I haven't identified any trigger foods, yet. Right now I'm in a "detox mode." I've eliminated gluten and grains. I'm planning on a 12-week detox period. I'm at week 4.

Any changes in symptoms yet?

My symptoms have been receding for the past six weeks, rather dramatically. I don't know why. There are several possibilities: the plaquenil and methotrexate are kicking in. The abstaining from gluten and grains may contribute. i just don't know.

I guess a test will be to reintroduce the gluten and grains slowly.

Actually I found the best way to see if its your trigger is to eat a gigantic serving of it. Or some that's real pure. Then wait. Should have a flare start from 2-12 hours later if its a trigger. Flare lasts 2-4 days until its out of your system again.

When I tested chocolate I ate a big handful of very high quality bakers dark chocolate. Within six hours I went from no symptoms to a severe flare. Was fine two days later. Did it again when I couldn't resist a Baskin Robins peanut butter and chocolate treat after turning in my Master's thesis. Felt like crap for the next two days, but it was worth every bite :)

Celebrating turning in your thesis is truly worth every bite of a "flare food!"

I've been craving a big bowl of pasta -- just pasta, some very excellent olive oil, and some sauteed garlic. Perhaps I'll test that later today.

So, did you test it? Results?


BTW food allergy tests showed that I was gluten intolerant. I am allergic to barley. Look on most packages of bread/buns/whole grain cereals and guess what is mixed with the wheat flour? Yep, barley flour.

So it wasn't getting rid of processed foods that put me in remission, it was getting rid of the grain I was allergic too. So now I can eat pasta noodles that are pure wheat - but have to eat lean beef hotdogs (another once a month great) without buns :)

Yesterday I had some whole wheat toast with breakfast and some pasta with dinner. I feel fine.

I'm going to shift the focus a bit. Instead of eliminating types of food, I'm going to include foods that really appeal to me. Right now that means fermented foods: kimchi, pickles, kombucha, etc. I made a batch of kimchi last week and I've been craving it.

You are right about barley, it's everywhere!

Yeah, never realized it until after I found out that I wasn't allergic to wheat - I went out and had a delicious burger to celebrate. IBS acted up within an hour and I was ouchy in my feet the next day. So I read a package of buns while I was shopping... sure enough - there was barley flour mixed in. Seems like 90% of the wheat products I'v looked at have barley... drat!!

So now I eat my burgers wrapped in lettuce...

I don't know what foods I'm allergic to, per se, but I know I cured myself of dyshidrotic eczema (another autoimmune disease) a few years ago when I stopped eating grains. When I just *had* to have some pasta one day - *poof* - back came the intensely itchy blisters on palms and soles of feet... :) I can happily live without pasta, or grains of any type now! I'm going to try the elimination diet in "The Plan" by Lyn-Genet Recitas (recommended by my rheumatologist) to learn which foods cause inflammation, but I have considered getting tested for food allergies. I'll be watching this thread!

Oh! And peppers and eggplant are definitely trigger foods. I tried them a few weeks ago as a test when I learned about nightshades. I'm afraid to try tomatoes (but I'll get around to it). I haven't eaten white potatoes in a few years, so I won't test those! I also haven't eaten sugar or white flour (known inflammatories for most people) for a few years. What I learned from stopping those is that I no longer get the screaming mimi's for more.More.MORE sugar! LOL! I lost 64 lbs. in the process and am thrilled about that, so I'll never go back to those two items, either!

For me me eating as much organic and local and if I ate any processed foods, I make sure these were organic and the least amount processed. The autoimmune diseases I have flares up when exposed to GMO foods as well as any chemicals and toxins.

{{{hugs}}}

You bring up an interesting point about the GMO foods. That adds a much larger dimension to this puzzle!

That's exactly what we try to do, MMZ, as much as possible organic and local, no GMO, and I eat no processed foods. My hubby eats some processed foods, but sticks to organic and non-GMO.