Note: The Prescript-Assist supplements discussed in this article are no longer available. Please click here to learn more about a substitute, the Daily Synbiotic from Seed.
If you’ve ever experienced a diverticulitis attack, I’m sure you’d be the first to say that it’s not a pleasant experience. I bet you’d be willing to do a lot of things to prevent it from happening again! Or maybe you’re someone who has been diagnosed with diverticulosis by your gastroenterologist, but you’re not quite sure what to do to prevent those painful attacks you’ve heard about and you want to learn more. Whatever brought you here, I’m happy to have you. Today I’ll be providing tips on how to prevent diverticulitis attacks naturally.
Free eBook
Optimize Your Gut Health
Download this free eBook to learn more about common issues that impact gut health and digestion.
"*" indicates required fields
I hate spam, too. Your email is safe with me. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy.
What Is Diverticular Disease?
Diverticular disease is the term used to encompass a spectrum of issues from diverticulosis (the presence of sac-like pouches called diverticula that protrude from the colonic wall) to diverticulitis (the inflammation of these pouches and the accompanying symptoms). Diverticular disease is common in the Western world, with the highest rates seen in the United States and Europe. Even in those countries the disease was almost unheard of in 1900, but by the 1970s it was the most common affliction of the colon. (1)
Diverticular disease has been shown to increase with age – by 80, it is estimated that approximately 70% of individuals have diverticular disease. (2) The highest estimates suggest that approximately 20% of patients with diverticulosis (remember these are the people with the pouches, not the acute inflammation of the pouches) will at some point develop diverticulitis. (3) However, newer and more accurate estimates suggest that this rate is somewhere between 1 and 5%, depending on the strictness of qualifying criteria. (4) This is important to note for those who have been diagnosed with diverticulosis but are currently asymptomatic – according to these newer estimates, it is unlikely that you will develop diverticulitis. However, if you have diverticulosis and want be sure to prevent any problems or you’ve had diverticulitis attacks in the past, continue reading!
Despite the fact that diverticular disease is so common, we know relatively little about it and the common recommendations are based on limited data. If you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulosis, you may have received advice from your gastroenterologist about avoiding nuts and seeds and eating more fiber. However, these recommendations are based on inconclusive research and may not provide much benefit to you. In fact, few studies show any benefit to avoiding nuts and seeds and one study even showed that intake of nuts and popcorn was associated with a decreased risk of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. (5) High fiber diets are also often recommended, despite inconclusive evidence. (6) It is evident that recommendations for diverticular disease are due for an update.
Like what you’re reading? Get my free newsletter, recipes, eBooks, product recommendations, and more!
Underlying Factors That Contribute to Diverticulosis
Newer research suggests that the factors underlying diverticular disease are the following: (7, 8)
Inflammation
While inflammation is well-accepted in the model of acute diverticulitis, more and more research points to the involvement of chronic low grade inflammation in the development of symptomatic diverticulosis. In fact, of 930 patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD), approximately 75% of them had evidence of chronic inflammation in and around the diverticula. (9) It is for this reason that drugs used for treating inflammatory bowel disease like mesalamine are being used to treat diverticular disease with good results as well (but hang tight, we’ll talk about natural ways to prevent diverticulitis, of course!). This is also why chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen have been shown to increase the risk of diverticular complications (10, 11), since they are known to increase intestinal inflammation. (12, 13)
Fecal calprotectin can be measured to identify intestinal inflammation, and is high in those with symptomatic diverticular disease compared to those with functional digestive tract disorders like IBS and those with asymptomatic diverticular disease. (14) If you’re wondering whether you may have intestinal inflammation, it’s a great thing to get tested (and you can order a stool test from a specialty lab like Genova Diagnostics which will measure it). It is clear that chronic inflammation is involved in the development of diverticular disease, and that those who wish to prevent attacks should take steps to reduce intestinal inflammation.
Thankfully, one of the best ways to decrease intestinal inflammation is to eat a paleo diet! By avoiding potentially irritating and inflammatory foods such as grains, omega-6 fatty acids and lactose, we can reduce intestinal inflammation and encourage proper gut health. A paleo diet also positively influences gut bacteria, which in turn results in reduced inflammation as well. A paleo diet for diverticular disease should focus on gelatinous cuts of meat, bone broths, well-cooked vegetables, starchy tubers, and fermented foods.
Reducing your stress level is also important for bringing down levels of intestinal inflammation, as stress has been shown to activate inflammation in the intestine. (15) Stress can absolutely wreak havoc on the gut, so it is essential that any program focused on preventing diverticulitis attacks include proper stress management. This means incorporating mind-body activities such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, etc on a regular basis. If you’re someone who’s constantly stressed out and never takes time to take care of your own well-being, it’s unlikely you’ll be successful in preventing diverticulitis attacks even if you implement all the other suggestions outlined in this article. This one is important!
Another way to reduce an inflamed intestine is to supplement with soothing and healing demulcent herbs – deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has been shown to reduce mucosal damage and inflammation in rodents (16, 17) and it is likely that other demulcent herbs such as slippery elm and marshmallow root may have the same effect. Take chewable DGL tablets or mix a spoonful of slippery elm or marshmallow root powder in a small amount of water and drink 1-3 times per day to help soothe and heal an inflamed intestine. Another healing substance for the gut – bone broth – should be liberally consumed for this purpose as well.
Altered Intestinal Bacteria
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is common in diverticulitic patients. (18) Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic (meaning it only affects the gut, not the rest of the body), has been shown to effectively treat SIBO (19) and this treatment has also been shown to improve diverticular disease outcomes. (20) Bacterial overgrowth, along with fecal stasis inside the diverticula, can contribute chronic dysbiosis which can lead to low-grade inflammation (21), so improving gut bacterial balance is crucial to reducing intestinal inflammation.
Probiotic supplementation has been shown to be safe and potentially useful in diverticular disease (22) and is likely to be even more beneficial when combined with other therapies. If you’re not already consuming probiotics from your food (in the form of kefir, kombucha, kimchi, etc) then you should consider adding a supplement like VSL #3 or Prescript Assist (though even if you are consuming probiotics, a supplement isn’t a bad idea!). As Chris has mentioned, Prescript Assist tends to be the probiotic of choice for those suffering from constipation so start with that if you tend to err on the side of decreased motility.
Prebiotics are also very useful for correcting dysbiosis, and should be considered by those with diverticular disease. Prebiotics “stimulate selectively the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria associated with health and well-being” (23), which is exactly what we want when we’re trying to shift the balance of the microbes back to the good guys. My go-to prebiotic is Pure Encapsulations fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) powder, but others include GOS and even lactulose. Supplementation with 10g of FOS per day has been shown to increase counts of bifidobacteria. (24) As with all prebiotics, it’s important to start with a very small amount and increase slowly. If you’re sensitive to FODMAPs you’ll want to be particularly careful as prebiotics are also FODMAPs. However, if you tolerate them well I think prebiotics can be a powerhouse when it comes to correcting imbalanced gut flora.
Most importantly, it’s crucial to treat SIBO or dysbiosis. As we’ve discussed, these conditions are very common in those with diverticular disease so it’s worth checking on your gut bacteria to see how they’re doing, using specialty labs such as Genova Diagnostics (and get your calprotectin tested while you’re at it!). It’s best to work with a practitioner who can test and treat you for these conditions.
Abnormal Colonic Motility
Researchers have found that those suffering from symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease have what they like to call a “spastic colon” in the areas affected by diverticulosis. (25) This is similar to what is found in patients with constipation predominant IBS and in functional constipation. These same researchers also found that patients with diverticulitis disease have reduced density of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC for short – a fun name for the “pacemaker cells” of the intestine). (26) In studies on animals with a lack of ICC networks, delayed or absent intestinal motility is noted. (27, 28) What this means for diverticular patients is that these lack of networks and a spastic colon can cause increased symptoms in terms of constipation and bloating/pain. Though we’re not entirely sure what we can do to directly affect these cells (yet), it’s important to use therapies aimed toward improving motility if this is an issue for you.
Know that correcting SIBO and dysbiosis will go a long way toward improving constipation, so this is a good place to start. Given that our stool is mostly made up of dead bacteria, one can imagine that without proper amounts of good bacteria we’re going to have a tough time bulking the stool. Prebiotics can be particularly useful for constipation given that they selectively increase good bacteria like bifidobacteria. However, if you’re still struggling after correcting dysbiosis, here are some additional recommendations.
First, serotonin is an important player in gut motility. Serotonin concentrations in those with colonic diverticulosis are significantly lower than normal controls and contribute to the type of bowel habit following a test meal. (29) Serotonin transporter (SERT) transcript levels are also lower in those with a history of diverticulitis compared to controls and those with asymptomatic diverticulosis. (30) Inflammation is also known to decrease SERT expression and function (31, 32), so following the recommendations to lower intestinal inflammation is of course the first step to improving gut motility. In addition, it is also likely that supplementation with 5-HTP (a precursor to serotonin) may alleviate constipation and increase motility since it will increase serotonin levels. Note: do not take 5-HTP without talking to your doctor first if you are on an SSRI medication.
Second, if you’re currently on a low carbohdyrate paleo diet, you may want to consider increasing your carbohydrate intake. In my experience working with those with constipation on a paleo diet, this is the single most effective diet-based recommendation I’ve seen. If you’re at a loss as to what starches to add in, check out this excellent handout from Balanced Bites. Note: since SIBO is so common for those with diverticulosis, this step may need to wait until that has been treated, and may not be appropriate for some people.
Magnesium supplementation can also be very useful for people with constipation. Given that only about half of US adults consume the RDA for magnesium (33), it’s safe to say that a lot of us probably aren’t getting enough. This is due to the fact that not many foods naturally contain high amounts of magnesium, and even those that do have less due to the depletion of magnesium from our soil. Check out this magnesium soil content map to see how your local area is doing (and think about where most of your food comes from – if you’re not eating local you may not even know what soil your food is being grown in!).
Conclusion
By reducing our intestinal inflammation, balancing our gut bacteria, and improving our intestinal motility it is likely that we can prevent diverticulitis attacks. I’ll leave you with a set of action steps so you remember exactly what to do to improve these underlying factors.
Action Steps to Prevent Diverticulitis Attacks:
- Eat a paleo diet!
- Reduce stress
- Use demulcent herbs such as DGL, slippery elm, and marshmallow root to soothe and heal the intestine
- Take probiotics like VSL #3 or Prescript Assist
- Take prebiotics like FOS powder
- Treat SIBO or dysbiosis
- Reduce intestinal inflammation to increase SERT functioning, and consider supplementation with 5-HTP
- If you’re currently on a low carbohdyrate paleo diet, consider adding some starchy tubers to your diet
- Supplement with magnesium
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
I have been hospitalized 3 times in the last year or so with Diver attacks, I mean IVs, surgeons, the whole works! I was 2weeks from having sigmoid resection on August13 2015.I found this site and tried the LO-NO (low carb-no sugar) and it really seems to help, so I decided to postpone the surgery.
I had been suffering for years from what I thought might have been Dairy allergy. The no dairy helped but I still had issues, it got worse every year until the first attack in May 2014.
After only two days I was feeling better and no issues since.
I have been on it now one week and will stay on it.
I am not an expert, but after some research I believe wheat and sugar are the main culprits with my condition, so I wont eat that anymore and hope I don’t suffer any more attacks
Marshall, the last post I wrote never showed up. So I’ll try again. Glad you’re having some luck with the Lo/No sugar, Lo/No carb diet. I’ve been on the diet for over a year now and still feeling great. The only time I get any discomfort at all is when I deliberately eat something bad like a piece of birthday cake at a party (just to be sociable). But the discomfort quickly disappears because I stay on the strict diet. I know my diet has kept me out of the hospital and has cleared up infections I have had. But that was in the past long ago.
Hope you continue to have luck with your efforts and I really hope you continue to post your results here because people who have Diver need to know what actually works. And although this diet may not work for everyone we know it works for some of us!!
I have posted here many,many times and would like to know what happened to my previous post. I noticed that it was being reviewed by someone after I had posted it but then it disappeared. If the keeper’s of the site aren’t going to post what I write they should tell me so I won’t be wasting my time.
treblig
treblig, thank you so much for all your posts. Your advice really resonated and convinced me to give it try, so thank you, and glad to hear you are still good also.
i have most of the things here, diver to me is an over eating problem… comfort foods just all around bad diet.
I have read these threads and taken the good with the bad .
It says here to cook with olive oil…. I go beyond that .
I drink 3 tablespoons with 3 to 4 ounces of aloe vera juice every morning and every night
i take citrucell and i eat lots of avocados. of course lots of water. and lots of salad ….. just lettuce. i do not eat any raw veggies anymore, i Juice them as often as i can . Juicing is my biggest attribute . I am with chris on many things . this thread has helped me a lot. he even says there is no one way, and you need to listen to your body, I wish i had Know my first attack was diver, cause i would had never gotten a second.
sorry for the typos !
diver is an over eating problem .,If you eat several small meals a day you will be fine. And drink water .
