Dear readers, it has been too long since my last post. I have really missed writing. I've been using a lot of my emotional energy doing very important tasks, (more on this later) but I've got a spare moment to share.
During the last few months, I've noticed itchy dry patches of skin on my son's body. I flipped open my baby books to the diet and allergy sections, and decided to start doing elimination tests to see if that made any difference in his skin's condition. Accompanying this itchy skin are sometimes irritated anus, and extra wakefulness at night; these are all indications of a food sensitivity. Children under the age of 2 are particularly vulnerable to food sensitivities because their intestines and bacterias inside are not very big or developed. Some big offenders are dairy, wheat, soy, corn, coconut, citrus fruits and tomatoes. ! Dairy? Wheat? Hello, those two items are in almost every prepared food item, and a big promoted staple of our diet, according to many agencies. Whole grains are shown on the food pyramid poster at our pediatricians office as embodied by brown bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Protein and dairy show cartons of milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you pay attention to ingredient labels, you will find all sorts of whey and soy proteins in things you never thought you'd find them. It's actually been a challenge to feed myself, my 18 month old and my husband healthy foods that we all enjoy.
We went two weeks free of dairy, and that seemed to clear up the skin. The instructions were to slowly reintroduce dairy back into the diet, and watch for reactions. Some people are completely intolerant to all dairy, whereas others can tolerate cheese or yogurt in moderation. I forgot about it for several weeks because we didn't notice any new symptoms. After spending a few days babysitting at Auntie/Cousin's house and drinking cow's milk everyday, we noticed the skin flaring up again. Oh yes, I remembered, take it easy on the dairy. So, another 2 weeks of abstaining. Only this time, it didn't make a difference. Drat. Back to the books I go.
This time, I see wheat as another big offender and I think back to the last few months of traveling, eating pretzels, toast, wheat bran cereal, homemade breads, pizzas, and I think, ok, now it's time to stop the wheat. Well, that was a lot easier said than done. Grandma forgets, and doles out crackers from Grandpa's snack stash. Daddy forgets and shares his morning toast with baby. Why isn't this working, Mommy wonders then starts digging a little deeper. Meanwhile, this is post half-marathon and post-learning about the GI index. Post- learning and testing lots of gluten-free recipes for the possibility of baking for farmers market and having a friend with Celieac's (sp?) disease. You can say I've arrived at this time of enlightenment about carbohydrates, health, and cooking simultaneously. The paths have converged and I have my third eye open without a lot of trying on my part. I'm reading this book now, Wheat belly : lose the wheat, lose the weight, and find your path back to health by Dr. William Davis, as part of my lessons.
Since I started my path to health back in 2003, post-divorce and very overweight, I've been interested in local foods, slow foods, gourmet cooking, and farm to table. I've long since plunged headfirst into the rabbit hole of finding out where food comes from, and grown my own for years. There is no comparison between a home-grown, organic anything to a grocery store flawless specimen. Organic and/or home grown is always better! It comes at a price, but listen: this is your health. This is your body. This is your life. Supposing you only get one shot, I want to fuel mine with the best nature has to offer, not the junk that leaves me bloated, depressed, and craving. Dr. Davis suggests (I'm only 1/6 of the way through the book) that the hybridized, genetically and fungally modified wheat of today is SO VASTLY DIFFERENT than the wheat of the last 3,000 years or so, that it does crazy things to our bodies. It was never tested for safety, either, on people or animals, before released into the market. In the 1970s is when we started to see a real difference in people's waistlines, and that corrolates directly with the prolificy of wheat. As a physician, he has seen thousands of people's blood sugars spike drastically after consuming wheat bread- even more than after they at a Snickers bar. ! And you know what? I believe it.
When I was training for the last half-marathon I ran in late March, I got the advice to "carb-load." Well, I didn't do it before the first half-marathon I ran, so I thought I would try it. You know, I had plenty of energy, but I also felt very full and groggy. AND it took me weeks, yes, weeks to stop craving lots of carbs! I'm not hypervigilent about my diet; for example, if I feel like eating some cookies, I will. I'll make sure to drink plenty of water, and lay off sweets for a few days, eat my raw veggies and move on. I eat a very balanced diet overall, so I don't get upset about "throwing off my diet" by one salty snack, or feeling like I have to workout extra hard because I indulged in something decadent. I just try to keep a balance. Well, when I start eating toast, especially, breads, wheat-based cookies and crackers, it's like a drug; I don't want to stop. I didn't really understand or think too much about it before, but lately I've been experiencing gastric distress. Now with my son and his mysterious ailments, things are starting to be less mysterious and more pointing to the culprit of wheat.
One time, before I got serious about running, I decided to go one month dairy-free. I was feeling a little yucky because I would often eat homemade bread, gourmet cheese and wine for my dinner. This was in my single days before I had to responsibly feed a young child, you see...ahem. Anyway, my garden was in full swing so I just decided one day, no dairy. It was really really hard at first. I felt deprived, and like I couldn't have the foods I loved (macaroni and cheese, parmesean on my spaghetti pomodoro, cheese and wine, pizza). But you know what? I adapted. I made lots of mystery mixed veg creations from my garden. I went to the market less often, and spent a lot less money. And after that month, I felt great! That was back in 2007 or so, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. The lasting results are that I rarely eat cheese today. Not because it's bad for me, or because I'm depriving myself, but because I save it for special occasions. I make a gourmet mac and cheese with squash and gruyere a few times a year. I make homemade pizza a few times a year. I eat a cheeseburger a few times a year. That's what keeps it special, and that's what keeps my guts unclogged of cheese. I have a sneaking suspicion that my two week trial period of no-wheat will be much the same; a lesson which lasts much longer.
I will try to keep track of what I'm eating, for anybody who may be interested in following:
Day 1:
leftover steamed basmati rice with ground cinnamon and soy milk
Fruit smoothie with banana, peach/mango juice, soy milk, grapes, orange and blueberries
cup of herbal tea (tension tamer)
dal soup (made with onion, moong dal, tomato, turmeric, salt, hot chili, garlic) with 1 egg
half an Asian pear
cup of Kenyan tea with local honey
steamed pearl barley with thyme, olive oil and shallots
baked tilapia fillets with lemon
black bean and fresh spinach salad with tomato, cucumber, corn, pineapple, cilantro
