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Mediterranean diet

xjrs profile image
xjrs
19 Replies

There was a question posted recently about diet and how to ensure that you are getting enough nutrients from food.

I thought my answer might be useful to others, so here is much of information that I posted and a bit more in case anyone missed it.

I attended a course on the microbiome (gut bacteria) recently. One of the best diets for your health and also your microbiome is the Mediterranean diet. Someone on the course provided me with this really useful link about how much of each type of food to consume with this diet:

researchgate.net/figure/The...

This is something that I'd wanted to understand in a long time. Note the advice around fish is a bit off, since the NHS recommends no more than 2 servings of fish a week with one being oily fish:

nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/f...

Eating the variety of foods depicted by the Mediterranean diet can help encourage a wide variety of bacteria in your gut to develop in numbers. This is called bacterial diversity. Having bacterial diversity can help guard against IBS in some people. It allows more good bacteria to thrive in the gut, which helps to keep pathogens (bad bacteria) at bay. It is these bad bacteria that can cause problems for some people with IBS.

Some aspects of the diet may be a challenge for IBS sufferers. If you have symptoms it may be a good idea to try to reduce these by taking a good probiotic such as Alflorex which has been scientifically studied for IBS to get some of the bad bacteria under control. Additionally one of the recommendations is to eat pulses. Some foods contain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs, which can be problematic in some people - you can only find out which by doing a FODMAP elimination & reintroduction diet. To reduce the FODMAP content of pulses, you can buy tinned pulses and make sure that you rinse them thoroughly prior to consumption, since most of the FODMAPs leach into the liquid in the tin. Plus if you are intolerant to the FODMAPs in wheat, there are many options for whole grains such as Buckwheat (available as a pasta), Quinoa and oats (including oat bran). There is also sourghum which is available in a breakfast cereal (gluten free Nutribrex).

I am unable to tolerate dairy, so I take a 200mg calcium citrate with 100IU vitamin D3 supplement twice a day (lunch time and before bed time). I also top up with a further 200IU vitamin D3 (half a 400UI tablet), to make up the NHS recommended daily 400IU in the winter months (March to October), but only on the days that I don’t have oily fish (which contain vitamin D). On the days that I don’t consume fish I also take 150mcg of potassium iodide for thyroid function (people may wish to discuss this with their doctor first), which is only available in fish and dairy.

If you have enough time, there is a great website here which allows you to find out exactly what nutrients the food that you are eating contains. You have to sign-up (no fees), which provides you with an account so that you can save 'recipes'. This means that for instance you could create a recipe for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then create a recipe using the breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to find out whether you are reaching your RDA (recommended daily amount) values of nutrients for the day.

nutritionvalue.org

The RDA values are US based and may vary slightly from those of the UK.

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xjrs
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19 Replies
Junie2 profile image
Junie2

Hi

What is the name of your calcium supplement, I tried one that was effervescent and it made me really bad.

my doctor is trying to find a calcium supplement that I can tolerate.

I take. vit D , zinc, iron and magnesium citrate, and b12

Thanks again for all the information

So helpful

Junie

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Junie2

I take Life Extension Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D. It is in capsule form.

Junie2 profile image
Junie2

The Nutribrex sounds good, but milk makes me nauseous.Do you have milk?

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Junie2

I can't tolerate dairy, so I make my own home made oat milk (much cheaper than the supermarkets, plus no additives like salt):

Leave 100g organic oats (don't have to be organic) to soak in water (some use filtered water, I use tap water) for a minimum of 30 minutes (preferably longer).

Pour into a sieve and rinse.

Put the soaked oats into a large bowl (or food processor) and add 1 litre of water (filtered or tap).

I use a hand blender, but you could use a food processor to break up the oats into smaller pieces and blend with the water.

Put a sieve over a 1 litre Pyrex jug (or other vessel) and using a mug bit by bit pour the blended oats onto the sieve and press down with a spoon to get the liquid out into the jug.

You can discard the oats in the sieve or put them in the fridge and e.g. consume with fruit another time.

Put the jug on a plate and put another plate on top of the jug to act as a lid.

Place in the fridge.

When you come to use the oat milk stir it thoroughly since the oat mulch tends to sink to the bottom or if you pour it into a sealed bottle, you can shake the bottle.

Any of the quantities above can be multiplied to make more milk.

Junie2 profile image
Junie2 in reply to xjrs

Thanks so much, you are a star

oldfog profile image
oldfog

Thanks xjrs - I did not know that one could reduce the FODMAP content of pulses by using tinned pulses! So I will probably give that a try ;-)

But a point I'd like to make is that if you eat a really varied diet which includes foods from all food groups, you should have bacterial diversity can help guard against IBS (in some people). However, I definitely used to eat a very varied diet but 2 back to back courses of antibiotics seem to have destroyed ALL the bacteria in my gut - including the good bacteria - and I believe that is precisely what caused me to get IBS!

The nurse practitioner at my surgery told me to try a low FODMAP diet in January last year but left me to research it on the internet to find out what foods were high, medium or low FODMAP (FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols). Trouble is that she omitted to mention that you are not supposed to remain on a full exclusion low FODMAP diet indefinitely but that you are supposed to try and reintroduce high FODMAP foods and note down any adverse reactions. Someone on a Facebook group called Fodmap UK kindly told me there was a Reintroduction document in the groups files and I have downloaded it but haven't started it yet.

