Wisdom Nutrition Blog

Recovery

2012-01-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

I had major surgery in November. A complication from Crohns disease sent me to urgent surgery in my abdomen. I am OK now and recovering. I am on iron infusions because of my anemia and after 7 (out of 10 total) infusions I am starting to get my energy back. I have been walking since the third day after my surgery and for the last 3 weeks I have been incorporating more walking, some yoga and weights. I also restarted my low-carb regimen. (I was gluten free since September but I ate more carbohydrates after my surgery.)

It has been hard for me to talk about this because I have had to resolve a misconception in my mind: that I could maintain my health without medication. The truth is there is a chance I could maintain my health without medication, but to try to do so is taking a bigger risk to myself and consequently my family than I am willing to take any more. It has taken some time but I am at peace with this now.

Until recently I also had severe iron deficiency which has worked against my energy level. I was starting to think I had chronic fatigue. It is important to take care of the more obvious physiological causes before trying to find any obscure solution. Often the simplest explanation IS the best one. Between the iron deficiency keeping my energy down, the prednizone giving me food cravings, and the post-surgery "take it easy" relative inactivity (not to mention the pain) I have gotten to where I need to lose weight desperately.

I am OK with having a scar from my navel to my panty line but I also feel swollen now and I just don't like it. I have never been this heavy when I wasn't pregnant. My self-image is skewed. I see my reflection or recent pictures of me and I have trouble believing that I am seeing myself. I don't mean that I think I'm thin, I am not comfortable in my skin and also I look at myself and can't believe I look even worse than I feel.

I got back on track and I am trying to practice forgiveness of myself. I recently read a great article about how some people who lose a lot of weight are able to maintain it (very few can) and why it is so difficult, why we all think it is supposed to be easy and why the math (cals in vs. cals out) doesn't work for all of us and works less and less as we diet more and get older. It is a must-read for anyone who has trouble losing and maintaining weight. It is not a character flaw if you are not able to do this, your body is working against you. Also read "Why We Get Fat and What to do About It" by Gary Taubes.

I am only on day 2, and the first three days are the hardest. I already feel better and I am shooting for a 30 lb weight loss by June. From just one day back on Atkins I have lost 2 lbs water weight and that is always encouraging. This time around I feel like I know what I am up against and my motto is: One Day at a Time!

When No Results are an Accomplishment

2011-10-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Paleo goal did not work out so well. It is hard for me to admit my shortcomings, but I am realizing how strong of an effect Prednisone has on my insulin and blood sugar levels. From what I have read in different forums and articles, maintaining weight while on prednisone is an achievement. So, go me! (dubious)

I have remained gluten-free 100% for over a month now, but the low-carb, no-grains thing is very difficult. More difficult because of this medication than it would be for someone not on it. What I experience with this medication is strong pit-of-my-stomach hunger pangs even doing super low-carb. From what I read, it is very difficult to do low-carb when on prednisone but it must be done to counteract the effects on insulin resistance and increased blood sugar levels.

I have known the effects of this medication and I had decided not to try to lose weight until the doctor took me off of it. Waiting is hard because I know I could do it if it wasn't for this medication. I have to continue trying, though because even if I can't lose weight, I have to try to maintain and not gain.

Many people report gaining 30-40 lbs while on this drug. Fortunately I have been pretty stable. It is hard sometimes to "see" the effects of your efforts when there is no movement on the scale, but in a situation like this it is important to see that "no movement" is a success in and of itself.

I remember years ago when I was on it and I did gain about 20 lbs. Once I was off of it the weight came off pretty easily. Hopefully I will be able to go off of it at the end of this month and can begin again.

These days I have not had more than 2 servings of (gluten-free) grains per day and maybe 1 serving of fruit per day. Other than that it is pretty much eggs, meat and veggies. I just need to hang on a little longer and then I can get a bit more strict.

Lebanese One-Dish Meal

2011-10-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

I wish I knew the name of this fabulous one-dish meal. It has been a family favorite for years, ever since a Lebanese friend of ours shared this family recipe with us. It was my brother's favorite for a while because it packs a protein punch which is quite satisfying especially after his martial arts workouts. We called it "Nathan's Favorite".

It is super low-carb, grain-free and dairy free. Let me tell you that you do not miss a thing. It is just perfect yet so simple. My husband has expressed that it is one of his favorites as well. When our friend visits this weekend I will ask her the name of this dish.

It consists of three layers and essentially resembles the cross between a pizza and an omlet.

Bottom Layer: Egg

Heat a skillet on Medium with 2 tsp olive oil. Break 4-6 eggs in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently with fork then pour into heated skillet. Do not scramble, just let it cook into a pancake, flip once. Remove from heat and set on a large serving plate.

Middle Layer: Ground Beef

Saute 1 lb ground beef in 2 tsp olive oil. Add 1/2 tsp granulated garlic or 1 fresh clove, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown the meat, then spread over the egg.

Top Layer: Vegetables

Stir fry vegetables: Onion, celery, carrots, green beans, red and green peppers, zucchini, fresh garlic, salt to taste (soy sauce optional). This layer goes on top.

Serve warm.

Quinoa "Tabbouleh" Salad

2011-09-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Any recipe you make with cous cous you can make with Quinoa or Amaranth. The texture might change a bit, but the flavors are what count! This is gluten-free with vegan and dairy-free options.

Ingredients:
1 cup (dry measure) quinoa
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (use tender inner part for best results)
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley (you can also use mint or basil but parsley is my preference)

diced fresh tomatoes
sea salt to taste

crumbled goat milk feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

Cover quinoa with water, put in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and soak at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. This removes tannins which can be bitter and make it harder to digest. If you have a rice maker it works really well for quinoa too. The ratio is 1:2 cups quinoa:water. It can also be cooked on the stove following package directions. When it is done cooking, transfer to a medium bowl, pour in the extra virgin olive oil, toss gently with a fork and set aside to cool. Place in the refrigerator once it comes to room temperature. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once the quinoa is cooled in the refrigerator you can add the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes and feta (if using). The lemon juice causes the tomatoes to lose their firm texture so it is best to add them just before serving. Also the feta cheese is a dairy product and the salad lasts a lot longer in the refrigerator if you add it just before serving. You may want to add a drizzle of fresh olive oil just before serving as well.

OK Low-Carb Paleo, Here I GO!

2011-09-29T16:32:00.001-07:00

In the midst of so much stress lately, I wondered what exactly would be the kicker. What was going to get me whipped into shape?? I wanted to start the 30 day Paleo Challenge earlier this month with a bunch of people, but it wasn't the right time for me. Today I read about Stacy's results of her Low-Carb Paleo challenge for her birthday. Then I saw this video:

Being on medications that are known to make people gain I had given up on losing weight until I could get off of them. I was hoping to maintain, but that is not happening. I am actually gaining! Whether I lose or not, I'm going to take it one week at a time. I was waiting for the right time, so here I go. Starting tomorrow morning (because I already have gluten-free cinnamon rolls in the oven for today) I will commit to one week. Next week we will talk about the following week. That is as much as I can handle right now. I can handle a week! Wish me luck!

As an added incentive, I'm going to schedule family pictures for hopefully the beginning of November!

2011-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

"And they got their answer. According to a recent report by The Complete Patient, Judge Fiedler believes that no individual has a "fundamental right" to consume any food without government permission. Even though the Ninth Amendment to the US Constitution establishes that the government has no business interfering in the affairs of individuals outside of what has been specifically enumerated to it, which, of course, includes freedom of food choice, Judge Fiedler apparently believes otherwise....To summarize Judge Fiedler's response, which was obviously written in an arrogant and condescending tone, individuals have no fundamental right to own or use dairy cows, to consume the milk from their own cows, to board their cows off their own property, or even to produce and consume the foods of their own choice, period."

Learn more:

WI judge declares that individuals have no fundamental right to own cows, drink raw milk

Wha???

So the government is now going to control our right to eat? Sorry, but this does not sit well with me. What business does the government have?? I am speechless...

Medications Are Like Crutches

2011-09-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

If you hurt your leg you may need crutches for a while until you can get better and then you don't need them any more. Some people need crutches permanently because they have a disability. To them crutches allow them to keep their strength up so they don't have to be stuck to a wheel chair. Some people need a wheel chair for the rest of their lives. We don't tell people who are disabled that they can do better than that, so why do we tell people with chronic conditions that they should do better than they are doing and that they don't need their medications?

In the face of my recent health issues, I have had to rethink my relationship with medications. For seven years I was able to keep my Crohns Disease at bay with a gluten-free anti-inflammatory diet. All of a sudden in the last two months I have gone from no medications to several specific to this autoimmune disease. I knew that not being on maintenance medications was a risk. A calculated risk I was willing to take because I assumed that if I were to have any problems, that I would start having some mild symptoms before anything got really bad. I was wrong.

My doctor says I'm a strange case: a patient who has almost no symptoms and a very severe flare-up. She says she was taught to treat the patient, not the disease (I really like her) but she said in my case we need to treat the disease a bit because I don't feel very sick. I don't know if I have an overdeveloped sense of denial, or maybe I just have learned to tolerate my discomforts, or maybe I just really don't have that many symptoms and am just "weird" (not something I have ruled out). I realized that my doctor saw me as a challenge because she thought she would have to convince me to take medications even though I had few symptoms.

The risk with my particular condition is that left unchecked, mild inflammation over many years can cause a lot of scarring, which could lead to eventually needing surgery which should be avoided at all costs. There are other conditions like diabetes that some doctors say CAN be controlled without medication. Again, there is a risk. It is fine if you get it under control but nobody is perfect. What if around the holidays you let things slip and bad eating becomes a habit again?

For years I believed I was doing the right thing by not taking medications when I didn't seem to need them. The thing is that nobody is perfect. We all struggle from time to time. I had a good balance going up until and through most of my pregnancy. I admit that post-partum something threw me off. Whether it was the life adjustment or the hormonal shift, whatever happened I lost my balance and though I did pretty well, I wasn't as disciplined as before. Eventually I ended up where I was. By the time I got back on track it was too late to reverse the inflammation.

Medications are not the end result. They are not an excuse to eat bad or to let things go. They are a crutch. Some people have underlying genetic conditions that essentially create a disadvantage. Most people can maintain perfect health if they eat very well and even if they slip up from time to time. Some people will need medications to help them get back on track.

Convictions from Alternative Medicine Practitioners

I am a huge supporter of "finding what works for you" including alternative treatments. Without going to a chiropractor or naturopathic doctor I may never have discovered my food intolerances and been able to reduce inflammation through diet. If I was as disciplined as I would like to be I may even be able to stay on track and may not have had another flare-up. At this point I have to admit my limitations and move on from here.

I subscribe to a Paleo newsletter and read a recent article by a doctor that supports the Paleo diet and answers questions about how it can be a part of a treatment plan for any chronic disease. In this recent article he was answering a question that a subscriber posted regarding his son who has Crohns Disease and has been doing better on the Paleo lifestyle. In the response to this man he said "Crohns disease is one that can be controlled with diet and no drugs". He goes on to mention that first one must make sure to eliminate all food allergens and stick to a diet low in sugar, even fruit sugars. This article really hit me hard.

At this point I have to accept medications because my condition could get worse without help. Food is good medicine but it is not fast acting. It cannot reverse the disease process overnight and right now the benefits of medicine outweigh the risks.

The thing that I would tell myself if I could go back in time is this: if you are going to go off of maintenance medications, still follow up with your doctor and have regular check-ups. It is hard to refuse medications and still go to the doctor, but do it anyway. I guess I was hoping I had gotten away from the medications. I don't like taking meds. They have side-effects and they are expensive, but I concede that sometimes they are necessary. If you aren't being checked on regularly you may get into a severe condition again before you even know it!

Eventually the goal will be to be on as few medications as possible, keep up with seeing the doctor regularly and continue with the diet that I know works to control my inflammation. The check-ups will be necessary. The doctor right now is telling me that she would prefer I stay on some maintenance medication even once I get into remission. I have time to decide but right now I think I owe it to my family and to myself to at least consider assuring a quality of life.

It is not just me any more. These are the people I care about

and I owe it to them to secure a quality of life.

Zucchini "Chips"

2011-09-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

These can be made with any kind of summer squash. Actually, it can be made with winter squash, sweet potatoes and yams too, but let's not get sidetracked. I basically began making these in preparation for a grilled zucchini-roll recipe and they just never made it to get cooled and rolled up with other goodies because we ate them right off the baking pan. I don't have a good picture because they are not really "pretty" but they taste great. You can vary the thinness and baking time to get them crispy or just browned enough to roll up with various tasty fillings, but this is the basic recipe:

Ingredients:
Zucchini, Summer Squash, Patty-Pans Whatever! Sliced 1/4 inch thick.
Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush olive oil on the bottom of your baking dish. spread your sliced pieces around the dish and brush the tops with more olive oil. The pieces can touch because they shrink when they bake. Sprinkle with granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly browned, a little longer if you want them crispy. Enjoy!

Cool them first and you can wrap them around spinach leaves and feta, herbed cream cheese, sliced fresh tomato and basil, or whatever!

Passing it on...

2011-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was honored today with a dubious award of Versatile Blogger by my good friend at The Faery Inn. I'm not sure if it is because I have blogs that range in variety or a variety of blogs that have completely different topics but I gleefully accept!

Some might say I am not very focused, but I like to think that I evolve as I continue to grow in my knowledge. Years ago this particular site began as an Atkins self-experiment and has evolved into a gluten-free and whole foods blog. As I continue with confidence about what my purpose is, I still admit that I don't know everything. I don't believe we can learn if we assume that we are experts. That being said, experience, which is somewhat documented in my writing is invaluable. That is what makes blogs so interesting and versatile.

First I want to thank Tiffany for the award. We have an unusual friendship as it has grown more from cyber-interactions than face-time. She and her husband were friends of my husband's first and since they live in another state we have only seen them about once a year when they visit their family near us. Fortunately we seem to get along very well despite having different personalities as she is much more outgoing than I am. She has encouraged me through my first pregnancy and breastfeeding more than she even knows. She has been my long-distance doula. I cherish her friendship as one of my long-time friends.

Part of accepting this award is stating seven things that I may not have shared before. I don't know if this will be relevant to this blog, but here goes:

1) I haven't really committed to any particular political viewpoint but not because I don't have opinions, but because not one political party represents all of my ideals. Only recently has it been pointed out to me that I sound like a Libertarian. OK?

2) I didn't even want kids until I met my husband, but I knew I was ready when I got pregnant. I never knew HOW MUCH I would LOVE being a mom until I had my daughter.

3) I am a total geek and proud of it!

4) I don't enjoy ROMCOMs or Soaps. I'll take a good Sci-Fi or Action Movie any day!

5) I love to do pottery and I own a potters wheel but I don't have time to do any right now. My husband has promised one day to build me a studio and a kiln.

6) My mom is my best girlfriend. Our relationship was good before but since I became an adult we have become even closer.

7) I have been told on several occasions "I thought you were a snob until I got to know you, now I really like you". I don't know how to correct this error in perception, but I am open to suggestions.

The next part of accepting this award is passing it on to five blogs. I frequent a lot of blogs, but few of them are sites that I would say are "versatile". Others that might have qualified have not been updated recently, so I don't really see the point in handing out five awards. Instead I pass it on to one that has stood out to me lately. Here goes:

My cousin-in-law, Alexa. She is a brilliant young woman who has more wisdom at her age than I had, for sure. I hope my daughter will grow up as brilliant as she.

Back on Meds

2011-09-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

This might sound strange but I am back on meds for Crohns Disease and I'm surprised that I'm starting to feel better. I have gone without them for so long and perhaps demonized them a little in my mind so that when I'm feeling better I am confused by this. I have been praying about it a lot lately. I pray over my meds every morning like some people do for meals. I hope I am doing the right thing.

Last night I was feeling a sense of well-beeing just short of euphoria. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the "feeling better". I guess I didn't know how not-well I was feeling until I started feeling better. Not all of the symptoms have gone away yet, but I have noticed a few changes. I also didn't expect there to be such an improvement in just a few days. The doctor said it could take a few weeks.

This week I did have some new blood tests done. Some are genetic tests that I didn't have to pay for that are being run for research purposes. They can do all the blood tests they want, I just don't want to be a medication guinea pig. One thing that patients need to keep in mind is that you do have the freedom to choose your treatment plan. Not enough people realize this. If you are facing chemo, you don't have to accept it, for instance. We always have to consider quality of life.

What does "quality of life" mean to you?

Colonoscopy

2011-09-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

If you are squeamish about this sort of thing, just know that it is a very important test and you too will eventually need to have one done. When you get brave, come back and read, otherwise stand warned. (TMI alert)

It took me years to get comfortable talking about my bowels. I know, it is not polite conversation, but our intestines are a very important and undervalued organ. The bowel absorbs all of our sustenance and we need to treat it kindly. We cannot ignore symptoms that it is out of balance.

Most people don't need to have a colonoscopy until they are in their 50's or so, but if you have any gastric issues, bleeding or history in the family then you really should not wait. There are symptoms and diseases that if caught early by a colonoscopy can be treated to ensure a quality of life for your future. Colon cancer is very common but also very treatable!!

In my case, I was diagnosed with Colitis (Crohns Disease, specifically) about 14 years ago. Yesterday I had a colonoscopy with a new doctor after my recent flare-up. The colonoscopy revealed a severe flare-up. The outcome did not really change my life, but it changed my perception about the last 8 years of my life because I have been free of any flare-ups without having to take medication. This new doctor says that since I have CD she doesn't want me to be off of maintenance medications.

She found a stricture (a place so inflamed that there was hardly any space for stuff to move through the colon) and that is a bit scary to me. I was just a few millimeters away from an obstruction--meaning surgery. I feel that I have been irresponsible with my lack of seeking medical attention. I feel I may have been in denial of what could happen if I don't keep up with what the doctor recommends. I am stubborn and I didn't want to believe that I would have to take medications for the rest of my life.

My life has changed a lot in the last 8 years and now I have a family and lots of people who love me and depend on me. I need to be sure that I maintain a quality of life for myself in order to have the strength and energy to take care of the people I love. I can't take chances with my health.

No matter what I will continue with the same WOE. I still believe that it has helped me keep the inflammation down, if not away. Taking medications is not an excuse to eat badly. Medications cannot make up for an unhealthy lifestyle. If I can continue eating well as I begin the medications, then I can do my best to ensure a quality of life for my future and that of my family.

Zucchini "Noodle" Soup

2011-09-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't have comfort food when you're not eating grains?? This soup will warm your tummy and your heart. It is great for any gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb, whole foods diet plan.

I don't promote a lot of products but the Pampered Chef Julienne Peeler works great for making really long, uniform zucchini noodles. You can use a shredder, but you will end up with little, short noodles. You can make noodles out of the peel and outer white part of the vegetable, but avoid the inner part with the seeds. You can save that in the freezer and add it to a soup later, but it doesn't work for this purpose.

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, shredded or julienned in to fine noodles

2 cups chicken stock or bone broth

1 Tbsp grated parmesan (optional)

1-2 Tbsp leftover chicken, cubed (if you have it)

Directions:

Place the julienned zucchini in your serving bowl(s). Set aside.

For the perfect al-dente zucchini noodle be careful not to overcook. The best way I have found is to bring the broth to boiling and pour it over the raw zucchini noodles about 5-10 minutes before serving. They cook just from the boiling broth and by the time it is cool enough to eat, they are cooked just perfectly.

Enjoy right away!

Variation: You can just cook the zucchini noodles in boiling plain water then drain them and serve them with your favorite pasta sauce. Also they are great in stir-fries, but add them in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking or they become too soft.

Kitchen Clean-Out

2011-09-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Whether you have been gluten-free, dairy-free or whatever for a while or whether this is all new to you, doing a periodic kitchen clean-out is essential. I haven't cleaned out my pantry since I moved back in February (and that wasn't a very thorough job). Since then my daughter's food sensitivities have come up and I need to clear out some stuff because there is just no reason to have it in the house any more.

I have always believed that a person's house should be a safe-zone.

There are now some things that I just won't use any more. There is no reason to keep things around the house if everyone can't eat them. There is enough other food to eat that we don't have to keep it around the house.

Fortunately my husband is very supportive of this. He knows when we go out he can get whatever he wants and since he enjoys my cooking no matter what I make, he doesn't complain about the selection at home.

I decided that since my daughter's sensitivities are not life-threatening, I will just keep home safe and avoid those foods when we go out but not make it a big deal. As she grows up she will learn what she needs to avoid and make those choices on her own.

Keeping On and Forgiveness

2011-09-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. With a tight budget and a lot of life-changes pending (hearing about a couple of jobs he interviewed for and possible re-diagnosis of my condition after 14 years) we chose to spend some time at the beach and just go out to dinner. We have to postpone any big celebrations for when we can afford it.

I would love to go to the beach (about a 2 hour drive away) more often but it seems we only make it about 3 or 4 times per year. This was our first trip to the coast in over a year, however. I have always gotten the fish and chips even though it always has gluten. On one hand I justify it by saying that I avoid it most of the time so that once or twice a year I can really enjoy something like this. I do enjoy it! However, the next couple of days when I have to suffer some consequences (even if it is just guilt) and I begin to feel like a failure.

I have been reading a lot of Paleo blogs lately. This new name for an old approach excites me because it seems to be catching on to the main-stream, or at least many people are embracing it. Humans need this! It is very similar to my "regular" WOE and all the new recipe sites are encouraging me. Something I came across recently in a Paleo blog was that the writer identified her WOE as "85-90% paleo".... This got me thinking.

Every time I have what I consider a "setback" even if it is just one meal I can't seem to move on. I feel that if I say I am doing "something" (whatever it is) that I should be completely and utterly non-negotiable. This perfectionism has caused a lot of disappointment, heartache and stress. I have read about diet stress and how it interferes with weight loss, but it also interferes with resolve, body image and self-esteem. I really need to get a handle on this. Besides, if every time I have a setback I decide that I have to "start over" AGAIN, it is very disheartening.

The fact that a blogger, promoting a very specific diet plan admits to not being perfect about it kind of opened my eyes. I need to practice more self-forgiveness. So today, instead of "starting over" with my no-gluten, no-uncultured-dairy, no-sugar regimen, I will just get back to it!

In the past I felt that I would have to call today "Day 1" again to be honest with myself and whoever might be reading this. In essence I am being too hard on myself. All of this is hard enough without making it harder.

Daughter with Food Sensitivities Update

2011-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of gluten-free, peanut free and switching her to goat's milk, Blueberry's rash has almost completely disappeared. All that is left looks like some healing dry skin. I have to admit I had my doubts about the food eliminations because it was not clearing up right away, but I persisted to wait it out for at least a month. I am glad I didn't have to wait that long to see the results.

She is 19 months now and seems to have made the transition quite smoothly. She loves her new crackers and rice meal instead of oatmeal. I have also made sure to incorporate more protein foods. She is such an easy, wonderful little girl.

I don't know if this is the end of the list for foods she needs to eliminate, but it is a good start. The rash disappearing is a good indication that we are headed in the right direction.

Eventually I would like to have a mostly paleo household, but our budget is really tight right now and I am doing the best I can. I just pray that it is enough for now.

Coconut Bark

2011-08-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

I played with a few different recipes to create my own coconut bark. You can see some variations in this Low Carb Friends Forum thread. It is pictured here in the square white bowl along with some nuts and fruit I served for dessert at a dinner party tonight. I received many complements on the coconut bark by all. In attendance we had one diabetic, one person on Atkins, a vegetarian and a few that just enjoyed each morsel guilt-free.

Ingredients:
4 TBSP Coconut Oil
4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 drop almond flavor
2 pkt spenda (or whatever alternate sweetener you desire)
2 TBSP unsweetened coconut flakes (try to find some bigger flakes)
2 TBSP unsweetened grated coconut (you can just use grated if you like, or if that is what you have on hand, but I like the texture of mixing both.)

Instructions:
Toast the coconut in the oven on 300 degrees F about 5 minutes, watching closely. You just want it lightly amber colored, not brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool. Prepare a pie plate or an 8x8 inch baking dish by lining it with plastic wrap, wax paper or aluminum foil.

Melt the coconut oil in a double boiler and get it to the liquid state. Add the cocoa powder, sweetener and almond flavor. Place the toasted coconut in the prepared baking dish, pour the chocolate mixture over the toasted coconut. Set in the freezer until hard. Break apart and store in refrigerator or freezer.

Variations:
--Replace some or all of the coconut with some other nuts. Try different textures and flavor mixtures.
--Replace almond flavor with hazelnut flavor or vanilla
--Omit cocoa powder and add a citrus flavor and vanilla
--Add 1 TBSP of almond (or other nut) butter

Crock Pot Cooking

2011-08-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

We are having family over for dinner tonight and I am making a Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker. The linked recipe is almost perfect, but I omit the potatoes and onion soup mix (because it is hard to find one without MSG) and add paprika when browning the meat before sticking it in the crock pot.

Crock pot recipes are not only great for convenience for planned-overs and dinners during the week, but also for when you are hosting a lot of people over and don't want to be finishing up the cooking as they are arriving. Busy moms cannot do without this. In our family the host always prepares the main dish and others bring the sides. We are all either on Atkins, Paleo or on a Diabetic diet and we are very respectful of each others' needs. Luckily these three diets are very compatible.

No busy family can do without a Crock Pot.

Smart Kid!

2011-08-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Zucchini

2011-08-21T11:41:00.001-07:00

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free with Dairy-Free Variation
Appropriate for Atkins, South Beach, Specific Carbohydrate and Paleo Diets

This is a great time of year for making stuffed zucchini. Use those overgrown zucchini from the garden or farmer's market. The following recipe is grain-free and can be made dairy-free if needed. I publish my recipes with several variations because people have different sensitivities to food and I want to make it easy for you to modify a recipe for your particular WOE (way of eating). I hope that through my substitutions you can learn to make your own substitutions in your favorite recipes.

Ingredients:
Several large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise (you can also use pattypan squash, peppers or tomatoes)
1 lb ground meat of your choice (beef, bison, chicken, turkey, venison, veal, elk, etc.)
2-3 eggs or equivalent
2 stalks celery, chopped finely
1 onion, diced
2-4 cloves minced garlic (per your preference, I like lots of garlic!)
2 carrots, diced (optional)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 2 TBSP homemade pesto
1/2 cup shredded cheese* (cheddar or mozzarella)
1/2 cup grated parmesan*
2 TBSP Olive or Coconut Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste (I add about 1 tsp of celtic sea salt, but I let people add their own pepper when I serve it)

Topping: (optional)
4 Tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup grated parmesan

*substitute equivalent (cup for cup) of chopped nuts, almond flour, flax meal OR cooked sprouted grain for the cheese.

Directions:

Prepare the zucchini by scraping out the seeds only (leave the flesh). If they are very large (over 6 inches long) cut into 4-6 inch lengths. Drizzle oil of choice on the bottom of a baking pan large enough to fit all of your zucchini, then place the zucchini in the pan. You can put additional chopped vegetables between the zucchini to fill the space. Sprinkle some salt on the prepared zucchini to draw out any bitterness. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat oil of choice. Add chopped onions, celery and carrots. Saute until it starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss in minced garlic, saute another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix together ground meat of your choice, eggs, cheese (or substitutes) and salt (if using). Add saute'd vegetable mixture once it has cooled enough that you can touch it without burning your fingers. (Basically you want to not pre-cook the egg in the mixture). Combine thoroughly.

Scoop meat/vegetable mixture into the prepared zucchini "bowls". Top with sliced tomatoes and additional cheese (or substitutes). Place in preheated oven. Bake 45-60 minutes. Serve warm.

Farmageddon! Watch it! Share it!

2011-08-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Muscle Testing

2011-08-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

While explaining to close family and friends about the testing for allergies that we did on my 18 month old daughter, I came across some questions that I didn't know how to answer. Specifically about surrogate muscle testing. I trust my chiropractor so I didn't even think to ask some of these questions that came up. I had read Your Body Doesn't Lie years ago, which is a simple book about the science of kinesthesiology, but I didn't remember certain points about surrogate testing. I decided to do more research and I came across this article about surrogate and self testing.

I feel that since I have many food sensitivities that it would be beneficial for me to learn some sort of self-testing. I want to stress that it is not a replacement for going to a professional, but can be helpful for people who suffer from many sensitivities. It is also important to keep the body in balance by regular visits to a professional chiropractor. You should probably have experienced some form of muscle testing done by a professional to get a feel for it before you try to do it on your own. Even better: ask your practitioner how to do some self testing.

I decided to do some self-testing with the techniques presented in the article. I used the O-Ring test, as described by the article above and found it very straightforward and consistent with previous allergy tests. I used some control samples of things I know I am not allergic to and some things I know I am allergic to and intermingled some other random things. Another important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you are hydrated and relaxed. Also be sure to do some control testing in-between items, especially after testing weak to something. If you start testing weak when doing a control, then stop testing. This list of 18 items was all I could do today before I started feeling "done". Don't try to do too much on any one day because you will start getting inaccurate results.

8/20/11 O-Ring Muscle Self-Testing
strong=no reaction/safe food
weak=sensitivity/allergy/should avoid

coconut flour -- strong
coconut oil -- strong (confirmed by previous testing)
tapioca flour -- ?? use sparingly
Kix cereal -- weak (previously tested weak to corn)
cinnamon -- strong
onion powder -- strong
peanut butter -- weak (confirmed by previous testing)
banana -- strong
Ferrum Phos (Hyland's brand supplement) -- strong
garlic powder -- strong
premium multi-grain crackers (have wheat and other grains) -- weak (confirmed sensitivity to wheat from previous testing)
zucchini -- strong
cow's milk -- weak (confirmed by previous testing)
coconut milk (So Delicious Brand)-- strong
dairy whipping cream -- weak (confirmed by previous testing)
stevia liquid -- strong
Pacific Ultra Soy Plus (soy milk) -- weak (confirmed by previous testing)
Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk -- strong

Daughter with Food Sensitivities

2011-08-19T10:20:00.001-07:00

For two months Blueberry (nickname) has had a rash on her back. Before this it came and went, but now it is pretty much there all the time. I assume it itches sometimes because she tries to scratch her lower back. When it gets red I have put hydrocortisone cream on it because of my pediatrician's suggestion. He said it could be viral or a heat rash and he said it was "normal" for kids to have rashes this young. He said he couldn't do allergy testing yet so we had to just deal with it. (OK, he didn't say "deal with it" but I felt like he brushed me off.) The creams didn't seem to help and cool baths that are supposed to help heat rashes didn't help. I just didn't buy that this was "normal" and I was not content to let my 18 month old daughter go around with a permanent rash without further investigation.

This morning we went to our favorite Chiropractor. We took Blueberry in for food allergy/sensitivity testing. He doesn't do the skin prick or blood testing. We did surrogate muscle testing. For those who do not understand this form of testing please read Your Body Doesn't Lie. I, myself have been diagnosed with sensitivities with a few different methods and this seems to be more accurate than even blood testing, so don't knock it 'till you try it! It is also cheaper and more convenient (you can learn to do it yourself with the assistance of one other person).

