Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Hi everyone,
I will try not to make this too long! I was diagnosed last week with Lymphocytic Colitis. I also have Type I Diabetes, Lupus, Autoimmune Thyroid, and possibly Celiac. Two years ago I eliminated Dairy, Soy, and uncooked eggs from my diet b/c my nursing daughter was allergic. I was surprised to notice a decrease in Lupus symptoms. Last year, diarrhea returned and I went through all of the Celiac tests. Blood tests weekly positive, biopsy negative (I believe partly b/c I couldn't stand eating wheat for the biopsy!) Regardless, I am obviously gluten sensitive. Eating gluten caused my Lupus symptoms to flare. Diarrhea didn't resolve on GF/CF/SF diet, thus the colonoscopy and LC diagnosis. I am now on Entocort and symptoms are better. Just sent out for my Enterolab test kit, I want to know what else is causing the problem!
So here are my questions...
1. Can someone please tell me what all of you eat? I am basically starving all of the time, and fruits raise my blood sugar, veggies have no calories, and I just read in one of the posts that other legumes might be a problem if soy is a problem. I eat beans almost every day! Love some healthy suggestions!
2. My most annoying symptom right now is severe tingling and odd sensation in my right foot. Every doctor's first thought was diabetic neuropathy, (I have had very good control all of my life) but three doctors examined and ALL said no sign of DN. I had every test in the book done for MS and some other autoimmune nerve disorder, but everything came back normal. The weird thing about it is that my symptoms came on 4 months after I stopped eating gluten. Came on suddenly, and are periodic not constant. Any insights? Also all of my vitamin levels are normal (magnesium, B12, folic acid, etc) Only thing is I did realize two days ago that my shampoo had wheat in it. Changed that immediately!
3. Is Microscopic Colitis basically the lower intestinal counterpart to Celiac? I am wondering if the positive Celiac blood test could have been showing an autoimmune response in my colon instead of my small bowel. I know it probably shouldn't matter, but my list of diseases just keeps growing, and I would love to not have Celiac AND Microscopic Colitis. The gluten thing doesn't really matter, b/c I am never going back! My gastro thinks I don't have Celiac, my internist thinks I do!
I have already learned so much from reading through the forums and felt immediately encouraged by the support! Thanks everyone!
Newly Diagnosed.....SO Many Questions!
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Fish, welcome.
Your internist is smarter than your GI doc, and you're smarter than both - because I agree with YOU... who cares if you pass the narrow list of criteria for celiac disease, and why would you want to make yourself sick by eating wheat to prove anything to anybody?! Congratulations on that negative biopsy - it means you're not as sick as your doc would have liked you to be, to get that diagnosis (can you tell this is a big of an issue with me?).
I think for many of us, MC and celiac are variants on a theme - different manifestations of the underlying gluten sensitivity and damage, not different diseases.
I wonder how they tested you for magnesium - I've been told that can't be accurately measured by blood tests. I also wonder - could your symptoms be fluctuating in a hormonal sort of way? But I don't have a really good guess about your symptoms. I don't have diabetes, but I did have weird tingling symptoms/slight numbness in one hand, now mostly gone. I hope your continued progress toward healing takes care of that, too.
Best,
Sara
Your internist is smarter than your GI doc, and you're smarter than both - because I agree with YOU... who cares if you pass the narrow list of criteria for celiac disease, and why would you want to make yourself sick by eating wheat to prove anything to anybody?! Congratulations on that negative biopsy - it means you're not as sick as your doc would have liked you to be, to get that diagnosis (can you tell this is a big of an issue with me?).
I think for many of us, MC and celiac are variants on a theme - different manifestations of the underlying gluten sensitivity and damage, not different diseases.
I wonder how they tested you for magnesium - I've been told that can't be accurately measured by blood tests. I also wonder - could your symptoms be fluctuating in a hormonal sort of way? But I don't have a really good guess about your symptoms. I don't have diabetes, but I did have weird tingling symptoms/slight numbness in one hand, now mostly gone. I hope your continued progress toward healing takes care of that, too.
Best,
Sara
I didn't know the magnesium test wasn't reliable! That's good to know. I have wondered about the hormonal impact as well, and I have a wonderful Certified Nurse Midwife who is my biggest support right now. She is really into Functional Medicine, and said we could do hormone checks down the road if it doesn't improve. It is comforting to hear of other people who have the tingling and it goes away. I am always worried about diabetes complications, and am more mentally comforted thinking it may be caused by something different (silly I know)!
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draperygoddess
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 558
- Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 6:49 am
- Location: Tennessee
Welcome to the family!
Fish, I don't think it's silly to hope any symptoms you have AREN'T related to diabetes. It's a serious disease, and lack of symptoms means you're controlling it well. MC is complicated--there is such a range of symptoms. From what I understand, the tingling in extremities can be a side-effect of gluten damage. And I'm sure Tex will tell you that, even when you stop eating gluten, antibodies can remain in your system for months or even years. It takes time to heal.
Good for you for getting the Enterolab tests! That should help you narrow down your problem foods. Which test(s) did you order?
I am pretty new to this as well, but there are many more knowledgeable people here who are very patient and willing to answer questions.
Good to have you with us!
Fish, I don't think it's silly to hope any symptoms you have AREN'T related to diabetes. It's a serious disease, and lack of symptoms means you're controlling it well. MC is complicated--there is such a range of symptoms. From what I understand, the tingling in extremities can be a side-effect of gluten damage. And I'm sure Tex will tell you that, even when you stop eating gluten, antibodies can remain in your system for months or even years. It takes time to heal.
Good for you for getting the Enterolab tests! That should help you narrow down your problem foods. Which test(s) did you order?
I am pretty new to this as well, but there are many more knowledgeable people here who are very patient and willing to answer questions.
Good to have you with us!
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Cynthia, Thanks for the encouragement. I ordered the gluten, dairy, soy test, the non gluten grains and potatoes test, the yeast test, and the Celiac DNA test. I believe there is something still in my diet that might be contributing to the problem.
And Sara, I meant to thank you also for the prompt reply and encouragement. I have felt very isolated and it is so comforting to communicate with others in the same position!
Ironically, I am glad to be here :) Susie
And Sara, I meant to thank you also for the prompt reply and encouragement. I have felt very isolated and it is so comforting to communicate with others in the same position!
Ironically, I am glad to be here :) Susie
Hi Susie,
Welcome to our internet family. You are definitely on the right track, and congratulations for taking so many correct steps to control your issues, (despite weak support from your doctors). Concerning the neuropathy: I adopted the GF diet in August of 2002, and then cut out everything but a few basic foods in early February of 2004, which then quickly led to remission. I stayed on that restricted diet for over a year and a half, and then I was able to begin adding a few foods back into my diet. Up until roughly 2005, I still had occasional episodes of weird neurological events, (such as sensations that the soles of my feet were on fire, if I stood in a cold bathtub or shower), but most of them were transient. It wasn't until later, (maybe 2006 to 2007), that I began to notice that I had peripheral neuropathy symptoms, similar to what can happen with diabetes, (except that I don't have diabetes). For example, my reflexes from my knees on down, just about disappeared, along with my sense of feeling in my feet and lower legs.
I've been taking Metanx, (a prescription combination of B-12, B-9, and B-6, developed to treat peripheral neuropathy connected with diabetes, for a couple of years now, and while I still have gluten ataxia, and balance issues, they're not as bad, and my reflexes have pretty much returned, and I can feel a pinprick virtually anywhere on my feet of lower legs. Anyway, the point is, gluten can cause issues similar to diabetes, and most of the damage that I developed, showed up after I had been in remission for a while, (at least I didn't notice it until then). I've seen several neurologists, the first of which incorrectly diagnosed me with Parkinson's disease, but every one of them argued that there was no way that gluten-sensitivity could cause peripheral neuropathy, and other neurological issues, which is clearly wrong, (they're obviously unaware of all the research work of Dr. Hadjivassiliou).
