It has been so, so long, and I apologize. I think I lost my blogging mojo for a while there. And to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve got it back yet. I know I will though, so you’ll just have to bear with me.
Some of you might know (ok, if you even read this blog occasionally you probably know, I like to complain a lot) that i’ve been experiencing some stomach problems recently, and headaches for several years. Over the past month or so, they’ve gotten much, much worse. It hasn’t been fun.
So, I started seeing a nutritionist who thinks that my problems are coming from the foods I eat. My stomach has always been a slightly picky eater, regardless of what I enjoy eating, my stomach doesn’t always like it.
It didn’t really come as a surprise to me when she told me that on top of my lactose intolerance that I was also intolerant to eggs, as well as gluten. She also suggested that I stay away from oats and refined sugars, as they weren’t doing much for my stomach.
No more dairy I got over pretty quickly several years ago. I don’t eat many eggs, so it’ wasn’t much of a problem. But gluten? Carbs are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. To say I was upset was an understatement. I came home and drank an entire bottle of wine. I was very upset.
I wouldn’t be able to eat any more dinners like this:
Pasta and veggies, with a side of bread, veggies, and hummus.
So that night, I went to bed, (or passed out, due to all the wine consumption) and woke up the next morning feeling a little better. I went to the grocery store. I read more labels than I ever have in my life.
From this point on in my life, I’m moving forward as a gluten-free vegan, and trying to consume only small amounts of refined sugar.
I know it doesn’t seem like I really eat a lot of wheat-gluteny things, as most of the pictures I post on here are of salads and veggies and hummus. But I really do. I just don’t often show you those photos. They’re not as pretty.
I’m still eating lots of veggies and hummus.
And of course, I still love me some salads,
I’m coping with the loss of one of my favorite things in the whole world, soy sauce. But it will be ok. My stomach is even starting to feel a little better. I feel like good changes are coming.
I’m not quite sure what to eat for breakfast, as normal toast, oatmeal, and most cereals are out of the question, but I did find a semi decent creamy rice cereal, that I drown in maple syrup and sprinkle with some fresh fruit.
I know that I seem over dramatic about this. There are much worse things that could be wrong with me than a simple gluten intolerance. But it’s a hard adjustment. I went to culinary school. I’ve learned to appreciate that there are some things only bread flour can do. And I will never bask in it’s deliciousness again.
But I’m healing, and that’s the important thing.
Any g-free bloggers or readers out there, I’d love any advice you have to give, as I’m new at this. The mere thought of all the different types of flours that are at my disposal now are overwhelming, and I’ve got a lot of experimenting to do in the next few weeks.
Are you intolerant to anything? For those of you who are, was it difficult for you at first?
You aren’t overly dramatic at all! Food is important as a fuel and as pleasurable social and dining experiences. I am always glad to know what you are accomplishing and so happy to read your blog.
aw, thanks so much for the kind words!
Aw, don’t despair– you can have wheat-free tamari instead of soy sauce! As for help in going totally gluten-free: if you haven’t already, turn to http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ . She is amazing, and has all sorts of tips and yummy recipes (especially baked goods! You’d never know they were gfree!)
Good luck
Thanks so much for the advice, I’ll have to check out her blog, it sounds great!
Ugghhh!!! How frustrating! I’m so sorry friend
I don’t have any intolerances that I know of, but I’m allergic to mushrooms really bad haha thankfully I don’t like them though. I can’t even fathom being in your shoes having to give up so much!
if you miss soy sauce then you should try Braggs Liquid Aminos! it has a very similar taste to soy sauce and is gluten free! i know you are bummed right now, but i can’t wait to see what delicious recipes you post next!
I’ll have to get myself some Liquid Aminos, I’m missing the soy sauce already! And thanks for having so much faith in me, it means a lot!
I was logging on to tell you about tamari & braggs but I see you have that advice already! I am a vegan and I try and eat as little gluten as possible in the main – I find that it makes me feel bloated and lethargic. There are so many low gluten alternatives – can you tolerate quinoa? How about spelt? It does have gluten but lots of people are apparently ok with it? I have spelt pasta & bread and there are loads of cool recipes for gluten free pizza and biscuits and cakes!
Good luck
Thanks, I’ll definitly have to check out all the recipes on your blog!!
Cool – I think you might like my friends blogs too as they have loads of gluten free goodies:
http://pureformfitnesskitchen.com/
and
http://pureandsimplebakes.com/
Good luck!
Hope you’re feeling better!
I’m sorry Liz! There are a ton of people out there who are gluten-free and vegan, and love it. One of my good friends actually is, and she says that after a few months it just becomes like any other diet! You’ll get used to it in no time, and I’m sure your body will thank you. Feel better!
Thank you!
Traditional breakfast does not work well for me. Half a bag of stir fry veggies with four ounces of tofu and some spices works much better. Chili is another choice that works well for me in the morning.
Oh no! Sorry to hear your condition has gotten worse and not better! I’m glad you saw a nutritionist though and have narrowed down what may be causing you to feel sick. Good luck with your new diet!
I don’t think you’re being overdramatic at all! That’s a huge lifestyle change, to go from vegetarian to gluten-free vegan. I’m so glad you’re working with a nutritionist to help you ease the transition.
You can do it! Hang in there – and hopefully your hard work will pay off with a happier tummy and an overall healthier body!
Sorry to hear that, but hopefully you’ll start to feel so much better that you’ll embrace your intolerances! As far as recommendations, I’m not GF, but use the tamari sauce instead of soy, and brown rice pasta is really good! Look for Tinkyada, aka the kind with the cute little bunny on it.
I know it’s rough to be vegan and then also have to confront losing gluten and sugars… especially with a sweet tooth or carb craving. But there are a ton of options and it’s not as huge a sacrifice as it at first seems. King Soba makes gluten-free vegan pasta that’s amazing (even carried in my local HEB, so I don’t have to go to Whole Foods or TJ’s to try to find stuff like that!), and I’m sure there are other brands out there too. Certified gluten-free oats make a great breakfast and oat or brown rice flours are totally fine for gluten-free cooking (I even made your strawberry shortbread cookies last week with some rice flour!) and using organic agave really cuts out the worry from sugars. I haven’t tried any gluten-free breads as I am a terrible baker, but tons of other foodies pull it off and I’m sure it’ll be a fun experiment with some rewarding results. It’ll definitely be okay! Giving up gluten *completely* eliminated my bad headaches and tummy problems, it’s totally worth it!
I found out I was gluten intolerant about 7 years ago. It actually made becoming vegan easier since I’d already taught myself how to substitute non-glutinous things for glutinous things and eventually found the path to gluten-free adventures without everything being ersatz. Vegan started out similarly (except that I anticipated an adventure, not a limited existence) with substitutions for animal products. You got this. I have no doubt.
Oh geez, that’s a tough change to make but before you know it, it’ll be second nature for you. Like others have said, there are plenty of options for gluten-free pastas, gluten-free oats, wheat-free tamari. There are plenty of store bought breads, although I have to admit, I haven’t heard wonderful things about them, I guess that just means you’ll have to experiment! There are a ridiculous number of gluten-free blogs you can reference, there’s the community website http://xgfx.org, http://spabettie.com, http://www.manifestvegan.com, http://forkandbeans.wordpress.com, http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com, and these are just the ones off the top of my head. Good luck and I hope you’re feeling better!
Have you ever tried qunioa? I know they have brown rice/buckwheat noodles — maybe you could give them a try. Bob’s Red Mills has a GF Baking mix that you could use in baking.
Sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling well. I can completely relate. I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years and a strict gluten free, high raw vegan for the last 6. As you can tell from the host of responses already, there are a ton of excellent options. Gluten free vegan baking can be tricky. I used to bake much more, but as I’ve moved more towards the raw approach I’ve not missed the baked goodies. I know you’ve visited my blog before, and like you, I’ve dropped the ball a bit with regular posting… but you’re welcome to swing on over to http://www.freefoodfreedom.com anytime and check out what nourishes me. You’ll be feeling better in no time. If you’re not, drop me a note. My focus as a Holistic Health Coach is on Auto-Immune disorders and supporting people who are transitioning to plant based, gluten free dietary approaches. I’d be honored to support you as you take steps on this new path.
Aw, I’m sorry you have to give up things you love but at least you’re feeling better! It’s all about finding substitutes. It really should be interesting to see your baking from now on. I feel like a lot of gf/lactose free/vegan baking are getting pretty popular these days and will continue to grow, so at least that’s a good thing!
I totally understand how you feel! I was having terrible stomach cramps and it turns out it was because of dairy. Once I gave that up I’ve been so much better. I’ve also recently started eating vegan so it’s nice to see other vegan bloggers
I think you’ll find lots of support online for gluten-free vegan recipes. I see SO many of them!
I just gave up gluten in February, so I feel ya! I didn’t eat too much gluten before anyway, but I admit I’m mourning the loss of pita bread, naan, crusty Italian bread…sigh. But we can do it! Good luck!
i’m glad that you’ve found something that will hopefully work for your stomach! i went g-free a while back for a short period of time when my digestive system was just outta whack and it definitely helped. props to you for finding both vegan and gluten-free foods, to me that’s definitely a challenge!
Thanks for commenting on my blog
And my stomach doesn’t do dairy well, but I eat it all the time anyway :/ As for Gluten free, I’ve reviewed some pretty great gluten free carbs! There are gluten free baked goods, breads, wraps, muffins, cereals – anything that you can get with gluten, you can pretty much get without! Enjoy Life is a good brand for that. Good luck!