I'm actually looking for ideas about what to eat, but first this post will sound like the letters my Yoder aunts would send in the family circle letter. "Was to the dr. yest. to talk about my aches and pains ha."
The "ha" was a frequent insertion in their letters, telling you this was an attempt at humor. I guess you might not pick up on that otherwise.
If you've been around me for over an hour, you know I'm afflicted with the Yoder Cough, a soft persistent hacking that becomes easily-ignored background noise.
The cough comes from the Yoder Lungs, fragile organs which struggle to do their job even on their best days and also catch every respiratory virus in the wind. At that point, the gentle coughing transitions to a deep gasping and rasping, sort of like a choking German Shepherd, that cannot be ignored and causes great worry to any listeners.
Actually, Yoders have a family tradition of being sickly and frail but also living a long time. Dad's mom, "Kansas Mommi", wasn't expected to reach adulthood but lived to 103 years old.
Dad was always thin and forever coughing and also had the Yoder Stomach, [de Yeddah schwache Mahwa] but he lived to 102.
So I coughed a lot for many years, inhaled lots of asthma medications, fought bronchitis and Covid and other recurring respiratory ills, and assumed I'd live a long time despite all this. I am committed to family tradition, after all.
Of course, I have also tried to take care of myself and eat well and get enough sleep and never ever get cold feet. I avoid artificial scents, especially Glade plug-ins, because they are plastic death, probably invented by the devil himself, ha. In addition to prescription meds, I have tried multiple supplements from vitamins to CBD to various MLM products.
The inhaled steroids keep me alive. The CBD cream has helped the most of any potion I've tried. Both took the edge off the cough. Neither stopped it.
In the last month, for the first time, I had an alarming sense that if nothing changed, I would not keep up the family tradition of living a long time.
In late summer, my friend and neighbor Simone said, “You are always sick!” She was right. I cycled through illnesses and in early October came down with a nasty sore throat and what felt like laryngitis. Soon, the sore throat descended into my lungs and turned deep and liquid.
Unfortunately, we needed to travel, and traveling and sickness go together for me like moving to a different house and having a baby always happened at the same time when I was a young mom. I get sick every time I fly. Or if I'm already sick, it gets a lot worse.
I wore a mask to avoid spraying pneumonia particles on my seatmates. I was comforted in this ordeal by having a mask that matched my jacket, only a few shades lighter. |
Not only was the cough beyond horrible, but I was so tired that I had to gather my courage to climb a flight of stairs. But I didn't pursue seeing a dr. on our week-long trip because we were away from home, I didn't have a fever, and I figured if I found a doctor he or she would dismiss it as just a virus: get lots of rest and push fluids, goodbye.
We came home. I felt terrible, like a python was squeezing my chest, and like I just wanted to sleep if I could muster the strength to walk to bed. I began to question whether I'd survive to 65, let alone 100. The doctor told me it’s “walking pneumonia exacerbated by asthma” and put me on antibiotics and oral steroids. It took me the rest of October to sort of recover.
This is the thing with modern American medicine: It’s amazing when your husband shatters his wrists and lots of other bones, and they piece him back together and help him survive. It’s frustratingly insufficient with anything vague and chronic.
Asthma is technically not an autoimmune disease, but it’s in the same neighborhood. It’s connected to inflammation and to the body going a little crazy overreacting to irritants.
No one could ever tell me why this was happening.
If you Google causes and treatment of asthma, every major medical site says, “Avoid irritants such as mold,” and “Increase your dose of inhaled steroids.” That’s all my doctor could offer me as well.
So there you are, coughing wretchedly and knowing you need steroids to keep breathing, but also knowing that something is completely and deeply wrong with this picture. The medical world offers zero help for getting to the root causes of your breathing difficulties, so you go wandering among YouTube and Instagram “natural” practitioners who might or might not have the credentials they say they do.
A recurring theme in my research was food sensitivities causing inflammation which then causes asthma and lots of other ills. It mostly made sense.
