Day: 24 & 25

Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Siracha Chicken with Curry Sauce

Cashew Curry Lime Sauce from Whole30Recipes Instagram: 

1 tsp. Yellow curry pwder

1 tsp. Red curry powder (I just used the paste)

1/2 tsp. Turmeric

1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander

1/2 C. Raw Cashews

1/2 C. Hot water

1/2 tsp. Salt

Juice from half a lime

1 tsp. Olive oil

1/4 C. Yellow Onion

2 Cloves garlic chopped/minced

1/2 Can of Coconut Milk (this is my own addition)

Combine spices, set aside. Soak cashews in hot water for 10-20 minutes (I soak mine right in the blender).  On medium heat saute the onion until translucent. Add garlic and spices, cook another minute.  Add spices and lime to the blender, pulse until smooth. The sauce may need more salt, add until sufficient.  Top on roasted vegetables or meats.

As for the bacon wrapped chicken siracha, I marinated cubed chicken in siracha and lime juice for about 3 hours. I then wrapped bacon around each piece of chicken and stuck with a tooth pick. I broiled for 20 minutes, turning over each piece halway through.  I then placed in a bowl, added several spoonfuls of the curry sauce to the chicken. I only used about a 1/3-1/4 of the sauce on the bacon wrapped chicken, just enough to provide a little more moisture. You could also use it as a dipping sauce! 

Day 23 & 24

Dinner: Zuchini Noodles w/ Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Use a spiral slicer to make zuchini noodles. Cook noodles in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and add meat sauce! 

Canned Spaghetti Sauce: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/canned-spaghetti-sauce.html

If you're making your sauce fresh, I really like this recipe: 

http://wellnessmama.com/8907/pasta-sauce/

We had company the other night and I thought, uh oh, I'm on this crazy diet, what am I going to fix for other people?! I needed something filling and a dish that wouldn't be too time sensitive. Lasagna meets that criteria perfectly! I already had spaghtetti sauce I had canned over the summer (those long hard hours do pay off in the winter). I ended up using 2 precious quarts. I also added 1 little can of tomato paste to help thicken it a little more. 

I cooked 1.5 lbs. of ground turkey, salting and peppering as I did. I added the sauce to the cooked meat. I was ready to add it to my lasagna! I used brown rice noodles (all I had on hand). I was a little nervous because brown rice noodles tend to go goopy if cooked too long (or do no matter what depending on the brand).  I never actually tried the lasagna, but I don't think they tasted mushy. My hubby would have told me. ;-) I put a layer of noodles down, then added the meat sauce. Instead of ricotta, I added a mixture of sour cream and eggs. I've done this for as long as I can remember in making my lasagna. I usually don't have ricotta on hand, but I usually do have sour cream and eggs! On top of of that very thin layer, I added a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella.  I did one more layer of noodles, meat sauce, sour cream and cheese. I covered the dish and cooked for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. I took the foil top off and cooked an additional 10 minutes. Came out perfect! Of course I couldn't eat the cheese or noodles, so I made myself zucchini noodles and topped with the meat sauce. --I would have preferred to have a little parmesan on top, but this still tasted amazing!

Day 21 & 22

Dinner: Tortilla Soup (Again!!)

I had chicken in the fridge and a busy couple of days, I made something that was very easy and took hardly lifting a finger of work. I'm sorry for the repeat!

Dessert: Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding

http://minimalistbaker.com/overnight-chocolate-chia-seed-pudding/

I did not follow the recipe exactly in the above picture. Instead of adding maple syrup (or dates as specified), I decided to sub in frozen blueberries for sweetness. It added the perfect touch!  I used regular coconut milk from the carton as my base (not the same kind as the one in the can). 

Update: I've made this a couple of times since. I've done a blueberry banana and cocoa banana. Both were awesome!  

