SLOW Digestion

[Wilfrid]

Have you seen a doctor? You said " ...my stomach always hurt...", so, what about gastritis?
Some foods, even if RP approved, can cause stomach pb or irritation. ( BTW why are you still drinking milk if it cause you digestive issues ?)
Gastritis is a condition in which the stomach lining is inflamed. The stomach lining contains special cells that produce acid and enzymes, which help break down food for digestion, and mucus, which protects the stomach lining from acid. When the stomach lining is inflamed, it produces less acid, enzymes, and mucus.
Gastritis may be acute or chronic. Sudden, severe inflammation of the stomach lining is called acute gastritis. Inflammation that lasts for a long time is called chronic gastritis. If chronic gastritis is not treated, it may last for years or even a lifetime.
(source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddisease ... gastritis/)
Symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue and sometimes pain and nausea after eating.

If you have (even mild) gastritis, I can guarantee you that you will also NEVER have any "normal" bowel movements.

 

[Peata]

Hopefully it's not intestinal blockage. Have you considered that one?

 

[Jennifer]

Wilfrid and Peata make good points.

Have you thought about having an upper GI endoscopy done, iLoveSugar? I had it done and that's how it was discovered my intestines were all inflamed. Of course, I wasn't given any info on how to treat and prevent it other than to take an antacid, but at least I knew what the intense burning and subsequent vomiting spells were from and it that it wasn't from gallstones.

Prior to the endoscopy, I had gone to the emergency room and it was found that I had some gallstones, but that the gallbladder and all surrounding organs were healthy and without inflammation and my duct was clear of any stones. With this they concluded that I needed to have my gallbladder removed. In which my reply was "Heck no! I'm keeping my gallbladder!"

Anyhow, an endoscopy is something to think about. The doctor can even rule out things like H.Pylori, Candida overgrowth ect. The Gastroenterologist even did a Celiac gene biopsy on me to rule that out.

 

[Wilfrid]

It seems that you are still drinking coffee and a lot of OJ.
Don't you think that, may be, dropping the coffee and the OJ would be a good start?
If you love drinking fruit juice, try to get some sweet and clarified pear and/or apple juice, peach nectar ( Pago is a good brand, at least here in France but I dunno what's available in the US, though), apricot nectar, mango nectar ( without added ascorbic acid) ect....
I read that you couldn't tolerate starch but still I'm strongly recommend you ( very well cooked) Uncle Ben's parboiled rice ( without any vit/minerals added) and ghee.
Unsalted ( or salted with rock salt) homemade fresh cheese from good quality milk of ( in that order) sheep, goat, cow ( paneer, farmer cheese ect), low fat fish ( such as cod) and even high quality venison, shrimp and/or (non-estrogenized) chicken/chicken stew are all very good protein sources. Very well cooked (and mashed) potatoes (boiled at least 40 minutes) and mixed with skim milk and ghee are pretty safe too ( also eaten with a protein source). Cooked ( or sauteed) okras are very soothing too.
In France, I can find some very good product under the " Le petit Basque" brand name, they are making a product called " Le caillé", it's simply a non-fermented sheep milk product curdled with sheep's rennet. It's a very good protein source and the sheep are grass-fed. That's it, curdled sheep milk ( without added any additives of any kind). There is also sweet version of it. It's non acidic and very easily digest. May be you too can find those products in the US?
http://www.lepetitbasque.fr/brebis/cail ... bis-nature
And for salt, choose the rock not the sea salt.
Very well cooked quick oatmeal ( not the regular, the steel cut and ect.... but only the "quick" version) is often also very well tolerated. Soaking it in salted water ( at least 7-8 hours) would speed up even more the cooking process and, I think, would also avoid any digestive negative reaction as minimizing the persorption problem. You could make the oatmeal with 1 part water and 1 part skim milk. Add as much white cane sugar ( I personally prefer a lot of organic maple syrup and a dash of blackstrap molasse plus mixed bananas and dates but those are not RP approved, including them or not is up to you) as you want plus 1 tsp of ghee. 2-3oz of fresh cheese plus 1~2 cup of sweet and clarified apple juice as a side. Those foods are pretty safe even in case of stomach inflammation and/or intestinal inflammation.
Please leave the magnesium stuff, supplemental magnesium ( even the glycinate, carbonate whatever the chelated form you want) could be very irritating to the stomach and intestine.
I asked once RP about supplemental magnesium for people suffering IBD ( this disease may affect all the GI tract, and can cause any inflammation from the mouth to the anus) and he strongly advised me to stay away from that stuff. Very well cooked greens are way much safer than the supplemental magnesium in case of any GI inflammation. Or, if you don't want to eat the greens, you could make a (very well filtered) broth of those.
Anyway, I would personally leave the coffee ( even the coke despite what I said in the first post) and the OJ for now. Try some plain water (like volvic) with your meal. But, again, please,please leave the coffee/OJ and any supp that you are currently taking ( except the thyroid if you're still on it) and contact your M.D as soon as possible to get, I hope for you, a much clearer picture of what you are suffering from. Then contact RP.
Until then, have you also considered taking aloe vera juice mixed with apple/pear juice or ,even better, with Sprite before starting your meals?
This brand is pretty safe and not too expensive:
http://www.iherb.com/george-s-aloe-vera ... 892-l/6158
Take care.

