Yes, that title is a pun. It’s sorta sad when you explain your own jokes. 😂
So anyway, it’s been 4 weeks and time to let you know how things have been going. When I started this process I was having some issues with indigestion and reflux, and with all the recent talk of gut health microbiota, I decided to do some reading and try out eating specifically for my microbiome.
I didn’t plan, I just jumped in. Turns out this was a mistake. For the first day and a half everything went swimmingly. Then the cravings started. I wanted bread, cookies, chocolate and cheese. Bad, real bad. Hunger, omg tell me about hunger. I felt like I couldn’t eat enough, and it turns out I wasn’t. I hadn’t planned so my house wasn’t full of food I could eat, only food that I couldn’t. Rookie!
So after 4 days I realised I had to get organised. Once I bought a heap of things I could eat I then made sure I ate plenty. Instantly the insatiable hunger went away, and so did the cravings, it was quite extraordinary.
As a result of being on this eating plan, nothing that is packaged was edible. Except chick peas. Chick peas became my go to snack. A bowl of chick peas. Luckily I love chick peas. Everything in a packet had additives that I simply wasn’t allowed to have.
If I wanted dressing on my salad it had to be made from scratch. If I wanted hommus, get making. Mustard? Learn how to make it. After about a week and a half of this, I decided I wouldn’t recommend this way of eating to people, simply because it is a lot of work. No dairy, sugar, gluten or eggs… you have to become very creative. If you are the organised type, then I definitely recommend. Just make sure you go in prepared and aware that a lot of food is a no go zone.
I have made curry, soups, salads, all from scratch and it’s been awesome! I am now a curry expert. Beef stew. Home made hommus. The most awesome mustard vinaigrette. But I reckon the most surprising salad dressing I made was the apple one. Wow… soooooooo good. Watery but good. Here it is:
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt. That’s it.
Try it out, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The other thing that really surprised me was that once I was eating in this way, there were absolutely no cravings, not one, and I was never hungry between meals.
Immediately my indigestion and reflux cleared up. This could also be due to the fact that I have eliminated coffee as well. I began sleeping better. Partly because I wasn’t being woken up with pain from reflux, partly because of no coffee. I have lost weight. 5 kilos. Without effort.
I did notice that on “potato” days, there was no weight loss, but also no gain. I can’t pin that completely on potatoes, but it was an interesting correlation.
I have rediscovered my love for orange juice. You might be thinking… but orange juice is the lamest juice. Well here’s the thing… they did a study, they got people to eat a maccas breakfast and then shortly after, measured their blood for specific inflammation markers. As they predicted, the markers shot up dramatically after eating. However, people that had orange juice with the same breakfast did not have the spike in inflammation markers.
They aren’t exactly sure why and there is more research being done but the theory is that the orange juice helps to prevent the endotoxins rising. Not that I needed the research. I loves me some O.J. Pure O.J. With the pulp. 😋
At writing this is the end of week four. During week four I was allowed to reintroduce dairy, eggs, basmati or brown/wild rice and gluten free oats. I haven’t added the oats or rice back in, but I did immediately reintroduce eggs, cheese and yoghurt.
Eggs and cheese were fine. Yoghurt, NO SIR! Within an hour of yoghurt, I had bloating, gas, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. In the book “The Microbiome Diet” the author mentions that after eating this way for three weeks and if you reintroduce a food you are reactive to, then the reaction will be a lot stronger.
That was me. I would NEVER have expected that I am lactose intolerant (and maybe I’m not), because I have had milk and yoghurt my entire life without any seeming issues. However, the reaction was unmistakeable.
So why is cheese ok, but not yoghurt? Well, cheese through the process of manufacture, especially “hard” cheeses have very low lactose in them. Good news!
What about my mental health? Well, I have to say I have generally been more energetic, less emotionally reactive and a lot calmer and positive. I look forward to making meals. This wasn’t the case before I started.
In another week I can eat pretty much whatever I want with 70% compliance with the initial guideline. Still try to avoid gluten and still work to not eat processed foods etc… but for 30% of the time, have at it! Chocolate, cookies…. hot cross buns.
I have not had a craving for bread since the 4th day mark. I was literally THE BREAD FIEND. Now I don’t even miss it. So, even though in another week I am free… I am quite happy without the dairy and bread. Eggs are staying, for sure, and I like to eat eggs on toast, so bread will be back, but my newfound love for all the great food I am making and eating will mean I don’t think I will eat much bread at all.
I am now hyper aware of processed foods and what they have in them. There is real joy in making everything from scratch, knowing exactly what went in, especially sauces and dressings!
I will also keep up with the supplements as they are there to support my gut microbiome. I guess I have to say, I am pretty darned happy I decided to do this. Whilst my partner is eating cookies right next to me, I was and am perfectly happy chomping on my carrots and home made hommus. Truly, hommus fresh made is the bestest!
I might update you when I reintroduce bread… unless it’s a non-event.. we’ll see.
Maybe you could give this way of eating a try…