I’ll compare notes later on how she did and what she substituted. I found this recipe for Blueberry Crisp on Cooks.com, which sounded alot like hers.

Here are my suggested modifications to make the recipe “elimination-diet friendly,” for each ingredient:

• Blueberries are fine on the elimination diet. Instead of blueberries only, I used frozen mixed berries (personal preference).
• Lemon juice: Didn’t need to substitute, though some elimination diets exclude citrus
• Granulated sugar is excluded from the diet. Agave nectar could be substituted instead (use less, because agave nectar is sweeter), but I tried Sweet Tree palm sugar instead. It is very low on the glycemic index, but tastes great. Palm sugar is substituted at a 1:1 ratio, but I used less in both the berries and the crumb topping.
• Flour: Wheat flour is not allowed on the diet (contains gluten). So, I substituted brown rice flour instead. Experiment with other gluten-free flours (other than potato starch and cornstarch, which are not allowed).
• Brown sugar: Again, I used the palm sugar. A small amount of molasses would probably work too.
• Cinnamon: OK to use.
• Rolled oats: As I said,  used Bob’s Red Mill brand of gluten-free oats, but there are probably other brands.
• Butter: Another excluded item, I used a little bit of canola oil instead, to make the topping crumbly. Do not use vegetable oil, as it may contain soybean oil, which is not allowed.

This quick and satisfying soup is creamy but not heavy.  It is a super-rich source of fiber, calcuim, iron, and zinc, yet is virtually fat free, because its creaminess is derived from blended beans rather than dairy products.

8 cups     chopped fresh broccoli florets (about 2 bunches)
7 cups     vegetable stock or water
2 cups     chopped celery
1              large onion, chopped
2 tsps      dried basil
1 tsp        crushed garlic
3 cups     drained cooked white (cannelli) beans or two (15-16 oz) cans
salt and pepper

Combine the broccoli, vegetable stock or water, celery, onion, basil, and garlic in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.  Combine about one-third of the soup mixture with one-half of the beans (1.5 cups) in a blender and process until completely smooth.  Transfer into a bowl. Blend half of the remaining soup mixture with the remaining beans and process until completely smooth.  Return the blended mixtures to the pot, season with salt  and pepper to taste, and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until hot.

I have several tips to make it much quicker to create this soup:
1) onions–some stores now have onions pre-chopped if you don’t like chopping onions.  make sure it is white onion that you use for the soup
2) white beans– I used 2 cans of cannelli beans, and I drain those as well.
3) blending the soup– the soup is quite hot,  so use a ladle to ladle the soup into the blender. Another way to blend the soup is to use an immersion blender…just remember to shut it off before you lift the blender out of the soup!
4) freezing the soup is somewhat ok, it will come out slightly textured but the taste isn’t compromised.

Per 2 cups: 276 calories
% Calories from:  protein 23%  fat 7%  carbohydrates  70%
grams:  protein 17 g   fat 2 g  carbohydrates  51 g

Here’s my backstory: I don’t have perfect health, but my health was ‘normal’ with some few issues as a result of congenital defects at birth: hip dysplasia, cataracts, heart murmur, and hearing loss.  Being female and hitting puberty my menses were always irregular and crampy.  I remember always being tired and taking lots of naps from high school on until I turned 30 in 1989.  That was when I was diagnosed with low thyroid and will have to take thyroid medication for the rest of my life.  Two years later in 1991, I developed Reiter’s Syndrome in both knees: Reiter’s is a rare form of arthritis that behaves like rheumatoid arthritis but is not RA.  Reiter’s tend to hit women harder than it does to men.  I did well with my arthritis and even hiked all over New York City when I visited there in 1999 and 2000.  Then in 2002, I started to have seriously painful menses which eventually resulted in getting a total hysterectomy (no ovaries).  Right after that I ballooned up to 154 pounds post-surgery within a month.

With no hormones to protect my bones, my knees started to progressively get worse in the next 3-4 years until I had no choice but to sell my 2-story condo and buy a one level home for easier navigation with my painful knees.  After I had my left knee replaced in 2007, I kept gaining weight.  That weight gain put a lot of pressure on my knees, lower back and on my lungs where I ended up breathless or winded after a short walk.

