oh my oh my oh my

Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.
- Joanne Kathleen

Just got back from the dietitian and wanted to report things as clearly as I remember them.

First of all, some - but not all - foods that I have already eliminated because of Paleo eating were on the sensitivity list.  Most (except gluten and corn, I think) can be slowly reintroduced somewhere down the line.  She said she can work with me on a "modified Paleo" food plan - but that is WAY down the line.  Other foods that I did not expect on the sensitivity list were dairy, mushrooms, cottage cheese (which for some reason is a separate category from dairy!), cashews, and many others. Not all were in the same category so I guess the ones lower down can be reintroduced earlier or eaten not every day.  Case in point: Avocado is a category 1 (while corn is a category 3) and it is something I eat EVERYDAY.  I can still have it but maybe only a 2-3 times during the week.  Other foods (such as certain fruits) I do not have a sensitivity to but they are really bad for my glucose situation.  And, speaking of which, even though I have not had gluten or sugar in ages, my triglycerides are still close to 200 which she said absolutely baffles her, leading her to think that some of my out-of-whack numbers may very well be genetic.

Right now she wants me to start on a 28-day detox diet.  It will be shakes in addition to eating certain foods. It seems as though it can be complicated (i.e., certain foods allowed on days 1-6, others only on 7-10, etc,) but I am spending the afternoon sorting it all out.  The way she puts it is to think of the detox as scrubbing bubbles for me cells.  Once the fat cells are cleaned out they can then be collapsed by dieting.  I will always have them, but cleaning them out first will make me way less weight-loss resistant as I have thought I am.  (But the dieting and fat cells are beside the point - because of my levels of inflammation markers such a detox will also start to remove the toxins that are causing such high inflammation.)

The foods I can eat during this period is a HUGE list and I am sure I will not feel deprived at all - except since I cannot have dairy or sweeteners, I am sad to say I will have to say goodbye to my coffee since I do not drink it black. (I will have one last farewell cappuccino this afternoon...) I also have to drink 70-80 oz of "legal" liquid a day.  I'll manage - that is really just 3 24 oz bottles of water which is practically nothing in a day.  I just will miss my coffee and soda. 

She also said that she thinks I am not eating enough !!!!  Once the detox period is over we will sit and actually talk about meal plans in terms of quantity and what it is I am eating.  Right now the next 30 days are not about weight loss - just detoxing and eating healthy and not being hungry. She said though that it is not unusual for her patients to lose anywhere from 5 pounds to 30 pounds (hopefully I am in the latter category!). 

Joe went with me, which I am very grateful for, as this would have been WAY too much for me to explain.  Plus, I think it helped him to accept the detox phase instead of poo-pooing it as nonsense.  It did make him sad, though, that many of my favorite foods are off the list - but she is Lebanese herself and gave him great ideas for making things like tabouli, hommos, falafel, etc. safe for me to eat.  That was another reason I wanted him to go - to get good Lebanese cooking advice that would help me out.  He is thrilled, though, that fish is the number one protein during this period - I always hate when he bring home fish for dinner instead of a big juicy rib eye!  LOL

Anyway - I am going to try to blog about my experience daily - mostly so I can look back on it for my own reference. But also, so it will help anyone else out who is taking this route.  (http://newkneenewme.blogspot.com)

So that's the story!

Miriam