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Posted 11/10/2007 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
why is it all of these books, "like breaking the vicious cycle" and "eating right for the gut" all claim that if you follow their diets that you can get and keep yourself in remission with out medication.  If this really was the case, would not everyone on the board here nono follow these diets to the letter and eveyone stop their medications?  Does anyone really buy this?  Could this really be true?
Posted 11/10/2007 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Not eveyone has the will power to stick to some of those diets that claim remission/cure, nor can everyone necessarily afford them, the reason many eat processed foods are because they are much cheaper than fresh/whole foods, even compare table sugar (the worst thing a person can ingest) to honey, the price difference for the amount you get is huge...

But overall it's true what they say, "you are what you eat"...you eat junk, you'll be junk, you eat healthy, likely even with having disease(s) you'll fare alot better than if you're eating junk with having disease(s).

:)
Posted 11/10/2007 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
And some of us don't believe that food is what causes/heals/prevents UC flares.

Contrary to the disagreement, good food intake is what keeps us "healthy"....we can be healthy overall while living with chronic disease, however.

Those who do follow a good food intake/exercise regimen still have "some" symptoms...or they wouldn't be so vigilent regarding their food intake.

There are food symptoms and there are flare/UC symptoms...for many they're one in the same.

Do your homework and research and try to find a balance between the two.  If you're desperate in denying one and fully embracing another you'll have more added distress about what to do.  You can follow any of the diets that are geared toward UC just because you WANT to....and use your meds according to what your needs are.   Do it as an experiment...and don't take every word for gospel.  You'll just set yourself up for many disappointments.

Pick an option, try it...if it doesn't work or you're not satisfied, find other options.  Not everything works for everyone, not everything is safe for everyone.  I'd NEVER choose some things others are doing...they don't interest me and I'm OK with that.  My meds work great and biopsy results say I'm doing fine.  That's all I need to know what I'm doing is OK. 

Regarding the you are what you eat, pb4 is right in presenting that.....and I do need to make food changes and start exercise for my overall body shape/stamina/health..especially since I'm getting older...I do know that as I age, my needs are different...and I would like to experience feeling well while I age gracefully.... 

quincy

Posted 11/10/2007 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
It's tough to follow those diets. But I did address my diet. It worked wonders for my UC. Medication failed to get me into remission. Diet and stress control did.

Maybe we all need to find the right diet for ourselves and maybe for some diet plays no part. It's worth experimenting though, nothing to lose.

D
Posted 11/10/2007 8:53 PM (GMT 0)

maddi1,

While I can't speak for anyone else, changing my "diet" worked for me. Until I reasearched on my own, I hadn't realized that UC can have a fungal etiology and that certain foods contain fungal poisons...all corn, grains, peanuts. Along with the birth control pills I took for many years and antibiotics I took when I was younger, I believe, for me, my UC symptoms were a result of fungus. Once I stopped eating grains, sugar, processed foods, and focused only on fresh fruit, veggies and meats/poultry, I got better. I know for me it is food related. When I eat too much sugar, yeast or grains now, I don't feel so good. I believe food is a huge factor in our health. I agree with pb4, you are what you eat. And Damo 123, I so agree with you. You will never know unless you experiment by changing your diet. I never expected to get the results I did when I finally tried an antifungal program. (Wouldn't my doctor have told me about this if it was worth trying!!?) I was just so sick and tired of being sick and tired, I was willing to give it a try. Fortunately for me...it worked :) And you bet your booties, it was tough!! But well worth not having to take any meds anymore, and being able to function in the world again.  maddi1, have you ever tried changing your diet? Just wondering.............

Posted 11/10/2007 9:54 PM (GMT 0)
Also I've noticed that for me it takes awhile for "diet change" to have an effect. I used to give up after 2 weeks because I saw no improvement. You need to stick it out. I always feel the health of my colon is about "3 weeks behind" in terms of what I'm putting into it. It's not a matter of pressing a switch, its a matter of eating well to induce healing - if that indeed works for you.

There are many ways to try and control and even conquer UC. You must always do what is best for you. Don't ever be put off if someones idea doesnt work for you nor if people tell you that a certain idea is doomed to fail. Experiment. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.
Posted 11/11/2007 4:05 PM (GMT 0)

There is a lot of unverified treatments and diets on the market that claim to cure everything from UC to cancer.  Just because someone writes a book or claims a herb or supplement will cure or stave off a disease does not make the author a credible source of information.  Rigorous testing will prove or disprove a claim.  Most of these authors do not have the testing to back up their claims.  However, some UCers have had good results with following particular diet protocols.  Get the book(s) from you local libarary and then try their hypothesis out.  It will save you from making an investment on something that may or may not work.

Sue

Posted 11/11/2007 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
It is my belief that diet plays a huge role in our digestive health, but not one diet is effective for everyone, and not everyone's triggers are food. For me, I have found several foods that are my triggers so I try to stay away from them. In addition to my food triggers, I have also come to the realization that I have seasonal flare ups, as well. I just commented to my husband that this is the 4th year in a row that I can remember getting a flare-up in November. Every year like clock-work. I don't know how to prevent that other than staying on a maintenance program using medication, b/c staying on my restrictive diet clearly didn't work this year.

