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Newby Seeking Best Treatment - Elemental?

Hi Everyone. I have read a number of your posts and am very happy to find this forum.

I was diagnosed with UC last year, and symptoms lean towards Crohn's.

It only took 10 years of suffering, misdiagnosis, and seeing the "best" Dr in NYC to finally have someone suggest that I get the right tests.

My test results showed "mild" ulcerative colitis, but my symptoms are quite severe. I pretty much can't eat anything, ever, for the past 10 years without running to the bathroom. I haven't gone more than a few days in a row without being very sick in all those years.

A number of years ago it got so bad that I can't maintain a job in an office environment and started working from home. It is just too difficult for me to get on a subway, take a bus, get in a car to commute, or even walk somewhere because of the urgency of my condition. And in the office environment it is very difficult to function appropriately when you must spend most of the day in the bathroom. I am not really able to function, so I disagree that my condition is "mild".

Upon diagnosis of IBD my Dr. (a new one) only gave me the options of taking drugs. When I asked about diet and other options he said "just eat normally". Clearly he wasn't going to help me. I tried the drugs anyway for 6 weeks, Mesalamine, and it didn't help at all, except for giving me almost all of the annoying side effects and making me feel drugged all the time.

So here I am, seeking a new Dr. again, but at least I know what I have (although nobody can say "how" or "why" I am sick).

My goal is to find a good nutritionist (if anyone knows someone anywhere on the East coast, preferably Boston), and try first an elemental diet, followed by a LOFFLEX(?) diet. I recognize that this might make me feel better in the short term but not be permanent, but I feel so horrible all the time I am willing to give it a shot.

If anyone has thoughts about elemental diets, fasting, or juicing, I'd love to hear your advice and experiences.

Thanks!!
Kim
 
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Gianni

Moderator
Hey Kimbaco, First off welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear you had such a hard time with your diagnosis, its almost like doctors want you to have the rarest possible ailment so they beat around the bush for the longest time. I am excited to see that you aren't interested in taking meds and are more interested in trying to follow a diet to help manage your IBD. To better help you i'll tell you a little about myself: I was diagnosed at the age of 18 in 2010 of severe crohn's of the terminal ileum, after suffering for 2 weeks in the hospital. The Doctors immediately put me on remicade however things just got worse.. my symptoms got worse and i had to have emergency resection of my intestines. After another 2 weeks in the hospital i finally went home and the doctors put me on Humira. After 8 months on humira i started to notice that the drug just wasn't working anymore and that i felt old... i was tired all the time, i felt weak.. etc. I knew there must be something else out there that was better than these drugs!

After doing much research on nutrition and food sciences i discovered a whole world of knowledge that i never learned in school, that i never knew existed. It became an amazing source of knowledge for me as it gave me hope. I decided to get off my medicine even after the many warnings by my doctor. I decided to jump right into 2012 turning a new leaf. From Jan 1- Jan 10 i did a juice fast. I had bought a juicer the week before and i juiced only fresh organic produce (mostly greens) and oh wow did i notice a difference... even in just a few days. since then i have gone completely Vegan and furthermore i stick to a 70-75% RAW plant based diet. It has been an amazing turn around for me and i am sooooooo glad i did it. I had a colonoscopy just a few months ago and the Doctor said my intestines look completely normal and healthy!

The sad truth about the medications is that there will never be a pharmaceutical cure... People hold on to the hope that ... "hey maybe in 2 or 5 years there will be a cure" i know i did. But it isn't in the pharmaceuticals best interest to cure us... its to keep us relatively symptom free but always making sure the symptoms will come back so that they keep making money. They have shareholders to please and the sooner Cronies and other disease victims realize this, the sooner we can create a healthier genome.

