Salmon with Olive and Anchovy (no, really, it's good!)

So, I thought I would mention again that the energy is getting a little better with every day.  I did need a nap yesterday afternoon though, I suppose that when I start feeling a little better I push myself a little too much.  I need to learn patience with myself.

I finally have an appointment with another specialist, I have my fingers crossed that this is one that will actually listen.  He may just be the one to do it, my doctor mentioned in passing that he had written a book about hypothyroidism.  So, being the cyber sleuth that I am I started searching for information about him with Google.  I found information on him and located his book, I have already downloaded to my Nook!  I am excited because his bio mentions that he’s not just an endocrinologist that specializes in thyroid, he also has hypothyroidism.  He understands what it’s like to feel horrible when the lab tests that some doctors rely on say you should be fine.  It appears that he’s open to taking more than just the traditional approach.  I’m looking forward to my appointment with him, September can’t come fast enough.

I know what you are saying….where are the recipes?  That’s what I come here for, let’s get back to those.  So, here I am, getting back to the recipes.  The great thing about my energy returning is that I actually feel like cooking.  It’s hard when I’m not feeling good, I can barely get myself to work.

On to the recipe for today, I found a recipe online when I was searching around looking for tasty sounding recipes that fit my new gluten, dairy and soy free criteria.  The internet is a wonderful thing for searching for recipes!  You can find the original recipe at Elana’s Pantry (I only edited it a tiny bit!).  I love her site; it’s a great source for a lot of recipes, healthy living tips and has beautiful images, I visit often.  If you want to see the original recipe and cruise the site click here (http://www.elanaspantry.com/salmon-with-olive-anchovy-tapenade/).

Salmon with Olive Anchovy and Citrus Tapenade

(adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

4 fillets Wild Salmon (approx. 4 oz. each)

Juice and zest from one lemon

Juice and zest from ½ small orange

1 T anchovies (I buy the paste in a tube, much easier)

1 T fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 C kalamata olives, pitted and chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, minced (I use a grater and just grate it, it saves on chopping time)

2 T olive oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

• Rinse the salmon and put in a baking dish big enough that the pieces aren’t touching
• Sprinkle less than ½ tsp salt and pepper to taste over the fillets (remember, the olives are salty, don’t overdo it)
• In a bowl mix together the zest from the lemon and orange, anchovies, rosemary, olives, garlic and olive oil
• Spread the paste over the top of each fillet, covering the top completely
• Cover the baking dish with plastic and marinate for 2-6 hours
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Remove plastic and bake 15-20 minutes or until salmon is done to your liking

The flavors in this dish are amazing.  Do yourself a big favor and only use wild salmon, farmed salmon doesn’t have the same taste.  I served this with grilled artichoke and roasted red potatoes.  It got two thumbs up from my husband.  I hope you like it as much as we did!

Thyroid Issues and Education

During the past week I have had a lot of trouble getting in to post in my blog. I’m so glad to be back in, I have things to tell you about!

A quick update first.  I had another problem with my thyroid, I was absolutely miserable.  The bad thing about it is that it doesn’t hit fast, it comes gradually so you don’t really notice it until it’s completely taken over.  I was cold all the time (my poor husband had to deal with me always wanting to push the temperature on the a/c up because I was freezing – I finally just resorted to wearing sweats and wool socks in the house).  I was completely exhausted no matter how much sleep I got and so achy I didn’t want to move (which we all know makes it worse).  I finally recognized what was happening and immediately scheduled a doctor appointment.  I also started doing research, I’m so tired of just throwing another pill at what’s going on, I need information.  I need to know what's causing the problem, I need to have some things I can do proactively to keep it from happening again.  With that said, the doctor did give me another pill, but I think this may be a good one.  It’s a synthetic T3, which may have been my problem this time around.  I say that because since Sunday my energy level seems to be coming back and my achiness has decreased (I started taking it last Thursday).

