Day 11 - Reflecting on first week

I've officially finished the first week so I am sitting down trying to record any changes that have occurred this week.  I have less pain and less bloating, but am still exhausted,  have stinky farts, and now reek of garlic (I like to call it parfum de garlique) and my boyfriend is making himself scarce. Hmmmm.....
Well overall it's an improvement, I think. I have been doing a lot of research, and remarkably I have convinced myself I have leaky gut syndrome. When it was first presented to me, I immediately dismissed the idea when I read the diet detox that came along with the treatment.  The symptoms, history, and progression all make sense. Now the diet doesn't seem so intimidating since I'm immersed in it. I am still hungry a lot of the time but it does seem to be getting easier.  I've eaten out once or twice and seeing pictures of desserts was the hardest temptation to overcome but my dinner guests have not ordered food that I would be too tempted to eat.  The stipulation when eating out comes down to surviving day by day- I can not have certain items within arms reach (at this time). Don't you dare order sweet potato fries, onion rings, anything with cheese or dessert. I must be a lot of fun to eat with. More to come later...
My biggest challenge today comes from stomach pain keeping my appetite to a minimum. Last night I sliced my finger open and went into shock which caused my stomach to cramp up.  I am still feeling the effects today, like a hangover plus a throbbing finger. If I don't eat I feel worse so my "go-to" is a liquid diet anytime I'm not feeling up to digesting. Unfortunately, my injury will cause me to miss participating in trapeze class or rock climbing for some time.  I will need to find something in the meantime to spark my interest while getting some exercise. Any ideas?
I want to tell you about the amazing cauliflower "sauce" I made by accident, but I must go to bed so you'll have to check back tomorrow.  I bet you can hardly wait.

Sardine lunch, not so tasty

Food Journal Day 8 Tuesday

Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, coconut yogurt, and blackberries
Lunch: sardines, avocado, leftover sweet potato wedges, plum
Snack: apple and kiwi with fresh squeezed orange juice
Dinner: salmon and yellowtail sashimi, seaweed, daikon, green tea

Food Journal Day 9 Wednesday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, 1 oz. pomegranate juice, blackberries
Lunch: pesto marinated haddock, grapefruit
Snack: cherries
Snack: cucumber slices with sea salt, roasted garlic, pickled ginger
Dinner: lemon baked salmon, gingered beet greens, cauliflower mashed "potatoes"

Food Journal  Day 10 Thursday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, orange juice, blueberries, pomegranate juice, aloe juice
Lunch: leftover salmon, wilted spinach, strawberries
Dinner: few bites of roasted vegetables, asparagus (catfish and dinner interrupted by slicing finger open with mandolin then going into shock- no appetite after that)

Having pain after breakfast smoothie, not feeling great, felt better after eating lunch but an hour after that started having grumbling and more pain, headache- smoothie was too sweet this morning, used OJ, all that was available when not at home

Food Journal Day 11 Friday

Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, cranberry juice, strawberries 
Lunch: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, blueberries, cultured coconut yogurt
Dinner: lemon shrimp, roasted butternut squash, steamed broccoli

Day 7- a little improvement despite the sugar hauntings

It's Monday and I'm feeling a little better today although I feel like I have a Benadryl hangover but I didn't take Benadryl. It doesn't seem to be the flu, just a nasty cold. I prepped food this morning for the rest of the day and I'm hoping that is the key to my success.  Where I'm having trouble is the middle of the day, lunch time and snacks.  If I don't have something to eat that's ready, I lose any energy to make something and end up feeling hungry because I don't know what to eat.  For the majority of this past week, I have felt hungry during the day.  I have seen a trend already, I am substituting any sugar/carb habit with fruit.  I am eating a lot more fruit, also because it's easy, no cooking! So I'm being watchful of how much fruit I'm eating at this point although I think I need to be easy on myself and make the sugar transition slow.  I am going through sugar withdrawals for sure, my body is trying to convince me that I might die if I don't get my hands on a pop tart soon.  I dream about them at night, daydream about ripping open their shiny silver package and devouring both with such joy and ecstasy that my mouth waters in anticipation.  Weird, huh? Of all things, I'm obsessing about pop tarts.  I thought it would be brownies or chocolate chip cookies. I've required no such items be brought into the house at this time as I will have no will power not to attack the deliverer and rip it out if their hands, causing harm to them if they attempt to defend the said box of pop tarts.
I feel a little crazy.

