Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Monday, August 17, 2015
Allergies... and even more allergies
I started this blog already aware of my own issues with milk products and certain raw fruits: apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, sometimes cantaloupe. Then it became clear my daughter was dealing with something. Wheat is definitely a problem, but we don't know at this point if it's just wheat or all of gluten. What we do know is that the flour used at her work is highly refined and does not make her sick the way other wheat flours do.
She has also realized that chocolate affects her poorly, as does too much dairy.
And then we found out about another allergy (or sensitivity; it's just easier to say "allergy") the hard way: through hours of violent vomiting.
The first time it happened, we thought maybe it was a bug or something. Or a cominbation of foods. Couldn't figure it out.
Second time it happened, still couldn't figure it out.
Third time it happened, we started suspecting Bob's Red Mills' All-Purpose Flour Blend (the one with garbanzo bean flour).
The fourth time it happened, eating an Amy's Burrito with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and garbanzo bean flour finally clued us in: she's allergic to chickpeas.
At that point, I was very glad we hadn't bought anything from Babycakes NYC when we were in DisneyWorld in June. Why? Well, the first vomting session was after the doughnuts from the Babycakes book. The third vomiting session was from crêpes made from a recipe from that book. Several of her recipes use that flour. It's not too far to think that that's what she uses in much of her baking at the stores.
Of course, this adds an extra difficult element when we're out and about. If she wants to eat gluten-free, she needs to be careful about what she's ordering and what it's made with. A small amount of chickpeas makes her far more ill than wheat/gluten does. She is not completely wheat-free with her diet and with this now popping up, it'll mean it takes precedence over eating wheat-free.
I am going to go back to what I've said before: if we all just switched to a raw food diet (and clearly avoided chickpeas in her case), this would all be taken care of. lol
Speaking of Disney, I do have some things to share about our trip and eating dairy- and gluten-free there. But that will have to be another day. I will say quickly that Disney World is actually a pretty great place if you have those two allergies. Lots of stuff you can eat.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Itchy Skin? Maybe It's What You're Eating
Last year, I started developing itchy skin on my shins. There wasn't a rash, the skin didn't seem excessively dry, it was just really, really itchy. Sometimes I would scratch until I felt like it would bleed if I scratched more.
Changing detergents didn't help. Using anti-itch creams, like calendula or others, helped, but it didn't stop the itch from coming back. Pretty much every single day.
Then I started eating almost entirely wheat-free after Easter when my daughter realized she needed to go gluten-free. And lo and behold, I started realizing I would have several days of no itching. When I'd eat wheat again, the itch came back. If I'd eaten a lot of wheat, it was a ferocious itch.
I had no itching yesterday, then ate regular wheat bread as part of supper last night. And my shins itch again this morning.
People tend to think of hives or perhaps even eczema when they think of food allergy/sensitivity symptoms. Itchy skin--and it doesn't have to be everywhere as my case shows--is another symptom. If you, too, suffer from itchy skin that doesn't seem to have any understandable cause, have a look at what you are eating. It's probably not the only symptom from a questionable-for-you food.
Changing detergents didn't help. Using anti-itch creams, like calendula or others, helped, but it didn't stop the itch from coming back. Pretty much every single day.
Then I started eating almost entirely wheat-free after Easter when my daughter realized she needed to go gluten-free. And lo and behold, I started realizing I would have several days of no itching. When I'd eat wheat again, the itch came back. If I'd eaten a lot of wheat, it was a ferocious itch.
I had no itching yesterday, then ate regular wheat bread as part of supper last night. And my shins itch again this morning.
People tend to think of hives or perhaps even eczema when they think of food allergy/sensitivity symptoms. Itchy skin--and it doesn't have to be everywhere as my case shows--is another symptom. If you, too, suffer from itchy skin that doesn't seem to have any understandable cause, have a look at what you are eating. It's probably not the only symptom from a questionable-for-you food.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Allergies Have Changed Family Mealtime
Do you remember childhood mealtime? Everybody ate exactly the same thing and you had to eat it (or eat some of it) whether you liked it or not? Oh, boy, I remember having to eat a small amount of beets (makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it) and sauerkraut (I finally uncontrollably gagged when I was in high school and my mom let me off the hook after that) and who knows what else. I didn't have to eat it all, but I had to have at least a couple of bites of everything being served.
My, how things have changed, haven't they? With food allergies and sensitivities becoming so commonplace, it's no longer the same situation.
I've been dairy-free for sometime, but that doesn't mean our meals are always dairy-free. Casseroles, including lasagna? One with cheese and a smaller dairy-free one gets made. Quesedillas? Ditto. Macaroni and cheese? I'll just have the macaroni. Pizza? Have to make a cheeseless or Daiya one for me, or if we're ordering out, it can only be ordered from certain places and I pretty much need my own individual one because they aren't usually very good at keeping half the pizza cheeseless. There's a stir fry recipe my husband makes with cream of chicken soup; I need to get a portion pulled out for me before he puts the sauce in the veggies. Or the tortellini sauce he makes: a mix of Italian sauce and cream of mushroom. Again, I get served first and what's left is all mixed in with the dairy.
