Healing the Gut Tribe.......April - Page 8

[Panserbjorne]

Re: diet. The SCD is so nutrient dense and full of calories! I would say if you're losing and don't have weight to lose it's because your body is replacing unhealthy tissue with healthy tissue. Dr. Joel Furman discusses this in his nutrition books. If you've had a poor diet and built your body with inappropriate foods you will lose the weight-even to the point of getting skinny-and then replace the weight with healthy tissue. HTH. I believe this was discussed on the NT thread (similar diets that they are) I think it would apply.

[caedmyn]

I know absolutely I haven't had dairy other than those two times...I haven't had any grains for the last week, so unless there's gluten in something other than grain that has been eliminated.

As far as the SCD, if I do switch to it instead of the Maker's Diet, should I just go exactly the way it recommends, 24 hr yogurt and all, or should I hold off on the yogurt for awhile? It seems like there isn't really enough info for me on the various websites. Maybe the book has more info...I have a copy on hold at the library but I think there are a few people ahead of me to get it.

When I'm starting enzymes, how do I know how much is too much for DD (as far as her reacting to what I'm taking)? Should she not have any reaction at all? Is a reaction of crabbiness ok (to whatever level I can tolerate it) if there's no poop changes in her?

[artisticat]

caedmyn-maybe you should try to cut out eggs to see. DD and I react to them. They totally throw off our digestive system. So no eggs for us. And yes it makes it a little trick, but not too bad. I feel for you though tyring to figure this out. Why does it have to be so hard:

Well, this was day 3 (for the 3rd time around!). It is so darn hard to just eat chicken and broth and yogurt all day long. Today especially we were at my sister's b-day party. So much temptation and no-nos there. Overall I think we did great. I cheated with some raw carrots, celery, and olives. (oh and a glass of wine). DD did great until her and her cousin walk into the living room munching on chips!!!

So today I ate grilled hamburger patties and introduced green beans. I feel like total crap. I forgot my enzymes so that's not a factor. My legs and ankles ache. I have sulphery gas and my stomach hurts. Do you think I can be reacting to meat or not digesting it properly? I remember the other two times I've started the diet () that I have also had gas those nights I ate burgers. Everytime was different veggies though so it could be the veggies.


Oh and JaneS your CHEAT SHEET ROCKS!! I looked at it the other day and just haven't had a chance to say thanks. That will help so many people and make it so much easier to get all the basics.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by firefaery

jane, the liver thing is the easy part. It's just a blood test, if it's under any strain at all it will be dumping enzymes. It's very standard-not something you need to go to yet another lab for. If it was a problem there is SO much you can do about it. Liver support is not difficult.

The body does have it's own controls, that's true. But dietary changes can sort of re-activate the body's natural "tendencies." It's a good place to start. Homeopathy can help too, but it sounds like you aren't having great luck with your practitioner? Do you know which sulfur he's on?

I don't know how picky your ds is. Will he drink lemon water?

Thanks FF... I will add this to our list for the next visit with the Ped/Hom.
I want his minerals and Vit. D checked too so hopefully she can just add it on. Poor baby, will be first time he will be pricked since birth!
(horrible blood tests then)

OH S**T. I forgot to give him his remedy today. It's plain ole Sulfur.

He loves, loves, loves lemonade. So I should give that to him with every meal I'm guessing? Try to knock down the meat and up the nuts I guess. He already eats a lot of fruit and veggies. Most everything else he eats is pretty alkaline or mildly acid.

The other thing I've found is ginger stimulates bile and other things:

Ginger offers numerous health benefits that have been demonstrated both historically and scientifically. Because ginger contains 180 times the protein digesting power of papaya, and stimulates fat digesting bile as well as the growth of healthy intestinal flora, ginger restores balance and potentiates proper digestive function.* These benefits contribute to ginger’s ability to enhance the utilization of other dietary supplements. Additionally, ginger contains at least 12 antioxidant compounds and recent research in India, Denmark and Japan suggests that ginger modulates prostaglandins thereby promoting circulatory health and balancing the inflammatory process.* Our ginger juice is a full spectrum, organic extraction from ginger grown on our own farm in Costa Rica.
http://www.new-chapter.com/product/g...=32840&-search

Jen,
This is a pretty good site to check foods: http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline_foods.htm
Unfortunately a lot of books don't agree.

[Pookietooth]

firefaery, I didn't mean to suggest how to take the remedy (note I didn't give amounts), I was just asking if that's what Jane's homeopath was having her do or not. Thanks for the info about the liver panel.
Jane thanks for the link. I've noticed that about the websites not agreeing about acid/alkaline foods! I did notice beans are a no-no, which is fine for ds since he won't touch them, but bad for me, since I love them. Think soaking them with whey a la NT would help?

[JaneS]

Jen,

The bile salts can be found at hfs or online, they are pretty cheap. Aka ox bile.

The thing about tooth decay though IMO is that the minerals and fat soluble vitamins might be more of a key according to WAPF's research.
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Artic...d_base_bal.htm

And since I do feel that way I'm still skeptical about this whole acid alkaline diet things. Because my gut is telling me it's my DS's minerals not be absorbed correctly and his digestion, like everything else!

