Over the last several days I've eaten a couple meals that were vegetarian, and even though the food was good, I discovered that my body needs eggs, meat or fish; somehow I need to make sure to eat a good source of protein at every meal.
If I make an egg scramble for breakfast, I'm OK until lunch time. If I eat something without eggs or meat, I'm starving by mid-morning. I make two different egg scramble variations on most days. If I'm more lazy, I'll just take 2 eggs and add some cottage cheese, mix it together and cook it in a little butter or oil. (You got to be careful because the whey separates from the cottage cheese, and I don't like it watery, so one must cook it enough or separate the mixture from the whey.) Another favorite scramble has 2 eggs, 2 slices Canadian bacon cut into small pieces, mushrooms, and chopped bell peppers scrambled together. (I usually use the Pepper Medley from Trader Joe's; I cut the frozen pieces into smaller pieces.)
Sometimes, however, I'll make an "egg bake", the leftovers I refrigerate and reheat during the week. For an egg bake I use about 8 eggs, spinach, shredded cheddar cheese, onions, mushrooms, chopped ham or Canadian bacon, and chopped bell peppers. I mix it all together, pour it into a Pyrex baking dish, and bake for about 30 minutes or so at 350F. (Bake until it's set although it can be a little soft in the middle, and it should firm up as it cools a little. You don't want it runny and you don't want it dry.)
There are a lot of web sites and blogs on the internet that have lots and lots of recipes for grain-free foods. I'm trying out a lot of them; some I alter a little, others I try as written.
More later.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
This isn't going to go away!
On Saturday mornings I enjoy going to the local farmers' market and buying fresh produce. This morning I went, and as I walked by the bakery stands and the roasted corn and potato stand, it hit me: This isn't going to go away! It's not like poison oak that will clear up and be forgotten, this need to eat grain and legume free is with me forever, and it's not "just a lifestyle" change.
Last night I finished reading yet another book about this way of eating, this was called The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. It's interesting that Mark Sisson quotes Dr. Cordain in his book Primal Blueprint, and Dr. Cordain quotes Melissa Smith, who wrote Going Against the Grain. Their three books all say that humans shouldn't eat grain or legumes because of the phytates and lectins they contain. They also emphasize how grains and legumes increase our insulin production. (Then there's gluten, which they also all address as being problematic for people.)
Even though the books emphasize these things in common, they also diverge. Dairy and coffee are not allowed by Dr. Cordain, but are by Mark Sisson, for example. Almond flour is frowned upon by Dr. Cordain, but is OK with Mark Sisson.
I've come to the conclusion that it's difficult to get people to agree on everything! So, what am I doing?
I'm avoiding all grains and legumes. I decided to switch to lactose free milk, since lactose is a sugar. However, I do eat regular cottage and other cheeses. I also enjoy fat free yoghurt. (I make wonderful smoothies with yoghurt, frozen strawberries, and banana.)
I do drink several juices that are 100% juice with no added sugars of any kind, but I dilute them with the Crystal Geyser flavored waters; the taste remains, but the calories are cut in half.
I do use almond flour and almond paste when baking, and I have accumulated a number of excellent recipes for tarts, cookies, and cakes based on almond flour. (The protein level is up,and there's zero gluten.) I've learned to use agave nectar instead of sugar, which has been something I avoided for awhile (for no reason that I can think of), but which has worked perfectly in the recipes.
Adapting recipes, something I've done for years, but never with this purpose in mind, has been great. I now make a wonderful strawberry sauce that I put on the cheesecake I make, or ice cream, or tapioca pudding (which is gluten free). The original recipe had a couple more ingredients--including additional sugar--from what I now do. (Why is it that so many recipes call for so much more sugar than necessary? One can easily cut back on the sugar in many recipes and they'll still take OK.)
Perhaps my doctor will take me off medication for diabetes one day--I hope so! However, I now know that no matter what, I can't eat grains and legumes any more, but I'm also learning how to adapt recipes I've had for years to being grain free, legume free, and lower in sugar.
My next task is to put all the recipes I've collected over the years, which are "usable", and all the new recipes I've downloaded from gluten/grain free web sites, into a binder. I'm also going to organize them into sections such as desserts, main dishes, salads etc.
