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Category: dairy-free (Page 1 of 3)

Disney Honeymoon Part One: Animal Kingdom Lodge

October 9, 2013 / / 3 Comments

Exactly one week since we have returned from our honeymoon at Disney World and I am finally getting some time to start my blog series about the trip. I am not sure yet how many parts there will be, but I am guessing at least six or seven separate entries. Some of the writing will be informative and some of it will describing my own personal experiences; especially in relation to how I managed my illness while traveling.

Today I will be focusing on the hotel we stayed at: Animal Kingdom Lodge. My husband took his kids to Disney years and years ago and stayed at one of the value resorts. I went with college friends about twenty years ago and stayed at a Red Roof Inn somewhere in Orlando. Because this was our honeymoon, we wanted to stay somewhere special and it was very easy for us to decide that we both wanted to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL).

During a very scary emergency room visit in February 2012, I asked my then fiancé to talk about something good to distract me from the fact that a doctor had just told me I possibly had a blood clot in my lung (pulmonary embolism) and would need to be admitted. My fiancé began to talk about our honeymoon and how we would stay at AKL with a savanna view so that we could wake up to the animals every day. I argued that it was too expensive but he insisted that it was a special time and not to worry about it. I still joke about how blood clots in my lungs (because yes, I did have them) helped me wrangle a savanna view! Although anyone who knows my husband knows better than that, because he is incredibly generous every day and not just on special occasions.

From the moment we checked in on September 24th, I was blown away by this place. I had read a ton of reviews online and although a lot of them were positive, a lot of people complained about a few particular things, such as how far AKL is from most of the Disney parks. Let me tell you, when I walked into that majestic lobby with all of its beautifully crafted wood, the last thing I cared about was time spent on the bus! Even the front desk looked majestic. And the smell, oh don’t get me started on the smell. Every time we walked through those doors, the aroma of wood and I don’t know what else would assault my senses.

Animal Kingdom Lodge lobby
 

We arrived around 12:30 and our room was not ready because they were going to put us into a room with two queen beds and we decided to wait the extra few hours so that we may get a room with a king bed instead. I guess this is the point where I should tell the whole story about the issues we had the first twenty-four hours with our room.

We got into our room about 3:30pm, unpacked, and immediately left for our 5:15 dinner reservation at The Polynesian. I had medications and food that needed to be refrigerated and put them in there as soon as we got into the room. We left and were gone for about five hours only to come home, grab a drink, and realize it was warm. The fridge wasn’t working. The other major issue was that from the second I walked into the room, I noticed how much it smelled like mold/mildew. It was overwhelming. We figured maybe the room just needed to be aired out and we had left the balcony door open to accomplish this. When we returned from dinner, I called the front desk about the fridge. I was a bit upset although I think I handled it pretty well. I was exhausted from traveling all day and I didn’t know if my injectable medicine or liquid medicine had been affected at all. The food I decided was not worth the risk and we never ate it. They came up to our room at 10pm with a brand new refrigerator and that was that.

The next morning I woke up and my breathing was a little tight, which it has not been in quite some times. I have severe mold allergies and asthma and I was concerned that it was the room. My guess is that the smell had something to do with the fridge not working as that is where the smell was the worse. Plus, it was just disgusting. For $400/night, our room should not smell. Actually, most of that hallway smelled. We spoke with the front desk and they said they would assign us a new room. That proceeded to take all day. We had agreed to a handicap accessible room so as not to lose the king sized bed. Meanwhile we had to repack all our stuff and leave it with bell services while we were at the park. There was a lot of miscommunication throughout the day and finally at 4:30pm, our new room was ready and we unpacked all over again just in time to make our next dinner reservation.

Because of the inconvenience, the hotel upgraded our room. I was a bit confused at first because I though the only room better than a savanna view room was a suite and this certainly wasn’t that. At AKL there is a $40/night difference in room price between the Uzima view, which was our first room and the Arusha view, which was our new room. One of the other issues was that there were minimal animals on the Uzima savanna the first 24 hours we were there so this mold and room change issue ended up working out for us because we LOVED the new room with the Arusha view. We frequently had zebras, giraffes, elands, springbok, pelicans and all kind of other animals right outside our balcony. Plus the new room was closer to the lobby, without being too close, which was very helpful for me in getting to the bus stop.

