Guys, I’m crushing it. I think I just needed to get over the first week of this diet because all of a sudden things are just so much better. I’m feeling full but not bloated or gassy or uncomfortable and eating things I enjoy and not feeling deprived and…it feels so nice and easy!! Man. I’m glad I pushed through because for a couple of days there, the idea of doing this for another couple of weeks was seeming terrible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ready to open my dietary repertoire back up, but at least it’s not like each day is torture focusing on the things I’m missing out on. My gut is doing so great! I’m regular with virtually no symptoms. Actually I think today I had no symptoms at all! Ok, I’ll try to limit the exclamation points going forward. I’m just really excited that I’m feeling as well as I am.
Break. The. Fast.
Almost finished (but not quite) with this loaf of zucchini bread. I still have a bit of the zucchini bake left but I opted for these slices because I had to eat quicker this am. The casserole deserves to be eaten slowly and savored. This bread is good, but let’s be real, it’s mostly just a vehicle for cashew butter at this point.
I brought my pills with me because I was gone all morning. I borrowed V’s water to take them, which she wasn’t a fan of.
Lunch! Last slice of the blender bread piled hiiiiiiiigh with avo and smoked salmon. And then more smoked salmon on the side. And carrots. Always carrots. And always more carrots than actually shown.
I’m actually a little glad I only had one (thick) slice of blender bread left because it meant I didn’t make a repeat mistake of yesterday and eat so much of this delish lunch that I wasn’t ever really hungry for dinner.
I know that cauliflower in large amounts is a fodmap no-no and it’s recommended to be “tried cautiously after some progress has been made on the [SCD] diet” and yet, I really don’t seem to have any problems with it. I roasted this head for dinner – half with garam masala and half plain (both with olive oil and salt).
This was another recipe from Against All Grain; the Indian Spiced pork roast with cumin curry carrots. Only I made it with cauli instead of carrots because (a) the kids and I eat so many raw carrots I try to be more diverse with our veggies each day and (b) I had a head of it on hand from my parents.
I roasted the cauliflower in advance because I was going to be out until just before dinner time and wanted to make the amount of work I did right before we ate as minimal as possible.
The pork was great – every one loved it and there were zero leftovers. Neither cauliflower nor pork.
I had a Trilogy kombucha that night but really didn’t “need” it. I only finished it because 1/4 of a kombucha seemed silly to save for another day. I save 1/2 bottle all the time but when you get to much less than 1/3 of a bottle it loses it’s fizz and is just kinda meh the next day.
Here’s the nectarine cobbler I pulled from the freezer for Kyle. He had *told* me he was going to eat fruit only for dessert while I was doing this heinous 30 day thing, but then he left me high and dry when he realized there was other stuff in the house. So I didn’t get any chocolate from the store this week. He was more than happy with this though. It’s the last of the 2016 nectarine crop! Just in time now that our tree is ready for the 2017 harvest. I made it with a GF (almond meal and coconut oil) topping and was pretty jealous as he was serving it, but got over it when I remembered how much better I’ve been feeling.
I always wondered if you ate all those carrots raw or cooked. I have been reading your blog before you had kids and when you would show your food that you would bring to the hospital you used to work at. I might be missing something, but aside from you cutting out your daily dose of chocolate (which kudos for doing that) and fruit, your diet is still the same.
So, do you think it’s the pills that are working or just not having the fruit and chocolate?
That’s amazing that you’re feeling so great! Thanks for all the awesome information and recipe ideas! I’m excited to try some sort elimination diet/ supplement regimen when I’m done breastfeeding to see if it helps my gut issues.
Question, what kind of cashew butter do you prefer? So many of the brands I’ve come across have added sugar.
Raw carrots! Love em!
To a large degree yes, but there are small things too – for instance the salads with Brianna’s dressing (with tons of sugar added sugar and onion). Also, I used to not show other things like potato chips that I’d eat. And I am currently omitting rice, quinoa, potatoes, and other carbs from my diet, but ordinarily I’d eat them at dinner with the rest of the family. I’d say it’s the combo of the pills and the diet. At first, it was mostly being stricter with removing fodmaps. But after the first few days, I think the pills started doing something too that helped…because GI stuff began to happen…a cleaning out of sorts that was different from my usual pattern. Now I’m not sure what to think because I have read that bacteria have different life spans so I’m nervous to stop too early even though I’m feeling great…lest they come back. If I forge ahead for a couple more weeks then (as annoying as it will be to keep this up) maybe I’ll really reset my body once and for all!?
I also think the chocolate was probably getting a bit out of hand, so maybe this is a nice side effect…a sweet tooth reset if you will.
Trader Joe’s! it has no sugar. It’s salty and fantastic. I didn’t like the 365 brand as much and the raw artisana kind is overpriced and underflavored. Roasted and salty is where it’s at!
Thank you for your detailed reply. More information is better.
I am so happy for you that you are seeing positive results from the dietary changes! It makes me want to try it too–the feeling full but not bloated thing sounds sooooooo nice. I am pregnant with my second now and still in the first trimester, so now probably isn’t the time to do an elimination diet with herbs etc. though. I feel so nauseous right now I am not eating much anyway. BUT, I am so excited for you–well done 🙂
Quick question–when did your kids start eating raw carrots and apples? I would love it if my daughter would eat them, but at 18 months, she still just kind of gnaws on apple slices and then spits them out, or refuses to eat them all together. Her teeth are so sharp I am kind of surprised she won’t/can’t eat them.
YAYYYYYY! But also booo…bummer about the preggo symptoms. 🙁 You can’t do the herbs when nursing or pregnant so that’s why I had to wait so long. V went through a phase where she wasn’t into the apple peels. I was so annoyed because I’m not that mom who is going to peel fruit or cut crusts off sandwiches etc. But she outgrew it so just stick with it!! Kids can be trained!! Do you want gobble meals??? Will that help you out? Do they have ones that will suit you?
I never thought I would be the kind of mom who would have to worry about my kid eating veggies–of course she’ll like them!–but man, I was wrong. I am hopeful that like you say, she can be taught to like them eventually. Apples too 🙂
The gobble meals look and sound delicious, but unfortunately we are not in an area where they deliver. Thank you though though!
Bummer – I wasn’t sure 🙁