Trying to recover

[*Valerie*]

squealcat - thank you so much for commenting. I would not wish this virus on anyone, but it is SO helpful to hear about others who are struggling too. It can feel very isolating, we are not the focus of the public health strategy at the moment, there is barely a mention of us in the news, and there seems to be an idea that if you're not hospitalised then everything is ok and you will quickly recover. As we know, this is not the case at all. Hopefully in time this long tail condition will get some more attention and therefore some more help for us all. I wish your friend all the very best in recovery.

ruff - thank you too for your comments. You're absolutely right, the future can take care of itself and when the time comes, I will find a way to explain to people. I need to just get on with learning about this woe. I'm becoming more comfortable every day with my food choices, they are becoming more familiar, I'm learning how to shop to better fit what I eat. I'm in Scotland where we now have very few cases and a strategy of eradication of the virus. Lock down has loosened but sadly my health has meant I haven't been able to take advantage of that very much. Perhaps in time I'll be able to.

Day 19
B - brown rice/peppers/tomatoes/butter beans/cheese sauce*
L - wholemeal pita/peanut butter/apples
D - baked potatoes/tomatoes/lettuce/cheese sauce*
Snack - muffins

I forgot to mention my diet supplement arrived, to help with digestion. So far it seems to be working but I'm still a little worried about eating greens, need to trust in the supplement. I'll give them a go today. I caught up with a friend and told her about this woe, turns out she knows all about it and is also vegan. I had never even noticed! She was very supportive. I guess it's a whole conversation to have with friends, some will understand, some won't, either way it seems to be in my life now for good.

A few more benefits - I have a very clean feeling in my mouth. Also, I usually have digestive discomfort and pain around my period but this month, no problems at all for the first time ever. Also, despite eating a lot of food I am definitely not gaining weight, my jeans are now feeling a little loose. And I finally made the muffins properly and they are a delicious sweet treat now and then.

No symptoms in day 19, a little tired but not too bad, managed to have my day.

[Trish]

Pros
I definitely have more energy than this time last week.
My skin has improved.
I'm back into cooking after throwing ready meals in the oven for the last 4 months.
I don't have huge food cravings.
My mood has improved.
I'm getting active again.

Cons
I have had terrible wind after eating split peas. The greens are also causing this problem, it's not good but I don't know what to do.
This woe feels extreme and I'm not sure about the sustainability after lockdown.
Um...that's all.

Hi Valerie, wow, this really is some significant improvement in a short time! Getting some tastes and habits in place for after COVID.. that too will be most significant improvement. You will find that the "standard" McDougall plan has more variety in it, though animal and related products are forever 'out'.

There is a commercial peanut butter, Snyder's Natural, that has no sugar and taste is excellent, in case you did not find it elsewhere. Has salt, no sugar.

Thanks for journalling this journey out of COVID with us.
Take care, Trish

[Ruff]

I'm no doctor, so take this as a suggestion from the ignorant. I have read that the wind is bad because your digestive microbiome is expecting a different sort of food, and it takes time for it to change and grow the right bugs to digest this food. So you have to eat the greens daily, just a few, and gradually increase the dosage.

However, having said that I still do have more wind than I did before. When you are better I can suggest a brisk morning walk along a deserted beach as a solution......

Where in Scotland are you?

[*Valerie*]

Hi Trish - thanks for the tip about peanut butter. I found one, Meridian, that only has peanuts in it. However, it's very sloppy! I remembered one from years ago that had a more stiff texture, can't remember what it was called though, I'll try the one you suggested, probably won't buy Meridian again.

Hi Katie - I'm on the west coast, near Ayr so easy access to a beach for those long walks! I keep promising to start introducing more greens then putting it off, I'll try again today.

Day 20 (Has it really been almost 3 weeks?!)
B - wholemeal pita/peanut butter/apple
L - brown rice/cannellini spread*/carrots
D - potatoes/wholemeal pasta/cheese sauce*
Snacks - dates/apples

I used the cannellini spread as a sauce for lunch, I love how versatile everything is, it would be good on baked potatoes too.

Day 20 was better for energy, no symptoms, feeling alright.

[*Valerie*]

Day 21

B - ryvita crackers/cannellini spread*
L - split pea soup*/brown rice/carrots
D - split pea soup*/brown rice/carrots
Snack - SNICKERS!!!

So after having a very good day, I fell off the wagon spectacularly and ate a snickers bar. OH found it in the cupboard, behind his stash of sweet treats, and reminded me it was mine from ages ago. I think I was caught in a bad moment so I just ate it and wow, I felt sick as a parrot afterwards. There's a lot of sugar in one of those, my stomach just did not handle it at all well, then I remembered I could easily eat 2-3 in one sitting previously. How things change. I'll be trying not to do that again any time soon.

The diet supplement is working well and I had no stomach pains after eating the soup, so glad I didn't throw it out and just put it in the freezer instead, it's come in handy and is very yummy.

I'm approaching my one month anniversary of this woe and am planning to draw up a graph of symptoms/tiredness this month compared with previously. Call me a geek, but it's hard to keep track of when symptoms come and go the way they do. I already know I've had more good days on this woe than before, but I just want to check. And also have something to compare with in my second month.

I hope everyone is staying well. Onwards to another week.

[JeffN]

I have had terrible wind after eating split peas. The greens are also causing this problem, it's not good but I don't know what to do.

Here are two posts that will help you .....

The first one is on gas, bloating, etc, why it happens and how to resolve it
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10054&p=76842#p76842

This one is on vegetables, salad, soups and how and why soups are preferred, especially in a situation like yours
https://www.drmcdougall.com/2018/10/11/ ... d-success/

In Health
Jeff

[bunsofaluminum]

Hee hee when I started McDougalling, I remember being so gassy, I wondered why my weight wasn't showing MUCH lighter, as being that filled with hot air MUST make me rise a bit but yeah, long walks in deserted areas is a great idea. And once you get over this, chances are your flatulence won't smell. Mine doesn't.

[Ruff]

I think a symptoms chart is a great idea, you think you will remember and you dont. Also years later it will help when people say "oh Covid wasn't that bad"!

I kept a diary through the worst of the quakes and sometimes I think...surely it wasn't that bad really....and then I read my diary!

[*Valerie*]

I have had terrible wind after eating split peas. The greens are also causing this problem, it's not good but I don't know what to do.

Here are two posts that will help you .....

The first one is on gas, bloating, etc, why it happens and how to resolve it
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10054&p=76842#p76842

This one is on vegetables, salad, soups and how and why soups are preferred, especially in a situation like yours
https://www.drmcdougall.com/2018/10/11/ ... d-success/

In Health
Jeff

Thanks for this Jeff. It's encouraging to know that my body will adjust over time, I already use the supplement and try to limit beans. I also reintroduced greens yesterday without upsetting things too much, and was wondering if sheer volume of food also has an impact? Weight for weight, I eat a lot more now than I did previously.

[*Valerie*]

Hee hee when I started McDougalling, I remember being so gassy, I wondered why my weight wasn't showing MUCH lighter, as being that filled with hot air MUST make me rise a bit but yeah, long walks in deserted areas is a great idea. And once you get over this, chances are your flatulence won't smell. Mine doesn't.

[*Valerie*]

I think a symptoms chart is a great idea, you think you will remember and you dont. Also years later it will help when people say "oh Covid wasn't that bad"!

I kept a diary through the worst of the quakes and sometimes I think...surely it wasn't that bad really....and then I read my diary!

Quakes? Wow, we don't have those over here thankfully, not sure I'd cope. Isn't it amazing that we can forget so much about bad times? I hope to completely forget about this covid once it's over. But in the meantime, I'm trying to recognise patterns cos at the moment they don't make sense.

The researchers who were gathering my data have now completed their research. Looking forward to reading the results although I'm thinking they'll say 'symptoms are varied and random, and can flare up with no warning, with repeated episodes of post viral exhaustion that can come and go also randomly.' I did read an article yesterday about a woman who has also had covid since March. Her symptoms were much worse than mine, chest pains and breathing problems, so I'm counting my blessings today.

Anyway, the food, and I forgot to post day 22 so now I have to try and remember 2 days worth. I honestly can't remember but I do know I had mashed potato, corn, brussells sprouts and gravy for dinner last night and it was amazing. Oh, and rice and beans for breakfast and lunch. Steamed carrots have been a regular feature, really good. And I've been finishing off the bean spread which is also good on a Ryvita or wholemeal pita. I've stayed on plan, no more chocolate, but I might bake some muffins today.

Also, no symptoms or tiredness in the last 2 days.

[*Valerie*]

Day 24
B - Ryvita crackers/peanut butter
L - brown rice/humous/tomatoes
D - mashed potatoes/brussells sprouts/sweetcorn/gravy
Snack - muffin

Another good day on plan, no symptoms, no tiredness. Reintroducing greens is going well, my portions are smaller for now and the diet supplements are working so no tummy ache. All good.

[*Valerie*]

Day 25
B - brown rice/humous*/tomatoes
L - brown rice/humous*/brussells sprouts
D - brown rice/sweetcorn/lettuce/tomato/caesar dressing*
Snack - apples/muffin

And another good day for me, no symptoms or tiredness, just good food and feeling well. That's been quite a few consecutive days now, pleased about that.

[vegyluvver]

Yay!

[*Valerie*]

I'm on day 30. I've been forgetting to post my food diary but for very good reasons - I've been feeling great, out and about (to very quiet places), walking, enjoying life, working hard, feeling the best I've felt in months, possibly back to normal.

I've stuck to the plan with no new recipes or meals to report, just similar food, brown rice and potatoes, veggies and beans, various homemade sauces.

I'm gearing up for my one month review which must be soon, possibly tomorrow. So I'll be back then to report.

Hope everyone is staying well.