Things I have learned….while I have eliminated gluten it may be that I will need to eliminate other foods.  Soy and dairy are my first targets, and they have been quite difficult to remove.  Dairy has been a little easier, I have replaced the creamer in my morning coffee with a creamer that is made from coconut milk, the cheese in certain things has gone away.  I have to admit, there is a little dairy in the premade baking mix I use, but that will be replaced soon by my own homemade baking mix.  Soy has been a little more difficult because it seems to be in a lot of the premade gluten free items at the store.  Insert big sigh here, that means I have to make everything I eat, I like to cook but really?

An attitude adjustment is in process right now.  I’m focusing on what I can eat versus what I can’t.  I’m looking into Paleo eating, though I’m not entirely convinced about it but I’m continuing researching it.  I do believe that food plays a large part in what is happening to my body so I’m paying even more attention to what I put in my mouth.

Oh, I also wanted to share a couple of Facebook groups that have helped me with information; Hashimoto’s 411 and Thyroid Sexy (when you are logged in to FB just look them up, there is a ton of good information in both groups).  The Thyroid Sexy group has a lot of resources in the “Notes” section, make sure you look there for a lot of good information.

What does that mean for my blog?  It won’t be changing much other than you will see more recipes without dairy and soy in them.  I will start posting those recipes again later this week, I'm still getting my bearings :)

Continuing on the journey to health…I'm so glad you are along for the ride!

Reflection and Panzanella Salad

I was going back through old posts on my blog to see where I started.  I actually started it before what you see as the first posting on here.  I started when my original goal was weight loss, documenting my thoughts and daily habits.  It was interesting but didn’t have anything to do with where I am today. 

Something I think about often is how different I am now from where I was last year.  Last year I was at the tail end of a big hyperthyroid swing, one that I didn’t even know I was on until the racing heart symptom appeared.  I still remember how it felt to be in the early part of that period though, it was awesome.  I felt powerful, strong and energetic.  Little did I know that it was rather a false “high” because of the hyperthyroid swing. 

I did learn something during that period though; I learned what it must feel like for other people to feel healthy and full of energy.  I’m not in a pity party today, at all, just reflecting back and seeing how much of a difference a year can make.  Now, while weight loss would be nice, my ultimate goal is to be as healthy as possible.  I have made a lot of dietary changes; I eat veggies at every meal, and quite a few of them, gluten is a thing of the past so my carbs have lessened (though I think they could go a little lower) and I have really knocked back sugar, though that’s as compared to a lot before, so that could likely go lower too.  I just feel great that I have transferred myself to raw agave syrup and almond milk in my morning coffee J

I don’t really have a recipe to share today, just a couple of ideas for different things to do with veggies since this is the best time of the year because they are all so fresh.  I love asparagus; it’s one of my all-time favorite veggies. During grilling season I like to throw them on the grill with a tiny bit of oil, salt and pepper then wrap them with a small amount of prosciutto, it’s so good!  Another favorite is a panzanella salad because I LOVE fresh tomatoes.  I have seen a lot of different versions out there, but mine is my favorite.  Of course, I can’t have it with great crusty bread any more but I have learned that if I cut up GF bread into big chunks, toast it in the oven before using and toss it with the remainder of the salad right before serving it works out pretty well.  If you love tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar this may become a staple for you during the summer.  It also works great as a topping for grilled meats!  Finally, roasted red peppers, fresh off the grill, on a skewer with some artichoke hearts and bocconcini (small balls of fresh mozzarella)….so good!

I’m making myself hungry; I guess it’s time to eat lunch.

Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb tomatoes, chopped (I have used roma, vine ripened, cherry and grape, it doesn’t matter as long as it they are ripe and juicy)

¼ red onion, chopped finely

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped (you can use any color, green tends to be too strong though)

Salt and pepper to taste (you need at least a little salt to get the juices in the veggies going)

Fresh basil to taste

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil

2-4 T balsamic vinegar (make sure you buy the really good stuff, it’s worth it)

5-6 slices of GF bread (I use Udi’s) cut into large chunks then toasted in the oven

Directions:

