Nibbling on animal food

erwin

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I discussed my an early post my issues with plant based and I got really good responses. I know, after seeing my doctor I am confronted with issues.
I have been mainly a plant based eater, but for health reasons, I have Crohn’s, I suffer from many food limitations, meaning there are vegetables and other plant based foods that make my Crohn’s worse and I do not touch. All the area of beans and lentils and some other veggies that are known to cause gas. The Gastro doctor, aware of my interest in transitioning to plant based foods only (and very supportive) has asked me to consider keeping some of the animal foods that I was eating so that I can meet my nutrition requirements. I have two issues, first I cannot enough the volume of plant based food to meet the minimum of 2,000 calories, it is just too much for my sensitive stomach, and the second, as I explained above, my sensitivity to many vegetables.
I was told to eat daily 2 egg whites in the evening. In addition, he has suggested that I alternate between a cup of firm tofu and 3 oz of salmon fish. One day tofu and the next fish. These foods caused my no digestive problems.
I am aware that there is research to point to a plant based diet for Crohn’s but each individual is different, so one cannot generalized.
The reason I post these note is to get some input/ideas with the hope that I can learn something new that may help me with this challenge.
 
You say your doctor is supportive...but then he recommends animal products? That isn't supportive IMO. Sounds like he wants you to split the difference so that he can seem accommodating while remaining in his nutritional comfort zone.

Can you stomach oil? What about nuts and seeds?
 
You say your doctor is supportive...but then he recommends animal products? That isn't supportive IMO. Sounds like he wants you to split the difference so that he can seem accommodating while remaining in his nutritional comfort zone.

Can you stomach oil? What about nuts and seeds?
Oil no problem. Nuts and seeds in moderation. Can you explain your thoughts on these foods?
 
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Hi there.


I do not want to speak to the issue of Crohn's disease, but you should be aware that issues with bloating and gas
after consuming larger quantities of legumes is pretty universal in just about everyone except vegans. In fact,
excessive bloating and gas issues are a very common newbie vegan complaint.

Having gas, bloating and going to the bathroom a heck of a lot was an issue for me for several weeks, and I have/had
no intestinal disorders that I was aware of. Later, I learned that this happened because my system was not used to
as much fiber, and there were internal changes going on with intestinal flora consuming a vegan diet. These are the critters that help digest
food in your colon. The fiber and resistant starch (not just starch) eating ones are at odds with the flesh eating ones. They
do not get along well and each tries to establish itself with the food one eats. This partly accounts for bloating, gas,
and excessive trips to the bathroom. All these symptoms lessened for me over time (barring simply eating way too much after
I am satisfied).

However consuming a diet that is sometimes high fiber, and sometimes rich in animal products is a recipe for continual problems of
this nature. I went vegan and stayed vegan after starting, but I do know someone that eats a vegan diet (most of the time)
but will eat animal products here and there - a flexitarian. This person still has issues with gas and bloating. And the
reason should be obvious, they never completely converted.

I'll also add that all the legumes I eat I soak overnight in batches and then freeze for later quick re-heat. This reduces
lectins and other so called "anti nutrients". I've heard of people that have problems with canned beans, but I so seldom
eat beans out of a can that I can't really say if there is any difference.
 
I'm not a nutritionist by any stretch, but I really don't understand the addition of the two egg whites daily. Egg whites don't supply much in the way of calories or nutrition - those are mostly in the yolk, along with cholesterol and fat. They do have a little protein, but a cup of soy milk would do the same.

As for the salmon, unless you're consuming fresh wild caught (and fish is universally frequently mislabeled), you'd probably be better off taking an Omega 3 supplement or flax seed oil rather than risking the contamination that could be in farm-raised fish.
 
Oil no problem. Nuts and seeds in moderation. Can you explain your thoughts on these foods?

They're high calorie density. You mentioned having a hard time getting to 2,000 calories due to the volume of food, but it doesn't take much volume with those to get a lot of calories.

I don't think lots of oil/high fat foods is necessarily the healthiest diet, but it's better than a calorie deficit. Hopefully you can find a better solution long-term.
 
My friend was hospitalized for Chrons and he's better now. He's been a vegetarian since he was twelve. I don't understand why you need salmon if you can tolerate things like tofu, peanut butter, and probably tempeh and and likely veggie meats in moderation.

You can take an algal oil supplement if you have concerns about DHA.

I feel uncomfortable sometimes talking to people who have serious diagnosed digestive issues, because I can eat literally anything - but ANYONE can be at least vegetarian despite health or socioeconomic status or country of origin.
 
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Very good points. Thank you!
BTW, has anyone tried the plant based proteins that you can get in health stores?
 
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eggwhite.png



Yeah, I don't get the "egg white" thing either... I suggest empowering yourself with their suggestions by going to cronometer to get an idea of what foods give you what.

If you are worried about protein (don't be if you are eating enough calories of real food)as you seemed to mention above, nooch is an amazing source of quick protein and is MUCH cheaper than any protein powder you may have seen at health food stores.

Also, Plus 1 to all the comments above for trying vegan DHA, as well as eating more foods with oil in them, and if you are still having trouble getting enough lipids in your diet then maybe use a little EVOO on your salads.
 
The thing about egg whites is that it is a low-calorie source of protein without fat or sat fat or cholesterol.
But its not like protein without fat is that hard to find in the plant world. And I thought you needed the calories.
 
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By keeping animal products in your diet you're keeping the same gut biome, so you won't really make the transition