The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~G.K. Chesterton
I was not satisfied with the results of my dairy free week-long trial. I wanted to eat cheese so bad that I was not being unbiased when evaluating my health after I ate it! I decided it was time for another check-up with my chiropractor and I would ask for some more detailed evaluation regarding allergies. I was still feeling tired (lack of energy), feeling some pain, and concerned about my inability to lose weight. I had stopped gaining weight, but nothing had happened in the losing category. I had expected it to fall off slowly when I stopped eating gluten.
So I scheduled the visit, but I was not prepared for the results! She stated that I had some problems with a leaky gut and the list of things I should avoid was LONG! I would be avoiding peanuts, oats (even gluten-free!), meat, all dairy including goats’ milk and of course gluten. I was in shock for a few days. I was tired of feeling sick, so I started in right away with my new “diet.”
I am not proud to confess that I pouted for a few weeks. I think my husband was sure that he was going to starve! My creative energy just disappeared when it came to planning meals and cooking. I was unsure what to eat at mealtimes and my family wasn’t about to embrace a totally veggie diet.
After about three weeks I started doing my research into what I could cook. My criteria were simple, easy, quick recipes, easily adaptable to add in meat (to keep hubby happy!), and no odd ingredients. Should be easy to find right? Not so much!
Gluten free/diary free recipes were pretty much out because their main dishes relied on meat. I checked into vegetarian recipes and they were heavy on grains and diary. Vegetarian websites (like PETA) actually encouraged you to purchase processed foods like Morning Star Farms which are not gluten-free! The next logical step was checking out vegan recipes (no animal products including fish, honey, eggs, dairy, and meat). Several were overly dependent on oats and peanut butter especially for breakfast meals. Then some were super complicated with ingredients that I had never heard of!
Finally, I found some vegan cookbooks/websites that I thought might work. I found Oh She Glows and I found “Everyday Happy Herbivore” cookbook at the library. The recipes were easy and quick and often had gluten-free options which relieved my worries about fixing healthy meals. Now one week at a time I am planning mostly vegan meals with eggs for breakfast a few times and fish for a main meal a couple of times a week. I am once again excited about food and every week am discovering new ways to cook the foods I can eat!
Photo courtesy of D.A.K. Photography via flickr