Eliminate & Feel Gr-8

. . . well, that's the plan at least.

Day 10 of the elimination diet. Feeling pretty good so far.

After 2 months of experiencing digestive issues (indigestion, pressure in my stomach after eating a small meal, nausea, etc), I was diagnosed with H. Pylori [a bacteria that lives in the sticky mucus that lines the stomach. About 40% of people in the UK have H. pylori - but not everyone has symptoms].

I have had a couple visits with my GP (who I love) and have been working closely (by phone and email) with a Naturopath MD from America  (a freaking genius!!!!), who has been advising natural therapies in addition to the antibiotics and acid reducer, in hopes that I can eradicate this bacteria on the first round.    

The ND had suggested (only if I was up to it) that I try eliminating certain foods to see if my symptoms settle.  After 3-4 weeks I will reintroduce one item every few days and record a reaction/feeling, if any.
I had choices: To eliminate one food per week, to do it all at once, or not at all.  I was hesitant at first because I am a FOOD LOVER!  When I first started my job in New York I had to stand up and tell people about myself.  I chose to say "My name is Val.  I love food.  I go to bed thinking about what I'm going to eat for breakfast in the morning."  And ain't that still the truth!!!
Ultimately I decided to do it all at once!  When I really thought about what this could mean for me (feeling better!!!), I knew I had to give it a shot.
It's amazing how much willpower I have when I "have" to do it.  If I decided to go forward with this diet on my own accord -- without the push from a medical professional, I imagine I would have given in to some sort of temptation by now.  But, I haven't, and for that, I am proud and feeling empowered.  If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right!!!!!
( D is also eliminating with me, which makes it so much more bearable.  Almost everything is easier with a buddy :) )

Eliminating: 

Gluten

Soy

Corn

Sugar

Alcohol

Eggs

Dairy

Citrus Fruits

Beef/Shellfish/Cold cuts

Nightshade veggies

Caffeine 

So, what can we eat? Right? 

We've been making bean soups, pea soups, chicken soups, steel cut oats, quinoa and veggies, salads ...
It's actually been going better than I had anticipated. Even if it turns out that I don't react negatively to any foods, I'll still be glad that I tried.  And at the very least, I was eliminating foods that we all probably shouldn't ingest so much of anyway.
D and I were talking last night about trying to implement this way of eating (during the week) even after the month is complete.  We'll see how that goes.  Can't promise anything. 

Cabbage juice. Isn't as gross as it seems. Good for overall digestive health.
Read below...you'll be shocked!
16 Benefits of Cabbage Juice

Steel cut oats, coconut oil, chia seeds, flax seed, apples, salt.

Quinoa with zucchini, celery, spinach, chicken, & dairy-less almond pesto soup.

White bean soup

Top left: Chickpea "Tuna" Salad - mashed chickpeas, celery, onion, carrots, sunflower seeds, oil, ACVinegar (mayo if you are allowed to eat it)

If anyone has food suggestions or recipes, please send them my way.  I can use all the help I can get.

xx

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Elimination Diet Update** 

I stopped the elimination diet when I went home.  My doctor said to relax and enjoy eating with my family.  But, for 2 weeks it went well :) 

I'm Obsessed!

...in a MAJOR way!

Last night we saw Gavin DeGraw in concert!! I can't believe it was my first time.  I've literally been consumed and enthralled by his music for the past 10 years.
In college I forced my friends to listen to him every day on the way to lacrosse practice (my car - my rules), he's been a constant on my burned CDs, and every time I'm chosen to request an artist to listen to...he's my pick!

"Not Justin Timberlake??????" 

Nope! As far as the full package goes, Justin may take the cake (let's not kid ourselves).  Butttt, Gav's tunes are my fave!

I was sooo giddy last night.  I couldn't stop smiling, 'eeeeek'ing,' dancing, and singing the entire night.  What a voice!!!!  What a show!

I'm so thankful that at 6:30am yesterday morning I saw that he was in London and quickly snatched up the only two tickets available on stub hub.  Didn't pay more for waiting until the day-of either. Win.  It's not always the early bird who catch the worm, huh??  Take it from us last-minuters...we've perfected the "wait and you still shall receive" move.

Off to see Beyonce in a few hours with some friends.  I'm sure I'll have another infatuation story to share tomorrow. 

xx

Make a Move

Soldier

(chills every time - listen to the end)

Not Over You

Billy Joel's - She's Always a Woman

Now go download his album - Make A Move:

Best I Ever Had, Finest Hour, Run Every Time, I'm Gonna Try, Make a Move

Never mind, just download the whole thing.  It's worth it!

(& Soldier from his album Sweeter)

From the Outside Looking In

Everyone else's life always seems so wonderful.

Social media, while a marvelous innovation, also has the ability to present a false perception of reality that could leave 'followers' feeling that their life is inadequate in comparison.

It's rare for someone to take to their twitter/facebook/instagram account to declare "My day sucks.  My girlfriend is annoying, I've felt sick since breakfast, I've been waking up anxious for the past week, I don't fit into any of my jeans, or I'm not as happy as everyone thinks I am."  The list can go on, but that's the gist. 

It's more along the lines of posting pictures of:  Flowers that their "best boyfriend ever" brought home for them, an amazing vacation with "the love of their life," their "besties," and more.  

I get it.  I am guilty of some version of that, which is why so many people think my life is so great right now.  I'm living in London, no full-time job, no major responsibilities, traveling on the occasional weekend, going out to dinners, etc.

From the outside looking in, my life could seem like one to envy.

While I have had some pretty awesome experiences since touching down in the UK and undoubtedly have so much to be thankful for, I've also had a pretty 'rough go' since my arrival over 10 months ago.  The combination of all the little hits have been wearing on me and this past week I've been drowning in them a bit.
I'm okay though.  It's nothing I can't handle.  I'm hopeful that by dealing with these small struggles I will be stronger in the end.

I have allowed myself a few days to just feel the feelings.  Now, it's time to power up and dance in the rain! 

No one's life is perfect, everyone has struggles, and everyyyy once in a while it's comforting to hear that you're not alone in having bad days.

I thought it was only fair that I share my not so glamorous moment(s) of weakness too.

"It's just a bad day. Not a bad life."
xx

#Brits2014

We went to our very first award show on Wednesday.  It was quite cool.
I ordered the tickets on a whim after seeing on Facebook (Justin Timberlake's fan page - obvvviously) that they were available for 'Average Joe's' to purchase.
Our seats were a few rows away from the ceiling, but it didn't matter.  Heat isn't the only thing that rises, sound apparently does too!  Plus, we had direct view of the jumbotron.
I was most excited to see Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Lorde, and Pharrell Williams perform.  Us Americans made out fairly well considering it was a British awards show.

Katy

A surprise performance from Beyonce - 1st time singing XO

 Pharrell closed the night with "Happy" as balloons were released from the ceiling. Definitely a happy ending to a pretty cool night. 

xx

When in Rome ...

Spending a long Valentine's Day weekend in Rome with my husband was just as wonderful and romantic as I was imagining it to be.  It was nice to get away, just the two of us, to a place that we both love, but have never been together.

We arrived Thursday night, ordered room service, tucked ourselves in, and capped the night off with some Parenthood. (If you don't watch, you need to!! Amazon Prime members, first 4 seasons are free.)

Friday:
We spent the day in Vatican City.
D and I aren't good planners.  It is what it is.  We're pretty laid back when it comes to vacationing.  If we figure out things to do, great, otherwise, we're fine just walking around and popping into places that were recommended to us (10 minutes before leaving the hotel).  So as you can imagine, we booked tickets to the Vatican/Sistine Chapel, only 1 hour before we needed to be there.  We skipped the lines and headed right to the front (not sure why everyone doesn't do this).  It was a beautiful day.  We moseyed around Vatican City and hastily made our way through all of the suggested museums.

The sky was off the charts

Taking an iphone picture of the Sistine Chapel from inside of my purse.
This is the extent of my rebelliousness. 

We finally made our way to St. Peter's Square and found thousands of people there.  We had no idea what was going on.  A concert maybe?
Then we saw him!  A small speck of white hundreds of yards away.  The Pope!!!!

