I am doing really well now after following much of the advice from LTYG. I am so thankful to you, Jini. Before your book I was feeling so lost! One of things that really helped me was taking Seagate's olive leaf extract for 3 months. I am now just taking Natren probiotics, MucosaHeal, and some supplements- mainly calcium and Omega 3s.

I guess my main problem at this time is a struggle to gain weight. I seem to get full really easily, and at times I am extremely uncomfortable even 6-8 hours after eating when it seems like the food is just sitting there undigested. I am not constipated, though (in fact diarrhea tends to be more my problem, but this is under control lately). I have always been thin, but in the past I had a huge appetite and was able to eat a lot. I have particularly noticed a problem when eating beef. Could this be a sign of intolerance? I am also gluten free, so cutting out more foods is not ideal for me.

I am wondering what your feeling is about digestive enzymes and colostrum. I don't recall reading about this in LTYG. Would this be something that might help? I am also wondering if digestive enzymes are something that only gives immediate help when taken with a meal, or if it is the type of thing that over time will help improve digestion and eventually you won't need to take them any more.
Also, I'm at a loss as to what brand would be good. There seems to be a lot of choices and I want to make sure that I buy from a reputable company.

Any advice or comments are appreciated!

Christine

Hi, Christine.

I'm so glad that Jini's protocols have been helping you!

Jini does mention digestive enzymes briefly in LTYG. Basically what she said is that her intuitive feeling is one of wondering whether taking digestive enzymes long-term would tend to result in the body's producing less of them on its own.

My husband has a business client who has some non-specific form of colitis who swears by digestive enzymes. He says that when he takes them, he can eat anything he wants except for chocolate without any problems.

My own feeling (I briefly experimented with enzymes) is that I have the best success just staying within my body's tolerances. Most of us have foods that are pretty much always safe for us to eat, foods that are OK sometimes and some foods that we just can't eat. For instance, I could eat fish, chicken, squash and carrots every day and be fine. I can have wheat once or twice a week, but more than that will start to cause symptoms. I canNOT have coffee and no amount of enzymes changes that.

I think colostrum is very interesting. I would seek out a local farmer who will sell you raw milk. I drive about 40 minutes for my raw milk and cheese, but it's worth it. I've been able to talk personally with the farmer to find out how she manages her herd, pastures, etc. She runs a very clean and responsible operation; I'm very comfortable buying her dairy products. Anyway, if you can find such an operation, you will probably be able to get colostrum there, directly. The farmer I buy my stuff from lets the calves have colostrum from their mothers, but because the mothers produce a lot of it, she also milks a little bit of it. I don't know what the price might be elsewhere, but she charges $5.00/8 ounces. I've been thinking of trying it myself.

Yes, if you notice a problem with eating beef, this could indeed be a sign of intolerance. Before you give up on beef entirely, though, I encourage you to try grass-fed beef, if the beef you have been eating is either just the regular supermarket stuff or "plain" organic. Grass-fed beef has an omega-3 profile comparable to fish. I eat it a few times a week with no problems (and grass-fed beef, bison and ostrich also made a real difference in my blood counts), but supermarket beef, while it has a considerably cheaper price, quite unmistakably aggravates my system.

Do a google search for U.S. Wellness Meats; they have a whole bunch of grass-fed products. I'm starting the search for a local farmer from whom I might be able to buy exclusively grass-fed beef and lamb, but in the meantime, I have bought stuff from U.S. Wellness and been happy with their products. (The sirloin ground beef patties are superb.)

Hope this is of some help.

Nicole

Thanks for your thorough answer, Nicole. Your input seems to be a great addition to the forum.

I will check out local grass-fed beef. I live in the Midwest (outside of Chicago) so there should be something nearby!

I am still puzzled as to why I get full so easily now (even without eating beef) and I'm hoping it's not a sign of something more serious, like a blockage. My intuition tells me it's not, because otherwise I'm feeling really good, and some days I can eat more than others without getting uncomfortable. One of the most frustrating aspects of digestive troubles is figuring out cause and effect!!

As far as the digestive enzymes, I am not particularly interested in taking them to help me eat whatever I want. Like you, I pretty much know what foods I can tolerate and I'm happy to stick with those. I was thinking that if they helped the digestive tract function more efficiently in the long term, then it would be something I might try. It sounds like this is not the case, though.

I will look into finding some colostrum, as well, if not from a local farm then at least I might try some capsules or liquid from the health food store.

Thanks!
Christine

Hi, Christine.

You'll probably find differing opinions on digestive enzymes and just kind of have to consider them all and come to your own opinion....