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to oldfog

Oh dear. There are booklets available on the NHS for FODMAP reintroduction etc. I'm glad you've found one, but they shouldn't have left you to it. Ideally you need to be referred to an NHS dietitan for it - in fact the guidance says that you need a dietitian, so the GP should be referring you.

Yes. The rub with all of this is that FODMAPs are good for you and they feed your gut bacteria, so if your bacterial numbers are depleted, it is helpful to have as many FODMAPs as you can. This is why I suggested a good probiotic, to help defend against bad bacteria, so you're not just feeding the bad bacteria which may give symptoms. Obviously if certain FODMAPs make you really bad, even when on a good probiotic, then elimination of that particular FODMAP may be the way to go.

oldfog profile image
oldfog in reply to xjrs

Yes, my GP should have referred me to see a dietitian - but quite frankly, it's always so hard trying to even get through to my surgery - even before Covid - that it puts me off. You have to listen to all the spiel again every time you call, before pressing "1 to speak to a receptionist, 2 to speak to" ... and so on, only to hear that you are number 28 in the queue! Then you eventually get to speak to the receptionist, who usually tells you that someone will phone you back. But even though you call from your mobile number and they have your mobile number, they still always phone the landline. And I have my landline permanently on Do Not Disturb because I get so many spam or silent calls - often first thing in the morning, before I'm even awake!

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to oldfog

I know what you mean. Has your surgery introduced a new website system? All the surgeries in my region have their own web portal with a messaging system and this is the new way of contacting them. In fact they ask people to send a message instead of calling them to book an appointment. I do find this much more convenient rather than hanging on the phone and waiting in a queue. Also it helps to be able to get your symptoms across to them in detail. Plus they seem to come back in reasonable time.

oldfog profile image
oldfog in reply to xjrs

I wish! The only online services my surgery provides are supplied through a website called TPP Systmonline. And all you can do on there is order repeat prescriptions and you may be lucky enough to book an appointment - but only if there is a blue and purple moon with green spots on it! The messaging system on there is controlled by my surgery and apparently is not offered!

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to oldfog

Sounds like the postcode lottery is apparent again 🙁.

Missjosefina profile image
Missjosefina in reply to oldfog

Have you tried downloading the NHS App (not the NHS Covid App)? My surgery uses the TPP Systmonline but I was able to set up an account on this new app and it syncs up with your existing medical record.

Many more features and much more efficient. Instead of spending an age trying to book a same day appointment, simply send a message and wait for them to call you back.

Hope this helps

Jo

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Missjosefina

Thanks for letting us know Jo. This may be useful to others. I prefer booking on my main PC, what with needing glasses to read small text and finger fumbling on my phone 😀.

oldfog profile image
oldfog in reply to Missjosefina

Thought I'd take your suggestion and try the NHS App and oh, WHAT a palaver! I understand that it has to be secure as it will contain extremely sensitive information. So yes, you need to enter your NHS number, date of birth and postcode plus create a password - fair enough. But it then asks you to prove your OD by uploading a photo of your passport or driving licence - and I have neither. And to prove who you are without these photo IDs, it says If you are registered for your GP surgery’s online services, you will have been given 3 registration details.

The 3 registration details are:

Linkage Key (could be called Passphrase)

O.D.S. Code (could be called Organisation Code or Practice I.D.)

Account I.D.

Well, I am registered with TPP Systmonline but I have no idea what the ODS code or the Account ID is? So, it says you have to contact your surgery and ask them what these 3 are.

But the WORST part of it is that if you cannot proceed with either method, there is NO WAY TO LOG OUT of the NHS App!!!!

Missjosefina profile image
Missjosefina in reply to oldfog

Hi Oldfrog

My apologies; I didn't know you hadn't got the required photo ID or couldn't get your NHS number and link codes from your TPP Systmonline account (the organisation code and account ID are found under the ACCOUNT tab under Account Information).

Sorry you've had such a headache trying to set it up. I imagine it was a similar amount of time and frustration I've just spent trying to set up my NowTV account on my telly :)

Hopefully, if you choose to pursue completing the NHS App setup, you save time in the long run being able to quickly start consultations, journal symptoms, create health plans, access useful patient forums, request prescriptions etc. These apps and online accounts are a convenience only if we're inconvenienced by the current way we do things

Jo

oldfog profile image
oldfog in reply to Missjosefina

There is absolutely no need for you to apologise! And I will try and get the 3 bits of info I need from my surgery, so that I can get the app fully set up in the hope that it is as helpful as you believe it to be.

But you have to admit that not being able to log out of the app is appalling. Could you tell me if you can log out of it, once it is fully set up?

Missjosefina profile image
Missjosefina in reply to oldfog

One signed in to the NHS App, you can log out by clicking the settings icon in the top right corner. The log out button is available in the settings page. I agree with you that it's not entirely intuitive :)

Linley profile image
Linley

Hi! XjrsThank you for the info. 👍 Just add to that when I refused to go on statins 2 years ago, I adopted a diet to lower my cholesterol and it was based on the Med diet and it worked😁

xjrs profile image
xjrs in reply to Linley

That's fantastic news Linley! It is so good for many aspects of your health, not only gut health but heart health and potentially many more.

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