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10/25/2010

Gluten free Story - Hilarious



A Celiac friend of mine and her partner entered a restaurant well known for catering to Celiacs.

The were seated and the server came with a menu, after they had time to peruse the menu the server returned.
As soon as he opened his mouth it was obvious he was East European.

Before my friend ordered, she thought it wise to let him know she was a Celiac.


She said " I'm a Celiac and I can't eat Gluten "

Server: Blank Stare



She tried again " No Wheat, Rye or Barley"

Server: Blank Stare


Desperation was setting in she tried once more.

" I can't have flour, very very bad, make me sick"



The Server had a big smile on his face:
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.
.
.
.
.
and removed the rose from the table !!

________________________________________


Thanks to David H. for posting this on Gluten-free Faces. 

http://www.glutenfreefaces.com



10/22/2010

2 Weeks Gluten Free

**After a self diagnoses of Celiac Disease I have started a gluten free adventure. **

2 Weeks in: Gluten Free

Love, Love, Love how I feel.

In two weeks of living gluten free I have energy back
have lost a dress size and decreased the anxiety in my head. 

Two years is a long time to feel sick and not know what's wrong. I have many friends and loved ones over the years feel sick for decades without relief. Their faith and determination kept them moving toward their own health. I had my own sleepless nights of pain and confusion and the hopelessness that sickness brings. 

Keep the Faith~
 I am a spiritual girl and my faith in God during the hard times was my hope. Trusting God was what got me through the rough days when the doctor had 'nothing in that black bag' for me.

The Food Issues~
I'd be lying if i didn't have a come apart or two about wanting a cookie or slice of pizza in the last two weeks but the improvement was so tangible I don't want to botch it for anything. I mean it!! 

My goals~
Keep up the simple eating plan. Gluten free and light on dairy is how I'm doing it.  Dairy is hard to digest and it was my choice to give my mangled guts a break.  I have had a little bit of dairy but limiting it for now.  

Gonna keep up the fight, get healthy and do what I love and gives me purpose and meaning in my life. To sing and write is my lifelong pursuit.  I feel so lucky to finally see results and the hope for a healthy life within my grasp.


Be Blessed & Healthy out there


Leah Banicki
 





 

10/20/2010

Leah's Writing idea!!

Leah's ridiculous idea of the day -

I was walking back from the grocery store near my work (Dr.pepper was calling to me) and saw something curious on the sidewalk. I glanced closer and saw it was a mysterious looking hospital wristband discarded on the sidewalk. It was blood red and not from the local hospital. ( I know, you have been injured too many times when you know that your local hospital bands are clear!)

The wristband gave me a murder mystery story in my head.

Here is the pitch -

Starting with an escaped mental patient who casually discards his hospital wristband. A young mother leaves for the store but never returns.

A small town detective struggles with her faith and the wrath of a small town when the missing woman isn't found. One clue, a blood red hospital wristband, was found near the woman's apartment.


     * * *
It was a fun lunch hour thought. I will add it to my idea pile and keep editing my existing book. Back to work!
Leah Banicki 

(Closet mystery writer)






10/15/2010

Gluten Free - 7 days in

What 7 days of Gluten free living has done for me!







This week is a balancing act of eating great and straddling the moments of feeling better than I have in years and the healing moments where my intestines wondered what the heck I am doing.


This weeks challenge was to eat Gluten-free (check) and find a way to stick to it.  I think the hardest part about the sticking to it is how easy I have made my life with carb-filled food. The instant gratification of a can of ravioli for lunch or a pop- tart for a snack.  The major adjustment was finding realistic things to eat without having to do a big song and dance or two hours of cooking, thawing and chopping.

The reality check is that if I am going to take care of me I have to step up my game. I have to actually try!  I have to think! I have to love myself enough to say "I am worth getting up and making something."  It is hard to do when you are healing and exhausted but I cannot waste another day just waiting for the food elves to come make me snacks!


I want to thank my family for shopping with and for me, the support is SOOO helpful. I hope as I heal I can be a good a friend and loved one as you all have been to me.

Today someone asked me how much better I feel since one week ago today. I have to say 60% improved in how I feel and energy level.  Last week I was starving and bed-ridden, I almost passed out trying to load the dishwasher! 
I am more convinced then ever that going Gluten free was the right thing for me. There are moments that rush over me that remind me of when I was younger and had energy and spunk. Those are my hope building moments. I know these are my glimpses of health. 

I thank God for opening my eyes.

10/13/2010

Glutten free - Day 5



Embracing my new life being gluten free. I have taken lots of steps to fill my pantry full of GF (gluten free) goodies and have a few baking projects to start, I will share my results for the few that may be curious.

My body is reacting nicely, have the bursts of energy sometimes that feels better than I have felt in years. I know I am still healing and my stamina still needs work but really noticing how much calmer my guts are. They haven't screamed for attention in a few days.

Today my mom and I explored Aldi's for any gluten free potentials and actually found a few. Some chocolate pudding that advertised being gluten free on the front. Of course the veggies and fresh fruit are always gluten free.
Munching on cucumbers right now, so yummy.

For anyone who thinks they may have Celiacs Disease and wonders if it would be too hard to give up wheat I guarantee if you start feeling better, you won't miss the wheat. The gluten free community has so much support and ideas you will be surprised.