Hi, I never over eat and got a horrible attack because I at 2 slices of pizza from a different pizza place. Not sure why? I eat chinese cooked veggies and they are fine when I don’t want to cook, eat, fish or chicken home, but why the Pizza got me sick when I eat it every friday I have no idea. I go weeks with no attack and then all of a suden it bites you, I eat no greasy foods, almost no red meat, no fried foods, no seeds , no nuts. maybe a seed in a tomato slice, cooked veggies, I eat a pretty clean diet for diva
Christine, it’s the wheat in your Friday pizza. Grains=Pain. Wheat is a grain. Did you have a fizzy drink and ice cream with it too? Perhaps try another fun food with no grain so no pain. Do you like vegetable stir fries? Steamed fish?
Hey, we are all learners here.
Hi everyone,
Just want to share my story hoping it can help some of you out there looking for natural ways to heal diverticulitis, or at least reduce it consequently.
In january I woke up with a crazy pain on my lower left abdomen thinking I just needed to go for a number 2. I went to the washroom and had a bowel movement but that did not change much, I decided not to go to work for the next 3 days thinking I strained my abs badly during workout.
After 3 days not eating much and staying home I go back to work thinking it is getting better, then at lunch time decide to go down my building grab a “healthy” soup. Terrible mistake, the soup was spicy, after 3 spoons I felt an unsustainable pain that made me go home right away, I could barely walk and honestly thought I was about to collapse on my way to my car. Note that I live in an area where january is about – 20 degrees celsius (- 4 fahrenheit).
I decided to go to the hospital on the next day to get this checked, they let me out the first day telling me to come back for a scan on the next day. But suggested me to stay for the night as they found blood in my urine. I refused since I am living few hundred meters from the hospital and felt better.
The next day they scanned me and told me that I had a 3cm wide abscess. They said it was recommended to stay and have a surgery to get this drained. But as I was feeling better, had no health insurance (immigrant not permanent resident at the time), wouldn’t be paid if not going to work for too long, and my woman birthday was upcoming the weekend and I really didn’t want her to spend it worrying about my health. Not to mention that I personally don’t trust hospitals, they treated me like crap, left me waiting for 3 hours for my scan result, aknowledging that they just forgot me when I asked what was happening! And I will stop here cause I could go on and on about what is wrong with this hospital.
So I said no, I will not stay and have you opening my guts for something that I believe can be healed naturally. I praid to God for help and left with just a 10 day antibiotics prescription against diverticulitis.
I then decided to make researches on diverticulitis, what causes it, how to prevent, heal it. And in addition to antibiotics, researches and prayers, I went on a full lifestyle change: no more smoking, drinking, junk food, and excessive amount of spicy and/or fried food. I was already pretty active but only for 2 years, doing a lot of sports sometimes 5 times a week, but at the end of the day, since I was smoking, drinking, and eating wrong, my colon was not left a chance to be healthy after 25 years of disrespect.
I also decided to fast as long as the pain was not fully gone. Which means for about 10 days, I only drank water, juices, kefir milk or smoothies starting at sunset, nothing during day time.
After those 10 days fasting and just drinking, I added some food slowly, but still fasting during day time. I started to add ripe bananas, applesauce, yogurt. And about 5 days after (day 15) I slowly added toast bread and finally homemade chicken broth soup with carrots, rosemary, garlic and thyme in which I was pouring some apple cider vinegar (2 spoons for each bowl). I also made sure to grab 5 spoons of Pure Aloe vera gel (not Aloe drink sent in supermarkets! avoid this at all cost) everyday. I only started to add up other food after around 20 days. Note that I was still fasting during day time, I allowed myself to eat only starting at sunset.
I started to add one food at the time, everyday, checking what was working and what was not. For me, carrotts, mushrooms, brown rice (not white rice it is harder to digest), spinach, asparagus, chicken, salmon, avocados, ripe bananas, turned out to be the easiest to digest as I never experienced pain eating those.
I also took camomile tea or peppermint tea with some lemon juice after eating to help digestion.
I ended my fast after 30 days as the pain was consequently gone, although I was feeling a bit something but nothing alarming compared to the original pain.
I continued to fast 2 days a week (mondays and thursdays) for about 4 weeks and even in other days, I limited my lunch to fruits and tried to avoid drinking too much during day time, not even water.
Now let me tell you why I believe fasting helped a lot in that process. It is proven scientifically that digesting is taking a lot of energy in our body, this is why we can at time feel like having a nap after a big dinner, the body is asking for rest to digest. If you allow your body to be empty and not have to digest all day, where all that energy goes? Well, it goes to war against everything harming your body and start rejuvenating and repairing damaged cells/organs, because it doesn’t have to focus all the energy on digesting all the stuff you put inside your gut all day long. And how do your body fuel itself when you don’t fill it up? It simply triggers a survival mode that is going to go after every dead cells, abscesses and other unnecessary things such as diverticulas, in order to give the fuel necessary for your body to stay alive, yes it just converts it because those bad guys can be made of proteins and other nutrients that your body can use in survival mode.
This is why most of us are likely to be able to survive for a good 30 day without eating, just drinking water. This is how the body is made, and also why some religions have a fast every year, it is good for both spiritual and physical purposes
And that they knew it long time ago, but with the modernization of our societies telling you what to eat, how many times per day and in which quantity, plus the reflexes of asking for a doctor for every single pain we have without treating the root of the problem, we grew up giving the wrong habits to our bodies.
Now I am 6 months away from my original crisis, I fasted again this month for Ramadan. Now I even started to eat spicy stuff once a week, and guess what, even pastries, ice creams and cookies, but again, once or twice a week max. I went back to practice sport with the same intensity that I used to, obviously I lost weight in the process that I need to gain back, but Thank God I feel healthy and although there are still a lot of stuff I have to avoid or eat with moderation, I can feel my gut is way better thanks to God, the fast, the nutrition changes.
I believe I still have to commit to this lifestyle and I can tell that whenever I cross the line with some spicy or junk food, my gut will make me pay right away for the next day or couple of days. But this is a long road to take to reverse all the consequences of bad food/smoke/alcohol accumulated all these years before starting to be active and taking care of my body. I am so thankful for the results I have from this lifestyle change and I will do my best to continue on that path to take care of my gut.
I know this is a long post, but I felt the need to share it as I would have appreciated to find someone in this situation when I was in pain and scared.
The hospital treats everyone like that I waited 6 hours for the results for my scan because they were busy they said, don’t think fasting helps at all but eating clean cooked vegetables whether it is chinese food or indian or any kind, you can eat chicken and fish, I believe breads may have something to do with it, I never found having an occasional once a week piece of cake or banana being a problem. I drink no crap, mostly water with a little juice for flavor.
Fantastic Chris. You are an inspiration. Your success stories have similarities in what consistently works for you. No junk food, heal over time. I’m going to ask my diverticulitis friend to have a look here at this site to get him out of that awful pain and into good health. Thank you.
I find that all of the comments are so interesting, I have just had my 2nd bout of diverticulitis they said my scan showed my bowels were so full and swollen it was pressing up against my kidneys, I am now finishing up my antibiotics and want to now change my diet with no carbs and sugar can you also help me with what vitamins I should be taking and anything else I should do to prevent this happening again ! I also have a problem with my bowel movements so should I be taking something to help and soften if so what, for someone just starting out any advice would help !!!
Margaret, I can only tell you what supplements I take but since I am not a Dr. I can not tell you to take anything. I have done much research and found that I need numerous supplements to compensate for the lack of fruits and many vegetable in my diet. I take one 500 mg of Magnesium daily, one large muti-vitamin, four 595 mg tablets of Magnesium Gluconate, 1200 mg Calcium daily, vitamin D 400 IU daily, 1000 IU vitamin D3 daily, 100 mg vitamin C with rose hips, 4 large Omega 3 gel capsules. I also take 4 Citrucel capsules with each large meal, 3 capsules with a smaller meal with lots of water. As a female you need different amounts of these supplements (than I do) so please do some research or talk to your Dr. to make sure you’re getting all the necessary vitamins and supplements to do well on this diet.
The other day I had a craving for Cheetos… I love Cheetos. I ate a really large handful and 1 1/2 days later I was bleeding with some mild pain. Since I had otherwise stayed on my no sugar, no carb diet I quickly recovered in just a couple of days. The ingredients in Cheetos are extensive: Enriched Corn Meal, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, vegetable oil, Whey, cheddar cheese, milk, cheese cultures, salt, Enzymes, canola oil, monosodium glutamate, natural and artificial flavors, lactic acid, citric acid, Yellow dye 6, salt.
I have no idea which of the ingredients gave me the pain and I guess it doesn’t matter as long I stay away from the Cheetos. Never again!! My point here is that if you religiously stay on this no carb, no sugar diet you can actually mess up every now and then and AS LONG AS YOU STAY ON THE DIET you can easily get past the minor flare ups. You can actually get to the point where you can absolutely control your symptoms!!
I have developed another THEORY!!!! I ate some Salmon at an eatery the other day. The fish must have been bad or contaminated because that night I had bad cramps and some diarrhea. But it was real strange….normally when I get some bad food and diarrhea it usually last for 24-48 hours until the bad bacteria has caused your gut to empty. But (I BELIEVE) since I had minimal carbs and sugar in my gut the bad bacteria didn’t have anything to live on, so they died an early death!! Further more once I realized this had happened and even though I had had some diarrhea that morning I ate 3 eggs and a bunch of bacon. The diarrhea had only lasted 8 hours and I had not completely emptied my gut. You know how they tell you not to eat greasy foods if you have diarrhea??? Well as I have found, you can eat all the greasy food you want as long as you don’t feed the bad bugs any carbs or sugar!!!
So my new theory is that the bad bugs that cause diarrhea can’t survive very long in a no carb, no sugar environment. Just like cancer cells metabolize sugar as their main source of energy, bad bacteria also need sugar and carbs to survive. I said it FIRST!!!
Hope this helps….and by the way, all my suggestions are of no use if you don’t report back and tell everyone if the diet worked…NO CHEATING!!!!!
Treblig
thank you so much for the information and yes you have helped me alot was also told to drink Aloe Vera juice for the stomach, is this true?
I used aloe vera gel pills for a while to help my gut heal when I used to get severe symptoms (long, long ago). I have heard that aloe vera helps the stomach because it has many healing properties. I haven’t used it for some time because as long as I stay on the diet everything is JUST GREAT!!!
What do you mean by, “yes you have helped me alot”…I only responded to your initial question a few minutes ago, how could I have already helped you alot??.
Treblig
you helped me out by giving me all this information I am going crazy reading about don’t eat nuts and yes eat nuts don’t eat strawberries because of the seeds, yes eat them so some solid information is good thank you
OK, you’re welcome!! But remember…strawberries contain sugar, yes it’s natural sugar but it’s still sugar. Nuts have carbs, not too many but still. I haven’t found that seeds or nuts aggravate my condition. I have allergies to nuts so I avoid them for that reason. I eat them every now and then but for the most part I stay away from them.
Treblig
I have had three diverticulitis attacks. Two were 2 months apart. I do try to follow the paleo diet, but when on the nasty antibiotics toast is one of the only stomach soothers. I have the opposite problem of most sufferers, I have chronic diarrhea helped by probiotics.
I have two questions. Can a full blown infection be stopped when you feel it coming on before taking antibiotics?
How do I get my gut flora back to prevent future attacks?
Of course surgery is being recommended, but I don’t want surgery!
Tammy, Sometimes it’s confusing to follow comments left my some folks, you wrote, “I do try to follow the paleo diet, but when on the nasty antibiotics toast is one of the only stomach soothers.” When you write that “you do try” what does that mean? I stay on my diet and I get no attacks. If you’re on antibiotics then it’s too late to go back and eat the right foods. I say “go back” because my attacks would always develop after I ate the wrong foods. If you eat something that aggravates the diverticula (because they are always there waiting) you’ll feel some mild pain. If you continue to eat foods that aggravate your condition the pain will increase, if you still continue to eat foods that aggravate your condition it will eventually lead to an infection. Now….once you have an infection you can’t hardly eat anything, so you can’t “go back in time”. When I used to get mild attacks I always knew (with 99 percent certainty) which food caused it because I know what I can and can’t eat. I could give myself an attack tomorrow if I wanted to and I could make worse and worse on purpose if I was a sadist!! But I know that once I have any kind of pain or discomfort I have to stay on my “safe” diet. If you’ve read my posts you’ll know what that means. I don’t “TRY” to stay on my diet, I actually DO!! If I eat the wrong foods I eat them on purpose knowing I will feel some discomfort (and maybe a little pain), BUT….I don’t continue to eat the “thing” that hurts me!! Since I religiously stay on my “safe” diet I always bounce right back and the discomfort subsides very, very quickly.
