What are the trouble ingredients that we are looking for??

[MARIE29]

I went grocery shopping yesterday, and it was like a nightmare. I was trying to follow the IC list but got confused at some of the ingredients, not all ingredients are listed.

What are the trouble ingredients that I am looking for?

What are some brand cereals that are IC safe? ( can someone give me some names so I can look for them in the grocery store)

Also, it looks like soy lecithin and artificial flavor is in alot of things, example--Keeblers grahams honey that are suppose to be safe: "contains wheat and soy ingredients."

I see citric acid in alot of items?? Safe/not

The gum, Orbit that I was chewing has BHT--does that mean stay away?
Are there any safe gums to chew?

What about candy? I love hard candy, such as Brachs peppermints and the chewy peppermints. What candy is safe? I love gummy bears and caramel cubes???

Vitamins? I was taking Women's Omega from GNC and Osteobiflex and Fish oil..
I have stopped because I was worried. What do I do?

Please help!! Thank you!!

[traceann]

Yep, it can be overwhelming to say the least while you are trying to figure out all the no-no ingredients etc. For me soy was a huge problem, and it wasn't until I read some ingredient lists that I figured it out, soy flour was generally the culprit.

I tried to stay as far away from MSG and citric acid. Seems like I heard somewhere around here that soy lethicin wasn't too much trouble - but don't quote me on that, I could be horribly wrong, lol. Hopefully someone will chime in on that one.

With candy, I stuck with caramel cubes - I love those things, lol. But with the others, it's trial and error. Some may not have a problem with something, but someone else will regret it ever passed their lips. It's one of those maybe foods that you try a small amount of, if you have no increase in symptoms it's probably ok for you. Try not to add too many new things at once, I tried one new thing about every 3 days. I did make the mistake of a few new food items in one day, had problems and wasn't able to figure out who the culprit was. Ugh.

The stuff on the IC Diet list is a compilation of what has bothered ICers in the past, but that doesn't mean it will bother you - I know, confusing and nuts, lol. It's just the ones that people most seem to have the most trouble with. If it's not on there, it's probably a maybe item - it might like you it might not. Best to try it cautiously....

I really wish I had definite answers for you, but unfortunately I don't. It's so hard to say what's bad, what's not - except for the ingredients that seem pretty universal as troublesome for ICers, tomatoes, cranberry juice, coffee, tea, citrus fruits etc etc etc.

I am sure others will pop in to give you their experiences as well and help you out more!!!!

[MARIE29]

Thank you for the info

BTW...Did you have any hair loss with Elmiron? How is Cystoprotek working for ya?

[Sparkspeak]

I could use some of the same advice myself! I too was at the grocery store last night.....struggling with what the heck to buy and what not to buy. I was just diagnosed on 2/15, and I am STARVING! I have had so much chicken in the past couple of days, I think I'm going to start clucking.

I've read soy lethicen is bad, but in another post, someone recommended Teddy Grahams - but they have that in them. I read somewhere else that eggs are okay, but when I ate them, I had a flare. So, I guess it is pretty individual.

I've been trying to avoid the big no-no's, but I'm really struggling with the day to day eats. On another post recommendation, I bought Frito's - I was surprised that Frito's don't have preservatives and more surprised when I read the ingredients that there is nothing in them but corn and oil and salt. Cool - that makes me feel better, but even though I bought some, I'm afraid to eat them. I'm having a lunch today of broccoli, cauliflower and cottage cheese.

I'm staying away from citric acid and MSG, BHT stuff. But, I'm confused about bicarbonates and phophates and all those big long words that are not really listed on the IC diet sheet. Is soy oil the same as soybean oil? UGH -HELP!!!!

[traceann]

Food Ideas

I know this is a monster post, but this is some things I did when I was being very strict on the IC Diet, again this is stuff that worked for me. If you see an ingredient/item that you know is a problem for you, by all means omit it! And suit the ideas to YOUR tastes, what you like, herb-wise etc. I am not saying that these are good for everyone, there are probably some who can't tolerate some of the items. I made this up from the "Usually Ok" column of the IC Diet foods list, I was able to tolerate black pepper, cooked onions, etc - which I believe are on the "May Be Ok" list, I tried to note the "Maybe" items with an "M", but some cannot. I hope this helps to just give you all some ideas on what you can do, as mostly it's just method, suit your own tastes and bladder! And I apologize if there are any typos! In a hurry....lol.

IC Food Ideas
(M) = May be ok, if you can tolerate them

Cooking Methods : pan frying in butter or olive oil or veg oil, grilling on an indoor grill pan, grilling on an outdoor grill.

Frying vehicles : butter, vegetable oil, olive oil

Seasonings: salt, pepper (M), herbs – fresh or dried such as thyme, dill, oregano, sage, marjoram, basil, mint, chives; olive oil (regular and flavored like with garlic or herbs – not spicy!), lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest – just the zests, not the juice! preservative-free garlic powder (if you can do garlic).

Pasta, noodles, rice: Great staples to have around. Very versatile. I have many kinds of rice around, arborio, brown rice, basmati, brown basmati, plain white. I also have a huge supply of noodles and pasta. And when I would cook them for one thing, I also made sure to cook quite a bit extra for it to be morphed in to another meal sometime during the week…really helpful when you aren’t feeling all the great. Lots of times I would combine with the veggies I cooked in the garlic etc and dressed with olive oil, was pretty tasty! Lots of Fettuccine Alfredo made at home too, lol. Hubby loves that also. For extras, I sometimes added some cooked chicken or shrimp to it and some veggies -- or sometimes just veggies! Yummy! I love my pasta, that's for sure - so I tried to get as creative as I could!

Vegetables (fresh/frozen): broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus (M), onions (M), corn

Fresh and frozen veggies: The frozen more than the fresh, since it was winter, lol But, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn (M), peas, carrots - were my favorites. I would sometimes cook them as directed with amt of water called for (mostly with the broccoli and cauliflower) and add chopped fresh garlic and salt to the cooking water. Then I would drain it, toss it back in the pan and heat it slightly with some olive oil and herb of choice or just toss with butter, tossing the veggies to coat. My hubby loved them that way! I would make myself glazed carrots from the frozen ones, cook them a bit, then add brown sugar and butter to taste, to get the glaze the way I wanted. You can add any of the other veg and make a medley. Can be tossed with pasta of choice for a great veg/pasta toss - season with extra olive oil and herbs to flavor the pasta. I have also made a large batch of veg medley to have with my chicken breast, steak, or burger patty and then the next night toss it with pasta for a new meal. Many vegetables are great roasted in the oven. Toss them with olive oil, garlic and/or herbs of choice. Roasted carrots are great with dill, roasted asparagus is great tossed with just salt, pepper (if it’s ok for you) and olive oil, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, Brussels sprouts, corn on the cob, use your imagination or your favorite veg.

Sub for tomato: Home-roasted Red Peppers. Just thrown in the broiler, roasted til skins are blackened. Put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let sit 15-20 minutes. The skin will "steam" itself off, and make it really easy to peel. I always had them around. Sometimes would store in olive oil, salt and some fresh chopped garlic. Can use anyway you like. I pureed sometimes in a blender with seasonings to use as a "red sauce" for my homemade pizzas! Yummy!

Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes: Any potatoes really. Regular, the small new red potatoes, yukon gold, etc. I made lots of microwave baked potatoes, just skipped sour cream til I tested it out. My hubby's favorite way for the new potatoes (I like the really small ones) is to halve them and set aside. I melt some butter in a big bowl along with some chopped garlic (if you are ok with it) to taste and salt to taste, cook it for about 45seconds to a minute. Then I toss in the potatoes and cook as my microwave directions indicate. Or, I cube them up, toss with olive oil and salt (pepper if you can tolerate it) and additive-free garlic powder (I get mine from Trader Joes) and even some herbs (dill &/or thyme are especially good) then bake in about a 400-425 degree oven til roasted tender and browned, yummy! I also treat my Sweet potatoes the same way -- cubed and roasted, sometimes with some brown sugar sprinkled on if I want different. Also yummy when and cut and made into oven fries.

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes II :baked for either (for the white – salt and pepper & butter, unless you can do sour cream; and butter and brown sugar is yummy on the sweet. I have even used pureed cottage cheese in place of sour cream.


