vicious cycle broken
#334740 - 08/17/08 11:38 PM
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monfam
Reged: 08/17/08
Posts: 1
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just wondering if any of you have heard of the book breaking the vicious cycle by Elaine Gottschall. I have had gut wrenching cycles of IBS that have truly torn my life apart. since finding and begining the eating plan in her book, i have truly been symptom free, and haven't required any soluble fiber supplements to maintain regularity. i urge anyone to check it out before subscribing to a diet high in grains and starches. it offers more than just a daily management of symptoms, it offers a cure.
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Question,please...
Were you IBS -D, C, or A??? I find if I am in my "D" cycle the SF like small amount of bagels/applesauce help tremendously. BUT, when in "C" cycle the SF intensifies the symptoms, with, as you said, "gut-wrenching" severity. That's why it is now 3:39 AM where I live and I've been up since 1:14 AM!  By the way, yes I have heard of her and have read some of her information/studies.... Thanks for the insight.
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"I Will Survive! :-)... I shall live and not die and declare the works of The Lord..."
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wow her diet is exactly the opppostie of this EFI diet. I am so lost and confused what do the rest of you think.
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IBS-C Gas and constant Bloating
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Personally, I do not think there is a one size fits all solution. We all have IBS for different reasons and are affected by it in many different ways. I've heard phenomenal reports about the SCD, however it simply would not work for me. No matter what my lactose intolerance test showed, I cannot tolerate dairy. Period. I also cannot tolerate whole nuts, raw veggies (except maybe carrots) or many legumes, etc. EFI is not a perfect solution for me, and I'm definitely still struggling. But it's the best thing I've found to help with my symptoms.
The important thing to remember as you seek solutions is to give each one a fair shot. I've done quite a bit of bouncing around and then it's impossible to tell what's working and what's not. Whatever you do try, give it a fair shake!
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IBS-C
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how long have you been doing it? what's a quick summary of the approach, I haven't heard of it.
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Fen
#334752 - 08/18/08 08:54 AM
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IBSrunner
Reged: 07/25/08
Posts: 78
Loc: California
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how long have you been on the EFI diet? I am going to start eating just soluble foods again and then adding on gradually and I was just wondering how someone with the same symptoms as me is doing.
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IBS-C Gas and constant Bloating
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Search the boards for Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD or vicious cycle. You will find a number of postings that have been made over the years. Also, check the article on SCD on the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America web site titled The Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Does it work?.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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Re: Fen
#334755 - 08/18/08 09:03 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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I've gone back and forth and back and forth for more than a year. The struggle is in finding the right balance between SF and IF - as a C'er, we clearly need more IF than a D'er.
In the past, I would eat more SF and feel better and less bloated. Then I would gradually get more and more constipated, which would trigger the bloating and discomfort all over again. Then I would binge on high IF foods (salads, Kashi cereal, etc) to help with the C and would feel even worse! Sometimes I thought I would literally bloat beyond my capacity - like my skin would actually pop!
The biggest trick I've found is that most soluble fiber supplements make me more bloated. The only one I've found to actually help with my C is Fibercon. I'm currently taking 2 each night, and plan to work up to taking more throughout the day as well. I also take a good probiotic - Udo's Choice Super Bifido Plus happens to be the one that works best for me, but this can be pretty individualized as well. If I take my probiotic in the am before I eat anything, it helps me have a better BM.
Good luck on your journey and keep in touch! It seems there are way more D'ers than C'ers on this board, so I always love comparing notes with someone who struggles with the same things I do!
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IBS-C
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Re: Fen
#334759 - 08/18/08 10:11 AM
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IBSrunner
Reged: 07/25/08
Posts: 78
Loc: California
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I am on acacia fiber now have you tried that? I havent decided if it has made my c worse or basically kept it the same.It definitly helped with my bloating for a while until I got really stressed and then that ruined everything. Are there any foods that you have found particularly helpful?
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IBS-C Gas and constant Bloating
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IBSrunner
#334761 - 08/18/08 10:53 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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I'm probably not the best person to be answering these questions - like I said, I've gone back and forth a number of times about what's really best for my body. I think the absolute hardest thing for me is that I'm fairly well read and very interested in nutrition, so I know what is recommended to eat to be "healthy." While I also know that most of those foods do not agree with me, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I need to eat white bread, not whole grain bread, and that I need to cook the crap (and vitamins!) out of my veggies, that I can't eat them raw. Plus, for instance, I think brown rice is way tastier than white, but I don't always handle it so well.
Anyway, that being said, there are a few foods I eat on a daily basis. I eat blueberries almost every day, usually in a bowl of cornflakes. I discovered that they agree with me sort of accidentally, as they are one of the only IC-safe fruits (very low acid). I eat a bit of avocado almost every day as well. Generally speaking I can not tolerate foods with any significant amount of fat in them - they make me more bloated than anything else. However, I also need a little bit of fat in order to have a BM! Avocados are super healthy and actually one of my favorite foods, so I eat a bit almost every day. I eat applesauce as a snack almost every day, and I eat bananas almost every day. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I do eat organic sliced deli chicken sometimes in sandwiches (can't eat lettuce on them!). I eat a lot of hummus and crackers - the artichoke hummus recipe on the recipe exchange index is my favorite!
