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Category: Food allergies

Does one (or all!) of your children have food allergies? Sadly this is no longer a rare thing. More and more kids struggle with food allergies now than ever before.

I’ve been there too. Skin testing, blood work, epi-pens…the works. It can be challenging or down right scary.

But you don’t have to live in fear. And you don’t have to just accept food allergies as a life sentence. There is help!

My son went from over twenty food allergies and an epi-pen to being able to eat just about anything. Even nuts!

There are ways to heal the gut and nourish the body so your child can get back to a normal life. Food allergies have so many underlying causes. Once you figure out the root problem and treat it the body will begin to heal.

Don’t let food allergies define your life. I’m here to help you and your child heal.

Finding the "Perfect" Diet

Are you searching for the perfect diet? The one that will help you lose weight and have tons of energy? The one that will let you eat whatever you want? The one that says you don’t have to exercise? The one that will give you glowing skin? The one that will make you look 10 years younger? The one that is so easy to follow?

I’m not.

I don’t have to look a certain way. I don’t have to meet some standard of beauty. I just want to feel good. I want to enjoy life and be available to care for my family and spend time with friends. I want a diet that will heal my mind and my body and allow me to use the gifts God has given me.

If you’re searching for the perfect diet, STOP. A one-size-fits-all “perfect” diet does not exist. You can’t just read a book and follow the rules. Everybody is different. But that does not mean there aren’t a lot of good diets with useful principles.

Through years of trial and error and testing and research I’ve found several diets that have helped me in various ways. By combining them I create MY perfect diet.

Most of the principles focus on healing. Which is what I need. Which is what a lot of people need.

This may not be your perfect diet. But you could still take away some ideas for how to heal your own body and feel good.

Here are some of the main principles from various sources that have helped me. Maybe they can help you too. I am also including some of the downfalls…mistakes I made along the way. You might be surprised by what actually hurt instead of helped me.
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Nourishing Traditions/WAPF

Pros:  Nourishing Traditions is what introduced me to REAL food. It is still my go-to book for questions about traditional foods and how to prepare them. It taught me the truth about things like fat (which ones are good for us and which are not…and that you should eat a lot of it), cholesterol (no, high cholesterol is not what causes heart disease…we actually NEED cholesterol) and grains (they can be part of a healthy diet, but they should be properly prepared by soaking, sprouting or fermenting). It contains a wealth of knowledge and changed the way our whole family eats and views food.

Cons: NT encouraged my tendency to eat the same things day after day. Especially when giving advice on eating for fertility and pregnancy it recommends eating a specific amount of certain foods (like egg yolks, organ meats, certain fats, etc…nutrient dense foods) every single day. Unfortunately this habit is what led to a lot of my food sensitivities…which I now have to try to undo. For someone with a healthy gut this can be good advice. And they do recommend very healthy food. But for someone like me it was detrimental to focus on eating a certain list of foods every day. It fueled my obsessiveness and caused inflammation in my body.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

Pros: Gut and Psychology Syndrome is a detailed protocol for healing the gut…and in turn healing conditions like allergies, autism, ADD, etc. It introduced me to the wonderful world of stock and bone broth. They are both very healing and should be a staple for everyone (in addition to healing they provide nourishment and protect against illness). GAPS showed me that we don’t have to rely so much on grains in our diet, as they can be irritating. It also reinforced the need for probiotics (both through supplements and foods like cultured dairy and ferments) to help seal a leaky gut. It really explained how the gut works and what can damage it. And it forced me to be creative with my cooking and baking and try new things.

Cons: GAPS is quite restrictive. And for someone with OCD that is not good. I got to the point where I was almost scared to eat. I was afraid the tiniest thing would hurt me. So it caused a lot of anxiety instead of helping to get rid of it. Much like NT, GAPS also reinforced the idea of eating the same things day after day. You could be on a certain phase of the diet for weeks, with only a few food options. I also wound up eating very low carb. It was not intentional. I had never even heard of eating low carb. But without grains in my diet and without the knowledge of what does/doesn’t contain carbohydrates and how to balance them with protein and fat I tended to eat a LOT of protein. I lived on meat, broth, eggs and nuts. And it did more harm than good to my body in the long run.

Many people are on the GAPS diet for years. I now know that unless you have severe problems it should probably be more short term. You can go through all of the phases in a matter of weeks to kickstart healing and then get back to a normal diet of what works for your body.

I also don’t think that grains are bad for everyone. Nor is gluten a problem for everyone. I personally do better with some grains in my diet (I’m still figuring out which ones are best). Yes, I feel better when they are properly prepared. No, I can’t make them the bulk of my diet. But I do need some. Otherwise I don’t get enough starch/carbohydrate and I get colon spasms. My gut does not like only having meat and vegetables.

Allergy/Sensitivity Rotational Diet

Pros: I was recently tested for food sensitivities. My results came back with a long list of foods I should avoid. The protocol for healing involves rotating foods/food families every four days. This is a new concept to me. But something that I need. And something that has had the biggest impact on my healing. I tend to eat the same things day after day. And that is what caused a lot of my problems in the first place. By rotating my foods I avoid causing new sensitivities and I give my gut a much needed break to heal. It is also a great way to pinpoint what foods I don’t tolerate. For the moment I am limiting gluten and dairy and cutting out eggs. But I hope to add them back at some point.

Cons: Some say that these tests are not accurate and that depending on the day/time you test you could have different results. So if you follow the prescribed diet you might be cutting out foods without really needing to. I am aware of this. So I am not completely cutting gluten and dairy out of my diet yet. I have them in limited quantities in my rotation to assess how my body responds.

Metabolism Typing

Pros: When thinking about a healthy diet it is important to realize we are all different. Metabolism typing helps you figure out what type of food your body metabolizes more efficiently and needs more of to function well. I learned that I am a carb type. So my body needs a higher amount of carbohydrates than protein…the opposite of how I was eating on GAPS. It was very helpful to know how to adjust my diet.

Cons: As with most diet theories, not everyone agrees with this. Some say it is not accurate. It is also easy to fall into the trap of gravitating towards a diet full of mostly grains. You still have to figure out which carbohydrates are best for your body (potatoes, starchy vegetables like pumpkin and squash, fruits, natural sweeteners, grains). So you still have work to do, but it is nice to have a general guideline.

Eat for Heat/Diet Recovery

Pros: 180 Degree Health, Diet Recovery and Eat for Heat (all written by Matt Stone) really helped me get out of my obsessive, anxious, restricted way of eating. Matt’s information helped me stop the GAPS diet, gain some needed weight, become more relaxed about food and taught me to listen to my body. I am so thankful for the change this brought. It has been the biggest help in dealing with my OCD. I now challenge what I read and make sure I’m doing what works for me. I don’t follow anyone else’s diet/path to health. I recommend these books/his site to everyone. No matter what your health status.

I have learned that we don’t need to drink so much water every day. Most people are likely overhydrating and flushing the minerals out of their bodies. I have learned that a great assessment of your health is body temperature and the warmth of your hands and feet. This directly correlates to the state of your metabolism.

I have learned that it’s good to start the day with a large, starchy meal and gradually eat lighter as the day goes on. I learned that a good way to get your metabolism and body temperature up is by eating plenty of salt, sugar, starch and saturated fat and to be sure you are eating enough calories. Restrictive eating only does damage.

I have also learned that it is important to not overexercise. If your body needs healing you need to give it rest. And sleep is very important. Even up to 10 hours a night if you are in the process of healing. Once you are feeling good then you can exercise according to what you feel like doing, not what you think you should do.

Cons: While this way of thinking was very freeing and just what I needed after GAPS, it can also lead to an attitude of ambivalence. Although sometimes it actually does help to forget all health rules and just eat what sounds good (even processed food and fast food!), after a while you have to remember what your idea of health is and what your standards are for healthy eating. It is great to let go of a restrictive mindset, but you also can’t stop caring about your health.

Many people do gain weight at first when following Diet Recovery and Eat for Heat as the body heals and regulates (though not everyone does…some lose weight!). Usually the weight comes off naturally after the healing period. This can be a negative aspect for some. But in the end it’s worth the short term gain to fully heal your body. I think my weight went up about 12 or 13 lbs. at first. Then I dropped about 3 lbs. and stayed pretty steady.

Fiber Menace

Pros: For anyone struggling with digestive issues, the information in fiber menace is worth a read. Especially if you struggle with constipation. If you go to a doctor they will tell you to eat more fiber, drink more water, eat less fat and exercise. My response…WRONG! If that was the answer I wouldn’t have had problems for so many years. In fact, the answer is quite the opposite. You need lots of fat (healthy fats like butter, sour cream, tallow, evoo, lard and coconut oil). And you actually don’t need a ton of fiber. It is good to get some in your diet. But you don’t need a lot. Fiber is actually quite irritating. It causes bulk in stools…which makes stools tougher, not easier, to pass. And this causes things like fissures, hemorrhoids and prolapse. You should eat foods that are mostly utilized and absorbed by the body.

Cons: Fiber Menace promotes eating hardly any fiber at all. We do need some. And the amount is different for everyone. So you have to figure out what works for you. You need enough to help digestion work properly, but a small enough amount so that it does not cause problems. This book also talks about how little we need to it. I don’t agree with that. Just because someone can function on two meals a day, made up mostly of fat that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. So there are some good ideas in this book, and it really explains the digestive process well. But you also have to use common sense and know what works for your own body.
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So what does my diet look like you ask? I am always making adjustments as I listen to my body and figure out what does and doesn’t work at the moment. I challenge myself and experiment with different foods to see if my tolerances have changed. But in general these are the guidelines I use to choose my food and create my perfect diet.

1. Eat nutrient dense, homemade food. Make sure all grains are properly prepared through soaking or sprouting.
2. Incorporate broth when possible to heal my gut. Make sure I use a variety of broths (beef, chicken, turkey, fish) and rotate them.
3. Use a 4-day rotational diet that eliminates my personal problem foods and limits foods I’m not sure about/that I test positive for on a sensitivity test.
4. Eat a higher proportion of carbohydrates than protein.
5. Eat enough salt, sugar, starch and fat, especially to start my day. Don’t drink too much/only drink if I’m thirsty.
6. Don’t eat too much insoluble fiber/raw food. My colon is very sensitive and is irritated very easily. I stick to softer foods most of the time with occasional small amounts of raw food or higher fiber foods. Eat plenty of healthy fat.

How about you? What is your perfect diet, and how did you come up with it?

