Dealing with food allergies: What do I eat??

It's been 5+ years since I've been unable to eat wheat, dairy, coconut, egg, pineapple, turmeric, and yeast (bakers and brewers). I am now on a medication (Cromolyn Sodium) to help desensitize my body to these foods so that I can start trying to eat them again. To say I am freaked out is an understatement. I am almost as freaked out as I was when I was told I couldn't eat any of these foods to begin with! Our relationship with food can be a weird thing. When you have to adjust your diet in any way, it can be daunting. So here is my basic advice to anyone dealing with a newly restricted diet or food sensitivities/allergies.

You don't realize how much processed and/or packaged food we purchase, prep with, and eat until you have to go "clean." It's not all bad, and I still buy many of these things for the rest of my family. Things like cereal, cheese, tortillas, bread, snack bars, crackers, etc. These are all an integral part of our lives! And cutting them out can make you feel left without snack or meal options.

When people ask me "What can you eat??" I laugh and say, "LOTS of things!" I suggest getting back to basics and eating protein, veggies, fruits, and nuts (if able). You need to embrace whatever resources you can find by way of Facebook groups, websites, and cookbooks. Think WHOLE FOODS, and seek out those recipes! You will find a wealth of information on Pinterest and simply by Googling. I do NOT recommend heading straight to the processed gluten free aisle if you are cutting out gluten or wheat. These imitation foods have zero taste and low nutrition value. There are a few exceptions (Betty Crocker cake and brownie mixes are fantastic). Instead, do research on which whole foods you can combine to create your own flour blends or muffin mixes.

Here is a great list of substitutes if you have to cut out certain ingredients:

Dairy:
Yogurt: I love to eat Silk Dairy Free yogurt (I get mine at Walmart).
Butter: Earth Balance (comes in lots of varieties and is amazing).
Mayo: Earth Balance makes a mayo substitute, as well as Veganaise (my fave). I make dressings (RANCH!) and chicken salad with these.
Milk: My personal favorite is Almond Milk. But there are so many options now! Cashew, Soy, Coconut, even Lactaid. Coconut milk in the can is great in cakes and rich desserts and things like curry dishes and caramel sauces.

Eggs: 
• Flax Meal (1 T ground flax + 2.5 T warm water = 1 egg) — I grind flax seeds in my Vitamix and they work better than any pre-ground brand I've found. But Bob's Redmill works great, too.
• "Egg Replacer" when baking.
• Apple sauce or pumpkin in certain recipes.

Wheat:
Try substituting with these grains—
• Brown Rice and GF pasta blends
• Rice Flour blends to create an imitation of wheat flour (find my recipe HERE). I use this in baking and coating chicken or veggies when browning or frying.
• Coconut flour is a great flour substitute in many recipes.
• Quinoa
• Rice (white, wild, brown)
• Oats (just make sure they are certified gluten free oats, otherwise they will always have cross contamination)

Nuts:
• If you have a nut allergy, try to find a substitute (like Sunflower or Almond butter instead of Peanut Butter).
• Nuts are also a great thing to have on hand when you feel snack-ish. They are crunchy, salty, and satisfying!

How to eat meals:

Breakfast—
• Try dairy-free yogurt, bacon, fruit, smoothies, GF cereals (Chex!), potato hash, eggs (if able), etc.

Lunch—
• Plan a grain, protein, and veggie (quinoa, chicken, and zucchini, for example).
• Make a "Chipotle" bowl with rice, slow cooked pork, salsa, guacamole, and chips. I've found that most Mexican food is gluten free.
• Have a sampling of olives, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, and maybe even pepperoni like an appetizer plate. Dip it in homemade dairy-free ranch for an indulgence.
• Salads galore!

Dinner—
• Again, think protein, grain, veggies. I have also been able to adapt sweet and sour chicken, BBQ chicken, Asian recipes, and SO many more. Often I am just excluding the roll on the side, or making rice pasta for everyone instead (they never notice). I've learned to make sauces from scratch (they aren't that time consuming, and taste great). Get creative and abandon the idea of baked casseroles or one pot meals in the beginning, until you get more ambitious. There are many slow cooker recipes out there, and with a few tweaks they will work beautifully!

