Induction

When carb cravings are overwhelming I have to go back to basics. It gets me into a state of mind where food is merely nourishment for energy and to keep hunger at bay. 

To get into ketosis as fast as possible I do a modified fat fast for the first 3 days. My modified fat fast is 1200 calories rather than 1000 and I do have 3 cups of greens per day. So I guess technically I'm doing Atkins Induction but generally with Atkins you don't count calories, just net carbs. 

I am on day two and also battling a respiratory bug. When I go back to eating low carb I usually find myself fighting something because the body tends to detox. This is called a herxheimer reaction. Some people mistake this for their body telling them this WOE (way of eating) isn't right for them when if I persist through it, after 2-3 days the brain fog lifts and energy levels go through the roof!

I don't know if you can tell already from reduced swelling in my face that my body is responding. I can. 

If you want to follow my food and exercise record keeping, you can find me on FatSecret.com, user name sararay.

I have used them on and off for years, even before my pregnancies and I really like their new mobile app. They are completely free.

Breakfast for Lunch

I figured out brown rice tortillas have less carbs than Teff. The Teff tortillas are more flexible, though. 

When I have soup for breakfast I will sometimes have eggs for lunch. 

567 calories 

25 g net carbs

33 g protein 

Weekly Soup

I make sure to make a weekly chicken bone broth with vegetables. It is a good base for many soups, nutritional and if you make it yourself you know exactly what goes in.

I add apple cider vinegar to draw the minerals out of the bone. Depending on the price of chicken, I may get a whole chicken or a bunch of thighs and legs.

If there is no mold on the onion peels I leave them in the soup too because they have minerals not found in the inner layers.

When I have cauliflower leaves, they get added in. Today I had some zucchini and Brussels sprouts. Most of the vegetables get blended and added back to the broth after cooking. I separate the meat from the bones and add it back in as well. I will reserve some broth for other recipes as well.

This soup is great even for breakfast as it is a great food to kick off your digestion for the day. I learned this from a friend of mine who was born in China. Over there it's a common breakfast food. In my experience with Crohn's disease, I often don't even want to eat in the morning because it sometimes makes me feel sick. Soup is something I can always tolerate.

What foods have you found that are always easy for you to digest?

Simple Dinner

<400 calories (368)

18 G protein

22 carbs

Grilled Cauliflower

Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Mushrooms Sautéed in Chicken Broth and Garlic

Tuna with Mayo

Teff Wrap

Teff is an ancient grain. I like the wholesomeness of this non-gluten grain. The texture is much improved by a light grilling on each side. 

I cook in a cast iron pan with a brush of coconut oil. I leave the tortilla in just long enough to bubble a bit. You have to watch it or it gets too hard to roll.

< 500 cal

28 g protein

55 g carbs

This is my latest and highest carb meal for the day. 

Taking pictures of my food helps me to appreciate the aesthetics. Sitting at the table looking out the window and trying to maintain a peaceful state. 

Six Meals

One of the after-effects of my past medications has caused insulin resistance. One of the ways I can help maintain an even blood sugar is with many small meals.

I don't get hungry really, I'm too busy to notice. I don't realize until it's late, when I'm grumpy and my energy crashes. 

So I began eating small meals and balancing carbs and protein. This is a technique I learned from a Midwife, Nurse Practitioner friend of mine who also does diabetic education. This worked well to control my blood sugar when I had gestational diabetes with my second baby.

6 grams protein 

6 grams carbs

200 calories 

I then set a timer for 2 hours

Reboot

I've restarted my journey towards better health many times. I have renewed enthusiasm because of a new health practitioner I've been seeing, specialized in functional medicine. She has given me a new approach and a new hope that I can slow the progression of my autoimmunity and reverse some of the effects and damage from past medications.

For years I struggled with autoimmunity and food sensitivities. In an effort to be more intentional overall and to document my journey for myself to look back and to help others, I start here. This is my self after 2 babies, one surgery, and several rounds of medications that saved my life but had severe side-effects that leave me swollen, tired and unable to lose weight.

I have Crohns Disease which I manage by food elimination, Low Dose Naltrexone, and Moducare. My functional medicine practitioner recently diagnosed me with making too much Reverse T3 (inactive form) so I'm essentially hypothyroid. I also have leaky gut and digestive problems unrelated to the Crohns, which took years to diagnose because every doctor I saw about it wanted to give me acid reducers. I digest a lot better now with HCl supplements, my digestion is improving.

11/2/15

I'm not used to being this heavy. Like many others who struggle with weight, I used to be slender. I don't eat junk food. I have only gained large amounts of weight when on medications that messed up hormones. If you don't lose weight on any traditional diet, it is time to ask your doctor to look at hormones.

Here is a picture of me BEFORE my last round of prednisone. This is after I had my first baby, so not even at my skinniest. I chose this one because it is also without makeup like my picture from today.

2011

Here I reboot my health journey, in a new city (we just moved). New intentions, new life patterns and renewed hope. Won't you join me?

What are your challenges? What have you tried? What worked and what didn't?