Dr. Josh Redd, whose qualifications I had no way of checking, offered a free printable guide to an elimination diet to test which foods I might be reacting to. The simplest one, cutting out dairy products, sugar, and wheat, seemed the most logical for my situation. Impulsively, I decided to go for it on a random Friday morning, of course right after I’d bought lots of ravioli and bread sticks at Costco and a big bag of string cheese at Grocery Depot.
That was one week ago. I eat oatmeal in various iterations, cook enough rice at one time for three dinners, and fry eggs and vegetables and meat to go with the rice. I made apple crisp when we had guests for supper, and I didn’t eat any of it.
I am going to get tired of this menu very soon.
However. I am coughing noticeably less. I can hardly believe it. For the last month, I’d been taking cough syrup at night so I could get a few hours of sleep. I quit doing that and slept without waking up in paroxysms of wheezing and gagging. I haven’t used a rescue inhaler in a week.
Today I spoke at a women’s event at a church and embarrassingly coughed a lot, again, and right before I left I suddenly realized there were candles, probably scented, burning on every table. No wonder.
I would say, over all, I’m coughing 65% less than before. It is astonishing. I wonder who I am now. I’m not sure I recognize this person, ha.
The big question is: how will this affect my immune system? Will I keep getting sick? Will I still have to wear a medical mask when I fly or mingle in crowds so I don’t cough on everyone around me or get knocked flat with Covid or bronchitis three days later?
We will see.
I was talking with my sister Rebecca, whose asthma has always been two levels worse than mine. If I need a dose of Albuterol, she needs to be on a nebulizer.
Rebecca said she does best if she strictly follows the exact diet I’m on, which probably means that I’m stuck with this way of eating, because we are very much alike.
I said I don’t understand it. Here we are, needing to avoid the same foods, and we have no family history or anything of food allergies.
She said, “Well! Think about it! All those cakes and pies the Yoder relatives always served. Maybe they actually were sensitive to sugar and gluten, and that’s what was causing the Yoder cough, and no one put it together!”
What a brilliant connection.
I think diet and inflammation and family history are what the medical researchers at Johns Hopkins and WebMD ought to be looking into and testing and sharing. Instead, it’s those of us dealing with asthma every day who are doing the nitty-gritty testing and research, trying dozens of remedies because while we’d really like to follow the family tradition and live to 100, sometimes we just want to survive to see another day.
Before I end this lengthy circle letter, ha, I will put out a call for help from anyone who’s followed this diet. What are some things I can eat? Again, I’m avoiding gluten/wheat, dairy products, and sugar. Please comment your creative menu ideas, if you don't mind.
That would be terrible to decide it’s not worth living longer if it means another meal of oatmeal or rice.
And, as Dad closed every letter from love letters to Mom to Yoder circle letters:
Sincerely,
Dorcas
🎬🤔🍏🍎🙂🥕🫐🥦
ReplyDeletecute!
DeleteMight want to check out recipes for people managing celiac disease to help you avoid wheat. In addition to oats and rice, corn products are prominent in my household - grits, cornbread, popcorn, etc...
ReplyDeletegood ideas!
DeleteI had inflammation in my body which manifested against my heart and made me susceptible to all kinds of illnesses. I cut out all meat except fish and seafood(became a pescatarian), and the c-reactive proteins in my heart are so low they aren’t a threat any longer :) I don’t drink alcohol; eat lots of fruit, veggies, some breads, crackers etc in moderation. It has worked for me for 13+ years. I’m much older than you and hope to continue reading your letters for a long time🩷 when flying, I always got sick, I learned to clean my nostrils out with saline every few hours, dab neosporin inside my nostrils and travel with a z-pack. I haven’t needed the z-pack in several years. There are new (perhaps only to me, sprays that are antiviral for use in your nostrils. Claim to catch anywhere between 70-95% of cold, flu, Covid and other viruses. You might want to get some, for instance taffix or virx or a betadine spray; and a new one is 97.7% effective called Profi. Do some research, but use it if you so choose before and during flying, before shopping, church and anywhere with people you aren’t sure are healthy. Good luck! You’ve got this Dorcas!
ReplyDeleteI will definitely look into the sprays idea! Thank you.
