Recovering from an eating disorder has given me a unique opportunity to learn firsthand how food can affect your health – mental, physical, and emotional. I’ve developed a passionate interest in nutrition over the past 8 years, replacing an obsession with my “dieting” to an interest in my “diet.”
My Diet
As in:
1 a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed b : habitual nourishment c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason
Not:
d : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight <going on a diet>
I’m currently experimenting to find the way of eating that makes me feel best. Currently, this is what it looks like.
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I do *my best* to avoid Sugar – and other substances which have a similar impact on my blood glucose levels and mental stability.
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I do *my best* to avoid all Flour.
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Plant/Produce Based (I’ve been mostly vegetarian for over 20 years)
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The less ingredients the better — even better if all of them are recognizable; if it has no label even better. I keep this in mind, but adhere to it minimally (0; I don’t stress.
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I eat (a TON of) seafood and eggs but dairy only occasionally.
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I do not consume whole grains on a regular basis, but do enjoy them occasionally and I eat beans as well.
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I am trying to cut down on my use of Vegan “Junk Food” and eat more naturally according to Macrobiotic and Ayurvedic Principles
BUT……
Most important is that I am trying not to over think things and just, well, eat!
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this is where your comment goes. but you probably knew that. (0:
Hey! Thanks for visiting my blog!!! Now, when you say, “no flour” does that mean no white flour, or just no flour, period? Because I absolutely do NOT eat white flour, but I do use whole wheat flour in recipes and stuff.
ANyway…the vanilla I use is called “Double Strength Pure Vanilla Extract” form Penzeys spices. I have a store by me, so i don’t have to order it online. It can be pretty pricey, though. It’s 35% vanilla- a LOT higher than other extracts. its the best one i’ve found so far because it is very deep vanilla flavor. I looked around though, and it looks like flavorganic, trader joe’s, frontier all sell sugar-free vanillas. But, if your target says it doesn’t contain sugar in the ingredients, it should be ok….
And yes, FU is a beautiful campus as well
If you ever have any questions, or need some help, don’t be afraid to send me a message: spoonfulofsugarfree@gmail.com
Thanks for the advice!
I actually do not eat ANYTHING that has the word “flour” on the ingredients….rice flour…tapioca flour…whole wheat flour…etc. For whole grains I am supposed to eat quinoa, oats, rice, beans, Mary’s Gone Crackers and most Ezekiel brand bread/wraps.
PS– Did you mean FU or UF…lolol….yes FSU fans call University of Florida “FU” but it’s allright. We have our own set of nicknames for them…(0;
(I get such a kick out of the rivalry, but really could not care less…it’s just fun)
Oh ok…so no flour at all. Interesting! I should try making a whole grain bread type thing made with whole oats and quinoa….I wonder how it would turn out?
haha! Yeah, I meant UF….oops!
This really interested me. I have a lovely dietician (I’ve grown to love her after many tantrums) who I am so grateful for. Not only is she amazing at making someone healthy, but I feel she has such a good insight into eating disorders. She also asks me what I can tolerate, which some people think is a bad thing, but I (and maybe my disorder a bit) think is good. Because honestly, anyone can gain weight (just eat mentality) but I believe having pop tarts 24/7 will not heal me.
I suppose that is what the nutritionist you were meant to see thinks, its such a shame that you had to deal with someone who reinforced some skewed thinking.
Its good that you maintain eating 3 meals and 2/3 snacks, I tend to rely on ensure a lot, and because they are free here (yay full time education :/) its hard to let go of them, even if they are gross.
I have no white flour, but I think my nutritionist would not allow me to be totally flour free, but on reflection I only have brown flour in wraps. I can’t believe I’d never thought about that. What do you eat for carbohydrates?
I am also milk free, silly childhood allergy, but can have small amounts of yoghurt, if its home made (no added sugars obv.) I had the same issue that you had with sugar free but with finding things that don’t contain lactose, there is no need! I’m trying to find new companies that produce foods with pronounceable nutrition labels, though in the UK all ‘natural’ foods seem to have around a 50% markup!
