Things I've learned from my Autoimmune Protocol elimination diet

In June 2020 I felt stuck. Yes, we were all stuck at home during a crazy pandemic, but I felt especially stuck with my body that was struggling, once again, with ulcerative colitis. I just didn't know what to do anymore!
I was struggling for a long period of time with this inflammation that got worse since we learned about the pandemic. I was already watching what I ate carefully and kept a food & symptoms diary; but nothing helped my inflammation.

I was put on steroids, which helped, but I was afraid of the moment I would finish the dose. Will my body recover? Will the inflammation come back? Taking steroids felt terrible and I didn't want to continue them, but I also wanted the inflammation to finally be GONE.

This is when I found out about the Autoimmune Protocol diet through some Google searches. While I tried elimination diets in the past, I had never tried this specific one that is supposed to target autoimmune conditions. Here are a few of my thoughts about this elimination diet:

1. It seems like a very limited menu. IT IS! But it does get easier when you find your favorites and plan around them. I found most of the recipes online for free, and only purchased one cookbook to help with variety.

2. Get ready to experiment in the kitchen and expect to fail sometimes. Many of these recipes are not your regular go-to, and some use unique ingredients and cooking techniques. I had to find patience with myself and not get too angry if something didn't turn out well, or didn't sit well with me. For example, gelatin eggs are recommended in many recipes but I just couldn't stand it... I had to let it go, even after I spent $20 on a big container of it...

3. It's a high maintenance journey. I was working from home during my time on the AIP diet, and I don't know if I could have done it successfully if I had to leave my house for work every day. It takes lots of cooking and prep time! Also, at home there are less temptations or reminders of other foods. I think finding a timeframe that works for you with no big events in the future is the key to success of this program.

4. Focus on what you CAN eat. Fill your house with lots of AIP compliant foods and don't be hungry. While it might be a by-product of this diet, this system is not for weight-loss! I was eating whenever I was hungry, and always had snacks nearby.

5. Get your support system involved! I got my husband to try (and happily eat!) most of the foods I made. It's much easier if you have a buddy to go through the process with you.

6. Find shortcuts. There are ready-made foods and snacks in some grocery stores like Sprouts and WholeFoods! I lived on Rotisserie chicken and some paleo puffs during the whole diet. Learn to read labels and do the research at home, then find them at your grocery store to save some time in your kitchen. They do exist! (Like grain-free pasta, no tomato sauce, etc.)

7. Some of these special foods are very pricey. I wasn't even aware of cassava flour or coconut yogurt before, and they are NOT cheap. Also, counting on high quality protein and vegetables as your main nutrition really adds up. BUT it is worth it, especially if you know you won't be doing this restricting menu forever.

8. Simple, basic foods with 1-4 ingredients are the way to go, even in our post-AIP life. If you can eat basic foods that are not processed, that is the best possible thing you can do for your body. Replace snacks with raw fruit and veggies, and eat meals with products that only have a few ingredients. The key is in the preparation and quality of the produce!

9. Final conclusion? This diet helps you restart your body, and it gives your system the opportunity to heal. Before this experience I generally knew which foods did not make me feel well. As a result of this diet I didn't discover any new ones, but it reassured my suspicions. I do feel like this was a harsh but needed restart, while I cut out any foods that were possible offenders. As of when I am writing this, my inflammation did not come back yet. I'm still avoiding many foods, but at the same time, I experiment with consuming some of them in small doses or once in a while.

For my case, the AIP diet was totally worth it, and I hope my remission will last for a while!

AIP Pumpkin Muffins (vegan+AIP)

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know I’m obsessed with one breakfast and one breakfast alone:
Pumpkin muffins. Here’s the OG recipe…

Yea, it’s been going on since like 2018.
Going on AIP diet was hard, but the hardest meal for me was breakfast.
SO MANY muffin fails. It was so bad. But I didn’t give up. I needed these pumpkin muffins!

Today I want to share with you this AIP compliant recipe. I’ve tried it many times by now and it WORKS. I’m finally myself again, while staying gluten and dairy free!

A note about cassava flour: this recipe only works with Pamela’s cassava flour. Apparently Cassava flour is very finicky and different brands will produce different results. But, it’s a great GF flour that I think works well if you have a solid recipe.

