on being back and considering foods
I'm kinda out of it--I blame environmental factors as well as not enough sleep. Plus it's just jarring to readjust in some ways... but in others, it's good to be here.
I went to the farmer's market this morning, which was pretty glorious. I can't wait til the summer fruit really hits; I might finally try my hand at making jam. And I saw like a dozen people I know there, though I only stopped to talk to three or so.
And the tamales. Oh, how I love tamales. It's good that they're gluten-free.
Yes, in case that last bit struck a "WTF" chord, the sad news is that I'm going gluten-free for at least two weeks, maybe three. I saw my mom's naturopath, because he has worked wonders for her and she wanted him to help me, and he gave me a list of things to try out in order to increase my body's functionality. He basically said that I was in pretty good shape physically, but I could be better. Mentally I'm great, emotionally not so much, but there's only so much I can do about that right now.
Basically, he thinks I have a gluten intolerance, which is interfering with my thyroid functioning, which would explain why I'm always cold. He also thinks my nervous system is overstimulated, probably due to all the caffeine I consume. Additionally, my liver needs a break. Processed and fatty foods like sugar, fried foods, and roasted nuts are apparently not good for me... so in addition to going on a 3-week no-gluten, no-alcohol, less-caffeine cleanse, I'm supposed to also avoid sweets.
Which leads me, the baker and lush and general epicurean, to wonder... what's there to live for?!
I admit that cutting back on these things is probably good, as "moderation" has not existed in my vocabulary for a while now. So I'm trying to look at it as a positive thing, a challenge, a way to maybe get in better shape and shed some fat while giving my body a break from some of the not-so-happy substances I'm overly fond of. I figure I'm a competent enough cook that I can think of plenty of gluten-free things to prepare for myself; I just might have to be "that" person who doesn't eat socially for a little while (or, at potlucks, I'll bring stuff I can eat, and just avoid everything else and hope I don't cause offense).
I sure as hell don't plan to cut anything out of my diet forever, but if I notice that I'm feeling really good after the next 3 weeks, I may consider making some long-term changes. I honestly only expect myself to be able to go 10 days strict no-gluten, no-alcohol, but hopefully even that will do some good. If I'm down to 2 cups of tea a day, that's pretty much the best I can hope for on the caffeine front without going through the hassle of quitting; I'll try to only have coffee when it's really important for me to have that extra push to focus. The naturopath also gave me some herbal supplements to aid in these various cleansing processes, as well as some homeopathic remedies to help me deal with emotional crap.
Anybody else doing gluten-free? Tips or whatever else? I'm totally open to the idea that this naturopath's suggestions could work for me, as much as I don't like to have limits placed on what I can eat/do/etc.
I went to the farmer's market this morning, which was pretty glorious. I can't wait til the summer fruit really hits; I might finally try my hand at making jam. And I saw like a dozen people I know there, though I only stopped to talk to three or so.
And the tamales. Oh, how I love tamales. It's good that they're gluten-free.
Yes, in case that last bit struck a "WTF" chord, the sad news is that I'm going gluten-free for at least two weeks, maybe three. I saw my mom's naturopath, because he has worked wonders for her and she wanted him to help me, and he gave me a list of things to try out in order to increase my body's functionality. He basically said that I was in pretty good shape physically, but I could be better. Mentally I'm great, emotionally not so much, but there's only so much I can do about that right now.
Basically, he thinks I have a gluten intolerance, which is interfering with my thyroid functioning, which would explain why I'm always cold. He also thinks my nervous system is overstimulated, probably due to all the caffeine I consume. Additionally, my liver needs a break. Processed and fatty foods like sugar, fried foods, and roasted nuts are apparently not good for me... so in addition to going on a 3-week no-gluten, no-alcohol, less-caffeine cleanse, I'm supposed to also avoid sweets.
Which leads me, the baker and lush and general epicurean, to wonder... what's there to live for?!
I admit that cutting back on these things is probably good, as "moderation" has not existed in my vocabulary for a while now. So I'm trying to look at it as a positive thing, a challenge, a way to maybe get in better shape and shed some fat while giving my body a break from some of the not-so-happy substances I'm overly fond of. I figure I'm a competent enough cook that I can think of plenty of gluten-free things to prepare for myself; I just might have to be "that" person who doesn't eat socially for a little while (or, at potlucks, I'll bring stuff I can eat, and just avoid everything else and hope I don't cause offense).
I sure as hell don't plan to cut anything out of my diet forever, but if I notice that I'm feeling really good after the next 3 weeks, I may consider making some long-term changes. I honestly only expect myself to be able to go 10 days strict no-gluten, no-alcohol, but hopefully even that will do some good. If I'm down to 2 cups of tea a day, that's pretty much the best I can hope for on the caffeine front without going through the hassle of quitting; I'll try to only have coffee when it's really important for me to have that extra push to focus. The naturopath also gave me some herbal supplements to aid in these various cleansing processes, as well as some homeopathic remedies to help me deal with emotional crap.
Anybody else doing gluten-free? Tips or whatever else? I'm totally open to the idea that this naturopath's suggestions could work for me, as much as I don't like to have limits placed on what I can eat/do/etc.