I've decided to add exercise to my health regime, and this morning I did a 20 minute workout by Jillian Michaels (30-Day Shred), which felt really good!
For the past few days, I've also been slowly re-introducing wheat to my diet because I don't want to shock my system. Because I have IBS, whenever I have a big change in my diet, it flares up. So for the past two days, I've had two graham crackers a day for my wheat serving (not a lot, I know, but I don't want to irritate my IBS)!
Today, I finally had my favourite California Rolls from Tokyo Express. That will be my big wheat splurge for the day! I'm curious to see if adding the wheat again does anything to my health. I'll keep you posted!
My husband is going to continue eating wheat-free for at least the rest of the month because he's really noticed an improvement in his health!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Let Him Eat Cake!
Today we celebrated my father- and sister-in-law's birthdays with a family gathering at my in-laws' house. Of course, there was birthday cake! My mother-in-law made her famous pineapple upside-down cake (my father-in-law's favourite) and an angel food cake. I actually was not even a little bit tempted to have any. They both looked delicious, and I'm sure they tasted delicious, but I really had no desire to eat any. I'd call that progress!
My husband, however, couldn't resist, and he had his first wheaty food in more than two weeks. Interestingly enough he had a headache this evening (we're not sure if wheat was the cause because he wasn't feeling great this morning either, but it's interesting that his first headache in two weeks came after he ate wheat).
Food for thought!
My husband, however, couldn't resist, and he had his first wheaty food in more than two weeks. Interestingly enough he had a headache this evening (we're not sure if wheat was the cause because he wasn't feeling great this morning either, but it's interesting that his first headache in two weeks came after he ate wheat).
Food for thought!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Two Weeks Down!
It has now been two weeks eating wheat-free. It actually hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. Once I got through the initial wheat and sugar withdrawal, which lasted about five days, I have felt fine. I haven't craved wheat or snacks, and I really don't miss it a lot. What I do miss is the convenience of wheat-filled snacks and meals as they are much quicker to prepare and eat. I find we're eating a lot of meat, which can be expensive, so we're going to have to look at ways to keep our costs down and stay within our grocery budget!
My husband is loving this! He has lost seven pounds in two weeks, his headaches are gone, he's not snacking, he has lots of energy. This wheat-free eating obviously agrees with him! I, on the other hand, have not lost any weight in the past two weeks, despite following Weight Watchers for this past week in addition to my wheat-free eating. I will admit that I've found it easier to follow Weight Watchers because I haven't been craving anything, but it's frustrating to not lose any weight. I don't feel a lot different, health-wise, either.
So I don't think that eliminating wheat has really done a lot to affect my overall health. I've decided to continue eating wheat-free as much as possible, but I'm not going to avoid wheat altogether. For snacking, I will not be eating wheat-filled snacks. I will just have a little for main meals if I feel so inclined. For example, I really love California Rolls from Tokyo Express, but there is wheat in the artificial crab that they use. My husband and I figure that the amount of wheat in the crab is probably not substantial enough to make a huge difference, so I'll be okay eating them once in awhile.
I'm going to try that for this week, while still following Weight Watchers, and see if that makes any difference to my weight loss. I certainly don't want to go back to craving snacks and wheat, and I think it's important to keep my blood sugar levels even and not spiking up and down, so I won't be having lots of wheat. I'm just going to be very careful about portion size and eat wheat-free as much as possible.
My husband is loving this! He has lost seven pounds in two weeks, his headaches are gone, he's not snacking, he has lots of energy. This wheat-free eating obviously agrees with him! I, on the other hand, have not lost any weight in the past two weeks, despite following Weight Watchers for this past week in addition to my wheat-free eating. I will admit that I've found it easier to follow Weight Watchers because I haven't been craving anything, but it's frustrating to not lose any weight. I don't feel a lot different, health-wise, either.
So I don't think that eliminating wheat has really done a lot to affect my overall health. I've decided to continue eating wheat-free as much as possible, but I'm not going to avoid wheat altogether. For snacking, I will not be eating wheat-filled snacks. I will just have a little for main meals if I feel so inclined. For example, I really love California Rolls from Tokyo Express, but there is wheat in the artificial crab that they use. My husband and I figure that the amount of wheat in the crab is probably not substantial enough to make a huge difference, so I'll be okay eating them once in awhile.
I'm going to try that for this week, while still following Weight Watchers, and see if that makes any difference to my weight loss. I certainly don't want to go back to craving snacks and wheat, and I think it's important to keep my blood sugar levels even and not spiking up and down, so I won't be having lots of wheat. I'm just going to be very careful about portion size and eat wheat-free as much as possible.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Dining Out Again
I went our for lunch with my friend, Kathy, today, and we decided to try Red Robin's, as she loves it there, and I was curious to see their gluten-free options.
I went for the cheeseburger with lettuce instead of a bun, and I had a salad instead of fries with it. It was tasty, but not as good as Soda Jerks. I got way more food at Soda Jerks and for less money. It felt like a bit of a rip-off to get a beef patty with basically a bunch of lettuce (the salad had a few chunks of tomato and cucumber, but that's about it). It also came with croutons, after I had told the waitress that I was eating gluten-free (not a huge deal for me as I easily picked them out, but it would be a big deal for someone with a wheat allergy). They also charged for my club soda, which doesn't usually happen in restaurants (at least the ones I've been to), and they charged extra for lime juice to put in my club soda. So all in all, the food was good, and they had a good selection of gluten-free foods, but I wouldn't say it was great value for the money.
I did, however, have a nice visit with my friend, so that made it worth it!
I went for the cheeseburger with lettuce instead of a bun, and I had a salad instead of fries with it. It was tasty, but not as good as Soda Jerks. I got way more food at Soda Jerks and for less money. It felt like a bit of a rip-off to get a beef patty with basically a bunch of lettuce (the salad had a few chunks of tomato and cucumber, but that's about it). It also came with croutons, after I had told the waitress that I was eating gluten-free (not a huge deal for me as I easily picked them out, but it would be a big deal for someone with a wheat allergy). They also charged for my club soda, which doesn't usually happen in restaurants (at least the ones I've been to), and they charged extra for lime juice to put in my club soda. So all in all, the food was good, and they had a good selection of gluten-free foods, but I wouldn't say it was great value for the money.
I did, however, have a nice visit with my friend, so that made it worth it!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
No Such Thing as a Quick, Easy Supper!
Today we faced our first big hurdle in that we didn't have a lot of time to cook supper. We were busy running errands all afternoon and didn't get home until about 5:00. My husband and I both had meetings tonight. I had to leave by 6:00 and he by 6:30. Normally on days like that, we would have stopped for pizza or burgers on the way home because there was not much time to cook. So what to do?
We grabbed some pork chops from the freezer and quickly thawed them in the microwave. My husband rubbed them with some olive oil and spices and barbecued them while I threw together some raw veggies and dip. We had supper ready in about 20 minutes, which was pretty good, and it tasted great! The only drawback was the added stress, but I'm proud of us for not caving and taking the easy, wheat-filled way out!
I'll have to do some more research into fast-food restaurants that offer gluten-free options!
We grabbed some pork chops from the freezer and quickly thawed them in the microwave. My husband rubbed them with some olive oil and spices and barbecued them while I threw together some raw veggies and dip. We had supper ready in about 20 minutes, which was pretty good, and it tasted great! The only drawback was the added stress, but I'm proud of us for not caving and taking the easy, wheat-filled way out!
I'll have to do some more research into fast-food restaurants that offer gluten-free options!
Monday, August 6, 2012
On Cravings and Why Eliminate Wheat
So since Friday, I've continued to eat wheat-free and sugar-free, and I've also plugged what I've been eating into my Weight Watchers points tracker to make sure I'm not overeating. I have to admit that I had been replacing my wheat-filled snacks with LOTS of nuts. Now I know a few nuts are healthy and they have lots of nutrients and oils that we need, but they should probably be eaten in moderation (which I wasn't doing)!
In the book Wheat Belly, Dr. Davis does say to eat unlimited amounts of nuts, meats, healthy oils, vegetables, etc. and that the average person will consume about 400 fewer calories per day doing this than when he was eating wheat products. I guess I wasn't eating that many wheat products before because I was consuming way more calories! That's why I decided to monitor my portions using Weight Watchers.
I have lost another pound this weekend doing this, and I also haven't felt hungry between meals, which is nice! I haven't had any cravings or hunger pangs. I still feel like snacking in the middle of the afternoon, but I think that's out of habit and not because I actually feel hungry.
Yesterday, it was my turn to bring a snack for church. Since I haven't really practiced any gluten-free baking, I made blueberry muffins and streusel coffee cake with my regular recipes using wheat flour. I didn't eat any, and I was surprised to find that I wasn't even tempted to taste any! (Usually I'm a notorious "sample-while-you-bake" baker!) I even gave the leftover cake to another family to make sure I wouldn't eat any! This is really a big step for me, as I'm a HUGE lover of baking, particularly if it involves brown sugar!
A few people have asked me why I would give up wheat products to lose weight. Here is an explanation from Wheat Belly that explains it:
"Wheat triggers a cycle of insulin-driven satiety and hunger, paralleled by the ups and downs of euphoria and withdrawal, distortions of neurological function, and addictive effectsm all leading to fat deposition. The extremes of blood sugar and insulin are responsible for growth of fat specifically in the visceral organs. Experienced over and over again, visceral fat accumulates, creating a fat liver, two fat kidneys, a fat pancreas, fat large and small intestines, as well as its familiar surface manifestation, a wheat belly." (p. 60)
"Why is wheat so much worse for weight than other foods? The essential phenomenon that sets the growth of the wheat belly in motion is blood sugar (glucose). High blood sugar, in turn, provokes high blood insulin. (Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to high blood sugar: The higher the blood sugar, the more insulin must be released to move the sugar into the body's cells, such as those of the muscle and liver.) When the pancreas' ability to produce insulin in response to blood sugar rises is exceeded, diabetes develops. But you don't have to be diabetic to experience high blood sugar and high insulin: Nondiabetics can easily experience the high blood sugars required to cultivate their very own wheat belly, particularly because foods made from wheat so readily convert to sugar. High blood insulin provokes visceral fat accumulation...