What do you eat in like a typical day? Sorry if its too intrusive or you don’t want to, but I am stuck in an ensure based rut, and we seem to have similar diets.
Thank you.
I will be following your blog and really hope we can support eachother
Sophie x
P.S, sorry for the mammoth post
I would love to respond…I’ll get your email address.
No flour of any kind? And as to sugar, do you use any kind of sweetener?
Pretty much, yes! If it has the word flour I don’t eat it (rice flour, whole wheat flour, too). Ezekiel makes bread with no flour and also several crackers. So I get my grains. As for sweetener, I was given a list of so many things to avoid higher than the fifth ingredient on the label. Including things like caramel coloring, anything ending in “ose”, malto dextrine, even natural stuff like molasses and rice syrup. I use spolenda and stevia to sweeten things.
I am starting to get frustrated with it though and rethinking this meal plan.
Might I ask why? Is it because the idea of “flour” makes you uncomfortable? I hope you realize that that is a philosophy that most therapist and people in the know about nutrition would find concerning. I am by no means pro – processed starch or sugar but I wouldn’t hazard to guess that this is almost identical to an orthorexic line of thought.
I will take no offense if you delete this comment, but I just wanted to express my reaction….as I’ve come from a very similar ideology…
I can def. see where you are coming from…I have been debating my whole diet lately. Essentially, the no flour thing started when I entered a treatment program wherein the food plan is based on Food Adiccts Anonymous abstinence diet.
Basically, the idea is that compulsive eating is triggered by sugar and flour so you stop eating them. However, I am REALLY not sure if I am a compulsive overeater. I know I have a tendency to overeat flour products, though…like pretzels and goldfish crackers..so…I don’t know?!?!
Sigh. For now, this is what I do but am DEFINETELY thinking about shifting everything.
I don’t run around talking bad about flour or anything (0: I guess I am just attached to the food plan they gave me.
Any thoughts on the FAA plan?
http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan
~Missy
It is so wonderful that you are in a mind space where you are able to confront this line of thought!
The FAA meal plan? Well, each person has a different schedule and likes to eat different size meals. Some people like 6 meals, some like 2 huge ones, so the idea of setting them up x many hours apart for everyone has no solid foundation. In addition, it has been established that different people function better on higher carb diets/moderate protein/lower fat diets (and by low fat I mean MORE than what that plan ascribes!) while others function better on higher fats/moderate protein/lower carb diets in general. An eating style should fit the individual not the other way around…And limiting yourself to 1 veggie or 1 fruit a meal? Nonsense. Enjoy them!
Now as to avoiding certain foods? Well, I prefer to limit my sources of processed foods, but by no means do I forbid them from my diet. Heck, even Tosca Reno who is known as being a hardcore proponent of “eating clean” ascribes to something akin to 90/10. That is, stick to unrefined and unprocessed foods for 90 percent of your foods, but allow yourself those indulgences. While they aren’t the best things for you necessarily, a few bites won’t result in you escaping who you are (and I sense you are pretty rigid and controlled in your eating) and won’t destroy your health.
Finally, the flour thing. That is just…:( Comparing whole wheat flour to white flour is like saying brown long grain rice is the same as fried white rice. It just isn’t. Your body digests them differently and they impact blood glucose levels differently. Trust me on that – my father is Type 1 Diabetic and has to measure his insulin levels after every meal! He has to take a lot of insulin after having something with a lot of white flour or potato flour but doesn’t need to take anything after having almond or coconut flour and only a little after having some of the whole grain or whole wheat flours…. ie, categorizing all flours as “evil” is ridiculous because no two flours are the same! And even as a Type 1 D, my father still enjoys bread. Like flour each is different (ex: sourdough and whole wheat breads impact his glucose less than white bread does), so again this theory of flour being essentially bad has no solid scientific basis.
And Missy? Please enjoy your PB! There is no reason you can’t have a little at every meal. None. I have had almond butter at all different times of the day and it has not led to me eating tbsp after tbsp or suddenly getting fat.
