Archive for the ‘Recipes / Diet’ Category

Most LLMD’s will recommend that while undergoing treatment for Lyme it is a good idea to follow a sugar free, gluten free and sometimes dairy free diet.  You may be thinking, “Wow, isn’t the treatment enough without adding food deprivation to the mix too!”  It may seem like a hard concept to accept at first but once you find nourishing and yummy food substitutes you will realize it is not all bad.  I can’t see how allowing yourself a treat now and then will be the end of the world and you will deserve it for following such a strict diet.

I am a regular health food store junkie and I love the alternatives to my favourite food products that are currently available.  This concept has definitely come a long way since more and more people are forced to follow certain diets either to help them overcome their health issues or because they prefer to stick to a healthy way of living.  The following is a list of my favourite food substitutions that are usually available at your local health food store.

• Brown Rice Pasta – I absolutely love this pasta!  Personally, I can’t tell the difference between rice pasta and regular pasta that is packed with gluten.  Most health food stores carry a great line of gluten free pasta and you can pick and choose to whichever tickles your fancy.  I find the consistency is really good and it doesn’t get mushy and once you add your favourite toppings it is just as good as regular pasta but is a much healthier choice.
• Gluten Free Bread- Glutino has a wonderful array of gluten free products including several different flavours of bread to choose from.  There are definitely certain gluten free breads out there where you might as well munch on a piece of cardboard.  I prefer Glutino especially because they manufacture breads, crackers, pasta and many other delicious products.
• Rice Cheese – Ok, you may be thinking how could this possibly taste good but I really don’t mind this type of cheese.  It has a different kind of flavour than regular cheese but once you eat it a couple times you will get used to it.  When you use it in lasagna recipes or any of your other favourite recipes you can’t even notice the difference.  I believe the company that manufactures this kind of cheese is called Galaxy and they have several flavours to choose from.
• Agave Nectar – Yum, Yum!  This is a delightful sugar substitute and it is a completely natural sweetener so it is good for you.  There are a couple cookbooks on Amazon whose recipes are devoted entirely to using Agave Nectar.  I have used it many times in some of my favourite recipes, use it anytime you need a sweetener because it is fantastic.  Find creative ways of using this sweetener and  you will wonder why you didn’t find it a long time ago.
• Pure Raw Honey – This is another great option!  I have also used this in several recipes as a sweetener and it worked very well.  It is better to use the pure raw alternative than regular grocery bought honey because it goes through a healthier manufacturing process and there aren’t as many additives which means it is a healthier choice.
• Coconut Oil – This is a great alternative to other cooking oils and it has a yummy taste.  It supplies fewer calories than other fats, does not contain cholesterol and has been known to increase metabolism and promote weight loss.  How can you argue with that?
• Rice/Coconut/Almond Milk – I was following a very strict sugar, gluten and dairy free diet when I first received my diagnosis and didn’t know how I was going to cope without my daily glass of milk in the morning.  Although, honestly once I gave these types of alternatives a try I really grew to like them.  They have a great flavour and you can still use them in all of your everyday recipes.  I use these milks in my smoothies, with my oatmeal and the coconut milk is delightful in rice pudding and makes it oh so creamy.

There are so many more amazing alternatives you can try such as eating a mixed bowl of fruit instead of a chocolate bar when you have a sugar craving.  Try out some of the gluten free flours for making your favourite pancakes.  Experiment with different flavours and herbs/spices.  Once you get the creative juices flowing, the options are endless and you may prefer this lifestyle change and stick to it even if you are feeling better.

A website that caters to sugar, gluten and dairy free cooking where I found lots of impressive recipes is:  www.recipezaar.com

I am sure there are many more excellent websites to check out.  There is a great selection of cookbooks out there who also cater to these dietary needs.  Amazon has a great selection specifically for those with dietary restrictions so that is always a terrific place to look if you have trouble finding the cookbook you need in a bookstore.  I ordered “Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cooking by Susan O’Brien from Amazon and am very pleased with it.  My absolute fav’s are the Brown Rice Pudding, Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Green Beans.