Discussion Board

So yesterday didn't go as well as planned.

Turns out it is really easy for me to get depressed and just drink caffeine/sugar. Today I will try to watch my thoughts more closely and try to avoid this. I have some pomegranite rooibos tea that does not need a lot of honey to be sweet, if at all. I might try it by itself, I might be on to something.

Last night I made a classic vegetarian recipe of mine, only to realize that I have not made it since I became oil-free! It is a vegetarian version of black bean feijoda and brazillian rice, and it is brilliant. My only complaint is that without the oil a lot of the flavours stick out more, so I should cut back on them. Funny how that happens.

Today I was about to eat something unhealthy, then I stopped, put it away, and grabbed some potatoes and steamed them. When they were done I realized that I wasn't even that hungry, so I threw some dinner on the stove. Pressure cooked chick peas and veggies. So good.

B: Brown rice cereal w/ almond milk
L: Feijoda and rice
D: Stew
S: Mary's crackers and hummus
D: 1 tea, 2 decaf coffee, and sugar

I was super tired from my medication, so I am cutting back on it (as per my doctor telling me), and seeing how I do tomorrow.

Be well!

So, keeping a journal is good for me. Today was very good and "on-plan" as I like to say.

B: Hot cereal - gogo quinoa, quite good!
L: Leftover feijoda and rice
D: Leftover stew, if I feel like it
S: Mary's crackers, and some maple covered nuts (no oil!)
D: Water, green tea, strawberry rooibos tea, decaf coffee (meds made me insanely tired, I had to do something, unfortunately )

I'm not even sure if I need to take them anymore.

I splurged today and got the tuccinno coffee and I swear I like it better than coffee! I dunno if I spelled it correctly, but its what Mary mentions now and then.

I've been nervous or low in energy or I'm still trying to figure out why I've splurged on making "acceptable" snack food, high in calories and density. I am planning on making enough salad tomorrow to last a few days. The day I made some blondie bites (part of it is to "hook" my son who goes between his father and myself) I ate a large salad with arugula, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms and things for dinner.

Good luck with taking care of yourself! Health and happiness to you.

I'm going to start the elimination diet again, shortly. It's come to the point where I realize that I really should do this to fix my lingering health issues...I'm also starting to get tired of the spicy foods I've been making (Stomach issues I believe) and I'm leaning towards wanting more simple foods anyways.

Today, although I am not starting the diet, I just feel like something simple.

B: Grits w/ hot sauce (Went to the states and picked some up, yum!)
L: Brown rice and veggies (perhaps some sesame seeds if I feel like it)
D: Probably the same thing as lunch.
D: WATER. I just don't feel like sugar at all this morning.
S: A couple jalapeno stuffed olives (Picked up from the states, again yum!)

I'm posting here to psych myself up for tomorrow.

I am VERY optimistic about doing the elimination diet. I don't know what's changed. Perhaps I am tired of all the health problems, or perhaps I know it will improve my health and I can't fool myself any longer while making others miserable with my health problems.

Also, the doctor says some of my symptoms could be caused by high blood sugar, which is pretty scary, I am getting blood work done tomorrow and I am fasting as of 8 p.m. tonight. I have been going crazy with sugar, and one of the main reasons I'm doing this diet is so I will stop doing this.

Here are my symptoms:

IBS
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks

*NEW*
As of a few months:
Chronic chest infection
Insomnia
Lack of appetite
Severe thirst

As of the past two weeks:
Comfusion
Weakness
Stomach pain
Nausea
Migraine headaches
Also a new bout of severe anxiety and depression

--------------------

So now I have brown rice cooking on the stove; I've steamed kale, beet greens, celery, zucchini, and broccoli; I have squash, sweet potatoes, beets, bananas, plums, and peaches roasting in the oven; and, I've filtered a big jug of water. I am also stocked up on prunes and puffed rice. I am looking forward to regaining my health, and most importantly my appetite, one of the things the nurses have been telling me to do is eat more!!!

-LK

Those symptoms are challenging!

I had an interesting breakfast Monday. I steamed some rice; then I did onions and garlic and ginger then stirred in daikon greens, kale, spinach and arugula. I ate this most of the day.

I loved seeing your greens that you cooked. And I look forward to seeing what happens with you on the elimination diet. That was a great list of foods you prepared!

I must admit to the sugar binging too. I've made three no animal product dessert foods this month. Thanks for your inspiration to get away from the sugar.

Hi Starchbeet! Thanks for posting here! I'm very determined to get away from refined sugars. I eat prunes on the elimination diet, but not too many. I might try cooked fruit instead.

Day 1:

Not too bad. So many times I thought about turning back and drinking some tea. I kept getting it offered to me. It was a cold, miserable day and I really wanted something hot. Other times I just felt weak and sick (which I have been) and I thought I should eat something high calorie. However, I looked at the elimination diet with my diet tracker and it seems really well balanced. So, not to worry. I hope.

I am getting disoriented and I haven't determined if that's because I'm not eating enough or what. I'm trying to avoid going to an ER now.

Here's what I need to do: I need to keep things simple.

Starting tomorrow, I will make a few simple changes to tweak my diet so I have less heartburn, and so I am a less stressed person.

To treat heartburn & it's side effects:

1) Eat less onion, garlic, tomato & related items that trigger heartburn aside from the obvious ones!

2) Eat small meals more often (This will be good for my stomach in general).

3) Cut out caffeine. I now have a third doctor saying this. I really need to listen. I'll start drinking herbal tea.

4) Drink more water. I usually scoff at people who say they will drink a certain amount of water a day, but I need to get this in my head. So if I have to set an amount, so be it! I'll fill my water bottle, and finish it before the day is done. Simple.

As for my stress levels:

1) Meditate briefly, several times a day, as my doctor reccomended.

2) Do some yoga. Even if I start with one pose, it's a start!

I want to be doing this every day until the sunday. Now I have a goal that I can work towards.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, or something like that.

Cheers!

I'm not Michelle, but her post got me interested in Teechino, so I looked up the ingredients, here: http://teeccino.com/about/35/Teeccino%27s-Ingredients.html

It does contain barley, so it's not gluten-free, and it is sweetened with figs and dates. Some of the flavors look pretty interesting!

Thanks Quinoa,

I am leaning towards cutting out junk-food drinks form my diet (at least that's what they are from my perspective). I just know that if eat something processed I probably won't have a good reaction to it. So, no, I don't plan on drinking coffee replacements, nor do I ever. Thanks for suggesting it though! At least it's something...

Right now I'm leaning towards herbal tea and honey, and have the odd caffeine-free drink with sugar and almond milk, to cut back and not cut out.

It turns out that I have very bad heartburn, at least I think that's what it is.

Last week I made something with sweet potatoes and lentils, and just for fun, I added berebere. I got so sick after eating it. I believe that those dried spices are really not a good thing for me to eat right now. Over the last couple of months, I find myself getting more and more tired of elaborate foods. Right now, I just want simple.

Right now I'm starting out with a good stock. I'll either make vegetable stock, or when I cook beans I'll add what I'll usually add to vegetable stock and use that water to cook rice. This is SO good.

After that I'll mix these simply flavoured rice and beans together, and then I'll cook vegetables on the side, usually with a fresh herb or two, and I'll add salt and pepper. Nothing more. Once I added a little nutmeg and allspice, but I don't think I want to push it again.

For the coming week, I plan on having cooked beans made ahead of time, a lot of my vegetable stock ready to add to rice, and I might even go so far to pre-cut some veggies. But I might not do that.

My heartburn is getting better, albeit slowly. I might attempt a light yoga routine, but for now I'm still too weak to do exercise.

Tonight for dinner:

Cabbage, peppers, carrots, celery, fresh oregano and rosemary, salt and pepper, baked en pappilote.

Mushrooms cooked the same way, just seperately.

Roasted cauliflower.

Brown rice cooked with beans and salt free veggie stock and jalapenos.

Delicious.

Also, I had a feast day recently (a birthday) and I had some of the GF vegan chocolate cake that I find myself craving often.

It was nasty. Sugar and fat, I couldn't stand it. I thoughts I had done something horribly wrong with the cake, but no, everyone else loved it.

I could only have a little bit, anything more would have been too much sugar.

Placement at school has me being quite sedentary, not the least of my worries, so I am going to start leaning a little more towards a MWL way of eating. Rice, beans, veggies, and a few corn tortillas thrown in, who can complain?!

My simple foods experiment is working quite nicely. Also, I've been doing some yoga. I know it doesn't sound like the greatest exercise, but if I can really apply myself to it and practice once maybe twice a day, how can that be a bad thing?

I would also love to start running again, I miss it. One thing at a time though. Right now I need to cure my stomach issues and keep myself calm.