Allergy Confessions

Since starting my Experiments with Truth, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon. When I explain my monthly challenge to friends and acquaintances, they open up about their own personal challenges with food, allergies, lifestyle habits or addictions. For example, one friend told me all about his history with stomach aches and fatigue. It turns out he is allergic to gluten and yeast. Many people live with undiagnosed cases of food allergies that cause all kinds of annoying and inconvenient symptoms. This friend said, "It (eating gluten free) has affected my life for the better, but it is a pain in the ass!!! I love to eat and now I have to plan out (my meals) in advance."  Some of his favorite foods include corn tacos, stir fry, pho', breakfast foods, steak chicken and pork.

At that same wedding last weekend, I saw a friend from college that I hadn't seen for years.  She is vibrant and glowing in a healthy way I had never seen.  It turns out that when I knew her in college, she was living with an undiagnosed food allergy.  Her body has a hard time processing the skins of most fruits and vegetables.  She told me that she never really felt like herself during the majority of college.  She gained weight and credited it to the "freshman 15," however the real culprit was a digestive allergy.  When her doctors finally figured out the problem, it seems like her whole life changed.  I was thrilled to tell her how healthy and alive she looks now!

My gluten-free co-experimenter, Maria, and I went back to Flying Apron Bakery this week for some filling and delicious treats.  Immediately, I noticed a change in her.  Her skin was glowing!  She normally suffers from mild acne, but that day her skin was clear and beautiful.  She and I were both happy to report more regular digestion and less bloating in these first couple weeks of the experiment.  We shared tips and meals that have been working for us.  She raved about her green breakfast smoothie and shared this recipe from the famous Dr. Oz.

This "green drink" is high in fiber, low-calorie and rich in vitamins.
Ingredients
2 cups spinach
2 cups cucumber
1 head of celery
1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
1 bunch parsley
2 apples
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

  

Sent to bed without dinner

I'm still getting the hang of this.  Apparently eating gluten-free sometimes means not eating what's offered.  At a friend's wedding this weekend, the combo of sun, not eating and cocktail hour equalled an early bedtime for me.  I woke up at 4:39am to realize in horror that I missed the majority of the wedding reception including most of dinner and the dancing.  My body needs more fuel and more sustenance.  By passing up the bready, pastry appetizers, I ended up consuming more champagne than actual food. 

Luckily a caring friend walked me back to my room and put me safely to bed before any embarrassing events occurred.  I thought I was being responsible by eating a big gluten-free meal before the wedding.  That same caring friend is allergic to dairy, so she has been trained to eat her own safe food before weddings.  Together, with our real and imagined allergies, we chowed down on big plates of brown rice and veggies minus the teriyaki sauce (contains soy sauce).  Apparently, that wasn't enough to counteract my enthusiastic drinking.

I want to learn from this experience.  Eliminating gluten from my diet changes how my body reacts to substances like alcohol.  I have to be careful as my own experiment specimen.  I am attending another wedding this Saturday, so I will use that opportunity as my own personal "re-do" and take proactive steps to stay healthy and thrive gluten-free.

I've been glutenized

Today was a gluten-full day.  I admit it.  I felt low on options and low on variety.  My favorite nutty, apricot dessert bread was offered at the lunch table.  When I found out that it had been lightly dusted with flour, for some reason I chose to eat it anyway.  My boring lunch of broiled asparagus and mixed nuts was just not enough.  I need to get cooking and preparing filling and satisfying meals.  Trying to slide by on less just isn't working.

Also today I ate two pieces of pizza at my monthly union dinner meeting.  I had all of the best intentions to eat the veggies and dips from the separate tray, but when those tempting and fragrant pizza boxes came rolling in, I succumbed to my hunger.  The truth is that it felt good.  A full, warm, cozy feeling spread through my body.  That feeling was accompanied by his friends, sleepy and sluggish.

Feeling full is a welcome relief.  The quest to feel full without eating gluten led me across town to a big gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan calzone at the Flying Apron Bakery.  It really did the trick.  The crunchy crust and warm melody of vegetables mingled in my stomach. That same day I bought the gluten-free girl cookbook and delved in, relishing every clever story and mouth-watering recipe.  I love the way Shauna looks on the cover, armed with two satsumas behind her back.  She's armed and ready to cook around that gluten allergy and create delicious meals that love her back.

After this temporary pitfall, I am ready to renew my gluten-free resolution.  Finding healthy ways to get full and feel nourished are my goals for the next 3 weeks.

What is THAT?

This weekend presented some interesting new gluten-free challenges.  Avoiding beer on a roof-top deck, passing up chips and pretzels on a boat and thowing a baby shower without cookies, cupcakes or pastries sparked a lot of social conversation about gluten.  At one point a friend pointed out that my challenge looks a lot like a complex-carb free diet (Not a terrible thing right before the summer season).  But today I'm going out in search of crunchy and satisfying gluten free treats.  I can not only munch on fruit and nuts for an entire month!

