Update

Almost one month down since we started our allergy-free diet.  It has been going quite well.   I have lost 10 lbs. strictly by changing my nutrition.  Daniel has been extremely successful with self control.  One of his biggest challenges has been giving up peanut butter!  An awesome alternative we use is sunbutter!  It's very good...but expensive-so make sure you use it conservatively. 

Another go to ingredient we make sure to always have on hand is rice! We recently invested in a rice cooker.  It has rocked our worlds!  Jasmine rice is so fluffy and delightful.  Cook with a can of coconut milk to make an even more delectable side dish.  Mmmmm!

Soup has been a great addition to my menu.  I go through a box of chicken stock a week...but it has been totally worth it.  I make a big pot that lasts us up to 3 days (lunch/dinner).  The best one so far consisted of spicy sausage patties, onions, salt/sweet potatoes, and carrots.  It was deeeelicious!  Nice and spicy to keep us warm during the cold month of February.

On to my work out plans.  To get my next 10 lbs. off, I signed up for the Lilac Festival 5k.  I ran this race back in 2010.  Very easy running course.  But-I haven't really ran since 2010...so it's back to square one.  I have a gym membership at Planet Fitness, which is really helpful because I don't own a treadmill.   I've set a running schedule for myself (Tues/Thurs/Sat).  Started day 1 yesterday!  I'm excited to get physically fit.  My 2012 resolution was to lose 30 lbs.  I'm taking it in 10 lb. increments.  10 down from changing my nutrition, and hopefully another 10 will come off by the Lilac Festival.  I want to join a zumba class...or a spin class to get the last 10 off.   One word describes how I'm feeling about all of this...PUMPED!!!  :-)  

GF/Vegan Bread

I found this GF/Vegan Bread recipe online last week.  I was a little intimidated by it, being that the ingredients were very foreign to me.  You can find all of the different flours/starches in the organic aisle of Wegmans (or your local grocery store/health foods store).

A special thanks goes out to my lovely mother, Lisa.  She is really the one who made this happen...because I had no idea what I was doing!
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Delicious Gluten-Free, Vegan Bread

Recipe for 2 loaves—it is okay to halve the recipe if you want to make just one

Note: If you are using a mixer that doesn’t have a great engine, you may want to mix it by hand at the end to ensure it’s all mixed.  Since there’s no gluten to get tough from overmixing, you can mix until you’re confident.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 1/2 cups millet flour
1/2 cup teff flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch (or double the potato starch if you can’t eat corn)
1 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp active dry yeast (not rapid rise)

Add:

4 tsp olive oil
3 1/4 cup warm water (not hot)

Mix with electric mixer–using paddle attachment, NOT regular beaters or bread hook–for two minutes.  The bread dough will be more like cake batter than traditional bread dough.

For the rising:

Standard method: Pour into two nonstick or well-greased loaf pans, place on a warm surface (such as on top of the pre-heated oven), and cover with a towel. Allow to rise until batter extends a bit over the top of the pan–generally 50-70 minutes. (Batter should take up about half the loaf pan before rising.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove loaf pans from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Return to oven and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven. (Insert a toothpick or knife into the center to see if it comes out clean or doughy, if you aren’t sure when you pull out the bread.)

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Well, my husband and I are VERY pleased with the results, and highly recommend this recipe.  Try it even if you don't have allergies!  Here's a picture of the end product :-)

Right out of the oven!

After we dug in...mmmm!

February!!

February 1st: I prepared our first allergy-free dinner.  I didn't follow a recipe.  It was just a tasty sweet & spicy stir fry.
Directions:
Cut up 2 chicken breasts.  Heat up pan with a little bit of olive oil.  Spices for chicken: chili powder, garlic, and red hot sauce.  Veggies:  any colorful pepper (our favorite is red)...you could also add broccoli/onions etc...but I felt like keeping it simple.  When chicken is cooked, squeeze honey all over it.  Serve with rice. 

February 2nd:  More of my blood results came back today (remember the 5 vials back in December).  I have a hypometabolic liver.  This essentially means a "sluggish" liver.  When the liver doesn't work, here are a few symptoms that you can experience:

• A weakened immune system
• Very low energy levels
• Digestive problems/IBS diagnosis
• High levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides
• Heart disease
• Pain by the lower right rib cage
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating and poor memory
• Yellowing of the eyes
• Skin rashes
• Gall bladder disease/gall stones
• Inability to lose weight no matter what
• Poor skin and hair

Ughh.  For me, it's almost 'yes' to everything above.  The doctor set me up with a natural way to clean up and strengthen my liver.  If you have experienced any of the above...research liver cleanses.  Also, find a homeopathic doctor who will help you get on the right path.
Well, I'll keep everyone updated with my progress as I start repairing myself.  I've been looking to put a correct label to why my body has constantly shut down on me since I was 17.  This is very exciting, and gives me hope that I'll actually find a 'cure,' something I was beginning to think was impossible.