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/5/560.full
Several members here have had the symptoms you describe, (paresthesis), and were able to resolve them with B-12 and folic acid, and in some cases, magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is widespread in the world, but most doctors don't pay any attention to it, because they are not even aware that one has to do a cellular test in order to detect the availability in the body, in general. As long as any significant amount of magnesium remains in tissues, the blood level will automatically be maintained at normal levels, which makes the blood tests worthless, for all practical purposes. By the time the blood level reaches low levels, the situation in most body tissues would be critical.
Most doctors never realize this, of course, but pathologically, the basic differences between celiac disease and MC, is that the diagnostic criteria for celiac disease specify positive serology, and certain histological changes in the small intestine, while the diagnosis of MC is based on histological changes in the colon. The histological changes in both cases would be identical, (lymphocytic infiltration), except that the small intestine is lined with villi, whereas the colon is not, so a celiac diagnosis usually ignores the presence of lymphocytic infiltration, and concentrates on the degree of villus atrophy, (which is the end result of lymphocytic infiltration in the small intestine). IMO, it's basically the same disease, except that MC just adds some complications. MC is virtually always present in the small intestine, as well as the colon, but since that wasn't mentioned in the original description of the disease, it's not used as part of the diagnostic criteria. However, celiac disease is not typically present in the colon, at least not at a significant level.
There are lots of resources for food/meals here. Dee's Kitchen, for example, contains hundreds of gourmet quality recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, and soy, and there are guidelines for making substitutions for eggs, etc.:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7
Here are various meal recommendations:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=53
Things to avoid:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=52
Other information for people with multiple food-sensitivities:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=47
Paleo diet information, if you want to go primal:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=49
We generally have to avoid most fruits anyway, because of the fiber and fructose content, and all raw, or unpeeled veggies are off-limits, also.
Not everyone who is sensitive to soy is also sensitive to legumes, so there's a chance that you may be able to tolerate certain types of beans or peas - however, if remission seems unusually elusive, it might be advisable to avoid those foods for a week or two, and if that brings remission, then a re-challenge with them will quickly give you an answer.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to our internet family. You are definitely on the right track, and congratulations for taking so many correct steps to control your issues, (despite weak support from your doctors). Concerning the neuropathy: I adopted the GF diet in August of 2002, and then cut out everything but a few basic foods in early February of 2004, which then quickly led to remission. I stayed on that restricted diet for over a year and a half, and then I was able to begin adding a few foods back into my diet. Up until roughly 2005, I still had occasional episodes of weird neurological events, (such as sensations that the soles of my feet were on fire, if I stood in a cold bathtub or shower), but most of them were transient. It wasn't until later, (maybe 2006 to 2007), that I began to notice that I had peripheral neuropathy symptoms, similar to what can happen with diabetes, (except that I don't have diabetes). For example, my reflexes from my knees on down, just about disappeared, along with my sense of feeling in my feet and lower legs.
I've been taking Metanx, (a prescription combination of B-12, B-9, and B-6, developed to treat peripheral neuropathy connected with diabetes, for a couple of years now, and while I still have gluten ataxia, and balance issues, they're not as bad, and my reflexes have pretty much returned, and I can feel a pinprick virtually anywhere on my feet of lower legs. Anyway, the point is, gluten can cause issues similar to diabetes, and most of the damage that I developed, showed up after I had been in remission for a while, (at least I didn't notice it until then). I've seen several neurologists, the first of which incorrectly diagnosed me with Parkinson's disease, but every one of them argued that there was no way that gluten-sensitivity could cause peripheral neuropathy, and other neurological issues, which is clearly wrong, (they're obviously unaware of all the research work of Dr. Hadjivassiliou).
http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/72/5/560.full
Several members here have had the symptoms you describe, (paresthesis), and were able to resolve them with B-12 and folic acid, and in some cases, magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is widespread in the world, but most doctors don't pay any attention to it, because they are not even aware that one has to do a cellular test in order to detect the availability in the body, in general. As long as any significant amount of magnesium remains in tissues, the blood level will automatically be maintained at normal levels, which makes the blood tests worthless, for all practical purposes. By the time the blood level reaches low levels, the situation in most body tissues would be critical.
