Diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, and the LCHF Diet

[Susikav]

Has anyone tried Acacia Fibre? It's meant to be beneficial for IBS, not sure about IBD though.

Never heard of it, but have loads of acacia trees growing around me!! I will research it and see...

 

[Susikav]

I haven't tried the flax seed yet so thanks for the warning! I'll proceed with great care!
I've only recently been given the diagnosis of Crohn's Disease after an endoscopy and biopsies a few weeks ago. For the 3 years before that they thought it was UC, and for the 20 or so years before that they said it was IBS, quite a common mistake apparently!
I had my colon removed 3.5 years ago so it's a bit easier with food now. Before surgery I couldn't eat fried food, onions and mushrooms were the worst probably because they soak up so much fat, spicy food was a bit dodgy, had to have mild curries etc, and chocolate was out too. But I can eat all of them now
The stoma has it's own problems with different foods though so I don't get off scot free

Such a difficult thing to suffer... I feel for you.... I have been 'lucky' compared to you and many others...I had a 'spastic colon' for years, then 'IBS', then Crohn's and now UC... I am 66 now, so it took a while.. I know it's difficult for consultants, but maybe if they relied less on old teachings and more on what their patients were trying to tell them, they could help more... I still cannot believe how my problems have almost ceased to exist since I stopped eating carbs... I haven't eaten wheat in any amounts for many, many years because of what it did to me.. mushrooms, onion, bananas, beer, wine on an empty stomach... the list is quite long but while you are sussing it out you deteriorate so much, no? Porridge was killing me slowly I have found... hard to believe I ate it every day to 'help' myself.. I tried to be so good.... Lactose-free helps as well, as it doesn't produce the mucous that normal dairy produces... I can eat soft cheeses now too... bliss... I'm sorry you have yet another problem to add... I am learning slowly, by researching and reading, that the thyroid seems to be connected to diabetes... certainly is seems to cause fibromyalgia and hives... a few of the contributors on this forum seem to have one or both of those horrid things... maybe it's the auto-immune thing that's triggered by a random connection of genes and environment... I have a book called 'Stop the Thyroid Madness', which is fascinating... the symptoms for hypothyroid and diabetes seem to overlap sometimes... I am sorry, I am digressing again... I will be in trouble for going 'off piste'.... I hope you work out your diet... low-carbing seems to have changed my life for now... long may it last... People on this forum have had wonderful success stories with low-carbing... Good luck...

 

[Susikav]

I have to say, I don't like the sound of Acacia Fibre... it causes gas and bloating... I've stopped suffering with those, so I'm not taking anything that causes them!!

 

[Indy51]

I've been slowly increasing the acacia fibre and have had very little in the way of discomfort - certainly a lot less than I've had from other fibre supplements in the past. Usually they bung me up rather than help with motility, but the acacia fibre seems to be working well for that also.

 

[Susikav]

I've been slowly increasing the acacia fibre and have had very little in the way of discomfort - certainly a lot less than I've had from other fibre supplements in the past. Usually they bung me up rather than help with motility, but the acacia fibre seems to be working well for that also.

That's really good news... Anything that helps is such a relief...

 

[Winnie53]

From the many accounts I read yesterday, acacia fiber really helps some people, yet not others.

Some of the people are using the fiber with other things such as capsules of peppermint detailed in Heather Van Vorous's books. There were a number of posts that I found interesting. This was one of them. In this case the fiber didn't work the first time tried, but after removing other things from her diet such as "high fructose corn syrup", "it worked beautifully".

"Review by Patti [5 stars]

I have had IBS for about 45 years. It started as colic when I was a baby and kept going. It got very bad when I was in my early twenties when I attempted to quit smoking. Back then it was IBS-D, but when I turned 40 it completely changed to IBS-C. I went to my gastro doctor. I was worried since my mother has cancer of the colon at 50. They did a colonoscopy and found that now, on top of the IBS, I now had diverticulosis.

So a few years ago I quit smoking again, using Commit lozenges, and the IBS got much worse again. I was thinking it was the fact that I quit smoking again. I tried everything and nothing worked. It was very hard just to go to work every day. I tried Heather's Tummy Fiber with no results, and every single over the counter fiber and remedy available in our market...nothing. Not until I started looking at my diet more closely did things start to get better.

First I eliminated anything with high fructose corn syrup. That was a great improvement. Then when I stopped taking Commit lozenges that was an overnight difference. (I found out that one of the ingredients in it, mannitol, is very upsetting to the lining of the intestine). So now I decided to try Heather's Tummy Fiber again after eliminating everything that could be causing problems.

