What Day Am I On?!

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day.  I woke up to a crazy disasterous house and needed to dedicate the majority of my time to cleaning.  It was good - but I don't know if I can recall what I ate throughout the day. 

I will try though.

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal (oh yes, apparently I have added in oatmeal)

SNACK

Raspberry Mango Banana Smoothie

LUNCH

Walnut, Dill, and Honey Encrusted Mahi-Mahi

SNACK

Grapes
Lara Bar

DINNER

Chicken Breast
Asparagus
Summer Squash
Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Blueberries, and Pecans

SNACK

Oatmeal Cookies - it was so good to have a cookie, but not so great for my stomach


Overall, I feel good.  Much better than the past few days.  I will go another week with meat since the past few days were a bit unsettling.

Meat Day 5

Ok, today was better.  I didn't feel great but I felt fine.  The hard part is being on my period and not knowing if the symptoms are related to that or related to meat, because they started around the same time.  I bought a lot of meat so I will probably continue for a few more days and then cut it out to see if I feel better.  I'm hoping meat is not the problem, I don't know how I would live without meat.

I am very gassy after our dinner of salmon and sweet potato fries.  I think it must be the salmon because I never eat it, don't like salmon much.  I've had sweet potato a lot lately and have not experienced this so I'm thinking - salmon.

BREAKFAST

Hash Browns

LUNCH

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with spinach, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and cucumber

DINNER

Salmon (4 oz) with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Sweet Potato Fries
Oranges

Calories:  1000 (32% protein, 30% fat, 38% carb)
- good on nutrient content, not enough food though

Meat Day 4

I did not feel good today...

There was a constant burning in my bloated belly all day.  I blame the menstraul cycle - but even still, is it supposed to be this way?  I am extremely tired and so very irritable.  I feel very bad for my sweet husband.

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea
Strawberry Banana Kiwi Smoothie

SNACK

Raw Revolution Bar

LUNCH

Shepperd's Pie with Chicken

SNACK

Coffee (I almost crashed so I had to give in)

DINNER

Eggs, Hash Browns, Bacon

Calories: 1700 (protein 23%, fat 43%, carb 34%)

Phase 3 (Meat): Day 2

The start of the week has been weird.  I added in meat on Saturday, which is also the day I finally started my period and that did not help the situation.  Sunday I had very few BMs and those that came were small, hard balls.  This continued (along with cramping and bloating) through Monday morning.  The possibility crossed my mind that it could be the meat causing inflammation of my colon.  And it still could be...

Good news is we seem to be back on track.  After a morning of discomfort and straining, I have had a few good passes.

Sunday's meal plan:

BREAKFAST

Mixed Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas... ahh summer!)
Scrambled Eggs (about 3 whole)

SNACK

Lara Bar

LUNCH

Chicken Salad (about 5 oz)
Sauteed Mushrooms

SNACK

Biscuit with butter and jam - not a good decision, my stomach was not happy

DINNER

Chips and Salsa
Chicken Enchilada (corn tortilla)
*probably added to the cramping and bloating

Beginning Phase 3

Today did get a little better, after the morning drama.  I was still quite tired but was able to take a nap this afternoon.  My decision overall was to start adding in meat early.  I had planned on starting with chicken tomorrow, but instead will be starting will all meat today!  If something goes wrong, I have at leaset narrowed it down to meat and can then get more specific from there. 

Tonight we had burgers, they were great!  I am quite gassy (precious, I know) but other than that feel fine.  Still tired and moody - need to go to bed.

BREAKFAST

Biscuit with butter and apricot jam
(I know, not so good - but remember... I just didn't care at this point)

SNACK

Lara Bar

LUNCH

1 Whole Fried Egg with 2 Egg Whites
Tomato and Avocado

SNACK/ LUNCH 2

Shepperd's Pie

DINNER

(2) 5.3 oz Hamburgers
Brown Rice Mixture
Asparagus

Calories:  1800 (protein 23%)

I also had a lot of dark chocolate peanut MnM's today - my stomach was not so happy about that.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better for everyone.

