Truthfully, I wasn't sure how I'd fare today. But I'd say I did rather well.
I tried unflavored coconut milk on rice Chex for breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised by the coconutty flavor and how well it went down.
My mid-morning snack was an orange--they are so good this time of year. But by lunch time I had a major food headache, as in lack-of-food.
I didn't have a ton of time for lunch, so I stuck with ready-made food: 3 corn tortillas (so dry), a serving applesauce, 6 carrot sticks, 6 celery sticks (no dip...gross), and half of the most amazing grapefruit ever. I was satisfied but not full.
I supped on a gluten-free, tomato-free beef taco with black beans in corn tortillas and a tiny Braeburn apple. Aside from the dry corn tortillas, it was a filling meal. Boring, but filling. I miss tomatoes. and Cheese. I do not, however, miss milk.
This day of not having any cravings and not giving in to the doughnuts and pastries in the office lounge was a major success. Now, on to tomorrow.
Baby steps.
20 February 2012
18 February 2012
Life Change...Wasn't What I Expected
It's astounding how pivotal a few weeks can be in the trajectory of one's life. The last 5 weeks have been incredibly busy and brought so many new and not always pleasant transitions to my life. There have been two deaths in the family, both of which leave a void. I have seen two different doctors as I continue to pursue answers to all of my body issues. The sciatic pain ebbs and flows; this week it has flared up, but several weeks prior I hardly noticed. I continue to see the chiropractor for my back that keeps un-aligning itself. Frustrating.
One of my doctors diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, on the day my grandma died. That was a hard week. I haven't even had time to process that diagnosis yet.
We were out of town for a week, and then came back, at which point I got that nasty throat-sinus bug going around. During that week, we drove over 9 hours in one day for me to have blood drawn for a test that we hoped would show what foods I've been consuming that my body treats as poison. "Toxic" to the cells, the literature says. I got those results yesterday, the day after my great aunt passed away.
Those test results were ones I have been anxiously awaiting. Ever since learning about this test for delayed reaction food sensitivities, I knew it would hold answers. Sometimes it made me nervous--what food(s) would I have to cut out? I joked with Emily that it might be cheese, since I eat that about every day. I was a little nervous about milk. I wasn't sure if wheat or gluten would be problematic, but had a sneaking suspicion they might.
I got the call in the middle of the afternoon, and within 30 minutes I'd talked with the doctor about a plan of action and our conversation was over. But my mind was reeling. Let me show you why.
There were two tests - one for gluten, by itself; one for 154 other different foods.
The gluten one showed a "weak positive" for gluten sensitivity. Doctor's orders are that I'm off gluten for at least a year.
The test for 154 foods showed 31 are causing reactions. I have to cut all of those out for at least one month, at which point I can add back in the weakest reaction-causing foods at one serving per week. For the highest scoring reactants, I can't ever have them again (this is my understanding).
The highest reactive foods were cheese and eggs. I can't have those anymore.
The next category included kidney and navy beans, pineapple, and brewer's yeast. Those are out for at least 3 months, if not forever. (This isn't a huge deal. I like kidney and navy beans, but they will be easy to eliminate.)
The following group of foods I can't have for at least 2 months: milk from a cow (and all byproducts), wheat (which was already cut out by the gluten test), and baker's yeast (no breads!). This is a hard group for me to cut. I consume a lot of dairy products.
The final group is the lowest reactive foods, and I must cut them out for 1 month, at which point I can add back in, like I said above. This includes bananas (a staple for me), tomato (we eat this or its products in everything), cranberry (I drink this daily), oat, green beans (I love), asparagus, blackberry, lemon, ginger, thyme, sage, malt, perch, rye, goat's milk, papaya, and several others that I never consume.
Right away, I see baked goods are out (it's so obvious--milk, egg, wheat). I might have a love affair with baked goods. This is hard. I had planned on eating oatmeal, if the gluten test came back positive, but I can't even do that. What do I eat for breakfast, let alone other meals.
The list of results showed all the foods that didn't give reactions, so there are well over 100 there. Several of them are nuts, however, and I have immediate allergic reactions to nuts, so those are out. And, the rest are fruits, veggies, and meat. Good things, healthy things. But what do you DO with them? I always add tomatoes and make a stew or shove things between slices of bread and have a "sandwich" or burrito, if I use a flour tortilla.
I'm overwhelmed, I must admit. With a thesis hanging daily over my head, that I have hardly touched since mid-January, I have enough brain-fodder for a lifetime. And now this. How do I plan?
Food used to excite me. Cooking was something I enjoyed. Today, that is gone. Today, this weekend, this week, this month...it's a chore to figure out how to feed myself.
