Ages ago, I'd heard that Starbucks were introducing a gluten-free sandwich, but I've never seen one until now. I even went looking on the web recently to see if they actually had made one, and discovered that the flavour was cheese and coleslaw. We stopped at a service station on the way back from London last night, and there was a Starbucks there, and I spotted this sandwich. It's really not obvious that it's gluten-free, as the words on the label are so tiny. I wouldn't usually pick the flavour as I don't really like coleslaw, but I thought I'd give it a go.
It's made with 'genius' brand gluten-free bread, and the bread is nice. It tastes like real bread, not like cardboard, and it's not stupidly crumbly. The innards of the sandwich was rather pungant, as there were two different types of cheese and the coleslaw. It was perfectly acceptable, but not really something I'd choose if there were lots of options as I still don't like coleslaw. But if I'm ever at a starbucks on route somewhere and need something to eat, then I'd probably get one again. It's not cheap though, but nothing gluten-free is (you know, because we obviously choose to be this way).
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Exclusion Diet - The tough 2 weeks are over
Finally, the first two weeks of the exclusion diet are over and I can start to re-introduce foods. I really got sick of the bland stuff by the end of it. It's rather disheartening when someone else in your house gets to eat whatever they want and all you can look forward to is a bit of chicken and rice. My monthly period arrived on Saturday evening, meaning I was in absolute agony then and all day Sunday, and I could not do with the hassle of the silly diet on top of everything else. I decided to pick corn as my first thing to re-introduce as it meant I could have my gluten-free pasta for lunch, seeing as I really didn't fancy spud innards (I'm not even allowed the skin of a potato on this thing). I was naughty and had two gluten-free chocolate biscuits because the cramping from the period was making me feel sick and I thought they might settle my stomach. As I said before, I didn't care about sticking to the rules anymore once I was in so much pain that I had to take morphene.
On Monday, I was due to travel from Bristol to my mum's house in Gloucestershire, and then on to London to see WWE wrestling at the O2 arena. I couldn't go straight from Bristol to London as I was taking my 15 year old brother and he can't get on the train by himself. Of course, my period, instead of being its usual 4 days early, had come at exactly the right time in order to make my trip out as painful as possible. In the end, the pain wasn't so bad but I was hit by the most god awful hormonal nausea, which exacerbated my motion sickness. It's a bit like morning sickness but without being pregnant, and I spent the whole process of getting to my mum's house (bus, train, car) thinking I was going to vomit or faint. Needless to say, the stupid diet went completely out of the window. I grabbed a coke at the train station shop hoping it might alleviate the sick feeling, and my mum made me pasta with real, not soy, margerine on it (wow!) for lunch. Luckily, the motion sickness went away for the journey into London, as I was contemplating giving up and calling it a day (my mum would have had to go in my place, and wrestling isn't her cup of tea). But there was no chance of sticking to the diet when at the O2 arena. I had several more cokes, a chocolate milkshake, and steak and chips. I'd looked through the dining options the night before, and it was rather restrictive, given my usual allergies. At least I'm not vegetarian though, because there really isn't anywhere there to eat if you are. As it was, the waitress at the place we picked got a bit arsey when I politely asked them not to grill my steak on the same thing as the tomatoes. Then they must have gone out the back to slaughter the cow becase it took them forever to bring our food, and she got arsey again when my brother asked where it was! We got a total of 10 minutes to eat before having to get to our seats, so I shovelled the steak as fast as I could.
Today, I've continued being naughty and had real margerine again, chocolate yogarts, and a gluten free beer. I know I'm being terrible but I've had enough. As I said to my mum, the dietician will just have to understand. My priority at the moment is to lessen the physical pain I'm in because of my period, and if that means shoving chocolate in my gob, then so be it. I'll probably go back to being strict when I get home tomorrow.
On Monday, I was due to travel from Bristol to my mum's house in Gloucestershire, and then on to London to see WWE wrestling at the O2 arena. I couldn't go straight from Bristol to London as I was taking my 15 year old brother and he can't get on the train by himself. Of course, my period, instead of being its usual 4 days early, had come at exactly the right time in order to make my trip out as painful as possible. In the end, the pain wasn't so bad but I was hit by the most god awful hormonal nausea, which exacerbated my motion sickness. It's a bit like morning sickness but without being pregnant, and I spent the whole process of getting to my mum's house (bus, train, car) thinking I was going to vomit or faint. Needless to say, the stupid diet went completely out of the window. I grabbed a coke at the train station shop hoping it might alleviate the sick feeling, and my mum made me pasta with real, not soy, margerine on it (wow!) for lunch. Luckily, the motion sickness went away for the journey into London, as I was contemplating giving up and calling it a day (my mum would have had to go in my place, and wrestling isn't her cup of tea). But there was no chance of sticking to the diet when at the O2 arena. I had several more cokes, a chocolate milkshake, and steak and chips. I'd looked through the dining options the night before, and it was rather restrictive, given my usual allergies. At least I'm not vegetarian though, because there really isn't anywhere there to eat if you are. As it was, the waitress at the place we picked got a bit arsey when I politely asked them not to grill my steak on the same thing as the tomatoes. Then they must have gone out the back to slaughter the cow becase it took them forever to bring our food, and she got arsey again when my brother asked where it was! We got a total of 10 minutes to eat before having to get to our seats, so I shovelled the steak as fast as I could.
Today, I've continued being naughty and had real margerine again, chocolate yogarts, and a gluten free beer. I know I'm being terrible but I've had enough. As I said to my mum, the dietician will just have to understand. My priority at the moment is to lessen the physical pain I'm in because of my period, and if that means shoving chocolate in my gob, then so be it. I'll probably go back to being strict when I get home tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Exclusion Diet - Now on day 10
Day ten of the exclusion diet and all I can think and dream about is food. It's not even food that I could have anyway; my mind is filled with images of pasta and burgers. Every single meal on this diet is so bland and boring. Even squid, which would usually be a tasty treat, is mediocre when all you can do with it is plop it on some rice (I usually have it on gluten free pasta). The george forman grill has been having a thorough workout since I can't be bothered to measure the oil I'd usually put in a pan like the diet booklet suggests, but cleaning the damn thing every day is not much fun, to say the least. I think if I have to munch rice krispies for breakfast again, I'll scream. Oh wait, that's what I've got for breakfast tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, ad infinitum. I just want something with a bit of flavour in it, is that too much to ask? Apparently it is.
I think I'd be less irate if this diet was actually helping. Despite surviving on the handful of foods I'm allowed, I'm still having stomach problems. This is because the majority of my IBS is caused by stress, and I simply can't get rid of all the stress in my life. I had a lovely sore stomach all through the night sunday into monday because my father decided to spend half an hour telling me how useless I was when I simply rang to wish him happy birthday. This morning, I had to run to the loo 5 times to make 'lemon sherberts' because he'd phoned the house. You can see a pattern emerging, can't you. In fact, the gastroenterologist told me to cut off all contact with him because he's making me ill. The point is, I'll never be completely free of problems. My insides are just too 'special'. So I'm starting to question why I have to go through this daft diet at all. At least I only have a few more days of the crap bit left before I can start re-introducing things. I think 'that time of the month' is going to hit this weekend, so the first thing I'll bring back will be wine.
I think I'd be less irate if this diet was actually helping. Despite surviving on the handful of foods I'm allowed, I'm still having stomach problems. This is because the majority of my IBS is caused by stress, and I simply can't get rid of all the stress in my life. I had a lovely sore stomach all through the night sunday into monday because my father decided to spend half an hour telling me how useless I was when I simply rang to wish him happy birthday. This morning, I had to run to the loo 5 times to make 'lemon sherberts' because he'd phoned the house. You can see a pattern emerging, can't you. In fact, the gastroenterologist told me to cut off all contact with him because he's making me ill. The point is, I'll never be completely free of problems. My insides are just too 'special'. So I'm starting to question why I have to go through this daft diet at all. At least I only have a few more days of the crap bit left before I can start re-introducing things. I think 'that time of the month' is going to hit this weekend, so the first thing I'll bring back will be wine.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Exclusion Diet - The first three days
Despite being gluten and wheat free (due to an intolerance) for four years, my digestive system still refuses to play ball. I can't have anything spicy, I can't have anything rich. Sometimes I just look at food and I can feel my insides cramping. Whatever's going on in there is certainly compounded by stress, and my stomach defines stress as 'going outside the house'. It's completely stupid.
Trying to get doctors to believe that I'm not making this all up is rather difficult, to say the least. When I mention my gluten intolerance and my tomato allergy, I get what I call the 'yeah right' face. In fact, watching them go from that face to a 'actually you have a point' is hysterical. In the end, I've been given the notorious dead-end diagnosis of IBS, which is essentially medical speak for 'we don't know what's wrong, please go away'. The attitude of doctors in this country is that, unless you're dead or in hospital with tubes coming out the wazoo, there's nothing wrong with you. At all. Ever.
So, finally, after four years, I've been allowed to see a dietician, and that's only with the help of private medical insurance. Her first question was 'do you take your gluten free diet seriously?' Oh no, not at all, I actually like making Jackson Pollock style paintings up the back of the toilet whilst it feels like my internal organs are leaking out. Facepalm. After going through the usual routine to convince her that I wasn't a time waster or someone on a fad diet, she recommended I go on an 'exclusion diet', where I cut out everything except the blandest, plainest, most boring food, in an effort to see what is causing my insides to behave so badly.
For the first two weeks, I'm only allowed fresh meat and fish (no pork), certain vegetables and fruits, rice, soya milk, ribena, and pineapple juice. That's it. No wheat (well duh), dairy produce, cups of tea, wine, chocolate, not even my ordinary gluten free bread (it's got corn in it). I can't even have a humble orange. I started the thing on Monday and the first three days have been tough. On Tuesday, I felt so feint and weak that I just lay down and cried for most of the afternoon. Things weren't helped by having another upset tummy, which is funny because the diet is meant to stop those. I had a bit more energy on Wednesday simply by following my mum's advice of putting sugar on my gluten-free rice krispies in the morning. My body obviously needs a certain amount of it to function by the looks of things. I'm already sick to the back teeth of rice cakes, as they're the only thing I'm allowed to snack on during the day. I'm constantly hungry. Michael isn't helping by eating delicious gooey burgers and ice-cream milkshakes right in front of me. I know I couldn't have the burger anyway, but at least I could think about having a nice gluten-free alternative. Now, I get to have another cardboard rice cake. What fun!
I'm in two minds as to wether I should re-introduce wheat into my food as the exclusion diet suggests. My original diagnosis as gluten intolerant was, to put it bluntly, more my own work than that of the doctor. Part of me wants to go through with eating bread and be ok, the last four years just be a mistake, and life to return to normal. I don't think there's one person with an allergy who doesn't dream of that. The other part of me is scared witless by the prospect of eating bread again. What if it isn't ok, and I end up in the bathroom for an entire day? Is it worth the risk to find out? I'm getting on alright with being gluten free, it's the tomato allergy that's the real bummer. I'm also worried that the two weeks of plain food won't actually help my insides, and I'll be told to carry on for another month. Or maybe it'll turn out that I can't have proper milk anymore. That'll be fun, being gluten and dairy free, that won't make me suicidal at all! I guess all I can do is wait and see what happens, as usual.
Trying to get doctors to believe that I'm not making this all up is rather difficult, to say the least. When I mention my gluten intolerance and my tomato allergy, I get what I call the 'yeah right' face. In fact, watching them go from that face to a 'actually you have a point' is hysterical. In the end, I've been given the notorious dead-end diagnosis of IBS, which is essentially medical speak for 'we don't know what's wrong, please go away'. The attitude of doctors in this country is that, unless you're dead or in hospital with tubes coming out the wazoo, there's nothing wrong with you. At all. Ever.
So, finally, after four years, I've been allowed to see a dietician, and that's only with the help of private medical insurance. Her first question was 'do you take your gluten free diet seriously?' Oh no, not at all, I actually like making Jackson Pollock style paintings up the back of the toilet whilst it feels like my internal organs are leaking out. Facepalm. After going through the usual routine to convince her that I wasn't a time waster or someone on a fad diet, she recommended I go on an 'exclusion diet', where I cut out everything except the blandest, plainest, most boring food, in an effort to see what is causing my insides to behave so badly.
For the first two weeks, I'm only allowed fresh meat and fish (no pork), certain vegetables and fruits, rice, soya milk, ribena, and pineapple juice. That's it. No wheat (well duh), dairy produce, cups of tea, wine, chocolate, not even my ordinary gluten free bread (it's got corn in it). I can't even have a humble orange. I started the thing on Monday and the first three days have been tough. On Tuesday, I felt so feint and weak that I just lay down and cried for most of the afternoon. Things weren't helped by having another upset tummy, which is funny because the diet is meant to stop those. I had a bit more energy on Wednesday simply by following my mum's advice of putting sugar on my gluten-free rice krispies in the morning. My body obviously needs a certain amount of it to function by the looks of things. I'm already sick to the back teeth of rice cakes, as they're the only thing I'm allowed to snack on during the day. I'm constantly hungry. Michael isn't helping by eating delicious gooey burgers and ice-cream milkshakes right in front of me. I know I couldn't have the burger anyway, but at least I could think about having a nice gluten-free alternative. Now, I get to have another cardboard rice cake. What fun!
I'm in two minds as to wether I should re-introduce wheat into my food as the exclusion diet suggests. My original diagnosis as gluten intolerant was, to put it bluntly, more my own work than that of the doctor. Part of me wants to go through with eating bread and be ok, the last four years just be a mistake, and life to return to normal. I don't think there's one person with an allergy who doesn't dream of that. The other part of me is scared witless by the prospect of eating bread again. What if it isn't ok, and I end up in the bathroom for an entire day? Is it worth the risk to find out? I'm getting on alright with being gluten free, it's the tomato allergy that's the real bummer. I'm also worried that the two weeks of plain food won't actually help my insides, and I'll be told to carry on for another month. Or maybe it'll turn out that I can't have proper milk anymore. That'll be fun, being gluten and dairy free, that won't make me suicidal at all! I guess all I can do is wait and see what happens, as usual.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Historical Innacuracies - 'The Tudors', Series 3, Episode 4
- Aske is hanged in chains at York. He was haged in chains but, as far as I understand, this meant he was left chained to the wall to die of exposure/hunger etc, instead of being traditionally hanged with chains round him.
- Francis Bryan is sent to aprehend Reginald Pole, taking a rather young Thomas Seymour with him as some sort of aide. Thomas Seymour was an important man in his own right and would not have been suitable for such a role. The mission itself also did not occur in real life.
- Edward Seymour is shown waiting in the Queen's chamber as Jane is in difficult labour near by. In reality, the Queen went into seclusion towards the end of her pregnancy and only women were allowed to attend her until she had given birth.
- Bishop Gardiner is seen baptising Edward, when it was Archbishop Cranmer who did this (he seems to have disappeared after series 2). Also, Henry would not have attended.
Historical Innacuracies - 'The Tudors', Series 3, Episode 3
- Hans Holbein, the painter, has a slight altercation with another man, who is meant to be the fiance of Lady Miselden, Henry's mistress. As Lady Miselden is a fictional character, this did not happen, although Henry's statement about seven lords not being equal to one Holbein is accurate.
- Suffolk is shown implementing punishment on the people for the rebellion. In fact, as stated previously, it was the Duke of Norfolk who was Henry's representative in the North.
- The poker in the bum scene is rather unnecessary. I'm not sure if Constable was tortured but, if he was, it probably wasn't by Edward Seymour and a red hot poker.
- Henry did not visit Aske in prison, as is depicted.
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