Day 13

So as you know from my post yesterday, not only have I given up cheese, but I am now undergoing a healing diet so that my system can get back to normal. I will then be reintroducing foods slowly, according to the guidelines of my IBS help book. It's going to be a big challenge, but I'm really trying.

I will find it difficult next week, because I have to travel for work. It wouldn't be quite so bad if I could buy my own food during the day, but I can't because it's a planned conference with meals included. I'll have to pick and chose, and not eat the bread, etc. I think I'll get funny looks, especially since I'm skinny. We'll see how it goes. I mean, if there's really nothing I can eat without having to 'cheat' then I'll just have to 'cheat' cuz THIS girl ain't starving herself. I wonder how well avocados travel in a suitcase? It's only a 2 hour trip...

So yesterday was the first day of this 'Phase 1' diet. It only started in the evening though, as I hadn't gone to do any groceries etc. Yesterday morning I  still had a coffee with milk and sugar in it. I also had a smoothie for breakfast, which contained the same ingredients as the evening before. Blueberries, Strawberries, cranberries, and honeydew melon. The only thing that would not be allowed from that now, would be the blueberries, oh, and perhaps the cranberry juice added.

For lunch I had Pad Thai from Thai Express at the mall. I added a ton of hoisin sauce to it, some lemon juice, and some crushed peanuts. I hadn't had this in a while, so it was a good treat. I asked for medium spice, but it really wasn't spicy enough. I find that it is give or take with that place. Sometimes you ask for medium spice, and it's VERY hot spicy. Other times, it's much too mild. Oh well. Still flavourful. I think my favourite part about eating Thai express is their little food boxes. They're so cute!

I went to the grocery store, and it was quite the quick trip. Everything I needed was in the fresh produce section, and the meat aisle! That's it. I bought lots of vegetables in the 'unlimited' categories.

At home I made my stir fry, which consisted of the following: Leeks, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, and AAA grilling steak with no visible fat. I fried it all in butter. Now, here's where I cheated. I used salted butter. I couldn't help it, I needed SOME good flavour... I think that's still really good. Oh, I also grated some fresh ginger root and added that, in addition to fresh ground pepper, and a sprinkle of garlic power.

I think I was too generous with the leeks. I figured there really wasn't going to be much flavour, so I put in two leeks(only the stalks, not the greens). The stir fry was quite tasty, but very onion-y because of the leeks, and it definitely had some kick because I added the grated ginger, around 2 tsp worth. I've never used fresh ginger before. I put a lot of butter, so it was very edible, but that's probably not good. Although the book mentions the butter restrictions as a weight thing. I don't have to worry about my weight, so I'm not too worried about it. I'm having it again for lunch, so I'll definitely need gum afterwards. Leaves you with an awful breath. Blech.

I forgot a very important factor about phase 1. Vitamins.

Phase 1 vitamins required:

Vitamin C: 1500 mg 4 times per day (pure nonoxidizable fully reduced and powdered-not chewable tablets, powder to mix with water as tablets harm your teeth enamel and are not recommended. The vitamin C is supposed to reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune system.)
Quercetin: 1000 mg 4 times per day (helps the body use the vitamin C properly)
Glutamine: 2 grams, 1 in morning on empty stomach, and 1 on empty stomach in evening(helps speed repair of gastrointestinal lining, and assists in balancing your alkaline-acid levels)
Acidophilus: 2 doses of freeze-dried lactobacillus acidophilus, 3 times a day with food.(this is a probiotic, he recommends to continue the probiotic beyond phase 1)

Phase 2 will be a multivitamin, and he lists what it should contain.

On to the vitamin store tonight. I think that because I'm focusing on healing at the moment, I'm not so worried about my cheese being missing. This is good. My reward will pretty much be my trip in 2 weeks, but once back I'll likely have to do a bit more of phase 1 before moving on to phase 2.