Update and Quinoa Cookie Recipe

So, a quick update on this elimination diet. I am still holding off on adding a lot of items back in and have actually removed a few more which seem to be possible offenders.

With doing this elimination diet I have been fairly diligent in keeping track of what I am eating and by doing so seem to be finding a few more items that may be contributing to my eczema.

It is still not fully cleared, however it is way better than it was and I have not had any more flare ups since last weekend when I noticed the few more offenders.

Nightshades have now been completely removed. You may be asking yourself, what are nightshades?

Well, let’s sum this up:

Nightshades, also known as Solanaceae family are mainly – Potatoes, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, which also include such items as pimento, papricka, cayenne, Tabasco, tobacco and morning glory plants.

If nightshades are an issue it would explain why this eczema got progressively worse when I was in early high school (as I smoked), although I quit smoking years ago (10-11 years ago) my diet has changed and I tend to consume a lot of the offending nightshade foods.

This is not a definite diagnosis, at this point it is a suspicion. I have also eliminated bananas and lemon to ensure they are not an issue but have shown no issues with almonds, coffee and dark chocolate….ok so I have my priorities and as always there is room for improvement here but I still love my comforting cup of java and had decided I wanted that comfort back and if the worst of my habits is a caffeine addiction, well, for right now I'll take it....and enjoy it!

Recipe post of the weekend, Quinoa Cookies!
My teacher at school sent out this link a few weeks ago:
http://www.peggyk.com/recipes/peggys-quinoa-cookies/

So, this weekend I decided to test it out and made a few variations, which I actually plan to vary again the next time because lets face it, who really likes to follow the rules, let alone someone else's directions when you can put your own mark on it.

Here is my version (which is not that different, yet!) - makes 24-30 depending on your drop size

Preheat oven to 375
Cream together the following:
Mash 4 bananas (mine were frozen/thawed so a bit too liquidy)
1 scoop of chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c coconut sugar (palm sugar) (will decrease next time)
1/4 c almond butter (optional)

Add
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 cup oatmeal flakes (or quinoa flakes if gluten intolerant)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional)

Mix all together then add
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instead of chocolate chips you could do the following variations:
1 - add 1/4 cup of cacao powder instead and make them chocolate cookies
2 - 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup of raw walnuts or nut of choice

Drop by spoonfuls on parchment or silicone lined baking pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes

Enjoy!

These are gluten free (if omitting the oats) dairy free, egg free and low in sugar.

Coconut sugar is low glycemic therefore does not send you on such a roller coaster sugar effect, therefore better for you.

Quinoa is actually a seed, although it has all of the regular characterics of a grain. It cooks like a grain, you utilize it like a grain and it looks like a grain.

Quinoa ia a complete protein, it is a great source of magnesium and manganese. It is high in fibre, a great source of minerals, vitamin E and B2. Quinoa is gluten free and an excellent protein source for vegans.

If you happen to check out Peggy's link to the cookie recipe she notes that you can utilize this recipe in 3 ways, as a cookie, as a breakfast cereal and as a pancake. All fantastic ideas. I had a hard time getting the cookies into the oven as I quite enjoyed the cookie dough.

p.s. I borrowed the cookie photo from Peggy's site

Happy Baking!

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.