In our (continued) efforts to figure out what foods Maya's poor tummy can't handle, we've started what is known as a "Total Elimination Diet". Basically, you remove all possible offending foods, and then some. And then? Then you take out some more. What you are left with is one meat, one grain, one veggie, and one fruit. Plus oil (but not one you use normally), salt (not iodized) and pepper. Once you reach "baseline", that is, once there are no more reactions or symptoms, you slowly add foods back in, one at a time. Our elimination diet includes turkey (plain ~ not lunchmeat or any turkey that has been injected with broth or brined or even had "natural flavors" added), sweet potatoes (baked or boiled), pears, and quinoa. I was planning on doing the diet with her, because she is still nursing and food proteins can pass through my milk. Michael was going to do the diet to be supportive of us.
Here's how it's gone so far:
Michael didn't even make it through breakfast of the first day (he added honey to his quinoa) and by lunch was eating something totally different. I made it 1.75 days before I was too hungry and frustrated to continue. Maya, however, doesn't realize this is anything special. Apparently she "loves quinoa" and the child has eaten SO much in the past 2 days! It's amazing! I'm hoping she doesn't get sick of it too soon, though.
Tonight at dinner she had ground turkey that had been sauteed with quinoa, and she put some up her nose. Why? Well, because she's 2. I think it's sortof a right of passage to get something stuck in your nose. She freaked out, then tried to blow her nose (which she only gets about 50% of the time), and then Michael had to try the bulb syringe. She walked around for the rest of the night sniffling trying to make it feel right again :P