As for your next issue…”I have two questions. Can a full blown infection be stopped when you feel it coming on before taking antibiotics?” I say a resounding YES!!! I’ve had infections that even inflamed my bladder and managed to avoid the antibiotics by finding and staying on my “safe” diet. You see, when you have no symptoms you “THINK” you’re OK, but in reality the pouches are still there just waiting for the wrong food or additive to come by. When you eat the wrong thing the pouches immediately get inflamed. That’s the mild discomfort you feel in your lower left gut. Now if you’ve eaten a lot of the wrong foods or additives you can really be in for quite a few days of pain and bleeding. But it all depends on you and you alone because no one and no Doctor can keep you from eating the things that cause the discomfort and pain.
I’ve had infections more a than a few times, I just didn’t know what it was (back then). But now I know and knowledge is POWER!!!!
Lastly, you ask, “How do I get my gut flora back to prevent future attacks?”. I’m not sure how to answer this question. I would first figure out what aggravates your condition. If you can do that you can stay off of the antibiotics and concentrate on the “flora” once you are symptom FREE!! I’ve eaten 20 strips of bacon, three/four eggs and 4 TBLs of EVOO every morning for the last year. I eat grilled sausage and a salad most evenings or tuna salad or chicken salad. Brisket, Double meat hamburger with no bun, etc, etc, etc. I have no idea what my gut flora looks likes and I really don’t care because I am symptom free and living large. Protein and good fats are my major source of energy. It may not be for everybody but it definitely works for me.
Hope this helps….
Treblig
Hi,
Sorry if I copy paste but I want to make sure you also get this message as well as I am willing to help as much people as I can with my experience.
Just posted my story as a comment, it is waiting for moderation from the admin.
But basically I had a bad crisis in january, 3cm abscess, but did not undergo surgery.
I just took their 10 day antibiotics, went on a 30 day fast (no eating/drinking during day time until sunset) and radically changed my diet. 10 days drinking only. And slowly added food after 10 days, one food at the time. Applesauce, bananas, yogurt, kefir milk, aloe vera gel (gel or pure juice, not drink!), avocados, asparagus, carrots, chicken broth soup, chicken, salmon, toast bread, brown rice, thyme, garlic, rosemary, were the easiest to digest for me. Apple cider vinegar, camomile or peppermint tea with lemon juice were really good to help digestion.
I avoided salad and celery, stopped smoking, alcohol, sweets and junk food.
After that, tried to add up one food at the time, preferably sweet potatoes, potatoes, other fruits and vegetables. It is a long road but you have to commit to it. I only start back eating some spicy food every once in a while after now 6 months. But smoking, alcohol and junk food is bye forever. Try moderate exercise, at least walking, stretching if you’re not too much into sport.
Hope this helps.
Good luck
In May 2014 my bowel almost burst,, I was so poorly and hospitalised, my bowel was coming up through my mouth it was awful.since then I’ve had a few flair ups. And not much help with what I should @ should,nt eat so any help would be appreciated,.
There has been a ton of information posted here for anyone who wants to read it. Please take the time to read every entry and if you have any questions I’m sure myself and others will be happy to help as best we can.
treblig
I’ve also heard that cultured buttermilk is good for your stomach and drinking some for my divertic. now
At a soil workshop put on by Neil Kinsey of KinseyAg in January 2015, he stated that soils with high magnesium content can paradoxically result in plants with issues such as LOW magnesium. If the magnesium in the soil is too high (more than 20% in their soil tests) it will hinder the uptake of magnesium in the plants (our food). In so many ways the soil seems like it has the same issues/needs as our gut. Might there be something for us to learn from this? If we take too much magnesium in supplement form, will we be less likely to absorb it?
What does one do if one already has very VERY advanced diverticulitis? When I had a colonoscopy what the doctor saw was so bad that he just laughed (I didn’t think it was funny) and told me there was nothing that could be done. This was years ago and I guess it is much worse now.
I’m just waiting for one or more of my hundreds of sacks to burst.
Using words like “very advanced” is self defeating language and assuming nothing can be done about it. As far as what doctors say, they will say nothing can be done about a lot of things. if you have traveled around the block, you will find that untrue most of the time.
In down to earth language – You have an underlying infection. Remove the infection and things will heal. Be persistent.
Dan, did you read all the posts below? I would suggest doing that but if you are in pain do a strict liquid diet till pain is gone ( 2 to 3 days or longer). That worked for me. Then slowly increase protein only. Eggs, maybe some skinless chicken. I would stick to an all protein diet for awhile (at least a month) and then maybe carbs every few days once a day (I will never eat many carbs ever again). I am not your doctor so listen to him/her but this has worked for me. Treblig has been great so I would suggest reading his posts.
TJ
Thanks guys but it’s a question of Diverticulosis vs Diverticulitis. Diverticulosis is the condition of having pouches. That by itself is not painful and is not an infection. Diverticulitis is when those pouched become infected and is painful. Diverticulitis can be healed and the infection stopped. Diverticulosis, the pouches, is what the doctors said can not be cured and for which nothing can be done. The pouches do not go away and Diverticulosis is never healed.
Agreed Dan. So, the pouches never go away and therefore your lifestyle of eating whatever and whenever you want are gone. If, you think that if you “heal” the Diver then you can go back to eat, drink, and be marry then I believe that is not happening. You must change your lifestyle and figure out what foods aggravate it and stay away. For me its carbs and sugar. I eat very little carbs except through veggies and some fruit but even then sparingly. The danger zone is the infection and inflammation. I am not sure I still answered your question? maybe Treblig can help or prioris?
i don’t agree with the idea that the pouches won’t heal. once the infection is quelled, things like e.g. aloe vera may help the body heal them.
pouches are a sign of degeneration and that something is going wrong. likely an infection created those pouches. maybe the person doesn’t feel it but it is still there. food will likely get caught in those deeper pouches and an infection that causes pain takes hold.
in each individual, the obstacles to healing will differ to different degrees.
Good advice TJ, except you left out one important item. If Dan is going on a liquid diet it might be best if the liquids do not contain sugar (strawberry shake) and no drinks with high carb content. I find it surprising that more people don’t try the no sugar low carb diet, I mean it doesn’t cost very much and it won’t hurt you if you do it correctly. Best part of all…. if your symptoms don’t go away after a couple of weeks then you know it won’t work for you and you can go back to eating whatever you like. Of course the pain will return but you can eat what you like.
On another note, someone here is writing about “advanced” Diver??? Here’s my take on that, Regardless of your diver condition….if you continue to eat foods that inflame your gut you will only get worse and eventually you’ll get a major infection, then what??? You can get a major infection no matter what stage your Diver is in, all you have to do is eat all the wrong things. For me, if my gut was inflamed and i ate raw chiles (Jalapenos or Serano peppers) it would really kill me with pain/bleeding. The whole trick is to rid yourself of the inflammation!! NO inflammation, No pain!!! No inflammation, No infection! No infection, No surgery!! I can only relate to those things that helped me, everyone is different and everyone has different “triggers”. My triggers are carbs (that our body turns into sugar) and sugar. It’s a pretty short list, only two things.
Treblig
One more thing!!! I have pouches. My last lower abdomen cat scan showed them exquisitely!! They are there but they are dormant. Without the food items that aggravate and inflame the pouches there are no symptoms, non at all. If you can “permanently” eliminate the food items that aggravate your diver you can pretty much live the rest of your life pain free and never get an infection and never have to get surgery. Unfortunately there’s only one person who can do that………..It starts with “Y” and ends with “U”.
PS – the middle letter is “O”!!!
treblig
If they recommend drinking gatorade and flat ginger ale and hello how is this no sugar…I’m 61 years Old had my first attack at 47 then not another one until 56 but have had two in last 4 months I’m afraid to have colonoscopy as any gas in my lower intestines causes great pain…I do believe it’s related to what you eat was doing well but we’re going through a out of state move and haven’t been following a safe diet so now I’m sick again
Linda, I know that NO doctor has ever told me to avoid sugar or carbs and that includes my gastroenterologist!! They DON’T KNOW!! Even when I tell my personal physician about my diet he tells me to eat carbs and sugar. I tell him “Why would I eat the foods that give me pain and bleeding??” Then he says, “Well, if those foods aggravate your condition you should avoid them!!” THEY DON’T KNOW!!! You can drink whatever your body will tolerate, even regular Coca Cola but I won’t. I just returned from a week long vacation to Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone. Some hotels had free breakfast. One or two only had cereal and pasties (translation: carbs and sugar). Needless to say I drove to the nearest IHOP and ordered a triple order of bacon, three eggs (over easy) and two sausage patties. Some hotels had a full breakfast, I would have a bunch of scrambled eggs, all the bacon I could eat and sausage. For supper I would usually find a hamburger joint and order a triple meat and cheese with extra veggies AND THROW THE BREAD AWAY. Or a BBQ place, brisket/Chicken and sausage…yum, yum!! It wasn’t hard at all to stick to my diet but I did have to spend a little extra money for a few days. Now I’m back home and have returned to my EVOO, better’n eggs, and 20 strips of bacon. I remember the pain and bleeding very well and will do everything in my power to avoid having to suffer again. Moreover, with each attack there is a good chance for infection, with each infection there’s a chance of hospitalization. With each hospitalization there’s a chance for surgery!! It’s a very simple path to losing a section of your intestines.
PS – It’s easy to get UNSICK!! Don’t eat anything that aggravates your condition!!
Good Luck and keep trying!!
Treblig
Having just been in the hospital with my first attack (on both cypro & flagyl) and feeling very confused about what to do next, I am so happy to have stumbled on this forum. Your posts have given me hope! I know that I can keep this from happening again! Thanks for going before and paving a clear path for others to follow❤
Actually my case is so bad about the only food I can eat is yoghurt, okayu (very soft watery rice), and tofu.
The Doc gave me packets of magnesium to soften my stool. I’ve been on them for over 10 years. If I take a packet after every meal (as advised) I normally have explosive diarrhea. The doc told me not to take it so often if I have diarrhea but If I don’t take it and my stool hardens then my colon is so shot that it doesn’t have the musculature (it’s all sacks) to get it out.
But I am very careful of what I eat and if I feel a bout of Diverticulosis coming on (I get tired, violently irritable, and ravenous hunger) I get even more careful of what I eat…just yoghurt and okayu for maybe a week. And that usual clears it up. But I have been hospitalized three times with serious Diverticulosis where I had to be put on Intravenous feeding and antibiotics for 7 to 10 days each time.
I feel for you Dan. prioris and treblig won’t agree with me, esp. prioris, I am a “failure” b/c I ended up having to have surgery. I was so sick as you, I had continuous fevers on and off for over four months, was hospitalized on IV antiobiotics, that was for the 2nd time, then I just got so weak, and lost 20 lbs b/c I couldn’t eat. They couldn’t do a colonoscopy b/c I was so inflamed, and I wasn’t eating sugar. I tried aloe vera, liquid diet meaning water and herbal teas, I finally had to have surgery. It was not what I wanted to have but I am doing fine, I still have pouches in my entire colon but they are not infected and I must keep them that way. The part that was removed the Dr. told me was totally diseased, it had to come out sooner or later. I hope you never have to go that route, but these guys cannot see inside your gut. Only you know what your body is telling you, get another opinion. And take care of yourself.
I don’t recall anyone ever saying someone has failed if they have surgery. Just be aware that surgery doesn’t address root problem. I think the older one is, the more leeway there is for surgery because we are nearing the end of our lifespan.
We are under physical, economic and psychological stress with these health conditions. Just make an attempt to do ones own due diligence by informing and experimenting with different things. My overall purpose is to try to give people more healing paths to avoid surgery.
I agree with prioris. Surgery is not failure!! Now if you get surgery and refuse to change your diet then you might be failing yourself!!! As I have written before sugar and carbs inflame my body, that includes lungs and sinuses as well as intestines. If I had to get surgery tomorrow for my Diver it would only solve one small part of my problem. The damaged part of my gut would be removed but my body would still get inflamed by eating the wrong foods. The rest of my intestines would continue to become inflamed if I didn’t stay my diet and eventually they would have to remove more!!! Not only that….but my lung and sinus inflammation would also return if I got off my diet. All surgery does is remove the damaged part of your gut….IT DOES NOT CURE THE FACT THAT YOUR BODY IS REACTING TO SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE EATING!!!! Your body will continue to react (inflammation) to certain foods before and after surgery. Surgery solves nothing except temporary relief of the pain, but the pain will return in another part of your system if you continue to eat things that cause inflammation in your body. NOW….I don’t claim to know what it is that “inflames” your body or anyone else’s body. All I know is what inflames my body. I also know that it is an accepted fact that sugar causes inflammation in the body. I also know that the human body converts carbs into sugar. I also know that cancer cells use sugar as their main source of fuel. You can eat what you like but there are certain things that “your body” is not going to like.