I'm thankful for numerous resources in people and the Internet to help me figure this out, but holy cow. In one day, my world has been turned around.
One of my doctors diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, on the day my grandma died. That was a hard week. I haven't even had time to process that diagnosis yet.
We were out of town for a week, and then came back, at which point I got that nasty throat-sinus bug going around. During that week, we drove over 9 hours in one day for me to have blood drawn for a test that we hoped would show what foods I've been consuming that my body treats as poison. "Toxic" to the cells, the literature says. I got those results yesterday, the day after my great aunt passed away.
Those test results were ones I have been anxiously awaiting. Ever since learning about this test for delayed reaction food sensitivities, I knew it would hold answers. Sometimes it made me nervous--what food(s) would I have to cut out? I joked with Emily that it might be cheese, since I eat that about every day. I was a little nervous about milk. I wasn't sure if wheat or gluten would be problematic, but had a sneaking suspicion they might.
I got the call in the middle of the afternoon, and within 30 minutes I'd talked with the doctor about a plan of action and our conversation was over. But my mind was reeling. Let me show you why.
There were two tests - one for gluten, by itself; one for 154 other different foods.
The gluten one showed a "weak positive" for gluten sensitivity. Doctor's orders are that I'm off gluten for at least a year.
The test for 154 foods showed 31 are causing reactions. I have to cut all of those out for at least one month, at which point I can add back in the weakest reaction-causing foods at one serving per week. For the highest scoring reactants, I can't ever have them again (this is my understanding).
The highest reactive foods were cheese and eggs. I can't have those anymore.
The next category included kidney and navy beans, pineapple, and brewer's yeast. Those are out for at least 3 months, if not forever. (This isn't a huge deal. I like kidney and navy beans, but they will be easy to eliminate.)
The following group of foods I can't have for at least 2 months: milk from a cow (and all byproducts), wheat (which was already cut out by the gluten test), and baker's yeast (no breads!). This is a hard group for me to cut. I consume a lot of dairy products.
The final group is the lowest reactive foods, and I must cut them out for 1 month, at which point I can add back in, like I said above. This includes bananas (a staple for me), tomato (we eat this or its products in everything), cranberry (I drink this daily), oat, green beans (I love), asparagus, blackberry, lemon, ginger, thyme, sage, malt, perch, rye, goat's milk, papaya, and several others that I never consume.
Right away, I see baked goods are out (it's so obvious--milk, egg, wheat). I might have a love affair with baked goods. This is hard. I had planned on eating oatmeal, if the gluten test came back positive, but I can't even do that. What do I eat for breakfast, let alone other meals.
The list of results showed all the foods that didn't give reactions, so there are well over 100 there. Several of them are nuts, however, and I have immediate allergic reactions to nuts, so those are out. And, the rest are fruits, veggies, and meat. Good things, healthy things. But what do you DO with them? I always add tomatoes and make a stew or shove things between slices of bread and have a "sandwich" or burrito, if I use a flour tortilla.
I'm overwhelmed, I must admit. With a thesis hanging daily over my head, that I have hardly touched since mid-January, I have enough brain-fodder for a lifetime. And now this. How do I plan?
Food used to excite me. Cooking was something I enjoyed. Today, that is gone. Today, this weekend, this week, this month...it's a chore to figure out how to feed myself.
I'm thankful for numerous resources in people and the Internet to help me figure this out, but holy cow. In one day, my world has been turned around.
02 February 2012
A Week in Arizona
There are few places in the US that I love more than the Sonoran Desert. I love the random wildlife (burros, anyone? Yes, please, at Lake Pleasant Park), the beautiful Saguaro cacti that cover the Phoenix valley, the various colors of the sunsets, sunrises, and desert landscape. I love the sun, and yes, I love the heat, especially in January.
Kyle and I were in charge of Emily's little ones for 5 days. The great news is: WE ALL SURVIVED! The bad news is: We lost one glass to the antics of the puppy and got two skinned palms on an outing (poor Jackson!). The girls seemed no worse for the wear, thankfully. (I must admit, I wasn't fully prepared for the drama that accompanies sisters, ages 9 and 6.5. I had forgotten my own childhood years of pestering and playing.)
We are terrible picture takers. And thus, we failed to document our time with these precious kids. What we did snap were mostly of Jackson. I hope the girls will forgive me. :o)
Here we have a man hard at work, tinkering away on his car and a Corvette, no less. I love the concentration and I think he looks so grown up here.
I cannot lie--being a primary caretaker was exhausting, but definitely had its rewarding moments. It also gave me a new appreciation for my sister's amazing skills of parenting, organizing, creativity and being awesome, in general. Very few can do as well as she has done. At the end of the day, I had only had enough energy to crawl into bed. No movies, no TV, no relaxing. Just bed. And sleep. Perhaps it's good that most people don't start parenting immediately with three kids. Just another thing to be thankful for!
Kyle and I were in charge of Emily's little ones for 5 days. The great news is: WE ALL SURVIVED! The bad news is: We lost one glass to the antics of the puppy and got two skinned palms on an outing (poor Jackson!). The girls seemed no worse for the wear, thankfully. (I must admit, I wasn't fully prepared for the drama that accompanies sisters, ages 9 and 6.5. I had forgotten my own childhood years of pestering and playing.)
We are terrible picture takers. And thus, we failed to document our time with these precious kids. What we did snap were mostly of Jackson. I hope the girls will forgive me. :o)
Here we have a man hard at work, tinkering away on his car and a Corvette, no less. I love the concentration and I think he looks so grown up here.
He's super ornery, but look at this face!
You can't help but LOVE it!
Such a sweet puppy, this Max is.
So sweet, he left us this ribbon in the shape of a heart one afternoon.
Thanks, buddy!
I cannot lie--being a primary caretaker was exhausting, but definitely had its rewarding moments. It also gave me a new appreciation for my sister's amazing skills of parenting, organizing, creativity and being awesome, in general. Very few can do as well as she has done. At the end of the day, I had only had enough energy to crawl into bed. No movies, no TV, no relaxing. Just bed. And sleep. Perhaps it's good that most people don't start parenting immediately with three kids. Just another thing to be thankful for!
16 January 2012
Mid-winter
I know it isn't technically mid-winter, and with all the sunshine and the absence of too much snow, it has hardly even been winter yet. But my mood is wintery, and thus, I'm dubbing this mid-January day mid-winter in my soul.
Things are not well on so many levels. So much sadness all around.
But we manage to find small things to give us cheer -- our Quincy perched on a pillow and blanket watching TV (seriously, he was...he loved the Green Bay game yesterday); sun streaming into the back room while I sat reading in the chair; and then there is always food. I understand it's not emotionally healthy to have emotional relationships with food. But when there is little else to bring joy, sometimes food can do it.
For Christmas, I received a Pampered Chef bar pan, mini spatula server, and silicone basting brush. I was thrilled and really wanted to find somehow to use all of them very quickly. Thanks for Pampered Chef for always being awesome, they provided just the recipe, which I want to share with you today.
My initial reading of the "Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken" recipe made me cautious...I don't typically like sweet and spicy. Plus, the idea of fruit on meat makes me a little nauseated. However, after showing it to Kyle and mostly because we already had some fresh cilantro in the fridge, I decided to give it a go.
The result was utter perfection and our new favorite chicken dish. Plus, we added some Pillsbury biscuits (baked on the new stoneware pan) and some steamed veggies for a delicious meal. It was almost as good the second day, as well. I'm hungry all over again just thinking about it (and we just finished eating the day-2 edition).
Here is the recipe, straight from Pampered Chef:
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
1/2 c apricot jam
1 Tb lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 Tb snipped fresh parsley
Directions:
Place jam in small bowl and microwave on High for 30-40 seconds, until melted; add lime juice and chopped jalapeno. Whisk until well blended and then set aside.
Combine chili powder and salt in small bowl.
Flatten chicken to an even thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Rub garlic over chicken; sprinkle evenly with chili powder mixture.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until hot. Lightly spray skillet with nonstick spray. Add chicken. Cool 5-7 mins; turn. Cook an additional 5-7 mins, or until chicken is no longer pink in center. When you flip the chicken, brush evenly with glaze using silicone basting brush. Sprinkle with cilantro while finishing up in the skillet.
Serves 4.
I hope you try this and end up loving it as much as we did. Chicken doesn't have to be boring. And even when it sounds scary (jam on chicken? GROSS!), if you give it a chance, it just might be the best thing you've tasted in a long time!
Things are not well on so many levels. So much sadness all around.
But we manage to find small things to give us cheer -- our Quincy perched on a pillow and blanket watching TV (seriously, he was...he loved the Green Bay game yesterday); sun streaming into the back room while I sat reading in the chair; and then there is always food. I understand it's not emotionally healthy to have emotional relationships with food. But when there is little else to bring joy, sometimes food can do it.
For Christmas, I received a Pampered Chef bar pan, mini spatula server, and silicone basting brush. I was thrilled and really wanted to find somehow to use all of them very quickly. Thanks for Pampered Chef for always being awesome, they provided just the recipe, which I want to share with you today.
