Grain Free in 2010! - Page 2

[elleystar]

I'm in!

It took me an hour just to read this thread, thanks to all the fascinating links that led me on to other fascinating links. Now I know that water kefir is something I must try. I've always ignored discussions about it before. And I've added books and the spiral slicer to my wish list.

Originally Posted by greenmom4

Voila!

Ha! I was going to post that but I'm glad to see someone beat me to it!

I wish it was easier to find wine made without sulfites.

[FairyRae]

Grain Free Tortillas--YUM!

So, for those of you not avoiding too many carbs, I did a blend of a gluten free tortilla recipe from Heart of Cooking and a bread recipe at Spunky Coconut. (I've made the braided bread--it rocks, and is grain free!) They came out awesome--ds LOVED eating (grain free) tacos for dinner tonight!

I'm going to give you the recipe that I modified (mostly from Heart of Cooking)--I halved it when I made it and it came out awesome. (I also have a tortilla press which I KNOW makes a difference in how easy they are to make...) The only part I changed from the original recipe is bolded.

Grain Free Tortillas

Servings: 4-6
Prep and cook time: 35-50 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups GF mix*
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum (I used guar gum)
2 tsp real maple syrup or honey
1 tsp salt
2 tsp almond meal (I used ground sunflower seeds--due to almond intolerance)
1 cup warm water

*GF Mix: 1 part coconut flour, 1 part ground sunflower seeds (almond flour should work fine here), 1 part potato starch or sweet potato flour (etc.)


Steps:
1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, salt and almond meal. Add the water and sweetener and beat on medium for 1 minute.

2. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a ball; divide into 6 pieces and, working on plastic wrap dusted with arrowroot powder, roll each piece into a thin 12” round. As you roll each tortilla out, separate it from the plastic wrap gently and place it over your hand and forearm. Flip it into the pan to cook.

3. Cook each tortilla on a medium-hot greased griddle for about 1 minute per side. I rolled each tortilla as each one was cooking the griddle. But you can also roll them all out and then cook them one by one. Makes 6 large tortilla wraps.

I also baked some in the oven on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. The pan fried ones came out a little crispier (yummy) while the baked ones bent easier. They were more bendable than many gluten free rice tortillas I've eaten!

It does involve some of those pesky gf ingredients (guar gum) although it *might* work w/out. She also has a *grain free* tortilla recipe at the same link above--it relies heavily on almond flour and I just wanted to try these out instead. (I've not always had the best luck when making non-dessert baked goods w/ almond flour SUBS I grind myself.) If anyone tries it, do lmk how it goes for you!

Just wanted to share!!

And I'm all about the wine when I do drink...although vodka *was* my drink of choice back in college...

[crunchy_mama]

Reviving the thread I am wondering how many are doing gf and low carb? How about IF'ing? I have started experimenting w/ that and so far it feels really good and I am really interested w/ the information behind it. I found that when I first went grainfree I felt the need to eat a LOT of food, but that has certainly slowed down, especially after I went completely gluten free. It is really freeing to not have the need to eat all the time and not eating so much food and still feeling as much or more energy. Currently I have been carb cycling w/ some small fasts in there. This is the natural pattern my body has fallen into, so instead of following the conventional wisdom that I *should* eat 5-6 x a day I am listening to my body that says sometimes I don't want to eat but a few times a day.

[FairyRae]

I'm really interested in going lower carb and trying to IF, but I've not really gone under 150 g carbs a day... I also am a habitual snacker, and working on keeping myself to 3 (sometimes 2) separate meals a day to give my digestive system a break. It's so mental and not about hunger any more...

So, I'm really interested in it all but just not there yet! Would love to learn more from you all though about it though!!

[chkpea]

hi....can someone convince me why I should go grain free? will I lose weight, feel better, more energy?

[stilllearning85]

What brand spiral slicer do you recommend??

[cristeen]

I really need to get back on this bandwagon. After DS was born, I lost almost 30 pounds within the first 2 weeks. And then over the last month I've gained 10 of it back. I know it's my diet, and the lack of exercise doesn't help any. But I just got my cycles back, and I'd like to try to get them back on track again - and not go through the massively whacked out cycles I used to have.

