My new elimination diet isn't extremely different from what I was doing with the LEAP diet before, but it certainly has changed a handful of items on my "can eat" list. We decided that I should still completely avoid all of my highly-reactive foods and food chemicals from my LEAP MRT results. My new diet allows for some foods I haven't eaten in a while and actually eliminates some foods that I have been eating for a while. The good news is, I feel like I'm going to have a bit more variety in my diet, which is something worth celebrating. It's been really difficult for me to feel like I'm eating the same foods day after day after day. I'm not picky when it comes to eating food- I always enjoyed foods from different cultures and I was never hesitant to try anything new. I have a wonderful appetite and so, my restrictions have had me feeling like a caged animal for quite some time now. I came to realize how serious this was when I became wildly excited over the fact that I was going to be able to eat escarole, kale, kiwi, and artichokes on my new diet among other things. My life should be riveting now- agreed? :)
So what does this blood work tell me? For one, research shows that hair loss is a sign of iron deficiency. So, I can link these two pieces of the much larger puzzle together. My fatigue, pale complexion (on some days), dry skin, random bruising, aching joints, and brittle nails can also be attributed to my low iron levels. Low vitamin D and zinc levels also play a role in hair loss and some of these other symptoms. Triple whammy. Thankfully Deb gave me two big lists of foods that are significant sources of iron and zinc. Only a few of the foods are some of my highly-reactive foods, so I have plenty to choose from to get my levels up. As for the vitamin D, I have to be ridiculously careful with how much of it I allow myself to take. My kidney stones are 100% related to my vitamin D intake- if I get too much vitamin D, you can bet your ass you'll find me curled up in a ball in the hospital, hooked up to an IV, convinced I'm hours away from my death. This sensitive bitch never has time for that.
CDC- Iron Deficiency
Top 10 Foods High in Iron
Dietary Sources of Iron
Iron Rich Foods
Mercola- Zinc Deficiency
Top 10 Foods High in Zinc
What Can Foods High in Zinc Do For You?
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Fact Sheet
Top Foods for Calcium and Vitamin D
Top 10 F00ds High in Vitamin D