Today: Not Such a Good Day...

I don't even know what day I'm on and my attitude this morning is - I don't really care!  I know, it's terrible.  And I have no reason to be in a bad mood, it's a beautiful Saturday morning, I got to sleep in really late, the living room is clean so I can just sit and read.  Wonderful, right?!

But this morning I have been overly tired and irritable.  And the more I think about it, I've felt this way for quite a while now.  It seems like everything my husband says to me produces an involuntary eye-roll.  What is going on?!  And I'm not pregnant - that's for darn sure.

It surely has to do with my eating habits because this is not a uncommon feeling, but it is new that it has been so consistent and so overwhelming.  When I look at my meal plan the past few weeks, the thing that stands out most is protein.  I'm getting plenty of carbohydrates and (too many) fats - but still not enough protein.  I've gone without wheat, dairy, and various other things in the past - but I've never gone without meat for this long.

My conclusion:  it's time to reintroduce meat (of all forms) and see if the symptoms subside.

Yesterday's meal plan:

BREAKFAST

Cantaloupe
Blueberries
Strawberries
Honey and Pecan Pieces

LUNCH

Sauteed Spinach and Red Bell Peppers
2 Whole Fried Eggs with 2 Egg Whites

DINNER

Vegetarian Shepperd's Pie (delicious!)

LATE NIGHT SNACK

Reisling
Piece of Bittersweet Chocolate :)

I honestly can't remember if I had my mid-day snacks yesterday and it's just so hard to try to think right now.  Isn't that awful?  I mean, how hard is thinking?!  Oh Lord, help me!

Phase 2, Day 5

Yesterday was a weird day.  It started with a headache after my forbidden latte (serves me right).  The headache subsided after a cup of 1/2 caff coffee - though that lead to some crazy BMs.  And I was super, super tired yesterday.  I've cut out eggs again for the rest of the week, according to the meal plan I set up.  But I'm wondering - since they didn't cause any problems - if it's ok to continue to eat them.  It seems that I felt a lot better with them, likely because of the protein, and I don't know if I'll make it through the weekend so exhausted.

Well, here's Day 5's meal plan:

BREAKFAST

Hash Browns
Vanilla Latte

SNACK

Lara Bar
Coffee

LUNCH

Fruit
Potato Chips
Pickle Spear

SNACK

Strawberry Banana Kiwi Smoothie

DINNER

Lentil Soup

Calories:  1500 (protein 8%)

My decision:  I will eat eggs again today and see how my energy level is later on.  It could just be the rainy cloudy weather making me tired, but I was definitely more tired yesterday than I've been all week.

Killer Latte

So this morning I splurged a bit and had one of my favorite International Cafe mixes - Vanilla Bean Latte.  I didn't think it would be a good decision and now it was not.  Maybe 2 minutes after I finished, I had (and still have) a killer headache.  Interesting, isn't it?!  Most of my problems have always been digestive, but now this.

Here are the ingredients:

Sugar, nondairy cream [corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, sodium caseinate (from milk), dipotassium phosphate, mono - and diglycerides, artificial flavors], maltodextrin, instant coffee, contains less than 2% of natural and artificial flavor, sodium citrate, modified cornstarch, calcium phosphate, silicon dioxide.

I looked up some of the items above and it was quite interesting (and scary) to see what these chemical compounds are and how they are used.  For example, silicon dioxide (also know as silica) is used primarily in the production of window glass, drinking glasses and beverage bottles [Wikipedia].  I don't like the sound of that.

So it's impossible to know exactly why I have a headache this morning - but I do know this:

- Stay away from foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce
- Stay away from foods with the words "artificial" or "modified" in them
- Stay away from foods that have more than 10 ingredients

Yikes!

Phase 2, Day 4: Super Awesome Egg Day!

I had the most amazing lunch, I'm still thinking about it at 10:00 pm!  I've never ventured out much with eggs, always scrambled or omelet-style.  "Sunny side up" scares me because of the oozing yolk.  But at this point, I don't have a lot of options, so I got creative.  Basically, I sauteed garlic and onion, threw in some red bell peppers and spinach, topped it with 3 fried eggs (with runny yolks), avocado, and tomato.  Amazing!

So, as you can see, today was good, though there were a few notable occurances.  I had a smoothie for a mid-morning snack around 10:30 am.  By 12:00 pm, I was so shaky and weak that I could barely cut up vegetables for lunch.  This is not something uncommon for my pre-diet life, I attribute it to a genetic low blood sugar disorder.  I haven't experienced it since I started the diet though, so that was a bit weird.

I've also been continuing to spot - not sure what that's about.  My period should actually be starting in the next few days.  I'm very interested to see what symptoms I have this time around.  The last time around my cramps were so bad I could not sleep.  We'll see if that changes.

Today:

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea
Banana

SNACK

Fruit Smoothie

LUNCH

Fried Egg Awesomeness

SNACK

Lara Bar

DINNER

Chips and Salsa (yes, technically I am not supposed to have corn yet)
Carribean Salad from Chili's

Calories:  1400 (15% protein)

Phase 2, Day 3

BREAKFAST

Omelet with mushrooms, peppers, spinach, garlic, onion

SNACK

Apple

LUNCH

Lentil Soup

SNACK

Salad with tomato and avocado

DINNER

Rice and Beans
Mushrooms

Calories:  1400 (15% protein)

Phase 2, Day 2: Eggs are Delicious!

Egg day number two went well.  I can't say I feel "bad" but I don't feel great.  I can't exactly pinpoint why.  I've been really tired all day from the busy weekend, so that doesn't help.  After dinner I did have some bloating.  I was also reminded last night that I continue to have this "rectal pressure" as I like to call it.  I notice it more at night when I lay down, and do other things...

So that's a little frustrating that even though my BMs have been good and regular the past two weeks, I still have buildup and uncomfortable pressure.  My hopes of not needing to see a doctor again are slowly fading.

So today..

BREAKFAST

Scrambled Eggs
Peppermint Tea

SNACK

Kind Bar

LUNCH

Lentil Soup

SNACK

Mango Strawberry Smoothie

DINNER

Amazing Omelet (mushrooms, red bell peppers, garlic, green onion, spinach, and avocado)
Hash Browns

Calories:  1500 (protein 16%)

It's nice that I'm getting more protein.  My cravings are not as extreme as they were last week.  I still want a big juicy burger, but that's coming.  On to another day...

Day 13 and 14: Phase Two Begins

Wow, this weekend got away from me.  Saturday was really busy - hence the reason there are two days in this one post - which was not good for the meal plan either.  This is how it went...

BREAKFAST

Fruit Smoothie

SNACK

Kind Bar

LUNCH

No Time!  Oops

SNACK

Lara Bar

DINNER

Cajun Rice and Beans

Calories:  1000

DAY 14 - The End of an Era (or so it seems)

Today was the last day of the first part on my diet plan - and I decided to start phase 2 earlier (mostly because I couldn't handle it anymore).  I added in eggs this week as the first "mystery" food.  I will eat eggs everyday for four days and see how I feel.  So far so good.

BREAKFAST

Scrambled Eggs
Hash Browned Potatoes

SNACK

Coffee with raw sugar
1/4 cups of nuts

LUNCH

Lentil Soup

SNACK

Lara Bar

DINNER

Greek Salad

Calories: 1300

I felt good today, no changes that I can really tell.  Did not have as frequent of BM as usual, and they seemed to be a bit more dry than before.  I have also have had continuous spotting, which is weird.  I actually think I may be starting my period two weeks earlier.  It's weird but it makes sense because of all the changes my body has been going through with the diet.

Day12: Big Belly Day!

I have "prego" belly today - meaning my abdomen is hard and protruding from my body as if I'm 12 weeks pregnant (and I'm not, believe me)!  I've also been very irritable and crabby - I blame that on stress but it's probably hormones.  This isn't unusual for my past life, I'm just curious what brought it on now.  I had a new bar today called Raw Revolution.   I'm not sure why it would have upset my stomach, though the prego belly did begin shortly after consuming the bar.  The ingredients were CASHEW, DATES, AGAVE NECTAR, COCONUT, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, ALMONDS, SPROUTED FLAX SEED - none that should be a problem, right?  I'll have to keep that in mind.

