14 replies to this topic

[Josh B]

I've been trying to come up with a diet that works for my Ulcerative colitis and i dont know if its balanced enough. (Im 17 and I do a considerable amount of biking/cycling(40-50mi a week) as exercise since my knees and hips hurt too much for running.)

For breakfast I eat a variety of things:
1 Banana
Either Kashi gocrunch cereal and kashi oatmeal(w/ground flax seeds) with unsweetened almond milk or 2 eggs with pita bread and feta cheese

For lunch:
1 red apple
Either veggie burger or a homemade salad of the 50/50 green including spinach, pecans, avocado slices, grated cheddar cheese, ground flax seeds,, hemp seeds, (possibly chicken or turkey from left over dinner), a homemade dressing similar to italian (with not all of the added"stuff" most brands offer), raisins.

For dinner:
Common things eaten: lots of asparagus, broccoli,boiled yucca, boiled platano(plantains), peppers(red/green), and onions.
Actual meal Varies between white/brown rice and black/brown beans. with chicken or turkey or vary rarely steak/pork.
rarely pasta
tacos or soft flour quesadillas with cheese, beans, lettuce and chicken.

I also drink about 2 quarts of water per day and no juice.
Most desserts will either be 1 apple with organic peanut butter or homemade oatmeal cookies(these are rarely eaten)

Breakfast and lunch are pretty much the same everyday but dinner may vary, I just would like to know if it seems like im eating what i should. Im not sure if im getting enough fiber though.
any helps is much appreciated.

Edited by Josh B, 07 December 2013 - 09:27 PM.

[scottknl]

Hi Josh, I have implemented a diet that has successfully allowed me to heal from 12 years of IBS problems. The first things to be removed from my diet were milk products and then bread shortly thereafter. Also soda pop was a big trigger for me. After much trial and effort I implemented a calorie restricted diet. The reduced load on my weak digestive system really helped me get better along with pro-biotic therapy and some chinese herbs. Once my diet was sorted out, my symptoms disappeared and I was able to undertake rowing competitions on an indoor rower for 30 days straight with 1 hr per day in the seat. I also have run many half marathon distances (2 + hrs) and often run for over an hour at a time in regular workouts. This was an unthinkable thing when I was suffering in prior years.

My diet is posted under "vegetarian CRON" in the Calorie Restriction forum. Here's a quick summary:
Breakfast: small amount of oatmeal, water, nuts, seeds, cocoa powder, blackstrap molasses, olive oil, raisins and beans. ~400 kcals.

Lunch: Vegetable soup with 14 different veggies, olive oil, paprika, chili, garlic, hot water. ~280 kcals

Post Lunch Snack: blueberries, mixed frozen fruit, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cantaloupe ~140 kcals

Pre Dinner Salad: Coleslaw, spinach, with dressing made from soy yogurt, avocado, paprika, chili powder, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed oil ~130 kcals

Dinner: Same vegetable soup as at lunch. ~280 kcals

Optional: Either a 1/2 baked sweet potato or a Macks Flaxbread (no flour) open face peanut butter and honey sandwich. ~150 kcals

Manditory: 3 or 4 large mugs of chinese green tea.

Summary: I've never felt in better health after 4 years of this - even compared to age 18 before any health issues. I can out run, and in some cases out lift (weights) my former self at that young age.
I rarely eat out at restaurants because I don't trust the cooks to put healthy ingredients into my food. They cook for taste only, not for good health. Your diet is probably the most important thing you can do to eliminate any problems and affect how you feel and react to life's challenges.

I'd advise you to implement a non-restricted but nutrient dense balanced diet that follows all RDA for nutrients, macronutrients etc until you hit age 22 or so. After that you will be finished growing and can start to restrict your calories (food energy) a bit to reduce the load on your digestive system long term. Balanced diet means balancing vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fatty acids.(cronometer.com) What you cannot balance through your diet will need to be supplemented. If you keep the fiber level high by eating lots of vegetables and some fruits, I think you might find that it eases your UC symptoms and allows for significant healing. You may want to experiment with giving up meat for a while and see if it helps too.

Edited by scottknl, 08 December 2013 - 02:13 AM.

