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SCD Intro Diet Day One

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 19, 2013
Post category:Health / SCD / Workouts
Post comments:8 Comments

Hello there friends!

Morning Run

Yesterday morning I actually ran on the treadmill for three solid miles. I haven’t done that in quite some time but figure since I have a 7k coming up in just about a month, that I should probably get on that. Besides from being bored, the run went pretty well.

SCD Intro Diet

There’s no sugar-coating it, the SCD intro diet is not easy, especially for someone who doesn’t enjoy meat.

If you are new to Beautifully Nutty, please check out this post to find out why I am currently on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This post does not depict a typical day of food intake for me, it is only temporary.

Day one is complete. I felt hungry and lethargic pretty much all day. The good news is, I only have one more day of the intro diet and then I can move on to the next stage of introducing more foods. I really miss my other veggies and fruits.

Here is what my SCD Intro day one looked like…

Breakfast: Two hard-boiled eggs and grape juice gelatin

A haircut appointment which was a really nice distraction from my hungry tummy. I really enjoyed the hair wash and the blow dry. It relaxed me completely.

Before….

After…

She chopped about two inches off of the bottom, reestablished my side swoop “bangs” and added some light layers. Nothing too drastic but it felt so good to get it cleaned up!

Snack: steamed carrots

Lunch: plain chicken breast with a light drizzle of honey

And grape juice gelatin.

Snack: Carrot pancake made with steamed carrots and one egg. I pureed them together in a mini food processor and then cooked the pancake on the stove top. It was a very easy and this snack helped tide me over for a while.

I snacked on my pancake while listening to a podcast about tips on surviving the intro diet. 🙂 My biggest takeaway was to remember WHY I’m doing it and that is to finally be 100% healed.

For dinner we went over to mom and dad’s. I packed myself a bowl of bone broth with cooked carrots and chicken.

The soup actually wasn’t too bad, but I would prefer it without the chicken in there. The hardest part of this intro diet is the fact that I don’t like plain meat. I can enjoy chicken in a taco with salsa, or a burger with ketchup, but plain old meat, no, not my thing AT ALL, and you know that if you have been reading my blog for a while.

Also, I can’t find Farmer’s Cheese anywhere, which is the one cheese that is allowed during the intro. Dana and I looked at about six different stores yesterday with no luck.

As hard as they may be for me right now, I MUST remember that this is only temporary and I know in my heart this is what it will take to finally be done with this U.C. I truly feel soooo good in general, but it’s just a matter of healing a couple of “wounds” still.

Also, I want to remember that I am lucky enough to have ANY food to eat. There are so many starving people in our world that don’t have enough food, so limiting myself to these specific foods for a couple of days should be nothing I should complain about.

My usual meals will be back on the blog before you know it, so bear with me as I go through this SCD intro phase.

If you want to learn more about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, check out my post from this summer: Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

I hope you all have a great Tuesday. I’m trying very hard to stay positive today! I’ll stay positive if you will!

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (again) & Lobster Madness

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 18, 2013
Post category:Breakfast / Dinners / Friends / Gluten-Free / Health / SCD
Post comments:2 Comments

Oh boy I have a lot to say today. Grab a seat and let’s get to it!

On Sunday we had a fairly leisurely morning. We woke up, made some scrambled eggs with cheese, looked through the newspaper, cut a couple of coupons, and finally got ready to run to the grocery store.

When we go to Turks and Caicos, we will be staying in a villa and will be cooking the majority of our own meals on our own, so this weekend we spent a lot of time getting food together for our trip. We planned out each meal and snacks, wrote out all of the ingredients that we need for each dish, and then went shopping. I think we now have the majority of our food. Next, I will just need to work on the food prep. I will absolutely be sharing this with all of you once it gets a little bit closer.

Changing gears a bit…

If you have been following me for a while, you know I have been dealing with some ongoing health issues, namely Ulcerative Colitis. I am working towards holistic ways of healing and living, and am SO close to finally being healed. It’s like a loose tooth that’s just about ready to fall out. I feel like I need one last final nudge to really heal my gut.

Therefore, I have decided to follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for the next week or so before our trip. I followed the SCD this summer but could only handle it for so long because I drove myself absolutely crazy. I know this will be a more short-lived experiment, and have prepared myself mentally for it.

I will begin with the intro diet for 2-3 days and then after that progress as the plan says. I will limit myself on raw fruits and veggies for the week, and instead eating primarily cooked veggies and fruits. The plan states that you can be stay on the intro diet for up to a week as needed, until symptoms subside, but since I don’t really have many symptoms I have decided to give the intro only 2-3 days.

It will give my colon time to relax, kick up it’s feet and HEAL. I have a really good feeling that this will be what it takes to finally heal.

You can read about my journey through SCD this summer:

You will definitely notice a change in my food intake over the next week.

The SCD involves a lot of food prep, so yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen efficiently working away.

I made SCD ketchup, hard-boiled eggs, bone broth soup with pureed carrots, cooked carrots, baked chicken, and grape juice gelatin. Farmer’s cheese is also allowed in the intro diet but I was not a fan of it, so I’m leaving it out.

SCD Ketchup Recipe

For the soup: I used homemade bone broth and added a bunch of carrots. I covered the pot and let the soup simmer with the carrots for 20 minutes or so, until I was able to pierce through the carrots with a fork. Then I used an immersion blender to puree it all together.

I munched on some mini meals/snacks while I cooked away…

Let the SCD begin. I’m ready.

When we were out at Target yesterday doing our grocery shopping, I just so happened to walk by a clearance shelf and notice this little gem of a Christmas ornament.

It’s Moose with a scarf on! Of course I had to buy it. Again, he’s totally unimpressed, but at least he humors me for a photo.

Double Date Night

Last night we got all prettied up to get ready for a date night with Betsy and Matt at Stella’s Fish Cafe.

Stella’s is actually the restaurant Dana and I ate at right before he proposed to me! So each time we are there I can’t help but reminisce. I’m thinking an engagement flashback post is in order….but not today!

Bets and Matt were waiting for us in the same cozy booth Dana and I sat in three years ago on engagement night. What are the chances, right? I had to let everyone know how excited I was about that. 😉

We chit chatted away, sipped on some wine, and got ready for our lobster dinner. On Sunday evenings Stella’s has a special where you can get a whole lobster for $19.99. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me. ALSO, Bets and Matt had a gift card that they wanted to share with us, so we really got dinner for a steal!

This was my first time ever tackling a whole lobster. Dana had told me about his first experience eating one and explained that the inside of the lobster body is this nasty looking green stuff. Supposedly, it is a delicacy to some and the people of Maine told Dana that about half of people eat it, and half leave it alone.

Well, I wasn’t expecting to see what I saw when I opened up the body of that lobster. I definitely eat with my eyes so as soon as I saw the green goop, I knew there was no way I was touching that body. I handed Mr. Lobster’s body over to the garbage pail. I had to get that image out of my mind in order to enjoy the rest of the lobster.

It was a messy double date but SO much fun! I love those two so incredibly much. Thanks for a great night you guys! xoxo

On the way home I got the idea into Dana’s head that we should stop at Cherry Berry for frozen yogurt. Most of our date nights end this way and I am totally okay with that. Considering I knew I would be starting the SCD the next day, I decided it would sort of be like my Fat Tuesday.

I went fairly easy on my serving size along with my toppings (compared to what I usually do). I went with Chilly Nilly and Cookies and Cream and the added just a few brownie pieces, cookie dough, one mini Reese’s peanut butter cup, one Oreo, one frosted animal cracker, two maraschino cherries (yum), and a cherry gummy. Yes, that’s keeping it minimal for me.

As always, Cherry Berry never fails to please me.

What an amazing day!

I have a big day planned today as well. I better get to it. The treadmill is waiting for me. Dun dun dun…

How was YOUR weekend?!

Curry Squash & Lentil Stew

Post author:Melanie
Post published:October 19, 2012
Post category:Dinners / Family / Lunch / Recipes / SCD / Vacations / Workouts
Post comments:1 Comment

Guess what I did again on Wednesday night? I got my dance on at my old dance studio! For anyone who may have missed it, you can catch a little blurb about my dance journey if you click right here. Since I was sick last week I didn’t make it to class, but was able to go this week and it felt GREAT. I am really feeling the aftermath of it. My body is screaming. I love it.

Onto Thursday…

Lately I have been making myself a breakfast smoothie to enjoy on the ride to work. Yesterday I threw together what was sure to be a delicious smoothie. In the mix: cherries, blueberries, banana, coconut almond milk, and hemp protein powder.I gave it the standard whirl in the blender, poured it into my to-go cup, and made my way to work.

I was so looking forward to this smoothie but to my dismay there was some crunchy bits that kept coming through my straw. I thought it was just a fluke and maybe it was a bit of cherry skin that hadn’t quite pureed completely, so I kept sipping. More and more hard little bits. I came to the conclusion that it had to have been a cherry pit that was accidentally missed. So much for my breakfast smoothie.

I made a pit stop at the gas station for an impromptu banana and string cheese. Carbs and protein. I did my best given my time constraint and options available.

Enough of the smoothie rant. Lunch was great. I made myself a bowl of shredded chicken (crock pot style), peas, and avocado. I seasoned it all with salt and pepper and called it a protein packed bowl of goodness. Alongside the chicken I had an apple and carrot sticks ~~and some chocolate chips and peanut butter for dessert.~~

After work my body was seriously sore. Dance really kicked my rear. I wanted to get some type of physical activity so I opted for yoga. The particular OnDemand yoga session was about 25 minutes long and focused on ab strengthening. It was a doozy and I mean that in a good kind of way. It was a “beginner” level but I would not have categorized it as such. Intermediate would be more appropriate. I’m not that out of shape.

Dinner

We still had a few varieties of squash lying around from our last trip to the farmer’s market. Actually, that’s not true. The squash on the left is now gone. I ate half of it a couple of weeks ago. It was okay but nothing to write home about. 😉 So that means I still had a spaghetti squash and a buttercup squash to work with.

I made a quick scan of the cupboards and then got creative in the crock pot. I threw together brown lentils, chickpeas, cooked and cubed buttercup squash, chicken broth, and other spices (recipe below). I let this simmer on low for 6 hours, covered; stirring occasionally.

After it was done mingling, I ladled it into my pretty blue ceramic bowl from our wedding, and topped the stew with fresh chopped cilantro and chopped unsalted peanuts.

The stew turned out so great! The flavors all worked together so nicely and the dish was hearty, warm, and comforting. I’m pretty sure this was my first time ever cooking with lentils and it was my first time working with buttercup squash. Double score! I have lots of lentils leftover and will definitely be using more of them in my future. I am thinking lentil sloppy joes.

Here is the recipe for ya and my inspiration came from Eating Well.

Curry Squash & Lentil Stew

Cuisine: NOTE: To make SCD legal, remove chickpeas and add in your favorite SCD legal white bean instead

4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups buttercup squash, cooked, and cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 small onion, diced
¾ cup chickpeas
¾ cup brown lentils
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup no added sugar spaghetti sauce*
2 cups chicken broth**
1 tsp. dried ginger
¾ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
*Tomato paste can be substituted; you would need about 1 Tbsp.
**Vegetable broth can be used if cooking vegetarian.

Instructions

Place all ingredients except peanuts and cilantro into slow cooker.
Cover and set on low for 6 hours; stirring occasionally.
Ladle stew into bowls and top with peanuts and cilantro.

Exciting News

I mentioned in my last post that I would be traveling out of the country in less than two weeks. It’s reveal time. The destination….

Bogota, Colombia!

Dana and I are going to visit my brother Jeff who lives and works out there. I am so insanely excited and can’t believe it’s so soon! I can’t wait to spend time with him, meet his friends, see where he lives, and learn more about Colombia (and hopefully drink some really great coffee and eat delicious chocolate). That is my fun news! I will be snapping lots of photos to share with you all when I get back.

*************

Anyone else thrilled that it’s Friday? I can’t hide my enthusiasm. Apparently it’s strong coffee Friday too. Usually it’s me that accidentally makes the coffee a little too strong, but this week the finger points elsewhere. Maybe that’s why I’m extra enthusiastic this morning.

