Modified Elimination Diet: Week 3

Wrapping it Up
It is Monday at the end of week three, and so the modified elimination diet comes to a close. The third week was a breeze, having had ample time to adjust to abstaining from the forbidden foods. I have lost more weight this week (for a grand total of thirty pounds), but I am assured this is to be expected from the elimination diet. I believe this trend will stop once some of the eliminated foods find their ways back into my diet.

Elimination Diet Dinner of the Week
This dinner was a big hit! One night, I was particularly craving something with a bit of Mexican flare, so I whipped up the following dish.


Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ large sweet onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Button mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 can black beans
Sea salt
Pepper (optional)
2 large golden Yukon potatoes, cubed

Here is what I did:
On stovetop, heat up can of black beans on low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.

Place diced potatoes in baking dish. Pour olive oil over potatoes. Flavor with salt & pepper, and also some green pepper & cilantro if desired. Stir so potatoes are well coated. Place in 400 degree oven. Cook until potatoes are soft.

In a large saucepan, heat up one good pour of olive oil. Once hot, sauté onions, garlic, green pepper, & mushroom. Cook until onions are translucent. Remove from pan.

Add more olive oil to the hot pan. Cook up diced chicken breast. Once cooked, add onion/garlic/pepper/mushroom mixture back to pan.

Add tomatoes & chopped cilantro

Cook on low heat until entire mixture is warm.

Serve chicken mixture over oven-roasted potatoes and top with black beans.

I wish I had thought of it earlier, but some slices of avocado would be delicious on this. As it was, I could only eat about half of what I served myself. Very filling!

Non-elimination diet modifications (thanks to Jordan): put black beans & chicken mixture in a warm tortilla, top with sour cream, salsa, and your favorite cheese blend. Add a few squeezes of fresh lime for extra flavor!


Appointment with the Naturopath: The Moment of Truth
I met with the naturopath again today; what a fantastic appointment! He asked how I was feeling and I told him that I felt nothing short of marvelous. He was thrilled that the diet agreed with me so well and that I was feeling so much better.

He went over my recent blood work with me, and the results were quite revelatory. As he suspected, my thyroid levels are very low. I also have a low red blood cell count, am severely anemic (normal iron levels in women are 12.0 g/dL; my level was 3.4 g/dL), and have lowered adrenal gland function. My calcium levels also leave something to be desired. So all this explains the lowered energy levels throughout the past year, and why, as digestive tract heals and I better absorb nutrients from my food, I feel more energetic.

Because I tolerated the diet so well and based on the results of my blood test, he is almost certain I have a gluten sensitivity (but not a full-blown allergy). He said that in people with gluten sensitivities or intolerances, the villi in the small intestine (little “fingers” that come out of the small intestine, see diagram below) that absorb the nutrients become flattened, making it difficult to absorb nutrients from food or from supplements. As it is, the body tends to have more difficulty absorbing iron than any other nutrient.

He believes that as my digestive tract begins to heal, my absorption of nutrients will improve. He also postulated that because of my multiple bouts with acid reflux, my digestive system was already in a state of stress and somewhat damaged, and a gluten sensitivity just made it snowball from there. I will know how sensitive I am for certain once gluten is reintroduced into the diet.
Until then, I am to continue with the Intestinal Repair formula and three new supplements have been added to my regimen. I will be taking an herbal tincture three times a day to support adrenal function, a supplement once a day to support thyroid function, and a liquid iron supplement to increase my iron level (the liquid form is better absorbed by the body).

He was thrilled that I stuck to the diet (apparently many patients do not) and I literally thought he was going to leap out of his chair when he learned about how much better I’m feeling, and that I am improving daily. I told him of the weight loss (14 pounds since I started the diet) and he advised this is completely normal. What a relief! I expect I will have no problem gaining this back once eliminated foods are brought back into my diet. :o)

As the diet is at an end, I can start reintroducing foods at my leisure. He suggested I do it in groups, allowing one day of rest between groups. For example, he suggested I have a dairy day: have milk, yogurt, cheese. The following day would be a day of rest. The following day, I could add a new group of foods. He said as I haven’t had any of these things for nearly a month, I will know almost immediately whether I tolerate them well or not. He said if I do choose to add gluten back, to try it last (if at all). He believes that once my digestive tract has had ample time to heal, I may be able to handle it on a very limited basis.
I will return to his office to see him in a month so he can gauge my improvement after foods have been reintroduced, and after the additional herbal medicines have had a chance to do their work.

