In my last post, I discussed test results that show I need to be on a low-oxalate diet. I had already decided previously, due to ongoing thyroid problems and having celiac disease, that I would go on the Paleo Auto-Immune Protocol. That is my attempt to locate any lingering intolerances I hadn’t caught previously, in case there is something I missed that keeps me from healing. It has been very difficult this weekend, working to find the common ground between the low-oxalate diet (LOD) and the paleo auto-immune protocol (PAIP).
At this point, I believe I need to concentrate on the slow reduction of oxalates out of my diet. Oxalates build up in your system and sudden changes in what you’re consuming can bring on problems like kidney stones and other miseries as you experience what is called an ‘oxalate dump.’ That is where your body starts dumping oxalates into circulation in large amounts, leading to trouble. A weekend in pain and a trip to the ER don’t sound like a good time, so I’m going to do this slowly and hopefully avoid the dumping.
If you’re scratching your head because you aren’t familiar with oxalates and you don’t know what they do, I recommend you check out What are Oxalates? by Patty at Loving Our Guts. Her post gives some excellent information. Patty is a dear friend and she is a tremendous resource to me on this journey. She’s spent a good deal of time with me this past week, trying to help me wrap my brain around it all.
The problem with oxalates is that there isn’t a consensus on what is high-oxalate and what is low-oxalate. I’m meeting people who have had problems with oxalates for years and they’re telling me some of the lists I’m finding online are outdated or incorrect. What’s worse, what I’m reading is also telling me that you can’t heal an oxalate problem. I’ll supposedly have to deal with this for the rest of my life. Of course, I’m not good at accepting ‘can’t’ from someone when it comes to my health. 😉 I think my track record shows where I stand on overcoming problems that people say are impossible. But for now, I feel buried and overwhelmed with trying to find information and get on my feet.
Combined with this, I’m also dropping my carbs back down to help take the stress off of my liver. I feel SO much better when I’m below 80 grams of carbs a day– I have far more energy. I’m also going to look at the leptin protocol once I’m on my feet with everything else. Throw all of that together and it’s a lot to swallow. So I’m going to take it slow. One week at a time, change just a few things.
Where I Stand
I’m currently grain, pseudo-grain, baking starch, bean, gluten, legume, seed, potato, tomato, eggplant, chia, lentil and soy-free. I’m staying under 70 grams of carbs a day and avoiding rapadura, sucanat and other solid sweeteners. I’m not purposefully counting my carbs, though, I’m just staying on the foods that aren’t likely to be able to eat enough to go over that 70 gram mark in reasonable amounts. I might consider a tiny amount of raw honey or maple syrup if I need to keep my carb count up to avoid headaches from my insulin production trying to adjust, but so far I haven’t needed it. I’m currently dealing with all of the fun that comes from dropping your carbs. It takes a bit for the digestion to adjust.
On Thursday, I eliminated chocolate. Why? It is eliminated on both the paleo diet and the low oxalate diet. Chocolate is extremely high in oxalates- it’s really one of those ‘off the charts’ foods. Since you should only change or replace one high-oxalate food a week, I’m picking chocolate to start as it appears that I take in more oxalates from chocolate than any other single source. The recommendation is to swap a high oxalate food for a medium oxalate food, then to a low oxalate food to gradually work down on what you’re consuming. Carob is also extremely high in oxalates, so it is not a suitable replacement. I will replace my chocolate with berries covered in coconut cream. While they are out of season and some berries have high oxalate, they’re still much lower in oxalates than chocolate. It is the best I can do right now to meet my goals without feeling deprived or going without. With such upheaval and transition, I’m willing to give up seasonal eating for a bit in order to keep my spirits and morale up during such a difficult time. So I will have a handful of berries covered in a little coconut cream after dinner at night, should I feel the need. The last three nights, I’ve felt the need.
