Friday morning. My cousin Chrissy, whose hubby is a chef, e-mails to ask about the elimination diet I started May 31. When the doctors couldn’t find anything to explain the chronic pain in my gut, it seemed that the next option was to look at my diet. I do eat healthy. I stopped eating dairy last year, despite the fact that I love cheese, because Tavo has a dairy allergy. And for years I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with wheat/gluten; and our relationship is currently off again while I try figuring out this imbalance. This time, it’s likely to be over for good. I don’t know that I’ll ever go back to eating gluten; honestly, I love the taste and texture of the whole grain flours. And I love that they are good for me, natural and unfiltered.

I e-mailed back Chrissy.

This diet has been VERY hard for me. The coffee and alcohol was no problem – I don’t consume enough for it to be an issue (though, the habit of morning coffee was hard to let go of). Only being allowed to eat those four food groups (whole grains, veggies, legumes and fruit, with fruit being occasional) has been very hard. I almost feel like I don’t want to eat. At first, it was exciting. I cooked for the first time a variety of new foods, and I actually feel lighter and cleaner and not as heavy. But, it’s a bit depressing to be honest, and I’m not sure how to get around that.

So, guess what?

I dumped that elimination diet.

We broke up. For good. I don’t believe in deprivation. And, I didn’t want to feel a need to overindulge on all the previously forbidden foods when I started adding those things back in. But I’m not really changing the way I ate on that elimination, because it–and additional research–informed and reminded me of the super-importance of whole grains, veggies and fermented foods needed in a regular, healthy diet. I’m simply freeing myself from a commitment that feels unnatural. My motto with food is “everything in moderation.” I believe in that. It works for me.

My mother reminded me last week that growing up, I had an allergy to wheat and dairy (along with a slew of other things including stuffing in stuffed animals, feathers, wool and pretty much anything outdoors, including grass). I have no idea how I forgot this. (Though, instead of adjusting my diet as a kiddo, I went on weekly allergy shots.)  Now, in order to help maintain a whole grain diet and to test my compatibility with wheat/gluten, I’ve gone gluten-free. Again.

Saturday morning, I mixed my own all-purpose flour using nothing but whole grain flours and starch, inspired by Shauna Ahern‘s 70/30 mix (weighed): 70% whole grains (700 grams), 30% starches (300 grams). It’s amazing. Truly amazing. It breathed new life into a previously dead-to-me and difficult lifestyle.

I dreaded gluten-free cooking and baking in the past due to the seeming complexity, and all the recipes that call for xanthan gum and guar–additives used in replace of gluten to add volume and viscosity to the batter. With the 70/30, you have freedom to play with any variety or mix of the various flours Shauna suggests on her website to find a taste that suits your palate. I’m using almond meal flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, millet flour and teff flour, with tapioca starch and cornstarch. The buckwheat adds beautiful black specks to the batter and the almond offers something slightly sweet to the mix, teff gives it a nutty tease while the millet gives the flour a nice crumbly texture.

I’m also trying to stay seasonal by shopping at the farmer’s market (offered five days a week in various Seattle neighborhoods). That’s not to say I don’t buy off season. I do. But I made some amazing home-fries for breakfast with potatoes that I picked up from a local farmer at Friday afternoon’s market–gorgeous blue, purple and creamy white spuds mixed with yellow bell pepper and herbs. Delicious.

I’m also still cutting out all processed foods, sugars and simple carbohydrates. I’ve hired maple syrup, brown rice syrup, fruit, and honey to do all my sweetening.

Now, let’s talk about the effects of changing my diet. It’s only been a couple of weeks, so I can’t really report on the full affects–yet. But: My stomach aches are gone. That also means much less gas, no bloating, and my stomach is no longer sensitive to touch. Instead of feeling full after small portions, I’m hungry more often. I have an overall lighter feeling physically. Things seem…regular! Emotionally and mentally I’ve felt more motivation, less depressed (I think the cool, overcast Seattle weather has a lot to do with feeling less “sunshine and rainbows”), more energetic and less tired, and I’m sleeping well at night. My skin is generally fairly clear, save the occasional hormonal chin outbreak but it does look a little more healthy and fresh. I’ve noticed by body cleaning itself of the toxins, which is encouraging and a little bit exciting.

Now, over the last year, I’ve invested in a lot of vegan cookbooks (for Tavo’s dairy allergy) and over the last few years picked up some excellent cookbooks on cooking a whole food/gluten-free diet. It can be a challenge finding balance in life, and especially balancing a healthy diet that’s beneficial to a longer, more robust life. Commitment is hard, but commitment is everything. The first thing most people think of when they hear “vegan” or “gluten-free” is bland, tasteless pastries or salads.

No! There are decadent dishes out there. This peach crisp is proof.

Breakfast growing up consisted of traditional breakfast foods: oatmeal or cereal, Dad’s pancakes on Sunday, or bacon and eggs, and – once in a blue moon – doughnuts! As an adult, I maintained this fairly traditional morning meal–until I went to Breitenbush Hot Springs where guests receive home-cooked, locally-grown, vegetarian meals. It was the first time in my life I’d had roasted veggies with kale for breakfast. Another morning, apple crisp was an option. It. Was. Awesome. And delicious, and warm and nurturing. But more than that, for the first time I was suddenly given “license” to add awesome variety to my morning menus. And to get creative. And you would be surprised how delicious fresh, seasoned roasted root vegetables are in the morning, especially after an intense meditation and yoga practice (or workout session). Even more so when you’re eating in silence, chewing and enjoying your food fully and with mindfulness. If I had a family with children, I’d require everyone to eat breakfast in silence. It’s incredibly powerful and quite delightful.

Fresh Peach Crisp

Ingredients

• 10 medium, ripe peaches, sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry juice (you can use any juice here that might be a complimentary flavor; I had cherry juice in my fridge.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tapioca starch (again, if you have cornstarch, potato starch or arrowroot, knock yourself out)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt

Topping

• 200 grams (~2 cups) of rolled oats
• 133 g (~1 c, 2 Tablespoons) AP whole grain flour mixture (my mixture is listed above)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c grape seed oil
• 1/4 c brown rice syrup
• 1/8 c maple syrup
• Handful of pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil the inside of an 8×8 baking dish.

In a large sauce pan of boiling water, blanch the peaches for one (1) minute. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and place them into a bowl of cold water. Once the peaches have cooled, peel off the skin. Halve, remove the pits and slice the peaches. Toss the sliced peaches evenly inside the baking dish.

Heat 1/4 c of the fruit juice and the juice of half a lemon in a small sauce pan. Stir the tapioca starch into the remaining juice and whisk with a fork until the starch dissolves into the juice. Whisk the mixture into the hot fruit and lemon juices, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to simmer for two (2) minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and salt. Spoon over the peaches.  NOTE I really don’t enjoy much sauce in my fruit dishes, be it a crisp, a pie or a cobbler; so, add as much or as little of the sauce as fits your personal palate. I had quite a bit left over.

Now, on to the delicious, crispy topping! In a small dutch oven or frying pan over medium-low heat, dry-roast the oats, flour, salt and cinnamon – about five to seven minutes. In a small sauce pan, heat the grape seed oil and syrups and then pour over the oat mixture. Mix well, and add the pecans.

Spoon the oat topping over the peaches. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil to bake for an additional 20 minutes, checking the dish after 15 minutes. Remove the dish when the topping is golden and the fruit filling is just bubbling.

Cool slightly.

Serve warm.

Eat.

Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food. – Hippocrates