CJRT
07-17-2007, 10:15 AM
I have read that some of you modified your diet. Can you tell me how. What do you eat? What do you avoid?
I have recently had to go on a BID diet. It's very bland, but after only 2 days I'm seeing a big difference. I've been having horrible stomach problems off and on and then mostly on for almost 2 months. They thought it was the hernia. Got that fixed, still having the problems. Surgeon says its not the hernia. He has my abdomin xrays and CT scan and says that the intestines look fine, no blockages, no pockets, nothing. So he suggested that I go on the BID diet for a few days and see if it was just inflammed bowel.
Let me tell you that soda crackers, cherrios and bananas and rice milk are already getting old, but its helping, so I'm sticking with it. I can also have other mild fruits and veggies and some eggs, rice, etc.
But I'd be willing to change my diet if it helped the other symptoms too.
Thanks,
CJ
I have recently had to go on a BID diet. It's very bland, but after only 2 days I'm seeing a big difference. I've been having horrible stomach problems off and on and then mostly on for almost 2 months. They thought it was the hernia. Got that fixed, still having the problems. Surgeon says its not the hernia. He has my abdomin xrays and CT scan and says that the intestines look fine, no blockages, no pockets, nothing. So he suggested that I go on the BID diet for a few days and see if it was just inflammed bowel.
Let me tell you that soda crackers, cherrios and bananas and rice milk are already getting old, but its helping, so I'm sticking with it. I can also have other mild fruits and veggies and some eggs, rice, etc.
But I'd be willing to change my diet if it helped the other symptoms too.
Thanks,
CJ
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Jill1221
07-17-2007, 10:54 AM
Hi CJ - I know of two diets for MSers. One is the Best Bet diet. It involves elimination of wheat, dairy and legumes as well as the reduction of other foods and addition of many supplements. I tried this but it was SO hard to stick to. Having said that, yours sounds much more difficult! The other diet is the Swank diet. I have not read the book but according to the web site it involves reducing fat (saturated fat no more than 15g per day and 20 to 50g for all other fat), no read meat for the first year and no dairy fat. You can find out more by doing a web search. I haven't been diagnosed with MS, but altering my diet helps me to feel proactive as I wait for answers.
CJRT
07-17-2007, 02:29 PM
Thanks. I'll check both of those out. I don't eat a lot of red meat now. But that is due to my gastric bypass surgery. I have a tougher time with steaks, roasts, chops, etc. I can eat hamburger, but I don't eat any pork or beef unless its ground up.
As far as the BID diet. My stomach has hurt so badly that I haven't wanted to eat. So soda crackers and cheerios are about all I can put in there that I don't feel like its going to kill me with pain or make me sick. I dont think a few days of cheerios is going to hurt me any and if it helps, then I'm all for it.
Same with the MS diet. If it helps, then I'm all for it. Off to search the web for more info on these.
As far as the BID diet. My stomach has hurt so badly that I haven't wanted to eat. So soda crackers and cheerios are about all I can put in there that I don't feel like its going to kill me with pain or make me sick. I dont think a few days of cheerios is going to hurt me any and if it helps, then I'm all for it.
Same with the MS diet. If it helps, then I'm all for it. Off to search the web for more info on these.
hotflash
07-17-2007, 03:55 PM
Hi CJRT
I have recently started on the swank diet and you can eat more than you think. I hate red meat so I don't eat that anyway. My mom used to say eat your meat you need it for protien and I would tell her I get it in my beans and peanut butter to so she gave up. I just don't like the taste of it. I do however eat broiled chicken and I love fish and almost every veggie. On the swank diet you can eat all white fish and a couple cups of veggies and all the spices you want for your food you can also have whole grains and all the rice and pasta you want. It's not bad at all, you just cook in a different manor. I was going to get cheerios when I was at the store and decided on wheat chex,kix and life cereal instead as all of those are things you can eat, you can also eat cream of wheat, and angel food cake which is really good with strawberry topping. There are a lot of great receipes out there and you can go gaga with your own experiments. Good luck
hotflash
I have recently started on the swank diet and you can eat more than you think. I hate red meat so I don't eat that anyway. My mom used to say eat your meat you need it for protien and I would tell her I get it in my beans and peanut butter to so she gave up. I just don't like the taste of it. I do however eat broiled chicken and I love fish and almost every veggie. On the swank diet you can eat all white fish and a couple cups of veggies and all the spices you want for your food you can also have whole grains and all the rice and pasta you want. It's not bad at all, you just cook in a different manor. I was going to get cheerios when I was at the store and decided on wheat chex,kix and life cereal instead as all of those are things you can eat, you can also eat cream of wheat, and angel food cake which is really good with strawberry topping. There are a lot of great receipes out there and you can go gaga with your own experiments. Good luck
hotflash
MSNik
07-17-2007, 04:56 PM
Hi CJ.
