New Feeling A Bit Overwhelmed But Working On It

[greenpea]

i am just recovering from a herendous case of canker sores and candida because i was enjoying hamburgers and conversation at lunch with my nephew while he worked on painting the exterior of the house. I went about 10 days without being able to eat--only liquids. What an eye opener. i don't ever want to go through this again. my whole adult life i have struggled with being different and not being able to enjoy eating out socially or even with family. i was diagnosed with celiac disease, soy, dairy and have trouble digesting fats, nuts, corn. i'm ready to deal with this now!!! It has gone into secondary problems so that i can hardly function after i have had something that i'm allergic to.

My strength is coming back now. It has been 2 days since my first food. I am living a life without friends and i am ready to do my best to conquer these allergies and sensitivities so that i can have strength without my blood sugar going low constantly and so i can have a social life. this has been a frustrating life and i just want it to get better.

ok i am getting organized by typing a grocery list of foods i can eat. then i typed a sheet describing celiac and all about it and put these papers in a handy place.

i think next i will type what few, very few recipes i have come up with.

i can only tolerate recipes with a few ingredients in them.

also i found that i can eat foods separately and they digest better.

ok enough for now

any thoughts?

[Korwyn]

i am just recovering from a herendous case of canker sores and candida because i was enjoying hamburgers and conversation at lunch with my nephew while he worked on painting the exterior of the house. I went about 10 days without being able to eat--only liquids. What an eye opener. i don't ever want to go through this again. my whole adult life i have struggled with being different and not being able to enjoy eating out socially or even with family. i was diagnosed with celiac disease, soy, dairy and have trouble digesting fats, nuts, corn. i'm ready to deal with this now!!! It has gone into secondary problems so that i can hardly function after i have had something that i'm allergic to.

My strength is coming back now. It has been 2 days since my first food. I am living a life without friends and i am ready to do my best to conquer these allergies and sensitivities so that i can have strength without my blood sugar going low constantly and so i can have a social life. this has been a frustrating life and i just want it to get better.

ok i am getting organized by typing a grocery list of foods i can eat. then i typed a sheet describing celiac and all about it and put these papers in a handy place.

i think next i will type what few, very few recipes i have come up with.

i can only tolerate recipes with a few ingredients in them.

also i found that i can eat foods separately and they digest better.

ok enough for now

any thoughts?

Hi greenpea!

Welcome and blessings on your efforts. I'm also highly (violently) reactive to dairy (Casein protein - ironically I'm not lactose intolerant), soy, and refined corn (corn starch, corn syrup), as well as have celiac disease. Raw/whole corn or stone ground corn are ok now. I have some suggestions based on my experiences since April of this year. Also watch out for soy lecithin in things. That got me good. Our almond milk had soy lecithin in it as a thickener.

1. Get a good probiotic - PB8 from VitaminShoppe is really good, and if you get it online you can pick it up for about $12 or so. Start with the recommended portion, but over the course of 2-3 weeks ramp it up to 3-4 times the normal portion two or three times a day. Keep this up. This was actually recommended to me by my GI specialist, and after researching any negative side affects from too many probiotics (none other than diarrhea if you start out to high too fast ) went with it. It has helped me tremendously. Take them at least an hour prior to eating.

2. Try this for breakfast/lunch. The blending helps your system digest much easier. Substitute as desired to accommodate taste or other food intolerances: In a blender or food processor add a cup of milk substitute (rice, almond, hemp dream, hazelnet, etc). Add some fresh kale, baby spinich, collard green, various lettuce, swiss chard, dandelion greens (very high in iron and vitamin D), a banana (well ripened with brown spots/freckles), 1/2 apple (not 'Red Delicious', try Fuji, or some other one that actually has some decent nutritional value. Green ones are much more acidic). If you are not taking a flax or fish oil (omega 3/6/9) supplement already (VitaminShoppe makes a certified organic flax oil that is also gluten, soy, and dairy free - I called them to check), get a bottle of lemon flavoured fish oil and add a serving to it. Add a couple ice cubes, and more liquid (water or milk substitute) to get the consistency. I sometimes throw in some RAW honey (get this at a farmer market or health food store. If it isn't labelled RAW, don't bother, it has no nutritional value once heated). Also sometimes I throw in a glob of creamy peanut butter. Look for Adams pre-stirred. It is organic, and has only peanuts and salt. Completely safe.

** On the chard and collard green don't put the main stem in for a while. It has a lot of starchy fiber, and until your intestinal system starts to heal up staying away from that kind of fiber will be helpful. Get you fiber from apples, peaches, nectarines, and the main parts of the leafy veggies. Also don't use iceberg (round head) lettuce. It has almost no nutritional value. Use romaine, butter lettuce, green/red leaf lettuce, etc. Also avoid celery for both of these reasons (no nutritional content, wrong kind of fiber).

