16 Days!

Today I marked my 16th day of being Gluten and Dairy Free. Can you believe it, 16 days! Honestly, I am amazed that this this much time has passed since I began. I cant say the process has been easy but it hasnt been impossible either. Its just a matter of becoming accustomed to what I can and cannot eat. At home, its not a problem because I can make everything and be extra careful about what I eat. Going out, however, is another issue. I just have to remember to check a restaurants website for an allergy menu and do a bit of research before I go. That or I just have to get over being afraid to ask questions and get the restaurant to work within my limitations.

The adjustment will take time, but I know it wont take forever. I have a few cookbooks on my list that I plan to get, as well as recipes from other blogs anf websites that I really want to try. While I have been good about eating lots of fruit and veggies, I still want a sweet treat every now and then. My next challenge will be to learn how to bake Gluten Free. I have done some research and it seems as though baking Gluten Free can be a bit of an art form. Often times you need to try a recipe several times and make adjustments before you get it right. So my next project will be trying some things out, seeing what works and what doesn't and go from there. I guess only time will tell. Until then, I continue on. I have to say I am feeling a bit better with each day that passes. Its nice to know something is working!

Schar Mutilgrain Bread

After my near meltdown at Whole Foods, part of which was due to price, I started looking into other options. At Whole Foods I purchased a loaf of Udi's Gluten Free bread. It was very small and pricey at $6.99 for the loaf. I tried it and even though it wasn't as moist and tasty as my usual Orrowheat MultiGrain bread, it was something I knew I could continue eating and enjoy. The issue that continued to linger was the price, so I began to check out other options.

While at Fresh and Easy I decided to check out their Gluten Free selection. Its not huge but it has some of the basics. The only loaf of Whole Grain bread they had was the one you see pictured below. The loaf looked at bit larger and the price was a little over $2 less then the Udi's brand, so I figured I would give it a try.

The verdict... I will pay the extra $2 for the Udi's brand. While the loaf was a bit larger it was dry. Dry, dry and oh yes, dry. SO dry that most of the slices left in the little container it comes in wont come out whole. They are too crumbly to remove in one piece. The flavor is pretty dull too. The one difference I will note is that the Udi's brand is kept frozen in store while the Schar brand can be found on the shelf. Schar does make a frozen version of this bread that I hope to try. Maybe that will make the difference. Until then, I will give the Schar Gluten Free Multigrain Bread a C- for the moment. I plan to start making my own bread at home but until then I will pay the extra money for the better bread.

Thank You Red Robin!

Yes, Thank You Red Robin! Even though they do not state it on their menu, if ask your server they can make your burger with Gluten Free buns! I was ok with the idea of just lettuce wrapping my burger or sandwich if need be, but I took a chance and asked because I really just wanted the full burger. Yay! I was very excited and they carry about 4 burgers and 4 chicken sandwhiches that are gluten free too! It was music to my ears. I am also very lucky that I am not so sensitive to Gluten that even cross contamination is an issue for me. This allowed me to enjoy a few fries as well because they make their fries Gluten Free, although they are cooked near other items that are not. But, like I said, this was not an issue for me. There is hope for dining out!

All It Took Was a Trip to Whole Foods

Imagine this. You are standing in the middle of Whole Foods on a busy night during the after work rush. You have the smallest loaf of bread you have ever seen priced at $6.99 in one hand and a tub of dairy free, gluten free buttery spread priced at $4.99 in the other. From the outside you look like yet another person just trying to get through your shopping trip and get home to family but on the inside, its different. On the inside you are screaming like a little kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of the toy aisle at Target. While you might be trying to imagine this, I know exactly how you feel because tonight, this is exactly what happened to me.

"Why does this cost so much!? I am going to starve to death!! This isn't fair, I want to eat that yummy loaf of moist whole grain bread that costs half the price!! I am going to go broke just trying to give myself the basics!! Where's my mommy??"

Yup, I sat there staring at the items in my hand, yelling these questions to myself. I even became so overwhelmed and fed up with shopping that I called my mom to ask her how much the loaf she purchased for me while we had been visiting cost. It was almost as though it was a conspiracy against me. Because I live in California and the Los Angeles area for that matter, they must be price gouging me. But no, she paid about the same price.

Eventually I gathered up all of my items, my cheddar flavored fake cheese, my fake mayonnaise, my gluten free pretzels, and some fruits and veggies paid for them and headed home. By that point I had come back to reality and a sane level of thinking. I opened up my pretzels, bracing myself for the taste only to discover that there wasn't much of a difference between these and the regular ones I used to eat. Same went for the cookies. I made a sandwich for dinner that night with my tiny bread, my fake mayonnaise, my fake cheese, some tomato and some expensive deli turkey only to find that it pretty decent. I reminded myself that I was probably the only one in the family who will eat this stuff, so it will last longer and the price wont be as big of an issue as I had thought while looking at the prices at Whole Foods.

