Changing Our Diet - Elimination Diet Day One

Sammit has committed to completing an elimination/challenge diet with me this month.  My Naturopathic Doctor (ND) suggested I do this to tease out any food allergies or intolerances I might have that are causing  a slew of symptoms (headaches, chronic fatigue, mood swings, difficult weight loss, low body temp).  The biggest suspects are gluten, soy and dairy but as a precaution we're removing a plethora of foods.  Sammit doesn't think he has any allergies, so he's completing the diet for moral support - also because I prepare 100% of the household food.

We're eliminating: corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes (other than sweet), citrus, melons, bananas, strawberries, all gluten (wheat, rye, spelt, oats, barley, breads, pastas, pastries, etc.), all soy, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, sesame seeds, red meat, smoked meats, shellfish, catfish, deli cuts/hot dogs, sausage, all dairy, eggs, refined fats, sweeteners (other than honey and small amounts of maple syrup), caffeine, and alcohol.

It sounds like a lot - and in all honesty, it is - but I'm realizing that a good part of it is because I don't know how to cook much beyond meat and potatoes.  We're left with a large variety of fruits and vegetables, rice and grains (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, millet), some nuts and seeds, pastured poultry and wild fish, olive and coconut oils, fresh herbs and spices and teas - this is delicious stuff, if you know what to do with it, and I'm slowly learning (slowly being the operative word).

Today's menu included:

Breakfast: Blueberry/Cherry/Grape Mix

Lunch: Fresh Greens Salad with HM Italian Dressing, Rice & Beans w/ Shredded Chicken sauteed in  Coconut oil and seasoned with cumin and cilantro

Dinner: Sweet Potato "fries" and roasted chicken breast.

Snacks: Herbal Tea, Raw Seed/Nut Mix (Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds), Apples

I made the mistake of putting red pepper flakes in my rice & beans mix, not making the connection that it contained "peppers"and Sammit made the misstep of eating a mini-snicker's bite - so we're off to a rocky start.

Mexican Fried Beans & Rice with Chicken and Cilantro