On your quest to cure your crohn's (yes i said cure because i believe that diets can and will CURE your ailment) i would suggest finding a naturopathic doctor in your area. Unfortunately i am not from the boston area so i can not help you there ( i live in california) But you can do most of the research yourself. Start researching your family lineage... find out what your ancestors ate because your body is used to the diets of your ancestors. That is why the Japanese have the lowest cancer rates in the world and live the longest. they have stayed true to their heritage, but now the western diet is threatening our health because our bodies simply are not used to such food. Also look up "The Gerson Institute" Buy their books, Read their case files. This institute was extremely important in finding my perfect diet.

Here are some tips that i have learned through trial and error.

First off Cut out all Dairy... Dairy is about one of the worst things out there for you that is regularly consumed. not to mention the paradox of drinking another species hormonal drink meant to fatten a calf. Dairy today contains many dangerous components and under no circumstances (in my opinion) should be consumed by someone with IBD.

Cut out Sugar: Sugar just tears apart your healthy intestines. Sugar will kill the good bacteria in your gut leaving room for yeast to form. Yeast in turn will lower your immune system making you susceptible to ailments.... such as crohn's! Look up how to rid your body of Yeast ( it is very important)

Antibiotics... Uhg people typically call me crazy at this point but antibiotics are HORRIBLE for your immune system and your entire body! It destroys not only bad bacteria but also good... so that when you kill the infection you also kill the good parts of your immune system that was fighting the infection in the first place... so then you keep weakening your immune system and sure enough your gonna get some very agressive bug that will make you miserable thus continuously deteriorating your health.
(note: Non organic Meats/dairy contains high amounts of antibiotics)

Things to include: Along with a healthy diet.. include these items to help with symptoms/prevention

Ginger/Turmeric: Ginger and Turmeric are the champions of anti inflammatory factor of the dietary kingdom. In fact a simple slice of ginger is equivalent to the inflammation factor of IBU profen plus not to mention the other countless benefits from ginger and the countless harmful qualities your avoiding from IBU profen. Turmeric can be used as a successful anti inflammatory medication in place of remicade or humira.

Dark Leafy Greens: Kale/Collard Greens/ Spinach. These super foods are extremely good for you as they help all of your organs (especially your liver) deal with the disease.

FIBERRRRR: Whom ever got it through to all these cronies' heads that fiber is bad is grossly mistaken. In certain extreme cases on crohn's like the narrowing of intestines, yes fiber should be TEMPORARILY Avoided. But in most cases fiber is extremely useful for the body. It helps clean out your gut so that you can synthesize your new nutrients. Now more than ever the western diet has become so soft that people are rarely getting fiber and their food is literally just sitting in their intestines harboring harmful bacteria and further more the new nutrients aren't being completely absorbed thus lowering your immune system and its all a perfect storm for an unfortunate situation.

Carrots: Carrot juice is one of my favorite things and carrots are just champs. They doo sooo much for your body and have helped me in so many ways. I could talk for page son carrots but just do a simple google search and you'll understand why.

Sweet Potatoes: More Vitamin C than oranges, more vitamin a than carrots, More potassium than a banana and tons and tons of minerals are found in sweet potatoes. These things sell themselves and you wouldn't think so but they make great juice!

Supplement wise: Add Flaxseed oil, Vegan Probiotics, Vegan B12 Liquid (do not get tablet)

Also try cutting out anti perspirant deodorant as it contains aluminum which is an extremely toxic metal. Also Cut out fluoride toothpaste.. fluoride is a joke and should have never been put in our systems of water or our toothpaste.. It is toxic to your G.I.

Also do not get yearly flu shots.. i could go on and on about this but its best you make the decision yourself with a quick google search.

I have so much more to say but i think that's a good start.. You might read this and think im a bit crazy but if you would like to pick my brain a bit more just message me anytime. I hope i helped and Good luck!

Check out the GERSON INSTITUTE!
 

Angrybird

Moderator
Location
Hertfordshire
Hello and welcome to the forum :)

I have been on the lofflex diet and unfortunately it did not work for me, I ended up flaring on the shakes. We are all different with what will work though do it is definetly worth looking at this area, do check out our diet and sups forum as there wll be plenty of info here about what you can try.

