Newbie with Questions

[Guest guest]

Yes, there are lots of old posts--and it would be be hard to find all the ones which specifically address Doug's question even "newbie with questions" does not tell whether it is a question about type, cost, diet.....................et al. So Doug, I got a band in 2005 BEFORE there was a sleeve option. We all raved about our successes with the band, bearing the cost and the disadvantages because preferred that to our obesity challenges. I switched to the sleeve because the Arkansas doctors started charging $700 per fill (and the surgery center cost for the fluoroscopy was an additional $150). So I started driving 12 hours or so to Texas to get fills for $200. But when one is too tight to even swallow their own spit a 12-hour drive is not feasible. If I eat

even one or two bites to much I barf, if I do not chew well enough, I slime and gag---not unlike band challenges and the heartburn for me is worse BUT I totally love my sleeve and would never go back to a band even if it were possible and even if it were free. I am done paying for fills ( my time and the doctor fees and transportation) I wear size 4 jeans, and I do not need cholesterol lowering medications (for now anyway--the hereditary thing still exists even when skinny). I LOVE hearing people tell me not to lose any more weight (have not lost any for months now but I still hear it...........usually from folks who should perhaps lose a few themselves and I know they are just jealous).Everything in life is easier--picking stuff off the floor, exercising the dog, exercising me, enjoying any type of food I choose to try. Meats are hard to eat so now if I want steak it needs to be very tender like filet mignon but a 4-ounce

filet is too big a serving for me so it is not a real problem--it is a real treat once in a great while whereas it used to look more like an appetizer to me. In fact, when I eat out I often choose an appetizer as my whole meal.My advice------get the sleeve.Gloria

[Guest guest]

I would like to add that I too would not suggest a band to anyone. I have had

one for 3 years. I want to change to the sleeve asap. But is the long term good

there too?> Well I feel bad about the sleeve in 3 years with no chance to

change it??

>

> >

> >

> > Hello all, i am new to this forum and have a few questions, i do not want

> > to seem lazy but i did not have time to search through all the archives etc

> > to answer a couple questions.

> >

> > i see alot of people are switching from the band to sleeve and i wonder

> > why, do they essentialy not do the same thing? with the pouch you can only

> > eat so much and it is full, with the sleeve, you can only eat so much and it

> > is full, what is the difference, can the sleeve stretch out to the same size

> > as your original stomach, or is it the fact that the pouch with a band

> > leaves the stomach almost empty and with that a hunger, i am planning

> > surgery but i am not sure which one to get, i just dont want the band to not

> > do the job and have to 3-4 years later get the sleeve anyway, FYI, i am a

> > male 37, with a BMI of 56.

> >

> > Thanx

> > Doug

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I don't have my sleeve yet but have met a bunch of local people that have had them for several years. They are all happy. Do a search and see if there is a local support group you can attend. I highly recommend a local support group for a number of reasons. MarilouDr. AcevesVSG~February 5, 2010 On Jan 25, 2010, at 1:32 PM, silverspoonkatie wrote:I would like to add that I too would not suggest a band to anyone. I have had one for 3 years. I want to change to the sleeve asap. But is the long term good there too?> Well I feel bad about the sleeve in 3 years with no chance to change it??> > >> >> > Hello all, i am new to this forum and have a few questions, i do not want> > to seem lazy but i did not have time to search through all the archives etc> > to answer a couple questions.> >> > i see alot of people are switching from the band to sleeve and i wonder> > why, do they essentialy not do the same thing? with the pouch you can only> > eat so much and it is full, with the sleeve, you can only eat so much and it> > is full, what is the difference, can the sleeve stretch out to the same size> > as your original stomach, or is it the fact that the pouch with a band> > leaves the stomach almost empty and with that a hunger, i am planning> > surgery but i am not sure which one to get, i just dont want the band to not> > do the job and have to 3-4 years later get the sleeve anyway, FYI, i am a> > male 37, with a BMI of 56.> >> > Thanx> > Doug> >> > > >>

[Guest guest]

You can revise after a sleeve.  You can revise to bypass or DS.  I have NO intention of ever revising from the sleeve.  Two WLS is enough for me. ;o)On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 1:32 PM, silverspoonkatie <silverspoonkatie@...> wrote:

 

I would like to add that I too would not suggest a band to anyone. I have had one for 3 years. I want to change to the sleeve asap. But is the long term good there too?> Well I feel bad about the sleeve in 3 years with no chance to change it??

