What I’ve Been Eatin’

Today has been a long day. Despite my best efforts, I haven’t been getting to sleep early enough the past few days, and it’s caught up to me. I have several oral lesions and I’m exhausted. I’d call it a mini flare. I’m still able to eat normal foods, it just takes a bit more time and effort. Planning on knocking out early tonight. Hoping that’ll jumpstart the healing process.

Here’s what I’ve been eating lately:

Coconut butter is a new discovery for me. The Artisana brand is super delicious and way smoother than what I can make in my own food processor. Spread it on some pear slices- fantastic AIP snack.

This was breakfast, but it would work any time of day. Sautéed sweet potatoes with garlic and spinach, and my very own AIP meatloaf patties. I always make a double batch and freeze extras for quick meals when I’m tired or rushed (or sick). Love ’em!

This was my plate of food from a recent party. I brought a salmon salad for me and a dish of roasted garlicky broccoli to share so I’d be sure to have something to eat. But it turned out that there was more food that was AIP compliant at the party. My husband’s grandfather made a delicious baked yuca dish, and my mother-in-law smoked a brisket (she only used a tenderizer on it, which wasn’t ideal for my diet, but not a huge deviation from it). It was soooo delicious. And really fun to enjoy eating with a large group (without having my own “special” food). There was a lot at the party that I couldn’t eat, but I was full on this stuff. So it didn’t matter.

I’ve been having this for breakfast most mornings. AIP meatloaf patties made into an actual meatloaf, alongside mashed cauliflower or fermented cabbage (pictured here). And a big ol’ mug of bone broth.

This works as a snack or light lunch alongside a smoothie. Smoked salmon and olive rolls. The brand of smoked salmon that I use (Echo Falls) has only wild caught salmon, salt, and natural hardwood smoke as ingredients.

Off to bed! Hope the little one cooperates!

My first original recipe: AIP Meatloaf Patties

Grass-fed or pastured meat patties are a staple in the Autoimmune Paleo world.  Even given the severe restrictions of the diet, there are lots of options for seasoning and enhancing a meat patty.  Herbs, veggies, non-nightshade and non-seed spices.  So I found it frustrating when the first couple of recipes I followed didn’t turn out that great.  Sure, I may have overcooked one batch a bit, but I am far from a perfectionist in the kitchen.  Perfection is just never going to happen for me.  Sometimes, the oven timer goes off and I don’t get there to take out whatever’s baking until half an hour later.  Thank goodness my oven automatically shuts off when the time’s up, otherwise I probably would’ve burned the house down by now.  But my point is, grass-fed ground beef is typically leaner and seems to be slightly more finicky than conventional meat, meaning a few minutes overdone yields a rock hard meat patty.  But there is a very simple, and extremely nutritious solution… add tons of veggies!  Finely diced onions, grated carrots and zucchini, minced garlic, chopped mushrooms, pureed squash or plantain… anything that has it’s own moisture will impart all that nutritious juicy-ness to the meat patty, whether it’s a hamburger, a breakfast sausage, or a meat loaf.  This revelation led me to create my first original recipe.  I guess it’s not TOTALLY original, because the foundation for the tomato sauce ingredients came from Against All Grain’s Tomato-less Meat Sauce Recipe.  Once I figured out how to make a nightshade free “tomato” sauce, adding it to the meat patties along with a plantain “binder” (since I can’t use eggs or any type of breadcrumbs) to make it all taste like tomatoey meatloaf goodness was just intuitive.  So, without further ado….

Autoimmune Paleo Friendly Meatloaf Patties (can also be made into muffins or an actual meatloaf, just increase cooking time)

Ingredients:

1 small or 1/2 large beet

2 carrots

1 green plantain

4 cloves garlic

1 onion, chopped

1 pound of grass-fed ground beef

salt to taste

 

Directions:

For the “tomato” sauce, add the beet, carrots, plantain, garlic, and salt to a vitamix or other high powered blender or food processor.  Process at low speeds, using the tamper tool (or stopping to scrape down the sides often) to get all bits incorporated.  Some small chunks are OK.

Mix the sauce with the ground beef and chopped onion.  I use my hands.  There’s just no easier way to get it all mixed in.  The mixture should be very moist.  

Form into 12 patties and place on a cookie sheet or muffin pan.  Bake at 415 for 40 minutes.  (or 350 for about an hour, or 400 for 40 minutes, or any of these temperatures and times and then just let them sit when the timer goes off until you can finish cleaning the pee off the floor from your potty training toddler and hopefully remember to wash your hands before removing your dinner from the oven).  You could also easily cook them in a frying pan on the stovetop.  No matter what you do, these patties will be moist and yummy!

Serve on a bed of mashed cauliflower with a side of broccoli, or on a bed of salad greens with a side of sweet potato fries… or for breakfast along with a green smoothie.  Here it is on spring mix salad greens with rutabaga fries. This is my comfort food.  Mmmmmmm.

.

 

If you don’t like beets, this is a great way to sneak them in.  My husband hates beets.  I don’t get it.  They’re sweet and earthy and delicious.  But I know they take some getting used to, and apparently some people, like my husband, don’t ever get used to them.  But he gobbled up these meatloaf patties and wanted more.  I don’t think he even realized there were beets in there.  Beets are an AMAZINGLY nutritious vegetable and have LOADS of health benefits.  Check out this link for reasons to work beets into your diet.  Along with the carrots and plantain, these patties become extremely nutrient dense.  And you don’t even feel like you’re eating a vegetable!  Can’t beat that!  

Bread-less Sandwiches and a Paleo Meal for Date Night

I’ve been feeling pretty good the last couple of days and I am so grateful for that. Still on the tail end of this cold (congested and sore throat, but very mild) and oral lesions are mild. So I’ve been able to expand on what I’ve been eating and add in some crunchy leaves (that are really difficult to eat when I’m having lots of issues with my mouth). Considering my recent switch to grain-free, being able to eat leaves is nice because I can wrap traditional sandwich fixings in a leaf and BAM- easy meal.

For example:

Grass fed uncured beef hotdogs with organic ketchup and mustard, and raw sauerkraut on a romaine lettuce leaf, with a side of crunchy carrots and hummus.

And breakfast this morning was egg “sandwiches”. Uncured ham and an egg fried in coconut oil, topped with avocado and a side of fruit (the purple thing is a pluot, the yellow is a “flavor grenade” pluot, and everybody knows what an orange looks like).

Some other notable (and mostly paleo) things I’ve been eating lately…

Sardines are supposed to be really healthy. Great way to get those omega 3’s we hear so much about, and lower in mercury than most other fish, particularly canned fish like tuna and salmon. Problem is, I don’t really like sardines. It seems weird that all their bones are in there, and they really need to be prepared in a way that complements their flavor. I’ve had them on crackers with a bit of mustard before, which was good. But crackers (even gf ones) aren’t an option for me anymore. So I found a recipe online for coconut crusted sardines. I love coconut shrimp, so I figured I’d try it. Rinsed the sardines, dredged them in an egg wash, then coated them with coconut and sautéed them in coconut oil. Dipped them in organic mustard. Not too bad.

And for our date night (at home, because I really can’t eat out very easily and this is cheaper anyway) we made (yes, my husband helped) the recipe for meatloaf muffins from my favorite cookbook, Against all Grain. Topped with some organic ketchup and mashed cauliflower. With a side of oven roasted asparagus. Very delicious and comforting meal. (I made a double batch, so we have lots of meatloaf muffins in the freezer for quick meals when we’re busy- or for when I’m sick).

And date night dessert was sliced pears, tossed in coconut oil and cinnamon, and roasted in the oven. Then topped with coconut cream (from the top of a refrigerated can of coconut milk- organic and BPA free) enhanced with a little local raw honey and vanilla extract. Soooo good.

This paleo thing is going to be fun. 🙂

Entertaining (mostly) Grain Free

Had a wonderful time catching up with our old friends (and watching our toddlers get to know each other- so cute!) We ate every meal here at the house during their visit, and the only time I spent in the kitchen (about 20 minutes) involved making this AMAZING grain free bread. (Click here for the recipe from Against All Grain). I misread the recipe and used tablespoons instead of teaspoons for the vinegar. I actually think it turned out even better. Gave it almost a sourdough flavor. We (four adults and two toddlers) ate the entire loaf in one sitting. I served it smothered in grass-fed butter alongside a roasted beet salad with citrus vinaigrette and organic chicken soup- all of which had been made ahead of time and just had to be warmed up and plated. I had a frosty glass of pomegranate kombucha with mine.