Other variations/hints: throw in a raw egg, or try chocolate almond or hazelnut milk (once again watch for the soy lecithin. It is in 95% of all chocolate products). Buy the banana's in large quantities, let them ripen then peel and freeze them. They will keep for about 3 months and then you don't have to use ice to chill it (if you like it chilled). Try various fruits and berries, but try to keep the fruit down to the minimum you need for taste. Some good ones we like are blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mangos, guava, peaches, nectarines.

Where appropriate keep the skin on your fruits. Apple, mango, peach, etc. Not the banana or kiwi though! Kiwi is very prickly, no matter how well you blend it!

I know it may sound gross (and it looks gross), but with the fruit and/or peanut butter it tastes completely different that you'd expect. The vitamin and nutritional content is so rich and the blending breaks everything down so that your system can process it much easier.

If you saute or cook meats with oils (canola, olive, veggie (often has soybean), etc) and butter, stop. The best thing to cook with for this kind of food is other animal fat. Save the oils for salads or baking. The oils we commonly saute and cook with (canola, vegetable, olive, coconut, et al) break down when heated into trans-fats. They may have '0 trans-fats' going in, but once heated it is a different story. Aside from all the other issues, these are hard on your digestive systems.

For a while (at least a couple months) stay away from starchy/carb foods/grains in general. Potatoes, other grains, etc. You system is hyper-sensitive, and will continue to be so. If you are not careful you can develop additional food intolerances. Also watch out for things high in sugar and acids (tomatoes are a good example). Right now the rule of thumb you might want to look at is "if it is processed (canned/factory processed) I should avoid it." This turned out to be my problem with corn. I can tolerate it fresh or frozen (whole kernel) just fine. But the more processed it is (canned or refined) the worse I react to it.

IANAD (I an not a doctor/dietitian). This is all based of my personal experience and research, and YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), but you sound like you are describing a digestive system very similar to mine. Though much of my reaction to soy and gluten is neurological and psychological, except for dairy and cornstarch which make me throw up so violently that I can't even describe it.

[greenpea]

thanks Korwyn, have you read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Just commenting on your avatar. i printed your comments and i'll sit down and read it in detail. From skimming it, you gave me some good advice. thanks. there is someone else out there!!!!!

Today i am eating white beans (soaked and rinsed 3 times) broccoli and herb lettuce. I tried white breast chicken from walmart, the rotisserie cooked one, yea and it messed with my head. Then i read the ingredients and it has wheat and soy. ouch. Who would have thought on a simple piece of chicken breast.

Anyway i am still weak and not yet up to par but better.

One of my favorite recipes after i have been sick is to put a handful of lettuce (i like earthbound herb salad) in a medium bowl, add cooked brown rice and whatever fresh cooked beans i am hungry for on top of that ( a lot of times butter beans or white beans) and top it off with sliced avocado and a little salt. yum.

[greenpea]

thanks Korwyn, have you read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Just commenting on your avatar. i printed your comments and i'll sit down and read it in detail. From skimming it, you gave me some good advice. thanks. there is someone else out there!!!!!

Today i am eating white beans (soaked and rinsed 3 times) broccoli and herb lettuce. I tried white breast chicken from walmart, the rotisserie cooked one, yea and it messed with my head. Then i read the ingredients and it has wheat and soy. ouch. Who would have thought on a simple piece of chicken breast.

Anyway i am still weak and not yet up to par but better.

One of my favorite recipes after i have been sick is to put a handful of lettuce (i like earthbound herb salad) in a medium bowl, add cooked brown rice and whatever fresh cooked beans i am hungry for on top of that ( a lot of times butter beans or white beans) and top it off with sliced avocado and a little salt. yum.

[greenpea]

it is the next morning almost noon after eating all those white beans, red lentils with brown rice and and pan of sauteed garlic and onion.

i read the post by Korwyn. "for a while stay away from starchy/carb foods/grains in general."

I was up at 1am trying to get the candida yeast under control. I use wild oregano oil (always diluted now), 3 drops in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil mixed into salad greens and vegetables. I also use a 4oz. spray bottle with 3 drops of oil of wild oregano and filtered water to spray on my skin, forehead, head, spine, arms, legs, feet and especially in my mouth. It relaxes my whole body. I avoid sensitive areas, eyes ears nose lips etc. it will sting. I always shake the bottle before using it to make sure the oil is not concentrated.

For breakfast i had the fresh green drink: 1 cup almond milk (i do not tolerate any other milk, not even rice milk) fresh kale, baby spinach, collard greens, herb lettuce salad mix, (i went to walmart around the corner this morning to get the ingredients) a banana, 1/2 fuji apple (i like those too).

