# Low carb./high protein diet benefits/dangers



## Guest (Jun 5, 2000)

Is anyone (or anyone you know that has IBS) following the low carbohydrate/high protein diet?A friend is a vocal advocate of this diet, but doesn't have or know much about IBS. Nonetheless, she thinks I should try it.I know that what foods can aggravate the problems varies from person to person, but fat and red meat seem to be common culprits.I don't want to ignore something that could help with my terrible abdominal pain and diarrhea, but also don't want to try something that others have learned by experience to aggravate the situation.Help!Marinda


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## Kerri (Oct 1, 1999)

Marinda, My husband has IBS. About 2 years ago I went on a low carb, high protein diet for 2 weeks to see how it would effect my blood sugar (it helped a lot). My husband decided to try cutting out all pasta, bread, potatoes, sugar, and white flour stuff. It made him feel a lot better. He still does not eat pasta and potatoes and has cut way down on how much bread and sugar he eats. It is not a cure, but has lessened the pain he constantly has. Hope this helps you.Kerri


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2000)

Hi Kerri,This does help. It gives me information on half of the equation. Now, I need some input about eating the high protein (and types of high protein) that the diet recommends.Arghhh...I love potatoes and pasta. sob, sob {g}Marinda


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

Hi. We've had a lot of discussion here in the past about this subject, sometimes heated. (You could try a BB search.) I'm going to try to give you a quick summary here, plus also share some info. based on my own experience and reading.Various people here have sworn by such a diet. Various others have sworn against it. Some people have taken this whole subject quite personally.Here's what I think: I think that very often (though not always) many IBSers as well as others CAN be helped by a low-er carb, high-er protein diet. That could be because in today's culture, look at all the carbs "we" do eat, perhaps compared to the amount of protein. Look at all the junk food. WHEW! I, myself, was probably eating too many carbs in comparison to protein, and I would guess that many (not all) women in general might not eat so much protein.I think the thing to do is to eat "sensibly" and to avoid "extreme" diets. Here are some basic principals you might want to consider:-- A "gimmicky" diet (sorry, don't want to offend anyone) may not hurt you if followed for just a few weeks, so I understand. But don't adopt it as a lifestyle.-- Get rid of junk food. Get rid of processed carbs (such as gooey-white bread, etc., etc.), and switch to less-processed, whole grains. -- IBSers: Consider giving up gluten for a while (mainly wheat); see if you feel better. Concentrate more on brown rice products, which are so good for so many of us IBSers.-- If you eat next-to-no protein, DO add more in! V. important. Just don't "overdo" it. Eat lean meats (and fish) only. You could also try soy. Legumes are a source of protein too (though IBSers may not be able to eat most of them; maybe split peas). Eat "small" portions of protein throughout the day. That varies per person, but perhaps an "average" portion is just 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 oz of meat/fish at a time. I successfully eat anywhere from 4 to 6 oz at a time (I'm thin and always hungry).-- Accompany your serving of protein, esp. animal protein, with a couple of servings of veggies. Supposed to help the digestion. Also, you need LOTS of veggies in general.-- Don't eat "no carbs", at least not for too long. Perhaps you are someone who has to avoid carbs because of candida (a really controversial topic here!







). However, you might want to take a hard look at avoiding carbs altogether, esp. if you are as thin as I am. I substantially reduced my carb intake (but by no means entirely) and lost quite a bit more weight, which I couldn't afford. Now, I am doing better, after having upped my carbs (more rice, mostly).-- There are all kinds of theories. For what it's worth, here's what Andrew Weil has to say about eating little carbs compared to protein (I hope I'm summarizing correctly). Protein needs carbs in order to be properly synthesized/utilized. Without carbs, your body may think it is also low in protein, even if you eat a ton of it. Apparently, your body can then "attack" your tissues in search of protein. Maybe that's temporarily desirable for very overweight people, but it's not desirable for people like me!I've gone on and on here...Typical of me!







Anyway, I think there's some merit to lower carbs and higher protein but not in any extreme sense.


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## Blair (Dec 15, 1998)

I don't eat starchy stuff either. it helps. Dangers of the diet? The only danger I can think of is towards the pasta industrie's profits.


