Eliminating Elimination Diets?: Observations on Food Deprivation and Food Intolerance–Part III

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And, now for the big “reveal,” as if you hadn’t already figured it out

And, the biggest culprit is probably, gasp, sugar, in ALL it’s forms. The biggest worsening of symptoms was when I went off the “little or no sucrose sugar and very little milk sugar diet”. Issues such as bloating/distention were much more “obvious” for the days following than before (although abdominal bloating/distention remained an issue no matter what food was eliminated). I need to note that I’m not lactose intolerant. In the past, using lactose-free products or lactose-intolerance diet aids made no difference.

Probably some of the reasons other eliminations didn’t “work” was because sugar was still present in some form or another. For example, when I’ve gone totally gluten-free, my consumption of sugar probably went up as a lot of gluten-free products rely on sugar for taste. And, I did embrace gluten-free brownies!

I crave sugar like an addict. Food addiction can be a sign of intolerance. While I can crave other foods such as bread, salty snacks or red meat, it’s not with the same intensity or need. I can easily descend into a sugar binge. Although I only like dark chocolate, I think it’s the still the sugar effect as I don’t like it too bittersweet.

Next, I need to wean myself off the fruit I’ve been substituting for sucrose. When I’ve eaten very little fruit in the past, along with a reduction in carbs and sugar, there was a more noticeable improvement in certain digestive issues.

Starch rather than carbs per se might be an issue – hence gaining weight when eliminated bread, but increased potato consumption.

I will be trying elimination diets again; I’ve found some new ones to follow. The biggie that I have yet to give up entirely is my morning cuppa joe with cream. Caffeine is one of the “must be eliminated food groups.” Right now, dealing with the massive headache and other withdrawal symptoms (have tried to give it up before!) seems too much to deal with.

If reducing all the “oses” in terms of sugar, and removing other common offenders still doesn’t help with how I feel, then I might be FORCED to give it up. I will warn everyone who will come in contact with me in the virtual and real world when I do that. I know I will be cranky!

 

my morning cuppa joe sans the 1/2 and 1/2 (blend; coffee cream) I usually add

Note: I’ve pretty much been eating at will the last 2 weeks, and paying the consequences. Now, everything I eat causes extreme bloating/distention and cramps. My “hungery hollows” make me nauseous with abdominal distention if I ignore them for too long; but eating makes other aspects hurt worse, and does nothing to lessen the weight I’ve gained from meds and elimination diets!

 It’s time “pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again”

 

 

 

a loaf of bread, a jug of wine . . . NOT

In my efforts to tame my IBS, headaches/migraines, and to hopefully improve how I feel in general, I’m trying YET ANOTHER elimination diet.*

This go-round, it’s yeast and added sugar that have been given the heave-ho. Since yeast thrives on sugar, and sugar is one of my top craves, most yeast-free diets require passing on the sugary stuff too.

I haven’t cut out my morning cup of joe; although it’s recommended to be dispensed with on a yeast free regime, but you REALLY don’t want to know why. To try and be as sugar free as possible, I’ve even given up my gummy vitamins and “sugar-cube” calcium, replacing these with the more traditional swallowing varieties.

The results to date are mixed (I started on Monday). There was a reduction (until yesterday) in abdominal bloating and some weight loss (until yesterday).  Yesterday I also started getting wicked cramping in my small intestine which has continued into today. Since my digestive system is very slow, it’s hard to say which day’s food is causing the issue.

I’ve been keeping a detailed food diary to track what I’m eating and how I’m feeling. As I have been eating differently than usual, my gut issues could be a result of an increase in the consumption of bananas, baked potatoes, and salty snacks (oops, replacing sugary with salty; no wonder the weight came back, lol).

Sunday evening update: Oh boy, did I blow the diet out of the water. Yeast in the form of wine, and sugar – orange sauce for the duck, then warm apple pie and hagen daas vanilla bean ice cream.

Let loose my sugar demons with a vengeance. When home, gobbled sugar cube calcium and gummy vitamins. Way above recommended dosage – especially calcium. But since the body can only process/absorb 500 mg of calcium at a time, I should just get the sugar rush. Gummy vitamins are another story: I won’t need vitamins for quite some time based on my consumption, lol.

Finally tamed my sugar demons with salty snacks. I see more weight and girth gain in my future unless I drop the salty snacks, and constant snacking (hard to eat a meal during the day due to digestive system response and fatigue issues).

Writing this while totally somnolent from eating and super-energized by sugar and cappuccino. One will no doubt win out.** Tomorrow its back to the elimination diet and more careful snacking. Few salty snacks left after this night’s binge anyway. Let’s hope confession is a good way to get back on track. Wish me luck.

 * I’ve tried elimination diets before with mixed results. This time I’d really like to find that taking something out of my diet means I feel better!

** Sleepiness is winning out as my night-time meds kick in, and I start to nod off at the computer. Best hit the publish button before I fall asleep completely at the wheel.