Discussions can be posted here about mediator release testing (MRT), as offered by Oxford Biological Technologies, in conjunction with the LEAP program, which is claimed to determine a relative level of sensitivity to various foods and chemicals by measuring an increase in the ratio of liquids to solids in a blood sample that has been exposed to a specific allergen.
It's HARD! I know some of you are not at this point yet in LEAP, but I am finding it more difficult than I had thought.
The theory is that we are supposed to rotate all foods in a food group and only eat them every 3 days. Well, excuuuuuse me, but what about those wonderful fruit salads that can potentially contain as many fruits as you feel like cutting up? The more the better, IMHO. LOL! Or buying a large box of berries and not being able to eat them for 2 more days, at which point they may have started to spoil. (I could buy smaller portions, but then the cost goes way up). I have always loved leftovers and can eat them for days even. Or trying to plan meals when you have other family members to consider? Or when eating out and you have no control over what veggie is available that night? Have you noticed that the only vegetable for us is usually steamed broccoli - if they have other veggies they are invariably swimming in butter.
Well thanks for listening to my I know I will figure this out and be able to do it in moderation (Sara's favorite word - tee hee). One of these days it will probably become second nature, just like the paleo diet did.
Hugs,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Ooh, berries spoiling. Grrr... I was about to recommend throwing them in the freezer, but suddenly realized that all those fabulous, organic frozen fruits we used to buy - we mostly put them in hot cereal, which is off the menu. I will let you know what crafty idea I come up with for our huge frozen fruit investment, when I figure it out. And in the meantime, I am so very sorry about your fruit salads!
I would expect many of the restaurants in my neighborhood to come up with an alternative to the broccoli, if asked sweetly. There's probably a higher percentage - and sheer number - of vegans in Brooklyn than most places, and NO BUTTER is definitely a concern we share! I think you should nudge on those restaurant offerings a little. So many people are avoiding butter or fats for other reasons, they might not bat an eye.
And as far as planning meals for other family members, I say (at least sometimes), "let 'em not eat cake!" Easy for me to say; the only other household member here is an adult who's perfectly capable of foraging in the pantry, or out in the world. But seriously - I hope it's possible to put together a meal for people who don't have as limited a food list, out of only foods that work for you (maybe plus one thing, which maybe you could cook from tomorrow's food list and keep overnight?). I mean, no one eats their whole list of possible foods every meal (well, maybe me, last week, and I know many of us have had weeks like that!). I always say, if it's not my birthday, there's no reason I can't eat a meal that happens not to be my absolute favorite. Family members under the age of culinary competence presumably get a pass, until such time as they start helping in the kitchen ;) My brother and I helped with dinner prep from a young age, and even prepared special dinners for guests on occasion as kids. And I would have done backflips to make sure my elderly mother was eating food she liked, in her last months when she lived with us.
Oh wait, here's a plan: the other family members can finish all the berries, so they don't spoil! And any leftovers that won't last till they come back onto your rotation!
I suspect that the difficulty in rotating foods is part of the reason I haven't been in a hurry to test new foods. I have my rotation down pat, and I'm not sure I'd be able to rotate new ones in as seamlessly. I also wonder how I would make fresh fruits last. Eating out will probably always be a challenge.
I remember that Mary Beth said that she's not as concerned about rotating foods at this point as she is about eating a diversified diet. I'm sure she'll be weighing in on this.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
I'm not terribly strict with rotation. Of course I have coffee daily and that's not about to change! I think it's fine to eat a few for a few days and then not have it again for a few days. On a weekly basis I plan to have a variety of meats, fruits and veggies and vary that as much as I can. But, what I do try to do is eat more seasonally, as I think that's how we were intended to eat. In the fall I ate lots of pomegranates, but now I won't have them (or juice) until fall. In the winter/early spring I eat lots of grapefruit and then avoid the rest of the year. That's not easy to do with meats and grains, so they should be rotated a bit more diligently I suppose. From reading what other LEAp dietitians say, it certainly is possible to have a "green food" turn "red" from overuse, but it doesn't happen that often.
Mary Beth
"If you believe it will work out, you'll see opportunities. If you believe it won't you will see obstacles." - Dr. Wayne Dyer
Mary Beth wrote:From reading what other LEAp dietitians say, it certainly is possible to have a "green food" turn "red" from overuse, but it doesn't happen that often.
Good to know, Mary Beth. I've been wondering about that.
I have a feeling that I'm overdoing almond milk, flour and butter. Almonds are pretty nutritious and high in potassium, so I hate to skimp on them.
Another plus to rotating is that three days pass between eating the foods. That time lag helps to pinpoint which ones are the offenders.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
I know I will figure this out and be able to do it in moderation (Sara's favorite word - tee hee). One of these days it will probably become second nature, just like the paleo diet did.
