Interesting/power of the grain

My husband and I went to dinner a few days ago at a local Ethiopian restaurant. So delicious. But injera, the main "bread" used to wrap food in while you eat with your hands, is made from teff, an ancient grain that has a very low gluten content. Dinner was wonderful, and I didn't feel the fog/sleepiness that usually followed after a wheat-based dinner...

However...

I've been holding steady weight-wise at 207.8# for about a week and a half now. Down from my last weight before going wheat free = 211.6#.

The day after the Ethiopian dinner....weight = 211#!!
Whaaah?

This morning...back to 208.2# (after a normal day of very low-carb eating)

Wow. The power of the grain (ANY grain). Must have water-absorbing properties out the wazoo.
Just thought I'd share this with you all, and see if there are any thoughts on the subject.

Dr. Davis lists teff on the VERY OCCASIONAL consumption list, and I think he's right!! Special occasions ONLY!

Yipes. About to go about my business, making breakfast:
Two eggs over-medium
Some delicious Cheddar-Gruyere Melange cheese from Trader Joe's (just discovered this little gem yesterday) melted over the eggs
Two strips of Uncured Bacon (the uncured is REALLY important!) from TJ's. (My husband hates that abbreviation for Trader Joe's but I'm puttin' it in here anyway, and will use it in future posts. :P)

Guilt-free Hot Chocolate

I adapted the recipe off the Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder box to suit my needs:

2 tbsp cocoa powder (seriously, just buy the Hershey's. Store brand doesn't come close. And don't get the Dutch cocoa - just the regular unsweetened powder.)
2 stevia packets (I like Trader Joe's brand or Truvia, which is technically an erythritol/stevia blend)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Dash salt (go with sea or kosher salt)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (LOVE LOVE LOVE Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla kind. Use it in my coffee, for baking, everything. It's the best I've tried. Tons of calcium and only 40 cals per 8 oz. serving...awesome.)

Mix the cocoa powder, stevia, vanilla extract, and salt in a mug. Stir the mixture a bit to form a semi-paste. In a separate mug, heat the almond milk for 1.5 minutes or until hot enough to your liking. 

*MAKES ONE DELICIOUS SERVING*   :)

First Temptation

My first serious temptation away from the new normal happened today. I'm a Pampered Chef consultant, and I made brownies for a show today. I DID NOT EAT A SINGLE BROWNIE, not even when there were leftovers. This is MONUMENTAL for me, since I realllllly wanted some of those brownies. Resisting felt like a huge achievement, and remembering how gross I'd feel if I ate a bunch of sugar...and how gross the brownie would ultimately taste in my mouth...was helpful. Seriously, I am really sensitive to sweet tastes now. Unsweetened applesauce tastes like candy.

A typical day...so far

A typical day, food-wise:

Breakfast: two eggs over medium, pan-fried in olive oil; 2-3 strips of turkey bacon or UNCURED center-cut bacon

Lunch: Either the same as breakfast OR several leaves of romaine lettuce wrapped around mix of tuna, white kidney beans, crumbled goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette (homemade, using The Pampered Chef Mix 'n Pour - balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard for emulsification), and Penzey's Fox Point seasoning (LOVE this stuff!)

Dinner: mixed greens salad with tuna or ground beef, walnuts, crumbled Gorgonzola, carrots, balsamic vinaigrette. Used to throw in Trader Joe's orange-flavored dried cranberries but gradually phasing those out.

Snacks: three oz. cheddar cheese and a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter; handful of raw almonds

* Another satisfying mix is a small container of PLAIN Greek yogurt, The Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus spice blend, packet of stevia, and chopped pecans. *

 

Welcome

Hi. My name is Emily, and I'm a carbo-holic. I have had a tortured, destructive love affair with carbs, particularly wheat, my whole life. At one point in my angsty teenage years, I was up to six bagels a day. Six!!! My weight has correspondingly fluctuated over the years, young adulthood = lowest, 130, highest, 218lbs. My facial skin has been a wreck most of my life, moving from teenage acne to currently, full-blown papulopustular rosacea. I've also struggled with mental illness most of my life.

I've decided to make the leap. Dive in head-first. I'm giving up wheat, forever. Most grains too. Sugar as much as possible. This blog will chronicle my journey, documenting how my new wheat-free life will affect my mood, my appetite, my social interactions, and HOPEFULLY, my skin.

I'm scared and excited. It might be a difficult road, but I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. My two inspirations for this leap are my friend Eric Mason and Dr. William Davis' book Wheat Belly and corresponding cookbook. I hope for and welcome suggestions from readers as I embark on my journey.

Dr. Davis' blog: www.wheatbellyblog.com