Meats : chicken breasts, steaks, preservative-free pork (need to be careful with pork) burger, and plain ground pork from the butcher’s counter at the grocery store. Either grilled or fried. I love my cast iron grill pan, better than the outdoor grill! Meats seasoned with herbs. Sage and thyme are a great combo on a chicken breast pan fried in a little bit of butter.(great with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy – either with home made stock or IC friendly broths/stocks and homemade bread stuffing, again prepped with ingredients that are friendly to you and IC safe broths)

I also prep my meats when I get them home from the store – every chicken breast gets cleaned and trimmed and individually wrapped and frozen. As do steaks. I will also patty up burger and individually wrap them and freeze as well. It makes dinner time much simpler during the week. No matter what the family is having (many times I have cooked two meals, one for me and one for them so they can still eat what they like) I have an individual chicken breast or steak or burger patty I can take out, defrost and cook easily for me.

A great and friendly pork sausage (make sure you know it’s fresh and does not have any unfriendly additives – I eventually found out I was ok with any pork, but in the beginning, I stayed on the safe side) is one made from fresh ground pork, some real maple syrup, fennel, salt and pepper. Pattied up and pan fried.

Many times if I am making spaghetti for the rest of the family, I will heat up some olive oil in a small fry pan, toss in some minced fresh garlic along with some (fresh or dried) basil and toss my pasta with that. Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo made with Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese (in the green can) is also very friendly – and easy to make too, just not low-cal!!

If we were having burritos – there were two batches made, one for me and one for the rest of the family. I would season my meat with lots of oregano (I mean lots ), onion (I am ok with onion, but some are not, so be careful if you aren’t sure!!) and fresh minced garlic. Then I would wrap my own with an IC friendly tortilla, place it/them in a smaller baking pan separate from the rest and cover them (smother really) with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Sometimes I would mix my meat mixture with fat-free refried beans (safe ones) and then fill and roll my tortilla.

Lots of breakfast foods : for breakfast, lunch or dinner. French toast is easy and quick and friendly with pure maple syrup. Eggs and toast, another great alternative as is a “breakfast burrito” - scrambled eggs with shredded Monterey Jack cheese melted in with chives (or herb of choice) and rolled in a tortilla. Homemade pancakes (until I discovered I was ok with Bisquick). Eggs scrambled with feta cheese and herb of choice is yummy too. Friendly bagels and cream cheese (brick form, not tub) are a great lunch/breakfast option with some canned pears on the side. Plain oatmeal (not the packet kind, but the round container rolled oats or quick cooking rolled oats) with brown sugar or maple syrup on top. (cinnamon if you can handle it)

Snacks: mozzarella string cheese, cottage cheese, Lay’s plain potato chips, Breyer’s (or any other all natural ice cream) French Vanilla (or other flavors with friendly ingredients like caramel) Kraft caramels, bagels and cream cheese, canned or fresh pears, homemade treats with all safe ingredients like sugar cookies etc.

Lunches: Breakfast foods (see above), bagels with cream cheese (brick not tub), grilled cheese sandwiches made with processed American cheese, dinner leftovers.

Tips/tricks: Out to dinner I would order my salad dressing on the side (ranch seemed the safest) and just dip the tine of my fork into it then stab my lettuce. Gave me flavor with minimal risk to my bladder, also took Prelief as insurance.

I have come to love my Pizza with my sauce on the side or none at all. I order it with just cheese, green pepper and onions (or veg of your choice that you are ok with). I do all right with black olives, as I think most do. And if I get my sauce on the side, I just dip my slice into it for a little flavor and again, minimal risk – plus my Prelief as insurance.

Breads: I have no problem with breads, only I tried to choose ones with the least preservatives etc. I still have to watch out for soy flour too. I love Lender's plain bagels, eat them often for lunch with cream cheese and a sprinkle of garlic powder and dill sometimes!

Dairy: I have no problem with milk (but some do), vanilla ice-cream (favorite is Breyer's French Vanilla -- no preservatives etc), cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and onterey Jack (that's on the maybe list, I believe, but I have been fine with it from the get-go), feta cheese & ricotta. I made/make my own dip and salad dressing with cottage cheese, any herbs I am in the mood for (usually salt, fresh garlic and dill) and a little milk. I blend it all in the blender to the consistency I want. My hubby loves this better than store-bought!) I also have no problem with American processed cheese singles, Velveeta etc. So grilled cheeses were a mainstay!

