Sorting It Out

I finally had my first appointment with a nutritionist today and what a relief to speak with a professional that understood exactly the issues I have been dealing with for a little over a year!  Since I am such a health nut fanatic and avid whole foods/ clean eating freak to begin with, it was nice to talk to someone about what types of foods affect my body in what way and the various additives and preservatives that are often added that can yield negative reactions.

two things I learned today:

1. The government is fighting against any sort of requirement for GMO (genetically modified organism) foods to be labeled as such--because who wants to know that their food was made in a lab or petri dish anyways?

2. IBS can be triggered depending on the specific sugars you consume.  Natural sugars contain an equal balance of sucrose and glucose (someone correct me if I got these wrong since I'm not totally up on the language). People sometimes react poorly if they come in contact with honey or even agave because the sucrose level is higher than glucose.

Interesting huh?  Well it is for me at least!

So what did I learn about me, my body and what food does to me?  I learned that I have a lot of sorting out to do.  I know that I have issues with soy products and I am pretty sure I have something going on with wheat (yes I know the dreaded intolerance that seems to be sweeping the world) and we will soon figure out the rest.

For now I am on a gluten free diet so I will be posting a few recipes each week to help entertain me during this nutritional adventure and let you know if I have any good products to suggest to you!

Here are a few to start with:

Even if you aren't gluten free these are a winner.  They are so much crunchier than the regular pretzels that snyders makes and have just the right amount of salt.  I can easily convince people that they are normal pretzels if need be

Udi's whole grain bread and their cinnamon raisin bread is actually amazing.  I also really enjoy Ezekial bread which doesn't seem to affect me because it is made with sprouted grains.

I eat oatmeal almost EVERY morning--add a little cinnamon and almond milk with a handful of raisins or chopped up banana and volia, filling and tasty.  While oats themselves do not contain wheat or gluten they are often processed in a factory where the grain can become coated with wheat so it is best to buy these certified GF (if you're picky!)

Again, quinoa. I love quinoa and quinoa pasta is pretty darn good.  It tastes slightly different from regular pasta but with a nice sauce you can barely tell the difference and it is packed with healthy proteins! My friend Clare brought some over a few weeks ago and I promise I couldn't tell the difference--she even said that her family loves eating now too.

Ellie's Bakery is only a few minutes away from me (well more like 20 minutes) but I am bound and determined to stop there ...tomorrow!  They have pumpkin loaf...need I say more?

Welp, here goes nothing! I'm excited to see if these dietary changes make me feel better and if so, can I actually stick to it? I love baking way too much to give it up!