posted
I have found the restrictions for Lyme patients to be a bit daunting in deciding what to eat.
I have been told to eliminate the following:
Gluten Sugar Caffeine Milk and Milk Products Alcohol
What has been your experience when eliminating these things?
I also have a laundry list of other things to eliminate from my food sensitivity test.
The big things that will be hard to cut out are chicken and coconut, b/c so many healthy dishes have these two things in them!
I was also instructed to buy organic and the cleanest meat possible. I have found this to be very expensive.
I am a single person, so I am cooking for one. I am trying to come up with a food budget. This new diet is a little overwhelming.
She also wants me to do a rotational diet.
Do any of your have any recommendations or advice on how to overhaul my diet?
Posts: 26 | From Houston | Registered: Mar 2015
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Daunting was an understatement of how I felt - oh, probably about 20 years ago when I first dropped gluten, processed foods.
What opened up for me, though, was a whole new world I had never really considered. Sure, budget is a trick to say the least, still, choices are plenty and very delicious with great variety.
I find it helpful to look at the hundreds of foods that I CAN enjoy. Really, there are still hundreds - at least after you count the various ways to prepare totally different dishes.
Beef, lamb, buffalo, salmon, etc. best from "clean" sources of course as you know can be hard on the budget but I just find I eat about four ounces of meat 4 x a week.
With lamb, with Easter & Passover upon us, stores will be offering some specials, likely. Often lamb ranchers will be at farmers' markets with a freezer case. [Maybe even in Texas?]
BEANS can be a great help. Kidney beans are very hearty. Cranberry beans very nice, too.
The broth from the chicken bones goes into many of my bean and lentil dishes. (Oh, but did you say you need to avoid chicken? --- you can make beef broth, etc.,
though onions, garlic, leeks, fennel bulb and herbs & spices can do wonders even without a meat stock).
I do fine with tofu. If one has adequate iodine in their body (I take 12.5 mg a day) soy should be okay, organic of course. Two meals a week of tofu for me. So many ways to prepare it.
Mushrooms - the best meat substitute on the planet.
Eggs (the happier the chicken, the better the eggs will be for you).
There is a whole world of legumes
and all kinds of non-gluten whole "grain like" things like
wild rice, black rice, red rice
quinoa - and red quinoa or tri-color
buckwheat groats, millet, amaranth
For rare times, TINKYADA gluten free RICE pastas (as they will be higher on the glycemic index that whole grains, be sure to have lots of veggies, a serving of protein and good fat along with it).
The produce department at your local market can help you select items that you may not yet have tried.
Call your best natural foods sort of market and ask if they have someone who can help you walk through some of your new choices, in all departments. Just stay away from anything in a box, can, etc.
Farmers' Markets also have coordinators offices you can call and maybe ask if they have a volunteer with whom you meet and have them walk you through and offer suggestions. -
[ 03-30-2015, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- My breakfast today & one that you might enjoy:
BRUSSEL SPROUTS (from last night, sautéed in onions & garlic)
with 3 (for 18 grams of protein) not-too-hard boiled eggs,
with just a tiny touch of stevia to offset the [Organicville] gluten free dark mustard and avocado oil, and sea salt.
It was delightful. Like deviled eggs in a way, all mashed up. The avocado oil really makes my day.
ANOTHER COLOR vegetable should have been present, though, there was a guy on my roof and I had none prepared. A knife in hand with a guy on roof, good to avoid that situation. So, carrots later on. -
[ 03-30-2015, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- I usually soft boil eggs so as not to need any oil at all - more for budget considerations to stretch out my supply.
As for cutting out coconut oil, there are so many other oils to consider. I recently had to cut out coconut oil, too. I don't even miss it now that I've found
avocado oil, other nut oils, still used EVOO but rotate - and I use GHEE, too. Even with a dairy free diet, ghee can work where butter would not as ghee is clarified. But ask your doctor.
Now, with warm temps, you may do best to find I your local stores. Check the retail prices here (and VitaCost's lower prices are nice)
Ghee is wonderful, be sure to get from a truly organic source. Purity farms is good. I checked them out. Avocado oil & other nuts oils from La Tourangelle are at vitacost, too.
over 50 reader reviews, a near perfect composite 5 star rating.
One reader notes: "Conducive to almost all specialty diets out there! GAPS, Paleo, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, real food......you name it, you will find a lot on this book for you." -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Thank you for the wonderful tips!
Posts: 26 | From Houston | Registered: Mar 2015
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- There are a couple "lyme diet" books and then there is the "Body Ecology" website, too. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Maybe making a list of what you CAN eat first and making a menu from that would be easier than looking at what you can't eat.
