This has been the toughest week thus far. I didn't think it would get worse but it has. Because of my severely decreased intake of sugar, my body is going through some drastic changes. The most noticeable is the bloating. Every day now I am bloated, when I wake up to when I go to bed. It gets worse after each meal. The fatigue is life-altering, and I haven't seen an energy boost even after forcing myself to exercise 3 times a week. The dizziness and vertigo occur randomly throughout the day. The brain fog is incredible, it's no wonder I can't write everyday. I can't make a clear sentence to save my life or just try to communicate with the outside world for that matter. On top of all that, I have been extremely emotional and the depression is a real, palpable feeling, like a heavy jacket I can't take off.
My research has led me to believe some of my symptoms are common with Candida die off. What I understand is that Candida releases toxins into the blood stream, whether they are multiplying or dying. They end up in the liver to be filtered, causing the liver to work overtime trying to filter out all of these poisons. This causes the body to suffer in many ways. A common toxin is acetaldehyde, which is broken down to alcohol. The drunk feeling is a real symptom, I was starting to feel crazy and thought I had begun imagining new symptoms. There have been a handful of times now that I felt like I had a really nice buzz after two martinis. Since I hadn't drank any martinis, I was alarmed and thought I was going to be sick. The other night after dinner while driving home, it occurred to me that I was swerving and felt drunk. Amazingly, I've read about people getting DUI's and testing high for blood alcohol that have not been drinking and were undergoing similar detox and cleanses. So the brain fog and hangover feelings may be directly related to how much Candida is in my body.
There is a probable history and direction now that seems to be getting clearer. Two years ago I took a hefty dose of antibiotics for a month long GI upset. Then some months later I began to have random bloating which progressed to daily pain and digestive problems. Add a high stress job with emotions I hadn't learned to cope with yet and the ball was rolling. I ate a high carb, high sugar, highly processed vegetarian diet. I had been on oral contraceptives for 10+ years of my life. All these things contributed to a Candida overgrowth which led to Leaky Gut syndrome. Through a process of elimination with medical doctors and natural healers, I've been led to this. Now of course I don't know if this is the case but I'd like to think I had an answer, it would make me feel better. I am looking for some more concrete answers at this point because I find it unbearable to live between the Leaky Guy diet and a Candida diet. It needs to be one or the other. I understand I need to heal my gut before any real transformation happens but I am looking for guidance on how to do that. Any thoughts?
Food Journal Day 32 Friday
Breakfast: protein shake w/carrot juice, c.c. milk, kombucha, spinach, fresh ginger
Lunch: leftover pesto'd basa and spaghetti squash
Snack: beet chips, avocado
Dinner: sashimi, half roll (rice), collar (grilled), daikon, ginger, green tea
Day 33 Saturday
Breakfast: protein shake w/carrot juice, c.c.milk, kombucha, spinach, stevia
Snack: beet chips
Lunch: mahi mahi, quinoa, spinach
Dinner: shrimp, salmon, spinach, broccoli
Day 34 Sunday
Breakfast: protein shake w/carrot juice, c.c. milk, kombucha, spinach, kale, fresh ginger, stevia
Lunch: leftover mahi mahi, quinoa, spinach, beet chips
Snack: quinoa (1/4 cup)
Dinner: sauteed lemon shrimp and raw kale salad
Dessert: frozen cultured coconut milk and cinnamon (2g sugar)
Day 35 Monday
Breakfast: protein shake w/ c.c. milk, repairvite, kombucha, arugula, ginger, cinnamon, stevia
Lunch: tuna salad with leftover kale salad, kombucha
Dinner: roasted butternut squash, sauteed red chard
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Day 31- Disappointment rears its ugly head
So I feel like I should be excited that I've finished a month of the RepairVite program for Leaky Gut Syndrome but I'm not. I wanted to feel a little improvement after 30 days of torture. I am still having generalized abdominal pain, bloated, gassy, tired, depressed and now also really frustrated and hungry. The alterations I've made to this diet so far are cutting out fruit and adding quinoa and eggs. Since my symptoms look like a Candida overgrowth, I have reduced my sugar intake to the minimum. In order to survive, it was suggested I could replace a small amount of grains (GF of course) since they are less liked by Candida than fruit. I know I am not eating enough because I am hungry all of the time. It's not that I don't want to eat, it's that I spend so much time trying to come up with an idea of what to eat that I feel like I spend my entire day planning, cooking, eating and cleaning up. My kitchen is in a constant state of disaster, yet I'm still hungry. So struggling with getting enough food, I have lost more weight. I am at the lowest weight I've been in my adult life, but sadly I don't feel skinny because my belly is always distended. So at this point I am experimenting with adding a new protein- eggs. I had eliminated eggs in a previous elimination diet. I had suspicious but not definitive results so I just avoided them. I have toyed with the idea of adding in some animal protein but after thinking about it for weeks, I still feel uncomfortable and the mental aspect would most likely overcome any physical benefits. I am hoping to not have any obvious results as it is difficult to add something new in when I am already bloated everyday. But here's hoping...
As part of sugar withdrawals (I am guessing), I am having some terrible mood swings, headaches, more abdominal pain and tenderness and noticeably increased lethargy. I wish I knew that it was the sugar deprivation and that when I get over this I will feel better. I am uncertain if it's part of the detox, a reaction to the eggs, sugar withdrawal or something else. Either way, it's a lot worse than I had expected and I feel worse than before I started the program. So I'm either doing a good thing and my body is releasing toxins or I am doing a bad thing and making my body worse. Hmmm....
Food Journal Day 30 Wednesday
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, spinach, fresh ginger, stevia
Snack: hard boiled egg
Lunch: quinoa with broccoli, tilapia and avocado
Snack: beet chips, kombucha
Dinner: egg scramble with salmon, spinach, avocado and onion
Food Journal Day 31 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, c.c. milk, spinach, kombucha and stevia
Snack: hard boiled egg, kombucha
Lunch: vegetable broth soup with spinach and leftover tilapia
Dinner: basa fillet in cilantro pesto over spaghetti squash
As part of sugar withdrawals (I am guessing), I am having some terrible mood swings, headaches, more abdominal pain and tenderness and noticeably increased lethargy. I wish I knew that it was the sugar deprivation and that when I get over this I will feel better. I am uncertain if it's part of the detox, a reaction to the eggs, sugar withdrawal or something else. Either way, it's a lot worse than I had expected and I feel worse than before I started the program. So I'm either doing a good thing and my body is releasing toxins or I am doing a bad thing and making my body worse. Hmmm....
Food Journal Day 30 Wednesday
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, spinach, fresh ginger, stevia
Snack: hard boiled egg
Lunch: quinoa with broccoli, tilapia and avocado
Snack: beet chips, kombucha
Dinner: egg scramble with salmon, spinach, avocado and onion
Food Journal Day 31 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, c.c. milk, spinach, kombucha and stevia
Snack: hard boiled egg, kombucha
Lunch: vegetable broth soup with spinach and leftover tilapia
Dinner: basa fillet in cilantro pesto over spaghetti squash
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Last 3 Food journals
 |
| Baked tilapia and broccoli |
 |
| my fave carrot juice- 4g sugar |
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, spinach, frozen acai (protein=20g, sugar=8g)
Lunch: coconut lime basa, wilted spinach, kombucha
Snack: kombucha
Dinner:garlic and onion baked tilapia, steamed broccoli
Food Journal Day 28 Monday
Breakfast: protein shake w/carrot juice, c.c.milk, spinach, frozen acai, fresh ginger, stevia
Lunch: quinoa, broccoli, avocado, mini pickles
Snack: sweet potato fries, salad with hard boiled egg, lemon oil dressing
Dinner: lime coconut shrimp and chard
Food Journal Day 29 Tuesday
Breakfast: protein shake w/carrot juice, c.c.milk, spinach, frozen acai, stevia
Lunch: leftover tilapia, quinoa, broccoli, avocado, ginger tea w/stevia
Snack: avocado with beet chips, quinoa with cinnamon and coconut milk
Dinner: scallops with scrambled eggs and spinach
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Candida thoughts
I always have the best of intentions when I wake up then as the day progresses I can't follow through with my positive ideas. Like today for example, I thought to myself, try not to eat any fruit until later today. Then I saw the other half of a grapefruit and planned to eat it after breakfast. I am my own worst enemy.
I am going to give away the rest of my fresh fruit and stick with frozen acai for my morning smoothie in place of fresh fruit. It only has 3g sugar as do the coconut yogurt and carrot juice so my entire breakfast is less than 8g of sugar. I think that should be acceptable.
From the research I've done on Candida at this point, I am really hoping that is what's wrong with me because it fits. I've gone through needing a diagnosis to accepting it may never happen back to wanting a diagnosis. There are a few tests that seem to help determine if I have a yeast overgrowth but I don't have any professional opinions about them yet.
First, a spit test. I failed this one. I've also been told since it is part of the normal flora, it will always show positive signs. Jury is out.
Second, a blood test to measure the response of your immune system to Candida (antibody levels).
Third, a stool test looking for evidence of dysbiosis, an unbalanced flora.
Finally, a urine test measuring the waste product of yeast.
Reference web site
So I am interested in finding out some opinions about getting these tests performed, why are they beneficial, what are their drawbacks and is it worth it?
I feel as though it would be easier for me to follow a no sugar diet if I knew I was on the right path, not just another experiment that led me to another dead-end. It seems crazy to say out-loud but the Candida diet looks way easier than the one I am on right now.
