HTG - Healing the Gut September/October 07 - Page 2

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

I was reading the HTG cheat sheet and it says to take enzymes between meals. Should I just take the one I always do with meals? I think it is called NSI 10X Mega Digestive enzymes http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Mega-Digestive-Enzymes-10X . (If it makes any difference, I am 18 weeks pregnant)

Thanks,

Jen

The same enzymes should be okay, I would think. Taking them between meals helps your body to "mop up" anything extra floating around that hasn't been broken down properly with the rest of the meal. At least that is how I understand it. I've been giving my DD the enzymes on the GI Pro Health website because most of their products are SCD friendly. http://www.giprohealth.com/prozymes.html We've only built up to two a day so far. I gave her another brand and started out way too fast and she ended up with a weird body rash, so we've been doing the slow and low method.

I really wish something like the SCD could have helped us, but with DD's c. difficule infection the SCD doesn't work to kill it. I was really glad we did the stool analysis and I knew it wouldn't work to heal her before I tried it. Not that I don't think it could have done some good, but it wouldn't have killed the c. difficule because you can't starve it. Just saying this so that if anyone tries the SCD and doesn't get results, a comprehensive stool analysis may be helpful to see if you are fighting something in the gut that can't be treated by diet alone.

[tempestjewel]

Just wanted to add a big: to the newbies on this thread. I'm not much of an expert, but right now am heading towards having a success story and I'd love to help anyone else get there if I can!

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by tempestjewel

\
I really wish something like the SCD could have helped us, but with DD's c. difficule infection the SCD doesn't work to kill it. I was really glad we did the stool analysis and I knew it wouldn't work to heal her before I tried it. Not that I don't think it could have done some good, but it wouldn't have killed the c. difficule because you can't starve it. Just saying this so that if anyone tries the SCD and doesn't get results, a comprehensive stool analysis may be helpful to see if you are fighting something in the gut that can't be treated by diet alone.

What else is the SCD *not* good for?

And for food ideas, I've been eating all sorts of yummy stuff! Last night was roast leg of lamb with smooshed cauliflower.

Oh, and a quick (TMI) question about die-off: On saturday and again today (tues) I've had an upset tummy-turned diarrhea. It really seems like something I ate, but I'm wondering if it could be die-off instead? I was eating completely different things friday night and last night...

[applezz]

Aww thanks for the welcome.

I have to say my discomfort has diminished in the past few days, I am so encouraged. Plus I made the most HEAVENLY dessert tonight....

It is what we in the UK call Apple and Blackberry Crumble. (I am British, but live in USA) It is similar to a cobbler, but nicer!! LOL IMO!

Single serving....
1 apple
Hand full of blackberries
1/4 cup almond flour
1tsp butter
honey

cut apple into chunks and put it in a small oven safe dish (mine was about 4x4inches square). Add berries, mix a bit. Drizzle honey on top. In another bowl, blend butter and almond flour into sticky clumps. Sprinkle evenly over top of fruit. drizzle honey evenly over the top. Bake 325F for about 45 mins.

Let cool a little b4 you eat. Of course it is FAb with whipped cream, but am not sure if thats legal or not, so i didnt go there!

Enjoy. Sorry if I posted the recipe in the wrong spot. Still finding my way around.

Newcastle be delighted to be your pal on this trip. I too am a big believer in thinking positive. I am a hypnotist by trade, and I know first hand the mind can do amazing things when taught how.

Looking forward to chatting with you all more.

Applezz

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by whoMe

What else is the SCD *not* good for?

The only other thing that comes to mind is if you are dealing with sensitivities to the chemical compounds in foods- some people have better luck with the Failsafe diet.

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/
http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.com/

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by applezz

Any tips anyone has or additional info about healing erosions, I would LOVE to hear.

The super strong probiotic my DD is on may help- its called VSL#3. Its not SCD legal, but it has a long scientific track record of helping a variety of bowel/gut issues. It literally took my daughter from suffering severe eczema and multiple food allergies to her skin becoming healed, her lymph nodes shrinking back down to normal, and us able to reintroduce foods she couldn't have before. And all these positive results were from it helping to heal her gut. Here is the website:

http://www.vsl3.com/

[Theloose]

just for completeness sake, anyone know how the SCD does with candida? other candida diets seem to be all about ZERO carbs whatsoever.

newcastlemama and applezz - are either of you doing the intro and/or stages? I've started without them (today's my day 2 and a half - the first day was a test run) but am thinking about just getting the book and doing the whole shebang even though my own symptoms aren't really obvious. My reasoning is that first, it should jump start everything which should lead to faster results, and second, it i don't notice changes, i don't want to have the 'what ifs' and uncertainty that maybe i did it wrong or it's just too slow and gradual.

in other news, i think i have dh on board, at least for a week-long trial-run. he's been a fantastic sport about everything so far and has been eating the same as me for dinner, but the big change for him will be to bring his lunch to work - it's the culture there to go out everyday. his biggest holdback is the lack of science. he says the whole immune system is so poorly understood, that anyone claiming to know whats going on with it shouldn't be trusted. he'd feel a lot better if there were big trials that showed actual improvement...