I have opted for professional help in the food department, although I may need other professional help if the sugar cravings get worse. I have enlisted my friend Virginia to help me come up with ideas how to incorporate the vegetables and general ideas so I don't have to feel hungry and deprived. She is an amazing chef, check out her website http://thekitchenmistress.com/blog/. She blows me away every time I am lucky enough to eat her creations. You have no idea how ridiculous the camping experience is with her.

Last night I cooked dinner for my boyfriend's mother. Let's just say I was nervous to come up with something that I could eat and would not make her hate me/vomit. I was pleasantly surprised to find some inspiration on this blog http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/. She has mouth watering pictures that gave me an idea (see lemon linguine with basil pesto shrimp) to adjust to my diet.  I used spaghetti squash in place of the linguine and I made my own pesto with basil, garlic, olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds.  I marinated the shrimp in half the pesto and added lemon juice and zest to the rest for a lighter sauce to cover the "noodles". I sauteed thin asparagus on my flat griddle and cut into bite size pieces before tossing it all together. It turned out delicious! Unfortunately, it was not very photogenic as my green sauce looked sickly so I don't have a picture to share with you.

On a different note, I am having some difficulty taking the supplements I've been prescribed.  My throat has begun anticipatory shrinking and my stomach is rejecting them by forcing them out the way they came in. Mostly it's the amount, 13 pills to swallow, twice a day but the worst part is the taste and smell. The GI Synergy herbal and fatty acid supplement includes garlic, so when I open the package I get an instant wave of nausea. Then, swallowing six pills one at a time, elongating the process so they don't get stuck in my throat,  my stomach rebels against me and forces burps with a foul stench that even my boyfriend can't pretend not to notice. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I do feel as pretty as I sound. It just keeps getting better and better. And yes, I will share with you all these disgusting facts, so that you do not have to feel like the only ogre if you go through this someday.

Food Journal Day 5
Breakfast: coconut yogurt with blueberries
Lunch: Thai soup with avocado, grapefruit (soup was from a box, not diet friendly but too sick to really care)
Dinner: steamed artichoke with lemon vinaigrette dipping sauce
Snack: homemade cherry bites ( see note on this below)
and yes, I felt hungry all day

Cherry bites: I mixed unsweetened shredded coconut with flax meal and coconut milk and chopped cherries, formed balls with an ice cream scooper (best cookie utensil) and baked for 15 minutes at 325 F for a toasty treat that is technically on my diet but pushing the line.  They are not very sweet at all but a perfect substitution for my cookie fix.

Coconut flax cherry bites

Food Journal Day 6
Breakfast: protein shake 
Snack: apricot, pumpkin seeds
Lunch:? don't remember if I ate lunch
Dinner: pesto shrimp with spaghetti squash and asparagus
Snack: cherry bite, herbal tea

Food Journal Day 7
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, blueberries, coconut yogurt
Snack: toasted pumpkin seeds, 1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice
Lunch: leftover shrimp and squash dinner
Snack: golden beet with shallot salt
Dinner: pan seared haddock, gingered beet greens, roasted sweet potato wedges

Day 4- a rough one

I've heard during detox's it's common to feel sick as the toxins are being released but I didn't think I was doing much of a detox this time.  However, I feel as though I've been run over by a truck and the flu is trying to make residence in my body.  It could be just a coincidence in the timing but either way it sucks.
I figure since I'm writing this blog ultimately for myself, I better write even when I don't want to share my horrible feelings. They are just as important as the good ones, I just hate dumping my negativity into the world.  See, that's where I get myself into trouble, I'd rather hold it all in and it festers inside until it turns into, into something, bad. Pain breeds negativity, I'm sick of being negative more than I am sick of being in pain.
So after a day of feeling pathetic and helpless, I decided I needed to get out of the house and took my dog to the park.  Thank goodness for him. I had an unexpected enlightening conversation (not with my dog) that gave me a much improved perspective.  So here I am, uncomfortable as it is, dumping my thoughts into nowhere land, forcing them out.  I wish I could force out the mucus that's running down my throat as well.

