Do you struggle with diet and writing? Do you fight sugar and caffeine cravings?
I used to. Or worse, when my writing lagged and the words would’t flow, I found myself foraging in the pantry, though I didn’t hoard words in there.
I shared a little bit of my health journey in previous blogs. On February first, I started the Elimination Diet. It kicked off with a 5-day fast, to which I’d resisted at first, but my doctor insisted.
A fast. Ugh.
Eliminating the Undesirables
One doesn’t get to the Elimination Diet because one feels like it. For me, it was the last solution, the last frontier, the last hope. I’d consulted several doctors, suffered the charming procedure of a colonoscopy, and in general felt energy depleted and just blah, even with my healthy lifestyle. Did I mention despite my efforts, I could not lose weight?
That was really frustrating. I did everything right but my body resisted. With my BodyBugg, I could measure how many calories I burned, how many I ate. I wrote everything down. My calorie deficit consistently was over 500 per day. Doctors scratched their head and all they could say usually began with “at your age…”
Screw my age. I knew something wasn’t right.
When I met Dr. Davis from Lifelogics, he listened. And he proposed to start the Elimination Diet so I could determine which foods my body didn’t appreciate.
Between Allergies and Intolerances
The symptoms are also different:
Allergy symptoms: rash or hives, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, itchy skin, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the airways to the lungs, anaphylaxis.
Intolerance symptoms: nausea, stomach pain, gas-cramps-bloating, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, headaches, irritability or nervousness.
As you can see, many symptoms are similar. Which makes the diagnosis difficult. Allergy or intolerance? Immune or digestive system related?
I say both. I say sometimes the line is so fine, it becomes indistinguishable. I say when you need an epi-pen, it makes it easy to define the symptom as allergy. But the immune system doesn’t always make it that easy. Doctors might disagree with me.
I don’t care.
The Elimination Diet made it possible to determine which food I react to. The first step is to clean up the system, to clear away all the inflammation. That’s why it’s so drastic at first.
Hence the 5-day fast.
What’s the relationship with writing, you ask?
Keep me on track, why don’t you? <smile>
Brain Fog
Have you ever suffered from brain fog?
You know what I mean, when the clock rings 3 pm and your mind is vacant and can’t focus and you think it’s time for a caffeine shot? That brain fog.
There’s varying degrees of brain fog. There’s the I-can’t-stop-playing-those-FB-games fog, the roaming-around-the-house-wondering-what-I-need-to-do fog, the I-need-a-nap fog.
Brain fog can be a symptom of food intolerance.
After 3 days on the fast, I’d never achieved so much brain clarity in my life. After the 5th day, I didn’t want to eat anymore. But the good doctor said I had to. He’s always the villain in this story.
The Elimination Diet is similar to the Paleolithic Diet. Allowed foods are most vegetable, low glycemic fruits, fermented foods (Kombucha teas are awesome, I discovered), meats and coconut. Foods to avoid: all the rest, meaning sugars, grains, gluten, dairy, soy, alcohol, nuts, coffee (gasp!), corn and processed food.
After a month on the ED, I lost 5 to 7 pounds easily. I point again, easily, since I’d been working out like crazy to lose 5 pounds in the last 3 years.
But miracle of miracle, no more brain fog. Writing became so much easier. Sugar and caffeine cravings went to knock on other doors.
Reintroducing Foods
The goal of the ED is to determine which foods I am intolerant to. Pretty much everything, turns out. Each week, I tried something new, and I was so excited at first – almonds, yay! – only to be disappointed. Because once my system was clean, when I introduced something new, the effects were immediate.
There can’t be no doubt that nuts are out. And peppers. And sweet potatoes. And lettuce. And corn, soy and gluten.
At some point, I stopped re-introducing new foods. Because each time, the symptoms came back, bent on vengeance with claymore in hand.
I told my doctor I wanted to keep my diet as it was. No more new foods. At this point, I’d lost 15 pounds so I felt good in my body.
I’m ready now to go further in this journey. My energy has been lagging a bit lately. I want to re-adjust my diet and set new goals.
What about you? What foods do you think you should let go? Here’s a clue: usually, it’s something you really like. Let me know!
Carole, since seeing you this summer and noticing the difference in you, and not just physically, I want to be re-tested on my intolerances. I’m suspecting it may be time to shed all grains.
I applaud your determination to trust your instincts and find your answer, even when the all-knowing professionals disagreed.
Thanks Sherry.
Yikes, I don’t wish for anyone to have intolerances, but we have no choice, do we? You are so strict on your gluten and dairy free diet, it’d be sad to add to your restrictions.
But I understand!
Awesome post. I had a similar problem. I live very close to the Paleo diet. Yes, there are times when I munch a treat and I don’t feel quite right.
I lost a lot of weight without trying. Glutton, sugar, oats dairy, not my friends.
There are many of us. I urge anyone who doesn’t feel well and they can’t find the cause to check this out. Eating this diet won’t hurt you.
Once you get used to it, you won’t go back.
Thanks Sandy. It’s true that when we get rid of the offenders (gluten, dairy, etc…) we can lose weight without much effort. That’s because our body gets so inflamed with the bad food that it keeps fighting the intruders and stocks on fat to keep a reserve of energy. Who knew?
I’m so glad it worked for you. When I was younger I fasted for 4 days–all I lost were 4 lbs, my temper and darn near all my friends–turns out low blood sugar turned me into super *itch. But yes I know what you mean and I think its time again or me to try it–I know My body will let go of weight if I can steer clear of dairy and gluten. But some gluten- free foods taste like sawdust. Lend me, Carol, some of your will power.(I say, reaching for the **caffeine.) Good luck with the diet adjustments.
Dory
Hi Dory,
The fast I did under my doc’s supervision made real sure my blood sugars remained stable. There was organic maple syrup in the mix and I had to take a sip every 10 minutes. If I felt faint, or cranky, my doc would say take big gulps and it will pass. He was right!
Hi Carole, I’m delighted you found the source of your “brain fog” and are feeling so much better. I have a friend who went on a gluten-free diet and she reports much the same results. Thanks for an enlightening post.
Sandy
Thank for stopping by, Sandy!
It kind of makes you wonder what else is attributed to age that has nothing to do with it. When I started writing I stopped exercising and gained weight. Fortunately, I don’t like sugary stuff and the only cafine I drink is my one cup of tea a day. Pasta turned out to be my enemy. Not because I had a reaction to it, but because if I’m not exercising it all stays on me.
Hi Ella,
I tell ya, doctors attribute everything to age these days. We have to stand up when we know something’s not right.
My sister has MS and, when the symptoms were especially bad, one of the doctors recommended a whole foods diet. It sounds similar to what you are calling the Paleo diet but meat and dairy were definitely out. Nuts were allowed only in very small quantities. Colas, coffee or black teas were out. It helped with the symptoms and, yes, she did lose weight–without trying. She also lost most of her ‘cravings.’
Even without that diet, I’ve found certain foods trigger cravings that, really, I’d rather not have. Diet colas, for me, usually trigger a salt/sugar thing that is not good.
I wish diet was looked at more closely when something is wrong because I do agree with you. It really matters.
Hi Emma,
I hope your sister’s MS will stabilize. My doctor treats many auto-immune diseases, and the first recommendation is to go gluten-free.
I know how you’ve struggled with this, Carole. I have to tell you, having not seen you for nearly a year, when I did see you recently, you looked fantastic. Your weight loss looks great on you. You are truly radiant.
That said, I also felt bad there was little on my table you could eat. I can see you must also work to educate your friends and family, so we can entertain you!
Thanks, Sharon!
Don’t worry about entertaining me. I learned to bring my own food and not feel bad about it. You know how it is: who wants to cause difficulties to wonderful hostess?
Awesome! I am so glad that others are doing this sort of thing. Now I don’t feel like I’m nutty. A few years ago I was having irritable bowel and couldn’t lose weight. I tried fat-free and exercised like crazy. Nada! I was then diagnosed with FM. I was still in pain and still over weight. Atkins diet came out and I tried a less strenuous version. In just a week’s time I realized I was pain free and had no digestive distress. I added back in a bowl of oatmeal to test my theory. OMG. I like to died. So now grain and heavy duty starches don’t pass over my lips. I can move with no pain and have no more digestive problems. My friends laugh at me and ask how can I get along without hot yeasty bread. I told them the painful results just aren’t worth the few seconds of pleasure I get from the bread.
Some people do give me dirty looks when I come to dinner and won’t eat bread and potatoes. It doesn’t bother me in the least.
Ah, Sharia! The dirty looks don’t bother me either.
And you’re so right, the pain isn’t worth the pleasure of bread.
Thanks for stopping by!
Carole, one thing that might be hindering any more weight loss is the carbo/protein ratio. Marcia found a great book (The Insulin-Resistance Diet – by Cheryle Hart & Mary Grossman) that explains how a balance between carbohydrates and protein must be maintained or weight loss will not occur no matter what your daily calorie intake is. It falls in with Anna Marie Colbin’s theory about the carb/protein ratio which turns out to be (not surprising)the same ratio as mother’s milk. Check with Marcia, she is the diet expert at our house – (she’s 40 lbs down and looking svelte and powerful.)
John,
You’re right, Marcia looks great! And young, too. I was checking out recipe books today for the elimination diet. I will also look up that book. Thanks!
That’s a good idea. I’m experiencing an intolerance to something and I can’t put my finger on it. My mother’s into holistic medicine and she has this book about blood types and what foods supposedly agree with a given blood type. Very interesting…:)
The blood type diet is interesting but I found that in my case, it didn’t really follow mine. But for my friend, it was spot on. Go figure.