UPDATE: Discovered I have S.I.B.O., similar to I.B.S. Also discovered terrific treatment! If you want to skip the process I went thru, scroll to the last entry, "DAY 5." Tho some may find the journey interesting. There's also a spiritual story that surprised this fallen soul, under 'Day 5.' :) Krishna's mercy knows no bounds! And it IS just mercy, as I am a struggling rascal.
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DAY 1
So, I woke up a few days ago - sick. Could not keep anything inside my body. Currently our kitchen is in upheaval due to some carpentry work. As a result, it's hard to find much of anything. Including the right herbs or medicine.
First I tried certain OTC / over the counter meds. They kind of worked, until I stopped taking them.
I ate a certain diet that was suppose to help. However, it only reduced the issues. They quickly came back - overnight - twice.
Finally I decided to do a liquid fast. No, I am not great at fasting. Oh when I was young I did some days of liquid fasting. But that was a long time ago.
Those with autoimmune issues are not really suppose to fast. (Hashimotto's Hypothyroidism is mine.) And it's not recommended for old people. (Well, I'm old, but not THAT old, I think. ha.) Incidentally, children, young folk, and pregnant or nursing ladies should not fast.
For some of the above reasons, and others, I have not done any type of health fast for decades. [I observe Ekadasi. Not talking of holidays or for spiritual reasons. Only speaking of health reasons.]
So far I have gone all day drinking water and nothing else. Not sure how long I will last :) which is also why I am posting about it. Will update as time goes on.
However, I am all ready getting health benefits. And that too is why I am posting about it. I hope to list them later, when I can double check to make sure they are really happening.
Years ago, ok decades ago, I did a 7 day Liquid Fast. It was hard. But I succeeded it. How? I had a few tricks, which I am now using.
One is that I read about the benefits of liquid fasting, often. Especially when hunger twinges set in. I pulled out a book that I wish I still had but do not. It was small, but very potent. I read it all throughout the day but especially when I felt weak. Both physically but also just wanting to give up, reading about it stopped me from quitting.
Another little trick I learned was to lay down when hungry, tired, or weak. Shut eyes a few minutes. Of course, one can't fast if going to work or school, etc. It has to be done when there is time to yourself.
Nor should anyone do it by following my ideas. Please get a book or do a good netsearch for qualified help.
That little book I had years ago, had great information. It explained that hunger pains go away. I did not know that. I thought if you don't feed them to calm them, they roar louder. Well sure, at first. But if able to wait longer, they die down.
That book talked of people curing tumors and diseases. One man saw his tumor shrink before his eyes, as a result of Liquid Fasting. Inspiring? Yes. It's why it's important to find your own book, or own favorite site on the topic that has both medical knowledge and testimonials.
Another tip is that when hungry, taking a big chug of pure water calms down the hunger. No, it won't replace a meal ha. We're talking of liquid fasting here, not soup. :)
Tho vegetarian broth, with the vegetables strained out and fully removed so it really is only liquid - this is acceptable as part of a liquid fast. I have not done this yet today because I am sick. But as I get better, I probably will.
Herbal tea is also acceptable. Dandelion root is very good for the liver. Tho it has a slight laxative effect. Take it or leave it, you decide.
It's also important to take a daily Vitamin / Mineral pill or liquid when fasting. Extremely important!
Anyway, I am not making any commitment to how many days I shall do this. If I can get thru one day, I will be thrilled. :)
That makes it easier, for me anyway, because there is no pressure. Just checking how my health is doing.
I will update this post to let readers know how things are going. Other ideas that come to me as I go thru this, I will try to add here.
Some may wonder: "What does this have to do with spiritual life?"
Well, when time is not spent cooking or eating, it is available for other things - like chanting! I have been happily sitting here, chanting Stotrams and mantras. Also there is more time for reading. I've been reading Srimad Bhagavatam online. I may return to put a link to that later. It makes a person feel bliss, and hope! <3
Liquid fasting is not for everyone. If it is not for you, do not feel bad! I refused to do it for years and years. My body has forced me into it today. ha And for that I am happy. But if it did not, I would be happy chanting Hare Krishna.
After the following disclaimer, I will add DAY 2, below. Keep scrolling. :)
ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. Nothing here is to replace a medical professional. Speak to a licensed doctor etc, as well as be responsible for your own actions and choices.
RELATED To Blog Post:
8 Health Benefits of Fasting, Backed by Science - Nice summary of the medical health benefits, plus scroll to read precautions.
Books to Read When Fasting - or Not Fasting :) - Download them free. They are yours to keep. From small books like "Perfection of Yoga," to "Nectar Of Devotion," or "Srimad Bhagavatam," and "Caitanya Caritamrita" plus more!
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DAY 2 - LIQUID FASTING:
It's around 9 a.m. and I have not eaten breakfast. Tho I am drinking water.
I feel the need to reiterate, children require all their nutrients and should not fast. Healthy young people also should not fast. Feeble senior citizens should not. And of course, women who are pregnant or nursing should not fast.
It's not that no one should fast. LOL I just don't want folks to do it and if it doesn't work for them, or if there's some problem, then they blame me. So please be responsible. Do your homework, read the disclaimer. Moving on:
Personally, I am doing a detox. As we age and live in this kaliyuga world of environmental pollution. There's impure food and water, car exhaust & factory fumes, nail polish or paint or chemicals, a whole in our ozone, and so on. This results in our bodies absorbing all sorts of toxins. It is these toxins I am trying to get out. Those, and currently I am sick, so I have plenty of gunk to be released. However a healthy person does not. And a sick person may need to find out if this is the route they should go, or not. Talk to a professional health care practitioner.
On to my day: Currently I am reading Srimad Bhagavatam online, taking breaks to chant some of my favorite mantras.
For my health, I am taking Berberine (herbal) and a couple other things not worth mentioning as they will not effect liquid fasting. I am not that hungry. Got a few twinges, drank water. The water feels very cleansing.
Trying to wait to say it but can't help myself :) as there is a big health issue I have not mentioned, that appears to be clearing up! Time will tell. However, it is noticing things like this that helps a person keep up the liquid fasting. Some may find it helpful to write it in a journal.
Will your family support you if you decide to do a liquid fast? This has been my concern. Oh, mine will be all for it. In that way, they will support. But will they talk about what to eat next or what food to buy in town? This is the challenge most of us have. However, just talk to them and remind them to keep such chat short, when it is necessary. Then pick up a book or distract the mind somehow or other.
Next, one might wonder about juicing. Am I going to make and drink fresh homemade juice? Right now, I am not. However, it is perfectly in line with Liquid Fasting. It's even a good idea. For me, I would not be able to keep it down at this point. Plus, it would be too much work considering how I am feeling. Then there is the extra issue of not having a functioning kitchen at the moment. However, I mention juicing because it is a great healer! In the past, I have juiced a lot. Anyone interested in the healing benefits of juicing, please do a good netsearch. Remember, it must be organic.
It is now 10 p.m. and my day is over. Somehow, I made it! Hooray! :) I must tell you folks out there, toward the end it was getting hard. But I followed my own advice ha, read about fasting, kept reading Prabhupada's books, and got a little stubborn about it all ha, and made it thru the day. Now, I can not promise I will do it tomorrow, but I am hopeful. Tune in and see. :) I'll put a couple more links below - right under the disclaimer. Goodnight for now.
ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. Nothing here is to replace a medical professional. Speak to a licensed doctor etc, as well as be responsible for your own actions and choices.
Vegan Liquid Diet: I am not a vegan, and proud to follow Prabhupada's
teachings on Ahimsa or at least Organic milk. However, for healing, even
Ayurveda says under certain circumstances [such as mucous production] to fast from milk. With that said, this site has some
great tips on how to ease into a fast, how to ease out of it, and why to do one.
