been avoiding them for so long. I'm currently waiting on getting more tests done (MRI of my intestines, more bloodwork, and possibly another endoscopy). My Eosinophils were high, so my Dr thinks that I may have something other than Celiac, or in addition to Celiac. He thinks I may have some kind of disorder of my intestines, since the eosinophils were high. Have any of you had the same experience in having a high eosinophil count? I would assume that a lot of you may, since eosinophils represent an allergic reaction of some kind. Isn't that normal for Celiac? Anyway, I have not cleaned out my makeup, skincare, shampoo, or any of my regular toiletries that I normally use. I'm not sure if they are all gluten-free, but I don't see anything that stands out to be gluten in the ingredients. I don't want to go nuts getting all new products unless it truly is going to harm me. It looks like there has been mixed reviews on here about whether you can get glutenized by these products. It stresses me out to think about having to find all new products and spending lots of money if it is not a necessity.

I currently take Enzymedica Digest Gold w/ probiotics. I want to be in control of what is happening to my body and to heal myself and feel better. I want to get to the point where I know what I can eat without having a reaction. I don't remember what that is like anymore. I usually do well when I eat more bland (brown rice, veggies, fruit, meat), but even then I still feel like I'm reacting. And it is hard to do day after day. Especially when I'm still reacting; it makes me feel hopeless and like it is a waste. It's just a bearable, more tolerant reaction. Reacting, whether it be mild to moderate has became the norm for me, sadly. But, believe me I would do anything to not have to live like this anymore. I just don't know which route to take anymore at this point.

So, what I was wondering is....what is the best diet that will heal me, make me feel better, as well as be able to figure out what I can eat? Also, something that doesn't take up a lot of time and money, as these are very limited in my life. Is there an elimination diet out there that I can just follow? What about the Paleo or GAPS diet? What are the differences and pros and cons of each? I really need to start some type of strict diet very soon, as I am out of patience, sick of feeling like crap, and really frustrated. I want my life back. Any advice, suggestions, opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Tracey

[Kansas]

If I were you I would go completely unprocessed, whole foods. That way you know what you are putting in your mouth. Wholes foods means the potato, not the tots,or the chips. It means, make your own ketchup not buy a bottle, etc. And it is not that hard to do. When I am hungry for a particular item, I can adjust a recipe or find one that works. I would also cut out soy as well as dairy and gluten. Soy is everything, so you must be careful. I also react to foods that are labeled gluten free or made in a facilty that also manufactures gluteny foods. I will buy foods that are CERTIFIED gluten free, but otherwise, I make everything from whole foods. That is the only way I stay healthy. I don't know about makeup or shampoos, I usually do the gluten free items, I had my haircut and the beautitician used hairspray, and that afternoon, I had upset tummy and next day, D. I know I inhaled while she was spraying, not going to do that again.

[TeknoLen]

TLK, sorry to hear it is slow going. I hope you keep at it... I agree with Kansas, whole food only, any processing should be by your own hands. I am not familiar with GAPS but I do follow a sort of my own version of the Paleo Diet with a little bit of Body Ecology Diet (BED) added in for good measure. I am working to get my gut lining tightened up so I stick with meat, fish and tons of vegetables (and some fruit and some nuts). No grains of any type. No eggs but I did recently test adding egg yolks back in. Right now I am snacking on a celery stick (I cut up several stalks on Sunday and eat them through the week). I like Paleo since it is conceptually easy to follow; if a caveman did not have access to it, then I do not eat it (more-or-less). I eat plenty of meat and fish for protein, which my body needs to repair the gut damage, and I get plenty of fiber, vitamins and other nutrients in the vegetables. However, it should be noted that the Paleo has some critics. The Wikipedia entry for "Paleolithic Diet" is quite thorough, you can get a good idea pros and cons of it there. In my mind, the pros outweigh the cons. But if have the time, I suggest reading the book by Loren Cordain (Paleo Diet). I thought it was a pretty fast and good read. Body Ecology has a few other concepts that I have found to be relevant/important. Digestive enzymes, food combining for effective digestion, not over-eating, kefir and probiotics. BED (Donna Gates) focuses on healing your digestive and immune system, also a heavy emphasis on candida (yeast). I now make my own coconut kefir at home from a BED recipe and drink a shot of that every so often, seems to soothe my gut... But important to note is that I have not been able to just follow these diets word for word; I have had to adapt them based on other sensitivities I have become aware of. That can be frustrating..