This is another good recipe for chia pudding if you are not on the Whole 30 and can use Stevia. The Carob also gives a lighter taste than the cocoa. Give this one a try with the full fat coconut milk! I have also tried it with cashew milk and that tastes very good too. :)  I liked this recipe better than the one above, hard to wrong with either one though!

http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-blog/chia-seed-pudding-candida-cleanse-friendly-recipe/

Day 19 & 20

Dinner: Vegetable Hash

1. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, broccoli, cauliflower or any other veggie to a 9x13 pan. I first boil my cubed potatoes and sliced carrots in salted water.  The broccoli and cauliflower should also be slightly cooked (and lightly salted), though left a little firmer. If you're adding a squash or zucchini, do not pre-cook).  Shred chicken on top of vegetable medley.

2. Add 1/3 C. melted butter (I have subbed olive oil, not quite as good, but works!) over top of the veggies, along with a drizzle of white wine. Then add pepper (as much or little as you like), 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning, 2 tsp. Garlic powder, 1-2 tsp. Onion powder (if not using fresh onions), and 2 bay leaves.  Incorporate slightly the seasonings with the vegetables. Sprinkle a mixture of parmesean and mozzerella on top. 

3. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted (if veggies are already pre-cooked) and the dish is hot.

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law years ago. Easy, filling and tasty. It's my go to dish if I have a lot of vegetables on hand and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great). Picture does not do it justice!

I did not use the cheese or white wine this time.  The dish was not quite as good being rendered Whole 30 appropriate! The Parmesan really makes this dish, without the added cheese, it's still good, but not as amazing as it could be!

Day: 17 & 18

Breakfast: Hashbrowns with Red Pepper

I grated 2-3 red potatoes, finely sliced one shallot and stirred the two together. I added about a Tbsp. of grape seed oil (or Ghee: Ghee makes it a bit crispier) to a pan. Once hot, I added the grated potatoes with shallot and packed it in my mini frying pan. Generously season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes on each side until crisp, do not stir! Afterwards I cooked the red pepper separately and added on top. It was delicious! I will definitely make this again.

Update: I've made this almost every morning for 7 days straight. I now top with 1 whole avocado (sprinkled with salt and pepper). The avocado makes this dish one I can't wait to fix in the morning!

Dinner: Taco Salad

Didn't take a picture. My camera stinks when it comes to inside pictures with artificial light. Taco salad is pretty basic, but I must say it tasted dang good!  I used taco seasoning from this site:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/46653/taco-seasoning-i/ 

No artificial stuff around here anymore! I had a beautiful salad full of different greens, meat, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, avocado and topped with my own home made salsa. I drizzled a bit of a vinaigrette I've been making these last few months. A local shop sells an apple syrup and apple cider vinegar which I combine.  I also add a little olive oil to the combination. A very light refreshing vinaigrette. 

Day: 16

Dinner: Baked Fish with Roasted Butternut Squash

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229733/simple-roasted-butternut-squash/?internalSource=recipe%20hub&referringId=13394&referringContentType=recipe%20hub

I'm already recycling through recipes! I used the same pesto recipe as I did with the previous post. It looks a little funny in this picture, but it really did taste good. I added the pesto on top of the fish and then baked for 15-20 minutes. I loved the pesto, but I felt like the fish could have used a bit more flavor.  I liked the pasta combination with the pesto better.

The butternut squash recipe was okay. I will not use it again unless I make additions. Adding some sort of herb like oregano would have made a big difference. Perhaps onions and walnuts as well. I'll have to try it that way next time!

Day: 15

Okay, here we go, it's time to change things up a bit!! Whole 30 here I come! Rice and corn are eventually turned into sugar as they digest and I've noticed I haven't been feeling as good as I should be on this diet. I think it's because I was going extremely heavy on rice and corn. Rice for breakfast, dinner, lunch and dessert sometimes! I ate it all the time because I could, it was on my nice list. But--not anymore. It's time to cut both those things out and really start scrambling for good recipes. 

So here's the start of meticulously following the Whole 30--the only exception will be the things that are Whole 30 approved, but are things I am not able to eat due to my 'FoodStats Antibody Assessment'. 

