Need Rotational Diet Examples

[Littllemel]

I am having trouble mapping out a rotational diet because of my intolerances to gluten, dairy and corn. I am looking for others to post their diets so I can get some ideas of what I need to do and eat. Please help!?

[Juliebove]

That avatar is sooo cool!

But I am a little confused at what you need to do. Are you allowed to eat those things and have to rotate them? Or you have to totally avoid them? Or are looking for other intolerances?

For me, I outgrew a dairy allergy. The Dr. told me never to eat it because it had made me so sock. But... My daughter had outgrown her dairy intolerance and seemed to have no trouble with eating it twice weekly but not on subsequent days like the Dr. said. My daughter picked the days of Sunday and Tuesday to eat dairy. I think Wednesday or Thursday would have stretched it out a bit more. But after she ate cheese or yogurt on Sunday she was so eager to eat it again, she couldn't wait!

So for several years we had our dairy days, eating dairy only on those two days and being strict on the others not to do it. Yes, after a while I ate it along with her. It started with the nachos at Target and it was all downhill from there.

After a while we both began cheating and eating dairy on other days. And pretty soon we were just eating it whenever we wanted. Exception being a few restaurants. Because people don't understand a rotation diet it was/is just easier to let those people think we can't have dairy at all. So when we ate at those places, we ate dairy free.

Daughter also outgrew an egg intolernace but it was almost borderline. So the Dr. told her to have eggs no more than once a week. And she doesn't really like eggs all that much so this wasn't a concern. Eventually she might have eggs twice in a week because she discovered Udi's products.

For now it is working for her. We just got retested and she is fine with those foods. She is now intolerant to coconut though because she was eating a variety of things with coconut in them. We were told with intolerances, the key is not to eat the same thing day after day and ideally not to eat *any* food more than twice a week.

I was not so lucky. I suspected that dairy was causing some of my stomach problems and yep. It was. So I am back off of it.

What I try to do for the most part is assign various foods to various days. Yes, it can get boring to eat this way but it is easier for me to remember. I plan out my meals for the week that way. This is going to have to change for me now that she is on the South Beach diet but... Here is what I used to do.

We'd have something dairy on Sunday. Usually a gluten-free pizza or mac and cheese. Once in a while a toasted cheese sandwich. Some sort of beef dish on Monday with pasta, rice or potatoes. Tuesday was often a repeat of Sunday because if I made pizza I would have half of it leftover. Then Wednesday would be chicken or turkey, again with pasta, rice or potatoes. Thursday is the day she has to eat her dinner at dance. She would take in either a Teff wrap with some kind of meat and lettuce in it or a large salad with meat and maybe eggs. Once in a while I would make a quinoa (she can no longer have that) pasta salad with olives, beans and assorted fresh veggies with Italian dressing. I don't have to eat gluten-free myself so I would come home and usually eat something she couldn't have. Friday we would dine out. She might have an omelette or a plain chicken breast with salad and a baked potato or fries (if they were safe). Saturday go to my parent's house. They like to dine out. Lunch is usually Mexican. The cook things special for us. Daughter would usually have a steak or chicken with corn tortillas, rice and beans. Once in a while she would have chicken tacos. Dinner out would be for her the chicken breast, salad and potatoes or once in a while instead of the chicken, a steak or hamburger patty. Once in a while I would change things up and when we were eating at home we would have tuna in some form istead of the meat. Or daughter would have gluten-free frozen cod fish. Or we would have hummus with veggies and she would have gluten-free crackers or pretzels. Or we would have a gluten-free bean burrito.

The thing we were not doing right here was varying the vegetables, mainly because my daughter only likes certain raw veggies and canned green beans. She will eat corn but I know that is a grain and not a veggie. I like a lot of other veggies but I don't necessarily digest them well due to other medical issues.

Now that is just dinner. You would obviously have to do your other meals in a similar fashion. You might opt to have similar foods for each meal of the day unless your Dr. tells you otherwise. That would make it easier. If you don't want to do that you'd have to come up with a similar plan for each breakfast and lunch of the week. And the same for any snacks you might want to eat.

