I found this very interesting. My site stats show me how people find my blog. I did a keyword analysis and here are the top five searches people use that result in landing on one of my blog pages:
13.33% dairy withdrawal
5.49% dairy withdrawal symptoms
4.71% moscato wine brands
3.92% moscato brands
3.14% brands of moscato wine
So basically I'm only good for dairy and wine. Good to know.
Showing posts with label dairy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Dear Dairy
This week has been a challenge. I cheated way more in a few days than I have in two months total. It started on Friday with a delicious lunch at my favorite restaurant, Pickles Cafe. It's located inside my client Plumtickled's building, and if I'm out that way, I always plan to meet someone for lunch, or just get it to go.
A panini with three cheeses, basil and tomato was perfect as usual. The tomato basil soup, a greek salad, and the mandatory chocolate peanut butter pie all satisfied. I didn't feel too bad, knowing it was all lovingly made from scratch, but it didn't stop there.
Friday night I met a friend for coffee, and had a huge Extreme Toffee Coffee Frappe from my other client, The Espresso Gallery. And of course I had to have a white chocolate macadamia scone. A nice cap to the evening.
Onto saturday, where I did fairly well until evening, when my husband and I celebrated our 11th year anniversary at the movies (The Dark Knight was freaking awesome!!) with just a tiny bit of popcorn, and then dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant. I skipped my usual shrimp tempura and settled for california roll and hawaii roll. Neither were calorie free of course, and both had something in them that wasn't candida friendly. But, it was a celebration.
Then, on Sunday, I had to make Jacob's cake. Lots of frosting to be tested, and then of course I had to eat the final product. One piece of the white cake and one piece of the chocolate mousse cake. OH, and some ice cream.
Then, this all culminated with my pie eating marathon last night. Surprisingly, I've only gained a pound or two, but my cravings were a bit stronger yesterday. Luckily I have no other celebrations coming up, so I should be able to get back on track.
The sacrifices we must make for our loved ones....
A panini with three cheeses, basil and tomato was perfect as usual. The tomato basil soup, a greek salad, and the mandatory chocolate peanut butter pie all satisfied. I didn't feel too bad, knowing it was all lovingly made from scratch, but it didn't stop there.
Friday night I met a friend for coffee, and had a huge Extreme Toffee Coffee Frappe from my other client, The Espresso Gallery. And of course I had to have a white chocolate macadamia scone. A nice cap to the evening.
Onto saturday, where I did fairly well until evening, when my husband and I celebrated our 11th year anniversary at the movies (The Dark Knight was freaking awesome!!) with just a tiny bit of popcorn, and then dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant. I skipped my usual shrimp tempura and settled for california roll and hawaii roll. Neither were calorie free of course, and both had something in them that wasn't candida friendly. But, it was a celebration.
Then, on Sunday, I had to make Jacob's cake. Lots of frosting to be tested, and then of course I had to eat the final product. One piece of the white cake and one piece of the chocolate mousse cake. OH, and some ice cream.
Then, this all culminated with my pie eating marathon last night. Surprisingly, I've only gained a pound or two, but my cravings were a bit stronger yesterday. Luckily I have no other celebrations coming up, so I should be able to get back on track.
The sacrifices we must make for our loved ones....
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Dear Dairy
For the first time in my life I went on vacation....and lost weight.
I have lost a total of 12 pounds so far, and felt awesome while on vacation. I brought lots of food to tide me over, and I exercised at least once, but mostly twice, a day.
Since my husband is now seeing my dedication to this way of eating, he asked me a question that I found easier to answer than it should have been.
He knows the struggle I've gone through to get in control of my eating. He's seen me start diet after diet, only to fail miserably. He's seen me jonesing for anything sugar filled, or deep fried to a point that he was scared for his life.
So, after going for a long bike ride, and following it up with some push ups and leg exercises, he asked me "What would you tell someone who didn't think they could do what you're doing?" My very immediate thought was "Do the part you love the most, first."
If you like exercising, start there. Don't start by trying to run a marathon. Walk the neighborhood, or play tennis. Go to the mall and power walk. Sweat to the oldies, or do Yoga...just move.
If you like reading, start with researching. The more you know about your body and food, the better chance you have of succeeding.
If you like food, or cooking, start there. That's where I started. I absolutely love to cook, and fortunately for me, I love most foods, so trying out new recipes was easiest for me. Once I had a few recipes under my belt that tasted great and were candida diet friendly, I had an arsenal to battle my addictions with. Instead of missing cookies, I ate cranberry macadamia cookies made with ghee and brown rice flour. Instead of missing pizza, I made my own with millet flax crust, rice cheese and a good sauce.
Once the eating started to show results, I began to have more energy, which resulted in my just walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Now, I'm up to 40 minutes on the treadmill, with lots of running spurts. I even bike for 30 minutes now, and on a good day I get to do both.
I will next add weight lifting in, and start toning and fine tuning.
There are lots of ways to get motivated to try a new diet or way of eating, but only you know what makes you tick. Don't follow a book or a fad diet, just read, get to know your body, and start somewhere. Starting is winning.
I have lost a total of 12 pounds so far, and felt awesome while on vacation. I brought lots of food to tide me over, and I exercised at least once, but mostly twice, a day.
Since my husband is now seeing my dedication to this way of eating, he asked me a question that I found easier to answer than it should have been.
He knows the struggle I've gone through to get in control of my eating. He's seen me start diet after diet, only to fail miserably. He's seen me jonesing for anything sugar filled, or deep fried to a point that he was scared for his life.
So, after going for a long bike ride, and following it up with some push ups and leg exercises, he asked me "What would you tell someone who didn't think they could do what you're doing?" My very immediate thought was "Do the part you love the most, first."
If you like exercising, start there. Don't start by trying to run a marathon. Walk the neighborhood, or play tennis. Go to the mall and power walk. Sweat to the oldies, or do Yoga...just move.
