Everything is going well on the introductory diet. I'm loving the fresh juice. Fresh carrot juice tasted really good, but when I could finally introduce apple juice, wow. It's amazing! So sweet! I just kinda ran out of apples and carrots, and that is a sorry day. I'll be headed to Costco tomorrow to stock up on some organic carrots and apples.
I'm going to be trying some almond bread today. I'm a little worried that I'll scrape up my food processor bowl, but I need the flour. I'll get over it. At some point. I like to keep my kitchen gadgets pretty, if you couldn't tell.
Today is the first day in a while that the red around my eyes is really a lot lighter. It seems to finally be healing. I'm hoping that after that goes away then the rest will start to disappear.
The other plus side...I weighed 146.4 lbs. yesterday. I haven't weighed that since college. I'm completely okay with that.
All in all, the cravings have subsided, my skin is clearing, and I weigh less. I can't really complain at this point.
I'm in phase 5, pretty soon I'll be moving to phase 6. After that I'll be on GAPs proper. I can't wait to have some coconut flour blueberry muffins.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Artichoke Soup and Carrot Juice
I am continuing on in my GAPs introductory diet, and am doing well. I was feeling really good with tons of energy, and then I upped my probiotic increase. That predictably caused more die off, which is leaving me tired and the psoriasis spots redder, but it must be done!
On the plus side, I made a really delicious soup that my mom told me how to make. It's a creamed artichoke soup. I made it as follows (it was to the best of my recollection):
3 cans of artichokes (drained of liquid)
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 large garlic clove
Ghee
I put the garlic clove through a garlic press, and then sauteed it in ghee. Then I added the canned artichoke and chicken stock. I let that simmer for about 15 minutes and then pureed it. It was awesome! I'm going to be making it again, and this time I'll be trying it with fresh artichokes.
I also made some carrot juice with my new juicer. Wow! Did it taste good! I used organic carrots and they are very sweet. I could only enjoy 2 tsps. per the GAPs diet introduction. Tomorrow I should be able to enjoy more.
On the plus side, I made a really delicious soup that my mom told me how to make. It's a creamed artichoke soup. I made it as follows (it was to the best of my recollection):
3 cans of artichokes (drained of liquid)
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 large garlic clove
Ghee
I put the garlic clove through a garlic press, and then sauteed it in ghee. Then I added the canned artichoke and chicken stock. I let that simmer for about 15 minutes and then pureed it. It was awesome! I'm going to be making it again, and this time I'll be trying it with fresh artichokes.
I also made some carrot juice with my new juicer. Wow! Did it taste good! I used organic carrots and they are very sweet. I could only enjoy 2 tsps. per the GAPs diet introduction. Tomorrow I should be able to enjoy more.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
I'm on Day 4
As per usual, it's been a while since I last blogged. That's how I roll apparently.
Well, since the last time I blogged there isn't anything terribly new and exciting. My psoriasis never really went into full remission except for the week I was on a Bermudan cruise, go figure. Since the cruise (in May) I started to develop more food sensitivities, and after messing around with avoiding salicylates (a phenol found in 80% of all foods, and the compound that makes food good). I had some slight success, but never any full remission. So, after doing some research and reading/listening to some interviews with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, I've decided to go on the GAPs protocol.
The reason for this decision is because no matter what restrictive diet I could put myself on, I would eventually have less and less food that I could eat. This would be the case because at the root of all my problems is a leaky gut and bad gut flora. The GAPs protocol is designed to heal the gut, and GI tract.
So, there's a part of the GAPs diet that is called the GAPs Introduction Diet. It really helps to speed up the healing in the gut. This is because the diet is pretty restrictive, but it doesn't last indefinitely. I am currently on Phase 3 of the Introduction diet. I have been on this diet for 4 days. I'm not going to lie. It has been really really hard. I thought "oh soup stock, boiled meat, I can do that." I had no idea how I would be feeling by doing this. I stayed on Phase one for 3 days. That was really hard. I essentially had chicken soup, boiled cauliflower, and stock. I had to deviate from the diet by using coconut oil in my soup to help to satisfy my hunger. The only fat that's allowed in the first few phases is duck fat, but since we are a one car family, I had to do what I had to do.
The other awesome mistake I've made is started probiotics on day one of Phase one. Apparently from what I've read since then, you are supposed to start probiotics on Phase four to help control the die off. Well, since I didn't do that, I'm having some die off. With all the die off, I do see some improvement in the psoriasis on my knee and my hand.
I can honestly say, that getting to Phase three really makes this introductory diet do able. Below is the summary of what you can eat in the different phases. As you'll see, the first two phases are pretty depressing, but once I was able to start having scrambled eggs and trying out the "pancakes" (I actually made them into muffins b/c it was easier), this has become much more doable, and I feel a lot more optimistic.