Now my daughter is gluten-free. Not celiac, but definitely sensitive to at least wheat, but looking up things online, it's more consistent with gluten sensitivity than just wheat sensitivity. I'm finding I feel better gluten-free, so I'm almost not eating any at all. So, it adds another wrench to the everybody-eats-the-same-supper. Spaghetti? Well, my husband and son aren't prepared to eat gluten-free (and, to be honest, it's much cheaper for them NOT to), so a batch of wheat pasta is made and a smaller batch of gluten-free for her and me. Taco night? Have to make sure to have more hard corn tortilla shells or have wheat flour tortillas and gluten-free tortillas. Casserole? Haven't gotten there yet. Am I really going to make 3 different ones? My daughter isn't dairy-free and isn't at all interested in trying the Daiya (they all say it smells weird). I suppose I'll make a "regular" one and then a gluten-free cheeseless one that we can each add on cheese as desired. Or maybe put a divider in a baking pan with gluten-free on both sides and each our own desired cheese. Bread? Do I dare use up some of our bread flour in delicious bread that my daughter can't eat? Or that will tempt her to eat and then she'll be ill afterwards?
Allergies have definitely changed mealtime from the way it was when I was a kid! What about you?
My, how things have changed, haven't they? With food allergies and sensitivities becoming so commonplace, it's no longer the same situation.
I've been dairy-free for sometime, but that doesn't mean our meals are always dairy-free. Casseroles, including lasagna? One with cheese and a smaller dairy-free one gets made. Quesedillas? Ditto. Macaroni and cheese? I'll just have the macaroni. Pizza? Have to make a cheeseless or Daiya one for me, or if we're ordering out, it can only be ordered from certain places and I pretty much need my own individual one because they aren't usually very good at keeping half the pizza cheeseless. There's a stir fry recipe my husband makes with cream of chicken soup; I need to get a portion pulled out for me before he puts the sauce in the veggies. Or the tortellini sauce he makes: a mix of Italian sauce and cream of mushroom. Again, I get served first and what's left is all mixed in with the dairy.
Now my daughter is gluten-free. Not celiac, but definitely sensitive to at least wheat, but looking up things online, it's more consistent with gluten sensitivity than just wheat sensitivity. I'm finding I feel better gluten-free, so I'm almost not eating any at all. So, it adds another wrench to the everybody-eats-the-same-supper. Spaghetti? Well, my husband and son aren't prepared to eat gluten-free (and, to be honest, it's much cheaper for them NOT to), so a batch of wheat pasta is made and a smaller batch of gluten-free for her and me. Taco night? Have to make sure to have more hard corn tortilla shells or have wheat flour tortillas and gluten-free tortillas. Casserole? Haven't gotten there yet. Am I really going to make 3 different ones? My daughter isn't dairy-free and isn't at all interested in trying the Daiya (they all say it smells weird). I suppose I'll make a "regular" one and then a gluten-free cheeseless one that we can each add on cheese as desired. Or maybe put a divider in a baking pan with gluten-free on both sides and each our own desired cheese. Bread? Do I dare use up some of our bread flour in delicious bread that my daughter can't eat? Or that will tempt her to eat and then she'll be ill afterwards?
Allergies have definitely changed mealtime from the way it was when I was a kid! What about you?
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
That Time of Year--Allergies
It's that time of year: seasonal allergies time.
The change of seasons is gross here:everything is dead and brown and dirty, not to mention garbage everywhere, and no pretty white snow to cover it all.
Add to that insane winds the past weekend left me sneezing and stuffed up and sinuses super unhappy.
So, my diffuser has been running a lot. Mainly lavender and whatever else I feel in the mood for. Lavender is calming to both mind and body, so it's one I choose for when allergies are getting to me and will diffuse it or even apply it topically. I also ended up applying RC on my chest.
What do you use for your seasonal allergies?
The change of seasons is gross here:everything is dead and brown and dirty, not to mention garbage everywhere, and no pretty white snow to cover it all.
Add to that insane winds the past weekend left me sneezing and stuffed up and sinuses super unhappy.
So, my diffuser has been running a lot. Mainly lavender and whatever else I feel in the mood for. Lavender is calming to both mind and body, so it's one I choose for when allergies are getting to me and will diffuse it or even apply it topically. I also ended up applying RC on my chest.
What do you use for your seasonal allergies?
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Gurgle, gurgle
My daughter has been having a VERY gurgly stomach now for at least a couple of months. I'm not sure I've ever heard it be as bad as it has been lately.
I suspect her body may be overloaded on wheat again. But she's 17, has always brought it up in the past when she's wanted to try wheat-free, and has never gone for my suggesting it, so I'm going to let it go and let her decide if she wants to try wheat-free again. And I say wheat-free because she has been tested twice for a reaction to gluten and both times it was fine. That said, about the only gluten she eats is wheat, so perhaps I should just say, "Gluten-free."
Of course, it's hard for us to go wheat-free. Once we're in it, it's not so bad, or wasn't. Now she's working at a pizzeria, often eating there before her shift starts or once it's done. There is a gluten-free crust available, but she hasn't tried it, and sometimes there is just free pizza to be eaten, too, due to messed up orders or people not even showing up to pick up their order. And without knowing for sure that going wheat-free will help, can you blame her for not being open to cutting it out just yet?