More later...
Last night I finished reading yet another book about this way of eating, this was called The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. It's interesting that Mark Sisson quotes Dr. Cordain in his book Primal Blueprint, and Dr. Cordain quotes Melissa Smith, who wrote Going Against the Grain. Their three books all say that humans shouldn't eat grain or legumes because of the phytates and lectins they contain. They also emphasize how grains and legumes increase our insulin production. (Then there's gluten, which they also all address as being problematic for people.)
Even though the books emphasize these things in common, they also diverge. Dairy and coffee are not allowed by Dr. Cordain, but are by Mark Sisson, for example. Almond flour is frowned upon by Dr. Cordain, but is OK with Mark Sisson.
I've come to the conclusion that it's difficult to get people to agree on everything! So, what am I doing?
I'm avoiding all grains and legumes. I decided to switch to lactose free milk, since lactose is a sugar. However, I do eat regular cottage and other cheeses. I also enjoy fat free yoghurt. (I make wonderful smoothies with yoghurt, frozen strawberries, and banana.)
I do drink several juices that are 100% juice with no added sugars of any kind, but I dilute them with the Crystal Geyser flavored waters; the taste remains, but the calories are cut in half.
I do use almond flour and almond paste when baking, and I have accumulated a number of excellent recipes for tarts, cookies, and cakes based on almond flour. (The protein level is up,and there's zero gluten.) I've learned to use agave nectar instead of sugar, which has been something I avoided for awhile (for no reason that I can think of), but which has worked perfectly in the recipes.
Adapting recipes, something I've done for years, but never with this purpose in mind, has been great. I now make a wonderful strawberry sauce that I put on the cheesecake I make, or ice cream, or tapioca pudding (which is gluten free). The original recipe had a couple more ingredients--including additional sugar--from what I now do. (Why is it that so many recipes call for so much more sugar than necessary? One can easily cut back on the sugar in many recipes and they'll still take OK.)
Perhaps my doctor will take me off medication for diabetes one day--I hope so! However, I now know that no matter what, I can't eat grains and legumes any more, but I'm also learning how to adapt recipes I've had for years to being grain free, legume free, and lower in sugar.
My next task is to put all the recipes I've collected over the years, which are "usable", and all the new recipes I've downloaded from gluten/grain free web sites, into a binder. I'm also going to organize them into sections such as desserts, main dishes, salads etc.
More later...
Friday, June 25, 2010
"Gluten free" and "grain free" are not the same thing!
One of the challenges of eating grain free is being a detective. There are a lot of grains in foods that I, at least, had never thought about. Bread, cookies, cakes, and cereals are no brainers, but soy sauce wasn't.
Knowing that all grains--whether they have gluten in then or not--convert into sugars when digested, caused me to take the step of avoiding all grains, and not just those with gluten. Therefore, I'm not eating anything with rice, barley, corn, rye, wildrice or grainlike seeds such as amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. It makes little difference where they fall on the glycemic index.
I decided to try to not substitute one grain for another, such as corn based crackers for those made with wheat or rice etc. (The same is true for pastas. There are now some gluten free pastas available, but I avoid them as well.)
The good thing is there are plenty of things to eat without having to rely on the old standbys provided by grains. Eating lots of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and lean meats, poultry, and fish fills my stomach every day.
I have learned to make some healthier substitutions, and I'll tell about them
Knowing that all grains--whether they have gluten in then or not--convert into sugars when digested, caused me to take the step of avoiding all grains, and not just those with gluten. Therefore, I'm not eating anything with rice, barley, corn, rye, wildrice or grainlike seeds such as amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. It makes little difference where they fall on the glycemic index.
I decided to try to not substitute one grain for another, such as corn based crackers for those made with wheat or rice etc. (The same is true for pastas. There are now some gluten free pastas available, but I avoid them as well.)
The good thing is there are plenty of things to eat without having to rely on the old standbys provided by grains. Eating lots of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and lean meats, poultry, and fish fills my stomach every day.
I have learned to make some healthier substitutions, and I'll tell about them
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The next doctor's visit...
Everything I've written so far happened between October/November and January. After the doctor's visit in January I continued to eat grain and legume free. I decided there were no good reasons to reintroduce any grains or legumes to my diet.
I had my next blood test followed by the requisite doctor's visit in May. I was a little concerned about what the results of the blood test would be because I'd failed to take the iron pills every day like I was supposed to, and I had been under a lot of stress for several weeks. (I'd taken on a challenging sub job at school.)
When I saw my doctor the first thing she said was that I'd lost more weight. I told her I didn't think I had--maybe only a pound. (I got myself a doctor's scale last December because the scale I had could read three different weights if I stepped on it three times within a few minutes, so I knew it wasn't accurate.)
Well, surprise surprise, I had lost eleven pounds since October, AND the scale showed I weighed one pound less than I had at home the last time I'd weighed myself there, AND this was in the afternoon with clothes on and everything! The doctor told me to not lose any more weight, and that if I did I was to call her.
That was interesting, particularly since I wasn't really trying to lose weight. At school I was getting more exercise than usual because my classroom was the furthest away from the playground and the library, so I was doing more walking than I normally do. I decided that was the reason for the additional weight loss.
The biggest thing about the blood test was that my A1c was even better than it had been in January! My calcium level was normal! My blood pressure was also perfect. The doctor calculated my BMI and said it was 23.8, which was great. The only thing she was concerned about was my hematocrit. It was a bit lower than it had been in January. I must take my iron pills! The best news was she reduced the amount of diabetes medication! So, from a threat of increasing it when she saw me in October to actually reducing it in May makes this worthwhile.
In general, the doctor was very happy with me, and said that I was ten years younger than when she first met me.
Who knew that by eliminating grains and legumes from one's diet, there could be such positive changes? For me it was an experiment to see if I could avoid taking more medication for diabetes. However, it also revealed that I apparently have celiac disease, which I hadn't known before.
I'm still learning how to do this...
I had my next blood test followed by the requisite doctor's visit in May. I was a little concerned about what the results of the blood test would be because I'd failed to take the iron pills every day like I was supposed to, and I had been under a lot of stress for several weeks. (I'd taken on a challenging sub job at school.)
When I saw my doctor the first thing she said was that I'd lost more weight. I told her I didn't think I had--maybe only a pound. (I got myself a doctor's scale last December because the scale I had could read three different weights if I stepped on it three times within a few minutes, so I knew it wasn't accurate.)
Well, surprise surprise, I had lost eleven pounds since October, AND the scale showed I weighed one pound less than I had at home the last time I'd weighed myself there, AND this was in the afternoon with clothes on and everything! The doctor told me to not lose any more weight, and that if I did I was to call her.
That was interesting, particularly since I wasn't really trying to lose weight. At school I was getting more exercise than usual because my classroom was the furthest away from the playground and the library, so I was doing more walking than I normally do. I decided that was the reason for the additional weight loss.
The biggest thing about the blood test was that my A1c was even better than it had been in January! My calcium level was normal! My blood pressure was also perfect. The doctor calculated my BMI and said it was 23.8, which was great. The only thing she was concerned about was my hematocrit. It was a bit lower than it had been in January. I must take my iron pills! The best news was she reduced the amount of diabetes medication! So, from a threat of increasing it when she saw me in October to actually reducing it in May makes this worthwhile.
In general, the doctor was very happy with me, and said that I was ten years younger than when she first met me.
Who knew that by eliminating grains and legumes from one's diet, there could be such positive changes? For me it was an experiment to see if I could avoid taking more medication for diabetes. However, it also revealed that I apparently have celiac disease, which I hadn't known before.
I'm still learning how to do this...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Celiac disease????
I forgot to mention that when I saw my doctor in January, I told her about my stomach ache after eating the chicken fried steak in November and wondered if I might have celiac disease. Her response was: That would explain it! I realized she wasn't talking about the stomach ache but the anemia I had been dealing with for years.
In 2006 when I had my first hip replaced, I had difficulty donating enough blood for myself because my hematocrits were too low. I was told to take supplements, eat beef, broccoli, and liver in order to build up my iron. I did so, and finally was able to donate a second pint. However, after having the procedure--where they used both pints of blood--the doctor was concerned that my hematocrits were still too low, so they gave me a third pint from an unknown donor.
Over the past several years my doctor has been convinced that I was having some kind of internal bleeding, and that was the cause of my anemia. She had me undergo endoscopic examination of my alimentary canal from both ends, and submit fecal samples for further tests. Everything came back negative for any internal bleeding.
I took iron supplements, ate beef, liver, broccoli, and still tested as being anemic.
When I had my second hip replaced two years ago, the standard for what is an acceptable hematocrit level had been raised. It took three attempts to donate blood over the course of three weeks before they could take any. I was only able to donate one pint,so the second pint had to come from an unknown donor.
This whole thing has been very stressful: what was causing the anemia? Why wasn't my iron level rising after eating well and taking supplements?
When I read that phytates hinder the absorption of iron, I started thinking that there was a connection between eating grains and my anemia; perhaps I had celiac disease because one of the symptoms of celiac disease is anemia.
My doctor told me there is a test that can confirm this diagnosis, but that I would have to eat gluten before taking the test. I thought to myself, no thank you, I'll just continue to avoid grains and legumes in my diet.
That's what I have been doing.
In 2006 when I had my first hip replaced, I had difficulty donating enough blood for myself because my hematocrits were too low. I was told to take supplements, eat beef, broccoli, and liver in order to build up my iron. I did so, and finally was able to donate a second pint. However, after having the procedure--where they used both pints of blood--the doctor was concerned that my hematocrits were still too low, so they gave me a third pint from an unknown donor.
Over the past several years my doctor has been convinced that I was having some kind of internal bleeding, and that was the cause of my anemia. She had me undergo endoscopic examination of my alimentary canal from both ends, and submit fecal samples for further tests. Everything came back negative for any internal bleeding.
I took iron supplements, ate beef, liver, broccoli, and still tested as being anemic.
When I had my second hip replaced two years ago, the standard for what is an acceptable hematocrit level had been raised. It took three attempts to donate blood over the course of three weeks before they could take any. I was only able to donate one pint,so the second pint had to come from an unknown donor.
This whole thing has been very stressful: what was causing the anemia? Why wasn't my iron level rising after eating well and taking supplements?
When I read that phytates hinder the absorption of iron, I started thinking that there was a connection between eating grains and my anemia; perhaps I had celiac disease because one of the symptoms of celiac disease is anemia.
My doctor told me there is a test that can confirm this diagnosis, but that I would have to eat gluten before taking the test. I thought to myself, no thank you, I'll just continue to avoid grains and legumes in my diet.
That's what I have been doing.
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Experiment Began...
For several years now, after being diagnosed as being diabetic, I've had blood tests to measure my fasting blood glucose and A1c every three months. In October 2009 my doctor said that if my A1c didn't improve by the next blood test in January, she was going to increase my medications for diabetes. I decided I didn't want that.
After reading Going Against the Grain I decided to do an experiment on myself. For three months I wouldn't eat any grains or legumes, AND I wouldn't take any iron pills--even though my doctor had told me to increase the amount of iron I was taking from one tablet a day to additional 2-3 pills a week in order to increase my hemoglobin and hematocrits. I didn't ask or tell my doctor about my experiment. I decided that if it worked, that would be great, but if it didn't make a difference I'd be taking more meds.
Starting in November the experiment began. At first it was rather daunting because like so many people, I was used to eating oatmeal, toast, pastries, and so many other foods that were made from wheat flour. I'd been indoctrinated with the philosophy that eating whole grains in breads, cookies, etc. was good for me and my health, and I was careful to be sure to do so. Brown rice, barley, organic whole oats were all part of my daily regular diet. Figuring out how to eat without all those staples in my diet gave me pause.
The good news is I love eggs, fish, meats of most kinds, fruits and vegetables. I also love potatoes in all their forms: hash browns, baked, mashed, French fries, scalloped etc. However, I know that as a diabetic I need to avoid potatoes. I confess that I did a "test" and ate potatoes several times during November and then measured my blood sugar. Sure enough, the results showed that potatoes created a spike in my blood sugar that I did not want. No more potatoes...
One day during this time frame I had a hankering for one of my favorite breakfasts: chicken fried steak with gravy. I went to my favorite restaurant for breakfast and enjoyed it for about 15 minutes! Suddenly I got a stomach ache, and that stomach ache lasted for a couple days. Wow! It was a wake up call that something is going on with my body when I eat gluten.
So, what did I eat during my experiment??? Meats, vegetables, fruits--fresh and dried apricots--fish, nuts (no peanuts since they're legumes), and dairy. I made one of my old favorite desserts for the first time as an adult, Danish almond cookies which are made of almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. They are sweet and go great with a cup of coffee. They didn't raise my blood sugar! I also found a great recipe for cheesecake that had no flour in the cheesecake itself, and I didn't make any kind of crust for it so it was totally gluten free. I totally enjoyed these treats and shared them with others. In addition, I dug out an old recipe for an almond tart that I'd made many times, but it contained a little flour. I decided to make it and substitute almond flour for the wheat flour and see how it turned out. It was great!
After three months of eating this way: meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dairy, I went for another blood test and the subsequent doctor's visit. My first question was about my A1c: it was within the normal range for the first time in years!
I then asked about my iron levels (remember I wasn't taking any iron supplements), and it, too, was within the normal range!
The only thing the doctor was concerned about was my calcium level. It was 0.1 higher than it should have been. I then realized that what I had learned about phytates hindering the absorption of iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium, was really, REALLY true. I've been taking calcium supplements for years as per my doctor's recommendation, and I hadn't cut back on the amount I was taking. She asked me how much I was taking, and I told her that I was taking as much as she'd told me to take: 2 tablets a day. She said to not take any for one week, and then just take one tablet a day after that.That's what I've done.
I was ecstatic when I left the doctor's office that day. I resolved to continue to eat grain and legume free. It is working for me, and my experiment seemed to prove that what the writers of the books I read said is true.
More about this journey later...
After reading Going Against the Grain I decided to do an experiment on myself. For three months I wouldn't eat any grains or legumes, AND I wouldn't take any iron pills--even though my doctor had told me to increase the amount of iron I was taking from one tablet a day to additional 2-3 pills a week in order to increase my hemoglobin and hematocrits. I didn't ask or tell my doctor about my experiment. I decided that if it worked, that would be great, but if it didn't make a difference I'd be taking more meds.
Starting in November the experiment began. At first it was rather daunting because like so many people, I was used to eating oatmeal, toast, pastries, and so many other foods that were made from wheat flour. I'd been indoctrinated with the philosophy that eating whole grains in breads, cookies, etc. was good for me and my health, and I was careful to be sure to do so. Brown rice, barley, organic whole oats were all part of my daily regular diet. Figuring out how to eat without all those staples in my diet gave me pause.
The good news is I love eggs, fish, meats of most kinds, fruits and vegetables. I also love potatoes in all their forms: hash browns, baked, mashed, French fries, scalloped etc. However, I know that as a diabetic I need to avoid potatoes. I confess that I did a "test" and ate potatoes several times during November and then measured my blood sugar. Sure enough, the results showed that potatoes created a spike in my blood sugar that I did not want. No more potatoes...
One day during this time frame I had a hankering for one of my favorite breakfasts: chicken fried steak with gravy. I went to my favorite restaurant for breakfast and enjoyed it for about 15 minutes! Suddenly I got a stomach ache, and that stomach ache lasted for a couple days. Wow! It was a wake up call that something is going on with my body when I eat gluten.
So, what did I eat during my experiment??? Meats, vegetables, fruits--fresh and dried apricots--fish, nuts (no peanuts since they're legumes), and dairy. I made one of my old favorite desserts for the first time as an adult, Danish almond cookies which are made of almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. They are sweet and go great with a cup of coffee. They didn't raise my blood sugar! I also found a great recipe for cheesecake that had no flour in the cheesecake itself, and I didn't make any kind of crust for it so it was totally gluten free. I totally enjoyed these treats and shared them with others. In addition, I dug out an old recipe for an almond tart that I'd made many times, but it contained a little flour. I decided to make it and substitute almond flour for the wheat flour and see how it turned out. It was great!