Our friends supplied the steaks for dinner, which the boys grilled while I warmed up the pre-baked sweet potatoes and sautéed the sprouts mixture I’d put together ahead of time. Dinner was on the table in 15 minutes. I love being prepared.

Dessert was not grain free. I made and froze this dish before I made the switch. Though I’m pretty sure it would be easily converted to grain free. I’ll have to try it soon. Anyway, it was a pear/peach cobbler made with brown rice flour (so it IS gluten free at least) and sweetened with honey. I adjusted my Granny’s old peach cobbler recipe to eliminate the refined sugars and wheat flour. Topped it off with coconut whip cream (the delicious white stuff from the top of a refrigerated can of coconut milk, then mixed with vanilla extract and agave). Mmmmmmm. So good.

Prepping for Visitors

I’m feeling good. Mouth is still healing and throat is slightly sore, but I’m almost back to normal. Today is the first day I haven’t needed to take one of those crazy pain pills. I’m going to stay at 10 mg (of prednisone) for this week, just to give myself a break before I taper down to 8 mg and risk another severe flare.

Plus we’re going to have visitors this week, and I’d rather not be sick. And I’d rather not spend the entire day in the kitchen while they’re here, trying to come up with something they’ll like to eat that fits with my diet plan. So I did a little planning and prep work today. Having these prepped meals on hand will also be nice in the event that I get sick again and need quick, easy options to feed my family.

Quick breakfast option: Sausage Skillet Scramble. Once this is prepped, you just throw a handful (per person) of the mix in a skillet and sauté until it’s almost done. Then scramble in a few eggs (or throw in a few handfuls of greens until wilted and serve topped with fried eggs).

I chopped an onion, a red pepper, a green pepper, and lots of garlic, and put them in a large plastic freezer bag. Slightly defrosted a package of Applegate Naturals Chicken Apple Breakfast Sausage, sliced ’em up and threw them in the bag. Then chopped and sautéed a large sweet potato until it was almost done (it’ll cook the rest of the way when I sauté it all together).

Mixed it all up in the bag and it’s ready to go.

I roasted some beets and baked some sweet potatoes to have on hand. The beets will be great in salads with a citrus vinaigrette and the potatoes will be a nice side dish along with a protein and green veggie.

Many people aren’t familiar with fresh beets, but they’re really easy to work with. To roast them, just trim off the leaves and “tail” and scrub clean. Put them in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 2 hours or so (it rarely takes that long, but I detest underdone root veggies). Once they’ve cooled enough to touch, it’s really easy to just peel off the skin, like I did here.

Beets are incredibly nutritious and are really helpful with detox. My old nutritionist graduated from Bastyr University and said anytime you eat with someone who went to school there, you can always bet on having beets and kale somewhere on the table.

Another quick lunch/dinner option I prepped is this Wienie Sprout Skillet. I used to make this with kielbasa sausage, but since nitrates/nitrites/MSG/etc. are no longer allowed in my house, I substituted Applegate Grass-fed Beef Hot Dogs. Into this plastic freezer bag, I threw a chopped onion, lots of garlic, 2 diced hot dogs, and a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts. When I go to make this dish, I’ll also put a few handfuls of spinach in the skillet just before its done cooking. It’s great on its own as a light lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.

A little prep work early in the week (or whenever you have time) makes it a lot easier to maintain your plan during busier moments. And now I know I’ll be able to relax and enjoy our company rather than worrying about what to feed them. And we all get the added benefit of our meals being super nutritious! Win-Win.

Friday

Lesions/thrush continue to improve. I haven’t typically gotten lesions on my lips until recently. Right now I have 2 on my bottom lip. TMI gross alert: when I wake up in the morning, it’s like my lips are glued together. I have to go to the sink and slowly put water on my lips to ease them apart. If I force it, it’s pretty painful and bleeds. As gross as that sounds and as uncomfortable as it is, I’ll take lip lesions over tongue lesions any day. They’re more visible and unsightly, but don’t affect my ability to eat as much.

Breakfast: an avocado fruit bowl. Strawberries, pear, orange, lime juice, hemp seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut.

The morning juices: alkalizing greens, spicy ginger lemonade, and a sweet beet concoction.

