Alkaline Diet?

[toneill]

I have heard that this diet is good for IC patients. There is many things on this though that says we can't have that is on the good list and some that say we can't that are on the bad list here? I was just wandering about it? Does anyone know about this diet?

http://acidalkalinediet.com/letter.htm




thanks
Teresa

[Briza]

Hi Teresa
Tho some have reported some relief by following the alkaline diet, it seems to be a bit of an extreme diet...and I think it is usually recommended to talk with your dr(s) before starting on any kind of extreme diet. I think most here would recommend that trying the IC diet is the way to go...if you choose your foods properly it can be well-balanced, even while sticking to only the usually ok foods.

[kadi]

I use this one as a guide, it was written by five people active in the IC community, based on large numbers of IC patients.
http://www.ic-network.com/diet/dietcheatsheet.html

[Goldfinch]

The alkaline diet is definitely extreme and definitely controversial, and most medical professionals think it is quackery. My feeling is that anyone interested in trying it should read up on it very carefully--and read the criticism as well as the promotional chatter. I agree with Briza: anyone considering an extreme diet should consult a doctor first.

If you look very carefully at the alkaline diet it's hard to imagine getting balanced meals with enough protein and carbs. There are many veggies on the alkaline diet that are IC friendly, but also many fruits such as tomatoes and citrus that are not considered the least bit friendly by most of us on this site, and that's after months or years of trial and error science on the part of each and every one of us. Meats, beans and legumes, complex carbs and most dairy products are also no-nos on the alkaline diet, all things that are healthy in appropriate amounts and typically IC friendly. It looks pretty much like the diet of a parakeet.

It certainly sounds like an appealing theory for those of us with acid-sensitive bladders, but there doesn't seem to be enough empirical evidence out there to support it. One way to test it at least partially would be to reduce the amount of simple carbs and sugar, meat and eggs in your diet, IF (and only if!) your diet is really heavy that way, and increase the veggies that are both alkalinizing and IC friendly without going to the extreme of cutting out all protein sources or at least some complex carbs and without eating any of the seriously IC unfriendly foods that are supposedly alkalinizing.

[toneill]

Thank you all so much for the replies! Yea I agree with you as I have done more research on this diet and it sounds like almost the opposite of the IC one and so far it seems the IC diet is helping me so I will stick with it but the Alkaline one sounds good but so does so many other things that end up hurting more than helping in the long run. I trust this site and the advice given on here because I see the results of many people on here that it does actually help. I will just take it one day at a time and do the best I can through prayer and as much knowledge as I can learn about this disease and coming here often to get support and encouragement and to give it when I can. I pray for everyone here each day and I know that God can do anything and He is our healer, counsellor, comfortor, physician or whatever we need when we need it. He will never leave or forsake us...I praise God for that!

Teresa

[ddktt]

I follow the IC diet, but I think alkaline water helps me. Kim