mandini31 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I started the Whole30 on recommendation from my nutritional therapist. I had my gallbladder removed 10 years ago and in the last 3 years my digestive has been going downhill. I know I needed to do something for that and this protocol would probably be the most successful. I also suffer from palmo-planter psoriasis(mostly only affects my hands). I am doing the autoimmune protocol as well. SO i have cut out dairy, grains, legumes, processed sugars, pork, eggs, most nightshades except potatoes, no caffiene, corn, and food dyes. I'm basically living on salad, fruit, turkey, chicken, common vegetables and beef. I am a person who is rather picky with foods and does not like seafood at all. I have tried many new recipes in the last two weeks and honestly I'm not liking most of them at all. I have kept an open mind and tried and keep trying, but the foods on this are not for everyone. Now for my issue with this....my psoriasis has gotten MUCH worse on my hands. I have it popping up on my hairline at the back of my neck. I have about a 6 inch diameter rash on both inner elbows. My skin is dryer than ever, even with the use of natural/essential oil moisturizers. I am sleeping worse than I ever have, but so tired by 10:00 at night, therefore, getting more sleep, but worse sleep, waking up 4-8 times per night, tossing and turning a lot, and it takes usually 30-60 mins before I fall asleep anyway. Before this, I never would be going to bed before 11:00 and up around 7:00 and be totally refreshed. I have soooo much LESS energy now and I'm in week 3...it should be improving, but it's not. My emotions are all over the map. My period started 4 1/2 days early, when I'm a super regular person. I'm honestly so upset and dismayed that I would rather starve and not eat anything than have another salad or piece of beef. I am determined to finish this thing and I will, but why are things worse? The only slight improvement is i haven't had the horrible stomach aches after I eat anymore. That is the only thing that has improved. So I'm wondering if anyone else out there has gotten worse symptoms during their Whole30. Does it improve? I know everyone states they will continue to eat like this forever....I can't say that. I want a glass of milk, i want a stupid sandwich. I would not see myself continuing to do this forever. I may eat healthier in the long run, but I will eventually be enjoying a much more rounded food selection than this restrictive diet. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Wow. That's alot in two weeks. Only you can ultimately decide if this is right for you at this particular time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi There, Sorry you are having a tough time. Keep in mind things on average do get worse before it gets better. I have suffered long term with rosacea, eczema, and hidradentis suppurativa (large painful boils along your bikini line, under breasts, and armpits). So I've been there. And yes it's frustrating. Some thoughts - it is not completely clear by your lists on what you meals actually look like. All I am getting from you is that you eat a lot of salad. Trust me if I ate salad all the time - I would NOT be enthused either. (Especially since I'm not fond of salads as entire meals) If you are able to list a couple of days worth of specific meals that would help give us some insight. My first reaction is ask you to step away from the salads and maybe each more cooked starchy vegetables. It could be that raw vegetables are irritating your gut, and in turn it's coming up on your skin. I know my body doesn't do well with large quantities of raw vegetables or large amounts of cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts) and it will rebel. I have also noted that canola oil (or seed oils in general) will flare my rosacea within minutes. It's all about keeping my gut happy. I also know that since you are without a gallbladder your body cannot process oils properly. So low side of template in terms of fat with each meal is recommended. Okay you mention that you are a picky eater. That's completely fine. I wasn't a picky eater and now I have become one - only because I have whole series of health issues besides the ones listed above. If I want to remain symptom free I have to eat close to template. Let's focus on the food and veggies you like so far. Maybe we can make some recommendations for recipes, news ones to try based on what you like etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted February 17, 2015 Moderators Share Posted February 17, 2015 Your complaint about skin problems makes me think you may need to eat more fat, not less, so you may need to take digestive enzymes to help you digest them properly. See http://whole9life.com/2012/09/digestive-enzymes-101/ A real autoimmune protocol excludes white potatoes and nightshades generally. There are a lot of choices while doing an AIP, but it requires effort. If you don't like the recipes you are trying, keep looking. There is a lot of good food for you to eat. These links may help. http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-shopping-list-AIP.pdf http://whole9life.com/2013/08/introducing-the-paleo-autoimmune-cookbook/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandini31 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks for your input! A typical food day is Breakfast: 8oz fruit (no eggs, bread, cereal, pork or protein shakes limit breakfast for me--used to have this), Lunch: spinach/lettuce salad with turkey, red onions, and Brianna's french dressing. Sometimes, just a couple slices of turkey and a bag of steamed veggies. Snacks: varies between pistachios or a piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana) Supper: chicken breast or hamburger, steamed veggies. I do have white potatoes a couple of times a week, i just can't do the sweet potatoes (i just choke them down, i'd rather starve). I should