Here is a website that I learned a lot from -Candida info
I made a very unsuccessful attempt at grain free crackers. I was inspired by some pictures of a few blogs I follow but not being able to use flour, they never made it to a cracker existence. I used seeds- pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and hemp, herbs and tried to bind it with olive oil and hemp butter. I rolled it out 1/4 inch thick on parchment paper then baked for 25 minutes at 350F. It never found solid form and exists as burnt crumbs. Hmmmm, I'm not very good at this stuff but it is fun to experiment. Any ideas?
Food Journal Day 25 Friday
Breakfast: protein shake with new pea protein, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, spinach, banana, stevia (this is fairly disgusting, had to chase each sip with kombucha, need to work on recipe) (28g protein)
Snack: plain coconut yogurt, blueberries, flax meal, hemp seeds
Lunch: quinoa, sweet potato, wilted spinach, kombucha, grapefruit (hour later)
Snack: coconut leather
Dinner: coconut ginger lime marinated Basa fillet, gingered chard
Food Journal Day 26 Saturday
Breakfast: hot quinoa cereal with coconut milk, hemp butter, hemp seeds, sesame seed, kombucha (protein=10g) 11a
Snack: grapefruit 2p
Dinner: sesame crusted ahi tuna salad, lemon basil dressing, tea 5p
Snack: artichoke, avocado lemon oil, kombucha (10p)
Snack: applesauce (just enough to take with pills)
I am going to give away the rest of my fresh fruit and stick with frozen acai for my morning smoothie in place of fresh fruit. It only has 3g sugar as do the coconut yogurt and carrot juice so my entire breakfast is less than 8g of sugar. I think that should be acceptable.
From the research I've done on Candida at this point, I am really hoping that is what's wrong with me because it fits. I've gone through needing a diagnosis to accepting it may never happen back to wanting a diagnosis. There are a few tests that seem to help determine if I have a yeast overgrowth but I don't have any professional opinions about them yet.
First, a spit test. I failed this one. I've also been told since it is part of the normal flora, it will always show positive signs. Jury is out.
Second, a blood test to measure the response of your immune system to Candida (antibody levels).
Third, a stool test looking for evidence of dysbiosis, an unbalanced flora.
Finally, a urine test measuring the waste product of yeast.
Reference web site
So I am interested in finding out some opinions about getting these tests performed, why are they beneficial, what are their drawbacks and is it worth it?
I feel as though it would be easier for me to follow a no sugar diet if I knew I was on the right path, not just another experiment that led me to another dead-end. It seems crazy to say out-loud but the Candida diet looks way easier than the one I am on right now.
Here is a website that I learned a lot from -Candida info
I made a very unsuccessful attempt at grain free crackers. I was inspired by some pictures of a few blogs I follow but not being able to use flour, they never made it to a cracker existence. I used seeds- pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and hemp, herbs and tried to bind it with olive oil and hemp butter. I rolled it out 1/4 inch thick on parchment paper then baked for 25 minutes at 350F. It never found solid form and exists as burnt crumbs. Hmmmm, I'm not very good at this stuff but it is fun to experiment. Any ideas?
Food Journal Day 25 Friday
 |
| My disgusting breakfast today |
 |
| The best fish I've made yet |
Snack: plain coconut yogurt, blueberries, flax meal, hemp seeds
Lunch: quinoa, sweet potato, wilted spinach, kombucha, grapefruit (hour later)
Snack: coconut leather
Dinner: coconut ginger lime marinated Basa fillet, gingered chard
Food Journal Day 26 Saturday
Breakfast: hot quinoa cereal with coconut milk, hemp butter, hemp seeds, sesame seed, kombucha (protein=10g) 11a
Snack: grapefruit 2p
Dinner: sesame crusted ahi tuna salad, lemon basil dressing, tea 5p
Snack: artichoke, avocado lemon oil, kombucha (10p)
Snack: applesauce (just enough to take with pills)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Day 24- Candida, I hate you.
I went to see my acupuncturist on Thursday for a checkup and the second round of supplements. I described to him that I initially felt better but have noticed the bloating getting worse and now it is back to a daily symptom. When I take out everything that it delicious and I am still bloated, it really makes me question if it's the food at all. What is the worst thing he could say to me at this point, really? Well, he said it.
No more sugar.
Aaaacccckkkk, what??? I thought I was barely surviving trading in cookies for fruit and now no fruit either? It turns out sugar has always been my common denominator. From the previous elimination diets to the daily gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle, I've always maintained sugar as a constant ingredient. I have been conscious of my choices however, I pretty much always ate homemade treats that were sweetened with fruit, dates, honey, agave, or raw unrefined sugars. I thought using flours like quinoa, buckwheat, garbanzo and almond flours were a better choice than the bleached refined white flours everyone else eats and enjoys in this society. I remember my first elimination diet allowed brown rice syrup and molasses. That was easy. Even when I was told in the beginning to rid my life of bread and cheese, my most common meal in many forms, I thought "at least they aren't telling me to stop eating cookies, I would have no reason to live." I am so sick of people saying to me they don't know how I do it, they would just die if they couldn't eat (insert anything). If constant pain was their motivating factor and a life less than desired, it wouldn't be so hard. Sorry, sometimes I let out that negativity monster I try so hard not to share with others.
So back to Candida, I hate you. You make my life miserable, I want to rid my body of you. This is my new mantra and I will be using it to get myself through the next month of what I imagine to be the hardest yet. Since I have never fully eliminating sugar from my diet, this is the next step. It seems likely that I continue to feed the yeast with the sugars I am ingesting, therefore it continues to thrive. Even with the supplements that are trying to kill the yeast, any "die-off" can also cause bloating, and any that remain are feeding off my sugar addiction (that they started, I'm sure). So I am on a new research path for now, candida and how I can kill it. I like researching and learning even more so I'm trying to look at it as a positive learning experience.
Compromise...
Since my acupuncturists widely agrees that I am human and starving myself of carbs can cause other harmful effects (mostly making one feel crazy), he has agreed to a compromise. There is a scale that describes what foods are best and worst for yeast inhibition so as an experiment he said I can add in whole grains in place of fruit (grains are lower on the list than fruit). This is not to say that every meal can be a giant bowl of rice but instead of snacking on fruit, replace it with quinoa or rice. I was already separating my fruit from meals for the last week, as I had done this before the detox hoping food combining was the answer. In small portions even added to meals, it is thought I will feel more full therefore feeling less like a sugary snack as often as I do. I will try this for 2 weeks and see how I feel. Obviously if I can work up to no grains, that is the goal. I will share with you more research as I learn other interesting tidbits.
Since I don't believe in wasting, I am going to expeditiously eat the remainder of fruit I have and rid myself of any other items that I can not hide or freeze indefinitely. It shouldn't take more than a few days. I have to finish this program strong and disciplined with gusto and perseverance. Its all I can do before giving up, especially when I am told it is extremely optimistic to think I will be healed in 4 weeks when this is over. Also, if I feel 80% better, than I am on the right track. If not, I need to find a new path. Not very inspiring words to look forward to.
Food Journal Day 23 Wednesday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, banana
Snack: coconut bites
Lunch: tuna salad w/avocado, artichoke, cucumber, carrrot, sunflower seed, lemon juice in lettuce wraps, kombucha
Dinner: sweet potato w/ avocado and broccoli, olive oil & salt
Dessert: applesauce (for pills) and coconut fruit leather
Coconut fruit leather: mixed dried unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder and flax meal with simmered raspberries and cherries and then a small amount of coconut milk to desired consistency. Spread thin (1/4-1/2 in.) on parchment paper over baking sheet and bake at 350F for 25 min. I tore apart into small bite size pieces and moved outside pieces to middle after 15 min to get consistent crusty edges. The final product is very thin but holds together well in small pieces, it's also tart and tastes too good to be allowed on this diet.
Food Journal Day 24 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with normal stuff
Lunch: salad with roasted beets and crab meat, herbal tea
Snack: coconut fruit leather
Snack: frozen coconut mango
Dinner: cedar plank salmon, grilled asparagus, spinach
No more sugar.
Aaaacccckkkk, what??? I thought I was barely surviving trading in cookies for fruit and now no fruit either? It turns out sugar has always been my common denominator. From the previous elimination diets to the daily gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle, I've always maintained sugar as a constant ingredient. I have been conscious of my choices however, I pretty much always ate homemade treats that were sweetened with fruit, dates, honey, agave, or raw unrefined sugars. I thought using flours like quinoa, buckwheat, garbanzo and almond flours were a better choice than the bleached refined white flours everyone else eats and enjoys in this society. I remember my first elimination diet allowed brown rice syrup and molasses. That was easy. Even when I was told in the beginning to rid my life of bread and cheese, my most common meal in many forms, I thought "at least they aren't telling me to stop eating cookies, I would have no reason to live." I am so sick of people saying to me they don't know how I do it, they would just die if they couldn't eat (insert anything). If constant pain was their motivating factor and a life less than desired, it wouldn't be so hard. Sorry, sometimes I let out that negativity monster I try so hard not to share with others.
So back to Candida, I hate you. You make my life miserable, I want to rid my body of you. This is my new mantra and I will be using it to get myself through the next month of what I imagine to be the hardest yet. Since I have never fully eliminating sugar from my diet, this is the next step. It seems likely that I continue to feed the yeast with the sugars I am ingesting, therefore it continues to thrive. Even with the supplements that are trying to kill the yeast, any "die-off" can also cause bloating, and any that remain are feeding off my sugar addiction (that they started, I'm sure). So I am on a new research path for now, candida and how I can kill it. I like researching and learning even more so I'm trying to look at it as a positive learning experience.
