J's elimination diet

[jamietwo]

Thanks so much, Timaca! Continued good luck with your elimination diet! I'm hoping my reprieve lasts through Thanksgiving (at least!).

[jamietwo]

This is what I ate for Thanksgiving dinner (oil free, but not low fat, vegan, gluten-free): veggie cutlets with gravy, cornbread stuffing, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli and carrots, raw cranberry salad, raisin almond rice, pumpkin pie. I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm avoiding potatoes and tomatoes, but the Pacific low sodium veggie broth I used for the stuffing and the cutlet gravy has tomato as an ingredient.

This tells me one of two things ... either my Lupus symptoms are not affected by my diet or the cortisone shot from 9/24 is still working to keep my inflammation under control. I plan to continue to enjoy a variety of McDougall compliant foods, although I will not eat tomato, potato, or gluten, and I will be conscious of keeping legumes to a minimum. If and when the Lupus rears its ugly head again, I will re-evaluate at that time.

[Timaca]

That is so awesome that you could eat a decent meal and feel good! Yay!! I hope your good days go on and on and on!

Best,

[jamietwo]

Thanks, Timaca!

I remember how Burgess (now-deceased Star McDougaller) told me on more than one occasion that my symptoms may not be diet related, so I went back to 2010 and 2011 in my journal to read his comments. Then I re-read my own comments where I say how sure I am that my symptoms are caused by food. But then every food I test appears to be problematic, etc. The times where I had to be on my "safe foods" for weeks or months for my symptoms to subside could just be how long it took my lupus flare to subside. It is all so confusing, maybe more so because I have been SO sure I could control this with diet. What if I can't?

[Timaca]

If your lupus symptoms can't be controlled by diet (and I guess you will figure that out as time goes on) at least you can control other parts of your health by eating well.

I think it is wonderful that you are feeling better now and able to eat more foods without problems. That is something to celebrate and enjoy. A really restricted diet isn't much fun at all.....

So enjoy where you are and I hope you feel well for a LONG time!!!

[jamietwo]

Thanks, Timaca! I appreciate the reminder to stay in the present and enjoy where I am right now! Life is good! : ) How are you doing with your elimination diet?

[Timaca]

Hi Jamie~ At this time I'm trying to figure out what exactly the petechiae and purpura are that happen in my mouth. For sure they can appear with some foods (with wheat within 20 minutes). That prompted a trip to the allergist, where by percutaneous testing I was found to have a wheal and flare reaction to both wheat and oats, so no more of those foods for me. I can eat quinoa, it seems, so that is great. I will retest rice this week, but I think it also brings out the petechia.

I still struggle with a histamine intolerance, and it looks like I also have a benzoate intolerance.....

I tried dropping all oil from my diet and promptly lost 5 pounds, which I can't afford to do, so I'm adding some oil back in (limiting it to 1 tablespoon / day for now).

Recently I am trying to include legumes in my diet. Lentils did not work for me (severe headache, then large purpura....which I think were both from the lentils but would only know for certain if I retest). But it seems I can do some pinto beans, white beans and black orca beans OK. I do have GI cramping which I'm not thrilled about but I have to eat something with protein in it!!

Next time a purpura shows up the doctor wants to biopsy it. And I'll have an endoscopy in 2 weeks to see if we can learn anything else.

If you want to read more about the wheat / petechiae issue in me here is my blog post.

Thanks for asking! Holding good thoughts for you,

[jld]

Hi, Jamie. Just wanted to say thank you so much for your response to my pm yesterday. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated it.

I tried to reply, but my pm could not go through. I contacted the tech team here and am hoping for a quick resolution to the problem.

Again, thanks so much,

jld

[jld]

Cannot send a pm again, nor post in the Lounge. Just wondering if I can post here. Would like to ask you some more questions, please, Jamie.

Ok, just saw that it works here. Will try again in the Lounge!

[jamietwo]

I'm dredging this old journal up. I can't believe I started it in 2010! And last posted on it in 2015 ... until today.

I have been doing GREAT! I feel good! I'm at a healthy weight (vs being crazy underweight)! I'm living life! Yea!

But I'm doing all that on Plaquenil (technically hydroxychloroquine - but who can spell that! ). My rheumatologist tells me I will be on it for the rest of my life, but I really object to that! I'm convinced that at least one of my "safe" foods during my long elimination diet must have been a trigger food. I've reduced my dose of Plaquenil to the point that I can feel my joints when I wake up in the morning, and ........

....... I'm considering starting a new elimination diet with ONLY butternut squash to begin (I've often wondered if the brown rice or yams, my staple starches, are an issue). This morning I looked for frozen squash at Sprouts, Walmart, Costco, and Aldi's. Couldn't find any!! I don't want to make the drive to WF or TJ's on a regular basis so hopefully I can find some at another grocery store near me. I'm also thinking I may have to buy some whole squash to cook in my Instant Pot. I know I will have to have a LOT of squash on hand because I eat ALL the time!

I will probably start a new journal if/when I do this.

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Currently I eat a lot of brown rice, carrots, kale, yams, gluten-free oats, raisins, bananas, apples, and blueberries. Those are my staples, but I also eat refried beans on corn tortillas with lettuce and cucumber (nightshades are out for me). I also eat split pea soup - I recently traded in Amy's for homemade. I also eat collard greens, corn, and broccoli. And a few other things, but those are the things I eat most.

[AlwaysAgnes]

It might be more difficult to find the cubes or spirals of frozen squash, but the blocks of frozen winter squash puree are usually pretty common in most stores. They're generally cheaper than the cubes, too. That said, prepped cubed and spiralized squash is getting more common in the produce section. It's just very expensive. Sort of like the riced cauliflower and broccoli. Crazy prices on those, too. We pay a lot for convenience.

[jamietwo]

Yes, the prices are astounding! : o I wonder if I could do something with sweet potatoes instead. I'm going to post in the lounge about sweet potatoes vs yams...

[Idgie]

Some weeks, I bake up 5 or 6 large sweet potatoes and eat them for a few days. Wonder if you could just spend a day a week cooking up a ton of sweet potatoes or squash and then freeze some?

[jamietwo]

That's a good idea, Idgie. I may have to try that. My only concern is that I'll run out of food! I'm guessing I can easily eat 3 whole butternut squash in a day (since my plan is to eat one food for a week or so, and then to start introducing foods).

[Idgie]

I have confidence you'll manage it. Consider that you're not going to be spending all that time prepping and cooking other foods, so it will give you time to deal with the squash.