 

[jyb]

Please leave the magnesium stuff, supplemental magnesium ( even the glycinate, carbonate whatever the chelated form you want) could be very irritating to the stomach and intestine.

Interesting you think even the chelated like glycinate can be a concern.

 

[Wilfrid]

Please leave the magnesium stuff, supplemental magnesium ( even the glycinate, carbonate whatever the chelated form you want) could be very irritating to the stomach and intestine.

Interesting you think even the chelated like glycinate can be a concern.

Hi jyb,

I tried, three years ago, the magnesium glycinate ( from Premier research labs)..
It gave me terrible diarrhea and worsen my crohn's without any doubt.

 

[Filip1993]

@Wilfrid Why do you recommend dropping coffee? Gut irritation?

 

[Wilfrid]

I think that until ilovesugar doesn't know for sure if he have any stomach inflammation, it's best to avoid caffeine containing foods as it can maintain or even worsen the (stomach) inflammation.
A quick search on google for gastritis and caffeine and it seems not to be a great combination.
Avoiding coffee and OJ for maybe one week or two, just to see how it goes, probably won't hurt. :2cents

"....,Chronic gastritis involves swelling or inflammation of the stomach lining. If you have this condition, you might feel full after eating just a few bites. ( I think that ilove sugar mentioned also feeling full even with small amount of foods)Chronic gastritis might be painless or cause you dull, persistent stomach pain. It occurs slowly over time, as opposed to acute gastritis, which comes on suddenly.
...You are at greater risk for chronic gastritis if your lifestyle and dietary habits increase the acidic content of your stomach. If you frequently eat large amounts of fats, oils, and citrus fruits and drink lots of coffee, you are at greater risk for the condition. Similarly, drinking large amounts of alcohol long-term can lead to chronic gastritis."

http://www.healthline.com/health/gastri ... ic#Causes2

Anyway, it was just suggestions (and mainly not RP approved, so I understand the concerns).

 

[iLoveSugar]

Have you seen a doctor? You said " ...my stomach always hurt...", so, what about gastritis?
Some foods, even if RP approved, can cause stomach pb or irritation. ( BTW why are you still drinking milk if it cause you digestive issues ?)
Gastritis is a condition in which the stomach lining is inflamed. The stomach lining contains special cells that produce acid and enzymes, which help break down food for digestion, and mucus, which protects the stomach lining from acid. When the stomach lining is inflamed, it produces less acid, enzymes, and mucus.
Gastritis may be acute or chronic. Sudden, severe inflammation of the stomach lining is called acute gastritis. Inflammation that lasts for a long time is called chronic gastritis. If chronic gastritis is not treated, it may last for years or even a lifetime.
(source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddisease ... gastritis/)
Symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue and sometimes pain and nausea after eating.

