Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Continuing Lessons Along the Fruitarian Adventure

I posted at the beginning of the month that I was still having huge problems with my guts... even though raw has relieved my joint pain 95%+ ... and had decided to try Fruitarian for awhile with the 30 Bananas A Day Diet Framework, basically 90-5-5 as far as a carb/protein/fat ratio goes... A step beyond the 80-10-10 Diet I've been trying to maintain for the last few years...

I loved eating bananas and oranges and apples all day...
It's probably the easiest dietary change I've made to date...
I had loads of energy and zero joint problems!
And it was the best experiment I've ever tried to relieve my gut issues for the simple reason that after two weeks I had to face facts that I was exasperating the problem instead of improving it.

EEK!
Back to SQUARE ONE! Right?
Nope.

About a month ago I was on an IBS Forum and there was a lot of chat going on about a Low-Fod-Map diet and how everyone (hundreds) were experiencing some level of success... So, curious and ever happy to try ANYTHING, I printed out the easy to follow list of approved vs discouraged foods...
And promptly said "No F-ing way! All my fave foods are on the Do Not Eat List...
I filed it under "NOT UNTIL I AM DESPERATE OR DYING"

So yep, two weeks ago I pulled it out and compared what I'd been living on for close to two weeks:
Bananas, Oranges, Mangoes, Avocados, Watermelon, Blueberries, and Apples...
All but the Bananas and Blueberries were on the "Do Not Eat" list...

I decided to try a week of following the Low-Fodmap List 100% while staying within the 80-5-5 framework...but adding in some grains (oatmeal or rice not in excess of one cup per day)... and staying completely vegan...

I didn't have to wait a week. After less than 24 hours I had relief from excruciating stomach pain. By the 48 hour mark, my intestines had stopped spasming... and I was convinced but waited the full week to have the ah-ha moment... My bowels were voiding in my best guess estimate of what "normal might be like" NORMALLY... I have never, in my lifetime, had a "normal" "reliable" daily bowel movement...

Yes, I miss my fav foods! Especially Apples, Avocados, and Watermelon...
But I am Gastro-intestinally Pain-Free and Symptom-free for the first time in 48 years...

The LOW-FODMAP LIST and Info I rely on most comes from the University of Arizona's Campus Health Dept... there are others, but I feel like this one is the easiest to read, understand, and use when trying to eliminate and test adding foods back in successfully...

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