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i've been eating GF steel cut oats now for a week, just 2 tbsp of the GF steel cut oats. after the first day eating them i got some sharp pains in my intestines which was probably just gas. I tend to get sharp pains before i go and then they pass so I didnt pay mind to this. none since. but today i had the runs. I'm not sure if its just my body adjusting to a much greater food volume these past 2 days, plus i added flax and lots of bean sprouts recently too which i'm not sure if this affects things.

Note, i seem to have problems with my intestines not working then spasming. ie, i get bloated and constipated, then i might have many bms one day. i am trying to recover from anorexia so its probably that. my dr said my intestines are a muscle and i wasnt eating much for a long time so i have issues. i have no other symptoms, just it seems my intestines are spasming again but my bms arent even solid. should i continue and see if this is constant? i'm thinking if its not keeping me in bed i should see if this is something passing or if it continues. if it continues then conclude its the oats and see if it stops when i take them out? what do others think? sorry this is kinda embarrassing to ask. I dont see my GI dr for 2 1/2 more weeks. she thought it would be fine to add in the gluten free oats and the serving is very small. i REALLY like the chewiness of the oats so i would like to keep them in my diet if possible. i know if i consume any gluten, i can have the runs for a month but have other symptoms too.

I think that's a good question for the expert (the GI doctor). It could be any of the recently added foods, or the increased volume of food, as you say, or something else entirely. I think there are a lot of different causes of diarrhea.

If you are suddenly increasing the volume of food that you are eating, it would be best to be in close touch with your GI doctor because "refeeding" after a period of relative starvation can be pretty tricky, medically. (A family member of mine got quite sick from refeeding -- before that I was unaware of the issue.) I don't know if that is your situation at all, but I thought I should mention it, just in case.

thank you for responding!

today i've gone a couple times but its not water so its probably not a gluten issue as i wouldnt be doing better today. i am increasing back to what my GI dr. suggested as i took a break, which i guess set me back. I'm increasing but 100-200 cal every day or 2 which should be a fine rate. its a lot volume wise though. she actually would rather me double my calories in one day i'm sure as she is nice and compassionate but cares enough to push me and will say i dont care, just do it lol. she isnt being mean, she says its because she cares.

i am guessing it really is the fiber increase or even the flax as thats a laxative? i do not know many people with EDs and none that have issues with diarrhea or intestinal spasms. i was in the hospital for 2 weeks and had pencil sized stools up to 12 a day and the dietician said it was just spasms and wasnt concerned. my GI dr when i complain of intestinal pains say those are gas and to eat, ignore it. they can be quite painful honestly but i dont have them that often anymore at least. i will ask her what to do about the runs when i see her. i keep a dietary log and write those things in too so she knows.

most refeeding issues are from increasing caloric intake at a rapid rate and with tube feeding such as hospitals. usually its an electrolyte issue. outpatient you arent forced to refeed so rapidly so its usually not an issue.

i will call my dr. on monday if it gets worse again because if i lose liquids i get dizzy from my blood pressure dropping and it can really lower my electrolytes. but for now i will do the oats in very limited amounts every other day and see if that works. i think grains are also much harsher in digestion? i hope i can eat oats at least as i do like them a lot. i skipped them today though.

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are there other options that are really chewy like the GF steel cut oats? i have problems with brown rice so not trying that for now until things get better. i would like something chewy thats easy to digest. i'm still going a lot. i might call my dr.

CBS you mght try eliminating the flax if it is a recent addition.. I find I have to be careful with it. Not sure why.

but My sister in law can't eat flax at all. IT gives her cramps and diahrea.

