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IBS tummy troubles (and how to get out of them)
I think I posted (or did I tweet? I'm losing my mind so can't remember what I said when!) that I had bad food poisoning earlier this month. (Thanks for the kind words, Mar!) After a week of antibiotics and eating bland food (nothing spicy per the doctor) my stomach has sort of settled into a bit of a delicate balance with occasional veering into IBS territory. Additional stress from getting laid off from my day job last week did not help matters, tummy-wise. Argh! I did some research that indicated that food allergic people are more susceptible to colitis (the official name for the pain from the food poisoning), so it seems reasonable that we're gonna have digestive issues in general. And so it goes.
I keep a lot of natural digestive aids around the house -- dairy-free acidophilus, activated charcoal for an upset stomach, papaya after meals for improved digestion, and peppermint tea to settle things in general. My doctor prescribed a terrific anti-spasmodic called Hyocsyamine to take 30 minutes before meals, and this has helped tremendously to prevent the awful abdominal cramping that I was having. It's prescribed fairly often for IBS, and is inexpensive, I highly recommend it if diet alone isn't helping. Ask your doctor! Personally, I don't want to rely on this heavily but it's nice to have something else in my arsenal if all else fails.
Anyhow, I found that during this month that I've been gravitating towards foods that would make me feel better. I've been much more stringent on the IBS diet -- less fat (including olive oil), more soluble fiber. The cookbook Eating for IBS has been a lifesaver. Lots of fish (sauteed fillets, tuna salad), turkey in all forms, mashed potatoes, grain dishes like polenta and GF cornbread, and less meat for this usually enthusiastic carnivore. I had some al pastor (BBQ pork tacos) that I usually demolish without a thought but this time it took me down BIG time, oy. The interesting thing was that I also seemed to crave different beverages as well. I'm usually satisfied with water or tea (no coffee for IBS!) but wanted something healthier. Luckily for me, the POM Wonderful people shared with me two new flavors of pomegranate juice -- tangerine and my fave, kiwi! These new blends are much lighter than the original (can I call it POM Classsic?), and sweeter. Much more drinkable straight out of the bottle, so they didn't really need dilution. They would be great for mixing regardless! (Any mixologists out there?) I preferred the kiwi which was a nice balance of sweet and tart. The BF preferred tangerine because it was a little more robust and tangy. The bottles have little color-coded lids to let you know they're different from the others. Anyhow, these really helped during the bad tummy time, thanks POM!
Since my stomach problems seem to be sticking around for a bit, my recipes are going to adjust some to be more IBS-friendly: less fried food, no egg yolks, little to no red meat, more fish, more high soluble fiber, and lots of water and hot peppermint tea. I also read that cranberry juice is beneficial and not too acidic, so will be going for that as well. Will report in later.
Cheers for now.
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It's chilly! Time for white turkey chili
All of a sudden it's turned chilly and fall-ish in Los Angeles. Two weeks ago we were sweating in shorts and flip flops and now we are dragging out sweaters and boots. It was time to make something warm and hearty for dinner! I posted earlier that I am always searching out chili recipes without tomatoes (still have to try a Texas Chili recipe submitted by a reader), but in the meanwhile I rely on my white turkey chili, which has become a favorite with friends and family. With lots of hearty taste and texture, you won't even miss the tomatoes! Another reason this has been welcomed is that my stomach is still recovering from my recent battle with food poisoning (the longest duration I've ever had -- one week, requiring antibiotics) and this chili is not spicy yet still satisfying. For you hotheads out there, you can still add hot sauce at the end!
The secret ingredient is the broth. My absolute favorite broth is from Savory Choice -- easy to use individual packets, and rich, hearty flavor that doesn't use garlic, celery or carrots. Hooray! I've seen Savory Choice sold in Whole Foods and Bristol Farms, hopefully they get to regular grocery stores soon, they're AWESOME. Please try to find this brand when you can. You can also use chicken broth, but keep in mind that the quality and saltiness varies greatly from brand to brand and you may have to adjust the seasonings accordingly.
FAQ Famous White Turkey Chili
Four generous servings
2 TBS. olive oil
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, diced
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (dark meat if possible)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS. ground cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
2 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans (or other white beans)
1 4 oz. can of diced mild green chiles
4 cups turkey broth made from 4 packets of Savory Choice (or chicken broth of your choice)
1 can whole black olives
diced green onions for garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot (6 quarts/dutch oven) over medium heat. Add diced onions and saute until softened and lightly browned.
Add in ground turkey, salt pepper, cumin and onion powder and cook until browned. As turkey is cooking, break up the turkey with a wooden spoon so that the meat is in smallish pieces, it's tough to eat big chunks!
Add in broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes for flavors to meld. Add in olives just before serving to heat through (if you add the olives too early they get mushy). Taste and correct seasoning. This is meant to have a thin broth. If you like it thicker, you can crumble a few tortilla chips into the chili and simmer for a few minutes (this is a good trick to thicken soups without using flour!)
Serve with diced green onions as a garnish. Tastes great served with cornbread. My non-allergic bf likes to top his with sour cream or cottage cheese as well.
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