I also try to get 8 hours of sleep. I also supplement vitamins, minerals, and herb teas and stuff but am gradually cutting back as I feel like I am getting and retaining more nutrients through my diet.

Is it working? hard to tell because diet is only one variable of many that have changed over the past 6 months. Although, I do not see a downside to eating a healthier and smarter way, so I keep on keeping on... I think you are on the right track, better informing yourself about the options. I strongly encourage you to try to make time to read the books since there is so much general wellness info in each, in addition to the diet info. Good luck!

[Kjas]

I've been in your situation and I know how frustrating it gets.

I did GAPS (so basically lots of soup) for 3 months along with probiotics, digestive enzymes, L-Glutamine, a good multi, a greens drink and colostrum.

I've come off that recently and I can now eat most whole foods (I mainly eat paleo now) without any pain or issues. I still eat soup at least once a day though. I feel tons better, I went from not functioning (literally) to going back to work part time and not being tired or brain fogged constantly or in pain. My doctor says he hasn't seen many people recover from that amount of damage as fast as I have, but I still have a fair way to go, particularly with my vitamin deficiencies.

I would encourage you to try GAPS or SCD even if it's only for the first couple of months. If you're time poor, you can may a big lot of soup on sunday afternoon and freeze it, that way you don't have to cook every night for the rest of the week. If your intestines and stomach are damaged, even paleo may be cause you pain in the beginning. Probiotics made a huge difference for me, and the rest of the supplements I took got my immune system up and running and started to help with my deficiencies. I think the 3 months is worth it if it means you improve your quality of life.

[Skylark]

Paleo and GAPS are close kin. I read both the GAPS book and Cordain's paleo book. I'd highly recommend them, especially the GAPS book. It will really enlighten you about how your digestion works. Full GAPS is a little less restrictive than paleo, allowing dairy and a few specific legumes, but you do have to find time to make the broth and ferments. You can decide whether you agree with Patricia Campbell-McBride's ideas once you read the GAPS book. I'm busy too but I was so impressed with her ideas and research that I have made the time to do a dairy-free version of GAPS.

I've been doing GAPS since October, though I couldn't stick to it very well over the holidays. I'm not feeling right quite yet, but the depression that was plaguing me has largely lifted. I'm praying I can get my dairy tolerance back if I stick to eating this way for longer.

Sauerkraut and veggie ferments don't take too much time, other than the cabbage-shredding. It's quick work if you have a food processor. The bacteria do the rest. Bone broth is pretty easy if you have a crockpot. I have lamb shanks I found on sale in the crockpot today while I'm at work. It only took me 10 minutes of prep this morning. I'll have some meat tonight, simmer the shanks overnight, and make GAPS soup from the bone broth and the rest of the meat tomorrow evening.

[TLK879]

Thank you so much everyone! I truly appreciate it! I will have to read up on the Paleo and GAPS Diets, so I can decide which one I think is best. What is SCD? Is it true that the GAPS is more healing? Whatever one I do, I do still need to avoid gluten, soy, corn (most likely), and dairy. On the dairy, I am not sure if I am just Casein intolerant or what. What is a good test to see if you react to lactose or casein or both? How do you start adding foods back in and how do you know which ingredient you react to? I know I can't tolerate corn starch, but I am not sure about all the other corn ingredients. It is so hard to figure out. Anyways, what do I need for the Paleo and GAPS diets? Crock pot and food processor? I'll have to go buy them. What are some tips to make things easier and less time consuming when preparing foods for these diets? Do I need to buy the books or are there some good websites out there? Thank you all again!! It is so helpful and good to know that I have people to talk to and support me through this. No one else can truly understand unless they are going through the same thing. Thank you!