Dry:
1 cup cassava flour
½ cup arrowroot powder OR tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cream of tartar (or baking powder if not AIP)
1 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoon sea salt

Wet:
2 gelatin eggs (or flaxseed eggs if not AIP)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup mild olive oil

Mix in separate bowls the wet and dry, before combining together. Be careful not to over mix! As soon as it’s combined, divide to 12 cupcake cups and bake for 23-25 min.
*ENJOY*

Breaking the distance OR how to make long distance relationship work

Long distance relationships.
We can all agree that they suck and are not recommended. But, as musicians we travel a lot and sometimes cannot pass on opportunities that are far from our significant other. Sometimes we even meet amazing people at summer programs and know it will lead to long distance limbo. Is it worth it? That's a question I cannot help you with. But if you decided it is, here are a few tips from my good friend A who is a PRO with long distance relationships. She and her boyfriend have been together for 5 years and are still going strong!

1. Don’t get frustrated. It’s so easy to get frustrated and angry in a long distance relationship.It’s easy for things to get out of hand because of overthinking something small. Always take the time to talk everything out and get everything out there.

2. Be open and honest with each other. It’s easier in a long distance relationship to hide or forget to say something that could be considered really important to your significant other. Even if it’s a silly detail in the day, funny meme, something small that bothers you, or just showing what you ate for lunch. It shows that you’re always thinking of them, including them in your lives no matter the distance, and there is no “smoke screen” in between you.

3. Make routines such as talking every night before going to bed. It doesn’t matter if it’s for 2 hours or 10 minutes. The fact that we both make time for each other is important. Even though I know the basics of what J does during the day (he would give me updates like driving to this city, in rehearsal, hanging with someone), it's still nice to hear about their entire day. Even if it’s a day where he didn’t leave the apartment! It's still nice to just hear about everything. Plus it’s such a great way to think back on the day, unwind, and discuss each part of the day with him. Sometimes we go on tangents and it grows into something more, but it’s just our way of just sharing our day together.

4. Come up with fun traditions. We developed a tradition of buying each other cups or mugs. Having a shared interest or collection makes the gifting more fun. It definitely makes me think more about J when I travel. Also the little things you give each other go a long way. If they casually mention something and you get them something similar, it shows that you listened to them and were thinking of them. It’s the small gestures that go a long way in long distance relationships.

5. Have an understanding of each other’s lives. One problem I’ve ran into in the past about long distance was not answering my phone or answering texts/messages “in a timely manner”. It's a red flag when they become frustrated when I don't text back even after I told them “I’m in rehearsal” or “meeting with some friends”. Communication is important, but understanding that one person has a busy day and it doesn’t revolve around the other is also important. Plus, I’m the type of person that hates answering texts or calls when I’m hanging with people/company. The only time I answer is if it’s important (ie: my parents, emergency situations, etc) or letting people know where we are hanging – that sort of thing. Respecting each other’s private time/lives is very important.

6. Snail mail and hand written letters are the best. Sometimes having something small like that physically sent to or from you can mean so much more than what people think. It may be “old school” or “over-rated”, but handwritten letters out of the blue can make a huge difference. It shows that you’re thinking of them, or vice versa. Plus it’s fun to reread those letters :)

7. Plan ahead, even if it’s something small. It could be anything from planning to see each other in a city or just making a specific dish for them. It shows that not only are you thinking of them, but thinking of the future. Sometimes I would come across an article about restaurants in the area, and we will plan to go to a few next time we meet.

Why you should invest in your body NOW

I was raised with the idea that our body is like a car. It needs fuel to function and carry us far. Now, if you knew you have one car, for the rest of your life, wouldn't you give it the best fuel you can find? A car you love, trust, and more importantly NEED for the rest of your life...

(Warren Buffett said it best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1np5_t24okE)

I think it's time to reflect on what we fuel our body with. Is it really the best fuel we can find? When we talk about quality, do we bring goodness to our body with substantial nourishing ingredients?

Ok, so we are on the same page but you might wonder where to start…?!
Cut foods with no benefits such as: white flour, simple carbs, extra sugary things.