Blueberry tested weak (highly sensitive) to: wheat in any form (we tested 100% ww bread, wheat thins and wheat flour animal crackers), corn meal and tortillas, cows milk, soy milk, peanut butter (Adam's natural), and cooked instant oatmeal. Dr Jim said to definitely eliminate these foods.

She tested mildly sensitive to cheerios, cooked egg yolk, and organic almond butter (but not almond milk). He said to limit these foods and that they could go in and out sparingly.

She had no reaction (testing strong) to almond milk, rice cakes, cooked brown rice, tapioca flour, egg whites, coconut oil and coconut flour. We plan on giving her coconut milk and rotate the almond milk. I have plenty of recipes for bread that call for rice, tapioca and egg whites so I think I will be fine making her bread.

I am gluten-free and she will grow up thinking this is normal. I am not glad she has sensitivities, I was hoping she was more like my husband in that sense, but I am glad that we had the insight and help from a trusted friend/chiropractor. I am also glad that we can try to help her early before she has any long-term effects from being exposed to these things.

This is a new beginning and we will strive towards a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free diet. The change will be subtle, but significant.

On My Own

2011-08-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

I was diagnosed 14 years ago with Crohns Disease. Now I am facing that it may have been a misdiagnosis. When I was diagnosed I fell into a depression and how I coped and came out of it changed me and put me on the path that I am on today. I will not deny that there is a reason for where I am. That being said, I remember having to face a lot of the challenges on my own. I was discouraged from joining support groups by my doctors because they said it would only make me more depressed. My mother confiscated my books on Crohns disease because I couldn't read them without crying hysterically.

14 years ago I didn't have as much access to the internet and all the information (and misinformation) that there is now. I wonder how I would have coped, what would have been different, if I had anyone to talk to who was going through the same thing I was when I was first diagnosed. I sometimes pass through some of the Crohns disease support forums or the gluten-free forums. I feel like an outsider. I don't know if there is anything to be gained by sharing in sorrow and yet I wonder if I am missing something.

Someone in my family recently emailed me that they read my story on my website and they said that they were "hurt" that I did not share my story with them at the time. First of all this person knew I had CD, so I'm not really sure why they are pissy about not having all the details before everyone else, but it has nothing to do with anyone else but me. There are no manuals on how to cope. We all find our own way. We are all different.

I am a fairly private person by nature. I know I'm sharing this on a public blog, but I'm not really sure if anyone really reads it. I share the link with my close friends, but I don't even know if they read it regularly. It took me a long time to be able to share any of my struggles and I wish people would understand that everyone copes in a different way. My hope in sharing is that I can help someone, somewhere, but rarely do I let people help me. Maybe I'm stubborn or maybe I'm just a know-it-all.

I think I just don't know how to ask for help. It is hard to trust people because like my unnamed relative, people tend to take things personally when they don't get that it is not about them. Also it is easier not to have the expectation of somebody being there for me when they might disappoint me. I have learned to rely on myself.

A really good friend of mine told me recently that I don't give her enough opportunities to be there for me. The funny thing is that I open up to her more than a lot of people I know. She is probably right though, she has a way with seeing right through me sometimes. How many other opportunities with people am I missing?

Crohns or Not? Misdiagnosis?

2011-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

After 14 years of being told I had Crohns Disease, my new Gastroenterologist is not convinced that I was correctly diagnosed to begin with. We still have more testing to do as the technology for testing has advanced and the diagnosis has been refined in the last 1.5 decades. I begin the process of re-establishing a baseline and perhaps re-diagnosis.

Soon I will be doing a Prometheus Test (including retesting me for Celiacs Disease) as well as another colonoscopy. She said if I have Crohns Disease she is not comfortable with me being off of all medications, but she wants to do more testing to figure it out. I asked her why I should be on any medications if I went nearly 8 years since my last flare-up. She said she isn't sure yet what I have and that if I don't have Crohns Disease then she doesn't want me to have to take medications either.

When we talked about my gluten intolerance and how it seemed to flare up after I re-introduced gluten in my diet, she said she doesn't think the gluten is related to Crohns. However, she also said she doesn't think I should eat gluten since it seems to help me to avoid it (I told her about not having migraines after I stopped eating it) and that most people would be healthier and less overweight not eating it. She said if I have Crohns, it wasn't the lack of gluten that kept me from having a flare-up, but she isn't convinced that I have CD. She said there is also a possibility that I have Crohns and a separate food intolerance, or that I just have a food intolerance that is not yet diagnosed. She really didn't want to commit to any diagnosis since she is missing a lot of information, but I appreciate that.

After years of believing it was one thing, I am confused and thrown-off by all of this. Fourteen years of believing I had CD has shaped a lot of my life. I am still in the middle of processing it all. It won't change who I am. Honestly, I would rather have Celiac's disease than CD, and that would not change much of what I do. It would be liberating to think that I could just not eat wheat and possibly be OK. It may strengthen my resolve that has already been strengthening lately. I hope everything will fall into place.

Something else I have been pondering is if she now says I don't have CD, does that mean I was mis-diganosed or that I had it and now do not have it? Maybe now I just have a food intolerance? What if I did have it and now I am not healed from everything but I am healed from CD? Modern medicine could never determine that, could it? How would modern medicine explain faith-healing? Will they just write it off as a "mistake" in the original diagnosis? Is it easier to admit the fallacy of man than the absolute power of God?

Food Freedom

2011-08-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you want to know how much freedom we really have when it comes to food safety read this article on the recent raid on a raw-milk co-op in California. The co-op was investigated to find out information that wasn't being hidden. Resources are being wasted trying the co-op members for charges unrelated to the original bust while big companies like Cargill allow months to pass while people die from contaminated food.

I'm sorry, but where is the justice for the consumer? Why is our tax money being wasted on impinging the freedom of small private groups of people instead of cracking down on big corporations that weigh the "bottom line along with consumer safety"? Why do consenting adults not have the right to purchase food from sources that they personally approve? Why is a co-op with a clean record (no food poisoning in 12 years, since they began) being investigated at all? Who is behind it? The co-op has clear records that they can trace much faster than big corporations if they do have a problem and the records are available freely to all members (including the federal agents that "infiltrated" the co-op for the investigation). Why are the federal agents allowed to go in and destroy $70,000 of food belonging to this group of private individuals? We the People need to demand answers.

Whether or not you eat raw milk or unwashed eggs (which can be safely stored at room temperature if unwashed and in some countries that is how you find them in the grocery store) you should have the right to make an informed decision about the food you choose to eat. Do you eat undercooked steak? If you eat it rare you are at risk. That is still legal as far as I know, but you have the right to order it that way. These adults have the right to drink unpasteureized milk and unwashed eggs if they choose.

Healthcare Freedom (Part 1)

2011-08-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

No matter where we live we must preserve our freedom of healthcare choices. Science is still making new discoveries and nothing is absolute. Modern medicine is great at treating acute conditions (like injuries and infections) but is still figuring out the complex systems that eventually lead to chronic illnesses. Most treatments for chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, etc.) do not work 100% for everybody. This is because everyone has a different genetic makeup and is affected differently by environmental factors. I would not be as healthy as I am today if I hadn't challenged the prognosis of Crohns Disease and searched for more answers in a flawed healthcare environment.

Health and Malpractice Insurance:

I have worked in the healthcare industry for over eight years, both in the hospital setting and in a doctor’s office. I have seen how insurance billing affects patient care and I have seen how trying to prevent lawsuits is damaging to patient care standards.

What many consumers do not understand is that the health insurance that they pay for is provided by a company (doesn’t matter which one) that is not in the business of helping people. Their business is making money for their investors. They do have contracts with the consumers and they do abide by contracts or they would lose business, but as the years go by they negotiate higher and higher payments for less and less coverage. They are money making businesses.

Another big thing that American consumers do not realize is that Medicare rules are the baseline for what all the insurance companies cover. They use their billing codes (there are books full of diagnosis codes and the corresponding treatment codes that they cover) that determine what is “allowed”. These are essentially set by the government. So the whole system of insurance coverage is based on a failing system set by the United States Government. It is insurance that determines how your doctor practices medicine. Doctors who do not abide by these insurance rules lose the “privilege” of billing said insurance and would therefore lose patients.

Health insurance companies don’t just tell doctors how to practice medicine. If they want to be able to bill insurance, they also determine what they can charge for their services. If you go to a doctor that is a “provider for” a certain insurance company, that means that they have a contract to be able to bill that insurance. They do this as a courtesy to their patients. Doctors can charge whatever they want for services, but if they agree to bill your insurance they have to accept what your insurance agrees to pay.

Example: You go in for a “yearly exam” and the doctor charges $200 for that exam. When the office bills your insurance, they will get an “allowable amount” of (let’s say) $160. Assuming you have a $20 copay, the doctor gets $140 from the insurance and bills you for the $20 copay and that is all they get. If a patient goes into the office with no insurance they have to pay $200 out of pocket.

Doctors and hospitals make up the difference they don’t get from insurance companies by charging more to cash-pay patients. It is an unseen tax on people who don’t have insurance but doctors and hospitals would not make any money if they didn’t do this. Don’t go into medicine “for the money” because it just isn’t there, which brings me to another problem that is influencing the quality of care and healthcare choices: malpractice lawsuits.

Doctors cannot practice medicine without malpractice insurance. Even the best doctor will meet a patient one day who does not appreciate his service and find a reason to sue him. Doctors are not perfect and they make mistakes. In our society those mistakes are often basis for lawsuits. Whether or not the doctor is at fault they often settle the case out of court in order to preserve their reputation and end up paying out less money. Consequently their malpractice insurance goes up.

So insurance companies determine how much doctors get paid for services and they also get a good chunk of it back in malpractice insurance premiums. This is not a situation that is good for the consumer/patient. If doctors didn’t have to pay such high malpractice insurance* they could charge less for services and maybe we wouldn’t need insurance to be able to pay the doctor for regular yearly visits.

*On a side-note I would propose a governing body that would determine if doctors' errors were honest mistakes or negligence and revoke licenses from doctors who had too many issues with negligence. As the system is now, doctors lose their ability to practice in one state or their malpractice insurance gets too expensive and they just move to another state. It is a huge problem in hospitals when doctors get passed around because they make too many mistakes. Nobody should have to be their patient again after a certain point!

Autism Genetic Sensitivity Link

2011-08-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has followed the controversy about the mercury and autism link probably has had some intuition that there has to be other factors involved. A recent article has stated a direct link between exposure to mercury and autism in offspring of those with a heightened sensitivity (from other sources). It is explained in this article: http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/08/12/mercury-poisoning-linked-to-autism-passed-genetically/

When adults are exposed to high levels of mercury they can develop Pinks disease. When children are exposed in utero or early in development they can develop Autism. I'm sure that this is not the only answer but it seems that we are putting things together and hopefully see a preventative solution or maybe a screening before exposure to mercury vaccines.

My Kitchen is Going Gluten-Free

2011-08-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

We have decided to go gluten-free with my daughter as well. My husband and I discussed it after consulting our family chiropractor (who also does allergy testing and diagnosed my allergy to wheat). He told us we should go gluten-free with our daughter. He has treated my Crohn's and my MIL's Lupus with a low-sugar, grain-free diet and we have both seen really good results. With these sensitivities on both sides of the family we cannot ignore the possibility.

"Blueberry" (her nickname for her blue eyes) has had a rash on her back that was on-and-off at first but now has become pretty much constant. I can't tell if it itches her but it is still a symptom for something. Her pediatrician tells me that it is "normal".... WTH???? I mean, really!!! Yea, like it is "normal" for most women to suffer from chronic constipation and chronic yeast infections. THAT kind of normal.

I need to trust my intuition and we are doing the full allergy panel on her (not the skin-prick test, BTW) this week. I feel I need the support of a professional right now in order to guide me through the process. It seems more complicated with a child because of our desire for her to have a "normal life".

With that in mind I have to think of what it means to be "normal" in our society. The average child is at risk for diabetes, obesity and chronic infections due to improper diet. No, I don't want my daughter to have a "normal life". I want more for her than that. I want her to have the healthiest start possible. If that means eating gluten-free then so be it.

It will be a process because our house has not been completely gluten-free. I avoid eating gluten foods but we have not eliminated wheat from our house because my husband is not allergic and we hoped that my daughter would not be. In the next month my goal will be to completely de-contaminate my kitchen. The only items that will not be gluten-free will be the wraps that I use to make my husband's lunch (I prepare them on the foil I use to wrap them up so cross-contamination shouldn't be an issue) and possibly his favorite cereal.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

2011-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a great informational article about iron deficiency anemia, diagnosis and treatment.

http://www.epi.umn.edu/let/pubs/img/adol_ch9.pdf

If you suffer from chronic anemia and do not see results with simple iron supplementation, please ask to be referred to a hematologist. I wish I had done so years ago. They have special insight on anemia linked to malabsorption.

Possible Allergy?

2011-08-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

My daughter "Blueberry" started getting little bumps on her back. The doctor said it is "normal" and that kids her age get a rash on their backs. I wasn't buying it. I asked him if it was an allergy and he said it was too early to tell. I wondered at first if she may be allergic to wheat like me, and I was prepared to go gluten-free with her soon, but we've been giving her small amounts of wheat since she was a year old without this rash. Then it occurred to me that we only recently started giving her peanut butter. I'm going to try eliminating that to see if it eliminates the rash before I go totally gluten-free with her.

Any thoughts?

Justifying the Expense of Healthy Food

2011-08-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

This question was asked of me a little while ago and I wanted to share the answer:

How do I justify the extra expense of healthy food? How do I convince my spouse that this is something that we need to change?

Whether you are trying to diet, eliminate allergens or just buy better food for your family, sometimes spouses do not see eye-to-eye. It IS more expensive to eat healthy food, no matter what your special needs are. It is important to focus on the long-term goals when it comes to food. Cheap food is devoid of nutrients, that is why they are practically giving it away (think dollar menu, in my opinion it is overpriced!). You are basically paying them to let you dispose of those empty and useless calories. If you can cook all your meals at home you will save a lot of money and eat much better. Buying quality food that will not make your family overweight or eventually sick in some way is worth all the expense.

Families now spend a smaller percentage of their income on food than in any other time in history! The fact is that farmers now are the least paid and least appreciated workers anywhere, except that we ALL rely on them to produce our food. If enough of us pay just a bit more for products that come from responsible farms, I believe all farmers will eventually all switch over. Also, if you get enough vitamins in your food, you don't have to buy expensive multivitamins. You absorb nutrients better from food because they come packaged with just the right trace minerals and enzymes to help you absorb the nutrients you need. Plus you cannot overdose on vitamins from food. A great book on the link between our food and where it comes from is "Empty Harvest" by Dr. Bernard Jensen and Mark Anderson.

Wash Your Hair Without Shampoo

2011-08-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/

I found the above article about washing and conditioning your hair without shampoo. The recipes are for a Baking Soda wash and an Apple Cider Vinegar conditioning rinse. I have been searching for an alternative because I seem to have become allergic to almost every shampoo and conditioner, but until I found this if I didn't shampoo/condition my hair regularly my hair would become dry and brittle. My question is why did it take me 33 years to find this?? ... could it be because nobody is making money on it?

Not only does my hair come out of the shower very manageable, but I don't have to even use detangler or any other product to style it. I have fine, wavy hair and it works great. Also it is cheap and cleaner for the environment. The Gorgeously Green lady would be proud of me.

The Hidden "Weight" of Inflammation

2011-08-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks I have been treated for a recent Crohn's flare-up. My first in over 8 years. I had recently re-committed myself to my grain-free, gluten-free, whole-foods lifestyle but it was too late to reverse the inflammation caused by my sensitivities to the foods I should avoid.