Compromise...
Since my acupuncturists widely agrees that I am human and starving myself of carbs can cause other harmful effects (mostly making one feel crazy), he has agreed to a compromise. There is a scale that describes what foods are best and worst for yeast inhibition so as an experiment he said I can add in whole grains in place of fruit (grains are lower on the list than fruit). This is not to say that every meal can be a giant bowl of rice but instead of snacking on fruit, replace it with quinoa or rice. I was already separating my fruit from meals for the last week, as I had done this before the detox hoping food combining was the answer. In small portions even added to meals, it is thought I will feel more full therefore feeling less like a sugary snack as often as I do. I will try this for 2 weeks and see how I feel. Obviously if I can work up to no grains, that is the goal. I will share with you more research as I learn other interesting tidbits.
Since I don't believe in wasting, I am going to expeditiously eat the remainder of fruit I have and rid myself of any other items that I can not hide or freeze indefinitely. It shouldn't take more than a few days. I have to finish this program strong and disciplined with gusto and perseverance. Its all I can do before giving up, especially when I am told it is extremely optimistic to think I will be healed in 4 weeks when this is over. Also, if I feel 80% better, than I am on the right track. If not, I need to find a new path. Not very inspiring words to look forward to.
 | |||
| Coconut fruit leather- allowed? |
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, banana
Snack: coconut bites
Lunch: tuna salad w/avocado, artichoke, cucumber, carrrot, sunflower seed, lemon juice in lettuce wraps, kombucha
Dinner: sweet potato w/ avocado and broccoli, olive oil & salt
Dessert: applesauce (for pills) and coconut fruit leather
Coconut fruit leather: mixed dried unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, cocoa powder and flax meal with simmered raspberries and cherries and then a small amount of coconut milk to desired consistency. Spread thin (1/4-1/2 in.) on parchment paper over baking sheet and bake at 350F for 25 min. I tore apart into small bite size pieces and moved outside pieces to middle after 15 min to get consistent crusty edges. The final product is very thin but holds together well in small pieces, it's also tart and tastes too good to be allowed on this diet.
Food Journal Day 24 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with normal stuff
Lunch: salad with roasted beets and crab meat, herbal tea
Snack: coconut fruit leather
Snack: frozen coconut mango
Dinner: cedar plank salmon, grilled asparagus, spinach
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Day 21- 3 weeks over, 5 more to go
At 3 weeks in, I wanted to share with you the adaptations I've made during this life-altering program. Don't be fooled if you think it won't flip your life upside down.
The most noticeable difference I can feel is in my kitchen. I usually have fresh fruit and veggies out on the counter where I can see them. It used to be rock hard limes, rotten bananas or sprouting potatoes. My fridge has (almost) gone through a metamorphosis. There is a snack shelf, a leftover meals shelf and the veggie and fruit drawers are full. There is still beer for friends and neighbors when they come over and the cheese drawer is taped shut so I can't even look inside. The reality of living with another prevents removing everything I'd like to. The freezer has plenty of space now for my fish, it used to be full of processed boxes of dinners and such. I hardly ever open the cabinet anymore. The only reason to open the door is for canned tuna, cans of coconut milk or a jar of artichokes. I call this the carb cabinet now because I would ALWAYS go to it for crackers, chips, and cookies. Now that I'm not eating that stuff anymore, I realize my entire cabinet is full of CRAP!
I am going to the grocery store weekly now to always have fresh veggies like spinach and chard and berries on hand. My grocery bills are much higher now, I used to buy what was on sale, now I don't have that luxury. I have made friends with my local seafood man, we have nice conversations every week. I am still buying fish on sale, but only wild caught and since I go every week I am only buying enough for the week. It also keeps a constant variety in my diet and I am trying new fish I've never cooked before.
As far as lifestyle is concerned, I spend most of my time at home which keeps me more isolated than normal. I don't look forward to social gatherings right now because food is the worst temptation for me. I haven't been drinking for quite some time so the bar is not a problem for me. I usually bring food if I'm going to someone's house but restaurants are tough. I have found a few local places that have one thing on the menu that's safe, but unknown situations and unplanned meals occur and I end up starving and frustrated. It's best to plan your meals so you don't make bad choices. I avoid situations that I know will test my willpower. Sure, I should be strong enough to overcome them but I am human, and not about to walk past the donut store to smell that intoxicating scent just to torture myself.
