When I explained the many and varied issues I’d been struggling with, my psychologist suggested I try to improve my digestion. I can’t say I took her advice to heart very quickly. I admitted my digestion wasn’t it’s best. It hadn’t been since The Great Gluten Incident of Aught Nine. But, I didn’t feel like I constantly had a rock in my stomach. That only happened every week or so. And, I was able to eat 3 meals a day, most of the time at least, if I picked the right foods. I am vegan and I poop three times a day, minimum. My digestion is fine! All of this depression, lack of appetite, low energy, psoriasis, social anxiety, and weird weight loss are just a part of life. OKAY?!

Luckily, I finally listened to her & started seeing a naturopath. My first naturopathic appointment was very illuminating. My naturopath spent over an hour taking notes while I talked about my symptoms as well as my life in general and in the end, the seemingly disparate issues I’d been struggling with were boiled down to two issues; my hormones and my digestion. That’s it.

We started a plan of attack to work on both of those issues. We are making headway with both. My digestion has recently improved to the point where my previous state of being is unbelievable to me while my new state of being is almost as unbelievable. How did I live like THAT then? How is my body doing THIS now? We talk about how busy we are and how we make do because we are so busy and how that often leads to not caring for ourselves or ignoring our health. But, I also think we are designed with an instinct to carry on, and sometimes we are simply carrying on because that’s what our bodies do. Sometimes we need outside perspective so we can see what we are carrying on through. I’d been carrying on through a lot.

In the five months since I started seeing my naturopath I have had changes in just about every area I was struggling with before. My mood is completely different. My ability to bounce back from difficult situations exists now. My weight is steady. My appetite…happens! I digest my food in an hour or so instead of a day or so. My baseline, my foundation, for dealing with what the heck ever is stronger and higher. My sense of humor is back. When I hope, it sticks around for awhile. I am able to redirect myself when I feel sad or troubled. I feel capable when I get home at the end of the day, instead of completely worn out. My psoriasis has improved, something I didn’t believe would ever happen. Now, I think I may have clear elbows for the first time since second grade. Mainly because of my digestion (I think some of these have some to do with my hormones, as well. But, the biggest change in all of these happened when we started improving my digestion).

Since I started on this journey, I’ve noticed news articles that suggest other people are discovering what I’ve discovered. Digestion is key. If you don’t’ absorb what you eat, you will suffer. Because, you are what you eat, y’all.

We have been working with some digestive herbs and other things to ramp up my digestion, but none of it was helping long term or changing my digestion for good. So, my naturopath suggested an antibody blood test to see if I was eating anything that could be bothering my body. BOY WAS I EVER:

The pictures are of my test results. Anything in the I-VI range is creating an antibody response in my body and should be avoided. So, in addition to being vegan (as I’ve been for 10+ years) and gluten free (as I’ve been for 3+ years) I will also be avoiding the following items:

• lima beans
• soy beans (and all forms of soy)
• buckwheat
• cashews
• corn
• wheat gliadin*
• wheat gluten*
• peas
• pistachio
• brown rice
• rye*
• spelt*
• sunflower seed
• whole wheat*
• artichoke
• navy beans
• garlic
• quinoa
  *I’ve already been avoiding these as part of my gluten free diet

So, yeah, that is quite a list. It became even more daunting when I realized most of these foods are hiding even in “allergy free” items and in other places I wouldn’t expect. My favorite almond milk has sunflower lecithin (I did not even know that was a thing), baking powder has cornstarch (I found a recipe to make my own. What sort of madness is this?) all chocolate has soy lecithin (save for one brand), all potato chips are verboten (until I find some all olive oil ones), and garlic is pervasive in most all packaged foods.

Thank goodness I know how to cook, right?! And, thank goodness my husband is doing this diet with me. With out those two factors, I’m pretty sure I’d have given up by now.

I’m currently 1 week into this journey. In about a month my naturopath and I will decide what to do next. In the meantime, I’m hungry when I should be, the food I eat sounds and tastes good, and I digest what I eat in time to be hungry at the correct time again. That has not been the case for many years. It feels like magic.

Join us over on the Glad Cow Facebook page and celebrate Glad Cow Week 2012!

