I have officially switched over to blogging at a new website, paleototherescue.com
I’ve migrated the majority of my blog posts from this site over to the new one & will no longer be posting anything on this blog. I will most likely be deleting or inactivating this account soon.
Please head over to paleototherescue.com to continue reading my blogs & following my journey 🙂
So I’ve had to take a bit of a hiatus from recipe creating while in the process of ridding my gut of a parasite (can read more about that here) / healing my gut before and after. There’s only so much one can do with 4-5 different types of vegetables, coconut oil, & a handful of spices. Now I’m not saying I haven’t been able to create some very delicious meals using these limited ingredients, but I’ve been keeping my meals simple & somewhat controlled so that I can get a good handle on any symptoms that may arise from the different medications/supplements I’ve been including in my plan for getting rid of my parasite (B.hominis).
With that being said, I’m officially done with my antibiotic, have successfully administered three self coffee enemas, and have begun taking the herbal Paragone supplement – and am ready to begin experimenting with adding new foods & creating new recipes again!
A little ironic that the first recipe I choose to post is one that I have yet to actually taste myself. While I happily tasted (and re-fell in love with) the bacon half of the recipe, I’m planning on sticking with a no sugar diet for the time being in order to rebalance my gut bacteria, so no date tasting or full bacon-date combo for me. Buuut I do have the approval of both those with paleo-accustomed taste buds & those not so accustomed to less-sweet goodies to vouch that this recipe is the BOMB. I’m excited for the day when sugar enters my diet once again, because these will be first on the list of recipes I make.
I made these bites as part of a dessert for a BBQ we had at our house last week, but I also think they would serve the purpose of a pre or post workout fuel as well & plan to bring them to my CrossFit gym next weekend as a post – Saturday morning WOD treat.
Bacon Date Bites
Time: 40 minutes (cooking, cooling, rolling, etc.)
Makes: 15-16 bites (“2)
Ingredients:
Kitchen Tools:
Directions:
* Tip for chopping dates – keep a cup full of water next to you & dip your knife in it every couple of dates to keep knife from getting too sticky
Additional Options:
Pictures
I’m a huge fan of bone broth. Few days go by when I don’t consume bone broth in some shape or form. Whether it be plain, heated in a mug in the morning, blended into a vegetable puree or soup, or added to some crock pot creation (such as stews or pulled pork/beef) – I’ve been enjoying bone broth almost daily for the greater part of this year. And I truly do notice the effects when I consume it regularly – it makes me feel good on the inside & look good on the outside. A couple of the most obvious benefits I’ve experienced are better overall recovery from workouts, stronger/healthier hair & nails, and smoother/clearer skin, among many others.
While I know that while boiling down the bones of animals can seem a little strange or even disturbing to some people in today’s modern society, when almost everything can be found bottled or canned (for utmost convenience) once you get over the initial weirdness of it you’ll realize how very beneficial & wise making a weekly (or monthly) batch of bone broth really is. First, it’s cost effective – purchase a whole chicken, some chicken wings/legs, or a nice big bone-in cut of beef & get the most bang for your buck by devouring the meat & then throwing the leftover bones in the crock pot along with some water, a splash of apple cider vinegar (to help with mineral release), & some spices or vegetables. Within a day or two you’ll have your own homemade meat stock that can be used in future recipes or consumed on it’s own that week or be frozen to be used later on! Second, it’s sooo good for you. The bones of animals contain a plethora of vitamins & minerals & boiling them down allows you to access these untapped reservoirs. The vitamins/minerals found in bone broth are beneficial & healing to the gut, the joints/ligaments of the body, and the connective tissue/skin of the body. You can read more about the benefits of consuming bone broth here & here.
Anyway, this summer I began adding powdered ginger & sea salt to my warm mug of bone broth in the morning & was really enjoying the enhancement in flavor. It wasn’t until this week however when I devised this (what I believe to be) ingenious idea, now known as “Bone Broth 2.0“. While a little powdered ginger & sea salt were pleasant little additions, substitute that powdered ginger with fresh ginger root, add in a clove of garlic, & a touch of coconut oil, and BAM, there’s a recipe worth sharing. When you blend this all together in a high speed blender you get a concoction so creamy & delicious – similar to Bulletproof coffee – Bone Broth style. I contemplated actually calling this recipe “Bulletproof Bone Broth” buuut I know that the term “Bulletproof” is trademarked & I didn’t want to run into any problems. So, Bone Broth 2.0 it is.
