Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; I'm coming to the NSD darkside!!

Well, after 6 years of avoiding it, I've finally decided to give NSD a try. Tonight, I've started with the three days of Jonathan apples per the Cayce Apple Diet to kickstart the change. My plan is to do the 3 days of apples, then Saturday begin with NO starch or dairy. After 10 days total, I should know if it's going to be effective. If it is, and I continue, I'll try to work in dairy and see if it is problematic. I have my iodine, and am researching recipes in the meantime.

So, in regards to my plan, how does it sound?! Here are some questions I have:

1. If you did the 3 days of apples, did you drink the olive oil at the end of the 3rd day?!?
2. At what point did you start testing coming off medicine?
3. Can you drink alcohol on the NSD? (my pain is generally worse after alcohol consumption)
4. Is sweet tea out of the question? (I'm from the South, I have to ask!)

I just want to do it right. There's no point in only doing it halfway or I'll never know if it works.

Thanks for any advice/tips/hints you want to share!

I'll be watching to see how well it works for you! I'm definitely doing half measures, I just stopped eating grains and potatoes first. Fruit and dairy might be next.

Godspeed!

Thanks! by the way, you mentioned fruits, but I thought most fruit was ok. Why are you cutting it out? (Still trying to figure this out!)

SAM

Evidently some people have difficulty with fruits and/or dairy. I've never been on a diet, and have only recently learned the difference between calories, protein, and carbs.

i can only answer #3.. if it makes you hurt, dont consume it! it would defeat the purpose of Nsd to constantly give your gut something that it doesnt do well with. after some healing maybe give it a go again see if it still bothers you.

hopeful it will turn out to be the bright side!! good luck :]

Velcome to zee dark side!!! ooh hoo haa haa!! (scary laugh)

I wish you the best of luck. A few people see results in as little as 10 days but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. I remember my pain going from 10 to 7 in four days. But I am one of the unlucky ones who can't do fruit, so thinking I was being safe ate tons of fruit and so never got better than a 7 until this past May. Dropped the fruit and now I'm seeing real progress. If fruit is an issue for an AS-er, the belief is that we have a candida overgrowth problem and sugar (any kind) feeds it. Symptoms of Candida are many, including:tiredness, fatigue, achy joints.....hmmmmmmmmmm, sound familiar?

It is surprising where starch hides. Some of the foods that tricked me early on before I got some iodine were: ranch dressing and other types of dressing (viniagrette is the safest), lunch meat, cinnamon bears, squirt soda pop, black pepper.

Best of luck and health to you!!
-Donette

WELCOME, SamIam22:



1) Yes, I usually drink about--almost--4oz every time.
2) Cold turkey; I fasted for 8 days and day 2-4 were very difficult, but NSAIDs are poison.
3) Theoretically, Yes, but hard liquor is not recommended--beer or wine is much better.
4) No, is it sugar? Well, simple sugars are absorbed in the stomach so they do not contribute to AS unless there is another mechanism like candidiasis.

Good Luck, but I don't believe 10 days is long enough even after the apple regimen--I would give it a lot longer unless You have ESR readings at tzero and test+. But You MIGHT notice some changes after only 10 days being this strict, so again--may You rediscover Your HEALTH,
John

Wow, that is GREAT info. I was just about to cave on the apple portion. I feel awful. Headache, hungry, weak, confused. I was considering just going on to the NSD. I know some people don't do it at all. Do you feel like it has to last 3 days? If I do it for 2 days, would that be helpful? My blood sugar keeps bottoming out and it's hard to concentrate at work. Did you say you fasted for 8 DAYS?? How did you do it? I'm worthless after 1 day.

Its good to know the olive oil is possible too! I'm not looking forward to it, but I understand. Based on feedback, I will give it longer than the 10 days. I also can't believe you quit the NSAIDs cold. I currently take Enbrel weekly and 600mg of Celebrex a day plus pain pills and muscle relaxers as needed. Maybe next week I'll try coming off Celebrex and won't take the Enbrel anymore at all.

I have a rheumy appointment sometime in the next two weeks. I think I'll have a hard time explaining this to him. I don't know that he will approve. I like him much better than my last doc, but unless a doc has researched this, it seems like they will reject it. I'll cross my fingers.

I'm happy about the beer, wine and sweet tea though! Vodka is my drink of choice, but I do love wine, so I think it won't be too hard.

Thank you again, and I look forward to any other advice or personal examples you want to share :-)

Goodness, I hope you start to feel better soon.

I was advised on another thread that it is best to try and do the fasting when you are not at work (or not for the most part) such as starting Friday night and going over the weekend (if you don't work weekends that is).

Also, about the medication - well I know what John advised about the NAIDS, but you appear to be on other meds as well - be careful about coming off drugs suddenly without medical advice, won't you? Sorry - just concerned for you.

Hopefully once your body gets through the "pain barrier" of the fasting your body will regulate itself and you will start to feel better (I think that is what will happen).

I am considering the apple fast too but have 3 little children to look after - so I will watch to see how you get on.

Take care and I hope you are feeling much better soon

Most fruit you can buy from the store have anywhere from a little to a lot of starch; think it has to do with modern farming methods.

If your body can handle a very-low-starch diet rather than perfect NSD, then eating fruit that passes the iodine test is a good strategy. However... the home-test with iodine has some subjectivity in interpretation. So there will be some mistakes -- keep that in mind: don't give up on the whole NSD concept due to assuming that your iodine testing protects you from 100% of starch! If a diet based on iodine testing does the trick for you, then GREAT! If you're not satisfied with the results, then remember fruit as a possible problem that should be investigated.

Using myself as an example...

I've decided that Thompson grapes are "safe" because they meet 3 criteria
1. pass the iodine test
2. labeled as 0 starch in nutritional databases
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1920/2
3. people here at KA always recommend green grapes and never report problems

At an earlier stage in my dieting journey I was having lots of blueberries thinking those were "safe", but then I found a post where someone found a batch of starchy blueberries... and even if I were relying solely on the iodine test at this time, I am NOT interested in cutting off a tiny piece of every blueberry to see if that particular berry is starchy

So, I've decided blueberries are NOT currently on my "safe" list.