Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; How rigid is low starch diet????

I have been on a low starch diet for 2 weeks, and I feel I am improving - great!!

I am confused however as Prof Ebringer's diet seems less rigid than Carol Sinclair's IBS low starch diet book.

I have been really good, cutting out bread, pasta, cakes, rice and obvious starch, but sometimes, as I work full time, I have had some soup with modified starch in it, or some sauce on my salad with starch in it. Is this a big no no?

I am worried about sticking to the diet as it is hard juggling a full time job, exercise, a family and home cooking from scratch!!

I have read different things. Some articles indicate that a small amount of starch ruins progess, but Prof Ebringer's reports seem to indicate a reduction in starch is all that is required.

Any tips appreciated!

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

Glad you have felt some improvement going Low Starch. For some people that is enough. For others going just Low starch will not give them much improvement in their symptoms and they need to go stricter. Remember, Prof Ebringer used the low starch diet in conjunction with meds - sulphasalazine etc. And he didn't talk about becoming completely pain-free on the LOW starch diet - just improving. Carol isn't on any meds.

Everyone seems to have a different starch tolerance level - you just need to find out what yours is. For my husband Jon, he can't even handle starchy spices like curry, black pepper etc so his diet is very strict. But the payoff is that his AS is under control with no meds required so it's worth it to him. He works full time, renovates our house on the weekends etc etc etc.

Low starch may be enough for you to experience SOME improvement but if you really want to kick AS to the point where you can give up the meds then you will probably have to go stricter. At least initially anyway. For many, they go super strict NO starch (yes that means no modified starches or anything) and also no dairy (a common intolerance along with starch) to fast-track their recovery. Several months, perhaps even a year, down the track once your gut has healed signifcantly then it may be possible to relax the diet and introduce some fringe foods.

Yes, the diet is difficult initially and organisation and planning ahead is important. The first year was tricky for Jon but now it's just a way of life and we think nothing of it.

Good luck
Chelsea

I am very happy you are feeling better!
In answer to your question, I agree with Kiwi, each person is an individual. I went very, very strict at first because one of the things that I do react strongly to is the dreadful "modified food starch" (gack! I don't even like typing it!) and now I am a bit more liberal. I tend to let myself eat a treat on weekends and then get real strict during the week again, but the one thing I really watch out for is not letting something I know I react to become a habit. I think it's better to try at some point to get really strict with it for several weeks so you can see how you are really reacting to starch. Plus, food and supplements can be a landmine field because ingredients are always changing. I also don't let the cheat be wheat very often, no wheat toast or cake or wheat pizza. (I get weird bean cravings. Wave a pinto bean in front of me and I get in trouble. Everyone else here is dreaming of toast. don't ask. ancestral memory. snork)

What annoys me is the inconsistancy in non homemade salad dressings. We went to a shop for lunch and I got a salad with chicken and romaine lettuce, a vinagrette dressing, and it was quite good and I didn't react. Went back a few weeks later, ordered the same thing, the dressing is not what I remembered, it's some sort of bottled crap (hah! now I can tell) and I didn't feel too well the next day. I could just KILL the idiots who invented "low fat dressing." They are SATANIC. Put the d**** fat back in the stuff.
I really just need to carry dressing with me somehow, it's gotten that ridiculous. At home we have cruette bottles with oil and vinegar in the kitchen which makes salad dressing super fast and easy. I wish there was a non sloppy way to carry them in a purse. Yes, restaurants will have oil and vinegar, but I am spoiled, I like mine better.

I wanted tomato soup so bad this winter I finally figured out how to make it in the microwave really fast without starch. Take some V-8 vegetable juice, and pour it into a bowl. Add a little olive oil, some ground up almond meal, about a tablespoon or two, some curry and basil. Optional soymilk or cream type item. Microwave, stir, ready. Vegetables may be added, cucumber is good. It looks a little weird but it has the right taste and smells wonderful. Now that I have my substitute, with the real olive oil, the canned stuff looks rather pathetic.

Can do the same thing with fresh bottled carrot juice, or carrot mixed with pumpkin puree, omit basil, add ginger, maybe some coconut milk, and top with more chopped nuts. Mmmm.

Just keep experimenting.

I replied to you PM and also agree with Chelsea/Paulas' comments. Very individualistic for each of us as to our starch tolerance. But if you want to be very serious about it and fastest results.... total NSD is the answer.

Tim

Defo recommend full NSD and no dairy as a start.
Maximum healing, minimum harm and time to tell. Then add some variation very slowly. It's sort of necessary to shange your whole philosophy to food - from a form of entertainment to a blow-by-blow conscious act of healing and nutrition.

Thanks for the tomato soup recipe!! Can't wait to try it!

Paula

Thanks to all of you who have replied.

I will probably keep on with the LSD for the next couple of weeks, and then see if I need to eliminate diary.

Michelle