Srimad Bhagavatam: Read a lovely story about Dhruva Maharaja. He returns home. Nectar! For those who can't read Sanskrit, just scroll past it. It's no big deal and some who do read Sanskrit scroll past it themselves. :)
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DAY 3 - LIQUID FASTING:
It's 9:25, been up awhile. It's a good day for a carob hot drink, or peppermint tea. The carob is a little more filling since it is a powder. Sweeten with organic xylitol. Some like raw honey, organic.
Not sure how much longer I can do this liquid fast, but this next reminds me to read the benefits of fasting. And after reading that, to read something from Prabhupada's books to bring everything full circle.
It's still early, so not much to say that hasn't been said. Will be back later. Incidentally, my writing all this is not just about me. That is there. However, I do this because I hope someone finds something beneficial here.
It's 3 p.m. now, and I must say, I am feeling a bit more clear. Both mentally and physically.
Of course, we are not our bodies, we are spirit soul and will one day be dragged out of our bodies with our last breath. I am not trying to put too much emphasis on the material body, but to put too little is not good either. So we must try to heal our bodies, when we can. And in the process, to think of Krishna, read about Krishna, Prabhupada, etc.
Right now I am watching a fantastic video of Prabhupada's Samadhi, a place camera's usually can not get into. It is on Facebook and I'm not sure if it is public or private. This is a great thing to watch while liquid fasting. Not only takes the mind off of eating, it is spiritually elevating.
It is now almost 8 p.m. When I haven't eaten all day, night becomes the hardest. Not sure how much longer I will last. Just being honest.
And it's not that I need to last much longer. I never committed to anything more than moment by moment. :) And it worked. It got me thru three days!
However, check back tomorrow and see where it goes from here. :)
RELATED LINKS:
Mastering Intermittent Fasting On A Plant Based Diet - Interesting site. Hits up a variety of points. Talks about circadian rhythms of your body, aging with agility, blood glucose levels, and much more.
With any link I give, take what you like, and leave what you don't. :)
ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. Nothing here is to replace a medical professional. Speak to a licensed doctor etc, as well as be responsible for your own actions and choices.
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DAY 4
Not sure how to title this because I am now eating, but very lightly. I actually plan to do some intermittent fasting. That is where you eat a little, than fast a little. So unlike a full liquid fast, I am now doing something a little different.
Tho I do not plan on following the ratio often given for intermittent fasting. They are a good guideline for those who want it, but I am just going to follow the needs of my body.
Not referring to the pushings of hunger, tho they are to be included. But also how the health of my body is improving. Incidentally, previously I was sick and am now about 80% better.
Though there came a point where the sickness needed to eat a little to get better. It worked too! Now I'm going full circle to intermittent fasting.
I've never written such a person blog post and it feels a bit strange. In a sense it helped me fast. Also, this is not just for me, but if any ideas, or mess ups ha that I did, help someone else, good.
Actually IMHO it's important to be kind to yourself and recognize it's ok to not do it perfectly. If a mistake is made, or a slip-up, that's ok. Just get back to it. As long as you really wanted to do a Liquid Fast in the first place.
And as I always say, don't do it willy-nilly. First check with a health care practitioner, and also read qualified books or links on the how-to's.
Did fasting cause me to get better? Partially. If you recall, I was taking medicine for illness. There were powerful herbs, and they did their job.
Also, what I had was a stomach sickness. That makes it easier to fast. And it's why I reiterate that I am not pushing folks to fast, nor am I good at it. I just had something going on with my body that demanded it anyway.
Initially I was fighting the inability to eat and keep it down, thinking: "Why won't this stay in me?!!! I need to eat!" However, when I thought about it further, I was able to figure it out. Then I made a conscious choice not to eat, and I was at peace. My stomach wasn't ha, but the rest of me was.
And this shows the difference between force and free choice. No one should force another person. From Krishna Consciousness to child rearing to most anything. Ok, except for stepping in front of a moving truck by accident; then we should force the person to stop walking. Things like that. :) But for most others, it is better to use free will. Give a person a choice, a chance to think about it, include knowledge on whatever it may be - and 9 times out of 10 they will make the right choice.
