Diet & Recipes
As we have mentioned before, part of the process involves following a very strict diet for a period of time. The diet serves to cleanse the body, primarily of yeast and various bacteria and also to eliminate any food which will aggravate the symptoms. While the bladder is so raw, that is almost everything. The diet recommended by Western doctors is nowhere near comprehensive enough. So many things are allowed that are still going to irritate the bladder. The more you remove the less irritated the bladder will be.
This is not, of course, a weight loss diet, but because of its limitations you are going to lose weight. Good if you have extra pounds to shed, but not so good for the more svelte people. It is a very difficult diet, but, as we have often said, this is not an easy process. There is no way around it, but it is not forever. You will eventually be able to add foods back until you can eat almost anything, but you must be patient! One thing is certain, you will never want to go back to the way you used to eat (which is most likely part of how you got here in the first place).
Some of Dr. Brizman’s patients can actually cook and they have provided some ideas for RECIPES that make the most of the limited ingredients.
The Basics of the Diet: (based on empirical work)
List 1 is the most basic and it is recommended that you start with this list. Everyone is different so some experimentation can be done with items on list 2, but each item on the list should be added individually to see how you react to it. Foods from list 1 should be safe for most people. The longer you stay on list 1, the quicker and easier the process. List 1 includes carbs. These should be limited as much as possible because of the conversion to sugar, and thus yeast. If you are already thin, you will need to compensate by eating more of the other items on the list. You will eventually stabilize and start gaining back some weight towards the end. If you have high cholesterol you will need to watch your fat intake. Don’t overdo the butter, cheese and fatty meats. All foods included in list 3 are to be avoided until Dr. Brizman begins to add them back into your diet.
LIST 1
Most fresh meats (be wary of pork), fish, fowl
Many vegetables but look at List 2 and 3 for possible exceptions
Bread, preferably yeast free (spelt/kamut)
Butter, olive oil (not extra virgin), vegetable oil
Eggs
Potatoes (small amount per meal)
Rice (preferably brown, small amount per meal)
Water, preferably spring, low minerals (you can drink sparkling water)
Salad dressing should be olive oil, dill, garlic powder (pure), basil
LIST 2
Spinach
Squash (green or yellow only)
Bell peppers (seem to affect some people)
Limited carrots (contain sugar)
Provolone, mozzarella, and other white mild cheeses. Muenster (with care)
Avocado
salt, usually fine in most people (use either sea salt or dextrose-free salt)
Pepper
Garlic, usually fine in most people
Herbs one at a time to see if any bother you (however absolutely no ginger, cinnamon, wasabi, nutmeg, cardamom, or any other strong, hot or pungent herb)
Parsley is a diuretic (be careful)
Coffee, not decaf
Green tea, not decaf (this on an individual basis)
LIST 3
Nothing in a package, bottle or can. You need to read the ingredients. You will find that most all of them have additives, preservatives, sugar, etc. etc. This includes things like ketchup,
mustard, vinegar, sauces, msg.
No legumes, including beans, green beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
No mint
No seeds or oils from seeds
No canola oil
No nuts or oils from nuts
No pickles
No corn
No oats
No margarine
No yogurt
No cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta or aged cheeses
No soy, or soy products
No tofu
No milk or milk products
No bacon, sausage, ham, etc. i.e. nothing cured
No tomatoes
No mushrooms
No fruit
No bagels or croissants
No yams or sweet potatoes
No beets
No sugar or products containing sugar, or natural or artificial sugar substitutes, basically nothing that tastes sweet
No fruit, or juices
No chocolate
No alcohol
No herb teas
No gum
If you do not know what is in something err on the side of caution
Since everything you put on your skin goes into your system you will need to avoid the following:
Herbal lotions
Topical skin anti-fungals or cortisone, Neosporin or other topical antibiotics
Cortisone eye drops
Steroid-based medications
Antibiotics
Sleeping products
Teeth whitening
Vitamins, herbs not prescribed by Dr. Brizman, or supplements
Limit hair dyeing or bleaching, it can exacerbate symptoms. If you must dye your hair try Natural Instincts. You can also try henna (which does not work too well).
