Saturday, March 1, 2014

Wheat free follow up

I’ve been meaning to write a follow up to my wheat-free diet.  I lost 7 lbs during the first week and was ecstatic.  Most of that was inflammation, and I immediately felt better.  After that, I did not notice any more huge changes.  I did however have a smoother complexion, which I like very much. 

I have been wheat free for about a month now and have lost a couple more pounds.  I am experimenting with more natural foods and for the first time, I am able to target things that feel great or not so great in my diet.  I have enjoyed tons of fruits and vegetables, although my homemade ranch dressing still has some room for improvement.  Today, I was successful in making a few recipes from scratch like rice flour pancakes at breakfast and a creamy pesto sauce at dinner.

Being wheat free is very much like being gluten free.  More specifically, I use rice and rice flour sparingly, and typically I avoid corn, grains, msg and many packaged foods.  I try to find foods that are more natural and not genetically modified.  It seems that labeling is not always accurate, and there are plenty of bloggers that report finding gluten the hard way, even though the package says “gluten free”.  It was initially tiresome figuring out a diet, but I have found that there are so many delectable recipes that I am yet to discover.  The tedious job of looking for new dishes has landed me in the kitchen trying something I’ve never done before, creating masterpieces from single ingredients.  I should add here that I am privileged to have an unsurpassed chef living in my home for great support.  No matter what I have done to our food, he is able to bring it back to life and dazzle me with his mastery of the culinary arts.  His formal training dates back to age 13, watching his father prepare foods. 

I have enjoyed heavenly meals that really should make one feel guilty.  Savory salmon served with brilliant stalks of asparagus cooked so perfectly that I pause to enjoy each bite.  A cast iron skillet loaded with onions, mushrooms, broccoli, bright peppers combined delightfully in aromatic seasonings and sizzled in marsala.  Food loves me, and I love it.  I am delighted by the tantalizing assortment of new dishes that are awaiting my discovery.  I am living better than I ever have, breaking free from old hard habits.  Shopping in new places; trying new things, 2014 is the year for perfect health and mouth watering meals.

I have asked that the universe deliver things this year that will bring me perfect health, and I am confident that what I ask for always comes to me.  It’s the natural law of attraction.  It’s a new year’s resolution with a new expectation.  Expecting the best.  And while most people were done with their new year’s resolutions by the end of February, I will continue, kindly inviting the very best into my kitchen, enhancing my life and all that might wander in for a bite to eat.