Had lunch at my parents’, where my dad made an awesome salad and lightly steamed veggies. Totally forgot to take a photo.

Dinner was leftover and frozen shrimp fried rice. There’s a couple of problems with this meal, but it was late and I was starving. So, I’ve incorporated eggs back into my diet now, so that wasn’t a problem. And though I haven’t officially started the Maker’s Diet yet, I intended to ease into it and avoid the “unclean” foods, which includes shellfish. I’m also not sure if I made this dish with tamari or soy sauce or bragg’s liquid aminos. So there’s some potential for gluten and soy there. I made it back in May, so I’m just not sure. Anyway, it tasted good. Hope it doesn’t set me back.

Also had a carrot juice and almond milk with dinner.

Had an odd pain in my shoulder earlier in the day. Put my last drop of PanAway on it and that helped tremendously. I’ve got to get some more of this stuff. Also, fighting off a mild headache tonight. Made an Epsom salt bath of clove and peppermint, and rubbed helichrysum, wintergreen, and peppermint on my shoulders, neck, and temples before bed. Plus drank 32 ounces of water. Advil? No, thanks. 🙂

Thursday

Woke up with a pretty swollen lip and tongue. We’re having tropical storm weather. Totally matches my mood and general health today: dreary.

Buckwheat cinnamon rolls for breakfast. With sweet potato “cream cheese” frosting. And a mug of ginger tea. That cheers me up a bit.

Lunch was leftover and frozen baked spaghetti (gluten free-of course) with grassfed meat sauce.

Juiced 2 of those ginormous carrots from the farmer’s market, and a chunk of ginger.

Snacked on watermelon.

And an alkalizing green juice. Kale, fennel (has natural TNF inhibitors), cucumbers, an apple, and I squeezed in lemon juice at the end. Yum!

Sent the husband to the grocery store for a whole organic chicken because I was craving comfort food. Perfect chicken soup. So healing when you add a little vinegar to the water- helps extract minerals from the bones and makes the soup much more nutritious than a soup made with store bought broth. Plus the combination of carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and fresh herbs from the garden. And Himalayan sea salt and pepper. So simple. So delicious.

So, this is the first significant flare I’ve had since starting the elimination diet. I’ve had lesions, but no fatigue. The fatigue set in yesterday afternoon, and it’s still here. I napped for over an hour this morning in my daughter’s bed while she played around me. And I fell asleep again during her actual nap time. This is after a good 8-9 hours of sleep last night. I haven’t had any major achy-ness with this one. The lesions aren’t even that bad. The one on my lip is swollen and ugly, but it doesn’t interfere much with eating, so it’s not a big deal. The one on my tongue is more of a problem, but as long as I eat on the other side of my mouth, I’m good. I do have a few “sore spots” that are uncomfortable while eating, but don’t seem like true lesions. All-in-all, the fatigue is the most debilitating with this one.

I’m really starting to think my flares may be linked to hormonal changes in my body. It would make sense, since the disease manifested its first symptoms when I was pregnant. I also think the worst flares are sometimes linked to my “cycle” if ya know what I mean. Though that is hard to track since I have an IUD and don’t have a normal period. Also, I used to have horrible night sweats regularly, but haven’t had them at all for a while. Just had my first one (though really minor- didn’t even have to change my clothes) the night before last.

I was doing so well with the elimination diet (no gluten, no soy, no eggs, no dairy, no corn) until now. I did eat crackers with dairy (butter flavor or fat or something) in them a few days ago. Not sure if that triggered the immune response, or if my body’s been fighting off this pathogen that got my family sick last week, and just finally got confused (or worn out) and started attacking my healthy “self” cells. Or if I made a mistake somewhere in my diet that triggered this inflammation.

Either way, just gotta push through and keep building a stronger foundation for good health.

Sunday

Had a great day. Intense service at church, then got some one on one time with the hubs. Not much improvement in my mouth, but it’s certainly not any worse, and my energy level was high all day. So I’m extremely happy and grateful for all of that. As soon as the sun went down this evening, I started to feel some exhaustion setting in and the pain in my mouth was amplified a bit. Not a big deal. Hopefully just a sign I need some rest and will be recharged by morning.