I got a note pad at Target that has the days of the week on it so I can plan dinners for the week. I don't know if they still sell them or not. But you could easily do the same with plain paper or even on your computer. The key is to plan it all out in advance and then stick to it as best you can.

[Littllemel]

I actually don't know what I am doing. I have such poor doctors through the military that I am trying to piece this illness together on my own. It all started with severe reflux in January and in March I discovered the wheat intollerance and it made the reflux die down but it has returned so I have since taken dairy and corn out since my food diary seems to point to those culprits. But I just took them out this week so I am still waiting to see if the reflux dies down. And I kept accidentally ingesting corn items without my knowing. So far it hasn't, but I know it takes time.

So from reading this forum and the internet I have concluded that I must have leaky gut since I had side effects for so many years of joint pain, dry mouth, hypoglycemia, headaches and of course reflux. I have started enzymes and probiotics. Do I even need to do a rotation diet? I have read that if you are intollerant to more than one grain then you should.

My gastro is useless. He still doesn't even believe that reflux is caused by food intollerance. He thinks its all in my head. My GP is ok but she can only do so much. I am waiting on her call back now as I left her a messages asking to be tested for yeast and leaky gut but I am not even sure if that can tested. I am confused and frustrated and asking for anyones help that is willing to give it.

I had an emotional breakdown last night about all my dinner planning for the week because it was thrown out of wack because I didn't look for all corn products like "canola"! I was ingesting it all week without knowing. Then the breakdown caused my stomach symptoms to return and I had a horrible night with heat flashes and insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Is there another type of doctor I should be asking to see? How did you get "tested" for your intolerances? I went to an allergist but all of my foods came up negative for allergies.

[Bubba's Mom]

I actually don't know what I am doing. I have such poor doctors through the military that I am trying to piece this illness together on my own. It all started with severe reflux in January and in March I discovered the wheat intollerance and it made the reflux die down but it has returned so I have since taken dairy and corn out since my food diary seems to point to those culprits. But I just took them out this week so I am still waiting to see if the reflux dies down. And I kept accidentally ingesting corn items without my knowing. So far it hasn't, but I know it takes time.

So from reading this forum and the internet I have concluded that I must have leaky gut since I had side effects for so many years of joint pain, dry mouth, hypoglycemia, headaches and of course reflux. I have started enzymes and probiotics. Do I even need to do a rotation diet? I have read that if you are intollerant to more than one grain then you should.

My gastro is useless. He still doesn't even believe that reflux is caused by food intollerance. He thinks its all in my head. My GP is ok but she can only do so much. I am waiting on her call back now as I left her a messages asking to be tested for yeast and leaky gut but I am not even sure if that can tested. I am confused and frustrated and asking for anyones help that is willing to give it.

I had an emotional breakdown last night about all my dinner planning for the week because it was thrown out of wack because I didn't look for all corn products like "canola"! I was ingesting it all week without knowing. Then the breakdown caused my stomach symptoms to return and I had a horrible night with heat flashes and insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Is there another type of doctor I should be asking to see? How did you get "tested" for your intolerances? I went to an allergist but all of my foods came up negative for allergies.

Most Dr.s aren't trained in nutrition. It's an elective course. They really can't help you with intolerances..and allergy testing won't show intolerances. Leaky gut is another thing a lot of Dr.s don't recognize or understand.

You're on the right track with keeping a food log. I've found that I can't tolerate soy in any amount or form because of keeping records. I'm not eating gluten, dairy, peanuts, corn, tomatoes, or soy, due to getting reactions from them.

For corn, I found I started to react to ground corn like in corn chips so cut out that sort of processed corn. If you're finding you react to corn it's best to cut it out in all forms as best you can. It's hard because it's used as the starch in many things, including supplements.

So far, I haven't stopped using those, because the starch is highly processed, and I'm hoping I won't start reacting.

My only grain that I eat now is brown or white rice. That allows me to have a gluten-free cereal. Milk is So Delicious coconut milk. I can have rice as a side dish, or use ground up cereal as bread crumbs.

If you are reacting to various things that never bothered you before, it may very well be because of leaky gut? My thought on that is..if I start to react to something..cut it out completely so it doesn't progress to a real strong reaction, and get so you can never have it again. As you heal, and the leaky gut improves, you can add back many foods that you had to cut out.

Some people rotate foods so they aren't eating the same food every day, instead they eat it every 4 days. (My diet is pretty restricted right now so that wouldn't work for me.) I think keeping lists and meal plans written down would help if you decide to rotate foods?

I find that I have to have a list of meal ideas for the week depending on what I got at the grocery store that week. (I try to shop the specials). If I don't write down meal/snack ideas I can't remember what I had in mind when I shopped. I also find if I wait too long to eat..I can't think clearly. Those lists are a great help.

I don't know if they can test for yeast overgrowth, but so far my mention of it to several Dr.s has been met with no response. Acidopholus probiotics kill off yeast, so add that if you're not taking it. Yeast also feeds on sugars and starches. If you limit those, it helps to starve them out.

It's maddening trying to deal with this! I hope you can get your reactions worked out so you get feeling better.

[Littllemel]

I was hoping that those folks that are on rotational diets could post their diet plans for me. I started making a list of the foods I like and can eat and it is very small so I could use some ideas on additional foods too.

So far my gluten/dairy/corn free list is:

Fruits, Almond/Coconut milk,Green Beans, Carrots, squash, asparagus, Rice Crisp Cereal, oatmeal, eggs, quinoa, chicken, pork, beef, fish, peanut butter, jelly, larabars, kind bars, trail mix, Rudi's original bread and raisin bread, Rice tortillas, rice pasta, clif fruit strips

I know its short but I just started gluten free 6 weeks ago and these are the foods I have seemed to settle on. I am open to new ideas on snacks too.

[cahill]

How did you get "tested" for your intolerances?

I am not aware of a "test" for intolerances other then a STRICT elimination diet.

Rotation diet ( to me) means that if I eat certain items I do not eat them again for at least the next 3 or 4 days.

I can not ingest corn,nightshades,coffee,beef ,chicken,eggs ( just to mention a few) on a daily basis or I react. Honestly at this point in my healing I do not feel it is productive for me to eat any food on a daily basis. For me,Rotating my diet is best for healing my digestive tract.

[Bubba's Mom]

I was hoping that those folks that are on rotational diets could post their diet plans for me. I started making a list of the foods I like and can eat and it is very small so I could use some ideas on additional foods too.

So far my gluten/dairy/corn free list is:

Fruits, Almond/Coconut milk,Green Beans, Carrots, squash, asparagus, Rice Crisp Cereal, oatmeal, eggs, quinoa, chicken, pork, beef, fish, peanut butter, jelly, larabars, kind bars, trail mix, Rudi's original bread and raisin bread, Rice tortillas, rice pasta, clif fruit strips

I know its short but I just started gluten free 6 weeks ago and these are the foods I have seemed to settle on. I am open to new ideas on snacks too.

Breakfast could be cereal, egg omelette with any fresh or left over veggies, toast with peanut butter, bacon and fruit, then rotate or change things up. Your oatmeal makes me nervous because it's so east to get cc though.

Add sunflower seeds or other nuts for a snack. You can make Krispy Treats with gluten-free Rice Krispies and coconut oil instead of butter, applesauce, fruit. ( mango, berries, melon, bananas, apples, grapes, apricots, peaches, oranges, pineapple, plums, etc) Go through the produce dept. and choose new things you haven't tried before. Celery stuffed with peanut butter and add raisins, baby carrots and hummus. Kale chips. Any reason why you're not eating potatoes? There are gluten-free chips. Apple with peanut butter.