[Josh B]

Hey scott, thank you fr posting your diet. I actually read through most of your forum and i was pleasantly surprised because i though i had a pretty healthy diet but it seems i may be wrong in comparison to yours and some others. I am actually going to go try to use that program you discussed that gives you the percentages and approximations of the certain vitamins/minerals consumed daily.

[Josh B]

Also if I may ask, scottknl, how lond did it take to begin feeling the benefits of the diet change especially on joints? My joints are terrible right now and its driving me insane.

[scottknl]

Also if I may ask, scottknl, how lond did it take to begin feeling the benefits of the diet change especially on joints? My joints are terrible right now and its driving me insane.

I started the big dietary change in June of 2009 and was free of any joint pain by late summer and my lipids tests that fall were almost perfect. My running times for the same 10K course dropped from 1:05 to 0:45 (hh:mm) as a result of my good health.

I have a regimen that I use for my knees that you might want to consider. I use this product as a healing and preventative measure before I run. It also works for hands, elbows and ankles too. In order to get rid of pain it's very important to drink lots of fluids soon after exercise until your urine turns to nearly clear instead of yellow. This will flush out all the lactic acid created by your muscles and reduce the damage it does. I recommend green tea, but water is also good. Use warm drinks since cold drinks can shock your system and perhaps trigger GI problems. This works for me and allows me to run 3 or even 4 days in a row if I want too. Before using this method, I used to be so sore after each exercise session it was really tough to do 3 exercise sessions a week.

I've heard a theory that proteins from meats and dairy products are 98% converted to amino acids, then later reassembled into proteins and that the remaining 2 % or so are directly used in joints and muscle tissue. That 2 % fraction is detected by your immune system as a "foreign invader" and is attacked causing damage and inflammation. So in this theory, then eating a vegan diet will reduce your joint inflammation over a fairly short period of time. If scientists try to get grants for research to prove this, they run into corporate interests that deny funds for it.

[niner]

Good diet advice, Scott, thanks for that. You mentioned that you had many years of IBS symptoms. Did you mean IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? They're very different problems, as IBS is not inflammatory and is more a muscle/nerve thing, while IBD affects the lining of the GI tract. Josh has IBD.

That meat/dairy protein allergenicity thing sounds a little fishy. What about plant-based proteins? Fish or other seafood? Why wouldn't they do the same 2% non-hydrolysis thing? The idea that corporate interests are preventing research on this sounds like Vegan propaganda. If it's not getting funded, maybe that's because it's not a real thing? Digestion of proteins is such a fundamental part of nutritional biochemistry that I would be really surprised if it wasn't fully worked out. The corporate interest thing just sends up a red flag...

[Josh B]

Thank you for the insight. I actually do a lot of biking(road biking). Despite my joint pain I was able to complete the a gran fondo race which was 110mi( my time was about 7hr). I felt so good riding and I'm pretty sure its because of the diet. I do although, want to optimize my diet so I'm getting all the essential nutrients and get rid of the this blasted joint pain. I drink probably more water than most people and even when taking my meds, the pee comes out clear if not slightly tinted. I do have to agree with niner on his point about the meat protein. I think meat shouldnt be excluded from the diet but minimized. There is a reason humans are omnivores and have been since our beginning. Meat, eggs, and fish provide humans with essential nutrients but since the food industry has been tainted with profit craving corporations, some of the sources of meat are probably not worth eating from. Both of these links http://authoritynutr...meat-fish-eggs/ and http://www.sparkpeop...?id=1530&page=2 provide descent information on the nutrients vegans/vegetarians miss out on unless they are supplemented. B-12 seems like the main deficiency from not eating meat.

Edited by Josh B, 08 December 2013 - 10:00 PM.

[Josh B]

I would also like to know whether I should continue taking fish oil if I already consume about 2 tbsp of flax seed and hemp seeds each day in my salad.

[scottknl]

I would also like to know whether I should continue taking fish oil if I already consume about 2 tbsp of flax seed and hemp seeds each day in my salad.

My rule of thumb for this is that getting less than 3.5 g of omega-3 fatty acids from your diet should be the max each day. Any more than this can cause some serious bleeding problems. If you have a max 5:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids that would allow about 17 g of omega-6 per day. Your ratio could be lower than this, but I'm not in favor of going too low on the fats in my own diet. My own experience is that when I exceed 5 g per day of omega-3 fatty acids, I experience frequent nose bleeds which stop when omega-3's are reduced. I think I'm more prone to this than the average Joe. Your mileage may vary.

[niner]

I don't like to go very high on fish oil, but I think it's a good idea to get some. A gram a day is what I'm taking at the moment, and it's not even a highly concentrated kind. Other omega-3's that have a lower degree of unsaturation, like from flaxseed, you can use more of. Fish oil definitely causes problems with bleeding, but this is the first time I"ve heard it said that bleeding is a general problem of all omega-3's. Anything published on that?

[scottknl]

Good diet advice, Scott, thanks for that. You mentioned that you had many years of IBS symptoms. Did you mean IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? They're very different problems, as IBS is not inflammatory and is more a muscle/nerve thing, while IBD affects the lining of the GI tract. Josh has IBD.

That meat/dairy protein allergenicity thing sounds a little fishy. What about plant-based proteins? Fish or other seafood? Why wouldn't they do the same 2% non-hydrolysis thing? The idea that corporate interests are preventing research on this sounds like Vegan propaganda. If it's not getting funded, maybe that's because it's not a real thing? Digestion of proteins is such a fundamental part of nutritional biochemistry that I would be really surprised if it wasn't fully worked out. The corporate interest thing just sends up a red flag...

I meant IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I realize that they are different problems that can be experienced with some similar symptoms, but I'm suggesting that the effective optimal diet may be similar. After all you could do a lot worse than a diet that meets all requirements for vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients.

I had a peek trying to find a paper on this and the closes thing I could find was about leaky gut syndrome and type 1 diabetes. I'd guess that leaky gut may allow partially digested proteins directly into the bloodstream and then they are carried to joint and muscle tissue and directly incorporated into the tissues as partially completed building blocks. The other large percentage would be carried to the liver and properly broken down into amino acids.

Josh, here's a couple of videos regarding endotoxins in animal products leading to systemic inflammation. I recommend pausing the videos and looking up the research materials on pubmed.com.
http://nutritionfact...e-inflammation/
http://nutritionfact...dotoxin-theory/

[scottknl]

I don't like to go very high on fish oil, but I think it's a good idea to get some. A gram a day is what I'm taking at the moment, and it's not even a highly concentrated kind. Other omega-3's that have a lower degree of unsaturation, like from flaxseed, you can use more of. Fish oil definitely causes problems with bleeding, but this is the first time I"ve heard it said that bleeding is a general problem of all omega-3's. Anything published on that?

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/24281788

It's not much, but I was following the recommendation of MR. He had written some posts on it on CRSociety.org and perhaps a similar post here somewhere.
http://arc.crsociety...1084#msg-201084

[Josh B]

Thanks for the replies. So based on what you said niner, the combination of flax seed and hemp seed omega 3s is less fatty and can be consumed more than fish oil? Is that right? Links to each:
http://www.amazon.co...ords=hemp seeds-Hemp Seeds-2 tbsp a day
http://www.amazon.co...rds=flax seeds- Flax seeds(I ground them in a blender)-2-3 tbsp a day
http://www.vitaminsh...18#.UqUwl_RDvQQ- Fish oil- 1 tablet a day

I also eat less than a full serving of pecans and cashews.

I also take Nt factor supplement because it supposedly helps rebuild damage cells especially the gi tract lining. http://www.vitaminsh...02#.UqUwtfRDvQQ -2 tablets twice a day

Does this regimen seem problematic with the fat content and omega 3s-6s?

[Josh B]

Based on the cron o meter and what i put in so far if its correct, my diet isnt as great as i thought,
It has some serious flaws, too much protein, too much carbs,



Amount
Unit
Calories
Hemp Hearts Organic Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds
20
g
113.33
Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal
20
g
92.31
Cereals, Kashi Go Lean Hot Cereal, Hearty Honey & Cinnamon, dry
1
packet (1 NLEA serving)
151.6
Almond Breeze Almond Milk
1
cup - 240 ml
60
Water, tap, drinking
1.5
liter
0
Salad, Spring Mix, Earthbound Farm Organic
2
2 cups
40
Salad, garden, with Italian dressing, homemade
1
250ml
43.96
Cheese, low-sodium, cheddar or colby
1
slice (1 oz)
111.44
Gardenburger, Veggie Medley Burger, frozen, unprepared
1
patty
85.2
Nordic Naturals Omega-3
1
g
9
Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked
1
cup
216.45
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
120
g
152.4
Nuts, pecans
20
g
138.2
Chicken breast tenders, cooked, conventional oven
2
piece
117.2
Bananas, raw
1
medium (7" to 7-7/8" long)
105.02
Apples, raw, red delicious, with skin
2
medium
250.16
Asparagus, cooked, boiled, drained
120
g
26.4

