As the saying goes.
Yes, we've gone radical with our diet to improve things as much as possible for Nathan's sake. Who knows what the "best" way to go is, but from my extensive reading and researching over the past few weeks for dietary requirements for his kidney condition and taking into account nutrients required that will be balanced and work together in an effective way, this appears to be the best fit for us. We weren't personally given any dietary changes at the hospital but my own research into this condition shows that overseas, many people are, and I came across several people who had been told by their specialists to go this way too, and that was enough confirmation for me. It is well balanced nutritionally, so the few things we need to cut are barely missed.
It's certainly given me the push to ditch the remaining processed foods that were in our diets (namely cereals, breads, noodles and a few other things that we regularly ate). Well that takes care of all my previous angsting over how to be self sufficient in grains.
It means removing ALL other grains on top of our gluten free grains as well as potatoes because of the starchiness of them. There are several diets out there that are very similar to our one and we are basing the new regime on the GAPS diet as well as the SCD diet. These are specific diets for healing the gut and since the majority of the immune system is tied up in the gut, it makes clear sense to me to work on healing his gut especially now that his system is immunosuppressed due to the high dose-long term steroids he'll be on. I'm sure the rest of us will benefit too. If nothing else, it just gives us a good base to take off from after all this drama is over.
This is not a permanent diet, just one to follow for the healing to occur and while on these drugs. I feel blessed that the kids have taken to it without drama and willing to go along with it.
So, all those spuds in the garden? Well, I've dug them up and Nathan's on a mission to sell them at his roadside market that he's wanting to set up only before I had no surplus to give him.
8 comments:
Wow Nikki - that is FULL on, babe! Look forward to catching up with you a bit more about all this in the weeks to come.
We'd love to have you guys up some time soon Sharon.
HI Nikki. Sounds like a very productive time of research. I know of only one other person who has removed starches from his diet (again, not with a view to it necessarily being permanent I don't think).
I think my ignorant reaction when he told me was, 'What? even potatoes?' I'm not sure of exactly what issues he was dealing with - but I know he noticed a big difference in wellbeing.
Good luck to Nathan with selling the potatoes - that sounds like a lot of fun. And hurrah for your adaptable, understanding children!
Johanna, it was interesting the way I found out about the diet, but the lady at nature foods put me on to it when I was querying some of her products (I'm a fan of WAPF already) and then while looking for kefir uses on your blog I realised that you know her as well lol. Would the kefir still be ok, it's been sitting in my fridge for a week with no attention...
I'm a fan of dropping the grains & Starches from the diet. I'm all talk and no action though, lol. I do it in phases but never for long. It's always a positive change for me, but I suck at keeping it up. I enjoy baking too much!
Let us know when Nathan is out selling his spuds - we'll have to do a drive by and say hi :)
Your kids seem so accepting of change, and willing to eat all the good stuff. I wish my kidlet was so easy!
Hi Nikki - yeah, Deb and her husband are big proponents of the diet. I think they'll be doing a film screening about it sometime this year too? I'm interested in its relationship to asthma, allergies,etc. but so far have held off investigating it much. Our need is not as pressing as yours, and its easy to let it go by the wayside when other stuff keeps cropping up. :(
Do you have water kefir or milk kefir? Milk kefir can be quite quite hardy I've found, and deal with a lot of neglect! Water kefir is much more sensitive ...
Only one way to find out ... :)
Free, i'll take you up on your offer to do a drive by when he's selling the spuds, will let you know. He'd love it!
Johanna, i have milk kefir. Yep, will just have to give it a go I think.
Wow..... I'll keep looking in. This is so interesting. Having just found that going 'gluten free' has helped me be 'pain free' I'll be interested to follow on and read more on being starch free.
Have just bought the IBS "starch-free diet" by Carol sinclair and Dr Allan Steward on line.
Happy to lend it to you if you cannot get hold of a copy. It is great. As is "Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall BA MSc
Good luck
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