Gluten Free Diet Challenge: Week 1

Gluten Free Week 1

I survived the first week of going gluten free.  It was a tough week of not knowing what's inside of all these packaged products, so I decided not buying a lot of packaged items at the store.  I just mainly shopped on the perimeter of the grocery store where all the natural foods are in the first place.  I usually do that, but occasionally I would slip up and hear the potato chips calling my name.  I'm getting more disciplined with myself.

Tips that helped me stay disciplined is 1) Stay focused to get healthy 2) Get educated on diet 3) Have a plan and stick to it

Stay Focused to get Healthy

Tell yourself the reason why I went on this diet is to get healthy.  The only way my Celiac Disease is going to get cured is having this lifestyle change.  No junk food or bread is worth one day or taste, so I cause myself to get sick again.  Tell yourself do you want feel lousy again?  Do you want the headaches and pain to come back again?  I know if I tell myself that I eventually talk myself out of giving in to eating a slice of bread or that cupcake or whatever it may be.  

Get Educated on Diet  

Lately, I've been reading a couple of books and websites to get myself educated on diet.  Some books I recommend reading is The

Gaps Gut and Psychology Syndrome By Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD., and another book called Breaking The Vicious Cycle Intestinal Health Through Diet By Elaine Gottschall B.A., M.Sc.  Both of these books have great insight on intestinal health and why it is important to heal your gut and how it connects to basically every part of your body.  I've been also going to the Celiac Disease Foundation website at www.celiac.org for dietary tips and information.  It tells you how to get tested, what is Celiac Disease, gluten sensitivity, treatment, gluten free diet, and the list goes on.  These resources certainly helped me to get better informed and how I can manage my symptoms.  I highly urge everyone that's having intestinal issues to seek medical attention from your doctor.



Have a Plan and Stick to It

My plan is to get better.  I plan on being on this diet by taking the advice of my doctor and the experts on intestinal health.  This time I'm serious.  No more fooling around and listening to other people that say, 'It wouldn't hurt to have wheat just once, right."  "Uh, no thanks, I"ll pass, I don't want to get sick again".  Hopefully, they will get the message and not get offended.  I've implemented advice from Gaps diet and the SCD diet to see if those options will help me in the long term.  So far it is helping short term because just for a few days being on a gluten free diet and SCD diet I feel lighter and have more energy.  I don't feel overly full after eating, the headaches and abdominal pain was gone and I don't get up in the middle of the night like before.  I certainly feel better by changing my eating habits and take things day by day.  I tell myself to be patient and the results will come.  The best advice I can tell you that the plan I'm sticking to is forever.  

Stay tuned for the next week on the Gluten Free Diet Challenge 

Gluten Free Protein Bars

You guys here is a simple no bake gluten free protein bars.  It's so easy your kids can help you make it.

Since many of you out there are sensitive to gluten and have Celiac Disease, this is a perfect snack that is healthy and perfect for on the go.  Everything is all natural and protein packed. 

I love these snacks especially, because it only takes me about 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to set up.  In addition, it gives you tons of energy to last you for a long time.

Also you can take it to work, travel with it, pack it in your kid's lunch, and it's a fantastic snack before or after your workout at the gym.

Give it a try and I promise you will love it too.

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cup of gluten free oats
1/4 of honey
2 Tablespoons of peanut butter
1/2 cup of cranberries or berries of your choice
1 scoop of protein powder
2 tablespoons of almond milk
1/4 cup of chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup of applesauce (no sugar added)

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl
Microwave liquid ingredients (peanut butter, honey, almond milk, applesauce and chocolate chips) for 30 seconds or until melted  in a medium size bowl
Mix the wet ingredients well until smooth then add it to the dry mixture
Line a small pan with plastic wrap
Pour mixture into pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set up or until you want to eat your bars

That's it!  It's so simple and takes no cooking time!
 

Taking the Gluten Free Challenge

Yup!  I am taking the gluten free challenge.  I've been always plagued with digestive issues practically half of my life, so my doctor told me to go on a gluten free diet.  I told her this diet is really hard.  I wasn't sure if I could do this for good.  Until I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I told myself this is for my health if I want to live pain free.  

My goal is to stay on this diet for the rest of my life.  In addition, I plan to document my progress weekly to tell you how my daily challenges were and what my meal plans were.  This is going to be a total life change for me.  I went on many diets as difficult similar to this, but I've never made it a life changing forever kind of deal.

