1 Week Eliminating the 7 High Inflammatory Foods: 3.4 Lbs Down

Friday marked one full week of eliminating the 7 high inflammatory foods (<– blog post listing what the high inflammatory foods are). It actually wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I got into a groove and made a couple of visits to the health food aisle and health food store, for some go-to foods that I knew were safe.

Here are the foods I didn’t miss, that I thought I would:

• bread – believe it or not
• chips
• chocolate
• eggs
• yogurt
• Diet Pepsi

Foods that I did miss – not exactly miss, but had a strong craving for once or twice:

• ice cream, which is odd because I’m not huge on ice cream. My kids just had it a couple of times so it made me want it.
• Oh so buttery shortbread cookies that have one side dipped in chocolate (from Bel Air/ Raley’s stores)
• corn tortillas
• dipping sauces and salad dressings

In case you are interested in trying to eliminate the high inflammatory foods, I thought I’d fill you in on what it was like for me.

First let me say that my skin has not felt this smooth in a very long time. I even got a compliment on it today! A friend told me that my skin looks very healthy *blush*! I guess I just have that glow about me. 😉 During the first day, I didn’t have a clue as to what I would eat so I promptly went to the store and started reading nutrition labels like crazy. I wanted to know what “yummy” stuff I could still eat. I just knew that I would need some go-to snacks and treats to put off any cravings.

I have three favorite “treats” that don’t have any of the high inflammatory foods in them. Let me warn you that you might get discouraged when looking at labels because so many things have modified corn starch, soy, sugar, gluten, etc. in them. Try not to worry though because you will find some good things too. Okay, so my favorite yummies are “Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips” – I like them plain, BBQ or the Salt and Vinegar versions. Update: You need to make sure you get the Kettle Cooked variety and not the tortilla variety, to stay away from corn. I enjoy Udi’s gluten free granolas and could munch on it all day, and sometimes I do and still lose weight! Lastly, all-natural fruit strips. These taste so good and sweet and make me feel like I’m eating candy or a dessert. I may or may not have eaten two-three strips in one sitting. But hey, they are only 45 calories! Anytime I got one of those strong cravings mentioned above, I’d pull out one of my snacks and crisis averted!

I recommend finding some good go-to snacks right away. The fantastic thing about trying this elimination diet is that you do not have to count calories or even keep a journal. However, I do recommend jotting down if/when you have any bloating and/or stomach issues, and what foods you ate that could have let to it. Something that I realized is that by cutting out all of the “junk”, you body kind of detoxes and you become all too aware of your bodily functions and what foods set things off. I discovered that black beans are a trigger for me and that I should probably stay away from them as much as possible, to avoid any stomach issues. You’ll find your way.

I can honestly say that I never felt deprived during the week and I never even felt really hungry. I do love to eat out and I had to modify how I do that. There are so many great websites online that tell you the allergens in many fast food menu items. Did you know that the chicken at most fast food restaurants has gluten in it? Chicken should just be chicken!!!! I have to tell you that in my adventures, I found that Carl’s Jr/Green Burrito is THE MOST allergen friendly fast food joint in the bunch. That is out of the ones I looked up or tested this week (Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Del Taco). They are beyond helpful and patient when needing to look up nutrition labels, and they will wrap their burgers in lettuce for you. While sweet potato fries are not exactly healthy there, they are allergen free and so yummy when you need to indulge. Beware though – their chicken is not gluten free! Stick to beef and avoid sauces! Their website even has each menu item and lists what the allergens are in that item!

For the results…….As of Friday morning (1 full week) I was down 3.4 lbs! I cannot tell you how thrilled I was with that number because I have literally tried just about every diet and exercise in the last two years, without much success. I have been stuck and this elimination diet has gotten things moving, and I feel pretty good. I think there is still some detoxing to go! I am excited to see what I can do for week two! I did cheat late last night after a very busy, long day, but maintained gluten free. Just trying to work off the bloating now.

Let me know if you decide to try this!