Moluv's IBS Protocol Long Haul

[Moluv]

I read something about eating broccoli and cauliflower by only cutting off the tips of the florets- no stalky parts at all and am wanting to try that after this FARTMAP attack is over, so I can see if it works. I was hoping to grow broccoli in my garden this year but probably won't if I can't eat. Might as well just plant a mile long row of sweet potatoes...

Hope tmrw feels better than today Juzbo!

[Moluv]

Day 4:

Meal 1: ground beef & canned butternut squash w/ herb de Provence (this is my new go-to safe meal and also comfort food- I brown the meat in a cast iron skillet then take it out and heat the squash in the dippings, served with coarse Celtic sea salt- perfect)

Meal 2: a small portion of more meal 1

Meal 3: broiled skirt steak w/ginger dill olive oil sauce, shredded carrots and mini red peppers sautéed in coconut oil, mashed yucca root with ghee

Drinks: 1 1/2 bottle kombucha, sparkling water and lots more water than I drank yesterday

Had a great BM after breakfast and will probably have another after dinner. Need to upload the Bristol Stool Chart for reference next time I'm on the computer.

Good energy today, and very happy and calm but still farting from those damn garlic.

[Moluv]

Day 5:

Meal 1: ground beef, leftover carrots & peppers, butternut squash, oregano

Meal 2: leftover skirt steak and green beans

Meal 3: a glorious family fruit feast of cantaloupe, pineapple & fried plantains

Meal 4: roast leg of lamb with rosemary & balsamic reduction, zucchini sautéed in ghee

2 excellent BM (4 on the bristol stool chart), after breakfast & lunch

Drinks: water, Kombucha, sparkling water and a teensy bit of coconut water

Supplements: still taking natural calm and melatonin, digestive enzymes.

[melbournegirl]

Sounds like a very good day moluv

[Holly]

Oooh, a #4! I love a good #4.

[ccleadbyexample]

I've been kind of following this a bit and I can sympathize with you all! Totally get it..and yes people should look at their poop! So do you guys have problems with garlic and onion b/c of FODMAP? I have a lot of things out right now (coconut, eggs, nuts, only thing I am allowing in a AI/IBS protocol is ghee) but trying to figure out everything I should take out to get a good reset.

And PS-LOVE Kombucha!!!! What kind do you guys drink? I need to learn to make my own..its expensive but I love it..

[Moluv]

Day 6:

Meal 1: Butternut Beef Breakfast, my usual

Meal 2: Ground Beef and sweet potatoes- I almost can't stand the sweetness of sweet potatoes anymore, yuck

Meal 3: Meatballs with ginger and herbs, spicy dill kraut and pineapple chunks

drinks: good amount of water, little bit kombucha, little bit coconut water (is this a no-no for w30 or not???), sparklking water

2 excellent #4 BM's, after breakfast, after lunch. Last night I went before bed too, so maybe that will be the case this evening too. Highlight of my day!! I really wanted to eat more varieties of veggies today, but just ate what was ready to go from the cookup, but I don't think it was a bad food day, just repetitive.

[Moluv]

ccleadbyexample- I am having ghee also. Even though I'm not doing the AIP officially I have stopped eating eggs and most nightshades are also on either the fodmap list or the high fiber list and being excluded anyways. I'm also avoiding citrus for the time. And yes, garlic and onions- I used to put them on EVERYTHING- and have no clue as to why I was so gassy all the time. Now I just use ginger instead and really don't even miss them. The things that I am 100% unwilling to eat right now (besides the main things the w30 eliminates) are: coffee, nuts, seeds (including spices and pepper, mustard ALL SEEDS), high fodmaps (garlic, onions, broccoli, apples- though I will eat some fodmaps in fermented forms in krauts) and high insoluble fiber veggies (lettuce, spinach, kale- again these things are ok for me in krauts, it seems), citrus fruits, and eggs. I do best with root veggies and meat and herbs. I really think I must have the most boring food log ever because I'm just eating the same things over and over, but I like the tastes and textures and I LOVE how good I feel, so it's totally worth it!

[mary-t]

Moluv, you are rocking the IBS protocol. So happy to hear about your good poop days. It makes such a difference!