If you like reading, start with researching. The more you know about your body and food, the better chance you have of succeeding.
If you like food, or cooking, start there. That's where I started. I absolutely love to cook, and fortunately for me, I love most foods, so trying out new recipes was easiest for me. Once I had a few recipes under my belt that tasted great and were candida diet friendly, I had an arsenal to battle my addictions with. Instead of missing cookies, I ate cranberry macadamia cookies made with ghee and brown rice flour. Instead of missing pizza, I made my own with millet flax crust, rice cheese and a good sauce.
Once the eating started to show results, I began to have more energy, which resulted in my just walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Now, I'm up to 40 minutes on the treadmill, with lots of running spurts. I even bike for 30 minutes now, and on a good day I get to do both.
I will next add weight lifting in, and start toning and fine tuning.
There are lots of ways to get motivated to try a new diet or way of eating, but only you know what makes you tick. Don't follow a book or a fad diet, just read, get to know your body, and start somewhere. Starting is winning.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Dear Dairy
I have no idea how long I've been doing this. Do you? I think it's been a month or so.
I can successfully report that I have been doing very well on the candida diet this time. And, I am nearly 100% sure that I am on this way of eating for life. I have found so many great recipes and fun foods that I don't even miss the other stuff.
My weight loss has been fairly steady, especially since I added exercise in on a regular basis. I've lost about ten pounds and am feeling much healthier and more energetic.
Cheat days don't come as often as they use to, and I have found candida safe foods to replace some of the things I craved anyway. A nice millet and flax pizza crust with organic spaghetti sauce and ground turkey, with rice cheese is surprising delicious...to the point that my husband has even said it's the best pizza he's had. I'm not sure if he was serious, or just making sure I don't throw tomatoes at him, but either way...I'll take it.
A new favorite meal I've been eating is a spinach millet and flax lavash wrap with my mayo, fresh local tomato, avocado and lettuce, with a generous dash of freshly grated sea salt. That's better than a BLT if you ask me. And very filling considering how light it is.
I made a chai tea from scratch too, using hemp seed milk and stevia as sweetener, and it is better than what you can get at a coffee shop. Blend it with ice, and it makes the perfect summer beverage.
If anyone wants any info or additional recipes, I love answering questions, or motivating...good luck and happy eating!
I can successfully report that I have been doing very well on the candida diet this time. And, I am nearly 100% sure that I am on this way of eating for life. I have found so many great recipes and fun foods that I don't even miss the other stuff.
My weight loss has been fairly steady, especially since I added exercise in on a regular basis. I've lost about ten pounds and am feeling much healthier and more energetic.
Cheat days don't come as often as they use to, and I have found candida safe foods to replace some of the things I craved anyway. A nice millet and flax pizza crust with organic spaghetti sauce and ground turkey, with rice cheese is surprising delicious...to the point that my husband has even said it's the best pizza he's had. I'm not sure if he was serious, or just making sure I don't throw tomatoes at him, but either way...I'll take it.
A new favorite meal I've been eating is a spinach millet and flax lavash wrap with my mayo, fresh local tomato, avocado and lettuce, with a generous dash of freshly grated sea salt. That's better than a BLT if you ask me. And very filling considering how light it is.
I made a chai tea from scratch too, using hemp seed milk and stevia as sweetener, and it is better than what you can get at a coffee shop. Blend it with ice, and it makes the perfect summer beverage.
If anyone wants any info or additional recipes, I love answering questions, or motivating...good luck and happy eating!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Dear Dairy
It's becoming more and more apparent to me that I need to address issues far bigger than just dairy. I had eliminated dairy, wheat, sugar and caffeine (and soy of course) with absolutely no increase in energy, and very slight weight loss. At first, with the withdrawal symptoms, I thought it was the dairy, but now it seems dairy is only part of the equation.
The energy increase I have seen lately is due to my finally taking some iron and multivitamins to address my pretty bad case of anemia.
However, I knew I had to still do something with my food to make me feel better, so I got out my handy dandy binder full of Candida information to see what the heck I did back then that made such a huge difference.
The first glaring thing I noticed was the AVOID list which included Dates, Cashews and Pistachios...uh....no wonder I like those Lara bars so much!
I knew to avoid fruit, but ate that anyway, telling myself that since God created fruit, how could it be so bad, but ultimately, the fruit sugars are just too much if you're struggling with candida.
I also realized that I hadn't been drinking near enough water, and had totally eliminated the fresh squeezed lemon from any water that I was drinking. Upon researching pH balancing, I learned that fresh lemon in water really does a lot for balancing your body's pH and restoring it to a more desirable alkaline state. Lemons are also a diuretic, which helps release a lot of water I've been retaining.
So, on Monday I began (AGAIN!) this candida thing. I had to go all out, no more "kind of" and just really do this the right way. I drank at least 8 glasses of water, each with fresh lemon. It's actually very refreshing, especially on these tropically humid days we're experiencing in the Midwest.
At the end of day 1, I had such a massive headache that I went to bed at 8:30, and didn't wake up until almost 8 a.m. My body was getting rid of some massive stuff apparently, and needed the extra sleep for the challenge.
Day 2 hit a bit of a tiny snag, but one that counts nonetheless. I caved in and ate a cookie around noon time (my will power is astonishing), and then promptly read some message board posts on the candida site I frequent, only to find a wonderful post from a girl who said "After being on this candida diet for 5 months, I will never eat sugar again, thanks to how great I feel." I immediately starting crying and self loathing for being so stupid.
When I followed the candida diet back in September, I truly did feel better than I ever have, so I know exactly what she is saying. Ironic how your mind tricks you into craving foods you shouldn't have instead of reminding you of what living feels like.
Sugar is an evil thing, and something that I may not ever overcome, but I will die trying.
