Elimination Week 2 Update

Hey friends!

Well, as the Fresh Prince would say… my life has been flipped, turned upside down: I GOT A PUPPY.

Yes, in the midst of this elimination diet, I welcomed home an adorable, angel, princess, demon child puppy 🙂 Her name is Harlee – an adorable yet hard-headed F1B Bernedoodle Merle pup – more on her in another post.

So to say my life has been stressful is probably an understatement, but you’re here to hear about the elimination diet!

Honestly, I had hoped to be a little more creative in the kitchen – to be able to come prepared with some super interesting recipes, but alas, because life has been hectic, honestly I’m just eating what’s easy and acceptable on the diet. There have been a FEW creative moments, but I think I’ll share those next week when I’ve perfected some things.

So let’s talk the update:

SYMPTOM CHECK:

• Bloating:
  • Now a little over 2 weeks in, I can say that my bloating is definitely decreased. Prior, I would be bloated all day, every day. Literally. Just a full feeling in my abdomen no matter what!
  • I’m still having some bad days/moments, which leads me to believe that there are some high FODMAP foods that are okay on this diet that may be bothering me, but we’ll circle back at the end of week 4.
• Cramping:
  • This has pretty much all gone away, thank goodness! In addition to bloating, there were often times that I would get HORRIBLE cramping all throughout my abdomen. I’m sure it was something I was eating, so curious to see what that was when we start reintroducing.
• Digestion:
  • This has been MUCH more regular, if ya know what I mean. Such a blessing.
• Energy:
  • Energy still feels somewhat low, but it could also be from my puppy lol.
• Joint pain:
  • Still experiencing quite a lot of joint pain, but hoping it will calm down in the next few weeks as I continue.
• General inflammation feeling:
  • I do feel a little overall less inflammed. I just feel less puffy, which is a great feeling!
• Skin:
  • Haven’t seen too many positive skin changes yet – I was hoping for come changes in my chronic face congestion, but I have been on quite a few rounds of medication, and with my still present hormonal issues, I’m not surprised I haven’t seen changes in this area.

TYPICAL MEALS:

I’m trying really hard to stay varied in my eating because it’s better for gut health, but I do find it hard with the limitations. Below are some meals I’ve been eating:

BREAKFAST:

• Breakfast Hash
  • Chicken Sausage (Coleman has compliant ones – spinach or apple variety), with any mix of veggies such as zucchini, brussels, brocolli, sweet potatoes, etc. Sometimes I’ll add an apple in there as well. Top with lots of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
• Sweet Potato Bowl
  • Steam and blended sweet potatoes with coconut milk, Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen, salt and cinnamon, topped with ghee, cinnamon, and coconut chips.
• Bacon, AIP English Muffin, Side of Fruit
  • Uncured, Whole30 approved Bacon (this brand is awesome!!)
  • I’m still perfecting the English Muffin cooking method, but the taste from this recipe is great! It’s AIP friendly, and I usually top it with strawberries and it kind taste like a strawberry short cake or angel cake that way.

LUNCH/DINNER:

Honestly, I mostly have just been eating bowls of protein (chicken, turkey, fish), veggies, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning – creative, I know.

BUT! I have whipped up a few dressings that switch things up here and there:

• Pesto
  • Nut free and dairy free, this dressing is really good! You’ll need a high-powered blender or food processor:
  • 4 servings:
    • 1 cup fresh basil
    • 4 tbsp olive oil
    • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • garlic powder to taste
    • salt
    • pepper
• “Alfredo” sauce
  • Again, you’ll need a good blender/food processor:
  • 1 serving:
    • 10 teaspoons full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • salt
    • pepper

SNACKS:

I’m a big snacker, and this is what I’ve been munching on:

• Plantain chips (make sure you check the oils they’re cooked in!)
• Siete Dip Chips (has to be these – their other chips have chia seeds which I cannot have)
• Siete Cassava Tortillas
• Date Paste
  • I am using this A TON. Works for a sweetener in breakfast bowls or in unsweetened coconut yogurt, a great dip for fruit, or on the siete tortillas – I toast them and then spread the date past, sprinkle cinnamon and salt and it tastes like a churro!
• Plain ole’ fruit!
• Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Tea – this has been a lifesaver! Naturally sweet, so this has replaced all coffee and other teas for me during this time.

Well, that is the brief, straight to the point Week 2 Update! Feel free to drop any questions below or send me a DM on Instagram – always happy to chat!

MAYBE, I’ll get more creative this week, but with Harlee, I doubt it!

Stay tuned for Week 3 Update next week!

xx

happily Haleigh