[JaneS]

Caedmyn,

I think the test is that if BF baby's poop smells good/like yogurt, is mostly yellow curds and doesn't give them diaper rash, then they are doing okay.

There is info on water and grape juice kefir and how to convert dairy grains at Dom's site:
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/...#Kefir-d-acqua

[Panserbjorne]

Jane~the lemon juice in water should be given a half an hour before every meal. It is so acidic that it shocks the body into alkalinity. It absolutely couldn't hurt, and will also aid in digestion and liver function.

Caedmyn~Gluten is in many things besides grains. I don't know what you've been eating so it's hard to say. But, just understand that it takes time for your body (and her's) to clear out allergens. One week isn't enough time to see a difference. Oh-and I did SCD dairy free-with no problem. If dairy is that big of an issue I would definitely hold off.

[JaneS]

The homeopath's instructions were to dissolve 4 - 30C pellets in 4 oz of spring water and DS was to take 1/4-1/2 teasp. every other day.

When I said to her that it wasn't working after a week, she said to shake it before giving it to him. Now I just screwed up our schedule today so who knows.

[nicolena]

hi--not quite caught up with the thread, but wanted to announce that we stayed on the diet in ny! woohoo! and i think i'm starting to understand it, altho i know i'll have lots of questions soon (trying to figure how to cook/introduce foods after zucchini seemed not to go too well with one dd). but i will thoroughly examine the cheat sheet first!

my girlfriend make the diet food look delicious. she also fiddled with the cheesecake and added 1/4 water with gelatin (gel added to cold water then simmered, then cooled and added to recipe)--pretty good, and gets gelatin into dds because they often won't eat the gelatin. also, they rarely take the broth (sometimes a sip or two) so i'm boiling carrots and then simmering in broth--i hope this is getting some broth into them. d'ya think?

pookietooth, i wish i had more time to write, but i wanted to say that i hear you about wishing i'd known about helaing the gut/nutrition before i got pregnant (thru ivf) too. but these babies *are* meant to be, and they're very lucky that we're finding out about this stuff now rather than later. or never.

don't have a lot of time, but why did i buy so many nuts to "start" the diet? it doesn't seem like we'll be up to nuts very soon, and i'm afraid they're all going to go rancid.

i see definite behavioral changes in my dds! i will post details soon!

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I know absolutely I haven't had dairy other than those two times...I haven't had any grains for the last week, so unless there's gluten in something other than grain that has been eliminated.

As far as the SCD, if I do switch to it instead of the Maker's Diet, should I just go exactly the way it recommends, 24 hr yogurt and all, or should I hold off on the yogurt for awhile? It seems like there isn't really enough info for me on the various websites. Maybe the book has more info...I have a copy on hold at the library but I think there are a few people ahead of me to get it.

When I'm starting enzymes, how do I know how much is too much for DD (as far as her reacting to what I'm taking)? Should she not have any reaction at all? Is a reaction of crabbiness ok (to whatever level I can tolerate it) if there's no poop changes in her?

I think the enzymes can be a cause too. Karen DeFelice describes it like abrading a wound if the gut is still healing.

Watching your kid's crabbiness is a head game too! Can make you insane thinking, was it this, was it that....perhaps... the weather. There's no hard and fast rule, you gotta just go with your intuition.

You can start SCD with nut yogurt, the cashew yogurt at Pecanbread is pretty tasty. Not like yogurt, but not bad as a thick drink. If you ever do want to try dairy, it should be goat IMO.

[JaneS]

That's great Mehera!

I've had good luck with simmering down broth 'til thick and using as a sauce for meat for DS.

Nuts keep pretty long. They can be refrigerated if you are concerned about rancidity. I think pecans are the most fragile in this respect? Walnuts too maybe?

[JaneS]

Thank you everyone for telling me how great the Cheat Sheet is... I was really just looking for suggestions, but I guess you can't improve on perfection? :

I still keep thinking of things to add...

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Peri Patetic

I'm going to go see a local doc (DC and nutritionist) who is heavily into NT and works on all kinds of gut issues/fatigue/adrenals/yeast/etc. I'll see what he says...

Well, I ended up with a small layer of something like yogurt on the top, then mostly yellow liquid (whey?) and then some curdy-looking yogurty like stuff on the bottom. I know it's supposed to be a bit watery but this didn't seem right at all. It smelled and tasted very yogurty but geez, more than half of it was liquid. I checked the temp of the yogurt though at the end and it was at 120 degrees, so I think the yogurt maker runs hot.

Please do report back on the adrenal stuff. Good luck at your appt. His credentials sound interesting. Like www.drrons.com in CT.

Yeah, separated yogurt is what happens when it gets too hot. I did this once so that's how I know!

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

Jane thanks for the link. I've noticed that about the websites not agreeing about acid/alkaline foods! I did notice beans are a no-no, which is fine for ds since he won't touch them, but bad for me, since I love them. Think soaking them with whey a la NT would help?

Hmmm. The soaking removes indigestible sugars I know that, whether that makes a difference in how they are burned....dunno.

