Diet changes and CBD oil

[CycleGirlColumbus]

Has anyone changed their diet, like taking out foods that are inflammatory, like gluten and dairy? Also does anyone use CBD oil? Thanks!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you look at the top right of the page you will see a search box - type in CBD oil and a list of posts about it will come up.

Many of us have cut carbs drastically - sugar is pro-inflammatory and pred changes the way your body processes carbs so cutting them helps a lot with weight gain which is common with pred and also reduces the risk of pred-induced diabetes. Lots of people who have done this find that when they do stray and eat carbs, especially sugary things, they do feel worse.

[SnazzyD]

Hello, I already had been dairy and gluten free for years before I got this. My only change now is very low carbs to avoid blood glucose spikes and weight gain.

[Soraya_PMR]

I’ve cut my carbs some, but need brown rice/pasta/bread to maintain my weight. Sugars/biscuits/cakes are gone.

I think I feel better from virtually eliminating red meat. Just bacon is my occasional treat.

Increased my oily fish, and notice if I miss more than a couple of days.

[Jud666]

Good morning

I have always had a healthy diet but not necessarily an anti inflammatory one. The basis of my diet is no processed food and no refined sugars, organic where possible. I do still have some carbs but among other changes i have swapped my bread to sour dough ( fermented dough)which i find has improved my ibs tremendously. I also still have dairy but via kefir milk ( fermented milk) which i make myself, excellent source of calcium, and i think my gut flora have responded well !! I have a massive list of inflammatory/anti inflammatory foods on my fridge door to remind me !! The majority of my diet is aimed at trying to improve my PMR but i have to balance that with having Colitis. Happy British Summer Time !!!

[Katrinaroper in reply to Jud666]

Where can I find this list....i am a diabetic ...with pmr...and overweight...and IBS is really flaring up as I reduce pred

[Jud666 in reply to Katrinaroper]

Hi The easiest way is to Google anti inflammatory foods, lots of links to advice. Jud

[Pongo13 in reply to Jud666]

My diet is almost identical to yours - I buy bottled kefir from the supermarket. I have not been keen to make my own kefir - any advice on where to source from and how best to make? Is it easy? Messy? I have googled but its always better to hear from someone I "know". (I think I am put off in case it smells or looks gross....(pathetic I know).

[Jud666 in reply to Pongo13]

Hi

I thought like you re kefir milk, but it's quite expensive at the supermarket. I friend of mine has been using it a while so shared her culture, it looks like a dessert spoon full of cauliflower florets ( i've called mine Philip !! ) In a glass jar i add about half a pint of milk to the culture, i used semi skimmed organic, a creamy kefir from full fat milk, also good with goats milk, i have no idea what it would be like with soya ect. I cover with a loose lid to allow for gases to escape. I keep it on my kitchen worktop and i stir about once a day with a wooden spoon. It depends how warm the room is as to how quickly it's ready, mine is usually about 36 hours. Then i strain it with a plastic sieve store in the fridge in a sealed container ( again glass or plastic) Here is where things vary !! i wash out the container it has fermented in and put the culture back topping up with milk again, Some wash the culture in filtered water before putting it back, i do this about every 4th time. Sometimes i find i'm getting more than i need so i halt the process by putting the culture in a small amount of milk, covered in the fridge which keeps it alive but doesn't work.

As far as getting the culture i'm sure it's widely available on the internet.

Sorry i've gone on a bit there !! If you watch you tube you will find everyone has a different method and i'm sure you would find your own way. Jud

[Pongo13 in reply to Jud666]

Thank you very much. £1.60 a bottle is a tad dear! I will investigate.

[Jud666 in reply to Pongo13]

Hi

I pay 2.50 for 500ml, £17.50 a week, not easy on a state pension !!!

[karools16 in reply to Jud666]

It's good to hear that sour dough has improved your IBS. I was diagnosed with it, last week. Last night, foolishly, I had 2 hot cross buns, and suffering for it. I can't eat dried fruit and the raisins.... well, they're 'a raising'!! I have yet to try kefir. Thank you.

[Jud666 in reply to karools16]

Hi

Fingers crossed, we are all different, with different triggers. Jud

[Jennyhampshire]

Hi there I have been using CBD oil for about a month now and have never slept better. As for diet changes I have cut right back on sugar apart from a piece of dark chocolate a day and do not eat any processed food. Also I have been vegetarian since I was 16 (now (55) so meat has never been part of my diet.

I also make my own bread now with spelt flour as have tried to cut out wheat from my diet. Don’t have a lot of dairy products apart from an occasional yoghurt.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jennyhampshire]

Just wondered, how strict are you being about wheat? Spelt is a wheat - but it does make a difference, I have an allergy to something in the starch structure of commercial wheat - spelt is fine.

[Louisepenygraig in reply to PMRpro]

I'm the same - ok with spelt but not wheat

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisepenygraig]

Have you ever tried sourdough bread? I can eat French breads which is made with sourdough and also Maltese bread - not a lot, I don't eat that much carb anyway, but even the NHS admits this may be the case!