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## Bill56 (Apr 21, 2000)

I have found over the years that I always seem to do better when I eliminate refined carbs from my diet. I have tried atkins and other high protein, high fat, low carb diets. Sugar Busters allows whole grains and low fat meats, which makes more sense to me than eating bacon and eggs every day. There's a book called "Food and the Gut Reaction" which explains that humans were not designed to consume refined carbs. I try to follow a diet with whole foods, lean meats and non-starch veggies, and try to limit starches and sugars. I admit it's hard to resist pasta, french fries (my biggest weakness), and fresh baked Italian bread, but when I indulge, I usually suffer in the "end" (no pun intended). I think that most dietary guidelines are designed for people with "normal" GI systems, of which few people on this BB own. Each of us has to experiment to find what long term diet works best for us.


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## Lakegirl (May 28, 2000)

When I composed this Bill's post wasn't there, but I'm gonna leave it up anyway.I am not advocating or recommending anything, but offer this for you to consider. In a book called Food and the Gut Reaction by Elaine Gottschall, the author asserts that bowel problems arise from damage to the microvilli that line the intestinal tract. Antibiotics, pain killers, infections, etc. are all damaging. (I wonder if stress chemicals too fit in there.) This is where carbohydrates are broken down for absorption. As long as we continue to bombard the bowel with COMPLEX carbohydrates we continue to damage the microvilli and complete digestion is impossible, leading to diarrhea, etc. If we give the microvilli a break, by eliminating complex carbohydrates, they can begin to restore themselves and after a period of time on a restricted diet we can then begin to digest them again. This diet does not eliminate all carbs, just complex carbs. It's not an unpleasant diet - you can make great muffins with ground nuts in place of flour and you are allowed honey and fructose/glucose which are simple carbohydrates.You'll want to know if I tried this diet. Yes, very briefly. (I am a baker - it's how I earn an income. It's hard to not eat carbs.) Yes, it seemed effective, but my IBS (never as severe as some others here) is now relatively manageable with imodium and relaxation so I did not stick to it. Her book has lots of scientific references (pages of them) which seem to lend an air of credibility to her work. I have heard and read many testimonials to her theory. She has a master of science degree, which she pursued specifically to research this issue after being told there was no help for her daughter who had severe, incapaciting bowel problems. Her daughter was able to resume a normal diet with no bowel trouble after a year on the diet. I know someone who has colitis who is fine as long as she stays on the diet. Her doctors don't accept it, but prior to the diet she spent much time receiving IV.Again, I'm not saying this is the cause of IBS, or is the only way to resolve it, or anything. Merely offering it as something you might want to look into. To me, it's a fairly credible theory. But I think we are all looking for the answer. You really have to think it over for yourself.I'm curious as to whether anyone else has heard of this theory from any other authors?[This message has been edited by Lakegirl (edited 06-05-2000).]


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## SteveE (Jan 7, 1999)

It was a disaster for me. I got very weak. My alternative doctor who recommended it told me to stick with it despite my protests of getting weaker and my IBS being as bad as ever. Finally, after 3.5 weeks of it and my wife insisting that I was near death, I told my "doctor" to go fly a kite.As the crazy man on Night Court used to say "But I'm feeling MUCH better NOW!"(Ok, so they were ALL crazy...I'm talking about the one who used to be on the Adam's Family too.)Anyway, I DO continue to limit my intake of SIMPLE carbs...such as high fructose corn syrup. As Dr. Weil puts it, avoiding foods containing HFCS is probably a good idea even if they aren't particularly dangerous because you can simply find better quality foods nutrionally. (Not that I'm a big fan of his, but this paraphrase from him I consider to be valid observation.)DO NOT take all of the complex carbs out of your diet. I'm a much healthier/happier person since going back to whole wheat : ) ! The stuff isn't as evil as people suggest...it can cause gas sometimes, but sometimes you can adjust to that or take Natrol Digest Support like I do to combat the gassiness while getting all the fiber and other benefits of real whole wheat.I've got an excellent bread machine recipe for whole wheat bread I think I'll post to the recipe section when I get home tonight. It does contain honey which is a simple carb, but I don'tavoid them entirely...I just limit them.


