Foods to avoid for now

I went through and charted foods to avoid for gluten free, low fodmap, histamine intolerance, common food sensitivities,  NASH, and diabetes.  So basically I can't eat ANYTHING!!!!

No just kidding, but it is very limited.  When you finally reach the point that you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, a true elimination diet is a good way to find out how many issues you have are food related.  I am to that point.  The main issues I want to get under control are brain fog, physical fatigue, my blood sugar, and the upper abdominal pain. 

I have tried a number of diets, primarily for weight loss and blood sugar control. Many were effective for a time, but either I had adverse side effects or did not get meaningful results. 

Atkins dropped weight quickly but made my blood sugar RISE so my doctor told me to stop (my blood glucose level is very sensitive to stress, and the doctor felt that the stress it caused on my body was too high).

17-day diet-- loved it, easy to follow, well detailed, had minimal effect on blood sugar stabilization, and not much weight loss after the first round.

Scarsdale--had great results at first, but my nutritionists did not like it.

Tried shakes--medifast, slimfast, GNC ultra something but could not make myself stick to them.  Fat just was not enough reason to change. 

But this fatigue and brain fog that have taken over are really really bad.  While insulin and getting my blood sugar more controlled has helped with some of the fatigue but not all, the brain fog only gets better when I either do not eat (like for the colonoscopy or when I had a stomach bug) or when I am on doxycycline.   I even asked my doctor to keep me on  doxy because my brain is so clear but alas she will not agree.

This week my brain Is very clear...i am on doxycycline for a severe sinus infection.  So I  cannot say if the eating changes have helped.  I have also not been as disciplined as I need to be to really eliminate all possible reactive foods.

So basically over the next 2 weeks I will be eating only--
-brown rice
-potatoes
- chicken
-fish
-zucchini
-summer squash

-winter squash
-baby lettuce
-coffee (black)
-water
-eggs
-1/2 c oatmeal
-occasional coconut oil or olive oil
-salt, pepper, basil, oregano, tarragon
-occasional pure maple syrup

If my abdominal symptoms continue I will drop to just potatoes, chicken, baby lettuce, and water.

If needed I will go to nothing for a few days and add just one food at a time to see what is kicking the problems into gear.

Body Malfunction and Diets

I have been studying a variety of digestive challenges and whole body symptoms.  I have been dealing with many different health issues over the past few years--
-obesity
-inability to lose weight (even on very restrictive diets)
-hard to control diabetes (like multiple oral meds and enough insulin to kill an elephant)
-recurring severe abdominal pain high on the left side
-recurring bulge high on left side
-excessive flatulence
-moderate intermittent pain on right side
-recurring nausea and vomiting
-recurring bouts of diarrhea
-almost constant fatigue, sometimes debilitating
-Incredible brain fog, the inability to stay focused or think quickly and clearly
-constant cold like symptoms that barely respond to allergy meds
-generalized body aches and intermittent weakness
-overproduction of cortisol (though just shy of diagnostic for Cushing's Syndrome)
-Overproduction of White Blood Cells without a known infection (going back over 6 years)

I had have a variety of procedures done-
-Abdominal ultrasound
-shoulders to hips Cat Scan
-endoscopy
-colonoscopy
-gastroparesis study
-numerous blood tests
-Tested for celiacs (negative)
-various medications to combat different smptoms
-various weight loss diets
-various diabetes control lifestyle changes

Things I have done in addition to doctor recommendations
-Taken a Relaxation Class
-Eating whole foods instead of processed foods
-Shifted focus to Vegetables as the main subject of meals
-Cut out late night snacks
-Continued to reduce both simple sugars and fats in my diet
-Ensure that I get 7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
-Ensure that I am drinking 10-14 glasses of water a day
-Tried a gluten free diet (helped a little with the discomfort, but I ended up malnourished)

Diagnoses that I have been given by doctors:
-Diabetes, insulin dependent
-NAFLD-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NASH-Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis)
-IBS- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
-Leukocytosis
-Meralgia paraesthetica
-Obstructive Sleep Apnea

None of this has helped very much.  I have days that are better than others, but most days I still deal with a lot of abdominal discomfort, body aches (knees lacking cartilage and severe carpal tunnel in both wrists do not help).  So I have been looking at various documentaries and looking up recent research on a variety of health related topics. And talked with other people including some nutrition experts, one being my sister who has a doctorate in nutrition and is a professor at the University of South Carolina.

From that exploration, I have some basic enzyme and metabolism malfunctions I am going to be reviewing on this blog, and trying out myself to see if I can find something that will bring relief from the many symptoms and diseases that have taken over my body.  Many of the symptoms and diagnoses point to an autoimmune issue, but nothing concrete has come to light (it is not lupus or RA--I have been tested for both due to the fact that this looks autoimmune).

Over the next few weeks, I will be summarizing the various symptoms, dietary recommendations, and science behind:
-Histamine Intolerance
-FODMAP Intolerance
-NASH/NAFLD
-Diabetes, insulin resistance
-Celiacs
-Dietary Allergies
-Food Intolerances

I will also be detailing my own journey as I start with a major overhaul of my food intake, relaxation routine, body stretching, exercise, and mediation routine.
Beginning today, I will begin this new exploration into better health by doing a reset of my food intake.  The three times I have felt best over the past few years were:
1) when I was on doxycycline for a month due to a tick bite and Lyme disease--felt clear headed and had lots of energy.
2) when I was sick with a stomach bug that cleared me out and I was afraid to eat solid food for a few days, my head felt clear and my body had more energy (after the vomiting and diarrhea stopped)
3) when I was preparing for my colonoscopy, and had to do a liquid diet and them clean out of the intestines via laxatives, my mind felt clear and my body had energy.

So beginning now, I am going to be doing a liquid diet (clear liquids--water, clear juices, tea, broth, sports drinks, etc...).  Then tonight I will do one bottle of magnesium citrate to help clear the colon.  Tomorrow I will continue with the liquid diet and only if needed, do another liquid laxative in the afternoon.  This should clear out the intestines and hopefully any of the food particles that are contributing to the feelings of brain fog, fatigue, discomfort, and aches.

Then I will slowly add the most benign foods (ones not on any of the avoid foods lists for the above conditions) into my diet, beginning with brown rice, collard greens, kale, zucchini, blue berries, raspberries, olive oil, coconut oil, chicken, turkey, salt and pepper. If no symptoms return, I will add in one item every 2 weeks, eliminating any that cause symptoms from my life.  So yes, a long process but hopefully one that will root out the causes of some of the issues.