After doing this elimination diet for the second time, both as a vegan this time and non-vegan the last, I have come to the conclusion that food is only a part of my digestive health issues. I did find that my body does react negatively to most everything I eat; some are just more extreme than others. This time around, I found that TOFU is not my friend : ( I did try soy milk, soy sauce and things that had soybean oil and didn't have nearly as bad a reaction as I did when I just ate tofu. Other things like onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelon, broccoli and tree nuts didn't agree with me but were tolerable. I think I am going to avoid tofu for a few months and revisit again. The onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelon, broccoli and tree nuts will be kept to a minimum in my diet. I tended to do okay with romaine lettuce and sprouts (shocking to me, since I had issues with these last time), wheat/gluten products and corn products though.
I can't say the elimination diet made me feel any better but as hard as it will be to avoid tofu, I at least know I really should avoid it.
Anyway, back to normal . . . I made an apple crisp for Jared and I tonight that was just lovely. It had granny smith apples, lime juice, flour, brown sugar, sea salt and cinnamon for the apple mixture and for the topping it had earth balance, natural sugar, flour, cinnamon and rolled oats. I LOVE crisps since you don't have to follow a recipe to still have an awesome outcome.
Monday, October 22, 2007
the results are in . . . i guess?
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13 comments:
Ah, Lori, sorry to hear tofu won't be on the menu, at least for a while--and that in some ways the elimination diet was only a mixed success. But you tried it so good on you and maybe (hopefully) even just being off tofu will help.
We had kinda a similar outcome from Josh's elimination diet experience a year or so ago--some foods seemed kinda to trigger headaches, but it wasn't very definitive! Anyway, best wishes for a happier tummy.
I love fruit crisps too...such great comfort food, and so easy! Yours looks fantastic!
I'm so sorry that you had to go through this elimination diet, and have to forgo certain foods - it sounds like you should definitely limit your soy consumption (especially tofu, as that seemed to cause the most trouble for you), as well as nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, etc.)
As someone who suffers from Crohn's Disease, I definitely know what it feels like to have to scrutinize what I can/cannot eat.
On a happier note, that apple crisp looks positively delectable - I hope you enjoyed it, pain-free! :0)
No tofu? That bites! (No pun intended...) At least you still have tempeh and seitan! The crisp looks so delicious! I was trying to think of what to do with all the pears in my fridge, now I know!
oh, so sad to hear tofu won't be on the menu for a while. i've never done an elimination diet but maybe i should. i haven't had any crazy digestive problems, but i'd still be curious....
The crisp looks delicious.
It sucks about the tofu and all the other things you have to limit, but I guess it's better to know what to blame than to just have problems with no known cause.
A good cookbook that uses NO tofu, and mainly relies on veggies, beans, and grains is Alternative Vegan by Dino Sarma. You can buy it from Tofuhound Press, a vegan owned printing co. It might inspire you with food that doesn't upset your stomach!
Too bad about the tofu :/ I'm so lucky not to have any problems with food, I'd find it so horribly restrictive (which might sound weird, most people think veganism is horribly restrictive). I won't say I can't live without tofu, but it'd be a lot more boring.
thanks guys. tofu was probably one of my favorite things to eat, so i do miss it. hopefully one day i can reintroduce it back into my diet.
That's so interesting that your body reacts badly to tofu. What about tempeh? It's fermented, so perhaps you could tolerate that? At least tempeh (and the gluten products you mentioned) are versatile!
Wow. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sorry to hear about your soy sensitivity, and to not have tomatoes! My boyfriend is kind of the same way. Most fruits are off limits and tofu is okay, but most other soy products are a no-no.
I thought about doing this diet after your first post about this. But I don't think I can do it just yet. Mind you, my impending unemployment might be a good time to do it to save $$$.
I have the sneaking suspicion that wheat is not for me, and I'd rather live in ignorance a little longer, even if it means not feeling the best. Life without it would be tough, I think, because I can't stand rice bread! Anyway, you've given me some "food" for thought.
Re: You comment on my blog:
You know, since you have a soy sensitivity, perhaps you could try the vegan mayo with a rice milk and see what happens. I'm not sure if there is some quality to the soy milk that makes the mayo so creamy, but since it's just another milk I don't see why rice milk won't work. You could even try almond milk if you don't have a sensitivity to that. If you do, perhaps a hemp milk might be another milk you could try.
Oh, that crisp looks yummy. I love easy desserts like that. I need to make more fruit-based desserts, I must admit I tend to default to chocolate...
Interesting results about your elimination diet. Too bad about tofu, but many of us probably rely too heavily on it (I know I do sometimes). Hopefully your changes will make your tummy happier :-)
sorry to hear about the tofu issue! but yeah, I suppose it's good to know what to avoid so that you get to feel better. good luck!
I'm really allergic to nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers) - it was so heartbreaking when I realized it! it's not easy, but there are lots of other options.
I also react a little to onion and garlic, but they're much easier for me to take when cooked. Have you compared how you feel when they're cooked to when they're raw?
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