Hi All,

Just reading through the wonderful posts and making menu plans to commence. Can I ask, does anyone suffer from Acid Reflux (LPR) and tolerate the Mediterranean diet OK? A lot of the foods recommended, like capsicums, tomatoes, eggs and berries, I can’t tolerate. I know I will need to work around this with a little careful planning.

In the book Michael says the diet if adaptable to foods from other cultures, for example, Asian inspired recipes and menus – just follow the basic guidelines of using non-starchy vegetables, drinking lots of water and avoiding anything labelled low-fat. High sugar fruits, such as tropical ones, are a no-no too: try apples and pears instead. I snack on dried apricots (a couple a day at most eaten very slowly) because they are highly nutritious. Nuts, including almond meal or L.S.A. (linseed, sunflower and almond meal), are a mainstay for me too though they bump up the cals and carb count they are filling in a sustaining way.

I think taking out the grain carbs and starchy vegetables from your diet should have an immediately positive effect on your acid reflux – I’m not an expert but that has been my experience in the past. Cutting out bread, and then other wheat based foods from my diet resolved that issue for me before I found out about the blood sugar diet. 🙂

Hi Beverley,

Thanks for getting back. All good tips! I think I may be making this too complex. I just want to eat the same things pretty regularly to begin with. What does an average day meal plan look like for you?

Hi Rubyswallow, my average day meal plan is all over the place… I started a blog to keep track of what I’m eating: http://bsdfast800.blogspot.com.au/. Mostly I am eating familiar meals and foods. It is interesting to see what adds up the carbs and calories. I’m slowly learning which foods I really do need to avoid!

Rubyswallow, many folk following the BSD find their gastric reflux disappears when they are no longer eating carbs.

Thanks Beverley.

Thanks Captainlynne. Losing weight has only got to help the reflux in the long term.

Hi Rubyswallow, I am one of those whose acid reflux has disappeared on this diet – and there are quite a few of us who have had this experience.
Also, lots of us eat our familiar foods but just don’t eat the starchy carbs – so you are not alone! 🙂

I am so heartened to hear this Hashimoto. Hoping it works for me. I am such an emotional eater so I will have to start to meditate and exercise more to distract myself. The 5:2 was good because I could cope with the diet for two days a week but would like to see more of a startling weight loss(and less acid reflux issues). I am hoping I can lose some weight quickly on this diet…nothing else has worked. Thank you for your supportive comment:)

Hi Ruby, I tried 5:2 for a while as well but this is much easier as you can have three meals a day rather than 2 small ones, the extra 200 calories makes such a difference! 🙂
My niece weighed herself after 5 days – fully clothed at work, after brekkie and still had a 4lb loss to show!! She said she had ‘had it’ with SW because it had never worked for her. 🙂

Hi hashimoto, I’m not good at sticking at things so the ‘everyday’ of a diet will be hard. The thing I’ll miss the most will be a few white coffees, I think. x

Can you not have white coffee? I still have milk in my tea, though I’ve had to give up the sugar.

Hi Ruby, I still have 2 mugs of nescafe with a splash of milk every morning. I just prefer nescafe to proper coffee these days. I have still lost 3 stones so I would say do not go without your morning cuppa!!! 🙂

Wow, three stone! Congratulations!! May I ask what you eat on an average day?

I would probably have too many during the day but I will try and have warm water.

Hi ruby when i was satisfied with my weight i increased my calories but I still don’t eat starchy carbs.
A typical start to the day was FF yoghurt with berries or 2 egg omlette

Lunch a salad or soup with a dollop of cream cheese

Evening but be chicken or foil baked cod and veg or a curry

So pretty standard BSD food plan 🙂

Hi Hashimoto, that plan sounds great. Very doable and one I would stick to. I don’t want the worry of inventive recipes and calorie counting – I know that would trip me up. Can you have a pot of yoghurt 150/200g or is it really just 2 tablespoons? And for the chicken or fish or meat, is it 100g for women? x

PS do you eat any snacks – I’m thinking they will bump up calorie count easily.

Hi Ruby, I have a whole small pot of Fage total yoghurt or quarter of a pot of Aldi authentic greek yoghurt.

The fage is 190 calories a pot
The Aldi is 165 calories a quarter pot. ( the pot is big)
A few blueberries, raspberries or strawberries is not many calories.

My son eats a little gem lettuce if he gets hungry!! Plenty of bulk and very few calories.
I opt for a celery stick as they have next to no calories (12 per stick?)
you could try a few nuts or a boiled egg or a tiny piece of cheese and nibble slowly!!!

A medium egg is only 66 calories.
For the fish I go by weight, if it is salmon as it is more calorific than cod.
A typical piece of cod in a supermarket is about 98 calories.
A typical piece of supermarket salmon is 282 calories!

Smoked salmon is often a better option on this diet as you can adjust the amount more easily and it is very flavourful. Or you could cut your piece of cooked salmon in half and have it for another day!!! It is lovely with courgetti. It’s worth getting a Cuisique spiraliser when you are on this diet! 🙂

Hi Hashimoto, that plan sounds great. Very doable and one I would stick to. I don’t want the worry of inventive recipes and calorie counting – I know that would trip me up. Can you have a pot of yoghurt 150/200g or is it really just 2 tablespoons? And for the chicken or fish or meat, is it 100g for women? x

PS do you eat any snacks – I’m thinking they will bump up calorie count easily.

Don’t know how I posted my reply twice!!!

Wow, I see what you mean with cod vs salmon so I need to worry more about the calories than weight. I had to look up Fage yoghurt as I hadn’t heard of it but I think it may be also sold in Aldi here in Australia. I think Jalna and Chobani were pretty good low carb options. I think the soup is a great idea. Maybe I could do some minestrone (no pasta) or chicken soup. You have helped me so much as I have dragged the chain this week worrying about starting – more the logistics and the ‘what ifs’ I can’t stick to it.

It seems that real oats are contentious. I know that Michael Mosely said they are OK but probably not best option, I’m not great with eggs.

Ruby if you have an Aldi and they do the same foods as over here in the UK I go for their tub of authentic greek yoghurt. They also do bags of milled flaxseed at a very reasonable price. Just a level teaspoon on my yoghurt helps to avoid constipation, is full of goodness and the pack lasts ages!!!

Soup – you can make it from just about anything!!!
My rule of thumb is: enough water to just about cover the veg. Cook til soft and blitz with a stick.

Courgette and garlic is a good filling, low carb option and freezes well.
So is cauliflower and blue cheese
Brocolli and cheese
asparagus
the list is endless!! When I have too much parsley or lettuce I make lettuce soup or parsley soup

Oh, celery soup is a low carb low calorie option you can add some cream cheese or cream too.

Only your imagination will limit you 🙂

Stick with the yoghurt for brekky. I’ve had it almost every day since mid January and I’m still not sick of it!!! 🙂

Hi Hashmoto,

I realised I never did get back to you on the above post, please accept my apologies!!! Yay, I started the 800 today after any weeks of deliberating (getting my head in the right place). I had your greek yoghurt for brekky, yum!