DeleteI am sorry for the chronic asthma/cough. My mom had chronic asthma too and I watched her over the years “coughing her guts out”. ha As I got older, when I would get a cold usually several times a fall and winter it would always settle into my chest and I would be the one that was “coughing out my liver” ha. After Covid and being determined to stay out of the hospital, I discovered being on the less popular FLCC protocol which included NAC had significantly healed my lungs and built up my immunity and it was actually only this fall (after I hadn’t taken the NAC regularly for about a year) that I have now had two bouts of cold and a deep cough that has been really hard to shake. I suddenly realized I hadn’t been keeping up with the NAC. The research I did has indicated that the NAC is really good in working at a cellular level to build immunity and heal damaged lungs. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7892733/#:~:text=Studies%20of%20high%20doses%20of,was%20safe%20and%20well%20tolerated.
ReplyDeleteSo now that I am getting to the bottom of the page and have bored you enough with my aches and pains ha, I realized I didn’t answer your question about what to eat. I am sorry I don’t have any answers because I just don’t like to think about not eating my cheese and bread ha. It is easier to follow a strict protocol if a person feels so much better but you certainly have my sympathies! And maybe it’s time to revive the circle letter writing again ha. I just realized I am a chronic exclamation point user and I think it’s because I don’t use “ha” at the end of a sentence like my aunts did!
Sincerely,
Charlotte
I read your account today and want to tell you something you could explore that has helped me tremendously. I have bronchiectasis and have lung infections, much mucus and tons of antibiotics. My last stay at the hospitaL was in July and they put me on oxygen(thankfully that isomer) and went me to rehab.
DeleteAt rehab they told me a "vest therapy" may help. So with the Dr.'s approval I got one and it is a remarkable difference in my lung conditions I have been n it about 3 months with no antibiotics, no mucus, no cough and am so very happy I learned about it. If you want, check with your pulmonary Dr. and get his advice but it has been a real blessing for me .. The company is RespirTech, and here is the name of the machine-Phillips InCourage. www.respirtech.com Joyce Mummau
I am an RN, and actually worked at a hospital on the west coast in a cardiac step down unit where we gave NAC to our pneumonia patients. It was only later that I realized this was unusual and most hospitals don’t even know what NAC is, never mind give it.
DeleteCharlotte--I have taken NAC for some time and sadly it hasn't worked well for me. Thanks for sharing, though.
DeleteJoyce, I have never heard of vest therapy but it sounds amazing.
DeleteQuiona is gluten free. It is cooked like rice. Chicken bullion can be added for flavoring. After it is cooked, stir in black beans.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try this. Thank you.
DeleteIt sounds like the “whole 30” diet. There are many recipes and ideas out there…look for them on Pinterest and google whole 30.
ReplyDeleteI will do that!
DeleteI loved reading this friendly letter! I think you found a great solution. For menu ideas: I would suggest plain baked potatoes with olive oil, for either a snack or a light meal with fresh vegetables on the side. Vegetable broth-based soups are also hearty and filling. Freshly cut apples with a bit of cinnamon is a nice, simple treat rather than sugary baked goods. I hope this helps and that you continue to get well!
ReplyDeleteYum! Thank you!
DeleteMy husband & I are currently eating no sugar, gluten and almost no dairy. I have a lot of stomach issues and it has made a big difference. We keep it very simple - eat a meat & a salad or lots of veggies. If you crave desserts, check out Trim Healthy Mama for dessert or other side dushes.
ReplyDeleteMy diet is grain-free (thus gluten-free), dairy-free, sugar-free (mostly--and I pay for it when I eat any sugar--or even maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.), egg-free, nightshade-free, and lectin-free (again, mostly). I use Stevia liberally (and I can get away with using the easy "cup for cup measure" Stevia (Stevia in the Raw or the Walmart equivalent).
ReplyDeleteI would be glad to scan some of my recipes and email them to you if you're interested. With the right ingredients on hand, I can have a quite large selection of foods and dairy substitutes etc. Yes, some substitutes are expensive but I'd love to connect with you about it. If you're interested, email me at ww@emypeople.net. If not, I won't be offended!
