mls

Hi mls, my friend sent me a link to your post. I'm a specialist in nutrition for IBS living in Bangkok. I suffer with IBS my self along with other digestive health issues so I understand your frustration I run a website focusing on recipes and articles related to IBS. My recipes are more targeted to a low FODMAP diet which is also very good for IBS, have you tried it? I create many recipes where the ingredients are easy to find within Thailand so you may want to take a look. Balancedgrub.com

If you have any questions let me know, I would happy to shed some light on living with IBS in Thailand.

Thanks balancedgrub, I will definitely check out your website and take a look at FODMAP as never heard of it, though I know there are quite a few other types of diet aimed at gut healing.

Not a great cook, but any extra recipes always useful especially if they're tailored to Thailand.

Thanks guys and gals for all the interesting info.

GAPS is pretty restrictive to start with but it does seem to be based on pretty sound nutritional research. It's very close to Paleo. The introduction part is designed to heal the gut using broths and probiotic foods which are gradually introduced (I use water and milk kefir along with whey (strained from my milk kefir) and Kraut juices. I started at the beginning of last November (after the books I'd ordered arrived and had read them) and after a week I finally stopped having diarrhoea, however things went backwards when I introduced more fibrous foods though wasn't doing too badly until I had a kidney stone removed a couple of weeks ago and had to have antibiotics. So pretty much back to square one. Though at least I no longer bloat out like a balloon every time I eat.

Did find some probiotics here but they contain an artificial sweetener which is not allowed so although I do make my own a little extra help wouldn't go amiss.

Will check out the herbs thanks cdtmtdm, but won't be detoxing on juice as too cleansing for the gut before it heals. Juicing is introduced as part of GAPS but everything is gradual and one needs to watch for adverse reactions for anything that might be allergenic or bring back the symptoms.

It's a long haul as it's normally expected to take up to 2 years or more before gradually coming off it and there are 6 intro stages which are the most restrictive, before going onto the full GAPS.

It seems most people doing this do so for their kids that have ADHD or similar disorders and have had good results.

I thought I had a pretty healthy diet and only started having IBS problems about 10 years ago which seemed to resolve and then got worse after I moved here along with developing a fatty liver and gall stones (gall bladder removed) and putting on weight round my middle. But since being on the diet I have lost 5kg and now have a much healthier waist to hip ratio. So even eating what most would call a high fat diet that part is very beneficial. I suppose it's down to nothing processed and no sugar (except a little raw honey) or carbohydrates/grains of any sort.

So thanks again to you all for your input.

Keep it coming!!

Have to say that my Thai partner thinks I'm mad, though my Brit friends are impressed that I am sticking with it even though they think I'm mad too.

It's definitely one of those areas where no one can say it's absolutely right or wrong. One just tries to get healthier (especially as one ages) and uses whatever means available that suits. One size just doesn't fit all, after all.

Organic can be found in Pattaya. Villa Market has organic veggies and grass fed beef. Tesco has various organic veggies, mixed with the regular stuff, just gotta read the labela. The Royal Thai project or something close to that name are also pesticide and herbicide free and available at all supermarkets. There is a organic farm in Sattahip that allows you to go and pick veggies for a small fee its run by the Royal Thai Navy.

Thanks Suatncrunch.

I do shop at Villa and buy whatever organic veg they have along with the grass fed beef, though the cuts are limited. Need good bones to make bone broth and although Villa sell marrow bones they are Thai/French which is not organic. My food shopping usually consists of visiting Villa, Central Tops, the Royal Thai project shop there and Foodland to try and find what I need. Always a bit hit and miss of what's available though. There are brands of chicken and pork too that say they don't have antibiotic or other residues, so buy those over standard.

Useful info about the organic farm in Sattahip. Will have to see if we can find it and have a look.

Have had so much trouble with IBS, bloating and bowel disfunction decided my final option was to try GAPS.

The biggest difficulty with the diet (apart from having to prepare everything from scratch) is trying to find organic produce, both meat and veg that isn't hugely expensive.

If I lived in Bangkok, it would be easier as Paleo Robbie sells a lot of what I need.

If you live in a western country there seems to be a lot of support, both from medical professionals and social media and sourcing food suppliers is so much easier too.

But... I live here in Pattaya, so I need to try and make it work.

It would be nice to know of anyone else trying this just for a bit of support and information. Be good to hear from anyone doing anything similar too.

Looks like Oriental Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa).

Thanks Tormok. Looks like it is.

Thanks Tormok and no, I do not encourage my dog to kill snakes or anything else for that matter. I try to rescue and remove as many snakes as possible before he gets to them, but I don't watch him every second he's out and it's his natural instinct.

And actually Felipesed I have done my research on Roundup/Glyphosate and it may be considered to be the safest weedkiller, but it is toxic and there is gradually more and more research proving it to be so. Monsanto may wish to prove otherwise with their vast gagging ability, but there are many people trying to ban it's use to protect the environment and those of us who care about it.

Please, do not use round up. Not only does it harm all birds, butterflies, bees, snakes etc, but you and your dogs will be ingesting it too one way or the other and it's a very toxic substance.

I realise it's not easy to get rid of weeds without a fair amount of effort, but for your health (if nothing else) and everything around you, you need to think again. Covering the area with a good mulch of coconut or something similar will keep the weeds down and am sure there must be other products that are organic.

I have heard that using sulphur powder will deter snakes, but I have never tried it.

I have an ex Soi dog who regularly kills the snakes that come onto our property. He's killed 4 cobras already and a multitude of other snakes, both venomous and non. I am always afraid he will get bitten or spat at in the process, but he snaps them from side to side so fast they don't have a chance to take hold. Keeping fingers crossed it stays that way.

You encourage or allow your dog to kill snakes, and presumably any other ground living creature, yet "advise" against using Roundup.

Roundup is considered to be a most benign herbicide, does not accumulate in mammals and has a short activity.

Perhaps some knowledge before commenting would not go amiss, and also rethink your standards as obviously your dog is more of a hazard to the wildlife than any application of Roundup.

I don't see any encouraging in mls' post. And you don't allow a dog to kill snakes. Some dogs just do it.

One of our ex dogs did the same. She was the main bitch of the house and killed all snakes she came by. I have no idea how I should have disallowed her from killing cobras.

And I totally agree about not using Roundup/Glyphosate. There's absolutely no need to spread that in out invironment.

Please, do not use round up. Not only does it harm all birds, butterflies, bees, snakes etc, but you and your dogs will be ingesting it too one way or the other and it's a very toxic substance.

I realise it's not easy to get rid of weeds without a fair amount of effort, but for your health (if nothing else) and everything around you, you need to think again. Covering the area with a good mulch of coconut or something similar will keep the weeds down and am sure there must be other products that are organic.

I have heard that using sulphur powder will deter snakes, but I have never tried it.

I have an ex Soi dog who regularly kills the snakes that come onto our property. He's killed 4 cobras already and a multitude of other snakes, both venomous and non. I am always afraid he will get bitten or spat at in the process, but he snaps them from side to side so fast they don't have a chance to take hold. Keeping fingers crossed it stays that way.

Poor snakes. We destroy their natural environment more and more, and yet somehow we view ourselves as the victims.

I feel you are very right.

We have a huge garden, and we have area's where we not cut or do anything. For the birds, snakes and other animals. We use round-up in a few, very limited area's, as I do not see an other way to control the weeds there.

Snakes also never attack a dog or human from their own. We know our dog is attacked by the snake because the dog attacked the snake first. But that does not mean that we still miss the dog.....

We have now one dose of the anti venom in stock. Even the hospital ran out of stock. The shelf live is four year. We are quite we will need it within that time. (we have 9 dogs left)

Arjen.

Poor snakes. We destroy their natural environment more and more, and yet somehow we view ourselves as the victims.

I feel you are very right.

We have a huge garden, and we have area's where we not cut or do anything. For the birds, snakes and other animals. We use round-up in a few, very limited area's, as I do not see an other way to control the weeds there.

Snakes also never attack a dog or human from their own. We know our dog is attacked by the snake because the dog attacked the snake first. But that does not mean that we still miss the dog.....

We have now one dose of the anti venom in stock. Even the hospital ran out of stock. The shelf live is four year. We are quite we will need it within that time. (we have 9 dogs left)

Arjen.

I have been trying to identify this snake from the internet, but can't find anything that matches.

Apologies in advance for the condition - in 3 parts with lots of guts.

Our ex Soi dog kills every snake he finds if we don't get to them first to rescue and remove, which is very rarely.

I thought it might be some sort of Kukri snake but it doesn't have the characteristic markings on the head. It was approximately 1 metre long and had a cream underbelly.

Thanks guys.

I think this place is what you're after. A quick browse of the websita failed to disclose an agricultural extension and you probably won't get far on the phone. You should go visit them and hunt around.

Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok

43 Moo 6, Bangpra

20110 Sriracha Chonburi 20110

Tel 0 3835 8137 1031

http://www.rmutto.ac.th

That's great, thanks. Will have a look and see how we get on. As my partner is Thai we might get lucky. Will let you know.

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Not sure where my post from last night went, but anyways, let's post it again...

I met a friend of mine near Sri Racha yesterday and mentioned this. He said that the university in Bang Pra has an agricultural faculty and they breed cows. The milk they sell off, how this exactly works he didn't know, but there's a lead!

Thanks for that info. Will definitely check it out.

Was wondering if you had any more information on the University in Bang Pra as I haven't been able to find it. Do you, or your friend, have an address for it and it's full name. Have tried Googling but no joy. Any extra info you could get would be great. Thanks.

Really easy to make cream cheese from raw milk.

Just leave out in a covered jug overnight.

(raw milk only keeps in the fridge for 4 days, after that it's cheese anyway)

Drain and strain off the whey (use a sticky rice bag 10bht) until it's as dry (or wet) as you like it, add a little salt (not iodised salt, sea salt) as a preservative, and to add taste.

Cream cheese yield is about 15%

1l of raw milk (25bht) = 150gm cream cheese.

Great on cream crackers!

Would be great to make and sounds delicious but I still don't know where I can get unadulterated raw milk...

So, it doesn't look like there's much relevant information in and around Pats does it! Only a couple of real suggestions...

For those of you who obviously didn't read my original post, where I asked specifically for no comments on the dangers of raw milk, as I know what they are, there are now many dairies in the UK and the US who supply raw milk, legally as far as I can make out. It isn't as difficult to get as it used to be, though there are a lot of large corporations trying to shut it down, just like the small organic farms. Unfortunately the huge corporations, like Monsanto, have far too much invested to allow real agriculture and husbandry to re-develop so are doing everything their money and political power can buy to stop it. Just like they're trying to stop accurate labelling on foods right now. The food industry is, like any other, about money and not about producing healthy food that will nourish the world's population and not send them to early graves with a multitude of diseases.

For those of us who don't want to eat GM/pesticide and fertiliser ridden crops, hormone and antibiotic pumped and CAFOD reared meat, that's our choice (though it's not an easy one in Thailand). I don't profess to know all the answers, but I do know that what you put in your gut affects your whole being and as I get older I realise that if I want to stay well, both physically and mentally, then I have to address that.

Anyone with more USEFUL info, please let me know.

Not sure where my post from last night went, but anyways, let's post it again...

I met a friend of mine near Sri Racha yesterday and mentioned this. He said that the university in Bang Pra has an agricultural faculty and they breed cows. The milk they sell off, how this exactly works he didn't know, but there's a lead!

Thanks for that info. Will definitely check it out.

Definitely looks like something's not right there. Get him to a decent vet and get it checked out properly.

As Refresh says you could try the bi-carb dip, but Epsom salts would be better (Magnesium Sulphate powder). You can buy it here though you might need to get a Thai person to find it for you. Use that as a soak for his paw two or three times a day. It not only cleans the wound (as saline solution or iodine solution) but it will help to draw out anything in his pad.

Used it for my dog back in the UK when he got a grass seed stuck and it eventually popped out along with the pus! It healed up beautifully after by keeping on using the dip. I could get him to keep his paw in the bowl by feeding him chocolate drops (dog sort).

I would do this until you can get to a good vet as it could be something else that needs to be removed surgically.

Good luck and hope you sort the poor guy out.

every year here in American I google raw dairy sickness's and I usually come up with a few to a dozen cases were campholbacter or what ever the dairy virus is called trust me is something u don't want to pick up. it lays many people out for like 6 months.

just eat yogurt or get yourself some kefir aka Russian yogurt milk, the original way indigenous coultures cunsmed dairy was fermented aka cultured, the cultures (bacteria /shit) eat the bad shit and leave u with pro biotics, aka life promoting biology I your gut.

raw fat is were its at, and health raw dairy is medicine im sure of it but its not worth the risk, just google raw dairy sickness's in 2013/13/14,

as milk drinking people if we didn't pasturize are dairy each one of us would have already learned why u do in a most brutal lesson of ill health even death...

The whole point of getting raw milk is to make yoghurt and kefir which is much higher in beneficial bacteria when made with raw milk. Store bought kefir and yoghurt are all made from pasteurised milk and not organic. I won't be drinking the milk unfermented.

There is always a chance of picking up some nasty bacteria from anything we eat which is why I am trying to replenish my gut with the good bacteria which can then fight off the bad. Not easy trying to find unadulterated fresh food in Thailand.

When I find any good local sources of anything I will share too.

Our experience with raw milk (in Canada) is that it spoils more quickly than pasteurised in the fridge, particularly in our hot climate. The 5L minimum may work for a family but is far too much for a couple before it spoils. Nothing like raw milk, though!

Yes it will spoil more quickly because of the higher beneficial bacteria content that is cooked out of pasteurised milk.

But it's not a problem to freeze milk, that's how I keep mine normally to save constant runs into town.

It's only for me to make kefir and yoghurt so would be freezing and using as needed.

What about Pattaya sheep farm?

Can't see that they have cows or goats there, but could be worth a visit as not far from me. Never tried sheep's milk...

Thanks for all the ideas so far guys. Would happily have a couple of cows or goats but don't have the land to graze them and not sure they'd be too happy in our garden with the dogs. Not really enough space or grass for that matter.

I had heard there was raw milk available in Chiang Mai, but it's a bit far...

Goats milk is good but I'm really after cow's.

I'm looking for a source or raw milk around the Pattaya area.

Did find a farm in Chonburi that sells it but they use hormones to increase yield, so negates it being raw.

I don't need a huge amount, 3-4 litres a week, so maybe a small dairy farm (or farmer) that doesn't use hormones might be prepared to sell it.

I know there are dairy cop-ops where small local farmers take their milk to be sold on (and it's tested for antibiotic residue etc), but haven't been able to track any down as yet.

Other useful info would be good quality sources of organic produce, with more veg/meat available than the few bits sold in supermarkets.

PLEASE if you respond to this do not give me lectures about the dangers of raw milk. I know what they are and it's my choice. I need information on sourcing only.

Hope someone out there can help.

I brought in lots of power and hand tools and didn't get charged duty as far as I remember.

After four years of trying to grow UK variety tomatoes with total lack of success, I finally succeeded this/last year.

Started them off as soon as the cool season started and the rains finished. Planted in bags, so they could be moved around to avoid too much sun or rain. Not perfect, I must say, but am trying to grow organically so not as easy and am not very green fingered! I did have a reasonable crop but also some problems splitting. Also had a Thai variety which was OK too but marble sized fruit. Eventually had to move the plants under cover and they started to develop white mould and mottling of the leaves. Just too hot and humid now, so will start again next cool season! Have had pretty good success with lettuce leaves, the cut and come again type. Tried planting Little Gems. Never got one with a heart, the heat made them all bolt, but just picked off the leaves as they grew. So nice to be able to eat the fruits of one's labours! Lots of other things to try, but best to plant in pots, so can move around out of the downpours or the sun.

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Make whatever you like but do not use sweeteners, they are really bad for your health. Use pure coconut sugar instead. It's full of minerals and doesn't have the same detrimental effect on insulin levels as processed sugar. Fat it not an issue for health, it's carbohydrates, sugars, fructose and processed foods that are. Don't overdo the protein either. Alternatively, make a sorbet with coconut sugar, any form of fruit and mix in whisked egg white to get it smooth. Make sure your eggs are organic. Lots of recipes on the web and delicious on a hot day...

sugar is sugar, no matter from what plant it comes. Egg white gives me some concerns about Salmonella.

Not quite true h90.

Not all sugars are the same and using coconut sugar has certainly improved my fasting insulin and sugar levels.

Fructose is your real problem as are artificial sweeteners.

As for Salmonella, that's why I recommend organic eggs as they're less likely to be a problem.

Fructose syrup is a bigger problem, true.

But on the other sources: if it is Glucose+Fructose or Sucrose than it is normal table sugar no matter from which plant it was made.
True or not on the organic eggs I don't know....at least they taste better.

I know coconut sugar is Glucose+Fructose, just like all other sugars, but for some reason it does seem to help reduce sugar levels. There have been some trials using it with the same results. Maybe it's because of it's higher mineral content or because it isn't processed like ordinary cane or beet sugar. Who knows? But it does seem to work for me.

Yep, organic eggs are much tastier and the yolks are such a good golden colour. Always a good sign. The chances of them containing Salmonella are much smaller due to the conditions the chickens are kept in. I certainly wouldn't use raw egg from battery farmed chickens but I don't think anyone can guarantee Salmonella free eggs!