If you have (even mild) gastritis, I can guarantee you that you will also NEVER have any "normal" bowel movements.

Been to the GI and MD over 100x and many colonscopies. I have Esophagits, colitis, proctitis, etc. Everything!

 

[Wilfrid]

If I understand correctly you already tried everything diet wise, plus you have also all the inflammation possible in your GI tract?
Ok,then....As a crohn sufferer, I sympathise.

 

[Filip1993]

Thanks for your answer Wilfrid! I was just curious. And I hope you find an answer to your problems ilovesugar. Take care.

 

[Jennifer]

I think that until ilovesugar doesn't know for sure if he have any stomach inflammation, it's best to avoid caffeine containing foods as it can maintain or even worsen the (stomach) inflammation.
A quick search on google for gastritis and caffeine and it seems not to be a great combination.
Avoiding coffee and OJ for maybe one week or two, just to see how it goes, probably won't hurt. :2cents

"....,Chronic gastritis involves swelling or inflammation of the stomach lining. If you have this condition, you might feel full after eating just a few bites. ( I think that ilove sugar mentioned also feeling full even with small amount of foods)Chronic gastritis might be painless or cause you dull, persistent stomach pain. It occurs slowly over time, as opposed to acute gastritis, which comes on suddenly.
...You are at greater risk for chronic gastritis if your lifestyle and dietary habits increase the acidic content of your stomach. If you frequently eat large amounts of fats, oils, and citrus fruits and drink lots of coffee, you are at greater risk for the condition. Similarly, drinking large amounts of alcohol long-term can lead to chronic gastritis."

http://www.healthline.com/health/gastri ... ic#Causes2

Anyway, it was just suggestions (and mainly not RP approved, so I understand the concerns).

I made some cold-brewed "water processed" decaf coffee concentrate last night and read that cold-brewing creates a less acidic coffee. Do you happen to know if this is true, Wilfrid and/or tested it out on yourself?

I want to start adding it to my milk to get some magnesium and other minerals into my currently limited diet, but don't want to mess with my gut now that it's finally starting to heal.

 

[Dayman]

Hi there what is your routine like? I found this

Thanks for the replies:

@tara- I do think the hiatal hernia has something to play with it all as my digestion is a mess. The docs don't seem to think so though, and just always recommend Zantec, Prilosec, etc. I'm not a huge fan of those. In regards to the scans, just the hiatal hernia and esophagitis. I am definitely undereating. A few reasons; due to my slow digestion, I am always miseralby bloated, and uneasy, which leads to dizziness and uncomfort. I'm also for some reason attracted to all the wrong foods (chips, pizza, chicken, etc). Beings that, I stay away from it, and I have no appetite for fruit and what not. I do drink a lot of OJ, salt, sugar, beef, eggs, ice cream, coffee, etc. Some days I meet nutritional targets, most days not due to bloating and anxiety that is killing me. I am nervous and shaky for no reason (not due to blood sugar). Breathing sucks! I've tried those exercsies, along with bag breathing I always have to mouth breath due to allergies, air hunger, etc.

is this still similar?
one thing I'm doing is having a teaspoon of salt dissolved in very warm water at least twice a day and it seems to help, I do this because I frequently forget to salt my food.

I also suggest moar sugar. Though I'm not sure how much you are currently taking. I suggest this because in my experience it helps me digest things.
If I go without for a bit too long, I eat some sweetened condensed milk or product with a high sugar content, I will drink some milk or eat a little cheese if I feel I need to balance it. Also I've been having some apple juice for a change and it's super refreshing.

Maybe once in a while allow yourself those "wrong" foods, if it helps you get adequate calories.
These are a few Ideas/ current experiences hope you find something useful.
sorry if this seems disjointed, I kept changing my mind on what I wanted to say.

 

[sunmountain]

Hi ILoveSugar, I seem to be suffering some of the same symptoms. I started Peating about 3 months ago, and there were some ups and downs, but lately stomach problems are out of control. I eat, and it swells up to where the stretched skin hurts! It doesn't matter what I eat.

I've started large doses of activated charcoal since yesterday. It does get the stomach down after about an hour or so. I take 4g during the day, and 4g at bedtime. During the day is tricky because you have to have a 4 hour window of not eating.

I don't know how long I can or should continue the activated charcoal like this. How long have others done? I wish someone would answer. It's hard doing this on my own right now.

 

[iLoveSugar]

Very hard on our own. I will continue to load on sugar and salt!

 

[sunmountain]

Yes, I too have been loading on sugar. Salt supplementing helped me dramatically initially, but not with continued use. But I still salt to taste (quite heavily) and a pinch here and there.

I also take progest-e, and have just started pregnenolone. Progest-e helps me with other things, and generally feels good. I've just started preg so will see. I also take cypro for insomnia, and it helps with that.

There's some really good advice in this thread from other forum members. I got tons of help too. If the AC doesn't help, I might see doc and get tests done to at least know where the problem is -- stomach or intestine. I've just never had this kind of bloating before where it swells up while I eat.

I might also try Jenn's formula in this thread to alkalinize the stomach. Have you tried that?

 

[Jennifer]

I might also try Jenn's formula in this thread to alkalinize the stomach. Have you tried that?

Sunmountain, the honey/apple cider vinegar drink I posted earlier lowers the pH, not raises it. So if you have constipation/slow transit time (too alkaline) then the honey/ACV with get things moving, but if you have diarrhea (too acidic) then the honey/ACV will only make things worse.

You could have a few things going on here with your belly bloat and diarrhea. I wonder if you're dealing with the same issue as me. I'm getting over having a bacterial overgrowth due to an inflamed, leaky gut and would look 6 months pregnant after even small meals. I had to drop starch because of brain fog and fruit (even juiced) because it caused bloat and diarrhea.

There's one product I haven't seen mentioned on this thread yet. Glutagenics by Metagenics. It was recommended to me and my mom by our doctor. It only contains 3 ingredients. L-Glutamine, Deglycyrrhizinized Licorice Root Extract and Aloe Leaf Extract.

My mom had chronic diarrhea, up to 30x a day at one point, that resulted in her having to go to the emergency room due to dehydration. She started on the Glutagenics about a month ago and 2 1/2 weeks in, her diarrhea was gone. She was even able to digest vegetables perfectly. Something she hasn't been able to do in years.

I avoided taking it till yesterday because I was concerned about the licorice and it's supposed estrogenic properties. But I became constipated from my "take no prisoners" sized dose of activated charcoal and my old symptoms of itchy skin and facial rashing started to creep up the night before. I would of used some cascara, but my shipment still hasn't come in. Anyhow, I took 3 doses of the Glutagenics yesterday and this morning my rash and itchy skin are completely gone and I've been nice and regular all day. It's to soon to tell of its effectiveness based on my limited use, but it worked extremely well for my mom.

There's also the George's "always active" aloe vera juice that Wilfrid linked to a few posts back. And of course, Peat's allergen-free diet that visionofstrength posted on the Getting Ripped thread. I've made so much progress with my gut just by following the basics of that diet.

 

[jyb]

I asked once RP about supplemental magnesium for people suffering IBD ( this disease may affect all the GI tract, and can cause any inflammation from the mouth to the anus) and he strongly advised me to stay away from that stuff. Very well cooked greens are way much safer than the supplemental magnesium in case of any GI inflammation. Or, if you don't want to eat the greens, you could make a (very well filtered) broth of those.

So, that leaves the safest options as topical magnesium (foot bath), coffee if you can, and cooked greens. Have you tried filtered greens, is it effective?

 

[sam7]

Hopefully it's not intestinal blockage. Have you considered that one?

I've got similar problems to iLoveSugar, and I hadn't considered an intestinal blockage but that makes so much sense! Thanks Peata! What do you think the best way to investigate this possibility would be?