Re: to Marcy re: low fat diet

[Guest guest]

> Some people do find specific foods which may trigger attacks.

My CP is quite far advanced but I can eat red meat

I kind of did a reflection of the various times I thought my " ulcer "

was acting up, and each time (this started in 1994) was as a

result of eating either prime rib, steak or things that were high in

fat.

I don't drink very often (maybe two or three times a year), yet that

doesn't bother me.

But " pure " beef, I guess you'd call it, does bother me.

I'm wondering........does switching to things like fat-free

mayonaisse, sour cream, cheese, salad dressing, milk, etc.,

help?

Marcy

Marcy,

If you read my diet tips sheet that I spoke of in my earlier post,

you will see that there was total emphasis on a low fat, low

protein, high carb diet.

I suggested using low or no-fat variations of mayonnaise,

cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, milk and margerine. I

personally do feel a tremendous decrease in pain levels when

using these products. Fortunately, the food industry has

advanced so well that many of these lower fat products actually

taste just great. I'm particularly fond of mayonnaise, and have

been using the Hellman's Too Good to Be True green labeled

mayo for a couple years now, and actually prefer it to the real

stuff. With only 2 grams of fat, as opposed to 11 in the regular

variety, I'm able to use it as often as I like.

I found that by switching to the low or no-fat variation of all the

above mentioned products allowed me to still eat pretty much

the way I had in the past, yet still stay within the fat limits of my

CP diet, which is no more than 20 fat grams per day.

In the past, I loved a good steak, too. I have found that I can no

longer tolerate red meat (especially beef or lamb), and whole

butter will send me into a tailspin. So I steer away from all

sauces when dining out, unless I can confirm that there isn't any

butter used. For meats, I substitute lean pork or venison.

Venison would definetely qualify as a red meat, yet it is very low

in fat, less than poultry, and makes a great substitute for any

recipes that call for beef.

I'll reiterate Kimber's advice about alcohol. ANY alcohol is too

much, even just a few times a year. Once the pancreas has

been damaged by an attack, no matter what the underlying

cause was, i.e.; heriditary, ideopathic, alcohol, medicine, etc., if

alcohol is consumed it further damages the organ. It creates a

sludge, that eventually over time, can block the ducts and cause

even further damage. While it may not seem to bother some

people at the time of consumption, this damage occurs invisibly,

nonetheless, and can eventually lead to a dangerous, if not fatal,

attack. The highest percentage of deaths among pancreatitis

patients are those who continued to consume alcohol after

diagnosis.

Most of us have found that steak is a real trigger. I've known of a

few that can still eat it and feel fine, and they're lucky that they

can, but their numbers are limited. Most of us have found that

the low fat, low protein, high carb diet seems to work the best for

our pancreatic needs.

I hope this helps.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.