Gluten Free Goodies

Being on a deprivation diet can literally be soul depriving! Food is such a massive part of modern day life and being able to enjoy food is incredibly important to me. BC (before Crohns) I was such a foodie and my favourite things to do were going out for dinner, or sitting in front of the TV on a Sunday with a mountain of snacks! But now things are different. Different doesn't mean that I cant enjoy food anymore, it just means I cant enjoy the same things. I was set a challenge to find new goodies I could enjoy!

Bread - You cannot beat a crusty bacon baguette on a Saturday morning. My favourite thing about the weekends are cooked breakfasts and I would always enjoy my breakfast with a fresh French stick or a yummy slice of toasted tiger bread. Anyone that has gone Gluten Free, will know that most bread's don't come close to 'proper bread'. Gluten free bread just isn't the same. It doesn't have the crunchy outside and the doughy, airy centre. It actually tastes an awful lot like cardboard mixed with wallpaper paste that you just cant get rid of no matter how many times you chew, Delightful! So I have tried so many brands of bread to find a nice one, and the nutritionist I saw recommended Udis tiger bread to me. Udis is a major brand specialising in gluten free products and can be found in most large supermarkets. The tiger bread was the first of their products I had tried, and I can honestly say it's the best gluten free bread I have had. They have perfected the crunchy crust and the airy centre! I couldn't even tell a difference to normal bread. Before this bread, I would always have to have the bread toasted, but this I could happily eat without toasting. For anyone out there who has to be gluten free and misses bread, give Udis tiger bread a go!!!

TV Snacks - Sundays are 100% for being a little piglet and I love it. Dinner done, trackie on and watching a movie with my family and dogs are what my Sunday's are all about and no matter how much I've eaten at dinner, of course you have to  have snacks. Normally I would indulge with sweets, crisps and chocolate but I have to be careful now as to what I can have. Udis sent me some of their new products to try out which were caramel clusters, cheese puffs and tortilla chips. The caramel clusters went in a bout five minutes they were so good! I'd liken them to the dairy milk packs of crunchie rocks. They were so tasty, even my mum (not a crohnie) loved them. I will definitely be purchasing some for this Sunday's movie marathon.
I am yet to try the cheese puffs, as I know they will be demolished, but I did try the tortilla chips and they were super yummy. They even tasted good on their own, but I could imagine them being really nice to dip in some humus. I think I'll be stopping off at the shops on my way home from work to get some to finish off the bag with!

Baking Mixes - The perfect way to still be able to eat meals and avoid gluten, is making food yourself. Sometimes this is so time consuming, but the way around this is to purchase the pre made gluten free mixes. Udis have a 'Baking Mixes' range consisting of bread mix, flour, pizza base and more which are all gluten free. I have used the pre mixed pizza base in the past to make pizza's one Friday for me and my sister. My sister is a 'Pizza Connoisseur' and gave it the green light which really is saying something. It was so nice on a Friday night being able to have a pizza which I hadn't had in so long due to my intolerances. It felt like the old days when I was able to enjoy takeaway of a weekend and as it wasn't hard to make, it was actually quite enjoyable too. I was also able to enjoy pancake day recently with GF pancake mix and can enjoy so many other treats thanks to Udis.

As tough as it can be to still enjoy food when you have Crohns or IBD it is not impossible. Thanks to companies like Udis, we can still enjoy food and have treats. Not being able to just easily buy fast food and treats is very annoying but try to think of it as a positive. It encourages you to get in the kitchen and get creative to make things you can eat. Maybe this weekend you could have a bake day in the kitchen with Udis' mixes, or just have a pig out in front of the TV with some Udis goodies!

XOXO Crohnie Girl

Crohns in the Public Eye

Crohns and IBD is becoming more widely known which is great, as it really is important for people to know about bowel disease. There are many misconceptions and confusions surrounding IBD and most people think it is exactly the same as IBS but they are worlds apart. Any IBD sufferer could tell you that! So when Crohns and IBD is played down to not be that big of a deal, it's really upsetting and hurtful for sufferers. Most sufferers feel that bowel disease isn't taken seriously enough and people are continually campaigning for awareness. 

