Silently suffering...

Warning: I get slightly personal here. I talk of bathroom issues. But if you've ever suffered from tummy troubles, read on!

Since changing my lifestyle in Sept of 2010, to one of clean, whole foods, every part of my life has improved. I'm down 35 pounds and 3 dress sizes, daily headaches are gone, migraines are few and far between (used to get 2 a month), I have tons of energy, my hypothyroidism is going away (I'm down from .175 mcgs to .125 mcgs), and I just feel so much better. Everything was going perfectly - all bodily functions were normal.
Then, on Oct. 1 of last year, something changed and I have been suffering in silence ever since. I started having daily tummy troubles and it continued for months. I saw my doctor. He ran tests. Tests came back normal. Hmmmm...I decided to start researching my symptoms. From what I could discern, it sounded like a gluten-intolerance. I tested negative for Celiac, but sometimes it's hard to pick up.
So, I have been experimenting with my gut. I made attempts to go off gluten for a few weeks. Then, I would introduce it back with disastrous results. I would be in the bathroom for hours the next morning. Hmmm...I'm no doctor, I'm not even a certified Health Coach yet, but I would guess that I have developed an intolerance for gluten.

There's a faction of health-minded folks that swear gluten is a poison. I'm starting to agree with them. I'm not at all happy about this. In fact, I'm kind of depressed about it. After all, some of my favorite foods involve wheat, flour, gluten, etc... I love a good New York-style pizza, a yummy homemade pasta dish, a moist cookie straight from the oven, or freshly made Ciabatta bread from the bakery. I don't eat them all the time, but occasionally, they fill a void. For the past year, I have made my food choices. I have decided to give up processed foods, fast food, convenience food. It has been MY decision. This decision was made for me and I'm not pleased with it. I've been suffering for five months and I've been in denial. Why is this happening now? Why NOW, after making the best decisions for my health? I've been eating grass-fed meats, organic veggies and fruits, raw nuts and seeds, I've shunned dairy (and by the way, I haven't had a sinus infection or bronchitis in over a year since giving up dairy!!), and I've limited my refined carbs.
Was I already at my tipping point? Was it going to happen anyway? Before I started this journey, I was so tired all the time, overweight, sick a lot with bronchitis and sinus/allergy issues and starting to have pain in my legs (which my doctor thought was fibromyalgia). So, was Celiac just around the corner anyway?  Had I already done major damage to my immune system by years of eating a conventional American diet?
It seems that auto-immune diseases come in pairs or multiples. Hashimoto's thyroiditis can be accompanied with Celiac disease, MS, Lupus, Type 1 Diabetes, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and many more. Sufferers of one, may also get another.
I will see a gastroenterologist soon and an official diagnosis will come. Maybe it is something else. I'm hoping! But I know that I already feel better and can stay away from the bathroom when I abstain from gluten. So, I'm not that hopeful...

I'm curious if this has happened to anyone else. Who else out there has Celiac disease or a gluten-intolerance? How do you cope? Did you give up your dream of eating pasta in Tuscany and pizza in Sicily? Why does food damage us so much? I can't wait to get started with my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition next month. I want answers and I want better food for our society. I think I have found my lifelong mission - to rid the world of processed, chemical-laden foods that are making us all sick. Watch out - here I come!

Week of Feb. 12 - 18

This week poses many challenges for me. I start teaching classes and my husband is going out of town for a couple of days and then I have to get ready for a weekend away with the girls. When my hubby travels, I always lose interest in cooking a full meal for just the kids and myself. So, I'm gonna keep it simple and super kid-friendly this week. But I still want to make a romantic dinner Tuesday night...hmmm...what to make?

Monday  - Chicken with Sun-dried tomatoes and leeks

Tuesday - Romaine Hearts Finger Salad with Balsamic dressing (recipe below), Seared Scallops, Green Beans, Parsnip Puree, Personal Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes (gluten-free)

Wednesday - Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers, Broccoli

Thursday - Dinner out with the girls (Chipotle is a safe bet)

Friday - Pork Tenderloin, Sauteed Zucchini, Quinoa

Saturday - Hubby is on his own as I head out of town...(Woo-to-the-hoo!)

Romaine Lettuce Hearts Finger Salad

• 2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
• 1 T pecans, toasted
• 1 small red pepper
• 1/4 C Italian cheese, shredded
• 1 C Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

1. Separate the leaves of each heart and place them on 2 salad plates.
2. Sprinkle the top of the lettuce with 1/2 T of the pecans per plate.
3. Slice the red pepper in half and remove the seeds and core.
4. Slice each half into half then cut with a heart shaped cookie cutter.
5. Place the red pepper hearts on top of both salads.
6. Top each salad with 1/8 C of the cheese.
7. Divide the dressing into 2 small bowls.

Serves 2
By placing the dressing on the side you can use your fingers to dip the lettuce and pepper hearts.

