RJG,
Sounds like the way that I lived from around 1990-2009.
From the time that they created my k pouch in '79 to 2009 I suffered from pouchitis (no one told me what it was or where it came from, just that I had it and that I had to take antibiotics...lots of them).
My pouch was unruley and difficult to empty due to the stuff in it being too thick...so I drank gallons of prune juice and coffee to counteract the thick gunk.
It was pretty much a cycle. Bread, pasties and cakes, milk products and prune juice. Very few fruits or veggies unless I wanted to deal with clogs and I didn't live in a country or have a lifestyle that could afford clogs and bathroom time. (I had moved to Paris in '83 and they were reknowned for lousy bathrooms).
Sometime after a pouch revision surgery (it fell off of the wall and was putting tremendous pressure on my girly organs and bladder along with a case of salpangitis and assorted cysts)I spent time in Toronto healing and read a book called Fit for life.
It really did change mine.
I learned about foods, food groups and dissociating them (only carbs or proteins in a meal and fruit on its own, limiting diary etc).
I gave up most diary, ate lots of fish and chicken, eggs and unpasturized cheeses etc and lots of fresh fruits and veggies.
My energy level soared, I could digest most fruits and veggies (still avoid leeks, pineapple, mushrooms and corn but can eat a lot more variety than previously) and didn't suffer from the 4pm exhaustion of the previous years any longer.
It is 25yrs later and when I fall off of the wagon and eat refined carbs, both starches and sugars, I feel it. I drag my butt, am chronically exhausted and need constant naps, live in a fog and suffer from chronic inflamation. I put on weight too.
I just had a few good months and dropped about 10lbs. Too bad I fell off again (birthday cake and co.). I have found that if I start the bread/cheese/sugary stuff then it takes me a week to detox from it all and find my balance again.
I have a very hectic work routine with lots of public transportation and walking, 12hr days and a lifestyle that doesn't allow for more than 5 minutes in the washroom. I eat an apple or banana, some cheese, dried fruits & nuts all day long and have a homemade veggie soup & tea when I get home.
I am no angel but find that this works best for me. Once I start it is easy to stick to it.
Who would have thought that carbs were my enemy?
Diet is not a cure-all but it surely helps a lot.
Thanks for reminding us of the virtues of a pouch-healthy diet.
Sharon