Gut Health! Sort of a Log

Nutrition
261

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
I have been eating Kefir for many years now and have recommended quite often on here instead of bottled Probiotics which I believe to be crap. I however do not like drinking it. What I do is leave out a few large mason jars (I have a lot of grains) for 1-2 days then remove the grains. I then strain the kefir which will now be pretty thick overnight or for another day using either large coffee filters or a fine cheese cloth. What you are left with is thick Kefir cheese, it is awesome. You can throw away the whey are use it.

I also make water kefir using sugar water or coconut water not as good but, good alternative for those who do not eat dairy.

  • I have also made kefir using coconut milk but, it gets this weird sour/bitter flavor do not recommend.[/quote]

did you notice an improvement in your digestion when you started eating/drinking it?

262

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
I have been eating Kefir for many years now and have recommended quite often on here instead of bottled Probiotics which I believe to be crap. I however do not like drinking it. What I do is leave out a few large mason jars (I have a lot of grains) for 1-2 days then remove the grains. I then strain the kefir which will now be pretty thick overnight or for another day using either large coffee filters or a fine cheese cloth. What you are left with is thick Kefir cheese, it is awesome. You can throw away the whey are use it.

I also make water kefir using sugar water or coconut water not as good but, good alternative for those who do not eat dairy.

  • I have also made kefir using coconut milk but, it gets this weird sour/bitter flavor do not recommend.[/quote]

did you notice an improvement in your digestion when you started eating/drinking it?[/quote]

Definitely, before the kefir I had trouble digesting a lot of red meat and fatty cuts. It also helped with bloating and my skin i.e I have been told I have a glow though it may just be sweat. :slight_smile:

The only problem was that milk would cause small occasional pimples for me and so did the kefir at the beginning. This was one of the reasons I switched to Kefir cheese which did help. The pimples stopped after a few weeks. Whether it was “detoxing”, the switch to cheese, or just passing the teen phase I do not really know.

263

yet another kefir success story! I can’t wait to try it

264

so you let yours sit in the mason jar for 1-2 days? I’ve only been doing 24 hrs and the milk isn’t thick like the kefir I’ve bought at the store. Should I let it sit longer? Plus these are new grains so maybe they take a while to actually start producing? I have no idea.

265

[quote]StevenF wrote:
these are new grains so maybe they take a while to actually start producing? I have no idea. [/quote]

I haven’t used them yet so take this for what it’s worth, but the website I was going to buy from said that new grains can need a few batches before they get their revs up.

266

[quote]StevenF wrote:
so you let yours sit in the mason jar for 1-2 days? I’ve only been doing 24 hrs and the milk isn’t thick like the kefir I’ve bought at the store. Should I let it sit longer? Plus these are new grains so maybe they take a while to actually start producing? I have no idea. [/quote]

It could be a couple things.

  1. Were they fresh grains or dehydrated? Dehydrated grains take longer to “wake up”. Most times fresh or dehydrated it is suggested one start with a cup of milk for a few days so they get acclimated.

  2. What is your grain to milk ratio?

Temperature also effects the speed. If it is to cold it will be slower.

267

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Gettnitdone wrote:
Do you think by improving your gut health, you could help fat loss, specifically targeted fat loss. I’m pretty lean but can’t seem to get rid of abdominal fat. If I cut my calories even more I know I’ll lose muscle.[/quote]

I’m of the opinion that yes, it absolutely will.

There’s been a lot of anecdotal reports of improved body composition just from the addition of resistant starch to the diet. I reckon that adding the resistant starch alone was enough for these people to get their gut health on track, but others (like myself) will need a more aggressive approach.

However you do it, I definitely think that improving gut health will mprove body composition, and I also reckon it’ll help muscle gain too. I mean, why wouldn’t it? If you’re better at assimilating nutrients and digesting your macros, surely that has got to aid muscle buiilding, fat loss, etc.

Gut health is slowly becoming an obsession of mine…[/quote]

I missed the discussion on resistant starches. How do you get yours in, through diet or supplementation? What are some recommended supplements?

268

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Gettnitdone wrote:
Do you think by improving your gut health, you could help fat loss, specifically targeted fat loss. I’m pretty lean but can’t seem to get rid of abdominal fat. If I cut my calories even more I know I’ll lose muscle.[/quote]

I’m of the opinion that yes, it absolutely will.

There’s been a lot of anecdotal reports of improved body composition just from the addition of resistant starch to the diet. I reckon that adding the resistant starch alone was enough for these people to get their gut health on track, but others (like myself) will need a more aggressive approach.

However you do it, I definitely think that improving gut health will mprove body composition, and I also reckon it’ll help muscle gain too. I mean, why wouldn’t it? If you’re better at assimilating nutrients and digesting your macros, surely that has got to aid muscle buiilding, fat loss, etc.

Gut health is slowly becoming an obsession of mine…[/quote]

I missed the discussion on resistant starches. How do you get them in, through diet or supplementation? What are some recommended supplements?

269

this should tell you all you need to know mate

‘The Definitive Guide to Resistant Starch’

270

I recently tried a serving of something called Progurt, a probiotic from Australia which supposedly has the best or the most healthy bacteria in all the land.

