My Progress: Week 1

So it has been just over a week and a half since I started my new diet. I am also currently taking a few homeopathic supplements that help with the symptoms of yeast as well as boost my immune system. So far I have noticed some die-off symptoms. This means the yeast in my body is starving and then dying off, releasing large amounts of toxins into my body. Not so fun, but a very good sign that things are working as they should. I am also including a large amount of coconut oil in my diet. It has been known to combat yeast. There are some amazing health benefits to using coconut oil. I highly recommend reading some of the articles about it! I also take oregano oil pills and drink apple cider vinegar. These are all anti yeast foods. Just this week I started eating greek yogurt as well. It is surprisingly tasty. I believe my tastes have changed dramatically in a very short time.

My diet consists of very little. It is non-dairy, non-gluten, sugar free, and very low carb. It is free from fruit, artificial sweeteners, almost all grains, and as allergen free as possible. The main components of the diet are vegetables, meat, nuts, and a few gluten free grains that are very limited. I eat alot of salads, soups, and vegetable dishes. I am more limited than most as I also have several food allergies to contend with. Dairy, corn, and all artificial sweeteners are now foods to avoid as they cause asthmatic symptoms!

At first the cravings for sugar were hard to ignore. I would do anything to just have a taste of something sweet. I use xylitol and stevia sweeteners. I have learned to like the taste of very small amounts of these and find myself not even needing them at all. The cravings for sweets have nearly disappeared now. Last night I made a pan of brownies and while cutting them instinctively licked my fingers. Do you know that I spit it out as soon as it touched my tongue! This is getting serious. One side effect of all the food avoidance is a pretty significant weight loss. I need to clarify from the start that this was never something I intended to have happen. I am eating 5-6 good meals a day and never allow my body to feel hungry. I have lost over 10 pounds. The first 5 days averaged 2 lbs a day. It seems as though I have hit a plateau and will stay at my current weight for awhile. I don't even want to know how much of that weight was simply toxins hanging out!

A pattern has developed with my body as well. It seems that every other day I end up with large amounts of toxins in my body. I feel sick, tired, have aches and pains, usually accompanied by stomach cramping and a headache. My nose runs constantly, but my sinus congestion has cleared. I have little energy on the bad days, and the only thing my body wants to do is rest, rest, rest. This can be a challenge with my two children at home and the need to homeschool daily. Our schedule is anything but conventional. Though this all sounds depressing and could be interpreted as complaining, it is anything but that. With the bad days come really good days. Every other day is a wonderful day where I feel light and energized. My mind is clear and there are no aches and pains. I can breath deeply and I feel like I could nearly conquer the world. Those days are priceless. My hope is they become the norm over time and I will look back at this experience and be so thankful that I no longer feel the way I did. It is encouraging to have the good days to look forward to, and the bad days simply remind me of how I could continue to feel if I choose to go back to my old ways.

Today is one of the bad ones. But to be honest...it is not so bad. I am feeling as if it might even turn into a good one! I am so excited to see and feel these changes. Thankful that I was able to finally find out what was wrong. Grateful that God has designed our bodies and the food we put in it in such an amazingly complex way.