Snacks/Dessert—
• I love to eat Pop Chips, tortilla chips and salsa, dairy free sorbet (read the ingredients first, but Haagen Dazs is great), nuts, fruit leather (and fruit of any kind), dry cereal, baby carrots, dairy free yogurt, gluten free homemade cookies and muffins on occasion.

Lastly, remember that there are still so many foods that you can enjoy! If I can do it, you definitely can. It takes time. Go easy on yourself. Be forgiving and patient. But I promise along the way you will have more and more epiphanies! It will get easier—and more yummy—as you go. :)

Here are my favorite cookbooks right now:

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

(you'll need to make substitutes here)

The Healthy Gluten-Free Life

100 Days of Real Food 

(you'll need to make substitutes here)

The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook

Great Food Fast — from Martha Stewart

(you'll have to make some substitutions here)

What suggestions do you have that have worked well for YOU? :)


** For more info on how to handle a new food lifestyle (and more cookbook recommendations), read my first post in this series HERE.

Easiest Dairy Free / Vegan Caramel Sauce Recipe EVER!

Since everyone is looking to gain a few extra pounds these days, I thought I would share this amazing vegan caramel sauce recipe. ;)

EASY PEASY VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE

Prep time

5 minutes

Total time

15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup almond (or other) milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• dash of salt
• 1 T vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, white sugar, almond milk, vanilla, and salt. Don't add the vegan butter yet!
2. Cook over medium heat until sugars dissolve, then increase the heat to medium-high, and let mixture come to a boil.
3. Stirring constantly (I used a tiny whisk), let the mixture foam and boil until it reaches a thick, but pourable consistency. This takes 5-10 minutes, but check it often to make sure it isn't burning. 
4. As soon as it starts to thicken, remove from heat (it will continue to thicken), and add the vegan butter. 
5. Stir to combine, and pour into glass jar or over dessert while hot.

This caramel will thicken in the fridge overnight. If you were to dip an apple in it and leave it out on the counter, it would harden to a thick, sticky consistency, but never harden to a candy shell. WARNING: Highly addictive. Enjoy!

DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend

DIY GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND

Prep time

5 minutes

Total time

5 minutes

This is a simple, 4-ingredient gluten free flour blend, that can be used in place of all purpose flour in most recipes. Prep and total time might be longer if you spill the ingredients all over, like I did... ;) 

Ingredients

• 1 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (this is optional, and not necessary)

Instructions

1. Blend together with a whisk, and store in a secure container in a dry place (I like to use glass jars with lids—a large mason jar works great).
2. Gluten free flours react differently in different recipes. But for the most part, you can use this GF flour in place of all purpose or whole wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio. For extra binding (since there is no gluten) you can add a little xanthan gum (depending on the recipe).
3. This blend works great in cookies, muffins, rolls, biscuits, cakes, breads, and even as a batter/breading for frying. You can use it in pizza crust mixes, as well as pancake mixes.

ENJOY!

*This is a recipe adapted from a few other blends found in books and online. 

Drop Biscuits: Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free Recipe

Basic Drop Biscuits

(These biscuits are SO light and fluffy. I was amazed.
I enjoy them right out of the oven with "butter" and jam.)

1 3/4 c. gluten free flour mix (I used Featherlight)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. dairy free margarine
1 c. rice milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar added
(to simulate buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in margarine with fork, then stir in milk. Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake 15-18 minutes. Makes 6-8 large biscuits.

Help! How to navigate a food allergy, gluten issue, or other dietary restriction.

I recently had a friend ask what to do as she was cutting out dairy and gluten. This can be a VERY daunting task. I am currently dairy, gluten/wheat, egg, and yeast free (with a smattering of fruits and spices, to boot). When I first embarked on this road I nearly had a month-long melt down. I was hungry all the time. And depressed. And confused. But I made it through to a manageable—even happy—place. Here is my "action list" of how to get started and not feel too overwhelmed. Ten suggestions. Just a few things to hopefully help.

