Good Food Update

I am now through week two of the TQI Diet.  Kathy Abascal's "To Quiet Inflammation" Diet.  You can find it here

The second week builds upon the first.  We all dropped weight, started feeling better and all the good things associated with her plan.  Here's some things that I have learned:  

1.  there is more to eat than fruit.  It seems to be the "go to" item in the first week. 
2. eating Quinoa for breakfast is really really good. 
3. not having wine in the evening is really OK - sipping lavender tea after dinner is really nice.
4. by mistake, I learned that eggs are a food to which I am sensitive.  They give me a headache and a runny nose.  And depending... they give me a bit of tummy upset.
5. I tested for wheat sensitivity - yep, sensitive to that too.
6. I sleep better and wake up brighter
7. I feel way better and have lots of energy
8. there are tons and tons of recipes for good food that works for this plan that are available out there
9. I'm surprised that I really don't miss the foods on the elimination list
10. my husband is eating better, because I am making us better foods in better proportions.

Food sensitivity is an interesting thing.  I am finding that two of MY foods are not doing me much good - wheat and eggs. 

Does that mean I can't eat them - well, no... but if I have the choice to not, then that is what is best for me.

What does sensitivity mean?  Well, I find if I eat these foods I go from feeling really good to feeling a bit dragged down, headachey, and generally not good.  Can I tolerate it - yes, of course.  Turns out I have for years and not really understood why I don't feel 100%.  Did I feel good two weeks ago before this diet plan?  Yes, I did or thought I did.  However, I feel much better now.  I have just gotten used to feeling the way I did and thinking that was what I get in life because that is how I have always felt.  That's the point I guess.  You take away the foods that cause inflammation and you feel better.  Much better.  It is said that you really don't realize how bad you feel, until you feel better. 

There is so much more to this than I am saying here.  The way our bodies process inflammatory foods - well, and just how the body functions in regard to how we eat.  This information really brings home how all this works together.  Its an important part of this diet plan.

OK, with all that said... 

I have to kinda make due here the next 10 days while I am away.  But I will make the best choices I can and go with it.  Its just nice to know what to avoid if I can and if I do eat these foods, well... I may not feel my best but I will be just fine and understand why I don't feel my best.

By the way... my best is now reset to a new level.  Its nice to be there for sure.

As I said before, I am not pushing this diet - I'm just sharing my experience.  Maybe it will inspire you or maybe not. 

But, I do have to say it is nice to have a new standard of how I feel every day.

Good Things have a way of showing up

Good things have a way of showing up.

Sometimes they just land in your lap

and stare you down.

They call out

Hey, you...

Time to rethink, reframe, restart.

Well, this happened to me.

A very good friend of mine asked me to join her for a 5 week class called the

TQI Diet Plan by

Kathy Abascal of Vashon Island here near Seattle.

Really, I had no idea what it was but, what I did know is that I don't spend enough time with my good friend, so I am in for the classes.  Its my chance to be with my friend.  Sometimes we just need to do that.

The first class was on Sunday January 15.

I had no idea that what I was signing up for was a 5 week diet plan that helps quiet inflammation in the body.  Now, do I need this?  Don't feel like I have many issues that would need such a diet, but I'm on board.

Why not?  ..Really..

The first 3 weeks is called the elimination phase:

There are food ratio components (very simple), eating 5 times a day, no proportion limits (good)

but the biggies are

no wheat, no diary, no sweeteners, no dried corn products, no artificial stuff and...

no alcohol.

I admit totally that I enjoy my wine in the evening.  So, the last one seemed the toughest next to no bread and no yogurt.  Staples for me.

I officially started on Monday

Had to diligently read ingredient labels because it is really eye-opening to see what is in our food.

Has been a little weird to not have wine to wind down.  But, I am rediscovering other things to sip in the evening.

I'm a week into this and finding

that YES, I really do need something like this.

My energy level has gone up huge since starting.  I feel better already and am sleeping better.

I don't have a feel for other benefits yet but I have a feeling they will show themselves.

It seems pretty apparent to me already, that something I eat daily is dragging me down.  I won't know what it is until I move on to week 4 when we start adding things back in and testing for sensitivities.

I'm not pushing the diet here.

I'm just sharing my experience.

Its interesting for me because I feel like I eat pretty well, I exercise, I have a few vices... but we all do.

Its interesting because I am feeling better in just a few days.

I'll keep sharing.