Most doctors never realize this, of course, but pathologically, the basic differences between celiac disease and MC, is that the diagnostic criteria for celiac disease specify positive serology, and certain histological changes in the small intestine, while the diagnosis of MC is based on histological changes in the colon. The histological changes in both cases would be identical, (lymphocytic infiltration), except that the small intestine is lined with villi, whereas the colon is not, so a celiac diagnosis usually ignores the presence of lymphocytic infiltration, and concentrates on the degree of villus atrophy, (which is the end result of lymphocytic infiltration in the small intestine). IMO, it's basically the same disease, except that MC just adds some complications. MC is virtually always present in the small intestine, as well as the colon, but since that wasn't mentioned in the original description of the disease, it's not used as part of the diagnostic criteria. However, celiac disease is not typically present in the colon, at least not at a significant level.
There are lots of resources for food/meals here. Dee's Kitchen, for example, contains hundreds of gourmet quality recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, and soy, and there are guidelines for making substitutions for eggs, etc.:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7
Here are various meal recommendations:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=53
Things to avoid:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=52
Other information for people with multiple food-sensitivities:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=47
Paleo diet information, if you want to go primal:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=49
We generally have to avoid most fruits anyway, because of the fiber and fructose content, and all raw, or unpeeled veggies are off-limits, also.
Not everyone who is sensitive to soy is also sensitive to legumes, so there's a chance that you may be able to tolerate certain types of beans or peas - however, if remission seems unusually elusive, it might be advisable to avoid those foods for a week or two, and if that brings remission, then a re-challenge with them will quickly give you an answer.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Susie,
Isn't Tex amazing?
I wanted to add, just about magnesium, that is can be very beneficial for us MC-ers, and also for any kind of hormonal fluctuation issues you may be having. However, since taking magnesium orally can have a laxative effect
- you may want to consider topical/transdermal magnesium. There are some very price-y products that do this, but I am using a magnesium chloride that is inexpensive, and intended for the process of making tofu. It's like a salt and you dilute it so it's super-saturated.
Also, Epsom salts can make a nice foot soak...
I am pretty far down the Paleo path that Tex mentioned myself. I think I will attempt some corn-based dish at Thanksgiving, but then go back to my "zero grains" lifestyle.
I know what you mean about feeling isolated, and then feeling the incredible presence of this embracing group. (I think we all do - and believe me when I say we're as grateful for your presence as you are for ours here.)
Sara
Isn't Tex amazing?
I wanted to add, just about magnesium, that is can be very beneficial for us MC-ers, and also for any kind of hormonal fluctuation issues you may be having. However, since taking magnesium orally can have a laxative effect
- you may want to consider topical/transdermal magnesium. There are some very price-y products that do this, but I am using a magnesium chloride that is inexpensive, and intended for the process of making tofu. It's like a salt and you dilute it so it's super-saturated.Also, Epsom salts can make a nice foot soak...
I am pretty far down the Paleo path that Tex mentioned myself. I think I will attempt some corn-based dish at Thanksgiving, but then go back to my "zero grains" lifestyle.
I know what you mean about feeling isolated, and then feeling the incredible presence of this embracing group. (I think we all do - and believe me when I say we're as grateful for your presence as you are for ours here.)
Sara
Hi Susie,
WELCOME!!! There is NO place like this on the internet!! Tex is a mountain of information! He is like an encyclopedia! I don't know I how he remembers everything! I have to say as a newbie also, EVERYONE here is very helpful and knowledgeable about MC. So don't feel embarrassed to ask anything here. Someone else as already probably asked it before.
All I can add.... is take it very very slow when eating. Don't eat to many varieties are tummies don't like it!
Robin
WELCOME!!! There is NO place like this on the internet!! Tex is a mountain of information! He is like an encyclopedia! I don't know I how he remembers everything! I have to say as a newbie also, EVERYONE here is very helpful and knowledgeable about MC. So don't feel embarrassed to ask anything here. Someone else as already probably asked it before.
