Ultra Simple Diet

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

I think excluding rice is a good idea Mrs Tigersoap. If I recall correctly, several members have reported problems with it after having started the USD, this seems to be one of those grains that really is worth to test. In fact, it is perhaps better to test every grain, quite a few of us have reported some sort of intolerance to one or another grain, as your experience with quinoa and buckwheat also seems to indicate.

I still need to try this. I've been feeling a bit depressed (maybe it's detox-related, but I've been thinking a lot about the harsh winter ahead, the situation in the world, etc. and I'm reading Programmed to Kill by Dave Mc Gowan, etc. - maybe not the best read for the moment! and all of this kind of contributes I think) and and I've been stuck in a rut a bit. I haven't really been experimenting.

So far, I'm only sure about this: I can have beef, I can have eggs, I can have bacon (well maybe not every day), I can have ghee and some veggies. I've eaten sweet potatoes several times (it was a first for us, they are not really eaten in Belgium and they are sold with the exotic fruits in fancy packaging) and it seems alright, but the other two Tigersoaps cannot stand them. I was surprised to find I cannot have carrots (it gave me asthma!). Although I absolutely love all sorts of beans and have been eating them all my life (especially when I was a vegetarian), they are apparently tricky. I can have small portions once or twice a week, but that's it, otherwise I feel really heavy (that's really a bummer, since I cooked beans added to bacon in the pan with onions and everything cooked together for a few minutes is sooo delicious!). We had duck fat very often but apparently we digest ghee way better. (Maybe because type B's are not supposed to eat duck/goose? I don't know). As said previously, quinoa is a big no-no. I'm going to experiment more with chickpea flour, I think. Not eating any grains at all and beans on occasions seems like a rather grim prospect, to be honest. It gives me Atkins-flashbacks

My skin does not improve for the moment, it's dry as hell. I've just tested the correct amount of capsules of evening primrose oil and of fish oil I should get, since my previous ratio was not OK. I need more evening primrose oil, apparently. Supplements are difficult for me because I rarely see any difference (in energy, or any type of improvement where I can say, as some of you do : "Wow, this really helps!") and so, when the jar is empty, I forget to buy another one for weeks or months. And don't feel different when not taking them, so.. I know I need to be regular there.

I tried several times to eat meat in the mornings and when I do, I feel satisfied for longer and have no cravings. The thing is, since I cannot have buckwheat more than once a week or so and I cannot use any other flour to make pancakes, just eating meat on its own is really off-putting (and veggies in the morning is not appealing at all right now). I make bacon and eggs, but realistically, I know I won't be making them every morning. I had hamburger in the morning. It's OK at 10 o'clock when I'm on holiday, but at 6.30 on weekdays, I don't picture myself there quite yet. As far as fish is concerned, since I barely can eat it at noon or night (and even so, it has to be buried under rice, veggies and spices to hide the taste), eating it in the morning is really not an option for the moment. But you never know...

 

[Ollie]

That's great to hear, Trevrizent. Was the flatulence and stomach ache a reaction from a bad food or just a general reaction? I was suffering from similar symptoms until my weekly coffee enema got rid of it.

It was just a general reaction, the food consumed was fairly similar, I even did an analysis of the common components to find out if it related to a specific food - there were two or three possible suspects, yet everything else suggested that it was from the DMSA detox.

 

[Mrs. Peel]

I have to say, the first few times I took enzymes with extra ox bile, it made me feel pretty bad. I learned then that I need the ox bile when I eat something cooked in lard like chicken fried chicken (gluten free, made with buckwheat pancake batter). Its taken me several weeks to even get to this point. Before starting the diet (almost 5 months ago) eating anything cooked in lard would have doubled me over in pain. Then I couldn't even look at eating lamb or pork ribs. Now they can be eaten in moderation, as long as its also served with plenty of veggies.

Its a long process to clear the liver out gently, but an approach that is well worth it. You might try taking L-glutamine in the mornings to help your intestines, and only add in the extra enzymes on a meal by meal basis. If you have problems with diarrhea, try a fiber product called Konjac Root, or Glucomannan. I've had good results with it during days I forget to eat a meal. I think if you take it a meal at a time and watch your vitamin B levels, you'll find things improving. :)

Yes, I take an enzyme with every meal, and I do take L-glutamine in the morning and evening on an empty stomach. Also take a multi, B-comples, B5, B6, magnesium, C, milk thistle, NAC, alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10, E, multil-mineral, MSM, malic acid, calcium citrate, fish oil, flax oil, 5-htp, melatonin, GABA, and probably some others I can remember, but I don't take them all every day. I mix 'em up on different days cause it seems like when I take more than a couple supplements at a time, I feel more sluggish.

