The diet is an Allergy relief diet, told about on pages 17-18 in the September/October 2001 issue of CS magazine. The writer states that her symptoms were relieved within 3 days. Most of you will think this diet is for the birds. You are probably right.

Here are the rules.

First of all no dairy. (Tough one for countrysiders for sure.)

The diet strictly requires foods to be eaten in certain groups.

They are: Proteins (eggs meat and fowl- and while it isn't listed I assume fish), Carbohydrates (bread, potatoes), and fruits. I am assuming that nuts, oil and soy products are vegetables, as they aren't listed.

Fruits must be eaten alone, and you can't eat fruits again for 1 to 3 hours.

Carbs can be eaten with vegetables, but eat no carbs again for 3 to 4 hours.

Proteins can be eaten with veggies, but don't eat protein again for 8 hours.

It is meant to relieve allergies, but I have a feeling it will work towards weight loss too, simply because it makes you extremely conscious of what you are putting in your mouth, and how often.

I had asked my 18 year old daughter to try the diet to see if it would relieve her asthma/allergy problems. Since the diet is so weird she invited me to try it for 2 weeks first.

Ugh! (I'll do anything for my family.)

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002

Answers

It's basically a rotation diet, often used to help figure out WHAT you are allergic to. The only moderately silly thing is that the separation of fruits and carbohydrates into two categories. Fruit sugar, sugar digested from starches.... sugar is carbs is sugar.

That, and it sound like a pain in the patookis if you have a family.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002.

Nuts are usually considered protein.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), January 10, 2002.

Rose - I am the only patookis following the diet, presently. Laura seems proud that I am trying it, and she is easing into it. The no Dairy is probably the most imporant.

I think fruits digest more easily than other carbs.

Cathy- I wish I knew what they should be in this diet! Do nuts digest and absorb easily? If so I will keep them as veggies.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 10, 2002.

Heres a study on asthma that might help your daughter:

Apples and Selenium May Lower Asthma Risk

Eating apples and the mineral selenium may lower one's risk of asthma, which suggests that certain antioxidants may protect the lungs from disease.

Antioxidants help neutralize damaging forms of oxygen that arise from normal metabolism.

These free radicals are unstable compounds that can damage cells and are thought to contribute to chronic disease.

Researchers surveyed nearly 1,500 UK adults about their eating habits during the previous year. They focused particularly on intakes of fruits and vegetables, flavonoid-rich foods like apples, onions, tea and red wine, antioxidant vitamins, and trace elements that act as antioxidant enzymes -- such as selenium, zinc and copper.

The investigators found that people who ate at least two apples per week faced a 22%- to 32% lower asthma risk than those who ate fewer.

And as selenium intake increased. Participants with the highest intakes -- 54 to 90 micrograms a day -- were only about half as likely to have asthma as those who consumed the least selenium, about 23 to 30 micrograms daily. The US recommended daily intake for selenium is 55 micrograms.

The researchers speculate that certain subtypes of flavonoids may be key in this protection since other flavonoid-containing foods did not affect asthma risk or severity. Or, in the case of apples, different compounds altogether may be at work.

As for selenium, they suggest that part of the blame for the UK's rising asthma rates may rest in the nation's declining selenium intake. The researchers note that selenium may protect against asthma by suppressing airway inflammation.

Selenium is found in foods such as Brazil nuts and walnuts, and beef.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2001;164:1823-1828

-- Julie (julieamc@eagleslair.net), January 11, 2002.

I don't think I could keep to this, with the time restrictions. I would probably try something closer to what you do with babies--start with one food, and then add something new every few days. Easier to track which one is causing the allergy, at least it would be for me.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 11, 2002.

GT thanks for your thoughts.....as for me I haven't had any problem , other than being accustomed to eating lots of sandwiches- carbs, and sometimes meat- frequently eggs. Laura is keen on trying it, and eliminating dairy will be a good thing to guage her allergies.

Julie, we'll have to try pies, and apple crisps, as Laura is allergic to raw apples (bummer). Maybe cider. Walnuts, brazil nuts, beef no problem. Thanks for the input!!

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 11, 2002.

Rick, I'm a snacker, although I try to stop eating for the day after 5pm. That's why I would have problems with a schedule such as this. In some ways it reminds me of the food combining diets (such as Suzanne Somers, and before her the Diamonds (Fit for Life?).

I think with allergies and weight loss as well, it is important to keep some sort of logbook to keep track of how you feel. Good luck with it!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 11, 2002.

GT

I too am a snacker. Between what I would arm myself with for a 10 to 13 hour work day, and offers to snack on co-workers' foods and junk, sometimes I would be eating all day.

This is the first time I remember that I can recall everything that I've eaten at 5 pm.

For any allergy suffers who are interested, Friday night was the first time since Monday evening that I mixed my cards and protein. We went out to a grill to use a gift certificate, and I had ordered a protein meal, and I started munching on bread. My chest got tight, and my sinuses started running. Could be a coincedence? But it happened all of a sudden after several a couple days of clear sinuses.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

Cale and I are doing a lemon juice/honey fasting since last night. We juiced 6 lemons in one gallon of water, then added 6 TB honey. Read about it form the Oxman on Leslies forum. supposed to help cleanse your internal system. No food since 5 last night until sunday breakfast. Not too bad if you don't think about it! But I am already dreaming about what to fix for breakfast!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 12, 2002.

Hi Melissa

Good luck on the fast. An early bedtime tonight will probably be welcome. The most fasting I've ever done is a 6am to 6pm fast, 3 days in a row.

I'm curious, have you guys lightened up you activities, particularly Cale. In other words are you refraining from heavy duties.

I've always been afraid that if I did hard work while fasting that I would become to hungry, and would weaken and eat.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

Hey rick, we lasted until 6:00 this evening and we were both very hungry, so we had a light supper. But we still lasted for 24 hours!! We didn't cut back activites, Cale worked outside all day, putting slate on the house and splitting firewood, and I cleaned at the Library and helped clean out all the barns. We will have to think of that next time.

I made a fruit salad, a vegetable salad,and had wheat bread and yogurt cheese. It tasted pretty good! I guess I am a weak person. But we did drink the whole gallon of the lemon/honey drink!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 12, 2002.

Melissa you guys did great, and stayed on course with a light meal.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

Rick, what you described is similar to the Natural Hygiene movement, best described by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond's Fit for Life. I have followed this health regime (more than a diet) for going on 10 years now, some times more closely than at others, and practically swear by it. It solved my sinus problems and severe stomach disorders.

-- Randal at home in Brazil (randal@onebox.com), January 13, 2002.

Hey Randall

I have sinus problems that seem to be better, but I can say for sure that when I mix the categories of foods, I have a reaction.

There is also improvement in intestinal problems I had been having. Do you know how to classify soy and other nut products, and beans?

Thanks

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 13, 2002.

Rick, as I remember, soy and beans are in the veggie category, but because they have to be cooked, consider them carbs. Nuts are in a category by themselves, but should be eaten raw. Are extremely concentrated, so don't overeat. More difficult to break down, so go slow. At a meal don't eat other concentrated foods with them.

-- Randal at home in Brazil (randal@onebox.com), January 14, 2002.