Easy peasy

Anything to make my life easier is a plus in my book! I love cooking and experimenting but with all this new to me info it is daunting. I suppose it doesn't have to be daunting so I am going to come up with ways to make it exciting. Dancing and singing while cooking will ensue (honestly, this already happens!!)

Shawn and I sat down and created a menu for the week. We will shop for everything one time (hopefully saving us time and resources in less trips to the store). We will plan ahead and now that we both know what is on the menu and where the recipe is at, and everything we need is in the house, either of us can get dinner started at a decent hour. Then we can have leftovers for lunches!

I need to make this change as easy as possible for me. Less stress and feeling good is always the goal. So I am considering investing in a new kitchen tool. Who doesn't love new kitchen gadgets? I know I love them. The Vitamix Blender is looking to become a resident in my kitchen. I am hoping this makes food prep, smoothies, and everything else it can do a breeze. The company has been wonderful to talk with and they have provided me with so much information about their product and how useful I will find it in my everyday preparations.

If it were easy everyone would do it!

Today didn't start off so well. Gluten free, egg free, dairy free pancakes were an epic failure! Shawn had to scrape me and my tears off the table. He said it would be alright and that I will learn so many more new things from this one failure. I am convinced he has no idea how brilliant he can be. Thank goodness I have this man in my life.

I should share with you what I foods I have to avoid for now (maybe forever). The gluten and egg thing is forever. Actually in just a little over a week of not eating gluten, a limited amount anyways, I have lost 7lbs and have more energy. I still hurt every day and I still have digestive upsets and a myriad of other symptoms but I know they will all fade away as I keep up with good eating habits.

Ok so for the list of what I can't have-

Almond Banana Barley Basil Bay leaf Blackberry Broccoli Cheese Cherry Chocolate Coffee Cranberry Cumin Egg Ginger Kamut Lemon Lettuce Cow Milk Nutmeg Paprika Pepper B/W Peppermint Rabbit Radish Rye Sesame Spelt Thyme Tomato Vanilla Black Walnut Wheat Yeast bakers Yeast brewers

 

But the list of what I can have is HUGE!! The options are limitless!

I know this doesn't seem like a big deal. There really are plenty of other things for me to eat. I have made some great healthy changes to my diet like substituting almond milk for dairy, whole grain breads, fresh produce. Then I find out that I shouldn't have almonds, several grains contain gluten, and I love basil on almost anything. So it feels awful that now I can't have those things and everything must change again.   But a quick history of my eating habits will help you understand how far I have come.

Growing up I was a plain jane. It was a cheeseburger plain, hotdog plain, tacos with just meat and cheese. I was the classical meat and potatoes meal kinda gal. I ate plenty of sugary foods, and processed foods. In 2008 I moved in with Shawn, started recognizing how awful I felt and knew that I needed to change up my eating habits. That is when I first started seeing my acupuncturist. I cut out dairy, soy, egg, wheat, processed sugar for quite some time. I felt better but eventually I felt back into the habit of eating those foods. But in the last 6 years I have massively expanded my pallet. I enjoy plenty of flavors now and couldn't dream of going back to plain jane but I still love a plain hotdog! 

However, there are so many foods that I haven't experienced prepared in a way that was satisfying to me or that I have just never tried. The idea of wasting food that is so expensive is just gut wrenching for me. It isn't about the money but the waste. So I see my psychotherapist to help me with how I feel about food, waste, and nourishment. 

As my infinitely wise husband said just this morning "if it were easy everyone would do it". This is by far one of the most life changing and expansive things I have done. And it is scary as hell but my desire to feel juicy, nourished, and sexy as ever is worth way more than quitting or going back to the way I have felt for too long.  

Food with a different focus

How does one shop for food that meets their dietary needs?

I have no idea!

This is all new to me. But I have learned a few things in just a few short days.
 1.  I need supportive people surrounding me.
 2.  Remember to make food choices that feel good
 3.  Be willing to explore to new ways of preparing food with new ingredients. 

It has been only a few days since the bloodwork results showed me being gluten sensitive and other food sensitivities. The second day I was looking forward to the changes and find new foods to please my pallet and nourish my body, mind, and spirit. The third day was as if someone ripped the scab off a wound. I felt raw and fragile. I felt alone and had no idea where to turn for help.

I came home Friday and had yet another emotional breakdown. I start talking fast and everything that is on my mind comes out. Shawn just sat and listened to my rambling mess. He came over, hugged me and said we will figure this out. Together. And just like that I started to feel better. My friend, lover, and now dietary changes cheerleader was here for me. I was going to be ok. I need to take this one day at a time. Reminder- be gentle with myself.

Shawn looked up a few places that have specialty foods and gluten free items, mapped them out and set us on our way Saturday to explore this world through a different lens.

Lifestyle changes

Six weeks ago I  hit overload and burnout. I got sick and had a bulging disk in my neck yet again. I was down and out for a week. Ugh.  But I realized that I really needed to make some major changes to my life. I want to feel good and love what I do. I want to spend time with my husband and dogs camping and paddling. I want to ride more and spend more time my with horses. None of this was happening. I knew the burnout would come but I kept saying I am working on it. The Universe finally had a sit down chat with me and said "No, you are done. Fix this. Now." I said "Ok".

So from there I have let a few clients go as we were no longer on the same journey and we weren't helping each other. I got more clear about the work I want. I want to have relationships with my clients and their horses. I want to be a team member with the owners, veterinarians, chiropractors, body workers, and trainers. I want to help horses rehab and get going again. And I want to be accessible to as many people as possible and I want to make a living. Reality check. What I do for a living needs to support me! If I can support me I can help more horses and people. I want to educate. I want to share what I know. I can't possibly help everyone and their horse so I must share my knowledge. I want to empower owners to know more and make the best choices possible for their horses.

After (or before or in the middle of) all that I need to take care of me. If I don't take care of the one body I have I won't be of much help to others. I hurt every day and I don't want that to continue. I don't always get my quiet time to recharge because I am over worked (my choice because I want to help) and don't always know when to say 'no'. This is where "I am working on it" wasn't working because I wasn't really doing the things I really need to be doing for my body, mind and spirit.

So I got real with myself. I sat myself down and determined who I needed to start working with to support me on my journey. One of these people is my acupuncturist. She has recommended getting a food sensitivity blood panel. I figure at this point I have nothing left to lose and that I needed to start with what I nourish my body with.

Results are in and with a gluten intolerance that I was born with and will always have plus 32 other foods I am currently sensitive to. I don't know if these 32 foods I will always be sensitive to but this is at least a starting point. I have some big changes/ to make nutritionally.

I want to share my journey with all of you. This is a big change and a lifestyle change. If I can make these changes to feel better, anyone can! It will be overwhelming. It will be disheartening. It will be joyous. And it will feel fabulous and radiant!

One of my goals is to share the ups and downs and the things I learn along the way with all of you. Writing (or typing) is one of the great outlets for me and allows me to get info out and let go. The more I let go and let flow the healthier and more radiant I will feel.