Eliminate This

So there's a new step to take in the war against my less-than-stellar health - an "elimination" diet.  I'll start this after Mom comes to visit over President's Day weekend (so I can actually eat out with her).  It's meant to kind of reset my system and help identify foods that are causing me trouble...but it won't be easy (or potentially won't be pretty either).  Here's the nitty-gritty of it...

Days 1-4
Vitamin shake before breakfast
Days 5-7
Vitamin shake before breakfast and before dinner
Days 8-14
Vitamin shake before each of the 3 major meals
Days 15-17
Vitamin shake before breakfast and dinner
Days 18-21
Vitamin shake before breakfast

The vitamins and etc in the shake are meant to "detox" the body (especially during the 3x/day period) - that will be the ugly part, I think (just interpreting the information in the packet I was given).

Now for the food (or lack thereof) part of the diet...

Days 1-7
No dairy, eggs, shortening, foods containing gluten, tomatoes and tomato sauces, corn, peanuts and peanut butter, alcohol, caffeine, soy products, beef, pork, bacon, hotdogs, sausage, shellfish.  No citrus.
Drink lots of water.  I can have herbal teas, sugar-free fruit juices (diluted with water 50/50), and vegetable juices.  I can eat foods from rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat or tapioca (which I actually shouldn't have).  I'm supposed to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb.  If using an oil, it should be olive, canola or flax seed.
Days 8-14
Eat nothing.  Just kidding, but it seems like it.  During this week I'm supposed to not just cut out the ones I listed above, but for these days also not eat the fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb - i.e. no meat at all.  "eliminate all animal products"  Ugh!  I like meat!
Days 15-21
Go back to the do/don't of the first seven days, but during this time, add back in some of the other foods to see if my body freaks out - e.g. dairy for a day, then gluten for a day, etc.

There's actually a more comprehensive list of do and don't eat.  For example, no white potatoes (gah!), but it's okay to eat bananas...which bother my system, too.  *shrug*  The example menu has things on it like bedtime snacks of rice cakes with almond butter, mid-afternoon snack of a handful of cashews, and practically naked salads for lunch.  One carrot stick for a mid-morning snack?!  Really?!  Really?!
Dr. Miller says I'll feel much better after doing this.  I suppose I'll have to take his word for it until I actually put myself through the torture and come out the other side.
The good news is that I supposedly could lose some weight during the three weeks.  I wouldn't mind that, but seems like a helluva way to go about it!

So, that will be the next adventure.  Stay tuned for the reports when it starts in the latter half of February.