OK. So I have been lactose intolerant for a few years and have eliminated dairy from my diet. Also, I don't tolerate soy and avoid that as well. Deep fried products have also been deep-sixed. I also do not tolerate high fiber foods well.

All diet sodas and high acid / sugar beverages like juices have been eliminated from my diet. (Fruit only in strict moderation.) But, my blood sugar count is still too high and I am suffering from side effects. So, I have to start eliminating other foods like white pasta that spike my blood sugar. I do not tolerate whole grains and nuts because they run through me so it looks like I will have to stop eating most if not all starches. Almost everything contains sugar or products that have sugar like effects. I am switching peanut butter brands and other products to low or no sugar varieties. It seems like all processed foods have sugar or related products and I will no longer be able to eat them.

All that is left is meat and greens. Once a nutritionist said that's all I should eat but I don't think I can live on those alone. I like both but in limited quantities. And, I can only eat so many veggies before the fiber content becomes a problem. I am not a salad person - I don't like cold food. I don't know if there are any other options but if anyone does have some, I'd appreciate hearing them. Thanks.

[Perna]

Have you tried taking lactaid tablets or drinking lactaid milk? I am lactose sensitive too, don't make enough, so I only buy/drink/use lactaid milk and take the tablets with me in my wallet to eat one before pizza or other heavily cheesed or lactosed :-) dish (milk chocolate or caramel, etc.). Sometimes when I think I have indigestion/heartburn I'll take one then and that helps so I don't always have to use the Tums or other things I buy OTC that help me so they then say, "Oh, look, Perna is buying X, let's take it off the market, quick!"

I eat poopcorn :-) every couple days as a snack since we need fiber in our diet but I don't do many beans, corn on the cob, or things like that; I like low sodium V-8 when I'm wishing for good vitamins/minerals, I just do the little 5.5 oz. cans. They seem to have quit making my favorite cereal, I can't find it anymore, Kellogg's All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes. Now that I can use milk again I can eat a good quality oatmeal but mostly like that in the winter.

The lactose pills work sometimes but more often not. Of course, having so many items on my can't eat list is a bummer. I have been getting infections due to my naturally high blood sugar even though I am not diabetic. I exercise a lot and do many of healthy things but eat too many starches because they are relatively cheap, easy to prepare and tasty. I like vegetables, fruit and meat but don't eat as much of them. But that has to change. I will go online and see if I can find some recipes / cookbooks.

[Perna]

I love this site: http://whfoods.org/ and bought his book. He was the founder of Health Valley Foods, some of their soups I buy: http://www.healthvalley.com/ (at the regular grocery store).

Thanks, Perna - I have subscribed to the newsletter. My food situation is definitely a BIG problem. Today I am feeling okay. It's more than the food itself though, it's how food can affect me that is the real problem.

I have been trying new things to replace starches in my diet. Desserts are already few and far between. The problem is starches. Because of IBS, I do not tolerate whole grains well. And, processed starches raise my blood sugar and cause me to get drowsy and cause infections that affect my skin and sex life.

This week, I am trying to alter my diet to lessen bread consumption. New snacks include canned string beans (green or yellow) or sliced beets or black olives. All drained and rinsed and served with a little vinagrette for flavor. No mess. No fuss. Easy. Other snacks include raw carrots (in moderation because they are high in sugar) and some fruit (also high in sugar). I am hoping this helps.

[Perna]

Carrots are hard for me to digest sometimes.

Do you do anything interesting with Rice milk or other "special" milk? I know you said soy doesn't work well. How about pastas that are pretty much broken down, like cous cous. Yeah, they're starches but. . . I made a ratatouille on cous cous I really liked and that seemed to go down well; it had a lot of mushrooms in it as well as eggplant and zucchini and chopped tomatoes but only a tablespoon of tomato paste; that surprised me for some reason.

Did you see this? http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/what_to_eat.asp

Thanks for the link! It advises the following "Soluble fiber foods and supplements will stabilize the GI contractions that are going haywire with IBS and causing pain, and will normalize bowel function from either extreme (diarrhea AND constipation). So stick to foods like plain white rice, oatmeal, pasta, white breads, peeled potatoes, etc. Boring, I know, but it's just a few days. Make sure you've added in a prebiotic soluble fiber supplement like Acacia Tummy Fiber, too - this is crucial for getting IBS under control."

Unfortunately, my naturally high blood sugar does not permit me to eat some of these foods including white bread, peeled potatoes and pasta because they raise my blood sugar and have been causing diabetes-like problems. So, in addition to not eating high fiber, dairy, sodas, juices and deep-fried foods, I also have to lay off all desserts, candy, pasta, alcoholic beverages, etc. that increase my blood sugar in the hope that my pre-diabetic problems will clear up. It's a challenge, to say the least.

Making an MD appointment tomorrow with a specialist. Hoping they can help.

[unaluna]

so yogurt doesn't work for you? (it does for some l-i's.) I find I tolerate the greek yogurts, which are higher in protein, much better than the old regular yogurts, which were more carb. at the end of may this year I was experiencing a lot of gerd, but after 3 months of a diet composed primarily of chobani fruit yogurt, prepared guac that is 95% avocado, and canned chicken breast, my gerd is gone. other regular food choices are broccoli sprouts and "simple" breads (eg ezekial, or pepperidge farm veri-thin, or a carb-smart wheat tortilla) with the chicken, hummus and lightly microwaved carrots or broccoli or cauliflower. Also canned veg, misc fruit. The occasional egg, starbux treat out. And yes, after all this, why DON'T we look like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt??? Life is SO not fair.

Originally Posted by hankster

so yogurt doesn't work for you? (it does for some l-i's.) I find I tolerate the greek yogurts, which are higher in protein, much better than the old regular yogurts, which were more carb. at the end of may this year I was experiencing a lot of gerd, but after 3 months of a diet composed primarily of chobani fruit yogurt, prepared guac that is 95% avocado, and canned chicken breast, my gerd is gone. other regular food choices are broccoli sprouts and "simple" breads (eg ezekial, or pepperidge farm veri-thin, or a carb-smart wheat tortilla) with the chicken, hummus and lightly microwaved carrots or broccoli or cauliflower. Also canned veg, misc fruit. The occasional egg, starbux treat out. And yes, after all this, why DON'T we look like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt??? Life is SO not fair.

Can't tolerate yogurt because I'm lactose intolerant. Can't tolerate much canned or fresh fruit because I'm glucose intolerant. I don't have GERD. I eat veggies everyday and buy hummus when it's on sale. Eggs have never been a problem. The MD who I' will be making an appointment with tomorrow when his office is open is a specialist. I will be asking him to check for other causes of the skin infections since diet change and meds have not worked. There are other causes though they are more rare. I am going to either rule them out or get treatment for them. I think part of the problem is that my MD sent me to the wrong kind of specialist.

[lynn P.]

I don't know if I asked you this before but.....have you tried going on a gluten free plan for a couple months to see if this helps. Many who have IBS are actually gluten sensitive and when they cut it out they feel better. White starchy foods get digested too quickly which is why your blood sugar goes high. One of the ladies on the show called The View has gluten intolerance and she has a good cookbook out - I forget her name.

Have you tried adding Aloe Vera gel - you can drink this and most like to mix it with half juice -this is soothing for the intenstines. Also heard Siberian Ginseng is good for blood sugar. Gravol makes a natural Ginger pills which soothe nausea but is also good for stomach upset. I would love to see you try a completely gluten free diet and see how you react to this.

Originally Posted by lynn P.

I don't know if I asked you this before but.....have you tried going on a gluten free plan for a couple months to see if this helps. Many who have IBS are actually gluten sensitive and when they cut it out they feel better. White starchy foods get digested too quickly which is why your blood sugar goes high. One of the ladies on the show called The View has gluten intolerance and she has a good cookbook out - I forget her name.

Have you tried adding Aloe Vera gel - you can drink this and most like to mix it with half juice -this is soothing for the intenstines. Also heard Siberian Ginseng is good for blood sugar. Gravol makes a natural Ginger pills which soothe nausea but is also good for stomach upset. I would love to see you try a completely gluten free diet and see how you react to this.

I don't have celiac disease. I have problems related to pre-diabetes / glucose intolerance. Basically, even though I am not diabetic (not even close because I take care of myself), I have been glucose intolerant for so long (probably from birth) that I have symptoms of diabetes.