I know that some naturopaths recommend digestive enzymes for patients as they get older, pretty much as a matter of course.

I've also read opinions that people with gut disorders won't necessarily benefit from enzymes because it's the damaged mucosa that's the root of the problem, not a lack of enzymes.

It will be interesting to read other people's experiences if anyone else has tried them and posts here.

If, on reflection, you do decide to give them a try to see how your body responds, let us know how you make out....

Nicole

Hi: I was catching up on a few posts and noticed your concern about getting full quickly... My daughter ate like a bird for years from day one. It was later explained (after her diagnosis) that the inflammation in her stomach/esophagus left the "flap" open and that gave her the feeling she full very quickly. In October of last year, I removed gluten, sugar and dairy and had discovered a product called Moducare, a few weeks before discovering LTYG, and her appetite increased. Once I introduced George's Aloe Vera juice among other supplements in LTYG her appetite was amazing. I am pleased to say she has gained 6 pounds since November. Her specialist explained that the sterols and sterolins in the Moducare are natural anti-inflammatories that help with the inflammation, especially in her stomach area. I give her the grape children chew variation so they are quickly absorbed. I have a hard time thinking of new food and keeping her full which is a new concept to me, one I am enjoying.

I recently introduced MucosaHeal while weaning her from her Cipro. When that was complete I tried removing the Moducare - she caught a flu bug going around and a mini-flare started - so I reintroduced the Moducare and she turned around again. I am not sure if it is for everyone but she has definately benefited from it.

HTH,
Donna

Hi, Donna.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

Jini mentions plant sterols in the chapter of LTYG which deals with supplements she's often asked about. She sounded tepid about them, but as she's said herself, results trump theory any day. If they're clearly helping, that's the important thing.

I know your daughter is a young child so I'd expect the dosage to be small, but even so, would you be willing to share how much of the Moducare you give her, so that other people can benefit from the experience?

Looking at the ingredient list online, there's only two things that stand out to me as things to be aware of, which I'm going to mention for the benefit of everyone on the forum.

One is the xylitol. Xylitol has been shown to inhibit bacteria from being able to "stick" to membranes. This can be a good thing, but if you're simultaneously supplementing with probiotics and trying to get them to colonize, be aware that it could interfere with successful colonization of the probiotics, as well. This doesn't mean I'm saying it has no place on a healing journey....I'm just saying that it's something to be aware of. The goal in holistic healing is to get the body/self back into balance, so eventually, the goal is to be off of most of the supplements you take during healing, anyway, at which point you can continue to take probiotics and it won't be an issue. The second possible issue with xylitol is that it can cause or exacerbate diarrhea, which is something to be aware of for anyone who's suffering from this.

The second possible irritant I see in the ingredient list is the inulin, which is a prebiotic. (See Jini's comments on prebiotics in the section on Probiotics in Chapter Two of LTYG.) Particularly for someone who's already having a lot of gas and/or bloating, the inulin could be aggravating.

Sincerely,
Nicole

Wow, I am amazed at the knowledge everyone has to share in this forum and am glad I finally had the nerve to post a comment.

To answer your question she goes to bed between 7:30 - 8:00 pm and prior to introducing Moducare she was up a minimum of 5 times through the night. After two days on Moducare it was down to 2 times max and her appetite slightly increased. It also seemed to reduce the dibilitating spasms she had throughout the day. That was back in the fall just prior to her colonscopy and now she only gets up once early morning so her only dosage now is that I leave 2 chews beside her bed to chew and she goes back to sleep.

BTW, her changes are not solely due to the Moducare because I have introduced many other supplements along with EFT, meditation and such. I know a lot of changes had to take place to get to this point. Not to mention, the amount of enemas and meds she was on were aggravators as well!!!

I do want to remove the Moducare and am waiting for "cold season" to be over before weaning that. I attempted to stop it a month ago and she caught a flu bug and asked to have it back again. FYI, I am giving her the Natren trinity probiotics when she wakes up two hours later and again right before bed so I am wondering if they are for not?? I will make removing the Moducare my first change this spring and keep you posted on her reaction to its removal.

Regards,
Donna

Hi, Donna.

I'm glad you posted a comment, too!

Thanks for sharing her dosage. Was that the dose she was always taking, or was it more in the beginning? Again, I'm asking so that other people can benefit from your/her experience.....

Poor little thing, having to get up that many times! I can sympathize with how deadened that can make you feel because I used to have to get up two or three times a night, every night, for a potty run and she had it even worse. It must have just about broken your heart to see your little one in that state. I'm so glad to hear how much she's improved.