Energy: 1713 kcal / 2510 kcal (68%)

Protein: 61.3 g / 52.0 g (118%)

Carbs: 245.1 g / 130.0 g (189%)

Fat: 61.5 g / 65.0 g (95%)

85% of Nutritional Targets Achieved

Calorie Breakdown
General
Energy

1712.7

kcal

68%

Alcohol

0.0

g

No Target

Caffeine

0.0

mg

No Target

Water

2431.5

g

74%

Carbohydrates
Carbs

245.1

g

189%

Fiber

52.3

g

138%

Starch

101.8

g

No Target

Sugars

82.8

g

No Target

Lipids
Fat

61.5

g

95%

Monounsaturated

19.5

g

No Target

Polyunsaturated

22.7

g

No Target

Omega-3

4.9

g

304%

Omega-6

7.7

g

48%

Saturated

11.5

g

57%

Trans-Fats

0.0

g

0.041 g

Cholesterol

46.6

mg

16%

Phytosterol

24.2

mg

No Target

Protein
Protein

61.3

g

118%

Alanine

1.6

g

No Target

Arginine

2.1

g

No Target

Aspartic acid

4.0

g

No Target

Cystine

0.4

g

116%

Glutamic acid

6.2

g

No Target

Glycine

1.4

g

No Target

Histidine

1.1

g

151%

Hydroxyproline

0.0

g

No Target

Isoleucine

1.6

g

118%

Leucine

2.7

g

103%

Lysine

2.2

g

104%

Methionine

0.7

g

95%

Phenylalanine

1.7

g

188%

Proline

1.9

g

No Target

Serine

1.8

g

No Target

Threonine

1.3

g

124%

Tryptophan

0.4

g

147%

Tyrosine

1.1

g

120%

Valine

1.9

g

107%

Vitamins
B1 (Thiamine)

1.3

mg

105%

B12 (Cobalamin)

0.4

µg

15%

B2 (Riboflavin)

0.8

mg

58%

B3 (Niacin)

9.5

mg

59%

B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

2.4

mg

48%

B6 (Pyridoxine)

1.4

mg

108%

Folate

440.8

µg

110%

Vitamin A

10436.2

IU

348%

Vitamin C

85.4

mg

114%

Vitamin D

110.7

IU

55%

Vitamin E

20.4

mg

136%

Vitamin K

105.1

µg

140%

Minerals
Calcium

1066.1

mg

82%

Copper

1.4

mg

163%

Iron

21.8

mg

198%

Magnesium

429.0

mg

105%

Manganese

5.6

mg

257%

Phosphorus

1195.2

mg

96%

Potassium

2575.9

mg

55%

Selenium

44.0

µg

80%

Sodium

1308.2

mg

87%

Zinc

8.7

mg

79%

I would really like to create a great diet for me and as you said scott limiting calories and optimizing nutrients i think is the way to go. I just cant follow your diet since it is vegan, and it seems like it would be a bit of hassle to get these food prepared since im a high school student with not much money to spend.

[scottknl]

I had the choice of continuing my previous lifestyle and feel rotten most of the time, or changing my life so that it took some of my time and energy to live healthy. My diet doesn't have to be vegan. The real power of such a diet is the quantities of vegetables that you eat. They provide fiber and nutrients that your body needs. You could just replace the tofu with meats since, if the calories are kept low, then most people seem to do well on such a diet. For people with digestive problems, meat and dairy products often trigger attacks, and hence the suggestion. Probably the best thing you might do is to put my balanced diet into cronometer and then start to modify it to your own needs. You shouldn't limit calories too much at your age. Probably just enough so that you have a comfortable amount of food. You might be able to show the people you live with how they are keeping you from your best performance with the foods they keep in the house and what you eat in your current diet.