We have plans to celebrate mom’s birthday this weekend. It’s a special year for her. We will be hosting dinner over at our house on Saturday night. I have a great menu planned and am excited to have some of the family over. More on that later gators.

Have a super Friday friends! xoxo. I hope this enthusiasm rides out all day.

Spinach Zucchini Cakes

Post author:Melanie
Post published:September 26, 2012
Post category:Dinners / Health / Recipes / SCD
Post comments:1 Comment

No way is it Thursday already. For real? I’m definitely okay with it, I am just blown away by how fast this week has flown by once again.

U.C. Update and SCD

I am almost afraid to say this because I don’t want to jinx myself, but I truly think I am beginning to heal. My ulcerative colitis symptoms are beginning to calm down and I am feeling so much better. It is unbelievable how making changes in your diet can so significantly improve the way you feel. Okay, it’s believable. I believe it , that’s why I became a Registered Dietitian. Eating clean makes you feel clean. You are what you eat. I can hear my body thanking me for treating it so well. It’s working over time to get me well and heal me, the least I can do is thank it by feeding it kindly.

I continue to follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as best as I am capable of but will be the first to admit I’m not perfect. I ate 3 pieces of candy corn yesterday at work. I just wanted to taste them because they are one of my FAVORITE fall treats (especially with peanuts). I do plan to incorporate them back into my diet some day, but will make sure and limit my intake, just like any sweet treat. Moderation.

I am having an easier time this time around with the SCD. I continue to use it as a time to experiment in the kitchen rather than stressing about it.

I always have salads as my fall-back meal if I am not in the mood to make anything exciting for myself. I made myself a batch of SCD yogurt so I am again incorporating smoothies into my diet. I’m not enjoying the smoothies as much as before only because it’s cold here in the morning and drinking a cold drink isn’t the most comforting way to start the day. I am drinking my coffee weak and my body handles it just fine so I’m thrilled that I don’t have to cut it out all together.

Let’s see, what else? I am finding legal, ready-made salsas from the grocery store, making my own simple salad dressings like honey mustard, creamy avocado, and Greek vinaigrette, and finding that I don’t need to use as many condiments as I used to. I am enjoying cooking with more spices and herbs to enhance flavors rather than extra additive-packed condiments. I do miss my Heinz Ketchup however. Yes, I’ve made SCD ketchup, but it’s just not the same to me.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m taking this whole deal day by day, and not letting myself get overwhelmed by it anymore. I’m teaching myself to relax, stay calm, and trying to listen when my body tells me to rest.

Spinach Zucchini Cakes

Gosh, where did that rant come from? Anyway, I wanted to share with you the recipe for those tasty zucchini spinach cakes I made the other night. They were extremely easy especially since I had already shredded the zucchini and had it in the freezer waiting for me.

In a bowl I mixed together 1 cup of shredded and drained zucchini with 1 cup shredded and drained cooked spinach. You want to make sure you really squeeze the liquid out of both of those veggies or you’re going to have a sloppy mess. To the veggies I added 1/2 cup almond flour, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of minced onion, a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix all ingredients together and shape into patties.

Place onto lightly greased pan and cook on medium for about 7-8 minutes on each side.

Plate ‘em up and top them with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, eat them plain, try some tzatziki sauce, or put a runny egg on top. Go wild!

Spinach Zucchini Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup shredded and drained zucchini
1 cup shredded and drained cooked spinach
½ cup almond flour
1 egg
1 Tbsp onion, minced
½ tsp garlic powder
1½ Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Instructions

In a bowl I mixed together 1 cup shredded and drained zucchini with 1 cup shredded and drained cooked spinach
To the veggies add flour, egg, onion, garlic powder, parmesan, and salt and pepper Mix all ingredients together and shape into patties
Place onto lightly greased pan on stovetop and cook on medium for about 7-8 minutes on each side
Top with tomato sauce, tzatziki sauce, a runny egg, melted cheddar cheese, or enjoy plain Jane style

One last thing, my friend Moe is a personal trainer and blogger, and is featuring a post today about Crystal Light. She asked for my insight on the product and has included my comments in her post. If you get a chance, go check out her blog: http://fitnessmoejo.blogspot.com/

Have a tasteful Thursday!

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