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea (might be my new addiction)
Sweet Potato Hash Browns

SNACK

Banana Cantaloupe Smoothie

LUNCH

Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Revolution Bar

SNACK

Sauteed Spinach with Tomatoes and Avocado

DINNER

Red Beans and Rice
Asparagus

Calories:  1600

Day 11: 3 To Go!

Today was officially splurge day:  I was at Target buying some frozen fruit (because they have the best selection) and really just wanted to buy EVERYTHING in the grocery section!  I settled for salt and vinegar potato chips because they're potatoes... right?  Oh well.  I would say I definitely have experienced some gassiness - I will blame the chips.

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea
Tropical Fruit Smoothie

SNACK

Potato Chips

LUNCH

Lentil Soup

SNACK

Kind Bar

DINNER

Greek Salad

SNACK

Sahale Snacks - Socorro Macadamia Nuts

Calories:  1500

Day 10

Can you tell this is becoming a bit monotonous?  My goal now is just to get through each day without going crazy!  I am really not sure how people eat like this long-term, I guess it probably has a lot to do with mindset.  Day 10 was fine, felt good, no complaints really.  A few things I noticed - some of my bowel movements (and yes, I say some because there were multiple) were looser than they've been the past couple of days.  I also noticed some ovulation spotting, at least that is what I assume it was based on my cycle day, which I've had before but it's been a while.

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea
Tropical Fruit Smoothie

SNACK

Pecans

LUNCH

Guacamole Lettuce Wraps
*the lettuce I bought was not working out so I ended up finishing the guac with a few tortilla chips.

SNACK

Pecans

DINNER

Sweet Potato Soup (it's almost gone, finally!)

SNACK

Lara Bar
*I also had a glass of white wine before bed.  I'm not sure if that was on my "do not eat" list, it probably was.  Oh well!

Calories:  1400

Day 9, I think... it's all becoming a blur now

Not too much to share today, things were pretty much the same as they have been for the past few days.

BREAKFAST

Chai Tea
Blueberry Mango Smoothie
*Apparently you need to take lessons on cutting a mango prior to making this smoothie, I couldn't figure out which way to cut because there's a really hard core in the middle.  And I almost left the skin on, which would have been a huge mistake.  Lesson learned:  mangos are in no way similar to pears.

SNACK

Kind Bar

LUNCH

Sweet Potato Soup

SNACK

I honestly can't remember - I think I missed this one today

DINNER

Grilled Veges (zucchini, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms)
Dirty Rice (rice sauteed with garlic, onion, and spices)

SNACK

Applesauce

Calories:  1000 (again, oops)

Day 8: On To Week 2

Alright, week 2 has officially begun.  Today wasn't too hard, not like last Monday.  I think I'm getting the hang of things so it's not quite so frustrating.

I did have a thought on my craving issue.  My protein count has been low, I mentioned the other day that it's been between 5-9% of my daily caloric intake.  For those that are not familiar with nutrient recommendations - the daily amount noted as healthy by government and dietetic associations is 10-15% and a lot more people now believe it should be 20-25%.  So mine is low.

And my cravings have been for those animals - you know... meat, eggs, cheese, and so on.  What I wouldn't give for a hamburger right now.  It's weird, right?  Most people crave cookies and ice cream.

Then it hit me, is it possible my body is craving these things because of the lack of protein.  Is it possible that my cells are sending signals saying - "hey, we need some reinforcements down here" and my brain then sends the message, "eat meat?"  Why not?  Horses do it.  If you have ever owned horses, you know that there is typically a salt block out in the pasture because when horses are lacking the necessary salt in their diet, they'll go lick the block. 

I tried to look it up but didn't find any reliable sources.  I want to see a study, surely some has done a scientific study to see where cravings come from and why.  Couldn't find it.  But it makes sense - that a craving is your body's way of telling you to eat a particular nutrient you are not getting enough of.  I don't believe this is true for all cravings though.

Sugar/carbohydrate cravings seem to be more of an addiction.  Sugars release "feel good hormones" so when you don't have as much of it, your body wants more.  It doesn't necessarily need more, it just wants it. It feels good.

Then, of course, there are pregnancy cravings and who knows what those are all about.  Your body is so confused when you're pregnant that there is not telling what it wants.  It all has to do with hormones and stuff.

So today's meal plan went like this:

BREAKFAST

Ginger Tea
Sweet Potato Hash Browns (which are really good, by the way)

SNACK

Banana Pear Smoothie
Coffee (eek!) - 1/2 caff.

LUNCH

A Cup of Rice - so sad, I know.  I didn't have a chance to go to the store before lunch

SNACK

Cantaloupe

DINNER

Sweet Potato Soup

SNACK

Lara Bar
2 oz Walnuts

Calories:  1200

Overall, things went well.  Bowel movements were solid and good.  I'm not quite sure what to do about protein at this point. Do I stick with the plan or do I add something in earlier than expected.  I can't my body is feeling the way I was hoping it would feel after a week, so I don't really want to mess with the diet yet.  I'll think about it some more.

Day 7 plus thoughts on the week overall

I made it!  One week down.  Today was fine, nothing too big to discuss.  I did have some acid reflux this evening, that was weird.  I blame Smoothie King, they surely put something extra in my smoothie because it was sweeter and smoother than anything I can make at home.

BREAKFAST

Ginger Tea
Sweet Potato Hash Browns
*confession - I did have a few bites of my husband's eggs

LUNCH

Rice with sauteed spinach and arugula

DINNER (early)

Medium Smoothie King Strawberry Banana Smoothie

SNACK

Kind Bar

Calories: 800 (oops, that's not good)

So to sum up the week, things didn't start so well.  I had a lot of stomach pain and pressure the first few days which could have been from the quick change of diet or from an intolerance to soy.  My bowel movements have definitely been more frequent, 3-4 times during the first few days.  They've slowed down to one per day and have become more clustered and pellet-like.  I'm not sure why that is.  I'll have to look over my meal plan to see what changed.

I also still have the protruding, hard abdomen that I was hoping would go away.  I've always thought this was from my backed up colon, and it may be, but I'm not sure why it won't regulate itself.  Hopefully we will see some improvement next week.

The cravings have been bad, I'm hoping those go away next week as well.  I spend my days dreaming of juicy cheeseburgers or Layne's chicken tenders with fries.  Anything with a thick, creamy, fatty base would do the trick!  I am curious about where cravings come from and why.  I'll have to do some research about that.

Time to start planning for next week.  This should have happened earlier this weekend but I left my computer with all the documents at work.  So I just have to make it through the morning and I can go by the store before dinner time.  On we go....

Day 6

Going well, the pains and pressures experienced earlier in the week are rare now.  I feel good, hungry at times, still dealing with killer cravings, some back pain in the morning, but overall - good.

Meal plan for Day 6:

BREAKFAST

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

SNACK

Lara Bar

LUNCH

Sauteed spinach and arugula
with tomatoes and avocado
Left over tomato soup

SNACK

Pecans
Apple

DINNER

Salad with citrus vinaigrette
A few bites of tomato soup - it got rather spicy overnight!

Calories:  1350

Today (Day 7) I will have to go to the store and make another meal plan for next week.  This seems to be the hardest part (besides keeping up with daily blogging).  Hopefully it will go smoothly!

Day 5: Getting There

Day 5 was good, probably the best yet.  I felt pretty good.  I was a little hungry in the afternoon but didn't have the stomach pains and pressure I had the days before.  Oh, I did have some killer cravings for everything animal.  I had a brief weak moment in which I ate a slice of roast beef and cheese.  So good!  It didn't make me feel bad, but I am still sticking to two weeks - no meat or dairy.

