strongernow
10-12-2004, 06:39 PM
I've had GI problems for six years - bouts of diarrhea, constipation, cramping, gas, messy stools and other problems. My doctor thinks I have ulcerative colitis or celiac disease, and they're testing me again. Drugs and more drugs, tests, scopes, gluten-free, lactose-free . . . nothing and no one helps. Can you?
G.L., New York
Yes, I have ideas for you that are easy and safe. Let me assume that after all these years, your physician has ruled out such serious conditions as cancer and bowel obstruction.
Doctors usually prescribe medications such as acid-reducers, anti-diarrheals, steroids and a variety of drugs that kill bacteria, fungus and virus colonies in the gut. As most people with leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn's and colitis already know, these drugs don't work well. Dietary changes may control symptoms better, so many people try wheat-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free and/or fat-free diets. And for their willpower, they gain some intestinal freedom.
Many scientists are starting to think that these diets are all wrong. And why is that? The answer may lie in a fascinating book by Elaine Gottschall titled "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." If you have digestive problems, this book might become your best friend, because its information is useful and well grounded in science. The diet is known as the "Specific Carbohydrate Diet," or SCD. It is relatively easy, flavorful and effective where others fail.
Foods that escape digestion, especially complex sugars and starches, just sit around in the GI tract and fuel the bad microbes down there. These microbes set up camp, creating harmful byproducts that penetrate the gut barrier, creating a bonfire of inflammatory issues, since nasty toxins spread all over the body.
The diet reportedly eases suffering from joint pain, headaches, chronic skin rashes, psoriases, fatigue and brain fog. You'll need to make homemade, 24-hour fermented yogurt, but it's easy if you have a small electric yogurt maker. This yogurt is crucial because it is loaded with wonderful bacterial flora that help heal the gut.
The specific carbohydrate diet is an option for some, and those who are committed can reap benefits within days. To learn more, visit www.scdiet .org, www.breakingthevicious cycle.info and www.lucyskitchen.com.
Suzy Cohen, a registered pharmacist, writes for Tribune Media Services. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com or write c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition.
G.L., New York
Yes, I have ideas for you that are easy and safe. Let me assume that after all these years, your physician has ruled out such serious conditions as cancer and bowel obstruction.
Doctors usually prescribe medications such as acid-reducers, anti-diarrheals, steroids and a variety of drugs that kill bacteria, fungus and virus colonies in the gut. As most people with leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn's and colitis already know, these drugs don't work well. Dietary changes may control symptoms better, so many people try wheat-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free and/or fat-free diets. And for their willpower, they gain some intestinal freedom.
Many scientists are starting to think that these diets are all wrong. And why is that? The answer may lie in a fascinating book by Elaine Gottschall titled "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." If you have digestive problems, this book might become your best friend, because its information is useful and well grounded in science. The diet is known as the "Specific Carbohydrate Diet," or SCD. It is relatively easy, flavorful and effective where others fail.
Foods that escape digestion, especially complex sugars and starches, just sit around in the GI tract and fuel the bad microbes down there. These microbes set up camp, creating harmful byproducts that penetrate the gut barrier, creating a bonfire of inflammatory issues, since nasty toxins spread all over the body.
The diet reportedly eases suffering from joint pain, headaches, chronic skin rashes, psoriases, fatigue and brain fog. You'll need to make homemade, 24-hour fermented yogurt, but it's easy if you have a small electric yogurt maker. This yogurt is crucial because it is loaded with wonderful bacterial flora that help heal the gut.
The specific carbohydrate diet is an option for some, and those who are committed can reap benefits within days. To learn more, visit www.scdiet .org, www.breakingthevicious cycle.info and www.lucyskitchen.com.
Suzy Cohen, a registered pharmacist, writes for Tribune Media Services. To contact her, visit www.dearpharmacist.com or write c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207. This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition.