Almost daily someone comments on what I eat. "Oh, you can eat that?" or "Wow, I am surprised you are eating such and such." This chatter comes from perceptions people have about good foods and bad foods. I know I make my own share of assumptions on a variety of topics but right now I find these well meaning remarks mildly frustrating.

Thus far I have paid lots of money for tests and counsel on what my individual body needs to function well. We are all uniquely created and except for some fairly obvious rules like don't eat bacon cheeseburgers three times a day for a month, every system is different. I am learning to listen to my body and respond accordingly.

I had my consult last week with my new doctor after all the results were in from my testing. Some unusual things showed up on my radar screen. I mentioned a few before but I will give the entire list here today. First the good news; no weird bacteria, candida or parasites are growing within me. More good news; all my food sensitivities were mild to moderate. Nothing showed up as a high irritant. For these things, I am thankful. It may mean that I will be able to work most of the off limit foods back into my diet eventually.

Here is what I currently avoid: Buttermilk, Casein, American Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Whey, Yogurt, Gluten, Wheat, Baker's Yeast, Brewer's Yeast, White Mushroom, Cinnamon, Apple

There. Not too bad, right? Along with this is a particular consideration of sugar and vinegars. Those are found almost everywhere and I need to severely limit both.

Many kindly ask if I am feeling any better? The answer is yes and no. I have good days and bad days. Today was a very bad day. On days like this I wonder if its all worth it. I find myself thinking that if I just eat the right thing my symptoms will all go away. That's not really how this works.

Eating good food and avoiding the irritants will give me a leg up fighting this disease. It won't make it go away all together. Only surgery or a miraculous healing would do that. The idea is to fortify my system so that I can fight the Colitis from the best possible position.

Slowly but surely I gain knowledge and confidence in this journey towards health.

Eating Gluten and Dairy-free,

Caroline

p.s. I am feeling more comfortable shopping at Whole Foods. No longer feel like a poser!

I’ll diverge from my food stories for brief time but here is a brief wedding weekend update: Made it thru the rehearsal dinner with my oil and fresh squeezed lemon on my salad. Yummy, really! At the last minute I went with a BBQ Chicken option over Grilled Salmon, finding out later that the salmon came with a large portion of butter sauce. I think I made the right choice. Only ate one cookie (C’mon, they were from the Bonbonerie!) Got a very pleasant gluten-free dinner at the reception with salad and fresh fruit for dessert. Not bad!

Now onto Pom Pom’s!

A couple of years ago my oldest son married a wonderful girl he met during his college days and had reconnected with several years later. We liked her immediately and saw she was a great fit for our son. At one of her bridal showers I gave her a set of pom pom's. I told her I was no longer serving in the role of head cheerleader for my son, that was her new job. It seems like a silly gift but to me, it packs a powerful message. Wives need to be encouragers!

Last weekend number two son married the sweetheart of his dreams. Again, at one of her showers, I gave her a set of pom pom's. She is the daughter of a Senior Pastor of a church several towns away and received the gift at the church shower where I knew only a few relatives. The bride read the note of explanation to the entire room and several people commented afterward saying they were touched by the sentiment.

This weekend at the wedding, one of the women from the church shower approached me as I left the dance floor (I did go to college during the height of disco so I do have a few moves!). She referred back to the pom pom gift and my note to my DIL. She said she went home that day from the shower thinking she was not the cheerleader for her son that she should be. They had experienced a few rough times and she knew deep in her heart that she needed to step up her encouragement to him. Then she thanked me for the message of encouragement, meant for my DIL but also received by her. It was icing on the cake to hear that story.

You never know who is listening.

Cheering for all women,

Caroline

"What foods can I eat at the rehearsal dinner and reception?", popped out of my mouth at my latest Dr.'s appointment. I wanted to cheat and I wasn't ashamed of it. After all, I baked over 800 cookies for the wedding without so much as a nibble. I deserve a break for a day or so, right?

Lucky or unlucky for me, my Dr. has a winsome way about her where she skillfully guided my thinking toward not really wanting sour cream on my baked potato. Oh, and the restaurant dressing won't really be a big deal, will it? I won't pick blue cheese or anything, (although I'd love that choice). Her reply, "Just ask for oil and some fresh lemon to squeeze on the salad. Oh, for heaven's sake!

I have the entree covered in both venues but I was hoping for a little relaxation of the rules on the sides and such. Not so fast. Some of my results are back and while I don't have Celiac's disease, I need to stay away from gluten. And sugar, which feeds the gluten. And dairy. And apples! Weird, huh? Next week I get the full report but right now I have to admit I already mourn the loss of cheese coneys!

Kroger has a decent gluten-free frozen section in their health food area. I purchased a pizza (what the heck is that cheese going to be, I really don't want to know), a frozen burrito and a small Mexican entree. I could eat at Morton's Steak House for what I paid for all of it but I'll give it a try.

That's what this is all about. Trying to find new ways to eat healthy and within my new found guidelines. Today the Dr. said, "Knowledge is power." I don't feel very powerful yet but maybe as I start to improve, I'll gain a certain confidence about my choices and the bounce will return to my step.

So many join me in avoiding gluten, which makes the adage, "misery loves company" ring true. And thank goodness for the Internet. Resources abound there and good friends sending tips, are balm to the soul.

This Friday, as MOG, I'll put on my "beige dress" and try and stay out of the way. Remembering how much I already love my new DIL will put the perfect smile on my face as I go down the aisle on the arm of my son, starting a brand new chapter in the life of our family.

Smiling already,

Caroline

Labels: Celiac's, cheating, gluten-free

Normally, cooking for my family when they all gather makes my heart sing. Labor Day weekend hosts a baseball tournament where older guys, like my husband, can play alongside their sons. For a couple of years now, our oldest has returned to play with his dad. Its a sweet gig and they both love it. Lest you think the old guy might be stretching himself athletically, this man plays full up baseball about eight months out of the year. "Buff", could have his picture by it in the dictionary.

So the house filled up again with son, wife-with-child and large dog along with everyone else living here. Dirty dishes piled up, laundry increased, but so did the love and laughter. For occasions such as these I like to make meticulous lists of menus and groceries to buy. This time was different.

While I laid in foodstuffs which met my dietary needs, nothing sounded exciting or tasty enough for my gang. I just couldn't get past the "I can't eat such and such" enough to enjoy planning food for the weekend. Add to that, nausea has kept me even more off my hospitality game.

Fortunately the family rallied nicely despite my sullen mood. My daughter baked a pan of chocolate chipped cookies which kept everyone happy all weekend. My husband took everyone out for Mexican while I attended a wedding. Again, gastronomic victory! And the one meal I did plan for everyone besides breakfasts proved a rousing success. I grilled chicken, served a large green salad dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette and made a red potato, green bean salad as a side. Either I have raised very polite kids, great actors or they genuinely enjoyed the meal.

It was hard to clean the cookie pan without snitching a bite. Morning waffles from scratch almost had me cheating as well but I survived day eight without veering of the strict diet plan.

I can't say I feel good about this because right this minute, I feel pretty miserable but maybe relief lurks around the corner. Dr. visit number three occurs tomorrow so we will see if she has an encouraging word.

My husband reminds me this is temporary. I focus on the discomfort of it all. I actually looked up some recipes for waffles which would have been allowable but they contained so many bizarre ingredients, none of which I had on hand, so I gave up and nibbled a rice cake instead.

Waiting for some relief,
Caroline

Labels: baseball, buff, Elimination Diet