meg wrote:I understand that everything that I eat has to be cooked....
Yes, and the first re-introduction test (if the full ED brought some progress) could be to stop cooking everything. I doubt you will see any difference. I suspect Dr. McDougall's suggestion to cook everything was designed just to be extra cautious, so it's a good place to start, but you probably can abandon it quickly--maybe at the end of Week 1 or 2.
. . . what does that mean in accordance to the peaches/other fruit?
Cooking all foods means cooking fruit, which is a kind of food.
Is that canned as long as they are in their own juice?
If they are canned, then they are probably already cooked. Most canned food
is cooked, in my experience. That is why canned peaches are so soft.
Is that dehydrated peaches as long as there is no sugar?
Here is how you can answer some of your questions for yourself: Ask yourself: Should I cook all food? Is X a kind of food? Has it already been cooked (not just heated to dehydrate it)?
My experience is that the dehydrated foods I have bought are not cooked. So, I would cook them for the ED.
Or do I need to buy fresh and steam?
No. BTW, remember the many ways of cooking foods: steaming, dry-frying, boiling, baking, roasting, grilling, and saute.
Am I still able to have rice milk?
What is in the rice milk?
What ingredients do I need to watch for besides oil and sugar?
What are the ingredients of what you are considering? Once you answer that, then you can answer your own question. Watch out for anything that is not a whole food, water, or salt. Examples are citric acid, "natural flavors" (which might include pepper or worse), and mystery ingredients.
Suggestion:
Eat whole foods, salt, and water. You won't need to worry about additives. They are what they are.
On his list of foods, he has tapioca [and] rice flour, can you give me any ideas as to what I would us that for?
No. I tried and couldn't find anything that was convenient, tasted good, and had enough fiber to make up for the zero fiber of tapioca. I deleted it from my list. However, I am sure some of the very accomplished cooks here could make suggestions that would fit the ED. E.g., could you use the flours to make a sort of crust for a peach cobbler? I don't know. I don't do that sort of cooking.
Keep it Simple is my approach. An example ED meal: One sweet potato, baked; one apple, cooked; one carrot, cooked. Not enough? Multiply by 2, 3, or more until you are full. Delicious without spices or sugar? No. But these foods are edible and tastes do adjust quickly--or we starve.
I have read that some individuals do have a reaction to rice, but I suspect that is rare. Did you notice that the ED list contains no grains except rice? If you want to be super safe, you could consider not eating the rice and then make it one of the first foods you re-introduce as a test. However, you would probably not be able to get through the first part of the ED without the rice because you are not accustomed to preparing other starches. So, my suggestion is to go ahead and eat the rice from the start, though I would use white rice because it is much less acid-producing than brown rice. The chances are that rice won't be the cause of your medical problems anyway.
Most of my questions are in regards to what can I make while I am eating this way. I am planning on stir-fry, steamed vegetables, rice, rice noodles, rice cakes, puffed rice cereal.
Sounds okay to me, assuming they are pure (e.g., make sure the noodles don't contain wheat).
If you have any information or ideas for me that would be AWESOME! I appreciate any help I can get. I intend to follow it strictly so I can know what I can do to help myself. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you so much!
Two big categories you didn't mention: sweet potatoes (and yams); and gourds (pumpkin and other "winter squashes").