My dear friend, Jeannie, organized this event 3 years back and I’ve looked forward to it every year since.  Here, she describes it in her words:

In celebration of gladcow’s continuing efforts and advice in service to the improvement of vegan cuisine, here in vegan Facebook world the first week in February is dedicated to cooking something from a gladcow recipe! Diehard fans will cook something every day of the week, but anything you make is appreciated. You will earn special credit at the end of the week if you have done this. ♥

You can make something from her cookbook if you have it, or pick one from the resources she will post to the Glad Cow Cookbook page–she has a ton of recipes to choose from, since she’s been cooking wonderful food for her whole gladherd for years. YEARS!!

During Glad Cow Week, we also celebrate Cheezish Synchronicity (it always falls on Groundhog Day). It is definitely not to be missed as well. Here’s how Jeannie describes it:

In honor of gladcow’s continuing efforts and advice in service to the improvement of vegan cuisine, here on Facebook we are celebrating the Third Annual Cheezish Synchronicity, the celebration of which preceded the rise and domination of Facebook as a social media despot.

February 2, among other things, is the day to participate in vegan Cheezish Synchronicity. On this day, we celebrate and enjoy the delicious, easy, and flexible macaroni and cheese recipe in the Glad Cow Cookbook. The recipe is also gluten-free, and if you use GF pasta, you are goldenly GF.

Don’t have the cookbook? Don’t have the recipe? Buy the book! Or, message author and vegan educator Summer Keightley, aka gladcow, plead your case, and she will accommodate you.

Cheezish Synchronicity accompanies gladcow week, in which the first week of February is dedicated to cooking something from a gladcow recipe (there are many) as often as possible.

And now, for all of the links!
Glad Cow Facebook Page
Glad Cow Week 2012 Event Page
Cheezish Synchronicity 2012 Event Page
Recipes on the Glad Cow Facebook Page

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This is the spread I put out when we hosted our family of friends for UFC watching last weekend. We trade off who hosts, and when it’s their turn they make the BEST tacos. We would probably riot if they made something else. I usually recruit my son to make bean dip, and I make something to go with it. This time was different.

This time I wanted to do something new. Plus, they’d never had Cheezish before! *gasp* Suffice to say, they’re my newest converts now. In addition to the (baked) Cheezish*, I also made a baked pasta with pesto marinara, topped with Daiya and olives and a salad chock full of local veggies. The last time they were over, the kids went wacko for my vegan ranch, so I knew that needed to happen as well. I put some on my Cheezish, and it was amazing. Truly.

My son still wanted to contribute, so he made chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t take a picture of those, but they were good. Trust. Also not pictured: all of the beer.

*yes, you read that right, baked Cheezish! Coming in the next book!

Every Friday is “Make Your Own Dinner” night. It gives the adults a break from meal planning, and helps the kids learn to fend for themselves. This is what I had last week. A whole whack of black refried & tempeh bacon tacos and an infamous Apple Guy apple.

I have tempeh bacon more often than not on MYOD night. The kids hate tempeh, and I love it, so I use this night as a chance to get my fix. I also make a whole lotta tacos on MYOD night. The kids generally have something from the Boca family of products. Bean dip is also a popular choice for them. My husband likes to make smoothies for his MYOD choice. Sometimes I share my stuff with him. I wouldn’t want him to miss out on the tempeh bacon!

Do you have any favorite foods you make for just yourself? Does your household have a MYOD night?

This is one of my husband’s specialties we call “tofu and chili beans”. My husband usually makes it after he and the kids have had a good hard workout at Brazilian jiu jitsu.

I like to make mine into tacos, as seen above. My kids like to eat theirs with tortilla chips. Apply appropriate starch & eat!

Last Wednesday night I was in the mood for something quick. There was just enough leftover chowder for everyone to have a little. I made roasted potatoes and beets as well as some steamed kale dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and hemp seeds.  I had an apple with mine, because we have the most amazing organic apples right now. From a guy at the Farmer’s Market I call “The Apple Guy”. The rest of the produce seen on this plate is organic as well, and from my other favorite produce stand, Persephone.
This sort of dinner, which I generally refer to as “roasted potatoes and stuff”, is a staple meal for us in fall and winter. Everyone loves it. Potatoes are always present. Beets are probably the second most common addition. Other additions include sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, onions, garlic cloves, cauliflower, and zucchini. This sort of dinner is also incredibly easy. I don’t even stir it! Preheat oven to 450, oil a pan, add stuff, mix it around, put in oven for 15 minutes, switch to medium broil for 15 more minutes, season, serve, eat.