The Elimination Diet Day 1000

Okay so I haven't been on the diet that many days but it sure feels like it. My diet consists of the same foods daily as I am not creative enough to come up with a varied diet and the recipe books I have checked out always include some ingredient I can't eat and even though I've cheated daily it's been mostly dairy like milk shakes or ice cream. I seem to have a constant craving for dairy. It states in the book that people are most likely allergic to the foods they desperately crave. However, the only changes I notice when I eat dairy is a constant need to clear my throat. I get very mucousy, but otherwise I don't seem to be having any other reactions from dairy alone.

I'm feeling 90% better. I am not as tired. I have a renewed energy that I haven't felt in years, but if I stray from the diet I feel very sluggish, almost like I've been drugged. I ate a whole bunch of bread and the reaction was extreme fatigue. I didn't recover for two solid days. It's amazing thinking that before I started this diet I was eating bread daily and fighting an almost constant need to rest. I even realized that when I was running on empty and feeling sluggish eating would only make me feel worse. I felt better on an empty stomach and I just couldn't understand how at one point in my life eating had actually energized me and now it had the opposite effect. I am unsure at this point how to come off of this diet, but it is clear that I will have to cut out wheat.

I am thinking I will transition from this diet to a gluten free diet and continue to keep sugar to a minimum as sugar also gives me an immediete sugar rush that actually makes me feel comatose. Since my diet has always consisted of extreme sugar abuse eliminating it from my diet and using it sparingly I can actually see the negative effects it has on me. I'm unsure why they say sugar energizes you, and I've often heard this about children too, that it makes them hyper, but I find the opposite is what actually occurs.

Day 7 of The Elimination Diet

Yesterday, fresh from the shower I got the blow dryer out and started to dry my hair as I usually do. Nothing big, right? But, wait! As I was drying my hair there was this crazy fizzy popping sound coming from my ear. It actually felt like gurgling - IN MY EAR! I shook my head a bit and all of a sudden - POP! - I could HEAR! I could actually hear with both ears. In stereo. :)

Why I'm Doing The Elimination Diet?

It's working! It's working!

Okay, so to make a long story short I have been suffering from chronic sinus infections, asthma, and allergies for the whole of my 32 years. The asthma and allergies were under some control, but even then I was suffering from a sinus infection that just wouldn't go away. Sure, I'd see the doctor, he'd give me a prescription for an antibiotic, Zyrtec D and Nasonex and send me on my way.

The infection would clear up. I'd stop using the Nasonex, because HELLO, without any health coverage that stuff is $80.00 for a 30 day supply and I just can't afford that! And before you know it I was back at square one with a terrible sinus infection and since I live on a very meager income I'd put off seeing the doctor for a couple of months just trying to fight the symptoms. Then, I'd go back and we'd go another round of antibiotics. He'd fuss at me for smoking even though I quit THREE YEARS AGO and then he'd send me on my un-merry way.

He finally sent me to an allergist and guess what...The allergist did the same damn thing as my primary doctor!

This last time I went to see my doctor was because my sinus infection had gotten so bad I was literally deaf in one ear. I'm serious, it was so clogged that I couldn't hear out of it. And what was worse was the oozy goo that would seep from my ear. It was like liquid ear wax and it would drain my ear and dry into this terrible crust while I slept. I went back to the doctor and we did the same ole same ole. Antibiotics, Nasonex and Zyrtec D.

Folks, all I got from this round of antibiotics was a severe vaginal yeast infection and a month long bout of diarrhea! And I still couldn't hear. My doctor said if this didn't do the trick he wanted to see back in his office and he would refer me to an ENT, Ear Nose and Throat doctor. I have cried so many times because I couldn't even afford the follow up visit. My car broke down, my washing machine broke, even my DOG broke down. The dog alone ended up costing me $400 for emergency surgery to correct an umbilical hernia that was threatening to rupture without treatment.

I know I sound like a bad country song. But things just started breaking left and right. I thought the universe had it out for me. I've had a really tough year and battled some very personal issues some of which I am still battling, but that's a story for another time.

