We are moving!!

Matt and I are moving into our first official place together this weekend! We are both so excited. It's in the heart of Seattle (first hill) and it's a really nice place. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:

This is what the inside of our place looks like, from the entry.

The rooftop

Rooftop

Building from the Outside

Courtyard

Our kitchen!

Living Room

back to blogging

I feel like I have abandoned my audience.

My very small, possibly 5-6 person audience. Either way, I am re-dedicating myself to blogging, since I have recently opened myself up to the world of "raw eating".

I will write more later since I should probably get back to work now! :)

Allergy Diet Results

Hi everyone! If any of you have been wondering why I haven't been blogging, its because Matt's laptop broke recently. It's a little harder to blog from my phone.

I've been following the new allergy diet following my recent results - wheat free and dairy free seem easy compared to wheat free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, corn free and nut free. Although none of these foods cause a true allergic reaction, they cause severe inflammation (eggs are only very slight - I've been eating them sporadically and have not had any side effects.)

One of my major concerns all of my life has been cystic acne. In the two weeks I have been following this strict diet (although I haven't truly been eating healthier; there are still unhealthy foods that fit this category) I have noticed a significant change in my skin. Without having to enitrely cut carbs (I can still eat potatoes and rice) my skin has cleared drastically. The breakouts along my jawline and neck have almost completely disappeared. Other ailments such as headaches and digestive problems, and additional weight I gained in recent months, have not changed that much. I've read about people reaching their normal weight by following the plan, because their bodies are finally able to function properly without the constant battle against invasive inflammation. I guess I'll wait and see if that's a side effect of the diet.

Overall, the diet is easy to follow when I cook at home. Eating out is the biggest challenge. Even at Olive Garden I was able to find a dinner that fit my plan, although it turns out the dressing had cheese in it, which I could tell almost immediately after eating it. I am starting to feel better day by day, and I think everyone should have this testing done. It is possible to feel well!

Hello Again!

After much deliberation and debate on both sides of the spectrum, I am no longer vegan.

The main reason is this: my food allergies.

I am literally allergic to a vegan diet.

The first offender is wheat - which surprisingly turned out to be wheat gliadin, and less the actual gluten causing a reaction, Along with that, all dairy products, eggs, soy, corn, shellfish and some nuts have been cut from my diet. I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting, too.

With the new modified diet, I hope to achieve a healthier, happier life. I am constantly in pain, either with headaches, breakouts, or general body aches and fatigue.

I've also decided to re-dedicate my time to posting more often. Right now and in the past 3 months I have been busy either working two jobs or working really hard at one job. Now that time is on my side, though, and finances are getting easier, I think I will find a lot more space left in my brain to be creative.

Thank you to those of you who have stayed or will stay a fan of Modified Nutrition even after the veganism has come and gone. I still firmly respect vegans and vegetarians, but unfortunately I am unwilling to sacrifice as much as some can or will. I hope you will keep coming back to read more, and thank you for stopping by!

transitioning to pescetarianism

Pescetarian's are basically lacto-ovo vegetarians who also eat fish, but do not eat chicken, beef, pork, or red meat of any sort. (Lacto-ovo vegetarians are vegetarians who eat dairy and eggs, but do not eat meat or fish of any sort.) So I guess, I'll be an ovo-pescetarian, if we're getting all technical here. :)

Although I still won't be eating dairy, because it causes me to sneeze and get wheezy, I have been having eggs for breakfast and find that I am much more sustained throughout the morning if I have a couple boiled eggs. 2 eggs at 140 calories does more for me than two waffles of similar nutrient density. It's pretty amazing to me how much of a difference it makes for one person to eat animal protein than another person. Each individual is uniquely different, biologically, physically and physiologically.

In the past I've found that I drop weight easily when I am following a strict low-starch, high protein diet. (Not low-carb; I stay away from that term as much as possible, because I love carbs, and I will never give them up!) To me, it's not just about calories in, calories out when it comes to weight loss, or health for that matter. It's about eating whole foods; foods without chemicals, additives, fillers, gums, or any other un-natural, man made substances. My skin clears up, my eyes look whiter, and I don't have as many aches and pains.

My experience with a vegan diet has taught me a lot about how animals are treated, and how to eat ethically. Most people don't think twice about what they have for breakfast or for lunch; most people that I know just grab and go, because they are too busy to think about it, and the options are everywhere. And I am definitely guilty of it myself. But paying attention to food labels is the first step to being your own nutritionist.

I plan on seeing a nutritionist regarding my decision to stay mainly vegetarian. I don't see why I couldn't remain mainly vegetarian, which I've grown so accustomed to already. I rarely crave meat or even think about it, but at the same time, I can feel that my body flourishes on protein and dimishes on carbohydrates. Being gluten, dairy, and probably corn intolerant takes a huge portion of vegan options away, making the entire diet extremely hard to stick to.

