-1 medium yellow onion, small chop
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-4 cups cooked broccoli (I used baby broccoli)
-1/2 cup chopped zucchini
-2 cups cashew milk* (see below notes for water-cashew ratio)
-2 cups filtered water or homemade stock
-1/2 teaspoons garlic granules
-Lemon and pepper for garnish/to taste
-Preferred oil (enough to coat pot)
How To
1. Steam broccoli until just tender, set aside
2. Add oil, onions, zucchini and salt to pot and saute for 3-5 minutes
3. Add broccoli and garlic granules, saute for a few minutes
4. Add cashew milk and water (or broth)
5. Bring to a gentle simmer
6. Simmer until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes
7. Remove from heat and carefully ladle into blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend until incorporated (or your desired consistency)
8. Serve warm with pepper, and fresh lemon juice is a must!
Notes
* For cashew milk: soak 1 cup of cashews in filtered water 4 to 8 hours. Drain, rinse, and blend with 3 cups filtered water (I use a Vitamix). Poor into glass jar and store in fridge up to 4 days.
I must confess friends, I've not been well. As you might know I started taking medication for Crohn's disease 5 months ago (first time on medication in 8 years). And last week I experienced my first flare on medication. Gasp! I was so sad when it hit, as I've been enjoying and cherishing these pain free/symptom free days, and to my delight, put on nearly 20 pounds (I know, how often do you hear a 34 year old woman say that with excitement!).
Before I started this medication I was very sick. I weaned my son (of 2 years) over the summer and shortly after that my body went a little nutso. I was experiencing some new (and scary) symptoms and losing weight. So in August I had another colonoscopy and sure enough my entire colon was inflamed. The results from my first colonoscopy in 2003 revealed that most of my small intestine was inflamed and only some of my colon, interesting how the inflammation changed location.
So I started the medication in October. Within days I was symptom free. Medication is a wonderful reprieve, but here's the deal...it doesn't always work. And really, who wants to be on medication for their entire life. Oh, and the medication I'm on (Lialda) costs a dreadful $500 per month - ouch! So obviously, several legitimate reasons to find alternative sources of healing. All these years I thought I was doing it all right with my diet, but I was wrong.
About a month after starting medication I learned about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I immediately bought "the book" and started researching recipes. My goal is to try this diet (100%) and get off medication. The SCD is pretty restrictive, it takes careful planning and research. Success comes from strict adherence. Over these few months I've been creating recipes and found some amazing SCD blogs and a network of support that was missing in my life. None of my friends have a chronic disease and my family, well, they all have superior immune systems/digestions (and I joke, could probably digest a cinder block). I'm grateful for my cyberspace blog friends for their stories and SCD information that offer up some much needed inspiration and recipes. This diet requires preparation. If you're interested in the legal and illegal foods, see here.
I'll be sharing more about my healing journey with Crohn's disease, and I believe a post is in order sharing WHAT to eat during a flare. This is a difficult time for IBD sufferers - what you put in your body can either heal or exacerbate symptoms. So I'm putting together what I call, "The Flare Diet." Some easy to prepare SCD legal dishes to eat during a flare (something that really helped me this time around). So stayed tuned for that. I would love to hear from the IBD community (if you're out there). How are you? Where are you at in your healing journey? Do you care for someone with IBD? If so, how do you find support?
I wish you well and thanks for listening!
______________________________
I'll be sharing more about my healing journey with Crohn's disease, and I believe a post is in order sharing WHAT to eat during a flare. This is a difficult time for IBD sufferers - what you put in your body can either heal or exacerbate symptoms. So I'm putting together what I call, "The Flare Diet." Some easy to prepare SCD legal dishes to eat during a flare (something that really helped me this time around). So stayed tuned for that. I would love to hear from the IBD community (if you're out there). How are you? Where are you at in your healing journey? Do you care for someone with IBD? If so, how do you find support?
I wish you well and thanks for listening!
______________________________
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesdays Whole Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend , Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays , Fight Back Friday, Sunday Night Soup
The soup looks delicious! I'm sorry you've been feeling bad and I can't imagine paying $500/mo for meds. Bless your heart! We have tried GAPS which is very similar to scd. It was very, very hard but we did see some amazing results.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy,
DeleteThank you for your kind words! It's so great to hear you had success on the GAPS! I'm hoping for the same on SCD.
Hugs,
-Amber
This looks great! I love soup! It is a big step to follow the SCD strictly but it is the only way to go if you can manage it! My son hasn't had a flare since going on it but he is very very strict with the diet and he follows a vegetarian form of it. If you need any help or support at all you know where I am! I'm so sorry that you have suffered so much and I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Vicky,
DeleteThank you for your words of support. It's nice to know you're just a click away. I'm slowly feeling better, but it takes time to recover from those flares. I'm excited about the SCD and can't wait to see how I do off the meds. I've felt pretty great since 2004, but this last summer was crazy and something changed in my body. Medication has been a nice reprieve, but I see now that it's not 100%. Big wake-up call! I'll do my best. But thank you for your well wishes. I'm so impressed with your son - and vegetarian on SCD. Wow! How great. Well, he's got a great mom, that's why! :-)
Hugs to you,
--Amber
Awww thank you Amber but seriously all kudos to him since for four of the 6.5 years he was self-catering at university! Another good thing to come out of it all is we all now eat a much healthier diet than before...Glad to see you're feeling better and what an awesome help it will be for SCDers to be able to see some suggestions for what to eat during a flare from someone who knows!
DeleteIt is always a very brave and unnerving thing to do when one shares so much of one's personal issues. I am so sorry that you have been having such problems. I have seen many heal using SCD and I hope it will be the case for you, too, dear. Some folks can introduce some different foods much later on, but not all. You are so strong in your heart and soul and also so creative in the kitchen that I know you'll have success following this plan! Last, love that beautiful soup and oh my goodness on the video ... those totally crack me up! And I needed cracking up today, so thank you!
ReplyDeletexo,
Shirley
Hi There Shirley,
DeleteI appreciate your email. I was debating about whether to share. But my blog is centered around IBD and healing from IBD, so I thought it was fitting to at least share I am struggling with a flare. Perhaps others will benefit from my experiences and the information from others. Some great resources today. Excited to check them out. The hardest part about a flare is I can't be the mom I need (or rather, want) to be. My kids miss activities, school, etc. It's difficult to get out of bed and nearly impossible to engage. That part breaks my heart, but I'm honest with my daughter and make sure she understands it's not her fault (the therapist in me is very concerned about that). My son doesn't yet understand. But, we do our best as a family and I have to tell you Shirley, my husband is amazing. So caring and nurturing. He takes over when I fall ill. It's a huge part of my healing - having that love and support.
Glad that video provided a giggle for you today!
Tomorrow is a new day. We all take different lessons from our health (and I'm sure you can relate to this), but I truly cherish the good days. I'm very cognizant of my health when it's good and if I wake up feeling well I try to make the most out of the day, brush off the small stuff, and find happiness...peace. Play with my kids, laugh, kiss them a million times. Just love and live. That's what it's all about! :-)
Hugs,
-Amber
I was so sorry to hear you have been dealing with a flare! :( It can be so disappointing when we think we're doing the right things for our bodies - and then, seemingly out of the blue, things change on us. I think it makes all the difference in the world to have a game plan - and the love/support from family.
DeleteI have to say that I connected with your comment that the hardest part of a flare is not being able to be the mom you both want and need to be. I can understand that completely and it helped me to know that I'm not the only one who deals with those feelings.
I admire your resolve and dedication to healing your body - and I wish you great success!
This soup looks SO lovely Amber, I can't wait to try it! I am bit of an addict to any thing that allows me to use my new Blendtec, I think I am a junkie!
ReplyDeleteOn your healing: I have had this nagging voice in the back of my brain wondering.. We just got stool test back on two of my kids, and their bowel inflammation was through the roof. Problem is, no can explain to me WHY. I have a HUNCH/INSTINCT that says this is just a by-product of two very damaged and leaky guts in my kiddos. But trying to find out how and what exactly to do about it has been maddening! I had no idea your symptom were in major flare-up again...I am so sorry! It is so hard when your body is not well. I think we might eventually be heading down your same path, I am just scared of it and all the new hurdles it will bring. When we already jump over hurdles with our food (or a 100!), the idea of adding more is exhausting and depressing.
Hi There Tessa,
DeleteThanks for checking in friend. I'm so sorry to hear about those stool results! That's scary - and to have no answers. Terrible. You are such a dedicated, knowledgeable, and loving mother. I can imagine how difficult it is not having answers and thus not knowing where to start healing your babies. I hope IBD is not the culprit here. I think you're on the right track with damaged and leaky guts though. If I come across anything helpful, I will send it your way! I so wish we lived closer.
Hugs to you friend. Keep me posted okay!