A Few Thoughts from After the Liver/Gallbladder Flush...

1. I had an extremely hard time getting the "concoction" down :( But once I did, my body handled it really well! Very little nausea and heartburn :) I think this is because I've been eating more (healthy) fats, so ingesting that much fat at once wasn't such a shock to my system. It was very encouraging to me because my gallbladder must be functioning well for me to not react so much. I think if it wasn't functioning properly, I would not have ingested the olive oil without a lot of nausea and heartburn. (I really hope that makes sense... I keep trying to rewrite it but can't make it clearer right now :p)

2. When I was doing the flush, I found some info online that makes a lot of sense to me and backs up my experiences lately. When you eat a lowfat diet, the bile just sits in your gallbladder (bile is used to digest fats - if you're not eating many of them, it's not needed as much). When it sits, it concentrates. Concentrated bile = gallstones. When you eat a higher (healthy) fat diet, the bile doesn't have time to concentrate. Your gallbladder holds it for a while, then releases it in response to the fats you've eaten. I have found that my gallbladder problems STOPPED when I increased my fats. Fats are supposedly what cause gallbladder problems, and I was a bit scared to increase fats because I was scared of how my gallbladder would handle it. But it has responded beautifully! I think the stone I had was just an old one that hadn't come out yet. It definitely wasn't very big. I can tell by the amount of pain I was in compared to previous times :p And I didn't see many stones after the flush. I don't think I have zero stones, but I do believe that the ones that are still there were formed at a time when I wasn't eating much fats.

And as a side note... If I needed confirmation that my body does better eating less carbs (grains in particular), I certainly got it yesterday! I ate a (whole grain, lots of fat) high carb lunch, and oh man, did I pay for it! I had terrible brain fog. A stomachache. My gallbladder protested a bit (no real pain, but definite twinges). Ugh! Not doing that again :p

Meal Plan 11-2 to 11-12

Our big meal is at lunch. I need one supper still... When everyone else has eggs, I'll have leftovers.

Breakfast:
Boys - yogurt, fruit
Me - yogurt or cheese

Lunch:
Macaroni and cheese
Roast (leftover in freezer), bleu cheese potatoes, broccoli (green beans for Jesse)
Bacon, overnight oatmeal
Leftover beef veggie soup
Burgers on English muffin halves, celery
Loaded potatoes - turkey, cheese, sour cream, California mix veggies (green beans for Jesse)
Sweet Beef and Rice
Mexican - turkey, canned chiles, cheese, rice
Homemade breakfast sausage crumbles, fried potatoes, sauteed red bell peppers
Turkey casserole w/rice, cream cheese, and green beans
Ground beef casserole w/beef broth, cream, rice; carrots

Supper:
(Restaurant with extended family)
Scrambled eggs w/rice x 4 (two plain, two with tomato puree)
Beef veggie soup x 2
Mexican - turkey, enchilada sauce, rice, cheese
Cottage cheese w/peaches and almonds x 2

Anniversary Crawfish Lunch

Jesse and I celebrated 16 years of marriage last week! I had some boiled crawfish tails in the freezer and knew I wanted to use them to make something special. Our anniversary was the perfect time :)

I looked at a few different creamy crawfish pasta recipes and decided to make up my own. Big surprise ;) The taste of the crawfish really comes through!

I used leftovers from a crawfish boil, so the tails were seasoned really well. If yours are not preseasoned, don't forget to spice them up!

ANNIVERSARY CRAWFISH LUNCH

16 oz pasta, cooked (I used spaghetti, broken into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 stick butter
3/4 c. chopped onion
2/3 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 chopped green onions
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 lbs cooked crawfish tails
2 c. heavy cream

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, red bell peppers, and celery. Cook until almost soft. Add green onions and garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Mix in crawfish, cream, and parsley. Heat through. Combine with pasta.

Friday Night

I took it really easy today. Lunch was the precooked steak strips, rice, beef broth, and some cheese, all mixed together. I enjoyed a Ghirardelli 72% for dessert :) Supper was canned chicken mixed with rice, butter, and parsley, buttered peas on the side. And another chocolate :yum The chocolate tasted so good today!

Late this afternoon I had another BM. It was round 1 of the concoction working its way through. There was some gritty stuff in the toilet. Based on last time I know I dissolved a stone, I'm pretty sure that was the remnants of the stuck stone :)

My stomach feels like round 2 is coming. Eventually :p

For now, I'm thankful that I can eat regular food again! Hopefully in the morning I'll be okay to drink a cup of coffee. This is the third day in a row without caffeine and I miss it! No withdrawal symptoms though :) I was a little surprised I didn't have so much as a slight headache!

Friday Morning

After I got the concoction down, the rest of the night went pretty well :) I put on some quiet worship music and read on my nook for the hour. When my timer went off, I sipped some mint/green tea. I had minimal heartburn and nausea. Phew!

I slept through the night. Woke up earlier than I hoped but thankful for the sleep I got! Not long after I woke up I had a BM. It was a little loose but almost normal. I know there's another one coming, and that one WON'T be normal :p

After the BM, I was pretty nauseous :( Thankfully it passed before too long. Until I walked into the kitchen... The juiced lemon carcasses were still on the counter. I got one whiff of them and started gagging :( Jesse came and put them in the trash for me while I turned on the ac fan to help dissipate the smell.

My stomach feels yucky. I know that big, bad BM is coming. But I can happily (and thankfully!) report that I can no longer feel the stone :) There's some lingering soreness where it was but that's it!

So far today I've just eaten a banana. I bought some precooked steak strips and romaine for today, but I don't know if we'll have that for lunch or supper.

I'm really encouraged that 1. I don't feel the stone, and 2. I tolerated the concoction really well once I got it down. Supposedly, the more toxic your body is, the worse your body reacts to it. Last flush was pretty bad. I thought this one would be too since my body was so rundown etc.

The fast/juice was rough :( But I'm not feeling too bad today, all things considered. I feel the effects of the fast. I'm a little nauseous when I stand up but that's from lack of food. I have to remind myself to go slow with food today. And fairly low fat.

I'm so glad it's over...

In Progress...

I got the concoction down. Barely. I ended up having to alternate 5 gulps with a few drops of Sprite till it was gone. I started gagging before I even started drinking it so I knew it was going to be rough :(

My hour has started...

P.S.

1. I wish there was a way to tell how sweet the apple juice was before I bought it. That way I could get the most tart one. Drinking this much sweetness is just disgusting to me! Today I've had to chase it with a sip of water almost every time I've drank it. So glad it's done now!

2. My mineral balance was off last night. When I did my neti pot, I could almost taste the salt in the solution. I'm sure it's not much better today...

3. One positive about all this - I'll get to try out the lemon squeezer I bought a couple months ago for the first time! Gotta find something to smile about in the midst of all this ;)

Where Did THAT Come From?!

