Elimination Diet

[CrazyVegLady]

Starting the elimination diet on Monday. I am not sleeping and just generally not feeling well anymore. It's time to try it, even for just a week, to see if my issues are diet related. I have beets in the oven and kale in the insta-pot. I am actually looking forward to this, aside from times in the past where I dreaded eating bland food. I am in that desperate need for relief. I'm going to cook a HUGE pot of brown rice tomorrow as well as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

Currently, I love to run and lift weights. But I am getting colds all the time, and I have a lot of stress in my life. My brain is in a fog and I am tired all the time. I have gone way off kilter as per my diet. I am not eating healthy. But whenever I try to just eat healthy, I find it so easy to eat junk food again. Therefore, a very restrictive diet sounds like my best plan.

CVL

[Idgie]

Good job on the self-care. With the brainfog and fatigue, I recommend you also get some blood tests done and make sure it's not thyroid or something.

[Ltldogg]

Starting the elimination diet on Monday. I am not sleeping and just generally not feeling well anymore. It's time to try it, even for just a week, to see if my issues are diet related. I have beets in the oven and kale in the insta-pot. I am actually looking forward to this, aside from times in the past where I dreaded eating bland food. I am in that desperate need for relief. I'm going to cook a HUGE pot of brown rice tomorrow as well as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

Currently, I love to run and lift weights. But I am getting colds all the time, and I have a lot of stress in my life. My brain is in a fog and I am tired all the time. I have gone way off kilter as per my diet. I am not eating healthy. But whenever I try to just eat healthy, I find it so easy to eat junk food again. Therefore, a very restrictive diet sounds like my best plan.

CVL

Hi CrazyVegLady,

Sorry to hear about your dilemma. First off, are you following either the regular or Maximum Weight Loss McDougall Program 100%? Can you post 3-5 days of exactly what you eating? Exact measurements of food are not needed but be as specific as possible like: Dinner: half my plate was brown rice, 1/4 was steamed broccoli, 1/4 was cooked (dried) black beans and I had an orange afterwards. Additionally, how long have you been following your program? And do you incorporate other programs with Dr. McDougall's? Do you eat when you are hungry, until you are comfortably full, throughout the day? Do you avoid eating out and packaged/process foods? The devil is in the detail so provide as much as you can so we can help you and point you to the parts of the program you might need to improve.

Additionally, there is no harm in following the Elimination Diet as outlined by Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick. Just some advice from someone who has bad autoimmune diseases and been working with the ED for 3 years, it is extremely hard, takes a lot of focus, planning, willpower, dedication and organization. I'm not discouraging you, I'm just suggesting you make sure you are following the regular program 100% for a long time before turning to such a drastic change as it might not be necessary.

I'm not here to offer my own personal spin or advice, but instead to point you to the teachings of Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick and this program. So if you want that help and a fast response, feel free to reply or PM me and I'll point you to their applicable teachings for your given situation.

Cheers,
Scott

[Rosey]

I haven't read how Dr. Mcdougall and Jeff do the elimination diet but the one my doctor had me do I was on just potatoes nothing else for a month and then we added in 1 item at a time till I had a reaction to something then he would take me back down to Potatoes for 2 weeks then start all over again. was tedious process but so glad I did it.

[Sydney]

GM CVL,

I resonate with your dilemma. For myself, I am (was???) a hot food fiend. I've always added some sort of condiment (mostly Tabasco, Sambal Olek or Sriracha) to nearly every meal. For a long while, due to arthritis in my hands, I've wanted to try the elimination diet but despaired of my lack of discipline and/or determination to do so.

Last week I became very ill with back spasms that wrapped from my back to my torso (latissimus dorsi is the suspected culprit) which became so severe I had several bouts of vomiting and then a complete lack of appetite. For two days, I ate nearly nothing (half a bowl of a McD soup one day and a bowl of diced watermelon another day). Eureka! The swelling in my hands was remarkably better!

Also - and this is what might interest you - I noticed a new....agreeableness to accept food without so much alteration (salty/spicy). My taste buds were already becoming reset/refined to tasting natural food in a more natural state. I don't know if it's an option for you, but I know that Dr. Lisle suggests a day fast to help reset the taste buds.

A side note: I'm a type A, sort of "amped" personality and, without all the spice/fire/salt, etc., being doused on my system 2-3 times a day, I'm noticing an actual difference in my energy, mental state and appetite (after all, salt can be a powerful appetite stimulant). Years ago, I had an acupuncturist suggest that I leave off the spice, but I couldn't seem to do it. Getting sick provided me with a perfect opportunity to start making the change...every cloud, silver lining, etc..