Also am I right that you have only been on that one med and this was stopped some time ago? It is certainly worth getting to a GI as up to date testing is also perhaps required to assess what is now going on inside especially if things have been left untreated for so long. This may also help towards confirming whether it is crohns or UC - out of interest what has made you doubt the UC diagnosis?

AB
xx
 
Thanks gtzucc for your awesome reply. I am so happy to hear that changing your diet has been so helpful for you.

I have been reading as much as possible about nutrition and have come across many of your points, and will definitely look into everything you mentioned. The approach you have taken is definitely along the lines of what I am looking to do.

It's funny, for some reason I was just reading the back of my deodorant and saw to my surprise that it says to consult a doctor if you have kidney issues. I suspect I may have some issues since I seem to get a lot of UTIs lately. I will find an alternative for that. Will check out the toothpaste issue too. Thanks.

It's amazing how we put so many things into our bodies without thinking about it or realizing what is in it or how it many impact us. That ends today for me. :)

Antibiotics are so bad. My problems got serious while taking Cipro for over a month, and then again every few months over a few years, for chronic sinus infections that just completely leveled me. The Drs just kept saying to take the antibiotics, they did nothing, but I didn't know what else to do. So even if that didn't "cause" my problems, I am positive that it made them substantially worse.

Quick question. I am starting the elemental diet today. Do you recommend a combo of shakes and juicing rather than just shakes? I am trying 2 different types to see what I tolerate best. Absorb Plus, and Vital (by Abbott).

Thanks so much for your support!
Kim
 
Hi Angrybird, thanks so much for your response.

So sorry to hear that your diet changes didn't help. Everyone definitely responds differently. I figure that I will give it a shot and see what happens. I can always take more drugs after that.

I took the drugs not long ago, in the past year. And my colonoscopy was just a year ago. The drugs really made me miserable, I could not function or work. It was worse than my usual miserable state. I know there are lots of other drugs out there, but I want to try a natural method first, because I have a pretty good feeling about it. I am open to trying more drugs if I can't get a handle on this through diet.

As for the UC diagnosis, it is my understanding that most people with Crohn's first have a diagnosis of UC as the disease progresses, and eventually are determined to have Crohn's. From what I have read, symptoms in the upper GI system would indicate Crohn's. I have had chronic throat infections as well as sores in my mouth and on my legs. This is what makes me suspect Crohn's. Plus nobody has tested any part of my digestive system other than my Colon. I have "pan colitis" so it goes all the way across the three sections of the colon. This leads me to believe that it may continue into the small intestine, but the Dr. just couldn't see that far with this type of test.

Thanks for your comments.
Kim
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Hi Kim and welcome to the community. I'm so sorry you had to go through 10 years of misdiagnosis before someone finally came up with IBD. You poor thing :(

Yes, it's not that uncommon for people with Ulcerative Colitis to eventually get a Crohn's diagnosis. While the symptoms you describe are possible with UC, they're more common with Crohn's. In my opinion, they're quite possibly due to a nutrient deficiency. Have you had any of your vitamin and mineral levels tested and are you on any supplements?

I'm glad you're trying an elemental diet. I think they're fantastic though I'm a bit fan of the shotgun approach to the treatment of IBD. If you haven't seen it, do check out our enteral nutrition forum.

Have they performed any tests such as a CTE or capsule endoscopy to see what's going on in your small intestine?

Again, welcome to the community :)
 

Gianni

Moderator
hello again kimbaco, I would absolutely recommend including regular juice regiments with with your elemental diet formulas. But quite frankly I wouldn't include the shakes.


Personally I am not a believer of the elemental diet for many reasons. The whole principle of giving your intestines a break in hopes that the ulcers will heal and the patient will enter "remission" seems flawed to me.

The fact is that the ulcers and inflammation is not the crohn's disease, the crohn's disease is manner in which your immune system is attacking your intestines. So by simply resting your intestines you aren't doing anything towards healing your body. After running your course through the diet and you reintroduce real food, the crohns will come back and often with a vengeance.

