It's Always a New Day

Yes, it is me. Life can really get hold of a person and run wild at times.

Since my last post, I have resigned my teaching position and have returned home where I will help my husband with his work, and have time to cook the gluten free food that my body needs, and sew, sew,sew for myself, my home, and my precious grand babies.  How was that for a run on sentence?

Lately, I have found that my body feels best if I limit all grains, even the gluten free varieties that I have found, so I make the majority of meals vegetable.  Of course, I do need a pizza fix now and then, and found a pretty good recipe for cauliflower pizza crust, which I will share at some point, and also have another gluten free recipe that I tried last week...also to be shared.

That's all for tonight, but stay tuned foe some of what I have been up to.

Healing Takes Time

Healing your gut is not a quick process, by any stretch.  My Dr. said it would take as long as two years, and I guess that might actually be correct.  There are days that I ache like crazy, days that IBS rears it's ugly head, and days that I feel OK. I'm looking forward to the days that I feel GREAT!  I know they will come, because I am committed to eating and living healthy from now on.

I ordered a Breville juicer, and it was delivered yesterday, so now I am planning on adding juices to my meal plan.  I will do a 15 day juice reboot program beginning on February 1, and then go from there, depending on how I feel.  I keep reading about the wonderful benefits of juicing, and agree that my health is worth the small sacrifice of time it takes to make good juices.

I am finding that stress is a huge part of gut health, also, and am making preparations for that to change.  More on that in a few months:)

*Yum-yum Note: I had been craving pizza for days, so we made a gluten free focaccia bread recipe that I used for the crust, and I had a yummy cheese and pepperoni pizza with no belly ache afterward.  The recipe is in the Gluten-Free Quick and Easy cookbook by Carol Fenster.  

Keep On Keeping On

Eating gluten free is not as difficult if you eat mostly fresh fruit, veggies, and meat. The meat can be tricky if you plan on using processed meats, but it you are willing got cook our own, all is well.  I am not a big dessert person, so I didn't have any bread-like food this week.  My stomach has not had those cramps that make it difficult to live, so I know there is progress.

I guess I was thinking that all the excess weight would fall off immediately if I started eating gluten free, but alas, that is not the case.  I have seen a slight drop on the scales since before Christmas, but not the miracle I was hoping for.  But I shall persevere...more for the health than the smaller dress size, but I expect that to happen, too.  Things like not being exhausted all the time, less joint pain, no bloated feeling, and lower blood pressure are more important, so I will make those things my goals first.

David was gone this week, so my dinners were more like snacks...a little meat and some fruit or lettuce. The real lazy person's way of eating.  Maybe this week, I'll actually have a menu and eat meals instead of snacks.

Eating Out

Since our home is down to just David and I, we like to eat out frequently.  Being totally gluten-free is a bit of a challenge, but I am learning that I can request special things at restaurants.

HuHot Mongolian BBQ is really good with not only gluten free requests, but other food allergies.  They clean the grill completely, and separate my food from any other food. They don't use any utensils that are used in other people's food, either.  There are a few sauces without gluten, also, and they actually taste good.  I have been able to eat there without ANY stomach upset, so I know I don't get any gluten contamination when we eat there.

We have a local oriental restaurant which will cook my food in a gluten free white sauce.  Their noodles are rice, so I can have them. Tonight they made chicken fried rice for me with my gluten free soy sauce(I carried it with me) and steamed rice.  So far. so good.  I wonder if it helps that the Mother of one of the owners is also gluten intolerant.

After looking at many chain restaurant sites, I see that many of them have gluten free menus.  All I need to do is ask for one when we visit those restaurants.  Salads with dry cooked steaks, olive oil and vinegar on the side are going to be a good choice.  Staying mostly Paleo also fits well into that choice.