The energy increase I have seen lately is due to my finally taking some iron and multivitamins to address my pretty bad case of anemia.
However, I knew I had to still do something with my food to make me feel better, so I got out my handy dandy binder full of Candida information to see what the heck I did back then that made such a huge difference.
The first glaring thing I noticed was the AVOID list which included Dates, Cashews and Pistachios...uh....no wonder I like those Lara bars so much!
I knew to avoid fruit, but ate that anyway, telling myself that since God created fruit, how could it be so bad, but ultimately, the fruit sugars are just too much if you're struggling with candida.
I also realized that I hadn't been drinking near enough water, and had totally eliminated the fresh squeezed lemon from any water that I was drinking. Upon researching pH balancing, I learned that fresh lemon in water really does a lot for balancing your body's pH and restoring it to a more desirable alkaline state. Lemons are also a diuretic, which helps release a lot of water I've been retaining.
So, on Monday I began (AGAIN!) this candida thing. I had to go all out, no more "kind of" and just really do this the right way. I drank at least 8 glasses of water, each with fresh lemon. It's actually very refreshing, especially on these tropically humid days we're experiencing in the Midwest.
At the end of day 1, I had such a massive headache that I went to bed at 8:30, and didn't wake up until almost 8 a.m. My body was getting rid of some massive stuff apparently, and needed the extra sleep for the challenge.
Day 2 hit a bit of a tiny snag, but one that counts nonetheless. I caved in and ate a cookie around noon time (my will power is astonishing), and then promptly read some message board posts on the candida site I frequent, only to find a wonderful post from a girl who said "After being on this candida diet for 5 months, I will never eat sugar again, thanks to how great I feel." I immediately starting crying and self loathing for being so stupid.
When I followed the candida diet back in September, I truly did feel better than I ever have, so I know exactly what she is saying. Ironic how your mind tricks you into craving foods you shouldn't have instead of reminding you of what living feels like.
Sugar is an evil thing, and something that I may not ever overcome, but I will die trying.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Larabar
With a lot of my posts lately I've been referring to specific foods that are helping me deal with this new way of eating. I thought that by eliminating dairy/wheat/sugar and soy that I'd be limited on tasty options, but surprisingly they are everywhere these days.
Case in point: Larabars are these amazing little snack bars that come in a gazillion fancy flavors.
Peanut Butter Cookie: Peanuts, dates, salt
Coconut Cream Pie: Dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, coconut oil
Pecan Pie: Dates, pecans, almonds
Key Lime Pie: Dates, cashews almonds, unsweetened coconut, lime juice
Ginger Snap: Dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
Banana Cookie: Dates, almonds, unsweetened bananas
Cashew Cookie: Cashews, dates
Cinnamon Roll: Dates, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, cinnamon
to name just a few.
According to the company's site, each bar is:
1 SERVING OF FRUIT * NO ADDED SUGAR * UNPROCESSED RAW * NON- GMO * GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE VEGAN * KOSHER
Each bar contains approximately 5 grams of protein, and around 200 calories. I pack them in my purse and car to make sure they are always handy for that sudden attack of fast food cravings. They are very filling despite how small they are, and I'm truly surprised at how different the flavors can be, given that they all pretty much have the same ingredients.
My favorite bars so far are the Key Lime Pie, and the Cashew Cookie. Something about them makes you feel like you're eating a brownie. The texture is so rich and chewy. A very satisfying sweetness, with just the right texture.
At around $1.50 to $1.70 each, they can eat the budget a bit, but are certainly cheaper than my big mac with extra sauce and small fry, and leave you without all the guilt and gas.
I found mine at the Health Food Shoppe, and at 3 Rivers Food Co-op, but I believe Kroger carries them, and perhaps other stores as well. I have not seen them at Walmart yet, which does not surprise me.
Out of all the protein/snack bars out there that I've tried, these get a 5 star out 5 rating. Dates may not be your thing, but you'll never know it once you've taken a bite out of these bad boys.
Case in point: Larabars are these amazing little snack bars that come in a gazillion fancy flavors.
Peanut Butter Cookie: Peanuts, dates, salt
Coconut Cream Pie: Dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, coconut oil
Pecan Pie: Dates, pecans, almonds
Key Lime Pie: Dates, cashews almonds, unsweetened coconut, lime juice
Ginger Snap: Dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
Banana Cookie: Dates, almonds, unsweetened bananas
Cashew Cookie: Cashews, dates
Cinnamon Roll: Dates, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, cinnamon
to name just a few.
According to the company's site, each bar is:
1 SERVING OF FRUIT * NO ADDED SUGAR * UNPROCESSED RAW * NON- GMO * GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE VEGAN * KOSHER
Each bar contains approximately 5 grams of protein, and around 200 calories. I pack them in my purse and car to make sure they are always handy for that sudden attack of fast food cravings. They are very filling despite how small they are, and I'm truly surprised at how different the flavors can be, given that they all pretty much have the same ingredients.
My favorite bars so far are the Key Lime Pie, and the Cashew Cookie. Something about them makes you feel like you're eating a brownie. The texture is so rich and chewy. A very satisfying sweetness, with just the right texture.
At around $1.50 to $1.70 each, they can eat the budget a bit, but are certainly cheaper than my big mac with extra sauce and small fry, and leave you without all the guilt and gas.
I found mine at the Health Food Shoppe, and at 3 Rivers Food Co-op, but I believe Kroger carries them, and perhaps other stores as well. I have not seen them at Walmart yet, which does not surprise me.
Out of all the protein/snack bars out there that I've tried, these get a 5 star out 5 rating. Dates may not be your thing, but you'll never know it once you've taken a bite out of these bad boys.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ciao Bella!
Thanks to my no dairy and no wheat mantra these days, I have discovered several frozen concoctions to get me through my sweet tooth.This one is called Cioa Bella and is the Blood Orange flavor. It is a fat free gelato and I can't believe how tasty it is.
The ingredients are basic, which I love. Blood Orange juice. Orange Juice. Sugar. That's it.
The texture is similar to sherbet, but maybe a little less creamy. The taste actually reminds me of grapefruit. Very sweet, but with a sour, citrusy note.
For those keeping track at home, there is sugar in this, which I am not supposed to have. I save this for my "cheat days" and for when it's this or a box of oreos. I think the Ciao Bella is the safest bet when faced with that decision!
I can't wait for the weather to actually get warm. This will be a nice, gluten free, dairy free treat.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Thinking outside the cow
As you know, I have eliminated dairy (among other things). I am at 9 days and counting!!
I am happy to say that I have found a substitute for pretty much everything that I used to love diary-wise.
Ice cream=Rice Dream
Milk=Rice milk
Cheese=Rice cheese slices
Butter=Earth Balance
But, since most sour cream alternatives are soy based, a no no for my thyroid, my beloved sour cream had eluded me....until Friday night.
I decided to tempt fate and have a Mexican dinner on Friday. My former self would have said, "May I please have some taco and beef for my sour cream and cheese pile?" But, my new self, made a heaping portion of freshly made guacamole with tons of fresh cilantro, garlic, onions and a little lemon and lime juice, and lot of chopped lettuce, with my favorite Dave's Artichoke Salsa and organic corn taco shells, and bit of organic ground beef.
Out of curiosity I mixed some of my homemade mayo with a little bit of coconut milk and fresh lemon juice, and are you sitting? I created sour cream. A non dairy, non soy sour cream.
It was a bit on the runny side, but once it was on the taco, it blended so well with the rest of the ingredients that you didn't even care. The tacos were so fresh and tasty, I think I'll make Friday nights Mexican night at the Smiths from now on!
Sorry I don't have actual measurements for the Non dairy sour cream recipe, but when I figure it out, I'll post it.
I am happy to say that I have found a substitute for pretty much everything that I used to love diary-wise.
Ice cream=Rice Dream
Milk=Rice milk
Cheese=Rice cheese slices
Butter=Earth Balance
But, since most sour cream alternatives are soy based, a no no for my thyroid, my beloved sour cream had eluded me....until Friday night.
I decided to tempt fate and have a Mexican dinner on Friday. My former self would have said, "May I please have some taco and beef for my sour cream and cheese pile?" But, my new self, made a heaping portion of freshly made guacamole with tons of fresh cilantro, garlic, onions and a little lemon and lime juice, and lot of chopped lettuce, with my favorite Dave's Artichoke Salsa and organic corn taco shells, and bit of organic ground beef.
Out of curiosity I mixed some of my homemade mayo with a little bit of coconut milk and fresh lemon juice, and are you sitting? I created sour cream. A non dairy, non soy sour cream.
It was a bit on the runny side, but once it was on the taco, it blended so well with the rest of the ingredients that you didn't even care. The tacos were so fresh and tasty, I think I'll make Friday nights Mexican night at the Smiths from now on!
Sorry I don't have actual measurements for the Non dairy sour cream recipe, but when I figure it out, I'll post it.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Dear Dairy
I haven't posted a Dear Dairy in awhile. Mostly because I fell off the wagon. Hard core.
Not only did I fall off the wagon, I rolled down the hill and landed in taco town where I bathed in a tub of sour cream and cheddar cheese. I stayed there a good 72 hours before I came to and moved on over to chocolateville, and commenced to dip my feet and soak my soul for the rest of the week.
Ahh cravings...they are a bitch.
But, here I am, like a warrior in a battle to the death. Ready to conquer my health issues once and for all.
With much research on adrenals, hashimotos, hypoglycemia and candida under my belt, I have a much clearer view of what is going on. I've met a few new friends along the way thanks to blogs, and people who read mine. This internet thing has potential.
I have gone completely dairy, wheat, sugar and caffeine free since Monday and am doing great. I have decided to forego the cheat days until I've been doing this for a month or more. I'm just not strong enough after 6 days to indulge in sweets or cheesy gooey stuff, so better to just not even tempt myself.
I have however found some great recipes and new products that are, quite literally, saving my life.
A few I've really loved lately, besides those tasty tortillas I mentioned, are Earth Balance buttery spread. Thank you Jesus for creating people who could then create this product. It is better than butter, and costs the same. It can be used in any recipe as a substitute for butter. Amen.
Coconut Milk is great for things like mashed potatoes believe it or not, or tea, smoothies, that kind of thing. Kind of a calorie killer though, so don't over do it if you're trying to lose weight.
Nuts. Nuts are little miracles in my opinion. They come in such a great variety and are full of protein for a quick snack on the go. I recently found some at the health food shoppe that have 100% pure maple syrup on them. These are obviously not as healthy, and are higher in calories, but these will totally work as my new "cheat day" in which I eat things that are dairy/wheat/sugar free, but that are higher in calorie, or may be pushing it a bit on the sugar free end of things.
Avocado oil is my very favorite oil of all. It's a little pricey. I get it for about $9 for a little bottle, but you don't use a lot. I sprinkle it on my veggies for a buttery taste.
Herbs like basil, cilantro and dill are a must in my kitchen. I use dried a lot, but nothing beats fresh herbs to liven up any dish.
Lara bars, which I review later this week, are tasty little fruit and nut bars that a friend of mine introduced me to. She said they had pistachios and dates in them. And then I preceded to ask if there was soy, and she again said pistachios and dates. I said, what about dairy, because i can't have dairy. "Christy. There are two ingredients. Pistachios. Dates." Then I passed out and hit my head on the phone. But seriously, these bars come in a gazillion flavors, all with only 4 or 5 ingredients max. Very great for keeping hunger at bay when you're on the road.