Also tried the coffee enemas too.

 

[Ollie]

It’s been a fascinating week, this second week of revisiting the Ultra Simple diet. Buckwheat (in the forms of flour, flakes and groats) and lard are back on the menu; flour and lard via Laura’s pancakes, and so is grapeseed oil as a consequence (a prior forgotten part of the recipe!). :)

However, olive oil is out. I had a reaction, measured by the pulse test, against the olive oil in a tin of mackerel, and even just from a teaspoon of olive oil used to sauté a diced turkey breast steak. And, the olive oil in a tin of sardines was borderline in the test. However, extra virgin olive oil (both ordinary and organic) is alright. It would appear that different sources and treatments of oils might be important.

More testing follows in the weeks to come. This is fun, as well as a healthy way to get to know what is good for the body. :)

 

[3DStudent]

My hemp protein powder just arrived today and I put it straight in the fridge. It's supposed to be kept cool to preserve the nutrients, apparently. Has anyone else read this?

Yeah, mine says to refrigerate it too. And if you aren't using it for a while, I guess a few weeks, it says put the unused portion in the freezer to keep it fresh.

 

[clearmiddle]

Yeah, mine says to refrigerate it too. And if you aren't using it for a while, I guess a few weeks, it says put the unused portion in the freezer to keep it fresh.

I completely overlooked that on the label. :( They didn't go out of their way to make it stand out, but then it is like that with most packages that need to be refrigerated after opening, for some reason. There isn't really room for another container that large in the fridge, either (let alone the freezer). Hmmm. No sign of spoilage, so far.

 

[kinyash]

Hi All, I finally got started on the USD. I've had great results with my weight (6kg's lost) and a couple of challenges-constipation. I've followed the advice given in Hyman's book i.e. using magnesium malate, buffered Vitamin C and a laxative. However whenever I use the laxative my stomach runs. I'm using senna powder which maybe isn't the best and I'll look for an alternative. However, overall the results are good.

One of the big problems I've experienced is getting a good protein powder. All the ones that are available locally are soy based or made from Whey protein. I'm intolerant to milk so I've avoided the whey protein, soy is bad and so I've had to settle for pea protein for now. I will find out if my health store can get me hemp protein.

I'm also supplementing with Omega 3 oils (flaxseed and fish), Vit B complex, magnesium malate, zinc and occasionally 5-HTP to improve by sleep cycle.

I've had problems with constipation before when using milk products (mainly yoghurt), but now I'm completely off and in the elimination stage. I've also stopped all products with refined sugar and I'm drinking plenty of water. I suspect that the problem was caused by brown rice which I've also stopped taking until my system stabilises.

One question I want to ask is if anyone has any advice regarding fermented Millet porridge? I want to take this for breakfast to provide some variety to the diet. I'm thinking of mixing it with amaranth and having that for breakfast with supplements. Grateful for any advice or insights.

Thanks for all those who've posted on this thread for sharing! It's been a great help.

Kinyash

 

[broken.english]

One question I want to ask is if anyone has any advice regarding fermented Millet porridge? I want to take this for breakfast to provide some variety to the diet. I'm thinking of mixing it with amaranth and having that for breakfast with supplements. Grateful for any advice or insights.

Kinyash

Handle millet with utmost care! Its allergy potential is rather high, maybe in the ballpark of rice. It may also contain some gluten, same as rice, even it is widely considered as gluten free. Fermentation may help some but should be rather long. I would suggest at least 24 hours. African millet breads are fermented up to three days. The Africans may have their reasons for this. Take your time with millet and watch your reactions very carefully.

By the way: I recently visited the website of glutenfreesociety.org. The forum mentions some atypical symptoms of gluten intolerance such as heart attack like symptoms without a heart attack, dizziness, pericarditis (I had all of them) and, if you don't have enough yet, psoriasis. I think a visit to the website is worthwhile. That was just a side note, so please enjoy your breakfast.

 

[Nathan]

Question: is the Ultra Simple diet compatible with an anti-candida diet?

The reason I ask is, although the foods to eat and foods to avoid are virtually the same, wouldn't it be difficult to tell the difference between a bad reaction to food testing and candida die-off reactions?

 

[Laura]

Question: is the Ultra Simple diet compatible with an anti-candida diet?

The reason I ask is, although the foods to eat and foods to avoid are virtually the same, wouldn't it be difficult to tell the difference between a bad reaction to food testing and candida die-off reactions?

You might get die-off reactions from the diet itself but, once things settle down, you wouldn't get die-off reactions by re-introducing foods.