These formulas also claim that you are receiving the recommended amount of nutrition but the problem here is that the recommended amount, facilitated by the government, is not nearly enough for a truly healthy individual. not to mention these vitamins are often artificial and at the very least very old. Also along with the normal set of vitamins in vitamin a, b's, C, D, E, K etc. there are tons of other vitamins that are ignored by these guidelines that just simply have not been discovered. Furthermore with the left out essential minerals found in raw diets, it becomes obvious that these formulas truly aren't any more healthy than a simple artificial multivitamin.

These companies also pride themselves in being able to breakdown proteins to the basic form (amino Acids) in hopes to avoid hypoallergenic reactions in certain individuals. The problem with this is proteins in this situation aren't the important recipe to healing, its optimal nutrition through vitamins. The amino acids that the proteins are "processed" too are identical to how proteins are found in vegetation as well, but they are bound together. i see no difference in lone amino acids versus combined amino acids other than in hopes to better give the intestines a rest but again that only gets you so far.

Possibly the biggest reason why i don't trust these is because many of them are made by pharmaceuticals and I really really really do not trust pharmaceuticals and will not take anything associated with them.

Absorb plus is the only one of these that i seem to tolerate. They include better nutrition and isn't infiltrated by big pharma. Absorb plus can help you clear out the intestines and make it easier for your intestines to absorb nutrients but again referring to what i said above, it just seems severely obsolete to a true raw vegan diet.

By simply just juicing ( a juice fast) you are removing the fiber and giving your intestines a nice rest, ingesting plenty of protein through vegetables, and assimilating a MASSIVE dose of vitamins and minerals along with the natural enzymes found in the plants to help you use those vitamins to their full potential ( otherwise without enzymes you don't get the full potential). then after you give your body a rest you can jump into a raw vegetation diet like i did and keep up on the fiber while continuing to fresh fruits and veggies. With this your body will begin to heal itself because you are correcting the metabolic process that caused the crohn's in the first place! Give your body something that makes sense... something it can work with... don't try to outsmart mother nature because it is what medical doctors have been trying to do for decades and we aren't any closer to healing most of the diseases today. What makes more sense? Giving your body minimal artificially separated proteins and vitamins or giving your body fresh raw vegetation and whole foods that humans have been consuming for thousands of years?

I can go on and on, but i'll end this post at that. If you want me to elaborate anymore please feel free to message me :)

Good luck!
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Personally I am not a believer of the elemental diet for many reasons. The whole principle of giving your intestines a break in hopes that the ulcers will heal and the patient will enter "remission" seems flawed to me.
I'm a huge fan of elemental and enteral nutrition. Studies have shown that it not only induces remission on par with prednisone rates, but it also helps induce mucosal healing. The whole "gut rest" theory isn't subscribed to by that many and has largely be discredited considering TPN and elemental nutrition have the same remission induction rates. If it was about gut rest, then TPN would no doubt be more beneficial.

I do agree with you that food-based vitamins would be preferable to some of the synthetics and I'm certainly a fan of freshness and a lack of preservatives.

Also along with the normal set of vitamins in vitamin a, b's, C, D, E, K etc. there are tons of other vitamins that are ignored by these guidelines that just simply have not been discovered. Furthermore with the left out essential minerals found in raw diets, it becomes obvious that these formulas truly aren't any more healthy than a simple artificial multivitamin.
Which vitamins are ignored by elemental nutrition? Or do I understand you don't know, you just theorize about their existence?

Healthy or not, studies suggest they make a huge difference for people with IBD.

ingesting plenty of protein through vegetables and assimilating a MASSIVE dose of vitamins and minerals along with the natural enzymes found in the plants to help you use those vitamins to their full potential ( otherwise without enzymes you don't get the full potential). then after you give your body a rest you can jump into a raw vegetation diet like i did and keep up on the fiber while continuing to fresh fruits and veggies. With this your body will begin to heal itself because you are correcting the metabolic process that caused the crohn's in the first place!
Oh? What is the metabolic process that causes Crohn's disease?

