From Bedridden to Healthy, Happy and all Gluten-Free
By Annie Phenix/ Mimi’s Toast
I knew that I was sick before any doctor agreed with me. I knew that because I used to be a Type A, driven and very successful publicist. I was also quite thin and had few major health concerns up until my early 30s.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I lost my energy. Then I lost my outer eyebrows. Next I lost my enthusiasm for life and all the things I once dearly loved, including my beloved horses and dogs. Then I nearly lost hope of ever feeling like me again. Thankfully, I found some very wise women on a Yahoo thyroid chat group and they gave me the gift of knowledge, and today I am quite healthy. I do still take hypothyroid meds (Naturethroid), adrenal meds (Cortef) and bioidentical female hormone meds and I might always have to do that but I don’t mind. I did mind feeling listless and sad and unfit and sick, sick, sick.
I am 44 years old and have only recently figured out that I have a digestive issue with gluten, corn and dairy (casein). First I stopped ingesting gluten, and while there is a steep learning curve there, the hardest ingredient for me to avoid is corn – it seems to be everywhere! I think the longest I have gone without an accidental corn ingestion has been all of two weeks. One time I found high fructose corn syrup in the “all-natural” applesauce I was eating. Another time I finally thought to look at my iron supplements, and there again was that ugly little phrase that causes me to feel sick for days: corn starch.
I am thankful that my husband is not only an excellent cook but that he loves to cook. I love how we now eat: fresh, raw veggies, low glycemic fruits, coconut yogurt, lean proteins, nuts and seeds and so very much more! The only grain we now consume is brown rice. I was never much of a veggie eater before so I am making up for lost time, and I have never, ever felt better or stronger in my life!
I want to jump up and down and wave my cyber hand high in the air to try to reach those of you still struggling with low energy and with food allergies. I want to encourage you that YES, you can eat well and you YES, you can get better. You will get better if you become mindful of what you eat. You do have to learn how to eat better but it is worth the time it takes to gain the knowledge to vastly improve your health.
I wanted to share one of favorite recipes and a few of my very favorite things to eat from companies who are catering to our needs. These companies are quite smart, as it is estimated that as many as 144 million Americans suffer from a gluten sensitivity.
Eat well and be well! Annie Phenix
mimistoast.blogspot.com
Great Gluten-Free Products to Enjoy Today:
www.turtlemountain.com — coconut yogurt, milk and more
www.bluediamond.com — almonds, almond milk and wonderful crackers
www.chex.com/Recipes/GlutenFree.aspx — we only eat the Rice Chex
www.thepurebar.com — the only power bars we eat
www.lundberg.com/products/ricecakes.aspx — you’ll never miss bread with these!
A favorite recipe for Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry from:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/post_26.php
