Atkins Diet and Ulcerative Colitis...
Astroman
(or any similar low-carb diet) and if you've gotten good results? I'm one
of the rare UC sufferers who has a weight problem - as in too much.
I've been on the diet for three months now. My GI has been pressuring me to
lose weight for years; I gained a lot from prednisone therapy during a
flare-up a few years ago. I'm 5'7" and at the beginning of the year, I
weighed in at 200lbs (!) and wore a 38-40 waist pant size! I would pass out
after dinner (I may have been pre-diabetic, these symptoms are gone now)-
get dizzy after just a little exercise, etc. In other words, I was in
trouble. (As if UC isn't enough of a playground)
My first goal was to stop drinking soda- I did this cold turkey and switched
to water with everything. I lost about 9lbs in one month doing just that!
(No exercise, no dieting) Next my sister recommended Atkins (I tried Weight
Watchers, but the point system drove me nuts)- a diet that sounded
impossible (no bread, no pasta, no potatoes) but actually on careful
inspection was more in tune with my GI's recommendations for eating during a
flare-up. Since I'm currently in remission, I thought this sounded like a
diet I could continue during a flare if need be.
Mostly the diet's rules are: all the meat, all the cheeses, and all the eggs
you want. For the first two weeks you have a minimal amount of carbs (like
string beans) and once you get past this milestone, you increase your carb
intake in direct proportion to how much weight you can still lose eating
them. If your weight loss stops, you cut back the carbs. If you lose
weight too fast (yes, this is very unhealthy, too) you increase the carbs.
Anyway, each low-carb diet has it's own rules- but this is the basis of them
all.
The reason I'm posting here is that I've noticed that in addition to losing
weight- I'm now down to 174lbs and wearing waist size 34 (!!!) - my UC
remission is remarkably quiet!!! In the past, my UC has always had
turbulent remissions (I've had the disease since 1983) with frequent work
absences and so on. I'm really curious because I can tell (as all IBD
sufferers can "tell") that there's been a remarkable change for the better
with my UC. Even if I miss a rowasa enema or a dose of asacol (I take 12
asacols/day)- I'm not feeling all sore or bloated or anything the next day.
Before this diet, I always had a bad day when I missed a dose.
The big test came when I saw my GI and asked him how he felt about the diet.
His remarks were to the effect that as long as I'm losing weight, he's
happy. He was very pleased with my weight loss. Still, just to be on the
safe side (for the low-carb diet is considered controversial since it goes
against the "conventional wisdom" for diets) he sent me for blood tests.
All of my blood tests were excellent- especially those for triglycerides and
"good" cholesterol. My kidney and liver functions were normal, and my blood
count was normal.
So, I'd like to hear more from anyone else with UC (or any other IBD) who's
on a low-carb diet and whether or not you've had the same results I've had-
or if it proved disastrous for you. (Who knows? Maybe I'm just feeling
better during this remission due to the weight loss? Or maybe it's just an
especially good remission?) Now that I've gotten to my first weight goal (I
still want to lose about 14 more pounds)- I'm thinking of switching over to
Weight Watchers to get more variety of foods back in my diet- but I'm
hesitant for the simple reason that this diet could be giving my UC a
positive result. Yeah, and the point system might still be hard for me to
tackle.
Any feedback appreciated- and NO, I don't work for Atkins or Weight
Watchers. :)
Good health,
Paul
Goodboie1
A friend and I went on the Atkins diet a while ago (she has UC and I have CD).
I actually gained weight on it. She lost, but after a few blood tests, was
told to get off of the diet because of her cholesterol being so high. I say
keep getting those blood tests to check the triglycerides and cholesterol.
Also, once she got off of the diet she gained weight. She admitted that there
was no way she could eat like that for the rest of her life. She is now on
Weight Watchers and is making great progress. Good luck!
Be well-
Tracy
CD class of '98
my homepage:
http://home.talkcity.com/ParadiseDr/goodboie/index.html
: ) smile - it makes people wonder what you're up to!
P14rckt
I know a few people that have used that plan. One friend once she stopped she
gained all her weight back and another had great results with it. I have
crohns and also wish I could drop some unwanted weight.
