Elimination update

I’m nearing the end of the first phase of the elimination diet: the one where I eat only “hypoallergenic” foods. Next comes the “challenge phase”, where I try eating the things I cut out one at a time and see if any of them make me sick.

This first phase has been plenty challenging on its own. It hasn’t been that hard to stick to the diet. I’ve been a vegetarian nearly my whole life, so I’m used to reading labels and politely passing on delicious food at social events. Since I know it’s for a limited time and a good cause, I haven’t been strongly tempted to cheat. After all, the only person who loses if I cheat on my diet is me.

This is the first time I’ve ever “dieted”, and it’s been a fascinating experience. It seems to be working. My sinuses aren’t entirely clear, but they’re better than they have been in years. That’s disappointing, because it means I’ll probably have to give up or limit some foods that I love if I want to keep my nose clear (and I do!).

Even more valuable than the allergy aspect though is what doing this has taught me about how I normally eat. I think of myself as a pretty healthy person, but it turns out I have a lot of bad food habits. I snack without thinking about it all day, especially in the afternoons. I eat at my computer a lot of the time. I eat junk food late at night. I also frequently drink alcohol in the evenings – just a drink or two, but it’s enough of a habit that I notice not having it.

For a long time I’ve quietly thought that I depended on unhealthy eats and drinks to help me manage stress. Two weeks with no sugar, chocolate or alcohol has been easier than I’d have imagined. I’ve been surprised at how easy it is to transition those behaviors into healthier routines. Where I’d normally reach for the chocolate or the wine bottle, I’ve taken up stretching, herbal tea and more opportunities to meditate. Turns out I have a lot of healthy tools for dealing with stress, too. They were just sitting there waiting to be used.

I’m still not looking forward to finding out what has been making me sniffle all these years, and I hope I’ll be able to get most of my old foods back into my diet. But I also hope that I’ll take away from this a more diverse and healthier diet, and a lasting awareness of what goes into my mouth.

As a side note, I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but I’m not unhappy to note that when I weighed in at the doctor’s office today I was near the bottom of my normal weight range instead of near the top where I was a six weeks ago.

Related posts:

1. Elimination Diet
2. green update
3. Sabbatical Update #1

Tagged as: food, health