Day 30: Developing a healthy lifestyle

I am grateful for the lessons I have learned about being GF in the past 30 days.  Each day can be a struggle, but the attitude you address these days with will make or break you.  Literally!  A support system is just as important as the oxygen we breathe and can help ease the physical and emotional stresses that come with learning a new diet.  Thank you for following and allowing me to share my daily experiences with you. I hope that this blog has peaked your interest in your own daily habits and diet. We must keep ourselves educated, especially when it is about our food; the most important thing that keeps us alive.

 "The truth will set you free; but first it will make you mad."  

When you learn things about the way foods are processed and what THEY aren't telling you; it can be very startling at first.  Knowing is only half the battle, you must decide how you feel and then take a stand.  This is the only way you can truly be set free of this vicious cycle of obesity and disease.  Going green and dieting is no longer a fad with pills and recycle bins.  It's eating green and learning that a diet is what you eat, not the calories you count.  I hope that you will continue to read my blog as I share my struggles with you in this wheat loving world!  Please share any thoughts you have about my past 30 days.

Day 29: You are what you eat

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.

- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

This saying couldn't be more true!  If you feel lethargic and bloated; its probably because you are eating foods that cause your body to respond with these symptoms. It's the bodies way of telling you to make a change, but for most people they go to a doctor and ask for a pill.  This is the reason pharmaceutical companies wake up in the morning. 

If we would look for the solutions within our diet first, these companies would go belly up and WE would be "rich" in health.  Sadly enough our bad eating habits and non-nutritious fast food will keep us on the straight and narrow to disease and an early grave.  As humans it is our duty to educate and enrich our own lives with the knowledge the schools fail to provide us and our doctors.  This is something we owe to ourselves and our children.  Especially if you would like to live a healthy and long life!

I love quotes and wanted to share these with you!!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

"We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons. "
-Alfred E. Newman

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food."
-Sally Edwards

 

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
-Adelle Davis

"The commonest form of malnutrition in the western world is obesity. "
-Mervyn Deitel

 

"He that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well."
-English Proverb

"Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital."
-Kelly Barton

 "Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness."
-Hippocrates

"You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car."
-Harvey Diamond

 

"I have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people."
-Ed Bluestone

"High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?"
-Annita Manning

 

"Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels."
-Author Unknown

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."
-Hippocrates

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
-Albert Einstein

"Nature itself is the best physician."
-Hippocrates

"If you are not your own doctor, you are a fool."
-Hippocrates

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease. "
-Hippocrates 

"To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy. "
-Hippocrates 

"Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of anything else that is great. "
-Henry IV of France

"We never regret of having eaten too little."
-Thomas Jefferson

"The rest of the world lives to eat, while I eat to live."
-Socrates

"More die in the United States of too much food than of too little."
-John Kenneth Galbraith, Economist, The Affluent Society

  

Day 28: Social Gatherings

Today was my first day in a new department at work. They took me out to lunch with nine other people. I had mentioned earlier that I had food allergies but didn't explain and they didn't ask. Everything in life is a two way street and I wish I would have made more of an effort to tell them.

I scanned though the menu looking for GF options but didn't find one thing. So I ordered a California sandwich (which was pretty amazing) and I pretended to be normal. A little later I had a mild tummy ache and my headache from earlier began to progress into a migraine.

Before I knew it I was in traffic headed home and my head was throbbing! I literally thought the pressure would split my head right down the middle. For breakfast I had a green smoothie and added some Maca powder for the first time. I didn't really measure, I just tossed it in. I might be a little sensitive to this product and it could have been the start of my headache. However, my lunch choice didn't help matters. I'm on my way to the sofa with an ice pack and a pitch black room. Good night!

Day 27: Grocery day!!

Today we made our bi-monthly shopping trip to Whole Foods. We were running low on food and I needed some supplies for my smoothie slim down. It's funny how my allergen foods can make me so emotional. For example, I was surrounded by them and the store was packed. This one particular person behind me kept pushing me around the bulk section and every time I would go down another isle he was in hot pursuit! I got so irritated I almost threw a bag of oranges at him!!

My poor hubby had to deal with my moodiness because this pushy jerk with a cart shot my nerves. It's sad to think that people are this rude and the food can toy with our emotions so much. My husband told me that if I was that upset I should have let the guy know so that jerk would avoided me, because we kept running into this rude asshole. We were looking at some frozen fruit and had the door open and he pushed his cart right up the the open door and just stood there like we were in the way! I had to walk away but seriously thought of doing a little Mrs. Doubtfire! "It was a run by fruiting!"

When friends come over to visit they are usually curious about the jars of food on my counter and usually surprised by the amount of greens in my refrigerator. I decided to post pictures for everyone to see what my hubby and I eat.