It might be time for Mamma to aim for a wheat-free week in terms of what she is serving others. Even if it doesn't eliminate her wheat consumption entirely, at least it'll ease up a bit on the burden to her body.
I suspect her body may be overloaded on wheat again. But she's 17, has always brought it up in the past when she's wanted to try wheat-free, and has never gone for my suggesting it, so I'm going to let it go and let her decide if she wants to try wheat-free again. And I say wheat-free because she has been tested twice for a reaction to gluten and both times it was fine. That said, about the only gluten she eats is wheat, so perhaps I should just say, "Gluten-free."
Of course, it's hard for us to go wheat-free. Once we're in it, it's not so bad, or wasn't. Now she's working at a pizzeria, often eating there before her shift starts or once it's done. There is a gluten-free crust available, but she hasn't tried it, and sometimes there is just free pizza to be eaten, too, due to messed up orders or people not even showing up to pick up their order. And without knowing for sure that going wheat-free will help, can you blame her for not being open to cutting it out just yet?
It might be time for Mamma to aim for a wheat-free week in terms of what she is serving others. Even if it doesn't eliminate her wheat consumption entirely, at least it'll ease up a bit on the burden to her body.
Friday, February 1, 2013
-Free Recipe Friday + Go Dairy-Free!
Inspired by Dreena Burton posting in Facebook about her blog post Reasons to Stop Eating Dairy, I decided I would write very briefly about going dairy-free.
I have been dairy-free for 3.5 years. It took years of illness and finally getting violently ill for me to finally go, "Okay, I get it, I stop." What held me from really stopping was, in part, the idea that it was just too hard.
After 3.5 years of being dairy-free, I can (now) attest to it being a fairly easy lifestyle--once you're used to it. It's hard to let go of certain habits and comforts, but just because something is hard doesn't mean we shouldn't -- or can't -- do it! I do get tempted now and then with something cheesy. Mmmm, the lasagne I used to make does sound delicious. But I know what it will do to me, so I don't give in, no matter how tempting.
If you have some favourite baking recipes that require milk, in many, many cases, you can simply substitute a dairy-free milk and it will work just fine! Case in point: I made these muffins this morning. And I used rice milk instead of cow's milk. (My personal preference would have been to use almond milk; I find it works better in baking than rice milk. But rice milk is the only thing I have on hand, so there we go!) Whenever we make pancakes, we use non-dairy milk and they are absolutely fine. Even extended family couldn't tell the difference. (Which just makes me wonder--why don't they all go dairy-free? ;) At least for pancakes and baked goods?)
Directions
I have been dairy-free for 3.5 years. It took years of illness and finally getting violently ill for me to finally go, "Okay, I get it, I stop." What held me from really stopping was, in part, the idea that it was just too hard.
After 3.5 years of being dairy-free, I can (now) attest to it being a fairly easy lifestyle--once you're used to it. It's hard to let go of certain habits and comforts, but just because something is hard doesn't mean we shouldn't -- or can't -- do it! I do get tempted now and then with something cheesy. Mmmm, the lasagne I used to make does sound delicious. But I know what it will do to me, so I don't give in, no matter how tempting.
If you have some favourite baking recipes that require milk, in many, many cases, you can simply substitute a dairy-free milk and it will work just fine! Case in point: I made these muffins this morning. And I used rice milk instead of cow's milk. (My personal preference would have been to use almond milk; I find it works better in baking than rice milk. But rice milk is the only thing I have on hand, so there we go!) Whenever we make pancakes, we use non-dairy milk and they are absolutely fine. Even extended family couldn't tell the difference. (Which just makes me wonder--why don't they all go dairy-free? ;) At least for pancakes and baked goods?)
Frozen Blueberry Muffins
modified from this http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Frozen-Blueberry-Muffins
Originally published as Frozen Blueberry Muffins in Quick Cooking May/June 1998, p.18
dairy-free (could use egg substitute to make vegan)
Originally published as Frozen Blueberry Muffins in Quick Cooking May/June 1998, p.18
dairy-free (could use egg substitute to make vegan)
- Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
- Yield: 24 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups frozen unsweetened blueberries
TOPPING (I didn't use it)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in frozen blueberries.
- Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine sugar and nutmeg; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: about 2 dozen.
Nutritional Facts (don't apply to dairy-free version)1 muffin equals 238 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 57 mg cholesterol, 209 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Hopping Back On Board
Well, baby-hopping my way back on board!
Today is the first day of school here which is a good time for new beginnings. Somehow, it's just easier to push ourselves through with something new on a day that seems "new" anyhow.
I have decided it's time to hop back on board and baby step my way over the next week or two. I was feeling so good when my mornings were almost entirely raw, lunches were raw or mostly raw and then supper was cooked but high veggies and often a salad. It's been weeks since I've eaten like that and the results are clear: low energy, headaches and sinus problems are back, skin's a mess, my ears constantly feel slightly plugged, allergies are through the roof... I hate this. I keep getting mentally stuck on the "perfect" (sic) way to eat and some part of my mind broke through and finally said,
I can do something, can't I? Of course I can.That something for me is starting off my day with fresh fruit or a green smoothie. I actually did so yesterday, but that was just a "bonus day" of sorts. Today is the beginning of the actual commitment to do this. I know I'm going to feel so much better!
At the same time, my daughter and I have plans to have a gluten-free day this week. Clearly it's not today. Tomorrow's probably too soon and Friday probably wouldn't work, so I guess Thursday will be the day. I'll see what I can come up with for simple meal suggestions and we can even buy necessary items if we need to tomorrow. She is very used to eating wheat of some sort at lunch and often breakfast, so it could be particularly hard for her. I think people in general tend to get into ruts with what they eat and to pull themselves out and try something different doesn't always feel satisfying!
Btw, I'm still doing my 100-day yoga challenge. Yesterday was the 22nd day in a row. It's never too late to create your own challenge and to join me in either yoga or healthier eating!
Today is the first day of school here which is a good time for new beginnings. Somehow, it's just easier to push ourselves through with something new on a day that seems "new" anyhow.
I have decided it's time to hop back on board and baby step my way over the next week or two. I was feeling so good when my mornings were almost entirely raw, lunches were raw or mostly raw and then supper was cooked but high veggies and often a salad. It's been weeks since I've eaten like that and the results are clear: low energy, headaches and sinus problems are back, skin's a mess, my ears constantly feel slightly plugged, allergies are through the roof... I hate this. I keep getting mentally stuck on the "perfect" (sic) way to eat and some part of my mind broke through and finally said,
"Just do something each day that's better."
I can do something, can't I? Of course I can.That something for me is starting off my day with fresh fruit or a green smoothie. I actually did so yesterday, but that was just a "bonus day" of sorts. Today is the beginning of the actual commitment to do this. I know I'm going to feel so much better!
At the same time, my daughter and I have plans to have a gluten-free day this week. Clearly it's not today. Tomorrow's probably too soon and Friday probably wouldn't work, so I guess Thursday will be the day. I'll see what I can come up with for simple meal suggestions and we can even buy necessary items if we need to tomorrow. She is very used to eating wheat of some sort at lunch and often breakfast, so it could be particularly hard for her. I think people in general tend to get into ruts with what they eat and to pull themselves out and try something different doesn't always feel satisfying!
Btw, I'm still doing my 100-day yoga challenge. Yesterday was the 22nd day in a row. It's never too late to create your own challenge and to join me in either yoga or healthier eating!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Mish Mash
It's been an interesting couple of days. I've had a few blog post ideas run through my head, but not the time or thought when I had the time to sit down and do them. I apologize in advance for the mix that will make up this post!
***
One thought I started having yesterday was about how, really, I've made so much progress with my family and their food consumption. Is it the perfection/ideal I would like it to be? Not even close. But I have realized that I've still nonetheless made progress with them. Some things I can think of:
***
One thought I started having yesterday was about how, really, I've made so much progress with my family and their food consumption. Is it the perfection/ideal I would like it to be? Not even close. But I have realized that I've still nonetheless made progress with them. Some things I can think of:
- My husband used to take to work each day a Gatorade-sized bottle of those awful drink crystal beverages. I don't remember how it was done, but he now brings real juice (just juices, no added sugar or anything) with him.
- A year and a half ago, I had set the intention to have all processed foods out of the food I made my family--within 6 months. Um... that didn't happen. But it hit me just how far we have come. It used to be that most of our meals weren't really "homemade"--unless you call using a taco kit or Hamburger Helper truly homemade. We used to eat those Uncle Ben's and Lipton rice packets all the time (the ones with all kinds of stuff added into them) and more. Those kinds of things are barely eaten around here now. And I have some rice packets that have been sitting in the cupboard for many, many months. Nobody seems to want them.
- There are so many more fruits and vegetables in our fridge now. I don't know what our fridge used to be filled with, but it wasn't stuffed with fruits and vegetables!
There were some other things I was appreciating on Thursday, but they've escaped me at the moment. All to say that sometimes progress is slow, but it's okay: you still eventually get to where you want to be.
***
I had a serious sugar craving today. But not white sugar: fruit. It started yesterday. I didn't have what I needed to make green smoothies I like, so I didn't have a green smoothie. I can't really remember all that I ate yesterday, but I know I did not get as many raw fruits and vegetables as the rest of the week. I even ended up eating a thick pita as a snack last night. The result? I woke up feeling puffy, swollen. I don't like it. Especially since I could tell the chronic puffiness had finally been easing up with my increased intake of raw foods. This morning, I was craving fruit so badly, I pulled out what I found in the fridge: cherries, apples, pears, a peach and grapes. Although I did manage to eat a peach the other day without any reaction (I don't think I posted about that--it was the first peach I've eaten in years that I didn't react to), I wasn't able to eat an apple today without my tongue starting to itch badly. I only succeeded in eating a quarter of it. It didn't surprise me much given I felt puffy and was sneezing like crazy. My body was already feeling "toxic" and would likely react.. But that meant I shouldn't try to eat the peach nor the pears and I don't like cherries. So, grapes it was even though there weren't many. They satisfied me a bit, but not like my green smoothie. Or even just a banana. I then resorted to having a small bowl of gluten-free granola with almond milk.
