Have you heard of the Old Spice Guy? Not only is he hilarious, but he is eating a gluten free diet!
Check out his interview with Jay Leno about his gluten free vegan diet. Sounds even more restrictive than the restricted diet I was on!
Mmmm-hmmm… I could watch that gluten free man all day…
I haven’t mentioned the garden in over a year. That is due in part to the fact that I no longer live on my parents’ property where we keep the 100 square foot garden.
I am still feeling miserable today and am home with a horrible head cold, fever and headache. It is a beautiful day outside (sunny/73 degrees) and I am feeling sorry for myself (making macaroni and cheese).
I have that nasty once a year summer cold that ruins all of your plans and makes getting work done a trial. A lot of us Midwesterners go straight for the chicken noodle soup recipe. I go to my favorite soup recipe, the one that I can eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and late night “Iprobablydon’tneedtoeatrightnowbutwhattheheythisismyfavorite” meals. Vietnamese pho cures all. And for Vietnamese food I either order from my favorite Des Moines restaurant, A Dong, or I go straight to any recipe from Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen.
Pho Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
Pho Ga broth simmering on the stove.
Maybe it’s because it’s so hot and humid that the paint is starting to curl.
Maybe it’s because I’m dying to wear my fall clothes to work.
Maybe it’s because I’m itching to make cornbread, squash and stews.
Maybe it’s because my girlfriends are having difficulty adjusting to their boyfriends’ football season ticket package.
Maybe it’s just because.
My bike-friendly, GF/CF (gluten free/casein free) mobile lunch: Goat cheese rolled in chopped chives and rosemary, prosciutto di parma, Chebe pizza crust crackers and fresh blueberries. All of this I packed in my Topeak MTX trunk bag on the back of my K2 T:Nine Whirlwind along with a change of clothes for work. I live 2.5 miles away from the office which makes biking to work a breeze.
Well, I’ve abandoned the LEAP program diet. Why, after all the pain of withdrawal symptoms and having shown some progress on elimination, would I quit this program? Quite simply, because I wasn’t happy… at all. It was true I had some wonderful days with no physical symptoms, but once I started adding foods back into the diet I had many absolutely horrible, pain-filled days. Also, I never had enough energy to do the things I love to do like swimming and biking because I couldn’t seem to get enough calories and nutrients into my system. Finally, I wasn’t allowed to have red wine. (I should have just listed this first because all other reasons are void and inconsequential….I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin.)
This week I’m working at my uncles’ shower business on RAGBRAI (the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). I’m also biking a small part of the week-long ride. I’ve abandoned my food sensitivity diet (more on that later) and am eating a gluten free and dairy free diet again. Eating this week has been a lot like what I eat when camping.
I love Colorado.
I love that the climate is a sunny and dry high desert which makes outdoor play extremely enjoyable. I love that the eastern range is a playground for adults. I love that the people of Colorado are friendly, outgoing and active. I love that Denver is a fun, culturally diverse city for people who love art, nature and especially the mountains. I love that you can get up at 4am in Denver and summit a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park by 8am.
I have avoided restaurants for the past month because of the restrictions of my elimination diet, the LEAP Program. Since I am traveling this week I did venture out to restaurants twice. I am a fundraiser for higher education and I frequently meet alumni for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I travel for a living. 30% of my working time is on the road. As you might imagine, this makes eating an elimination diet like the LEAP program exceptionally difficult. I’ve been in Denver for the last four days and trying to maintain my progress towards determining what I can and can’t eat. It has been a challenge, to say the least!
