Ultra Simple Diet

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

I've been doing my best to stay away from dairy/gluten/soy for a while now, but now I am starting the official ultra simple diet with my brother, adhering to the updated ingredients in the EE thread: http://eiriu-eolas.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14

We're in the "preparation" week right now and I made my first veggie broth yesterday and it turned out really well, only a bit too salty, but was a hit nevertheless. I also bought one of those Imagine broth products and it wasn't to my taste at all, perhaps it needed more salt/spices though, but either way I'll stick to making my own.

One question I do have is - is there a reason to strain it other than drinking convenience? I took the veggies out of the broth and mushed them up and put'em back in, and it gave it some nice yummy substance. I even threw in pieces of grilled chicken while eating it so it was almost a chicken soup.

It's a bit tough going without rice/potatoes as a filler food (I'm already used to having no bread, that was REALLY tough since I'm Russian and every single meal includes bread) - but I'm seriously looking forward to making buckwheat crepes after I'm done with the official week or 2 of the strict diet, assuming it "agrees" with my system that is (here's hoping.. nay, praying!).

 

[Gaby]

Good job SAO

The broth is rich in nutrients from the veggies. It is recommended to throw them away, but we often do what you did. Mush them up and eat it :)

 

[RedFox]

Just wanted to give a quick update. I've been on the diet for a month or so now, with some pluses and minuses.
My brain fog is mostly gone, and energy levels/stamina is better.....however I've started loosing weight again, and am cranky/humourless (possibly because of the weight loss).
Its possible I'm not eating enough (I'm not having the broth, but three large meals according to the diat plan a day). Introducing bananas between meals seemed to help for a while, then I noticed my energy crash after eating them (on day 5) and my right side (gall bladder area) was getting saw/painful. So I've stopped having bananas (there on the no-no list now).
Reading about IBS (I was potentially diagnosed some time ago with IBS, but my symptoms have always been so mild I forgot about it), I've now switched from quinoa to white rice, and am having home made apple sauce before meals. I'm loving the apple sauce! :D
The pain on my right side is gone, but this is only after my third meal so its too soon to say how I'm reacting. It feels almost like a sugar rush after eating the white rice..
I just seem so allergic to everything.....I've had hay fever for the last month or so, which is finally going. However I'm still sneezing whenever I have a drink of water.....I thought it was the tap water that was the problem so got a britta water filter....the taste is better but its still making me sneeze and leaving me with a saw throat. You think I should switch to distilled?
Any input welcome.
I'll keep you all posted on how its going and if I start to gain weight again.

 

[Gaby]

Hi RedFox,

If you had hay fever, then the following guide might be useful. People with seasonal allergies will also be interested to test the following food groups via an elimination diet (Ultra simple diet):

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/tipcon/orale.shtml

Oral allergy syndrome

Oral allergy syndrome is an allergic reaction to certain proteins in fruit, vegetables and nuts.

This condition is called “oral allergy syndrome” because it usually affects the mouth and throat.
People affected with oral allergy syndrome

Oral allergy syndrome is nearly always preceded by hay fever. It also tends to occur most often in older children and adults.

It is usually associated with birch-pollen allergies but it can also affect people with allergies to the pollens of grass, ragweed (more common in North America) and mugwort (more common in Europe). These reactions can occur at any time of year but are often worse during the pollen season.

Symptoms of oral allergy syndrome

Symptoms may include

* itching and burning of the lips, mouth and throat
* watery itchy eyes
* runny nose
* sneezing

Symptoms usually develop within minutes of eating or touching the food, but occasionally occur more than an hour later.

For some people, peeling or touching the offending foods may cause a rash, itching or swelling where the food touches the skin.

More serious reactions can include hives and swelling of the mouth, pharynx and windpipe.

In rare cases, severe allergic reactions have been reported, such as

* vomiting and diarrhea
* bronchial asthma
* generalized hives
* anaphylactic shock

Reactions to fruits and vegetables associated with oral allergy syndrome

Not all reactions to fruit and vegetables are associated with oral allergy syndrome.