After three months of eating this way: meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dairy, I went for another blood test and the subsequent doctor's visit. My first question was about my A1c: it was within the normal range for the first time in years!
I then asked about my iron levels (remember I wasn't taking any iron supplements), and it, too, was within the normal range!
The only thing the doctor was concerned about was my calcium level. It was 0.1 higher than it should have been. I then realized that what I had learned about phytates hindering the absorption of iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium, was really, REALLY true. I've been taking calcium supplements for years as per my doctor's recommendation, and I hadn't cut back on the amount I was taking. She asked me how much I was taking, and I told her that I was taking as much as she'd told me to take: 2 tablets a day. She said to not take any for one week, and then just take one tablet a day after that.That's what I've done.
I was ecstatic when I left the doctor's office that day. I resolved to continue to eat grain and legume free. It is working for me, and my experiment seemed to prove that what the writers of the books I read said is true.
More about this journey later...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
What inspired me...
After hearing Mark Sisson's statement about humans not being designed to eat grains, I decided to do some research. The first book I ordered was Mr. Sisson's The Primal Blueprint. However, I also found some books I could download immediately onto my Kindle, and the first book I got was Melissa Smith's Going Against the Grain. I started reading that book straight away.
From Ms. Smith's book I learned a couple of key things: grains and legumes contain phytates that hinder the absorption of iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc; I also learned that many people have hidden celiac disease. Another book I downloaded at the same time was The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First by Mark Hyman M.D. I read part of this book, but then switched to a different one, Good Calories, Bad Calories by science writer Gary Taubes.
These books, all four mentioned, were very interesting and very informative. In each one several ideas were repeated: grains cause health problems of all sorts. (Different writers identify different ones with various studies to back them up.) From reading these books I got the idea to do my own personal research project on myself.
That is the next part of the story.
From Ms. Smith's book I learned a couple of key things: grains and legumes contain phytates that hinder the absorption of iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc; I also learned that many people have hidden celiac disease. Another book I downloaded at the same time was The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First by Mark Hyman M.D. I read part of this book, but then switched to a different one, Good Calories, Bad Calories by science writer Gary Taubes.
These books, all four mentioned, were very interesting and very informative. In each one several ideas were repeated: grains cause health problems of all sorts. (Different writers identify different ones with various studies to back them up.) From reading these books I got the idea to do my own personal research project on myself.
That is the next part of the story.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Eating Grain-free and thriving...
It started in November when I heard Mark Sisson say on a television show something about humans not being designed to digest grains. That statement struck me forcefully, and made me think: Where have I heard THAT before?
I realized it was when my veterinarian told me in 2003 or 2004 that cats can't digest grains, and that my cats should not eat any kibble or other food with grains. I went to my local pet supply store and found some grain free foods to try. The amazing thing was within 24 hours my male cat, who'd suffered from chronic runny stools and diarrhea from the time I'd gotten him, had that problem stop never to return again! (In those days there were few choices for grain free cat foods, however, now there are many!)
That made me think about my dogs. I'd known for years that the three biggest allergens for dogs are soy, wheat and corn. I started thinking that I couldn't think of any dogs going out and eating rice, oats, barley or any other grains in the fields. Yes, dogs do eat fruits and vegetables as well as grass, but not grains. So, that brought me to myself: should I be eating grains?
That's the beginning of this adventure.
I realized it was when my veterinarian told me in 2003 or 2004 that cats can't digest grains, and that my cats should not eat any kibble or other food with grains. I went to my local pet supply store and found some grain free foods to try. The amazing thing was within 24 hours my male cat, who'd suffered from chronic runny stools and diarrhea from the time I'd gotten him, had that problem stop never to return again! (In those days there were few choices for grain free cat foods, however, now there are many!)
That made me think about my dogs. I'd known for years that the three biggest allergens for dogs are soy, wheat and corn. I started thinking that I couldn't think of any dogs going out and eating rice, oats, barley or any other grains in the fields. Yes, dogs do eat fruits and vegetables as well as grass, but not grains. So, that brought me to myself: should I be eating grains?
That's the beginning of this adventure.
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