[Guest guest]

silverspoon,I feel the same way!! I couldn't recommend a band to anyone right now because of the personal issues I have had with it, but what if all these people who are GLOWING about the sleeve and getting revisions etc start to have issues. The same people that are getting revisions were the ones that were all for the Band 3 years ago (obviously or they wouldn't have chosen that WLS). It is a hard decision.All that said, I would take my band over NOTHING, ANYTIME!! I would stay on liquids for the rest of my life to be the size that I am and the difference I feel in my life having lost 110 lbs and going from a size 22 to an 8! I love my body and changes weight loss brought to my self esteem!!!Blessings! Cyrena DOB:

1/19/07240/132/150start/now/goalFrom: silverspoonkatie <silverspoonkatie@...> Sent: Mon, January 25, 2010 2:32:54 PMSubject: Re: newbie with questions

I would like to add that I too would not suggest a band to anyone. I have had one for 3 years. I want to change to the sleeve asap. But is the long term good there too?> Well I feel bad about the sleeve in 3 years with no chance to change it??

[Guest guest]

When I got a band it was because the long term weight loss stats were not out on the sleeve.  I got a band because I didn't want bypass.  After I was banded the long term stats came out on the sleeve.  Had they been available I would have had a sleeve from the beginning.  There is no debate on long term risks and complications, the sleeve wins completely and totally.  They are both restrictive only procedures, one is loaded with risk and complications (banding) and the other is not (sleeves).  I was pro-band because I thought my issues were unique and rare.  I had NO idea I was with the majority of having problems, problems just like what you are experiencing.  I was on liquids for 4 months with a band because I couldn't eat solids anymore.  No way I want to deal with those issues ever again.  The sleeve is not new, Cyrena.  The weight loss stats are new, not the procedure.

The medical community knows full well risks and complications from partial gastrectomies, that procedures has been done for many years, just not for weight loss.  They pretty well do not exist.  Some have a bit of reflux, some have a stricture (can happen with any stomach surgery), and some (less than 1%) have a Vit B12 issue.  That's it, that's what can happen.  All easily fixed and all rare. Banding... it's loaded with problems and complications.

Luckily with sleeves, we don't need to worry if we will be stuck on liquids for the rest of our lives to maintain our weight loss. :o/  I never want to go through that again.  With a sleeve you have perfect restriction forever.  No need to find a sweet spot, etc.  Just have surgery and you are good to go.

252/120/140Start/now/goalOn Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 6:37 AM, Cyrena Weeks <cyrenaweeks@...> wrote:

 

silverspoon,I feel the same way!!  I couldn't recommend a band to anyone right now because of the personal issues I have had with it, but what if all these people who are GLOWING about the sleeve and getting revisions etc start to have issues.  The same people that are getting revisions were the ones that were all for the Band 3 years ago (obviously or they wouldn't have chosen that WLS).  It is a hard decision.

All that said, I would take my band over NOTHING, ANYTIME!!  I would stay on liquids for the rest of my life to be the size that I am and the difference I feel in my life having lost 110 lbs and going from a size 22 to an 8!  I love my body and changes weight loss brought to my self esteem!!!

Blessings! Cyrena DOB:

1/19/07240/132/150start/now/goal

From: silverspoonkatie <silverspoonkatie@...>

Sent: Mon, January 25, 2010 2:32:54 PM

Subject: Re: newbie with questions

 

I would like to add that I too would not suggest a band to anyone. I have had one for 3 years. I want to change to the sleeve asap. But is the long term good there too?> Well I feel bad about the sleeve in 3 years with no chance to change it??

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi, our 7 y/o dd was just diagnosed with aspergers and we are so overwhelmed

reading up about it and worrying about her future.

> she also has had attention and anxiety problems for few years.

> I have worked hard with her at home and so she is doing academically okay at

school for her age, she does not need special ed.

> she also has some fine motor difficulty and has clumsy handwriting.

> The school OT says she will give us some exercises to do with her at home.

> 1.my question is what interventions does she need now that we are given this

diagnosis?

> we do not want to try any meds for anxiety or attention, as its not affecting

her school performance yet.

> 2.what can I do at home to help her? she has trouble making friends, she keeps

saying no one plays with her at recess, it breaks my heart.

> She also chooses to play with kids much younger than her age, she does well

with them.

> she also does act quite immature in her behaviour,compared to her age.

> I constantly worry about her getting bullied as she will go to higher grades.

> we cannot invite friends her age, since they do not get along well.

> 3.our problem is that she does not fit with typical kids, but is high level to

fit with most kids we know on the spectrum.

> 4.How do parents deal with social problems affecting kids?

> How can I help her get friends?

>

> Will appreciate any help.

> Seeta

>

My dd is almost 11 and in 5th grade,,we connected with a little girl when they

were in kinderg. and I nurture this relationship for them,,also there is always

one other in the class room that is left out often times and my dd seems to know

this and the teacher has been great in helping me figure it out, so I do the

inviting and make sure they have stuctured play and movie time or computer and

snack time in our home. That seems to help.

Lynne

[Guest guest]

Hi there,Here is a great link for recipes and advice/encouragement:  www.nomorecrohns.comI have both the GAPS guide and the SCD book.  They were both helpful.  Also,  check Amazon for SCD cookbooks--I have a couple that I purchased from there.  Also,  Elana's pantry has great recipes; she does use agave, but I have substituted equal amounts of honey in her recipes with success--usually!!