Hazelnut rice milk. This is good plain, or added to my herbal tea. My kids are not so thrilled with it yet, but I'm working on it.
Rice dream ice cream, chocolate marble fudge to be exact. I don't know how they do it, and I don't want to know, but sweet bejeesus this stuff is awesome. I have to fight my kids for it, it's that good. Only in emergencies do I indulge in this, but just a spoon full does the trick.
English Toffee Stevia extract. This is delish in my tea with hazelnut rice milk. An all natural sweetener with no calories. Takes a little getting used to, but really helps when you desire something a little sweeter.
The weird thing about this particular time of eliminating the dairy and wheat is that I didn't have the withdrawals. I had a headache the first day, but that's it. Those bumps on my forehead that went away almost immediately before, that came back again as quickly once I added crap back into my diet, have not gone away this time. And this time I'm even giving up sugar and caffeine, which in their own right should have caused some kind of grief. (it should be noted that I also don't do soy because of my thyroid condition)
I also didn't have the energy surge that occurred on day three last time. But, instead, I've had a steady increase in energy and mood. I feel strong enough to get through this weekend. We're even going to a movie Saturday at a place known for it's crazy gourmet popcorn, and I plan to come prepared with my nuts and lara bar.
What are your favorite dairy/wheat/sugar alternatives? Let us know!
Not only did I fall off the wagon, I rolled down the hill and landed in taco town where I bathed in a tub of sour cream and cheddar cheese. I stayed there a good 72 hours before I came to and moved on over to chocolateville, and commenced to dip my feet and soak my soul for the rest of the week.
Ahh cravings...they are a bitch.
But, here I am, like a warrior in a battle to the death. Ready to conquer my health issues once and for all.
With much research on adrenals, hashimotos, hypoglycemia and candida under my belt, I have a much clearer view of what is going on. I've met a few new friends along the way thanks to blogs, and people who read mine. This internet thing has potential.
I have gone completely dairy, wheat, sugar and caffeine free since Monday and am doing great. I have decided to forego the cheat days until I've been doing this for a month or more. I'm just not strong enough after 6 days to indulge in sweets or cheesy gooey stuff, so better to just not even tempt myself.
I have however found some great recipes and new products that are, quite literally, saving my life.
A few I've really loved lately, besides those tasty tortillas I mentioned, are Earth Balance buttery spread. Thank you Jesus for creating people who could then create this product. It is better than butter, and costs the same. It can be used in any recipe as a substitute for butter. Amen.
Coconut Milk is great for things like mashed potatoes believe it or not, or tea, smoothies, that kind of thing. Kind of a calorie killer though, so don't over do it if you're trying to lose weight.
Nuts. Nuts are little miracles in my opinion. They come in such a great variety and are full of protein for a quick snack on the go. I recently found some at the health food shoppe that have 100% pure maple syrup on them. These are obviously not as healthy, and are higher in calories, but these will totally work as my new "cheat day" in which I eat things that are dairy/wheat/sugar free, but that are higher in calorie, or may be pushing it a bit on the sugar free end of things.
Avocado oil is my very favorite oil of all. It's a little pricey. I get it for about $9 for a little bottle, but you don't use a lot. I sprinkle it on my veggies for a buttery taste.
Herbs like basil, cilantro and dill are a must in my kitchen. I use dried a lot, but nothing beats fresh herbs to liven up any dish.
Lara bars, which I review later this week, are tasty little fruit and nut bars that a friend of mine introduced me to. She said they had pistachios and dates in them. And then I preceded to ask if there was soy, and she again said pistachios and dates. I said, what about dairy, because i can't have dairy. "Christy. There are two ingredients. Pistachios. Dates." Then I passed out and hit my head on the phone. But seriously, these bars come in a gazillion flavors, all with only 4 or 5 ingredients max. Very great for keeping hunger at bay when you're on the road.
Hazelnut rice milk. This is good plain, or added to my herbal tea. My kids are not so thrilled with it yet, but I'm working on it.
Rice dream ice cream, chocolate marble fudge to be exact. I don't know how they do it, and I don't want to know, but sweet bejeesus this stuff is awesome. I have to fight my kids for it, it's that good. Only in emergencies do I indulge in this, but just a spoon full does the trick.
English Toffee Stevia extract. This is delish in my tea with hazelnut rice milk. An all natural sweetener with no calories. Takes a little getting used to, but really helps when you desire something a little sweeter.
The weird thing about this particular time of eliminating the dairy and wheat is that I didn't have the withdrawals. I had a headache the first day, but that's it. Those bumps on my forehead that went away almost immediately before, that came back again as quickly once I added crap back into my diet, have not gone away this time. And this time I'm even giving up sugar and caffeine, which in their own right should have caused some kind of grief. (it should be noted that I also don't do soy because of my thyroid condition)
I also didn't have the energy surge that occurred on day three last time. But, instead, I've had a steady increase in energy and mood. I feel strong enough to get through this weekend. We're even going to a movie Saturday at a place known for it's crazy gourmet popcorn, and I plan to come prepared with my nuts and lara bar.
What are your favorite dairy/wheat/sugar alternatives? Let us know!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Meal of the week: Chicken salad in Brown Rice Tortilla
Since beginning my dairy free/wheat free eating, I have experimented a lot with new things.
One of my very favorite finds are these Brown Rice Tortilla's made by Food for Life. They contain Brown rice flour, filtered water, tapioca flour, safflower oil, rice bran, vegetable gum and sea salt.
The best way to eat them though, in my opinion, is to use it as a wrap and toast it under the broiler. Flip it over so both sides get nice and crispy. Toasting it creates a nice crunchy texture that I love.
The best way to eat them though, in my opinion, is to use it as a wrap and toast it under the broiler. Flip it over so both sides get nice and crispy. Toasting it creates a nice crunchy texture that I love.