Treblig
I am needing your advice a well. In May of 2015 I had terrible stomach pain. I am 54 and never have stomach aches. The weeks before that I was totally swollen. My eyes got weird, even my gums hurt. I was hospitalized overnight. Given the meds for two weeks and ended up back in the ER with fever and chills. Two CT scans later. I was told I had a micro perforation. Five doctors in and out for four days most pushing surgery. wanted some time to think, so I left four days later and saw a few more doctors. The surgeon said I need the surgery. I’ve never had surgery before and I am scared to death. So many people die each year in hospitals from error infection, etc..no colonoscopy yet either because I can’t stay well for long. I changed my diet, take a boat load of probiotics and I’m still unsure. I was crying this morning, before I went to the dry cleaners, the owner asked me what happened, so I told him. He told me he has it too, and that he almost died. I think I was pretty close myself with the fever and chills. I decided right there and then to have the surgery. The door opens a man walks in, he asks what we are talking about, the owner tells him, and he says “DO NOT HAVE THAT SURGERY UNLESS YOU REALLY NEED IT’ I start to cry again and he says, I’m telling you do anything you can to avoid it. “I’m a surgeon” Still crying I say, but how do I know when? He said “when you become anemic or loss a considerable amount of weight! WTH? I have no idea how to proceed and the stress may just kill me first.
If you search the internet you’ll find that NOT ALL micro perforations require surgery. Here are some excepts I found very quickly by doing a search. NOW TO BE CLEAR…I am not recommending anything as I am not a Doctor. If there is medical evidence that surgery is not always required then non-surgical paths must be available. I imagine that it depends on the size and location of the perforation!!
TREBLIG
Please read below…….
“PATIENT AND METHOD:
From January 2002 to June 2004, 109 early gastric cancers and 300 adenomas were treated with endoscopic mucosal resection. Iatrogenic perforations occurred in 4.16% (n=17) patients. Following exclusion of four evident perforations, microperforation was observed in 3.18% (n=13) patients. The clinical features of microperforation in patients were retrospectively reviewed.
RESULTS:
In a total of 13 microperforation cases, 2 patients were managed surgically. The remaining patients successfully recovered without surgical management. In the case of 11 patients without surgery, 7 experienced abdominal pain, which required analgesics, 2 patients experienced mild discomfort and 2 patients experienced no symptoms. A body temperature above 37.5 degrees C was observed in 9.1% (n=1) patients and leucocytosis above 9000 microL-1 was in 72.7% (n=8) patients. The mean duration of nasogastric tube drainage was 2.36+/-1.03 days, of fasting 4.18+/-1.17 days, of intravenous antibiotics 5.55+/-1.44 days and of hospitalisation 7.45+/-1.04 days.
CONCLUSION:
Microperforation induced by gastric endoscopic mucosal resection can be managed successfully using a non-surgical approach including fasting, nasogastric tube drainage and intravenous antibiotics”
“Historically, the management of perforation was always operative. However, she adds, medical professionals now know that small perforations in well-prepared bowels can sometimes be managed non-operatively. “The clinically stable, non-toxic patient may be treated with NGT, IVF, IV ABX and bowel rest, and serial abdominal exams,” she says. “If there is clinical deterioration, surgery is indicated. Surgery is indicated for patients with peritonitis after perforation, or with an underlying disease process (i.e., cancer) that would necessitate intervention.””
I take no credit for the excepts above. I found them during a quick search on the internet.
Treblig
try probiotics daily and also fermented veg to increase the good bacteria in you gut.
Slow cooked broths and stocks. (including eating the meat if no flare ups.) The broth is supposed to be very healing and is full of protein and collagen etc that repairs the gut and intestinal wall. L glutamine and slippery elm type products great too.
Of course sugar and grains and daily are inflammatory.
Im trying this with a family member. Doctors, unless have alternative trainin, such as naturopathy or biomedical training, do NOT know anything about diet and will mis inform patients.
Stay clear of surgery unless you have spoken to the best naturopath first.
Good luck and eat more slow coked foods and probate rich foods!
Hey Treblig,
I’ve cancelled my sugar craving, cut out meat and finally jumped into big gut busting salads. It’s the only thing you need to do to get healthier. Refined sugar and wheat are the 2 worst things for your gut next to living down wind of a nuke plant. Diverticulosis is a condition like becoming too tall. If you want to become a helicopter pilot you are more prone to get a haircut. but if you want to survive you have to learn to duck. Diverticulosis won’t be a problem if you can control your cravings.
You are mostly correct Nathan. You can survive on Salads if they are prepared properly. I eat two giant Caesar salads every evening. I eat Better’n Eggs with bacon and 4 Tbls of EVOO every morning. Your body needs protein so that you don’t lose muscle mass. It can be in the form of beans, fish, chicken,eggs or whatever you like, but you have to get sufficient protein in your diet. When your on a high fat low carb diet your body will actually convert your muscles (protein) into energy. But that only happens if you don’t eat enough protein. So i eat the majority of my protein at breakfast (eggs, bacon) and eat mostly salads in the evening. But everyone should do what works for them and if you’ve found a way that works for you then “go for it”. Just be sure and get all the vitamins and minerals (supplements) you need as a result of not eating a wide variety of foods like other people.
Glad to hear you’re doing well!!! I guess your symptoms have disappeared???? Inquiring minds want to know????
Treblig
Another thing to add to your attempts to defeat diverticulitis is using a Terminator 2 Zapper.
I have experimented with the Terminator 2 Zapper and have found it a very effective device. It is the most popular zapper in the world. It combines zapper circuit with an Orgone generator. Orgone energy is known by other names like Qi, Chi and Etheric.
I had a very virulent herpes zoster and after 3 days 16+ hours a day brought it under control. It worked much better than lysine or lysine diet. I plan on wearing it for many months. I will wear it for rest of my life if I have to.
I am very cognizant that many people especially chronically ill may be on very tight budgets so must choose carefully what they buy. I very rarely recommend things. I tend to suggest things.
I strongly recommend buying the Terminator 2 zapper even if your on SSI or living in a box. It costs $130. It has many generic health applications. If it doesn’t work for one thing it may for something else. Running it 24 hours a day for one month would cost $3.50 in batteries (seven 9 volt batteries). You may save on supplements to make up for the cost of the zapper.
I always tell people that it is worth buying a silicon enema kit because it has many health applications. The zapper is very easy and comfortable to use. I just place mine on upper chest inside shirt while sitting.
Understand that there may be virus, bacteria and parasites (nih says each person averages 2 lbs of parasites) in your body. By taking the load off your immune system, you may improve your chance of healing your diverticulitis. there are positive anecdotal reports in curing ulcers.
As these microbes get killed, your body ph changes for the better also. This should be in your basic medical box of chronically ill people. If you have any herxheimer reaction, you can just stop it and start it as you like.
You have to think out of the box when approaching health problems. There is a strong following of people around the world who have used them and would never live without one.
You may have other pains and health problems go away as you wear it.
Even though I agree with most of the things said I can tell based on my experience that it all depends on the stage of the diver an individual is in. For me IBS diarrhea problems turned into the constipation problem on the day I started having Paleo pancakes on daily basis. They are all made of the excess of Almond and Coconut flour. Before that I would eat whole grain rice every day. So, why pancakes to cause – trigger it (of course not just them) – it’s because those “flours” are super high residue and if the intestinal pockets are already there they will stick there for too long. Peanut butter does the same too. Then it’s the same with some fiber supplements – every time I would take them the constipation was around the corner. It wasn’t like that always – just the period when my condition got worse. with High Fat diet that lacks of fiber and some resistant starch – your gut motility may be very affected in a negative way. – it’s science not my opinion only.
Extremes are dangerous and definitely unnatural, so people should seek what works for them the best. I am partially Paleo but my gut feels better having Polenta here and there and Black Rice (kinda careful bc of the blood glucose).
There is a lot of very good info here. I have been struggling with diverticular disease for years. I am very interested in the no sugar/no carb approach. One concern though – and perhaps it’s already been addressed – what about fibre? Doctors have pressed home the notion of high fibre. I do about 25 grams a day with help from high fibre – read carbs – cereal. What to do??
Theresa, I’ve always read the same about high fiber in the diet and I used to eat a big bowl of high fiber cereal every morning and/or oatmeal ( I don’t eat any of that anymore). As I have found, you can eat all the high fiber you want but if it contains carbs or sugar then you’re going to do more harm than good. The only fiber I get from foods is in green beans (very low carb), salads (no croutons, very low carb), lots of EVOO (seems to act as a lubricant). The rest of the fiber I need I get from Citrucel. 3 to 4 tablets with each meal. I have also found that the intestines (with Diver) can tolerate much less fiber when they are not inflamed. In other words, although fiber is good for you and keeps things moving along, it does you no good at all if the foods (foods containing fiber) are causing the inflammation…..Get it?? If you can find foods that are high in fiber and contain little or no carbs or sugar then you should be OK. But remember, in total, you must keep the carb intake to 30g or less with no sugar. At least that’s what worked for me. I have never professed to know it all!!
If you trying to put a fire “out”” you don’t through water (mixed with gasoline) on it????
treblig
I have been doing the Yoli lifestyle the last 2 months (very low carb/no sugar). It gives you probiotics and a product called alkelete. I also take 2 200mg of Magnesium Citrate instead of taking so much Citrucel and that keeps things very regular for me. I eat very little to no carbs and have been reading everything trebling has written and its worked wonders for me. I like Yoli because it gives a “routine” that really works for me. I think you can just do probiotics and eat low carb and that will work just fine.
TJ, Your comments really help a lot!!! Many people are hesitate to try the diet I have settled on. Some think that something bad will happen if you avoid carbs and sugar (or the foods that contain them). My wife and I have been on this diet for over a year now and we get check ups frequently (including blood tests). If you have found something to take the place of Citrucel I say..Go For It!! I used ground flax seed for a while but settled on the Citrucel. You have to find the type of fiber substitute that works for you, only it can’t have carbs or sugar in it!! Good luck with your diet!!
Treblig
TJ,
Has the Yoli program and diet helped reduce inflammation and provided relief from pain?
Thanks!!
Kelly
There are a lot of myths concerning fiber.
https://www.gutsense.org/reports/myth.html
The amount of fiber they suggest 25g to 40g is a ridiculous amount. I would burst and explode if I ate that much. The scientific study that gets pushed out there just isn’t practical for most people. It gets taken out of context.
Fiber has some legitimate uses even medicinal but you have to experiment with things. Some people have probably had their diverticulitis cured with fiber but I view it for more minor microbe problems. One nice thing it may do is act like a brush and clean the intestine. It can also feed the good microbes. People who have more serious problems will end up reading chriskresser articles.
In the end, you have to experiment with your diet. You may find something useful that works for you and fiber is something to play with for some people. I would definitely disregard the amounts they recommend. Each individual needs to determine what seems right for them.
One thing I haven’t figured out??? I know that Ketones (Strawberries and Blueberries) help the body fight inflammation (most Doctors would agree). I also know that depriving the body of carbs and sugar causes you to go into Ketosis. I know that being in “Ketosis” makes the body produce Ketones in order to convert oil/fat into energy. So is it the massive amount of Ketones, being produced by the body, that are responsible for eliminating all the inflammation OR is it the deprivation of carbs and sugar that are helping to decrease the inflammation OR is it a combination of both?? What I haven’t been able to determine is, “If you could remain in a state of “Ketosis” and still eat all the carbs and sugar would the Diver symptoms go away?”. This is a question that is impossible to answer because you can’t eat carbs and sugar and be in Ketosis at the same time. As soon as you eat any appreciable amounts of carbs or sugar you almost immediately fall out of Ketosis. About the only way you could get away with eating 70-80 grams of carbs/sugar is if you exercised quite a bit, enough to “burn off” all the crabs and sugar. I have done that but I lost a lot of weight so I had to quit exercising. Now that I don’t exercise (and on this diet) my pulse rate is down by 20 percent, my blood pressure is normal (without medication…finally), my blood sugar is in the more normal range. They say that exercising will lower you pulse rate (it never did for me, used to be 99-100 at rest). They say that exercising will help lower blood pressure, it never did for me. The reason exercise (I believe) never helped those conditions is because the sugar and carbs were inflaming all of my internal organs or the fact that I didn’t have massive amounts of Ketones inside me. Of course all this is just a theory??? Doctors will all agree that inflammation in the human body causes a good majority of current ailments whether it be allergies, lung congestion, arthritis, IBS, Diver or any other disease/condition that feeds off of inflammation. I haven’t given up on testing my theories but I do seem to have two other members on this site that are willing to try the diet that worked for me. So we’ll see??? I’ll keep experimenting and testing my theories. I haven’t told my whole story because it takes a lot of writing so I’ve only been giving everyone an overview. I’ll try and explain more as time goes on if anyone is interested??
Thanks for the support!!!
Treblig
It would be interesting if anyone else apart from trebling, can do the same recommendations, based on personal experience, or because he/she’s a doctor, about avoiding carbos and sugars..?
I have seen some doctors but none of them actually recommended to cut out carbs and sugars.
