A few weeks ago, I wrote about starting a diet to quiet inflammation.
3 weeks have passed. The elimination phase is over. It was successful. I made very few exceptions. Working from home definitely helped out, as I did not have to do much planning for snacks and meals. I was also helped by lack of parties or social events. In hindsight, going cold turkey was the right thing to do.
I have lost just a couple of lbs, but I do feel a difference in my chronic ankle pain level. The diet has made an impact on my overall health in a short time. Sleep was especially improved, despite not eating anything for 3-4 hours prior to bed. I had imagined getting up in the middle of the night with hunger pangs.
Now comes the testing phase. I will re-introduce one food type at a time for 2 days, observing the effects and moving to the next. So it will be Dairy, Wheat, Dried Corn and then Peanuts.
I have learnt a lot about the chemistry of food and how our body processes food. Omega-6 vs Omega-3, Oxidative Stress, antioxidants found in various fruits and vegetables, the role of liver in managing sugar levels, the insulin/glucagon interactions are such topics. The weekly lectures from Kathy Abascal, who has pioneered this diet have been illuminating. I think this type of information should be introduced in Middle and High Schools as part of the Biology curriculum to influence kids at a young age. Finance and Nutrition are two grossly neglected topics in school curricula.
More to come in 2 weeks.