It has taken me 8 years to figure this out. You just need to experiment and keep trying different things. Good lucking finding "your" cure.
Posted 11/11/2007 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
What happens in your life from about September/October Trixy? The reason I'm asking is that many UCers don't have outward symptoms of flaring until they're very obvious.

q
Posted 11/11/2007 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
Quincy, I was wondering the same thing. For instance, is it environmental.... are we spending more time inside of closed doors and windows, turning on our furnace after a summer of sitting idle, maybe having collected mold/mildew over the summer and now blasting it through our vents, (either at home or at our place of work), or eating more snacks/treats, especially around Halloween, getting flu shots, digging/gardening/fertilizing the soil more than usual during the fall, etc. I'm thinking there has to be a logical reason for the seasonal flareups. I know I feel it more so after the Christmas holidays. And I know exactly why............too many house parties :)

Posted 11/11/2007 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Food intolerances should not be overlooked either...there are many healthy foods that we may be intolerant to that we are not even aware of that could easily display symptoms/mimic our IBD...I had no idea I was lactose intolerant until I was tested and once I started looking after that issue it made an impact on how my IBD was behaving as well, especially since lactose intolerance closely mimics IBD.

It's a good idea to get a complete allergy/intolerance test done to find out what foods regardless of them being "allowed" in certain diets should be avoided if you have an allergy or intolerance to them...common sense.

:)
Posted 11/12/2007 11:41 PM (GMT 0)

i agree 100% pb4 - most of the wonderful physicians out there (mine included) say diet make no difference - that's a bunch of crap (sorry) - regardless of which side of the debate you're on, eating healthy should be the #1 goal - i know it's not easy for a lot of people, and changing my diet was tough, but in order to survive with without the drugs, i had to adapt - i don't advise anyone to just stop what you've been prescribed, but you need to take control and decide what works for YOU - 

getting tested for food allergies/intolerances should be high on your to-do list - it's easy, but somewhat expensive if insurance doesn't cover it - i think we just paid about $140.00 for my son to get tested - to me it's a wise investment - if you don't have the money, the next best thing would be to check out blood type charts - they are easy to find on-line and are pretty close to what you get by testing - you'll find out what foods might be best to limit or eliminate from your diet -

i'm not 100% symptom free, but pretty close, without drugs for almost a year - i can't predict what will happen in the future, but for now i feel great - 

best of luck to you,

Lonnie 

  

Posted 11/13/2007 12:39 AM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
Not eveyone has the will power to stick to some of those diets that claim remission/cure, nor can everyone necessarily afford them, the reason many eat processed foods are because they are much cheaper than fresh/whole foods, even compare table sugar (the worst thing a person can ingest) to honey, the price difference for the amount you get is huge...

But overall it's true what they say, "you are what you eat"...you eat junk, you'll be junk, you eat healthy, likely even with having disease(s) you'll fare alot better than if you're eating junk with having disease(s).

:)

Well said! yeah I purchased a bottle of Busy Bee Honey today at the store and was blown away by the 6 dollar price. Then i gotta have the Honey Crisp Apples which are another healthy price. Then you find chips, frozen meals (loaded with sodium), and other junk food for around the 2 dollar range. The price difference adds up when shop in bulk, but i would rather spend the extra money and feel good about food i eat then to woof down fast food garbage and be miserable.  

Posted 11/13/2007 1:33 AM (GMT 0)

maddi1 said...
why is it all of these books, "like breaking the vicious cycle" and "eating right for the gut" all claim that if you follow their diets that you can get and keep yourself in remission with out medication.  If this really was the case, would not everyone on the board here nono follow these diets to the letter and eveyone stop their medications?  Does anyone really buy this?  Could this really be true?

Alot of folks are unwilling to go on a restrictive diet or give up their favorite foods. And some folks don't give a diet a fair trial. Dietary changes and natural supplements don't work as quickly as some meds do. In my experience, there is no quick and easy, one-size-fits-all answer. What works for some people doesn't work for others because different factors play a role in the development of UC.

There's never going to be any huge scientific, double-blind study of diets or natural supplements because no one stands to gain financially from the promotion of these things. There are plenty of testimonials out there to support the effectiveness of the SCD and other diets developed to address IBD. All you can do is give it an honest try and see if it works for you.

Posted 11/13/2007 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
food intolerance wouldn't cause bleeding or mimic UC in the development pattern....just my 2 M&Ms.

q
Posted 11/13/2007 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
I disagree that food intolerance wont cause inflammation.
Refined sugar is very inflammatory. With long term
loss of immunity due to sickness, or constant use
of antibiotics, and resultant overgrowth of candida
and fungus - resultant bowel failure may occur.

This doesnt mean the bowel is damaged. Only that
it has stopped processing and forming stools. We
see these miserable symptoms of bleeding cramping
gas, urgency, alternating constipation/diahrea, as
ulcerative colitis, or lesser forms.

