Damn Pizza

Some things are easier to resist than others.

So here I am, one week after I started a dairy-free week and I must say, I failed.  I made it six days.  But on the sixth day, there was gluten-free pizza!  This was my first time getting to try gluten-free pizza made fresh from somewhere other than my kitchen.  Did I mention there was gluten-free beer?

Okay, so I had some left-overs yesterday, too.  There was mozzarella and Gorgonzola, quite the combination along with crispy bacon, butternut squash, cucumbers and other tasty veggies.  It was sinful.  It was heavenly.  It was delicious.  And I knew that I was totally weak, had absolutely no will power, no ability to say no.  Then again, for someone who pretty much gets stuck eating salads everywhere I go due to limited options, I was not going to settle for a salad when there was gluten-free pizza on the menu!

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I did learn a few things this week, though.  I learned that less dairy is definitely better for my system and that I need to keep up with my probiotics.  For those of you just delving into the world of probiotics, there are a lot of them out there on the market and a lot that really aren't worth much.  I use Jarro-Dophilus, which has 5 billion organisms per capsule and is room temperature safe, meaning I can toss a few in my purse and I can take one before a meal that may have potential gluten or dairy in it.  I have also been known to pop a probiotic before eating a totchos (tater tots as nachos...drool) at Analog in downtown San Diego or a cheese plate for dessert at Cucina Urbana...don't you just love the little smiley bacteria in the colon on the box?

I love food and the fact that I have food allergies limits me too much.  I really would rather enjoy life and deal with a little discomfort every now and then, than have to completely avoid the things I love.  Now as for gluten, I really can't indulge very often.  I did go to a beer and food tasting at Stone Brewery and was able to sample some brews without too much reprieve.  Eating gluten-loaded foods on the other hand would likely kill me.  I don't have celiac's disease, just a severe intolerance.  The dairy though, I'm not too sure about.  Still compiling data.

Recently I was told about another, very serious probiotic.  This is a type that you can really only get in certain places (Costco, I hear) from a pharmacist.  It's called VSL#3.  Apparently it packs quite the punch.  So far, I've only tried it twice so we'll see how it goes. 

So dairy and I don't get along so well and I usually have to use a buffer when we get together (kind of like bringing your wing man along on a blind date), so be it.  I should probably stop eating cheese and crackers and grilled cheese sandwiches, and I should probably stick to once a week on the cheese.

I would call this experiment a success.  I know my lactose limits and I know what I can do to increase those limits.

Now to keep working on the whole drinking 64 oz. of water thing.  I've really been trying, but I could definitely do better.  Maybe I need to get one of those beer hats, you know the ones with the two holders for cans and the straws...