"Nutritionists established the fact that wheat increases blood sugar more profoundly than table sugar thirty years ago. As we've discussed, the glycemic index, or GI, is the nutritionist's measure of how much blood sugar levels increase in the 90 to 120 minutes after a food is consumed. By this measure, whole wheat bread has a GI of 72, while plain table sugar has a GI of 59 (though some labs have gotten results as high as 65). In contrast, kidney beans have a GI of 51, grapefruit comes in at 25, while noncarbohydrate foods such as salmon and walnuts have GIs of essentially zero: Eating these foods has no effect on blood sugar. In fact, with few exceptions, few foods have as high a GI as foods made from wheat." (pp. 62 - 63)
Interesting, isn't it? I never would have thought that so-called "healthy whole grains" would spike blood sugar levels, but they do. This triggers insulin release, which in turn means more visceral fat deposited in the body. And because wheat converts to sugar so quickly, it is quickly digested, resulting in a drop in blood sugar within about two hours of consumption. This usually triggers a craving for more wheat to raise the blood sugar levels again, and the cycle continues. As I mentioned above, I have found that my food cravings have subsided since going off of wheat and sugar, I suppose as a result of more steady blood sugar levels instead of spikes and drops. I'm curious to see what the next few weeks hold as we continue our experiment!
In the book Wheat Belly, Dr. Davis does say to eat unlimited amounts of nuts, meats, healthy oils, vegetables, etc. and that the average person will consume about 400 fewer calories per day doing this than when he was eating wheat products. I guess I wasn't eating that many wheat products before because I was consuming way more calories! That's why I decided to monitor my portions using Weight Watchers.
I have lost another pound this weekend doing this, and I also haven't felt hungry between meals, which is nice! I haven't had any cravings or hunger pangs. I still feel like snacking in the middle of the afternoon, but I think that's out of habit and not because I actually feel hungry.
Yesterday, it was my turn to bring a snack for church. Since I haven't really practiced any gluten-free baking, I made blueberry muffins and streusel coffee cake with my regular recipes using wheat flour. I didn't eat any, and I was surprised to find that I wasn't even tempted to taste any! (Usually I'm a notorious "sample-while-you-bake" baker!) I even gave the leftover cake to another family to make sure I wouldn't eat any! This is really a big step for me, as I'm a HUGE lover of baking, particularly if it involves brown sugar!
A few people have asked me why I would give up wheat products to lose weight. Here is an explanation from Wheat Belly that explains it:
"Wheat triggers a cycle of insulin-driven satiety and hunger, paralleled by the ups and downs of euphoria and withdrawal, distortions of neurological function, and addictive effectsm all leading to fat deposition. The extremes of blood sugar and insulin are responsible for growth of fat specifically in the visceral organs. Experienced over and over again, visceral fat accumulates, creating a fat liver, two fat kidneys, a fat pancreas, fat large and small intestines, as well as its familiar surface manifestation, a wheat belly." (p. 60)
"Why is wheat so much worse for weight than other foods? The essential phenomenon that sets the growth of the wheat belly in motion is blood sugar (glucose). High blood sugar, in turn, provokes high blood insulin. (Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to high blood sugar: The higher the blood sugar, the more insulin must be released to move the sugar into the body's cells, such as those of the muscle and liver.) When the pancreas' ability to produce insulin in response to blood sugar rises is exceeded, diabetes develops. But you don't have to be diabetic to experience high blood sugar and high insulin: Nondiabetics can easily experience the high blood sugars required to cultivate their very own wheat belly, particularly because foods made from wheat so readily convert to sugar. High blood insulin provokes visceral fat accumulation...
"Nutritionists established the fact that wheat increases blood sugar more profoundly than table sugar thirty years ago. As we've discussed, the glycemic index, or GI, is the nutritionist's measure of how much blood sugar levels increase in the 90 to 120 minutes after a food is consumed. By this measure, whole wheat bread has a GI of 72, while plain table sugar has a GI of 59 (though some labs have gotten results as high as 65). In contrast, kidney beans have a GI of 51, grapefruit comes in at 25, while noncarbohydrate foods such as salmon and walnuts have GIs of essentially zero: Eating these foods has no effect on blood sugar. In fact, with few exceptions, few foods have as high a GI as foods made from wheat." (pp. 62 - 63)
Interesting, isn't it? I never would have thought that so-called "healthy whole grains" would spike blood sugar levels, but they do. This triggers insulin release, which in turn means more visceral fat deposited in the body. And because wheat converts to sugar so quickly, it is quickly digested, resulting in a drop in blood sugar within about two hours of consumption. This usually triggers a craving for more wheat to raise the blood sugar levels again, and the cycle continues. As I mentioned above, I have found that my food cravings have subsided since going off of wheat and sugar, I suppose as a result of more steady blood sugar levels instead of spikes and drops. I'm curious to see what the next few weeks hold as we continue our experiment!
Friday, August 3, 2012
One Week Down, (at least) Three More to Go!
Well, we've lasted a week without eating any wheat, grains, refined flours or sugar/glucose/fructose. After my inital three days of withdrawal (not sure if it was a combination of wheat and sugar withdrawal or one of those), I still feel about the same health-wise, and I still feel hungry between meals. I still have cravings, but apparently the cravings are supposed to go away after about a week, so hopefully this week will be better. I've lost a pound, though I was hoping to lose more than that.
My husband, on the other hand, feels fantastic! He's lost five pounds this week, he no longer has the urge to snack between meals, and he hasn't had any headaches since the first day we went off of wheat. (I am trying not to be jealous!)
