I was speaking to my sister about the diet over this past weekend, she mentioned how negative my attitude was when I was just starting out. And that she noticed a difference in my attitude once I began to figure out foods, experiment in the kitchen, and realize that, hey, this food ain't so bad!
Thirty days sure passed by fast!
So, how am I feeling?
Honestly, I feel fantastic. My energy levels are up, my skin is vibrant, I've lost 7lbs, and nearly 2inches off my waist. Mentally, I feel alert and active. Spiritually...well, that part I'm still figuring out! While I work-out/yoga 4-5x a week, and make time for those I love and things I love, I'm still not by any means "relaxed". Obviously, I think that's more of a state-of-mind rather than diet at this point!
What did I learn?
More about food! And foods that are available to us to substitute that which is modified, hormone induced, and chemically processed. Quinoa, I am so into! And even tonight I plan to make quinoa-onion rings - can you say YUM?! Fresh veggies, tons of fruit - all good! I also learned that your body functions perfectly well without wheat and dairy. Those are the killers. Not to mention refined sugar, and an overload of caffeine. And the importance of supplemental vitamins if you are not receiving your daily intake. More about my physical being and the way I process things! Each body is as different on the inside as it is on the outside!
Funniest things that have been said to me while on the diet?
"You don't know what 'real-food' tastes like."
"How can you go into this so 'blindly'?"
"So what do you eat? Air?"
"How are you living?!"
and "I could NEVER do that."
I think the last one is probably the best. Because I NEVER thought I could do this - especially with my love for cheese and deep-fried foods, and cookies. And I did! It's entirely possible.
So, what now?
Well! I continue the elimination diet as I have been, and gradually add back the fruits and/or veggies that had initially been cut out. We're not adding in the wheat or dairy at this point in time, nor do I know when that will happen. I continue to document how I am feeling, and if I experience any odd reactions to foods that are being added back in. I asked my ND if I could stay on this diet forever. She said she's heard that before! While it's a good diet to be on, the purpose of the process we are following is to find out what I am reacting negatively to. Also! What do I have in Cuba? I'll be there for a week all-inclusive in March...eating on the resort shouldn't be any issue as they'll have 24hr buffets with lots of fruit and vegetables. Off resort however, this may be an issue. I'll probably write another post after my return about this! What about alcohol? It's an all-inclusive after all! Gin. Gin is the best choice ;)

I suppose that's all for now! Feel free to continue to message me here, or on Facebook. I am always available to talk about food!

30 days of new indeed!
For breakfast this morning I semi-celebrated my 30 day mark with breakfast at Cora. It was the Samira Wake-Up, with many modifications. I requested no citrus, no strawberries, no kiwi to my server, but forgot about the no melon! So I gave my cantaloupe and honey dew away. I have realized that most restaurants are fairly accommodating with special requests, no matter how bizarre!
For lunch I enjoyed some lettuce wraps. I filled these with hummus, avocado, olives, cucumber - these were delish - like a salad, but wraps! So good.
And dinner included buckwheat roti, pan-fried okra and sweet potato. A wonderful end to my thirty day mark!
I snacked on some chickpeas and quinoa salad today. Drank plenty of water, which I am now fully in the habit of doing. And reflected on how these past 30 days have treated me!
Confessions:
What will I do now?!
Well, tomorrow I will write my final blog as part of this series, as a reflection post. I will continue with this diet, adding in the fruits and veggies that have been agreed upon by my ND. And if anything significant occurs, I'll be sure to write. :) AND of course, if I come across or invent any new recipes along the way!

Day what?! I can't believe I'm at nearly a month of this! Time certainly flies.
For breakfast I enjoyed my oatmeal with apples, dates, and cinnamon. I absolutely love this breakfast, and will continue having it even after I stop writing! :)
Lunch was rushed with leftover quinoa-lentil-bean salad, avocado, and an OD of plantain. I started out with the three slices you see there. It quickly doubled and then some! These pan fried plantains are definitely only good when they are fully, FULLY, blackened/ripe on the peel. The texture must be softer to the touch, and when you smell them, they have to be sweet. How do I know this? I bought some more plantains today, they were slightly green on the outside peel, but most of it was yellow/blackened. Apparently that's not good enough! After pan frying them, I bit into one, and noticed it was NOT sweet. Rather dry. And unfortunately flavourless. Will have to wait for the remainder to ripen fully!
Dinner today was way too late, so I wanted to keep it simple. I just boiled some sweet potato and mashed them, steamed some broccoli and had some lentils. Filling, easy, and naturally full of flavour and nutrition! Great end to the day.
I definitely snacked today! I was out of the house majority of the day and took with me tons of grapes, berries, an apple and plenty of water.
Confessions:
I must admit I'm a bit sad that my thirty days are nearly up! I'll certainly continue blogging here and there, and of course if I invent new recipes. I wonder what foods I should make for the celebratory day tomorrow...I'm taking votes!