Beverages: Lots of water, lol. And some herb teas, look for decaf and watch out for rose hips. My faves are blueberry, peppermint and rooibos (Celestial Seasonings call it "Madagascar Red"). Most of my teas I get are by Celestial Seasonings, as it's readily available to me in my grocery store here in the boondocks, lol. I now have been able to do Kool-Aid, that's one of those test-it-out kinds of things, see if it bothers you personally.

[traceann]

Ooops! I forgot to add that no, I do not believe I had any hair loss with the Elmiron, it's supposedly like 2% of the people taking it that have that side effect, which by the way reverses itself once the medication is stopped. Some who have had it, stop for like 2 weeks, and go back on with that not happening again. Donna had a great idea, check your brushes to see what your normal shedding is, that way you have a measure for it!

And I am very pleased with the Cystoprotek - I take it to keep things feeling good, as I didn't want to tempt fate and be totally without something!

[pinkdiamonds]

Totally Understand

My mother went to the grocery store and came back crying the first few times. She was ready to just give up. I had done some research - found out that Folic Acid is fine. There is cereal out there. My mom started to get the Plain Quaker Oatmeal - added maple sugar (make sure it's the IC safe kind) and there is a cereal she got that tastes awesome but extremely expensive so she adds it to the top of the oatmeal. I'll have to find out what that cereal is called. Also, the book they talk about "A Taste of the Good Life" - buy it - very very well worth the investment. It gives you substitutes, recipes and just lots of good information. Also, I had asked for some help just on Feb. 16 - and got some great information. Look for it!! One of the girls put in her "Grocery List" - she shops at Trader Joes. I can't wait to bring my mom.

[MARIE29]

Traceann...Thanks again, you're an angel

What about water? I switched to Evian today from Aquifina and I have been urinating a lot...but that could be coincidence. I also ate a pear today, which is new for me. What is the safest water? Someone on here said Evian was bad for them. Have you heard anything negative about pears?

[izazen]

Traceanne is an angel but I have a question for her - girl, how do you do it? I can't believe the things you can eat - good for you!!

What can't you eat?? What are your total "no-no's?"

[Sparkspeak]

Thank you, Traceann, this is wonderful! I have some new ideas now for pasta and chicken and I was really struggling with breakfast, because I'm not a breakfast person to begin with, so I've just been eating toast. Bread doesn't seem to bother me, so I'm going to venture into the bagels. And where do I find Maple Syrup? Guess I'm going to have to visit a World Market - no Trader Joe's close to me. I'd love to venture back into other cheeses - right now I'm sticking with Mozarella to be safe.

Thanks again!

[GayleK]

I can buy real maple syrup at any grocery store. They all have it. I find it the least expensive at Walmart.

[Sparkspeak]

Maybe I just didn't look close enough - I was expecting it to say Real Maple Syrup? Have always bought Aunt Jemima - thanks for letting me know.

[GayleK]

It will say real maple syrup and it is also in a bottle about half the size of Aunt Jemina but is in the same area of the store.

[leelee88]

I have found that anything with MSG makes my bladder really mad!!!!!

[traceann]

Gee thanks gang, lol *blushing* glad I could be of help!! So, izazen - you must have troubles even with some of the "Usually Ok" foods, huh? That stinks, lol. That list of stuff is built mostly from that list, some of the things like onions, black pepper, corn, pizza sauce, salad dressing etc. are from the "May Be Ok" list. I do know that I thought, "Oh great! I can have chamomile (sp??) tea! Yay! Something with flavor!!!" and it's on the "Usually Ok" list, only to be sorely disappointed - my bladder hated it, I was up all night every 15 min running to pee, grrrrrrr.

These days I am able to eat basically whatever I want, but I do so still with caution - no sense in tempting fate, lol, and I don't want to jinx myself,

I do know a tip that worked great for me when trying to figure out what to make etc. I have a huge cookbook collection, plus I get the foodie magazines, lol, what I'd do is find a recipe that sounded interesting and see what I could swap out to make it safe/friendly. Like if it called for chocloate chips, I'd use white or skip them. Or if it called for sour cream, I'd sub the pureed cottage cheese. It actually became kind of fun - a challenge to see what I could come up with! You'd be amazed at how much you can tweak a recipe and have it still keep it's integrity!

Oh yeah, I had a heck of a time finding real maple syrup - and it was just that it was there, I wasn't seeing it. It was on the top shelf, lol, of the syrup section, lmao!!