Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Starvation Diet and Brown Rice Tacos

I am on a diet.
Not by choice, but I am choosing to do this.
Does that make sense?
It's this or a baby that cries after each feeding.
I don't want my baby to be in pain.
So I started with no dairy.
I've done dairy-free before.
I was dairy-free for an entire year when William was a baby.
It was hard at first, but once the chocolate craving subsided, I got used to it.
It turned out to be a fabulous weight loss plan.
And he outgrew it by age 1.

By the end of Davy's first day, I guessed he was having the same kind of stomach issues as William.
I held out for a month, hoping it was just his still-maturing digestive system.
No such luck.
So out went the dairy.
No half and half in my coffee, no buttered toast, no salami on my pizza, oh wait, no cheese on my pizza either, no ice cream or pancakes. 
It was hard to give those things up, especially since all I was wanting was coffee and chocolate.
But now?
Well, I long for the simple days of just being dairy-free.
Because now I am not just dairy-free, I am also, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free and for good measure, avocado free.
I am also giving up anything spicy, like salsa, or very acidic, like orange juice.

So what, exactly, do I eat?
Practically nothing.
I call it the starvation diet.
I lost 5 pounds the first week.
Fruit, vegetables, rice and meat.
At first it was mostly fruit, veggies and rice because I am not much of a meat eater.  
I am a "mostly" vegetarian.
However, I am making milk with the calories I consume, and my milk factory needed more calories.
Baby was getting hungry.
So I bought streak.
How lucky is Aaron?  His wife goes on a diet and he gets steak.
I never buy steak.
I don't really like it that much.
But I am trying.

Still, after a steak dinner and 2 days of steak salad for lunch I've had enough red meat to last me a bit.
It's time for vegetarian again.
More specifically, one of my favorite vegetarian means of all time: 
Brown Rice Tacos.
What? you say. Sounds gross.
Oh, but they're not.  They are so very, very good.

I posted about these once before, but maybe you missed it.
Or you didn't believe me.
Please, believe me this time.
Go out on a limb and try these.
You won't be sorry.

Here's what went into the tacos I had for lunch yesterday.



You must, must use brown rice.
White rice will not do.  The nuttiness of the brown rice lends itself perfectly to these tacos.




Grated carrot is essential to these tacos.
They add a sweet crunch that just works.  Don't leave them out.
As is fresh tomato and chopped lettuce, or in my case, arugula.
That was all I could add to my tacos, but some grated cheese, salsa and especially some guacamole are really wonderful additions.
Unfortunately I can not partake in those delicious tastes.




Use corn tortillas, and fry them.
I fry very little but this meal demands fried tortilla shells.
Again, trust me on this.




Once all your ingredients are prepped, assemble your tacos.




I like to sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt.  It brings out the flavor of the corn tortilla.





Thank goodness for rice tacos.  
I think I'll be eating a lot of them the next few weeks.
If you want a more detailed recipe, go to my last post on rice tacos here.
I promise, they are wonderful.  Even when you're not on the starvation diet.

I'll be on this diet a while longer. 
I still have 5 days left of the "cleanse" part and then, week by week, I'll be trying out 1 new item and see how it affects the baby.
I admit, I am already over it.
Food has become quite a bit of work for me.
If I could find a recipe for gluten, dairy, egg, soy and nut free sweet bread, like zucchini or banana, I would be a happier lady.
A slice of warm banana,  or some other kind, bread with my tea for breakfast would be marvelous.
Any of you have a recipe for me?
Or am I the only one on the starvation diet?

Come back tomorrow for a peek at the cutest bird books ever--got them for my birthday.
Love from,
Greta

11 comments:

Katie @ minivan diva said...

Oh boy, Greta. We did a gluten and casein free diet for Luke's sake for 6 months. It was hard, but we got used to it. I hope this does the trick for Davy. Your pics are so vivid and gorgeous!

Christina said...

Oh Greta, that's a lot of food to cut out! Here's a website I found for food allergies (there are a lot of them out there). Hoping this passes soon!
http://www.eatingwithfoodallergies.com/wheatfreepumpkinmuffins.html!

Christina said...

Hi!
I love your blog- not sure where I found it but it's lovely to read.
I did a diet like that when my daughter was a babe- it was over the holidays and so hard!
Here is a wonderful recipe that I made last night that might work for you if you used gluten free pasta and omitted the almonds. It's so good this time of year with all the fresh peaches.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/peach-and-tomato-pasta/

bethanylutz said...

Hi, you don't know me but I love you. Is that wierd? It is, I know.

I had a miscarriage in April and found your post about Isaiah 43...it's pretty much revolutionized my life and the lives of half my friends. Thank you.

My real reason for commenting is...my son Eli (4.8 yrs old) is allergic to milk, egg, soy, gluten and a few other things. Have you met the gluten free goddess yet? You will love her. glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Good luck!

mandi said...

I know what you mean about getting tired of meat. I am the same way. Twice a week for me seems to be perfect.
You are such a super star eliminating all of this from your diet for your babe. Truly! Hang in there. And maybe try eating some coconut oil to get some good fat in???

Natalie C. said...

I hate to even ask this of you, but have you tried eliminating coffee itself? The caffeine can build up in their digestive systems and can be very hard for them to break down. I have found this to be true for my little ones ( I have 5). It's not just about the sleeping issue. Mine will get obvious gas and fussiness when I've had it- especially consecutive days. Just wanted to help. Worked for me.

grey rose (they/them) said...

these look worth a try for sure!
praying baby davy gets the help he needs from your diet:)

love ya!

branda said...

I really like the idea of using grated carrots in this taco dish. Have you ever tried sweet potato and black bean in a mexican dish instead of meat? We do quesadillas and burritos this way with classic mexican spices. So tasty.

Like Natalie C, I was wondering about the coffee, too. Has your starvation diet brought about a change in Davy? We'll pray for both of your bellies!

melissa said...

Tomorrow I start the 17Day Diet as a body cleanse. But tonight...I'm definitely going for the Brown Rice Tacos. Those look fabulous!

Beulah said...

First time reader.
I also understand. I have an older son 6, with food allergies to milk, casein, beans, and seafood. It's bee interesting cooking for him over the years.

I am also nursing a baby with food issues. I know dairy is one of them, but I'm not sure what the other(s) are. I'm thinking of outing gluten and soy next. I was thinking about just doing fruit, veggies, meat, and rice too. lol. One thing I have found that gets my sweets/chocolate fix are the so delicious coconut almond bars. They have a dark chocolate coating that is delicious! Unfortunately, they contain nuts and soy lecithin if those are things you're avoiding for now. They do a have large line of very yummy things though. I was pleased and suprised because I was SO ready for something ice creamish.

Sorry to make such a long post. I just wanted to let you know I understand how you feel and am thankful to read about someone else who "gets" it.
=)

Rebecca said...

I should try this diet just for my sake! My baby is 5 mo. & I no longer nurse her. Made it 4 mo though which is BIG for me!

I'm sure you've heard of Lissa's gluten free blog
keepitsimplekeepitfresh ~ she's such a nice gal.

And talesfromthecoopkeeper ~ see's on a similar no dairy no wheat diet.

So glad Hannah sent me your way!!!