Tuesday night I had my first gallbladder attack since March 2010 :( It wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't pleasant... I don't know what brought it on. I ate normal. I'm guessing it was just a perfect storm in my body - a month plus of major stress, lack of supplements, having a cold, time of the month, etc. It started with my stomach hurting, then after a while I knew it was my gallbladder. Late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning I could feel the stone in there.

Wednesday morning I headed to the store to get 2 days worth of apple cider. I was happy that they have the half gallons in the produce section this time of year :) Much cheaper than having to go to the health food store for it! I got my 64 oz in yesterday without too much trouble. I didn't eat anything. The thought of veggies without butter or OO was NOT appealing :p It was a rough day. Still sick with the end of a cold, no time to mentally prepare, not much sleep the night before...

This morning (Thursday) we had a home visit with Ethan's social worker. It was nice because it kept me mentally occupied for part of the morning. Physically I felt better earlier today than I had Wednesday. It helps knowing the worst of it will be over tonight! I've spent most of the day on the couch wrapped in my Snuggie. I ate a can of green beans earlier but that's it.

I need to go to the store in a bit to get the ingredients for the concoction and a few other things. Including whatever I want to eat tomorrow. Which means I need to figure out what I want to eat tomorrow :p

I'm definitely missing protein! But I'm more than that I'm missing fats. I think the fats are one thing my body really needs to function optimally. I was eating fairly high protein before so this is the first flush where I've had the opportunity to miss fats.

I was hoping to dissolve this (small) stone and get it out without doing the actual flush (and avoid the concoction) like I did a few years ago but it looks like that isn't going to happen :( But I was planning on doing a flush in November anyway. I didn't want to do one yet for various reasons but my body had other ideas...

I'm Excited :)

According to my scale, I'm down to 174 :D I don't even know if I weighed that when I got married! My face looks thinner, and my fingers are the smallest they've been since I was a kid.

I must be doing something right :)

Leftover Butter Garlic Chicken

We had 3 thighs plus sauce left over. And plenty of the dip of course ;)

I chopped the thighs, and heated them and the sauce with 2 c. rice I had cooked in turkey broth. After it was warm, I mixed in some of the dip. The guys ate it with the leftover cucumbers, and I had cole slaw.

It was a yummy way to eat the leftovers!

Butter Garlic Chicken with Dill Mayo Dip

I need to catch up on posting recipes we've been eating. But this one couldn't wait!

For Mother's Day, Jesse and the boys gave me two paleo cookbooks. I've looked through them quite a few times, mainly just for inspiration. One recipe kept catching my eye though - Butter Garlic Wings from Make It Paleo. Having two small boys who can't manage wings was a problem.

So in typical Connie fashion, I thought about how to tweak it to make it work for us...

I guess it's a winner! Everyone cleaned their plates, and Gabriel is on his THIRD plate ;) We ate it with cucumbers sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dill.

BUTTER GARLIC CHICKEN

1/2 cup butter
10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Salt
2.5 lbs thin, boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat butter in a small pan on medium low. Add garlic and salt. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Place thighs in a baking dish. Pour butter sauce over them and turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes until done.

-------------------

And here is the A-MAZ-ING dip to go with it. It's so good that Ethan wanted a spoon to finish off what was left on his plate! I'm glad I had doubled the recipe since I'm sure we'll find lots to eat with it!

DILL MAYO DIP

1 cup mayo
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
Salt

Combine.

----------

Both recipes are adapted from Make It Paleo by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason :)

A Week's Break

It seems like every time I get going with C25k something happens! This time it was a big, bad hurricane by the name of Isaac :p I took last week off from working out for hurricane prep and the actual storm, which, thankfully, we didn't get much of!

This week I started homeschooling for the first time and it's become apparent I need to tweak my schedule a bit to get my workouts in. So I'll probably repeat my W1 workouts whenever I can get them in this week, then start with W2 next week.

I AM DETERMINED!!!

Back to C25k!

Jesse and I decided to do a local 10k in November. I've wanted to do it for years but one thing after another happened and I never got to :( So... I'm starting C25k again as a starting point :)

I did my first workout today! My left ankle started bothering me during the first running interval, and by the third, my hip was hurting :( I finished the workout and called my chiro's office before leaving the gym. I could tell the pain was from being out of alignment. They were able to see me immediately. I'm sore but I can tell he fixed me :) I'm proud that I stuck with the workout even though it was uncomfortable! And actually, the endorphins must've kicked in because by interval 5, I wasn't hurting anymore :)

Despite being uncomfortable, I finished 1.3 miles! My backside was sore during the last bits of the running intervals but not bad.

I'm actually looking forward to my next workout! Planning on it being Wednesday...

Meals Lately

Here's what a "typical" day's food looks like:

Breakfast:
Organic Greek yogurt w/blueberries (single serving size) mixed with heavy cream
OR
1 Colby-Jack cheese snack

Lunch:
2.5-3 oz cooked meat
1/2 c. (cooked) carb (usually brown rice)
2 c. cooked veggies
Usually mixed as a casserole, with cream, frequently with cheese ;)

Supper:
This is our smaller meal, so it varies. Salad, tuna/chicken salad with crackers, small plate of leftovers, small tortilla with cheese, cottage cheese with peaches, etc. I cook scrambled eggs once or twice a week for the guys.

Dessert after supper:
1 Ghirardelli chocolate square
OR
Small bowl of unsweetened peanut butter with bittersweet chocolate chips

Sunday mornings (before church):
Chicken apple sausage
OR
Smoked sausage, oatmeal with bananas
OR
Homemade breakfast sausage, hash browns
ETC

Sundays are my free day for food. I don't always eat veggies, and sometimes I eat more carbs.

Every day:
1/2-1 c. strong coffee with stevia and heavy cream, sipped throughout the day

Paleo Chicken and Veggies

Sometimes simple is best ;)

PALEO CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

2 bell peppers, chopped
2 smallish onions, chopped
1 lb chicken, chopped
Olive oil
Seasonings - Essence, Tony Chachere's, salt
12 oz bag frozen green beans, cooked

Heat OO over medium-high heat. Add veggies and cook to desired tenderness. Remove from pan. Add more OO, seasonings, and chicken. Cook until chicken is done. Remove from pan. Add green beans to pan. Stir to coat. Add everything back to pan and mix well.

Chicken Fajita Salad

CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD

12 oz cooked fajita-seasoned chicken, chopped
8 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese
7 oz canned diced chiles
16 oz jar roasted red bell pepper strips, drained
Cream
6-8 oz romaine, shredded or chopped

Combine everything except romaine. Heat until cheese is melted. Mix in romaine.

Fast Food Burger Casserole

FAST FOOD BURGER CASSEROLE

8 oz cheddar
Cream
Salt
Pepper
Tony Chachere's
Onion powder (lots)
3-4 tbsp. EACH pickle juice, mustard, and ketchup
2 oz dill pickles, minced
1 lb lean ground beef, browned
2 c. cooked rice

Melt cheese and cream. Mix in seasonings and pickles. Mix in meat and rice. Heat until warm.

Two More TexMex-ish Dinners

I have a cold and the extra spice is nice right now!

Number one:
2 lg. cans chicken, drained
2 c. cooked rice
1 lg. can chile peppers
8 oz shredded Mexican blend cheese (I used Sargento)
Red enchilada sauce
Cream

Combine and heat until cheese is melted.

Number two:
16-20 oz ground beef
1 lb carrots, shredded
Seasonings - salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, Tony Chachere's
Pepper-jack slices

Combine meat, carrots, and seasonings. Place in baking dish. Microwave until meat is cooked through. Top with cheese. Microwave to melt if needed.

Shrimp Scampi

I caught a good sale this week on fresh, wild caught Gulf shrimp. I wanted to make shrimp scampi but I have never made it before. So I looked at a few different recipes, used them as a guide, and came up with what Jesse called the best shrimp scampi he's ever eaten :) I wish I had fresh parsley, but that's the only change I'll make next time!

SHRIMP SCAMPI

8 oz penne, cooked
6 tbsp butter
5 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp parsley flakes or 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Heat butter and oo over medium low heat until the butter is melted. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until barely done, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, parsley, and salt and pepper. Use slightly less salt than you think - the parmesan is salty! Add 1/4 c. parmesan and stir to melt. Add more parmesan to thicken if needed. Stir in pasta.

Sunflower Seeds and Sweat

Nope, this isn't a post about baseball ;)

I used to be able to eat sunflower seeds and foods with sunflower seeds with no problems. In fact, while I was pregnant with Ethan, Jesse worked near a Chick-Fil-A and I would stop there once a week for their chicken, egg, and cheese multi-grain bagel at breakfast. When I got pregnant for Gabriel, I noticed that when I took a bite of the bagel that had a sunflower seed in it, my mouth would itch. So I would pick them out. It got worse. Eventually I couldn't eat the bagel sandwich at all because my mouth would burn and swell. I've unintentionally eaten things with ground sunflower seeds since then and the same thing happened :(

A couple weeks ago I needed to mix some seed for our pet birds. I buy parakeet mix and add a cockatiel mix to it. Well... I decided to mix it in the big jar I store it in. With my hand. I stuck my arm in almost elbow deep and started mixing it together, swirling my arm around in the seed. I had done it before without any problems. But this time was different... My arm started itching a bit and burning. I realized what was happening and pulled my arm out. I stood dumbfounded for a minute then ran to the bathroom. I washed both hands and the arm that was breaking out. I eventually got a bit itchy all over but it was only my arm that broke out in whelps. Of course, this happened close to bedtime. So I took a dose of Benadryl just in case. The next morning I was fine except for a slight case of Benadryl hangover :p

Since then, I've been extra careful to not touch the seed when I feed the birds!

So... Sweat.

I've never sweat much. Ever. I was the child who would be overheated and dry, while everyone around me was soaking wet and feeling okay. It wasn't much better as an adult :(

Until recently :)

I SWEAT!!! And boy, does it feel good LOL

After this last increase in my iron dosage, I am sweating a lot more. And staying so much cooler :) Considering I'm driving around in a car with no ac with heat indexes in the 100s, this is a very good thing!

I suspect it's a combination of factors that's making me sweat, but my iron seems to be making the biggest difference. I've noticed in the past that when my iron is low, I barely sweat at all. And since I'm taking my highest ever dosage of iron, I'm sweating the most in my life.

And I'm very happy about it :)

Bet you've never seen a person so excited about getting sweaty ;)

June Thanksgiving

JUNE THANKSGIVING

12 oz cooked turkey, chopped or shredded
24 oz frozen green beans, cooked
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3-1/2 c. Craisins
Cream
1/2 c. water
Salt and pepper

Combine and heat.

Meal Plan Wed June 6 to Tues June 12

Breakfasts:
Scrambled cheese eggs
Leftover crockpot oatmeal
Apple sausage
Cottage cheese and peaches

Lunch:
Unstuffed bell peppers (if they aren't ridiculously priced this week) or Sweet beef with rice
Italian quickie
Roasted red bell pepper spaghetti with Italian sausage
Simple stir-fried rice
Crockpot BBQ chicken, rice, green beans

Supper:
Mexican meatloaf patties
Meatball salad or Greek salad
Turkey Craisins salad
Maple chicken salad (new recipe) with crackers
Taco salad
Loaded potatoes

I have ingredients to try homemade Larabars for snacks. Don't know if I'll get to them this week though...

Mexican Meatloaf Patties

Thought I had put this one on here but I don't see it...

MEXICAN MEATLOAF PATTIES
1 lb lean ground beef
14 oz canned chile peppers, drained
32 Nut Thins, crushed
Onion powder
Garlic powder
2 oz pepper jack, shredded
2 oz monterey jack, shredded

Combine beef, chilies, crackers, and seasonings. Microwave until done. Sprinkle with cheeses, heating if necessary to melt them.

Fresh Crockpot Chili

FRESH CROCKPOT CHILI

9 oz pinto beans
9 oz red beans
Bean seasoning:
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
For chili:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
5 lbs tomatoes, cored and pulsed in food processor to desired consistency
6 oz poblano peppers, seeded and minced
1 lg bell pepper, diced
8 tsp taco seasoning (see below)
2 tbsp salt

Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Cover beans with water. Add bean seasonings. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2-3 hours until soft. Drain.

Brown ground beef and onion. Combine with rest of ingredients in crockpot and cook. The longer, the better!

Serve with cheddar, onions, Fritos, etc.

Enjoy :)

TACO SEASONING
2 tbsp chili powder
5 tsp paprika
4 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp salt
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix. Store in airtight container. 8 tsp = 1 packet store-bought taco seasoning

Chinese Quickie

CHINESE QUICKIE

2 c. cooked rice
12 oz cooked chicken
8-10 oz shredded carrots
1 romaine heart, shredded
Soy sauce
Garlic powder

Combine everything except romaine and heat until carrots are barely cooked. Stir in romaine.

More Mexican :)

AS-YET-UNNAMED MEXICAN CASSEROLE

12 oz cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
14 oz canned chile peppers
8 oz pepper-jack cheese, shredded
8 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
Cream
Pepper
Sour cream
Cooked rice and/or Fritos
Sliced black olives

Combine chicken, chiles, cheeses, cream, and pepper. Heat 5 minutes at 50% power or until cheese is melted. Stir well.

For each serving, either mix in 1/2 c. rice or top with a handful or two of crushed Fritos.

How we ate ours:
Connie - topped chicken mixture with sour cream, then Fritos and olives
Jesse - topped chicken mixture with sour cream, then Fritos
Boys - mixed chicken mixture with rice, then topped with sour cream and olives

Italian Wilted Romaine and Sausage

ITALIAN WILTED ROMAINE AND SAUSAGE

12 oz al fresco brand sundried tomato and basil chicken sausage, skinned and chopped
2 c cooked rice
1 romaine heart past its prime, shredded
2 handfuls Italian blend cheese
Cream

Combine and heat, covered, in microwave about 8 minutes at 50% power. Stir and serve :)

Light Chicken Veggie Pasta

LIGHT CHICKEN VEGGIE PASTA

8 oz pasta, cooked and drained (preferably shells or elbows)
2 ( oz) cans chicken, drained
24 oz frozen green beans, cooked
16 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and pureed
Cream (about 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Heat until warm.

Italian Quickie

ITALIAN QUICKIE

12 oz al fresco brand chicken sausage with sundried tomatoes and basil, skin removed, chopped
12 oz frozen green beans, cooked
1 bag SteamFresh brown rice, cooked (about 2 c.)
Handful frozen seasoning blend (celery, onion, bell pepper, parsley)
4 oz Italian blend cheese
Salt
Cream

Mix everything together and microwave until hot and cheese is melted.

And THIS Is Why Scales and I Do Not Get Along

A few days ago I weighed myself shortly after getting up. I hadn't stepped on a scale in a couple weeks but didn't think I had gained. It was 4 lbs higher than last time :(

I ate breakfast. Had 1/2 cup of coffee. A few ounces of water. Decided to weigh myself again before lunch, just because. I was back down to where I was a couple weeks ago. AFTER eating and drinking!

I could never be obsessed with numbers on a scale. They just laugh at me regardless :p

Food Journal

I'm going to start doing this again and see how it goes...

Breakfast - half can chicken breast + RF cheddar + cream + small corn tortilla
Coffee w/stevia and heavy cream
Lunch - ground beef (93/7) + canned chile peppers + GF Nut Thins topped with pepper-jack/monterey jack; small piece of boxed GF cake w/homemade dark chocolate buttercream
Supper - instant mashed potatoes (about 1/2 c.) + RF cheddar + sour cream + butter + chives + broccoli (1 1/2 c.); natural PB + bittersweet chocolate chips

Miscellaneous

I haven't been posting as much here... But I've posted in two different forums lately about my health and eating. This will seem a bit disjointed but I'm copying and pasting bits and pieces into here to keep track. I may expand on some of them in other blog posts...

1. I'm not cutting out any food completely (other than corn for the boys, and gluten, which I know we have issues with). We've been moving toward lower carb because we all feel better that way. I may do a dairy-free trial at some point but not planning on it anytime soon. Especially since we changed some of our supplements a month ago and I want to know what changes are from the supplements vs dietary changes.

The boys have been eating a TON of food since we stopped eating gluten two months ago. I'm hoping it eases for a few years before they are teens or we'll be in trouble.

We can't afford "good" meat but I buy from a better quality grocery store. The quality difference of the meat is noticeable.

I don't buy pork. We eat very little shellfish (but enjoyed a crawfish boil recently).

I do still buy some processed foods. Mostly canned chicken for quick meals, frozen potatoes (ditto, plus the quality of the potatoes around here stinks!), and instant grits for Jesse (he works weird hours).

2. I have been eating bittersweet chocolate mixed with peanut butter every night. It really feels like a deficiency my body is trying to compensate for. I've also been craving fat more - cream, fried foods, etc. I've been eating more cream but pretty much staying away from fried foods. Wish I knew what was going on...

(Someone replied and said I should eat more fat. Next entry is my response to her.)

3. I've had to be careful with fats the past 5 years because of gallbladder issues. I seem to be digesting them better lately though. I ate half a small avocado a couple nights ago with a frozen Amy's organic cheese enchilada dinner. And then the PB and chocolate after... Guess my body is doing better with fats than I thought. Thinking back on it, that was a lot of fat. Hmmm... I slept really good that night too.

It's such a change in thinking after hearing for so long how bad fat is for you. I've been eating more butter, cream, sour cream, etc lately. I cut our carbs back more. Maybe that has something to do with it?

4. We're not doing paleo but are reducing grains. Jesse and I feel much better. Sometime in the next week and a half I'll be getting a few hours to myself. I plan on taking at least part of that time to go look through Eat Like A Dinosaur at the bookstore.
_________________

These are from a different forum:

5. I have been feeling run down again but didn't know if it was from my hormones or if my anemia was kicking up again. I muscle tested when I picked up my supplements this afternoon and my hormone supplement was just about right but my iron and the other two I tested were off. I think my body is trying to adjust to all the food and supplement changes the past three months and is in a bit of disequilibrium right now. I'm usually pretty good at being able to tell the effects of changes I'm making and the muscle testing confirmed what I suspected. In the past three months I've 1. Found out I'm gluten intolerant and eliminated it from what I'm eating 2. Cut my carbs even more 3. Upped my fats (animal fats and olive oil) 4. Replaced two of my supplements with two newer and more effective ones.

My gut feeling is that these are positive changes. I am seeing some results. Hopefully the tweaks from today will help.

6. I need to try to work some veggies into breakfast as much as possible. It would be so much easier if I could eat eggs! Today I had some leftover baked hash browns, canned chicken breast, and cheddar cheese mixed together. I topped it with a diced large roma tomato. I allow myself a small dessert after lunch and supper. Usually either a square of super dark chocolate or some bittersweet chocolate and natural peanut butter (peanuts and salt) sprinkled with sea salt. But I haven't had any sugar at all today. I drank the other half cup of my coffee after lunch instead (with stevia and heavy cream).

I have a headache this afternoon. That's unusual for me. But the supplement I increased the dose the most is the one with the detox properties and this feels like a detox headache. If that's what it's from, I'll happily take it!

_______________

I hope this makes some sense to anyone who keeps up with this blog... (Crickets chirp)

Cradle Cap

Gabriel didn't have cradle cap as a young baby. I don't even know when it started. I'm guessing, knowing what I do now, that it made its appearance sometime after he turned a year because that's when he decided solids were a good thing ;)

At his 18-mth checkup, I asked the pedi if him still having it was a concern. I thought it might indicate some kind of immune deficiency. I knew it wasn't normal. My momma gut told me there was a specific reason for it. The pedi said that cradle cap wasn't as common at his age but that there wasn't any underlying reason for it. He said it wouldn't go away unless I used a dandruff shampoo once or twice. He said I could try mineral oil instead if I was more comfortable with that. Soon after, I let his baby shampoo soak into his scalp for a long while and then loosened the cradle cap and combed it out. His scalp was clear! But it didn't last :(

I started researching more online. I KNEW there was a reason... Finally I started finding sites that anecdotally linked cradle cap to food allergies/intolerances. This was one of the things that led me to doing the wheat-free trial.

Last night I checked when I washed his hair to see how it was doing...