This recipe is especially great if you’re currently trying to cut back on caffeine or looking for something to replace your morning coffee fix. But in any case, try it. You won’t be sorry. So long as you brush your teeth afterwards (that raw garlic isn’t always so forgiving 😉 ).
Bone Broth 2.0
Time: 5-20 minutes
Makes: One serving
Ingredients:
Kitchen Tools:
Directions:
Other Options:
Pictures:
So remember those digestive issues I’ve been experiencing for the last several weeks that mysteriously popped up & that I’ve been in the process of fixing using a very specific combined SCD/paleo approach? Weeell when the doctors said that I did not have any parasitic bacteria present in my gut, they were wrong. Yup, that’s right. Turns out I have been infected with a parasite known as Blactocystis Hominis (B. Hominis, for short). But it took a couple stool tests for it to show up. Sneaky little parasite.
In my most recent stool test the results came back that I have few Blastocystis Hominis present in my gut. Few. Some numbers or perhaps a percentage would be nice. But I guess I’ll settle with few, since that’s all they’ll give me.
When my doctor first called back to tell me the news she informed me that my treatment option was to take a dose of antibiotics – they had two variations available & I could choose which one I preferred. Or, since my symptoms had cleared up & I was no longer experiencing diarrhea I could choose to do nothing. My initial thoughts were hell no am I taking an antibiotic. But rather than express this viewpoint to my doctor I politely told her that I would need a few days to think about it, hung up, and began my new research project.
For the past week I’ve done hours of internet research on Blastocystis Hominis, the traditional medical approach to treatment & different antibiotics’ effectiveness on the parasite, the natural/holistic approach to treatment & different herbs’ effectiveness on the parasite, other methods/tactics used to kill parasites, etc. etc.
I’ve learned a lot about this specific parasite & have come to realize that while I tend to have a rather anti-antibiotic mindset that in certain cases they may be necessary & this may in fact be one of those cases. This parasite is one of the hardest to get rid of for a couple reasons. First, while antibiotics & natural herbs traditionally used to kill of other parasites have been proven effective against B. hominis, it can build up resistance to both forms of treatment rather quickly. It also has a complex life cycle consisting of four different life stages, which do not all respond to the same treatment and therefore while one antibiotic or herb can effectively kill off one form of the bug, say the adult form, the eggs (or cysts) will remain unharmed & thus allow the protozoa to reproduce following treatment. Lastly, B. hominis can inhabit multiple segments of the digestive system, can hide in intestinal mucus, can stick & hold on very tightly to the intestinal membranes, and can retreat to areas such as the large intestine & colon in times of “danger”.
An additional tricky thing about B. hominis is that it has been found present in the GI tract (in smaller quantities) in completely asymptomatic or seemingly healthy people but also in the gut of those (usually in larger quantities) experiencing severe digestive problems such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, IBS-like symptoms, and more. In recent years it has been discovered that different subtypes of the parasite exist and it is speculated that certain subtypes may cause negative symptoms while other subtypes do not. Subtype I is believed to be the pathogenic type, more likely to cause symptomatic infections or pose risk when combined with other types of infection or when in the presence of other pathogenic or “bad” types of bacteria. Subtype 3 is believed to be the asymptomatic type, predominantly found in the guts of individuals experiencing no current negative digestive symptoms. However, there are also intra subtypes found amongst subtype 3, and differences in the morphology of these intra subtypes correlates with the organisms pathogenic potential. In other words, if B. hominis (subtype 3) exists in one morphology in an individual they will experience no symptoms, however if that same organism transitions to a more mature morphology then the individual will progress from an asymptomatic to a symptomatic state. In other words, Blastocystis hominis seriously sucks.
