Day 5 of 6

Today was much, much easier even though I've been having persistent, but not overwhelming, coffee and chocolate fantasies. I've noticed is that I'm sleeping much more heavily - probably due to the progressive systemic decaf. As a lifelong insomniac, I'm hoping for further improvement in this area if I stick with the lo-caf lifestyle.

I've been reading in health journals that it can take up to two weeks to start feeling normal after giving up coffee. Great. Just great. I've also been reading that once decaffed I should have more natural energy, so I'm holding on to that hope because, right now, my energy isn't anything worth blogging about. That is, unless you want to hear about how many hours I sat on the couch reading magazines.. I've been plotting a few improvements to my lifestyle, including some achievable (rather than over-ambitious) time management and more regular exercise. I've also been having some revelations about the many ways I still use food to soothe my anxieties about.. all of those things that worry me - and I'm a very, very accomplished worry-wart. I can lie awake at night worrying about the possibility of an asteroid hitting the Earth. You know, those kind of 'can't do anything about it' worries. But then, I can also worry myself into a frazzle about the possibility of something happening to someone I love, or even get into a tizz with the pressure of deciding which direction to take my studies or my business. Of course, right now, I can't really trust my brain anyway, with anxiety being a side-effect of caffeine withdrawal and all.. so maybe I'm just exaggerating my usual level of worry. I'll let you know in a week or so. Perhaps we will see a whole new Sara ;)

Today my food has been much the same as other days - fish, kumara, parsnip, pears. Peaches are also on the allowed foods list, but they are out of season. Again I used a tsp of olive oil, which is not 'on the list' but as I'm feeding my food to other people too, I make small concessions.

Last day tomorrow!

Day 4 of 6

Well, I think the worst of the caffeine withdrawal is over. I did a bit of reading last night and pretty much concluded that the problem is/was severe addiction to caffeine. I also noted that I have for quite some time exhibited symptoms of a condition called 'caffeinism' (insomnia, anxiety etc.) which can result from long term consumption of high levels of caffeine. I also read that it's a better idea to wean yourself off, rather than just go balls-to-the-wall, but you know.. it's done now. Just some minor aches and pains today and the 'blahness' continues, but I've also had moments of feeling pretty great.

My plan, post-elimination diet, is to really minimise my problem foods, which are chocolate, coffee (both high in caffeine) and alcohol. I think moderation would be one cup or less of real coffee a day, with a few non-caff days, and one or two glasses of wine a week. Chocolate, can be a kind of once or twice a week thing too. So that the new regime is not such a psychological shock to my system, I've bought some of this:

I'm sure my coffee machine will be insulted, but at least this way I can still have my espresso without going nuts. It would take 45 decaf espresso's to equal the caffeine in just one regular espresso. I tested it. It's not bad, and seems to behave well in the coffee machine. I could not find beans, only grounds, so it won't even contaminate the bean hopper and grinder mechanism on my beloved Saeco Royal Professional with cup-warmer.

Today I kept busy with brainless, fun tasks, like taking photo's to send to my niece overseas. I was definitely not feeling up to anything that involves my brain. I visited The Programmers parents (his mum is witnessing my new passport application) and I was certainly feeling a bit brain fogged when it came to conversation. I also left my application form on the table on the way out and forgot where the car was parked. I'd say not quite firing on all cylinders. I munched on pears, grilled up some fish and kumara for lunch and dinner will be a lamb soup seasoned only with salt (let's see how that works out).

Now I'm settled in for some net surfing and TV watching - really all I feel capable of tonight!

Day 3 of 6

Last time I did a six day elimination diet, day 3 was horrendous. I was aching all over, particularly in the lower abdominal area, and had hardly slept because of shooting pains down my legs and total inability to find a position that didn't hurt. I ended up taking some panadol just to get some sleep. And then, the sensation persisted for most of day 3. I had trouble believing that such symptoms could be attributed to a simple diet and so concluded that I'd probably had a coincidental attack of the flu'. Imagine my surprise when the exact same cluster of symptoms started late last night.

Again, I hardly slept and again I resorted to painkillers just to get some sanity. This time I also lay awake thinking what the hell I could possibly have eliminated from my diet that could cause such a dramatic reaction. It has to be something I eat a lot, and that's not IN the elimination diet. Unless I'm reacting to apples, broccoli, onions, garlic or olive oil (all unlikely), it pretty much comes down to wine, chocolate or coffee.. and out of those three, coffee is definitely the most often consumed - as in every day, lots of it. After spending most of my unexpectedly busy day in pain and, I must admit, in a supremely negative frame of mind, I cracked and had one espresso. I'm going to write it off as experimental. Within a few minutes I noticed a major improvement in both my mood and the pain in my legs/back/abdomen. Could this really be just caffeine withdrawal? It seems almost unbelievable, but perhaps it is. Post-elimination diet, I seriously need to moderate my caffeine intake. I managed it quite well after the last elimination, but slowly my espresso intake crept back to my usual 7 ish shots a day.

