Paula’s Butterfly Mind

Yes. I blinked… and 2 months went by.  Damn!  Things have been good… and busy! 

My house is mostly back together… although I’m still awaiting my new couch.  I’ve taken about 12 bags/boxes of stuff to Goodwill.  That is so freeing!  But I have a LOT more to get rid of.  I gave the old futon to a friend who was sitting on the floor at his place.  Now, not only are he and his wife no longer sitting on the floor, but they also have a spare bed for her sister’s visits!  In the meantime, I kind of expected my new couch to have arrived by now… but oh well.  It will get here… eventually.  The floors look great. 

What have I been doing?  Well… other than getting rid of stuff when I have some time & energy at the same time… I have been working every week and volunteering with the Sheriff’’s Office on some weekends.  I’ve been reading and running errands.  And now I’ve been accepted into the APD Citizens Police Academy.  Since my stupid leg injuries (stress fractures) won’t allow for me to do the regular academy… this will have to do.  This past week, I attended the first class in a 12 weeks series and it’s going to be a blast!  It will keep me busy this summer.   But I need make time to get back out on the gun range!  It’s been about 2 months… way too long!! 

Another thing that will keep me busy this summer is research! 

I have a lot of research to do regarding food allergies.  I just learned, in early June, that my general sensitivity to dairy products has apparently evolved into a full-blown food allergy.  While I’ve never really liked milk anyway and I avoided it, I did like cheese and yogurt.  Well now I have to give up most cheese and all yogurt.  I had been using soy milk on my cereal or oatmeal and the like… but the kicker now is that I apparently ALSO have an allergy to soy.  Do you KNOW how many things have soy in them?  It’s everywhere!  Soy lecithin “(an emulsifier),” soy flour, soy oil…  It’s nuts!  Ok, so it’s beans… but you get the idea.  So now I have to cut out soy too.  Nuts, so far, I can still handle… except for walnuts.  I never wanted to be one of  “those people no one wants to go out to eat with,” and yet… now here I am.  I just try to do the best I can and I work with whatever situation is presented to me. 

The blessing?  Fortunately, the dairy and soy allergies are NOT any kind of life-threatening allergies.  They just cause tiredness and some discomfort due to inflammation.  So if a little sneak in somewhere… it’s not the end of my world as I know it.  But I am trying diligently to get it out of my diet and find alternatives.  It’s a pain in the pa-tutti, but I’m learning.  I was turned onto a magazine called “Living Without” for folks with food allergies.  It’s been a great help.   It has advertisements of all kinds for alternative products, and lots of recipes.  And of course, you can get more of their recipes on their website!  I have also found a number of groups on the web who have valuable info. 

I’ve been learning a lot the last week or so.  I’ll continue to learn a lot.  My doc said I could try goat’s milk products, as some people can handle that even if they can’t do cow’s milk.  I learned that I really hate goat milk and goat milk yogurt, but I can handle most goat cheeses.  But of course, there are very few (if any) “low fat” goat cheeses.  So… that sucks.  Structurally, goat milk and cow milk are a bit different, which is why some people can handle the goat milk products.  Oh well, too bad I don’t like it. 

I learned that I despise rice yogurt and that coconut yogurt feels greasy.  Not pleasant… so I have learned that I will go yogurt-free for a while.  I have learned that while I tend to really dislike grocery shopping, now I really dislike it a lot!  I have to read EVERY ingredient list on everything!  Most items go back on the shelf… damned soy lecithin & soy oil!  I have learned that the ingredients lists on Trader Joe’s products tend to be much shorter than on the items at the regular grocery stores!  I’ve learned that almond milk is not bad, but it is surprising low on protein!  I’ve learned that something called hemp protein is a great source of protein and fiber among many other beneficial things!  And you can mix it into lots of things.  Just Google it to find other links (beside the one I just gave you).  I just bought my first container today.  I’ll let you know.   

I’ve learned that just because a label says “dairy free” or “non-dairy” doesn’t mean it has NO dairy!  Go figure!!  Many of those items have caseins in them or sodium casinate… milk derivitives!  I’ve learned that in order to use almond milk as coffee creamer, you have to use a lot of it and it tends to cool off the coffee too much for my taste.  So I’m searching for powdered almond milk and I will make my own coffee creamer!  I’ve learned that “alternative products” are very hard to find in low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt or sugar-free varieties!!  That REALLY sucks! 

So this is turning out to be a real education!  I know it’s better for me this way.  Funny how life sometimes forces us down a path for the better… in spite of our kicking & screaming.   

Be well! 
~Paula