I feel so much better when I exercise but lately I've been struggling with getting enough activity. I always find an excuse not to go to the gym, and the fact that it's been below zero lately doesn't help. I need to work on prioritizing exercise and incorporating it daily instead of making excuses. Once my finger heals I will get back into rock climbing and hopefully trapeze. It helps to find things that are stimulating and enjoying, I will look into this more. What do you love to do for exercise?
Lastly, it's worth noting my mood is ever changing. Some days I'm happy and positive and other days I am a tornado of negativity. I am trying to adapt to the roller coaster of emotions by acknowledging that every day is different and trying to pinpoint what makes one day better than another. I have learned a lot about pain and it's role in mood and also healing. I'd like to get into this further at a later point with a clearer mind.
Food Journal Day 21 Monday
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, coconut milk, spinach, blueberries, half banana
Lunch: spinach salad w/ leftover cod and veggie latkes, sunflower seeds, lemon oil dressing, kombucha
Snack: blended frozen banana and coconut milk (to take pills with)
Dinner: sashimi, seaweed, daikon, green tea
Dessert: mango mochi ball
Food Journal Day 22 Tuesday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, coconut milk, banana
Lunch: salad with shrimp, artichoke, lemon oil vinaigrette
Snack: fruit leather (at the grocery store and starving)
Dinner: veggie "stir-fry": asparagus, butternut squash, leftover cod, avocado, lemon oil dressing, kombucha
Dessert: coconut yogurt with blueberries and hempseeds
Snack: applesauce (to take pills with)
The most noticeable difference I can feel is in my kitchen. I usually have fresh fruit and veggies out on the counter where I can see them. It used to be rock hard limes, rotten bananas or sprouting potatoes. My fridge has (almost) gone through a metamorphosis. There is a snack shelf, a leftover meals shelf and the veggie and fruit drawers are full. There is still beer for friends and neighbors when they come over and the cheese drawer is taped shut so I can't even look inside. The reality of living with another prevents removing everything I'd like to. The freezer has plenty of space now for my fish, it used to be full of processed boxes of dinners and such. I hardly ever open the cabinet anymore. The only reason to open the door is for canned tuna, cans of coconut milk or a jar of artichokes. I call this the carb cabinet now because I would ALWAYS go to it for crackers, chips, and cookies. Now that I'm not eating that stuff anymore, I realize my entire cabinet is full of CRAP!
I am going to the grocery store weekly now to always have fresh veggies like spinach and chard and berries on hand. My grocery bills are much higher now, I used to buy what was on sale, now I don't have that luxury. I have made friends with my local seafood man, we have nice conversations every week. I am still buying fish on sale, but only wild caught and since I go every week I am only buying enough for the week. It also keeps a constant variety in my diet and I am trying new fish I've never cooked before.
As far as lifestyle is concerned, I spend most of my time at home which keeps me more isolated than normal. I don't look forward to social gatherings right now because food is the worst temptation for me. I haven't been drinking for quite some time so the bar is not a problem for me. I usually bring food if I'm going to someone's house but restaurants are tough. I have found a few local places that have one thing on the menu that's safe, but unknown situations and unplanned meals occur and I end up starving and frustrated. It's best to plan your meals so you don't make bad choices. I avoid situations that I know will test my willpower. Sure, I should be strong enough to overcome them but I am human, and not about to walk past the donut store to smell that intoxicating scent just to torture myself.
I feel so much better when I exercise but lately I've been struggling with getting enough activity. I always find an excuse not to go to the gym, and the fact that it's been below zero lately doesn't help. I need to work on prioritizing exercise and incorporating it daily instead of making excuses. Once my finger heals I will get back into rock climbing and hopefully trapeze. It helps to find things that are stimulating and enjoying, I will look into this more. What do you love to do for exercise?
Lastly, it's worth noting my mood is ever changing. Some days I'm happy and positive and other days I am a tornado of negativity. I am trying to adapt to the roller coaster of emotions by acknowledging that every day is different and trying to pinpoint what makes one day better than another. I have learned a lot about pain and it's role in mood and also healing. I'd like to get into this further at a later point with a clearer mind.
Food Journal Day 21 Monday
 |
| Valentines sashimi dinner |
 |
| My salads aren't very pretty |
Lunch: spinach salad w/ leftover cod and veggie latkes, sunflower seeds, lemon oil dressing, kombucha
Snack: blended frozen banana and coconut milk (to take pills with)
Dinner: sashimi, seaweed, daikon, green tea
Dessert: mango mochi ball
Food Journal Day 22 Tuesday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, coconut milk, banana
Lunch: salad with shrimp, artichoke, lemon oil vinaigrette
Snack: fruit leather (at the grocery store and starving)
Dinner: veggie "stir-fry": asparagus, butternut squash, leftover cod, avocado, lemon oil dressing, kombucha
Dessert: coconut yogurt with blueberries and hempseeds
Snack: applesauce (to take pills with)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
So I finally reached my limit and broke...
Now that the weekend is almost over, I can finally move past my bad behavior and get onto the right track again. I had a meltdown and decided to give myself a "cheat night" in order to get it out of my system and work towards an improved balance, and not be such a "negative Nelly". It started with meeting friends at a bar, then a cocktail. Since I haven't drank in quite some time, my self-control and willpower floated right out the door. Moving on to a restaurant, I tried to choose the least harmful dinner and received curried collard greens which besides the curry were allowed and a butternut squash fritter, which was definitely not allowed (as it was battered and fried). We had pickles, crispy brussel sprouts (crunchy but seemed fairly acceptable) and then another cocktail. Any resistance I had left at that point was gone so I convinced myself to get an ice cream sandwich because if I was really going to cheat then tonight was the night to do it.
I feel like a small weight has been lifted. I have been so hard on myself about my diet and pretty much everything else that this gives me a good opportunity to practice being kind to myself, to remember I'm only human and I make mistakes and it's OK. I have learned this from my very talented counselor and more sessions than my insurance would pay for, but who's counting. I understand I have a problem (for now, my sugar addiction) and it's not to be approached casually nor will it resolve itself without more effort than I originally imagined. I can grasp the severity of the addiction now, after the ecstasy I felt eating the cookies off the ice cream sandwich.
Now this is not meant to say it's OK for all of you to follow my bad behaviors and I do not want you to follow in my footsteps. I will have to live with the consequences of my actions (my dad's favorite saying when I was a kid) and this blog ultimately is a record for me to track my experiences so it's important I'm honest, even when I'm not the best role-model.
So say what you want to say, I'm an adult. I can take criticism. Besides, now I feel like I can better manage the next 40 days while approaching the end with a better attitude.
Just some thoughts:
-does curry always include a spice from peppers? I've seen so many different curry blends, maybe there's one without the peppers. Because oops, I used it in my soup today and realized it tasted too good to be allowed.
-with the deluge of diets out there preaching superior theories over others, how does one figure out which style is right for them without trying every single one and wasting a lot of time. I've researched everything related to digestive health and diseases and experimented with food combining, low GI, and the popular gluten-free, dairy free, soy free, nut free and more I'm sure I'm forgetting. I am interested in learning more about the blood type diet but more for my own knowledge, not that I want to follow it right after this experience. Any experiences or thoughts you have about diets you've tried before getting to this Leaky Gut trial?
-I want to start tracking my restaurant meals so I can get a better idea of how often I eat out and how that changes what I eat. Not sure of the best way to track it. Maybe I'll start with a different color.
Food Journal Day 17 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, blueberries, raspberries, 8 drops stevia
Lunch: salad with shrimp, artichokes, balsamic vinaigrette, tea (restaurant)
Snack: fruit salad (apple, blueberries, strawberries), herbal tea
Dinner: roasted butternut squash, steamed broccoli
Food Journal Day 18 Friday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, stevia
Snack: blueberries, 2 coconut bites (similar to coconut cherry bites, see recipe later)
Lunch: salad with veggies, balsamic vinaigrette, herbal tea
Snack: 2 coconut bites
Dessert: ginger cookie ice cream sandwich
Food Journal Day 19 Saturday
Breakfast: protein shake w/ spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, half banana, stevia
Lunch: leftover tuna salad, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, fruit salad, kombucha
Snack: coconut bites, pumpkin seeds, cucumber water
Dinner:lobster meat, dipped in olive oil& lemon juice, steamed asparagus
Dessert: quarter cup coconut ice cream (GF, DF but not sugar free!)
Food Journal Day 20 Sunday
Breakfast: protein shake with normal stuff
Snack: peach in coconut milk
Lunch: homemade carrot soup with avocado and hemp seed, roasted sunchokes
Snack: quarter ounce of dark chocolate, olives, squash chips
Dinner: lemon pepper cod, vegetable "latkes"
Coconut bites: blended 1/2 cooked sweet potato, shredded unsweetened coconut, flax meal and coconut milk until desired consistency. Added drops of stevia to taste. Baked at 350F for 20 min but still gooey in middle. Just for fun I tried adding sunflower seed butter to a little of the batter and it tasted good. Because it has sugar mixed into the seeds I am trying to avoid it during this program.
Carrot soup: sauteed red onion and fresh ginger in olive oil, then added chopped carrots. After 10 minutes added vegetable broth, cooked for 10 more min. Pureed in blender, returned to pot, added S&P to taste. Boring so added curry powder (technically not allowed due to the hot pepper content) and small amount coconut milk to desired consistency. Served hot with diced avocado and hempseeds.
