extremely limited food/acid reflux

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extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby Riva » Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:47 am

Hi all- after having slipped off the wagon from top mcdougall standards (but still being perceived as a freak by friends and family) and then being dragged by the wagon on hot coals (acid reflux, ulcer...I don't know but it burns) I am curing my esophagus with extreme food love. My family doc supports the food plan overall but now wants me to go to a gastroenterologist because I had an incident where I was wolfing down food which included a piece of fish and it got stuck and wouldn't go down and was painful and really really scary and then it did go down). Which I may do. However, for now here is what I am doing:
Basic MWL plan
Also:
no wheat
no flour at all
no raw vegetables
no raw fruits
no tomatoes
no soy sauce, ketchup, mustard or vinegar
no walnuts
no raisins or other dried fruits
no popcorn even totally plain
no rice cakes
no peanut butter and jelly
Did I mention no sugar

So, I am eating oatmeal with cooked fruit like blueberries and bananas, cooked (from frozen) spinach, kale and broccoli,
a pureed homemade soup from potatoes, carrots, onions,herbs and a dash of salt in my bowl, lots of sweet potatoes, brown rice and lentils.

The brown rice is iffy for me..if I chew well and go slowly it is ok.


So, my friends. The above is rough because of the flavorings I can't have and no whole grain bread. But I am doing it. Naturally all the good things are happening. I have dropped 4 pounds in 12 days for example.

No question really. I just wanted to state what is happening.
I will see what the gastroenterologist has to say. I don't have to do what he says. Maybe it is an ulcer caused by a bacteria that can be fixed?? and then I could have mustard again?

Riva
Never Ever Give Up
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Re: extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby RAS » Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:14 am

Welcome back Riva.Sorry you are going thru so much pain with your stomach issues.We are a great support system here...as you already know.What you learn here you can take that attitude when you are with outsiders...(who don't know any better)..& know in your heart you are doing the best for YOU.....& come back here for more support...and a shoulder to cry on...whewwwww that was a long winded sentence...hope it made sence. RAS
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Re: extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby sweetfruitlover » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:26 pm

Hi Riva,

I too eat a very simple diet, with a very limited number of foods. I wish more foods worked for me, but they don't, and there it is.

Recently I started experiencing acid reflux when I'd lay down to sleep at night. I'd never had that before, and it's awful! I wake up choking on stomach acid, gasping for breath.

I think I have figured out that the culprit is cinnamon. I usually eat my oatmeal plain, but my fiance got this incredibly delicious cinnamon a few months back and I started adding it to my oatmeal.

I'll miss the cinnamon but I'm so relieved that I won't have to give up oats! I'd hate to lose another food since my options are so limited already.

Good luck with your diet, and know that you are not alone.
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Location: California

Re: extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby LauraW » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:46 am

Riva wrote:Hi all- after having slipped off the wagon from top mcdougall standards (but still being perceived as a freak by friends and family) and then being dragged by the wagon on hot coals (acid reflux, ulcer...I don't know but it burns) I am curing my esophagus with extreme food love. My family doc supports the food plan overall but now wants me to go to a gastroenterologist because I had an incident where I was wolfing down food which included a piece of fish and it got stuck and wouldn't go down and was painful and really really scary and then it did go down). Which I may do. However, for now here is what I am doing:
Basic MWL plan
Also:
no wheat
no flour at all
no raw vegetables
no raw fruits
no tomatoes
no soy sauce, ketchup, mustard or vinegar
no walnuts
no raisins or other dried fruits
no popcorn even totally plain
no rice cakes
no peanut butter and jelly
Did I mention no sugar

So, I am eating oatmeal with cooked fruit like blueberries and bananas, cooked (from frozen) spinach, kale and broccoli,
a pureed homemade soup from potatoes, carrots, onions,herbs and a dash of salt in my bowl, lots of sweet potatoes, brown rice and lentils.

The brown rice is iffy for me..if I chew well and go slowly it is ok.


So, my friends. The above is rough because of the flavorings I can't have and no whole grain bread. But I am doing it. Naturally all the good things are happening. I have dropped 4 pounds in 12 days for example.

