Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Going Vegetarian......Again

Well, here we go again. I had been eating meat and as always, my chronic pain issues have increased. Seems to go with the territory. Ever time I quit the vegetarian style of eating, I start having problems. So, I am getting serious with the vegetarian diet again.

This time around though, I am taking it a step further. I already know that Micah cannot have dairy without getting stomach and bowel problems. Too much meat does the same thing to him. I am gathering recipes for gluten-free foods for us. I am curious as to what that may do for us all. Gluten is a big problem with many autistic children. I am wondering how Micah would do if I gradually cut out the gluten.

Making the change all at once is difficult. I am finding that many gluten-free foods are very pricey. With that in mind, I am gathering recipes to try out that will allow me to make the foods from scratch. While the packaged foods are expensive, making them yourself doesn't have to be.

I was recently given the book "Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies" by a dear friend. In it, they have a recipe for a gluten-free flour mix to use in place of all-purpose flour. The various flours used in the mix may be harder to find, but I am sure that I will find them at an affordable price. I love to be challenged in my cooking. Learning to make everything gluten-free & dairy-free will be a great opportunity for me to stretch my abilities.

Micah has often turned away when we try to feed him meat. At times, he will even spit it out. It seems as though I am simply allowing him his own choice in this. At 3 yrs old, he rarely will eat meat without a fuss. I have mentioned to others often that if it were not for the yogurt, cheddar cheese, and eggs that he eats, Micah would be vegan.

I am looking forward to learning to convert family favorite recipes into a gluten-free, dairy-free alternative. From what I am seeing, it won't be a difficult transition. I will have to find a hand-cranked grinder to mill the grains into flour. This will be the most economical way to get the flours we need to make a good, nutrient loaded flour mix for making our breads and other foods.

Another option that I am adding is raw foods. There are many easy recipes to make that fall into this category. With the hot summer days ahead, I am also looking at the fact that I won't have to heat up the kitchen when making the meals. I already have known that the closer to raw a vegetable or fruit are, the higher thier nutrient levels and the more calories that are burned to digest the food. Overall, it is an excellent option for us.

I am so blessed that Joe supports his change. He enjoys trying the new recipes along with us. Being on the truck most of the time, he is able to get meat daily if he wants to while at a truck stop or through the home canned meals I send with him. When he is home though, he eats the vegetarian diet with us. I love that!

8 comments:

Sharon said...

You might check out this blog.
http://www.texashomesteader.com/
She used to do alot of gluten free meals for one of her children. Now she is trying a different diet for them but she had tons of reciepes for the gluten free diet.
Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Hello:

I read your blog pretty regular, but have never left a comment. I have a daughter with autism. She is highly functioning. Gluten free did not make a difference for her, but staying away from preservatives and chemical additives has. There is a website called Mennonite Girls Can Cook. One of the contributors regularly adds gluten free recipes. There are many to choose from. I have been able to find many gluten free flours at our local Amish bulk store. Hope this helps. Jeanette

Denise said...

You might want to try Pleasant Hill Grain on the net to get your grains and mill. They have a big assortment of grains. They come in big buckets so you'll have to make room for them ;). Lehman's also have manual mills. We got our manual mill from Pleasant Hill though and then got attachment to use on my mixer which makes grinding go faster but its nice to have a manual back up for that too. Emergency Essentials also carry grains.

Bean said...

You may want to eliminate sugar from your diet as well as it is a cause of much inflammation and is very destructive to the body. There is a good book out called, Suicide by Sugar, if you google, you will easily find the authors website, she lists all of the many, many, ill effects of sugar on the body. It is possible that elimination of meat and sugar will end the body aches that you experience.
I think it is lovely that your husband is so supportive. We eat meat, but we have eliminated many unhealthy eating habits, no sugar, no pop, I gave up caffeine, my husband no longer eats processed lunch meats, we both eat a lot of vegetables, I have taken up regular walking. I can tell you the changes we have made have drastically improved my well being!

Peace and all goodness

Rita said...

I agree with Bean about sugar, but, it is so addictive and I know I consume some still, but much less than I did a number of years ago.

The other thing that concerns me about food is all the GMO's. In regard to sugar, I think that the sugar beets are GMO now.

Soybeans were one of the first GMO's.

I think that some people are much more sensitive than others, and we should be grateful for them and listen to their feelings. If Micah hasn't wanted to eat certain foods, there may be a health reason.
My daughter never liked bread, pizza and many other wheat products. Guess what? She has Celiac, diagnosed in her 20's. I wish I had known when she was an infant.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your eating/cooking changes. All any of us can do is try. God bless!!

Plainlady's Ponderings said...

Keep us updated on how it goes!!1

Anonymous said...

P.S. Emergency Essentials is my "go to" place online for dehydrated & bulk foods. Love them & love their service.

Here's their web addy in case you'd like to know:

http://beprepared.com

God bless~ Andrea