J's new elimination diet

[jamietwo]

I'm starting a new elimination diet TODAY! And I'm starting with ONE food - butternut squash. I rarely eat squash, so hopefully it will be safe, and I can start adding in other foods soon!

I'm hesitant to do this because I've been feeing GREAT! But I've been on plaquenil (hydroxycholorquine) since October 2013 when I had a super-scary Lupus flare, and there are some possible scary long-term effects of being on plaquenil. My rheumatologist tells me I'll be on it for life, but then she doesn't believe that diet can put Lupus in remission.

I have three concerns about doing this now.
1/ Will my results be valid since I'm still on plaquenil? I've reduced my dose to 200 mg/day and have been on that for around 45 days. I can definitely feel the joints in my feet when I get up at night now, so I'm thinking (hoping!) that will mean I'll notice issues with foods. I'd like to know I'm not eating any trigger foods before I quit taking the medicine.

2/ Will this start a Lupus flare? I've only had one super-scary Lupus flare, and I don't want to go there again!!!

3/ Will I starve and/or go broke eating only butternut squash?! lol

[jamietwo]

I finally found one 12 oz bag of frozen butternut squash at Sprouts, but it was EXPENSIVE! They actually had their store-brand veggies on sale 2 for $4, but of course it was only "select varieties", which did not include the squash! So I bought 4 whole medium sized butternut squash.

Last night, I cooked two of them in my instant pot. I had to cut them in half and sit each one on end and the 4 halves just fit.

This morning I ate one of the squash "necks" for breakfast.
I had 3 of the squash "bowls" for lunch.

We'll see how I long I last before I need a squash snack.

The good news is, I saw that Aldi has butternut squash on sale this week for $.69/lb, so I may have to go buy a few.

(I'm hungry already! lol)

[AlwaysAgnes]

69-cents/pound is a good price for butternut. Tis the season. Price might not go lower than that. Unless your home is very hot, whole squash should be okay stored in your kitchen. I live in Phoenix, and with the A/C our average indoor temp runs around 77 or 78. Maybe a few degrees lower in the winter. I've kept butternut on the counter several weeks without a problem.

Frozen cubed butternut is very expensive. I think a bag was $3 or $4 last I checked. I think it was a 12-oz bag. Just crazy, that price. Even whole butternut squash at $2/pound would be cheaper methinks.

Good luck with your elimination diet.

[jamietwo]

Thanks AlwaysAgnes. I bought two more whole squash tonight (6lb for $4.50 - not bad!). I didn't stock up because I think I might be starting to react to it. I'm having a late dinner now (butternut squash, of course! ), and I've already cooked enough to eat tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes.

[jamietwo]

This may be the shortest lived elimination diet ever. I've discovered that I don't really like butternut squash. I forced a little down this morning, but I am so hungry I feel almost sick (which is odd because I've done a water fast for this length of time and didn't feel this way .... unless the squash is the culprit).

SO, I am cooking some rice to eat, and then I will decide if I am going to continue or re-evaluate.

[AlwaysAgnes]

This may be the shortest lived elimination diet ever. I've discovered that I don't really like butternut squash. I forced a little down this morning, but I am so hungry I feel almost sick (which is odd because I've done a water fast for this length of time and didn't feel this way .... unless the squash is the culprit).

SO, I am cooking some rice to eat, and then I will decide if I am going to continue or re-evaluate.

You probably lasted longer than I would have on a one-food diet.

[jamietwo]

Its not over yet!

I regrouped after forcing down that little bit of butternut squash yesterday morning (and feeling SICK!), and I've eaten only brown rice for the last 24+ hours! So far so good. It is one of my staple foods, so I hope it isn't a trigger food! If I don't have any reactions with the rice, I'll probably add in kale in a few days (brown rice and kale is one of my staple meals!). I hope this works!!

[Idgie]

Excellent! I think the key to a good elimination diet is to start with something you actually like eating. For me, it would be sweet potatoes.

[jamietwo]

Thanks Idgie! I love sweet potatoes too! But I was worried that maybe the brown rice or sweet potatoes may have been an issue, so I thought I'd start with another supposed-to-be-not-very-reactive food! Keeping my fingers crossed that the rice will work out!

[Lyndzie]

Good luck Jamie! Just curious: how much rice are you consuming in a day? Also, what kind?

[Idgie]

Good plan, Jamie!

[jamietwo]

Good luck Jamie! Just curious: how much rice are you consuming in a day? Also, what kind?

Thanks Lyndzie!

I'm using Lundberg organic short grain brown rice. I'm eating a LOT right now since its the only thing I'm eating! Yesterday morning I cooked 2 cups dry, ate it throughout the day, and cooked 2 more cups dry last night and started on it. Finished that this afternoon, and then cooked 4 cups dry. I've probably had two bowls out of that, and it should get me through tomorrow. So that's 8 cups of dry rice in 3 days? Not only am I not cooking it like pasta, I'm cooking it in my instant pot (4 cups rice to 5 cups water).

Assuming I do well with the rice, I'm thinking the first 2 foods I'll test will be kale and sweet potatoes.

[jamietwo]

48 + hours on rice! Still going strong! I'm hopeful!

[OOnaOwl]

48 + hours on rice! Still going strong! I'm hopeful!

That's great! Does that mean no symptoms?
I have a lot of food sensitivities & health issues that cause/contribute to them also. I did a few elimination diets this past year, got some good info out of it but might do another starting with rice also.
Wishing you health & happiness Jamie!

[Lyndzie]

I love that rice. Cooks up great in the ipot. Are you going to try other type of rice? If that starch works for you, that’s awesome, there are so many options.