What if they make the wrong choice? Except for the obvious [back to that moving truck ha], who are we to judge what is the right choice for each person? (Of course, I am speaking within the boundaries of Krishna Consciousness.) What may appear as wrong to us, may be the best thing for another person. Sometimes God even sets it up that way. We wonder why. Then later, something good happens to that person.
Okay, it is now after 10 p.m. and I feel the day went well. Will there be more tomorrow? I do not know. :) Check back and see.
RELATED:
What Are The Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting? - Good one to read to keep a person going.
Vaibhava Prakasha - What happens when Krishna has to choose between two devotees? Sweet animated video. IMHO for any age - adults included.
ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. Nothing here is to replace a medical professional. Speak to a licensed doctor etc, as well as be responsible for your own actions and choices.
DAY 5: WONDERFUL, LATEST UPDATE!
It has been at least 3 weeks since the above and much has transpired. For the better. Tho initially had its challenges.
The following is a copy and paste off my fb wall. In it I have omitted what I did via the fasting cuz, well, it was just overwhelming to write every thing I did. All of the above remains true and helpful. It simply would have been more helpful if I had a diagnosis. Than I would have known, for example, exactly "what" liquid soup would work best, and etc.
With that said, here it is:
I have a story to share & not fully clear how to go about it, but it's regarding a health issue, & prayer or Krishna. I'll do my best to describe what happened. Forgive my mistakes please.
Oh, I should mention - if you get queasy easily even tho medical names are used, keep on scrollin'. 🙂 But if you'd like to hear how maybe prayer/Krishna might have helped, tolerate. 🙂
A little 'over' 2 weeks ago, I developed sudden onset diarrhea. It's been h*ll! The first few days I tried to heal it myself, as it's usually able to be healed with home remedies. Even google agrees.
But no luck. So I called the doc. It was a weekend so had to wait until Monday. And Monday I phoned. They don't answer, they return your call. When I finally got a return call, it was the wrong doc. [I temporary have more then one.] Ok, so next day I called the right doc. They return the call & give me a prescription over the phone. I only point all of this out to show how long it took just to get all this.
I spent about 5 days on the script. It worked, sort of. I would have had to live on the stuff, cuz the minute I went off it.... <fill in the blank>. In addition, the medicine was giving me stomach pains, with nausea.
It alone was not enough. I "had" to take PeptoBismol/pink stuff for it to go the extra mile. And to contribute to being able to finally eat.
Again I call the doc. This was a good ten days ago. They say I have to come in this time, but not until the 29th! Of course I took the appointment. Tho the medicine left an awful smell on my breath.
I was miserable. Weak. Could not do my saddhana, or even clean the house, not even a little. To shower and scroll fb was the most I could manage.
I would not even share this if it wasn't for something kind of spiritual that recently happened.
Fast-forward about 20 etc days into all of this - the other night before putting my deities / murties to bed, I talked to Them. Or maybe it's prayer. IMHO, both.
I said something along the lines of: "Dear Baby Krsihna, Ladhu Gopal, Pancatattva [pic], Dhanvantari [pic], Hanumanji, LaksmiNarasimha - why are You letting this go on with me? Why don't You help me?" But I quickly modified it, to: "I am sure I don't deserve it. I know I am a fallen rascal & do not deserve Your intervention or help. But would You show mercy & do it anyway?" Along those lines I was also asking for the right keywords to google to get the right answers for what is wrong with me, and how to treat it.
I had just spent many many days googling my symptoms, guessing words, and doing what they said - with only small help. However, that next morning I found all the right key words!
What I have is called SIBO or Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth. Bingo! I know this is right because as soon as I tried those methods to heal - they worked! I read home remedies for this have been proven to work as good as prescriptions. Since I could not go to the doctor until the 29th, I went for it.
Admittedly, I thought even if it was going to work, it would take time. But that same day, I was able to go off all alopathic medication. The script, the Imodium [it initially was less painful than the script], and the PeptoBismol. One day!