With all that said, I'm a huge fan of juicing and think there is a place for it in most IBD treatment regimens. I feel the same way about elemental/enteral nutrition.
 

Gianni

Moderator
I'm a huge fan of elemental and enteral nutrition. Studies have shown that it not only induces remission on par with prednisone rates, but it also helps induce mucosal healing. The whole "gut rest" theory isn't subscribed to by that many and has largely be discredited considering TPN and elemental nutrition have the same remission induction rates. If it was about gut rest, then TPN would no doubt be more beneficial.

I do agree with you that food-based vitamins would be preferable to some of the synthetics and I'm certainly a fan of freshness and a lack of preservatives.



Which vitamins are ignored by elemental nutrition? Or do I understand you don't know, you just theorize about their existence?

Healthy or not, studies suggest they make a huge difference for people with IBD.


Oh? What is the metabolic process that causes Crohn's disease?

With all that said, I'm a huge fan of juicing and think there is a place for it in most IBD treatment regimens. I feel the same way about elemental/enteral nutrition.


There are a number of vitamins and other food chemicals ignored by the F.D.A. and such. If you think we know everything about food or even a grasp on the human body you're severely mistaken. There have been a myriad of independent researchers who have found a multitude of vitamins that remain unknown to the general public simply because they are not a priority in the mind of the FDA. Vitamins B13-B17(Vitamin b17 one of the more useful of all vitamins), vitamin Bp,Bt. Vitamin J, N, Q, T, and U... to name a few. It is actually estimated by many scientists that there are as many as 10,000 phytochemicals (do a google search on phytochemicals) yet to be discovered. And most food scientists believe there are many more vitamins and other food chemicals to be found in fruits and vegetables in part because they don't fully understand how certain fruits or vegetables execute the benefits. For example researchers know that carrots have a strong anti cancer property as well as anti stroke/ heart attack properties but they are unsure why, they have their theories but have been unable to pin point the causing agents. So i think it is safe to assume science hasn't even scraped the surface.

Furthermore fruits and vegetables work together with all their chemicals to create a perfect cocktail... An apple is much more than a nutritional facts chart containing this % of Vitamin that and that % of Vitamin this, an apple is a perfectly welded machine, built over thousands of years containing thousands of other chemicals to help the body. Scientists and researchers always try to separate the beneficial parts of a plant without realizing the importance of keeping the parts together. For example take Swiss Chard... Swiss Chard contains copper and Vitamin B2. Now copper alone plays an important role but to much copper can be very dangerous. Vitamin B2 alone does a little but it doesn't do much alone. Add in mineral Molybdenum. Molybdenum is cool because it regulates copper ( will force detox copper if it reaches high levels) and will also work with B2 in conversion of food to energy. There are a number of different cases like swiss chard in which alone, these chemicals are limited. So people can trust an institution with a very amateur understanding of nutrients and foods and dive into synthetic vitamins and the like but I'll stick to mother nature's veteran understanding.


_____

As for the metabolic process part...

I was referring to Kim's personal process in which crohn's had manifested. I believe that there is a reason why we have crohn's, there is a reason why our body is attacking our intestines relentlessly. The medical community theorizes that crohn's is an abnormal response to healthy bacteria and healthy tissue but I think otherwise. The body isn't dumb, it doesn't make mistakes what does make mistakes is science, and doctors. The doctors don't understand why the body is attacking the intestines but it has its reasons. Whether is because of one reason or another I have not a clue but what I can say with confidence is that we did it to ourselves. I realize this idea is controversial as people don't like to be told its their fault, but that's not what i'm saying. I may have given my body Crohn's but i didn't know better... I only knew what i knew. For years I ate whatever I wanted, took whatever medicine the doctors told me to take(Before my diagnosis) and my body couldn't keep up with it anymore. So in my post earlier I was saying that you can correct the metabolic process that caused your crohn's; for me and what I assume is for many others, it is a horrid diet along with a lack of understanding true health. It was basically me saying you can heal yourself, i.e. you can empower your body to heal itself.