In this particular wrap I used homemade chicken salad. I made the mayo recipe and blended in fresh basil, pine nuts and cracked pepper. Then, I mixed in organic cooked chicken, celery, red onion, celery seed, celery salt and garlic powder. Before sealing the wrap I place a few sprigs of fresh basil and some slices of avocado.
Yumm-ola.
The salad is basically a quickly thrown together way of getting my veggies. Organic romaine, carrots, celery and red onion with a sprinkling of my Annie's lemon and chive dressing, some flax seed oil, kelp flakes for my thyroid and some cracked pepper. It was very light and fresh. I ate it first to fill me up, so I ended up only eating half of the wrap to save for my snack in a few hours.
Food can be fun, and is very forgiving. Just start mixing things together and see what happens.
Healthy eating!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Type A=Adrenal Fatigue
Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I am surprised at how much time and energy it takes to prep a house for sale, in combination with all the other work involved in securing a loan for the next house to buy.
Since I am a type A, I have taken it upon myself to do pretty much everything. I have made a ton of phone calls and gathered documents for the correct people, and then made follow up phone calls.
We have painted and scraped and sanded and dusted and moved furniture and cleaned every surface possible. If selling/buying a house were my only duties, this would be a piece of cake. But, of course I have the two kids to take care of, as well as DipSticks, and the typical daily activities like cleaning, cooking, spending time with the hubby, etc.
On top of this, I have been dealing with the health issues that I have mostly been noting in my Dear Dairy posts. However, a friend going through similar issues made me aware of a condition called Adrenal Fatigue. I've been reading about it this weekend, and it sounds right up my symptom alley. A type A like me, especially one who deals with many stressors in a row, such as deaths, hospital visits, sick children, etc, can practically guarantee getting this condition.
Basically the body acts like it's under attack all the time, stressing out the adrenal glands, and causing your body to sort of break down and react in ways that can be confusing to both patient and doctor.
If you've been struggling with never ending fatigue, cravings for salty or sweet foods, memory issues, difficulty concentrating, difficulty processing daily activities without feeling overwhelmed, overall lack of hope or increased illness and allergies, then you may want to read up on Adrenal Fatigue. The book I'm reading is simply called "Adrenal Fatigue, the 21st century stress syndrome." I also picked up a book called the Autoimmune Epidemic too, because I have Hashimotos thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease, and apparently candida, adrenal fatigue, food allergies (dairy/wheat) and thyroid conditions, specifically autoimmune, are all connected.
I am very excited, and anxious to get to the bottom of all of this. If it sounds like I'm falling apart at the super young age of 36, it's because I think I am. But, the good news is, I am pretty sure it can all be fixed with a simple, but freaking painful, diet plan that will exclude pretty much everything I love. But, hey, if it's food or my life, I think that's a no brainer.
Since I am a type A, I have taken it upon myself to do pretty much everything. I have made a ton of phone calls and gathered documents for the correct people, and then made follow up phone calls.
We have painted and scraped and sanded and dusted and moved furniture and cleaned every surface possible. If selling/buying a house were my only duties, this would be a piece of cake. But, of course I have the two kids to take care of, as well as DipSticks, and the typical daily activities like cleaning, cooking, spending time with the hubby, etc.
On top of this, I have been dealing with the health issues that I have mostly been noting in my Dear Dairy posts. However, a friend going through similar issues made me aware of a condition called Adrenal Fatigue. I've been reading about it this weekend, and it sounds right up my symptom alley. A type A like me, especially one who deals with many stressors in a row, such as deaths, hospital visits, sick children, etc, can practically guarantee getting this condition.
Basically the body acts like it's under attack all the time, stressing out the adrenal glands, and causing your body to sort of break down and react in ways that can be confusing to both patient and doctor.
If you've been struggling with never ending fatigue, cravings for salty or sweet foods, memory issues, difficulty concentrating, difficulty processing daily activities without feeling overwhelmed, overall lack of hope or increased illness and allergies, then you may want to read up on Adrenal Fatigue. The book I'm reading is simply called "Adrenal Fatigue, the 21st century stress syndrome." I also picked up a book called the Autoimmune Epidemic too, because I have Hashimotos thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease, and apparently candida, adrenal fatigue, food allergies (dairy/wheat) and thyroid conditions, specifically autoimmune, are all connected.
I am very excited, and anxious to get to the bottom of all of this. If it sounds like I'm falling apart at the super young age of 36, it's because I think I am. But, the good news is, I am pretty sure it can all be fixed with a simple, but freaking painful, diet plan that will exclude pretty much everything I love. But, hey, if it's food or my life, I think that's a no brainer.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Dear Dairy
I have a condition called hashimotos thyroiditis, which is basically low thyroid function.
Since deleting the dairy from my daily intake, I have noticed a few things. Mainly, that my neck is kind of tight and achy in the thyroid area. This seems to happen when my antibodies are attacking my thyroid gland, which is what an autoimmune disorder such as hashimotos does.
I started to wonder if dairy and thyroid had any common links, and I found this interesting tidbit online.
"Among the elements or ingredients which the Thyroid uses to make thyroxine is a protein known as casein. The body manufactures its own casein out of the atoms present in our food, in the same manner that the cow generates the casein in her milk from her feed. Casein is one of the important components of milk, but when cow's milk is used by humans of any age, it is not digested properly or completely under any circumstances. That is the reason why the use of milk not only creates a great amount of mucus in the system, but also has the tendency to disrupt the function of the Thyroid gland. The casein in cow's milk is 300% more concentrated than that in mother's milk. When cow's milk is pasteurized or cooked by boiling, the casein is changed still worse than in its raw state."
I am glad to have this blog to keep track of this, it will be fun and interesting to see if I can pin point a link between the two. I started to take out dairy for weight loss, but there just may be even better health consequences!
