Trying to Make a Comeback….

Hello long lost friends!!!  I am wondering if it is at all possible to make a “graceful” comeback into the world of blogging…it’s only been, ya know, three months!  For what it is worth, here goes nothing…

I think I left you all wondering whatever happened with all those doctor visits and lengthy tests.  Well, that has been a large part of my absence to blogging, but I finally have some answers to share. 

I will try and spare you all the details (I am still trying to figure out what it all means myself!) and give you the shorthand version…

#1:  I have a leaky gut….This was no surprise to me, although the surprise came with the results as to what is causing the leaky gut.  I had hoped to some extent that the Paleo lifestyle that our family had adopted for the last 9 months or so would have helped tremendously with several of my gut issues.  Was I ever wrong!  I discovered that the foods I thought were a “healthy” part of my diet were indeed the culprit to most of my digestive problems…celery, grapes, lettuce (all kinds…you know how much I LOVE salads!), chocolate, pecans, walnuts, peaches, broccoli, bananas, parsley, oregano, dill, etc…  YIKES, that’s a whole lot of food that I can’t eat!

#2: I have Celiac…Although I have taken on a gluten free diet for some years now, I never considered “cross-contamination” issues.  I am still learning more about the disease and trying to equip myself and the kitchen with the necessary tools to make life somewhat easy.  In addition to the Celiac my body has decided that it also wants to reject any sort of grain (though it may be gluten free) and cause me to go into a stomach upset like none other!  My doctor said that this is large in part because the little “villa” and “micro-villa” that line the intestines are so damaged that they can’t do their job and “chop” up the food in order to be easily digestible.  I am currently taking a digestive enzyme and lots of probiotics to try and mend this problem.  You can read more about Celiac here.

#3: My body is not making enough Serotonin….Serotonin is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain which influences the functioning of the cardiovascular system, immune and gastrointestinal systems.  I didn’t realize what a large part Seratonin plays in digestion.  If you want to read more on this you can check out this article.

#4: I have a sulfur/sulfite intollerance….Sulfur is actually very necessary for your body’s metabolic functions, but excess sulfur can cause lots of problems.  What this means for me is the need for a low sulfur diet.  I have already been on this diet for 7 weeks and I am currently having to go another 8 weeks!  Let me tell you, this is one of the hardest things I have had to do!  On the low sulfur diet one CANNOT have onions, garlic, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, collards, turnips, radishes, arugula, pickles, raspberries, cranberries, dried fruit, animal products, eggs, soy, dairy, etc…  There is not a whole lot of options left my friends!!

#5: My body is not breaking down and utilizing proteins and fats…This is kind of a problem when I can’t have “meat protein” because of the sulfur issue.  My doctor okayed me to have a protein shake (or two) everyday and I am allowed a small amount of meat once a week…oh yeah!!  I am also upping my omega 3 intake…having flax, chia seeds and/or hemp seeds everyday along with my fish oil supplement. 

There you go, in a nutshell!!  Sounds crazy, huh?  IT IS!!

As I struggle to figure out what I can and can’t have to eat, meal planning continues to be quite a challenge.  While I have no problem coming up with great meals for the rest of the family, there seems to be far too many modifications that have to be made for myself.  Needless, to say I am trying to not let it get me down and realizing that this is just not my time to be creative.  It is more important that I strive to heal my body, rather than giving myself anxiety over creating a fabulous meal!  

Such a good reminder for me to have on the refrigerator door!! 

One “tool” that has made life a bit easier in the kitchen is this fun little gadget that my hubs got me for my birthday…a spiralizer!  I am making zucchini, yellow squash and butternut squash noodles like there is no tomorrow!  It’s quick and easy…just a little coconut oil in the pan, add your noodles, add some seasonings and saute for a couple of minutes!  I like to mix in a few other veggies for myself and for the fam I make homemade meatballs and spaghetti sauce.  Check it out,  Amazon has it on sale right now!

I can’t wait to try potatoes and apples next!!

This dinner has become one of my favorites…and well-liked by the rest of the family too.

Harvest Vegetable Tacos

Ingredients:

2 small eggplant

1 zucchini, chopped

2 Tbsp. coconut oil + more for roasting eggplant

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 red pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, skinned and diced

1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to broil.

2. Rub some oil on the outside of each eggplant and place under hot broiler.  Cook until skin is blistering off, about 15-20 minutes (turn as needed).  Remove skin and cube eggplant.

3.  Heat 2 Tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet.  Add cumin seeds and toast for a few seconds.  Add red pepper and zucchini.  Cook until tender.  Add in tomato and remaining seasonings.  Cook and stir for a few minutes.

4.  Add in eggplant and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. 

I discovered these Grain-Free Flax Tortillas from Real Sustenance that are not only easy to make, but super tasty as well!

They are pliable and don’t fall apart after you’ve filled them with yummy goodness!  And make for a good alternative to my usual lettuce wraps…missing lettuce!

This was dinner last night…and probably for a few nights to come (when I find something that tastes good, I usually make enough for a couple of days!).  It’s a combination of spaghetti squash, which I was already using as a base for the hubs’ and princesses’ shredded beef dinner, roasted mixed vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes, and asparagus), and a little of last night’s Harvest Vegetable mix.  I tossed it all in a skillet with a little coconut oil, sea salt, pepper and some rosemary.

 Super easy, super quick, and super delicious!

Ahhh, it feels good to be back!   Through my victories and my struggles I am reminded to be thankful that I have a “rich” life in Christ and He continues to love me right where I am at!  The trials I face today are only temporary and for that I feel blessed!

Blessings,

J’lene

A Date With My Hubs and One With the Doc…

A fabulous Summer date with my hubs!  First up for the day was a trip to Little Italy’s Farmer’s Market in downtown San Diego.  I’ve been wanting to check it out for months now and with the princesses gone for a couple of days it was the perfect time…the perfect take-my-time and enjoy, rather than a time to grab-and-go because nobody wants to walk around anymore!

We drooled over fresh baskets of berries…

Had our eye on loads of fresh cherries (that were just a bit to pricey to indulge in)…

And definitely had our share of good eats!  It was a beautiful day, but the hubs was a bit on the warm side, so we stopped for a fresh lemonade.  He opted for the watermelon lemonade, which he absolutely loved and I thought it was so, so.  I had a hard time tasting the watermelon, but the lemonade itself was awesome and hit the spot!  I forgot to snap a picture, but I stopped at a “juice bar” and ordered a glass of “Green Go” juice that had kale, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, ginger, apple juice and a few other things I know I’m missing.  It tasted so good and so fresh that I ended up filling up on that for my lunch…I’m sure all the samples along the way had a bit to do with satisfying my hunger for the afternoon!

The hubs, however, had his eye on some bbq for lunch.  He ordered two breakfast tacos filled with brisket and said they were so delicious! While he ate devoured his lunch, I did some people watching! 

I think I left with enough produce to last a week or two and I can’t wait to go back!  With full and satisfied tummies we took a quick drive to one of our favorite spots to hang out together…Seaport Village.

We took our traditional walk along the “boardwalk” and ventured out onto the pier.

Stopped in some shops and found some outrageous finds… Not so sure about flossing with “food” flavors…

 According to the hubs, bacon does make all things better!

After a few hours of walking we were ready to fuel up again, so we headed over to one of our favorite downtown restaurants…

I was a little disappointed in the service this time around, hence why there are no pictures of dinner.  While my “California Salad” with Grilled Fish ended up being quite delicious, I was a little less than happy that I had to send it back to the kitchen twice!  Sometimes it stinks to have to make so many “special requests,” but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!

And speaking of things that I’ve gotta do…I had an appointment with a new doctor this week and I’m praying that this will finally be a turning point for me.  If you’ve been following my posts for awhile now, you know that I struggle with lots of stomach issues which, in turn, over the last year have developed into more emotional and physical struggles.  A few months ago I had the privilege of getting to see a doctor who takes an unconventional approach to medicine and focuses on healing the body, rather than just treating the symptoms.  Through his care I discovered that I have adrenal insufficiency and MTHFR (a type of genetic mutation on one of my chromosomes).  We had hoped and prayed that by beginning to heal my body through diet, some cleanses and a regimen of Vitamin B shots my adrenal glands would kick into gear and my body would begin absorbing the vitamins and minerals it was lacking.  Unfortunately, after some trial and error my body decided to go into what he called “lockdown mode” and nothing seemed to be working.  This is when I began to have more bouts of horrible stomach pain and emotionally I became so drained.  At my last visit my doctor said that he wanted to hand me over to yet another doctor who was more specialized in the types of problems I was dealing with.  The hubs wishes I was a little more optimistic about the visit, but it’s been such a LONG journey that has seemed to have no end in sight. 

I know God is, and has been, walking hand in hand with me through the good days and the bad.  As I have spent time with the Lord this week these words spoke so clearly to me and I held on to those words as I walked into the doctor’s office!

Psalm 16:8-9 says, “I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure…”

After an hour visit and a whole lot of information, supplements and a boatload of tests to be taken, I am hopeful that these next several weeks will look a whole lot brighter!  The hubs is pretty stoked that he gets to give me B-Complex shots every other day and I am pretty stoked that I am finally going to have some tests done that should have been taken a long time ago…a food allergy panel with Celiac Disease, a DNA/Genetics test (to determine what type of genetic mutation I have), and one last test that I think will give the doctor a look at how all my cells are working together.  Like I said, it was a WHOLE LOT of information to try and absorb at one time…now I’m tired!

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Hoping to be back to some “regularly” scheduled posts with yummy food and such!  Sorry for the rather lengthy and somewhat boring posts lately!

Blessings,

J’lene