Dinner: Lettuce Wraps  

http://meljoulwan.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

If the link/site looks familiar, it should! I used this recipe to make chili on Day:1 of my diet.  I used the seasonings for the meat. I first browned the meat, then added the onions, garlic and seasonings. I did everything up until the tomato paste (and of course chicken broth and other things that turned it into a chili). I added some shredded carrots to the ground turkey as it cooked. I also shredded a fresh carrot on top. I ate so much of this. I was starving! Because I can't have eggs (though approved on the Whole 30 diet), I feel half of my options have been taken away. Everything else takes so much work! Thinking of what to have for breakfast is the worst. I can't have anything, no corn, rice, wheat, oats, eggs, what else is there?! I will really have to do some research. I really don't want to have steak every morning... 

Day: 14

Dinner: Perfect Chicken Pesto Pasta

http://paleoleap.com/homemade-pesto/

This pesto recipe was delightful! I have made it a second time (as I'm a little late in posting this Day 14) and it was just as good. I used cashews instead of pine nuts (way cheaper!) and they were awesome! I would do that every time, the flavor was great. I also used a quinoa pasta. I find rice pastas get a little mushy, quinoa seems to hold it's shape so much better.  This is my last meal before I follow strictly the Whole 30 diet. Dinner just got that much more exciting! Or boring?! I guess we'll see if I can do it!

Dessert: Coconut Rice Pudding GF, EF, DF

http://onehungrymama.com/2014/06/dairy-free-coconut-rice-pudding-recipe/

Yes! A delicious and filling rice pudding recipe that is void of all three possible inflammation triggers! The coconut milk is positively wonderful and creates a nice creamy pudding consistency. I omitted the butter and added more coconut milk. I also didn't use the nutmeg, I'm sure it would be just as heavenly if you did!

Day: 13

Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Delectable Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 http://www.everydaymaven.com/2013/maple-mashed-sweet-potatoes/

I have only posted the sweet potato recipe. For the chicken, I did a medley of ingredients, a little soy sauce, dijon mustard, garlic, onion powder and olive oil and carbonation to tenderize.  I didn't follow any kind of recipe.

For the sweet potato recipe, I omitted the butter, used only a tablespoon of Maple Syrup, and used several more tablespoons of Coconut milk than what was called for. I used the good stuff too, meaning the full fledged fat kind you get in the can-- not the carton. I probably used 4 Tbsp. of coconut milk, but I never measured.  Also, I boiled the potatoes. The recipe calls for baking them, but I thought it would be easier just to boil the potatoes in salted water. 

I will hang onto to this recipe. It was gluten and dairy free and positively delicious!

Day: 12

Dinner: Peanut Butter Noodles

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/180879/udon-peanut-butter-noodles/

So much better than my other rice noodle dish! I actually ate the whole thing! Not like there's a ton on this plate. ;-) 

I did like this dish, but I wouldn't use these particular noodles. I bought them from the refrigerated section at Trader Joes.  They were in a red bag that said 'Rice Noodles'. I found them too starchy/gloppy and a big handicap in both dishes I used them in. I can't give this recipe a fair review for that reason. I will have to try it again. 

The dish was okay. I'm hoping next time with better noodles, the flavor won't be overshadowed by the medium it was carried.

Day: 10 & Day 11

Dinner: Tortilla Pumpkin Soup

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/13351/chicken-tortilla-soup-i/

The recipe didn't actually call for pumpkin, but because I had a pumpkin on hand (pretty amazing my pumpkin lasted this long from October!) and wanted to check out a pumpkin cookie recipe (not to mention I really wanted to get rid of the clutter of having a pumpkin on my counter for the last 4 months!), it was a great opportunity to use in a soup! Pumpkin is a great addition to any recipe. It thickens and takes on a lot of the flavor of the dish. Loved how the pumpkin brought more depth and substance to this soup. The kids and the hubby loved it. We had this for two nights in a row, LOVE LOVE leftovers! Avocados sliced on top, is my favorite way to eat it.  With of course tortilla chips! My son loves to drown his in cheese, if I weren't on this elimination diet, I'd be right there with him. I can honestly say this tasted amazing without it! Love when something tastes good and is healthy! Gives me motivation to continue and satisfaction that food can still be amazing without all the extras.