I know I said I'd make this long story short, but I guess what I meant to say is I can make a long story even longer.

So to get to the point! I was reading ome of my favorite forums when a girl on there mentioned curing her asthma and another girl piped in saying she had done the same. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.I decided I would ask the girl how she "cured" her asthma. She was very vague in her response, but did offer that she had searched the internet and purchased some books and it came down to taking some daily supplements. I was amazed. I decided since I had little money of my own that I would do my researching at the local library. That is where I happened upon the Sinus Relief Now book.

Stay tuned...

Day Two on The Elimination Diet

I started The Elimination Diet yesterday and hooo boy does it suck! I am a vegetarian so I am used to a limited amount of foods, but soy free gluten free and dairy free is HARD. It's the reason I never went vegan.

I love my eggs and my cheese and I just haven't found anything that can rightfully replace them. I love food, but I wouldn't call myself a foodie because I don't care for cooking. I do love to bake however. But I am not creative enough for this diet. I eat a lot of one dish sort of meals with pasta or rice. I eat quite a lot of sandwiches. I buy the faux ham slices and right now the brand escapes me, but it's delicious and so I eat a lot of faux ham sandwiches. I can't have my faux ham. Sob.

I decided the easiest way to go about this elimination diet was to replace as many of the food items I currently eat with something I could eat. Bread, I thought. If I can make sandwiches and toast in the morning then maybe this diet wouldn't be so bad. Was I ever wrong!

I purchased a loaf of Ener G's yeast free gluten free dairy free soy free completely without flavor free bread. It was awful. It's comparable to eating sand. I opened the package and I thought it smelled like regular bread. I was happy. I popped it into the toaster, but it didn't seem to actually toast. I shrugged, grabbed it out of the toaster and smothered it with with wild blackberry jam. It looked so promising. I took a bite and I thought this isn't so bad. Then I took another bite and another and realized I was in hell.

Sandy bread.

Does anyone actually buy this bread more than once because I tried another piece tonight and I give. I will do without bread if I have to but I am NOT eating that crap again.

I figure I will have to look around the internet for recipes. I'm hoping that I am not allergic to food of any kind. I can't imagine having to live without yummy bread or delicious cupcakes.

I did find a recipe for bread here on the internet. I may give it a try one day this week.

The Elimination Diet

I've lived with asthma, allergies and sinus troubles for as long as I can remember. As a young child my mother took me to the doctor nearly every month. Whether it was chronic coughing or weezing my mother would wrap me up like a cacoon ad rush me to the doctor.

Every visit was the same. "So, tell me what ails you today?"

"I have a stuffy, runny nose. My head hurts and I can't stop coughing."

*Cough, cough, cough, cough...*

Ahhh-Chooooooooooooooooooooo!

The doctor would then take the toungue depressor to my mouth examining every inch. Her head tilted in just a way that her breath would exit her nose and enter into my mouth. Then she would start tapping at my face. "Does this hurt?" "Ouch. Yes, it hurts" "Uh huh and does this hurt?" I don't know about you, but someone poking and prodding at my face hurts, sinus pain or not...

Not much would be said by way of diagnosis. I would be given a prescription for albuterol and an anti-biotic and sent on my way. I would feel better and then get worse thus repeating this treatment for the whole of my childhood. Wash, rinse, repeat.

When I reached my teens my mother decided it was time to look into allergy testing. I found out I was allergic to a lot of things. Cats, grass, dust, mold...

I started immunology but grew tired of making trips to the doctor's office, waiting to be seen and then sitting there for the prescribed 20 minutes after the shot to assure there would be no allergic reaction. So I quit. What can I say? I was a stupid teen.

Now I am in my very early 30's and I am still suffering with asthma, allergies, and chronic sinus infections. Currently, I am being treated for a severe sinus blockage. The worst is the hearing loss.

I'm going to be starting The Elimination Diet I found in the book 'Sinus Relief Now'.

Stay Tuned...

Lonesome Morning

Lonesome Morning is brought to you by the letter C.

C as in Caffeine.

Oh, in case you were wondering. The title comes from a Johnny Cash song entitled 'Cold Lonesome Morning'