Wheat/Gluten-free fad (My wheat-free life for real, yo!)

So apparently it's going around that going gluten-free is a good way to lose weight.  I'll be the first to to tell you that I lost weight going wheat-free.  In fact for the first 3 months of going strictly wheat-free I was losing weight so fast it was a bit scary and I was worried about my health.  All together I would say I've lost about 30 lbs to the wheat-free diet I know live.

So that sounds great right!?  No, wheat but I lose tons of weight.  That sounds fantastic where do I sign up?  While now that I've been wheat-free for over 2 years, I have to tell you, I'm not strict.  Once I backed off the strictness of my wheat-freeness, the weight lose stopped.  I've maintained but the losing has stopped.  Not a problem for me.  I'm happy.  I didn't go wheat-free to try to meet Oprah or Miley.  My DH was diagnosed with a wheat allergy in 2003.  My DD was born with a wheat allergy.  I have no issue with wheat except that it causes my family pain. 

I've talked about my journey to wheat-freeness before but today's pain is, wheat-free shouldn't be a fad.  I really struggled with going wheat-free.  I cried.  I prayed.  I cursed.  I wanted a quick fix.  I've accepted my life as a wheat-free person.  Wheat will never be in my life like it was before Ravebaby was born.  Wheat-free is the way I eat. 

So back to the weight loss thing.  Yes you will lose weight.  You would be surprised at the number of things that have wheat.  If you go wheat-free, you need to be strict.  Once you go strict you realize that unless this is a life/health thing, it ain't fun and you go back to wheat. 

Here is the number one reason I say don't go wheat-free unless you have to: It Takes Work!  Much like any diet, you have to plan.  I have to plan all of my meals.  I can't just go out and pick up a burger.  No just heating up a Hot Pocket for lunch.  No bucket of chicken for dinner.  Being wheat-free is inconvenient.  Being wheat-free and going out to eat requires you to speak up; you have to pester/educate the waitstaff.  You have to plan.

What I miss most of my wheat filled day?  Convenience.  Seriously, the days of going to McDonald's for nuggets are missed only for the convenience it held.  I don't miss the food with wheat anymore.  I've found replacements for all of my favorites.  I've found food that I prefer wheat-free, like Udi's Chocolate Muffins, OMG!  Really, I miss paying $1 for a loaf bread instead of going to the specialty health-food store and paying $5 for a loaf that is smaller. 

I have to think out going out to eat; this is especially a problem when I'm going out with others.  How about pizza?  Sorry, can't Martha doesn't eat wheat.  Burgers?  Well I can just get it bunless. (Sad looks all around.)  Even sushi is a problem.  Notice I said I'm not strict anymore.  Sushi is why.  I never have my wheat-free soy sauce.  I have cut back on my soy sauce usage.  I try to avoid eel sauce.  I love sushi.  DD doesn't react so I allow myself to use regular soy sauce. 

Like I've said, I would go wheat-free for my family again without hesitation.  No hamburger is worth my DD screaming in pain.  No fried pie is worth my child being sick.  You want to go wheat-free to lose weight, go for it but don't say I didn't warn you.

Before going wheat-free, circa 2007

Post-30 lb weigh loss

It's been fun

So "Wheatless Mama" is a year old.  I still remember how hard it was to decide on a new name for my blog and to take the plunge into buying the domain.  Previous to being Wheatless Mama, the blog was just Martha-mommy-to-be.  The name no longer fit since Audrey was earthside. 

It has been a fun year of blogging about not only mommyhood but the challenges of trying to be strictly wheatless.  I've learned so much about the struggles of people with food allergies.  It has also amazed me the total crap I've been putting in my body.  The extra chemicals and additives that are in processed convenient food.  I've also learned the hard lesson of asking question and not trusting restaurants.  How can I ever forget the time we got the wheat filled milkshake? 

So from this Wheatless Mama, thank you for the all of the support and comments.  I'll try to be less of a stranger and get better about actually blogging. 

My reasons for being wheatless.

Wheat challenge - Round 2

So Audrey's birthday is in 6 days! So hard to believe I'll have a 2 year old in less than a week. But this leads us to wheat challenge - round 2. Audrey's allergist suggested we challenge the wheat-free diet around Audrey's 2nd birthday. I guess 2 is the magic allergy number. So we decided to head to Olive Garden and order whatever we wanted!