At the end of our visit, he advised me that he does this diet once every year: he begins it at Lent and concludes it on Easter Sunday. He said, "This diet is hard enough, I don’t know how Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness!" But what better time to do it? How remarkable that my naturopath loves Jesus and practices this diet as a spiritual discipline!

After battling uphill for a year, it is an immense relief finally to have made progress. Praise God for blessing me with renewed energy and health! Many thanks to all who have read this series of posts, who have encouraged and prayed for me, and to those who have offered insight and suggestions. It is much appreciated!
Another Health Update: I received a call from my doctor's office today. The results of my annual exam showed abnormal (pre-cancerous) cells. I go in to have a biopsy of the cells taken this coming Friday. I have a feeling that the state of stress my body has been in certainly could be a contributing factor, having had an obviously compromised state of health for the past year.
Please pray that this is something that will resolve itself & clear on its own as I become healthier & stronger. Please pray also that I would not be overly anxious about it, but just trust that God has this all under control.
Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Springtime Serenity

Some time ago, a little photo contest was held at work in order to help decorate a space known as the Serenity Room. It is a quiet space with leather recliners, massage chairs, and a quietly bubbling water feature. Employees were invited to submit photos or other original artwork that exemplified serenity in the spring or in the summer. Two photos each would be chosen from each category.

Yours truly won first place for the spring theme! My unbelievably enlarged photo (24" x 36") is now hanging in the serenity room, and I will get to take the photo home with me once spring is over and the summer entries are up. Here is the original print, followed by the enlargement on display:

A Word From the Wilderness: Part 1

As my week of retreat draws to its inevitable close, my head is swimming. The time has been all that I prayed for, and more. How like our Father to exceed even our grandest hopes and expectations!

I went into this week with open hands, letting God direct the time as He would, asking only for rest and refreshment. He provided what I asked and infinitely more than I could describe were I given one hundred posts to detail it all. My heart is full; my head ... oh, my head. I don't think I will ever be able to wrap my mind around the displays of grace, the unexpected provisions, and the overarching sense of God's heart of goodness and love toward me.

He spoke, and I listened. On bended knees I asked, and He provided. I begged that I might see, and He revealed a glimpse of His glory to me.

At first glance, this wilderness time seemed like a vast and empty expanse. As I embarked upon this voyage, I had little idea what I would encounter and the mystery of what lay ahead was not met without some trepidation.

But Jesus met me there. He showed me streams of water and nourishment in the most unexpected places. I found delight as a child in His presence, beheld wild and astonishing beauty, and welcomed the invitation simply to be, to sit at His feet and listen intently, absorbing every word like a thirsty sponge.

But make no mistake: where God is doing a good work, where a soul is moving toward God, the enemy sweeps in from behind and launches an attack. Each day has been met with varying acts of aggression ranging from mere irritants and distractions to piercing assaults on my soul. The enemy is fond of dredging up sins from the past, long ago forgiven. He holds it in cupped hands like a precious gem, rubbing our noses in it so we can inhale its stench, whispering to us of how dirty we are, causing us to question our worth and perhaps even making us doubt that God's grace is big enough to cover that sin. There is a good reason one of his names is the accuser.

Jesus met me even in this awful place, reminding me that while consequences may naturally follow from past actions, I am covered with the blood of Christ. The Father looks at me and sees the righteousness of the One who saved me. I made no agreements with the whispers of the enemy, claiming instead the refuge of the Almighty. One might come who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. He succeeded in surprising me, but skulked away empty-handed.

It will take no short stretch of time to distill all that took place in the wilderness, and in the coming weeks (likely months) I will highlight the places where I met with God, and He with me. And so I return, and will speak for you all I have seen and heard.

Modified Elimination Diet: Week 2

The business of having been issued a body is deeply confusing -- it's another thing I'd like to bring up with God. Bodies are so messy, and disappointing. Every time I see the bumper sticker that says, 'We think we're humans having spiritual experiences, but we're really spirits, having human experiences,' (a) I think it's true, and (b) I want to ram the car.

- Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

Check-up
I had my annual check-up with my primary care physician last week; this was the first time I’ve seen her since I was referred to the gastroenterologist. I gave her a rundown of the revelations of the endoscopy (which was already part of my chart anyway), how I felt rushed out of the office, and that I was being treated by a naturopath for my condition.

She is concerned not only about my weight loss (now up to a total of 25 lbs), but my mental health as well; she wants me to be on the lookout for signs of depression, but understands my reluctance to pop anymore pills.

I will go back to see her once I know the outcome of the naturopathic treatment and see if my issue stems from an evil culprit in my normal (pre-elimination) diet. It was great to see her again, as she is a physician who has a great patient focus, is a fantastic listener, and asks thoughtful questions.

Elimination Diet Dinner of the Week
Flexible, winging it cooking is my style. No recipe, no measuring, going by sight and taste. This dish was born out of me missing pasta sauce (one of my favorite things to do for dinner is brown ground turkey, add pasta sauce, and serve it over oven-roasted green beans). I made a mental note of the main ingredients in pasta sauce (tomato, onion, garlic, basil) and decided to try those ingredients from a garden instead of a jar. This was the result.

This is a little something I’ve come to call “Turkey Pow”, because the flavor goes POW in your mouth! :o)

• Olive oil (1 good pour)
• Ground turkey (1 ¼ lbs)
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large chopped tomatoes
• Chopped fresh basil (a generous amount)
• Sea salt (to taste)

In a large saucepan, pour olive oil. On med-high heat, sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent (about 4-5 mins). Remove onions and garlic from pan.

In the same pan, brown ground turkey. Drain fat and place back on heat. Add onion and garlic mixture back to saucepan with turkey.

To this mixture, add chopped tomatoes & basil. Stir frequently. Lower heat and cover. Allow to simmer 10-12 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Add sea salt to taste.

I’ve served it for myself over oven-roasted green beans (I simply don’t care for starch as a part of my evening meal), and even tried it with rice. Mmm!

OTHER SERVING IDEAS (even some for non-elimination diet bellies): try serving with herbed oven-roasted potatoes, pasta, or topping with your favorite shredded cheese (Jordan was a big fan of this addition); I am eager to try it again, substituting mashed tofu for a vegetarian dish.

Adventures in Eating Out
It is hardly surprising that (as far as I can tell) there is no elimination diet-friendly item to be found on any menu in any restaurant. Honestly – who would willingly order it? Following the tulip festival we went to a local brewery for lunch. I braced myself for the warm and savory scents of brewery food and walked through the door.

I made a preemptive apology to our waitress, explaining that there was much I could not eat at present, so I was going to be a difficult customer. I ordered the fish tacos without the taco, without sauce, without a side, but they were willing to compensate for my manifold omissions by adding extra black beans. I advised everything should be as plain as possible.

When the meal arrived, I tasted the black beans (a favorite food of mine) which were accompanied by roasted onions and tomato; something wasn’t quite right. Another bite confirmed my suspicion that the black beans were served in lime juice (and citrus a no-no on the diet). Bummer.

So I had my plain cod and a few bites of cabbage while Jordan hungrily devoured his bleu cheese burger and potato salad. It was just a day earlier that I eyed his raspberry scone with a lustful eye; now the potato salad was the object of my desire (but honestly, I would have settled for being able to eat the black beans). The diet only becomes difficult when I am face to face with something forbidden to me: just like life, isn’t it?

Luckily, I had prepared a lunch (stowed safely away in the car), so I went and gobbled up some of the steamed brown rice once we were safely beyond the enticing scents of the brewery.

Wrapping it Up …
I am feeling fantastic! My stomach feels better every day, further confirming for me that seeking the assistance of a naturopath was the best route for my returned health. Whether from the diet, or the intestinal repair formula (most likely it is a combination of the two), it is working.

There are things I thought I’d miss that I really don’t (breads, oatmeal, cold cereal), but there are things that I miss sorely when I know I cannot have them (like cheese, a glass of wine with dinner, or the occasional indulgent bit of chocolate). But these sacrifices are a minor trade for a body that is getting healthier and stronger.

I thank God, the Great Physician, daily for how I good feel. Good health is a tremendous blessing which I cannot take lightly.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 145:3

I’m in the home stretch now! Stay tuned for Week 3 …

Modified Elimination Diet: Week 1

Back to the Garden
Sunday marked the completion of my 7th day on the Modified Elimination Diet. The contents of my fridge and cupboard were a veritable Garden of Eden, well-stocked with mostly organic and entirely whole (unprocessed, unrefined) foods: rice cereal, fruits, vegetables, salad greens, nuts, raisins, brown rice, potatoes, soy milk (which I've been a fan of for awhile now), and the like.

I have had to read food labels voraciously for ingredients: it is surprising to find how many foods contain sugar, eggs, peanuts, gluten, or dairy products. This means pretty much everything I'm eating (with the exception of brown rice bread) is made from scratch.

Typical Meals
My options are most limited for breakfast food, but even here I've been surprised at how much I've liked it. I was a diehard oatmeal or Kashi Go Lean Crunch girl for breakfast and wasn't looking forward to forfeiting my breakfast favorites. The hot rice cereal prepared with soymilk, walnuts, and raisins (added for flavor, texture, and a nutritional boost) is surprisingly tasty and gets me to the mid-morning snack a few hours later. Speaking of which, I didn't expect to like the brown rice bread. Toasted and topped with almond butter, I'm satisfied well until lunch.

Lunches and dinners look much alike. I've prepared salads with chickpeas, black beans, tofu or tuna, or simply had dinner leftovers. Some of my favorite dinners have been my experimental stir-fries. The stir-fry below was prepared with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. In this mixture, I cooked some cubed extra-firm tofu, zucchini squash, and carrots. It was delicious!
My other favorite dish was one that Jordan has already asked that I prepare a second time. In a skillet, I cooked up diced boneless, skinless (organic & free-range) chicken breast with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. To this I added chopped fresh pineapple and red pepper. It was served over oven-fried golden Yukon potatoes that were also cooked with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and some chopped pineapple to add sweetness. We also tried it with extra-firm tofu in place of the chicken and served it over rice noodles; this was also very tasty.


Detoxification
In spite of all the wonderful food I was enjoying, the first four days (Mon - Thurs) on the diet were particularly tough. I felt sluggish and spent from the moment I got up until the blessed minute I fell asleep at about 7 pm. It wasn't until my chiropractor mentioned to me (on Day 5) that I was detoxyifying, and that was why I was so tired. I hadn't thought of it that way, but his explanation made sense. By Friday, I wasn't exhausted anymore, and by Saturday, I had energy enough to work out in the morning and do a thorough spring-cleaning of my apartment later that afternoon.

What's more, the diet and the Intestinal Repair Complex are working wonders. While not back to 100%, my stomach feels better than it has in the past year. Praise God! I am confident at last that I am pursuing the best possible course of treatment to ensure my returned health.

Stay tuned for Week 2 ...

Walk in the Park

Though it was chilly and threatened rain all day, Kaari and I were itching to take a walk through one of our local parks. This is how we spent our Thursday afternoon ...

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

- Aristotle

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.
- Henry Miller

He is Risen Indeed!

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised!
Matthew 24:5-6

* * *

Where are the nails that pierced His hands?

Well the nails have turned to rust

But not so the Man

He is risen

And He reigns

In the hearts of the children

Rising up in His name

Where are the thorns that drew His blood?

Well, the thorns have turned to dust

But behold the love He has given

It remains

In the hearts of the children

Who will love while the nations rage

While the Nations Rage

Rich Mullins

The Good Doctor

Yesterday I had my first visit with the naturopath. I had many hopes for this visit: that I would be heard, that I would be taken seriously, and that I would be offered at least the hope of healing from my condition. I dared myself to believe that I could go beyond mere pain management and find my way back to good health again. As the time for the visit drew nearer, I feared that once again my hopes might be a tad too high.

Dr. Wessels' office is in a big house in the historical district of town, a good distance away from the hospital and the rows of whitewashed doctor's offices. The door creaks, as do the dark hardwood floors. There is a vase of flowers and a bowl of red grapes at the office manager's desk when I walk in. I smell several herbs in the air, their scents muddled. I already feel better about this visit than all the others, and I haven't even seen the doctor yet.

It took little time after finishing the paperwork before I saw the doctor himself (there is no nurse to act as an intermediary). He is a tall, lean man about my dad's age, with black rimmed glasses and a small patch of facial hair below his bottom lip. His office is more of a cozy study; open journals and notebooks are spread on his wooden desk, curtains adorn the window, and volumes of books (not all health-related) line the bookshelves in the room. He invites me to pull up a cozy blue chair, as if I had been invited into his living room. He sits across from me and we simply begin to talk. I can feel the sun come in through the blinds and warm my cheek.