I've also found my new best friend:  the emulsion blender.  This has made making soups a breeze.  We don't have a real blender, just a Magic Bullet which is quite small so in the past I had to blend about a cup at a time to make soup smooth.  The emulsion blender just goes right into the pot and chops everything up.  I've had a few spills and sprays, I'm still learning how to use it!

The day went like this:

BREAKFAST

Banana
Peppermint Tea

SNACK

Tropical Fruit Smoothie
*1 cup frozen mango, pineapple, peaches
*4 strawberries
*Juice of 1 orange
*1/2 cup of almond milk
*1/2 TB maple syrup

LUNCH
Sauteed spinach with arugula, topped with avocado and tomato

SNACK

Handful of walnuts
Kind Bar (later, got hungry again)

DINNER

Roasted Tomato Soup - found an awesome recipe here

Calories: 1200

So that was my day.  Oh, I did want to mention this - I add maple syrup to a lot of my smoothies and such scrictly to add calories to my day.  This is because I am not looking to lose weight, actually losing weight would be a bad thing for me at this point.  If you are trying to lose weight, it would be better to use honey or agave nectar in a smaller amount in your smoothies.

On to Day 6, almost one week down.

Day 4

Yesterday got away from me, hopefully I can remember all the details.  For the most part, I felt pretty good yesterday.  I noticed my stomach getting upset when I started eating edamame (soybeans) - interesting!  I also added in rice with dinner and I think that was a good idea.  I've felt hungry a lot lately and the rice helped to soothe that ache.

Another weird breakfast - I think I will stick with regular fruit smoothies in the future.  Great news - my bowel movements have been fairly consistent.  Yesterday and the day before I had 3-4 of them, which is unheard of!  Gives me a bit of a boost to keep moving forward.

BREAKFAST

Peppermint Tea
Orange Jublious
*Juice of 1 orange
*1/2 c frozen mango
*1/4 c frozen raspberries
*1/2 coconut water and meat
*1 vanilla bean - great video on how to do this here

LUNCH - 10:30 am (early, I know, but I was hungry)

Split Pea Soup

SNACK

1/2 c Cantaloupe
4-5 Edamame Pods
Handful of Cashews

DINNER

Guacamole Lettuce Wraps
with Rice

SNACK

5 Dehydrated Okra Pieces
Handful of Cashews

Calories:  1500

On to the next day... I've been a bit unsettled this morning but I'm about to have my peppermint tea which has been very helpful when my stomach not happy with me!

Day 3: Still Having Trouble

Day 3 is coming to an end and once again, I'm not feeling so well.  I felt great this morning and afternoon until just before dinner.  I was not sure if it was just because I was hungry but at this time I've eaten and am still not feeling well.  The pain is more of a pressure all through my lower abdomen, and occassional burning on the sides.  It could be gas, but I'm not sure what is causing this to occur.

Meal plan for the day...

BREAKFAST
Banana Pear Ambrosia
- this was a bit scary and I couldn't quite finish it.  I think I used too much lemon, so the tart taste combined with the baby food texture was a little much.
*1 banana
*1 pear
*1 avocado
*1 TB honey
*Lemon juice (I used a whole lemon, will probably only use half next time)

SNACK
Skipped it, got caught up in work and before I knew it it was lunch time

LUNCH
Left over quinoa and sauteed vegetables
*I ate about 1 cup of the quinoa but couldn't put down the vegetables.  Reheated mushy veges are not so good!

SNACK
Handful of edamame
1/4 c pecans
1 Kind Bar

DINNER
Left over quinoa and vegetable soup
*I tried to turn the mushy veges into soup but it still wasn't good, so I put about 1/4 cup of it over quinoa and it worked out pretty well.
Banana

Calories:  1300

So as far as the stomach pain, it did seem to come on shortly after my snack so it's possible it was the nuts.  It also came last night after dinner, which could mean it's the quinoa.  I guess the only thing to do it adjust my diet.  I will try to go back to eating rice rather than quinoa and see what happens.

I am pretty frustrated at this time, my hope was that I would feel better fairly quickly.  Fast results never seem to be good results so I'll just keep truckin' along.

Day 2: I have to do this for how long?

Ok, so today was another "ugh" day.  I woke up really hungry, which makes sense because soup is made mostly of water.  I started my day with a banana and then had a cup of Teeccino.  Teeccino is an herbal "coffee" that is made up of various nuts, carob, etc in order to taste like coffee without the acid or the caffeine.  Teeccino is gluten-free when brewed, though it does contain barley so you have to brew it in a machine.

I decided to make it in my french press - therefore, my stomach was not happy with me for most of the day.

So here is how the day went:

BREAKFAST

Banana
1 Cup Crushed Walnuts
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 Tb Honey

SNACK

1 Cup Applesauce

LUNCH

Left-over Split Pea Soup

SNACK

Kind Bar

DINNER

Sauteed Summer Vegetables
Quinoa

Calories:  1500

At this point in the evening, I don't feel great.  My stomach doesn't hurt like it did earlier but I am quite bloated and a bit gassy.  Sorry, I have to log the details.  Gas typically means something is not being digested properly in your intestines, so I will need to pay attention to that if it keeps up.

Cravings have been hard to deal with but I've made it so far.  Just a few more weeks to go!

Day 1

So today was the first day of my nutrition excursion - and it was quite exhausting!  I did not pick a very good day to start.  We were out of town all weekend and got back in last night.  I had time to plan but did not have time to go to the store, therefore that all fell onto my morning agenda.  It was a stressful day but so far I have survived.  Here is the meal plan:

BREAKFAST

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
1 banana
4 strawberries
1/2 Tb Pure Maple Syrup (to add calories)
Water and ice cubes
*Blend

SNACK

Missed it because I was at the store - was supposed to be cantalope.

LUNCH

Salad with Greek Dressing
Fresh Romaine, Spinach, and Arugula
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Greek Dressing

SNACK

Kind Bar - my new favorite grab and go snack

DINNER

Split Pea Soup

Calories - total came to about 1200
*I plan to track my calories on a daily basis to make sure I am eating enough.  The risky part about a diet like this is how easily you can starve yourself and not even know it.*

I learned a lot today about planning ahead.  This diet is not going to work unless I plan ahead and even prepare foods the night before.  Getting to work on time was difficult because I had to chop vegetables and wash salad rather than just grabbing something and heading out the door.

I also learned that there are a lot of "raw living food" recipes out there so if and when I'm ready to branch out, I can make a wide variety of meals including desserts! 

Here are a few that I found:

http://www.thedailyrawcafe.com/
http://www.welikeitraw.com/
http://www.living-foods.com/
http://www.therawchef.com/

Oh, I also did have a cup of 1/2 caf - decaf coffee today.  I know, I said I wasn't going to but I had a really bad headache and caved.  The only thing I added to it was pure maple syrup, no creamer or anything.  I will try to cut back, darn caffeine addiction!

Now I'm off to get a good night's sleep and start another day.

The Journey Begins...

For the past several years I have had some health issues mostly related to digestive complications, probably more information than you want to know. It gets better... by better, I mean more descriptive. Starting my freshman year of college (almost 8 years ago), I began to experience these complications and they have been persistently a part of my life ever since. I've tried several, and I mean several, methods to help the issue and nothing has worked consistently other than my good friend, Coffee, who has recently shown signs of a fleeting relationship as well.


So why am I posting this - because I am about to go on a digestive adventure and want to be able to document my journey. If it works, I also hope this blog will become a tool for others living with the same burden. I am warning you now that these postings will be fairly graphic with details of my daily bathroom habits and overall digestive characteristics. So if you're not interested, stop reading now!

THE STORY

When I was younger, I remember having frequent stomach pains and sitting in the bathroom at school praying, "Lord, if you help me through this, I'll do anything you want" (I didn't know the Lord back then and didn't know that you don't have to bribe Him in such ways to get help). I believe this was due more to our "fast food diet" than anything so I didn't give it much thought.

I went off to college and noticed an increase in stomach pain, not the same intestines-ripping-wide-open pain, more of a constant heavy pressure in my abdomen (and no possibility of pregnancy at the time). My roommate took me to the doctor after I sat down in the middle of campus one day because I just couldn't walk anymore, it hurt! They took some x-rays and told me my bowels were very backed up...wonderful. I guess it had been a while since I had had a bowel movement, I just hadn't really thought about it.

For the past 8 years, the trend has continued. The pattern has been unpredictable, times in which I don't even notice, and times in which I can't sleep because of the pressure in my abdomen. I've been to several doctors, tried several treatment methods, and never found consistent success. Everything seems to work for a few months, and then my body goes back to what I had come to consider "normal" for myself. The last GI doctor I saw said, "the reality is that your colon is just not functioning correctly. We need to stop trying to figure out the cause, because there is just no way to know, and start trying to manage your symptoms." That was pretty disheartening, but then I found coffee and my heart was lit up again!

Of all the methods I have tried: fiber supplements, increased water intake, increased exercise, probiotics, Miralax, stool softeners, herbal teas, laxatives, enemas, slippery elm, stress management, and I'm sure there are others - the only remedy that has worked well for over two years is coffee! However, even though coffee produces the much desired daily bowel movement, the product still is not what it should be. Half the time they are very, very hard, round, and dark. The rest of the time they are bright brown, slippery, and very foul-smelling (again, sorry for the details). And here's the other part - half of the time I'm either straining to get things moving or it comes on so fast, I barely make it to the toilet. Hmm... to me, that doesn't sound like how it's supposed to work.

I also don't want to be dependent upon coffee for the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE coffee! But I certainly don't want to have to NEED coffee. So what is the solution? That is what I am out to find.

Lately, I have been learning more and more about the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. I know that sounds like a "duh" comment, but there are several chronic diseases that are caused by and/or made worse from eating a certain food that your body is not digesting properly. I recently went gluten-free because it's possible that I have celiac disease. Through studying about the disease, I have learned about other common food intolerances such as milk, eggs, rice, nuts, soy, even meat, that can cause inflammation of the colon. My plan is to eliminate all of these items from my daily intake, and then slowly add one item back in for a fixed period of time to see how my body responds. My hope is that I will find out exactly what the cause of my chronic condition is and be free from it!

So why not go to the doctor, one may be asking themselves. Well, first of all, it costs money to go to the doctor. We don't have insurance right now and there are things we would rather spend our money on than medical bills. And secondly, I've been there and had no success. You read what the last doctor said about my condition, why should I continue putting myself through tests and procedures (again, paying money) to hear that? This is something I can try on my own, it's not easy but it might work. And if it doesn't work, then I can make the choice about going back to the doctor. But I have to try it on my own first.

THE PLAN

I will begin the elimination diet on April 5, 2010. That will give me time to research and prepare meal plans before I start. I have to have a meal plan set or this isn't going to work. Eating without processed, refined foods is very, very difficult - especially since I work full time and have other things to do during the day than think about food.

My college degree is in Human Nutrition so I at least have some knowledge of how my body works and what it needs fuel-wise. The most important thing will be to make sure I am getting enough calories, I certainly don't want to be losing weight while I do this (not a common phrase, I know).

For two weeks my diet will consist of fruit, vegetables, and quinoa. I chose quinoa because it's important that I have some substantial grain to eat and quinoa is more easily digestible than rice. After these two weeks, my body should have regulated itself - if it didn't, then we have greater problems and I have to start over. If it works, I spend the next few weeks adding in the possible problem-foods one at a time, charting the effects, then moving on the next.

These are the foods I will focus on, I have eaten all of them on a frequent basis for the past few years and they commonly cause digestive problems. If none of these are the source, I'll have to make a new list.

Beef
Chicken
Fish
Rice
Dairy
Eggs
Nuts
Soy
Wheat
Yeast
Corn
Food Additives (this will be tough)

So now I am off to create timelines and meal plans. I will post them here once I have them together. Actually, I will probably start a new post dedicated to this topic so uninterested readers don't have to read about my bodily functions!