Pyramid Scheme: It's just SAD

I forget where I first heard the acronym SAD used for the Standard American Diet, but it sure is spot-on.

Everyone I talk to understands the way I eat. I never get comments and questions like "Gosh, that sure doesn't sound low-fat" or "I have high cholesterol, I could never eat that way" or "How can you be healthy without whole grains?"

Right.

It seems like so many people are paying attention to "healthy" eating, or at least they are trying. Counting calories, eating diet foods, what have you.

So why, then, does no one seem to understand what a healthy diet really entails? Even some of the mass media is eschewing carbs (and thus, sometimes, grains). I know for a fact that I actually agreed with what Dr. Oz was saying the one time I saw him on TV...

Even people who are close to me, who understand the most about why I *try* to avoid grains, why I don't eat much processed stuff, why I soak my nuts and seeds, etc. make comments that just don't make any sense.

So it's not always that we are oblivious to what we're eating. It's that what we're taught is pretty much just blatantly wrong, and we just can't get it out of our heads.

I about screamed in delight when I read a blog post from a local doctor that told the TRUTH about grains: that they make your blood sugar spike (and, therefore, crash), then causing other hormonal issues and ultimately leading to weight gain and a whole host of other problems.

YES!

And DUH!

At least DUH for someone who made progress using the GAPS diet. And lost weight and gained muscle while eating plenty. And who feels at least marginally weird every time she eats rice pasta...

But I think back to that damn food pyramid that I still have embedded in my brain from junior high health classes. Remember that one? With the enormous base of breads and grains, it was like 6-11 servings/day? I know they've changed it since, but it's still ridiculous.

Not to mention that I, with no formal training in the area of dietetics, have taught dieticians at my office about gluten issues. They said they had no education or experience with it. That is just not right. I know some great dieticians, but it seems exceedingly weird to me that so many have no clue about Celiac. It seems like this has gotten better over the past 2-3 years, but geesh. If they aren't the experts, who are??

(Side note: when I was first diagnosed with Celiac, the doc told me nothing and referred me to a dietician. When I called to schedule the appointment, they didn't even know what Celiac was, but said that I could come talk to the dietician anyway and she would try to look something up about it. Because I couldn't do that myself...
Also, that it would be at my own expense, since my insurance only covered dietician visits in cases of diabetes. The insurance people were clueless too, by the way. I called to complain, since I have a condition which can only be managed by dietary intervention, and they basically told me I was SOL. Pretty sure I told them where they could stuff their whole wheat bagels...)


I often feel like I'm giving a lecture every time someone asks about what I'm eating. I consciously try to make things as general as possible. After all, it would be a VERY long conversation to fully explain it. But sometimes, I feel obligated to include as much of the story as possible. Maybe I'm not inconveniencing someone with my verbosity, maybe they will use the info to help someone else figure out their food-related problems. Maybe it will spark interest in real healthy food.

As long as we can just ignore that dumb pyramid. Thanks, USDA. Grain subsidies, anyone?

Life. And sticking together. And blogging.

I often think "I should blog about this!" throughout my day.

It doesn't always have anything to do with Celiac Disease. It is often just me ranting about something or other.

Then, I think- what else could I do with my time? Something more useful? Actually tackle the mountains of dishes and laundry? Or get back on track with working out? Or do some meal prep so I'm not scrambling later? Or the other bazillion projects I need to finish (Er... start...)? Or anything else that might free me up later so I can stop "managing" my daughter and actually being present with her?

Blogging just doesn't seem like an important thing in the scheme of life; however, I start to think of how so many blogs have given me ideas, inspiration, and encouragement, and I realize that maybe there is something more to it than just a relatively anonymous place to vent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I ran into a friend at the grocery store today. I wouldn't have seen her had I not been making my second trip into the store. As is typical, I was feeling like a failure because I left my list out in the truck and decided to wing it, only to have to go back in after checking out. After all, how can you make vegetable soup without vegetables? I'm good at substitution, but not that good...

She's been through waaaaay more than I have prior to her diagnosis last year. Her daughter has also been chronically ill and in pain. She said I looked well and asked how I was doing. I said we were doing pretty well, which is the truth most of the time. I still deal with a lot of fatigue and off and on anxiety, but looking back at where I've been, I'm doing just fine. Praise God! (Now if I would just stop eating rice, that would help!)

I then asked how she was doing. I could tell by her hesitancy that things were still pretty awful. She has found more food intolerances. I (not so wisely) mentioned that it took me years and years to figure mine out enough to even feel human again. I felt like an idiot for saying that. After all, who wants to hear that it took someone else on the order of years to improve?