1. Seed tomatoes (if you are using larger ones) then chop into a little smaller than bite size pieces and place in glass or plastic bowl, add a little bit of salt
2. Chop the red onion, garlic and bell pepper and put into the bowl, add a little more salt and some pepper, mix well
3. At this point cover the mixture and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to let the juices in the veggies start to mingle
4. Add in the olive oil and vinegar, hold back on the vinegar a bit, add 2 T, taste, then add more if you need to (I love the vinegar so I usually add more than some would)
5. If you aren’t going to eat this now this is the point to stop, cover and put into the refrigerator (just keep in mind, the fridge makes tomatoes mushy, I don’t do this but you could)
6. When you are ready to eat the salad cut up and toast the bread, allowing to cool for a few minutes before adding to the salad
7. Stack and roll the basil leaves then snip fine pieces into the salad using your kitchen scissors
8. Add in the bread, mix everything well and serve right away
9. (If you are going to use as a salsa on top of grilled meat then omit the bread steps)

I hope you enjoy the salad; it’s one of my favorites and one of the reasons I look forward to summer.  I make it at least a couple times a week when tomatoes are in season.

Bisquick - the GF Version....love it!

Today is a better day, finally starting to feel normal again after the gluten incident last week.  I’m achy but not nearly as much as I was, that could have something to do with the ibuprofen I finally gave in to and started taking.  Last night I made myself work out, I didn’t want to, I was so tired and hurting so bad but I convinced myself I would feel better after….and I did, for a little while, I consider that progress!

It was just me and the furry four-legged children in the house last night, the husband had to work (his schedule always starts to really get full as the school year gets closer to an end).  I really wanted something comforting for dinner but I also didn’t want to make it.  That meant something from the store that wouldn’t take long to make.  Enter Bisquick gluten-free mix.  I had pancakes and bacon for dinner!  It reminded me of the dinners we used to have as kids when my Dad went out of town for work.  My Mom always made pancakes for dinner one night when he was gone, it made it special and it was fun.

Bisquick GF pancakes are pretty good, there is a bit of a difference in texture from the other normal pancakes, but I think I’m getting used to the texture of gluten free things now.  They were easy to make, I even made extras and put them in the freezer for the next time a pancake craving hits.  A couple of pancakes, some real maple syrup and a couple of strips of really good bacon (made in the oven because it’s so easy that way) made for a really good dinner that made me feel comforted.

No recipe today, I don’t have one to share.  Just a recommendation that if you haven’t already you should check out the Bisquick GF mix, it’s just as versatile as the original and it makes good pancakes.  I found some recipes using it on the Betty Crocker website today; they have a good GF recipe section (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/health-and-diet/gluten-free).  There are also recipes that use the Betty Crocker GF cake mixes.  I’m going to be trying some of them soon.  The GF chocolate chip scones sound yummy!

Finally, I thought I would mention a book I’m reading right now that was recommended to me by someone that writes a gluten-free column.  The book is Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D.  I’m not too far into it and I have already had a bunch of moments where I thought “aha!” to myself.  He explains how the wheat of today is so different from the wheat of even 50 years ago which may be one of the reasons why so many people are coming up gluten intolerant.  It’s interesting, I’m not going to preach about it, I recommend reading it if you are at all interested in the effect the wheat of today has on the body.  As a matter of fact, I’m only about 100 pages in and I have already talked with my husband, who has diabetes, about removing wheat from his diet as well.  It will be interesting to see if that helps him with the up/down of his sugars, despite eating better and using insulin.

Balsamic Quinoa Veggie "Salad"

I attended a baby shower at work yesterday; I love baby showers, mostly because I love the opportunity to shop for baby clothes.  It was a lot of fun, and there was this grape “salad” that someone brought that was so good (luckily it was GF).  I asked her for the recipe, I’m going to have to share it at some point.  I don’t know where she got it from but I haven’t had anything like it.  Anyway, there were lots of cute baby clothes, lots of fun with some of the ladies I work with.  I really am lucky, I actually like the people I work with!

On another note, since I had that bad cold and ended up on antibiotics for the resulting bronchitis and sinus infection my immune system has been after my thyroid.  The exhaustion, aching, hair loss and brain fog are back.  Yuck!  I had a bit of a scary moment yesterday on my way home from work.  I was sitting at a light downtown, which I do every day after I leave my parking garage, I let my mind wander for a second then when I came back I forgot where I was.  I wasn’t sure where to turn.  It only took a split-second to come back but it was a scary moment.  That’s when I decided that I’m going to eat as clean as possible the next couple of weeks to get this kicked.  No more eating out, other than when I have to travel for work, I can’t avoid that, but at home I will only eat the food I have prepared.  Healthy, fresh, healing, that’s the mantra for the next few weeks.

Last night I had a green smoothie for dinner, I added some ground flax for fiber and whatever other benefits it provides.  I always feel good drinking it, anything that green (from the spinach) can only be good for me.  I also made a great salad of sorts for lunch today, the recipe is listed below, hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did.  It contains about two servings; I guess it depends on how hungry you are.  I ate half and felt quite full.

Balsamic Quinoa Veggie Salad, makes about 2 servings

(dressing ingredients also listed below)

Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa, uncooked

1 cup fat free low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

½ cup chickpeans (if you use canned make sure you drain and rinse well)

½ cup chopped English cucumber

½ cup chopped broccoli

½ cup chopped grape tomatoes

1-2 scallions, chopped finely

3 T crumbled feta

Dressing ingredients:

½ T Dijon mustard

2 T balsamic vinegar (I love vinegar, you may want less)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.      Rinse quinoa well then place in a preheated skillet with olive oil to toast just a bit (be careful not to burn it, stir frequently)

2.      Add chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the broth is completely absorbed

3.      Remove quinoa from the heat and put in a storage container, add the chickpeas and the balsamic vinegar while still warm and mix well (I love vinegar, if you don’t like too strong a taste of vinegar you may want to skip this)

4.      Refrigerate overnight

5.      Dump all of the dressing ingredients into a container (I use a small ball jar) and shake well

6.      Chop up all of the veggies and add to the quinoa along with the feta cheese, top with the dressing and mix well, refrigerate until ready to eat

A day in the life...

A day in the life, I named today’s entry that, but really it is a little more than that.

I can tell that I’m having one of those times where my immune system has gone haywire for whatever reason stimulated it this time (maybe it’s the flu epidemic running through my office?).  Anyway, since last Thursday I have been achy, tired, feverish, brain foggy and just generally blah.  I can’t get enough sleep, I’m cold, I’m hot, I can’t focus for more than two minutes, my joints ache, then my muscles do, sometimes together.  I get up from my desk chair at work or the couch at home and have to steady myself from the pain that comes.  It’s not a lot of fun, just an example of a few days in the life.

I found a blog recently that has provided some valuable information along with some validation about the ups and downs.  She talks openly about her “thyroidy” days, something I found comforting because there are times you feel like you might just be going crazy.  Her blog is here:  http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/category/autoimmune/ She’s got a great sense of humor and a good amount of knowledge about what’s going on with her and what works for her.  She’s also quick to say that what works for her may not work for everyone.  I think the key I got from reading many of her entries is that you have to take control of your own health.  There isn’t anyone else that’s going to be as much of an advocate for you as you can for yourself.

Moving down the taking control of my own health path I have learned to spend more time really paying attention to what my body is telling me.  If I’m really tired I sleep (I slept 9.5 hours last night), if I have brain fog and can’t concentrate I do those things at work that require less of my concentration, if I’m hungry I eat, making sure to eat lots of veggies while making sure I get the protein I need.  I gave up gluten which helped. However, with the ups and downs I have been experiencing since then, my body is telling me there is more I should do.  Now I’m considering giving up dairy and possibly soy.  One at a time so that I can measure the difference it makes.

There is so much to consider.  Selenium, yes or no (I read I can get what I need by eating a Brazil nut daily), what about iodine?  Do I need to look at other supplements beyond the ones I’m already on (iron, vitamin C, vitamin D, B12)?  There is always more research to be done.  The thing I’m sticking with now though is listening to my body when it talks to me, being gentler with myself.  The world will not end if I don’t vacuum/clean/do laundry and make a gourmet homemade dinner every night.

So, if you are having health issues, even if they are very different from mine, take time, slow down, listen to what your body really needs.  The world will not end if you take a needed break. Take care of you!

One last thing…..a recipe!  I make this soup every couple of weeks, blend it up and freeze it in small containers for those hungry periods when I want to take advantage and get lots of nutrients into my body:

Blended Veggie Soup

(This makes a lot of soup, be sure you have freezer space!)

½ T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic (I actually use 4 but that’s too much for some people)

1 tsp cayenne pepper (I add more but I like things spicy)

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 small zucchini

1 lb mushrooms

1 bag spinach

1 bag of kale

1.5 big boxes of fat free or reduced fat chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.      Heat a large pot over medium to medium high heat, add olive oil

2.      Drop in the onion, garlic, cayenne, carrots and celery and cook until slightly soft

3.      Add in the zucchini and mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute

4.      Add in the chicken broth then put the spinach and kale on top, pushing down with a spoon to get it in the liquid

5.      Cover and let simmer (not boil) about 15 minutes, check to see how everything is doing….stirring everything up at this point is a good idea

6.      Check for seasoning, does it need salt and pepper?

7.      Cover and cook for another 20-30 minutes, everything should be soft at this point

8.      Cool slightly then blend everything together using an immersion blender.

9.      Store in small serving size (about 1 cup) containers in the freezer, it warms up well in the microwave when you need it

Hashimoto's Sucks and People Don't Get It

I took some time off from anything that wasn’t entirely necessary to focus on my health for a few months.  I have learned quite a bit, though I have also learned that I don’t know nearly enough.  It is easy to get very overwhelmed by the avalanche of information available out there on Hashimoto’s disease / autoimmune diseases.

I have struggled with getting the people in my life, family/friends/co-workers to understand what I feel like, what I’m going through.  Unfortunately unless you look sick on the outside people don’t generally believe you are sick on the inside.  I found a couple of great resources during my research.  The first, a letter from someone that has the disease and explains what it feels like really well, I am Hashimoto’s Disease, if you are interested it’s a good link for a description of the daily struggle. Another one is a letter to friends and families of people with a thyroid disease, When Your Family Member or Friend Has Thyroid Disease, it’s also a good way for people to learn about the experience.

I will note here that Hashimoto’s disease is not curable, though I’m hoping that through diet and exercise it is  manageable. The past year was a roller coaster (not the fun kind) of health issues….I lost and gained weight (40-50 pounds!) over and over again without changing a thing, my hair fell out in clumps, my skin would get so dry it would crack, I forgot almost everything that I was told if I didn’t write it down and I would be completely overwhelmingly exhausted for a few days then feeling good the next few days after that.  I can’t even begin to explain how frustrating this disease is.

The thing is, even though I found some good resources to give my family and friends to describe my experience, I’m starting not to care what other people think about it.  Why does it matter to me what they think about a personal struggle I have?  For now I’m choosing to share it only with my husband and close family. They are the ones that matter, my friends matter but they don’t see everything that particularly my husband does.  He understands, my parents understand, and that’s what matters to me.

I’m back to blogging, I hope to share what I have learned so far with anyone interested in reading about my journey.  I will share some really great GF recipes I have tried and talk more about my daily experience.  If nothing else, I hope to be a resource for someone that was in the place I was in last year…..sick and feeling like I was going crazy because nobody could see what was happening.  This is me and my experience.

Gluten-Free Transition and Health

My goal is to write in my blog at least every other day.  I have been bad about keeping up with it lately with good reason.  Managing stress and getting as much rest as possible have been my primary focus for the last couple of weeks.  I ended up with a sinus infection and bronchitis, and was told by my doctor that it is likely that my immune system is just plain tired right now.  So, I need to watch the stress, get lots of rest and try to stay away from germs!

The last couple of weeks have been good otherwise, I’m settling into the gluten-free thing pretty well.  I am getting good at noticing what does and doesn’t work when feeding my body.  For instance, I think I may be allergic to soy.  I’m not positive it’s an allergy, but there may be a sensitivity there.  I often have headaches after eating it, and I no longer have gluten to blame for that.  So, I’m watching the things I consume, note when I am having soy and make sure to note how I’m feeling a little later.  I had a headache after eating my chicken/veggie “fried” rice.  I’m having it for lunch today, right now I don’t have a headache, we’ll see what happens.

One good piece of news is that my body finally seems to be settling out when it comes to weight.  I have been tracking what I’m eating, entering it into my WW journal, but haven’t seen any losses, there were a couple of weeks where there were slight gains.  This past week I broke even.  I’m hoping that’s a signal that I’m finally leveling out.  Now I can get the exercise worked back in, keep on tracking, and (hopefully) see the results.

I have been doing some research on gluten-free recipes, there are a ton of resources out there, including some recipes on the WW site that look really good.  I have even discovered that there are a lot of things in the store that are GF as well.  It’s a whole new world.  I miss bread though, I’m not going to lie, whenever I smell it I am tempted.  I try to remember the pain I was in before, that usually keeps me from having anything.  I haven’t given in, and I’m getting used to the bread made with rice flour (it isn’t too bad when it’s toasted).  It’s a good thing I’m not a sandwich for lunch type of person, I usually only had toast with my eggs in the morning.

Dinners (and leftover lunches) for this week have been….Sirloin Black Bean Chili (~6 points/serving, my own recipe), Chicken and Veggie Stir Fried Rice (~7 points/serving because I opted to add in some sesame oil), Baked Pork Chops (~7 points/serving, they are covered in a great salty/sweet/sour sauce that is amazing).  When I need a side I will usually add a cooked veggie of some sort and a salad.  Sometimes I will have some potato, but not often because my husband is diabetic and they aren’t great for him.

In the next post I will share some things I have found on GF eating….happy day everyone!

Lessons

I have learned quite a bit on my journey so far.  Learning to listen to my body about what it needs to function correctly has been a looong journey this year!  Having two autoimmune diseases has really reinforced that I need to do a lot of listening. 

Hashimoto’s has taught me the value in slowing down and making sure that I’m taking care of my body, particularly my sleep schedule and overall stress level.  The Celiac’s has taught me that natural eating is the way to go.  There is wheat in nearly every processed food out there. I never realized just how much wheat product I was eating.  The gluten-free way of eating has made me shop the perimeter of the grocery store out of necessity…which is the way that all of the health gurus say you should be shopping.  I choose to look at the two diseases as my body telling me that improvements are necessary, thank goodness I’m listening.

Now I’m weaving in my WW points too.  I gave myself a week of experimenting, seeing what I needed to eat, and what I could do without, then came back to start tracking points.  I’m seeing that I’m staying more within my DPs than I was before.  Why?  Because I’m eating a lot of fresh veggies and fruits along with lean meats which means that my points are mostly coming from those lean proteins.  It’s great!

It will be interesting to see where I end up on weigh-in day.  I have given myself permission to have a couple of weeks where I may not lose much; my body is still in the process of adjusting to food and medication changes.  For now it just feels good to be eating well and treating myself well.

Oh, tonight is pizza night!  Woo hoo!  I found a recipe to make the gluten-free dough and bought all of the necessary flours.  I made the dough last night; put it in the fridge, fingers crossed that my all roasted veggie pizza has a good crust!

Blood Pressure and Adventures in Gluten-Free Land

Things got a little bit crazy last week; I had a problem with my blood pressure dropping way too low on Tuesday. I nearly passed out at work!  Silly me, I thought I was coming down with the stomach flu until I really started thinking about it and realized I was experiencing symptoms since the day before and it might just be blood pressure related.  The doctor confirmed it, 72/58, and that’s when I was feeling better, who knows what it was when I thought I was going to end up on the floor!  She made some medication adjustments, told me to drink a lot more water and had me buy a blood pressure monitor to check it periodically.  I have been doing ok since, the bp has been a bit on the lower side, 100/62, but at least it’s more positive than before. 

Besides that I’m happy to report I’m starting to feel better.  I’m not exhausted like I was, I do still get tired easily and quickly but I figure that will be improving more as I go.  The gluten-free eating has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, I just have to adjust to making everything from scratch (which is better for us anyway).

I have come up with a couple of great recipes and found some products along the way.  Veggie stir fry (I found a fantastic gluten-free soy sauce, right a Kroger), Bragg Liquid Aminos, it’s great! Chicken Enchiladas (my own recipe) and a few from others as well.  I’m still learning everything but I’m slowly coming around.  My step this week is fitting it all into my weekly WW points (ha, notice the pun, “fitting”).  Anyway, so far so good.

I’m not going to post everything I ate since last week, instead I figured I would share some of my recipes so far.  I haven’t had any trouble with them, but, as is always the case when eating gluten-free, you need to be sure you are ok with all of the ingredients yourself.

Veggie Stir Fry (serves 4-6)

1 T olive oil (you could use peanut as well)

1 inch section of fresh ginger, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 oz. white mushrooms, sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

½ package of cole slaw mix (this one had cabbage and carrots)

2 T of soy sauce (I used Bragg Liquid Aminos)

1 T of rice wine vinegar

2 cups brown rice (I cooked a bunch over the weekend to use in various things)

Directions:

1.                   heat olive oil up in a pan on medium high heat

2.                   add in ginger, garlic and onion, sauté until onion is soft

3.                   add in vegetables and sauté until cooked to your preference (I like mine warm but still having a bit of crunch)

4.                   dump in the rice, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and stir well until the rice is fully incorporated and warmed

I had this without any meat, but you could certainly add ham, chicken, turkey, shrimp or tofu to it if you want.  It’s very filling!

Chicken Enchiladas (serves 6)

3 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

¼ C lime juice

¼ C olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 large onion, sliced thin

1 bell pepper, sliced somewhat thin (I use red, a matter of preference)

2 large zucchini, sliced into thin strips

1 large jar Herdez green salsa (salsa verde)

10 white corn tortillas (made sure they are GF!)

6 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 can fat free refried black beans

Directions:

1. mix together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano, add in garlic and pour over chicken breasts that have been placed in a glass bowl/baking dish, cover and marinate overnight
2. grill or bake chicken breasts until cooked through (375 for about 30 minutes in an oven)
3. sauté onion, zucchini and pepper in a skillet with a little bit of oil until soft and onions have slightly carmelized, remove from heat
4. shred cooked chicken and place in a bowl with the onion/pepper mixture, add refried beans and about 1/3 C of the salsa and mix well
5. add 1 oz of cheese and mix well
6. char tortillas in a hot dry skillet so that they become pliable
7. spray a baking dish with a little bit of cooking spray
8. pour a little of the salsa in the bottom and move it around to coat
9. fill one tortilla at a time with the chicken filling, roll and place in the dish seam side down (make these a little full or you won’t use all of the filling)
10. once you have placed all of the enchiladas in the dish (you may have to squish a little to get them all in) pour the remainder of the salsa and cheese over the top, covering everything
11. cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until top is browned
12. serve with sides of chopped tomato, sour cream and/or guacamole

I hope you enjoy everything….I will let you know more about my adventures in the kitchen as I go!

Gluten-Free Here I Come

This blog is going to change just a bit due to recent life happenings.  I mentioned a couple of times that I have had trouble with health issues in the last several months and finally have some answers (after several doctor visits and finally breaking down and crying to one doctor about how awful I feel).  I already knew I had Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack your thyroid.  I have had that for several years and it was mostly controlled through medication.  Then, in February/March, an extremely stressful period, my health started declining rapidly.  I lost nearly 40 pounds in 2 months.  Silly me, I thought it was due to my health efforts when in reality it was due to a hyperthyroid swing.  I was taken off of my thyroid medicine by an extremely uneducated doctor.  I learned later that’s one of the worst things you can do to someone with Hashimoto’s, oops.  When I finally got back on I was still having troubles, a lot of them, and got desperate for answers.  I am getting them.

Along with the Hashimoto’s I also have Celiac’s disease, nothing that’s earth-shattering, there are a lot of people in the world with it.  The significant thing for me is that the effects from that is likely what has kept my immune system continually attacking my thyroid.  Oh, and my vitamin levels had bottomed out because of it too.  Answers, that’s all I needed.  Now I have a plan of attack.

First, supplements for everything that’s lacking…iron, vitamin d, vitamin c (to better absorb the iron), folic acid, b12, flaxseed oil (to up my HDL).  Second, I’m going gluten-free.  The gluten-free should even out my system and get rid of the aches/pains and exhaustion.  I’m really looking forward to feeling good again!

