Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Hi Nicole,
I read your experience with great interest as my husband suffers from the same condition of Psoriatic Arthritis. It is also compounded by multiple injuries from being a rough & tumble Aussie guy. He was also in a major car accident about 20 years ago. Because of his injuries he has been misdiagnosed for years. His Rheumatologist finally diagnosed him 2 years ago. He has been fed with many different tablets to "manage" the pain, but as you well know they only created more problems rather than help.
After being a virtual zombie for about a year on strong drugs, he had enough & weaned himself off medications to help his body clear the drug quickly, I bought a juicer & put him on fruit & vegetable juicing diet for a month. Within 3 weeks, the psoriasis on his body cleared. However, his pain persisted, & obviouslyI you can't just keep going with fruit & vegetable juice. I started to do some more internet research on the condition & came across Dr. McDougall.
He has found it difficult to go off meat cold turkey so it's been a slower adaption to Dr. McDougall's eating plan for him. We have been on it for about 4 months now & he's still finding it very difficult to get use to. However he does admit that he has felt somewhat better even though he still feels pain. He has lost a lot of weight so far, but the psoriasis has come back, although it has changed in appearance (not so thick & flaky, especially the spot on his head). Still they are very annoying & can be very tender for him.
I am now at a point of putting him on the elimination diet. I wanted to touch base with you to get your advice on how to tackle this difficult step. For example, did you formulate recipes with the small number of foods you could eat? what did you eat for breakfast? Also, do you think there is a better season to tackle this diet, ie. Summer rather than winter?
We would really appreciate any feed back or advice you could give us to help him make the transition to full vegan.
Congratulations on your success. Your story is very inspirational & provides hope to sufferers of this terrible disease. We hope to hear from you.
Regards,
Kristine Lloyd

Hi Kristine,

I am so sorry to hear about how long it took for your husband to get a diagnosis –that is all too common! – and that he has had so much suffering in his life. Big congratulations to him for weaning off the strong drugs, and embarking on a juicing diet and now this! And congratulations to you, too, for being such a wonderful support to him! Being the spouse of someone with a chronic illness is very challenging, yet often under-appreciated. Thank you! You rock!

It does take time to get used to the new ways of eating, and it is harder to make that change when the improvements are slow and small, to be sure. I also found that while I was losing weight I was more likely to get psoriasis, although it was different than the kind I had my whole life. I chalked this up to the release of whatever was stored in my fat back into the bloodstream for the body to process, just a guess but I like it.

I did not formulate recipes for the limited foods I ate, but I did make sure I cooked them correctly for optimal flavor, which helped a lot. For example, overcooked broccoli is gross, whereas perfectly cooked broccoli is delicious, so it went a long way towards my enjoyment of the foods I ate.

For breakfast, originally I ate brown rice cooked with blueberries and apples or peaches. I later found that brown rice did not agree with me, so I switched to sweet potatoes and cooked apples with onions. Quinoa cooked with sweet or savory fruits or vegetables also was another breakfast.

If I were to recommend a season for the Elimination Diet it would be cooler seasons, like Fall or Winter, as everything needs to be cooked. It is not fun having hot food for three meals in the dead heat of summer!

As far as the transition to full vegan goes, my personal experience was that going cold turkey (no pun intended, LOL) was easier for me than a slow transition would have been, because I got over the desire and cravings faster. But my husband did it the opposite way and it worked better for him. So I guess I’d recommend choosing the method of transition – slow or dramatic – that most suits your husband’s personality.

All the best of luck to you both! Please do keep me posted on your progress!

Nicole

Hi Nicole!
Thanks so much for your advice.
I have more questions. Are there any fruit or vegetables that are a definite no, no for Psoriatic sufferers to eat? What about the tinned fruits & vegetables ie, I bought some tinned Asparagus to start stocking up for the diet.
Thanks for the cooking tips I will keep them in mind.
Thank you again for your support. We'll let you know how we go.
Regards,
Kristine

Hi Kristine,

As far as fruits and vegetables to avoid for Psoriatic patients, there aren't any I know of aside from the typical Elimination Diet avoidance list of nightshades and citrus. However, people are different so some people may react to some fruits and vegetables, such as my personal oddball reactions to carrots and bananas.

I am not so sure about tinned fruits and vegetables, as they often have preservatives or sugar used and those are not helpful for an Elimination Diet. I used fresh or frozen without salt or sugar only.

Looking forward to hearing how things go for you both!

Nicole

Hi Nicole,
Thanks for these tips.
Thank goodness the tin Asparagus I bought only has water & salt.
How did you cook the vegetables, just steam or roast them?
I bought some Chard & Kale today. I'm hoping to start my husband on the elimination diet tomorrow. I have to tell him yet....lol! He's about to give up as he's putting up with a few things at once. His neck is out (needs chiropractic adjustment), got a head cold & has been suffering with dessentry since we started the vegan diet. What do you think? I told him Dr. Mc Dougall would only tell him to go on the elimination diet.
I've got a note book to journal his diet & list what he eats & his reactions to them.
By the way, while on the elimination diet, should he stop taking over the counter pain killers as well (paracetamol with codeine)?
I'll keep you posted.
Thanks again again for your input. Really appreciate it.
Regards, Kristine

Sorry, got another question. Is it allowed to cook creamed rice with the fruits allowed ahead of time, freeze them in portions so they can just heat them in the morning for his breakfast?

nicoles wrote:Hi ajhondrngal ,

PCOS is very difficult, I am sorry to hear you have been dealing with it for so long. I have other hormonal issues, PMDD, but occasionally have painful ovarian cysts, too.

I know the diet can be helpful for PCOS,but also that hormonal issues and autoimmune diseases take time. I have read that PCOS and other hormonal and autoimmune issues are related to excess weight, so if you are still losing, it might be a part of the delay.

Some potentially helpful information - cruciferous vegetables are very good both for balancing hormones and dealing with autoimmune issues. Things like broccoli, kale, brussesls sprouts are excellent, but even more helpful are things like watercress and arugula, aka rocket. It doesn't take much either. I noticed improvement when I have one or more of those veggies every day.

Hang in there! I'm here to chat anytime you're feeling like it will never end!

Nicole

Thanks for the reply. Yes, weight is an issue, and I'm still trying to lose. It's kind of a two edged sword. I gained weight because of PCOS, and can't lose it because of PCOS. MWL is about the only thing I can do. I have learned one thing, though. I can maintain weight on the regular program. I only gain when I totally revert to SAD eating.

KJLloyd wrote:Sorry, got another question. Is it allowed to cook creamed rice with the fruits allowed ahead of time, freeze them in portions so they can just heat them in the morning for his breakfast?

Of course you definitely can do that.

KJLloyd wrote:How did you cook the vegetables, just steam or roast them?

Pretty much, yes. Occasion water saute or pressure cooking too.

KJLloyd wrote:By the way, while on the elimination diet, should he stop taking over the counter pain killers as well (paracetamol with codeine)?

I don't think right away, but if you notice any improvements, reducing the doses slowly might give you a better idea of how it is working.

Nicole, on top of being so successful with your dietary journey, you've also been very helpful to many on this board. I first noticed in the elimination diet thread. The fact that this thread is very full of you being helpful to others is further indication that you deserve a hand for being one of the very helpful board participants. Congrats on both counts.

EvanG wrote:Nicole, on top of being so successful with your dietary journey, you've also been very helpful to many on this board. I first noticed in the elimination diet thread. The fact that this thread is very full of you being helpful to others is further indication that you deserve a hand for being one of the very helpful board participants. Congrats on both counts.

Why, thank you so much, EvanG! I like to help people so I have more company

Agreed!!!!!!
f1jim

When, if ever, did the brain fog stop? Days, weeks, months, or years?

WOW!!!! Congrats! Great Message: NEVER GIVE UP!!!!