Diet confilct with Ulcerative Colitis

[pdtscully]

I have had Ulcerative Colitis for about, and was diagnosed with Type 2 a week ago...

Due medication being ineffective for my Ulcerative Colitis solely controlled by my Diet. But now that I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I have been given run down of what my Diet should be, However I am being told that the foods I should eat for Diabetes, are the same food I have been avoiding, and the food I eat to control my Ulcerative Colitis I need to avoid eating now that I am Diabetic. I can't win either way... although I can eat food like Sushi, but that a very expensive Diet option everyday

So I was wondering if there are any joint sufferers like me, who could advise me... My GP is booking an appointment a dietician, but don't know when that will be...

 

[andcol]

What foods do you eat for your colitis? Without any information we cannot help with diet

 

[Indy51]

I'll tag @Winnie53 as I believe she suffers with UC and manages to control both conditions with a LCHF diet.

I've also seen a number of people post about success in controlling UC with a real food Paleo/Primal type of diet, which again can be tailored for low carb eating. Sites include Mark's Daily Apple and Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution (Robb himself is a former sufferer of UC):

http://robbwolf.com/?s=ulcerative+colitis
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sear...e.com/#axzz243O2WCnO&ref=&ss=4463j1575887j18#

 

[pdtscully]

I tend to avoid most fruit & vegetables, wholegrain/wholemeal products, nuts & seeds, beans/pulses, artificial sweeteners... I googled that Paleo diet, but it seems to contain most of what I have been avoiding...

Okay, I can eat bananas, mangos, wakame, potatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric... when I was first diagnose with colitis, my specialist told me if I find anything that calm my bowels, then continue regardless of peer pressure..

So one or twice a week I get battered fish from local chip shop... if I know I am going to be active during the day, I have a full breakfast (no baked beans) or a Double Sausage Egg McMuffin meal with orange juice. Like a lot of other colitis sufferers I know, I would normally drink a 500ml energy drink, I also drank flat Coke. I have been totally of medication for my colitis for about 6-8 years due to my slightly unconventional diet... but now I have Diabetes, I am told I should not eat the foods that keep my colitis under control.

 

[Winnie53]

Thanks @Indy51

@pdtscully as Indy shared with you, I have both type 2 diabetes (10 years) and colitis (3 flares in 25 years), both much better thanks to these two diets, which I found worked well together:

the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) as described in the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall, also here on her website http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/p/beginners-guide/ for my colitis which is currently in remission

and the low carb, high healthy fat, moderate protein (LCHF) diet for my type 2 diabetes. More can be learned about it by going to Andrea Eenfeldt's website http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

I also try to walk 1 to 3 miles a day and test my blood glucose levels at least 4 times a day: fasting upon awakening, and 2 hours after each meal.

How do the diets that you're being told to use compare?

Results have been greatly encouraging. Last A1c was 5.4%, lipid profile - (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL) - are within the normal range or just outside of the normal range, inflammation as measured by the C-reactive Protein (CRP) test is just above the normal range. I lost 26 pounds then gained 8 back but weight is stable again. My last colitis flare, which lasted 8 or 9 months is now fully in remission again.

The hardest part is figuring out which foods to start, continue, and stop eating. I was both mad and scared when I was rediagnosed with T2DM in February 2015, and really got worried when my colitis started up again a month later. It was a difficult time, but with a lot of support from here and elsewhere, I did get better. You can too.

There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. What are you eating in each category? If you enjoy eating meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood, the LCHF diet works well with the SCD.

Let us know what you'd like to do so we can help you get started...when you're ready.

 

[Winnie53]

@pdtscully I see you posted while I was writing my post to you. Need to think about his some more.

 

[Winnie53]

I tend to avoid most fruit & vegetables, wholegrain/wholemeal products, nuts & seeds, beans/pulses, artificial sweeteners... I googled that Paleo diet, but it seems to contain most of what I have been avoiding...

Okay, I can eat bananas, mangos, wakame, potatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric... when I was first diagnose with colitis, my specialist told me if I find anything that calm my bowels, then continue regardless of peer pressure..

