Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (344 page)

Get tested for parasites. Parasites can be the cause of many gastrointestinal problems. You need to look for the following: blastocystis hominis, entamoeba histolytica, and giardia lamblia.

Read food labels carefully and avoid any products that state “carrageenan” as an ingredient. Carrageenan is used in some of the following: milk products, ice cream, cottage cheese, milk chocolate drinks. People with ulcerative colitis tend to have high levels of the bacteria bacteriodes vulgatas, which helps carageenan to cause damage in the gut. So watch out.

I always tell my clients with this type of problem to keep a seven-day food and beverage intake form. This way you will get an idea of the triggers.

Avoid aspirin and conventional laxatives.

If you are female and on the pill, I strongly suggest that you find another means of birth control, as the pill causes liver stagnation, which is not helpful for this condition.

Really chew your food properly. Most people with ulcerative colitis have been vacuuming up their food. You have to chew the food until it becomes liquid.

Have a course of acupuncture. Look into Japanese acupuncture. This may help to reduce attacks.

UNDERWEIGHT

It is hard to define what underweight is, as some people are naturally thin and perfectly healthy. Others have underlying health problems associated with their weight. There are obviously many different reasons for being underweight and it is important to address the underlying causes.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa generally involve psychological and emotional issues that need to be dealt with.

Stress, which can affect appetite, digestion, and metabolism (the rate at which we burn up calories). It can have a huge impact on what we are able to eat in terms of time and appetite.

Malabsorption, which can occur if we lack sufficient digestive juices to fully break down and absorb all nutrients. This can obviously affect weight. Where digestive symptoms are present, bowel disorders should be ruled out or dealt with (e.g., Crohn’s (see page
239
), diverticulitis (see page
252
), and colitis (see page
379
)).

Parasites. An imbalance in the gut bacteria can affect digestion and absorption and lead to weight loss.

Compromised liver function. The liver plays a big role in the digestion of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. If the liver is struggling with its load, the digestion and absorption of these macronutrients will be compromised.