Meals for Feb. 5 - 11

Last week was rough for me. I was busy with work, school projects for my daughter and I got a migraine headache out of nowhere. I hadn't had one in almost 6 months!! I only managed to hit the basement gym three times, but thankfully my weight held steady. It's been mentally defeating to be at a plateau for so long as well. So, I ramped up the repetitions and slowed down my workout with weights. I noticed I was kind of rushing through the process, so I slowed down and made every curl, kickback and squat count.
I also skipped out on dinner two nights last night, so you will see a repeat this week because I have the proteins and veggies already prepped. Sometimes, you just gotta take a break and let someone else do the cooking. I'm pretty proud of how far I have come with planning and executing meals. I mean, five years ago, the only thing I was good at making was reservations!

Meals for this week:
Sunday (early dinner before Superbowl) - Roman-style Chicken (www.foodnetwork.com)
Monday - Shrimp Pad Thai
Tuesday - Maple-Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Clean Eating mag), sweet potato mash, sauteed zucchini
Wednesday - Honey Dijon Salmon, Garlic & Ginger Broccoli, Whole Wheat couscous
Thursday - Slow Cooker Short Ribs, Braised Kale/Collards
Friday - Baked Tilapia packets with veggies inside
Saturday - Date Night

Meals for Jan. 30 - Feb. 4

Another week is behind us and the menu planning seems to be helping with keeping us on track with our budget and with executing dinners nightly. Doing some of the prep work on the weekends is definitely cutting prep time during the week.
I'll admit though, it takes time. There's the planning of my meals, shopping and then washing and cutting the veggies. But, when you work all day and come home to find your carrots neatly cut and ready to toss in your dish - that just makes me smile!

Meals for Jan. 30 - Feb. 4:

Mon - Fish Tacos with Honey-Cumin Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Mayo (Allrecipes.com)

Tues – Mustard Maple Pork Tenderloin, quinoa, zucchini from

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mustard_maple_pork_tenderloin.html

Wed – Shrimp Pad Thai

Thursday – Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe, over brown rice, broccoli steamed with garlic & lemon from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-honey-sesame-chicken-recipe.html

Friday – Lightened up Shepherd's Pie

Sat - Braised Short Ribs in Crock Pot

The Ultimate Food Table - Processed to Organic

Today I have come up with a table of foods – Processed to Organic. Our family now eats foods from the “Even Better” column. But, it wasn’t that long ago that I blindly went to the grocery store, tossed in the cheapest bread I could find, filled my cart with frozen meals, chicken nuggets, juice for the kids, cartons of fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt, fat-free mayo, cheese slices, lunchmeat and skim milk. I thought I was eating healthy by choosing low-fat or fat-free, drinking skim milk and eating 90/10 ground beef. Well, that life led me to Hypothyroidism, being 40 lbs. overweight, frequent migraines, multiple medicines, feeling sluggish, allergies, hip pain, strange pain in my legs, frequent illnesses and overall yuckiness. Now, a year and a half later, I can tell you that all of the above are GONE! I have practically cured my hypothyroidism, no more headaches or weird pains and I have lost 34 pounds thus far! My kids are drinking water, raw milk, and eating whole foods without added sugar and breading. They gobble up fresh fish, pork tenderloin, kale, raw nuts, and veggies galore! It is possible for your kids to eat this way too! Don’t get me wrong, it took some trial and error to find their favorite veggies and meats, but once you do, you’re golden! So, take a peek at the list and see where you fall.

Processed Food	Swap For	Even Better
Margarine	Real Butter	Organic, or raw milk butter
Skim Milk	2% Organic Milk	Raw Milk or Unsweetened Almond Milk
Flavored fruit Yogurt	Plain Yogurt w/ Honey or fruit	Raw Milk or Org. Greek Yogurt
Vegetable/Canola Oil	Sunflower Oil or Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Coconut Oil
Roasted, Salted Nuts	Unsalted Nuts	Raw, unsalted nuts
Frozen Fish Sticks	Pan-fried Fish	Grilled, baked, poached fish with herbs and spices
Hamburger meat	Hormone/antibiotic-free Beef	Grass-fed beef
Frozen Chicken (sodium solution)	Chicken w/o added sodium	Free-range, Organic Chicken
Canned Vegetables	Fresh or Frozen Veggies	Organic, fresh veggies
Flavored coffee creamer	Half & Half	Raw cream or milk
Lunchmeat	Nitrate/nitrite-free meats	Sliced turkey from the breast
Fat Free Mayo	Full fat Mayo	Homemade or Organic Mayo
Processed Cheese Slices	Full Fat Real Cheese	Organic, block of cheese
White Flour	Whole-wheat flour	Oat, Spelt, Gluten-free flours
White Rice	Brown Rice	Quinoa, Millet, Wild Rice
Regular Pasta	Whole Grain Pasta	Brown Rice or Spelt Pasta
Table Salt	Celtic Sea Salt	Himalayan & Celtic Sea Salts
Sugar, Artificial Sugars	Organic Cane Sugar	Raw Honey, Stevia, Z Sweet, Maple Sugar
Soybean Oil (in pkgd foods), added soy	Just Omit	Omit
Jar of Parmesan Cheese	Fresh block Parmesan	Organic, hard cheese
Jelly w/ High Fructose Corn Syrup	100% Fruit Jelly	Homemade jam, preserves
Soda, Diet Drinks, Juice	Sparkling Water, flavored	Plain Water w/  lemon
Packaged Mac n Cheese	Pasta w/ homemade cheese sauce	Whole Wheat pasta, w/ tomato sauce, herbs
Condensed Cream Soups	Make your own soup base w/ flour, butter, milk and add your flavor (celery, chicken, etc)	Use Organic ingredients, make homemade soup base & freeze
Peanut Butter	PB w/o hydrogenated oils	Natural butters with nuts, oil, salt (almond, cashew are good)
Frozen Chicken Nuggets	Go straight to real…	Homemade Nuggets w/ real chicken coated with Panko or ground almonds
Cereal	Cereal made w/ Whole Grain, no sugar	Steel Cut Oats, Homemade Granola

