Body Ecology Diet and RA Update

I am on month four of the Body Ecology Diet. I really like being on the diet. I like having control over what I eat rather than food controlling me. I like not feeling bloated all the time. I like that my jeans fit everyday. I like that my digestive tract is balancing out. I like that I am listening to my body. I like buying a ton of veggies and never having to throw any out because they are ALWAYS used. I like that my children see me working towards a goal that improves not only my health but also their health. I like that we aren't spending money on eating out. The kids even mentioned the other day when we got takeout for them that it feels more special now. I like eating soups. I like having more energy mentally and physically. I like that the cyst on my wrist disappeared. I like that the stomach fat I have been fighting the last two years has disappeared. I like trying new foods.

What I miss since on the diet is sharing meals with others. I always bring my own food or eat before going so I am not tempted to get off the diet. There is something to sharing the same meal with others that I miss, but with time it will come and for now I am able to expose others to new recipes. The other thing I really miss is wine. I love sharing a glass of wine with Steve. (I went through this same withdrawal in 2004 when I eliminated coffee.) But, I have figured out a little way of tricking my mind and it seems to work. When Steve is having a glass of wine I make a drink out of stevia, unsweetened cranberry juice and either mineral water or coconut kefir and pour it into a wine glass. Then I just pretend I am drinking wine too when in reality I am nourishing my body. Pretty clever, huh? All that time of imaginary play with the kids is paying off for me now!

Overall I am having some good days and feeling very positive about the changes I am making and feel many will remain with me for life. I feel like the first elimination diet I did at the end of 2004, just a year after my symptoms hit, helped set the stage for this diet. I experienced great relief from the diet (it does take many months of staying on the diet strictly to see results) that meds just didn't seem to help with. Unfortunately I let some things slip back over the years that just don't work for my body.

I am currently coming out of a flare that lasted a little over a week. There are three ideas in my mind of what might have caused this flare. First idea is that the last two days in Wichita I ran out of food options (not really true, my dad and step mom would have happily made something for me) and ended up eating very undesirable foods. Then I came home and made a gluten free carrot cake (full of sugar) for Steve's birthday and ate that. It just may have been worth this flare-up - it was that good! The second idea is that we have been tweaking my homeopathy remedy and it may have aggravated my symptoms so that is now being adjusted too. The third idea is this is just RA reminding me that it is still at work and I have lots of work ahead of me.