Giving up grains and dairy, take 2

I have spent the last several weeks trying a more traditional foods diet. I started out doing pretty well, sticking to cultured dairy products, sourdough bread and soaked grains, but I soon slipped back into my unhealthy habits of overeating grains and allowing myself pretty much whatever I wanted.

So I can officially say that I feel better without grains and dairy. But that doesn't make avoiding them any easier. I mean, soaked cracked oats with lots of pasture butter and honey is a darn tasty thing to eat.

One of the biggest things I notice when I'm eating grains and dairy is that I am hungry almost all the time. I will get hungry within 30 minutes of finishing a decent sized meal. I want snacks all the time. I am really susceptible to giving in to cravings.

Here is a list of things that reappeared or became worse after I started eating grains and dairy again:

• appetite
• puffy face, swelling in ankles, legs, and hands
• joint pain (knees and hips)
• headaches daily
• hypoglycemic symptoms
• sore throat, especially in the mornings
• congestion in ears, nose, and throat
• sinus pain and congestion
• earaches
• itchy ears/infection

And I think my moods were more unpredictable and maybe even out of control at times. Okay, I know they were.

I had a couple thin buns today with lunch, but as of dinner tonight I'm going back to meat/veg/starch (primarily in the form of sweet potatoes, but also some red potatoes). Honestly, it can be really difficult to eat out when I'm eating this way. It's hard to get enough meat for a satisfying meal. It's hard to avoid dairy. It's hard to avoid vegetable oils (another thing I try to stay away from because of the really high omega 6 content), and it's hard to avoid dairy. Ordering a burger is like this, "I'd like a double/triple this, leave off the cheese and mayo, add bacon and guacamole. Oh, and wrap it in lettuce instead of a bun". And then when you get it they've left off everything but the cheese, which has melted onto the burger.

But, it's worth it if I'll feel better. Besides, we are trying not to eat out more than once a week, so maybe it will be a little easier this time.

Now, on to iodine. I'm still taking 2 drops most days of the week, but I've increased my thyroid medication from 1/2 tablet back to 1 tablet. I was on the lower dose for a couple weeks and at one point I started to feel my depression coming back, and I wasn't thinking quite straight. It really started affecting me in some bad ways, so I went back to the dose I was on before and I'm feeling lots better.

So, I'm getting back on board with my diet. I'm on a pretty slim supplement regimen right now, but I'm feeling good about it. The only thing I really need to get moving on is... moving. Exercise is next. I'm thinking about doing the CrossFit on ramp curriculum at home. Since I have about 8 or 9 months of CF under my belt from last year, I'm pretty comfortable with most of the exercises... I just need to build up my strength again. Rest assured, I'll be posting about that soon enough.