Well, it's been 7 days on the elimination diet. It's been a good week, filled with good food. Well mostly good food. Let me explain a little further. Deb has been cooking up a storm and we've had great meals with lot's of quinoa, and brown rice and veggies. There's been some good lean meats and some fish. Breakfast of gluten free pancake without eggs - and I'd put them up against any taste test. There is a least one junk food that still meets the criteria of this elimination diet though...
Utz Potato Chips. While other manufacturers may have corn starch, or use soy bean oil, Utz has a recipe of just potatoes, some salt and no peanut nor soy oil (well at least some varieties) ! So, another convenient though not truly healthy food to add for the occasional indulgence (which I did with abandon over the past few days!)
I'd like to say the symptoms have gone away, but they haven't yet. There may be some signs of minor improvement, so I'm still hopefully this is a path to healing. Time will tell.
Now to week two. Breakfast is cooking as I type. Oatmeal is in the slow cooker and will be all ready in the morning. Lunch will be some home made chicken soup with rice noodles and a burrito courtesy of "Amy's." If you haven't tried the brand you're really missing out. Many, if not most, of the brand is gluten free and meets even our criteria in some cases. The taste is fabulous as well. I don't remember what else Deb had on the menu for the week, but I can tell you she's bought a ton of food!
Peace and Blessings,
Brian
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Elimination Diet
I know it's been too long since I've posted here. But back and in keeping with "mixed dispatch" I have a few that will be coming in a bit of a different vane than my picture stories.
Many of you may know I have a few ailments that I plague me. I'm battling back against one of my biggest foes - Colitis. I've been on some meds that truthfully just aren't cutting it and the side effects are not favorable. There's only one more med to try before the ultimate 'solution' of removing the colon becomes the only remaining 'option.' It's not an option that I'm in favor of at all. So, it's time for a Rebellion. It's time for unconventional warfare.
It's time for an Integrative Medicine approach to this body of mine. I see many specialists that look at me through their soda straws and diagnose an particular issue or concern. Diabetes. Colitis. Anemia. Osteoporosis. From what I've been reading lately the common thread in all of this is inflammation. And I am taking 'anti-inflammatory' meds like Prednisone and Mercaptopurine (6MP.) But the typical doctor (mine included), don't seem to ask the basic question; what is the cause of the said inflammation? They simply treat the symptoms with a pill or possibly surgery.
My library now includes books like: Inflammation Nation, The Blood Sugar Solution, Self Healing Colitis and Crohn's, and Breaking the Vicious Cycle Intestinal Healing through Diet. I've also been scouring the web and have been watching a video series called The Science of Natural Healing. There's a common thread throughout these books. Processed, white foods should be the first to be banned from the cupboard. Sugary foods go too. Then either eliminate or reduce the meat products. And lastly, many times the inflammation is triggered by food sensitivities. The six most common are wheat (gluten), diary, corn, peanuts, eggs, and soy.
One way to see if a sensitivity is the issue is to go through an elimination diet. For several weeks eliminate the top six foods causing issues. That's exactly what Deb and I are doing. We start today! No diary, gluten, corn, eggs, peanuts or soy for at least two weeks, and probably three. The theory is that your ailments will subside or be gone by the end of the three weeks. Though notably the symptoms are said to lilely be worse at day 7 to 8 as the body 'eliminates toxins.' We'll see. After the few weeks you add one of the six food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You then stop that food and wait for several days to see what symptoms occur. If none appear, that food is probably okay. You then repeat with the other foods in a similar fashion.
To digress slightly, I have been trying to improve my diet and have seen mixed results. I've tracked food for several months but haven't put a direct correlation together. I haven't been quite as rigorous as this elimination diet will force me to be though. I'm hopeful that this change will get me on track for all my ailments. Time will tell.
For those of you local friends, I'm asking for your support and understanding if I'm a bit on edge during this diet. It's going to require a lot of energy and discipline to maintain - at least initially. I'm concerned I might be a bit irritable so I'm asking for your grace and patience in advance.
I'll keep you all posted as things go along.
Today's plan:
Breakfast: Gluten Free Oatmeal (most oats are gluten free but are grown and processed along with wheat so when packaged they may not always be gluten free. you can find them that are marked gluten free.)
Clementine and a banana
Lunch: Probably some beans and rice noodles
Dinner: Whatever Deb brings home from the first big shopping trip with this diet in mind!
Prayers and well wishes in this venture are most welcome!!
Blessings,
Brian
Many of you may know I have a few ailments that I plague me. I'm battling back against one of my biggest foes - Colitis. I've been on some meds that truthfully just aren't cutting it and the side effects are not favorable. There's only one more med to try before the ultimate 'solution' of removing the colon becomes the only remaining 'option.' It's not an option that I'm in favor of at all. So, it's time for a Rebellion. It's time for unconventional warfare.
It's time for an Integrative Medicine approach to this body of mine. I see many specialists that look at me through their soda straws and diagnose an particular issue or concern. Diabetes. Colitis. Anemia. Osteoporosis. From what I've been reading lately the common thread in all of this is inflammation. And I am taking 'anti-inflammatory' meds like Prednisone and Mercaptopurine (6MP.) But the typical doctor (mine included), don't seem to ask the basic question; what is the cause of the said inflammation? They simply treat the symptoms with a pill or possibly surgery.
My library now includes books like: Inflammation Nation, The Blood Sugar Solution, Self Healing Colitis and Crohn's, and Breaking the Vicious Cycle Intestinal Healing through Diet. I've also been scouring the web and have been watching a video series called The Science of Natural Healing. There's a common thread throughout these books. Processed, white foods should be the first to be banned from the cupboard. Sugary foods go too. Then either eliminate or reduce the meat products. And lastly, many times the inflammation is triggered by food sensitivities. The six most common are wheat (gluten), diary, corn, peanuts, eggs, and soy.
One way to see if a sensitivity is the issue is to go through an elimination diet. For several weeks eliminate the top six foods causing issues. That's exactly what Deb and I are doing. We start today! No diary, gluten, corn, eggs, peanuts or soy for at least two weeks, and probably three. The theory is that your ailments will subside or be gone by the end of the three weeks. Though notably the symptoms are said to lilely be worse at day 7 to 8 as the body 'eliminates toxins.' We'll see. After the few weeks you add one of the six food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You then stop that food and wait for several days to see what symptoms occur. If none appear, that food is probably okay. You then repeat with the other foods in a similar fashion.
To digress slightly, I have been trying to improve my diet and have seen mixed results. I've tracked food for several months but haven't put a direct correlation together. I haven't been quite as rigorous as this elimination diet will force me to be though. I'm hopeful that this change will get me on track for all my ailments. Time will tell.
For those of you local friends, I'm asking for your support and understanding if I'm a bit on edge during this diet. It's going to require a lot of energy and discipline to maintain - at least initially. I'm concerned I might be a bit irritable so I'm asking for your grace and patience in advance.
I'll keep you all posted as things go along.
Today's plan:
Breakfast: Gluten Free Oatmeal (most oats are gluten free but are grown and processed along with wheat so when packaged they may not always be gluten free. you can find them that are marked gluten free.)
Clementine and a banana
Lunch: Probably some beans and rice noodles
Dinner: Whatever Deb brings home from the first big shopping trip with this diet in mind!
Prayers and well wishes in this venture are most welcome!!
Blessings,
Brian
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