A variety of fruit, vegetables and their juices sometimes cause skin rashes and diarrhea, especially in young children. These include

* apples
* grapes
* oranges
* tomatoes

Strawberries occasionally cause hives.

Food involved in oral allergy syndrome

Food associated with birch, ragweed, grass and mugwort pollen are listed in the following table.

Because the allergenic proteins associated with oral allergy syndrome are usually destroyed by cooking, most reactions are caused by raw food. The main exceptions to this are celery and nuts, which may cause reactions even after being cooked.

Some plant parts, such as the skin, may be more allergenic than other parts.

The allergic characteristics of some fruit seems to decrease during storage.

Foods associated with oral allergy syndrome, which could cause anaphylactic reactions, include:

* beans
* celery
* cumin
* hazelnut
* kiwi
* parsley
* white potato

FOOD MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH BIRCH, RAGWEED, GRASS AND MUGWORT POLLENS

Allergies to this type of Pollen May also trigger an allergic reaction to these foods

Birch

Fruits: apple, apricot, cherry, kiwi, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, prune
Vegetables: anise, beans, caraway, carrot, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, green pepper, lentils, parsley, parsnips, peanut, peas, potato, tomato
Nuts: almond, hazelnut, walnut
Seeds: sunflower

Grass

Fruits: kiwi, melon, orange, tomato, watermelon

Mugwort

Fruits: apple, melon, watermelon
Vegetables: carrot, celery

Ragweed

Fruits: banana, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon
Vegetables: cucumber, zucchini

Source: Zarkadas M, Scott FW, Salminen J, Ham Pong A. Common Allergenic Foods and Their Labelling in Canada - A Review. Canadian Journal Allergy & Clinical Immunology 1999; 4:118-141.

I discovered that I'm very allergic to the birch group, which includes a lot... Yeah, basically I eat veggies, meats, and some fruits. Occasionally, I have buckwheat. I'm very sensitive to garlic, onions, spices, citrus fruits, etc. I will be okay if it was cooked, but then I started to react to cooked onions and garlic as well. In winter, I can get away with it more easily, as long as I don't eat cooked onions consecutively (once a week seemed okay).

I think that the L-glutamine (4000mg/day) in order to heal the gut will be very helpful for you. Also good fatty acids, digestive enzymes, a good multivitamin/mineral, magnesium, vitamin C and B, and a good probiotic (the basic supplementation).

If you are having a sugar rush after the white rice, you can add a chromium 500 mcg twice per day (with meals), that will help you stabilize your sugar levels. The problem with apple sauce and white rice is that it is basically sugar. :/

Can it be possible that your sneezing is actually related to something you ate earlier instead of the water? With time I would noticed that certain foods will burn my mouth. It will become very itchy, and that is how I started discovering problematic foods. But if you think is the water, perhaps it is time to look into a better filtering mechanism.

I think that you are doing very good all things considered. I will add the broth and ultrashake as snacks so it will provide you with more nutrients and healthy oils as well. You can get the L-glutamine in powder so you can add it to your shake. :)

 

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

Oh wow the birch group pretty much nails the foods I instantly react to, I always wondered what it was in those fruits and why everyone else seemed ok. I get a mild swelling around lips and general discomfort in the mouth. Although it appears to have stopped happening for apples lately, and I haven't tested other fruits, and I'm not sure that just because my lips don't react that everything is hunky dory. Although I wanna say I never had problems with peeled fruit, so I'm 99% it's all in the skin.

I have seasonal allergies as well, I used to have them really bad but last few years have been relatively kind so my watery/itchy eyes and stuffy nose don't get too overwhelming, and usually it lasts from when I wake up till around lunch. I sit in an office building on my 9 to 5 and I think the air there doesn't have the allergens so it tapers off during the day. So perhaps an air filter for the home would be helpful. And although I'm not sure if this would help with allergies, I read that a "peace lily" is supposed to be a good air-filtering house plant for all kinds of toxins and other bad things in the air, and it's very easy to take care of.

