Stam Family Happenings: Daily posts moved to main page...

I decided to move my daily posts about my anti-inflammatory diet to the home page so it will be easier to find. That way, each day will show as a new post for those of you who are following. If you are new here, scroll down to read about my reasons for doing this diet.

Pre-Diet

I went to a consultation with Dr. Swindlehurst at Red River Health and Wellness and he determined I was a good candidate for treatment there. I went through a variety of testing and started the program last week. In addition to supplements, I have a HUGE list of what I can't eat and a TINY list of what I can. :-) I spent a lot of time researching, planning, and preparing for this major life change. I just have to keep reminding myself that 21 days is nothing compared to 4 years of feeling yucky.

DAY 1

I started a strict anti-inflammatory diet today. It is already an interesting experience and have already been in contact with the doctor three times today to make sure what I am experiencing is normal. The following posts will provide details about what I am doing and feeling. Here goes nothing!! My mom came over yesterday and helped me prep some fruits and veggies. She also got me going with quinoa and buckwheat. I didn't know anything about either one of those until now. I am going to be learning how to eat differently and hopefully I will learn more when I can start reintroducing foods into my diet.

DAY 2

Today was harder in some ways and easier in others. I thought I was going to die from my caffeine headache yesterday. After talking to the doctor, I realized I can't go from drinking gallons of Diet Dr. Pepper to nothing. Rob brought me a small drink from Maverik and I felt like I would live. I have a few days to taper off. He said I could just ride it out but three kids won't allow me to do that.

My breakfast of buckwheat and almond milk was better with blueberries rather than the raspberries I had yesterday. We grilled some chicken last night and I heated it up with cooked carrots and quinoa for lunch. It wasn't bad. I feel so tired and weak. I feel like I am starving. I also feel like I might be able to make it. It will all be worth it when I have a better quality of life in a few more days. Hopeful!!

My favorite thing is the fruit-infused water I made. Makes me think of the spa! :-) Thank you Pinterest for the idea!

Day 3

I feel like I am weak and tired today but I have been able to finish more projects in the last two days than I have in months. I had my appointment with the doctor today and it went well. He asked me how my energy level is and I was completely prepared to tell him I am very tired and have no energy but I had to stop and think about it for a second and realized I do feel better. I am on the right track. I still have many moments of extreme weakness and I hope they will be less frequent as time goes on.

I spent a good part of today researching and trying out new and different foods. I am starting to feel like this time period in my life is manageable. I am SO grateful to my mom for helping me with food-finds and my husband for his patience with my crankiness. My kids are starting to understand a little about what I can and can't eat so that is helpful. I will post some recipes and foods I find are helpful when I have more time tomorrow.

Day 4

Today started out as a challenge because I woke up hungry. I had the immediate realization I am really doing this! The first few days were manageable because I was researching and trying new foods and looking for ways to make this lifestyle change. Even though it is only 21 days before I start reintroducing foods into my diet, that feels SO far away. Just a few things I have learned so far:

1. I have to keep busy or I want to snack.
2. My kids are recognizing the changes and are very supportive for being so young.
3. I could not/can't do this without my mom helping me with food suggestions and ideas.
4. Pizza isn't worth feeling yucky for days.
5. I CAN live without diet soda
6. I love smoothies!

Even though I am still tired, I am starting to see some positive changes and I am more optimistic this evening than I was this morning!

Day 5

Caffeine free!! I had to have a small diet Dr. Pepper the other day for my caffeine headache and I only drank half of it and put the rest in the fridge. My son D saw it and said to me, "What is that? That is the SMALLEST drink I have EVER seen you have!" Definitely seeing some results in how I feel. No headache and no neck pain today. This morning was easier than yesterday morning. I am actually excited about some of the recipes I discovered today. My mom made me some AWESOME "cookies" with instant buckwheat and applesauce. They help me feel like I am having a "treat". She also made me some crackers. I will post those recipes later. I made my own salad dressing. It is better than my last two attempts but I still don't love it. I made a smoothie today with frozen fruit from Costco. I blended almond milk with strawberries, papaya, pineapple and mangoes. Next time I will do coconut milk and I will feel like I am back at the beach in Hawaii! It wasn't as sweet as I am used to but I loved it. Dinner was a HUGE success! I mixed ground turkey with white beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder (because onions make me sick) sea salt, and pepper. I used romaine lettuce for "taco shells" and I felt like I was having a feast! I feel like I am getting the hang of it. Here are some pics of what I have been doing: