I also suck and was sick

Venus gave me internet cooties and I had a 3 day migraine due to weather changes.

Right now I am exploring the idea of changing my diet further to see if it helps the migraines, which have been getting worse over the years. I've been reading a couple of books by Neal Barnard, the founder of Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine. He thinks that migraineurs (the fancy name for people who have migraines)are suffering an inflammatory allergic response to foods they eat and contributes to the migraines. Basically, this man wants me to live on brown rice and green vegetables for 2 weeks.

And when I am fine and haven't had a migraine in a couple of weeks, I think, "He's full of it, I am not going to live on brown rice and kale for 2 weeks." And then when I have a migraine for 3 freaking days, I am willing to eat dirt if it would make them go away. I have tried different medications and either they don't work or the side effects are just as bad as the migraine, and incredibly expensive to boot.

So there you have it. I am gearing up for 2 weeks of an elimination diet, and I am going to share it on here because I can. I will set the date in a couple of week, first I have to go over it with my doctor and stock up on some things.

This is the gist of the elimination diet he suggests:

Eat freely of these foods:
Brown rice.
Cooked or dried cherries, cranberries, pears, and prunes.
Cooked green, yellow, and orange vegetables.
Water, including mineral water.

Avoid since these are common allergens and pain triggers:
Dairy products, i.e. casein
Chocolate. *sobs*
Eggs.
Citrus fruits.
Meat. (oooh, that one will be easy!)
Wheat products, i.e gluten.
Nuts and peanuts.
Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, peppers, including paprika and Tabasco sauce.)
Onions.
Corn.
Apples.
Bananas.
Alcohol, especially red wine.
Caffeine. *more sobbing*
Teas, i.e. tannins. Including herbal teas.
Nitrates/MSG/bad sounding chemical stuff.
Soy.
Artificial sugar (which is again easy since I hate the stuff.)
Refined sugar.

Use in moderation:
Anything not on the the Avoid list.
Salt.
Black pepper, most herbs and spices.
Natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, and Sucanat.

At the end of 2 weeks slowly add in one "Avoid" item at a time and wait a couple of days for reaction. I already know I cannot drink red wine but MSG is fine. I am hoping to give this a good college try for a month and see if it makes a difference. And I will happily share the experience because if this experiment helps someone, all the better.

And now for something completely different since we haven't shared any recipes for some time.

Did you know you can make refried beans cheaper and easier? I didn't, for some reason I thought it was some super special technique that could only come in a can.

This is how I do it:

Take 1 can of black or pinto beans, rinse and drain.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add beans, and 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, a pinch of onion and garlic powder (because I am just too lazy to chop and saute them beforehand.)
Saute beans and spices for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add a splash of ale if you have some on hand, and a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth.
Mash enthusiastically with a potato masher until mostly smooth. If it looks to dry, add some more vegetable broth.
Keep it on medium heat until bubbly. Taste for seasonings, add more salt if necessary. I like a nice large splash of Tabasco sauce. Makes enough for 2 hungry or 4 normal people.

It is incredibly tummy on tostadas, which is what I had for lunch today.

And there you have it.

-Empress