#chronicallyillandstrong

So, pain woke me up at 1 am, so to distract myself, I decided to play in the kitchen. I had some peaches and decided to use them up! Peaches are really awesome, and provide great benefit to our bodies. They help lower blood sugars, help reduce cardiovascular disease, can reduce allergy symptoms and can aid in digestion. And these are just a few of the benefits!! So, here is the awesome and tasty recipe!

1 banana, mashed

2 peaches, peeled and chopped

3 tbsp splenda

1 tbsp sugar free syrup

1 stick Country Crock plant based butter

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups oat flour ( I used old fashioned oats and processed them in the food processor)

1 cup GF flour or almond flour plus 1 tbsp

In a bowl, melt your butter then mash your banana. Wisk the two together. Then add vanilla, almond extract, splenda and syrup and salt. Wisk well. Then add the oat flour, GF flour, baking powder, baking soda and milk. Switch the wisk for a spoon and fold the mixture. Add more milk as needed to thin out. In a bowl take your peaches and dust them with some flour and then fold into your mixture.

Pour your mix into a greased, hot waffle iron. I have mine set to 375( if your requires a temp setting I have found this one works best!). Cook about 3 minutes or until the level of brown/crispness you desire.

You can serve with some fresh peaches, whipped cream, maple syrup or peanut butter or just eat them plain! Enjoy!!

Hi all! Thanksgiving is here and I'm sure many may need a quick dessert for your family dinner. So i figured I would share an easy dessert recipe for you to whip up and bring to any gathering!!

Ingredients:

2 fuji or gala apples

Sugar free syrup

Sugar free caramel sundae syrup

2 sticks of plant based butter

Yellow cake mix( I made my own that's sugar free and gluten free!)

Cake mix:

2.5 cups gluten free flour(makes sure it has xanthan gum in it)

1.5 cup of sweetener of your choice

3/4tsp baking soda

3/4tsp baking powder

1 tsp table salt

Whisk all your cake ingredients together and set aside

Preheat your oven to 375. Dice your apples into cubes. Put into a bowl and mix with about 1 tablespoon of sugar free syrup. Spread in your buttered dish. Then cover your apples with the cake mix. You won't use all the mix, probably 2/3. Then cut the butter into cubes and cover the cake/apple mixture---make sure the cake is entirely covered with the butter or it won't turn out right!! Lastly, drizzle your caramel sundae topping. Bake in a 375 degree oven until a knife comes out clean. Enjoy while warm with some sugar free vanilla ice cream or just plain because it tastes just as good plain!!!

This was a great alternative to pie for me since I can't have cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger or allspice. I hope it helps someone make it through the upcoming holidays!!

I am dying….yup you read that right. I am dying. Will I go today? No. Tomorrow? Probably not. I have some time but the fact is yes I am dying. I have found out I have heart failure which in turn has affected my kidney disease and eventually, one day my heart and my kidneys will stop working and there is nothing that can be done. But luckily I am on the Bentley of drugs and I will sustain for a while. However, this news has forced me to come to terms with a lot of things.

The first that more and more I am losing people in my life. Yup…. I am lonelier than ever. I went to my appointment alone, found out alone, even sat in the ER with the symptoms alone and have had nobody to turn to in these times. And that is the consequence of single life with chronic illness. When these things come up, you face them alone. And now that I am at this major hurdle, I will continue to face it and jump it alone. Nobody wants to hear about continual tests and labs and procedures or that you are consistently exhausted and having to adjust life 24/7. People have productive lives to lead and families to enjoy. I don’t have that…. I have myself. I have even resolved I can totally kiss dating goodbye as well. I could explain migraines, and endometriosis and lupus and my other conditions, but this one, whew! This one is like a nail in the coffin.

Second, I have learned that my life is now drastically different. What used to fill my days with going to dinner and concerts and other exciting things, is now filled with appointments, medication reminders, filling pill boxes, tests, blood work, and naps(let’s be honest, I have always napped but now I need them more lol). This is my life. And I have grown to be okay with that. I do miss hanging out and doing fun things, but all my energy is targeted to what’s necessary. On an off day, I may do something extra like brunch, but even then I have to take precautions in what I eat, where we go and other things and I must say, it makes what people are left in my life look at me crazy and sometimes it isn’t even worth it.