I do realize that my ideas might not be on par with the rest of the forum but for me these ideas have quite honestly saved my life and i've accessed a pool of knowledge that i find fascinating and I try to share the knowledge in hopes that people will maybe just give it a try.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Well argued gtzucc, kudos.

I do indeed believe there are many more vitamins than what science has named. However, I'm not sure that there are more essential vitamins. I think we probably have all those although I wouldn't be surprised to see more subdividing over time.

I'm a farmer. I like to think of things in terms of plants and soil. You can go out and buy synthetic fertilizer with your NPK and stuff will grow as long as you keep adding it. However, plants and soil need MUCH MORE than NPK to be truly healthy and flourish. In fact, synthetic fertilizers and modern agriculture techniques sterilize the soil over time. I spend a tremendous amount of time and research working to get my soil as healthy as I can. Maybe you're right, maybe elemental nutrition is like NPK. People are going to live and will likely even improve since they were highly deficient, but for long term health, there needs to be a more... organic solution.

I know I have a lot to learn when it comes to juicing but am very interested in it. My wife and I have a daily smoothie that I toss all kinds of different organic fruits and vegetables into but I realize there is a difference. As passionate as you are about juicing, would you be interested in starting a "Juicing Club" thread in our diet/fitness/supplements forum and begin educating us?
 

Gianni

Moderator
I'm glad you brought up the fertilizer point. I also think the same way. We are much like the the modern plants today we are only receiving the basic vitamins when we need so much more. Plants receiving only those three elements (nitrogen phosphorous potassium: NPK) are missing out on 49 other necessary minerals. With the absence of minerals like copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and calcium, the plants are weakened and their defenses are weakened and so bugs come and take advantage. So then they add pesticides to solve the problem (adding a problem to solve another problem). Now just add humans in their instead of plants. We are not recieiving our proper nutrition.. so our defenses fail and we are susceptible to diseases and so then we call the doctors and take these chemicals to combat the bugs... sound awfully familiar? Because of the huge deficiencies food is changing.. For example Calcium now contains only 3% of the calcium levels that they used to in the 1960's (corn fed) and grass fed cows are still showing 40% less calcium levels in their milk than in the 1960's... it's all because the plants aren't being given a dose of calcium through the soil.

Furthermore now organically grown plants are showing up with extreme deficiencies and/or pesticides within the plants although the soil did not contain any deficiencies or pesticides! The genomes of the plants have been tainted and the species has been altered forever. You can't find a soybean today without traces of systemic pesticides within the genome. But the good news is if we change our systems of agriculture and start growing soybeans in a organic soil and in a healthy environment the soybean will rid itself of the systemic pesticides.

Now fill humans in where i said soybeans... Our genomes are weakening. Now looking at it, it becomes a scary reality for future generations after a crohn's diagnosis. If the body does not take care of itself (if the patient does not enable the body to heal itself by giving it the stuff it needs) then the next generation will be even weaker and crohn's will be much more agressive. That's why kid's are popping up with diabetes now... yes the diet today that the kids are eating has played a part but the parents weren't eating well at all either (especially during pregnancy) so the kids didn't have a chance from the start without the knowledge of a truly healthy body. But the good news is, like the soybeans, we can jump in the drivers seat so to speak and take control of our own destiny. If we were to start eating right and taking care of our bodies, our genomes strengthen and with a strong genome at the point of conception we have given our children the best chance of avoiding this forum :) And then if they keep a strong diet, their kid's will be much much more healthier then we ever were. Now people will say well my parents don't have crohn's but i do... well yes but they have a weak genome. they didn't have a strong genome when you were conceived and you were the victim.(in my mind that is the genetic link... there is no gene that makes you have crohn's it's simply just a lineage of unhealthy habits creating weaker offspring) An unfortunate situation nonetheless but also i think this information is extremely hopeful. Most cronies ( i believe) worry the most about their children or future kids. i know i do and i don't even have kids. But i want to make sure they won't have to go through this. So i am strengthening my genome... making myself healthy and with that i am extremely confident that my future children won't have to worry about crohn's or any other chronic disease for that matter.

and by the way i use the pulp from my juicing machine to fertilize my mini garden :) The pulp contains all the same vitamins and minerals that the juice holds so it is extremely useful in making sure you have healthy soil!! :) try it out.