Its amazing that I even do gain weight!
Take good care,
Pam
CD 2000
Ken.W
there way to being diabetic. Staying with a low glycemic diet is just good
common sence, especially with what we are learning about sugars.I cringe
everytime I hear someone who says they take boost or ensure.My morning drink
is certified low glycemic.You should be able to get a glycemic index of all
the foods you eat.A lot of people who are over weight are really
malnourished.The bottom line is that proceseed sugar is really bad for
you.Anything that will spike your blood sugar should be avoided.
I didn't go on a diet to lose weight but to help me with my Crohn's disease
and my over all health.
Ken.W 6 Years Med Free!
"Astroman" <rea...@herenothere.com> wrote in message
news:PE5a7.59381$EP6.14...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
John
water that had been bound to glycogen, however they are rarely effective
longterm. In addition the high protein diet leads to a greater aggression among
it's followers. Serotonin, one of the brain's "feel good" neurotransmitters
requires the amino acid tryptophan for it's synthesis and high protein
diets(meat and eggs diet) encourage the consumption of proteins that have lower
concentrations of tryptophan.
Beverley McKeown
Have you looked into the Specific Carbohydrate Diet? Here are some links:
http://www.scdiet.com/ - info about the book "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" by
Elaine Gottschall
http://www.inform.dk/djembe/scd/default.html - a website which provides info
Many people have been helped by this diet and I know from my own experience that
you can lose weight on it.
Beverley
Astroman
people just not losing weight due to an unresponsive metabolism. Did you
strictly adhere to the induction diet?
Everyone on any diet should have frequent blood exams (probably twice a
year)- Weight Watchers is no exception. Actually, I think the premise of
point counting is terrible. For instance, the broad interpretation of the
WW diet is that you could eat a slice of cake a day (say the slice was 25
points- your maximum) and lose weight. This would lead to incredibly bad
health even if you lost weight. I know, that's not what WW recommends...
still...
As for your friend's cholesterol being high- this isn't always induced by
diet- this is a BIG falacy- I know many skinny (as in nearly skeletal)
people who have incredibly high "bad" cholesterol levels. How's her
cholesterol now that she's on WW? (Down I hope)
Still, my main interest here is in anyone on Atkin's Diet now who have UC
(and any other IBD) and how their disease seems to be responding in general
to this diet.
Thanks for the input, Tracy!
Good health!
Paul
"Goodboie1" <good...@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20010802052151...@ng-co1.aol.com...
Astroman
I know what you mean- another UC sufferer I know says she almost feels
ripped off when she hears about the tremendous weight loss that most UC
sufferers experience from the disease. Even during the worst flares I'm
always hungry and (due to prednisone) I put on water and fat weight every
time!
Yes, even Atkins says you will gain weight back; but that's due to returning
to being a carb "junky" (I think we're all carb junkies, actually) - the
trick to Atkins is to learn to limit your carb (and therefore, sugar)
intake. One falacy of this diet is the belief that it's a no-carb diet when
in fact it's a low carb diet to start, then an incremental increase carb
diet after.
The biggest train-wreck is for the overweight person who believes that
parking at a salad bar will help with their weight; first up, for IBD
sufferers, this can be suicide! Secondly, even eating heaping loads of
salad greens alone (what Weight Watchers calls "0" points) can lead to
weight gain. Thirdly, no one that I know who's using the salad bar is ever
eating only greens... and the worst thing you can do is throw any sort (even
"low-fat") dressing on a salad. I have so many overweight friends who can't
understand why they're continuing to gain weight just eating salads. It's
such a shame.
I think the best solution is to probably get unhooked from the carb
gravy-train on Atkins for a few months, then immediately jump onto some
other diet- even Weight Watchers if you must. WW does give more variety of
foods, but it is high on snacky carbs, so you have to be careful there.
Finally, all I can say is that the diet has worked well for me. It's
definitely a strict diet- no breaking the rules or this one grinds to a halt
immediately.
Cheers,
Paul
"P14rckt" <p14...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010802101230...@ng-ca1.aol.com...
Astroman
Atkins.
