Someone asked me today how you know if you are flaring when you add in new foods.
Typically, a reaction from food or something that you have placed on your body will occur within moments to a few hours. There are definitely exceptions to that rule in that, I have had a few patients who have delayed reactions. But, that is rare UNLESS you have cheated with foods like sugar-that is almost always delayed.
More often than not reactions occur as I explained above. Where it can get confusing is if the timing is such if you are having symptoms that are worsening at given time of the day and that coincides with the period after you have eaten that food. It is better to not introduce something in in such a way if you can avoid it.
If you are flaring at a given time of day, it is interesting to note what time that is relative to the circadian clock. this is time that corresponds to certain organ systems in the body.
This is often very interesting and telling to see what organ may be more pivotal at a given time. For example, often it is the time of the bladder-obvious, or the time of the kidney-also fairly obvious. It could be the time of the heart or the pericardium or the liver. It varies greatly from person to person. Also often it is the time of the small intestine! Sound familiar? The small intestine is a very important part of getting the body's systems back into balance and is a fundamental part of the problem.
Here is the way the clock goes:
3-5 am lung
5-7 large intestine
7-9 stomach
9-11 spleen (not the western spleen)
11--1 heart
1-3 small intestine
3-5 bladder
5-7 kidney
7-9 pericardium
9-11 san jiao (a chinese conceptual organ)
11-1 am gall bladder
1-3 am liver
This is one aspect of important information that I look at when I am asking questions. But, certainly just one small piece. But, I thought it would be interesting for you to read and think about in relation to yourselves.
Comments
Can die off cause a flare?
Can coping with die off symptoms also cause bladder burning?Also can you react to a new food upon the 2nd consecutive day of eating it even though it seemed to be OK on the 1st day?
Coping With Die-off
Any stress can exacerbate symptoms. Stress hormones always go to the weakest spot. If you had an ulcer it would go there, if you tended towards migraines, it would trigger that. This is a very common dynamic, yes.
Wow,
I have always wondered why my bladder bothers me so much more after lunch and until around 7. This is very interesting.
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for posting this! I have been trying to figure out WHY certian foods have been making me flare in the afternoon, but not in the evening. My worst time for my bladder is between 1:30pm-7pm. This is so helpful for me, now I know the food my not be the cause, but the time of the day!
Is it normal to flare from a food you've had before?
I noticed that I flared from a food I introduced a long time ago sucessfully, but haven't had in a while.
Is that normal? What is the reason for it? Could it just coincide with some other reason for a flare (no cheating, no new foods involved)
What is the best way to test a new food?
Food Flaring
Sometimes it is very obvious. You add in a food and you react within an hour or a bit more of eating it, sometimes it is much more difficult.It is harder to discern when you are more symptomatic and easier as you become less symptomatic.I don't think there is any easy answer I can offer-other than to try and really pay attention to your reactions. If you are not sure try the food again. If still not sure leave it out wait a couple weeks and reintroduce it once more.Of course we can discuss it at appointment time as well in detail to figure it out.
When your pain vacillates daily
If your everyday pain levels vacillate by the several-hour-block or day, say between a 2 and a 4 (where the jumps to 4 can happen randomly), and you eat a new food when you're at at 2, would a flare mean your pain goes to a 4 or would it skyrocket much higher? Because if it only goes up to around a 4, how would one know whether that's your normal random increase in pain or the food? And if it only goes up to a 4, then one would need to have at least a good, stable day or two -- rare for most of us -- to know for sure the food was ok.
Extra Flaring
Right-good question. So, I would not add in a new food before a time that I know I am flaring normally. This way it is easier to tell. And, yes, your flare would be worse than normal if you did.