Give In, But Never Give Up

     Some days I give in. I give into the fear, I give into the exhaustion, I give into the anger, and for the longest I saw this as a failure on my part. I believed that I should be strong enough to rise above negative feelings and felt that I just needed to toughen up. I rationalized that there are so many people who have a life worse than mine and still manage to function and be productive. I envied those that could put a smile on even when everything that could possibly go wrong had.

     I worked so hard to force my feelings into a place where I wouldn't have to deal with them, but that didn't make them disappear. Allowing my past bad experiences and feelings to build up was like running a marathon with one hundred pound weights on my ankles and expecting to win. Once I finally decided to deal with my emotions rather than ignore them, I was so much happier! True, dealing with emotions are not always pleasant or easy, but it's worth the effort in the long run. Everyone faces trials in their life, but the way you deal with it makes a world of difference in the effect that it will make in your life.

     A few weeks ago, I was sitting in one of my school's counselor offices filling out the paper work for my Associates Degree, and looked up to see a sign on the shelf that said "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." I sat there reflecting on all that I had been through in the past year to be sitting where I was in the moment, happy and feeling the best health wise that I'd felt in quiet some time.

     At the age of twenty, I had to quit working. I no longer had the energy to continue at my fast paced waitressing job, and although there had been plenty of times in the past that I'd wished I didn't have to work, I never thought it'd be because I couldn't. I had to drop multiple classes when I was sick so often that I missed more classes than I attended. Thankfully, some of my teachers were very understanding and worked with me so that I didn't have to drop all of them and was able to graduate on schedule. At one point, I was mostly house bound because I barely had the energy to walk from the den to the kitchen, not to mention just the idea of riding in a car sent my stomach spinning. After months of medical testing locally, I faced a trip to the Mayo Clinic for a very rough week of testing that not only tested my physical body, but my mental strength as well.

     Yet here I am, fighting. Every day with GP is a battle, and yes some days I give in, but I never give up. I am beyond grateful to have so many people in my life who love and support me through the good days and the bad. On those days when I do give in and feel that I just can't fight, I know they've got my back and will fight for me until I'm strong enough to get back up. They help me "dance in the rain" when I'm feeling terrible by doing everything they can to make me comfortable and bring a smile to my face. They help me "dance in the rain" by sitting and watching movies with me when I have the energy to do nothing else. Most of all, they help me "dance in the rain" by loving me unconditionally and letting me know that even when the best that I can give is 20%, it will always be enough for them. So for all you GP fighters and people facing the various trials of life, find those people, or reasons, to help you "dance in the rain" and never give up.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

     Having GP makes it very important to get as much nutrition into each bite as possible. Now with that being said, some days a girl just needs her chocolate fix! Being on a gluten and dairy free diet makes that pretty tough though, so I went on a hunt for a chocolate recipe and after a couple recipe trial and errors, found one that was just what I was looking for. The first recipe that I tried claimed the chocolate would be a nice sauce at room temperature and a spreadable consistency once refrigerated. No matter how long I refrigerated that chocolate it never thickened, very disappointing. It was also very bitter, and I am not a dark chocolate kind of person so that didn't sit very well for me.

     The idea of a chocolate sauce that could also be used as an icing was very appealing to me though, so I kept looking and ran across this recipe for a Allergen Free Chocolate Syrup from a website called Allergy Free Cooking Baby. Since the recipe was for a syrup, I decided to cut the liquid back by half hoping it'd thicken up in the refrigerator and it did not disappoint. Even my grandma, who is not a sweets person, loved it! So without further au due, I present all of you chocolate lovers with...

Allergen Free Chocolate Syrup

 From: Allergen Free Cooking Baby!

