Any nutrition advice?

[GabbiD44]

Hi! I am in the US and was diagnosed with primary bilateral lymph edema in my legs in 2017. It has been fairly controlled with made to order flat knit compression socks and occasional wrapping in the summers.

Maybe a few of you remember my post in March, when I fell and broke my left knee in 3 places. No surgery but I am just now finishing PT. These last 8 months have been challenging, even though I have been going to PT, I have struggled alot with plantar fascitis pain and my left leg swelling remains fairly uncontrolled.

I now I have a Tactile lymph edema pump which I am not impressed with. When I pump the garments provide leg and trunk compression. It feels great but doesn't seem to help my swelling much. If anytbing I was hoping it would be a magic fix.

So to my question. Has anyone had luck with any particular way of eating? I asked my doctors today if she thought I would have better luck with fasting or keto or a low inflammation diet, and she kind of discounted it all. She said it has to be sustainable, which I agree with, but it is so funny to me how my primary care doctor, my obgyn, my PT, no one has advice on how to manage lymph edema.

What works for you?

Thanks in advance!

[On_porter]

I’m probably going to start to see a nutritional adviser soon as I have lymphoedema in my stomach as well as limbs.

My advice from working things out the last 20 years is less salt, less carbs and less alcohol. But that doesn’t mean none of it! I suppose giving up alcohol would be good for anyone - not just lymphoedema patients!

I also cut out most dairy but not all as you can make yourself lactose intolerant. So I still have milk in tea, cheese on pizza etc

[CCT67]

I follow a strict diet that has a huge positive impact on my Lymphie symptoms. I’ve eaten the way I do for many years so it comes naturally and I don’t feel deprived. It’s not worth it to me to eat the way most people do, as it’s wrecks the intestinal tract/gut which is where the Lymphatics start in the human body.

I don’t eat anything man made. No ready meals or snack foods, no refined salt, no alcohol, no chemicals of any kind ie no preservatives, no dairy, no meat/poultry etc, only fresh fruit & veg, whole grains, pulses/legumes, tempeh and other fermented foods. It’s the cleanest way of eating i.e all whole foods with no refined sugar or salt. . I tried Keto for 6 months many years ago and it wrecked my gut, snd made me gain 5 pounds. Not for me but other Lymphies thinks it works for them.

[Perido in reply to CCT67]

May I ask what you would eat/drink for breakfast?

[CCT67 in reply to Perido]

Since I eat a plant based diet my breakfast is often fruit and grain such as quinoa (technically a seed), groats, or brown rice; soya (high protein) or oat yoghurt . I don’t eat plant based yoghurt that is sold in supermarkets as the brands they carry are full of chemicals. I make my own two ingredient yoghurt in my Instant Pot, pop it on yoghurt setting overnight.. I make 7-10 days worth at a time. I do eat portage oats so in colder weather I’ll bung oats into my Instant Pot with sultanas, sliced bananas, cinnamon and blueberries.