Of course, after my little caffeine hit (practically a homeopathic dose compared to my usual consumption.. or your average Starbucks) I got all excited about the possibility of having another one, possibly followed by a nice, big glass of wine at dinner. However, I managed to reign myself in and finish the day without blanking out into lalalala-I-Don't-Care-What-I-Eat-Now land. I had my mother over for dinner and, as the cook, it was pretty easy to make a compliant meal. I haven't actually told anyone that I'm doing an elimination diet. It's just regular food anyway, not like I'm walking around slurping up protein shakes instead of eating meals. Tonights meal was swordfish fillets with veges roasties. I did use a little olive oil on the roasties. Then for the other diners I made mashed potatoes and everyone was happy. I avoided the wine by claiming a 'funny tummy' (not even a lie).

Half way done and hopefully I'm past the worst and heading into the fun stuff ;)

Day 2 of 6

About 10pm last night I developed a raging headache, which persisted all night. I woke up numerous times and realised it was still there, but luckily, by the time morning came by, it had evaporated. I'd say that's the evil caffeine beast just parading rampantly through my neurons on it's way out of my bloodstream.

Mostly I've just had a feeling of extreme 'unmotivation' (the opposite of motivation). You might call it 'The Blahs'. You know.. it's taken me hours just to unload and load the dishwasher. I had a few Sana Direct tasks to do, but otherwise put off everything today in favour of.. sleeping in and doing nothing. After the complete madness of last week (exams!), it's good to chill for a week anyway before going headfirst into the next semesters workload. I do have a bunch of other tasks to deal to, particularly updating the Sana site, but it can all wait 5 days. I'm sure nothing drastic will happen.

The one thing I'm not is hungry. The elimination diet does not involve calorie controlled deprivation, although I do note that last time I did count calories as I was still living the calorie-nervous lifestyle. On day two last time I developed a backache that was pretty extreme and only scrawled a few words in my diary ('ugh, backache, kidney pain, hip pain... ugh'). None of that this time, in fact I really haven't suffered backache this year, possibly due to the cleaner diet, or the MSM or maybe even because I'm training with less intensity.

I'm not taking my usual supplements for the six days of the elimination, but will get right back onto those next Tuesday. Some people think that the elimination diet is about identifying food sensitivities, and it does help with that, but the main point of it is to provide a healing experience for the digestive system, which can take a pounding under the insults of daily life. The basic idea is that if the gut is damaged and not fulfilling it's role as regulator of what enters the bloodstream, then naturally occurring substances, such as certain food lectins, are more prone to 'get through' and cause havoc by, for example, binding to glycoproteins in the joints. This is the 'dummies' version of how the gut-joints connection works. There is also some research suggesting that lectins may hinder the leptin receptors (similar name, but different thing), which results in increased appetite. It's all very interesting.

Todays eats on the Elimination Diet

Breakfast: grabbed a pear

Lunch: Baked makerel and kumara

Snacks: Leftover lunch, raw carrots, another couple of pears

Dinner: Lamb chop, baked kumara, parsnip mash, carrot sticks.

I'll probably have another pear before I go to bed. I know.. it's all too exciting.

Day 1 of 6

My first mission of the day was to get everything I'm going to need over the next 6 days before the caffeine withdrawl kicks in! I got everything except the courgettes from my local organic shop. Courgettes are not in season and I got some Australian ones from the supermarket. Then I headed to the fish market for makerel and Akaroa cod. I also got some swordfish for Friday because I'm supposed to be going out for dinner with my mum. My plan is to have her over here for dinner instead so that I can stay on plan. Then I headed over to the butcher to get organic lamb chops. I also got some fizzy water and some Argentinean Mate tea - er.. I know there is caffeine in that. It's my 'just in case' purchase (just in case I have to be on-the-ball and don't feel up to it).

I grabbed a pear on the way out the door, grilled a fish and baked a kumara for lunch, grilled up a lamb chop mid-afternoon (eaten with some raw carrots) and am doing a mix of veges and makerel (baked) for dinner. I don't imagine there will be a lot of culinary inventiveness over the next week, but it doesn't have to be awful. I'm thinking of making a meaty soup tomorrow. It's winter, the season for soupiness.

I'm feeling fine. Well, a bit more fragile than usual, but it's easy to handle when I know why I feel that way. Today, of all days, the supermarket decided to completely change their layout. Everything is not where I'm used to finding it and I was feeling unreasonably angry about it. Then I reminded myself that I can expect to have a short-fuse for the next few days and got over it. So, why I am I doing this to myself?

The main reason is because last time I did an elimination diet it had a lasting positive effect on both my arthritis (which I actually never notice anymore) and my weight, which continued to drop over the weeks after the diet and settled at about 3kg lighter. Post-diet, I had nil food cravings and since then I have not had the overwhelming urges to eat sugar or binge that I used to have. I've also managed to maintain a far healthier diet, so it's all good. It seems that, for me, doing an elimination diet once or twice a year should be a good health maintenance habit. The fact that my arthritis has improved so noticeably has given me a lot to think about in my Health Scientist brain. I'm veering toward the theory that arthritis (even osteo-arthritis) has a metabolic component and is not just a case of wear and tear.

My brain feels a bit 'foggy' and I intend to take it really easy over the next two days especially, which are supposed to be the hardest. This may involve a large amount of dedicated lazing around. ;))