Guido, One of the members here, “Jeannieology ” has started on the same diet that I use. I asked her to let me (us) know how it goes with her. The Doctors I’ve seen, 5-6 of them, have also NEVER recommended no carbs and no sugar (not even my Gastroenterologist) . The Doctors don’t know everything, if they did this disease would have been cured long ago. I started on this diet by mistake!!! After one blood test early last year my fasting blood sugar was 103. I told my Doctor, “I don’t want to end up with diabetes AND diver”. He told me that my blood sugar is OK and for me not to worry about it. I said to myself “Bullcrap!!”. I got on the internet and found that cutting back on sugar and carbs not only makes your blood sugar levels better it can actually reverse diabetes. So I started on this low carb, low sugar diet to lower my blood sugar so I wouldn’t end up with diabetes. As it turns out, after I had been on the diet for a couple of weeks my diver symptoms slowly started to disappear. I did more research online and found that if you decrease your intake of carbs and sugar low enough you’ll go into Ketosis. More research told that when you’re in Ketosis your body produces Ketones. I already knew that the Health community and Doctors recommend blueberries and strawberries for inflammation because they contain Ketones!!! So I figured………If I can get into Ketosis my body will be flooded with Ketones day and night which should help the inflammation in my gut. So by going on this diet I accomplished two things. I determined that sugar and carbs inflame my gut and our own natural Ketones help fight the inflammation.
It was too good to be true so I decided to test my theory. I had a plan!!!! I also have asthma (I’ve had it all my life) and I get tested every 6 months by a specialist who has a machine that measures the inflammation in your lungs. This specialist has had me on Alvesco (inhaler) for well over a year to control the inflammation in my lungs. Even though I had been on the Alvesco for many months the lung test were always the same (high lung inflammation). So I tested my theory by stopping the inhaler 6 weeks before my last visit (last year) to the lung specialist. When I took the lung inflammation test the specialist was very surprised that my lung inflammation had finally greatly decreased. When I told him I had stopped the Alvesco he became very puzzled. In fact said, “Well that’s impossible”. Then I explained my theory to him and he was amazed!! Then he told me that he also had diver and wanted to know all about my diet. Since then I no longer use the Alvesco (it never worked anyway). Since then I’ve also noticed that my nasal allergies have completely gone away (after 50 years!!!). I no longer get those nasty inflammations in my sinuses, I can breath clearly all the time now. So you can call me crazy but something in the carbs and sugars was inflaming my gut, my lungs and my sinuses (and heaven knows what other organs). Besides…..as long as you take all the required vitamins and minerals you can live pretty healthy on this diet, I have for almost a year now. Look at it this way….if after a couple of months your diver symptoms haven’t gone away then go back to eating all the carbs and sugar you like. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it doesn’t cost a dime to try another diet but it could save you from surgery!!!! My other theory is that the Ketones only seem to help the areas of the body that have mucus (mucosa), like lungs, sinuses and intestines. I base this theory on the fact that my arthritis symptoms (joint pain, which is basically inflammation) have not decreased in the least. Not much mucus membrane in the joints evidently!!!
Anyway those are my theories except the one about the Ketones and carbs and sugar with respect to inflammation, that theory was proven by that fancy machine that checks for lung inflammation.
Also don’t forget that Cancer cells digest sugar as their main source of energy!!!!!!
Treblig
Hi trebling,
Thanks a lot for all explanations, really helpful..you should try sell this information 🙂
I respect your choices but what scares me a little is that, in my ignorance, I know for a fact that brain needs glucose as the fuel and so does the body. Maybe its true that you can replace it with good fat but still, I don’t know if this can create some problems in the long run.
Also, I think that maybe its not necessary to go that drastic. You can do it when its inflamed but if you’re good and your immune system is fine the gut flora is OK, don’t need to cut completely on carbs. They told me vitamin d is helping the intestine to stay healthy and that all people suffering from diver have vit d carency. I do for example. I now take supplements and as much sun I can get.
Guido, I did a lot of research before i went all out on this diet. If you have read all of my comments here you would have read about the “Inuit” people who live in the arctic region. They live on a frozen tundra and have survived for hundreds of years eating whale blubber, seal fat/meat and fish. Mostly raw meat. No vegetables, no fruits and no sugar. You can’t grow a carrot on a frozen tundra. But my point is that these people have existed for a very long time on this diet. I’ve never heard of Inuit people having brain disorders or brain dysfunction?? I can’t even imagine how they find their way around in a featureless landscape, I would get lost!!!! In fact they live a good healthy life. I respect your concerns and each of us have to do what we have to do. You say, “it might create some problems in the long run”??? It might, but the carbs and sugar that I might eat will absolutely create some problems…. RIGHT NOW!! If I continue having flare ups I could easily end up in the hospital getting part of my intestine removed like other people on this website. Once that happens your life will change forever!! You also say, “we don’t have to go that drastic”, maybe not?? But if you’re not in Ketosis your not producing Ketones. Ketones fight inflammation. The wrong foods cause inflammation, you have to find a way to fight the inflammation??? I’m not trying to convince you to do anything but if this diet was affecting my brain how could I write so logically and make so much sense???
If you do a little research on the internet you will find that the brain can use Ketones in the absence of sugar/carbs….it’s no secret. The Inuit people have proved it and continue to prove it every day.
I hope you find another solution that allows me to eat ice cream and cake every day. I would love a big baked potato and tons of fried rice!! And those chocolate covered cherries….OHhhh!!!!
Wishing you the best of luck…
Treblig
Hi treblig, sorry it took some time to reply to you.
Well, to be honest I don’t know what to think anymore. Last week I had another flare up, a mild one. I tried to stay away from sweets, dairy producs, meat and mostly red meat and carbos as you suggested. (I believe the flare up was a consequence of a prolongated usage of antibiotics (not for diver) as well, taken without counter balance them with probiotics.
Anyway, I slightly got better, and on friday, while still having a little pain in the lower addome, I had 2 big portions of potatos and about 7 cups of red wine. Basically everything I should haven’t eaten/drank. The day before I woke up with a big of hangover but with no pain whatsover in the addome. Really, I don’t know what to think anymore. Possibly pain was going away anyway but still…listening to what you’re saying, I should have been feeling very bad the day after.
I wonder if alcoohol can play a part on getting rid of the infection.
Also, Wondering what you think about the lack of vitamin D in correlation with development of diver. Had you never heard this before?
Thanks again for taking the time to read this.
Cheers
Guido, I have never said to “NOT” eat meat. I said the opposite. Meat, sausage, bacon, fish, ham are all OK. Just no carbs (like potatoes) and no sugar (in any form). It usually takes two to three days for you to feel the effects of eating the wrong foods. You seldom ever feel it the very next day (at least I don’t). Also, I have found, if you’re intestines are not inflamed the bad foods don’t hurt very much. But if you are already inflamed then eat some bad foods you’ll really feel it. I can stay on my diet 24/7 for a month and have no problems then I’ll eat a big piece of cake and in a day or two I’ll feel it. BUT….since my intestines were not inflamed it only hurt a little bit then goes away quickly. You say “you tried” to stay away from the sweet and carbs……that tells me that you’re not actually doing it. I know it’s not easy but you have to think of it this way….when you eventually get a section of your intestines removed what are you going to do then??? Will you continue to eat the wrong things until you lose another section of intestine?? Not me, I don’t ever want to have to go to the hospital for a Diver infection!!!! As long as I keep away from sweets (sugar in any form) and very few carbs I’m perfectly fine with NO Diver symptoms. You do know that just because they remove a bad section of intestine you’ll still continue to get inflammations in the rest of the intestines!!! Also I don’t get hangovers since I started drinking Royal Crown with diet coke along with the hangover pills (pure charcoal tablet) . Crown Royal has no carbs or sugar but the impurities in many Alcohol products will give you a hangover, the charcoal pills absorb all the impurities. Also I believe that sugar (in the alcohols drinks) also gives you a headache. A headache is nothing more than aggravated (inflamed) arteries/parts of you brain!!! It’s not ROCKET science!!
PS – I eat tons of meat/bacon/sausage on a daily basis.
Don’t give up, just do what I do….every time I think about eating something that contains sugar or carbs I think about walking around with a colostomy bag.
treblig
hi treblig,
I know you’re actually eating a lot of meat but see, I think that might be a trigger. Meat and especially red meat is known to be an inflammatory food for your itnestines, so if you eat that a lot and debilitate in some way your intestines, you might favour diver very much. I understand it worked for you, but still, it’s an inflammatory food you’re eating that will favour acidity in your guts.
I totall agree with you, that it will take one or two days to get the real symptoms but I can assure you that after one week, I’m still doing fine (I’m on probiotics anyway, maybe a bit of cheating).
So well, I do want to listen to you but it seemed that for me doesn’t work completely that way.
Have you got some thoughts about vitamin D and its relationship with Diver?
I take 5500 IU of vitamin D every day. Been taking that since I started on my diet. I have to take numerous vitamins and minerals to compensate for the fact that I don’t eat any fruits and limited vegetables. To be clear, I don’t eat lots of red meat but I do need a certain amount of protein in one form or another to maintain muscle mass. I eat 15 strips of bacon every morning with 3 eggs cooked in 3-4 Tbls of EVOO. Supper is usually a very large Caesar salad. With the salad I’ll sometimes eat grilled sausage medallions. So I really don’t eat tons of meat. I do eat a nice 8 Oz steak every week or so.and of course Salmon, Tuna salad and chicken salad. As for meat causing inflammation….I think it’s what you’re eating with the meat!! I used to eat my steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, and of course rolls/bread. So was it the meat or the potatoes and bread that used to hurt me??? IT WAS THE CARBS!!! I can pretty much eat all the meat I want as long as I get my fiber (Citrucel). It’s really hard to accuse one particular food item as the culprit when we all know that most people usually don’t eat meat all by itself. You go into any eatery and see for yourself. If someone orders a steak what do they usually eat on the side…..buttered rolls, break sticks, potatoes, french fries, etc, etc. I’ll get green beans sometimes (very low carb) but when they don’t have green beans I get two salads (no croutons). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, find what aggravates your condition and avoid those foods. If you can eat potatoes with wine then you’re lucky, I can’t. I say, don’t eat foods that hurt you. If you search the internet you will find overwhelming evident that sugar causes inflammation. If you search further you’ll also find that the human body turns carbs into sugar. So if sugar is causing me problems then carbs are also part of the problem.
Wishing you luck.
treblig
Guido
Do yourself a favor and stop taking advice from this thread. They have absolutely no clue abt nutrition. Dr Kesser is all about selling his books.
Go and find some real scientific data and you will see that you’re absolutely right on the facts that red meat is bad and might even lead to colon cancer. Carbohydrates are not bad! What people don’t get is that they are very different. Simple carbs such as sugar is obviously bad, but complex carbs are great!
Stick to cooked veggies, potatoes, fish and oats etc and you will see the difference.. Wine in moderation is fine too..
Hi Malin,
i am aware that red meat produces inflammation and I will keep on avoiding that when having flares (and in general).
It’s interesting though to see how other people are dealing with diver. to be honest, I am not really in favour of avoiding carbs, also bec in my experience, I didn’t notice any major problem with them.
And if I’m following this blog is because doctors don’t have any clear answer. I’ve seen like 4-5 between gastroenterologists and dietists. they NEVER agreed on what to eat or not: Fiber/not fiber, things with seeds or hard to chew, diary products, vitamin D carency, take more sun!. I’ve heard it all. So well, it’s really up to oneself to find the way back to healing.
@Treblig: the article about inuit is not really in your favour. the article itself says that inuit live in a much less polluted enviroment, less stress. Their fat is coming from almost not-contaminated animals with a large prevalence of Omega 3 fats, so I wouldn’t really rely on that to backup your assertions. But well, I do respect your opinion, at the end of the day, good for you that you’ve found this way. You should probably try to backup your hipotesis with some solid data and write a book about it..
Why is it that u think that just because things dont affect u that they are right for everyone? Red meat affects everyone i know with this disease. Smh
Hey Treblig, I started having left side pain little over two months ago around November 15th. Didn’t think much of it, thought I might have pulled my groin muscle or something. Any way I needed up going to the doctor and put on cipro and fagyll. Had a cat scan. Cr scan showed I had divertilosis not diverticulitis. Two weeks later had colonoscopy. Doctor could not finish it as I was inflamed inside colon. Back on antibiotics second time still have three days left on it. I am not really worse but not better either. I do have anxiety that can be severe for the last year or so. Little over two years ago I had a physical that showed I was becoming a diabetic and high cholesterol. I’m 6’2″ and weighed 255 and was 52 at the time. I decided to loose weight changed me eating habits ate better. A salad a day at lunch and lost 50 lbs. numbers became normal again! I was so happy! Now this. I have actually lost like 10 lbs the last few weeks scared to eat much. Not knowing you know. I found this blog and have spent hours reading on it. I see a lot of different things here. Anyway today I tried a different approach eating wise. Number one I need more calorie intake. So here’s my food I ate today. See if you agree with it, because what you have done worked for you. Breakfast 3 scrambled eggs cooked in 2 pads butter with shredded cheddar cheese on top. Lunch 3 salmon cakes made with mustard, mayo, whorstshire, a lil Pablo side of canned public brand baby carrots from public. A serving of frozen spinach. Dinner chicken breast cook in evoo with an avocado and left over carrots from lunch. Best I can figure this was around 1500 calories for the day. Most I’ve eaten in one day in like 6 weeks! Thanks, hope to here back!! Tom
Your post was great and I need to pay attention to people like yourself. I have tried to get into ketosis and fail miserably around the 4th day into it I have been suffering with constipation/diarrhea for many years and fear if I do not get serious that I will end up needing surgery or worse getting cancer and suffering.