I'm hoping to get a RO filter as soon as funds allow, which is ironic because I'm sure I'd be saving more money long-term if I didn't buy bottled water. Either way, it filters way more stuff than Brita, so I'd consider it. And although distilled may be ideal, unless you have your own distiller, you have the issue of trusting the distilling company, but also the plastic bottles the water comes in that leech plastic and any chemicals that are there, etc. I believe glass bottles/containers are ideal, although not always practical, so perhaps stainless steel is an alternative.

What about the ultrabath - is it as as good as the bolsheviks claimed (russian joke)? I took one the other day and it drained all energy out of me, although that could just be the hot water as I never take baths (I do take showers, ahem, and actually just got a shower filter although that one is not RO). Also, my understanding from the magnesium miracle thread is that magnesium is best when applied topically, and that stearic acid is something to watch out for on the ingredients list of oral supplements as it interferes with the uptake?

And lastly I'm really gonna have to go to farmer's market instead of something like wholefoods for all these things, all the supplements (and things like hemp protein powder or rice protein powder) can really break the bank! It's especially bad since I don't know what to do with half of these things yet, I'm not really much of a gourmet chef to say the least. Like those spices Laura mentioned in the EE thread, (and the aforementioned powders), I've never used them - my only spices were salt and pepper, so now I have to figure out when/where to use all this other stuff, but learning is fun :D

 

[RedFox]

Hi Psyche, thanks for your reply.

I discovered that I'm very allergic to the birch group, which includes a lot... Yeah, basically I eat veggies, meats, and some fruits. Occasionally, I have buckwheat. I'm very sensitive to garlic, onions, spices, citrus fruits, etc. I will be okay if it was cooked, but then I started to react to cooked onions and garlic as well. In winter, I can get away with it more easily, as long as I don't eat cooked onions consecutively (once a week seemed okay).

Wow....that does rule out a lot of foods. Are you allergic to those foods all year or just in hay fever season?

I think that the L-glutamine (4000mg/day) in order to heal the gut will be very helpful for you. Also good fatty acids, digestive enzymes, a good multivitamin/mineral, magnesium, vitamin C and B, and a good probiotic (the basic supplementation).

If you are having a sugar rush after the white rice, you can add a chromium 500 mcg twice per day (with meals), that will help you stabilize your sugar levels. The problem with apple sauce and white rice is that it is basically sugar. :/

I've been taking 500mg of L-Glutamine so I'll up the dose. I've also been taking digestive enzymes, multimineral, magnesium (transdermal) and vitimin C. Need to keep looking for a good pro-biotic because most seem to be milk or potato based. Have got some B vitimins but am avoiding them as they have yeast in, and give me a headache whenever I take them.

Will go back to what I was eating before, didn't realise that white rice/apple sauce was basically just sugar! Explains the sugar rush though.

Can it be possible that your sneezing is actually related to something you ate earlier instead of the water? With time I would noticed that certain foods will burn my mouth. It will become very itchy, and that is how I started discovering problematic foods. But if you think is the water, perhaps it is time to look into a better filtering mechanism.

Originally I thought it was hay fever related, but I'm starting to think its not.....not sure if its a food allergy though. I get it first thing in the morning when I get up....usually after having either just water or water+supplements. I have a distiller sat doing nothing, so maybe I should give that a go.

The only foods I've been eating (while the sneezing continued on and off) are quinoa, carrots (I stopped having squash as it made me feel sluggish), tinned mackerel or free range turkey breast (can't get organic easily, so it could be grain fed?), a small amount of light/filtered olive oil and blueberries.
Trying to work out what it might be is proving problematic.
I've already cut out celery, cucumber, and spinach as celery and cucumber upset my stomach a little and my energy dropped a little....and spinach nearly gave me diarrhoea :/ This is why I've been avoiding making the broth.
I notice carrots are on the birch list....maybe I'm allergic to those too?

I'm ok with beets....but can't find any raw ones anywhere in the shops!!
Will cut out the olive oil again, as its possible that may be the problem.....mean while I have to work out what I can eat a lot of so I get enough to eat....without upsetting my guts further.
Good fats are out at the moment until I test them....I don't seem to do well with fats :(

Having said that, apart from now feeling really sluggish now I haven't sneezed once today (except this morning) having eaten white rice, turkey breast and carrotts for the last three meals. Confusing.
I can only eat a little buckwheat (tried buckwheat groats last week and they where 'ok' for three meals)...but my bloodtype (AB) suggests I shouldn't eat them. What other staple foods are there beyond buckwheat and quinoa??

Trying to interpret what my body is telling me is confusing too.....because I'm no longer sure what's an allergy, what's lack of calories, and what's sleepiness due to a sudden intake of calories from something I could digest/absorb etc.....

Its a bit like trying to pat you head with one hand, rub your belly with the other, whilst standing blindfolded on a tightrope.....you don't know your on. Whilst running out of energy.... :(

 

[Gaby]

The idea of the white rice and apple sauce, is that it is IBS friendly, and that is what may be behind your problems. If you can get the chromium, that helps in stabilizing the insulin levels. FWIW, the IBS book is called "IBS: A patient-expert guide for the newly diagnosed" by Heather Von Vorous.

The L-glutamine at a dose of 4000mg a day helps you repair gut permeability, and fatty acids after meals, will also be helpful. You might feel less sluggish by stabilizing your sugar levels. Try also sweet potatoes, it is very filling and diet friendly.

I'm most sensitive during spring and summer, right now. What I do is that I try to rotate the veggies and fruits as most as possible. I can't eat citrus, but I can eat pears, nectarines, plums, blueberries, bananas, blackberries, watermelon, melon. Occasionally I eat apples. I eat cooked carrots, green beans, and other green veggies. I try to be careful with broccoli and cabbage.

If you do fine with buckwheat and carrots, I suggest to keep eating them. We have only guides, but each of our bodies is different.

If you are not sneezing out of hay fever, the other possibility is that it may be an autonomic imbalance. The nose has a series of reflexes mediated via the autonomic nervous system. For example, some can sneeze if the sun shines brightly in their eyes upon waking up (I know that one :P), or just simply upon waking up until you feel fully awake (I know that one as well! I used to be an alarm clock for other people). In my experience, this also improves as you detox. The EE program also helps to stabilize the autonomic system.

You can also get sardines and I will still opt for the turkey breasts. I think that supplementation will help you with your sluggishness :) Other than white rice, you can get also rice pasta.

It can be pretty confusing! One step at a time, don't be discouraged :)

 

[Mrs. Peel]

Do you really have to make the Ultrabroth? Can the diet be done with without it, just utilizing everything else?

 

[Gaby]

Do you really have to make the Ultrabroth? Can the diet be done with without it, just utilizing everything else?

You can skip it, although it is rich in nutrients and an exc snack.

 

[3DStudent]

Do you really have to make the Ultrabroth? Can the diet be done with without it, just utilizing everything else?

You can skip it, although it is rich in nutrients and an exc snack.

Hmm, now I'm wondering if I want to still make it :P. I find it the most time consuming part of the preparation, as it takes a while to make and bottle it. But I have been throwing the veggies in the compost, and maybe could eat them.

 

[RedFox]

Thanks psyche, I ordered the book.
Been feeling pretty low today....but I think I worked it out!

With time I would noticed that certain foods will burn my mouth. It will become very itchy, and that is how I started discovering problematic foods.

Well I had the tinned haddock in brine today (been spacing out each thing I eat so I can see if it has an effect on me) and noticed that I got a saw throat after eating it. I've been having a bowl of frozen (non organic) blue berries after work....and they are giving me a saw throat too (quite a bad one)....so those two are out for now (sucks majorly about the blue berries, but it may just be the pesticides?)
I'll have to try fresh haddock and organic blue berries for comparison......just have to work out what to use in the shake instead of blue berries now.

Although I wanna say I never had problems with peeled fruit, so I'm 99% it's all in the skin.

Interesting, peeled things seem to sit better with me too. Its possible its pesticides in the peel....or perhaps something else...lectins(sp) perhaps? Insoluble fibre would effect the IBS.

The idea of the white rice and apple sauce, is that it is IBS friendly, and that is what may be behind your problems.