*There's also some indication and several scientific studies that wheat is linked to hashimotos as well, so I am not entirely leaving out this connection. I would, however, have to change the name of these posts if in fact, the culprit turns out not to be dairy. That would be a big bummer. Dear Wheat just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Since deleting the dairy from my daily intake, I have noticed a few things. Mainly, that my neck is kind of tight and achy in the thyroid area. This seems to happen when my antibodies are attacking my thyroid gland, which is what an autoimmune disorder such as hashimotos does.
I started to wonder if dairy and thyroid had any common links, and I found this interesting tidbit online.
"Among the elements or ingredients which the Thyroid uses to make thyroxine is a protein known as casein. The body manufactures its own casein out of the atoms present in our food, in the same manner that the cow generates the casein in her milk from her feed. Casein is one of the important components of milk, but when cow's milk is used by humans of any age, it is not digested properly or completely under any circumstances. That is the reason why the use of milk not only creates a great amount of mucus in the system, but also has the tendency to disrupt the function of the Thyroid gland. The casein in cow's milk is 300% more concentrated than that in mother's milk. When cow's milk is pasteurized or cooked by boiling, the casein is changed still worse than in its raw state."
I am glad to have this blog to keep track of this, it will be fun and interesting to see if I can pin point a link between the two. I started to take out dairy for weight loss, but there just may be even better health consequences!
*There's also some indication and several scientific studies that wheat is linked to hashimotos as well, so I am not entirely leaving out this connection. I would, however, have to change the name of these posts if in fact, the culprit turns out not to be dairy. That would be a big bummer. Dear Wheat just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Dear Dairy
I think I'll start posting updates about my dairy elimination progress, or lack thereof, in a post called Dear Dairy. So, if you're bored of my lactose lamentations, you can just skip right over this one!
I have gone one whole week subtracting wheat and dairy from my diet. I have snuck a few things that include dairy, and two or three cookies that had wheat in them, but most of that occurred on my "cheat day", so I don't feel too bad about it.
Speaking of my cheat day, Mark and I went out with two of our friends to a sushi place on Friday. I ate my usual california roll, which I think maybe had mayo in it, but otherwise, no dairy or wheat. Then, I had a new roll called Winter Roll that had smoked salmon, cream cheese (go figure) and avocado and some tempura batter crunchies.
I had a few bites of Mark's shrimp tempura and chicken teryaki, and some plum wine.
In about 2 hours my stomach was so cramped and painful I could barely sit. I think my stomach bloated to about 3 times its normal size.
All I can figure is that it was either the cream cheese, or maybe the wheat in the tempura batter. I used the lite soy sauce, but unless there was MSG somewhere, I'm not sure exactly what caused my issues.
I probably will have to do an experiment and just eat only wheat one day, and then one day only dairy, to see what happens.
It won't stop me from getting the winter roll again, though, that was worth the pain!
I have gone one whole week subtracting wheat and dairy from my diet. I have snuck a few things that include dairy, and two or three cookies that had wheat in them, but most of that occurred on my "cheat day", so I don't feel too bad about it.
Speaking of my cheat day, Mark and I went out with two of our friends to a sushi place on Friday. I ate my usual california roll, which I think maybe had mayo in it, but otherwise, no dairy or wheat. Then, I had a new roll called Winter Roll that had smoked salmon, cream cheese (go figure) and avocado and some tempura batter crunchies.
I had a few bites of Mark's shrimp tempura and chicken teryaki, and some plum wine.
In about 2 hours my stomach was so cramped and painful I could barely sit. I think my stomach bloated to about 3 times its normal size.
All I can figure is that it was either the cream cheese, or maybe the wheat in the tempura batter. I used the lite soy sauce, but unless there was MSG somewhere, I'm not sure exactly what caused my issues.
I probably will have to do an experiment and just eat only wheat one day, and then one day only dairy, to see what happens.
It won't stop me from getting the winter roll again, though, that was worth the pain!
The cutest squash in the world
The bad news is that I love food. I love cooking food and eating food and reading about food and talking about food and watching shows about food...you get the idea.
Some people have an interesting palate with a need to eat the most bizarre of foods. I like to consider myself adventurous, but unlike some people I know, I have no desire to eat chicken feet.
The good news is that I really like all food, which is not limited to junk food. Vegetables are a main staple in our house and I enjoy cooking with them.
Of course I paired them with my other two favorite healthy meal options, burgers and fries. I used actual organic beef, instead of the usual ground turkey, and mixed in some garlic, pepper, salt and onion. On my burger I put red onion and avocado, with a touch of homemade mayo, and the bread is a wonderful millet flax that I get at the co-op.
And these fries have become a much requested staple in our house. I've discovered that russet potatoes make the best fries and I just toss them in avocado oil, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Bake at 425 for about 15 -20 minutes depending on the thickness of the potatoes. (I always salt vegetables after they are cooked, if necessary, so as not to draw out too much moisture.)
Even though I've been hyping up the squash, I'm about to anticlimactically announce that the best part of the dinner was the french fry dip.
Seriously, you have got to try this. I take mayo, and blend in just a touch of avocado oil, paprika, pepper and garlic powder (the same stuff found in the french fries themselves) and dip the fries into it. Say goodbye to ketchup, because this will be your main staple on fry day.
Healthy eating!
Some people have an interesting palate with a need to eat the most bizarre of foods. I like to consider myself adventurous, but unlike some people I know, I have no desire to eat chicken feet.
The good news is that I really like all food, which is not limited to junk food. Vegetables are a main staple in our house and I enjoy cooking with them.
For proof, check out this freakishly adorable baby squash I picked up at the Fresh Market. They are baby zucchini and baby yellow squash which they call Sunburst Squash, or Patty Pan Squash.
