
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!
It sucks not knowing what’s wrong.
Good luck with your health issues and with all the testing you have to go through.
Pizza looks good. I LOVE the new header. Very fallish and cute.
Since you told us about your female health issue I thought I would share mine with you. I was diagnosed with endometriosis when was 20. While in university, my cramps became unbearable and I would beg to go to the hospital monthly for morphine. I had to take at least one day off per month once I started to work and my cramps were at its worst when I was under stress (which was like every day). The dr’s told me I had to find a way to manage the pain as there is no cure. For years I suffered brutally. Interestingly enough, once I started to work out, a few months into it, the symptoms lessoned. Since I went vegan, I can’t remember having a crampy month. Of course I have slight pain but most months I don’t need any tylenol. In the past I used to pop tylenol like fiend to help me cope with the pain (which never helped and neither did any RX drugs). I could not walk, bend, eat, use the bathroom. It was a true nightmare. These days I find being vegan has helped the most and I attribute being almost healed, I gues,s to not eating meat or dairy or animal completely. Also, my periods are light and quick. In the past it lasted longer and was heavy. This is also a family thing and a few women in my family have suffered from infertility due to cyst issues. I don’t want kids so this is no worry for me but the pain of endo is a nightmare.
I am telling you this because I am sure your cysts reduced in size due to your vegan diet. The more I read on plant-based eating, the more scientists are realizing we can heal outselves via diet alone in a lot of cases. Good luck with the bloating and ovary issues. I know for sure a naturopath will be helpful for sure. I have many friends go to a naturopaths with only positive results.
Oh wow, that pizza looks fab! I can’t wait to try the crust. I think I’ll need to whip up another batch of that roasted tomato pesto. Made it last weekend, and wow wow wow! To die! :)
Also, sorry to hear about the health issues you’ve been dealing with. I know I get bloating A LOT too, and it’s definitely painful and embarrassing at the same time. I agree with other comments here– it’s awesome you’re open about it. Nice to know other HEALTHY people still have issues occasionally too. You’re not alone!! Feel better! :)
Hope you get all that health business and bloaty tummy squared away soon! That pizza looks amaaazing! Me and flatbread-style thin crust go way back. Also, I’m pretty much powerless to the appeal of gourds. Once they appear in the fall, I buy them uncontrollably. I tell myself it’s okay because they’re all unique and special. That said, love your sweet new banner :)
Will be thinking of you today! Hope you get some good news. Love the fall header BTW. :)
I recently learned of the ALCAT test. It is pricey, but gives great detailed info on food allergies and sensitivities. It is supposed to be much more sensitive and informative than traditional allergy testing.
First – Good luck with your Dr. appointment! Reading your story, was almost like reading my own… Well, in the stomach pain + PCOS sense. And, to be quite honest, giving up (or drastically decreasing) wheat helped beyond belief. Also, if you are seeing a naturopath, hopefully you’ll get a BioMeridian scan, as it’s one of the best ways to detect food allergies. For example, I started getting horrible stomach pain last spring and for the life of me, couldn’t figure out what was causing it – so, I booked an apt. with my naturopath and sure enough, it was an allergy to brown rice. Cut out the sun warrior protein and viola – pain no more!
Now, with that being said, I still experience stomach comfort when I eat foreign foods – and, I still am not 100% gluten free… Girl just can’t do it ;) My numero uno supplement though, to help with the stomach discomfort, is Source Naturals Essential Enzymes… I literally have 3 bottles – One in my car, one in my purse and one in my kitchen. Basically, with every meal, I open a capsule and pour it on my food. Stomach pain, no more. Amazing.
Good luck!
I know almonds and almond milk give me cramps and can’t eat them. Soy in all forms bloats me and oats can sometimes cramp me up. Those are somethings you might want to elimnate in your diet and you might also want to take probiotics and enzymes to help with digestion. I know a vegan diet rich in fruit and veggies tends to bloat – I am always walking around with a bloated stomach so annoying. Good luck to you !!
My jaw dropped when I read this post. I knew there was some reason I feel kinship!
I totally understand the stomach pain. I was diagnosed with IBS about 7.5 years ago. While I don’t have any food allergies/sensitivities, my daughter (2) is severely allergic to dairy, peanuts, and eggs. While I would like to throw both situations to the curb, I do realize that they are the reason I eat so healthy and feed my family the way that I do (and also the reason I found your blog!)
I’m curious what your journey with IBS treatment has been – if you have ever tried medication or probiotic treatments… I myself tried several medications, none of which really helped (and one seemed to have very negative effects on my anxiety levels, which was a listed side effect). I certainly can say “ditto” to the anxiety/stress comment – I feel like my stress/tiredness level can actually have more effect on my IBS than the food I eat. However, on that note, I was kind of surprised by the foods that you listed that set off your IBS. For me, fat, too much caffeine, and alcohol are my biggest triggers. I have certainly had periods of time in which I feel crappy often, and I have also had months in which I feel really good (during pregnancy, I had very little IBS, weird, huh?)
