I did the Elemental Diet April 4-17 and had a fair result from it. I have reduced my morning bathroom routine to ONCE, I have 90% less gas, I am generally more comfortable, and I can eat fruit. I also have a great deal more confidence in my GI tract. It did exactly what it was supposed to do when there was no regular food in it.

Right after the ED was over, I ate LOTS of SCD type yogurt made with Natren's Life Start II powder, for a week. I continued on with the LifeStart powder in capsules 2 each morning and each evening (I tolerate them better than I used to, also) The LifeStart is running out. What I should take next....all three of the natren regular group? I stopped the yogurt making because I thought perhaps the milk was bothering me. I believe my remaining symptoms are due to food sensitivities.

Karoe
40+ years of IBS, last 10 with difficult food sensitivities

Hi, karoe.

I'd continue on the existing dose of the Life Start II and add the others in gradually one at a time, as described in the Cautious/Sensitive Approach, pgs. 175-176 of LTYG. Probably best to try either the Bifido Factor or the Megadophilus first...whichever one you tolerate best, based on your experience.

Glad to hear that you continue to experience some improvements compared to pre-IBD Remission Diet. : )

Stay in touch.

Nicole

Hi Karoe--

ok...I feel a little obtuse here, but...Karoe (and Nicole), I need some clarification on just what the ED is supposed to do (as applies to IBS, since I have some problems in common with Karoe). Is it that the rest gives it a chance to heal , less food helps lessen bacteria, or just what? Your results are pretty impressive...and, if I recall, you did not go to full blown ED for every meal, correct??

Thanks so much! Glad you are doing well!

Hi, Susan.

If I recall correctly from her posts on the main forum, karoe did the full IBD Remission Diet for two weeks. She also briefly followed Jini's Wild Oregano Protocol during that time.

Following the IBD Remission Diet for that time can certainly be expected to clear your body of any reactions to food allergies or sensitivities - you can then follow the diet with the suggested food reintroduction to retest for sensitivities. Likewise, the bowel rest would also give your digestive system to heal from any irritations. karoe had read some work by Dr. Pimental about using an elemental diet to starve bacteria which is what gave her the idea to try the IBD Remission Diet.

I know the text in the IBD Remission Diet says there's no point in taking probiotics while you're following it, but I could have sworn my book came with a paper insert that recommended taking them as scientists had found that trace amounts of food matter from the elemental shake may make their way into the colon. I could have that wrong, though...I read so much that I could be thinking of something else. I'll ask Jini to write in with clarification on that point.

Hope that helps.

Nicole

Thanks Nicole--

I will go back through Karoe's posts...good to know your thoughts on probiotics, as well as the LTYG position. I have Pimentel's book also, and I will recheck what he says.

take care--

Hi All,

When I first wrote The IBD Remission Diet, all of the scientific literature stated that elemental diets resulted in no undigested food passing through into the colon, thus they would 'starve' out the bacteria and other pathogens there.

However, in the last year or two, more research has come to light saying that, actually, some of the maltodextrin (a glucose polymer) does pass through to the colon, where it can be a food source for bacteria.

This is why Elaine Gottschall has advised SCD followers against consuming maltodextrin.

Perhaps this is also why my initial testers of The IBD Remission Diet found that consuming probiotics throughout the entire Diet (rather than waiting till the end) worked much better.

Now, since we developed JIni's Wild Oregano Oil Protocol, testers have found that they get the best results if they can do the Wild Oregano Protocol, with the probiotics, with the elemental diet.

Makes sense since you're addressing many different facets of gut healing with these therapies.

Since discovering these things, I have indeed added these recommendations to a series of emails that people receive when they buy The IBD Remission Diet - to help them maximize their time on it.

Hope that answers all the questions.

Oh yes, one last thing. Because The IBD Remission Diet is not JUST an elemental diet - but includes a very targetted supplementation plan, it works for people with colitis and IBS as well. Whereas in clinical trials, elemental diets are not effective for colitis patients (I don't believe they've ever tested IBS).

take care,
Jini

Thanks, Jini--

That helps clarify some things...AND gave me a good idea that has really helped me; might help others.

I make an egg custard with stevia--Whole Foods brand individual packets with rice maltodextrin. Have had terrible gut problems for the last few weeks and realized I had slightly increased the amount of this product in my custard. Thinking it was the stevia itself (which I can tolerate these days in just tiny quantities---gassy for some new reason), I cut back on it and improved. Upon reading your post, I switched to a tiny bit PURE stevia and today am better than ever. Your post got me thinking it could be the maltodextrin!

Thanks so very much!