I was excited. Order anything! Eat a breadstick! Not worry about what I"m eating, sign me back up for that life. I wish it was that easy. Having been strictly wheat-free for almost 2 years, plus off an on for 6 years prior, it's hard to go back to eating without worry. I don't know why I thought I would go back to old me in one trip to the Olive Garden. I still asked for the gluten-free menu. I wish they had an ingredients list. We do eat gluten-free since it makes life easier but strictly speaking we're wheat-free. Having something with a little MSG don't kill us so if the ingredients are clear of wheat we eat it. The Olive Garden's gluten-free menu is small and they have one penne pasta that is gluten-free. But I'm sure they have other things that are wheat-free that we can probably eat.

Anyways, we were going with a challenge so I start looking at the regular menu. What to have, what to have? Alfredo? Eggplant parm? Nope I start looking at Herb Salmon. Yep, even in my eat anything I'm still going toward the gluten-free stuff. I finally decided on the Chianti braised short-ribs. Not gluten-free but not pasta either. It comes with risotto. Where the gluten is in the dish I know not. We also ordered calamari. Audrey got a children's gluten-free penne with marinara. We didn't want to push her too much.

I got a bite of calamari. Strangely it wasn't as good as I remembered. I got a bite of breadstick. So disappointed. Why had I been pining for this stuff? Did we hit the Olive Garden on a bad day? I think DH said it best. "You're just a wheat-free girl now!" Laughing with glee. Evil wheat-allergic man! I did get mad. I don't like the food anymore. I didn't want the breadstick; I wanted a piece of Udi's with garlic butter. The calamari was just sad. My ribs were good. I guess the wheat is in the "gravy." Audrey ate some calamari, a bite of DH's spaghetti and lots of penne. Later that night we let her have a bite of "real" brownie. We had a wheat-filled day! or what we think of as a wheat-filled day.

So last night, 3 am, Audrey is crying. She's passing gas like crazy. She's rolling around unable to get comfy. Guess what, the kid is still allergic to wheat! She kept nursing but since I had had wheat she was just pouring more allergens into her system. Today she is all broken out. I think we can call this done. Audrey has a wheat allergy. Is it deadly? Thankfully no. If she decides to eat a piece of regular pizza, I won't panic. I don't be taking her to Mikey Dee's anytime soon but I think I can let go of some of the panic I've had in the past.

As for me, I am realizing that wheat-free isn't a diet or a change for now but a change for life. I'm learning to bake wheat-free. I"m longing for my food past less and less. I'm finding that "bread" doesn't appeal to me like it use to.

Gout, the other disease

So doc confirmed on Thursday that DH has gout.  I'm not sure about the scale but DH was 3 points above normal.  He's now on a med for the next 4 months to reduce the uric acid.  In 4 months he goes back for labs and possible med adjustment. 

His blood pressure was high in the office but has been good for the last week at home.  Doc thinks it was being in the office since at home it's good.  He is still on the blood pressure, again adjustment to come in 4 months.  Seems weird to have a standard refill order on the books for him.  We're only 32.  Besides I thought I would be on something long before him. 

So what does this mean for the next 4 months?  DH must take three pills per day.  DH must drink 8-16 glasses of water per day.  DH and whole family is going on a beef-less/high veggie diet.  Honestly we need more veg anyways.  I think the problem is we are looking at it as a diet.  DH has to lose weight; that is the key to going off the blood pressure med, according to the doc.  Losing weight means diet.

A diet is a horrible thing.  However, a lifestyle change is doable.  I know it's just words but words so mean something.  I tweet about a lifestyle change and nothing.  I tweet about a diet change and I get tons of replies to links on weight loss drugs!  Anyways, we're making adjustments in our diets.  I'm dropping sodas in favor of water, tea and coffee.  I'm finding that with the wheatlessness and breastfeeding I'm going back to losing weight mode.  Not a bad thing but I just bought new pants and they are already starting to be too big.  Hate that! 

