Being Able to Eat Healthy

[Nana200]

I need to lose weight but I have an unusual problem with being able to eat the healthy foods required.  I have digestive issues, GERDs, and have, over the past few years, developed a problem eating certain foods or spices because they burn my tongue.  I can no longer even eat black pepper.  The only spice I can tolerate is salt and butter, which are definitely not considered healthy.  I cannot eat broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, peppers, citrus fruits, etc.  There is very little that I can eat that doesn't cause me a problem later (burning of tongue and throat, bloating, etc.)  What can I do to resolve this?  I already take Dexilant or I would not be able to eat anything at all.  I end up having to eat the same boring foods everyday to avoid problems and most of these are not healthy foods.  

[Red_Star]

If you have GERD and bloating you should try betaine HCL with pepsin supplements and digestive enzymes supplements. They work great. You need a good amount of stomach acid to digest your food!  Stomach acid decreases with age, chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, gastritis, thyroid imbalances, h pylori bacteria, toxins..it’s quite a list. I love butter. I buy a 500 gram block every week for both of us. Delicious. :)

From WebMD…

“In moderation, butter can be a healthy part of your diet. It's rich in nutrients like bone-building calcium and has compounds linked to lower chances of obesity.17”

From MilesFit…

“A lack of stomach acid production is one of the main reasons why so many people find weight-loss to be such an arduous task. When someone lacks stomach acid, they're likely to suffer from a sub-optimal metabolism, struggle with blood sugar regulation issues, experience cravings, energy lows and sleep problems, and encounter a variety of other issues. All of these responses make it extremely difficult for someone with a lack of stomach acid to make the lifestyle shifts necessary to lose weight.

Furthermore, while poor stomach acid production is a very common problem, it's often overlooked by many healthcare practitioners. Addressing low levels of stomach acid can make a world of difference when it comes to facilitating weight-loss and cultivating a powerful and healthy body.”

“Symptoms potentially indicative of low stomach acid levels

Indigestion
Gas
Bloating
Stomach aches and pains
Pulmonary/esophageal/nasal/sinus mucous formation
Vertical lines on the nails
Manifestation of multiple allergies and intolerances

All of these symptoms are good indicators that the body lacks stomach acid.”

[Nana200]

Mmmm.  I have a lot of those symptoms.  Because I have GERDS, I have been taking Dexilant for many years.  It is the only thing I can take that works.  If I don't take it, I can't eat anything without getting serious indigestion and/or bloating.  Could Dexilant actually be causing me to have these symptoms by reducing the acid in my stomach?  

[Red_Star]

Yes definitely. I can’t post links on Medhelp but you can look up the Cleveland Clinic article Hypochlorhydria to read more. That is the medical term for low stomach acid. This is the section on PPI’s (Dexilant is a PPI)…

“Acid-reducing medications. Chronic use of antacids, H2 receptor blockers, and especially proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can cause low stomach acid. PPIs were originally approved only for short-term use, but they are now commonly overprescribed and used to treat chronic symptoms such as GERD and heartburn. Eventually, they can cause the acid-secreting glands in the stomach to stop working.”

[Emily_MHManager]

Members can post links on MedHelp so long as they aren't linking to products being sold, porn, etc.

Cleveland Clinic is definitely allowed.

I'm not sure if this is the correct link, but -

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23392-hypochlorhydria

[Red_Star]

Thanks Emily. I wasn’t aware of the rules. Yes that’s the link. :)

[specialmom]

Hi!  Here's the beautiful thing. There are SO many foods out there. Can you eat avocados? What about nuts or beans? What about sweet potatoes? What about an apple? Eggs? Lean poultry? Green beans? Fish? See what I'm getting at. There are a ton of foods. You also can take a good multi vitamin to supplement. When we make dietary changes, we may feel 'weird' or bloat a little. Especially if we are detoxing off fats and sugars of less desirable food. So, add something in in small amounts. When you DO lose some weight, some of these things will likely get better. As a long time GERD sufferer, losing weight resulted in it getting significantly better. When is the last time you had a physical, by the way?

[Nana200]

I do not eat avocados, cucumbers, squash, or zucchini.  I can only eat small amounts of beans without it bothering my stomach (may be partly due to not having a gall bladder any more).  I do eat eggs, apples, poultry, green beans, and some fish.  The only way I can make fish is fried (which is not really healthy).  I have tried to make fish healthy such as baked or grilled but I cannot make it right for it to taste good.  So that only leaves me with chicken.  You get tired of eating baked chicken all the time with only salt and butter on it.  I do my best to avoid eating too much pasta and breads because of the high carbs.  Apples is fine but doesn't sustain me.  It usually just makes me hungry for something else.  Sweet potatoes are fine and I do eat them sometimes but sometimes they are just too stringy.  I'm not trying to be picky but when you can only season things with butter and/or salt, it makes it extremely difficult to cook things to taste good and have some kind of variety.  As far as taking supplements, I am now taking potassium and increased magnesium supplements along with all my other pills I am already taking.  I am on a ton of meds because of all my various illnesses. It is very depressing when I can't enjoy eating anymore.  

[specialmom]

Ya, I understand. I get thin turkey cutlets that I add into the mix. And I get chicken boneless skinless thighs as well as chicken breasts. I love using a sheet pan to cook chicken these days. Can you do any sauces (we could come up with some healthy options) that you could put on the chicken. then you could dice sweet potatoes on the same sheet pan with a bit of butter and salt. Then green beans, brussel sprouts, or something in the green family you can eat. I put it in on 400 and the whole thing comes out done and pretty tasty. Plain works for me with that. Can you use soy sauce? Balsamic vinegar or an oil and vinegar dressing? (if you can tolerate that, it's great to put over chicken). Do you ever use a slow cooker? What about soups?

[Nana200]

I buy a lot of chicken thighs (boneless and w/bone) to try to make it different ways.  I used to be able to eat BBQ chicken with certain types of BBQ sauce but can't do that anymore.  I can tolerate some sauces like alfredo sauce but those type of sauces do not help weight loss so I try to avoid them.  Spaghetti sauce gives me problems but I did find a new marina sauce that is called sensitive marinara and it is much better than regular marinara.  I don't care for brussel sprouts.  Another problem I have is I have to make quick simple meals because I can't stand in the kitchen long to cook because of back pain and neuropathy in my legs and feet.  I did discover recently that I can now tolerate eating a small salad if I use the house salad dressing from one of my favorite restaurants.  I ordered some online and tried it and have been able to eat without any issues.  Before that, I was using Ranch dressing and every time, I would have problems afterwards.  I might could try using some of that dressing over chicken.  That would probably be good.  I don't eat a lot of soup because of the high sodium content.  It is really frustrating trying to avoid the foods you are supposed to avoid to lose weight and still find enough alternatives that I can eat.