Just to let you know this BID Diet you are on, does conflict with some of the things they say NOT to eat with MS...for instance, all those cherrios and soda crackers have flour in them. Most MS diets call for whole grains only, no white breads or processed foods...however, the SWANK diet does allow you some of these..
Cutting out red meat is just plain heart healthy, and almost all MS diets suggest cutting it out..interestingly enough only one red meat is on the list of approved foods..have you ever tried Buffalo? I get it online- and I buy both ground buffalo and buffalo steaks...there is NO CHOLESTEROL and less FAT than Chicken, and if you buy organic, you are getting healthy meat without any preservatives or pesticides...my family didnt know I was serving them this when I was making meat loaf, or hamburgers for the first few months...the steaks, are fabulous! I break down and eat some Buffalo at least once a week..the rest of the time I stick to chicken and fish...
Theres a ton of conflicting info out there on diet, supplements and MS. There are some really good posts online here on the board, reserach key words and see what you find....the best thing is what makes you feeel good. If the BID diet is helping what might be internally related, then stick to it until you feel like it has helped to "clean out your system" . Be careful of things like tomatoes- not only are they acidic, but they are also inflamatories- they can cause MS symptoms. Bananas are high in potassium, so they are good for you for both the blandness and MS...cut out as much saturated fat as possible, limit your white flour and use whole grains where you can..follow the heart healthy dietary guidlines that we hear so much about and dairy - well the jury is out on that one. IF you drink alot of milk, use non-fat or low fat milk...however, if you are like most adults, and only use dairy moderately - then use it moderately....unless because of your stomache history you have been told to avoid it, dont avoid it completely...just limit the fat intake of milk products. I found that when I switched to non fat dairy in everything, from sour cream to cream cheese, to drinking milk, to ice cream, IT DIDNT MAKE ANY DIFFERNCE in my life...however, its healthier so I stick to it....some people swear that cutting out dairy makes them feel better..again, whatever works for you! I started a new supplement program about 3 weeks ago, Im incorportating all sorts of anti-inflamatories (trying to get my hand to work) such as Fish oil, Flax Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil..Ive added Vitamin
D-3 and calcium to my diet...I take a handful each night...so far, no difference, but I imagine its going to take longer than 3 weeks, probably more like 3 months to see if this is helping...(keep ya posted). You have to do what works for you....your internal issues are more important right now. Between your 2 surgeries, you need to make sure you are following that doctors advice to the letter, and let the rest fall into place.
Good luck....keep reseraching...youll get all sorts of opnions on this.
Nikki
Just to let you know this BID Diet you are on, does conflict with some of the things they say NOT to eat with MS...for instance, all those cherrios and soda crackers have flour in them. Most MS diets call for whole grains only, no white breads or processed foods...however, the SWANK diet does allow you some of these..
Cutting out red meat is just plain heart healthy, and almost all MS diets suggest cutting it out..interestingly enough only one red meat is on the list of approved foods..have you ever tried Buffalo? I get it online- and I buy both ground buffalo and buffalo steaks...there is NO CHOLESTEROL and less FAT than Chicken, and if you buy organic, you are getting healthy meat without any preservatives or pesticides...my family didnt know I was serving them this when I was making meat loaf, or hamburgers for the first few months...the steaks, are fabulous! I break down and eat some Buffalo at least once a week..the rest of the time I stick to chicken and fish...
Theres a ton of conflicting info out there on diet, supplements and MS. There are some really good posts online here on the board, reserach key words and see what you find....the best thing is what makes you feeel good. If the BID diet is helping what might be internally related, then stick to it until you feel like it has helped to "clean out your system" . Be careful of things like tomatoes- not only are they acidic, but they are also inflamatories- they can cause MS symptoms. Bananas are high in potassium, so they are good for you for both the blandness and MS...cut out as much saturated fat as possible, limit your white flour and use whole grains where you can..follow the heart healthy dietary guidlines that we hear so much about and dairy - well the jury is out on that one. IF you drink alot of milk, use non-fat or low fat milk...however, if you are like most adults, and only use dairy moderately - then use it moderately....unless because of your stomache history you have been told to avoid it, dont avoid it completely...just limit the fat intake of milk products. I found that when I switched to non fat dairy in everything, from sour cream to cream cheese, to drinking milk, to ice cream, IT DIDNT MAKE ANY DIFFERNCE in my life...however, its healthier so I stick to it....some people swear that cutting out dairy makes them feel better..again, whatever works for you! I started a new supplement program about 3 weeks ago, Im incorportating all sorts of anti-inflamatories (trying to get my hand to work) such as Fish oil, Flax Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil..Ive added Vitamin
D-3 and calcium to my diet...I take a handful each night...so far, no difference, but I imagine its going to take longer than 3 weeks, probably more like 3 months to see if this is helping...(keep ya posted). You have to do what works for you....your internal issues are more important right now. Between your 2 surgeries, you need to make sure you are following that doctors advice to the letter, and let the rest fall into place.