Once we were in our new room, we never had another issue with the hotel. We absolutely loved the place. They had plenty of hotel related events and experiences available so that you could learn more about the African culture. Chuck and I both enjoyed chatting with the staff, most of whom were from various parts of Africa. It appeared that they all truly enjoyed their jobs and really went out of their way to make our experience enjoyable.

View from our balcony
 

There are two parts to AKL: Jambo House and Khidani Village. They each have their own bus stop. We stayed at Jambo House and Khidani Village is a Disney Vacation Club location so you have to be a member to stay there I believe. The pool and surrounding pool area is probably the best I have ever enjoyed. There is a zero entry pool which is wonderful for people with disabilities as well as two secluded hot tubs. There is a pool bar, which I found delightful, because they had this awesome frozen drink called a Moscato Colada (SKYY Infusions Moscato Grape, Vodka, Blue Curacao, pina colada mix, and passion fruit/mango foam) and it was nice to have a place to hang out and just enjoy being on vacation. It was a good place for me because AKL property is loaded with trees which meant more shade to keep me from getting sick. I would have liked to have spent more time there but well, there are only so many hours in a day. And only so many days in a vacation!

The gift shop at AKL was probably my favorite as it had so many different types of things. I also liked the fact that in an Disney park, you can have your order sent to your hotel gift shop so that you are not lugging packages around all day. It’s the small things…

I found the food at AKL amazing. On the second night, when we finally were settled in our new room, we ate at Jiko. Jiko is their fancier restaurant and it was really quite a treat. You know you’re in a top quality restaurant when they put the linen napkin on your lap for you. I tried a South African Shiraz wine called Jam Jar and fell in love with it, maybe a little too much so! The chef came out to talk to me to discuss my food restrictions and she made me my own meal (meaning not on the menu) of sirloin steak with a rice/quinoa medley. The appetizer was the best though. It was an African plate I wanted to try with pita bread and different African dips/toppings. I told the chef this and she brought the pita for my husband and brought me something called pappadam, which is made from lentils and is like a very thin tortilla with spices, also gluten/dairy-free. It was very peppery which was right up my alley. The dips included bhuna masala, sagh dahl, Moroccan chermoula, and kalamata hummus. The only one I didn’t like was the kalamata hummus because I don’t like olives. I found the tastes to be exquisite, which surprised me since I used to be such a picky eater.

There is a quick service cafeteria at AKL but we never ate there. However we did eat at another AKL restaurant called Boma. Oh, how I loved Boma! Reason being was that it was a buffet so I could try different dishes I was unfamiliar with and not be stuck hungry because I didn’t like my meal. I also liked it because there were some familiar foods created with African flavor. For example, there was a cucumber salad that I just couldn’t get enough of as well as a cabbage slaw infused with spices. This is also where I tried bobotie for the first time. Bobotie is a South African dish made with minced meat, egg, and some yummy spices. Yes, I just said yummy! It’s all baked together and I think I could have eaten it every day I was there. I did not do gluten/dairy-free at Boma and I am pretty sure the bobotie had bread crumbs in it but I gave myself the leeway considering I was on a good dose of prednisone to protect me. I did that for a few other meals as well during our trip.

We did not have too much trouble with the driving distances from AKL to the parks, but we were there during one of Disney’s lowest seasons. I found that it depended on the time of day you attempted to travel. I also heard complaints about having a hard time getting on the bus if you were in a scooter, because the buses could only take so many scooters at once. Again, not a problem for me. We found the most difficult bus trips were to Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon which can take as long as an hour, depending on traffic. The second furthest destination was Magic Kingdom and the ride took anywhere from fifteen-thirty minutes.

This was my philosophy for our trip (and it came in handy during the room fiasco): We were on our honeymoon and no way in hell was I going to let anything freak me out. When you stay on Disney property and use their bus transportation, you have to accept that at times, it may be slower going than if you have a car. And you’re on vacation, so relax. Overall, I liked the fact that AKL was more removed from all the busyness and craziness of Disney. It was a nice retreat to go to at the end of the day and enjoy being on vacation. We had seen a few other resorts during our stay and I have to say, we saw far less children at AKL compared to those other resorts. I love kids more than anything but well, I don’t have any and I was on my honeymoon. I was more than fine with leaving them behind at the Magic Kingdom!

Despite the inconvenience of our first twenty-four hours at AKL, I would definitely stay there again: the architecture, the smells, the music, and the food; all an experience I will never forget.

The Paleo Lifestyle

March 30, 2013 / / 8 Comments

I have made a grave oversight. I was planning on writing an update today on how the Paleo lifestyle (I hate the word “diet”) has been going for me. I was scrolling through my blog posts to see what I wrote during my first Paleo blog entry and guess what? I never wrote one!

I meant to, I really did. But I started my thirty days of a strict autoimmune Paleo lifestyle the day before my fiancé’s mother died and it was not the priority. So now I am going to give you the recap of the past two months.

I am not going to spend much time describing the Paleo eating plan because a Google search can give you more information than you ever could possibly want. Basically it means that you eat whole, non-processed foods just like our ancestors did. Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, certain natural oils such as olive oil and coconut oil. No dairy, grains (even gluten-free grains are off limits), legumes, sugar (except naturally occurring sugars in fruits), soy, and refined seeds oils such as sunflower, vegetable, and corn oil.  Now, I had done a ton of research about this for a good five months before I even attempted changing my eating because I was going to go one step further. I was going to do the autoimmune protocol of the Paleo lifestyle which meant I was eliminating nuts, seeds, eggs, tomatoes and all tomato based products, eggplant, alcohol, potatoes, peppers, and certain spices that are pepper based such as chili powder.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE potatoes? And gluten/dairy-free pizza??

So I embarked on my little experiment and after the thirty days, I decided to add seeds and nuts back into my diet. Adding one food back in at a time from the autoimmune protocol list is allowed so that you can see what you can tolerate. From time to time, I will also have a pepper based spice because I absolutely love buffalo chicken; which I make at home.

I will be honest, this lifestyle change has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life and trust me, I have had my challenges! I went through terrible sugar withdrawals the first two weeks or so and I found it very challenging to eat anywhere besides in my own house. However I was reading anecdote after anecdote of people with autoimmune disorders who were having improvement in their symptoms by eating a Paleo food plan. If there was even a chance that I could avoid going back on steroids or maybe even become more functional because of what I was eating, I had to stick with it. The Paleo lifestyle is also not just about what you eat. It’s also about moving your body, attempting to reduce toxins in your environment, and cutting back on stress.

Before I started the Paleo lifestyle, I had been eating gluten and dairy-free for a year. While I do think that helped a bit with my symptoms, it wasn’t enough. However when I look back to what I was eating, a lot of it was processed dairy and gluten-free foods. I stayed away from anything high in fat because I wanted to lose weight. I would eat a whole bowl of rice for lunch on many days. A food that probably spiked my blood glucose levels. If you are interested in the Paleo concept, I suggest that you do some research on what causes people to get fat and unhealthy. It is not the 85% ground beef you are eating, but rather the copious amounts of starches and sugars we eat in processed foods. There is a lot of scientific theory to it and rather than pretend to know exactly everything behind it, I am going to refer you to two books that I found extremely helpful: The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo, BS, NC. And again, there is always Google!

Bottom line is that I have learned fat is not the enemy. I will admit, I am still skeptical about the whole concept, but I am going for routine blood work next month which also screens my cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. so I will be interested in seeing the results of that blood work.

I guess one of the biggest questions I get is what do I eat? I eat a LOT of fruits and vegetables and I eat a lot of meats including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, and on occasion, bacon. I now eat nuts and seeds including cashew butter, sunflower butter, etc. I cook and eat only coconut and olive oil as much as possible. Some Paleo enthusiasts say you should watch your fruit intake if you are trying to lose weight but I feel strongly that I need the nutrients of the variety of fruits that I eat and my primary goal right now is to be healthy. If I lose weight, great. If not, oh well.

I have had to completely retrain my way of thinking in terms of meals. No more cereal, pancakes, or yogurt for breakfast. Often I have leftovers from dinner the night before. The variety of food I have tried in the past two months has increased by at least fifty percent. I have discovered a love for sweet potatoes and a hatred for avocados. As often as possible, I eat grass fed and wild caught meat and fish in order to avoid hormones and other nasty things that grain fed animals eat. Eating out is even more of a challenge than when I was only restricting my gluten and dairy intake but is getting easier. We don’t eat out all that often but when we do, we chose a place that will not think twice about accommodating my needs. I have to say that I actually enjoy eating out more now because I am eating higher quality food as opposed to fried and processed food.

Overall, I would say that I am about 75% compliant with eating Paleo in the past month. After the first month, I realized that I had to make this a lifestyle which meant making it doable. Progress not perfection became my motto. Most Paleo proponents state that the goal should be to be eating Paleo 80% of the time. Although my basic diet is meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, I do indulge in a regular meal or food from time to time but I make sure it is something I will absolutely enjoy every bite of. For example, last week I was on a six day course of steroids for non-autoimmune reasons and I decided I had to have a buffalo chicken pizza from a local establishment. And a regular beer to go with it. Typically, when I eat something non-Paleo, I still make sure it is gluten and dairy-free but I needed that one exception on that particular day. I enjoyed it and the next morning, I was right back on track. Some people may say that I am not doing the autoimmune protocol properly. I say that I am living my life.

I did a little experiment several weeks ago where I went off my Paleo eating plan. My fiancé and I were going out of town to visit family and I wanted a weekend where I didn’t want to have to think about what I was going to eat. I even ate macaroni and cheese! After several days of that, I can honestly say that I was ready to go back to Paleo. My joints hurt more than usual, I felt like I had the flu, and I was craving salads.

The bottom line is: Overall, I am eating healthier than I ever have in my entire life. I cannot remember the last time I had a bowl of rice and I don’t even miss it anymore. I am feeding my body whole, nutritious foods. And I have lost weight. Not a lot, maybe a pound every two weeks but what has been more noticeable is the change in my body shape. Fat is turning to muscle. I don’t feel bloated anymore; unless I eat buffalo chicken pizza!

More importantly, let’s talk about my autoimmune symptoms. First I have to disclose than I am also taking a new alternative medication called low dose naltrexone (LDN) which I think has also benefited me so it is hard to ascertain if the improvement is due to my diet, allergy shots I have been receiving, the LDN, or most likely, all of the above. I am currently off steroids and my other autoimmune medication, Arava. That fact is simply amazing. I do have some joint pain but this is precipitated by exercise and/or not enough sleep. My dryness symptoms have improved somewhat which was recently noted by my eye doctor. My asthma is under control and the biggest change I have noticed is an improvement in my reflux and esophageal dysmotility symptoms. Fatigue, unfortunately, is still a major issue at times. I have not noticed any improvement in my Raynaud’s symptoms. I still struggle day to day much more than the average person without an autoimmune illness but at this point, I am struggling less than last year at this time.

Now could all of this be coincidence? Possibly. Maybe I am just in an upswing with my illness. But I am going with the theory that time will tell and meanwhile, I have absolutely nothing to lose.

Nutrition For Sjogren’s

December 2, 2012 / / 6 Comments

“Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”  ~ Michael Pollan
 
 

On December 1st, I had the opportunity to attend the Greater Boston Sjogren’s Syndrome Support Group. I have been on several different occasions and typically there is a different topic covered at each meeting and features a guest speaker. They have also had groups where there is an informal round table which provides an opportunity for the attendees and their support person to circulate amongst different break out sessions to discuss a variety of topics related to living with Sjogren’s syndrome.

Yesterday’s topic was regarding nutrition and Sjogren’s syndrome. It is something I was  interested in learning more about because I have done some work in this area myself. I strongly feel that it is an untapped area when it comes to the treatment of this illness. I have never had nutrition or diet discussed with me by any of my doctors in regards to Sjogren’s or any other health issue for that matter, Anything I have learned I have learned on my own. I was not sure how much new information I would learn yesterday but I figured that any tips I could get would be helpful and I was not disappointed. I am going to share some of the information provided during the lecture that I either found helpful or that I think you may find helpful.

The speaker was Tara Mardigan, MS, MPH, RD. She is a nutritionist at Lown Cardiovascular Center in Brookline, MA, Team Nutritionist for the Boston Red Sox, and most importantly, she serves on the Medical and Scientific Board of the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation.

Sjogren’s Nutrition
 

Pain: Avoid spicy, salty, acidic foods and extreme hot or cold foods. Limit carbonated beverages. Avoid crunchy, dry, chewy, and crisp foods.
 
 
GERD: Avoid large, fatty meals, and alcohol. Sit upright after meals. Eat mindfully.
 
 
Low body weight: Supplement with high protein shakes or soft bars to add calories. Plan ahead if traveling.
 
 
Constipation: Fluids, warm water, prune juice, or warm prunes, gradual introduction of fiber-rich foods, probiotic supplements, cacao nibs, psyllium husk powder, Benefiber, Smooth Move tea, bowel regimen per MD, restorative yoga poses, stretches, small walks, stress management.
 
 
Fatigue: Adjust typical meal pattern, choose nutrient-dense foods, limit refined carbohydrates, address sleep issues, add manageable exercise.
 
 
Dryness: Keep foods moist with sauces, gravies, prune puree, applesauce, honey, agave nectar, dressings, oils, or yogurt. use a food processor to help chop or liquefy foods. Try tender, slow cooked meats (crockpot). Thin foods with broth, water, or non-acidic juices. Try mini meals with frequent liquids to aid swallowing.
 
 
Gluten: Gluten is a protein found in certain grains and can damage the villi lining the small intestine which prevents the body from absorbing nutrients. People with autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s have a higher incidence of celiac disease and even just a sensitivity to gluten. It may be worthwhile to try eliminating gluten from the diet to see if it alleviates some of the Sjogren’s symptoms.
 
 
Eating right: A typical meal plate should be divided so that it contains fifty percent fruits/vegetables, twenty-five percent carbohydrates, and twenty-five percent lean proteins. Fish, poultry, nuts and beans are the best choice for protein. Choose healthy fats. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats. Choose a fiber filled diet. Choose water as your drink of choice and avoid sugary drinks. Increase calcium intake. Milk isn’t the only, or even the best source. Calcium can also be found in non-dairy sources such as almond and soy sources, beans, and greens. Decrease sodium intake. Eat less processed foods.
 
 
Omega 3: Sources include fatty fish, flaxseed, hemp, algae, and supplements and may play an important role in the inflammatory response. Discuss specific dose with MD or RD but aim for 1000-3000 mg of EPA/DHA per day. Look for at least 500 mg combined of EPA/DHA per pill or spoonful. Always take fish oil with a meal and keep in the refrigerator to minimize side effects. Caution and check with MD before taking Omega 3 supplements when taking blood thinner such as Coumadin/warfarin.
 
 
Vitamin D: Sources include sun, diet, and supplements. Ask MD to check your 25-hydroxyvitamin D, also known as 25(OH)D to determine your vitamin D status. 30ng per milliliter or greater indicates a sufficient level and anything below this indicates a deficiency. 2000IU/day of Vitamin D is the daily dose goal. Deficiency may be linked to neuropathy and lymphoma.
 
 
I think this information was the highlight of what was presented yesterday. There was quite a few things I found helpful. For example, I am a strong believer in the benefits of Omega 3’s and have been long before I was ever diagnosed with Sjogren’s. There has been research done showing the positive effects of larger doses of Omega 3’s for depression and with so many of us dealing with Sjogren’s related mood issues, whether it is situation or medication related, Omega 3’s can be a viable option to traditional prescription medication for depression. Omega 3’s are also obviously known for their anti-inflammatory properties and the dosing guidelines that Ms. Mardigan provided are a good tool.
 
 
 
I have also been very recently diagnosed with an esophageal motility disorder related to Sjogren’s and am having difficulty with at least half of the foods that I used to eat. One of my biggest concerns is regarding the nutritional supplement I was given during my hospitalization which was Ensure. I bought some when I came home and also purchased another one called Boost as I had lost a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time. However when I read the bottles, I was shocked to see how much sugar was in these “nutritional” supplements. Sugar is known to contribute to inflammation and there is also dairy in these products and I follow a dairy-free diet. I have spent a lot of time and energy cutting back refined sugars in my diet so I am not eager to get it all back in my nutritional supplement!
 
 
 
I spoke to Ms. Mardigan about this and she told me about a gluten, dairy, and soy-free nutritional supplement product called Vega, available at Whole Foods and online, that I can use instead that does not have the sugar and will provide me with just as much nutritional support, without all the junk. I am hoping to pick some up tomorrow and try it so I will get back to you all on that.
 
 
Yesterday’s nutrition lecture did not focus on or even discuss any one particular “diet’ for Sjogren’s, but rather discussed different nutritional strategies one can utilize in an attempt to help manage the symptoms related to this very complicated illness. I would be interested in knowing what nutritional strategies (especially any of you who have been following a Paleo lifestyle as I may be heading in that direction) you have found helpful in managing Sjogren’s syndrome.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Photo Courtesy of Google Images

Why I am Staying Gluten and Dairy-Free

August 21, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Best french fries in the world!! Gluten-free!

