Posts tagged #dairy free

THE SUNDAY SECTION - 05.24.2020

OutdoorDiningPatio.JPG

THE SUNDAY SECTION


W H O

Town & Country - The 18 Must-Read Books of Spring 2020

Architectural Digest - A look inside the Hamptons home where Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis spent her summers. It’s for sale.

goop - A Full-Body, No-Equipment Workout with Melissa Wood Health. its been a while since I worked out so this one using your own bodyweight was perfect for me.


W O R E

Ethereal and on sale for MDW


W H A T

coffee - How to brew better coffee at home with these steps. We don’t have a traditional coffee maker at home and since Frank is the only one that drinks it we’ve found that a French press makes more sense. In the morning we boil a big pot of water and I use some for tea, and he uses the rest for coffee. I just ordered him this pretty white one for our anniversary…wait that sounds like its more for me haha!

grow - How to regrow romaine from a stem. Being at home for 70 days during a pandemic makes you very resourceful. I try to only go to the grocery store once every two weeks (which is a far cry from what we used to do - probably 4 x a week) which means that once we run out of something, thats it. Things start to get a little dicey in the kitchen around day 10! Something I just started doing was potting our old lettuce. You know, the one that comes with a little bit of dirt and roots at the bottom. Stay tuned and click here for a how-to with romaine.

DF + GF - I have been following a semi dairy and gluten free diet for almost a decade now. Tp read more on what caused this change click to read this post. I was never diagnosed with an allergy to either however eliminating them from my diet changed my life and health dramatically. So, thus began my search for replacement foods, the two biggest being yogurt and the occasional piece of bread (I really enjoy a good chicken salad sandwich!). Well after years of searching, I found both! This coconut yogurt is incredible. It’s low in sugar, creamy, and delicious. This bread it hands down the best GF bread out there. My favorite flavor is the 7 ancient grains.

watch - Normal People on Hulu. We just started watching a couple of nights ago and so far I really like it! Each episode is only 30 minutes long which was surprising at first but makes it even more binge-worthy. If you’ve already watched and love and are wondering if there will be a season 2, read this!


W H E R E

you asked, I answered.

Where can I go for budget bathing suits? I love H&M for stylish styles that won’t break the bank.

How do I style non-denim shorts? My favorite style of non-denim shorts is the paperbag. They’re usually a touch high waisted and flattering on ever body type. Tuck in a fitted t-shirt, wear with a bodysuit, or cotton blouse.

Favorite facial sunscreen? Hands down this one. I also like using this stick for face.

Favorite straw hat? I love this one from Hat Attack. It is an easy fit and the style will work with every face type.

Styling dark clothes for summer? I actually love wearing black in the summer. Look for a feminine dress like this one (less expensive one here) and pair it with brown leather sandals and a straw bag for an elegant summer look!

Favorites from Walmart right now for a girl on a budget?



HEALTHY EATING AND WHY I CHANGED MY DIET

THEGIRLGUIDE-STEPHANIETROTTA
stephanietrotta-thegirlguide.jpg

Recently I reached out to my Instagram following via Stories and asked my followers to tell me what they wanted to hear more about on The Girl Guide. I received an overwhelming amount of responses asking about my diet. What gluten free/dairy free foods I loved and what a typical day looked like. Well I have to start by telling you...I didn't always eat like this.

The year after I graduated from college I started to notice my stomach bothering me more and more. I guess looking back on it now my stomach had always been an issue but we (my parents and I) always chocked it up to normal indigestion, car sickness, etc. It wasn't until Frank and I moved in together at the age of 21 (I know CRAZY!) that he said to me, this isn't normal, I think there is something wrong with your stomach. Well he was right. After 10ish years of suffering I booked an appointment with a gastroenterologist around the corner from our apartment. I told him everything. There wasn't much he could determine from our visit and suggested we move forward with an endoscopy. I was NOT excited about the thought of having a tube stuck down my throat and almost chickened out but with some coaxing from my family I did it. The result was an extremely inflamed stomach and esophagus. The Dr. said if I continued down this road we would be looking at ulcers or even more serious, cancer. I couldn't believe it. I walked out of the office with a prescription for Nexium and that was that. The topic of food was never discussed. I was a healthy eater, salads, fresh fish, little meat, yogurt and fruit for breakfast. I remember that morning grabbing a coffee (with milk) and an egg white sandwich (with cheese) on my home from the appt. It was on multigrain bread so it couldn't be bad for me right?

Fast forward one year and I wasn't getting better...it was actually worse. I was now working in corporate America, stressed, and taking about 4 Nexium a day mixed with other over the counter antacids. And then, a miracle....my Mom who for years has been practicing meditation as a way to relive chronic migraines, suggested I set up an appointment for me to see her guru. Neither of us ever mentioned any health issues to him other than stress. By the end of the session he said to me that he saw I had a blockage in my body and that I should stop eating dairy and gluten. He made a few other suggestions too, no raw nuts, eggs but only a whole egg, and nothing too acidic. I already wasn't eating tomato sauce but his prescription for no cheese meant no more white pizza which was one of my favorites. And so the rest is history...

NOW I will preface the below menu by stating that I am not 100% gluten free/dairy free BUT I have a found a balance that works for me. In terms of dairy I haven't had yogurt, milk, sour cream, or cheeses in the last 8 years. I can eat butter in small amounts and I've probably slipped up and had a piece of cake with one of those ingredients in it. What I believe now is that I have a dairy intolerance. I have also found that when I limit my gluten intake I feel even better and after eating such limited amounts of gluten, if I do have it I get a terrible headache and feel overall malaise. I'm a big believer in the idea that medicine is not always the answer. Don't get my wrong I'll pop a couple of Motrin for a bad headache but I also believe that what you eat plays a HUGE part in your overall health. The changes in my diet have drastically changed the way I feel. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had reflux in the last 8 years (minus the third trimester of pregnancy which is almost unpreventable) and its all been pill free.  

My Monday-Friday Diet

Breakfast

Almond Milk Yogurt (Kite Hill) with Gluten Free Granola and Berries or Banana

Gluten Free Oatmeal with Apples and Dates

Chia Seed Pudding with Almond Milk and Cinnamon

Lunch

I eat a salad (like the one pictured above) almost every day for lunch. Sometimes I'll have an avocado toast on gluten free bread. If you're local I Organic Pharmer. They're also a great source for gluten free and dairy free options and they ship! I also on occasion get a super food smoothie for Lunch with protein but it doesn't really sustain me for long enough till dinner.

Dinner

Salmon with Coconut Brown Rice and a Steamed Vegetable (check this Salmon recipe)

Kale Fried Rice

Almond Milk Ravioli (Kite Hill) with Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

THIS Nicoise Salad

My favorite Gluten Free pasta right now

Recipe Resources - I almost exclusively get my recipes from Goop. I especially love their yearly cleanse recipes. Check out this one call the working girl detox. Although many of them require a variety of spices and condiments, once you stock up you're good to go! Also you can purchase some of the rarer ingredients on their website like this one which I use to make this when I have time!

XX

S

PS if you're wondering about the cookie in these pictures it represents my VERY BIG sweet tooth. Call it the Belgian blood running through my veins but I'm a dark chocolate addict...like I have to have a piece (or two) a day. I also can't resist a delicious (gluten free) cookie!

STEPHANIETROTTA-thegirlguide.jpg