I wasn't quite sure what to do with them when I bought them, but I decided at the last minute to chunk some leeks with the squash, and some chopped garlic, and then marinated them in some oils (I used avocado, walnut and olive for this), garlic powder, pepper, and a dash of Herbs de Provence.
I grilled them in the pan shown instead of foil wrapping them, because I wanted them to have that grilled taste, and the charred look, instead of being mostly steamed.
I think I made the right choice because these babies were awesomely delish.
Of course I paired them with my other two favorite healthy meal options, burgers and fries. I used actual organic beef, instead of the usual ground turkey, and mixed in some garlic, pepper, salt and onion. On my burger I put red onion and avocado, with a touch of homemade mayo, and the bread is a wonderful millet flax that I get at the co-op.
And these fries have become a much requested staple in our house. I've discovered that russet potatoes make the best fries and I just toss them in avocado oil, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Bake at 425 for about 15 -20 minutes depending on the thickness of the potatoes. (I always salt vegetables after they are cooked, if necessary, so as not to draw out too much moisture.)
Even though I've been hyping up the squash, I'm about to anticlimactically announce that the best part of the dinner was the french fry dip.
Seriously, you have got to try this. I take mayo, and blend in just a touch of avocado oil, paprika, pepper and garlic powder (the same stuff found in the french fries themselves) and dip the fries into it. Say goodbye to ketchup, because this will be your main staple on fry day.
Healthy eating!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Dairy did it
So, as many of you know, I've been struggling with a candida program/diet for a few months now. I finally talked myself into a very, very modified version of the candida program, just to get myself on something.
I started on Monday and managed just fine with absolutely no wheat or dairy. I ate lots of grapefruit and almonds, and drank tons of water. I ate protein and veggies, and fruit when I felt like it. I probably ate 6 times on Monday, but that's actually a good thing. I had been getting into the ugly habit of not eating until noon, and then not again until dinner time. But somehow filling in the gaps with loads of Easter candy, skittles, cookies, nachos...
Monday went well, except for a nagging headache, and Tuesday started out great too. However, about mid day I noticed I had another headache. Then on Wednesday I had another headache. Hmmm, I think this may have something to do with withdrawal from dairy.
The reason I'm leaning towards dairy more so than wheat is because I have yet to crave a piece of wheat bread, or a cookie. What I've been craving is loaded mashed potatoes with cream cheese, sour cream and/or cheddar cheese. I have been drooling over my stupid cheesecake that's waiting for me in the freezer. So, that makes me think that since I am craving dairy, it must be that which is causing my withdrawal symptoms.
I did a quick google search for dairy withdrawal, and sure enough...people were experiencing the same things that I was. Headaches, moodiness, and other unpleasantness I won't go into here.
On Monday and Tuesday I was very tired and moody, which my husband can attest to as being fairly common around here, but Wednesday I woke up with so much energy that I had the dishes washed, the kids clothed, the wallpaper border in the second bedroom completely removed, the laundry room wall scraped and primed for repair (small rain leak), and the floor vacuumed. I even sat down a few times to play with the play doh with Jacob and the Nintendo ds with Joshua. AND, I ate a nice healthy salad for lunch....all of this before 11!!!
Also, this morning I noticed that the little bumps on my forehead were gone. GONE! I had started noticing them a few weeks ago and no amount of creams or ointments was working. Could this be another benefit of no dairy? This could save me lots of money.
I am onto something big here, I can feel it. But, since I caved in and ate a piece of that $@#! cheesecake yesterday, it will be like starting over, but now I know the common link, and am looking forward to more energy and hopefully more consistently positive moods. yippee! Just say no...to dairy!
(disclaimer: I am in no way saying to boycott the cow industry. please do not sue me, nice farmers.)
I started on Monday and managed just fine with absolutely no wheat or dairy. I ate lots of grapefruit and almonds, and drank tons of water. I ate protein and veggies, and fruit when I felt like it. I probably ate 6 times on Monday, but that's actually a good thing. I had been getting into the ugly habit of not eating until noon, and then not again until dinner time. But somehow filling in the gaps with loads of Easter candy, skittles, cookies, nachos...
Monday went well, except for a nagging headache, and Tuesday started out great too. However, about mid day I noticed I had another headache. Then on Wednesday I had another headache. Hmmm, I think this may have something to do with withdrawal from dairy.
The reason I'm leaning towards dairy more so than wheat is because I have yet to crave a piece of wheat bread, or a cookie. What I've been craving is loaded mashed potatoes with cream cheese, sour cream and/or cheddar cheese. I have been drooling over my stupid cheesecake that's waiting for me in the freezer. So, that makes me think that since I am craving dairy, it must be that which is causing my withdrawal symptoms.
I did a quick google search for dairy withdrawal, and sure enough...people were experiencing the same things that I was. Headaches, moodiness, and other unpleasantness I won't go into here.
On Monday and Tuesday I was very tired and moody, which my husband can attest to as being fairly common around here, but Wednesday I woke up with so much energy that I had the dishes washed, the kids clothed, the wallpaper border in the second bedroom completely removed, the laundry room wall scraped and primed for repair (small rain leak), and the floor vacuumed. I even sat down a few times to play with the play doh with Jacob and the Nintendo ds with Joshua. AND, I ate a nice healthy salad for lunch....all of this before 11!!!
Also, this morning I noticed that the little bumps on my forehead were gone. GONE! I had started noticing them a few weeks ago and no amount of creams or ointments was working. Could this be another benefit of no dairy? This could save me lots of money.
I am onto something big here, I can feel it. But, since I caved in and ate a piece of that $@#! cheesecake yesterday, it will be like starting over, but now I know the common link, and am looking forward to more energy and hopefully more consistently positive moods. yippee! Just say no...to dairy!
(disclaimer: I am in no way saying to boycott the cow industry. please do not sue me, nice farmers.)
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