Blastocystis hominis, in it’s parasitic state (or when it grows/gets out of control) can do a lot of damage to the intestinal wall, leading to a leaky gut, inflammation, & decreased immunity. This alone explains why there is a strong association between B. hominis & IBS and why B. hominis is so often detected in patients with IBS. This also explains why the symptoms I was experiencing back in May/June were so similar to those that occur when someone has a leaky gut or IBS/IBD. I will never know for sure but my speculation is that I somehow contracted this parasite & either 1. my immune system/gut was already compromised (due to a past recent viral infection or just overall stress in general) allowing the parasite to reproduce & cause some serious damage or 2. there were some other bad bacteria already present in my gut & they joined forces with the new addition (B.hominis) to wreck havoc together. Joy.
The strength of the disease (termed, Blastocystosis) greatly depends upon the condition of your body. Since I was able to heal my leaky gut & correct any other bacterial imbalances with a gut healing protocol (that you can read about here) I currently have few B.hominis present in my gut & have what would be referred to as an asymptomatic case of B. hominis. So while I could easily choose to do nothing, put the parasite in the back of my mind, & hope that it presents no future difficulties, this is not something I feel comfortable doing. B. hominis attacks the body violently & creates trouble when it’s under stress or weakened. While I aim to keep my daily life as stress-free as possible, one of my favorite activities is CrossFit, an exercise/fitness program where stress is inevitable. I am also entering my senior year of college & want to be able to go out with friends & enjoy myself without having to worry about my leaky gut or digestive issues returning. Because of this I want to completely eradicate my gut of all Blastocystis hominis. I want those suckers outta here.
In order to do this I have made the decision to use a combined medical/natural approach. I am going to continue with my current diet that now consists of low-starch veggies such as cooked zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, spinach, and carrots, lots of healthy fat primarily animal fats, coconut oil, and olive oil, and a good amount of protein ideally from grass-fed/pasture-raised animals or wild-caught fish/seafood. I have also been drinking bone broth (made weekly from the bones of local, grass-fed cows) every morning and consuming gelatin (in the form of tea gummies) regularly. This is the diet that has helped to heal my leaky gut/digestive issues most likely caused by this parasite in the first place and therefore will be the one I stick with as I begin my plan in killing the parasite for good. I may make a few adjustments here & there, adding a few more types of vegetables or foods as I see fit but most simply each of my meals will consist of a some high-quality animal protein, a good amount of healthy fat (either added or naturally occuring in the cut of meat), and some low-carb/sugar veggies. I have yet to make any firm decisions regarding the antibiotic but I think that taking it is inevitable & as soon as I have a solid plan laid out I will be writing a follow up post on the exact steps I am going to take, so stay tuned!
While people generally have large amounts of trouble eradicating this parasite, which I initially found discouraging, this now serves as fuel for the fire. I am highly determined to get this parasite out of my system so that I can continue to heal my gut & become the healthiest version of myself. See ya later, B. hominis.
So this is going to be a pretty short post. I didn’t really change much during weeks 2 & 3 of my Specific Carbohydrate Gut Healing Protocol because I already had a lot of change/activity going on & I didn’t think that messing with my diet would be a good idea.
During Week Two, I had two visitors – the first being my mother and the second being my precious little monthly gift. My mom came to Denver for a mother-daughter visit & to fly me back to Maryland for the rest of the Summer. We had a lot planned over her five day/four night visit & were constantly bouncing from one activity to the next so I thought it would be best to keep my diet consistent & stick with the meats, fats, & carrots/zucchini purees during her stay. I did however up my kombucha intake quite a bit to about a bottle a day (thanks mom!) & did make a butternut squash soup for us one night. Both of these didn’t seem to cause any problems : ) Also since my monthly gift also came for a visit during this week which contributed to its own set of GI distress/symptoms I figured I’d also let that run its path before introducing any new foods or making any other changes.