Big day today! So I will make the food part quick!
For breakfast today I had the leftover pumpkin french toast with a load of fruit and peppermint tea. I love the pumpkin french toast on the second day, over the first actually. They taste even better re-heated!
Lunch was a small serving of the quinoa-lentil-bean salad from yesterday.
For dinner I made a semi-Mexican style rice. Influenced by my craving for Mexican food from yesterday of course! It was a simple rice (cooked in a celery/carrot broth), with black beans, carrots, celery and olives. I seasoned this with basil, garlic, salt and EVOO. I thought the flavour was pretty good, however, my sisters tried the rice and told me it tasted like pepperoni. WHAT? LOL. How did I manage that?! At least it was just the seasoning and not the meat itself. Thankfully. But now I keep thinking about it! Haha.
I had a treat today! I visited my ND and I can re-introduce some fruits and vegetables into my diet that we had cut out initially! (Ex. bananas, strawberries, bell peppers, mushrooms, melon). The way that they are introduced is very interesting. I have to introduce them one at a time, and eat A LOT of the one thing over a 3-day period. Then document what I'm feeling as I introduce the item back into my system. If I feel well, I continue to eat the fruit/veggie, if I do not feel well, then I discontinue eating the fruit/veggie, wait 3-days and try a new fruit/veggie. So fascinating! Our bodies are awesome.
So today, I tried plantains. Very exciting! I pan fried them in ghee. They were delicious. For the next three days I will eat a lot of bananas/plantains!
Confessions:
The plantains upset my stomach (assuming because I haven't had anything sugary/starchy in 28 days, will try again tomorrow). And I don't want to eat pepperoni rice.

I had a delicious day today! Fresh food all around! And I did indeed complete grocery shopping today, as I seem to have a vegetable thief in the house...
For breakfast I prepared the vegan pumpkin french toast from day 19 with handfuls of grapes and blackberries, and my favourite thing - apple butter! I also had a giant mug of peppermint rose fennel tea.
Lunch included the quinoa pasta from yesterday, and a large avocado. I definitely missed my avocados as I have been out for a few days! So refreshing.
And for dinner I made a quinoa-bean-lentil salad. It's a cold salad, so I just added cucumbers, olives, sugar snap peas and some EVOO with salt and basil for seasoning. Super flavourful all on its own, and packed with nutrition.
I snacked on carob cookies and more fruit today. Not much snacking happening!
Confessions:
Apparently I'm still having cravings for certain foods! Thought I kicked the habit. I was watching the Food Network earlier and there was a Mexican food challenge. I have always loved Mexican foods, so sure enough, I felt like I needed the deep fried cheesy goodness! Booooo. Good thing I didn't do anything about it! Score 1 - Sheryl.

What's that? It's day 26?! YES! I can't believe that it's been nearly four weeks on this diet! I feel spectacular. No lie!
Breakfast this morning was my favourite oatmeal - apples, dates and cinnamon. I had a slice of the oat bread from a few days ago. Use the oatmeal as a "dip" if you will! So yummy!
For lunch I pulled together a quinoa pasta with stir fried veggies. I have to say, I absolutely adore this dish. it's light, flavourful, and packed with nutrition! An excellent mid-day meal.
And for dinner. Yes. You guessed it. Indian food. Don't ask me how that happened. I jinxed myself by saying I was done with Indian food for another month, that's for sure! That buddy of mine that I mentioned who is on the same diet as me, we went out and got hungry. I wasn't expecting to eat, as I had a large plate of pasta. There are NO other outside food options in the Brampton/Mississauga area! We ended up at my favourite Indian restaurant, Mughal Mahal and had to be a little nit-picky about the menu. We decided on plain rice, saag (so good! but I think mine from a few nights back was still better!), and mixed veggies. That's all. While a good choice for the vegetables and rice, a bad choice for the pepper content. I'm not supposed to have pepper on this diet, but even the "mild" was spicy! Not good. I mainly munched on the carrots and rice.
Today I snacked on a ton of grapes and blackberries, and enjoyed a few cups of peppermint tea. So refreshing!
Confessions:
I think this is the first time in the past nearly 4 weeks that I have run out of vegetables early! I typically take care of the groceries every Saturday, but I'll have to go two days early instead! Bizarre... I guess my entire family is eating more veggies these days! :) Yay.

