The no caffeine revelation

Almost a month ago, after having dropped coffee a year ago thanks to my problems with dizziness,  I thought I would give it a try again. I was dealing with sleep deprivation and thought how nice it would be to have a latte after so many months of abstinence.  I love a good cup of coffee, especially a well-drawn espresso. But coffee has not been kind to my digestion the last decade or so. There is the diuretic aspect, which seems to affect me more strongly as I age. I also experience occasional abdominal cramping and just general weirdness. Plus it really plays havoc with my energy levels- the depths are deeper, which make me cranky, and after enough crankiness it really made me (and Abbey) wonder if the moderate improvement in attention span and alertness was really worth it.

Adding to my stress about coffee drinking was my mother insisting I had inherited her "iffy" stomach. She has symptoms on a regular basis that sound a lot like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Stressing out on something makes it even worse for her. And for a while, that was really starting to sound like me.

But, like the cub scout who has to poke the campfire with the stick and swish it around until someone's tent catches on fire, I had to keep trying to drink coffee. When I drank it regularly, I would have coffee-friendly days and coffee-unfriendly days. On the unfriendly days, I would still want my caffeine fix; since it was because my stomach was iffy that I couldn't have coffee that day, I would switch to soda, which I have relied upon to make my stomach feel better for quite a few years. Sometimes I could tolerate a cup or two of tea; but as often as not, I would end up with stomach discomfort, not as bad as with coffee, but uncomfortable enough that I regretted drinking it- and I am a bona fide tea lover.

So, back to the main story: I decided to indulge in the dark stuff. All went surprisingly well. No problems whatsoever. I felt just fine, and extra perky that day thanks to the stimulant effect. The next day came and, feeling emboldened, I thought I'd have another cup of coffee that morning.

I wish I hadn't.

I'll preface the following by saying I was not 100% surprised; coffee has caused this reaction in me before. But never with as much persistence. For thirty hours following that cup of coffee, I felt a weird spasm in my stomach, high and on the left. It would spasm for ten seconds. Two minutes would pass, and it would spasm again for ten seconds. This went on for over a day. The night of the first day, my sleep was interrupted several times thanks to the discomfort of the spasm. I wouldn't say it hurt- but it was quite uncomfortable.

Later the first day I thought I would have a soda, my old standby for stomach problems. It did not help at all- in fact, it only made it briefly worse. This was a conundrum. I had always been able to rely on some cola to get me through rough digestive times. But now it wasn't helping at all. I decided to stop drinking coffee, tea, or soda. I wasn't sure what was causing the spasm- I figured it was caffeine, but figured it could also be the acid in the coffee. If it was acidity, soda certainly wasn't going to help matters. So, if my confusion about was happening and how to stop it, I decided to drop all suspect drinks entirely.

It's been three weeks now, and I have to say, it's one of the best dietary decisions I've made. First and foremost, the "iffy" stomach is completely gone. My digestion feels the most normal it's felt in a decade. I now wonder if perhaps soda was creating the digestive problems that I was using soda to medicate, which would be pretty darn ironic.

The hardest part has been battling the brain fog. I have kicked coffee before a few times. One of the side effects of caffeine withdrawal is the dreaded brain fog, during which your brain seems to have been docked a few IQ points. Apparently the fog was so powerful that I had forgotten that I had even experienced brain fog before! Once that lifted, however, I realized I could feel as sharp as before without any caffeine, and that seems like the more desirable alternative.

So all I drink now is water- and it seems my digestive system is recovering from problems I had managed to ignore for years.  I highly recommend dropping all caffeine if you suspect you have anything resembling IBS- my experience makes me wonder if it might be the best thing you could do for it.

Pepitas

I was a little apprehensive at first, but I'm working my way back into old cooking habits.  I tend to see recipes more as suggestions or inspirations.   I had a real learning curve when we began this challenge.  But now it's turning into an obsessive quest to do the South Beach diet "my way".  I saw Martha's Spiced Pecans and Pepitas and felt I could run with the concept.  Honestly, who adds chili powder and salt and thinks that's just dandy?  I couldn't stop there. In addition to the pecans and pumpkin seeds, I threw in flax seed for their supposed health benefits.  Our trusty cast iron skillet turned out to be the perfect pan for toasting nuts.  I then spiced it up with some Turkish red pepper flakes, powdered clove, cinnamon, kosher salt, and a couple pinches of paprika.  I had this suspicion that toasting the pecans would bring out their natural sweetness and the salty-sweet-spicy combo would be enough to keep Michael happy when snack-time comes around at work.  He gave it a test and seemed quite pleased.  (It's hard work keeping this guy's taste buds entertained!)

The 29 Healthiest foods

BellyBytes has an interesting article reviewing the 29 healthiest foods on the planet. I'm gratified to see we are already eating some of them; much more so thanks to our current South Beath infatuation.

I must say, I like fruit, but I didn't think I would reach a point at which I was desperate to have a slice of apple, a chunk of pineapple, or even a nibble of a strawberry. But I am! I really, really miss fruit!

Here is a summary of the foods on the list:

01. Apricots
02. Avocados
03. Raspberries
05. Cantaloupe
06. Cranberry Juice
07. Tomato
08. Raisins
09. Figs
10. Lemons/Limes
11. Onions
12. Artichokes
13. Ginger
14. Broccoli
15. Spinach
16. Bok Choy (Chinese cabbage)
17. Squash (Butternut, Pumpkin, Acorn)
18. Watercress and Arugula
19. Garlic
20. Quinoa
21. Wheat Germ
22. Lentils
23. Peanuts
24. Pinto Beans
26. Skim Milk
27. Shellfish (Clams, Mussels)
28. Salmon
29. Crab

Stevia Wonder?

I'd been reading up a lot on artificial sweeteners and I'd come to the conclusion that Stevia was the safest and most natural no-carb sweetener.  As our last hurrah this weekend, Michael and I were planning a flourless chocolate cake sweetened with Stevia.

Michael got the Stevia at the local health food store.  And I dug around for a reliable flourless chocolate cake recipe from my favorite chef, Nick Malgieri.  I set out to alter it just enough to remove all the sugar.  Instead of bittersweet baking chocolate, I used unsweetened.  Instead of the 3/4 cup of sugar, I used 1 tsp of Stevia powder.  As you can see here, the stuff looks like an illegal drug and costs about as much--$5 for a tiny pouch no bigger than a packet of saffron or other rare spice.  

As I was mixing the melted chocolate into the yolks, butter, and stevia, my chocolate started to seize up.  I can only assume that the cooling process had advanced too far, so I had to stir it over a bowl of hot water for a while.  I gave it a little taste and I was shocked at how one teaspoon had sweetened and simultaneously turned the whole thing unbelievably bitter.  I pressed on, however.  I wouldn't easily throw out 7 eggs and 8 ounces of chocolate.  I continued to test the flavor as I mixed and I couldn't believe how BITTER it tasted.  In a desperate attempt to salvage the batter, I added 2 tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.  I folded in the whipped egg whites, slipped it into the oven, and hoped for the best.

A fairly attractive scent of chocolate perfumed the air, but it still seemed something was off and I braced myself for the worst.  When it came out, it looked pretty decent.  A glossy crackling on top of the slightly raised cake seemed to signal some success.  And after the cooling off period, I moved in for a taste.  Michael moved in for a taste, too.  We each had a slice, but had to toss most of it out before finishing.  It was foul.  There was a strong bitter and chemical taste that just didn't work with the chocolate.

The texture was odd as well.  Flourless cakes are usually light and verging on a pudding smoothness in the center.  I don't know how Stevia could possibly have affected the texture, but maybe it was more the absence of sugar than anything else.  Sugar clearly does play an integral part in what goes on to create the right texture.  This obviously was not it.  The little packet of white powder as well as the cake are now resting comfortably at the bottom of our trash bin.

What lesson can I take away from this ill-fated experiment?  It took a few hours of dejected moping before I could really think in an objective manner.  I guess, ultimately, it means that I can't have my sugar-free cake and eat it too.  If it were any flavor other than chocolate, it might have worked.  I had to have my chocolate, though.  I NEED chocolate!  But apparently, you can't have decent chocolate without good old-fashioned sugar.  So it's back to the old drawing board.  I may make it through two weeks without my favorite substance in the world.  I doubt it, though.

A Whole Lotta Latte

For a while there, I really thought I was in for some serious trouble. The only reason I ever get out of bed in the morning is to get close to my morning cup of joy. I lay there until I can hear my husband in the kitchen clanging around. When I hear the hum, whir, and whoosh of our espresso machine (as he skillfully crafts my cafe latte)--I know that it's a good time to drag my butt out of bed and gratefully accept the hot cup of joy offered me.