Good luck....keep reseraching...youll get all sorts of opnions on this.
Nikki
parisiancat
07-18-2007, 05:41 AM
Hi CJ
I'm on a low fat (less than 5g saturated fat p/day), dairy free, gluten free diet. I also take supplements: fish oil, linseed oil, vitamen D, calcium, iron, Vitamen B complex and a mulitvitamen. If I'm fatigued and eat dairy, I immediately slump. Otherwise, the diet doesn't have a direct effect on my ms symptoms (which are mild anyway). However, it has been shown that the low fat diet can slow down progression, so I believe that what I am doing now will make a difference in the long term. Also, I have much more energy, significant mood improvements, my skin looks better, and I generally feel healthy, so the diet has affected everypart of my life.
As MSNik said, there is so much information out there about diet. Some legitimate, some with little basis in science. What I recommend is to read and research. Find a diet that you believe in and one that works for you.
Good luck,
Cat
I'm on a low fat (less than 5g saturated fat p/day), dairy free, gluten free diet. I also take supplements: fish oil, linseed oil, vitamen D, calcium, iron, Vitamen B complex and a mulitvitamen. If I'm fatigued and eat dairy, I immediately slump. Otherwise, the diet doesn't have a direct effect on my ms symptoms (which are mild anyway). However, it has been shown that the low fat diet can slow down progression, so I believe that what I am doing now will make a difference in the long term. Also, I have much more energy, significant mood improvements, my skin looks better, and I generally feel healthy, so the diet has affected everypart of my life.
As MSNik said, there is so much information out there about diet. Some legitimate, some with little basis in science. What I recommend is to read and research. Find a diet that you believe in and one that works for you.
Good luck,
Cat
CJRT
07-18-2007, 09:04 AM
Thanks for all the info. Well I woke up without a stomache this morning. This is the first night in weeks that I've slept through the night and didn't wake up in pain. I think the BID diet is working. And I'm taking a supplement called UltraInflamX that was reccomended to me a couple years ago. I had stopped taking it, but started back. It is reccomended for all sorts of inflammation and my alternative medicine person told me about it. She has had people with RA on it as well as MS patients and people with general arthritis and people with IBS on it and said it has helped them all. (the company that makes it is called Metagenics. It's kind of expensive, but I think worth it as I do notice that it helps me a lot when I do take it. It can take a few weeks to really help. I mix it with rice milk and a few ice cubes, put it in the magic bullett and viola! I also can add my protien powder and some benfiber if I need that to it and it doesn't affect the taste) So I think I'm going to continue on it and see if it helps. This morning I am shaking really bad. Head and hands.
I have had buffalo and its not bad. Honestly, I don't have to worry about my cholestrol. I apparantly have good genes or something because even when I weighed over 400 pounds, my cholestrol was at the low end of the scale.
But with the gastric surgery I am supposed to eat a high protien diet followed by veggies and low, low carbs. Because of the meat issue I have, its sometimes hard to get the protien, so I do protien shakes.
I quit drinking milk a long time ago. I use rice milk which I find tastes pretty darn good. I get the vanilla flavored and enriched (with calcium, etc.) and I use that. And the Rice Dream ice cream is also pretty good. I do tend to eat cheese and sour cream a lot, so have cut those out this week. And coffee. I think I'm going to be in major coffee withdrawals soon. I only have one cup in the morning, but it is MY morning lifesaver. I'm drinking herbal tea instead. But I can definetly tell a difference that its all working as no stomach pain so far today. I was in such bad shape over the weekend, that I contemplated going to the ER.
Well, I'm not a big tomato eater, so that shouldn't be a problem cutting them out. In fact, I really only like fried green tomatos and since I only get them once or twice a year, then its no biggie.