Rather than counting calories, try to give food a hierarchy based on other aspects. Rank foods higher when they are high in fiber or contain whole wheat grains for example. Something that is high in quality protein might have more calories but can be so much more beneficial for your body than something that has less calories and is more processed.

Other examples:
Lettuce is ranked high.
Bagels are ranked low.
Quinoa is ranked high.
Regular pasta is ranked low.

Why is pasta ranked low? It really doesn't offer our body much! It's mainly carbs, but simple carbs, without much nutritional value.
Replace simple things with more nourishing thing. Maybe it's not the fastest and cheapest option, but, it's probably the best investment you can make for your body, and will probably cost you less in the long run. Think about all the medical bills you might have to pay when you are older if you don't eat healthy now!

I want to emphasize that balance is always important to keep in mind. I don't expect anyone to stop eating pasta for the rest of their life! I just want to bring better awareness to the things we put in our body. Be realistic – if you eat regular pasta once a week, try every other week or try switching it to whole wheat pasta, etc. Most importantly, consume less processed stuff and more fresh, high-quality foods.

P.S.- I don't mean to pick on pasta so much! It's just an easy target...

What do you actually need?

We live in a consumerist world. We think the more we have, the better we are. Ads everywhere tell us that we will do so much better if we buy their product. Add *this* to our routine, use this spice, start a journal, drink this tea, buy this bag that will CHANGE OUR LIFE.

But let's be real for a moment. Will it?
Moving and living out of a suitcase for 3 months got me thinking: What do I actually need? What are the basic things I need to not only survive, but be happy?

Sometimes we lose the simple sense of simply living. While we all have our priorities and things that bring us joy, we can easily get lost in the variety! We can’t even find the things that bring us joy and get confused with things that bring others joy. We get this idea that we can bring more joy to our life with more stuff.

That is why I think packing is a healthy process. It makes you choose your essentials! Even when it comes to hygiene, we use so many unnecessary products (and plastic, which I will save for a different post). Do they really make a difference in our life?

Living for three months out of a suitcase was challenging, but it was mainly challenging because of the drastic change of weather during those months and the limited clothes selection. Everything else is really adjustable. I found a way to be comfortable even without all of my possessions that were packed away. Now that I have them all back, I am starting to realize that I can be happy with less, if not even happier.

This summer I challenge you to question some of your stuff and ask “what do I actually NEED?”
At the end of the day, even if you don’t feel you can survive with less, you will at least appreciate your stuff even more.

Routine when there's no routine

I don't know about you, but I follow way too many "influencers" and wellness bloggers. It's amazing to see how many there actually are out there. They all look great, have the time to drink a beautiful smoothie in the morning, after a workout, after packing a healthy lunch, and without being late to work or stress about traffic. WOW. It is pretty inspiring.   

What do they all have in common and swear by?
Routines.

They all suggest that you have a routine. A morning routine. A night routine. A workout routine. A practice routine. A skincare routine. A meal plan routine.

And I just want to insert the confused emoji here and scream: What about the times you don't have the time for a routine?! Are you supposed to just fall apart and fail in life? 

I'm talking about people who try to do it all: teach, run to a gig, do some admin work, practice, and teach again. We don't really have a strict schedule and it's far from a 9-5 kind of day. Every day looks different and too packed to insert all these lovely routines.

While the routine plan sounds good, it's not always practical for musicians, so we don't even try. 

I'm here to brainstorm a few suggestions to find a mini routine, for routine-challenged people:

1. A routine can last a minute: It can be a "centering routine" like taking deep breaths to meditate or make a to do list for the day.

2. In order to save time, combine routines: find a productive routine that can also help your mental state of mind. For example, a skincare routine (taking off makeup, washing face...) can be a relaxing routine. You are "washing the day off" physically and mentally.  

3. Sometimes you just have to be consistent: Even if you don't have the time for a full-length routine, just do as much as your time allows. For example, you want to run every other day, but one day you don't have the time to meet your distance goal. Instead of not running at all (and sitting on the couch and watching Netflix for 20 minutes) go around the block, even if it's less than a mile. You will get some endorphins, move a little, and not break the routine. 

4. Prioritize routines: Which routine will make you feel at your best? It might be a work-out routine or a stretching routine, but for others a better sleep routine might be more necessary. Figure out what are the routines that are important for YOU, and do those before anything else 

5. Find a way to make routines cost effective: Thanks to social media, some routines look fancy and glamorous, but real routines are not about money. Some people choose to spend money and feel like they have to find the quickest way to achieve their goals by going to an expensive gym, eating out all the time, or splurging on a fancy powder that is supposed to fix everything in life. They put money where they lack motivation. But trust me, you can do simple cheap routines without spending anything. 

6. Plan ahead:  You can set your heart on an amazing routine but never find the time to execute it. Start with a short routine and force yourself to find time. Try scheduling it in your calendar, on your phone, or even with an alarm. Still can't find the time for it? Try waking up 5 minutes earlier for it. Can't get out of bed? Hide the alarm clock somewhere that forces you to stand up out of bed. 

7. It's not "all or nothing", but what's enough for you, today. You have to be forgiving to yourself and remember that musicians are not normal people. This is what excites us to follow this path as a career of course! Choose one or two easy routines and see if you can consistently maintain them. The next step is to add another new routine one at a time, or maybe even just expand on an old one. 

How to survive winter V: Snacks

During winter we really like to snack. Our body wants more energy to stay warm and awake, and our brain translates it to “Let’s eat more sweets!”. Sweets, mostly made of simple carbs and sugar, are a perfect supply of quick energy.

It’s no coincidence that this snacking season is between Valentine’s Day and Easter. It’s all part of a scheme to ruin your New Year’s resolution… or just call it WINTER.

I want to share three snack ball recipes that help me survive this craving without eating crap. My energy level always crashes around 3:30 pm, but two of these SAVE MY DAY. They have different textures and flavors but are all gluten free and vegan.

Enjoy :-)

Vegan GF cocoa protein balls (crunchy)

About 20 balls

1 cup almond flour
4 tablespoons organic raw/vegan protein powder
1/2 cup organic nut butter (almond butter is my favorite)
1/4 cup organic chia seeds
1/4 cup cocoa powder (like Ghirardelli’s 100% cocoa)
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

Mix all the ingredients well (I do it by hand). It might not look/feel sticky, but it works! Just keep squeezing it together. Once it’s all mixed shape it into balls and refrigerate.

Vegan GF Truffle Pumpkin balls (crunchy and chewy)

Vegan GF Pumpkin Oats balls (chewy)

How to survive winter, part IV: Jealousy

February in three words: Auditions. Snow. Results. Oh, and jealousy.

Whether you are auditioning for a music school, a summer program, or a professional opportunity (or all three!), many of these auditions take place in February, and the tension is ON. Even if you are not taking any auditions, February is a hard month to survive. It might feel like everyone is doing better than us (unless you ARE one of those lucky few, wink wink).

This is hard enough to go through thanks to social media. In addition to seeing who got in to where, we also see who got engaged and who’s eating the best food while tanning at a beautiful beach. It’s just a question of when the wave of jealousy will hit us.

Here are some tips that might help you to kick the jealousy away:

1. Focus on yourself. What’s exciting about your future? Instead of looking back, or lingering on the “what ifs”, think about how you can move forward in a positive way. Use this opportunity to create a better version of yourself: read more, visit cultural venues, eat healthy, work out more…and find new ways to empower yourself.

2. It’s OK to feel jealousy. Normalize it, acknowledge it and give it its space. Instead of pushing it away and getting upset about being jealous, embrace it.

3. Vent to a friend. Yep, it’s allowed and almost encouraged to have a huge venting session. Find a friend you trust (who might have also been rejected from a similar situation), open a bottle of wine, and let the venting session begin.

4. Distract yourself. Don’t let the jealously take over and try to occupy your mind with other things. One example is to have a list of friends and family who you should call more often. Start talking to others and shift the focus AWAY from yourself.

5. Meditate. Either actually try meditating, OR “meditate” on the situation in a broader sense. Use this feeling of jealousy as a learning experience. Learn more about yourself and your future goals.

6. Disappear from social media. While it won’t make other’s successes (or what you may think is a success) go away, they won’t be in your FACE.

7. Bring more good to the world. Do something nice to someone else. Buy someone coffee. Give a compliment. Jealousy is a pretty negative emotion so occupy your mind with something positive instead that will benefit others.