Yesterday was the last day of the nightshades elimination. I am no longer eating potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, or anything that comes from those items, such as paprika. Potatoes are my favorite food, so this wasn’t easy for me. However, I have a flare-up within an hour of eating potatoes, so it had to be done.
I was surprised to find that nightshades are in a lot of foods, particularly potato starch and tomato paste. This was challenging. Again, reading the labels on foods is key to success with an elimination diet.
I am now halfway through the elimination part of this and will be on strict paleo for a couple of weeks before reintroducing foods. To reward myself, I splurged a little and bought a contour memory foam pillow. I’ve been having some neck, shoulder, and upper arm pain lately. I’m a side sleeper, so I’m sure that contributes to it. I’m going to give this pillow a try. It’s supposed to have good support for your spine and it has places to rest your arms so that you aren’t laying on them.
At weigh-in yesterday, I was 254.2 pounds, which is about a half pound more than I was the week before. I did weigh myself at night instead of in the morning, as I had a busy day. That could account for the difference and it’s possible that I just maintained weight. Weight isn’t really a concern for me. I’m doing this for my health, to reduce HS flare-ups. However, I am curious about this weight gain. My pants are noticeably bigger and I keep having to pull them up. I have definitely lost weight in my hips. Maybe I’ve gained it somewhere else. I don’t know.
Anyway, today begins week 5 of the elimination diet. No legumes. This includes beans and peanuts. The hardest part of this will be soy. Soy is in a lot of things in the form of soybean oil, soy lecithin, soy milk, soy sauce, soy flour, soy paste (miso), tofu, tempeh, and more. Some items may not be so obvious about their soy content, but check the ingredients. I found soy in my salad dressing, yogurt, protein shakes, and chocolate to name just a few.
Musing Enigma 