Cheats and Challenges

I love a good challenge!  I love the feeling of facing a seemingly insurmountable task head on!  I also love the process of figuring out how I can beat it.  I've been this way for as long as I can remember and I thank God that my parents didn't stifle that-even when my ideas were crazy.  As a little girl I dreaming of being the first female umpire in major league baseball while my friends were dreaming of being teachers, doctors and princesses!  The instant I was told I couldn't do something (especially if it was followed by "because you're a girl") I began my quest to figure out a way to do it!  Now, I never did become an umpire (or play in the NFL or discover the cure for Tourette's Syndrome or any of the other wild dreams I had) but it did teach me to dream big and to not shy away from challenges.  I get knocked down, but I get back up again.  If that crazy song is in your head, click the link for the video!

How does this relate to food allergies you may ask?  Well, being handed a list of almost everything under the sun and being told you are allergic to all of these things is quite the smack in the face!  But, I do love a challenge!  So, I set about finding things that could replace the things I loved and along the way finding new things to love!  In other words, finding "cheats" as I like to call them.  Sometimes, I end up being allergic to those things (avocado), and sometimes they taste gross (chia seed pudding), but it's trial and error.  I will eat delicious food!!

Coconut milk is liquid gold for me and coconut milk ice cream-nectar of the gods!  Some new foods I have discovered or re-discovered are Quinoa, LÄRABARs, Honey, Chia Seeds, Agave, Dried Apples, Bananas & Pineapples, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Parsnips, Peaches, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi, Smoothies, and a whole lot more and even more to come!

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is having food allergies or sensitivities, issues or other restrictions really can be a blessing in disguise!  I'm eating healthier then ever, my skin looks better, I'm losing weight and I am beginning to feel better and am hopeful that I will continue to feel better!  On that note, here is a recipe that I hope will inspire you to eat delicious food and it's very easy to make!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Salad Ingredients:
1 Cup Quinoa (I used Ancient Harvest brand-doesn't need rinsed)
2 Cups Water
1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Cup sliced Green Onion (green & white parts)
1/2 Cup chopped, fresh Cilantro (could use Parsley if you don't like Cilantro)
1/4 teaspoon (or so) lime zest

Dressing Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning (optional, but I liked it)
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions:

Check the quinoa package to see if it needs to be rinsed and rinse in a fine-mesh strainer if needed.  Combine quinoa & water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool while you prep other ingredients.  I made the Quinoa the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator.

Drain the beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears.  Let beans drain until they are quite dry (or pat dry with paper towels if you want to speed it up.)

Cut out the stem and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into a small dice (about the size of the black beans.)  Slice the green onions into thin slices and wash, dry, and chop the cilantro.

When the quinoa is cool, combine quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, and sliced green onion in a bowl.  Zest some lime into the bowl.  Add enough dressing to moisten all the ingredients (I used all of it).  Gently stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

This keeps very well in the fridge for several days and makes great leftovers. 

Adapted from here

-Melissa

Oh! The "joys" of eating out with food allergies

www.allergyeats.com

Since being diagnosed with food allergies my perspective on eating out has changed drastically.  Where I used to get excited about trying new places and would read reviews on  Urban Spoon and write reviews based on ambiance, service, food quality and taste, I now check Allergy Eats to see the kind of experience other food allergy sufferers have had and check the restaurant website (if they have one) to find allergy information (if it's listed) so I know ahead of time what I can and cannot eat.  All of  my reviews are now based on how they were able to accommodate my food allergies.


When I do go out to eat, I feel like a detective.  Asking so many questions and trying to find something I can eat or what modifications can be made so that it not only doesn't have my most severe allergy foods, but that is actually nutritious.  Tasting good would be a bonus!  There are many fast food and fast casual restaurants that have absolutely nothing on the menu I can eat except maybe a plain chicken breast (and that's iffy) and in some cases, french fries!  I can't tell you the last pizza I actually enjoyed.  Gluten Free crust with no cheese often equals tasteless pizza with toppings that continually fall off.  To tell you the truth, I don't really miss it, though.

I have had servers that were very helpful and went above and beyond to make sure I had great food I could eat without even a hint of attitude or disbelief (my best experiences so far were with Buffalo Wild Wings and Osaka).  I have also had the opposite.  Servers who look at me like I'm probably just on some fad diet or basically ignore everything I have said.  It really sucks the joy out of eating out!  If you work in a restaurant, I implore you to do a little research on food allergies and sensitivities and at the very least listen and have compassion!!  Now, I do take ownership of my allergies and feel it is my responsibility to effectively communicate to servers what my food allergies are.  But, I can't follow them into the kitchen and read all the labels and watch everything being prepared.

