Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Coping with a Gluten Sensitivity and 6 tips on how to do it.


I shared a while back about how I had discovered I had a gluten sensitivity. It has been about 6 months since I talked about it and close to a year since I have come to the realization. I thought I would give a little update since I get asked on occasion how it is coming along.

It sucks.
Seriously. 

If you don't have to do it, don't do it. I'm still adjusting, a year later. I keep telling myself it will get better and it has in some ways, but in other ways the craving and anger for wanting something I shouldn't have seems to intensify. 
I have understood that most of it is a retraining of my mind. Teaching myself that I don't need the food I am craving. That I can use this as an opportunity to get creative, or make my own version of them. The other day I told myself that it was just a tiny bit, It won't affect me that much...
Wrong!
I was not myself within about 3 hours. I was bummed and irritable with Dylan and then it hit me at dinner time that night. I've been glutened! It got me! Every now and then it slips into something I've eaten and I feel foggy. Every time it happens I feel like it just reinforces how bad it is for me.

This book, sorry if the title offends you, has been the best thing for me since finding out about my gluten sensitivity.


While we were in Chicago we went to a cute little shop and I came across this book, read a few excerpts and was dying laughing in the store. We bought it and I read it during the rest of our trip. Dylan was laughing right along with me. It is such an encouraging book. It was like someone climbed inside my head, narrated/commentated most of my frustrations and experiences I have had with all of this.

Amy Peveteaux is a freaking riot! Her sarcasm makes is all worth it. I would recommend this book to anyone, gluten free or not, it is hilarious by itself but even more hilarious if you have experienced some of the same frustrations. Her blog is written in a similar fashion and I just think it is great.

So a year in here is my advice:

1. Stick with it, your bowels, loved ones and self will thank you for it.

2. Find a few encouraging people to surround yourself with. Dylan constantly encourages me and also eats/cooks to my sensitivity. Our close friend group (that we potluck with) is mostly vegetarian and they have kindly made gf dishes. Our church has also kindly taken the need of vegetarians and gf people into consideration with the Sunday meals. I can't stress how important this one is. Understanding friends make the struggle a lot easier.

3. Retrain your brain. Maybe this comes easier for some folks but for me I don't like hearing that I can't do something, it just makes me want to do it all the more. Call it rebellious or call it what you want but I hate it. I have to remember that I like to craft and create so I need to look at food like a craft project. We went on a big grocery run last weekend and Dylan left me for a couple days, it was like he had bought me a bunch of new art supplies, so many possibilities!

4. Buy yourself a couple new gluten free cookbooks or discover a new blog. My friend Maggie bought us Gluten-Free on a Shoestring and it has been a great one to have. Simple recipes trying to focus on not spending a lot and using what you have around the kitchen already.  Amy's book and blog is great as well.


5. Buy yourself some good all purpose gluten free flour. This suggestion is in many of the books and blogs I have perused and they are right! Trader Joe's has a decent one that I use, Cup 4 Cup is also an excellent/pricey choice but very nice to have on hand (it has the xantham gum already in the flour).

6. Eat more fruits and veggies! We're all supposed to anyway right? Having a healthier lifestyle does help you to not crave those snack cakes as much. 

I don't know if any of these helped anyone out there in internet land but this is what I have discovered after a year of this journey, it may be a totally different story in another year. Who knows? Until then I will keep sharing recipes for my fellow gf comrades.

Hannah made this beautiful Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and I have shared a few gluten free recipes

-Zon

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