Restructuring

Recent photo of us during the Lindsey Sterling concert.

Quick warning, I am going to have to restructure my blog.  About the time I started my diet plan, I decided it's usually a good idea to see your doctor and make sure everything is ok.  Honestly I thought everything would be....I was wrong....

In 2008 I saw a doctor in Washington state that ordered a full panel of blood work and the only unusual thing was high estrogen levels.  My doctor at the time told me to stay away from soy and only drink hormone free milk.  I did that and figured that was it.  I  was even ecsatic that when I moved to Pennsylvania, they have banned hormones in all dairy.  Which made my life so much easier.

Now I am in Texas which has some of the most amazing doctors I have seen.  So tests were ran again and still high estrogen levels....About now I am starting to get pissed off.  I changed my diet what's up?

She said your not going to like this....I thought the worse, high estrogen levels over time can lead to problems like breast and uterine cancer.  She said "The only way I  know of to naturally lower estrogen levels is to not eat soy, go gluten free, stop eating cow's milk(even hormone free) and limit my consumption of fruits and vegetables that contain plant estrogens.  I blurted out, "well that's not cancer so I guess this is ok...."  Followed by an awkward silence.

So that's the may reason for my break.  I have basically had to completely change the way I eat.  Though in the process I have figured out ways to make gluten free food that isn't gross.  I am not sure why people turn to rice, coconut and almond flour.  When there are other flour options that actually taste normal as bread.  Normal enough that children can't tell the difference.  Cause let's be honest here adults will eat odd things and convince themselves it's not that different.  Children won't!  

What are my favorite flours?  So far my favorites are oatmeal, corn, barley, potato, buckwheat and spelt.  Yes, I know spelt is wheat.  But it is the original wheat and actually contains a different type of gluten then modern wheat.  Modern wheat has been breed for high gluten levels.  In the selective breeding process over thousands of years the gluten has actally changed to make amazing bread, but become terrible for us.  I am also experimenting with ancient grains and figuring out uses for them.  Still figuring out sprouted grains as well.  

Spelt is not safe for those with Celiac Disease.

So replacing wheat is covered, but what about dairy?  I have switched to an almond/coconut milk blend to replace milk. I am blessed to live in an area with a huge selection of sheep's milk and goat's milk cheeses.  Why are these ok?  Cow's milk contains casomorphin peptides which are not found in sheep's milk and goat's milk. 

Plant estrogens are a really long list and thankfully are a eat sparely otherwise I wouldn't have much to eat.  The only foods that are completely out are poppy seeds, soy, and flax.  Which doesn't really bother me. Other notable ones are sugar, which I eat rarely, I use stevia as a sweetener or a raw sugar/stevia blend.  Coffee I never have over one cup.  

So please stayed tuned for new and different recipes.

Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.

 - Mary Shelley