Hi, it’s me and a gazillion letters of text!
You may have noticed that I’ve been making a lot more gluten-free recipes over the past couple of weeks and I thought I would talk about why I’ve been doing this.
It’s sort of a long story!
Luckily, I’m jacked up on caffeine right now.
I’ve been experiencing some strange health symptoms over the past 4-6 weeks. For example, I’ve had bad stomach bloating to the point where I look 6 months pregnant (I’m not). I’ve always had bloating on and off all my life, but this is much worse than the normal bloating I’ve experienced in the past. I’m also experiencing bad stomach pains in my abdomen area, round-the-clock lower back pain, fatigue, and pressure in my pelvic area, among other things. The pain in my abdomen and lower pelvic area gets much worse after eating and I often feel really full after eating a normal-sized meal. Lately, I’ve been waking up with mild stomach pain too.
Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which I’ve mentioned on the blog a while back) and for most of my life I’ve struggled with stomach pain, headaches, and GI discomfort on and off. My stomach is very sensitive to certain foods like dairy, nuts, soy, and beans. I never really know how it is going to react. Sometimes a handful of raw almonds can set it off with pains, while other times it’s fine. IBS is also strongly associated with our emotions, so it’s not surprising that my anxiety manifests itself through my stomach and digestive system.
Since I’m divulging my life story, another thing I’ve struggled with health-wise is my reproductive system. Specifically, my ovaries.
In 2009, a pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound revealed that I have multiple cysts on my ovaries as well as an enlarged (they called it ‘bulky’) right ovary. In addition to my regular yearly pap test and physical, I also go for a yearly ultrasound to monitor the cysts and make sure that they aren’t getting larger. Keepin’ an eye on things. Basically, I’m on watch for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
I had another ultrasound in March 2011 and it revealed that my right ovary decreased in size from 17.7 ml to 10 ml. My left ovary is also smaller in size. Apparently, this is encouraging news, but I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t really received a proper explanation. I’m thinking about asking for a referral to a specialist soon.
Fast forward to the symptoms I’m experiencing today. They could be the result of a mild or more severe illness, like most symptoms. And trust me when I say that I’ve Googled them all! I think Google has told me I’m going to die of a horrible illness about 654 times during my life, so I’m trying not to self-diagnose or draw any conclusions until I have the proper tests done. It could be something as minor as an ulcer or as major as Ovarian cancer. That’s why I always say it’s important to listen to your body and be your own health advocate if you think something is abnormal for you.
This brings me to tomorrow, my next ultrasound appointment. I pretty much had to beg my doctor for this ultrasound since my last one was only 6 months ago, but I’d rather ruffle a few feathers than to have a health issue go undetected for months. Bring on the 5 large glasses of water and bladder-bursting hour wait time!
The results of my ultrasound will determine my doctor’s next steps. I had blood work done in May which all came back normal, but I will probably have to get my blood checked again.
So, this brings me to the gluten-free recipes.
My doctor suggested that I try eating gluten-free for a while to see if I have any relief in my symptoms. I really do not think it’s gluten causing the issues, but I’m willing to try anything at this point. I’m also going to see a naturopath on Tuesday for a general consultation and food-sensitivity testing the following week. I’ve heard from many people who have had great relief from their digestive issues when seeing a naturopath, so I figure it’s worth trying out.
At this point, I just want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, but in all likelihood, it could take a while to figure out. I will try to post an update or two on the blog as I get more information.
PIZZA makes everything better.
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Gluten-Free Almond & Buckwheat Flour Pizza with Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
A thin, crispy, flatbread-like crust filled with a nutty and lightly sweet flavour that will keep you coming back for more and more. Top it with Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, some fresh herbs, Daiya cheese, and roasted tomatoes for a pizza that will be gone before you know it.
Yield: 3-4 servings
Inspired by Roost.
Pizza Crust:
- 1.5 cups almond meal (155 grams)*, made from ground raw almonds
- 1.5 cups raw buckwheat flour (205 grams)*, made from ground raw buckwheat groats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, thyme, parsley)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, mixed)
- 2-3 tbsp water, as needed
- 2 cloves roasted garlic, optional
Notes: I ground raw almonds in my blender to make the almond meal. You can also use a food processor. To make the buckwheat flour, I ground raw buckwheat groats in my blender. I strongly prefer the taste of freshly ground buckwheat flour to the store-bought kasha flour.
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix flax eggs and set aside for 5 mins. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with hands until you can form a ball.
3. Place ball of dough on a non-stick mat or on parchment paper. Place another mat or more parchment paper over top. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is as thin as you can get it. Transfer to baking sheet (dough may rip a bit and that is ok). Gently patch rips of dough with fingers and spread on a couple cloves of roasted garlic (optional). I left the crust looking very rustic, so don’t worry it’s not supposed to look perfect!
4. Bake in the oven at 350F for 15-17 minutes until golden along the edges. Remove to cool slightly. Set oven to broil on medium heat setting.
Pizza:
- Pre-baked crust (above)
- 1.5 cups Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
- Daiya cheese, as much as you want
- 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped herbs
- 3-4 leftover roasted tomatoes
1. Spread the pesto onto pre-baked crust. Sprinkle on cheese, fresh herbs, and chopped roasted tomatoes.
2. Broil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat (3), watching very closely so you don’t burn it. Slice and serve immediately. I served this with a big salad to round out the meal.
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This crust turned out much better than I expected. The dough tasted amazing!
I spread on a couple cloves of leftover roasted garlic before baking.
After pre-baking, I spread on the mouth-watering pesto.
Followed by Daiya cheese, chopped roasted tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Then I broiled it for 3 minutes over medium heat.
Crispy, ultra-thin, packed with nutrients, and oh so good.
This pizza did not last long!
If you are a thin-crust fan, you will love this pizza.
The crust is one of the most flavourful crusts I have tasted and the toppings went really well with it, but of course you can top it with whatever you see fit.
p.s.- See my new Fall header image? Hold down Control + F5 to refresh the page if you can’t see it.
p.p.s.- I have an exciting mushroom challenge & recipe post coming up Monday! If you love pesto, you will go crazy for this recipe.
We’re off for a day of hiking on this gorgeous Fall day…have a good one!
Sorry to hear you are dealing with these issues Angela. Hoping for a speedy diagnosis and that you are feeling better soon.
Medical stuff is always frustrating and YAY for checking out a naturopath. I have had great luck with naturopaths so far. I saw one for allergies originally and that developed into digestion as well. After doing months of food elimination and trying to figure out what my body liked I’m usually pretty good as long as I eat correctly. The naturopath actually helped me figure out that my body doesn’t like dairy products. I think naturopaths are great supplemental doctors for helping you stay in overall optimal health and try to treat things naturally and let your body do its thang before you add in the drugs and stuff. I was astonished at how knowledgeable my naturopath was, sometimes you expect them to be a little off. I can’t wait to hear about your experience, hopefully its a good one.
I’m so sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope everything gets figured out soon!!
Sorry to hear about your issues- they sound so similar to my daughter’s (minus the ‘female’ issues as she’s 3!). Because she has so many other true allergies, I often feel like people think we are crazy and are trying to over-control her diet. But, after IgG testing with a naturopath, we did go gluten-free and, after about 3 weeks, saw a complete elimination of her symptoms. She also really started to grow for the first time ever! After about 6 months being gluten-free, she did start to have stomach pains again every now and again but they don’t seem to be as severe nor are they accompanied by vomiting. I’m very interested in re-trying gluten again but also don’t want to subject her to the same pain. I’m curious though, if you know that nuts sometimes bother you, have you considered GF and nut-free alternatives? Since I adore all your recipes as it is, I’m very interested to continue following your journey!
Good luck with everything! I went to the doctor for hair loss and inability to lose weight. I thought it was going to be all hormonal. Turns out not only am I progesterone deficient, I am also intolerant to casein and wheat. I have been on a vegan/gluten-free diet for 4 days and have already lost 3 lbs. Although this was a goal of mine, I have high hopes that by taking care of my food allergies I will also stop losing hair and feel better overall. So tell your doctor to test your progesterone levels as well!!!
Have you ever looked into food combining (also known as Trophology or the Hay diet)? The basic premise is: don’t eat proteins and starches at the same meal, only eat fruit alone. See more info here: http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/digestive-physiology-and-food-combining/food-combining-rules.html. The principle is modeled after the belief that different types of food digest at different rates, and the body can only work to digest one type at a time. I used to have frequent stomach problems, but noticed *immediate* results as soon as I started practicing food combining. Something to look into. I also just had the IgG Elisa food panel (blood test for food allergies) and the results were enlightening! Good luck figuring everything out.
I hope you find out what is ailing you soon and that it is nothing scary. –cyber hug–
oh how awful! i have had cysts in the past and they were just SO painful. soy did aggravate it.
i hope you can find some sort of a solution soon. i’ve gone through so many health challenges and know that it can take awhile and rarely do you find the one solution quickly, but if it is indeed the gluten, you have to stay strictly off it to notice a result.
i also have blogged about my health issues and know you will get a million and one ideas and diagnoses. it can be overwhelming. and people are all different and have different perspectives. so do doctors! my best advice is if your doctor has run out of ideas, see another one. keep searching, it took me 8 years to find the right one.
