Why no-amylose?

If you’ve been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), you may be asked by your healthcare provider to use a no-amylose diet during your healing journey. This will occur when a lab level called matrix metallopeptidase-9 (nicknamed “MMP-9”) is elevated. Basically, going amylose free means avoiding any food that contains high levels of amylose. The simplest way to explain the reasoning behind what may seem to be a strange request is this- when your MMP-9 is elevated and you eat amylose, you feel crappy. You will experience a plethora of increased symptoms. Mine include fatigue, brain fog, moodiness- all indicating increased inflammation. And here’s the kicker- these symptoms can last for days after eating something as harmless as a sweet potato. I kid you not! When MMP-9 is high, removing amylose from your diet until MMP-9 normalizes can have a dramatic impact on your health. The difference is so stark that when you fall of the “no-amylose diet” wagon, you’ll feel so yucky it’s motivation enough to jump back on the train. Mold god, Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, created this diet. What does avoiding amylose do and why should you care? Amylose triggers sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. When you avoid foods high in amylose, you reduce rollercoaster rises in blood sugar, therefore lowering inflammation and driving down MMP-9. You say hello to happy and goodbye to crabby and crappy! Let’s get down to the nitty gritty- 

What foods are allowed?

-Corn (and corn chips! Look for non-GMO.)

-Onions

-Garlic

-Shallots

-Any veggie that grows above the ground including lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, kale, chard, turnip greens, collard greens, etc. Choose a wide variety of types: peas, cucumbers, celery, peppers, cabbage, squash, etc.

-Beans of all kinds (if tolerated)

-All fruits except bananas

-Meat, fish, and poultry

-Eggs

-Nuts and nut butters

-Seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds

-Dairy (avoid sugar-laden products) (Also only consume dairy if tolerated)

-Spices and fresh herbs

-Condiments (avoid low-fat varieties that usually contain added sugar)

-Anything not on the amylose foods list!

By eating all of these veggies growing above ground, especially green vegetables, you are increasing the amount of whole foods in your diet. A side benefit to adding all of this real food to your repitore is improved health. This diet also offers huge benefit to those challenges with insulin resistant diabetes due to its ability to curb crazy blood sugar spikes.

What foods are forbidden? These foods contain high amounts of amylose which cause a rapid rise in blood sugar-

Roots and tubers including white and sweet potatoes, beets, peanuts, carrots, and other vegetables that grow underground. The exception here is onions and garlic.

Bananas (the only forbidden fruit).

Wheat and wheat-based products including bread, pasta, cakes, and cookies. (AKA- gluten)

Rice

Oats

Barley (beer)

Rye (in some breads, crackers, and whiskeys)

Foods with added sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, or maltodextrin (look for sneaky added sugar names on packages)

With this diet, the upside is that you can eat as much of the no-amylose food as you’d like. The good news is you don’t have to go hungry, because the only restriction is avoiding amylose. This seems easy enough until you realize that gluten, anything with added sugar, potatoes, even a carrot or banana are a “no-go”. Surviving mold was bad enough. How will you survive this amylose free diet? You might consider pulling your hair out when you realize that going amylose free means shunning wheat. It is a dramatic change to find yourself unable to eat gluten- pasta, bread, cake, cookies- in addition to going sugar free. You are a busy person and don’t have time to be doomed reading every flippin’ food label and strictly adhering to a gluten free diet. I get it. I’m here to tell you that it is possible to avoid foods that contain a high concentration of amylose without feeling totally deprived. Despite my doctoral training in nutrition, I only learned the tricks to this towards the end of my “no-amylose” season. Oh what I wish I had known earlier! How much more pleasant the process could have been. I couldn’t let this hard-won wisdom go to waste. That’s why I compiled a cookbook jam packed with my favorite amylose free recipes. It’s unique in that it is filled with tips, tricks, and my favorite products. Even quick videos giving you the scoop on not only surviving no-amylose, but bolstering your health for years to come. Remember, no-amylose is not forever. It’s only needed until your MMP-9 normalizes. And until then, it doesn’t have to be drudgery. Join me in a low-amylose journey that involves pizza to satisfy your cravings and creamy mashed “notatoes” that are a crowd pleaser…for real. You can actually enjoy good tasting, high quality food while on this diet without sacrificing on flavor. Mold illness has been hard enough. Here’s to making this part of your journey a piece of cake!