Food Allergies, IBS, and Other Digestive Problems

chivalryder · July 2012

I've started an elimination diet (to find food allergies) about a week and a half ago and WOW what a difference it has made!

However, my main "food allergy problem" was my lower digestive system. I'm still have problems with it. Pretty much the same as before, just toned down a bit.

I did a very intense workout this morning, the first time in about a year. Now I feel absolutely awful. I feel so bad on the toilet, I dare not go back. I'm even thought about taking the rest of the day off, it's so uncomfortable.

I always thought it was a food allergy, but it's clear to me now that it isn't. I'm afraid this will screw up my elimination diet results because it could hide issues I have with certain foods.

My diary is open to the public, so you can see what I have been eating for the last week.

Any recommendations? I'd like to try to find out as much info as possible on my own. I despise walk-in clinics, and the earliest I can see a doctor is about a month from now.

chivalryder · July 2012

Nobody?

chivalryder · July 2012

I guess I'm on my own for this one...

ElyseL1 · July 2012

If your worried abt having IBS cut the sugar back!!! a lot. I had a crappy dr that said i had it abt a year ago. But I cut out dairy and eggs for the most part and I feel a lot better. I was also under a lot of stress then so that added to it too.

chivalryder · July 2012

Thanks for the response.

From my elimination diet, I have cut out anything you can consider sugar. Sugar, both white and brown, molasses, honey, corn syrup, and all sweeteners but Stevia, which I haven't had yet. I just got a bottle yesterday.

I'm eating a lot of fruit though.

laurieagain09 · July 2012

Maybe give your elimination diet more time before you start working out hardcore? Have you tried cutting back on the fruits/fruit juices? What did you eat before your work out? When I first started doing intense workouts it upset my tummy. But, it doesn't anymore. I have also learned what types of food I can eat before hand. (I basically have no digestive problems now, but have had 4 intestinal surgeries including the removal of 1/2 my colon).
If I were you I would go make a doc. appt., but keep experimenting until you get in.

ElyseL1 · July 2012

Thanks for the response.

From my elimination diet, I have cut out anything you can consider sugar. Sugar, both white and brown, molasses, honey, corn syrup, and all sweeteners but Stevia, which I haven't had yet. I just got a bottle yesterday.

I'm eating a lot of fruit though.

I was talking abt the fruit! lol Cut back on it and add some veggies, carrot sticks, celery. O and I almost forgot to mention that you are eating fruits that are really really acidic. This can also cause problems.

chivalryder · July 2012

Maybe give your elimination diet more time before you start working out hardcore? Have you tried cutting back on the fruits/fruit juices? What did you eat before your work out? When I first started doing intense workouts it upset my tummy. But, it doesn't anymore. I have also learned what types of food I can eat before hand. (I basically have no digestive problems now, but have had 4 intestinal surgeries including the removal of 1/2 my colon).
If I were you I would go make a doc. appt., but keep experimenting until you get in.

I was originally going to wait until I was down to 200 lbs or something, but I've been feeling so good lately. I felt like giving myself a boost could help.

I was talking abt the fruit! lol Cut back on it and add some veggies, carrot sticks, celery. O and I almost forgot to mention that you are eating fruits that are really really acidic. This can also cause problems.

I'll try that out. Veggies are so not appetizing. Perhaps I could find a recipe for a hypo-allergenic dip I could make.

tsavisky · July 2012

check out this girls website www.againstallgrains.com

its really amazing and she talks about a ton of different dietary restrictions

spikefoot · July 2012

I suffered from being bloated, constipated (there I said it lol), gassy,heartburn, tired and everything in between. It hurt all the time just to push on my stomach. I experienced crashes all the time that resulted in migraines etc... Basically it felt like my entire digestive system was running really poorly.

I now am very careful with what I eat. I make sure to get enough fiber (although it killed me in the beginning, but I pushed through) and I put priority on fresh fruit and vegetables etc... I avoid grease and desserts.

Looking back to how I ate I was malnourished and filled with preservatives.

I hated all the healthy foods at first, I couldn't eat brown bread etc... it is amazing how your tastes will change when you start fueling your body. This is very hard to do but not impossible. If you can push through in about 3 months you will probably feel 1000x better... but I am no doctor.

good luck

Homa24 · July 2012

I am a food allergy mom, I had to cut allergens from my diet so that my daughter would stop having horrible eczema from nursing. Two and a half years later I still eat soy, wheat, milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, sesame, oat, etc. free. I'm also vegetarian to start so food restrictions are not new to me. Anyway, I have done elimination diets not so much to see what causes reactions in myself but to help my kids. My son is allergic to tomatoes, for example, and I found that out when his health improved after I cut tomatoes from my diet.

I wasn't able to see your diary but what foods do you think are the issue? Also, some take a LONG time to get out of your system. For example, for an elimination diet where you think dairy is the culprit as a nursing mom, you have to cut it out for about 3 weeks. Other things get out of your system faster than that, it seems.

One allergy my daughter seems to have grown out of is corn, it is HARD to avoid but we did for a long time. Citric acid is corn derived, for example.

There will be ups and downs, I know people that cut a food out and feel better and then worse and then better again. If you really think something is an issue, give it time. Having a food diary is a great tool in this case to figure out what may be a trigger for sensitivities or allergies. Perhaps you are missing some nutrients with a changed diet and you'll want to find different sources? Sorry to ramble, hang in there.

(Also, elimination diets and food challenges are the gold standard of food allergy testing, if you go to the Dr. and they suggest a blood test ask for the prick test instead. Cheaper AND more accurate. Might help narrow things down.)

chivalryder · July 2012

check out this girls website www.againstallgrains.com

its really amazing and she talks about a ton of different dietary restrictions

Looks good. I'll check it out! Thanks

tsavisky · July 2012

I just took a look at your food diary, dude you need some veggies! Cut out all that fruit and replace it with non starchy vegetables and you might feel a difference.

chivalryder · July 2012

I am a food allergy mom, I had to cut allergens from my diet so that my daughter would stop having horrible eczema from nursing. Two and a half years later I still eat soy, wheat, milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, sesame, oat, etc. free. I'm also vegetarian to start so food restrictions are not new to me. Anyway, I have done elimination diets not so much to see what causes reactions in myself but to help my kids. My son is allergic to tomatoes, for example, and I found that out when his health improved after I cut tomatoes from my diet.

I wasn't able to see your diary but what foods do you think are the issue? Also, some take a LONG time to get out of your system. For example, for an elimination diet where you think dairy is the culprit as a nursing mom, you have to cut it out for about 3 weeks. Other things get out of your system faster than that, it seems.

One allergy my daughter seems to have grown out of is corn, it is HARD to avoid but we did for a long time. Citric acid is corn derived, for example.

There will be ups and downs, I know people that cut a food out and feel better and then worse and then better again. If you really think something is an issue, give it time. Having a food diary is a great tool in this case to figure out what may be a trigger for sensitivities or allergies. Perhaps you are missing some nutrients with a changed diet and you'll want to find different sources? Sorry to ramble, hang in there.

(Also, elimination diets and food challenges are the gold standard of food allergy testing, if you go to the Dr. and they suggest a blood test ask for the prick test instead. Cheaper AND more accurate. Might help narrow things down.)

I had cut out dairy a long time ago. It did help, and whenever I had something with dairy in it, my problems would flare up. I know it has a lot to do with it.

The naturopath whom I got the elimination diet from says 2-3 weeks before testing for foods.

Foods I cannot eat, that I can remember off the top of my head, are:

All red meats, all dairy, soy, strawberries, bananas, oranges and grapefruit, peanuts, and peanut-related nuts (cashews, for example), peppers, iceberg lettuce, dandelion, corn and things made from corn (that eliminates basically every single processed food that exists), tomatoes, gluten, wheat (yes, there are allergies for one or the other), table salt, food colouring, basically anything chemically made.

