Hormones in meat and eggs

[Melissa27]

I am wondering if anyone has ever found that they are sensitive to the hormones in meats and eggs. I have always seen that people go back to meat and things like that when they are in a flare, but I am telling you, it is just gettting worse this time when I do that. I am wondering if since I am in such a horrific flare maybe I am more sensitive to the additives and things. I have almost run out of options to eat and I am losing weight and starving! banghead Melissa

[Julie B]

Hi! Sorry, I have been away from the boards for a few days. I am curious about your observation. I am not sure that it would be the hormones necessarily, but I wonder if the lack of calories could be the culprit? When you lose weight at a rapid rate your urine becomes more acidic.......and that can mean pain for an ICer. Then you put the meat in and the kidneys work a little harder?

I can't be sure, but you are correct that in many cases, if I add a bit more meat and particularly eggs to my diet when I feel a flare coming on, sometimes that is enough to control it. (I fight high cholesterol also, so this is something I try to keep in moderation.)

If you can, let us know a little more about what is happening?

(I will give you some of my IC weight LOL if you want. ;-) )

[Melissa27]

Jill, thanks for the feedback. That is interesting what you said about when you loose weight it can make you flare or have more pain. I have lost about 7-10 pounds in the last 2 weeks because I have been in such a flare that I am so afraid to eat anything! I ate (for like 6 days)only hormone free steak and potatos and I was feeling good again. But the interesting thing with that is I probably wasn't losing weight at that point because of all the calories in the butter and potatoes and steak. hmmmmmmmmm...............I will see if I can be brave and increase my calories some more and see if that helps the situation. Sometimes I make assumptions about what is going on and it could totally be something else. The website helps me so much!!!!! Thanks!!!

[liz2]

No problem with meat or eggs. Also no additional problem with the bladder while losing weight. Over a three year period, I lost over 100 pounds and have kept the weight off for almost two years. I did drink more IC friendly bottled water to easy the hunger.

I find as much fat dripping left in my pan from chicken as from meat. Try buying leaner meat. I live in an area where chicken is raised commercially; you should see the hormones and antibiotics, etc. that go into the chicken feed.

[songbird7]

A diet high in meat protein or protein in general, especially meat for many people aggrevates the IC. Please find a way to eat organic meat or some local meat without the addictives. I lost 61 lbs this year doing without meat except some fish now and then and cutting out the butter. I mostly eat raw veggie food and juices (carrot and non fruit juices). I am not a doctor but it has helped me. As soon as I started cutting down the high meat protein the IC got better. Not to say it is perfect. I am in flare right now. Do yourself a favor and your loved ones and avoid commercial supermarket meats. If there is a Whole Foods near you they have organic meat fed wholesome foods.
Good luck,

[kadi]

Hi there, you might want to check the labels on the meats.

Last week I found pork chops with bold lettering on the package ("all natural") that on closer inspection - had been injected with sodium & lemon juice. Many chicken parts have been soaked in salt solutions. These meats looked completely raw & natural, but I found these things out reading the labels closely.

Today I bought some free range chicken... Yeow - expensive, but I'm in such a flare, I wanted the cleanest, preservative, hormone free meat I could find...

Also, check bread packages labels closely, I think my 2 latest flares were due to acid additives in bread.

The current trend seems to be concern about food contamination/preservation, so acids are turning up in foods that are not normally considered acidic!

Good luck.

[Mimi-in-Chicagoland]

I've been eating all natural beef and chicken as much as I can get them. I have noticed a big difference in my immune system. My doctor said that eating meat treated with antibiotics was the same as taking them...it could mess up your immune system. I've noticed less flares and colds. I get Laura's beef at SuperTarget (I also don't have to worry about the beef being contaminated with anything) Target also has a natural chicken that isn't injected with anything. I try to get food that isn't full of preservatives or nasty stuff. I get a lot of my food at Trader Joes...they have organic food and hormone free meat. I also have a Whole Foods that's not too far away for those hard to find foods.