Things Not to Do

by - 5/29/2016

It has been one week since I started
 my elimination diet.

I can happily say I successfully avoided chicken, oatmeal, gluten, soy, and corn.

I did eat out twice (1x at Chipotle and 1x down the shore) so I may have had some butter that was used to cook my meals, but I did not purposefully eat any dairy.

Overall, I ate way too many processed foods this week.
I have been craving bread and pasta, so I indulged in my favorite brown rice products.

Featured products: Food for Life Gluten Free Brown Rice bread, 
Trader Joe's organic brown rice pasta (Penne Pasta and Pasta Fusilli); 
I also indulged in Trader Joes Brown Rice Tortillas and Lundberg's Organic Brown Rice Cakes lightly salted [not featured]

In terms of physical reactions for my first elimination week, the first few days I woke up less congested. Towards the end of the week I started to wake up slightly congested with a sore throat
and I am having crazy dreams.
To top it off, my stomach has not been very happy most of the week.
One day I even woke up with my lips pretty swollen and my face was puffy.

Clearly something/this way I am eating isn't working for me.
All of these processed products are not providing my body with key nutrients.
I am tired and don't have much energy. Kind of feel out of it.
I believe I am not doing this elimination diet in the best way possible.
I should be focusing more on vegetables, proteins and healthy fats.

This is what this is about though. Trying things out. 
Seeing how I react and learning what to do differently.
I am my own science project and overall it is a blast!

Doing diets like this should be looked at in a positive light because you really get to
have fun, try new things and learn so much about your body.
Of course when you don't feel great, it is easy to not see it in this light.
There are days where I am frustrated and wish I knew exactly what it is that makes me feel sick.

My cravings this week were pretty real and it was a little challenging at work 
with donuts, bagels, and other goodies floating around.  
My accountability partner really helped me out with these encouraging words, 
"the feeling you'll get from avoiding those things is so much greater than the 
satisfaction you'll have in the moment by eating them. 
If you don't give in they will have less and less pull on you over time!"

Goal for this week is to focus on eating more vegetables, especially greens, 
and higher amounts of protein.
I will meal prep again this weekend, so keep an eye out for a 
post about what foods I am going to consume this week.

Here is a recipe for you.
I was craving a burger, and figured out how 
to have one while still being on the elimination diet.


- organic grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 pieces of Food For Life Brown Rice bread toasted

Season the burger with your favorite seasonings. I generally use salt, pepper, and onion powder.
 Cook the beef to your liking. I personally like my beef medium-well done.
 Grab the toasted bread - place the burger on one side.
Add the avocado onto the burger and seal it up with the other piece of bread.

Super easy. Super simple.
This recipe keeps the burger from tasting bland thanks to the avocado 
and the slight sweetness of the toasted bread.

Post a comment if you give this recipe a try!

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