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I seem to have a very very mild flare up and I am looking for some input/advice.
I was still using aspartame. I have read here several times it was not good for MC patients and the bowels. But I had to give so many things over the last months, I was not yet ready to give my artificial sweeteners in Coffee and tea. I am now. I don't use them anymore since Friday. The main reason why is, because I also start reading the label of the sweeteners, there is lactose in it!!! I didn't know!!!
First I tried fructose as a replacement for the aspartame. It didn't give me D, but gave me gas and an uncomfortable feeling. I stopped using it. I drink my tea now without anything, in my coffee once a day I use sugar now. But it doesn't taste very well. Does anyone has any other suggestions to make my coffee sweet?
Than last Sunday I forgot my medication, that could be reason of my mild flare up of course. Only two days later my bowels are still so restless. No D but go to the loo like 5 times a day (normally only 2) and it is looser that normal (this morning dirty water)
Nothing changed in the food, only due to the new no sweetener policy, I drink other kinds of herbal tea. I start suspecting my herbal tea (sigh where does this food intolerance end, I wonder sometimes). The herbal tea I suspect is a mixture of mate (30%), green tea (30%), fennel, anise, licorice and lapacho.
I suspect the mate. Does anyone has any suggestions or does anyone recognize this. Thanks in advance for input and replies
harma
mate tea bad for MC??
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wonderwoman
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I don't know anything about aspartame as I use SPLENDA. I use about it in the afternoon in my leftover cold coffee from morning along with a lot of rice milk. Is SPLENDA safe to use? Has anyone had reaction to it? I still haven't been able to get my stools to firm up after this last flair.
Charlotte
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison. Ann Wigmore
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison. Ann Wigmore
That's a pretty potent combination of herbs. Remember that herbs can be just as reactive as drugs, depending on our individual tolerances. Also, while fennel is probably used in that mix to relax the intestines, be aware that it can decrease the lower esophageal pressure, possibly contributing to GERD. GERD is definitely a risk for many of us with MC.
Tex
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.
Well, I don't even know where to start here, as this is a subject I’ve researched a lot. My oldest daughter's first college degree was in molecular biology. She did a major study on this and chose this topic because she had personally found a link between Nutrasweet (Aspartame) and her PMS. Begin by reading the timeline of how this product made its way into our food: http://www.rense.com/general33/legal.htm
And if the names Monsanto and Rumsfeld aren't scary enough, learn how this poison actually works:
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From w/in this article:
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrit ... artame.htm
What does aspartame do?
First, aspartame releases aspartate during digestion. Aspartate is a neurotransmitter used by the neurons in the brain. It is a type of excitatory amino acid. Excitatory amino acids are normal and necessary brain chemicals, and as such, they are allowed to cross the blood-brain barrier. Aspartate, the principal chemical component of aspartame, is a neurotransmitter and a type of excitatory amino acid. It is a natural and necessary body chemical. Neurotransmitters cross the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is designed to protect the brain from the invasion of harmful chemicals. When normal neurotransmitters such as aspartate and glutamate cross this barrier in excess, they will cause poisoning and lead to the death of the nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. The blood-brain barrier cannot discern the amount that is needed from too much. So these neurotransmitters can build up undetected until a toxic level is reached. This accumulation seems to be particularly insidious in its effect on the developing brains and nervous systems of children.
"The nervous system is designed to control the concentration of excitatory amino acids in the fluid surrounding the neurons, the extracellular space. The main ones concerning us are glutamate and aspartate. The nervous system does this by pumping the excess back into glial cells which surround the neurons and supply them with energy. While this pumping system is very efficient, it uses enormous amounts of ATP, a high-energy compound that all cells in the body use for energy.
"If energy production is reduced in the brain, the protective pumps begin to fail and glutamate begins to accumulate in the space around the neuron, including the area of the synapse. If the energy is not restored the neurons will burn up; they are literally excited to death."
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So, Aspartame is particularly bad for women. When you’re premenstrual your body craves more sugar. If you are a typical young woman who is concerned about weight then you likely drink diet pop, so you will drink even more of it then to satisfy that craving. An excess of both phenylalanine and aspartate prevents the brain’s ability to absorb other amino acids such as melatonin and serotonin, which pretty much creates the toxic soup of PMS. You can’t sleep, you can’t remember anything. We didn’t have PMS when I was young, maybe we got a little bitchy, but certainly not what is described now.