You seem very intelligent and I hope you continue to put more trust/faith into your instinct (ie that you aren’t really FAA, etc) rather than in hearsay. Because that is what that diet plan is – pure and utter unproven nonsense (if you doubt me, look for a research citation anywhere on that page
). It takes some basic truths (too much of what the avg American eats is processed junk that can be detrimental to one’s health in large quantities) and then takes it to the extreme.
wow…sorry for rambling so much – can you tell that I’m rather passionate about this topic?! ha
Thanks SO much for your input.
That is why I blog in the first place.
I feel really restricted with the flour thing and no sugar whatsoever….and the weighing and the measuring is getting really old.
I REALLY appreciate your feedback….I think it may be time to buck the sytem.
Scary…but I am really hearing from God on this one.
whoever you are (LOL)
I wish YOU had a bog cause you are full of thoughts and passion!
~Missy
[...] My Daily Bread [...]
Hello! I developed anorexia 10 years ago and bulimia 3 years later, and have been living with an insane combination of the two (plus compulsive exercise) ever since. Although I don’t feel psychologically ready to handle recovery right now, I’ve been looking at a number of programs and I was already very interested in Milestones. I’d love to hear more about what you thought of their program–I’ve spoken with people there, but only staff, and I’d be interested to hear the other side!
Your blog is great. Thanks for sharing your story, and best of luck with your recovery!
Hi Scarlett! I commend you for seeking help and wll be more than happy to disguss Milestones with you…
I know a bunch of people who have been there as well who would be happy to share.
You can email me at melissaannmiller@hotmail.com…I’ll drop you a line a well.
Hi, I’m real surprised at this approach. I do hope you let yourself be FREE and not do this approach to eating…but it’s your body, so you do what you gotta do.
That said, can you tell me what a typical 2-3 days might look like for you? You can email me at the email address I provide here. It might help me…I’m under…but so confused on what to eat and to be honest, I think NO restrictions mean less stress which would be the ideal thing ever. Regardless, I’m under, forcing calories, and starting to go on binges
Hi Natalie,
I will send you an email later. I assume you want to know what a typical 2-3 days worth of what I eat is?
Missy
Hi Missy! I eat quite similar to you (but also some meat, mostly chicken), and I feel that it helps me a lot to stay away from the simple carbs. I’m not overly strict with what to eat when, but I try to avoid sugar and white flour as much as possible, and it works for me. Many people think I might be too restrictive again, but I don’t see it like that, it’s actually a greater freedom to be free of feeling terrible all the time, and if I have to be disciplined about my foods, I rather see it as caring for my health as long as I don’t restrict my overall intake.
our diet and thinking are so strikingly similar! i’m so excited to have found your blog! my new website is being released in a month or so . . . and you shall, indeed, appear on my blog roll! this is my new favourite blog! much love from pennsylvania!
I am just curious how you came upon this regime. Was it doctor prescribed or did you find what worked for you? Are you seeing a nutritionist?
I have always been vegetarian, but when my weight got very VERY low I started to eat turkey as a desperate measure and soon fell in love with seafood though I’ll leave the rest. The vegan thing …well, I was vegan in college (never drank milk again after that) and now it’s like…I am just “off” dairy. You know? I have two small containers of yogurt in my fridge if I ever get a hankering.
Then, when I went to a treatment center they put me on a meal plan that is sugar free and flour free and (I have to admit the anorexic side of me LOVED).
You can read more about that —>here.
Since that program I have researched, read and truly come to believe in it as generally a good idea and it works for me. I don’t need pretzels. LOL.
I will probably eat this way the rest of my life, though I have loosened up quite a bit. I am not adverse ti change in the least. I recognize I am sick and my thinking may not be the best thing.
I am not currently seeing a nutri — not currently on a scheduled/mesured meal plan though I am keeping track of what I eat each day.
Thanks for asking and let me know if you have further questions.
Your diet is still extremely restrictive and looks so disordered. You’re never going to recover if you’re eating like that. There’s a reason treatment centres very rarely allow vegan diets in their program…
Never say never.
I am a very open minded gal, though.
BTW, I was actually prescribed the no-sugar no flour aspect at an eating disorder treatment center. (Interesting huh?)
I think your diet looks great (and not just because I’m disordered). The typical “Western” diet is way too high in processed food, including grains and simple carbohydrates. Your diet of fresh, unprocessed food with lean proteins and loads of vegies will maintain a happy, stable blood sugar which will prevent cravings and overeating. It’s very natural and won’t make you mental from all the preservatives/salt/sugar that is added to any food that comes in plastic! Stay healthy! xo.
Thanks lady!
My dietary “guidelines” are totally healthy — yet, I am not.
My eating disorder behaviors are independent from the “what” I choose to eat, which I think you get.(0;
Yes, indeed I do
I always find it amusing that I am able to provide healthy nutritional advice to anyone that asks, yet my behaviours and thoughts are still so DISordered. But I’m working on it 
As are you! And that, in the end, is all we can do 
xo.
Story of our lives. LOL.
And it sucks because — well if our ed effects our appearance at all we look ridiculous trying to talk about it.
wow. what a great blog and wonderful discussion.
i was thinking about going back on the FAA diet because my weight has been out of control the last couple of years. I find that my main issue is discipline. I always find a way to justify cheating…just this time
It’s hard to cheat on the FAA diet because nothings open to interpretation. I tried it a while ago for a few weeks. i felt great and lost a few pounds, but it doesn’t really account for lifestyle, as in activity levels. i was starving on days i went biking or running or whatever, so felt a perverse incentive to be sedentary. also, i am concerned about the cholesterol implications of the diet. animal protein essentially at every meal? hmmm….
anyway, glad to find this discussion questioning the validity of the FAA, as i do.
one thing i am very interested in the beck diet plan. has anyone had success or failure with this? it’s not a food prescription as such. it uses cognitive behavioural therapy to change the way you think about food to help with compulsive or emotional eating, mindless eating, recognising hunger and fullness.
it’s daunting because it requires a real commitment to the process…i’ve been pondering it for a long time…i bought the workbook…i read the intro…
[sigh]
Where are you getting your FAA diet plan info? It is not necessary to get anuimal protein at every meal I assure you (0:
Mostly what I jive with is the no sugar and no flour tenants. I guess I don’t follow the rest, rather I eat off meal plan. I try and get a balance of fats carbs and protein every day.
Maybe you can try it loosey goosey like me, too?
You will probably not get much in terms of discussion on my blog, I do not have much of a readership but you will certainly find interesting diet debates elsewhere and so find one on the Beck Diet plan.
I’ve not heard of that. You wanna know what diet plan I think is the best? Polan’s Food Rules. Eat FOOD. Not too much. Mostly vegetables.
i’d never read his food rules, but i like them. although, i have to say, i pretty much follow them already. i think i’ll give loosey goosey faa a try
i think i’ll probably reduce the protein requirement (because, really, whole grains already have most of the protein we need, especially since i eat a lot of quinoa). and i’ll keep my daily caffeine thanks. also, the no carbs at lunch is challenging for me. my brain needs some slow sugars at that time of day. i think if i can get myself back on track with the faa discipline, i can eventually move on to a more moderate plan. anyway, thanks so much for replying. i don’t find this stuff easy to talk about, even with my therapist. 
No carbs at lunch? Now I think I dojn’t even know what the FAA food plan IS.
I like the basic tenets (No sugar, no flour….avoid/be careful with dried fruit or processed anything..etc).
And yes I love my caffeines.
Wonder how come you have difficulty talking to your T about food?
the FAA food plan in all its glory! http://www.foodaddictsanonymous.org/faa-food-plan
i guess i forgot to mention that i can’t eat beans because of other health reasons…so the only protein they offer is meat and eggs. but the no carbs at lunch still stands
as for the therapist…well, she doesn’t think i have a weight problem. not that she was dismissive about it, exactly, but i retreated from the topic because i felt like she was missing the point. i have a new therapist now. we’ll see how it goes.
Maybe you should see a nutritionist!