I am 60 yrs old, live alone, and, for the most part, been hermit like so i don’t get any encouragement other than reading a few blogs here and there that promote your way of eating.
Please keep spreading this information as much as possible because it does give hope to many like myself who need constant reinforcement which gives us hope. You will be doing us a great service and I thank you for this post.
Susan, I write as much as I can about what works for me. I am very strong willed and I also still have kids in the house so my health is very important to me. If you live alone it makes it much more difficult because you need to have a reason to “LIVE”!! You must have some interest in living because you’re on this website trying to learn how to get well. I never said it was easy, but it’s not impossible!! Depending on your body you may not have to go completely into Ketosis. If can keep the carbs very low and the sugar very low it might be enough to relieve some of the inflammation, but there’s no way I can guarantee it because everyone is different. Besides, it you’re not in Ketosis your body doesn’t produce Ketones!! Ketones help fight inflammation. It’s your choice and your life, I can only suggest and encourage.
treblig
Alz. Awareness Summit talked frequently of ketgenic diet. However, some people nust can get there (could be medications they are on–statins, for one, prevent K-state, or just thrir metabolism). Good news was: adding coconut oil (or MCT, which is costly and requires more frequent dosing) minimum 3x daily can make ketones readily available.
Hi Treblig,
I am so impressed by you and what you have achieved.
I’m having more and more attacks of diverticulitis and as my bowel has adhered to my stomach wall, any surgery will be very dangerous. Could you list for me the foods you eat and what you avoid. Some sites contradict what to eat, but I agree with you..the mainstream doctors don’t know how to treat this disease except by drugs which is a temporary fix.
I’ve been told by a top specialist here in New Zealand that my digestive system is “stuffed “… Not much help!!!
Diverticulosis runs in my family, my mother had it and my sister and brother have it, but they don’t have the pain that I have. I also suffered with asthma as a child, and now have mild bronchiectasis …as you say…mucus related diseases.
So I don’t want to be a nuisance, but could you list the foods you do eat.
Kind wishes and keep healing,
Sincerely, Liz
I mostly eat protein, EVOO, salads (no croutons), cheeses, Caesar dressing, salmon (cooked medium), greens beans with crumbled bacon and pepper mixed in, the toppings off of pizzas (no bread), steaks, ham, bacon, bone marrow, olives, sausage, more salads. I just don’t eat very much carbohydrates (30 or less a day and many times less than 20/day). No sugar except the 12-15 Grams in the 86% dark chocolate bar (helps lower blood pressure). No ice cream , no cake, no candy, no sweets at all. Today we’re going out to eat. I get the blackened salmon (extra spicy, cooked medium to preserve the good fats), and for the two sides I’ll get two Caesar salads with lots of Parmesan, extra dressing and pepper. I might also add a skewer of grilled shrimp and WATER. I avoid carbs and sugar. Now remember, I also take 3-4 Citrucil with each meal to offset the bulkiness of the protein. Citrucil requires that you drink lots of water. The high protein, low carb diet requires lots of water anyway. I’ve described much of my diet here numerous times. It’s hard to remember it all but you can easily scroll down and look for all my posts.
Cheers,
treblig
I have cured myself of many things. Some things fast. Some things a long and winding road. Doctors rarely inform the patient that they can be fixed except with expensive and health destroying treatments. Most people gravitate to quick pain fixes. I don’t.
I was talking with someone who had spinal stenosis last week. Spinal stenosis is essentially something pressing up against the nerve. Doctor never explained this to her. I did some research and found out that the condition has 6 different causes. We pretty much narrowed down the causes. The most common cause is BONE SPURS. Bone spurs is essentially a calcium metabolism dysfunction. She was just left to twist in the wind with pain. Too many doctors only care about their bottom line. Few go beyond their medical education. I told her that bone spurs can be dissolved. It’s a long process but that is something she can do with some supplements on her own. Magnesium and vitamin K2 MK7 are but two necessary supplement. In the short and intermediate term, she can go to a chiropractor to address the pain.
A problem with giving people health advice is that if the first remedy I suggest doesn’t work, they will automatically dismiss me. I can tell you that I have gone thru many remedies before something has worked. Another problem is people hold doctors in high esteem so they discount people who are not an MD hence any advice is rejected.
Most people can’t or unwilling to educate themselves hence the medical establishment and government take advantage of this ignorance. This doesn’t preclude using a doctor but one must be careful about seeing them as the end all and be all for medical care. Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer to most chronic health problems.
Aloe Vera is the most popular remedy. If your taking it on en empty stomach and with some of the diet suggestions from treblig then you need other approaches that can defeat the microbe.
When we are dealing with internal microbes, we are working blind. We don’t know what exactly that microbe infection is nor do we know if something is protecting it and fueling it. The fuel needs to be taken away in order to heal it and that is usually food of some type. Aloe vera may be ineffective against the microbe you have. I would maybe experiment taking some bromelain in case there are biofilms involved.
I would consider adding partial enemas with plain water every so often maybe every 3-7 days to keep that area clean. The colon is normally clean but there may be some sludge towards the sigmoid part of the colon near rectum where you pooh hangs around. You could do it with aloe vera in plain water too but I’d use plain water. This isn’t necessarily a cure but it could be involved. I’d do it standing or sitting over toilet. Enemas take some practice. Make sure water is lukewarm or body temperature. I’d get a silicon one with metal hanging clip. You can hang it on shower rod. Use an oil on tip.
I would consider experimenting with a liquid fast diet. I can’t tell you how long but some anecdotal reports have had success with 30 days. This may not be a cure either but may give you valuable information about how to fight it.
There is also intermittent fasting that I have mentioned in another post.
I totally agree, we are working blind!!! But from my personal experience AV does not fight the bad microbes. The only time AV helped me was after I had symptoms or an attack then went back to my safe diet THEN take to AV to heal the damage. Taking AV to solve the problem while still eating foods that aggravate your gut in insane…it will not help you at all. That would be like throwing water on a fire as you pour more gasoline onto the same fire.
I believe the reason fasting works (others have said the same) is that your doing the same thing I’m doing. During fasting your taking away sugar and carbs, you’re taking away everything including sugar and carbs. So in essence…I’m fasting, existing only on protein and fats. If I knew which very specific foods or ingredients feed the bad microbes I would know which specific foods to exclude.
Enemas may be solution for some but the only problem I have with enemas is that if you continue to eat foods that inflame your gut then what’s the point??? Again, I’m not saying that enemas don’t help but the solution is to find the foods that either feed the bad microbes OR foods that inflame your gut. All I know it that I have documented (empirical evidence) that the inflammation in my lungs has greatly decreased on my diet. I also know that my sinuses have cleared up completely (first time in 50 years). The lack of inflammation in my sinuses has greatly reduced my sinus allergies to the point where they don’t bother me at all. And of course the pain in my lower intestine is completely gone unless I eat a big piece of cake (carbs and sugar). I am not disagreeing with “prioris” because he/she has evidently been fighting the same problems as the rest of us. And maybe it’s just my body (and my body only ) that responds to the diet I have found.
Wishing Luck to Everyone….
Treblig
i agree about avoiding eating foods that aggravate the condition and it is especially important when using any natural remedy that is trying to heal it.
Aloe vera didn’t work for you but it is the most popular remedy on internet for colon problems. For someone who hasn’t tried it, it is the number one remedy to try.
I couldn’t response to your last question because there was no “reply” button at the end of your post. I think it only lets you reply so many times then you have to start over. You asked how long I had been symptom free. That’s the wrong question….I have had some symptoms but they all have been self imposed. No attacks because when I feel the symptoms (after eating a piece of cake) I go right back to my “safe diet”. If I had never eaten any sweets I would have been symptom free for a year now. But mild symptoms on occasion (by my own doing) don’t bother me because I know “immediately” how to stop them. By “attacks” I think you mean pain and bleeding….I have had NONE in over a year. I used to have attacks every couple of weeks. I have had NO “attacks” at all, only symptoms. I have had a few mild symptoms if I deliberately eat the wrong things (knowingly). I know what causes the symptoms and I know how to control them. Once you find your “safe diet” you can easily avoid “attacks”. Mild symptoms are nothing to worry about if you know how to stop them.
treblig
I have commented a few times in the past. I am ALL for taking care of ourselves in a natural way 100%. But life happens even in the best of circumstances. Sometimes we must be realistic. I wrote months ago I had two bouts of Div. one in 2008 was hospitalized, last April I had a very serious bout, three rounds of antibiotics which I hate but the pain didn’t go away. 4 cat Scans later I was still inflamed and so sick. I was hospitalized in June 2014.
Came home still sick. July and august were a blur I just did not feel well. Had a colonoscopy set for the end of August, the Gastro Dr. I like a lot.
Couldn’t perform that test b/c I was so inflamed he could have perforated my bowel. He said I need to see a Surgeon. I had stopped sugar actually lost 20 lbs b/c I was so sick and couldn’t eat, the pain was so bad.
I found a wonderful Surgeon in my town, He was the best Dr. I saw throughout all of this mess. He checked the now 5 Cat scans I had had and explained the risks etc. but said I needed the surgery.
I felt I had no choice, was taking the Aloe and other things, I knew I needed more.
I am 63.5 yrs old. I had the surgery Oct 15 of 2014. I loved my surgeon, he was there every day, I was 9 days in the hospital it wasn’t easy friends helped me post.
well it is 5 months post op, I feel thankful I found a very good surgeon, and I am glad I had the surgery. He removed 12 inches of my lower colon, I also had a fistula so I needed Urology help also. The surgeon said it was totally diseased, needed to come out. I still have diverticula in my entire colon, I eat as Paleo as I can, walk 25 minutes a day, it took time but I just made plans to visit my daughter and grandkids in another state today. I can now get on with my life w/o being concerned with the pain. Everyone must make their own decisions, Chris gives a wealth of extremely good and solid information. Yet sometime we need real medical intervention. Hopefully that is the very very last resort. for me it was but I felt I had no choice.
I live one day at a time, trust God with my life, He got me through and gave me a great Surgeon. His kindness was so overwhelming I bought him a tie for Christmas my last post op appointment. Hope I was encouraging to you, I do not encourage surgery just saying we need to be open to reality, sometimes it may be necessary. Only you know get a second opinion, or a third. It’s worth it.
Jeanne, You said, “I was on this diet before. The thing that made me stop is that I was literally stopped up.” I had the same problem, if you read all my posts you’ll find that I take 3-4 Citrucel with each meal (LOTS OF WATER). If you eat lots of salad it also helps..the EVOO in sufficient qualities actually “literally” lubricates the system, if you get my drift!!! Find something (prunes, Citrucel, whatever) to counteract the protein. You know your body and you know what helps you “go”!!
Treblig
Hey Treblig what if I cut out ALL sugars and “some” or “most” carbs? Does it have to be Zero carbs? I don’t want to lose any more weight.
J, If you can keep it under 30 carbs a day you should be OK as long as you don’t cheat!! You can’t go into ketosis, thereby letting your body produce ketones, unless you burn more carbs than you eat. Besides, if you add plenty of EVOO to your diet you won’t lose weight. I was losing weight until I started eating lots of EVOO. I eat 15 G of sugar a day in the 1/2 of a large 86 percent dark chocolate bar. Cocoa helps lower your blood pressure naturally. So that’s all the sugar I eat but only because I have to. I usually eat 30 carbs or less each day but you need lots of good oils (EVOO) because your body uses the oil for fuel (like sugar/carbs) you have to have something for your body to burn in the place of sugar and carbs. You also need enough protein so you don’t lose muscle mass.
treblig
If you take the time to read this:
http://www.theiflife.com/the-inuit-paradox-high-fat-lower-heart-disease-and-cancer/
you’ll find the reason I stand by my diet of protein and good fats. The Inuit people eat no sugar and hardly any carbs at all yet they thrive with little to no heart disease and much, much lower cancer rates than all the rest of us…..WHY??? Read the article. One of the diseases the Inuit don’t suffer from is “rheumatoid arthritis”, do you know one of the main causes or contributors to “RA”…….INFLAMMATION!!! Do you know what fights inflammation in the human body…..Ketones. You can flood your body with Ketones naturally by going into Ketosis. You can only get into Ketosis by drastically cutting back on carbs and sugar. When I used to exercise (one hour 5 times a week) I lost weight on my High Fat Low Carb diet because 30 carbs or less and day and no sugar was not enough fuel to support all that exercise so I ended up burning body fat. So I stopped exercising and now my weight is slowing returning (very slowly). If you eat enough EVOO, Avocados, and olives you will gain weight but your Cholesterol and triglycerides will still be good, mine are. The good fats help your Cholesterol levels. We don’t need a big human study to realize that the Inuit are in continuous Ketosis their whole lives. They have no access to sugar or vegetables/fruits or carbs. It’s a frozen tundra out there, where are you going to find a carrot or a head of lettuce??? All they have is whale blubber, seal fat/meat, fish and caribou. That’s basically a high fat/protein diet.