Also yes i would be happy to create a juicing thread:)
 
Thanks so much for your responses.
Wow, that's a lot of info to take in!

Please do start a Juicing forum, I expect it to become a regular part of my life going forward.

gtzucc, interesting theory about the "genetic" factor. It does make a lot of sense. I do believe that if I make lifestyle and dietary changes I can beat this condition.

I just started juicing and am starting every day with it now. I am a little nervous to go 100% into a juice fast without letting my body adapt to it, so I will gradually increase the juice and decrease the food. Then do about 3 weeks of juice only and see how it goes. It does totally make sense that juicing is more natural than the elemental formulas, but I may go ahead and try that out too and see how I tolerate it.

If I do juice only, what types of fruits and veggies should I eat each day to get the balance that I need? Also, I read that you should never have fruit with any other food, so should I only mix fruits or veggies but not both together? By the way, I do need to loose about 20 pounds so am looking forward to that side effect.

Thanks again. I have tons more questions about juicing, so let me know if you do start that forum.

Best,
Kim
 

Gianni

Moderator
Fruits tend to have a very odd digestive rate, i.e. they digest faster than any other foods. You might notice if you ever put fruit into your WHOLE grain cereal that 20 minutes after eating it, you start to develop cramps. This is because grains take a long time to digest while fruit want to pass through the body quickly. But the body can't just seperate the two magically once you ate them, so the much of the grains stay behind with the fruit and then the fruit starts to breakdown higher up in your digestive tract and starts to produce gas causing cramps. Fruits really should be eaten alone always, the only fruit that doesn't give me gas pains with cereal are bananas.

The good news however is that by juicing your fruits and vegetables. they will digest at the same rate of speed because they are in the same liquid form.

Having said that, I still don't think you should be juicing many fruits. Fruits contain a lot of sugar and although they are natural sugars, our bodies still weren't meant to have such a high dose of sugar. So i stick to strong vegetable juices and to mask the flavor i will throw in a piece of ginger (only with the green juices as they don't taste wonderful). I hope you like ginger cause you will be using alot of it. I didn't much like ginger at first but now i crave it. Occasionally i will add an apple into my juices (rarely my green ones). I will add a green apple or two to a carrot, sweet potato juice. Green grannysmith apples contain less sugar than their red and yellow counterparts so i would stick with them.

And every once in awhile when you feel like you've been doing a good job juicing and you feel a lot better, you can make a fruit based juice ( a form of a cheat except much healthier than a normal cheat:)) Just the other week i made a pomegranate/blueberry juice, it tasted amazing and was a high dose of agents i wasn't regularly consuming through vegetables like antioxidants.

And yes i will be starting that juice thread, i will be working on it today. There is a lot of info i would like to include so it might take a few days. However when it is done i will make sure to send you a message;)

In the meantime try these juices out:

The mean green
4 shoots of kale (you can also fit in collard greens here but do 2 instead of 4)
4 Romaine lettuce leaves
4 carrots
1 Celery stalk
1 handful of spinach
1 small knob of ginger (use the top half of your thumb for reference)

MultiVital

4-7 Carrots (depending on size)
2 Sweet potatoes
2 green apples

Also try to use organic produce only!
 
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Awesome, that's great info!

I am on my third day of juice in the morning (still eating light lunch and dinner though, working myself into it gradually). Carrot juice is so incredibly good. I did carrot and celery this morning.

Thanks again!
Kim
 
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