When you've got chronic headaches, you'll try just about anything to find a remedy. Over the past few years, I've exhausted nearly every possible option to get rid of them, short of adjusting what I eat. You see, when I tell myself "let's just take a break from cheese to see if it's a trigger," I do really well for a day or two, but then on day three? I. MUST. EAT. CHEESE. All of the cheese in entire world. But alas folks, it's come to that. A change in diet.
It turns out some people have had success eliminating headaches by cutting gluten, so I'm jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon for a couple of months just to see what happens. Worst case scenario, the headaches persist and the reduction in bread, pasta, and flour tortilla consumption just contributes to my pre-wedding healthy eating goals.
The plan is to reduce my gluten intake as much as possible for as long as I can handle and record the results. And just to make sure I don't wind up knee-deep in sourdough, cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies after a couple of days, I've given myself an out. Any gluten I eat better be worth it. Worth getting a headache over. No boxed Oreos or crackers here. Only homemade treats. And only occasionally. By allowing it every once in a while, I'm hoping to control the cravings. I'm a classic case of always wanting what you can't have.
Well then you're not really doing it, you might say? I hear you. Loud and clear. Baby steps. I do what I can without crying over the loss of cake from my life. I'm on week three and I've only eaten gluten twice. For a girl who used to use flour on a daily basis, I'd count that as a win. If my migraine patterns don't change, we'll alter the experiment. I hear refined sugar is another direction to go - yikes. It's no surprise I chose gluten as the first culprit. I'll keep you posted.
With this resolve, I picked up a loaf of Udi's Gluten-Free whole grain bread and served up a refreshing Sunday brunch. While I prepared these toasts, Lucas caught up on lost sleep from his recent China trip, waking only when the finished platter sat on the table in front of him with a cup of steaming hot coffee. One bite and he decided Sunday's are awesome. And so are these toasts. "No gluten" doesn't mean you have to miss out on sopping up a runny egg with a crispy slice of toast. No siree! And when you're done licking the plate, you'll wonder how such a light dish could make you feel so full.
Over easy avocado toasts (Adapted from Avocado Pesto)
Serves 2
- 4 slices of gluten-free whole grain bread, toasted
- 1 avocado
- 4 eggs
- About ¼ cup alfalfa sprouts
- Freshly shaved parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Divide the avocado between the four pieces of toast, spreading it evenly over the bread.
- Spray a small skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat.
- Crack an egg into the skillet and cook, covered, until the egg white is just set on the bottom. Quickly flip the egg over to cook the other side, just until the white is set, but the yolk is still runny, about 30-45 seconds. Transfer the egg to the avocado-topped toasts. Repeat until all 4 eggs are cooked. (If you have a larger skillet and are much more skilled with a spatula than I, feel free to cook all 4 eggs at once! I am too clumsy and break the yolks when cooking more than one).
- Sprinkle each egg-covered toast with salt and pepper to taste. Layer a few shavings of parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of alfalfa sprouts on top.
Vicky -
Love this post! So sorry to hear about your headaches and really hope gluten could be the answer and that cutting it out helps! I actually saw this post right on top of the track back to my post in my email inbox and thought ooo must check out this recipe first haha only to find out this recipe is the link back to my recipe! As I was reading this I was going to recommend looking into the Udi's gluten free bread because I think they do an awesome job cutting out any gluten but making the bread taste super real but you've already caught onto it it seems! A tip -- check out gluten free brown rice pasta - something like fettucine - I've tried it before and loved it. I've made home made pasta a few times and actually found the brown rice pasta to be closer in taste to home made regular flour pasta than the store bought dried (gluten) pasta. Maybe you'll like it too? Also I know I owe you an email regarding Japan for your honeymoon so don't think I've forgotten!!! Best of luck with the wedding planning! Seriously flattered you linked to my post here and re-created one of my favorite breakfast toasts!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks for all the advice! I've actually tried the brown rice pasta and it's pretty tasty (in fact, that's what's for dinner tonight!). Can't wait to hear all your Japan advice!
Sher -
Now this looks like a breakfast I would enjoy! I'll have to try it!
Kickasscooking -
Poached eggs are my favorite! Great for a quick dinner! Sorry about your headache..let us know if going gluten free helped in the longer term.b
Sarah Menanix -
Will do! Thanks for stopping by:)
Jenny -
I wish you luck! Hit me up if you need help or someone to talk you down from eating something terrible. Haha. I know the feeling well. I barely crave most things I used to eat. All the substitutes help. Franz makes the best GF bread I've ever had. Or Canyon Bakehouse, but I don't know where you could find it. And I recommend trying all the different pastas (rice, corn, quinoa) to find the one that suits your taste, but quinoa is my personal favorite.
Sarah Menanix -
Luckily my favorite gummy candy is GF:) xo.
Veronica -
Ok! Now this looks seriously Good! Yum! You are so smart to keep a journal of the changes you are making in your diet! I did this with my daughter when her asthma was out of control. It helped me to make changes in her diet and environment. She started to improve and we learned what she was sensitive to. I love your photos! thank you for the recipes!
Colette @ JFF! -
Love it!
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks!
H -
Don’t know if you’re still experiencing migraines, but I eliminated mine by going gluten- sugar- and dairy-free. It’s perhaps not the easiest thing in the world, but I completely eliminated my migraines, which I was getting at least twice a week - they required a trip to the ER each time if I wasn’t able to catch them quickly with self-injected Sumatriptan.
My diet is largely plant-based with the addition of eggs and, very rarely, fish. (You have some great recipes which fall under this category! That’s how I found you.) Everything feels better and my skin has been perfectly clear, so it appears there are many added benefits. Wishing you peace and freedom from migraines - I don’t think non-migraineurs ever fully understand just how debilitating and painful they are.