GITNC (Gluten Is The New Crack)

Gluten Is The New Crack

Delicious, addictive, mind-altering, and toxic; Gluten and Crack are not far from each other on my list of dangerous and illegal substances. 

Of course, I'm asking myself why in the world I would have ever let myself slip back into the spiraling, black hole of death that is the ooey, gooey, stretchy, crunchy, euphoric Gluten?

I have no answer other than, I am a weakling. I gave in to my urges, mostly led by the lack of fast, easy, and healthy foods in the fridge. While struggling just to stay awake and function throughout the day, it's definitely not easy to prepare, cook, and eat nutritious meals/snacks 3-6 times daily.

(Graphic borrowed from here) 

While, I'd like to place 99% of the blame on my roommate who follows the diet of a sewage troll, it's all on me. I am responsible for the choices I make in my life, as well as the consequences that follow. And, I'm definitely paying for my bad decisions.

Today marks day 31 (the start of Month 2) of my new herbal treatment protocol for Lyme Disease and Co-infections. I'm relieved to say that this past month sort of flew by. I was very anxious about such a drastic change in treatment, and how my body was going to react. So far, I think I am tolerating it okay! I look back through this month, and haven't had any huge, scary Herxheimer reactions. Rather, I've been in an extremely increased amount of pain. (WRISTS, Ankle, Knee, Neck, Fingers, Head/Migraines.)

I think it's safe to say that these are actually a result of Glutenizing my body. I am majorly inflamed, bloated, EXHAUSTED, irritable, mildly depressed, and very, very dizzy. When someone hears about a food allergy they immediately think about an anaphylactic shock type of reaction, or stomach symptoms. NOT neurological or physical reactions. I've proven to myself through several highly experimental tests, that indeed, Gluten and food allergies are both detrimental to my brain and my body.

I'm not sure whether it is the temptation, or the skepticism that keeps me coming back for more. Regardless, I need help. It's gotten to the point of feeling like there are monsters inside of me controlling my food impulses. I FEEL like a monster. I can't stop. (I hate the word "can't", but I'm so far in a hole that I don't feel like there's a way out at this point.)

Do you want to know the sad part? I'm not even eating anything that spectacular. I'm eating toast. And LOTS of it. WTF is wrong with me?! You would think I'd be going for junk food, or decadent desserts, but nope. I am craving toast. Not just any toast, mind you...Sourdough toast. My Kryptonite. It's quick, easy, delicious, and poisonous. Not only is the gluten making me ill, but the yeast is surely feeding my Lyme and Candida. =(

Logically, I should just be able to tell myself "HEY, STOP IT!" Sadly, I've fallen too deep into the abyss. I'm actually at the point of looking for a new place to live because I cannot "Just Say No". I need to be in a clean and safe environment to be able to detox and get healthy.

It frustrates me because I know I'm not a weak person. I'd surely be dead, considering all that I've overcome; but throw toxic, mind-altering substances into the mix, and it's a whole other ballgame.

Welp, I've done it before, so I can do it again! Let's kick Gluten in the ass!

DetoxMay!

DetoxMay*

Black Bean Hummus w/ GF "Chips"

GF "Chips" w/ Guac & Salsa

So, it's been 11 days now of DetoxMay! I've been free of gluten and dairy since May 2nd and completely vegetarian since March 14, 2013, that's two months! I have to admit I definitely see this as a life-change rather than a "hip and trendy" fad. I think the main deciding factor is that I recognize the consequences I have to deal with when I make bad decisions.

Eggplant "Parmigiana" w/ GF Pasta

GF Pasta w/ Veggies & Herbs

Surprisingly, I've also recently (just today in fact) realized some positive effects of being gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free! (I should add that I'm also egg-free, soy-free, and corn-free for a while now.)

Here's what I've noticed throughout the past few weeks/months/year since I've changed my eating habits:

•Obvious large amounts of weight-loss (exercise included).

•*Huge* loss of bloating (face and stomach) This is a dairy thing. I have hip bones!? ...and a waist! Also, ribs/breast chest bone things?

Massive Veggie Stir-fry/Curry

•For some odd reason I've been waking up early. I'm attributing this to the lack of gluten. If you're gluten intolerant or have wheat allergies (or allergies of any sort), they physically wear your body down. Maybe now that my body is rid of gluten, dairy and meat it doesn't need as much sleep? Who knows. (I am, however, still chronically fatigued with everything else medically and physically going on, but I've been working on that as well!)

•I mentioned before that my mood directly correlates to what I eat. This continues to be proven by DetoxMay!!!

Green Smoothie

You might be wondering why I only write recipes for juices and smoothies, and if that's all I consume...Well, I'm here to tell you: I eat. A lot.

Here are a few staples in my diet as of recent.

Hummus
Black bean hummus homemade chips
Curry
Stir fries
Green smoothies
Eggplant pasta
Salsa
Guac
Big Salads
Teas
Lemon honey water
Horchata
Etc.,
Etc.,

*My "Detox" from a wide variety of foods. I'm on the Road to Recovery!

11:00 AM Revelation. =O

I woke up salivating to the delicious aroma of Banana bread that of course, I cannot eat. (Allergic to many ingredients, most severely EGGS).

So I made the right decision and whipped up this bad boy. I threw in some extra fruit for an enjoyable treat. I think my taste-buds deserve a break from the earthy flavors for a bit. I must admit I have not been faithfully "juicing" every meal. Nor have I given up meat or dairy completely yet. It is in my future though. I strongly believe it will be a huge contributing factor to how I feel in the long run. A full detox is what MY body needs.

1/2 Kale, 1/2 Pear, 5 Cherries, 2 Pineapple Chunks
1/2 Cucumber, Ice
Variable 1-10 Then High til Juice!
Serve over Ice 

I am however making even smarter choices and leaving off the condiments (moreso than medically necessary in the past). Past dietary restrictions have made me give up so many things. I have changed my diet drastically years ago by cutting out sweets, soda, anything containing HFCS (high fructose corn syrup),  anything low calorie, (My known food allergies include: Most all, especially whole and popped Eggs, Corn, Soy, and Wheat in moderation.) I cannot tolerate anything artificial, or artificial sweeteners. I strongly believe they are poison.

I have many strong feelings about many topics. If we were meant to eat artificial products, we might as well chew on some plastic and call it a day, eh? No, we were meant to eat from the earth. And that's what I'm aiming to train my body to do. To live like our ancestors did. What the heck did cavemen eat? Nuts and berries, of course! Not packaged ho-hos and chips and frozen dinners. What the heck is a french fry?! (A grease-covered-unhealthy-piece-of.......?)

Let us nourish our bodies, because our bodies want us to succeed. My body is fighting itself, because it loves me so much it wants to cure itself. ....at least that's what I like to think. Autoimmune diseases are silly; I have a love/hate relationship with my body. ;) I'm beginning to love it, because I'm beginning to understand what it needs to function properly!

Before I put something in my mouth, I say to myself, "Is this going to heal me, or is this going to hurt me?"

Let me leave you with this food for thought:
Could you be suffering from some sort of food allergy or intolerance that you may be unaware of? It's quite possible. Is there some aspect of your life that you'd like to improve? I have strong belief that it can be drastically improved by changing your diet.

Feel free to comment below =)