Fruit salad

 One thing that I love to eat, especially in the summer, is fruit salad. Any and all fruit agrees with me. Full of soluble fiber to feed my micro-dome I eat fruit several times a day.  There are also tons of nutrients. Today I had mine with my homemade banana bread.

Fruits can also be blended into a smoothie or juiced.

One note: Not recommend to eat seeded fruit during an active flare. This would include such fruits as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. 

Perfect combination when paired with yogurt.

#crohns #crohnsflare #glutenfree #cornfree #foodasmedicine #curecrohns #howibeatcrohns

#healnaturally #crohnsdiet #dietforcrohns

Ful Madamas

 Ful Mudamas is a middle eastern food usually served for breakfast. The flavors are amazing. If you like stuffed grape leaves and humus, you will like this. We usually have it for dinner. Traditionally this recipe uses fava beans. However they are sometimes hard to find. I use chic peas in stead.

Why this fits in with my diet to control Crohn's: First off and most importantly this dish is gluten and corn free. And although it does contain dairy, the benefit from the yogurt offsets the potential gassiness. Always check that the yogurt is pure and free from added starches, which they sometimes do. 

Ingredients:

2 cups plain yogurt

1 can chic peas

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic (optional)

2 tomatoes

large bunch of parsley

4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

olive oil (to taste)

paprika (to taste)

Directions:

1. Divide yogurt, tahini and chic peas between two bowels. 
2. Mince garlic and divide between bowels
3. rough chop tomatoes and parsley and divide
4. drizzle with olive oil
5. drive with lemon juice
6. sprinkle paprika
7. heat in microwave for 60 to 90 seconds

Enjoy! Makes 2 servings

#Fulmudamas #cornfree #glutenfree #crohns #foodasmedicine

#crohnsflare #crohnsdiet #naturalcurecrohns #SCD

Making Substitutions: Soy Sauce

 Soy Sauce

Regular soy sauce is full of gluten. Many people who decide to go gluten free will give up the breads, bagels, cereals etc. But forget about sauces made with soy sauce. Gluten is found abundantly in this delicious condiment. And who doesn't love asian cooking?

 Solution (two actually): Gluten free soy sauce (Also known as Tamari) or Bragg's liquid aminos. I use both depending on availability. They taste very similar to me. Once they are mixed in with sauces and food, there is no difference.

Why these fit in with my diet to keep my Crohn's in remission: I avoid all gluten and corn. Regular soy sauce, with all its gluten would put me in a flare

This is why I must avoid all sauces and mystery seasonings. Unless I make it myself or know ALL the ingredients, I avoid it. 

So if you are bothered by Chinese take out, it may be a hint that it is actually the gluten in the soy sauce that upsets your stomach.

Some Chinese restaurants (PF Changs for one) offer gluten free sauce. I also occasionally get Chinese food without sauce. Just steamed vegetables with plain meat. But I also make sure that there is no starch on the meat. All that said, I usually make it myself to be 100 percent sure. 

Bonus, here's my recipe for Corn and Gluten free Sichuan beef:

https://howibeatcrohns-lynne.blogspot.com/search?q=sichuan

What I Eat: Hummus

 Hummus. Creamy and flavorful. Healthy. Contains the good fats plus lots of fiber and protein. Makes a nice vegetarian meal by itself or as a side dish or appetizer. Great with any vegetable for dipping. Also good for gluten and corn free chips, such as Siete grain free products. 

Why this fits in with my diet: I am gluten and corn free, as well as gluten and corn derivative free. Hummus is made primarily of chic peas (Garbanzo), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and tahini (sesame seeds). I watch out for added starches or vinegars. White distilled vinegar is derived from corn and will send me into a flare. I also like the ease of getting a ton of veggies into me. 

I like to top mine with Zahtar (a mixture of spices including marjoram, thyme, sesame and sumac), olive oil and paprika. Always check the Zahtar label for added starches. 

I usually buy Sabra brand hummus. They don't add any starches or vinegars.

You can also make your own. Here's a link to a simple recipe I found online:

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hummus/

Rice with Lentils and Split Peas

This is super easy and delicious. Can be a side dish, a main dish or breakfast. Gluten and corn free so it fits in nicely with my diet. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties.

 Ingredients:

1 cup dry rice

1 and 1/2 cup water

1/3 cup dry lentils

1/3 cup split peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)

Directions:

1. Cook rice with water (rice steamer or on stove)

2. Fill a large pot half way with water, bring to boil

3. Add lentils and split peas to the pot

4. Simmer for at least 25 minutes

5. Drain lentils and split peas

6. Return to pot and stir in cooked rice

7. Season individual servings with olive oil, turmeric, salt and pepper

8. Top with fresh parsley

Makes 6 servings

This is a great food that I eat all the time. Great with leftovers, roasted vegetables or eggs.

#Crohns#cornfrree#glutenfree#cureCrohns#foodasmedicine#Crohnsdiet#riceandlentils

What I Eat: Rice

 Rice is a wonderful staple. It has been cultivated for 5000 years. A mainstay of many eastern cultures. Totally versatile. Delicious. Easy on the colon. Gluten free. And full of nutrition. Did you know there are more than 40,000 different kinds of rice?

White rice is the least nutritious. However other varieties boast nutrients such as manganese, niacin, thiamin, selenium magnesium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, riboflavin, b6, copper and folate. Rice also contains fiber and lignans which reduce cholesterol and may reduce the chances of breast cancer.

The down side: Rice has a high glycemic value, which means its not good for diabetics. It's also pretty high in calories. And in large amounts can contain heavy metals such as arsenic. Yikes! These are found mostly in the outer bran, making brown rice a bigger risk than white. Always rinse rice before cooking to rid some of these toxins, as well as dirt and critters.

Some Types of rice:

Basmati Rice

Used mostly in Indian cooking. This is a long grain rice with a slightly nutty taste. By far my favorite rice. It's texture is loose, as opposed to sticky. Also the least amount of heavy toxins.

Arborio Rice

This dish is usually used to make risotto dishes. It retains more starch than other types of rice. When cooked, it creates a creamy texture.

Black Rice

Also known as Forbidden rice, since back in the day it was for royalty only. High in antioxidants which give it the dark color. It has an earthy, nutty taste.

Jasmine Rice

Similar to Basmati but a shorter grain. Usually found in Chinese cooking. Very aromatic when cooking.

Brown Rice

More popular than white. Higher nutritious value. Many restaurants are now offering it as an alternative to white.

Red Rice

Known for its beautiful color and nutty flavor. The color is derived from antioxidants. 

Valencia Rice

Commonly grown in Valencia Spain. Absorbs more water than other grains and therefore more flavor.

Wild Rice

Actually not a rice but a grass that looks like rice. It is high in antioxidants. Usually mixed with other rice types but can also be eaten alone, though it takes a while to cook. May lower the glycemic value of white rice when wild rice is mixed in.

glutinous Rice

A misnomer, glutinous rice is actually gluten free. It does contain certain starches which lends to a sticky texture when cooked.

Oat Start Cookies

 Great find! Oat Start cookies. These come in three varieties; chocolate chip, cinnamon raisin and cran-blueberry. 

Right out of the box I knew they would be good. They came in a resealable plastic container where they can stay fresh for quite a while.  

These little cookies are 50 calories each with 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving. They hold a lot of nutrients with the oats, flaxseeds, fiber and dried fruits. 

The texture was very moist with no crumbling. Sweet but not too sweet. Nice consistency. 

These are available on their website   https://oatstart.com for 5.99 per package of one dozen   These cookies are little but nutrient dense. Very portable. They would make a good quick breakfast.

I brought these cookies with me when I went visit my brother this weekend. I had my brother and friends try them. Friends and family agreed they were really tasty even if you don’t need gluten free. 

I keep a very strict diet of no gluten or corn. I also avoid all gluten and corn derivatives, such as soy sauce and white distilled vinegar. Being on this diet, of my own making I have been in remission from Crohn's disease. This is through diet alone. These cookies fit in perfectly with my restrictive diet.

Black eyed peas with basmati rice

Fabulous dinner last night. A slight variation of typical beans and rice. I started with basmati rice and steamed it with turmeric and a bit of margarine. I like the texture of basmati. It separates nicely and doesn’t have that sticky texture. Then I simmered the black eye peas with fresh kale, tomatoes, curry powder, margarine, salt and pepper. Topped it all with fresh diced sweet onion and avocado.

All of these ingredients are in compliance with my diet that controls my Crohn's and keeps it in remission. All of the spices are pure, meaning no corn starch.

Any rice is good, I just prefer the texture of basmati.

I bought the beans precooked and frozen. Some canned beans may contain dextrose. Dextrose is a sugar that can be derived from corn. I avoid corn in every form. It seems like a small amount but it makes a difference. Always check the label on canned beans.