Week 1 – Discovery and starvation

Discovery and starvation

Most people have ‘food intolerances’ to some degree, but our bodies adapt and cope over time. Sometimes however, we don’t adapt and we develop sensitivities to certain food groups. In my case, wheat and fructose appear to be causing me some health concerns...Bloating, queasiness and dizziness, lack of energy, excessive night sweating, weight gain, and headaches. Yuck!

The culprits...

Wheat is one of the world’s top 8 food allergens, alongside peanuts, tree nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, eggs and soy. Wheat is a wholesome, nutritious food and makes up a lot of my daily diet; bread, wraps, cereals, pasta, muffins, cakes, biscuits, beer and even ice cream! Going without these foods is going to be difficult, but even more than wheat; I’m going to miss my long time friend fructose...

Fructose intolerance is seen in approximately 30% of the Western world and Africa. It’s a condition where your body finds it challenging to digest fructose and fructose containing foods. There is only one treatment...completely removing fructose and sucrose from the diet. For me, this means no apples, watermelon or onion among other delicious things.

The diet in brief for the next 4 weeks...

What you'll need...

Cantaloupe,  Spinach, Lettuce, Tomato, Mushroom, Strawberries, Berries, Carrot, Sweet potato, Zucchini, Ginger, Broccoli, Capsicum, Avocado, Asparagus, Bok/pak choy, Bean shoots, Chicken fillets, Turkey, White fish, Low fat feta, Low fat Jalna, Low fat ricotta, Greek Yoghurt, Quinoa flaked, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Linseeds, Sunflower seeds, Pepitas, Cashews, Cous cous, Chickpeas, Crushed tomatoes, Cumin, Ginger, Turmeric, Low salt Chicken stock, Red lentils, Tuna Spring water, Rice Thins, Eggs

One week on and how do I feel?

So far, I've been starving 80% of the time. Adjusting to the new serving sizes is going to be a challenge. Most of the meals and 1-1.5 cups of food. I’ve had a few specific cravings; Coke zero, apples and ice cream. I’ve resisted all my hunger pangs and stuck to my strict 3 meals, two snacks (mostly – does a few strawberries at 1am count?). I’ve lost 2kgs, which can only be a good thing and I’m far less tired and bloated. Fingers cross for the next 3 weeks.

-JA