I finally came back to reality and realized I wont starve to death and I wont murder anyone because I am hungry. I can still eat some of the things I enoyed and even if they do taste different, they are still good and I can adjust. I realized that even though I now have ventured into a new way of living, I still might be able to enjoy the food I eat. All it took was my first big trip at Whole Foods, post Gluten Free diagnosis, to realize this.

A Book With a Personal Touch

When we returned home from our vacation in Montana and survived the holidays and all the yummy stuff it throws in your face I started to research a Gluten and Dairy Free diet. I found a lot of great websites and blogs that provided a ton in information. However, I wanted something that I could keep with me at all times as well as something a bit more personal, so I turned to Amazon. Of course there about a billion books out there but this one caught my eye. And so far its been a great buy!


Yes, the book is by Elizabeth Hasselbeck, the queen of morning talk show controversy. I know she is reviled by many for her very outspoken and very conservative views but honestly I don't care. Politics and opinions aside, she is someone who has suffered and fought and learned how to live and love life with Celiacs Disease. While she is very honest and straight forward about what lies ahead with a G Free Diet, she also makes it very postive and not as hopeless as one might think. She also breaks down what can and cannot be consumed on a Gluten free diet with pretty detailed lists and descriptions. I have more to read but so far I love it! I recommened it to anyone who is embarking on a Gluten free diet, whether willingly or due to health reasons.

First Great Product Find...

I went out for just a moment today and in my depression about nothing to eat I found this. Its Ice Cream! I have had Soy Ice Cream before and found it to be good but I wanted to try a product made with coconut milk. Many of the Gluten Free recipes I have seen, especially baking recipes, call for the use of coconut milk in place of milk, cream and sometimes even butter. And I have to say, this one is a winner! The texture is slightly different but still tastes the same to me! I think the coconut milk keeps it nice and creamy and masks the fact that its not actual cream. Overall I think I would give this one an A-, which is pretty good if you ask me. There is light at the end of the tunnel and I can still have some of my favorite treats too!

What Am I Going to Eat?

I haven't had a lot of time today to do much of anything let alone go out and get groceries. I thought I could survive today if I didn't make it to the grocery store but that is proving to be a problem. Because we were gone most of my produce is spoiled and lets face it, most products contain Gluten or Dairy or both. You would be amazed, but even lunch meant is off limits depending on how its made. Most use a filler that contains some form of gluten. Until I can make it to the store, what will I eat? So far its been Veggie sticks, an apple, water and some carrots. I see crankiness and hunger in my future. I cannot wait to get to the store and find something I can eat!

New Year, New Beginnings and A New Lifestyle Change

A belated Happy New Year to everyone! The holidays have passed, a new year has begun and I see a lot of changes in my future. The last month and a half was busy, very busy. At first I didn't think I would have time for myself but then I realized that I needed to make time. I think it was well worth my time.

After having both girls I noticed some changes, some big ones. Despite losing weight during pregnancy and being at least 40 pounds lighter then I was when I first discovered I was pregnant after giving birth, I would gain it all back. Fast. I had trouble nursing the girls as well. After my first was born, I started having attacks involving my stomach that caused excruciating pain through my stomach and back. On one occasion it was so bad it landed me in the emergency room and had me leaving on pain medication and only one answer, its not your gallbladder but we don't know whats wrong. It may just be bad gas pains. These attacks have occurred off and on since, occurring several times during my pregnancy with my second child with a new symptom, vomiting.

A few months after my second child was born I started having major issues with my skin. Acne, bumps that would not go away, redness and more. I tried everything that I could to get rid of it but it just persisted and became worse. I went from beautiful clear skin that allowed me to leave the house without makeup on and not feel insecure to needing to cover up all of the time. Between my weight gain and my horrible skin, my self confidence was almost nonexistent.

Finally in December I decided to take control of things. I went to the dermatologist to figure out what was wrong with my skin. My dermatologist is amazing and I learned a lot at my appointment. She looked at my skin but then asked me about my digestive health. I told her about all of my issues and how they have gotten worse over the years. From there she explained a few things and what I should consider doing.

To start, I was diagnosed with Rosacea, which is what I thought it was. My dermatologist is very much in line with taking natural solutions and trying them before using major medications as treatment. Based on my information regarding my digestive health she told me that I should cut Gluten and Dairy out of my diet. My issues with Rosacea could stem from Gluten and Dairy sensitivities that effect my stomach which in turn effects other aspects of my health, like my skin.

Armed with information and the thought that this could help more then just my skin, I begin a Gluten and Dairy Free diet tomorrow. I had hoped to start the day she told me but I knew it would be difficult to begin something this intensive on a road trip. I feel lucky that there is a lot more availble today for those people who need a Gluten Free diet then there was five years ago. I have found several blogs (which I have attached to mine) that give a lot of information and some great recipes as well. Its going to be a hard road but one that hopefully has a lot to feel good about at the end of it. So here is to Gluten Free and the hope that I do not harm anyone in the first few weeks of this change! And once again, thank you to all of those who have been there to support me. You mean the world to me.