Time for a progress report on my diet. As a reminder, I’m doing an anti-candida diet to resolve my digestive issues. I’ve been on it for two weeks, and I can report that I feel SO MUCH BETTER. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being perfect digestion and 1 being absolutely terrible, I was at a 1 when I started and now would put myself at a 5 or 6. That is a HUGE difference!
Prior to starting this diet, I was at rock bottom. To give you an idea- one of the reasons my sleep was so terrible was that I had to get up multiple times a night to go to the bathroom. I took an Imodium so I could run my race in April, and also took Imodium when I traveled in May, just to make things easier. Obviously… something had to change.
Things were so much better after only a few days on the diet, it makes me wonder if there was something specific I had been eating that was irritating my gut. Or maybe a combination of things, or maybe just taking away most of my normal foods made the difference- but it was like an intense irritation of my gut suddenly disappeared. There’s still a way to go- I would like to get up to a 10- but I’m really encouraged. And, much less tired because I can actually SLEEP at night.
I’m purposely giving details in case anyone has been thinking “I could never stick to a diet like that” or “why couldn’t I stick to Whole 30?” I promise you- you could stick to a restrictive diet if you were feeling as sick as I was. I’m not doing this because it’s fun, I’m doing it because I HAD to.
In spite of all the restrictions (and removal of lots of delicious food and drinks that I was addicted to) I’m actually enjoying my food MORE now. Before, I was eating the things I wanted, while knowing that they weren’t going to make me feel good. It’s hard to enjoy food when you know it’s not going to digest well, and is going to make you uncomfortable.
Now, I can truly enjoy the foods I’m eating because I know they’re nourishing my body (thank you to Nicole for her post on this subject yesterday!) instead of making me sick. And- I’m usually very hungry by the time I’m eating, which feels different from before, where a lot of time I was eating because I was bored or was craving something specific. Hmm, it feels GOOD to eat when you’re hungry! Who knew.
I’m going to stick to this very restrictive phase of the diet for five more weeks. At that point I’ll be traveling, and I’ll have to decide what to do. It’s going to be tricky, but I’ll do whatever makes the most sense when I get there.
Here’s one of my dinner salads that I thoroughly enjoyed!
And, one day I was feeling a little sorry for myself so I made a treat- homemade pecan butter. You roast pecans and then put them in the food processor with a little coconut oil and salt, and grind them up until they become pecan butter. It is SO, SO, good! I eat a spoonful for “dessert” at night.
And, I made another batch of “Chef’s Salty Balls” to keep in the fridge for snacking. I added less salt this time, but I’m sticking with the name.
I’m even enjoying my green tea in the morning (WHO AM I, WHAT HAS HAPPENED???) Two weeks down, five to go!
Have you ever made homemade nut butter?
What would be the ONE THING you would most hate to give up? (coffee-sugar-bread-alcohol-other?)
Top photo by Tangerine Newt on Unsplash
24 Responses
I love roasted pecans; they provide such a punch. I love them on salads too. I just pan fry (“roast”) the pecans and throw them on a salad just like the one in your photo and it really provides a nice layer of depth to what can be a little boring sometimes. I also love the buttery taste compared to a vinegar type dressing. I have not made nut butter but I have ground nuts to make balls, which essentially is the “butter” in the balls. However, I have never just eaten the nut part on its own.
Of all the things on your list, I would hate to give up coffee. I can do without sugar, bread or alcohol with little issue, but would really miss my daily cup(s) of coffee!
I’ve made homemade peanut butter multiple times. I think it was around my husband’s low – carb phase? He liked it- it was a hassle for me. No one else in the family ate it. I just used cheap roasted peanuts and a touch of oil in the food processor to make it; I think it was cleaning up the processor that I most resented.
I don’t drink coffee or alcohol, so those are easy to give up! I would hate to give up diet coke, though. I need to give up most bread- right now, it just has become to easy to eat it mindlessly and it doesn’t taste good at times. I need to stay away from it, but it’s hard to break habits. Esp now that I’m on summer vacation. I’m in the kitchen a lot supervising meals or trying to keep certain kids from snacking too much , so bread is always there. ( yes, I’m a hypocrite. )
So glad this diet is working for you!
Thank you! And yes- cleaning the food processor after making nut butter- arg.
Yes- I love nuts in a salad too. This diet would be really hard to do if you had a nut allergy (so things could be worse!) I did miss my Earl Gray tea at first but now I’m adjusted to it. At least I can have SOME caffeine.
I knew that there was a “why” and now that you’ve shared more deets, I can definitely see why you’re doing this. No sleep plus mandatory Imodium definitely means that things need to change. Not to mention that distance running is a hobby that definitely lends itself to GI Drama.
A jump from 1 to a 5 or 6 in two weeks is huge!
Let’s play the “what would I give up” game! I love a good beer or glass of wine, but alcohol is definitely first on the list. I’m probably stubborn enough to stay with sugar over bread, but both would be tough. Coffee is the holdout! However, I know that when I’m 90 that I won’t be drinking my “one cup of coffee a day” that pushes the definition of what one cup is, so at some point coffee will have to go.
Sigh.
Well- maybe when you’re 90 you could still have decaf, or half-caf. There’s always a solution!
I’m glad you’re feeling a lot better on this diet and hopefully that continues to improve even more!
I almost never drink coffee and only drink alcohol occasionally (though I did have a lot for me this weekend because my parents were visiting so we went to a fun tiki bar and also some local wineries) so I think sugar would be hardest for me to give up! I like having a little bit of vegan ice cream after dinner, and I really rely on sugar when I’m doing my long runs (in gels and chews) so that would be tough to find something else for fuel!
Yeah- the sugary long run fuel is going to be a challenge. I think I told you I’m going to try Ucan. Not sure if that’s any better for your gut but supposedly it’s low glycemic. When I’m back to long runs I’ll try it and report back!
YES, JENNY!!!! I am doing a no sugar anti-inflammatory diet and really watching my macros, and I feel AWESOME. My fingers are no longer swollen. I am SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. My anxiety is GONE. WORTH the restrictions for sure.
Okay, you understand where I’m coming from! Nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels. So glad you’re feeling better!
Glad things are going better and you are feeling better.
I would hate to give up coffee and red wine… but I could if it made me feel better. And I would have to replace it with something else that made me feel good.
Not green tea or nut butter. LOL
Ha ha… you would find something if you had to. Luckily you don’t have to give up either of those things!
That’s brilliant news and so good you’re going in the right direction. I have had to give up pies, which was sad – like I tried to explain before but didn’t quite manage, because I gave up saturated fat in order to keep my cholesterol down, now when I eat it I get digestive issues: it’s not that I have a problem with it in itself, it’s just it upsets you if you don’t normally eat it (like red meat, which I also don’t have a problem with but now I really don’t eat it, I can’t tolerate it). I’d hate to give up caffeine, and in fact tried to once and couldn’t!
Yeah, it’s hard to give these things up, but worth it if it really makes you feel better. I say- do not give up caffeine! Caffeine=happiness.
I’m so glad you’re seeing good results.
I think the challenge for me is knowing what to try. I’ve done all sorts of different diets (to feel better, not just lose weight), and none of them has made me feel amazing. Also, I just never have felt like I have the energy and stamina to keep them up. It can start to feel a bit defeating. For me, my main issue is energy. I have battled fatigue for almost 20 years and have had every single blood test going it seems. Lyme disease. Thyroid. I’ve tried all sorts of diets. No luck. Though I have a friend who has a similar issue and I was sitting next to her at a party a few years ago and she told me she has finally decided to just accept this is who she is and that she needs a nap every single day. It made me feel a bit less “broken”.
This is quite different from digestion, though! Keep up the good work.
Well- fatigue is also a big problem. Yes, it’s very frustrating when you’re trying different things, things that take some effort, and they don’t make a difference. I say- if you can take a nap every day and it helps, then do that. I also tend to be a “low energy” person, believe it or not. That’s why I try to get my workouts in in the morning- by the afternoon I need a nap as well.
I think that once you have children, there is no such thing as TMI. I wonder how many conversations Phil and I have had about poop in the 7 years we’ve been parents. IT IS A LOT. And it still happens. One of my kids is a very particular eater so BMs are challenging for him and he has to take miralax daily, so we even have convos with him about the consistency of his poop… Ah, the joys of parenting.
I am glad that you are feeling better! And that you are enjoying your food. I hope your legs are feeling less heavy this week? I imagine it’s tough to get enough carbs in?
I would have the hardest time giving up coffee. I’ve done it while pregnant since the smell was so offensive to me but otherwise I really need that daily caffeine fix! I have given up alcohol with no problem, GF bread isn’t great so that’s easy to give up. I haven’t tried giving up sugar. That would probably be challenging for me but doable.
Ha! Yes, that’s true- once you have kids suddenly there’s no such thing as TMI. It is definitely hard to get carbs in on this diet. Hard to say about my legs… I had a pretty good run on Sunday on the treadmill- the AC definitely helps. Ah well- it’s temporary.
I am so glad you are experiencing such a positive shift, Jenny! That’s wonderful. I am totally guilty of (sometimes) eating food that makes my stomach hurt, but so far it’s rare enough that it’s worth it. I can imagine it getting to the point where the discomfort was not worth it, though!
Hmmm. I think I would most hate to give up spice. I have heard that some people’s digestive systems grow more sensitive to spicy foods as they age, and I am hopeful that doesn’t happen to me. I could be a vegetarian, I could give up sugar, I could give up carbs, but please don’t take away my hot sauce and cayenne pepper.
I could give up spice, but you just reminded me of something I would CRY if I had to give up- SALT!!! If I ever develop high blood pressure, just shoot me.
I’m glad you’re feeling so much better! Gosh, sugar is probably my single tough-to-let-go thing. While I can somewhat control my intake, I know I’ m still eating more than what I should.
Well, you’re lucky you’re able to control it! I have no control when it comes to sugar, which is why I can’t have any. Sigh!
Awww, thank you for the shout-out!
I’m SO glad you’re feeling better! It would be wretched to go on such a restrictive eating plan and then NOT feel better! Whew, what a relief! Yay! Yay for having healthy digestion!
I cannot choose, I love my coffee and I love my wine, I’m not a huge sugar eater but I’d sure feel sad if I couldn’t have my Sunday night dessert! I’m also not a huge bread eater either but I do like it once in a while.
So glad you’ve seen so much improvement Jenny- definitely makes it all worth it. And great you are getting used to and enjoying the food (and green tea!).
I’d hate to give up coffee for sure, with white wine a close second (of course I did when pregnant, but I missed having a glass on a Friday night for sure). Will you get to the point where you can add back in your favourite teas and a few other things?