It has been just over 3 months that I’ve gone off the birth control pill and started Chinese Medicine. Reason I was on the pill was for horrible menstrual symptoms. I’m almost certain it was related to Celiac disease and intake of gluten. Since coming off the pill I have had 2 cycles that were mostly pain-free. Things are not back to normal yet, but my naturopath is assuring me to give it some time and keep on the Chinese meds. I’m taking Tang Kuei (Dong Quai) and Bepleurum and have had no bad side-effects. I have to say, I can’t quite believe how well things are going. Doctors had pretty much given up on me by age 16 in dealing with painful cramps. They seemed to think Tylenol 3′s + codeine was a decent solution, and birth control pills an ever better solution. Wow am I ever glad I don’t rely on doctors anymore!

I have had acupuncture twice and can’t believe how well it works. I was so skeptical about it but tried it out of trust for my naturopath. I have had 2 sessions before my cycle starts to try and ease any PMS symptoms and regulate timing. Literally within an hour of having the acupuncture session all PMS symptoms are relieved, it’s amazing. HIGHLY recommended that any woman with any problems related to their cycle seek out a good naturopath and/or acupuncturist. Also if you are worried about pain or anxiety with the needles, oh my goodness they are so harmless! Tiniest little sensation from them going in and then you forget about it. Plus you get at least 20 minutes of lying still which is a nice break.

So far timing is not at all regular but I’m being patient, it’s only been a few months! I feel better off the pill so that is worth it to me. And btw, libido is very much back, even after being on the pill for over a decade and being as sick as I was. I hope that gives someone out there some comfort to know, you can get healthy again! And if anyone is considering a gluten-free diet for endometriosis or any menstrual related symptoms – DO IT! Fluffy bread is not worth the pain and torture. Check out the GAPS diet (http://gapsdiet.com/) and the SCD diet (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/). I am not the only one reporting relief from pain due to these diets.

A few more things my naturopath suggested:
-magnesium for cramping: I take up to 600mg per day during crampy days, 200mg on a regular day
-fish oil: I did take some for the first month off, but now am stopping it, will post about that soon!
-vitamin C and bioflavonoids: instead of a supplement I am buying fresh lemons and oranges, and eating lots of sauerkraut
-vitamin D: I get mine from cod liver oil, plus an extra vitamin D supplement (no sun strong enough here in winter)
-walking every day: this has helped so much, and I do yoga once or twice a week
-lots of leafy greens: still working on this, I don’t do well with lots of veggies

Now another update, I had gone to no-poo (no shampoo or conditioner) last May out of frustration with the skin issues I was having. It has helped, but mostly it has shown me just how much I do NOT need shampoo or conditioner! Here’s a pic of me this past week, no shampoo or conditioner since last May. It’s not a super clear picture, but I think you can tell my hair looks ok, no greasiness, no tangles, I’ve even had compliments lately! Everyone keeps asking if I dyed my hair, saying the colour looks richer. Nope! I have used apple cider vinegar as a rinse a couple times a week, and an egg once or twice a week to wash with. No chemicals. I tried baking soda a few times but didn’t notice it doing anything so I don’t bother with that.

(BTW do you notice I look alive in this pic? I have energy! And I’m showing off my new scarf from Taiwan – gift from a friend)

So after 2 years on SCD I have been slowly (very slowly) adding foods in one at a time. I added sweet potato with no problems at all. I have it maybe once every two weeks now. It’s a nice change from just squashes as a carb with dinner.

The second thing I added in was cocoa powder. I decided I really wanted some chocolate back in my life! Chocolate has been my absolute favorite food since I was little. I never liked the expensive chocolate either, I actually liked those Christmas cheap chocolates wrapped in foil. I would eat a Mars bar every day in high school (yeah, no wonder I was so sick!)

So far all I have tried is some pure organic cocoa powder on my SCD Truffles (see Desserts & Snacks) and have had no symptoms. It`s not a lot but it tastes good and at least I have something chocolaty to look forward too.

I`m not sure if I will start posting non-legal recipes. I probably won`t because I always hated seeing things I couldn`t eat. But some recipes may have an optional non-legal ingredient I guess.

Update (March 15, 2010): Don’t overdo cocoa! I learned that one night while awake at 3am. I had a bit too much chocolate that day and had quite a bit after dinner. Seems the caffeine content is quite high in raw unsweetened cocoa powder. I’m doing ok with cocoa in my diet, but only having it mid-morning as a snack and in small amounts. I have still only added sweet potato and cocoa, since I’m not really craving anything else. Isn’t that weird, everyone who starts SCD can’t wait to get off it and eat some ‘normal’ food, but by the time you get to that point, you don’t care for it anymore! Now all I want is scallops, garlic, lamb stew, asparagus, and olives.

I love cooking seafood. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because there’s no preparation work needed for it to be tasty. No cutting meat, no marinating, no remembering to take stuff out of the freezer. I have a fish market store close enough to my house I can just pick stuff up the same day I want to cook it.