If your diet is largely based off the foods in the first column, try swapping them out with foods from the middle column. You can work your way towards the right. You might be scared when looking at some of the items calling for full-fat and oils that you may not be used to using. But don’t be. We need fat and it keeps us fuller longer and gives us energy. When you eat foods that have the fat removed, they often replace the fat with sugar and mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup. To find Organic, grass-fed meats and raw milk sources, visit www.localharvest.org and www.eatwild.com.

To learn more and get weekly meal planning tips, “Like” Unprocessed Living on Facebook and come back often to my blog.

Until next time, Eat Real Food…

Cindy

Meals for Jan 23 - 28

This week starts off with a challenge. My youngest daughter has been invited to a birthday party tomorrow night at Chuck E Cheese. Ugh! I'm thinking something simple for me and the hubs and the kids will surely pig out on pizza.
Plus, yesterday and today, it snowed a little bit and I just don't have the energy to get out and shop today. So, I will tackle the shopping tomorrow and get creative for tomorrow's dinner.

Monday - Breakfast for dinner (eggs, carrot pancakes)

Tuesday - Chicken Tacos with Red & Yellow Peppers, Onions (with Mexican flare)

Wednesday - Baked Ginger & Cilantro Tilapia, Polenta, Broccoli

Thursday - Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers, Salad, Sauteed Zucchini

Friday - Lightened up Chicken Parmesan

Saturday - Pot Roast Meatloaf (Jamie Oliver's recipe)

I'll add the recipes for some of these meals later tonight.
Keep up the good work and Eat Real Food!
Cindy

My Food Philosophy

A few of my friends have asked me, "what kind of diet do you follow?" And my answer is a short one; it's not a diet at all.  In September of 2010, we made a lifestyle change. I made the decision to cut processed foods, excess sugar, refined flours and the like from our diet. I really wasn't adopting anyone's specific diet, I was just eating as close to whole foods as I could.
The human body was not genetically designed to eat sugar, alcohol, caffeine, white flour, refined foods, grains, soda, etc...So, I began to educate myself and found some interesting information on the Weston A. Price Foundation. Their philosophy on food includes supporting organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms and more. I felt like this was something I could get behind. I want access to grass-fed meat, raw milk, organic produce and I want to support those who provide such items.
Some might also say I dabble in the Paleolithic diet, sometimes referred to as the Paleo diet for short, or also known as the caveman diet, stone age diet or hunter-gatherer diet, is based on the assumption that human beings should be eating the foods that our ancient ancestors ate, because that is the diet that we were genetically designed to eat.

Primarily, we eat a varied diet of pastured chicken, sustainable wild fish, grass-fed beef and pork, organically-grown veggies, very little grains, very little dairy and severely limited sugary foods.  Of course, I am not perfect and I have cravings from my "prior life." Over the holidays, I succumbed to a plate of holiday cookies, I indulged in a fat slice of pumpkin pie and I enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage. I am human after all!  But I don't consume foods that have been factory-made on a daily basis. I believe that's where the problem is.
Once I eliminated those foods from my diet, I immediately started losing weight, had more energy, didn't need certain medications anymore, my migraines stopped, frequent colds and bronchitis stopped and I just feel so much better. It's not from a miracle pill, it's just from simply eating REAL WHOLE FOOD! Sorry for shouting, but I just get so mad at how far we've all come from eating whole foods. It's not your fault either. Food manufacturers are deceiving us and the government just keeps forking over the dough to food giants and companies like M_ _santo, who are creating franken-foods and genetically-modified creations that are quickly (not slowly) killing us all.

We have become a nation of fast food eating, convenience food-loving, sugar-addicted fools. I'm so glad that I have been educated about eating whole foods and that I am able to teach others how to do the same. Now it's your turn. Take the knowledge you have and help someone else find our "food religion." (That's what some of my foodie friends say about me - that I've found religion in food and I keep spreading "the gospel.") So go, my foodies - Spread the gospel!  Eat Real Food!