Revelation

So I've been dealing with some subtle yet bothersome health issues. The one bothering me the most is my voice being messed up for the past 16 months. As a singer/musician, this can be somewhat of a problem. Another issues is a chronic sinus problem I've had for the past 5 1/2 years or so, which might be contributing to my voice problems. But you probably knew all that (just a little background).
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I've gone to my primary doctor quite a few times, who has prescribed various sinus medications. We hadn't much looked into the voice problem specifically since I assumed it was related to the sinus problem. After she couldn't do any more, I started going to a holistic-type doctor who has put me on an incredibly strict diet for the past 2 months now. This has produced some results-- I have lost some weight, my digestive system is pretty good now (another of the issues), and my throat/voice hurts less... But the voice has only improved maybe 20% over 2 months. Not the amazing breakthrough I would have hoped for.
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Well, today I was listening to a Bible study on the radio by Cheryl Broderson, and she was talking about trials and how God uses them to mold us, etc. In listening to her expound on this in her usual clever and funny way, I was brought to the realization that I hadn't actually ever accepted this voice problem as a trial from God to work good in my life. What a revelation!! Duh. How this escaped me I do not know! Guess I'm not as smart as I thought.
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I had realized that God had allowed this problem in my life for a reason... But mostly thought of it in the negative. As in, this is bad, not good, and God is doing it because I am bad or something. As some form of punishment. I didn't really fully think that, but wondered. It never occurred to me to think of a trial as something good, that this would prepare me for the future and draw me closer to Him. I just thought it was painful and annoying, kind of like how we are thankful when we stub our toe on something hard (not!).
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So that is my revelation for the day. I don't know what will come of it (as though suddenly realizing the purpose of a trial will procure its end)-- but hopefully it will help me to be obedient to that most beloved passage of scripture: "My beloved brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-3)
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Thank You Jesus! :)
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Update!

Just a quick update, since my last post was so dramatic!
I went to the doctor today, and I have gotten a bunch more foods to incorporate back into my diet. The whole point was to eliminate things so my body could heal, and then to slowly add them back in. Thank You Lord for opening my heart to understand that these past few days instead of just mourning the loss of my culinary life! \

So now I can eat tomatoes, black beans, almond milk, oat flour (if it doesn't bother me), brown rice flour, xylitol/stevia in moderation (natural sugar "substitutes"), carrots on rare occasion (i.e. in chicken broth), goat cheese/milk, sheep's milk cheese, peas, peppers/pepper, and coconut milk. YAY!

Now I can make real curry, eat cereal (the brown rice crispy kind anyway, that's about it!), put sweetener in my oat groats (like coarse oatmeal)-- it tastes not so bueno without sweetener. I love peas. And I love cracked black pepper-- awesome. And shhhhh I can bake coconut macaroons with all the ingredients I can now eat (but don't tell anyone!!). All I needed was the xylitol and brown rice flour ;)

So this makes eating out a lot easier, which is good because I'm leaving tomorrow for another road trip! This time I'm driving, I'm so glad. I can bring water and don't have to fit everything into 2 bags! Nice! 

But I must add these new foods back in one at a time, so that if I am feeling any symptoms (i.e. headaches, digestive upsets, sinus issues, etc.) I can easily identify what caused the symptoms and remove it from my diet again. So far goat cheese is A-OK. Not too sure about black beans or oat flour-- shall have to try those again later to verify. Nothing overwhelming. Tomorrow morning we're testing cereal. Oh yeah. No more eggs and almond butter rice cakes for breakfast!

Well, that's it for now! Peace out.

The Diet and Toronto

So many of you have probably heard me talk about this diet I am on. Well, it's not so much a weight loss diet (though it has that added benefit), but a sort of cleansing/detox type diet meant to help my body rid itself of ickies and be restored from having eaten things that didn't quite agree with it. The doctor said it would last "at least a month". I'm hoping it will last "no longer than" a month. Haha. I'd just started getting the hang of it at home, where I can cook for myself-- but while traveling it is BRUTAL!!!

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There's a list of things I may eat (not all-inclusive), and more important list I cannot eat. Things I cannot eat are: bread, carrots, corn, peas, lima beans, peppers of any kind (including black pepper, bell peppers but excluding cayenne), dairy (except real butter and plain yogurt), fried foods, fruit/juices of any kind, granola, kashi, ketchup, margarine, mushrooms, mustard, noodles, peas, peanuts, pistachios, potatoes, starchy veggies, sugar, tomatoes, table salt (i.e. iodized regular salt that every restaurant on earth cooks with), vinegar, yams or yeast. I also cannot eat soy or wheat, including soybean oil (which is in... everything).

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What I can eat: green vegetables (except those listed above), avocados, cauliflower, garlic, onions, brown rice (incl. brown rice noodles, brown rice cakes), wild rice, other unpleasant sounding grains (i.e. buckwheat groats, millet), chicken, fish or turkey (the only meats allowed), nuts/nut butters (minus peanuts), eggs, yogurt, sea salt, olive/coconut/safflower/sunflower oils, real butter, herbal teas, lemon. I was okayed to eat unsweetened dried coconut too.

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At home I've made pesto pasta with brown rice noodles and turkey, stir-fry with tons of celery, onions, garlic, green beans and broccoli with some lemon and a ton of seasonings (tasted like sweet pickles when I was done hmmm...); also I've made a make-shift curry, using yogurt and dried coconut rather than coconut milk. I mix brown rice into all these stir fries. Also a quick thing I figured out (sort of tastes like fried rice)-- mix a raw egg in cooked rice and then sautee with some olive oil. Throw in whatever veggies. Eat. Or I eat it plain. There's always your traditional chicken or fish with rice and veggie side dish too. For breakfast or a snack I have almond butter on a brown rice cake or on celery.

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Now that was challenging enough at home. For a couple days I ate nothing but rice and eggs. But traveling... Ugh. I hate having to look through the menu and find the one item (if that) with the least amount of these forbidden ingredients and then explain why I am asking them to leave out the carrots, salad dressing, bread, etc. etc. I ordered just lunch meat from a deli and they looked at me like I was nuts. I ordered just lemon juice for dressing at a salad bar, and they thought I was weird. The people at my hotel are nice, but if I eat fish one more time I'm going to gag! Also I've been having scrambled eggs each day for breakfast, and there is a mysterious yellow liquid at the bottom of the plate... Probably melted margarine. Who puts margarine in eggs?? That's disgusting.

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Even with all my trying, I know I am breaking some rules. I am obviously eating nearly all table salt (except for my rice cakes with sea salt that I brought from home). I am probably eating (gag) margarine on my eggs each morning. And who knows what has pepper or sugar mixed into it on your meats? But I'm going to ignore those things, for if I did not, I would pass out from hunger before week's end!

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Okay, aside from these challenges, a few good things: I've probably lost a couple pounds (nice side effect I'd say!), I have a noticably more energy and don't feel groggy and slothful all day every day as I did before. Also my voice, which has been hoarse 14 months, is improving. So it's got to be worth it to do all this, right? So I plod on... You know, I never thought I would dream of brown rice. You know, I didn't think finding brown rice in restaurants would be so hard! I've been eating almost nothing but meat the whole time with the occasional vegetable.

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And check this-- I am out here in Toronto, Ontario (Canada), right, and the people have been really friendly. In fact, the bellhop at the hotel keeps hitting on me! My goodness. I've been told I'm beautiful who-knows-how-many-times, told I should treat myself to a massage (and as he walks away, "I can give good massages, but I'm working..." hahahaha). He urged me to eat dinner tonight when I came back from an unsuccessful hunt for food and said I was going to go to bed and forget about it (on the verge of tears, but it wasn't visible)-- I had talked to him while wandering the hotel lobby/stores yesterday evening. It's pretty funny. I hope I don't see too much more of him (though he's been nice), because I don't want to have to make him feel rejected. Most guys who talk like that to girls they don't even know are not on my list of people to marry!

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So yeah, it's been an interesting past couple weeks, and an interesting trip to Toronto. Oh, and another good thing, I found 2 different stuffed animal keychains that PERFECTLY fit my criteria! Small, roundish in shape, and... for sale. I've retired my frog (and turkey, and alligator, and penguin) and tried using a Pookie (the teddy bear from Garfield) keychain, but he had too many limbs and was too big and cumbersome. So a Canadian bald eagle (ironic) and a weird Canadian Olympics 2010 mascot it shall be!

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And God is good. I'm glad He's here for me as He is always. It sounds like a dumb trial, but I dare you to try eating only what I listed above... And then travel for a week STILL eating only what I listed above (with no means of transportation and working in the airport)... :) I'm not trying to be petty-- it's actually quite difficult! Especially when one of your main hobbies whilst traveling is to eat good food at nice restaurants...

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Well, ciao for now people! Sorry this is so long! Just wanted to share.

Love, D