Over the past month, possibly even longer, I have been thinking a lot about whether this whole gluten and dairy-free eating plan I have been doing is worth it. Although it has gotten much easier, once I started doing Weight Watchers in addition to it, it made things a bit more complicated and challenging. However on two separate occasions, I intentionally ate a food item with gluten and/or dairy in it and noticed that I had some joint pain afterwards. Coincidence? Maybe. However at the time, it wasn’t worth the drama of investigating the issue any further.

That was, until I was off prednisone for over a month and my old enemy, joint pain, came back into my life on a regular basis. Despite a regular exercise regime and eating healthy, the joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis began to worsen as well as the autoimmune related migraines, fatigue, and worsening of dryness symptoms. Is it possible that if I was eating gluten and dairy that the symptoms would have been much worse? Maybe. Like everything related to my illness, nothing is ever certain. Everything about it remains elusive to me.

So I go back on a low dose of prednisone which I remain on as I write this, which has given me some relief while my doctor is working on contacting my previous rheumatologist to investigate what previous treatments have been tried, why they were stopped, what worked and didn’t work, and try to decide if some of the medications I am taking now are making me worse rather than better. There is the possibility of adding another, possibly toxic, medication. The saga never ends.

During all of this, my fiance and I leave for a four day weekend trip to Old Orchard Beach in Maine. A place not exactly known for its gluten and dairy-free lifestyle. Junk food everywhere you turn and you can smell it within like a mile of even approaching the pier and downtown area by the beach. I had a plan though. I packed a bag of gluten and dairy-free snacks for the three hour drive up and back so I wouldn’t have to worry about eating on the road. I did a Google search on restaurants in Old Orchard Beach (OOB) to see what my options were.

I had made a conscious decision that while I was not going to let myself eat out of control, I was not going to be strict about counting points for Weight Watchers while I was away and give myself a break in regards to being so strict about my Weight Watchers plan. I know my leader would probably frown on this but it felt like it was the right thing for me to do. The gluten and dairy issue was going to be difficult enough. I felt confident that once I was back home, I would get right back on track with Weight Watchers, which I have.

My plan at OOB was to allow myself one dairy item which was a soft serve vanilla cone that I have been wanting all summer; and I mean ALL summer. I have been going to ice cream places with friends and their children all summer and getting sorbet with this plan in mind. My intent was for everything else at OOB to be gluten and dairy-free.

So this is what really happened. Out of the four days we were there, I was completely gluten and dairy-free for two of them. I was already having quite a bit of joint pain and fatigue when we got to the beach and pretty much was having a “what the hell is the difference now?” attitude about the whole gluten and dairy issue. I don’t think my eating was out of control in terms of amount but the type of food I ate made me feel so lousy that my body felt like I ate 10x more than I actually did. When I sit and think about the gluten and dairy items I actually DID eat in those two days, it came down to: that small soft serve ice cream cone, one regular beer, a buffalo chicken quesadilla (didn’t finish it), and a large slice of pizza. Everything else I ate the whole trip was gluten and dairy-free as far as I know. But I think the gluten and dairy was such a shock to my system that it felt that I ate so much more than that. It’s called bloat.

Now I cannot say that any of my autoimmune symptoms got worse because I already had joint pain and if anything, that got better. Not from eating gluten and dairy, but probably from being back on pain medication and decreasing my stress levels by being at the beach. But those food items did wreak havoc on my stomach. Now you have to keep in mind what I ate. That was some seriously greasy (and yes tasty) food. I cannot say if it was the gluten and dairy that caused the stomach issues or the type of food that did it. I can say that before vacation, I was eating much healthier. But, I was also eating, on occasion, similar foods such as pizza and buffalo chicken. I was just eating gluten and dairy-free homemade versions that were much healthier as well.

Here is what I do know. Without a doubt, I am very glad that I took my two day hiatus from my gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle. While it does not answer the question of whether or not gluten and dairy directly the severity of my Sjogren’s syndrome, it is very clear to me that is directly affects my overall health. It does this by making me stop and think about what I put in my mouth. I make healthier food choices. I eat more whole foods rather than processed foods which is much better for people with inflammatory disorders like mine. Gluten and yes, even dairy (no matter what the media tells you), have no nutritional value and therefore are not a necessity for my body. I cook more than I eat out. I have seen improvement in other areas of my health not related to my Sjogren’s including my weight (because I am making better choices), my skin, hair, and nails, my gastrointestional system, and my menstrual cycle.

I am not saying that a gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle is for everyone but for me, for now, it is worth the effort. My health is worth the effort. My life is worth the effort.

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

Diet and Exercise Update

July 25, 2012 / / 7 Comments
“Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I realized this week that it has been six months since I made the drastic change to eliminate all gluten and dairy from my diet. Wow, six months! I think that is the longest I have ever stuck with a change in my eating habits. I can honestly now say that it is much easier than it was when I started back in January.

People ask me from time to time if I think that eliminating gluten and dairy from my diet has helped my autoimmune symptoms. It has not eliminated the symptoms but at this point, I feel that it has helped. On a few occasions I have intentionally eaten something with gluten or dairy in it and I have noticed a change for the worse either in my level of joint pain and/or in my asthma symptoms. In addition to that, I never have any gastrointestinal issues at all anymore and my menstrual cycle is much more tolerable.

I have become frustrated with this eating plan at times, most notably when I came off of my last round of steroids and my joint pain immediately came back. I sat and wondered why the heck I was making my life more challenging by eliminating gluten and dairy when I was still having joint pain. The point that I was missing at the time though was that the joint pain was not as severe.

One of the biggest advantages that I have found with living a gluten and dairy-free lifestyle is the changes it has forced me to make in my eating habits. Changes that have positively affected my health, weight, and overall well being. For example, I have to plan out and think about what I am going to eat. Gone are the days of impulsively shoving something in my mouth because I am either hungry or because I crave a particular food. The options available to me at fast food joints and restaurants are much fewer and therefore I am spending much more time at home cooking meals from scratch which means healthier meals.

Many people say that eating gluten or dairy-free, as well as organic, is much more expensive but I would have to disagree. Yes, my food bill is more each week but it does not compare to the amount of money I save by not swinging by Subway several times a week or eating dinner out more than once every other week. I have also found that unless it is a homemade food, gluten-free products such as bread, muffins, etc. tend to be much more unhealthy and filled with more preservatives than non-gluten products. This has resulted in eating these items once in a great while and instead I choose whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, and whole grains.

The second big change I made in my diet was making the decision to start the Weight Watchers program. This has literally been a godsend for me. I have found the program to be much more “whole foods” friendly than it used to be and I enjoy the fact that in addition to going to weekly meetings, I can also use their online program which enables me to work the program from my laptop or cell phone. I have found a meeting I really enjoy on Tuesday afternoons. Adding a Weight Watchers program to my gluten and dairy-free lifestyle has been a challenge but well worth it. Since my birthday, which was May 3rd, I have lost eighteen pounds. If you add that to the weight I have gradually lost over the past three years, my body is now fifty-five pounds lighter. Oh yeah.

I continue to go to the gym anywhere from four to six days a week. Exercising has become a more difficult task since coming off prednisone and sometimes I just want to say “the hell with it” and quit. But I don’t. I am committed to changing my life and I cannot let joint pain, fatigue, and migraines get in the way of that. I have however changed some of my routine around and have cut back on the length of time I am exercising until I can get my symptoms more under control. I have started taking Pilates classes which was a big step for me and I am in love with it. Right now my exercise regime consists of Pilates, water aerobics, lap swimming, the cross trainer, and rowing. My goal is to be able to increase the time of my workouts and try some other different classes once my joint pain has improved.

I love to exercise. Shocking but true. For most of my life it has been a chore and something I dreaded doing; when I did do it. It is different now though. It is a necessity for me mentally as well as physically. I have worked hard to find activities that are not only safe for my joints but also fun. Despite the physical challenges that I still have, every week I find that my body is getting stronger. Every time I swim a lap in the pool of sit on the mat in a Pilates class, I feel like I have more control over the body that I have spent so much time cursing.

My hope is that as I continue to lose weight and build a stronger body that more of my autoimmune symptoms will lessen or even disappear. If not, I figure the worst that can happen is that my new lifestyle will help prevent future issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Not to mention how much better I will feel about myself.

Works for me.

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

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