My initial reading of the "Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken" recipe made me cautious...I don't typically like sweet and spicy. Plus, the idea of fruit on meat makes me a little nauseated. However, after showing it to Kyle and mostly because we already had some fresh cilantro in the fridge, I decided to give it a go.
The result was utter perfection and our new favorite chicken dish. Plus, we added some Pillsbury biscuits (baked on the new stoneware pan) and some steamed veggies for a delicious meal. It was almost as good the second day, as well. I'm hungry all over again just thinking about it (and we just finished eating the day-2 edition).
Here is the recipe, straight from Pampered Chef:
Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
1/2 c apricot jam
1 Tb lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4-6 oz each)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 Tb snipped fresh parsley
Directions:
Place jam in small bowl and microwave on High for 30-40 seconds, until melted; add lime juice and chopped jalapeno. Whisk until well blended and then set aside.
Combine chili powder and salt in small bowl.
Flatten chicken to an even thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Rub garlic over chicken; sprinkle evenly with chili powder mixture.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until hot. Lightly spray skillet with nonstick spray. Add chicken. Cool 5-7 mins; turn. Cook an additional 5-7 mins, or until chicken is no longer pink in center. When you flip the chicken, brush evenly with glaze using silicone basting brush. Sprinkle with cilantro while finishing up in the skillet.
Serves 4.
I hope you try this and end up loving it as much as we did. Chicken doesn't have to be boring. And even when it sounds scary (jam on chicken? GROSS!), if you give it a chance, it just might be the best thing you've tasted in a long time!
22 December 2011
What a Christmas Break is Made of
I thought I'd share a little of what I've been doing to keep myself busy during my break from school and work.
First of all, it's been glorious to sleep in. As one who never sleeps through the night, having a few extra hours to catch up on the time I've lain awake in the wee hours is blissful.
There were some household items that simply had to be checked off the To-Do list:
First of all, it's been glorious to sleep in. As one who never sleeps through the night, having a few extra hours to catch up on the time I've lain awake in the wee hours is blissful.
There were some household items that simply had to be checked off the To-Do list:
- laundr-o-mat all of our large blankets
We have an inordinate number of blankets. The problem is, I love them all, and I cannot get rid of any of them. Even the hand-me-downs. Quincy, also, loves all of our blankets and part of the laundry mat piece is to keep all of that cat hair out of our washer and dryer (gross, I know, but what can be done? He's hairy. Super hairy).
- sewing projects
These always get left in a corner until there's some free time. This week was it. Makes me happy to have the skills to fix my own repair projects. Thanks, Mom!
- filing of important papers and receipts
We had months' worth piled in a corner (we have lots of corners piled with stuff). It's all now nicely filed away in the closet.
- create music playlist for a friend
I haven't done this in years, it was very therapeutic. So good, I think I might keep the list around and listen to it myself.
- massage
Ok, so this was a personal pampering, but it was lovely and needed after all the stressfulness of the last deadlines.
- clean the kitchen, no really CLEAN the kitchen
- dust the house (sad that it makes the list as something different, but alas, it hadn't been done in quite a while)
- watch BBC's Emma mini-series
- upload recipes to shared folder (not yet finished, but a good start)
This is a project that I've been wanting to accomplish for quite a while. I have shared a recipe folder online with my mom and sisters and I'm trying to get my entire recipe box into an online format, with the hopes of one day using some sort of tablet device to read recipes (and search for them) rather than flipping through index cards.
- read At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald
The unexciting parts have included doing dishes regularly, laundry, reading my Bible every day, and going to the gym every day (which hadn't been done in months). All of these things have given me a great sense of accomplishment and it's sort of a thrill every day to see what I can get done. Having a list with every item checked off is super exciting for me. That's just who I am!
Sucker for Bargains
My cousin Stephanie and sister Leslie have always made me jealous with their ability to score awesome finds at Goodwill and other thrift stores. I have never been so lucky. A couple of years ago, when I went with Les to Goodwill, the two great items I bought she had actually found and tossed my way: a red zip-up hoodie with tiny giraffe silhouettes in yellow and black and a navy-striped summer-weight shirt with a bow.
I've tried thrift shopping at other times and I've never had a satisfactory experience on my own or with others.
Today, Les invited me along for another bargain-hunting day. I can proudly say that while she did find the two graphic t-shirts I got Kyle (and they are awesome, by the way), I was able to find 2 pairs of dress pants (one of which still had store tags on it) and a skinny belt.
Because today was a red-tag half-off day, I also paid just under $12 for all of my purchases. It was almost intoxicating.
