Surprise, you need to eat every two hours!

Lately, I have been feeling light-headed on and off, and at the strangest times.  My doctors did blood pressure tests, and other blood tests to determine the cause of my vertigo.  The conclusion that they finally came to is that I am probably hypoglycemic.  I have always had problems with not eating every few hours, but it has not been such a big problem until recently.  

My eating has drastically changed, and I was happy to hear that what I was eating are the correct foods, I was just not partnering them up in the right groupings.  I already eat low carb, partially because of the gluten intolerance, but also because doing so has helped me keep my weight under control.  My current meal plan looks something like the Paleo diet (where they consume meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts) but also includes cultured dairy and legumes.  I don't eat any rice, potatoes or grains.  This is what has been recommended to me currently while my body adjusts to its new size, and so far it is working.  I say, if is isn't broke, don't fix it!  (They say you need to stay at this new weight for 6 months to a year for your body to adjust to its new size!)

What does hypoglycemia mean for me?

The problem is, if I eat carbs alone, like a piece of fruit or legumes, and I do not include a protein or fat (like nuts, or healthy oils like olive or coconut oil) my blood sugar levels have trouble staying level.  With this new knowledge (I learn something new every day!) I have started eating at 2-3 hour intervals and included a protein or a fat serving at each one.   So far I feel much better!  It has only been a few days, but I can tell a big difference in how I feel already.  It is strange to eat so often, but it is exactly what you do during the fast, which is most likely why I felt so good on the program.  You drink a shake every 3 hours, and when you make sure to be on time, you feel great!  It worked really well for me.  I was very happy on the fast, and felt an equilibrium that I have not felt with eating food until now.  On the fast I was not hungry when it was time for my next shake, and so far with eating every two hours, I have had much less hunger.  I have been concerned about my calories being a problem but surprisingly I have wanted to eat less since my mini-meals are so satisfying.  My calorie intake has been the same or less each day since starting to eat this way.

We are preparing to go to Pasadena to sell merchandise at the Rose Bowl, and I am looking forward to seeing how eating this way will work for me on the road.  

So now, I am the gluten free hypoglycemic girl!  :)  Here is to a new year, with new strategies to try!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Review

The holiday season is filled with so many treats, and it can be a difficult time for someone who is gluten free.

One of my dear friends decided to give us some gluten free cookies as a gift, and I felt that a review was in order!

These cookies tasted pretty good!  They were a little more crunchy then I like for chocolate chip cookies, but for Gluten Free options I have had before I was impressed.  My personal preference is to cook using natural unprocessed ingredients, but if you are looking for a quick and easy gluten free cookie this mix will do the trick!

My family had no trouble eating them at our holiday get together, and I had no complaints about the taste!  I would say they were a success! Thank you to my friend who made them for us! What a nice treat!

Gluten Free Recipes from a Student's Mom

One of the hard parts about being a teacher and not eating Gluten is when students bring in treats for the class.  Most of the time I feel fine when saying no, but it would be nice to be able to eat the treats on occasion...

This past week at school I had a wonderful surprise!  A student's mom baked some Gluten free treats for the whole class!  She made extra so I could take them home... and to top off this wonderful gesture, she also gave me the recipes so I could make them at home.  She has mentioned gluten free cookbooks to me before, and if I find out with book they are from I will put a credit here.  The brownies and no-bake cookies were delicious, and they deserve credit!

Gluten Free Brownies (350 for 30 minutes)

4oz (squares) baker chocolate (unsweetened)
3/4 cup + one tablespoon butter
1 3/4 cup sugar (more if you please, I like to use less)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

Melt Chocolate & Butter together in a large pot.  Add sugar. Stir in eggs one at a time.  Stir in vanilla. Add flour, stir together.

Butter 9x13 baking dish, pour in batter and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool, but, and ENJOY!

Granny Glady's Chocolate Oat Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
4 Tbls Cocoa Powder
3 cups Gluten Free Oats
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup peanut butter (or Almond Butter)

Melt butter, milk and sugar in a pan, boil for 1 minute. Add cocoa powder, oats, vanilla and peanut butter.  Stir until combined. Quickly drop spoonfuls of oats onto wax paper. Cool then eat!

Some very yummy and easy treats to make! Thank you for sharing your creations!

A new life, and New Adventures

Three things have happened to me in the past year and half that have changed my life.

*I have lost almost 90lbs
*I carried and lost my first baby Molly Victoria Drake
*I discovered I need to eat Gluten free

My life over the past year and a half has been crazy!  I took part in Kaiser's Optifast program, and lost almost 90lbs.  It was a fantastic program, and changed my outlook on food, life and what opportunities I have available to me.

I have been avoiding putting up a before and after photo...but I can't believe the difference when I look!

Not long after finishing the fast I became pregnant with my first baby.  It was an exciting time, but she did not make it.   The pain of losing her at 18 weeks was very difficult.  I am still healing, and my life will be changed forever because of what we went through. After I lost Molly, I tried for a few months to lose the weight I had gained during my pregnancy.  I decided to go back on the fast to lose the weight.  This was the best choice I could have made because it helped me to find an amazing counselor who has helped me transition back to food with great success.  I have been back on full food for about 2 weeks, and phasing back for over two months, and I have successfully kept my weight-loss off.

I also discovered I needed to eat Gluten free.  My whole life I had stomach problems, and thought I had IBS. Well, it turns out that Gluten was the problem. As I slowly phased back to food it was easy for me to tell which foods my body had a problem with.  As soon as I introduced gluten, I became sick again.  After speaking with my doctors, we came to the conclusion that Gluten had been my problem all along!  I have not had a stomach ache since cutting it out of my life! I feel great!

This blog will be a place for me to share all of the knowledge that I am learning in the program, and any amazing gluten free recipes that I discover.

Whatever happens with my weight, my life will never be the same...