The Clerk

Buying tons of produce yesterday and to throw in for good measure.....some candy bars for my boy's next hiking expedition. The cart looked like a contrast in lifestyles and when I commented jokingly about it, the clerk with a very straight face said, "I haven't eaten one of those in years." I think being a dietitian that I am supposed to have a "clean cart" every time I shop, but my reality is that we do have some junk food around the house. The thoughts of what should be in my cart each time at the store are fleeting, and I don't obsess about who sees what. Still, I have to say I was impressed by the clerk. She was nonjudgmental. I think about people that I meet in my field and some of them are so extreme about things. They come off as very perfect, judgmental and in my opinion, perfection and being judgmental of someone else's diet and lifestyle habits do not serve anyone. Better to be compassionate, educate with love and understanding and meet people where they are in life. Nudging, rather than condemning, is always the best way to move someone forward. Kim www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Is it dishonest to omit a conversation as easily as you omit the salt?

You've heard of the cookbook Deceptively Delicious, yes? The premise is simple: create healthier versions of the old standbys and get your family to consume more vegetables without them even knowing it. What can be wrong about that? So why did I feel so guilty when my son David went for seconds and then thirds after serving up this dish? He didn't even know he was consuming a completely vegan quinoa dish full of sautéed Brussel's sprouts! Whoops! I guess I neglected to tell him.....just like he neglected to tell me that he found my husband's wedding ring on a side table and threw it into the yard when he was five (found out much later).....Mom's version of payback, I suppose! www.challengecancer.com

Going for Gluten!

Well, incredible. Back to my normal diet of whole grains and I have no bloat, no stomach pain, no anything! I started back slowly last night and today enjoyed some whole grain, homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast and a Thai lunch that I KNOW contained gluten. So, I'm feeling chipper and happy and just thought I'd send out the good news! www.challengecancer.com

10 Days to Intestinal Realization

The trend is over, at least for me. I feel a little silly for jumping on board the GF train without any particular symptoms, but I thought it would be fun to see what happened. My fun so far has included pretty extreme intestinal pain, bloating at almost every meal and weight gain. To be fair, I believe primarily eating refined GF products could be the cause of some of this. But my reality is that I travel quite a bit and live with family members who love pasta! While I pride myself on not being a "quitter", I pride myself even more on honoring my body. Perhaps you are thinking, "well, she's going to dig into some pasta tonight!" Actually, I found an awesome quinoa and Brussels sprouts recipe I will be making tonight! So, while I think the extreme (for me) gluten free diet is not for me....I have decided my new goal is to take this one step in a more reasonable direction: I am going to enjoy more whole grain alternatives, while returning to my groats, buckwheat and whole grains. As I always say, "nature is about balance" and I feel great about returning to a better balance! Now....what will be new for February? Stay tuned! www.challengecancer.com

Weight a minute!

It's spaghetti night in the Dalzell household and I've had just about enough. First I realized that between the gluten free pizza last night and my quinoa spaghetti tonight I am just not getting full (that's led to late night snacking) and then my scale revealed that I have put on two pounds since being on this gluten free diet! Top that insult off with the big freshly baked French bread within sniffing distance on the dinner table and you may understand my lack of enthusiasm. My past habit of eating whole grains has been replaced with consuming refined grains (the easiest transition from regular to gluten free, but not the healthiest) - so now I'm on a mission to cook up some good, whole alternative grain recipes for this week. Wish me luck and wish my hips luck too! www.challengecancer.com

A Stark Contrast in Life

Yesterday I lunched on a sumptuous salmon and ancient grain meal at a country club near my home. Hmmm...you might be wondering, "why would this fancy meal be depicted in black and white? To prove a point of course! While walking with my husband Mark this morning he asked me, "well, do you feel any different being gluten free?" I was surprised to admit, yes, I did. The best way I can describe it is to say that I feel I am living in a more vibrant world. The color of the sky, the rocks, the trees are so much more vivid. My senses seem acutely alive all of a sudden. If you've had Lasik eye surgery like me, you may know what I am talking about.....the moment you open your eyes and see what was your previously dulled, blurred world is at once crystal clear. It is as if my brain fog has been lifted, but a fog that I never knew existed before. Reflecting on all of this, I wonder how much of life remains unnoticed because we walk around in a fog of busyness? Are we so gluttonous for stimuli (or wheat-packed carbs) that we neglect to savor the richness of the textures, colors and aromas around us? Wow. I wonder what week two will bring. www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Taking the Express Train to Bloat City!

It's an interesting thing when you see your teenage son do something nice for you. It's almost like you are in this surreal world and at any minute you wait for the other proverbial shoe to drop. And so it did. With my daughter and husband away for dinner, it was easy enough to tell my son David, "let's just go out to eat...I can go anywhere as long as there are some gluten free items!" "How about Panda Express?" he asked. It is one of his favorite places to eat. "Sure!" I said. Within a few minutes I was looking online at the nutrition guide to find out there was almost nothing I could eat there! I told David to go on without me and I settled in for the night with a tofu smoothie (gluten free!) and air popped popcorn. About an hour later through my office door, David plopped down a takeout container and said, "I got this for you, Mom. They told me it was all vegetarian and gluten free." Oh. Wow. For the love of it all! For a brief moment in time, the notion that if I ate this stuff I would most likely bloat up like the day I delivered this kid...was gone. I only felt love. I did regain my senses and thanked him. Then quietly submitted the container to the refrigerator. The thought of his consideration, however, still makes me glow. Now surely that is worth the ride. www.challengecancer.com