I knew I had to do something about my weight, but at the same time I considered giving up on losing weight as I have 3 strikes against me losing weight:  low thyroid, no hormones and being middle aged. I thought I’d just sit there and accept the fact I can’t change my body.  I think it was my chiropractor who told me about a naturopathic doctor that deals with hormone imbalance, so I took that first step in the right direction.  It was my naturopathic doctor who was adamant that I take the elimination diet before I could take the hormomes or supplements.  I thought he was joking,  I thought I’d eat ‘rabbit’ or ‘hippie’ food…he looked at me as if I were nuts to say that.  But he was serious…he gave me a booklet to read and come back in two weeks to discuss the diet.

During that two weeks I read the booklet and I did some research on recipes and foods that I CAN eat and I thought to myself, ‘hey, not bad, really…but what about bread? pasta? all the carbs, the sugar?’  I was more worried about how I’m going to live without those eliminated food than how I’m going to live and eat differently.  I decided to take baby steps before I start the diet full-on.  I ate more chicken, more rice, tried to get into fruits, veggies (not easy!) I slowly eased out of bread, and if I had extra, I gave it away.  I had other foods that I know I won’t eat, so I gave that away as well.

Starting my diet full-on was TOUGH…I didn’t have support, in real life or online…I was pretty much on my own.  The first week was tough, seeing breads, pastas, pies, cookies, cakes, etc–not only on TV ads, but at work where we have our monthly “goody days”  I bought organic foods, I bought non-dairy milk, I bought frozen unsweetened fruits,  I bought rice-based pastas. I ate so much apples, cantaloupes, raspberries, bananas.  Between the second and third week, I had an epiphany:  I’m losing weight…I’m *finally* losing weight. I liked the CLEAN feeling within my body, I liked the food I’m eating,  and I liked the challenge to make meals tasty with flavorings that I’ve never used before.  This is the change I’m committed to keep me healthy, strong and CLEAN.

By the 4th week, I was ready to re-introduce the eliminated foods…glutens was the first food group, and I have to say that after eating wheat bread for breakfast and lunch, within a half hour after each meal, I felt slightly sick to my stomach and had a heavy feeling in my gut.  I knew right away that I can’t tolerate gluten.   All other foods that I re-introduced in the next 30 days I had no reaction to them…but I know now that like coffee, sugar, and some other food groups can be taken, but very seldom.  I can have coffee, but not every day…just once or twice a month is all I need.  I don’t miss bread or sugar that much.  I have my own version of ‘sweet’ that’s better for my blood sugar.  I use stevia or agave nectar, when it is needed.

Since the month of June, I have lost 29 pounds in total. I’m still in shock, because I thought with the three strikes against me, I thought I’d be stuck with it and just accept it.  But I knew I couldn’t, only because I know my health is being jeopardized by increasing weight gain that results in back pain, knee pain, and constantly out of breath after a short walk.  I had to do something, but what?  Just asking my chiropractor that one afternoon about hormones and how he referred me to another doctor, little did I know that I’d be on this path to a better way of life and healthier eating.  And to that, I’m grateful for that little nudge.

Because I did this diet on my own, and doing research on recipes and looking for foods that I can eat and enjoy, I shared it on Facebook and in emails to few of my friends.  And once friends and family noticed my weight loss, they were very supportive, and never did they roll their eyes when I tell them I can’t eat this or that, because my weight loss depends on my commitment to eat healthy and clean.  And because I did this diet on my own, I knew that if anyone wants to know how I did it, I’d be too happy to share my success and to encourage anyone when they’re feeling like they can’t do this.  I know how THAT goes!  It IS tough–yes, but if I can make it despite the three strikes against me, then anyone can do this, too!

I sincerely hope this will encourage anyone to try this way of eating for the benefit of getting healthy and feeling better about their bodies.

