Cooking LEAP Style

After my last post on my LEAP sensitivities, many of you wondered what I was even able to eat.  Well, let's just say, not a lot....

Here is a list of the foods that I was able to eat for the first 42 days--

Proteins:  Pork, Tuna, Crab, Catfish, Chicken, Salmon, Tilapia

Grains & Starches:  Oats (gluten free), Rice, Buckwheat, Corn, Quinoa, Sweet Potato

Vegetables:  Green pea, String Bean, Spinach, Carrot, Cucumber, Yellow squash, Lettuce, Beat

Fruits:  Pineapple, Grapes, Oranges, Raspberry, Blueberry, Papaya, Olive, Banana

Nuts, Seeds, & Oils:  Hazelnut, Pistachio, Pecan, Peanut, Sesame, Walnut, Olive

Flavor Enhancers:  Honey, Vanilla, Turmeric, Dill, Oregano, Mint, Sesame, Maple Lemon

Other:  Salt, Baking soda

Needless to say, this has been a struggle.  I was raised around food, good food, food with lots of seasoning, and meals that contained BEEF!!!!  Yes, that's right, I still have yet to have beef since starting this journey September 16th.  That is probably the most painful part.  I'm, also, surprised I haven't been disowned by my family.

After a lot of nagging and whining, I have been able to begin adding foods back in slowly.  With that, I have added in onions, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, peaches, apples, avocados, and garbanzo beans.  Nothing too crazy and definitely not exciting, but I have developed a new love of food.  For one, I eat a lot of rice!

About once a week, I spend the evening cooking up a variety of foods that I can eat during the week.

A night of cooking LEAP Style

I have learned that rice can be added to anything!  Normally, I eat a lot of rice with some sort of steamed vegetable and a protein added.  Above, you can see that I have some sliced carrots, sweet potatoes, and some sliced apples in the oven.  Depending on my week, will depend on how many nights I have a kitchen that looks like this.  To save time and ensure that I am sticking to the restrictions I cook rice, popcorn, a protein and oatmeal in bulk.  I, also, put meals in containers for the week to assist with saving time in the morning.

Through this, I have, also, learned to like breakfast (mostly because I am starving by the time I wake up).  Most mornings I either eat a rice cake with natural peanut butter, honey, and a fruit or gluten free oatmeal with fruit.  Another new breakfast that I have come up with is rice, rice milk, honey, and fruit.  Snacks have become a huge part of my day, as well.  One of my favorite snacks is popcorn.  Remember, though, that I have to pop my own popcorn on the stove.  To make a little more entertaining, I like to add salt and honey.  I dare you to try it!  I promise you wont eat popcorn any other way!

For now, I dream of the day that I get to add BEEF!!!!!!  (Anna I sure hope you're reading this one....hint, hint.....)  :o)

Tootles, 

Kasey

Wildcat Love

Bring on the CATS!

I love my wildcats!  Most weekends during the fall, I am either at the stadium with family and friends or somewhere watching the cats play.  As you can see by the picture below, we get pretty excited for GAMEDAY!

This year has been no different (other then two weekends at home with a stinkin' migraine).  However, this season has been pretty special as I have gotten to sit and enjoy the new westside stadium clubhouse with my parents and sister, as well as, sit in a suite with some of my girlfriends.  Thanks Kelli!  

Enjoying the view from the suite!

I must say that after getting to sit in the new stadium seats with all that food (half-time includes some Call Hall ice cream, popcorn, and a variety of delicious foods that I can no longer have) it is a real struggle to sit in the 'regular' seats.  Yes, I guess you could say that I am a bit spoiled!  If you ever have the chance to sit in the new clubhouse, I would jump on the opportunity!  They are awesome seats!  Thanks to my amazing parents for the awesome football season!!!

Go Cats,

Kasey

Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

I love Halloween...

I'm not sure if it is the fall decorations, all of the pumpkin spice smells, trick-or-treaters, the pumpkin spice latte or carving pumpkins.

Every year I host a Pumpkin Carving Contest and this year was no different.

It was a night of fun with friends, plenty of food to include a popcorn bar, some pumpkin spice martini's, and prizes for the top three pumpkins.

This year was pretty competitive with several individuals planning their carving several weeks in advance.  As per the rules, no cuts could be made to the pumpkin prior to arriving to the party.

Here are the results:

Third Place

Nicole's Haunted House

Second Place

Felicia's Pumpkin Face

First Place

Casey's Scary Pumpkin

Out of the top three, which one is your favorite?

Remember to mark your calendar's for next year's Pumpkin Carving Contest!

~Kasey

New Diet--LEAP/MRT

This summer after a lot of nagging, my mom convinced me to go gluten free (prior to the Celiac's Disease test) and the migraine diet.  After a lot of research, my mom purchased the book Heal Your Headache by Dr. David Buchholz that goes over the migraine diet and the idea behind his research.
Basically, there are foods that trigger migraines.  The difficult part is finding what particular foods are triggers for you since it takes up to three days before the migraine occur.

Needless to say, between the migraine diet and gluten free, this chicka was having panic attacks every time I tried to eat or go to the grocery store.  I have never been one to read labels or worry about any of that because I love all foods.  Well, one night at a Young Professionals event at a restaurant that I thoroughly enjoy (Coco Bolo's), I tried ordering food to eat.  If you have ever eaten at Coco Bolo's, finding something to meet these two diets was a struggle.  So, I ordered the chicken taco's with nothing but chicken.  This foodie was not impressed when this normally delicious meal was presented.  I mean, nothing but chicken and a corn tortilla.  Yuck!  Bring on the onions, green peppers, avocados, and all the other delicious foods.

Surprisingly, though, a friend of mine leaned over and mentioned that she could actually eat that due to her own 'allergies'.  After a lengthy conversation, it turns out that she had the same symptoms and ailments that I have had for years.  To top it all off, she is a dietician that specializes in fibromyalgia and migraine management.  Essentially, she told me of the LEAP/MRT testing that could actually test me on what specific foods I am sensitive towards.  If you live in Manhattan, Ks, I would highly recommend contacting Anna Binder in regards to this program.

Specifically, for me, I confirmed that wheat/gluten and I do not get along.  Also, sadly, dairy milk is one of my highest sensitivities.  Let me just state that in my previous diet, I could have lived off of bread and milk.  To give you a clearer picture, I listed below my 'red' and 'yellow' foods.

RED FOODS:
Cow's Milk
Phenylethium
Soybean
Tapioca
Wheat
Yogurt

YELLOW FOODS:
Amaranth
Cane Sugar
Cheddar
Cocoa
Coconut
Cumin
Egg
Eggplant
Red #40
Honeydew
Lamb
Leek
Millet
Mushroom
Paprika
Shrimp
Sorbic Acid
Sunflower
Turkey
Potato

So, essentially, the red foods I doubt I will ever consume again and the yellow foods are ones that I plan to stay away from for the most part.  According to Anna, there may be things on this list that I will someday get to eat again, just in extreme moderation.  As of right now, Anna has me on a very strict diet that includes very little to try to get my daily headaches and migraines under control.  The hope is that I will be able to eliminate the migraines based upon what I am eating.  This would be amazing, however, it has been a very painful 30 something days.  This foodie is ready to get back into the realm of eating like a 'normal' person and enjoying a few dinners out once in awhile.

I will say, though, I am feeling better in a variety of ways and have learned some new ways of snacking.  I'll start posting some of my 'new' recipes that to most will seem very 'boring'.

Tootles,

Kasey

Battling Screen Time

In today’s ever changing culture, children are being introduced to screen time younger and younger.  Screen time is defined by Medline Plus (Kaneshiro, N.K., 2011) as any time that is spent in front of a screen, such as television, computer, or video player.  Screen time is a sedentary activity that involves being inactive while sitting down.  Sadly, according to Kaiser Family Foundation (2006), children spend up to 44.5 hours a week on some sort of screen.  This is more than any other activity in their life.  Further, approximately 83% of children under the age of six utilize screen time on a daily basis.  The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use in children under the age of two and recommends limiting screen time in older children to one or two hours a day.

According to the Mayo Clinic (2013), too much screen time has been linked to the following:

     Obesity:  The more television a child watches, the risk of becoming obese increases.  This is due to the sedentary activity and the development of increase appetite for junk food as promoted in television advertisements.

·   Irregular sleep:  Utilizing screen time increases the brain activity, which in turn causes irregular sleeping patterns and fatigue.

·   Behavioral problems:  Children who watch more than two hours of television or using a computer a day are more likely to have social, emotional, and attention problems.  Watching an excessive amount of television at age four has been linked to bullying by the ages six through eleven.

·   Impaired academic performance:  It has been shown that children that watch excessive television or have televisions in their rooms perform worse on tests.

·    Violence:  Children are most generally exposed to various types of violence through television and video games, which then desensitizes them.  As a result, children may accept violent behavior as a normal way to solve problems.

·   Less time for play:  Excessive screen time leaves less time for children’s active creative play.

   With this, it is important to limit screen time and promote a healthy lifestyle during the daily care routine.

   Promoting this in the home environment is just as important in making changes.  

   Listed below are some simple steps to take in limiting children’s exposure to screen time:

·    Eliminate background television:  If you are not actively watching the television, turn it off to prevent children from becoming engaged.

·    Keep screen time devices out of the bedrooms:  Children who have televisions in their room watch more television then others.  It is important that adults monitor children’s use of screen time.

·    Don’t eat in front of the television:  Allowing children to eat in front of the television increases their screen time.  It, also, promotes mindless eating that increases the chances of becoming obese.

·   Provide alternate activities:  Assist children in finding other activities, such as, those that promote physical activity, actively helping with a daily activity, or an activity that promotes creativity.

·   Set a good example:  Model for children a good role model by limiting your own screen time.

Making simple changes, as discussed above, is the first step in reducing the amount of time children are exposed to some type of screen.   Further, it is important to promote and provide alternate activities that promote physical activity as discussed above.  Provided below are alternate activities to promote on a daily basis:

·      Music and movement:  According to Pica (2010), it is impossible to think of movement and music as separate entities.  This is especially evident when watching children respond to music.  It is simply not an auditory sense, but rather, a ‘whole-body’ response.  Simply providing music for children to dance to is a great alternate activity for children.  

·      Utilizing props:  Providing children with various props, such as, scarves, bean bags, and hula-hoops is a great way to promote movement.  Incorporate these particular props with music to add challenge, further engagement and creativity.

·      Obstacle courses:  This type of activity should be supervised closely to promote safety depending on the activities involved.  An obstacle course takes some creativity to design when faced with limited equipment and space, but can be done involving the children for ideas, as well.

·      Nature walks:  Going for a walk to collect natural materials promotes physical activity when limited materials are available. 

Taking small steps is a guaranteed way to battle screen time.  This is especially important when attempting to make changes in the children’s home environment.  Provide activity ideas for children and families is the best way to start.  Further, provide children an opportunity to share the activities they did at home with others in the class.  Getting everyone involved in making changes is the beginning to battling screen time!

Resources: 

Pica, R. (2010).  Experiences movement and music (4^th ed.) Belmont, CA:  Cengage Learning. 

Kaiser Family Foundation (2006).  The media family:  Electronic media in the lives of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their parents.  Retrieved October 14, 2013, http://kff.org/other/event/study-shows-how-kids-media-use-helps/

Kaneshiro, N.K. (2011).  Screen time and children.  Retrieved October 14, 2013, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000355.htm

Mayo Clinic (2013).  Children and TV:  Limiting your child’s screen time.  Retrieved October 14, 2013, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/children-and-tv/MY00522

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

Just this past March I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  At the time, it was somewhat of a relief to have a name to go along with the symptoms I had been complaining about for years.  Especially, with the fact that the symptoms had become so severe the past year or so.  Specifically, the things that bothered me the most were of course the daily headaches and migraines, muscle pain, and fatigue.

According to the Mayo Clinic, fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeleton pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and and mood issues.  Researchers believe that many fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way our brain processes pain signals.

After talking to several individuals, I learned that many suffer differently and have various symptoms.  The fatigue and pain is what caused me the most 'pain'.  I hated the fact that I would sleep 12-14 hours a night, drag myself out of bed to go to work, and then most nights take a nap.  I felt like I was trying everything from going to the chiropractor, at one time getting massages every 2 weeks, resting, trying to work out, and taking the 'drugs' to try and keep the pain from bringing on a major migraine.

So, yes, the diagnosis was a huge relief, until it set in that this would be something that I would battle the rest of my life along with a long list of prescriptions.  With that realization, came the disappointment that there wasn't something that I could do to stop this from controlling my life.  Further, I began having sever nausea throughout the day, as well, which caused me to loose quite a lot of weight quickly that I did not need to loose.  So, the next round of tests included an endoscopy that wasn't the greatest experience, but it did show some abnormalities in the pathology results for signs of Celiac's Disease.  Celiac's is an immune reaction to eating gluten.  This new information is what stemmed the new gluten free diet that I have been on since mid-July.

Thankfully, with this change in diet, I did see a decrease in the muscle pain and fatigue.  I was able to start working out on regular basis and wasn't sleeping as much.  However, I was still having the headaches that were not relenting.  As I continued to talk to individuals about my symptoms and struggles, I made a connection with a friend that is a dietician that specializes in fibromyalgia and migraine management.  This new discovery lead me down a whole different path in regards to diet.

As I continue down my journey, I encourage anyone that has ever experienced any type of chronic pain or symptom of some kind to keep talking to anyone that will listen to find an answer.  I, thankfully, have individuals behind me that remind me that my 'normal' is not normal and is no way for an individual to live.

For now,

Kasey

Sweet Dreams

I have the biggest sweet tooth.  It doesn't matter what it is, as long as there is sugar and hopefully some chocolate involved, I am one happy lady.  There are a few desserts that have had a huge impact on me. Normally when I go out to eat, I don't get dessert, but on a rare occasion I do.  On those rare occasions, there are a few that will always remain in my memory---

1.  Harry's Lemon Tiramisu--Oddly enough, this did not have any chocolate involved, but man was it good.  It was so good in fact, that I went back to Harry's the very next night to have another slice!

2.  Harry's Chocolate Birthday Cake--Hello delicious melt in your mouth chocolate cake.  It was a fabulous amazing treat for a chocolate lover, like myself!

3.  Lowry's Steakhouse Chef Special--I'm not sure if it was the presentation of this beautiful dessert that got me or what, but I will forever remember this beautiful creation.  This beautiful dessert was a crafted purse made out of chocolate (what girl doesn't love a good purse!) with the inside filled with delicious buttercream and fresh fruit.  Sadly, I do not have a picture anymore to share.

So, now that I  have you dreaming of a delicious chocolate sugary dessert, let me tell you what it's like to not have any of that.  I have been on a very strict diet for the past 20 days.  This strict diet is not to loose weight, it is for my health, promise.  Anyway, the only 'sweet' thing that I can have is natural sugar, which includes honey or many different types of natural fruit.   It really hasn't been that bad.  I have survived, I have followed this diet no matter where I am.  I even managed to stay true to the strict diet while attending the Chiefs game last weekend.  Was it hard?  Of course!  Can you imagine standing in a parking lot with grills and tables full of food that you cannot have?  The smell of the food cooking on the grill had my salivating, but I stuck to my rice and tuna with a little bit of salt.

Anyway, I had a dream last night that I was eating a delicious chocolate chip cookie.  This wasn't any chocolate chip cookie, this was a cookie from my mom's kitchen.  I have no idea what she does to her cookies, but they are the best chocolate chip cookies of all time.  Supposedly, she has given me her recipe, in which I follow it to a 't' and dot all of my 'i's, but they never turn out like hers.  Sadly, I woke up from that dream to realize that my day, as well as, many more days to come will not involve a sugary chocolate treat.

After ready this, please go out and eat a chocolate chip cookie!  It would make my heart, mouth, and stomach happy!

~Kasey