All I can add.... is take it very very slow when eating. Don't eat to many varieties are tummies don't like it!
Robin
Tex,
Thank you for all of the great resources and your personal info about the neuropathy. I have the Metanx in my cabinet right now, but I have been so hesitant to put any meds in my stomach right now with its sensitivity. Plus it is so hard to know what to take! I am glad to hear that it has helped you and that it might be worth a try!
I haven't had the chance to look at it in detail, but the Paleo diet sound very similar to the Carbohydrate Specific Diet and the GAPS diet, which I have read about and try to follow, but haven't done so yet with any rigidity. The only grain I eat right now is rice, and I have started to try to avoid that too. I am anxious for these Enterolab results, because it is very hard to avoid everything, especially when I don't know which are pertinent to avoid.
So interesting too about the Parkinson's. My dad has a bad tremor which he fears is Parkinson's. He is an internist, and I have a hard time convincing him that diet can affect so much, but I am wondering about his own gluten sensitivity. I had to get it from somewhere!
Sara, I will look into those magnesium options. Where do you get the topical ones? I am trying to limit the number of things going into my stomach, which is so hard, cause I know I need to be taking vitamins!
Robin, Thanks so much for the support! I am trying to make a distinct effort to chew my food! I usually eat way too fast!
Thanks again everyone for all of the support! I will keep you posted on my progress :)
Thank you for all of the great resources and your personal info about the neuropathy. I have the Metanx in my cabinet right now, but I have been so hesitant to put any meds in my stomach right now with its sensitivity. Plus it is so hard to know what to take! I am glad to hear that it has helped you and that it might be worth a try!
I haven't had the chance to look at it in detail, but the Paleo diet sound very similar to the Carbohydrate Specific Diet and the GAPS diet, which I have read about and try to follow, but haven't done so yet with any rigidity. The only grain I eat right now is rice, and I have started to try to avoid that too. I am anxious for these Enterolab results, because it is very hard to avoid everything, especially when I don't know which are pertinent to avoid.
So interesting too about the Parkinson's. My dad has a bad tremor which he fears is Parkinson's. He is an internist, and I have a hard time convincing him that diet can affect so much, but I am wondering about his own gluten sensitivity. I had to get it from somewhere!
Sara, I will look into those magnesium options. Where do you get the topical ones? I am trying to limit the number of things going into my stomach, which is so hard, cause I know I need to be taking vitamins!
Robin, Thanks so much for the support! I am trying to make a distinct effort to chew my food! I usually eat way too fast!
Thanks again everyone for all of the support! I will keep you posted on my progress :)
Susie,
The Paleo diet basically just goes slightly farther than the SCD - it eliminates all dairy, (because most of us are not only sensitive to lactose, but to casein as well), and it eliminates all grains, though not seed-type plants such as buckwheat. Many members follow a modified paleo diet, (in order to avoid all dairy products), but some continue to eat grains that most of us are not sensitive to, such as corn and rice. Members with the most food-sensitivities tend to favor flours based on potatoes, coconut, almonds, etc., if they do any baking.
You may have your work cut out for you, if you're going to try to convince your dad that he's sensitive to gluten, because all but a handful of doctors know that negative celiac serology is proof that gluten is not a problem. Of course, that has never been proven, but most doctors just assume that it has, because it has been such a long-standing belief. Of course, the fact that he is an internist may work in his favor, because internists, in general, seem to be more open-minded to new ideas, and to thinking out of the box, when necessary. And as you say, half your genes came from your father.
I had a low-amplitude tremor several years ago, that only seemed to show up occasionally, and I believe, (though I'm not positive), that it disappeared before I started taking the Metanx. It was usually not severe, so I often wasn't even aware of it, unless I happened to be doing some type of task that made it obvious. The neurologist, of course, pointed out that the tremors were strong evidence to back up his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, because sometimes they are transient, and not everyone with Parkinson's has tremors. I haven't noticed any tremors in several years, now.
