posted July 23, 2014 09:24 AM            

Herbal supplements have helped my mind and well being since I quit smoking. (Valerian, passion flower, and skullcap)

I went gluten free for 3 weeks straight. Unless I am making a dessert for a holiday, I only spend my groceries on gluten free food.
So that way I can be good when I can. Let me tell you it's not easy. It bugs me when people think gluten free is a trend or a fad diet. I seriously have a sensitivity to it. It gives me inflammation.

I've been trying to buy more natural products or make my own. I'll the sulfate parabean free shampoo's at whole foods. And I'll buy aluminum free deodorants, and fluoride free toothpaste.

posted July 23, 2014 04:25 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Stawr:
It bugs me when people think gluten free is a trend or a fad diet. I seriously have a sensitivity to it. It gives me inflammation.

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Oh me too!

I have Celiac and I have been GF for years. People tell me all the time "a little bit won't hurt" and stuff like that. Uh... yeah it will! It destroys my intestines & it's genetic... no cure!

However, it did help me lose a TON of weight because my intestines are healing now and able to absorb nutrients (so I am less hungry).

I even had my lifelong, unexplained anemia resolve itself too (finally) & I had every stupid test you can imagine to figure out why I was so anemic, including collecting stool samples for a week. No fun!

No doctors never thought to test for Celiac and I had never even heard of it myself. It wasn't until my aunt said to me once (on the phone), "Your grandmother wasn't allowed to have wheat due to some serious allergy or something. We used to have to eat the strangest desserts as kids..." and then I ran off to the internet to do research. I didn't grow up with my dad's family, so I didn't know them or their medical history.

So later, after sharing this discovery that she could have had Celiac disease, I had some positive indications on a few different blood tests. Of course, it all made sense... my symptoms were in alignment with Celiac, so when told I needed a small intestine biopsy to confirm the diagnosis 100%, I refused & said 98% was good enough! I told the doctor I would remove gluten and look for improvement. He was skeptical but agreed.

posted July 24, 2014 12:30 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Stawr:
It's not okay for other people to tell me to loose weight, but it's okay if it's my idea.

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It's not okay for people to comment on your body, period. Your body = your choices.

posted July 24, 2014 11:26 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Geeky:
It's not okay for people to comment on your body, period. Your body = your choices.

---

My boyfriends mom did, she said "you gained all your weight back" His family can sure be a lot different than mine when it comes to manners. But I was ****** cause she has no idea that I use to weigh even more.
Part of why his mom said that was cause she wanted a workout buddy, but I didn't want to work out with her anymore cause I didn't like that she was paranoid that her boyfriend would leave her if he saw a better looking woman with a more toned stomach.

But later she basically told me that I should make sure I exercise when quitting cause her sister didn't and she gained a ton.

Yuh the only people that should be commenting on peoples body like that is a doctor.
I actually had a manual therapist tell me that I have inflammation in my stomach and that I should try going gluten free for 3 weeks. At first I was like seriously that's impossible. But then she gave me a list to help me out. It taste a while to do it, I think it took me about a year to be able to do it for 3 weeks. I really noticed a difference when I watched what I ate and exercised.

That last couple of months I was probably eating more gluten meals than gluten free. When it should really be that other way around.

I've been eating bagels in the morning for convenience. But after class yesterday I decided to put more effort into it again. Had Hash browns with eggs for lunch and gf macaroni for dinner.

posted July 24, 2014 11:45 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Geeky:
I did this. I am also a gluten-free vegan. I haven't seen fast food in 8 years.

I look younger (and 60 pounds thinner) in my 30s than when I was in my 20s.

My eczema cleared.

My acne cleared.

My asthma cleared.

My GERD is gone.

I am not longer pre-diabetic or having stage 1 hypertension.

My hair is AMAZING (to stick with astrology, I am Leo rising, this is important, LOL!!!)

In other words, this is my life now. I will never go back. I don't fee restricted at all... I feel FREE!

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Oh my goodness GF and vegan! That's cool to know how much healthier you are now!

posted July 24, 2014 08:34 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Stawr:
Since I'm getting back on track I thought I'd ask you what meals and snacks you have the most for staying GF?

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Once it's clear from your system, you just stop craving that stuff.

But at first, I had to find GF doughnuts. I learned to make pancakes, cake, etc. but doughnuts were hard for me to master. I eventually developed a GF cake doughnut, but they aren't that great, so I just gave up. *lol*

Anyway, I used to eat some from the freezer section made by "Kinnikinnick Foods". They aren't vegan but that may not be a thing for you.

I recently discovered GF bread that actually tastes good and has the right texture. It comes from "Wheatless in Seattle" and it's called Olivia Superfree. I find it at Whole Foods in the freezer section. It's spendy, but as I said, I don't crave the stuff all that much, so I buy maybe a loaf a month. Sometimes I buy the baguettes if I am making pasta.

I literally make as much from scratch as possible. My diet revolves around rice and vegetables with beans and nuts. I make homemade hummus in a few varieties and I also make homemade pico de gallo. My favorite snack includes either of those dips combined with my bean chips. I can literally eat the whole bag of bean chips and a pound of pico in one sitting... but I don't recommend that.

I also make my own ice cream. I urge you to get an ice cream maker! Life isn't so bad with an ice cream maker. =D

posted July 24, 2014 08:46 PM            

Toasted GF bread (Olivia Superfree)
Vegenaise and/or mustard
Relish (if I am feeling like relish)
lettuce
veggie burger (the name of my favorite GF brand escapes me at the minute)
Daiya "cheese" slice
grilled onions
tomato slice
more lettuce
Vegenaise and/or mustard
Toasted GF bread (Olivia Superfree)

SO GOOD!

posted July 24, 2014 08:52 PM            

Ingredients:

4 cups gluten free flour blend (I like to use 1 c. millet, 1½ c almond, 1½ c brown rice)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups pumpkin puree (a 15oz can is close enough)
1 cup organic cane sugar
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted (yes, really!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare two 9×5-inch loaf pans by spraying with coconut oil spray (tested) or by lining with parchment paper (untested).
In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside.
Mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, apple cider and vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until combined.
Scoop batter into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until center is set.
Leave bread in pan to cool for 15-20 minutes. (I never can, but try!)

Optional - You can add a cup of chocolate chips to the mix if you're having some chocolate cravings. You can also add some icing.

posted July 25, 2014 01:30 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Geeky:
Once it's clear from your system, you just stop craving that stuff.

But at first, I had to find GF doughnuts. I learned to make pancakes, cake, etc. but doughnuts were hard for me to master. I eventually developed a GF cake doughnut, but they aren't that great, so I just gave up. *lol*

Anyway, I used to eat some from the freezer section made by "Kinnikinnick Foods". They aren't vegan but that may not be a thing for you.

I recently discovered GF bread that actually tastes good and has the right texture. It comes from "Wheatless in Seattle" and it's called Olivia Superfree. I find it at Whole Foods in the freezer section. It's spendy, but as I said, I don't crave the stuff all that much, so I buy maybe a loaf a month. Sometimes I buy the baguettes if I am making pasta.

I literally make as much from scratch as possible. My diet revolves around rice and vegetables with beans and nuts. I make homemade hummus in a few varieties and I also make homemade pico de gallo. My favorite snack includes either of those dips combined with my bean chips. I can literally eat the whole bag of bean chips and a pound of pico in one sitting... but I don't recommend that.

---

When I was first starting out, I bought simply organic pancake mix. I open up it up. SMELLS LIKE CAT NIP!! "maybe it wont takes like it!?" It did!
Lots of GF substitutes taste terrible. Bread loafs, bagels, bread mix.
But I'll have to keep an eye for those brands you mentioned and give it another try.

The only substitutes I can tolerate right now are the gf pasta like spaghetti and macaroni.

When I was good at doing it, I'd say that potatoes, rice, avocados, and ami meals and burritos made it easy for me.

posted July 25, 2014 01:59 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Stawr:
Lots of GF substitutes taste terrible. Bread loafs, bagels, bread mix.

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Real sandwich style bread is the hardest! But if you can find Olivia Superfree, give it a try.

I have found biscuits and bagels totally impossible though. I really had to learn as much baking from scratch as possible (no mixes) and I had to alter my patterns (example: biscuits & gravy just ain't happening anymore).

Overall, by finding a few convenience foods (and those Amy's frozen meals are awesome!) and learning new recipes, I've been okay. I don't feel deprived at all (though well-meaning people in my life insist I must be).

posted July 25, 2014 12:21 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Geeky:
Real sandwich style bread is the hardest! But if you can find Olivia Superfree, give it a try.

I have found biscuits and bagels totally impossible though. I really had to learn as much baking from scratch as possible (no mixes) and I had to alter my patterns (example: biscuits & gravy just ain't happening anymore).

Overall, by finding a few convenience foods (and those Amy's frozen meals are awesome!) and learning new recipes, I've been okay. I don't feel deprived at all (though well-meaning people in my life insist I must be).

And although I lost 60+ pounds, I still hover around 130, so I am not thin or deprived looking by any means. Of course, even if I was very thin, I would still continue what I'm doing as long as I feel good and have energy. That's really what it's all about... feeling better.

---

Yeah the Amy meals are awesome. A year ago I started making GF recipes I found in cookbooks laying around, it's nice to give family a home cooked meal and have left overs so that it's convenient the next day. I kind of want to get back into cooking, I stopped when I was working and in school.

I love Avocado so much that I will make guacamole for breakfast and eat the whole thing! Fresh and convenient for early mornings.

I'm 5"1' and my senior prom dress was a size 14. From age 18-21 I was around 140 pounds. One of the lowest point was when I lived with an ex boyfriend that would only buy processed foods with his food stamps. I was eating mini pizza's, pizza rolls. For every square meal! When it was my time of the month I had people tell me that I better do something about being pregnant.
Even in my early 20's I'd have people ask me.
Now that is not cool, you know something isn't right with your health if you look knocked up when you are not.
I may not be hardcore allergic to gluten, but enough for it to make me look the way I'm not suppose to over time, that is enough to change to eating that way.

When I was really doing good with it I could fit into size 4 and 5's sometimes! Sometimes my weight would even be as low as 117! I'm happy at being a size 6 though. I can still wear medium and small clothing. (something I gave up on ever happening again before I was educated on GF)
I felt so much more confident and comfortable in my skin. And guys started to see pictures of what I looked like and started to message me. One of them even said "Damn you got hot! You single?"

I'm probably around 130 too now. I'm cool with maintaining what I am,
but it's scary that I am exercising and the 4 and 5 clothes aren't fitting when I could wear them a few months ago. Sigh...I am just one of those people that can't just do one or the other, I really need to do both. I also think it's a combination of eating so much gluten, the the GF stuff ended up being the splurge, plus I stopped smoking.

So I am ready to nip this weight gain in the butt, cause I don't want to be anything more than I am now.

I've gone completely gf for 2 days now, and I already feel less bloated.

I know it will be a little bit harder to do when I am with my boyfriend or out with friends. I love going to Mexican restaurants cause of the corn tortillas, and flan for dessert. SO FILLING. SO GOOD. My boyfriend always wants to get thaifood. I'm so sick of pad Thai plus not gf. But my sister who got me into Thai food a long time ago showed me yellow curry. It tastes just like Indian food, it has rice instead of noodles.

Easy to eat GF at big boys.(hash, eggs, bacon, yogurt, fruit cup)

posted July 25, 2014 03:05 PM            

quote:

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I love Avocado so much that I will make guacamole for breakfast and eat the whole thing! Fresh and convenient for early mornings.

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Yum! that's like me & my pico de gallo.

quote:

---

I've gone completely gf for 2 days now, and I already feel less bloated.

---

Awesome!

quote:

---

I know it will be a little bit harder to do when I am with my boyfriend or out with friends. I love going to Mexican restaurants cause of the corn tortillas, and flan for dessert. SO FILLING. SO GOOD. My boyfriend always wants to get thaifood. I'm so sick of pad Thai plus not gf. But my sister who got me into Thai food a long time ago showed me yellow curry. It tastes just like Indian food, it has rice instead of noodles.

---

I quit going out to eat with people.

If I am out with friends on a rare occasion (like recently, a concert), I eat before I go and bring snacks in my purse. If they go to eat somewhere after, I either go with and just sit through it (while they all try to convince me "a little won't hurt") or I just go home (which happens 99% of the time). I really don't care what they think or say about it though. I was always this way but it does get easier to say "no" with age.

Hubby goes out to eat by himself. Sometimes he'll say, "Are you sure there's nothing I can get you?" but every time the answer is no. We didn't date like people traditionally do, so eating out wasn't involved in our dating life (thankfully).

posted July 26, 2014 11:13 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Geeky:
Chipotle - http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information. aspx

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posted July 26, 2014 02:50 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Geeky:
I quit going out to eat with people.

If I am out with friends on a rare occasion (like recently, a concert), I eat before I go and bring snacks in my purse. If they go to eat somewhere after, I either go with and just sit through it (while they all try to convince me "a little won't hurt") or I just go home (which happens 99% of the time). I really don't care what they think or say about it though. I was always this way but it does get easier to say "no" with age.

Hubby goes out to eat by himself. Sometimes he'll say, "Are you sure there's nothing I can get you?" but every time the answer is no. We didn't date like people traditionally do, so eating out wasn't involved in our dating life (thankfully).

I did have a couple of awkward dates with guys before I met him though. It wasn't awkward for me, but they were acting weird about what I wouldn't eat. One guy in particular was so annoyed I wouldn't share the appetizers from his plate. Even if I could eat what he had, we had just met and I don't share plates and cups. That was our first and last date... lol!

---

Some times when I go out to eat with boyfriend and friends, I get made fun of a little. Cause they will all end up ordering the same thing. (Burritos, Hamburgers and such)
And if they have a yummy gluten free option I'll order all the gf options in a breakfast blockbuster, or enchiladas.

Going out to eat is part of our dating life. haha. It's nice cause this is the first time I've ever had a guy get the tab most of the time.
In the past it was me 99% of the time. I was with such a douche bag a long time ago. (same guy I use to live with) When he wanted me back a little after breaking up and he told me he'd take me out and pay to try to show that he is trying to be a better person or something. So I picked Ihop. Thinking he can't afford anywhere too nice,but after all the crap I put up with I'm not gonna pick McDonald's. And guess what he says..."Man...this place is expensive..." I just looked at him like "Yeah? So? Pay up!" He pays ONE time at IHOP!!...complains about having to pay! WOW!! haha!
So yeah I did not give him another chance, but I was just enjoying letting him know I have the upper hand now.
I dated a bit after that.
Another guy I dated, didn't have a car. I drove out to see him. I was starving, and then he said money is tight, mind if we split some fried cucumbers? I was like "sure!" but boiling p!ssed on the inside. After what I've been though I was not gonna pay, plus he asked me out!
One guy would pay, but I feel wired acting like "I'm the girl, you so are obligated to always pay" So as soon as I offered to pay on the 3rd date. He basically had the mind set of "oh cool I don't have to get the tab anymore." This guy would turn his head when the check came.
Then a friend from high school set me up with her boyfriends cousin. Said he wanted to take me on a date. A few days later he said "My money isn't too good right now, hopefully you wont have to pay." I basically told him no, and he avoided me after that.

My boyfriend now makes me feel like I am finally being treated right!

But yeah at least you don't have to deal with "I pay more drama" It's all fun until someone gets annoyed at paying most of the time. Even my guy in January had gotten passive aggressive about it. Which made me very upset that he couldn't just say "Money is tight is it okay if we go dutch?" or "I don't mind buying for you, if you can pick something frugal on the menu" I guess he thought I would act offended. (how could I? I use to have to say that to guys all the time, so I understand where he is coming from) I don't get why he would think hinting in a pass-aggressive way will make me want to work something out in a positive way? Since he couldn't be upfront he just made him self look like an ungrateful resentful douche, one day he made a comment "I always pay!" in front of our friends at a restaurant.
He apologized when we were along, and said that it came out wrong. But as a Scorpio moon, I knew that he was a coward about being upfront with how he felt about getting the tab so much, leading him to start to resent me.
I basically told our friend who instigated it, that he is a grown ass man, and that I'm not forcing him to buy my food and if he has a problem he can tell me himself.(basically challenging my guy to man up)

posted July 26, 2014 06:57 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stawr:
Some times when I go out to eat with boyfriend and friends, I get made fun of a little. Cause they will all end up ordering the same thing. (Burritos, Hamburgers and such)
And if they have a yummy gluten free option I'll order all the gf options in a breakfast blockbuster, or enchiladas.

Going out to eat is part of our dating life. haha. It's nice cause this is the first time I've ever had a guy get the tab most of the time.
In the past it was me 99% of the time. I was with such a douche bag a long time ago. (same guy I use to live with) When he wanted me back a little after breaking up and he told me he'd take me out and pay to try to show that he is trying to be a better person or something. So I picked Ihop. Thinking he can't afford anywhere too nice,but after all the crap I put up with I'm not gonna pick McDonald's. And guess what he says..."Man...this place is expensive..." I just looked at him like "Yeah? So? Pay up!" He pays ONE time at IHOP!!...complains about having to pay! WOW!! haha!
So yeah I did not give him another chance, but I was just enjoying letting him know I have the upper hand now.
I dated a bit after that.
Another guy I dated, didn't have a car. I drove out to see him. I was starving, and then he said money is tight, mind if we split some fried cucumbers? I was like "sure!" but boiling p!ssed on the inside. After what I've been though I was not gonna pay, plus he asked me out!
One guy would pay, but I feel wired acting like "I'm the girl, you so are obligated to always pay" So as soon as I offered to pay on the 3rd date. He basically had the mind set of "oh cool I don't have to get the tab anymore." This guy would turn his head when the check came.
Then a friend from high school set me up with her boyfriends cousin. Said he wanted to take me on a date. A few days later he said "My money isn't too good right now, hopefully you wont have to pay." I basically told him no, and he avoided me after that.

My boyfriend now makes me feel like I am finally being treated right!

But yeah at least you don't have to deal with "I pay more drama" It's all fun until someone gets annoyed at paying most of the time. Even my guy in January had gotten passive aggressive about it. Which made me very upset that he couldn't just say "Money is tight is it okay if we go dutch?" or "I don't mind buying for you, if you can pick something frugal on the menu" I guess he thought I would act offended. (how could I? I use to have to say that to guys all the time, so I understand where he is coming from) I don't get why he would think hinting in a pass-aggressive way will make me want to work something out in a positive way? Since he couldn't be upfront he just made him self look like an ungrateful resentful douche, one day he made a comment "I always pay!" in front of our friends at a restaurant.
He apologized when we were along, and said that it came out wrong. But as a Scorpio moon, I knew that he was a coward about being upfront with how he felt about getting the tab so much, leading him to start to resent me.
I basically told our friend who instigated it, that he is a grown ass man, and that I'm not forcing him to buy my food and if he has a problem he can tell me himself.(basically challenging my guy to man up)

The next day I told my guy that the way he acted made it seem like he is ungrateful for all the times I have paid out to eat. And wanted to make sure he didn't feel way, and how I'm sensitive to stuff like this since I was in a relationship yrs ago where I always paid, and the guy would knock things over if I didn't buy him something(Ihop guy). So for me to feel comfortable to pay, means that I trust that he wont take advantage of me. So yeah my guy ended up saying "I feel like an @sshole" He later told me, that his money was in a better place. And after that when we'd go out with friends to a bar, he was like "get whatever you like!" and he even ordered me drinks at the bar I never asked for.

I sometimes forget to bring snacks at my guy's place which can make me moody, and have a hard time focusing when I do my hw over there. I need to be better about remembering. The only snack food I currently have is chia seeds. Haven't tried them yet.
I made a sandwich at his place yesterday. They are good but not gf that should be one of the only times I don't eat gf.

---

It can't be "all or nothing" in all situations. If you had Celiac disease, yes, you would have to be strict, but since you don't... just do the best you can.

I love to see people genuinely committed to their health and I see that you are.

posted July 27, 2014 03:35 PM            

My Grandmother taught me about them when I was very young.

They are very mucilaginous when exposed to water, cooling and demulcent.