Taking the LEAP

If you have every struggled with IBS, been diagnosed with diverticulitis, been suspected of battling diverticulitis or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, then this is the place for you, and the post for you.

This summer I almost died. That's hard to admit as a relatively healthy former athlete with mostly good eating habits and a non sedentary lifestyle. As I have researched and learned more about what has happened to me, I know I have been battling this from the beginning of my IBS issues. And I have made it worse and worse even by doing the things I thought were right to battle my IBS. I have been strict about managing my IBS without medication, and that's incredibly tough to do, if you just listen to modern medicine. Meaning, here's a pill we can give you to fix that, and another to fix that other issue. But it never heals your gut, and I continued to basically poison myself for the next 20 years, even while making healthy choices!!!

Most of you know the common side affects of IBS because you or someone you know suffers from this occasionally or constantly. Those who only have occasional outbreaks, have learned to control this with their dietary choices. We avoid the common triggers, unless we are willing to pay the price. And then one day that price is just not worth it anymore because the pain has gone to a whole new level. One day the cramping will be so intense, you say enough is enough. Or one day you have so much pain you can't even breathe, and then you get checked out and sent home even though you are still moaning in pain and can't even walk, but the ER doctors can't figure it out... so they drug you up and send you home to die, because silently, your body is going septic - and you will die from organ failure. Yeah, that happened to me. And to others I've talked to.

My wake-up call came after a super-surgery with 8 procedures and 3 surgeons that actually didn't even include a gastrointestinal procedure! But when they cut me open, they said with certainty in agreement, "diverticulitis". You see, it's hard to diagnose until they cut you open. Until they find a cancerous spot in your intestines and have to remove it - and for some that means a long, painful, and difficult recovery. And for others it means the intestines never wake up again and work like they are supposed to, so you get an ostomy to empty your bowels the rest of your life. ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION YET?

My own G.I. and various other surgeons just weren't able to offer me any truly meaningful direction. Disheartening isn't it? You would hope a specialist could really help you figure out how we got here and what should be next.

Instead, I reached out to my dietician friend for help. She advised me to take a true food allergy blood test called LEAP. She told me it would be hard, so I would have to be committed. I read up on the diet program at http://nowleap.com. It was a lot to "digest". But ultimately when I found a local dietician who could administer the test and offer me follow-up counseling she was able to explain it better than I was comprehending. Essentially the blood they take will test a number of items for reactions. At the time I took the test, I was tested for 150 things. I wish I would have known about the higher level test, I would have just gone ahead and dug as deep as possible. As it is now, I may choose to later repeat this test after a year of being on the diet protocol to include the untested items, and to see what my results look like after avoiding my allergens.

For the blood test to be shipped off and 4 counseling sessions, it cost me about $500. And for what I'm getting, I think it was well worth it. I was NOT prepared to see how many things I was testing allergic to. They classified them into two categories - HIGH REACTIVE (allergic) and MODERATE reactive (intolerances). And there were a LOT. THREE very surprising allergies, and TWENTY TWO additional "intolerances". JAW DROPPING. Especially as I read through the list.

Let me give you a few examples.
ALLERGIES listed as Asparagus, Cheddar Cheese and Oat.

Okay, I already knew I was lactose intolerant. When that came into play about eight years ago, my GI doctor at the time advised I stay away from the soft cheeses, and seek out the hard cheese like cheddar - the sharper the better he said. Then a few years ago I was tested for celiac disease - when that came back negative, the doctor suggested I could be "intolerant" even if I am not "allergic". So at that time I swapped out all my whole wheat and enriched wheat flours and breads and opted for the OAT varieties. So you see what was happening here... I began poisoning myself even more, by eating the things I was even more allergic too.

What I've learned, is that over time, when you don't rotate certain foods or get enough variety, your body reaches a point where it can no longer break those foods down properly, and then you start to develop these sensitivities. I certainly kicked mine into overdrive with my "HEALTHY" choices!!

But I did eat healthy - my only cheat with "bread" was the enriched wheat were my beloved flour tortillas, and an occasional cupcake or bundt cake. Maybe a pretzel on special occasions. I actually LOVE salads, but as luck would have it, my IBS would flare up any time I had a regular sized serving of lettuce. So I would opt for some kind of green thing or vegetable with every meal, keeping bread consumption to a low level. Fruits were enjoyed but not too often due to sugar content. I couldn't eat fried foods (even if I wanted too) because the IBS fall-out was not worth the bad choice to eat something fast food or fried anyway. Mostly I ate Paleo, but I wasn't super strict on my dairy allowance (even though I'm lactose intolerant).

The decision to take the LEAP was easy - it was the follow-through to actually START the elimination diet that would be hard. Harder than I thought when she said "elimination diet" because I have done the Advocare 24-Day Challenge, I eat mostly Paleo which is a lot like Whole 30, but I'm telling you, I was NOT prepared for just how strict or difficult this was going to be. I don't want to kid with you here - as a self-proclaimed foodie - THIS IS HARD.
THIS IS VERY HARD.
THIS IS VERY VERY HARD.

When they give you the 14-day eating plan, it's shocking. When they show you what you are allowed to eat, it's almost surreal.

Pair that with IBS triggers that might be on your approved list (PS - you can replace them, consult your dietitian), Foods you can't eat because of the diverticulitis (again, consult with your dietician regarding and updated list of foods to avoid like seeds and such to to this condition, as a newer study suggestions nuts just might be perfectly fine!!), and allergens that are crazy common (like mine was BLACK PEPPER - um, I don't think I can get ANYTHING in a restaurant EVER "as is" or even pre-packaged due to this crazy allergy)... navigating the first few weeks of your diet can be TRICKY. And HARD.

Imagine you are ripped out of your well stocked kitchen, fridge and deep freezer. You are placed on an island with an unlimited supply of 4 protein options, 5 vegetables, 4 fruits, 2 nuts and 2 seasonings (one of which is sea salt). But in a sick twist, they send you BACK to your real life, back to your awesome kitchen, yet have to go to the grocery and health food store to stock only those items listed.

Guys, I have to be honest. I'm mad about this. It's not easy at all. My meal planning feels more like making a picnic and prepping like I am some kind of competition body builder with strict limitations - it is not fun, there is no joy. Only reminders of what I can't have. And when your supportive friends try to help make suggestions, you are only reminded of another 40 healthy suggestions that YOU CANNOT HAVE. If I could, I would 1)pay someone to prep all of this for me for the first month and 2) I would leave my normal life to go be HANGRY all the time in peace, and not covet my neighbor's... well... ANYTHING because I probably can't have it no matter what it is. And I plan events where food is the main attraction for a living!! What secret hell did I force upon myself?

It's just not fun. I've never been an "eat to live" person. But now I'm trying to be. It's hard to let go of decades of emotional eating and attachments to the comfort I find in food and flavor. In my past I lived to eat. Cooking is a joy and expression of love for me. So this season I'm in now, is just plain torture.

The key is meal prep and planning. Cook a few days ahead so you don't just run out of something. I am constantly reminding myself as I prep foods for my family that I can't even lick my fingers or have one little bite of something to satisfy a craving. The more strict you are, the better your results and health will be. The better prepared your body will be after the elimination phase, at telling you something is not right or does not agree with you.

In my next post I'll cover some of my survival tips - including finding an approved tortilla recipe that allowed me to have SOME kind of bread-type product to put a spread on. And I'll keep blogging about my experience so perhaps you feel a little less alone and desperate for answers. I keep reminding myself that this is my CANCER and OSTOMY PREVENTION DIET. Even if the only bright spot I can find is losing 6 pounds in my first 4 days...

Hang in there,
Kodi