No question really. I just wanted to state what is happening.
I will see what the gastroenterologist has to say. I don't have to do what he says. Maybe it is an ulcer caused by a bacteria that can be fixed?? and then I could have mustard again?

Riva


I had the exact same problem a little over a year ago. A piece of steak wouldn't go down. It was very frightening. I also had stomach pain and suspected an ulcer. I went to a gastroenterologist who performed an upper endoscopy. What I had was severe inflammation of my esophagus. He prescribed a PPI and told me I'd have to take it for the rest of my life. I didn't want to do that so I took matters into my own hands. I stopped drinking coffee and alcohol, eliminated refined flour products, stopped eating between meals, and tried to be careful and chew very thoroughly. All the pain was gone within maybe two weeks or so. I find it very disturbing that my doctor did not even suggest a change in diet, but was willing to consign me to a lifetime of medication.
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Re: extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby Riva » Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:18 am

That's a terrific story. Good work.

Here is an update. After I wrote that post here in January I decided NOT to go to the gastroenterologist. I have a client who lives at True North Clinic in Santa Rosa and he said that Dr. Michael Klaper there takes phone/skype consultations. (P.S. Dr. Klaper is a speaker at the McDougall advanced seminar this time)

He was great with me on the phone. Such a relief to talk to a doc who speaks my language. I felt that I could trust his recommendations.

He applauded my efforts at healing. And he also wanted me to go on prilosec for 6 weeks only to give my esophagus time to heal. He says a new lining would develop as long as I kept acid off it. Then after 6 weeks I go off it....start out with the very strict diet I outlined below and keep a journal of how I feel with each new food that I would add it. Then regroup with him.

He confirmed what I thought about a gastroenterologist and it is EXACTLY as you said. He said there would be a procedure I would hate and then the doc would say go on prilosec for life.

Well, I must say, life on prilosec is great. no acid...even if I goof up a bit. But in a few weeks I go off and I am hoping for that same calm peaceful feeling.

Riva
Never Ever Give Up
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Re: extremely limited food/acid reflux

Postby shell-belle » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:50 pm

I had the exact same problem a little over a year ago. A piece of steak wouldn't go down. It was very frightening. I also had stomach pain and suspected an ulcer. I went to a gastroenterologist who performed an upper endoscopy. What I had was severe inflammation of my esophagus. He prescribed a PPI and told me I'd have to take it for the rest of my life. I didn't want to do that so I took matters into my own hands. I stopped drinking coffee and alcohol, eliminated refined flour products, stopped eating between meals, and tried to be careful and chew very thoroughly. All the pain was gone within maybe two weeks or so. I find it very disturbing that my doctor did not even suggest a change in diet, but was willing to consign me to a lifetime of medication.[/quote]
...................
Choking on meat must have been awful ! Dr Mc Dougall says 95% of the people who die from choking are choking on meat!

I do better if I avoid alcohol and sleep on a "wedge". 3 years ago I began making "coffee essence" and I have a cup of coffee made from this in the morning. I know Mc Dougall says no coffee-!

I heard about this coffee essence years ago from some older friends of my mom who could not drink regular coffee
anymore as it was too acidic for them.

You can make your own coffee "essence" or coffee concentrate using the
method of this recipe:
8-10 tablespoons of coarse ground coffee to about 3 cups of room temp water..steep in a covered pitcher
[ non-metalic ] for 12 to
24 hours at room temp, then filter and store this concentrate in a glass jar in fridge. You would
add 1-2 parts concentrate to 3-4 parts hot water & then heat furthur in microwave to make regular strength coffee. I take
out the amount of concentrate i want to use the next morning the night before so it it is not ice cold when i use it to make coffee.

This coffee concentrate, added to hot water, makes coffee
with a consistently mellow, fresh brewed flavor; the concentrate does
not contain those elements in hot-water processed coffee that are
responsible for bitter or acrid overtones. It is free of sediment and
keeps fresh tasting for several weeks if refrigerated.

I make enough to last me 4 days or so and then i make more.
I use a coffee press - a large one - and it makes quick work of this.
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