This relates mostly to wheat and dairy, but could relate to a lot of other dietary restrictions, as well:

1. The easiest thing to do immediately is to make sure you have some basic, whole foods on hand for snacking (change anything based on your food likes/needs—everything I list will also be dairy free):

• variety of protein: nuts, nut butters, nut bars—I prefer KIND bars. I order them in bulk from Amazon), any meat you like (I tend to pre-cook chicken and beef patties to heat up in a jiffy, I also like to make taco meat and make taco bowls for lunch)

• Snacks: Pop Chips, popcorn, kettle corn, tortilla chips and GF salsa (I like La Victoria), corn tortillas, granola (homemade from GF oats), dairy free chocolate chips (Trader Joes), variety of teas or cider or other fun drinks.

• Fave fruits and veggies that you can eat: I've found keeping salsa and guac fixings on hand help with snackish cravings. Also make smoothies with Almond or Coconut Milk (I can't do coconut, but I love Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk). I tend to roast and grill veggies, and I eat a lot of them. 

• GF grains: Quinoa, GF oats (I also like steel cut oats found at Trader Joe's), brown and white rice. Eventually you can add flours. PASTAS!

• Mixes: Betty Crocker has SAVED my sanity! Sure it's packaged and main stream, but man it's good and super easy. Bob's Redmill is also an excellent choice. You can make your own flour mix, but it can be daunting. I STILL don't keep lots of types flours on hand. I find I simply don't bake as much (poor Finn and Maya). But when I do get baking cravings, I usually just pick up a mix. If you really want to make your own blend, I recommend following this one EXACTLY (the brand of tapioca flour makes a difference, but you might have to order it online (also, all GF food items are tax deductible):

http://www.silvanaskitchen.com/silvanas-kitchen-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour/

• Condiments: I replace all butter with Earth Balance butter, and milk with almond milk. Mayo=Veganaise (love this for chicken salad). If you need to replace eggs, I recommend using Ener-G Egg Replacer (in a box) in lieu of things like flax or applesauce. No taste, better fluffing/rising action. If you CAN eat eggs, make yourself an omelette, stat!! :)

2. Gather your arsenal:

These are some of my favorite websites for recipes (honestly I usually wait until I have a craving and then google a recipe):

http://www.sarahbakesgfree.com/ (AMAZING)

http://www.livingwithout.com/

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/site-index.html

http://www.elanaspantry.com/

http://gluten-dairy-sugarfree.com/

http://www.lifeisstillsweet.com/

http://www.wordofwisdomliving.com/

Here is a link to a post I wrote about my diet and what I like to prepare for each meal, and some links to my favorite books that I reference regularly:

http://www.lyndsayjohnsonblog.com/2013/03/health-update-sibo-maintenance.html

3. Get rid of the snacks and things that make you feel sad or frustrated. If you have kids and they have their snacks, put them in a particular cabinet. Make that their snack cabinet. Banish all other wheat-filled snacks. Be careful of double-dipping peanut butter or jelly knives. Watch for cross-contamination.

4. READ ALL LABELS. Self explanatory.

5. Allow yourself to feel sad and frustrated. Those feelings WILL be replaced with feelings of gratitude for what you CAN eat, in time. But it is OK to be mad for no good reason at someone eating a doughnut. Or for almost tearing up in the cheese aisle. That is so normal. You need to be patient with yourself. Tell your body that it is doing great, and to hang in there. :) Have pouty days, and then go make yourself a cake. With a betty crocker mix. 

6. I don't recommend trying to replace packaged snacks with the GF version. Crackers are GROSS. Cookies (unless home made) are a big disappointment. Just plan to cut out packaged snack-ish type food. Look for Raw Food recipes for desserts (coconut macaroons are amazing...wish I could still eat them). Check out Hail Merry's little pies—sold at Costco. Try to keep a back up indulgent treat to help you feel "normal" on bad days (I opt for Haagen Dahz Raspberry sorbet, or Justin's Dark Peanut Butter Cups...So Delicious coconut ice cream is also a good option).

7. Know where to eat out. Find out what local restaurants pride themselves on being allergy friendly. Chipotle is WONDERFUL about food allergies. They even change their gloves. Take a look at their website. They have a mostly gluten free menu (save the tortillas), and they can easily be dairy-free. Costa Vida has allergen options, but you have to ask carefully about things like butter if you can't handle it. Wendy's menu has GF items (see their website). And larger restaurants like steak houses and places like Macaroni Grill are good eating out options because you can communicate your dietary needs, and order things like grilled chicken or steak and steamed veggies with rice. 

8. Invest in a good lunch box/bag. (Bento-box style works great). You'll probably find yourself toting your food with you more often than not.

9. Have an emergency plan. Cutting out whole food groups can cause withdrawals. Your brian will literally think something is wrong. It will do funny things. It will freak out. You might have cravings that seem disproportionate to reality (this is my ongoing relationship with croissants, which could be used as currency at this point, in my estimation.) You might feel so frustrated that you freeze up and don't eat anything. If that happens, make a smoothie, eat some peanut butter, have some cereal, some tortilla chips, or an apple, and THEN google recipes when your blood sugar is normal and you aren't feeling hungry. It will help with that frantic sense of "WHAT DO I EAT??"

10. Find support. I don't recommend endlessly scrolling through chat boards. You will find yourself wasting time and slipping under. Instead, find out what local groups, establishments, or restaurants support a GF lifestyle, or provide resources for food allergies. See a nutritionist or dietician (some hospitals or communities offer this services for free). Find a doctor you trust and can communicate with. Make sure your family understands and can be your advocate. Do what makes you feel relaxed and balanced: meditate, pray, read the scriptures, try some yoga, go on a bike ride, go for a walk, play a board game, watch a movie, read a good book, work in the garden, be with friends. Get out and do things that make you happy!

I hope this helps. I know it's not a complete list, so please feel free to add your advice in the comments! Best of luck to all. :)

Butternut Squash Soup (Gluten + Dairy Free, with a vegan option)

I have the BEST Butternut Squash Soup recipe. It's creamy and thick, and completely dairy and gluten free. I make my chicken stock base from scratch, but you could use any chicken broth you like. (Or use veggie stock if you want to go vegetarian/vegan!) What you'll need: 4-6 cups chicken (or other) stock  2-3 large leeks, chopped (not the entire leek, just the "bulb" and a bit of the green) 2 T olive oil (to sauteé the leeks) 2-3 apples 2 butternut squash 3-6 baked potatoes, depending on size (I bake mine the night before) 1/2 cup coconut milk (low fat works—I pour in half a can) 1/4 cup maple syrup (or just drizzle some in to taste) salt and pepper to taste Add-ons: • bacon • green onions • your favorite chopped nuts • toasted pumpkin seeds Instructions: (This soup isn't exact. Just add as much as you want of whatever you want. You can even pre-cook your bacon and add it in earlier.) • Roast your butternut squash in the oven at 400 for about an hour. I like to wrap mine in foil and poke holes in them for steam release. I set them on a foil-lined cookie sheet for east clean up. Butternut squash can be hard to cut into raw, and this takes out the frustration and potential hazard of having to cleave your way into the squash! :) (While they are roasting I make homemade chicken stock. But skip this step if you think it's overly ambitious.) • After the squash is done, take it out to cool a bit.  • Pour your chicken or veggie stock into a large pot over medium heat. • While that is warming up, sauteé the leeks in a pan until they start to brown and the white parts begin to become translucent. Set aside to cool for a minute. • Unwrap and cup open the sqash. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy guts, and discard (the skin, too). Save the rest for the soup. • Peel your apples and baked potatoes and chop them up (unless you want a heartier soup, then leave the skins on). • Time to blend everything (leeks included)! You can EITHER blend them separately in a blender (I use a Vitamix to get a super blended texture like baby food). I blend the squash first, then put it in the pot with the chicken stock. Then I blend the potatoes. Then the apples and leeks. Add it all to the pot. OR you can use a hand blender to blend it right in the pot if you prefer. In that case, dump it all in and blend away (with the step below). • Add your coconut milk and any water you might need to reach a desired consistency (my hubby prefers a well-blended thick soup).  • Season to taste. • Turn up the heat until boiling, then back down to simmer until everything is happy and warm. Since everything is pretty much pre-cooked, this step goes by fast. • Ladle into bowls and top with your favorite toppings. I always have enough to save in jars in my freezer.  Perfect fall soup!