God bless you on this journey! It's worth it!
This is similar to the AIP diet I did for a couple months this year at the beginning of allergy season. It made a shocking difference to the level of pollen allergy I experienced (I was on the brink of needing an inhaler) and I plan to return to it. I was gluten free for longer and still avoid all dairy with the exception of fresh raw milk.
DeleteDr. G’s Skinny Gingersnap Cookies
DeleteIngredients (Batch of 24 cookies):
• ¼ cup unsalted grass-fed French or Italian butter (or coconut oil), melted
• 1 cup erythritol (any sugar substitute will work)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions:
1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Then, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger (fresh and dry), nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a large bowl. Set the mixture aside.
3. Next – in a measuring cup – whisk together the butter, erythritol, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, and mix until they’re all well combined.
5. Line your sheet tray in parchment paper. Then, spoon out little tablespoon-sized cookie balls onto the tray. Place it in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
6. Finally, let your cookies cool to room temperature and serve them up to enjoy!
They’re so easy to make — and even easier to eat.
grain, egg, dairy, sugar, & gluten free almond flour raisin cookies
DeleteIngredients:
4 c great value almond flour
1/2 c great value coconut flour
1 c great value stevia in the raw
1 c unsweetened almond milk
1 c coconut oil
2 tbs pure vanilla extract
1 c raisins OR sugar free/dairy free chocolate chips
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Mix, adding raisins last, & bake at 350*. Bake longer for crispy cookies and bake less for softer cookies.
Dr. Gundry explains how to make a stuffing that WON’T make you gain weight. Even better, you'll keep all the delicious flavors of a traditional stuffing recipe.
DeleteIngredients (Serves 4-6):
3 cups cooked millet (prepared according to package instructions)
2 yellow onions, finely diced
3 carrots, finely diced
3 ribs celery, finely diced
1 pound mushrooms, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons dried poultry seasoning (no salt added)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup grass-fed butter OR ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F (conveniently, the same temperature as my turkey!) Butter your favorite 9X13 casserole dish and set aside.
Add the cooked millet to a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, heat half the butter or oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook until tender, stirring regularly. Add the garlic, sage, parsley and poultry seasoning and cook 2-3 minutes more, until mixture is very fragrant. Add to bowl with millet.
Heat the rest of the oil or butter in the same skillet, and add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown and tender, then add to the millet mixture.
Stir stuffing mixture to combine and season with salt and pepper. Add mixture to the baking dish, and bake for 25-35 minutes, until stuffing is hot all the way through and the top is golden brown.
You can even stuff it inside the turkey like regular stuffing. Just make sure the center of the stuffing reaches 160 degrees, for food safety reasons.
That said, try baking it in a casserole dish.
However you prefer to make your stuffing, please – give millet a place on your holiday table. You’ll love it. And keep checking this blog for more of Dr. Gundry’s favorite holiday recipes.
“Dr G’s Heart-Healthy Chocolate Pudding”
DeleteIngredients (serves 6):
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate, melted (at least 72% cacao)
• 3 ripe avocados
• ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 5-10 drops stevia
• Up to 1 tspn peppermint extract (optional)
• 1 cup unsweetened whipped cream (optional)
Instructions:
1. In a bowl or food processor, mash your avocados until smooth.
2. Next, add your cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and coconut milk. Then stir or blend until smooth.
3. Add the stevia and peppermint, and whisk into your pudding. (Tip: This is a great time to taste the mix! If not quite sweet enough, feel free to add more stevia. Or if it’s a bit too sweet, add a pinch of cocoa powder.)
