About food and diet

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Ludmilla

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So, I've been having IBS and weird digestive stuff since I was little, but it got worse over the years. I've tried different diets, and I really like being vegan/vegetarian, but I as my digestive issues worsened at the same time (it was also the time I got "fibromyalgia" and so on...), I thought I just can't digest too much fiber (legumes, etc.).

But having read John Sarno and Steve Ozanich, plus some testimonials concerning food on this website, I feel a little conflicted. Surely the human body is able to digest any food that is natural and eaten in reasonable quantities ? I've done breathing tests and I was told I have SIBO, which sounds an awful lot like the new bullshit diagnosis en vogue. Plus, I had hyperphagia and orthorexia for some years, and I'm generally interested in healthy eating, etc. So it makes sense that it would be one of the best ways for my brain to create TMS, I suppose. I've been told not to eat gluten, dairy, or grains, or legumes, to take this supplement or that, to eat a raw carnivore diet (yes, there is such a thing)... and it all sounds to me like go to this osteopath for your back, take chondroitin supplements for your knees, and so on.

On the same time, I'm tired of farting all the time, and I don't want to start eating an all-meat diet (or eat again any meat).

I guess I need some reassurance that I'm on the right path by trying no pay no attention to my stomachic woes :p (while, again, eating a well-rounded and nutritionnaly adequate diet).
 
You're on the right track. Bullshit diagnoses are prolific. Silly allergies and stuff.
If what I hear and see is true we are the weakest poorest adapted species ever, and will soon lose our position on the top of the evolutionary pile . We are allergic to everything. Though our antecedents struggled up from the ooze eating any and everything, we are of a sudden special little allergic kids with a note and an excuse and a complaint.

So... Yes. again You are on the right path. Moderation. If something bugs you, eat less. The end.
 
Thank you Baseball65 !

When you say : "If something bugs you, eat less", do you mean that I should restrain my consumption of foods which I find make me bloated (e.g. legumes) ? Or should I treat it like back pain TMS all the way, by engaging in the activity I fear (eating legumes = exercising) and practicing outcome independence (not caring if I'm bloated) ?
 
Ludmilla, I have seen a number of doctors about pain and bought into the crazy world of “food sensitivities “. Bloated, pain, weak, etc. I have suffered for a long time mentally about what foods to eat to alleviate my pain. Gluten free for 15 years! If it helped me I didn’t notice! I saw a health practitioner, alone with lots of others, to no avail. I was told to not eat gluten, dairy, wheat, oats, sorghum,amaranth, tapioca, I could go on and on. Sometimes I would get really hungry, I lost lots of weight and worried continuously about nutrition!

My point is they took blood and told me all this showed up! This doesn’t even make common sense? So I’m thinking in my situation it’s all MBS! I eat really healthy, most all the time, addicted to Ice cream, so I’m careful :). So I say enjoy your life and stop worrying about it. Also wasted lots of money and time on this!
 
I mean just ditch it. I haven't eaten wheat in about a year. But if I am starving and the only thing available is a sandwich I don't avoid it because of the bread.... and I don't have any negative repercussions.

About thirty years ago, I noticed that I had indigestion when I ate meat during the day (any). Than I noticed I had indigestion if I ate anything other than a bland protein bar. So I don't eat when I am working. No problem, just follow your comfort. We have access to more food than any civilization in history.... we don't need to be eating all of it and dumping weapons grade peppers on it (LOL) !

Eat what makes you feel good and don't give it too much attention.
 
Sammie, your story gives me hope, thanks !

Baseball65, the thing is, I have PCOS and I know eating vegan/vegetarian helps my symptoms (plus I feel quite strongly about animals), but at the same time it makes me more bloated. It's kind of a lose-lose situation... I feel that avoiding a food because of indigestion is following the voice of fear, and fear leads to the dark side of TMS... doesn'it ?
 
I agree Ludmilla, if you stop eating foods you enjoy and love than the focus becomes about the food. I still focus on the food a lot and the bloating still happens because of all the focus! I’m a patient of Dr Schubiner (if you haven’t heard of him, check him out). Great guy! He told me it was all BS! I still have trouble believing it! I struggle about what the doctors have told us we have a problem with. Life is to short to continue to live like this!
 
Ludmilla, I think you're right about avoiding the food, or even eating less of it, because of a physical symptom is like avoiding hard chairs or soft mattresses or whatever. It's been mentioned a lot in mainstream sources about the gut being the "second brain" and it undoubtedly is going to react to things strongly and have a tendency toward a conditioned response. As Sammie said, the focus on it (the distraction) is the key. Think about those goofballs in eating competitions. They are eating terrible stuff and stupid amounts of it and they are fighting their natural instinct to throw up and undoubtedly don't feel great after it all, but they don't think they just damaged themselves irreparably and are "bad" for it. I wouldn't aspire to that, but it does show what the body is actually capable of (if you wanted to push it to the limits). And it's not only about not paying so much attention to the stomach woes, it's actually about shifting that focus to your real feelings. Easier said than done as we often mention here, but we're certainly capable of it. Good luck.
 