Happy tears! It's almost GONE!!!

Two and a half months of being GF, it's clearing up on its own! Coincidence? I don't think so :D

It makes me wonder what healing is happening inside his body that I can't see. And inside Ethan's. And inside mine.

I'm so thankful that God put it on my heart to go GF!

I had another revelation about a problem food for Ethan this past week, but I'll save that for another post when I can get to it...

Simple Stir-Fried Rice

SIMPLE STIR-FRIED RICE

5 oz shredded carrots
1 celery heart, chopped coarsely
3-4 green onions, sliced thin
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 romaine heart, shredded
2 c. cooked rice
12 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped
OO
Soy sauce
Garlic powder

Stir-fry each item separately in OO. Remove into a large bowl as each is cooked. Mix everything together. Season with garlic powder and a little soy sauce to taste.

Bird Fair Pasta Salad

We go to our local bird fair every year. I pack a lunch and we walk around for a while, stop to eat, then resume our fun :) In the past we've usually brought sandwiches. I tweaked a vegetarian recipe I found for pasta salad in one of my cookbooks to bring this year instead. It was a hit! I think it will be a permanent part of our bird fair tradition :)

BIRD FAIR PASTA SALAD

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 c. uncooked shell pasta
1 c. chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1 c. (4 oz) cheddar, chopped or shredded (I used 2% sharp)
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1 c. chopped cucumber
Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
6 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dill weed
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook chicken in OO until done. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water.

When chicken and pasta are cool, mix in a large bowl with veggies and cheese.

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Refrigerate a few hours or overnight for best flavor.

Enjoy :)

General Update...

Let me pick up with the meeting after the allergy testing with the natural health place... I met with the owner. He looked at all their individual results and said to keep Ethan from eating peanuts, and try to keep things clean. We also discussed the supplements we're currently taking. It had been a while since I had met with him and they've come out with some new products since then. He recommended we switch two things we were taking for two of the newer products. The new products have more in them and are only a few dollars more for a big bottle. He told me that one of them "could" produce a detox reaction so for me to be aware of that when I started it. Well...

The second day we took it, both boys ended up with diarrhea :( My gut feeling was that it was from one of the new supplements. I called the place and talked to the lady who usually helps me. She agreed that it was likely the detox supplement that was giving them problems. Especially since I react so strongly to things! I didn't give them any for a couple days, then started them back with 1/2 dose. They did fine :) I upped it after a few days to their current dose, which is still a little lower than the initial dose. I really think it was just too much for them!

While I was getting the levels adjusted for the boys, I also started them on B and a lowish dose of iron. Gabriel had been complaining of being tired all the time and his eyes hurting. After a few days on the iron and B, he's been much better! He also stopped taking 3 hour naps. I think it helped him regulate better. Ethan seems to have more energy and his anxiety has been less too.

When something "might" cause a detox reaction, I know I'm in for it :p My body has gone through at least one weird detox cycle since starting the new supplements. I say weird, because it was a bit different than my usual one. I don't know if it was because the supplement was targeting different things in my body, if I was detoxing more of the wheat, if I was detoxing more effectively because I've stopped eating wheat, or all of the above ;) But I had some things happen that had never happened before. One of my teeth hurt. But I could tell it wasn't anything to do with the tooth itself. Days later my lymph nodes on that side swelled and I had an aha moment as I realized they were connected. My mom said my lymph node probably swelled to the inside first, which was putting pressure on that tooth. Then I only noticed after it swelled a bit and was super sensitive to touch. When it started getting better, I ended up with a humongous pimple under the skin on that side, on my jawline near that lymph node. I think my node was trying to filter the extra toxins (not unusual during a detox, but a first for me), then it tried to release something in that pimple. If I get a sore throat, stuffy nose, tooth sensitivity, anything, it's always on that side. Maybe there's some slight infection deep in that side of my face and it's starting to clear out. I hope so anyway ;) I'm feeling a bit better now but still detoxing some.

One great first from this detox cycle? NO ANXIETY!!!!! My anxiety has been so much better since being wheat-free, and anxiety is usually one of my major symptoms of detox. While I physically felt crummy, and my mind was not real clear, at least I wasn't dealing with bad anxiety on top of it like I always have in the past :D

On to another subject...

I've moved us closer to being gluten-free. As we've used up products without obvious wheat but that still may have traces, I've bought completely GF versions. I got GF oat flour a few weeks ago. I found GF soy sauce (had no clue that soy sauce had so much wheat in it!). GF frozen fries. Etc.

I have a recipe for homemade GF bread but the ingredients are expensive! I can't use regular dry milk, and dry milk substitutes are expensive :( Xanthan gum is almost $15/bag but it will last a LONG time. After I make my first loaf, if it's good I'll post the recipe. Probably will be quite a while though.

Okay, that's all I can think of for now... I'll be trying some new recipes soon, so if they're good, I'll post them. And I'll try to post updates more often! Jesse has been working an insane amount of hours (regular work-from-home job, plus laying groundwork to get his personal business off the ground), so things have been pretty crazy! I took advantage of him and Gabriel napping to snag the computer for a while to type this up ;)

Till next time... <3

BBQ Beef and Beans

BBQ BEEF AND BEANS

1 lb 93/7 ground beef, browned
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 bag SteamFresh brown rice, cooked
24 oz frozen green beans, cooked
Salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder

Mix everything together. Heat until warm.

Allergy Tests Are Not for the Weak

The boys did their allergy testing this morning. It was the skin prick one. They did really well with it! As well as could be expected anyway... They both showed allergies to dust mites (who doesn't?) and had very minor reactions to pollens. Ethan reacted pretty strongly to peanuts. No big surprise there!

I requested an extra group of foods to test for both of them. So they each ended up with 7 trays of 8 needles in each. Each tray was done all at once. So they had 8 pricks at once, 7 times. I read that they only go into the first layer of skin but it seemed like it was deeper :( I also read that it was not painful. Even before today I could've told you that was a load of, well, let's put it nicely. That's an utter lie. All the people who wrote that have obviously never had it done!

For anyone who is curious what it actually looks like, here are a few pictures...

Ethan, 10 minutes after the pricks.



See that huge welt on the right side? That's the peanut test.

Gabriel, ten minutes after.



Gabriel, a few hours later.



Ethan complained of itching during the 15-20 minute wait for the results. The doctor came ten minutes in to check on them, saw the peanut reaction, and wiped it off his skin best he could. He still was itchy but it would've been worse if the doctor had left it. Gabriel looked like he was a little itchy but not bad. Then again, he didn't have a big reaction like Ethan did!

The doctor prescribed them each 3 meds every day, and one as needed. Do you think I'm filling them?! Not unless I absolutely have to! At this point, there is nothing serious enough to put them on medicine every day.

I have an appointment tomorrow with the owner of our natural health place. I want him to look at the results and give his recommendations. There are ways to treat allergies naturally and I am willing to try them.