Leftover day!
I'm happy it was leftover day because I wanted to spend some time today researching and writing about milk alternatives.
SO! For breakfast I had a little granola with quinoa milk. I knew I was spending some hours out of the house, so I packed a big water bottle, fruit and carob cookies - all of which I finished! Good snack time.
For lunch I enjoyed some leftover rice crepes with apple butter and fruit. I also had a few cups of peppermint rose fennel tea! So good.
Dinner included the remaining stir fry from a few days ago, the leftover saag from last night and buckwheat roti. I know, I know! I said no more Indian food. BUT! Alas. It's leftover day!
Confessions:
I lacked on water again today, and I'm really feeling it (dry, sluggish). I hope that me chugging a lot of water before going to bed balances me out!

OK! Milk alternatives. The following is a list of the pros and cons of all of the milk alternatives I know, as well as my personal opinion on taste. Why choose a milk alternative? You may ask. Well, unfortunately, our regular cows milk is laced with antibiotics, random hormones, and isn't exactly low on cholesterol and saturated fats. This has been horror for greenhouse gas emissions, and is even leading to high dairy intolerance in many individuals.
Dairy intolerance? Yep. Mostly gastro-intestinal (diarrhea, gas, bloating, IBS, constipation etc.), but could also be present in the form of depression (for real?), weight gain (you don't say!), respiratory disorders (coughing, asthma, bronchitis), sinus issues, lethargy, skin disorders such as eczema and even a stressed out immune system causing an increase in infections.
WHAT?
I know, right? So this is why we have alternatives now. Not to mention the horror of milking farms. Have you ever googled what a dairy farm looks like? Thousands of cows just hooked up to machines, constantly being milked for the purpose of human enjoyment. Pregnant cows having their calves taken away at birth, so that humans can reap the benefits of the nutritious milk meant for the baby. Lovely. Let's stop the dairy industry shall we? There must be a better way!

Soy Milk
For years this was the most popular form of milk alternative. Packed with proteins and fibre, low in saturated fats and plant based, this was a great option for those that were dairy intolerant. Unfortunately, now, we've had reports of even soy being modified. Also, it's pretty high in sugar. Too bad, because it tastes ok! Works really well in protein shakes and cooking too!

Rice Milk
This is the most hypoallergenic of all the milk alternatives. AND it's pretty nutritious! Plenty of niacin, vitamin b6, magnesium. Also, some are fortified with iron and copper, which increase your red blood cell count. Good! Downside: VERY high in sugar, low in protein, and pretty much no calcium (unless you get the fortified kind!). Not good for diabetics. Rice milk, personally, I think has one of the best tastes of the alternatives, and is really compatible in most cooking/baking, AND I don't mind drinking it on it's own. This is rare, as I never reach for a cup of milk.

Almond Milk
Not entirely the greatest for those with allergies present, but it is high in magnesium which is great for your bones. It also is loaded with manganese, selenium (vital for immune system) and vitamin E - great for anti-oxidant qualities. Almond milk is a good source of protein, unsaturated fat (the good kind of fat), potassium, and it has one of the lowest sugar counts (surprisingly) of the milk alternatives. I suppose the downsides are just that it is highly allergenic. Especially if given to babies, it could actually increase the possibility of having a nut allergy develop later in life. I have not tried almond milk due to allergies myself - so if you have, please let me know what you think!

Quinoa Milk
This is really a "super-grain" and by far my favourite simply for the nutrient content. It is the only complete protein that derives from a plant! It is also high in magnesium, copper, fibre and manganese. Further, in comparison to the other options, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, is easy to digest, is gluten free, and can assist in prevention of many illnesses. It also acts as a "pre-biotic", feeding the good bacteria in your intestinal system. So what is the downside? Honestly, I have not found one yet. The only things I can think of, looking forward, it's a possibility that the big guys will get a hold of this and make it genetically modified somehow. As well, I found a recent article that mentioned how we in N.A. have been stealing quinoa from farmers...that's uncool. Support fair trade! I've used quinoa milk in various recipes and it has always worked out well. The taste is fairly nutty, and earthy, but once you've cooked it, then that goes away!