For lunch, instead of doing raw, I decided to have some steamed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. It was kind of strange: I did not feel satisfied after eating the cooked veggies as I did from eating my mini veggie wraps the other day.
I physically feel blah. Two days of not eating with a focus of raw fruits and veggies and a slightly increased grain intake and I feel blech. I just want a green smoothie in the morning! Fortunately, I did stop at the grocery store this afternoon just to get some fruit I love: strawberries, bananas and a cantaloupe. Tomorrow, back to predominantly raw! At least with this, I know what I'm pretty much going to want on our camping trip this summer: lots and lots of fruit and veggies. :D
This has really had me realize how quickly my body is adapting to an enjoying the raw fruits and veggies I've been eating. For probably over a week, my mornings and afternoons were probably about 75%-90% raw. Then the past two days, not even close. My body really does, like so many other people, better on raw. I didn't even have any meat during the day today nor at all yesterday nor the day before, but that change in raw food consumption... I'm feeling it. And the way I was craving fruits today, I started thinking that maybe the 80/10/10 might not be such a crazy idea for me after all. ;)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Back from a hiatus!
Once again, my attempt at following the 30 (or is it 31) days of the 10-Pound Shred book have been foiled! This time: I got sick. From Tuesday until Saturday morning, I woke up each morning with a fever and a headache. I was tired, sometimes exhausted, could get out of breath just cleaning the kitchen. Not fun. Unfortunately, being out of it like that means I probably didn't eat super well. I couldn't even begin to tell you what I ate last week! I just don't know! I can tell you that I did not exercise.
I asked Tommy Europe, the book's author, what to do since I'd been off it a week. He said to back track to Day 8. So, I redid Day 8 today. Day 8 is a motivation day: do whatever physical activity you like. So, I warmed up on the treadmill and then did some ballet exercises. (My daughter's dance recital on Saturday inspired that!) I used a book I have had since I was, hm, 12? 13? I used to be able to do so many of the things in it easily, more of a turnout... *sigh* If you don't use it, you lose it, don't forget that!
Some things I've observed over this past week however: my body really doesn't like sugar. White sugar, I mean. We had a birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and my niece (her daughter; I babysit her during the day) and I made a cake on Friday to bring to the celebration. I made it dairy-free so I could eat it. It was delicious, I have to say, but I did get a little hint of a headache after eating it, even though I was fine with anything else I ate.
Just now, I dipped into some of the remaining frosting. As it so often happens, an almost immediate headache. (When will I learn? I guess the yumminess still outweighs the small headache!) I first noticed this correlation between a certain type of headache I get and sweets when I was 16. I'm now 37. I'm a slow learner in this regard, it seems. Or too apathetic. :(
Other observations: I did weigh and measure myself as scheduled last week. Weight has not changed, but I felt very puffy, so perhaps it had changed and I was retaining water that day. Some measurements have gone down. Woot! That means my very unused muscles are tightening up! That's good news. I was disappointed that my weight hadn't changed. I had eaten so much more in terms of fruits and vegetables compared to previously, cut back on grains and I think eliminated junk. It was just one of those moments of feeling like it doesn't matter what I eat, the weight is staying the same. But then it hit me how much better I had been feeling, how even my seasonal allergies were simmering down even though other people I know are still having serious problems (people whose allergy symptoms' severity matched my own in previous years). Yesterday, I decided to try a piece of a raw apple. It didn't cause me to itch. Now, sometimes apples don't bother me, but most of the time they do. I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm in the middle of a season where others are having a hard time with allergies, and here I am, have been eliminating the crud from my diet and upping the whole fruits and veggies, and I was able to eat some apple. It's been 12 years since I first started having problems with apples. I was pregnant with my son. Years later, someone said to me it sounded as though my body needed to detox. I think she was right. And I hope that's what I'm now working on. Of course, eating the frosting isn't very helpful to that. :/ But things are improving and even if the weight isn't changing (yet), my health is, and that's so much more important.
I asked Tommy Europe, the book's author, what to do since I'd been off it a week. He said to back track to Day 8. So, I redid Day 8 today. Day 8 is a motivation day: do whatever physical activity you like. So, I warmed up on the treadmill and then did some ballet exercises. (My daughter's dance recital on Saturday inspired that!) I used a book I have had since I was, hm, 12? 13? I used to be able to do so many of the things in it easily, more of a turnout... *sigh* If you don't use it, you lose it, don't forget that!
Some things I've observed over this past week however: my body really doesn't like sugar. White sugar, I mean. We had a birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and my niece (her daughter; I babysit her during the day) and I made a cake on Friday to bring to the celebration. I made it dairy-free so I could eat it. It was delicious, I have to say, but I did get a little hint of a headache after eating it, even though I was fine with anything else I ate.
Just now, I dipped into some of the remaining frosting. As it so often happens, an almost immediate headache. (When will I learn? I guess the yumminess still outweighs the small headache!) I first noticed this correlation between a certain type of headache I get and sweets when I was 16. I'm now 37. I'm a slow learner in this regard, it seems. Or too apathetic. :(
Other observations: I did weigh and measure myself as scheduled last week. Weight has not changed, but I felt very puffy, so perhaps it had changed and I was retaining water that day. Some measurements have gone down. Woot! That means my very unused muscles are tightening up! That's good news. I was disappointed that my weight hadn't changed. I had eaten so much more in terms of fruits and vegetables compared to previously, cut back on grains and I think eliminated junk. It was just one of those moments of feeling like it doesn't matter what I eat, the weight is staying the same. But then it hit me how much better I had been feeling, how even my seasonal allergies were simmering down even though other people I know are still having serious problems (people whose allergy symptoms' severity matched my own in previous years). Yesterday, I decided to try a piece of a raw apple. It didn't cause me to itch. Now, sometimes apples don't bother me, but most of the time they do. I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm in the middle of a season where others are having a hard time with allergies, and here I am, have been eliminating the crud from my diet and upping the whole fruits and veggies, and I was able to eat some apple. It's been 12 years since I first started having problems with apples. I was pregnant with my son. Years later, someone said to me it sounded as though my body needed to detox. I think she was right. And I hope that's what I'm now working on. Of course, eating the frosting isn't very helpful to that. :/ But things are improving and even if the weight isn't changing (yet), my health is, and that's so much more important.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Some observations
So, I haven't been blogging each day about my 10-Pound Shred book journey. It just seems like there isn't much to comment on: "I did the workout. It was hard. I ate this." Blah, blah, blah. If I'm bored writing it, then others are surely going to be bored reading it!
That said, today is Day 14 (because I missed a day). It is a "motivation day"--a day where he writes a little thing to help you keep motivated and you get to choose your physical activity. I had been thinking of walking from my daughter's dance studio to the library--Google Maps said 2.1 km/1.3 miles--dropping the books off, picking up the holds, then heading back and getting to the studio before the end of her lesson. But then I looked outside and wasn't too sure about the wind, fairly strong and occasionally gusting, and darkish grey clouds. While I looked up the forecast, I never really trust it too much; even then, it said the winds were milder than they actually were. I have seen it rain on days where they said there was a 30% chance of raining and I've seen it not rain on days where they said there was a 99% chance of raining. I decided to not take that chance. Walking in wind and wind gusts with the potential of rain, while carrying a bag full of books, just didn't seem that appealing anymore.
I then had the thought that I'm feeling so tired now, it's probably best. This thought lead to an observation: I had just had burritos for supper, with ground beef, wheat tortilla, lettuce and burrito sauce. I did not feel tired like that before supper. I did not have that energy drain earlier in the day when I'd had my green smoothie for lunch and continued it after lunch. Which then reminded me of a pattern I have noticed since I started this 4-week program: the days after I have had a lot of raw foods, few grains and little or no meat, I wake up feeling fine; the days after I've had lots of grains and almost no fruits and vegetables, I wake up feeling sluggish, allergies are acting up worse than on the other days... How much do I really want to test this out? Do I want to keep experiencing these highs and lows because of my neglecting to eat a lot of raw food on the previous day when it's become fairly clear that raw food makes me feel better?
This has all lead to another observation: I have had more days of lots of raw food in the past two weeks than I have ever done in a "cluster" like that before. Not only that, but I'm having days where I easily have 50% or more raw, don't think twice about it, it's not hard at all... There was one day where it was probably more like 75% raw. It has been easier to start moving more in that direction than I had previously tried to plan out or try to force myself to do. The only thing I can think that is different is that I've been inconsistently using the following affirmation:
Can affirmations really work that easily? I'm starting to think so!
Another observation: My sinuses, despite allergies being a problem, have not been acting up like they did not so long ago. How can I not attribute this to my dramatically increased consumption of raw foods? Sure, I'm doing some more strenuous exercise than previously, but I've never heard of exercise improving allergies and sinus conditions. I've read many accounts of people's sinus issues clearing up after consuming more raw foods. This means, too, that I have had fewer headaches than I was having not that long ago, given most of my headaches are sinus-related.
It's so good to see and feel progress! I have no idea what the numbers will show tomorrow when I do the mid-point weigh-in and measurements, but my fitness has improved and so have my eating habits. How can I possibly be disappointed with that?
That said, today is Day 14 (because I missed a day). It is a "motivation day"--a day where he writes a little thing to help you keep motivated and you get to choose your physical activity. I had been thinking of walking from my daughter's dance studio to the library--Google Maps said 2.1 km/1.3 miles--dropping the books off, picking up the holds, then heading back and getting to the studio before the end of her lesson. But then I looked outside and wasn't too sure about the wind, fairly strong and occasionally gusting, and darkish grey clouds. While I looked up the forecast, I never really trust it too much; even then, it said the winds were milder than they actually were. I have seen it rain on days where they said there was a 30% chance of raining and I've seen it not rain on days where they said there was a 99% chance of raining. I decided to not take that chance. Walking in wind and wind gusts with the potential of rain, while carrying a bag full of books, just didn't seem that appealing anymore.