[Pattyla]

7 weeks. Where has the time gone. We are finally tolerating some raw foods. but I am going really, really slowly with them. No sense in messing up a good thing. Or not so good thing. The enormity of this is hitting me right now. I'm frustrated. After great progress with dd's sleep, nothing lately. I keep having to remind myself that
1. it was worse 2 months ago
2. she is cutting her molars and all bets are off untill they come in.

Oh and dd was sick on friday night. Our first opportunity to experience vomiting. It was loads of fun. I discovered that nothing from her supper eaten hours before was digested (blueberries, meat, watermellon, not sure what else). When it kept going on and on I called my Dr. I wasn't sure when it is a concern. He finally called back 3 hours later! In the meantime I found a remedies book and gave her homepathic ipecac. It seemed to work on the 2nd dose (either that or she was done). In any case no more vomit. She still seems off but it is hard to say if it is sickness or being completely messed up in the sleep department because the happened late friday night and we didn't get to bed untill after midnight.

Anyhow. Tell me about Kiefer. I know that it isn't fanatical adherance but I'm more concerned with getting better than I am with being a fanatic. Our big issue is yeast.

And what about coloidal silver? I need something other than the gse. I can get it down but I'll never get more than a drop or two at a time into dd.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by artisticat

So today I ate grilled hamburger patties and introduced green beans. I feel like total crap. I forgot my enzymes so that's not a factor. My legs and ankles ache. I have sulphery gas and my stomach hurts. Do you think I can be reacting to meat or not digesting it properly? I remember the other two times I've started the diet () that I have also had gas those nights I ate burgers. Everytime was different veggies though so it could be the veggies.

Do you not usually eat a lot of red meat?
This sounds like me when I started eating it again after many years of being veg. I've heard you lose the enzymes to break it down and need to start with very small portions. Supplementing with enzymes should help. And help with die off too.

Who just said they are stopping Candidase for die off?

Enzymes are supposed to help with die off b/c they eat up the dead cells. They did for me. I used to be a Candex addict everytime I got thrush while bf'ing (too bad I didn't know as much then so that I KEPT taking the darned stuff).

Firefaery posted about using pascalite clay last month for die off. Also can use activated charcoal (only a few days tho) or bentonite clay.

[caedmyn]

This is driving me absolutely nuts. Maybe I better stop the enzymes, too, until the bloody poop goes away. How else am I supposed to heal though? I guess I can do the probiotics instead. I wonder if I can make almond yogurt instead of cashew yogurt--I don't really like cashews, plus I have tons of almonds right now. Where do I get a non-dairy starter?

I guess I will cancel my raw cow milk share and get a raw goat milk share instead--I just found one today so I guess the timing is good!

Can someone tell me if my interpretation of the way to start the SCD is right...first the intro diet for a couple of days, then you are supposed to add cooked fruits and veggies one by one? I will seriously starve if I have to do that, especially since I can't do dairy. Or if the only digestive issue I have is gas, can I do the intro and then all SCD legal foods (except maybe the difficult ones likes cabbage)? I really need at least nuts to make it work, and it would be nice if I could use lentils, too--I can puree them and make pancakes if that would make them any easier to digest. Could I go ahead and eat raw fruits and veggies or is that bad?

If someone can give me a quick summary of how that diet is supposed to work that would be great...I've looked at the website several times, and the pecanbread one several times, but I am just not getting it.

firefaery--doesn't gluten only come from grains? I make everything from scratch so if it only comes from grains I am not getting any gluten. I'm eating veggies, eggs, honey, EVOO, coconut oil, salt, spices, lentils, almonds, berries, chicken/elk, raw cider vinegar, and lemon juice (fresh).

Thank you everyone for bearing with me while I try to figure this all out...I'm pretty sure at least a third of the posts on this thread are mine!

[mlleoiseau]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

firefaery--doesn't gluten only come from grains? I make everything from scratch so if it only comes from grains I am not getting any gluten. I'm eating veggies, eggs, honey, EVOO, coconut oil, salt, spices, lentils, almonds, berries, chicken/elk, raw cider vinegar, and lemon juice (fresh).

You shouldn't be getting any gluten from whole foods you are eating. However some spices have gluten in them.

And for what it's worth, blood in poops doesn't have to be from a dairy allergy. It can be from any allergy.

[Annikate]

Originally Posted by caedmyn
firefaery--doesn't gluten only come from grains? I make everything from scratch so if it only comes from grains I am not getting any gluten. I'm eating veggies, eggs, honey, EVOO, coconut oil, salt, spices, lentils, almonds, berries, chicken/elk, raw cider vinegar, and lemon juice (fresh).

My dd is *highly* allergic to gluten. Even the tiniest amounts in my b'milk will affect her. It took us quite a while to figure out that it was gluten and yk, it took a good 8 weeks or more to get out of her system. So ... it could be the dairy in your diet taking this long or the gluten . . . or . . .

Gluten is in EVERYTHING. PM me if you want a list of other names it can go by. It can be tricky when first starting to watch for it.

I know you're impatient. I was too. It wasn't until we did RAST testing w/dd that I found something out definitively. I just couldn't figure it out on my own.