Expand the veggies you're eating. Try cole slaw mix with browned ground chicken in a rice wrap(spring roll), spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts (in frozen section-easy), tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, (good microwaved)meatloaf with smashed crisp rice cereal as filler, soups, stews. Grilled meat with a veggie or two, or potato is an easy meal. Why not seafood? Shrimp or scallops are easy to grill..and fish is easy.

I make Salmon patties at least once a week and use the left oves for breakfast or a grab and go lunch.

With a rotation diet you want to try to not repeat the same thing every day. The more foods you can add..the easier it is.

Just keep a food log and write down what you eat. If you have a reaction, make a note of it. Many food reactions are delayed. Don't drop a food unless you react to it a few times, unless the reaction is very strong and very obvious. Sometimes you'll get a reaction from combining two foods that you wouldn't get when eating them alone, so test that too.

And..from my own personal experience, watch your sauces and seasonings. At first I thought I couldn't tolerate salad, but it turned out it was the soy oil in dressing I couldn't tolerate. Any soup stocks with added MSG or autolized yeast extract botherd me too. If I seasoned something with a spice blend with MSG I thought I was reacting to that food, when it was actually the MSG.

The problem with trying to rotate foods every 4 days or so, is that it makes it hard to use your left overs while they're fresh. I cook extra of most things so that I will have left overs. they make nice lunches.

[Littllemel]

How do you make your salmon patties? Alot of those dinner ideas contain multiple ingredients which makes it hard to not duplicate for rotation. Is there an alternate soup stock you use that doesn't have yeast?

[sa1937]

Is there an alternate soup stock you use that doesn't have yeast?

How about making your own? You will then have total control of what goes into it.

[Littllemel]

I don't even know how to cook. So I am not sure how to make my own stock. That is what makes this whole thing so overwhelming and upseting. I am wondering around like a lost puppy trying to figure out what to eat and what not to eat and how to cook this and that. I can't tell you how my dishes I have burned or overcooked since this thing started. If you can, could you post your easiest recipes with fewest ingredients? I would like to start collecting things I might try for the diet.

[Bubba's Mom]

How do you make your salmon patties? Alot of those dinner ideas contain multiple ingredients which makes it hard to not duplicate for rotation. Is there an alternate soup stock you use that doesn't have yeast?

Salmon patties:

1 can Pink Salmon 14.75oz-drained

1 can Red Sockeye Salmon 7.5oz-drained

1 small onion finely minced

1 or 2 eggs (depending on size)

1/2teas. salt

1cup gluten-free Rice Krispies ground up

Drain Salmon and add to large bowl. Break up Salmon and smash any bones with the back side of a spoon. Add finely minced onion and mix. Add eggs and ground up Rice cereal, and salt and blend well.

Gather mix with spoon and form in the shape of a ball (I make mine between the size of a golf ball and tennis ball), then flatten with palms of hands and gently lay on a griddle that has been lighty oiled with coconut oil (or oil of your choice) and is medium heat. Cook until lightly browned, then flip and lightly brown other side.

*I use a mini food processor to grind the cereal and mince the onion. It's a handy gadget that cost less than $10.

* Lately I've been using a large can of the Red Salmon with the large can of Pink because I like having left overs. These are good reheated or eaten cold. Adjust by adding an extra egg and a bit more cereal.

The Red Salmon has a better flavor, but is more costly. You could use the Pink only, if you enjoy the flavor.

For soup stock: Pacific brand organic stock has no added MSG or yeast extract.

I also found Kroger (store brand) Culinary stock which doesn't have them added. I'm afraid you'll have to do some label reading if you don't have Pacific brand available. I found that broth seems to have it added, but stock doesn't?

[Bubba's Mom]

Roasted chicken:

Rinse a whole 2-3lb chicken,dry with paper towel, Season inside and out with a sprinkle of salt. You can push herbs under the skin if you wish-I don't. Place in roasting pan. Bake at 400* about an hour.

The chicken is good just roasted, but you could add apricot jelly thinned with a bit of water as a glaze after the chicken has roasted the first 40 min or so.

If you want more seasoning..here are tons of recipes

Open Original Shared Link

Note: you can roast veggies while your chicken is roasting. Cut potatoes, carrots, onions, rutabaga, parsnips, beets, cauliflower, etc. into bite sized pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and add a bit of rosemary and salt. Place in glass baking dish and cover with foil, bake for 30-40minutes.

Use any mix of veggies you like.

Pork Fried Rice

1lb. of pork cut into small cubes

1 large onion

8oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2c frozen peas

3 cups cooked rice (cold left over rice works well)

a couple of dashes of gluten-free soy sauce, or seasoning salt

*optional- a handful of fresh bean sprouts, scrambled egg

Brown cubed pork in bacon fat or coconut oil,on fairly high heat. Add onion and stir as it carmelizes a bit.

Add mushrooms and stir while cooking, add rice and seasoning and stir to mix well and heat through. Add peas, and bean sprouts if you're using them and stir. Top with scrambled egg if desired.

Beef Stew

1.5lbs stew beef cut in pieces

bacon fat for browning

1 large onion-diced

2-3 stalks celery, sliced 1/4" thick

2 bay leaves

water or beef stock

2 dashes Worchestershire sauce (check for gluten-free)

1 teas. paprika(may be omitted)

Salt to taste

pepper to taste

generous handful of baby carrots

2-3 large potatoes cut in cubes

handful of frozen peas (optional)

Brown beef cubes in small amount of bacon fat. Add onion and allow to carmelize a bit. Add Worchestershire sauce and sliced celery. Stir and cook until you see the bottom of the pan is getting a pretty dark color. Add water or stock to cover (about 3-4cups), add in bay leaves. Cover and reduce heat. Allow to simmer for an hour or more.

Add potatoes and carrots and raise the heat to medium. Cover and cook until veggies are tender. Taste broth and add salt and pepper to your taste. You may thicken with method of your choice (corn starch, arrowroot, tapioca, etc)

[Juliebove]

I actually don't know what I am doing. I have such poor doctors through the military that I am trying to piece this illness together on my own. It all started with severe reflux in January and in March I discovered the wheat intollerance and it made the reflux die down but it has returned so I have since taken dairy and corn out since my food diary seems to point to those culprits. But I just took them out this week so I am still waiting to see if the reflux dies down. And I kept accidentally ingesting corn items without my knowing. So far it hasn't, but I know it takes time.

So from reading this forum and the internet I have concluded that I must have leaky gut since I had side effects for so many years of joint pain, dry mouth, hypoglycemia, headaches and of course reflux. I have started enzymes and probiotics. Do I even need to do a rotation diet? I have read that if you are intollerant to more than one grain then you should.

My gastro is useless. He still doesn't even believe that reflux is caused by food intollerance. He thinks its all in my head. My GP is ok but she can only do so much. I am waiting on her call back now as I left her a messages asking to be tested for yeast and leaky gut but I am not even sure if that can tested. I am confused and frustrated and asking for anyones help that is willing to give it.

I had an emotional breakdown last night about all my dinner planning for the week because it was thrown out of wack because I didn't look for all corn products like "canola"! I was ingesting it all week without knowing. Then the breakdown caused my stomach symptoms to return and I had a horrible night with heat flashes and insomnia and hypoglycemia.

Is there another type of doctor I should be asking to see? How did you get "tested" for your intolerances? I went to an allergist but all of my foods came up negative for allergies.

Ah, military. Yep, yep. My husband is in the Coast Guard.

We have had three tests done. The first two were IgG blood tests. But one Dr. was rip off in many ways and we won't go back there. Plus he charged over $2,000 for the test and it is not covered by insurance. Next Dr. was cheaper but she is now dead. The last test was a hair test.

This is it:

[Juliebove]

Sorry, the screen wouldn't cooperate. Here is the link:

Open Original Shared Link