Elimination Diet: Day 4 - Bored but Still Alive

The first day was absolutely the worst. I not only received 0 real food (everything was pureed), I also had one of the worst headaches in my entire life. Words do not express.

Day 2 was a tad better...I ended up switching to phase 2 then based off how poorly I was doing from phase 1 (note: they say to stay on it 2 days...I'm a big, bad rebel). I got a little bit of protein in that I was desperately craving (from chicken), but still not horrible satisfying.

It is now day 4....The one thing I have noticed is that I'm not quite as tired when I get home from work. I am unsure as to if this is due to removing something in my diet that I was intolerant to, or because I'm eating less carbs than I was (I'm hypoglycemic...so carbs are bad for me..a rollercoaster ride). Regardless, even if I don't discover a food intolerance, at least I have gotten back on track for better eating for my hypoglycemia.

On another note, I have discovered some interesting foods, as I have to read nutrition labels for hours upon end in order to find something without added sugar and soybean oil in it (or gluten, or nuts, or dairy...etc).  I've also cooked some fairly interesting things....

Today-

I made turkey sausage with some spices and a tiny drop of honey (can only do honey or maple syrup pretty much...no sugar), then diced up some avocado. --> breakfast 1 (I have to eat a lot)

A smoothie with a few strawberries, half a banana, a cup of unsweetened coconut milk, and vegan protein powder. --> breakfast 2

Apricot for a snack or two

Salad with turkey, avocado, and apple cider vinegar

Lentil Chips for another snack.

Dinner was mahi mahi with some garlic seasoning, and then I made rice noodles and tossed it with olive oil, garlic, and sauteed mushrooms.

Sweet tooth dessert was homemade warm apple sauce with cinnamon.



Granted, this diet doesn't have much variety so I go towards my love of fruit...which is not good for me...but oh well! I am over the daily sugar amount...up to like 50 gram today...shame on me. But! I also hit my minimum protein (80 gram).

And, I have consistently had 10-12 cups of water every day!! :)

All in all, I miss variety in my food, and I have to bring food with me to places so that I can eat...but it's going all right now! 

Elimination Diet - Detox Stage (aka hell)

What can I say...my head is pounding....I'm beyond tired, my concentration level has flatlined.

I asked for it.

If I didn't know any better I'd think I had the flu.

The detox stage of this diet is absolutely horrid. Way worse than any symptoms before. I woke up this morning, made my usual cup of coffee, put my creamer in it....

Crap.

I can't have coffee.

I can't have the creamer either.

Soybean oil, corn syrup, sugar. Nope. Not happening.

I for a second thought my headache may be from my coffee withdrawal. I guess it's possible, but I only have one cup a day, and it took 7 hours past my usual coffee time for this headache to set in. I've felt progressively worse throughout the day actually. Let me tell you the two reasons this detox stage sucks: there's practically no protein consumption, since everything is on the "no foods" list, and it's actually fairly hard to get your calorie goal without getting incredibly bored from the few foods you can eat. And the foods allowed (fruit) have a lot of simple sugars. Bad idea. So I guess that's three. But, I must continue, I have an end goal in mind.

I woke up, and got my mason jars ready. On the right, my usual water, this time with strawberries and mint. Then the hell sits in.

Green smoothie of death. Everything that makes a smoothie delicious (milk, juice, almond milk, yogurt) is not allowed during this diet. Sooooo, that blows. I opted for strawberries and spinach, with some flax seed and coconut. Not horrible, but definitely not tasty.

And then, on the left is a variation on my soup I've made before. It has sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, apple. Cook it with some olive oil, and purée, and tada! The whole "everything needs to be puréed" thing about this diet is just nonsense. I get the reasoning, but I like eating!

So, I ate/drank what you see for the day, and then some coconut water, and here I am, feeling absolutely horrible. 

Phase two includes solid foods and chicken/turkey/fish. No products with gluten, dairy, nuts, sugars, corn, soy. But I get quinoa and oatmeal! For the sake of my survival, phase two has now begun. If you have serious symptoms, or do not have hypoglycemia, try and do phase 1 for up to 3-4 days (book recommends two). If that's your thing!

More updates mañana! Time for food prepping! Steel cut oats for breakfast!

The Elimination Diet - Determine Your Food Intolerances

If only I had stuck to my water...

Right before I sat down to type this entry, I was sticking my fingers into a cake my students had given me last week. So I'm a little uncivilized, but as I was cleaning out my fridge and kitchen to start my next journey, the craving hit...I couldn't let good cake go to waste! And in I dove, white frosting, moist gooey cake. All over. Yum.

(The cake....now cleaned up):

Not smart, Jennifer.
And then the nausea and weakness hit.

My body doesn't appear to like me much. I am sick often, to the extent where friends and family members find it hard to believe. I don't have a visible injury--you can't tell that I'm feeling weak and nauseated. But it's a legitimate thing, that plagues my life. So apart from my poor self control, it's clear that it's time for something new. Something, with my decreased work schedule over the summer, that actually might be able to manage....The elimination diet.

