Since Saturday morning I've been completely grain free. I also haven't had to contend with my usual morning rocket-fuel-enema since then either. Which is a very good thing.
The digestive change was immediate... so... something to ponder. I've done every kind of elimination diet, and I just have never been able to figure out what triggers me. Which left me wondering if maybe it was hot food... sounds crazy... but seemed to be a factor. Cold food didn't bother me to the same level (usually). But eating only cold cereal didn't really change things. So then I thought maybe it's the HOT coffee.... because iced coffee didn't seem to add the rocket fuel to the breakfast clean out ;) But then I'd go off coffee and still have problems. Confused? Yes, I was too. Everything I tried seemed to work, but only under certain conditions.
Well, I've been drinking hot coffee every morning (still with half & half, that & butter are my only dairy), and I've been eating hot breakfast EVERY morning, and I've had no issues.
What is most interesting about this digestive change is that I'd actually been wheat free for 3 full years in the past (and for a period, completely gluten free) and been tested for celiac (negative) and I was still having digestive issues. They were improved, but not in any way cured, so eventually I went back to a regular diet. The whole thing has been confounding, and I've really tried to get answers. That's why, hitting my head against the wall I thought, could it really be hot fucking coffee? But here I am drinking coffee. And it's hot. And I'm not having my weird panicky hot flashes, shakes, and urgent bathroom visits. Imagine that EVERY morning for 20 years. It got to the point where, despite Mr F's extreme love of restaurant breakfasts, that we'd never go because I knew it would be like I'd been food poisoned for several hours afterward.
TMI, I know, but I also know that there are a lot of people out there that can relate.
What is most interesting is that it didn't take 14 days for the toxin to leave my body, the change was immediate. Also, my energy throughout the day is MUCH improved, I've been able to get back to my after dinner workouts and I'm not dragging myself down there. I should note that I've removed all white sugar (still have stevia & coconut sugar in my coffee & my muffins), so I know that helps, but since I'm not totally sugar free I haven't had any hard time adjusting. I also don't wake up famished, and don't need to snack all night (helps that there is nothing really to snack on!). I've also grown a long silky mane and a sparkly horn (just kidding). Not sure about weight loss, I didn't weigh myself first (d'oh!), but I do feel lighter. I'm not joking, I'd have thought I had lost 5 pounds... the truth is that I've, maybe, lost a pound or two (again can't be sure, but definitely not more than that). I'll know better from this point forward.
I really didn't need to ease into this. I think it helps that I'm not a dairy person to begin with (I don't drink milk, eat cheese, like yogurt or ice cream... believe it), and I've already done wheat free eating for a long time, so I kind of knew what to expect & that I could tolerate it. It also, certainly, helps that I have the ability to cook 3 meals a day. But I haven't been cranky, or hungry, or having withdrawal headaches... as I have had when doing other elimination diets.
Things are going so well that Mr F went to Whole Foods for lunch and bought himself a rotisserie chicken and a bag of carrots. He really cracks me up, sometimes. He's going Paleo starting today. Seeing before & after pictures of men's guts proved to be very influential ;)
Unfortunately, I've also already had 2 migraines... so... it's not a miracle cure.
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11 comments:
OK. Convinced. Taking the leap. I promise not to post any pics, though. Too gruesome.
Awesome.
One thing I've learned, despite all the hype, kale chips taste like hell.
interesting to hear about the effects of going paleo, especially in terms of the rocket fueled mornings: oh how i know about those! if i wasn't already relentlessly stalking your blog, i might be tempted to do so now ;)
...and thanks for the chuckle at reading about your long silky mane and the sparkly horn you grew (at the office today, otherwise i might have laughed out loud [yes, i'm that easy to amuse *lesigh*])
I am so happy you posted again about your Paleo journey. I read your first post about it and researched Paleo for most of the morning and afternoon. I then decided to take the plunge the next day with my daughter and myself.
I too have not weighed myself... just can't do it yet. But I have noticed my belly seems to be a little less "bulgey" (not a word..but whatever!) I feel better and my daughter is being a trooper as we are learning together.
So Thank You for the update and please keep them coming!!!!
Yeah, i am not a fan of the kale chips either.
I did a sort of paleo thing last July (lasted until the day after Murphy's MRI & then went full on off the wagon.) I lost 9 freaking pounds in that month. I still ate 1 plain fat free greek yogurt a day though. I put coconut milk creamer in my coffee. It does not taste like coconut for the record. I am straight up, no flavored coffee kind of girl.
