Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; NSD/LSD vs. regular diet

I started the NSD on Jan 1 and noticed immediate improvement of my symptons. I was able to cut down on one of my nightly NSAIDS and things we going really well. Jan. 10 I decided to "test" the diet and started very slowly. Did not notice any increase in pain until Jan. 12 when I fudged quite a bit. Ate two biscuits that morning plus pasta at lunch that day! Paid for that day for 2-3 days while I went back on the NSD. I have been back on the NSD since the 13th and I'm back to being pain free! That certainly tells me something about the diet but I have a nagging question!

Those of you who have done this NSD/LSD diet for months or even years, how do you know how much starch is too much and how do you know what types bother you and what types don't? Trial and error? Is it just something that comes with experience? I know you must pay extremely close attention to what goes in your mouth because I still at times find myself ingesting something I shouldn't (like the croutons which came in my salad today at lunch!)

My daughter's birthday is Saturday and I so want to indulge in a piece of cake! I guess I just have to be willing to hurt for it!

Amy Ediger

Hi Amy,

You got it right, each and everyone is specific and can tolerate more or less than others. Therefore, trial and error is the approach.

Some perform the iodine test to look for starch with their food. I do not, I have been at it nearly a year and know what I can and can not eat. If I try something new, my body will tell me 2 hours later if it had starch.

I no longer crave cake, pies etc.... I look at it and see the pain it would cause. I actually enjoy eating what I consider to be very healthy. I replaced sweets with fresh/frozen fruit, dried fruits and nuts.

Take care,

Tim

"I had no shoes and complained, until I met a man who had no feet" - Indian Proverb

Hi,

I've noticed that my reactions are worse and worse as time goes on -- before, a "cheat" would give me some pain -- now something very miniscule causes me a great deal of pain. Example -- I marinated some chicken yesterday and grilled it, and never even thought about the fact that the recipe called for soy sauce. Of course, that has wheat in it. So 2 hours later I was in pain, which finally left me tonight. As Tim says, it becomes second nature after a while (watching for starch). You can test foods with the iodine, but it's easier to read labels. And you'll find that there's actually nothing to check for on the foods you should be eating -- what I mean is whole foods (one ingredient, in their natural state, such as fresh fruits, veggies, protein, nuts, etc). The salad you mention -- be careful -- many dressings also have starch in them. Yogurts often do. Ditto sour cream. Oh, here's the one I love -- pre-grated cheeses are coated in starch to prevent them from caking in the package.

VERY glad to hear how much it's helping you. I'm sure it helps most people if they truly do it right. It's just that sometimes people might miss labels (such as some starch on the grated cheddar, as I mentioned), so they feel NSD doesn't help. Diligence is the word.

OK, good luck, and keep at it! Tim's right -- you won't miss the sweets after a while.

Patty



More Anne Geddes babies!

Dear Amy:

Even old-timers like Carol Sinclair can run off the tracks. She tested nectarines and later in the season she had a severe reaction. Testing the fruit again she found later-harvested nectarines were starchy because they were not totally ripe. She claims that this form is starch is the worst! She is a good "canary" for us.

Using the iodine is good, but things like caramel don't indicate but are very AS-provocative. When in doubt--test and if you react to something that did not indicate please report it--we are all experimenters learning from each other.

Glad the NSD has been helpful, and YOU manage your own regimen; experiment with starches and anything else you want. Some members with little intestinal damage have found that they can resume eating some starches in moderation. Good luck to you in this regard.

To your health,
John

Hey Amy,
I find I have the most trouble with "THE DIET" when I am feeling GREAT! I start to "cheat" a little here and there and the pain sneaks up on me. I think "This isn't SO bad, just a little achiness is ok." All of a sudden WHAM! It hits full force. Then I have a LOT less trouble being strict NSD again!! Iritis tends to get one's perspective back quickly!
I was strict NSD with no sugar and no dairy for about 2 or 3 months. After I stuck to that I could introduce a few "starchies" into my diet with no affect. I can't cheat with wheat (gluten) or milk (lactose) but find I can handle moderate consumption of rice & beans, etc. I can tolerate it much better if I eat the starch with some salad, fresh fruit etc. I think this helps move it along . I can also handle some dairy and sugar now, but NO WHERE near what I used to eat! So no more cream filled donuts!!
I find when I have some kind of celebration I make sure I have a "treat" with me that I can enjoy while I watch others scarf down a piece of cake laden with frosting. Like Tim, things like that have lost some of their appeal. I try to think "It's JUST a dry piece of cake with grainy, sugary frosting, not the creamy melt in your mouth kind!"
Hope this helps,
Janet

Janet,

Your words about remembering that it's just a piece of dry cake, etc, remind me of a diet book I once read. It was more of a novel to me - the strangest diets people had tried to lose weight (most very successful).

One involved a person who took all their favorite foods and did disgusting things to them, then took photographs of them, and kept them to create an aversion to the foods! He would put out cigarettes in mashed potatoes and take pictures, put dead flies on cookies and photograph them, and so on. I hope we never have to resort to such stuff -- our pain creates our own aversion-therapy!!!!

(Another one I really liked was a guy who created a legal document saying that if he didn't lose 100 pounds in a year, all, and I mean all, of his money would go to the communist party. He hired a lawyer and made sure that there was no way he could get out of this. Then, if he didn't keep the weight off after that . . . oh crud, I've forgotten, but it was really good!)

As I said, we don't need photos! The pain is enough to keep us straight. I think we all go through what you're talking about -- we feel so good that we cheat a bit, and then realize it wasn't worth it. Maybe John can tell us if that ever goes away, or is it just human nature to forget a lesson so quickly?

Keep up the good efforts, everyone!!! Feels good to feel so good, doesn't it?

Patty



More Anne Geddes babies!

Amy,
Guess I'll have to start back on the LSD soon. I can tell a big difference after I have a meal loaded with carbs. Man, it hurts like someone ran a knife through my back. Not looking forward to it and I know my wife won't either. Last time I tried it, I was a grouchy bear. Guess being without pain would be worth it.
Glenn

Glen,
I know how hard it is to cut back on the starches - I was a starch addict.
I LOVE bread! But when I stop and think about if I would rather hurt or eat
the bread it helps me put things into perspective. I am still new to the
diet but I don't think I will cut out starch completely. I will just have
to weigh the consequences each and every time I think about eating what I
want - not necessarily what's good for my body. Like tonight - I was
willing to risk a little pain for a piece of my daughter's birthday cake. I
can already feel the flare coming on so I'm going to up the meds a little
tonight and rest as much as I can tomorrow. Luckily it's a convenient time
of the week for me to cheat. However I plan on sticking to the NSD Mon -
Fri for sure. Those are the days when it is extremely important for me to
feel good and function well. On the weekends I can be a bit more relaxed
just because I have the extra time to "moan and groan" if I feel like it! I
also have my sweet hubby at home to give me massages when I'm a bit more
stiff than during the week. So really I think it is a very individual
preference. I also think that everybody has different reactions to the
starch. Some are incredibly sensitive where as other may not be sensitive
at all. I am very grateful to have learned about the starch connection
myself and feel confident that I will practice NSD most of the time and I'm
sure as time goes on it will become easier and easier for me to stick to it.
Amy


Amy Ediger