What kind of food allergy testing are you getting – skin or blood?
And just on a total whim, have you ever had your gallbladder checked out?
Anyways, enough for now!
My hubs went through the same process of trying to figure out why he was getting celiac-type-symptoms ALL of the time, with no real common-denominator. It turns out he has a high sensitivity/intolerance to MSG and other preservatives! MSG is in everything and goes by tons of different names (ie. nutritional yeast is MSG)… so it can be hard to pinpoint. It may be worth looking into!
Sorry to hear this — and I do hope you can find a cause, and can then take action to mitigate your body’s reaction.
OMG!!!
As I was reading your post, I was thinking…is she writing MY medical history??
I was diagnosed with IBS a while ago, and have always had the exact symptoms you are describing. I also had weird pains in my ovaries….and have had to be subjected to the bladder-busting ultrasounds/transvaginal ultrasounds too! It was due to enlarge ovarian cysts that were left alone to go away on their own. And I had to monitor them yearly.
But I haven’t check on them in the past few years. And after reading your post, I feel like I should check on them, since i still sometimes get a familiar ache in that area. I hope everything goes smoothly for you with the tests.
Just thinking about the prep for the ultrasounds is making me cringe! Holding your pee is never a fun time. ;)
I love the new header!
DO NOT Google your symptoms… although I think we are all guilty of it at times, it’s the worst thing to do. Good for you for advocating for yourself and pushing for the second ultra-sound. I STRONGLY believe that we must be our own advocates when it comes to healthcare, especially as young adults. I’m sorry to hear you are having trouble and not feeling so well. I hope you get the answers you want/need soon and start feeling better. Please keep us posted. In the meantime, I’ll be sending you positive and healthy vibes :)
Like Kristi above, my jaw dropped when I read your post today. I have mild Crohn’s disease, and it is similar, but of course different. I am sorry that you are struggling, it is never fun to feel uncomfortable. I go to a GI doctor, and I find them extremely helpful, understanding about the changes in my system, and they are very pro-active to any change in symptoms that I have. Good luck with anything that is upcoming, and I hope you start to feel better soon!
I am also very familiar to the bladder bursting prep for the ultrasound. I’ve had the external & internal ultrasounds many times. The last time I had it done (4 years ago?) the technician also showed me my gallbladder. Very cool stuff.
Hope you get the answers to your discomfort soon.
Sorry to hear about the pain, at least you know how to make a wicked gluten free pizza!!
Hope you are able to determine what is causing your discomfort and get some relief!
Take care!
HI Angela. I had the very same issue and it just kept getting worse. I too went from blood tests and an exam. Blood tests came back negative for gluten intolerance. BUT my triglycerides were borderline high. My doc told me I might have inflammed bowel disorder and also had warning signs of Type 2 diabetes which was a SHOCKER. I am not overweight, I eat healthy and I exercise all the time. It can happen to anyone. This is different the IBS. My doctor told me to cut out sugar… I did cut out sugar and it has really helped. No processed foods really has helped as well. I have been drinking a ton of water to flush out my system, which really helps with keeping the bloatiness away. And I voluntarily stopped eating gluten. Which really improved my symptoms. I personally think the gluien and sugar combined, really made me sick. I hope it comes down to diet for you as well… Best wishes. I will be thinking about you
im sorry to hear about what you’ve been through! I can imagine what a shocker that would be. I’m so glad your new diet is helping you.
God. All us girls have some issue at some time like this! You might want to read “It’s my Ovaries, Stupid” because it has lots of information the doctors really don’t tell you! I also quit gluten, and I am not exactly sure why. It may not have been causing the issue, but it does help with the bloating. The PCOS thing is odd, because in someone really healthy like you, your bloodwork may all be fine, but if your testosterone is high or your estradiol is NOT twice that of your estrone, it could be something like PCOS. Other than the cysts, I think they kind of determine it being a metabolic disorder, and your cholesterol and sugars, etc…may be okay ONLY because you are eating so well……….I would pay attention to my estradiol.
oh angela! this post came as such a relief! i literally just got home from the doctor who diagnosed me with IBS and i’m starting the “chicken & rice” diet tomorrow (basically rice since i don’t eat meat) to see if i have a gluten intolerance. my GI recommended i try a low dose of an anti-depressant to lessen my sensitivity to my GI issues. this doesn’t sound like a route i want to pursue – did you ever try prescription medications to treat your IBS? sorry i just unloaded on your comments section but i’m trying to get as much personal experience input as possible! thanks! ps: your recipes are delicious and my carnivorous, non-vegan friends have yet to catch on!