Prepping for the Low Iodine Diet (LID)

The LID.  I don't like it!  But, it gives me something to control in a situation that is outside of my control.  In that regard I enjoy it.  I had some organic totally salt free peanut butter shipped to the house.  I'll doctor it up this weekend with some sugar and Kosher salt.  I also found some dairy free and salt free chocolate chips on-line.  I'm not sure what I'll do with those...maybe LID chocolate chip pancakes :-)

Eating Low Iodine is not easy since Iodine is found in all milk and milk products, all fish from the sea and shell fish, all table salt or items with table salt (iodine free Kosher salt is OK), anything processed, all breads if commercially baked, anything with red food coloring in it (FD&C Red number 3 is the bad one), potato skins, egg yolks, brown sugar, molasses, etc.  Meat is OK in small portions since there is iodine in the animal feed.

I'll bake bread this weekend so I can have bread.  I'll get some Fleischman's salt and dairy free margarine (it's awful) and I'll doctor that up with a little Kosher salt.  That will be my butter substitute if I eat some toast.  Olive oil and oils in general are fine.  I'm glad I like to cook!!  Otherwise this diet would be one pain in the ass!

And, to complicate things, I'll be in Moline next week on business when the diet officially starts on the 24th.  I always start early to get into the groove...so I'll be eating the LID starting this weekend and then I'll pack up some of my own food for the trip to the Quad Cities.  It will be challenging to do Weight Watchers and LID at the same time!  But most all fruits and veggies are OK on LID so I guess I don't have much of an excuse :(

Happy Ash Wednesday!  I wonder if giving up Iodine counts for a Lenten sacrifice ;-)