Wednesday, December 28, 2011

"Well, what DO you eat?!" Part 2

A couple of months back, I posted a sample dinner menu in response to this question that I get very frequently when I tell people that we do not eat gluten.  Immediately, most people's faces start to contort in horror, imagining a life without bread, bagels, pasta, and cookies. 

The truth is that we eat very well and are not deprived in any way.  For every gluten food out there that we cannot eat, there is a fairly reasonable substitute.  However, for me personally, I have used the gluten-free diet as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of eliminating grains altogether (or at least for the most part).  I feel that I function best with little to no grains in my diet.

If you read my post yesterday, you will recall that I am still recovering from an onslaught of bad holiday food slip-ups, so I have decided to clear all grains and sugars from my diet for at least a few weeks to allow my body to heal.

The following is the dinner menu that I prepared for my family tonight.  It is totally gluten and grain-free, as well as free of added sugar.  It was amazingly delicious and nourishing and a big hit with everyone (with the exception of the creamed spinach- my kids refused it- they had cucumber salad instead).  Most shocking to me was the awesomeness that was the mashed cauliflower.  I swear, I may never eat mashed potatoes again.  Even my son asked for a second helping!

If you try any of the items on the menu, be sure to shoot me an email and let me know what you think!

Enjoy,
GFJG

Marinated Flank Steak with Mashed Cauliflower and Gravy

-16 oz grass-fed flank steak
-1 cup extra virgin olive oil
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 cup thyme, minced
-1/2 cup rosemary, minced
-salt and pepper

Place steak in a dish.  Mix all other ingredients together and coat meat with mixture.  Allow steak to marinate for 1-2 hours.  For more tips or recipes for good meat marinades, visit Mark's Daily Apple.

When meat has been thoroughly marinated, slice steak and cook in a skillet to desired temperature.

Meat Gravy

- drippings in skillet from steak
-1 cup homemade chicken soup aka bone broth
-1-2 tbsp coconut flour
-salt and pepper to taste

Once steak has been cooked, remove it from skillet, keeping the remaining drippings.  Add in chicken broth, coconut flour, and salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Once gravy starts to thicken, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Mashed Cauliflower

-one large head of cauliflower (organic, if possible)
-4 tbsp softened butter (pastured butter is best)
-8 oz goat cheese
-2 gloves garlic, crushed
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 or 2 tbsp chicken broth (optional)

Wash and cut your cauliflower into chunks.  Put cauliflower in a pot of boiling water and cook for 20  minutes or so until cauliflower is very tender. 

Once cauliflower is thoroughly cooked, drain the water, and add cauliflower to a bowl with the garlic, softened butter, goat cheese, and salt/pepper.  Mix with an electric mixer until mixture is completely mashed.*  Serve with gravy.

*If mashed cauliflower mixture is too thick, you can add a few tablespoons of chicken broth.  I like mine nice and creamy though, so I omit the broth
Click here for my super easy creamed spinach recipe.
grass-fed sirloin strips with creamed spinach and mashed cauliflower- DELICIOUS!

And because no dinner is complete without dessert, we finished it off with homemade hot chocolate and grain-free chocolate chip cookies.  Yum!

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

-4 cage-free eggs
-3-4 very ripe bananas
-1/4 cup grass-fed butter or coconut oil
-1-2 tbsp honey
-3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp GF baking soda
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.  Blend together eggs, bananas, honey, and coconut oil.  Mix together dry ingredients.  Then blend wet ingredients with dry.  Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop dough in balls on cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Better Than Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate

- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
-4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- honey or stevia (to desired sweetness)

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix coconut milk, cocoa powder, and honey or stevia.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to break up any clumps.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before serving.
simple, easy-to-make hot chocolate- no nasty preservatives or chemicals
homemade hot chocolate and grain-free chocolate chip cookies- the perfect winter dessert

taste-tester approved!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tips For Recovering From The Holiday Slip-ups

Today I am just tired.  And cranky.  My stomach is in knots.  To make it worse, I feel like I'm in fog, and I can't snap out of it.  Most people would probably chalk this up to me just having a bad day.  Or suffering from some post-holiday blues/stress/let-down/sickness.  But I know the truth: it was the gluten.