[ccleadbyexample]

I try to rotate foods as often as I can so I don't become intolerant to them (assumed leaky gut). It does sometimes feel like we have not as much to eat (a lot of the recipes and support don't help much as they are applied to people on the regular version-which I get) and I often worry that something I am eating now is bothering me..even though I do keep a journal. Never sure on coconut..but when I tried to use it as a lotion or in a shower gel I got all red and itchy.

I also got rid of sea salt for a few days as I felt like I was relying on it a lot..and obviously nuts, coffee (I drink green tea only in am and kombucha beyond water-I wasn't drinking coffee anyway)..anything IBS or AI beyond ghee. I will keep a close eye on the FODMAP stuff..as garlic and onion I think do bother me.

Did you guys find as you went Paleo/eating clean you almost felt worse? I feel like I've gained weight (some is good!) and gotten almost more irritable in the past couple months. I also find that I get congested a lot when I eat and workout..really anytime I eat or do anything where I get warm.

[Moluv]

Ah so many variables CC- it can be maddening to try to figure out. I know as long as I stay away from the worst irritants that I feel pretty good and am ok with having a lazy afternoon here and there. And sometimes I experience negative emotions that are just part of life and try not to blame everything on my food choices. I also am learning to stop analyzing so closely as the healing path I am on now is years in the making. It was only 6 months ago since I totally stopped gluten and I can see huge improvements since that time- but do I feel better today than yesterday- that's harder to say. I'm learning to broaden my view so to speak. I am so glad to have some people to commiserate with as people wo extra sensitive digestion just don't understand the despair over feeling "off" all the time. Keep me posted on your progress. Do you have a food log on here?

[Moluv]

Day 7:

Meal 1: butternut beef breakfast

Meal 2: herbs & olive oil on chicken breast, green beans, baby carrots

Meal 3: cold chicken, cold meatballs, pan fried sliced kohlrabi, 3 sugar snap peas (trepidatious about whether or not they are FODMAPS or high fiber eaten raw, but, oh they tasted like candy!)

Drinks: Kombucha, water, coconut water

I don't want to go into too mch detail about my bathroom activity over the last 24 hours but I will say I was in there a LOT and I'm afraid to eat Pineapple again. Nuff said.

Small victory today: I craved a banana in the car right after grocery shopping- I even had it in the front seat ready to go- then I realized there was no way I was actually hungry so I didnt eat it. I may have it after I finish dinner, though thinking back on "the pineapple incident" gives me pause.

[melbournegirl]

CC, I have gained some weight on my whole100, still feel a bit smaller overall than when I finished my whole30 but still a size bigger than I should be to fit my clothes comfortably. The best I have felt for awhile stomach wise was when I was on a very strict low fodmap and probably low fat diet... But I still had skin problems, low iron, vitamin d and b and ate too much sugar!

Now I have some good days and some bad days but my overall health is better and I recover more quickly from setbacks generally. Soon I will be as good as Moluv and stop having curry and brocolli and all the other things that tangle my gut... But my main focus right now is to kill my sugar dragon and stop ridiculous cravings and learn a bit more about my triggers

[Moluv]

Juzbo- I figure if I can do 6 months strict with no irritants that my intestinal permeability will improve to such a degree that I will be able to eat "irritants" again, lightly, without a flareup. But the longer I prolong the healing the longer I will prolong the dealing (with all the symptoms and maybe a little excess weight too). It's kind of like deciding to grow your hair out. I chopped all mine off, super short almost 2 years ago. Then I decided I wanted waist length, one length hair. The only way to achieve that goal was to keep bobbing it off at my ears while the top layers caught up. It's been 1 1/2 ears of the dorkiest mom hair imaginable. It made me feel unhip and unsexy and like a paper bag would be favorable. But I knew I had a goal and a vision that was worth waiting for. Now my hair is perfectly one length at my jaw and my vision is finally within my sights. Sure, it will still take a few years for that length to drop to my waist, but in a way- I've already arrived at my goal because the worst of it is behind me. I'm applying the same principle to my eating- choosing to have a little bit of pepper here, an orange there, some nuts- it's like trimming up my layers to make my hair look more fashionable- feels good for a while but takes me further from my ultimate goal.

I really enjoy the feedback everyone- it is super encouraging and I hope I can encourage you too. Cheers to our optimal health!

[ccleadbyexample]

Hey yo!