Ingredients

• • ¼ cup brown sugar
• • 1 cup granulated sugar
• • 1 cup Cacao powder or Cocoa powder
• • 1 cup water ( I used only a 1/2 cup of water to achieve a thicker consistency)
• • ¼ tsp salt
• • 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugars, cacao powder, & salt, just until mixed.
2. Add in water and vanilla and stir over medium heat.
3. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.
4. The mixture will start to stick to the spoon.
5. Mixture will thicken a little more in the refrigerator.
6. Use for chocolate dairy free milk, or as a topping on your favorite dairy free ice cream.

*As a caution, be careful to mix everything well before heating as any dry ingredients stuck to the bottom will burn very easily!

Iberogast to the Rescue

     When it comes to treatment options for GP, there aren't many. It's pretty frustrating but led me to search for alternatives, such as Iberogast. It's a simple blend of natural herbs (in liquid form taken three times per day so it's easily absorbed and digested) that helps with symptoms such as nausea, bloating, and heartburn, and also helps move food through the stomach which is exactly what I need. I had heard about Iberogast quite a few times before I decided to give it a try and am kicking myself that I waited so long to try it, but figured if nothing the doctors tried could help me, then why should something this simple.
     It's not a cure all, but has helped so much with my symptoms and reduce my number of flare ups. Before the Iberogast, I could hardly consume eight hundred calories per day and was at a dangerously low weight and now I can generally eat twelve to fifteen hundred calories per day and have gained six pounds! My eating is still far from normal and generally with some discomfort, but this simple and natural remedy has allowed me to eat more thus gaining weight and having more energy to get back to living the life I want and will continue to be big part in my fight against GP.
     Iberogast has a very safe tract record and has been used in other countries for quite awhile, but as with any medication changes you wish to make you should speak with your doctor before doing so. If you would like to give Iberogast a try, you can by it here on Amazon and also read all of the positive reviews of other people (including those without GP!) who have benefited. If you or someone else you know decides to try it, please let me know what you think=)

Get In My Belly!!!: Barney Smooth Almond Butter

     Wow. That's literally all I have to say about this almond butter. In the past, I was a lover of all things made with peanut butter, but lately it just doesn't settle well for me *tear*. So I decided to give other nut butters a try and had heard good things about almond butter, so that is where I started. I tried a few different brands and they were all pretty good, or so I thought. Most almond butters are made from almonds with the skin on and just don't get as smooth of a texture as I was use to from peanut butter.
     Then I tried Barney Almond Butter. They use blanched almonds (meaning that the skins are removed) so the texture is much smoother than many other brands. Finally something that could satisfy my craving! Now the taste isn't the same since it is a different nut, but if you enjoy the taste of almonds it's definitely a nice change. It's not nearly as sweet as most commercial peanut butters, but that's because it's not full of nasty chemicals and high fructose corn syrups so you won't hear me complaining. Also, I love the fact that they sell individual serving packets that are perfect for on the go and traveling. The only two stores that I have seen this brand of almond butter are Whole Foods (although they don't serve the individual packets here) and Plum Market. If neither of these stores are near you, you can buy them online straight from the Barney Website (you can also type in your zip code to find stores that do sell them nearby) or on Amazon.
     In small quantities (about 1 Tb at a serving, up to 2 Tb a day) nut butters are considered GP friendly, but they are generally high in fat so depending on your tolerance of fats it's best to build up to a full Tb to see how you personally tolerate it.  To satisfy my almond butter cravings, I start every day off with a nice hot bowl of grits ( 1/2 cup eatten very slowly is GP friendly for me) with 1 Tb of Barney Almond Butter and 1 Tb of light brown sugar. You'd think it'd get old fast, but nope I still love it! Hot cereals are very comforting to me and easily digested. Adding nut butter is a great way to add some protein and extra calories without adding too much volume, which is a big consideration for me since I can't eat too much food at one sitting.
     "Get In My Belly!!!" is going to be a permanent segment on my blog highlighting GP friendly foods that I have found since I know just how difficult it can be to come up with food ideas. True, every GP patient and their tummy is different and what works for me may not work for you, but hopefully it can be a good place to start your own experimentation, and if you have any suggestions for me please feel free to leave them in the comment section below=)