I would also suggest delving into Donna Gates Body Ecology--for us it seemed like the missing piece was the fermented/cultured veggies.  I am in the process of learning how to make kefir as well.Have you made the scd yogurt?  That is a great way to introduce probiotics--you should be able to use your goat milk and ferment for 24 hours for delicious yogurt/kefir.  Also,  if you are using raw, fresh goat milk,  I don't know that I would be that concerned about it.  I know many people can have fresh raw milk that can't tolerate regular milk.

My family also did not have the diarrhea-the exact opposite actually.  However,  I did follow the intro diet, but I was also wondering why I was doing it--I figured it wasn't going to hurt.  Although that might be rough for a seventeen year old--I  know I was extremely hungry on the intro diet.

Good Luck! I have been on this journey for over a year, and while I have seen great improvement,  there is still a long way to go.  Hold Steady!!Crystal DeYoungOn Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 8:30 AM, thelongsfarm <lwlong@...> wrote:

 

Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend?

I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return.

Thanks,

Jan

BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

[Guest guest]

My son also did not have diarrhea either but problems with constipation. I wish I had done the intro diet because it serves to clear out yeast and bad bacteria. I think he would have progressed much more quickly had I done the intro. It turns out his problems stemmed from candida and not enough healthy gut flora. I think going gluten-free and dairy-free might be important for your son. The gluten, casein and lactose proteins are difficult to digest and those with leaky gut syndrome can't digest them. The undigested proteins then end up in the bloodstream and can cross the blood brain barrier! This can cause speech issues and difficulty concentrating. I think it should also be said that overgrowth of yeasts can cause the same issues. The toxins from the yeast end up in the bloodstream and also cross the blood brain barrier causing "brain fog". It can takes about 6 month to clear the undigested dairy and gluten proteins from the brain after you stop eating them. It's much faster for the yeast toxins to clear. To detox, you might consider giving him 1 capful of Fulvic Mineral Complex by Vital Earth each day (no more than this, though). You can buy it on Amazon. I usually put it into one cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (avoid store bought pasteurized juice).Have you tried making nut flour muffins for breakfast? Here's a recipe for pumpkin ones. If he doesn't like pumpkin, then leave it out along with the spices and add 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Sometimes I might put grated apple in.Grain-free pumpkin muffins2 1/2 cups almond flour1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil1/2 cup honey (raw, from bees not feed corn syrup)3 eggs3/4 tsp. cinnamon1/2 tsp. nutmeg1/4 tsp. ground cloves1/4 ginger3/4 cup mashed pumpkin1/2 tsp. celtic sea saltPut into muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.Grain-free pancakes1 cup almond flour3 eggs1/4 cup water2 T melted ghee or coconut oil1/4 tsp. salt1 T honeyDoes he like breakfast sausage? If you can find your own ground meat at your local whole foods or from a local rancher, you can season it yourself with salt, pepper and honey for a GAPS legal breakfast. Wellshire organic bacon barely has any sugar, less than 1 gram, so I "cheat" and use this on the diet as well.You can also make your own almond milk (tastes much better than the store bought) and have smoothies. I recommend adding a banana to it to sweeten the smoothie.I've heard the GAPS guidebook is good but I haven't purchased it myself.On Nov 2, 2010, at 5:30 AM, thelongsfarm wrote:

Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend?

I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return.

Thanks,

Jan

BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

[Guest guest]

Don't give up the goat milk! Goats have a different protein than the cows and their milk is well tolerated by most. My daughter can't handle cow's milk, but has not problem with goat milk and lucky you fresh raw goat milk.Breakfast is a hard one since most gf baked goods taste horrible (let's face it). Here is what my daughter is eating; French toast (gf bread - avoid the starchy ones - look for whole grain ingredients). Goat milk yogurt with fresh fruits, we eat oatmeal (boiled for 3 mins. and then soaked overnight doesn't bother her), fried rice with veggies and scramble an egg or 2 into it, tamales (chinese (rice) or mexican (corn)), coconut/almond milk rice pudding with sauteed bananas or apples, pumpkin pudding or pie (gf crust and made with coconut milk, sliced apples layered on the bottom and fresh ginger - so yummy!). Why not . . . are lives are hard . . . so I say, pie for breakfast :)take care clareOn Nov 2, 2010, at 5:30 AM, thelongsfarm wrote: Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him. He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions: It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk. I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat? I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans? If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend? I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return. Thanks, Jan BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

[Guest guest]

No, in the book, she's quite clear - both frequent diarrhea and

constipation are signs of a leaky gut. And the intro diet works on both.

There's a lot of info on the website- http://www.gapsdiet.com/

Recipe blog is here: http://gapsguide.com/category/recipes/

Just to make sure, when you say " GF " do you mean Grain Free or Gluten

Free? Because if you mean the latter, you need to go entirely grain,

legume, starch free.