[applezz]

Helloo,

WHome, I just jumped in, because I didnt have the book yet, and I have limited time to get things improved b4 I go back to the Dr. who is going to prescribe medicines I do not want to take. (Nothing against modern meds, but am only 38 I do not want to start some kind of life time thing when stepping up with my food, may get things on the right track). Pain is about the same as yesterday, But over all i think I didnt feel it at all for periods today. As in usually it is there all the time and I am aware. I was aware of it as some points today, but as i sat in the chair typing, I was not at all aware of it, until I thought about it, so it is there, but ignorable now. So I have honestly been staggered at the results.

Tempest, OOOOH thanks for the probiotic tip, I am off to check it out next.

Newcastle, any cravings at all? I am having a hard time eating enough calories. I definitely have some pounds I can shed, but before dinner, even though I had eaten five times, I was still only up to about 700 calories for the day. I ate out, put butter on my steamed veggies and cheese on my turkey burger, but even with that I bet I barely hit 1200 calories. Maybe it gets better when I get a full menu under my belt? How about you, any difficulties?

Nice talking with you all. Thanks again for the help!

Applezz

[Theloose]

So I drank baking soda this morning to test my stomach acid. And it took 4.5 minutes to burp. I'm going to redo it tomorrow with fresh soda, but now what? How do you even increase your stomach acid? off to read archives...

and dd is reacting to something new. i hope it's lamb. i want this taken care of!!!

ETA: Answering my own stomach acid question! from the cheat sheet: http://www.totalbeing.com/news_archive_07_01_05.asp

[Theloose]

I just went and bought a copy of BTVC, and saw a book, Restoring your digestive health: : how the guts and glory program can transform your life next to it. I didn't have a chance to really look closely, but when I skimmed, it looks like it references BTVC and the SCD, but also has a lot of specific information (at least in the table of contents) about specific conditions.

Anyone know anything about it?

[transformed]

I am completley not ready for this board! LOL. I know what candida is....kinda....and yet, thaats the extent of it. LOL

Anyways, rock on guys! I will continue to lurk and see if I can figure anything out, but boy am I lost!

Jenny

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by transformed

I am completley not ready for this board! LOL. I know what candida is....kinda....and yet, thaats the extent of it. LOL

Anyways, rock on guys! I will continue to lurk and see if I can figure anything out, but boy am I lost!

Got any questions? We might be able to point you in the right direction...

[transformed]

I honestly dont even know what to ask!

I have alot of symptoms of a yeast issue, I guess my first question is can you actually diagnose it through a blood test or something (So I dont have to do all the dietary restrictions and etc if I dont have to-what a pain in the butt!)

Ok, here are a couple:

1. Can it be diagnosed by a blood test (or something)
2. Can you treat for it while pregnant/breastfeeding?
3. Is this a "balence issue" or like a lifelong "disease" (I dont know what words to use...)

BTW- I freaking love the poop sticky-I cant rememer where it was-inhealth or something. I was so excited about analyzing poop I showed husband who thought I was a crazy hippy.

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by transformed

I honestly dont even know what to ask!

I have alot of symptoms of a yeast issue, I guess my first question is can you actually diagnose it through a blood test or something (So I dont have to do all the dietary restrictions and etc if I dont have to-what a pain in the butt!)

Ok, here are a couple:

1. Can it be diagnosed by a blood test (or something)
2. Can you treat for it while pregnant/breastfeeding?
3. Is this a "balence issue" or like a lifelong "disease" (I dont know what words to use...)

BTW- I freaking love the poop sticky-I cant rememer where it was-inhealth or something. I was so excited about analyzing poop I showed husband who thought I was a crazy hippy.

You can test for it through a comprehensive stool analysis. The stool analysis was really helpful for my DD because her problem ended up being bacterial and not yeast. There is a saliva test too, I believe, but don't remember for sure.

I do think you can safely and slowly treat it while pg/bf. In fact, if you treat it before you deliver it will help insure the new babe gets good gut flora from passing through the birth canal. If your body is off, their body can be too. I'm amazed how critical this issue really is and it is definitely something I will take very seriously in my next pg.

I think it is a balance issue, not a lifelong disease. You may have to "maintain" things for life, but utilizing foods that help balance your system (kefir, kombucha, fermented veggies, homemade 24-hour yogurt) make it more of a good lifestyle change then just a treatment issue.

