Alter Everything

Days 390-392: Get In My Belly

 

Ooooohhhhhh, creamy, dreamy chicken pot pie. MAN...how I've missed you! Tiny parcels of petite potatoes, little slices of carrots, yummy gravy-like goodness, delicious biscuit/pie topping. If anyone's deserving of a sugar-free, yeast-free makeover it's you.

Come here, come here, come here, come here and Get-in-My-Belly...

If you are dreaming of some new gluten-free, sugar-free recipes, if you're tired of eating the same thing day after day after day, have I got a treat for you.

Run, don't walk, immediately to www.healthfulpursuit.com and check out these great finds:

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie

15 Minute Salmon Cakes with Fresh Tartar Sauce

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Almond Flour Biscuits

Cream of Mushroom Soup

You'll feel like you've hit the gluten-free, sugar-free Lotto!!!!!
(and this is coming from a girl who has a shelf FULL of anti-candida cookbooks). 

Granted, not everything on the site is "safe."  Mushrooms are debatable on an Anti-Candida Diet (read more about the debate here and here). Coconut sugar is something I don't touch. I only eat green apples.  But do your own research and decide for yourself.

PS Haven't tried it yet, but I think those Almond Flour Biscuits would make an AMAZING cookie (sub cinnamon for onion powder and add a touch of Stevia).  They're not your typical fluffy biscuit (more like shortbread), but still yummy. If you can stand a couple of grams of sugar (not recommended for ACD), check out Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix.

Other good sites you might enjoy:

Affairs of Living

Diet, Dessert, and Dogs

Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Note: A good anti-candida diet food list can be found here.

Happy cooking!!! :)

Day 329: Feeling Better. Don't Worry. And, I Might Have Gained 62 Pounds.

Apparently, when I am worried about major medical stuff, I eat cheat. Not green stuff either. We're talking forbidden foods (ok...semi-forbidden foods): sugar-free chocolate, cookies, cheese, etc.

The last time I "fell of the wagon" (before starting an outrageously high dose of Ivermectin), I devoured half a bagel and a box of gluten-free cookies.

This time, rationalizing a clot might explode in my brain, I chose  chocolate-covered, sugar-free coconut ice cream bars (yes, that's plural), a baked potato with cheese, bacon, and butter, and these little beauties...

Hubby stopped me today just short of consuming a basket of Logan's yeast rolls.

Thinking you might die sure does crazy things to a person.

Altered Today: Thoughts about last suppers, diet, yeast quotient. I'm so over this diet thing. Is it bad to say I just don't care anymore???

PS These actually aren't my last supper items. These are more like my last-supper-in-case-I-die,-but-don't-want-to-go-too-far-off-the-deep-end-in-case-I-don't items.

Still, it was nice to E-A-T!!!

Day 325: Because You Can't Frown And Listen

If you ever need a little bit of cheering, head straight to Garibaldi's Mexican Restaurant to see their Mariachi band. Even if your chest hurts, the steak is underdone, or you can't eat the fried ice cream, just the sound of those guitars, horns, and voices will make you smile...guaranteed.

We didn't set out for adventure tonight, but beneath the festive lights and colorful banners, we found it--a slice of heaven here on earth. My face actually hurts from smiling.

 

You're welcome.

Altered Today: How I spend my spoons

Day 322: In Case You Care About Such Things

I am in the process of cooking my first lamb roast. Mean.  I know. Still, it's a) Cheaper than eating out all of the time and b) A triumph on the up and about scale...something I really haven't had in a couple of weeks.

I started with hot coconut oil, seasoned the meat with Penzey's Vindaloo seasoning, seared it off in the pressure cooker, threw in some chopped onion, garlic, curry powder, squash, carrots, coconut milk, bay leaf, and chicken stock (I'm out of red peppers and cauliflower). Now, my house smells like an Indian/cinnamon restaurant. I'm just praying I didn't waste $20 in ingredients and can reproduce it if it all works out.

Having the energy to get up and do things is nice. Since starting UVBI, I've been feeling pretty lousy. Initially, I got hit with some cold/flu thing (which Angel is now fighting). Then, all of my old virus symptoms returned...heavy, painful arms, stabbing/shooting/stinging sensations, unbearable exhaustion--the kind sleeping doesn't touch.

This morning was brighter.  I unloaded the dishwasher. I chopped things. I cleaned out the fridge. I'm even considering making some pumpkiny goodness.

Here's to gettin' while the gettin' is good.

Altered Today: Strength, Abilities

Day 314: A Gift From The Indian Gods

Source

If you've been following along, you already know: Curry + Kathy = Unhappy worms. So, per doctor's orders, I'm eating it...all-the-time. I have Thai curry, Indian curry, Irish curry, curry seasonings. For my birthday, Angel gave me turmeric tea and 3 kinds of curry (yes, there IS more than one kind). For lunch today, I had curry. For dinner, I had it again.

Then, today, while trying to find an on line menu from my favorite Indian restaurant, something magical happened (perhaps karmic payback for my curry loyalty???). Since my lyme brain couldn't remember Moghul Indian Cuisine, I googled "Indian Food + Winter Park + Florida" and stumbled onto some random website promoting discounted gift certificates from restaurant.com.


Whaattttt???  Could it be??? Is it true??? Not knowing what Snoopf was, I went straight to the source (sorry Snoopf commission people).  Sure enough, there it was. Right there in black and white....$10 for a $25 Gift Card. Holy CAMOLE!!!

But wait, it gets better.

Not one to pass up a bargain, I think "Hey, we love that place. Might as well get a $100 in gift certificates." (the most allowed in one shot). So, I order 4-$25 certificates, get ready to HAPPILY press check out, and spend $40. Then, just before I press the button, I have a random thought. 

"Wonder if there's a promo code for restaurant.com on line????"
(You know, the kind that will give a discount on top of a discount???).

So, I open up another window, google "restaurant.com promo code" and BAM! Another link to another discount--this one for 80% off!!!

Bottom line??? I just got $200 in gift certificates to my FAVORITE Indian restaurant for $16. $16!!! (Yes. I ordered twice).

TOUCHDOWN!!!

Here's to something going right... :)

Altered Today: Happiness, Pocketbook.

Day 310: Eat It. I Dare You.

Source

Thai hot is not the same as Indian hot. Thai hot will have you sipping water, smiling, reading a book at an outdoor cafe. Indian hot will have you staring at your plate, unable to take another bite, calculating the steps to the door, bathroom, and car.

I've been enjoying the curries--red, green, yellow. I'm even getting used to the lamb...which is fortunate since I've eaten it 7 days in a row. But what I am really loving??? The rice. I've never eaten much rice. It makes me feel grounded, balanced, healthy.

It's a weird thing about grains.  My Naturopath encourages me to eat them. My lyme research says not to. My Acupuncturist's Associate (aka Chinese Nutritionist) says they are absolutely necessary.  The Eat Right for Your Type Diet says they're beneficial (especially the rice part).

So I guess that means I'm now doing some kind of Chin-Naturo-Lyme-Eat Right diet: allowing grains but only certain ones, embracing the no-sugar law, reintroducing some low-sugar fruits, ignoring dairy (except for greek yogurt), avoiding gluten, being selective with my meat choices. On the surface, it appears to be helping: I've lost 10 pounds; I'm eating more regularly; I feel more stable.

We're all so different (and change so much).  I think figuring out what works best for you is truly one of the toughest parts of the battle.

Altered Today: Respect...for hot foods, Indian cuisine, and my dietary choices.

PS To find what the Eat Right for Your Type Diet recommends for your blood type, go here. For a Candida Diet food list, go here. To read about my other dietary experiments, go here and here and here.

Day 304: Spicy. Spicy. The Chinese Eating Plan for Lyme (GU Syndrome).

Source

Everything tastes better with Curry.  That's what I am telling myself. Four days in a row, I've eaten it...with beef, pork, and today with lamb.  I don't usually eat rice, but I'm eating that too. I'm also eating unleavened gluten free bread...as directed by the Chinese Nutritionist.

His prescription for eating to get rid of chronic parasites, thrush, and lyme (GU)?

• No chicken (or anything else that eats and promotes worms--ie: ducks, seafood)
• Only clean beef (grass fed, Organic)
• Preferably lamb (stinky meats make your insides uninhabitable)
• Lots of squash (also pumpkin and yam)
• Harsh vegetables (think kale and daicon radish)
• Beans--all kinds of Organic beans
• Nothing sweet (not even Stevia)
• Non-yeast bread and white rice (less nutritious than brown rice, but easier to digest)
• Greek Yogurt (no other dairy)
• Mushrooms (good fungus that kills bad fungus)
• Green tea
• Cinnamon (in copious amounts)
• As much Curry as I can stand (Turmeric, Turmeric, Turmeric)

Ironically, that morning (before he told me this), I dumped Cinnamon all over my Greek Yogurt...something I NEVER do. The night before, I ate Thai food...a rare happening... unless my friend Jen makes it.

Is my body now telling me what it needs to heal and function?

Altered Today: Pantry, What I'm Cooking, House Smells (The whole block knows what I'm having for dinner), Strength.  Day 5 of feeling good...the most energy I've had in a year. I am doing dishes, laundry, making beds, showered. I have pain, but it's minimal. Something is definitely shifting...

Day 282: Betty Crocker's On Vacation

I have meat rotting in the fridge.

It's not the most interesting thing to know about me, but it does provide a glimpse into what's happening lately: good intentions--wasted.

Three times this week, I trotted (okay gimped) over to Whole Foods. The order stayed the same: steamed seafood, some sort of meat (Organic, expensive meat to prepare for later).

What happened?
-Naps
-Nuts
-Doctor's appointments
-Rotting carcasses

My point? If something's in front of me, I'll address it (or, in this case, eat it). If it takes any effort at all, it ends up at the bottom of the priority list.  Back to the philosophy that showering is optional.

Happy Friday!

Altered Today: Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, I'm just a fool. No more delusions of grandeur (ie plans for cooking). Makes you wonder though...how did they make meat last before refrigeration?

Day 241: Green Smoothies...Could They Help You?

For six days, I've been doing the unthinkable.  Instead of my standard meat/vegetable diet, I've been raw. That means I'm living on green smoothies, nuts, salad, low-glycemic fruits, and seeds -- something regular Kathy would have chuckled at, but Bizarro Kathy really enjoys.

The plan started innocently enough... a movie about juicing, a repulsion to cooked things, a feeling that my body needed to do something different. To give you an example of the impact it's made, here are my actual symptoms as recorded in my symptom journal before starting.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Pain - 5 out of 10
Symptoms: Insomnia (slept 2 hours), Racy..panicked, nervous, prickly hands and feet (gravel hands), shuddering in sleep, pinching pain in back and side, SANDY loose stool, stiff neck, left foot pain--plantar faciitis, stabbing pains.

And after...

Friday, July 29, 2011

__________________________________

__________________________________

___________________________________

(insert crickets here).

It's not that I didn't have any pain yesterday; I did. But the fact that I forgot to record it?  That speaks volumes. My mood is better, I've slept three nights in a row, the shuddering has subsided, I'm walking normally, my foot's not aching, my poo actually looks human again (sans a few visitors). What??? How is this possible?  When I opened the book  Green for Life, I was shocked to read what it said.

The Roseburg Study

How many of the following symptoms do you have?

• Bloating, belching, flatulence after eating
• Diarrhea, indigestion, constipation
• Soreness, burning, dryness of mouth
• Heartburn
• Food allergies
• Nausea after taking supplements
• Rectal itching
• Weak, peeling, or cracked fingernails
• Redness or dilated blood vessels in the cheeks and nose
• Adult acne
• Hair loss (women only)
• Iron deficiency
• Undigested food in the stool
• Chronic yeast infections
• Low tolerance for dentures

If you have more than a few, Boutenko would say you might have hypochlorhydria or low stomach acidity...a problem that can impact nutrient absorption, the duration of infections, allergies, and overall health.

According to Boutenko, there are a number of conditions associated with low stomach acidity: bacterial overgrowth, chronic canndidias, PARASITES, Addison's disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, asthma, autoimmune disorders, celiac disease, stomach carcinoma, depression, dermatitis, diabetes, eczema, flatulence, gall bladder disease, gastric polyps, gastritis, hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, myasthernia gravis, osteoporosis, psoriasis, roacea, ulcerative colitis, urticaria, and vitiligo. 

According to the Roseburg Study, there are also a number of people who SWEAR adding green smoothies to their diets made them feel better. "It healed my skin," one said. "I got off my medications," another stated. "I can walk," cried another.

Makes you wonder...if supplementing with green smoothies can help other conditions, is it possible it can help with Lyme Disease too? My symptoms seem to think so. Let me know if you decide to give it a try.

PS To find out if you have low stomach acid, drink a 1/4 cup of beet juice and see if your stool or urine's color changes. According to Boutenko, if it starts looking beet-like, you do.

PPS Always consult with your doctor before changing your diet and never just go ALL RAW -- the die off will be miserable. Just supplement slowly and see what happens. Adding two-three green drinks a day has made a profound difference for me (hey, I'll take it). FYI: Victoria also cautions against eating too many nuts..which can result in a dangerous overconsumption of omega-6 which can result of a depletion of omega-3. It's complicated, but trust me.  If she's right, you don't want it to happen.

Altered Today: Raw know-how, cravings, thoughts about food

Day 237: Juicing + Pampering + Chronic Illness -- An Experiment

When you look at the photo to the left, you might wonder two things. 1) What's up with the bright pink nails? and 2) Why am I holding a glass full of paint with a straw in it?

Good questions. Let me explain.

I don't always do things differently. Believe it or not, despite this blog's name, I am a creature of habit. I enjoy routine: familiar waitresses, musicians, foods. I am the kind of person that plays the same song over and over and over again until everyone around me begs for mercy. Kind of like Rain Man...I'm very ticky when someone messes with my sock drawer, breakfast, or driving route.

Being this way has its advantages.  If you know me, I am VERY countonable: always early, seldom cancel, and fairly predictable in deeds, thoughts, and actions. Unfortunately, this also makes me rigid, somewhat stubborn, and, at times, a little unyielding.  Que Sera, Sera.

Anyway, all of this familiarity got me thinking. I've been feeling more than a little crappy lately... Maybe it's time to give something else a try?

Enter Spa Therapy

Healthy Thoughts + Beauty + Detoxing = Happiness....at least in my world.  I'm not sure if that's the prescription for health, but I do know this: when I listen, my body tells me what to do.  Case in point, my nails (clearly not my most pressing issue), but when I looked at them recently, I felt sad; I felt ugly.  "Pamper me," they seemed to scream. So, I did. I even got playful...a break from my usual clear/nude/french self.

My diet's no different. I eat the same stuff day after day after day after day. Lately, the very thought of meat (or any cooked food), literally makes me sick.  Is it possible my nutrition also needs an overhaul?  Lovingly, I looked to my Vitamix. It's been underused lately and, after watching the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I'm definitely inspired.  Green Juices, nuts, pampered feet and hands -- the Spa Life is calling. Since implementing yesterday, the difference in my neurological symptoms has been nothing short of miraculous.

Two recipes to consider....

Whole Foods Supergreen Drink (my version)

1 Shot (1 ounce) Wheat Grass
1 Whole Green Apple (quartered with seeds)
2 Handfuls Raw Spinach
1 teaspoon Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica*
2 Ice Cubes or a Splash of Water

Put the wheat grass in the Vitamix in the bottom. Estimate how much will make one ounce. If you want to get really accurate, you can blend this separately.  Add other ingredients. Blend until smooth (blend as little as possible as over blending oxidizes the nutrients).  Note: Juice comes out kind of room temperature (which is good for you). You can make colder, if necessary, by adding ice.
Drink immediately

Papaya Wonder Drink

2 Cups Watermelon
1 Cup Papaya (don't use the skin unless it's organic)
3/4 Cup Black Organic Cherries
1 teaspoon Papaya Seeds
2 LARGE Handfuls Raw Spinach
1 teaspoon Pure Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica*
2 Ice Cubes or a Splash of Water

Put all ingredients in the Vitamix, blend, enjoy.


Altered Today: What I am eating/drinking and how I'm feeling.  PSST...Always discuss with your doctor before changing your diet. Detoxing -- especially when you're ill --(Lyme or otherwise) can be dangerous.

*PRECAUTIONS: Due to their dense nutritional content, wheat Grass and Spirulina can make some people feel sick (this will get better as your stomach acid improves).  Also, according to http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/spirulina.php:  "Because of its high nucleic acid content, excessive consumption of spirulina may increase blood uric acid levels to undesirable levels. Due to the high iodine content of spirulina, patients with thyroid conditions should not use spirulina as it may decrease the action of thyroid hormone."