At this point, I’m planning on bringing:

• Fruits
• Cooked chicken breast
• Rice crackers
• Hummus
• Almonds, walnuts & cashews
• Buckwheat pancakes
• Herbal tea
• Agave nectar
• Rice
• Glazed carrots
• Chicken & tuna salad
• Homemade chicken soup
• Waldorf salad
• Tossed salad w/ balsamic vinegar & olive oil
• Stuff to make smoothies

Then there’s the George Foreman grill, single electric burner, skillet, blender…not sure what else, but not too much more! Sheesh! I had to trade my Toyota Corolla for my mom’s mini-van this weekend just to have room to bring all of this! I guess I’ll make it up as I go…wish me luck! Our typical road trips always consist of burgers, fries, and cokes. So this one will be quite different, indeed!!! Yes, I AM nuts…

Of course, being made from cashews, it’s not low-fat, but take heed: cashews have less fat than other nuts. Plus, the fat is monounsaturated fat, a “good fat,” that helps lower LDL cholesterol, raises HDL cholesterol, and lowers triglycerides. So enjoy this without guilt!

RecipeZaar: Mock Sour Cream (Dairy-free)

In the link, it calls for rice milk, which is just what I used. The original recipe used soy milk, but the elimination diet Lori and I are following excludes soy. Depending upon the consistency desired, for a thicker result, I would recommend either slightly more cashews than listed in the recipe, or a bit less on the liquids. Also, be sure to use canola oil, which is allowed on the diet; whereas vegetable oil is not.

Kaylyn’s Kitchen: Roasted Carrots with Agave-Balsamic Glaze

The elimination diet eliminates the following groups of foods (which are typically the most popular allergens) for 30 days:

• red meat (including beef, pork, and lamb)
• gluten (barley, rye, oats, wheat, and spelt)
• dairy
• soy
• sugar
• caffeine (coffee, tea, and anything else containing caffeine)
• eggs
• corn
• nightshades (all peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes)
• peanuts
• alcohol

While the elimination diet is pretty strict for the first 30 days, after that period, begins the reintroduction period, where you bring back each group methodically. You add back a single food group for the first two meals of the first day. You record any adverse reactions to that food group. If you have none, then on the 4th day, you can try the next group. If you do have a reaction, after any symptoms have resolved, you can move on to the next group.

So far, I have not suffered on this diet. I posted three links under the “books” link section, which are helpful in guiding me. Lori has been through this for a couple months now, and is helping me immeasurably! Thanks so much, friend!

Lori mentioned wanting to start a blog, and since I already have one with WordPress (Road Trip Memories), I suggested the possibility of collaborating on one. Lori’s computer has sadly crashed, but hopefully she’ll be up and running by tomorrow.

Today is my 6th day and I have so far enjoyed making alot of satisfying, tasty food! So far…

• Rice pasta with zucchini, onions & tossed in herbs, balsamic vinegar & olive oil
• Chicken salad (made with mock sour cream)
• Waldorf salad (again, with that terrific mock sour cream!)
• Baby carrots glazed with balsamic vinegar and agave nectar
• Banana bread (no eggs, gluten, dairy or sugar – but plenty of taste!!)
• Grilled whitefish
• Baked chicken
• Roasted veggies
• Cream of rice cereal with raisins, cinnamon & lightly sweetened with agave nectar
• Sweet Potato Delight (sweet potatoes with bananas, toasted pecans & agave nectar)
• Creamy cucumber-dill soup (yet again, there’s the mock sour cream!)
• Chicken & rice soup
• All the fresh fruits I can eat

I didn’t really have a recipe to follow, none seemed to be what I wanted. I wanted a hot soup, or that could be chilled, if desired. So I kind of made this up (not something I typically do!). It tasted great to me!

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and seeded
4 tbsp. onions, finely chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp dill weed
salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
2 tbsp. brown rice flour
2 tbsp. arrowroot flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
3 c. chicken stock (if following the elimination diet, make the stock yourself, or find a brand free of allergens**)
1/4 c. mock sour cream

• Peel cucumbers, slice lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Slice thinly.
• Heat olive oil in sauce pan. When hot, add onions, cook covered for 2 minutes over medium heat.
• Add cucumbers and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add seasons, flours, xanthan gum, and stir.
• Puree this mixture in a food processor or blender.  Return mixture to saucepan, add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
• Add 1/4 c. mock sour cream and stir. Serve hot or if desired, chill and serve cold.