What I Eat: Tuna Salad on rice cake

 Had a real hankering for tuna this morning. These are the vegetables I happened to have on hand today. Any vegetable will do, including carrot, radish, onion, parsley, sweet or hot pepper, snap peas...   I used:

1 small pouch tuna

1 small baby cucumber (peeled and sliced)

1/3 cup broccoli (chopped small)

1 tablespoon Vegenaise 

2 rice cakes

Why this fits with my diet: I make sure to get the tuna that is packed in water. The oil are questionable and could contain corn oil. The Vegenaise is a substitute for mayonnaise. Commercial mayonnaise contains white distilled vinegar which is a big no no. White vinegar is derived from corn. All forms of corn must be avoided to keep my Crohn's in remission. Vegenaise uses Apple Cider vinegar instead.

Study using diet as treatment

 Click on the link below to see how Dr. Michelle Pearlman is doing research into diet changes to control Crohn's and UC. Fascinating!

https://news.umiamihealth.org/en/could-food-be-medicine/?fbclid=IwAR2ASHv_tkbiTo4kH9042zDWAJKj2weFyH54EYiyIvzTG5v-98tPl-qWouc

Gluten Free Lasagna made with Jovial pasta

 Sometimes you just get an amazing craving for lasagna. I do. So last week I wanted some so badly. Of course I had to make my own since I am gluten and corn free. Here is the recipe I used but it may be tweaked as needed. 

These Jovial lasagna noodles held up nicely. The best thing is that I used them straight out of the box! No precooking needed. 

Why this fits in with my diet: I must avoid all gluten and corn as well as gluten and corn derivatives. The only ingredient that Jovial uses in these noodles is rice flour. I substitute Daisy cottage cheese for Ricotta which is usually used in lasagna. However ricotta is made with distilled white vinegar, which is derived from corn. Avoiding these things keeps my Crohn's from flaring.

Meat layer: 

1/2 pound ground meat (any)

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 green pepper (diced)

large handful fresh mushrooms

Cheese layer:

Large container Daisy cottage cheese (this brand does not use vinegar)

8 cheese sticks cut into small pieces (most precut or shredded cheese contain starches)

2 eggs

basil and oregano to taste

Alternate layers of pasta, meat and cheese until everything is used up. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake 375 for 50 minutes

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What I Eat: Green Banana Smoothie

 This smoothie makes a great breakfast and takes only minutes to make. I usually have all the ingredients available as staples in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

Large handful fresh spinach (at least a cup)

1 ripe banana (peeled)

1/3 cup Bob's Mills Muesli or fresh Gluten free oats

1 scoop protein powder (Amazing Greens or Warrior brands)

1 tsp ground flaxseed

3/4 cup Lactaid milk (or milk substitute)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy.

Why this fits into my diet: To stay in remission from Crohn's I avoid all gluten and corn, and gluten and corn derivatives. Bob's Mills uses gluten free oats. The protein powders are free from starches. Some protein powders contain malto-dextrin which is glutinous. I am lactose intolerant so I use the lactaid milk or almond milk. Flaxseeds, which are gluten free, add a nice amount of fiber.

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My Diet Basics (For keeping me in remission)

 Hello! Welcome to my Blog! It's been a while since I just went over the basics of how I beat Crohn's. So here is a review.

I have found through journaling and keeping track of everything I eat and drink, and the results, what I can and what I can not eat. Once the basics are learned it can be applied to any food.

Wheat

I started by eliminating all wheat in my diet. This meant pasta, bread, bagels, most cereals, muffins, cookies, cake, donuts etc. Anything that is made with flour. Wheat contains gluten. Now it would be fine to just avoid wheat,  except that gluten is found in other places even when there is no wheat flour. 

Gluten

There are other grains that contain gluten, not just wheat. These include barley, rye, and regular oats. However there are many grains that I can eat, such as millet, quinoa, buckwheat, tapioca, rice, amaranth, and gluten free oats. So there are plenty of flours I can use for baking my own breads etc.

Corn

I found that eliminating wheat and gluten was not enough. Corn was a big problem for me as well. In fact maybe more detrimental than the wheat and gluten. Corn unfortunately is everywhere. And goes by many names. Some examples are corn starch, corn meal, corn syrup, maize, hominy, popcorn, corn flakes and zein.

Soy Sauce

Big no no. Regular soy sauce is derived from wheat, not just soy. Chinese food was out. Had to learn how to cook it my self. There are substitutes, gluten free soy sauce and Bragg's liquid Aminos. 

