diet update and a yummy sugar free/dairy free ice cream

So here's a little update on my diet. It's still evolving and probably always will be. I had given up white flour and sugar back in August. I didn't expect that I would feel so much better after giving it up. I knew it would be good for me long term but I didn't realize what a difference it would make in the present. Well, I fell off the band wagon when I went to visit family in Sept./Oct. I finally got the will power up to give up sugar again in early December. But I wasn't ready to give up the flour again. It is just too hard.

I didn't really notice a difference when giving up sugar (but have stuck it out these few months since). In fact, by late December, during all the days of festive eating (minus sugary stuff), my body was overloaded by everything and I think was trying to self destruct! I was in so much pain! Literally, every time I took a step, it felt like my body was going to explode. Walking the dogs was really a form of torture for me! That's when I decided I needed to get serious about finding out what was giving my body such a hard time. My first thought was wheat, or gluten. Since I had given up white flour, and really restricted the amount of wheat flour products I was having too and that's when I felt good, it made sense.

I didn't give up white or wheat flour right away. I just tried to switch to more veggies while weaning myself off flour. For a month, I did that and logged my food and how I felt. This will be for the GI doctor later (still doing that most days). Things got a bit better but there was still a lot of pain and discomfort...some days were worse than others. Then after a month (and a few days since I was having a hard time saying goodbye to wheat) I went gluten free.

It's been difficult. I really love bread and that gluten free bread out there is not bread. I really crave bread sometimes! Fresh from the oven, still steaming, with some butter and apple butter. Oh yes, this is the stuff dreams are made of. ;o) But I made the switch. And I have done pretty well, if I do say so myself.

I was hoping for more progress in my health improvement...and quicker too! But it wasn't as fast as last time or as pronounced. But I do definitely see an improvement! I am no longer in pain the vast majority of the time. I do still get really uncomfortable at times...and other issues I have been dealing with are not quite fixed. But overall, I feel so much better that I am willing to give up yummy bread forever to never again feel like I did, it's that much of a difference.

I still feel like I can improve more...the last of my symptoms can be taken care of. At least I hope so. So on Monday, I have also gone dairy free. It's a month long trial I'm doing. If it makes no difference, I will go back to consuming dairy since it's another thing I love. But if it helps, I will also cut it out.

It is difficult to be on such a restricted diet! But I do know there are still a lot of foods that I love that I can eat so I try to concentrate on that instead and not be too bummed when I learn yet another thing I like is now on my no no list.

In honor of that, I am a dessert person. It's unrealistic for me to believe I can go through life without indulging in a dessert every now and then. I have found a few things so far that I can eat and feel like I am not too deprived. Here's one of my most recent finds.

All it takes is a frozen banana, a scoop of almond butter (or peanut butter), a scoop of cocoa and some coconut milk. Oh, and a handful of ice cubes. I didn't really measure anything. Then I blended it up in my blender. The first time I made it, I made it with cream and it came out very silky smooth, like moouse. This time, with the coconut milk, it was more liquidy but same taste. Yum! So good and perfectly healthy!



A little update on Adam: He has given up wheat...not gluten, just wheat. He is allowing small amounts in things like soy sauce, salad dressing, things with maltodextrin, caramel coloring/flavoring, and other ingredient labels that gluten free people can't eat. He is hoping it helps him with his tiredness level. He says he will do it for a month and see how he feels before deciding either way. Crazy! I was shocked when he told me that. He lives on pasta and bread so it will be interesting to see him cope as he gets further along. He hasn't cut out sugar either so he can still have things like no bake cookies...he's been really thinking about that. lol Anyway, I hope he sees an improvement because it would be relly good for him to not be so tired all the time.