Hemp Milk
Hemp I love because of the taste - it's light and earthy. It is also packed with omega 3 and 6. Good fats! It naturally contains magnesium and manganese. And is usually fortified with calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, as well as riboflavin and folic acid. The downside - there is no protein. Not a good replacement to dairy, but fine to drink on it's own. It doesn't mix well in anything either. You really just have to have it by itself!

Coconut Milk
I've heard that coconut milk is the saviour for those allergic to milk, soy AND nuts as it's none of those! It's very high in potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. Phosphorous also assists in keeping your bones healthy! It's high in fibre naturally as well. It's highly edible, and can be used in any cooking/baking and just on it's own. The taste is excellent! So what's not to like? Personally, I simply don't think it offers enough nutrition. AND the carbon footprint is quite large on communities that we get coconut from. Not cool.

Flax Milk
I think I've found my next milk to try! Flax milk is free of the top eight allergens including soy - it doesn't even contain soy lecithin! (That ingredient appears in EVERYTHING now, much like sugar). It's essentially cold pressed flax seed oil. Jam packed with Omega 3's, super low calories, low in sugars, and fortified with vitamin A, D, B12, and calcium that rivals the regular dairy milk. For real? Yep. It's true. Cons? I couldn't find any. Seriously. This type of milk is still pretty new, and I think that research is still being done to determine the negative points. Future thinking, I think the only downside would be the protein content. Is it enough? Flax is naturally creamy, so I'm anticipating it to work well in foods too. Will keep you posted!

Oat Milk
Rich in naturally occurring nutrients that fight off disease, which is no surprise as it's oats! Higher in fibre than most milk alternatives, and high in vitamin E and folic acid. It is generally fortified with vitamins A, D, B12 and calcium. Too bad the sugar content is so high! And, it can be deadly for those with gluten allergies. Unfortunate as if I had to choose, this definitely is the best tasting! But we are staying away from gluten. If you find a gluten-free oat milk - let me know!

Whew! If you're still reading...thank you for staying with me! The bottom line: always, always read the label. Know what you're eating (and in this case, drinking!). Be wary of things that do not have labels. Check the sugar content. Lastly, don't be afraid to be adventurous with your food! Provided you've done the above. Enjoy!

I'm going to blow your mind with a bunch of recipes today!
For breakfast I perfected the dollar size-rice-crepes from day 9! I share the recipe below - I kept them the dollar size because I enjoy the finger food idea. As you can see, I had these with a bit of apple butter, and a TON of fruit! Blackberries are by far my favourite. A small cup of peppermint fennel rose tea, and I had set the pace for my day!
Lunch was a couple of those quinoa-lentil-sweet potato patties from last night - but I made a cucumber/avocado/celery/pomegranate "salsa" if you will, as the garnish. SO GOOD. Pomegranate? You ask. Yes. It added a nice punch to each bite!
For dinner I made ROTI! I realized I was missing it, and set out to figure out how to make roti, and saag (my favourite Indian dish which is spinach and broccoli - or sometimes rapini - mashed up with spices). I share the recipes for both the buckwheat roti, AND the saag below!
Today I snacked on...no. I didn't snack today. Just a LOT of water! Lots.
Confessions:
I don't eat Indian food often. But, the roti and saag today, blew my mind. It tasted NEARLY as good as the other stuff. Haha. Now I'm good to not eat Indian food for another month I think! Got my fill.

Mini Rice Crepes

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup quinoa milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 flax egg (1tbsp flax - 2 tbsp water, mix and let sit for 10 mins)
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla)

Heat the griddle or pan to medium-high. Use a light coating of olive oil. Drop 1/8 cup batter onto the griddle, wait until the top of the crepe looks dry and the edges are slightly browned. Flip and cook for another minute or so. That's all! You're done! So simple. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes about 10 mini rice crepes. Top with your favourite toppings (I love the apple butter and berries, others might like nutella and strawberries...) Enjoy!

Saag

4 cups baby spinach - washed
1 bunch broccoli - chopped and washed
1/2 red onion
1 tbsp ghee
2 cups water
salt, garlic to taste

Place spinach, broccoli, and a sprinkle of salt into a deep pot, add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiled, turn heat to medium and let boil for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. In the meantime, chop the onion, and caramelize in a small frying pan with ghee on the stove top. Once the spinach mix is done (broccoli should be super tender), remove from heat and drain any excess water that is left. Using a potato masher, mash the broccoli and spinach in the pot until they become a paste. Add the onions, use salt and garlic powder to taste. Makes about 2 cups saag. Enjoy!

Buckwheat Roti (adapted from HappyGut)

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
handful coriander leaves
additional buckwheat flour

In a mixing bowl, mix flour and salt well. Add oil and mix until all lumps are gone. Add water a little at a time to form a soft dough ball. Kneed dough for a few minutes, adding a little more water (a little at a time) if necessary. Add in the coriander leaves and onion, knead again to distribute evenly. Cover dough and let sit for about 10 mins.
Heat non-stick skillet or Indian tava on stovetop at medium heat. Divide dough into golf ball size balls. Dip one ball into the additional flour to coat and roll it out into a thin disc with a rolling pin on a flat surface. Keep dipping the roti into the dry flour to prevent it from sticking to the rolling surface.
Rub off excess flour from the roti and place it onto the hot skillet/tava. Flip to the other side once you see bubbles appear on the surface (about 1 minute). Allow it to cook for 10-15 seconds. Meanwhile, turn the next stovetop on high heat, gently pick up roti with tongs, and place on the open range. The roti may or may not balloon up - just let it brown a bit more on both sides here. Smear with ghee and transfer immediately to insulated container to keep warm. Repeat. Serve immediately. Makes approximately 8 small rotis. Enjoy!

Another excellent day for food if I do say so myself!
Breakfast today was more of a porridge style oatmeal with apples, dates, and cinnamon. I also had a slice of the oat bread I made yesterday. My cat also enjoyed the oat bread! Not sure if that's good for him...I'm going to say it's fine. But I don't recommend giving your animal random things without research! So please research first! That's my disclaimer.
I skipped lunch, but between breakfast and dinner I snacked on an apple, carob cookies, and giant carrot with hummus.
Dinner included pan-fried okra (okra, onions, mustard seed, salt, tumeric), some of the stir-fry from day 21, and I re-created the quinoa-lentil-sweet potato patties from day 11. I topped the patties with apple butter. These ones were, in my opinion, EVEN BETTER than the original. I think it's just because I baked them for longer. They had an excellent texture and seasoning. My whole family loves these actually! Very awesome.
Confessions:
I've officially lost 7lbs. Eating well, combined with working out is actually effective!! Final weigh-in in seven days!

Today was leftovers day!
I love leftovers day for meals because it allows me the opportunity to bake things!
Breakfast today was granola with quinoa milk and a GIANT container of berries and grapes. Seriously, it was massive. And 2 cups of peppermint tea.
Lunch, I was away from home so I made sure to pack quinoa bean salad, grapes and carob cookies.
And for dinner I had rice pasta with the stir-fry from last night, avocado and a bit of hummus. Super filling and nutritious!
I didn't snack much today BUT I think I had nearly 3L of water! That was snack enough!
As I mentioned, leftover days mean BAKING!
I baked an oat bread - it is SUPER YUMMY. I share the recipe below (similar to the Quinoa Bread from day 17). Very few ingredients and prep time, just the baking and cooling is time consuming.
ALSO! My quinoa-oat-carob cookies seem to have gone missing again...this time, I know it wasn't the cookie monster - I have been sharing with friends! Seriously, these cookies are a super hit! So I pulled together yet another batch of these as well. I love how easy they are, and TASTY!
Confessions:
I realized today that I love talking about my elimination diet to people. Like, really, REALLY love it. And I love discovering new foods and assisting others to find new food too. I was at an event earlier and I think I may actually have convinced someone else to take on the same stance for food - with the no wheat, no dairy thing at least! Also, it helps me to continue doing this because so many kind words have come from people actually reading this blog...so...THANK YOU!

Oat Bread
1 1/2 cups oat flour
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 handfuls raisins
2 tsp chia seeds
5 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375degrees. Mix the chia with the 5tbsp water in a little bowl, let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken. Combine the dry ingredients, make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients (including chia mixture). Mix well. Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan (mine is 4"x7" approx) for 35 minutes. Turn oven off and let the bread sit in the cooling oven for 30 minutes. Pull from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan. Slice when completely cooled. Enjoy!