If you must take something for pain not related to IC don’t take aspirin, try Tylenol
For soap try Dove or Ivory. Phisoderm is good too for those of you who are extra sensitive.
Do not use lubricated condoms. Find non lubricated and use olive oil or jojoba oil.
Avoid any perfume and perfumed products, lotions or soaps. Jojoba oil or olive oil (cheaper) are great moisturizers and scalp and hair conditioners.
Aveeno contains oatmeal. Might not be good
Take care in jaccuzzis and swimming pools. They can be full of chemicals. If you are not sure, in the early days it is better to stay away from them.
Dr. Brizman has developed natural skin and hair care products for IC patients, people suffering from chronic diseases, and those who seek purity in their beauty regimen. Read about these products at www.bomasense.com.
EATING OUT
Don’t drive yourself nuts but these are things to watch for and ask carefully for them to avoid. It is not as daunting as you think.
Stick with plain bread. Make sure there are no sesame seeds, etc. on it. Get plain meats, chicken (where you can remove the skin if you don’t know what is on it) or fish and make sure they have not been marinated. Mashed potatoes usually contain cream, try and avoid them. A baked potato with olive oil (not extra virgin) or butter is good, as is plain rice. Make sure in the early stages that your dish has not been cooked in wine, that is a common one. Tell them to make the dish as plain as possible. Make sure if you order fries, they are not cooked in nut oil. Vegetable oils are safe.
Post Treatment Diet (excerpt from a note from Dr. Brizman addressing some concerns about the post IC diet as it relates to sugars)
There are a few basic guidelines that I consider important for ALL people, NOT just ICers. It is my opinion that alcohol is VERY unhealthy for your system. It destroys your liver cells! Why would anyone want to do that? It ages you, it dries you up and puts wrinkles on your face. Why would anyone want to do that? Because something is socially acceptable does not imply that it is ok. Be smart! Yes, you CAN drink after having gone through this program, but ask yourself this: “don’t I want to do everything in my power to keep my body working at 100% efficiency?”
This goes for sugar too. Yes, of course you can have sugar. However, it has to be in moderation. If you eat sugar in excess, you are going to flip the odds against your immune system and encourage the re-growth of yeast and bacteria. So, like all things in life, a part of this process is learning to exercise moderation. The middle path is the way to go!
Lastly, there have been many concerns about fruits and fruit juices. Fruits can be reintegrated SLOWLY back into the post IC regimen. Eventually all fruits will be tolerated unless there is of course an allergy to that fruit. However, fruits should never be eaten to replace a meal and should always be eaten in moderation. This goes for post ICers and, well, everyone. Eating fruit for a snack or a dessert, even everyday, is healthy. Eating fruit or many fruits in place of a well-balanced meal of protein, veggies, and starch is not healthy. The reason is because your blood sugar and insulin levels must be regulated by proper diet. These levels are dependent upon proper nutrition to support them. Eating fruit alone in place of a meal will send the sugar up too high and then, in response, a great amount of insulin will be released to rescue you which will make you feel tired and lousy. If this process is done repeatedly you will have successfully interrupted your body’s sugar and insulin balance and it will eventually effect your entire body including your metabolism, endocrine system and bacterial balance. Fruit juices require more fruit than any person could eat in one sitting to produce one glass of juice. One should never eat more than one piece of fruit’s juice. Your body will go into sugar overload and then you will have the whole insulin response again. You will get tired, headachy, depressed, and often anxious or overwhelmed. Daily trips to the juice factory in place of a meal will eventually reduce your body’s metabolism to a fat producing plant and you will feel in very poor health. Remember, the point is to replace those bad old habits that played a part in leading up to your unhealthy condition with new habts that will support and promote your continued good health.