Have you detoxed your environment? And had your son checked for heavy

metals or other toxicity? He may need juicing.

Are you giving him cod liver oil? Omega-3 and fish oil?

Is he getting biokult or another source of billions of probiotics?

I've read somewhere that Dr. McBride is redoing the GAPS diet a bit,

specifically where dairy is concerned to incorporate raw milk. My memory is

that she was pro-raw milk, but to hold off on the store-bought kind till

later in the process. My suggestion is to try everything GAPS, with the

inclusion of raw milk, and if you don't see any improvement, cut out the

milk and see if it helps.

Breakfast: Assuming you've exhausted all the standard egg variations

(deviled eggs, omelets, fritatas, scrambled, poached with salmon or

spinach, crustless quiche, souffle, egg custards, egg casserole, ) : there

are muffins made with almond flour, pancakes (again, with the almond

flour), smoothies with yogurt, eggs, coconut milk/raw milk, coconut oil.

You can even make a type of porridge with almond flour (and

raw/almond/coconut milk)

Does anyone know if coconut flour is okay on the GAPS diet? My thought

would be no, but I thought I'd check. It would give another grain-free

option.

Sorry, I mostly use my low carb cook books, since there's a lot of

overlap. Try checking the library for the different SCD/GAPS books to try

them out and see if the recipes appeal.

Stefani

On Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:30:01 -0000, " thelongsfarm " <lwlong@...>

wrote:

> Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a

> year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were

trying

> other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17

yo

> son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the

thing

> we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as

if

> he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words

(if

> under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to

> focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk

and

> walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan

will

> help him? I will do it with him.

> He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to

work

> hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my

questions:

> It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we

need

> to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we

milk

> goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

>

> I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of

> eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

>

> I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book

called

> the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

>

> If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would

you

> recommend?

>

> I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much

> activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe

> someday I will be able to help someone in return.

>

> Thanks,

> Jan

>

> BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these

> questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which

key

> words to search with?

[Guest guest]

Oatmeal, rice, and corn are NOT Gaps friendly foods; just FYI.Sent from my iPhoneOn Nov 2, 2010, at 12:40 PM, Clare Metague <boohonk@...> wrote:

Don't give up the goat milk! Goats have a different protein than the cows and their milk is well tolerated by most. My daughter can't handle cow's milk, but has not problem with goat milk and lucky you fresh raw goat milk.Breakfast is a hard one since most gf baked goods taste horrible (let's face it). Here is what my daughter is eating; French toast (gf bread - avoid the starchy ones - look for whole grain ingredients). Goat milk yogurt with fresh fruits, we eat oatmeal (boiled for 3 mins. and then soaked overnight doesn't bother her), fried rice with veggies and scramble an egg or 2 into it, tamales (chinese (rice) or mexican (corn)), coconut/almond milk rice pudding with sauteed bananas or apples, pumpkin pudding or pie (gf crust and made with coconut milk, sliced apples layered on the bottom and fresh ginger - so yummy!). Why not . . . are lives are hard . . . so I say, pie for breakfast :)take care clareOn Nov 2, 2010, at 5:30 AM, thelongsfarm wrote: Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him. He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions: It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk. I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat? I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans? If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend? I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return. Thanks, Jan BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

[Guest guest]

Thank you to all that replied with advice and recipes. I appreciate you taking

the time to type in those recipes. We have already made the Pumpkin Muffins,

except we didn't have any pumpkin so I substituted some of my homemade pear

butter (like apple butter) it had all of the same spices as the pumpkin muffin.

It was delicious. We will try with pumpkin next. And will make the pancakes in

the morning.

We have been making our own turkey or beef sausage, with a mix I make at home,

no preservatives only spices so I feel certain that it would pass the GAPS test.

After your advice I have decided to do the introductory diet. So, we have gone

off of milk products, hopefully it will not take too long to be able to add some

of them back in.

As far as probiotics go, we drink a homemade kefir each day, have converted that

from goat milk to coconut milk or almond milk, is the coconut milk approved on

the GAPS? And, we are finishing off a bottle of some brand we buy from

Vitacost.com. I will switch to the Bio Kult soon. And plan to try the Fulvic

Mineral Complex, that (I think) suggested. We have not done any toxicity

testing? We felt as if we should spend our money on buying some of these needed

products and some books, and work off of the assumption that we do have a toxin

problem. Yes, we have been using a Cod Liver oil (ran out recently), and I have

some good flax seed oil in the fridge. Since I need to buy more Cod Liver oil,

any one that stands out above the rest?

And yes, when I said we are GF, I meant gluten free. But, now grain free.

We like to make meatloaf, any suggestions on what to use instead of oatmeal. We

make a homemade ketchup with stevia. We have been off of honey and sugar for

some time. I know honey is allowed, but I assume not initially. I must go back

and study the plan again.

Well now headed to the recipe section of Gapsdiet.com

Again thank you all so much. Hope to " get to know you all " as time goes on.

Jan

>

> Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year

ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other

things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I

know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying

to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any

perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure)

and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this

early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD.

Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

> He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard

at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

> It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to

do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and

enjoy our raw goats milk.

>

> I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs.

So what do some of you all eat?

>

> I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the

GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

>

> If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you

recommend?

>

> I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity

there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be

able to help someone in return.

>

> Thanks,

> Jan

>

> BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these

questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words

to search with?

>

[Guest guest]

I would recommend the fermented cod liver oil from green pastures.  It is pricey, but one bottle of the gel has @ 90 servings.  I do the cinnamon tingle and it is really not too bad after you get used to it.Hope that helps.

Crystal DeYoungOn Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 10:00 PM, thelongsfarm <lwlong@...> wrote:

 

Thank you to all that replied with advice and recipes. I appreciate you taking the time to type in those recipes. We have already made the Pumpkin Muffins, except we didn't have any pumpkin so I substituted some of my homemade pear butter (like apple butter) it had all of the same spices as the pumpkin muffin. It was delicious. We will try with pumpkin next. And will make the pancakes in the morning.

We have been making our own turkey or beef sausage, with a mix I make at home, no preservatives only spices so I feel certain that it would pass the GAPS test.

After your advice I have decided to do the introductory diet. So, we have gone off of milk products, hopefully it will not take too long to be able to add some of them back in.

As far as probiotics go, we drink a homemade kefir each day, have converted that from goat milk to coconut milk or almond milk, is the coconut milk approved on the GAPS? And, we are finishing off a bottle of some brand we buy from Vitacost.com. I will switch to the Bio Kult soon. And plan to try the Fulvic Mineral Complex, that (I think) suggested. We have not done any toxicity testing? We felt as if we should spend our money on buying some of these needed products and some books, and work off of the assumption that we do have a toxin problem. Yes, we have been using a Cod Liver oil (ran out recently), and I have some good flax seed oil in the fridge. Since I need to buy more Cod Liver oil, any one that stands out above the rest?

And yes, when I said we are GF, I meant gluten free. But, now grain free.

We like to make meatloaf, any suggestions on what to use instead of oatmeal. We make a homemade ketchup with stevia. We have been off of honey and sugar for some time. I know honey is allowed, but I assume not initially. I must go back and study the plan again.

Well now headed to the recipe section of Gapsdiet.com

Again thank you all so much. Hope to " get to know you all " as time goes on.

Jan

>

> Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

> He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

> It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

>

> I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

>

> I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

>

> If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend?

>

> I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return.

>

> Thanks,

> Jan

>

> BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

>

[Guest guest]

I'm glad you like the muffins. The key to making this diet work is finding recipes that are yummy.Yes, coconut milk is okay on GAPS. Just make sure to get the kind that is only coconut and water. There are some new ones out there that have a lot fillers and would not be good for someone on GAPS. Coconut milk is great in smoothies.IMO, the only cod liver oil worth taking is Green Pastures. It should be taken with butter oil (which is casein and lactose free). The butter oil contains Activator X (believed to be a form of vitamin K) that allows the body to absorb the cod liver oil. I buy it directly from greenpastures.org. I know the GAPS website sells Nordic Naturals oil but but I didn't see any improvement in my son's ability to absorb cod liver oil until I started giving him the Green Pastures one with the butter oil. We all take the capsules because I don't like the taste of the oil. I think you'll be able to start adding kefir made from your raw goat milk back into the diet fairly soon. A group of my friends went to hear Dr. -McBride speak and she said the strictness of the diet depends on the severity of the symptoms. It seems your son's symptoms are fairly mild so he will progress through the intro diet quickly.Coconut flour is legal on the GAPS diet but unfortunately my son can't tolerate coconut so I don't have any recipes. I think substituting some coconut flour for the almond flour in the pancake recipe might allow for a fluffier pancake but I haven't tried it. Coconut flour needs a lot of eggs to rise so you might have to add another egg to the recipe.I also recommend nourishingkitchen.com for recipes. Many of the recipes are GAPS friendly or list substitutions to make them GAPS legal.On Nov 4, 2010, at 7:00 PM, thelongsfarm wrote:

Thank you to all that replied with advice and recipes. I appreciate you taking the time to type in those recipes. We have already made the Pumpkin Muffins, except we didn't have any pumpkin so I substituted some of my homemade pear butter (like apple butter) it had all of the same spices as the pumpkin muffin. It was delicious. We will try with pumpkin next. And will make the pancakes in the morning.

We have been making our own turkey or beef sausage, with a mix I make at home, no preservatives only spices so I feel certain that it would pass the GAPS test.

After your advice I have decided to do the introductory diet. So, we have gone off of milk products, hopefully it will not take too long to be able to add some of them back in.

As far as probiotics go, we drink a homemade kefir each day, have converted that from goat milk to coconut milk or almond milk, is the coconut milk approved on the GAPS? And, we are finishing off a bottle of some brand we buy from Vitacost.com. I will switch to the Bio Kult soon. And plan to try the Fulvic Mineral Complex, that (I think) suggested. We have not done any toxicity testing? We felt as if we should spend our money on buying some of these needed products and some books, and work off of the assumption that we do have a toxin problem. Yes, we have been using a Cod Liver oil (ran out recently), and I have some good flax seed oil in the fridge. Since I need to buy more Cod Liver oil, any one that stands out above the rest?

And yes, when I said we are GF, I meant gluten free. But, now grain free.

We like to make meatloaf, any suggestions on what to use instead of oatmeal. We make a homemade ketchup with stevia. We have been off of honey and sugar for some time. I know honey is allowed, but I assume not initially. I must go back and study the plan again.

Well now headed to the recipe section of Gapsdiet.com

Again thank you all so much. Hope to "get to know you all" as time goes on.

Jan

>

> Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

> He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

> It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

>

> I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

>

> I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

>

> If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend?

>

> I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return.

>

> Thanks,

> Jan

>

> BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

>

[Guest guest]

I have done toxin testing with my son. It was a urine test. He was okay for heavy metals but had a lot of environmental toxins. We retested after year of being on GAPS and all his toxins are gone! I attribute this to juicing on GAPS and also the Fulvic Mineral Complex.As far as meatloaf, I would try substituting almond meal. If you try it, let me know how it works out!On Nov 4, 2010, at 7:00 PM, thelongsfarm wrote:

Thank you to all that replied with advice and recipes. I appreciate you taking the time to type in those recipes. We have already made the Pumpkin Muffins, except we didn't have any pumpkin so I substituted some of my homemade pear butter (like apple butter) it had all of the same spices as the pumpkin muffin. It was delicious. We will try with pumpkin next. And will make the pancakes in the morning.

We have been making our own turkey or beef sausage, with a mix I make at home, no preservatives only spices so I feel certain that it would pass the GAPS test.

After your advice I have decided to do the introductory diet. So, we have gone off of milk products, hopefully it will not take too long to be able to add some of them back in.

As far as probiotics go, we drink a homemade kefir each day, have converted that from goat milk to coconut milk or almond milk, is the coconut milk approved on the GAPS? And, we are finishing off a bottle of some brand we buy from Vitacost.com. I will switch to the Bio Kult soon. And plan to try the Fulvic Mineral Complex, that (I think) suggested. We have not done any toxicity testing? We felt as if we should spend our money on buying some of these needed products and some books, and work off of the assumption that we do have a toxin problem. Yes, we have been using a Cod Liver oil (ran out recently), and I have some good flax seed oil in the fridge. Since I need to buy more Cod Liver oil, any one that stands out above the rest?

And yes, when I said we are GF, I meant gluten free. But, now grain free.

We like to make meatloaf, any suggestions on what to use instead of oatmeal. We make a homemade ketchup with stevia. We have been off of honey and sugar for some time. I know honey is allowed, but I assume not initially. I must go back and study the plan again.

Well now headed to the recipe section of Gapsdiet.com

Again thank you all so much. Hope to "get to know you all" as time goes on.

Jan

>

> Hello I am Jan and have read GAPS by Dr McBride, but it has been about a year ago. It has taken us this long to implement the plan. We were trying other things (such as no sugar and GF) to help with the problem of my 17 yo son. I know his problem is minor compared to many of yours, but the thing we are trying to remedy is an inability to concentrate. It is almost as if he looses any perception of time. He is very slow in thought and words (if under any pressure) and reaction time. The biggest issue is inability to focus. He didn't have this early on in schooling. He was late to talk and walk and is said to have some LD. Do you all feel that this diet plan will help him? I will do it with him.

> He does not have diarrhea, quite the contrary. We have always had to work hard at keeping him regular. With all of that said here are my questions:

> It seems to me that the introductory diet is to stop diarrhea, do we need to do it for our family? Giving up the dairy will be the hardest, we milk goats and enjoy our raw goats milk.

>

> I am at a loss of what to cook for breakfast, we are already so tired of eggs. So what do some of you all eat?

>

> I need a cookbook, any recommendations? I think I read about a book called the GAPS Guidebook? Does it have recipes and menu plans?

>

> If I were going to purchase say two books at this time, what two would you recommend?

>

> I am glad to have found your group. I was surprised to see how much activity there is here. I appreciate your answering my questions. Maybe someday I will be able to help someone in return.

>

> Thanks,

> Jan

>

> BTW, I did search the archives to see if I could find answers to these questions. If they have been addressed, can someone help me with which key words to search with?

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for this information! Just wanted to comment on the links you

provided...

Perhaps you meant http://www.greenpasture.org?

And the nourishingkitchen.com site had TONS of pop-up windows! I didn't even

get a chance to find any recipes; I was bombarded with pop-ups (and I even have

a pop-up blocker running). Weird.

But again, thanks for the information, particularly about the cod live oil.

Sincerely,

Singhurst

>

>

> IMO, the only cod liver oil worth taking is Green Pastures. It should be

taken with butter oil (which is casein and lactose free). The butter oil

contains Activator X (believed to be a form of vitamin K) that allows the body

to absorb the cod liver oil. I buy it directly from greenpastures.org. I know

the GAPS website sells Nordic Naturals oil but but I didn't see any improvement

in my son's ability to absorb cod liver oil until I started giving him the Green

Pastures one with the butter oil. We all take the capsules because I don't like

the taste of the oil.

>

>

>

> I also recommend nourishingkitchen.com for recipes. Many of the recipes are

GAPS friendly or list substitutions to make them GAPS legal.

>

[Guest guest]

It's nourishedkitchen.com and yes, it's greenpasture.orgSo sorry for sending the wrong websites! Nourished Kitchen is great and there aren't any pop ups!On Nov 8, 2010, at 6:48 AM, Singhurst wrote:

Thanks so much for this information! Just wanted to comment on the links you provided...

Perhaps you meant http://www.greenpasture.org?

And the nourishingkitchen.com site had TONS of pop-up windows! I didn't even get a chance to find any recipes; I was bombarded with pop-ups (and I even have a pop-up blocker running). Weird.

But again, thanks for the information, particularly about the cod live oil.

Sincerely,

Singhurst

>

>

> IMO, the only cod liver oil worth taking is Green Pastures. It should be taken with butter oil (which is casein and lactose free). The butter oil contains Activator X (believed to be a form of vitamin K) that allows the body to absorb the cod liver oil. I buy it directly from greenpastures.org. I know the GAPS website sells Nordic Naturals oil but but I didn't see any improvement in my son's ability to absorb cod liver oil until I started giving him the Green Pastures one with the butter oil. We all take the capsules because I don't like the taste of the oil.

>

>

>

> I also recommend nourishingkitchen.com for recipes. Many of the recipes are GAPS friendly or list substitutions to make them GAPS legal.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks! I got the websites all wrong too, lol I was in a bit of a rush.

Thanks for the great info; I am really excited about the cod liver oil/butter

blend. I've been looking/hoping for something like that for a while.

Sincerely,

Singhurst

>

> It's nourishedkitchen.com and yes, it's greenpasture.org

>

> So sorry for sending the wrong websites! Nourished Kitchen is great and there

aren't any pop ups!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I'm so glad to have found a place for support, I'm so confused. I am 53

years old and was diagnosed with RA a few months ago. My Dr sent me to a

rheumatologist who started me on methotrexate but I had an allergic reaction

to it so he now has me on leflunomide.

Leflunomide isn't helping much so he wants me to start either Enbrel or

Humira, I chose Enbrel which I will begin as soon as my insurance company

gets the pre-approval stuff over with, might be a few weeks. In the

meantime I'm having a lot of pain in my hands and feet, not just in the

joints.

I was waking up with numb hands so my Dr thinks I have carpal tunnel and

told me to wear wrist braces while I sleep which has helped the numbness

but they still tingle all the time (sometimes burn). My feet have been

hurting for well over a year now

The hands - everything tingles, both whole hands. My rheumatologist thinks

I have carpal tunnel and told me to wear wrist braces when I sleep, which I

do and while I still have tingling all the time (pretty sharp at times,

almost burning) my hands are not numb when I wake up anymore. And one odd

thing, can RA affect the top joints in fingers? I read somewhere that it

didn't, but on my middle fingers, both hands, occasionally the top joint

will be so painful I can't even touch it to anything, it's as if it's

broken. Then it'll go away and be fine, but just that knuckle. The others

hurt always, but not like when the middle one acts up.

My feet - This has been going on for well over a year but has gotten a lot

worse lately, I went to a foot Dr last fall and had other things fixed but

she says the pain/numbness/tingling is not foot related. Feels like I'm

walking on bubble wrap all the time, or marbles (this is the worst feeling

for me). My toes tingle and go numb and it's spread to the top of my foot

now, has always been that way on the bottom. The Dr says it's not RA

related but I don't know what else it could be. I have pain when I bend my

toes (which don't really bend very much anymore).

Could the above be RA related or should I go back to my regular Dr for

another diagnosis? Has anyone had these symptoms and been helped by Enbrel,

etc? Any information any one can give me will be greatly appreciated, seems

like so much is going on I just don't know where to go from here. Sorry

this is so long.