You may have to add a bit more spice than the recipe states.  I always play around with recipes, but this was a great starting point!

Day: 9

Dinner: Salmon Delight!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/daves-marinated-salmon-108487

Phew, a good dinner! How could you go wrong with salmon though?! 

A great recipe, subtle flavors that enhanced, but did not overpower the salmon taste.  I did not have Hoisen sauce on hand and I cannot remember if I substituted something for it. I may not have...I may have just omitted it.  If so, it tasted great without it! I served the salmon with a salad and an apple vinaigrette. A win win!

Day: 8

So I've become a little lax on my posts here--even though I'm still 100% following this elimination diet! Without people checking the site, I've lost my motivation to keep it up quite like I had it. The time involved documenting my journey was becoming too much--but, I want to keep a log with a few pictures and at least links to the recipes, because I've stumbled upon a few really good ones I'd love to repeat (and well, a few not so good). Forgive my back tracking! And I've also decided to pretty much just document the dinners. You all probably don't care about every single meal of the day! I may get to that point again, but for now I'll keep it simple. ;-)

Dinner: Vegan Singapore Noodles
http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-singapore-noodles/

I must not have made these correctly, because this was positively gross! The picture makes it look way better than it actually tasted. It was partially error on my part. I cooked the noodles too long and they were a soggy mess. I do think the recipe was way too strong though, I didn't love the intense combination of curry, garlic and soy together. I couldn't eat more than a handful of bites. 

On the up side, it was my first time baking with tofu, I did like how that turned out! The tofu tasted great! I loved the idea of first baking the tofu at a high temperature (to get rid of extra moisture) and crisp them up a bit. 

Bottom line, I would never make this recipe again. But--I'll keep the pointer on the tofu for future reference!

Day: 7

Breakfast: Rice cereal & Oranges

Lunch: Delicious Fish Taco leftovers!

Dinner: Navy Bean Soup

I liked it, but it was nothing to write home about. I would try a different recipe next time. One with ham would be delicious! Needed a bit more flavor.

Day: 6

 Breakfast: Rice cereal with rice milk. 

I've never loved milk, but I do love my rice milk. This part of the diet has not been hard for me. It's eliminating the ice cream, cheese and yogurt that's hard!!

My neighbor is selling duck eggs. She sells them $5 a dozen. Yes, more expensive than your average chicken egg, but her eggs are organic and from free range ducks. I see them all the time in her back yard and know they're well taken care of and eat well. My kids love the duck eggs, I do too! I actually don't find them too different from chicken eggs. I wish I could have them... Hopefully after a few months I'll be able to incorporate this delicious breakfast back into my routine!

Dinner: Fish Tacos!

http://agirlworthsaving.net/2014/03/spicy-tilapia-baja-tacos-lime-slaw-avocado-cilantro-sauce.html

With an additional sauce added:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spicy-cilantro-sauce-15786

Let me just say these were AMAZING (Even if they don't look the best...)! Best dinner so far on this elimination diet. So delicious and fairly easy--if you don't make your own corn tortillas. ;-) Just go and buy them and this dinner would be so simple! I bought the broccoli slaw from Trader Joes, the avocado cilantro sauce was so so good. Really that's what made the tacos. The fish seasoning was delicious.  

Day: 5

Breakfast: Mango Chia Seed Pudding, Falafel, Coconut Water

I picked up my breakfast this morning and couldn't be happier. My local Co-op has some great options for healthy food choices. This was my first time trying a store bought chia seed pudding. I've tried making my own before, but the one I had today, tasted a lot better! With only three ingredients: chia seeds, coconut milk & pureed mango, I thought it was pretty healthy! Though a bit too expensive to get on a regular basis. I'm hoping I can re-create it here at home.