Before & After

Preparation has begun for our 'make-over' diet!  Let me preface this transformation with a little side note.  This past week I became convicted about how much time I spend on electronics.  My favorites are: hulu/netflix, words with friends, facebook, pinterest, and now blogging.  I look back at the last couple of months and my routine has been: work all day...come home...eat dinner...sit on the recliner for the rest of the night with electronics.  I'm a goal setter.  I like to write out lists (cleaning/groceries/house updates/work-out schedules etc.)  But, my excessive electronic use has made me LAZY!!  So---2012 is going to be a year of CHANGE for this Lauritzson family.  After 8pm (Sun-Wed)...Daniel and I are going to shut off ALL electronic devices.  That gives us a good 3 hours to read, work on projects, plan out allergy-free menus, and spend quality time together.  So excited about this!!

Okay...onto the transformation.  Here is a before pic of our pantry.  You will also see my 'laziness' as it is extremely unorganized...and what I would call "A Hot Mess!"

Now let's move on to the NEWLY re-organized, de-cluttered, allergy-free cupboard!!!

Using containers/baskets was an idea I got from pinterest last night.  I was so inspired that I went out moments later and purchased everything--cleaned out the pantry--and ta-da!

As I'm clearing out our pantry, I feel a big weight lifting off my shoulders.  A sort of renewing of the spirit/mind/body.
Yay 2012...I really like the direction you're heading in!

P.S.-here's all the food we'll be donating.

Coping with Food Allergies

Many thanks for the support and encouragement we've been receiving regarding this "allergy-free" diet we're about to embark on.  It's interesting to see how many people struggle with some kind of food allergy.  Keep sending me your recipes and ideas!  I plan on building a cook book with the ones that end up working for us.  Perhaps at the end of this year...I will make it accessible online, so that other "newbies" to this diet can find success.

I'm feeling more and more positive and empowered about this drastic transition thanks to my mom and mamaritzy(mother-in-law).  My mom has always been 'doctor mom' to me.  When I'm not feeling well, she's the first person I turn to.  I don't know what it is--but she always finds a way to make me feel better.  She has been doing a lot of research for me, regarding food allergies.  Something she came up with for me is called a FODMAP diet.  Check it out if you've ever experienced digestion issues!  Perhaps it'll fit your symptoms?!

My mother-in-law (Debbie) is one strong lady.  A couple of years ago she was given the same results as Daniel.  She, having gone through life not knowing about the evil food demon, experienced a lot of pain and suffering and false diagnosis.  After taking the plunge, and going on the allergy free diet, she has cleansed her body, and done something modern medicine couldn't do for her in 30 + years.   Her success gives Daniel and I hope!  PLUS...she is a phenomenal resource for us (and for anyone reading this blog-possibly dealing with a similar situation).  Make sure to mark down any recipe of her's I post!   She's amazing at making substitute ingredients taste like the real thing!!

A website she sent over tonight really excited the 'cheap skate' in me :-)  This website is for those (like Daniel & I) who are new to all of this.

Here's to new beginnings!! (raises glass of delicious beringer red moscato wine) mmmm!

 

Food, Inc.

Brian came home tonight and told us about a documentary on food corporations called Food, Inc.  We found it on Netflix and watched it.  My mind has officially been BLOWN!  If you have not heard of this documentary, please research it or go out and rent/buy it. 
Things I've learned tonight:
-Corporate greed is horrible--so in order to put these giants out of business (or at least make them listen to us) we need to...
-Buy produce/meat locally
-Buy ORGANIC food
-Read food labels in grocery stores

Force yourselves to KNOW what's going into your bodies.

I Corinthians 6:19: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?"

Blood!!!!

Blawwwwwd!!  You'll understand once you watch this video.

Between the two of us, Daniel and I got six vials of blood taken right after Christmas, in hopes of finding out what foods we are allergic to.  After anxiously waiting three weeks...we finally got the results this past Tuesday.  The verdict: food allergy demon spawn: 1.  Daniel: 0.  Yes...that's right.  The food allergy demon spawn wins this time.  We found out that my husband is allergic to almost EVERYTHING.  Okay, yes, that's being quite dramatic but let me give you an idea.  Here are just a few of the things that Daniel cannot have for the next...oh...ever!

-soy
-pineapple
-all dairy products
-gluten/wheat
-eggs
-malt and barley (which are in a lot of beers)
-peanut butter
-almonds
-beef
-green beans

...and the list goes on...but those are some of the BIG ones!!

After having a small melt down, both Daniel and I agreed that we should really give this allergy-free diet a chance for at least a year (hence the blog).   Forewarning: Daniel and I don't cook...we don't plan out our meals...and we are used to shopping at Walmart--all of which are not going to make this drastic transition any easier!  Oh, and did I mention that I am extremely cheap...and health foods aren't exactly great for the wallet!

Anyone want some free groceries?!  Wednesday, February 1st, 2012!!  That's when I plan to rid our house of the food allergy demon spawn.  Look for 'before' pictures in the next couple of days...and the subsequent 'after' pictures of our soon to be empty kitchen!

Cheers!!

~Jillian