Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives NSD and diet-related; NSD 6 months update.

I just can't believe 6 months has passed by since I started the diet.
Overview
December 2009 I could feel that my mild case of AS was beginning to progress. My SI was inflamed 5+/10 for 2 to 3 days per week. My friend the chiropractor was no longer able to bring the swelling down. My achilles heel was 5/10 and I was beginning to discuss my options for when it snapped! My sleep was poor because of the inflammation in my back. I had tried NSAIDs for a week but they gave me bad diarrhea. Chinese medicine helped me sleep but my heel and SI joint were no better. I was sore, afraid and at times overwhelmed.
LSD/NSD
It took me about a month to move from LSD to NSD. I made too many mistakes. I didn’t test everything. I started the diet with a fast followed by grapes for 2 days. I had an immediate response. My back inflammation disappeared. My achilles heel dropped to 2-3/10. My sleep returned to normal. This was within 3 days!
NSD and no diary
After 4 weeks I decided to eliminate dairy. Again there was an immediate response. My SI pain reduced further.
Since then I have had mixed results. Today after 6 months of dietary experiment I can report my achilles heel is 1/10 my SI joint is 1-2/10. This is the best I have been in both areas in literally years. I have just come out of a 4 week flare that was mild with a short period of ferocity peaking at about 6-7/10 on my SI and 5/10 in my Achilles. Today everything has settled down.
I can achieve this by the following diet every day (for weeks)
750 to 900g spinach
200g salmon
100ml olive oil
2 omega eggs and 150g coconut cream (scrambled eggs)
Coconut and raisin slice (coconut, eggs, coconut oil and raisins)
150g tuna
My supplements are:-Propolis 5ml per day
Flaxseed oil 10ml per day
Melrose Fish Oil 15ml per day
Barley grass drink before bed
How do I eat?
No fluid 20 minutes before food. No fluid until 30 to 60 minutes after food.
10 to 20 ml of apple cider vinegar and 30 ml olive oil with every meal.
1.5ml to 2ml of propolis 20 minutes before food.
200 g spinach with every meal.
A grade protein with every meal (eggs, tuna or salmon)
I try to chew my food and slow down. However, this is the hardest part of the diet.
Problems
Constipation for over 5 days.
This was very painful. I resolved this by massively increasing my consumption of spinach. However, I still can go 2 to 3 days at a time without an evacuation. I am working on this. Psyllium husks were great but caused me constant wind for about 2 days. I will experiment once I am in remission (hopefully).
Commitment
When I am in a flare I think “why am I putting myself through this?” Two weeks ago really tested my resolve. However, today I can really feel the difference. Today it is all worthwhile. I went for a run on Wednesday and I played football on Thursday and Friday. I have managed 3 days of exercise without any side effects. This is unheard of in literally years. I have managed continuous exercise but never without a reaction. Today commitment isn’t a problem.
Social isolation
I have stabilised my weight and this has helped. I dropped to 69 kilograms. I have now settled at 71/72 kg. I look better and people no longer think I have an eating disorder.
I miss out at social gatherings involving food. I refuse food and feel awkward. I dislike explaining why I am dieting as it invariably draws responses of a dismissive nature.
The future
I expect further flares. I see the natural cycle ahead of almost random flares followed by improvements. I am committed to that future.
If improvements are patchy after 12 months I will consider other treatments.
I will cautiously introduce new foods. I have learnt that this must be done every 3 days. It can take a while for a reaction to manifest itself.
Remission.

What to do if you are contemplating the NSD?
Do it! Give it 12 months and hang on tight for the ride. Regularly report to this forum to ensure others benefit from your experiences and experiments. Test everything, drop dairy and be patient.

Good luck to those considering NSD.
Keith

hi keit,
its encouraging to me your results so far. im 6 wks in on NSD and will be posting an update as well. i hope one day it will look as successful as yours.

good to know you have random flares too. this is the hardest part for me. sometimes it could be random but im tricked into thinking it was a food trigger. then im afraid to try the food again.
great layout too! i think i may pull some ideas from it :] keep up the good work. thanks

Good luck you're doing great.

Nice work Keith.

About the random flares;
just my opinion. I can almost every single time relate my flares to food if I look hard enough. I've been getting alot of random flares which I suspect is a Candida issue.

Flare from raisons
Flare from blueberries
flare from pavalova
flare from coconut flour (has sugar)
flare from desicated coconut (has sugar)
flare from vanilla essence (alcohol feeds candida)
flare from grapes

probably different for you.

Seb

Seb I really feel for you.

I can cheat with Whittakers Ghana Dark Chocolate and maximum 2 to 3 beers (pushing it) so my diet is relatively easy.

However, things haven't really gone that great in the 6 months. But they are improving and today feels good.

Hang in there, keep experimenting and hopefully things will improve for you.

Good luck.

Keith

Fantastic post Keith. I appreciate you have grasped the concept of it being 2 steps forward 1 step back with the NSD and that it's a gradual process.

You will get there and your improvement so far is great!

Good for you

Thanks Chelsea.

Yes, I am starting to understand the ebb and flow of the treatment! It is literaly day to day but at least I know what to do if I flare...don't panic it will pass!!!!

Keith

I've been NSD for over 2 years and I still get random flares that I can't really figure out. I'm very strict with the diet and it takes me a long time to add a new food and be confident in it because of that. I don't think the flares are always directly related to food, the healing just takes a long time. I'm greatly improved over the long term, but like Kiwi says, it's 2 steps forward and 1 step back so you just have to be patient and believe in it.

Annette

Very good report. I like the way how you keep it simple.

And NSD is very much 2 steps forward, one step back, and i believe some flares have nothing to do with food, but as a part of the healing process. They suck, but it's a matter of patient. It's just nature way ok cleaning the house eheh

Keep it up keith

I am 95% confident that most of my flares at this point are weather related- usually hitting 5-15 hours before a big storm, especially if the weather is clear up to that point. It is pretty intense and subsides once the rain comes. I have not figured out how to avoid that bullet.