My gluten-free life: perfume

Ever since finding out I had a gluten allergy over two years ago, I stopped using perfume....along with any other body product that might possibly contain gluten/wheat. I am so sensitive that I put something on my skin that had gluten in it, then I would have a reaction....which for me was itching, redness, and within a few hours also joint pain and fatigue. Needless to say, it hasn't been easy trying to find products that are safe for me to use. I even have to take my own shampoo and conditioner when I go to get my haircut because the salon I go to doesn't have gluten-free haircare products.

I was so thankful when I recently discovered that a local company here in Portland, OR called Pacifica, made perfumes, soaps, and lotions that were gluten-free! I saw on their website that the pure grain alcohol that they use in their perfumes is corn-sourced and gluten-free. Hallelujah! And they also use natural ingredients and oils, so I wasn't putting other icky stuff on my skin either. They just came out with a lip tint that is also gluten-free so I'll have to check that out soon as well.

So for all y'all out there going though this too, there is hope! It takes time and research because our options are so limited, but there are more and more companies jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon when comes to health and beauty products....you just have to do your homework. :D

Breakfast anyone?

I've realized my need for heartier breakfasts on studio days since I never eat a "real lunch" when working. I get in the midst of creating and I find it hard to stop...especially when I'm having a "good" day where things are flowing and coming together quickly (and you other creatives out there all know how that goes...the whole ebb and flow thing). How 'bout you?

This morning I made myself a fresh strawberry and coconut milk smoothie with scrambled egg on gluten-free toast (Udi's brand is my fave and it was on sale this morning at Safeway) with a smidgen of apricot preserves. I like to keep things as simple as possible these days when it comes to food. I've found that for me, it keeps me eating healthy. If its too complicated, I'm less likely to stick with it. :)

Well, I'm off to get a shower (the boys used up all the hot water this morning, so mine had to wait), then I'm off to the studio for a few hours before I have to pick up the kiddo from school. Have a good one y'all! xoxo

Life as I know it...big changes

many of you who are friends with me on facebook already know about my eating lifestyle change.....almost six months ago, i dropped most processed foods out of my diet and began consuming green smoothies + lots of whole raw fruits and veggies on a daily basis. i continued this for about four months and lost 25 pounds effortlessly (went from a size 14 jeans to a size 6)+ i started to feel better physically and mentally. then i decided to add back in whole grains and small amounts of dairy and that's when things started going downhill fast. long story short, one month ago i decided to go see a naturopathic doctor that a friend recommended to me and have some tests run.

fast forward to last wednesday, i found out that i'm not only dairy and gluten intolerant, but i'm also showing reactions to sugar cane, lettuce, pecans, crab, lobster, + a few other things. also, my iron is ridiculously low, as well as my b6 & b12 levels. so now i'm on an elimination diet for the next six weeks and taking supplements for my vitamin/mineral deficiencies in addition to the multi-vitamin  and d3 supplements i was already taking.

so, feeling quite overwhelmed, i turned to God for answers on how to go forward with this new information. any of you who have gone through this yourselves, know how much of a challenge it is eliminating things from your diet like these.....those top three are in almost everything! even gluten-free cereals, breads, and such. so, this weekend i turned to God.....and what He answered back should have been so obvious to me, but my brain was so full with everything that was happening that i couldn't see it. i needed to return to the raw foods diet that He brought to me when i started to pray about my health and well being six months ago, but with this new found information about my food intolerances taken into account. and to not try to do it 100%....to listen to what my body told me it needed. that He designed our bodies to know what they needed to function at optimum efficiency....this body is a gift and i need to make sure i always treat it as such. and if i didn't give it what it needed, it would be sure to let me know! lol!

so this morning, i did just that and i'm starting to feel a peace about eating again for the first time in months. i'll still eat meat and cooked veggies.....it will be more of a 50/50 split, but keeping my diet filled with whole foods and a minimal amount of processed ones.

above is a picture of what i had this morning for breakfast....i just thought about what i had on hand and some raw food breakfast recipes i'd seen in all the books i've checked out from the library over the past few months. for those of you curious about what's in it, i'll include the recipe below. it was quite yummy and filling. and no, i do not know how many calories, or fat grams, or carbs are in it. i don't keep track of that stuff because if i try too, my brain gets overloaded and it makes me nuts. simplicity is important for me. i just make sure i'm eating whole foods and healthy fats in moderation. that is the key.

• 1/2 small ripe avocado
• 1/2 ripe banana
• small handful chopped cashews
• small handful chopped walnuts
• handful of raisins (unsweetened & no sulfites)
• light drizzle of raw agave

if any of you want to see more posts about eating for your health, please leave a comment for me on this post. this is something that is very close to my heart and i want to share it with y'all and i'd be happy to start doing more posts on this subject. :)

blessings & hugs to y'all! have a fantabulous monday!!