So one or twice a week I get battered fish from local chip shop... if I know I am going to be active during the day, I have a full breakfast (no baked beans) or a Double Sausage Egg McMuffin meal with orange juice. Like a lot of other colitis sufferers I know, I would normally drink a 500ml energy drink, I also drank flat Coke. I have been totally of medication for my colitis for about 6-8 years due to my slightly unconventional diet... but now I have Diabetes, I am told I should not eat the foods that keep my colitis under control.

@pdtscully the reason it's so difficult for me to answer your question is because autoimmune diseases require us to become experts on diet and nutrition, which is a huge investment of time and effort, something not all of us have. And the costs of books to get a handle on our diseases add up too.

Additionally, any change we make in our diet can lead to a new flare. I'm impressed that you've stabilized your UC without medication. Very impressed. My father developed UC at age 3, followed by repeated surgeries up until age 17. His sister developed UC later in life. Both died of cancer in their 60's. I'm in my mid-50's now, so I take this topic very seriously.

What makes this topic so complex is that there's so many potential contributors to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fortunately for us, there are some very smart people out there who have been brought to their knees by autoimmune diseases who have spent years and years researching how to restore their health and are now writing and lecturing about it.

Here's some people to pay attention too - (the first two you'll already know about, but you need to take them seriously because they've both helped a lot of people IBD)...

Elaine Gottschall (1921-2005) - Her work stood on the shoulders of pediatrician Dr. Sidney V. Haas, M.D. (1870-1964). A brief history can be read here... http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/05/the...t-is-backed-by-124-years-of-research-testing/

Elaine Gottshall's book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which describes the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), continues to be printed and used, particularly in the autism community. Her website that includes the legal and illegal food lists is located here... http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

Her daughter, who like my father developed ulcerative colitis at a young age, was initially treated by Dr. Haas. The daughter, Judy Herod, continues to enjoy good health and works in New Hope, Ontario, Canada. I encourage you to watch this 13 minute video that tells the family's story. It includes film clips of Elaine with commentary by her daughte... http://gutresearch.com/video/elaineweb.wmv

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, GAPS diet, mother of a child who has autism - http://www.doctor-natasha.com/dr-natasha.php

Steve Wright and Jordan Reasoner, SCD Lifestyle - http://scdlifestyle.com/

Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D. - In the United States, in 1991, "With his wife, Susan, Dr. Bland founded The Institute for Functional Medicine in 1991, a nonprofit organization focused on educating healthcare practitioners on effective approaches to treating and preventing chronic disease. During his decades-long career, Dr. Bland has traveled annually throughout North America, Europe, and Asia presenting a highly regarded seminar series on science-based nutrition and health. He has provided lectures and medical education events to more than 250,000 health care providers in more than 50 countries."

"Dr. Bland served as Chief Science Officer of Metagenics, Inc., and President of MetaProteomics, where from 2000 to 2012 he led a research team of more than 100 scientists and clinicians worldwide that conducted both laboratory and clinical studies that focused on chronic conditions related to gastrointestinal balance, immune dysfunction, and metabolic disturbances such as cardiometabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and autoimmune disease."

Read Dr. Bland's entire bio here, if interested... http://www.jeffreybland.com/content/bio.aspx

To date, I've become familiar with the work of four functional medicine practitioners and a researcher in the US that I've found helpful...

Tom O'Bryan, D.C. - (because in addition to UC, I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity) - Host of The Gluten Summit, http://theglutensummit.com/ Learn more about his work on YouTube... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tom+obryan Dr. O'Bryan's godmother, mother, and father all died due to complications of celiac disease. He has dedicated his career to educating the public about gluten sensitivity and the chronic diseases it causes.

Jill Carnahan, M.D. - diagnosed with breast cancer at age 25, followed by the development of Crohn's disease a year later, Dr. Carnahan has a private practice and trains doctors in functional medicine approaches to treatment. She lectures regularly on gastrointestinal problems. Read her story and read her blog here... http://www.jillcarnahan.com/my-story/ I also encourage you to listen to presentations and interviews with her here... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jill+carnahan+md I found this lecture to be a good overview of bacterial infections and leaky gut...

