The aftermath of a Gluten slip up

Last Friday I did slip I had pizza. I love pizza, pizza has always been my weakness even when I ate gluten I could not resist pizza. So hubby got pizza that fateful Friday night. It was my favorite so I gave in and had two pieces. Oh My did I regret that decision. Soon after eating said pizza I got cramps the next day to add to the cramps I bloated up so much that the guy we were meeting asked if I was carrying number four this has not happened since I stopped eating gluten. Then the migraine came and it was horrible. I was so sick and could not recover for a week. Gluten is evil when you are not supposed to have it so please stay away if you can it is not worth the side effects once it is eaten. Now pizza is still a problem but I may have found a solution. I will take my crust to the pizza place and ask if they can make the pizza on mine. That way I still get my favorite pizza but with no pain. Lesson learned

I found bread!!!!

Yes I am as excited as one person can be about buying bread. Since switching to a non gluten diet I have had one kind of bread which shall remain nameless. So yesterday I wandered around Fred Meyers trying to figure out which bread to buy. I wanted something that was not frozen and felt like real bread. I want real bread, bread you can dip in your eggs or eat as toast or even grill. I miss grilled cheese sandwiches like you would not imagine. I would sit there and smell my families that I made. After much debate I settled on Ener-G Foods White Rice Loaf, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6) I can't say settled because I cracked open the bread and it looked and felt like normal bread so I put it to the test and made over medium eggs. Then I toasted the bread which came out perfect slathered some butter on it and some actually stuck on it (my other bread the butter would just melt off) took a bite and was in gluten free heaven!!!! Of course Amazon has amazing deals and they come in a package of 6. The White Rice Loafs have a pretty long shelf life but when you break the air lock seal your bread is good for a week so be careful when you pop that baby open. I plan on making cheesiest potato soup but making some changes to make it healthier since when you go gluten free you need to make sure you are not gorging which is easy to do. I hope to make this by Wednesday so that I can have some soup for the week and the weekend. When I make it I will post my personalized recipe and pics of the finished product

dying to try something

When I was in track I used to run short spurts I was fast but could not go the distance. Now that I am getting healthy and getting my self back on track I would like to try Couch to 5k. I want to run I love being outdoors and I want to get myself down to goal weight. I am contemplating when to run, where to run and what to wear running since I live in the NW. I think I will run in the morning before I shower even though I worry about running in the dark. I have a pink Seahawks hat that will keep the rain at bay and I think I have picked a route out around my neighborhood. I found a website and it outlines what to do for me lets take a look.

Couch to 5k

Step 1: The first 4 weeks
run for any amount of time and then walk for that equal time 50/50 plan

Step 2: Add 30 minutes of walk/run per week and add in one work out
30 minutes of run/walk and 1 workout week 1
Next week at 30 minutes of running to equal 60 minutes of running you can split this into to two runs
3rd week 90 minutes/can be split into three runs
4th week is 40 minutes per run per those three days


There are 7 more steps but it is so much to list on one page you can look at the page to see where I will be going. I will also be working on holiday recipes for the gluten free!! including the wonderful Valentines day.

Gluten Free for the Holiday's

This will be my second holiday gluten free. The first was Thanksgiving which was a huge test of will and knowledge. My poor mother is trying her hardest to make sure there are gluten free options and when I spoke to her today she admitted she had failed at desserts. I told her it was fine with me I don't mind if I want dessert I will stop and get a yummy dark chocolate bar. I couldn't thank my family enough for bracing this and giving me delicious foods. The hardest thing about the holiday's is the bread products. These are found in everything and I mean almost everything. Lets break down some holiday favorites.


Ok Meats
Ham
Turkey
Roast
Duck

Questionable/Not Ok
Sausage
or any other kind of stuffed/canned meat

Veggies with cheese sauce is ok as long as you use a thickener that is gluten free

Stuffing is a no go unless you get a specific gluten free brand. You can make it yourself if you are up to it



Green Bean Casserole not ok unless you switch up how you make it
Easy Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

• 1 large can of French cut green beans
• 1 can Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup (it is not condensed, so you don’t need to add liquid)/ or Pacific Natural Foods Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1  TBS Worcestershire sauce (Lea and Perrins is gluten-free)
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

I hope to incorporate more recipes and other holiday treats/foods that will make Gluten Free Holiday's better. 

Lets talk Gluten Free Candies

When you get your diagnosis and you have to make all the life/food changes you wonder where candy/chocolate stands. As a woman this is very important to me. I love chocolate, it is delicious and melts in your mouth. As a mom it is a tiny pleasure I allow myself to indulge in. At work we have a Gluten free group and one of the ladies sent me an email. It was about candy bars (who was a happy girl? I was!!!!) So lets talk about candy bars


Ok list


Reeces Peanut butter cups
Hershey's bars (with or with out almonds)
Baby Ruth
Snickers
M&M plain/peanut
Butterfinger
Milky Way Midnight
Heath
Dove Dark Chocolate
fudge
York peppermint patties
Hunk bars


If you can't do chocolate and dairy:
Divinity candy
Starburst
Skittles
Most hard candies--read labels
Most taffy--read labels 
Peanut brittle
Gummy Bears/Worms




Also check out Ener-g foods they have great allergen free chocolate.


When I found this out I was elated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is nice to know we may have to make large sacrifices when it comes to food but we still have options in candy choices

Sometimes You Get Discouraged

When re-adjusting your life to being Gluten Free it can really get you down. You have to become a detective looking for sneaky gluten at every turn. While you are out with family you have to see all the things you used to love but can no longer eat. I miss pizza so much it kills me as well as chocolate. Apprehension slides in when you first look at gluten free products and it truly is a hit or miss selection. I have been lucky enough to discover the Ener-G this company has amazing pretzels. The sesame ones are the most delicious of the bunch. I truly look forward to buying and trying the other products.

Pirates Booty is another favorite. I can find a 6 pack of small bags which is perfect for work at Amazon for as low as $17.85 with amazons subscribe and save.

Another to die for Gluten Free food is Kind Bars. So far my favorite is the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar it is like eating a candy bar. Some stores sell these in singles like QFC, Fred Meyers, Kroger, Costco, and Bartells. You can on Occasion find them on sale and if not then amazon is your go to for these bars.




Just remember that going gluten free does mean an increase in the price of the foods you eat but it also means that you will be having food longer. That is what I keep in mind when I look at the price. I also upped my fruit and veggie intake. Being Gluten free does not mean the end of the world it means changing how you see it.

Filtering out the Gluten in your home

Gluten hids in many foods so you have to really get down and dirty to look.

Look for Wheat and Barley in your list those are the top two offenders

Then Look for products that were processed in facilities that process wheat/barley.

Oats are ok as long as they are processed in a facility that only processes Oats.

Watch out for Seasoning!!! these are sneaky gluten hiders. My favorite seasoning "Slap ya mama" is gluten free and reasonably priced

Sauces are another sneaky hider of Gluten so watch out for every sauce, dressing, and marinade.

If you have Gluten foods and have to keep them since your family eats gluten you really have to channel your will power

Saying no to delicious foods you have eaten all your life is not easy at all but you can do it.

Once you stop eating Gluten you will feel a thousand times better and your body will thank you. If you accidentally injest Gluten you will know

your stomach will cramp up and bloat out and you will feel crappy so try your best to stay away once you are off.

Going out to eat is huge for people who cannot tolerate Gluten but not impossible. I will provide some valuable resources for eating out as we go along.

Finally don't let negative nancy's affect you. You know what is discussed between you and your Dr and some people will try and make you feel like you are lying, nuts,

or a hypochondriac. Filter those people out or if you must keep them in your life don't talk to them about such things like your health and what is going on with you.