Keep up the good work!
"Ken.W" <ken...@direct.ca> wrote in message
news:axea7.4$i22...@brie.direct.ca...
Astroman
energy then I've had in years. As for aggression- nope. btw- Atkins isn't
a meat and eggs diet. Carbs are allowed- just in limited quantities to
start then in increasing increments dependent on your continuing weight
loss.
Again, my main goal here is to find out how others with UC and other IBDs
are doing while on this diet now. My symptoms are gone, and my GI is elated
at my continuing weight loss- my very quiet UC (which has in the past always
been a bear!) and my great blood results.
"John" <jall...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3B69EB6F...@hotmail.com...
Astroman
Also, did you notice an improvement in your IBD symptoms? What IBD do you
suffer from?
The web page's description of how it can help intestinal problems sounds
exactly like my experience on Atkins, so that makes me very happy about both
diets.
Is the book available in bookstores or do I have to buy it over the net? If
the latter, I'd probably skip it as I like to leaf thru a book before I buy
it. (Money back guarantees are useless with me- I never return anything)
Thanks for the heads-up, Beverly!!!
Good health,
Paul
"Beverley McKeown" <beve...@swtsoft.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3B6A61FE...@swtsoft.demon.co.uk...
Boyd Annas
concerned. By the 5 year mark they all have a 100% failure rate.
Boyd
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."
(Ellen Parr- author)
"Astroman" <rea...@herenothere.com> wrote in message
news:YPCa7.66585$EP6.15...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Goodboie1
sure if it was all the foods my body was not accustomed to eating, or what.
Normally, I am not used to eating so much protien. I have another friend who
gained also. I have lost weight on my own with sensible eating. It's tough
when you can't eat alot of fruits and veggies : ) I'm not really sure, and
don't discourage the diet just because it did not work for me. It has worked
well for alot of people. I also hate the rigidity of the point system, so I
understand your feelings about that. One of my close friends went on ww and
lost weight but ate so much unhealthy food just because it had points assigned
to it. Then she would skip meals because she had already reached her quota of
points for the day. Not a smart move at all.
As for my friend... Her Cholesterol went down now that she is on the ww. It
seems to work for her, but she has mainly cut out all the bread and alchohol
she used to consume : )
Dan & Janice Davis
"Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet", by Elaine
Gottschall can be found in most North American book stores. It can also be
found in many libraries, so you might want to check there first.
The diet differs from Atkins' in that it does not restrict the quanity of
carbs (in other words, it is not necessarily low carb, and not usually for
weight loss), but does restrict the *type* of carb. Vegetables, fruits,
grains, sugars, etc. are all high carbohydrate foods. The SCD restricts
primarily grains and refined sugars (specifically disaccharides and
polysaccharides), as well as most highly starchy foods, such as potatoes.
However, following the SCD you may still eat plenty of carbs in the form of
fruits, veggies and honey.
Most people following this diet need to gain weight and therefore eat plenty
of the allowable carbs, but the minority of IBDers on the diet who would
like to lose weight might like to restrict the allowable carbs.
Janice
Astroman wrote in message ...
Ken.W
somewhere in the 90 % bracket and some even gain back more than when they
started.There always seems to be a new gimmick or diet going on. A lot of
them will do you more harm than good.Even the prestigious and expensive
medically supervised programs such as Optifast and Medifast which often run
through hospitals and medical clinics do not have a good record.
The main probelms with popular diet programs is they are concerned with
reducing weight rather than the correct approach of reducing bodyfat.They
strip off vital muscle which is the major body component that burns the fat
in the first place.They take off weight far too fast, thereby throwing the
body into a defensive, fat-preserving condition.
The true purpose of weight reduction is to dispose only of excess bodyfat
while retaining your muscle and body water.Nutrional Scientists have known
for decades that on low-calorie diets of 800 to 1200 calories per day, up to
45% of the weight loss comes from the body cannibalizing its own muscle
tissue.
Calorie counting is simply absurb. The caloric values of carbohydrates,
proteins and fats vary not only with particular foods that contain them and
your dietary composition. They vary also with each person's biochemical
individuality which effects the digestibility and erfficiency of the use of
food by the body.
Table sugar mixed with water for instance, provides more energy and puts on
much more bodyfat than table sugar eaten by the spoonful. Which makes for
another good reason to avoid pop.
Ken.W
"Boyd Annas" <boyd...@tstonramp.com> wrote in message
news:tmm2ac9...@corp.supernews.com...
Billy Goat Gruff III
of "pop" (Coca~Cola) a day and never gain? I can't get above 140lb for
nothing.... (135 to 140) ..... (before RMAT I could not get above 126
so I guess it is getting better)
Mike
Please Visit www.ibdcure.com and sign the petition for an IBD postage stamp.
All opinions expressed are mine unless otherwise noted.
Copyright ©2001 Michael Cummings All Rights Reserved
=================================
Leah's Body Sugaring Recipe
Remove unwanted hair
http://www.for-romance.com/sugar
=============================
"those that can be offended, will be" ... Pastor Don
Ken.W
poor digestive system. If i was to eat a salad with processed oils it goes
right through me. Cannot digest the fat....If i was to eat lots of fatty
foods my poop would
end up floating.:) Just being consistent with the time of your daily meals
can make a big difference in the way your body will use up fat. Plus some
people can definitly use up fat faster then others.
If your diet contains Omega-3 Essential fatty acid they will help you use up
the fat. I know of girls who have starved themselves and do the wrong
exercises who look nice and thin but technically they are obese with 30%
body fat.Thankfully the outlook is changing to the toned look rather than
just the thin look. It's a lot healthier lifestyle.
"Billy Goat Gruff III" <Troll...@for-romance.com> wrote in message
news:3b6c1f80...@news.mfi.net...
SDores
diet, losing 50 pounds by sticking to the diet for three months. Since
then, he pretty much eats what he wants, but he keeps an eye on his weight
and cuts out the carbs if he's gained. He fluctuates about 5 - 8 lbs. and
is healthy. He's had no trouble with his weight for almost a year. This
summer he had severe stomach pain on his lower right side of his abdomen
requiring an emergency room visit. After telling the Dr. about the diet the
Dr. started to check his gall bladder. He said that diets that are low carb
have caused gall bladder proublems. So before you go on a diet like this
you might want to check with your Dr. My son ended up having food poisoning
which passed by morning. UM MOMnews:Dz%a7.561$752....@brie.direct.ca...
Violet Tigress
<sdo...@home.com> wrote:
> After telling the Dr. about the diet the
> Dr. started to check his gall bladder. He said that diets that are low carb
> have caused gall bladder proublems
I hear they can also cause kidney failure & all sorts of nasty little problems.
Miss Kitty
Astroman
Actually from what you're saying then- the only difference between Atkins
and SCD is that on SCD you get more carbs in the diet, but if you want to
lose weight on the SCD, you need to restrict the carbs. This leads me to
believe that:
a) SCD is not a diet for weight loss, but a diet for maintaining IBD
remissions
b) Atkins is a diet for weight loss with pretty much the same effects of IBD
remission
So, it would probably be better for me to stick to Atkins until I reach my
weight goal (which I continue to crawl to... fast weight loss is bad
anyway) -then- switch over to the SCD diet for maintenance (assuming it
doesn't cause weight gain!) for more food variety.
Interestingly enough, two days ago, I went off Atkins for the first time in
three months and had a donut at work (this particular donut had more then my
daily allowance of carbs) and now I'm experiencing a minor flare.
Coincidence?
Anyway, now I can truly test if Atkins will reverse the symptoms as I'm
going to go full throttle (what Atkins refers to as Induction phase) back
into the diet tomorrow. (had half an eclair tonight- the symptoms started a
few hours later!)
At any rate, I think the testimony here is clear of a carb induced
connection to flare ups in IBDs. I can personally attest to it in UC. I
recommend any and all sufferers of IBDs to give one of the low-carb diets a
whirl and see for yourself. (as with any diet, consult with your GI
first...)
Good Health,
Paul
ps- I'll come back with the results of me "experiment" in a few days.
"Dan & Janice Davis" <hockle...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:wAHa7.62714$uH4.4...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Astroman
problems; I just can't remember what he had to say about it. (My book is out
on loan... as soon as I get it back, I'll check into it.) Still, gall
bladder disease runs in my family, so it doesn't really make much difference
for me. My gall bladder's bound to come out real soon. (It strikes us in
our 40s- I turned 40 back in January- gulp)
On the other hand, your son had food poisoning- not something caused by the
Atkins diet, so actually the doctor's statement was actually not much to go
by as a condemnation of the diet from your son's perspective (and than
goodness he was fine by the next day- where did he eat???). Still, I'd like
to read more about this.
As I said initially, my GI's feeling was that any diet that was causing me
to lose weight and feel great was a winner as he saw it- but he did send me
for the blood tests just to be safe. Atkins stresses to get blood tests
before (something I didn't do) and after starting his diet just to compare
the results. Mine were great. (bad cholesterol was slightly above normal,
but since I have no measure of it before Atkins, I have no way of telling
which direction it's taking- I'm going to get it checked again in a few
months to compare)
Thanks for the great info, UM MOM!!!
Good health,
Paul
ps- your son lost 50 pounds in 3 months? That's EXCELLENT!!! I thought I
was doing great losing 27 pounds in the same period. WOW! (Of course, I
think I take in a little more veggies then I probably should)
"SDores" <sdo...@home.com> wrote in message
news:UUgb7.33676$k7.78...@news1.rdc1.tn.home.com...
Astroman
failure or 'nasty little problems'. The diet can cause mild loosening of
the stools in the first few days (although nothing like a typical IBD
sufferer is used to) and a slight case of bad breath in some for the first
week. (Didn't happen with me...)
Both are due to your body switching over from a fat-storing, carb-loaded
(and often low fat, reduced calorie) diet to the low carb, fat burning diet.
My kidney functions tested normal just recently as did liver and blood
counts.
Cheers,
Paul
"Violet Tigress" <che...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cheetra-0608...@209-209-66-123.la.inreach.net...
Boyd Annas
sugars (that is what the digestive system is for). Then when you eat sugars,
they pass through the small intestine, where they should be digested, and
ferment in the bowel, producing gas and other symptoms. If the Atkins diet
is continued long term, you will be one sick puppy if you try to eat the
diet that most people eat without problems.
Boyd
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."
(Ellen Parr- author)
"Astroman" <rea...@herenothere.com> wrote in message
news:zipc7.86442$EP6.20...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Billy Goat Gruff III
your symptoms but; I noticed that both things you broke your diet with
were loaded with fat/grease. Donuts are high in fat because they are
fried. If it had any icing or filling it will be even higher. Same on
the eclair. If it was a chocolate eclair it will give you double
trouble. If you want to see if it is the carbs or the grease that is
causing you trouble try upping the carbs with something that is not
greasy. Just a thought.
Mike
On Thu, 09 Aug 2001 05:35:27 GMT, "Astroman" <rea...@herenothere.com>
wrote:
Please Visit www.ibdcure.com and sign the petition for an IBD postage stamp.
All opinions expressed are mine unless otherwise noted.
SDores
neighborhoods in Palm Beach County, Fl. You are doing good on your diet
stick with it. My son is 21 yrs. old, plays basketball, coaches kids b'ball
camp, and lifts weight. What I'm sying is he is able to get a lot more heavy
pysical activity than we are. Keep up the good work, he felt fantastic
after he got the weight off. Be well. UM Momnews:Pvpc7.86449$EP6.20...@news1.rdc2.pa.home.com...
Astroman
If any of what you were saying was true, I'd be dead right now. :)
On Atkins, you don't ever give up sugars (or, in this context, carbs)- you
restrict them at first then slowly increase them till you find the right
ratio of carb-intake/fat burning. Most Atkins adherents (I'm not one of
them in the sense that I preach this diet) have been on this diet for years-
and are incredibly healthy. They also occasionally go off the diet.
Nothing bad happens unless they decide to go back to their carb addiction.
Then they get fat again.
Cheers,
Paul
"Boyd Annas" <boyd...@tstonramp.com> wrote in message
news:tn518bi...@corp.supernews.com...