We knew he lived here but we didn't know that we would actually get to see him.  Pretty cool.  (Remember that we don't plan.  So this was a huge, exciting coincidence!)
Then, just as we thought he was leaving ... he made his way through the crowds.  Yup.  The Pope was 3 feet away.  I was beyond thrilled!  We were in Rome, on Valentine's Day, and we saw the Pope.  This faithful Catholic girl felt truly blessed!

If you're reading on your phone and can't watch the video, here's a pic ;)

Click here for the article: Pope Invites Thousands of Couples to the Vatican
The rest of the day consisted of a great lunch, more sites, and a lovely Valentine's Day dinner.

Trevi Fountain - Day

View from hotel

Photographer made us

Trevi Fountain - Night

Saturday:
Colosseum.  Again, skipped a half mile line. (This is literally D's dream!)
Took pictures, investigated minimally, and headed to lunch.  We ate at Rossapomodoro and I have never had a better pizza in my life.  It's safe to say that I'm a complete Pizza Snob.  I am.  And this chain restaurant served me the absolute best, most delicious pizza EVER.  Wow, I can barely talk about it.
After lunch we headed to Trastevere, a quaint area of Rome where DCrai and I stayed with friends 8 years ago.  It was cool to be back.
Hotel for a bit then to dinner at Osteria44.  Amazing food, great wine, superb service!

The sky.  Sigh. 

Saltimbocca - Ridiculous! 

Sunday:
Church.  Breakfast.  A walk around the park.  A quick and delicious lunch.  And to the airport we go!

Great weekend.  Good company.  Good weather.  Good food.

When in Rome...

xx

San Valentino Felice

Happy Valentine's Day!!

While some may believe that Valentine's Day can be grossly commercialized, there is also something special about having a designated day to make sure the one's you love know just how much you really love them.  Ain't nothing wrong with a little extra love, right? 

This morning I woke up thinking about when D and I first started dating (August 13, 2004).  I remember wishing, giddily, that our relationship would last until February so that we could celebrate our 6 month anniversary on Valentine's Day. 

Oh, to be 19 and in love.  

Today, we'll be celebrating in Rome ... NINE AND A HALF years later!  I could have never envisioned our love story to take the road that it has.  I feel blessed to have him by my side and I'm going to do my best, on this lovey day, to make sure he knows it.  

I hope everyone has a beautiful and happy day!

Ciao,
xx

Expat Olympic Kickoff

Last night D and I hosted an Olympics 'Opening Ceremony' Party.  My sister had suggested it on Thursday, and we weren't sure if we could pull it off by Saturday night, but it ended up coming together just in time!
Our idea was to get food & beverages from as many different countries as possible.  We did pretty well.

On the menu: 
Japan: Sushi & Edamame
France: Brie & Wine
Great Britain: Pie (England), Scotch (Scotland)
Ireland: Guinness
Argentina: Empanadas
Mexico: Tacos & Guacamole
Russia: White Russians
China: Dumplings
South Africa: Wine

Thankfully our Farmer's Market is every Saturday so we picked up a lot of the goods from there ... minus the awesome cupcakes that M&Mare brought with flags from each country.

Saturday afternoon I stepped up my game.  I didn't want to have a half-assed theme party.  So, I printed out a flag from each country (to sit with their respective food), whipped-up Sochi 2014 gold medals (cardboard, paper, and ribbon), made Olympic rings out of balloons (had to cover one with a black trash bag - didn't go so well), printed out labels for water bottles, and had as much country-labeled apparel out around the house as I could possibly find.  I topped it off by dressing myself in all of my American gear (1984 Los Angeles Olympic t-shirt from Gap, American Flag scarf, and American flag Toms [not pictured]).  D wore a red, white, and blue tracksuit ... priceless! Our friends hit up American Apparel for ... well ... great American apparel ;)

my best attempt at torches :/

Thankfully our friends enjoy a themed party, food, Olympics, Cards Against Humanity, & being together just as much as we do.  We had a really great night!

Off to Rome on Thursday for VALentines Day!!! Really looking forward to spending some time in Italy with my Valentine.  So far so good on the weather front ... looking like 60s and sunny!!! I'll take it.

xx