[FairyRae]

The spiral slicer I have and am happy w/ is the World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer--it's linked in the first post on this thread. (I've got no experience w/ others, but I really like it and think it's easy to use and clean!)

Most of the info I've found helpful that has inspired me to drop grains comes from paleo/primal sources. Here are a couple of links from Mark's Daily Apple talking a bit about it.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-grains/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-g...are-unhealthy/

From what I've read, human beings aren't made to eat grains, they are not optimal sources of nutrition, and it is easier (and more beneficial) to get our nutrients from other foods (like meats, fats, veggies, nuts, fruits, etc etc etc...).

But more than anything, GOING grain free FELT so awesome that I'm convinced by that more than anything else. (Dropping gluten was the major thing that made a difference in my life, but totally grain free I just feel lighter, more energetic, less bloated, yadda yadda yadda--just awesome. If I eat grains, I *feel* it, and it doesn't feel good...)

There is a transition time as well, where you might feel like crap for a week or so when dropping them--it will pass! I felt like it was gluten 'withdrawl' for me... Hopefully others will post more helpful links!

[BetsyPage]

OK, I'm here, grain free/sort of primal/EFLF-following for 2010! I lost 35 lbs in 2009, and then started eating grains again. It just doesn't work for me. (I will also eat low sugar- will have a bit in coffee or in a few limited applications, but that's it).

2009 was such an emotional and physical journey for me. When I was grain free/low sugar/lots of fat, meat, eggs and veg I felt wonderful and lost weight. You would think that would have been enough to convince me to stay that way, right? I don't know what my issue was, thinking I could take a break and pick it back up or something I guess. But I am learning from my mistakes and moving forward.

I'm not sure that i will always been grain-free but I will be until I can reach the weight I need to be at...

I'm rereading Good Calories/Bad Calories which was so helpful to me last spring, and also EFLF now. And I'm glad I ran across Mark's Daily Apple, that site is awesome. I have a few things I'll quibble with him on (little stuff like I'm going to use Mary's Oil blend to make my dressings and he does all olive oil, stuff like that), but not too many after realizing that his *usual* diet is how I was eating when weight was falling off me. I keep looking for his book in the bookstore and can't find it though.

My kids and dh are going to keep eating as usual, but I just told dh no eating out as a family unless it's Jason's Deli (a chain that has lots of organics and is HFCS-free and has a good salad bar) or similar. I know from past experience I'll got through a "withdrawal" period (because I have definitely been eating grains/sugar in December) but then after I get through that will feel really good. And lose weight I hope!

[LionTigerBear]

I need to do this again, and I'm transitioning towards that. Of course, I'm eating pizza right now . . . But that's only because DH brought it home and I didn't want to waste it! I'm actually really ready to go grain-free, so I just need to let DH know that it's very important to me right now, and then he'll be careful to be supportive. Wish he'd go grain-free with me, though! Sigh. Oh well!

[SuburbanHippie]

I will be following this thread. Right now I'm on day 6 of the candida diet (gfcf/sugar free). It's really not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm still having intense cravings once a day, but I think it's the candida die-off causing it. If this diet ends up working for my acne, I will have to choice but to keep on it.

[Koalamom]

For going grain free, can you have quinoa and amaranth? I heard they are seeds. And what about teff or sorgum?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

For going grain free, can you have quinoa and amaranth? I heard they are seeds. And what about teff or sorgum?

Everyone has to make those choices for themselves. Personally I kept wild rice and buckwheat last time - neither of which is a true grain. With potatoes and sweet potatoes, it gave me a wider option of foods - but still I'd only eat them once or twice a week (any starches, not just the pseudo-grains).

[amyjeans]

where have I been?
We started Paleo Feb 14, 2009. Aside from the holiday crap food, we are doing suprisingly well. DH lost 50 lbs, I dropped about 45 and all because we had to cure my dd's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Which we did.
This is the best diet-
meat salad meat salad meat salad...yum!

[provocativa]

for a long time we just made wine(ish) and beer(ish) drinks with water kefir grains. You can control the carbs by letting it ferment longer and use the sugars. adding more sugar to the ferment upped the alcohol content of the end product. also, the buzz from these wines is different (more mellow) and they often satisfy an alcoholic with lower consumption (of course the probiotics have a mediating effect on the alcoholic gut, as per dr. crook in the yeast connection). super strongbow was my favorite cider in scotland, but i make my own by adding mollasses to a cider ferment. mmmmmm. i have had some ciders with additives that killed a ferment.

[KMK_Mama]

Originally Posted by amyjeans

where have I been?
We started Paleo Feb 14, 2009. Aside from the holiday crap food, we are doing suprisingly well. DH lost 50 lbs, I dropped about 45 and all because we had to cure my dd's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Which we did.
This is the best diet-
meat salad meat salad meat salad...yum!

You were able to completely CURE your DD's type 1 diabetes? I have a friend who's 4yo was just diagnosed. Tell me more!!

[FairyRae]

Seriously???!!! Cured?? That is sooooo amazing! I'm interested in learning more on this as well!!

That is just fantastic!

[amyjeans]

I hope not to hijack the thread- but yes, my then 4 yr old,now 5yr old, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in January 2009. Her A1C was 145, waking bloodsugar was 158. We went to her Ped. and our DO who both agreed the road we had ahead was going to be challenging at best. Insulin injections.
Both my husband and I were overweight and we were always kicking around weightloss- we did Atkins, WW, you name it. But we never really moved foward, until this. The night we discovered her issue, I was up late, stumbling and came across "the Paleo diet." I read it and thought it was interesting. I mentioned it to my doctor (DO) and asked if her treatment could begin with diet.
We're already following Feingold, and moving away from gluten s l o w l y, but still eating all the other yummies of the SAD (Standard American Diet).
So, Dr say's try it- it can't hurt.
We stopped eating: dairy, grains, legumes, beans, tubers, gluten in any form, soy in any form.
We eat meat, nuts, seeds, fruit and veggies. Basically if we can't eat it raw, we can't eat it.
I also tested her bloodsugar 5x a day and kept a journal for 2 weeks of everything she ate.
Within 24 hours of starting the new eating habits, her waking bloodsugar went from 145 to 83.
We brought our journal, and our findings to our PEd- who was astounded and was in disbelief. They tested her- No longer diabetic. It was as if she never was.
Within 3 months she grew 2 inches. She has congenital hypothyroidism and her growth was less than ideal, until the diet change.
We also put all the family on the diet- my oldest (6) lost 10 lbs- she was getting heavy.
I went from 280 to 234 (my last weigh in in Nov).But I didn't care about me, we did it for her.
This holiday season, we cheated- as we do on occasion. We get really good pizza 2x a year, if they go to a party, I let them eat cake, or ice cream. But they all agree, the next day they feel awful from eating it. It only reinforces our choice to eat right.
Our food bill hasn't changed, we just shop 3x a week now for the fruits and veggies. We do eat chocolate for a treat- good stuff from Trader Joes (without Soy Lethicin). We have maintained her bloodsugar now to the point we don't check it anymore.
I cannot promise this would happen for you- but I really believe it will help.

One other thing-
None of my kids, not one, came down with any type of cold last year- until we cheated and had a pizza one night in Nov- then they all had sinus infections, fevers, tummy aches. With loads of Emergen-C and tlc, plus a detox of the gluten, they recovered fast.

[rockycrop]

I'm here too. I got "Primal Body/Primal Mind" for Christmas and I'm almost done with it. It makes sense to me and it seems almost easier because I like things simple, especially in the kitchen. So I can just do a meat, and some fattened up veggies and we good.
The only question I have right now is in "Primal Body/Primal Mind" she talks about tricking our body into taking care of itself by not letting it think we're about to reproduce (I think...), but what if you ARE thinking of reproducing in the near future? I'm thinking of trying for baby #2 sometime in 2010.
Up the protein?

[chkpea]

Originally Posted by amyjeans

where have I been?
We started Paleo Feb 14, 2009. Aside from the holiday crap food, we are doing suprisingly well. DH lost 50 lbs, I dropped about 45 and all because we had to cure my dd's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Which we did.
This is the best diet-
meat salad meat salad meat salad...yum!

I don't think you can completely remove carbs from someones diet, of course insulin requirements will do down but "cured" your child's diabetes that is hard to believe.
I welcome you to post your findings at the children with diabetes website.