I have added a few favorites websites to my blogs website for those curious about Celiacs Disease or needing recipes. There are some amazing chefs that have complete menus. I have really enjoyed the forums and gluten free food lists available too.

Going to try baking some gf biscuits. I will share how they turned out.

Thanks for all the prayers and support friends. I  love you all.

Leah Banicki

24 hours of GF  The highlights
- last night refried beans tostada  - (soooo good)
- today - tuna salad and a fruit smoothie in my magic bullet (soy milk - 4 frozen strawberries dash of salt and cinnamon a spoonful of ground flax* optional) the flax is to help my guts heal, can't even taste it really.)

in my purse for emergency hunger - ziploc of roasted sunflower seeds

Cooking wishlist:  Wanna learn

Potato Pancakes
Chicken salad

10/10/2010

Gluten Free - day 2-3

**After a self diagnoses of Celiac Disease I have started a gluten free adventure. **

Just starting day 3 of Gluten Free -
I have just started recovery and still having moments that I don't feel well at all but they are getting further apart, (playing the glad game today!) The food list to avoid seems do-able but the hunt through my pantry is sad, very sad, 95% unusable sad. Feeling weak and a little discouraged from the "You'll never eat Pizza" demon that is determined to steal my joy. I will not let it!! (I said it out loud just now for the demon to hear.)

Starting a shopping list of ideas and finding it slow going, every time I think of something to make I do the GF (gluten-free) game in my head. Things I have learned in the past 48 hours.

Kraft Jello is GF
Miracle Whip is GF
Pepsi products are GF - (I know, not a good habit)
Reese's Peanut Butter cups are GF (Haven't eaten any in a while but good to know)
The list continued but these stood out as a good sign to me that my new alien planet has a few familiar friends.



I have been afraid of eating fruits and veggie for the last year because of bad reactions, most likely due to the wheat I ate with it. (Hoping)

I dared to eat some green beans and a plain chicken breast today. It was delicious and I am hoping my mangled guts can handle them, I need the protein and nutrients if I am ever going to get some energy back.

My mom took pity and did a little "free" shopping for me and got me some rice crackers. Thinking about Tuna Salad (All ingredients are "free")

All in all just trying to put together a grocery list and realizing its gonna be a lot of work.
Thanks to all my friends for the prayers and support. Now I just need enough energy to get the the store.

10/09/2010

Gluten Free - day one

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I have struggled with my stomach and intestines miserably for 2 years. I had a horrible parasite exactly two years ago that did damaged to my intestines, it wasn't pretty. The doctors were never able to find any specific reason that I couldn't eat well or would go weeks where I couldn't be more than five feet from a bathroom. (I know it is disgusting, I lived it.)
I had the "Maybe you have Irritable Bowel" discussions a few too many times but with no actual relief. Tried a few prescription drugs that messed me up. One gave me hallucinations, my next door neighbor dogs turned into trolls and yelled at me all morning to "Get out of your house." I was a grown woman calling her mommy for help that day.
I finally got a little relief a few months ago. No apparent reason for it, just sometimes my guts are in agony and sometimes it improves enough to function, work and be normal.
Last week the scary guts came back and after a few days of agony after eating I go into protective mode where I stop eating altogether. I resort to a few bites of crackers or toast and drink gallons of peppermint tea and water. You can't function that way and I found even that did not keep the agony away, now you add intestinal cramping to starvation pain and weakness.
I am pitiful at this point.
After a lot of prayer and a run in by my mother with an acquaintance, she shared a story of her own family's struggle with Celiac Disease. There were some definite parallels and once my mother and I discussed the possibility and started reading the book the acquaintance gave us we can see how this could be a solution.
I decided to go for it. There is no cure for Celiac disease but if you live Gluten-free you can feel great and actually eating without pain.
* * *
I am almost 24 hours into my gluten-free adventure and my stomach is calmer.

1st day - mom made me a soy milk shake, I boiled some brown rice and added a little soy garden margarine & later ate a handful of gluten free corn flake cereal. All tasted good, I was glad.

Today I had some more cereal for breakfast and it's settling nicely. Hurray.

* * *
Spent a few hours reading LIVING WELL WITH CELIAC DISEASE by Crangle. It's very informative and helping with the questions I have.

The next step is to figure out how to eat without Gluten. A family member has a gluten-free daughter who will be a great resource. I have also bookmarked a few forums on glutenfree.com that may help.

I already found out that Pepsi and jello are gluten-free! Whoop! It's the little things. Honestly I have spent all morning trying to push the thoughts out of my head that are real and will affect me eventually.
If this trial gluten-free diet works and I feel better will I ever want to eat gluten again? Probably not. The pain is real and has worked hard at ruining my life.

If I never eat gluten again that means, no brownies, no pizza, no favorite burrito at the Mexican restaurant I love, but these are so little compared to the pain in my body just this week alone. I have battled depression and weight gain and my own sanity over my bodies inability to digest anything. If I finally have an answer why would I let the longing for a brownie ruin my chance at being whole again.

I remember what it felt like to have energy and spunk, I miss that desperately. My hope is all wrapped up in this.

Wishing and praying for relief.

Leah B.

Hmm... what's for lunch ???