Baking Bread: Minimizing IC Triggers, Maximizing Pleasure

One of my goals in the past years has been to do things that I used to love doing but haven't done for years. You know...things like get my flute back out and play, organize the family pictures, do some cross stitch, and start baking again.

This week I decided to bake bread...the kind that dietitians are not supposed to recommend—fluffy, white, homemade loaf bread. I will make some seedy wheat bread next, but I really wanted white bread this time.

It wasn't just the bread. I can get great fresh bread from the market any day I want to. It was the experience of making it. Putting on an apron that belonged to my mom, measuring the flour, kneading the dough...taking a peek at the rising dough every few minutes, then smelling that fabulous, homey, rich, comfort-food aroma of the bread baking. We ate it with soft butter and honey and made some fantastic French toast the next day.

The best part? It made me happy to make it, and it made others happy to eat it. It has motivated me to do more baking, and get to those other things on the list that I have put off for too long. Tomorrow, I am taking out my flute.

Don't let chronic illness and interstitial cystitis steal all of your pleasures. Pick one thing you haven't done in awhile, and reclaim the activity for yourself.

Amish White Bread (from Confident Choices: A Cookbook for IC and OAB)

Ingredients

• 2 c. warm water (110°F)
• 2/3 c. white sugar
• 1-1/2 T. active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 6 c. bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth (8-10 minutes or about 250 times). Place in a well-oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two well-oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Savor...........

Julie Beyer, MA, RDN

Author, Speaker, Patient Advocate
www.ic-diet.com

 Looking For More Bladder Safe Recipes?

For step by step guidance for creating your own personal interstitial cystitis meal plan, see: Confident Choices^®: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.

For some basic, family-style, IC bladder-friendly recipes, see: Confident Choices^®: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder

For health care workers:  Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators 

How Can Modifying My Diet Help Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome?

One thing that 98% of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain patients agree on is that following an IC Diet does help, and it is one of the things we have in our control. Sometimes we ask, "Why me?" But think about it. almost everyone gets "something" eventually. Some people have arthritis, some have diabetes, some have even worse diseases like cancer. Having a interstitial cystitis is our "thing." Also, if you asked ten people on the street if they are supposed to be watching their diet in some way, nine out of ten would say yes....and the last one is lying.

The good news is that an individual's IC diet usually doesn't have to be as strict as you may think. Most IC patients find that they can have a substantial and healthy diet if they do a little detective work to identify their personal trigger foods. That is the idea of the elimination diet. Most people do not have to be on the most restrictive diet forever. And, although other IC patients are great counsel, your diet is probably not going to look like anyone else's. (For more on determining your personal trigger foods, see Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.)

One thing to keep in mind is that diet is rarely a treatment that is successful all alone. Most IC patients will take some medications, and some may need medical treatments like bladder instillations or pelvic physical therapy in addition to making lifestyle changes such as diet modification and stress management. BUT....my observations tell me that an IC diet can ALWAYS help other treatments work better.

Let's look at an IC bladder in a bit different way. Think about when you were a kid and got a skinned knee. What happened next? Most likely, you or someone else washed it then put a bandage and maybe some antibiotic cream on it. You would give it some time to heal.

But what if, three times a day, you took off the bandage and scrapped some sand paper across the wound on your knee? It would take MUCH longer to heal, right?

If we eat IC trigger foods, we are compromising and possible undoing all of the good our medications are working so hard to do for us. In fact, I am willing to bet that if people watch what they eat while they take Elmiron, that the medication will have a much higher success rate...just an educated guess!

Why wouldn't you want to give your poor bladder every chance to rebuild its lining?

Remember, treatments for interstitial cystitis , including the IC diet, take time to work. It may seem depressing now, but it can take months or even years to feel better. If you are suffering now, it is important to keep that hope alive. You WILL eventually feel better; thousands of interstitial cystitis patients are living proof of that, but you have to be patient and really take some time to help yourself. If you need support, visit a local support group or connect with other patients online in groups such as the IC Diet facebook page.

So, if you are new IC patient....hang in there........ask questions........be your own best health care provider. Keep a diary or a calendar. Write down what you eat, what is going on in your life, the medications you are trying, and how you are feeling. If you can't figure it out, share your diary with a trusted friend or your doctor. Sometimes we are too close to a situation to see what may be hurting us.

I wish I could hug each of you who are still hurting and trying to figure all of this out. You CAN do it, you CAN get better, you CAN begin to heal.....it just takes some time and patience.

Julie Beyer, MA, RDN

Author, Speaker, Patient Advocate

www.ic-diet.com 

Just Tell Me What to Eat!

For step by step guidance for creating your own personal interstitial cystitis meal plan, see: Confident Choices^®: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.

For some basic, family-style, IC bladder-friendly recipes, see: Confident Choices^®: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder

For health care workers:  Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators 

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