I emphasis again, you need to take the appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements to compensate for not eating fruits/vegetables and other carbs. The Inuit get all they need from their diet (if you read the article) when it comes to all the other necessary vitamins and minerals. One more thing, why do you think the Inuit have little to no cancer…….well as it turns out cancer cells can only metabolize sugar. If you don’t eat sugar the cancer starves to death. If you eat a lot of sugar your basically feeding your cancer, so why oh why would you eat sugar???
There has to be somebody out there who is smarter than me to discuss my theories on inflammation, Ketosis, and the high fat/protein diet????
treblig
Chris, I read what you posted about your surgery…sorry you had to go through all that. I worry though….just because they removed a portion of your intestine doesn’t mean that certain foods can’t still inflame what’s left of your intestine. Whatever caused your Diver will continue to give you problems if you eat the same things you were eating when you had symptoms. I know that being on a low carb/low sugar diet has greatly decreased the inflammation in my gut, my lungs and my sinuses. My point is, even if i had to get surgery for my diver and they removed part of my intestine I would still stay on my low carb/low sugar diet to help me with my other issues. Plus, I know that my intestines are easily inflamed by certain foods so I would continue to avoid certain things.
Good Luck,
Treblig
Thanks Trebling,
You are 100% right. When he told me I still have diver. in all of my colon that didn’t make me happy, I would never have know if I wasn’t opened up and they saw it all. Not getting into Dr’s but the surgeon was better than all the Dr’s I had the Gi Dr. put me on a low residue diet basically white bread, carbs sugar then I said maybe I am resistant to these antiobiotics since they are nit killing the bacteria. they said after three rounds it is the drug of choice flagyl and cipro, won’t ever take those again. So I was SO sick and I am alone, I had to make decisions with not a full head together. Anyway, I eat chicken fish, nuts, eggs salad and EVOO one small apple or pear for breakfast. That is about my limit on fruit and no problem w them. Cheese doesn’t bother me but I try to watch it for the fat. But I saw after the healing took place tried some sugary stuff ice cream, hot chocolate b/c of the snow and cold it doesn’t make me feel good. No inflammation just all over not good. So I am eating as clean as I can, it gets hard when you are with people who say eat this they don’t get it, have to be strong. I know sugar is the culprit for many diseases, I wish I never had to have this surgery, but it is don’t. and I thank God it was successful, no complications as a long stay in a Hospital is the worst place anyone can be. This surgeon I speak of was on top of everything they usually are just work but he was more than a Primary Dr. to me, he helped me get through it. He was younger I told him he was like a son. So One day at a time and I feel good. I shoveled lots of snow after 4 months post op so I healed well. Again I am with you 100% sugar, whites, fructose etc. all are harmful maybe some can tolerate to a small extent but to much is not good. Thanks for your response.
I think that one of the big problems with this disease is that so many people want to eat like normal people and are looking for a “antidote” like flagyl and cipro to solve their problem. Once the inflammation is allowed to get to the point that you need those powerful (damaging) antibiotics it’s almost too late because the damage has been done. Oh sure the antibiotics may or may not kill the infection but the damage has been done. The way I look at it….why would I continue to eat foods that inflame my gut to the point that I would need antibiotics or surgery, that’s not the answer!!! I was lucky, I found this and other web sites and read about many folks (like yourself) who ended up getting surgery…I didn’t want to end up that way. I am over 60 years old and still have kids in the house (high school and College), they need me!!! There was not one Doctor that had the answer, in fact, my current Doctor keeps telling me to eat more carbs??? I personally have helped more Doctors who told me that they had Diver as well. I tell them what I am doing and believe me… THEY LISTEN!! As for eating at gatherings with other people, I got that figured out. I load my plate with meat and tons of salad/dressing and Avocado. Then when they drag out the deserts (as they always do) I say, “Man I stuffed myself so much with all that good food I can’t possibly eat another bite”. They say, “Man, you did eat alot!!”.
You’re lucky, you’re getting a second chance to get it right!!! I’m still on cruise control, this morning I ate three eggs (over easy) cooked on very low heat in EVOO, 15 strips of bacon, lots of Ranchero sauce to mask the EVOO, refried beans (very low carb), and 1/3 lb of Barbacoa (Mexican BBQ). Since I don’t eat very many carbs and almost no sugar I’ve been having trouble keeping my weight UP. But now that I have found EVOO it’s not a problem. If you eat enough of the good fats you can actually gain weight without eating carbs or sugar. If you gain too much just cut back on the good oils!!
Now I know, or at least I think, my diet is not for everyone with Diver BUT…I do know one thing for sure……….If a person continues to eat foods that aggravate and inflame their gut nothing good will come of it. I’ve written here many times, “Everyone has a choice, eat only what you’re body can tolerate or end up getting surgery”.
Thanks,
Treblig
Jeannie, I wish you the best of luck. I truly hope that my diet helps you as much as it helped me. I was really scared there for a while (early last year) when I had recurring pain and bleeding…the bleeding is really scary. Don’t forget all the supplements you’ll need to compensate for not eating vegetables and fruits. Green beans with lots of crumbled crispy bacon is super low carb and delicious. Once a week I treat myself to a large piece of blackened salmon (cooked medium to preserve the good fats). Remember, Not all EVOOs are created equal. You want good quality cold pressed EVOO. MOST IMPORTANTLY…you must write about your results here or all my writing was for nothing. Find something like Citrucel to replace the fiber. You can control your weight by how much oil you consume and how much you exercise. And most important of all…..NO CHEATING!!!
Good Luck and be sure and give us some results!!!
Treblig
So glad you are feeling well these days. Can I ask you how painful waking up was?
Jeanne, you wrote “I tried everything including the Aloe Vera AMP”. I’ve found that AV only works in the absence of foods that aggravate the condition, otherwise the AV doesn’t help. What do you mean by “you’ve tried everything”. You need to be more specific, I always am. I take 5300g of vitamin D each day with no problem..but of course we’ll all built different. What is it that you have tried, and be specific!!!
treblig
I’ve written here numerous times about the things I eat, it’s no secret….no carbs (30g or less a day), no sugar (15g or less a day). Just read all my previous posts, it’s all there. Meat, eggs, EVOO, low carb veggies (30g or less/day). Lots of the good oils. Please take the time to read all my previous posts.
Treblig
Jeanne, you can ask all the questions you want. I am allergic to peanuts but I can still eat them. What the Doctors say about nuts and diver is not true. The pieces of nuts do not get stuck in the diverticulum and cause a problem. I can eat all the nuts I want and I get no symptoms. BUT IF YOUR intestines are already inflamed then your going to have a problem. Strawberries and Blueberries contain sugar!!! You can’t be on a low sugar diet and eat foods that contain sugar and expect the diet to work!!! What part of “NO SUGAR” don’t you understand!!! Sorry, didn’t mean to get loud but you’re making no sense. I say no sugar and you want to eat foods with sugar????
I only eat 15g of sugar a day only because I eat 1/2 of a large bar of 86 percent dark chocolate each day to control my high blood pressure. Pure Cocao lowers your blood pressure. If you read all my previous posts you would know this already.
treblig
Didn’t mean to blow up on you but some people on this site want to have their cake (no pun intended) and eat it too!! I also want to eat my cake, but I can’t!!
Now please follow me for a few minutes….. Why are strawberries and blueberries good for you???? The answer is, because they contain Ketones. Ketones decrease inflammation in the human body (proven fact). Now, for the next question….Do you know what happens when you deprive yourself of carbs and sugar??? The answer is……your body goes into Ketosis!!! Ketosis is a state where your body produces Ketones to compensate for the lack of sugar and carbs!!!! Your body uses Ketones for fuel instead of sugar and carbs. These Ketones (like the ones in Blueberries and Strawberries) help DECREASE the inflammation in your gut…JUST LIKE STRAWBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES!!!!! Did you know that newborn babies are in Ketosis as long as they are breast feeding??? Some mothers breast feed their babies for 2 years yet most of human brain development occurs during the first two years. So…how is being in the state of Ketosis bad for the human body??
My Doctor tells me that I should eat more carbs. I tell him, “My diver symptoms have disappeared, my lung inflammation is completely gone and my sinus allergies have disappeared (for the first time in 50 years) and you want me to eat more carbs?????”
treblig
i’m one of those people who can have their cake and eat it… lol
i’m of the view that if someone has to keep to a strict food diet, they haven’t truly addressed the microbe enough. they take enough fuel away to keep it in check but that is all. But that may be all some people can do for now.
I used to eat potatoes, rice and pasta like there was no tomorrow. I thought carbs were the answer to my problem…..I was wrong!!! I was extremely lucky….my fasting blood sugar was a little high last year (103). My Doctor said, “don’t worry about it”. I knew I had diver and I didn’t need another problem to complicate my life so I decided to go on a low sugar/low carb diet to avoid getting diabetes (just as a precaution). It was only after I stayed on the low carb/low sugar diet that I realized it was the sugar and the carbs that were causing the diver problem. Had my sugar not been high last year I would still have pain and bleeding. So….I’m not a genius, I just know how to put two and two together!!
treblig
Jeanne, You said, “I was on this diet before. The thing that made me stop is that I was literally stopped up.” I had the same problem, if you read all my posts you’ll find that I take 3-4 Citrucel with each meal (LOTS OF WATER). If you eat lots of salad it also helps..the EVOO in sufficient qualities actually “literally” lubricates the system, if you get my drift!!! Find something (prunes, Citrucel, whatever) to counteract the protein. You know your body and you know what helps you “go”!!
Treblig
hi i have just been told i have Div and have been reading all the comments, no carbs no sugar yes get it but that means no fruit?
It depends…if your intestines can tolerate the sugar in the fruits then YES!! There’s only one way to find out, stop eating anything with sugar and as few carbs as you can get away with (50 carbs or less/day). Then once all your symptoms are completely gone eat some fruit once each day for about 3-4 days and see if you feel anything at all. If you feel any kind of discomfort or pain and you’re still keeping the carbs low then you probably can’t handle the sugar in the fruits. I have found that my body can tolerate 5-15g of sugar a day, if I exceed that amount I start to feel it in my gut. But I eat less than 30 carbs a day just about every day of the week. I might go over to 35-40 carbs once a week. It’s impossible to tell you exactly how much your body can tolerate because we’re all built differently. 5g of sugar might be my limit but yours might be 15g or 20g. But fruits do have sugar and so do millions of other foods/additives. Your first priority is to get rid of all your symptoms FIRST!! Once you control what you eat and have no symptoms at all for a week or two then you can slowing introduce ONE food item at a time. At anytime during your experiment if you start getting symptoms GO BACK to the diet that you know is safe and start over again. You have to find your “personal safe diet” to have a sanctuary for when you get symptoms. If you eat this and that, willy nilly, you’ll never solve the puzzle and you’ll cause a lot of damage. I hope you’ve read all of my posts and as many of the others as well. If you have diabetes then the rules change!!! Do not go on any diet I recommend if you have diabetes. You’ll need a nutritionist to help you because cutting back on carbs and sugar can be counterproductive if you have diabetes.
FYI, I recently (three weeks ago) had a CT scan to check for a hernia in lower abdomen. The results came back positive for a small hernia. But the interesting part was that they could see the diverticulosis in my colon and even noted some inflammation. The cause if the inflammation is the interesting part. I was required to drink this large bottle (almost 1/2 a gallon) of liquid two hours before the scan. It was an iodine solution mixed with sweet and low for flavoring. I don’t know if it was the iodine or the sweet and low but something in that drink gave me some discomfort in my lower gut. It showed up as inflammation in the CT scan. As soon I finished the CT scan I made absolutely sure that I stayed on my “safe diet” for two weeks to clear up any damage the iodine solution had done. Is was only mild discomfort, but non the less, once you have just a little inflammation it doesn’t take much to aggravate the diverticulum to the point that you get actual pain and bleeding.
Learn how to listen to your body, it will tell you what it likes and what it doesn’t like. In fact if you don’t listen to your body it will yell at you in a very loud voice, the voice is called “pain”!!!
