Before the holidays start and my sister's baby shower is around the corner, I have decided to do an Elimination Diet for food allergies and intolerances. I have done this once before and it's not a diet really but a systematic way of tracing foods back to chronic body reactions. For years I have had digestive issues and I am once again at a point where it is making me crazy and need to know if food is to blame. Last time I did this, I discovered greens like collards, kale and most lettuces as well as broccoli and cauliflower do not agree with me. Last time I did this I was not a vegan so I am also curious to do this as a vegan. Some common food sources of allergies and intolerances are already out of my diet such as dairy and eggs, but soy, wheat, corn and nuts can be HUGE allergens, so this time I can focus on those.
To get rid of some of the food I cannot eat for the next few weeks, I made some of my favorite things. This plate of food was fingerling potatoes that were first boiled then roasted in olive oil and garlic pieces along with sliced tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and homemade guacamole. I also made a dressing inspired by the amazing dressing from Soul Vegetarian that has nutritional yeast, soy sauce, water, agave nectar, both fresh and powdered garlic and olive oil. I drizzled the dressing over the tomatoes and potatoes.
I also made cranberry jelly with fresh cranberries, natural sugar and lemon zest. This tasted so good on a toasted English muffin . . . actually it tasted good on everything!
Today I started the first part of the diet, which is a modified whole foods diet. I will still be posting about my food, since I still have a lot of options. For lunch today I had pinto beans that were soaked overnight and cooked in water and sea salt along with a sliced and roasted sweet potato that had olive oil, sea salt and maple syrup. It's kind of refreshing to taste things for what they are. 
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
last splash
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11 comments:
hi! I did a similar elimination plan when I became Vegan and thought I had gotten rid of the things that were upsetting my digestion so much (mainly dairy). I found out after a lot of struggle that I have "issues" with isolated soy protein (commonly found in many packaged veg foods-also TVP). Whole soy foods are not a problem, though. I later found that this is a common food intolerance! Hope this is helpful!
thanks aimee! i suspect that soy is a problem child for me . . . as much as i love it.
Best of luck, and I will cross my fingers for you that it's not soy!
I do hope your Elimination Diet goes well, and that you are able to, well, eliminate the suspected allergens!!
I just read an interesting story about a woman who used elimination dieting to help her continue to breastfeed her daughter, who was allergic to an unknown amount of various foods. She was able to continue it for two months and only stopped when it became apparent that her daughter needed other forms of nutrition.
I've had to eliminate soy and wheat, i.e. tofu and seitan. It's worth getting rid of tummy issues, though. I applaud you for doing this!
Good luck! Looks pretty tasty so far- I would actually like to cut down on the soy...
Yeah, soy products are pretty much everywhere these days. I'll be interested to see how you go about identifying the trouble makers. Is there a program you are following or are you making it up as you go along? Keep us updated on your progress!
Good luck with the MED - it can be challenging, but eye-opening too. Hopefully you aren't sensitive or allergic to any of your favourite foods!
thanks everyone!
vegan noodle- i have a book i a following, but since it includes dairy, eggs and meat, i am also doing my own thing.
Those sweet potatoes look so good! And it is nice to have plain foods every now and again, to remind ourselves what they are like. Good luck with your diet!
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