Once my dietitian got my results from the MRT (see previous post), she developed a specialized diet based on my personal food sensitivities. The diet is in 6 phases and each phase last 10+ days.
I started Phase 1 on Saturday, December 6, 2014
Foods allowed on Phase 1 are…
Proteins: Pinto Beans, Pork, Pea Protein (NOW brand only)
Grains and Starches: Green Pea, Oat, Quinoa, Corn
Vegetables: Cauliflower, Yellow Squash, Lettuce, Beet
Fruits: Grapefruit, Watermelon
Dairy & Miscellaneous: Homemade Almond Milk
Nuts and Seeds and Oils: Hazelnut, Sunflower seed, Corn oil
Flavor Enhancers: Mint, Cumin, Leek, Mustard, Garlic
Other: Baking Soda, Sea Salt
Let me start out by saying I HATE peas! I remember when I was in college, my "friends" tied me down and force fed me peas. I HATE them! However, I was willing to give them a try if it meant I would have a green vegetable to eat. Also, Pea Protein sucks! I have forced myself to drink it several times and it keeps me full, but the taste is horrible!
I have been known to eat pinto beans in the past, but that was with corn bread and onions. I had no idea what to do with them. But, I am usually a pretty good cook so, I knew I would figure out something. Also, there are only so many ways to cook pork before you feel like you are going to die from boredom.
I happen to like oatmeal, but with nothing on it, it taste like paste. I like quinoa, but have only cooked it with stock and added other things to it and as for corn, I was taught years ago in a protein book that corn is what they give to pigs to make them fat and it should be avoided. I guess I have to learn to love corn all over again. That was pretty easy. Corn tortillas, corn on the cob and frozen corn are all good and popcorn is a good lunch or light dinner.
As for the vegetables, From this group, I basically only like lettuce, I think I can stomach beets, but only sparingly. If I can learn to cook yellow squash where it's not slimy, it might be ok too. I discovered yellow squash was ok and beets were better as juice on a make shift salad of watermelon and lettuce drizzled with beet juice and seasoned with sea salt. That is what my world has become. Yuck!
Fruits…I LOVE watermelon! I could and do eat it daily. I've only eaten grapefruit sliced in half for breakfast with sugar. I've learned it's ok without sugar, but I like it better as a fresh squeezed fruit juice.
I don't have a blender at this time, so I purchased raw almond butter and mixed it with water to make almond milk. Very boring! Would not recommend with oatmeal unless you could sweeten with sugar and in that case, just put the sugar on the oatmeal and have a good breakfast.
I have traditionally cooked with olive oil and grape seed oil over the years, so I was kind of stumped with what to do with the oils. I find myself using more sunflower seed oil since it is good for high heat cooking and I like to brown my pork before putting it in the oven or cooking over a low heat on the stove.
As for flavor enhancers, I'm find I'm using more ground mustard and mixing with water to make traditional mustard. It has a strong taste that is pretty good with pork. I used the leeks to make a stock with pork that I've been using to cook the pinto beans in and cumin and garlic have been used sparingly. I've learned to live without garlic and don't really like the taste or smell now.
And…THANK GOD FOR SEA SALT!!!!
As we all know, the food is the least important part of this diet. The most important part is my health. They say that everyone goes through a detox and has withdrawal. I didn't have any withdrawal since I have been through 2 elimination diets this past year and caffeine was already out of my system. However, I did have a psychological detox. If that's what you would call it. For several days, I went through a deep depression and had several mild anxiety attacks and major mood swings. They were accompanied with major brain fog. My poor husband has to bear the brunt of it, and it wasn't good. Thankfully, those have lifted and I seem to be back to "normal" again. I'm not having as many GI issues, but noticed a small increase in my weight on day, but it's back to normal now. I have actually lost almost 5 lbs so far. My muscle and joint aches and pains seem to be be better and my complexion is good and the bags under my eyes are going away. I think I'm on the right track!
I realize a lot of my health problems come from external elements in my life. For instance, I know I'm allergic to the cats and will have to stay on anti-histamines due to that reason alone. I have dust mite allergies and have had to change the bedding. I also know the carpet and window treatments will need to be take care of for those same reasons too. Scented candles give me migraines and perfumes and certain laundry detergents are a big no-no. If working in a dusty or dirty environment, I get a shortness of breath and dizziness followed by headache and lethargy. If I can remember to remove myself from that environment and take a short walk, I will be ok.
Hopefully, I will be able to start phase 2 of the LEAP diet tomorrow and will begin to add new foods I have been missing back into my diet. Phase 2 works differently than Phase 1 and I can only add one new food a day. I'll let you all know the results soon!
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