This is not the only reason through - there are
undoubtedly others.
Posted 11/13/2007 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with you tru-believer, unfortunately not everyone "gets it" because then they'd have to admit that giving up some of their favorite "bad foods" is something they should be doing but don't want to so it's just easier to blame it on something eles...that is until science finally proves it to be true...even then I'm sure ther will be those who will argue against it, afterall even at the CCFC website under causes it mentions that food could very well be a trigger for IBD but for some they'd rather ignore that info if it means they have to give up their junk foods.

:)
Posted 11/13/2007 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
I think that we all have a reason for having this, and for some people it's food. I did the scd diet for a year and a half and was doing great. I followed it like things not on the list were poison. After a year and a half I thought maybe I could cheat a bit and start adding stuff back. I only had one night at a wedding, and month later I was sick (maybe related, maybe not). I didn't use preventative measures, so it exploded on me. I still think if I'd prevented, it would have kept working, but once I got super sick it wasn't enough. I think my reason for having a flare had changed.
And yeah it is SUPER hard to do so I doubt everyone could do it. Now that I'm eating whatever again, I have no idea how I was so strict on it for so long!
Posted 11/13/2007 3:01 PM (GMT 0)

Trixy's Got Butt Trouble said...
In addition to my food triggers, I have also come to the realization that I have seasonal flare ups, as well. I just commented to my husband that this is the 4th year in a row that I can remember getting a flare-up in November. Every year like clock-work. I don't know how to prevent that other than staying on a maintenance program using medication, b/c staying on my restrictive diet clearly didn't work this year.

I had the same experience, but mine struck late winter/early spring, around the end of February, beginning of March. My doc suggested it could be related to seasonal allergies or overindulgence of the holidays. I wondered if there wasn't a seasonal affective disorder component. I always hated fall and the onset of shorter days, longer nights, miserable cold. My mood would plummet. So I got a full-spectrum light box I use a couple of times a day. I feel like it helped me - in addition to dietary changes, probiotics and omega-3 supplementation.
Posted 11/13/2007 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
plus don't forget vitamin D...that can help immensely.
Posted 11/13/2007 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
My experience with these "diets"

1) expensive
2) no chance for adequate caloric intake to maintain a healthy weight
3) time-consuming
4) depressingly limited selection
5) didn't work anyway

If, after 4 weeks, I would've had decreased or no symptoms I might have pursued it further. If it would have worked, the prospect was this: I can never eat out again, therefore I can never vacation again......my travel would be limited to a very small radius from my home since I'd have to be there to prepare and eat a meal every 4-6 hrs. I would basically become a hermit who's life was dictated by the next meal. This alternative seemed as bad or worse than the medication, or the surgery.
Posted 11/13/2007 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
They do work for many, everyone is different and has to fine tune their diet accordingly...and stick with it throughout their lives, no diet will work overnight, many give up too soon...they may work quicker for some than others, food intolerances as I've mentioned, has to be taken into consideration as well.


:)
Posted 11/13/2007 9:33 PM (GMT 0)

another thing to consider is healing - i don't believe that what i'm doing today will last a lifetime - just as you wouldn't try to walk on a broken ankle two days after it happened, i think the same thing applies to our gut - it needs time to rebuild - my biggest enemy is gluten & grains - i can handle that stuff once in a while, but not the steady diet i used to eat  -

i do agree that some changes might be long term, but i think a lot of people just get the idea that they can NEVER eat something again - i don't agree with that - everyone will heal at a different rate, a lot depending on your physical make up, and what you eat/drink/breath - try putting good stuff in and eventually you should see good things come out - it's working for me - you just won't know till you try -

Posted 11/13/2007 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
I think the point about depressingly limiting and not enough calories is important

I considered cutting out everything but now just go on a limited but enjoyable diet. The problem is I have so many allergies like soybean, corn, peas etc on top of the limits of lactose intolerance and whats bad for UCers that I see no other way to survive life than to eat what I can manage to eat and avoid as best I can. To eat a healthy diet and a UC friendly diet, I must cut corners somewhere or eat just cooked carrots, rice and grilled chicken for every meal. I give those people who can limit their diets to the prescribed ones that we see going around alot of credit but you really have to do what works for you. I think I would end up malnutritioned and or sick with more UC sympoms if i tried those diets because of my other limitations. However, I do know when I cheat on my own limitations how it affects me and very rarely do I cheat - so obviously there is some connection going on for me, even if diet doesnt connect to everyone's problem. hope this helps.
Posted 11/13/2007 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone is different...

I'm no doctor but let's suppose your colon is more severely damaged than someone else's, diet alone may not help you and you maybe forced to continue using anti-inflammatory meds., etc. That doesn't mean diet won't help someone else though, it just won't help in your particular case because your situation is different to mine, etc. In my case, diet has reduced the symptoms of uc greatly...to the extent that I no longer need Remicade...it's not easy and yes, I did lose a few pounds but the alternative is just unthinkable.

NBT
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