Chewy... have you tried buckwheat yet.. that has a lovely chewy texture. It does have a strong flavor though.

yeah i just cut out the flax. i think my problem is that you lose muscle with anorexia and the digestive system is a muscle so i'm guessing it will take some time. the one food i wish i could eat that i cant is gluten foods. i might have more vega protein shakes as thats more processed and i am not sure how much in reality as our world is so protein obsessed, but i know its very important in anorexia to get more protein and maybe for now less fiber might be good for me. and maybe blend foods more in soups? but i kinda want 1 thing chewy in a day. and i dont like chewing gum at all actually lol. i dont like the taste of buckwheat unfortunately. i might start roasting potatoes again and use the spray and to get it more chewy/crispy as a tsp of oil max i know, probably 1/2 lol, and in reality wont hurt me right now and that sounds good. i am supposed to get in some fat and i seem to be taking it out again. i'm close to the calories i should be eating now but its frustrating i dont feel well on it and if i "take a break" my dr wont be happy. i'm getting bored too eating the same foods but i dont like cooking and either food doesnt appeal to me or takes too much effort or causes digestive problems. i am focusing on eating foods that are healthy but least stressful and digest the best first so i can keep eating. i am going to try adding a bit more sodium to my foods too as maybe i feel bad because my sodium levels are low again. its easy with the runs for me anyways.

If you think your sodium levels are low, that's another good reason to call your doctor. Maybe she can order some lab tests so that you will know for sure whether you need to replace electrolytes.

can you eat white rice... I know everyone is all eat your brown rice but all that roughage is hard on your tummy when it is damaged.

When I have had a gluten episode I always have to go to white rice to eat for a while till my gut heals.

But I do love the chewyness of it

and do you like quinoa

also for gluten free if you like porridge there is that bob's red mill gluten free hot cereal.

I think soups are a perfect thing to eat as you can add a little beans a little of this and that and get a nice mix of stuff.

also I think lentils are easier on your stomac to if you are wanting a little beans type protein

Okay and what about tapioca... I love the chewyness of tapioca. and you can cook it into soup or savory dishes as well as sweet dishes.

IT is also very soothing for your tummy.

well i went to see my GI dr today. she thinks its the fiber so no oats and no flax and no apples. apples are my favorite food. yeah flax is definitely a laxative she said! i can have bananas instead, i dont like bananas but i love banana ice cream lol. but she suggested brown rice. isnt there a gluten free brown rice? i can try it. i like the chewiness of the brown and nuttiness. i hate white rice. partially because once i had no money and ate white rice for 2 weeks and the pains in my legs were unreal. since then i cant stand white rice.

she wants me to limit my nuts even to an ounce a day cause that can cause problems too but more protein/fats. she said take pepto and i can try lentils/beans and try beano. would just a digestive enzyme do or is there a vegan form? i think its not vegan. the only non vegan foods i will even consider is dairy as its hard with an ED to avoid supplements and such when you arent doing well. i try but i havent always been able to be vegan cause of this. right now i'm drinking supplements for a few days as i cant tolerate the runs and there is no such thing as a vegan supplement out there unfortunately. unless you make your own and i'm tired of mine.

i had some blood work done today too for electrolytes.

KA- as far as quinoa goes, i tried a sample today at the organic market but its more like pasta. it was sprouted too so i dont think it gets more chewy? i've never had tapoica except puddings. how does that taste? i dont know if i'll like it. i thought it was more gummy? sorry i havent had a variety of foods so dont remember much what some things taste like. thank you so much for your feedback.

can i make a porridge of brown rice with almond milk like i do the oats? if so i would like that i think. i never thought of doing it with rice but the steel cut oats are kinda brown rice like.

i think i will soak/sprout some whole peas for a day and then make pea soup out of it cause i read that if you sprout then cook them they are more easily digested and the protein/nutrition goes up too. i just want more foods. she also said i'm not consuming enough protein. i was thinking of getting this eggless vegan salad but it has veganaise in it and i dont know how many calories and its a lot of fat. but she told me not to worry about it now. i'm just so worried. but my brain is still spacy as i black out sometimes still and have no energy to do anything so trying hard to keep eating so i can start living again. its just hard as i've already gone from 63 to 70 lbs now which is very difficult for me and eating is stressing me out and making me sick and still i dont feel a whole lot better. but i know if i stop eating things will get worse. and she made the point i am really 50 lbs underweight still, wow lol.

