It's All In Your Perspective

    

      Almost everyone who looks at this picture will see it for what it is on the outside, baby food. It's understandable considering it's marketed for babies and is sold in the baby aisle. The old saying goes "If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it must be a duck." Buuuut, if you pop this bad boy in the freezer for 30-60 minutes you know what I see? A quick, delicious, and GP friendly snack or dessert! Having Gastroparesis makes it very difficult for the body to digest fruits and vegetables in their natural state so it's often suggested to try certain fruits and vegetables (low-fat and low-fiber varieties) very well cooked, canned, or pureed (aka baby food). When this was first suggested to me, I was pretty turned off because honestly who want's to go from eating normal food and a mainly paleo diet to baby food? Not this girl, but as much as I love the idea of mind over matter I had to admit that my tummy is in control of my food choices for the time being. That doesn't mean what I eat can't be enjoyable though, so I went on the hunt for things that I could eat.

     On Pinterest there are a lot of boards for GP friendly meal ideas that are very helpful and that is where I ran across the idea for the frozen baby foods. The original website actually suggested this as a low calorie alternative to ice cream and considering they are gluten free, dairy free, low-fat, and free of added sugars, they're a pretty good option (GPer do need to be aware of fiber content though as some can have as much as 3 grams!). Plus, they're usually packaged in 4-6 oz containers so they have built in portion control and the glass containers can be washed and reused for storing homemade purees, I'd definantly call that a win. It's probably best to stick with fruit mixes that use banana as a base as it creates a great creamy consistency that is a lot like regular ice cream or sorbet, but if you have success with over flavors feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. If you happen to leave it in the freezer to long (or do like I do and always have a couple in there for to cut out the wait time) and it's more icy than creamy, just let it sit on the counter for five to ten minutes and it should be perfect. I can only imagine that if this little tip is so enjoyable to me, that babies would love it too as a refreshing surprise on a nice hot day, so show your little ones some love and treat them also to this yummy way to add fruits and nutrients to any diet.=)

Hi, My Name's Simon'e and I'm A Spoonie.

     Having Gastroparesis is...interesting. It's considered an invisible illness because the symptoms can't be seen just looking at me and this fact has it's pros and cons. For example, on a good day I can pretend I'm normal. I can go out with my friends and not have people staring or judging me. People who don't know me or my story don't treat me weird or ask a bajillion questions. Sometimes it's nice to forget about my pain and daily struggles even if it's just for a little while. On a bad day though, my main symptoms may be invisible to most, but the trickle down effects every aspect of my life. There are times that I'm hardly able to eat for days causing my body to be weak and my mind to move slow. It's like trying to swim in a pool full of peanut butter and absolutely exhausting.

     So I'm sure you can imagine that on my good days I used to try to take full advantage and do all that I could, but that's where this Spoonie thing comes into play. As much as I want to do all of the things that I used to be able to do, my "spoons" are limited. The Spoon Theory was accidentally created by a woman who was chronically ill and asked by a close friend "what's it like?" She grabbed a bunch of spoons and handed them to her friend. She went on to explain that most people start the day with an unlimited amount of spoons while people who are chronically ill start their days with a limited amount, and it varies from day to day. EVERYTHING that we do in a day must be carefully thought out in advance because even the simplest task can use a spoon or two and when you're starting the day with only ten for example, they can go pretty fast.

     Before I read about The Spoon Theory, I had trouble accepting this as my new reality. I'd work myself until I was exhausted trying to live my life like I used to and then spend the next two to three days worn out. When my family would tell me to take it slow and offer assistance, I'd proudly refuse. I'd never needed the help before and in my mind I was the same person I had always been, why did they think I suddenly needed help all the time? After learning about it though, I was finally able to take a step back and realize that accepting my new Spoonie status didn't have to me that I liked it, and I may do less but I'm not useless. I've learned to do the best that I can at a slower pace than I used to and that my family is more than happy and willing to help me when I need it. On the way home from my last vacation, my family and I where stuck in an airport for three days and they pushed me around that airport on wheel chairs and luggage carts the whole time and as tired as they were, they never complained or made me feel bad about it. If you ask me that's some real love right there=)

     Trying to live at my new "normal" is still a daily struggle that some days I win and some days I lose, but each day I learn. I'm learning to be patient with myself and others, to speak up, and to appreciate the small accomplishments in each day. Sometimes it's the little things, like checking off a box on your to-do list or a small act of kindness, that can really keep you going through the tough times.

Summer Time Without the Shine

     Anyone who knows me knows that I am always cold. ALWAYS. So this summer has been absolutely wonderful to me. The heat has been a nice change from the long winter that we had, and I'm soaking up every moment of it while I can. That being said, my skin doesn't exactly feel the same. I've always struggled with combination skin that is overly dry in the winter and extremely oily in the summer. While I'm still figuring out what works best for my winter dry skin, I ran across a tip online about a year ago that has been my secret weapon in the summer ever since.
     Now, I know that this is going to seem like a very odd suggestion and probably not something you'd normally want on your face, but I promise it's worth a try! Ok so here's my secret, Monistat Chafing Gel. I know, I know, seems kind of icky BUT when you think about it, it makes sense that it would work. It's meant to absorb moisture and create a satiny smooth finish to prevent skin from rubbing together. When applied to the face it does the exact same thing, absorbs oil and moisture and creates a smooth matte finish.
     I generally use it as a primer or just apply it in my T-zone and checks and like to take the extra step of applying a light dusting of finishing powder to give it some extra staying power. This one little tip has made a world of difference and I'm able to keep a tube handy in my make-up bag because far as make-up primers go it is very inexpensive at only about six dollars a tube from your local Wal-Mart, Meijers, Target, etc. which is one extra reason to run out and try it ASAP. What are some of your favorite make-up tips?

Get In My Belly!!!: Bob's Red Mill Potato Flakes

     Eating while on the go has been a recent struggle of mine. My diet is still very limited and some days I don't have time in the morning to fix a full days worth of meals to carry around with me. So one day as I was walking around Plum Market, I ended up in the boxed potato section. I had tried this route before while looking for a quick fix food, but it just never seemed to settle very well, I'm guessing because of all the chemicals and fillers that most brands have. I happened to notice that Bob's Red Mill had a line of potatoes flakes, and knowing that Bob's Red Mill products have a really good reputation, I decided to check out the ingredients for their potatoes and was completely shocked that there was only one ingredient. Yup, you guessed it, 100% dehydrated potatoes. The best part, it was only four dollars for a pretty big bag.

     The fact that these potato flakes are instant is what really drew me in. When I have some spare time, I portion off individual portions into snack size Ziplock bags or small Tupper wear containers to keep with me, and anywhere that I can get hot water I've got something hot, filling, and most importantly, GP friendly that I can eat. I use to just count of ordering a baked potato, but not every restaurant carries them (although Wendy's just about always has delicious tender baked potatoes when I'm really in a crunch), and some days the fiber in a regular baked potato is just to harsh on my tummy. If I feel like I can tolerate it, I add grilled or baked chicken or scallops for some protein to balance out all those carbs. Also egg whites are a protein that I generally tolerate pretty well. On days that none of those seem like a good idea, I settle for some nutritional yeast mixed in for a little protein and a big vitamin B boost. When it comes to the GP diet on-the-go, I have found the saying "Failure to prepare, is preparation to fail" to be all to true, so never leave the house without a few GP friendly snacks=)