Third, I spend a lot more time with myself and my thoughts and I have had time ponder so many things. And I miss weekend get- away trips and disposable income and not having to calculate every minute of my life. But I can’t dwell on that. If I spent every moment of my life on what was or what could be, I would be very sad and cry 24/7. Do I have moments where things catch up to me? Yes. However, I dig deep and think of the tools I have been equipped with to cope (writing, journaling, cooking, baking, praying) and push through those moments. I even work with my therapist on coping with this newer normal because heart failure wasn’t in the original chronic illness equation. I am now having to rewrite my story yet again and be learn to be okay with this, and be okay with it on my own.

Over the past 6 years, I have watched my life change drastically…. I went from weekly wine tastings and happy hours to weekly blood draws and check-ins with a team of physicians. I have had more surgeries and procedures that my dad at this point and he is 72. I went from a close group of friends to a close group of doctors, nurses and therapists.  This has certainly been a process and it is has opened my eyes to many different things and has taught me that unless you live this life you won’t get it. It is easier to walk away from what you don’t understand than to stay and support someone who is going through things and having a difficult time.  And unfortunately, I have been left alone to navigate this new chapter. Was I scared at first? Heck yeah!!! But I am becoming more at peace with this fact. And who knows, there may be a cure for any of my illnesses in the coming years. There is always that hope. I also hope that maybe one day people in the world will have more empathy and will do one thing for somebody who is living life with chronic illness so they can see just how much of an impact it makes in their lives. One can hope right?

August is Gastroparesis Awareness Month. Gastroparesis is a condition where there is delayed gastric emptying and motility of the intestines. It can cause food to just stay in the stomach and intestines, which causes pain, nausea, vomiting, quick fullness and a wide variety of other symptoms. In addition to medication, part of management of this condition is diet. Many of us eat only a certain amount of foods because we have a difficult time with digestion. In extreme cases, some patients end up with feeding tubes because they get so malnourished and are actually starved.

There are 3 phases to the diet, which range from basically from soups, broths, applesauce and toast to more substantive foods like rice, lean meats, non cruciferous vegetables, low fiber fruits and things of this nature. Most patients are unable to eat most vegetables but there are a few that are easily digested if cooked certain ways.

So this evening, I made a dish with foods that are gastroparesis friendly and felt the need to share the recipe!! This dish has ground turkey,rice, kale, onions/peppers and is low on spice which is all tummy friendly! So hopefully you can enjoy this recipe as I have!

Rice:

Olive oil

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Garlic powder

Pinch of salt

Dried Oregano (a dash)

Brown rice

Chicken broth

Turkey:

1 lb ground Turkey

Pinch of salt

Black pepper

Dried oregano

Dried basil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Paprika

Sauce:

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

Handful of kale

Oil, olive or canola or sesame( your choice)

Reduced sodium soy sauce

Seasoned rice wine vinegar

Chili powder

Garlic powder

Dried basil

For the rice:

In a sauce pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute your rice and basil. Then add about a cup and half of chicken broth along with the rest of your seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Leave alone until liquid absorbs. Fluff when finished.

Turkey:

In a skillet, heat some oil and put your ground turkey and seasonings. Cook until brown. Remove from pan and drain excess oil. Set aside.

Sauce:

Using the same skillet you did your ground turkey in, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Let it heat and then add onions and peppers. Saute until soft. Then add the kale and seasonings to your liking. A few dashes should be enough. Then add in in about a quarter cup of rice wine vinegar and 3-4 tablespoons of the soy sauce. Cover and let simmer for about 8-10 minutes until all veggies are soft and the sauce has reduced a little. Add the ground turkey back in and mix and let simmer about 2 minutes more.

Serve the turkey/sauce mixture over your basil rice and enjoy!!!

Mediterranean night!

I saw a video for some Falafel and felt compelled to make a yummy Mediterranean dinner this week. The Mediterranean diet is highly beneficial for autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular health. So I chose a rather simple menu, but gave it a twist: Falafel with kale, some marinated red onions and peppers and a Greek feta yogurt sauce.

So here we go!

 Ingredients for Falafel:

-          1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

-          1 cup kale, rinsed and chopped

-          ¼ cup red onion, chopped

-          Garlic powder

-          Dried Oregano

-          Salt and pepper

-        Dried Basil

-          ¼ cup Olive oil

-          1 tbsp. lemon juice ( about half a lemon)

-          Gluten free flour or bread crumbs

In the food processor put all ingredients except the olive oil and flour/bread crumbs. Turn on the food processor and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until all the ingredients come together. Scrape out the Falafel mix into a bowl and add the flour/bread crumbs until almost a thick paste/ dough forms. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Take out form in balls (make sure they are tightly packed) and fry until golden brown. You can also bake these at 375 as well ( I baked mine!). *note: if your balls are not tightly packed, then they will disintegrate in the oil.)

Ingredients for Yogurt Sauce

-          1 container plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

-          ¼ of a lemon, juiced

-          1 clove of garlic minced

-          Dried Oregano

-          Dried Basil

-          ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles

In a container mix all ingredients. Add additional oregano and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ingredients for onions and peppers

-          ½ a large red onion, sliced

-          1 red pepper, sliced

-          ¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

-          Dried Oregano

-          Dried Basil

-          Ground thyme

-          Dried rosemary

 In a bowl, place onions, peppers, vinegar and seasonings. Mix together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 I served my meal with some yummy brown rice ( just made brown rice with some plant based butter, oregano, rosemary, basil, ground thyme, pinch of salt and low sodium chicken broth and cooked rice until it was fluffy. Tip: sauté you rice in the butter first before adding the liquid for best results)

 As you can see, this meal is SUPER easy and was pretty quick to throw together. It can also be made ahead and warmed up for the family or used as meal prep, which is what I did with mine. And I have made Falafel a few times, and by far hands down this recipe was the best! The kale was a great addition and gave a really great flavor and mixed well with the veggies! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I have!

Just about every day I am asked how I am coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, and my response is the same: I am absolutely fine. I am well prepared and educated and things like this do not cause me any panic or anxiety. And for some reason the fact that I am calm causes folks more anxiety. Like it legit makes them either mad that I am actually fine or that anxious that I am surprisingly calm in the midst of the storm.

There are many reasons that I can exude calmness, and actually be calm and relaxed, during this period of time. My number one reason is my faith in Jesus Christ and my devout relationship with Christ. I pray, write in my prayer journal and have a podcast I listen to that allows me remain connected to my faith, as well as be reminded that as long as I remain faithful to God, I am protected.

The other reasons are not as obvious. I studied community health in undergrad and worked in public health after college, and then pursued a Master’s in human services and counseling, and have been working in that field the past 8 years, so I have some working knowledge of diseases and how to protect myself from their transmission and navigate through these times. Next, I was a medic for years, and had to take courses in emergency management and mass casualty incidents, so preparedness is something I have always kept in the back of my mind at all times. Every year at the beginning of cold and flu season, I always make sure I have disinfectants and wipes and things needed to keep my home clean and free from germs. Because I am immune- compromised and in the super high risk category during the cold and flu season, I make sure that I was hands and my face often, as well as take my shoes and outwear off at the door and never sit with my street clothes on my couch. This has helped me to keep my risk of infection down. Of course this is no exception with the COVID-19 virus. I also tend not to go out as much anyway during this season, so with that being said, having to isolate is not anything new. Lastly, I focus on myself and that is it. I have come to learn that I can only control myself and my actions, not what the rest of the world. That has freed up much of my time to invest in things that matter to me.

This epidemic has taken me back to when I left home to go to college. A little backstory of me. I have been a pretty independent being. Growing up, I engaged in much imaginary play because my siblings did not want to play with me.  My mother was also quite hands off with me and often left me to do for myself, which I found to be quite odd.  Once I was old enough to go play outside, I did so and played with my friends often. I knew my boundaries and wasn’t hovered over by my parents. As I got older, I learned the value in making my own choices and decisions and they have shaped me to be the woman I am today.  My mom was more like a partner in some instances versus a parent, and I wondered why that was. I was SUPER independent and she and my father continued to let me make my own choices, and take on responsibilities and experience things and learn certain lessons on my own and I didn’t understand until I got married and divorced. My mom told me that she knew she never had to worry about me from the moment I was born, she knew I would be okay. That is why she let me go and do my thing and come to her as I needed for guidance. This prepared me for so many things in, including being prepared for life and handling a crisis.

But I digress. Back to going off to college. The day my parents dropped me off was quite chaotic. We had just left a family reunion and were rushing to get me all packed up and moved in. I remember we stopped at the grocery store so that I could have some food in my dorm room…. I wanted to be prepared for whatever may have happened. We moved me in and I got settled and well, my new life as a college freshman began. My course syllabi were posted and I had my first panic attack ever (I have only ever had 2 in my whole life, both in college, both related to academics….haven’t had any since I graduated). I felt beyond overwhelmed and unprepared to even be a student at such a well-known university and even more, I felt like a failure before I began. I didn’t feel like the young woman my mother told me I was or shaped me to be. Was I just a facade?  I was lucky to have had older friends I could call and talk to, who not only calmed me down helped me to prepare to navigate through 4 years of college life and all the stress that come with it, but had lived it and knew what exactly I was going through and I felt. It was from that moment that I knew there was hope, I was going to be okay.  I could be prepared and make it through my 4 years in college and succeed in life. And because of my experiences, I am so much more prepared to navigate through these rough times we are currently navigating.

So if you are facing anxiety, depression or nervousness about COVID-19 or any situation in life, it is okay! It is okay to not be okay. However, there are resources out there and if you have someone who talk to, reach out to them! If you have that emotional tool box, start using those tools and work through….write in a journal, take walks, listen to music, bake or cook something you love, knit or crochet, sew masks for healthcare workers, volunteer to help someone who cannot go out and get groceries or their medications or other supplies, work on a project you have been putting off, draw or paint, start a hobby or any other positive thing you can find. There are so many things to keep your mind engaged and of the daily events happening. Remember, you can only plan and control the things that affect you, not the entire world!

I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis a few weeks ago and it has been tough finding foods that don't make me sick. My diet has been soups, soft foods, toast and cheese to say the least. Heavy meals and meats make me sick to my stomach and so do the veggies I used to love(broccoli, cabbage, etc). I have been trying different foods and today I made something that went down super easy!! It was a BBQ Chicken Pizza with Kale on a Sweet Potato Crust. I didn't throw it up or get sick to my stomach, and that is a huge accomplishment.

For those that don't know, gastroparesis is when you have delayed digestion or your food does not digest at all. It can be caused by abdominal surgeries or trauma, diabetes, autoimmune disease or idiopathic in nature. Mine is a combo of the abdominal surgeries and autoimmune stuff. There is medication to help but long term use is not indicated. So diet is essential in managing the condition. So I will continue to see what else I can do without the ill side effects.

Sooooo, here is the recipe for the pizza:

1 egg

1 sweet potato

1 cup of whole wheat or almond flour

4 tablespoons olive oil plus more for pan

Oregano

Basil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt and pepper

Shredded chicken (I boiled a breast with some salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, basil, cumin and chili powder)

Sugar free bbq sauce

1/2 cup red onion

1 cup of kale

Feta or Colby jack cheese

Boil sweet potato until soft. Let cool and peel and mash. Add flour, 2 tablespoons of olive and a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste. Add egg. Mix together. Grease a sheet pan or pizza pan. Roll out the dough and pre cook in an oven for 375 degrees for about 8 min.

While cooking wash and dry the kale then put in a bowl. Toss with a bit of olive oil, a pinch of salt, oregano, basil, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.

When the crust has cooled, spread the BBQ sauce on the crust and then placed the shredded chicken on it. Then add the kale and onions. Top with the cheese of your choice. Bake in the 375 degree oven until cheese and kale are crispy. Let cool the enjoy!!

You can add different veggies or cheeses to this to add more flavor!! That's what makes this recipe great!!

Who doesn't like waffles?!?! They are legit a little piece of heaven! I love everything about them, and I love making them even more! I love creaming the butter and whisking everything together. I also get this intuition about when to pop them out of the waffle maker. And my waffle maker....it's just superb!! I love it because the plates are removable and dishwasher safe. It's part of the Cuisinart Griddler set - you get 3 sets of plates- griddle plates, grill plates, and waffle plates. You can interchange the plates to create different surfaces such as a griddle, panini press, a grill, waffle iron, etc. It's an amazing investment! To purchase, here is the link: Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Silver Griddler, Black Dials, and Waffle Plates Bundle https://a.co/d/axGXI3b

So, those waffles....here is the recipe and process.

Ingredients: ( these are gluten-free and heart healthy. They can be made vegan by swapping the egg for an extra banana and using dark chocolate chips!)

- 1 stick country crock plant butter

- 1 ripe banana

-1 egg

- 1 capful vanilla extract

- 3 tbs stevia

- 2 cups almond flour

- 1 cup gf flour ( use a 1:1 baking flour such as Krustaceaz)

- 1 tbs baking powder

- 1 cup Lily's sugar-free chocolate chips

- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Preheat waffle iron to 375. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Brush some of your melted butter on the waffle iron to keep your batter from sticking. Let it continue to preheat. To your butter, add stevia, egg, vanilla. Mix well. Mash your banana and add to butter mixture. Add in flours and baking soda. Mix well. Slowly add in your milk until your batter is slightly thick but kind of loose. You'll know the right consistency. Add in your chocolate chips and mix right before you get ready to start pouring your batter.

Pour your batter onto your waffle iron. Let the waffles bake until light brown or the crispness you desire. Remove from iron and top with butter.

I enjoy my waffles with some peanut butter and low fat sugar-free vanilla greek yogurt or sugar-free syrup. But you can top with whipped cream and berries or more bananas! Serve however you like!