I had a good day...body seems to be calming down and I had a 5 on the BSC but close to a 4:) I am working to rotate foods and also watch for any "vices" meaning trying not to rely a lot on one food. So (even though I LOVE it) I try to do ghee for only one meal for fats..and am really starting to like avocado..I also got rid of sea salt for a while and I do think I am doing a little too much protein so will slightly lower that. I also had lower congestion today!! I am also glad that sugar really isn't a big deal to me...I have a piece of fruit every few days or so..but never more than 1/day. I stick to ripe bananas..I cut them up right before they go bad and freeze them..yummers:) I find that watermelon can bother me as well as too many grapes/berries so sometimes avoid. I have a feeling pineapple could do that too..so now while I am not missing any of it I'll just avoid! Hope you get back to your BM 4 soon!

I find that I am obviously in a bad mood/irritable some days due to things going on in life/stress..but there are some days where I am just irritable beyond a point of even anything like that. It's like I wake up like that. I know that irritability can be caused a lot by underlying health (kind of like that email on Day 3 or 4 where they say you will just hate everyone-haha) and I know it affects a lot of my life I talked to my husband about it as I do work hard to control stress, etc..and know that if I keep taking care of myself it'll work itself. out.

i feel that way about the weight (which I have no idea on as no scale for this girl since Whole 30!!!)..if I can fix the underlying problem the mind/body will just come along. I focus on all aspects of health/wellness and it's a journey. For me the weight itself isn't a big deal so much as how I feel and clothes fit, etc. I've never been a big person...so a few pounds is ok anyway as long as they are good pounds!

I journal my food on another site but can put notes on here:)

Post Workout Meal: Beef, Butternut squash, fermented veggies

Breakfast: Lamb, carrots

Lunch: Salmon, asparagus, ghee

Dinner: Beef, Brussel sprouts with ginger and leftover asparagus, avocado, banana (b4 meal-it's better for digestion)

Drinks: Kombucha, water, green tea (I try to drink between meals like they suggest too).

My post workout meal and dinner are almost always cooked fresh..while lunch and breakfast during week are often precooked eaten cold since at work and try to avoid the microwave (have for months..dont miss the thing).

Thanks you guys for sharing your story with me..it helps to not feel alone!

[Moluv]

Day 8:

Meal 1: tried to eat on the low end of the template (1 palm, 1 thumb) but an hour and a half later realized I am a 2 palm, 2-3 thumb breakfast kinda gal and that eating less set me up for a whole day of weird eating and thinking about food almost non-stop. I had grassfed ground beef and sliced yellow squash sauteed in a tad of ghee.

Meal 2: leftovers from breakfast (usually I eat this much at one time, splitting it up did not work out well for me)

Meal 3: leftover cold chicken breast slices, 3 meatballs, butternut squash (in hindsight I realized this meal had only the little fat in the meat and probably further contributed to my peckishness all day)

Meal 4: Out of genuine hunger I busted into my office stash of sardines and canned green beans (ick) but added a little coconut oil and herbs

Meal 5: more cold chicken and butternut squash (again no fat, oi) so I decided to "test" coconut butter on a banana. It tasted ok, but immediately after I was irritable, my throat hurt vaguely and I yawned about 40 times in 5 minutes. Now my belly is distended and I'm just kind of bleh.

drinks: 1 1/2 bottles kombucha too much, felt weird, not enough water and a little sip of coconut water

BM: an excellent #4 on the BSC first thing this morning and that's it. I may go before bed, but I'm not counting on it.

Today I am dealing with some general feelings of frustration at still being on the w30- I've been eating compliant for almost 50 days but due to various perfectionist-motivated restarts still have yet to complete one. At this point I just want the damn sticker so I can move on. I know what my IBS triggers are (adding all forms of coconut flesh to that list for good after tonight, no more testing required) and I love myself enough to steer clear of them. But I'm just kind of starting to resent having the "rules" hanging over my head coming from some external source. I want to captain the ship. But at the same time, I am fully aware of my dependence on this forum for support, the accountability it brings is giving me a little extra push. I am also having a little tantrum about my coconut water habit- technically compliant but not something I should be pouring a big cold glass of on the daily. I love it. It's so yummy. I love my healthy foods too, they are yummy but coconut water feels like something special yummy- that's why I want it so bad- BUT that's also the huge indicator that it's really just the sugar dragon dressed up like a lamb. I am dead set on not eating things that harm me- and I know what they are- so drinking coconut water isn't a slippery slope into cupcake valley, no I just don't do that sort of thing to myself anymore- so I just don't understand why I can't drink it GUILT FREE, damn these stupid rules. There, phew, I feel better now. I'm going to keep going. And tomorrow I'm going to do my absolute best to ONLY DRINK WATER, maybe some herbal tea, and believe in my heart that I can do so without feeling deprived. Why is it so easy for me to give up 30 other things but hold on so tight to coconut water- which when I think about it isn't even really that great? That's not a rhetorical question, srsly if anyone has any ideas why, please share.

[melbournegirl]

If it wasn't coconut water it would be something else. For me it was cocoa. Your mind is rebelling, you want to feel better but you are fed up with it being so hard, especially when so many compliant foods make you ill...I know how awful and frustrating that feels. Maybe try to think of it like an extinction burst, just get through it, it will soon be over. Or relax a bit, decide coconut water is okay on your personal whole30 and don't worry about it. One a day isnt a disaster waiting to happen. After all coffee is still allowed.

I went through a similar patch but a few weeks on I am much more settled... So hang in there

Ps whole30 isn't a punishment and comfort foods are still allowed, there a some good posts by robin about this, under don't overthink this in the what can I have section for starters

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/5580-dont-over-think-this/

[ccleadbyexample]

I agree with Juzbo-and I think that is part of the journey I have embraced full force. I am REALLY trying to get away from loving on just one food and learning to like a variety so I don't have too much of one thing. Right now I am lovin on Kombucha..but trying not to let it "control my day" so to speak. It's hard-our society is focused on food! My team at work talks about it ALL DAY LONG. And every day is a food day I swear.

But, the focus shouldn't be for you to follow "someone else's rules" ..remember why YOU wanted to do this. It's YOUR health..so if you know how to feel better..then do it! While yes they set the rules..remember you are in control here of your life-look how amazing you are doing..it was just a few days ago you felt great. You were such an inspiration to me..and now I am starting to do better too!

Trust me I get the ups and downs and missing feeling "normal" I mean even within the Whole 30 community I don't feel "normal" as a lot of the recipes etc I can't do as I know some foods bother me.

BUT..one thing I keep reminding myself is that most likely if I let my body heal..I will be able to reintroduce a lot of the Whole 30 compliant foods and be able to live more normal. And truthfully we do have a decent amount of food to eat. I do this not only for me..but to be a better me to help others around me I love and serve as an example. Life is too short to feel anything but amazing.

Just focus on what you know works for a while..and then after you are feeling great for a while slowly try some new things. It has to be ok to be "boring" for a while...

Thanks to both of you..you have helped me keep perspective...

[Moluv]

Thanks to both of you for the thoughtful input- I really appreciate it. You both make good points and today I am feeling much more positive and in charge of my own rules. That being said- I realized that I am in fact, NOT drinking enough water and that the sweet tastes of Kombucha and coconut water are edging out the plain stuff. I want the best for my body so I'm cracking down with the tough love and upping the water and saving the tasty drinks for socializing or special occasions and a legitimate "treat". I needed a food treat anyways and both of those are perfectly sane and safe to use in that way.

Day 9:

Long story short I ate 3 meals of grassfed beef, butternut squash and greenbeans- safe foods until my digestion returns to normal after the coconut butter last night brought it all to a halt. A banana after dinner.

Drinks: 3/4 bottle Kombucha, 3x more water than usual AND ZERO COCONUT WATER YAY ME

BM: none all day, poor me. Maaaaybe before bed

is a possibility.

The coconut butter has not given me near the reaction I get from nuts but its not an ideal food for me either. I don't really love it anyways so it's no big deal to let it go.

[melbournegirl]

Blame the coconut butter, this caused real problems for me so I won't buy it again, here it is more a creamed coconut so quite fatty and fibrey no wonder I can't digest it?

I like your safe food meals

[Moluv]

I like your safe food meals

It really is nice to have finally figured out a handful of things to eat that I don't react too. Repetitive maybe, but super comforting after a whole lifetime of ignorance and confusion and misinformation.

