What I ate today

These types of posts are always interesting - to see what someone really eats in a day. I will make a disclaimer and say my portions are often bigger than what is shown (if there is more in the skillet than will fit on the plate or in the bowl), but the pictures show the complete range of foods I ate in one day. I may do a few of these, but let's just start with one.

My goals each day are to subscribe strictly to my ImmunoCalm protocol in terms of allowed foods and seasonings, eat enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates in proportion, and find a way to enjoy what I'm eating.

For me, I try to savor each process:

• preparing the food
• taking a picture of the food
• consuming the food 

Sometimes this means waking up earlier to get food prep done or working on it during our son's naptime or when I could have some downtime in the evening, but it's worth it for me to find a way to enjoy the limited list of foods.

Breakfast: Today was a full bowl of ground lamb and basil meatballs atop a bed of green beans sauteed in the fat from the lamb. I have found using the meat fat to saute is one of the most flavorful ways to prepare vegetables! This is a new discovery for me - and probably one I would have balked at just months ago. Our society has shunned the word "fat" so much it leaves a bad taste in one's mouth (pun intended), but I'm learning so much about the importance of fat as fuel and brain function. This breakfast was delicious!

Lunch: Leftover roasted chicken and oven roasted zucchini with coconut oil and Redmond's real salt. Not shown: A whole tray of zucchini "coins" roasted until almost crispy. I ate two whole zucchini with this meal.

Snack: Organic, sprouted quinoa. Since my diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, I've learned a lot about grains in general. Here is a link to some information regarding why sprouted quinoa is more beneficial than conventional quinoa, including improved digestibility and nutritional availability.
Note: I prepared enough quinoa for my snack this afternoon plus my snack tonight at the same time and put a bowl in the refrigerator for after dinner. 

Dinner: Roasted bok choy and green beans (with olive oil and Redmond's real salt) with lemon and garlic sauteed shrimp.

Snack: Banana, blueberry, and Malk's pecan milk smoothie, organic pecan pieces from Nuts.com, and more sprouted quinoa.

Over the years, I've developed a habit of snacking at night, so my body really wants to sleep on a full stomach. Plus, with this elimination diet plan, I have to be careful to make sure I eat enough, so a top-off snack at night is always on the menu. What better way to end the day than with a cool, refreshing smoothie?

I hope you've enjoyed seeing a day-in-the-life on this ImmunoCalm protocol. Each protocol is unique to the person and their sensitivities, and my understanding is that our sensitivities can change over time. My hope is to get to a point of more diverse food inclusion and then a good regimen of rotating foods so I don't develop new sensitivities and can enjoy a wide spectrum of foods!

I'm not monkey-ing around

GUESS what ingredient I get to test out now? Bananas! Although I'll eat them fresh in a pinch, my favorite way to consume bananas is in a smoothie. Years and years ago, I decided I just didn't like the texture of smoothies with fresh banana and ice - the ice was always just too crunchy (maybe it was a cheap blender?). I tried freezing the bananas and not using ice, and voila! The perfect smoothie texture. So needless to say, I'm super-excited to have my smoothies again. My goal, as with other foods at this point, is to mostly have bananas (read: smoothies) every other day.

Frozen banana, strawberry, and coconut milk smoothie,
along with homemade coconut cookies and organic pistachios from nuts.com

That smoothie hit the SPOT!

Confession time: Much of the time, I eat WAY more than pictured. For example, this lovely plate below...

Thrive Market turmeric coconut wrap with Edison Grainery's
red kidney beans and steamed green peas

...was followed by finishing off the skillet.

How else is a girl going to get full?

Also, one thing I've definitely been learning throughout this process is that breakfast does not mean we have to eat typical "breakfast foods." The above two pictures were my breakfast one day. Since I cannot eat wheat, oats, dairy, or eggs...I've basically wiped most "breakfast-y" foods off the list. It's actually kind of fun to get the skillet sizzling in the morning to caramelize brussels sprouts or steam peas. A change, but a good one.

Here is another savory breakfast I've enjoyed:

Steamed spinach and mushrooms with Edison Grainery's red kidney beans

Okay, here is one of my favorite nighttime snacks: sprouted quinoa, fresh organic fruit, and organic walnuts.

truRoots sprouted quinoa, nuts.com organic walnuts,
and organic strawberries and blueberries

This is what helps me sleep well at night. I used to eat 1-2 cups of oatmeal at night, along with a smoothie and a Quest bar, so my body is used to going to bed full. On the nights when I have quinoa, fruit, and nuts, I go to bed quite satisfied.

Last on the list for today is lemon basil zoodles and grass fed beef. No fancy sauces (since my ingredients are so limited), but these fresh, high-quality foods don't need much! Seriously, a little lemon juice goes a long way.

Happy eating and hopefully happy digestion!