Whenever I have had to restart the "plan" of Wisdom Nutrition eating (a compilation of Atkins, paleo, whole-food, locavore, organic-as-much-as-possible wisdom--I try not to call it a "diet") I have found that I don't really lose weight on the scale but I lose one or two dress sizes in a matter of weeks. How is this explained? Simple: INFLAMMATION!

In the last two weeks alone I have lost 1.5 inches in my waist and not dropped more than 2 pounds on the scale. My pants are falling off and I have gone down to my "skinny jeans" again. This distention, as it is called medically, can be indicative of chronic inflammation from any number of sources. I did, however see the CT scan from my recent ER visit showing how inflamed my intestines were. The medications worked quickly to eliminate my pain, but also the corresponding swelling.

Obesity has been linked to a chronic inflammatory state* which means already obese people are also swollen from a being in a state of chronic inflammation. Furthermore they are so used to feeling the way they feel that they don't know they can feel better. Detox is a big part of weight loss and is not much different than drug detox. There is a period of time where you actually feel worse before you start to feel better. This is usually an excuse for people to quit their diet because they feel so terrible and a lot of the foods that cause inflammation also cause a euphoric state much like morphine. Foods like chocolate, sugar and wheat* are inflammatory but they also work on the serotonin receptors giving a temporary high that relieves some of the awful feeling temporarily, only to leave you in a depressed fog later. This is why often diets fail.

It is important to remember that it is this swelling from the inflammation that is a visible marker for disease. It is not a matter of vanity, but that paunch that makes someone look like they are about 18 weeks pregnant is a sign that something is not right. I had assumed that my swelling was from difficulty losing my "baby belly" after having my daughter despite reaching my pre-pregnancy weight, but in fact in the last few weeks my stomach has finally flattened out because I was treated for the inflammation.

The medications have reduced the symptoms, but now it is up to me to re-establish my baseline optimal health so I can avoid having to take the medications.

*inflammatory state: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/Documents/Bariatric_Surgery/COTTAM.pdf

*chocolate: http://www.acu-cell.com/choc.html

sugar: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

wheat: http://www.nutramed.com/celiac/celiacbrain.htm

Paleo Cookbook

2011-08-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

Paleo is gluten-free and essentially grain-free and so I am really looking forward to this cookbook!

So go visit Make it Paleo to find out more!

Make It Paleo from The Food Lovers on Vimeo.

Day 21

2011-07-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sugar is inflammatory. Many illnesses and diseases can be helped if not eliminated by careful restriction of sugar. Unless I had this conviction I would find it hard to make it through the occasional cravings. They never really go away completely, though they lessen over time if you avoid the foods.

As I complete my third week back on my restrictive diet I am still feeling the occasional temptation. I am happy to report that all is well and I am sticking to it. My health depends on it more than ever.

As I recover from my recent flare-up I notice how quickly it recedes this time as I am already on the no-sugar regimen.

Flare Up After 8 Years in Remission of Crohn's

2011-07-22T19:50:00.001-07:00

It has been 8 years since my last flare-up of Crohns disease and 7 years since I have had to take any medications for it. The doctors say that flare-ups are inevitable but part of me knew my diet was slipping and that is why I had recently resolved to get back to it 100%. Unfortunately it was too late to reverse the inflammation that had begun already.

I ended up in the ER for symptoms that seemed to be something else entirely and the doctors were baffled because I didn't have any of the usual bleeding and other symptoms I had come to associate with flare-ups. In the end it was a CT scan that revealed the inevitable: colitis. Somewhat relieved that it wasn't something else (appendicitis, endometriosis, kidney infection, etc.) I resolved myself to accept that I had to go back into treatment for Crohns after 7 years of being off of all my medications.

There is a love-hate relationship with the CD medications such as Prednizone and Flagyl. I don't mind the Asacol, but unfortunately it is more of a long-term control medication and not for immediate relief of a flare-up. I have yet to see a gastroenterologist because the last guy I saw (who I didn't really like anyway) literally disappeared--skipped town--a few years ago (only reinforcing my belief that he was an idiot) and since I had no more symptoms I did not seek another doctor.

My PCP (Primary Care Physician) has begun my treatment and the referral process. I did my research this time and found a gastroenterologist about 60 miles away that specializes in IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases). I believe it is worth the extra drive. There are two "gastros" in town and having worked in the medical field here for the last 7 years I know too much about them to trust them. I want one I can trust especially because I want to get to maintenance as soon as possible and I know I can do it.

The diagnosis has been a relief and a source of dispair at the same time. I am glad it is not something new. "Been there, done that" and all. At the same time I have an overwhelming feeling that if I had just gotten my act together about my diet sooner that it wouldn't have gotten to this. My husband says I am too hard on myself. That is probably true. Nobody's perfect. I just have to learn from my mistakes. Still, 8 years between flare-ups is pretty good. Let's go for 10 this time, OK?

One thing I am proud of is despite my extreme pain and reactions to medications that include ridiculous food cravings I have been able to stay on my no sugar, no grains, low-carbohydrate, anti-inflammatory diet. I actually feel pretty good and 3 days into treatment my pain is mostly gone.

I am thankful that the Lord has given me peace and resolve and a loving family that has provided support and encouragement during this time.

Day 15: Two Weeks Down... Success and Mourning

2011-07-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

After two weeks on carbohydrate restriction most if not all cravings are completely gone. You don't realize until they are gone how much they rule your life. I don't know if it is the same for everyone, but I experience this every time. My plan is to not go back. In addition most withdrawal symptoms have gone away. These are different for everyone but mine tend to be headaches and a sluggish feeling.

When I eat carbs I am constantly fighting cravings for wheat (which I am allergic to) and chocolate candy (which is inflammatory), among other things. Other carbs are also more tempting and I have not had success with just limiting my carbs. As long as I am eating ANY grains I will crave all grains. Chocolate doesn't seem to have as strong of a hold on me without the sugar. I am not really sure why. Once or twice a week I have been whipping up some cream with splenda and unsweetened cocoa. (recipe to follow) It doesn't seem to be triggering my cravings.

Recently I read "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes (see previous blog post) and he explains how for some people carbohydrates are like a drug. This is true in many ways, but particularly he mentions how if you have a person who is addicted to cigarettes and you tell him to avoid cigarettes for a certain amount of time his cravings will eventually lessen to the point of flawless self-control. However, if you tell this person they can have one cigarette once a week, that it isn't going to hurt him, then he will eventually revert back to his previous addiction and probably end up having one or more every day. This goes for alcoholics and drug addicts too. It isn't possible for everyone to just cut back on carbs.

Taubes mentions how carbohydrates and sugars mess with our serotonin receptors and hormones. For some people they create an addiction similar to morphine. I have never done drugs but I notice the hold that wheat in particular has on me if I have even a little bit. It takes several weeks of avoidance for the cravings to subside to a tolerable level and even longer to go away completely. It helps if I avoid other grains and sugars.

I am beginning to believe that there really should be no going back for me. It has given me a sense of peace. Some people cannot handle grains. It is too hard to get back to a place of control. I feel better when I don't eat grains and sugar. I am not going back. Because I know this I am going through the mourning process of giving up hope that I will ever be able to eat wheat again. Also giving up hope that I will be able to tolerate much grains or sugar. It is sad and a bit liberating at the same time.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

6 packets Splenda

3-4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa (it is worth getting the good stuff)

Place all ingredients in a bowl or mixer. Whip until fluffy, longer for a thicker mousse, being careful not to overwhip.

Contradiction

2011-07-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Be wary of health or diet advice that contradicts itself. I have seen so many "anti-inflammatory" and similar diet programs that say to eliminate soy but then go on to suggest tofu and soy milk as replacements for meat and dairy. That is just an example but it should make anyone aware that we must scrutinize all information we receive. Many of these so-called expert advisory columns also do not have references stated.

I try to reference information when I am trying to prove a point. In this case I don't wish to single out any one site but I am just sending out a warning to people out there.

Day 12: Going Strong

2011-07-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks and still going strong. My belly is so much less swollen and I fit into all my clothes a lot more loosely. Strangely my weight hasn't gone down, but everything fits better. Not only that but a lot of inflammation I was feeling in my gut has decreased. Overall I feel a lot better.

Day 6 and "Why We Get Fat"

2011-07-08T16:03:00.001-07:00

The week is going great. We are sticking to the plan. It has helped that I am reading Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
by Gary Taubes. While most of the information isn't new if you have read his other book Good Calories, Bad Calories
, but it is a lot more concise and direct. I did, however, learn something new... well, something that just didn't sink in yet from even my Biochem classes back in college. Something very important that has added to my motivation for eliminating sugars and simple carbohydrates not just for maintaining a healthy weight, but for health as well.

Fructose is primarily metabolized [processed] by the liver. When ingested along with glucose (as in any fruit, juice, or HFCS) it is set aside in the liver to be turned into fat while the body is dealing with the glucose by raising insulin. Once the blood glucose level is dealt with the fructose that is not stored as glycogen goes right into triglyceride production.

The other is that triglycerides are not able to pass through a cell membrane so they are the fat STORAGE molecule, wile fatty acids pass freely in and out of cells to provide energy. With excess sugars in the body, we will store more fat than our bodies would otherwise regulate for us to because of the unnaturally high insulin. Notice I didn't say "excess" fat. . Otherwise the body is quite good at regulating how much to store.

I knew these things, or at least I remember learning them in biochem, but the significance did not sink in until now. WHAT WE EAT AFFECTS HOW WE GAIN WEIGHT. I also knew this from personal experience, but understanding the biochemistry (again) has really made it sink in, with conviction.

Look, I can't say it as well as Mr. Taubes. Please read his book.

Day 2

2011-07-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

Today I am thankful for the resources we have and thankful we not only have the freedom to live our lives the way that we want but also the wealth of our nation that allows my family to be able to choose healthy food and have access to healthcare. I am thankful for freedom of information and accessibility to a variety of research and opinions about proper nutrition.

Eating right on holidays is hard, though not as hard as we might think. For people who eat meat, a holiday famous for BBQs is great! I know I'm looking forward to a bunless burger and salad this afternoon. I am making a sugar-free, flourless souffle cake. We also love to have brunch on holidays, today we are having a zucchini and cheese frittata with sausage and bacon on the side. Yum!

Day 1

2011-07-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that I already feel less bloated today? It is just our first day back on Atkins and I already feel better. I have more energy than I have had in weeks and my mood is better too.

We started breakfast off with (per person) two eggs with an 1/2 oz of mozzarella, 2 sausage links and 2 pieces of bacon. Snack was a slice of cheddar. Lunch was tuna salad with 5 kalamata olives. Afternoon snack was 1/4 cup of egg salad. Dinner is London broil and a leafy salad.

I am grateful for the support from my family. We all feel better from it all.

Day 0

2011-07-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

As of tomorrow morning, my family is recommitting to the Atkins/Paleo/low-carb lifestyle. I feel conflicted but not about my conviction that this is the right choice for us, but about my ability to commit to it completely and long-term. Lately my mental strength has been drained by outside stressors and I know that if I stuck to "the plan" then I would have more energy and be able to handle the stress better, but my follow-through has been lacking.

In the past I have had great health benefits from following this plan and I know that I can repeat these results. More than anything I want to be successful and I want to be as strong in practice as I am in mental conviction.

There are some people that can do just fine with some grains and fruit in their diet. I am not one of those. At best I do not lose and at worst I gain even on a very calorie-restricted whole-grain, low-glycemic fruit. Much like what Gary Taubes talks about in his Blog. I am a big fan of his book "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and I hope to read his new book soon. He wrote an article "Is Sugar Toxic" back in April of this year which is quite fascinating. It is an article in response to this video lecture by endocrinologist Robert Lustig, MD at UCSF called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth". It is 90 minutes long, but worth every minute. Even if you only make it through the first half, it is worth your time.

I find that I have to keep reading about low-carb stories in order to keep myself motivated. Denial about facing what I have to do to be healthy is easy to come by when the media and world bombard people like me (with metabolic resistance) that I should be able to lose weight if I eat a sensible, calorie-restricted diet. I spend the last two weeks on the recommended 1900 calorie (most days it was closer to 1600) diet, eating whole grains and low-glycemic fruit. Guess what! I didn't lose an ounce on the scale or inch from my waist. I certain that in two weeks of returning to the right-plan-for-me I will have lost not just pounds but inches. I know this from past experience.

We were due for grocery shopping today so I prepared our meal plan for the week and went shopping. We should be ready.

Flourless Chocolate Souffle Cake

2011-02-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

I just found this recipe in an article in a newspaper insert. I modified it a bit and added some alternatives. It is amazingly decadent. It can also be baked in individual ramekins (cut baking time to 30 minutes). It is OK if the cake collapses, it will still taste great, but if you find that it does, just try beating the whites to a stiffer consistency.

7 oz good semisweet chocolate (I used bittersweet Girardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips)

3/4 cup butter

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar, divided (you can also make it with granulated/baking splenda)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and butter. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix together yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar or substitute. Make sure chocolate mixture is cool enough to touch before adding yolk/sugar mixture. Mix together by hand.

3. With a mixer, whip up egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate mixture.

4. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Optional: Dust with powdered sugar and/or top with whipped cream.

Atkins While Pregnant & Breastfeeding

2011-02-03T11:00:00.001-08:00

I have been doing a lot of research over the years about Atkins. Since I got pregnant with my daughter I have researched extensively about doing Atkins while Pregnant and Dr. Atkins advises only to do the Maintenance Phase of his diet while pregnant and breastfeeding. I understand his caution because the effects of ketoacidosis in pregnancy are studied and I wasn't about to risk my own baby's life. But even Dr. Atkins said that ketosis and ketoacidosis are not the same thing. When the body is in ketosis it is burning fat and is healthy, generally a person feels great. I feel awesome when in Ketosis. Ketoacidosis is a disease state of the body and a person feels awful. The body cannot burn the sugar it has because of lack of insulin.

Being a Biologist, I naturally get into the research. In an effort not to get too technical, in ketosis your body does not have an excess of sugar like in ketoacidosis. The "acidosis" part means the body becomes highly toxic due to an acidic state caused by the excess of glucose when the body CANNOT produce insulin. In ketosis there is no excess or high blood sugar levels harming the body. The studies and research do not determine if the damage to babies in the womb due to ketoacidosis is from the actual ketones or if it is from the acidic state and high, uncontrolled sugar rates (which, by the way can harm a baby in the womb in the absence of ketones).

In Ketoacidosis a person feels very ill. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, flushed skin and/or stomach pain. Also some people experience excessive thirst, fatigue, coma, breathing difficulties and/or headache. A person who is ill is tested for ketones in their urine when their blood sugar is in excess of 240 mg/dL in order to diagnose ketoacidosis. In contrast, when in Ketosis, people feel generally awesome, have lots of steady energy (without spikes in blood sugar). The ketones are present, but not the high blood sugar. Some experience a day or two of detox which is mistaken for illness, but when a body is used to eating too many carbs and switches to proper fuel there is a period of adjustment, once you get through it you feel amazing. From personal experience I improved my cholesterol levels from high to normal, my Triglycerides improved also when I went on Atkins. My anemia improved as well. I have had no symptoms for over 7 years of a chronic disease (Crohn's disease) that is said to be "incurable". There is a significant difference in the health of people in Ketosis and those in Ketoacidosis.

So then brings the question: Why can't a person be in Ketosis while Pregnant and Breastfeeding? When I asked my Midwife when I was pregnant she said "well there is research that ketones are bad for the baby". That is the best answer I could get. I have researched this and nowhere can I find a study that shows that ketones harm the baby. I find that the state of Ketoacidosis harms a fetus, but not Ketones themselves. Of course the research on the effects of things in-utero is not extensive. There are many medications that are not studied because it is very hard to approve the study of medications on pregnant women. No study has been done regarding the effects of ketosis in pregnancy of a healthy mother and fetus because of the results from the Ketoacidosis studies even though there is a significant difference in the two "conditions". A lot of the evidence must therefore be non-scientific and anecdotal.

First off, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Out of the thousands of years that humans have been roaming the earth (no matter what earth origin story you believe) we have only been refining foods for preservation for the last 200 years. There is evidence in the anthropological studies of Weston Price that diets of some of the healthiest ancient civilizations consisted of mostly meat, fish, nuts, whole-fat dairy products and sometimes unrefined whole grains. Specifically the indigenous people of Alaska, Northern Canada, Pacific Islanders lived almost solely on protein eating Salmon, Elk and Fish/Coconut respectively. These were people that until they started trading for refined flour and sugar knew nothing of chronic diseases like TB, Diabetes and obesity. Their children were very healthy. Why would God or nature create a human being without the ability to carry a healthy pregnancy while eating the only food that is available to them?

Weston Price found that when a group of people used to eating whole foods is introduced to refined grains and sugar, their health deteriorates and the health of their children deteriorates. He studied mostly the teeth because that is the first and fastest place one finds deterioration visibly in the body, but he also found that those who consumed refined foods suffered many chronic ailments not found in those who ate their natural diet. It only took about 5-7 years of being exposed to the refined foods to start seeing diabetes, obesity and tuberculosis as well as deformities in babies and the severity of the deformity would be increasingly worse, the more children a woman had. He also discovered that if a person went back to eating their native diet, they would get better. The amazing thing is that of the children of those who switched to the refined diet, if they went back to eating the native diet of their ancestors, their children would be healthy.

This is why I do not believe that it is dangerous to be in Ketosis while pregnant or breastfeeding. I know in a research paper you usually start with your theory, but I was afraid I would turn people off if they didn't get the facts first. There is so much misinformation out there and it is hard to sift through the fears and misinterpretations of research.

Again, I was not ready to test this theory on my own daughter when in-utero, also because I did not have the support of my midwife. Now that my daughter is a year old, I am still nursing her, though she is getting more and more table foods. I think about her health and how she needs me to be healthy too. I know I am healthiest when I'm on Atkins. For me it is not for weight loss (though that is a nice part) but I FEEL GREAT when I'm on it. I have tons of energy and I just FEEL that I'm eating right for me. Since I can observe her and check her state of health I have decided to go back on Atkins. I have just not been feeling well lately and after 2 days back on it I feel so much better.

If you have not read Dr. Atkins' original book "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution" 2002 edition, please do so before you post any opinions to contradict what I said. If you do not understand how the diet works, and that it is NOT a "no-carb" diet and that we DO eat a lot of vegetables and even some fruit and some whole-grains on this diet then you don't know what you're talking about and your comment will be deleted. All honest questions are welcomed!!

Resources:

"Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston A. Price

"Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" by Dr. Robert C. Atkins

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001363

Meal Plans

2011-01-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

I'm trying a new thing--Meal Planning!! I know, I know. I'm probably late to the party on that one. I'm not sure why I've had such a hard time realizing this would be a good thing for me and my family. Now that my baby girl is eating with us more I am conscious of having to plan ahead to have everything I need for a meal instead of just making something up on the fly (which I am quite good at, just so you know.)

Part of me felt constricted by having to follow a plan, even if it was one that I made up. I am trying a new perspective that it actually should help me plan my shopping better, prevent waste and have what I need on hand better. I won't be panicking at 4:45 going "oh no! what AM I going to make for dinner??" Wish me luck.

Go tho this Link to print my Weekly Meal Planner. It is on Google Docs and you should be able to fit it to an 8.5x11 paper without modifications, but check your printer settings. Feel free to share it with family and friends.

Gorgeously Green in the New Year

2010-12-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this year is to go Gorgeously Green with Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products
particularly when it comes to the health and wellness in my home. In 2010 I started making my own laundry soap and dishwasher detergent. I found it to be easy and much less expensive. I know I can do more for my home.

It is economical and cleaner for both the home environment and the planet. When you know what is going into your cleaning products and skin care products you can be sure you are not poisoning yourself or your family. You absorb so much that comes into contact with your skin and the air around you, that it is so important to make your home a safe place to be.

My plan is to transition, one thing at a time to a DIY economical and environment-friendly home.

Today's project was to start collecting ingredients for my home-made skincare and cleaning products. Some things I already have, like borax, baking soda and coconut oil. Other things I had to search for at my local natural-foods and grocery stores. There are some things on my list I am still missing so I will have to find them online, but the materials cost so much less and are much safer than buying the ingredients.

If you haven't read Sophie Uliano's books, I recommend them. The cleaning and skincare product recipes are found in her "Do It Gorgeously" book. I actually had a laundry detergent recipe that I got from a friend, which is similar to Sophie's, as well as a way to dilute eco-friendly dishwasher detergent to make it go farther. Both work great in our home. Here are the recipes.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Oh so VERY baby safe!! It is all natural and biodegratable. Easy to make- AND CHEAP!!!

-You will need one bucket w/lid (at least 3 gallons)
-one bar of Fels Naptha
-Borax
-Washing soda (NOT baking soda-- but also made by A&H... found in the laundry isle.)

Boil 12 cups of water
Grate one bar of Fels Naptha
Disolve Fels Naptha in boiling water
remove water from heat
add 1 cup Borax
and 1 cup Washing soda
stir until completely disolved
(at this point- you can add oil essence if desired, or I add 2 TBS of Dr. Brauners Citrus)
pour solution into bucket, and fill to 3 gallons with cold water.

Soap will become gelotinous as it cools, and it is normal for it to be lumpy. It may need to be stirred after it is cold. Use 1/2 cup detergant per load you can add a scoop of OxyClean to heavily soiled loads, or vinegar to balance odor.
You can actually just mix the grated Fels Naptha with the borax and washing soda to make a dry laundry soap, but then you cannot add the essential oils and I haven't tried it this way.

DISHWASHER DETERGENT
This is actually just a method of stretching your eco-friendly box soap.

1 box Seventh Generation detg. (or any other earth safe detergent)
8 cups of Baking Soda
4 cups of Washing Soda
2 cups Borax

mix together in a large tub or bucket with lid
use 1/8 cup per load

Time to Get Back on Track

2010-12-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

We had our annual cookie-making party last Monday. I made a selection of gluten-free cookies modified from my favorite recipes growing-up. I was happy that this year I stayed away from any glutened holiday foods. I did, however eat too much sugar. Two days after our cookie party (and I swear I did not binge or anything) I started having some back pain. By Friday it was severe enough that I could not pick up my 10 month old. Needless to say, this had to stop.

My chiropractor has said that I am very sensitive to sugar. He is not wrong. Within two days of eating a lot of it, regardless of it being gluten-free, I began to suffer from chronic inflammation. Many people live in a state of chronic inflammation their whole lives because of eating the wrong foods. I guess I just needed a reminder.

This is the first year I have been able to have a "treat week" and not indulge into foods that contained wheat. I was perfectly happy with my gluten-free treats, and for that I am glad. Inflammation is one thing, migraines are a totally different and more severe consequence that I am glad to avoid.

I am not waiting until the first of the year to get back on track. I started today. I cut processed sugar and refined flour and I am trying to stay between 60-100 Net Carbs per day. I keep track of my food intake at Fatsecret.com. There you can track your weight, excercise, food intake including calories, fat grams, total carbs, net carbs, protein, WW points, whatever. I find that keeping track of what I eat helps keep me accountable to my goals, whether I am trying to lose weight or just eat properly.

Redesigned Website

2010-12-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

WisdomNutrition.info is newly redesigned! Please go check it out.

Gluten-Free "Breading" for Fried Foods

2010-12-10T19:17:00.001-08:00

Equal parts: Corn meal, Rice Flour, Tapioca flour, Potato Flour

We made fried chicken tonight with the above recipe and it came out perfect. You can add some seasoning like garlic and/or herbs, but this is the base. We dipped the chicken in beaten eggs first, but any liquid will do if you have an egg sensitivity.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

2010-12-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

This is a spicier version of my monther-in-law's recipe. The family joke is that I can't seem to leave a good recipe well-enough alone, but everyone loves it spicy too! It is a family favorite and always disappears, pan scraped clean. It goes great with summer or winter meals. It is my personal, low-carb and gluten-free substitution for macaroni and cheese. It can also be made with broccoli or a mixture of the two.

Ingredients:

1 head, large cauliflower
1 1/2 cups, shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
1 T grated red onion
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp or 1 packet mustard

Directions:

In a large pot add 1 - 2" hot water, place steamer basket and cauliflower. Steam for 10-15 minutes until slightly tender. Remove from heat.
In a medium baking dish, place steamed cauliflower, breaking pieces apart and making an even layer of cauliflower florets on the baking dish. Set aside. Start heating oven to 450° F (230° C).
In a medium mixing bowl place remaining ingredients, mix well with a spatula, add extra mayonnaise to make it somewhat spreadable. Spread cheese mixture evenly over cauliflower in the baking dish.
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and at desired crispiness. Serve warm. Notes: The cauliflower can be steamed ahead and chilled before adding cheese mixture. It can be further chilled and then cooked at the last minute.

Hearty Beef Stew

2010-12-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

Using winter squash instead of potatoes eliminates carbs and adds vitamin content, but preserves texture. For the highest nutritional value, buy organic, grass-fed beef. Add any of your favorite vegetables. This recipe is for a slow-cooker/crock-pot.

Ingredients:

1-2 lb stew beef
1/2 can tomato paste
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 oz baby carrots
1 cup green beans, frozen or fresh
3 stalks , medium celery, sliced
3 medium mushrooms, chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp, leaves Italian herb blend
1 tsp garlic powder
4 cups water
3 cubes beef bouillon
1/4 cup red cooking wine, optional

Directions:

Prepare all of the vegetables. Heat the water in a kettle, bring to boil. In a medium pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Brown the stew meat, sprinkled with garlic, until browned. (Optional to add 1/4 cup of red cooking wine and let reduce 2 minutes. In a slow-cooker, add hot water, bouillon cubes, meat, and all of the prepared vegetables. Let cook for 6-8 hours in the slow-cooker.
Note: a variation for even lower carbs is to omit carrots and replace with summer squash.

Baking Beauties

2010-11-23T23:29:00.000-08:00

As holidays and family gatherings approach, there is the dilemma of how to cook for special diets. There are plenty of resources, you just have to look...

A friend of mine pointed me to the Baking Beauties, who just released a FREE downloadable holiday gluten-free cookbook. Enjoy!!

Body Image

2010-09-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about body image lately. I am a mother now, to a beautiful baby girl. I really don't want to pass down my insecurities, so I have to find a way to deal with them myself. She will learn how to view herself by how I view myself and it is a scary thing. I know that I grew up with a very supportive mother who always told me how beautiful I am. Of course because she is my mother I did not believe her because I knew she was biased. However, I did learn watching her always dieting and never confident in her own skin. I want to be conscious of this so I don't do the same.

That is one reason why my focus is on Wisdom Nutrition and eating whole foods. My focus has to be on health so that she learns those values, not the superficial. She will get enough of those other messages from society, she doesn't need them from me. I will teach her to eat healthy foods and use moderation with treats. To avoid chronic disease, striving for optimal health is a legacy I am excited to pass down.

New Challenges

2010-09-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm doing an 8-week natural food challenge and a 12-week yoga for weight-loss challenge on Fatsecret.com . I find that I do better when I have a set goal and I hold myself accountable. I only have about 10 lbs to lose from my pre-pregnancy weight and a little more than that to lose for an ideal weight, but I have to just start somewhere instead of become overwhelmed with trying to reach the result.

Tomorrow I am starting again with my probiotics and natural foods. I need to be more strict for my health and I expect it will help my weight as well.

Amazing Coconut Oil

2010-09-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Coconut oil is an enigma. It is high in fat and yet it reduces your cholesterol. It is one of the healthiest oils you can find. I suggest using it for baking instead of crisco, and do buy organic. It is a great oil for cooking at high temperatures because it has a high flash point. It is the only oil that is solid at room temperature that is still good for you. You can leave it at room temperature and it does not go rancid.

Not only is it a great cooking oil, but it has benefits when applied topically as well. It is antibacterial and anti-fungal.

A friend of mine acquired a nosocomial infection (one resulting from a hospital stay) of some kind of yeast that gave her a rash all over her abdomen, but particularly around her incision site (from surgery). The doctors gave her a medication that reeked that she was supposed to put on every day and leave it on for a certain amount of time, then wash it off when she took a shower. She told me it was inconvenient and unpleasant so she did not use it regularly so her infection did not go away for months. She read about the benefits of coconut oil and since it has a pleasant smell and she could leave it on all day if she wanted to, she decided to try it. Within a couple of weeks the rash was almost all gone. She told me she will keep using it at least until all the redness is gone, but she is very pleased with the result.

You can use coconut oil instead of vaseline. I have dry skin. A few times a year my feet get so dry that my heels crack. I used to put vaseline on them after showering, then put a sock over them and leave them overnight. Now I use coconut oil.

Probiotic Vegetables

2010-09-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

I just finished making a batch of Kimchi and two batches of pickled cheddar cauliflower (not a GMO) in my Perfect Pickler Jars.

Cheddar cauliflower is that yellow cauliflower you can find now at the stores and at local farmer's markets. It is not a GMO, but a natural mutation, discovered by a Canadian farmer in the 1970s, which causes the cauliflower to produce up to 25 times more beta carotene than white cauliflower. Also look for purple and green varieties for different nutritional benefits.

This was all with produce I picked today at u-pick and some onions from the garden. It is so hard to wait for everything to finish fermenting, but it is worth the wait.

Local Bakery Now Gluten-Free

2010-09-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

January of this year my mother ordered a cake from a local caterer. It was for my baby shower and so it had to be gluten-free. She called them up because they were rumored to be experimenting with gluten-free breads. They were willing to bake it and decorate it but were not yet making the gluten-free cakes. My mother asked if they would make it if she brought the cake mix. They agreed so my mother brought them four packages of pamela's gluten-free chocolate cake mix. They decorated it beautifully with buttercream frosting and everyone at the baby shower asked for seconds. Even people who don't normally like cake!

Just recently this bakery started selling their breads at a local supermarket, making it very convenient to buy their items, since it happens to be at the grocery store I go to most often. They make an excellent gluten-free sourdough round loaf as well as baguettes. I also noticed that now they offer gluten-free as well as sugar-free cakes on their catering menu. They must have realized that there are many people who cannot eat gluten. I just thought I would share how absolutely grateful I am for what they do. Thank you Aromatica's!

I do not tolerate a lot of grains in my diet, but gluten-free sourdough is a pretty safe treat that I can afford with few consequences.

Baby Food

2010-08-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

I am blessed to be able to stay home with my baby. She is a joy and because I am home I am able to cook for my baby.

Even if you can't be home to cook for your baby, a great resource online is WholesomeBabyFood.com. I have been preparing and freezing food for my baby for the last 2 months. She is almost seven months old and she is loving the different flavors of pureed vegetables and fruit. It is so easy to just heat up when she is hungry.

I got organic rice and oatmeal, but I plan to make my own ground buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa cereals for her soon. A friend of mine said her babies never liked baby cereal and I asked her what she put it it. She said "just formula." I'm thinking "no wonder." My baby loves her cereal mixed with fruit or vegetable broth. I don't think I would like it plain either.

She still breastfeeds several times a day, but she also has three small meals of "solids" (I don't know why they call them that because they are anything but solid). She hasn't figured out they fill her tummy yet, so sometimes she wants to nurse right after a meal, or maybe she is just treating them as an appetizer. I'm not really sure. However, I can tell she does enjoy her culinary experiences.

