I don't know what it is about 2012, but I have been very absent from the blog world. It is not intentional but it just seems like life gets in the way sometimes. So let's address the question as to where have I been??!!
So rewind to March... I decided to apply for an American Cancer Society Post-Doctoral Fellowship Grant and wrote the grant in a week and a half. Wow that was some crazy times! Then I headed to Austin, Texas for the SGO meeting. Austin was lovely! Then I was back for roughly 2 days (but a rough 2 days!) and repacked my belongings and then headed to another meeting in Chicago!!! Actually I was at the American Association for Cancer Research's Annual Meeting! It was a great meeting but I was cold, especially just coming from the warm south!
Luckily through my travels I did not get sick but wow was I tired. Then it was back to the lab to start research back up and regain my thoughts. Being 2 weeks out of the lab sometimes just feels like a lifetime.
I thought I would have more time to craft but I opted to rest and get back into life. I did do some sewing for Charity (which will post soon I promise I just found my camera!) and I sent my first shipment!
Also I had another bad bout of my stomach illness we just can't seem to point out the trigger. I had another friend who also began having stomach issues and she decided to do the primal diet and thought maybe I should try it out. After much reading I decided to just go wheat free and see if that was my trigger. BINGO! Yes we have now identified my trigger wheat and oats. And how do I know? Well I added it back in and felt ill for a while, so yes this is my trigger. Almost 6 years of being tortured and now I finally found my cause. I have given up wheat for 2 months now and I have never felt better! I am not as tired as I used to be, I have a ton of energy and its not from drinking many cups of coffee, its all natural. I don't feel sluggish. The best part is all of my stomach issues are now gone. I mean gone. Gas,bloating, pain, nausea, cramping, and the other issues have all disappeared. I don't spend hours in the bathroom or parts of my weekend clenched in a ball. It probably took me 2 weeks to realize it that they were gone. My boyfriend noticed too! I thought to myself, "wow, this is how normal people feel everyday! This is what I have been missing!". Now I have decided to go completely gluten free. And I will state this I do NOT have Celiac disease. I have been tested many times for Celiac and get nothing. I have a wheat intolerance. I don't think it is a wheat allergy. Whatever it is.. If I give up wheat I feel good. That is all that matters right now!
So eating gluten free what does that mean?
Well no more pizza (unless gluten free-easier said than done), cake, baked goods, bread, beer, granola, and many many other things.
What can I eat?
Fruits, veggies, meat, sushi (yes rice is gluten free), ice cream, dairy items, potatoes, so many of the foods I love I can still eat.
Breads is tough b/c lunch and breakfast are difficult especially if I am traveling. I am having to learn how to cook all over again, without regular flour. I make sure I eat more fruits and veggies daily now. I went to my first farmers market and even bought veggies that I have never ate before and I'm experimenting with food! Stay tuned for recipes now on the blog!
I have begun to refashion and sew and projects will begin to trickle in. I also lost my camera. I found it this weekend. Yay! I probably won't be able to do as many projects like last year bc/ I will be spending my time in the kitchen more! But its a good thing! I do also have a few bellydance projects in the wood works too. And I'm also going through things as I have felt this urge to purge things from my place. Why? I have no idea. Maybe it is because I no longer feel ill and I am level headed and I can focus on tossing things? Or it is just spring/summer cleaning. Either way, I am getting rid of unused items. One of them being recipe books! They are no longer good for me. :( Martha Stewart you need to come out with a gluten free cookbook. Seriously!
So as May is flying past me, I wish everyone a productive and creative summer. And anyone who has GI issues I urge you to consider giving up wheat, it has changed my life! :)
Cheers and here's to my posts becoming more productive. :)
Lauren
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing your story. I had a similar epiphany when I was in middle school. I would get sick every evening after dinner. Yucky stomach issues. It was so bad, that I would have to lie down on the couch after dinner every night because my tummy hurt so bad. My doctor suggested that it might be a dairy intolerance. And she was right! I had been drinking a large glass of milk with dinner every night. When I eliminated dairy, my life changed! I now know that I can eat a little dairy, but not too much. Glad you found your trigger. Good luck with your new eating plan!
My daughter is also wheat intolerant, so we fully understand how horrible it is to live with. We have found many good cookery books on Amazon, they are worth checking out. She also finds if funny that many people believe rice is made from wheat and that it is not grown!
I follow smoldering wick designs on blog and she shares some lovely wheat free receipes. Good luck on your future diet it isn't always easy but worth it.
Yay for finding the cause! Wheat is such a terrible food for MOST people, even those who think they are healthy. Have you read "Wheat Belly"? Dr William Davis discusses different types of testing, and has a great recipe section.
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