[frogga]

Hey

I am a vegetarian but I am considering going vegan - I am hoping it will reduce some of the more unpleasant organ RSD issues! is there anything I should specifically keep in my diet? I don't really know what foods they suggest are good for it apart from anti oxidants - like tomatoes (which I'm obviosuly going to keep in!) I have decided to go vegan for lent - as I will miss other foods, but I want to see if I can do it, and giving up dairy and eggs etc will be easier if I can use lent to motivate me. (Also, I then have a date to decide whether it is helping the symptoms or not).

Any help would be appreciated!!!

Thanks

Rosie

PS does anyone else find that convenience foods are really bad for their RSD?
especially bowel/ bladder wise? PPS I agree with what everyone says about bladders - I get that and feel like an idiot needing to go to the bathroom all the time! xxxxxxx

[watsonsh]

Frogga,

I am relatively new to RSD. What are some of the organ RSD symptoms you experience?

[frogga]

Hey Shelley,

Sorry that you have to join here (I'm being dim and can't remeber if I welcomed you --> if I didn't, then welcome). Before I describe the organ symptoms I get with the RSD I'd just like to point out that over the last 5 years doctors (neurologists, pain consultants and rheumatologists) have also diagnosed MS, fibromylagia, central pain syndrome, secondary generalised dystonia, hypermobility, and MD....... as well as the RSD - I just don't know who to believe - so I find it simpler to just talk about the RSD and leave all the rest out....!!

"internal" issues that I have involve, problems with swallowing (frequently aspirate or can't swallow, struggle with thin liquids, reflux, frequent vomiting, stomach cramps, taste changes, loss of appetite (generally), constipation and diahorrea - also (not sure how much info you want! but my pooh goes all sorts of random colours and consistencies depending on whether my body is taking any nutrients from the food I'm eating (as told by my dr) - at the moment it is mustard yellow and ming - moving on now I've disturbed you!!). I have tachycardia (my heart beats really fast - though probaly pain induced), and issues with blood pressure (generally very low but sometimes goes high just for the fun of it..). kidneys/ weeing generally, urniary hesitancy (unable to go for ages) and periods of being (forgot the words - where you suddenly realise you have 1 minute to get to the bathroom before you wet yourself!!!!) . My periods stopped for over a year and now I get them very infrequently (again, caused by pain apparently).

I think that's it!!! (also all the normal symtpoms of PAIN, exhaustion, muscle joint, bone and tendon problems etc etc etc etc )...

hope this hasn't scared you - I do have other diagnoses which could be responsible for a lot of this....

However, I think that I'm going to give veganism a go to see if it helps with the GI issues!!!

Take care!!

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Hi Rosie,

veganism....shudder (only joking, just me trying to imagine a world without bacon )

Well, first thing is to remember that the body needs Vitamin B12. Not much, but it only comes from animal foods (meat, eggs, fish, milk) so you'll need a supplement.

Also, your Chemistry A-level should be useful, because it'd pay you to find out which foods to eat with what - for example, things like spinach and rhubarb bind with calcium in certain foodstuff and block absoption of other food. And many things, (like meat) are better absorbed when combined with a good source of certain vitamins, while some foods with antioxidant properties are more or less effective if cooked or eaten raw (tomatoes are more powerful if slighly cooked, for example).

Things I include in my diet a lot, fresh from the local market, are:
beans, any kind, but specially kidney - great anti-oxidant
walnuts - stacks of omega-3, great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
avocado - potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, also oleic acid which helps to lower cholesterol
tofu - calcium, high-quality protein, iron - in this part of the world you buy it spanking fresh and steaming from the lady with a huge round steamer of the stuff, delish...
anything soy, really - protein, said to have anti-cancer properties
lentils - Vitamin Bs, iron, zinc calcium

On a vegan diet, the extra fibre should help the bowels, but don't overdo it, too much isn't good either.

Good sites for info:
http://thevegandiet.blogspot.com/
http://www.vrg.org/
http://www.vegansociety.com/

40 days of this, huh? It's worth a try, let us know how you go with it - oh, btw, been meaning to ask you this - what *are* these Pirates you want bringing on (apart from chaps with earrings and eyepatches)???

Just made myself hungry, think I'll go eat a banana...
all the best!

[frogga]

Thanks Artist :P That's brill!!!! Really helpful!! (I am lucky to have a macro/ veggie carer atm who is brill - but mrs half - a - cow on white bread returns on wednesday.................................the only person I know that counts a diet as only a whole packet of bacon in a sarnie for lunch!).... definerly chcking those links out!!!!

Pirates - we had a pirate party the other day..... it was BRILLIANT!!!! really cool - may post a couple of photos from it.. we also had a "what did you want do be when you were younger" party --> Ben and I went as James Bond and a bond girl (hahaha).... was a good night! LOL...... (Shame I could only stay an hour - but it was SO fun!!)....

right - going back to find a new way of cooking rice......... (unfortunatly I didn't think through the issue --> veganism + issues swallowing = hungry!)

hope you're feeling better - gotta love the organic markets (They're brill - I'm going to the one in Bath tomorrow!!)

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[InHisHands]

Originally Posted by frogga

I am a vegetarian but I am considering going vegan

Okay, I am clueless... what is the difference between vegetarian and vegan? Thanks.

Hi Vanessa, you're certainly not clueless, and have a real talent for asking good questions, I've noticed that

Vegetarians eat no meat and sometimes no fish. (Never understood that, fish are animals too, right?)
Vegans eat no animals of any kind, plus no animal by-products, so no eggs or milk products. That means no cheese or yoghurt, no fish-oil, no lots of things...

Rosie is being very sensible in finding out about it first, a vegan diet excludes a lot of things we need; you lose a lot of protein by cutting out so much. And you've got to be careful to get *high-quality* protein into your diet, not just any old protein. The soy and tofu proteins are the best, providing amino acids that quickly and easily convert to muscle and body-building.

But by being careful not only about what you eat, but how you eat it and how you cook it, a balanced diet can be achieved. To do it well you do need a fair understanding of "kitchen chemistry" - but there's lots out there on the net, and I noticed some pretty interesting recipes.

I try to take as many of the extra vitamins, anti-oxidants and anti-infammatories as I can in food form rather than tablet form. These things are fearfully expensive in bottle form and since I've got to eat I reckoned I may as well eat smart. Luckily I love walnuts (I eat them as a snack) and avocados, and Hong Kong is a great place to get fresh (and weird) veggies...the local markets here are marvellous and dirt cheap.

Oh yes, Rosie, another great addition is Chinese green tea, oolong (best) and pouchong - superb antioxidant, masses of free radical scavengers - the Chinese swear by it for health and long life.
Good eating!
all the best.

[HopeLivesHere]

Hi
I am a vegan...but I cheat once / day

I never liked meat anyway
But I won't say I never have a piece of cheese..couple times/yr

I tried vegan with a friend a couple years ago and liked it so much I stuck with it.
It is easier - and I love brown rice with vanilla rice milk.
Like a rice pudding dessert.

Those sites are excellent Pat - thank you.

So why do I cheat once / day?
I am an ice cream addict. Butter pecan only
If I'm out of that then I don't cheat.
I take the supplements to make up for the vitamins I miss out on.
My doc said I need more protein than just the beans - suggested
I have a protein drink. I'd been on them on and off anyway, even
though I'm not crazy about eating soy because of the bad stuff I've always read about it.
The only organ symptom I have are side effects from my meds .... Hope

[frogga]

Heya

Thanks for the advice !! I just figure that since I have tried to reduce convenience, pre packed food etc I have not had as major highs and lows with energy and GI things have improved abit - so it's all good!!! #

IHH --> artist is right - basically it involves cutting anything linked to an animal out of your diet..and lifestyle!! so, no milk (I drink rice milk anyway), no eggs, no butter, no cheese, no cream, no yoghurt no chocolate (well, Lindt dark chocolate - but MING), no meat/fish, pretty much nothing processed (jello, micro meals, pizza etc)... I reckon the only thing i will miss is chocolate! that's going to be the WORST.
(Basically I can eat fruit, vegetables, tofu, soy, beans, some bread, rice, pasta and lots of stuff like that.....)

Artist - you are always full of great info!! Thanks babe!! some of the sites you sent me are awesome - I am also going to go on supplements.... getting quite excited about the whole thing now! the other green tea sounds good too - will try to get hold of it! YAYsers . The markets are ok here (bath) but not as good as the ones at home (suffolk)... however, your's sound AWESOME! I love market shopping, you get things freshest and without packaging and normally they have travelled less than 40 miles which is all good!... your markets sound amazing though!!! I find that as I get to know stall holders we compare tips for cooking etc.....all good!!... I started looking at my diet whilst I was at uni - because I realised that a) someone else was being paid to cook and prepare meals for me and b) if I had to eat it might as well be decent stuff that will hopefully help my body/ immune system/ knackeredness etc.


HLH - have you tried soy ice cream??it's pretty good - how good are the health store shops in the US? When I lived with dad i was a carnivore so never really checked them out. Where I live now (Bath) has a couple of awesome ones and our supermarkets are brill for supplying stuff! even found soy yoghurt, rice milk and EVERY type of bean available the other day!!!!!!! Pretty cool!!! Can you get specific vanilla rice milk? that sounds AWESOME!!! woohoo

The only thing I'm glad about is that the prawniness has calmed down!!!

Yummyness - has anyone else found foods that help?

Love

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