I don't tolerate soy well, but I'm not sure if this is bowel or bladder related - it can often be a bladder trigger, so you may do better with it. It's a shame, because I actually prefer soy milk to almond milk and I really like soy yogurt.
I hope that helped - I may have given you more questions than answers! Ask away if you have any other questions!
-Alyson
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IBS-C
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Re: IBSrunner
#334763 - 08/18/08 11:04 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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I forgot to mention - the absolute worst food for me personally is corn on the cob. It kills me! I ate two ears a few days ago in an attempt to trigger a BM and I'm still suffering the consequences!
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IBS-C
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Quote:
I think the absolute hardest thing for me is that I'm fairly well read and very interested in nutrition, so I know what is recommended to eat to be "healthy." While I also know that most of those foods do not agree with me, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I need to eat white bread, not whole grain bread, and that I need to cook the crap (and vitamins!) out of my veggies, that I can't eat them raw. Plus, for instance, I think brown rice is way tastier than white, but I don't always handle it so well.
I know what you mean by this. I have an MS in nutrition and the EFI diet goes against every fiber (so to speak) of my being. But, it seems to help, so I have to keep telling myself that feeling well trumps all my "book learnin'".
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IBS-A and GERD since 1983
Low FODMAP since 2012
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Re: IBSrunner
#334767 - 08/18/08 11:42 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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I know what you mean by this. I have an MS in nutrition and the EFI diet goes against every fiber (so to speak) of my being. But, it seems to help, so I have to keep telling myself that feeling well trumps all my "book learnin'".
Ha - and if we get colon cancer in 25 or 30 years from not eating enough fruits and vegetables, so be it!
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IBS-C
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oh my gosh that helps so much. I think you and I have the same body well minus your bladder LOL I am the same with most of the foods you talked about. I felt the same about the whole wheat and steaming veggies for so long. But I really noticed a difference when I took whole wheat out of my diet. It is so hard to be such a health nut and love nutrition and still eat in a way that follows the EFI diet. I will try blueberries (cross my fingers) bc I miss berries.
PS Gorilla Munch cereal worked great today and as a snack yesterday!
Thank you so much! I will definitly take you up on your offer to answer any questions I have. thank you!
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IBS-C Gas and constant Bloating
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I've heard some very positive things about this diet.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Have you both given up the GF diet? Did it help at all?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Re: IBSrunner
#334820 - 08/19/08 04:08 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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Good luck with the blueberries!
If you're interested, Envirokidz also makes cereal bars in flavors similar to their cereals - there is a berry one, a peanut butter one, and a chocolate one. I stock up when they are one sale and eat them almost every day - super easy to digest (for me, anyway), and a portable snack to boot! I'm sure you could make your own rice-crispy-type cereal bars with the gorilla much or whatever, but I've never tried.
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IBS-C
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Hi Jordy - to answer both of your questions:
I have wavered back and forth on this GF thing for a really long time now. I've been keeping a food journal for months and here's what I've noticed - while I get bloated about half of the time when I eat GF, I consistently get bloated every single day when I eat gluten. And I believe it also makes me very tired, which makes sense if I can't digest it. So I am going to give the GF diet a real go.
As far as the avocado - I eat it in all sorts of things! I like to eat sliced chicken and avocado between rice cakes for lunch (tip - if you make the "sandwich" in the am and let it all sit together for a few hours, the rice cakes soften up a bit by lunchtime!). I also mash it up, add some sea salt and sometimes some garlic powder (and whatever else you can tolerate - diced onion, diced tomato, etc.) then I eat this with corn chips, carrots, etc. I also dice it on top of dishes such as rice and beans. Mmm! It's my favorite!
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IBS-C
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Grr - I was all excited to come to work and make a cup of tea this morning, since it's a little chilly here in the Northeast. But my tea I have here has barley malt in it!
Oh well, I guess if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. No gluteny tea for me this morning 
Brr...
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IBS-C
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great I am a student so I am always looking for portable foods. Do you (or anyone else) know of any safe granola-type bars or anything like that?
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IBS-C Gas and constant Bloating
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Re: IBSrunner
#334841 - 08/19/08 08:15 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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Some people tolerate Luna bars well - they do have soy in them, so it may be something to experiment with. I eat the Envirokidz cereal bars regularly. If you can tolerate oats (I can't remember if you can), you may be able to handle the Odwalla bars or a low-fat granola bar.
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IBS-C
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Re: Fen
#335059 - 08/21/08 06:22 AM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Quote:
I also take a good probiotic - Udo's Choice Super Bifido Plus happens to be the one that works best for me
Does this one work better for you than the align?
I actually have this kind in my fridge right now, but haven't tried it. It says to take 3 after each meal...but you take one before?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Re: Fen
#335067 - 08/21/08 07:03 AM
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Fen
Reged: 03/01/08
Posts: 574
Loc: Central NY
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Yes, for me it works way better than the Align. It says to take 3 per day to rebalance your gut flora, but I've been taking probiotics for years - I've always taken one per day before breakfast, and it does seem to help me a bit.
The other benefit to probiotics, I think, is that it helps my immune system. I work with kids and my coworkers were sick all winter, but I don't think I had as much as a cold!
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IBS-C
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Re: Fen
#335073 - 08/21/08 07:52 AM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Thanks. I think I will finally start trying them. I have been taking Mega Flora....but I need to start making changes since nothing is helping.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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