Kai Chronicles

Eating, exploring and enjoying life

Tag Archives: wheat-free


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Would you give up chocolate, booze and coffee for your health?

“She turned to the sunlight    And shook

Okay, so I’m back on a restricted diet. Not by choice but by extreme necessity.

My sinuses and I assume, my nasal polyps have been quite bad for months now; 18 or so actually. I was  getting on with life but the past couple months, my health has declined to a point where I am having sinus headaches, my ears are blocking up and aching and I’m not sleeping well. And I need sleep.

So, as of July 23 I stopped eating sugar, wheat, dairy, most fruits, booze, coffee and most processed foods (when you give up sugar, wheat and dairy that cancels out processed foods anyway). Now, I will admit to having a couple beer and 2 cookies since but those were my only slips.

Although a miracle hasn’t happened (yet), I do feel better. I actually slept through the night once since *fist pump*

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Tummy Busters: How I’m beating the bloat

no bloat

 

I’ve been on a free-for-all diet for the past 6 weeks or so and I must say, I feel happier emotionally but I won’t lie, physically, I’ve felt better.

I have not worked-out since early June. It’s winter and I just do not have the motivation. I’ve also been back in the swing of work and for now, I’m happy writing and achieving goals there. Mentally though, I am preparing to return to a regular fitness routine on September 1st.

Considering all of this, my tummy issues have mostly disappeared. The severe, daily bloating has stopped and I am convinced Inner Health is the reason.

Inner Health is a pro-biotic capsule that contains 25 billion good bacteria  per supplement. Any largeness to my tummy is now fat. Plain and simple. And a bit disappointing.

I used to take IH years ago and I don’t know why I stopped or had not tried it earlier this year when I was having so many stomach issues. Daily acidophilus yogurt is not enough but delicious so I still love to eat it.

Another thing that has been working for me it stepping away from the wheat. I’m not banning it anymore but when I begin to feel crappy, I reduce my wheat intake considerably.

I have also started to take a herbal laxative. It comes in the form of tea and it is easy to drink. The downside of this of course is the stomach cramps and need to be near a toilet. It doesn’t last long and it generally takes 10-12 hours to kick in so it’s all about getting the timing right.

Here’s what I believe is working for me to reduce bloating:

  1. Daily Inner Health Plus Dairy Free
  2. Starting my day with hot lemon and water (before anything else is consumed)
  3. Reducing wheat
  4. Drinking herbal laxative  tea – once or twice a week

I reckon once I return to my fitness routine, I will feel pretty darn good. And hopefully look like this again.

Jennifer April 2013

Taken April 2013. This is my inspiration. It’s not the best my body has looked but I’d take it over today’s mirror reflection.

 

 


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I’m a cheater and I’m ok with that

As I write this I have a lollypop in my mouth. They were not on my list of what to eat when I set my latest (but not greatest) food challenge.

Yes, I’ve been cheating. Not great amounts, just small samples here and there. The thing is – I rarely do this. I am usually very diligent and reliable, especially when it comes to my health.

I set the 4-week challenge as a way to cut back on my over-indulgence and that has worked. My daily beer habit is gone but I did have about 6 beer over the past 3 weeks, which is nothing compared to the daily 3 I had become accustomed to.

I have had very little wheat, none to even speak of but I have had some gluten-free fruit toast over the past 3 days. And the only dairy I have is the probiotic yoghurt, which is a must for my gut. Oh…actually that’s a lie. Last week we had dinner at Dough Pizza in Perth (I had the chicken salad) and I sampled some chocolate gelato and tiramasu. YUM, they were both fantastic. And believe me, I needed the sweets badly. That was the day my Mac crashed. I was not in a good mood. And you know what? Eating that chocolate really boosted me up.

Halloween was the other night and Master T went trick or treating. I actually bought more treats to hand out at our door then he came home with but he had fun anyway. Yesterday I had a moment of weakness and consumed some potato chips. I didn’t even care. Sometimes I feel I’m too serious about this (and a lot of other things) so I just said, stuff it I’m going to have these and enjoy them! And I did until….

I then did my Thursday workout. I barely made it to the 20 minute mark. Gosh, it nearly killed me. I realised that I hadn’t eaten properly nor had I drank enough water during the day and then to eat potato chips just before hand??? Clearly, I wasn’t thinking!

So, the “cheating” consists of beer, lollies, dessert and 2 single serve bags of potato chips. It’s all good though. I’m not bothered by it because in general, I am sticking to healthy diet and (almost) daily exercise program. I’m coming close to balancing.

Plus, it’s November which means it’s NaNoWriMo month and I’m not sure restricting anything is advisable during this. So far I’m on target but it’s only day 2. I may have to call on chocolate again for mood enhancing later this month or tomorrow.

I have one more week left on this 4-week challenge then I can relax a bit and fall back into old habits….lol, no hopefully not. My in-laws are visiting next weekend.That was the reason for Nov 10th to be the cut-off. Really I’m still just trying to lay the foundation for permanent change and every stint helps me along.

On January 3, I will start Tracy Anderson’s 30-day method. I need the next 2 months to gear myself up for it. It won’t be easy – that I know. She’s full-on!! And there’ll be no cheating on Tracy!!!!

Have you ever cheated on anything?

 

 

 


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WWW – What’s Working for me Wednesday

A few blogs I read have a weekly themed post and I quite like the idea so I’m being a sheep and following them.