She is definitely showing preferences for certain vegetables and fruit. The ones she doesn't prefer I wait a couple of weeks to try them again and she will sometimes start to like them.

Book Reviews: Pregnancy Books

2010-08-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Since most of these titles were suggested to me by my doula friend, Tiffany, I thought I would (mini) review them together in one blog. She gave the list to me when I asked for a must-read list, these are just my favorites. They are listed in alphabetical order.

The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth (Sears Parenting Library)
by William and Martha Sears

This is a very balanced book explaining the pros and cons of all the medical interventions. It was very informative and insightful. It was an empowering book for women who need to trust their bodies and their choices through one of the biggest experiences of their lives. I would recommend this book to any new mom-to-be.

Husband-Coached Childbirth (Fifth Edition): The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth
by Dr. Robert Bradley

I was searching for one book that my husband could read to prepare for the birth of our child and this is it! It is well written from the medical point of view and gives specific instructions on how to prepare for birth physically and mentally for both the mother and the father (or coach). Along with "The Birth Book" this is going to remain in my personal reference library. I recommend it to every couple who wants their birth to be a family bonding experience. I also recommend it be given to anyone who will attend a natural birth, so give it to your relatives who will be there. I only wish there were Bradley classes that my husband and I could take in our area.

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition
by Susan McCucheon-Rosegg

This is a great follow-up book to "Husband Coached Childbirth" by Dr. Bradley. Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg goes into the details of how to prepare for a Bradley Method, unmedicated birth, as well as how to avoid interventions you don't want. It is a must-read for anyone wanting a non-medicated labor and delivery, especially if you cannot find a Bradley Method teacher in your area. I enjoyed the specific instructions and practice exercises. It is very educational, explaining in detail the physical and emotional phases of birth. It really stresses the other side of "informed consent" which is not strictly enforced in the medical community when it comes to medical interventions. It is by reading books like this that you can make educated choices about your labor and delivery.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (La Leche League International Book)

This is a practical book full of information for breastfeeding women, whether they plan to breastfeed for a month or years, whether they plan to stay at home or work. This book prepared me for a successful breastfeeding relationship with my daughter. It has a section about food allergies and nutrition that I feel is important when your body is creating food for your baby.

Pregnancy Weight

2010-06-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know I don't post very often. I am still getting used to motherhood and my daughter keeps me busy. I have lost most of my pregnancy weight, I just have about 10 pounds that are sticking around. I don't think it is true about how women lose weight easier when breastfeeding. I can't really cut much back right now or my milk production goes down. I am trying to accept that since I can't really do a strict carb restriction right now.

It is not healthy to go into ketosis when pregnant or breastfeeding, so I have to be careful not to cut back my carbs too much. You think I would be used to it since it has been about a year that I've been balancing all of that, but hormones make it difficult. My focus has been on eating healthy proteins and lots of vegetables. I love this time of year because we get so many fresh vegetables.

Breastfeeding

2010-05-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Because I am breastfeeding exclusively I committed myself to be very strict with my eating. Everything I eat she essentially eats too. I have to ask myself "would I feed her this?" If the answer is no, then I shouldn't eat it either.

I feel great that I can do this for my daughter. I took it one week at a time and we made it to three months. It is preferable that a baby's main food be breastmilk for the first year. Now my goal is one year, though I am nervous for when she might start teething.

The WHO recommends that the preferable food for a baby is first his mother's own milk, second his mother's milk, expressed and fed to him through a bottle; next ANOTHER WOMAN'S MILK; THEN formula. That is how important human milk is to a human baby. It isn't "preferable" or "better", it is the norm, that means that formula is "lacking". I know it is not pleasant to think of it that way, but babies need the enzymes and antibodies from their mother's milk. Formula is decent but it is not the standard, nature set the standard and mom's milk is it.

Healthy Momma, Healthy Baby

2010-02-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was first diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I was told that I would have to be on medications for the rest of my life (wrong!) and that if I ever got pregnant I would have a horrible pregnancy (wrong again!!) I had a wonderful pregnancy with few complications and I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl. I had a natural birth with very little interference.

Because I had no anesthesia my baby was born alert and was able to nurse right away. She latched on like a champ. I committed myself to breastfeeding and it is a bit difficult. We are both learning, but she is the most amazing little thing I have ever seen in my life.

Pregnancy

2009-10-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

When I envisioned my pregnancy, I was so sure I would keep so strict on my diet. By "diet" I meant my "wisdom-nutrition eating regimen" but increase to recommended calorie levels, etc. for pregnancy as recommended by my midwife (2400 calories per day, 80-100g protein per day). I read up on the Brewer Pregnancy diet and got started with a food log... then morning sickness hit.

Most people know that the cure for MS (in this case "morning sickness") is crackers, ginger ale, and other starchy foods. None of these things are on my diet. For one, saltines have wheat in them so they are totally out. Ginger ale is full of sugar and so on and so forth. It became a real challenge. I was lucky to never actually throw up, but I was nauseous for about 8 weeks straight. I had to get really creative. I found that gluten-free cereal like Nutty Flax (made by Perky foods) with almond milk did the trick most mornings. Gluten-free oatmeal some other mornings. But with the re-introduction of starches came cravings. Potatoes have been a weakness for me, especially fries and mashed.

I decided to completely avoid artificial sweeteners during my pregnancy so I have allowed myself small amounts of honey and maple syrup. Sometimes I opt for a little sugar but make sure to have it with some protein so it doesn't spike my insulin.

I thought that with the way I have been eating it would be easy for me to eat the recommended amount of protein. Problem was that these pregnancy hormones do weird stuff to your taste buds. Chicken and beef were almost repulsive to me for a few months. I discovered that the only way I could stomach protein foods was if they were well flavored. If I could taste the chicken flavor in the chicken, it was over. Luckily eggs were OK. I am allowed two eggs per day on most pregnancy diet plans. (The baby needs cholesterol for brain formation.) I am very thankful for eggs, though I used to like them over-easy and right now I can only stomach the yolk cooked. Only recently, into my 5th month of pregnancy have I been able to eat steak (cooked medium, of course) as long as it is well-seasoned. I supplement my protein intake with at least a cup of plain, whole-milk yogurt per day, nuts and seeds, limited cheese. I crave legumes, but I have to be careful with the amounts.

By the second trimester, the morning sickness was replaced by acid-reflux. I found that I just couldn't eat as much in one sitting and had to split up my meals. I took Tums for a while, but they do have sugar in them and I was hoping to avoid that, so I looked into alternative remedies. It turns out that raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar works great. One tablespoon in a cup of water twice a day takes care of it. It works especially well after dinner.

I am struggling with a very common problem in pregnancy, constipation. The midwife has OK'd the use of Colace twice a day, along with fiber supplements. Milk of Magnesia for when it gets bad. It is one of the most frustrating things for this pregnancy. I had reached a balance with this problem before I got pregnant, but the hormones are throwing me off completely. I am still working on finding a balance. Probiotics are still part of my diet, but they don't seem to help as much as they used to.

So, now you know why I haven't written in a while. Mostly I have been frustrated trying to keep up with my eating plan, while accomodating this growing life inside me. My midwife says I am doing an excellent job keeping healthy considering my history of Crohn's disease. She says she has known women who were hospitalized during their pregnancy because they didn't take care of themselves like I do.

My weight gain has been a steady 2lbs per week. It is more than they had projected for me, but because it is so steady and because of the way I am eating they say not to worry about it. The midwife said it may just be how much my body has to gain to have a healthy baby. I still have a waist and I haven't gone up a size since I hit the second trimester, so I am not worried. My husband said I am beautiful pregant. I really do feel beautiful.

I will try to keep up more with this blog as my baby is born and on to breastfeeding.

Redirect Myself

2009-06-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a while because I have been really busy with my yoga teacher's training, preparing for a bellydance competition and... oh, yea, getting over pneumonia. I'm not sure how I got it except that I work in healthcare and people are coughing on me all the time. Sometimes I wonder why I don't get sick MORE often.

I am now feeling better and though my recovery was slow, I am recomitting to this lifestyle change. I am finding my whole-foods life to be more and more balanced every day. I have found a way of encorporating some limited (gluten-free) whole grains into my every-day meals without gaining weight.

Finding the right balance has been difficult between all the food allergies and health issues that I have had to overcome. I was just determined to find a solution and keep trying. Never give up! I believe there is a solution out there for everyone.

Allergy Season

2009-04-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

As the respiratory allergy season begins here in Oregon, I have to begin to be even more careful with my food allergens. Even people who are not allergic or sensitive to dairy and grains need to be aware that these foods are mucous-forming. Bacteria loves mucous and that can lead to respiratory infections on top of already existing respiratory allergy symptoms.

My personal preference for allergy relief is nasal saline washes and sprays. I have a prescription for a nasal spray that works well enough for me to be able to avoid oral medication for the most part. I don't like the way that over-the-counter drugs and even prescription medications do to how I feel. I often feel sluggish and tired. I have a hard time concentrating or staying awake. I really don't know what is worse, having the allergy or the side effects of the medications.

For me reducing food allergens from my diet, (they do sneak in sometimes) especially dairy products, give me some relief from my allergy symptoms.

Looking Forward to my CSA Food Box

2009-04-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what a CSA food box is then you are missing out. CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture" and it is basically a subscription for a weekly box of locally grown, fresh vegetables and fruit. Sounds delicious? That's because it is.

Getting our weekly food box in the summer is like a weekly Christmas present in the summer. You never know what you are going to get, but it is always a pleasure.

Buying locally ensures a smaller carbon footprint and more nutritious food. Local farms can't afford to get certifications for "organic produce" but many use sustainable farming practices and rely on word of mouth to get their products out to people who care about that sort of thing. Plus local means always fresh and often picked the day before.

To find a CSA near you go to Local Harvest.org. They also have resources on organic, grass-finished beef and free-range eggs.

Learning to Teach Yoga

2009-03-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am excited because one of my goals for this year was to include fun exercise into my routine. I believe in visualization and in this case it really brought good things into my life. I began teaching bellydance at my gym and in addition I have been invited to a program to learn to teach Yoga at this gym.

It is such a great opportunity that I really feel I was led to. I fell like now that my health is in check I can focus on giving back and teaching is one of the most rewarding ways of giving back.

For the next three months I will be attending workshops and probably sharing some of the things I learn on this blog. Holistic healing is the future (and the past) of well-being practice in our country and around the world. We are coming back to old ways of healing and finding out the wisdom that was in there after all.

Cortisol, Stress and Weight Problems

2009-03-26T14:03:00.001-07:00

The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health - And What You Can Do About It
by Shawn Talbott, Ph.D, FACSM

I am re-reading this book because it is a good resource regarding de-stressing supplements and how to find quality supplements. It also has a great program for organizing your goals towards exercise, nutrition and well-being through his S.E.N.S.E. program, which stands for:

Stress Management
Exercise
Nutrition
Supplements
Evaluation

One of my favorite parts of this book are the great explanations in layman's terms about how stress is related to disease, aging and weight gain because of the effects of chronically high cortisol in our bodies from our high-stress lives. Cortisol and other hormones such as Insulin and Testosterone are some of the most misunderstood elements of our human bodies. Talbott really stresses that we are trying to reach the right balance of these hormones in our bodies in order to maximize our health and well-being.

His main point is that you can't do everything to de-stress all the time. We all have stressfull lives to some extent, but we can do things to help our bodies recover from the effects of stress to prevent and even reverse aging, disease and weight gain. Every little bit helps. The explanations and the way it is organized helps people do a little bit of something from each category to help them towards their well-being. The point is to do what you can and what fits your lifestyle.

There are thorough descriptions of each of the supplements, their properties, effectiveness and maximum recommended dosages (for safety). He is not selling any particular brand in this book.

I have read some criticism for this author but many of the negative reviews of this book are written in a way that lead me to believe the reviewers never read the whole book. They assume that just because the author sells supplements that he is trying to get you to buy his, but that really doesn't seem to be the case with this book. (If you read all of it.)

We can't all be endocrinologists but this is the closest most people can get to understanding some of the basics of hormonal relationships. It is a must-read for people struggling to lose weight, fighting chronic disease and/or aging (aren't we all??).

Survival and Refocus

2009-02-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

I survived the holidays--barely. I was happy I managed to stay away from gluten. Though I did have a few minor sugar indulgences, I was happy to get back on track right at the beginning of the year.

It is important to just get back on track and not to let a slip-up turn into a derailment.

This year I have decided to really focus on brining exercise into my lifestyle. I am focusing on a goal of a minimum amount of exercise per week and not going more than 1 day without some form of exercise. These two goals, combined, seem to really keep me on track.

I have re-focused my goals to no sugar or refined carbs except for planned treat meals (not days) and absolutely no gluten, not even for a treat. It isn't really a treat if I have to endure depression for 2 days and an upset stomach. It just is NOT worth it.

So far January has been a good month of being on track. I have led a Boot Camp Challenge on Fatsecret.com which proved successful for many people.

From my new goal of making exercise my lifestyle some new doors have opened up for me. I will be teaching bellydance again at my local gym and they are going to train me to teach yoga. I am so excited about this.

Pumpkin Spice Almond Bread GF

2008-10-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

Last night I combined some Pumpkin Spice Bread recipes with my Almond Bread recipe and I came out with a great new recipe for the holidays. It is 7.5 nc per slice if you use sweetened cranberries and sweetened coconut flakes. You can reduce it by using the unsweetened varieties or just eliminating the cranberries altogether. I entered it in the kitchen but it has to be approved, so I thought you guys might want it in preparation for Thanksgiving. My husband loved it so this is a keeper. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Almond Spice Bread

Gluten-free and low-carbohydrate. A hearty holiday bread.

Ingredients:
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup dried cranberries, unsweetened
1 cup canned pumpkin (7-8 oz)
1/2 cup butter
5 large eggs
2 cups whole kernels almond meal (from blanched almonds)
2 oz coconut flakes, unsweetened (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 tbsps ground flax seed meal
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
24 servings 1 packet Splenda (or 1 cup equivalent of baking splenda or other sugar substitute)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment and spraying with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl combine all dry ingredients except for walnuts and cranberries, mix well.

In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer combine all wet ingredients. Mix well. Start gradually adding dry ingredients mixing gently until all are incorporated. Mixture should be the consistency of cake batter. Add walnuts and cranberries, fold in with wooden spoon or spatula.

Pour batter into loaf pan, cover with foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 35-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Notes: 7.5 net carbs per serving, less if you have unsweetened cranberries and unsweetened coconut. Bake in muffin pan for cupcakes. Top with cream cheese frosting for a pumpkin cake.

Superfood: Buckwheat

2008-10-20T15:35:00.001-07:00

I have enjoyed buckwheat ever since I stopped eating wheat. It is gluten-free and low on the Glycemic index. It is high in protein and listed as one of Dr. Perricone's top 10 super foods because of it's nutritive properties and it's ability to reduce cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and high blood pressure.

I love Bob's Red Mill Buckweat Hot cereal. I have used it in soups, side dishes, in recipes or as a breakfast cereal. Here are a couple recipes.

Buckwheat Grits
1 serving

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Hot Cereal cooked
1/2 T Butter
1 T Parmesan Cheese

Cook buckwheat following the package directions. Add butter and parmesan cheese while hot. Stir and enjoy

Buckwheat Morning Cereal
1 serving

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Hot Cereal cooked
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T toasted sunflower seeds
stevia to taste (or your favorite non-caloric sweetener)

Cook buckwheat following the package directions. Add Cinnamon, seeds and sweetener. Stir and enjoy.