But then she said that it was encouraging to know that it had taken awhile. It took me a bit to realize that it could, in fact, be encouraging. That whole light at the end of the tunnel thing. The hope I felt when I came across someone else's relatable story, a new piece of info, or a new safe meal idea, many times on blogs.

And that's when I realized that even though I complain a lot (I think it kind of naturally goes along with a sarcastic sense of humor...), maybe my story is important to other people. Maybe my ideas could help someone else. If nothing else, blogging provides me a way to reflect.

Since I write lengthy summaries in my personal journal every day, I take a ton of time for that already... not...

So maybe I'm back. Not with regularity, but occasionally when I have something to say. It might not be the prettiest or funniest or best-worded, but it's real. And I hope I can help!

SC

Chocolate and Avocados.

I have a problem.

Well, technically, I have a lot of problems... har-dee-har... but I won't go there.

I have a problem with chocolate. I want it.

I've been revisiting an old recipe based on this lately, but I don't really measure anymore, so it has changed somewhat.



Now, you probably think I'm crazy to want to eat chocolate with avocados. That such a simple combo of ingredients would be so addicting.

Ok, busted, I am crazy. But this is still yummy, I promise. Pinky swear.

I hadn't had any chocolate since I figured out that the little one had major reflux, and that my diet affected it. A lot. REALLY wish I would have figured that out earlier, but that's a whole 'nother topic.

So I tried some of this when I had some avocados just on the edge of overripe disgustingness, and was reminded of how much I liked chocolate. Ok, maybe love. Or addiction.

Oh, dear.

I then thought about how amazing it would be paired with chocolate cake, proceeding to make a coconut flour chocolate cake.

"So, SC," you say, "why is this an issue? Go for it, you've deprived yourself enough!" Alas, but I am the one whose body doesn't like chocolate now. At least in the amounts that I had been eating it...

It all started with some muscle weakness. Then foot cramps. Then mouth sores. Then anxiety. And I was like, what the crap??? I know that you can crave chocolate when magnesium deficient, so I figured that was the answer.

Simple enough.

Except- why was I magnesium deficient all of a sudden? Sure, I wasn't supplementing it like I used to, but I hadn't for quite awhile. What gives??

I believe the answer lies with phytates, because this all came to a head when I had some noodles I made with tahini. More tahini than normal. Unsoaked sesame seeds in said tahini.

Sesame seeds are uber-high in phytic acid, which can actually bind certain minerals including magnesium, and cause them to not be absorbed.

Chocolate is pretty high on the phytic acid scale, too.

Fail.

Funny how the very thing people crave that is high in magnesium can also bind magnesium and flush it right out the pooper.

So anyway, I cut out the tahini for awhile, cut back on the chocolate, and supplemented some magnesium. Took a few Epsom salt baths for good measure. Mostly just to assuage my guilt for taking the time to sit in the bathtub and loaf.

I'm still eating some of my chocolate stuff, though. I just can't resist. Try it, you'll see what I mean.

Chocolate Avocado Multi-Use Goodness (aka frosting, pudding, whatever you feel like calling it)

1 3/4 - 2 ripe, average-size avocados
3-4 T. cocoa powder (I use Rodelle and LOVE it)
1/3 - 1/2 c honey, to taste
1 t. vanilla (I also use Rodelle here)
3 T. coconut milk (optional)

Plop all ingredients into food processor or blender-type apparatus. I use the chopper/grinder attachment to my Cuisinart handheld stick blender. Love that thing. (I have also used the mini food processor, basically the same thing). Blend.

Add more sweetener or coconut milk if desired. Blend again until super smooth. Add more coconut milk if you want it lighter and pudding like. Less or none for frosting.

Eat. Enjoy. Try to save some for later. Fail.

It is seriously that easy.

(And why 1 3/4 avocados? I cut some up for little one for lunch, then use the rest plus one to make this. By making this, I'm being efficient and not letting things go to waste. Or so I tell myself...)

Count of times that, while writing this post, I ventured to the kitchen for "just one more bite": 4

SC

The voices in my head

I've probably written this post a million times.

In my head.

It's like there is a tiny elfin narrator inside my head, constructing sarcastic sentences and hilarious examples while I while away my time at mundane tasks. I think his name is Fred.

I don't do a whole lot of actual writing anymore, what with trying to keep the kiddo and myself alive and awake/asleep at the appropriate times and fed and whatnot. 

So maybe that's the reason for the running internal commentary. Words just keep cramming into my head and do the clowns-in-the-car routine until I let them out.