BBQ tempeh sandwiches with garlic fried polenta

These may as well have been tomato sandwiches, I put so much tomato on them. They were pretty good.

Wayward Cafe & Vegan Vocab

Wayward Cafe is located in the U-District, just a few blocks north of the UW itself. Matthew found out about this restaurant while searching online for vegan restaurants. I had no idea there was even such a thing as a vegan breakfast cafe. Vegan breakfast? All American? What???

The cafe, from outside, isn't noticeably appealing. It looks like the rest of the U-District - a little rough around the edges. On our way up to the door, though, I noticed a gluten free menu. That's when I really became sold on this place!

I have searched far and wide for an extensive, accomodating, and edible gluten-free (not to mention dairy-free) menu and have always come up short. Either the menu wasn't dairy free, or it was too difficult to order from, or it was just too unhealthy. I'm not that hard to please when it comes to taste buds, but I am hard to please when it comes to combining all my needs (allergies, health requests, and the like). Wayward Cafe literally brought all of my needs to one place, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Being a vegan restaurant means it is naturally entirely free of dairy, butter, eggs, meat products, and completely cruelty-free. The gluten free menu made my jaw drop. This is coming from someone who has been void of wheat and all things "normal" for the past 3-4 years, so seeing a menu with things like Tempeh Bacon Breakfast Burrito, Brown Rice Pancakes, and Quinoa "Oatmeal", I was ecstatic to say the least.

For breakfast I ordered the Gluten-Free Sampler. Clockwise from left: Scrambled tofu, steamed kale with toasted sesame seeds, tempeh bacon, and half a plate of hashbrowns.

Above, I took a picture of the gluten-free menu, and the unlikely blend of sauces and seasonings on each table including nutritional yeast, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, S&P, hot sauce, and not pictured, organic ketchup. I decided the ketchup had to have been organic, because it didn't burn my throat like normal high-fructose corn syrup ketchup does.

I also have to say a quick word about Wayward's amazing customer service. They were all friendly, bubbly, knowledgable, and helpful. The service was fast (under 20 minutes from the time we ordered, paid, and sat down). The staff was smiling, and the food was absolutely amazing. It was hot and cooked to perfection. To be honest, I really don't remember what Matthew ordered because I was obsessed with my own plate - taking pictures of it, eating it, and relishing every moment of how good it is. It was so good in fact, that we went back the very next day and tried two new breakfasts.

This poor business was robbed the night before we came here, and everyone there acted as though nothing had happened to them. Being a small business like this with expensive vegan food, they need every penny they can get in order to make a profit. Matthew left a large tip both days, but if you can visit Wayward Cafe, please stop by and give them a try. Even if you don't like tofu, try one of their Cinnamon Rolls. Who doesn't like those?

           

             *Vegan Vocab - or really, just everyday vocab*

Bragg's Liquid Aminos: Equivalent to soy sauce, but gluten and wheat free. Tastes just like soy sauce. Also delivers an extensive amount of amino acids (good for you) in each serving.

Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast produced by culturing the yeast with a mixture of sugarcane and beet molasses (Wikipedia). Nutritional Yeast is added to a lot of vegan "cheese" products to give it an enhanced, richer flavor. Personally, I don't much like nutritional yeast, but I have heard that people either love it or hate it. Since it is made from fermenting sugarcane and beet molasses, I suspect it is not a good idea for those allergic or intolerant to cane sugar. Although, in terms of health profile, nutritional yeast really takes the cake (ha!). Take a look at the nutrition profile for just two tablespoons (left).  

Tempeh: Fermented soybeans that are traditionally wrapped in banana leaves. The beans are fermented, which actually makes them easier to digest than regular soy products such as soymilk and tofu. Tempeh has a higher protein, fiber, and nutrient density than tofu, although tofu is still a healthy alternative to meat products. Tempeh is also naturally gluten free, but many ready to eat tempeh products contain gluten and corn additives, so make sure to check labels if you are watching out for these. Tempeh is a great source of iron, calcium, and the trace minerals magnesium and phosphorus.

Tofu: Tofu is curdled soymilk. That may sound unappealing, but the tofu is curlded with natural coagulants (chemicals that make tiny pieces clump together into larger pieces) such as nigari, found in ocean water (which turns into magnesium chloride, thus curdling the soymilk) or calcium sulfate, which is a white salt (a man-made chemical). Either one of these coagulants causes the soymilk to curdle, and then it is formed into a block of tofu. Tofu is high in protein and calcium, making it a great alternative to dairy.

If you don't know what kale is, shame on you. Go to the store right now and buy a large amount of vegetables you don't recognize and just start cooking them. :|

I hope all of my readers are inspired and intrigued by these strange words, and will try to integrate them into their own diets. Yes, you, the reader! :) Please leave comments or feedback, or if you have any questions, I am open to hearing/reading them!

Have a good week and stay healthy!