Corn and Gluten derivatives

These are foods that are derived from wheat or corn, but you would never know it. This was KEY for me. It wasn't until I eliminated these foods that I achieved full remission. These include, but are not limited to: white distilled vinegar, mayo, pickles, ketchup, maltodextrin, malt, powdered sugar (sugar mixed with corn starch), mustard, salad dressings, and xanthan gum. A lot of these contain vinegar. I can use apple cider vinegar and use it on salads. 

It seems like it doesn't leave much to eat. It does. Now comes my blog. As you read further I have product reviews as well as recipes for foods that are safe for me. I never lack things to eat.

Meat and Other Proteins

I can eat any fish, chicken, beef and pork by itself. I can eat canned tuna or sardines packed in water. Its the breading and sauces that contain the gluten and corn derivatives that get me in trouble. I can also eat eggs, tofu and tempeh, as long as the tempeh does not contain barley, which some do. Any bean is ok. Canned beans sometimes contain corn syrup which must be avoided. Bacon must be free of corn syrup. It is possible to find a safe sausage but it's rare to find one free of gluten and corn derivatives.

I can not eat breaded meats, meats with sauce, meatballs or meatloaf (unless homemade), breaded or sauced fish or chicken. I also avoid hot dogs and lunch meats unless I know the ingredients. Hebrew National brand hot dogs are ok.

Fruits and Vegetables

I can eat literally any fruit or vegetable except corn. Now I must watch what goes on them. For salads I use olive oil and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. I use butter or Earth Balance margarine for cooked vegetables. 

Dairy

Dairy is not recommended for Crohn's since it can cause a lot of gas. I use Lactaid milk with no problem. I eat plain yogurt and add my own sweetener, usually honey. Many commercial yogurts contain corn syrup as a sweetener or corn starch. I like cottage cheese but it usually contains vinegar. One exception is Daisy brand cottage cheese, made without vinegar. Not a fan of cheese, but hen I do it is most safe cut directly from the block. Shredded cheese may have unwanted starch.

Drinks

Other than water I can drink natural juices, soda made with real sugar (Pepsi Real sugar), lactaid or other milk substitutes, coffee and tea with natural sweeteners, and seltzer water.

I can not drink soda made with corn syrup. I avoid protein and energy drinks. Too many ingredients.

Alcoholic Drinks

I am able to drink wine and brandy as they are derived from fruit. 

I avoid all grain alcohol such as beer, whiskey, scotch and vodka.

How to Get Started

The first step for me was keeping a journal. I wrote down literally everything I ate and drank. I also wrote down the bathroom results. In this way I could see which foods were making me flare. At first I didn't see a connection. Then I started realizing that the foods which gave me problems contained either gluten or corn, or derivatives of gluten and corn. 

Please read further in my blog for recipes and products that are gluten and corn free.

The SCD Specific Carbohydrate Diet

This diet designed for IBD and Crohn's has been around for a long time. Though not yet accepted by the medical community, it has shown promise anecdotally and in some studies. My diet is close. actually a bit less restrictive. When I first designed my diet I had not heard of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Its amazing how close they are. The following charts taken out of my book, How I Beat Crohn's,  compares the two diets on what can and can not be eaten. This book is available through Amazon.

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Siete Mini Buñuelos

  I will say that I was not familiar with bunuelos before this week. They are delicious round pieces of dough or flour tortillas fried and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. They are served around Christmas and New Years Eve. Popular among hispanic families.

Siete has taken these special treats and made them into a delicious chip that is also gluten and corn free! Siete grain free mini Bunuelos. These capture the spirit of the dessert without the work or the gluten.

First off, they are crunchy. Really crunchy. Sprinkled with cinnamon and coconut sugar is a great combination. They also add some vanilla for more flavor layering.

Calorie wise they are not bad at all, 130 calories for a one ounce serving. I was also happy to see that they use avocado oil. And a nice addition is the use of psyllium. Psyllium is great for getting things moving.

I ate these plain right out of the bag. But I can see using them with a cheese or fruit dip. Maybe even a  chocolate dip. 

Why these chips fit in perfectly with my diet to control Crohn's: Siete uses cassava flour instead of wheat. Cassava is gluten free but also lends to a firmer texture which is missing in some gluten free products. It is also free from corn and corn derivatives. The sugar comes from coconut and not corn syrup.

All in all a big hit with my family!

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Siete extra large burrito wraps and enchilada sauce

 Had the most delicious dinner yesterday. Huevos rancheros. Basically this is made from a tortilla topped with enchilada sauce, cheese and a sunny side egg. 

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have these. I keep my Crohn’s under control by avoiding all gluten and corn. I also avoid all gluten and corn derivatives. One such corn derivative is white distilled vinegar. White vinegar will send me into a flare. 

Siete extra large burrito wraps use cassava and tapeoca flours. These fit in perfectly with my diet. I also purchased Siete enchilada sauce. This worked since they use apple cider vinegar. Not only does it fit in with my diet but it also adds a nice flavor to the sauce. 

Note the use of apple cider vinegar:

The extra large burritos were just that, extra large. Dinner plate size. I took advantage of the size to stuff them with leftover food for dinner. A few days later when I made the Huevos rancheros I stuffed them with sauteed peppers, mushrooms and red onions. One burrito was enough for a meal.  The burritos held up very well. No cracking. I simply threw them on a hot pan for about 20 seconds on each side with a bit of olive oil. 

The enchilada sauce had a wonderful chipotle or paprika flavor to it which we really enjoyed. Nice consistency to the sauce. Thick enough to stay on the burrito wrap.  It comes in a good size jar so there is a lot left for other experiments. 

All in all I found two great items that fit in with my diet.  They would be delicious even if I didn't need to be gluten free, as my husband, who is not gluten and corn free, can attest to. He had never had Huevos rancheros before but now it is one of his new favorite meals. 

Yesterday morning I used some of the enchilada sauce with my scrambled eggs. it was like a spicy ketchup. I can not use ketchup for two reasons. One is because it uses the white distilled vinegar. and second is because it is made with corn syrup. the enchilada sauce was wonderful.

The Good Bean

 Looking for a way to oomph up a meal or add super crunch to a salad? These little chic peas add a nice crunchy salty flavor. Add them to foods or eat a handful as a snack.

There are 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in each serving. Also only 120 calories. They contain nice simple ingredients of chic peas, sunflower or safflower oil and sea salt.  Although they come in other flavors, I recommend sticking with the sea salt as they may contain corn derivatives.

Available at a whole range of stores including; Whole Foods, CVS, Krogers, 7-eleven, Costco, Walmart and online at Amazon.

The addition of these chic peas fits perfectly into my restrictive diet. My diet eliminates all gluten, corn, and gluten and corn derivatives. This keeps me in remission from Crohn's through diet alone. I am not on any medicine for Crohn's at all. One other nice thing about this snack is that it contains sunflower and safflower oils as opposed to corn oil, which is found in a lot of crunchy snacks. Corn even in the form of oil is a big no-no.

I added these to my salad as well as a vegetarian cauliflower dish I made. The contrasting textures were amazing! See pictures below.

Beanitos

 For those of you missing corn tortilla chips this was a wonderful find! Beanitos skips the corn and uses beans to make these delicious and healthy chips.

The texture is very similar to corn, firm yet crunchy. Just the right amount of sea salt. Perfect size for dipping. I brought a bag of these chips with me while visiting my brother. While I was there my friends and family tried them and loved them. They do not need to eat gluten and corn free but still enjoyed them immensely. 

They contain 5 grams of protein per serving, not surprising since the main ingredient is beans. There is also a nice 4 grams of fiber per serving as well. The ingredients are beans, rice flour, tapioca flour, sunflower oil and sea salt. Pure and simple.

I recommend sticking with the black bean with sea salt, restaurant style with white beans,  Pinto bean with sea salt, as well as the Beanitos Dippers made with white beans and sea salt.

The most important thing is that these chips fit in with my restrictive diet. I must avoid all gluten and corn as well as corn derivatives. There is no corn in these chips. I would avoid the flavored chips as they can contain some corn derivatives. 

These chips can be found at Whole Foods and other natural retailers as well as on line at Amazon. Great with your favorite salsa. I used Whole Foods mango salsa.

What I Eat: Ful mudamas

 

This dish is a mainstay in the Middle East. Usually eaten for breakfast.  I prefer it for a healthy vegetarian dinner. 

Start with a cup of plain yogurt in a bowl. To the yogurt add 1 tablespoon tahini and one minced garlic clove. Stir. Add half a can drained chic peas. Top with chopped tomatoes and parsley. Add a nice drizzle of olive oil and at least two tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Finish by sprinkling it with paprika. I like a lot. 

It tastes best when heated in the microwave for a minute. Gently stir all the goodness together. 

Why this fits in with my diet: I can eat any fruit or vegetable except corn. There is no gluten in this recipe. Also no corn or corn derivatives. Everything is fresh. 

I do try to avoid milk products for the most part but I can tolerate yogurt. Though it will occasionally cause gas.

If you like babagunash and tabouli you will appreciate this recipe.