i found some extra large popcorn as i have an air popper and i read the back label and there was nutrition in to. I think thats somewhat chewy? i was looking at the gluten free cereal but besides being mostly crunchy, there was very little in the form of vitamins/minerals in the back and i want to consume food that has nutritional value, not just calories. i just want something different to eat.

so let me know about the rice or i can search the post about what rice is definitely gluten free. or if you rinse it will that make it ok too? its been a long time since i've had rice but it shouldnt be a problem i was told. maybe i had rice that accidentally had gluten in it.

thanks for your help! I know this is out of jeff's ability of advice giving. i'm trying hard to do what my dr. says and ignore what my brain tells me. today i didnt have the runs bad since i relied more on the supplements but i dont feel good about drinking them since they arent vegan.

Hi cbs,

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling so much. Rice is definately gluten free! Some people here like to eat the Lundberg Farms brand as they are very careful about gluten contamination. Try the different types pf rice as they all seem to have different characteristics. Basmati is a drier harder rice, smells like popcorn; short grain brown rice is sticky and starchy like sushi rice, more chewy; jasmine rice is soft and aromatic, less like brown rice. I make a rice porridge for breakfast every morning. I love it and it fills me up beautifully. I load it up with berries and banana and pour a little almond milk on it. Yum!

Here's how you do it: at some point earlier in the week, like the night before, I wash some rice, maybe 2 cups. Then I toast it on the stove in a dry pan until it is dry and smells toasted and a little brown. Keep stirring it so it doesn't burn. Then I set it aside to cool before putting in an air tight container. In the morning, I LIGHTLY grind up about 1/2 cup of the rice and put it in a pot with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring. Once boiling reduce the heat to LOW, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir often but don't worry if some sticks to the pan. After 10 minutes, I turn the heat off and let it sit with the lid on for about 5 minutes. This step helps the grain release from the bottom of the pan. Put it in a bowl and add whatever you like and eat. I have made this with millet too and mixed rice, millet, and quinoa. I always wash all my rice etc. before cooking. I cook my grain in water but I suppose it would be fine made with almond milk, very creamy.

If that's too much work, you can always heat left over rice in a pot with water or almond milk until warm. That way would probably be chewier. Add fruit once cooked.

I buy my rice at Costco. We get an Indian Basmati rice and a nice short grain rice from Australia for cheap. Both are labeled gluten free. i trust the labeling on the Australian rice more as Australia has stricter controls on that kind of labeling than we do in North America. If you are really worried about it then go with Lundberg Farms. I buy Bob's Red Mill gluten free Millet and also get my quinoa at Costco. The brand is Tru Roots and is labelled gluten free. I wash it all. Tru Roots also makes sprouted beans and lentils that are then dehydrated. They cook up really fast and find that helpful when I need beans in a pinch. Perhaps you could digest those better? I get that at Costco, too.

I have seen a type of vegan Beano online somewhere as I was also researching an enzyme helper (didn't get it as I'm feeling better now.) I think it was called Bean-zyme. Don't have a clue where you can get that except to order online.

Tapioca is just starch and has little nutrient value. I've never seen it other than in flour or pearl form.

Do what you can to get your health back. When you are well then you can modify your diet somewhat. Good luck and just keep moving forward. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to try again. Have you tried meditation? or yoga or tai chi? I had cancer in my 20's and when I was finished treatment I was so anxious and frightened. What really helped me was of course time but also these long group relaxation classes that included guided relaxation and volunteers that would stroke your feet and forehead if you wanted it. At first I thought I didn't anyone touching me, but actually it was very lovely and kind experience. Is there anything like that you can access? It really gave me a break from the stories in my head thus breaking the cycle of anxiety.

Anyway this is too long. Sorry.