Next week, I will eliminate peppers. I thought I had already eliminated them, then realized that I was having small amounts of pepper jack cheese which has jalapeno in it. I’ll switch to mozzarella or cheddar for my morning plate of eggs. I will also swap out the extremely high oxalate almonds for a lower-oxalate nut, probably pecans. We have plenty of pecans in the freezer. Soon, I will no longer have nuts or eggs as an option. That eliminates baking, but I shouldn’t be doing much baking anyway with trying to stay lower carb. Still, I struggle with the idea of having nothing that I enjoy eating and nothing to look forward to. Worse, my family is going to continue eating all of the foods that I love and can no longer have in front of me. I can see quite quickly that any remaining pleasure from eating is going to quickly be gone. I am very much in mourning, and having trouble coming up with meals, even now. I know I’ll get over the hump and feeling better will encourage me to go on, but right now it all just seems awful.
I am also working my bedtime back to 10pm and eating a large, high protein breakfast as soon as I get up in the mornings. The leptin reset has a goal of 50 grams of protein within 30 minutes of rising, but holding that much food physically isn’t easy. I’m petite. So I’m aiming for a minimum of 35 grams of protein as quickly as I can each morning. I have ordered some ground turkey, ground chicken, bacon, and other items from Green PolkaDot Box to help me with that goal. Five eggs have 30 grams of protein. Add one ounce of cheese to that and you get bumped up to 37 grams of protein. So I’m going to have difficulty reaching 50 grams a day if I don’t have meat at breakfast. I believe over a period of a week or two, I could become more comfortable with holding the full 50 grams.
What I Need to Eliminate
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be going off of peppers, fruits, nuts, eggs, seeds (including spices) and dairy. Nuts are a no-no on both protocols, but because the nuts I have been consuming appear to all be high oxalate, I need to back down off of them slowly. I’ve been eating almonds, cashews and brazil nuts. Eggs are a no-no on the PAIP, as is dairy. Seeds are a no on the PAIP. I will come off of them, give myself time to clear then challenge them to see if they are a problem for me. I would like to add back as many foods as I can, as quickly as I can, so I don’t develop food fatigue or new intolerances from being on a limited diet. It is going to be difficult to meet my morning protein goals without eggs or dairy, as I eat eggs every morning, and cheese most mornings. I’m going to need to work out a meal plan in place of the eggs.
Common Ground
As far as I can tell, there are a number of food items that are acceptable on both a low-oxalate diet and the paleo auto-immune protocol. This list is my goal list to get me back to baseline before we begin challenging foods. It’s for short-term once I can work down to it, and it isn’t meant to represent a well-balanced diet with a ton of variety and all seasons, just one that is the least likely to aggravate my health symptoms. Of course, this list is subject to change as I learn more.
- All raw and unprocessed meats, poultry, seafood
- Coconut oil, coconut aminos, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut flour
- Tallow, lard
- Salt
- Bone broth
- Basil, bay, dill, marjoram, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme
- Cilantro, parsley, ginger, horseradish, peppermint, garlic
- Gelatin
- Leaf lettuces for salads such as Bibb. Augula, mustard.
- Mushrooms, onions, shallots, winter squash, summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, cucumbers
- Lactino kale, brussels sprouts, oregano and carrots in small amounts
- Seaweed
- tinctures of herbs and seeds I need that are high-oxalate, such as milk thistle. Tinctures are low-oxalate.
I believe these foods are low-oxalate. They need to be eliminated initially on the PAIP and then tested after 30 days:
- Blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, cherries
- Lemons, limes
- Certain types of oranges
- Melons
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Very limited amounts of red potatoes (due to the carbs)
- Limited Amounts of Tomatoes
- Red Peppers (including spices)
- Eggplant
- Pumpkin seeds in small quantities
- Sunnut butter in small quantities
- Cardamom
- White pepper
- Vanilla and vanilla extract
- Mustard seed
- Vinegars
- Honey and maple syrup
Also, I must personally avoid avocado and kiwi due to having anaphylactic reactions to them in the past. They’re both related to latex, and latex makes me stop breathing.
