Secrets, SIBO and Steaks

Mushroom stuffed filet on pureed cauliflower

I’ve been keeping a secret from you and it’s been driving me nuts. I’ve avoided posting because I wasn’t sure I wanted to reveal the truth. It’s something personal and, for me, kind of scary. It may seem silly to you once I reveal it but I’ll try to explain why I didn’t want to put it out there into the world and also why I decided I should.

I am on a diet. Not just a gluten-free diet any more, but also a low carb diet. There are many reasons why I decided to start down this path. The first reason is my digestive health. As those of you with SIBO know (see this post for more info), the B in SIBO stands for bacteria and the bacteria thrive on sugar. One of the potential treatments for SIBO that my doctor recommended but I couldn’t afford was a three-month-long liquid diet consisting only of aspartame sweetened, vitamin rich liquid. Mmmmm, sounds delish, right? One of the best ways to get SIBO to leave you alone is to reduce the amount of sugar the bacteria have to live on. My doctor always suggested I reduce my carbs in order to feel better, and by eliminating wheat, I reduced my carbs by a great deal and felt immensely better. I thought that was enough, for a while, it was.

Steamed artichoke with drawn butter

Over time, I increased my carbs with gluten-free alternatives to what I used to eat. Once I discovered quinoa/corn pasta, I was back to eating pasta 2-3 times a week. Thanks to Udi’s and Rudi’s, grilled cheese and toast were back on the menu. I enjoyed gluten free pretzels, lots of chips, and the brands of junk food that a G-free gangsta discovers are “legal” (Cheetos? Fritos? Tostitos? Yes please!) These changes in my diet brought on slow weight gain and the intermittent return of my SIBO symptoms. I just wasn’t feeling so hot.

About two months ago, my sous-chef and I took a road trip and listened to Gary Taubes book “Why We Get Fat” on tape on the way. It was extremely eye opening and after digesting it (harhar) we knew we had to stop eating the way we had been. The more we looked into changing our dietary habits, the better we felt about the idea. We checked out good ol’ Dr. Atkins newest book “The New Atkins for A New You.”

Isn't this what comes to mind when you hear "Atkins?"

Now this is the part where I need to pause and give some explanation of why I was hesitant to share this info. Diets are EXTREMELY PERSONAL. Why or when or how someone goes on a diet is information that not everyone needs to be privy to. There are a lot of people with a lot of VERY strong opinions about Atkins and I completely respect that. I am not here to defend him, his methods or his work. I am here simply to let you in on what is going on in MY life and how it will affect this blog. I would like to urge those who would bash Atkins or me for trying his method, to do the bare minimum of research into what he was all about and how he died (his cause of death is a widely believed myth.)

That's a portobello mushroom under there

Another reason I was reluctant to open up is that when you tell someone you are on a diet, you set yourself up to be subject to other’s expectations. People want to know how much weight you lost and how quickly. You are allowing them to observe, on the surface whether you have gotten thinner or fatter, and, let’s face it, there can be a lot of scrutiny and even schadenfreude about how successful or unsuccessful you have been with the diet. The words success and failure are loaded and heavy and they can do real damage to person. It is a terrible feeling, imagining everyone’s eyes on your belly and butt when you enter a room. Now the key word in that sentence is “imagining.” In my more rational moments I understand that no one actually cares how fat or thin I am, nor do they generally notice when I go up or down by a few pounds. It’s mostly in my head, hence, I am opening up here and telling you what I am going through and hoping that there will be more supporters than detractors.

Salmon with dill butter and garlicky zucchini

I embarked on this new way of eating in order to get my SIBO symptoms under control and to lose the weight I had gained by getting into unhealthy eating habits. I also hope to improve my cholesterol and energy levels. I am not declaring a lifetime commitment to this lifestyle and I am certainly not proselytizing, I just want to give you an idea why the recipes I feature here may be a little different than what you are used to seeing from me.

Shrimp scampi to die for

You will still see only gluten free foods but you will also be seeing more meat and seafood, more veggies and a lot less rice, pasta and potatoes. Some of the foods and combos may seem strange to you, but I promise, if I don’t like it, I won’t post it UNLESS the sous chef likes it and insists and even then I will tell you because, after all, I am still the picky gourmet.

Eeeeew! Gross! Pork chop! But the sous chef loved it so what do I know?