What I Eat - Day Eighteen

I thought I'd take a minute in today's post to talk about the Rotation Diet, which I try very hard to follow.  Following a Rotation Diet means that you eat any potential problem foods only once every four days.   So, for example, because I have reacted to eggs in the past, I try to eat them no more frequently than once every four days.  There are a number of reasons for this approach:

1)  Symptoms:  If you eat something that disturbs your body it will let you know (for example, a sore stomach).  However, if you continue to eat it, your reaction may become less direct and easy to interpret (for example, higher levels of general inflammation).   By spacing out your consumption, you increase your chances of noticing a reaction to a food that is a problem for you.  

2) Immune System: Each time your immune system is exposed to a problem food, it mounts even more of a response to it.  If we use the example of a war - on day one your immune system uses guns, on day two it adds grenades, on day three it adds a tank, and on day four it just starts dropping bombs.  By giving your immune system three days between exposure, it never gets beyond the gun stage.  This not only reduces your reaction to current problem foods, it also reduces your chances of developing reactions to even more foods (civilian casualties).  

3) Diversity:  Trying to follow a four-day rotation naturally leads to eating a more diverse range of foods, which increases your chances of getting all the nutrients you need to be healthy.

I do not succeed at following this diet strictly!   I just do my best.   FYI, common problem foods include:  soy, corn, gluten, dairy, peanuts, nuts, eggs, citrus, tropical fruits, and seafood.   If you get really fancy about the Rotation Diet, you can start trying to eat entire food families only once every four days, but I don't make it that complicated for myself.  

Breakfast - Hard-boiled Eggs and Organic Oranges

I don't eat much citrus, but every once in a while I'll buy a delicious bag of organic oranges from the States.  Organic oranges taste so much better than conventional!

Lunch - Salmon Salad

-organic baby kale (new at Dollar's!)
-avocado
-half a can of salmon
-grated beet
-Renee's Poppy Seed Dressing

Kale is one of the dirty dozen, so it's nice to see more organic options!  [More into here]

Dinner - Spaghetti 

Sauce
-can of artichoke hearts, sliced
-dried basil
-small can of tomato paste
-apple cider (approximately 2/3 cup)
-mushrooms, sliced
-one red onion, coarsely chopped
Just fry the onion first, and then simmer the rest of the ingredients together at a low heat until the cider reduces. 

Noodles
Shirataki Noodles (available at Sobey's)
I don't love these noodles, but I have a number of good friends with good taste who do, so I figured I'd better feature them at some point.   These noodles are made from konnyaku (a member of the Asian yam family) and tofu.  They are gluten free and low carb, which is good; however, they are still highly processed, which isn't so good.  If you're going to prepare them it's important to rinse them thoroughly, boil them for at least five minutes, and then rinse them again.  These noodles will make much better leftovers than rice noodles.  

Dessert - Chocolate Brownie

I made this with Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix, which I really like because it can be made gluten, egg, and dairy- free (though they do clarify in their allergy chart that "chocolate chunks may contain traces of milk protein due to the manufacturing process")!  As you can see, I add raw sunflower seeds for protein.