 

[Nathan]

OK, that makes sense.

So I'm thinking it would be sensible for someone switching from an unhealthy diet to the Ultra Simple Diet -- who may also have candida overgrowth -- to stay on the diet for longer than one or two weeks, then start testing foods. While the instructions on the Eiriu Eolas forum (Ultra Simple Diet thread) do not mention candida specifically, Psyche does make a point of only reintroducing foods "when you feel better". So logically, you wouldn't do this until your die-off symptoms faded out.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Nonetheless, deep fried sweet potato fries go down a treat with a sprinkling of buckwheat flour, salt and pepper. This diet has inspired me so much that I'm going to grow my own veggies.

Nathan, your comments in this thread inspired me to make my own sweet potato fries and I have been meaning to thank you for the idea! I have been baking mine in the oven after dipping them in grapeseed oil and sprinkling buckwheat flour, salt and garlic powder on them. I haven't tried deep frying them, but boy they sure are tasty right out of my oven!!! I have also been very inspired by this diet and have taken up cooking as a hobby..:D I hope your garden is prosperous!

One of the big problems I've experienced is getting a good protein powder. All the ones that are available locally are soy based or made from Whey protein. I'm intolerant to milk so I've avoided the whey protein, soy is bad and so I've had to settle for pea protein for now. I will find out if my health store can get me hemp protein.

I've had problems with constipation before when using milk products (mainly yoghurt), but now I'm completely off and in the elimination stage. I've also stopped all products with refined sugar and I'm drinking plenty of water. I suspect that the problem was caused by brown rice which I've also stopped taking until my system stabilises.

Hi Kinyash,

I purchase most of my protein powder online and have been using Jarrow's Brown Rice Protein Powder (_http://www.amazon.com/Brown-Rice-Protein-Vegetarian-Vegan/dp/B000BY8GHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1284131597&sr=8-1), but there has been some discussion in this thread regarding problems with brown rice and I see from your comment that you might not want to be consuming it. I also use TJ's Organic Hemp Protein Powder purchased from Trader Joe's here in the US, but I see you can purchase similar products on Amazon (_http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=hemp+protein&x=0&y=0). Just remember to refrigerate the hemp protein powder after opening it and the same goes for hemp oil if you cook with it. I hope this helps! :)

 

[Angchop]

You might get die-off reactions from the diet itself but, once things settle down, you wouldn't get die-off reactions by re-introducing foods.

I believe this is happening to my son. He is 19, and he just started the USD about a week ago. He has always been "Lactose intolerant" so I have finally convinced him to give this a try.
He has had a hard time getting enough sleep lately, tossing and turning, and he is very tired and brain foggy during the day. He said he feels like his blood sugar keeps dropping and he gets the shakes. I am not sure why he is getting the shakes, any ideas? I told him it might help if he ate little meals more often. Anyway, I can tell the USD is helping because his skin is clearing up.

I also wondered if maybe some of the reactions he is having is because of the no wheat or gluten aspect. He used to eat alot of bread, so maybe he is having a bread withdrawal.

 

[Laura]

I believe this is happening to my son. He is 19, and he just started the USD about a week ago. He has always been "Lactose intolerant" so I have finally convinced him to give this a try.
He has had a hard time getting enough sleep lately, tossing and turning, and he is very tired and brain foggy during the day. He said he feels like his blood sugar keeps dropping and he gets the shakes. I am not sure why he is getting the shakes, any ideas? I told him it might help if he ate little meals more often. Anyway, I can tell the USD is helping because his skin is clearing up.

I also wondered if maybe some of the reactions he is having is because of the no wheat or gluten aspect. He used to eat alot of bread, so maybe he is having a bread withdrawal.

It does sound somewhat like die-off as well as simple withdrawal from the "drug" that gluten and casein are. I had similar reactions and 50mg of 5-htp at lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner fixed me right up.

As for the constipation issue, ya'll may not be getting enough magnesium. I try to take 800 or more mg per day, adjusting based on the next day's "action." I take two magnesium malate and two magnesium citrate a couple times a day and then toss in a magnesium orotate and magnesium glycinate. You don't want to have anything loose, just regular. If it isn't, increase your magnesium right to the level where it is.

 

[Angchop]

It does sound somewhat like die-off as well as simple withdrawal from the "drug" that gluten and casein are. I had similar reactions and 50mg of 5-htp at lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner fixed me right up

Thanks Laura-I just ordered some 5-htp! We will see how that works for him. I hate to see him uncomfortable, but I am so glad he is willing to make a change for the better.