Immediate Results

I mentioned on Tuesday that I had decided to make some changes to Brynne's diet because of her lactose intolerance and probable IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).

Some brief history. Brynne has always had stomach aches, since she was an infant. In fact, she started taking Maalox as an infant (per doctor's orders). She was also a very gassy baby ... like wake us up out of a dead sleep. She had obvious milk aversions and was switched to soy formula (with positive results) by about 6 weeks. Breastfeeding was impossible. If I ate anything that contained a milk protein, she suffered for it. Her tummy has always been very distended and bloated. And she has had a couple of trips to the doctor due to some serious bathroom issues.

At one point our doctor had us try an elimination diet to determine if she was lactose intolerant, but it was a difficult test to administer on such a small child. We knew that she probably was. But, when she would get one of her tummy aches we would just give her a dose of Maalox and she would feel better.

Here in the past year, however, her bathroom issues have become more serious. And, her tummy has gotten very bloated. She's a short and stocky girl, so I just figured her bigger tummy was due to her natural build. She is a healthy eater, not an over eater, and is very active. The rest of her body looks good. But why is her tummy still so big?? My mom mentioned that she wondered if it was a gas buildup due to milk and/or other things. (At some previous doctor appointments, my doctor would say that her tummy was so tight that she was sure it was full of gas.)

So, I decided to tackle this with a change in diet. I did lots and lots of research and came up with the following changes:

• Lactose free milk and minimal dairy products
• No red meat
• No insoluble fiber on an empty stomach
• No insoluble fiber unless coupled with some soluble fiber
• No artificial sweeteners
• No egg yolks
• Limited oils, butter
• No caffeine
• No carbonated beverages
• Change from whole wheat to white or corn or potato (rice, pasta, breads)
• No wheat bran
• Limited of the following (and always eaten with an insoluble fiber): popcorn, berries, grapes, raisins, cherries, pineapples, melons, peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, citrus, apples (safe if peeled), dates, prumes, peas, lettuce and all greens, green beans, bell peppers, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, fresh herbs
• Increase of these foods: white rice, white pasta, oatmeal, cornmeal, white breads, barley, rice cereals, corn cereals, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, soy, quinoa, carrots, yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, rutabagas, parsnips, beets, pumpkin, mushrooms, chestnuts, avocados, bananas, mango, papaya, and applesauce

This is kind of a crazy diet. Much different than I am used to .... you know, the whole grains, fruits and vegetables diet. She needs no wheat and limited fruits and vegetables. Most changes she is okay with, except for the change from wheat bread to white and the fact that she can't eat bran cereal anymore. But, we just discussed how much better she will feel, and replaced her favorite bran cereal with Crispix cereal (rice and corn) which is what her daddy eats.

We have only been doing this diet since Sunday. But, you know what? It's working! Usually when she goes to bed at night, her stomach is really bloated. In the mornings, it's smaller. Last night when she was putting on her pj's, her stomach was significantly smaller than it usually is! I could see a huge difference already!

She has been very concious of everything she is putting in her mouth, asking me if it is a safe food. I am doing my part behind the scenes (like making sure safe foods are on hand, making her decaf tea, cooking with turkey instead of beef, making her snacks she can eat like carrot muffins, and just keeping her educated). But it's great that she is aware that she has a health issue that she needs to take care of. She's a smart girl and I am sure we will be successful with this.