It is now day 2. Oh my stomach still rumbles, and I must keep doing the natural, herbal treatment cuz it is too soon to be fully cured. But I know I am on my way out of this!
I only write about it because I feel it was talking to my deities / murties that made the difference! It's not that I had not talked to Them before. I am not fully sure what made the difference, but I suspect I was able to get a little more focused. Yes, I was. And spent a little more time at it.
In any case, I feel Krishna etc did indeed intervene. How can I suddenly figure out the keywords when, all that time prior, I kept going round in circles with the same ones. Yet after prayers to Krishna on the topic, the very next morning, it all came to me. Prayer works. Talking to your deities, works. I hope this story inspired someone out there. It is the only reason I shared it.
Thank you dear Lord Krishna, Ladhu Gopal, LaksmiNarasimhadeva, & Everyone Else on my altar! Srila Prabhuapda ki jai!
P.S. I am not special. This can happen for anyone. Matter of fact, I am a struggling devotee. Ya just have to be sincere, and talk / pray to your deities. Not suggesting anything sahajiya or cheap. One must maintain awe and reverence while talking to God. It doesn't need to be fear-based and can be friendly, just friendly with awe and reverence. You'll figure it out. :)
And we need to try to not be attached. God can do whatever He wants, or does not want - with or without our comprehension.
Initially I wondered why, when I had mentioned it to Him/Deities/Murties before, nothing changed, yet it did this time. Then I suspected, this is what mercy is all about. It has no rhyme or reason. It is simply given when God feels like it. It may not be something I did not do, or did do - well other than keep approaching Him. That parts important. :) However the rest? He did what He wanted, when He wanted - and that's mercy. 🙂 ❤ We ourselves can't give Him up if He does not do what we ask. That is not love of God, that is a business deal.
It's not about chronically asking this or that from the Lord. It is only when something was really getting in the way of my health and of my saddhana, that I asked. We should worship Him, regardless.
Next, I can't seem to find the wonderful web site that had a list of what to take that helped me. Therefore, I will write it here from memory BUT what worked for me may or may not work for you. Everyone is different, and apparently, so is this SIBO!
Cinnamon - not the red type, rather the brown. This was a major game changer for me. So powerful that I broke it up in small pieces, put it near my bed, and when I woke, I grabbed a piece to suck on or chew before I went back to sleep. Everything got under control! I was able to go off all medication!
It was the BROWN Cinnamon that made the difference for me! When I woke in the middle of the night before & had to reach for an Imodium pill, I discovered now that reaching for pieces of this specific type of cinnamon ran a close 2nd to giving the same results! Phew. :) It's official strain? Cinnamomum "burmanni." Also known as "Indonesian" Cinnamon. Bought mine in bulk years ago from Amazon, company: Frontier.
Oil Of Oregano - Fortunately my husband happened to have some. This worked like an antibiotic. This oil can actually be dangerous to the liver or etc! One must know what they are doing & I am borderline reluctant to share this info BUT it can also be dangerous to never get rid of SIBO! Therefore, first please speak to a qualified, knowledgeable & licensed Health Care Practitioner. I took even a smaller dose than the bottle said, for the sake of safety. I feel it is working and take it 2 times a day. Note: It is far safer to use the herb. Thyme also works similarly. Though I do not even feel this was the most important thing to take.
Berberine: Yes, I was on the right track with this one, mentioned above. It was high on the list of herbs to take for SIBO. UPDATE: I have found Golden Seal "root" to be easier on the stomach and it contains berberine. Not sure if it is as potent as berberine itself, but it worked just as well for me.
Grapeseed Extract - Similar to berberine in the way that it's a natural antibiotic. I seem to need a few different types or strains. If getting this, some may prefer the vegetarian encapsulated version to avoid the taste.
Thayers Slippery Elm Lozengers: Great for coating the stomach! They come in pill form as well. Both work. Lozengers are faster, but once the pills kick in, they work too.