Baseball65 said:
If what I hear and see is true we are the weakest poorest adapted species ever, and will soon lose our position on the top of the evolutionary pile . We are allergic to everything. Though our antecedents struggled up from the ooze eating any and everything, we are of a sudden special little allergic kids with a note and an excuse and a complaint.
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LOL, @Baseball65 - you have got this SO right!

@Ludmilla, one reason (perhaps the main reason) that humans evolved as we did is because we learned millenia ago how to cook our foods. Cooking makes many foods edible and/or more digestible, which makes the nutrients more available, which made our brains bigger AND gave us more time to do other things besides scrounging for food all day long.

Most health practitioners start out with good intentions, because they want to heal people - but crazy stupid diet fads are nothing more than magical thinking, and their marketing depends upon the placebo effect to work for a while - which can't last.

In any case, one of the most alarming TMS symptoms I had back in 2011 before I discovered Dr. Sarno was digestive problems leading to rapid weight loss, and I was starting to eliminate beloved foods right and left. After I started doing this work, that went away. I can still have "issues" when I let myself get emotionally stressed out and mindless, but even when that happens, I don't restrict my diet - I just get back to mindfulness and journaling.

My diet plan comes from Michael Pollan (slightly paraphrased): Eat REAL food, not too much, mostly plants.

I probably eat more dairy than is ideal, but damn it, life is short, and good cheese is AWESOME, and, if it's not butter, why bother? :D
 
Some food sensitivities (I am not talking about deadly anaphylaxis and peanut allergies!) can be alleviated using a mind-body approach. Genetic lactose intolerance is an example of something I wouldn't mess with.

Other people, however, may have more difficulty stomaching specific foods when they're under a lot of stress. Some people have developed sensitivities to dairy and overcame them using the mind-body approach - I believe one of our own TMS Wiki members, balto, went through this.

Others don't even realize their sensitivities are being caused by emotions, because the fad diets serve as a placebo for them, essentially tricking them into believing the diet was the cure.

My advice: eat as healthily as you can while still enjoying some snacks you love, watch your emotions, and have fun in life. Oh, and don't believe every single person who says food was their cure - some of them may be tricked by a placebo!

(Also, there is a time and a place for the other diets. For example, someone with two copies of the APOE4 gene - which is a major risk for Alzheimer's - might want to consider eating a "greener" keto or some other type of low-carb diet depending on their situation, cholesterol and glucose measurements, etc. However, even stress is a major risk factor dementia, so everyone needs to enjoy themselves! ;))
 
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Hello, @FelicityMcG92! Welcome to TMS Wiki. This forum is focused on the mind-body connection and physical as well as mental symptoms caused by emotions. This may not be the ideal place for weight loss tips, but if you’re experiencing any symptoms from heightened emotions (e.g., back pain, anxiety, headaches, etc.), we have many resources and stories that can help. :)
 
I'm struggling with gut/IBS symptoms at the moment, about 90% convinced its TMS as I'm going through a super busy period at work with an office move. Hopefully I can get through the next few weeks then start working on myself again.
 
JanAtheCPA said:
LOL, @Baseball65 - you have got this SO right!

@Ludmilla, one reason (perhaps the main reason) that humans evolved as we did is because we learned millenia ago how to cook our foods. Cooking makes many foods edible and/or more digestible, which makes the nutrients more available, which made our brains bigger AND gave us more time to do other things besides scrounging for food all day long.

Most health practitioners start out with good intentions, because they want to heal people - but crazy stupid diet fads are nothing more than magical thinking, and their marketing depends upon the placebo effect to work for a while - which can't last.

In any case, one of the most alarming TMS symptoms I had back in 2011 before I discovered Dr. Sarno was digestive problems leading to rapid weight loss, and I was starting to eliminate beloved foods right and left. After I started doing this work, that went away. I can still have "issues" when I let myself get emotionally stressed out and mindless, but even when that happens, I don't restrict my diet - I just get back to mindfulness and journaling.

My diet plan comes from Michael Pollan (slightly paraphrased): Eat REAL food, not too much, mostly plants.

I probably eat more dairy than is ideal, but damn it, life is short, and good cheese is AWESOME, and, if it's not butter, why bother? :D
Click to expand...

you express my thoughts exactly! i am so tired of rabbit holes for diets, and all the lists of things we are to avoid. made me orthorexic for a year and am still trying to regain my weight and muscle strength and getting over the fear of eating something that doesn't agree with my innard. lol it really did a number on me! i still have digestive issues and body aches, but am dealing with hashimotos thyroiditis and can't discern what is causing what? part thyroid and part tms? who knows!
 
I'm locking this thread. Too many spammers are attracted to it, there have been four spam attempts since the last legitimate post a year ago, there were several spam attempts before then, and I can guarantee that when I query the latest one there will be no response - but if I do nothing, the post will later be edited with a hyperlink.
[edit: post removed, user deleted]
 
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