cut out potatoes because of the nighshades, yes. Besides the potatoes, I have had no other nightshades. But then I feel like I literally have nothing left to eat and they have never irritated my system. Maybe some fruit or frozen fruitsicle for dessert if needed. I hardly eat any raw veggies on this diet. I like veggies raw and can eat them plain, but plain with no dips or something is very blah again. I'm not a steak fan, but I have had one or two. I made homemade pot roast...but that can only be eaten so long too. Chicken soup, it was okay, just lacked noodles and found it blah. All food I'm eating currently is blah, blah, blah. Nothing even tastes good anymore. I know I'm so complaining about this, but so sick of food on this thing I could just cry. I just can't do the whole seafood thing....it makes me cringe. So that really limits the food choices and recipes. I keep searching everyday for new ones, but just don't have much luck because they really seem to always have one ingredient in them i can't have. I have taken Doterra supplements for over 2 years now and they have really improved my health tremendously, except I still struggle with my digestive health. Maybe that's part of my problem. Besides my psoriasis and digestive I was what I considered overall healthy. Never was tired, slept well, could fall asleep with no problems, plenty of energy to do what i needed. No brain fog...now I can't concentrate on anything half the day. I didn't even have much caffiene either. Pretty much had given that up 2 years ago. I quit smoking 2 years ago as well after 15 years. I rarely drink any alcohol. I hate exercising, but keep rather active outside most of the year (except winter). I do have a stressful job and i know that is a contributor to my psoriasis, but I try to destress as much as I can when I leave work. Now I feel like I did before I started my health turn-around. Really poopy. That is why I'm doing this. I was put on bile salts (enzymes) for my digestion once I started this because of my lack of gallbladder. And I take a good probotic every evening, besides my supplements. That's about everything. Thanks again for your thoughts!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanrenee Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Mandini31.....have you read the book "It Starts with Food"? I know that it is not imperative to read it in order to have success, but I think you're more likely to have success if you read it I've only been eating this way since August (having previously been a stab-it-with-a-fork-and-stick-it-in-the-microwave kind of girl), but I can see on first glance that you aren't actually following the whole30 at all, in as much as your typical food day isn't what you should be eating, and I don't mean the seafood bit (I don't eat a lot of seafood myself). No doubt, one of the moderators will come back in with the details. Please try to read the book if you can! Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandini31 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 I have read the book and I'm not sure what I'm not following. "I have CUT OUT dairy, grains, legumes, processed sugars, pork, eggs, most nightshades except potatoes, no caffiene, corn, and food dyes. I'm basically living on salad, fruit, turkey, chicken, common vegetables and beef." What I'm i eating that I cannot on the whole30? Besides the white potatoes (which were allowed now, but shouldn't have for the AIP) I have taken out everything, so I don't know how I'm not following the plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 You cannot just eat fruit for breakfast and feel good. You are not eating enough fat. I know without a gall bladder you will struggle with this, but you need to be eating as much FAT as your body can handle. You cannot go low-carb AND low-fat. You will not feel good. And it will not last. #1 mistake people make when trying to switch over to a low-carb lifestyle is not enough fat to make up for the energy you are losing by cutting out the carbohydrate. I know moderators will have more to say. You need to follow the template of protein+fat+veggies, 3x per day. Never just fruit for breakfast. That is a really bad way to start your day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 http://chriskresser.com/nutrition-for-healthy-skin-part-2 ^ Here he talks about the importance of Omega 3 for skin health. More fat in general will greatly improve skin conditions. Coconut oil -- load up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Yikes! No wonder you are feeling horrible. When I first responded I was kind of responding blindly - not realizing you were underfeeding yourself. Yes you need more fat. And more protein. And generally just more of everything. It is very important for your meals, and your overall health that your meals (yes every single one) follow the meal template - so a 3 dimensional palm sized portion of protein, a thumb sized portion of fat, and at least 1 - 3 cups of vegetables. Fruit SHOULD NOT be pushing vegetables off of your plate. Have you looked up The clothes make the girl website(Cook book Well Fed)? She does something called Hot Plates - which you have a base of ground meat and then you build a meal around it based on what you are in the mood for. Mexican? Sure no problem! Thai? Let's go with that. They are quick and easy meals that can generally be thrown together in 15 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandini31 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Besides beef or coconut oil...where do i get more fat? I'm a farm girl, grew up on dairy, pork, cheese, veggies, real butter, real bread, etc. Can't have pork or eggs. Limits breakfast quite a bit. Steak? I have always been the "trim off the fat" girl on that. I know I'm not having enough food or enough of the right kinds, but I don't know my choices anymore. I'm appeciating all the wonderful help here, but I think I'm too picky of an eater for this..