[TLK879]

Are there specific books that I should get? I own the "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" one, but I don't know if there are any more specific GAPS diet books out there. ?? Also, which one for Paleo is best? Thank you!

[Skylark]

I'm glad to have other folks to talk to on these diets. If it's the book with the yellow cover written by Natasha Campbell-McBride it's the GAPS book I'm talking about. I found it fascinating. Have you read it yet? GAPS is Dr. Campbell-McBride's version of SCD for gut healing.

The only paleo book I have read is The Paleo Diet (Revised) by Loren Cordain. It was pretty good and explained the benefits of the diet well.

Gluten, corn, soy, and dairy are off-limits in paleo, and you can do GAPS without dairy. You can try to sort out whether it's lactose or casein you react to by having a little Lactaid milk. If it still makes you sick, casein is the problem. You generally want to get off a questionable food for at least a month. I challenge by eating a pure form of the food for a few days. For example, I recently challenged nightshades by eating some steamed bell peppers. I didn't even get to the next day of the challenge because I didn't feel good the following morning (dammit).

A crockpot is super-helpful for making bone broth. As I mentioned, I'll cook meat while I'm at work. You can either set up the crockpot really quickly in the morning, or prep the night before. I'll fill the ceramic liner with meat, flavorings, onions, garlic, etc. In the morning, put it in the crockpot, add water, flip it on, and out the door! When I get home I pick the bones and have some meat and broth for dinner, put the rest in the fridge. Then the bones go back into the crockpot with a splash of vinegar for an overnight simmer. In the morning just dump the broth into a plastic container and stuff it in the 'fridge if you have to go to work. (Or add water and keep right on simmering!) That night, I take the meat, broth, and add veggies for soup. Frozen veggies can save time with the soup-making, or I sit in front of the TV and peel turnips. If I'm exhausted I dump the meat in the broth say "forget this" and freeze it to deal with later. :lol: Once the soup is cooked I freeze it in single portions to grab for lunch at work. I microwave soup at work even though GAPS says you're not supposed to because I just don't have the energy in the morning to heat it in put in a thermos.

The other thing I use a lot is a food dehydrator. I got a Nesco one and it works fine. Nuts are much easier on your stomach if you soak them and it's nice to be able to dehydrate them again after soaking. I'd almost go for that over a food processor since I use it most weeks. I mostly slice veggies with a mandolin. I use the processor maybe every few weeks for grating veggies, and making certain recipes like sunflower seed cake.

[TLK879]

I'm glad to have other folks to talk to on these diets. If it's the book with the yellow cover written by Natasha Campbell-McBride it's the GAPS book I'm talking about. I found it fascinating. Have you read it yet? GAPS is Dr. Campbell-McBride's version of SCD for gut healing.

The only paleo book I have read is The Paleo Diet (Revised) by Loren Cordain. It was pretty good and explained the benefits of the diet well.

Gluten, corn, soy, and dairy are off-limits in paleo, and you can do GAPS without dairy. You can try to sort out whether it's lactose or casein you react to by having a little Lactaid milk. If it still makes you sick, casein is the problem. You generally want to get off a questionable food for at least a month. I challenge by eating a pure form of the food for a few days. For example, I recently challenged nightshades by eating some steamed bell peppers. I didn't even get to the next day of the challenge because I didn't feel good the following morning (dammit).

