Feliz Sans Yeast -- a quirky title for a quirky situation. Let me break this down a little bit. Feliz = "happy" in Spanish (pronounced Fe-LEES, almost rhymes with yeast) . Sans = "without" in French. Yeast = those little unicellular fungi responsible for making bread rise and fermenting grapes into wine (and for wreaking havoc on my poor little body -- more on that soon).
So, yes, in essence, the name of my blog is "Happy Without Yeast." But I think adding in the French and Spanish words makes it sound altogether more intriguing and vaguely gourmet. Plus, I'm tickled that I found a word to rhyme with yeast, even if it's a bit of a stretch.
In any case, now that that's behind us, you might be wondering "Why are you happy without yeast? And, why are you even thinking about unicellular fungi in the first place?" Let me tell you, I wish I didn't have to. It's and long and wending tale, but here's the compressed version.
I'm a writer who loves food. About four years ago, I decided to put these things together and launch a career as a food writer. But just as I was setting out, fate struck a cruel blow.
Somehow (most likely at my gym), I managed to pick up a skin infection called MRSA (which stands for methicillin-resistant staph aureus, if anyone cares). Basically, it's a nasty microbe that's resistant to pretty much all mainstream antibiotics.
So they loaded me up with some powerful stuff, a nuclear weapon of sorts called Zyvox. I was on it for only 10 days, but it has completely altered the course of my life. During those 10 fateful days, the drug turned my insides out -- I was running to the toilet five times a day. Antibiotics can often screw with your gut (I didn't know about probiotics back then), but usually everything settles back down to normal once your finish the course of medication.
Not with Zyvox. I never returned to normal. It induced a fairly miserable state of irritable bowel syndrome that I spent the next three years trying to control. I went to uber-specialists at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. I spent thousands of dollars on diagnostic tests. No one could find anything "wrong" with me or do anything to ease my symptoms. I was told to reduce my stress level and eat lots of fiber. Um, not the most helpful.
I had all but given up hope when I stumbled upon a book called The Yeast Syndrome by John Parks Trowbridge, M.D. His theory was the first one that made sense of everything I'd been through. Antibiotics, as he explained, kill off bad bacteria in your gut. But they also kill off good bacteria. In the absence of these good critters, yeast -- which normally reside in the gut in small numbers -- proliferate and take over. Ladies, if you've ever had a vaginal yeast infection after a course of antibiotics, you know what I mean.
Yeast (otherwise known as candida) can do lots of nasty things if they grow in your body unchecked. They can induce irritable bowel symptoms. They can cross out of the gut and into the blood, resulting in chronic fatigue. Some even believe that candida are responsible for diseases like MS and autism.
When I started Dr. Trowbridge's "Yeast Control Diet" -- which eliminates all dietary sources of yeast and sugars that nourish yeast -- I felt like a normal human being for the first time in years. I also began taking probiotics and "candida cleanse" supplements to help purge the invaders from my body. As long as I stick with this regimen, life is pretty good.
But here's the catch: the yeast control diet is like a death knell for a food writer. I can't eat any foods that contain yeast, so bread, pasta, cakes, and pastries are all verboten. And I can't drink wine, or any alcohol for that matter, since yeast is the catalyst in fermentation (this eliminates vinegar, too). To make matters worse, pretty much all carbohydrates -- sugar, potatoes, grains, and fruits -- are fuel for yeast, so I can't have any of that good stuff either. Cheese and milk from cows are also pretty much off the list. And soy. And coffee and chocolate. And sushi (can't risk the parasites). Are you feeling sorry for me yet?
What else is left? Protein and vegetables. I'm living "la vida" hunter-gatherer. I can eat most any protein -- chicken, beef, turkey, pork, fish, eggs -- and most any veggie. Herbs, spices, and teas are all allowed. Goat cheese is permitted. And I have copious amounts of yogurt because it contains all that good bacteria like L. acidophilus that battles the yeast. And that's all, folks! It's a low-carb, sugar-free, (basically) dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free life for me.The good news: I lost a boatload of weight and have never felt healthier. The bad news: it's really put a crimp in my food writing career.
I remain a devoted foodie who continues to write restaurant and cookbook reviews, but there's now a glass ceiling on how far I can go in mainstream food writing. A writer who eschews bread, wine, fruit, cheese, and chocolate has no place among the elite of culinary scribes.
But I'm also a home chef who has refused to let my limitations curtail my gourmand aspirations. I've learned to create within the restrictions, and I daresay I've stumbled upon some amazing dishes. I've started this blog because I don't believe "gourmet" and "yeast-free" need to be mutually exclusive entities. I want to share my recipes and experiences for others dealing with such dietary restrictions. Plus, with all my food writing experience, I know a thing or two about the best restaurants in Los Angeles to feed your yeast-free wanderlust. Most of all, I want to celebrate the arts of writing and cooking.
Am I truly "feliz sans yeast" (happy without it)? For the most part. Sometimes I get a little bitter (okay a lot bitter) about having to forgo so many of life's culinary goodies and having to deal with the inconveniences of keeping this diet. But I'm just so grateful for my health and the pleasures of what I CAN eat. So, Bon Appetit Sans Yeast!
