Needing fibre

[vaneramos]

Many thanks for all the well wishes. With the doctor's recommended treatment, the problem has been improving steadily albeit slowly. I haven't needed Percoset for the past two days, and my guts are happier for that. Today there has been negligible bleeding. I still have to avoid sitting and exertion, but walking is good. This afternoon Danny and I went around downtown on some errands. The weather was gorgeous (it has just now clouded up) and lifted my mood. Otherwise I'm spending a lot of time lying on the couch in hope things will continue to mend and avoid surgery.

Danny had to leave for home a few minutes ago, but I am alright fending for myself now. I had planned to spend this weekend in Toronto; unfortunately travelling is no longer on the agenda for the next few days.

As a teenager I had occasional trouble with hemorrhoids, however that went away. The reason was I became gluten-intolerant and didn't know it for years. So I had the opposite problem: chronic D, usually mild, but occasionally serious enough to cause inconvenience and indicate something was wrong. In March 2008 I went off wheat and my health improved significantly. Since then I have become increasingly aware and vigilant to avoid sources of gluten.

Now I sometimes get a little constipated. This is the first time in years I've had trouble with hemorroids, and the most severe ever. The experience has taught me to avoid constipation at all costs. I can't afford to be off my feet for a few days. This week has cost me a month's rent.

I take this as a warning to increase my consumption of high fibre foods. It's a good lesson for other reasons, too. I love fruit, but neglect vegies when I'm lazy. One daily serving of dark greens would be a judicious goal requiring some attitude adjustment.

I had set to work on my diet in November and December. How timely.

Comments

[threestarblue.livejournal.com]

there's a great fun cookbook called Vegan Vittles it's an easy way to make some food that will get you lots of fibre. i'm glad you're feeling better. x

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[smileyfish.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend millet as key in a high fibre, gluten free diet.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Cool! One of my favourite breakfast cereals is millet rice flakes, but I haven't tried cooking with it yet.

[oakenking.livejournal.com]

I take psyllium husk - the best kind is the whole, un-ground stuff, put a coffee scoop (2Tbsp) in a mug of very hot tap water, swirl and drink quickly - don't let it sit, or it congeals. If you have Indian grocery stores nearby, their "Sat Isagbol" is the same stuff, and a lot cheaper than the health food store. Metamucil is the same stuff, but ground to a fine powder and bulked up with lots of sugar.

Also, anything with "sugar alcohols" can be laxative - I find that I have to really watch it with sugar-free gum.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I will try psyllium husk!

[oakenking.livejournal.com]

One more thing I found... If I take it very first thing in the morning, before any food, it comes out first thing the next morning... if I take it later in the day, like after lunch, it decides to come out the same day. Probably a little TMI there, but I found it makes a lot of difference. If I get my body on the right schedule, everything works like clockwork.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Not TMI. A while ago my friend Birgit said people should not be ashamed to talk about BMs. It's important, but we have so much shyness around the issue.

For about 18 months after I cut out gluten, my system became very regular. First thing in the morning was my time. Lately it has been more frequent and unpredictable. I suspect it is irritable bowel related to stress at work.

Sometimes living with a digestive tract is like having another person inside my body with a personality of its own.

It's surprising how many of my friends on here are gluten-intolerant. I've received lots of relevant advice. Another friend commented on this post about Vitamin B deficiency. I didn't realize that was an issue with gluten-free diets.

[oakenking.livejournal.com]

I'm not ashamed to talk about it at all... but my partner tells me that I need to monitor more carefully what I consider appropriate conversation. :) I grew up with a nurse for a mom, and dinner conversation was surprisingly frank.

One thing that I've found is better for me, is less grain, period... when I eat mostly meats, vegetables, dairy, and fruit, I don't have nearly as much digestive difficulty... but when I have more of the tasty gluten-free cookies, breads, etc., I get two or three bathroom trips a day, and a lot less bowel regularity.

One of the things I love most about psyllium - the morning BM takes about ten seconds, and almost no wiping. Because of the way it binds together the stool and keeps everything moist and bulky, it's a lot less mess and trouble.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that is interesting advice about grains. I've been going through a lot of Blue Corn Tostitos as snack food in the evening, and I know it's not good for me.

On work days my breakfasts and lunch are pretty healthy. Breakfast is usually fruit and yogurt with a little cereal on top. My boss always takes me out for lunch, and it's usually a julienne salad, or omelette and garden salad.

As my cholesterol is slightly higher than what is considered ideal, my doctor has been encouraging me to improve my diet, but I've heard and read some controversial points of view about the issue, one being that high cholesterol is not unhealthy. Then there is the question about how much meat and dairy is healthy. I have a friend who swears by consuming three servings of meat a day (granted he lives a particularly healthy lifestyle and exercises regularly), and his cholesterol is normal.

Lately I've been drinking more milk than I used to, which might be the culprit in causing constipation. I'm thinking of reducing it. Then there is cheese, which I love. I would not be happy if I had to cut out cheese. Milk I don`t mind so much, although I find it's an easy protein to combine with fruit for a snack, which the diet specialist recommended. It also satisfies when I'm hungry for a snack.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Are you referring to whole wheat? Because yeah, the chopped wheat you get in whole grain bread is abrasive. But I can't have anything closely related to wheat, which also includes barley, rye, kamut and spelt. They all contain gluten.

Besides rice, the only whole grain I've tried is quinoa, and it softens up nicely when cooked, like rice. Have you used whole millet or amaranth? I'd like to try cooking with them.

[oakenking.livejournal.com]

Ah, Quinoa is GREAT. I like it served like rice, as a side dish. My usual recipe has 1 cup of quinoa per 2 cups of water; bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa, cook 15 minutes or until the germ rings start to separate from the round grain. More or less water, depending on the consistency you want; use broth if you want more flavor. If your quinoa wasn't pre-rinsed (most of it is, now) you should soak 15 minutes and rinse until the water runs clear before cooking.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Is it whole or flakes? The flakes are useful as a gluten-free substitute for cereal or cracker crumbs in things like chicken fingers. I can't remember: are you vegetarian?

Quinoa flour has a yummy nutty flavour, but slightly bitter, so I don't use it in baking sweets, more as a thickener in savoury foods.

Honestly, I'm intimidated by whole quinoa, too. A friend told me how to cook it, I did it once and it was good, and then I forgot. I have a box of it here, which offers instructions: 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, put in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes. It doesn't take much.

I'm pretty sure my friend said just bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 15 minutes. It will absorb all the moisture and won't lose as much texture. It's like cooking bulgur. Fresh, the chain of vegetarian restaurants in Toronto, has a delicious cold quinoa salad reminiscent of tabbouleh.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I found my friend's trick for cooking quinoa in this old post: bring two cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of quinoa, let boil three minutes, remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes.

[pippasporch.livejournal.com]

Owie, just read about your predicament, Van, and I can sympathise. This used to be a problem for me once a year - THIS time of year - possibly due to the accumulative effect of a year's stress, and WITHOUT me EVER being constipated.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: Not many people know that a lack of B vitamins can cause hemorrhoids. For gluten intolerant folk like us, it is usually a given that we are at least mildly deficient in B vitamins.
I've tried every remedy possible, until I started increasing my intake of B vitamins: 2 days and the pain was gone, 4 days and I was a human again.
Hope it helps, all the best!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That is very useful. I had not heard about Vitamin B. Last winter I took a multivitamin for part of the winter. I wonder whether that would contain enough Vitamin B. Anyway, I will look into it.

I need to become a more consistent pill-popper: glucosamine for arthritis, Omega-3 for arthritis, cholesterol health and mental health, and Vitamin D for seasonal mental health, and now Vitamin B! Not to mention the anti-depressant meds. It all runs contrary to the way I was raised (my parents, especially my mother, never took pills for anything, not even Aspirin, until they were old), so I tend to get impatient with all of it. Midway through last winter I simply quit. Early fall (right now) is when my body rebels against my laziness.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

For gluten intolerant folk like us, it is usually a given that we are at least mildly deficient in B vitamins.

Is this a factor only when the intestine is compromised, or does it continue when you're on a gluten-free diet?

[pippasporch.livejournal.com]

Van, I can only speak of personal experience here:

Of course, when coming into contact with gluten, nutritional absorption is severely compromised and it takes about 3 months for the villi to heal. I have been living gluten-free and clean for YEARS now, but my B-levels are always low. These days I recognize the danger signs when I start to get anxious and stressed, experience low-grade nausea for days in a row, and of course pressure where haemorrhoids used to form. Since so much vit. B is found in the whole grains and in meat (which doesn't form a part of my diet), I'm always low in B. It's important to remember that refined sugar, stress and any kind of drug strips the body of B.

Bottom line: If you DO eat meat, and your stress levels are reasonable, and you don't ingest refined sugar and don't take prescription medication, your levels might be OK. Otherwise, I'd say chances are good that you are deficient and it would be worthwhile to supplement with the best source you can find! Perhaps you can try taking a B-complex for a month and see what happens, or get a weekly injection.

Good luck!