Hello everyone. I'm 22 and got my j-pouch surgery done about 2.5 years ago for FAP and everything is going pretty well but I have just been feeling generally exhausted. I discovered that my body gets into a cycle where I feel very good (physically and mentally) if I exercise vigorously 5 days a week and eat quality food, however it works in both directions. To try to smooth this out I have experimented with different supplements and diets, and for the past few months I have been on a low carb, high fat Atkins style diet. My pouch output has decreased, my energy is more stable, my memory has improved and I have lost some much needed central adipose tissue. I wanted to know if anyone else has tried a similar diet (short or long term) and what their experiences are.
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I am on my own modified paleo diet which emphasizes no carbs and no sugar. It is not high in fats but I do not shy away from monounsaturated fats, my chief source of which is fresh ground natural peanut butter with no sugar or other crap in it. Been on the diet since late December. I had my last pasta dish in late November when I was in Key West Thanksgiving week. I don't really miss carbs or sugar. I have lost a ton of weight and feel good but I felt pretty good last year and had a terrible scope. I will not make any conclusions until I see this year's scope. If this year's scope is the same as last year then the diet will have meant nothing other than to lose weight. If the scope is better than we can conclude the diet probably helped. I reserve judgment for now. Bottom line is what the scope shows, everything else is subjective.
Interesting. I haven't found anything about low carbs and j pouches/colostomies but am eager to hear about your results. I am going to schedule a physical and do a full panel test for my blood and urine in the next few weeks and compare the readings to previous doctors visits. I'll let you know if anything significant changes.
skimzuma,
The leading authority on J Pouches in the USA, Dr. Bo Shen, says carbs and sugar are not good for a J Pouch plagued by chronic pouchitis. The theory being that the bacteria in the pouch feast on sugar and carbs, replicate and the resulting bacterial overgrowth is what is causing the inflammation. My GI is a personal protege of Dr. Shen and accepts Shenite theory. These theories, while not universally accepted, are gaining a strong acceptance in the study of the cause and treatment of pouchitis. It may not be a big deal for pouchers who do not struggle with chronic pouchitis/inflammation. I am trying to do my part to keep my pouch and I see no downside to this approach.
The leading authority on J Pouches in the USA, Dr. Bo Shen, says carbs and sugar are not good for a J Pouch plagued by chronic pouchitis. The theory being that the bacteria in the pouch feast on sugar and carbs, replicate and the resulting bacterial overgrowth is what is causing the inflammation. My GI is a personal protege of Dr. Shen and accepts Shenite theory. These theories, while not universally accepted, are gaining a strong acceptance in the study of the cause and treatment of pouchitis. It may not be a big deal for pouchers who do not struggle with chronic pouchitis/inflammation. I am trying to do my part to keep my pouch and I see no downside to this approach.
I think whatever style of eating makes you feel good, go for it. I tend to stick to a mostly vegetarian diet that 's high in fresh fruits and vegetables. My frequency is probably higher than average, but it doesn't concern me.
Sue
Sue
Skimzuma,
I've had my pouch (k-pouch...same pouch, different exit strategy) for 33+yrs...my mom was a diet-a-holic...and any and every diet that came onto the market was for her...we went from grapefruit to nothing but lemonaide+maple syurp+ cayenne pepper as a 30 day cleanse diet on through...we did the Atkins in the early 70's when it first came out (I think) and obviously we lost tons of weight (I loved the whipped cream in the diet!)...my body loves the high protien/low carbs or no carbs and my pouch is happiest when I am on it...I have more enegry, sleep better (so does my pouch) and have much lower output...but after following it for +/- 20yrs (a modified version of it where I gave myself 1 carb day a week) I find that I crave/need a bit more carb as I get older...(funny but it mimicks a gluten free diet and that may be why so many of us do well on it)
If you decide to stay on it you need to have regular checks on your creatine/urea and liver functions...some people say that so much protien is hard on the kidneys (and some of us are fragile that way) and the high fat puts strain on the liver...other than that, as Sue says...Whatever works for you and your body is fine...
Sharon
I've had my pouch (k-pouch...same pouch, different exit strategy) for 33+yrs...my mom was a diet-a-holic...and any and every diet that came onto the market was for her...we went from grapefruit to nothing but lemonaide+maple syurp+ cayenne pepper as a 30 day cleanse diet on through...we did the Atkins in the early 70's when it first came out (I think) and obviously we lost tons of weight (I loved the whipped cream in the diet!)...my body loves the high protien/low carbs or no carbs and my pouch is happiest when I am on it...I have more enegry, sleep better (so does my pouch) and have much lower output...but after following it for +/- 20yrs (a modified version of it where I gave myself 1 carb day a week) I find that I crave/need a bit more carb as I get older...(funny but it mimicks a gluten free diet and that may be why so many of us do well on it)
If you decide to stay on it you need to have regular checks on your creatine/urea and liver functions...some people say that so much protien is hard on the kidneys (and some of us are fragile that way) and the high fat puts strain on the liver...other than that, as Sue says...Whatever works for you and your body is fine...
Sharon
Atkins was the absolute best decision for me. I started on it for weight loss but discovered it was a diet that seemed to be easiest on my system. Decreased bloating/gas, output, better energy. When I eat carbs my abdomen now gets distended and hard, cramp, achey.
I was religious about it until a few years ago bc I got bored with it. Gained back the weight, too. I really need to start back up again, for all the reasons I listed above.
It really only works if you follow it religiously. No cheating, no carbs.
I stayed away from all carbs and all sugar. However, I would enjoy whole wheat from time to time after I reached my target weight. Wheat doesn't seem to bother my system. With the wheat you don't gain, but you also won't lose.
I was religious about it until a few years ago bc I got bored with it. Gained back the weight, too. I really need to start back up again, for all the reasons I listed above.
It really only works if you follow it religiously. No cheating, no carbs.
I stayed away from all carbs and all sugar. However, I would enjoy whole wheat from time to time after I reached my target weight. Wheat doesn't seem to bother my system. With the wheat you don't gain, but you also won't lose.
My daughter (with UC no surgery yet) was put on paleo this past December and our entire family is on it to support her. I don't have IBD but I did have hypoglycemia since teenagehood. I've been an ethical vegetarian since childhood and my girls were born and raised veggie until my daughter's dx. She's better (knock on wood, can change at any given moment) but I feel like a different person - I don't have hypoglacemia any longer, I feel much more stable, it's cleared a lot of my anxiety/depression and I've lost a lot of weight (and my daughter has gained). I do think it's a healthy diet.
I see Dr. Shen and he has me on a high protein, low to no sugar, low to no fiber diet. Told me fiber turns to sugar and causes bacteria to grow and can cause pouchitis.
All so very interesting. Thanks for posting this thread. Good to know I am doing something right, even though I fell upon it by accident!
On the other end of the spectrum is this 18 year old girl who has eaten nothing but Ramen Noodles for 13 years and refuses to eat fruits and veggies:
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy...tion--165713286.html
I do not understand how she doesn't look like a ramen noodle. I wonder how she gets all the vitamins she needs eating nothing but these noodles?
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy...tion--165713286.html
I do not understand how she doesn't look like a ramen noodle. I wonder how she gets all the vitamins she needs eating nothing but these noodles?
She doesn't. According to the link, her doctor says she is malnourished.
Jan
Jan
One of the things that made me decide it was time to have surgery was that I had started buying ramen noodle packages by the dozen. It was often all I could tolerate. I was very pleased a year or two ago to discard the remainder - untouched in the ensuing years.