So obviously this is working great for him, but for me, I'm not so sure! One of my biggest motivations to go off of wheat was to lose weight. According to Dr. Davis' book Wheat Belly, people who switch to a wheat-free diet generally eat about 400 calories less per day than they did before. I decided to plug in what I'm eating to Weight Watchers to find out how many "points" I've been eating, and it turns out that I'm actually eating more being on this wheat-free diet, so it's kind of working against what I'm trying to do! In analyzing my diet before starting this, I actually didn't eat a lot of wheat before-hand except for snacks and lunch. So my plan now is to continue eating wheat-free for this month at least, but I'm going to follow Weight Watchers points to make sure I'm not eating too much to lose any weight.
So far, I'm not too convinced that this is going to make a big difference for me, but my husband is sure happy!
My husband, on the other hand, feels fantastic! He's lost five pounds this week, he no longer has the urge to snack between meals, and he hasn't had any headaches since the first day we went off of wheat. (I am trying not to be jealous!)
So obviously this is working great for him, but for me, I'm not so sure! One of my biggest motivations to go off of wheat was to lose weight. According to Dr. Davis' book Wheat Belly, people who switch to a wheat-free diet generally eat about 400 calories less per day than they did before. I decided to plug in what I'm eating to Weight Watchers to find out how many "points" I've been eating, and it turns out that I'm actually eating more being on this wheat-free diet, so it's kind of working against what I'm trying to do! In analyzing my diet before starting this, I actually didn't eat a lot of wheat before-hand except for snacks and lunch. So my plan now is to continue eating wheat-free for this month at least, but I'm going to follow Weight Watchers points to make sure I'm not eating too much to lose any weight.
So far, I'm not too convinced that this is going to make a big difference for me, but my husband is sure happy!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Eating Out
I went out for lunch with my friend, Jackie, today - my first restaurant experience since going wheat-free. I have a bit more of a challenge in that not only are my husband and I off of wheat, we are also not eating any refined flours (potato, rice, tapioca, etc.) or sugar. So it's a bit more complicated than just being "gluten-free".
I did a bit of research ahead of time to see which restaurants in Edmonton might offer gluten-free options. I found this awesome website called Gluten Free Edmonton that lists a whole bunch of restaurants, what they offer for GF foods and rates them on GF-friendliness.
From this list, Jackie and I decided to go to Soda Jerks on the west end. I was SO impressed with the food there and how accomodating the staff was. The atmosphere at the restaurant is fun and laid-back, they serve pop in the bottles and you can build your own burger. I opted to drink club soda with lime juice, which is my sugar-free version of Italian Soda and is delicious!
From the build-your-own-burger menu, you just check off what you want. They do have a gluten-free bun option, but I chose to have no bun, and my burger came on a salad with the tomatoes and pickles that I chose from the list. I also chose guacamole and swiss cheese for it. For the salad, when I asked if any of their dressings were sugar-free, they weren't sure, but they were very accomodating and brought me olive oil and malt vinegar for it. As it turned out, the burger and guacamole were so tasty that I didn't need any other dressing for the salad. I would highly recommend this place for anyone. It was by far the best restaurant burger I've ever had. Doesn't it look delicious?!
So my first GF restaurant experience was actually not so bad. I'm going for lunch with another friend next week, so we'll be trying another restaurant on the list. I'll let you know how that goes!
I did a bit of research ahead of time to see which restaurants in Edmonton might offer gluten-free options. I found this awesome website called Gluten Free Edmonton that lists a whole bunch of restaurants, what they offer for GF foods and rates them on GF-friendliness.
From this list, Jackie and I decided to go to Soda Jerks on the west end. I was SO impressed with the food there and how accomodating the staff was. The atmosphere at the restaurant is fun and laid-back, they serve pop in the bottles and you can build your own burger. I opted to drink club soda with lime juice, which is my sugar-free version of Italian Soda and is delicious!
From the build-your-own-burger menu, you just check off what you want. They do have a gluten-free bun option, but I chose to have no bun, and my burger came on a salad with the tomatoes and pickles that I chose from the list. I also chose guacamole and swiss cheese for it. For the salad, when I asked if any of their dressings were sugar-free, they weren't sure, but they were very accomodating and brought me olive oil and malt vinegar for it. As it turned out, the burger and guacamole were so tasty that I didn't need any other dressing for the salad. I would highly recommend this place for anyone. It was by far the best restaurant burger I've ever had. Doesn't it look delicious?!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The Challenges of New Foods
I'm finding one of the most challenging things about eating wheat-free is that I'm having to re-learn how to cook. It's taking much longer to make meals now since I'm not able to use many of my tried-and-true favourites! I am going to work on adapting them, though.
I actually didn't crave any wheat today, except at lunch when we made our kids Kraft Dinner and I really wanted to have a spoonful of it! Instead, I enjoyed my spinach salad with egg, turkey, cheese, mushrooms, garden peas, tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It sounds so much better than Kraft Dinner when I type it here, but I really, really wanted that scoop of goopy pasta! I'm very proud of myself for holding back!
I made hamburgers for supper, which is one of our family's favourites. Usually I put bread crumbs in to hold the meat together, so I had to improvise. I used an egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, tamari soy sauce and some Epicure French Onion dip mix (I usually use Onion Soup mix, but I threw the box out, so I didn't have the list of ingredients to check if there was any wheat in it - that's on my to-do list!). They actually held together really well on the barbecue, so who needs bread crumbs? I topped my burger with a little grated cheddar and some guacamole.
Another new thing tonight was that we had portobello mushrooms for the first time. I found this recipe and we decided to try it. My husband is an avid mushroom-hater, but he decided that for this month, he will try anything at least once. And he actually LOVED these mushrooms. He ate a whole one himself! we also topped the meal off with some baby potatoes roasted in the oven in olive oil and Epicure Garlic Dill topper (YUM), along with some steamed cauliflower that I mashed with some grated white cheddar and a little nutmeg, so it looked like mashed potatoes.
Our kids have not been overly impressed with our wheat-free experiment as they are also having to veer from their comfort foods that I normally make (we're not making them eat wheat-free, but we are insisting that they try at least a bite of everything we're eating so they get some new taste experiences). They covered the portobello mushroom bite that we gave them with mustard and ketchup, but at least they ate it!
I actually didn't crave any wheat today, except at lunch when we made our kids Kraft Dinner and I really wanted to have a spoonful of it! Instead, I enjoyed my spinach salad with egg, turkey, cheese, mushrooms, garden peas, tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It sounds so much better than Kraft Dinner when I type it here, but I really, really wanted that scoop of goopy pasta! I'm very proud of myself for holding back!
I made hamburgers for supper, which is one of our family's favourites. Usually I put bread crumbs in to hold the meat together, so I had to improvise. I used an egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, tamari soy sauce and some Epicure French Onion dip mix (I usually use Onion Soup mix, but I threw the box out, so I didn't have the list of ingredients to check if there was any wheat in it - that's on my to-do list!). They actually held together really well on the barbecue, so who needs bread crumbs? I topped my burger with a little grated cheddar and some guacamole.
Another new thing tonight was that we had portobello mushrooms for the first time. I found this recipe and we decided to try it. My husband is an avid mushroom-hater, but he decided that for this month, he will try anything at least once. And he actually LOVED these mushrooms. He ate a whole one himself! we also topped the meal off with some baby potatoes roasted in the oven in olive oil and Epicure Garlic Dill topper (YUM), along with some steamed cauliflower that I mashed with some grated white cheddar and a little nutmeg, so it looked like mashed potatoes.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Day 4 - The Fog is Lifting!
Well, I'm finally feeling somewhat normal. I don't have the flu, so apparently all my symptoms this weekend were from wheat withdrawal. Kind of scary, isn't it?
I can think more clearly today, and I actually haven't had many wheat cravings yet, but I still have to get through the evening! My husband always finds evenings difficult, as he usually eats a bowl of cereal before bed. He's had to resort to eating nuts instead! He's actually doing much better on this plan than I am. He's lost 4 pounds already, and is feeling great (I'm trying not to be bitter!).
I went grocery shopping again today to find some wheat-free flavourings for my food. Now that we're getting into this more, I need more variety. I was shocked to learn that soy sauce has wheat in it, so I bought some tamari wheat-free soy sauce, along with some wheat-free teriyaki sauce. I also found some crackers made with rice instead of rice flour, and I made guacamole today for dipping my veggies in.
For lunch, I made a "sandwich" using iceberg lettuce as the bread. I spread some guacamole on it, then layered on some turkey bacon and cheese. YUMMY! I also made sure I had lots of veggies along with it. (It doesn't look super-appetizing in the photo, but it really tasted good!)
And as promised, here's the recipe for last night's Parmesan Pork Chops:
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- garlic powder & onion powder to taste (about 1 tsp of each)
- 4 - 6 pork chops
Whisk together the egg & milk. Combine the almonds, parmesan, garlic & onion powders in another bowl. Dip the pork chops in the egg/milk mixture, then dredge it through the almond/parmesan mix. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the pork chops (about 2 - 3 minutes per side). Remove the pork chops from the skillet and bake them in a 350 oven, covered, for about 30 minutes.
I can think more clearly today, and I actually haven't had many wheat cravings yet, but I still have to get through the evening! My husband always finds evenings difficult, as he usually eats a bowl of cereal before bed. He's had to resort to eating nuts instead! He's actually doing much better on this plan than I am. He's lost 4 pounds already, and is feeling great (I'm trying not to be bitter!).
I went grocery shopping again today to find some wheat-free flavourings for my food. Now that we're getting into this more, I need more variety. I was shocked to learn that soy sauce has wheat in it, so I bought some tamari wheat-free soy sauce, along with some wheat-free teriyaki sauce. I also found some crackers made with rice instead of rice flour, and I made guacamole today for dipping my veggies in.
For lunch, I made a "sandwich" using iceberg lettuce as the bread. I spread some guacamole on it, then layered on some turkey bacon and cheese. YUMMY! I also made sure I had lots of veggies along with it. (It doesn't look super-appetizing in the photo, but it really tasted good!)
And as promised, here's the recipe for last night's Parmesan Pork Chops:
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- garlic powder & onion powder to taste (about 1 tsp of each)
- 4 - 6 pork chops
Whisk together the egg & milk. Combine the almonds, parmesan, garlic & onion powders in another bowl. Dip the pork chops in the egg/milk mixture, then dredge it through the almond/parmesan mix. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the pork chops (about 2 - 3 minutes per side). Remove the pork chops from the skillet and bake them in a 350 oven, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Day 3 - Still Not Great
Today wasn't much better than yesterday. I actually ended up having to stay home from church because I had flu-like symptoms. I'm not sure if it's from the wheat withdrawal or if I actually have the flu, but I slept most of the morning and part of the afternoon, and I feel a bit better now.
Since I wasn't feeling well, I just nibbled all day (no wheat, though!). It was tough because I always like to have graham crackers or toast with cinnamon and brown sugar when I'm feeling sick, so I wasn't able to have any of my "comfort foods". I ate some fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts, though.
My husband made a really yummy pork chop dish for supper that was encrusted in parmesan cheese and almond flour with some garlic and onion salt, along with rice and balsamic roasted veggies. I picked at those a bit as my stomach is still not doing great, but it tasted pretty good. I'll post the recipe when I'm feeling better.
I guess I'll find out soon if this is withdrawal or sickness. My husband feels great, though! He is very excited about our new way of eating, and his only withdrawal symptom was a mild headache on the first day. I'm glad one of us feels well. I just need to push through and hopefully I'll start feeling better this week.
Since I wasn't feeling well, I just nibbled all day (no wheat, though!). It was tough because I always like to have graham crackers or toast with cinnamon and brown sugar when I'm feeling sick, so I wasn't able to have any of my "comfort foods". I ate some fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts, though.
My husband made a really yummy pork chop dish for supper that was encrusted in parmesan cheese and almond flour with some garlic and onion salt, along with rice and balsamic roasted veggies. I picked at those a bit as my stomach is still not doing great, but it tasted pretty good. I'll post the recipe when I'm feeling better.
I guess I'll find out soon if this is withdrawal or sickness. My husband feels great, though! He is very excited about our new way of eating, and his only withdrawal symptom was a mild headache on the first day. I'm glad one of us feels well. I just need to push through and hopefully I'll start feeling better this week.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Day 2 - Full-on Withdrawal
I'm feeling very foggy today, and it's actually taking some effort to write here. I'm completely unmotivated to do anything. I slept in until almost 11:30, and I've accomplished nothing today. I have a to-do list, but I really don't feel like doing anything on it. I hope these withdrawal symptoms go away soon! When I read the following in Dr. Davis' book, I didn't believe it could possibly be that bad, but I'm amazed (and a little frightened) by how going off of wheat is affecting my moods and my ability to think clearly:
"The closest parallel to wheat withdrawal is the nicotine withdrawal that results from quitting cigarettes; for some people, the experience is nearly as intense. Like nicotine withdrawal, wheat withdrawal can cause fatigue, mentail fogginess and irritability. It can also be accompanied by a vague dysphoria, a feeling of low mood and sadness. Wheat withdrawal often has the unique effect of diminished capacity to exercise that usually lasts from two to five days... What causes wheat withdrawal? It is likely that years of high-carbohydrate eating makes the metabolism reliant on a constant supply of readily absorbed sugars such as those in wheat. Removing sugar sources forces the body to adapt to mobilizing and burning fatty acids instead of more readily accessed sugars, a process that requires several days to kick in... Depriving the brain of wheat gluten-derived exorphins also adds to the withdrawal effect, the phenomenon that is likely responsible for the wheat cravings and dysphoria." (Wheat Belly, pp. 200 - 201)
This describes me exactly! I'm having a lot of trouble even typing this - I've made several spelling mistakes that I've had to go back and correct, and I'm finding it hard to make my fingers move where I want them. Scary.
My husband, on the other hand, feels great today! He had a mild headache yesterday, but today he feels fine. It's good that one of us feels good because I'm pretty useless today.
"The closest parallel to wheat withdrawal is the nicotine withdrawal that results from quitting cigarettes; for some people, the experience is nearly as intense. Like nicotine withdrawal, wheat withdrawal can cause fatigue, mentail fogginess and irritability. It can also be accompanied by a vague dysphoria, a feeling of low mood and sadness. Wheat withdrawal often has the unique effect of diminished capacity to exercise that usually lasts from two to five days... What causes wheat withdrawal? It is likely that years of high-carbohydrate eating makes the metabolism reliant on a constant supply of readily absorbed sugars such as those in wheat. Removing sugar sources forces the body to adapt to mobilizing and burning fatty acids instead of more readily accessed sugars, a process that requires several days to kick in... Depriving the brain of wheat gluten-derived exorphins also adds to the withdrawal effect, the phenomenon that is likely responsible for the wheat cravings and dysphoria." (Wheat Belly, pp. 200 - 201)
This describes me exactly! I'm having a lot of trouble even typing this - I've made several spelling mistakes that I've had to go back and correct, and I'm finding it hard to make my fingers move where I want them. Scary.
My husband, on the other hand, feels great today! He had a mild headache yesterday, but today he feels fine. It's good that one of us feels good because I'm pretty useless today.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Day One
Well, I've almost survived the first day without wheat. I was fine for the morning and through lunch, but around 3:00, the wheat cravings really hit me. I snacked on nuts and cheese and veggies, but nothing was what I really wanted. I didn't give in, though, and I've made it so far. I'm also really, really, really grouchy and irritable and tired (and no, it's not PMS!). I think I'll be going to bed early tonight. My husband has been fine, though he said he had a headache before supper.
