Maybe this is just a cycle; I'm not sure... but I've been blood free for several days again. I guess I'll see if it lasts this time or comes back. As I've added more foods there's been a definite increase in gas which is somewhat annoying but way better than blood.
Haven't been as strict with adding one thing at a time and observing for days before adding another. We took this weekend off, kids are at their grandparents, and we've been eating out. So this pretty much means you add things not on the list and more than one at a time. To me the best thing to do is be picky in where you eat, look at the menu before you even go, and make the best decision with what's available.
Don't be shy and feel like you have to eat what's exactly on the menu. If you're polite and explain you have special dietary needs I've found servers to be very accommodating. Ask what options you have for replacing things. So far I've been able to substitute standard sides (potatoes, bread, etc) with things I can have. Usually steamed carrots but a few places couldn't do that however they had other veggies. Salads I have to be sure to ask for no cheese and vinegar based dressing.
A couple of times now I've had gluten free bread or buns. I know grains are not Paleo but it was totally worth it. I forgot how filling bread was. I'm not sure if it's the prednisone or just the stuff I'm eating but it's pretty rare that I feel "full". I'm almost always hungry. However when I hate those meals with the gluten free bread I actually felt full.
Had dark chocolate with cranberries and almonds in it.... it was flip'n AMAZING. Last week my wife found these chocolate dipped bananas and they are crazy awesome. Welcome back chocolate... I missed you so...
Oh I was at a friends house and they made coconut milk strawberry ice cream and it was outstanding too!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Blood Is Back...
Yesterday morning I had a lot of blood which was very disappointing. Then a little more throughout the day. I was doing so well the days before that. I don't know if it was from foods or from stress. Father's Day events on Sunday and Monday were anything but relaxing. Just a whole lot of stress and work all weekend and Monday. Also did not sleep well all weekend.
Going to dial back the diet to just the things I know work well for a few days. Try to get some more sleep. See how that goes I guess.
My wife found a great new recipe for Paleo Pancakes. It's just bananas and eggs. They are really awesome and I'm so glad she found them. I was really tired and not in a good mood last night but after eating these I was in a much better mood. They are not very filling so I ate a ton of them =) Have some extras which I refrigerated. Microwaved a few this morning and they reheat just fine.
She went to a chiropractor yesterday to get her back put into place. Interestingly enough they have another part of their clinic for Ulcerative Colitis. They focus more on holistic and natural methods. I'm going to setup a visit with them and see what they have to say.
Going to dial back the diet to just the things I know work well for a few days. Try to get some more sleep. See how that goes I guess.
My wife found a great new recipe for Paleo Pancakes. It's just bananas and eggs. They are really awesome and I'm so glad she found them. I was really tired and not in a good mood last night but after eating these I was in a much better mood. They are not very filling so I ate a ton of them =) Have some extras which I refrigerated. Microwaved a few this morning and they reheat just fine.
She went to a chiropractor yesterday to get her back put into place. Interestingly enough they have another part of their clinic for Ulcerative Colitis. They focus more on holistic and natural methods. I'm going to setup a visit with them and see what they have to say.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Significantly Less Blood!
Maybe I'm putting too much emphasis on the cranberries but since I've been eating them regularly I've had significantly less blood. Only measurable amounts in the morning. Throughout the day it's almost nothing; just trace amounts. Discharge is still measurable but it's not so brown; used to be like brown ink. Now it's more whitish / murky with a little mucus. This has been going on for 2 days now; first time in weeks I've felt encouraged and satisfied by some noticeable improvement.
After reading up on cranberries I really was excited to add them. They have a history of being very beneficial for inflammation diseases like arthritis. Seems like that would be a good thing for UC since it's worst symptoms is inflammation and all associated symptoms.
I'm on the fence about zucchini. Causes noticeably more gas. Perphas I wasn't cooking it enough; I never did boil it like I was doing with carrots. I was frying it in olive oil or with my scrambled eggs. It was soft like it was cooked and I would fry it until it was soft and golden brown. However it wasn't a huge deal, it's good for me, and a nice alternative but I won't be eating a lot of it like I was carrots.
Strawberries have been a success. No noticable side effects, taste great, and they are in season so lots of good sales on them! Same with blueberries...sans the sales =P Just have to be sure I'm not eating tons of them given the sugar content.
Oh I have another desert I made; I call it a Smushi =) Kinda like a smoothie... but you don't drink it. Just mash a big banana with 4 or 5 strawberries and a cup blueberries. Mix it up, put it in a freezable container, and toss it in the freezer. Eat it later as a great snack or desert! If it's frozen solid give it a few minutes to begin to thaw. There's kind of a sweet spot where it softens up enough to dig a spoon in but is still frozen.
I mixed one up with a big banana and half of an avocado with some strawberries. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it will be awesome.
After reading up on cranberries I really was excited to add them. They have a history of being very beneficial for inflammation diseases like arthritis. Seems like that would be a good thing for UC since it's worst symptoms is inflammation and all associated symptoms.
