Monday, May 18, 2015

Still Not Feeling Well!

Today marks the beginning of the 4th week of me feeling yukky. It has been almost 5 years since I have felt so sluggish, tired, and just not well. I have been researching construction materials and gluten, so I can blog about it but my energy is low and it will take some time.

If for some crazy reason I am ever tempted to eat gluten this is a painful reminder of how I used to feel. For that matter, if I was willing to be glutened, you can bet it would not be from breathing in construction dust. It would be from sitting down at a lovely Italian restaurant, eating a pasta dish, lots of Italian bread with real butter and an Italian pastry for dessert.  A person can dream.

http://www.pasqualesnc.com/dinner-pasquales-italian-restaurant-waynesville-nc.html

Friday, May 15, 2015

Slow Cooked Gluten-Free Chicken Ginger Stew By eZG

Slow Cooked Gluten-Free Chicken Ginger Stew



















YIELD: 6

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 6 hours 


Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 inch of ginger (peeled and grated)
3 carrots (chopped)
3 chicken breasts or 6- 8 chicken tenders
3 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups of potatoes (peeled and diced into small cubes)
1 ½ butternut squash (peeled and diced into small cubes)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp coriander
½ tsp curry
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: cilantro (chopped)


Instructions:

1.In a medium pan, saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Transfer to crock pot.
2.In the same pan, add oil and brown the chicken just until it has a nice sear. Place chicken in crock pot.
3.Add carrots, ginger, broth, butternut squash, potatoes, and spices.
4.Slow cook ( I cook on slow heat for 6 hours.)
5.Optional: I made my roasted butternut squash and beet while this stew was cooking. At the end I decided to add some to the stew. It was excellent together.
6.Optional; Add cilantro when you serve the stew

Thursday, May 7, 2015

COULD THERE BE GLUTEN IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.

As I was cleaning the floors after the construction guys left today, I started to feel worse. 
A light bulb went off in my mind:  

     COULD THERE BE GLUTEN IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. 

  Answer: Absolutely, Yes, Of Course, Possibly, Why Not

I did a little digging and found a variety of articles about this:

Wheat flour is sometimes used in the plaster,plaster walls, drywall, glues of all kinds, chalk type products, to name a few. The biggest issue is the plaster dust that lingers in the air for a long time and can travel all over the house. 

Plaster wall may contain gluten.


These are 3 of the websites I visited:
 
Synkro Niciti is an artist website. Author Kat McDaniel wrote, Gluten Sentsivity for Construction Workers, Artists and Children: Building and Craft Materials, which details issues about how she was effected by construction in her home. This article had solid research and facts about various construction materials.

Green Builder Elements explores "green" ways to create building supplies. The article, How To Plaster Walls: Natural Clay Plaster Finishes, suggests, "Additional additives such as wheat paste help increase durability and stickiness." 

Celiac.Com: Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Forum has an ongoing thread about how plaster dust has effect people with DH(dermatitis herpetiformis) and Celiac Disease. 

I would like to hear from those of you out there who have had experiences with construction materials. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Photo by the craftmensblog.com

Gluten-ed Again!

As I mentioned on my last blog post. I came home from a week in Idaho ill. My throat has been very sore, I have been hoarse, and extremely fatigued. I thought I had the flu BUT it ends up I was gluten-ed.....

I went to see Dr. Costa today because I have been struggling to heal for the last 12 days, and wanted to know if it was viral or bacterial.  Neither tested positive but my adrenals are low, my histamine count is high, and my thyroid (Hashimoto) tests extremely agitated. Dr. Costa believes gluten is the culprit.

I usually know if I am gluten-ed because my thyroid swells and it is difficult to swallow within 30 minutes of eating gluten.  I have never had such intense fatigue and a throat so painful I thought I had strep throat. 

I am not aware of being gluten by eating food. That being said, those adorable children I hung out with eat gluten and I was there to pour the cereal, toast the bread, and hand out the snacks.  I didn't think about the fact that I was breathing in  particles of gluten. So much so that it must have built up over time and wham - Sick for the last 12 days. 

Now for the healing process. Supplements to heal, supplements to support, acupuncture and rest.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

My New Favorite Packaged Gluten-Free Bread

I was in Idaho last week having a lot of fun hanging out with my 2 great nieces and nephew. Their ages range from 10 months to 6 years old. Their parents went to a work related vacation and their grandparents and I held down the household. I have rarely been that exhausted while enjoying every minute of getting to know these fabulous little beings.

I had the honor of spending most of my time with my 10 month old great niece. Like her siblings, she is beautiful, funny, charming, intelligent and so loveable.

I thought I would blog each night about my experiences but truthfully my brain was so tried by 8 o'clock, I just shut down and relaxed.The day after I came home I got ill, which is why I have been missing in action. I still have a sore throat and laryngitis but feel well enough to give this a try. 

My sister-in-law picked me up from the airport and brought me to Fred Meyers (Ralphs sister store). Fred Meyers has a good selection of gluten-free and dairy-free foods. It is always fun to be in a new city and/or store. I get to discover new gluten-free items. Idaho was no exception. By far the best packaged gluten-free bread (also dairy-free and soy-free and GMO free) I have ever eaten was purchased at Fred Meyers: Franz: 7 Grain Gluten-Free Bread

Franz Gluten-Free Bread

Franz: 7 Grain Gluten-Free Bread
This 90 calorie slice of bread is packaged in an airtight package so it is not frozen. After the package is open I kept the bread on the counter for 6 days. Each slice of bread was soft like white bread yet delicious and healthy like whole wheat bread used to feel. I purchased 2 loaves to bring home with me.

INGREDIENTS: WATER, BROWN RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, TAPIOCA SYRUP, WHOLE GRAIN SORGHUM FLOUR, XANTHAN GUM, CULTURED RICE FLOUR, WHOLE GRAIN MILLET SEED, DRIED WHOLE EGG SOLIDS, WHOLE GRAIN TEFF SEED, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SUGARCANE MOLASSES, WHOLE GRAIN AMARANTH SEED, SEA SALT, WHOLE GRAIN MILLET FLOUR, RED QUINOA SEED, INSTANT DRY YEAST, CALCIUM SULFATE, ENZYMES.

 Franz Bakery has an extensive line of gluten-free products. 
"Franz Bakery is a fourth generation, family-owned baking company based in Portland, OR. Since 1906, Franz has been providing communities with fresh bread, buns, bagels, cookies and pastries, using the highest quality ingredients. Today, we have nine bakeries throughout the Northwest and deliver fresh baked goods daily to our customers."


Franz also makes these gluten-free products: