Physical Results

I had a complete physical yesterday, and it was one of those rare times when I left the doctors office happy. :)

My lab results were the best surprise of all. I last had blood work done this past Spring, before I went GF and mostly sugar-free as well. I also now eat very little processed food, so I was super curious to see how things were doing, because truthfully my levels were not great the last time.

My doctor said that last time my blood sugar levels were still within the normal range, but they were teetering very close to being too high (meaning borderline diabetes). These results show my levels are now much lower and way down within the normal levels. Yeah!

My thyroid levels are almost the same as they were before, which has my TSH and T4 reading well within the normal range as well. Another Yeah!

Now for what I think is the best news. The following levels are all now within the normal range:

Cholesterol is down 33 pts
HDL is up 6pts (this is the good one that  you want to go up)
Chol/HDL ratio is down 2pts
LDL cholesterol is down 17pts

Triglycerides is down 108pts. <---this one is still high, but the doctor is confident that when I get my blood work rechecked in 6 mo, that it will be down in the normal range as well. :)

I originally changed my eating because I had read that it can really help with Fibromyalgia symptoms. Honestly, I haven't noticed much difference with that, however I will continue, because eliminating the food allergies I have is obviously doing great things for my body.

Eating this way is getting easier now that I'm starting to accumulate GF/SF recipes that I actually like really well, including desserts. So now I don't have to feel deprived, which is always a good thing!

My New Blog

As you know I've been Gluten-free since mid-July. I have tried many GF recipes and let me just say that a whole bunch of them are just plain awful!

Over the past couple of months I have begun to find some recipes that we as a family truly do like, and I wanted to share them with others.

There are only a few recipes on there so far. While I've made more, I want to include a photo with each posting, so you know for sure I've actually made this recipe.

Here's the link to the blog: Gloriously Gluten-Free

And here's the link where it explains in more detail why I started this new blog: Introduction

If you know of anyone who is GF, be sure to send them by! As a matter of fact, you don't even HAVE to eat GF to enjoy these recipes. Just rest assured that these recipes ARE good, and they have even passed inspection by the two picky eaters I live with. :)

Blueberry Muffins

Have you ever heard of Udi. Chances are, unless you eat gluten-free, you haven't. Currently, Udi's Gluten Free is in more than 500 stores nationwide, in 36 states, including Hawaii.

When I get groceries, I buy 1 Udi's item to try. This past week I bought their blueberry muffins. I tried one this morning, and let me just say, my tummy is singing!

I consider myself a "snob" when it comes to bakery type items. I like them soft, which is why I'm struggling with most gluten-free foods. Udi's bread is good, and I love it for toast, or a grilled sandwich, but I'm still not totally sold on it for a regular sandwich bread.

Therefore, I was skeptical about the muffins, but I decided to give them a shot, and yes, I am super happy I did! I took one directly from the freezer and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds. It was soft and sweet as if I had just baked them myself (well, more like if someone who can bake them without burning them had made them). A.maz.ing!

If you have anyone that you know must eat gluten-free, do them a favor and tell them about Udi's products. Udi's sells bread, bagels, cinnamon rolls, muffins and granola. They can also order online if it's not in one of their stores.

You're friend will love you for this!

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

I have had requests for this recipe that I posted a picture of in Saturdays Project 365 post, so here it is. This recipe is gluten-free, but you can easily adjust it and use non-gluten-free items if you want to.

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

Pam olive oil spray
1 each: red, green, yellow bell pepper, cored & diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2c Portobello mushrooms, chopped (I eliminated due to my allergy to mushrooms)
4T balsamic vinegar
a pinch or two of each: fresh basil, thyme, oregano, mint, nutmeg
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2c gluten-free chicken broth
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4c gluten-free marinara sauce (you will need more if using uncooked noodles)
1 box rice lasagna noodles, uncooked or cooked - makes no difference
15oz small curd cottage cheese or ricotta
8oz cream cheese, softened
4oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I grate mine fresh)
4oz grated parmesan (I grate mine fresh)
1 egg, lightly beaten
dash nutmeg
4oz mozzarella for topping - optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of your 9x13 lasagna-style baking dish with Pam.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add peppers, spinach, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Stir for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and herbs; season with nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes; add the broth. Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced and the veggies are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

When the veggies are cooked, remove the pan from heat and stir in the chicken pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheeses with the egg, and dash of nutmeg. You can also add some finely chopped parsley if you wish.

Spoon 1/2 the marinara sauce into teh bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

Cover evenly with the veggie-chicken mixture, pressing down with a spatula to make a dense, compact layer. Spoon a little sauce over the layer.

Top with another 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, and press down.

Spread the cheese mixture in an even layer. Top with remaining lasagna noodles and press firmly.

Cover with remaining sauce, allowing the sauce to seep in and around the sides of the dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Add a sprinkle of herbs if you like.

Cover the lasagna loosely with foil. Bake for 50-60 min, or until lasagna is hot and bubbling.

Makes 9 very generous servings. 

NOTES:

Allow the baked lasagna to sit for a few minutes before serving. This allows it to set up and makes it much easier for slicing and serving.

If you use uncooked noodles, you will need more sauce to allow the noodles to simmer  and soften while cooking.

I froze individual servings into baggies. It reheats great!

When I made this to have for the fair, I stuck with the 9 large servings, because I knew that's all I'd have. At home, I'd be tempted to cut into 12 servings instead and have a salad along side it. You'd still have plenty.

Nutrition Facts Gluten Free GF Chicken Lasagna
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	468
Total Fat	14g
Saturated Fat	6.6g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	90mg
Sodium	906mg
Carbohydrate	49.8g
Dietary Fiber	6.4g
Sugars	12.4g
Protein	36.2g
Vitamin A 53% Vitamin C 158% Calcium    36% Iron 18%