Meal Plans Week of 2-17-13

It’s another coooold Michigan morning. I’m very ready for spring! But it doesn’t look like it’ll be here any time soon. Single digits this morning. Brrr.

This will be a fairly normal week. On Thursday we have a Kindergarten information meeting. I can’t believe we’re already thinking about that for my little girl! We also have Bible study on Friday…as long as we can find a baby-sitter.

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Grandma, Mommy, Daughter date

I’m hoping to get caught up on some writing this week. Last week Abram was up early every day because of a stuffy nose and cough. And he took short naps. I hope he starts sleeping better again so I can get things done. Although so far it’s not sounding promising.

This week I’ll be doing more experimenting with alternative grains (now that I finally made it to the health food store!). My plan is to try new grains and to soak them. I’m hoping the soaking will help my body digest them more easily. I learned last week that quinoa does not work for me. I’ll have to try it again sometime soaked, but not for a little bit.

All set for “cool”

I’ve been doing more research as always. And I re-read some information on the GAPS site. I thought this was interesting:

“Food “allergies” or intolerances are the result of “leaky gut” when the gut lining is damaged by abnormal micro flora. Foods do not get the chance to be digested properly before they get absorbed through this damaged wall and cause the immune system to react to them. Unless the reaction is very severe, it should be ignored. Just concentrate on healing the gut lining with the Introduction Diet. Once the gut wall is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food intolerances and allergies.”

I’m not going back to GAPS. But I do want to continue to include some of it’s healing principles into my diet. So I’m going to try to add broth to my diet daily…but rotate it 🙂  I’ll be making beef broth and chicken broth this week. That will give me three broths to rotate (I also have turkey). Hopefully at some point I can make fish broth as well. Theoretically if you really include a lot of broth you should experience healing of a leaky gut fairly quickly…and get rid of intolerances. So I’ll keep rotating, eliminate my problem foods and add in broth daily. We’ll see what that does.

I’m finding that a rotational diet really makes it easier to figure out what does and doesn’t work. Last week I learned that quinoa is out (for now). I also tried sweet potatoes again…big no. I usually react to a food about 24 hours after I eat it. I had sweet potato soup on Thursday. Friday evening I looked in the mirror…eyes were back to red/bloodshot and painful…and they still are. There were plenty of other symptoms too. I just couldn’t believe how quickly my eyes returned to red. Really my whole appearance changed…worse acne, red eyes, dry skin and my hair gets kind of frizzy. Who knew that my bad hair days were actually caused by a leaky gut and food sensitivities? 😛

Pear Cranberry Rice Pudding

I’m still figuring out what does and doesn’t work. It seems that a lot of the foods I ate while on GAPS are the ones I can’t eat now because I ate them over and over and over (that’s what tends to happen when you have a very restricted diet). So I’m still not sure about avocado and dates.

I’m trying to get my body back in balance now and stop the inflammatory response. I’ve got my meals fairly well planned out. I’ll be adding in breakfast and maybe lunch items as the week goes on…just to help me stay on track and plan ahead for soaking grains.

I’m happy to say I’ve been Miralax free for over 2 weeks now!!! I’m so proud and so happy. As long as I eat the way I should my digestion is doing pretty well. I don’t intend to ever take it again. And I praise God for giving me the strength to take this step. It will be so helpful for my overall healing and allowing my body to absorb the nutrients it desperately needs.

I have a little boy up now…and I smell something…so I better get this posted. Maybe I’ll get to write more tomorrow…
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S (prep lunch, make beef broth, church, prep smoothies, make kefir, soak garbanzo flour) D4
  B – applesauce bread, banana (Justin), sour cream w/ grapes, squash w/ butter (Mary)
  L – beef in gravy over noodles and squash, corn
  D – waffles w/ fruit topping and nuts, clementines, milkshake (family), tuna sour cream avocado salad on cucumber (Mary)
snack: soaked grahams, frozen grapes; beef broth

M (strain/freeze broth, prep dinner/make chicken broth, make scones, milk, strain kefir, soak beans) D1
  B – leftover waffles w/ blueberry topping (Justin), scone, sauteed broccoli (Mary)
  L –  crispy chickpeas and broccoli, scone
  D – cp chicken, rice, roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower
snack: carob garbanzo flour scones, blueberries; chicken broth

T (strain/freeze broth, make 2nd batch of broth, soak amaranth flour, cook beans, make white rice scones, KM, CCS) D2
  B – smoothie, cinnamon raisin toast w/ pb (Justin), scone, snap peas (Mary)
  L – rice, peas and beets cooked in broth and coconut milk
  D – chili w/ cornbread (family), salad w/ bacon, beets, pears and cranberries w/ creamy coconut milk dressing (Mary)
snack: scones, honey coconut milk; turkey broth

W (PS, co-op, WT) D3
  B – cinnamon raisin toast w/ pb, smoothie (Justin), pumpkin salmon pot pie w/ soaked amaranth crust (Mary)
  L – goat’s mlk yogurt, pumpkin and asparagus cooked in broth
  D – leftover chili and cornbread (family), salmon cakes, roasted asparagus (Mary)
snack: yogurt; beef broth

Th (bake/freeze squash, freeze butter, Dr. M., KG mtg) D4
  B – waffle yogurt (Justin), broth, squash, ice cream (Mary)
  L – broth, squash, ice cream cone
  D – hot dogs, tator tots, squash (family), tuna, squash, avocado (Mary)
snack: soaked grahams; chicken broth

F (clean, chop veggies, PS, BS, soak teff) D1
  B – cornbread w/ syrup, banana (Justin), garbanzo carob scone, broccoli cooked in broth and coconut oil (Mary)
  L – blueberry pie w/ date and garbanzo flour crust, broccoli
  D – pancakes (garbanzo flour pancakes for Mary) w/ blueberry topping, sausage, roasted brussels sprouts
snack: scones, blueberries; turkey broth

S (make TBD w/ teff, swimming) D2
  B – 
  L –  
  D – spaghetti, garlic toast, peas (family), leftover sausage, peas (Mary)
snack: scones; beef broth
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D1: chicken, dry beans (pinto, navy, white, fava, mung), lentils; quinoa; broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower; blueberry, raspberry, date; coconut oil, carob, cane sugar, mint tea

D2: white fish, pork; white rice, teff; green bean, lettuce, peas, beets; pear, cranberry; lard, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut milk

D3: turkey, salmon; amaranth, tapioca; asparagus, pumpkin; palm shortening, coconut water, goat’s milk yogurt

D4: tuna, beef, raw cream, sour cream; wheat, coconut flour; cucumber, squash, zucchini; coconut, avocado, grapes; EVOO, butter, ghee, tallow; cocoa, raw milk, green tea, honey

snacks: D1blueberry, raspberry, date; D2 crumble; D3 TBD w/ palm shortening, tapioca flour or amaranth and pumpkin ; D4 ice cream, soaked graham crackers, raisins, frozen grapes

Raw Cheesecake

Rebecca and I were browsing recipes this week. We came across these mini st(raw)berry cheesecakes from Lexie’s Kitchen. A simple recipe that looked perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat.

So we tried them. They are wonderful!! A big hit with the whole family. And they really are super easy to make. No baking required.

 

I substituted almonds for the other nuts since that’s what I had on hand. They still turned out very well.

Since they were so good I decided to try making a modified version that I can eat. So I came up with a nut free blueberry cheesecake. Equally as delicious!!

Here are both recipes. Mix and match fruits and crusts. A perfect little treat that is quite healthy.

 

Mini St(raw)berry Cheesecake
makes ~ 12 mini cakes

Crust:
3/4 cups crispy macadamia nuts or almonds
1/8 cup raw coconut flakes
1/2 cup pitted dates
pinch sea salt

Filling:
1 1/2 cups crispy cashew nuts or almonds
1/3 cup lime juice or lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup fruit (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, etc.)
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch sea salt

In a food processor or high powered blender process the crust ingredients until a sticky dough forms.

Press into 12 paper muffin cups in a pan. Freeze or refrigerate while making the filling.

In a food processor or high powered blender process the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour into the muffin cups. Freeze or refrigerate until set.

 

Mini Blueberry Cheesecake
makes ~ 12 cakes

Crust:
3/4 cups white rice flour
1/8 cup raw coconut flakes
1 cup pitted dates
pinch sea salt

Filling:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cups blueberries
pinch sea salt

In a food processor or high powered blender process the crust ingredients until a sticky dough forms.

Press into 12 paper muffin cups in a pan. Freeze or refrigerate while making the filling.

In a food processor or high powered blender process the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour into the muffin cups. Freeze or refrigerate until set.

White Rice Pancakes (egg free, nut free, dairy free, gluten free)

I continue to experiment with my allergy-free foods. Last night for dinner I made pancakes. I made our usual buttermilk pancakes for the family…whole wheat, dairy and eggs. Doesn’t quite cut it for me.

It was a rice day for me, so I tried rice pancakes. I didn’t really have a recipe. I just kind of poured and mixed what I thought might work. I ended up with a thick white batter that I really thought would just turn into a messy glob in the pan. But to my great surprise (and to my growling tummy’s delight) they turned out quite well!

My biggest concern was not being able to use eggs. But it wasn’t a problem. I compensated with a little extra baking soda and some oil.

These weren’t as light and fluffy like the other pancakes I made. They were a little thicker. I’m sure I’ll keep experimenting with the recipe. But honestly I really liked them. I found myself sneaking another bite and another bite and another bite as we sat at the dinner table (after I was “done” with my dinner :P). And then I started snacking on them later in the evening 🙂  The combination of white rice, coconut milk and lard gave them a unique, addicting flavor.

When I search for gluten free recipes I get the usual combo of about five different flours and gums to bind them all. I can’t do that with a rotational diet. I have one or two grains allowed each day. And I can’t do gums. So my goal is to make simple allergy-free recipes that don’t require twenty ingredients.

Eating allergy-free foods doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite meals or buy a ton of specialty food. Do you have a go-to pancake recipe? Do you have a favorite allergy-free breakfast? Give these pancakes a try. Even if you don’t have to eat allergy-free. It’s a nice change from the usual wheat pancakes.

White Rice Pancakes (egg free, nut free, dairy free, gluten free)
makes ~ 6 pancakes

1 cup white rice flour (you could substitute another gluten free flour…you may have to adjust the liquid ratios)
1 cup coconut milk (I used mostly the liquidy part but also a little of the cream)
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cane sugar

lard, tallow, coconut oil or palm shortening for frying (you can use butter if you are not dairy free)

Directions:

Mix all  ingredients (except frying oil). Adjust to desired thickness by adding more coconut milk or water.

