Diet...Day Two

I think I'm finally done with caffeine withdrawal. I've been drinking mugs of hot water, pretending they're tea. It's all very sad.

I've also discovered that cooking without any fat or oil is incredibly difficult.

Exhibit A: Miserable, leathery little spears of sweet potato.

I tried to eat the insides of a few of them but ultimately tossed them. Dr. John Mansfield's elimination diet does not give recipes. All it says are things like "boiled" or "raw or boiled." Reason being, there ARE no recipes when you only have ONE ingredient.

I did some more research today, and found another doctor's version of Mansfield's diet. It's a little more lenient (allows kiwi, lamb, and sunflower oil). I'm going to pass on the kiwi and lamb, just to be safe, but I might go buy some sunflower oil. If I can fry things in oil, this will be much, much easier to do for a week (plus I need the calories). I could saute things again. And pan fry my fish. Besides, I can't remember the last time I ate a sunflower-anything, so somehow I'm doubtful that sunflower products are causing my (rheumatoid? mysterious?) arthritis.

The Atherton Mills farmer's market provided me with some more food this morning, although it was very hard to walk past all the little sample trays of bread and olive oil and granola. Arghh. I'm allowed turnips, according to Mansfield, so I got three small ones. I have no idea what in the hell to do with them - I guess you can boil them like potatoes and mash them up? Once I get some sunflower oil, maybe I can fry them? Roast them in little chunks?

Also, trout is freaking 10 bucks a pound. I got two pounds, so I can eat one ziploc bag today and one tomorrow. I baked some for breakfast when I got back from the market - it was the first thing I've eaten in almost 48 hours that actually tasted GOOD. Baked a Bosc pear too, which was equally delightful (although would have been better slathered in butter and brown sugar!!!).
I have no symptoms today except a vague and lingering headache/foggy feeling. I kind of wish something felt terrible, so it could then go away dramatically by week's end, and then reappear dramatically when I introduce some malicious food item. Ah well...I guess we'll see how this turns out soon enough.
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