On a personal note...

So the last few weeks have been BUSY!

I have learnt some things.

1-Alcohol and G and D free living does not go well together. When drinking you tend to eat more gluten and dairy and that makes you even more sick the next day. So be careful and prepared when you know alcohol is around.

2-Milk products give me nightmares! This is good to know, as nightmares suck and I hate having them. It is also good because every time chocolate comes my way I can try to balance the lack of sleep with the 2 mins of chocolate melting in my mouth.

3-Get help where you can! Rach and I went to a cooking course way out South called Gluten Free Made Easy. It was fun and exciting, if not for the food, but for the people you meet and the stories they have! I learnt that bacon and ham contain gluten (tear) and that my life is pretty sweet, as some people have real allergies, and those allergies can be so varied that you can eat next to nothing.

I highly recommend the course (ask me for more details!) as they cater to all allergies, and are willing to work on any recipe to make it suitable for you. The course did focus on carb heavy food, which I try to avoid. In saying that, if this G and D free thing sticks, over time I will have saved so much money but knowing how to make tasty versions of every baking good possible!

-S

Inspiration..

Maybe I am lazy? Maybe I lack inspiration?

Sadly, I have spent hours today trolling through blogs, and WOW - there is so much information out there. These links will take you to gluten free blogs!

Given that it is easter, going dairy free was never really an option anyway...

G is for Gluten

Cute, local (as in kiwi), real and has a recipes tab. Those tabs are vital for the days you do not care about what they had for coffee, but just need an idea or two. Still under construction but pretty and encouraging.

Fire and Salt

Main selling point - it is by a male. In love already (with the blog... not the firefighter author)

Gluten Free for Good

Pretty, simple, full of facts and lots of recipes. To be fair, there is a bit much writing for me, but I have been on the internet for a VERY long time...

I guess looking at all this the question must be asked - Why go dairy free as well? There is no simple answer personally, so lets turn to the books.

- Dairy has been linked to many diseases such as cancer and both types of diabetes

- Cutting out dairy is known to reduce/remove skin irritations such as rashes and acne

- Dairy can trigger migraines

- Dairy can make you fat (all in proportion though)

- Life needs a challenge. Honestly, when looking at the gluten free options many are horrendously unhealthy, and full of dairy. Again, all in proportion

- You just feel better (clearly, I did not get a science degree)

-S

Links

Weeks need themes in my world. I have 'dress only weeks' and 'breadless weeks'.

This week I am going to fob you off to the best shops and products I have found so far, all in the theme of linking us all together and to others.

Sweet treats

Peanut Butter Cookies - these are so yum yum, from the healthy food guide and go down so well! Peanuts great for energy, egg for protein and chocolate (dark, allowing it to be free of milk products) and sugar to make it worth eating.

On a side note, in NZ most raw sugar is apparently refined and then roughed up again, as it is cheaper than stopping the refining process and removing sugar part way through. As a result I am a fan of buying organic or fair trade sugar. Better for you, better for the world.

Bread

I thought I was stuck chipping away at a brick of a loaf and toasting it at least 3 times before it is edible, until I found these guys - Phoenix. Lovely, fresh, and in many many forms - wholemeal and focaccia. No complaints from me!

I am yet to try zero G - but I have also heard good good things (and they have beer!).

Shops

N' tolerance is my new fav (judging by the website). You can pick products through filtering your allergies. I am sure that if you are reading this blog you will understand simply how much time this will save you!

-S

One word to describe this week

There is one word that simply describes last weeks effort - FAIL!

This ok, from this we can learn a thing or two.

It is a good idea to publicly announce your new diet.

Writing a blog no one reads is not a valid way to do this! No one will hold you accountable unless they know, and no one will find alternative options at family meals unless they are actually aware you should not be eating bread! Shout it out, rub it in peoples faces, use up another facebook status - it will help. Promise.

Think about what tomorrow holds.

On Thursday I made a birthday dinner for my mother and cooked corn and rice pasta for myself while she ate good old gluten pasta. What I did not do was remember was that the next day was ice-cream Friday. When you work for a dairy giant you get a few perks - and ice cream Friday is the best of these. By the time my floor got its pick of goodies the only ice-block left was far from my fav, so I crumbled into temptation with a Kapiti Coast boysenberry ice cream. I now have a plan - next time I will buy my own ice block and leave in the freezer to have while everyone else has their ice creams. Here is hoping that the ice cream thief at work does not get to it before I do!!

Monday is always a good day to try again.

It is just true. Try as you might but there is nothing like clean sheets, a rested weekend and a Monday to try and tackle the same problems again.

-S

Here is to a new begining

For a glorious three months I managed to eat, largely, gluten and dairy free. While there were blogs, books and magazines for vegans, celiacs, vegetarians and lactose intolerant individuals there was little available about being gluten and dairy free.

This blog is about being g and d free, be it for health, fun or medical necessity. For me, personally, it is a mixture of all the above. With a hyperactive thyroid and chocolate always close at hand this is both a challenge to my lifestyle and a way of helping my little thyroid out.

Originally, when diagnosed, I googled till my eyes popped out but could find nothing natural or lifestyle based to help me out - aside from two references (in average looking websites, might I add) to going g and d free. So I tried it and was really happy.. until christmas came along!

In the mean time I have found out from medical professionals that gluten does actually react in the body and influence the thyroid (if only my throat specialist had told me!).

So here we go again. On April the 4th (my 23rd birthday nonetheless) I start again, with the intention of sharing recipes and food options in the hopes it helps someone else trying to control their lifestyle, health, weight or thyroid!

-S