evannichols (evannichols) wrote,
evannichols
evannichols

Cautiously Optimistic (Yet Again)

So, we’re trying the Virgin Diet. No, it’s not what you’re thinking (a cannibalistic consumption of the pre-sexually-active, right?), it’s eating only foods with the word "virgin" in the name, mainly virgin olive oil and virgin wool (Hahahahaha! No, it’s not! That would be gross! ). Okay, for reals: It’s by by J. J. Virgin (hence the name) and is predominately an elimination diet removing inflammation-causing foods. Her premise is that many people regularly consume foods that they are sensitive to, but not allergic to, which causes low-grade inflammation, yielding long-term health issues and weight retention.

The seven foodstuffs eliminated are gluten, corn, dairy, eggs, peanuts, soy and sugars (both natural and artificial). I’ve been gluten-free and dairy-free for ages, and don’t consume much corn or egg, but I haven’t tried eliminating those from my diet entirely. So it’s been less of an adjustment for me than for thrihyrne, but it has been a reminder just how much wheat, corn, soy and sweeteners are used in packaged foods.

For me, it’s not so much about losing weight as to determine if any of these foods are affecting my general well-being. We started on Sunday, and most of these week I’ve been free from restless-leg symptoms. I’m not yet saying that I’ve solved that problem, but if I can improve my sleep by giving up soy (or corn, or both), that is a sacrifice I am thoroughly willing to make.

In a couple weeks I’ll experiment with reintroducing foods into my diet and see. Perhaps I’ll will report on the results.

Thank you for reading!
Tags: food, health, sleep
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