Finally Off PPIs - Thank You Paleo Diet

I want to share my experience with GERD and the Paleo diet. I know everyone is different and I don't expect this to work for everyone, but try it if you are the type that wants to mess with your diet.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis over 20 years ago so I have tried many things diet, drug, bacteria, helminth etc related. In 2008, I was trying a bacteria treatment for UC in Australia and when I complained about my heartburn to the GI, he did an endoscopy. The endoscopy showed that I had ulcers at the bottom of my oesophagus. He put me on Pariet (Rabeprazole) and it worked great at eliminating the burning pain, but the plan was to heal my oesophagus and then get off of it. I tried to stop it several times, but it was not possible. So for more than four years I had to take it or suffer the worst GERD ever. I mean significantly worse than before the Pariet.

In March 2012 I started the Paleo diet. I went a couple of months on the diet, before attempting to stop the Pariet, but I could already tell that the chances were good that I'd be able to stop it. On the Paleo diet, I noticed decreased pressure and bloating in my stomach and rarely experience the feeling of food coming back up my oesophagus.

In May 2012 I started to taper off the Pariet and within a month I stopped it completely. Since stopping the Pariet I have noticed that higher carb starches or too much fruit can cause GERD symptoms for me. I am now experimenting with a low carb version of Paleo, that excludes many Paleo foods that I know bother me. Technically my diet is not Paleo in terms of the percentage of carbs, fats and protein, but the foods that I eat are the same.

I wouldn't recommend combining low carb and Paleo off the bat. It is quite restrictive albeit very satisfying, but for me it is necessary.

If you are not familiar with Paleo it is pretty easy to get the idea by searching for it, but in a nutshell you eliminate grains, dairy, legumes and starchy vegetables from your diet and fruits should be limited to berries. Personally I have eliminated all fruits. I also know that tomatoes and garlic cause me problems so those are gone too. In addition vegetable oils do not agree with me so my safe oils include coconut, olive, any animal fat/lard (I save it when cooking), some olive oil and occasional sesame oil. I do eat butter quite a bit because if you go low carb you have to increase your fat intake in order to get enough calories and butter seems to be ok with me. Nitrates from cured meats and bacon bother me so if I want bacon I eat pork belly instead.

There is a lot of personal experience in what I eat. Once the GERD symptoms calmed down I was able to test certain foods. I was really surprised when an organic chicken broth from Costco caused GERD symptoms. The ingredients don't show anything bad, but there was no mistaking the effect of it. If you attempt to control your GERD with diet you really have to cut out anything processed.

So a standard meal for me is 8 oz or less high fat piece of meat (lamb, fish with home made hollandaise sauce, steak) and vegetables (lettuce, avocado, kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, a few carrots, a little squash) smothered in butter.

Other than the butter nothing is processed and I know I am going to be satisfied. I don't have to eat a giant serving of meat because the fat gives me the calories I need.

I would be more than happy to chat with anyone about my experience and hopefully it can help you. GERD is an awful condition to have and it makes me a miserable person. Good luck with finding a solution.

I never would have imagined eating as much fat as I do. Prior to Paleo eating fats with carbs (rice) would definitely increase the severity of my symptoms. I was gluten free for a long time so an example of a high carb and high fat GERD nightmare is spaghetti made with rice pasta. That meal would be guaranteed to cause me issues. The pain associated with it gives me shivers.

Thanks for the links to Fast Track Digestion. I hadn't heard of that diet before, but I have read a bit on SIBO. I suspect that is my problem. I've asked my GI to test me for it and he is planning to after we work through some other stuff related to my UC.
I will give the book a read. I poked around on the site and it sounds like the diet is very similar to the way I eat. I wish they explained it a bit more on the site, but I guess they want to give you something to read in the book. I am listening to a radio show on his site right now so that will probably give me the gist.

Rob ray. Go to: >>>. Fast Tract followers here.


https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2594335&p=2

Robray,

I tried to do the paleo thing, but only for 5 days. I was sooo hungry and was getting my hypoglycemia episodes from not eating enough carbs. I was only eating chicken, fish, and vegetables (avoided high fats at first because of gerd) in hopes that I would see a reduction in my symptoms (on a PPI! since it's not working) and I didn't notice anything. Were you having symptoms were you first started and if so, how long did it take for you to notice an improvement?

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