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2000)

Thanks to everyone that has posted. Lots of food for thought







. I should have done a more thorough search before posting my query. I know how irritating it is when a newcomer posts on a subject that you've gone round and round with. I appreciate your patienceI think my primary worry was the protein angle. I love steak (There, I've said it!), but red meat, sob, sob, causes pain and D. Hmm, do you think that just might be telling me something?From the sound of the posts, the diet may be worth a shot. If after 2-3 weeks I'm having bad reactions, I can modify things.At this point, I'm dealing with that "feeling hungry, but repulsed by the thought of food" thing.


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

Lakegirl-- could you share your recipe for muffins made with ground nuts?! would love to try them.


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

I have both IBS and diverticulosis. If I eliminated complex carbs from my diet I would be in serious trouble indeed.Before going on this type of diet, make sure you do not have any other health problems than IBS. High fiber diets are crucial for people with diverticulosis, and I'm sure there are other diseases out there that require it.JeanG


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## sickofsick (Nov 4, 1999)

SteveE, As you had such a bad reaction to this diet I'm really curious, what exactly did you eat? and how much? Thanks,sickofsick


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## SteveE (Jan 7, 1999)

It's been a few years since I did this, but let's see what I can remember...I basically ate meat (mainly chicken & turkey), rice (mainly brown), I think I had some special rice bread, and at that time I was also eating corn in various forms such as corn chips etc. I believe I still ate some potatoes, but not often. Apples, carrots, green beans, and other veggies just like I eat now. The doctor mainly wanted me to avoid wheat products.You know what? Looking back up that list I wonder if my problems weren't more from eating the corn than avoiding the carbs. I KNOW that corn = bigtime problems for me now. Even if that is the case, when I added wheat back I to my diet, I nearly instantly felt better than I did without it...and I still haven't felt as badly as I did during that stretch of time without wheat. Maybe that works for some people, but it was a nightmare for me! And it was all based on a food allergy test which said I was allergic to it. If you choose to avoid wheat, I'd urge you not to do it based on one of those tests. They are on a list of dubious tests, and my experience suggests they should stay there.


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## Lakegirl (May 28, 2000)

HipJan - happy to post it. I didn't know there was a recipe section before. I'll post it in there. The Food and Gut Reaction diet doesn't eliminate carbs entirely so you are still getting quite a well-rounded diet on it.As for fibre - some dried beans are allowed on this diet. And lots of fruits and veg.My husband used to believe I couldn't eat beef because sometimes I'd get terrible D afterwards but sometimes not. I'm seriously thinking it might be the antibiotics or hormones in the beef, as we all know what antibiotics do to the system. I'm thinking of buying a side of organically fed beef to find out. Anyone comment on that?[This message has been edited by Lakegirl (edited 06-05-2000).][This message has been edited by Lakegirl (edited 06-05-2000).]


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

HI Lakegirl:I've been buying hormone and antibiotic free, organic grain fed meat for about a year now. While I really can't pinpoint whether or not I feel better on it, I am afraid of the antibiotics given to animals, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. Especially since they say they make their way into our systems. And, the meat tastes better.I do eat regular meat at times, but I prefer the other.







JeanG[This message has been edited by JeanG (edited 06-05-2000).]


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

I don't eat beef at the moment, but I do buy the antibiotic-free chicken. I figure, anything I can do to help out my body, I will! I'll check out the recipe section. Thanks!


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2000)

Good thread of posts.One thing to add, though. And that is when the "no carb" diet is advocated, these guys usually lose a considerable amount of weight in the first few weeks. They eat really greasy stuff like bacon, sausage, red meat, etc. The weight loss is mostly a water loss.Try the low-carb (notice I said low instead of "no") diet where, instead of having a whole plate of pasta with sauce at dinner, have 1/4 of a plate, and add protein sources---leaner protein sources. Chicken, pork, fish, lean red meat.And as for breakfast, eggs are an excellent source of protein--you can't go wrong with the egg whites.Out.


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## beach (May 12, 2000)

Hey there.My boyfriend is actually on the Atkins diet, and I started to eliminate breads myself and you know what? I feel so much better. I eat my fiber cereal in the morning - because that's a must, but than I just eat fruit, veggies and protein. I lost some weight (I was like 115). I lost probably 5 pounds. And, where I used to get stuffed up from the bread...I don't anymore and I'm able to go to the bathroom everyday.So, I say yes, try it. It worked for me.


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