Hey, gang.  You may have noticed my blogging schedule has been a bit off lately.  There have been a lot of changes happening in my kitchen, and more recipes failing to thrill than I’ve experienced in many years of cooking.  I’m feeling like a novice again as I tackle an “elimination diet” to try to suss out food sensitivities that may be contributing to my inflammatory autoimmune conditions.

Research suggests a strong correlation between gluten sensitivity and Sjogren’s Syndrome, so I’ve got my eye on wheat and other gluten-containing grains.  Other common food allergens related to inflammation include dairy, corn, and nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and white potatoes.  Right now, I’m on week three of a two-month diet which eliminates all of the above.  And I’m still off added sugar — I’m pretty sure that’s a necessary, life-long commitment.

Journal of Gluten Sensitivity: The Connection Between Gluten Intolerance and Sjogren’s Syndrome

Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology: Gluten Sensitivity in Patients with Primary Sjogren’s Syndrome

Gluten Free Society: Gluten, Dairy, and Sugar Free Diet Reverses Sjogren’s and Hormone Problems

Cooking without wheat/gluten, corn, dairy, or nightshades has been a real challenge for me.  I have to do a lot more thinking about each meal, and my go-to cooking techniques don’t always hold up in this strange new culinary landscape.  So, please bear with me as I dip a little deeper into research and recipe testing.  (I can promise I’m putting the final tweaks on a pumpkin tart recipe that is low-sugar, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and so tasty that the Gent’s first bite elicited the response “<expletive> <expletive> this is a REAL dessert!”)

Julie Daniluk’s new book Meals That Heal Inflammation (2012) has proved to be a gem, not so much for its recipes (which I haven’t tried yet) but as a guide for approaching the elimination diet in a sane and sensible way.  If you’re struggling to revamp your diet and commit to a healthier way of eating, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Since starting this elimination diet, I’ve already noticed a significant difference in how I feel.  My joint pain has completely disappeared.  During yoga practice, I’ve been enjoying a surprising — but welcome — increase in strength, flexibility, and stamina.  My overall energy has also dramatically increased.  I feel good.  Really good.  In fact, some days I forget I have a chronic illness at all — and that in itself blows my mind.  So, even though it’s a pain in the patootie, I’m sticking with the plan until I’ve deduced which dietary culprits have been aggravating my inflammatory conditions.

Going out to eat during this two-month elimination period seemed impossible until my friend Laura found a curious restaurant in Minneapolis called Ecopolitan.  This gluten-free, vegan, raw foods joint caters to bereft foodies like me.  Nothing on the menu contains the most heavy-hitting allergens (wheat/gluten, corn, potato, and dairy), and most items can be made nut-free upon request.

The Gent and I headed to the Twin Cities last weekend so he could run the Surf the Murph 50 Mile Trail Race, and Laura was coincidentally in town for a concert.  While the Gent was tackling the endless hills of a 10+ hour run, Laura and I met up for lunch at Ecopolitan.

Laura ordered the Red Onion Avocado Pizza, a crisp flax flatbread topped with olive tapenade and veggies.  I indulged in a hearty helping of Savory Casserole, thinly mandolined zucchini with mushrooms and other vegetables bound by a creamy avocado and cashew sauce and accompanied by mixed greens with garlic-tahini dressing.  Heaven!  We both sipped Sweet Beet juice from the raw juice bar: a spicy blend of beet, kale, carrot, apple, and fresh ginger.  I miss that juice.  I may even be pining for it.

Our visit to Ecopolitan prodded me to remember that healthful food can be delicious, comforting, and even indulgent — just the inspiration I needed to get back into the kitchen and keep on learning this new way of cooking.