A week in Moo Goo: Monday

The hub is off to work today! Well, both of us are. But most exciting is that the hub's new job starts today! He's very pumped about this new opportunity and so am I. We went out to dinner with my parents Saturday night to celebrate. So today's a good day! My hubby also commented that he wanted today to be the start of all things fresh... including eating better. He is very active, but well, let's just say his diet is not the greatest. He eats whatever I cook, which is great... but he snacks on a lot of crap and really doesn't get the fruits and veggies he needs. And last night after dinner at a friend's house, he commented about how stuffed and bloated he felt. And I was like, "well, if you went gluten-free and dairy-free like me, you wouldn't have that problem." Not that I really care if he does my hard core Moo Goo diet, but it's true... when you eliminate wheat and dairy out of your diet, digestion issues just disappear.

Most of y'all know, I'm on this crazy diet because we're trying to get prego. My acupuncturist put me on this diet. Not because wheat and milk will keep you from getting knocked up, but because she wants me to get my body in the best shape possible to carry a baby. Traditional Chinese Medicine is all about a holistic approach to health... and the obvious first step in getting the body in balance is cutting out wheat, dairy, and excess sugar. I also can't have caffeine, alcohol, or anything cold. No raw veggies (hard to digest). Aside from the occasional herbal tea, all I drink is room temperature water. I know it sounds awful, but I've been doing this for like 4 months now and I'm pretty used to it. The only time it's *really* hard is in social situations - especially parties. Party food is mostly made up of everything I can't have! Like yesterday I went to a clothing swap and there was literally nothing I could eat. I expected this, so it's not like I was disappointed. But it just means my meals do require some planning. Grabbing a "quick" meal is not so easy.

And really, gluten-free on its own is not so bad. It's kind of become en vogue lately and a lot of restaurants in Atlanta have started offering gluten-free options. But add in dairy-free, and it gets REALLY hard. So eating out can be tough, but that's not a big problem for us since we rarely do so. But for example, at the traditional Italian restaurant we dined at Saturday night, I ordered Veal Picatta with a side of spinach (instead of the standard pasta side). For a salad, we all shared a big antipasto platter - which I can eat most of aside from the cheese. No garlic bread, tiramisu, or after-dinner coffee (ugh, my past favorite) for me though.

So while it sounds torturous, I can't deny how much better I feel being on this diet. I have more energy, I never feel bloated or overly full (aside from that one soy latte incident that will never be repeated!), and I feel stronger - like my immune system is more on game. My allergies are definitely better - that's something I've really noticed. So while I definitely will indulge in certain things when I get the green light, I do plan to try to keep a low-gluten and low-dairy diet in the future. People ask me all the time how long I'm going to do this. The short of it? Till I get pregnant. And I will most likely keep it up through the first trimester and then I can let loose a little!

A sweet friend of mine is also getting back into the swing of things while she and her hubby try for miracle baby #2. She also sees Dr. Liu and is going back on this diet. She suggested I do a sort of "food diary" for a week. We've given each other ideas back and forth on what to eat through all of this, because at first you really are like, "what the hell CAN I eat?" And just so you know, I've never ever been one to diet - in the sense of restricting any certain foods or types of foods. I'm a calorie counter, but I never denied myself any certain foods. So this was a very hard diet to transition into, but now that I'm here, it's just not a big deal. And you must also consider the fact that I have a very good reason to be doing it. It's not a weight-loss thing, it's an I-want-a-baby thing.

So this week I will be detailing my meals and snacks for you - Moo Goo style. It's really for my friend, but maybe y'all will get something out of it too. Enjoy!

Today:

Breakfast. Hard-boiled egg, 2 turkey sausage links, and 1/3 cup (dry) instant grits (plain) with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter*

Snack. 1/2 cup all natural applesauce

Lunch. Imagine Organic Creamy Portabello Mushroom Soup, 1.5 cup

Snack. 1 cup sliced strawberries with 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (shelled, roasted)

Snack. Hummus (individual pack - 1/4 cup) with Crunchmaster multi-grain crackers

Dinner. Grilled chicken (6 oz) with Mexican Rice (awesome recipe - I use brown rice, Rotel and GF chicken broth and I just throw it all in my rice cooker to make it easy)

* Note that because I don't have "true" allergies to gluten or dairy, I'm a little forgiving when it comes to things like small amounts of margarine/butter, or certain sauces that probably have a little of either of those. I generally just try to eliminate the obvious things and do the best that I can with the rest! So if you have a real intolerance for gluten or dairy, you may need different options. I will star these items that may contain some wheat or milk.