High carb diet results

[Katewest]

It's SUCH a mystery about food but I absolutely think it plays a role in our eye dryness/ocular rosacea. I'm on an anti-histamine diet plus the GAPS diet. I also removed some things that the MRT showed I had a reaction to like Chicken, Apples, and a few other things. I also had a reaction to bakers yeast and candida albicans so I'm exploring the candida treatment plan too.

[LaDiva]

Hi Kate,
I was told by the vitamin woman to take probiotics and Capryl to keep the yeast away. I would guess most of us hard-core rosaceans are on antibiotics, so yeast is forever hovering. I've not had anymore major problems since using the probiotics and Capryl. Sugar is a real yeast feast. I know what you mean spmcc. Some foods show an impact right away, and some don't show up until the next day.

[Faith1989]

Apparently it can even take a few days to have a reaction to something making it even more confusing!! All I know for sure right now is I can't eat: Gluten, Dairy (especially yogurt), Fruit (which I just learned the hard way), spicy food, starches (I can have a little rice) so that leaves meat, veggies and nuts. Glad to see I'm not alone in this! Thanks ladies

Kate I am also looking into doing an anti candida plan , just doing a bit more research!

[Katewest]

LaDiva- I'm going to a meditation class tomorrow night at a health food store so I'll pick up some probiotics and caprylic acid then. Oh, and caprylic acid is found is coconut oil….1 gram I believe! I love that stuff. I ate lamb last night and it was ok on my MRT test but I'm not sure if its that or something else that is bugging me today. There are always so many variables and like you said Faith-it can take days (up to 72 hours I once read) to develop. But I think meat is ok other than chicken for me. Yogurt is a next day reaction as is tuna. I need to repeat it to make sure but i just really don't want to feel and look lousy!

Edit---I forgot about the Candida- some triggers are 1. antibiotic use (yes) 2. birth control (yes) 3. High carb/sugar diet (yes up until about 3 ish months ago) 4. stress (duh)

I think nuts are ok but I know I eat too many. Cashews Almonds and pecans seem the best. Walnuts are high acid so I try to avoid those. But honestly, without my pathetic nut ration each day I would eat NOTHING that is exciting.

*I read today that if you take supplements with food they have a 60% absorption rate compared with 15% if not. Just thought I'd pass that along!

[Faith1989]

Ladiva, when you say "you have not had any major problems since you took the probiotic" do u mean digestive wise or eyes?! Lol and can you give me a good name for one?!

[LaDiva]

Hi Faith,
No yeast problems, but I still do have eye problems. Today a picked a couple of oranges off the tree outside. I know I can't eat them, but thought "I'll just eat a little to see if they are good this year". They are good, and my eyes are already red. Sigh.

I take Dr. Ohhira's probiotics and buy them at the health food store. You have to keep them in the fridge.

Go Kate! Meditate for me too!

[Logandly]

Yes I take vitamin b2 !! Umm do you avoid fruit too? I'm assuming not since you are a vegetarian?

Hi Faith,

You mentioned that you are on restasis, so please check out my post on it here:
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...8743#post88743

Actually I can eat any kind of fruit. I just don't like refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup to clarify. Since the Taurine supplementation, I find I can basically eat anything I couldn't tolerate before, such as pasta and bread.

Logan x

[lizlou29]

Hi Faith,

You mentioned that you are on restasis, so please check out my post on it here:
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...8743#post88743

Actually I can eat any kind of fruit. I just don't like refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup to clarify. Since the Taurine supplementation, I find I can basically eat anything I couldn't tolerate before, such as pasta and bread.

Logan x

Logan, what effect does the Taurine have on food intolerances?

Faith - 6 days of no sugar, dairy or wheat so far and I've stopped wanting anything sugary now. I figure my eyes are so horrible at the moment that I really have to give this a proper go for at least 2 months then if there are positive effects I will re-introduce the wheat then the dairy slowly so I now what's bugging me. I've brought my humidifier in to work today and everyone is asking why I've got it argh!

[Faith1989]

I am in the SAME boat, lids are so inflamed (eyes actually look clear though?!) that ill do ANYTHING!! I am still eating a small amount of fruit (half an apple) in the morning. I still need to cut out grains (like rice). Look up Jessica Adams, she said it took her a year of no sugar but her dry eye is gone! She actually checks back in every year or so to tell us it is still gone (which is much appreciated) I think even SMALL improvements can be a sign it may work, so even if right now we have bad days we can't give up.. What's another year at this point lol

Let me know how you are!!

[Faith1989]

Logan, I appreciate all your advice, but I am starting to think you do not have a "chronic" eye problem like a lot of us. I have had red inflamed lids (mgd) for almost three years up and down. I need restasis although it causes irritation to help control the inflammation. It is the only anti inflammatory available for long term use, as I have a long term condition.

[NotADryEye]

When finally finding my current ophthalmologist he encouraged me to see a naturopath who ordered comprehensive food sensitivity and nutrient absorption testing. The tests were expensive but worth it, IMO, and not covered by insurance.

The list of foods to which I tested with sensitivities was lengthy. There was absolutely no way I ever could have figured this out on my own, even if I kept a detailed food diary.

I eliminated all the bad-for-me foods for 9 months and went on a 4-day rotation diet. My complexion improved and I imagined my meibomian glands improving as well. The body replaces its cells every 6-9 months and so if you have sensitivities, staying off the foods to which you are sensitive for that length of time means that you won't be bombarding your body at a cellular level with these foods until you have a whole new body, at a cellular level, and these new cells won't have the sensitivities that your old body and cells had. At least that's the theory, and I have to say, it did work for me.

The issue is that with food it is so hard to figure out your triggers and your sensitivities. For example, when we are told to avoid sugar or fruit, that is a generality for the population. But for you and me specifically, the question is which sugar and which fruit?

So you might consider food sensitivity testing, which is different from testing for allergies.

[Katewest]

I did the MRT test which tests for food sensitivities. It was 350 all not covered. I'm glad I did it but I know I'm reactive to certain foods that were not on my list…like tuna and yogurt. So I take it with a grain of salt.

[NotADryEye]

Yes, you might know about foods that you should avoid that don't come up in the tests. For me one is chocolate. I break out when I eat it and I don't want the same thing happening to my meibomian glands. I didn't come up gluten sensitive in the tests but I know I need to be gluten free because of Hashimoto's. So food sensitivity is a start, or an additional data point, and then you still have to do whatever else you know yourself you need to avoid for whatever other reasons e.g. contraindications with medications, allergies, etc.

[Katewest]

NADE- What test did you do?

[spmcc]

I'm not answering for NADE. But when I saw ******, he recommended food allergy/sensitivity testing with a company called ALCAT (https://www.alcat.com/). I wondered if he prefered them because the company is also located in Florida.

My naturopath told me that ALCAT testing was popular ~25 years ago before ELISA testing became available. She said there have been comparison studies between the two and it was found that the ALCAT had less consistency. ALCAT is also a far bit more expensive which is why my naturopath does not use them. Having said that, she said she would use them if I wanted.

I had ELISA testing. But I didn't/don't believe the results!!

Like I mentioned above, I haven't eaten mammal since ~1982. For the ELISA testing, you're given a huge list of foods to expose yourself to prior to the blood draw. When my results came in, it said I was allergic/sensitive to beef... and I had eaten it within 10 days of the blood tests! But I had worked very hard at home making all my meals so that I could include as much as possible of the list of foods (minus, of course, all the mammals that I don't consume).

She told me I must have accidentally eaten/exposed myself beef. I don't know how that happened! hahaha. It's weird.

I also then read this article in April 2012: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/184/6/666

Dr. Lavine makes an interesting point about food allergy/sensitivity tests:

For example, under “dairy” may be listed cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and so on. This is inconsistent with current understanding of food allergy, which has identified substantial allergenic components of cows’ milk, for example, casein or β-lactoglobulin, in contrast to making distinctions between types of cheese made from cows’ milk.

This was true of my ELISA tests. I had to expose myself to a bunch of different cheeses and dairy products.

I don't know what to think. All of the foods that trigger my rosacea, I was fine with per ELISA.