4. Then serve and garnish with some whipped cream, if you like. (You can even add a mint leaf if you want to be fancy.)
I skip the whipped cream. Also, I just use more cocoa powder and skip the melted chocolate. You can tweak it however you choose and it would probably still be good. The ripe avocados make it really creamy! And the chocolate hides the green. -- Sylvia
So I have no tips on going gluten and dairy free because that would be horrible but I do have a suggestion for the curing of the asthma. I have struggled with asthma for years and have been for the most part cured for about 2 years now. Also one of my sons always had asthma that developed into bronchitis and pneumonia. I mixed equal parts apple cider vinegar with honey and keep it mixed in the fridge. As soon as they get a cough I send them to take a swallow and I haven't had to pull out the nebulizer in over a year!! So whenever you cough take a swallow and I am telling you it does make a huge difference. I always try to buy local honey as they have an antidote to local allergens. I personally don't like the vinegar and honey so I just put vinegar in my water when I have a cough/sore throat. We also have been taking 4life transfer factor which is a supplement to get your immunity up. It is expensive but I vouch for it because it works so well. I also drink oregano tea and also put it into the nebulizer. I prefer using the fresh leaves but you can use dried ones too.
ReplyDeleteAnother tea that people say is gross but it sure works when you have that horrible cough is eucalyptus leaves, garlic, ginger root, simmer together and after you turn of the heat add a mint tea bag and juice of half a lemon. Add honey and enjoy!!
Hang in there! My mom and sister are gluten free and I’m plant based. Here is a really good website that happens to be both. I believe the authors are Mennonite as well, but I’d have to double check. https://monkeyandmekitchenadventures.com/vegan-wild-rice-stuffing/
ReplyDeleteI have numerous friends with chronic illness, and you wrote well AND with humor about something that's really hard! For baking, Gluten Free Girl cookbooks helped me realize that there are a lot of other delicious grains out there besides wheat. Sorghum and oat flour may be the most useful for all-around baking. For cooking, millet can be eaten much like rice. Also, there's something to be said for cuisines like Thai and Mediterranean, etc, that don't rely on/have many choices other than grains and dairy.
ReplyDeleteMy niece is gluten free and dairy free but she can have sour dough and A2A2 dairy products.
ReplyDeleteNo recipes here, just the overall tip I’ve found most helpful in cooking anything-free foods:
ReplyDeleteKEEP IT SIMPLE.
Cooking single-ingredient or minimal-ingredient foods, I get into way less trouble cooking for people on special diets. Go-to’s:
Slow-cooked roast beef with salt and pepper, simple but delectable.
Green beans.
Corn.
Stir-fried veggies.
Bacon.
Poached eggs.
Hash browns.
Baked potatoes.
Butcher-shop or homemade sausage where you can control what goes into it.
Grilled chicken.
Roasted pork tenderloin.
Of course some may find limitations even in simple dishes.
Have fun!
Delicious roasted meats with veggies and potatoes.. No dairy, wheat, gluten or sugar in those. Gravy can be thickened with cornstarch (gluten free) Don't add butter just use the fat from roasted meat. Fruits are gluten free too, but do have natural sugars. Fish nuts and seeds are fantastic too. Salmon on a bed of rice with a side or two of veggies. 100% corn tortillas are gluten free if you like mexican...ground beef black beans salsa...yum! It sounds weird but check your heigene products. Sometimes shampoos conditioners and even deodorants can have gluten in them. Good luck. Blessings peace and healing to you 💖
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I did the Whole30 elimination diet twice, and I echo what someone said about searching for Whole30 ideas. You are eating oatmeal, but we got so tired of eggs a vegetables for breakfast, that we were happy to find this recipe for a somewhat sweet breakfast.
ReplyDeletehttps://40aprons.com/whole30-sweet-potato-apple-breakfast-bake/
I've been on a dairy free diet for years. I will eat Manchego cheese which is 100% sheep milk.You can purchase it at Costco.I find sheep cheese to be less tangy than goat cheese. I also enjoy coconut dairy yogurts, especially Oui by Yoplait.
ReplyDeleteSome of my family has begun using Kamut, an ancient grain which is a healthy alternative to modern wheat flour. The jury has not reached a verdict on this, ha.
Blessings to you as you navigate the minefield of culinary choices.
As at least one responder has mentioned, quinoa can be a replacement for
ReplyDeleterice. For example, I have a delicious chicken and quinoa salad that can be
served warm or cold.
