APRIL '09-MWL-"ON PLAN, PLANNING TO STAY THAT WAY!"

[Letha.]

Hi Melanie,
Sorry to hear of your loss. Hope the kids get to feeling better. Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.
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Checking in. I’m on plan and planning to stay that way. So I think I got a reaction from the piles of onions I ate over the past two days. I’m going back to safe foods for three days and then I’m going to test them again. I really didn’t think onions would be a problem. I start nearly every McDougall recipe with a chopped onion. Well, I guess that’s the whole point of this exercise. To discover the real culprits behind my intestinal distress. I’ll check back tomorrow.
Letha

[mairead11]

Melanie—sorry for the loss. Best of luck in sticking with the program during the thick of this week.

Letha—so happy you seem to be dealing well with onions, I would SO miss onions if I had to bid farewell to them!

Laura—I seem to remember seeing on a post here somewhere, that there's a fabulous vegan restaurant in Seattle, that has some McD-friendly items...sorry for the vague description, but do you know of it? I think it's in the university district, somewhere...?

Exercise this week has been random, but plentiful. I have been walking, biking, and I took a BodyAttack class [high-impact cardio]. I also volunteer to park bikes at city events [think "coat check" for bikes!] and we were really busy, so for 3.5 hours I was running around, and lifting bikes on to racks...both cardio and strength training boot camp of sorts! Not to mention I biked to get there—this is fun for me!

Yesterday I went to a vegan potluck, which was fantastic of course, but not everything was McD, but I couldn't resist a taste test of most things [most items had either a little oil, tofu or soy crumbles]. I even had a bit of a cookie from a fantastic local vegan bakery. Hopefully that won't mess my week up too much—I'm really more worried about the soy sauce I used with the sushi I made on Saturday. Gracious, that has to be my favourite MWL food! It's just a little tedious to make, but I'm trying to talk myself into recognising that it really is no more labour-intensive than any other meal. I forget how much I love it—and it couldn't be more perfectly on plan [sea veg is a fantastic green, brown rice + dash rice vinegar, and filler of mashed chickpeas, veggies + mustard, or just julienned veg]. Now, I just have to remember to add water to the soy sauce like Toadfood had recommended!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!
Mairead

[Letha.]

Letha—so happy you seem to be dealing well with onions, I would SO miss onions if I had to bid farewell to them!

Hi Mairead11,
Actually, I believe I got a negitive reaction (moderate gas) from onions. So if that's confirmed with a follow-up test later this week onions will be off the menu for me. At least through the end of the testing period.

Great job on the exercise.
Letha

[mairead11]

Actually, I believe I got a negitive reaction (moderate gas) from onions. So if that's confirmed with a follow-up test later this week onions will be off the menu for me. At least through the end of the testing period.

Gracious Letha, I'm so sorry! I totally missed that whole segment of your post. I do hope that the follow-up test will have a better reaction for you. If not, perhaps down the road, granulated onions may help with flavour if you have to rule out the whole food version. But I'm still rooting for whole onions + you!

[slugmom]

Letha -- Bummer on the reaction -- my dad can eat raw onions but not cooked. Or is it the other way around? I think cooked ones bother him, and the more he eats the greater the issues. So perhaps, when you figure out safe foods, you'll be able to see if maybe a little onion, or a little raw onion, might still be okay, if it stays under some threshhold.

Melanie -- sorry for your family's loss, although it sounds like the best sort of situations to say goodbye to someone. Praying for your family as you celebrate her life and miss her presence.

I'm struggling to stay on plan, but keep going right back to it when I falter, as opposed to my past history of caving in and giving up. My family has been sick, and I finally caught it, too, a cold with a nasty cough. Hard not to seek out comfort foods when I feel like poodoo. And I haven't been getting much walking in lately, just trying to take care of everyone ... oh well, some of them are coming out the other side, shaking off the cough. That's good!

[Letha.]

Letha -- Bummer on the reaction -- my dad can eat raw onions but not cooked. Or is it the other way around? I think cooked ones bother him, and the more he eats the greater the issues. So perhaps, when you figure out safe foods, you'll be able to see if maybe a little onion, or a little raw onion, might still be okay, if it stays under some threshhold.

Yea, I doubt I’ll give up onions for life. Chances are I’ll just reduce the amount I use. But I won't eat them again until after I get done with the test which could take several months. I don’t want keep eating onions during the test because then I wouldn’t know if other reactions were from the onions or something else.

So I’m back to safe foods for a few days.

Breakfast: Baked Yam & Apple
Lunch: Brown Rice & Boiled Veggies (Potato, Carrot, Green Bean, Celery)
Snack: Baked Yam & Banana
Dinner: Brown Rice & Boiled Veggies (Potato, Carrot, Green Bean, Celery)
Beverages: Water, Mint Tea

I'm on plan and planning to stay that way. I’ll be re-testing onions on Thursday.

I’m missing tomatoes, peppers, beans, oats, corn/hominy & curry. This elimination/challenge diet requires some patience. But I keep reminding myself I only have to do it once and the information I gain will help me make healthful choices for the rest of my life.

Hope everyone is having a good week.
Letha

[LauraA]

Hi all - I'm still in Seattle babysitting. The weekend was fun and busy, and yesterday and today the kids have/had school. The 4 year old is just in preschool, so I pick her up a little after noon. Yesterday I went to Curves and ran errands, so I had no real time left. Today I've been home all morning while they have school. I've caught up on some board reading, and I even had time to read your blog, Letha with the whole story of your elimination diet and your foot and hand pain. I've commented there, but I'll just say again - you are doing great!