Good Luck,
Treblig
Treblig, I am going to follow your diet suggestions to prevent future bouts of diverticulitis. How do you make your Caesar salad? Do you use anchovies, egg and croutons? What do you put in the tuna salad? I think this is a diet change I can easily live with. Thanks for all your help.
Kimberly, If you get on a low sugar/low carb diet you also need to take enough vitamins and minerals to compensate for not eating the other foods you would normally eat. I take numerous vitamins and minerals (pills). I have had numerous blood tests since I have been on this diet and the tests always come out perfect with respect to sodium levels, potassium levels, etc. So approach this with care and insure that you get enough calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and all the other essential of good health. I can tell you what I take but you, being a woman, have different needs/requirements. The Ceasar salads are pretty simple, I use fresh lettuce (but you can use Kale or spinach or anything like that), I also put a generous amount of shaved parmesan. As for the Ceasar dressing I go to the store and but the dressing with the highest “good” fats (and lowest bad fats) I can find (wish I knew how to make my own). Some salad dressing actually boast about containing olive oil but unless they use EVOO I’m not sure if it will help. Cold pressed olive oil is the best and only use for cooking under very low heat or you destroy the good properties. You’ll need to eat the equivalent of 3-4 TBLS of EVOO each day for your body to have enough fuel (replaces carbs/sugar). Then you have to also get enough protein. Anyway, back to the salad, lettuce, shaved parmesan and dressing. I usually eat an avocado with the salad in small bites. Avocado has lots of the good oils and so does the dressing. NO CROUTONS!!!… too many carbs. For the protein part of the “salad” meal I’ll eat 10-12 of those small breakfast sausages, you know the ones that you use to make pigs in a blanket. Or I’ll cook some sausage slices, like the sausage you use for barbequeing. Just make sure and buy the one with the highest “good” fat content. If you look on line you can find sites that tell you the percentage of fat to protein you should eat.
The tuna salad or chicken salad are pretty basic. Eggs (protein), tuna or chicken (protein) pickles and Mayo (good fats). I’ll sometimes eat only one slice of high fiber low carb bread with the tuna/chicken salad or put the salad on a bed of lettuce.
Breakfast is Better’N Eggs (low Colesterol), cooked over very low heat in 3 TBLS of EVOO. Once eggs (scrambled) are cooked I throw in 10-15 slices of crispy bacon (I crunch the bacon up into very small pieces). Sometimes I also use chopped up little sausages mentioned earlier instead of bacon. Then to mask the taste of all that EVOO I dump in 4-5 TBLS of Ranchero sauce, you know the tomato based sauce they use on eggs in a Mexican restaurant.
I’ve been on this diet with my wife for almost a year now. I feel great, have plenty of energy and have had no diver symptoms, except when I treat myself to a piece of cake, once in a blue moon. But the symptoms are minor and brief because I stay on the diet. My wife has also had blood tests that show everything as normal.
Good Luck, hope you’ve read all my other posts hear because it’s hard to remember everything. Like the part about Aloe Vera…..
Treblig
the eggs are awesome cooked in evoo . Question:
What kinds of lettuce do You eat?
I eat fresh chopped Romaine lettuce but Kale and spinach leaves are good too, they are all super low carb and help digestion. You can add all the olives you like as they also have the good oils. Just remember to cook the eggs at very, very low heat or you destroy the good properties in the EVOO. It takes a little longer to cook them that way but it’s worth it.
Treblig
Thank You so much for all of this info! it is really nice of you to follow up so fast !
Hello, I have been reading these posts especially from treblig, I have always known sugar is bad for you, here’s why, & it HAS been pointed out..cancer loves sugar, sugar is also how they do a petscan, it LIGHTS up the cancer cells? I think, either way, it IS bad, BUT…I am a Vegetarian, so for me, no carbs would pretty much mean, not much to eat PERIOD.I am a vegetarian by CHOICE..and I have been for many years..even as a kid though I didn’t want to eat ANIMALS..anyway, I also hate salads, and I DID have to have the surgery, because at the age of 52 I’d had an EXTREME episode of the Most Horrific GUT WRENCHING..LITERALLY, I’ve Ever had in my life..I’ve had 3 children, MANY years ago, & the PAIN I felt should’e Killed me, because again, it was INDESCRIBABLE! I had Every SYMPTOM you could IMAGINE< then next morning I was just happy to still be alive, not sure what ALL happened during THAT Entire Evening into Morning, but I will tell you, I laid on the couch for 2 weeks, couldn't eat, barely drink, and I was getting worse, I knew.My husband told me I should try & get up & move around, CLUELESS..he was, not now, but WAS..I'd had a "DR?" who had CALLED IN an antibiotic over the phone, didn't work, wasn't the RIGHT ONE..so for almost 3 weeks I kept thinking I'd get better, I DID NOT! Finally, when I truly KNEW If I did NOT get myself up and to the LAB I would die. I got my husband to help me get dressed & had him drive to straight to the LAB..I called my Dr.?? from there, and I Told him, I wanted a CBC, a U&A STAT..No I have NO MEDICAL Training what so ever! I just knew between those 2 tests to START, that would surely TELL them something! It Did! Before I could get home, the DR?? was calling telling ME< WE?? had a Problem!! I said, YA THINK?? I knew because my urine was dark, not good but could've been dehydrated, but this was worse, and I also knew something was SERIOUS..So, next morning he had me scheduled for "TESTS" they did a vaginal ultrasound, & when they kept asking me If I'd had ANY surgery besides normal child birth, I said NO, WHY? They of course saw something, well THAT & my WHITE COUNT was Over 25000, high I believe is 10,000..SO, I then had a ct scan, 1st of at LEAST 7 or 8..long story, and they sent me to a GYN, he said, "Looks Boring in here"..I said, HOPE that's a GOOD Thing! He said it is for me, I need you to go next door & see the "WONDER BOYS!". I said the WHO? He said, you'll see. I am escorted next door, I met with one SURGEON in particular, a SET OF 2..he said, I need you to go to the "HOTEL" with his strong Polish & beautiful ACCENT.. I said..HOTEL?? He said yes, go home, pack a bag, and your "Admittance" papers will be @ the hospital for you..I said ok, but why? He said, we need to do more tests…OK, Now I'll fast forward, 10 days, many ct's and other tests, a PIC Line, with cipro & flagyl at 200..& More..the "WONDER BOYS" consisted of the BEST DR's I've EVER KNOWN..They made sure they knew exactly after this 10 day stay, with again 10 days of MANY TESTS, & blood tests about 3 times a day, because they were trying to decide was this Cancer they were seeing or something "ELSE"..Thank GOD for me, & FOR THESE 2 TRAUMA SURGEONS, it was "something ELSE"..But with a small "area" to work with, as the dr's explained, it was hard to Prove which. I was told I'd definitely need surgery, & I'd also need more "tests" before I could have it..I had of course a colonoscopy, that was the 1st time I met another FANTASTIC DR..my gastro DOC. She did the tests she had to do, and then from that they all said I'd have to have 1 more..it's called a gastrographin? Spelling NOT correct..but it told them I would have to have an OPEN SURGERY, instead of the easy one..lapro..After making sure all my inflammation was gone & infections, I was scheduled for surgery. Over 3 to 4 hours, don't remember, just know I was afraid of waking up ONE WAY…& needing THAT for 6 months & would've faced another "surgery" to repair again. It happened I Had not only diverticulitis, or "OSIS" depends on what's going on at the TIME..& then, I also had a Fistula..they also took out a few more things besides so many FEET of Intestines..they also told ME, ALL of my intestines were affected w/Disease, BUT they could ONLY "TAKE SO MUCH"..they never told me what I should or should not eat, I am 10 years later & HAVE Had Numerous other "BOUTS" where I've had to have the double dose of antibiotics of Cipro & Flagyl, & also had a LOT of Steroids..now here IS ANOTHER Interesting FACT..I always told my Dr's that the Digestive "ISSUES" & MANY of the OTHER health problems HAD TO BE CONNECTED! Why? Because I had asthma, & pain everywhere, especially when ever the "condition flares" so does Everything else at the SAME TIME. So for the asthma & Allergies like the Nasal conditions talked about here that also GO AWAY with diver being under "CONTROL?"..Makes all sense!! Because my asthma is Horrific when my intestines are too! When they are not, thee asthma is not even CLOSE to being an "ISSUE"..I said they were RELATED, & Obvious that's True..I have proven that too..Now, as for the Vegetarian part, I eat eggs for protein, I eat pasta & potatoes & Veggies, & sometimes tuna or salmon, but meat? Never…the pasta only bothers me when I put sauce on it…HUM..The SUGAR IS HIGH in pasta sauces! As for being in ketosis, I couldn't do it, I used to WAY before I ever got sick, used to when my thyroid when wacko, & since I was always SMALL< the dr's never wanted to pay attention to me, because they thought I was being ridiculous, until I proved by looking at my records, that no matter what I did I continually gained a couple of lbs EVERY yr for 5 years, so they checked my thyroid FINALLY…and yup…Been on Synthetics ever since..HYPO..Now, even though I eat pasta, & sometimes so many carbs, I have lost weight, weird, I know, for me too. But, I also started flaring up again, and do believe it's either sugar from a yogurt, or CAKE, or even the natural RAW I'll put in 1 cup of coffee a day..or who knows, could be from too many carbs, since that IS what they Turn into..true. I tried eating kim chi, and sauerkraut, but..makes sense NOT to eat these FERMENTED foods IF you have pain, since that means, Inflammation, so to eat them to AID in getting the correct gut flora is good, but obviously NOT when you ARE inflamed. So, while I have only had to have the tests, & the antibiotics & the flare ups & NOT MORE SURGERY that I cannot AFFORD to have because they told me, I didn't have ANY TO SPARE…I cannot afford to NEED surgery EVER again..therefore, I have lost a lot of weight, because I DO fast a lot, 1st sign of pain or chills, or worse, & I back off..give my gutt a rest..then I start with soft foods, but I DO believe SUGAR has Got to be a trigger..so I will back off there..I will also NOT eat those fermented foods unless I'm sure I have no pain or "inflammation", because all the antibiotics & steroids have I'm sure done their DAMAGE..over past decade, had MORE than a lifetimes worth..this is also WHY I have lost weight, because I used to try different things to eat, or I'd just go to the pasta, I am going to try the EVOO, I am assuming that stands for EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL..& yes, Cold Pressed..I hope that's the one we've always bought, because that's all the OIL we've used in over a decade, we're Italian too..so I try to eat garlic too when I can..not raw though..although in kim chi it is..anyone know about whether or not lemons are really beneficial? Hope people get something from my posts, I could've gone into a LOT more details, but I am hoping people get something..I Never knew I HAD diverticulosis, or "ITUS" until THAT Happened..But.Can't blame it on the being a Vegetarian, because I DID ATKINS for MANY YEARS Prior to…only been vegetarian about the same amount of yrs, either 10 or less…works better for me, and grease ALWAYS bothered me anyway, but sorry for me, eating animals was worse..again for ME, because I'd rather NOT….My choice, doesn't Mean I'm saying has to be yours, I just prefer NOT TO, because I Love all animals, and this is one of the ways I TRY & DO MY PART..again, MY CHOICE, not saying ANYTHING ELSE HERE..Thanks.
Being 60 years old I pretty much do intermittent fasting. I do it naturally without even thinking about it. It is associated with blood sugar control but could be applied to colon disorders also. Maybe it could improve colon health by letting the colon and other organs rest more. The idea is explained is excerpt from mercola.
—————-
Intermittent fasting is a great tool to help “reset” your body to burn fat as its primary fuel again. Dr. Perlmutter also recommends starting off with a period of fasting, and he’s particularly aggressive about it in patients who are insulin/leptin resistant. I typically recommend keeping your fasting insulin level below 3. The so-called normal, however, is anywhere from 5-25 microU per mL. As with fasting blood sugar, please do not make the mistake of thinking that the “normal” insulin range equates to optimal! As noted by Dr. Perlmutter:
“If somebody has an insulin level of 26, they need a lot of work. They need to fast; drop the carbs; add back the good fat. They need to add in some anti-glycating agents like benfotiamine and resveratrol. We need to hit these people aggressively. This is what works. This is what reduces their risk of converting to diabetes, and therefore has a huge role to play in protecting their brains.”
—
To be effective, in the case of daily intermittent fasting, the length of your fast must be at least 16 hours. This means eating only between the hours of 11am until 7pm, as an example. Essentially, this equates to simply skipping breakfast, and making lunch your first meal of the day instead.
You can restrict it even further — down to six, four, or even two hours if you want, but you can still reap many of these rewards by limiting your eating to an eight-hour window each day.
This is because it takes about six to eight hours for your body to metabolize your glycogen stores; after that you start to shift to burning fat. However, if you are replenishing your glycogen by eating every eight hours (or sooner), you make it far more difficult for your body to use your fat stores as fuel.
Has anyone tried Yoli? Its all about keeping inflammation away…