So, since becoming aware of my food allergies, date night has gotten a little difficult. At first, I had no idea where I could eat, or how to order.
Even though I don't have celiac's disease, I still start with a gluten-free menu. Then, I whittle down my options from there. The gf menu means there's no wheat in the meal, so I just have to watch out for things like chicken, beef, and corn.
Some restaurants are very good about providing a gf menu. Just be careful, because often, the restaurant will not prepare the food separately from gluten items. For me, this is okay, but for those of you with celiac's, watch out!
The other day, Adam and I decided to go to Olive Garden since we had a gift card. Olive Garden has a gluten-free penne pasta!! You can substitute it for other pastas if you're sick of salads. Just let the server know about your allergy, because some of their sauces still have gluten in them. It was so fantastic having pasta again!! I thought I was in heaven! Of course, my tummy wasn't used to being so stuffed, so it took a little walk around the mall to settle things down, but it was worth it!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Lentil Soup
This week I came down with rather a nasty virus. My body weak yet hungry, I yearned for soup. I had no canned soup in the house because of my various allergies, and I had not the energy to drive to a restaurant, purchase a soup, and hope it wouldn't make me more ill. So, what did I do? I made some soup!! I was rather proud of this little concoction, since I was also low on groceries and did not have much to use.
Here's the delicious Lentil Soup:
1/2 c lentils
2 c water
chopped carrots (I use baby carrots and chop until I feel I have enough)
chopped red onion (1 quarter of an onion should be sufficient)
chopped avocado (1/2 or 1 avocado.... I'm an avocado fanatic!!)
1 c water
garlic salt
Tony Chachere's "Original Creole Seasoning"
Bring your 2 cups of water to boil and add your lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add carrots and onion and bring back to a boil. Add seasonings to taste. If desired, add another cup of water. Reduce heat and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes (depending on how soft you want your veggies). Add the avocado and enjoy!!
Feel free to try out the recipe for yourselves and tweak it as desired. I don't use chicken stock in cooking simply because I cannot eat chicken. I have not yet tried bullion cubes to see if they are safe for me.
* Just a note... I made the soup for Adam when he was sick and he had a suggestion that I think is pretty good. He liked the soup but felt it was too salty. Since there is salt in the Tony Chachere's seasoning, you may want to try using fresh garlic or garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I'm planning on using fresh garlic the next time I make the soup.
Here's the delicious Lentil Soup:
1/2 c lentils
2 c water
chopped carrots (I use baby carrots and chop until I feel I have enough)
chopped red onion (1 quarter of an onion should be sufficient)
chopped avocado (1/2 or 1 avocado.... I'm an avocado fanatic!!)
1 c water
garlic salt
Tony Chachere's "Original Creole Seasoning"
Bring your 2 cups of water to boil and add your lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add carrots and onion and bring back to a boil. Add seasonings to taste. If desired, add another cup of water. Reduce heat and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes (depending on how soft you want your veggies). Add the avocado and enjoy!!
Feel free to try out the recipe for yourselves and tweak it as desired. I don't use chicken stock in cooking simply because I cannot eat chicken. I have not yet tried bullion cubes to see if they are safe for me.
* Just a note... I made the soup for Adam when he was sick and he had a suggestion that I think is pretty good. He liked the soup but felt it was too salty. Since there is salt in the Tony Chachere's seasoning, you may want to try using fresh garlic or garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I'm planning on using fresh garlic the next time I make the soup.
Friday, January 22, 2010
A Food Blog
A food blog has been on my mind for quite some time. I am not a chef. I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I'm just a girl who has discovered her body does not process food very well.
When I was 17, I was sitting down to breakfast one Sunday morning. My mom had bought fresh grapefruit (my favorite!) so I excitedly cut it in half and used that little crooked knife to slip all the yummy pieces of fruit out. I savored the whole thing. After finishing my happy breakfast, I had a couple hours before church, so I went upstairs to read. I remember a few minutes later, my mom called me from downstairs. I love my mom, but she is not patient, so I tried to yell "coming" so she would know I was listening. To my surprise, no words came from my mouth. I ran for the door trying to yell, not making a sound. I opened the door to an irate mother who thought her teenage daughter was ignoring her. One look at my face and her expression changed. I don't remember exactly everything that morning; I must've already started breaking out in hives. I could barely breath. I remember her asking me what I'd eaten, and my sister must have told her about the grapefruit. Luckily for me, I have an aunt with a citrus allergy, so my mom called her right away. We were able to clear up the anaphylactic response with benadryl and baking soda. That was the day my love affair with citrus fruit ended.
I was devastated. No more orange juice, no more pineapple, no more grapefruit. No more strawberry limeades from Sonic!! For a long time, I couldn't even have a sliver of lemon in my drinking water. I thought my life was over. But eventually, I moved on.
It was difficult at first, since everything seemed to have some form of citrus in it, but as the years went by, my body seemed less anti-citrus. I found a sliver of lemon or lime in my drink was ok from time to time. I've even survived a few strawberry limeades with merely a rash around my lips. I realized that cooked citrus was fairly harmless, but still tended to avoid anything more than a squirt of juice.
Then, about a year and a half ago, I started getting sick. Everytime I ate, my left side would begin to hurt. I felt I was being stabbed, slashed in my lower abdomen. I would often get stomach cramps followed by well, let's just say it was less than pleasant. Finally, I went to my doctor in February of last year. I told him what was happening, and he brushed it off as a virus that would just go away. He prescribed a painkiller. I felt hurt. I knew he was wrong. This man had been my doctor since I was 6 years old. I trusted him, like a great-uncle. He'd been there for me during some of the toughest times of my life, and he wasn't listening to me anymore.
I had a new boyfriend named Adam. Though we'd only known each other a few weeks, I felt I could trust him with my illness. Adam has a brother named Bryan who is what I call a homeopathic chiropractor. Bryan not only is a chiropractor, but he is certified in acupuncture and nutrition. I've always been a traditional medicine sort of girl, but the pain in my side was so great, I grew increasingly desperate and agreed to let Bryan do his nutrition response testing to diagnose my trouble.
Bryan discovered I was allergic to wheat. Or rather wheat intolerant. I wasn't having an anaphylactic response, but my body was in essence rejecting the wheat. A bitter pill to swallow, let me tell you. No more bread, pasta, pastries, cakes?!?! No more of my aunt's famous dinner rolls?? How could I go on?
But persevere I did. I gave up my favorite foods. I told family and friends of the allergy and that is when I learned of celiac's disease. Bryan had not mentioned the possible illness to me, and I wondered if I had it. At the time, I did not understand enough about celiac's disease to use the information about it for my benefit. I ignored gluten-free items, arrogantly thinking "I'm not allergic to gluten, I'm allergic to wheat", not realizing that gluten-free items would naturally be wheat-free as well.
I lost 15 pounds over the summer of 2009. Just giving up wheat. I felt better for several months. Then, in August, the pain began again. Horrible stomach cramping that would leave me crying in the bathroom; the stabbing in my side. I was already seeing an allergist regarding an unrelated issue, and told him about my problem. He suggested I had more unknown food allergies.
They ran a skin prick test which declared that I was allergic to chicken, beef, sqaush, coconut, cherries, peas, and green beans. But the test did not show an allergy to wheat. Both my allergist and I were perplexed. So we ran a blood test. The doctor explained that my body could be creating anti-bodies to fight food the way it would fight an illness or foreign invader. From the test, we discovered my body was "fighting" wheat, corn, and cow's milk. So Bryan had been right all along. We just missed a few other food items.
So, I've done the best I can to eat food while avoiding wheat, corn, milk, chicken, beef, squash, coconut, cherries, peas, and green beans. Oh yeah, and don't forget I still can't have citrus fruit.
Trust me, it is extremely difficult to avoid all these things at once. Gluten-free foods often contain corn-syrup or corn-starch. Everything has milk. But I've begun to discover foods I can eat. Things to buy at the grocery store, even how to eat out at a restaurant.
I'm still struggling with food. Even with the strictest diet, I still have pain nearly every day. My allergist has asked me to visit a gastrointestinal specialist. My appointment with him is next week.
With all the pain and frustration I've been suffering, I've decided that I've got to put this all to good use. If I'm going to suffer, it has to be for a good cause. I know I'm not the only person out there with food allergies. I'm sure there are many who struggle just as much, if not more, than I do. So I have decided to make a blog about my journey. Maybe what I learn about how to eat will benefit me, but also others out there. Maybe you struggle from an illness that restricts your diet. Maybe you just want to eat a little healthier. I'd like to create a place where we can come together to give each other support. I'll post updates on my health and how it affects my eating habits as well as tips I come across that help me better manage my diet. Feel free to share your ideas too.
When I was 17, I was sitting down to breakfast one Sunday morning. My mom had bought fresh grapefruit (my favorite!) so I excitedly cut it in half and used that little crooked knife to slip all the yummy pieces of fruit out. I savored the whole thing. After finishing my happy breakfast, I had a couple hours before church, so I went upstairs to read. I remember a few minutes later, my mom called me from downstairs. I love my mom, but she is not patient, so I tried to yell "coming" so she would know I was listening. To my surprise, no words came from my mouth. I ran for the door trying to yell, not making a sound. I opened the door to an irate mother who thought her teenage daughter was ignoring her. One look at my face and her expression changed. I don't remember exactly everything that morning; I must've already started breaking out in hives. I could barely breath. I remember her asking me what I'd eaten, and my sister must have told her about the grapefruit. Luckily for me, I have an aunt with a citrus allergy, so my mom called her right away. We were able to clear up the anaphylactic response with benadryl and baking soda. That was the day my love affair with citrus fruit ended.
I was devastated. No more orange juice, no more pineapple, no more grapefruit. No more strawberry limeades from Sonic!! For a long time, I couldn't even have a sliver of lemon in my drinking water. I thought my life was over. But eventually, I moved on.
It was difficult at first, since everything seemed to have some form of citrus in it, but as the years went by, my body seemed less anti-citrus. I found a sliver of lemon or lime in my drink was ok from time to time. I've even survived a few strawberry limeades with merely a rash around my lips. I realized that cooked citrus was fairly harmless, but still tended to avoid anything more than a squirt of juice.
Then, about a year and a half ago, I started getting sick. Everytime I ate, my left side would begin to hurt. I felt I was being stabbed, slashed in my lower abdomen. I would often get stomach cramps followed by well, let's just say it was less than pleasant. Finally, I went to my doctor in February of last year. I told him what was happening, and he brushed it off as a virus that would just go away. He prescribed a painkiller. I felt hurt. I knew he was wrong. This man had been my doctor since I was 6 years old. I trusted him, like a great-uncle. He'd been there for me during some of the toughest times of my life, and he wasn't listening to me anymore.
I had a new boyfriend named Adam. Though we'd only known each other a few weeks, I felt I could trust him with my illness. Adam has a brother named Bryan who is what I call a homeopathic chiropractor. Bryan not only is a chiropractor, but he is certified in acupuncture and nutrition. I've always been a traditional medicine sort of girl, but the pain in my side was so great, I grew increasingly desperate and agreed to let Bryan do his nutrition response testing to diagnose my trouble.
Bryan discovered I was allergic to wheat. Or rather wheat intolerant. I wasn't having an anaphylactic response, but my body was in essence rejecting the wheat. A bitter pill to swallow, let me tell you. No more bread, pasta, pastries, cakes?!?! No more of my aunt's famous dinner rolls?? How could I go on?
But persevere I did. I gave up my favorite foods. I told family and friends of the allergy and that is when I learned of celiac's disease. Bryan had not mentioned the possible illness to me, and I wondered if I had it. At the time, I did not understand enough about celiac's disease to use the information about it for my benefit. I ignored gluten-free items, arrogantly thinking "I'm not allergic to gluten, I'm allergic to wheat", not realizing that gluten-free items would naturally be wheat-free as well.
I lost 15 pounds over the summer of 2009. Just giving up wheat. I felt better for several months. Then, in August, the pain began again. Horrible stomach cramping that would leave me crying in the bathroom; the stabbing in my side. I was already seeing an allergist regarding an unrelated issue, and told him about my problem. He suggested I had more unknown food allergies.
They ran a skin prick test which declared that I was allergic to chicken, beef, sqaush, coconut, cherries, peas, and green beans. But the test did not show an allergy to wheat. Both my allergist and I were perplexed. So we ran a blood test. The doctor explained that my body could be creating anti-bodies to fight food the way it would fight an illness or foreign invader. From the test, we discovered my body was "fighting" wheat, corn, and cow's milk. So Bryan had been right all along. We just missed a few other food items.
So, I've done the best I can to eat food while avoiding wheat, corn, milk, chicken, beef, squash, coconut, cherries, peas, and green beans. Oh yeah, and don't forget I still can't have citrus fruit.
Trust me, it is extremely difficult to avoid all these things at once. Gluten-free foods often contain corn-syrup or corn-starch. Everything has milk. But I've begun to discover foods I can eat. Things to buy at the grocery store, even how to eat out at a restaurant.
I'm still struggling with food. Even with the strictest diet, I still have pain nearly every day. My allergist has asked me to visit a gastrointestinal specialist. My appointment with him is next week.
With all the pain and frustration I've been suffering, I've decided that I've got to put this all to good use. If I'm going to suffer, it has to be for a good cause. I know I'm not the only person out there with food allergies. I'm sure there are many who struggle just as much, if not more, than I do. So I have decided to make a blog about my journey. Maybe what I learn about how to eat will benefit me, but also others out there. Maybe you struggle from an illness that restricts your diet. Maybe you just want to eat a little healthier. I'd like to create a place where we can come together to give each other support. I'll post updates on my health and how it affects my eating habits as well as tips I come across that help me better manage my diet. Feel free to share your ideas too.
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