A gluten challenge

On Monday night, I decided to try a gluten challenge.  To isolate it further I used barley instead of wheat.  Using the wheat might show a wheat sensitivity but not clear up the gluten question.

Yeah, I’m almost like a scientist.

So it was pork chops and cauliflower with barley.  It went down all right but I thought I noticed an increase in pain later in the evening.  Nothing substantial yet.  I went to sleep and started waking up in the wee hours with hip pain.  This hasn’t happened since I did the corn challenge.  When I got up, I felt like crap.  (okay, maybe I’m not a real scientist)

The crappy feeling got mixed up with the whole dog issue yesterday but I still feel like I had a reaction to the barley.  Plus, my bowels got messed up.  Let’s just leave it at that.

So that’s gluten.  Oddly, the reaction wasn’t as painful as the corn challenge.  Interesting.  And corn is in everything!  I’m just going to do my best with the corn and try not to make myself crazy (crazier) eradicating every little bit of corn in my life.  Since I don’t seem to be having an traditional allergic reaction with asthma, hives, etc, I think I’ve got some leeway.

On to food and comfort.  Yesterday I was feeling sad and I wanted some comfort.  And I knew I had to eat pretty clean because the gluten was working it’s way out. In the afternoon I finished off the last piece of Quinoa Cake with coconut milk. For dinner it was sweet potato with Smart Balance margarine and cinnamon.  I’m using the Smart Balance but it has soy, soy and soy in it.  So far, I haven’t found a good substitute and yesterday I wasn’t in the mood to skip it.  By bedtime I was tired and sad and needy.  So I broke out my Pamela’s Pancake Mix and made some pancakes.  Just little ones.  With more Smart Balance and agave syrup.  They were okay but had that extra “this certainly doesn’t taste like a regular pancake” flavor.  Sigh…

It could have been worse.  I don’t like to be sad (duh) and have always used something to get through it.  So last night it was sugar/carbs.  How am I feeling this morning?  Not great but I don’t have a lot of body pain.  That’s pretty good.

I’m glad I let myself (and my diet) bend instead of break.  Today will be a better day because of it.

For Pete’s sake

I’ve got a bunch of body pain today.  What???  The most likely candidate is egg since I’ve just reintroduced them and ate three yesterday.  That and the weather is about to change…that usually affects the FM.  But still…geeze.  I’ve been good sticking to the diet but there must be something that’s getting me because I’m having body pain.  It’s still not as bad as before I started The Experiment but not as good as the first few weeks.

Yesterday my sister in law (hi Viki!) pointed out that if I’m sensitive to corn then I have to watch it because there’s corn in a gazillon things.  A quick spin through google confirms this.  Not only corn syrup but corn derivitives are everywhere and called by every name but “corn”.

Great.

I also found out yesterday that my biological father and my paternal uncle both have wheat sensitivity and the uncle has been gluten free for a couple of years.  I guess when he eats any gluten he breaks out in a terrible rash.  Sounds very celiac diseasey to me.  My paternal aunt (the messenger) tries not to eat gluten herself.

Very interesting, don’t you think?

I’m trying to eat clean today.  Had a hemp protein smoothie for breakfast with my one coffee and some herb tea.  Kevin is making his nummy no-tomato chili for the rest of the day.  For dinner last night it was quinoa and diced sweet potatoes fried up in a skillet  with a little tahini and oil.

It was very mediocre.

So no eggs today, no processed foods, just chili and some fruit.  And water.  I should really be drinking more water.  Wish me luck!

Great dinner

Even if I do say so myself.  Remember that I’m doing this diet on the cheap.  I went to the store this evening and found some thin pork steak on sale.  I cut them up into serving size pieces and dredged them in a “breading” made from ground almonds and a little gluten-free baking mix.  I browned both sides in canola oil and set the pan onto medium low for the short time it took to cook all the way through.

In the meantime I was roasting sweet potato shoestrings in the oven…another recipe from Karina’s Kitchen.  I’m loving this artist/cook/blogger/gluten and dairy free goddess.  The potatoes are simple to make but there is something magic about the taste of sweet potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper and cinnamon.  I’m getting more inclined to sneak cinnamon in whenever I can because just a hint makes anything taste (and smell) ever so slightly exotic.  And if you live in a medium small town for your entire life, like me, you need exotic whenever you can get it!

I finished the meal with simple steamed broccoli.  Low carb, strong protein, and delicious eating.  Not to mention cheap.  Which of course I just mentioned.

I stuffed myself…not the best way to go but I won’t be sad about not making dessert.  If I get snacky before bed I’ll pop a few sweet green grapes courtesy of my neighbors, Pavel and Svetlana.  Pavel knows how to grow the grapes.

Perfect.

I should say also that the hemp shake I made for lunch carried me through the whole afternoon, through a trip to the store and back again.  Plus, enough energy to dream up and cook dinner.  That’s a good thing.

In fact…that is a great thing.