If she asked for the Moducare back, that's the essence of "Listen to Your Gut." She knows, better than anyone, how different things affect her and what is and isn't helpful.

I wouldn't say that taking the probiotics is useless, by any means. It's true that your daughter is taking xylitol daily, but the amount in two chews a day can't be very great. So while it's possible that the probiotics may not be colonizing as effectively as if there were no regular xylitol ingestion, I don't believe at all that there's no benefit from them.

Check out the Probiotics section in Chapter Two of LTYG, particularly the subheading about things that can interfere with probiotics and Jini's dosage suggestions for ongoing maintenance at the end of the section.
With this in mind, people who are taking steroids or the birth control pill, as examples, would need to take probiotics for the entire time that they're taking these interfering medications. The probiotic supplementation might not result in colonization, but at least the supplementation would hopefully prevent the bacterial flora balance from veering even further in the direction of non-beneficial species and that's a very real benefit.

Kudos to you for all your efforts in your daughter's behalf! You have my full admiration.

Nicole

Hi: Sorry I did have her on a much higher dosage at the beginning. She was in a bad way so I used the theory of more the first few days to get it in her system and then applied the recommended dosage. I believe I gave her three chews four times a day for two days, three chews four times a day for two days and by the end of the first week I had her on the recommended dosage for her age/weight.

I choose the chews because of her age and the fact that the pill wouldn't have had time to work before she would be eliminating it. As with most supplements/drugs there are never enough details on how to take them on the bottle so after some investigation I discovered that iron and dairy products would interfere with it. An empty stomach is recommended and to avoid iron supplements and dairy products two hours before and after taking them. I now have her on two chews on an empty stomach/day, (more of a maintenance dosage).

HTH,
Donna

Hi, Donna.

Thanks for sharing the dosage info and also the tips you discovered about taking it on an empty stomach and away from dairy and iron.

I know that will be helpful to anyone who wants to try the Moducare and thank you again for sharing your experience and adding to our knowledge pool.

Nicole

Hi, Donna and everyone else.

I was re-reading some of the chapters in LTYG last night and realized that my comments on Jini's view of Moducare were actually off base. I was remembering what she said about Molucure, which has a similar name. (This is an aloe vera product which she says is quite expensive and not necessarily any better than the George's aloe vera.)

Jini says that she takes Moducare herself sporadically and considers this supplement very unlikely to aggravate anyone's gut.

So sorry, everyone. But I'd much rather admit I was wrong than have someone stay away from a supplement that might help them based on my comments!

Nicole

Maybe this thread is dead but thought I would add a comment for Nicole. The whole idea for the need for digestive enzymes is to be sure that the remains of the food entering the colon is completely digested. Its not to help the mucosal lining, its to prevent toxins from undigested food being in the colon.

I would highly recommend Brenda Watson's Renew Your LIfe book for another very eduated view of IBS and digiestive problems. The book is co-authorized by an MD doctor who made sure the information on physiology and digestion etc. was done right. The whole idea of the book is based on faulty digestion being the start of all most bowel disorders. It starts with undigested food which turns into toxic material in the gut which over time causes all these gut problems especially leaky gut and candida, which then cascades into damaging all the organs of the digestive system. This book is a real eye opener believe me and I'm sure most of it ties in with Jini's book.

I sent a stool sample into a lab via some website and it came back with candida and candida dividing (whatever that means) and undigested starch granules. Now I am starting to understand that my food isn't getting digested before it hits the colon. Brenda has a simple PH test using the papers to check for low stomach acid, which I tested positive for. Digestive enzymes work for me but in my thread recently after about a week it puts me in bed. probably because of either bromelain or protease as you mentioned in another post. Really frustrating because I could tell it was helping mostly but one of the ingredients was messing me up. I'm going to try betaine HCL and see if I tolerate that,I sure hope I can. If I can't figure out how to solve this problem I'll just keep dumping undigested food into the colon and it'll turn into toxic gases and fermented junk that candida loves and just perpetuate the problems til it kills me eventually years from now. I wonder if there's a digestive enzyme aid thats made for wimps

Brenda's book is really fascinating, as it describes the digestive system in detail in an understandable way, I was really enjoying seeing how amazingly complex and wonderful our bodies really are and how we manage to screw them up by living and eating what they weren't meant to have. A great read.....

Hi, possum.

Yes, I understand that. Lots of times in these discussion threads, the subject morphs over time from the original one.

Thanks for the book suggestion!

The premise actually sounds very similar in principle to that set out in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which details the Specific Carb Diet. That diet is designed to eliminate foods that aren't completely broken down before they reach the colon, thus influencing gut flora in the colon.

All the best,
Nicole