I then had the thought that I'm feeling so tired now, it's probably best. This thought lead to an observation: I had just had burritos for supper, with ground beef, wheat tortilla, lettuce and burrito sauce. I did not feel tired like that before supper. I did not have that energy drain earlier in the day when I'd had my green smoothie for lunch and continued it after lunch. Which then reminded me of a pattern I have noticed since I started this 4-week program: the days after I have had a lot of raw foods, few grains and little or no meat, I wake up feeling fine; the days after I've had lots of grains and almost no fruits and vegetables, I wake up feeling sluggish, allergies are acting up worse than on the other days... How much do I really want to test this out? Do I want to keep experiencing these highs and lows because of my neglecting to eat a lot of raw food on the previous day when it's become fairly clear that raw food makes me feel better?
This has all lead to another observation: I have had more days of lots of raw food in the past two weeks than I have ever done in a "cluster" like that before. Not only that, but I'm having days where I easily have 50% or more raw, don't think twice about it, it's not hard at all... There was one day where it was probably more like 75% raw. It has been easier to start moving more in that direction than I had previously tried to plan out or try to force myself to do. The only thing I can think that is different is that I've been inconsistently using the following affirmation:
I eat mostly raw vegan foods.
Can affirmations really work that easily? I'm starting to think so!
Another observation: My sinuses, despite allergies being a problem, have not been acting up like they did not so long ago. How can I not attribute this to my dramatically increased consumption of raw foods? Sure, I'm doing some more strenuous exercise than previously, but I've never heard of exercise improving allergies and sinus conditions. I've read many accounts of people's sinus issues clearing up after consuming more raw foods. This means, too, that I have had fewer headaches than I was having not that long ago, given most of my headaches are sinus-related.
It's so good to see and feel progress! I have no idea what the numbers will show tomorrow when I do the mid-point weigh-in and measurements, but my fitness has improved and so have my eating habits. How can I possibly be disappointed with that?
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Busy, busy week
It's been a crazy busy week this week. It's left me finding it hard to figure out what to tackle first and it has led to, as it always does unfortunately, dropping all progress I was making with my eating. :( On top of that, we had a get-together yesterday where there were all kinds of yummy things. lol. Okay, well, I made one of the yummy things (pics and recipe review to come later!) and I ate one of the other yummy things (another vegan item), but that is actually it. I didn't want to ask everybody what was in what they brought, so I just stuck with what I knew to be dairy-free.
I did find I was kind of reacting later on in the afternoon. I don't think it would be from the cake I made--cake flour, sunflower oil, organic sugar, cocoa, vinegar, vanilla, rice milk, the usual baking powder and baking soda, I think that's all that's in it--but I'm wondering if it was from the vegan cupcakes. I'm guessing the vegan spread she used for the icing was a soy-based one and I don't think I normally react to soy the way I reacted to something yesterday (kind of like a sudden tightness/congestion in my lungs or bronchial area--I've had it before when I've had things with milk), but I reacted to something. That or my body got fed up with the level of grains and sugar the past week and was just trying to expel it! lol.
It always feels awful when life seems to take over and things back track, but I guess that's just how life is. I have time now to take life back over. Creating the drive to do so, especially after a not-very-good sleep, might take a little work. ;)
I did find I was kind of reacting later on in the afternoon. I don't think it would be from the cake I made--cake flour, sunflower oil, organic sugar, cocoa, vinegar, vanilla, rice milk, the usual baking powder and baking soda, I think that's all that's in it--but I'm wondering if it was from the vegan cupcakes. I'm guessing the vegan spread she used for the icing was a soy-based one and I don't think I normally react to soy the way I reacted to something yesterday (kind of like a sudden tightness/congestion in my lungs or bronchial area--I've had it before when I've had things with milk), but I reacted to something. That or my body got fed up with the level of grains and sugar the past week and was just trying to expel it! lol.
It always feels awful when life seems to take over and things back track, but I guess that's just how life is. I have time now to take life back over. Creating the drive to do so, especially after a not-very-good sleep, might take a little work. ;)
Friday, February 3, 2012
A site after my own heart
Too busy to post much lately, but I wanted to share something. I saw this as an ad in Facebook today:
Living Without: The magazine for people with allergies and food sensitivities
They have a section for recipes, gluten-free, dairy-free, other allergies... Some of the recipe photos look really, really good!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Time to refocus!
A little recap of the past few days:
*Saturday: wheat-free, but heavy on other grains, low on fruits and veggies.
*Sunday and Monday: NOT wheat-free. Even went a little overboard perhaps.
I told you it was a little recap. ;) I will say that my weight has stayed the 2lbs down. It'd be lovely to see it go down more this week. I've slowly had weight creep up over the past 5-10 years, not a lot, but 10 lbs down from where I am now would be fantastic.
Today, I need fruits and veggies. I'm craving them. But I have realized I don't really have a focus anymore. I wanted to see if I could do wheat-free last week, ended up having 4 days wheat-free (wow!), so that's accomplished but I don't know where I'm going from here! What are my goals again? lol.
I still have a yearning to be high raw, at least for a while. I find myself often thinking of people who went 100% raw for a while and their allergies just faded away. I especially think of it when I'm rubbing my eyes lately due to something in my environment driving me crazy. :-/ Or when I would like to eat certain foods raw but can't. My body needs to detox.
I guess this helps give me a vision for the week: more raw, less processed. That's one thing I can say about lately is that there have definitely been fewer processed foods prepared by me. There's so much garbage added to them all that just removing them will probably make a difference.