RRC

cbs, I'm glad you were able to see your doctor. I am curious about apples, though. Isn't applesauce one of the things recommended when people have diarrhea (the A in the BRAT diet)? Anyway, it is good that she was able to check your electrolytes -- I hope they were okay.

thank you both for the feedback! even though my dr is helping me, i still need help figuring out how to do it all.

i DO have digestive enzymes in my cabinet and they contain the exzyme for the beans but i also read this from Mcdougall so maybe i can do this and it will solve the problem:

i was thinking i can take the rice and use whole instead of split peas and lentils and soak them separately over night, sprout during the day and cook at night. then how long is this good in the fridge? i can also freeze it and use it later? then the cooking time is less too. ive read a lot of sprouting increasing protein and easing digestion. and its just adding water and rinsing so not much effort. i just dont like spending a long time actually cooking. this would decrease that a lot. then i can cook and freeze portions too.

i will try the rice porridge adding almond milk at the end like i liked the oats.

i will start with lundberg rice for safety sake starting out. thanks.

the whole fruit with the skin i guess is hard to digest. i will research it if so cause i could peel the apples. i love apples. when i dont eat thats the last thing i take out.

right now i know i have to not stress on eating right because it gets overwhelming and when i limit myself then i get depressed and dont want to eat out of boredom. i think thats why many anorexics limit their diet so much because if you eat only a couple foods every day and every meal then its so easy to skip a meal or eat less. least thats what happens to me.

i like corn thins so i might get those and limit myself to one with the eggless tofu salad? i am too overwhelmed to make it myself right now. maybe in 2 weeks. my portions are small so overall it wont make that much of a difference. i know oils arent good but she told me i need to get in some fats and the whole fats are a bit difficult right now til things digest better. i allow myself a tsp of oil in things now to cut back the seeds and so far thats been smart balance but i could allow vegenaise for now too and later i will make it healthier. food preperation is too stressful sometimes and so is eating so i'm trying to make 2 changes max in a week so i dont get overwhelmed. i think this week trying to cook/sprout rice and lentils or peas would be enough. and hopefully get off the supplements.

somnolent, thanks for the concern. she said i wasnt dehydrated but hopefully my blood work is ok. i feel better today. i will go to the store tomorrow and then the next day i can try some new foods. if i like the rice like the oats thats even better, it should be cheapier then no worries about gluten issues.

i'm trying not to worry about the weight because if i eat consistently my metabolism will go back to normal and i will have energy to exercise so maybe what i'm eating now will be too little. so i keep telling myself it will be ok.

oh as far as meditation, yes i do it sort of. in my art. i was never good at sitting there but my art creates the same peace and comfort as meditation. even so i havent felt well lately but i hope to start back soon. i got a prescription for ativan again, i wasnt doing well without it and if i can calm down more and make this less stress ful, maybe in time i wont need it. so i feel bad i am not doing this healthy but doing it rigidly and controlling it all is anorexia and i need to stop controlling things and be more normal and go with the flow. i actually feel better now not doing things "perfect" because trying to be better then others by being so rigid with my food makes me feel separate and lonely and i want to be normal now. thanks for the support. sorry i'm going on and on lol. just helps to talk to someone my struggles.

cbs... Hugs Sweetie.
I know this must all seem very overwhelming but know that we are thinking of you and rooting for you to get better... can you eat a bit of avacado too.. and ask your doc if you can have cooked fruit... do you like apple sauce that would be with out the skin... and if you have a microwave you can zap any fruit you wanted to eat.

THE rice from lundburg if you get teh brown.. I love the golden rose brown. IT has a really nice flavor and a nice feel in your mouth if that makes sense.

Please keep moving forward and yes do eat some fat if you can tolerate it... you need to get your strength back.

popcorn is real yummy too and can give you more calories... and also do you like pumpkin.

I know it is totally not mc dougall but if you like pumpkin pie maybe you can pick some up. IT is loaded with calories.

I will see if I can make a quick soup with the tapioca and get the recipe to you.
I think the quick tapioca would cook up fast for you and not be too gelatinous.

IN one of the Mc Dougal books there is a recipe for sunshine tapioca it was tapioca with orange juice... it was really really tasty and easy to cook. If you like oranges you might like that too.