Our next stop was Rural King. This place is a mystery to me. I cannot account for the variety of things sold here from food, to farm equipment and feed, to clothes, to kitchen gadgetry, to candy, to spices, to toys. Every time I enter (this was only my 2nd time), I find myself exclaiming: "They sell that here!?"
Today, I was able to find giant bins full of ladies dress socks on sale for 2 for $1.50. I bought 6 pairs for under $5. How is that possible?! Normally they each cost at least $5. Again, my mind was blown.
I need to remember that Leslie is my lucky bargain-hunting charm. Whenever she suggests an outing, I must be ready for something awesome to happen!
I've tried thrift shopping at other times and I've never had a satisfactory experience on my own or with others.
Today, Les invited me along for another bargain-hunting day. I can proudly say that while she did find the two graphic t-shirts I got Kyle (and they are awesome, by the way), I was able to find 2 pairs of dress pants (one of which still had store tags on it) and a skinny belt.
Because today was a red-tag half-off day, I also paid just under $12 for all of my purchases. It was almost intoxicating.
Our next stop was Rural King. This place is a mystery to me. I cannot account for the variety of things sold here from food, to farm equipment and feed, to clothes, to kitchen gadgetry, to candy, to spices, to toys. Every time I enter (this was only my 2nd time), I find myself exclaiming: "They sell that here!?"
Today, I was able to find giant bins full of ladies dress socks on sale for 2 for $1.50. I bought 6 pairs for under $5. How is that possible?! Normally they each cost at least $5. Again, my mind was blown.
I need to remember that Leslie is my lucky bargain-hunting charm. Whenever she suggests an outing, I must be ready for something awesome to happen!
14 December 2011
The Feeling of Completion
Last night at 5:55pm, I turned in my paper. It was a big paper, yes, but that wasn't the sum of the relief I felt. No, it was the burden of this entire semester of intense work. I've spent an average of 8 hours every weekend on schoolwork since October. And that's not including the work I did during the week or the 3 hours a driving a week or sitting in class. I don't know if I've ever been this tired. But let me tell you, I slept last night. Deep and long. Past after my normal internal clock wake-up call of 7am.
It hasn't actually hit me yet, to tell the truth. I'm still in the stage of looking forward to having time for other people, baking goodies, watching movies, reading books for pleasure, and spending time with Kyle. Today was a very busy day--Wednesdays are always long. But I was able to see a good friend who I've hardly spoken to this semester, to hold her 3 month old baby and hang out with her older two boys. I have had multiple conversations today that were so good yet have left me with a mind full of chaotic thoughts.
My break begins this weekend with a time of food and movies with a fellow grad student, the celebration of a college friend's wedding, and the completion of my Christmas shopping -- the last 2 items! I hope to be able to wrap all the presents we have sitting around by Sunday, but I'm not sure it can be done. It delights me that these are the dilemmas facing me: when can I bake those cookies I've been wanting to try? When can we wrap our nieces' and nephews' presents? When can we sit down and watch my favorite Christmas movie? What Christmas songs do I want on my playlist?
I'm also excited about cleaning...which obviously shows that I have not done a good or even decent job of that this semester. When you desire to clean, you've probably not done it for...oh...3 or 4 months. Right now, this is exciting!
Anyway, this is my current state of mind and being. Thanks for bearing with me on this most trying to semesters. I have conquered it.
That is a great feeling!
It hasn't actually hit me yet, to tell the truth. I'm still in the stage of looking forward to having time for other people, baking goodies, watching movies, reading books for pleasure, and spending time with Kyle. Today was a very busy day--Wednesdays are always long. But I was able to see a good friend who I've hardly spoken to this semester, to hold her 3 month old baby and hang out with her older two boys. I have had multiple conversations today that were so good yet have left me with a mind full of chaotic thoughts.
My break begins this weekend with a time of food and movies with a fellow grad student, the celebration of a college friend's wedding, and the completion of my Christmas shopping -- the last 2 items! I hope to be able to wrap all the presents we have sitting around by Sunday, but I'm not sure it can be done. It delights me that these are the dilemmas facing me: when can I bake those cookies I've been wanting to try? When can we wrap our nieces' and nephews' presents? When can we sit down and watch my favorite Christmas movie? What Christmas songs do I want on my playlist?
I'm also excited about cleaning...which obviously shows that I have not done a good or even decent job of that this semester. When you desire to clean, you've probably not done it for...oh...3 or 4 months. Right now, this is exciting!
Anyway, this is my current state of mind and being. Thanks for bearing with me on this most trying to semesters. I have conquered it.
That is a great feeling!
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