Of course along with a food lifestyle change comes a change in activity level.  I need to exercise.  I keep feeling derailed on my goal to ran a 5K.  First the hip and now I"m out of the habit.  I keep saying that once I get a car I'll start going back.  It's just hard to make the time.  I want Audrey to have a stable bedtime.  Right now she's hitting 10 pm.  So I'm thinking I need to pick up Audrey (so my mom can go off to do her thing) and put her in the gym's daycare for an hour while I work-out.  They charge $4 a session.  I can handle that.  By the time it's all said and done, we would be home at about 7:30.  Not horrible; a little late for dinner but we'll adjust, right?  I must get off my ass.  If I get off of mine, then DH will get off of his.  Can't lose weight if you don't move.  I love DH as he is.  I think he's sexy and hot.  I really don't want him to change but if losing weight means I'll keep him longer than off to the gym we go. 

I"m thinking a big blog on New Year's resolutions will coming.  DH and I will be celebrating 10 years of wedded bliss next month.  10 years is not nearly long enough.  So if going wheatless, meatless, sodaless and whatever less is required, then I'm in.  For better or worse, in sickness or in health . . .
  I'm beginning to think we should have added something about food or allergies into our vows.  :)

DH and Audrey on her 1st Christmas Eve.

Wheat-free not Calorie-free

Okay so the number one thing I hear about going wheat-free is "Wow, I hear you can lose a lot of weight doing that."  I guess people just want to be positive; you know find the silver lining.  I think it doesn't help that I've lost about 30 lbs since I went wheat-free. But the research actual shows that usually people that go wheat-free/gluten-free gain weight.

So why the gaining of weight?  I think it comes down to this: wheat-free is not calorie-free.  People are always looking for the easy fix, which means buying things labeled wheat-free and stuffing your face til you are so full you can walk.  What's wrong with this approach?  Well it is wheat-free but not calorie-free so you are still overeating and not exercising so you gain weight.  Processed food is processed food so you get calories from the sugar and the other stuff in the food.

I think the only reason I lost weight is that instead of buying lots of replacement gluten-free versions of processed foods I was eating homemade items and lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Basically I was eating healthy without wheat.  It's only been in the last few months that I've been buying gluten-free bread, muffins and cake.  Weight loss has stopped since I discovered processed gluten-free food.  I make this wonderful fat-fill wheat-free cakes and stuff my face.  Not going to loss weight by eating chocolate cake, even if it wheat-free.  So in closing, wheat-free is not calorie-free.  Even we wheat-free peeps have to watch the calorie counts and use portion control.  Just because my Carl's Jr burger is half the calories since it has no bun does not mean I should eat 2 to make up for it.  Maybe I'll try the tofu noddles, I hear those are wheat-free and almost calorie free too but they are pretty price so we'll see.

Wheatfree Chocolate Cake, my downfall

Random Recipe: Wheat-free Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes

So I'm starting to get more adventurous with my cooking.  I'm a follow the recipe kind of person but I'm trying to adapt my old recipes for wheat-filled things for my new wheat-free life.  I'll be posting my experiements, successes and failures.  We learn from everything so we'll see how much I learn :)

I have always loved pecan pancakes.  So I dusted off the recipe and gave them a wheatless whirl.  Word of caution, I'm labeling things wheat-less not gluten-free because I live in a mixed house.  Cross contamination heaven to say the least.  Besides I read labels and look for wheat not gluten so read your labels!

Martha's Wheatless Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick Gluten-free Mix
2 cups Whole Milk
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
3 handfuls of pecans chopped via food processor

Mix.  I added the pecans last but I don't think order really matters.  Cook and serve.
This yielded about 14 pancakes.

I put lots of butter and syrup.  I would post a pic but I was lucky to get any to eat so forget the pics.  My personal feelings where they were great but next time I will add a bit of sugar and a dash of vanilla.  My dad and DH both said for me to cut the pecans out.  My mom enjoyed them plain with nothing but a bit of butter and normally she hates pancakes.  So that's the skinny on the pancakes.  Let me know if there are tweeks or suggestions to make them better.

Wheat filled panic

Last Friday I had a moment of panic followed by a moment of being overwhelmed.  We were at the indoor playarea at the mall.  Since Audrey doesn't go to daycare I try to take her places where she can meet other children and play and with the Texas heat it needs to be indoors.  She loves the slide in the area and just climbs and slides, climbs and slides.  Love to hear go "WWEEEEEEEE" during each slide and of course the instant clapping and fit of giggles. 

