Mar 31 2010

Ooh, that looks tasty!

Category: diet, health — jkt @ 17:00

Ever since I first saw Dr Jeremy Sanderson back in October, I knew a change in diet was likely to be part of the solution to the gastro problems I’ve been dealing with.

This morning saw me meeting with the dietitian, Dr Miranda Lomer at the London Bridge Hospital.

I was expecting some hints and tips to better improve my current diet which may help with my symptoms. What I wasn’t expecting, was a complete diet change.

As a starting point, we went through the various foods and drink I consume in a typical week and the symptoms I experience and their proximity to the various foods. We then covered some basic biology on how the body functions and the jobs the various organs do and into some more depth on the effect certain foods have on the function of the gut. Osmosis was mentioned more times than in all my GCSE biology classes!

After telling her how motivated I am to get this issue resolved, she hit me with the diet I’m to start imminently: the low FODMAPtm diet.

The low FODMAP diet has – apparently, I’ve not read the studies – been shown to improve symptoms in many people with IBS-like symptoms, and it involves dietary elimination of: fructans and fructo-oligosaccarides, polyols, galactans and limitation of fructose and lactose (which I was already avoiding as part of my no-dairy diet).

The sorts of foods this means eliminating are: many fruits, vegetables, pulses, beans, honey, wheat and rye, onion, garlic, ‘fibre enriched’ products, non-gluten free bread, non-gluten free pasta, most cakes, pastry breadcrumbs, couscous, anything containing inulin, chocolate.

There are still many things I can eat – some fruits (80g/sitting), unlimited amounts of many vegetables, meats, gluten-free products (which don’t contain restricted vegetables) etc. It’s still a huge diet change and requires, basically, emptying my cupboards and starting again.

The likely benefits of adhering to this diet vastly outweigh the inconvenience involved and that is definitely how I’m looking at it. I’m also looking forward to trying a lot of new foods and being forced to ‘cook from scratch’

Mar 05 2010

Length of weeks; weight; being social; A CHALLENGE!

Category: challenges, day to day, diet, social butterfly — jkt @ 23:20

It has only been two days since my last adjustment (chiro), but seems much longer. The days have either been dragging on, or I’ve been doing a lot during them so they’re seeming very busy. In the interests of positive thinking, I’ll lean towards the latter.

In the weight department, I’ve gained a fantastic 9kg in the last 5 weeks. It seems a diet of crap, coupled with sitting on your ass for long periods, does, indeed, lead to weight gain. I’ll submit the results of this study, to a suitable body, as soon as I have the strength to lift up a pencil to jot down the results with my flabby fingers.

Today I had my beard trimmed. Whilst I have purchased a trimmer, it’s the social aspect of the salon I appreciate, and I’m more than happy to spend a little money on some interesting and varied conversation while someone tends to my facial garden.

I get on with the salon guy, also named Jonathan (important – always get people’s names!) He moved from North Carolina 4 years ago and lives with his mum and grand mother in a house in St Paul’s Cray (not too far from where I am). He’s around my age, and suggested, as I was leaving the salon, that we should go for a beer sometime. As I’ve mentioned my girlfriend to him many times, I’m certain he’s looking for local beer-buddies rather than a hook-up. I’ll be taking him up on that offer (to clarify, the local beer-buddy part, not the hook-up!)

I’ve also been frequenting Cafe Nero, in Bromley, after my chiro appointments for a soya hot chocolate and to read a book.

Last week I approached the staff, specifically the guy who made my drink and complimented him on the standard of the hot chocolate I’d drank and highlighting the fact that there’s flavour throughout the depth of the cup and it’s consistently – by far – the tastiest I’ve had from all the local coffee shops. Since then, the staff recognise me, we have friendly chats which have gone beyond the professional layer, and I no longer need to ask for my drink – they know what I like and prepare it swiftly. Perhaps it would have gotten to that stage anyway, but just taking two minutes out of my day to praise someone else’s work, in fact, resulted in future speedier, more friendly service. Fantastic.

The Challenge!

My challenge to you next week is to approach someone who’s given you good service, tap them on the arm to get their attention, and tell them exactly why you thought what they did was outstanding, and the effect it had on you. Then hold their arm again and say ‘thank you’ (or ‘thank you for doing that’). Smile and walk away.

The holding of the arm and saying ‘thank you’ at the end is key – it shows sincerity in what you’re saying.

Do it, I guarantee you’ll improve someone’s day immensely. Comment here if you do, and let me know how it went, I’m interested in any stories.

Oct 25 2009

‘ere be bowels.

Category: diet, health — jkt @ 21:03

I’d just like to start out this by saying that Bupa are absolute wankers; and if it wasn’t a company policy, I would not be using them for private health insurance.

The justification for that outburst is them putting an exclusion on my policy based on my own diagnosis – not based on anything in my doctor’s notes. Fuckers. But anyway, after hours (really, hours!) of arguments on the phone, they’ve finally agreed to pay for the diagnosis (if not treatment) of my digestion issues.

My appointment’s on the 5th November.

Meanwhile, to keep the symptoms under control, I’m taking Pepto Bismol and some broad-spectrum enzyme pills (containing bromelain, lipase, protease, amylase, cellulase, lactase, maltase and sucrase) before each meal. This has so far been keeping gas production to reasonable levels to it’s no longer offensive to anyone sharing the same airspace.

Hopefully a quick diagnosis will be reached so I know exactly what’s wrong with me.

Jul 08 2009

Some time on…

Category: diet — jkt @ 06:55

My improved diet has been in place for a couple of weeks now, and I’m not finding to too hard to adhere to.

The cravings for sweets and crisps have almost gone, and I’m snacking on fruit and nuts during the day.

Lunch tends to be some sort of sandwich, while dinner is generally a hot meal. I’m starting to freeze meals too, so I don’t need to cook every night; for example, I cooked 500g spaghetti on Monday, and froze three portions. That’s along with a spanish chicken w/rice dish on Sunday, so unless I want to, I’ve no need to cook for the rest of the week, which is a bonus.

Yesterday though I found I was insatiable – wanting to eat all day (but healthy stuff), and it seems to be continuing today – my stomach is aching. I may need to increase my portions slightly to counter this if it doesn’t resolve of its own accord.

But this morning, I’d dropped below 71kg for the first time in years. The exercise and adjusted diet must be doing me good.

Jun 23 2009

Further diet changes.

Category: diet, self improvement — jkt @ 09:15

I’m writing this here because making decisions/wanted changes public seems to increase my will power and my ability to stick to them.

Like last year, I need a period of cutting sugary foods and other crap out of my diet. The sugar highs are affecting my energy levels more than I like (peaks and troughs), and drinking fizzy drinks and eating sweets are not making my teeth happy. The other crap (crisps etc) isn’t helping my waistline either.

So, what’s out:
1. Sugary/fizzy drinks.
2. Sweets.
3. Shop bought cakes.
4. Crisps.

What’s in: 1. Crop tops 2. Short skirts. – oops, wrong post.

There are a couple of exceptions to this rule: home baking. If I’m offered home baking, or if I bake something sugary myself, I’ll eat it. And I’m not giving up fizzy water.

Already I’m craving stuff. This is going to be tough.