There is a medication problem involved. Diabetes / glucose intolerant people tend to develop heart disease. My MDs would like me on an aspirin regimen to thin my blood and help prevent strokes. But, I cannot tolerate aspirin because it is acidic. I don't tolerate acidic foods at all including soda, coffee and dairy products. Fried foods are a no-no too.

I know that I need to give up simple starches because they raise my blood sugar and have cut way, way down on cakes, pastries, chips, muffins and the like. It's pasta that I need to give up but, for cultural reasons, I just gotta have it. I also don't drink much alcohol at all. Never have. If I had to give up breads and other wheat products in addition to the above, I think I would mentally lose it.

[Fresia]

I understand about having dietary issues and with taking the aspirin. The doc suggested baby aspirin instead with food and that has gone better; if need a higher dose, it can be spread out throughout the day since it comes in lower dose, and so not all at once. It seems to be less irritating this way. Also the plain almond milk has a lower glycemic index and may be tolerated better for the sugar; the rice milk raised sugar levels exponentially. I understand this concern as well as the issues with soy.

I just wanted to say that I am sorry you are having to contend with this. I hope the appointment with the specialist will go well with some help. Hang in there meanwhile.

[jlmass]

Have you ever been tested for small intestinal bacteria overgrowth ? If not google it and see if it fits your symtoms.

I have a primary care physician appointment scheduled for this friday and a specialist appointment scheduled for Tuesday morning. I am hoping one of them will put me on an antibiotic regimen though there is some risk involved as anti-biotics kill good bacteria in the GI system. I pray they will find an effective treatment.

I can't have dairy either. Sometimes with dairy it is the lactose, for some people it's the casein, sometimes it's both. Lactaid pills don't work for me either. And I found that when I consumed products that have bovine casein in them I get the same old syptoms I get from eating dairy. So that might be something to think about.

I also can't have gluten, and I see you can. But I understand the frustration of what to eat. Before Celiac was determined to be the problem, I was told I had Chrones and was put on a very limiting diet, before that it was IBS etc.. So I know how hard it is.

I use coconut milk, and almond milk. I also avoid soy as I can't handle it either. I don't know the glucose level in these, but just an idea for an alternative. I noticed that the rice milks can be a bit bitter sometimes. Also you might be able to tolerate goat milk, cheeses and goat yogurt. Tho I tried the yogurt and was fine, I couldn't get past the goaty flavor or smell, but I know some people enjoy it a lot.

Have you ever tried corn pasta? I'm not sure if this fits into what you can have, was just thinking of an alternative to regular pasta, and it doesn't taste to bad either.

I wish I had more ideas for you. I make a crustless quiche that is pretty good, I'm not sure if you said you could have eggs? I just use eggs, a little almond milk, two teaspoons of rice flour ( you can omit that), you can add some meat to it, veggies, I like to use asparagus in mine, sometimes peppers or whatever, and I just bake it in a silicone pan so it doesn't stick. I like to put some herbs in it as well.

There are probiotics you can get, something like 50million bacteria per capsule, you take them for 14 days and then stop. It's a good idea to replace the flora, especially after a round of antibiotics.

I hope you can find more foods you can eat. If I think of any food stuff that I think you might be able to have I'll come back and post. I hope you find affective treatment too!

In addition to this I am supposed to give up nightshades, as they cause inflammation, which I have problems with, and am allergic to sulphites. I hear ya tho.. I might mentally die.

I was asked to work on Friday and had to cancel the PCP appointment. I will reschedule it. I have an appointment tomorrow with a specialist about the recurring skin infection. Wouldn't you know it - it has been quiet now for a few days. But, I am going ahead with the appointment anyway because it will be back. It quieted down when I changed my diet because of the limited menu choices near my office. I was forced to eat foods with less fiber and that seems to have helped. Lunch has been Chinese food with lean chicken, green veggies and white rice. All 3 are easy on the digestive system. I may just have to stick with bland stuff and eliminate all other starches from my diet except for white rice. It will be goodbye whole grains including beans (except for hummus which I seem to tolerate). I swear, I have the strangest metabolism . . .

Well, saw the specialist today. Told him about the bleeding and the infections. He said there's not much that can be done. He also said I worry too much because the problems are not that serious. Of course, that advice will not make the problems go away. He made some suggestions, e.g., that I use powder to absorb perspiration where I sweat a lot. He dismissed some of my statements as not being possible but I was not lying.