Introducing.....Almond Flour!

Elana's Silver Dollar Pancakes

I'm in week four of my new wheat-free lifestyle and still feeling great. So far I've lost seven pounds. I should note that I have been doing more than just cutting out the wheat. I've also cut way back on sugar and refined grains. I'm also trying to eat as low-carb as I can. I eat a lot of veggies, eggs and meat. I eat some dairy (like cottage cheese and hard cheeses) and nuts and a little fruit. I've almost eliminated all grains like rice, quinoa and oats. I still eat a little bit of potatoes and sweet potatoes. Oh, and I have wine or a cocktail two to three times a week (I know, naughty, naughty...) It's not really the Wheat Belly diet or the Paleo diet, it's the Dianne diet. It's really important to find a diet that works for you, that isn't too restricting and that you can stick with.....well, for the rest of your life! I'm still going to eat (non-wheat) sweets and grains occasionally, just way less than I used to.

It's been a tough and interesting transition. The first week I gave up wheat, I was still eating rice, quinoa and oats. I lost four pounds of water weight and bloating. I also stopped having so much pain in my joints and muscles. I felt less tired and had better digestion. However, after the first week my weight loss stalled, so I decided to try low-carb, like the "Wheat Belly" book suggested. The first week of being low-carb was tough. I was hungry all the time. I had no energy to do my work-outs. I wasn't sure if this type of diet was for me, but I kept going, mostly because I didn't know how to go back. Here in week four I'm feeling a lot better. My body is adjusting to not being fed carbs that it doesn't need. I'm not as hungry and my energy is slowly coming back.

I found a website that has been a great source of recipes for my new diet: Elana's Pantry. She has bread, pancake and cookie recipes that are gluten-free (and thus wheat-free) and have almond flour as the main ingredient. Almond flour is a great alternative to regular flour or other gluten-free flours. It has less carbs, and more protein and good-for-you fats. It also tastes pretty good. Another benefit is that you don't have to use weird-sounding ingredients like xanthan gum or guar gum to bake with it. The one drawback: it's expensive. I ordered mine from Honeyville. So far I have tried Elana's Paleo Bread, Banana Bread (love!) and Silver Dollar Pancakes. They are all pretty darn good!

Elana's Paleo Bread

Did I mention that my hubby is trying a wheat-free diet too? He hasn't gone low-carb like me, but he decided to try wheat-free for a while since I had so much success. The Paleo Bread has been such a godsend for me. My hubby has been eating the same lunch since he was in grade school: a turkey sandwich. He has to have his turkey sandwich! Thankfully he really likes the Paleo Bread so he can still enjoy his turkey sandwiches. I have no idea what I would feed him for lunch otherwise and buying gluten-free bread at the store is so expensive.

I'm pretty excited about almond flour and have already started developing my own recipes using it. Hope you stayed tuned!