Comments on: Breakfast Tostadas

By: Heidi

Heidi — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:51:27 +0000

Hi, Ayse.
I’m glad you found me. I hope the low oxalate diet helps you as much as it has helped me and thousands of other women. It really saved my life. Oxalate is known to cause severe burning sensations on the skin and tongue which is why Dr. Solomons guessed it might play a role in the burning pain associated with vulvar vestibulitis and vulvodynia and tried it with his patient–the first case study of a woman who healed her vulvar pain with a low oxalate diet. I found that when I was still in a lot of pain, acidic foods caused me a lot of grief. I don’t believe they caused the burning, but they made it a lot worse–like pouring lemon juice in an open wound. Ow! I avoided tomatoes, vinegar, and citrus fruits for the first few years I was on the low oxalate diet, then slowly added them back in. I don’t have any trouble with them now, but I didn’t eat anything acidic for years! I also took baking soda baths which helped a lot when I was still in a lot of pain.
Hope this helps.
Take care and good luck.

By: Ayse Avci

Ayse Avci — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:03:10 +0000

I wanted to thank your website. I have been looking for something that gives me all the tools to try the oxalate diet and I found it useful and practical as I can see myself eating many of the recipes on your website.

I have not been diagnosed but I have all the symptoms of Vulvadynia and have been suffering for 7 years. NHS english doctors have been useless sending me from urology to gynecology, and dosing me on pain killers and antibiotics for what they say to be a urinary tract infection. I have been a guinea pig to so many types of antibiotics and know their diagnosis is not accurate but my urine, blood and swab testing has not come out with any results to treat me. I find it frustrating but recently (whilst desperately seeking help with the pain) Found the Vulvar Society website and since have decided on a diet change. I am a foodie and a strict diet will be a battle, but I am willing.

You said you symptoms decreased, I really hope the same will happen to me as every day I struggle with the pain. You have given the low oxalate diet. Before reading this I read the Acid-Alkaline diet which suggested that acidic products create the burning sensation. Many alkaline foods are low oxalate but I am unsure on a couple of ingredients. You do not dismiss red meat, whilst the other diets says this affects it, and tomatoes are a no no on the alkaline diet too.

But I will give this a shot and hope for the best. Thanks again!

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:31:44 +0000

I’m glad you found me, Liz! And thanks for letting me know that I’ve helped you. That makes me feel great!

Be sure to check out the Trying Low Oxalates Group. A number of members with hyperthyroidism have had vast improvements after a year or two on the LOD – it should help more than your kidney stone problem! You might also find members who are combining the LOD and a high alkaline diet, who can share recipes and ideas with you. Also, many people with osteoporosis can really benefit from a gluten-free or grain-free diet. You may want to research the connection and see if you think it might help you. Gluten-free diets often help people with oxalate issues, too, since many of us with oxalate issues have problems because of poor intestinal health (and the number one culprit for poor intestinal health in the typical Western diet is gluten). Anyway, this might seem like way too much for you right now, but it’s something to think about down the line.

Take Care and let me know if there are any types of recipes you are especially interested in.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:54:26 +0000

Thanks!

By: liz

liz — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:23:35 +0000

Hello, I have just discovered your site, and I first want to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. I recently had a bout with kidney stones (calcium) and never, ever want to experience that intense pain again. I was also recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. Trying to develop a proper diet plan has been difficult because I also have hypothyroidism. I am trying to stick to a low oxalate high alkaline diet, and I finally believe I can now accomplish that due to your site. There is just so much conflicting info on the web and in books about both types of diets. I have said no to the osteoporosis drugs and attempting to increase my bone density through diet, supplements and exercise. You have provided me with such wonderful information, and great recipes that I can use (with some slight modifications), but most of all you have given me hope. Thank you

By: Heidi

Heidi — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:50:03 +0000

Thanks for your question, Ryan.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what brand of tortilla was tested or whether it was a white corn or a yellow corn tortilla. All we know is that it was described as “medium – sized,” that it had 2.5 mg. oxalate per tortilla, and that the research scientists who reported the value in the scientific literature used testing techniques with enough scientific rigor to pass Dr. Michael Liebman’s review before being published in the VP Foundation’s low oxalate cookbook. Most of us agree that “medium” means a 7 inch tortilla – the standard size you find in most grocery stores and about the size most Mexican cooks would make for their families. It was also most likely a white corn tortilla that was tested. We know that ground yellow corn meal has 26.2 mg. oxalate per half cup while white corn mesa has 9.6 mg. oxalate per half cup. If I had to bet, I would say it was a white corn tortilla that tested at 2.5 mg. per tortilla (about what mine would be if I made them from scratch with white corn mesa).
Sorry for the confusion. I’ll specify white corn tortilla next time

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 19:16:03 +0000

What corn tortillas are we supposed to use? I’ve seen white corn and yellow corn ones at the store and wasn’t sure which ones were lower oxalate?