Protocol Check In!

How is my version of AIP going?!  What have I learned and what new steps have I taken or leeways I have done?!

I'm week 3 into my new job.  I drink an au lait with almond milk (unsweetened) 4 days out of the week I am there.  I drink water the rest of the time since it is very hot in the kitchen.  I think I get in close to 64 ounces while there.  On days I work I get up and do 30 minutes of yoga to myself warmed up for the day.  I'm standing for 9 hours and walking a mile there and back.  I was reflecting to when I worked at the bakery and would run 8 miles before even going to the gym or going to the gym after work.  That was less then a year ago and so much has changed with me physically and mentally.  I think it's all for the better!

The head chef/manager at Birmingham Roast (new job) makes a gluten free banana bread using a gluten free baking mix that I know has rice flour in in.  Everything that I have seen and read state that grains are just a no go when you have an autoimmune disease.   But, when this banana bread gets sliced I eat the small ends.

OMG!  It is so good!  

YES - that good!

 Two things to note here.  First is the extra bit of banana I am getting 4 days a week.  We go through so many loaves and I am addicted to it!  I seriously need to buy a slice that is in the middle cause if the ends are the shit then the middle has to be even better!  That brings me to the second part which is the rice flour.  Grain, arch nemesis of an autoimmune condition, which I just mentioned.  I can't say I have noticed any problems with the small amount of grain.  My protein powder has rice flour in it and my functional MD swears that it's ok.  I'm certainly not going to go out and eat a bunch of rice.  It just doesn't appeal to me at all.  When I did have more grain (gf oatmeal) I was super foggy, so I don't even want to go there.

I have been really tired on days that I work so I have been trying to take it easy when I get home.  No heavy lifting, maybe a little more yoga to wind down.  I'm leaving my heavy lifting to days that I'm off and doing all the other things and walking everywhere I can.

This past week they have let me put almond butter blondies on the menu and I bake up a storm there!  They are selling like crazy a good problem to have!

In less than a week I have baked 10 pans.  If you are in the area please stop by and pick one up.  So worth it since they are paleo, gluten free and vegan.

  The almond butter we use there is so incredibly good.

I have never seen it around here and heard it needs to be special ordered.  I know it would be spectacular on the banana bread!  I may have to splurge one day (eventually!).  Hahaha!  I do make sure not to have any dairy still.  I think it's working better, my skin is still clear.

As far as bloating is concerned - zero!  I got rid of brussel sprouts despite my epic love of them.  They turned out to be the cause since that was the only thing I cut out and bloating went away.

For the next 2 weeks (-ish) (when my mom comes up from Florida) I'm cutting out fruit, nut butters and milks.  Since I've been snacking on nut butters and milks daily as I mentioned I have noticed that my skin is breaking out.  My digestion seems to be the same though.  I've kept my egg consumption to 2 - 3 times per week, so I don't believe that is a problem.  I don't think coffee has caused me any issues, but will see since I am leaving that in and taking the rest out.  Oh, I almost forgot another symptom of me eating too much of something.  I get sores in my nose.  I have been off from the above and it is already healing up quickly.  It's odd, but I know what works and what doesn't work for me.  

I'm curious if the new candida protocol is working.  I am 30 days in today and have another 30 days to go.  I don't feel any different, at least I don't think I do.  Not sure when the next testing will be but my fingers will be crossed that I am back in a normal range!

I don't think there is anything I forgot but I will keep track of my progress with my skin and if it's healing quickly from not being so addicted to certain foods I know I can get carried away with.

What other issues can I talk about coming up?  The wheels will turn!

Autoimmune sugar reaction

It was Monday night.  D and I decided we would go out for dinner and Mexican sounded good.  We went to a place not far from us Mohave Cantina in Clawson.  We have been there a few times before and the food has been good.  We go have dinner (I didn't eat much, got fajitas - like 3 bites, just not hungry) and a drink.  I got everything that went with it, just didn't eat it.

 Then we wanted to go to a new coffee place that just opened in downtown Birmingham, appropriately named Birmingham Roast.

I check out the reviews on FB and everyone is stating how much they love it.  I'm game, I love coffee and don't even think about getting decaf since Tuesday was the 4th and I would be off work anyway.  I get the Kuppa Joy - no decaf and he didn't do almond milk....  It was described as a creme brûlée with dark chocolate.  Sounded so good and tasted even better!  I drink about half and we get home and take the dogs for a walk.  We get back and I drink the rest of it.  A while later I was hungry so ate some more of my dinner and shortly after I began to feel nauseous.  

I know what you are thinking - it was dinner.  Yes you may think that but nope.  It's never been how I work.  It's never what I ate last, it's what I ate before that.  So me eating the Mexican food triggered the milk and sugar I ate prior.  Does that even make sense?

Ok, so bad stomach, bathroom trip (only one) and I went to bed.  I woke up feeling the same way.  It didn't stop me from lifting heavy (in my basement gym), going for my long walk or even eating.  But I certainly felt horrible ALL DAY LONG!  I didn't get much sleep Tuesday night since it was the 4th and big dawg hates the loud noise!  I ended up waking early because I was so warm.  I decided to get up and go to the gym.  I did a HIIT treadmill workout.  Here is a breakdown I did for 45 minutes.

1 minute @ 4.0 @ 4%

1 minute @ 4.0 @ 6%

1 minute @ 4.0 @ 8%

3 minute run @ 6.0 @ 0%

Repeat several times for approximately 45 minutes.  I then did 5 rounds of 20 kettlebell swings with 25 lbs and bodyweight squats.

The rest of the day remained the same.  I didn't feel great for about half the day.  I had some brain fog in the morning but that all seemed to lift after lunch and I have been feeling pretty good.  Only slightly tired.  I'm still trying to get use to my very minimal cardio/lifting routine.  Thursday morning is lifting, no cardio, only walking.  Friday is yoga.

Thursday night is pancake night and will post up an AIP friendly recipe, hopefully!

New things (problems) and existing things (solutions)

I'm having a really hard time coping.  I know I need to take my exercise down cause I'm stressed out. After a phone consult with Dr.Allen - he said you are lifting heavy 5 days per week, take it down to 3.  YIKES!  He is the guru and I am learning a lot from working with him and this will help since I am stating my NTC classes in September.  I figure by the time I get through my issues I will be more than able to help anyone out there!

First though, I thought I would dump some food photos from this week.  

My breakfast for the mornings, smoothie bowls, but it doesn't always have yogurt, or bananas.  Typically I smash a whole small avocado and mix my protein powder in it.  Then I have been topping it with cocoa nibs, coconut butter and hemp seeds.  I will get back to the hemp seeds in a moment, I love the crunchiness.  

 Lunch, lots of veggies with kale pate made with hemp seeds instead of sunflower seeds that should be in the recipe.  So good!  I used bacon this time, but the meat always varies.  It's all about keeping it simple.  I throw everything in a cast iron skillet and cook.

Maple bacon sausage sautéed with vegetables and jackfruit!   I found this interesting package at Whole Foods in the vegetarian refrigerated section.  This was Thai style.  Pretty tasty and paired well with any protein.

My Thursday night dinner - cassava flour pancakes with bacon, an egg and coconut butter.  Nostrand loves when I have any plate.  She always needs to see what I am doing! Hahaha!  I was working on my new training schedule.

Now we come to today's photo!  Keeping it true and real.  Yes, broken out and it has NOT gotten any better.  This is the worse it's been in many months.  This is why I said I would get back to those hemp seeds.  I love the texture they give my smoothie bowl in the morning but I think this is what is keeping the breakouts from healing.  I also have noticed some scaly patches on my arm and back.  So sad!!  So they are out for now!  I haven't had nut butters or nuts in 2 weeks and I have kept dairy and eggs to a minimum.  This must be the cause since I have been eating them daily.

I have made a list of the foods I should keep to eating 3 times or less per week.  In no particular order - hemp seeds, eggs, dairy, banana, seeds (in general) nuts and nut butters.  I think that is really about it.  These are typically the cause of leaky gut and I am clearly not completely healed.  

Going back to workouts.  Dr Allen suggests that I still have too much stress going on which is causing me to not have periods, continue to be bloated and constipated.  That is why I am going to 3 days per week for heavy lifting.  I'm thinking 2 to 3 days of easy yoga in the morning. I already have switched my cardio to walking and typically fall into "fat burn".  I'm keeping my Sunday running and may possibly run on Wednesdays depending on how I feel.

It has me freaking out but it's all in may head.  I know I will be stronger because of it.  More recovery time is sometimes better.

What do you tend to freak out about?

Any foods that you have a negative reaction to but you still love?