[ccleadbyexample]

I think safe foods (even if boring) are the way to go (knowing that once healed you can start to add back more). I always worried about not cooking more elaborate meals etc but I almost think now that some repetition will be good once I know for sure what is safe. What foods do you feel are on your safe list?

I do love kombucha..try to do about a bottle a day..and focus on the low sugar ones. There is even one that is the "base" one that I think I'll get for this week w/o any added fruit. Might get some cranberry ones too to mix in as it is good for your kidneys..which mine aren't great.

Dang I love coconut butter! But no coconut for me at all now. Just safer and can reintroduce on own.

i am going to focus more of my "cooking" on things like learning to make sure I am making ghee right, learn to make kombucha and other fermented foods, etc. Will save money. I think I worry so much that people watch what I eat and if they see me eating only "boring" things they will think the Paleo/healthy lifestyle isn't a good thing. Just gotta focus on getting healthy and worry about others later...

What do you guys do for supplements? How much magnesium do you take?

Hope you had a good day..this girl has to work on anxiety at work...and in general:)

[ccleadbyexample]

By the way..when you guys eat butternut squash, sweet pot, etc..how do you cook them? And do you add fat to your meals that you list above or just have the meat be the fat?

[Moluv]

What foods do you feel are on your safe list?

What do you guys do for supplements? How much magnesium do you take?

By the way..when you guys eat butternut squash, sweet pot, etc..how do you cook them?

And do you add fat to your meals that you list above or just have the meat be the fat?

My best "safe foods" are grassfed ground beef and a mashed root vegetable (butternut squash being my favorite as sweet potatoes are tasting sickeningly sweet lately) and possibly cultured vegetables as well.

The only suppplements I am taking is 6mg time released melatonin and 2 tsp Natural Calm, both before bed. Sometimes I remember to take digestive enzymes with a meal, but have never made this a habit so it's just whatever.

I eat my squash/sweet pots in two ways- both the same. One way is cooking them whole in a shallow pan of water covered with foil at 350 degrees until soft. Then I let them cool and for the sweet pots just peel the skins off and store in a jar, and for the butternut or other big squash I would cut it in half and take the seeds out then scoop the flesh out and store in a jar. Then I just reheat usually in the same pan I cooked my meat in and don't add more fat. If I am heating them up seperately in a saucepan then I would add some ghee. The other way I eat these is canned- I can get organic pureed butternut, pumpkin and sweet potato $1.99 a can so I try to keep those in the pantry for lazy times.

All of my meals that are ground beef are eaten with all the fat from the meat. If I sautee vegges in a seperate pan I would use ghee for that too, or maybe coconut.

I'm also sorry to hear that you feel like you have to justify your food choices to those around you. I can sort of imagine what that might look like, though I have been very fortunate that over the years as I have gained more awareness about how food really works I have also magnetized some very supportive, if not inspiring, people around me. I am always grateful for that. I am self employed so it's just me in my office and I meet with clients throughout the day- they are typically very curious as to what I've eaten for lunch, or what is kombucha etc. and many of them take my advice, so I'm grateful for that too. The other day a client came in as I was finishing up my lunch and she wanted to know what I was having and I was like "green beans and hamburger meat" but I am so enthusiastic about what that meal MEANS to my health- she opened up to me about her husband's health problems and I kind of saw a lightbulb go off- She promised to check out the website and I'm anxious to see her next month if she is a step closer to doing w30 herself. So enthusiasm and feeling confident about your choices can go far I think.

Keep on truckin' CC & Juzzbo!

[Moluv]

Day 10:

Meal 1: butternut breakfast

Meal 2: ground beef and yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper sauteed in ghee, banana

Meal 3: salmon baked with coconut aminos and oregano, 1/2 avocado, grilled asparagus, canned sweet potato (yuck) with ghee, banana

Drinks: 1 kombucha, 2 quarts of water with 2 frozen strawberries and cucumber slices, plain water, sparkling water. it was a water party!

BM: 1 after lunch, 1/10 of one after dinner. I think I'm getting back to "optimal" but oh, so mad at that coconut butter right now.

After lunch today, I felt like maybe I had overeaten just a little but I didn't feel particularly heavy or bad or anything. And then for the rest of the day, right up until after a feast like dinner, I had the most incredible energy. So maybe I ate the right amount?? Or maybe it was just a good day today. Or maybe it was ALL THAT WATER.