I just made a very emotional decision, and I'm doing it in the best interest of myself and my family and what is right for all of us, for right now...
I will be taking a short break from my Allergy Discovery Challenge.
As soon as I said the words "I'm going to jump ship today..." to my hubby just a bit ago, I was flooded with emotion aka: tears. It wasn't a sense relief...it wasn't necessarily like I felt I was giving up... I've put nearly 12 days into my challenge; it has not been an easy ride, but I've done it. I know WHY I was doing it; it was for a good reason and I'm sad to let it go...
Things were a bit easier with the kids gone these past several day while we worked on the house, since I could just make whatever it was I needed to eat that day, whenever I needed to make it. My hubby could make what he wanted for breakfast/lunch, and dinner I tried to make something that we could both eat, while still following the safe list. The kids came home today, and we are so happy to be with them again!
It takes a lot of time to prepare multiple meals, and with everything we have going on right now (with the house and such) I've realized that time spent with my family is more important that following my safe lists. I don't mean this in a way that I shouldn't also be taking care of myself - because I know I need to take care of myself, to take care of my family - BUT - with the knowledge I've gained from this challenge thus far (as well as the many nutrition books I've been reading), I will continue to eat healthy. I don't plan to "splurge" and eat a bunch of junk-that's not my style anyways. I will experience some of the 15 foods that I haven't reintroduced yet; I will have more choices; I will be able to spend more time with my family...
I plan to continue on with the challenge after things with the house settle down a bit. But, in the meantime, I will also continue to track what I am eating and maybe I will discover what else affects my body in positive and negative ways, but without following the safe lists and such.
Thank you all for reading along and following me during my challenge! I will still "check-in" from time to time, and will definitely report any new discoveries I encounter along the way.
Oh, and just because....
Here is what I ate on Day 12-Wheat:
Breakfast: Wheat Farina (Cream of Wheat), Honey Creme, Apple
Snack: Apple
Lunch...To Be Determined...
As of yet, I have not experienced any adverse reactions to wheat, so I'm going to call it as 'Wheat is IN'. So, when I continue, I will begin with Soy...
~A
Sunday, June 17, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY - Day 11 - Eggs & Moving Day, Kinda :-)
(click here to read Day 10)
This morning I woke up with a sore foot, still. The eggs didn't seem to bother me at all otherwise...but I think my possible reaction from the cherries the other day just wasn't able to calm down and clear itself. Yesterday was kind of a pseudo-moving day. My mom came up to help with the yard, and brought their Blazer. And, throughout the day, everything that I packed over the last several days was loaded up, and driven down to my parent's house. I made one trip mid-day with a truck full (and made 24 trips down and up my parent's full set of 12 stairs to put boxes/bags in the storage area) not to mention all the trips up and down at home beforehand to load up everything - no wonder my foot is still sore!! Then in the evening I filled the truck again with some furniture and more packed stuff, as well as my car, and my mom and I each drove one down. It was nice that my parent's could help unload for the second trip!
I know it seems strange to move things out, and then move them again when we get into a new house - but we are down to the bare minimums here now; the kids still have enough toys to play with, and markers/paint/playdoh/etc. because we still need to play, and the kitchen has been stripped, but we still have blenders and pans and popcorn poppers - because we gotta eat! But, it's enough to live on, and my hope is that we will find we don't actually NEED all that stuff, and we will eventually figure out what we DO need, and the rest will be put in a garage sale and/or donated. I'm craving living the simple life :-) And the best part of all this is that when our actual moving day is nearing - I can probably have us packed up in a day, two at the most! Then it's mostly a matter of getting a moving truck to load up furniture.
Today I will be working around the house, getting it set for the kids to come home today; we are missing them like crazy! Once they are home, we are done with any work for today... We are still aiming to be ready by the end of June, but most of the big stuff was completed this week, so we are in good shape. I know this has been really hard on the kids, and I wish they could understand that we are doing this for them, and for us: for our family. Someday when they are older they will understand...it's just tough to see them having a hard time with things...
Here is what I ate on Day 11-Egg*s:
Breakfast: Hot Millet Cereal w/Maple Syrup, Fried Egg (w/Olive Oil & Salt)
Lunch: Fried Eggs w/Olive Oil, Salt, Oregano (not a good lunch, I know, but had to leave quick...so had to eat)
Snack: Millet w/Coconut & Maple Syrup
Snack: Crunch Chickpeas
Dinner: Baked Tilapia w/Olive Oil & Oregano, Zucchini, Skillet Potatoes
Snack: Baked Red Potato
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
I have already begun Day 12...reintroducing Wheat!
Have a fabulous Sunday!
This morning I woke up with a sore foot, still. The eggs didn't seem to bother me at all otherwise...but I think my possible reaction from the cherries the other day just wasn't able to calm down and clear itself. Yesterday was kind of a pseudo-moving day. My mom came up to help with the yard, and brought their Blazer. And, throughout the day, everything that I packed over the last several days was loaded up, and driven down to my parent's house. I made one trip mid-day with a truck full (and made 24 trips down and up my parent's full set of 12 stairs to put boxes/bags in the storage area) not to mention all the trips up and down at home beforehand to load up everything - no wonder my foot is still sore!! Then in the evening I filled the truck again with some furniture and more packed stuff, as well as my car, and my mom and I each drove one down. It was nice that my parent's could help unload for the second trip!
I know it seems strange to move things out, and then move them again when we get into a new house - but we are down to the bare minimums here now; the kids still have enough toys to play with, and markers/paint/playdoh/etc. because we still need to play, and the kitchen has been stripped, but we still have blenders and pans and popcorn poppers - because we gotta eat! But, it's enough to live on, and my hope is that we will find we don't actually NEED all that stuff, and we will eventually figure out what we DO need, and the rest will be put in a garage sale and/or donated. I'm craving living the simple life :-) And the best part of all this is that when our actual moving day is nearing - I can probably have us packed up in a day, two at the most! Then it's mostly a matter of getting a moving truck to load up furniture.
Today I will be working around the house, getting it set for the kids to come home today; we are missing them like crazy! Once they are home, we are done with any work for today... We are still aiming to be ready by the end of June, but most of the big stuff was completed this week, so we are in good shape. I know this has been really hard on the kids, and I wish they could understand that we are doing this for them, and for us: for our family. Someday when they are older they will understand...it's just tough to see them having a hard time with things...
Here is what I ate on Day 11-Egg*s:
Breakfast: Hot Millet Cereal w/Maple Syrup, Fried Egg (w/Olive Oil & Salt)
Lunch: Fried Eggs w/Olive Oil, Salt, Oregano (not a good lunch, I know, but had to leave quick...so had to eat)
Snack: Millet w/Coconut & Maple Syrup
Snack: Crunch Chickpeas
Dinner: Baked Tilapia w/Olive Oil & Oregano, Zucchini, Skillet Potatoes
Snack: Baked Red Potato
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
I have already begun Day 12...reintroducing Wheat!
Have a fabulous Sunday!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 10 - Oats
(click here to read Day 9)
I'm happy to report that I used my new pillows for the first time last night, and I had just a tiny bit of a stuffed nose when I went to bed...and it was the same when I got up! Maybe I really am allergic/sensitive to the down/feathers that were in my old pillows. I think after I break them in a bit more (I'm used to my pillows being a little less fluffy) they will be perfect! Otherwise my tummy feels better this morning, and my foot is just a bit sore (read about possibly why, below).
Yesterday was a bit of a messed up day, as far as testing for oats (besides the fact that my safe list of foods was very short so I was hungry...). I had oats for breakfast and after a couple hours I didn't see any reactions...so I decided to go off track and have Cherries again (I had had them on Day 6 as an afternoon snack). Things seemed ok, until shortly after I ate lunch; my stomach became rumbly/gassy (which continued into the evening). Later in the afternoon I had oats again for a snack before running into town to collect more boxes - but those didn't seem to affect me. Then, after dinner my feet became sore (similar to Day 7 after eating oranges).
It was a very off day. I had yellow summer squash with my lunch (which I hadn't had before)...so I don't know if it was maybe that that affected my stomach, or maybe a combination of the cherries and squash...not sure. My guess is that my body does not like the cherries. If that is the case, it would make sense because the only times I've had the foot issues that bad, were many hours following me eating cherries. A delayed reaction. So, maybe Citrus is ok afterall? Oats, as well? I will be avoiding cherries and summer squash for the remainder of my allergy discovery challenge. I may add a couple days to the end and re-test citrus and oats; if they give me no reaction, then I will be testing cherries and squash as well - my own little experiment :-)
Here is what I ate on Day 10-Oats*:
Breakfast: Hot Oatmeal; Fresh Pears
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Summer Squash/Zucchini Saute
Snack: A couple Cherries here and there (won't do that again!)
Snack: Cold Oatmeal w/Fresh Pears
Dinner: Beef Cube Steak w/Olive Oil & Dry Mustard
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Now it's time to go reintroduce Eggs! I'm half way through my challenge, and I've really been looking forward to having a fried egg this morning :-) The kids will be home tomorrow (I've missed them!) so we have a lot of work yet to get through today while we don't have little ones underfoot :-) My mom is also coming up this morning to help clean up gardens and such in the yard (THANK YOU MOM!!!).
Have a wonderful Saturday!
I'm happy to report that I used my new pillows for the first time last night, and I had just a tiny bit of a stuffed nose when I went to bed...and it was the same when I got up! Maybe I really am allergic/sensitive to the down/feathers that were in my old pillows. I think after I break them in a bit more (I'm used to my pillows being a little less fluffy) they will be perfect! Otherwise my tummy feels better this morning, and my foot is just a bit sore (read about possibly why, below).
Yesterday was a bit of a messed up day, as far as testing for oats (besides the fact that my safe list of foods was very short so I was hungry...). I had oats for breakfast and after a couple hours I didn't see any reactions...so I decided to go off track and have Cherries again (I had had them on Day 6 as an afternoon snack). Things seemed ok, until shortly after I ate lunch; my stomach became rumbly/gassy (which continued into the evening). Later in the afternoon I had oats again for a snack before running into town to collect more boxes - but those didn't seem to affect me. Then, after dinner my feet became sore (similar to Day 7 after eating oranges).
It was a very off day. I had yellow summer squash with my lunch (which I hadn't had before)...so I don't know if it was maybe that that affected my stomach, or maybe a combination of the cherries and squash...not sure. My guess is that my body does not like the cherries. If that is the case, it would make sense because the only times I've had the foot issues that bad, were many hours following me eating cherries. A delayed reaction. So, maybe Citrus is ok afterall? Oats, as well? I will be avoiding cherries and summer squash for the remainder of my allergy discovery challenge. I may add a couple days to the end and re-test citrus and oats; if they give me no reaction, then I will be testing cherries and squash as well - my own little experiment :-)
Here is what I ate on Day 10-Oats*:
Breakfast: Hot Oatmeal; Fresh Pears
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Summer Squash/Zucchini Saute
Snack: A couple Cherries here and there (won't do that again!)
Snack: Cold Oatmeal w/Fresh Pears
Dinner: Beef Cube Steak w/Olive Oil & Dry Mustard
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Now it's time to go reintroduce Eggs! I'm half way through my challenge, and I've really been looking forward to having a fried egg this morning :-) The kids will be home tomorrow (I've missed them!) so we have a lot of work yet to get through today while we don't have little ones underfoot :-) My mom is also coming up this morning to help clean up gardens and such in the yard (THANK YOU MOM!!!).
Have a wonderful Saturday!
Friday, June 15, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 9 - CHICKEN
(click here to read Day 8)
Remember yesterday morning I was wondering if I might have an actual cold? I'm pretty sure it is. I'll just say that my mucous color has changed, which is most often an indicator of a cold. It's not a full blown cold (just more stuffed up than usual) so I will continue on my adventure here. I splurged last night and made myself a strawberry-banana-spinach-coconut milk smoothie, so maybe the vitamin C boost will help a bit. Not mention it was absolutely the most delicious thing I have had in over a week...I even told my hubby that I would maybe.MAYBE even choose it over eating something made out of cookie dough. I just said maybe though ;-) Bananas and Spinach were on yesterday's list, and Coconut isn't for a couple days (so I'll just skip it then)...so I didn't stray too much. Strawberries aren't on any list but they didn't have an effect on me when I chanced it last week, so it seemed safe to me!
I didn't get around to the pillow/bedding thing last night since I came home from watching our friends kids, ate dinner, and got to packing for the rest of the night. No place to go today, so it will definitely happen on this day.
Back to the matter at hand...Chicken! I got a slight rumbly tummy after eating the soup I made for lunch (I served the kiddos pasta w/tomato sauce...it smelled so good...). But, I'm thinking it was because I may have added a bit too much salt (I didn't want to bring my salt grinder, so I brought the extra that I put into the grinder...a little too much may have slid out of the bag...oops! Lesson learned.) and then I drank extra water because of it, but the water was cold from in the fridge - I'm used to drinking room temp water. Anyways, I diluted my soup and ate it again for dinner - with no effect afterwards, so I think I'm safe.
I better wrap this up so I can eat a quick breakfast and get to work on the house! Today I will be reintroducing oats! Yay!
Here is what I ate on Day 9-Chicken*:
Breakfast: Kasha w/Ginger & a sliced Banana
Lunch: Soup (chicken, celery, kasha, salt, water)
Snack: Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas simply blended!)
Dinner: Soup (chicken, celery, kasha, salt, water)
Snack: Crunch Chickpeas (chickpeas soaked, cooked, and baked)
Snack: Strawberry-Banana-Spinach-Coconut Milk Smoothie
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Ready to tackle Day 10 with some Oats!
Remember yesterday morning I was wondering if I might have an actual cold? I'm pretty sure it is. I'll just say that my mucous color has changed, which is most often an indicator of a cold. It's not a full blown cold (just more stuffed up than usual) so I will continue on my adventure here. I splurged last night and made myself a strawberry-banana-spinach-coconut milk smoothie, so maybe the vitamin C boost will help a bit. Not mention it was absolutely the most delicious thing I have had in over a week...I even told my hubby that I would maybe.MAYBE even choose it over eating something made out of cookie dough. I just said maybe though ;-) Bananas and Spinach were on yesterday's list, and Coconut isn't for a couple days (so I'll just skip it then)...so I didn't stray too much. Strawberries aren't on any list but they didn't have an effect on me when I chanced it last week, so it seemed safe to me!
I didn't get around to the pillow/bedding thing last night since I came home from watching our friends kids, ate dinner, and got to packing for the rest of the night. No place to go today, so it will definitely happen on this day.
Back to the matter at hand...Chicken! I got a slight rumbly tummy after eating the soup I made for lunch (I served the kiddos pasta w/tomato sauce...it smelled so good...). But, I'm thinking it was because I may have added a bit too much salt (I didn't want to bring my salt grinder, so I brought the extra that I put into the grinder...a little too much may have slid out of the bag...oops! Lesson learned.) and then I drank extra water because of it, but the water was cold from in the fridge - I'm used to drinking room temp water. Anyways, I diluted my soup and ate it again for dinner - with no effect afterwards, so I think I'm safe.
I better wrap this up so I can eat a quick breakfast and get to work on the house! Today I will be reintroducing oats! Yay!
Here is what I ate on Day 9-Chicken*:
Breakfast: Kasha w/Ginger & a sliced Banana
Lunch: Soup (chicken, celery, kasha, salt, water)
Snack: Banana Ice Cream (frozen bananas simply blended!)
Dinner: Soup (chicken, celery, kasha, salt, water)
Snack: Crunch Chickpeas (chickpeas soaked, cooked, and baked)
Snack: Strawberry-Banana-Spinach-Coconut Milk Smoothie
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Ready to tackle Day 10 with some Oats!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 8 - CORN
(click here to read Day 7)
I woke up this morning feeling a little more stuffed up than usual (wondering if I'm getting a bit of an actual cold), but it's not as bad after my hot shower. Foot is feeling fine though, so that makes for a good morning :-)
I am happy to say that I didn't seem to notice any adverse reactions after eating corn yesterday! My stuffy nose seemed to stick around most of the day (some days is clears up after I've been up and moving around for a bit) but it didn't change after eating, so being it stayed consistent I am not too concerned about the corn.
I picked up new pillows yesterday (thank you Kohls for Buy-One-Get-One-Free!) to see if that will make a difference at all with my stuffy nose. I want to completely strip the bed and put on new sheets and pillow cases before I test them out (and I just changed bedding the other day...before I had thought about doing this) but after running all my errandsand collecting a car full of boxes I was back to packing until past my bedtime and I ran out of time.
Today I am caring for our friends three children since their daycare is closed, so I will resume packing/cleaning/organizing when I get home late this afternoon. I'll also get the bed switched up so I can start seeing if the non-down feather pillows make a difference. Crossing my fingers that they'll help!
Here is what I ate on Day 8-Corn*:
Breakfast: Hasty Pudding (Cornmeal Mush) with Cinnamon and Maple Syrup (yum!); Pink Lady Apple; Cinnamon Stick Tea
Snack: Hot Air Popped Corn w/Olive Oil & Salt
Snack (Lunchtime): Sweet Potato
Snack (Afternoon): Hasty Pudding; Granny Smith Apple
Dinner: Baked Pork Chop w/Olive Oil & Rosemary; Broccoli; Sweet Potato
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Now I am on to Day 9 - reintroducing Chicken!
I woke up this morning feeling a little more stuffed up than usual (wondering if I'm getting a bit of an actual cold), but it's not as bad after my hot shower. Foot is feeling fine though, so that makes for a good morning :-)
I am happy to say that I didn't seem to notice any adverse reactions after eating corn yesterday! My stuffy nose seemed to stick around most of the day (some days is clears up after I've been up and moving around for a bit) but it didn't change after eating, so being it stayed consistent I am not too concerned about the corn.
I picked up new pillows yesterday (thank you Kohls for Buy-One-Get-One-Free!) to see if that will make a difference at all with my stuffy nose. I want to completely strip the bed and put on new sheets and pillow cases before I test them out (and I just changed bedding the other day...before I had thought about doing this) but after running all my errands
Today I am caring for our friends three children since their daycare is closed, so I will resume packing/cleaning/organizing when I get home late this afternoon. I'll also get the bed switched up so I can start seeing if the non-down feather pillows make a difference. Crossing my fingers that they'll help!
Here is what I ate on Day 8-Corn*:
Breakfast: Hasty Pudding (Cornmeal Mush) with Cinnamon and Maple Syrup (yum!); Pink Lady Apple; Cinnamon Stick Tea
Snack: Hot Air Popped Corn w/Olive Oil & Salt
Snack (Lunchtime): Sweet Potato
Snack (Afternoon): Hasty Pudding; Granny Smith Apple
Dinner: Baked Pork Chop w/Olive Oil & Rosemary; Broccoli; Sweet Potato
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Now I am on to Day 9 - reintroducing Chicken!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 7 - CITRUS
(click here to read Day 6)
Good Morning! This will be short and sweet and to the point, because I have lots of packing/cleaning/organizing/etc. to do today and I am ready to have at it!
Yesterday was the reintroduction of citrus. It seems that my body was not a big fan of it...I ate an orange with breakfast and within an hour or two my minor 'setback' had flared up again, my throat became very phlegmy, and my voice was raspy.
I went to bed late last night since we were working on the house, and I am happy to wake up this morning with my usual stuffed up nose and just a tiny tinge of a sore foot (just the right one); only enough to let me know that I need to be aware of it. I am SO thankful!
Here is what I ate on Day 7-CITRUS*:
Pre-Bfast Snack: Pear
Breakfast: Honey Millet Cereal; Orange
Snack: Millet
Lunch: Baked Salmon; Roasted Carrots w/Olive Oil & Oregano
Dinner: Soup-Salmon/Carrot/Green Bean/Millet
Snack: Pear
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Today is Day 8 and I'll be reintroducing Corn. I'm praying that I find I have no reaction to many of the 15 - and this is a big one. I L.O.V.E. air popped popcorn, and corn tortilla chips with salsa & sour cream...two of my favorite quick snacks. Although I love many things made with the other foods items I have yet to reintroduce...so we will just wait and see! I will work around anything I will need to avoid, because feeling good and having a healthy body is SO much more important to me than eating whatever I want :-)
Have a wonderful day, and we'll see you back tomorrow morning for results of Day 8...
Thank you for reading!
Good Morning! This will be short and sweet and to the point, because I have lots of packing/cleaning/organizing/etc. to do today and I am ready to have at it!
Yesterday was the reintroduction of citrus. It seems that my body was not a big fan of it...I ate an orange with breakfast and within an hour or two my minor 'setback' had flared up again, my throat became very phlegmy, and my voice was raspy.
(Ok, ok, I'll stop calling it a minor 'setback'; it is the foot pain that I experienced many years ago, and it started to come back and that is why I am trying so hard to figure things out...my fear is that it would come back full force, because I feel like it took 3 years of my life away from me; it was that BAD - I WON'T let that happen again. You can read about it here under Out With It, starting on paragraph 4).The reactions continued for several hours, and my foot became worse and my left one even became a bit sore in the arch (it has mainly been the right foot since I began this challenge). Needless to say, I did not eat any more citrus during the day. I took that as enough of a sign that my body did not appreciate it.
I went to bed late last night since we were working on the house, and I am happy to wake up this morning with my usual stuffed up nose and just a tiny tinge of a sore foot (just the right one); only enough to let me know that I need to be aware of it. I am SO thankful!
Here is what I ate on Day 7-CITRUS*:
Pre-Bfast Snack: Pear
Breakfast: Honey Millet Cereal; Orange
Snack: Millet
Lunch: Baked Salmon; Roasted Carrots w/Olive Oil & Oregano
Dinner: Soup-Salmon/Carrot/Green Bean/Millet
Snack: Pear
*I also drink 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Today is Day 8 and I'll be reintroducing Corn. I'm praying that I find I have no reaction to many of the 15 - and this is a big one. I L.O.V.E. air popped popcorn, and corn tortilla chips with salsa & sour cream...two of my favorite quick snacks. Although I love many things made with the other foods items I have yet to reintroduce...so we will just wait and see! I will work around anything I will need to avoid, because feeling good and having a healthy body is SO much more important to me than eating whatever I want :-)
Have a wonderful day, and we'll see you back tomorrow morning for results of Day 8...
Thank you for reading!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Packing it up...
Packing up part of our life today brings a simple sadness, and sheer excitement! Working hard on the next chapter of our lives.
Thank you mom for supporting us and caring for the kids while we put in some hard work to make things happen...we've decided to move things along a bit quicker - our goal is the end of June...so we are B.U.S.Y.!
Back to work packing boxes, while the hubby paints...
Thank you mom for supporting us and caring for the kids while we put in some hard work to make things happen...we've decided to move things along a bit quicker - our goal is the end of June...so we are B.U.S.Y.!
Back to work packing boxes, while the hubby paints...
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 6
(click here to read day 5)
I realized this morning that I've been so focused on my persistent stuffy nose, that I have failed to mention my digestive health, or other issues. I can say for certain that my digestive health has improved! I used to feel so bloated after eating, and often times would experience a rumbly (gassy) tummy. After Day 1, I've only experienced this mildly a time or two, which happened to be when I had gone too long in between meals, and then eaten. If I snack in between meals that may be spread apart quite a bit, I am just fine. So, I woke up this morning feeling stuffed up again, but realizing that my tummy feels good - seems like a step in the right direction.
As far as being on my "own plan", I can see a big improvement in my energy level, just by adding a few extra fruits and/or veggies! I have been used to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, and it seems my body has just been craving more the past few days! Day 5 extras were Carrots, Cucumbers, Pears, and anothersuperly awesome creamy sweet potato. Day 6's extras were Strawberries, a tad bit of Honey, and fresh Cherries.
This small change has made a HUGE difference in my motivation to continue on with this challenge.
I will be honest though...there are many times throughout the day that I am thinking about eating cookie dough*** , peanut butter, bacon, and other various foods that either are - or are made out of - items on the list of 15 commonly problematic foods. ***(Check out this cookbook by Lindsay Landis, also author of the blog Love & Olive Oil - I CAN NOT wait to own her cookbook...and drool over it...and make every recipe...mmm.)
BUT
I am going to continue on...6 days...6 DAYS! I thought Day 5 may have been the end for me (especially when I started thinking about Papa Murphy's Pizzas for dinner, while hubby and I were out and about with the kiddos grabbing a few groceries...mostly fresh produce) but at this point I am feeling that I have made it this far - how can I just give up? And, now that I've realized how much better my digestive health is, I will have a better indicator (besides my stuffy nose, that I still have) as to whether or not the 15 foods are affecting my body in an adverse way. Hopefully making up some of my own rules doesn't affect any results that I may discover (or NOT discover, because of breaking the rules!).
Here is what I ate on Day 6*:
Breakfast: Cream of Rice with Cinnamon
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Hamburger with Dry Mustard
Snack: Fresh Cherries
Dinner: Ground Beef/Green Bean Casserole; Cucumbers
Snack: Smoothie (Strawberries, Unsweetened Coconut, Honey, Coconut Milk)
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Ahh...Day 7. The first day of the Reintroduction Phase. Citrus will be up today...
I realized this morning that I've been so focused on my persistent stuffy nose, that I have failed to mention my digestive health, or other issues. I can say for certain that my digestive health has improved! I used to feel so bloated after eating, and often times would experience a rumbly (gassy) tummy. After Day 1, I've only experienced this mildly a time or two, which happened to be when I had gone too long in between meals, and then eaten. If I snack in between meals that may be spread apart quite a bit, I am just fine. So, I woke up this morning feeling stuffed up again, but realizing that my tummy feels good - seems like a step in the right direction.
As far as being on my "own plan", I can see a big improvement in my energy level, just by adding a few extra fruits and/or veggies! I have been used to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, and it seems my body has just been craving more the past few days! Day 5 extras were Carrots, Cucumbers, Pears, and another
This small change has made a HUGE difference in my motivation to continue on with this challenge.
I will be honest though...there are many times throughout the day that I am thinking about eating cookie dough*** , peanut butter, bacon, and other various foods that either are - or are made out of - items on the list of 15 commonly problematic foods. ***(Check out this cookbook by Lindsay Landis, also author of the blog Love & Olive Oil - I CAN NOT wait to own her cookbook...and drool over it...and make every recipe...mmm.)
BUT
I am going to continue on...6 days...6 DAYS! I thought Day 5 may have been the end for me (especially when I started thinking about Papa Murphy's Pizzas for dinner, while hubby and I were out and about with the kiddos grabbing a few groceries...mostly fresh produce) but at this point I am feeling that I have made it this far - how can I just give up? And, now that I've realized how much better my digestive health is, I will have a better indicator (besides my stuffy nose, that I still have) as to whether or not the 15 foods are affecting my body in an adverse way. Hopefully making up some of my own rules doesn't affect any results that I may discover (or NOT discover, because of breaking the rules!).
Here is what I ate on Day 6*:
Breakfast: Cream of Rice with Cinnamon
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Hamburger with Dry Mustard
Snack: Fresh Cherries
Dinner: Ground Beef/Green Bean Casserole; Cucumbers
Snack: Smoothie (Strawberries, Unsweetened Coconut, Honey, Coconut Milk)
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Ahh...Day 7. The first day of the Reintroduction Phase. Citrus will be up today...
Monday, June 11, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 5
(click here to read day 4)
I woke up this morning just the same as ever...stuffed up again. Day 5 brought about changes with the food rotation... I felt so drained of energy (just as I had on Day 4) that I just couldn't take it anymore. This is a big week for us - my hubby has a week off work (although he works Wednesday through Saturday so he has off yesterday through Tuesday, June 19th!!!) Tomorrow is my official last day of licensed daycare, and I just have the daycare kids for a few hours later today and tomorrow morning (after that I will have them once a week during the summer, but not every week). And Tuesday mid-day I will be dropping our kiddos off at Grandma's house where they will spend a couple nights (THANK YOU MOM!!!), before heading to the other Grandma's house to spend another few nights (THANK YOU V!). I will miss them A LOT, but we will have a chance to get a TON of work done this week. So TODAY starts some big projects around the house for us, in preparation for selling....Thus, I will need all the energy I can get to be super productive this week, so I think my new plan will be very beneficial!
I'm on my own plan now, still avoiding the problematic 15 until their designated days, but I came up with my own lists of Grains/Meats/Beans/Seasonings/Fruits & Vegetables to rotate. I started a bit with lunch and dinner, and today will write up my complete plan with the lists I came up with. I love fruits and vegetables and think that I need more (and more variety) than what was suggested in the book I have been referencing. We'll see how it goes; and it's still quite possible food is not the culprit, but still worth a try.
Last night I had a thought - what if it's my down pillows?!?! I only have THREE of them that run from head to toe each night ;-) I've had them for about 10 years, they get washed occasionally (just yesterday in fact), and they are soo comfortable. BUT...I always seem more stuffed up when I go to bed and wake up...We also have two huge down pillows upstairs that I covered with fun fabric for the kids, to use in their reading area, but they do end up on the couch some days. Hmm. Has anyone else had allergies/sensitivities to down/duck feathers?
I'm trying to look at other possibilities because I've been dealing with this nose issue for years now, and something is causing it, because it's not 'normal'. I don't take any medications ever, or vitamins on a regular basis. I don't drink caffeinated beverages. I don't wear make-up. I don't work with many chemicals (and mostly use vinegar/water/baking soda for cleaning). I use shampoo/conditioner occasionally (Suave Naturals/Professionals), alternating it with a baking soda/water wash, and apple cider vinegar/water rinse. My body wash is Body Essence-Tea Tree Oil. (I shower every-other-day, so I use those EOD). Our handsoap is generic Milk & Honey. I use face lotion (Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin) and hand lotion (Vaseline Intensive Rescue - Moisture Repair, Fragrance Free). I use a Brita Pitcher/Filter for my water.
Has anyone found themselves to be allergic/sensitive to any of the above - or any other non-food related item, that you wouldn't normally think of as being allergenic?
I just wonder if I'm missing something?! I am on a mission to free myself from this...
Back to my food challenge here...
Here is what I ate on Day 5*:
Breakfast: Tapioca w/Maple Syrup; Cantaloupe/Banana Smoothie
Lunch: Ground Turkey w/Thyme & Dried Mustard; Carrot Chips; Cucumber Slices
Dinner: Ground Turkey w/Thyme & Dried Mustard; Fresh Pears; Sweet Potato
Snack: Cranberry Banana Pudding (cranberries, bananas, tapioca, maple syrup)
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Time to start Day 6 with some breakfast...and then tackle a few things around the house (including cuddle time/reading/games with my kiddos) before the daycare kids come at lunch time!
Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!
I woke up this morning just the same as ever...stuffed up again. Day 5 brought about changes with the food rotation... I felt so drained of energy (just as I had on Day 4) that I just couldn't take it anymore. This is a big week for us - my hubby has a week off work (although he works Wednesday through Saturday so he has off yesterday through Tuesday, June 19th!!!) Tomorrow is my official last day of licensed daycare, and I just have the daycare kids for a few hours later today and tomorrow morning (after that I will have them once a week during the summer, but not every week). And Tuesday mid-day I will be dropping our kiddos off at Grandma's house where they will spend a couple nights (THANK YOU MOM!!!), before heading to the other Grandma's house to spend another few nights (THANK YOU V!). I will miss them A LOT, but we will have a chance to get a TON of work done this week. So TODAY starts some big projects around the house for us, in preparation for selling....Thus, I will need all the energy I can get to be super productive this week, so I think my new plan will be very beneficial!
I'm on my own plan now, still avoiding the problematic 15 until their designated days, but I came up with my own lists of Grains/Meats/Beans/Seasonings/Fruits & Vegetables to rotate. I started a bit with lunch and dinner, and today will write up my complete plan with the lists I came up with. I love fruits and vegetables and think that I need more (and more variety) than what was suggested in the book I have been referencing. We'll see how it goes; and it's still quite possible food is not the culprit, but still worth a try.
Last night I had a thought - what if it's my down pillows?!?! I only have THREE of them that run from head to toe each night ;-) I've had them for about 10 years, they get washed occasionally (just yesterday in fact), and they are soo comfortable. BUT...I always seem more stuffed up when I go to bed and wake up...We also have two huge down pillows upstairs that I covered with fun fabric for the kids, to use in their reading area, but they do end up on the couch some days. Hmm. Has anyone else had allergies/sensitivities to down/duck feathers?
I'm trying to look at other possibilities because I've been dealing with this nose issue for years now, and something is causing it, because it's not 'normal'. I don't take any medications ever, or vitamins on a regular basis. I don't drink caffeinated beverages. I don't wear make-up. I don't work with many chemicals (and mostly use vinegar/water/baking soda for cleaning). I use shampoo/conditioner occasionally (Suave Naturals/Professionals), alternating it with a baking soda/water wash, and apple cider vinegar/water rinse. My body wash is Body Essence-Tea Tree Oil. (I shower every-other-day, so I use those EOD). Our handsoap is generic Milk & Honey. I use face lotion (Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin) and hand lotion (Vaseline Intensive Rescue - Moisture Repair, Fragrance Free). I use a Brita Pitcher/Filter for my water.
Has anyone found themselves to be allergic/sensitive to any of the above - or any other non-food related item, that you wouldn't normally think of as being allergenic?
I just wonder if I'm missing something?! I am on a mission to free myself from this...
Back to my food challenge here...
Here is what I ate on Day 5*:
Breakfast: Tapioca w/Maple Syrup; Cantaloupe/Banana Smoothie
Lunch: Ground Turkey w/Thyme & Dried Mustard; Carrot Chips; Cucumber Slices
Dinner: Ground Turkey w/Thyme & Dried Mustard; Fresh Pears; Sweet Potato
Snack: Cranberry Banana Pudding (cranberries, bananas, tapioca, maple syrup)
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
Time to start Day 6 with some breakfast...and then tackle a few things around the house (including cuddle time/reading/games with my kiddos) before the daycare kids come at lunch time!
Hope everyone is having a great start to their week!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 4
Today I woke up more stuffed up and less energetic, but otherwise feeling pretty good. :-)
The time of day that I struggle seems to bounce back and forth. Yesterday morning was tough for me. Although I was up early, thus should have had time for a decent breakfast, the grain that I could have cooked up as a hot cereal was no where to be seen at our Co-op or grocer. I could have made chick-pea pancakes, but it involved grinding up dried chick-peas in the food processor to make chick-pea flour. The kids went to bed late the night before, so I guess I didn't want to wake them up to that noise, or I was just too lazy...maybe a little of both. I let the kids sleep in a bit, then we were out of the house a bit after 8 to catch a special showing of Madagascar 3 that was playing in the town north of us ($2 tickets!). It was a cute movie and so much fun to take the kids - wish my hubby could have come with (he works Saturdays)! Their grandparents take them to movies every once in a while...so it's a treat for mom to bring them. :-) Today I will make maple tapioca, a cantaloupe/banana smoothie, and maybe lima bean pancakes...so I'm looking forward to that.
I'll be honest...last night I was considering if I should continue on or not. Day 4 started off sketchy, but the rest of the day I ate pretty well. But I was still.so.hungry. ALL.THE.TIME. Even 20 minutes after eating. I talked about it with my hubby, and he is wondering if I am experiencing some type of vitamin deficiency which is causing my body to "crave" it, thus displaying itself as hunger (vs. the hunger being a result of my high metabolism). Looking at what I've eaten, and considering my constant hunger, that could be a possibility.
Last December when I was in for my regular check-up, my blood work came back that I was very low in vitamin D. I did ok taking a supplement for a while, but then I would forget here and there, and while trying to figure out these food 'issues' I haven't been taking it. I took out my bottle of basic vitamin D3 last night, and while it doesn't contain wheat, eggs, milk/milk derivatives, etc.. it does contain soybean oil and corn oil. So, if I am going to take it (and continue on this challenge) I would check the Co-op to see if they have a variety that doesn't contain any of the items in my reintroduction phase. Although my hubby wonders if even taking it at all will skew the results of what I am trying to discover...and according to the book I read, he is right (smart guy he is).
I'm kind of stuck. I am onto Day 5 already. Day 7 starts the reintroduction phase. If I am still experiencing "symptoms" after Day 6, it is advised to continue with the elimination phase since some people can take up to 10 or so days to clear the allergens in their body. My hubby thinks maybe there is something else causing my symptoms, and I think he may be right. Although the week or two previous to starting my challenge I had been eating more homemade bread products (pancakes, muffins, pizza crust) which I had cut out, and I was eating more yogurt than I had been, and then I started feeling worse and my minor 'setback' creeped in on me. Maybe it's several things...food...environmental...etc..??? Maybe it's the house?
I will stick with this for now, but I am going to revise the proposed rotation safe lists and menus to ensure that I have enough easy to make meals, and enough variety throughout the day to (hopefully) stay satisfied. I will begin the reintroduction phase on Day 7 as planned, and if this stuffy nose continues I will just contribute it to something else, and see how my body feels as I carry on.
Here is what I ate on Day 4*:
Breakfast: Pink Lady Apple and Spinach Salad
Snack: Gala Apple
Lunch: Pork Chop w/Olive Oil & Basil; Sauteed Celery, Spinach & Basil/Olive Oil
Snack: Granny Smith Apple
Dinner: Boneless Pork Chops; Baked Sweet Potato
Snack: Baked Chickpeas
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
I discovered another food to add to my favorites list. That golden sweet potato...after baking it the tan skin just kind of fell off (it had pulled away during baking). The rest of the potato was left kind of caramelized in a way. I had nothing on it...and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
The hubby is having some time with the kids upstairs and it sounds like they are done with breakfast...I better get up there and get my own breakfast going so we can carry on with our day :-)
Enjoy your day!
The time of day that I struggle seems to bounce back and forth. Yesterday morning was tough for me. Although I was up early, thus should have had time for a decent breakfast, the grain that I could have cooked up as a hot cereal was no where to be seen at our Co-op or grocer. I could have made chick-pea pancakes, but it involved grinding up dried chick-peas in the food processor to make chick-pea flour. The kids went to bed late the night before, so I guess I didn't want to wake them up to that noise, or I was just too lazy...maybe a little of both. I let the kids sleep in a bit, then we were out of the house a bit after 8 to catch a special showing of Madagascar 3 that was playing in the town north of us ($2 tickets!). It was a cute movie and so much fun to take the kids - wish my hubby could have come with (he works Saturdays)! Their grandparents take them to movies every once in a while...so it's a treat for mom to bring them. :-) Today I will make maple tapioca, a cantaloupe/banana smoothie, and maybe lima bean pancakes...so I'm looking forward to that.
I'll be honest...last night I was considering if I should continue on or not. Day 4 started off sketchy, but the rest of the day I ate pretty well. But I was still.so.hungry. ALL.THE.TIME. Even 20 minutes after eating. I talked about it with my hubby, and he is wondering if I am experiencing some type of vitamin deficiency which is causing my body to "crave" it, thus displaying itself as hunger (vs. the hunger being a result of my high metabolism). Looking at what I've eaten, and considering my constant hunger, that could be a possibility.
Last December when I was in for my regular check-up, my blood work came back that I was very low in vitamin D. I did ok taking a supplement for a while, but then I would forget here and there, and while trying to figure out these food 'issues' I haven't been taking it. I took out my bottle of basic vitamin D3 last night, and while it doesn't contain wheat, eggs, milk/milk derivatives, etc.. it does contain soybean oil and corn oil. So, if I am going to take it (and continue on this challenge) I would check the Co-op to see if they have a variety that doesn't contain any of the items in my reintroduction phase. Although my hubby wonders if even taking it at all will skew the results of what I am trying to discover...and according to the book I read, he is right (smart guy he is).
I'm kind of stuck. I am onto Day 5 already. Day 7 starts the reintroduction phase. If I am still experiencing "symptoms" after Day 6, it is advised to continue with the elimination phase since some people can take up to 10 or so days to clear the allergens in their body. My hubby thinks maybe there is something else causing my symptoms, and I think he may be right. Although the week or two previous to starting my challenge I had been eating more homemade bread products (pancakes, muffins, pizza crust) which I had cut out, and I was eating more yogurt than I had been, and then I started feeling worse and my minor 'setback' creeped in on me. Maybe it's several things...food...environmental...etc..??? Maybe it's the house?
I will stick with this for now, but I am going to revise the proposed rotation safe lists and menus to ensure that I have enough easy to make meals, and enough variety throughout the day to (hopefully) stay satisfied. I will begin the reintroduction phase on Day 7 as planned, and if this stuffy nose continues I will just contribute it to something else, and see how my body feels as I carry on.
Here is what I ate on Day 4*:
Breakfast: Pink Lady Apple and Spinach Salad
Snack: Gala Apple
Lunch: Pork Chop w/Olive Oil & Basil; Sauteed Celery, Spinach & Basil/Olive Oil
Snack: Granny Smith Apple
Dinner: Boneless Pork Chops; Baked Sweet Potato
Snack: Baked Chickpeas
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout the day.
I discovered another food to add to my favorites list. That golden sweet potato...after baking it the tan skin just kind of fell off (it had pulled away during baking). The rest of the potato was left kind of caramelized in a way. I had nothing on it...and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
The hubby is having some time with the kids upstairs and it sounds like they are done with breakfast...I better get up there and get my own breakfast going so we can carry on with our day :-)
Enjoy your day!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
New Link Above - and Changes Coming!
I am hoping to make some blog design changes soon...and will also be announcing a 'branching off' of my blog of sorts, which I have been thinking about for quite some time now...I'm VERY excited about it - and although I won't be able to put much time into it right now (since we are working on the house to put it on the market later this summer) I am still able to put some thought into planning it, and CAN'T WAIT to put it into motion this fall...
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 3
(click here to read Day 2)
I've made it 3 days. THREE.WHOLE.DAYS! I am now about to begin Day 4.
I work up this morning feeling similar to yesterday, although not quite as stuffed up as usual, with a less cloggy throat (and my minor 'setback' is just faintly faintly hanging on in the background, but barely noticeable). I feel more energetic though - it's 5:45am on a Saturday...I've been up for 15 minutes...following a busy week...WHAT?!?! Maybe I am making some progress after all.
I mentioned to my husband last night, after explaining that I haven't noticed much of a difference in anything yet, that I hope this isn't all for naught, because I could have some serious eats going on. Then I described this recipe I came across yesterday that sounded SO.GOOD on Christina's blog - Sweet Pea's Kitchen - for S'mores Bites. I almost whipped them up on the spot and said Good-Bye to my adventure. Most of the blogs I follow are cooking/baking/food blogs...you would think I would take a little break from browsing them because I see SO MANY amazing recipes every day...BUT-I can't stop; I just keep adding recipes to my to-do list...depending on the outcome of my adventure, I may have to modify some, but hey-I'm willing to do that! Besides, I can still make yummy things and smell them and look at them...and then give them to my hubby and kids ;-)
I felt like I was able to eat so much more yesterday (because of the food choices on the safe list for the day), but I just wasn't able to keep up with my metabolism. I didn't feel like I was eating less than I would on a typical day, but I just felt more hungry overall than I usually do.
I was thankful to have fish last night, and am looking forward to pork later today, and turkey tomorrow. If I can try to eat meat earlier in the day, at breakfast even, then maybe that will help to keep me feeling full longer. I wish I would've picked up some bacon last night...bacon is pork, right? ;-) Naw, I'll try to keep it a bit more healthy than that. It's tempting though (I'm pretty sure a neighbor was enjoying bacon yesterday morning because that is all I could smell wafting in the breeze of my open kitchen window as I made breakfast...).
After Day 4, the 'safe' foods list starts rotating in things from Day 1, so while I will still have new food items to work with, the list will be longer as some of the items from days past will make a reappearance. Yay for more variety (especially looking at all the repeats on yesterdays menu)!
Here is what I ate on Day 3*:
Breakfast: Millet Breakfast Pudding (millet, water, pears, honey); Pear
Snack: Cucumber Slices
Lunch: Sauteed Zucchini Slices w/Olive Oil & Basil; Green Beans; Pears
Snack: Pears
Dinner: Baked Tilapia w/Olive Oil & Basil (simple, but YUM!); Millet; Diced Zucchini-Green Beans-Sauteed w/Basil & Olive Oil
*I also drink at least 2+ quarts of water throughout each day.
I forgot to mention in my last post that I have started to exercise a bit. AND I don't necessarily agree with people who think that chasing toddlers/kids around all day is a form of exercise. Well...that is just my opinion, and maybe for some people it is, but I just don't feel that it is for me. I'm on my feet a lot, yes, but it's up-then down, and it just varies so much. For me, exercise can't be stop and go-I need to go go go to get my heart rate up and feel the burn a bit.
So...my backyard has become my gym. Thursday and Friday morning were spent outside with the kiddos (and daycare kiddos) getting in some play before it got really hot outside. I spent 20 minutes each day quickly pacing the backyard walking around and around the backyard (which includes a bit of up & down hills), doing steps (like step aerobics), and I'm not sure what to call the other exercise I've been doing. It involved holding onto the handles at the top of the ladder up to the 'playhouse' and pulling myself forward and going backwards as my feet rock on the bottom rung. Kind of like pull-ups, except that my feet are on the ground and I pull myself forward (I'm sure there's a term for this, anyone? anyone?).
I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's a start for someone who does no consistent form of exercise. I LOVE.LOVE.LOVE to ride my bike, but I just haven't gotten into a routine with it, so I end up going for a bike ride every couple weeks. When the kids are older we'll ride together a lot, but right now we are still at the stage where it's easier for mom/dad to walk along with them while they ride their bikes vs. try to get in a good bike ride with them.
I will try to fit in exercise today as well. If I can start out small and then work up to adding more time and variety, then my body will be happy, and so will my mind.
Off to make breakfast now, as I start Day 4! Have a super Saturday everyone!
Off to make breakfast now, as I start Day 4! Have a super Saturday everyone!
Friday, June 8, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 2
(click here to read Day 1)
Day 2 started out better than day 1, since I had a better plan, but the evening got hectic and that is when I struggled. I didn't eat what I had planned for dinner because I was busy getting dinner ready for everyone else, and then it was clean-up, bedtime routine for the kids, etc...but what I did eat was still on the safe list. Although I'm pretty sure I saw a jar of natural peanut butter staring at me from in the pantry as I was wiping off the table at clean-up (note to self: GET the kitchen painted and GET those pantry doors that my hubby just stained/finished back up!). I managed to stick with things, get some 'safe' food in my belly during the day, and now I am onto day 3.
Here is what I ate on Day 2*:
Breakfast: Cream of Rice Hot Cereal w/Cinnamon; Skillet Potatoes (potatoes, olive oil, salt)
Snack: Unsweetened Coconut
Lunch: Acorn Squash baked w/Olive Oil and Cinnamon; Rice
Snack: Peach
Dinner: French Fries (potatoes, olive oil salt) This is where I was supposed to have a soup/saute of white navy beans and diced acorn squash...
*I also drink 1 quart of water in the morning after getting up (at least 1/2 hour before eating breakfast) and then another quart or more throughout the day.
I have to point out that there are more food options than what it seems. Some items I just wasn't able to find at our local Co-op or grocer. There have been meat options; day 1-lamb, day 2-veal; these are meats I have never tried, and while I was actually willing to try them in small quantities (for the sake of getting more protein during my adventure), I was unable to find them. Day 3 includes fish - so I'm looking forward to more protein today!!!
This morning I am feeling not as energetic as yesterday, but still dealing with being stuffed up a bit, and having a phlegmy throat. It actually seemed more phlegmy when I went to bed last night, than it has for a while. It's almost cleared up now though, after drinking my morning water. It seems to clear up during the day. I'm just hoping eventually it will clear up forever!
This morning I will experience Millet for the first time. Cooked, then baked with pears and honey; looking forward to it!
Ready to start Day 3!
Day 2 started out better than day 1, since I had a better plan, but the evening got hectic and that is when I struggled. I didn't eat what I had planned for dinner because I was busy getting dinner ready for everyone else, and then it was clean-up, bedtime routine for the kids, etc...but what I did eat was still on the safe list. Although I'm pretty sure I saw a jar of natural peanut butter staring at me from in the pantry as I was wiping off the table at clean-up (note to self: GET the kitchen painted and GET those pantry doors that my hubby just stained/finished back up!). I managed to stick with things, get some 'safe' food in my belly during the day, and now I am onto day 3.
Here is what I ate on Day 2*:
Breakfast: Cream of Rice Hot Cereal w/Cinnamon; Skillet Potatoes (potatoes, olive oil, salt)
Snack: Unsweetened Coconut
Lunch: Acorn Squash baked w/Olive Oil and Cinnamon; Rice
Snack: Peach
Dinner: French Fries (potatoes, olive oil salt) This is where I was supposed to have a soup/saute of white navy beans and diced acorn squash...
*I also drink 1 quart of water in the morning after getting up (at least 1/2 hour before eating breakfast) and then another quart or more throughout the day.
I have to point out that there are more food options than what it seems. Some items I just wasn't able to find at our local Co-op or grocer. There have been meat options; day 1-lamb, day 2-veal; these are meats I have never tried, and while I was actually willing to try them in small quantities (for the sake of getting more protein during my adventure), I was unable to find them. Day 3 includes fish - so I'm looking forward to more protein today!!!
This morning I am feeling not as energetic as yesterday, but still dealing with being stuffed up a bit, and having a phlegmy throat. It actually seemed more phlegmy when I went to bed last night, than it has for a while. It's almost cleared up now though, after drinking my morning water. It seems to clear up during the day. I'm just hoping eventually it will clear up forever!
This morning I will experience Millet for the first time. Cooked, then baked with pears and honey; looking forward to it!
Ready to start Day 3!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY: Day 1
( To read about TODAY IS THE DAY, and what I've challenged myself to, click HERE )
I've decided to do my daily posts the following morning (vs. that night) since I'm recording in my handwritten journal how I feel upon rising.
I've decided to do my daily posts the following morning (vs. that night) since I'm recording in my handwritten journal how I feel upon rising.
Day 1 went pretty well, considering I wasn't prepared, and didn't eat a decent meal until dinner time. The kids and I didn't get an early start to run our errands because we were too busy playing Hi-Ho Cherry-O and reading books :-) So, I made them lunch before we headed out. There were a few ingredients I couldn't find in our Co-op or at Cub, but the safe list of food lets me be flexible, so I will just come up with my own recipes using what I have. The kids did pretty well, considering I had to check out some new items on my list, and 'dish up' several bulk items at the Co-op. They helped pick the fresh fruit and veggies and had a great time being goofy! After we dropped off the groceries at home, we went to the "little library", which is one of the things we love to do when we can.
One new, interesting, item I bought is tapioca. I'd never cooked it before, and was a little lost. It came from the bulk bin at our Co-op, and I had no instructions so after doing a google search and not knowing exactly what type I had, I just winged it. I boiled 2 cups of water, then added 1/4 cup tapioca, simmered covered for 15 minutes, removed it from the heat and let it sit 15 more minutes. Then I added a mashed banana (per the recipe from the book). Anyone know if this sounds like the proper way to cook it? It was more of a large granular texture, vs. a bag of it that I saw at Cub, which looked like small white balls.
Anyways, here is what I ended up eating for Day 1*. All food prepared from scratch.
Breakfast: Banana Mashed w/Nutmeg
Lunch: Chopped Carrot, Chopped Celery, Banana (yikes! hadn't been to the store yet...)
Snack: Banana Tapioca
Dinner: Minestrone Soup (lima beans, parsley, carrots, celery, olive oil, water, a few twists of salt)
Shredded Carrot Salad (carrots w/dressing: dry mustard, water, olive oil, salt, parsley)
Snack: Minestrone Soup
Snack: Banana Tapioca
*I also drink 1 quart of water in the morning after getting up (at least 1/2 hour before eating breakfast) and then another quart or so throughout the day.
Since I started late in the day...I snacked a lot to make up for my morning - and I didn't want anything I made to go to waste :-) The soup was actually pretty good, for how simple it was, and the carrot salad was good but had a bit of heat after each bite - seemed to clear my sinuses a bit. The banana tapioca was a good snack (warm or cold) even though I'm not sure if that was how it was supposed to be...
This morning I feel similar to how I did yesterday morning as far as being a bit stuffed up and having phlegmy throat (these are the "normal" for me lately). Although I don't feel as tired this morning as I did when I woke up yesterday. Thankfully my minor 'setback' is better than yesterday...I still don't want to talk about it - but let's hope that after today it completely goes away, and stays away.
Going to think more about how I want to layout my daily posts; I don't want them all to be too lengthy like this one...
Ready to start Day 2!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
TODAY IS THE DAY
After nearly 6 years, I am experiencing a minor "setback" of sorts. I don't really want to talk about it, I just want to take care of it. I guess I see it as my body's way of saying "figure it out NOW". I've been reading a book about discovering food allergies (The Allergy Discovery Diet: A Rotation Diet for Discovering Your Allergies to Food, by John E. Postley, M.D.), but I have been slow to put it into motion.
I believe that you are what you eat, in a sense. For the most part I eat pretty well, but I do splurge here and there, and if I knew what makes my body 'unhappy', it would be easier to still splurge - but in a way that I know won't upset my body (modify recipes, avoid certain things at gathering, etc.). I have definitely been more aware of how my body feels after eating certain things, but without being strict about it - I haven't been able to narrow it down to what really causes me trouble.
Besides this minor "setback", I have also experienced a daily runny nose, post nasal drip, occasional sinus pressure/pain/congestion, digestive system issues, depression, fatigue, etc. Some of these came about after my pregnancies, others have just been there, or crept up on me.
Well, TODAY IS THE DAY. I'm not fully prepared (like I had hoped to be before beginning this ie: procrastinating), but that just means the kids and I will be taking a trip to the market later this morning (and I will be starving by lunchtime after my tiny breakfast, due to not having what I need for today). Ready or not...here I go!
I'd like to challenge myself to document what I eat each day, and how I am feeling overall (and post it here!).
I will start out with the Elimination Phase, which is 6 days, and avoids the 15 most common troublesome (hyper-allergenic) foods. It is designed to clear your system of antigens that are causing allergic symptoms. Each day lists (hypoallergenic) foods that are safe to be eaten, along with recipes. You can follow their suggested daily meals/recipes, or come up with your own using the list of foods for that day. After 4 days of different food items, rotation begins and food items listed in previous days show up on the list again, as well as others, so there is actually quite a bit of variety - but I like that it rotates so I can buy and reuse ingredients in the same week (and beyond for items other than fresh produce).
Day 7 starts the Reintroduction Phase, where each day one of the troublesome 15 are reintroduced. The safe foods keep rotating, and then in small amounts the hyper-allergenic food is eaten. Then it is time to be even more aware of my body, and any reactions that may occur. After completing these 15 days, there is a "recovery day", with a list of safe foods.
This will be a 22 dayexperience "diet" process undertaking adventure. Luckily this is not a "diet" diet, so I am free to eat as much of the safe foods that I need to feel full (and smaller quantities of the other 15). I have a crazy high metabolism (due to the Nail Patella Syndrome that I have yet to post about) so I need to eat a lot more (and more often) than what I like (or is possible some days). Otherwise I pretty much feel hungry all the time, even shortly after eating a large high-protein meal. I deal with weight issues that are opposite of what most people experience...but I'll wrap this up - sounds like a separate post, to me. :-)
I'm aware that it is still possible to be allergic to foods on the hypoallergenic list...but I am hopeful (and praying!) that I will clear any allergic symptoms during the elimination phase, and discover any allergies as I reintroduce the 15 commonly problematic foods.
Here is what my schedule looks like:
Day 1 - Elimination Phase
Day 2 - Elimination Phase
Day 3 - Elimination Phase
Day 4 - Elimination Phase
Day 5 - Elimination Phase
Day 6 - Elimination Phase
Day 7 - Reintroduction Phase: CITRUS
Day 8 - Reintroduction Phase: CORN
Day 9 - Reintroduction Phase: CHICKEN
Day 10 - Reintroduction Phase: OATS
Day 11 - Reintroduction Phase: EGG
Day 12 - Reintroduction Phase: WHEAT
Day 13 - Reintroduction Phase: SOY
Day 14 - Reintroduction Phase: MILK and MILK PRODUCTS
Day 15 - Reintroduction Phase: VINEGAR/FERMENTS
Day 16 - Reintroduction Phase: COFFEE/TEA
Day 17 - Reintroduction Phase: CANE SUGAR
Day 18 - Reintroduction Phase: CHOCOLATE - please don't let it be this one! :-)
Day 19 - Reintroduction Phase: TOMATO
Day 20 - Reintroduction Phase: PEA/PEANUT
Day 21 - Reintroduction Phase: ONION/CHIVES
Day 22 - Recovery Day
I love to cook and bake and eat. While it will be unfortunate to need to eliminate one or many of these foods, I realize how important it is for my body to feel good - and I'm ready to adjust my eating to accommodate what my body needs.
Here I go...Happy Eating!...Wish me luck!
I believe that you are what you eat, in a sense. For the most part I eat pretty well, but I do splurge here and there, and if I knew what makes my body 'unhappy', it would be easier to still splurge - but in a way that I know won't upset my body (modify recipes, avoid certain things at gathering, etc.). I have definitely been more aware of how my body feels after eating certain things, but without being strict about it - I haven't been able to narrow it down to what really causes me trouble.
Besides this minor "setback", I have also experienced a daily runny nose, post nasal drip, occasional sinus pressure/pain/congestion, digestive system issues, depression, fatigue, etc. Some of these came about after my pregnancies, others have just been there, or crept up on me.
Well, TODAY IS THE DAY. I'm not fully prepared (like I had hoped to be before beginning this ie: procrastinating), but that just means the kids and I will be taking a trip to the market later this morning (and I will be starving by lunchtime after my tiny breakfast, due to not having what I need for today). Ready or not...here I go!
I'd like to challenge myself to document what I eat each day, and how I am feeling overall (and post it here!).
I will start out with the Elimination Phase, which is 6 days, and avoids the 15 most common troublesome (hyper-allergenic) foods. It is designed to clear your system of antigens that are causing allergic symptoms. Each day lists (hypoallergenic) foods that are safe to be eaten, along with recipes. You can follow their suggested daily meals/recipes, or come up with your own using the list of foods for that day. After 4 days of different food items, rotation begins and food items listed in previous days show up on the list again, as well as others, so there is actually quite a bit of variety - but I like that it rotates so I can buy and reuse ingredients in the same week (and beyond for items other than fresh produce).
Day 7 starts the Reintroduction Phase, where each day one of the troublesome 15 are reintroduced. The safe foods keep rotating, and then in small amounts the hyper-allergenic food is eaten. Then it is time to be even more aware of my body, and any reactions that may occur. After completing these 15 days, there is a "recovery day", with a list of safe foods.
This will be a 22 day
I'm aware that it is still possible to be allergic to foods on the hypoallergenic list...but I am hopeful (and praying!) that I will clear any allergic symptoms during the elimination phase, and discover any allergies as I reintroduce the 15 commonly problematic foods.
Here is what my schedule looks like:
Day 1 - Elimination Phase
Day 2 - Elimination Phase
Day 3 - Elimination Phase
Day 4 - Elimination Phase
Day 5 - Elimination Phase
Day 6 - Elimination Phase
Day 7 - Reintroduction Phase: CITRUS
Day 8 - Reintroduction Phase: CORN
Day 9 - Reintroduction Phase: CHICKEN
Day 10 - Reintroduction Phase: OATS
Day 11 - Reintroduction Phase: EGG
Day 12 - Reintroduction Phase: WHEAT
Day 13 - Reintroduction Phase: SOY
Day 14 - Reintroduction Phase: MILK and MILK PRODUCTS
Day 15 - Reintroduction Phase: VINEGAR/FERMENTS
Day 16 - Reintroduction Phase: COFFEE/TEA
Day 17 - Reintroduction Phase: CANE SUGAR
Day 18 - Reintroduction Phase: CHOCOLATE - please don't let it be this one! :-)
Day 19 - Reintroduction Phase: TOMATO
Day 20 - Reintroduction Phase: PEA/PEANUT
Day 21 - Reintroduction Phase: ONION/CHIVES
Day 22 - Recovery Day
I love to cook and bake and eat. While it will be unfortunate to need to eliminate one or many of these foods, I realize how important it is for my body to feel good - and I'm ready to adjust my eating to accommodate what my body needs.
Here I go...Happy Eating!...Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)