Dairy Free: An Experiment- Day 1

Don't be fooled by the picture; it is NOT 'so delicious.' There's no fat in it, which I feel totally defeats the purpose of using coconut milk in the first place. I have decided- for the time being- to try removing all dairy from my diet. I am not excited about this. I am excited about the possibility of feeling better, but it's one of those things where the destination, not the journey, will be the fun part. I've been ignoring my body. Or at least, whatever it is my body is trying to tell me. I must be ignoring it because it seems to feel the need to say whatever it is trying to say with increasing volume, and what was once a delicate whisper of a suggestion has grown into a full-on screaming tantrum. It started in my left hand, just my thumb. Sometimes it would feel a little stiff or like it was about to cramp, and a few times while I was pregnant it actually did and I had to use my right hand to unfold my left. Then I noticed that it was occasionally difficult to grip something very tightly with my left thumb, but I only really noticed it if I was trying to open a really stubborn jar. I continued to ignore the stiffness, figuring it was a lot to ask for every single part of a body to function perfectly all the time. Recently, my right hand has started playing the 'sore and stiff' game as well. When my ability to hold a chef's knife is compromised, that is pretty much when I start paying attention. I started googling "stiffness in thumb joint" and discovered that I am most likely developing arthritis. It runs in my family and I often use my hands a lot without giving them a break. The prescribed treatment is to take ibuprofen. I started googling natural remedies. It was at this point that I started to see my body and my symptoms as a whole organism, not separate parts with separate problems. I never ran the marathon. Not even the half. I couldn't run more than eight miles without severe pain in my left knee, pain that wouldn't back off even after I'd quit running. I tried buying the pain a new pair of shoes, but it didn't like them. I tried taking the pain to physical therapy, but the pain wasn't really into it. So I stopped running, and the pain went away except for a slight ache that is still with me. Then I noticed, on what appears at first glance to be totally unrelated, that my tongue becomes easily irritated. A few bites of citrus or strong vinegar, and parts of my tongue would feel inflamed. At night when I'd brush my teeth, one or two taste buds would sometimes bleed. I may or may not have arthritis. What I have got is a body that is in an inflammatory state. I could take ibuprofen, but that would really only be suppressing the symptom. I'm more interested in addressing whatever it is that's causing this inflammatory reaction. I've started taking joint supplements, fish oil, and cherry juice. Fish oil and cherries have both been shown to be powerful anti-inflammatories, and while it's a little early to say I think they're helping. My tongue can handle citrus and doesn't bleed when I brush my teeth. My hands feel less sore. I also noticed improvement after I ate a lot of strawberry shortcake with extra strawberries. As it turns out, strawberries can be very helpful for arthritis. All dark berries actually, except for cranberries. Which is fine because I think I like all the other berries better anyway. So now, the dairy-free experiment. Dairy can greatly exacerbate arthritis. Of all the foods I could give up, I think dairy is the hardest. It is how I start my day, a splash of half and half in my French press coffee. Later, I'll put a nub of butter in my steel cut oatmeal. I love a nice tall glass of cold milk. I find something about the weight of a cube of butter in my hand deeply reassuring. I love cheese, the way it can be toothsome and chewy when eaten cold or go all soft and lovely when melted. I could go on, but it might get depressing so I should probably do what I'm always telling Jack: focus on what you can have. What I can have is steak with chimichurri. If you've never had chimichurri, you really should try it. A mixture of fresh herbs, garlic, vinegar and oil, it smells like zesty freshly-cut grass. It tastes somewhat better than zesty freshly-cut grass. I'm guessing. I've been increasingly intrigued by the idea of raw sauces, and when it's hot out and we're cooking primarily from the grill this is the perfect thing. I love red meat in just about any form, but sometimes a juicy steak can feel a little heavy on a hot day; chimichurri lightens it right up, adding an unexpected freshness to an otherwise rich meal. I plan on putting it on everything from now on, and think it would be a fantastic garnish for some huevos rancheros. Argentinians apparently use the stuff like ketchup, so I feel totally validated in this decision. Jack and Matteas both loved it, and kept asking for "more steak with hummus, please." This was a small miracle because Matteas has never once eaten steak. Jack has long been a proper carnivore and a fairly adventurous eater, but I thought the raw garlic and herbiness of the sauce might be too much even for him. Truthfully, the raw garlic was a bit much for me. I think I'll try roasting the garlic first next time which I'm sure violates authentic Argentinian rules, but I'm not a huge fan of tasting my dinner the morning after I've eaten it. It was totally worth it though, and we made an experience out of it. Aaron had seen the recipe for it in my most recent Cook's Illustrated and decided we really should have it for dinner. We all headed to Central Market and the boys were thrilled that we let them each have a "baby cart," something I only allow them to do when Aaron and I are both present(if you ever want to be a walking birth control add, take two kids to a large supermarket by yourself, give them each a baby cart and then watch them run in two different directions, much to the chagrin of the other shoppers' ankles). Chimichurri 1 large handful cilantro 1 large handful flat-leaf(Italian) parsley 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano 3 cloves garlic, chopped Pinch red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp honey A few grinds of black pepper 3 TB red wine vinegar 1/4 good quality olive oil Toss everything but the oil into a food processor or blender. Blend until very finely chopped, then drizzle in the olive oil while with the machine running. The flavors improve with age, so try to make it at least an hour before you plan on eating. The honey is not a traditional ingredient, but I liked it. Play with whatever herbs you like, it's not an exact science. Try using basil in place of cilantro to drizzle over grilled chicken, or adding a little rosemary to go with some lamb kabobs. So that fondant lily tutorial I promised will have to wait. I will get to it because the wedding I'm making them for is on the 24th, but until then I'm going to drink cherry juice, rest my hands, and dream of half and half.