The only thing i didn't have is the lemon flavored fish oil. I have some evening primrose oil capsules i swallow. And also i grind flaxseed to put on veggies and salads. next time i'm at whole foods i'll see if it is in my budget.

since my system is not digesting fats well, i'll stay away from nut butters for now, but will definitely try it later.

I did cut the stems from the leafy greens. "On the chard and collard green don't put the main stem in for a while. It has a lot of starchy fiber, and until your intestinal system starts to heal up stay away from that kind of fiber will be helpful."

Ok that is breakfast. Now what do i do for lunch?

I had to quit work a couple of years ago because i could not last through the day and had to lay down sseveral times just to make it through. and now i'm coming back. this is me coming back. the healthiest i have been in years. i'm not letting go and i will stick with it. at least now i know some of the reasons why i have been so sick--celiac disease is one major factor.

thanks for validating my information on cooking with oils, save the oils for salads or baking. You are the only person i know of who gave this information as i know it. You did add another twist to it that i was not aware of, saute iwth other animal fats. i think an expeller pressed organic canola oil. I may be wrong.

[Korwyn]

it is the next morning almost noon after eating all those white beans, red lentils with brown rice and and pan of sauteed garlic and onion.

i read the post by Korwyn. "for a while stay away from starchy/carb foods/grains in general."

I was up at 1am trying to get the candida yeast under control. I use wild oregano oil (always diluted now), 3 drops in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil mixed into salad greens and vegetables. I also use a 4oz. spray bottle with 3 drops of oil of wild oregano and filtered water to spray on my skin, forehead, head, spine, arms, legs, feet and especially in my mouth. It relaxes my whole body. I avoid sensitive areas, eyes ears nose lips etc. it will sting. I always shake the bottle before using it to make sure the oil is not concentrated.

For breakfast i had the fresh green drink: 1 cup almond milk (i do not tolerate any other milk, not even rice milk) fresh kale, baby spinach, collard greens, herb lettuce salad mix, (i went to walmart around the corner this morning to get the ingredients) a banana, 1/2 fuji apple (i like those too).

The only thing i didn't have is the lemon flavored fish oil. I have some evening primrose oil capsules i swallow. And also i grind flaxseed to put on veggies and salads. next time i'm at whole foods i'll see if it is in my budget.

since my system is not digesting fats well, i'll stay away from nut butters for now, but will definitely try it later.

I did cut the stems from the leafy greens. "On the chard and collard green don't put the main stem in for a while. It has a lot of starchy fiber, and until your intestinal system starts to heal up stay away from that kind of fiber will be helpful."

Ok that is breakfast. Now what do i do for lunch?

I had to quit work a couple of years ago because i could not last through the day and had to lay down sseveral times just to make it through. and now i'm coming back. this is me coming back. the healthiest i have been in years. i'm not letting go and i will stick with it. at least now i know some of the reasons why i have been so sick--celiac disease is one major factor.

thanks for validating my information on cooking with oils, save the oils for salads or baking. You are the only person i know of who gave this information as i know it. You did add another twist to it that i was not aware of, saute iwth other animal fats. i think an expeller pressed organic canola oil. I may be wrong.

Yes, I've read HG2G. All five books in the trilogy Well the problem with sauteing with any vegetable oil is that when they are heated they break down into trans-saturated fats which are hard on your system. Very little of the cholesterol in the animal fat is actually absorbed into your system when sauteing with them. Most of the cholesterol in our body is actually produced by our body. But that is a whole other research topic.

Anyway....for lunch I usually have something like Quinoa and a chicken breast or some other type of non-processed meat (pork steak, london broil, etc). We buy meat from a local butcher in large quantities when it is on sale, spend a saturday cooking (usually BBQ it but sometimes broil it), and then slice it up into portion sized pieces and freeze them. We also use a slow cooker to prepare a crockpot of soup (white navy bean and ham, split pea, rice and chicken, Quinoa and chicken or beef, etc) and then freeze it in portion sizes. So lunch become a matter of grabbing an apple and a main dish from the freezer and throwing whatever else sounds good (Quinoa usually, but sometimes brown basmati or long grain rice) from the fridge.

Dinner for me is often a large salad, or a green drink, or whatever I feel like I have the energy to prepare. One dish that I like is take some bacon and cook it down to almost crispy, drain off most of the grease, throw some mushrooms in and saute them with the bacon, then throw a bunch of (already cooked) Quinoa in and fry it until crispy. Eat that with some lean chicken. Quinoa is an excellent fruit (it isn't a grain) with 8 amino acids, and a LOT of nutritional value. I get it in larger bags (5 lb I think) at Costco.

For snacks in between meals I usually have an apple, nuts and craisins, or sometimes some Mrs. May's vegan snacks - fruit and nuts. I sometimes find these at our local 'Grocery Outlet' discount food store and buy as many as I can get my hands on when they have them.