Gluten ataxia, of course, can also cause gait problems, (which I also had/have - in fact, the gait problem, along with the reflex problems, was what convinced the neurologist that I had Parkinson's), along with vision irregularities, tremors, etc. The symptoms can be a pretty close match to many of the markers of the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Your best selling point, though, to help convince your father to look into the possibility that he might be gluten-sensitive, may be the fact that gluten-sensitivity is a lot easier to treat effectively than Parkinson's disease, and the treatment doesn't even require the use of any drugs, which preempts the risk of developing any Draconian side effects.
You're right, of course - it's usually easier to achieve remission if we postpone taking non-essential medications and supplements until after remission is established.
You're most welcome,
Tex
The Paleo diet basically just goes slightly farther than the SCD - it eliminates all dairy, (because most of us are not only sensitive to lactose, but to casein as well), and it eliminates all grains, though not seed-type plants such as buckwheat. Many members follow a modified paleo diet, (in order to avoid all dairy products), but some continue to eat grains that most of us are not sensitive to, such as corn and rice. Members with the most food-sensitivities tend to favor flours based on potatoes, coconut, almonds, etc., if they do any baking.
You may have your work cut out for you, if you're going to try to convince your dad that he's sensitive to gluten, because all but a handful of doctors know that negative celiac serology is proof that gluten is not a problem. Of course, that has never been proven, but most doctors just assume that it has, because it has been such a long-standing belief. Of course, the fact that he is an internist may work in his favor, because internists, in general, seem to be more open-minded to new ideas, and to thinking out of the box, when necessary. And as you say, half your genes came from your father.
I had a low-amplitude tremor several years ago, that only seemed to show up occasionally, and I believe, (though I'm not positive), that it disappeared before I started taking the Metanx. It was usually not severe, so I often wasn't even aware of it, unless I happened to be doing some type of task that made it obvious. The neurologist, of course, pointed out that the tremors were strong evidence to back up his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, because sometimes they are transient, and not everyone with Parkinson's has tremors. I haven't noticed any tremors in several years, now.
Gluten ataxia, of course, can also cause gait problems, (which I also had/have - in fact, the gait problem, along with the reflex problems, was what convinced the neurologist that I had Parkinson's), along with vision irregularities, tremors, etc. The symptoms can be a pretty close match to many of the markers of the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Your best selling point, though, to help convince your father to look into the possibility that he might be gluten-sensitive, may be the fact that gluten-sensitivity is a lot easier to treat effectively than Parkinson's disease, and the treatment doesn't even require the use of any drugs, which preempts the risk of developing any Draconian side effects.
You're right, of course - it's usually easier to achieve remission if we postpone taking non-essential medications and supplements until after remission is established.
You're most welcome,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Interesting, about the dairy in the CSP and GAPS, because that was the thing I have had issue with in the diet. I know that dairy is not an option for me!
My dad made a comment the other day about how he used to think anyone who had negative serology for gluten sensitivity was fine, but that he has had several patients tell him they cannot handle gluten despite negative test results. My niece is one example of this. My mom made him take out dairy and gluten for about a month last spring. His tremor got remarkably better, but he does not want to give up his milk! We'll see if I can slowly wear him down!
My dad made a comment the other day about how he used to think anyone who had negative serology for gluten sensitivity was fine, but that he has had several patients tell him they cannot handle gluten despite negative test results. My niece is one example of this. My mom made him take out dairy and gluten for about a month last spring. His tremor got remarkably better, but he does not want to give up his milk! We'll see if I can slowly wear him down!
See what I mean about him being more open-minded? If he were a GI specialist, he would have laughed at those patients and told them to continue eating gluten. Several members here have actually had that happen to them.
I'm writing a book, and in it I point out why wheat, milk and soybeans are not the "superfoods" that most authorities imagine them to be, (independently of all the health problems that they cause for so many people). On their own merits, they actually don't have much going for them, as far as health attributes are concerned. Take away all the enriching ingredients that are added during processing, and they appear downright lackluster. They have always had great lobbyists, however.