Have I noticed any improvements in my health?  Good question.  I have a bit more energy in the evenings, although I wonder if it is because school is on break. But I head back on Monday, so time will tell.  I haven't been quite as sedentary as usual, and although my knee still has lots of pain, I don't notice swelling.  I still don't sleep as well as I'd like, but being winter, we have this quilt that would keep a person toasty warm in the frozen tundra, so waking up sweating could be that and not my age/health.  I have begun doing stretching exercises in the evening, hoping for increased flexibility.

Successful gluten free Christmas

Christmas was a successful gluten free day!  I made a cinnamon swirl coffee cake for breakfast because of church.  Everyone but Colton thought it was good, but he is still in the "it needs to have lots of bad things to be good" stage.  I will post the recipe in case anyone wants it.

For my hash brown casserole, I needed to omit the cream of celery soup, so I just doubled the sour cream and chopped fresh celery. I actually think it tasted better than with the soup. Then of course, the prime rib and veggies are naturally gluten free.  Not being a dessert person, we didn't need to make any changes.

I had friends up for dinner, so I made an artichoke dip using Daiya vegan/gluten free cheese instead of parmesan, since they are vegan. I didn't have any, but David said it was really good.  I had gluten free crackers, cucumber spears and bell peppers to dip into the artichoke dip as well as hummus.  Then grape/walnut trays, and a cheese tray for those who wanted more.  Tons of food, and everyone (vegan, gluten-free, and carnivore) was happy.

I find that my belly is happier when I stay away from dairy and eggs, so I have begun only using coconut milk in my morning coffee and tea. It tastes OK in coffee, but is absolutely YUMMY in tea. I guess this will make me cut down my coffee consumption, which is a good idea, too. I start my day with L-glutamine (an amino acid to heal my intestines). 3 times a day on an empty stomach, and then I can eat.  I don't know how long it takes to heal, but from everything I read, it could be up to 2 years, since I have had these symptoms for much of my life.  I am willing to do what it takes, and look forward to feeling good again!

See you soon!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake 

From Gluten Free Easily with a few changes by me

2 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix* ( I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup light olive oil (I used coconut oil)
1 to 1 ¼ cups raw cane sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs ( I used ener-G Egg replacer to be vegan)
2/3 cup coconut milk

Cinnamon Swirl Mix for Coating or “Filling”

1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ cup granulated sugar (I used cane sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (See notes.)

Grease pans and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar coating, tilting pans again and again until well coated. Set aside.

Combine flour, xanthan gum, sea salt, and baking powder in an extra large measuring cup or separate bowl. Set aside.

Pour oil into large bowl, and slowly mix in sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition.

Add milk. Mix 2 minutes. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing well.

Spoon or pour a little of the batter into two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle cinnamon swirl filling over all. (See notes for further directions/variations.) Top with remaining batter. * This did not pour, and acted more like a dough, but it bakes up well.

Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes.

Test for doneness with a toothpick. (As mentioned earlier, the cake may not look done in the center when you slice it, so don’t skip this step.) *I found that it need to bake just a little longer, so be sure to check it.

I put butter on my slice, and it was the first really good gluten-free baked item that I thought tasted good!

Beginning the gluten free lifestyle

DNA testing revealed both a Celiac and a non-Celiac gene for gluten sensitivity, so I need to become completely gluten free.  Easy?  Not so much.   Have you ever read all the labels when you pull something out of the refrigerator?  I hadn't either, but now I am starting to, and much of what I had been using is going into the trash can instead of into my meals.

I had not thought that turkey would contain gluten, but much of it does.  Canned soups, rice with sauces, and even the blue cheese that I had previously consumed are all off limits!

This morning I have had 2 eggs, bacon, and coffee with cream.  Right now my stomach is screaming at me so loudly that I want to cry, and cannot think of anything I ate with gluten in it. (maybe the bacon?) This is a step by step process, and I can only take it one day (or meal) at a time. Being gluten free can be done, and I am determined to get there instantly, but I know that I will make unintended mistakes along the way.

Stay tuned for the continuing saga.......