It’s pricy, so I gave it just one try, but I did feel better for a few days.

271

check out this study about peppermint oil helping fix SIBO

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/7/5/410.pdf

also check out the IBS diagnostic criteria. Oh dear…

272

been using cold potatoes (natural source of RS3) as my carb source these last few days with some quite encouraging results. Will keep at it and see if it continues

273

[quote]Yogi wrote:
check out this study about peppermint oil helping fix SIBO

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/7/5/410.pdf

also check out the IBS diagnostic criteria. Oh dear…[/quote]

I went out with a girl who had IBS and she always carried peppermint around with her in case it acted up.

I, personally, have been curling out magnificent foot-longers recently.

274

[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
check out this study about peppermint oil helping fix SIBO

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/7/5/410.pdf

also check out the IBS diagnostic criteria. Oh dear…[/quote]

I went out with a girl who had IBS and she always carried peppermint around with her in case it acted up.

I, personally, have been curling out magnificent foot-longers recently.[/quote]

tell me your secret!

275

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
check out this study about peppermint oil helping fix SIBO

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/7/5/410.pdf

also check out the IBS diagnostic criteria. Oh dear…[/quote]

I went out with a girl who had IBS and she always carried peppermint around with her in case it acted up.

I, personally, have been curling out magnificent foot-longers recently.[/quote]

tell me your secret![/quote]

I’m actually going to give a serious answer.

Since I first looked in on this thread I started eating loads of veg. At least 200g of green stuff per day, sometimes more, and often that much with each meal.

This made the passage of my logs easier but they were still lacking in size and consistency.

IT WAS ONLY WHEN I upped the CLEAN carbs (oats and wholemeal bread) that I started laying serious pipe. Coupled with the increased vegetable intake they just slide out as well, and sometimes require no wiping. The perfect dump: cleanly crimped off like a Cuban cigar.

This makes me wonder whether carbs aid transit or just produce bulkier waste compared to a mostly protein and fat diet.

276

[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
check out this study about peppermint oil helping fix SIBO

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/7/5/410.pdf

also check out the IBS diagnostic criteria. Oh dear…[/quote]

I went out with a girl who had IBS and she always carried peppermint around with her in case it acted up.

I, personally, have been curling out magnificent foot-longers recently.[/quote]

tell me your secret![/quote]

I’m actually going to give a serious answer.

Since I first looked in on this thread I started eating loads of veg. At least 200g of green stuff per day, sometimes more, and often that much with each meal.

This made the passage of my logs easier but they were still lacking in size and consistency.

IT WAS ONLY WHEN I upped the CLEAN carbs (oats and wholemeal bread) that I started laying serious pipe. Coupled with the increased vegetable intake they just slide out as well, and sometimes require no wiping. The perfect dump: cleanly crimped off like a Cuban cigar.

This makes me wonder whether carbs aid transit or just produce bulkier waste compared to a mostly protein and fat diet.

[/quote]

I was actually hoping for a serious answer!

I’m starting to come around to the idea of eating more (good) carbs and less fat for precisely that reason. Particularly cooked and cooled starches like potatoes or rice (for the resistant starch).

I eat a lot of my meals cold out of tupperware at work anyway so it’s not hard just to fire some tatties in a tub and stick it in the fridge for tomorrow. Cook up a big pot of baby potatoes, let them cool, stir in a spoonful of mayonnaise and hot sauce and that’s the carb portion of your at work meals taken care of.

277

Do you eat your greens? Honestly the simple fact of eating 200g of greens (runner beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower) with lunch and dinner did a lot for my ring piece. Anyone who is suffering from bizarre turds or anal fissures, I would urge them to make sure they are eating loads of green vegetables before they start looking for problems elsewhere.

It’s an easy fix. I don’t even fuck around buying fresh and preparing them. I just buy bags of frozen veg and boil up a portion when I’m going to eat it. Granted, I work from home so this is easy to do, but it takes maybe 5 min prep time to prepare some to take to work for lunch.

Possibly (almost certainly) too much information, but my ring had been dripping blood on occasion when taking a dump, but this has all stopped since I’ve been shovelling down green veg.

278

I do mate, aye. My diet is, for the most part, actually pretty perfect! That’s what’s made me think there’s something more sinister going on. I do all the shit you’re supposed to, and don’t do all the shit you’re not supposed to (99% of the time), but still I have problems.

Apparently, along with a shitey diet, one of the biggest contributors to SIBO is binge drinking, and being a fellow Scot I’m sure you know all about that! I spent a good few years drinking, smoking and abusing all sorts of drugs, which I think have done a number on my stomach that I’ve never allowed to get better.

So enough is e-fucking-nough. I’m fucking carpet bombing my intestine with all manner of pills, powders and potions.

It’s do or die!

279

Well I’m a Geordie actually but I suppose that’s splitting hairs when it comes to raging alcoholism :stuck_out_tongue: I never drink Tennent’s anymore as I’m sure I can feel it rotting my gut.

Hope you get that elusive no-wipe foot-longer soon.

280

so it seems that green tea supps mess with my stomach too. Sigh, I’ll add them to the list…