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jent103 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I'm not familiar enough with the AIP to give you good specific advice, but the cookbook Well Fed 2 has a ton of recipes that can be easily made AIP-compliant, and it's marked in the book what to modify (if anything) to get them that way. That might give you some great ideas and get you out of the rut. I'd be ravenous if I were eating what you are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 "Too picky of an eater" will not resolve the issues that brought you to Whole 30 in the first place. Just something for you to think about. I'll be quite honest -- I would LOVE to be able to order Mexican food every night for the rest of my life. But guess what? That does not make me healthy, and that does not make me feel good. As adults, as we grow older and we learn that we are, in fact, not invincible -- we have to learn to make choices that are best for our health and well-being most of the time. I have the giant textbook that Sarah Ballantyne wrote on autoimmune Paleo, but I do not have it with me at the moment and I do not have it memorized. So if anything I say here is excluded for AIP, forgive me. #1 -- make friends with fattier cuts of meat. I don't enjoy big chunks of fat hanging on the side of my steak or pork chops, either -- but I am learning to eat pieces of meat that have more fat throughout them. DON'T look for the leanest meat you can find at the store. Don't drain everything until every drop of fat is gone, and certainly don't rinse your meat (yes, I have heard of people who do this). Have chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts -- cook them up with veggies & broth in the crock pot so that you are eating the fat in the broth -- it's not noticeable that way, and it sure is tasty. Also, olives are a great source of fat. {Editing my post because all nuts and seeds are excluded for AIP.} Coconut is ok -- have coconut manna, coconut oil, coconut milk. Coconut has so many great benefits -- there are entire books out there about the uses for coconut oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Besides beef or coconut oil...where do i get more fat? I'm a farm girl, grew up on dairy, pork, cheese, veggies, real butter, real bread, etc. Can't have pork or eggs. Limits breakfast quite a bit. Steak? I have always been the "trim off the fat" girl on that. I know I'm not having enough food or enough of the right kinds, but I don't know my choices anymore. I'm appeciating all the wonderful help here, but I think I'm too picky of an eater for this..... Here is the AIP shopping list. You'll see possible fats include animal fats (e.g., lard, tallow, duck fat), olive oil, avocados, coconut milk, coconut butter and olives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Here is another thing for you to think about: Potatoes can be a potent trigger for rheumatoid arthritis, another autoimmune condition. I have seen multiple people online talk about experiencing a flare-up after even just one potato. If you are eating more potatoes now than you were before, this could be a contributing factor. I know, I know... they seem so innocent... those succulent little potatoes. But they can cause some serious issues for folks who are sensitive. In case you do not know, the most irritating part is in the skins. So, if you insist on keeping them in your diet (which I do not recommend with the symptoms you are describing), make SURE you have peeled them, and peeled them WELL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Ha, I am back with one more thought: This really doesn't have to be hard. I know, a lot of folks out there make it hard. But it doesn't have to be. I do not follow fancy recipes that require a bunch of ingredients. Not very often... at all. Your avoidance of seafood made me think about sharing with you what we had for lunch today. I threw 4 frozen cod filets in the wok with coconut oil (and ghee, not AIP friendly, but not necessary at all). Then I threw in a bag of frozen broccoli and sprinkled it all with some garlic salt. So, to recap: frozen cod frozen broccoli coconut oil garlic salt That's it. I put it on medium, and let it cook, and cook, while I went about my day... coming into the kitchen every few minutes to stir. It eventually turned into the most wonderful mashed-up cod and broccoli goodness. May sound dumb, but yep, it was one of the best things we've had in awhile. And I think that is what you really are lacking: the flavor from the fat. I was generous with the coconut oil. It was incredibly easy, did not taste like fish at all, really -- and it was gone in a flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Mandini - You are not too picky. No one is too picky to do this - honest. We just have to work around this. 1) First make a list here or a personal one - to list out the veggies you do like. 2) Start listing out veggies that you *might* be willing to *try* if you found a decent recipe. For instance I have never ever tried okra. I have heard it can kinda get slimy - so I am scared to cook it. But I am curious so I want to try it. The worse thing that can happen is that I don't like it. That means I won't make the recipe again. But at least I tried it. 3) Lets list out the proteins that you like or can have (I too cannot have pork. And I've only recently start liking fish. Seafood is a completely different story) 4) Start googling recipes based on the ingredients you like. Can have. Eating liver might definitely help. It's an alternative to having fatty fish. Handling liver can get a bit oogy but it's okay if you use gloves. If you are not a fan of liver - start with chicken liver. Personally I'm still not a fan of it but like to I experiment a bit as it is high in vitamins A, D and K2. I make liver pate and then mix a portion of it when I make meatballs. Meatballs are great as a grab and go protein. And they are easy and simple to make. They are