Fry in lard over medium heat on griddle until golden, 3-5 minutes per side.

Serve with honey, maple syrup or fruit topping.

These can also be used as bread/buns.

Candy Bar Ice Cream (gluten free, egg free, nut free, dairy free option)

I had some raw cream to use up this week. Of course that means ice cream 🙂  So the kids and I made a fresh batch yesterday.

With all of my food restrictions I was wondering what flavor to make, besides plain old vanilla again. I had just made some crunchy crumble the day before. And we like ice creams that are fruit pie/cobbler/crumble flavors. So I thought we’d try a crumble ice cream…without the fruit.

I made a larger batch of the white rice crumble, using white rice flour, palm shortening and maple syrup. I added it to a batch of egg free vanilla ice cream. It was really good!

As I was scooping it out of the ice cream maker we all tasted it…and instead of tasting like a cobbler it tasted like a crunchy/nutty candy bar. So I added a few mini dairy free, egg free, gluten free chocolate chips to make candy bar ice cream! Amazing!!

I can only eat it once in a while (every four days at most). But what a treat!!

Do you like candy bars but have a lot of food restrictions? Give this candy bar ice cream a try. You can swap the cream for coconut milk to make it dairy free. You could even try making the crumble with coconut flour or almond flour to make it grain free. There is a version for almost everyone.

Candy Bar Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups raw cream (or coconut milk)
1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey or a combination)
1 tsp. organic vanilla (optional)

1/2 cup white rice flour
2 Tbsp. palm shortening, lard or butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup dairy free, egg free, gluten free mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, shortening and syrup until crumbly. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely.

Combine cream, syrup and vanilla in a blender. Adjust sweetness to taste (make it a little sweeter than seems right since the sweetness goes down as it processes).

Process ice cream in an ice cream maker according to directions (mine takes 15 – 20 minutes in a Kitchen Aid attachment). Add the crumble during the last minute or two of processing.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe container. Stir in chocolate chips. Freeze until firm.

Let ice cream set at room temperature for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

Crunchy Crumble (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, corn free)

I made it through a full day on my rotational diet (yay!!), eating three meals that weren’t exactly the same 🙂  Then evening rolled around. And I wondered what in the world I was going to eat?

I have to have a snack before bed. If I don’t my stomach will growl all night, and I can’t sleep well. So I needed something.

I have not had time to make any snacks/baked goods with new grains. I didn’t have any fruits on my list for the day actually in the house. I had already eaten beets and green beans for every meal…and didn’t want more for bedtime snack. There was no leftover pork or rice. I was pretty much out of food for the day.

So I came up with a quick, easy, crunchy snack that was just what I needed. And it was so good!!! I’m actually bummed now that I can’t have it again for four days.

It’s like the topping for a crumble/crisp. But you can eat it plain 🙂  The best part? It took 3 minutes to prepare. And you can actually eat it without baking it if you’re looking for something really quick. It won’t be crunchy that way, but it still tastes great.

This crumble is the perfect crunchy treat at the end of the day. You can eat it plain, sprinkle it on fresh fruit or make a little crumble with it by baking it on fruit. Lots of options. This is a single serving.

Now the wheels are turning. I foresee some dessert baking coming soon 🙂

Crunchy Crumble
serves 1

1/4 cup white rice flour
2 tsp. lard (or palm shortening or butter)
2 tsp. maple syrup (or honey)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix flour, lard and syrup. Break into crumbles in an oven safe dish or on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 – 20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes to fully crisp.

Meal Plans Week of 2-3-13

I’m pausing just for a moment here to gather myself. It’s been quite a whirlwind here lately. Last week I got all of my test results, and I’m still trying to process it all/decide how to proceed. In addition to that the whole family has been sick…and there may be more to come. It started Monday night with Abram puking. I’ve felt somewhat sick pretty much since Tuesday. Thursday Rebecca started puking (non-stop for 12 hours straight). Then I got worse Thursday night (one benefit of my digestive issues is that it takes a LOT for me to puke…so I held it together). And it didn’t help to sleep in the living room floor waking up every 15 minutes with Rebecca. Friday Justin started. Yesterday we thought we were on the mend. Then Rebecca started puking in the night again. When will it stop? I’m still hoping and praying that what we are all recovering from is what Abram had last week and not something he has yet to catch. And hopefully Rebecca is done for real this time.

Just to add to the “fun” I decided that now would be a good time to stop my Miralax cold turkey. What was I thinking? I’m not really sure. But here’s hoping I can manage and my body can figure things out quickly. I have a sick family to care for. So far it has led to lots of extra nausea and pain. But I’m determined to get this garbage out of my body. I’m trying to drink some extra fluids to help the process. I’m not a fan of overhydrating. But I can tell that my body is not absorbing water the same without the miralax. So I need some extra.