So, this is still a journey, one toward health, a little bit different path, but still moving toward that healthy direction.  The great thing I’m learning about gluten free eating is that it still focuses on fresh veggies, fruit and meats, I need to leave processed foods alone because those generally contain gluten (unless, of course, they are indicated as GF).  I like the idea of using as many fresh ingredients as I can then using the processed foods every once in a great while.

Here’s to better health.

Still out here, just struggling a bit

I have been missing from the site for a bit due to health problems.  The thyroid issues have gotten much worse and just getting up and getting through a normal workday has been a tremendous struggle.  Things haven’t been good and I have lost my focus.  I have an appointment with a specialist in a couple of weeks; I’m just hanging on until I get there.

I stopped exercising near the end of last week; it seemed to drain so much of my energy I wouldn’t be able to function for the remainder of my day.  So, that’s been set aside for a bit.  I did get on the treadmill for a while this morning, I miss it, but I’m going slow and not on there for long.  For now I’m trying to get back to caring about what I eat.  I have been cycling through eating too much and living on nothing but coffee, not eating at all.  There is either not enough food in the world or everything but coffee sounds gross.  It has been a struggle.  When you are this tired and have no ability to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes the idea of figuring out what to eat that is on Weight Watchers that is on plan and within points is just plain mentally exhausting. 

I weighed myself on Sunday, even though I told myself I wouldn’t because I didn’t want anything to upset me.  Luckily I have only gained 4 pounds, I’m thankful for that.  I have decided that I’m not getting back on the scale until after I see the specialist, things are too out of control right now and I don’t need to add to the stress.  I’m going to focus on healthy foods and move along from there.

So, I just wanted to say hello.  I’m still out here, just really struggling.  If there are any people out there with Hashimoto’s or any other kind of thyroid disorder that can relate I would really appreciate some encouragement/words of advice at this point.

For information on thyroid disease / Hashimotos: http://thyroid.about.com/od/bookssupportresources/a/letter-to-family-friends.htm

Have a great day everyone.

A Long Pause and Hashimoto’s

I have been absent for a few days, life got a little crazy here.  My husband ended up with a serious infection in his leg that put him down for most of the week.  Between that and my struggle to get my thyroid acting right again I just plain fell back into old eating patterns.  For me that means no cooking healthy wonderful food, it means buying food that others have cooked (aka take out from restaurants).  The result?  Only a .4 gain, thank goodness I kept exercising through it all.  I even added some more weight workouts, it makes me feel like superwoman afterwards.

I saw my doctor this week for the first time in the past two months.  She was out of town for my entire thyroid blowout.  I have Hashimoto’s disease, my immune system attacks my thyroid making it either to into hyper or hypo mode.  About a month and a half ago I went to the doctor for a racing heart, a symptom I recognized meant I was well into hyperthyroid.  My doctor was out of the country and the on call doctor, without looking at my history, took me off my thyroid medication all together.  Big mistake, one of the worst things you can do for someone with Hashimoto’s is take them off of their meds, that gives the immune system free reign to further damage the thyroid.  The biggest problems I have had since are brain fog and total exhaustion along with what is likely depression.  Not a good combo for someone that is trying to really focus on getting healthier.  My doctor put me right back on my meds, it will take a bit for me to level out, I’m looking forward to that.  She also set up an appointment for an ultrasound because my thyroid is now enlarged, and also with a specialist because she wants me to have someone there that knows everything about my condition (I love my doctor!). 

The silver lining in all of this?  I never once skipped exercising, even when I woke up so tired I didn’t feel like rolling over in bed.  I pushed myself; I made sure that I continued at least one healthy thing for me.  I’m really proud of myself for that part.  In the past I would’ve given up altogether and just gone into a mode that was totally unhealthy.  Yay me for maintaining focus in at least one area.

My plan for getting back on track?  Obviously, no eating out!  I also decided to make my entire week’s menu, tracking points for every day.  I put it all down on paper and left a few points on the table for any “oops” I may have.  The goasl for the week are to stay within DPs as much as possible, maintain the same level of exercise and focus on getting the food back on track while my thyroid evens itself out.  Oh, and posting in my journal, it’s important and keeps me focused.

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday!