Hmmm...day number.....

I have kinda lost track of what number day I am on....but according to my blog it is Day #24 - if nothing else blogging about this is helping me keep track of the days!!!

I follow Nourished Kitchen on Facebook (and put the new cookbook on my birthday wish list....hint...hint), and they had a post that really spoke to me yesterday:

"I eat fat. I eat grains. I eat vegetables. And pulses [beans]. And fruit. And meat. And fish. And sweeteners. And milk. And it's awesome.
The more variety I eat, the better I feel.
Many people suffer from real intolerances and allergies to foods making restriction necessary, but don't assume that because everyone in the world seems to be giving up the food-du-jour that you need to give it up, too."

I still maintain that I have seen no benefits from giving up gluten. I feel that I definitely had good reasons for trying it, including some unexplained digestive issues, some strange skin issues, and obviously some inflammatory issues. However, none of these seems to have been improved by my going gluten-free. I have concluded that I do not have an intolerance, and do not plan to be 100% gluten free once the 30 days is over. This post by Nourished Kitchen is exactly what I have been thinking. It is also my basic feeling on a lot of the diets that are being thrown about right now: Paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean, carb-free, juicing, raw foods, sugar-free, dairy-free, etc., etc., etc.   

I think it is important to practice moderation and variety. Focus on whole foods: fruits, veggies, unprocessed meats, grains. Avoid processed, packaged foods. Enjoy what you eat! 

At the beginning of In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan talks about how overwhelming nutrition science is. One year the focus is on low-fat diets, then the next a study is released stating how unhealthy low-fat substitutes can be. This makes us very anxious about what we are supposed to eat - looking to doctors and nutritionists and websites for answers. Instead, we should trust that eating reasonable portions of whole foods - like our grandmothers did, and their grandmothers before them - is the best way to treat our bodies. 

I still have six more days of no gluten, but I am already trying to focus more on developing my own food philosophy (I knew that degree would come in handy eventually). Last night was pork chops, which I got from the local butcher Salt and Time, which means it was from a local ranch. With asparagus and salad. Whole, real foods. And it was amazingly delicious. (So delicious I totally forgot to take picture until we had demolished the entire meal...)

Tonight I made Lamb Pita "Pizzas" with hummus - based on this Cooking Light recipe, but I used the tostada recipe from Against all Grain for the pitas. I love this recipe, and it was great with the gluten free tostadas!

Tomorrow starts the last weekend of my 30 day experiment,  it should be a pretty quiet one...