Mark Hyman, M.D. - he developed a variety of health issues and got better after learning about functional medicine... Here he talks about how functional medicine restored his health...

I read his book The Blood Sugar Solution last year, and am reading his new book now, Eat Fat, Get Thin. I am using the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet he describes in both books with the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). These two diets have dramatically improved my health.

Tom Malterre, M.S., C.N. - a functional medicine practitioner who coaches doctors and patients, author of the book, The Elimination Diet: Discover the Foods That Are Making You Sick and Tired--and Feel Better Fast (2015). This book, co-authored with his wife, is designed to us develop an individualized diet through a guided process of eliminating and re-introducting foods. He and his wife each have a website and blog... https://wholelifenutrition.net/home http://www.nourishingmeals.com/ Learn more about Tom's work on YouTube... https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tom+malterre

Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. - a researcher, blogger, and author, here's her story... "Even though Sarah was enjoying a successful and vibrant burgeoning academic career, she opted to become a stay-at-home mom upon the birth of her first daughter. Sarah’s decision to give the world of medical research a break when her first daughter was born was inspired both by the profound influence of her own mother during her upbringing and by a recognition that her health was not going to accommodate any attempts at finding balance between a high-powered academic career and her desire to be a fully-engaged parent. At the time her first daughter was born, Sarah was morbidly obese and suffered from over a dozen immune- and autoimmune-related diseases."

"After her second daughter was born, Sarah discovered the Paleo lifestyle. It had an amazing effect on her health, including contributing to her 120-pound weight loss! Over time, she healed herself of a long laundry list of physical complaints including: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, acid reflux, migraines, anxiety, asthma, allergies, psoriasis and an autoimmune skin condition called lichen planus. In fact, Sarah was able to discontinue six prescription medications, some of which she has been taking for 12 years, within two weeks of changing her diet! The dramatic improvements in Sarah’s conditions convinced her never to revert to her previous eating habits. She quickly became a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for the Paleo lifestyle, which led to the creation of this blog." Read her entire bio here... http://www.thepaleomom.com/about-sarah-2

I'm reading her third book now, and have her first book on order.

I realize this is an overwhelming amount of information. I encourage you to copy this post and save it on your computer, then work through the information a little bit at a time. When we have multiple chronic diseases, it takes time to create the diet that works.

I wish you well in your healing journey. DietDoctor.com is a good place to begin learning about the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet for diabetes... http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

To close, here's one of my favorite lectures on why we need to eliminate sugar, processed foods, and polyunsaturated cooking oils...

 

[Indy51]

Great list @Winnie53, though I'd definitely add Dr Terry Wahls and her book The Wahls Protocol to it:

 

[Winnie53]

I have eliminated sugar, most fruits, all grains, and polyunsaturated cooking oils from my diet.

I use the natural sweetener Stevita liquid extract occasionally.

I eat meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and shellfish; healthy animal and plant-based oils and fats; olives and avocados. I eat above ground vegetables with every meal. I eat peppers, onions and mushrooms daily, and enjoy garlic, herbs and spices. I limit below ground vegetables, and legumes including peanuts.

I drink black and green tea daily, along with lots of water. Since I don't eat processed foods, I add salt daily to a cup of hot water or my vinaigrette.

When I'm experiencing a IBS flare, I do not eat raw vegetables, though I do have a salad of leafy spring greens daily with an extra virgin olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette. I also eat a half to a whole avocado daily. That's my soothing, go to food. I also don't eat cream, soft cheeses, or chocolate when in the middle of a flare.

I am very weary of seeds, particularly flaxseed and am afraid to try chia seeds, though I do seem to tolerate nuts well, which I eat daily. Adding ground flaxseed to my diet triggered my last IBS flare which lasted 9 months, then spontaneously remitted after a colonoscopy.

Whether or not I tolerate hard and soft cheeses and cream remains to be seen. I'm currently having one to two servings a day. I do tolerate butter from grass-fed cows well.

