Comfort in the Kitchen

After a pretty tough week last week, I found myself in the kitchen recreating recipes in an attempt to comfort myself with food.  And the goal was to replicate foods I once loved but can no longer have.  I spent most of the summer trying to do this for my daughter so that when it came time to go back to school she could have 'copy-cat' foods.  I didn't want her to ever feel that just because she has food allergies that she's different and has to live life without. It's been a challenge to make something that brings a smile to her face as she's a very picky eater, but we have had some wonderful successes. :)

Over the weekend, I made some Gluten Free Vegan Crusty Bread from Ginger Lemon Girl along with some Magic Sauce from 101 Cookbooks.  Oh, my, was my belly in heaven!!  The Magic Sauce was so good, I made another batch to take to some of my GFFs (gluten-free friends).  My daughter said the bread was "yummy," which I know she thought so for it disappeared quite quickly. :)  Plus, one of my GFFs said the bread was the best she's tasted since going gluten-free.  It's always fun when you spend that much time, energy, and money into your creations and they turn out better than you could have ever imagined.  I know the days of taking a single bite and spitting "it" out in the trash aren't over, but it's nice that it's no longer the norm.

I also made some Paleo Spiced Nuts from Elanas Pantry.  These were such a hit with all the kids that I had to make three batches!  Half my kids don't even like plain nuts so this non-verbal fact is saying I hit the jackpot....which doesn't happen often enough with now 6 in the mix.  I'm excited to have found such health-ful foods for my family and friends.

Today, I was back in the kitchen trying to recreate graham crackers for my daughter.  She used to love them and I want her to love them once again.  I followed the Grahams Plain and Fancy Recipe from The Sensitive Pantry.  (You should note that I make adjustments as necessary whenever I follow a recipe to adapt them to our likes and allergies so my version may not be exact)  My daughter isn't home from school yet, but I know she will not like them.  The molasses has overtaken the taste and she doesn't care for molasses.  So, tomorrow I will try again, omitting the molasses, or at least toning it down, and using more honey.  However, they taste very similar to my Great Aunts' molasses cookies and, once again, I am a very happy me.  Not just because my belly is happy, but because I found comfort in the memories I have attached to one of my all-time favorite cookies.

My Great Aunt Aggie and Aunt Laura used to make molasses cookies every Christmas.  It was my Grandma's job to ice them.  Since as long as I can remember, that we a task she shared with us grand-kids. I remember anxiously awaiting the day when the cookies were baked and ready to frost.  It was almost like waiting for Christmas morning without knowing which morning Christmas would come.  When 'the day' would finally come, we'd go over to Grandma's house where she had the card table set up with a table cloth, different colored powdered sugar icings and sprinkles.  I remember being in awe at the great job she did decorating her cookies and she would tell us that ours looked better than hers.  For those cookies which we felt didn't make the cut, we quickly ate so that no one would ever see our 'mess ups.' :)

My Great Aunts have passed away and my mom has carried on the family tradition with now my children frosting the cookies.  My Grandma comes over to help 'oversee' the baking activities and to eat some of the 'mess ups.'  Since developing Celiac, I can no longer be around when white flour is in the air or even touch something made of gluten with my bare hands.  So I've missed out on some of the family traditions as I've had to live without - without favorite food, without family fun, without making memories.  And that sadness often led to me hiding out in the bathroom with the Kleenex box.  As time passed, it became easier.  Yet, I still longed for those Christmas molasses cookies and being able to decorate them with my girls and with  my mom as "Grandma."

Today - the graham cracker 'flop' is my Christmas molasses cookie replica!  I have struck gold and couldn't be more excited!  Dancing in the kitchen once again :) And with the successes over the weekend, I realize that I am actually cooking and baking myself to a place where I am just as healthy as I am happy.  I am finding joy in the sorrow - I cannot wait to make these with Christmas cookie cutters in 8 weeks or so - and a hope for brighter tomorrows for the foods I'm now creating and eating actually bring health to our bodies.

With all this said, I hope you, too, find that living the g-free life is truly living!  I must run off now as my GF neighbor is coming over to share a little smackeral of crackers and nuts - the perfect afternoon 'pick-me-up.'                      

Leaky Gut Syndrome

This is a very common but often overlooked condition that can just create havoc in one's digestive system, causing problems in nearly every area of one's body and brain.  So, today, I'm going to give Leaky Gut a little attention.  I've battled with this condition relentlessly during my 12 year battle with Lyme.  And due to my delicate system, I cannot tolerate glutamine - the main ingredient in all supplemental formulas to help heal a leaky gut.  So, this makes eradicating it bit more difficult.  Also, I'm an avid cyclist.  I recently read that even physical activity is a form of stress on one's body so eating within an hour post-exercising could lead to a Leaky Gut.  Hmmm...no wonder why my belly didn't digest anything after my long rides.  Here's the scoop on LGS-  

Over a lifetime, the average person ingests more than 25 tons of food that provides nutrients each of us need to survive; however, this food may also contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins, which can be damaging to the system.  Leaky Gut Syndrome, sometimes referred to as intestinal permeability, is a major gastrointestinal disorder that occurs when openings develop in the gut wall.  Harmful microorganism are then able to pass through these openings and enter the circulatory system.  As a result, leaky gut syndrome can lead to and is linked to many systemic inflammatory and immune-related symptoms including: rheumatoid arthritis, autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, multiple sclerosis, eczema, dermatitis, fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, Raynaud's disease, chronic hives, ulcerative colities and inflammatory bowel disease.