Okay, so I'll admit it.  Even I slip up from time to time.  For obvious reasons, the holidays are typically the time for the bulk of my slip-ups.  Gluten is everywhere.  It is almost impossible to avoid.  The holiday breakfasts at work, the cocktail parties, the holiday dinners, and the trays of desserts.  Bagels, breads, cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies, oh my!  Even the most seasoned gluten-free girl can fall victim to the madness.

For me, the bad food choices started early this month.  First it was the birthday party for my best friend's daughter.  I had carefully planned and packed gluten-free pizza and cake for my kids, but, of course, had not thought to plan any food alternatives for myself.  At the end of the night, I was hungry, cranky, and my blood sugar was wonky.  I caved and decided I would have one slice of regular pizza.  I mean, how much could one little slice of pizza adversely affect me?

Then there was the delicious tray of lasagna that a student and his mother baked for our team of teachers.  I mean, it would have been rude for me to refuse a helping, right?

Oh, and then there were the awesome little pigs in a blanket and brie puffs on Christmas Eve.  Oh my gosh, these are my favorite!  How could I possibly pass those up?!

Are you seeing the trend here?  For me, one little slip-up and indiscretion opens the door to another and another and another.  The result is a gluten-induced coma of lethargy, grumpiness, acne, and brain fog.  Seriously, my body is hating me right now.  It is practically screaming in protest by sending me very obvious clues as to its displeasure.  Will I EVER learn?

For Christmas, I got some new gluten-free cookbooks that I perused today.   I chuckled when I read the introduction to Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield:

"No one makes you eat a Twinkie.  No one.  No one made us eat cheesesteaks in Philadelphia- we chose to eat those.  We know how our bodies feel after eating gluten, and it is not pretty."

Ain't that the truth? 

Strangely, as terrible as I feel after slipping up with my gluten-free diet, I always manage to see it as a blessing in disguise.  Because I have cleared the gluten from my body, I know what it feels like to feel good.  Now when I ingest even the smallest amount of gluten, my body sends me very clear messages about how detrimental this protein is to my system.  To this day, it still amazes me that for almost six years when I was a vegetarian, I ate a diet almost entirely of gluten.  I felt like garbage all the time, and I didn't even realize it.  When you feel lousy all the time, it becomes your normal.

Lucky for me, this is not my normal today.  When I eat well, stay clear of the gluten, and make conscious, healthful food choices, I feel great and strong and happy and focused almost all the time.  I rarely, if ever, get sick.  Until I realized I was gluten-sensitive and began the gluten-free diet, I never knew what it felt like to feel good. 

If you still don't know about the health benefits of the gluten-free diet, please read my article, Top Ten Reasons To Go Gluten-Free.

So, what do you do when you slip-up?  The following are some helpful tips to get you back on track with your gluten-free diet:
Couldn't resist those off-limits holiday cookies?  Here are some tips for getting back on track.

1) You don't do it again!  Pretty obvious, right?  Put the brakes on and make a U-turn to get back on track.  Do not do what I did this month and allow yourself to slip up time and again.  It will only wreak more havoc on your body and make it that much harder to clear the gluten from your system and start fresh.  Remember: because many individuals lack the ability to properly digest gluten, it can take months to clear it from your system!  Dr. Peter Osborne of the Gluten Free Society states, "The half life for gluten antibodies is typically 3-4 months. Thus is would take at least that long for gluten to be purged from the system."  Ugh, so not worth it!

2) Keep activated charcoal handy- In cases of a major slip-up, when you know your body is really going to suffer because of it, you can take a dose or two of activated charcoal to soak up the gluten and quickly eliminate it from your system.  You can purchase this supplement at any health food store, and it is amazing to have in a pinch.  The reason activated charcoal works so well in removing the gluten from your system is because it has incredible adsorbent properties which allow it to bind with unwanted material or poisons and quickly flush them from the system.  For more on the health benefits of activated charcoal, click here.  NOTE: Activated charcoal is NOT for long-term or continuous use, but is helpful for preventing symptoms due to an occasional gluten slip-up.   You should talk to your doctor or health care practioner before taking this supplement.
activated charcoal has amazing adsorptive properties to help minimize the effects of gluten ingestion

3) Keep a food journal- I find this to be very helpful for documenting the ill effects of the gluten slip-ups.  Afterall, it is so tempting to have just one cookie or just one bagel, especially during the holidays when there is just one celebration after another (and almost all are centered around prohibited, gluten-containing foods).  If I document my symptoms in a journal, I can clearly see what my poor food choices do to my body and my overall health.  It is easier to adhere to the gluten-free diet when you know what the slip-ups will do to you.

4) Load up on digestive enzymes and probiotics- So, the damage is done.  You binged on some gluten foods at last night's party.  You know your body is in turmoil, so you need to do something to help it deal with the food offender.  For at least a week after your slip-up, you should be consuming some good digestive enzymes and probiotics to help ease the inevitable gut inflammation and help your system heal.  These are great supplements to be taking anyway, and I take them daily as part of my health regimen.  For more information on the benefits of digestive enzyme supplements, click here.

5) Detox with a good cleanse- After the holiday binges and the gluten slip-ups, you should allow your body to rebound properly by taking a few days to detox and cleanse your system.  To start, you should take in smaller amounts of food than usual.  The more you eat, the harder your digestive system has to work, and if it is already working overtime to digest the gluten, you are just further exacerbating your digestive problems. 
In addition, there are some great all-natural detoxing foods that you can add to your diet.  Juices made from fresh, raw fruits and vegetables are awesome for cleansing the system, as are greens drinks made of wheatgrass, kale, or chlorella.  Dandelion root tea is also a favorite of mine for after slip-up recovery.  I drink my dandelion root tea cold with some lemon, and it is a refreshing accompaniment to any meal.  The benefits of this tea are abundant, and it has been shown to improve the function of almost every system in the body! 

dandelion root tea is a wonderful detoxing agent for post-gluten slip-ups
Stay tuned for great, easy-to-make, gluten-free appetizers for your New Year's Eve parties!

Happy Holidays (and my apologies for being a big ole' slacker)

Happy Holidays, everyone!  I do hope that you all had a Merry Christmas and that you are enjoying this festive season with those you love.  For me personally, this has been one of the most memorable, blessed, and exciting holidays that I can remember.  Our kids are now really old enough to be basking in all the joy and magic that is Christmas, and it was an amazing time being able to experience it through their unadulterated eyes.  With Christmas now behind us, it is easy to lose sight of the abundance of blessings, but I am making a conscious effort to wake everyday with an attitude of gratitude.  We have much to be thankful for.  God has been very good to us.

Speaking of blessings, I should probably acknowledge the fact that it has been over two months since my last post.  I do apologize for this lapse in writing, but there has been a good reason for my slacking.  After a long period of job hunting, I went back to work suddenly in mid-October.  I mean suddenly, as in less than 48 hours' notice suddenly.  The job offer was very abrupt and unexpected, but I knew that this was not an opportunity I should be passing by.  Without hesitation, I graciously accepted.  While it has not been easy on us as a family making such a sudden transition, I am really thrilled to be back in the classroom again, doing what I love.  I am very thankful for the answered prayer.

That being said, it has been a tremendous personal adjustment, and it has taken some time for me really to get my groove back.  The time that I would have previously devoted to reading, studying, and writing has been replaced by lesson planning and grading essays.  As any working mom will tell you, there are NEVER enough hours in the day.  I have felt guilty about not staying on top of this blog, but something really did have to give.  Now that I have gotten into a good routine and have a better handle on my new responsibilities, I promise to devote more time to this blog, and I commit to writing at least a few posts every month.

Believe it or not, being back in the classroom has made me even more keenly aware of how important a blog like this can be for people.  My students know that I am gluten-free, and it has elicited some interesting conversations about nutrition. We have even incorporated nutrition lessons into some of our persuasive writing.  In addition, over lunch, the gluten-free diet has naturally come up in conversation with my colleagues, and it has been really wonderful sharing some of my knowledge with them. 

On the last day of school before our holiday break, a student approached me with a question about the gluten-free diet.  He said his mother was gluten-free as well.  I quickly passed along my blog info to the boy so he could share it with his mother.  It feels awesome to be able to share my experience and knowledge with others and help them a little in their journey,  as I remember how immensely overwhelmed I was in the beginning.  It is my hope and desire that this blog can serve as a valuable resource to people out there who are new to living gluten freely.  Or that maybe- just maybe- it will sway someone to give the gluten-free diet a try and see what it can do for her health.

Stay tuned for more great recipes, reviews, and articles!

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012,
GFJG

my loves with their baby cousin on Christmas Eve- the greatest gifts!
 doing my gluten-free baking for Christmas
some of my favorite gifts this year- local, raw honey and cookbooks
Santa brought gf cookbooks- yay!