Jump to content

Food : Can we heal just eating normal?


[va...]

Recommended Posts

I read a lot about staying away from gluten, grains, sugar, dairy products. Stay away from everything except meat, fish, chicken, and green veggies. I obviously gave up coffee and beer when I crashed into a very unexpected acute withdrawal phase which has created glutamate damage and I'm in a not very good place, to say the least, and STILL on valium 2.5 with no plans to cut if I don't feel better. When I read all these food threads, I wonder if food can just make your withdrawals worse or can it also prevent you from healing? I'm talking about food, not alcohol or coffee which can obviously prevent the healing, at least the alcohol does.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it agrees with you, you could just take it, I guess. I have IBS, so stay away from certain foods, like gluten,  legumes, garlic cabbage,  onions. But I do take daily; that is to say, the lactose free dairy and a little piece of mature cheeseburger ( Gouda). . Slowly trying to reintroduce some things into my diet. Trial and error is the way, I suppose.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it agrees with you, you could just take it, I guess. I have IBS, so stay away from certain foods, like gluten,  legumes, garlic cabbage,  onions. But I do take daily; that is to say, the lactose free dairy and a little piece of mature cheeseburger ( Gouda). . Slowly trying to reintroduce some things into my diet. Trial and error is the way, I suppose.

 

Thank you Trochsetter. I have seen garlic makes my insomnia worse. Can I ask why you are holding?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think good diet is important in everyone's lives.  Benzo withdrawal or not. 

 

Sometimes I am hard pressed to prepare peanut butter on toast. 

 

I'm pretty slack I suppose, because don't do much with my diet outside of trying to make it Mediterranean best I can.  It's pretty straight forward and easy to prepare.  Watched a programme on "good food for the brain" last night (unrelated to benzo's) and seems 1st Prize 🏆  goes to the Mediterranean diet.  Really like it when something I like is good for me.  :)

 

I have no doubt that some people develop allergy to many foods whilst in withdrawal, and guess we have to weed these foods out if that's the case. 

 

For me, Mediterranean diet, lots of water, and whatever exercise I can tolerate is a good compromise in terms of assisting healing.  I take a few basic vitamins. 

 

I do the best I can, and sometimes peanut butter on toast is the best I can do. 

 

I really recommend lots of water though.  💦 💦 💦

 

Dee

:smitten:

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't really change my diet during tapering or withdrawal.  What I did try to do was to eat cleaner and healthier, but I never eliminated a particular food or food group from my diet. I actually drank coffee OK until my jump off when it then backfired on me and cause a ramp up of symptoms. No alcohol either.

 

I believe in balance.  Unless you have a condition that requires special food, or eliminating some, I think a healthy mixture of food groups is fine. Personally, I'm not a fan of meat, I just don't really like it. I don't avoid it and have it on occasions when prepared certain ways.  I also permitted myself to have 'treats'.

 

I know some people have/had more digestive issues during withdrawal. Luckily this was not the case for me.  The only time GI system was in distress was after the cold turkey (for a medical test) and when I tried to taper too quickly, before I had any information about this process. During tolerance however,  my GI problems were very intense and led to many medical tests.

 

Everyone will be different, see how you feel and make your decisions based on this.

 

pianogirl  :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Deadwood, as I'm Spanish and live in Spain, my diet is Mediterranean. So that's good news for me.

 

Pianogirl, I think I'll take the same approach. I eat healthy most of the time but for breakfast I eat toast and cranberry jam, or a croissant. That's terrible according to many buddies but I'm so depressed that to be honest a croissant is something to look forward to in the morning. I'm dying for a chocolate ice-cream but terrified to have one after all I see about how it can ramp up symptoms!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Mediterranean food Valiumnomore.  I didn't shift to it as a necessity, just really like it, and for once in my miserable life  :) something I really liked was good for me, and seemed to fit with the healing. 

 

Agree with Pianogirl that 'balance' is the key.  Find what suits us personally.  At least for me, that's been the case.  I don't want to get too OCD on anything whatsoever.  I drink a little coffee.  Not much.  Definitely no alcohol though.  Big no, no. 

 

I also have a bag of peanut M&M's on my coffee table.  :D  Just a few, because I reckon I'm entitled to a treat too.  This has been too difficult to deny myself everything.  I'm a rebel in my own lunchhour.  :)

 

Dee

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Mediterranean food Valiumnomore.  I didn't shift to it as a necessity, just really like it, and for once in my miserable life  :) something I really liked was good for me, and seemed to fit with the healing. 

 

Agree with Pianogirl that 'balance' is the key.  Find what suits us personally.  At least for me, that's been the case.  I don't want to get too OCD on anything whatsoever.  I drink a little coffee.  Not much.  Definitely no alcohol though.  Big no, no. 

 

I also have a bag of peanut M&M's on my coffee table.  :D  Just a few, because I reckon I'm entitled to a treat too.  This has been too difficult to deny myself everything.  I'm a rebel in my own lunchhour.  :)

 

Dee

 

Dee, coffee?? You're a real rebel aren't you?? Hahaha. I think a coffee would literally kill me at this point, but I fantasize about a dark chocolate ice cream cone. I guess I'll consider that a window because a month ago I couldn't swallow anything for a few days. Spanish cuisine is super healthy. The worst of traveling abroad is the food. No matter where I go. (I should say "went", as withdrawal has killed my ability to travel abroad)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think my inner rebel  :) has been my downfall my entire life valiumnomore.  Risk taker, when really, at the heart of it, I'm pretty shy.  Dont know why the risks.  Trying to prove I'm not afraid, when in fact I am.  Withdrawal has opened my eyes to this.  The silver cloud  of benzo withdrawal. 

 

Coffee is a weird one for me.  I used be able to drink 3 cups before bed and still sleep like a top.  I can't do that now because it does rev me up a little.  Have max 2 a day, sometimes none.  The fact that it does rev me up helps confirm that this is withdrawal, and not some mystery illness/illnesses.

 

Same with a/d's to which I have a terrible reaction.  I used be able to tolerate 15mgs of Mirtazapine, but now a paediatric dose puts me on my back.  I no longer take a/d's thank goodness, and further evidence that benzo's pulled something neurological on me.  We will heal. 

 

I've always wanted to go to Spain.  Spanish people seem to have a real love, zest for life.  I love this in people.  I cry for the bulls in the bullfighting ring though. 

 

I'm raving on like a ratbag.  It's late here, and I'm overtired.  I must to bed.

 

Dark chocolate ice cream cones will be yours for the taking valiumnomore.  And on my coffee table, alongside the peanut M&Ms sit the Mediterranean olives I love so much. 

 

I hope our little discussion has helped with your original question.  Eat olives, I say, but keep the balance.  :)

 

Good night.  :)

 

Dee

:smitten:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dee thank you for sharing your experience. I'm very fear based but in my youth I was reckless. I understand what you mean with the contradiction in you. Spain has good and bad things. I hate bullfighting and all animal torture. There's a lot of myth about Spain and Spaniards too. I wish I'd been born in the US but here I am. We all idealize what we don't have I guess. Good night.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Valiumnomore, it all was getting a bit too much for me, so I decided to give myself a break from tapering. Looks like I made the right choice because some side effects are a bit milder at the moment. Plus I'm planning on going the DLMT route after this month. So this is more or less a month of getting into "shape" and preparing for the next phase.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with a lot of what was said here. Balance is important and the only thing I'd add is that a large variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains would be good, since they contain fiber, which helps feed the microbiome. I think they are finding the microbiome fairly important in maintenance of general health, including nervous system repair, maintaining immune function, gastrointestinal function etc.

 

I wish I could eat more fruits and veggies, but I have a pretty terrible reaction to them if I eat too much. I'm trying to slowly increase my intake. It is a general problem with carbohydrates that developed during the withdrawal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with a lot of what was said here. Balance is important and the only thing I'd add is that a large variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains would be good, since they contain fiber, which helps feed the microbiome. I think they are finding the microbiome fairly important in maintenance of general health, including nervous system repair, maintaining immune function, gastrointestinal function etc.

 

I wish I could eat more fruits and veggies, but I have a pretty terrible reaction to them if I eat too much. I'm trying to slowly increase my intake. It is a general problem with carbohydrates that developed during the withdrawal.

 

Data guy, same here with fruits. I love fruit but withdrawal has limited my tolerance for sweet fruits like peaches. However I'm fine with bananas and they're sweet. I love whole grains but many people in BBs don't eat bread when whole grain bread. Sometimes I think I'm doing things wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Valiumnomore, it all was getting a bit too much for me, so I decided to give myself a break from tapering. Looks like I made the right choice because some side effects are a bit milder at the moment. Plus I'm planning on going the DLMT route after this month. So this is more or less a month of getting into "shape" and preparing for the next phase.

 

I'm so glad you're holding. If I had held I wouldn't have gone into acute wd without even finishing my taper, wouldn't have updosed, would avoided glutamate damage and my life would be much better. You're doing the right thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Valiumnomore: it was a bit of a gamble, but I felt the need to stop and stabilize. Did the same last winter, while getting off of Amitriptyline. I took that for a couple of months, hoping to lessen the pain caused by Fibromyalgia. It didn't do that but caused a lot of other problems. So I tapered that which was very hard to do!

Fruit lovers: one is advised to consume 200 grams of fruit a day. Plus 250 grams of vegetables.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Valiumnomore,

 

Wanted to drop by to say I understand about the stereotyping of people.  Don't know what came over me.

 

I'm from Australia, and sometimes think everyone believes we say stuff like, "G'day, mate, while riding bareback on a kangaroo. 

 

Only sometimes.  :)

 

Dee

:smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Valiumnomore,

 

Wanted to drop by to say I understand about the stereotyping of people.  Don't know what came over me.

 

I'm from Australia, and sometimes think everyone believes we say stuff like, "G'day, mate, while riding bareback on a kangaroo. 

 

Only sometimes.  :)

 

Dee

:smitten:

 

:laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with a lot of what was said here. Balance is important and the only thing I'd add is that a large variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains would be good, since they contain fiber, which helps feed the microbiome. I think they are finding the microbiome fairly important in maintenance of general health, including nervous system repair, maintaining immune function, gastrointestinal function etc.

 

I wish I could eat more fruits and veggies, but I have a pretty terrible reaction to them if I eat too much. I'm trying to slowly increase my intake. It is a general problem with carbohydrates that developed during the withdrawal.

 

hey Data_Guy! (new avatar! it looks like my cat Sabby, short for Sabbatha.

 

i agree with what you said, quoted above. 

when i first tried to go vegan, well, my gut biome had to adjust, took about 3 weeks. i had gas and bellybloating until then. now no problems.

 

i do notice i occasionally crave shellfish, but i don't make gumbo too often due to the mercury and pollution. wish i could take more but i already had enough heavy metals in my system so i don't risk it. balance like you said. i think also, moderation is key.

 

what works for one body, one ethnicity, one gender, one individual, will not always works for another even within the same parameters. people used to a mediterranean diet have different gut biomes than those used to a north african/sub saharan diet...and so on.

 

also our genetics plays a big role in what foods work well, and which are triggers.

my body is super sensitive to sigars, so i keep carbs low.

but i am most sensitive to carbs that come from fructose, so i have to be really careful how much fruit juice i consume.

however i have found through thrial and error that my body tolerates most fruits in their original whole unprocessed form very well.

i think it has to do with the amount of fiber in the fruit that is absent in the pure juice.

 

so i adjusted by diluting my fruit juice that i take to mask my liquid medicines with by half with distilled water. works great. i'm losing the extra pounds i gained from pure juices and concentrates. and i still can make fruit smoothies with almond milk, soy or coconut milks, if i blend the whole fruits and don't add sugar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another dinky di aussie Valiumnomore.  :thumbsup:  It's a small world. 

 

Dee 🐨

:smitten:

 

Yes. Two aussies who can't drink beer. Where's our dignity?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nomore, are you a Cat Lady too? I sure am. My cat Jackie Bear is sort of well known here on BB. I don't know how to post photos yet, but I always mention him. Such a wonderful, loving cat who wakes me every morning by butting his big head against mine, purring loudly. He then nestles down on my pillow and often pats my face with one big paw. He just relaxes then, because he feels SO safe and cared for. He was abandoned at less than one year old. He found his way into a new neighbors back yard. She fed him for a year and got him neutered. When I met her, I met him. This big, bold  lovely black and gray tabby who came up to me right away and let me pet him. The neighbor had her mouth hanging open. "He is scared of everyone but me" , she said. Huh! Wasn't scared of Little Me. Three days later I decided to adopt him. I have never once regretted it. Jackie Bear is the most loving, adorable cat of my 69 years on Earth.

east

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nomore, are you a Cat Lady too? I sure am. My cat Jackie Bear is sort of well known here on BB. I don't know how to post photos yet, but I always mention him. Such a wonderful, loving cat who wakes me every morning by butting his big head against mine, purring loudly. He then nestles down on my pillow and often pats my face with one big paw. He just relaxes then, because he feels SO safe and cared for. He was abandoned at less than one year old. He found his way into a new neighbors back yard. She fed him for a year and got him neutered. When I met her, I met him. This big, bold  lovely black and gray tabby who came up to me right away and let me pet him. The neighbor had her mouth hanging open. "He is scared of everyone but me" , she said. Huh! Wasn't scared of Little Me. Three days later I decided to adopt him. I have never once regretted it. Jackie Bear is the most loving, adorable cat of my 69 years on Earth.

east

 

no! i actually kinda hate.. ok well i kinda strongly dislike cats, lol.  but there's always one special one that gets in under your skin...

Sabby was a wildster, she ran alongside the 3 dogs we had, by the woods each night, when Hubbs walked them. so one night our big dog invites Sabby to come inside with them.

she stayed.  ::)

 

of course now she's sweet family to us. even me. she has a clipped off corner on one ear. we found out that is an indication of a wild caught spayed and released cat..somebody loved her enough to have her fixed and re-released to the wild! we heard she was born underneath the apartment complex's pool one year, but we just took her in. that's why she never ended up pregnant. things you learn on the internet!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nomore, are you a Cat Lady too? I sure am. My cat Jackie Bear is sort of well known here on BB. I don't know how to post photos yet, but I always mention him. Such a wonderful, loving cat who wakes me every morning by butting his big head against mine, purring loudly. He then nestles down on my pillow and often pats my face with one big paw. He just relaxes then, because he feels SO safe and cared for. He was abandoned at less than one year old. He found his way into a new neighbors back yard. She fed him for a year and got him neutered. When I met her, I met him. This big, bold  lovely black and gray tabby who came up to me right away and let me pet him. The neighbor had her mouth hanging open. "He is scared of everyone but me" , she said. Huh! Wasn't scared of Little Me. Three days later I decided to adopt him. I have never once regretted it. Jackie Bear is the most loving, adorable cat of my 69 years on Earth.

east

 

:smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we eat things that are not good in benzo withdrawal, do we "only" have more symptoms or are we preventing healing in any way like for instance, are these foods preventing the gaba receptors from upregulating? Of course I don't mean alcohol, I mean an ounce of chocolate, paella, which has artificial color (I didn't realize until I already ate it).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we eat things that are not good in benzo withdrawal, do we "only" have more symptoms or are we preventing healing in any way like for instance, are these foods preventing the gaba receptors from upregulating? Of course I don't mean alcohol, I mean an ounce of chocolate, paella, which has artificial color (I didn't realize until I already ate it).

 

I though the color in paella came from safron?

 

Chocolate never bothered me during withdrawal or recovery.  While some people might be ultra sensitive to foods during withdrawal, I think a balanced diet is fine for most. 

 

pianogirl

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...