How Long After Making Dietary Changes Did You Notice A Difference?

[Alison]

A week ago I started a 'healthy eating' diet. I've cut out sugar, wheat and meat (still eating a bit of fish). I'm eating mainly vegetables and salad with rice, quinoia and pulses, and other grains. I've made some vegeable based smoothies which I've eaten 1/2 hour before a meal. I've been feeling really positive about this diet that it is going to really help me.

I had a blip yesterday when I realised how long I'm spending upright in the kitchen cooking and washing up. Wonder if I would be better off spending this time meditating or doing something fun? Is it worth it? I'm feeling as lightheaded and dizzy as ever.

For those who have made a similar change - how long before you noticed a difference? Also any advice about diet would be gratefully received. I'm not sure whether to cut out bioyoghurt?

[JuneFlower]

most people who go gluten free will say a month is long enough to see a difference. Not sure about the meat thing. Yogurt is another whole category. Not sure what diet you a re following but good luck. I tried the gluten thing twice but with a family, it is hard.

June

[TCP]

To begin with it's like a detox sometimes especially if you cut out troublesome foods. You can notice a difference after a few weeks and sometimes even quicker. Initially you may feel worse as any yeasts or reactions die-off.

I have been low sugar/carb, no dairy, gluten and pretty much vegan. I still wasn't feeling as well as I should have done having tried this diet in the past and then found out the acid in tomatoes was bothering me and sprouts and broccoli. They were reacting in my gut and making me feel very unwell and gassy. Anyhow, I cut them out and eat root veggies (in small quantities as they're high in sugar), pak choi, celery, peppers, courgette, aubergine, green beans, cucumber, lettuce etc.. Lots to choose from. I have a natural rice-based cereal for breakfast with almond milk and sometimes put a little fruit with it. I eat lots of salads, stir fries and roast veggies. I cook all meals from scratch. No junk or known issues removed.

I was on this diet for 11 years from 1993 and I lost a lot of excess weight and the candida went. My health improved and stupidly I reverted to my old ways of eating including dairy, sugars and wheat and then the neuropathy came on within 2 years. I have since been found to be dairy intolerant and cutting that out made me less mucusy in my head. I noticed that my snoring decreased, too. I'm back on the diet and some of the excess 4 stones in weight (56lbs) is coming off and my tummy is less troubled.

I am also taking a probiotic, digestive enzymes and milk thistle; so it's like a detox. I am also taking various other supplements sometimes daily or every other day. I felt rough for the first five days and my face got spotty, but I'm going to the loo better now and I am starting to feel more alert. Plenty of water, too.

You should feel some benefit before long and over all more improvements to your health. I just wish I had stuck to the diet I had before and not strayed.

[castronovo112587]

I cut out wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, peanut and do not eat any GMO or processed food. It took me a good 3 months to start to see major difference and I feel sooooo much better then before now.

[amyksmith]

I highly recommend getting a step ladder that is tall enough that you can sit on it while you prepare foods. I tried a stool but it doesn't help as much with blood pooling as the step ladder since with the ladder I can put my feet higher (closer to my butt) and that helps a lot. Otherwise I can't really manage too well with cooking/ food prep unless I can do everything sitting down at the table and just put a dish into the oven. No stove-top cooking for me at all anymore.

As for dietary changes, mine were made mostly for my GI problems, but I saw some changes quickly and then the better changes after about 6 weeks or so. Good luck and try to adapt your environment so it is easier to stick with it.

[Alison]

Thanks for your replies, they have given me some encouragement to carry on. I don't want to lose weight as I don't need to lose any, so I've been eating huge quantities since I started which I'm not sure is for the best, though I must be getting lots of micronutrients from all the vegetables.

[AllAboutPeace]

Alison,

Wow, good for you!! That is a huge amount of change in your diet all at once. I haven't taken the leap yet to go gluten free, but I still think I'll try it one of these days

I know what you mean about the prep time. It can be a lot and requires more focus and planning when you have dietary restrictions. Here are a few things I have found helpful.

- nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, etc. are a great way to include healthy fats in your diet - (especially if you are not looking to lose weight.) They are great, as an extra boost, in smoothies.

- I take full advantage of my freezer. Fresh veggies (organic) is ideal, but realistically too often the stuff decayed in my fridge because I didn't have the energy to wash/prepare it at mealtime. Frozen veggies (broccoli; cauliflower, etc) are the next best thing, nutrient wise, to fresh and is much easier to deal with. I also chop and freeze onions, green peppers, etc, or combinations for spaghetti, etc., so I just have to toss them in the pot or slow cooker. I'll also make a few batches of soup and freeze it in smaller portions.

- I love green smoothies, too, but if I had to prepare it in the mornings, it would rarely get done. So, I choose a time ( when I have the energy or help to do it), usually on the weekend, when I can wash up all of the veggies/fruit for the smoothies and put all of the ingredients for each smoothie into individual bags/container. All you have to do when you want one is take one bag out of the freezer, add whatever liquid, mix it up and you're done. Most veggies, fruits and nuts and seeds can be frozen. There is no waste that way either. You could also just store each veggie or fruit in the freezer separately and take from each container to make up your smoothie. I prefer the less work option

- I find it helpful to use one of the free on-line food trackers because many of them (if not all) tell you whether you are getting enough of the various nutrients.

- without meat protein, it's important to eat a good variety of foods. It's sounds like you are doing well with that already! Dairy and eggs are a good source of protein- if you are eating those. The protein from veggie sources are generally not 'complete' proteins (meaning they are missing at least one amino acid), so you need to make sure that you are getting those missing ones from other food sources. It's not usually a problem if you are eating a variety of foods and they don't have to be eaten in the same meal. Quinoa is a complete protein, so it's great that you are eating that already.

- This is a great website for food analysis http://nutritiondata.self.com . You just have to type in whatever food you want in the search bar at the top of the page. It will give you options to narrow it down (raw/cooked/salt added, etc) then when you select that, it gives you your analysis. It will tell you the glycemic load, calories, inflammation factor, fullness factor, etc. It also tells you the protein quality - so it will tell you which amino acids are missing and give you some examples of foods that will provide the missing ones. *for some reason I can't get the full analysis on my tablet, so you may need to look at it on a computer.

I hope you find what works best for you

[little_blue_jay]

Not sure why you're not eating meat but as a tip to save standing and prepping time I love to do a roast in the slow cooker, takes 2 min to toss it in with some spices or garlic, and forget it for 6 hours, and then I can eat cold sliced roast for the next 3 or 4 days or heat up a slice for a couple min.

Just about the only thing that has helped my symptoms is going on the Paleo diet, I feel better on a high meat diet with some good fats, a big salad a day and low carb veggies. Only took about a week or two to feel a difference eating this way.

[issie]

Look up Forks over Knives, the Mcdougal diet and Engine2 . You will get a wealth of info from there. There is a learning curve. Im lowfat, whole food vegan for a year. Gluten free, and dairy free. Vegans have NO animal products. Im better than I've been in years and everything has improved. I do need to supplement methyl b12, vit d, and iodine. Otherwise, I was told if eating a variety, all is good. Doc keeps lab work current and all is good.

Issie

[TCP]

It depends what diet you follow and what suits you personally. Having had IBS since 1985 I know what food upset my tummy and others can now cause a flare up, it constantly changes. Meat isn't ideal to eat if you have gastroparesis as it stagnates in the gut and that's not good, neither is dairy. There is also a list of about 20 culprit foods with IBS which cause bloating and gas and I know that it was clear that the sprouts and broccoli had to dropped from my diet. Gas means bloating and worse nerve and head/eye pain. Cutting out sugars/carbs means less gas and bloating, so it's all worth it.

People think it's hard to find things to eat, but I ate a stir fry with healthy oil last night and it was packed with 12 different veggies. I love salads and roast veggies, too. I'm not having any bloating and related symptoms and that means a lot. I took guidance and it was suggested that what I have been eating is really healthy and fresh. I only buy organic veggies and fruits (in smaller amounts). I was never much into meat anyway and I found it hard to digest. I have always loved veggies and keep adding new ones to try. I just wish I had remained on this vegan-based diet years ago as I felt pretty good then ruined it and my health. I missed being a strict vegan and was a campaigner but lost my way for a time and now I'm back. I do supplement and that helps.

[Alison]

Little blue jay I read a really good book called crazy sexy diet (written by someone with cancer), which talked about the need to keep your body at the right pH and how meat makes your body acidic. I'm not sure if I want to stay off meat long term, I'm considering eating it once a week. Maybe after I've had a few months off it, and I can see how I do with it. I've also seen that people on this board have talked of a low fat diet helping, so I thought I'd try that.

Thanks for the suggestions, issie, I'll look them up.

TCP is that sprouting beans you can't eat? That is a shame, I grow them sometimes, they seem to healthy as they are so fresh.

[kayjay]

I agree with the 3 months thing...at least. I have been gluten free for several years and highly recomend giving it a try but it is by no means a "quick fix".

[TCP]

No, I do eat sprouting beans and seeds but not Brussels sprouts. All of the green leafy veggies give me gas except pak choi.

Any change in diet needs willpower and dedication. The hardest part is food as a social event when friends and family are eating with you or there's no choice when you eat out. I take a box of mixed raw veggies to eat if I am out for the day just in case I cannot access the decent stuff. Temptation is the hardest part and I usually tell myself that the food is either good or bad and that stops me from straying.