Thank you,

PJ

[Guest guest]

, the articles you sent to the list were extremely interesting! I have

called my Dr and told him (his nurse actually) about the numbness, tingling,

burning, and pain and he has told me to stop taking the leflunomide for 7

days and then call him back. I told the nurse that I thought there was a

drug I had to take the get the leflunomide out of my system but she said

that isn't always the case.

So now I'll just wait and see what happens this week.

Thank you so much for all the information.

PJ

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of

Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 7:07 AM

Subject: Re: [ ] Newbie with Questions

Hi, PJ. Welcome!

The tingling/burning/numbness you are describing could be peripheral

neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy does have a strong association with

RA.

Type 2 diabetes also has a strong association with peripheral neuropathy.

Another thing to be aware of is that leflunomide can cause peripheral

neuropathy.

Usually, RA does not affect the hand joints closest to the fingernails

to any great degree.

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

It does take a long time for the leflunomide to get out of your

system, a lot more than 7 days.

Sue

On Nov 15, 2010, at 7:11 PM, Patti Yuswak wrote:

> , the articles you sent to the list were extremely interesting!

> I have

> called my Dr and told him (his nurse actually) about the numbness,

> tingling,

> burning, and pain and he has told me to stop taking the leflunomide

> for 7

> days and then call him back. I told the nurse that I thought there

> was a

> drug I had to take the get the leflunomide out of my system but she

> said

> that isn't always the case.

[Guest guest]

I'm with Sue, PJ. I don't know if seven days will be a long enough test period.

Not an MD

On Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 6:11 PM, Patti Yuswak <WhtBC10@...> wrote:

> , the articles you sent to the list were extremely interesting!  I have

> called my Dr and told him (his nurse actually) about the numbness, tingling,

> burning, and pain and he has told me to stop taking the leflunomide for 7

> days and then call him back.  I told the nurse that I thought there was a

> drug I had to take the get the leflunomide out of my system but she said

> that isn't always the case.

>

>

>

> So now I'll just wait and see what happens this week.

>

>

>

> Thank you so much for all the information.

>

>

>

> PJ

[Guest guest]

I'm going to call back and actually talk to my Dr, all of my information

came from him through one of the nurses.

Thank you both!

PJ

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of

Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:25 AM

Subject: Re: [ ] Newbie with Questions

I'm with Sue, PJ. I don't know if seven days will be a long enough test

period.

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

Are you using the other supplements recommended? The Vit C, selenium, unrefined salt, magnesium, and maybe B's? I don't know for sure, but I've been using the whole protocol and I haven't had significant issues with the iodine. Maybe I wouldn't have had issues without the rest of the protocol but I believe I probably would have! =)

Higgins

http://becomingaspecialneedsadvocate.blogspot.com/

Newbie with Questions

Hello,

I'm not sure if I'm in the right place here but I thought I'd ask some questions. A little background info. I'm hypothyroid, have low adrenals and I'm low in female hormones. I can't tolerate hardly any medications. I've been trying for 10 years to take my thyroid hormone but nothing works. I've tried adrenal supports, female hormones and just can't tolerate them. I've been finding that over the course of time I'm just increasingly not tolerating thyroid meds at all. My doctor had suggested I try iodine. She said to take a little bit and move up to where I feel I can tolerate it. I've been on it one week. I'm having issues with it. I don't want to give it up without making sure I've tried to make it work. But I can't walk around like a nervous wreck either.

I just started taking it. I started out with 6.25 mg Iodoral. I felt fantastic. I had energy, my head cleared and I seriously felt like my tongue/thyroid just reacted as if they shrunk a little. I know that sounds odd but it's what I felt. The next day I had a panic attack. I think it was sometime close to the SRT3 I took. It happened again. If I remember I think my doctor said if I go hyper to reduce my T meds. I have done some of that. But at one point I thought all was well and I took another 1/2 in the afternoon. The next day I went into such a mental state that I thought I was going to lose my mind. It felt like I went hyper on T meds but without the drugged feeling. I felt an energy over the course of days and this time it hit me hard. I thought I was going to lose my mind, I was nervous and couldn't sit down, and the restroom wasn't a problem if you understand my meaning.

Now today, I took less iodine just to allow for odd behavior I had the other day. But I still had that wave of anxiety and weakness and fatigue come over me but nothing as bad as two days ago. I had to run to the restroom too. My body is just perceiving this as too much for me. I only took 1/4 tablet yesterday and today. I

When I am getting close to needing to take iodine my thyroid swells. It pokes me. The minute I take it all of the sudden things calm there but the rest of me goes into crazy mode. Is this normal? Or am I having a bad reaction or taking too much? And no, I never had an iodine loading test. We knew that I'd never be able to tolerate taking a 50 mg loading test. We were testing things out by trial and error. Right or wrong that's what I've done.

I loved the positive effects of it right off the bat but then that stopped. What can I expect from this? I get concerned because I don't know much about this and worry I may make things worse with my adrenals/thyroid. If you have experiences you can share I would appreciate it.