Here is a red lentil curry that's a favorite. (I use a mild chili pepper
and/or reduce the amount because I don't like the heat of hot peppers.)
It's especially good with coconut or even just basmati rice. (Making
differently seasoned rice is also another way to make rice more
interesting.)
https://feedmephoebe.com/red-lentil-recipe/
As others have mentioned, baking can be done with alternative flours. A
brownie recipe that I've made replaces wheat flour with almond flour (and
some coconut flour, also, I think).
When you start exploring, you may discover more alternatives than you've dreamed of. I hope so!
My husband is Peruvian, and Peruvians are all about food. Recently, he developed some health issues, so we've had to change our diet. Quinoa is from Peru and is so packed with nutrients (high in protein), it's a great discovery. You can throw it in soups as a thickener, cook and cool it, tossing it with oil and chopped veggies as a salad. You can buy quinoa flakes (Amazon) and they cook up in minutes, offering a creamy breakfast that helps if you miss oatmeal. There's a bitterness to quinoa, though, and you can minimize this by washing it VERY well before cooking. Add cinnamon to mask the bitter flavour of the flakes.
ReplyDeleteNot all soy beverages are created equal. Look at the protein content, and check out SILK brand - much creamier and more evocative of milk than other brands.
My daughter is en route to becoming vegan and she uses cashews as a cream replacement to thicken things. She makes these roasted, spiced carrots with a cashew and lemon dip... it's to die for.
The cookbook "Amazingly Simple" by Ruth Shirk is an excellent cookbook to have when cooking without dairy or wheat flour. Here's the description from Amazon:
ReplyDeleteDo you or your children suffer from ADHD, autism, allergies, asthma, Crohn’s Disease, IBS, SIBO or some other inflammatory or autoimmune disorder? Did you know diet can be a large contributing factor to many of the conditions listed above? In this book Ruth Shirk has taken something that can be complicated and difficult and made it simple and easy! Many of the recipes are original with her or have been revised and made “healthy” to fit the challenges listed above. They reflect her taste for the Amish and Mennonite foods she grew up with but are healthy and delicious.
Here's one recipe to start with:
Fluffy Almond Flour pancakes
½ c. milk of your choice. 6 large eggs
2 Tbls. honey. 2 Tbls. oil 3 c. almond flour
1 tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients. Add milk if needed. Fry on hot oiled pan.
Ever since I had Covid 4 yrs ago I have needed to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet to feel well. I try for 80/20 approach because socializing with food is a big part of the culture that I’m in. I frequently need to do a round off whole 30 to reset. There are a lot of good recipes available online you just need to find the ones you like and expect to spend more time in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I had very thick phlegm in my throat, and could not get rid of it, thought I would die, sometime in the nights… very hard to breathe at night, nothing helped. Also had major sinus problems for 20 years…Dr. Did bloodwork and I found out I had high cholesterol so the cheeses n milk products… had to go.
ReplyDeleteWell interestingly cutting out milk products helped tremendously. Though I still had throat phlegm….
Then covid came, and we learn of taking ivermectin from the Animal health food store. Pencil eraser size dot of gel morning and evening… and in 2 months I felt my phlegm was gone… plus sinuses also were healed… ! I don’t ever plan to not have this on hand, 98% of disease is parisite related. Which you couldn’t have talked me into believing b4!! I also drink a lot of lemon water, to help to wash out my system as it kills them off…
So just in case you want another option… so thankful for renewed, life.. and health..,
Fascinating Ms Dorcas. My GF/DF family enjoys these things on a bowl of cooked oatmeal :)
ReplyDelete-nuts
-dark chocolate
-blueberries
-honey
-coconut
Snacks
- nuts
-Lara Bars
-peanut butter
-fresh fruit and vegetables
Meals
-marinated chicken, oven roasted
-herbed, roasted potatoes
-taco salad/ grilled chicken salad
-soup
I enjoyed reading your post. I think I'll put one or two or three😉 of your
ReplyDeletebooks on my Christmas list.