not just for pasta and sauce anymore. Here are some recipes I like: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/39832097367/whole30-day-6-asian-meatballs- swap out the tomato paste with pumpkin puree http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2014/03/08/march-meatball-madness/ http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-meatballs/#axzz3S6sUByTO- Make sure the sausage in compliant. And maybe use coconut flour or arrowroot starch instead of almond flour. You could use coconut milk instead of the heavy cream - or just leave it out. These are just to give you some ideas. The idea is the same - meatballs - but tastes can totally vary depending on what you are in the mood for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I started around the same time as you, I'm on day 17 now. I'm also doing AIP, for me it is for arthritis & eczema. To begin with my eczema got much worse and appeared in places I never had it before. Now it is almost totally gone from the crook of my arms where it was bad and is fading on the places where it appeared as new patches. Maybe you just need some more time to get better from your conditions? Have you tried cooking sweet potato in different ways? I made sweet potato chips(fries) last night & they were delicious, also a different texture from having them roasted. You can also make soup with them, I use the potatoes, home made stock & coconut milk then add shredded meat once it has been blitzed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanrenee Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 "I have read the book and I'm not sure what I'm not following." Dear Mandini31 - hopefully, you'll have got enough advice from the posts above. You say you've read the book, but absolutely nowhere does it say have fruit only for breakfast. And yes, you can have steak for breakfast, or rather, meal one. In fact, you can have any protein, veg and good fat for meal one, meal two or meal three. Good fats could be avacado, coconut oil, compliant bacon, ghee etc, almond butter etc etc (they're listed in the book). Doesn't mean the fat has to be hanging off the meat, thankfully for me!! Loulabelle - sweet potato fries are delicious!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandini31 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 I so appreciate all the help from everyone! OMG...you are all godsends!!! I think I was just having an extremely emotional day from lack of food. I'm doing more research and finding a few things to try. I also did see my Homeopathic Practitioner last night as had a rescan. My stomach and small intestines still very angry and out of whack. LOL. Basically, the conclusion is leaky gut syndrome. I have like every symptom and that would explain the psoriasis, sleeping issues, and brain fog as well. She believes the reason everything was flaring up was the low fat as well. GOOD CALL everyone!! I am also very deficient on B12 and magnesium. I need to find more foods with that, along with a possible supplement or two. IMO, it looks like I maybe following this protocol for another month....whole60 here I come. That should really give my system the time it needs to heal. I'm going to steer clear of white potatoes and tomatoes...nightshades as well. Just to get through this so I can heal and then possibly enjoy some foods again someday! I will be trying new stuff, trying to stay positive, and thank you again for all the help. (I might need it again!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Okay magnesium - there are a few ways you could approach this - take a bath with some epsom salts in the water, rub your skin with magnesium oil, or take a supplement that mixes into water. Natural Calm unflavoured is the brand we recommend the most around these parts. Liver is extremely high in iron and B vitamins, but if that isn't your thing, then regular red meat will do nicely. I remember when I first did my first whole 30 I craved red meat like crazy. I wanted it for breakfast lunch and dinner. I was a *little* concerned with eating this much red meat, (considering I hardly touched red meat previously) however it was suggested that I roll with it, as clearly it was my body trying to tell me something. So I did. This whole experience made me much more in tune to what my body needed. Craving bacon - I needed more fat and salt. Cheese - same thing. When I kept listening to the information my body was giving me I hardly ever had any sugar or sweet cravings - which is what I was worried about when I started. We have been programmed for so long to ignore the messages that our bodies are telling us - because it's clearly giving us the wrong information because many of us have issues related to weight and size. But when we break it down our bodies are giving us accurate, basic information. We just have to learn to listen to it again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted February 27, 2015 Administrators Share Posted February 27, 2015 This whole experience made me much more in tune to what my body needed. Craving bacon - I needed more fat and salt. Cheese - same thing. When I kept listening to the information my body was giving me I hardly ever had any sugar or sweet cravings - which is what I was worried about when I started. But when we break it down our bodies are giving us accurate, basic information. We just have to learn to listen to it again.... I've been a believer in this for years, it's quite honestly how I figured my way out of cravings and binge eating when I found WW many years ago. Craving french fries was usually a matter of needing salt or fat or that I was too low carb right then. I found that ANY time I was craving sweets, I was actually lacking something emotionally, not physically. Once I was able to allow myself to feel the actual emotions and not just ram food down their throats, I was far more able to make permanent, lasting change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.