Today’s breakfast was an avocado fruit bowl with pear, persimmon, hemp seeds, and macadamia nuts. Delicious, but a little difficult to eat (given my jacked up mouth situation), so I ate half before church and finished the other half after we got back. Eating certain things is just a long process when you can’t manipulate your food with your tongue and you have to try to avoid irritating the tender spots, which is hard to do when they’re all over.

Here’s the recipe from Nourishing Meals. (Please see my resources page for a link to purchase this book.  It’s amazing.)

We didn’t have any fresh mango on hand, but if you’ve never tried a persimmon, they’re really sweet and delicious. Great substitution.

Easy comfort food for lunch.

With a smoothie. That’s frozen strawberries, half a banana, kale, and 3 dates in the blender cup. I added almond milk, vanilla, sexy hot chocolate mix (cacao, carob, maca), and a few drops of stevia.

Dinner was frozen leftover red lentil soup from a couple of months ago. I’ve got to make that stuff again. It was really really good. And I ate half of a mini raw vegan cheesecake I made a few weeks ago and froze.

Saturday

Feeling great this morning! Mouth is significantly better (thanks to all who were praying for me!)

Excited to try this recipe from Nourishing Meals. (You can buy the book here- http://www.nourishingmeals.com/ – it’s awesome.)

Based on what I’m reading in The Immune System Recovery Plan, I’m considering a more strict elimination diet. I’ve realized that dairy definitely triggers an inflammatory response for me (sinus congestion and headaches). Without having eliminated it, I never would have noticed the difference. Cheese has always been one of my favorite foods, so this is a little sad for me. I remember seeing one of those tattoo shows where a dude got a tattoo in memory of cheese because he couldn’t eat it any more for medical reasons. My love of cheese is close to his level. Not quite, but close.

The Immune System Recovery Plan recommends that you initially eliminate gluten, dairy, corn, and soy. Based on my self-assessments, I likely have leaky gut syndrome. She (the author, Susan Blum) suggests also eliminating eggs if you have this issue. I have already eliminated gluten for some time now, and eliminating dairy will be pretty easy since I’ve severely limited it and I now know the negative effects it has on me. I’m going to try to eliminate the other 3 (corn, soy, eggs) for three weeks or so, then slowly reintroduce to see if any of these have similar negative effects (like dairy does).

This pancake/waffle recipe is perfect! I made a double batch of the mix to fill up my container. Then made a double batch of the waffles to have enough leftover to freeze. I was skeptical of the no-egg situation. No need. They’re awesome. Topped ours with ghee (yes, it’s dairy, but from what I understand won’t cause a reaction because all the proteins have been removed and it is actually very healing to the digestive system because of its high levels of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that reduces inflammation and balances immune cells in the gut) and a sprinkling of xylitol for sweetness.

Lunch was a veggie rice bowl. I mixed in some umeboshi paste with the rice. Sautéed frozen veggie mix (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) with onions, and topped it off with vegan cheese sauce. This was the first time I’ve used umeboshi paste, and I used just a bit too much, so the rice was pretty salty, but it was still good. Umeboshi plums are supposed to be great for the digestive system (my biggest concern) among other things. Here’s a link for more info about umeboshi. http://www.earthclinic.com/mobile/Remedies/umeboshi.html

Dinner was Moroccan Roasted Chicken from Nourishing Meals.

And mixed greens with this homemade salad dressing. I didn’t pay close attention to the measurements. Just kind of eyeballed it. And mine came out really garlicky. I think it’ll be fine after it marinates overnight and the vinegars mellow out the garlic, but it was overpowering.

And an alkalizing green juice. This yielded more than 32 ounces. Yum! I missed my green juice yesterday.

Tuesday

Breakfast bowl: brown rice, an egg, sautéed garlicky broccoli, avocado, raw sauerkraut.

Pomegranate Chia Fresca

Snacked on pomegranates, carrots, cashews, and raisins. And had this leftover frozen lasagna for lunch. Almost vegan Alfredo.

Organic plain yogurt with pomegranate seeds. Generally avoiding dairy, but this was a treat.

Alkalizing green juice.

The last of the coconut banana breakfast cake. Melted two squares of 70% dark chocolate on top.

Red beets and apples. Super sweet.