I truly hope it is not endometriosis which is affecting you. I have suffered with that disease for years, it often causes stomach irritation, nausea, ovarian cysts and of course pelvic pain. If it is endometriosis, the only advice I have would be to try to limit soy based products (which is hard while being vegan) but soy has estrogen in it which can cause endometriosis to flare up. Also an important fact to note, endometriosis can not be detected with an ultra sound, the only way a doctor can diagnose it is with a laprascopic procedure, which is very invasive and painful. I suggest avoiding it if at all possible. You may consider looking into the facts of the disease though :”(
Hi Angela,
Thank you for sharing your story. I read your blog often and I am alwyas impressed by your brave, honest and thoughtful posts (as well as your absolutely delish recipes!! Never made one that I didn’t LOVE).
I was touched by what you shared. I have a similar story, digestive issues, possible ovary issues, inconsistent cycles..and the list goes on. They believed that I could have PCOS too, but it turns out I didnt..possibly I was well on my way though. Gluten and even more so, Sugar was the main culprit for me. It took some time but as soon as I changed my diet, what ever was happening began to reverse itself. I saw many MD’s but my Naturopath did the most for me. She helped my body heal itself, through supplements and diet change. One thing she told me that I repeated to myself often: “The body is made to rebuild and heal, remember that. ” And I did, even when I wasn’t feeling so well. Remember that too, and believe in your strong body.
Tracy
just reading through your other suggestions, and having just read thebook chocolate and vicodin by this blogger who was ill, i thought you might find some humor in this post. the author has gotten a lot of ideas from her readers. keep it in perspective!
http://pastaqueen.com/blog/2009/02/the-great-big-headache-list/
Quick question: when you transfer the dough to a baking sheet, does the baking sheet need to be prepped with anything? Should it be spritzed with oil or can you bake it on parchment paper on the baking sheet? Thanks for the info. Love the new header!
So sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope you get answers soon.
The new header is a lovely way to welcome fall.
Have you been tested for wheat allergy? I had similar painful stomach, bloating stomach for years and years. Many tests brought up no results. Last year my symptoms started getting worse and my Dr. tested my blood for wheat allergy and it came back that I was very, very allergic to wheat. The bloating has gone away. I still get stomach discomfort at times but found out intestinal cystitis , which feels a lot like a bladder infection can cause stomach, pelvic pain. Have you had any feelings of urine urgency that tested negative for an infection. If so, you may want to look at trying an intestinal cystitis diet. IC can also cause painful perineum area and make sex uncomfortable. I hope you find the answers you need!
Hey Angela! I’ve been enjoying the GF recipes because I just went gluten free as well, and I had similar symptoms to yours (I also have reproductive issues and terrible stomach bloating/pain). I’ve tried almost everything and read everything I could get my hands on, and I think (and my doctor thinks) that I have an overgrowth of yeast in my gut (Candida) due to two back to back surgeries for said reproductive issues and months of antibiotics and slow motility from the pain pills, and perhaps a gluten intolerance. I have been upping my probiotic intake, lowering my sugar and yeast (and fermented and moldy foods) intake, and eating gluten free – and I’ve seen a lot of improvement! Anyway, if you’re craving sweets and bread in addition to your other problems and/or you experience your worst bloating after consuming yeasty breads or sugary items (even natural sugars like fruit and honey), you might have a yeast issue. Good luck tomorrow!
Angela your story makes me hope and pray for your sake that you get both answers and get relief!
I lived for my entire life til my early 20s with stomach/GI issues. Long, long story short after having no clue what was wrong (this was almost 10 yrs ago and food allergies/intolerances weren’t as widely discussed and i was much more in the dark about it all too) but a naturopath set me on the right track…of looking at what foods may be issues and then thru trial and error and lots of legwork spanning months and years..I have eliminated what doesn’t work.
No test, i.e.bloodwork, muscle, or using any other bodily fluid, is as reliable as elimination/reintroduction of that food in my opinion so even if you “test negative” for something; doesn’t meant that it still couldn’t be an issue there. Good for you for wanting to get to the bottom of it and being willing to tinker with gluten.
And i am wishing you the best with the ultrasound, your reproductive health, and the emotional aspect of just dealing with this all.
((HUGS))
Yikes! I can completely sympathize, Angela – I’ve been struggling with bloating too, for 2 years now. I know it’s so overwhelming and “AAHHAHHHHH, I WANT THIS TO GO AWAY!”, but keep going! I wish you the best with your appointment, girl. I’m praying for you and thinking of you! The pizza looks crispily scrumptious, and I love the new header! I have a craving for pumpkin right this minute. ;)
LOVE the new header, Ang! Absolutely beautiful! :-D
So sorry to hear about your health issues xxx Here’s hoping the naturopath and other doctors can work it all out for you soon!! :)
What a delicious recipe…great for transitioning into the cooler temps!! <3