For those of you that know me personally, you know I have struggled with some health issues over the years, mainly this recurring nausea and weakness I was just mentioning that seems to haunt me at random moments. While hypoglycemia (my diagnosis) probably plays into this, I continue to think something else has got to be off. I'm exhausted, I have lingering anxiety that doesn't go away, I'm shaky, weak, have stomach cramps. But my blood tests always come back normal. So what gives.

Upon searching for my summer reading in Barnes and Noble the other day, I stumbled across the food and diet section. I was hoping for a sign--something to help me with these mystery conditions. Nothing popped out at me. It wasn't until my good friend amazon.com had some recommended titles for me that I caught wind of my must-read for the summer (apparently they know I'm a basket case). One of those being, "The Elimination Diet."

The principal of this diet is based off removing any possible triggers from your diet to determine what may be causing unwanted symptoms-- fatigue, nausea, cramping, headaches, etc. It has used scientific studies to determine the foods that most commonly cause people to have allergic reactions or intolerances, and then takes those away.  This is not a diet in which you strive to lose weight and watch calories. This is a diet where you watch your food consumption and are consciously aware of what your body is doing and how it feels.

It is a process to identify the triggers for the unwanted symptoms and feelings that have gone undiagnosed for years.

I invite you to follow along in my journey, and even participate in your own journey as well. I bought the book on my kindle app for iPad for $12.99, or you could get it shipped to you. I don't typically like digital versions of books, but I felt like this was an urgent matter that I couldn't spend any more time waiting to begin. I would love to hear your own situations as well...does anyone else have nagging symptoms they can't seem to figure out?

Tomorrow, I begin step 1 - The detox.

Essentially, they want me to starve and whither away first. Okay, that might not be entirely true, but that is probably how I will feel by the end of day 2. It is based off of soups and smoothies. No solid food. Hmm. I'm not typically a "fasting" or juice cleanse endorser-- explicitly opposed actually. But, for the sake of my case study, I'm going to give it a go. Veggies all ready in the fridge!

(Unfortunately I don't get to drink the wine during this journey....)

Until tomorrow....

Inspiration for the Week: Mason Jars and Cod

When it comes to weekly meal planning, there are often 2 choices: take the longer, tedious route and enjoy variety throughout the week, or go for the quick method which involves a lot of meal repetition. I think I found the best of both worlds this week with my mason jar inspiration.

These jars could contain virtually anything. They're sturdy, and they're easy to transport. This week, I will be packing them with a variety of shaker salads. Remember the shaker salad McDonald's used to have like ten years ago in the plastic cups? Yes, that's what we're going for....just a bit classier.

As for the dinners, they are not quite as varied, but I usually will flex a bit from my plan based off how I feel. I always keep ground turkey on hand to mix up some quick shell-less tacos, lettuce wraps, or taco soup, depending on my mood. But I had extra cod on hand, and it's a great source of lean protein.

Here is my weekly meal plan. Pictures to follow.

After following my plans more consistently, it's amazing the change in my overall well being. If I do have the occasional fall-off the wagon (like yesterday), usually it's not enough to crash me as long as I'm doing well throughout the rest of the week.

Keep it clean. Raw when possible. Low glycemic. Supplement with probiotics, omegas, and B-vitamins. Live well.

Food Prep is Key for Consistent Eating

The past month I have devoted myself to my eating and health. Bumps in the road have definitely occurred, but as time continues to pass, new habits have evolved and become easier to follow. For example,

1.) I enjoy having a few drinks when I go out (and I go out a few times a week). Before, I would occasionally go over that. Now, I always stop at 2 drinks, and always always ALWAYS eat something with a considerable amount of protein (and fat) in it to help with the blood sugar, and drink plenty for water (1 qt per drink!). I realized this after two instance in the past month where I thought I was invincible (alcohol tends to do that, haha), and did not feel well for days afterwards. Oh. My. Goodness. You don't have to be hypoglycemic to heed that advice, it is beneficial for everyone.

2.) Consistency is key. Just one bender day will set me off on a negative course, sometimes affecting me for 4-5 days afterwards (such as one of the days mentioned above).


It is time consuming, but taking the time to prepare meals every Sunday for the week ahead has proven very beneficial for my health, and my stress levels. The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day (dealing with 175 hormonal middle schoolers) is come home, try and figure out what I want for dinner, and then cook it for an hour. The same goes for the next morning, when I can hardly crawl out of bed. Just get up, grab and go my breakfast and lunch, and I can be out the door.

The trick is go grocery shopping once a week (Sundays are best for me), and then immediately cut up your food for all quick-to-prepare dinners throughout the week, and then bulk cook a few meals that you would like to eat throughout the week. I will tend to have one meal a few times a week, to cut down on food prep, but you can do as much as you feel is reasonable. I will usually get some inspiration on pinterest to create a meal plan, plan my shopping list, and then go grocery shopping (about 1 1/2 for all that). Then I'll take about 1-2 hours to prepare all my food for the week. Here is the meal plan I originally came up with last week. I did end up switching a few things around for lunch, but they were all already prepared.

If you are aiming for low-glycemic like myself to stabilize mood and blood sugars, be sure to limit your fruit intake to only 1 piece of lower-glycemic fruit a day (pairs better with a meal to balance it out). Look up the glycemic index for a list of fruits that are best for this.

Additionally, I am taking a few supplements to help with mood stabilization and overall health, stress, + energy levels. These are : a probiotic (refrigerated section), an Omega-complex (I have the Udo brand, also refrigerated), a B complex vitamin, and a homeopathic remedy called ignatia amara, recommended by my doctor (ask them for recommendations, these can be quite potent).

Food prep begins tomorrow, and I'll be sure to post the next week plan then! Until then, please ask if you have any questions. You can find my recipes + pictures of many of these foods on my instagram page:

#healthyteachergirl

Rollercoasters, the Glycemic Index, and Health Pacts. Enter: Healthyteachergirl

Find #healthyteachergirl on Instagram.

Many of us are often silently suffering through health problems. Many of these problems may be significant concerns to us, such as arthritis and diabetes, but others are small, nagging problems--a variety of symptoms with unknown causes, that we just wish to be over. I myself have been suffering through a hodgepodge of symptoms for about 3-4 years now. These range from stomach cramps and shaking of the hands (with a weak feeling attached), to nausea, vomiting, and an inability to walk some mornings. It. is. terrifying. In recent months I have been experiencing severe anxiety and depression as well that only contributed to my overall feeling of misery. While I have known how to eat, and what to be eating, I just wasn't being strict enough, mainly due to peer pressures and wanting to fit in, and I was therefore on a sickening roller coaster.

There are a large variety of fad diets out there, or "lifestyles," such as vegan, raw, South Beach, or Atkins. But ultimately, most of these diets have one thing in common: your body consuming natural, unprocessed goods, that are low on the glycemic index.

All foods have a ranking on the glycemic index. This scale ranges from 0-100, and the lower the score, the better. Lower scores indicate that that particular food causes your blood sugar levels to spike less than other foods might. Less of a spike, means less of a crash. And the majority of our ills are due to unregulated blood sugar, or the crashing of the blood sugar.

There is obviously more science to this, but when it comes down to it, a low glycemic diet is best. No person benefits from huge spikes and then drops in their blood sugar. By focusing on a low glycemic diet, you naturally begin to eat less refined and processed foods (as they are all higher on the G.I.), more protein, and more fibrous vegetables. The one thing you might think you need, fruit, is actually not very good for you. Fruit contains high levels of sugar, natural or not, that lead to blood sugar spikes and weight gain. I do have some fruit in my diet, but they are on the lower side of the G.I.. Trust me, it's hard. I love fruit. Love, love, love.

So enter healthyteachergirl. This is my new persona, to motivate myself to stick with my eating style, and hopefully encourage and educate some of you on healthy ways to eat.

Through my Instagram page, I hope to provide you with meal ideas, important supplements that need to be included in your diet, and general encouragement on your path to living a healthy lifestyle. Let's make a pact. Comment on this blog if you are ready to make that commitment to yourself, and the public universe to live your best life. Hopefully through persistence, dedication, and this new community I hope to find, we can all find peace and comfort within ourselves.

Please follow me on Instagram, username healthyteachergirl.

Find #healthyteachergirl on Instagram

Adjusting Your Diet to Reduce Inflammation - Check Out "therawfoodies.com"

You are driving home from work-- your body aches, you're exhausted, and you are counting down the minutes until you can plop down on the couch with a drink and a snack. If this sounds familiar, and you've ever experienced increased fatigue and unusual pain or soreness in your body, there is a possibility that you are suffering from inflammation. While it can be caused by an external factor, such as a car accident, very often the food that you eat can be a leading contributor to this inflammation and its related symptoms. Making small changes in your diet can reduce this inflammation, increase your mood, and put you on track for living a healthier, pain free life.

Foods that we eat every day are silently sneaking an attack on our bodies. Check below to see if you are eating any of these foods so you can become aware of it. A future post will discuss alternatives to these foods.

-processed foods: the preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats in processed foods all contributed to inflammation.
-dairy products
-meats
-alcohol
-sugar/sweeteners
-sodium (salt)
-gluten

Eliminating all of these foods from your diet is not simple, and for some of us, might not even be possible. While there are a variety of ways to begin phasing these things out of your diet, one solution that is very to the point is a raw food diet. This means all of your food is consumed in the raw, uncooked state--no processing, no pasteurization (as is used with dairy), no cooking/heating above a certain point.

One might find a raw food diet intimidating -- especially the idea of not being able to eat meat and dairy, or commonly eaten processed foods like pasta. Prioritizing raw food in your diet doesn't mean you have to give it up completely to have health benefits. There are a variety of ways to cut back on inflammatory foods, or modify the foods that are often inflammatory, while still enjoying yourself. Future posts will discuss this.

But for now, if you are interested in raw food living, a friend of mine has recently undergone a raw vegan lifestyle, and she has some wonderful insight on the raw vegan lifestyle. She will be updating her blog regularly, but I highly suggest checking it out.

The Raw Foodies