You can eat on stage 1:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, leeks
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt,
• 1-2 teaspoons a day of sauerkraut juice
Stage 2
You can eat on Stage 2:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Fermented vegetables; sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
Stage 3
You can eat on Stage 3:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
Stage 4
You can eat on Stage 4:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, start with a few tablespoons of carrot juice
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt
You can eat on Stage 5:
• Meat or fish stock
• Raw legal vegetables, peeled
• Squash, winter and summer
• Peeled, cooked apple, pureed
• Honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, carrot, mint, cabbage, lettuce, apple, pineapple, mango
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt
Stage 6
You can eat on Stage 6:
• Meat or fish stock
• Raw legal vegetables, peeled
• Squash, winter and summer
• Peeled, raw apple
• Other fruits, raw, introduce slowly
• Honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, carrot, mint, cabbage, lettuce, apple, pineapple, mango
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt- use dates and dried fruit to sweeten.
Well, since the last time I blogged there isn't anything terribly new and exciting. My psoriasis never really went into full remission except for the week I was on a Bermudan cruise, go figure. Since the cruise (in May) I started to develop more food sensitivities, and after messing around with avoiding salicylates (a phenol found in 80% of all foods, and the compound that makes food good). I had some slight success, but never any full remission. So, after doing some research and reading/listening to some interviews with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, I've decided to go on the GAPs protocol.
The reason for this decision is because no matter what restrictive diet I could put myself on, I would eventually have less and less food that I could eat. This would be the case because at the root of all my problems is a leaky gut and bad gut flora. The GAPs protocol is designed to heal the gut, and GI tract.
So, there's a part of the GAPs diet that is called the GAPs Introduction Diet. It really helps to speed up the healing in the gut. This is because the diet is pretty restrictive, but it doesn't last indefinitely. I am currently on Phase 3 of the Introduction diet. I have been on this diet for 4 days. I'm not going to lie. It has been really really hard. I thought "oh soup stock, boiled meat, I can do that." I had no idea how I would be feeling by doing this. I stayed on Phase one for 3 days. That was really hard. I essentially had chicken soup, boiled cauliflower, and stock. I had to deviate from the diet by using coconut oil in my soup to help to satisfy my hunger. The only fat that's allowed in the first few phases is duck fat, but since we are a one car family, I had to do what I had to do.
The other awesome mistake I've made is started probiotics on day one of Phase one. Apparently from what I've read since then, you are supposed to start probiotics on Phase four to help control the die off. Well, since I didn't do that, I'm having some die off. With all the die off, I do see some improvement in the psoriasis on my knee and my hand.
I can honestly say, that getting to Phase three really makes this introductory diet do able. Below is the summary of what you can eat in the different phases. As you'll see, the first two phases are pretty depressing, but once I was able to start having scrambled eggs and trying out the "pancakes" (I actually made them into muffins b/c it was easier), this has become much more doable, and I feel a lot more optimistic.
You can eat on stage 1:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, leeks
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt,
• 1-2 teaspoons a day of sauerkraut juice
Stage 2
You can eat on Stage 2:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Fermented vegetables; sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
Stage 3
You can eat on Stage 3:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled meat
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
Stage 4
You can eat on Stage 4:
• Meat or fish stock
• Well boiled GAPS-legal vegetables (no starchy root vegetables)
• Squash, winter and summer
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, start with a few tablespoons of carrot juice
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt
You can eat on Stage 5:
• Meat or fish stock
• Raw legal vegetables, peeled
• Squash, winter and summer
• Peeled, cooked apple, pureed
• Honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, carrot, mint, cabbage, lettuce, apple, pineapple, mango
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt
Stage 6
You can eat on Stage 6:
• Meat or fish stock
• Raw legal vegetables, peeled
• Squash, winter and summer
• Peeled, raw apple
• Other fruits, raw, introduce slowly
• Honey, up to a couple tablespoons a day
• Boiled, roasted, or grilled meat (not burned)
• Sea salt
• Fresh herbs
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Fermented vegetables; saurkraut, kimchi, pickles
• Fermented fish
• Egg yolk, organic, carefully separated from the white
• Homemade ghee
• Stews and casseroles made with meat and vegetables
• Ripe avocado mashed into soups, starting with 1-3 teaspoons a day
• Pancakes made with nutbutter, squash, and eggs- fried in fat or ghee, start with one a day
• Scrambled eggs made with ghee and served with avocado if tolerated and cooked vegetables.
• Freshly pressed juices, carrot, mint, cabbage, lettuce, apple, pineapple, mango
• Bread made with nut flour, eggs, squash, tolerated fat, salt- use dates and dried fruit to sweeten.
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