Falafel is delicious, it was a perfect side dish. Hearty, tasty and satisfying. I've been trying different coconut waters and this one was pretty good (I've listed my favorite one to date at the bottom).

Lunch: Buckwheat Pancakes

Yep, leftovers! This time you can actually see these pancakes are topped with jam!

Dinner: Veggie Burgers

http://www.applestozoodles.com/paleo-vegan-gluten-free-veggie-burgers/

These were great, but a lot of work--too much work in my opinion. Maybe if I had everything cut up before hand, it wouldn't have taken so much time. Perhaps I was just being slow today, but it felt like there were a lot of steps in this recipe. The patties were delicious, especially paired with a hummus topping. Definitely needed that extra zing with the hummus! 

Following the recipe's steps of tenderizing the vegetables, letting them cool and then chopping them in the food processor.

 

The finished product! 

Today I splurged and had 2 coconut waters. I have been hoping to find my favorite kind, and I think this is it! There are so many brands out there (many of which I do not like), but I really like this one! If you're wanting to branch out and try coconut water, this is a great brand! My favorite so far!

Day: 4

Breakfast: Herbal Tea

After dropping off my older son to school this morning, I decided to run a few errands.  This didn't leave me much time for a good breakfast! The chaos of getting lunch packed, breakfast made for the two boys and looking presentable enough to walk my son into school (I love those drop off days when I can stay in my car, give him a kiss, wave goodbye and stay in my pj's!), it's always a mad dash! To add running errands afterwards, it was slim pickings!

Lunch: I loved eating my leftovers from last night. So nice not to have to prepare anything but just warm it up! Love my curry!! My future recipes will definitely involve more curry dishes.

Snacks: Pistachios, pickles, tortilla chips, broccoli

Dinner: Buckwheat Pancakes (My camera takes horrible inside shots, you can't even tell the topping was a blueberry plum jam!) 

http://cookieandkate.com/2013/buckwheat-pancakes/

(These pancakes look a little more scrumptious in her pictures! Loved the idea of her strawberry sauce, but I already had jam opened that needed to be used up. I really like her site and would like to try more recipes from it.)

 Contrary to it's name, buckwheat has no gluten and is not a 'true wheat'. Here's a link to Wikipedia that discusses it more in depth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat.  

In a bind, breakfast for dinner always works! Right?! I actually had big plans to make veggie patties tonight with some homemade sauerkraut. Trader Joe's was out of cauliflower, one of the staple ingredients, so I had to scrap that plan and come up with a new one. Rather than defrosting the fish in the freezer, I decided to do something simple tonight, pancakes it was! My husband thought they tasted just okay, but with homemade (sugar free) plum/blueberry jam, I thought they were wonderful! Whenever you do a complete overhaul with your food, it takes time to develop new tastes and like the new food you are eating. I think I heard somewhere that a baby needs to be introduced to a food at least 5-10 times to see if they like it.  I think it's true! You really do adapt and let your taste buds evolve. There is a list of food I NEVER thought I'd be eating if you asked me 5 years ago, today I happily want to, my tastes truly are and have started to change. Not because I have been eating clean for 4 days now, but because I've been doing this elimination diet off and on for almost two years now. By blogging, I'm hoping to document my progress, recipes, help anyone else seeking support and find a lasting change that brings full health and vitality back into my life.

Today I learned something new, how to substitute a 'flax egg' for a real egg. It worked beautifully! I love to eat eggs, but with my food test showing a high reaction to all eggs, I'm trying to eliminate them. I'm excited to try this substitute in other recipes and see if it works.  

1 Tbsp. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water  = 1 Egg
(Let mixture sit 15 minutes before you use in your recipe)

Dessert: Blueberry Coconut Yogurt

I bought the yogurt from Trader Joes. It was pretty good... I bought it primarily for the probiotics.  I'll talk later about probiotics, but I believe and buy in totally with the idea of gut flora being a huge contributor to overall health . With the added sugar in the yogurt,  I had only a spoonful and gave the rest to my husband. I will hold out for coconut yogurt without the sugar! Trader Joes only had the one option to choose from today.  

Tomorrow promises to be a better dinner!

Day: 3

This challenge has been fun, but also more time consuming. I can't throw together a dinner last minute like I usually do, I have to actually prepare and think out every meal. I find myself constantly thinking about food now. After I eat breakfast, I think, what can I have for lunch? Dinner? Snacks? How do I change things up a bit? How do I cook and buy things that won't cost a ton of money for all the fresh ingredients? I haven't actually bought anything at the store just yet, but our pantry is nearly empty.  Today is the last day I can get away making something with what we have on hand. I've tried to resist going to the store because of all that after Christmas shopping I had done!! I will just have to smart and hopefully with the planning element in all of this, I'll actually come out on top and save money on food, compared to how I previously shopped (which was whatever looked good, with maybe a few dinners in there!).

So here's the day today:

Breakfast: Hash Browns and Oranges

Hash browns with red peppers and onions, with a side fruit of an orange.  I thinly cubed 2 red potatoes. I added about a tablespoon of Grape Seed oil to the pan. I threw in the potatoes and let them roast and cook a little bit before adding the onions and red peppers (you can cover the potatoes or not, I've done it both ways. It stays crispier if you do not, but you have to be careful not to burn the potatoes.).

Snack: Pistachios

Lunch:  Rice Cereal with Rice Milk

I love this cereal. I ate three bowls with rice milk for lunch. It's really good with added peaches, raspberries or blueberries, but today it was just the straight cereal. My only gripe is that it's made in the same factory as wheat products. So for those of you who have a very strict no gluten policy, this would probably be crossed off your list. It's too bad because these are perfect! This would make a great snack for babies, they milt in your mouth and are much healthier than cheerios!

Dinner:  Thai Chicken & Butternut Squash

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/50912676835/thai-curry-chicken

http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/thai-butternut-squash-curry.html

A cross between these two recipes! I first browned the chicken in grape seed oil, salt and pepper. Once cooked, I removed and added the shallots, onion and fresh lemon grass (I think you could have cooked them all together, but one of the recipes said to cook one and then the other.).  I then added a can of coconut milk, along with chopped up butternut squash (about 1 1/2-2 Cups worth) and cut up carrots. I added 2 tablespoons of a red curry paste (make sure you look at the ingredients to make sure there is no added sugar, gluten or chemicals). I let that simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables were tender. I topped with a sprinkling of basil (would have been better to have had fresh!), served over rice and dinner was ready! It was great and fairly simple, I would definitely make this again, but perhaps use different vegetables next time.   

Dessert: Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard

http://stupideasypaleo.com/2014/11/29/paleo-pumpkin-sweet-potato-custard-recipe-dairy-free-egg-free/

With this diet you have to be a bit more creative in satisfying that sweet tooth! I know the whole idea is to get rid of that sweet tooth, but this diet is one I'd like to continue even when I'm done with the next 27 days, so I'm modifying it a bit to be a bit more realistic. The only modification that would not comply (or maybe it would, I'm not sure) with the Whole 30 is the coconut sugar. I had tried the custard and it was very bland. It had a wonderful flavor with the spices, but needed just a trace of sweetness. I opted to add not quite a tablespoon of coconut sugar to the coconut whipped cream.  Compared to other recipes out there that actually use nearly a cup of powdered sugar, I felt like I was doing well with an all natural sweetner and barely any of it at that.

This was my first time making coconut whipped cream, I think it came out great! I chilled a can of coconut cream over night, dumped it out into a bowl and whipped it for about 30 seconds with my mixer. Seriously so easy!

I did add just a touch of vanilla and the coconut sugar.

It was tasty, but to be honest, I didn't love this dessert. Maybe I used too much sweet potato? I didn't exactly measure the proportions, I just eye balled them. My picture does not look like the listed recipe's picture! I don't think I'll make this again, but if you have made this, I'd like to know if you liked it and how yours turned out!

Day: 2

Today wasn't so bad! Though the leftover chocolates and caramels from the holidays are tempting, I really want to see this elimination diet through! So here's what I ate today:

Breakfast: Blueberry Herbal Tea (would have eaten more, but I was shopping all of the after Christmas sales while my Kindergarten had school for a few hours this morning. I spent way too much but found some awesome deals!)

Lunch: A taco leftover from the kids dinner last night (only one of my kids will eat the chilli. That's the bad thing about this diet, I'm fixing food the kids will not eat, I hate fixing two meals! Today it came in handy for lunch!). I used ground turkey with my own taco seasoning (such an easy seasoning to throw together). I added my own homemade salsa and a bit of lettuce. It was great but not enough... I had skipped breakfast and I was hungry!! So I had a few tortilla chips with my home made salsa.  I also had cooked some sweet potatoes for a dessert dish (which will be featured tomorrow night!), so I had a nice big bowl of those with added sea salt. A few pistachios as well and I was feeling much better!

Dinner: Was a hit! I LOVE leftovers, they make dinner so simple and often with soup, it tastes better the next day! The chili was no exception. Instead of the gluten free cornbread of last night, I served the chili with tortilla chips, topped with avocado. Delicious!

Day: 1

I am so happy to start this blog! For the past two years, I have become passionate on food. I've had a food awakening!  I am beginning to understand the power of food-- both for good and for evil. Food has the effect of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, promoting peace, harmony and balance in our body. It can have the opposite effect, destroying cells, causing a plethora of ailments (including neurological and autoimmune diseases, diabetes, obesity), and basically contributing to all other sickness and our ability to bounce back from common infections.

I am following a basic 30 Day Food elimination diet, with a few exceptions. I took a food anti-body test which revealed specific foods that my body had a hard time processing. Though the test is still considered experimental, the idea is that if your body has to create more antibodies to certain foods, those foods are more difficult to digest and are likely causing inflammatory reactions. In my test, I have food items such as pineapple, almonds, green beans, eggs, pinto beans along with a long list of others that would comply with the 30 day challenge, but due to my personal reaction, I will be eliminating. This is all a big experiment! I want to see if I really do feel better after eating this way and to find good wholesome recipes that still taste good and do not have me craving all kinds of junk food all throughout the day. 

So here's the first meal for the first day in my challenge! The whole purpose in doing this is to eliminate and detoxify, while creating a well balanced (and well established) gut flora. I'm sure many of you have heard the latest medical news about the importance of the gut in our health and well being. Many sources quote 80% of our immunity is in the gut and several books (written by notable medical professionals) even go as far to say our gut acts as a 2nd brain. The complexity that goes on with our digestion in delivering nutrients, preventing toxins from entering our blood stream and sending signals to the brain and the rest of the body are just now being better understood. I am reading a book right now called 'Brain Maker', by David Pelmutter. If you'd like a synopsis here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Brain-Maker-Power-Microbes-Protect/dp/0316380105 --I can give my own book report once I have finished the book. So far I have really enjoyed this book and have appreciated the insight into the necessary role gut microbes play. Stay tuned to the book report!

I will always post the recipe or a link to where I found it, both for my future reference and for you in your own journey to healing and optimal health.

Here's the recipe for tonight's dinner: http://meljoulwan.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

I followed the recipe except adding a can of green chili's and half a can of pumpkin. I topped with gluten free corn muffins from Bob's Red Mill. I didn't realize the ingredients listed sugar, so next time I will make my own from scratch so I can more strictly follow my sugar, dairy, gluten and egg free policy. 

The beginning of the month and beginning of a new year is a great time for new goals. Here's to a new start and a new year of better health!!