I must say it worked beautifully this time. I don't need much, just one and a half teaspoons a day. So my advice for all the people that say it's not working. is look at your diet more closely. It could possibly be something in your diet that is keeping it from working the way it should."

http://www.ibstales.com/acacia-fiber.htm

Heather also has a website that includes lots of information and a forum. This is her story...

http://www.helpforibs.com/footer/

 

[Winnie53]

I'm continuing to read about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on Heather's website this morning.

It states "The problem is, it isn't a single food that causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. It's ANY food that is high in fat, insoluble fiber, caffeine, coffee (even decaf), carbonation, or alcohol. Why? Because all of these food categories are either GI stimulants or irritants, and can cause violent reactions of your gastrocolic reflex. This directly affects the muscles in your colon and can lead to IBS pain, constipation AND diarrhea, gas, and bloating."

After reading this, I looked up the fiber content of flaxseed...

"Each 1/4-cup serving of ground flax seed will provide you with 7.6 grams of dietary fiber, including a mix of soluble and insoluble fibers, which have different health benefits.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with water. This gel slows down the emptying of the stomach, potentially lowering blood glucose levels and helping you stay full for longer. Cholesterol is also lowered as it is surrounded by the gel, which inhibits its absorption and leads to more cholesterol being excreted. Consume 3 to 6 grams of soluble fiber each day for heart-health benefits. A 1/4-cup serving of ground flax seeds contains about 2.5 grams of soluble fiber.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber comes from the cell walls of plants and makes your stool both softer and more bulky by binding water, helping it move through your digestive tract more quickly and limiting your risk for diverticulosis, hemorrhoids and constipation. Each 1/4-cup serving of ground flax seed contains about 5.1 grams of insoluble fiber."

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/many-grams-fiber-1-4-cup-ground-flax-seed-4874.html

I find it interesting that a 1/4 cup of flaxseed has 2.5 grams of soluble fiber (good for IBS) and 5.1 insoluble fiber (bad for IBS). I read on Heather's website that IBS affects 15-20% of Americans. If that's true, that would explain why some people don't tolerate flaxseed well.

I don't meet the diagnostic criteria for IBS (because I have blood in my stool), so going to move on now to reading about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Happily, this site also provides information and support for those two conditions as well.

 

[Susikav]

I have ulcerative colitis and I eat a high-fat, low carb diet for control of diabetes; I drink red wine, which reduces my BG numbers and I drink an average of 3 espressos with cream per day, usually more... since I stopped eating grains of any description, including porridge, I have only had one small flare...I am almost sure that it was too much flax that caused it... When I am in the UK I use only lactose-free cream and cream cheese and I eat goat's products... I have a lovely flat tummy almost all the time and that began, literally, from the day I started when I found DCUK and the low-carbing forum... It is possible I am an aberration of course... There is a wonderful forum for UC and Crohn's... Crohn's and Colitis UK Forum... there is no shame or embarrassment on the site and they are a lovely, supportive group.... There is nothing you can say that someone there hasn't been through... and they are so brave, and so many young... heartbreaking...

 

[jack412]

I don't know if this is accurate "The problem is, it isn't a single food that causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. It's ANY food that is high in fat, insoluble fiber, caffeine, coffee (even decaf), carbonation, or alcohol. Why? Because all of these food categories are either GI stimulants or irritants, and can cause violent reactions of your gastrocolic reflex. This directly affects the muscles in your colon and can lead to IBS pain, constipation AND diarrhea, gas, and bloating."

and with diabetes, most are on lower carbs, so it has to be topped up with protein or fats, most wouldn't recommend protein, so that leaves fat

as well as what @susikavI said which I think is a good idea, I would also google and get other opinions about LCHF and IBS
https://www.google.com.au/#q=lchf+ibs

 

[donnellysdogs]

Well, while I thought my symptoms were remitting, they have not. But just to be on the safe side, I will continue to not eat onions, mushrooms, or garlic for now. I've spent the morning looking at the FODMAP diet, and think I can rule that diet out because I've been free of gastro-intestinal symptoms for 14 years.

Wondering now if it's the two tablespoons of milled flaxseed that I've been eating daily for a month. I looked at the legal and illegal food list for the specific carbohydrate diet, and, interestingly, flaxseed oil is legal, but flaxseed is illegal due to it's lignin content... http://btvc.webfactional.com/knowledge_base/detail/flax-seed-and-flax-seed-oil-/

Will continue to post here until I continue to sort this out.

