Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; No/Low Starch Diet Success Stories

Seems I am not the only one. Where and when did I say “ALL?”

I have found what ABSOLUTELY works for me. This information has helped HUNDREDS of others. Some few (in fact VERY few) have not had these stellar results, but I don’t penalize those who were helped, could be helped, and will be helped in the future by keeping quiet just because a couple of people were not helped. The CAVEAT is always there: This is ONE option that will either work for you or it will not. The NEXT STEP is NOT to abandon the potential root cause in digestive issues, but to continue their consideration.

The next step in eliminating the potential for alimentary tract involvement in your disease process is to FAST; water-only. To be fair and scientific about your methods, keep great records of every issue during the fast; there are some very obvious things that happen each of the first four days of the fast that one can only discover by doing.

So although we welcome open discussion about results, we have to set up some basic guidelines that are not as subjective and faulty as “Oh, I tried the diet a whole 41 hours and 26 minutes and it did not work for me. I even ate eggplant instead of bread!”

More and more I think about this and those people who are indicators, should establish a baseline ESR before going on the NSD and have it measured again, six months along. And the diet review is essential; so many people do not know that something as simple and common as caramel is not allowed, and fresh fruits should be tested. It can take many months just to learn what is allowed on the diet and another six months to personalize by finding what we each might react to uniquely: We must make the diet work for ourselves; nobody can provide a one-size-fits-all magic formula. Sometimes dairy affects one person and other times it is nightshade group plants. And other factors are things like the drugs that are still being consumed while attempting the regimen: So many of these are used with the purpose of reducing pain, but when on the diet we need that pain to tell us how effective the diet is, or notify us when we have slipped up.

So, while I value each and every person’s opinions, even those who do not agree with me, I have been at this long enough to have seen the NSD work in the majority of those who tried it in earnest, and often received letters from those who were not that serious about the diet saying that although they believe in it—the total abstention from starches was just too difficult for them. Some need that Holy Host (Communion wafer), others need their daily bread, some even complain that the NSD is too expensive and they need to eat cheaper foods! Believe that some people even claim their diabetes prevents them from NOT eating starch! So, there is nothing I can do about such people; they have been INFORMED and that is our goal—the rest is absolutely up to the individual and it is now and should remain a personal choice.

Think about when we have ABSOLUTE PROOF of the diet: Could our state then try and control what we are eating to keep us from becoming disabled? Although we should do this voluntarily as we are interested in our own health—the appetite is something hard to fight in people who are independent and also somewhat willful. Besides, my damage will not happen for many years—but AS is a freight train that has jumped track; it will sneak up on You and not be stopped so easily.

Purchase the Alternative Medicine Guide to Arthritis, I purchased it at Barnes and Noble 10 years ago when started looking at diet and alternatives when medications did in my liver.

That may offer you some different information you may want to put to trial as well.

Oh dear pspondylitis...I fear you are already lost. As you have been told repeatedly one month on the diet is not enough to expect results (esp as there have been some problem foods in your diet pointed out to you by other members). It took 3 months for me and my husband Jon just to figure out exactly what was and wasn't starchy and what he could and couldn't tolerate. Taking the antibiotic amoxiclav for one week will also not make a dent as this antibiotic is not effective against AS from my husband's experience.

A fast really would be your best bet at this stage to prove to yourself the diet/gut connection with AS....whatever the reason/theory behind it whether it be kleb, leaky gut or something else. When Jon first did a fast when his AS was really bad he actually jogged to the letter box on the 3rd day.....something that would have been impossible a few days earlier. That helped him see once and for all that what he ate really did affect his symptoms.

I predict you will be returning to you normal diet very shortly and that's OK as there are many other options for AS treatment....the biologics being one of the most successful. So I hope you will be able to try one of those. But I don't feel you can truthfully go around stating "the diet did'nt work for me" as you have neither done it properly or for long enough.

I wish you all the best in your search for an effective way to manage your AS.

i'm interpreting from this that simple starch restriction alone in the absence of other dietary changes does not usually have the desired effect. i think that is perfectly understandable and what would be expected given the complexity of dietary factors that can contribute to AS.

and sometimes its fruits or refined sugars, nuts, red meat, eggs, soy, shellfish, fried foods, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, soluble fibre, insoluble fibre, spices, vinegar, alcohol, yeasts, coffee, tea, certain food additives and chemicals etc. on the other side of the coin some people seem to find that some starches don't cause them any problems such as rice.

my question is at what point does it stop becoming a low/no starch diet and start becoming an 'avoid whatever food gives you crook guts and makes your AS worse' diet? people seem to be having limited success with the former, and greater success with the latter. you could even call it the DOGMA diet (Don't Obliterate Gastrointestinal-tract with Mastication-induced Aggravation). Or perhaps the DEAF diet where you stop listening to anything your doctor says and just Don't Eat Aggravating Foods

I think the humour is lost on you psondylitis.

As a confirmed athiest, sceptic and natural dissenter I find it amusing to see myself painted as a disciple of some sort!

Give the diet a fair go. If it works great. If it doesn't no worries. Try something else. But be fair to yourself and others. Your diet does not even approach NSD. Feel free to criticise the LSD if you must.

In a few minutes I will do something I do not believe in...I will put steroid drops in my eyes. I will fast until after lunch as I do every day and continue to eat NSD. I have no articles of faith. Just simple pragmatism.

Keith

hi keith, i can't speak for pspondylitis but just wanted to clarify that my tongue in cheek comments were intended for John (he has a very thick skin (almost dragon like) and enjoys a good laugh) and not the vast majority of those who practice NSD that have a balanced perspective on diet and AS.

Wow, I could not have said that any better! Seriously, if you read the forums around here and believe it all, you'd die of starvation with the restrictions! In fact, I'm doing my best to try and gain weight due to the restrictions I'm currently under.

I'm doing what I should have done from the start - extensive food allergy tests. Yes, I paid some $$$, but I'll at least know what foods might not play well with me and I don't need to keep guessing (and paying with pain). If anyone is interested, I'll have the results in 3 weeks.

Yep it can get a bit like that brian. Sometimes people just get impatient and start cutting out all kinds of extra things to try and speed up the process instead of just sticking with no starch and giving it some time ie months instead of weeks. All Jon has done for the last 8 years is no starch and no dairy (altho he has now been able to add some dairy back in). That was enough. None of this cut out red meat, sugar, fruit etc etc etc. It can get a bit crazy when things get that restrictive and not healthy either in my opinion. But some people swear by it and really do feel better when they go to those extremes oddly enough.

Each to their own I guess

Absolutely no problem jroc. I was tongue in cheek to!

I don't know if it's true that more have success with the latter type of diet - may well be but it's pretty hard to quantify. I think with these types of forums you do attract worse cases. eg on the main forum there are some people that are really suffering bad cases of AS and they really need a forum like this to help cope. However, out in the world there are thousands of more mild cases that are managing to cope day by day and don't really need a support forum like KA. So reading the main forum can be a bit scary sometimes but it's often reflecting some worse case scenarios that are not always typical.

Same with the diet forum...there are loads of readers and not a lot of posters. I have seen success stories posted by members I've never heard of who hardly posted if at all - just came, read, did the plain old no starch diet, felt better and left to go live their lives with reduced pain. Then you have those who struggle with the diet and they tend to post more and ask more questions and need more than simple no starch.

So I'm not sure we can quantify how many are having success with a straight no starch diet or how many have to significantly tweak the diet to make it work for them.