Other foods, such as bacon and other processed or value-added meats, such as a raw sausage mix, must be evaluated on an individual basis from their ingredients. For example, anything with red pepper in it wouldn’t be considered acceptable on the PAIP, even though it does appear to be low-oxalate. Peppers are nightshades, which do cause problems for many on the PAIP.
With oxalates, the dose makes the poison, so to say. It appears that oxalates are found in plants, and animal products contain few, if any, oxalates. There is a level of consumption each person can tolerate; go over it and you’re in trouble. With the PAIP, it’s all or nothing as it is dealing with an immune response.
Supplements and Lifestyle
I will also add a calcium citrate supplement before meals. This isn’t as a supplement, as my body will likely not absorb it. There are a couple of studies that suggest that free calcium can bind to oxalate in the gut, preventing its absorption when taken before meals. I will also go back onto selenium and all of my gut healing protocol– L-glutamine, Betaine HCl, digestive enzymes, digestive clays. I will continue using magnesium oil at night.
I am continuing to work less, reduce my stress and sleep with a sleep mask. I do not set an alarm in the morning, but instead sleep until I wake up.
Photo credit- The Eternal Handshake by Orin Zebest at Flickr Creative Commons
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Hi KerryAnn! I was just wondering if you had had the Cyrex cross reactivity panel completed since you know you can not tolerate gluten. I was just not getting better after cutting all the foods that came back on my ALCAT panel and when the doc ordered the Cyrex it came back positive for eggs. (Which made me sad:() BUT, after cutting those eggs, of which I was consuming tons, I felt so, so, so much better. After reading Paleo Mom’s site, I have a good understanding now of why those eggs did not show on my allergy test, but showed up on the cross reactivity panel. Perhaps something you are eating is causing a cross reactivity issue.
I also wanted to make sure you had heard of Direct Labs. It can be much cheaper to order labs from them and many things not covered by insurance are there and a lot cheaper then ordering direct from a lab. Using Direct Labs has helped me move more quickly on the testing.
I do have one question: I understand your worry about getting bored with food, but why are you concerned that cutting some things could lead to more intolerances? I’ve never heard that before and would like to know more about this, since I currently cut a lot from my diet. Thanks! Looking forward to reading about your journey.
Hi, Katie! I have heard of the cross-reactivity panel. We’ve decided to eliminate all of those foods and then challenge them, because money is so tight. I love Direct Labs- that’s how I had my last round of blood work done. We don’t have insurance and we’re under-employed, so we rely on options like that to try to get this puzzle pieced together.
I’ve read before that repeatedly ingesting the same foods day after day can lead to IgG intolerances. I’ve had clients report that it has happened to them. I personally had it happen to myself, too. I tested negative in the past to apple and cashew, only to later develop intolerances to both after eating each daily for several months. I will attempt to rotate through the meats and vegetables to help reduce the likelihood of it happening.
That makes sense, KerryAnn. The ALCAT people give you a rotational diet to use of the foods you don’t have a reaction to that you follow for 3-6 months before reintroducing the foods you did react to. I didn’t really understand why they wanted you eating different things every day, but I’m betting that’s why! Thanks for the answer.
You’re welcome, Katie!
Be careful with parsley and pumpkin seeds, depending on how much they can be medium-high, I believe. Also green peppers aren’t low, neither are potatoes and most tomatoes. Only a very small amount of strawberries are considered low. Broccoli (and probably cauliflower) is lower if boiled, higher if steamed.
It is a tough diet for sure, I also believe it can be healed, as does GAPS creator Natasha McBride. Someone told me sufficient iodine cures oxalate issues, having issues finding a source (she hasn’t replied to me yet either). I am also exploring the Vitamin K Protocol, although from looking through the group it seems the creator’s issues were not “fixed.”
Jo-Jo recently posted..More Probiotics, Not Less!
Yes, I should have mentioned that I only consume them in smaller amounts. I’ll edit the post.
Ugh, KerryAnn! BTDT with salicylates, amines and glutamates. No fun. I’ve stood in the kitchen, not knowing what to cook, and eventually opting not to eat. Not a good solution, but I understand the frustration.
When I was doing a “inbetweener” diet (inbetween Feingold and FAILSAFE diets) I suspected I had a problem with oxalates. I never knew for certain, and now I know I don’t have issues with high oxalate foods. So, either I never had the problem or I did and healed from it. In all my various readings on it, I came across several reports of people eliminating the problem. I also came across a lot of references to specific gut bacteria being helpful, but I don’t have any handy references for you. I think I also came across someone who could tolerate oxalates again, after healing their endocrine issues. As usual, it’s one of those multifaceted problems. I must say, though, that most of this research was done three to four years ago. And we’ll never know if any of the people who said their oxalate intolerance was healed actually had the problem in the first place.
Hang in there! Hugs!
Thank you, Cheryl. I’ve seen info on a specific probiotic helping, but no one currently carries it available for purchase. I’m going to keep researching and reading.
I emailed Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics, to see if they have any info about it.
Also, even though you probably have come across this, here’s a reference to oxalobacter formigenes (see below). Is that the one you’ve been looking for? Since it’s not available for purchase, the Low Oxalate website gives VSL#3 as an interim choice. When I first went on the GAPS diet a few years ago, I took VSL#3 for (I don’t remember) maybe 4-6 months. I felt it noticeably helped with my ability to tolerate salicylates. And who knows, *maybe* it helped with oxalates. At some point, I felt I really needed a wider variety of probiotics . . . and the VSL became cost prohibitive for me.
http://www.lowoxalate.info/gettingstarted.html
I keep on hearing more and more about VSL#3 and I’m going to get some as soon as I can, in addition to my fermented foods.
We use GutPro & Body Biotics. It’s mainly the bifidius strains that eat oxalates, especially infantis. I’m not sure which would contain more cfu’s, but I didn’t want to chance the additives/fillers in VSL#3 with my sensitive son. Are you a member of the RecoveringKids group on facebook? Someone in there just posted she did heal her oxalate issues with probiotics, k2, iodine and milk kefir. The K Protocol also recommends sticking to food sources of calcium only and using magnesium to bind oxalates instead.
Jo-Jo recently posted..Chicken, Green Beans and Sourdough Challah Rolls
Ooooooooohh! No, I hadn’t heard of that group, I’ll go look them up now. Thank you so much!!!
Some ideas: chicken soup; french onion soup (without the bread and cheese); roasted chicken smeared with oil then sprinkled with garlic powder, marjoram, and thyme; pork chops with allowed seasonings; pork carnitas; pork slow-cooked with sauerkraut or cabbage; chicken served with roasted garlic; pot roast or steak; hamburger steak and onions (hamburger patties seasoned with salt & garlic, sauteed with lots of sliced onions until patties are browned with a good crust and onions are softened to carmelized).
Side dishes: steamed or sauteed cabbage, fried brussels sprouts (sauteed in a bit of oil, not necessarily deep fried), roasted or grilled onions (grilled is awesome, they come out very sweet), spaghetti squash drizzled with oil & roasted garlic, salad with fresh herbs, chicken liver marinated in coconut aminos with garlic and ginger then sauteed in lard, mushrooms sauteed with garlic, cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower with lard and maybe coconut milk or broth, LF cucumbers and sauerkraut.
These are just some of the things I came up with off the top of my head while looking at your list. I hope it helps get the creative juices flowing!
Wow, Rain! Thank you!
Hi KerryAnn,
It looks like you are trying to find that needle in a hay stack. Diets like the SCD, GAPS, paleo diet, LOD, PAIP, etc are all great programs and can get you back on track quickly because they get rid of the most troublesome foods for most people. But you may never find out what the problem food really is. Is it all the foods or just one? Elimination diets are great and you find the “one” but elimination diets take forever.
Here are some techniques I have learned from the WAPFers about finding needles in hay stacks. Maybe they can help you too. Being a frugal person I have given up on the expensive saliva and blood tests.
1. The “Coca Pulse Test”:
http://eatkamloops.org/food-intolerance-test-what-not-to-do/
(With adrenal problems this test might work great for you. You spike your cortisol from some food and your pulse will increase.)
2. The woo woo “Standing Muscle Test”:
http://www.healing-with-eft.com/self-muscle-testing.html
(Very interesting test. I call it woo woo because my rational mind can’t believe such a simple test could work. I have had to practice for a number of weeks to get good at it and to trust that it works. With tests like this who needs pharmaceutical companies and doctors!)
In my early days, I logged all my symptoms and food intake for 72 hours. I could cross reference the food with the symptom after some time. After I stabilized and all my diseases and symptoms went away, I reintroduced one food at a time, and watched for fireworks!
Much, much, later I learned to listen to the tiny voice that spoke to me at night. If I felt unwell, listening to the voice at night when I was sleeping, would tell me which food was the problem. It’s always right. (Who is that voice anyway? My gut flora speaking through my gut brain? Hell, if I know.) For example, I have just started brewing my own kombucha. Healthy traditional food, right? Well, not for me.
Caroline Cooper recently posted..Pantry Foods: Bitter Chocolate Walnuts for My Sweet Valentine
I’m familiar with the pulse test, but not the muscle test. I have had a doctor muscle test me in the past, but it was done differently. I am keeping a journal with detailed notes on food intake, symptoms and the like. Just slowly trying to work through everything as I have time.
By the way, don’t make my Bitter Chocolate Walnuts! Not a good food for you.
Caroline Cooper recently posted..Pantry Foods: Bitter Chocolate Walnuts for My Sweet Valentine
Hang in there! You are definitely not alone balancing multiple different issues and multiple diet needs. I have stood in the kitchen and just cried trying to figure out how to feed our family who all have different needs and foods they absolutely cannot have. I’m not sure we’re there yet, either, as my husband is currently not feeling well and is putting on weight at a surprising rate. We keep eliminating foods but nothing seems to be the trigger.
We’ve only been doing low oxalates for six months so take that with a grain of salt but we have found that some foods, even reportedly low ones, don’t *always* respond as low foods. They say growing conditions can affect the actual oxalate levels of the foods so we have to take charts and testing as a ballpark. For our son who has oxalate issues, red potatoes, even in an itty bitty dose of 1/8 c. cause a flare up (enuresis, a rash, foggy head, exhaustion). These are organic and locally grown but for whatever reason aren’t going to work for us (at this time!).
So watch your own symptoms!! Your reaction will be far more important than what the charts say the food should be.
Thank you, Malenksha. I’ve got so much to learn. 🙁
I’ve been on the GAPS diet since September 2012 to help with my Hashi’s. Before GAPS, I was dealing with my food intolerances since December 2011. My doctor started me on an allergy drop protocol for the foods tested. I’ve also been taking IgG powder every day. Charting progress, my antibodies in November 2011 were 1500. The January 2013 blood test showed them to be 131. So, they’ve been steadily–albeit, a little slowly–been going down each month since I started on the allergy drops! And, the GAPS diet has helped in general as well–especially with adrenals (along with epsom baths, mag. oil, etc.) But yes, I too have to be careful about developing new food sensitivities while my gut is trying to heal.
As for iodine, I tried starting on Lugol’s Iodoral in June of 2012. I think that negatively affected my digestion, and I’ve been struggling since. A few months ago, someone told me that iodine is a heavier mineral and requires more digestion (and mine wasn’t the greatest obviously). So, I’ve backed off from it quite a big until my digestion recovers more and I can start on a natural thyroid med. I do think the iodine is [a] key, but robust digestion needs to come first. Since I started consumer apple cider vinegar a couple weeks ago, my digestion seems to be improving a little.
For breakfast, I like to have head cheese, pemmican, and bone broth with sea salt and ghee.