Time For School

The first week of school is off to a great start.  My classes seem great, professors seem nice, my new roommate is really cool (and gluten-free), and, for the moment, I'm not angry at food.

I did an hour long fitness class at the Rec Center last night, Athletic Yoga, and boy oh boy was it a work out.  I was seriously feeling the burn both during and after.  I took it easy today, just some light weight lifting. And a little birthday craft for Justin once class let out.   I do have a bit of a headache today, and my stomach hurts, but nothing a lot of water, some oils, and a good night's sleep can't fix.

Plans for a girl's night with some friends are in place for tomorrow night and then my first day of writing tutor training on Friday afternoon.  Almost done with week #1.

Until next time, stay fabulous
xoxo

On My Own

Some days are harder than others.
Some days I crave the foods I ate less than 4 weeks ago.
Some days the frustration makes me want to cry.
Some days I do cry.
Some days I get discouraged.
Some days I'm motivated.
Some days I cook.
Some days I eat left overs. (more often than not)
Some days all I want is ice cream.
Some days I'm angry at food.
Some days I'm angry at the scale.
Some days I'm angry at me.

But I'm on my own now...and I just have to take everything one day at a time.

 As always, stay fabulous
xoxo

New Semester, New Changes

Well, I'm back at school for my final semester of my undergraduate career.  My mom drove me back to school last night and took me for my first Wheat-free shopping extravaganza.  What I learned:  Wheat-free is expensive!

Now, I didn't purchase much that was specifically wheat-free, but the products I did buy where surprisingly pricey.  But I also stocked up on produce, protein, wheat-free pastas, quinoa, and plenty of cleaning products for my apartment.

All in all, it was a successful trip, and I am super grateful that my mom was there for support, but the real test will come when I have to shop by myself, and avoid all the treats I am currently missing.  *sigh*  Life goes on...and mine's going healthier.

Until next time, stay fabulous
xoxo

Back to the Grind

After a lovely escape to St. Paul, Minnesota for the weekend, it is back to the grind of school preparations, grad school anxiety, new supplements and new food.

All in all, I did pretty well with food this weekend.  My mom has been a terrific help...she has worked really hard to make sure that we are all getting nutritious and delicious home-cooked meals, while adhering to all of the necessary dietary restrictions (and trust me...they are plentiful).  My stomach was filled with gluten-free pizza and bagels, chicken salads, fresh and organic fruits and veggies, salmon, and some delicious chocolate & pomegranate desserts.

Although the desserts didn't quite follow the limited sugar diet restriction, I felt that a little treat wouldn't hurt, and I was right.  No headache :)

I've still been experiencing aches and pains though.  My neck and back feel stiff in the mornings, but that may be from sleeping on an air mattress the last few nights or long car rides, and my head goes through spurts of pain throughout the day, but nothing comes close to the pain I was in before all of this.  So that gives me hope.

I have an appointment with the Dr. K on Thursday right before I head back to school, so I'll get some last minute tid-bits from her, and then I'll have to start brain storming for my first Wheat-Free/Sugar-Free grocery trip.   I am very hesitant about that at the moment...not so much about finding things to eat, but about the time it will take to prepare certain things and still having an variety.  I don't want to get stuck in a rut where I feel like I can only eat salads and chicken, but it will be a test to see if I can really plan meals ahead of time and plan my days with time to prepare and cook the food I want at least for a few days in advance.

It will be a lot to think about over the next few days, but between now and then I have Dr. K to look forward to, an eye doctor appointment, a trip to Chicago, and a massage.  Now to take it all in stride.

Stay fabulous.
xoxo

Week 3, Wheat-Free

I am heading into my 3rd week without wheat, and with minimal amounts of sugar, and I am staring to feel the cravings.  I initially thought I was doing really well with the diet change, because I wasn't craving anything in particular, but now I can feel the "hunger" setting in.  I am in a place where I will have just eaten and 20-30 minutes later I feel soo hungry, but I know I'm not.  My body is starting to feel starved, even though it isn't.

In addition to the hunger pangs, I am also suffering from headaches of unknown origin today.  Starting last night and continuing through today.  I thought it might be the weather, but there hasn't been any significant barometric pressure changes in the area, and the skies are all clear.

Just gotta keep my head up, and stay focused.  My goals are in place, and I'm ready to be done with pain.

Off to Minnesota tomorrow for a weekend trip, probably won't follow up here until Monday night.
Until then, stay fabulous.

People are Awesome...even if they're strangers

I received this awesome response today from a Gluten-Free live community I discovered last night.

Hey Sarah!

Welcome to the crazy club of "No thank you, I'll pass on all of the delicious home baked items you are serving at this party!"

Honestly, that's the hardest part. I feel bad for other people who get disappointed that I can't enjoy their goodies. :)

Of course, I'm over a year and a half into this and I don't know if I was singing the same song a couple of months ago.

Here's the good news:

• I have lost about 40 pounds just because I stopped eating gluten and dairy (which just automatically leads to less sugar in my world..)
• Everyone says I look awesome. That even my skin "looks radiant" (heard that one today).
• Halle Berry has always claimed that her beauty secret is having "diabetes" - I finally get that, and you will too.

How to do this:

• Non packaged food is usually quite safe. Vegetables and meats (I know you probably have to get away from fruits due to the sugar), but also, become friends with quinoa - I LOVE THE STUFF! It's a grain, it's a protein - I hardly ever make rice or potatoes anymore (good for your sugarlessness!) because of quinoa (this was yummy).
• Find YOUR new fun food. I have discovered that I love chips and salsa. Is it the healthiest thing in the world for me? No, of course not, but I can't have pizza anymore or any pastries, so I'm going salty!
• READ FOOD LABELS. This is a good habit to form anyway, but in the first couple months of this transition you will have to do it more than an ordinary person. It will help a lot and you will learn a lot.
• Find staple meals. Chances are, if you are like me, those staple meals you used to make when you were tired or just looking for something quick involve some ingredients that you can no longer have... try to find replacements. I ALWAYS used to make and freeze marinara sauce for pasta (I'm half Italian-American, after all), but then I couldn't have PASTA anymore!?! Solution: gluten-free pasta, and, eventually, even QUINOA PASTA (have I mentioned that I love quinoa?!)
• Find your community. Like this one and others online. I spent the whole first year obsessing so much about food, I blogged about it (Searching for Sustenance). I plan to head back to the blog, but I needed a reprieve after thinking about nothing but food 24 hours a day every single day of the week! I plan to head back this year, but in a lesser capacity. In the meantime, there may be some useful resources and other blogs to connect to through there. That was how I found my community and communicated with them.

Sarah, your health will pay you ten-fold for this. It can be expensive if you try to find replacement foods for everything, so first try to build meals from what nature provides us - meat, vegetables (fresh is best, and frozen is better than canned, but ANY vegetables is better than no vegetables!)  and grains (that are safe for you to eat). Then supplement those meals with packaged food.

I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to ask me any questions here, on my blog, via e-mail or whatever!

All the best,

Nicole :)

 Ask and you shall receive. :)

Fun Facts

Budweiser is a Rice Beer...no wheat :)
Guinness is also Wheat Free
So is Mike's Hard Lemonade
And Wine
Also, malt is made from barley 
....I'll still have to watch out for the sugar contents, but at least there's hope for a college kid with a social life

Lifestyle Changes for 2012

December 15, 2011-  The first day of winter break, and I was looking forward to a great deal.  My day started early with driving my mom to work and was followed by a day of running errands, to-do lists, and ending the day with an appointment with my chiropractor, complete with the likely cause of the headaches I've had every day for the last 2 years.   At my previous appointment Dr. K had mentioned doing some allergy-type testing if the adjustments she did to my back weren't holding, and that meaning some possible dietary changes, but I was clearly unprepared for the extent of the changes that were in store.

I don't fully understand the process involved in the allergy/sensitivity testing she did, but in any event she found that I am intolerant to wheat and sugar, have an imbalance of hormones, an overabundance of yeast in my intestines, and unbalanced levels of iodine, zinc, and chlorine in my system.  Throw all that in with a few lumbar vertebrae issues, a sacrum issue, and a backwards neck and voila.

The general gist of that information comes down to the following:  My headaches for the last two years appear to be hormonally controlled.  The lumbar section of your spine is also the hormonal control center, so put that out of alignment and I'll get a headache.  Yeast also has a hormonal component to it, and feeds on wheat and sugar.  Throw in an overabundance of yeast, complete with a wheat and sugar issue and my lumbar vertebrae are effected, giving me a headache.  The mineral substance issue...I have no idea what that's really doing, but its contributing to the headaches.   My neck being backwards...I have no idea how that came about, but I can tell you this: It HURTS.  My first 2 sessions with Dr. K involved her working to realign my C1 and C2 vertebrae and Holy Moly did that one hurt.  It actually ended up making my headaches worse, and I hadn't even thought that was possible.  But we found out that by adjusting my lumbar vertebrae, and leaving my neck alone, it is actually correcting itself naturally.  Weird, huh?

So, as a result of all this chaos, I am now in the midst of a frustrating attempt to eliminate wheat and a great deal (but not all) sugar from my diet.  I say frustrating because at this current moment, I am discouraged, and underwhelmed by the "results" I have seen thus far.  I am only 2 weeks into this, and I know it will take time. 

My hope is to use this blog as a healthy way to manage my stress and frustrating as well as my triumphs.  I hope to include recipes, pictures, and all sorts of personal touches as I go.

I hope you'll stay tuned, and thank you for your support.
xoxo