Elimination Diet Update

Well, 14 days into this elimination/detox diet and I have many positive results to report:

-     my eczema, although not fully cleared, is exceptionally well, no itchy skin, no new eczema spots and my hands don't feel so terribly dry and cracked

-     digestion – well, the verdict is still out on this one, although I’m not feeling nearly as bloated as I had been

-     weight loss – this is strictly an added bonus. I did not start this with the intent of losing weight. I’ve been sitting 5-10lbs higher than I’ve wanted to for the past few years, however it also hadn’t bothered me enough to push me to take care of the issue. As of Day 13 and I was down roughly 6% in my weight. I am wishing now that I would have had Lorri at Real Bodies test my body fat percentage prior to taking this elimination diet on, however did not, but may need to see her about that this week.

-     I started a new program at the gym roughly around the same time that I started this elimination and am happy to say that I have had success in increasing my weights each week.

-     I’ve created some really yummy soups these past few weeks as a result of being a little more creative with my cooking and tried a few other things which I will post up

Although this elimination has been easy to follow and I certainly am not going hungry, it does take time and preparation. However, eating should always take thought, time and preparation, eating healthy is not difficult, however you need to prep and be sure to have a good stock of fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds and be creative in your cooking adventures.

I have had many people tell me in the past few weeks that this diet is crazy, you could never live like that, how can you be so limited, etc. Really, it’s not difficult. My body is responding perfectly to it. Eating out does not have to be an issue, however that certainly depends on where you go. I don’t plan on following exactly like this forever, I would like to try and add in beans and legumes, eggs, some alternate grains etc but am trying not to hurry this along either.

It's simply about eating real, whole foods in their most natural state and eliminating all of the processed crap that only weighs our bodies down. Do I miss certain things, yes I certainly do. Will I try them again, yes more than likely. However, I do hope to take this adventure as a reminder that my once very clean diet had certainly been starting to slip.

I've been purusing the internet alot lately and as usual have come across some really cool ideas and really yummy looking recipes that I'm looking forward to testing out and adding my own twist to them once I am able to put a few new foods in.

On a side note, I started to write this post yesterday morning then I went for a visit at my sister Julie's and decided that I would enjoy a cup of her coffee (even though I've been off it nearly two weeks) and can report that by the time I got home a few hours later my eczema on my hands had flared up and was itchy all night. I'm not ready to fully blame the coffee yet as the weather had turned extremely cold (which makes it flare) and I had done alot of cooking and cleaning in the morning which meant my hands were submersed in alot of water over and over again (which also makes it flare). So, it was a small slip and I am back off coffee again and at this point am not planning on attempting anything else until I see if I can fully clear the eczema.

More updates to follow.

p.s. the elimination that I've been following is Dr. Cranton's Caveman Diet http://www.drcranton.com/elimination_diet.htm
which I made a few exceptions to as I thought it best to remove a few other foods that I was consuming on a daily basis.

Clean Salad

Detox/Elimination diet continues, here is a salad I threw together earlier in the week and it simply hit the spot so I thought I would share.

I take my lunch to the office everyday, personally I can't justify buying my lunch daily, plus the options are not always that healthy. I figure I shop at least once a week and have a full fridge/freezer and pantry most of the time,therefore there is no reason to waste money on buying lunch everyday, so I bag it from home. It takes a few minutes the night before but its usually well worth it and my pocketbook thanks me as well.

Clean salad (part of detox week)

v  Chopped raw broccoli (I probably used 2 cups)

v  Chopped celery (I probably used 1 rib)

v  Chopped cooked turkey (leftovers – probably used ¾ cup to 1 cup)

v  A few tablespoons of raw unsalted sunflower seeds

v  A drizzle of sesame oil ( a little goes a long way, great flavour!)

v  A sprinkle of sea salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, top with a lid; give a liberal shake prior to eating. Works well if made the day ahead and left to sit overnight in the fridge for all flavours to mingle!

Adjust your serving size accordingly. By lunch time I need a good deal of protein and fats, this salad seems to have it all for me. After a spin class last night, this serving size worked for me.

If you don’t like sesame oil why not sub in extra virgin olive oil or some flax seed oil.

As per usual, don’t be afraid to experiment, add some grated carrot or radishes for color, use leftover fish opposed to turkey, cashews as an alternate protein would work great here as well.

Let what’s in your fridge and your imagination guide you, happy eating!

A few nutritional tidbits:
Sesame seeds would be a good addition to the above salad as well. Sesame seeds aid in digestion. In traditional Chinese medicine, sesame is known to produce yin (body fluid).

Sunflower seeds are a favorite of mine, I add them to most salads, how can you not love these, they come from the most cheerful looking flower. They contain a high source of nutrients including vitamin E, protein, magnesium, selenium, vitamins B1, B5, B6, phosphorus, copper, iron, folic acid and fibre. Sunflower seeds contain a high amount of monounsaturated fat and arginine. Arginine is an amino acid which plays an important role in immune functions and detoxification reactions. Arginine is also known to promote the secretion of insulin and growth hormone. (Growth hormone is responsible for stimulating muscle and skeletal growth.)

Nuts and seeds contain many important nutrients, essential fats and protein. When buying nuts and seeds you should always ensure they are raw and unsalted. They are best purchased and stored in their shells and cracked open when needed, however this is not always overly convenient.

Detox - into day 4 and still going

Well 3 days, now beginning day 4 and I can say my eczema is not so bad, my legs are not itchy and my hands don't look as dry as usual. My digestion still hasn't gotten any better yet, however my body is probably still trying to figure out exactly what it is that I am putting it through.

I would love a coffee, really I would, however I will not have one. The headaches are gone and I'm certainly not experiencing any withdrawal symptoms, however it's my "comfort drink" and I am longing for it. At the same time, I don't wish to revisit day 1 and day 2's headache and flu feeling so I will continue on my "detox" and avoid the beloved coffee...knowing that one day I will enjoy it again, or at least I hope so.

So far this detox is proving to be quite easy to follow, again thought and preparation is required, however it's quite manageable nonetheless.

I taught a great spin class last night and although I was sweating my ass off I was feeling full of energy (withouth caffeine, sugar and crap running through my system), just goes to show it's really not needed afterall!

I'm hoping for some more noticable changes over the next few days, only time will tell at this point.

Happy Thursday all, updates to follow

Day One "detox" update!

After day 1 of my current elimination diet I have decided to call this “DETOX”.

 

I forgot just how terrible the first few days can be. I now recall that I did a “30 day challenge” a few years ago and had to remove many items out of my diet at that time and remember now the terrible headache and flu like feelings that accompanied it.

I made it thru day 1, with a headache that started at 9:30 am and continued on for the course of the day. By 4pm I was feeling like I had the flu and started to somewhat question my reasoning for doing this “detox”.

I survived the drive home, put on my pj’s and crawled into bed at 5pm. Bed didn’t last long though, which happens when you have a 5 year old and when you also need to prepare food for the next day.

“Detox” takes thought, preparation, time and commitment!

 

I managed to make it through the evening with the pounding headache, prepared some food for dinner and lunch the next day and was back in bed by 8:30pm, what an exciting evening!

Today starts day two, woke up feeling great (who wouldn’t after such a long night of sleep), only to have the headache make its return at 7:30 am., however I seem to be managing much better today.

I certainly won’t be falling off the detox wagon, simply because I do not want to repeat this process again anytime soon. I think that’s how I quit smoking years ago too, with the same attitude. There was no way that I was going to start that again and again so it was cold turkey, done.

Each day will get easier and the headache should disappear within the next few days along with any other ill feelings too.

I don’t know that I actually laid out exactly what I have had to remove from my diet in order to do this elimination, so here it is:

No dairy, no grains, no chicken, no beef, no pork, no almonds, no citrus, no potatoes, no apples, no sugars, no mushrooms, no tomatoes, no caffeine, no beans, no legumes, no vinegar, no peanuts, no eggs. That about sums it up

At this point you may be asking what can I eat?

Well, there is still a ton of foods on my allow list, again it just takes thought and prep.

I can eat most other vegetables and fruits, most nuts, wild salmon, halibut, turkey, scallops, olive oil, sea salt, avocados. If I listed out all of the fruits and vegetables that I am allowed then this list would seem much longer and really it’s totally manageable as well.

I have to say after day 1 I really noted just how terrible I have been lately with the caffeine and sugar overload. Thus how terrible it had me feeling. If nothing else it will certainly be an excellent wakeup call and eye opener at that.

So far, so good, as the day goes on I seem to be managing this headache well, this gives me hope for tomorrow!

One day at a time they say. I’m not sure how long I need to run my detox, time will tell. If I happen to notice any major improvements within the next 3 or 4 days then I may try and add one of the foods back in, however I may just try and ride this out a few weeks and see what happens. It’ll certainly do my body some good. Just have to see how long I last.

I’ve had a few emails from people tackling their own challenges this week, feel free to post up any comments here as to any changes you may be taking on. And I’d like to wish good luck to you all!

Diet overhaul, are you ready?

Do you know the feeling when you are at the end of your rope and the ball is back in your court and all that is left to do is to follow your own advice? Well, I’ve hit that, and apparently hit it pretty hard. I’ve taken courses and read books and written case studies and made changes etc but now it’s time to really step it up and deal with the biggest challenge that each of us face. I must take a good, long, hard look at ME, at least temporarily to see if I can figure out some issues.

Oh, so not looking forward to this next step. I’ve made many changes over the years, I’ve tried the doctor’s advice, hell I’ve even had tests but nothing seems to be working too well these days and nothing is showing up as being wrong either, a bit of a mystery! Where’s Shaggy and Scooby and the mystery machine when I need them?

Next step, elimination diet! I hate those words, I will admit it! The worst part is, the typical elimination diet most recommended won’t work for me….my diet already follows the basis of it.

A typical elimination diet has you restricting the common allergens/intolerances out of your diet for a few weeks, and then reintroducing foods (food families) one by one, usually one every 3 to 4 days (ensuring time in between to see if any of the reintroduced foods are causing an issue). The other main reason for an elimination diet is to reduce the burden on your digestive system, we all need a break every once in while.

The typical elimination diet (in brief) has you removing all gluten grains (sometimes oats are acceptable), eggs, white potatoes, tomatoes, corn, all citrus fruits, sugars (and sweeteners), all dairy products, all processed foods, pork (sometimes beef) and caffeine.

Since my diet typically avoids most processed foods, limits corn, limits and practically avoids gluten and dairy already I need to step it up further, beyond this. (Yes, I understand that I have not fully restricted anything, therefore my diet has not been exactly “perfectly clean”, however its clean enough that I know the typical elimination will not work for me and would be a waste of time….its time for a diet overhaul). I have to remove a good portion of what I eat every day and replace it with some not so common foods (well, not so common to me at least). Time to change it up.

Sometimes over the years we can develop food sensitivity or intolerance to foods, simply by eating more than your system is able to process. An elimination diet is a great way to test out which foods (if any) are causing you issue.

I’ve had eczema ever since I was little, it’s nothing new. Some days it is under control better than others. Some days I cannot fully extend my right hand as it is so dry and sore that the skin just won’t stretch without splitting. Some days it’s itchy, some days it’s spotty and some days it’s hardly even there. And I keep ignoring it. I’ve known for a long time now that it is most likely something in my diet but I am stubborn and just didn’t feel like I had “time” to have to deal with it.

The winter months can be harsh on anyone’s skin with the colder air and the constant dry heat from the furnace. It’s not unusual to have dry, chapped skin this time of year, however there comes a time when enough is enough.

My issues over the past year seem to be involving a few other internal systems, this is where it is becoming more apparent that the time has come to take matters into my own hands and find the source of the issues and start looking at fixing them, since any test to date is showing up that I am perfectly healthy and functioning.

You shouldn’t eat a meal (especially one that you feel is “healthy”) and experience abdominal bloating or discomfort or indigestion. Your colon should not be sluggish. My teacher always likes to quote “one meal in, one meal out”, seriously, if only we were all so fortunate!

These are signs people that something is not working right. Your body is not breaking down your food properly. Sometimes it can be as simple as bad food combining, sometimes you are not producing enough stomach acid to break it down, you may be suffering from mal-absorption or mal-digestion and therefore not processing the foods and getting from them what your body needs. There are many different possibilities.

These are all mere examples of some of the reasons to try an elimination diet. We all have items in our diet that really don’t need to be there, however not everyone is at a point where they need to make themselves priority and take a really long hard look at themselves and decide to make a change.

Change is never easy. I certainly don’t anticipate the diet changes I am about to embark upon to be simple. They are completely doable, however they will require some thought and preparation and a willingness to yet again jump out of my comfort zone. I like to have a plan, so my plan is to start on Monday. The reasoning for this is that I can plan for it, I can shop for it and I can have a meal plan in mind (meaning I will have some idea of what I will be eating for breakfast/lunch/dinner as many of my typical “go to foods” will be restricted for the next month or so).

Be warned people, I once again have to give up coffee. I love coffee and yes I know it’s not needed, it’s not good for me, and it could easily be removed from my diet for good. Over the years I have gone off coffee at one time or another for short periods of time and each time I swear I am never doing it again. It is the one thing that I love love love! I love the smell, the taste and the ultimate comfort I seem to have linked to it.

I will survive, the question is, will all of you?

Be forewarned that I may be feeling some withdrawal issues over the next few weeks (again I don’t start this till Monday) as I remove caffeine and sugar, so if I’m a bit of a cranky pants (ok, so more than usual) I apologize now.

Updates will follow.

What do you need to remove from your diet?

Potato Crust Quiche

I love quiche, its a quick easy meal to prepare, however when it comes to the typical crust it makes it not the healthiest of options for dinner, so I decided to experiment and revamp the traditional quiche.

For the crust, thinly slice potatoes or sweet potatoes

Toss the potatoes with a tbsp of olive oil

Line a pie plate with the potatoes

Bake at 350 for approximately 10-15 minutes - do not burn!

Once cooked you can then add your favourite quiche ingredients into the potato shell, top with your beaten eggs and bake as per usual.

My newest trick is to add leftover squash to the beaten eggs; the kids don't know the difference!

My last quiche I did the following, as per usual it was simply what I had on hand:

Peel 1 large potato or sweet potato (more if needed)

Slice thin

Toss with 1 tbsp oil

Grease a pie plate with oil (olive, butter or coconut oil)

Line pie plate with potato slices

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350

Toppings:

Option 1

Sweet potato lined crust

½ green pepper sliced

½ cup cherry tomatoes (next time I will omit)

¼ cup diced red onion

½ cup (or less) shredded mozzarella

black pepper

or

 

Option 2

Potato lined crust

½ cup diced ham

½ cup cherry tomatoes (next time I will omit)

½ cup shredded mozzarella

black pepper

Once you have placed your options into the crust you:

beat 5-6 eggs

add ½ cup cooked squash (optional)

pour over top (for each quiche - so 2 quiche would require roughly 1 dozen eggs)

Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes (if in a hurry you can increase the temp to roughly 400 but keep an eye on it)

Serve with a tossed salad

I have since decided that really I am not a huge fan of cooked tomatoes in quiche and neither is my daughter, so next time I will omit.

Cheese is simply an option, the stronger the cheese the less that’s required. Typically I prefer to use old cheddar or goat’s milk feta. If using a stronger flavoured cheese you could easily decrease the amount to 1/3 cup.

When it comes to quiche the options are endless as to what ingredients you wish to use. Fresh herbs and spices add nice flavor, use an array of colorful veggies, salmon and shrimp would be wonderful additions as well. Quiche is also great for breakfast, lunch or dinner so don't limit yourself as the options are endless.

Happy cooking!

Black Bean Soup

This week has been cold and has me craving soup. Not everyone in my household seems to follow me on my love of soups, however today seems to be a great day to have a pot of soup going on the stove.

Today I wanted to make a black bean soup, today’s version is vegetarian which probably has my husband squirming as he reads this….what no meat? Yes dear, no meat, but protein nonetheless!

As per usual I create with what happens to be in the fridge and pantry, so today’s version is this:

In a large stockpot melt

1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter or olive oil)

Add the following:

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks (leaves included)

1 large carrot

Cook until translucent (10 minutes roughly)

Add 1 litre of broth (I did not have any broth or stock on hand today but I did have some leftover roasted veggies in the fridge – so into my blender went 1 leftover sweet potato, 1 leftover carrot and approximately 1 cup of leftover spaghetti squash – pureed and added enough water to make 1 litre, plus 1 large scoop of tomato paste)

Add the broth to the pot

Add 1 large handful of chopped fresh parsley (optional – just had it on hand)

Add 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1 teaspoon of chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika and a few dried hot peppers (red pepper flakes would work too, adjust the heat to your liking)

I did not have any dried black beans on hand so had to resort to canned today (be sure to rinse thoroughly). Dried beans would be better – however would also have to be soaked and cooked ahead of time

Add 2 cans of black beans to your pot

2 garlic cloves – smashed

Let simmer until cooked through. I then took part of the soup and pureed in my blender, then added back to the pot – so it was partially pureed and partially chunky. An immersable hand blender would work as well. Just be careful doing this when the soup is still hot – not all blenders can handle the heat so you may want it to cool slightly first.

Soup can be enjoyed within 20 minutes, however often times is even better the next day.

Diced tomatoes, peppers, red onion etc could all be easily added to this soup.

You can eat this on its own, you can top it with sour cream or yogurt and some chopped green onions if you wish. (no longer vegan if you are adding sour cream or yogurt)

This soup would also be tasty over cooked quinoa or rice or with some warm corn bread out of the oven.

So, before I posted this I decided that I "needed" corn bread to go with my soup for lunch. So, I googled and found this recipe here which I thought sounded like it needed a few changes:

http://ibreadhunter.blogspot.com/2011/11/gluten-free-cornbread.html

And adapted it to:

• instead of brown rice flour I substituted quinoa flour
• instead of canola I substituted olive oil and coconut oil (butter would also work)
• instead of milk I substituted coconut milk
• used part honey/part maple syrup as I happened to run out of honey!
• added a 1/4 tsp of cayenne

And lunch was created:

The corn bread was a bit crumbly out of the oven, and I used coarse sea salt instead of regular and I may have slightly over salted....however still super yummy and a great addition to the soup. Just what was needed after burning 500 + calories this morning teaching spin class.

Enjoy the weekend all!