As a caterer in a high stress market, I can literally spot a diet coke drinker by personality and the condition of their hair and skin and I’m not joking about this. Over time, the brain literally DEMANDS this stuff, it is an addiction that is very hard to break. For a time I refused to even buy soft drinks with Nutrasweet in it and the addicts went ballistic, so I broke down and started buying it again. I had one Producer that was literally panicked and we had to send out for Diet Coke. She drank 6 before lunch and was a royal bitch all day, she literally couldn’t focus on anything. I only have honey, Saccharin or Stevia as sugar substitutes for coffee and tea on my table. There’s nothing wrong with raw sugar IMO, and that is what most people use, although l also have FF French Vanilla Coffee Mate, (which admittedly is what I use).
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Adverse effects reported from short-term and/or long-term use of Aspartame include:
Seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches (triggered or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction), marked personality changes, phobias, rapid heart beat (tachycardia - another frequent reaction), asthma, chest pains, hypertension (high blood pressure), nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, swallowing pain, itching, hives / urticaria, other allergic reactions, blood sugar control problems (e.g. hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes, impotency and sexual problems, food cravings, weight gain, hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair, burning urination & other urination problems, excessive thirst or excessive hunger, bloating, edema (fluid retention), infection susceptibility, joint pain, brain cancer (in pre-approval studies on animals), death.
Aspartame Disease may mimic symptoms of, or worsen:
Fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, lupus, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), diabetes and diabetic Complications, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma, Lyme's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), panic disorder, depression and other psychological disorders.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simply put, Aspartame is poison, IMO, and the chemical antidote for too much phenylalanine and aspartate in your brain is………….PROZAK!…….and that’s pretty much the explanation of why we have so many antidepressants out there, the drug companies biggest moneymaker, if I’m not mistaken.
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And here's more info:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us
1) phenylalanine (50%) which can be a neurotoxin and in some susceptible people will cause seizures
2) aspartic acid (40%) which can cause brain damage in the developing brain
3) methanol (10%) which turns into formaldehyde embalming fluid an obvious toxin.
They all have adverse effects, but not everyone is affected equally. This is why the scientific community is having trouble evaluating these anecdotal reports. But I think you can see why Searle and the FDA have minimized the adverse reactions; there might be a loss of revenue. The symptoms easily might lead a doctor to make a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These chemicals "change the ratio of the amino acids in the blood stream."
The MENTAL SYMPTOMS that ASP can produce in a person is thought to be related to the increase in violence and suicides in our population. ASP causes a blockage of the formation of serotonin in the brain. Since tryptophan has been taken off the market by the FDA, there are many people who cannot make enough serotonin from their food, and they are more susceptible to insomnia, depression, and/or PMS. If these genetically deficient people are also swallowing ASP, they will more readily have headaches, insomnia, depression, hostility, anxiety, and a host of other negative symptoms. No wonder sales of the new drug, Prozac, have skyrocketed. ASP is known to disturb thyroid function. The pituitary uses serotonin as its neurotransmitter to tell the thyroid what to do. ASP will inhibit the formation of that neurotransmitter. It can do anything. These ingredients may not actually cause mental problems but can certainly trigger them by interfering with the ratio of the various brain neurotransmitters.
And if the names Monsanto and Rumsfeld aren't scary enough, learn how this poison actually works:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From w/in this article:
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrit ... artame.htm
What does aspartame do?
First, aspartame releases aspartate during digestion. Aspartate is a neurotransmitter used by the neurons in the brain. It is a type of excitatory amino acid. Excitatory amino acids are normal and necessary brain chemicals, and as such, they are allowed to cross the blood-brain barrier. Aspartate, the principal chemical component of aspartame, is a neurotransmitter and a type of excitatory amino acid. It is a natural and necessary body chemical. Neurotransmitters cross the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier is designed to protect the brain from the invasion of harmful chemicals. When normal neurotransmitters such as aspartate and glutamate cross this barrier in excess, they will cause poisoning and lead to the death of the nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. The blood-brain barrier cannot discern the amount that is needed from too much. So these neurotransmitters can build up undetected until a toxic level is reached. This accumulation seems to be particularly insidious in its effect on the developing brains and nervous systems of children.
"The nervous system is designed to control the concentration of excitatory amino acids in the fluid surrounding the neurons, the extracellular space. The main ones concerning us are glutamate and aspartate. The nervous system does this by pumping the excess back into glial cells which surround the neurons and supply them with energy. While this pumping system is very efficient, it uses enormous amounts of ATP, a high-energy compound that all cells in the body use for energy.
"If energy production is reduced in the brain, the protective pumps begin to fail and glutamate begins to accumulate in the space around the neuron, including the area of the synapse. If the energy is not restored the neurons will burn up; they are literally excited to death."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, Aspartame is particularly bad for women. When you’re premenstrual your body craves more sugar. If you are a typical young woman who is concerned about weight then you likely drink diet pop, so you will drink even more of it then to satisfy that craving. An excess of both phenylalanine and aspartate prevents the brain’s ability to absorb other amino acids such as melatonin and serotonin, which pretty much creates the toxic soup of PMS. You can’t sleep, you can’t remember anything. We didn’t have PMS when I was young, maybe we got a little bitchy, but certainly not what is described now.
As a caterer in a high stress market, I can literally spot a diet coke drinker by personality and the condition of their hair and skin and I’m not joking about this. Over time, the brain literally DEMANDS this stuff, it is an addiction that is very hard to break. For a time I refused to even buy soft drinks with Nutrasweet in it and the addicts went ballistic, so I broke down and started buying it again. I had one Producer that was literally panicked and we had to send out for Diet Coke. She drank 6 before lunch and was a royal bitch all day, she literally couldn’t focus on anything. I only have honey, Saccharin or Stevia as sugar substitutes for coffee and tea on my table. There’s nothing wrong with raw sugar IMO, and that is what most people use, although l also have FF French Vanilla Coffee Mate, (which admittedly is what I use).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adverse effects reported from short-term and/or long-term use of Aspartame include:
Seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches (triggered or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction), marked personality changes, phobias, rapid heart beat (tachycardia - another frequent reaction), asthma, chest pains, hypertension (high blood pressure), nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, swallowing pain, itching, hives / urticaria, other allergic reactions, blood sugar control problems (e.g. hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes, impotency and sexual problems, food cravings, weight gain, hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair, burning urination & other urination problems, excessive thirst or excessive hunger, bloating, edema (fluid retention), infection susceptibility, joint pain, brain cancer (in pre-approval studies on animals), death.
Aspartame Disease may mimic symptoms of, or worsen:
Fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, lupus, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), diabetes and diabetic Complications, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma, Lyme's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), panic disorder, depression and other psychological disorders.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simply put, Aspartame is poison, IMO, and the chemical antidote for too much phenylalanine and aspartate in your brain is………….PROZAK!…….and that’s pretty much the explanation of why we have so many antidepressants out there, the drug companies biggest moneymaker, if I’m not mistaken.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here's more info:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us
1) phenylalanine (50%) which can be a neurotoxin and in some susceptible people will cause seizures
2) aspartic acid (40%) which can cause brain damage in the developing brain
3) methanol (10%) which turns into formaldehyde embalming fluid an obvious toxin.
They all have adverse effects, but not everyone is affected equally. This is why the scientific community is having trouble evaluating these anecdotal reports. But I think you can see why Searle and the FDA have minimized the adverse reactions; there might be a loss of revenue. The symptoms easily might lead a doctor to make a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These chemicals "change the ratio of the amino acids in the blood stream."
The MENTAL SYMPTOMS that ASP can produce in a person is thought to be related to the increase in violence and suicides in our population. ASP causes a blockage of the formation of serotonin in the brain. Since tryptophan has been taken off the market by the FDA, there are many people who cannot make enough serotonin from their food, and they are more susceptible to insomnia, depression, and/or PMS. If these genetically deficient people are also swallowing ASP, they will more readily have headaches, insomnia, depression, hostility, anxiety, and a host of other negative symptoms. No wonder sales of the new drug, Prozac, have skyrocketed. ASP is known to disturb thyroid function. The pituitary uses serotonin as its neurotransmitter to tell the thyroid what to do. ASP will inhibit the formation of that neurotransmitter. It can do anything. These ingredients may not actually cause mental problems but can certainly trigger them by interfering with the ratio of the various brain neurotransmitters.