Astroman
or that was the shortest flare I've had on record. Twenty-four hours?!?
More proof that this diet can actually help curb flares (for me anyway-
ymmv). As I said, I immediately went for full "induction phase" the next
day and the symptoms evaporated. No blood, no gas. Back to remission.
As for the donuts/eclairs claims I made- who knows? Maybe I missed a dose
of Asacol somewhere in there- I can't remember as I've been up late a lot of
nights working on some projects. One aspect of my disease is that whenever
my UC is in remission, I tend to forget doses every once in a while- and I'm
on very high doses of Asacol. (12 caps per day, and rowasa every other day)
The donut was extremely high in carbs and sugar. (17 grams of carbs/donut!!!
20 grams is the max for a beginner on Atkins) The funny thing about the
eclair is that the cream filling was probably okay on Atkins (and even the
smattering of chocolate was probably not too much in carb-grams- but the
pastry wrapping it was probably a diet buster)!
Atkins promotes fat intake to burn fat; for instance, butter is a must and
margarine is forbidden. Whipped cream is a delicacy that's fine to eat but
forget the pudding or jello (unless the latter is diet- blech!). I can make
a killing at just about any buffet as they're all mostly meat-o-centric.
The few veggies on buffets fill out my intake of carbs.
Again, this diet isn't for everyone- to be sure (This is especially true of
vegetarians and vegans)! Some of my friends marvel at the fact that I eat
no bread, pizza, or pasta. But they also marvel at the healthy weight loss.
And I can't believe how great I feel. Oh well, I guess not too many of my
fellow UC sufferers are experimenting with diet changes- I really wanted to
see if anyone else got the same results I have gotten.
If any of you do decide to try this or the SCD (basically - I think- another
form of Atkins, but I can't find the book in Walden's or B.Dalton- to check
on this) diet and you get the benefits of weight control and an easier UC
(or any other IBD) experience, please post it here. I'd be really
interested in finding out.
Good health,
Paul
"Billy Goat Gruff III" <Troll...@for-romance.com> wrote in message
news:3b729356...@news.mfi.net...
creatureof...@gmail.com
grayso...@gmail.com
ledconc...@gmail.com
zumon...@protonmail.com
On Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at 1:41:12 PM UTC-5, ledconc...@gmail.com wrote:
> I have mild to moderate UC. was wondering if any particular food had helped anyone achieve remission. I had some success with one food by accident, which I call a gift from God, just wondered if anyone else has had such a success.
This newsgroup isn’t dead but isn’t that active.
There are other online support groups you could try. While I haven’t used it, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/living-with-crohns-colitis/find-a-support-group/) has one at https://www.crohnscolitiscommunity.org/crohns-colitis-forum.
Despite having active Crohn’s for decades (most meds not only didn't work but made me sicker, often a lot sicker) I found that getting enough fiber, especially in my first meal, helps.
Specifically it helps absorb bile salts and so reduce my bile acid which wasn’t getting reabsorbed prior to exit and it often helps reduce my bouts of diarrhea.
But fiber can be a problem if not dangerous depending on your condition.
Otherwise you can check for problem foods by keeping a food / symptom diary or going on an elimination diet; a diet where you start with a few likely safe foods and slowly add new foods looking for health changes.
Some people follow the SCD (Specific carbohydrate diet) (Lots on info online such as http://online.ccfa.org/site/DocServer/Specific_Carbohydrate_diet.pdf?docID=34292).
Personally when I checked it out about 15 years ago there wasn’t any good evidence for it and I found several things I thought were inconsistent about it. But at its heart it is an elimination diet just with more restrictions on what can be added back so it would help eliminate some problem foods.
And a number of people say they follow it and it helps them.
If you’re up for a journa;l article, try “An Examination of Diet for the Maintenance of Remission in Inflammatory Bowel Disease” from 2017 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372922/. (Table 1 is “Evidence-based diet recommendations for the maintenance of remission in IBD.”. The SCD is listed under “No recommendation: There is a lack of or poor evidence. Unclear balance between benefit and harm.”)
HTH,
–
Luke