17/366 *I just realized it's a leap year!

Eating a late-night GF meal is a tough hurdle to overcome...mainly because everything GF has to be prepared. 

Or so I thought!

After a discouraging night in North Beach (Italian sector of San Francisco...full of delicious restaurants and hands-down the best crusty late-night-line-wrapped-around-the-building pizza place where boyfriend likes to go after raging with his boys), I decided I would not succumb to a woe-is-me attitude while standing there watching people eat the greasy goodness that is Golden Boy pizza. However, late-night mac 'n cheese just does not cut it either! I decided that I would have to do something...anything (!) to have something delicious to eat at a moment's notice. 

Not expecting much, I wandered into Safeway's frozen food aisle with my finger's crossed that I would find something to fit my needs. Well...what do you know...I found this gem!!

I did all I could to stop myself from jumping up and down with joy! I actually really like the fact that it is plain cheese because I can "personalize" my pizza (I think I have to live with the idea that I will never have pepperoni again...thanks a lot dextrose!!) as I did tonight for dinner. The taste is actually VERY good. The sauce is a bit sweet at first, but the crust is absolutely delicious...I must say it is way better than the pizza crust I had at Zachary's (GASP...I know!! I'm comforted to know THEY didn't make the crust...they get it from a different supplier). All-in-all...VERY PLEASED with this find. My late-night fridge raids will be a lot easier to manage now!!

And for tonight's dinner...sausage & chile pasilla pizza with a garden salad w/feta cheese and a lime/olive oil dressing:

The pizza is fairly small...just enough for two :) Make sure to have a side-dish ready!

13/365

I started a workout plan using EA Active 2 for the Xbox Kinect a few days ago. I've used this game for the Wii and actually saw some results, so I figured it would be a good way to start a routine until I can find a gym that can fit my needs (basically...that isn't too expensive!). After about 10 minutes of "working out" I felt very discouraged, which is a typical thing for me to go through when working out alone.

Since then, I've been having a bit of a hard time dealing with the diet and all the inhibitions. Temptation has been all around me, and I almost dove into a loaf of bread today. Thankfully, I still have a strong support system in my boyfriend and my mom, who asks how it's going when we talk on the phone and does Google searches for things I can eat :)

A silver lining to my day was going into Safeway today and finding something to wonderful that I did not it was real: a clearly labeled GLUTEN FREE chunk of aisle! I knew Safeway was starting to carry clearly marked GF options, but now to have a portion of space dedicated to it made me feel so happy! They had oatmeal, cookies, chocolate cake mix and a bunch of other goodies to choose from.

The world is starting to accept this lifestyle, and I need to accept the challenge I took on. I'm sure I will have rough patches, but I have to keep looking forward.

10/365

Keeping up with this blog has proved to be more difficult than managing my new diet! For the 3 of you that read this, I apologize, and I will strive to be better :)

I've actually had an exciting few days in the GF world. I discovered that America's favorite baking mistress Betty Crocker has a whole GF line of products, and a cookbook! Of course, I snagged the cookbook to study and during my next big grocery shopping spree I will be picking up some cooking supplies. VERY EXCITING!

Because of the holidays and visitors and the wonders that are Marin County restaurants, I have not had many chances to cook dinners at home. Tonight though, I managed to make up for that by making two of my favorite (and some of the easiest things to make) dishes: Beef Riblets and Ceviche. I know Beef Riblets, while extremely delicious, are not the most healthy of protein options...but in moderation even red meat is okay! As for the Ceviche, this was my first time making it, and I must say I did a pretty dang good job at it! Here is my recipe:

(This recipe yields enough for 2 people...maybe 3, depending on how hungry you are!)

Ingredients:
1 filet of fish of your choice (I like Tilapia or Orange Roughey)
1/4 medium white onion
2 roma tomatoes
1 medium ripe avocado
1 serrano chile...2 if you are feeling brave
1 handful of cilantro (sorry, I'm so bad at measuring this!)
Very juicy limes...quantities will vary

Mince onion, tomatoes, chile(s), and cilantro and combine in a bowl. Chop fish into small bites and toss into mixture. Squeeze enough limes to cover 2 inches of mixture (I used about 13 small limes. Start with 5 medium-sized limes). One trick I learned over the years for getting the most juice from these suckers is to stick them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds! Try it!

Cover mixture, refrigerate for NO LESS than 2 hours. The most you leave it "cooking," the more flavorful it will be.

Bear with me, my recipes and explanations will become more eloquent with more practice ;)

End of Week 1 Reflection

Aside from being exhausted from work, I went out pretty strong in week 1. I didn't miss my usuals too much, and the adjustment to the GF diet went very smoothly. Of course, I was surrounded by temptation...the only time I allowed myself to become affected by the diet was the night we had dinner at my favorite pizza place (Zachary's Pizza in Oakland)...thankfully they had a GF crust that, although not as good as the original, proved to be enough. I will say though, it tastes better as a left-over lunch option!

Highs for Week 1:

- Finding amazing substitutions
- Feeling good
- Making the GREAT choice to avoid horrible fast food

Lows for Week 1:

- Going grocery shopping for the first time unprepared
- Slight battles with temptation

Goals for Week 2:

- Start a work-out program to reinforce how great my body will feel by year's end
- Organize my kitchen
- Use community resources (Farmer's Market, local grocery stores)

Day 5

Temptation will come in many forms when you are on a restrictive diet, especially in the initial stages. The best advice I can give anyone on a GF diet is to do research; what to have in your kitchen, what to look for when shopping, and what to eat at restaurants. What you find may be frustrating and a bit stressful, but it is a challenge that can easily be overcome and may even turn into excitement when learning about what you can substitute! Learning I can still use my favorite Country Crock vegetable spread brightened my day, as lame as it sounds. You have to learn to make the most of what you are living with :)

Day 4

Usually after a long day I like to kick back with a beer. When I decided to go GF I thought I would have to forgo this or else drink vodka and wine. Thankfully, I heard there are options for GF beer at Bevmo and even at BJ's! Today after work I went to Bevmo and came out with a case of Redbridge (made by Anheuser Busch). I have heard very good things about it, and it being made by AB makes it the easiest GF beer to find. 

Here is a list of other GF beers on the market:

Estrella Daura Gluten Free

Green's Discover Amber Gluten Free

New Grist Gluten-free

Bard's Tale Beer (reminds me of Harry Potter...I really want to try it! :P)

Green's Endeavour Dubble Ale

St Peters Sorgham Beer

Day 3

I have never felt so unprepared for a shopping experience as I did today. I went into Trader Joe's thinking it would be easy to find GF options, but I found myself pacing the aisles with 4 bags of brown rice pasta in my cart for at least 20 minutes. After taking a breather in the cereal aisle I refocused and dug through each label of things that seemed promising and I ended up adding:

Mac & Cheese (VERY excited about this!!)
Cassava Chips (newest addiction...SO much better than regular potato chips. Sweet/salty/garlic-y flavor)
Edamame Crackers
Seaweed Snack (which are supposedly all the hype)
Peanut Flour (I'm planning on using this for breading)

I can't say I am not disappointed, especially when I went to their website and found a whole list of GF products (http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/lists/list-no-gluten.pdf). Needless to say, I will be printing out and laminating this list for next time.

Thinking I would only go to the local hispanic grocery store for veggies, I did not have many expectations when I walked into it. I was pleasantly surprised! Apparently, Central America loves alternative "flours" and sell anything from Sweet Potato to Morro Seed flour. Since I do not know anything about Morro flour, I left that behind; but I did pick up:

Sweet Potato Flour
Potato Starch
Soy and Rice Flour Cereal (I'm assuming this is more like Cream of Wheat)

I'm on the hunt for chicken/tomato bouillon still, since the Knorr one I used has caramel color which is banned from my diet. I'm thinking at this point to make my own by combining spices and throwing in some tomato paste to what I cook.

Very overwhelming day, but now I know what to expect and what to arm myself with the next time I shop...but how I wish things were better labeled :/

Day 2

Looking for gluten-free snacks to keep me entertained on the 8 hour drive from southern CA to northern CA was not as difficult as I thought it would be. Thanks to Jenny McCarthy and her very open battle with her son's Autism, I learned that the one mainstream snack food she would give him was Fritos. With their ingredients being whole corn, corn oil, and salt there was no way I would pass these up! I picked up a bag of hearty pistachios to keep me full and sunflower seeds for variety and was good to go!

I faced a bit of a rough patch when I realized I would not be able to drink my beloved energy drinks to keep me perked up for the drive. I haven't looked into any alternatives, although I am thinking of brewing and chilling caffeinated tea as a substitute.

Tomorrow I venture into full-on GF grocery shopping and making my kitchen a (semi) GF zone.

Restrictions

My first thoughts when I decided to go gluten-free went to everything I was going to have to cut from my diet...Noah's Bagels...candy bars...chips...Starbucks...and I went into mini-panic mode. In doing research I learned about the specifics I would need to eliminate and what I could replace them with.

Below is a list of obvious and hidden sources of gluten to avoid:

Wheat flour	Rye flour
Flavourings (suspect even if it says natural)	Fillers
Edible or Food Starch (Maize starch is fine)	Seasonings (suspect)
Binder	Rusk
Bran	Wheatgerm
Wheat protein	Wholegrain
Thickening	Wheat starch
Glucose syrup (often made from wheat)	Malt
Matzo meal	Spelt (an old form of wheat)
Brown rice syrup (often made from barley)	imitation seafood
HVP (Hydrolyzed vegetable protein)	TVP (Textured vegetable protein)
Caramel color	Dextrin

Here's the list of substitutions to begin with:

Cornstarch

Cornmeal

Potato Starch

Potato Flour

Rice Flour

Oat Flour (only if clearly labeled gluten-free)

Millet

Xanthan Gum

As I begin preparing GF foods I will provide more information on what each substitution does and how they work. Comparing the two lists is a bit daunting especially when I think of the "goodies" I will be missing out on. However, taking on the challenge and finally feeling healthy is enough of a motivator to use each substitution (and come up with my own techniques) to continue with the experience.

Day 1

My decision to go Gluten-Free came in wanting to understand WHY it has become such a hot topic in the world of Autism since many swear by its benefits for ASD children. The intolerance of gluten (which is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats) interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food in the GI tract. One theory is that when children with Autism Spectrum Disorders intake gluten, high levels of protein by-products (or gluteomorphines) affect behavior, reduce desires for social interaction, block pain receptors, and increase confusion. Many families have decided to adopt a gluten-free diet in order to alleviate these symptoms.

Celiac disease has also become more recognized in the realm of allergies and intolerances. It is characterized as an autoimmune response to the consumption of gluten proteins. Symptoms vary and can include dryness of skin (dermatitis), abdominal cramping/bloating, constipation, dehydration, and energy loss.


My diagnosis of dermatitis made me immediately consider the possibility of a gluten-intolerance, which led to this experiment. 2011 is MY year to take care of myself, to listen to my body and to do what I can to make it feel as it should. This blog will chronicle my experience in living gluten-free, the battles throughout, and successful strategies I will come across.