So, What is gluten?

It's a protein found in most common grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley.  It gives breads and dough the elasticity and gives it that nice chewy consistency.  My favorite is a plain bagel because it has this beautiful chewy dense texture I just love.  Well, goodbye bagels and breads and I'm saying, "Hello, to a brand new healthy life."  Anyways, back to the subject here.  

Why is gluten a problem for people?

Many people that have gluten intolerance have a variety of symptoms.  Some symptoms include:  Celiac disease, gas, bloating, malnutrition, fatigue, liver problems, skin rashes, headaches, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, joint pain, nerve damage, and anxiety issues.  I do believe there is more issues with gluten out there.  If these problems seem to occur often I would check with your doctor.
 first.  

How to check for gluten sensitivity?

If you suspect any issues that was mentioned, see your doctor to get tested for gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease.  The anti-transglutaminase antibody test is to find out if you have Celiac disease, which is a severe intolerance to gluten.  This would be the safest route to see if you have problems, rather than figuring it out on your own.

I am so glad I got answers, now I've got to get rid of the problem.  It's a long journey to recovery and I'm ready to take it back.

I'll be listing recipes, the Gluten free diet plan, the lifestyle and my progress on this road to a better healthy life.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you have adopted the gluten free lifestyle and how it has helped you.  It's always interesting to know other people's experiences while going along the same route.

Stay tuned for my next post.




 

How to make Korean Bibimbap

This is the best Korean dish I love to make.  It's very healthy and I like to think of this meal as Asian comfort food.  It's very filling and hardly no fat.  There's a lot of fiber from the different vegetables and full of nutrition and protein.

If you haven't tasted Korean food yet, you are in for a real treat.  This beats the normal American food in my opinion because the normal American diet consists of too much fat and sugar.

The ingredients you will need are:

1/2 cup shoe string carrots
1/2 cup zucchini sliced
1 cup spinach
2 cups rice
8 oz. beef/chicken sliced thin
fried egg
seaweed (optional)
sesame seeds for garnish
Korean hot sauce
Kimchee (optional)

To make sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar

Marinate thin sliced beef in 1/4 soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp. sesame oil for 15-20 minutes

Directions:

• Lightly saute vegetables separately 2 minutes 
• Saute beef for 5-6 minutes 
• In a bowl put one scoop of cooked rice 
• Arrange vegetables like picture above and place beef in the middle
• fry one egg and place on beef
• put one tablespoon of sauce in the middle

• mix all ingredients together and enjoy

The Slim and Sexy Berry Smoothie

This refreshing weight loss berry smoothie is the best way to lose weight fast.  It is high in dietary fiber, low in calories and low in sugar.  It's a quick and easy shake to take on the go.  A great way to get your fruit in take.  And a fast and easy breakfast or meal replacement.

My husband and I have this smoothie almost every morning.  We love it because it's easy and a great way to get your protein in everyday.  We can drink it on the way to work or where ever you are.

You can jazz it up too.  By jazzing it up, I mean you can add whatever fruit or vegetable you prefer and get the most nutrition in one smoothie.  In other times if I feel like adding some spinach or kale I can do that.  You can basically go wild.  If you have children you can slip in some vegetables and they will probably won't even notice because all they see is berries.

You will enjoy this I guarantee it.

Cheers everybody to a good life!!!

Here's the recipe:

1 cup of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries or what ever you choose)
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 scoop of protein powder
1/2 banana

Taco Bell Cantina Bowl Review

If you are looking to a more healthy approach, the Cantina Bowl at Taco Bell appears to be a good choice.  Today was a treat for me.  For lunch I had the Cantina Bowl with chicken at Taco Bell.  Now most fast food restaurants are making a change to providing more healthy choices on the menu.  Therefore, Taco Bell in my opinion is heading in the right direction here.

Here's the nutrition facts:

Calories 490
Fat 19 g total
6 g saturated fat
0 trans fat
3 g sugar
29 g protein
8 g dietary fiber
1,280 mg sodium (Booo!)

Now this is not going to totally destroy your diet, but I think of this meal as a splurge.  It tells that I need to burn off at least 500-600 calories today or each day in fact.  Probably walking 10,000 steps or circuit training for 1 hour will do. 

My rating I give this meal is: