03/13/13 Experimenting with change.

Just when you least expect it, change happens. I recently moved into a larger space and what a joy it's been to break into those boxes of kitchen gadgets art works and art supplies that I haven't seen for 4+ years. Stuff is just stuff but sometimes it says 'home'.

A few weeks ago I went to my favourite gluten free bakery here in Vancouver and inquired about the chicken pot pies. The customer service person was a little distracted, trying to train someone and answer my questions too, but did look up the recipe for me in the big binder to see if there was any dairy in the pies. When the pie was heating up at home, it smelled amazing. I was really ready for something special. I took a few bites and thought; This is too good to be dairy free but I kept eating it. When I was about halfway through, I got a bit scared and so I went on the Gluten Free Epicurean Facebook page to make an inquiry about the pie. Within 40 minutes I learned that not only are the pie shells for the meat pies made with dairy (margarine) but also there is whole milk IN the pie! By that time I had enjoyed every morcel of that amazing meal and decided that what ever would be, I would not regret having eaten it, because THIS pie was the best thing I've eaten in ages!

Later that evening as I braced myself for symptoms, I found instead that I had no immediate reaction. The next morning things were running a bit slow, if you know what I mean and I thought; Hey, if that's all that happens I'm definitely taking note.

Because I could not get that beautiful pie off my mind, I decided to experiment. This past weekend I gathered up my courage to try another dairy-laden chicken pot pie because -- holy moly, if I can eat these pies I'll be a happy camper! Well guess what? Aside from some (normal for me) upper digestive outbursts.... I CAN EAT THIS STUFF!

What's going on? (don't ask me.) I'm assuming that my hormones, body chemicals, (what ever) have changed in some way and or my gut has healed enough from my abstinence of gluten eating, I'm going to embark on a longer experiment of eating things that "may contain traces of milk" to actually eating things WITH dairy in them and see how this goes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going out to eat a bunch of ice cream or eat cheese cake quite yet. I'll take it one step at a time.

It's been more than 10 years since I regularly ate things with dairy in them so this is pretty momentous. This is a new chapter in my life so it's nice to be able to mark it with a dietary change as well.

Cheers all! Eat mindfully and be healthy.

 

The Biochemistry of a gluten free body

Ever think about it? Example: We are what we eat. Each day we try and respond to our body's needs by thinking and feeling and decision making. What might I be needing? While at the same time; What might I enjoy eating? Normally I would say I do a fairly good job at interpreting my physical and mental needs. How do I know? Because normally afterward, I feel nourished and fortified. 

I'm proud of my self nurturing, that is, except,  I can't really say I remember eating any *ohmygawdwhatishappeningtomenow!?* recently.
The last couple of days my brain seems to be reacting to some major rewiring after an event of off-the-chart anxiety, coupled together with a little paranoia and self hatred. W-H-A-T? Where did this come from? I've read my share of articles about the effects of gluten on the body and brain to know that there is way more going on with biochemical interactions than is generally recognized.

We're exposed to hundreds of chemicals a day from the fire retardants in our blankets, mattresses and rugs we walk across to the 20 or so household and personal care products we use every day on our skin and in the air we breathe. We drink water that's been pretreated with chemicals to protect us from natural things. It's really impossible to control our personal environment. All we can do is make the right decisions according to the messages our bodies are giving us and (the labels we try so hard to read) on our foods. It's been more than a few years since I read that newborn babies are found to have over 200 chemicals already in their body. Egads.

I guess we can just expect to feel 'weird' sometimes. We're lucky to be here, alive and with our friends and family. I guess it's just another reminder to enjoy the moment. 

Happy Healthy 2013 folks!

Pain is just 'gonna happen'

Everyone suffering with any kind of food intolerance knows that no matter how hard we try to avoid the foods that cause ill symptoms, it's just gonna happen. You can buy all your own foods, eat at home, have your own toaster, cutting board and pans and do everything in your power to avoid contamination but we all know, sooner or later it's just going to happen.

Pain has become a regular part of our lives, and as with most of us, something we simply must accept. It sucks, that's for sure, but I just want to remind you all not to identify with this pain. This pain and illness does NOT define who we are. Not in the least. Even when we do outreach like our blogs and Twitter, sharing articles with our Celiac/ gluten intolerant community, we have to admit there is a LOT more to our lives than this. Right?

So I just wanted to take a moment before the holidays to remind you to focus on who you really are:
Strong, loving, generous, kind, artistic, industrious, creative, nature loving, pet adoring, city hopping, athletic or couch potato. (ha-ha) We all are the sum of our greatest gifts. People love us for WHO we are.

So when we have our down moments, when fear and anxiety seem to encompass our every thought, lets try to remind ourselves that there's so much more to life. The moments of pain and fatigue will pass. There is usually a tomorrow to try again. Let's support one another, reach out and keep a positive attitude.

Wishing you all good health. Do your best and remember that acceptance is easier than denial. Focus on what is important.

Ⓗ ⓐ ⓟ ⓟ ⓨ   Ⓗ ⓞ Ⓛ ⓘ ⓓ ⓐ ⓨ ⓢ !!

Just yummy stuff

Because sometimes, it's all about eating yummy things. Some good for you, some not so much. This cake was made from a Pamela's Products cake mix. I added AlterEco dark chocolate, quinoa flour, coconut oil, olive oil, tapioca starch and almond 'milk' I guess I got lucky because it's mind blowingly good.

I've shared a lot of food photo's on this blog but seldom do I share recipes. That's because, as much as I enjoy cooking meals and making random kitchen messes, I am terrible at following recipes. I had learned to cook and bake in professional kitchens many years ago but I escaped from that institution and I've learned how to break all the rules but make it work. 

Never stay between the lines! Adventure is always outside the lines.
Here's a few more food shots to get your appetite going.

Experiment away!

We're all owned.

Lets face it, we're owned by the food industry. Most of us are NOT growing our own food from seeds that we personally cultivated. We're not all eating the 100 mile diet. Heck, most of us can't even afford to buy organics all the time.  We all make the best choices for our own individual economic realities while trying to keep it as healthy as possible but it's nearly impossible to avoid GMO and the chemical engineering of many foods in our diet. Well, here comes a story that really brings this to light. 

We already know that wheat was modified at some point to create a hybrid that produces a higher percentage of gluten once processed.  We know that our bodies have had a difficult time breaking down this high powered gluten and I personally have never heard of anyone, anywhere in the world, who is growing the older version of wheat. Ever asked yourself why not? Who owns those old wheat seeds? Who owns (the patent) on MOST of our foods? Monsanto. Don't be shocked, the patenting of living organisms dates back to at least 1873.  But don't for one minute think that just anyone can grow their own foods from their own seeds, because in fact, seed saving can be against the law!

Conspiracy theorists will love this scenario: To coincide with the growing numbers of gluten-intolerant people in our current population (and to bypass the convoluted pharmaceutical route) "BIO-ENGINEERED" wheat with Celiac friendly gluten will be introduced in a few years. 

OH -Yippie-Kai-Yay! Call me paranoid but... this all sounds like a financial plan to me.

What?-you haven't seen Food Inc yet? Well, pop up some genetically modified corn, put some genetically modified canola oil margarine on it and sit down with the DVD. What are you waiting for? Here's a teaser. Be afraid-- be very afraid!

Some more food for thought: " many people in the United States want food that approximates – in so far as possible – the food their forebears ate. Whole communities such as the Amish mandate this of their members. This powerful instinct will always exist among certain groups, regardless of scientific advances and safety analyses. "

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/yes-labels-on-gm-foods

And lastly another article about seeds:

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-four-steps-required-to-keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden/

 

 

Moderation and observation

With new reports and various studies coming out all the time on how certain foods are adversely affecting our health, it almost seems as though we have to become more and more discerning about what to put in our bodies. After all, we aren't all nutritionists and biologists, how do we juggle all this constant information and make the wisest choices for our diet?

Every living body is different from the next. Everybody experiences different reactions to basic foods, everyone is exposed to their environment in different ways. With so many variables to consider, there's a daily dance we have to perform according to our body's own needs and the messages we receive.

There are the basics, like being thirsty means we should drink water. Being tired indicates a need for sleep but what about all the smaller messages our brains are signalling? Can we hear those precious messages too? How are we to respond when we don't 'speak the language' of biochemistry?

We're all amazingly talented in that we multitask constantly with our minds. Whether we're aware of it or not, there is a constant stream of signals going on in our mind and in our body that we are responding to. Even now as you read this your body is telling you something really important.

Everyone needs to take time out during the day to listen to these messages and respond. Our body can't just leave us and go food shopping for what it needs. It's up to us to listen and try our best to supply what our body needs. It's a constant juggling act. This is a huge responsibility we have every day and the more attention we pay to our inner messages, the more effort we must put into this relationship. This is not something we can put off. Our everyday physical and mental health depends entirely upon us behaving as responsible adults to our own bodies. Be your own best mom, listen and respond.

 

How I survived the Evil Cupcake of Gluten-doom.

Well, this should be an interesting study in the least. Late afternoon yesterday I mistook a vegan cupcake for a gluten free and vegan one. I devoured it with abandon before realizing in horror what just happened.
I haven't made a mistake like this in a really long time.
I stood there, re-reading the signage, eyes darting back & forth between "gluten free" on one side of the counter and "vegan" on the other, mere inches from one another, I allowed the reality to set in.
Outside the shop I released my emotional response. Tears, sobbing, anxiety over what will unfold, wondering; should purge? (-would this even guarantee that nothing would remain?) I weighed the on-the-fly analysis and decided to see how my body would react, using this experience as a lesson. I'll do a personal case study. See what will ensue.

So here I am, day 1. Morning.
I asked myself; Do I have Any symptoms yet? I'm a bit light headed but that is all. Last night I had a bit of indigestion after dinner but nothing painful. This a.m. things 'seem' normal thus far but I know how long it takes to move things through this body of mine. It's easy to determine when you eat black Quinoa on a Friday and on Sunday and Monday you still see evidence of it.

Normally, after a contamination has occurred (which happens regularly on a much smaller scale) I can get a whole array of symptoms: Stomach pain, nausea, head ache, dizziness, bloating and back-ups, then a lot of pain and flushing out. Weight loss, fatigue, irritability, random sadness and lowered self esteem, lack of energy and motivation, loss of ability to concentrate, skin rashes and itchy skin areas. I'm probably forgetting some symptoms. This has been my life for years, even while avoiding dairy and gluten to the best of my ability. But right now-- I'm okay.
Weird!

Day 2. Hour 40-something.

OW-- Some sharp lower abdominal pain coupled together with more than a few unpleasant visits to the small room and a bit light headed. hmmm....

Day 2. Hour 48-ish:
RAVENOUS! Gotta be a good sign, right? Filling that empty space back up now.

*NOTE* On the first night I took some digestive herbs. In this case it was called Gaia which is by Aboca, an Italian company. The ingredients are Vegetable Charcoal, Cumin, Chamomile, Anise, Lemon Balm, Fennel and Peppermint.
Every time I've taken this product it has reduced gas and bloating almost immediately and then the next day my intestinal tract feels good.
To me this stuff is amazing.

Day 3 and 4.
Is this headache really a migraine? My eyes feel strained too and  I'm also a bit moody. Could this be an 'after effect' of the gluten contamination? I wonder.