Resolved MC symptoms successfully w/L-Glutamine, Probiotics and Vitamins, GF since 8/'09. DX w/MC 10/'09.
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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
Harma, have you ever heard of Stevia, which Connie mentioned in her post? It is derived from the Stevia plant, and here in North America , is becoming quite popular as a substitue for sugar. I even found little packets of it in Walmart and the garden centres here are selling the plants this year so you can grow your own. I find it way too sweet for me as I use only a small amount of sweetener in my coffee, so I just use plain old sugar, but my DH likes the Stevia. I have never read anything bad about it. You might want to check it out.
Linda
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
thank you all for the replies. Sometimes I think 'I am there' with all my food stuff and than again new things pop up, the herbal tea's. Also a type of water ice cream I thought I could eat contains guar gum, another things my bowel doens't like.. There are moments I am getting so fed up with all this diet stuff. Littery for everything I put in your mouth the labels has to be checked. Including herbal tea and a simple water ice cream.
I know feeling sorry for myself, self-pity whining and complaining won't help either.
Linda, thank you for your stevia tip. I had heard of it, but actually no idea what it was. I bought a liquid version yesterday and will try it out today to see how it taste in coffee (I like my coffee sweet)
Also Conny thank you for extensive explanation on Aspartame. For sure I will never use it again!!
It looks like I had a small flare up, because I forgot my meds on Sunday. Although I am only on one pill a day (entocort), with the diet it is all going very well, I still need my medication. It amazes me, that only one day of no medication can give such a quick reaction.
I know feeling sorry for myself, self-pity whining and complaining won't help either.
Linda, thank you for your stevia tip. I had heard of it, but actually no idea what it was. I bought a liquid version yesterday and will try it out today to see how it taste in coffee (I like my coffee sweet)
Also Conny thank you for extensive explanation on Aspartame. For sure I will never use it again!!
It looks like I had a small flare up, because I forgot my meds on Sunday. Although I am only on one pill a day (entocort), with the diet it is all going very well, I still need my medication. It amazes me, that only one day of no medication can give such a quick reaction.
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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
Wow, Harma, that is quick! (just one day of missed meds.) I guess that means your gut is not healed yet and there is till inflammation...
I know that you mean about the labels.. I am still not used to checking everything for wheat, having just started this GF diet. After years with the casein intolerance, I pretty much had every food with it in it figured out. Now I have to start all over again with wheat and I keep forgetting to check for it.. today I went to put some mayonnaise on a GF bread sandwich and had to grab the jar back out of the fridge and check it because I had never even thought about it.. it has always been something I could eat. And thank goodness, I still can!
Linda
I know that you mean about the labels.. I am still not used to checking everything for wheat, having just started this GF diet. After years with the casein intolerance, I pretty much had every food with it in it figured out. Now I have to start all over again with wheat and I keep forgetting to check for it.. today I went to put some mayonnaise on a GF bread sandwich and had to grab the jar back out of the fridge and check it because I had never even thought about it.. it has always been something I could eat. And thank goodness, I still can!
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
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Linda in BC
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:39 am
- Location: Creston British Columbia
Well , that's one good thing! Glad the stress of having the whole house upside down is not getting to you. I have lived with renovating in one form or another almost constantly over the last 5 years, in three different houses, so I know how you feel! We are in lull now ..nothing more to be done inside until winter. Hope the rest of the job goes smoothly.
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
The 13th Dali Lama
Yes Linda that surprized me too, that I still react that quick if I forget my medication. Also because I am on such a low dose from day 1 I am using budesonide. Also from the moment I took the medication I worked immediately (within the day). So you would expect the gut is not that inflamed, but 9 months later, I still need the meds. I am sure I could even be on a lower dose that the 3 mg a day. It looks like, as long as I get my daily dose. But as we all know, the healing of the gut takes time.