I'm on the fence about zucchini. Causes noticeably more gas. Perphas I wasn't cooking it enough; I never did boil it like I was doing with carrots. I was frying it in olive oil or with my scrambled eggs. It was soft like it was cooked and I would fry it until it was soft and golden brown. However it wasn't a huge deal, it's good for me, and a nice alternative but I won't be eating a lot of it like I was carrots.
Strawberries have been a success. No noticable side effects, taste great, and they are in season so lots of good sales on them! Same with blueberries...sans the sales =P Just have to be sure I'm not eating tons of them given the sugar content.
Oh I have another desert I made; I call it a Smushi =) Kinda like a smoothie... but you don't drink it. Just mash a big banana with 4 or 5 strawberries and a cup blueberries. Mix it up, put it in a freezable container, and toss it in the freezer. Eat it later as a great snack or desert! If it's frozen solid give it a few minutes to begin to thaw. There's kind of a sweet spot where it softens up enough to dig a spoon in but is still frozen.
I mixed one up with a big banana and half of an avocado with some strawberries. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it will be awesome.
Elimination Diet - 2014.06.13
Friday the 13th! O_o
Yesterday I added cranberries because they are super awesome for you! They aren't in season so I have to get frozen or dried. Wasn't sure how I was going to eat frozen at work so I got 3/4 pound of dried ones. Since they are a dried fruit I have to be prudent with how much I eat as it's easy to eat triple the amount I would if they were fresh. Which means I'd eat triple the amount of sugar. I think they are agreeing with me! No big change in symptoms so I'll go with that and keep eating them today.
I feel like I'm still trending in the right direction but I'm still impatient with progress. Only went to the bathroom for real once yesterday. I say for once because I had to go 2 other time but it was just gas & ishy stuff. Which honestly isn't that bad; no blood really! Just a little trace amounts once. Just means I'll have a lot today though =P . Already went once and feel like I have to go again.
Tomorrow I'm down to 1 prednisone for 2 weeks. Then a half for 2 weeks so I'm almost done; just 4 weeks to go. I'm going to to back to see my GI. I'm mostly displeased with the amount of blood I see daily. I'm also obviously still all inflamed. There's a weird way I can totally tell which is TMI so I wont share it.
I'm sure you're thinking... TMI ? "Dude you've been talking about your bloody poo for weeks; how could there possibly be more info you aren't sharing?" I'll put it in as a comment so for those who don't really want to know can skip it =) This is one of the wierd things about this disease. You end up talking about poop a lot... like A LOT.
Anyway; I'm off ... TTFN
Yesterday I added cranberries because they are super awesome for you! They aren't in season so I have to get frozen or dried. Wasn't sure how I was going to eat frozen at work so I got 3/4 pound of dried ones. Since they are a dried fruit I have to be prudent with how much I eat as it's easy to eat triple the amount I would if they were fresh. Which means I'd eat triple the amount of sugar. I think they are agreeing with me! No big change in symptoms so I'll go with that and keep eating them today.
I feel like I'm still trending in the right direction but I'm still impatient with progress. Only went to the bathroom for real once yesterday. I say for once because I had to go 2 other time but it was just gas & ishy stuff. Which honestly isn't that bad; no blood really! Just a little trace amounts once. Just means I'll have a lot today though =P . Already went once and feel like I have to go again.
Tomorrow I'm down to 1 prednisone for 2 weeks. Then a half for 2 weeks so I'm almost done; just 4 weeks to go. I'm going to to back to see my GI. I'm mostly displeased with the amount of blood I see daily. I'm also obviously still all inflamed. There's a weird way I can totally tell which is TMI so I wont share it.
I'm sure you're thinking... TMI ? "Dude you've been talking about your bloody poo for weeks; how could there possibly be more info you aren't sharing?" I'll put it in as a comment so for those who don't really want to know can skip it =) This is one of the wierd things about this disease. You end up talking about poop a lot... like A LOT.
Anyway; I'm off ... TTFN
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Elimination Diet - Recap
Progress is slow but moving in the right direction. Usually blood in the morning; more than trace amounts. But during the day none to trace amounts. Weight at 157. Fatigue isn't as bad but still frequent. I've been getting a little more sleep. Still on prednisone; a couple weeks left.
Here's what I'm eating right now:
Today I'm going to add in zucchini. It's pretty versatile and filling. Sunflower butter is for off the list for good. I tried it one more time and woke up in the night from abdominal cramping and pain.
My taste buds have changed significantly. I had a few moments of weakness over the weekend and ate a couple potato chips. I used to LOVE chips; I ate some nearly every day. They tasted gross... which made me a little sad but perhaps it's good because I'll crave them less. I could feel the grease on them coat my tongue; almost like wax. They just tasted... weird.
Here's what I'm eating right now:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Eggs
- Carrots
- Avocado
- Strawberries
- Bluebarries
- Bananas
Today I'm going to add in zucchini. It's pretty versatile and filling. Sunflower butter is for off the list for good. I tried it one more time and woke up in the night from abdominal cramping and pain.
My taste buds have changed significantly. I had a few moments of weakness over the weekend and ate a couple potato chips. I used to LOVE chips; I ate some nearly every day. They tasted gross... which made me a little sad but perhaps it's good because I'll crave them less. I could feel the grease on them coat my tongue; almost like wax. They just tasted... weird.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Interesting stuff about sugar
I have a huge sweet tooth. This is one of the most difficult things about this elimination diet. I crave sugar, sweet tastes, chocolate, etc constantly.... all day long. I was consuming stupid amounts of it intentionally and unintentionally (it's like sodium... it's in everything... added and natural and usually both). The blueberries have really helped satisfy that urge. Bananas too but not quite as satisfying.
Did some more research on it and found some interesting things worth sharing
http://www.foodintolerances.org/fructose-food-table.aspx
This site is pretty easy to digest and quite interesting. I especially like the chart showing food and their Fructose / Glucose / and F-G Ratio.
http://paleoleap.com/sugar-and-paleo/
This page gets down into the weeds of it. A little harder to read but very informative. After reading this page I really felt more informed and can more easily interpret other information out there about foods, their sugar content, and how to evaluate them. This site also has some charts.
http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/reader_triglycerides_low_fructose_fruit.htm
Then I stumbled upon this site because I was ultimately trying to figure out good fruits to eat. These charts get very specific and break down by each individual form of sugar.
Anyway.. interesting stuff... check it out!
Did some more research on it and found some interesting things worth sharing
http://www.foodintolerances.org/fructose-food-table.aspx
This site is pretty easy to digest and quite interesting. I especially like the chart showing food and their Fructose / Glucose / and F-G Ratio.
http://paleoleap.com/sugar-and-paleo/
This page gets down into the weeds of it. A little harder to read but very informative. After reading this page I really felt more informed and can more easily interpret other information out there about foods, their sugar content, and how to evaluate them. This site also has some charts.
http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/reader_triglycerides_low_fructose_fruit.htm
Then I stumbled upon this site because I was ultimately trying to figure out good fruits to eat. These charts get very specific and break down by each individual form of sugar.
Anyway.. interesting stuff... check it out!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
IBD Paleo Reference Guide
I've been searching around for a more specific reference guide to not just the Paleo diet but one that's "UC safe". Finally found one with the help of some good people over on the UC/Chrons FaceBook group. It's by Mickey Trescott who I don't know a lot about but she's a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, published author about this topic, and has an autoimmune disease herself. Sounds like she's also quite the chef and published a cook book. Anyway I thought her reference sheets were the most comprehensive and specific I'd seen. This is really helpful because there's so much Paleo diet info out there but it's largely vague and very little of it has been revised for UC.
Reference Guide:
Reference Guide:
Elimination Diet - 2014.06.03 - Added Blueberries
Decided to add blueberries. Eggs were a good choice as a new staple and it's been going well. I REALLY wanted something sweet, more of a snack, yet still a good choice. I think blueberries fit that bill. Started eating them yesterday afternoon. Had some more that evening and then this morning. We'll see how it plays out.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Elimination Diet - 2014-06-01 - Eggs!
Added scrambled eggs to my diet yesterday morning. So far so good. Still no real marked improvement I'd say over the last couple weeks. However I'm not getting worse. I guess that's something. Still off the sunflower butter and still not sure if it was bad or good; not like I got noticeably better when I stopped eating it.
Oh I also added ground turkey on the same day. I know... I shouldn't add two things at once. Didn't have much of a choice. It was later in the evening, I was out of chicken, already at the store, and got turkey. Can't be that much different. Apparently not because again I haven't had any worse symptoms.
I made them all up into burger patties. Threw in an egg but that's it... patties are just ground turkey and an egg. Fried half of them up in a little olive oil. Froze the rest. Pretty well set for meat this week now!
Down to 2 prednisone a day now. Over a month left but more than half done. Not very impressed with the rate at which I'm healing. I feel rather stuck here with mild symptoms. I've been getting more sleep but still not enough; same with exercise. Perhaps that's what's holding me back? It's so hard because when everyone goes to sleep I can finally relax and I hate to 'waste' it sleeping. I know it's not a waste but I don't really get to actively enjoy it either.
Tomorrow I can add something else and I'm not sure what. I'll share what I pick soon!
Oh I also added ground turkey on the same day. I know... I shouldn't add two things at once. Didn't have much of a choice. It was later in the evening, I was out of chicken, already at the store, and got turkey. Can't be that much different. Apparently not because again I haven't had any worse symptoms.
I made them all up into burger patties. Threw in an egg but that's it... patties are just ground turkey and an egg. Fried half of them up in a little olive oil. Froze the rest. Pretty well set for meat this week now!
Down to 2 prednisone a day now. Over a month left but more than half done. Not very impressed with the rate at which I'm healing. I feel rather stuck here with mild symptoms. I've been getting more sleep but still not enough; same with exercise. Perhaps that's what's holding me back? It's so hard because when everyone goes to sleep I can finally relax and I hate to 'waste' it sleeping. I know it's not a waste but I don't really get to actively enjoy it either.
Tomorrow I can add something else and I'm not sure what. I'll share what I pick soon!
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