A crockpot is super-helpful for making bone broth. As I mentioned, I'll cook meat while I'm at work. You can either set up the crockpot really quickly in the morning, or prep the night before. I'll fill the ceramic liner with meat, flavorings, onions, garlic, etc. In the morning, put it in the crockpot, add water, flip it on, and out the door! When I get home I pick the bones and have some meat and broth for dinner, put the rest in the fridge. Then the bones go back into the crockpot with a splash of vinegar for an overnight simmer. In the morning just dump the broth into a plastic container and stuff it in the 'fridge if you have to go to work. (Or add water and keep right on simmering!) That night, I take the meat, broth, and add veggies for soup. Frozen veggies can save time with the soup-making, or I sit in front of the TV and peel turnips. If I'm exhausted I dump the meat in the broth say "forget this" and freeze it to deal with later. :lol: Once the soup is cooked I freeze it in single portions to grab for lunch at work. I microwave soup at work even though GAPS says you're not supposed to because I just don't have the energy in the morning to heat it in put in a thermos.

The other thing I use a lot is a food dehydrator. I got a Nesco one and it works fine. Nuts are much easier on your stomach if you soak them and it's nice to be able to dehydrate them again after soaking. I'd almost go for that over a food processor since I use it most weeks. I mostly slice veggies with a mandolin. I use the processor maybe every few weeks for grating veggies, and making certain recipes like sunflower seed cake.

Thank you so much!! So, in your opinion, do you think it is best to start with the GAPS diet or the Paleo? I have not read the GAPS book yet, but that is the same one that I have.

[Bubba's Mom]

I found a site that tells how to make Perpetual soup.

Open Original Shared Link

You start with a whole chicken and remove the meat after 24 hours to use in recipes, then add the bones back to the crockpot and let them continue to cook/break down the bones to get their nutrients.

You use some of the broth from it each day, and add a bit more water to replace it. At the end of the week, you clean the pot and start over.

It sounds like a great idea for people with a bit of a time crunch..but would be convenient for anyone? I'm axious to try it!

[Skylark]

Thank you so much!! So, in your opinion, do you think it is best to start with the GAPS diet or the Paleo? I have not read the GAPS book yet, but that is the same one that I have.

I chose GAPS for myself. GAPS is supposed to be very healing.

[Skylark]

I found a site that tells how to make Perpetual soup.

Open Original Shared Link

You start with a whole chicken and remove the meat after 24 hours to use in recipes, then add the bones back to the crockpot and let them continue to cook/break down the bones to get their nutrients.

You use some of the broth from it each day, and add a bit more water to replace it. At the end of the week, you clean the pot and start over.

It sounds like a great idea for people with a bit of a time crunch..but would be convenient for anyone? I'm axious to try it!

Thanks for that link. I did get a second round of decent broth from some turkey bones I had earlier this month so it's certainly worth trying!

[TLK879]

Thanks for that link. I did get a second round of decent broth from some turkey bones I had earlier this month so it's certainly worth trying!

Thank you for that link and for all your advice. Sorry for all the questions, but it sounds like GAPs is pretty much just soup (bone broth, meat, veggies). Is this true? I do love soup, meat, and veggies, but it may be hard for me to stick to the same thing for months on end, or even years. ?? I do need to read the gaps book, I've just been so busy. Just trying to get a feel for everything first, so I can make a decision on the best diet for me. Thank you.

[Skylark]

Thank you for that link and for all your advice. Sorry for all the questions, but it sounds like GAPs is pretty much just soup (bone broth, meat, veggies). Is this true? I do love soup, meat, and veggies, but it may be hard for me to stick to the same thing for months on end, or even years. ?? I do need to read the gaps book, I've just been so busy. Just trying to get a feel for everything first, so I can make a decision on the best diet for me. Thank you.

Read the book and you will understand the soup. Ideally you do GAPS for a time, maybe a year or two, and heal yourself! Only GAPS intro is soup, soup, and more soup and that's only for as long as your body needs. It's up to you whether or not to do intro, and there are guidelines in the book.

[TLK879]

Read the book and you will understand the soup. Ideally you do GAPS for a time, maybe a year or two, and heal yourself! Only GAPS intro is soup, soup, and more soup and that's only for as long as your body needs. It's up to you whether or not to do intro, and there are guidelines in the book.

Thanks! I will. Off the topic, are you taking a multi-vitamin or any other supplements? What do you recommend? I just realized that my multi-v has soy in it. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Skylark]

Well, the GAPS book says to take a probiotic and fermented cod liver oil. I'm still taking a multivitamin/mineral/trace element supplement as well because it helps my mental health. It's EmpowerPlus from Open Original Shared Link Solgar and Metagenics also make really good "all in one" supplements if you want to go that direction.

At a bare minimum, you probably want to consider B12 as well as cod liver oil (for D and natural A).

[domesticactivist]

I can't believe I missed this thread! You've already gotten good advice.

Our family has been on the GAPS diet for a year and it has worked wonders for each of us in different ways. I highly recommend doing the introduction GAPS diet. It really helps both with healing and with identifying foods that cause you problems, since you start out so basic and slowly introduce them. I also love all the variety of naturally probiotic foods. (In addition to Fermented Cod Liver Oil and GutPro or Bio Kult probiotics).

[TLK879]

I can't believe I missed this thread! You've already gotten good advice.

Our family has been on the GAPS diet for a year and it has worked wonders for each of us in different ways. I highly recommend doing the introduction GAPS diet. It really helps both with healing and with identifying foods that cause you problems, since you start out so basic and slowly introduce them. I also love all the variety of naturally probiotic foods. (In addition to Fermented Cod Liver Oil and GutPro or Bio Kult probiotics).

Thanks for all the recommendations and advice. That is so great to hear that all of you have done so well on the GAPS diet. I'm looking forward to starting it and can't wait to see the results.

Where did you buy the B12 and cod liver oil and what brands are they? Thanks again!

[Skylark]

I get them at my health food store. Natural Factors B12 1000 mcg becasue it's methylcobalamin. That's one of the forms your body uses. I don't take theme every day becasue 1000 mcg is a lot. My local store doesn't have a 500 mcg methyl-B12. I get Carlson's cod liver oil, though I'm planning on ordering Green Pastures once this bottle is done.

[domesticactivist]

Thanks for all the recommendations and advice. That is so great to hear that all of you have done so well on the GAPS diet. I'm looking forward to starting it and can't wait to see the results.

Where did you buy the B12 and cod liver oil and what brands are they? Thanks again!

We use the Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Our daughter takes the Green Pastures Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil blend.

My naturopath started giving me B vitamin shots. This is a good way to supplement it because it doesn't rely on your gut for absorption.

[Skylark]

My naturopath started giving me B vitamin shots. This is a good way to supplement it because it doesn't rely on your gut for absorption.

You might do a little poking around on PubMed. There are multiple studies showing that 1000-2000 mcg/day of oral B12 can reverse deficiency as well as shots in most people. Here's a little review to get you started. Open Original Shared Link

[TLK879]

You might do a little poking around on PubMed. There are multiple studies showing that 1000-2000 mcg/day of oral B12 can reverse deficiency as well as shots in most people. Here's a little review to get you started. Open Original Shared Link

Thank you for all the advice and links! I'm making some bone broth as I type I've gone through the GAPS book, but I don't see much about fermented veggies in there. It has sauerkraut listed, but doesn't really go into too much detail about the importance of fermented veggies. I know that it is important in the GAPS diet, but I was hoping to find more info about how to make fermented veggies and the benefits of them. I don't really have much money, so I was wondering if a fermenter is necessary. If not, how do I make the fermented veggies at home? How often do I need to do this, or can I just juice lots of veggies, steam them, or add them to my meat/bone broth? Also, I just realized that it says that only French artichokes are permitted. What are these? I bought some artichokes, before reading this. So, now I'm not sure if I can eat them.

Also, I have been reading about the intro GAPS diet, and it goes through various stages (from adding eggs, avocados, homemade probiotics, etc.). I was wondering how fast you should be going through these stages. Also, for those of you who cannot tolerate dairy, were you able to tolerate ghee or the homemade yoghurt? I'm actually not sure if I react to lactose, casein or both, so I'm wondering if I should try it. Or maybe I should wait on that till I can figure out more foods that I react/not react to.

One more question..is the multivitamin you mentioned free of gluten, dairy, soy, yeast, etc.? Sorry for all the questions. But, I'm just starting and I want to make sure I do this right.

[TLK879]

Also, where can I buy the fermented cod liver oil, B12, and good multi-v for a decent price? I know that these are all pretty pricey, but I was wondering if you knew of any discounted websites. Thanks!

[Skylark]

The veggie ferments are not optional, especially if you can't eat yogurt. Probiotic pills are helpful but they're not a substitute for eating probiotic food. You're trying to repopulate your intestine and the more different kinds of live bacteria you can eat, the better. Remember, the bacteria in probiotic pills are dormant. The bacteria in homemade yogurt or sauerkraut is alive. You should have some fermented veggies or yogurt a couple times a day.

This is how I do my ferments, only I just use my hand to mash the sauerkraut into my jars.

I got the Caldwell starter to be sure my first attempts worked. I use one-quart widemouth canning jars I found locally. Now I start my batches with a little juice and cabbage from the one before. Supposedly you can use yogurt or kefir whey but I am disinclined to put dairy into my ferments because of my intolerance. I do have a friend who does hers without cultures and she says it works fine. Open Original Shared Link has a basic sauerkraut recipe with just the cabbage and salt.

If you are confused about GAPS food lists, check the SCD ones. This will answer your question about artichokes.

Open Original Shared Link

The GAPS stages are completely up to you. You have to listen to your body. Campbell-McBride recommends intro if you have a lot of GI trouble, or if you have intolerances and need to seal your gut lining. I tried intro, but I found it nearly impossible working full-time so I'm on full GAPS, minus dairy.

I can't help you much with discount supplements. The stuff I take is a specific formula for mental health and it's only available through True Hope. I watch for sales on fish oil and cod liver oil.

[TLK879]

The veggie ferments are not optional, especially if you can't eat yogurt. Probiotic pills are helpful but they're not a substitute for eating probiotic food. You're trying to repopulate your intestine and the more different kinds of live bacteria you can eat, the better. Remember, the bacteria in probiotic pills are dormant. The bacteria in homemade yogurt or sauerkraut is alive. You should have some fermented veggies or yogurt a couple times a day.

This is how I do my ferments, only I just use my hand to mash the sauerkraut into my jars.

I got the Caldwell starter to be sure my first attempts worked. I use one-quart widemouth canning jars I found locally. Now I start my batches with a little juice and cabbage from the one before. Supposedly you can use yogurt or kefir whey but I am disinclined to put dairy into my ferments because of my intolerance. I do have a friend who does hers without cultures and she says it works fine. Open Original Shared Link has a basic sauerkraut recipe with just the cabbage and salt.

If you are confused about GAPS food lists, check the SCD ones. This will answer your question about artichokes.

Open Original Shared Link

The GAPS stages are completely up to you. You have to listen to your body. Campbell-McBride recommends intro if you have a lot of GI trouble, or if you have intolerances and need to seal your gut lining. I tried intro, but I found it nearly impossible working full-time so I'm on full GAPS, minus dairy.

I can't help you much with discount supplements. The stuff I take is a specific formula for mental health and it's only available through True Hope. I watch for sales on fish oil and cod liver oil.

Thank you!! All of this helps a lot! Have you tried the Ghee or the homemade yogurt at all, or did you just avoid it because of your intolerance? I am also afraid, but kinda curious to see if I react to it. Do you think the fermented cod liver oil is a lot better than other types of cod liver oil? In other words, do you think it is worth it to spend the extra money on the quality brand? Thanks again!