Let’s hope this week proves to be a bit more positive. None of us will be going to church today. Another day to rest and recover. It’s fine with me. We got so much snow in the past few days. It’s hard to even get out of the house. We are starting our new milk drive share tomorrow. Hopefully that goes smoothly (and doesn’t take an extra hour on snowy roads). I have an appt. with my psychologist and the kids have a post-ear infection check up. Our bloggers gathering was cancelled last week because of the snow. So we’ll try again this week. Friday is Bible study. But whether or not I go is TBD. It depends how much prep work I have to do for Saturday. We’ll be going to my nephew’s birthday party, and I’m making the cake.

The only extra I have planned so far for this week is the cake. I hardly had time last week to even think about meals, let alone anything extra. We’ll just see how everyone does this week. If time allows I can do some experimenting with allergen friendly recipes.

I will be taking time this week to do lots of research on test results and treatments. For now I’m implementing a rotational diet (as my tummy is able…sometimes the nausea wins over what I think I should eat). I am sticking to totally egg free for a bit. I have about 5 dozen eggs to use up…so I have to come up with some ideas for those (Sara…do you want me to bring you some on Saturday?? :). I am not completely eliminating wheat and dairy yet. But I am cutting back and trying to only eat them in rotation. So you’ll notice in my meal plans that I’m attempting to give myself some guidelines to help keep track of when I eat what. I know I won’t be perfect since I’m just starting and I haven’t had time to prep all of the necessary food or shop for new things. But it’s a start. And I’m trying to plan ahead so I can eat decently at our party on Saturday.

I started my new thyroid medication this morning. I’m hopeful that it will be a big help. But I think it can take a couple weeks to really make a difference.

I think that’s about it for now. My brain is kind of mush after illness, lack of sleep and lots of anxiety (over myself and my kids). Here’s what’s on the menu for now. We’ll see what everyone is actually up for eating. Our Super Bowl menu could turn into chicken noodle soup 😛  Rebecca picked out some new veggies at the store and helped plan some meals this week.
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S (prep dip, make lemon bars, church, Super Bowl, prep smoothies)
  L – leftover hashbrown egg and ham bake, beans, custard w/ granola
  D – 7 layer dip cups, onion rings, lemon bars, bbq hot dog bites, veggies

  Veg: beets, chickpeas, beet greens, beans
  Grain/starch: chick peas
  Fat: butter
  Protein: beans/chick peas

M (bake cake, milk, ps)
  D – “tuna sea salt cakes”, “white kale crunchy salad” / leftover hashbrown bake, toast, broccoli

Veg: kale, avocado
Grain/starch: quinoa
Fat: evoo
Protein: tuna

T (bake cake, KM, Dr. V.)
  D – (prep ahead) – beef and bean nachos, custard w/ granola

Veg: peas, zucchini
Grain/starch: wheat
Fat: cream, butter
Protein: beef

W (bake cake, PS, Dr. S.)
  D – chicken nuggets, roasted brussels sprouts and cauliflower, tator tots

Veg: brussels sprouts, cauliflower
Grain/starch: squash
Fat: coconut oil
Protein: chicken

Th (WM Bloggers)
  D – pork chops and apples over rice, beans, artichoke

Veg: artichoke, green beans, beets
Grain/starch: white rice
Fat: lard
Protein: pork

F (crumb coat/frost cake, MB, PS, BS)
  D – scrambled eggs, toast, corn, custard w/ fruit

Veg: squash, TBD
Grain/starch: tapioca
Fat: palm shortening
Protein: salmon

S (decorate cake, swimming, bday party)
  D – at party

Veg: lettuce, avocado, peas
Grain/starch: TBD/wheat
Fat: TBD
Protein: beef

Chocolate Chip Scones (dairy free, egg free, gluten free, nut free)

I got all of my food allergy results a few days ago. So what does that mean? Let the experimentation begin!

I made two batches of chocolate chip scones this week. Both are egg free. One is also dairy and gluten free. Both are delicious! And very easy to make. Honestly, the dairy and gluten free version tasted just like chocolate chip cookies to me. What a treat as I embark on this journey.

As someone that is passionate about baking…and loves to taste what I make, it’s good to know I don’t have to completely give up what I love. Having some allergen friendly treats here and there will definitely make this process easier.

These scones are great for breakfast, brunch or a snack any time of day. They pair well with soup too. Give them a try. Which version do you like best?

 
 

Chocolate Chip Scones (egg free, nut free)

1 cup whole wheat flour*
1 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup sucanat/rapadura or cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup chocolate chips (dairy, egg, soy free)
1/2 cup butter (cold)
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp. sour cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt (in a bowl or food processor).

Cut in butter until the dough is crumbly (I do this with my hands or food processor).

Mix in chocolate chips.

Add milk and sour cream. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Shape dough into a round disk, 1/2 – 3/4″ thick. Cut into 8 – 10 scones.

Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

*You can use all wheat flour or all white rice flour (to make them gluten free).

Chocolate Chip Scones (egg free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free)

2 cups white rice flour
1/3 – 1/2 cup sucanat/rapadura or cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dairy, egg, soy free)
1/2 cup palm shortening
1/4 cup squash or pumpkin (pureed)
1/2 cup water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt (in a bowl or food processor).

Mix in the shortening until the dough is crumbly (I do this with my hands or food processor).

Mix in chocolate chips.

Add the water and squash. Mix until a ball of dough forms. Shape dough into a round disk, 1/2 – 3/4″ thick. Cut into 8 – 10 scones.

Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Monthly Goals – February 2013

I was ready to leave January behind along with all of its sickness. Then February started with a round of the stomach flu for most of the family. Hopefully we’ll all be doing a little better today. And hopefully we’re done with the flu for the winter now!

Another month. Another set of goals. A lot of my goals will relate to my test results and change in eating. And hopefully I’ll see improvements. Here’s to a month of feeling better!

1. Writing –  Write my GRNL article. Research creating a newsletter. Come up with May/June RFH topics.

2. Photography – start reading my photography book and implement one new method/tool.

3. Healing – I still want to continue to eat to keep my metabolism up. I’ve actually finally seen some 98 temps! That is unheard of for me. So even with my new food limitations I am not abandoning Eat for Heat. This morning I had scones and squash. And I’m toasty warm! Almost hot. And it was all dairy, wheat and egg free.

I will be researching the different parts of my test results and how to effectively implement them. I plan to start with some simple supplements. And I will be implementing a rotational diet. I will completely eliminate my “red” foods (worst sensitivities). And cut down on the others by only eating small amounts every four days (in the rotation). I will be starting a spreadsheet to keep track of what I can eat each day. It will definitely be a new way of eating/be a challenge. But hopefully I’ll see improvements quickly.

I also want to eliminate Miralax. After reading this Scary article I know I need to get rid of it for good this time. I’ve already started cutting back. And hopefully the other changes I’m making will compensate for the lack of “help.”

The medications/supplements I am starting with are: Armour Thyroid, Zypan, Lithium, Magnesium glycinate, Vitamin D3, probiotic and Omega 3 (fish oil). Soon I will add in alpha lipoic acid and Nusera. I already take a multivitamin and a couple other mineral supplements.

4. Homemade Food – I’m not setting any specific goal for homemade foods this month. Instead I’m going to experiment with allergen friendly baking. I started this morning with dairy free, wheat free, egg free, nut free scones. They are delicious!

5. Relationships – We will be spending time with family at birthday celebrations. We will have a  Mommy/daughter/grandma date to see Sleeping Beauty (ballet) and celebrate my mom’s birthday. We might have a small group activity, but it might be on the same day as some family stuff. We will have Bible study. I would like to continue to try to call my sister at least once a month. And we might try to set up skype dates with my brother-in-law and niece so the kids can get to know each other better.

6. Rebecca – be positive and encouraging

7. Crafts – browse pinterest

8. Cakes – I will be making my nephew’s birthday cake. I will plan cakes for Rebecca (currently she wants Strawberry Shortcake) and Abram (probably Mickey Mouse).

9. Declutter – Organize Abram’s closet

10. Acceptance – I am working on acceptance of family members. I am also working on acceptance of my current health status. Although it’s frustrating to have to cut things out of my diet yet again. I’m hopeful that it will be helpful and temporary. I have to accept where I’m at and hope for better things to come.

I will also continue to read Bittersweet.

The Results Are In…

After years of experimenting, going to various doctors and trying to figure things out on my own I recently decided to see a more holistic doctor. She ran a lot of tests to get a better idea of what is going on in my body.

I got all of the results yesterday. To say that I am overwhelmed is an understatement.

I’m not making tons of changes today. I’m giving myself time to read, research and plan. But I will also be making some simple changes right away.

Since I’ve been sharing my healing journey for so long I figured I’d share all of my test results as well. So here goes.

I’ll start with a positive – my CBC is almost all normal. No anemia! Blood sugar, red/white blood cells, etc. all normal. I am thankful for that. It doesn’t seem as though I have any kind of autoimmune disease. That was great news. I was also happy that my temp was 98 degrees at the doctor’s office!

Thyroid: As expected my overall TSH is in the normal range (because of my medication). But my Free T3 is NOT. It is very low. That is why I still have hypothyroid symptoms even on medication. I will be switching to Armour – a more natural thyroid medication. I can’t wait!! Hopefully this will take care of things since I don’t think I have anything more serious, like Hashimotos.

Vitamin D: My vitamin D levels are very low. So I’ll be taking a large dose of D3 once a week to try to get that back up to normal.

Magnesium: As expected my magnesium levels are low…even while taking quite a bit of supplemental magnesium. So I have a new form to try.

Minerals: On the whole all of my mineral levels are low. Which means I’m not absorbing them from the food I eat. This is largely due to a leaky gut, low stomach acid and taking Miralax. One of the minerals that is really low is Lithium. So I’ll be taking a low dose supplement of that. I will also take Zypan to help with stomach acid and absorption. And I will be taking L-glutamine. My goal is also to stop taking Miralax as soon as I am able. Hopefully some of the other changes I’m making will help my digestion and take away the need for Miralax.

Heavy Metals: I have fairly high levels of lead and nickel in my body. Other metals that are higher than desired are aluminum, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. At the moment I am not going to do any thorough testing/chelation. But I will be taking alpha lipoic acid to get some of it out of my body.

Adrenals: My adrenals/cortisol levels are way out of whack (I knew that). They are really high in the morning (should be 7-10, mine are 16!). Then they dip into the normal range mid morning. But instead of continuing to go down as the day goes on they go back up a bit and never get back to the normal range. So my body is always in a fight or flight stress mode with raised cortisol levels. I will be taking Nusera to help with anxiety to get my stress down and I’ll be trying to get more sleep.