My friend SIBO (and by friend I mean mortal enemy)

PLEASE READ: I have amended some things on this post, and have added more in my follow-up posts and updates found linked with the "SIBO" label found HERE.

So I finally had some time to sit and write about the crazy health roller coaster I've been on this past year. I'll warn you that it involves stomach ailments of the worst kind, and I can't imagine anyone other than fellow sufferers and possibly some family members actually caring to read on. But if you love TMI, go for it.

It seems I have a new life partner, and it goes by the name SIBO. SIBO is short for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. And it has been hanging out in my body for quite some time now. I will distill the bulk of this down so that I don't have to relive all of the horror that was this summer (and so that you can keep your appetite). But essentially I was starting to have severe stomach issues every few weeks that mimicked the stomach flu (cast your mind). Of course I couldn't function that way at all, so I started seeing a gastroenterologist who ran lots of tests (blood tests, stool tests, more blood tests). I didn't have celiac, IBD was a negative, no parasites, thyroid a-ok, and all my bloodwork was normal. Commence head scratching. I was diagnosed with "leaky gut" (which isn't a diagnosis at all—it's a symptom). And after no relief, I finally opted for the very pricey and extensive blood test to identify my food intolerances (which I knew were significant at this point). That list came back with the following:
• wheat
• yeast
• egg whites
• ALL dairy (whimper)
• mushrooms
• shrimp
• oysters (apparently this shows up on all IgG testing...)
• cinnamon, mace, and turmeric
• pineapple and plums
...and a handful of other oddities

These are all things in my life that I'd eaten happily for years (with some sporadic issues with dairy). So why were they suddenly causing me so much distress? As in "cutting my stomach out with a knife" distress. Removing those items from my diet offered, to my relief, relief. But not total relief. I would still get randomly sick, and have unpredictable symptoms. I learned early on that I could forget about eating out. I've had a few intense experiences with eating out that scared me straight. So I cook. And let me tell you—this diet is a full-time job. I am cooking all the time. All. The. Time. Mostly I eat healthy delicious foods that my kids would rather die than eat (carrots, spinach, zucchini, chicken...a LOT of chicken). And while I feel very grateful for the things I can eat, I miss some foods like crazy. So much that I have to detach myself from my previous life of food-loving. I am not going to even go into the amount of emotional restraint I have to exercise over not being able to eat a shrimp quesadilla at Tia Rosas, a burger with my kids at In-N-Out, or my own birthday cake. But then there are normal things, like cereal in the morning. What to do there? I buy gluten-free everything. I obsess over crumbs on the counter, and heaven forbid I find them in my vegan butter. I use unsweetened almond milk in lieu of milk (50% more calcium!), and flax seeds in place of eggs in baking (weird-o). And for the most part it's fine. But it was starting to worry me, too. How long would this last? Forever? What happens when I want to travel...to someplace like Iceland with my husband?? What happens if I get sick in the middle of hiking a glacier?! Or in Target with two kids with a full shopping cart...the horror. I had to get to the bottom of this.

U.S. News and World Report listed the top gastroenterologists in the nation. And a few were right here in my own backyard! I ditched my first GI doc for the pros at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (one perk of living in L.A.). After 10 minutes, Dr. Stein diagnosed my illness (something my previous doctor couldn't do in 10 visits): Post-infectious IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). "30 year olds don't get this," I thought. Not so. 30 year olds who travel abroad get this. It seems the little trip I took to Greece over a year ago is the culprit. I got horribly ill with a stomach bug while there (gastroenteritis? food poisoning?). Dr. Stein knew immediately that this was my problem. In his words, "You went to Greece and got screwed. Now it's my job to coach you through this." Then he gave me a handful of options and wanted me to choose for myself after I did the research (upper/lower GI scoping, breath testing, antidepressants, antispasmodics, acupuncture, herbalists, hypnotherapy—the big thing in London). I talked it over with Wes and my family, then asked Dr. Stein's medical opinion. Out of everything, he thought I really needed the Lactulose Breath Test for a thing called SIBO. It seems that after a major infection, bacteria can infest the small intestines, set up camp, and throw a party. I went in for the test. I had to drink a sugary liquid and then breathe into a little bag every 15 minutes for 2 hours. Test POSITIVE. OK—a diagnosis! But where to go from here?? (Hint: don't go to Google unless you want to think you have 4 types of cancer...)

Dr. Stein referred me to a book written by his colleague at Cedars named Mark Pimintel (the physician who actually processed the results of my breath test). He is the definitive source on SIBO. I read the book from cover to cover in a day. I learned a lot. Mostly I learned that tons of people with IBS are walking around with SIBO and don't even know it. For years—decades, even! Their quality of life suffers, and this is something that's treatable. It's even curable in some people! And not only that, but SIBO leads to other conditions like rosacea, acne (ahem, yep), even fibromyalgia. For instance, a study by researchers at Cedars-Sinai examined 202 people who met the diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome and gave them the test for bacterial overgrowth (called the lactulose hydrogen test). Researchers found that 157 of the 202 people (78%) had bacterial overgrowth. When the unwanted intestinal bacteria were eradicated, symptoms of IBS improved in 48% of the subjects, particularly diarrhea and abdominal pain. It's not just people with IBS-like symptoms that have bacterial overgrowth. Bacterial overgrowth can also present with non-digestive symptoms such as fatigue. It's believed to be involved in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, allergies, arthritis, lupus, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions. Even FOOD SENSITIVITIES.

It seems that bacteria like to bore holes in the small intestines, allowing toxins to leak into the body. So that leaky gut idea from doctor #1? Not all wrong, but again—not a diagnosis. A symptom. And that leaky gut leads to autoimmune responses in the body (like food intolerances). So now we had to treat this problem. I was prescribed a heavy course of antibiotics. But before you freak out and say that antibiotics make stomach issues worse, these antibiotics are not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, they stay in the small intestines! Bingo. Neomycin + Rifaxin for 10 days. Only problem? My insurance wouldn't cover the $500 Rifaxan (I won't go into the reasons, but it's a problem with this drug across the board). Luckily I have an amazing doctor who just gave me the medicine because I needed the treatment. After the 10 days, I could feel a difference. I am now not as sensitive and feel more normal. I do have some lingering heartburn and abdominal discomfort, but nothing like before. I do believe some (if not all) of the bacteria has been eradicated. But I also found out that it doesn't end there. The diet now has to be adjusted.

Oh the diet. I cannot have any sugar. Take a moment and read that again. Bacteria thrives on sugar. It wants to have a sugar party in my body. And I cannot stomach that idea (pardon the pun). But because I might lose my mind entirely if I cut out ALL carbs and sugar, the limit is no more than 10g of sugar per day. The only sugar that is ok is glucose (but that isn't a naturally occurring sweetener, so I am at a loss there). Fructose is the worst, so no fruit or fruit juice. And I have to wait 3-5 hours between meals. No snacks (collective groan). If I thought I was getting skinny before, I am probably in for another round of weight loss. I can assure you it is not welcomed at this point—I need to gain about 15 pounds. And if you think "You're lucky—I wish I had that problem" I might slug you (yes, people have told me that to my face). The idea is that once the bacteria is gone (fingers crossed), I have to prevent it from coming back. Then I have to restore the "cleansing waves" that go on in the body after eating (hence the 3-5 hour breaks). Plus there's the issue of liver detox. That's another bottle of supplements to clear out all those leaking toxins and give my liver a break. Tons of water. Lots of veggies. Some meat and protein. A few grains. No sugar. I can do this. I think...

The next step is healing my "leaky gut." I think that is the most unfortunate combo of words in the english language. Who wants to say they have a leaky gut (or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, for that matter)?! So to heal the lining, I am doing things like taking glutamine powder (proven to help some people who suffer from SIBO), and I plan to do a cabbage juice regimen soon. I drink a lot of tea (ginger, mostly). Probiotics are a big NO when you have SIBO. No bacteria is good bacteria in this case, and I do feel worse when I take probiotics. I've been instructed to stay away from them entirely. In the case of SIBO, many things that would normally seem appropriate in other "living healthy" scenarios do not apply (no probiotics, don't eat frequent smaller meals throughout the day, white rice is your friend—in moderation, etc.). This is its own beast. 

* As an update, I had previously posted that I was going to take peppermint oil. It made my heartburn EXTREME. So I nixed that. Apparently, in some people, peppermint oil can actually relax the valve that keeps acid down in your stomach. No go for me. Grapefruitseed extract did absolutely nothing. And I didn't have much luck with L-Glutamine, either.

I try very earnestly to focus on finding joy in the things that I can eat. I am very grateful that I am not intolerant to corn or soy (dairy and wheat are enough to make my head spin). I attempt to walk stoically past the popcorn at the movies (fiber + butter = trouble). And I don't ever want someone to feel guilty when they are eating something yummy in front of me at a restaurant while I sip my water and smile. Most of the time it's fine. Although with the new addition of no sugar or snacks I admit I had a brief moment of hysteria (hunger will do that to you).

I recently read that this is considered a chronic condition. It can be controlled and almost completely eliminated in some people. And I am hoping I am in that percentage. But the truth is that it will most likely be something I live with and treat for a long while—possibly my whole life on some level. My hope is that I can get it to a manageable state so that I can travel and eat out safely. I hope to get my energy up, and rid my body of those toxins that have been building up these past months. I hope that one day I can have another baby (a strict no-no right now). But in the mean time I will keep plugging along. I found this quote a few days ago when I was feeling deflated by all of this:

There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember—David did win!
~President Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Living the Abundant Life" found here.

A lot has changed in my life. I have almost completely put design and blog work on hold. Any free time is spent creating my meals from scratch (then the kids' meals, since they won't eat what I am eating at their wee stage in life). And a lot of my thoughts are consumed with my health (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual). Stress also triggers symptoms, so I am trying to manage that. I have a plan for exercise that promotes healing and de-stress meditation (if I can find the time, ha). There are a lot of side effects with SIBO. And often when I think I am having a good day, some other malady presents itself. So my serious lack of blogging is due to that. I have debated over just making my blog private and becoming a truly lazy blogger just for my own journal's sake. But I enjoy the community. So I think I will most likely stick around. I also feel strongly that if any of this information can help even one person, than it's worth the extra effort to blog about it. I've provided a list of resources at the end of this post for anyone interested, and please email me at lyndsayjohnson@gmail.com if you have any questions.

And please promise me the next time you eat a piece of cheesecake that you won't bemoan the calories, but just enjoy the treat!! :)

My SIBO Resource List 
Trust me—I've done a LOT of googling, and have distilled it down for you here:
Cedars-Sinai SIBO page
SIBO—what IS it?
Very comprehensive SIBO site from a GI who subscribes to Dr. Pimintel's research
Great overall article on IBS and SIBO
The case against probiotics and SIBO

I love you, Bob!

I just made a batch of Bob's Red Mill Gluten/Wheat/Dairy-free brownies. Maya and I have already eaten a row in about 30 minutes. I've been dying for baked sweets lately that are quick and easy. My current favorite go-to mixes are both from Bob's Red Mill. I really love the chocolate chip cookie mix. And even though other people think they taste a little "off" I still love the flavor and texture. The kids love them, too. They aren't a classic chocolate chip flavor, but they're good in my book! The brownies, however, hit the nail on the head! I think they would pass anyone's taste test. Moist and chocolatey overload. The trick is that they use Godiva cocoa. (Thank you for that, Bob.) Since I am not eating dairy, it's nice to know I can purchase a product that has chocolate, and not worry about it containing dairy. Peace of mind. That's all I ask for these days. It's no fun living in fear that something you eat might later make you sick.

I've also got a container full of this well-tested flour mix in my kitchen now. I ordered all the different ingredients in a case from Amazon (though the brand of Tapioca flour I wanted was harder to find and had to be ordered direct from the company). I have yet to put it into practice. But the texture feels almost exactly like flour. I'm excited to find out if it holds up to the test! My jar doesn't look quite as charming as this one:

image source

This is Silvana of Cooking for Isaiah

Silvana's "all purpose flour" 

• 6 cups rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
• 3 cups tapioca starch (Shiloh Farms—she tested many kinds, and this was the best)
• 1 1/2 cups potato starch (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill)

Directions: Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer contents to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator.

Thanks for everyone's support and comments! They have been so helpful! :)

Warning: this blog is about to get a little "niche"

I'm on a crusade over here. It involves finding a way of life in which I can eat and not become horribly ill a few hours later. I have intermittent "episodes" where I get very sick depending on what I eat (and sometimes mystifyingly not what I eat). It's a long story that is still developing, and I'll spare you the personal details. But after my first round of tests came back, it was conclusive that I do not have celiac disease (aka "gluten intolerance" though there is always the chance that the test results were inaccurate). But I seem to sometimes have a wheat sensitivity. And the same goes for dairy. I have developed a milk/dairy sensitivity in the past months as well (which includes butter, whimper). And more tests are on the horizon to determine what—definitively—I am/am not actually allergic to (this may all be temporary, after all). But in the mean time, I know I have to avoid wheat and dairy (and processed sugar, if I can help it—but bring on the agave nectar + honey, please). And since I've discovered that going wheat-free is essentially going gluten-free (a diet I was experimentally on in the first place), I am continuing with the gluten-free trend. And that, friends, family, and readers alike, is why this blog has just landed itself in the select group of bloggers who are forging ahead with food sensitivities.

Usually these types of dietary adjustments involve children. But since my children would have no trouble living off of wheat bread, cheese, and the energy of the univers alone, they seem to be exempt from this issue (fingers crossed this continues to be the case). But that means I've been preparing different meals for everyone in the house while experimenting with this transition. Before deciding to jump head first into a primarily gluten-free kitchen, Finn and Maya might eat their age-appropriate dinner while Wes would say, "Don't worry about me." Then he would head off to make a burrito. I've been left eating the uber exciting chicken-brown rice-veggie combo that would double as both recovery food after an "episode" and the new gluten-free diet. It's b-o-r-i-n-g. I am already tiring of the smell and taste of brown rice (always cooking in my rice steamer).

I've even started buying gluten-free mixes, snacks, and soups at Fresh & Easy or Trader Joe's when I'm in a lazy bind. But a lot of those foods are really really gross. I'm not going to lie. I don't think I've ever tasted anything more "cardboard box" than pre-packaged gluten-free cookies. Yuck. And the price! So very expensive. Clearly not going to work. So I went online in search of some recipe blogs (now located in my sidebar below) to help out in the kitchen. And I immediately ordered two books that I know are going to make a huge difference (click titles for links to shop):

Cooking for Isaiah

The recipes in this book look off the charts delicious. And Silvana breaks everything down, so that you know exactly what to buy. She's tested it all, and distilled it down into this goldmine. She has seriously done all the work, and offered it up to us in a hard-bound, beautifully photographed, silver platter of a resource. I immediately gave a huge sigh of relief when I opened this book. Her household is gluten-free, and everyone is able to enjoy delicious meals without missing out on anything. I love the thought of cooking one meal for everyone, without skipping a beat.

Babycakes
Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery

OK. I'm good. :) That's all I needed to see!
I plan to document this excursion into a new realm (makes it sound kind of exciting, right...right?). My flour and starches are ordered. My Vitamix is ready to grind some rice into flour. I can do this, right...right? I promise it won't TAKE OVER my blog. But if you happen to be gluten or dairy free at your house, and want to share your favorites or tips, please leave me a comment, or email me at lyndsayjohnson@gmail.com—I'd love to hear from you. 
And since I have them cooling on the rack in the kitchen, I thought I'd do a quick review of Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Chip Cookies. I had to cook them longer than the bag states (but I always add 5-7 minutes cook time in my weird-o oven). The taste is decidedly...hearty. I can taste the blend of alternate grains, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Somehow they have the satisfying taste of peanut butter cookies (though this mix is nut-free). And the texture is right on (crispy outside, chewy center). The kids LOVE them (I can hear them "silently" filching them from the rack right now). Bottom line, they do not taste like regular chocolate chip cookies. But they are still a good cookie when you want a quick mix! Especially when I am craving something sweet tonight. :) 
Here's to health!