[Guest]

I have been eating that ezekial bread and i just don't think it is working as good as it is supposed to. Granted,I have been going to the bathroom more, my i am so bloated and have been getting sharp pains lately. And, i just don't know what to eat for protein. Any ideas??????????I am SO sick of eating chicken, veges, and bread. I had some rice last night and i think that killed my stomach too. It isn't like i eat something totally bad. One little thing and my stomach is ruined. I had vege burgers last night and couldn't eve finish that because i felt like i was going to throw up eating this bland gross food. I feel the same way about the chicken. I put glazes and spices on it but i am just so tired of it!!!Matt

 

[wanderingstar]

Matt, have you tried eating ham, fish, turkey or eggs?

 

[rebel]

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a devastating and incurable condition that is directly affected by diet, and this book provides the most accurate, explicit, and comprehensive dietary information available on the subject. Contrary to what many believe, eating for IBS does not mean deprivation, never going to restaurants, boring food, or an unhealthily limited diet. It does mean learning to eat safely by realizing how different foods physically affect the GI tract, and how these foods can prevent or trigger IBS. For example - * There are two kinds of fiber...one soothes the colon but the other can cause severe attacks* Dairy is a common trigger...even in people who are not lactose intolerant* Peppermint, chamomile, fennel, and ginger can prevent attacks better than some prescription drugs* Bland foods are not automatically safe foodsPeople with Irritable Bowel Syndrome desperately want to eat without fear, but until now they have had nowhere to turn to learn how. http://www.eatwithoutfear.com I copied and pasted the first couple paragraphs from the site. There are also some good recipes. I hope if u check it out that it helps u. I can not wait till the cook book is out. I also get tired of trying to find something that I can eat.

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi MWINTER.REBEL is right...too many people think of this as a disease managed by deprivation when it is actaully a disease managed by inclusion...inclusion of the large number and usually wide array of foods that people CAN consume safely based upon symptomologic relief. Part of the problem in every society is that people are also victims of their particular eating culture, and tend to focus so much on those things they have been TRAINED and CONDITIONED since birth by their family and culture for their palate to enjoy, that the vast majority of healthy and appealing foods available remain an unknown entity to them...hence we see ourselves as being deprived "Is there NOTHING I can eat"?.Another good book on the subject which casts light not only on underlying causes of why certain foods can produce symptoms (including food which can produce "pseudoallergy" or "false" allergy in anybody...even healthy people) is professor Jonathan Brostoffs Book ($18 on Yahoo) FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THEIR IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT.Like REBELS recommended reading Dr. B has specific instructions on what stuff would make you sick even if you did NOT suffer abnormal reacticity to foods or additives, as well as several structured alternative dietary approaches to take to MAXIMIZING what you can eat safely so as to MINIMIZE your problems.Good Luck and don't be afraid to post specific questions here. There are a lot of people with a lot of experiences to learn from here...and the sum of that can only enhance the quality of your life.Have a DFDMNLPS: A good rule to start managing IBS or any digestive problem with is the 3P RULEPackaged & Processed = Poison

 

[Mannie]

For protein, I eat egg whites, chicken, albacore tuna, turkey, and steak. I buy expensive but very lean steak ($10 a pound, 6 grams of fat a serving), and it seems to be OK for me as long as I don't eat it too often. I am also able to eat air popped popcorn, which is a trigger for some people, but it has lots of fiber and protein in it too. For me the key is not so much what I eat but how much. I had to retrain myself to eat half as much at every meal as I used to, but eat 5-6 times a day. It was a pain at first, feeling like I was a slave to food because I ate so often. But it did wonders for my IBS, and now it's kind of second nature to eat like that.Just experiment with foods and keep track of how each one makes you feel so you can find out what you really can't eat.

 

[gettingbetter1]

mwinter:I feel for you. Not only do I have IBS, but I am also an extremely picky eater. So, as you can imagine, I am even more limited in what I can eat. I basically live in fear of having a D attack or gas anywhere in public (i.e. work), so I don't eat much during the day. It can make it really hard because some people don't understand why you pick at your food at a restaurant or a lunch meeting.I do ok with red-meat, dry cereal, gatorade (usually diluted), but I worry sometimes because I am physically active (I do weight tranining and play some other sports) and I don't want to wear myself out by not eating right. Something I posted before (and NO, I don't work for the company) is that Clif bars and Luna bars have been a pleasant alternative for me. They are a wheat/dairy free food, I'll call them "health bars" for lack of a better term. They have some good flavors, and do the trick when I need to satisfy my sweet tooth. they are a soy based product, so hopefully you are not alergic. They have become a staple of my diet, I usually eat 2-3 during the day and then eat "real food" for dinner.Being active is a nice cover for why I eat them, if anyone asks it just looks like I am trying to be healthy. And they actually taste good. Like I said, I am a very picky eater, so I like them, they can't be that bad. You can find them at many grocery stores, drug stores, and at REI.Good luck and keep trying! I feel 90% better since switching, and my flare ups are now usually only caused when I eat my forbidden foods. Hopefully, someday I'll learn!

 

[NewForMe]

Matt, with the stomach problems you are having have the doctors ordered an endoscopy to explore your stomach? I was feeling crappy like that awhile back and when they went down there they found four stomach ulcers. I now take prilosec to heal those ulcers and haven't had that yucky stomach feeling since. They said they would be healed in a couple more months and I could stop the prilosec then. Let me know if they have checked this out.

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

FOR GETTINGBETTER:Can you save me an online search? I am interested in the Clif and Luna bars ingredients you mentioned...can you tell me where to find the info? I do not know the product. I am always looking for these kinds of convenience foods for people who need them to be free of certain ingredients. The bigger the "inventory" of choices the easier to match to peoples needs. ThanksMNL

 

[Guest]

I should have mentioned that i am C and lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts too. I also can't eat meat because it really screws up my stomach. I eat fish occasionally but that doesn't agree with me that well either. Turkey is basically the same as chicken. I don't do great with eggs either but i was planning on having egg salad tonight just for a change. I do like tuna but the tuna i have been buying here is gross so i stopped buying it. I don't know if it is bad or not. it isn't the nice, chunk tuna. It is all mushy. I have not had an endoscopy. i haven't been to the doctor yet. Waiting for my new insurance to kick in and then i will go. Everything seems to bother me. That is the problem. I am better a lot of times when i don't eat anything but then i would drop dead. I get so hungry. I don't think there are a wide array of things i can eat personally. I know you are looking at the positive but let's face facts.As for the health bars, they don't fill me up. And, they are expensive. I don't know why i have such a large appetite. I have been trying to do better lately.Matt[This message has been edited by mwinter (edited 09-13-2000).]

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi Matt.The extra info helps us understand. it kind of sucks having to wait for new health insurance to kick-in until you can do anything. been going through the same thing with Mrs. NL and her minor seizures...if she gets any exam or diagnostics done prior to the effective date of the new policy...PREEXISTING CONDITION and NO PAY...not for a year..for like etermity. Just got the new carsd yesterday. yahoo!In your case...yep, until you get to a Board certified GI doctors for a differential workup to rule out other problems one is kind of in a holding pattern. But don't let that stop you from trying one or more of the benign suggestions people have posted here for ya. And I hope you can get to a good GI doc soon and get started on a workup. think of the time until then as "self-education" time maybe...look into as much as you can on the subject and what the doc does and say may make more (or LESS) sense when you do get there.Have a DFDMNL

 

[Guest]

MNL,Don't get me wrong. I have tried tons of stuff. I am on the "bread" now. I have tried acidophilus, chromium, magnesium, etc etc. I can't even remember all the stuff.My big problem is choosing which doctor to go to. I don't want to have to keep switching aroundMatt

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi Matt:Sure I gotcha...I just thought maybe the main problem was the insurance not being available yet to cover the GI referral.You touched on another tough subject....which one? A referral from the PCP can be based upon who is in the network and who the doc "knows". No guarantee a good golfer is good with a scope...though hand-eye coordination helps!On the other hand, for example, in the case of my PCP I have been with him for years. He has never done me worong, is a very experienced "older" doc who is clearly very dedicated. He makes an effort to "keep up", and is willing to listen, not just demand the patient listen to him. So the chances are pretty good if I got a referral from him it would be a top-notch person (birds of a feather flocking together or something).But when one is flying blind, say, with a brand new PCP, or relying on referrals from the local medical societies or some such...you just do not know what you are going to get until you go do it.Personally, it is easier for me to tell during an initial exam with a new doc pretty much what I got just because of working with them side by side for 30 years. And I am not embarassed about saying 'thanks but no thanks' after the first visit if need be.All the docs have to get their CEUs to keep licenses and stuff...but whether they got em on a cruise or at a conference on new advances you never know (not that the cruise conferences are necessaruily bad, just more likely to be a little fluffy). And a new guy just finishing his fellowship and passing his Boards is fresh and chock full of new ideas and papers and books and studies and stuff...but only has a few years of experience. So it is sometimes a trick to find a tweener...been in practice a few years for experience, young enough to be agressive and trying to build up the practice, maybe on-staff and admitting at a teaching hospital (that's always a plus worth some bonus points), his lobby is not empty when you go for your initial interview (sometimes a bad sign) and you just click. He listens, and is objective, and takes the time to explain things clearly. As SteveE once said "user friendly" is not a guarantee of competency...but it is ONE indicator of someone who is conscientious. And this usually applies to the whole person.No help probably, just rambling, but maybe it will help think-through the process of picking the right board certified GI doc when it is time.Good Luck and have a DFDMike

 

[JennT]

Sorry - double-posted[This message has been edited by JennT (edited 09-14-2000).]

 

[JennT]

Mike,I just happen to have a "Chai Tea" floavored Luna bar here in my purse. I like them because they're completely milk-free. The yogurt coating on them is made from soy milk. Of course, I can only eat five of the eight flavors; the others have chocolate.Nutrition information can be found at www.clifbar.com ------------------JennT

 

[Guest]

Mike,Thanks so much for those questions you brought up to think about when i go to the doctor. I was wondering what i should be looking for. I don't have that much experience with that.The other thing that bugs me is the expense. It is like $350 for the first visit not counting any tests. And i am not looking forward to the tests anyway. Matt

 

[me3]

MikeNL: My daughter is vegan and has checked out the Clif and Luna bars. They contain no animal products and she says they taste really good. Clif bars are oriented more for guys and contain more calories. Luna bars have less calories and usually cost more! The price (Clif) really varies - in Canada they average around $1.99 each but we have found them as low as $1.33. Our health food store said the company that makes them has specials all the time so bulking ordering is possible. I find a lot of vegan foods (which contain a lot less additives) are often easier for me to tolerate.

 

[JeanG]

Hi Matt:The American Medical Association keeps a list of all AMA member doctors, which will also give you their specialty and information on their education, etc. You can search by physician name or specialty.So if you want to check on any doctors, this is the site to go to: http://www.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm JeanG

 

[Guest]

Jean,Thanks alot. I was wondering if there was a site like that. Matt

 

[Guest]

I am right with ya Matt. I hate health food. I'd almost rather eat the box the stuff comes in. I also understand your concern with the cost. Most of the food in health food stores is really expensive. And there's so much of it. I have no idea what to buy. I don't have that much to spend. I can't just try something and then move on to something else. If I don't like it I'm stuck with it.

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

JENNT: I have been in one of those boring meetings with my unindicted co-conspirators most of the day and missed your answer. Thank you for the url and I will go look at the stuff later.ME3: Thank you also for the input and the price points...cheap snacks for folks for whom the content is "safe". Gonna look into it.MATT: Good idea Jean had to give you the location of the shopping list after we discussed shopping methods of my own.$350 for just the initial H&P huh? Pretty "rich"...but if it is the right person we always look back satisfied. If it is wrong, then we blame ourselves for being dumb. Just try to avoid that trap. Nobody knows for sure up front except the doc, and he ain't talkin'. ------Hmmmmm....You know, just an idea before you spend the $350...actually 2 ideas to try (understand I am not afraid to ask questions of docs and their staffs...so I may make it sound easier than it sems to you..sorry).1. If the doc was not referred to you by someone you trust who was really happy and got good care, I have not been afraid to ask if they have any patients who they could refer me to to talk to about the practice before I make the financial committment. And when you do talk to the staff, I suggest asking the office manager first because this allows you to emphasize how big a financial committment it is to you...a lot of money...and you really cannot afford to have to switch doctors again.Why the office manager not the nurse? She can always say she will ask the nurse or doctor about that, and because you can always go right to question B:2. I don't have any insurance where I work and cannot afford my own personal policy. I know some doctors take that into account when they bill patients who have no insurance. Is it possible for the practice to take that into account on the cost of this first visit?(You know what? What is the worst thing they can say? No. So what.)And I know a lot of practices will cut patients a break...when they ask...but they are not going to put it on the table for you to take. Almost every doctor I know of has "consideration policies" for non-insurance patients. Or what is commonly referred to as the "cash price" as opposed to the "insurance price". I got quite a bit knocked-off a procedure for Frankenmommy when I found myself between PPO effective dayes last year...I asked the doc directly right when we were tlaking about the procedure. And he gave me a direct answer and significant discount.Some strategies to keep in mind when you do this:1. Do not make the call from your new crystal-clear digital cell phone...then put the office manager on hold telling her "Oh, thats my broker calling. I sold Hambone Industries short this morning...can you hold on a minute?"2. Do not show up for your exam wearing a new suit from Barons, or if a female carrying MACY's bags asking the receptionist "Can you watch these shoes for me while the doctor examines me, luv? Oh you're a doll."Just a few tips.Have a DFD...gotta grab lunch while I canMNL