Today is my last day on doxycycline. Starting banderol and samento (herbals to treat Lyme) tomorrow. If all goes well, the only prescriptions I’ll be on for the next few weeks are prednisone (steroid) and nystatin (antifungal). What an improvement from a couple of months ago when I was popping at least 7 different prescription medications. I’ll also be using dexamethasone mouthwash as needed when having mini-flares.

Gotta get focused on sleep, exercise and meditation to move to the next level. I feel like I’m at a good place with nutrition. Not perfect, but consistent. My supplement plan is working. And I’m working on minimizing toxin exposure. But I’m not getting to sleep at a decent hour (though we sleep late, so I get enough sleep, just not at the optimum hours between 10 and 7). I’m not exercising regularly. And I don’t have a consistent stress relief/meditation practice going on. I think making changes in these areas will have the biggest impact on my health. Following through is the hard part.

Anyway, for dinner tonight: tuna salad (vegenaise and organic Dijon) on a bed of spring greens, with yellow tomatoes and roasted red pepper, drizzled with champagne vinegar, lime juice, and hemp seed oil.

Sunday

Simple breakfast before church.

Lunch was gf toast with olive oil and healing ginger miso soup.

Juiced this stuff.

Frozen microwave meal for dinner.

Dressed it up (and boosted nutrition) with a diced avocado, culantro, and lime juice.

I’m kind of addicted to coconut water. Nothing makes me feel so hydrated. It’s like my cells just soak it up.

Going to try fermenting and preserving my own veggies pretty soon. In the meantime, I need to get accustomed to using naturally fermented veggies (like this kimchi, which I ate straight by itself). Been on the look out for raw sauerkraut, but haven’t been able to find any.

Dessert was super delicious. Chia pudding and grapes. Great combo.

Feeling better today than yesterday. Got a great night’s sleep and felt recharged early in the day. Got to go to church and actually pay attention to the sermon (since I didn’t have to wrangle a 2 year old). Great service with prayer for healing. Energy started waning in the afternoon and I was pretty exhausted by early evening. But then had kind of a hard time falling asleep. I need to take steps to get to bed earlier each night, so that I’m consistently asleep by 10 or 11 pm. And I am not exercising enough. Got winded while going for a short walk with my in laws. Granted, I was carrying a 32 pound toddler, but still. I was walking! It just reminded me that my body is still quite weak and I need to step it up if I can.

Sunday

Feeling soooo much better today!!! :)))))

Still look like a freak with my swollen lip, but I don’t care about that. The lip causes minimal interference with eating, so it’s not an issue. The tongue is significantly better, and overall pain/fatigue is pretty much gone. I’ll need to be mindful not to wear myself out today, but I’m super excited to be on the mend (again). Thank you, God! Prayers were answered with a “Sure- I can take care of that!” 🙂

For breakfast today, I made Tropical Quinoa Muffins with extra chia seeds for an omega 3 boost. It’s a variation on this recipe from the box of quinoa flakes.

I doubled the recipe, omitted the honey, replacing it with a combination of stevia and very little agave. I added crushed macadamia nuts and finely shredded coconut (hence the “tropical”). I only had 2 bananas, so I added in some applesauce to make up for lost moisture from the missing 2 bananas and the honey. And then sprinkled in some chia seeds for added nutrition. Plus vanilla extract and pie spices. I mean, every muffin needs vanilla and cinnamon, right? No matter what the flavor.

They were delicious! I have to say I don’t typically love the flavor of quinoa, but I don’t notice it in these muffins. Either that or I’m getting used to it.

Served ’em with apple slices and a dollop of organic full-fat yogurt and a smidge of honey. And a mug of green tea.

Lots left over to freeze and have later on rushed mornings when we have no time to cook.

Freezer meal from last month. Still good.

“Cookie” snack with a mug of almond milk, pie spice, and stevia.

Dinner was roasted golden beet salad and leftover stuffed cabbage. Though I’m feeling better, I’m still having issues, so I was only able to eat one of the cabbage rolls, and I couldn’t eat much of the leaves in the salad. But I finished off the beets and pumpkin seeds, which were delicious with an orange vinaigrette (oj, walnut oil, balsamic vinegar).

And an alkalizing green juice. Also added in a lemon at the last minute, for its alkalizing and detoxing properties.

Saturday

Still planning to drink all the usual juices today, but I’m going to eat normally as well. Decided to continue as before for now- including grains (except wheat) but moderating them a bit, and minimizing animal products, with the focus being on finding pastured, grass fed, organic products.