Day 26: Smoothie Slim Down Class!!

 I have been waiting for this class for months!!  A lot of people have digestive issues and don't even know it, this can lead to leaky gut and food sensitivities.  My friend Siegren is a Raw Vegan Chef  and created this class to flush toxins from your system and help with digestion.  If your curious about her company, TruCuisine, and the classes she offers you can check her out here.  

Her program will be a total of 9 days, 7 of which will be only smoothies.  I'm pretty excited to start this because lately regardless of how good I've eaten I still feel bloated and yucky sometimes.  She gave us information on her program that explained the detox symptoms we may experience physically and emotionally.  Also complete with a guide to light exercise, supplements, and 30 plus recipes.  Siegren will be checking in with us on our progress and discuss anything that may come up during our time on her program.

To help us even further our group decided to use her Facebook page as a way to discuss our experiences and create a support system.  I read somewhere that it takes about 20 days to form a new habit.  This program is only 9 days but it gets you half way there!!  Once we come off of this program we will have to be very careful not to slip back into our old habits.  For me I'm going to try and cut out eating out altogether!!  Wish me luck!  I'm not going to start the program on Monday because of a work outing so check back later this week as I will be posting about my experience on this program. 

Day 25: Where do we draw the line?

Today I was talking with Candi, who has Celiac and issues with dairy, about the challenges that we face everyday.  It is very hard to quit anything cold turkey; especially when its a food you've grown to love but doesn't love you back!  By now you probably think I'm obsessive compulsive about food but Candi and I have to put a lot of thought and preparation into our meals EVERY single day.  It's not like a fad diet we can cheat on, this one comes with big consequences that will make us pay for days.

I would be lying to say that I don't fantasize about the foods I've left behind or that I haven't cheated (if you've been reading you would know I've paid dearly) or that I don't run through drive thru's like everyone else.  Sonic seems to be my recent place of choice; a bunless burger, drink (I'm still working on the corn allergy) and absolutely nothing fried because of cross contamination. No drive thru has "healthy" choices, but I haven't had a reaction to anything other than their tater tots.  Most day's I take my lunch and still struggle with not wanting to eat out.  All it takes is someone I work with to describe the amazing lunch they just had and I forget all about the wonderful, healthy, allergy free meal waiting for me in the break room.

At what point do we draw the line on breaking our diets or eating our allergens??  With all the influences around us it is hard to avoid the foods we once loved, especially when your friend, family member, or co-worker tells you about the most amazing lunch they just had.  My friend Cynthia posts these AMAZING pictures on Facebook of her latest foodie adventure and it makes it so hard not to crave those foods!!

Influence is everywhere around us, especially in social situations.  When friends want to go out and eat it makes it really hard to tell them no when they suggest we go to my favorite restaurant.  One of the foods I miss the most is Sushi!!  Whenever I eat rice my stomach burns so bad.  My doctor said I may not have to avoid all of these allergens forever that some could change with time.  I told my husband I've been craving Sushi (a co-worker had talked about it all day!) and I have avoided rice for almost a month.  My husband was mortified when I put my own bottle of gluten free soy sauce in my purse!!  He said, "You can't be serious?!"  I told him I just wanted to be normal for once and if I was purposely ingesting one allergen to see if I had a reaction why would I make the night even worse.  I mean I just wanted to see if I would still have the same reaction and sure enough I did. 


 How do you draw the line when you are dieting or avoiding allergens??

Day 24: I can't be the only one!

I've been searching for other people who are grain intolerant like me.  Gluten free blogs and recipe sites can only get you so far; especially when they are alternative is rice and corn ingredients. There is no possible way that I can be the only one!!  I do admire those people who decide to give it up "just because."  That takes a lot of strength and dedication especially when you don't have to for medical reasons.  Like I've said before; if I didn't have these allergies god knows I wouldn't have given up all of these foods!!  But I don't feel this is a curse, I mean I have lost 34 pounds after all!!  It was the push I needed to get my diet straight!

I've been looking for a Reese's Cup recipe to satisfy my candy craving and have yet to find one that doesn't have a million ingredients.  Also I really miss my coconut dipped Luna Bars!!  I think this weekend I might be playing with a few ingredients to make these things I miss the most!!  Searching for other like me has been difficult because they are usually just avoiding one particular ingredient and not my four, sometimes interchanging things doesn't work well when baking. 


Searching Google I have found a few grain free blogs that I want to check out when I have more time.  If you're curious about their ingredients for recipes check them out!  Here is a list of grain free blogs I found:

Against All Grain
Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
Dr. Cindy's Blog
Wheat Belly Blog

** I haven't check out all of these yet but if you find some you would like to recommend please leave them in the comment section and I will check them out.