Again, thanks for the info. As soon as I know the digestive problems are well cleared up, then I may look into the other. The UltrainflamX also has dietary suggestions and it also says that dairy, wheat products, tomatos, soybeans and a few other products are a no-no as they also cause inflammation. Which is why I switched to the rice milk. I tend not to eat much rice or pasta due to the gastric bypass. I learned from experience that both tend to soak up more liquid and expand in your stomach and that is NOT a good thing because there is no room for expansion and when there is no room, then it has to come out and THAT is NOT pleasant.
CJ
I have had buffalo and its not bad. Honestly, I don't have to worry about my cholestrol. I apparantly have good genes or something because even when I weighed over 400 pounds, my cholestrol was at the low end of the scale.
But with the gastric surgery I am supposed to eat a high protien diet followed by veggies and low, low carbs. Because of the meat issue I have, its sometimes hard to get the protien, so I do protien shakes.
I quit drinking milk a long time ago. I use rice milk which I find tastes pretty darn good. I get the vanilla flavored and enriched (with calcium, etc.) and I use that. And the Rice Dream ice cream is also pretty good. I do tend to eat cheese and sour cream a lot, so have cut those out this week. And coffee. I think I'm going to be in major coffee withdrawals soon. I only have one cup in the morning, but it is MY morning lifesaver. I'm drinking herbal tea instead. But I can definetly tell a difference that its all working as no stomach pain so far today. I was in such bad shape over the weekend, that I contemplated going to the ER.
Well, I'm not a big tomato eater, so that shouldn't be a problem cutting them out. In fact, I really only like fried green tomatos and since I only get them once or twice a year, then its no biggie.
Again, thanks for the info. As soon as I know the digestive problems are well cleared up, then I may look into the other. The UltrainflamX also has dietary suggestions and it also says that dairy, wheat products, tomatos, soybeans and a few other products are a no-no as they also cause inflammation. Which is why I switched to the rice milk. I tend not to eat much rice or pasta due to the gastric bypass. I learned from experience that both tend to soak up more liquid and expand in your stomach and that is NOT a good thing because there is no room for expansion and when there is no room, then it has to come out and THAT is NOT pleasant.
CJ
CJRT
07-18-2007, 09:08 AM
Thanks for the info. I tend to eat low fat anyway and I need to cut out more dairy. I drink rice milk, but I do eat cheese and sour cream on occasion.
The UltraInflamX that I put in my above post, has most of the supplements you all mention. I really like the stuff and don't know why I quit using it as I did see a huge improvement on how I felt. And it certainly helps the tummy problems as well as the other stuff. I am going to stock up and not run out again. I mix mine with rice milk and sometimes add fruit to it to make a smoothie. I get the chocolate orange flavor, but let me add that they use carob powder, not chocolate to make it.
CJ
The UltraInflamX that I put in my above post, has most of the supplements you all mention. I really like the stuff and don't know why I quit using it as I did see a huge improvement on how I felt. And it certainly helps the tummy problems as well as the other stuff. I am going to stock up and not run out again. I mix mine with rice milk and sometimes add fruit to it to make a smoothie. I get the chocolate orange flavor, but let me add that they use carob powder, not chocolate to make it.
CJ
MSNik
07-18-2007, 05:45 PM
Hey CJ,
One more thing I forgot to mention to you....be very careful of anything which might be an immune system booster. Supplements, especially drinks and pills sometimes "boost" the immune system, and THAT YOU WANT TO AVOID. with MS, we already have seriously screwed up immune systems and if you are on Interferons, you are alreay boosting it- you dont want to supress it, but you dont want to boost it either. I dont know of any foods to watch out for, but things like Green tea, or certain herbs, tend to be no-nos.
I just thought of this, after reading your response....
Good to hear what you are doing is working for you! im happy to hear you slept and woke up feeling better today. Keep it up. As I said previously, do what works for you! You know what is best for you, and you have other issues, post surgical to be concerned about which most of us do not have....so, listen to your doctor, and your body, and keep up the good work!
Nikki
One more thing I forgot to mention to you....be very careful of anything which might be an immune system booster. Supplements, especially drinks and pills sometimes "boost" the immune system, and THAT YOU WANT TO AVOID. with MS, we already have seriously screwed up immune systems and if you are on Interferons, you are alreay boosting it- you dont want to supress it, but you dont want to boost it either. I dont know of any foods to watch out for, but things like Green tea, or certain herbs, tend to be no-nos.
I just thought of this, after reading your response....
Good to hear what you are doing is working for you! im happy to hear you slept and woke up feeling better today. Keep it up. As I said previously, do what works for you! You know what is best for you, and you have other issues, post surgical to be concerned about which most of us do not have....so, listen to your doctor, and your body, and keep up the good work!
Nikki