Snacking: A Struggle and A Challenge

Last week, I attended a workshop on gender sensitivity. Like most workshops and trainings, snacks and meals are included, along with overflowing coffee. Since I stopped drinking coffee July of 2009, I haven't had a cup since, and the scent of brewing coffee is mighty tempting.

But aside from this temptation, the other challenge is finding alternatives when you are being served food at an event or public gathering. At this workshop I attended, sandwiches were being served for snacks. As much as I wanted to be polite and not be fussy, I couldn't eat any of the sandwiches being served. In cases such as these, I usually request to send back the sandwiches rather than be served them. Another option would be to remove the bread and just eat the filling instead. I hate to put the food to waste, so if I can, I would ask to have the food wrapped instead to bring home. (I either give it to a family member or to a streetchild.)

I found out, however, that it's quite a challenge finding a snack quickly when the hunger pang strikes. After the said whole day workshop, I was famished. As expected, I couldn't eat the afternoon snack served so right after the workshop ended, I rushed to the nearest grocery (SM's Save More) to look for a snack.

Save More doesn't have an international foods aisle so finding wheat- or gluten-free products is close to impossible. My options ranged from energy bars to a pack of nuts, but the first was unavailable while the nuts were all greasy and high in salt. After traversing the aisles for a good 20 minutes, I saw a pack of rice crackers! Oishi's One-One Rice Crackers is a good snack for those who want to eliminate wheat and flour from their diets. One-One comes in two flavors: original (sweet, with bits of sugar coating) and spicy. For those who want to follow the endometriosis diet, sugar is one of the top no-no's, so One-One original flavor isn't such a good idea. Since I have chosen to avoid raw sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, syrups, even honey), I figured a little sugar on the One-One wouldn't hurt.

Aside from the sugar, a downside to One-One Spicy flavor is that it contains monosodium glutamate (MSG). I'm not very fond of MSG, what with the studies made on it linking it as one of the causes of obesity. Despite what the TV show sponsored by this MSG brand says, I don't think MSG is safe at all. Umami my ass.

I bought only a pack of each flavor (Original One-One pack contains 8 individual packs, I think, while the Spicy pack contains 10 individual packs) so that I'd have something in stock to snack on. I recommend eating only one individual pack at a time to limit the sugar or MSG. Of course, I still prefer the wheat- and gluten-free products sold in Healthy Options but if you have no access to these, One-One is a pretty good alternative. Overall, it's up to you to decide on whether you'd rather risk the sugar or the MSG in your One-One.

Gluten-free Product Discovery 01 & 02: Kettle Potato Chips and Carman's Muesli Bar

Gluten-free Product Discovery will be my contribution to gluten-free foodies in Manila. These posts will be about my gluten-free discoveries at the grocery or supermarket, in restaurants, in cafes, and other establishments.

For the first Gluten-free Product Discovery, I'm happy to announce that Kettle Potato Chips are available in Starbucks for Php95! YEY! :) I know, I know. Quite pricey but at least we have something to munch on amidst all the baked goodies in Starbucks.

Gluten-free Product Discovery #2 are Carman's Muesli Bars (Php50) in original and fruit variants. Perfect for those times when you're craving for something sweet and filling.

According to the endometriosis diet, aside from dairy, caffeine must also be avoided. How then can one survive in a coffee shop without drinking coffee -- or milk? Try decaf. :) Or try the many herbal infusions and teas that coffee shops offer. Teas, like coffee, may be taken hot or cold. Iced hibiscus tea. Hot vanilla tea. Iced decaf cafe americano. Iced english breakfast tea. Think of the many variations you can come up with!

Gluten-Free Recipe Experiment 01: Meatloaf

As I'm writing this, my gluten-free recipe experiment no. 1 is baking in the oven. Hopefully, it comes out okay. :)

I'm preparing lunch for my family today and I decided to use the ground beef in the freezer. But since market day hasn't come yet (no time, boohoo), there really isn't much to use around the kitchen. I decided to make meatloaf out of the ground beef but instead of using the breadcrumbs in the recipe, I substituted it with cornmeal (polenta) instead.

Now I don't know how that will turn out but I'm hoping for the best.

As for the milk in the recipe, I still haven't found a good alternative to milk. I know I need to eliminate dairy as well, but for now, I'm using as little milk as possible when I cook. I avoid drinking milk now, however much I love it.

It's been in the oven for about 20 minutes or so. Let's see how long it'll cook.

Catch 'ya later! :)

= = = = =

Update: Meatloaf turned out nicely! :) It was neither too dry nor too wet. And it was mighty tasty! I guess the brown sugar and catsup helped with the flavor.

Recipe for Gluten-free Meatloaf is below.

Gluten-free Meatloaf

1 - 2 tsps oil

1 T brown sugar (optional)

1 - 2 Tbsps catsup

1/2 k lean ground beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsps oregano

1 small sweet potato, grated

1 small potato, grated

1 egg

3 Tbsps polenta (cornmeal, fine or coarse)

Preheat oven to about 200 degrees. Lightly oil a loaf pan.

Sprinkle brown sugar at the bottom of the loaf pan, then spread catsup over brown sugar. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, making sure spices and seasoning are mixed well into the meat.

Place in loaf pan and baked for 40 minutes to an hour, or until the top and edges start to turn golden brown.

Notes:

1. You may change the spices used in this recipe. You may put thyme, onion or garlic powder instead. Experiment! Feel free to adjust salt and pepper, too, to your liking. I would recommend fresh herbs, too, such as Italian parsley or thyme.

2. I only used the potato and sweet potato because I wanted more body in my meatloaf and didn't have carrots or other vegetables. I wanted to add some veggies (well, sort of) and didn't have any on hand. My nephews liked it and they didn't even know it had potato and sweet potato. Next time I make this, I would put chopped up zucchini, broccoli, etc. Feel free to hide those nutritious goodies if your family are not big veggie eaters.

3. Since the endometriosis diet advises against too much sugar in the diet, feel free to omit the brown sugar. The sweetness from the catsup is enough to give the meatloaf its sweet, juicy goodness.

4. Meatloaf recipes usually call for breadcrumbs but I used polenta instead. If polenta is not available, gluten-free breadcrumbs may be used. Also, you may use gluten-free flours such as rice flour, cornstarch, or potato flour. As for measurements for these, do check out the packaging for notes or tips on substituting for regular flour.

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month!

March isn't only Women's Month! According to Endometriosis.org, Endometriosis Awareness Week was last week, 8 - 14 March. Unfortunately, I only saw it today. Nevertheless, it's not too late to educate other people about this condition that quite a number of Filipinas suffer from.

In fact, in my own circle of friends alone, I found out early this year that around five of my friends have (or have had) endometrial cysts (also known as chocolate cysts). Aside from this, a dear cousin of mine has been diagnosed with adenomiosis. (More on this later.)

While I do know that compared to the number of women who have been diagnosed with cervical or breast cancer, I also believe that women who are diagnosed with reproductive conditions such as endometriosis, adenomiosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, myomas, and others, must also be given attention and awareness about these conditions must be spread to the general public.

Of these friends of mine who have been diagnosed with endometriosis, three of them only discovered their condition upon chance. They visited their ob-gynes "just to see how everything was down there." I only discovered I had endometriosis when I was rushed to the emergency room for extreme abdominal cramps (dysmenorrhea) that I could not walk.

I think that in the Philippines, women do not take their reproductive health as a priority. I still have friends in their late 20's and early 30's who have never been to an ob-gyne. This is something that needs to change; women must take charge of their health and visiting your ob-gyne for a general check up is a good start.

Now going back to Endometriosis Awareness Month, I'd like to propose one thing that women can do for their reproductive health: Visit your ob-gyne. If you've had your check up this 2010, good for you! If not, do schedule a visit soon.

Whether or not you have endometriosis, it's good practice to get monitor how everything is working down there. :) A pap smear is recommended for women who are sexually active or are in their mid-twenties. Ask about that itch down there, if you have one. Or simply visit your ob-gyne and ask her questions you'd been meaning to ask her such as "Are pantiliners bad if worn everyday?" "Is it okay to use feminine washes?" "Can I get any infection from a brazilian wax?"

Happy Women's Month and Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month everyone! :)

Hello, Manila!

I've been diagnosed with endometriosis since 2003. It's been almost seven years, and after taking Danazol, Ladogal, birth control pills, getting shots such as Lupron and Depo Provera, and undergoing surgery, I'm ready to share with others what I've been through -- and still going through.

I've been reading through a slew of message board posts on endometriosis cases/patients in the Philippines and I just want to let the women out there to know that there is nothing to be afraid of. I know that the idea of not being able to bear a child is really painful but if you let fear get ahead of you, it'll be more difficult to deal with the everyday difficulties of endometriosis.

I hope this blog helps you deal with endometriosis in one way or another. Be it as a source of information or an outlet to voice out your concerns or thoughts, feel free to leave a comment. I'm here to listen and to share with you what I go through everyday, as person with endometriosis.

Just to give you a brief background, I am currently being treated for endometriosis, receiving shots of Depo Provera every six weeks. I have been in pain because of this condition and sadly, unfortunately, I cannot take pain medication to help me manage the pain. I am allergic to NSAIDs or what we common know as pain killers such as mefenamic acid, aspirin, paracetamol, and ibuprofen. In fact, I had to visit my allergologist to find out what pain killer I can take after my major surgery for endometriosis.

I am currently on an endometriosis diet I found through the web. While I have not read anything definitive about this, what I did read was an article about a study made on the connection and effects of wheat products on patients with endometriosis. (I am trying to get a hold of this book. I will share with you, dear reader, what I glean from this book as soon as I get a copy.) This diet is very similar to (or you may even say, "patterned after") the gluten-free diet.

Being on Day 3 of this diet, so far, I have eliminated from my diet wheat (bread, pasta, baked goods), soy products (soy sauce, sauces made from soy such as teriyaki sauce, etc., soy milk, tofu, tokwa, etc.), processed foods (such as junk foods, hotdogs, instant food, etc.), and caffeine. I am working very hard on lessening my sugar intake (no more sodas/softdrinks), as well as reducing my consumption of red meat. I have eliminated milk and butter from my diet as dairy is also included in the "foods to avoid list" for endometriosis but am struggling with eliminating cheeses, as these are my absolute favorites.

It's been two weeks since my last Depo Provera shot and my transvaginal ultrasound (TVU). I have not had crazy side effects from this medication -- such as mood swings or hot flushes -- so I'm feeling good about this treatment.

Come by and visit again sometime as I will post more about my adventures (and yes, of course, my struggles) with endometriosis and the endometriosis diet. :)