I had another friend recently come to me seeking some dietary modification advice. She is currently undergoing testing for celiac after several different health issues related to a compromised immune system. This friend is also like so many Americans, myself included who has struggled with weight and making healthy choices, so I asked her a question I wish that I had considered when I went gluten free: do you want to do this the healthy way or the easy way. Fortunately, I learned many lessons through my journey of health and had I not fallen on my face and suffered the consequences of the easy weigh (intentional misspelling) I would not have truly taken so much accountability or passion into my journey to good nutrition.
Finding out that I suddenly had to start reading labels and be an ingredient detective for lil e & me back in 2009 seemed incredibly overwhelming. Then I discovered the magical land of gluten free options. I was so grateful to not have to suddenly become a cook and start making stuff from scratch all the time. Who has time for that mess? I certainly didn't. I was working full time, had a little one at home to take care of, and at the time was married, trying to also squeeze in pilates workouts. I needed an easy way to adapt to this gluten free lifestyle and was celebrating getting back to a healthy weight through weight watchers. The concept of suddenly changing it all up was just too overwhelming and at that time, my now ex husband handled most of the cooking. The plan was to keep it easy and we had just learned that healthy for lil e & me meant gluten free.
The next year, I became a single mom on mommy duty 26 days of the month as my soon to be ex husband took 9 months to get transferred to the town where my job transferred me at the time of the divorce. While I knew that pre making food was healthy, I was thrilled to be in a big town finally with so many choices of gluten free food. My life was getting easier with the whole gluten free thing & I was thrilled! Being healthy was awesome, but for some crazy reason, I began struggling once again with my weight. I blamed it on night time eating & not enough sleep. It took two years to finally realize that the foods I thought were keeping lil e & me healthy were in fact making me gain weight. The scale maxed out at this point somewhere between 155 and 160. (I'm 5'6" & my healthy target weight is around 130. 150 is my oh #%^* weight.)
I committed in July 2012 to go balls to the walls approach to attaining a healthy lifestyle & healthy body. My goal was to get back to 128. I got rid of the premade sugar laden GF products, began taking supplements that curbed my cravings, began using wraps, increased my activity level with walks, and Jillian Michaels's home videos, and began my journey of baking 80% from scratch grain free sugar free, along with acupuncture for healing my immune system. I reached my goal in December 2012 & have been able to keep it off.
That sounds great and all, but let's be real, I started this out with there's the healthy way and there's the easy way to go gluten free. There have been more opportunities than many might think to derail my progress. I go out to eat very little and I am a stress eater. If you haven't tried some of the newer premade gluten free options, you are missing an amazing sugar high. They make some great stuff now! Going through this past summer, it would have been incredibly easy to decide I didn't have the energy or drive to continue to put the necessary effort into meal planning, grocery shopping, pre-cooking etc, but I cooked instead as a stress reliever. I am once again facing challenges as I am spending two weeks away from my kitchen. I cooked, packed a cooler, and explained my dietary needs ahead of time. Unfortunately, I am not the easiest person to go to dinner with, given "such restrictions." I have simply stated that I need to eat gluten free. I know where this landed me before, but I am also trying to consider other people. This is my time however after a week of some over indulging: glass of wine here & there, rice, dessert, etc, it's time to stop undoing any progress with another week of this. I must refocus on how to accomplish maintaining being my healthiest self without imposing on others. I started back on my commitment this morning & will simply approach it as the easiest way to explain it to others, just say paleo. It isn't exactly right, but it's a term that others can understand and after all, my healthy way must come across for others as the easy way. I can do this and if you are struggling with your health goals, you can accomplish them. Just focus on what they are and what they will take. You have options. Take charge!
Here are some of my favorite websites for going gluten free, broken down into easy way and healthy way.
Easy gluten free:
http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com - Carrie has a great blog, Facebook page, and a few easy how to books out on going gluten free. I've definitely enjoyed some of her recipes from her slow cooker book and she's from right here in North Carolina.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com - crock pot recipes from a blogger who committed to using her crock pot daily for an entire year. She rates the recipes she tries honestly and this includes her kids' rating the recipes too. Pizza soup is one of our favorites.
http://gfreekid.com - this one is also great if you have kids you're trying to convert, especially if the kids are the main reason in the house for the switch. I love the pics of g-free kids on the kids' page as it helped me show Pea Pie there really are other kids out there who are gluten free. (2018 update - Although Katie has many other responsibilities, she has kept her website up, which is a huge blessing for all of the resources she placed in one site.)
Onto the second part of my journey, when I decided that I was willing to put more effort into a healthy way of going gluten free and help my body and immune system function better. I have two main go to websites for this approach.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com - Dr. Davis's book is the one that turned everything I learned about just going gluten free upside down. This is when I realized the sugar content of all the pre-made yummy gluten free stuff I was feeding lil e & me was the cause of my weight gain. We gave his 1st cookbook & the pizza we eat most Sundays is using the pizza crust recipe from his book. He also recommended the next blogger whose recipes you see featured on most of my Facebook postings.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com - Maria's recipes have truly changed my life & approach to what it means to eat & maximize my health. She has books, blog, Pinterest, and a Facebook page. In each recipe that she posts and there are a ton that she posts on Pinterest, fb, & her blog, she educates. She explains why she uses the ingredients she does and why she doesn't use others. She explains how food impacts the body and it is her recipes that have overhauled the way my body responds to food. Some bloggers have a bait & switch approach to what they share for free & what you have to pay to learn. While she offers consultation services that I have paid to use and been very happy with the results, she is incredibly generous with what she posts on public forums.
For those that just want to make some dietary changes that might not include gluten free, here are some options on educating yourself on our general food supply. Both bloggers do recommend grains that I generally steer clear of, especially whole wheat, they have fantastic blogs & information. They are also on multiple social media sites, such as Pinterest Facebook, and probably Twitter, but I have yet to figure out how to use "The Twitter."
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com - Lisa & her family started this page out as an experiment in giving up processed foods for 100 days and it has now become their full time job, along with a support staff. One of the highlights on her page is the daily picture of what she sends to school for her daughters' lunches. This is great for parents who think, what am I supposed to pack and expect my kids to eat.
https://foodbabe.com - Vani is hilarious with her real world approach to eating real food & using real products. She is a huge advocate for labeling GMOs & making people aware of what they are putting on & in our bodies. If you look at nothing else on her website, check out the video blogs she is now posting. One of the all time favorites in our household is regarding beaver's butt. You will understand it once you watch it and you will never look at food labels the same again. She & Lisa from 100 Days are also the muscle behind the grass riots effort to get Kraft Mac & Cheese in the U.S. to mirror the ingredients used in the European version that don't include GMOs. She researches her information and often includes the process of how she came to her conclusions.
** In 2014, I was blessed to learn about an option to get my body alkaline with a nutrition program, which I am now a big advocate of sharing, as it has streamlined my life and is safe enough for my daughter. That can be read about in other blog entries. For more information, you can check out my business page https://healthyhappymomzy.isagenix.com.
If you have committed to a healthier you and a healthier family this year, I hope you find these resources helpful. Cheers to a happy & healthy New Year & New You!
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