A.S. Food List : By Rank
==== comments ====
For various reasons some foods have only an approximate value. Usually because I was in mild inflammation at the time that I tested it, or for other foods because I have not eaten them in a very long time. At other times it is because the scale is very subjective and I will for example say that the food caused mild to moderate pain and therefore give a rank of 2 to 3 (such a range will be listed as 2-3).
==== the results ====
= zero : these are safe foods =
NB: I will stop here and just list out the worst offenders
For various reasons some foods have only an approximate value. Usually because I was in mild inflammation at the time that I tested it, or for other foods because I have not eaten them in a very long time. At other times it is because the scale is very subjective and I will for example say that the food caused mild to moderate pain and therefore give a rank of 2 to 3 (such a range will be listed as 2-3).
==== the results ====
= zero : these are safe foods =
- Greens
especially leafy greens - spinach, lettuce, bok choi, choi sum, cabbage, etc. - Vegetables
Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cucumber, etc - Brussel Sprouts
I find these decrease my inflammation considerably. Perhaps due to Glutamine, or Sulpur content. Glutamine is beneficial for gut healing, eg: 'leaky gut'. These sprouts are related to cabbage and therefore may not be good for IBS. You get used to the taste, but if you really can't stand them then try eating heaps of cabbage. - Meat
- Eggs
- Fruits
Fruits are an important source of carbohydrates for the NSD. I recommend grapes, pears, apples, peaches, oranges, ... Pears and grapes have always been safe for me. I tend to avoid banana's as they are starchy until they are over ripe and spotty.
There is some excellent information about fruit here: http://www.victoriapacking.com/fruitinfo.html
Be careful with unripe fruits as some cause inflammation when unripe - Dragonslayer said something which seems to hit the mark "peaches (and all fruit with bitter almond seed) should be sample tested (by the batch; not each one), since they can contain a serious and virulent form of starch if harvested too early."
According to DFB you need 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day, and since you are no longer eating starch, you must therefore eat plenty of fruit and dried fruit. - Spices
eg: oregano, basil, thyme, mint, chilli, etc.
I usually stick to the spices that are from leaves as they have no starch. - Sauces
soy sauce, sweet soy, Lingham's thai chilli sauce (no preservatives). tomato puree, fish sauce, wasabi, real mayonnaise (no thickeners), etc.
Be careful with sauces as most of them are not safe these days due to added thickeners, dairy, etc - Tofu
Safe despite being derived from a legume due to the processing method which removes crude fibre and soluble starch. - Tomato
for instance bottled tomato puree is great. If you buy pasta sauce make sure that it has no onions or other rubbish. Beware of fresh tomatoes that are out of season as they can be starchy. - Coconut Cream
- Oils
Vegetable oils, etc are safe - Dried fruits
figs, dates, currants, etc. - Some nuts
Most nuts are not safe. The safe nuts include: macadamias, sesame, pine nuts, almonds - Almonds
Definitely no big reaction so far. Seems very safe, still testing but so far very good. Ted thinks it may cause him to have a stiff neck if he has too many. Almond flour can be used in place of wheat flour to make a starch free bread. Almonds have a huge amount of Dietary Fibre in them and therefore provide an excellent protection against weed organisms such as Candida.
Unfortunately almonds cause mild eczema in me. - Butter
No pain so far. I have been very wary of this since it is derived from dairy, and all other dairy foods that I have tested have caused pain. However coconut cream and olive oil are better for the heart and cholesterol than butter. - 0-1 Shredded coconut fibre (desiccated coconut)
Beware the preservative which is added to this as it makes me tired and grumpy. - 0-1? Pumpkin : an excellent food for me. High in beta carotene. Much safer than sweet potato, carrots, potato, etc.
Dotyisle: this caused him inflammation. The starch content in food table says that pumpkin is extremely low in starch. Kiwi said it failed the iodine starch test.
Pumpkin are closely related to squash and zucchini. Acoording to Leigh the 'summer squash' varieties are safest and have thin skins eg: zucchini and yellow squash. However the 'winter squash' varieties usually cause more stiffness and have thicker skins eg: "pumpkins, acorn squash, hubbard squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and a zillion other lesser-known varieties". - Carrot Juice
- 0-1 White Rice
Rice is perhaps an unusual exception to the 'no starch' rule. Seems quite safe for me, certainly no big reactions. Best to eat in moderation. Bismati and long grain are both good. I need to eat plenty of greens with rice to avoid Candida - too much rice brings on a fungal infections. Some people have trouble with rice (?) but none the less I would recommend it to people starting the NSD as a replacement for the usual staples of pasta, potatoes, etc.
March 2005 : Strange. I cut out rice and now I am finally able to put on weight. Perhaps the Candida is ruining my digestion. - ...
- 1-2? Carrots raw / cooked
- 1-2? Yoghurt
Dotyisle said he "cut out the yogurt and feels like a new me again" - Chocolate
slight hand pain, mild hip pain - this reaction was from dark chocolate that had no milk powder and no milk solids - Coffee
some foot pain (enthesitis), mildly worsened back and hip pain.
Coffee is unusual as in the first few hours after drinking coffee it can actually reduce pain (probably some kind of cortisol response), and then several hours later the AS is gradually worsened.
- 1-3 Unripe fruits / Starchy fruits
Reactions vary from fruit to fruit.
Bad when unripe: Bananas, Plums (?), Peaches?, Nectarines?, Mango?
The following are always safe: Pears, Grapes, ...
Dragonslayer said something which seems to hit the mark "peaches (and all fruit with bitter almond seed) should be sample tested (by the batch; not each one), since they can contain a serious and virulent form of starch if harvested too early." - 1-2 Red Lentils (soaked + rinsed)
Try to remove as much of the soluble starch as possible: Rinse well in hot water during and after cooking.
Observations are: Moderate heel pain, shoulder pain. Mild lower back pain when sleeping. Back, ribs, neck were fine during day. - 1-3 Brazil Nuts
These cause me moderate pain, others seem to tolerate them well. - 2-3 Potatoes
- 1-2 Sunflower seeds
Dotyisle + PattyG can not tolerate sunflower seeds. I think DragonSlayer finds them ok.
- 2-5 Potato Chips
- Alcohol
- 2-4 Buckwheat
- ? Mustard : retest this. Vinegar seems to be an issue for me?
- Dairy
milk, yoghurt, cheese, etc
Cassein is more likely to be the problem. Lactose is not the problem since (a) yoghurt still causes pain, and (b) lactose free milk still causes pain. Kiwi's husband is an example of this form of dairy intolerance.
NB: I will stop here and just list out the worst offenders
- Grains
wheat, corn, oats, rye (except for rice which is quite safe) - Legumes
beans, lentils, chickpeas, soy, etc - Roots
Onions, Potato, Sweet Potato, etc
Onions are not safe for me! - FOS and Inulin
this can cause a great deal of pain. Found in onions, unripe bananas, artichoke, etc. Inulin content data from here : Onion (2-6%), Garlic (9-16%), Leek (3-10%), Banana (0.3-0.7%), Asparagus (10-15%), Jerusalem artichokes (15-20%), Chicory (13-20%), and even wheat (1-4%).
FOS = fructo-oligosaccharide - Beer : some find beer ok.. and others like me react to it..
- Soy milk. Unlike tofu soy milk has not had the starch content removed.
- Milk when cooked : causes iritis attacks in me. eg: powdered milk, instant hot chocolate, protein powders, cappuccino, etc. Other dairy is still a problem but even worse when cooked or powdered.
- Donuts : *serious* pain
- Avacado : needs testing. Ted said he reacted very badly to this food.
