It was worth a try...

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. It has been a really busy work week!! I was able to keep my eating habits on track without a lot of pain though. Honestly, I don't miss sodas and junk food.

Thursday I received a call from Marsha with the clinical study. It requires a weekly meeting with a nutritionist and frequent exams by their Dr's. Wouldn't be practical for me to participate, given the distance. Damn. Oh well--guess I'll follow CR without the study and see how my Crohn's responds.

Here are some great daily menus--which I can't take any credit for. Angela from the E2L site gave me permission to share and she gets ALL the credit for these yummy menus. For my personal needs I would add more protein and tweak the amounts a bit, but Angela has done a fantastic job. I've also been using the menus from Beyond the 120 Year Diet by Dr Walford as a guide. After all, he's the authority and was kind enough to do the work. I've decided to work from the template he's provided rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Week 1 Day1:
Breakfast:
Fruit smoothie. Fruit blended with a handful of baby spinach leaves, a few dates 1 tbsp flax seeds, and a splash of rice milk.

Lunch: Whole wheat pita pocket stuffed with hummus spread. Raw veggies. Fruit.

Dinner: Lettuce topped with chili (mixed beans, tomato, green pepper, chili powder, corn). Fruit.

Day 2:Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal, 3 tbsp raisins, 1 chopped apple,hazelnuts, 1/4 cup rice milk, 1 tbsp flax seeds.

Lunch: Raisin coleslaw, vegetable soup. Fruit.

Dinner: Salad. 2 different steamed veggies. Fruit.

Day 3:Breakfast: Fruit smoothie. Different fruit blended with 1 tbsp flaxseeds, splash of rice milk.

Lunch: Raw veggies with black bean salsa. Fruit.

Dinner: Lentil stew. Steamed veggies.

Day 4:Breakfast: fruit with brown rice with 1 tbsp flax seeds.

Lunch: Bean burger, salad. Fruit.

Dinner: Tomato Barley Stew. Salad. Fruit.

Day 5:Breakfast: Baby spinach, pears, strawberry, chopped apple with mango-pineapple dressing.

Lunch: Celery stuffed with Bean and Tomato Spread. Fruit.

Dinner: Leftover Tomato Barley Stew. 1 slice whole wheat bread.

Day 6:Breakfast: Fruit smoothie. Fruit blended with a handful of baby spinach, a few dates, 1 tbsp flax seeds and a splash of rice milk.

Lunch: Whole wheat pita stuffed with hummus spread. Fruit.

Dinner: Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup. Steamed vegetables.

Day 7:Breakfast: Frozen banana fluff with one tablespoon of ground flax seeds. Lunch: Raw veggies with spicy bean dip. Fruit.

Dinner: Salad. Fruit.

Recipes for week 1

Hummus spread:1 cup cooked/canned garbanzo beans2 tbsp lemon juice2 garlic cloves, finely chopped1/2 cup bean liquid (from the can)Blend all ingredients in a blender until creamy smooth.

Raisin Coleslaw:1/2 cup raisins1/2 cup apple juice1/2 baked potato, skin removed1 tsp mustard1 tbsp lemon juice4 cups cabbage, shredded2 cups carrots, shredded2 cups apples, peeled and shredded Blend the raisins, apple juice, potato, mustard, and lemon juice,then mix all the ingredients together.

Vegetable Soup:1 1/2 cups lentils1/2 cup barley, uncooked1 large onion, chopped3 celery stalks, diced3 carrots, chopped1 tsp Mrs Dash seasoningMix everything in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low flame for 2 hours.

Black Bean Salsa:3 Cups chopped tomato (about 2 med.)1 Cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 med.)1 Cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1)1/2 Cup chopped red onion1/3 Cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon chili powder1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained1 (11-ounce) can extra sweet no-salt added whole kernel corn, drained Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine.

Lentil Stew:1 cup lentils for every 3 cups water1/2 medium onion, finely chopped1 tsp black pepper1 tsp basil3 ripe tomatoes, chopped1 stalk celery, finely chopped Cook lentils in water for 30 minutes with onion, pepper and basil.Add tomato and celery and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Bean Burgers:1/4 cup sunflower seeds2 cups red or pink canned beans1/2 cup minced onion1/2 tsp chili powder2 tbsp ketchip1 tbsp wheat germ Chop the sunflower seeds in a food processor or hand chopped and mash the beans with a potato masher and mix. Mix in the remaining ingredients and form into patties. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.Remove from the oven and let cool until you can pick up each patty and compress it firmly with your hands to reform the pattie. Then cook for another 15 minutes on each side.

Tomato Barley Soup:1 cup V8 juice1 medium onion2 carrots, diced1 zucchini1/4 cup unrefined barley6 tomatoes, chopped1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped8 oz white mushrooms, choppedHeat 1 cup of water and the juice on a low flame. Add the onion,carrots and zucchini. Let simmer about 1 hour and then blend in the blender. Return pureed mix back into pot and add the barley,tomatoes, dried tomatoes, and mushrooms and simmer another 45 minutes.

Bean and Tomato Spread16 ounces refried beans -- 1 can6 ounces tomato paste -- 1 can1/4 teaspoon chili powder1/8 teaspoon ground chili pepper -- red chipotle1/8 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon cumin Put the refried beans, tomato paste, salt, and all spices into a mixing bowl and blend thoroughly, scraping the sides frequently.Cover and chill before serving.

broccoli and Red Pepper Soup2 lbs of fresh or frozen broccoli, chopped into large pieces1 large onion, diced3 large garlic cloves, minced3 tbsp dried soup mix1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)3 red bell peppers1 lemon, juiced1 tbsp vinegar seasoning, to tasteIn a large soup pot, combine the broccoli, onion, garlic, water,soup base and rice in 2 quarts of water. Simmer, covered over a very low flame. Roast the red peppers in a broiler or on a gas grill until all sides begin to blacken. Quarter and remove the peel and seeds from the peppers, then puree them in a blender with the softened broccoli with some of the soup liquid. Add puree back to the pot. Add the lemon, vinegar, and seasonings to taste (eg tarragon, thyme, white or black pepper)

Frozen Banana Fluff 1 banana1/4 cup soy milkDash vanilla Peel and freeze the ripe banana in a plastic bag. Place soy milk inblender. Drop in small slices of the frozen banana.Mango Pineapple Dressing 1 mango 4 oz unsweetened canned pineapple2 tsp lemon2 tbsp red raspberry vinegar3 oz silken tofu Blend together