Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; Sugar Questions

Hey everyone,
I've been trying very unsuccessfully with the low starch diet for about 5 months now - as in, I'm just coming out of a horrible two week flare.

I know it's a tricky diet to master, all the more so because everyone can tolerate a different level of starch. Not to mention I do not have the gene.

However in Carol Sinclair's book, she talks about sugar and how she can't have much sugar except for "simple sugars" (natural, single sugars eg fructose). However she is extremely sensitive to all starch so I'm unsure how big or important this is for most people with AS?

If I've been eating chocolate, ice cream, lollies etc (all def. not containing additives with starch), could this be my downfall?

Another AS low starch book (by Micah Cranman) talks about how you can enjoy ice cream and chocolate as much as you like!!

Does anyone here on the no starch diet drink fruit/orange juice?

The prednisone I've been on has made me almighty hungry constantly and hence I have been eating quite a lot of chocolate...hmmm... lucky I'm coming off that now I've starting my Humira treatment yay!

Cheers,
Emily

Hi,

I find for me I need to limit my sugar intake, I tend to use honey or I have tried experimenting using pureed dates instead of sugar in any baking I do.

Having said that I have been eating a lot of quality chocolate recently, its my comfort food, sometimes milk sometimes plain and seem to be getting away with it.

I dont eat ice cream or lollies, too processed and too much sugar. I am hoping to experiment with homemade ice cream using coconut milk/cream at some point
I think fructose is not so good for us especially in the form of agave nectar. I dont tend to drink pure fruit juice more home juiced veggies with fruit added to sweeten it a bit.

It could be dairy that is causing you a problem. I limit my dairy and did cut it out completely for a spell. I now have hard cheese occasionaly and homemade ghee there is little lactose in them which is a secondary food for the dreaded klebsiella. I have tried homemade yoghurt which if fermented for 24 hours is also lactose free but I dont get on with that so well. I dont have milk or cream.

Hope this helps, as you said we are all different and it is a huge learning curve.

So maybe its not the chocolate but the ice cream?

If you are experiencing hunger pangs try snacking on nuts or dried fruit instead, there are also lots of recipes for baking alternatives and raw snacks on the forum. Its important that your snack food is in the minority of your daily intake you need to eat foods rich in nutrients to help your gut heal. I know that is much easier said than done especially when your body is adjusting to not eating starch and any effects your meds are having. I have been lsd/nsd for one and a half years and I still struggle keep the balance right.

A number of us have issues with particular foods (other than starchy foods) causing our disease to flare. Last month I discovered that eggs causes my pain to flare severely. Some folks here have found out that they need to avoid certain food in addition to starch - and everyone is different as to which foods affect them.

I've been following the autoimmune protocol of the Paleo diet for several months. It is relatively low in starch, but mostly focuses on avoiding the most common foods that people might be sensitive to - grains, beans, dairy, eggs, nuts, nightshades, etc. I responded well to the diet within 3-4 weeks, and have recently started testing some of the foods I have been avoiding to find out which ones I react to. So far, nuts are OK, but eggs are a big no-no for me.

Sorry if this complicates the issue! Hope you can figure out what works best for you.

In my little (AS/Colitis) world:


REFINED WHITE SUGAR or CORN SUGAR or AGAVE = BAD.


Fresh Fruits, Dried (unsulphured)Fruits, Medjool Dates, Maple Syrup, Honey, Coconut Sugar, Pure RAW Cacao made into homemade chocolates = GOOD!!!

Hello Emily,

If you overdo sugar, can lead to candidas. In past, I have gotten carried away with raisons and ice cream at times... candidas popped up each time. So had to cut out sugar for a while and get intestines healthy again.

I have cut out raisons for good now... limit ice cream to 2 times a week typically. Eat apples, strawberries and other fruits once a day.

Tim

sugar is a verry pro-inflammatory food. i avoid it. it might lead to candidasis for some, it might not, but sugar is pro-inflammatory and it will only add more inflammation if you eat too much. simple as that.

Alinus, just curious, what do you snack on?

Thanks everyone - it looks as I suspected, my first attempt at low starch by just cutting out main starches was not enough and probably ruined by sugar, dairy, nightshades and who knows what else!

It's back to the drawing board for me. I'm going to take a break for a bit and try again soon - the other way around, start out super strict (the scary extreme way!). In the mean time I hope my new Humira treatment starts making a difference too!

Cheers,
Emily

salted coocked almonds.
sometimes - but rare - green grapes or apples.

Hi Emily,

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. If this would encourage you, try putting this note somewhere in your kitchen where you see it throughout the day.

Also, my husband (with AS) has been taking a TBSP of quality fish oil daily and has seen pain reduction (he'll prob start taking more), along with restricting starches, sugar and dairy.

Here are some articles you may find helpful:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-robert-a-kornfeld/5-ways-to-reduce-inflamma_b_271640.html
http://www.wethechange.com/how-to-reduce-inflammation-in-the-body-and-why-you-need-to-do-this
http://www.lowcarbmonthly.com/general-health/the-relationship-between-sugar-and-inflammation.html

Julie