The main reason I wanted allergy testing done was for foods. I knew that if they had nasal allergies, they weren't bad. That was confirmed by the testing. If they were miserable with them, I might be willing to try the meds temporarily. But there is no reason to do it right now. I will hold on to the prescriptions just in case though.

The one thing that still bothers me is the dark circles under Gabriel's eyes. Dark circles in a child are usually a sign of allergies. Food or environmental. He's had them for 6-8 months now and he complains sometimes of his eyes hurting. I'm hoping to find out something tomorrow that will help!

For tonight, I gave them each a dose of Motrin. Hopefully it helps them be more comfortable so they can sleep. Ethan has complained off and on all day that his back hurts from the sticks. I don't know if Gabriel isn't complaining because it doesn't bother him or if it bothers him and he just isn't saying anything about it.

They both have been whiny and fussy and clingy today. I know it had to be pretty traumatic :( Right now I'm just REALLY glad it's over...

BBQ Turkey and Rice

BBQ TURKEY AND RICE

18 oz BBQ sauce
19 oz bag SteamFresh green beans, cooked (I chopped fine)
20 oz can pineapple in juice
12 oz cooked turkey, cut in bite-size pieces
2 c. hot cooked rice

Heat BBQ sauce, green beans, and pineapple. Add turkey and rice. Heat through.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

UNSTUFFED BELL PEPPERS

6 bell peppers, chopped coarse
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 lb lean ground beef
2 c. hot, cooked rice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
Salt and pepper
1 tomato, seeded and pureed
Parmesan cheese

Saute bell peppers in OO until tender. Remove and set aside. Brown meat and onions. Add bell peppers, rice, and seasonings. Mix well. Stir in tomato. Grate parmesan cheese over individual servings.

Broccoli Rice

BROCCOLI RICE

2 bags SteamFresh broccoli florets
1 bag SteamFresh brown rice
7 oz 2% cheddar, shredded
Salt and pepper
Cream
1 tbsp. butter

Cook rice according to package directions. Put in a bowl. Mix in salt and pepper, half the cheddar, and a little cream. Microwave about 1 minute or until the cheese is melted. (Take out 1/4 of the mixture and set aside for Jesse who doesn't like broccoli LOL).

Cook 1 bag broccoli according to package directions. Dump into a bowl. Top with salt and pepper, butter, and the other half of the cheese. Cook the other bag of broccoli. Dump in the bowl. Mix together until cheese is melted, microwaving if needed.

Mix rice and broccoli together, adding cream if needed.

Hmmm...

I noticed something tonight... Ethan's lips aren't staying chapped anymore! I was having to put lip balm on them every day or they would get really dry and sometimes crack open and bleed. Now that the wheat is getting out of his system, his lips are better.

And know what? Mine are a bit better too...

Feeling Bad, But Why?

I'm shaky, lightheaded, weak. Have been for days now. I felt better Tuesday and Wednesday, then it's been bad again yesterday and today...

It could be that I'm getting sick. It could be allergies. It could be detox from the wheat. It could be that I'm not on all my supplements. It could be that I am way behind on sleep. It could be some other unknown reason. But every time I stand up and move around, I get out of breath and feel like my heart is racing.

I started taking Allegra today. If it's my allergies, that should help. I'll go back to my normal dosage of iron too. I have a feeling that may be what's going on. If not, it probably isn't helping any.

I hate this. I'm barely functional. I'm managing to get everyone fed but that's it :( The kitchen is full of dirty dishes. So many other things that need to be done...

Jesse can't help much because, well, he ended up in the ER this week with what turned out to be a kidney stone. OUCH. He's waiting to pass it. In the meantime, he's fine and then it moves and he's in excruciating pain. And his pain tolerance isn't very good. I feel so bad for him :(

The meal plan has kinda gone out the window. I need to cook the turkey still. We've eaten ground beef out of the freezer (I had a couple lbs in there). I can't cook the turkey until I can clear the stove of dirty dishes. I can't clear the stove of dirty dishes until I wash some. I can't wash them (unload and load the dishwasher) until I feel better. Hopefully that's REALLY soon...

Meal Plan 03-07 to 03-13 (Wheat-free)

Breakfast (see previous post):
Cottage cheese, peaches x 2
Smoked sausage, waffles
Scrambled cheese eggs, cereal x 2
Breakfast sausage (homemade), hash browns, cheese

Lunch (some of these didn't get made last week):
Leftover turkey loaded potatoes
Turkey, cream spinach, creamed carrots - again, this turkey will be the base of a lot of our meals
Stuffed bell peppers (ground beef)
Turkey parmesan
Roasted red bell pepper alfredo w/turkey
BBQ turkey and pineapple over rice, veggies
Mexican w/turkey

Supper (a couple of these are repeats of last week):
Ground beef and gravy over rice, veggies
Leftovers x 2
Salad with turkey and Craisins
Tarragon turkey salad
Turkey sandwich
Tuna salad

Meal Plan 03-01-12 to 03-07-12 (Wheat-free)

So here's what our wheat-free meal plan for this week looks like...

Breakfast (no eggs for me, leftover or canned meat for protein those mornings):
Scrambled cheese eggs, cereal
Oatmeal w/bananas/cinnamon/drizzle of honey, cottage cheese w/peaches
Oatmeal w/bananas/cinnamon/drizzle of honey, scrambled cheese eggs
Turkey sausage, GF frozen waffles
Homemade sausage crumbles w/red bell peppers/onions, blueberry muffins (wheat-free)
Cottage cheese, peaches
Turkey and rice w/butter, parsley

Lunch:
Leftovers
Turkey, cranberry sauce, homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans (DH), roasted asparagus (boys and me) - the turkey will be used for most meals for the rest of the week
Mexican rice (leftover) w/ground beef and cheese
Turkey w/pineapple gravy over brown rice, veggies
Turkey, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese (all leftovers), veggies
Roasted red bell pepper alfredo over brown rice pasta
Loaded mashed potatoes - turkey, cheese, veggies, sour cream

Supper:
Salad w/(leftover) chicken
Tarragon turkey salad w/rice crackers
Turkey w/cheesy baked potatoes
Lemon pepper fish, (leftover) macaroni and cheese, veggies
Stuffed bell peppers
Turkey chili cheese fries
Leftovers

Today I Am Thankful For...

Gluten-free bread!

It's expensive. It's a treat. But I'm so glad it's an option!

When I made my last meal plan, I asked Ethan if there was anything in particular he wanted me to make. He could only think of one thing... Burgers. And a burger isn't a burger unless it's between two pieces of bread/bun.

Without GF bread, Ethan wouldn't have been able to eat the one thing he wanted :( I don't want them to feel deprived, to think about what they can't have. Ethan already has anxiety about eating some things lately. He tells me they will make his stomach hurt. I've had to reassure him that I won't give him anything that will make his stomach hurt. He remembers vividly what effect eating wheat had on him. It might be a good thing that our trial food ended up being pizza... He hasn't asked for it since that night! When I get brave I'll try GF pizza crust mixes etc. I would love to have the pizza option again! We were eating pizza on premade crusts about once a week. It was convenient and relatively easy and nutritious!

In the meantime, we have many naturally GF choices - oats (still using non-GF ones for now), rice, potatoes, millet, and quinoa (haven't tried quinoa yet). I just miss our gluten-y options sometimes...

Rough Grocery Trip

I don't know why it was particularly hard today... Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten enough. Maybe it was because money's been so tight the past couple weeks and I haven't had my usual grocery budget. Maybe it was because I haven't had my supplements like I'm supposed to (see preceding sentence). Maybe it's because last night we ate out for the first time since being wheat-free (buffet with Jesse's family) and I smelled the bread and pasta and watched everyone else enjoy it. Maybe... Maybe it was just one of those times...

I think if I didn't have to pick up something for supper it would've been easier. But I did. All of our heat-and-eat and drive thru/ordering in options involve something one of us can't eat. So it's really tough! Sometimes you just NEED to be able to grab a burger on the way home. Or something else quick and easy. The boys wanted macaroni and cheese. But we don't like the only GF one I've found and I certainly didn't have time to make it from scratch tonight!

I walked through the last two grocery stores (we went to three) trying to figure out what to do about supper. At the second to last stop, I grabbed some bananas to hold us over. I hoped it would give me some energy to think but no such luck. I was able to make it till we got home without anything else at least!

So what did I settle on? A bag of frozen grilled chicken breasts and potato chips. The potato chips were GF. I didn't look for GF ones, these had mostly "real" ingredients and just happened to be GF. The chicken had a tiny bit of wheat. Which is good because it needs to stay in the boys' systems. And because I was feeling down, I bought us a treat - we each had half a Gold Brick Egg for dessert.

I really think my frustration tonight was supper. I had to wait till today to shop and there wasn't anything at home I could cook ahead. This isn't the first time I've been in this situation but it's the first time it's bothered me so much... I was thinking tonight while trying to figure out supper about what carb to have with the chicken. Not that the chicken itself sounded good, but it was heat-and-eat. My quick carb options are greatly reduced. In the past I would've picked up some hamburger buns and made chicken sandwiches. But I wasn't at the store that has GF bread. Never mind how expensive it is! So that wasn't an option :( We've been eating mainly rice and potatoes (along with a couple meals of millet) and I felt burnt out on them. I didn't have pasta beyond what I needed for the week's meals and couldn't go to the only store that has it. I make an effort to keep extra but we've used that up these leaner weeks.

Don't get me wrong! I'm EXTREMELY thankful to have the options I do have! But this is a big shift and change isn't always easy... I've done so well mentally with our new way of eating. Guess I was due for a rough one...

The Next Step

I talked to a nurse at the boys' pedi's office today about food allergy testing. I want to get them tested for celiac but also other possible food allergies. The nurse said they could do a celiac panel there but we'd have to get the rest done somewhere else. Their doctor is out of town till Monday so it'll be Monday or Tuesday before we hear back.

As I was discussing my concerns with the nurse, I said something about how I hoped I was making sense. She told me that she has an autoimmune disease, has done research of her own on the gluten-autoimmune connection, and is gluten-free herself. I almost started crying happy tears when she told me that! She really understood! There was a part of me that put off calling because I was afraid I wouldn't be taken seriously. I don't know why... My concerns have never been taken lightly there. Maybe because I feel the importance of this so strongly? I just know I was EXTREMELY relieved!

The nurse recommended I keep doing what I'm doing - avoiding obvious wheat but not going 100% GF. That way they will keep traces of gluten in their system for the bloodwork. She said the doctor may want me to do more gluten closer to when we do the bloodwork but for now to not change anything.

The celiac panel should do two things:
1. Tell us if they have celiac disease or just gluten intolerance. This is important because if they have CD, I will have to be VERY diligent about avoiding gluten! If they're "only" GI, I won't need to be as careful. I know it's not assured that it will find CD if it's there, but it's a start!
2. If either of them have CD, it's almost 100% certain that I do as well... Since I don't have insurance to cover testing me, their results can give insights into my situation as well.

So the next step... Is waiting to hear back from the pedi and moving forward from there, hopefully toward some definitive answers...

Food Processor Workout

Q. How do you give a food processor a workout?

A. Tonight's supper!

"PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS"

6-7 bell peppers (mostly red), seeded
3 onions, peeled
2 lb "mock tender" roast ( m.wisegeek.com/what-is-mock-tender-roast.htm )
Salt
Provolone cheese slices

Slice bell peppers in food processor using slicing blade. Should be about 7 c. Saute until tender. Put in large bowl and set aside.

Slice onions in food processor using slicing blade. Saute until tender and slightly charred. Add to bowl.

Slice roast in food processor using slicing blade. Saute until cooked. When almost done, add salt.

Place a layer of hot water beef in plate. Top with cheese. Add a generous amount of veggies.

Yum-O!

Two Days Later...

All day yesterday, Thursday, Ethan complained his stomach hurt. He told me he was hungry. He told me his stomach hurt when he ate. Today (Friday) he said it's better :)

Today Gabriel had a nasty diaper. Ewww...

Yesterday I woke up to my face broken out bad. Painfully so :( My stomach is "off" today. Like something I ate a couple days ago didn't sit well. I didn't feel good yesterday. Physically or mentally.

Ucko...

Why the Wheat-Free Trial?

I typed this up last week for a message board I'm a part of. I had asked about subtle symptoms of wheat intolerance, gotten some feedback, then was asked what concerns I had. This was my response:

==========

A little background... My mom reacts to wheat, but only whole wheat. So I never ate whole wheat, only white bread, pasta, etc. In college I started eating honey wheat bread, then whole wheat. Up until I had Gabriel, I ate mostly whole wheat (vs white wheat). I never had any problems with it as far as I know.

Not long after I had Gabriel, I started having some digestive issues I couldn't track down. I was SHOCKED when I figured out it was whole wheat bothering me! So no more whole wheat for me... I've tried it off and on since with the same results.

Fast forward... As Gabriel's teeth started coming in, a few of them were messed up when they broke the gumline. The tips were missing enamel. I remember reading that this can be a sign of wheat issues. But I also was on antibiotics at the end of my first trimester with him, and was hospitalized with H1N1 at 28 weeks and took lots of meds then. I know the meds can cause enamel issues too. So there's a possible wheat symptom. The past few months he's also had what looks to be an allergy ring around his anus when I change his diaper. He has dark circles under his eyes. But his 2-yr molars are taking FOREVER to come in and off and on he complains his mouth hurts. He's getting over a cold so the circles are worse. Again, the circles may be from a wheat allergy. Or they may not.

My mom has fibromyalgia. She recently found out she also has some lesions on her brain. They look to be indicative of lupus but she doesn't have a definitive diagnosis yet. When I was researching autoimmune diseases (including lupus), I found there's a correlation with gluten intolerance. Now I'm questioning if my mom is gluten intolerant or if eating GF would help her.

All that got me wondering if I could be gluten intolerant. I assume the wheat protein is what I react to in whole wheat, but I don't know if there's any connection to gluten intolerance.

If I am gluten intolerant, I don't have the obvious symptoms. Ditto for Gabriel. But considering my mom likely has lupus, and her sister has had MS for years, and there seems to be a connection with gluten intolerance, if Gabriel and I do have issues with wheat, it could make a huge difference down the road in our likelihood of having an autoimmune disease. Hope that makes sense...

Gabriel doesn't have any behavior issues. Ethan has Sensory Processing Disorder. He also has rage and anxiety issues that have been DRASTICALLY reduced since the switch to grace-based parenting.

I never had problems digesting milk until I had Ethan. Then I became lactose intolerant. But I could still have milk, ice cream, etc as long as I took Lactase with it.Since having Gabriel, I can't drink milk or eat anything with a fair bit of milk in it, even with taking Lactase. My mom is allergic to dairy products btw...

==========

So that's what prompted our wheat fast...

Sooo...

I ordered pizza tonight. Our usual Papa John's - chicken, beef, lots of veggies, very little sauce. It's the first wheat we've had in 9 days. I had planned on coming off the wheat fast with homemade bread, but circumstances were such that that didn't happen...

So how did we do?
Me - so far so good but it's early
Jesse - seems fine (but I had no concerns with him)
Ethan - I noticed a while after he ate that he looked a bit bloated. Later he told me his stomach "felt weird." He had me try to describe it but nothing I could come up with described it to his satisfaction. After we came to bed, he had a loud, long, um, expulsion of gas. I asked if his tummy felt better after and he said yes.
Gabriel - BOUNCED. OFF. THE. WALLS. He COULD NOT control himself :( I ended up having to put my arm a few inches above him in bed to keep him somewhat laying down till he settled down. This was no ordinary hyperactivity... It's like he was high...

Sooo...

We're going wheat-free another couple weeks. Well, the boys are. I'll be out of town a few days next week at a retreat and won't have much control over what I'm eating. But other than that I'll be wheat-free. And next time we'll come off the wheat fast with homemade bread.

Hoping and praying it was something other than the obvious in the pizza that affected the boys but I'm not optimistic.

Trying to wrap my mind around what I'm afraid I'm realizing, and not be totally freaked out...

Almost forgot! I stepped on a scale yesterday. In the 8 days I had been wheat-free, I lost weight... Just a few pounds but it's the first time the scale has moved in almost two years... And the only "exercise" I did that week was 2 1/2 hours of wearing a 30ish lb toddler at Walmart...

Fast-Track Chicken Soup

For my sick hubby... This is a very thick "soup"!

FAST-TRACK CHICKEN SOUP

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 onions, peeled
32 oz chicken stock
Handful parsley flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
2 bags SteamFresh green beans, cooked according to package directions
1 bag SteamFresh brown rice, cooked according to package directions

Put chicken in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Rinse food processor with hot water. Pulse onions until finely chopped. Bring stock to a boil. Add chicken, onions, parsley, and S&P. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until chicken is cooked. While cooking, pulse green beans in food processor until chopped. Add green beans and rice to soup. Simmer few more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

One Week Wheat-Free

We've gone Monday to Sunday so far with no obvious wheat. I think we've only had one meal that had it in any form - a can of vegetarian baked beans that had modified food starch. It was pretty far down on the list of ingredients though.

I've had some mild symptoms that are probably detox - a few itchy whelps, some inflammation, nothing major. Ethan doesn't seem any different. Gabriel is having a rough week teething so can't tell if he's having any symptoms.

I don't know how long we'll go. Honestly, I was hoping to eat out after church today and we would've had wheat products then. But we ate at home.

Regardless of when we start eating wheat again, I want to cut down how much we eat. We had been eating more than usual lately. That's part of the reason I wanted to cut it out totally for a while. It's just so convenient! Having sandwich bread opens up lots of quick meal options. Premade pizza crust? Simple and versatile! $1.50 double cheeseburgers from BK? Nice when you've been running errands all day and need a quick supper! Etc.

One new product we tried this week that I really liked - Blue Diamond Nut Thins brand crackers. They are wheat-free and gluten-free. They're sort of a cross between a cracker and a tortilla chip. I bought the Hint of Sea Salt flavor:
Ingredients: rice flour, almonds, potato starch, expeller pressed safflower oil, sea salt, natural almond flavor, natural butter flavor
They weren't expensive either. The 4.25 oz box was $1.99. I'll definitely be getting them again! Yesterday I mixed together organic PB (natural AB for the boys) and Simply Fruit jelly and we ate it with the crackers instead of on bread. Tonight we had the crackers with tuna salad. Don't remember what else we had them with...

I'll check back in after our first wheat. Curious to see how our bodies react!

Healthier Ways to Satisfy Cravings

I've been craving chili cheese fries. Real healthy, huh LOL So here was my attempt at a healthier way to satisfy the craving...

Cooked bag of frozen steak fries using oven directions (put OO no stick spray on the cookie sheet and misted the top of them with it as well). I always add 3-5 minutes under the broiler to help them crisp up (why I mist the tops with OO spray).

While fries were baking, browned 93/7 ground beef. Seasoned with onion powder and chili powder. Mixed in some reduced-fat cheddar until melted.

Topped individual servings of fries with a good bit of the ground beef mixture. Sour cream on the side for dipping.

The verdict?

Satisfied my craving :D
Ethan tasted it and said, "You've never made this for me before!" in an accusing tone. Like I had been holding out on him LOL
Jesse thought it was yummy.
Gabriel ate mostly fries but some of the meat/cheese mixture as well.

I think it was a success!!!

Checking In...

Things have been so crazy... Between the holidays, Gabriel's birthday, then one or more of us being sick for the past 3-4 weeks, plus all the usual...

I haven't gotten to work out lately :( Hoping to get back on track soon!

Eating hasn't been great but not bad. This next week I have 4 days of wheat-free meals planned. I want to see the difference in how we all feel. We'll be eating potatoes and rice instead, in addition to the rice pasta I had already switched to. I may end up doing it for longer, depending. I'm not looking for every possible wheat-containing ingredient in our food, just cutting out the obvious. We're still eating a lot less carbs than the SAD (Standard American Diet) and plan to keep it that way! Well, except for this week... Kingcake isn't exactly a lowish carb treat ;)

I haven't been thirsty much and haven't been drinking enough so I'm back to drinking (decaf) green tea instead of water. So far it's helping :)

So... That's the short update. I want to get back to blogging more often again!