Mairead11 Seattle is very vegan friendly, but I don't know which exact restaurant you mean - if anyone knows, let me know. I may not get to go there this trip, but I'd love to know. My daughter's whole family is vegetarian, so that helps. I've had a big problem this whole trip with nuts, so I've cut myself off- as of today. I don't know why I am so successful with leaving out flour, but keep thinking that I can make an exception with nuts. I guess they just seem so natural and unprocessed. Anyway - I won't have them anymore. Not even the small bag on the plane! Today's eating is going well. Take care all, LauraA

[catherine1305]

Hello all:

Everytime I read your post Letha and see yams I get hungry for them. I need to purchase some. We have been doing this debt reduction plan and unfortunately we have more bills this week than money so it is beans and rice again. That works for me but hubby gets bored easily. He has been a trooper since I started this but he fades some.

Sorry to hear about the onions I know most of the recipes in the MWL book that start with onions I only put 1/2 of what it calls for . I like onions but not a lot.

Cathy

[New Dawn]

Hello Everyone!

Letha, I'm sorry to hear about the onions. Maybe you will have much better luck with other things that you enjoy eating. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you.

Things are going well so far for me. I though about it today and realized that my mood has improved so much. Did anyone else noticed that after s/he had been on MWL for several weeks or a month that his/her mood improved? It is wild! I'd like to know. . .

I'm on plan today and feelin' fine! I hope everyone has a great day.

[MaryW]

topview--So sorry to hear about your husband's aunt. Death is never easy, no matter how prepared you think you are for it. My grandmother passed away in December. She had alzheimers and hadn't known any of us for years. I think it was a blessing for her to finally pass on peacefully, but i still miss her.

I'm actually traveling out of state this weekend to attend her memorial service. My aunt wanted to bury her in her home town in the spring when all of the flowers are in bloom, instead of when she died in the winter when it was so cold and dreary. it's going to be a very stressful weekend for me: a long (9 hour) drive with my mom, the service itself which is always hard, seeing relatives i haven't seen in years and don't know how I feel about them, and of course with any funeral lots and lots of unhealthy food. Thankfully my mom is MWL-ing with me. We've been talking about foods to take for the day-long trip, what we will eat there, and how to handle all of the unhealthy foods well-meaning people will be pushing on us. I've said it before and I'll say it again...it's so nice to have someone to McD with!!

LauraA--I meant to tell you earlier...Seattle is my absolute FAVORITE place in the whole world!! I was there back in November. I ate at a nice little vegetarian Chinese place. Not sure of the name, Bamboo Garden maybe? It's just north of the Space Needle. Actually, I just found their site. It is Bamboo Garden on Roy Street. I don't think it's very McD friendly though. Oil and lots of veggie protein. I got some "chicken" take out one night. As i sat in my hotel room, eating my dinner, I actually thought about calling the restaurant to make sure they hadn't accidentally put real chicken in it!

Letha--Sorry to hear about the onions. I love the little buggers. But guess what you get to test next? GARLIC! You'll be breathing green fog on people for days!

Slugmom--when I get sick and want some comfort food, I like to make Golden Noodle Soup. Actually, I thought was a McD recipe, but I just checked the newsletter archive and I don't see it! Hmmm...does anyone else remember this one? it's made with yellow split peas.

Anyway, i've been having a rough couple of days. I've been doing great the last couple of weeks. But I ate a TON of vegetables this weekend and I feel all veggied out. Last night for dinner I had some non-tahini hummus and corn tortillas. More of the same for breakfast. For lunch I went to a new Thai place. Lots of great veggies. But my entree had coconut milk in it. Eeek! For dinner tonight I had refried beans, diced tomatoes, and more corn tortillas. Things could be alot worse, food wise, but I know I'm struggling. The worst thing is, I have lots of great veggies in the fridge: asparagus (my favorite!), zucchini, Brussels sprouts, but I just can't bring myself to eat them. i know we aren't supposed to eat so many beans, but if beans will tide me over through this craziness, then that's what I will eat.

Hope everyone else is having a good week.

[Letha.]

Reminder
Thursday Is Weigh-In Day

If you’d like to participate, please post your results sometime on Thursday and I’ll add them up for the group on Friday morning.

[Letha.]

Checking in. I’m on plan and planning to stay that way. I’ll check back tomorrow.
Letha

[slugmom]

Slugmom--when I get sick and want some comfort food, I like to make Golden Noodle Soup. Actually, I thought was a McD recipe, but I just checked the newsletter archive and I don't see it! Hmmm...does anyone else remember this one? it's made with yellow split peas.

MaryW - thank you so much for the recipe suggestion!!!

I found one on fatfree.com -- http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/soups/golden-noodle-soup -- might be the one you were thinking of!

I'll try it out, although I'll have to make some substitutions. Yesterdays 'slips' ended up a big tumble off the wagon but I swung back up this morning and I will not let my bad food day yesterday defeat me.

[LauraA]

Oh my goodness, it is almost May!! Our group has been going strong since Nov - that's half a year!! Congratulations to all of us. I'll post a new thread today - tomorrow is the day that I fly back to the east coast. I'll try to post here again, but I'll see everyone on the new thread. Take care, LauraA

[MaryW]

Yes, Slugmom! That is the recipe! Thanks for finding it. I was so sure that it was a McD newsletter recipe that I was stumped when i couldn't find it.

I do have to say though, that it gives me terrible gas. I eat plenty of beans normally, so I'm not sure why. Maybe my body isn't used to the yellow split peas? But it's warm and comforting and I usually avoid people when I sick anyway, so it doesn't matter. : )

Also if you leave out the noodles, it's MWl friendly. With all of the chunky veggies, you wouldn't miss them anyway.