Allergies: This is a big one. I don’t have any life threatening food allergies…if I did I would have known that by now 😛  But I do have some very strong reactions in my body from some foods. You can call them food allergies or food sensitivities. It just depends on your definition. Either way my body is attacking itself when I eat these foods. Here is the list of foods that came up positive (I have antibodies to them), from the highest (worst offenders (in red)) to the lowest (in yellow).

yogurt
egg yolks
baker’s yeast
malt
brewer’s yeast
_____________
wheat
bran
gluten
cow’s milk
coffee
egg white
_____________
lima beans
orange
cashew
barley
cheddar cheese
rye
strawberry
sesame
ginger
walnut
black pepper
carrot
peanut

The plan of action for dealing with this is to completely eliminate all of them from my diet. After 3 months I can one at a time try re-introducing the yellow foods. If I tolerate them I can add them back in to my diet. If not I have to wait another 3 months and try again. After 5 months I can start trying the orange foods. After 6 months I can try adding the red foods.

According to my doctor it is rare to be able to add dairy and wheat/gluten back. I don’t think that is totally true.

Regardless of what phase I’m in I should be on a rotational diet…permanently. That will take some getting used to. If you eat a food one day, you can’t eat it (or anything from the same family I think) again for 4 days. I’ll have to do some good planning and keep track of what I eat.

I think it will be difficult to find enough food to eat. In addition to this list of allergies, I have the list of food sensitivities that I’ve discovered just through trial and error (there is some overlap with this list). And if I can only eat a particular food once every 4 days I don’t know how I’m going to find enough options. So I need to do some thinking and planning. And I might need to talk to a nutritionist.

Here are my biggest offenders that I have found from experience (I did not mention the ones already listed above): brown rice, corn, potatoes, bananas, apples, almonds, oats, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach/most leafy greens starch/gums – corn starch, potato starch, guar gum, tara gum, arrowroot, carageenan, polysorbate, etc. (ice cream, processed foods, powdered sugar, frosting), artificial sweeteners, black beans.

This is too much to do all at once. At this point I’m planning to start by eliminating eggs (I started that last Sat. and I can tell it has helped.)  I already don’t eat yeast or malt. The only other item on the red list is yogurt. I will probably cut that out soon as well. Once I’ve got that going I will work my way down the list. Then eventually work my way back up 🙂

I still need to do some research before I cut too much out. I don’t want to make things worse again by cutting huge food groups out. I’ve done that before…and it hasn’t seemed to help. I finally got wheat and dairy back into my diet. So I’m hesitant to cut them back out again so soon. We’ll see.

I will be working on following a rotational diet. I’ll start with vegetables. I tend to eat a lot of different vegetables each day. But then I don’t have enough options left to skip all of them for four days. I need to focus on just a couple vegetables each day (even if I eat the same ones for breakfast, lunch and dinner). And make it easier to rotate. After I get going with vegetables I work on things like protein sources, grains and fats.

Candida:

Finally my tests showed major candida/yeast overgrowth. I tested positive for abnormal IgM antibodies (recent Candida overgrowth), increased levels of IgA antibodies (mucosal barrier overgrowth – digestive, respiratory, nasal, mouth ears, vaginal or skin) and increased levels of IgG antibodies (ongoing chronic infection).

This cuts even more foods out of my diet. Basically anything fermented or anything with sugar (added or natural). This includes things like olives, alcohol, vinegar, most condiments, sugar, honey, maple syrup, fruit, cheese, fruit juice and dried fruit.

The so-called remedy is to avoid foods that feed the bad bacteria and take antifungals. Then replace the bad bacteria with good bacteria through probiotics.

I am not sure what my views are on candida at this point. Some say anti-candida diets are so helpful. Others think it’s a bunch of bologna 😛  So I’m still researching right now. I have decided to focus on the other items (thyroid, minerals, allergies, etc.) and hold off on any treatment related to candida. I will be conscious of not going overboard with sugars. And I don’t eat much fermented anyway since I just don’t tolerate it well. I am taking a probiotic. But I’m not doing the antifungals or a totally sugar free diet right now.
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So that’s it…at least most of it. Hopefully you made it this far 🙂  I have a lot to think about. A lot to research. A lot to change. I’m going to do it one step at a time and not overwhelm my system. I’m hopeful that these changes will be very helpful and that I will experience a lot of healing. I’m hopeful that the elimination diet will be successful and I’ll be able to add the majority of the foods back into my diet at some point.

I’m sure there will be more updates as I get a better handle on everything. Now I need to figure out what I can/can’t eat and when. I need to figure out how to make meals that I can eat without totally restricting my family, especially my kids. And without always having to make a separate meal for myself. I need to figure out how to manage social settings that revolve around food. All in good time.

I am thankful that I don’t have any life threatening allergies. I am thankful that I have more information and direction about what my body needs to heal. It will take work and will be challenging. But it’s just that, a challenge. Nothing I can’t handle. I know God will provide the knowledge and strength and help I need. I look forward to new cooking and baking experiments that fit my new lifestyle. And I’m excited to continue to share my journey and knowledge with others.

I want to continue to spread the word about Real food and health. I want to continue to spread the word about hope and healing. I want to get healthier so I can be a better wife and mother and servant of Christ. I’m thankful for answers. And I’m thankful that God has a plan and will guide me through this next phase.