American diet, getting away from it

VHDanMember

I'd like to get some input on breaking away from the "American diet" of bread, pasta, etc, from J-pouchers. Due to family history, I'm concerned about my future. Aside from the J-pouch, I'm fairly "healthy," early 30's, but major problems with strictures/fistula/emptying, etc, have me boxed in on diet. I've tried South Beach, Mediterranean, Asian, etc, in pursuit of breaking away from the heart/blood pressure issues, cancer, etc, that seem to plague this country but certainly not all others. I'm a descendent of a man who had major stroke/heart/bp issues by 50, and then for all the rest of his life.

Things I definitely can't eat regularly, because passing them is a misery:
whole wheat/grains/pasta/rice/bread, vegetables (soft greens beans are exceptions), fruits (again, a few exceptions like soft pears), nuts, multigrain crackers, any ground meat, potatoes.

So, what can I eat? Not much. Fish is great, chicken/turkey, almost all dairy, and--of course--white bread/crackers, cookies, cake, donuts, pizza, ice cream, pancakes, etc. The latter are definitely not ideal, but I feel by far the best eating them. South Beach, overall, makes me feel the best/emptiest, but it tends to also increase leakage quite a bit. I've taken a hard look at Asian diets, and believe there might not be a better way for me to change my life than to eat that way. I'm so far not even sure if white rice will work out okay, as it can also be difficult for me to handle. It's frustrating that I seem to not be able to eat a healthy diet without feeling awful all day/night.

You can see how limited I am. In the short-term, I want to eat "American," because I feel so much better/emptier that way, but in the long-term, I'm worried that I may end up in the hospital on a regular basis by 50, or earlier. Any thoughts/experiences/resources from any of you that might be helpful would be hugely appreciated, including any foods I may be overlooking.
-Dan

2/26/139:58 AM

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suebearMember

You might need to experiment. Have you tried quinoa or amaranth? They are proteins that look like a grain, but they are not a grain. It can be consumed like oatmeal, for a breakfast food, or can be used like rice for dinner. It's very high in protein and works well for me. But I cannot tell you if it will cause you blockage problems; I think the best thing to do is try small quantities and see how you do. Have you tried canned fruits and vegetables? They usually have the fiber cooked right out of them and are easy to digest. Other things to try might be soups made from bean bases; split pea, lentil, navy bean, etc.

Are you able to exercise?

Sue

2/26/1310:16 AM

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TE MarieMember

Have you ever been tested for allergies or specifically gluten intolerance. If you had UC before your j-pouch you might not have known you were intolerant to certain foods as you had UC and/or also had IBS.

I am getting my fruits and veggies, besides the green beans and cooked to death carrots and peas, in a daily protein smoothie that is 100% from plants and allergy free of everything anyone can be allergic to. I get 43% of the daily protein requirement and lots of other good stuff plus it all tastes great and I love it. I get variety by switching up the fruits and veggies I use. It is called PlantFusion. You can look up their website and type in your zip code and it will locate the places in your area that sell it. It's also available from Amazon etc. Or you can use any protein supplement as the base to add to your purred fruits.

I've also discovered fruit flavored Greek yogurt which again tastes good and is a good source of protein.

Sugar isn't suppose to be good for our pouches either...I eat ice cream more than I should as well. I've found I don't do well with rice but eat whole wheat or regular pasta's. Bagels are good for slowing things down as well.

I also think we should be able to eat more calories because the food clears through us so fast but have not found that out to be true, lol.

For french fries, make them from scratch. Cut them up with a french fry cutter, real cheap ones at most stores. You can steam them first or just cook them raw. Spray a cookie sheet with a cooking spray add the fries, salt and pepper to taste and cook high on at least 425 degrees until done. Depends on if you steam them first. I like them better than McDonalds fries.

Good Luck!

2/26/133:46 PM

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CTBarristerMember

You might want to look at this thread, various dietary issues are discussed in it at length:

http://j-pouch.org/eve/forums/...677041816#1677041816

2/26/134:42 PM

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VHDanMember

Thanks for the advice so far!

Suebear: I'll definitely look into quinoa and amaranth; I'd heard of quinoa, but hadn't taken the time to try it yet. I have canned pears in my fridge, waiting to be tried; I've had them in the past, and definitely had a better time than with raw produce. Soup is normally okay, but I'm basically obsessed with being able to somehow "bite into" the food I eat, especially at dinner, so they're always a hard sell for me, haha; this might have to do with all those times in the hospital of having to be NPO.

TE Marie: I'm definitely an allergic person in general (nasal inhaler for issues up there), but haven't been tested for gluten intolerance (living in the US as an under-insured person, tests of just about any stripe are out for a good 1-2 more years, for me). I "had" UC for such a short time (a brutal 2-3 months, during which I neared death) before surgery that I never got any kind of handle on what truly "hurt" or helped me. The shakes are something I'd look into; I tend to get many of my nutrients/minerals/etc from supplements, which I'm fine with, but more doesn't hurt, if it's possible to obtain it through diet too. Through South Beach, I've learned first-hand how evil (and addicting) sugar/starch really is, but for now, it--or at least it's semi-evil imitations--is just not something I'll realistically be able to totally avoid.

CTBarrister: Thanks for that thread; I'll peruse it.

2/27/131:43 PM

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TE MarieMember

PlantFusion has been the best thing that I've changed to as a vehicle to get protein and those darn fruit servings into me and a banana is usually in each one as well. I use mostly vanilla but there are a few other flavors, chocolate is the only one I've tried and It is awesome with banana, peanut butter and milk.

My friend has been staying with us this week and we've been modifying our recipes to be gluten free. It hasn't been hard to do and the food tastes great. She put herself on the diet years before they diagnosed her and her health greatly improved.

Bon Appetite!

2/27/133:45 PM

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LCMember

Have you tried blending your fruits and vegetables? I didn't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because they would sometimes block me up (salads are an exception for some reason). My mom just gave me her Vita-Mix since she wasn't using it and its been amazing. I can eat anything blended in huge glasses and not have any adverse pouch events

I was making spinach, apple, orange, berry smoothies and I didn't even get gas. Also its a lot faster than cooking them to mush.

2/27/137:21 PM

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