I just didn't think about food all that much during that time. Like how I do now...the constant 'treating myself' for any damn reason bad or good. And then also buying one last pint of Ben&Jerry's before I start eating better. I did stop myself from buying ice cream "for the snowstorm" yesterday.
So when you say that you are off white sugar, what does that exactly mean? What foods did you cut out?
Brina,
I had to throw something funny in there... it was getting on the potentially gross side ;)
Miss Leah,
exciting, keep me updated! I hear you on the less blugey.
Julie,
"I just didn't think about food all that much during that time. Like how I do now...the constant 'treating myself' for any damn reason bad or good."
YES!!!! I feel like I instantly switched to eating to live instead of living to eat.
Re: sugar & what I'm eating....
I'm not eating any grains, so sugar is fairly easy to cut out. I'm eating all fruits, vegetables (except potatoes & corn), meats, eggs & coconut milk, butter, olive oil, some 1/2&1/2 in my coffee but today I ran out so I'm going to try the coconut milk instead, almonds, tapicoa, I'm not avoiding legumes but I'm not adding them in where I wouldn't normally eat them ( I had hummus twice this week).
'm not using white sugar or honey. I put sweetener in my coffee (I'm at mostly stevia but need a little sugar to offset the aftertaste... I'm using a tiny bit of coconut palm sugar because it's unrefined and lower GI). I also put the coconut palm sugar in my paleo muffins (maybe a tsp each muffin), and about a 1/4c in my coconut milk tapioca pudding, which I have for dessert (obviously makes several servings!)
Too much info or not enough?
Today:
breakfast - 2 eggs w/ one piece canadian bacon
tea w/ 1 t coconut palm sugar
early lunch - 1 paleo muffin (pumpkin & almond meal)&
coconut milk, mango, banana, strawberry smoothie
(I like these better than any smoothie I ever had... far prefer the coconut milk... I'm using So Delicious in a carton from the milk section)
late lunch - 1 paleo muffin, ceasar salad (chicken, lettuce & little dressing), hot tea w/1 t coconut sugar
Some kind of asian stirfry w/ chicken for dinner (kids get rice) & I'm making some more of the pudding for dessert.
*Note while I'm eating all fruits, I'm not eating ALL fruit ;) One serving-ish a day. The smoothie has a total of about 1.5 pieces of fruit in it and that will be it for the day.
I'm at about 18 g of added sugar outside of what is naturally occurring in the fruits. Considering a piece of bread has 4 g I'm feeling pretty good about this. I'm not sure if it's the lower total sugar intake or the lower GI of the coconut sugar (or both) I'm using but I really don't have any ups and downs in the day.
*perk* did i hear gross? when i told my mother about the birthday gifts i just gave to my brother last weekend, she wondered aloud how on earth our humor development got stuck when we were 8 years old and why we still like potty humor so much (fyi, he just turned 36 and i'm 32 y/o) - so much for that! ;)
Oh how I am digging this, Mrs. Furious! Keep the info coming! I live in the rural Midwest, so I have a feeling finding some ingredients like almond flour and coconut milk (in a carton...I know I can get it in a can) may be difficult. But clearly the benefits are well worth an hour road trip.
Miss Leah,
You can get almond flour on Amazon and it is cheaper than in the store! Almond flour That will seem expensive but it is a five pound bag... that will last a LONG time. Bob's red mill also makes it which our grocery stores all carry... maybe you can find it? I think the canned coconut milk is actually better for you, the carton is just convenient.
I am going to have to get some of the coconut milk. That would be great in a smoothie. I didn't realize it was fewer calories than low fat milk. Do you use the unsweetened or regular version of the coconut milk?
Also, I love tapioca pudding. Please tell me more on this. Are making it from a recipe or a box?
You know with me there is no such thing as too much info.
Coconut sugar? I am intrigued.
Julie,
our local store only has "original" which does have sugar in it. I'm not sure how much, because I don't know how much would be naturally occurring. I'm sending Mr F to Whole Foods to see if they have the unsweetened version.
Tapicoa:
1/3 c small pearl tapioca (Bob's Red Mill makes it)
2 c coconut milk
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 c coconut sugar (or whatever sweetener) to your taste*
1 t vanilla
*1/4 is bare minimum of sweetness for me. 1/2 c is full sweetness like regular pudding
#1 soak the tapioca in water in a medium saucepan for 30 mins
#2 whisk milk, eggs & sugar together
#3 pour milk mixture into pot with soaked tapioca
#4 bring to a simmer stirring to keep from scorching
#5 once thickened remove from heat and add 1 t vanilla.
done!
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