Wonderful! If you can't find the books locally, you can go to MuddyCreekBooks.com
DeleteI don't have advice on asthma issues, Dorcas, but I have a few recipe ideas for variety with your diet.
ReplyDeleteFor breakfast, I enjoy hot cereal that is a mix of oatmeal and grits or cornmeal, with raisins or craisins cooked in. I chip a banana on top, add other fruit in season, and eat with almond milk.
My favorite on the grille is meat of choice and an assortment of sliced veggies, cooked on tin foil with olive oil and Montreal Steak seasoning on the meat and veggies. My usual veggies are portabella mushrooms sliced in half, zucchini cut in 1/2" to 25/32" coins, red peppers cut in 1" squares, onions cut in wedges, and cauliflower cut in small wedges.
For salad, I use an available assortment of greens, favorite raw salad veggies, chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds and craisins, topped with one or two lightly, lightly steamed vegetables. My favorites are peas, green beans, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and lightly sautéed onions.
I omitted one "ha," being confident you would know where to insert it.
Best regards,
Dan Shenk
LOL yeah, I think the "ha" belongs right where I started laughing. I love the idea of grilled veggies, and I'll whip out my little ruler to get the zucchini just right.
Deleteanonymous
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry you are harassed with this miserable “lung thing.” I just have several questions:
Have you had medical/formal food allergy
testing done? Could you meet with a dietician that could probably give a list of foods to include or avoid?
As I remember, you live in an older home; have you had any mold studies done?
Is there a university/ specialized hospital /respiratory MD near you that could do testing to get to the root cause of the misery?
Just some ideas here, for what it is worth. I do hope you will be less miserable this winter!
In my experience, allergy testing does not pick up on food sensitivities that still cause amazing levels of inflammation.
DeleteThank you for the suggestions!
DeleteHealth and wellness is such a personal subject. Offering suggestions and "what has worked for me" ends up being a vulnerable spot to sit in because there is so much out there these days and people can be on polar ends of the spectrum. However, I also know the desperation one can feel when needing a boost. I love when people give me recommendations and I can try it on my own at my own pace.
ReplyDeleteI am working with alot of inflammation, autoimmunity, and metabolic issues so the gluten free, dairy free, sugar free is what I aim for.
The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life cookbook has been helpful for recipes, I don't follow the protocol strictly. Practical Paleo also has some really good recipes. Again, I am not strict paleo. I use Monk Fruit Sweetener for tea instead of stevia but it would be similar. I use the Now liquid brand. There are also powdered kinds. I use alot of coconut milk where appropriate. Fermented foods are your friend. Chosen Food Classic Avacodo mayo is delicious (to me) and makes wonderful egg salad or tuna or chicken salads. Kitehill Cream Cheese is a dairy free cream cheese. If you live close to a Kroger, they sell CocoJune Yogurt-a delicious, coconut sugar free yogurt. SO wonderful. Primal Kitchen has some dressings that are kosher if you want to jazz up your lettuce wraps or salads. Walmart has some good options in the gluten free section-even without additives and substitutes. The options of cookbooks, websites, and information is endless in the world of gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free if you're willing to wade through alot of information. Try to find one cookbook with pictures in it that inspires you. Go slow and don't panic. Not everything needs changed overnight. :-) Wishing you all the best. I have many words on diets and the Mennonite culture, but I'll save them for my personal journal. Wink. I am glad you're feeling some relief already. That's amazing.
Yes, it's definitely a vulnerable spot to be in, but so far people have been very kind and helpful. I am stymied by menu planning at the best of times, but working with a special diet is beyond overwhelming.
DeleteThank you so very much for your many specific suggestions. Exactly what I need!
As a diabetic, celery with peanut butter is a healthy snack - dairy, gluten and sugar free.
ReplyDeleteYum! I'll keep this in mind for a quick snack.
DeleteThe underlying cause of my own horrible cough turned out to be my blood pressure medicine, as soon as the doctor switched my med from Lisinopril to Losartin the cough subsided. We have a number of friends in our church who are on gluten free diets. One has found a couple recipes for bread that he really likes, using Bob's Red Mill gluten free baking flour. I'll send you the recipes when he gives me a copy. I hope they will be of help to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you found the source of your cough.