I've been eating gluten-free for about ten years now and it's not hard at this point. I also have a laundry list of allergies and sensitivities. I only eat meat a couple times per week. I find the natural sausages that have only a few ingredients and no bad stuff to be relatively inexpensive.
I also eat a lot of good quality eggs.
Gluten-free oats, chia, teff, amaranth, millet are all grain-like (oats are the only one that's a grain) that make a nice bowl of a porridge type food. I like to top with ghee, apple, goji berries, mulberries, and cashews. Or any combination of things you might feel like.
I do not use gluten substitutes. I just serve my eggs with a bunch of veggies. Gluten substitutes tend to be expensive.
You might check under "gluten-free" on Instagram. There are tons of idea there! Beautiful meals with all good food.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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LisaK
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41384
posted
I think the lyme diet is different for everyone.
that being said, I do believe that no one needs to drink alcohol. but, I do think it's ok to do if you feel ok after drinking. for a long time- years- I could not drink without becoming immediately ill. now, I can have some and not feel as bad, so I choose to have it at parties, etc, in small amounts. I do get drunk pretty easy, so I only have a little, and do this knowing it is probably doing harm to my brain, so it is a choice and I accept the outcome.
food: I go by more of what makes me feel good and bad and either avoid totally or eat more of. I notice many of the foods that make me feel the worst are also on the "avoid" list for my blood type. more on that here: http://www.dadamo.com/txt/index.htm
as per your list: -I get sick from eating anything coconut
-I eat tons of organic or naturally raised chicken and I think the focus on organic makes a HUGE difference
-I eat NO cow milk if possible, with only limited amounts of cheese and that is like once or 2x a week . other milks I drink/eat/use in recipes are hemp, rice, almond.
-caffiene - I sometimes drink green tea and usually feel ok from that, but it is important if you drink caffiene to drink extra water that day to compensate for the dehydrating affects caffiene has on the body/brain! I drink coffee (love coffee!!!) only when I crave it , which is about 3x a month or so. I found that if
I drink it only when I crave it I feel fine afterwards, but if I go crazy and have it for 2 days in a row or more just because I love it, then I pay dearly with sx of nervousness and I clench my teeth for days after.
-SUGAR. well that is my hard one. I love sweet. I try my best to stay away from sugars, and that means fruit too. I drink no jiuce. I eat fruit rarely. and I do eat home made baked sweets becasue I am a weakling. I find that sugar in a candy form can make me dizzy and topsy turvy. and I can feel other mental effects from it. cane sugar I am also allergic to, so I thnk that may make it worse for me to consume than the average lyme person, but I am so addicted!!
- gluten. I try to avoid as much as possible. sometimes I chew a bite of pizza and spit it out in the trash. gross- but usually satisfies my pizza crave. I used to eat pizza at least 2-3 x a week! now, I eat only spelt and avoid the hybrid wheat as we know today. I try and limit spelt also.
I substitute with sweet brown rice flour sometimes, which is better than regular white rice flour- I think.
I am lucky to have a bulk healthy store about 30 min. away. owned my Mennonites and has just about everything healthy in bulk which means good savings. maybe there is some place like that near you? ask everyone- you may come up with a lead.
we try and buy all our meat on sale. our local farmers market has a discount time on Saturdays a couple hours before they close and sometimes we get great deals there, although the pickins may be slim.
I also buy the store brand of a lot of healthy / organic things at GIant. much cheaper.
I don't skimp on some things- like eggs. they are always organic unless I am desperate and the store ran out. they cost more, but we eat a lot of them and it does make a difference.
I feel for you about the change in diet. I remember the first time- about 30 years ago- when a few smart people told me to give up white flour and white sugar. I went into shock just thinking about it.
I did, over a long time, do it. now I cannot eat any whole grains as I cannot digest them, and I totally avoid wheat- but that took years of talking myself into. the BIG plus you have is that you are single. this way you don't have to battle stubborn kids that like buns with hamburgers and potato chips 24/7, or a husband that thinks a meal isn't complete without bread!
sometimes I feel like we are a diner , with all the ways the 5 of us want to eat! I finally got my husband to join me in the O type diet, which is very similar to the paleo diet. about 3 weeks now and he looks so much better- now to get him off of beer! that would be a miracle!
When I was in the throngs of my undiagnosed days, I tested + allergic to almost every food. My allergist at that time was like your dr and told me to alternate the foods that were not on the total avoid list. this was hard, but I got into it and it became quite easy after a short time. I still try and do this with some foods. it makes a big difference.
dont' be afraid. go for it! the only thing you have to lose are feeling bad and maybe some pounds or inches. Choose the best way for you. for me it was cold turkey in the beginning, and then wean in .... and out... and in again.... now I finally found what works for me.
to me- nothing is as important as diet. so even when we were completely broke and on food stamps I still kept those eggs and meats as clean as possible.
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3592 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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