Tex
I'm writing a book, and in it I point out why wheat, milk and soybeans are not the "superfoods" that most authorities imagine them to be, (independently of all the health problems that they cause for so many people). On their own merits, they actually don't have much going for them, as far as health attributes are concerned. Take away all the enriching ingredients that are added during processing, and they appear downright lackluster. They have always had great lobbyists, however.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Susie,
Welcome to this community, which has been so helpful to me over the last year.
In response to your question about soy vs. other legumes, I know there are members here who have all sorts of problems with one, or the other, or both. FWIW, my personal experience is this: late last winter, in an effort to eat a GF/DF lunch item that I believed to be healthy, I bought an edamame salad at the supermarket. I had eaten that salad previous to last winter with no issue. But this time it had me laid out on the couch/running to the bathroom for three days straight. I felt like I had the worst flu ever: exhausted, achy, just in a fog. After that, I vowed never to test tofu, soy milk, soy-based ice cream
(which I had also previously eaten with no problem) or anything like that. However, I do not seem to react to soy as an incidental ingredient in food, though I avoid it where I can, nor do I seem to react to other legumes, though I have avoided lentils for some years after having problems with gas from them. White beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, refried beans, chickpeas etc. seem not to be a
problem, thankfully.
One of the biggest things I have learned from this board is that, even though we have so much in common, there is not a template for MC that gives us one single direction or answer. In that respect, we are together in figuring it out,
yet have to take the common knowledge and apply it individually.
Welcome to this community, which has been so helpful to me over the last year.
In response to your question about soy vs. other legumes, I know there are members here who have all sorts of problems with one, or the other, or both. FWIW, my personal experience is this: late last winter, in an effort to eat a GF/DF lunch item that I believed to be healthy, I bought an edamame salad at the supermarket. I had eaten that salad previous to last winter with no issue. But this time it had me laid out on the couch/running to the bathroom for three days straight. I felt like I had the worst flu ever: exhausted, achy, just in a fog. After that, I vowed never to test tofu, soy milk, soy-based ice cream
(which I had also previously eaten with no problem) or anything like that. However, I do not seem to react to soy as an incidental ingredient in food, though I avoid it where I can, nor do I seem to react to other legumes, though I have avoided lentils for some years after having problems with gas from them. White beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, refried beans, chickpeas etc. seem not to be a
problem, thankfully.
One of the biggest things I have learned from this board is that, even though we have so much in common, there is not a template for MC that gives us one single direction or answer. In that respect, we are together in figuring it out,
yet have to take the common knowledge and apply it individually.
Suze
Susie,
You sound as though you're heading in a good direction (and I hope it inspires your father!). About the topical magnesium, I bought a form of magnesium chloride flakes, which are used in making tofu. You might be able to find them in certain markets. I got mine here: http://www.naturalimport.com/inc/sdetail/6922
You put the flakes in a jar and add water to get a super-saturated liquid that feels oily. You can either spray or pat it on. The person who told me about it sprays it on, then walks his dog in the morning, and showers it off afterward. He gets his in bulk from a supplier for tropical fish tanks (because tropical fish are extremely particular, so he is confident that it's pure). One pound lasted me a long time. There are pre-made products. but they are expensive. (And of course, the flakes are much less expensive to ship.)
Hope this is helpful
You sound as though you're heading in a good direction (and I hope it inspires your father!). About the topical magnesium, I bought a form of magnesium chloride flakes, which are used in making tofu. You might be able to find them in certain markets. I got mine here: http://www.naturalimport.com/inc/sdetail/6922
You put the flakes in a jar and add water to get a super-saturated liquid that feels oily. You can either spray or pat it on. The person who told me about it sprays it on, then walks his dog in the morning, and showers it off afterward. He gets his in bulk from a supplier for tropical fish tanks (because tropical fish are extremely particular, so he is confident that it's pure). One pound lasted me a long time. There are pre-made products. but they are expensive. (And of course, the flakes are much less expensive to ship.)
Hope this is helpful