[transformed]

Originally Posted by tempestjewel

(kefir, kombucha, fermented veggies, homemade 24-hour yogurt) make it more of a good lifestyle change then just a treatment issue.

does this stuff taste like :Puke
?

[Theloose]

kefir and yogurt are yummy! if they're too tart, you can flavor with fruit and/or honey or maple syrup (the syrup isn't SCD friendly, but sure is !)
water kefir is fantastic! it's like soda, only it's good for you! isn't really SCD friendly though.
kombucha - it took a little getting used to, but then I liked it. (This is over the course of 2 store-bought bottles, btw)
and fermented veggies - still playing around there, but if you like dill pickles, saurkraut or kimchee, then you'll like the fermented veggies for sure. Only there's more variety

[transformed]

I am curious about the yogurt-I once bought plain yogurt at the suggestion of my midwife and tried adding fruit to it and it wasnt what I was expecting (sweetened yoplait sugar strawberry yogurt. )

I would probably like it cooked into sauces and stuff though. LOL

I dont even know what keifer is-I am going to check it out when I go to the health food store!

Jenny

[tempestjewel]

Originally Posted by transformed

does this stuff taste like :Puke
?

I like them all, but I make them all at home so I can make them to my liking. Kefir in the store may not be authentic. You have to use kefir grains, and then you ferment the milk to the strength you like. If you check out the Traditional Foods forum there is lots of info on kefir if you do a search. I do NOT drink it straight because I can't stand it. However, I make it into a smoothie every morning with some fruit (fresh or frozen) and some sweetner (honey, agave, or stevia or a combo) along with some extra virgin coconut oil (a good fat, and its anti-fungal). Might as well start the day with a super dose of good stuff

Same thing with Kombucha. Personally, I don't care for the storebought version greatly, but I love my homemade stuff because I control the sweetness and the types of tea that I make.

As for veggies, again you can make it to your liking. The book Wild Fermentation has lots of recipes if you are looking for a cookbook- you can always check your library because mine has it and its a great way to see if a cookbook is worth buying (or any book for that matter ).

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by transformed

I am curious about the yogurt-I once bought plain yogurt at the suggestion of my midwife and tried adding fruit to it and it wasnt what I was expecting (sweetened yoplait sugar strawberry yogurt. )

Try adding sugar as well next time. If you just want to get used to the flavor, it's not too bad to go for straight white sugar plus fruit in plain yogurt. But be warned, it might seem like it's taking a LOT of sugar. Get it to where you like it, then next time add a little less. Just a little. And so on. Then try subbing honey. If you get yourself down to not too much sweetener at all, try just adding jam instead of sugar+fruit (oh, and when you tried it before, did you mash up the fruit - kind of like you'd find in fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt?)

And don't worry about making your own right now. Experiment with the store-bought plain stuff. It's amazing how much texture difference there is between different brands!

Good yogurt is really yummy and waaay better for you than the yoplait stuff - definitely a big step in the right direction!

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by whoMe

Okay. I want help. Is anyone up for a challenge? I am willing to do any diet whatsoever, but I'd *like* to minimize supplements and focus on foods.

What's the fastest, most-likely-to-succeed way to heal a leaky gut that might also have yeast issues?

Background:
dd is 8.5 months old and ebf, but BEGGING for food. Yesterday she crawled straight to the farmer's market bag full of peaches and took a bite while I blinked. She reacts with (slightly bloody) diarrhea if I eat something she's sensitive to. But thriving otherwise, and doesn't seem to mind the reactions too much.

I know she reacts to wheat, I suspect corn (though not as severe) and haven't yet challenged dairy, other gluten or soy because we haven't had a long-enough period of normal.

My goals are to minimize (or even eliminate?) her long term food sensitivities and prevent future children from developing them. Short term (next year or so), I don't care how restricted/gross/uncomfortable it gets. We can survive anything and now is the time to take care of it.

So what do you recommend?
I'm wondering about the SCD vs zero-carb yeast diet, enzymes, non-dairy probiotic powerhouses, CLO, how much I should bother trying to avoid dd's reactions, who to focus on (me or her), and I'm sure there's more.

If I had to do it all over again, I would just figure out the food allergens, eliminate them, and focus on a traditional foods diets with an emphasis on raw milk yogurt or kefir (if you can do dairy, or strong probiotics if not), bone broths, CLO, and digestive enzymes with and between meals. I'd also try to figure out any particular nutritional deficiencies and attempt to fix those. I wouldn't do any special diets. Although in our case I think I still would have ended up having to do the Failsafe diet (which is low in food chemicals) because DD would still have reacted to food chemicals, but most people don't have that problem. I did both the SCD and a candida diet, and I wouldn't do either again.

I got the probiotics from www.customprobiotics.com for DD--they seemed to work fairly well although they didn't "fix" anything, just helped normalize her stools once I finally figured out all the foods she reacted to.