Ladies and Gentlemen, we are floating in stomach acid

I think I may be trying to do too much with that title and failing today anything at all.

I just want to record the sudden realisation that struck me after writing yesterday's blog: I have quit eighteen years of acid-suppressing medication and have suffered only the most minor symptoms of Reflux! Since previous attempts to come off the drug, or even reduce the dose have met with immediate and dreadful illness. I can only put this down to the changes I have made to my diet. This whole project was kicked off by my doctor's request that I stop taking the tablets for three days in preparation for a blood test. Yesterday I had that blood test and this morning I left the tablets in the box with the fervent hope that there they will forever remain.

Poached Haddock on Spinach

Fish for breakfast? Why not, the Japanese do it all the time. Poached Haddock on Spinach with Ginger and Grana Padano. The fish is begging for a cheesy, creamy or salty sauce, none of which are very stone-age. The sliced ginger garnish, which I originally threw into the poaching pan with the idea that it might impart flavour to the fish, turned out to be the ideal garnish to give the dish some much needed zing. Sarah says I should have poached with a bay leaf or two, so that is noted for next time. I also had a repeat of yesterday's breakfast... sorry, writing about reflux I should probably refrain from ambiguous use of the word 'repeat'. Let's say that I reprised yesterday's breakfast of Yoghurt, half-eaten apples (yes, there was another one) and blueberries. The only change was that, on finding no blueberries in the fridge, I picked some from the bush in the garden. This blueberry bush is actually the property of our six-year old, but he gave his permission for me to harvest a few berries, though he himself declined to sample any, giving as his reason that he is 'waiting for them to grow plump.'

Beware Fruit and Nuts!

I breakfasted late and so didn't feel in need of a big dinner, but I did feel in need of snack and decided to try a mix of fruit and nuts. This gave me the second experience of notable reflux symptoms since beginning this diet, the other being a seemingly inoffensive vegetable soup. So, was the problem the fruit, the nuts or the fibre content? More experimentation must follow to answer these questions. It is as well that the six-year old helped me finish these, given my bad reaction. As well for him too, as we two have been home alone together most of the day and low energy has meant that I haven't been as entertaining a housemate as I would have liked to be for him. He did however get to watch 'The Last Airbender' movie while I rested, which absolves a multitude of sins.

Bolognese with raw courgette 'Spaghetti'

Sarah is making Spaghetti Bolognese for tea, so all I need to do is to make low-carb spaghetti. This is done by bringing a coarse cheese grater to bear on a courgette. This does a great job of reproducing the chewiness and sauce-bearing properties of spaghetti, while tasting so fresh and healthy that one begins to wonder why pasta was ever invented. I would really recommend this dish, and would serve it with a slightly more liquid sauce than you see pictured here, so that those courgette slivers can get themselves really well coated.

As I've mentioned, this was my lowest-energy day so far this week, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary. This is very promising as I've been very active and excited about this project and with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS. Do I have to keep putting this in full? could I stop now?), the excitement is almost as tiring as physical activity.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I leave you for another day, still floating in space, still producing stomach acid. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please comment and inform me. And when you do comment, please take the precaution of copying your text; Blogger loves to lose your comments, and it's easier to have a second try if you don't have to retype!