The Biotic Woman

I’ve fallen prey to the new health craze,
To consume large quantities of bacteria;
In an effort to change my bad food ways,
I’ve joined the wave of biotic hysteria.

Eat yogurt for your probiotics,
A natural source for this gut flora;
Or choose newly “improved” products,
Like cheeses, cereals, drinks and more.

You can forgo eating altogether,
And pop a supplement instead;
One million live cultures tethered
To fillers in this biomed.

Don’t forget microbes in prebiotics,
You need them to digest well, too;
They feed the other culture mix,
Your meal becomes their food to chew.

Find those in oligosaccharides,
And nourish your lactobacillus;
Encourage growth in your insides,
Bacteria that doesn’t kill us!

Try a different culture strain,
Like Bifidobacterium;
Acidophilus yank your chain?
You can take all of them!

There’s no probiotic to eschew,
But don’t ingest streptococcus;
Then you’d have to start anew,
Once you finish those antibiotics.

Time for delicious spring meals

Anyone who’s read one of my posts lately knows I’ve been struggling with introducing a gluten-free, casein-free diet into my lifestyle.  Tonight I found a winning recipe adapted from Eating Well.  It was their Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Vegetables; one of their new spring recipes.  I would have taken a picture of the finished dish, but we ate it too fast, so here’s the picture from their website:

I swapped asparagus for bagged fresh stir-fry veggies (hubby has decided he doesn’t like asparagus much anymore), and added some sliced green onions.  Also, I served it with GFCF-approved brown rice instead of the recommended quinoa, whole wheat couscous (which I love) or linguine.  Since I was starving due to my lack of interest in diet-friendly lunch choices today (I snacked on two deli slices of ham and some white corn chips), I ate two servings!  Yes, I pigged out a little, but the low fat, high veggie meal was the one to do it on.

I have otherwise been doing the best I can on this diet, especially after I realized Thursday morning that I had lost five pounds!  I have been carrying this stubborn 10-15 pounds for nearly two years, and it suddenly just started falling off.  I made some “chocolate chip cookies” from a Bob’s Red Mill mix, but have eaten just a few.  I actually don’t have much of a sweet tooth, and, oddly, these cookies seem even sweeter than the real thing.  I had sushi for lunch on Wednesday, but I think “malted rice” means it does have a little gluten.  Luckily, I didn’t have a reaction.

I did react terribly to something in last night’s dinner, though.  Another mom and I took our collective four kids to eat at O’Charley’s (kids eat free, which means a lot when you’re toting four).  Before we even left the restaurant, my stomach was cramping and I was bloating at a spectacular rate.  When I got home, I took a digestive enzyme supplement, then swallowed two probiotic caplets before bed.  I crawled under the covers and curled up on my side with a pillow wedged under my bloated tummy to relieve some of the pressure (not the inner pressure, but that cause by gravity on my bulging belly), a trick I learned while pregnant.  That’s exactly what it looks like, too — a pregnant stomach.  Despite my additional 10-15 pounds, I’m fairly slender, so when my stomach bloats I look like I’m expecting.

The bulge was gone this morning, and I started my day the GFCF way: with approved cereal and rice milk.  Not bad; the Koala Crisp is very much like Cocoa Rice Krispies, without the gluten, of course.  So, today’s been less tummy-troubling.

Though tomorrow’s Saturday, I have a fair amount of office work to get done, so maybe I’ll actually post about something other than food and gastric issues.

Here’s that recipe, too, in its original format from Eatingwell.com:

NUTRITION PROFILE:
Low Calorie | Low Carb | Low Sat Fat | High Potassium | Heart Healthy | Healthy Weight

Here’s a healthy twist on shrimp scampi. We left out the butter and loaded the dish up with red peppers and asparagus for a refreshing spring meal. Serve with quinoa, whole-wheat couscous or linguine.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 226 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 174 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 514 mg sodium; 670 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (210% daily value), Vitamin A (80% dv), Folate (53% dv), Iron (25% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

 

 

Monday’s GFCF menu

As I do every week, I start off with the best of intentions.  On that note, I often have to make a little road map for myself to stay on track.  Though not fool-proof (and I can be a fool), it helps at least point me in the right direction.  So, here’s my proposed menu for tomorrow – strictly gluten- and casein-free:

Breakfast: EnviroKidz Koala Crisp cereal with Rice Dream rice milk, strawberries, and black coffee

Snack: Navel orange slices

Lunch: Hormel Natural Choice ham sandwich on homemade GFCF bread from Bob’s Red Mill mix, with lettuce, red onion, mayo and mustard; Veggie Crisps (my girls love these, too); 12-ounce Coke (an addiction I indulge)

Snack: Six Mi-Del ginger snaps with peanut butter

Dinner: Barbequed chicken, from a Kraft Foods recipe (the recipe is GFCF if you omit the Stove Top stuffing on the side); steamed asparagus; potatoes and onions; sweet tea (a Southern staple); peaches for dessert

Since I indulged in the chicken tender meal for a late lunch when I took my daughter to celebrate the end of her soccer season (and her cute little medal award), I’m starting the week with a big belly.  Hopefully the recent discovery that detouring from a GFCF diet does seem to send my stomach reeling will keep me in line.

The above post almost looks like a commercial for a few food manufacturers, but I’ve found that brands are important when you’re checking labels for hidden gluten and dairy sources.  For those items without links, check previous posts.  So far, I’ve been able to get all of my products at my local Publix, but we’re fortunate enough to have a Whole Foods here, too, and I anticipate cruising their aisles soon.

 

Waffles and laundry

Last week was good.  Nothing spectacular happened, and I fell short of my ambitions as usual, but those to-do lists and plans still prompted me to get a lot done.  I have still failed to start my supplements, the vitamins, probiotics and melatonin, but I have tried to stick with my GFCF diet, with some notable detours.  I did make the gluten-free Bob’s Red Mill bread, and it’s actually quite yummy.  I got a little science lesson on the side: since gluten is the primary binding agent in baked goods, you’d better cut thick slices of bread, lest they fall apart and leave you holding your lunch meat in your hands.

The GFCF waffles weren’t bad, either.  It’s not quite the same, but still better than eschewing all bread products.  I must say that I don’t like pure maple syrup in the least, so I had to drizzle it with pancake syrup in all of its high fructose corn syrup goodness.  There are some healthier choices that just can’t be gagged down.  I did find a great little treat: Mi-Del Ginger Snap cookies.  They are really delicious when you sandwich a little peanut butter between them.

As far as work went, I got a good bit done, and left another mountain in the inbox.  On Wednesday, I worked for a few hours, then headed home to do some major spring cleaning.  It was worth it, and my house is a step closer to being livable.  I am trying not to feel resentful, though, as I feel alone in my efforts.  I cook and clean, bathe, dress and diaper, work and entertain, all for the other members of my household.  I could really use a hand and maybe a little more appreciation to keep me motivated and happy. We’ll see.

My husband did surprise me with a night on the town Friday.  I spent the entire day in a CLE class an hour away, then rushed to get back to a “meeting” he scheduled for me.  When I arrived at his office, there was no meeting, but a night with a babysitter instead.  I was so impressed and grateful!  We enjoyed dinner and drinks and stayed out until almost midnight.  It was a great escape from the daily grind. I hope we find time to do that more often.

Today’s agenda includes several loads of laundry, a grocery store run, some paperwork from the office, and my five-year-old’s soccer practice.  If the weather is half as beautiful as it was yesterday, I’ll have to accomplish as much as I can while enjoying the outdoors.  Then, of course, there’s also the matter of making my to-do lists for the week, as I aspire to be the most productive and efficient form of myself as possible.

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It’s off to work I go

This week is important as far as getting my fledgling law practice operational goes.  I received my E&O insurance dec page and faxed it to waiting title companies to complete my applications for approval.  Now I need to install software and put together document files and checklists.  After that, I’ll be sure that all of my T’s are crossed and I’s dotted.  If all goes well, I’ll be ready to start scheduling closings.

My office is physically taking shape as well.  I have set up my desk and file cabinets, placed all of my reference books on shelves, and moved my lone plant (fake) into its place.  I still don’t have anything on the walls, but I’ll get to that when there’s enough money coming in to justify purchasing art.  My biggest task now is overcoming the mental hurdle that I’m not ready. I’m terrified of two things: that I’ll take on something that I’m not prepared for and that I won’t have enough business to support myself.  Ironically, these two things are working against each other, as I have to go on and solicit clients in order to make the other goal possible.

I feel ready, in a way.  I want to transform my business into something more productive than administrative tasks, and it’s time to make that leap.  If I just take a deep breath and do it, I’ll survive.  Hopefully, I’ll even “turn the corner” in the next five months. 

On another note, I am still following the GFCF diet.  I even found gluten-free bread mix (Bob’s Red Mill) at Publix, as well as some frozen GFCF waffles (Van’s).  Now I can eat my special waffles while the girls chow down on their whole wheat versions.  I plan to bake the bread tonight, and have my fingers crossed that it will be an acceptable substitute for the real thing.

The only cheating I did all weekend was to take a few bites of my two-year-old’s grilled cheese sandwich when she was finished with it.  I even conformed to the diet when we went out to eat at a seafood restaurant: boiled shrimp, green beans and a baked potato.  They didn’t have margarine, so I ate the baked potato with salt only.  It was still pretty good.  There was temptation all around.  We spent the weekend at my parents’ house, and my mom kept offering foods that were off my menu, forgetting the restrictions.  Otherwise, my parents did a great job of trying to accommodate me.

I’m also adding probiotics to my wellness program, in pill form.  Most of the new foods that contain them are dairy, so I’ll take the capsules instead.  My doctor also recommended trying melatonin at night to help with my irregular sleep schedule.  I’ll start it tonight — I woke at 3:30 this morning, tossed and turned, and finally gave up and got out of bed at 4:30.  It’s not so bad now, because I like my quiet mornings, but it’s rough in the late afternoon.

In closing, a reminder to all of you out there who are champion procrastinators like me (and my husband): It’s tax day, so file your extension, pronto!  That way, you’ll have six more months to slack off before the IRS starts beating down your door.