Simple Buckwheat Parsley Soup
1 serving (multiply per serving needed)

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Hot Cereal cooked in chicken broth
1/2 cup additional chicken broth, hot
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 T parmesan cheese (optional)

Saute onions in olive oil until slightly browned. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add cooked buckwheat (preferably cooked in chicken broth instead of water). Add parmesan and fresh parsley right before serving. Enjoy.

You can also add buckwheat instead of oatmeal or bread crumbs in your meatloaf and stuffed peppers.

Caffeine Causes Glucose Level Spikes

2008-10-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is a great article about how Caffeine Causes Glucose Level Spikes in Type 2 Diabetics, but since caffeine affects hormones including insulin it is something we should all be aware of.

I love coffee, but I know that it is something I should not have every day. I go through periods where I give it up for a few weeks, then I just have a cup or two on weekends and pretty soon I'm drinking it every day again. There are some things that are just vices and though for some people coffee may not be, I know that for me it is. It drains my adrenals and weakens my immune system. I was warned by my Naturopathic Doctor to give it up.

Easier said than done...

I can't promise I am giving it up for good, but I am going to stop drinking it for a while, starting now. I will also try to drink more water.

Thank you to my friend Pamela for pointing out this article!

Lies, Lies, Lies...and more Lies

2008-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a commercial that was a blatant attempt at misinformation by the manufacturers of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). This commercial implies that HFCS is a healthy part of anyone's diet and that is just not true.

The commercial refers to the website SweetSurprise.com where you can read further political spins and further misinformation about this food additive. You can read about a study done on skinny women and how it was healthy for them. Consider the source. It is very scary that these statements are backed by the AMA and FDA.

In searching for people's reactions to this commercial I came across this blog. It is well researched and gives great information. I couldn't have said it better myself:
azreadinglady.blogspot.com

For the real truth about HFCS go here: Weston Price Foundation

The Truth About HFCS Video
One of the Commercials

From the maker of "King Corn" Part 1

From the maker of "King Corn" Part 2

Part 3

Scary Future for U.S. Healthcare

2008-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Watching the debates last night, I realized it is clear that our nation's leaders don't have a clue as to what is wrong with healthcare. I'd be willing to bet that their "healthcare advisors" have never worked with patients and billed insurance themselves. It is impossible to know what is truly wrong with our healthcare system without being a part of it for years. I have billed insurance and I have worked with patients and I KNOW what is wrong with our healthcare system:

Insurance companies have too much power over our course of treatment. The problem with that is that their interests are in making their investors happy, not in making their subscribers happy. Doctors don't have a say as to our course of treatment because if it is not covered by insurance it will not be prescribed.

A lot of the problem begins with what insurance companies dictate as "covered services" which are directly dependent on FDA and AMA guidelines. The problem with that is that the FDA approves drugs and medical treatments based on money as well. There are so many conflicts of interest in the FDA medical advisory boards (many of the members have financial investments IN pharemaceutical companies which is a direct violation of what the FDA is supposed to stand for). So the FDA is not a reliable source to begin with. The FDA was designed to protect us, but it is instead lining the pocket books of pharmaceutical executives and the doctors that work for them.

If the trend continues in this direction we are setting ourselves up for a dangerous future where healthcare will be mandated (no opt-out choice) and that the treatment will be determined by a series of institutions that are out for capitalist gains. More drugs mean more side-effects and more medical conditions that require more treatment and more money out of our own pocketbook. Capitalism doesn't work for the best interest of individual health. It doesn't have to be this way.

Neither of the presidential candidates has a solution that I am happy with. I am not discussing the election in this blog, just healthcare issues. Medicare is a joke. It ruins people's lives and does not protect the elderly and disabled like is should. State healthcare isn't much better. People who rely on both are really up a creek. The government needs to fix problems with the FDA and lobbyists need to get out of the equasion before addressing insurance problems. Politicians should not run insurance, they should not dictate insurance, and they should not madate that we must have insurance until insurance gets out of telling our doctors how to practice medicine.

Testosterone Levels

2008-09-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

I am always reading up on how hormones are affected by diet. I don't have a problem with this, but men and some women may be interested in this information. Nutrition can affect Testosterone levels.

"Meat from conventional sources increases insulin levels, and testosterone levels, but not growth hormone. Monounsaturated fats increase testosterone; weight lifting also increases testosterone, but aerobic exercise decreases them.

GH is not affected by meat, but it may increase if consumed without carbohydrates. The increase in insulin in the study was in diabetics, and conventional meat, although I think in a "normal person" it will not increase insulin, but it will increase your testosterone levels.

If you want to increase your testosterone levels, I would do the following:

1. Lift weights, include high volume low rest between sets (if clients want to know more about lifting, let me know and I will write more articles on the subject.)
2. Increase your fat intake, especially saturated and monounsaturated fats and decrease polyunsaturated fats.
3. Use real butter (preferably grass-fed dairy butter), instead of canola oil or corn oil.
4. Use fat loading days in combination with workout days and also include carbohydrate loading days.
5. Decrease aerobic exercise
6. Load up with Omega 3 oils, but avoid flax seed oil
7. Decrease sugar intake. "

From and article by Dr. Serrano
from a newsletter from U.S. Wellness Meats

Omega-3 for Infant Development

2008-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great article about a study which demostrated that "Omega-3...DHA consumed during the last months of pregnancy boosts an infant's sensory, cognitive, and motor development." It really shows how the infant's mother's diet affects the brain development of the child.

Pregnant Women Need Omega 3 To Boost Infant Development

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish. Also, free-range organic eggs.

Strengthening the Thyroid

2008-09-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

It is possible to have a sluggish thyroid even if thyroid tests come back normal. My naturopathic doctor tests it based on basal body temperature. Super low temperatures are a symptom of hypothyroid.

I get a newsletter from U.S. Wellness Beef and in a recent newsletter Dr. Serrano answered a question about how to eat to strengthen the thyroid.

This is what he said:

1) Consume good fats.
2) Use sea salt instead of table salt.
3) Stay away from wheat, milk, eggs and peanuts (or whatever foods you are diganosed allergic to). Food allergies can exacerbate thyroid symptoms.
4) Take probiotics and enzymes. It isn't what you eat but what you are able to absorb.
5) Some thyroid medications are dependent on absorption in the gut. If you have leaky gut, make sure to heal that as well.
6) Eat organic whole foods, grass-fed beef and poultry.
7) Have your iodine levels checked and if low, supplement accordingly.
8) Make sure you get enough vitamin D
9) Check with your doctor for other problems

BBQ Meatloaf

2008-09-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

from U.S. Wellness Meats

· 3/4 pound each ground beef and pork
· 1 cup milk
· 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
· 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1/4 cup chopped onion
· 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
· 1 clove garlic, minced
· 3 slices wheat bread torn into very small pieces
· 1 large egg, beaten
· 1/2 cup barbeque sauce (without HFCS)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except barbeque sauce in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to a 5 x 9 inch ungreased meatloaf pan. Pour barbecue sauce over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake meatloaf for 1 1/4 hours or until center is no longer pink. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the meatloaf should be 180 degrees.

Let meatloaf sit for 5 minutes before removing from pan to serve. You can serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired.

New Me!

2008-09-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am SO glad I measured myself through this last month. I only lost 3 lbs but I lost 2.5 inches just this week (lost no weight) and 7 inches over all this month!!! This is a huge accomplishment for me and to be almost into a size 6 at 5'7" and 161 lbs must mean I carry my weight very well. I know a woman who is my height and weight and just got into a size 12 so I must just have a lot of muscle.

I had a long talk with my husband this weekend. Before I measured myself again, I knew I was stalling this week "weight-wise" and he said that I should really re-evaluate what my goal is. He knows my primary goal is to be healthy, but I tend to focus more on the scale. He says I look great and that I have muscular legs and I will never be a skinny non-muscular woman and that he doesn't need me to be and that I should be proud of who and what I am because, as he put it I "earned it". He was so sweet he made me cry. He totally accepts the Atkins lifestyle because his mom was cured from lupus by following it and I have healed from Crohn's disease. He does it even though he doesn't need to loose weight and we both just love the way we feel on it. He knows I am close to goal. I am seeing definition in my legs, I don't have much of a paunch left.

I just looked at my gym evaluation from the time last year when I weighed the same as I do right now. I had 4 more inches on my waist and hips and I was at 24% body fat. That is within the "fit category" and as my evaluation said "no weight loss is recommended unless for aesthetic purposes". It goes on to say that female athletes generally have about 18-22% body fat. If I am smaller this year, I might even be at 22% body fat and maybe I just don't need to lose 10 more lbs. This is totally re-shaping my self-image. I do want to lose a couple more inches to get into a size 6 comfortably and that seems doable, but 10 more lbs might be extreme for me. I may not need to lose that much.

When I first started Atkins I thought I would have to get down to 145 to fit into my size 6s again. That wasn't so because on this diet, because of the combination of foods I lose fat and gain muscle. Muscle is GREAT because muscle mass increases my metabolism. It makes me look lean and slender. It is TWICE as dense as FAT! That means we can be 1/2 the size and weigh the same if we are fit.

I am seriously re-considering my goal weight. I am starting to change my self-image. What my husband said really had an impact on how I see myself. He is right! I earned these dancer's legs. I am not a dancer any more but it will always be a part of who and what I am. I am not fat! I don't have much flab on me left and what is left I can tone into shape. I won't start eating a lot of carbs because they make me swollen and bloated and make me crave foods I don't want to eat. I will LIVE the Atkins Nutritional Approach! I will keep focused on whole foods, minimally processed. I will continue to avoid starchy foods and sugar. I will keep learning to love the foods that make me feel great! "Love the food that loves you back!" I will still avoid dairy for snacks and minimize how much I use in meals. I will continue to have a cup of coffee a day (with a tsp of coconut oil, per Shannon_21) and I may even throw in a Tbsp of HC now and again. Dairy doesn't make me crave so I will just try not to focus too much on it because it is a convenience food. I will continue to have healthy nuts and seeds and a variety of vegetables in my diet. I will continue to try to eat local and organic as much as possible, especially meats and eggs.

This is a NEW ME! I am proud of who and what I am and I am going to LIVE THIS WOE!

October Counting Carbs Challenge

2008-09-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been very busy organizing weight-loss challenges on fatsecret.com. It has been a blast and a learning experience for me.

There will be a new one Starting Monday, September 29th. It is going to be the "October Counting Carbs Challenge". If you have never been to fatsecret.com it is a great (free) website for people of any diet trying to lose weight. It is a pleasant community with a lot of knowledgeable people always willing to help. This particular challenge is going to be focused around keeping a count of net carbohydrates--based on Atkins principles, but not limited to people following the Atkins diet--as well as sharing recipes every week and much more. Check it out if you get a chance!

20g Net Carb Challenge

2008-09-04T18:23:00.001-07:00

I have been really busy organizing a 20g net carb challenge on Fatsecret.com. I couldn't believe how many people joined up to do it. It gives me so much strength and motivation to know I am not the only one doing this. I believe I have figured out how to maintain once I get to my goal weight, so I feel more eager to get there. If you haven't visited fatsecret.com, you really should check it out. There is so much support and encouragement no matter what diet you are doing. I found it on accident a year ago because I was looking for a free website with a weight tracker. Not only is it free, but there are no ads and when you enter your weight it graphs in chronologically. I love to see a downward slope, but it has been more flat lately. The community is very exceptional and fun. Check it out, my username is sararay.

I also joined a weight loss challenge at work. I weighed in for that today. It is going to take me through the end of February. If I lose at least 5% of my body weight in 3 months I am eligible for prizes. Then if I at least maintain for another 3 months I am eligible for more prizes. I figured it was something I was working on anyway, so this is just a bonus for me. It will take me through the holidays and I decided that THIS IS MY YEAR to get down to goal, so I am ready to enjoy foods that are good for me through the holidays. I am a lot more prepared this year with great recipes from SugarFreeSheila's cookbooks and some new ones of my own. I will make it the best Atkins holiday season ever!

Last year I lost control between Christmas and New Years even though I had only planned one cheat day. I just can't do that to myself this year. I will have a higher carb day on Christmas but I really have to stay away from wheat this year because it makes me depressed and contributes to my loss of control. I am OK with that now and it just isn't worth it. There are lots of other options for me.

More on Splenda from The People's Chemist

2008-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Great information from a chemist's perspective on why we should avoid Splenda. Do not give it to your kids people!

Splenda

The quote of the day comes from this article..."Sucralose is as close to sugar as Windex is to ocean water."

Vaccinating Children

2008-08-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

The People's Chemist talks about Vaccines

The author of this site is a chemist turned consumer health advocate. He writes articles featured in my weekly emails from U.S. Wellness Meats. This one talks about vaccinations. Very informative.

My First Week Recommitting to Non-Dairy

2008-08-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

I am doing a weight-lifting challenge this week and for the next three weeks. It really got me going in a routine of working out. I hope this continues. This week I cut back my dairy a lot. I've been feeling like I'm relying on it too much for protein. I am more tolerant than I used to be but I have definitely been overdoing it.

I have been completely dairy free since Monday. I only allow myself butter, small amounts of parmesan or goat cheese. I have been a lot less bloated and not gained any weight (or lost any really, but that is OK) all week. I increased my carbohydrates some, but only fruit and gluten-free grains and balancing them out with protein in every meal. I learned from my future midwife that if you balance protein with carbs you don't gain weight. So far it seems to work and considering it is that TOM for me I should have gained water weight, but I didn't even though I did increase my carbs.

This all confirms my suspicions that I tolerate more carbohydrates when I don't consume dairy. Such is the life of the food intolerant. I have known this for a while, but focusing on carb restriction led me into more dairy. Many people cannot handle dairy. I knew better. At least I can say I still weigh 15 lbs less than I did a year ago, even if I am not at my goal weight yet, I am going through a learning process and I will get there eventually.

Yet Another Reason to Eat and Buy Local Foods

2008-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Do you need more reasons to be aware of where your food comes from?

FDA may loosen labeling rules for irradiated foods

Irradiated foods aren't radioactive, that is a myth, but exposing foods to radiation destroys precious microminerals and enzymes that our bodies need. It also can create free radicals which increase the consumer's risk of cancer. If you buy local foods from farmers you know by name, you don't have to worry about getting sick from the food you eat as long as you follow proper cleaning procedures.

FDA Considers Mislabeling Irradiated Food

I am given more and more reasons NOT to trust the FDA. Who do they think they are fooling? Consumers have a right to know what foods are being irradiated.

FDA, USDA Officials Dismiss Citizens' Concerns About Irradiated Food at Symposium

This article is from 2001. Apparently since then the FDA and USDA have decided that it is better to lie to us than to try to convince us of the safety of irradiation. This kind of behavior does not instill trust.

Want to know more about your food and water?? Check out this site:

Food & Water Watch

Sugar-Free Canning

2008-08-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of sugar-free canning in the last week. I highly recommend the "Ball (Brand) Blue Book of Preserving". There is a chapter on special diets that has sugar-free canning recipes. I have had a lot of success canning fresh seasonal fruits this summer. I would include a recipe but the book is cheap and can be found anywhere you find Ball canning supplies.

ISBN 0-9727537-0-2

Warning: High Sugar in Low-Fat Salad Dressings

2008-08-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

I just got a shocker when I looked up the Red Wine Vinagrette at Subway that I've been getting on my salad. I'm switching to oil and vinegar on the side!! 6g net carbs per serving!!! That could be part of my problem of stalling lately. I have it at least once a week for the last few months. It has 3 grams of sugar!!! I thought I had read up on it, but I might not have. Now I know. On the plus side, the salad with extra tuna is 26g protein and only 5 net carbs. That is pretty good and should cover the sugar in the dressing, but oil and vinegar is 1nc and so I'll get that from now on. :)

Subway.com Nutrition Info

My Question Answered

2008-08-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked to a Nurse Practitioner/Midwife that I work with. I told her I could make an appointment if it was necessary but I really needed her advice as she is also the diabetic educator for the office and has diabetes herself which she has learned to control with diet. I recounted some of my medical history (some of which she already knew) and I told her how I had trouble keeping my weight down without severely restricting my carbohydrates. I told her I was concerned because I know that when I start trying to have a baby I need to stay above 60g net carbs (she confirmed this) and I didn't know how I was going to eat that many and not gain weight because I stall with anything over 20g. She assured me that if I keep to whole foods, many small meals, and here is the key at each meal or snack eat more protein than carbs, then I will not gain more weight than I should during pregnancy. That reassured me and I decided that this will be my strategy for maintenance and OWL. I will try that right now too, but hopefully this will work to keep me maintaining. She says it is the ratio that matters more than the amount.

So I analyzed this...One serving of carbohydrate is 1/2 cup or 1 tortilla or slice of bread (not that I can have bread, but just for reference) so really one serving is about 25-35 grams of carbohydrateds depending on the source (less if you get low-carb, but most low-carb has wheat and/or soy so I can't eat it). IF I have a serving of grain I have to eat at least 30g of protein with it!!! It is really hard to overeat when you balance your proteins with your carbohydrates. This also means that my highest protein meal, which is usually breakfast, is also when I should take most advantage of eating carbohydrates like fruit and whole grains. In this perspective, it is possible, just a challenge as I would have to now keep track of protein AND carbs. I can do it...I think. At least it gives me a chance to not gain 80 lbs during pregnancy. I want to be healthy.

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So I went over my carbs yesterday, but it was all whole foods. What set me over was the one spelt tortilla and a baked apple. Oh, well, I'm back to 20g net per day today with a good start. I feel empowered with the advice from the Nurse Practitioner/Midwife. Things are good. I made it to the gym again last night. I was determined to go. I feel really good about that. I am well on my way to meeting my exercise goals this week. I have a meeting Thursday night, so I am hoping to bring something so I am not tempted by the junk food.

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I've been looking up carb and protein counts for some of my favorite foods to see how feasable it is to balance protein and carbs (or at least more protein than carbs) in a meal and still have a variety of foods. I found out a lot of my favorite vegetables have pretty high protein counts compared to the carb counts. Check this out...

amounts are in grams:
Asparagus, 4 spears--17.3nc/1.8p
Broccoli, cooked, 1/2 cup--1.6nc/2.3p
Broccoli, raw, 1/2 cup--1nc/1.3p
Cauliflower, cooked, 1/2 cup--0.8nc/1.1p
Cauliflower, raw, 1/2 cup--1.3nc/1p
Butter lettuce, 2 leaves--0.2nc/0.2p
Iceberg lettuce, 1 leaf--0.1nc/0.2p
Romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup--0.2nc/0.5p
portobello mushroom, 1oz--1nc/0.7p
cooked spinach, frozen, cooked, 1/2 cup--2.3nc/3p
crooked neck squash, 1/2 cup cooked--1.3nc/0.9p
lentils, 1/2 cup (the best of all legumes,)--12.2nc/9p
green beans, 1/2 cup--2.4nc/1p
1 avocado, haas--3.5nc/3.7p
feta cheese, 1oz--1.2nc/4p
cottage cheese 2%, 1/2 cup--4.1nc/15.6p
monterey jack 1 oz--0.2nc/6.9p
parmesan, 1T-- 0.2nc/2.1p
swiss cheese, 1 oz--1nc/8.1p
walnuts, 1oz--2nc/7p
almonds, 1oz--2.6nc/5.6p
macadamia, 1oz--1.1nc/2.1p

Green Bean and Chicken Salad

2008-08-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 roasted chicken
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup black kalamata olives
2 tbsp drained tiny capers
8 grape tomatoes, yellow and red, halved lengthwise
1/4 lb thin green beans, cooked
romaine lettuce leaves, for serving
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 oz feta cheese

Directions:
1. Tear chicken meat into large pieces, remove skin if desired. Place in a bowl. Combine with the oil, oregano and lemon juice. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Toss the chicken with the olives, capers, tomatoes and greenbeans. Season with salt and pepper. Arange the salad on romaine leaves on a decorative platter. Sprinkle with feta and parseley, and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Recap from Yesterday

2008-08-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I made that Favorite Chicken Salad recipe and it came out great. My husband liked it too, so it is a keeper! I went a little over on carbs yesterday but only by about 20g, it won't make me gain, but it won't make me lose either. I did make good food choices and had more protein than carbs at each meal. On the plus side I made it to the gym already twice this week, so I am meeting my goal for that.

I am off to a good start again today. I do have a meeting tonight, so I don't know how that will go. They always have food. I just don't get it, though, they have a wellness program and newsletter at work, but then they serve junk food at our meetings. Just so you know the company I work FOR is different than the office I work IN. We provide lab services to doctors offices. The office I work IN is great about food now, they've gotten a lot better, but at the company meetings it gets ugly. The guy who won the last Biggest Looser is an employee from our company and he just got promoted to the head of our wellness department, so maybe things will improve. I hope so. :)

ASK SARA

2008-08-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I received this question from a friend of mine. I thought my answer might be helpful to other people too:

I am on the Induction Phase and getting bored with the food. I also have some other stressors in my life right now. How do I keep interested in my food so I can stay on track even under stress?

I have found that to be a challenge for me as well. If I get bored, that is when I stray from the diet. How I solved this is by starting with the list of allowable foods, start making a list of recipes that you can make with the food list. I have challenged myself to try 2 new recipes per week. This really keeps me interested.

Enjoying food in another way is the key, by trying something new and experimenting, you will stay interested. Don't forget to put new recipes that you like on your list of favorites.

Under times of stress like around a lot of life's big changes and stressors (breakups, moves, surgery, etc.) sometimes it helps to plan ahead. Most of us have a favorite breakfast, but make sure lunch is different every day and pick a day that you have off to try something new for a good brunch. Invite a friend over to share it with you--they don't have to know it is diet food. I often make my cream cheese pancakes for family and friends if they come for brunch and they say they like them better than regular pancakes especially because they don't feel like their stomach is heavy after they eat. On OWL phase you can even make a raspberry syrup by cooking a half cup of frozen raspberries (per serving) until they start to form a juice, add 1/4 cup splenda-sweetened syrup (per serving) and pour over the cream cheese pancakes. Delicious!

I also find it helpful to collect a group of favorite recipes for eggs. They are my new staple food because that is ONE FOOD ITEM I KNOW I AM NOT ALLERGIC TO. LOL! I struggle with food allergies and so it is my new staple food. I try to have at least 2 per day and that is why I buy the most nutritious eggs. I get mine from a friend who raises chickens, but if you are limited to store-bought, buy the ones that say they have more omega-3 and preferably organic.

We all have our favorite veggies, but try some new ones. I found I like winter squash with just butter--btw it is allowed on induction, but watch the portion size--some people like to add cinnamon and splenda. Just make it your mission to try new things all the time. Keep track of your favorites.

Miracle Noodles Still Yummy!

2008-08-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

I ended up at 21.2g net carbs yesterday. Today I'm trying to stay under 45g net carbs. I got more sleep last night so I feel better in that department. I had full intentions to go to the gym last night and I still didn't make it. I can't keep doing this. On the plus side I made a delicious and healthy dinner.

I used the miracle noodles again. I made a tomato sauce with fresh basil and I sauted some vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, onion and kale). I warmed up the miracle noodles running them under hot water as the directions say. I mixed everything together and it was delicious. For those that haven't heard of them, the miracle noodles are made with 100% fiber so they are 0g net carbs and 0 calories. My husband said it was wonderful.

I found some whole spelt wraps and some brown rice tortillas. They have more carbs than the "low-carb" tortillas but less than the regular tortillas. I can't have wheat flour so I have to settle for these, more carbs but no allergens. I just won't be able to have them as often. I was craving breakfast burritos lately and this was a great alternative to just splurging on the regular kind. Today is one of my 45g net carb days, alternating with 20g net carb days. I hope to at least maintain like this.

Carb Total

2008-08-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

I ended up at 21.2g net carbs today. My goal was 20, so pretty good!

Live in the Moment

2008-08-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to try to stay under 20g net carbs. I don't know if I can be consistently under that right now, but I will try to shoot for at least 4 days per week under that, then alternate 3 days under 45g net carbs, with one "treat" per week (not a big cheat, just maybe a little more fruit or something one day a week). I think that counting is still very important for me right now, even if I am eating fruit, so I am going back to that. My goal is to at least maintain until the end of the month, if not lose. I'd like to get to 155 lbs, but I don't know if I can do it in one month. I don't tend to lose that quickly.

I am having a hard time making it to the gym lately. My husband doesn't go with me right now because he is working full time and going to school, so if I go I have to leave him at home and I miss him. I also have a lot of watering and gardening and cooking (because I like to know what goes into the food I eat) to do every day and I work 10 hour days (with a 1 hour lunch so it ends up being 11 hours of my time not at home.) It doesn't leave much time to do everything. I was telling David that it doesn't seem like I ever have the time to go to the gym, cook dinner, water my plants and have at least a half hour to an hour to relax every night. He said "you're right" and it was kind of a revelation to me. LOL. You mean I am not expected to? I guess I have high expectations for myself. I am working on trying to relax for a little bit each night because otherwise I get all stressed out and tense and by friday I am a nutcase.

I am also trying to live more in the moment as I have a lot to look forward to but the "now" is great too and I need to stop and enjoy it.

Food Addititve Safety

2008-08-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a great website I found when researching food additives and sweeteners. It has a good grading system to help you make your choices about what to eat and what not to eat.

www.cspinet.org

Do Not Rely on Your Own Understanding

2008-08-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

This has been a very convicting scripture in my life, especially when it comes to "what I should be doing". In something so cerebral as diet, we think, why would God have the answer? Should I go to God for something like identifying the proper diet for my body? The thing is he does have the answers. We must pray for guidance in finding the answer because it is out here, to be found. It does not mean that if you do not find the answer right away that you do not have "enough faith", it just means God isn't done with you yet.

Whether you are struggling with weight issues or food allergies, there is a reason why you are having problems. Doctors don't have all the answers, because they think that there is one diet that is the right one for everyone, but with the Lord's guidance you can be led to the right doctor, the right diet and the right lifestyle choices. It is OK to pray for such things.

Diet is important because our bodies are temples and we should care what we put into them. We get a lot of mixed messages about what is "healthy", so we must get all the "facts", but seek guidance as to what to believe. It is not possible that everyone's nutritional needs are the same, so as individuals we require different answers. It is important to learn, possibly to experiment, but not to rely on the convictions of other people or on our own understanding of "proper diet". We must educate ourselves and be open to the answers, just with any other guidance that we seek from the Lord.

Weighing Daily

2008-07-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

So it seems that if enough of us try hard enough, the trend in the office is changing. My co-worker who is Celiac finally decided to purge her kitchen from wheat and I let her borrow a gluten-free cookbook. A few others recently started healthy diets now so it was decided that the luncheon this week would be chef salad. I am so thrilled! You don't even know. We don't each bring a dish, for our luncheons we decide on a dish and then everyone brings an ingredient or part of the dish. Rarely do we do the traditional pot-luck because we end up with too much food and usually not a rounded meal. I am starting to believe that my "lead by example" attitude is paying off. I don't preach to people but when they see I don't give up and I resist temptation most of the time, it inspires them. It makes me happy to inspire others.

I don't care how long it takes to reach my goal. I am truly noticing a difference in how I feel. I am able to focus more and I feel "sharper" and more alert. I am following Atkins pre-maintenance/OWL very well, focusing on mostly protein and vegetables. I only have grains about 3 times per week and they are gluten-free grains. I found in the past that if I have a strict low-carb day before a weigh-in (especially after noon the day before) it eliminates water bloat and makes the weigh-in more accurate. That will be my strategy from now on to get the most precise comparison from week to week.

I wish people wouldn't stress about daily fluctuations in weight. They don't give you the whole picture. There are a number of reasons why you would be up or down from one day to the next. It is not physically possible to gain 3-5 lbs of fat overnight. Bloat is a very good possibility after a cheat day or even eating something with too much salt and not something to stress about, just to nip it in the bud before it grows into a full-blown cheat week. Just trust the plan and watch your weight comparing week to week, even if you weigh in every day.

Make sure to weigh in first thing in the morning, in the buff, before eating or drinking anything. Go for accuracy or you will be disappointed. Compare your weight today to that of a week ago even if you weigh in daily. Comparing it to the day before doesn't tell you anything.

Feeling Good

2008-07-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not as energetic today, but not bad for day 2 of ToM. I am not feeling as bloated as I usually feel during this time, so that is a plus. My basal body temperatures are a lot better still, which means my thyroid is getting more balanced. I really feel like the tiny bit of iodine supplement from my naturopath is making a difference, as well as my balanced diet.

Yesterday I skipped the gym because my husband got called out for work and our lawn needed mowing--bad! We have a push-mower, so I feel like I got my workout in anyway. LOL. I did work up a sweat. It was kind of fun, actually, for manual labor.

I have really been enjoying our CSA food box. They gave us some fabulous Italian green beans that came out so tender. I got some savory in the box too and I had never cooked with savory before. The flavor is like a cross between rosemary and oregano. I'm going to plant some in my herb garden next year. I added savory and butter to the green beans and they were wonderful. I also cooked some of the colorful chard in some olive oil. It was less bitter this week. I'm definitely planting chard in my garden next year.

I found that I haven't felt like eating as often. I don't know if that is good or bad. I feel in control and not like I'm worried about when I'll get my next snack. I am keeping a food log in a notebook that I carry around with me along with my weekly goals. Writing it down seems to solidify it in my mind more than typing it on the computer.

I guess I'll find out when TOM is over whether this is working for weight loss, but I feel great and that is what counts the most. Even if it takes longer this way, I want to lose the last 10 lbs slowly so I'll be sure to keep them off. I might go down to 140 after I hit 150, but I'll take that 5 lbs at a time once I hit 150. Right now it is just for vanity anyway. I fit into size 6-8, though I don't know how since there are others I have met on Fatsecret.com just fitting into 8s after hitting below 140. (I swear I have no "muffin top" either, it's a bad look and I'd rather buy a size bigger.) I guess I'm just tall and muscular. I'm 5'7" and I am pretty toned even though I don't work out as much as I used to.

Seeing Changes

2008-07-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

I feel great and I have a lot of energy despite the fact that TOM is here. It is unusual for me to feel this way, and no cramps (yet). It must be all the improvements in my diet. I am less stressed about it and I find myself not as preoccupied about food.

I have a few friends who are getting into gluten free eating because of food allergies and others who are just trying to eat better. I found myself assuming the role of diet coach. Since I found myself repeating myself so many times, especially about websites and resources, not to mention my story of recovery, that I decided to start a website. It is still a work in progress, but here it is if anyone is interested:

www.wisdomnutrition.info

I am going to wait to weigh myself until the end of TOM. I feel good and that is what is most important. So far I don't feel as bloated as I usually feel around this time. I have also been taking my basal body temperatures for different reasons, and I have noticed that my average temperatures are going from too low to normal. Low temperatures (too many below 97.5 during the first part of a woman's cycle) mean sluggish thyroid, and they have been improving. Strenghtening the thyroid through proper diet is very important because so many hormones, our metabolisms and body processes are regulated by the thyroid.

People ask me how I remember all this information. I don't know, I guess I just have a passion for it. I read a lot of non-fiction and research studies. They all reinforce the same general health trend and I am happy to see the evidence unfold. I love sharing this information with others because I wish someone had taught me years ago.