So, I finally downloaded a copy of It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways
There were several foods that I never removed from my diet that I’m now thinking I need to try removing (as much as it pains me, and believe me it pains me).
Beans & Corn. These were the two items on the Paleo diet that I never embraced. I never saw a real reason to remove them from my diet. However, after reading It Starts With Food, I can see that they COULD be causing me some systemic inflammation (and one or both just might be the reason why despite feeling MUCH better without gluten and dairy, I still don’t feel as good as I know I should). Corn is a bigger issue for me than beans, in that Mexican has remained a main stay in my diet and a taco without cheese is now a standard lunch for me. I need to address that. Beans are a bit easier, however since changing my diet I’ve been eating more beans that I really admit because while it’s not like I eat chili all that often (and I’m not living off refried beans like I did when my TMJ was at its worst), I have added hummus as a major component.
Nightshades. Gah! We see these on every “People with Fibro should not eat” list, and yet I LOVE tomatoes and peppers. So, the idea of forgoing tomatoes and peppers (which are the major nightshades) just kills me (especially when added to everything else I’ve already given up). But, (hopefully), it’s just for a month.
Nuts & Seeds! Yeah, I’m trying to figure out what’s left. But, evidently, nuts & seeds also contain compounds that MAY be inflammatory. And there’s really only one way to find out if they are causing me issues… remove them.
After thinking about all of this for a few days (I started writing this post earlier in the week), I’ve decided to just give up corn and beans for now. As of yesterday, those are gone. That will basically put me on full Paleo (or Whole30). So, as of yesterday, I’m going without corn and beans for a month (in addition to everything else that I’ve already given up) to see how they affect me. At the end of the 30 days, I will then try adding each of them back in (separately) to see if either of them really bother me. After that, depending on how I’m feeling I may try giving up the other potentially inflammatory foods.
Curious… Have any of you tried giving up Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, white potatoes) and found that it helped you?
Good says
Try to avoid tomato and potato as they give me pains in the joints, especially in the hands, Never knew about beans though.
Mrs. Settles says
This is very interesting. You’ve listed foods that I would’ve never thought might be an issue.
I do not eat tomatoes, outside of the juice in vegetable soup or chili, so that would be no problem. Peppers are not common in our home either. Beans are sporadic and while we freeze our own corn on the cob, Hubs eats it much more frequently than I do. I am really surprised about the nuts and seeds. I find myself feeling stronger and with more energy after eating these. I can’t wait to see what you discover in the next thirty days!