FEB '08 GRAIN-FREE Traditional Diets Thread

[Shazer]

Another month of grain free!

How about a conversation starter . . . what do you tell people who consistently give you food? My neighbors are so fond of bringing over cookies and every time I say that they look good, but I can't have flour. I say that my husband might enjoy them, but he is on a cleansing diet now and is avoiding a lot of carbs. I don't want to be rude, but I would like for people to understand.

I know it will be an uphill battle with my daughter because it seems as though people are always giving food as gifts anymore. Even at her baby music class, the teacher gave out Halloween "treats" - animal crackers! I handed the bag back saying that we couldn't eat them.

Anyway, thoughts?

[Periwinkle]

subbing

For the question... I tell people "I don't eat wheat or sugar". Even though that's not technically true, it avoids a whole over it. When I'm in a restaurant, I say "I'm allergic to wheat.. may I have steamed broccoli instead of the noodles please" or whatever.

[cherryblossom]

oh man, i am still not there yet! i am pretty recently grain free, but not new at all to sugar and chemical/crap free! but a couple of months ago i had a cookie exchange to attend. i was so torn as to what to do. on the one hand i thought i should just make the cookies and deal. but then i thought i do NOT want to go buy things like flour and sugar that i don't normally have in the house just so i can bring the same junk everyone else is bringing! in the end i decided to make macaroons and since i am not very good at them they turned out kinda stupid, but at least they got some "oohs and ahhhs" and i am sure the husbands at least liked them!

but yeah, i walked away with 8 dozen cookies and immediately sent them to work with my husband crossing my fingers and hoping he wouldn't eat them all by himself. i didn't have the heart to tell them i wouldn't even touch their creations.

[RasJane]

We have had allergies for quite some time, and really people are pretty good about it. Yeah, people will bring something over once in a while at Christmas or something. But I just give it away. Smile and nod.

I do have a question for all of you. I made a yummy pot roast for dinner--excellent crock-pot fare. I just don't know what to do with the leftovers. Pot roast leftovers always include potatoes, noodles, biscuits. So, any ideas?

[westcoastmom]

I find it easier to tell people that the kids have allergies to things.

For the pot roast, how about squash and root vegetables.

[barose]

I tell people I'm intolerant to grains (including gluten), dairy, cant eat sugar due to insulin problems and so on. This mostly happens when I'm at work and people bring goodies (umm baddies!) in to share. My friends all totally understand and a little more open minded when it comes to diet.

[Panserbjorne]

Subbing.

Sharon-that's hard. Anyone who knows us knows our issues. You can't know dd and not know something is off so we rarely have to deal with it. I would think letting them know in conversation (not while they are in the midst of giving you food) would be helpful.

[kallyn]

I mostly live under a rock, so I never have to deal with other people's food.

No, seriously.

DH and I have moved so many times in the last 4 years that I've never had time to make friends with people. The only people I ever see are family or close friends when we go back to visit our home state, and they all know about our food stuff. I don't work, so I don't have any co-workers who give food to me. And we don't have kids yet, so I can't meet people through kid stuff either.

So I'm left in peace about my food choices, but I'm lonely! Who wants to come over to my house for a grain-free dinner?

[Junegoddess]

Originally Posted by kallyn

I mostly live under a rock, so I never have to deal with other people's food.

No, seriously.

:

We do have kids, but I homeschool them, and dd has Asperger's, so she doesn't manage to make friends at all, really. (Sad, I know, but she's quite used to living in Computer Land instead of having real friends... gee... wonder who she picked that up from? : )

We've moved more often than normal, even for an Army family. We've been down here in San Antonio since August... and still no friends. We just live weird lives. So, yeah... no food issues. LOL We don't go to church, don't do Girl Scouts, don't know any of our neighbors....

We could have a virtual dinner party! But, um, I don't think potluck would work out too well, unless we mail something shelf-stable ahead of time.

[crunchy_mama]

I'm here! I stayed back on the wagon for the whole month of January! I am still trying to decide how strict I need to be. I did have one small indiscretion last month- I ate a few bites of rice (new recipe for dh that I was trying out ).

So, I am wondering do you guys have any cheats? Right now I think I should for sure stay away from gluten and dairy. However, I am wondering about things like rice sometimes. After being off for a month I feel like it is more of a tolerance issue rather than an allergy. Of course there is the whole issue that I cannot seem to handle moderation- I have a little and then a little more and a little more.

Oh, ya and everybody already thinks were freaks- so the food is just icing on the cake. I haven't been as strict with Luke this month as I have been with me. I am working on it, but giving myself permission to take my time. I don't really talk alot of food to people except friends and my mom. Everyone that sees me out probably just thinks I am on the Atkins diet. I don't bother even trying to explain it. I do evangalize to mom and friends as I think just about everyone would do better off of them, but they think I'm crazy- I'm pretty sure. My mom especially- she alternates between a different diet every 3 days upset that she cannot lose weight. She bloats up with the bread like I do, but won't give it up- well she tried - I think she maybe made it a day and was having fried chicken- which kind of defeats the purpose, but I digress.... man I am chatty today

anyway- potroast leftovers- this can get turned into soup- sans the noodles or I take out the veggies and make barbque sauce for the meat- or make it into a shephard's pie topped with mashed potatoes.

[westcoastmom]

Originally Posted by kallyn

I mostly live under a rock, so I never have to deal with other people's food.

No, seriously.

DH and I have moved so many times in the last 4 years that I've never had time to make friends with people. The only people I ever see are family or close friends when we go back to visit our home state, and they all know about our food stuff. I don't work, so I don't have any co-workers who give food to me. And we don't have kids yet, so I can't meet people through kid stuff either.

So I'm left in peace about my food choices, but I'm lonely! Who wants to come over to my house for a grain-free dinner?

We are in the same boat having made 3 long distance moves in less than 3 years, and I will have my final move coming up this summer.

I'd happily meet for dinner, but we are across the country.

We are going to visit family in a week which could be problematic. sigh.

[westcoastmom]

Originally Posted by Junegoddess

e do have kids, but I homeschool them, and dd has Asperger's, so she doesn't manage to make friends at all, really. (Sad, I know, but she's quite used to living in Computer Land instead of having real friends... gee... wonder who she picked that up from? : )

My oldest used to have Asperger's but we took her to the HANDLE institute and got a program to do at home. It took 20-30 mins a day. The improvements were amazing. Now she says she is no longer afraid or too shy of other kids.

Although, I haven't really provided them with many opportunities to play with other kids : I have been too busy dealing with unpacking, my studies etc. Anyway I'm planing to put them in school in the fall. I'm supremely burnt out for several years of constant moving, dh working tons of hours

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

So, I am wondering do you guys have any cheats? Right now I think I should for sure stay away from gluten and dairy.

Yes, I do. DH and I have a "date night" on Friday where we go out to eat, and I usually end up going off my diet somehow. I console myself with the fact that it's usually only once a week.

Originally Posted by Junegoddess

she's quite used to living in Computer Land instead of having real friends... gee... wonder who she picked that up from? : )

Oh yes, I wouldn't know ANYTHING about that either...: You guys are my social life!

Originally Posted by Junegoddess

We've been down here in San Antonio since August... and still no friends. We just live weird lives.

We've been in our current place since October and we don't know anybody yet either. I totally hear ya.

Originally Posted by westcoastmom

We are in the same boat having made 3 long distance moves in less than 3 years, and I will have my final move coming up this summer.

I'd happily meet for dinner, but we are across the country.

We've lived in 4 different states in 4 years, so we're really similar. Too bad I didn't post this 2 years ago, I lived on the west coast then! Moving is a major burnout.

Alright guys, !

[LionTigerBear]

Thanks for starting the new thread, Shazer! MY baby and I had a cold, so I've been MIA the last couple of days. I'll be back soon.

[cherryblossom]

digesting fats, TF dislikes etc.

i have a few questions that i really need to figure out b/c i am having a difficult time eating anything. my main question is do you think i am missing some enzyme or mineral or something else causing me to not *like* fats and meats and therefore have a hard time digesting them? or maybe it's psychological?

my background is that i ate pretty wholesome foods and the normal american junk until i was 12 and then i think i started reading health magazines and worrying that i was not as in shape or something as i should be. then i learned about vegetarianism and dabbled in that for years off and on, but eating TONS of carbs and sugar and soy in college in meat's place. and then of course it spiraled into veganism until i got pregnant and then i couldn't stand the thought of any raw vegetables but turned to major carbs again and still shunned fat! obviously and consequently i had some major health issues.

so i have been eating a TF diet for almost 3 years now and was relatively grain free, but totally grain free since about a month and a half ago. i was drinking raw milk until about a month ago when i had a kind of hypoglycemic reaction and a friend told me to stop drinking it. so i thought i would try more cream and very little milk since cream has more fat and way fewer carbs and still make my morning milkshakes with cream and egg yolks. (i am also doing high fat, low carb) well, these shakes are not sitting well with me. they either make my intestines start rumbling immediately or just make me kind of queasy. i was using a sweetner but cut it out b/c i just cannot handle anything sweet. and i was making smoothies for a while with fruit and there was CO in them, but again i started having hypoglycemic reactions to all the sugar no matter how much fat i incorporated.

i like meat that my mother, friend or restaurant cooks. lol. but i do not like the meat that i cook very much. maybe it's b/c i didn't have very much practice until relatively recently. who knows. but it's almost like i psyche myself out whenever there is food around. i don't even know what i like anymore! i can't stand cooked eggs or sausage, bacon is okay occasionally...and i have discovered that if i don't have enough fat with a meal that i am miserable. but getting the amount of fat i seem to need seems virtually impossible! i also cannot stand coconut oil, even though i used to eat tons of it, and i can only eat butter if it is disguised in something or sucked up by a potato.

i have been making the coconut chicken broth from EFLF that i mentioned in last month's thread and it has a can of coconut milk in it. a few days now i have eaten the whole pot over the course of the day! it's like the only thing i really want, but it's also not enough to keep me satiated even though there is all the coconut milk in it. i really crave more savory things. i feel like my mood is very touchy and i know it must be because i just don't eat enough and i am constantly thinking about it!

any thoughts? i know this is probably a very disjointed post. i hope you can understand what i am trying to ask/say.

[JaneSmith1010]

Sorry to change the subject ladies but I'm having some issues.
1) I am bored with the foods available on the SCD, it's only the 3rd month. I have had good results with GI improvement and my skin is clear now.

2) I feel so gross eating all of these fatty foods, it feels like all I can eat is cheese and nuts....I can't eat alot of fruit which are good for snacking and I due to blood sugar problems I get shakey if I snack only on vegetables :

3)having trouble getting off the 5-10lbs I wanted to lose

4) I am having blood sugar problems. I have kept a food journal and I had cut carbs way,way back to almost nil. I had a banana today and am full of the shakes and keep having blood sugar dips. am I diabetic?..I have celiac and I know that after years of CD untreated I have a good chance of developing it.

5)this diet is high in allergenic foods like nuts and eggs. should I be alternating days eating these things or cut back on them at all?

[gardenmommy]

Pot roast usually goes into roast beef sandwiches, salad, or soup.

As far as other people's food is concerned, it really depends on what it is. If it is a dessert/sweet sort of thing, I generally just refuse it politely. I will say that we don't really need that sort of thing, that we are trying to lose weight and stay away from sweets (all true). If it's just bread, I will probably take it; may not eat it, but they don't need to know that. If it's reasonably healthy, I'll let my DC (who are not grain-free, just junk-free) eat it.

I have a question regarding breakfast. I need some quick breakfasts. What I've typically done is to prepare something the night before that can bake while I get everyone together in the morning. So far, the only grain-free things I can think of are eggs (cooked various ways), smoothies, fruit, yogurt, or some combination thereof. My family will not eat non-breakfast foods for breakfast. They aren't tired of eggs, but I am. I'd like some variety. I really miss my pancakes and waffles. I'd love to make some baked oatmeal or french toast. Suggestions?

[Panserbjorne]

You can still do waffles, pancakes, muffins, bread etc. using nut butter and flour instead of grains. We make a cinnamon pecan muffin that is PHENOMENAL, from Grain Free Gourmet. Everybody adores them!

I also make bread from almond flour and have even made french toast with it.

Grain Free Gourmet also has GREAT egg recipes-there is one for apple pancakes that I adapted and we love. It's just eggs, apples, cinnamon, honey and almond butter.

Also check out www.pecanbread.com and www.SCDrecipes.com for great ideas in grain free baking.

[barose]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

I
So, I am wondering do you guys have any cheats? .

I may have some yams once a week and this weekend I had a little white potato. Big whoop, I know but with my blood sugar issues, I have to be careful.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by jhow32000

Sorry to change the subject ladies but I'm having some issues.
1) I am bored with the foods available on the SCD, it's only the 3rd month. I have had good results with GI improvement and my skin is clear now.

2) I feel so gross eating all of these fatty foods, it feels like all I can eat is cheese and nuts....I can't eat alot of fruit which are good for snacking and I due to blood sugar problems I get shakey if I snack only on vegetables :

3)having trouble getting off the 5-10lbs I wanted to lose

4) I am having blood sugar problems. I have kept a food journal and I had cut carbs way,way back to almost nil. I had a banana today and am full of the shakes and keep having blood sugar dips. am I diabetic?..I have celiac and I know that after years of CD untreated I have a good chance of developing it.

5)this diet is high in allergenic foods like nuts and eggs. should I be alternating days eating these things or cut back on them at all?

This is why I ended up raw. I felt good on the diet, but it just wasn't enough.
I finally got rid of all my symptoms when I did.

BTW-nuts (while I am not allergic or sensitive) aren't any good for me.