Probiotics: This is crucial for correcting SIBO! Tho it is recommended not to get prebiotics and said many probiotics automatically include those. So read the ingredients carefully. With that said, this helps mend much of the damage in the gut.
Atrantil: This is herbal and I was surprised how powerfully this worked! It's a little expensive, but so is going to the doctor, getting lots of testing done, going back to the doctor, if lucky getting results of the tests with answers, followed by a prescription. Nothing wrong with going that route if ya want - just saying, for me, this product worked! Got things under control, plus drastically reduced the pain. While this is placed at the end, I found it is one of "the" most important and 'the' most helpful. I put their amazon travel pack above but they have a web site with, as of this writing & IMHO, a better deal. Here they carry a larger bottle and you get many more capsules.
Make product similar to Atrantil Yourself: When sick, ya may not be up to this, especially if making many runs to the bathroom. Simultaneously, you just may! This guy shows how to make a similar product yourself, that costs less. Of course you will need to front the money for bulk products, have or purchase a capsule machine, buy "vegetarian" empty capsules. But it just may be worth the investment, especially if you have SIBO. Five minute video here.
ALLIMAX: A natural antibiotic. I've been reluctant to put this here since it's made from garlic and some devotees may criticize. If ya don't like it, don't take it. I found it more potent than the above mentioned herbal antibiotics. And when your stomach is doing the "heave-ho!" one can't be fussy. I was able to eliminate the Oil of Oregano, the Grape seed oil, the Berberine, Sage, Thyme, and a few others not listed here. While they all helped, none of them did for me, what Allimax did! This is a professional product used by Naturaopaths, etc. It's a little costly, but IMHO, it's cheaper than taking a group of herbs to try to get the same results. And I still did not.
UPDATE: It is now April 3rd. Some with SIBO say they have had it for ten years or more and can't get free of it. Scared me, like it may the reader. However, it is why I post my improvement of approximately 5 months. And here it is:
Thus far, I feel 85% better! I also have control over SIBO bathroom issues, painful stomach, nausea! While I will not know for certain if I will become cured, this level of improvement, compared to others, gives a lot of genuine hope.
I have added Crystallized Ginger Slices. This has helped immensely. It is for motility. Even if you have the hydrogen type of sibo [running to the bathroom too much] there are times, especially with the treatments or diet changes to slow things down], that motility has slowed too much. These Crystallized Ginger Slices can make the difference for some.
Another benefit I found from them: Solved my nausea! Not only the medical properties of ginger itself [tho that is included], but the way it is like a thick jelly. This coated my stomach and anything else that was making me nauseated. It does have sugar on it and while I keep sugar at bay, this is an exception for me, because it works!
Here is my current herbal program:
- Atrantril,
- Allimax,
- Crystallized Ginger Slices
- Indonesian Cinnamon sticks.
Sometimes soil-based Probiotics, but not always. Basically, I am down to needing only 4 main products daily! I still require them, but the progress has been realistically hopeful! Ok, maybe it is five. However, the probiotics are about mending what was torn apart - whereas the above 4 are about getting me thru my day without bathroom runs, nausea, pain! So all are needed.
SIBO BREATH: This is a term I made up ha, tho would not be surprised if others have thought of it too. It is different from regular bad breath. It is breath that smells like a chemical. Maybe alcohol, others say gasoline smell, or nail polish remover / paint thinner. It can be different for different people but the bottom line is, it smells like a chemical. And it is not limited to coming from the mouth or nose. It comes out of every pore of the body! Bed-sheets, pillowcases, and blankets will smell like it in the morning! Now, I did not have this on day one. Therefore some may not yet have yet, and some do not get it at all. Anyway, I found a solution. Of course, in every way must work on healing. With that said, an herb that got rid of Sibo-breath, and sibo bed-sheets for that matter ha, was the Indonesian Cinnamon Sticks. Worked like a charm - for me.
Next, have also modified my diet, but only going to give a summary. Those with previous belief systems on sibo diet and feel certain parts here are not healthy - do not criticize - just keep on scrolling.
Or you can take what you like, leave what you don't. After all, it's not like it's unhealthy. And everyone is different.
For those drawn to Fodmap, I only do the parts that works on me as an individual. So basically, I do not use it. However, if it works for you, go for it.
My basic diet:
Remember, everyone is different. What works for me, may, or may not, work for you.
Potatoes. Not everyone with sibo can eat them, I can. They calm my stomach!
Steamed Greens. But nothing with surfer, no broccoli, no cruciferous veggies = pain! What I can eat are: steamed string beans, okra, eggplant [tho I did not touch that in the beginning], zucchini was great; most any type of squash. Any color squash has been ok for me, but I found cooked carrots to bring some discomfort. So it's not limited to color. Beets are fine.
Avocado's are terrific! Google all the vitamins and minerals they have.
A little Cheese. [Many say no dairy, but with hydrogen type sibo, I eat foods that slow things down. Plus, dairy is an improvement over allopathic meds. Buy organic. If you have methane type sibo [can't visit the bathroom enough] skip the cheese! :)
Bananas, organic of course. [For hydrogen sibo.]
Cream Of Tartar / Potassium: This is an easy way to get a decent dose of potassium, and potassium is required for good digestion. Now if you have hydrogen type of sibo therefore things are very active [too many bathroom trips], this may not be the time to add this. However, if that is under control, it has been seen that even those who are sensitive in the hydrogen way, sometimes upon healing or just from the treatment itself, may get a little constipated. Adding some cream of tartar often moves things along. Don't take too much. Google side effects of overdose. But not to go the other extreme. Too little is bad too. Personally, I add 1 teaspoon into my salad once daily and no more than that. Mix well. :)
Salad: I could NOT eat this for months! But can I now. Apparently some with sibo find cucumbers easy on the stomach. No tomatoes for me, yet, but over time, maybe. I find the ability to now eat leafy salad as a sign of healing.
Salad Dressing: Apple Cider Vinegar raw and organic. It's HCL aids digestion! Mix with organic Olive Oil. Himalayan Salt.
Kefir: Again, some can't eat a drop of dairy, while others can. After reading how one man cured his SIBO with kefir, I gave it a try. It did not cure me, but it did not hurt me either. It does contain it's own probiotics too. Now I can not eat yogurt. Oddly, that hurt my stomach - a little. But not the kefir. Plain kefir is best though they all are ok.
Kombucha: Some may criticize me for this, but please note: Prabhupada was a pharmacist and I read a letter he wrote purchasing "spirits" to make tinctures. Kombucha is not spirits tho I don't know how it's made, and don't put a lot of attention into it because it is a non-dairy Probiotic!!! It has made the world of difference. I had to mention this because if someone out there is in pain or has nausea, etc, this may help. Recommend only one per day tho. And it can keep you awake so do not drink after 2 p.m. Most contain a lot of sugar and are high in calories. However, amazon has a brand that contains zero sugar, and is low in calories. It's called Remedy.
Apple. Could not eat that at first either. But now I can. Organic.
Watermelon.
Jasmine Rice, organic.
Quinoa. Organic.
Pistachio nuts: Found they did not hurt my stomach at all.
Cashews: Technically not a nut, tho not important. What's important is that I found it easy enough to digest. No pain for me.
Puffed Rice / rice cakes. Since I can't eat chapatis or any form of wheat [a big no no!], this is a good replacement. Need I mention organic? :) Anyhow, spray a little olive oil on top of a rice cake, instead of using butter.
Peanut Butter: Organic, unsweetened. Small amount. Could not eat at first, can now.
I've often wondered if those who have not healed in 10, 20 years - have this problem due to meat eating. I can't prove that, but when I see them post what they do eat, asking what is wrong with it, why they still feel pain - it usually has at least eggs mentioned, or chicken soup, etc. Really folks, there is all kind of karma involved in eating flesh foods. Maintaining poor health is one of them.
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Alternatives to Antibiotics for SIBO - Good info. Short. Read closely!
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