Food Experiments

I've been trying new foods or retrying old foods for years through the problems with my digstive system, almost always ending in an adverse reaction, usually moderate to extreme constipation. Some foods would work normally once but then never again, to be crossed off the list.

Now that my digestive problems have been diagnosed and treated, first to treat the bacterial infections/overgrowth with anti-biotics and probiotics, and second to treat the damage to the digestive system with supplements for the acids, enzymes and proteins to digest food, it's taken time to rebuild it and make it work again.

The other missing part of the treatment was a diversity of foods to rebuild the bacteria in the small and large intestine, mostly the latter, to digest and process a greater variety of foods. The problem is the first time you try a food, the system doesn't have the bacteria for it, so it has to build it.

This means I never know how the system will react with new foods, because you have to eat it a few times to build the bacteria for it. With that the food experiments have taken on a new role, but first I have to want to eat the foods, something I don't have an interest to try a range of foods.

The naturopath recommended starting with plants, mostly vegetables since they have the greater variety of bacteria to add to the system. Before I've reduced the list of them to carrots, celery and occasionally peas. To that I've been trying two vegetables a week.

A few weeks ago it was asparagus and cauliflower, two vegetables I really like, and they worked enough I can eat them again. Last week was tomatoes and lettuce with refried beans. I love tacos with refried beans, some meat, tomatoes and lettuce - the food experiment minus the meat for now.

The beans are high in fiber, which I rarely eat because of its effects on the digestive system, like a tunnel boring machine. Yeah, they and the vegetables were not good reactions, so I have to decide if I want to try them again in the future.

This week is green beans, another one I like. No idea of the other one yet, something to browse the produce market and follow the taste buds. I've only added a few non-vegetables to focus the system on the fewest new foods as possible.

Some foods are old foods I've had a range of reactions to over the years, mostly potatoes, but they have a lot of starch which strains the system. I still try one of my favorite foods, potato chips, every now and then, but stopped when the system has problems digesting it.

Anyway, just some thoughts on foods. There's a long list of foods to try this year, and at one or two a week it will take awhile. The two health supplements to help the digestive system works very well, something I recommend now if your system isn't working.

Don't always assume it's a bacteria balance/imbalance issue and just try probiotics, something most gastroenterologists say because they don't know anymore or any better. There are tests to check for some of the acids, enzymes and proteins needed for digesting and processing foods.

Get them if you haven't had the test. That's how the naturopath discovered my pancreas wasn't working to produce enough enzymes to digest some foods. You can also add the supplements which provide these elements, but I would recommend clinicial standard supplements for their quality and quantity and lack of unnecessary ingredients.

The worst case scenarios is the supplements just add to existing acids, enzymes and proteins you don't need and you can then discontinue them. The other supplement is Butyric acid which feeds the cells in the lining of the large intestine to protect it and help process foods, which has been a great help.

That's it for now.