On Saturday I stopped at the gas station to pick up a few snacks before heading out on the water.  The only thing I could find was a small bag of almonds and a bottle of water.  Chips and crackers contain wheat.  The candy bars contained a strange, off-limits ingredient called soy lecithin.  It got me thinking....what the heck is that?

Soy lecithin a substance that is extracted from soybeans using a solvent such as hexane, and it’s a by-product of soybean oil.  It is an additive found in many everyday foods, but it’s normally used in such small amounts that it rarely exceeds more than 1 percent of the weight of any food product. It works as an emulsifier in candy bars, keeping the cocoa and cocoa butter from separating. Soy lecithin also can be used in baking to make the dough less sticky and help it rise. It works as a so-called wetting agent, too, making cake mixes easier to spread into a pan when liquid is added.

Despite this new information, I still don't know how wheat, barley nor rye fit into that answer.  What makes it contain gluten?

When a chocolate craving hit last night, I scanned at my chocolate stash and everything contained soy lecithin!  So I marched my butt to the store about bought a beautiful bar of organic dark chocolate.  My eyes feasted on the pure and simple ingredient list.  Chocolate has never tasted so good.

Where are you hiding, you little gluten you?

I knew that this month would be tricky.  Gluten is one of those sneaky ingredients that find its way into everything.  Knowing this, I started researching where this little trickster may be hiding.  I found out that mass-processed meats are often made with gluten, to fill out the salami or make the turkey seem plumper. Gross. 

The Gluten Free Girl also taught me that, "Anything packaged that comes in individual pieces--candy, frozen foods, corn tortillas; french fries; the cashews I ate the other night--could be dusted in flour just before being stuffed in the package. Why? Because we live in America, and we like everything to look pretty. Goodness forbid that two pieces of chocolate stick together."

Here are a few other things that contain gluten:
--modified food starch
--MSG
--lecithins
--textured vegetable protein (think veggie burgers, or any fake meat)
--emulsifiers
--soy sauce (most of it contains wheat; you have to use wheat-free tamari instead)
--prescription and over-the-counter drugs, even some vitamins

With this new knowledge, I realized that my yummy little calcium and vitamin D chews are off limits.  They contain glycerin, corn starch and soy lecithin.  It makes me wonder why I started taking them in the first place.  If only it were more sunny in Seattle...then I could get my vitamin D the old fashioned way.

Even though I ate two of these chocolate calcium chews yesterday, I don't consider them a mistake nor or a cheat.  I know that my gluten learning curve will be steep these first few days.  I'm just happy to be sticking to my experiment this well.  It's been two days of wholesome oatmeal, fruits, delicious thai food with brown rice, colorful salads and nuts.  I even was able to eat some flan and chocolate at a work dessert party last night.  More discoveries yet to come!

Month Five: Gluten-Free

The inspiration is strong.  Before I write another word about my new gluten-free journey, I have to pay tribute to this writer.  http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/  Her name is Shauna James Ahern, and she is my gluten girl hero.  I expect that her blog (and probably cookbook) will be my bible this month.  To read about her diagnosis with celiac disease and resulting lifestyle inspires me to take this experiment seriously and really go for it!

To live gluten free means letting go of wheat, barley, rye and triticale.  That sounds innocent enough.  What that really means is no typical bread, pasta, pizza, crackers, cereal, pies, cakes, etc.  There are gluten free alternatives for most (if not all) of these foods.  I'm really lucky to live in Seattle.  We are so granola and crunchy, I know it will be easy to find baked goods and snacks that I love.  Immediately I think of Chaco Canyon Cafe and the Flying Apron Bakery.

I am feeling so optimistic and motivated.  This experiment is providing me an excuse to try a lifestyle that has always intrigued me.  I will get to sample delicious and strange new products, cook healthy recipes and most likely feel better.  I'm doing this for me, for my dad and for anyone that is stuck in a rut and wants to get out.  Here we go!

 

Inspiration is Contagious

As I prepare to start my 5th experiment, it seems that my enthusiasm is contagious.  Two friends have decided to challenge themselves with experiments like mine.  It's pretty amazing to see how my efforts are inspiring others to try new things and rethink their lifestyles.

One friend gave up shopping for 30 days.  She picked an experiment that is most relevant for her since she often shops online purchasing make-up, shoes and clothes.  See my last blog entry for an example of her passion for clothes and designers.  Her perspective on this challenge has already been interesting and entertaining.  Her recent facebook status said, "Day 6 of the "No Shopping for 30 Days" challenge....Still no voice and cramps. All withdrawl symptoms!"  I'm curious to find out her biggest temptations and how she conquers them.

Another friend is getting ready to join me tomorrow during my gluten-free month.  She has had severe stomach problems for years and is using this opportunity to do something positive for her health.  She's already been sharing her tips.  She filled me in that corn tortillas are gluten free.  That sounds like a good start to me!

I'm eager to explore this new dietary challenge.  I'm hopeful that I will feel healthy and light and even more energetic.  My dad recently got diagnosed with a gluten allergy, so I'm also excited to support him in his experimentation with delicious wheat-free options.  It's going to be a good month.  Plus I'll look great in my heels as I do it!