Is this helping?

Changing your diet in a major way takes a lot of getting used to is actually an understatement. For the past two weeks I have been surviving on too much fruit and salad with oil and vinegar. I think that it is time to start trying to figure out foods that will be a pleasure to eat instead of a chore. While I work a lot and don't have a lot of time generally, my goal is to make a couple of nice recipes that use no high FODMAP foods. 

There are a lot of places who have recipes that they say are FODMAP friendly, but the fact is that because this is so new, there are a lot of foods that haven't been tested yet or where on the list as okay but now aren't or are in question. Coconut is one of them. Some say that some coconut products are okay, but others say no coconut at all. Since I am currently in the elimination phase so I am playing it safe, although I have been eating regular bread on occasion. A little seems to be okay although I really shouldn't at all.

The past two weeks have been rough. Just two days ago I was in excruciating pain for two days for no apparent reason. I had been following the plan really well, but just can't shake the pain. I have learned that I need to eat pretty much all day. Not a lot of course, but sitting down to one big meal taxes my intestines a lot, and then with the nausea there is stress and it all goes down hill from there.

I am also working on ways of not letting myself get too stressed. Stress is a big factor in how bad the pain gets for me, and unfortunately, I am very sensitive and get stressed pretty easily unless I am at work for some reason. I don't know about anyone else, but the stress cycle is a killer for me. 

So, my normal meals for the past couple of weeks have been: a handful of cheerios in lactose free milk, a fruit salad with allowed fruits throughout the morning, although I have been adding a little protein from the cafeteria at work as they have scrambled eggs and turkey bacon that I can have without toast or cheese or anything. Then for lunch I make myself a salad with some boiled egg and vinegar and oil and for dinner we have been eating plainly, some meat, vegetable and potato or rice. Rice doesn't seem to like me much, so I only eat a little of it. This menu is getting old.  

Another thing that is really important is keeping a food and pain diary. I just write down what I ate, but not quantities, that is too picky for even me, and my pain and nausea level. If my pain or nausea is below a 1 on a 1 to 10 scale I don't bother recording it. If I don't see it, I know that the pain was negligible. I had an almost pain free day! Very exciting.

Tomorrow is errand day, so I am off to look for recipes to convert. As I come up with tasty results I will post them, I may even post pictures to make things a little less boring! Thank goodness for cell phone cameras!