Low Iodine Diet Day 3

I was right.  It got a whole lot better.  I think mainly because I've figured out what I can eat (not just what I can snack on) and mostly because my stomach can now both be calm and can feel satiated again!  Hooray!  It's day two with no nausea and no tingling--meaning I think my calcium may actually be where it is supposed to be!  It also means I feel really good today.  My energy is a bit less than usual, but there's no doubt I feel pretty back to normal.

Tomorrow I can try walking Rylie again (I had to wait two weeks for the incision to heal more since, um...well...sometimes she pulls ;)  She really is a fabulous dog, great companion, and typically well behaved, quiet, and an easy walker...until she really isn't).  I also, though not expectedly, popped back into work briefly today to print, pick up some things, and even ran some scantrons (bubble sheets for the multiple choice part of exams).  It was nice to see some familiar faces.  We are off on spring break next week so I'll try to get caught up on work now that my body seems recovered. 

Yesterday I went to Whole Foods and got a lot of whole foods.  Lots of produce, nuts, grains (polenta where I have to add the water), a few tools to help--a nut milk bag (it's okay to giggle a little, it sounds funnier than it is).  Cameron (shout out he will never see) was very helpful after he saw me looking very closely at canned tomatoes (for homemade pasta sauce)--he'd never heard of this diet so he was quite excited for a new challenge.  I'm not sure how much I've said about it, but basically you can't eat anything that comes with salt in it because you never know if it has iodine (food labels do not include iodine values), you can't eat dairy except the whites of eggs (not the yolk), you can't eat soy, nothing from the sea (including sea salt), not too much rice or wheat but some is fine, and some places say not spinach or kale.  So it's a lacto-ovo vegetarian's dream.  Well, it's a vegetarian's opportunity to try being a vegan is what it is.  I don't think I will last as a vegan after this as cheese just keeps looking tastier and tastier.

So in the spirit of being able to manage this without cooking steel cut oats for 35 min each morning, this morning I made my very first batch of almond milk (every single store bought brand uses salt and I just don't know if it is iodized).  Besides the "work" of soaking almonds overnight and the dishes today, it was really very easy.  Now I have to find a use for the almond paste stuff that remains in the nut milk bag after squeezing...they suggest baking with it.  I wonder how much almond taste remains?  I shall see--open to suggestions. 


I also have planned out some pretty simple meals with potatoes (they have to be peeled), beans (corn tacos tonight with black beans, avocado, homemade salsa, and lettuce), pasta (batch of sauce is ready), soups (homemade veggie broth round one is done), hummus and homemade bread my friend Kelly is bringing tomorrow!, and the darkest chocolate I can find--you aren't supposed to eat chocolate because of the milk, but I have some 85 ad 100% dark chocolate that I'm having squares of :)

I guess that's it for the update today.  I continue to enjoy and feel buoyed by the support of friends and family near and far.  I had dinner with a friend tonight as I have many nights this week and will next, a good friend Courtney was here last weekend, and my friend Sarah is coming tomorrow for this weekend.  The thoughtful cards, coloring sheets, postcards, scarves, fresh fruit arrangements, and food keep me smiling and feeling surrounded by your love (yes, fairly cheesy--but hey it's the only cheese I have at the moment!)

Tasty and lovely fruit came right to my door from Rachel just as I was craving fresh fruit!

 (p.s. the bucket was not her choice...or so she says!)