So I'm sure most of you will have seen Samantha Faiers Instagram post a couple of days ago stating she was 'cured' from Crohn's disease. Whilst it's amazing that she is feeling stronger and better in herself, this is totally crushing to read. All Crohns & IBD sufferers are well aware that there is no cure for our diseases, so for someone in the public eye to voice that she has been 'cured' it almost undoes all the hard work campaigners have fought so hard for. Every day people struggle to explain Crohns & IBD and how debilitating it is and that it is so much more than frequent toilet trips. First off IBD goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression so many IBD sufferers (including myself) also suffer with depression and/or anxiety. Anxiety alone can take over your life, so imagine that on top of chronic fatigue, malnutrition, and excruciating abdominal pain just to name a few symptoms. 

I think unless you have IBD, you can't imagine what having it is like and how it changes your life. When I got diagnosed I had to mourn the life I previously had, as it would never be the same. This was a life long disease I was always going to have, and thinking to the future still scares me. Not knowing what's round the corner and being in constant fear that I'm going to flare. Then of course, the increased risk of colon cancer. All these factors make up Crohn's disease, not just the frequent need to go to the toilet. 

Even though IBD is becoming more well known, so many people still don't take it seriously. It isn't considered a disability, we have to pay for all our medication, it cannot always be controlled by diet and cannot be cured. So to have someone in the public eye state they are simply cured, is soul destroying if I'm honest!  Like I said previously,  it is great Samantha is feeling stronger and better in herself and if she claims to have been 'cured' why not share how she got there? I know that everyone is different so what works for her won't work for everyone, but people are open to suggestions! If I was in her position in the public eye, I would take full advantage to spread awareness and help others. I know how desperate sufferers can feel, I've been in that position, and any glimpse of hope is amazing to focus on. It gives you a bit of positivity in dark times and something to cling on to. 

This post is in no way written to slander Samantha Faiers and her opinions, but simply to point out that Crohns isn't as easily curable as she says. I think it's important that everyone is still aware of the severity of IBD and not to take this disease lightly.

XOXO Crohnie Girl 

Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

My favourite lunch on a cold winters day is carrot & sweet potato soup. It is so easy to make, completely gluten, dairy & onion free and so tasty. Not only is it perfect to have for us Crohnies, my mum (a non IBD sufferer) loves it too.


You will need ...

• 2-3 Carrots
• 1 fair sized sweet potato
• Half a chicken stock Kallo cube (completely gluten & lactose free)
• 200-300ml boiling water (enough to cover vegetables)

This will make enough for one portion, so can easily be doubled etc to make more

• To start, chop and peel all the vegetables then place them in a small/medium sized sauce pan
• Boil the water in the kettle, then pour over vegetables
• Turn on hob and start on high heat
• Gently stir in half a Kallo stock cube making sure it completely dissolves
• Once the pan is bubbling, turn to a lower heat and let simmer
• Leave for around 15 minutes and check vegetables with a knife to see if they have softened enough
• Once softened, remove from heat and let cool
• When cool enough to handle, pour the ingredients into a blender. I use a Nutribullet but this isn't essential, any blender will work to soften into a soup like mix
• The blending stage should only take 30-60 seconds
• Once blended to a consistency of your likening, pour into a bowel, crunch pepper on top to serve
• I sometimes eat mine with a slice of gluten free toast & dairy free spread

 

XOXO Crohnie Girl 

 

 

 

Miso Marinated Cod with Cauliflower Rice

I cooked this dish when I had my friends over for a dinner party and it was a great success. It was really easy to make and only 12 minutes cooking time, so it meant I could entertain my guests too. So yummy, should definitely give it a go.

You will need...
1 Cauliflower
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon tamari
2 table spoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 teaspoons honey
4 x 150g firm white cod fillets
Cucumber slices
Greens to serve

This will serve 4. Cook, prep & refrigeration - 50 minutes

• Chop the cauliflower into pieces, and then put into a blender until blended into 'rice like' size/shape. Put to a side until ready to serve
• Combine the miso paste, tamarin, orange juice, garlic and honey in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the fish in and coat. Cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and place on the rack. Bake for 12 minutes or until the fish is golden and flakes easily when tested with a fork
• With a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumbers into ribbons that work for decoration
• To cook the 'rice', spray some oil into a pan and pour in the cut cauliflower. Keep moving the cauliflower round with a wooden spoon, cook for about 5-10 minutes just until lightly brown
• Serve cod on top of the cauliflower rice, with greens of choice and cucumber ribbons on top

I know some of these ingredients (garlic, orange juice) may not be suitable for all, but I am ok with these so please remove these ingredients if they don't agree with you. 

Lemon Drizzle Cake

So I wanted to share with you my gluten & dairy free Lemon Drizzle cake recipe! It's super easy & yummy so no excuses.

You will need...

4oz Self raising gluten free flour (I use Doves Farm)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2oz Dairy Free butter (I use Viatlite)
4oz Caster Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 grated lemon rind
1 table spoon freshly squeezed Lemon juice

• Preheat the oven to  170 degrees Celsius
• Lightly grease a baking tin with butter & flour. I choose to use a loaf tin, but any will do
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. hold the sieve high to give the mixture a good airing, helping to make it light
• Then simply add in other ingredients and whisk till thoroughly combined
• Once mixture is nicely combined, pour into the tin and back for 30-45 minutes
• When the cake has browned and starts coming away from the edge of the tin, you know it is ready
• For decoration, I baked 3 half slices of lemon on a separate tray whilst the cake was baking, then placed on top once the cake had been cooked and cooled down
• For the icing, I used icing sugar and the fresh lemon juice. Using a fork, poke holes in the cake then drizzle on the icing so it seeps into the cake
• Voila!

 

XOXO Crohnie Girl

2016 - Take 2

After my crazy January was over, it was time to get my focus back onto healthy living. I was starting to feel the affects of not sleeping enough, eating correctly and being stressed. My body felt burnt out and like I was running on 0 energy and I was very conscious of getting myself back into flare mode so I had to turn it around.

I really notice when I let my diet slip, and as I am 100% strict with it most of the time, on the occasions where I diverge my body really notices. At the end of January, I went to Disneyland Paris for the weekend with some girlfriends and despite the rain it was a lovely trip. The only thing I struggled with was food. As it was a sort of theme park, most food was fast food or sweets and donuts which I cant have. This meant that for most meals I resulted in having chips, which I didn't mind at all as chips are my favourite food in the world!! But really, I should only have them as a treat as they are deep fried and not great for my insides. By the end of the weekend, and having had chips for breakfast lunch and dinner, my mouth had come up in very painful ulcers - a sign that my Crohns was flaring up. I was only away for two days, so really it is mad that it can affect me that much and that quickly. But if I am honest, I think it was a build up of everything. Stress from mums party, drinking too much, lots of walking around Disney making me tired and then of course poor nutrition. I really didn't want things to get bad again as I had just started to feel on top of things, so as soon as I got home I began doing all the right things to mend my health.
Monday I was working from home so that really helped me as it meant I wouldn't be even more worn out with the train journey etc. It was also helpful as I could regularly gargle with the oral steroids to help my ulcers as this is quite difficult (and grosse) to do at work. For the first few days it seemed that the steroids couldn't even touch my ulcers, but along with eating lots of veg & clean foods they seem to have now died down. Although my mouth still is sore, the angry ulcers seem to have gone. I am going to continue with the steroids in the hope the soreness dies down. Also what I find really helpful is pineapple, so I am going to keep up with my green juices in the mornings - pineapple, cucumber and spinach.

As well as my mouth being sore, my abdomen has felt sore to touch which isn't a normal occurrence. The pains I have had in the past with my Crohns have been cramps inside so I wondered what it could mean. I decided to keep an eye on this an also monitor my bowel movements to make sure everything is ok. Things definitely haven't been 'normal' and I have seen the dreaded red colour appear again which makes me worry like mad but I know this isn't good for my body. My doctor told me previously that what's going on in our mouths can be a reflection of what is going on in our bodies, so me bleeding again may just mean that the inflammation inside me has flared up due to diet/stress. It really is crazy how much can affect our bodies! So I have been in contact with my IBD nurse and have gone back on to the steroid enema's to stop the bleeding. My next appointment with my consultant is on the 26th February so I am focused on that.

In the mean time, I am going to continue doing everything right for my body and focus on not being stressed!! Working out is a great stress reliever for me so I am going to exercise as much as I can without burning myself out. It's all about finding the right balance. I am also going to work on my relationship with food. Pre Crohns I was a massive foodie and lived to eat but after being diagnosed I have fallen out of love with food. I don't enjoy it anymore and get tired of eating the same boring food all the time. So my goal is to work to create different foods and recipes I can enjoy and keep healthy. To see my trials and tribulations, follow me on instagram - xoxocrohniegirl

XOXO Crohnie Girl

January 1 - Daisy 0

January hasn't been the calm, quiet month it is for most people - My amazing mum has turned 50! So this month has been jam packed with celebrations. Even when you're feeling under the weather, it's hard to keep up a front and push on with joining in so I'm sure a lot of you can sympathise with what it's like having a chronic illness and having to keep up! In some ways, January has been more full on for me than Christmas and Crohns is always at the forefront of my mind, and I always want to stay on top of it.

My mums 50th was on the 16th January and my dad had surprised her with a trip to New York (well jel!) so for her actual birthday she was away. This meant that celebrations started a week before! She had friends round, champagne with dinner most nights, and every day seemed to have a new present to open. It's safe to say home wasn't the most relaxing of places to be, and to add to the mix, my dad me and my sister were planning my mum a surprise party. If you know my mum, you know she is the hardest person to do a surprise for. In the nicest possible way, she is a control freak. Whenever I am doing something, whether it be my hair or making something in the kitchen, she'll be watching over my shoulder telling me what to do then eventually end up taking over. So we had set ourselves a massive challenge trying to throw a 'Keely worthy' party, but she does so much for all of us we knew she deserved it. It was the one chance we had to show her how much she means to us and how truly loved she is. My level 12 mum x
So party prepping actually began back in November time last year and I had to send out texts to friends and family without her seeing or knowing. This was pretty straightforward, but then in December my phone got stolen.. gone were the phone numbers, RSVPs and all the other secret party messages - very annoying! This made my stress 10 times worse but I was so conscious of not being stressed. I knew that being stressed was only going to make myself unwell so I really had to try and stay calm. Throughout the months party planning, the gym became my relaxation place. I could do a work out and get all the angst out of me and feel relaxed again, so each day that's what I did. Plus it got me out of the house, so all my secret phone calls and activities could happen!

Regular work outs & lots of greens!

After very careful planning, arranging and lots of help from friends, mums 50th surprise party was a success!!! We had spent the day at a Spa so she had no idea what was going on at home, then when we arrived back home my dad had transformed the kitchen into a nightclub and filled it with her friends. The smile on her face was worth every bit of stress, every argument and every penny. I felt so proud of my family that we were able to pull it off and so excited to have a good time.

There was now just one thing left to do - DRINK. And boy did I drink... The first glass of champagne went straight through me. It doesn't take a lot for me to get drunk at all, seeing as I don't drink a lot now and also I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to. On this particular day, we hadn't had dinner as I had told my mum we were going out for dinner so I had nothing to line my stomach. I don't think I could have faced eating anything as I was so nervous! I think when drinking alcohol, your mood and mind state really affects how drunk you get. I had been so anxious and stressed and nervous that this all played a part in how the evening ended up... at 12.30 with me being sick. Whoops! The next day I felt absolutely terrible. Headache, nausea, the lot. I also had a massive guilty conscience and was really beating myself up about how drunk I had got. "I'm not well, I shouldn't behave like that, I should be more responsible, it's ridiculous" and while all that is true, it wasn't the end of the world. I never drink anymore and it was a one off occasion that had had an almighty build up and getting drunk was my release. When I got diagnosed with Crohns I remember the main thing I thought about was not being able to drink. By no means am I an alcoholic, but I enjoy drinking and socialising with friends and so I want all IBD sufferers to know that you can still do just that. But pick and choose your moments & drinks! A tip I would give for the hangover days is drinking Dioralyte which I'm sure we all have at home in the cupboards. This just replenishes all the things you've lost when drinking alcohol and so it helps ease the hangover. Also bananas are amazing as they are packed with potassium - if you can stomach one of those!

Oh dear oh dear oh dear....

Dry January may not have been a success for me, but looks like I'll easily be 'dry' for a long time after my experience with Champagne!!!

XOXO Crohnie Gir