Anal Fissure Support Forum

Subject: Food question May 17th 2008, 12:30 pm

I have a BIG question about food. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on particular foods that I should be avoiding or eating more of with a fissure? I know it's completely different for everyone and different things will work on different people, but any general tips would be so much appreciated. Smile

Subject: Re: Food question May 17th 2008, 12:47 pm

here's a quick list of what i can remember my CRS telling me to avoid...

1. caffeine

2. chocolate

3. anything that is crunchy - nuts, peanut butter (the way to get around this is to get them in a creamy variation)

4. spicy ingredients - jalapenos, peppers, etc.

5. acidic ingredients - tomato sauces, juices, etc.

6. alcohol

7. highly saturated fats

8. dairy

9. instead of red meats, eat up on organic chicken and fish sparingly

*****

what helped me a lot beccy was macrobiotics. even if you just dedicate yourself to a good six months, it's like doing a total cleanse of your body.

there's a link in my signature which leads you to many macro specialists in the UK.

a few good books to read on macrobiotics are:

1. the macrobiotic way by kushi

2. the hip chick's guide to macrobiotics by potter

3. the modern macrobiotic by simon brown

good luck!
_________________
Macrobiotics can change the way you deal with your fissure.
www.macrobiotics.co.uk

Admin Age : 38 Joined : 23 Jan 2007 Posts : 3029

This is a great list. You might also want to use the search function and type in food because I know there were quite a few discussions about this very same topic!
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Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 9:23 am

Thank you for all you advice - I will definitely start making these changes.

I had no idea things like dairy could be a problem and when I thought about eat, I definitely eat a lot of dairy - dairy detox starts now!

Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 9:46 am

I agree with the dairy for sure and that above list Smile

Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 2:21 pm

to make up for your dairy consumption, you may want to switch to things made with soy milk or amasake (a brown rice beverage that is sometimes substituted for soy milk) and to perhaps pick things that are fortified a bit with calcium.

check out veggies that are full of calcium and make sure to get some sun when you can in order to help break down vitamin D in your body.
_________________
Macrobiotics can change the way you deal with your fissure.
www.macrobiotics.co.uk

Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 5:23 pm

Thank you to all the advice - I can't believe I hadn't thought about foods before (seems so stupid!) - I was always trying to eat more fibre, but never thought I could be making it worse by what else I was eating.

I went to the local shop today and bought some soya milk - I like it! I am going to miss cheese though Crying or Very sad

I have a small obsession with the stuff... but anything for a fissure free life!

xxx

Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 6:59 pm

beccy, they have some great "imitation" cheese if you will that is made with soy products. it's just as creamy but it doesn't quite taste like your favorite cheeses......

however, that just means that you can still indulge in your favorite recipes, just substituting where you need to with these ingredients.

i make mouth watering vegetarian enchiladas using the soya cheese and veggie meat. i also like making seitan nuggets, which taste almost as good as chicken nuggets. and i love to make tofu lightly fried with a coat of brown rice flour. then have some great dipping sauces for it.

and when you get everything under control, you can definitely treat yourself to some of your foods that you can make just as if you had no fissure - just watch out for quantity that you eat or that you eat enough fiber with your meal.

so you see...you don't have to miss a thing if you can teach your taste buds to like new and great things that are good for your body.

just remember that it takes time for your body to adjust and get rid of the bad stuff inside so that it can really enjoy all the new good stuff you are putting in!

you're going to start a wonderful new journey on eating healthy.........look at it that way :-)
_________________
Macrobiotics can change the way you deal with your fissure.
www.macrobiotics.co.uk

Subject: Re: Food question May 18th 2008, 8:30 pm

I have no problem with goat milk and goat cheese , and also with yogurt and butter milk. But I am exception here in many aspects of my digestion and butt in general- so if you tend to constipate- better stay away from it for a while.

I wish you complete and fast healing and sorry that you are suffering : (.

VIP Joined : 23 Apr 2008 Posts : 374 Mood : good

I use soy milk in my oatmeal (instead of water) and also in tapioca puddings. I have a book about the dangers of soy, but haven't read it. I also tried hemp milk from the health food store and either that or date sugar that I was using at the time caused me to be the opposite of constipated, and that is when I developed this fissure, so I wouldn't advise using hemp milk or date sugar in cooking. It could have been a coincidence in timing, but I don't think so.

Cheryl

Subject: Re: Food question May 19th 2008, 7:34 am

for those wanting something a little different than soy milk, i really like EdenBlend, which is a mix of soy milk and amazake (a brown rice milk) along with some seaweed nutrients.

all of Eden soy milk beverages seem to have seaweed nutrients, which is really good for you.

one of the dangers of soy is that too much for males will begin to turn testosterone into estrogen or something to that effect.....but you will have to completely eat a lot of soy - or maybe that is tofu!? i know one of those two has that effect on the male body if you have too much of it.
_________________
Macrobiotics can change the way you deal with your fissure.
www.macrobiotics.co.uk

Admin Age : 48 Joined : 07 Nov 2006 Posts : 2311

I drink a lot of soy, so that has been a concern for me, too, Gareth.
It would be nice to know how much would constitute too much for a male...

VIP Joined : 23 Apr 2008 Posts : 374 Mood : good

The book I have is "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD. Subtitle is "The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food." I am afraid to read the book since I need calcium through foods, and soy works better for my digestive system than milk.

Here are some other tips listed in my Bottom Line Women's Health newsletter (www.BottomLineWomensHealth.com) as natural cures for constipation:

First thing every morning drink eight ounces of warm water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to improve flow of bile, a laxative digestive fluid.

Sit on the toilet for two minutes at the same time each morning, even if you can't move your bowels, to help train your nervous system to go on schedule.

Avoid cow's milk, bananas and fried foods--eat high-fiber whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Subject: Re: Food question May 19th 2008, 12:26 pm

beccy, you cold also replace some of the milk with yogurt. you can even mix fiber supplements in. i have had problems with dairy, but never with yogurt.

Also, I have never had problems with bananas. in fact, on some of my crampiest days, the banana actually helped relieve the tension--i think because of all the potassium.

Admin Age : 48 Joined : 07 Nov 2006 Posts : 2311

I think bananas get a bum rap from too many fissure sufferers. I never stopped eating them and never saw any problems arise from it.

I think 90% of all common fruits and veggies are highly tolerable by most people. I think too many people want to find the answer in a bottle, container, or can, when nature has adapted us over hundreds of thousands of years for her own produce.

If you are eating 5-7 serving of fruits and veggies a day, ask oyurself if you really need metamucil or fibersure? Chances are you really don't, and you may be doing your fissure a disservice...