I know I have an inflammatory reaction to gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye, and coffee, so I've eliminated those from my diet. I was formally diagnosed with IBD in 2000, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity in 2011, both by a well respected gastroenterologist. I only recently acknowledged that I can't have coffee. It cause joint pain in my hands and tenitis (sp) in my ears.

I enjoy berries one to two times a day, lemon every couple of days, lime occasionally. I make a mean marguarita. I also like 70-85% cocoa dark chocolate and red wine.

I'm being bad when I eat sugar snap peas, so that's a rare treat.

I eat grass-fed, pastured animals as much as possible, also wild fish and shellfish. I prefer cheese and butter from grass-fed animals too. I eat organic. I'm working toward eating only organic foods. I also take a lot of thoughtfully chosen nutritional supplements, many made from whole foods.

I eat "PFC", as Dietician Cassie puts it, with every meal and occasional snack, that is I include a protein, fat, and carbohydrate whenever I eat. I do not eat any deep fried foods. I do eat meat and vegetables pan fried in butter, preferably over low heat.

I think that's all. Need to think more about it.

 

[Winnie53]

Yes @Indy51 I strongly agree! Terry Wahls is one of my heros. She's helping so many people with autoimmune disease, particularly multiple sclerosis (MS). Her story is amazing.

Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D.'s story is also impressive. She uses a similar approach, but differs in that she, like Tom Malterre, helps you create a diet individualized to you. Reading her books now.

 

[Indy51]

Yes @Indy51 I strongly agree! Terry Wahls is one of my heros. She's helping so many people with autoimmune disease, particularly multiple sclerosis (MS). Her story is amazing.

Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D.'s story is also impressive. She uses a similar approach, but differs in that she, like Tom Malterre, helps you create a diet individualized to you. Reading her books now.

I used to think she was quite impressive till she wrote her ridiculous scare mongering posts about the "dangers" of the ketogenic diet using studies from children fed godawful vegetable oil supplements as her "proof". I now think she's a Paleo zealot, JMHO. A lot of the second generation seem to be scare mongering about keto/low carb these days. Seem more interested in "protecting the Paleo brand" than anything else.

 

[Winnie53]

Thanks for the heads up Indy51. I like much of what I've read so far, and people whom I know and respect have benefitted from her work. However, she's a researcher, much like Barry Sears, creator of the Zone Diet, if you don't work with people with a variety of chronic health issues daily, you won't "get" things like the how helpful the LCHF diet is unless you or a family member have diabetes, a seizure disorder, or cancer. I don't believe she has or has had either of those three.

The paleo diet isn't restrictive enough for me because I don't tolerate most fruits. Blood sugar skyrockets.

She also does not seem to get the value of nutritional supplements, something else that people don't "get" unless they themselves depend on some supplementation, like me.

[Sigh]... yet another confirmation that there is no "perfect".

 

[pdtscully]

Thank to all, there is enough to get me started with my new diet...

Winnie53 the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet for diabetes... http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf ... this seems very close to my existing diet, although there are a few foods I avoid..

a lot of my diet is down to trial & error research... and also, everyone with IBD won't always have the same diet, as what's good for one person, may be bad another...

Avoiding potatoes may be a problem, and also parsnips... just love air-fried chips...

 

[Winnie53]

@pdtscully, perhaps you could make one food change a week and see what happens before you make the next food change? Unless your blood sugars are high, there's no rush.

One thing I forgot to mention, if you take any supplement, like berberine, or medication, like metformin, inquire about it's effect on your gut first. Both can cause gastric upset.

Let us know how you work through this transition.

 

[pdtscully]

@pdtscully, perhaps you could make one food change a week and see what happens before you make the next food change? Unless your blood sugars are high, there's no rush.

One thing I forgot to mention, if you take any supplement, like berberine, or medication, like metformin, inquire about it's effect on your gut first. Both can cause gastric upset.

Let us know how you work through this transition.

Just want to say thank you to Winnie53... its been months since I asked for advice... I became a paid member of www.dietdoctor.com... Lost weight, Diabetes went in to remission & my bowels are the calmest they have been in the last 20 years...