Unfortunately, what I have to say is always more organized/witty/useful in my head. I can't usually remember it once I actually sit down at my computer. Figures.

So, in an effort to turn down the volume on that pesky cerebral narrator, I am blogging. Well, without really talking about anything in particular. But blogging, nonetheless.

Take that, Fred.

Now it really gets interesting when I get songs in my head and my life is a musical...

SC

Bread?!

So, I found a pretty good recipe for bread with coconut flour and flax seed. Seems to be GAPS legal, too, unless I'm missing something obvious. Which wouldn't be unusual these days.

If I could get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time, that would help. Sigh...

Remember though, folks, no bread stuffs have passed these lips in probably over a year. So take my recommendation with a grain of salt if you're expecting "real" bread.

Now, of course, I couldn't just follow the recipe. I had some chia seed I wanted to try (thanks to nuts.com for sending a sample), so I subbed that for flax. Flax doesn't seem to like me much anyway...

I poured some boiling water on the chia to activate its gel-ocity, and other than that, followed the recipe. It was kind of hard to incorporate everything because the chia was gloppy, but I just used a fork and stirred like I meant it. I'm too lazy to clean my food processor or mixer, so I just did it by hand.

It actually turned out pretty good!! It stuck to the pan a little, but that is about my only complaint. (That and I'm wondering if the overload of chia is what is causing an overload of air bubbles in the plumbing, if you know what I mean... but totally worth it. Plus, I can always blame it on the baby, right?)

I ate it plain with tons of butter. After so long without anything bread-like, it made me wonder what took me so long?

I see possibilities with a burger, maybe some jam or something (no not at the same time. ick.).

Just had to share my good fortune :)

SC

Crunchy Mama

If you would have asked me a few years ago what I would be like as a mother, I would never have expected what I have become.

I am a crunchy mama.

As in granola crunchy. Well, if I ate granola. Instead of thinking that granola equals awful.

My food came from the grocery store or a restaurant. Pasteurized, homogenized, winterized... errr... It didn't matter what you ate, as long as it was in moderation. Cleaning products were supposed to kill every possible bacterium, virus, spore, nanorobot, etc. Western medicine was the only logical way to diagnose and treat any condition, and doctors had all the answers. Vaccines save lives and don't hurt anybody.

Celiac Disease provided an easy answer to my problems. Gluten is the devil! Just avoid it and you will be ok! So much research has been done into the CD mechanism that there is no question as to how or why it develops.

Or is there?

Once I started to question things, once just going GF didn't solve my problems, I started to realize something.

No one REALLY knows what they are talking about.

Long story short, without getting too soapboxy, I became Crunchy Mama.

I only started feeling somewhat human again after FINALLY discovering SCD/GAPS and also caring exactly where my food comes from. I mean, I obviously knew it came from a farm. Unlike my college roommate who was appalled by all the fields on the way to my hometown. Not to mention seeing cows! In real life! Wow!

I know the people who produce my meat, eggs, and some of my vegetables/fruits. I know that the chickens are pastured, and the beef grass-fed. I know that they don't use pesticides, even though they don't shell out the dough for organic certification. I try to eat in season and organic as much as possible.

And honestly, that just tastes better, right?? Like the realization come June of "Hmmm... that's how a strawberry actually tastes..."

I digress. (How unusual).

I've tried to use less harsh cleaners, and I eventually want to change my toiletry stash to all more natural options. (There I go using the word natural, as though that means something. Sorry.) I also try to use less hand sanitizer, less antibac soap.

I take probiotics and try to culture my food. Heck, I'd almost consider taking worms, as is proven beneficial in a few studies. Almost.

I actually don't realize how many things I am no longer "normal" about until it comes up with my friends or family. Like when we're shopping, and I refuse to buy flame retardant PJs for the little one. Or I hear people talking about how their low fat diet isn't working very well, and I'm like duh... Or I hear on the radio that autism diagnoses are up 600% in the last 10 years. Yes, 600%. Celiac probably isn't much different. I'm sorry, that's not just better diagnostics and awareness.

I guess I'm getting used to being crunchy. Maybe I'm a crunchy honey roasted almond. That sounds good... better than granola anyway!

Crunchily,
SC

Professional Bloggers

I don't know how they do it.

I read a decent amount of blogs and forums when I get a chance or have a specific need for information, recipes, what have you. A lot of them are written by people who seem to be busy moms. And who seem to have just as much cooking and such to do.

They have thoughtful posts, recipes that might actually work (and have more specific instructions than "a glug of this and that"), and pretty pictures.

I feel a little inadequate.