Vegetable Latkes: I didn't know how to make these before this diet so I am going out on a limb here. I grated zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, red onion, chopped spinach, seasoned with Italian herbs and S&P, then mixed with flax meal and coconut milk mixture. I also added some of the leftover cauliflower mashed potatoes to try and bind ingredients together. I placed spoonfuls on a hot griddle, spread thin and cooked for close to 15 minutes, flipping over occasionally. They don't hold a shape initially but by the end they resemble small pancakes. Good luck!
I feel like a small weight has been lifted. I have been so hard on myself about my diet and pretty much everything else that this gives me a good opportunity to practice being kind to myself, to remember I'm only human and I make mistakes and it's OK. I have learned this from my very talented counselor and more sessions than my insurance would pay for, but who's counting. I understand I have a problem (for now, my sugar addiction) and it's not to be approached casually nor will it resolve itself without more effort than I originally imagined. I can grasp the severity of the addiction now, after the ecstasy I felt eating the cookies off the ice cream sandwich.
Now this is not meant to say it's OK for all of you to follow my bad behaviors and I do not want you to follow in my footsteps. I will have to live with the consequences of my actions (my dad's favorite saying when I was a kid) and this blog ultimately is a record for me to track my experiences so it's important I'm honest, even when I'm not the best role-model.
So say what you want to say, I'm an adult. I can take criticism. Besides, now I feel like I can better manage the next 40 days while approaching the end with a better attitude.
Just some thoughts:
-does curry always include a spice from peppers? I've seen so many different curry blends, maybe there's one without the peppers. Because oops, I used it in my soup today and realized it tasted too good to be allowed.
-with the deluge of diets out there preaching superior theories over others, how does one figure out which style is right for them without trying every single one and wasting a lot of time. I've researched everything related to digestive health and diseases and experimented with food combining, low GI, and the popular gluten-free, dairy free, soy free, nut free and more I'm sure I'm forgetting. I am interested in learning more about the blood type diet but more for my own knowledge, not that I want to follow it right after this experience. Any experiences or thoughts you have about diets you've tried before getting to this Leaky Gut trial?
-I want to start tracking my restaurant meals so I can get a better idea of how often I eat out and how that changes what I eat. Not sure of the best way to track it. Maybe I'll start with a different color.
Food Journal Day 17 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, blueberries, raspberries, 8 drops stevia
Lunch: salad with shrimp, artichokes, balsamic vinaigrette, tea (restaurant)
Snack: fruit salad (apple, blueberries, strawberries), herbal tea
Dinner: roasted butternut squash, steamed broccoli
Food Journal Day 18 Friday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, stevia
Snack: blueberries, 2 coconut bites (similar to coconut cherry bites, see recipe later)
Lunch: salad with veggies, balsamic vinaigrette, herbal tea
Snack: 2 coconut bites
Pre dinner Cocktail
Dinner: pickles, curried collard greens, butternut squash fritter, crispy brussel sprouts, cocktailDessert: ginger cookie ice cream sandwich
Food Journal Day 19 Saturday
Breakfast: protein shake w/ spinach, carrot juice, cultured coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, half banana, stevia
Lunch: leftover tuna salad, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, fruit salad, kombucha
Snack: coconut bites, pumpkin seeds, cucumber water
Dinner:lobster meat, dipped in olive oil& lemon juice, steamed asparagus
Dessert: quarter cup coconut ice cream (GF, DF but not sugar free!)
Food Journal Day 20 Sunday
Breakfast: protein shake with normal stuff
Snack: peach in coconut milk
Lunch: homemade carrot soup with avocado and hemp seed, roasted sunchokes
Snack: quarter ounce of dark chocolate, olives, squash chips
Dinner: lemon pepper cod, vegetable "latkes"
Coconut bites: blended 1/2 cooked sweet potato, shredded unsweetened coconut, flax meal and coconut milk until desired consistency. Added drops of stevia to taste. Baked at 350F for 20 min but still gooey in middle. Just for fun I tried adding sunflower seed butter to a little of the batter and it tasted good. Because it has sugar mixed into the seeds I am trying to avoid it during this program.
 |
| Carrot soup with avocado and hempseeds |
Carrot soup: sauteed red onion and fresh ginger in olive oil, then added chopped carrots. After 10 minutes added vegetable broth, cooked for 10 more min. Pureed in blender, returned to pot, added S&P to taste. Boring so added curry powder (technically not allowed due to the hot pepper content) and small amount coconut milk to desired consistency. Served hot with diced avocado and hempseeds.
Vegetable Latkes: I didn't know how to make these before this diet so I am going out on a limb here. I grated zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, red onion, chopped spinach, seasoned with Italian herbs and S&P, then mixed with flax meal and coconut milk mixture. I also added some of the leftover cauliflower mashed potatoes to try and bind ingredients together. I placed spoonfuls on a hot griddle, spread thin and cooked for close to 15 minutes, flipping over occasionally. They don't hold a shape initially but by the end they resemble small pancakes. Good luck!
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