Two table spoons is excessive for flaxseed when you have problems. I have slow colonic transit,so pretty much tbe opposite to you but only have a large teaspoon daily. There us abook somewhere and advice to start off with on a teaspoon a day. Others can tolerate more. I certainly can't

 

[Winnie53]

I don't know if this is accurate "The problem is, it isn't a single food that causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. It's ANY food that is high in fat, insoluble fiber, caffeine, coffee (even decaf), carbonation, or alcohol. Why? Because all of these food categories are either GI stimulants or irritants, and can cause violent reactions of your gastrocolic reflex. This directly affects the muscles in your colon and can lead to IBS pain, constipation AND diarrhea, gas, and bloating."

and with diabetes, most are on lower carbs, so it has to be topped up with protein or fats, most wouldn't recommend protein, so that leaves fat

as well as what @susikavI said which I think is a good idea, I would also google and get other opinions about LCHF and IBS
https://www.google.com.au/#q=lchf+ibs

Jack412, I've done a lot of reading since I last posted that this morning. I can't comment on this particular diet for IBS because I don't have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), nor do I know anyone who has it, other than to say that diet is incompatible with LCHF diet.

That said, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is compatible with the LCHF diet, and it also is used for IBS, crohn's, colitis, and celiac. The spirit of this topic is an attempt to understand why my colitis returned 5 weeks into the LCHF diet.

In a 25 period, I have only had three colitis flares: when my father was dying from cancer, when I went to work for a fish and chip restaurant and was eating french fries daily 5 days a week, and...now.

Based on the information I reviewed today, I believe the first occurrence was due to stress, the second due to eating potatoes 5 days a week for 6 months, and this time due to eating milled flaxseed every day for 4 weeks.

For those who have (or have a vulnerability to) Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, eating foods like potatoes and milled flaxseed daily over a period of weeks or months can result in significant gastrointestinal symptoms, likely due to bacterial overgrowth in the large or small intestines. That's why those two foods, potatoes and milled flaxseed, are both "illegal" on the SCD. I also listened to two lectures on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), which is new to me. High fiber foods are sometimes a problem for these folks too.

As stated in my edit of my original post, I no longer believe the fat I'm eating on the LCHF diet caused the re-occurance of my colitis symptoms. I now think it was the milled flaxseed, a food that is very healthy for most people, just not for people like susikavi and I.

Apologies if in my search for answers I gave the impression that I am in any way discouraging people from doing the LCHF diet. Now that I think I've figured out what happened, I'm excited about continuing on the LCHF diet, and I am adding the SCD to get my colitis, which is very scary, back under control.

 

[Winnie53]

Two table spoons is excessive for flaxseed when you have problems. I have slow colonic transit,so pretty much tbe opposite to you but only have a large teaspoon daily. There us abook somewhere and advice to start off with on a teaspoon a day. Others can tolerate more. I certainly can't

Thanks donnellydogs.

Now that I know that many people with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases aren't able to tolerate milled flaxseed - (though flaxseed oil is fine) - no more milled flaxseed for me. And it's really too bad. So many of my friends eat milled flaxseed. It's so healthy. I've always wanted to add it to my diet, but hadn't figured out how until someone kindly shared the 1 min flax seed bun here. I really enjoyed it. And I kind of miss it. But it's just not something that I can eat.

I think there should be a rule: "Only one chronic condition per person."

 

[jack412]

Jack412, I've done a lot of reading since I last posted that this morning. I can't comment on this particular diet for IBS because I don't have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), nor do I know anyone who has it, other than to say that diet is incompatible with LCHF diet.

That said, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is compatible with the LCHF diet, and it also is used for IBS, crohn's, colitis, and celiac. The spirit of this topic is an attempt to understand why my colitis returned 5 weeks into the LCHF diet.

In a 25 period, I have only had three colitis flares: when my father was dying from cancer, when I went to work for a fish and chip restaurant and was eating french fries daily 5 days a week, and...now.

Based on the information I reviewed today, I believe the first occurrence was due to stress, the second due to eating potatoes 5 days a week for 6 months, and this time due to eating milled flaxseed every day for 4 weeks.

For those who have (or have a vulnerability to) Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, eating foods like potatoes and milled flaxseed daily over a period of weeks or months can result in significant gastrointestinal symptoms, likely due to bacterial overgrowth in the large or small intestines. That's why those two foods, potatoes and milled flaxseed, are both "illegal" on the SCD. I also listened to two lectures on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), which is new to me. High fiber foods are sometimes a problem for these folks too.

As stated in my edit of my original post, I no longer believe the fat I'm eating on the LCHF diet caused the re-occurance of my colitis symptoms. I now think it was the milled flaxseed, a food that is very healthy for most people, just not for people like susikavi and I.

Apologies if in my search for answers I gave the impression that I am in any way discouraging people from doing the LCHF diet. Now that I think I've figured out what happened, I'm excited about continuing on the LCHF diet, and I am adding the SCD to get my colitis, which is very scary, back under control.

I didn't see it that way...I saw you quoted an article and I was just pointing out it might be worth doing some more reading before I took what was said at face value..
it really is a minefield out there and it comes back to what works for you

 

[Susikav]

Jack412, I've done a lot of reading since I last posted that this morning. I can't comment on this particular diet for IBS because I don't have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), nor do I know anyone who has it, other than to say that diet is incompatible with LCHF diet.

That said, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is compatible with the LCHF diet, and it also is used for IBS, crohn's, colitis, and celiac. The spirit of this topic is an attempt to understand why my colitis returned 5 weeks into the LCHF diet.

In a 25 period, I have only had three colitis flares: when my father was dying from cancer, when I went to work for a fish and chip restaurant and was eating french fries daily 5 days a week, and...now.

Based on the information I reviewed today, I believe the first occurrence was due to stress, the second due to eating potatoes 5 days a week for 6 months, and this time due to eating milled flaxseed every day for 4 weeks.

For those who have (or have a vulnerability to) Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, eating foods like potatoes and milled flaxseed daily over a period of weeks or months can result in significant gastrointestinal symptoms, likely due to bacterial overgrowth in the large or small intestines. That's why those two foods, potatoes and milled flaxseed, are both "illegal" on the SCD. I also listened to two lectures on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), which is new to me. High fiber foods are sometimes a problem for these folks too.

As stated in my edit of my original post, I no longer believe the fat I'm eating on the LCHF diet caused the re-occurance of my colitis symptoms. I now think it was the milled flaxseed, a food that is very healthy for most people, just not for people like susikavi and I.

Apologies if in my search for answers I gave the impression that I am in any way discouraging people from doing the LCHF diet. Now that I think I've figured out what happened, I'm excited about continuing on the LCHF diet, and I am adding the SCD to get my colitis, which is very scary, back under control.

It all sounds nice and positive... you intimate that stress is the cause of your flares most of the time... I agree totally... but flax seed bread - which I love, especially toasted - is what threw my bowel out of whack again... I will put a little into my almond bread, as I used to, along with a little milled tiger nuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, a tsp of sesame seeds and hulled hemp seeds... I will let you know how it goes... my tummy will bloat very quickly if it's wrong I think... the most wonderful thing about remission from UC or Crohn's , for me, is the relief from depression... just low-lying background, white-noise really, but no real joy in life... worse than the physical symptoms I think... If you can find something to help it's such a world-shaking thing for you... Shall you try Acacia Fibre @Winnie53? I have a friend with chronic IBS - she had the same symptoms as me really, but her consultant consistently told her it was stress and not UC or Crohn's... she is very wealthy so has access to the best... I still think he was wrong.. but that's just my opinion... She takes Symprove, which is wonderful probiotic stuff, and she is much better, but she is OCD so puts more pressure on herself striving for perfection than anyone else ever could... I wonder how many OCD sufferers have UC or IBS as well... It's all very interesting I find... Sorry to ramble again..

 

[Susikav]

I didn't see it that way...I saw you quoted an article and I was just pointing out it might be worth doing some more reading before I took what was said at face value..
it really is a minefield out there and it comes back to what works for you

You are right Jack, but it's finding what works for you that's the problem... I have spent around 50 years trying to find that elusive thing.. nothing works for long with bowel disease.... until low-carbing came into my life.. I did Atkins with a friend about 10 years ago... I was worried about my bowel in the beginning, but when I look back, I was healthier on it, and had loads of energy, but didn't have sense to eat the lovely veg and seeds and nuts to make the bowel 'work'... I took it at face value and ate what I was told... then I went back to the 'healthy' porridge and wholemeal..... madness... But I wonder how much the lactose and grains in our young lives disrupt our later lives... If Winnie and I continue to be in remission, that's upping the odds against 'whatever works for you' and is pushing it slightly towards 'grains are poison to you', isn't it? We need more volunteers really...

 

[jack412]

I have felt so much better since giving up the grains. .I don't know if it was the undiagnosed high BG or IBS or my gut flora type thing, but I had loose stools for several years.

 

[Susikav]

I have felt so much better since giving up the grains. .I don't know if it was the undiagnosed high BG or IBS or my gut flora type thing, but I had loose stools for several years.

I had the itchy ears and everything... Candida overgrowth apparently... low-carb cured all that... It's part of the UC problem, I'm sure...

 

[rowan]

There is a wonderful forum for UC and Crohn's... Crohn's and Colitis UK Forum... there is no shame or embarrassment on the site and they are a lovely, supportive group.... There is nothing you can say that someone there hasn't been through... and they are so brave, and so many young... heartbreaking...

I was looking at that yesterday and it said it was a forum for 16-29 year olds?

 

[rowan]

I think there should be a rule: "Only one chronic condition per person."

I've often thought the same thing myself!

 

[Susikav]

I was looking at that yesterday and it said it was a forum for 16-29 year olds?

Really? I found lots of other old ladies on there - having said that, I haven't logged in for 6 months... maybe they decided to restrict it? They never minded that I was old.. Or mentioned it really, except to offer me advice...