Doctors and Diets and Goaties

Did well with diet yesterday. Didn't have any gluten at all. Snacked on pecans. By the time we got done with the doctor (more about that later), I was too wiped to cook so we stopped by McDonald's. I had salt-free medium fries, orange juice, and some of my split-peas with bacon from my crockpot. Not bad, right? Had a dark chocolate bar for a snack.

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Anyway, first things first. I e-mailed with a Nigerian Dwarf goat farmer in Conifer, just a bit west of Denver so not far away. She won't have the number of milking goats that I need by May but might have one. So I found 2 more breeders not too far away (Kiowa and Colorado Springs) and am in contact with them. Perhaps between the three of them, we can get 4 milking does and in the Fall, 1 non-related buck to breed with them. The first woman is even willing to show us how she raises them, what she feeds them, cares for them, and, most importantly, how to milk them!

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Some research I did on infertility showed me not only how gluten sensitivity effects hormones (more on that below) but that I should completely cut out all cow's milk products. Ah man! I'm a cow's milk addict! I find a gallon of milk half-off, a day or two before the expiration date, and it's all gone by the next day. I love swiss cheese, provolone, and cream cheese. I love greek yogurt (you know, the really thick almost-sour-cream-texture yogurt).

But no more. Sigh.

We went to Vitamin Cottage today, for several reasons. One was to get some flavored goat yogurt for when I get the craving. I also got a big container of plain goat yogurt to use as sour cream. I'm making tacos tonight. Yum... lots of onions, gluten-free salsa (Wal-Mart brand - great job, guys!), and lettuce. Ooops. Forgot the lettuce.

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Which reminds me, when Hubby gets home, we need to take a load of toys and craft materials to the local children's hospital. Maybe we'll get some lettuce on the way home.

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I'm all over the place today! Anyhoo... while I was doing more research last night on how gluten sensitivity effects hormones, well... OMG! Every source I found online supports that almost every one of my symptoms and possibly most of my disabilities, can be attributed in some way to my gluten sensitivity. I don't have gluten-intolerance (that is mostly the stomach problems associated with gluten-products: wheat, rye, barley and uncertified oats). So... I made the right move taking gluten back out of my diet. It turns out that for most people, gluten-intolerance creates a mal-absorption of nutrients and fat globules which causes the person to lose weight. In other people, those with gluten sensitivity, the mal-absorption of nutrients and fat globules causes the person to GAIN weight. Is my research right? Could this explain why, even when I eat healthy but with gluten, that I still pack on the weight? And why, when I delete gluten, I seem to drop the weight with barely any effort?

I'll keep you informed.

Meanwhile, I've planned out my diet to make sure I don't eat one grain more than others. For example:

Breakfast will be either certified gluten-free oats or granola made from them, puffed millet cereal with rice milk, goat yogurt or quiche.

Lunch will be homemade flax crackers (I'll post the recipe when I get a chance) with tuna salad, peanut butter, egg salad, hummus, or perhaps (especially in the Summer) salad, or organic non-hormone hot dogs with gluten-free purchased hot dog buns.

Here's the dinner schedule for the grains/starches, not just for me but for the whole family. Of course, the main dish will depend on what I feel like cooking, whether the picky-eater Kid will eat what I fix, and whether I'm cranky or not!

Monday: quinoa
Tuesday: potato (not a grain but still...)
Wednesday: corn
Thursday: rice (in the form of pasta)
Friday: amaranth
Saturday: leftovers!
Sunday: rice

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Now to the doctor part. My cough has gotten worse, not better, so I called my provider yesterday and was requested to come in immediately to make sure I don't have pneumonia. I had no temp, blood pressure was average, but pulse was high. A chest x-ray showed I have congestion which might be just bronchitis or could be pneumonia, so they put me on a couple of medications and sent me home. Unfortunately the two new medications kept me awake all night so I sat in the living room with my heavy robe on and read the first 324 pages of Stephen King's "Under the Dome" - love it! After Hubby got up, I packed his lunchbox and he left, I took a Nyquil (yes, at 6:45 a.m.!) and my morning dose of meds, and slept off and on for about 2 hours. By then, the elephants in the apartment above were up and disruptive, as usual, so I woke up the kid, and headed out. I hadn't moved my car since the last snow so I scraped it off, with the help of 2 passing garbagemen (thanks, guys!) and went to Vitamin Cottage.

I needed more gluten-free bread for the Kid, got that goat yogurt for me (and more for the Kid), some raw goat milk cheese for me (tacos tonight, remember?) and some detox tea. Hoping the tea will help push out the remnants of gluten quicker. We'll see.

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I also scheduled a gyn appointment for Jan 6 ... follow up about a lump I found near by left breast. Seems to be reduced byt needs to be checked out again. Plus I want a hormone workup.

Ok... time to get something for lunch. It's about 12:41. Kid hasn't eaten anything since his goat-yogurt breakfast either. Hubby just called (as always, during lunch). I'm gonna eat then take a nap. Or, at least, try. Have a great day, all.

Vikki