I love FREE bagels even more!!! 
This morning, Mal and I went to Bruegger’s to cash in our coupons for free bagels with cream cheese. Murphy desperately wanted to come with us, so he ran right out the front door to the car. We couldn’t say no to his adorable pug face, so we let him come along for the ride.
I can see why Murphy loves car rides so much!
When we arrived at Bruegger’s, Mal and I left Murphy in the car while we went inside to get our bagels.
Murphy was not pleased that he wasn’t allowed to come along, so barked a few choice words to us from inside the car. Man, he has a fowl mouth sometimes.
Mal and I took our bagels to go and ate them at home. I picked an Asiago Cheese bagel with plain cream cheese. I’ve been craving a bagel for a couple of days now, so it totally hit the spot.
I made it a point to enjoy this bagel to its fullest because I’m actually considering a gluten-free diet. (I can’t believe I just typed that.) A lot of you guys mentioned that going gluten-free helped your GI issues, so now I’m seriously thinking about it.
I REALLY love bagels, cookies, beer, and other foods with gluten, so I’m honestly not sure that I’m strong enough to make such a drastic diet change. I really don’t want to miss out on all of my favorite foods. I know there are lots of gluten-free options out there, but they’re just not the same. Maybe I could do a partially gluten-free diet? Would that even be worth it? I’m still on the fence about it, but I might need to make the change if my GI issues don’t get better. I’d rather feel well than eat cookies any day. (I can’t believe I just typed that.)
Dinner
Last night’s dinner was another bland one, but a good one. I had a bowl of Ramen noodles and then a handful of Pretzel M&M’s. I know sugar isn’t the best thing for GI issues, but I really needed some chocolate in my life.
Will Twirl for Food
The pug lovers will especially get a kick out of this video from Mugs & Pugs!
Question of the Day
Has a health issue ever influenced your diet? How did the change impact your life? Any advice for me?
P.S. Tank tops are just $2 at Old Navy this weekend!!!
189 Comments
I haven’t had issues myself but my partner was diagnosed with coeliac disease a few years ago, which meant big changes for both of us.
Our shared meals like dinner are always gluten-free and although being mainly g-f hasn’t affected my weight or health, I do find that g-f products are easier to digest. Now if I have ordinary bread or pasta at work, I do notice a difference in that I feel more bloated and sluggish.
I think a lot of people feel that they are sensitive to wheat and so it’s worthwhile seeing if you can reduce your consumption of it – oatcakes instead of crackers, oatmeal instead of cereal or toast. Works for me! 🙂
I realize that everyone is different but I had an ulcer 2 years ago and found that eating meat-free has seriously helped with any stomach pain. I hope you start to feel better soon. I know the feeling as I had an ulcer for 3 months before it was treated.
When I was little, I was allergic to dairy and soy. It was a real struggle for my parents, but I was too young to realize or care. I’ve also been on the BRATT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, tea) diet for extended periods of time (we’re talking a full MONTH of nothing but bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast… no wonder I no longer care for any of those things anymore!) because of the severe stomach problems I had when I was a little younger.
I haven’t read the previous comments, but wanted to add that if you wanted to try the gluten-free diet, you may want to consider getting tested for Celiac Disease, first. Ulcerative Colitis and Celiac Disease can occur together – they are both autoimmune. Additionally, if you want to be tested for Celiac Disease, you must be eating gluten for the results to be accurate. Going partially gluten-free won’t work or isn’t sufficient if you do have Celiac Disease. If you have undiagnosed Celiac Disease and continue to eat gluten, you may be at risk for health issues down the road – that may include cancer.
Kim
I agree with Kim above. And as someone with celiac disease since 1995, do yourself a favor and get tested for celiac disease first. If the tests are negative, then try a gluten free diet, if you want to see if you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Additional auto immune problems are common when you have one AI disease already, so I think it is important to investigate it fully.
If there’s anything your blog has taught me, it’s that cookies can be fit into any diet and lifestyle safely 🙂
I was actually diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and had to minimize a lot of my favorite foods in order to heal. I couldn’t eat whole grains, berries, raw vegetables, and legumes for a whole month… (Trust it me it felt like a century!) But cutting those foods for a little while helped me heal faster and without any pain…
Tina – please please please don’t go gluten free unless you have to. I suffer from IBS and many doctors have suggested that I go off gluten, though I have had numerous tests that suggest I am not intolerant to it. One thing that really fits with my health and diet philosophy (and yours too, I think) is not restricting oneself; similarly, I don’t restrict myself from gluten because I know it doesn’t upset me.
If I can offer one piece of advice, it’s to be tested for intolerance to a wide panel of foods (often there are 150 items on a list) before restricting your diet. Otherwise, following a full elimination/reintroduction procedure is well worthwhile for those with GI issues.
Best of luck – it’s a battle, but it is so worth it when things become more clear!
Tina,
I was just reading both of your blogs and I couldn’t help but see the similarities between the issues that you are having (complete with gluten-y food cravings) and my own right before I was “diagnosed” with celiac disease. I also was hesitant to switch to a gluten free diet because everything I really loved to eat was gluten free, but in the end feeling better for 3+ years has kept me from even LOOKING at a gluten-filled product. I know it may seem restricting, but there are more gluten free options coming out every day–including bread that you can actually stomach 🙂
I hope you begin to feel better soon!
Hey Tina, I’m sooo sorry to hear about your GI issues. They suck don’t they? I’ve had IBS my whole life — actually, I never grew out of my baby colic and they labeled it IBS because I’m an adult…rock on…so this isn’t a new thing to me. Have you figured out any triggers or is everything hurting? The worst thing for me: greens. I love greens but they can be so easily compromised (think about how many e.coli outbreaks involve spinach). My body apparently cannot handle as much bacteria as others can, so I don’t eat salads anymore – just lots of other raw veggies. I hope you can at least find what’s causing your ailment so you can cut it out! Good luck!
My family, particularly my dad’s side, has a lot of ‘tummy troubles’ as I call them. Both my grandma and my dad have IBS and diverticulitis. My cousin has stomach problems but won’t go to a doctor or nutritionist. We all also have a good dose of anxiety on the side which does not help the belly. Generally, when my belly hurts, I know it’s either A) I’m super stressed about something or B) I’ve not been eating healthy recently– fried foods and drinking too frequently really cause some stomach pain for me.
Luckily, I’ve been able to avoid tests or further health problems simply by knowing my body and listening to it, but I know that some day I may have more problems or might have to seek medical attention. My advice is that if your doctor is not responsive, I would seek out someone else. After having more than one displeased moment with my OB/GYN and my daughter’s pediatrician during pregnancy and her babyhood, I believe we have to strongly advocate for what we need for our bodies. You KNOW something is not right. If your doctor is not responsive enough to that, I would find a doctor who is.