Signs and Symptoms

• Food allergies and sensitivities
• Facial swelling upon exposure to strong smells
• Bloating, gas, and cramps immediately after eating
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• Headaches, poor concentration, and irritability
• Insomia
• Anxiety
• Gluten intolerance
• Malnutrition
• Muscle cramps and pains
• Poor exercise tolerance

It has been said Leaky Gut Syndrome affects millions of people worldwide and often goes undiagnosed by the mainstream medical profession despite being a chronic debilitating condition.  The main way to deal with LGS is through nutrition.  It is important to get one's body back to optimum health and avoid the foods or toxins which are causing allergic reactions, so that the damaged villi in the intestine have a chance to heal and so that your liver has the time and energy to detoxify your body.  There is no wonder drug to cure a leaky gut.  Dealing with LGS is about dealing with the causes of the condition.

What causes it?

Inflammation of the gut lining is the root cause of Leaky Gut Syndrome.  Gut inflammation is usually instigated by one of the several of the following:

• Prescription hormones (ie, birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy) and prescription corticosteroids (ie, hydrocortisone)
• Processed food as well as foods and beverages contaminated by parasites, fungus, and/or mold
• Increased amounts of refined carbohydrates (ie, candy bars, cookies, soft drinks, and white bread)
• Shortage of important enzymes resulting from increased intake of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as asprin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen
• Increased alcohol and caffeine consumption

Under the concepts of functional medicine, assessment is oriented toward determining what is impeding your body's ability to function normally.  While some of the conventional medical approaches may help in this determination, they may not necessarily apply to a functional approach.  By working with a functional medicine physician, like Dr. Gulla in Colorado Springs, Dr. Mike Pierce in Denver, CO, or Health NOW clinic in SFO, they will help determine which assessment tools will be most helpful in establishing a treatment strategy specifically geared to creating a solution for your body's needs (IE, food sensitivity, candida or parasite testing).

NUTRITION as a SOLUTION

For many people, eating a proper diet lessens the symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome.  This 'diet' most likely will be based upon one's food sensitivities.  But know sugar is definitely an inhibitor to obtaining good health as it suppresses the immune system. Also, large meals can cause cramping and diarrhea in those with LGS so eating smaller meals more often or eating smaller portions may help to ease the pain.  I personally am eating little amounts all day long.  Since food allergies often times are invovled, discovering the foods which are not healthy for you will also reduce symptoms and promote overall gastrointestinal health. There are nutritional supplements which will help your belly heal quicker, too.  Making a paste with Slippery Elm and 1/4c water first thing in the AM will help coat the intestinal lining.  Aloe Vera juice in small amounts is a great natural remedy as are high-quality probiotics.  

Create a Plan before taking Action

If there's one thing we've already learned 5 days into dealing with our daughter's food allergy diagnosis is that we should have developed a plan prior to jumping into this. We should have taken her to the local health food store first, finding the various foods she can eat. Thus, finding replacement foods for the foods she's currently eating - ie, a new cereal for her regular cereal, a new munchie to replace her fave munchie, a new non-dairy milk to replace her regular milk, etc...

Fyi - even if you purchase milk straight from the cow, per se, if you're allergic to casein, you'll still have an allergy to the milk as it's the protein, not the sugar (lactose) in the milk. And Ghee is a wonderful butter replacement as it's casein free. Back to the plan of action -

This would have eased her mind about what she was going to eat next, especially as we found out she was anxious if she'd be able to eat anything the next time her belly rumbled. We did take her to the store yesterday and spent $70 as we purchased everything she thought she might like to try. While this may seem expensive - it is. The gluten-free diet costs nearly 3xs as much as the tradition American diet. However, her choices were very, very limited due to no corn, diary, or eggs as well so I know we could have spent much more if this were not the case. With her allergies, just like mine, we basically need to make everything we eat. There's not a lot of pre-made anything for us. For me, this isn't the end of the world - for a teenager who wants to fit in and doesn't want strange foods in her lunch - it's like the end of the world.

At this point, it doesn't matter if she hates anything we buy or make. We need to her to have the courage to try new things so we can discover what she likes. Once we have that down, life will be a bit easier. I've also purchased two new cookbooks (by the "spunky coconut") as her likes and allergies differ from mine. This will bring provide more variety to her new diet.

While I know exactly how to cook for her (Thank you, God! as that's 75% of the battle), wouldn't you know our 3-yr-old oven's panel control board decided to burn out?! And it quit while I was baking some cinnamon coffee cake for her for breakfast yesterday (she was so looking forward to it). The part alone will be $606 and has to be ordered from TX. The technician said maybe by Monday my oven will be working. Grrrr... But, all things aside, we should have developed a 5-7 day meal plan as well. This way we could have purchased the needed ingredients prior to starting this 'diet/lifestyle overhaul' and been more prepared when she asked, "What am I to pack for lunch?" So, even though we've been through this before - we're still learning and sometimes the hard way.

This is not easy!!! There were a lot of tears and louder voices due to frustration and confusion over the weekend. While it's a good-thing -and will most likely keep us all from contracting an illness later on due to all the bad things in our foods - this is now and today is hard.