HEALTH help from fellow strength training people: BCAA

[hunybee]

help is also appreciated from doctors as well!


i have some unique health issues, and one of the things i really need is to make sure i am eating enough, and REALLY important, eating enough protein.

unfortunately, one of the health issues i have is what the drs and i think is IBS. no official diagnosis as i have to still do the colonoscopy (blah), but everyone is pretty sure.

anyway, along with the IBS, i have a very restricted diet. some of that is because of the IBS, and some is because of allergies/intolerances.

i am always trying to find ways to up my nutrition, and my protein.

these are on the definite NO list:

dairy
pork
soy (extremely limited sometimes)
eggs (again, extremely limited)
nuts
collagen supplements

these are the "very carefully sometimes":

gluten in small amounts
some fruits
some veggies
limited grains

i can eat certain fruits and veggies more often, but i just need to pay attention to my body. a few days before my period, my stomach usually goes nuts for a few days, so that is a rough time no matter what.

i don't really have much of an appetite, and this complicates things, but we got my thyroid meds adjusted a bit, and that does help with the appetite. at the moment, i actually want to eat lol.

since i cannot have regular protein drink supplements, it makes it very difficult to get enough protein in my body. i had ignored BCAA intil now as i thought that those all came from dairy (most of those things having to do with amino acids do), but i thought i would try again to look into them and found that there are many without dairy!

so my questions for fellow lifters is this:

do you use BCAA?

if you do, which kind and why?

does it really help with building the muscle and improvement of of health?


thank you!

any other suggestions are also welcome!

 

[Faroe]

That's a tough list. First, check the oils you consume. The canola/corn, etc. vegetable oils can be very irritating to the GI tract, as well as metabolically damaging. (I can scrounge up a link later if you want it, but at the moment, can't remember they guy's name for one particular in-depth podcast.)

You didn't mention fish. I rely heavily on canned sardines. I don't even much like them, but restricted diets ...they are what they are.

Also, consider a mono-diet for a while. There are a few people who wandered into the all-carnivore community out of desperation, and have found relief on an all beef diet. Seems to trigger fewer problems than other foods. Anecdotal evidence, but some have been exclusively on beef long term, and report vibrant health.

I stay far away from protein drinks. I don't trust them. They taste like weird chemistry, the mfr's. tend to source the whey from the Third World, or they use soy, and they impart bad breath in those who do consume them.

You mentioned no collagen supplements. I'm assuming the powdered stuff - again, who knows what is really in it. (the ingredients list is what the mfr. can get away with). Can you try a home made bone broth?

 

[hunybee]

I have tried bone broth. It's ok, but for the amount of work and the cost of bones, it's worth more to just eat meat. It kinda still upsets my stomach too, just not as much.

As far as the protein drinks, I have used many different kinds. The only ones that are not dairy are the vegan ones. Those mostly have soy. If the few that don't, I may as well hook up an air hose to my intestines followed by a chaser of explosive diarrhea.

I also cannot do inulin. And they all seem to put it in their products because they think everyone should have more fiber!!

Oh yah. I also cannot have any sugar substitutes either. I didn't put it on the list as I figured it wouldn't matter, but now that I think if it, those are in list of products too.

So no artificial sweeteners
No stevia
Absolutely no sugar alcohols (sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, etc. )

Not sure about the monk fruit. I haven't wanted to give it a go as a bad experiment is bad......lol

 

[Mikiekimi]

The only BCAAs I consume come pre-mixed in my whey protein.

Whey protein isolate is a much better choice for folks with digestive issues. It’s more expensive than concentrate, but it’s much easier on the GI tract.

You can buy unflavored whey isolate on Amazon (Muscle Feast) for about $70 per 5lbs. I’ve used it for years. I like to mix it with some Fairlife lactose free (high protein) milk, some frozen fruit, and whey. Sometimes I’ll throw in some Greek yogurt as well.

Gonna be hard staving off death without enough protein

 

[hunybee]

I really cannot do dairy. Really really.

And yah, gonna be REAL hard to stave that off lol

 

[Faroe]

Love home made bone broth, but, expensive and time consuming. Easier to just fry a slab of beef.

I have stevia in the dry leaf form which is unpleasantly grassy. I don't trust the white crystals that are packaged as stevia, nor the sugar alcohols - too much modern chemistry with unknown issues.

I think the majority of us are crippled by the modern diet, esp. if we made a concerted earlier effort to "eat healthy." Grrr.... Ready to just move to Alaska, shoot a moose, and live off that all year.

 

[Dr. G]

help is also appreciated from doctors as well!


i have some unique health issues, and one of the things i really need is to make sure i am eating enough, and REALLY important, eating enough protein.

unfortunately, one of the health issues i have is what the drs and i think is IBS. no official diagnosis as i have to still do the colonoscopy (blah), but everyone is pretty sure.

anyway, along with the IBS, i have a very restricted diet. some of that is because of the IBS, and some is because of allergies/intolerances.

i am always trying to find ways to up my nutrition, and my protein.

these are on the definite NO list:

dairy
pork
soy (extremely limited sometimes)
eggs (again, extremely limited)
nuts
collagen supplements

these are the "very carefully sometimes":

gluten in small amounts
some fruits
some veggies
limited grains

i can eat certain fruits and veggies more often, but i just need to pay attention to my body. a few days before my period, my stomach usually goes nuts for a few days, so that is a rough time no matter what.

i don't really have much of an appetite, and this complicates things, but we got my thyroid meds adjusted a bit, and that does help with the appetite. at the moment, i actually want to eat lol.

since i cannot have regular protein drink supplements, it makes it very difficult to get enough protein in my body. i had ignored BCAA intil now as i thought that those all came from dairy (most of those things having to do with amino acids do), but i thought i would try again to look into them and found that there are many without dairy!

so my questions for fellow lifters is this:

do you use BCAA?

if you do, which kind and why?

does it really help with building the muscle and improvement of of health?


thank you!

any other suggestions are also welcome!

hunybee you appear to have a number of interrelated issues, by the way, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with the body is interrelated.
I will suggest some very basic guidelines, (since I know almost nothing about you or your past medical/family history), what you describe is not all that uncommon.

You are going to need some comprehensive blood/urine/stool lab work, to include extensive hormone evaluation and even EFA analysis. You mentioned that you currently are taking thyroid hormone replacement, I can tell you from years of experience, that people almost NEVER have one hormone out of reference range, bodies don't work that way.

Also you undoubtedly have bowel/GI issues. you, (and almost everyone), would benefit from some pre and pro biotics. What becomes problematic is that I have absolutely no idea what or which ones would result in a clinical improvement of your condition. Probiotics are genetically and regionally specific, take the wrong ones and you can actually see your condition worsen. Sometimes we hit it perfectly, other times patients tell us they feel like crap after taking them, (easy to fix and adjust, but some times it becomes trial and error to get it right and hit the sweet spot).

The down side is that most insurance will not pay for such workups, some do. Insurance companies are bane of my office existence.

Oh and by the way BCAA's are more effective at preventing muscle loss, not adding muscle. Popular with bodybuilders dieting for contests. Also note that at high enough dose, taken on an empty stomach, will result in an insulin response, so if you have blood sugar issues just take note.

 

[hunybee]

hunybee you appear to have a number of interrelated issues, by the way, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with the body is interrelated.
I will suggest some very basic guidelines, (since I know almost nothing about you or your past medical/family history), what you describe is not all that uncommon.

You are going to need some comprehensive blood/urine/stool lab work, to include extensive hormone evaluation and even EFA analysis. You mentioned that you currently are taking thyroid hormone replacement, I can tell you from years of experience, that people almost NEVER have one hormone out of reference range, bodies don't work that way.

Also you undoubtedly have bowel/GI issues. you, (and almost everyone), would benefit from some pre and pro biotics. What becomes problematic is that I have absolutely no idea what or which ones would result in a clinical improvement of your condition. Probiotics are genetically and regionally specific, take the wrong ones and you can actually see your condition worsen. Sometimes we hit it perfectly, other times patients tell us they feel like crap after taking them, (easy to fix and adjust, but some times it becomes trial and error to get it right and hit the sweet spot).

The down side is that most insurance will not pay for such workups, some do. Insurance companies are bane of my office existence.

Oh and by the way BCAA's are more effective at preventing muscle loss, not adding muscle. Popular with bodybuilders dieting for contests. Also note that at high enough dose, taken on an empty stomach, will result in an insulin response, so if you have blood sugar issues just take note.

thank you!!!!!

you DO understand!!! i do/have done pro and prebiotics, and you are absolutely correct about taking the right and wrong ones and how that will make it worse or better. there are times i have hit it perfectly, and other times....well......YOU know what i mean lol

yep on the hormonal issues. multiple. not all doctors are as......thorough as you, though. and yes, insurance is the bane of most people. you do have my sympathies trying to work and actually be a doctor and having to deal with the insurance and bureaucracy junk.

because of my limited diet and struggle to get enough food, using the bcaa's may actually be of benefit for me then. i have worked so hard and so long to get the muscle i have, and i will do anything i can to keep what i've got.

thank you so much. just hearing a doctor say the things you know and have had to figure out the hard way on your own....it really makes it better. it means i am on the right track and i'm not crazy because i don't fit into "normal".

 

[Jacki]

One other thing that may help is goat milk, or non chicken eggs. Not all milk affects people the same, and goat is more readily available than sheep, camel, or horse, which are milks that have been used by humans in the past. The same is true for eggs.

You might find Robb Wolf helpful, because he has interesting podcasts and similar issues.

Jacki

 

[ShadowMan]

Another thing you might consider, and may already have discussed with your physicians....ORGANIC!! CLEAN, Non-GMO. Non-processed foods as much as possible. I've known folks that had all kinds of bowel issues etc., that cleaned their diets up, went all organic/natural, dropped all processed and garbage food, even filtered and purified their drinking and cooking water and a lot of the IBS type issues disappeared.

 

[hunybee]

Another thing you might consider, and may already have discussed with your physicians....ORGANIC!! CLEAN, Non-GMO. Non-processed foods as much as possible. I've known folks that had all kinds of bowel issues etc., that cleaned their diets up, went all organic/natural, dropped all processed and garbage food, even filtered and purified their drinking and cooking water and a lot of the IBS type issues disappeared.

yup, we have been doing this as much as is possible for a long time. it does help a little bit. if i eat crap (for me, eating crap is most peoples' eating pretty clean LOL), i can tell pretty quick. its not usually very good haha

 

[hunybee]

any lifters use BCAA and have any input?