Breakfast was 16oz signature greens, gf toast with coconut spread, and fruit.

Lunch was 12oz ginger lemon aid, 12oz red beet elixir, and Kashi cereal with kefir.

My daughter’s art activity while I was juicing- she painted with leftover juice foam. This stuff is versatile! Nourishes our bodies and our creativity!

Got a massage today (thanks, Mom!) So I’m drinking LOTS of water to flush out any additional toxins that stirred up along with the detox. I feel great. One tiny lesion coming up as the last one fades away. I could totally go the rest of my life with one lesion at a time. Though it lets me know I’m not quite in balance yet.

Had 2 Larabars as a snack while health food shopping with my mom. Coconut cream pie and peanut butter chocolate.

Had frozen leftovers for dinner. I intended to eat all 3, sharing them with my daughter, but she didn’t eat much, so we didn’t eat the shrimp dish. Just the stir-fry and broccoli soup. Plus carrot cake juice and almond delight.

Made my first attempt at homemade toothpaste. Baking soda, xylitol, coconut oil, thieves oil, crushed up calcium/magnesium tablets, and a pinch of himilayan sea salt. From what I’ve read, this should do a good job of remineralizing our teeth. The coconut oil, xylitol, and thieves oil all have antifungal, antibacterial, or otherwise anti microbial properties. The baking soda and sea salt will polish, and the calcium/magnesium tablets and sea salt will remineralize. It tastes pretty good. I didn’t follow an exact recipe. I found a bunch of different recipes on Pinterest and kind of made up my own thing based off of those.

If we like this toothpaste and use it long term (never to buy conventional toothpaste again?) I’ll find a better container to keep it in. Possibly something that we can squeeze it out of. In the meantime, an old baby food jar will work.

It’s driving me nuts that I spelled thieves wrong on the label. In an exercise against my perfectionist tendencies, I’m purposefully not correcting it. I mean, who cares, right? We’ll see if I make it through the night without fixing it.

Had 2 squares of 70% chocolate and dried apple rings as a late night snack. I’ve had well over 64 oz of water today and I still feel thirsty. I normally have a hard time making myself drink water, so I’m glad it’s been easy today. Wonder if it has anything to do with the detox process and/or the massage. I hope it’s flushing out toxins! I want that crap outta my body!

Wednesday’s Lunch

Still pretty yummy. Warmed up well in the microwave.

Monday’s Dinner

My first attempt at GF bread in the bread machine. Used a ton of egg whites. Came out pretty yummy. It’s a mix from Bob’s Red Mill. I guess the next step is to try it with my own mix of flours.

Also ate leftover quinoa pistachio pilaf from the freezer. (Hubs and company ordered pizza.)

Sunday’s Dinner

Munched on rosemary purple potatoes while visiting with family. I’d frozen them a while back. Has daiya cheese on top.

And a serving of roasted beet salad that had been frozen and thawed. I didn’t know if that recipe would freeze well, but it did ok.

And juiced this stuff. That’s an eggplant, several plums, beets, beet stalks, and a few leftover pieces of rhubarb. I was aiming for a purple juice, but it came out more like magenta.

Also ate the leftover lentil/beet green soup. I was hungry tonight. Think my body had a lot of refueling to do after taking that awesome Zumba class this afternoon.

Monday’s Dinner

The label saves me from having to type it out.

And a packet of chlorella.

And a big spoonful of natural peanut butter for dessert. Sorry, no photo.

Been fighting off a headache all evening. It definitely dulled once the pain pill kicked in, but it’s still there. I really haven’t had much to drink today, so it’s probably slight dehydration. Or just further evidence that my system is out of whack. I cannot wait for the day this body is healthy and balanced and vibrant!

Monday’s Dinner

Roasted spaghetti squash with low-sodium marinara and spinach (sautéed with onions and garlic). Sautéed purple potatoes. And roasted root veggies (carrots and parsnips) with garlic and rosemary.

Made extra to freeze leftovers as individual meals to quickly heat up when the Hubs is out of town. Gluten-free/dairy-free convenience has never been so cheap.

Side note: also roasted the seeds from the squash and had those as a snack earlier. Along with a big mug of ginger tea.