[Louisepenygraig in reply to PMRpro]

I used to make my own spelt sourdough bread. I've not tried wheat sourdough. Yeasted bread causes aches and pains. These days I'm eating ryvita as part of a weight loss diet.

It's interesting that French bread is sourdough, I didn't know about that. We went on holiday to France with the children about 30 years ago and I eat plenty of French bread with no problems!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisepenygraig]

No - I'd rather live without than eat ryvita!!!!! I eat very little such stuff nowadays - I lost 35lbs of PMR and pred-associated weight gain by cutting carbs. Don't really miss the bread side - though the Maltese bread this week is making me weaken...

[Louisepenygraig in reply to PMRpro]

I eat the Ryvita with sesame seeds which I really like, not the plain stuff!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Louisepenygraig]

My substitute is oatcakes - Nairns, coarse version. Yum... But they really are treats!

[Jennyhampshire in reply to PMRpro]

I try to be strict and as I have a bread maker I just made the bread with spelt flour rather than the wheat flour. I was at one point eating a lot of wheat bread (toast for breakfast and sandwich for lunch and then toast again for supper!!) so decided to cut back to two slices of spelt bread a day (on most days). I definitely feel less bloated for eating less wheat bread so will stick to the spelt bread in the hope that it’s better for me 😀

[Pongo13]

I use cbd oil - I like to think it helps me. I also take turmeric (in cooking and tablets form). Plus calcium (prescribed) and I purchase vit C, magnesium, cod liver oil, glucosamine, and iron. I have a tens machine, heat pads everywhere, and an ultra sound pain relief gadget. I visit an osteo and do weekly Pilates on reformers. My next purchase is to be a weighted belt. I sound like a hypochondriac!

[S4ndy]

I take CBD oil it helps with anxiety, fatigue, osteoarthritis pain relief and also seems to settle my IBS. I have been taking it for six months.

Maybe coincidence but I haven't had a flare of PMR in that time so have got down from 30mg to 16mg of Pred using Dorset Lady's tapering plan.

My advice would be try it and see. Talk it over with your gp especially if you are taking blood thinning meds. Otherwise leave a 2 hour gap between CBD and your other meds. Like PMR CBD seems to work differently for everyone. Start slow with a single drop three times a day to see if it works for you. Good luck x

[Cyclegirl54]

I’ve changed to gluten free /low carb stuff and have even resisted m&s hot cross buns! Is dairy inflammatory? I’m still eating yoghurt, cheese and eggs, not vast quantities but in moderation.

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Cyclegirl54]

Lactose intolerance due to dairy can be a problem that causes bloating due to poor digestion. As we age we have less LACTASE which is required to digest the LACTOSE. However cheese and yogurt are fermented foods, and if you have problems with digesting lactose, you may well be fine with these.

google.co.uk/amp/s/www.prev...

[Soraya_PMR in reply to Soraya_PMR]

Eggs are not dairy.

[HeronNS]

Interesting that so many people have gut problems with modern what and not the older grains. Wheat is often dessicated before harvest with a good dose of glyphosates. So even if you do your best to avoid GM foods, which are modified in order to stand up to substantial glyphosate application, you may still be getting some food which has been exposed to a substance originally designed to clean out pipes, now used to destroy the innards of insects as well as destroy "weeds", and of course it's going to affect us too....

naturalnews.com/046911_glyp...

cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brun...

[venezia1]

I am interested in the comments about CBD oil. I have recently bought some super strength capsules from Healthspan as they were on 50% off offer. One capsule had absolutely no effect, so today I took two. While not completely freeing me from pain I did manage to plant onions, garlic and broadbeans in my veg patch this afternoon, which involved raking to get the "fine tilth" they are always on about, and while I'm a bit stiff now, I doubt if I would have achieved as much as that normally. My problem is the price! The 50% off offer was £39....how can people afford the full cost every month??

[CycleGirlColumbus in reply to venezia1]

Hi Sorry for the late reply. My mom has been tapering down on the pred and the CBD oil seems to help her, but nothing seems to take the pain away completely. I'm in the US, and our CBD oil is quite expensive too. My mom uses the oil dropper and I just got her a 2oz bottle 12mg for $150, but that should last her 3 months.

[tangocharlie]

I have some lingering PMR, which was diagnosed in 2012 and is probably now on the way out, and also what looks like Sjogrens now, but not yet confirmed. Almost off steroids, I only take a short tapered dose for a few days if things get really bad. I'm doing the AIP (Auto Immune protocol). Early days but already feel less tired and a bit more mobile. The theory behind it is to cut out all foods that might cause inflammation for at least 30 days, during which time your 'leaky gut', which scientists now think might be a trigger for automimmune illnesses, heals. Then you reintroduce foods to see if they make you flare. The other day I had a handful of cashew nuts having not had them for months, and within minutes my face and chest had all swollen up, not an allergy but saliva glands. Also yesterday cheated and had a piece of cake and flared up, so either sugar or flour to blame there. There are many books and websites on AIP and Dr Michael Mosley writes about a gut repair process in his book 'The clever guts diet'.

[CycleGirlColumbus in reply to tangocharlie]

Yes I know of that book, but can’t get my mom to to it. She has no will power 😩