AnnaSpanna wrote:It's all good. I'm sorry too. I get a little defensive now and then. I hope I didn't come across too rabid.
We're all family here.
Thanks AnnaSpanna
Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall
AnnaSpanna wrote:It's all good. I'm sorry too. I get a little defensive now and then. I hope I didn't come across too rabid.
We're all family here.
GievlosS wrote:I would be grateful for suggestions. I am trying to resolve joint pain/injury-that-refuses-to-heal issues using Dr. McD's elimination diet. I have been on the diet now for about two weeks. After three days, my pain was about 60 percent reduced. After a week, my pain was about 80-90 percent less. It seems to have plateaued there... which is, frankly, a fantastic improvement! But I would like to be entirely pain free some day...
2) What is the significance of my remaining pain? Could I still be reacting to something on the "allowed" list? Or does my body just need more time to heal? Should I try the four-day water-only fast to see? Or just wait...? Should I stick with the allowed list until the pain is all gone? Or should I start adding in new foods (I anticipate that I will react to wheat, yeast, chocolate, and possibly red grapes... but who knows...)? (I know that y'all aren't doctors but I am interested in any relevant experiences...).
3) Is there a physical component to joint pain recovery? Instinct tells me to continue to protect the injured joint and let it rest (I find both sitting and prolonged standing painful)--which means that I've been lying down a lot). My latest doctor (an osteopath to whom I would give a solid C+ (averaging with an "A-" in understanding of joints and a "D" in dietary advice) is permitted walking, swimming, and gentle yoga--but he does not want me to avoid sitting and standing. I am... puzzled.
Ltldogg wrote:Hi GievlosS,
Thanks for the data on what you eat. If you have not already, be sure to start strictly with Dr. McDougall's elimination diet, which for you would mean taking out the peas/lentils, kombu and all spices (minus salt). After 7-14 days of eating like this, you should see inflammation go way down if no go away completely. Then you add one food/spice in at a time. If it is a spice, add it to each meal for 2-3 days and if problems arise, eliminate from your diet. If not, add 1 more item in every meal for 2-3 days, etc.
I hope this helps,
Scott
Dr McDougall wrote:In general, if you cannot identify a definite organic cause for your health problem, then suspect that it might be due to an allergy, especially to one caused by something you’re eating. Then search for the culprit. A dietary approach to managing food allergies is the safest and most sensible step you can take for testing and for treatment. Take symptom-controlling drugs only as a last resort.
The next step in identifying a food that might be the cause of your allergy is to follow an elimination diet. This diet allows you to eat the foods that are least likely to cause your allergic reaction. When you begin this diet, allow about one week in order to completely clear the body of foods that were eaten before starting the diet. By the end of this week, if their trouble was indeed due to their foods, most people will be relieved of symptoms. During the elimination period, all foods should be thoroughly cooked, because cooking alters the proteins in them, making them less likely to provoke allergic responses.
Foods to eat on an elimination diet:
Starches (all cooked), including:
brown rice
sweet potatoes
winter squash
taro (or poi)
tapioca rice flour
puffed rice
Most Green, Yellow, or Orange Vegetables (all cooked), including:
beets
beet greens
chard
summer squash
artichokes
celery
string beans
asparagus
spinach
lettuce
Fruits (all cooked), Most non-citrus including:
peaches
cranberries
apricots
papaya
plums
prunes
cherries
Condiments:
Salt only is allowed (if not restricted for other health reasons). (This means no salad dressings, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, as well as other condiments.)
Beverages:
water
After a week on this kind of fare, your food allergies should have ended and you should be feeling well. If this is the case, then you should begin to add other foods to the diet, but only one at a time, to determine if any of them causes your allergic reactions. For testing purposes, each “new” food should be eaten in large amounts three times a day for two days.
If the food does not cause a reaction, you can conclude that it is nonallergenic. Most reactions occur within a few hours, but some do not show up for several days. Each food must be tested individually; do not introduce two new foods at once. When you do have an allergic reaction to a specific food, you must wait four to seven days before testing the next item. This interval gives you the time you need to clear your system of that allergy-causing food.
israelIma wrote:I want to try the elimination diet, as my arthritis pain is not going away on the regular diet. I have a couple of questions:
1. Can I eat brown rice pasta, as both brown rice and brown rice flour are on the list of permitted foods?
2. I know it says Water Only, but is tea (herbal or black) really a common allergen? I drink coffee and it is hard to imagine not having some hot beverage! (I will definitely have caffeine withdrawal which is very difficult for me--severe headache and nausea).
That's it for now. Thanks for the help.
GievlosS wrote:BTW, could anyone tell me why kombu would not be allowed? I figured it was okay as a green vegetable of sorts.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests