New Years Resolution

Now is the time when everyone is planning their New Years Resolutions. It can be anything from losing weight, getting in better shape or running a race to being more organized, not being late all the time or being happier in general. Whatever you may be wanting or wishing for, make a plan. Do something you know you can hit (ie not to win the million dollar lottery or jackpot). A lot of times we plan for things that are so outrageous, we get mad 2 weeks in when we haven't even started to see progress. That is a sure fire way to fail. Surround yourself with people who are doing what you want or who have the same goals. Get rid of the negativity or doubters. If you need a supporter let me know. I will be there.

As for my resolution... I am going to run my first ever half marathon. I started this journey last year and was derailed by an injury. This will be the year I complete that. I also am hoping to get back on the baby train. Hopefully with the house getting started in the spring and the move being completed our luck will turn around.

BRING ON 2017!!!

DF/GF Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is by far my most favorite recipe. Use this instead of store bought cream of mushroom soup. I personally think the hemp milk (cheapest at Cash and Carry) tastes better than almond. After making this, I will never go back to processed soup, even if my intolerance clears up. It is DELICIOUS!!!


http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/dairy-free-condensed-cream-of-mushroom-soup

Back to the basics: going dairy free

Once you have cut out a whole food group it will either be easier to do a second because you know what resources to look at or it will throw you completely off your rocker. I lived off of dairy after going gluten free. It took a long time to convince me to stop eating it. My naturopath at the time suggested I give it a try because a lot of women with fertility issues have an underlying reaction to dairy that causes inflammation. Since it was a free treatment that would only take a little dedication, I thought I would give it a shot for a month or two. It takes three full weeks for dairy to be removed from your system so I was very careful not to cheat on anything. After being off of it for awhile, I introduced it back and started having digestive issues. That is where my dairy free living began.

Any milk or cheese product whether it is cow, sheep or goat is considered dairy. Some people are lactose intolerant, others are casein intolerant. I use protein shakes daily. One version of them are 99% lactose free, I had a mild reaction and was able to narrow it down to a casein reaction. Fortunately for me I can tolerate sheep and goat products.

The hardest part of not eating dairy is salad dressings and soups. Most of the recipes I love that has been passed down from family contains a creamed soup. I had to find alternatives. Luckily there are some great resources online and I found some delicious ones!! (recipes to come) Milk alternatives are hemp, coconut, soy or almond. Hemp is by far my favorite and does not give recipes any alternative taste.

First attempt IUI

One year ago today we were sitting in the fertility clinic. This was going to be our first attempt at an IUI (intrauterine insemination aka turkey baster method) non-drug assisted. Years of trying on our own, months of working with the specialist, acupuncturists and naturopaths had led to this moment. It is not a simple procedure. I was tracking my temperatures daily at 5:00 am to check for ovulation. I would then verify it by an ovulation test. I was eating as clean and organic as I could. I wasn't exercising more than 25 minutes a day or running more than one mile at a time. I practiced yoga and mediation. I did everything the right way. We did not tell anyone we were going because if it worked, I wanted it to be a surprise. I was cautiously excited and hopeful.

We get there. My husband does his part of the procedure. We have to wait an hour while it is processed. It is the week before Christmas, we have driven over an hour after working all day and my brain was a bit scattered. I normally ovulate on day 12 but with any reproductive disease that can change from month to month. When we went back to the office, the doctor started asking me a series of questions to be sure it was the right time. I had been in a rush and not really thinking that morning and so I told the Dr that it was day 7 or 9 of my cycle. He then told me I was not ovulating and he did not think it would be in my best interest to go further. He did not believe me that my ovulation test was a true positive. We ended up doing an ultrasound to see if I was right. I was told I was not, he would do the IUI if I wanted but it wasn't going to work and I would be out that much money. I was devastated. I sat in the room completely deflated. We chose not to go through with it since he said it wouldn't matter and I sobbed the entire ride home.

One week later I was sent for a blood test to verify what I was told. It turned out I was right. I did ovulate. We could have went through with it and it could have worked. I feel fortunate that I have not had a miscarriage, I have not had an emotional roller coaster like a lot of women have, I am fairly scientific and matter of fact about our situation but this was the most difficult day to date and I have not been back.

Curry is one of my favorite meals. It is gluten free and dairy free. It can be used with most ingredients and is oh so yummy. The problem is most recipes call for yellow curry paste. Have you ever tried to find yellow curry paste in the store? It does not exist! You can only get red and green premade. Not really sure why, but that is reality. 

After trying to make curry fried rice multiple times without it really getting the concentrated flavor you get in restaurant I did some research. Apparently curry powder does not make the same flavor as curry paste. Here is a delicious recipe for yellow curry paste that is super easy. I made a batch, then froze the rest in 1 tablespoon balls for easy cooking.  

http://pinchofyum.com/easy-homemade-yellow-curry-paste

Gluten Free: Where to begin

Being told you have to eliminate an entire food group can be super overwhelming. Gluten specifically can be hidden in so many foods. Luckily, since there was the gluten free craze there are a lot of alternatives. With any dietary restrictions, always read the labels! Any product that contains wheat, barley, rye, brewer's yeast, malt or oats contains gluten. Not all wheat free products are gluten free.

Here are some of my favorite alternatives:
` Udi's gluten free bread (cheapest at Costco). Tip: always toast gluten free bread or it gets soggy
` Barilla pasta. Holds together better than pure rice pasta.
` Coors peak beer
` Mission gluten free tortillas Tip: be sure to pan fry first or they will fall apart.
` Namaste organic gluten free flour (from Costco)
` Heinz ketchup

Be prepared to make your seasonings from scratch, there are a lot of hidden ingredients. (recipes to follow)

When shopping, stay away from processed food. The easiest way is the stay on the outside of the grocery store. Fresh food does not contain gluten.