My husband and I are doing a lot of traveling this summer and I am very nervous about what I am going to eat.  I have already started doing some research, but it seems exhausting!  At least two of the trips are to large cities, so there is apt to be more places I can eat.  I also imagine there will be a Natural Grocers, Trader Joes or Whole Foods or the like that I could go and at least get some snacks that I know I can eat!

I imagine that as time goes on, the joy of eating out will slowly return as I get more used to communicating my food allergies and as the population becomes more informed about food allergies and sensitives.  What are your experiences eating out with food allergies?

-Melissa

Food Documentaries

I have been fascinated by the science of nutrition for quite a long time, in fact, for the past few years I have said if someone else would pay the bill I would go back to school and become a Registered Dietitian (any takers?).  It combines two of my favorite things, nerdy science stuff and telling people what to do. :)  Now that I have been diagnosed with so many food allergies and suspected of having a gluten intolerance along with a variety of other health issues-It's Personal!

My husband and I have Netflix, which can be dangerous.  I have watched several Food Documentaries and it just keeps suggesting more, so I watch them too!  The latest ones I watched were "Forks Over Knives" and the accompanying "Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue".  The description for "Forks over Knives" from IMDB (www.imdb.com) is:
"Forks over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods."

For more information, visit their website www.forksoverknives.com

One of the claims the movie makes is "food is medicine" and uses the quote from Hippocrates, "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."  I agree wholeheartedly!!   I am a firm believer that many diseases can be treated, prevented and even reversed simply by changing your diet (not that I am anti doctor or medicine as a whole).  I also agree that we should cut out processed foods and add much more plant-based whole foods to our diet, but I disagree with the notion that the only way is through having absolutely no animal-based foods.   I believe that we get necessary fat, protein and amino acids from consuming meat, though I think it's possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet.  I do agree with eliminating dairy, as we can get even more calcium from green veggies, but I don't even think that's necessary for all people.  I also strongly disagree with eating "whole grains" and eating virtually no fat (see the article in the articles section about that).  We do need fat and don't need gluten based grains.  Overall, "Forks over Knives" was fascinating and I believe that they did see great results from their research and did see people with heart disease, diabetes and other degenerative diseases improve, but I think those same results can be achieved simply by adding more plant-based whole foods to our diets and eliminating processed foods, and in my opinion, gluten.

I also watched the documentary "Food Matters" and the description from IMDB is:
"Food Matters examines how the food we eat can help or hurt our health. Nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, and journalists weigh in on topics of  organic food, food safety, raw foodism, and nutritional therapy."
For more information, visit their website http://www.foodmatters.tv/

The movie uses the same Hippocrates quote  and discusses similar ideas of using nutrition as well as vitamin therapies to treat, prevent and even reverse many diseases.  It does speak much more about the politics and profit of treating diseases with drugs and surgeries instead of nutrition and vitamin therapies.  I agree that most doctors are taught to target and treat the exact complaint, and not to treat the whole person and most doctors get very little training in nutrition, so quickly reach for what they "know works"-drug therapies or surgery.  The film also discusses the fact that the pharmaceutical business is highly profitable and that there is always money to be made when people are sick, but no money to be made when people are well.  From my time as a Pharmacy Technician I am even more convinced that many medications are simply a "quick fix" and often just mask the real issue or are a way to keep people well enough to keep taking the medication rather than an actual long term solution which will make the drug companies no money.  Sick sells, not healthy!

The film also talks a lot about the high risks and side effects of many medications and surgeries and the lack of risks with most vitamin therapies.  The number of deaths from drugs and surgeries is astonishing, even when there was no doctor or patient error!  While quite the opposite is true of vitamin therapy's.  Now, I am not saying just go to the store and buy up all the vitamins and take them, I still believe we need a doctor to guide us and give us the proper dosage, etc.  I do not promote self diagnosis and treatment.

I like that the film also discusses food safety and how we need to research and find out where our food comes from and if it contains Genetically Modified ingredients.  It also discusses knowing how the meat we eat was raised and choosing wisely as well as the importance of eating organic, which I agree with, especially since I can only eat organic lettuce.  There is obviously something in the non-organic lettuce that makes me sick and that makes me think.

There is no new information in "Food Matters", it's just information we have ignored or even chosen not the believe.  I am a huge proponent of using nutrition and vitamin therapies first, then look into drugs or surgeries to treat many diseases.  I want to state again that I am not anti doctor or anti medication or surgery.  I also like that the film features a wide variety or people and doesn't seem to promote only one specific lifestyle rather than just looking at how much food does matter.   They do discuss cleansing, of which I am not a big fan.  I believe that if we take care of our body and feed it right, it is essentially a "self-cleaning oven" and there is no need for cleansing or detoxing.

-Melissa