Going Gluten Free + Dinner recipe idea

       Going Gluten Free is a lifestyle change! You can totally do it though. It's not hard when you're motivated to change yourself and the way you eat. My biggest bit of advice is to start slowly!! You do not have to be 100% gluten free the minute you start it. In fact the first time I tried to go gluten free I failed! So let's start this by saying going gluten free is a process! 

      So where do you start? 

      You start by researching! Really you need to know the names of gluten in the things you buy. You also should "try" to limit the number of gluten free products you buy. This is simply because your body needs real food. Veggies and fruits do not contain gluten. And adding more of those to your diet is a wonderful thing. Here's an example of a great gluten free breakfast...
    
              - Scramble Eggs (no cheese or milk. Just salt and pepper)
              - Avocados sliced
              - Seasonal fruit
              - Coffee or Tea

       There you have a great hearty gluten free breakfast. You can buy GF waffles or pancakes but limit the amount you eat them during the week. If you did them everyday that'd be a lot of sugar that you don't need. Eating real foods really does leave you feeling better! 

       Starting slow! So like I said above I failed the first time I tried to go gluten free. It is not an overnight success story here. In fact it takes time and research. Meal planning helps but not everyone has time to plan as much. I really find keeping your kitchen stocked with fruits and veggies helps. A great way to keep your kitchen stocked is to head to your local Farmer's market. I try my hardest to buy all organic but even if the produce isn't organic chances are it is fresher and healthier than what you'll find in the grocery store. Farmer's at the market will tell you how they grow things, if they use pesticides and more. I foundd a wonderful lady who sells chicken eggs. I asked her about all her different kinds of eggs and she was honest. Her eggs were only a day old. One's in the store aren't ever that fresh. And I'll tell you what those eggs were amazing! The yolks were beautiful and they tasted fresh. Yes you can taste the difference! 

      Another fun thing about the Farmer's market is planning meals around what you buy. For us I decided to make a Spaghetti squash pasta that night! It was fun picking out the Squash. It was fresh and something new for our family to try. I had gotten the idea from my friend Jenna who tried the whole30 diet. I really liked it! My daughter not so much but that's because she expected it to be exactly like pasta. Sorry girl! lol! Below is a simple recipe for Spaghetti Squash pasta! Enjoy :) 

     Spaghetti Squash Pasta 
         - You will need: 1-2 Spaghetti Squash (2 if they are small in size)
         - Grassfed Ground Beef (1 package)
         - A yellow onion
         - Your favorite jarred sauce (I used Muir Glen organic)

    I used this recipe for the prep of the Spaghetti Squash {{Click Here}} 
 For the Ground beef I heated my pan on the stovetop with Olive Oil and then added diced onions. Once those were sauteed I added in the ground beef. Cook it until it is no longer pink. Then add in your pasta sauce and simmer. Then once your Spaghetti Squash is prepared you can add your sauce right on top! I will be honest the Squash does not taste exactly like pasta but it does have the texture and it is super healthy for you! Give it a try and let me know how you liked it! 

(( If you have any Gluten Free questions be sure to leave them in the comments and I'll try to address them in my next post)) - Ashley 

My personal journey with Grave's Disease

        
      Today mark's one year living with Graves Disease. One year of a long never ending road. My journey with Graves disease probably began over a year ago. After having my daughter I just never felt right. I was always tired and borderline felt like passing out on several occasions. Imagine using every ounce of energy in your body. If anything that's how it felt. In other words I was constantly drained. As a parent your constantly told that you're tired because of lack of sleep. But I was getting sleep, I was lucky because my daughter slept through the night at 3 months old. If it wasn't lack of sleep then what was it? 

       It wasn't until last year when things came to a head. I was highly stressed out and had so many changes in my life. That's when we knew for a fact something was wrong. I wasn't sleeping, my heart was racing and I was sweating which isn't normal for me. I don't usually sweat unless I'm working out. I just felt like I was dying, truly that's the best way I could describe it. I made an appt with my doctor to finally get some answers. Once my doctor saw me she knew I was not okay. 

This pic was about a month before I got diagnosed. I can see the weight gain, the swelling in my neck and face. I wasn't okay and I can see that clearly in this picture. 

       I was sent to the lab in my doctor's office to get tests and blood work done. Within 2 days my doctor called me to come in. At that point my blood work was showing what appeared to be both Hashimotos and Graves Disease. It was baffling to my doctor who immediately referred me to an Endocrinologist. Unfortunately getting into an Endocrinologist can take a few weeks. It was about a month later that I finally got in. Once he looked over my blood work and thyroid ultrasound it was clear to him that I had what he called "Classic Graves Disease". For the next few months I would go in for blood work monthly so that my medication would be at the right dosage. I went from being hyperthyroid to hypothyroid from the medication. So my dose was backed down to bring me closer to normal. In that time my daughter attended preschool because I simply couldn't take care of her all day. I had no energy. There were days that all I could do was lay in bed and sleep. 

      When it came time for us to move back to California I was starting to feel better. I talked with my daughter's preschool teacher and I'll never forget what she said. When she was first put in preschool I needed it because I felt so sick and awful. One day I barely made it out to my car, I almost passed out in the parking lot. It's nearly bringing me to tears thinking about it. I thought no one else could see what I was going through. Turns out they saw it too. The preschool teacher asked me what I was going through. And I told her I had Graves disease but it's under control now. She sat me down and said "We could see you were sick but we we're to afraid to ask. We didn't want to upset you." Then she recalled seeing me walk to my car "I just remember you looked grey in color and you looked like you could barely make it to your car. I wanted to help you but I didn't want to upset you. I didn't want you to feel bad." I know the exact day she was talking about. I couldn't get on medication until I saw the Endocrinologist. So from when my doctor took blood work until I saw the Endocrinologist was about a month. I had to take Zofran every morning to help me not feel sick. Hearing her say she saw I was sick just spoke volumes to me. When you have an invisible illness it feels like people can't see what you go through. But they did. 

     It's not easier a year later. I haven't been to an Endocrinologist since early March. I had to switch doctors when we moved back to California. I'm working on seeing a new doctor and finally getting referred to an Endocrinologist here. I have good days and I have bad days. I have days where I feel like I have no energy to play with my daughter. I have days where I can get things done and I feel fine. It's a balancing act really. Graves disease is a long road, and I'm sure I'll share more as my journey goes along! Thank you to my family and friends who have been there for me. And most of all my Husband for being so understanding. He is such an amazing person. He helps me in anyway that he can and he truly has been what keeps me going. I know God has a plan for me having Graves disease and I'm not worried. I'll be okay, it's not going to be easy but I can do all things through Christ who gives me Strength! - Ashley

This pic is a year after the one above. After thyroid medication, a clean eating lifestyle, and going gluten free. I have lost weight in my face, neck and body. I feel healthier but still battle Graves disease symptoms. 

Gluten Free easy to make Dessert

      We were invited to a Barbecue over Labor day weekend and asked to bring a dessert. As some of you know I'm Gluten Free. So naturally I went on Pinterest to find ideas. Being Gluten Free I don't really eat a ton of desserts, though I totally have a sweet tooth. I didn't have a ton of time to make my dessert so time was of the essence. I finally decided on cupcakes! 

  

      I know what you're thinking... Cupcakes?! Yes cupcakes! Bob's Red Mill makes a vanilla cake mix that is delicious! It was so simple to make and it worked out perfectly. I topped my cupcakes with whipped vanilla frosting, sliced strawberries and mini semi sweet chocolate chip morsels. If I had more time I would have made my own from scratch frosting but time wasn't on my side. Here's the end product...

Next time you're invited somewhere make these Gluten Free cupcakes! It honestly didn't take long at all. About 20 minutes of baking time, 15 minutes of cooling time (on a wire rack) and about 30 seconds each to top! If you have any questions feel free to msg me! - Ashley @MilWifeAsh 

Pin of the week - Taco Seasoning

        As some of you know I'm on a Gluten Free diet. To me it's not a fad it's a lifestyle change. So part of that is finding products or recipes where we know there isn't Gluten. We weren't so sure about Taco seasoning packets sold at the store. So I turned to pinterest to find a DIY Taco Seasoning. I found a few pins but this one is my favorite. It's not overly salty like the store bought kinds. You can find all the spices at your local grocery store. Win/Win in my book. It takes a tiny bit more effort than the store bought ones but it tastes better, is Gluten Free, and without chemicals. 


 Pin of the week ---> Taco seasoning recipe