For breakfast, I had Apple Walnut "bread" made with almond flour instead of wheat. The recipe was in the Wheat Belly book. You can find the recipe here, but it has applesauce, walnuts, almond flour, flaxseed and a few more healthy ingredients. This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven last night:
It was very tasty, but wasn't quite as sweet as I expected. It also crumbled and fell apart when I took it out of the pan, so I think next time I'll bake it a bit longer (or if you have any suggestions to make it stay together, I'd love to hear them)! I added a bit of butter to it, warmed it in the microwave and ate it from a bowl this morning like a crumbly cereal. It was a very filling breakfast, and I wasn't hungry at all until lunchtime. Here it is after it came out of the pan (and after my husband and I had gotten to it!):
Lunch was a very satisfying spinach salad with strawberries, mushrooms, egg, cheese, nuts and a home-made olive oil and raspberry vinegar dressing made with Epicure Selections Italian dressing spices. I'm very happy that most Epicure Selections spices and mixes don't have any wheat in them; they really enhance flavour. Doesn't that look yummy?
As I mentioned above, around 3:00 I started getting "hungry" - not that I was really hungry, but I really wanted some wheat snacks - crackers, chips, anything! But I made it through until supper. I made a taco pizza with a cauliflower crust (another recipe from Wheat Belly). It was very filling as well, and the crust tasted like cheese, though it had more of a frittata consistency than that of a crust. Here's the recipe:
- 1 head of cauliflower, steamed until soft
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs
Once the cauliflower is soft, mash it until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add the olive oil, cheese and eggs and mix them all together. Press the "dough" onto an oiled pizza pan and bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes. Then top it with pizza sauce and your favourite pizza toppings (we had taco meat, tomatoes, green peppers and more mozzarella). It was very tasty, and my husband had three helpings!
So it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. If we can get through the first week, apparently the cravings are supposed to subside. I'm really shocked by how irritable I'm feeling, though. Everyone is annoying me (and they're not doing anything wrong!). Hopefully that will lighten up tomorrow so my family won't hate me!
For breakfast, I had Apple Walnut "bread" made with almond flour instead of wheat. The recipe was in the Wheat Belly book. You can find the recipe here, but it has applesauce, walnuts, almond flour, flaxseed and a few more healthy ingredients. This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven last night:
- 1 head of cauliflower, steamed until soft
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs
Once the cauliflower is soft, mash it until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add the olive oil, cheese and eggs and mix them all together. Press the "dough" onto an oiled pizza pan and bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes. Then top it with pizza sauce and your favourite pizza toppings (we had taco meat, tomatoes, green peppers and more mozzarella). It was very tasty, and my husband had three helpings!
So it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. If we can get through the first week, apparently the cravings are supposed to subside. I'm really shocked by how irritable I'm feeling, though. Everyone is annoying me (and they're not doing anything wrong!). Hopefully that will lighten up tomorrow so my family won't hate me!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Grocery Shopping, Last Meal and Withdrawal Fears...
We carbo-loaded today, visiting the "Taste of Edmonton" summer fair and eating tons of stuff that was not only full of wheat, but also full of fat. We had pizza for dinner and cupcakes for dessert as well! Kind of like a last meal for prisoners!
I'm a little nervous about going into wheat withdrawal. I understand that the symptoms can last for up to two weeks and include headaches, irritability, cravings for wheat and fatigue. It's kind of scary when you think about it. What other food can you stop eating and go into withdrawal from (besides caffeine, which is a chemical)? I don't get headaches from not eating spinach or meat... Makes you think.
I'll let you know tomorrow how the first day goes! I'm baking Apple Walnut "bread" tonight to have for breakfast tomorrow (more details to come on that), so we're all set! Here we go!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
T-Minus Two Days!
Tomorrow we will be going grocery shopping to prepare for our new wheat-free life, which begins on Friday. My husband and I have decided that the kids will continue their diet as normal, which includes wheat, until we see how it affects our health. (I won't be cooking separate meals for them, but their breakfasts and lunches will remain the same.)
We'll be going to some new-to-me stores tomorrow, including Bulk Barn for almond flour and other ingredients, and T & T to try some different Asian ingredients. Should be interesting!
We'll be going to some new-to-me stores tomorrow, including Bulk Barn for almond flour and other ingredients, and T & T to try some different Asian ingredients. Should be interesting!
Monday, July 23, 2012
What's Wrong With Wheat?
I'm fascinated by what I've read in Dr. Davis' book, and as I said previously, I'm very interested to see whether or not his claims are true. Here is a quote from his book, Wheat Belly:
"Whole wheat bread (glycemic index 72) increases blood sugar as much as or more than table sugar (glycemic index 59)... So when I was devising a strategy to help my overweight, diabetes-prone patients reduce blood sugar most efficiently, it made sense to me that the quickest and simplest way to get results would be to eliminate the foods that caused their blood sugar to rise most profoundly: in other words, not sugar, but wheat... After three months, my patients returned to have more blood work done. As I had anticipated, with only rare exceptions, blood sugar had indeed often dropped from diabetic range to normal... Many patients had also lost twenty, thirty, even forty pounds... They reported that symptoms of acid reflux disappeared and the cyclic cramping and diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome were gone. Their energy improved, they had greateer focus, sleep was deeper." (pp. 8 - 9)
I am fascinated by this. Dr. Davis goes on to explain the relationship between blood sugar levels and insulin production in the body and the cycle of visceral fat that is created by this (I'll go into more detail on this in a later post). It goes against the conventional thinking of "healthy whole grains" to say that wheat increases blood sugar levels more than sugar! (And yes, he's talking about whole wheat and grains, not just refined white flour.)