Food Journal
Breakfast: protein shake with coconut milk & blueberries
Snack: fruit bar (last one in the house, finally), later a peach
Lunch: leftover salmon, avocado
Snack: cherries
Dinner: ahi tuna steak in lettuce "bun"

Day 3-the elusive proteins

My day has started on a good note despite the discomfort in my gut and the poor sleeping quality . Since I started taking the massive amount of supplements I have been feeling less pain, but I also slowly worked into the diet the week before.
My diet this last year was already gluten-free, and dairy-free, although I had been cheating fairly often the last month.  I have been a vegetarian for 14 years, and do not foresee eating meat in my future.  I am nothing if not loyal to my cause. I eat fish because I have justified it in my mind somehow that they are not the same as warm blooded animals and I can't save every animal in the world.  Thank goodness for fish, without this protein source I'm afraid I might wither away.  I have been through the gamut with trying to supplement protein in my diet, it's really a lifelong battle of a restricted vegetarian.  When it comes down to it, everything gives me gas.  I am the fartiest girl I know, well beside one other, you know who you are. Beans and nuts seem to cause worse results, of course the proteins of choice of a veg-head.  Tofu is not good for my "damp spleen" condition so tempeh was my go-to.  I also experimented with the food combining rules and stopped eating fruit with anything else. That actually seemed to help but who am I kidding, when it's between being bloated by 3 inches or 5 inches, does it really matter?
So against my better judgment, I am adding fruit into my diet and we will see what happens.

Whew, is this boring to you? I can talk about health stuff all day. Another trait from my parents, like keeping Styrofoam, because I just might find a use for it someday.

On a different note, exercise has been a huge motivational hurdle for me. When I'm feeling good, I like to be active but when I'm in pain its a vicious cycle. Last night I went to the climbing gym and with the help and encouragement of everyone around I finally finished a route that had been eluding me for months! I realized that I was blaming it on my health, saying I didn't have the physical strength to complete it.  Actually it was all in my head because I went into it with a different attitude of Yes I Can (Thanks Obama) and that's what it took to propel myself up the wall and succeed. It is a little intoxicating and I can't wait to do it again. That is also how I feel about trapeze right now. I'll tell you all about it after my next class on Saturday. Anyway, I have found a direct correlation between my mood and how much activity I get, so I'm always looking for new ways to not only get exercise but enjoy doing it as well.

Food Journal
Breakfast: coconut yogurt with blueberries, herbal tea
Snack: fruit bar (i have got to get these out of the house) instant gratification is the next habit to break
Lunch: leftover tuna salad, nectarine
Snack: coconut aloe juice
Dinner: salmon, asparagus

Day 2- The rules of the plan

So today I thought I would go over the rules so you can understand the depth of my despair when I can't stop complaining about how I will die if I don't eat a cookie.

An Anti-Inflammatory diet means eliminating any and all food that can cause irritation and inflammation in your body. This includes:

Sugars-chocolate, honey, agave, candy
High Glycemic fruits
Grains- glutenous items, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, soy, corn, etc.
Dairy-including eggs
Soy-soy protein is in everything!
Alcohol- :(
Lectins- nuts, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers
Coffee
Processed food

You might be thinking, what can you eat?
Well this list is much smaller

Vegetables- excluding night shade family
Meats- I don't eat meat but fish is included, especially cold water and wild
Low Glycemic fruits- berries, apples, pears, etc.
Coconut- milk, oil, etc.
Fermented foods- kimchi, pickled ginger, mixed pickles, kombucha tea, coconut yogurt
I checked with my acupuncturist and he said I could also have seeds, green tea and shrimp

The supplements I am taking are part of the RepairVite program from Apex Energetics.
RepairVite- not sure exactly what it does other than "repair"
Strengtia- probiotics and arabinogalactans to support intestinal microflora
GI-Synergy- natural compounds with anti-bacterial, anti-yeast, and anti-parasitic properties
I'm also taking DHA Omega 3 and NeuroFlam for my "brain fog", I will elaborate on that later.

This is a description of Leaky Gut from the brochure, I borrowed it from Fair Oaks Healing Center newsletter

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad110/daviddelapp/leakygut1015.jpg

Food Journal

Breakfast: protein shake with cultured coconut milk, carrot juice and blueberries
Lunch: leftover sweet potato and avocado from dinner, cherries
Snack: fruit bar, snap peas, carrot juice
Late Snack: coconut yogurt, roasted pumpkin seeds, green tea
Dinner: Tuna salad (avocado, pumpkin seeds, herbs, lemon juice)
 

Here we go...Day 1

I woke up this morning with only a little dread at what I was starting today.  My attitude has improved over the last week in regards to making this change for my health.  Last week, another acupuncturist advised me that all my symptoms lead to Leaky Gut Syndrome and if I follow the new diet and plan, there is a chance I can feel like myself again.  Last Tuesday was the first time I envisioned myself healthy, happy, and living my life as I want to, not as my body dictates.  This was a huge step for me.

 Just a little history for you...
I began feeling very tired, run down, bloated and generally unhappy with my work life until it became so bad it affected all aspects of my life. I worked in a high stress environment (an emergency animal hospital) and had never learned any skills with how to cope with what I was doing everyday.  At that time I ate a TON of processed food, mostly cheese and crackers, frozen dinners and my most important emotional crutch of all- sugar.  I did not have much of a life outside of the hospital, therefore no outlets to release my pent-up emotions. I started having debilitating abdominal pain and bloating, anxiety, and digestive upsets daily.  I went to doctors, specialists, took tests, xrays, ultrasounds, even looking at my insides with cameras to get the same answer- there is nothing wrong with you. AARRGGGGHHH! So I realized it was going to be more difficult than I thought and I was the only one going to take any initiative to figure out what was wrong with me.  I left my job, starting seeing an acupuncturist, a counselor for my anxiety and making my health my full time job.  Since then I have learned more about myself than I learned my entire lifetime. I have endured a year of gluten-free, dairy free lifestyle with only a small change in symptoms. I've had good weeks and bad weeks, times when I thought I was getting better and times when I wanted to give up. More recently, December 2010 started with feeling o.k. so I began to experiment with adding gluten and cheese.  The holidays took their toll on me and when January arrived, I felt like a train wreck. So here I am...

My thoughts are to share with you my diet and daily happenings in hopes I won't feel so isolated, you won't feel so isolated, because there HAS to be others out there that are going through the same ordeal! Lets chat and I'd love to hear what you're going through as well.

Food Journal The journal is helpful for me to record trends and variety and also to think twice about what I put in my body. When no one else looked in my food journal, I would write down cookie when I should have written 4, now with you looking, I think it will help with the binge cookie habit.

Struggling with setting up my fridge and pantry, which will take days, here's where I started.
Breakfast: protein shake with carrot juice, cultured coconut milk
Snack: coconut yogurt
Lunch: blueberries, fruit bar, roasted pumpkin seeds (snuck into movie theater to watch True Grit)
Dinner: half sweet potato, half avocado, olive oil and red hawaiian sea salt (tastes like bacon bits to me)
13 supplements and powder drink twice a day. Swallowing all these pills gives me heartburn. Ugh.

This is good, now you are holding me accountable and I am less likely to cheat. I am human. It will happen. I haven't gotten to my sugar withdrawals yet, watch out!