I want my theme to be positive. I don’t want to talk about what’s going wrong in my life, although I know people love to read that stuff. Now is a time to change attitudes and be more optimistic. All is well in my world. And so it is. (yes, I love Louise L Hay).

So, what IS working for me this Wednesday?

Muesli, berries and Greek yoghurt

Carman’s fruit-free muesli, berries and Mundella’s Greek honey yoghurt. This is by far my favourite breakfast or lunch. Some people think that muesli (granola for you North Americans) is not good for you because it can be high in kilojoules/calories, which is true depending on the brand you buy. I only buy Carman’s and I actually make my own sometimes. But there are ways around overindulging.

So I don’t overdo it, I weigh my serving to be 45kgs which is 895.5kJ/214cal. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not in the habit of weighing my food….I’m not that anal retentive but some things like muesli, nuts or yogurt can be easy to consume mass amounts because they are so good. Therefore,  it’s better for me to put a limit on it.

 Berries are not only great for your body; you can eat lots of them with no results on your hips! I’m loving fresh strawberries at the moment. I use frozen raspberries too…delicious. Blueberries are my favorite though. I’ll get some in me soon!

Although I often restrict dairy, I do allow a pro-biotic yoghurt because of the benefits to my tummy! Again, I use a local brand that is not full up of sugars and additives. I no longer eat the fruit variety for this reason. Keep in plain, keep it simple and add your own fruit.

This breakfast comes in under 1525 kJs/365cal and I reckon that is easy to burn off.

For today (and most days), this yummy, wheat-free breaky is working for me!!

What’s working for you today?


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How to start a “restricted” diet.

When you start on a restricted diet of any scale it’s easy to think, ‘What am I going to eat now?’

I used to get asked, ‘So what DO you eat?’ all the time. Many people, especially the ones who do not cook for themselves or rely on boxed or pre-made meals, think there simply is nothing left to eat when you cut out gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast, sugar, malt or whatever the impairing ingredient. But there are many choices available and once you wrap your head around it, it’s easy and you will get to a point where you want the “free”, healthy stuff.

But the truth is this: If you want to succeed, you will have to start cooking for yourself. I’m sure in the big cities, there are plenty of specialty cafes and restaurants who do or will cater for special diets. If you have a high deposable income, then that may work for you. But for everyone else, here are some easy cook-at-home meal ideas that will keep you on track without feeling deprived.

 Firstly, you need to shop. Even the smallest of supermarkets have a health food section these days. This is where you will find the gluten-free, yeast-free, wheat-free whatever you are restricting; you will find it in this section of the shop. Yes, the products are more expensive so just get over it now. And start reading ALL labels. Be careful because so much “processed” foods including flavoured potatoes chips have yeast extract, milk powder or wheat starch in mix. I eat plain, salted chips or natural corn chips only.

Image

Here’s a list of musts for the pantry:

  1. Gluten-free pasta
  2. Organic gluten-free falafel mix
  3. Korma paste
  4. Gluten-free pappadums
  5. Coconut milk or cream
  6. Tamari sauce (wheat-free soya sauce)
  7. Tomato puree
  8. Tinned tomatoes
  9. Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pine nuts…..
  10. Seeds: Pumpkin, sesame, chia, sunflower…..
  11. Gluten-free crackers
  12. Corn chips
  13. Lentils
  14. Chickpeas
  15. Tahini paste
  16. Quinoa
  17. Rice: Brown and basmati
  18. Organic, sulphur-free dried fruits
  19. Oils: Olive, vegetable, sesame
  20. Spices: cumin, Italian herbs, cinnamon…whatever your fancy

And a stocked fridge of:

  1. Fresh vegetables
  2. Fresh fruits
  3. Fresh spices: chilli, ginger, garlic
  4. sheep’s feta
  5.  olive oil spread (must say dairy free)
  6. Gluten-free bread (if yeast is allowed)
  7. Free-range eggs

Now, with all that at your finger tips, here is a list of possible meals.

  1. Vegetable or chicken (free-range of course) korma (with coconut cream instead dairy) with rice and pappadums
  2. Pasta with a simply tomato and garlic sauce and salad
  3. Falafel balls and salad served with homemade hummus
  4. Dahl with rice and pappadums
  5. Quinoa salad with toasted seeds, nuts, dried fruits, salad greens/herbs and roast pumpkin
  6. Egg fried rice with vegetables and tamari (add meat if you wish)
  7. Pumpkin soup with coconut milk instead of dairy. Serve with gluten-free crackers.
  8. Potato and leek soup
  9. Pasta (spaghetti is best here) with oil, garlic and chilli
  10. Brown rice salad with cucumber, tomato, red onion, lemon, oregano, seeds, nuts and sheep’s feta

BONUS SNACK IDEA: Corn chips with homemade guacomole and/or hummus

So, there you have it. Ten easy meals that you can adapt as your own and add what you like. Experiment with flavours, textures and enjoy the process of creating a healthy lifestyle that may just change your life and certainly your health.

I will post some recipes in my recipe folder over the next few weeks. I do have some good ones but I mostly cook by experimentation. I do suggest getting at least one good cook book for more ideas.

Here are the main ones I use and recommend:

Cooking Without by Barbara Cousins

Cooking Without Made Easy by Barbara Cousins

Any questions? Feel free to ask me.