A few months ago a friend of ours brought us some lobsters from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were frozen and we kept them frozen until just recently. Because they were frozen, I had a feeling they would have a fishy taste, so I decided to make a garlicky sauce to go with them. It was so delicious that we ate the 2 lobsters with about 1/4 cup butter each. It was so filling it was the only thing we ate.

I have since made that butter sauce for scallops (see Fish & Seafood recipes). I have scallops maybe once every couple months and they are by far my favorite seafood. Today when I went to get some at the fish market, I noticed they had a few bottles of fish roe. I have had some before with sushi but haven’t had any since I started SCDiet. So I decided to buy some and top off my scallops with them. It was delicious! If anyone is looking for a way to enjoy fish roe, this is a good one. It’s making me want to experiment more too.. I’m thinking scallops dipped in a bit of rice vinegar, wrapped in nori and topped with roe. Maybe I’ll try that next time.

Note: Make sure to read the ingredient labels of fish roe, most of them have SCD illegals. Try to find one without gums and colorings.

Tzatziki Sauce
Traditional Greek Tzatziki sauce. This recipe is from a family friend who lives in Greece. My mother visited them and they got her hooked. They even gave her some olive oil to bring home made from their own olive trees! They sent a second batch a while ago and I still have a bit left. It is so wonderful in this recipe. This recipe is also a great way to get SCD yogurt without any added honey or fruit sugars. I use this dip with meatballs, plain meats, and sauteed veggies.

1 cup dripped yogurt
1/2 cup grated cucumber, water squeezed out
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Keeps well in fridge for a couple weeks.

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Olive Oil Mayonnaise
This mayo works great in the artichoke dip below. It’s a fruity, flavourful mayonnaise perfect for dressings and dips.

1 whole egg
1 yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup olive oil

Place egg in the bottom of a tall jar or stick blender container. Add spices and lemon juice over it. Gently pour oil over and wait a few seconds for everything to resettle. The oil will be separated on top of the other ingredients.

Place a stick blender to the bottom of the container and turn it on. Mix as much as you can and then slowly lift the stick blender out to blend the rest. If not fully blended, return the stick blender to the bottom, turn it on and slowly work it towards the top of the mayonnaise.

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Artichoke Dip
My friend brought this to a girl’s pig-out night and it was fabulous! So easy to make.

8-10 artichoke hearts (I buy them in a jar)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic, minced

Grate the Parmesan cheese. Cut up the artichoke hearts. Mush everything in a bowl. Spread into a pan or pie plate and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

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Superbowl Taco Beef Dip
Serves 8
This dip was the hit of the party. I went with a layered-dip theme but everything I looked up had beans and rice in it. So I decided to make it a taco beef base with a few layers on top. For taco seasoning for the beef, please see Naturally Knocked Up’s Taco Seasoning. I did serve this with nacho chips, but didn’t eat them myself.

1-2 lb beef
4 tbsp taco seasoning
butter
1 onion
1 red pepper
1/2 cup dripped yogurt
3/4 cup homemade fermented salsa
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
4-5 green onions chopped
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, chopped
a few garlic-stuffed olives, sliced

In a hot fry pan, fully cook beef + seasoning in a bit of butter. Spread out into a glass baking dish. Turn the heat down a bit, add more butter, and lightly saute the onion and red pepper. Spread them over the beef. Spread yogurt over evenly. Spread salsa over evenly. Sprinkle cheese to cover the top (as much as you’d like). Sprinkle green onion, jalapeno and olives on top. Turn oven to broil, 425F and leave for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted and browned. Don’t leave it too long on broil!

For fermented salsa, I use the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

Every Friday I try to cook some sort of offal. I’m usually exhausted by Friday because of the work week, juggling a full time job with cooking/preparing everything I eat can be tiring. The first time I tried liver was on a Friday and I noticed Saturday I had way more energy. So now I always try to have some before the weekend so I can enjoy my couple days off.

Last night I participated in a Real Food Twitter party and it was hilariously fun! During the chat, someone mentioned eating heart with bacon. I had heart sitting in the fridge waiting for Friday and some bacon in the freezer. I like bacon so I decided to give it a try. Here’s what I came up with, and it was really good! Of course I always use lots of onion whenever I cook organ meats. Something about onions just cuts the taste/texture of meaty dishes.

Beef Heat, Bacon, Butter and Onion
1 beef heart, cut up into cubes, remove stringy tissue
6-10 slices bacon (nitrite-free)
1 onion
2 tbsp butter
garlic
salt & pepper

Cook bacon in a cast iron skillet. Once done, set aside and cut/break into pieces. Place in a large dish.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic over beef heart pieces. Cook heart in bacon grease left in the skillet. Add to bacon pieces and toss.

In a separate pan, saute onions in butter. Once done, add to bacon & beef, toss to mix.

Note: you can cook the onion with the beef heart in the bacon grease, but I prefer cooking separately in butter, because nothing is better than onions in butter.

Serve with some random veggies and enjoy!