I tell him all that brought me in: my history of stomach issues, the pain of the last year, losing sixteen pounds (he is the first doctor I have seen who finds this even remotely alarming), and the frustration resulting from my most recent experience with the gastroenterologist. I told him about the several useless prescriptions tossed my way, and he chuckled about the most recent: an anti-depressant for stomach pain? Because if a young woman's stomach hurts, she must be depressed, he chuckles (finally, someone with a sense of humor. No one else I've seen has allowed an inch for humor). I tell him about the results of the endoscopy: the hernia and gastric mucosal atrophy, but later being told everything looks "perfectly normal & healthy" and promptly being sent on my way. He asks about other health items not directly relating to my stomach, such as concerns about my poor blood circulation. As we talk, he scribbles down notes, filling a whole page during our twenty-minute conversation.

It is only after this time that I am directed to the examining area. There is a small examination bed behind a folding partition. He checks my breathing, my blood pressure, and palpitates my belly.

We sit back down in our chairs and the discussion continues. He advises me that it is not the hernia that is causing me trouble; the hernia would likely only be an issue if I were obese and over 50 years old. He assures me that this kind of pain and weight loss is neither normal nor healthy in someone of my age and overall good health. He is concerned about the gastric mucosal atrophy; this is the primary cause of my discomfort. The atrophy tells me, he says, that your stomach lining has been severely damaged due to the mucous lining being chronically inflamed and it needs to be repaired (I am so glad he agrees!!).

He gives me an Intestinal Repair Complex that is comprised of herbs, amino acids, and enzymes that are specifically designed to restore a healthy mucosal lining. Unlike previous prescriptions that were only masking symptoms, this formula is specifically designed to promote healing and provide for factors essential to a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

I am also going to have extensive bloodwork done that will measure organ function, nutrient levels, and the levels of just about everything else that can be measured in a person's blood (the office manager advises me the report that comes back is 8-10 pages long). It is a fasting test, so I have to go in after having abstained from any food for 12 hours.

Additionally, as of Monday, I am on a 3-week Modified Elimination Diet. He tells me, I won't lie to you. Being on this diet stinks! "No" is the operative word in this diet, applying to the following: gluten, all sugars, caffeine, alcohol, red meat & pork, dairy, eggs, citrus fruits & strawberries, peanut products, or any foods containing any amounts of the items listed above (this covers more foods than I could possibly list; you should check out the link, just for kicks & giggles). Abstaining from these foods for this period of time will cleanse my body. Once these foods are reintroduced, we will learn if any of these foods are contributing to the damage done to the lining of my stomach. Some of these things are not going to be missed. With others, it will be difficult. Even the Gardenburger patties I love have gluten in them!

I will go back on April 30 to go over the results of the bloodwork and at that point, foods will slowly be reintroduced back into my diet.

My feelings following this appointment are completely the opposite of those I had following the appointment with the specialist just last week. For the first time since all this started, I feel like I am being heard and taken seriously. Instead of trying to numb me to the pain caused by having a damaged stomach lining, I am being given a supplement that will assist in its healing and restoration. For the first time, dietary factors are being addressed to see if any of these foods are contributing to the damage (because what is the use in healing the damage if you don't know what causes it in the first place?). Additionally, the bloodwork will give him a good view of my overall health and will possibly reveal other contributing factors to my condition.

In nearly a year of being in and out of doctor's offices, he is the first one to order any kind of bloodwork or to address the possibility that something in my diet could be causing the damage. It occurred to me yesterday how wildly experimental all that modern medicine was, giving me medicine after medicine for an unknown condition. I was offered pain relief; not a single doctor I saw attempted to pin down the source of all the trouble. My only regret is I didn't go to the naturopath any sooner! For once I feel hopeful, empowered, and like my future maybe, just maybe, will be one where I have a healthy and normally functioning digestive tract.

I am thankful to have the godly people in my life who encouraged me to pursue this alternate course of treatment. I want to thank those of you who have been slogging through all these posts for caring and for the prayers offered up on my behalf. Some of you have never even met me and yet, you pray for this wordy, ranting, curly-haired stranger from a far-off corner of the country. I cannot adequately express how humbled, encouraged, and loved I feel. The Body of Christ is at work, even through a blog. Amazing.

No one but God knows what the outcome of all this will be, but I have faith that the Lord will ultimately use this for good, as He often does with the things in our lives that we find unbearable while in the midst of them. Our God is great indeed.

Many thanks and many blessings.

Take a Walk With Me

I've been too occupied enjoying the spring weather outside to sit in front of the computer! Here are a few pics from one of my recent walks ...

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.
- Henry David Thoreau