During Week Three, I had a big change at the beginning of the week in the form of me traveling/moving from Denver to Maryland. I figured it would also be a good idea to give my body a couple days to adjust to the new environment/time difference & get settled in at home before changing up anything diet wise as well. During this first week back at home I’ve noticed a general improvement in my symptoms as I’ve continued to up my fat intake each day by adding more coconut oil into my pureed carrots or zucchini as well as drizzled on top of my lean meats (such as beef patties or chicken breast). I’ve found that increasing my fat helps a lot with hunger cravings & keeps me more satiated & able to go 4-5 hours in between meals. The couple of small changes I’ve made during this week have been trying out Avocado Oil (which I added to a zucchini puree), trying out Cilantro (which I added to some shredded Chicken), and experimenting with leaving some of the zucchini peel on & not removing all of the seeds prior to pureeing. All of these changes seemed to go ok. Lastly, I got multiple blood tests/stool tests taken at the beginning of the week so get confirmation that I do not have any sort of inflammatory infections or gut parasites/viruses. The tests all came back negative except for one blood test which showed a small amount of white blood cells in my gut. My doctor spoke with the GI specialists at the office who are not concerned with these results, although they do show a certain amount of inflammation in my GI tract so I’m going to keep this in mind and will do a little bit of research on it in the upcoming week.
Lifestyle-wise I’ve been adding more CrossFit WOD’s back in which don’t seem to be doing any damage so far! Last week I went in for a total of 3 WOD’s – two which were more intense & one that was a little less intense & more strength-based. I plan on doing this again during Week 4 but will probably add in an additional less intense/strength-based WOD along with at least two days of yoga. I’ve also been practicing free-running sleep which is pretty much just going to bed when you begin to feel tired – ideally within an hour or two of the sun setting – and waking up naturally. The first couple of days I still got sleepy around the 3-4 pm point but the past couple days have felt pretty awake/energetic throughout the day. I’m hoping to get to the point where I have steady and abundant energy during all light hours & do not have those late afternoon slump/lack of energy periods. I’m going to be home through the end of August & hope to continue sticking with this free-running sleep cycle for the majority of my remaining summer vacation so I can enter the new school year well-rested, rejuvenated, and with healthy body, mind, and gut.
During Week Four I plan on making a few small changes:
First, I’m going to start taking a new probiotic. I had to leave the Klaire Labs probiotic I was taking back in Denver because it requires refrigeration but I had also ordered another probiotic a few weeks back, Prescript-Assist, which does not require refrigeration and has been highly recommended by health professional, Chris Kresser, among others. (I was weary of trying this probiotic out at first because it also contains pre-biotics, which I read in Digestive Health with Real Food (by Aglaee Jacob) should be avoided if you are experiencing diarrhea because it can exacerbate the symptoms and also can feed the the bad bacteria in the gut in addition to the good bacteria.)
Second, I’m going to start making tweaks to my vegetables such not peeling or de-seeding the zucchini prior to cooking/pureeing, eating both carrots and zucchini cooked but not pureed, and adding in one or two new foods – either spinach, green beans, or yellow squash.
Week Four has got some seriously exciting stuff in the works.. ; )
So this isn’t exactly the most creative “recipe” in the world. But, it’s simple and it’s delicious (hence the name). And it’s this way of cooking pork chops that converted me from someone who formerly hated pork chops, seeing them as too dry & bland, to a proud bone gnarling enthusiast.
And seeing as though I’m in the midst of a real food/paleo/SCD – style gut healing protocol I don’t have a lot to work with recipe wise. So I figured I would share this one. I’ve made pork chops this way four times now over the course of two weeks and they’ve been down right delicious every single time. I declare them restaurant-worthy. They’re also super quick to make, they can be on the table within 15 minutes – so long as the pork chops are de-thawed – so they’re great to make when you want something meaty & satisfying but don’t have a lot of time to cook. And great to have in the back of your mind for when you want to impress someone who you don’t mind sucking on a bone in front of. But maybe skip it for the squeamish, “polite” guests, because bone sucking is an absolute requirement with these bad boys.
Simple (& Delicious) Pork Chops
Time: About 12-14 minutes
Ingredients:
Kitchen Tools:
Directions:
Side Notes:
Pictures:
I have officially completed the Intro Phase of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and am a little over a week into my gut healing protocol. Aka, a little over one week closer to healing my gut.
The Intro Diet is meant to be followed for 2-5 days & while I was originally planning on following it for three days, I decided to follow my gut instinct (literally..) & go for another day. So Monday – Thursday of last week my diet consisted of carrot baby food, chicken soup/broth, and homemade gelatin gummies. Basically I got a sneak peak into the dietary joys of a nursing home.
But in all reality, it wasn’t really that bad. Sure I was a little hungry. Ok more like ravenous. But the week went by quickly. And turned out to be well worth the deprivation because it helped. That’s right, one week in & I am seeing progress. And man does it feel good. My symptoms have not completely gone away but they’ve gotten significantly better.
First, I’d like to briefly outline what I did/ate for the Intro Diet (as well as the days following)..
Monday – Thursday all pretty much looked like different variations of this:
Wake up & first thing take my Probiotic with a big glass of cold water
Next, dissolve 3-4 grams of L-Glutamine in around 8 oz. of water & drink that while boiling some hot water
Once the hot water has boiled, fill a mug of half bone broth with half boiling water (& some salt & sometimes powdered ginger), Take a Digestive Enzyme & drink the hot bone broth during my morning meditation/stretching routine
Meditation/Stretching Routine: It’s pretty simple. Basically I begin seated or standing (whatever I feel my body needs that morning) with my hot mug of bone broth at my side & dab a little bit of Peppermint Essential Oil into both palms. I rub my palms together & spread the Peppermint Oil all over my lower stomach/belly area. I then close my eyes & focus on breathing deep & sending positive, healing energies towards my gut. After a few minutes of this I cup my palms underneath my nose & do a few rounds of inhales & exhales, making sure to make my breaths as deep as possible & using the peppermint scent to clear out my head & awaken my body. Depending on my mood I will then engage in some light yoga or stretching movements (seated, standing, or a combination of both). I usually drink my bone broth throughout the session & once it’s done & I feel complete I will go & fix my breakfast.
Breakfast: Chicken soup* with small amount pureed Carrots (either mixed in or on the side) –
Lunch: Usually a grass-fed beef Burger with a small amount of pureed Carrots & homemade Gelatin Gummies**
Snacks (if needed): Gelatin Gummies, a can of Sardines with Lemon Juice, another Burger, or a a mug of hot tea or large glass of iced tea (usually Peppermint or Licorice Root)
Dinner: Chicken Soup (+ another burger or small amount of pureed carrots if needed)
*Chicken soup was made by cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot for 4-5 hours then shredding/storing the chicken meat & adding the chicken carcass back to the crockpot covered in water & to simmer down. After 12-24 hours, I strained & discarded the carcass & added the chicken meat back to the broth, letting it all cook together for about an hour before cooling & storing it in the fridge
**Gelatin gummies were made by steeping tea bags (usually a combination of Licorice Root, Peppermint, and/or Ginger) in 3-4 cups of boiling water & then re-heating the water to a simmer while whisking 5-8 tablespoons of Gelatin into the tea one tablespoon at a time until all incorporated. Then pouring the mixture into a pyrex baking dish, refrigerating it for 3-4 hours (or overnight), and then cutting the gummies up into individual squares.
Overall what I noticed:
Progress/Benefits seen thus far:
Soo with that being said, what’s next..?!
I’m going to continue with the SCD/Paleo approach to healing my gut. I’ve now added zucchini back into my diet successfully (in the cooked & pureed form) & have also increased my fats (mostly in the form of coconut oil & animal fat) which has helped with the hunger pangs. Oh & I’ve also added a Kombucha or two (exclusively in the form of GT’s Organic Raw Gingerade) – girls gotta have a treat! I’ve kept everything else the same & am still seeing progress! I plan on sticking with this for the next week & then reintroducing a safe vegetable or fat back in every 3 days or so to provide more variety & nutrients to my diet. I think next on my list will be either cooked/sauteed spinach or cooked/steamed green beans. Hopefully all goes well. I will be posting my week two progress next week!
Oh & a quick tip for anyone out there wanting to try out this type of gut-healing protocol – preparation is key!
Made a quick trip to Whole Foods to get stocked up on some essentials – Ginger Kombucha, Whole Chicken (for soup), a portion of Salmon (on sale baby!), some Marrow Bones (for bone broth), & a can of Salmon (for quick protein in a pinch!)
Prepped for the first half of the week. Left to right – a batch of Licorice Root/Ginger Gummies (before being cut up), Pureed Zucchini & Carrots, Shredded Chicken, Shrimp, Beef/Turkey Burgers, & plenty of Chicken Stock/Bone Broth.
A few meals from the first week:
The other day I posted about how I’ve been dealing with digestive issues. I’ve been wanting to write a follow up post all week outlining my gut healing strategy, but unfortunately life got in the way. And by life I mean my summer school class. I’m taking a class on the structure & function of cells which is one of the class required for my major, and also one of the classes most commonly failed by the average biology student at my college. So I thought that taking the three week long intensive version offered for the first time this summer would be a better alternative. Now, two weeks in, do I think that taking this class over the summer was a good idea? Hell no. Buut, one week from now, will I think that taking the class was the right thing to do? Hopefully. If I pass, that is..
Anyway, point is, the class is intense & extremely time-consuming. BUT it’s only three weeks long. I’m two-thirds of the way done. Home stretch baby. I have nothing to complain about. Juuust wanted to give a lil excuse as to why I didn’t write this post earlier.
But now it is officially the weekend & I’ve got an hour of morning left before I head over to yoga sooo, with a steaming cup of peppermint tea by my side, and an 8tracks sweet sounds playlist playing softly in the background, I shall begin.
Since I first realized that it was time to heal my gut I have been doing a lot of research on the topic. Well, as much research as I am able to in the midst of my cell structure & function studying. Basically, I’ve been googling the crap out of topics such as “Paleo Gut Healing”, “Gut Healing Protocol”, “Healing a Leaky Gut”, “Paleo and IBS”, “Paleo and Leaky Gut”, “Real Food Gut Healing”, “Top Supplements for Gut Healing”, “Digestive Health Paleo”, ETC ETC..
And I’ve found a lot of helpful articles and references. Many of which are reinforcing the same general approach, which is quite reassuring. Some of the professionals and resources I’ve found most helpful in my research have been:
I’ve also been reading and re-reading the Digestive Health chapter of Practical Paleo. And I purchased Digestive Health with REAL Food by Aglaee Jacob last week and have skimmed through the entire book and have started reading a couple pages before bed each night. The book is amazing. Once I get through that baby I am definitely going to be well-educated on the entire digestive system/digestive process and the real food approach to healing digestive conditions.
Lastly, about a year & a half ago I worked with Ben Greenfield (through the one-on-one nutrition coaching service he offers) to heal some digestive issues I’d been having – mostly some gas/bloating that were most likely a side effect vegetarian/vegan-ish phase. Ben led me through a gut healing protocol that was based off of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet approach and using that along with some supplementing, I was able to transition back into eating meat again and was able to get rid of my gas/bloating issues with much success. So I revisited the meal plan that he had outlined for me, and did some more research on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). The premise of the SCD is remove complex carbohydrates, lactose, sucrose, and other problematic and/or gut-irritating foods to eliminate all sources that bad bacteria and yeast can feed on and in turn allow the gut flora to normalize while the intestinal tract repairs any potential damage. The SCD Diet begins with an “Intervention Diet” or “Intro Diet” where only easily digestible, thoroughly cooked foods are consumed in order to jump start the gut flora rebalancing and reduction of inflammation in the intestines. The Intro Diet floods the body with natural anti-inflammatory vitamins and minerals and consists of well-cooked meats (such as beef burgers), homemade chicken soup (bone broth baby), eggs (preferably hardboiled or scrambled/fried all the way) boiled or steamed & pureed carrots, and homemade gummies or gelatin squares. While quite restrictive, the Intro Diet is only followed for 2-5 days and must not be skipped in order to jump start the healing process and give the body the proper anti-inflammatory compounds to reduce inflammation quickly. After the Intro Diet you can begin to incorporate more well cooked, easy to digest low carbohydrate vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, butternut squash, and other squashes and other food groups such as some fruits, high quality dairy (if tolerated), and nuts/seeds.
The foods included in the Intro Diet and Phase 1 of the SCD are very similar to what Aglaee Jacob recommends in her book. She outlines seven factors for gut-healing foods: real, unprocessed food, easy-to-digest, low irritant and low allergen, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense, carb-restricted, and customized. She also recommends an Elimination Diet protocol, similar to the Intro Diet of the SCD. The goal of the Elimination Diet is to eat only REAL, easy to digest, nourishing foods in order to eliminate your negative digestive symptoms, and allow the entire system time to heal and reset. The foods included in the Elimination Diet are most all types of animal protein from healthy, pastured animals (with minimal processing so that means no bacon or sausage at first unfortunately), traditional fats such as coconut oil, ghee, extra virgin olive oil, and animal fat (duck fat, tallow, or lard), and “safe” vegetables – carrot, zucchini, spinach, and green beans (always cooked, peeled, and de-seeded as much as possible). Seasonings such as cinnamon, lemon/lime juice, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, most fresh herbs, and chives are also allowed along with herbal teas and sparkling water.
So since I realized the other week that it was time for a gut healing intervention, I’ve been gathering the tools necessary to officially start healing my gut – I’ve been accumulating knowledge and new resources to help me on my journey and have also made multiple trips to many different grocery stores to gather my supplements and food supplies.
Last week I removed all potentially gut irritating foods, and have been incorporating many of the principles I’ve read about into my daily routine. I stripped my diet down to well-cooked and mostly pureed low carbohydrate vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, butternut squash, and spinach. I made and consumed plenty of Bone Broth daily. I began taking L-Glutamine on an empty stomach every morning. I also took Oil of Oregano for 6 days straight, which is an essential oil with powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic effects, in order to try and kill off any potentially harmful or bad bacteria that had colonized in my gut. (Read more about Oil of Oregano here). I have also been working on eliminating life stressors such as stress from school work or exercise (been doing my very best to walk/practice yoga over CrossFitting), and have begun a morning ritual/meditation-esque practice. I began taking Digestive Enzymes (NOW Foods) before each major meal, and ordered a Probiotic (Klaire Labs) that finally came in a couple days ago!
Now that everything has been gathered I’m ready to officially start my Intro or Elimination Diet. Basically what I am going to implement (starting fresh Monday morning) is a hybrid Gut Healing Protocol using principles of both the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and Real Food Digestive Approach. Over the weekend I stripped my diet of everything except for Bone Broth, well-cooked high quality meats (in the form of Grass-fed burgers, pastured pork, and organic, pastured chicken), a small amount of pastured pork liver (from my local farmers market), gelatin gummies made from Herbal Teas (Licorice Root and Lemon-Ginger), and a small amount of Butternut Squash with each meal. Sunday I made the chicken soup from the SCD & am switching over from Butternut squash to steamed and pureed carrots, in a very small amount.
I am going to do the Intro/Elimination Diet for 2-3 days, after which I plan to start slowly incorporating in some of the safe veggies and traditional fats recommended by Aglaee Jacob. I am keeping a journal to track all progress (or lack there of) and symptoms. During my Intro/Elimination Phase a typical day will look something like this:
*If the carrots don’t seem to be working well with my system I’m going to replace them with steamed, pureed, and de-seeded/peeled zucchini squash.
ALSO, I know that despite the negative results from my first stool sample there is still a possibility that that a pathogenic or bad bacteria is present in my system that could be contributing (or causing) my symptoms but I’ve been to the doctor here and spoken with multiple doctors on the phone who aren’t concerned. I plan on seeing another doctor once I’m home in Maryland in two weeks and getting another stool sample (or couple of stool samples) ordered along with a blood test (in order to check my hormone levels and what not) to ensure that there isn’t a pathogenic bacteria present. In the meantime however, I’m trying things my way with a little proactive, real food based approach. And even if it doesn’t help or completely fix my digestive symptoms, it can’t hurt. I think it’s still a worthwhile experiment and will allow me to get one step closer to regaining my digestive health and eliminating my GI issues for good! So let the healing experiment officially began..
 | skeating93 on Blastocystis Hominis, You… |
 | Eden on Blastocystis Hominis, You… |
| skeating93 on Switched Sites!!! |
 | elle on Switched Sites!!! |
| skeating93 on Psoriasis Update After One Mon… |
| skeating93 on Blastocystis Hominis, You… |
| Eden on Blastocystis Hominis, You… |
| skeating93 on Switched Sites!!! |
| elle on Switched Sites!!! |
| skeating93 on Psoriasis Update After One Mon… |
Life of a Paleo College Student (now at Paleototherescue.com) 
