One year, how my life has changed.

Well, it’s been a year.  My life has changed dramatically.

Long story short…

I have been getting migraines since 8^th grade.  At that point – after a summer in bed—we realized that corn syrup was a major trigger.  So, in a huge learning process  (I wasn’t good at it until my jr. year of college) I learned to avoid corn syrup and that seemed to help greatly. 

As the years went on, the migraines started coming back more, as did some hormonal issues.  I was having to take off work, and take meds that were upwards of $30 a pill.  Not fun. One day while I was out with a migraine, I decided I had enough.  I researched first, a simple detox- nothing with weird liquids, but one with whole foods. I had a suspicion that foods were a main factor.  I also have a tendency to react to chemicals.  I know there are many chemicals in foods, so I thought that I would give it a try.

I followed the diet I chose very closely for 2 months.  My migraines ceased almost immediately – Feb 18^th, 2013.   By March, my asthma was hardly noticeable. The hormonal issues that I was experiencing all but disappeared.  After two months, I added one major thing back in for a month at a time to see if I could notice a difference.   I noticed the dairy really impacted my hormones; organic dairy did not seem to affect me as much.  I also noticed I felt much better overall when I did not eat wheat.  I believe that corn is the major factor in my migraines and asthma.  As a side effect, I also lost about 50 lbs.  Crazy.

My short answer when people ask what I don’t eat is – wheat, soy, corn, dairy, and sugar.

I make almost everything from scratch.  Probably the best way to start is with what I started with- a list! 

I also try to eat organic as much as possible.  It’s hard because it’s pricy, but for me the benefits are very important. 

I order coconut oil/peanut butter/oats/coconut/gluten free flour mix/gf pizza mix from vitacost.com (if you order through this link you can get $10 off https://www.vitacostrewards.com/hzlpFsT )

I have a dropbox folder of files of different recipes that I make now that I would be happy to share , just email me your address. Some recipes in the folder are from others as well, so the limitations, substitutions vary.

I followed the approved foods from this book.  http://www.thewellnesswaystore.com/img/cms/detoxification_book.pdf  I didn’t buy it, but I just looked at the approved food choices.  I did not follow the regiment exactly but pretty close.

I try to at least buy organic from this list http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214

Pretty much my diet consisted of:

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Spinach

Peppers

Asparagus

Green Beans

Avocado

Cucumber

Zucchini

Sweet Potatoes

Quinoa

Brown Rice

Black Beans

Eggs

Salmon- wild caught

Wild Caught Fish

Tuna- wild caught

Chicken/Turkey – minimal

I eat minimal beef- try to get a better cut/brand – I buy from a farmer

Nuts/Seeds – lots!

Granny Smith Apples (lowest apple sugar content)

Berries

Lemons/Limes

I eat organic/GMO free as much as possible.  I know that I am very affected by chemicals.

For cooking I used coconut oil/olive oil instead of butter

Raw Honey/Agave instead of sugar

I use sea salt or just garlic powder or oregano, pepper or other spices just a bit.

Foods to Avoid

Grains (especially corn or wheat)

Pork

Processed foods

Shellfish

Vegetable oil

Hydrogenated oils

Sugar

Margarine

Fake sugars

Salt

White potatoes

Soy

Food Ideas

I eat rice noodles (from the Asian section) or quinoa noodles (usually in the gluten free section but more expensive).

I use coconut cream/milk for any cream substitute in cooking.  From the can (found in the Asian aisle) for more cream, from a carton if I just need the milk

For a sweet treat, I put a banana, frozen fruit, and coconut milk/cream, a touch of honey and vanilla in a blender and blend well, and then freeze in small containers for a sweet/ice cream type treat.

Spaghetti squash can be used in place of spaghetti noodles! 

I eat bean chips in place of tortilla chips.  Beanitos – restaurant white bean chips are in my local Woodmans.  For a chip like Doritos I order from www.beanfields.com 

I eat lots of roasted veggies, fried up. 

I use tapioca flour in place of corn starch or flour as a thickener or chia seeds (whole or ground up)

If I want to bread chicken or fish for frying I use brown rice flour- it is AMAZING! 

I use honey completely as a sugar replacement.

I pretty much do not eat any processed foods besides the bean chips.  Tho “Vans” crackers are nice sometimes.

My homemade granola bar recipe is one of my favorite.  I also make my own Russian dressing.  Both of these are in my dropbox folder.

When I go out to eat, I usually order a salad and have oil and vinegar as the dressing. Or I order a burger or chicken without the bun- sometimes they will wrap it in lettuce.  Fish is tough out to eat because it usually is fried in butter or breaded. 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as everything goes, but it gives a good picture.

Please email me if you have questions or want more information on what I did.  It's not a miracle cure, but it helped me.  I am more than willing to share what I have learned to help others.

Here we go again...

Well...the list has gotten longer.  Due to health concerns and issues including increasing migraines and hormone issues (especially horrible/awful/debilitating cramps).  I decided to do some experimenting with my diet.   In the process of experimenting, I am trying to figure out what the non-negotiable food items are for me.

The first thing that I did was go on an extreme detox - pretty much eating only vegetables, beans, and quinoa.   Things that I wanted to avoid were things with possible added hormones or chemicals that may be causing my body to react in negative ways.  Things I specifically avoided were any type of corn, any gluten, meat (except wild caught fish), dairy, soy, and sugar.  I think that is all.  This started February 18th, 2013.
I continued with this diet the entire month of March as well.

Being on this diet made an extreme difference with monthly cramps.  I could actually function!!  This was something that I was not used to!  It also immediately caused my 3-4 migraines a week to decrease to 0 migraines a week.  

I believe that I am dealing with two separate (yet probably linked somehow) issues.

The only thing I have not had once still is corn products.  Tho this is very difficult.  It is important to me.  I have not had any migraines since Feb. 18th!  I am drawn to believe that the migraines were not only triggered by corn syrup but also by corn!  This was a huge relief to have the freedom from pain once again.

As far as the other foods, I am trying to see what has an effect on my hormones.  What I need to call a non-negotiable food and be extreme about keeping out of my diet, and what is ok to have once in a while.   So I did some more experimenting.  I have added back in grass-fed beef and quality hormone free chicken.

The month of April I was at SBR two different weekends, so I decided it would be a good month to try regular dairy (especially since cottage cheese- my favorite- is on the salad bar every day!)  So I had normal cheese and cottage cheese for that month.  It did not go well, for that month I had cramps that were much worse than normal.

The month of May I went back on only limited amounts of organic dairy and added gluten back in - but only organic gluten.  I am glad to say that this month was pain-free and I was able to do everything I was planning on doing!

That is where I am at for right now.  I have been researching what is really important as far as buying organic and what I can skimp on.  (Organic is expensive).  So far my non-negotiables are apples, strawberries, dairy, wheat, and peanut-butter)  If anyone has any expert advice on this topic, I am still researching.  PLEASE comment and let me know.

As I go, I will be posting more of my meals (because my sister asked) and my tips for eating away from home etc...  This is all for now.  :-)

Oh Canada!!!

Oh Canada!  There are some things about this country to the north that I absolutely LOVE.  1. The Mountains
2. The food.  In Canada it is very easy to find food (and candy :-) ) without good ol' HFCS!  Some things that I usually pick up in Canada would include - Oreos, Jelly Beans, Smarties (like M&Ms), Ritz Crackers, Coffee Crisp and AERO candy bars.  Yeah, most of those things aren't good for me...however...when I get them, I put them on a top shelf and savor them all year! (Or until my next trek to the north.)

Hold the Sauce...

One thing that I am always careful of when I am not eating at home, is the sauce. Ketchup, Salad Dressing, Sweet and Sour, Mayo, Barbecue... and the list goes on...  If I am eating out or eating at a friend's house, if I cannot see the label for the "sauce" I will not eat it.  This also goes for marinades used in grilling meat.

Ketchup- When I first learned about my reaction to Corn Syrup I was quite sad that ketchup was deleted from my diet...I mean, who doesn't love a good ol' french fry in ketchup every once in a while...  GOOD NEWS, there are several brands that now have CS free Ketchup.  Hunts being one of the biggest.  I also am a fan of organic ketchup (I actually like the flavor better too).  

Barbecue Sauce- There are VERY FEW barbecue sauce brands/flavors out there without CS.  The only one that I can find on a consistent basis is "Bulls Eye".  It has variety in flavors and is actually quite yummy!  I can now make pulled chicken or bbq on the grill!  Yeah!

*UPDATE- Bulls Eye changed their BBQ sauce to now include corn syrup with no change in label.  I complained to Kraft about this and received an apology and coupons for many Kraft products. 

Mayo and Salad Dressings- completely have to shop by label for these!   Too bad for us, the "reduced fat" kind often time have CS where the regular ones do not...hmmm...

If there is a restaurant I frequent, I will check with them on a certain sauce that I would get.  For instance, our "Chili's" ranch dressing is CS Free!!   Olive Garden HAS CS in ALMOST EVERYTHING.  I usually leave OG hungry!

Bread

One of the things that surprised me the most was that Corn Syrup is in many "bread" products.  Most of your generic bread loafs, many crackers, bread crumbs, and most hamburger and hot dog buns have corn syrup.  If I want to buy bread, I either have to check out the bakery section (watch out for corn syrup disguised as "corn sugar") or the best brand name I have found without corn syrup in many of their products is Arnold's many of their breads (still check) and sandwich thins are CS free!  


Tip for Eating Out:  If you want to order something that usually comes on bread, ask if you can replace the bread with a tortilla shell (SAFE), or order it with no bun at all!  :-) 


**PANERA BREAD has MANY safe breads to eat!  The one by my house has an ingredient book stashed right behind the counter.  I just have to ask for it, find the meal I want and scan the ingredients.  It is SUPER and usually free and clear!


Tip for summer barbecues:  If you know you are going to a "grill out" or a church or school function where you know that hamburgers or sandwiches are going to be on the menu, stash a tortilla shell or Arnold Sandwich Thin in a ziploc bag in your purse.  This makes it easier, less messy and less annoying (I just get sick of asking people to check ingredients)


PS- Hamburgers are almost always safe (unless something is mixed in the meat) Hotdogs are almost always NOT safe.

How my body's rejection led me to a healthier lifestyle

As an introduction to the blogging world, let me tell you a little bit about myself. In 8th grade I had migraine headaches for 3 months.  Many of which forced me to be in bed for days at a time.  At the time we started to think that the culprit was sugar, because every time I would drink soda, or have something with a high sugar content, I would quickly spiral into a migraine.  After eliminating sugar, a friend of ours told us how she was sensitive to corn syrup and wondered if that might be the cause.  After reintroducing sugar, we found that indeed, corn syrup was to blame.  At first, it only was a problem if it was in the first few ingredients.  Then, my jr. year of collage, I was sick for 2 months before realizing that there was corn syrup in the bread with which I was making my lunches.  I then needed to start really reading ALL labels and being VERY careful.  3 years after that, I again was becoming sick very often and realized that I was not only sensitive to eating it, but I started reacting to corn syrup in the air (syrup on pancakes, french toast sticks at school etc...) .

Anyways, due to this, I had to make some major changes in diet throughout the years, and I also needed to start educating those around me, in my workplace, in my classroom etc...  I also went through many attitude checks as I matured, and learned, and accepted this new way of life.  I also learned, that as a person with a sensitivity, allergy, or whatever you want to call it, I needed to learn how to advocate for myself without making others feel guilty about what they were serving or eating.  This has taken a while to learn, and I have not always had the best of attitudes, but I have learned alot.   The purpose of my blog is to share the information on how to eat "corn syrup free" and still function.  It's easy at home.  It's not easy out to eat, at your friend's dinner party, or at the relatives for Christmas.  I have found creative ways to do all of these things, and also just tips on what to look out for and what to use as substitutes!  I would welcome any tips from anyone on success stories of yours as well.