Food for thought: wrap up

Way back on April 24 I began an elimination diet. I cut out dairy, gluten, soy, and processed sugar. After a detox phase, I added each back one at a time and monitored my body’s reaction. Dairy went poorly. Gluten was fine, although I’ll be eating less of it moving forward. Soy was so uneventful I didn’t even blog about it. I can’t say I’ve added processed sugar back to my diet. I stopped craving it weeks ago, so I didn’t feel the need to re-introduce it. I’m satisfying my sweet tooth with tones of fruit and the occasional maple syrup dollop. When I tell people about the elimination diet they immediately ask if it was worth it. In a word, yes.

In addition to learning which foods my body likes and doesn’t like, I gleaned a few other things.

-Fruit is delicious.
-Dried fruit is too delicious to keep in the cupboards. Portion control is a bit of an issue.
-Roasted almond butter should be its own food group. Holy yum wow.
-My weight didn’t change, but my body didn’t feel as jiggly and my muscles looked more defined.
-Eating clean means you don’t need Tums.
- Food guilt is a waste of time. Make smart choices. Treat yourself. Enjoy every bite.

And so the elimination diet ends. On to the next challenge… more on that later.

SOTS wonders… would you try an elimination diet?
Bella

Food for thought: ahhh, gluten

Gluten returns! It’s been too many weeks to count since I’d had gluten thanks to my elimination diet. I recently got the gluten go-ahead and have now satisfied my avocado sandwich craving. Confession – I actually satisfied this craving multiple times in one day. My body rejoiced! There were no negative gluten reactions. Sadly, this only makes me more aware of how poorly my system handles dairy.

As hard as this is to type, I have decided to take a break from dairy. I’m not saying I’ll never eat cheese/yogurt again (that’s too much for my poor brain to handle), but I’m listening to my body and cutting it out for the time being.

Next up, soy makes a comeback.

SOTS wonders… what would be the most difficult food for you to give up?
Bella

Food for thought: the return of dairy

It’s baaaaack. After five weeks without dairy, I’m working it back in to my diet. I was so excited. I bought my favourite yogurt - Liberte Plain Greek Yogurt. I added fresh raspberries. My mouth watered in anticipation. I carefully spooned out a perfect yogurt to berry ratio. AND…

It didn’t taste as good as I remember. HUH? I love this stuff. I know I do. I used to eat it every single day. Okay, mouthful two... good, but not the little slice of heaven I remember. Well, that’s strange.

I finished the bowl. I had another serving the next day. It started to taste better. I rekindled my love of yogurt. I thought to myself, “Whew. Thank goodness I can digest yogurt.”

Sadly the following day I had a very upset stomach. I’m really hoping it wasn’t the yogurt. I’m waiting a few days and giving my beloved Liberte another try. Please, please, please don’t let yogurt upset my stomach. I’m already saying so long, farewell to cheese. Must I also give up yogurt?

I have to admit it’s tough to tell exactly what caused the upset stomach. It could easily have been the dairy since it was the only unusual thing I ate that day, but I don’t want to write off yogurt before I’m certain it was the culprit. That said, it’s very tough to motivate yourself to eat more dairy when you suspect dairy is making you sick. Hmmm, I thought the hardest part of the elimination diet would be cutting things out. Turns out the hardest part is adding food back in. Who would have thought?

Also, I miss bread in a major way. I really want to eat an avocado sandwich. I’ve been thinking about it for days. Fingers-crossed the nutritionist tells me gluten is next.

SOTS wonders… BREAD! Seriously, it’s all I can think about right now.
Bella

Food for thought: weeks three and four update

Time got away from me. I ended up doing an extra week of my elimination diet. Four weeks without soy, gluten, dairy, sugar, and heavily processed food. It’s supposed to be time to start adding foods back into my diet, but things have been thrown for a loop.

By loop, I mean I attended a wedding yesterday and didn’t have control over what I ate. The vegetarian option was a plate of cheese-stuffed ravioli. That’s gluten, dairy, and likely some sugar (in the sauce). I know I should’ve asked for a plate of veggies or a second salad, but I hate to make a big deal about food at weddings.

Today I feel sick. Really sick. My stomach is upset. My whole body aches. I don’t know which of the eliminated foods is the culprit, but my guess is cheese. I’ve learned a valuable lesson – it’s better to make a special request than it is to eat something you know will make you sick. Seems so logical now. Ahhh, hindsight.

Sooooooo, I consulted with my nutritionist and I’m eating clean for 10 more days. At day 10, I’ll add dairy to my diet. Here we go again!

SOTS wonders…do you feel bad making special dietary requests at fancy events?
Bella

Food for thought: week two update

Okay, I’m done week two and well into week three of my elimination diet. I’ve said so long farewell (at least for now) to soy, gluten, dairy, sugar, and heavily processed food.

During the first week, I went through a detox phase where I was lethargic and every muscle in my body ached. Week two was a different story. I’ve had more energy and don’t suffer from the food highs and lows I used to.

I’m yet to have a serious craving for any of the eliminated foods. I’m actually shocked I haven’t had an insane sugar craving given that my sweet tooth is out of control. Dried fruit has been my go to when I need a little something sweet.

I continue to be more aware of my physical hunger. Also, I can feel how hunger affects my body. I can’t wait until my stomach is growling: by then I’m a cranky individual. I need to eat when I first feel the hunger rumbles.

My favourite thing about the elimination diet? No food guilt! I don’t think I realized how much time I wasted worrying about what I was going to eat, when I was going to eat it, and what it was doing to my body. I’ve been feeling guilty about food for years. And I’m not just talking about guilt when I’m half way through a Deep ‘n’ Delicious cake. I’d also feel guilty about eating too much, not eating enough, and what I was choosing to eating. I managed to feel guilty for everything about food. Talk about a waste of time. But I’m letting go of my food guilt. I eat good food until I’m satisfied… and I don’t feel bad about it. It’s liberating!

SOTS wonders… do you have food guilt?
Bella

Food for thought: week one update

It’s been a week since I eliminated soy, gluten, dairy, sugar, and heavily processed food from my diet. This is not a permanent change, but will last for two more weeks to see if I have any food intolerances. Some random thoughts from my first week:

-I’m more aware of my physical hunger.
-I don’t feel guilty about the food I eat.
-I eat when I’m hungry; not when I’m emotional.
-I love roasted chick peas.
-I eat to “satisfied” instead of “full.”
- I felt very lethargic on day four, but now I’m bursting with energy.
-I haven’t found good gluten-free bread.
- I’m compelled to finish everything on my plate, even when I’m satisfied.
-I don’t spend the whole day thinking about when/what I’m going to eat next.
-I’m less concerned with WW Point values.
-I haven’t had any cravings yet.
-I may be eating too many nuts and dried fruit.

SOTS wonders… do you know any good gluten-free bread?
Bella

Food for thought

Over the last few years, I’ve been trying to learn more about nutrition. What I should eat. What I should avoid. Sounds easy, right? It turns out learning about nutrition is no simple task. You have to wade through a ton of marketing, gimmicks, and tag lines to find out what should actually end up on your plate.

Thanks to Michael Pollan, Dr. Oz, and a variety of bloggers, I have a much better sense of what’s healthy. Now I need to know what works specifically for my body. I met with a nutritionist this week to review my eating habits. I’m an octo-lavo vegetarian who relies heavily on soy and carbs. Oh, and my diet is chock-full of sugar.

The nutritionist issued a challenge: eliminate soy, dairy, gluten, and sugar (fruit is fine) for the next three weeks. Then I’ll add each food group back in one at a time to see if I have any intolerance. I’m also supposed to add protein smoothies into my life and start eating whole eggs instead of just whites.

The challenge starts tomorrow. I’ve stocked my cupboards. I’m working on a meal plan (well, I will be as soon as I’m done this post). Despite being outwardly prepared, I’m scared. I love yogurt and muesli and tofu and SUGAR! I can’t believe I’m going to give them up. I haven’t tried a challenge like this before, but I realize that if I want to understand my body (and I do) I need to give this a shot. Plus, I’d like to prove to myself that I can make choices based on my body’s needs: not my emotional wants. I’m curious to see the results.

I need to make myself accountable, so I'll be posting updates on SOTS. Deep breath, and here we go!

SOTS wonders… have you done an elimination diet? What did you learn about yourself?
Bella

Putting the "occasion" back in occasional

I have a serious sweet tooth. At this moment, there is ice cream, chocolate, cookies, and Mini Eggs (which are so tempting that they are their own category) lurking in my cupboards. Generally this isn’t a problem for me. I have willpower and can resist temptation. But lately I’ve been an emotional eating machine. I shovel junk food into my mouth so fast that I don’t even know what I’m eating. I certain don’t enjoy or even taste the sweet treats crossing my lips. What’s the point of Mini Eggs if you don’t taste them?

It doesn’t happen every day, but I’ve certainly noticed that lately the “occasion” has left my occasional treats. Instead of savouring a delicious “worth-it” treat at a special event, I’m consuming mass quantities of quasi-yummy treats on my couch, alone, when no one will see.

Obviously this type of eating has nothing to do with physical hunger. Clearly I’m using food as medication. Instead of dealing with what’s bothering me, I try to placate myself with sugar. The result? I feel guilty for overeating and I still haven’t dealt with the real problem.

The next time I’m on the verge of a binge, I’ll ask myself “am I physically hungry?” If the answer is no, I’ll follow up with “then why am I reaching for the mint chocolate chip ice cream?” The first question will be an easy answer. The second will hopefully force me to delve into what’s causing these out of character cravings.

SOTS wonders… how do you handle emotional eating?
Bella

A girl's gotta eat

There’s no magic concussion pill that relieves symptoms. Plus, each brain heals differently, so it’s a bit of a trial and error adventure when it comes to treatment. There is rarely a moment I don’t have a headache, but I have found ways to relieve it: hydration, healthy eats, and sleep.

I noticed that when I eat certain foods my brain gets cloudy. It’s like walking through fog. I can still put together sentences and handle the day, but everything is a little fuzzy and confusing.

After observing the influence food has on my symptoms, my doctor and I discussed a few eating guidelines. None of these are revolutionary. Most of them are common sense. Basically it boils down to “give your body good fuel so your brain can heal.” Here are a few things I’m avoiding:

1. Heavily processed foods
2. White sugar and flour
3. Sucralose, aspartame, and high-fructose corn syrup
4. Alcohol
5. Caffeine

Like I said, it’s not rocket science but cutting these out (or at least cutting them down) has made a huge difference. I’m giving my brain what it needs to recover and I’m not experiencing the fogginess as often.

But here’s the kicker, it’s not just my brain that feels better. It’s my entire body! I have more energy. I rarely have an upset stomach. I’m more satisfied after I eat. Plus, I don’t get the raging cravings I used to. Don’t get me wrong, my sweet tooth is still thriving, but it’s not the same all-encompassing eat-an-entire-cake craving it used to be.

I’m going to take this couch time as an opportunity to learn more about what my body needs. With any luck, I can heal my brain and learn to properly care for my body at the same time.

SOTS wonders… how did you learn about nutrition? Any book recommendations?
Bella