DeleteMy niece who is Celiac makes pancakes with only bananas and eggs.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'll see if I'm brave enough to try this.
DeletePlease also consider seeing a pulmonologist. I’m glad you seem to be improving!
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteTry nutritional yeast as a cheese substitute in some things like on popcorn or pasta (GF noodles can be yummy!). If your body can handle dates, they can be used in some baked goods as a sugar substitute. If you think this is a forever kind of diet, you might consider buying an alternative milk making machine. I’ve heard good things about the Almond Cow brand. Alternative milk at the grocery store has lots of additives plus they are expensive.
ReplyDeleteVery helpful, thanks.
DeleteMrs Smucker, here is a recipe for meatloaf that I really like. It has no bread in it.
ReplyDelete1 lb ground beef, preferably 75% lean
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
optional: 1/2 c pork rinds broken into small cubes
The pork rinds are a substitute for bread crumbs.
("Epic" brand oven baked pork rinds are available at Market of Choice.)
In large mixing bowl, beat eggs and salt. Add garlic. Break meat into small pieces and add to eggs; stir gently and thoroughly. Wrap and seal the meat in a large sheet of parchment and place in an 8x8 baking dish. This will keep the meatloaf from drying out. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. You can add other flavorings--onions, tomatoes, etc.
Mrs Smucker, I have read and enjoyed your Letters from Harrisburg ever since the Register Guard started publishing them. I have bought all your books. I also enjoy reading your daughter Emily's blog and have bought her book. Even though I am not religious and you are, I still absolutely love and respect your writings. I love reading about your kids and how they have grown up. I have been eating low-carb carnivore for 4 1/2 years, and have had much health improvement from it. My seasonal hayfever which used to plague me the entire month of June (grass pollen season) has nearly vanished.
Leonette Yee
Leonette--Thanks so much for the recipe, suggestions, and kind words. I never thought of using pork rinds but will look into it.
DeleteWelcome to the gf, dairy-free, less sugar party. Beans can be eaten as hummus and in soup. Corn chips have three ingredients. Eat those with salsa. Wild rice soup, but there's milk, sorry. Nuts. Costco sells a nice gf flour (Namaste) that I like. It makes amazing muffins.
ReplyDeleteI'm already eating corn chips when I need something with crunch, but I'll take note of your other suggestions. Thank you!
DeleteThe Whole30 cookbooks by Melissa Hartwig have recipes without wheat, sugar, or dairy. They have at least 3 cookbooks, I think, as well as their first book, "The Whole30", which explains their logic for their diet.
ReplyDeleteAlso look for Paleo recipes or cookbooks. I have Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution, which has some recipes I like, and there are many more books and blogs under the term Paleo diet.
Low-carb recipes often, but not always, are wheat, sugar, and dairy free. There are quite a few cookbooks and blogs dedicated to low-carb diets. You can likely find some at your local library.
I too grew with in an extended family that milked its own cows and ate bread at every meal and pie at many meals. It seemed impossible when I first tried to cook without wheat and dairy, and sugar, but once I discovered some cookbooks and blogs, it became much easier. You can do this! As the Whole30 writers imply, anybody who has birthed a baby will find eating a meal without sugar to be relatively easy.
I hope you make it past 100. Live long and prosper, Aunt Dorcas!
Oh I did this exact diet for 2 years, and at times it can be sad.. Look up Paleo and Whole 30 recipes, you should be able to eat most any of that. Also, Refined Coconut Oil will be your friend, it doesn't have a coconut flavor.
ReplyDeleteAs for the gluten free, I have an amazing blend that I created because I personally do not like it when my dessert tastes like rice. 😵💫
GF 7 Blend:
292 g Sweet Rice
202 g White Rice
135 g Millet
135 g Sorghum
259 g Cornstarch
259 g Tapioca Starch
141 g Arrowroot
Mix it well together and then measure one for one to the gf flour ratio the recipe calls for. Glutenfreeonashoestring.com is a great source for recipes.