What does this mean for today?
*Wheat-free again. Why not? It was much easier than I thought. I do have to set some limits on the other grains I eat, like the corn Tostitos in the house (I've been eating them with the Daiya cheddar as nachos and cheese; yum!).
*I've been having a hankering for Ani Phyo's Coconut Breakfast Cakes from this cookbook:
I've had them a few times before and really like them.
*Of course, that doesn't take care of my fruits and veggies situation. I have oranges, not sure if the bananas are ripe yet, there are some grapes... I just have to prepare things. If the bananas are ready, I'll make myself a nice green smoothie today. I can add a salad or two in, cut up some carrots and cucumber and eat that with hummus...
I have lots of great food in the house; I just need to take the time to prep and eat it.
I'm going to have to get more adventurous and really try some different recipes. I have a few raw cookbooks here. I just hate taking the time to prepare something and then I don't like it and have to figure out something else to eat. lol. Of course, it has also happened that I've decided to try a recipe, I've bought the necessary stuff, it's stayed in the fridge so long that I've forgotten which recipe it belonged to. *sigh*
*Saturday: wheat-free, but heavy on other grains, low on fruits and veggies.
*Sunday and Monday: NOT wheat-free. Even went a little overboard perhaps.
I told you it was a little recap. ;) I will say that my weight has stayed the 2lbs down. It'd be lovely to see it go down more this week. I've slowly had weight creep up over the past 5-10 years, not a lot, but 10 lbs down from where I am now would be fantastic.
Today, I need fruits and veggies. I'm craving them. But I have realized I don't really have a focus anymore. I wanted to see if I could do wheat-free last week, ended up having 4 days wheat-free (wow!), so that's accomplished but I don't know where I'm going from here! What are my goals again? lol.
I still have a yearning to be high raw, at least for a while. I find myself often thinking of people who went 100% raw for a while and their allergies just faded away. I especially think of it when I'm rubbing my eyes lately due to something in my environment driving me crazy. :-/ Or when I would like to eat certain foods raw but can't. My body needs to detox.
I guess this helps give me a vision for the week: more raw, less processed. That's one thing I can say about lately is that there have definitely been fewer processed foods prepared by me. There's so much garbage added to them all that just removing them will probably make a difference.
What does this mean for today?
*Wheat-free again. Why not? It was much easier than I thought. I do have to set some limits on the other grains I eat, like the corn Tostitos in the house (I've been eating them with the Daiya cheddar as nachos and cheese; yum!).
*I've been having a hankering for Ani Phyo's Coconut Breakfast Cakes from this cookbook:
I've had them a few times before and really like them.
*Of course, that doesn't take care of my fruits and veggies situation. I have oranges, not sure if the bananas are ripe yet, there are some grapes... I just have to prepare things. If the bananas are ready, I'll make myself a nice green smoothie today. I can add a salad or two in, cut up some carrots and cucumber and eat that with hummus...
I have lots of great food in the house; I just need to take the time to prep and eat it.
I'm going to have to get more adventurous and really try some different recipes. I have a few raw cookbooks here. I just hate taking the time to prepare something and then I don't like it and have to figure out something else to eat. lol. Of course, it has also happened that I've decided to try a recipe, I've bought the necessary stuff, it's stayed in the fridge so long that I've forgotten which recipe it belonged to. *sigh*
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
If only I could eat raw peaches...
This peach pie http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2012/01/mimi-kirks-peach-pie.html by Mimi Kirk looks absolutely delectable! I would love to try this recipe--but at the moment, I react to raw peaches. I hope that over time, as I remove problematic foods and chemicals from my diet, I will be able to eat something like this.
I should maybe have added elsewhere that my diet is currently:
*dairy-free (except for ghee--I don't react to that!)
*raw apple-free
*raw peach-free
*raw plum-free
*raw nectarine-free
*raw snap pea-free
*certain nuts-free (can't remember which ones at the moment; Brazil nuts? sometimes raw almonds, sometimes not)
The apple reaction started when I was pregnant with my son in 2000. It seems to be related to a birch bark allergy, and thereby things in the same botanical family (I think that's it?) also cause me problems. There are times when I can have a small amount and my mouth won't itch, other times not. I even have to wash my hands after handling the fruits and peas above because if I touch my eyes, they will itch like crazy. I have read in different sources how people have gotten over their allergies after changing their diets and removing toxins and problem foods. I hope I'll be one of them. :)
I should maybe have added elsewhere that my diet is currently:
*dairy-free (except for ghee--I don't react to that!)
*raw apple-free
*raw peach-free
*raw plum-free
*raw nectarine-free
*raw snap pea-free
*certain nuts-free (can't remember which ones at the moment; Brazil nuts? sometimes raw almonds, sometimes not)
The apple reaction started when I was pregnant with my son in 2000. It seems to be related to a birch bark allergy, and thereby things in the same botanical family (I think that's it?) also cause me problems. There are times when I can have a small amount and my mouth won't itch, other times not. I even have to wash my hands after handling the fruits and peas above because if I touch my eyes, they will itch like crazy. I have read in different sources how people have gotten over their allergies after changing their diets and removing toxins and problem foods. I hope I'll be one of them. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)