A Little Help Needed Please...

Looks like 2014 is definitely going to be one of change. Not to worry — I’m keeping the same husband, house, job and such like that. It’s the food that has to change because it’s slowly trying to kill me.

It appears I have food intolerance issues (as compared to allergies like those folks for whom peanuts, pine nuts, coconut, etc. are lethal). I’ll keep the TMI to a minimum here:  I’ve had problems with inflammation (sore joints, high C-Reactive Protein numbers, gut problems) and have long suspected a gluten intolerance. So I had a test to see just what my body doesn’t like. Seems there’s a LOT of things it hates.

I’m usually not so free with my personal info, however I’m putting this info online to crowd source recipes, tips and such on how to manage when about half of what I can eat is now off limits for at least 3 months during the elimination phase. I’ll carefully add food back in and determine if the item remains off limits forever. Some food may. Hopefully most won’t.

To deal with these problems, which are just getting steadily worse (no doubt aggravated by all the travel), I am now on a very strict rotation diet that excludes all dairy and gluten. That would have been hard enough, but there’s also a 90 day restriction on corn, eggs, rice and nearly every form of grain you can think of, including oats. Many of the standard replacements for wheat are not an option. No cane sugar (that includes molasses and sorghum).

What can I eat? Almost all vegs (including potatoes), fruits, most nuts and seeds (excluding almonds, peanuts, pecans and sesame seeds). I can eat soy, meat and all varieties of fish. For someone seriously addicted to yogurt, cheese, chocolate and *almonds*, this a big bummer.

If you folks have any websites, cookbook recommendations, recipe links or restaurant suggestions you’d like to pass along, please do so. Slow cooker recipes are grand because they can bubble away whilst I’m writing in my wee hut and I can freeze the extras.

I’ll post my progress every now and then, but I promise, I won’t plague you with updates.

Here’s hoping it proves a healthier year.
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Thanks for your help!
Jana (whose body was apparently built by a third-rate contractor) HA!

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