I've been sticking with a few table spoonful or so of apple sauce before meals, and this evening I've tried combining the white rice and quinoa. Seems that worked quite well as I have had zero sugar rush so far. Tried some wild salmon too....no saw throat.

If you are not sneezing out of hay fever, the other possibility is that it may be an autonomic imbalance. The nose has a series of reflexes mediated via the autonomic nervous system. For example, some can sneeze if the sun shines brightly in their eyes upon waking up (I know that one :P), or just simply upon waking up until you feel fully awake (I know that one as well! I used to be an alarm clock for other people). In my experience, this also improves as you detox. The EE program also helps to stabilize the autonomic system.

I sneeze in the morning quite often....did so even before having the water, so maybe I just sneeze in the morning with or without it? hmm
Ever since my teens I've had trouble looking up outside in bright weather.....even if the suns covered....its not bright but I just can't keep my eyes open if I do so, they just screw up and shut. Its really weird....my sinuses start to throb and I start to sneeze too.

Will have to try and do the full EE program again...I've been avoiding it due to fatigue. Thanks for your help!
Working out what I can and can't eat is a bit of a mine field!

 

[Laura]

The Ultra-broth is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties and just a few days of drinking it several times a day will really calm down inflammation!

For the L-Glutamine, you can get big tubs of the powder from nutrabulk.com and just mix it in water and drink it. Probably cheaper for those who need it in quantity.

 

[Gaby]

Well I had the tinned haddock in brine today (been spacing out each thing I eat so I can see if it has an effect on me) and noticed that I got a saw throat after eating it. I've been having a bowl of frozen (non organic) blue berries after work....and they are giving me a saw throat too (quite a bad one)....so those two are out for now (sucks majorly about the blue berries, but it may just be the pesticides?)
I'll have to try fresh haddock and organic blue berries for comparison......just have to work out what to use in the shake instead of blue berries now.

The other thing is that as your immune system calms down from other food sensitivities, you will be able to tolerate better foods in general, as long as you stay away from the main culprits. For example, I noticed too a burning sensation from my mouth when having shakes. But I kept having them because I didn't have any full blown hay fever either. As my immune system calmed down, the burning sensation with the berries disappeared.

I sneeze in the morning quite often....did so even before having the water, so maybe I just sneeze in the morning with or without it? hmm
Ever since my teens I've had trouble looking up outside in bright weather.....even if the suns covered....its not bright but I just can't keep my eyes open if I do so, they just screw up and shut. Its really weird....my sinuses start to throb and I start to sneeze too.

Will have to try and do the full EE program again...I've been avoiding it due to fatigue. Thanks for your help!
Working out what I can and can't eat is a bit of a mine field!

Yeah, it does sound like you have an autonomic imbalance component. It can be quite peculiar.

I had your same problem. It was odd explaining people that I was "allergic to the sun" when I was a kid. Everyone from childhood remembers me as having allergies all the time, so it was very surprising to them to see me without allergies when I last visited. The light sensitivity is something that improves progressively as you detox.

The autonomic imbalance goes by different names, perennial non-allergic rhinitis, non-eosinophilic non-allergic rhinitis (NENAR). I hardly heard about it, actually only once in med school and then what I have researched about it. My father has it as well.

One step at a time, onwards and upwards.

 

[Mrs. Peel]

Do you really have to make the Ultrabroth? Can the diet be done with without it, just utilizing everything else?

You can skip it, although it is rich in nutrients and an exc snack.

Hmm, now I'm wondering if I want to still make it :P. I find it the most time consuming part of the preparation, as it takes a while to make and bottle it. But I have been throwing the veggies in the compost, and maybe could eat them.

Uh, yeah. Lazy, I am. I'd rather juice some veggies, but then I still have to clean out the juicer.

 

[JAKSUN]

I finally committed myself to the full Ultra Simple Diet with mineral supplements a week ago. I'm finding I'm clearer in the head, lighter on my feet and laughing spontaneously at odd thoughts. I find the diet as it stands on the Eiriu Eolas blog is just great. I shall read this thread properly and be back. :D