As for your daughter and corn, be weary that it could come back when she's in her mid-twenties. That's what happened to my mother and her sisters. It's also what's happening to me. I apparently had a lot of food allergies when I was very young, but as I got older, they went away. When I hit 23 or 24, they all started to slowly come back. That's why I'm doing the elimination diet now.

chivalryder · July 2012

I just took a look at your food diary, dude you need some veggies! Cut out all that fruit and replace it with non starchy vegetables and you might feel a difference.

You think so? I'll give it a try. I have a hard time getting my calories in with veggies. They're so bland!

piesbd · July 2012

I agree with the veggies. You need to get some of those in your diet.. There is a lot of fruit in there, and thus a lot of sugar. It may be natural sources.... but still a ton of sugar. Try reducing the servings of fruit to 1/2, and add ~3 servings of veggies.

I also second seeing your doctor..... he/she will be able to help diagnose if you have a food allergy versus a sensitivity. (Blood test.... had to do it to my 5 year old.... oh my..... the horror

)

Good luck. GI issues are no fun....

chivalryder · July 2012

I can't do a blood test, and I don't believe they're as accurate as doing the diet. I don't have any health benefits from work yet (just a co-op student) and it's not covered by OHIP. It'll cost me about $250 to get a blood test. Not thanks.

This is why I'm doing the elimination diet.

tsavisky · July 2012

Yes definitly! They don't have to be bland either, you might just need to experiment with some recipes and start trying new things. You'll find something you like. They also may be something you just have to get used to if your only eating fruit. I would also recomment www.marksdailyapple.com for lots of recipes. I am beginning a paleo/primal type of eating and I've found a lot of things on his website that are very interesting.

Homa24 · July 2012

Table salt makes sense since it contains corn. Label laws in the US do not help matters at all - you may think you're avoiding something and then there's really cross contamination. This is my "what we eat" recipe page, many of them are free of the allergens you are mentioning: http://ohmahdeehness.wordpress.com/what-we-eat/ Some of the tomato recipes are from before my son's tomato allergy. I'm guessing tomatillos are an issue for you (but if they're not, they can be a tasty option to make sauces from) - and with peppers and tomatoes on your list I'd be careful of eggplant and other nightshades. So much is related, it is crazy. We carry an epi pen for my daughter, her oat and nut allergies are her most severe.

Our most common dinner is quinoa with roasted veggies. I broil the veggies on a large sheet pan about 4 inches away from the heating element. I can see how veggies are a tricky thing for you, have you considered juicing? Kale would be a great option (if it is okay considering your lettuce issue). With the right juicer you'll still be getting a bit of fiber and the like but you won't have the boring aspect of eating a plate of veggies. I don't know how much time you have for food prep in your day but Enjoy Life Foods make top 8 allergen free snacks and cereals that are great and if you have time to cook and bake I can point you to my favorite cookbooks.

The worst thing about the elimination diet is that it can be crazy-making. I got so depressed when I first started, not sure if it was withdrawal or what. Let a friend know you're doing this (if you haven't already) since it is good to have someone to vent to.

piesbd · July 2012

I can't do a blood test, and I don't believe they're as accurate as doing the diet. I don't have any health benefits from work yet (just a co-op student) and it's not covered by OHIP. It'll cost me about $250 to get a blood test. Not thanks.

This is why I'm doing the elimination diet.

From experience, I can tell you that the blood test is incredibly accurate for nut/soy/milk/peanut allergy diagnosis, as it is an ELISA test and looking for a specific antibody/antigen interaction.

Elimination diets can give you a good idea of what makes your system react, however there is a big difference between allergy and sensitivity. (Like epi pen difference) So, if you are looking for digestive relief, then an elimination diet may enough for you to identify your triggers.

AddieOverhaul · July 2012

I suffered terrible IBS for years but it is now so much better that it hardly ever acts up. For me the triggers were stress (number one), dairy, caffeine and greasy food. Also, I find even to this day that I can only handle eating reasonably sized meals. If I eat until I'm quite full, the IBS flares up so smaller portions are key for me.

Maybe try easing back into exercise a little slower. For myself, going for long brisk walks also really helped with the IBS.

Good luck!

chivalryder · July 2012

Thanks for the input everyone, especially Homa.

I don't have any "if I eat it, I will die" allergies. Just sensitivities which have been making me feel miserable, tired, drained, irritable, and various forms of GI issues as well. 2 days after I started this diet, I started to feel like a million bucks, without any other changes in my lifestyle.

The only change today was the intense workout I did this morning. Had a glass of pineapple juice and water before, and water after, followed by rice cakes with almond butter after I had a shower. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I currently don't eat anything pre-made, unless the ingredients are very clear and simple (rice cakes only have brown rice, larabars only have simple ingredients, etc). I actually prefer it this way.

The only excuse I'd have for not preparing food is that I'm too lazy. I have lots of time before and after work every day, and all day on weekends. I'm not a particularly busy person. It's just a PITA when I have to do it every single day.

I don't know if tomatoes are an issue. I believe they are, but I never ate them regularly, and they were always mixed with something else. I have had issues after eating some, but no solid evidence.

The iceberg lettuce is on the list because it can be related to ragweed allergies. Any other form of lettuce is ok.

I'm reading up everywhere and I can't find anything that states that sugars from fruit could be an issue. Added sugars, yes, but I haven't had anything with added sugar in weeks (aside from the Gatorade I had - that was a mistake).

I guess I'll be doing a big grocery run after work today. I need to revise my daily meal plan.

chrisc2006 · July 2012

I've suffered from food allergies my entire life but most of my symptoms are my ears nose and throat.
I did look at your diary and notices you eat a lot of rice. Symptoms to a rice allergy is nausea and abdominal pain. I'd also exchange some of your fruits for more veggies

Good luck with figuring this out. Its a hard process

chivalryder · July 2012

I had most Mineure Syndrome symptoms for a bit over a year before I started this diet. I went to an ear nose and throat specialist to figure out what was going on. 6 months later and every related test under the sun, she couldn't explain why I was experiencing it. It sucked.

Now, I the symptoms have all but gone away. I'm not going to say they're completely gone because I'm not entirely sure. I haven't noticed them for a week now.

angelalawsons · July 2012

So much to read so little time. hehehe. Foods that target the colon are Tamarindo, (at Winco) You can make a tea with it or eat it plain. And Pinapple. Then there are other things that are extremely good for digestion like mint tea and papaya or ....papaya enzyme if you dont want to eat the fruit.

angelalawsons · July 2012

I cut out caffeine and cut back on animal products and that helped me out. Also raw beets are very good for digestion.

jennielou75 · July 2012

I suffered from chronic ibs for 15 years and saw specialist after specialist, had repeated endoscopies and colonoscopies. I had to plot every route I took making sure I knew there was a public toilet near just in case. A gastrenterology doctor reccomended I tried probiotics called VSL#3. They have a web site, but I am not sure if they ship to the usa or if you can get something similar. I have been symptom free for about 4 months now and just take them if I feel a flare up. Oh and reducing portion sizes really helped too.

sdok33 · July 2012

Are you taking a probiotic? That could also help your intestines and increase the good bacterias. It's not an overnight process but a process of trial, error and much patience.

chivalryder · July 2012

I'll try out the veggies first. If that doesn't work, I'll try probiotics. Being a co-op student living on my own, my budget is pretty tight.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

zellagrrl · July 2012

Look for the Clean Program manual-- don't worry about the expensive shakes, but it's a very good total elimination diet and it really helped me figure out what was going on. I now eat Paleo (which is pretty close to what I ate on the elimination diet, minus the grains, since they don't agree with me) and it's working great.

jfsears · July 2012

Have you ever considered NAET allergy elimation? i could not eat dairy, wheat, foods high in sugar, chicken, eggs, red meat etc...the list was very long and it has helped sooo much! my ibs is barly an issue now, and i don't bloat out very often anymore either. i can eat with out being in pain or breaking out into hives as well.

Food Allergies, IBS, and Other Digestive Problems

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