So the panic was this, there is a TV area where Audrey likes to see and watch herself on camera.  I noticed and then she noticed that there was something orangy on the floor next to her.  First thought in my head "goldfish."  I instantly grabbed it to make sure she didn't pop it in her mouth.  Now how long this orangy thing had been there I have no clue.  It was a top, no wheat but nothing something that any child should be eating.  I panicked; I dashed; I tried to make sure my baby would be okay.  After a moment of relief, I just had a moment of being overwhelmed with the whole allergy thing.  I hated that I was so worried.  I hated that no other parent had freaked out and grabbed this thing.  I hated that it felt so unfair.  I should have worried that she would choke on a piece of plastic not that she would eat a damn goldfish.  I hated the whole situation.

After my little pity party, I got some clarity and then later a true reality check.  I mean I am so lucky.  Audrey's allergy isn't going to kill her.  There are so many moms that have to deal with deadly allergies and all I have to worry about is a horrible stomach ache and broken out skin.  But it is a big deal to me.  I don't want my daughter to hurt.  If I can prevent the pain then I try to.  Later that night on the way home we got milkshakes.  No big deal, right?  Well Audrey and DH both spent the night in agony.  So there I had been worried about a goldfish and the turned around and fed her wheat anyways.  I didn't even think to ask about the milkshake base.  Yeah, I worry and things still get by me.  I guess you can say I'm still learning the ropes.

1 year wheatfree

So Audrey and I are celebrating our one year anniversary of being totally wheat free.  Which means it's been a year since Audrey was released from the hospital for a UTI.  While the doctor never said so (since she's a twit and doesn't believe in the food/body connection) I totally believe it was our eating wheat like it was going out of style for the two months prior that lead to the UTI. 

To be honest, I had been ignoring the signs of her allergy.  The broken out skin, the gas, the night fits, I had my head in the sand.  Thinking back now, I don't know why or how I could do that.  I was upset about the move and all I wanted to was feel normal to eat like a normal person.  So I did.  So we did.  So Audrey paid for it.  All my fault.

Once we brought our baby home I went totally wheat-free.  With the exception of communion each Sunday, I've had no wheat for the last year.  I do miss wheat.  There are times I watch people eat doughtnuts or hamburgers and think man I really want to eat one.  Just one bite can't hurt.  But it does so I don't. 

I got a Facebook comment from a momma who is going gluten-free for her child.  I could hear the stress in her comment and it made me realize that I don't talk too much about my wheatless life, anymore.  Once I came to see it as my normal, once I stopped fighting it, I just stopped talking about it.  I'll try to remember to talk about the struggles.  To remember that helplessness I felt when I first when wheatfree and the joy/calm that still comes over me when I meet other wheatless folk.  So I'll try to share tips and reviews and the such. 

So tip number 1, if you have just gone wheatless/gluten-free know that you are not alone.  Know you can do it.  Know that it is okay to morn the loss of wheat. 

It is amazing what you can do when you don't have a choice

So I've heard it so many times, "I couldn't do it.  I have no idea how you . . . "

The . . . can be just about anything in my life.  The wheat-freeness, breastfeeding a toddler, babywearing, co-sleeping, or the homebirthing.  I think in this country we have been TV fed the idea that we can't do things.  We can't wear a baby it's not safe you must have a stroller.  Breastfeeding, why would you do that when you can just give the baby formula.  Home birth, are you stupid?  Only a doctor is qualified to deliver a baby.  You'll die without an epidural; you can't handle the pain.  Why do we buy into all of those things?  It is amazing how powerful we are as humans, as women, as moms. 

Now I'll admit that I have chosen my crunchy wheatfree life.  Yes, I could have gone to the hospital and had an epidural.  Yes, I can stop breastfeeding and kill a hamburger.  Yes, she would cry but I could move Miss Audrey to her own bed.  Why not buy a stroller?  These are choices that I have made and therefore I am choosing to live my life this way.  But what about things that you don't have a choice about?

I have a friend who had PUP, which if you don't know what it is Google it.  She actually told me that she didn't know how I live wheat-free.  I am in awe of her.  She had PUP and let her baby be born on his own time.  Most women with PUP have an induction at 38 weeks, the stress on the body and the mental strain are incredible.  She ended up going for almost 42 weeks, a full month more than the norm.  She is incredible!  If she can do that she can do anything.  Makes going wheat-free seem so small.

So what can we do if we 'have' to?  People have super human strength when they need to save their child.  We are amazing creatures.  You could go wheat-free.  It's not that hard.  People are doing it for fun.  If your health depended on it, you could do it.  Don't even get me started on the crunchy life.  Trust me you can do it.  Life is all about choices.  My choices are my own and yes they are not for everyone but just because you didn't doesn't mean you couldn't. 

When you stop fighting . . .

So people who don't know me very well are always asking me about my homebirth.  "How in the world did you do that?"  My response is always the same, "When I stopped fighting the pain, the pain went away." 

Saturday, DH and I had a long talk about our current &  future wheat-less life.  He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "When you stop fighting the pain of being wheatless, it will become normal."  He's right.  Now that I've stopped fighting being wheat-less, I am finding it easier to be wheatless.  I'm actually okay with the idea of being wheatless for the rest of my life.

So I guess everything I ever needed to learn I learned during my homebirth.  Okay not really but still, there is a big life lesson.  Stop fighting and go with the flow.  Trust that everything will be okay; trust that if you let go, it can be okay.  As a friend of mine always says, "Let go and Let God."

Changing my name but keeping the ring

So you might have notice that Martha is a First Time Mommy is now Wheat-less Mama.  Why the name change?  Since Miss Audrey B. is now over a year old and my blog is almost two years old, I thought a change might be good but also the focus has changed a bit.
  When I started blogging, I was just keeping an online diary of my pregnancy for my family and friends.  Now I've expanded to my family life in general and affects of a wheat-less life on me.  Wheat-less Mama just makes sense at the moment.  I'm a mama and thanks to the funny twists in life, I'm a wheat-less one.  I hope you'll keep reading as I babble on about motherhood, womanhood, and wheat-free living.

I'm jealous

Okay so yesterday I was in the grocery store and I randomly looked at a women's cart and I felt a stab of jealousy. Her cart was full of processed foods. I was jealous because next to her was her son. She was a mom and her cart was full of Mac and cheese, oreos, and bunches of other crap.

Yes i was jealous. Not of the "foods" she had but of the carefree nature of the cart. That mom did not think she just dumped. Her concern, can i afford is? Will we eat this? Not will this hurt my child. I don't mean to sound hateful but yes for a minute I was green with jealousy.

I never pictured my life with food allergies. When DH's food allergy test came back with wheat and yeast (among other things), I was upset. It meant a change in our diet. We tried to go totally wheat free but 8 years ago the wheat free food was hard to find and it was mostly horrible. So DH just dealt with the pain. As a grown man he can choose to eat what he wants so our diet didn't change as much as it should of. Basically we would go wheat free when his allergies were just too much.

So it was part of our lives but not the focus. I totally never thought my children would have to deal with allergies. I mean DH was 25 before his allergies were 'discovered.'. So when Audrey was screaming in pain nightly at 3 weeks old, I discovered a new phase in my life, the wheatless phase.

As long as I am breastfeeding I am wheat-free. That might be two years maybe four tops depending on when Audrey totally weans but I'll be a concerned label reading mama for the rest of my life. I'll always have to ask what is in that before Audrey eats it. I won't have that carefree grocery cart, I don't think i'll ever have that carefree cart. So yes I was jealous. I love Audrey and DH and that means I'll always have a semi-wheat-free life. But if my choices are bread and Oreos or Audrey and DH then I'll never eat and oreo again.

Living the wheat-free life

So far living wheat-free is not as horrible as it was when DH tried to go wheat-free back in 2004. The number one thing was the discovery of Udi's bread. I love sandwiches and the finding of a decent wheat-free bread has been a God-send! I'm still working on finding pizza.

I don't want Audrey to grow-up feeling like she is missing out. Being wheat-free shouldn't be some sort of horrible sentence. I'm finding that gluten-free items are getting better and easier to find. I've also found that finding people who are also wheat-free is so helpful. It's amazing how much easier it seems when you can ask someone for advice.

It has been great for my waistline! I've lost about 30 lbs post baby. I thinkn some of it was breastfeeding but the other part has been the diet change. One thing I haven't done is see a dietitian for advice but I figure as long as Audrey is growing then we are okay. Breastmilk is prefect food even when we don't eat perfectly.