As I mentioned before, I'm skeptical, but curious to see if there will be any change to my overall health (not to mention weight loss!) if I eliminate wheat from my diet.
Four more days until our journey begins! I hope you'll stay tuned!
"Whole wheat bread (glycemic index 72) increases blood sugar as much as or more than table sugar (glycemic index 59)... So when I was devising a strategy to help my overweight, diabetes-prone patients reduce blood sugar most efficiently, it made sense to me that the quickest and simplest way to get results would be to eliminate the foods that caused their blood sugar to rise most profoundly: in other words, not sugar, but wheat... After three months, my patients returned to have more blood work done. As I had anticipated, with only rare exceptions, blood sugar had indeed often dropped from diabetic range to normal... Many patients had also lost twenty, thirty, even forty pounds... They reported that symptoms of acid reflux disappeared and the cyclic cramping and diarrhea of irritable bowel syndrome were gone. Their energy improved, they had greateer focus, sleep was deeper." (pp. 8 - 9)
I am fascinated by this. Dr. Davis goes on to explain the relationship between blood sugar levels and insulin production in the body and the cycle of visceral fat that is created by this (I'll go into more detail on this in a later post). It goes against the conventional thinking of "healthy whole grains" to say that wheat increases blood sugar levels more than sugar! (And yes, he's talking about whole wheat and grains, not just refined white flour.)
As I mentioned before, I'm skeptical, but curious to see if there will be any change to my overall health (not to mention weight loss!) if I eliminate wheat from my diet.
Four more days until our journey begins! I hope you'll stay tuned!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Why Go Wheat-Free?
Although I have been tested for food allergies, I am not allergic to gluten or wheat. But when I mentioned on Facebook that I was going to try eating wheat-free to see if I possibly had a wheat sensitivity, a friend recommended that I read "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis. I read the book on our holiday last week and I was blown away. If everything Dr. Davis claims about wheat is true, then we all need to stop eating wheat. But his claims go against conventional diet and medical advice, so I am still skeptical. I read a lot of the book aloud to my husband, and we both agreed that we need to at least try what Dr. Davis says to see if it makes any difference to our health and weight.
Among other health problems that my husband and I and our children face are:
- Headaches (I have a perpetual low-grade headache almost every day, often flaring into a big one, and my husband frequently suffers from headaches)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Stomach pain/heartburn
- Fatigue
- Numbness in limbs
- Insomnia
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Lethargy
- Overweight
Will cutting wheat (and other quick-burning carbohydrates) from our diet relieve our health problems? Will it help us lose weight?
I currently weigh 168 pounds (*gasp - did I just admit that to the whole world?), and I am 5' 6". I gained forty pounds with my pregnancies, and I have not been able to take the weight off despite numerous dieting attempts. I easily lose 5 pounds, only to gain it back again right away. I think I've lost the same five pounds at least twenty times over the past six years!
Our journey will begin on Friday. We are still on holidays this week, so we are mentally preparing for going off of wheat (and foolishly indulging in our favourite wheat-filled treats!). Thursday will be spent grocery shopping (we'll have to completely restock our pantry), so we can begin the next day!
I'm curious to see if Dr. Davis' claims are true and if they will work for us. In the coming days and weeks, I'll fill you in on some of his claims as we adjust our diet. I'll be posting our trials, experiences, strategies, successes and failures, and recipes that we enjoy during our journey. Thanks for joining us as we see if going wheat-free works for our family. Who knows, if this is successful, we may be wheat-free for life!
Among other health problems that my husband and I and our children face are:
- Headaches (I have a perpetual low-grade headache almost every day, often flaring into a big one, and my husband frequently suffers from headaches)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Stomach pain/heartburn
- Fatigue
- Numbness in limbs
- Insomnia
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Lethargy
- Overweight
Will cutting wheat (and other quick-burning carbohydrates) from our diet relieve our health problems? Will it help us lose weight?
I currently weigh 168 pounds (*gasp - did I just admit that to the whole world?), and I am 5' 6". I gained forty pounds with my pregnancies, and I have not been able to take the weight off despite numerous dieting attempts. I easily lose 5 pounds, only to gain it back again right away. I think I've lost the same five pounds at least twenty times over the past six years!
Our journey will begin on Friday. We are still on holidays this week, so we are mentally preparing for going off of wheat (and foolishly indulging in our favourite wheat-filled treats!). Thursday will be spent grocery shopping (we'll have to completely restock our pantry), so we can begin the next day!
I'm curious to see if Dr. Davis' claims are true and if they will work for us. In the coming days and weeks, I'll fill you in on some of his claims as we adjust our diet. I'll be posting our trials, experiences, strategies, successes and failures, and recipes that we enjoy during our journey. Thanks for joining us as we see if going wheat-free works for our family. Who knows, if this is successful, we may be wheat-free for life!
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