My mornings were about to become dark and dreary, however, because skim milk holds too many happy little carbs for the South Beach diet's dreaded phase one. Frothy skim milk pretty much holds my universe together. All was not good with Abbey, that is, until I discovered almond milk. Almond milk (unsweetened), by some minor miracle, can be whooshed and whirred right up into a frothy milky substance that mimics my usual morning latte--and all virtually carb free! JOY! I do believe I'm ready to tame this damn diet now!

Tea is our friend

As we fortify ourselves for certain phase one deprivation, we develop an array of coping mechanisms.  Michael and I frequently sit down after dinner in the evenings with a satisfying and warm cup of tea.  Tea was once accompanied by things like chocolate cake or my latest Christmas cookie creations, but these days, tea is a more ritualistic affair.  We crave something sweet, some comfort, and it seems tea is just the right thing.

Our taste in tea runs the gamut. We brew crazy funky herbal teas, the respectable Earl Grey, serious loose leaf teas in black, white, or green. Jasmine tea is so pleasant to inhale between sips. Simple orange pekoe can be a pleasure as well. So many varieties, some caffeinated, some not, to distract the palate. The warmth of the mug in my hands is comforting and I can sip a hot cup for a good 10 minutes. Yes, keep your brain distracted with a little ritual of tea in the evening and you might perhaps forget all about dessert...here's hoping!

My mania for tea now extends into days at work. I become restless and go to the break room for hot water. I steep my tea and enjoy each sip with a sort of zen-like simplicity. The hot tea in my mug is also a nice pairing with whatever sad little snack I'm currently gnawing.








Almonds go well with my current favorite tea--Yogi brand's Mayan Cocoa Spice--a boon to a chocolate lover like myself. They use actual cocoa in the tea and the blend of spices seems very well done. To some degree, this particular tea takes care of my chocolate craving. I haven't entirely given up on dessert, though. I'm researching a way to make a chocolate flourless cake sweetened with stevia. Stay tuned!

SOAPBOX: Kids and food

Let's just call this my kids and food manifesto.

I've had it. Our kids diets are appalling. They barely eat one fruit or vegetable per day. They gorge themselves on frozen processed foods, super salty ramen noodles, and snack on candy. If it weren't for ketchup, all their meals would be monochromatic.

I'm ready to lay down the law. Our mission is clear--this is our summer to get the family healthy

• Start them all on a kid's dietary supplement that isn't heavy with artificial colorings.

• Get them involved in planting and growing vegetables in our garden.

• I will start keeping food diary--I want to keep track of what they're eating and how quickly afterward someone has a meltdown, asks for a snack, or complains of being tired. Kids can have bad reactions to food colorings and nutritional deficits, which might manifest themselves as mood swings, anger issues, and an inability to express oneself clearly.

• I want them on probiotics. Kids who have had repeated ear infections and courses of antibiotics can have an excess of candida in their systems. Candida causes yeast infections and produces toxins--another factor that might contribute to mood swings. Probiotics would counteract the bad effects of antibiotics.

• Get the kids involved in food production--baking, cooking, mixing stuff in the kitchen

• Place a stronger emphasis on healthy foods in the diet

1. Order some nutrition books geared toward kids--convince them that they will be happier and healthier if they eat more fruits and veggies. Our kids will probably need more convincing than most and a definitive outside source would help tremendously. While discussing nutrition, they frequently seem to be somewhat mystified on how to define "healthy foods." A good book would go a long way to clarify some issues for them. I found a book on Amazon: My Food Pyramid
2. Talk with them at meal times and at the grocery store about healthy choices. Get them into a constant dialogue regarding what foods and activities would keep them strong and healthy.

• Stop serving junk. Throw all the junk away. No more chips. No more nuggets. Nothing fried. No more cereals with marshmallows. No more super sweet yogurt in dayglo colors.

I honestly don't mean to be a Nazi about this, but I feel enough is enough. I won't deny them the many pleasures of good food. This campaign of mine isn't about denial. It's about adding more things to the diet and judiciously expending their "pleasure" calories on foods that are higher in quality than Trix cereal or some damned box of cookies that contains garbage none of us can pronounce. Homemade pleasures are in abundance at our home and the kids can get involved in making those things. I know how to make homemade marshmallows for crying out loud! Mama ain't no slouch in the kitchen. The Chips A-frickin'-Hoy are not entering this household ever again!

--A